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The Leonard Library

MpcUffe College

Toronto

Shelf No..1K.X5.Z.OO..C.S

Register No...\.3tjQ.i.4».

.19.5.2.

NICHOL'S SERIES OF STANDARD DIVINES.

PUEITAN PERIOD.

BY JOHN C. MILLER, D.D.,

LIMCOLX COLLEGE; HONOR-US? CA.MOS OF \VORCESTBK; UKCTOR OF ST MAUTIN'S, BIRUIXGH AM.

THE

WORKS OF DAVID CLAEESON, B.D.

VOL. I.

EDINBURGH :

PRINTED BY JOHN GUEIG AND SON,
OLD PHYSIC GARDENS.

PREFATORY NOTE.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

SERMONS, &c.
OF ORIGINAL SIN. .

OF REPENTANCE. .

OF FAITH.

OF LIVING BY FAITH. .
FAITH IN PRAYER. .

OF DYING IN FAITH. .

OF LIVING AS STRANGERS. . . '.

THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. .

JUSTIFICATION BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING TO COME TO CHRIST.

THE LORD THE OWNER OF ALL THINGS ; AN INDUCE
MENT FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. .

HEARING THE WORD. . . ,._

OF TAKING UP THE CROSS.

Ps. LI. 5.
LUKE XIII. 8.
MARK XVI. 16.
HEB. X. 38. .
JAMES I. 6.
HEB. XI. 13.
HEB. XI. 13.
PHILIP, in. 8.
PHILIP. III. 9.
JOHN V. 40.

3

16
63
176
197
238
243
247
278
331

1CHRON.XXIX.11. 365
, LUKE VIH. 18. 428
LUKE XIV. 27. 447

PREFATORY NOTE.

RESPECTING the personal history of David Clarkson, a volume of
whose works we now submit to the reader, we regret that almost
no information has been handed down to us. The following par
ticulars are gleaned from a Memoir by the late Rev. John Black
burn, prefixed to a volume of his Select Works, published by the
Wickliffe Society, the contents of which have been kindly placed
at our disposal.

* David Clarkson was born at Bradford, in Yorkshire, in the month
of February 1621-2. He was educated at Clare Hall, Cambridge,
and became fellow and tutor in that College in 1645. He gave up
his fellowship in 1651, on his marriage with a Miss Holcroft ; and
he was afterwards Rector of Mortlake, Surrey, from which he was
' ejected' by the Act of Uniformity in 1662. After this he spent
his time in retirement and study, until, in 1682, he was chosen as
colleague to Dr John Owen in the pastorship of his congregation
in London. On the death of Owen, in the following year, he became
sole pastor of the congregation, and discharged his duty faithfully
/ until his death in 1 686.

This is really all that is known of the personal history of our
author. Perhaps it is not rightly matter of surprise, however much
it is to be regretted, that we can obtain so little insight into the
particulars of the every-day life of most of the Puritan Divines.
We are not sure that it would be possible to ascertain many par
ticulars of the lives even of distinguished ministers who died forty
or fifty years ago, unless special memoirs of them were written
immediately after their death ; and, of course, the difficulty must
be greatly enhanced when the stream of two hundred years has
rolled over the sands upon which a man has imprinted his foot
marks. And then it is to be remembered that our researches refer
to a time when the periodical press had no existence.

If Owen be admitted to be, as by common consent he seems to be

Till PREFATORY NOTK.

regarded, the 'David' of the Puritan host, and Howe, and Baxter,
and Thomas Goodwin to be the ' first three' of its worthies, we
believe that the second trio must include the name of David Clark-
son, associated probably with those of Charnock and Sibbes, or
perhaps Flavel. It is manifest, however, that such a statement is
to be taken only in a very general sense. In some respects, Sibbes
is as much superior to Goodwin, as in others Goodwin is superior
to Sibbes ; while in some most important particulars, and especially
in respect of clearness and liveliness, Owen himself is unquestion
ably below all the seven others who have been named, and many
others who might have been mentioned. From the very nature of
the case, the question of precedence amongst writers cannot be
determined but in a vague and general way. No man would ever
think of asking the question whether Shakespeare or Bacon were
the greater genius, the better writer ; or even the more limited
question, whether Hume or Gibbon were the better historian,
Addison or Johnson the more accomplished essayist. And in the
domain of Christian and theological literature, the qualities of
different writers are manifestly incommeDsurable. There are diversi
ties of gifts ; and it may not be determined whether the possession
of a larger measure of one gift, and a smaller measure of another,
be more or less valuable than that of a greater degree of the latter,
and a less measure of the former. The clear eye of one may be
as precious as the fine ear of another ; the delicate touch of one as
the firm standing of another ; and the eye may not say to the ear, I
have no need of thee, nor yet the hand to the foot, I have no need
of thee.

It is, however, unquestionable that, in respect of the qualities of
a theological writer, Clarkson occupied a very high place amongst
the divines of the Puritan period. His vigorous and clear mind,
his extensive and varied learning, his fervent piety and zeal for
the glory of God and the good of men, enabled him to produce
writings remarkable for soundness of reasoning and fervency of
appeal, and adorned with the graces of a tasteful eloquence.
There can be no difference of opinion as to the propriety of
including in the present series, at least the non-controversial
portion of these writings — the theological and practical, as distin
guished from the ecclesiastical portion ; and we do not doubt that
many readers will regard them as, upon the whole, the most valu
able, as they will certainly be found to be among the most generally
attractive, of all the works of which the series is to be composed.

His first appearance as an author was in the publication of a
sermon which he preached at one of the Cripplegate Morning

PREFATORY NOTE.

Exercises. Its title is, ' What Christians must do, that the Influence
of the Ordinances may abide upon them.' His next publication
was another Morning Exercise sermon, on the thesis ' The Doctrine
of Justification is dangerously corrupted in the Romish Church/
This was followed by a quarto volume on ' The Practical Divinity of
the Papists, discovered to be destructive of Christianity and men's
souls,' a work of great research and candour. His next publications
related to the episcopal and liturgical controversy. They were a
treatise entitled, ' No Evidence for Diocesan Churches,' and another
under the title, ' Diocesan Churches not yet Discovered in Primitive
Times.' His sermon on the death of Owen was also published.
We find also allusions to anonymous tracts of which he was the
author, but it is probable that these are irrecoverably lost.

His posthumous works were, ' Primitive Episcopacy stated
and cleared from the Holy Scriptures and Ancient Records,' and on
the ' Use of Liturgies/ a ' Discourse on the Saving Grace of God/
and a large folio volume of sermons.

These sermons, which will occupy the greater portion of the three
volumes which it is intended to include in our series, are thirty -
one in number. They are of very various lengths, and, as we ven
ture to think, of very various degrees of excellence. Some of them
may be ranked amongst the finest sermons in our language, while
others are of little more than average merit. They have the dis
advantage which is incident to all posthumous publications, that
they contain some things which their author would probably have
cut out, and do not contain some things which he would have put
in, had he prepared them for the press, or contemplated their pub
lication. Even the fullest of them contain many passages which
are evidently only heads and notes for fuller discussions, which
were doubtless supplied in the delivery, and which would have been
inserted had he revised them for publication. There are also
some things which we venture to think he would have omitted.
We cannot believe, for example, that so ripe a scholar as he evi
dently was, would have allowed to pass an argument which he
founds on a Hebrew word in the sermon on Original Sin. The root
DIT» signifies to be warm, ; and by a very obvious process has the
two secondary meanings, to conceive, and to be angry. But Mr
Clarkson founds upon this coincidence an argument that the anger
of God rests upon man from the instant of his conception. By a
slip of a similar character in another sermon, referring to the pro
digal's coming to himself, he makes repentance to be a recovering
from madness, rather than a change of mind, as if the composition
of the Greek word were t^r -[- avoia, and not pern -j- ma. These

PREFATORY NOTE.

things any man might write off-hand, but we cannot think that
a scholar like Clarkson would have published them.
/ But with a few slight drawbacks of this kind, Clarkson's sermons,
as a whole, are exceedingly valuable. They appear to us, in respect
of style of thought and language, to be in advance of many of the
writings of the period. They contain no plays upon words, no
grotesque similes, no verbal or logical conceits ; but an earnest,
strong vindication of great gospel truths, and most affectionate and
fervent appeals to sinners to embrace the offered salvation. There
is often a considerable resemblance to the matter of some of
Goodwin's works ; occasionally the same arguments employed in
continuance. And we have no doubt that Clarkson was well
acquainted with such of Goodwin's writings as were published up
to the time when he wrote.

The doctrine of Clarkson is very decidedly Calvinistic, and is
occasionally somewhat harsher than that of most of the puritan
Calvinists. There is, for example, an argument respecting the
divine sovereignty (p. 380 of this volume) which, the author tells
us, ' clears up the absolute dominion of God, and those difficulties
which concern it, very much to his own satisfaction.' It is in sub-
tance that God might, on the ground of absolute sovereignty,
righteously deprive even a sinless creature of 'being or well-being.'
This is, to say the least of it, harsh doctrine. We do not think that
anything like it is to be found in Calvin, and we are sure that some
thing very unlike it is to be found in Goodwin. We venture to
recommend the reader to compare the sentiments of Clarkson and
Goodwin, the one in the passage referred to, the other in the trea
tise ' Of the Creatures, and the Condition of their State by Creation/
Book II. Chap. i. (Goodwin's Works, Vol. VII. p. 22-27).

It is hoped that three volumes of our Series may contain all the
extant works of Clarkson, with the exception of those on Episcopacy
and Liturgies.

The reader will be interested by the perusal of the following tract,
entitled, ' A Short Character of that Excellent Divine Mr David
Clarkson, who departed this life 14th of June 1686.' This tract
Mr Blackburn unhesitatingly ascribes to Dr Bates, who preached
Mr Clarkson's funeral sermon. To us it does not appear that his
reason is at all sufficient, it being only that he has seen a copy of
it bound up with that sermon.

' Although the commendation of the dead is often suspected to be guilty
of flattery, either in disguising their real faults, or adorning them with false
virtues ; and such praises are pernicious to the living : yet of those per
sons whom God hath chosen to be the singular objects of his grace, we

PREFATORY NOTE. XI

may declare the praiseworthy qualities and actions which reflect an honour
upon the Giver, and may excite us to imitation. And such was Mr David
Clarkson, a person worthy of dear memory and value, who was furnished
with all those endowments that are requisite in an accomplished minister
of the gospel.

' He was a man of sincere godliness and true holiness, which is the
divine part of a minister, without which all other accomplishments are not
likely to be effectual for the great end of the ministry, that is, to translate
sinners from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of God's dear
Son. Conversion is the special work of divine grace, and it is most likely
that God will use those as instruments in that blessed work, who are dear
to him and earnestly desire to glorify him. God ordinarily works in spiri
tual things as in natural ; for as in the production of a living creature,
besides the influence of the universal cause, there must be an immediate
agent of the same kind for the forming of it, so the divine wisdom orders
it, that holy and heavenly ministers should be the instruments of making
others so. Let a minister be master of natural and artificial eloquence,
let him understand all the secret springs of persuasion, let him be
furnished with learning and knowledge, yet he is not likely to suc
ceed in his divine employment without sanctifying grace. "Tis that gives
him a tender sense of the worth of souls, that warms his heart with ardent
requests to God, and with zealous affection to men for their salvation.
Besides, an unholy minister unravels in his actions his most accurate dis
courses in the pulpit ; and like a carbuncle, that seems animated with the
light and heat of fire, but is a cold dead stone, so, though with apparent
earnestness he may urge men's duties upon them, yet he is cold and care
less in his own practice, and his example enervates the efficacy of his
sermons. But this servant of God was a real saint ; a living spring of
grace in his heart diffused itself in the veins of his conversation. His life *
was a silent repetition of his holy sermons.

' He was a conscientious improver of his time for acquiring of useful
knowledge, that he might be thoroughly furnished for the work of his divine
calling. And his example upbraids many ministers, who are strangely
careless of their duty, and squander away precious time, of which no part
is despicable and to be neglected. The filings of gold are to be preserved.
"We cannot stop the flight of time, nor recall it when past. Volat irrevoc-
abile ternpus. The sun returns to us every day, and the names of the
months every year, but time never returns. But this servant of God was
faithful in improving this talent, being very sensible, to use his own words,
" that the blood of the soul runs out in wasted time." When deprived of •/
his public ministry, he gave himself wholly to reading and meditation,
whereby he obtained an eminent degree of sacred knowledge, and was con
versant in the retired parts of learning, in which many who are qualified to
preach a profitable sermon are unacquainted.

' His humility and modesty were his distinctive characters wherein he
excelled. What a treasure was concealed under the veil of humility ! What

Xll PREFATORY NOTE.

an illustrious worth was shadowed under his virtuous modesty ! He was
like a picture drawn by an excellent master in painting, but placed in the
dark, so that the exactness of the proportions and the beauty of the colours
do not appear. He would not put his name to those excellent tracts that
are extant, wherein his learning and judgment are very conspicuous. He
was well satisfied to serve the church and illustrate the truth, and to remain
in his beloved secrecy.

</ ' In his conversation a comely gravity, mixed with an innocent pleasant
ness, were attractive of respect and love. He was of a calm temper, not
ruffled with passions, but gentle, and kind, and good ; and even in some
contentious writings, he preserved an equal tenor of mind, knowing that we
are not likely to discover the truth in a mist of passion : his breast was
the temple of peace.

' In the discharge of his sacred work, his intellectual abilities and holy
affection were very evident.

' In prayer, his solemnity and reverence were becoming one that saw
him who is invisible : his tender affections, and suitable expressions, how
melting and moving, that might convey a holy heat and life to dead hearts,
and dissolve obdurate sinners in their frozen tombs.

' In his preaching, how instructive and persuasive to convince and turn
the carnal and worldly from the love of sin to the love of holiness ; from
V the love of the earth, to the love of heaven ! The matter of his sermons
was clear and deep, and always judiciously derived from the text ; the lan
guage was neither gaudy and vain, with light trimmings, nor rude and
neglected, but suitable to the oracles of God. Such were his chosen accep
table words, as to recommend heavenly truths, to make them more precious
and amiable to the minds and affections of men ; like the colour of the sky,
that makes the stars to shine with a more sparkling brightness.

" Briefly, whilst opportunity continued, with alacrity and diligence, and
constant resolution, he served his blessed Master till his languishing dis
tempers, which natural means could not remove, prevailed upon him. But
then the best Physician provided him the true remedy of patience.
His death was unexpected, yet, as he declared, no surprise to him, for he
was entirely resigned to the will of God ; he desired to live no longer, than
to be serviceable : his soul was supported with the blessed hope of enjoy
ing God in glory. With holy Simeon, he had Christ in his arms, and
departed in peace to see the salvation of God above. How great a loss
the church has sustained in his death is not easily valued ; but our com
fort is, God never wants instruments to accomplish his blessed work."

The following documents, detailing some portions of the Christian
experience of two of Mr Clarkson's daughters, will form an appro
priate conclusion to this note.

PREFATORY NOTE. Xlll

' The choice experience of Mrs REBECCA COMBE, eldest daughter of the late
Rev. Mr DAVID CLARKSON, delivered by her on her admission into fellow
ship with the church, late under the care of the late Rev. Mr THOMAS
GOUGE.

' In giving an account of the dealings of God with my soul, I desire truly
and sincerely to represent the state of my case ; I am sensible it will be in
much weakness, but I hope my end is, that God may have the glory of his
own work, which he hath wrought on so mean and unworthy a creature as
myself.

' I had the advantage and invaluable blessing of a religious education,
both my parents being eminent for wisdom and grace. Under the instruc
tions of my good mother, I had early and frequent convictions, though
these impressions lasted not long, for I wore them off, either by a formal
engaging in some religious duties, or else by running into such diversions
as were suited to my childhood. But my convictions being renewed as I
grew up, and it being impressed on my mind that this way of performing
duties, by fits and starts, merely to quiet an accusing conscience, would not
satisfy the desires of an immortal soul capable of higher enjoyments than
I took up with ; this put me on serious thoughtfulness what method to
pursue, in order to bind myself to a more stated performance of those
duties which, I was convinced, the Lord required of me.

' Accordingly, I made a most solemn resolution to address myself to God
by prayer, both morning and evening, and never on any occasion what
ever to neglect it, calling the Lord to witness against me if I broke this
solemn engagement. But, alas ! I soon saw the vanity of my own resolu
tions, for as I was only found in the performance of duty through fear, and
as a task, and, having once omitted it at the set time, I concluded my
promise was now broke, and from that time continued in a total neglect of
prayer, till it pleased the almighty Spirit to return with his powerful opera
tions, and set my sins in order before me. Then my unsuitable carriage
under former convictions, together with my breaking the moet solemn
engagements to the Lord, wounded me deep. Indeed, I was tempted to
conclude I had sinned the unpardonable sin, and should never be forgiven.

' Yet, in my greatest distress and anguish of spirit, I could not give up
all hope, having some views of the free and sovereign grace of God, as
extended to the vilest and worst of sinners, though I could not take the
comfort of it to myself. My sins appeared exceeding sinful. I even
loathed and abhorred myself on account of them, and was continually
begging a deeper sense and greater degree of humiliation. I thought I
could have been content, yea, I was desirous, to be filled with the utmost
horror and terror of which I was capable, if this might be a means of bring
ing me to that degree of sorrow which I apprehended the Lord expected
from so vile a creature. The heinous nature of my sins, and their offen-
siveness to the pure eyes of his holiness, were ever before me, insomuch
that I thought I could not be too deeply wounded, or feel trouble enough.

XIV PREFATORY NOTE.

' This put me on a constant and restless application to God through
Christ, from whom alone I now saw all my help must come. I had tried
the utmost I could do, and found it left me miserably short of what the
law required and I wanted. I was convinced that an expectation of some
worthiness in myself, as the condition of my acceptance before God, was
that which had kept me so long from Christ and the free promises of the
gospel ; and therefore, as enabled, I went to the Lord, and pleaded those
absolute promises of his word, which are made freely to sinners in his Son,
without the least qualification to be found in me. I was enabled to urge
those encouraging words, Rev. xxii. 17, "Let him that is athirst come,
and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely ; " also Isa. Iv. 1,
" Without money and without price ; " with many more of the like nature,
which would be too tedious to mention. I desired to come to Christ,
unworthy as I was, and cast my soul entirely upon him, for I clearly saw
that all I had heretofore done profited me nothing, since my very prayers,
considered as a sinner, were an abomination to the Lord. There was
nothing left therefore for me to take the least comfort and encouragement
from but the free grace of God in Christ Jesus, which I continued to plead
with much earnestness, and found my soul enlarged beyond whatever I
had experienced before.

' Soon after, I providentially opened a manuscript of my father's, and cast
my eye upon that part of it where he was shewing what pleas a sensible
sinner might make use of in prayer. Many things were mentioned which
were very reviving. I was miserable, and that might be a plea. I might
also plead his own mercy, the suitableness, the largeness, and the freeness
of his mercy. I might plead my own inability to believe, of which I was
very sensible. I might also plead the will of God, for he commands sinners
to believe, and is highly dishonoured by unbelief. I might likewise plead
the descent of faith, it is the gift of God, and the nature of this gift, which
is free. Yea, I might plead the examples of others who have obtained this
gift, and that against the greatest unlikelihood and improbabilities that
might be. I might and could plead further, my willingness to submit to
anything, so that I might but find this favour with the Lord. Moreover,
I might plead Christ's prayer and his compassions ; the workings of his
Spirit already begun ; that regard which the Lord shews to irrational crea
tures ; he hears their cries, and will he shut out the cries of a poor perish
ing sinner ? — in short, I might plead my necessity and extreme need of
faith, a sense of which was deeply impressed on my soul.*

' On reading these pleas I found great relief, yea, they were to me as a
voice from heaven, saying, This is the way, walk in it. I was enabled to
go and act faith upon a Redeemer, and could give up my all to him, and
trust in him alone for all., I was now convinced by his Spirit that he would
work in me what was well-pleasing and acceptable to God, and that he
required nothing of me but what his free rich grace would bestow upon me.
Now was Christ exceeding precious to my soul, and I longed for clearer
* See the sermon in this volume, on ' Faith in Prayer.' — ED.

PREFATORY NOTE. XV

discoveries of him, both in his person and offices, as prophet, priest, and
king.

And oh, how did I admire his condescending love and grace to such a
poor, wretched, worthless creature as myself ! I was greatly delighted in
frequent acts of resignation to him, desiring that every faculty of my soul
might be brought into an entire obedience, and could part with every
offensive thing, and would not have spared so much as one darling lust,
but was ready to bring it forth and slay it before him. In short, I could
now perceive a change wrought in my whole soul ; I now delighted in what
before was my greatest burden, and found that most burdensome in which
I before most delighted. I went on pleasantly in duty ; my meditation on
him was sweet, and my heart much enlarged in admiring his inexpressible
love and grace, so free, and sovereign, to so wretched a creature, which even
filled my soul with wonder and love.

But this delightful frame did not long continue, for I was soon surprised
with swarms of vain thoughts, which appeared in my most solemn ap
proaches to God, and such violent hurries of temptation, as greatly
staggered my faith, which was weak. Hereupon I was ready to give up
all, and to conclude that I had mocked God, and cheated my own soul ; that
these wandering thoughts, and this unfixedness of mind in duty, could never
consist with a sincere love to the things of God. I thought my heart had
been fixed, but oh how exceeding deceitful did I then find it ! which
greatly distressed me, and made me conclude my sins were rather in
creased than mortified, insomuch that I was ready to cry out, "Oh,
wretched creature that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death ! " and in consideration of the power and prevalency of indwelling
corruptions and daily temptations which I had to grapple with, I was
ready to say, " I shall one day fall by the hands of these enemies."

' But these discouragements were fully removed by reading some of my
father's writings, where it was observed that a person had no reason to
conclude his sins were more increased merely because they appeared more,
and became more troublesome, since this arose from the opposition they
now met with, from that principle of grace which now was implanted.
Hence I learned, that before the flesh reigned quietly in me, and therefore
I perceived not the lusts thereof, but now all the powers and faculties of
my soul were engaged against them, they gave me the greatest disturbance,
and struggled more and more. Also these words were impressed on my
mind with an efficacious power, 2 Cor. xii. 9, " My grace is sufficient for
thee," which gave me peace in believing that it should be to me according
to his word.

' Thus, after many conflicts, comforts, and supports, I determined to
give myself up to some church, that I might partake of the Lord's Supper,
and have my faith confirmed in the blood of that everlasting covenant,
which I hoped the Lord had made with me, since he had given me his
Spirit as the earnest thereof. I accordingly was joined to a church, and
in coming to this ordinance, found great delight : my faith was strength-

XVI PREFATORY NOTE.

ened and my love increased from that sweet communion I then enjoyed
with my Lord by his blessed Spirit, who often filled me with joy unspeak
able and full of glory. Thus I walked under the sweet and comfortable
sense of his love ; and whilst in the way of my duty, I was thus indulged
with such sights of the Redeemer's glory, and such a taste of his grace, I
frequently wished that I might never more go back to the world again.

But after all these manifestations, oh wretched creature! God in his
providence calling me more into the world by changing my condition, this
new relation brought new afflictions and new temptations, which, being too
much yielded to, insensibly prevailed, and brought me into such perplex
ing darkness that I want words to express it. I lost the sense of the love
of God, and hence my duty was performed without that delight I had once
experienced, the want of which made me often neglect it, and especially
in private, while I attended on public worship with little advantage or
pleasure.

The consideration of this decay in my love, and the loss of those quicken
ing influences of the Spirit which I used to experience in duty, increased
my darkness, and I had doleful apprehensions of my state. And my
inordinate love to the creature, and want of submission to the will of the
Lord, in disposing of what I had so unduly set my heart on, prepared me
to look for awful things, in a way of judgment from the righteous God,
which I afterwards found ; his hand was soon laid on that very object by
which I had so provoked him ; for a disorder seized him, under which he
long languished, till it ended in his death.*

' This was a melancholy stroke, and the more so as I saw his hand
stretched out still, for I continued in an unsuitable temper, and without
that submission which such a dispensation called for. The Lord still hid
his face from me, and it is impossible to give a particular account of those
perplexing thoughts and tormenting fears which filled my mind. Every
thing appeared dreadfully dark both within and without. Oh, were it
possible to describe it to others as I then felt it, they would dread that
which will separate between them and God ! I expected, if the Lord did
return, it would be in a terrible way, by some remarkable judgment or
other; but oftentimes, from the frame I was in, I could see no ground to
hope he would ever return at all.

' But was it to me according to my dismal apprehensions and fears ?
Oh, no ! my soul and all that is within me bless and adore his name,
under a sense of his free and sovereign grace, who manifested himself unto
thee as a God, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin. This was the
title by which he manifested himself to Moses when he caused his glory to
pass before him, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And it was in the clear apprehension,
and powerful application of this by the almighty Spirit that I was brought
to admire so greatly the free grace of God, thus discovered to me in so
extraordinary a manner, that it even transported my very soul with love
* Her idolised husband died of a consumption at Hitchin, Herts, but in what
year is not known.

PREFATORY NOTE. XV11

and thankfulness, beyond anything that I had experienced in the whole of
my past life. • •

' The beginning of this wonderful alteration in my frame, was hearing the
experience of one which I thought very much like my own, when the Lord
first began to work on my soul. I concluded that this person was the
subject of a real and universal change ; on this occasion, I determined to
consider my former experience, in doing of which I found the blessed Spirit
of all grace assisting me, and witnessing to his work upon my heart, inso
much that, ere I was aware, my soul was like the chariots of a willing
people ; I was wonderfully enlivened in duty, and enlarged in thankfulness
to God for thus manifesting himself, and directing me to those means which
he had so inexpressibly blessed, beyond my expectation.

' Thus the Lord drew me by the cords of love, and lifted up the light of
his countenance upon me, so that in his light I saw light, which scattered
that miserable cloud of darkness that had enwrapped my soul so long.
Yea, he dispelled all those unbelieving thoughts which were apt to arise,
on account of that low estate out of which he had newly raised me. It
was suggested to me that this was not his ordinary way of dealing with
such provoking creatures as myself, but that they are usually filled with
terrors, and brought down even to a view of the lowest hell, &c. Thus
Satan endeavoured to hold me under unbelieving fears, but the blessed
Spirit, by taking of the things of Christ, and shewing them unto me, pre
vailed over the temptation.

fo ' I had a discovery of the glory of the Father's love, as unchangeable,
free, and eternal, which was discovered in pitching on me ^before the foun
dation of the world. And the glory of the Son as proceeding from the
Father, and offering a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour, and in bringing
in an everlasting righteousness, which by his Spirit he enabled me to rest
wholly and alone upon, as the foundation of every blessing which I have
received, or he has promised, for the whole of my acceptance before God,
for my justification, sanctification, and full redemption. On this founda
tion he has enabled me stedfastly to rely, which greatly enlivens and
enlarges my soul in its addresses to the Father, through the Son, by the
assistance of the Holy Spirit, for pardon and strength, against those
powerful corruptions which still remain in my heart.

' Oh the love, the infinite, condescending, and unchanging love of the *
Father! and oh that fulness of grace which is treasured up in my
Redeemer, to be bestowed on me by his promised Spirit, of which so
much hath already been communicated, that my soul is even overwhelmed
under the sense and consideration of it ! The Lord appears to me as
resting in his love, and joying over me with singing, as it is expressed,
Zeph. iii. 17, which scripture, with many others, has been so opened and
applied as makes my approaches to him exceeding delightful. And this
sense of his love lays me low in the views of my own vileness and un-
worthiness, and constrains me to love him and live to him, and to give
him all the glory of that change, which of his own free and sovereign

VOL. i. b

XV111 PREFATORY NOTE.

grace, he has wrought in me. There was nothing in me to move him to
this, yea, what was*there not in me to provoke him to cast me off for
ever ? But thus it hath pleased him to magnify his grace and mercy on a
creature the most unworthy of any that ever received a favour at his hands.

' I know not where to end. He has recovered me from amongst the
dead, and he shall have the glory of it whilst I live ; yes, I will praise him,
and tell of the wonders of his love to others, that so he may be honoured,
and none may distrust him. He has filled me with his praises, though he
has not given me that natural capacity which some have been blessed with,
to express what I feel and find, of his work on my soul. But this I can
say, I have found him whom my soul loves, he hath manifested himself to
me, and there is nothing I dread so much as losing sight of him again.
His presence makes all his ordinances, and all his providences, and every
thing delightful unto me. It is impossible to express the joy of my soul
in sweet converses with him, with a sense of his love and the experience of
his presence, under the influences of his Spirit, whose office it is to abide
with me, and to guide, direct, and comfort me for ever.

' It is from a sense of my duty, and a desire to follow the direction of
that blessed Spirit, that I request fellowship with you of this church.
Amongst you my Lord has been pleased to discover himself to me, and to
make the ministry you sit under exceeding useful and comfortable to my
soul; by it I have been built up and settled on the right foundation, the
righteousness of Christ, that rock that shall never be moved. Your
order likewise appears to me very beautiful and lovely, being, as I appre
hend, most agreeable to the rules of my Lord. Hence I desire to have
communion with you, that so by your example and watchfulness over me,
and the other advantages arising from church-fellowship, I may find what
I expect and earnestly desire in communion with you, namely, that I may
experience fellowship with the Father and the Son, through the eternal
Spirit, whilst I wait upon him in the ways of his own appointment.

' EEBECCA COMBE.

'December 17. 1697.'

' The remarkable experience of Mrs GERTRUDE CLARKSON, second daughter of
the late Rev. Mr DAVID CLARKSON, given to the church with whom she
lived in communion.

' MY education has been very strict. The constant instruction and
example of my parents had so early an influence, that it is hard to tell
•which was my first awakening. Ever since I can remember anything of my
self, I have had frequent convictions of the danger of sin and an unregene-
rate state, attended with fears of the punishment due to it ; therefore was
desirous of an interest in Christ, by whom I might be pardoned and saved
from the wrath of God. This made me very fearful of omitting duties, cr

PREFATORY NOTE. XIX

committing known sins ; and, though these convictions wore off, yet they often
returned, and rendered me uneasy, unless I was praying or learning scrip
tures, or something which I thought good. In these exercises I was well
satisfied, though it was my happiness to be under the most careful inspec
tion and judicious helps for the informing of my judgment.

' Before I apprehended what it was to rely upon an all-sufficient Saviour
for righteousness and strength, I remember my notion of things was this,
that I was to hear, and pray, and keep the Sabbath, and avoid what I
knew to be sin, and then I thought God was obliged to save me ; that I
did what I could, and so all that he required ; and I further conceived,
that if at any time I omitted secret prayer, or any other duty, yet if I
repented it was sufficient ; and, on this consideration I have often ventured
upon the commission of sin, with a resolve to repent the next day, and
then, having confessed the transgression, my conscience has been easy, and
I was well satisfied. Indeed sin, at that time, was not burdensome. I
truly desired that my sins might be pardoned, but thought the ways of
religion hard; and, though I durst not live in the constant neglect of
duty, yet I secretly wished that I had been under no obligation to perform
it. When I reflect on the thoughts and workings of my heart and affec
tions in these times, and the confused apprehensions which I then had
both of sin and grace, I am fully persuaded that, through grace there is a
real, and in some measure an universal, change wrought in my soul.

' After my father's death, I was reading one of his manuscripts, wherein
both the object and nature of saving faith were described, and the great
necessity of it pressed, &c. The plain and clear definition there given of
the saving act of faith, caused other apprehensions of things than I had
before.* I then began to see how short I had come in all my performances
of that disposition of soul which the gospel called for, and how guilty I was
while depending upon these performances for acceptance with God, not
casting myself wholly and alone upon Christ, and resting on his righteous
ness entirely for pardon and justification. The concern of my mind was
very great, that I had lived so long ignorant of those things which related
to my eternal welfare. I was sensible, the means and helps I had been
favoured with for improvement in knowledge were beyond what is common,
but I had refused instruction, the consideration of which was very terrible
to my thoughts, fearing lest I had sinned beyond all hope of forgiveness.

' But in the most discouraging apprehensions of my case my heart was
much enlarged in the confession of sin, and in bewailing my captivity to it,
which was attended with earnest wrestlings with the Lord for pardoning
and purifying grace. Those absolute promises in the 36th chapter ot
Ezekiel, of " a new heart and right spirit," were my continual plea,
together with Mat. v. 6, " Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled." I found longings and pantings
of soul after that righteousness, and saw that it could only be received by

* This is the same discourse that was useful to her sister Rebecca, and is the third
in the volume, entitled ' Faith,' and based on Mark xvi. 16.

r£ PREFATORY NOTE.

faith ; this faith I earnestly begged, and that the Lord would pardon that
great sin of unbelief which so provoked and dishonoured him, and that he
would by his own Spirit enable me to embrace Christ as freely held forth
in the gospel.

' About this time I was mueh affected with the consideration of Christ's
offices, as prophet, priest, and king. And though I durst not claim an
interest in them, yet was often meditating upon them, admiring that infinite
condescension which is manifested therein. I thought whatever my con
dition was in this world, yet if I might be under his powerful and effectual
teachings as a prophet, and have the benefit of his atonement and inter
cession as a priest, and be entirely subject to him in every faculty of my
soul, as my Lord and King, then how satisfied and happy should I be !

' I was under these stragglings a long time before I came to any com
fortable persuasion that I was accepted. Sins against light and love deeply
wounded me, and the many aggravating circumstances which attended
them were so represented by Satan, that I could not tell how to believe
such iniquities as mine would be forgiven. But in the midst of these
distressing thoughts I found in that manuscript of my father's, that none
but unworthy sinners, who are empty of all good in themselves, were the
objects of pardoning mercy, that the whole needed not the physician, but
the sick. This encouraged me to plead with hope that the Lord would
glorify the freeness of his own grace in my salvation, and to urge that
Christ called " weary and heavy laden to him with a promise of rest,"
Mat. xi. 28.

' I found my soul was extremely burdened with sin ; it appeared more
exceeding sinful than ever before ; sins of thought as well as words and
actions were then observed with sorrow, and lamented before him. Yea,
even the sins of my most holy things, those swarms of vain thoughts and
wanderings of heart and affections of which I was conscious in my secret
retirements, and most solemn, close dealings with God. In short, my own
soul was my intolerable burden, which made me often question whether
there were not more provoking sins in me than God usually pardons. Oh,
I found every power and faculty were depraved, and that I could not do
the good I would !

' It would be tedious to relate the many particular discouragements and
temptations I laboured under, sometimes pouring forth my soul with some
hope in his free mercy, sometimes only bewailing my condition without
hope, till it pleased him whose power and grace no impenitent heart can
resist and prevail, to put a stop to my unbelieving reasonings, from the
unlikelihood of such sins being pardoned, sins so aggravated and so pro
voking as mine, by giving me an awful sense of his absolute sovereignty
from those words, Exod. xxxiii. 19, "I will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." Also
Isa. Iv. 1, ' For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the Lord." These considerations were so impressed on
my mind, and struck such an awe upon my spirits, that I durst not any

PKEFATOKY NOTE. XXI

longer give way to my carnal reasonings ; I thought I could commit myself
to his sovereign pleasure, let him do with me as seemed him good.

* After some tune my mother, perceiving my concern, conversed very
freely with me, and asked if I was not willing fo accept of Christ to sanctify
as well as to save me ? I told her I desired this above all things. She
then said he had certainly accepted me, adding, that it was Christ who had
made me willing to close with him, and that he never made any soul thus
willing, but he had first pardoned and accepted that soul. I shall never
forget with what weight these words were impressed on my heart. I
thought it was a pardon sent immediately to me. I could not but say, I
was above all things desirous to be entirely subject to Christ in every
power and faculty of my soul, that every thought might be brought into
subjection to Christ, and nothing might remain in me contrary to him,
but that there might be a perfect conformity to his image and will in all
things.

' After this conversation I found great composure in my mind, believing
that the Lord had created those desires in me, which nothing but himself,
and the enjoyment of himself could satisfy, and that he would answer them
with himself: " That he would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the
smoking flax," Mat. xii. 20. My delight now was in nothing else but
meditating upon, and admiring of the free and sovereign grace of God in
Christ, which distinguished me from many others who had not so highly
provoked him, having called me out of such gross darkness which I had been
long in, and given me any glimmerings of the light, of the knowledge, of
the glory, of his grace. My desires greatly increased after further dis
coveries, and clearer light into the deep mysteries of the love and grace of
God in Christ Jesus; and all diversions from these meditations were a
burden.

' Oh, I then thought, " all old things were passed away, and everything
was become new ! " I experienced a universal change in my mind, will, and
affections ; the bent of them was turned another way. The ordinances,
which were once irksome, were above all things pleasant, and the return
of Sabbaths continually longed for. I was very thankful it was my duty
as well as privilege to set apart the whole day for the worship and glory of
my Lord. I bewailed much that I could love him no more, that there was
so much sin remaining in me, and which I found mixed with all that I did,
and that I was not wholly taken up in those blessed and delightful employ
ments without the least interruption. Oh I longed for that state wherein
all these fetters should be knocked off, and my soul set at liberty in the
worship and praise of my God, being freed from corruptions within or
temptations without !

' My soul was thus delightfully carried out for some time, in which I
heard a discourse from these words : John xxi. 17, " Thou knowest all
things, thou knowest that I love thee." The scope of this sermon was for
a trial, whether our appeal could be made to him who knows all things,
that we loved him ? Under this discourse I found my heart greatly carried

XX11 PREFATORY NOTE.

out in love to Christ in all his ordinances, and the discoveries made of his
will therein. These subjects concerning the love of Christ, and his people's
love to him, being long continued, one sermon after another, I found I
sat under the word with great pleasure and enlarged affections.

* At this time my mother was persuading me to join in communion with
some church, which greatly startled me at the first. I could by no means
think of that, not apprehending myself to have come so far yet. I thought
there must be something more in-me, or I should eat and drink damna
tion to myself. But being better informed both as to the nature and
end of the ordinance, and that it was intended for the increase of grace
and strength, and that it was a positive command of my Lord, with whose
will in all things I was very desirous to comply, I was at last prevailed with
to venture on that great ordinance, and was much refreshed and satisfied
in my renewed resignation and enlarged expectations of receiving all need
ful supplies from him who is the head of the church. Oh the condescend
ing love and grace of my Redeemer, represented to me in these transactions,
how greatly did they delight and affect my soul ! I wished I might have
been always thus exercised, expecting with great pleasure the return of
those seasons wherein I might hope for further manifestations and larger
communications of grace and love.

' But after some time my affections began to cool. I had not such
sweetness and enlargement in my approaches to God in public as I used to
find. I thought the preaching more empty, and came short of what I
found I wanted. This deadness continuing, filled me with no small con
cern, fearing I should fall off. I was very far from charging the ministry
I sat under, but my own wicked wavering heart. I have often gone to the
house of God with raised expectations of receiving those quickenings I
used to be blessed with, but found sad disappointments. This frame
of spirit as to public worship was matter of continual mourning and
bewailing in secret. I was often examining my heart as to its aims and
ends in my public approaches, and could not but conclude my desires were
above all things to glorify my Lord in all his appointments, and to receive
those blessings from him which might enable me so to do.

' The missing of the Lord's presence under the means, in the use of which
he had commanded me to expect it, and which he had heretofore in some
measure vouchsafed, was very grievous. I earnestly begged a discovery
of every sin that might be hid from me, which might be the cause of this
withdrawing. But the decay of my affections still remaining, it caused
great misgivings of my heart, that things were not right with me. Yet
still I had supports in my secret applications to God, that his grace would
be sufficient for me, and that I should be kept by his almighty power,
through faith unto salvation, which encouragements kept me still waiting
with hope, that he would yet return and bless me.

'After some time, being providentially brought to this place, I found the
preaching of your pastor so suited to my case, that I was greatly enlarged
in thankfulness to God, who had so directed me. Those sermons upon

PREFATORY NOTE. XX1U

Gal. vi. 3, " For if a man thinketh himself something when he is nothing,
he deceiveth himself," though I had heard your minister before with great
satisfaction, brought me to a resolution of sitting under his ministry. I
do not question but you remember what unusual and deep-searching dis
courses they were to me. They razed me again to the very foundation,
and discovered the many secret holds Satan had in my heart, which before
I thought not of, and how many ways I was taken up in something which
was nothing. I wish I could express what they were.

' These discourses caused deep humblings of spirit, and enlarged desires
after farther enlightenings. Oh I found these things reach me ! I needed
to be led into the depths of my own deceitful heart, and thereby observe
that secret proneness there was in me, to be laying hold on something in
self to rest upon and expect from. In short, I now saw that utter insuffi
ciency and weakness in myself, and everything done by myself to satisfy
the cravings of my immortal soul, which I had not so much as once thought
of before. ;

' I have been also led more to that fulness from whence only I can
receive what may render me acceptable to the Father, and have never
found so much sweetness and solid satisfaction in my access to God as
when most sensible of my own unworthiness, and entire emptiness of any*
thing agreeable to him in myself, and all my performances, and when most
apprehensive of that infinite fulness and suitableness of grace laid up in
Christ Jesus, from whence I am commanded and encouraged to be con
tinually receiving fresh supplies. Oh those infinite, inexhaustible treasures !
Nothing, nothing less can satisfy the restless cravings and pantings of my
soul ! By this preaching I have been continually led to this fresh spring
that never fails, and have experienced great quickenings in my applications
to Christ, and comfortable rejoicings in him. Notwithstanding all those
miserable defects and failures in my poor performances, this gives me
comfort, that there is perfect righteousness wrought out of me, which I
may receive freely by faith, and therein stand complete before God for
ever.

' The insisting on such truths as these, which have a direct tendency to
lead from self to Christ, by opening and unfolding the mysteries of grace
laid up in him, so admirably suited to answer all the necessities of poor,
helpless, guilty creatures, I find above all things encourages me to, and
enlivens me in, duty. My low improvements under these suitable instruc
tive helps fill me with mourning to think there should be no greater estab
lishment upon the sure foundation of a Redeemer's righteousness, on which
I hope I have been enabled to build.

' At times I can apprehend with some clearness that this righteousness
was wrought out for me, and can apply to him with confidence and joy as
the " Lord my righteousness and strength," and gladly hope that through
that strength I shall be more than a conqueror over every disturbing cor
ruption and temptation ; yea, that I shall see him shortly as he is, in the
full displays of the glory of that grace and love which I cannot now com-

XXIV PEEFATOEY NOTE.

prehend, and by the transforming sight be made like him. But oh how
short, how seldom are these interviews ! my unbelieving heart still returns
to its former darkness and distrust, and gives me frequent occasions to
bewail the fluctuations of my weak faith. Oh that it was stronger, that it
was more stedfast ! But blessed be his name in whom I put my entire
trust, there is grace in him to help me under all decays and failings,
through weakness. It is from hence I receive strength to elevate and
excite the acts of faith and love when sunk so low that I cannot raise them.
Yea, it is from the same fulness I receive grace to regulate the actings of
grace, and to set my soul from time to time in a right way of improving
the grace I received, and for obtaining pardon for all my defects, as well as
for the removing all my defilements.

' These are truths that feed and support my faith, and without these
were set home with power on my soul I must give up under the great
aboundings of indwelling corruptions. I desired a submissive waiting for
further manifestations of his love in his own time and way. And although
I have not those constant shines of the light of God's countenance, with
which some of his people are blessed, yet I humbly adore him for the little
light he hath afforded me, and beg your prayers that I may be kept close
to him, and have such constant discoveries as may strengthen my faith, by
a close adherence to him, and firm reliance on him without wavering. But
I am sensible that I am too apt to be looking off from the only support
and foundation of my faith and hope, and to be depending on, and expect
ing from, the frame of my own spirit, and workings of my affections towards
spiritual things.

' Oh the unsearchable deceitfulness of my heart, which is so many ways
betraying me into an unbelieving temper of spirit ! I find I need greater
helps than those may who are more established, and I dare not neglect
those helps which my Lord has provided for his church. I need to be
watched over, and excited and encouraged under difficulties from those
experiences which others have of the dealings of the Lord with them. I
have been wishing for these advantages for a considerable time, being fully
convinced that those who are members of his church should be building up
one another. I bless the Lord that he has discovered his will to me in
this point, and that he hath provided greater helps than what I had been
before acquainted with for my furtherance in my progress to heaven.
Accordingly, I would cheerfully and thankfully fall in with his will herein,
and so take hold of his covenant in this church, expecting the blessing
promised to those that are planted in his house.

' GERTRUDE (/LARESON,

SERMONS, &C.

VOL. I.

OF ORIGINAL SIN.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did my mother conceive me. —

PSALM LI. 5.

THE end of the ministry of the gospel is to bring sinners unto Christ.
Their way to this end lies through the sense of their misery without Christ.

The ingredients of this misery, are our sinfulness, original and actual ;
the wrath of God, whereto sin has exposed us ; and our impotency to free
ourselves either from sin or wrath.

That we may therefore promote this great end, we shall endeavour, as
the Lord will assist, to lead you in this way, by the sense of misery, to him
who alone can deliver from it.

Now the original of our misery being the corruption of our natures, or
original sin, we thought fit to begin here, and therefore have pitched upon
these words as very proper for our purpose.

They are part of the psalm which is styled ' a Psalm of Repentance. '
In the beginning whereof you may observe the expressions and the grounds
of David's repentance.

The expressions are, petition and confession ; that in the 1st and 2d,
this in the 3d verse.

The grounds of it are, 1, the object of this sin ; 2, the fountain.

1. The object against which his sin was directed, ver. 4 : that is, God.

2. The fountain from whence his sin sprung; i.e., his natural corrup
tion. He follows the stream up to the spring head, and there lays the
ground of his humiliation, ver. 5.1

Obs. The ground of a sinner's humiliation should be the corruption of
his nature. Original sin should be the rise of our sorrow. I shall not
attempt a full and accurate tractation of original sin, but confine myself to
the text, and the scope I aimed at in the choice of it.

And that I may open and confirm it more clearly and distinctly, I shall
take the observation into parcels, and present it to you in these three pro
positions : 1, The corruption of nature is a sin ; 2, We are guilty of this sin
as soon as we are born, as soon as we are conceived ; 8, This sin, thus
early contracted, must be the ground of our humiliation. This we shall
confirm, and then add what is practical, so representing this natural cor
ruption in some particulars, as may humble us, render us vile in our own

4 OF OKIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

eyes, and drive us to Christ, who can deliver you from the guilt and power
of this pestilent evil.

I. Natural corruption is a sin ; so it is styled twice in the text, both ]}y
perverseness, iniquity ; and XZOH, sin. That is sin which the Lord per
emptorily forbids. The apostle's definition of it is unquestionable, 1 John
iii. 4. No greater transgression than this, since it transgresses all at once.

We are commanded to be holy ; so the want of holiness is forbidden,
which is the privative part of this sin. We are commanded to love the
Lord with all our hearts ; so the heart's inclination to hate God is forbidden,
which is the positive part of this sin.

A nonconformity to the whole law of God is a transgression of the whole
law ; and this being such, it is not only a sin, but all sins in one.

The apostle Paul was more able to judge what is sin than any papist,
Socinian, &c., and he calls it sin five times, Rom. vi. ; six times, Rom. vii. ;
three times, Rom. viii.

The apostle's description of it, Rom. vii., is very observable ; for therein
you may find near twenty aggravations of this sin. 1 will point at them,
and leave the enlargement to your own thoughts.

(1.) It is that which is not good, ver. 18. Why did no good thing dwell
there, but because nothing dwelt there but this corruption, which is wholly
evil.

(2.) And that we may not mistake it for an evil of suffering, he calls it
sin, as elsewhere, so ver. 20, sin, and so the greatest evil.

(3.) And that it may not pass for a sin of an ordinary size, he styles it,
ver. 13, &,u.cLgria duMtfrttXif, nay, %«$' wrcffSoX^v, excessively hyperbolically
sinful. Here is a real, not a verbal hyperbole : for as in a verbal hyper
bole the expression exceeds the reality, so in this real hyperbole, the
reality exceeds the expression ; it is so sinful, as scarce any expression
can reach it.

(4.) It is a condemned, a forbidden evil, ver. 7, that we may not ques
tion, but that it has the formality of a sin.

(5.) It is a positive evil : ver. 17, ' No more I that do it, but sin.'

(6.) A perverse evil ; grows worse by that which should make it better,
ver. 8.

(7.) A debasing evil; made and denominates him carnal, ver. 14.

(8.) An intimate inherent evil, ver. 17, sin in him, in his members.

(9.) It is a permanent evil, ItKovsa. Iv fftol ; a fruitful evil, ver. 8, all
manner of lust ; a deceitful evil, ver. 11, f^tprrilnjai ; an imperious evil ; a
law, ver. 23, gives law; a tyrannical evil, oJj$A«X«r/£«rrd£, ver. 23, a
rebellious, conflicting warlike evil, &v4iffrp*ttv6fHtor, ver. 23, an importu
nate and unreasonable evil, ver. 15, forces to do that which he hates ; a
watchful evil, ver. 21, is present, wagcbcs/T-a/ ; a powerful evil, ver. 24.
Who shall deliver me ? A complete evil, ver. 24, a body furnished with
all members of unrighteousness ; a deadly evil, ver. 24, the body of death;
a miserable evil, ver. 24, above all things made him wretched.

Obj. If it be objected, this can be no sin, because it is not voluntary,

Am. 1. That rule, whatever is not voluntary is not sinful, is not univer
sally true, nor is it admitted by our divines, without limitation ; no, not
when it is applied to actual sin, much less in this case.

Am. 2. But admit this rule. Natural corruption is voluntary, both d
parte ante, in respect of Adam, and a parte post, in respect of us ; or, as
Augustine, sive in opere, sive in origine.

Ps. LI. 0.] OF OBIGINAL SIN. 5

(1.) In respect of Adam, he contracted this evil voluntarily, and we in
him. He is not to be considered as one man, but as the root or repre
sentative of all men. Omnes eramus ille unus homo : we all were that one
man, and therefore his will was the will of all men. All being included
virtually in him, what he voluntarily consented to, that was voluntarily
consented to by all.

(2.) A parte post, in respect of us. It is voluntary, in respect of after-
consent. All who are capable of humiliation have actually consented to
their natural corruption, have been pleased with it, have cherished it by
occasions of sin, have strengthened it by acts of sin, have resisted the
means whereby it should be mortified and subdued, which all are infallible
evidences of actual consent. That which was only natural is thus become
voluntary, and so, by consent of all, sinful.

II. Proposition. We are tainted with this sin from our birth, from our
conception, while we are formed, while we are warmed in the womb, as
the word is. Natural corruption is not contracted only by imitation,
nor becomes it habitual by custom or repetition of acts, but it is rooted
in the soul before the subject be capable either of imitation or acting.
It is diffused through the soul as soon as the soul is united to the body.
And if we take conception in such a latitude as to reach this union, there
will be no difficulty to conceive how we are capable of this sin in our
conception.

The prophet upbraids Israel with this, Isa. xlviii. 8, 'And wast called a
transgressor from the womb,' and so may we all be called, though the
expression be inclusively, not only from the time of our coming out of the
womb, but from the time of our being formed in it.

If I would step out of the way, I might here inquire how this sin is con
veyed unto us in the womb. But the curiosity of this inquiry is hand
somely taxed by that known passage of Augustine. A man being fallen
into a pit, one spies him, and admires how he came there. Oh, says the
fallen man to him, Tu cogita quomodo June me liberes : Be careful, cries he,
to get me out ; trouble not thyself to inquire how I fell in.

Thus should we be disposed as to our natural corruption, not so curious
to inquire how we came by it, as careful to know how we may be rid of it.
And one way is pointed at in the next particular, the third proposition,
which is this :

III. Proposition. This sin should be the ground of our humiliation. I
might confirm this with many arguments, but I shall content myself with
one, which, with the branches of it, will be sufficiently demonstrative
it should be ground of our humiliation, because it is the foundation of
our misery. Our misery consists in the depravedness of our natures,
our obnoxiousness to the wrath of God, and our inability to free our
selves from either. But this is what has depraved our natures, or rather
is the depravation of them ; this makes us obnoxious to the wrath of
God, &c. •

1. The depravedness of our natures consists in a privation of all good,
an antipathy to God, and a propensity to all evil. And these three are
not so much the effects, as the formality of this sin.

(1.) It is a privation of all that is good. In that soul where this is
predominant, there is neither seed nor fruit, neither root nor branch
neither inclination nor motion, neither habit nor act, that is spiritually

6 OF ORIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

good. No spark of holiness ; no relics of man's primitive righteous
ness ; no lineament of that image of God, which was at first fair drawn
upon the soul of man : Rom. vii. 18, ' In my flesh,' i. e., in my nature
considered as corrupted. Man's soul is left like a ruined castle ; the bare
ragged walls, the remaining faculties, may help you to guess what it has
heen ; but all the ornaments and precious furniture is gone. Is not this
ground of humiliation ? Thy ruined soul can never be repaired, but by
him who brought heaven and earth out of nothing.

(2.) There is an antipathy to God, and the things of God ; to his ways
and image. ' The carnal mind,' Rom. viii, 7, the mind overspread with
natural corruption, usually called flesh, is not only an enemy, but ' enmity.'
In enmity there is hatred, malice, despite, mischievous thoughts and con
trivances. This is the temper of thy soul till thou art born again ; thy
heart is full of enmity, malice, &c. Oh, is not this ground of humiliation,
that a poor worm should swell big with malice and enmity against the
great God, should be an utter enemy to him, in whom alone are his hopes
and happiness ! A natural man will not believe this. But here is a demon
stration of it from another fruit of this corruption ; and that is an anti
pathy to the holy ways, spirit and heavenly employments, to the image of
God, to holiness itself. Naturalists write of a beast that will tear and rend
the picture of a man if it come in his way ; and this is taken as an argu
ment that he has a stronger antipathy to man than is in any other beast.
And does it not argue as strong an antipathy to God, when men will
tear his image, vent their malice in jeers and reproaches against holiness ?
Does it not argue an antipathy to holiness, when holy employments and
exercises are most tedious and burdensome ? Oh the sad issue of our
depravedness, when it possesses with enmity against God ! Is it not a
ground of humiliation ?

(3.) There is a propensity to all evil. I say not, an equal propensity in
all to every sin, but a propensity more or less in every one to all sin.
' Folly is bound up,' Prov. xxii. 15. This folly is the sin of our natures ;
all sin whatsoever is wrapped up in this natural corruption ; actual sins
are but the unfolding of it.

As all men are said to be in the first virtually, in primo cuncti fuimus
patre, so may all sins, in respect of this propensity to all, be said [to be]
in this first sin, the sin of our births and natures. The Seventy render sin
and iniquity in the text plurally, sv av^laig, sv a/iagr/a/g. There is a plu
rality of sins in our natural corruption. It is all sin virtually, because it
disposes and inclines the soul to all.

And is not here ground of humiliation, when, by reason of this corrup
tion, we are not only destitute of all that is good, but disposed to all that
is evil ?

2. Another part of our misery is our obnoxiousness to the wrath of God.
And natural corruption is the foundation of this also, Eph. ii. 3. Why by
nature, but because there is that in our natures which is the proper
object of God's wrath ? ' Children of wrath ;' born to it, because born in
sin. Children, this is your portion, wrath is your inheritance ; the writings
and evidences for it are the curses and threatenings of the law. These
make it sure, by these wrath is entailed on you and yours. From the
word in the text, which we read conceived, and in the margin, warmed,
comes the word which we render indignation ; HDPr As soon as we are
warmed in the womb, the Lord's indignation is kindled against us. The
corruption of our natures is its fuel. Oh what ground is here of humi-

PS. LI. 5.] OF ORIGINAL SIN. 7

liation, that by reason of this sin of our natures we are exposed in our
conception, birth, life, to the wrath of God !

3. Another part of this misery is your inability to free yourselves from
this sin and wrath. This is evident from hence : those that are born in
sins and trespasses are ' dead in sins and trespasses,' Eph. ii. 1. Till ye
be born again, ye are dead. There must be a second birth, else there will
be no spiritual life. Every one, since death entered into the world by this
sin, is born dead; comes into the world, and so continues, destitute of
spiritual life. And what more impotent than a dead man ? You can no
more repair the image of God in your souls, than a dead man can reunite
his soul to his body ; no more free yourselves from that antipathy to God,
and inclination to wickedness, than a dead carcase can free itself from those
worms and vermin that feed upon it ; no more free yourselves from
the wrath of God, than a dead man can raise himself out of the grave.

Into such a low condition has this corruption of nature sunk the sons
of men, as nothing can raise them but an infinite power, an almighty
arm.

Nay, so far are men, in this estate, from power to free themselves from
this misery, as they are without sense of their misery. Tell them they
are dead ; it is a paradox. They will not believe the report of Christ ;
they will not hear, till a voice armed with an almighty power, such a voice
as Lazarus heard, do awake them. Till then, they are without life, and so
without sense. Here is the depth of misery : to be so miserable, and yet
insensible of it. Yet thus low has this sin brought every sinner.

Nay, if they were sensible of their misery, and of their own inability to
avoid it, yet can they not, yet will they not move towards him, who only
can deliver them. They are without life, and so without motion. ' No
man comes to me except the Father draw him,' John vi.

They lie dead, putrefying under this corruption, under the wrath of an
incensed God, without motion or inclination toward him who is the resur
rection and the life.

This is the condition into which this sin has brought you ; and can there
be a condition more miserable ?

Is there not cause to be humbled for that which has brought you so low,
which has made you so wretched ? Should not this be the chief ground
of your humiliation ? I need say no more to demonstrate this truth.

IV. Let me now proceed, in the fourth place, to make this truth more
practical. And this I shall endeavour, by representing this sin to you in
some particulars, which tend to humble you, to make you vile in your own
eyes, and drive you to Christ, who only can save you from this sin, and
the woeful effects of it.

1. Its unnaturalness. This corruption is incorporated into our natures.
It has a real being in us, before we have a visible being in the world. It
is conceived in us at our first conception, Ps. li., ' in sin.' The old
man is furnished with all its members, before we are formed, shapen ;
quickened, before we are alive ; and is born before we come into the
world.

This makes us evil in God's eye, before we have done good or evil ; and
by virtue of it, we are born heirs apparent to eternal wrath : Eph. ii. 3,
' By nature children of wrath ;' we are born to it ; this is our title.
Though men use this to excuse their sin, It is my nature ; yet this istthe
greatest aggravation of it. We can better endure a mischief, when it

8 OF ORIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

comes accidentally, than one who is naturally mischievous. Would this
be a good plea for one who has plotted treason, to say, I am naturally a
traitor ; it is my nature to be treacherous, murderous ? This would make
him more odious : such a man would not be counted fit to live a moment.

Why do we hate toads, but because they are naturally a poisonous ver
min ? That which is so accidentally, we rather pity than hate it. The
Lord has a stronger antipathy against natural corruption, than we against
the most poisonous vermin. A toad is good physically, sub ratione entis,
as a creature ; all the works of his hands are good ; but this corruption
is both physically, morally, and spiritually evil ; and the worse, because it
is natural.

2. The sinfulness of it. It is more sinful than the most grievous actual
sin that ever hath, or ever can be committed. It is in some sense more
sinful than all actual sins put together.

(1.) An actual sin does but directly violate one command of God ; but
this is a violation of all God's commands at once, a transgression of the
whole law, a contrariety to every part of God's revealed will. For this
corruption is forbidden in every commandment ; because cum prohibetur
effectus, prohibetur causa, when any sin is forbidden, that which is the
cause it cannot be avoided, is forbidden. Cum prohibetur actus, prohibetur
inclinatio ad actum, when any sin is forbidden, all degrees of it are pro
hibited. Now this is the cause of the inclination to all sin ; and so it is
forbidden in every precept ; and therefore this is a breach of every precept.

(2.) Sin cannot be always actual, and therefore the law is but some
times broken by actual sins ; but this is a violation of the law at all times.
We are not actually sinners before we are born ; but in respect of this, we
are sinners in our mother's womb. Infants, before all use of reason, do
not actually sin ; but even when we are infants, we are sinners, trans
gressors of the law, by natural corruption, Eom. v. 14. Death reigned over
infants ; therefore infants were sinners, though not actually, as Adam. Acts
are transient, this is settled, continuing against God.

(8.) Actual sin does but break the law in being, the time it'is in acting.
But this is a continued violation of the law without any interruption,
without the least intermission, from the instant of the soul's conjunction
with the body to the hour of our dissolution. There is no lucida inter-
valla, no good fits, no cessation ; well may the apostle call it xaff

3. Its causality. It is the cause of all actual sin. Every sinful act in
us derives its descent from this. This is that loathsome spawn to which
all this abhorred vermin owe their original, James i. 15, emSuftia, ffvXXa-
(3ouaa, &c., i. e., original concupiscence, as it is ordinarily called by the
ancients, or natural corruption ; having conceived, T/KTU, brings forth actual
sin, is its mother in both. This is actual sin as it were in the egg, worse
than those of the cockatrice, which by Satan's incubation is hatched, and
brings forth the serpent's cursed and poisonous issue.

There was a tree of life in the garden of Eden ; and so there will be in
the paradise of God, Rev. xxii. 2, whose leaves will be for the healing of
the nations. But since man was cast out of paradise, a tree of death, a
root of bitterness, has grown in every soul, bearing all manner of cursed
fruits ; and every leaf, every bud, tends to the death of mankind. It is a
vine, as Deut. xxxii. 82, worse than the vino of Sodom, and of the fields of
Gomorrah. Its grapes are grapes of gall, its clusters are bitter ; its wine
is the poison of dragons, &c. By these allusions the Lord declares the

PS. LI. 5.] OF ORIGINAL SIN. 9

cursed nature both of tree and fruit : Mat. xv. 19, ' Out of the heart,' i.e.,
corrupt heart, or natural corruption in the heart. If you pursue these filthy
streams to their first rise, you will find the spring head to be this corrup
tion. Actual sins are nothing but this native corruption multiplied, as
an hundred is but one multiplied so many times, an hundred units. It
is the cause of all. If we must repent of the effects, much more of the
cause.

4. Its habitualness. It is not a transient act, nor a moveable disposi
tion, nor a dull slow-paced faculty, as all faculties are till they be habi
tuated ; but an habitual evil, both in respect of permanency and facility in
acting.

(1.) Its permanency. A habit is ffioviungov and /aoi///Aco««oi', more per
manent, more durable than any other quality. So is this ; it will continue
while the union betwixt soul and body continues. It is a^agr/a 6/xoDoa, an
inhabitant which will never be removed till the house be pulled down where
it dwells. The power of grace may cast it down, but it will never be
cast out. Some streams may be dried up, but we can never in this life
dry up the spring; we may lop off some branches, but it will sprout again;
we cannot root out this root of bitterness. It is like such a fretting
leprosy in our earthly tabernacles as is described to be in the Israelites'
houses, Lev. xiv. Though some infected stones be removed, and the
house scraped, and the walls plastered, ver. 41, 42, yet the plague will
break out again. No perfect freedom from this spreading incurable plague
till the house be quite pulled down. It will reign in those that continue
unsanctified, till eternity; it will dwell in the best, till this earthly tabernacle
be dissolved ; a constant occasion, do the best they can, of repentance.

(2.) Facility in acting. It is the property of habits, facile operari ; it
makes the faculty nimble, quick, and freely active. All habits do so ; but
above all natural habits, because the faculty hereby has a double advantage.
Such is natural corruption. Hence it is that we sin so freely, find no such
backwardness, reluctancy to evil, as to good: ' Evil is present,' Eom. vii. 21,
KccedxiiTai, it is at hand, ready to further and facilitate sinful acts. Hence
where this is predominant, sinful acts proceed as freely from it as water
runs down a precipice from an overflowing spring. This being born with
man, he is born not only to sorrow, but to sin, as freely as the sparks fly
upward ; as freely, as heavy bodies move downwards towards their centre ;
they need no outward impulse to enforce their motion ; their natural
gravity is sufficient, if nothing interpose to stop its course. If God should
withdraw restraining grace, this corruption would carry men on to act all
wickedness with greediness. Every man would turn to the most desperate
wicked courses, even as freely, as eagerly, as the horse rusheth into the
battle, Jer. viii. 6, need no other spur but his native wickedness, which is
secretly bent to all evil, without external enforcements. Here is great cause
of repentance.

5. Its pregnancy. It is all sin virtually ; all sin in gross, which is
retailed out in sinful acts. All in one ; as he of Caesar, in uno Casare
multi proditores. All treasons, disobedience, rebellions against the sovereign
Majesty of heaven, are to be found in this. It is the nursery, the spawn,
the seed, the womb ; every sin^that is possible to be committed is in this
womb ; so conceived, formed, animated, brought to the birth, as there
needs nothing but a temptation, occasion, opportunity, to bring it forth.
Those several crooked lines, sinful acts, which are scattered in any man's
life, as in the circumference, do all meet in this as in the centre.

10 OF ORIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

The guilt of all abominations whatsoever are complicated, wrapped up in
this one. And in respect of this we are guilty of all sin, how great soever,
even of those that we were never actually guilty of.

It may be thou never embruedst thy hands in thy brother's blood, as
Cain did. Thou art not actually guilty of that horrid murder, but thou
art habitually guilty. In respect of thy corrupt inclination, thou art as apt
to do such a bloody act as he. All the difference is, and all the reason
why thou doest it not, is because the Lord restrains thee ; like temptations
and occasions are not offered thee. No difference, but from without; cor
rupt inclination is equal, thy nature as bloody.

It may be thou didst never commit adultery, incest, or such abominable
nncleanness ; thou art not guilty of this actually, but thou art guilty of this
in respect of thy inclination ; these sins are in thy heart.

It may be thou didst not set cities on fire, dash out children's brains,
rip up women with child ; thou art not actually guilty, but these sins are
in thy heart, though they were never acted by thy hands. Hazael was
angry that the prophet should tell him thus much, 2 Kings viii. 12, 13.
But he acted that afterward, when king, which he seems here to detest,
so far as though he should never be guilty of them, except transformed
into a dog. He was not acquainted with the desperate corruption of
man's heart, which habitually inclines him to the most barbarous and
bloody acts.

It may be you detest Herod, Pilate, and the Jews as bloody monsters for
swearing, wounding, crucifying our meek and innocent Saviour. Ay, but
this very sin, though the most horrid act that ever the sun beheld, is in
your hearts. And he is a stranger to the corruption of his nature, who will
presume he would not have done as they did if he had had the same temp
tations, and no more restraint from God.

There was no sin ever was, nor ever can be committed by evil men on
earth, but it is in every man's heart, and every one, in respect of habitual
inclination, is guilty of it. If men believe this, sure there would need no
arguments to shew the necessity of repentance for this corruption. But no
wonder if it be not believed, since the heart, as it is ' desperately wicked,'
so it is deceitful ; ' the prophet joins them : Jer. xvii. 9, ' Deceitful above
all things,' and will not be known ; ' desperately wicked,' so wicked as it
cannot be known ; natural corruption is so great, so pregnant, there is so
much wickedness, so many sins in the heart, as we may despair of knowing
them. But what we are able to know we should be willing to bewail.
They are deceived who think they are not cruel, unclean, because not
actually so ; they are inclined to all, though not equally to all.
f 6. Its extent. This contagion has overspread the whole man, and seized
upon every part. Therefore, Heb. xii. 1, fVKigiara,rov, it is the old man,
and some member of it is stretched forth in every faculty. It is a world
of wickedness, and this little world man is full of it : ' from the crown of
the head to the sole of the foot,' Isa. i. 6, man wholly corrupt, both in
body, and soul, and spirit. There is an ocean of corruption in every
natural man. And as the sea receives several names from several coasts,
so does this from the several parts and faculties. In the mind it is enmity,
Rom. viii. 7 ; in the thoughts, vanity, Ps. xci. 7 ; in the apprehension,
blindness, Eph. iv. 18 ; in the judgment, evil good, darkness light, error
truth ; in the will, rebellion, ' we will not,' &c. ; in the consience, searedness ;
in the heart, hardness, Ezek. ii. 3, 4; in the affections, carnalness; in the
memory, unfaithfulness, Jer. ii. 82 ; in the fancy, folly ; in the appetite,

PS. LI. 5.] OF ORIGINAL, SIN. 11

inordinancy ; in the whole body, vileness. Every part, faculty, is naturally
corrupted, and wholly corrupted in all acts.

The mind, in its apprehensions, blind ; in its judgments, erroneous ; in
its reasonings, foolish ; in its designs, evil ; in its thoughts, vain.

The will, as to its elections, perverse, chooses evil, less good, seeming ;
in its consent, servile, overruled by corrupt judgment, base appetite ; in its
commands tyrannical, without, against all sanctified reason ; in its inclina
tion, wicked ; in its intentions, obstinate ; in its fruitions, furious.

The memory, apt to receive what is evil, to exclude what is good ; to
retain that which should be excluded, to let slip that which should be
retained ; to suggest that which is wicked, to smother what is good.

The conscience, corrupt in its rules and principles, in its injunctions and
prescripts, in its accusations, in its absolutions, in its instigations, &c. So
the affections.

The enlargement of these particulars would require many hours' dis
course. I am forced to do as geographers, give a view of this world of
wickedness in a small map ; but, if you will seriously study it, you will see
cause enough of repentance, if there were no actual sin in the world. As
it is extended over the whole man, our whole life, so should the extent of
our repentance be.

7. [ts monstrousness — the monstrous deformity it has brought upon
the soul. The mind of man was the candle of the Lord, but hereby it is
become a stinking snuff. The soul, as it proceeded from God, was a clear,
lightsome beam, brighter than any ray of the sun, but hereby it is become
a noisome dunghill. It was one of the most excellent pieces of the crea
tion, next unto the angelical nature, but hereby it is transformed into an
ugly monster. Why do we judge anything a monster, but for want, defect,
or uselessness ; impotency, dislocation, or misplacing of integral parts ?
And, by virtue of this corruption, there is a concurrence of all this in the
soul, answerable, and in some proportion to what we judge monstrous in
a body.

A child born without eyes, mouth, hands, legs, we judge a monster.
There is a defect of such powers in the soul as are analogical to these parts
in the body : there is no eye to see God naturally, corruption has put it
out, born blind ; there is no arms to embrace Christ, though he offer him
self to our embraces ; there is no mouth to receive spiritual nourishment,
no stomach to digest it ; there is no feet to move towards God, he must
renew these organs before any spiritual motion.

All those parts are impotent which are in the soul. Though there be
something instead of eyes (an understanding), yet it sees not, perceives not
the things of God ; though there be something in the room of hands (the
will), yet it inclines not to, it acts not for God ; something in place of feet
(the affections), yet they walk not in God's ways ; if they move, it is back
ward, either like the idol, without motion, eyes and see not, &c., Ps.
cxxxv. 16, or monstrous motion ; if look, it is downward, grovelling ; if
walk, it is backward from God, &c. The soul, ever since the fall, is halt,
maimed ; all its parts broken or unjoined. Cecidit e manu figuli. • Man's
soul, framed by God according to his likeness, fell out of the hands of the
potter, and so is all broken and shattered. Man's soul, wherein the Lord
had exquisitely engraven his own image, and writ his own will and law with
his own hand in divine characters, did cast itself out of God's hands, and
fell, as the tables of stone, God's own workmanship, fell out of the hands
of Moses, and so is broken into shivers ; nothing is left but some broken,

12 OF ORIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

scattered relics, some obscure sculptures covered with the mud of natural
corruption, so as it is scarce visible. That which appears is woeful ruins,
such as shew what a glorious creature man was, though he be now, to his
spiritual constitution, a monster.

There is a dislocation. What remains in man's soul is monstrously
misplaced. We count that birth monstrous where parts have not their due
place, when the head is where the feet should be, or the legs in the place
of the arms, &c. The soul's faculties are thus monstrously dislocated ;
that which should be highest is lowest ; that which should rule is in sub
jection ; that which should obey does tyrannise. Passion over-rules reason,
and the will receives law from the fancy and appetite. The will was
sovereign, reason its counsellor, the appetite subject, to both ; but now it is
got above them, and often hurries both to a compliance with the dictates
of sense. A spot, a blemish in the face of a beautiful child, when it comes
but accidentally, does grieve the parents. How much cause then have we
to bewail that natural, universal, monstrous deformity which has seized
upon our souls !

8. Its irresistibleness and strength. Nothing but an infinite power can
conquer it ; none but the almighty arm of God can restrain it. Not the
power of nature in men, for that it has wholly subdued ; not the power of
grace in the saints, for then Paul had never been captivated by it. He was,
in all outward opposition he met with in the world, more than conqueror ;
but by this he was led captive. He triumphs over them, but he sighs and
complains of this.

All the cords of love, all the bonds of afflictions, cannot restrain this. It
is Satan's strongest champion ; it breaks them all, as Samson did the new
ropes, Judges xvi., it breaks them off like a thread. All mortifying exer
cises, moral persuasions, spiritual restraints, can never utterly quell this.
See how the Lord describes leviathan, behemoth, and the warlike horse,
Jobxxxix.— xli., and by analogy you may collect a description of the strength
and fury of untamed lust. Nor judgments, nor mercies, nor threatenings,
nor promises, nor precepts, nor examples, nor resolutions, nor experiences,
are, without a higher concurrence, sufficient to restrain it. What then ?
Nothing but that which sets bounds to the raging sea. None but he who
shuts up the sea with doors ; he only, who says, ' Hitherto shalt thou come,
and no further ; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed,' Job xxxviii.
8-11 ; Isa. Ivii. 20, ' The wicked is like the troubled sea ;' and no wonder,
since this is a raging sea of wickedness in them, which he can only bound
and rule who gives decrees to the sea, and lays his commands on the
waters, Prov. viii. 29 ; he only, whom the winds and seas obey. No
limits to the rage of lust but almighty power, this bound it cannot pass,
Jer. v. 22.

9. Its devilishness. There is nothing in the world that has so much of
the devil in it ; nothing more like him, nothing better liked by him. It is
his issue, the first-born of the devil, ^uroroxog rou 6/ajSo>.o-j ; he hatched
it. It is the seed of the serpent, that which he begot and nourishes. It
is his work, his master-piece, that wherein he applauds himself and glories,
John viii. 44. Why is he the father of natural men, but because he begot
corrupt nature ? It owes its original to him.

It is his strumpet, is prostituted to him ; if any succubus in the world,
this is it. There is a carnal, though invisible conjunction betwixt it and
Satan ; the issue of it is all the sins in the world ; numerous and deformed
issue.

PS. LI. 5.] OF ORIGINAL SIN. 13

It is his image. The image of Satan succeeded the image of God.
Those black, hellish characters, which are legible in the soul, are of his
own impression. As face answers to face, so does man's corrupt nature
answer the nature of the devil. It has all the essential parts of it. The
divine image is razed out in it, so it is in him. In it there is an averse-
ness to all spiritual good, so in him. In it a propensity to all evil, so in
him. If any ask whose image and superscription is that which is now
imprinted on the soul ? he does not answer truly, who does not say it is
Satan's.

It is his throne. By this he rules in the children of disobedience ; and
here is the palace, the place where Satan dwells. This keeps him up, this
advances him. By this he keeps possession of the soul ; so long as any
of this remains, he will have some footing.

It is Satan's correspondent. It maintains secret, constant intercourse
with man's mortal enemy; it is a treacherous inmate, ready upon all occa
sions to betray the soul to him who seeks to devour it. This encourages
him to invade, make inroads into the soul ; knowing he has a strong party
within that will not fail him. His fiery darts would not be so dangerous,
but that there is this matter to kindle on. He would in time be weary of
assaulting, but that this innate domestic enemy is so ready to open to him,
John xiv. 80. There was no natural corruption in Christ for Satan to
work upon, no such inbred traitor to open, no secret friend of his to give
entertainment ; and therefore, after three or four attempts, he quite leaves
Christ, desists from his enterprise, despairing of success ; but he will never
want encouragement to assault us so long as natural corruption continues
in us.

This should be a great occasion of sorrow, that we are so near akin to
hell, have such intimate correspondence with the devil ; that we have so
much of him within us ; that which makes us so unlike him, affords him so
great advantage against us.

10. Its brutishness. It hurries the soul on, in a blind fury, to such
acts and motions as right reason would highly condemn, and an apprehen
sive soul would tremble at ; and in respect hereof man is compared to
irrational creatures, brute beasts — to the horse and mule, Ps. xxxii. 9 ;
to the wild ass, Jer. ii. 23, 24 ; to an untamed heifer, Hos. iv. 16 ; nay,
worse, Isa. i. 3, Jer. viii. 7, the brute beasts will know, will own and take
some notice of their benefactors. But this makes men kick against God,
wound Christ, expel the Spirit in its motions, bellow out reproaches against
his servants, those whom he sends to feed and nourish their souls, Prov.
xii. 1. They have an inclination to that which is good, which tends to
preservation and continuance of health, strength, life. But this makes
men averse even to their own happiness, and all the spiritual means that
tend to it ; a strong antipathy to holiness, the way to life, and the most
opposite to those ways that are most strictly holy. They are, Jer. x. 21,
afraid of what is destructive to their life and being ; but this pushes men
on in the ways of death, the paths that lead to destruction, makes them
love death, and make haste to ruin their souls. An appetite to drink in
sin, more deadly to the soul than any poison to the body, as greedily as
the fish, &c., Job [xl. 23] ; delight to wound, mangle their souls unto death,
Ezek. xxi. 81, the reason of this desperate fury Job gives : Job xi. 12,
' Man is born as a wild ass's colt,' brings into the world a nature more
wild, fierce, untamed, than any beast of the field.

11. Incorrigibleness, perverseness. It becomes worse by that which

14 OF ORIGINAL SIN. [Ps. LI. 5.

should amend it. It takes occasion to grow more wicked from that which
God has appointed to restrain its wickedness, Rom. vii. 8 ; the more sin
is forbidden, the more exceeding sinful will it be; because wickedness is
threatened, therefore it will be more wicked, ver. 13; even as a dunghill,
the more the sun shines upon it, it sends forth greater plenty of filthy
vapours, and infests the air with a more noisome smell. There is such a
malignant humour in it, as when the holy law of God is applied to it, its
rage and fury breaks forth with more violence. It is exasperated by that
which should tame it. When the law would restrain it, it rages like a wild
bull in a net, Jer.* The heathen could observe this rebellious inclination,
nititur in vetitum. That is a desperate evil which grows worse by that which
should cure it, but such an evil is this.

12. Its vileness. Take a survey of heaven and earth, and your eyes
can fix upon nothing so vile as this. There is not anything so vile, base,
contemptible in the world but has some degree of worth in it, as being the
work of the great God ; only natural corruption, and its corrupt issue, has
not the least scruple of worth in it in any sense. It is purely vile, without
any mixture of worth, vileness in the abstract. The Scripture holds forth
its vileness under many notions, no one being sufficient to express it. At
present take notice of one, that which is its common name. It is ordinarily
called flesh, Gal. v. 16, 17, 19. Hereby is held forth the vile degeneracy
of man's soul since this corruption seized on it. By creation it was pure,
heavenly, spiritual, akin to the angels, as like to the nature of God as a
creature could be; is now as it were transformed into flesh, mind carnal,
&c. ; as great a debasement as if heaven should be turned into earth, an
angel into a beast, or the sun into a cloud. Nor is it flesh only, there is
too much worth in that to be made a resemblance of our vile natures ; it
is dead flesh: Eom. vii., a ' body of death;' so vile as it is ghastly. Nay,
it is deformed, leprous flesh. Leprosy was but an emblem of it, it is so
vile as it is loathsome. Nay, it is putrified flesh. The old man is cor
rupt, Eph. iv. 24, full of putrefied sores, full of loathsome vermin ; that
which is more loathsome to God, exhaling filthy vapours, noisome, more
offensive to God than what is most to us. Therefore man, who in integrity
was admitted to intimate communion and converse with God, as soon as
ever he had corrupted himself, the Lord could no longer endure him: Gen.
iii. 24, ' He drove out the man.' Corrupted flesh is not fit to have so near
converse with God, a Spirit.

It is both formaliter and effective vile. As it is so in itself, so it has
made man vile. No creature so debased as man, being in this respect
become viler than any creature. There is no such depravation in the
nature of any creature, except in the diabolical nature. No creature ever
razed God's image out of its nature, but only man. There is no aversions
to the will of God, no inclination to what offends him, in any creature on
earth but man. Man, then, who was once the glory of the creation, is
become the vilest of all creatures, for that is vilest which is most contrary
to the infinite glory, but so is our nature — Ps. xlix. 12, ' Man being in
honour, abideth not ' — is now like the beasts that perish ; nay, worse than
they, if the greatest evil can make him worse. Man was made a little
lower than the angels, crowned with glory, advanced to be lord and
governor of all the works of his hands ; and all creatures in this world
were put under his feet, Ps. viii. 5, 6. But by this natural corruption he
that was but a little lower than angels is now something below the beasts.
* Qu. 'Isa. li. 20'?— ED.

PS. LI. 5.] OF ORIGINAL SIN. 15

He was to have dominion, but is made baser than those over whom he
rules. They were put under his feet, but now he is as low as they. This
is the sad issue of natural corruption. It is a lamentation, &c.

13. Its propagation. All parents do propagate their natural corruption to
their children. A woeful necessity is hereby brought upon mankind, so as
none can be born without it. It is a sad consideration that parents should
convey such a deadly evil to their children, but so it is. If man had con
tinued uncorrupted, he had begot children after the image of God, and
with his own similitude had conveyed lovely representations of the divine
nature ; but being corrupted, he begets children after his own image, which
is now little better than a draught of Satan's, John iii. 6, Job xiv. 4 : Job
xxv. 4, « How can he be clean that is born of a woman ? ' An unclean
nature can have no other than unclean issue. Your cursed natures makes
your children cursed. You convey spiritual death to all the children that
have life from you ; convey to that you most love that which makes them
hateful to God. They have from you lovely bodies, but monstrous souls.
Even those who are renewed cannot convey renewed natures to their
children.

It is a most sad consideration that this evil is so communicative, as it
does not only abide in us, but will pass to all that proceed from us ; that
we should convey an evil so sinful, so permanent, irresistible, deadly,
devilish, to children. Take a view of natural corruption as spread before
you in these considerations, and it will appear as Ezekiel's roll, ' writ within
and without, lamentation, mourning, and woe,' Ezek. ii. 10.

OF REPENTANCE.

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. — LUKE XIII. 3.

IN the former verses you have the occasion and cause of what is said in
this.

Verse 1, The occasion, Pilate's cruelty.

Verse 2, The impulsive cause, ' Suppose ye ;' to correct, &c., a false and
injurious supposition.

Jesm answering. He answered, though not to their intention ; — that
might be to ensnare him, whether approve or reprove, — but for their advan
tage. If his answer was not for their purpose, yet for their profit. If not
what was expected, yet what was most expedient. He makes excellent use
of that relation, and directs them how to improve that sad accident.

Obs. We should labour to make good use to ourselves of God's judgments
on others. Why ? God expects it ; this is the way to prevent the execu
tion on ourselves. How ?

1. 'Learning righteousness,' Isa. xxvi. 9; faith, seeing him execute
threatenings ; fear, beholding his severity ; obedience, sure want of that is
the cause ; love, whilst we escape.

2. Forsaking sin : ' Sin no more,' John v. 14. All sin, because every
sin is pregnant with judgment; therefore it summons to search and try,
&c., especially those sins which brought wrath on others. Observe provi
dences ; use means to discover what is the Achan, &c.

Use. We have great occasion to practise this. Wrath is kindled and
burns, &c. ; the cup of indignation goes round ; the sword has had a com
mission, &c. ; the scars and smarting impressions continue in bodies,
estates, liberties. Let us learn to believe, to tremble, to love. Let us
forsake sin, our own ; the sins that have unsheathed the sword, mixed this
bitter cup. What is that ? In all probability contempt of, disobedience
to, unfruitfulness under, the gospel. This ruined the Jews, ver. 6, 7, 34,
35, captivated before for it, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15-17 with Jer. xxv. 7-9, &c.
Probably it is the greatest sin, that brings the severest judgment. But
what greater than this, more heinous than the sins of Sodom, therefore
more tolerable for them, &c., Mark vi. 11, and if this be not it, what is the
reason those parts who enjoy not the gospel escape better, Turkey, Tartary,
Persia, &c. ? Oh take heed, sure this is the Achan ! Bewail it, avoid it !

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 17

Make not this warning ineffectual with the Jews' supposition. Bather hear,
believe, apply what Christ says, Except I repent, &c.

The words are monitory. In them we have, I., the admonisher, I ' ;
IE., the admonition. In which, 1, an titavdedoxsig, nay; and, 2, a diogdutis,
except ye repent. Ye must repent if ye would not perish.

I. From the admonisher, Christ, in that he teaches repentance.

Obs. Repentance is an evangelical duty ; a gospel, a new-covenant duty.
This should not be questioned by those who either believe what the gospel
delivers, or understand what it is to be evangelical ; but since it is denied,
let us prove it. And first from this ground.

1. Christ taught repentance. But he taught nothing but what was
evangelical. Is he who was the sweet subject, the blessed end, the great
mediator, the glorious preacher of the covenant of grace and gospel, a legal
teacher ? He begins with this, it was his first sermon, Mat. iv. 17, Mark
i. 16; and he ends with this, it was his last sermon, Luke xxiv. 47; leaves
this to his disciples as their directory for preaching. Christ indeed answers
the young man asking what good things he should do, &c., legally, accord
ing to his question, If thou wilt go to heaven by doing, no better rule than
the commandments, Mat. xix. 17; but his intent was evangelical. He
endeavours to convince him this was not the way to life, shewing the im
possibility of fulfilling the law by enjoying* that which he would not, could
not do, ver. 21, and so makes use of the law to serve the gospel. All his
teachings were evangelical, but he taught repentance.

2. It is excluded by the covenant of works. There is no place for
repentance there. Nothing but death after sin ; no tabula secuntla post
nau/ragium. That enjoins not repentance ; nothing but perfect obedience.
Nor does it admit repentance ; it promises nothing but to perfect obedience.
It prescribes no means, leaves no hopes for sinners. They understand not
the law, what the covenant of works is, who make repentance legal. There
is nothing in it, but the mandate and the sanction. But the law neither
commands it, nor does it reward the presence or practice ; nor does it
threaten the absence of repentance. It admits not of pardon ; that comes
in by virtue of another covenant. And where there is no pardon, there is
no place for repentance. It requires only perfect obedience directly and
expressly, and offers life to no other condition ; but Adam hereby being
obliged to obey God in all things, was by consequence and implicitly
engaged to obey whatever God should require in any other way or covenant
and upon any other terms, and so to repentance, which the gospel com
mands. These are the privileges of the covenant of grace.

3. It is required in the gospel, Acts xvii. 30. Now, in the times of the
gospel, after the Messiah is come ; now, when the covenant of grace comes
forth in its last and best edition ; now, when free grace appears in fairest
and largest character ; now, when the covenant commences new ; even
' now he commands all,' all that will be saved, have any benefit by the
Messiah, enjoy any blessings of the new covenant, to repent.

4. It was preached by the apostles. Christ makes it one of their in
structions, puts it in their commission, Luke xxiv. 47. And they who
found grace to be faithful, observed their instruction. It is the principal
point in Peter's first sermon recorded after the ascension, Acts ii. 28, and
of his second too, by which we may conclude of the rest, Acts iii. 19. John
gives sweet encouragements to it, 1 John i. 9. If ever there was an evan-

* Qu. ' enjoining ' ? — ED.

VOL. I. _ B

18 OF REPENTANCE. [LuKE XIII. 3.

gelical preacher in the world, sure Paul was one ; and he solemnly profes-
seth it was his constant practice, Acts xx. 20, 21, and xxvi. 20. It is
express of all, Mark vi. 12.

5. It was the end of Christ's coming, Mat. ix. 13, to call sinners. He
had no end in coming, but purely evangelical. He came to confirm the
covenant of grace, which was established in the room of the covenant of
works, by which no sinner could get any benefit. He came not to estab
lish, to require anything legal ; therefore, repentance is not legal.

6. It was purchased by Christ's death. But the privileges that he pur
chased were evangelical : Acts v. 31, ' Him has God exalted,' &c. What he
bestows in his exaltation, he purchased by his humiliation. We owe the
purchase of evangelical mercies to his satisfaction, the application to his
intercession. If he had procured anything legal, he would have purchased
life for us upon personal performance of perfect obedience ; for this is the
Bum of the covenant of works. But this he procured not. That which he
merited, was the blessings of the new covenant, whereof repentance is
one, therefore evangelical.

7. It has evangelical promises. And these are not made to any legal
duty : Prov. xxviii. 13, ' Whoso confesseth.' Confession is the sign, and
forsaking an essential part of repentance. This is an evangelical promise,
though in the Old Testament. As there is something legal in the New
Testament, so much that is evangelical in the Old Testament. And these
are sure characters, whereby we may distinguish gospel from law. Wher
ever we meet faith, repentance, confession, forsaking of sin, pardon, or
mercy, those are gospel strains. The covenant of works disowns them,
Mat. v. 4. Blessedness and comfort entailed upon mourning, a principal
part of repentance.

8 It is urged upon evangelical grounds. It would be incongruous so to
urge it, if it were legal ; this would be to put new wine into old bottles, &c.
So John Baptist, Mat. iii. 2, so Christ, Mark i. 14, 15, where is a defini
tion of evangelical preaching. ' Kingdom of heaven,' that is, the heavenly
and spiritual kingdom of Christ to be erected, with all the honours, privi
leges, duties of its subjects, are to be purchased by his satisfaction, and
offered and declared in the gospel. The infinite goodness and love of God
in sending Christ ; and the wonderful love of Christ in undertaking the
redemption of forlorn sinners ; and the precious fruits of that undertaking,
should be grounds of and motives to repentance ; but these are evangelical,
ergo, it is.

9. It is the condition of the prime evangelical mercy. God offers, gives
remission of sins, upon condition of repentance. What Christ commands
us, himself does practise, Luke xvii. 3. If he repent, forgive him. So
Acts iii. 19, and ii. 38. The way Peter prescribes to Simon, Acts viii. 22,
hence they are frequently joined, Luke xxiv. 47, Acts v. 31. A condition,
not quoad rigorem, in point of exact performance, as though he required to
repent by our own strength, and would not pardon till the condition were
so performed. For such are legal conditions, and proper to the covenant
of works ; whereas, though he command, requires repentance, yet he pro
mises it, Ezek. xi. 19, and gives it. But largely, and in respect of the
necessity of its presence, he does not, he will not, pardon till we repent.
No remission without it. In this sense repentance is propounded as the
condition of forgiveness, 1 John i. 9 ; confession is an appendix, if not a
formal part of repentance.
v 10. It is confirmed by the seal of the covenant of grace. Baptism is

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 19

the seal of repentance. Hereby God engages himself to begin, or increase
and continue it in his elect ; and the baptized engage themselves to practise
it. Hence it is called ' the baptism of repentance,' Acts xiii. 24 ; John
baptized to repentance, Mat. iii. 11. But baptism being the seal of the
new covenant, confirms, signifies, exhibits, nothing but what is evangelical.

11. It is a fundamental of Christianity, Heb. vi. 1. But nothing legal
can be such a fundamental. The covenant of works is so far from being
the foundation of Christianity, as it is inconsistent with it. True Chris
tians are quite freed from it. « Ye are not under £he law,' Eom. vi. 14,
Gal. v. 18.

12. It is the way to life, Acts xi. 18. But there is no other way but
that of the gospel. The way by the law, or covenant of works, was shut
up by sin. Justice, like the angel, guards the passage in paradise ; none
can enter, that are sinners, by that old way, nor ever any enter. If the
Lord had not found out a new way by the covenant of grace, no flesh had
been saved. Repentance is part of this way. The convinced Jews ask the
way, Acts ii. 37, he shews this. This is the way not to perish, 2 Peter
iii. 9, so in the text.

Nor should this seem a duty of too sour and unpleasing a complexion,
to be evangelical. There is more joy in godly sorrow, than in the choicest
worldly pleasures. The heart, if not seared and void of sense, even in
laughter is sorrowful, Prov. xiv. 13. But in the midst of this sorrow the
heart rejoiceth. Those that have had experience will bear witness to this.
And what heart so sad and mournful, into which that promise will not con
vey a stream of joy ? Blessed, &c., Mat. v. 4. Godly sorrow not only
rejoices the heart on earth, but causeth joy in heaven, Luke xv. 7.

Use 1. It reproves those who reject this duty as legal. Certainly those
who find not this in the gospel, have found another gospel besides that
which Christ and his disciples preached. But let them take heed, lest,
whilst they will go to heaven in a way of their own, that way prove a by
path, and lead to the gates of death, instead of the place of joy. No way
but Christ will bring to heaven, and that has three stages, faith, repentance,
and obedience. He that will sit down at the end of the first, and never
enter upon the other, will never reach heaven. Indeed, he that walks
not in all, walks not in any, he is deluded, misled by an ignis fatuus, a false
fire ; and if the Lord do not undeceive him, will fall into the bottomless pit.

Use 2. Exhort. To practise this duty evangelically, that is most con
gruous. Directions :

(1.) Undertake it for evangelical ends. The end gives nature and name
to the action. If your aims be legal, mercenary, the act will be so. Go
not about it only to escape hell, avoid wrath, satisfy justice, remove judg
ments, pacify conscience. Ahab and Pharaoh can repent thus, those who
are strangers to the covenant of grace. How then ? Endeavour that you
may give God honour, that ye may please him, that you may comply
with his will, that you may never more return to folly. Confess, to give
honour, as Josh. vii. 19, get hearts broken, that you may offer sacrifice well
pleasing.

(2.) Let evangelical motives lead you to the practice of it. Act as drawn
by the cords of love. The goodness of God should lead you to it, Rom. ii.
Horror, despair, terror of conscience will drive Cain and Judas to strange
fits of legal repentance. The remembrance of sins against electing, dis
tinguishing love, against redeeming, pardoning mercy, against the free grace
of the gospel and offers of it, should lead you to it. So should your deal-

20 OF KEPENTANCE. [LtJKE XIII. 3.

ing unfaithfully in the covenant of grace, sinning against the blood of Christ,
wounding him, grieving him, who became a man of sorrows. Piercing,
Zech. xii. 10, that you have hated him who loved you ; grieved him who
would have comforted you with unspeakable comforts ; dishonoured him
who thought not his own glory too much for you ; provoked him who would
see his own Son die, rather than you should perish ; undervalued him who
thought not his life too dear for you.

(3.) In an evangelical manner, freely, cheerfully, with joy and delight ;
not as constrained, but willingly. As those that are amid legis, in love
with the duty — for so are pardoned repenting sinners, justificati amid
Uyis ejfiduntur.* Christ's people in covenant with him are ' a willing
people,' Ps. ex. 3, as ready to mourn for sin as for worldly crosses, suffer
ings ; to hate it as to hate a mortal enemy, forsake it as freely as forsake
an infectious disease, go against their lusts as David against Goliah :
1 Sam. xvii. 82, ' Thy servant will go fight with this Philistine.'

(4.) Kepent that ye can repent no more. This is an evangelical temper,
to be sensible of the defects and failings of spiritual duties ; be grieved
that you can grieve no more for sin ; abhor yourselves that you cannot
hate it with a more perfect hatred ; count it your great affliction that sin
and you are not quite divorced ; count the relics of sin which you cannot
drive out, what the Canaanites were to the children of Israel, Num. xxxiii.
55, as pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, continual vexation.
It is a repentance to be repented of, as it is defective, though not as it is
our duty.

(5.) Think not your repentance is the cause of any blessing : it is neither
the meritorious nor impulsive cause ; it neither deserves any mercy, nor
moves the Lord to bestow any.

To think it moves him to give any mercy is an impious conceit, because
it makes him changeable, who is without variableness. To think it deserves
anything at God's hands is a legal conceit. Perfect obedience performed
by Adam in the state of innocency had not been meritorious, could not
deserve eternal life, sud naturd, in its own nature, for it was but his duty ;
nor was eternal happiness due to it in justice, as the nature of merit
requires, but only by virtue of the promise, vi pacti ; much less can our
imperfect repentance. It does not procure blessings one way or other
casually.f l^6 Lord pardons sin, loves us, blesses us when we repent,
not because we repent ; it is via, not causa; a duty, not desert; a means,
no merit ; a qualification, necessary ratione pratsentice, not effidentice.

(6.) Think not that your repentance can satisfy God, or make any
amends for the wrong sin has done him ; do not imagine that it is any
recompence for the injury sin has done him, or any reparation of that
honour which is violated and defaced by sin. Every old corrupt heart is
so far legal as it would have a righteousness, a satisfaction of its own, and
not rely upon another for it ; so proud is corrupt nature, as it is loth to
deny its own, to depend only upon another's satisfaction. And therefore
we are apt to think that our acts of repentance do satisfy God and appease
him, and thereupon, after the exercise of them, will speak peace to our
selves, and stop the mouth of an accusing conscience with such perform
ances, resting on them as though thereby we had satisfied the Lord.

But we must consider that no satisfaction is sufficient to make amends
for sin but that which is of infinite value, since the injury sin has done is
infinite, having disobeyed, displeased, dishonoured, an infinite majesty.
* Ambr. f Qu- ' causally '?— ED.

LUKE XIII. 8.] OF REPENTANCE. 21

And such a satisfaction no finite creature can make, not the most perfect
saint, not the most glorious angels ; much less can such vile, weak, sinful
creatures as we, by such imperfect acts of repentance.

(7.) Ye must depend upon Christ for strength, ability to repent ; all
evangelical works are done in his strength. Repentance is an act above
the power of nature, and therefore we cannot practise it without power
from above. Ye must depend on, seek to Christ for this power. Adam's
condition in innocency required not so much dependence, for he was
empowered with sufficient grace to perform all that was required ; but his
not improving that sufficiency has left all his posterity destitute of all
ability to do anything supernaturally good. We want both habits and acts
before we can repent ; Christ must both give us soft hearts, hearts that can
repent, and must teach them by his Spirit before they will repent. Except
he smite those rocks, they will yield no water, no tears for sin ; except he
break these hearts, they will not bleed. Repentance is his gift, his work,
Acts xi. 18, 2 Tim. ii. 25. We may as well melt a flint, or turn a stone
into flesh, or draw water out of a rock, as repent in our own strength. It
is far above the power of nature, nay, most contrary to it. How can we
hate sin, which naturally we love above all ? mourn for that wherein we
most delight ? forsake that which is as dear as ourselves, right hand, eye ?
It is the almighty power of Christ which only can do this ; we must rely
on, seek to him for it, Jer. xxxi. 18, Lam. v. 21 ; that which ye do in
your own strength you do legally, and so ineffectually, to no purpose. The
gospel beats us quite out of self; live by another life, Gal. ii. 20 ; act by
another strength, and satisfy by another's righteousness, Philip, iii. 9 ; and
do all that we do graciously, by the grace of Christ. I laboured, 1 Cor.
xv. 10. Therefore Bernard prays quid ejficiamus, operare. And Augustine,
Da domine, &c., according to his principle, which is truly evangelical,
Certum est nosfacere quod /admits, &c. In nobis, et nobiscum, ut operemur,
operatur. He works our works in us and for us.* Go into your closet,
and pour out your requests : Lord, thou commandest me to repent, and I
see the necessity ; but I have a hard heart, opposite ; and Satan and the
world, &c.

(8.) Ye must expect the acceptance of your repentance from Christ.
No evangelical service whatsoever, or by whomsoever performed, can be
well pleasing to God, either in itself or as it comes from us, but only in
Christ. Not as it comes from us, for our persons must be accepted before
our services can be capable thereof. But how can sinful persons please a
holy God ? We must either be righteous in ourselves or in another, or
else the righteous God will loathe, must punish us. No flesh can be justified
in his sight, Ps. cxliii. 2, till Christ cover its deformities, and clothe it with
a robe of his righteousness ; nor in themselves, for so the best are sinful,
in regard of many defects, &c., not fit to be looked upon by him who is
' of purer eyes,' &c., Heb. iv. 13; only acceptable through Jesus Christ,
1 Peter ii. 5, Eph. i. 6.

Adam indeed, under the covenant of works, might have been accepted
without a mediator ; the purity of his person and perfection of his services
would have found acceptance immediately ; but for us so to expect it, is
both legal and irrational. We sinful persons, with sinful services, having
no speckless righteousness to present to God but that of Christ, must
either appear in that, or hide ourselves from the presence of him who sits
on the throne. No appearing for us but in and by our advocate. God

* Concil. Arans.

22 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

will take nothing well from us unless we take our surety with us. No
blessing can be obtained except we come to God in the garments of our
elder brother : Isa. Ixiv. 6, De se, non de impiis, all our righteousness, &c. ;
de bonis operibus, non solum de lapsibus, till they be cleansed in the blood of
the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14, Job xxix. 14. If we put on any other robe but
that of Christ's, it is vestis belli, magis quampacis, ubi adhuc expugnatur, &c.*

(9.) Think not your repentance obliges God to the performance of any
promise, as though he were thereby bound, and could not justly refuse to
bestow what he has promised to the penitent ; for he is not obliged to
fulfil it till the condition be perfectly performed. Imperfect repentance is
not the condition ; God requires nothing imperfect. If he accomplishes
his promise upon our weak defective endeavours, it is not because he is by
them engaged, but from some other engaging consideration. No man is
obliged to perform a promise but when the condition is perfectly fulfilled.
If it be defective in quantity or quality, not so much nor so good as the
agreement required, he is not engaged, he may refuse; e. g., Ephron
promises Abraham a field for four hundred shekels of silver, current money,
Gen. xxiii. 15. Now if Abraham had but brought him three hundred, and
that not current, wanting weight, or mixed with dross, none will say
Ephron had been obliged to give him the field, or unjust for refusing.

The Lord promises such and such mercies upon condition of repentance,
but it is perfect repentance, for he promises nothing to that which is
defective, else he should promise to that which is sinful. But this rather
brings us within the compass of threatenings, Gal. iii. Perfect perform
ances are still required. The gospel remitteth no part, no tittle of the
substance of the law, which commands perfect obedience in duties, whether
expressly or implicitly, and by consequence contained in it, as repentance
is. If it were not still required, why should we strive after perfection, and
bewail the want of it ? The obligation is eternal, founded in our natures,
due from us as we are creatures, &c. The condition therefore of the
promises is perfect repentance.

Now our repentance is defective, both in quantity and quality, measure
and manner, neither so great nor so good as is required. Our sorrow not
so hearty, constant, ingenuous, &c., and so does not engage.

Why then does God perform ? How is he obliged ? Why, it is Christ
that has obliged him ; he makes good the condition. When we cannot
bring so much as is required, he makes up the sum ; he adds grains to that
which wants weight. He has satisfied for our defects, and they are for his
sake pardoned, and therefore are accepted, as though they were not
defective; omnia mandata Dei facta deputantur, quando quicquid non sit
ignoscitur.\ Christ's undertaking makes good the condition, and so the
promise is obliging. Hence, 2 Cor. i. 20, he is so obliged by Christ's
undertaking as, except he will be changeable or unfaithful, he must
accomplish. Hence he is called the Mediator, Heb. ix. 15, and surety,
chap. vii. 22. God had promised an eternal inheritance upon conditions,
but we broke the conditions, and were not able to make satisfaction, are
all bankrupts. God therefore lays hold on our surety, and gets satisfaction
of him, and hereby the agreement is made good, and God obliged. God
abates nothing of his first proposal ; perfect conditions are still required,
only he dispenses with personal performance. That which we could not
do, Christ has done ; his satisfaction is accepted, Rom. x. 4, the end,
the accomplishment. His fulfilling is the believer's righteousness. Per-
* August. f Aug. Ketract. cap. 19.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF KEPENTANCE. 23

fectionem legis habet, qui credit in Christum.* Christ has procured pardon
for all defects. And in this sense our repentance is as it were perfect,
because the defect thereof shall not be imputed. Hence it obliges the
Lord, not by virtue of our performance, but of Christ's satisfaction. It
is not we, but Christ for us; not what we do, but what he did, suffered,
that engages the Lord to perform any promise. Even as when one engaged
to conditions, fails in performance, if his surety make other satisfaction, it
is the surety that obliges to the accomplishment. It is not our defective,
imperfect repentance that engages God to perform promise ; for he never
promised to imperfect performances, but Christ making the Lord satisfaction
for our defects and imperfections. And so they being not imputed, are
not in themselves, but by virtue of this satisfaction, no less obliging than if
they were perfect.

(10.) Expect a reward, not from justice, but mercy. The Lord rewards
repentance, and other evangelical services, under the covenant of grace.
That the reward is not of debt, but of grace ; not merces debita, but
gratuita ; not KO.T opg/Xjj/ta, but Kara rqv %aw. It is a recompence, but
a gracious recompence. He is not obliged ex debito justitia, but bestows
it freely, of mere bounty and mercy.

It is true Adam, under the covenant of works, whilst he kept his
integrity, might have expected something in justice ; for the eternal life
was not due to him ex dignitate operis, but vi pacti ; and so is debitum
improprie, and not ex ordine justitice,^ because there was no proportion
betwixt it and his services ; and so far as the reward exceeds the value of
the service, so far it is of grace and favour. He deserved not eternal life.
Yet perfect obedience, if performed, would have deserved justification. It
had been but just, that he who was perfectly righteous, should have been
pronounced and declared so, if there had been occasion. This was due,
Horn. iv. 4.

But to think that any blessing is due to us for our best services, that our
repentance makes God in our debt, is a legal apprehension.

It is much is due in justice to the obedience of Christ, for he is worthy.
But nothing due to us. It is mere mercy, that what Christ has merited
should be bestowed on us. It is mere mercy that we are not consumed.
Oh what mercy is it that we are pardoned, reconciled, saved ! It is mercy
that our repentance is not punished, much more that it is rewarded. It is
mercy that we escape the greatest suffering, much more that the Lord
vouchsafes to pardon, bless, enhappy us. All is grace, from the foundation
to the topstone.

II. Thus much for the admonisher, 'I tell you.' Proceed "we to the
admonition. And in it, 1, the correction, 'nay.' Hereby he corrects two
mistakes of the Jews : (1.) Concerning their innocency. They thought
themselves innocent, compared with the Galileans, not so great sinners,
ver. 2. (2.) Concerning their impunity, grounded on the former. Because
not so great sinners, they should not be so great sufferers, nor perish as
they in the text. From the first.

1. (1.) Obs. Impenitent sinners are apt to think themselves not so great
sinners as others ; to justify themselves, as Pharisees in reference to others ;
like crows, fly over flowers and fruit, to pitch upon carrion ; say as Isa.
Ixv. 5, ' Stand by thyself,' &c.

[1.] Because never illuminated to see the number, nature, aggravations
* Ambr. t Vide Baron, p. 338.

24 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 8.

of their own sins, how many, how sinful ; examine not their hearts and
lives; judge of sins according to outward appearance, not secret heinousness.

[2.J Self-love. They cover, extenuate, excuse their own ; multiply,
magnify others. A xaXu/i,aa for their own, a glass for others.

[3.] Ignorance of their natural sinfulness. In which respect they are
equally sinful as others. Seed-plots of sin ; have a root of bitterness, an
evil treasure of heart ; a disposition to the most abominable sins that ever
were committed, such as they never thought of, nor will ever believe they
should yield to, 2 Kings viii. 11, 12 ; want nothing but temptation, a fit
occasion. Their heart as tinder ; if the Lord permit Satan to cast but a
spark in, they will be set on fire of hell, break forth into the most hellish
wickedness, &c. Apt to think natural sinfulness an excuse, whereas it is
that which makes us most sinful, odious to God, &c. Would you take it
for a good excuse if a servant that has robbed you should tell you he has a
thievish nature ? This will make you hate him far more.

Use. Take heed of this. It is a sign of impenitency. Paul counts him
self the chief of sinners : ' If you judge yourselves,' &c., 1 Cor. xi. 81.

(2.) From their conceit of impunity.

Obs. Sinners are apt to flatter themselves with the hopes they shall
escape judgments. If they can believe they are not so great sinners, they
are apt to conclude they shall not perish: 'Put far from them the evil
day,' Amos vi. 3, threatened, ver. 7 ; cry Peace, &c. Satan has blinded
them. He seeks their ruin, and would have them perish in such a way as
there should be no avoiding, and therefore would not suffer them to enter
tain the least thoughts of their danger lest they should think of preventing,
Prov. xxii. 8. Lest they should do so, he puts out their ejes, lulls them
asleep, that they may perish unavoidably before they be aware ; uses them
as Jael did Sisera, lays them asleep that justice may strike through their
souls while they slumber, that they may go down quick into pit, and not
awake till in hell.

Use. Beware of this. It has been the ruin of millions. Those perish
soonest who think they shall longest escape, Amos vi. 7, 1 Thes. v. 3 ;
' be not deceived, God is not mocked,' &c. Believe the Lord threatening
rather than Satan promising. Delude not yourselves with conceits of
mercy. There is no mercy for impenitent sinners. To imagine the con
trary is a great dishonour to God, an high affront to Christ, makes the
gospel a nullity. Satan says, Though thou sin, yet God is merciful, he
may save thee. Christ says, ' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.'
Now, whether will you believe ? Satan says, Though ye do continue to
sin, &c., ye may have peace ; but the Lord says, Deut. xxix. 19, 20, he
will not spare him, &c. Think not to say within yourselves, We are not
so great sinners ; the least sin, not repented of, is enough to destroy you
for ever, to bring the curse of God upon soul and body, Gal. iii. 10. He
says not, he that continues in some, or in the greatest, but all. If ye so
keep all the precepts of the law, as to fail but in one, that one failing will
cause all the curses of the law to fall on you. This is the sad condition
of every sinner, whatever his sins be. And there is no relief for any, but
by the covenant of grace ; and you can be assured of no relief thereby
without repentance ; for Christ, who is truth, has said it, ' Except ye repent,
ye shall perish.'

2. So we come to the other part of the admonition, viz., the direction.

Obs. Those that will not repent shall perish. Whosoever. Though as
many privileges as these Jews had, and as few sins as they thought they

LUKE XIII. 3.J OF REPENTANCE. 25

had, yet without repentance they must perish. No salvation without it.
It needs no confirmation, since Christ himself does twice affirm it.

It is implied, 2 Peter iii. 9, they must needs perish that never recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26, and never are
weary of treasuring up wrath, Rom. ii. 5.

Repentance has such a relation to, such a connection with, life and
salvation, as this cannot be expected without that ; for though it be neither
merit nor motive, yet consider it as it is, an antecedent and sign, qualifica
tion, condition, or means of life and salvation, and the truth will appear.

An antecedent. So there must be no salvation till first there be repent
ance. Sown in tears before reap in joy.

Sign. A symptom of one being an heir to salvation. And so life belongs
as to all, cram, so only to him, (lovy, that repents.

Qualification. To fit for life. He that is in love with sin, is not fit for
heaven. No unclean thing enters there. Neither will God himself endure
him to be there.

Condition. For that is ainov 06 avzv ovx, without it, never see God :
'Except ye,' &c. This is the condition, without which ye shall not escape.

Means and way to life : via regni, Christ's highway. ' Repentance to
life,' Acts xi. 18. Peter directs them to this, Acts ii. 38.

1. What is it to repent ? 2. Why must they perish that do not ? For the

1. To repent, is to turn ; to return from former evil ways ; Ezek. xiv. 6,
' Repent, and turn yourselves.' One explains the other : Acts xxvi. 20,
' should repent and turn to God.' Msrai/o/a in the New Testament is rQlltfjl
in the Old Testament, d 3.W.

Now in turning, as in every motion, there are two terms, d quo and ad
quern, airoargopri and sKiargotpri : something from which, that is sin ; some
thing to which, that is God or righteousness. Hence Athanasius gives this
account of the word, quast. id. , 5/d roOro yag ?Jysra/ fAtrdvoia, OTI [iiraTtdriai
rlv MVJV aff4 TO\J xaxoiJ irgbg rb aya-Sov. Because hereby the mind is turned
from evil to good.

I suppose it principally consists in turning from evil, sin ; though he be
never truly turned from sin, that turns not to God, &c. Yet that belongs
properly to another grace. Repentance especially is turning from ; and
therefore I shall insist on this. In this turning, there are three acts, as it
were so many steps : sorrow for sin, hatred of it, resolution to forsake it.
He that does not mourn, &c., shall perish. This is Christ's meaning :
' Except,' &c.

1, Sorrow for sin. To repent, is to mourn for sin, 2 Cor. vii. 9, 10.
The Lord exhorting Zion to repentance, expresses it thus, Joel ii. 12 ; and
Peter's repentance is expressed by this, Mat. xxvi. 75. Though there may
be sorrow without repentance, yet no repentance without sorrow. It is not
every sorrow, for there is a sorrow unto death ; nor every sorrow for sin,
for Judas was sorry he had sinned, Mat. xxvii. 3, 4. What sorrow then ?
how qualified ? It must be hearty and godly sorrow.

(1.) Hearty, such as greatly affects the heart. Not that of the tongue,
which is usual, I am sorry, &c. ; nor that of the eyes neither, if tears
spring not from a broken heart ; not verbal, slight, outward, superficial,
but great, bitter, cordial humbling ; such sorrow as will afflict the soul.
The Israelites, in their solemn day of repentance and humiliation, were
commanded to afflict their souls, Lev. xvi. 29 ; and the want of it is
threatened, chap, xxiii. 29. Such a sense of sin, such sorrow for it as
will be a soul affliction.

26 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

When the heart is truly sorrowful for sin, sin is a burden to it ; such
penitents they are whom Christ invites, Mat. xi. 28, there will be such
pain and anguish in the heart as when it is pricked, wounded. So were
Peter's penitents, Acts ii., as if it were rent and torn ; so Joel ii. 13, as if
it were broken and crushed. A penitent heart is a broken heart, as David
calls it in his penitent Ps. Ii. 17. He regards no sorrow but this which
issues from a contrite heart, Isa. Ixvi. 2.

It must be a great, a bitter mourning, and therefore is compared to that
which is caused by the greatest outward afflictions. So is the sorrow of
the Jews at their conversion prophetically described, Zech. xii. 10, 11 ;
such sorrow as Sarah would have made for the loss of her first-born, her
only son Isaac ; or Hannah for Samuel, the son of many tears, of so strong
desires.

Sorrow is proportionable to the cause. Now what more bitter affliction
than the loss of a child, especially to the Jews, who counted children a
greater blessing, &c. ? To lose a child, a son, an only son, first begotten
son, Oh what sorrow, what bitter lamentation would this have occasioned !
Even such should be the sorrow for sin ; a bitter mourning, a great mourn
ing, ver. 11, like that for the untimely death of that blessed prince Josiah ;
as the inhabitants of Hadadrimmon for Josiah, slain in the valley of
Megiddo.

A hearty sorrow, not confined to the heart, but if the natural temper
afford them, breaking forth in tears, sighs, and sad complaints, the ordinary
companions of a sorrowful heart. Such must be sorrow in some degree
of sincerity, or else perish.

(2.) Godly sorrow, 2 Cor. vii. 9, 10, sorrow for sin, as it is against God ;
not as it is against yourselves, prejudicial to you ; as it brings judgments,
exposes to wrath, makes you obnoxious to justice, brings within the com
pass of curses, and in danger of hell. Not as it withholds temporal
blessings, so Esau ; nor brings temporal judgments, so Ahab ; nor as it
excludes from mercy, so Cain ; nor as it brings hell into the conscience,
so Judas. This sorrow is carnal, worldly, unto death. But as it is against
God, his authority, mercy, glory, blessedness, holiness, power, sovereignty,
truth, justice, being.

His authority : as a disobedience of his command, violation of his right
eous law, as opposite to his blessed will.

His mercy: against him who is unwilling to destroy, willing to pardon,
ready to be reconciled, gave his Son, sends his Spirit.

His glory: that which dishonours him, casts unworthy reflections on
him, crosses his design, and robs him of the glory due to him.

His blessedness : displeases, grieves, wearies, burdens ; causes him to
complain, repent.

His holiness : contrary to his pure nature, the greatest deformity, that
which he cannot endure to look upon.

His pouter and truth: as that which questions whether he is able to
execute his threatenings, or whether he will be as good as his word in
executing ; sin is an implicit denial of these.

His sovereignty : as open rebellion against him, ' Who is the Lord ?' &c.,
and as it makes us unserviceable to him ; treason.

His being: as that which denies him, would depose, dethrone him, cause
the holy one to cease ; ' This is the heir,' &c., Mat. xxi. 38.

His excellencies : prefers self, vanity, Satan, sin, before him.

2. Hatred of sin. This is an act of repentance, and that indeed which is

LUKE XIII. 8.] OF REPENTANCE. 27

principally essential to it. It is described by this 2 Cor. vii., ayctvaxryGis.
Where no indignation, no hatred, there is no repentance. And Job joins
these, Job. xlii. 6, so Ezek. vi. 9, chap. xx. 43, and xxxvi. 31, loathe
themselves as sinful, for sin ; therefore loathe sin more than themselves.
They would not be loathsome but for sin.

It is not enough to dislike it, be displeased at it, angry with it, no nor
sorry for it. He that repents will hate it. Be so affected to sin as we
use to be towards that which we most hate. We may make use of that
sinful hatred amongst men to discover the nature of this gracious affection.
When you hate one you wish his ruin, rejoice when any evils befall him,
and be ready to do him a mischief when occasion is offered, join with any
that would undo him. He that repents will so hate sin as to seek its death,
to crucify, mortify it, rejoice when it is wounded, love that word which
smites it, have his heart rise at the approach of it, manifest an antipathy
against it.

(1.) This hatred is well grounded. He will hate it, because it is hateful,
loathsome in the eye of God, and every eye that is opened. It stinks in
his nostrils, therefore would destroy it. So Jacob, Gen. xxxiv. 10, ' Ye
have made me to stink,' I shall be destroyed. Hate it, because he looks
upon it as a mortal enemy to God, to his soul, to all that is good. David
gives this account of his hatred : Ps. cxxxix. 21, 'I count them mine
enemies.'

(2.) An universal hatred. All sin. He that hates not all does truly
hate none at all. He that hates sin, as it is sin, will hate all, and he that
does not hate it as sin, does not repent of it. It is not enough to hate
some sins, in the sense of others, or those that are commonly hated amongst
men, as perjury, murder, nor to hate those sins that you have no great
occasion to love, those that are not pleasing, profitable, but even that which
ye have most loved, had most delight and advantage in, secret as well as
open, spiritual sins as well as carnal, small and great. Eepentance is
inconsistent with love to any sin, Ps. cxix. 104.

(3.) Ir reconcile able. He doth hate it so, as never to be at peace, amity
with it ; not fall out with it by fits, in some good mood, but return again
to folly, be friends again with sin, and use it as kindly, act it as freely as
ever. This is not to repent, but to mock God, and delude your own souls,
and make your condition worse than before, Mat. xii. 43-45. When the
soul returns to sin, the devil returns to the soul, and brings with him seven
worse than himself. Relapses give the devil more possession. He never
truly hated sin who hates it not always. It must be perfect hatred, as
extensive, and intensive, so persevering.

3. Forsaking sin. In resolution never to sin more. To repent is to
turn ; and how turn from sin if not forsake it ? It is impossible ; as to
leave a way, and walk in it ; a contradiction. All the characters of repent
ance, 2 Cor. vii. 11, include this carefulness. Fear, vehement desire,
zeal, imply strong resolution. Every resolution is not sufficient ; not
future, weak, partial ; it must be de prcesenti, forsake sin presently. Not
enough to say, I will do it hereafter, when I have had a little more pleasure,
reaped a little more profit by my sins. He that will not forsake it pre
sently, to-day, while it is called to-day, has no true resolution, is far from
truly repenting.

Effectual, strong. Such as will put you upon the use of all means to per
form it, and make good your resolution to avoid all occasions, company,
place, &c. ; make you watchful against temptation, stand guarded, careful

28 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

to remove the cause, original corruption; stopping up the puddle, the
spring ; not only lop the branches, but strike at the root ; diligent in the
use of mortifying duties, &c. Where repentance is, there is tjidiKtiais,
a resolution to be revenged for the wrong sin has done to God, to the
soul, &c.

Impartial. Forsake all. He that repents, must not say, I will forsake
my former ways, so many, so great ; I will forsake all but one ; the Lord
be merciful to me in this. This is but a little one, let me escape with it,
and let my soul live in it. All these things I will do, all these sins I will
leave, only let me be spared in this. I know not how to live, how to sub
sist without this. I shall have no comfort of my life, no credit with my
neighbours, if I leave this. This is not the voice of a penitent, but of a
hypocrite. The best of the sheep and oxen Saul spared, and destroyed the
rest, the vile and refuse, when God had enjoined him to destroy all ; and
then he comes to Samuel with a justification of himself: 1 Sam. xv., 'I
have performed the commandment,' &c. But what says the Lord? how
does he resent his partial obedience ? See ver. 23. So will the Lord deal
with those who, pretending repentance, yet will destroy, forsake none but
the vile and refuse, unprofitable, unpleasing sins, &c. He that forsakes not
all, forsakes none at all, James ii. 10 : Eddem pcena afficutur, atque si omnia
violasset. If the rest of the body be cured, yet leave but a gangrene in the
least part, it will be the destruction of the whole : Per hujus solius peremp-
tionem, etiam ilia integra trahi ad mortem* Sin is the snare of the devil ;
by repentance we escape it. Quomodo passer, etsi non toto teneatur corpore,
sed uno solo pede, est in potestate aucupis,} &c., 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. One leak
neglected may sink a ship as well as a thousand. Herod did many things,
so he avoided many sins ; but Herodias he would not part with, and so he
perished. It is not enough to forsake almost all ; Agrippa was almost
persuaded, &c. They are but almost resolved who are not resolute to part
with all, Ps. cxix. 6. j.He that has 'respect to all commands' must respect
no sin. That repentance which makes not resolute to forsake all sin is a
repentance to be repented of, you must be ashamed of; notwithstanding it,
you may, you shall perish.

Reas. 1. Christ has said it. There is reason enough in his word. That
is the best ground we have, or can have, for any truth in the world. He
has said it, and lest we doubt, he speaks it twice, ver. 3. and 5. He
speaks it to the Jews. If any people in the world might think to escape
without repentance it was they, having received such great privileges, such
special favours ; yet these he tells, ' Except ye repent, ye shall perish.'
He speaks universally, admits no exception, no limitation. Ye shall all,
whether your sins be small or great, whether greater sinners than the
Galileans or not, ' except ye repent,' &c. He says it, who is truth itself,
and so speaks undoubted truths ; who is God himself, and therefore cannot
lie ; who is judge of quick and dead, and therefore cannot err in the sen
tence ; who is the great prophet, of whom it was prophesied many thou
sand years since, that whoever would not hear, that is, believe him, should
be cut off; he whose word is more firm than the foundations of heaven
and earth : ' Heaven and earth shall pass away, but this word shall not
pass away.' They shall be dissolved, turned into nothing, sooner than
this saying of Christ shall be convinced of the least falsehood. No firmer
truth in the world than this, ' Except ye repent, ye shall perish.'

Reas. 2. Christ never died for impenitent sinners. They must needs
* Aug. t Chrysost.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 29

perish for -whom Christ never died ; but he never died for such. Those
sins must be punished in hell to eternity -which are not expiated by Christ's
blood, but it was not shed for final impenitency. Christ gives repentance
to all for whom he djed, Acts v. 31. Those who do not will, ask, seek,
receive it ; those who put it off, defer, have no ground to believe that
Christ died for them. And till there be some ground to believe this, there
is no hope to escape, no way for such, but they perish. Christ only died
for those whom his Father gave to him, John vi. 37. But impenitent
sinners were not given to Christ ; for those who are given to him do come
to him, return ; those who continue impenitent, run from him.

Reas, 3. Unpardoned sinners must perish. For whom the Lord does not
pardon he will punish eternally, but impenitent sinners are unpardoned.
Repentance and remission of sins are usually joined in Scripture, and the
Lord will never suffer them to be separated. No repentance, no pardon.
It is not the cause, but it is the condition, without which no remission.
Solomon would not ask pardon but upon this condition, 2 Chron. vi. 26, 27,
nor does the Lord answer him but on the same terms, chap. vii. 14, con
ditional^ nihil ponit in esse. Those wlio turn not from sin while they live,
must die in their sins when they die ; and who so die, die eternally. The
Lord, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity on earth, will not endure
it in heaven. Ye shall sooner see the most holy of the saints cast into hell
than an unpardoned sinner admitted into heaven.

Reas. 4. Those whom the Lord hates must perish. But he hates impeni
tent sinners, Ps. v. 5, ' Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.' Now, who
are so properly workers of iniquity as those who are so eager at it as they
will not leave this work though they be in danger to perish for it ? Christ
puts it out of doubt. The workers of iniquity must perish, Luke xiii. 27.
Those whom the Lord will tear in his wrath must perish with a witness ;
but those whom he hates, he tears, &c., Job xvi. 8. What more due to
such impenitent sinners than hatred ! what more proper than wrath, since
they treasure up wrath ! Rom ii. Will he entertain those in the bosom of
love whom his soul hates ? No ; destruction is their portion, Pro. xxi. 15.
If all the curses of the law, all the threatenings of the gospel, all judgments
in earth or in hell, will be the ruin of him, he must perish. If the Lord's
arm be strong enough to wound him dead, he must die: Ps. Ixviii. 21, 'He
will wound,' &c.

Reas. 5. He that is not, cannot be in the way of life, must perish. But
can he escape death and ruin who will never leave the paths that lead
thereto ? Can he come to life who never sets foot in the way ? There
never were but two ways to life, the covenant of grace, and the covenant of
works; and impenitent sinners are out of both. The way by works is
quite blocked up to all ; for there are three things in that covenant : all,
as creatures, are under the precept ; all, by nature, are under the penalty ;
but none of all are under the promise. None can enter into life by virtue
of that, because none can perform the condition. No sinner can come to
life this way. Lest, therefore, no flesh should be saved, the Lord was
pleased to open another way to life ; that is, the covenant of grace. Jesus
Christ, by virtue of his satisfaction, is become a new and living way ; but
to whom ? To those only who believe and repent : John viii. 24, 'If ye
believe not,' &c. ; Acts xi. 18, no life now without satisfaction for trans
gressing the former way. Christ has made satisfaction ; but none shall
ever have benefit thereby but those that repent ; till then, the threatening
of the first covenant is in force, nothing but death.

30 OF BEPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

Eesolution of some cases :

Case 1. Whether does this belong to those that have already repented ?
Whether may this truly be applied to them ? Except ye repent, &c.

Ans. In some respects it may ; in some it may npt.

In respect of those sins for which they have repented it belongs not to
them.

But in respect of future sins, such as they may commit, or have com
mitted, and not repented of them, to them it must be applied, ' Except ye
repent, ye shall perish.' For though those sins be pardoned at first
repentance, yet but pardoned conditionally, so that the sentence shall be
revoked if the condition be not performed. Now the condition is repent
ance ; and therefore, in this respect, this is applicable to them, Except ye
repent, ye shall perish.

For the understanding of this, observe three proportions :

1. All sins are pardoned upon the first act of faith and repentance. All
past, present, to come, are actually pardoned, Rom. viii. 1. If any sin
were not forgiven, there would be some place for condemnation ; for the
least unpardoned makes liable ta condemnation. Hence divines say,
Justificatio est simul et semel : a sinner is justified, pardoned, but once, and
all at once. But though all be then pardoned, yet not all alike. There
fore, observe,

2. Sins past and repented of are pardoned absolutely, because the con
dition is present ; and where the condition is present, that which was con
ditional becomes absolute. A thing is only conditional when the condition is
not present but future. The guilt of those sins would not return, no, not
upon supposition of an impossibility, if the conditions which give or shew
his right to pardon should be lost. If a man could lose the grace of
repentance he should perish, not for his sins formerly repented of, but for
his after-impenitency, which would not be true if former sins were not par
doned absolutely.

3. Future sins, or sins unrepented of, are but pardoned to a believer
conditionally. Because the condition of pardon is not in being, is future ;
he has not yet repented for those sins ; and if he utterly fail in performing
the condition (though the Lord's engaging for performance, by honour and
promise, makes this impossible), yet if he should not repent, the former
sentence of absolution and general pardon would be revoked, would be a
nullity, of no force as to these sins, and consequently he should perish ; so
that, in respect of these sins, it may be said to those that formerly have
been the greatest penitents under heaven, Except ye repent, ye shall perish.

From hence we see how dangerous it is to conceive that, after we are
assured of pardon, there is no need of repentance. They must perish that
are not absolutely pardoned ; but these are not absolutely pardoned till
they repent ; therefore except they repent, they shall perish.

Case 2. Since we must repent of all sins, then it is necessary for sins
of ignorance ; but how can we repent of these ? It seems hard we must
perish for not repenting of those acts which we know not to be sins.

Resolution of this will be to shew what sins of ignorance must be neces
sarily repented of, so as except we repent we shall perish ; and also how
we may so repent of them as we may not perish.

To this end observe, 1, some distinctions ; and, 2, some propositions
resolving the use.*

1. Ignorance is either voluntary or involuntary.
* Qu. ' case.'— ED.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 81

[1.] Involuntary ; when one is ignorant, because not able, or not obliged
to know. Either negative, -when one is not bound ; or invincible, when
one cannot know such an act is unlawful.

[2.J Voluntary ignorance is either affected, or out of negligence :
affected, when one will not know what is sin, because he has a mind to
continue in it, unwilling to leave it : libenter ignorant, ut liberius peccent ; out
of negligence, when one does not know his sins, because he neglects the means
of knowledge, when not diligent to find out whether such an act be sinful.

[3.] Repentance is in act or in purpose : actual, when repentance is
presently practised, and the acts of it put forth upon present occasion ; in
purpose, when there is a disposition, intention, and resolution to exercise
repentance, whenever just occasion shall be made known and offered.

[4.J Repentance is implicit and general, or express and particular : par
ticular, when sins in particular are confessed, bewailed, forsaken, every
sin punctually and singly by itself; general, when sin is bewailed, not
expressly in particulars, but implicitly and in the gross.

2. This premised, for understanding of what follows, take the resolution
in six propositions :

(1.) No man shall perish for not repenting of such ignorances as are
altogether involuntary. The Lord expects not repentance for such. For
sin only is the object of repentance. But such ignorances as are purely
unwilling, that is, such as we neither can nor ought to know, are not sins.
It is possible an act may be unlawful in itself, and yet no sin to the actor;
v. g., it is unlawful in itself for a man to know one who is not his wife ;
but Jacob knew Leah, who was not his wife, yet sinned not, because he
knew not, nor could in an ordinary way discover that she was not his wife.
Jacob might be sorry for this as his affliction, but was not bound to repent
for it as his sin ; but such ignorances are rare.

(2.) Every man must perish that does not repent of those sins whereof
he is affectedly ignorant. He is bound to repent of both ; for the ignorance
is a sin no less than the act ; it argues love to sin, unwillingness to leave
it, which is a sign of an impenitent heart, of one that gives himself up to
live in sin. There can be no true repentance, where such ignorances are
not repented of. He that does not repent, both of that ignorance, and of
those sins whereof he is so ignorant, must perish.

(3.) He is deservedly in danger to perish who repents not of those sins
•which he is ignorant of, through carelessness, negligence. For though
there may be true repentance, where there is some degrees of negligence,
where all possible diligence is not used, for getting the knowledge of those
sins which are to be repented of, yet such repentance is dangerously
defective, and in that respect must be repented of, except ye will perish.

Therefore, when ye go about this great work of repentance, you must
use all diligence in surveying your lives, and searching your hearts, and
viewing both in the glass of the law, and desiring the Lord to make clear
and full discoveries of sin, that so, if your repentance be defective, it may
not willingly be so.

(4.) Because, after all diligence we can use, multitudes of sins will not
be discovered, since they are so many as they pass knowledge, Ps. xix. 12 ;
though it be required under penalty of perishing, that we repent in parti
cular of every known sin ; though we must confess and bewail particularly,
and singly by itself, every sin that we do or may know ; yet for sins that
we cannot know, a general repentance will be accepted ; we may wrap up
such unknown sins in gross, as David, Ps. xix. 12. But this consideration

32 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

that your sins are so infinitely many, that you cannot repent of them in
particular, as you should do, must increase your sorrow for, and add to
your hatred of, this fruitful monster, and beget resolutions of more watch
fulness, &c.

(5.) Though no more be expected for present, than such a general
repentance for unknown sins, yet withal there must be a particular repent
ance in purpose : i. e., there must be an intention, a disposition, a resolu
tion, to repent of every of those now unknown sins, particularly and
punctually, when discovered ; and where this is, the general implicit
repentance will be accepted, as though it were particular ; for in this case
the Lord accepts the will for the deed, according to that 2 Cor. viii. 12.
Where there is this purpose of particular repentance, there is a willing
mind to repent particularly.

(6.) A man shall not perish that repents of sins altogether unknown,
though he do not reform them. Some acts of repentance will be sufficient
for these, though all be necessary for known sins. One may truly mourn
for these, though he do not usually forsake them ; for a man may bewail
unknown sins in general, though he have not a distinct knowledge of them ;
but he cannot reform them, except he know particularly that they are sins.
Sorrow for all sin, known and unknown, is necessary ; but there cannot be
actual reformation of sins altogether unknown ; therefore, instead of actual
reformation, a resolution to forsake whatever the Lord shall make known
to be a sin, is in this case sufficient. So it was with the holy men before
Christ, in reference to polygamy ; they repented for all sin in general, and
so for this : but they did not reform this, because they did not know it was
a sin.

There must be actual reformation of every known sin, else ye perish ; but
for those which ye cannot know, repenting in general, mourning, confessing,
prayer for pardon of all in general, with a stedfast purpose to forsake,
reform, whatever shall be discovered to be a sin, will be sufficient.

Quest. Is repentance necessary after first conversion ? And how ?

Ans. It is necessary in respect of sins before conversion, of sins after,
and of that sin which is both before and after, natural corruption.

1. In respect of sins before conversion. That is not denied by any.
You may as well deny there is any such thing as repentance, as deny these
are to be repented of. Those grant it necessary for these, which deny it
for the other.

2. In respect of sin both before and after, natural depravation. I have
suggested many grounds why this is to be repented of, and they equally
concern all. An abiding sin, so superlatively sinful, is a constant ground
of sorrow, hatred, self-abhorrency, and endeavours to be rid of it.

3. In respect of sins after conversion. From the ground formerly
expressed, repentance for these is the condition of pardon of these sins ;
they are not absolutely pardoned till the condition be fulfilled, and so, not
till they be repented of.

That it is the condition of pardon as to these sins is evident, because it has
all the ingredients that are in any evangelical condition — all that is to be
found in anything which the gospel calls a condition. And therefore, if
anything in the gospel be a condition, repentance is so in reference to the
remission of these sins. It is,

(1.) Promissioni annex-a, added to the promise of pardon, as a condi
tion, which civilians call res addita negotio. Promise of remission runs
conditionally, 2 Chron. vii. 14 ; here is a promise to pardon the sins of

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 33

God's people (therefore sins after conversion) upon condition of repent
ance, ' if they humble themselves and turn.'

(2.) A promittente postidata. It is required, commanded by God to his
people, after conversion ; so a condition, for that is res postulata, &c. To
waive instances in the Old Testament, as those against which the opposites,
though most vainly, except, see how often Christ himself requires it of his
people in the Asian churches ; of Ephesus, after much commendation of
her graces, manifested both in doing and suffering for him, Rev. ii. 4, 5 ;
of Pergamos, for tolerating heretics amongst them, ver. 16 ; of Sardis, for
her imperfections, Rev. iii. 3 ; of Laodicea, for Inkewarmness, ver. 19 ;
yet there he intimates his will that they should repent. Paul required this
of the Corinthians, and rejoiceth in their compliance therewith, 2 Cor.
vii. 8, 9. All commands of repentance concern such sins ; non est distin-
guendum ubi lex non distinguit.

(3.) Necessaria ad impletionem, necessary to performance. Conditio est
res sine gud non. This appears from the premises. If the Lord would
pardon absolutely without it, why does he peremptorily command it to
converts ? Why adds he this, in form of a condition, to the promises of
pardon ? Prov. xxviii. 13. This must be extended to sins after conversion,
because there is no reason to restrain it.

That it is necessary, appears further thus :

It is a part of regeneration, an infused grace : therefore it does not
vanish after its first acts ; that is contrary to the promise : nor does it con
tinue idle, unexercised in the habit, till death ; for that is contrary to the
nature of grace : it will be active, fruitful — active, when there is occasion.
Sin, when committed, is an occasion to exercise repentance, or else there
can be no occasion for it. Can an instance be given of any other grace,
whose exercise is never required, but immediately after its first infusion ?
Must all graces else be exercised all our lives, repentance only excepted ?
Who can imagine this without evident ground from Scripture ? .

That which is not fruitful, active, is not from the Spirit. There may be
some intermission, but no total cessation. It may be sometimes winter,
but not all the year, all a man's life.

That is no tree of righteousness which brings not forth fruit in its sea
son ; no plant of our heavenly Father's planting, but that which must be
cut down.

Is it not absurd to make this rod of God blossom upon our first implanta
tion into Christ ; and then immediately wither, and continue in the soul
as a dead stick, without leaf or fruit, without act or exercise ? Does the
Lord give a soft heart to continue always, to shew itself only at first con
version ? It is too absurd for any rational mind to close with.

Besides, the acts of repentance are necessary, in respect of sins after
conversion'; therefore repentance itself. It is necessary we should hate,
forsake, bewail sins, after conversion ; ergo, necessary to repent of
them.

1. Hatred of those sins is necessary : for if continuance in the state of
grace be necessarily required to the continuance of pardon, then hatred of
these sins is required to the pardon of them. But the former all grant,
and the consequence is clear, because want of hatred to sin, or, which is
all one, love to sin, is inconsistent with the state of grace, Ps. Ixxix. 10.
He that hates not evil, those evils, loves not the Lord ; and he that loves
not the Lord is'not in the state of grace, 1 John iii. 14. with chap. v. 2.
s 2. Forsaking of those sins is necessary to pardon, for the same reason.

VOL. i. c

84 OF KEPENTANCE. [LlTKE XIII. 3.

Pardon is not continued, but to those that continue in the state of regene
ration ; and those that live in sin are not in that state, 1 John iii. 9 and
v. 18. As he commits not sin like others, so he continues not commit
ting it as others. Where no forsaking of these sins, no regeneration ; and
•where this is not, there is no pardon ; ergo, without forsaking these, no
pardon.

3. Sorrow for these sins is necessary to pardon : for he that is not sorry
for these sins, takes pleasure in them ; and he that takes pleasure in sin
is in a state of condemnation, therefore not pardoned, 2 Thes. ii. 12.
Besides, if it were not necessary, why should the saints afflict themselves
with it ? Why did Peter weep bitterly ? Why David ? If they were not
necessary, they were works of supererogation.

Quest. Whether must sorrow, required to true repentance, be as great
as our sorrow for outward afflictions, loss of relations, estate, liberty,
credit, hopes, &c. ? If thus much be necessary, I fear I am in an impeni
tent state, &c. I never felt my heart so sensibly affected, so heavily affected
with sin, as with these.

Ans. 1. Not only as much, but more sorrow for sin, is necessary to
repentance, than for outward afflictions. He never truly repented, who
has not been more grieved for his sins than for his sufferings, Mat. x. 13 ;
Luke xiv. 26, hatred, a less degree of love ; he that loves not these less
than me, &c. Now sorrow is a sign of love, proportionable to it. He
that mourns more for the loss of these than losing, dishonouring Christ,
loves these more than Christ. And such are unworthy of Christ, are in a
state incapable of any benefit by Christ, an impenitent state. Thus no
true repentance, where is not more sorrow for sin, than for any affliction
has befallen, or you can imagine may befall. But lest you may mistake it
for less, or but equal, when more, observe,

2. There may be a greater sorrow in a soul truly penitent, than sorrow
for sin when it is there alone, viz., when sense of affliction and sense of
sin both lie upon the soul at once, and the heart is sorrowful for both.
This double sorrow may exceed sorrow for sin, when single. When these
two streams meet, the tide of sorrow will be higher. Therefore it is no
ground to conclude against the truth of repentance, because there has been
greater sorrow than sorrow for sin alone ; except when both these have
seized upon the soul together, sorrow for the affliction has exceeded the
sorrow for sin. David mourned both for his sin and the loss of his child
at once ; there was more sorrow in his soul than if there had been but one
occasion of grief: yet his repentance was true, because his sorrow was
more for his sin than for the loss of the child. There may be greater sor
row in the soul than sorrow for sin alone ; yet sorrow for sin may be the
greatest.

3. Sorrow and grief for afflictions may seem greater than sorrow for sin,
when it is not really so. It may seem greater, because many times it is
more sensible, more passionate, makes greater noise, vents itself more in
outward expressions, tears, &c. That sorrow which is most passionate, is
not always greatest in God's account. How passionately does David
bewail his loss of Absalom ! Yet was his sorrow for sin greater, upon a
just account, else he had never been approved as a sincere penitent.
There may be true repentance, not where grief for sin is less, but where
less outward, less sensible, passionate, &c. It may be greater in other
respects, more necessary to repentance, more acceptable to God, though
less in these respects. Therefore observe,

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 85

4. Sorrow for sin may be greater than sorrow for outward sufferings,
though it seem not so in many respects.

(1.) Objective. Because this sorrow for sin has more objects. He mourns
for more sins than afflictions ; therefore this sorrow is more for sin than
for sufferings. He is grieved, sorrowful for all known sins, but these infi
nitely exceed sensible afflictions in number, and therefore his sorrow for
these is greater. If his grief for some particular sin should be exceeded by
grief for some special afflictions, yet sorrow for all sins, being so many,
will exceed sorrow for sufferings, being so few. But supposing that it is
not sufficient to true repentance, that sorrow is in this sense greater for
sin, &c., because indeed we should be more grieved for any one sin than
for all afflictions ; yet with others it will be sufficient to it.

(2.) Subjective, in respect of the subject. Sorrow for sin takes up more
of the soul than sorrow for afflictions, &c. This is a passion, and is prin
cipally in the sensitive appetite ; but the will and understanding have more
influence upon sorrow for sin.

[1.] There is more of the will in grief for sin, &c. Quoad voluntatem
more ; for this is voluntary, that is natural. This is of choice, that seizes
upon the heart unavoidably. This is comfortable, that is an affliction, part
of the curse. A true penitent would choose this sorrow, rather than free
dom from outward affliction.

[2.J Every affection, every act of the will, contributes something to this
sorrow for sin, and so makes it more. A penitent desires he could mourn
more ; wishes his head were waters, and his eyes fountains of tears, &c. ;
that all sorrow were turned into sorrow for sin ; loves a broken heart, and
that word which melts it ; hates the relics of hardness, counts it the great
est judgment ; is ashamed he mourns so little for that which deserves so
much ; and so is more afraid of a hard insensible heart than of outward
affliction ; delights in tenderness, when his heart will melt, bleed, &c. ;
and is sorrowful because sorrow is so small. So it is quoad affectum
more.

[3.J The understanding makes sorrow for sin more, by several acts.

First, A man judges sin the greatest cause of sorrow ; the least sin a
better ground, a juster occasion for the greatest sorrow than the sharpest
affliction of the least ; thinks afflictions a slender ground in comparison
of sin.

Secondly, He judges he can never sorrow enough for sin, though too
much for afflictions : thinks tears of blood would not be too great an expres
sion of grief for sin ; rivers of tears not sufficient.

Thirdly, He judges and censures himself for the defects of this, for the
excess of that. Counts it his sin, his misery that he mourns so little for
sins, so much for afflictions : so more appropriative. Though sorrow for
outward crosses be more passionate, yet if he can find grief for sin greater
than it, in respect of will, affections, judgment, according to the tenor of
the particulars expressed, no reason to conclude against the truth of
repentance, especially if greater.

(3.) Interpretative, in respect of endeavours. He that labours to grieve
more in God's gracious interpretation, does grieve more. A true penitent
will aggravate his sins to the utmost ; will entertain such thoughts and
considerations as may humble him, and increase his sorrow for sin ; will be
importunate with the Lord to take away the heart of stone ; will be often
looking upon Christ crucified ; will be diligent in the use of all means which
are appointed to break, humble, affect his heart with sin ; endeavour to

86 OF REPENTANCE. [LuKE XIII. 3.

mitigate his sorrow for afflictions, as that which is unprofitable, dangerous ;
but to increase sorrow for sin. So it is quoad conatum more.
N (4.) Terminattie, in respect of the termination of his sorrow. When he
mourns for afflictions, his sorrow is terminated in sin. He grieves for
them, because they are the issues of sin ; would not think them worthy of
his sorrow, but only because they are the effects of sin. If the effects be
so grievous, Oh, what is the cause ? If I had never sinned, I had never
suffered, therefore I have more reason to grieve for sin. This is the
spring, they are but the streams that flow from it. This is that root of
bitterness, they but branches. This pulls down God's hand to scourge
me, they are but rods. Oh let me not be so foolish as to grieve at the
rod, but at that which procured it ! He that grieves for afflictions, princi
pally because they come from sin, grieves more for sin than them.

The papists say they do not worship an image so much as God, because
they do not terminate their worship in the image ; but though this evasion
will not excuse them from idolatry, because they should not worship an
image at all, yet it is true in this case ; he that grieves for afflictions, but
terminates his sorrow in sin, grieves more for sin; so that, if when yon
mourn for crosses, if principally because for sin, and for sin the cause, no
reason to conclude against the truth of your repentance.

(5.) Effective, in respect of the effects. Sorrow for sin in a penitent has
this issue, he had rather suffer any affliction than commit the least sin.
And this is a sign, an evidence, that sin is more grievous, that his sorrow
for it has been greater. He looks upon it as an object more full of sorrow
and misery than any suffering. Where sorrow for sin has this effect, there
is no reason to conclude that sorrow for affliction has been greater. He
that would suffer anything rather than sin in the least, may be assured that
he is grieved more for sin than afflictions. Yet this is its effect in true
mourners, sincere penitents.

(6.) Eatione oppositionis, in respect of the opposition. We find it true
in other things, that which seems a little, because much opposed, is really
more than what seems much when no opposition. Sorrow for sin is
strongly opposed by Satan, the world, sinful nature ; it inclines naturally
to happiness, and thinks sorrow contrary to it ; it loves sin, and will not
be brought to mourn for it. But sorrow for affliction has no such opposi
tion. Satan is a friend to it, nature resists it not, for it is natural ; and
therefore that which may seem no great degree of sorrow for sin, yet if it
be sincere, may be accounted greater than passionate grief for afflictions.

(7.) Habitualiter, and in respect of continuance. That is the greatest
sorrow, which is of longest continuance. What it wants in height of pas
sion and sensibleness is made up in duration, it is permanent. A land-
flood fills the banks on a sudden, and more water is visible at that time
than all the year ; and yet there is more water conveyed there in an
ordinary stream, because the current is constant. So sorrow for some
unexpected, grievous affliction may make his sorrow rise and swell like a
land-flood ; yet sorrow for sin, continued in a constant exercise of repent
ance, is greater than it, though it make not so much noise, because it is of
longer continuance, more durable.

Sorrow for affliction is worn out with time, and often quickly over ; but
sorrow for sin in a true penitent doth never cease, always manifests itself
upon occasion.

He that truly mourns for sin will never be comforted in respect of the
offence of sin, though is always comforted in respect of the guilt of sin.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF KEPENTANCE. 37

He is always grieved when he remembers how his sins have offended, dis
honoured God, and so he refuses to be comforted. He need not be sad
for the guilt, for the danger of his sin, to which it exposed him, because it
is removed ; no condemnation in reference to the guilt. The Lord says
he sees no iniquity, &c., Num. xxiii. 21. Nor need a penitent any more
to see it so as to be afraid, dejected, grieved for the punishment deserved
by sin ; for he is as safe from that as though he had never sinned, and so
may rejoice and be glad in this respect in the midst of his sorrow, be com
forted in the midst of his mournings.

But in reference to the offence it is with true penitents as it was with
David, Ps. li. 3, his sin ever before him ; and whenever it was in his eye,
grief was in his heart. Can never consider what injury sin has done to
God, but the soul will mourn, the heart grieve. When the Lord has once
opened a spring of sorrow in the heart, it is never quite dried up till he
come to heaven, if there. So it is more, because it continues longer.

If your sorrow for sin be in these respects greater than for afflictions, it
is greater upon all accounts that are necessary, and so no reason to con
clude against the truth of repentance.

Quest. Whether may we mourn for sin in reference to those effects of it
which concern ourselves ? Whether may sin be the object of our sorrow,
as it exposes to wrath, makes us miserable, excludes from mercy, brings in
danger of hell ? Whether do they repent who mourn for sin because of
these effects ?

Ans. That this may be resolved, we must distinguish the effects of sin
that concern us. Some of them concern us only, seem alone prejudicial
to us ; as that it brings judgments on us, deprives us of outward mercies,
exposes us to eternal miseries. Some of them concern both God and us,
and so it is injurious to both. Such are its defilement, it makes the soul
deformed so as it cannot please God. Impotency makes it unserviceable,
so as it cannot obey God ; contrariety sets the soul in opposition to God,
contrary to his nature, will, designs, so as it cannot honour him ; nothing
but dishonour, displease, and disobey him.

This premised, take the resolution in four propositions.

1. We may mourn for sin in respect of those effects that concern us only.
That sorrow is not unlawful in itself which has these for its objects. It is
lawful to mourn for things less grievous, for outward temporal afflictions,
such as are common to all. The Scripture forbids not this sorrow, but
only limits it ; bids us mourn moderately, as not without hope, &c. The
Lord requires not we should be stocks, without sense of sufferings, ' with
out natural affections.' No; aarooyot are reckoned amongst the greatest of
sinners, Rom. i. 81. Now, if we may mourn for smaller evils, much more
for greater ; if for those of this life, then for those that concern eternity ;
if for bodily afflictions, then for soul judgments ; if for loss of estate, friends,
then for loss of God, of happiness. It is not unlawful.

2. This kind of sorrow, if only or principally for these effects, is no act
of saving repentance. It is rather, if alone, ' the sorrow of the world,
which worketh death.' It is not that which worketh repentance unto sal
vation. The cause of such sorrow may be, and is, self-love, not love to
God ; the issue may be death, the companion despair ; the subject may be
a reprobate. Such was the sorrow of Cain, Judas, Ahab, Esau. It is
true the Lord often works such sorrow in vessels of mercy before he
bestows grace, and therefore it is called by many a preparation for grace ;
and so it may be called in some sense ; but so understand it as that it has

88 OF EEPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

no necessary connection with grace. He that goes no further, as divers
do not, shall never arrive at grace. He who sorrows no otherwise for sin,
does not ' sorrow after a godly sort,' does not ' sorrow unto repentance,'
2 Cor. 7.

8. Sorrow for sin, in reference to those effects which concern both God
and us, is not only lawful, but necessary. It is an act of true repentance
to mourn for those sad issues of sin ; to bewail sin, because it has made
us deformed, impotent, contrary to God. David, when he repented, was
affected with the defilement of sin ; he was humbled, mourned for sin, in
this respect. Hence it is his prayer: Ps. li. 7, 'Purge me,' &c., 'wash
me.' Paul bewails his impotency, Eom. vii. 18, 19; and ascribes it to
sin dwelling in him, ver. 20; and in sense of both cries out, ver. 24.
Such sorrow, since it is for sin, not only as it is prejudicial to the sinner,
but principally and ultimately as it is injurious to God, is, and should be,
accounted godly sorrow.

4. Sorrow for sin, the more it is for sin as it is against God, the more
ingenuous, the more evangelical, the more genuine act of saving repent
ance. The more it is for sin, as sin is prejudicial to us, the less ingen
uous, &c. ; and a less evident, a less comfortable, sign of repentance unto
life. There are two sure characters of ingenuous, gospel sorrow : when it
proceeds from sense of God's love to us, non potest agere pcenitentiam, qui
non sperat indulgentiam ; and when it proceeds from our love to God, when
we mourn for offending him, because we love him. Now, these are not,
or not so visible, in any sorrow for sin as that which mourns for sin as it
is against God. The other springs rather from self-love, when we bewail
sin because it is against us, hurtful, dangerous, damnable, Ezek. vi. 9.
This was not the temper of David's sorrow, it was of a more evangelical
strain: Ps. li. 4, 'Against thee,' &c. Why, David had sinned against
himself, not only against God. He had sinned against his friend, against
his own body, soul, estate, family, and involved all these in great dangers,
exposed all to grievous sufferings. It is true David knew it, but he takes
no notice of that. That which grieved, affected him was, that his sin was
against God; and his sorrow so much respects this, as though he had
sinned against God alone, as though his sin had been only injurious to
him. This is the genuine temper of godly sorrow.

Therefore, though sorrow for the effects of sin may have its place else
where, yet when we would sorrow to repentance, we should look at the
nature of sin, not at its effects (except such as concern God only, or him
principally, him more than us) ; sin, in its nature, is more against God
than in its effects. For the effects of sin are not directly against God, but
when one sin is the effect of another.

That is most properly godly sorrow, which is for sin as it is against God.
But sin in its nature is most against God, a violation of his law, disobey
ing his will, contempt of his authority, &c. That sorrow which arises from
the consideration of the nature of sin, is most ingenuous, and the most
certain evidence of sincere repentance.

Quest. "Whether the hatred of sin, which is required to true repentance,
may consist with any love to sin ?

Ans. 1. All hatred of sin is here imperfect. No perfection in this life,
but sense of imperfection. Both graces, and gracious affections, want
many degrees of perfection. Grace is but of a child's stature, it has perfection
of parts, but not of degrees. A child has all the parts of a perfect man,
but wants many degrees of man's perfection. And as with grace, so with

LUKE XIII. 3.J OF REPENTANCE. 39

this affection ; it is not perfect, either rations objecti ; sin is not hated as
it should be according to its hatefulness ; nor ratione facultatis, so much
as it is possible for the heart to hate it ; not raised to such high degrees qf
hatred, as it may be will be.

Am. 2. A less degree of hatred may be called love. He that hates sin
less than he should do, may be said in some sense to love it. A less
degree of love is called hatred, Luke xiv. 26. And so a less degree of
hatred may be called love, though not properly and strictly. For that
imperfect hatred should be called love, as it is not according to the ordi
nary rules of art, so it is not according to the constant tenor of Scripture
expressions. I remember no place but this to ground it, and this but ty
consequence.

Ans. 3. He that truly hates sin, though but imperfectly, cannot be pro
perly said to love it. He that hates all sin, and hates it above all that the
world counts hateful, and abhors himself that he can hate it no more, and
mourns for the imperfection of his hatred, and strives in the use of appointed
means to perfect it, does truly hate it.

In the same subject there cannot be contrary affections to the same
object. We count it impossible to love and hate the same thing or person.
In immediate contraries, positio unius is sublatio alterius. He that hates
does not love, &c. It is as impossible, as for the same thing to be both
black and white ; the same water to be at once both hot and cold. It may
be neither, but it cannot be both ; if one, not the other. So here, and
though hatred be but in us in a remiss degree, imperfectly, and it may be
supposed the imperfection arises from the mixture of the contrary affection,
yet that which is predominant gives the denomination. He that hates sin
more than he loves it, may be said simply absolutely to hate it. We say
not water is cold if it be hot above lukewarmness, though it be not hot
in the utmost extremity. We say not that he loves sin who hates it truly,
though not perfectly. If he be overpowered to act it, surprised with some
pleasure in it, this argues not love. For he abhors himself acting, mourns
bitterly for delight in it, as Paul, Kom. vii.

Ans. 4. He that truly repents, does truly hate sin ; so hate it, as he gives
no occasion, upon any just ground, to say he loves it. And by consequence
true repentance is inconsistent with love to sin, it may be without perfect
hatred, but it cannot be with any degree of that which may be properly
called love, &c.

Quest . Whether must we repent of original sin ?

That this may be more clearly propounded and resolved, observe a
distinction, the non-observance of which occasions much darkness, both in
men's apprehensions and discourses of this subject.

Original sin is, 1. Imputed, 2. Inherent.

1. Imputed, is Adam's sin, that which he actually committed in eating
the forbidden fruit. Called original, because it was the first sin, and com
mitted at the beginning of the world, when the first foundations of man's
original were laid. Imputed, because Adam representing us and all man
kind, what he did, we did in God's account, he looks upon us as sinning
by him, Bom. v. 19, 20.

2. Inherent, is that natural corruption which cleaves to us, dwells in us,
consisting in the privation of original righteousness, and propensity to all
unrighteousness ; the sad issue and effect of the former sin. Adam receiv
ing this original holiness for himself and his posterity, lost it for himself
and them ; and holiness being gone, a proneness to all sin necessarily

40 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

followed. It is called sin, because it is a state opposite to the will and law
of God ; the absence of that which it requires, the presence of that which
it forbids. Original, because we have it from our birth, from our original.
Inherent, because it is not only accounted ours, but is really in us. Of this
Gen. vi. 5, and viii. 21, Job iv. 5, Ps. li. 7.

Quest. Whether must we repent of Adam's sin, that which is but imputed
to us, that which was committed so many years before we were born ?

Ans. This must be repented of with such acts of repentance as it is
capable of, confessed, bewailed, hated. As to avoiding, forsaking of it, we
need not be solicitous, because there is no danger it should be recom
mitted. But we must acknowledge, aggravate, mourn for it, abhor it, hate
the memory of it. So I conceive (though I meet not with any that deter
mine this), on this ground.

1. We are bound to repent and mourn for the sins of others, much
more for those that are any ways our own. This d fortiori. This has
been the practice of holy men formerly : David, Ps. cxix. 158, so Jer.
xiii. 17. Sins of fathers, Jer. xiv. 10, many hundred years committed
before. It is prophesied of the Jews, that when the Lord shall convert
them, they shall mourn for the sin of their forefathers who pierced him ;
so Dan. ix. ; and Moses's ordinary practice. If repentance prevent judg
ment, then it might prevent those that are inflicted for sins of others,
progenitors. The Lord often punishes for their sins ; if we would not suffer
for them, we should repent of them. And if of others' sins, then of that
which is ours ; and this is ours by imputation. And justly is it imputed
to us. For by all human laws, children are charged with their fathers'
debts, the father's treason taints his posterity.

2. We are bound to rejoice in imputed righteousness, and therefore to
mourn for imputed sin. Adam's sin is ours, the same way as Christ's right
eousness, viz., by imputation, Rom. v. 19, and contrariorum contraria sunt
consequentia. If we must rejoice in Christ's righteousness, we should bewail
Adam's sin. And indeed great cause of joy in that it is the marrow, the
quintessence of the gospel ; the most gladsome part of those e'uayyiA/a,
those glad tidings which are published in the gospel ; the sweetest strain
of that message, which, the angel says, was ' good tidings of great joy to all
people,' Luke ii. 10. Imputed righteousness is that blessed design which
the Father from eternity contrived, which Christ published and performed,
into which the angels desire to pry, that lost man, who could not be
saved without righteousness, who had no righteousness of his own to save
him, should have a righteousness provided for him, whereby he is freed
from wrath, and entitled to heaven. Sure this is, this will be, an occasion
of eternal joy ; and if so, imputed sin is a just ground of sorrow.

3. As long as the Lord manifests his displeasure against any sin, so long
we are called to mourn for it The Lord is highly provoked, if, when his
hand is stretched out against any place or person for sin, they will not see
it, so as to repent of it, and be humbled under it. He interprets this to
be a contempt, and this highly exasperates. It has been the practice of
holy men, when wrath was either executed, or threatened, to mourn for
the sins that occasioned it, though committed by others, and long before.
See it in Josiah, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 31. There he takes notice of forefathers'
sins ; and see how he is affected therewith : ver. 27, ' his heart was tender,
he humbled himself.'

We are called to mourn for sin, whenever wrath is manifested against
it ; but the wrath of God is still revealed from heaven against that first

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 41

unrighteousness ; his displeasure is still legible in the effects of this sin,
the dreadfullest effects that ever any act produced, no less than all sin,
and all misery. That threatening, Gen. ii. 17, is still in execution, and the
execution is terrible ; every stroke is death, spiritual, personal, temporal,
eternal, take it in the most extensive sense. Adam's soul was struck
dead immediately ; and by virtue of that sentence, all his posterity are
dead men, born dead in trespasses and sins. Personal death, death of
afflictions ; all the sorrows and sufferings of this woeful life, they flow from
this cursed spring. Temporal, in Adam all died ; it he had not sinned, all
had been immortal. Eternal, all must die for ever that repent not. Great
cause then to repent of this sin.

Quest. Whether must we repent of that original sin, which is inherent ;
that natural corruption, the loss of original holiness ; and that innate pro
pensity to evil ? It may seem not to be any just occasion of sorrow, be
cause it is not voluntary, but natural ; having, without our consent, seized
upon us unavoidably. *

Ans. This is principally to be repented of, as that which is the mother
sin, the cause of all actual sins. Nor should the supposed involuntariness
of it hinder us from making it the object of our sorrow.

For, 1, every sin is to be repented of. But this is a sin exceeding sin
ful,^ indeed, all sins in one. For, what is sin, who can better determine
than the Lord himself ? And he in Scripture determines, that whatever
is a transgression of the law is sin, whether it be voluntary or no ; not only
that which we actually consent to, but that which he peremptorily forbids.
The apostle's definition of sin is unquestionable, 1 John iii. 4, apagrla
sanv ?j avopia, ; but no greater transgression than this, since it transgresses
all at once. We are commanded to be holy ; so the want of holiness is
forbidden, which is the privative part of this sin. We are commanded to
love the Lord with all our hearts ; so the heart's inclination to hate God
is forbidden, which is the positive part. WTas not the apostle Paul more
able to judge what is sin, than any papist, Socinian, &c. ? He calls it sin
five times, Rom. vi., six times, Bom. vii., three times, Rom. viii., yea and
his sin, though he then consented not to it.

2. Suppose (that which is false) no evil is to be repented of, but what
is consented to, this should not hinder any from repenting of this sin ; for
all that are capable of repentance have actually consented to their natural
corruption, have been pleased with it, have cherished it by occasions of
sin, have strengthened it by acts of sin, have resisted tUe means whereby
it should be mortified and subdued, which are all infallible evidences of
actual consent. That which was only natural, is to us become voluntary ;
and so, by consent of all, sinful ; and therefore necessarily to be repented of.

3. The necessity of it is grounded upon unquestionable examples of
saints, both in the Old and New Testament. Instance in two of the holiest
men that the Scripture mentions. David, in that psalm, which is left as a
public testimony of his repentance, to the world, he bewails, acknowledges
this, Ps. li. 5. Paul does acknowledge, aggravate, bewail it, as one heavily
afflicted with it, Bom. vii. His description of it is very observable : as
that which is not good, ver. 18; in me, i.e., in the unregenerate part,
that which is not good, that which is evil, ver. 20, sin, six times ; the
greatest evil, a condemned forbidden evil, ver. 7 ; a sinful evil, ver. 13,
xa6' t/TEg/SoX^v a/iagrwXo; ; a private evil, ver. 20, hinders him from doing
good ; a positive evil, ver. 17, no more I that do it, but sin; perverse evil,
grows worse by that which should make it better, ver. 8 ; debasing evil,

42 OF KEPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

made and denominates him carnal, ver. 14 ; intimate, inherent evil, sin in
him, ver. 17, in his members ; a permanent evil, oixovaa ev spot', ver. 17 ;
a fruitful evil, ver. 8, all manner of lust; a deceitful evil, ver. 11, Igrjvrarjjai ;
an imperious evil, a law, ver. 23, gives law, commands as by authority ; a
tyrannical evil, a/^aXwr/^oira, ver. 23 ; sold, ver. 14 ; a rebellious con
flicting, war-like evil, avrtaTgarzvopfvov, ver. 23 ; an importunate, unreason
able evil, ver. 15, forces him to do that which he hates ; a watchful evil,
ver. 21, is present, ^agaxs/ra; ; a powerful evil, ver. 24, ' who shall de
liver ?' &c. ; a complete evil, ver. 24, a body furnished with all members
of unrighteousness ; a deadly evil, ver. 24, body of death, %ava,Tu>di$, ver.
11 ; slew me, ver. 9, I died ; a miserable evil, ver. 24, above all things
made him wretched.

Paul suffered as many calamities in the world, as any we read of in it ;
see a catalogue, 2 Cor. xi. 23-28. But all these sufferings could never
extort such a passonate complaint from him, as this corruption. He could
glory in those ; but sighs, complains, exclaims, in* the sense of this. You
see how large he is in aggravating this. Here is above twenty aggravations
of this. His sorrow was proportionable. No sin, no suffering, for which
he expressed so much soul- affliction. And if he saw so much reason to be
wail it, it is our blindness if we see it not. The more holy any man is,
the more sensible of natural corruption. The more they get out of this
corrupt element, the more heavy it is. Those who feel it not, are drowned
in it. Elementum nonyravilat inproprio loco. Sin is their proper element,
who are not burdened with natural sinfulness.

If it was such an intolerable evil in him who was regenerate, how much
more in the unregenerate ! If it made him account himself wretched who
was so happy, how much more miserable does it make those who have
no title to happiness ! If it was such an impetuous evil in him who had
extraordinary powers of grace to weaken it, how prevailing in us, in whom
grace is so weak ! If he had cause to complain, bewail, repent of it, much
more we !

Quest. Who are impenitent sinners ? How shall we know them ? How
may I discern whether I be in that number, in that danger ?

Ans. I shall propound several things whereby ye may know this.
1. He is an impenitent sinner, who does not leave sin at all. Kepent-
ance is a turning from sin ; he that doth not turn from it at all, does not
repent at all. He who lives in sin, does so act it, as he makes it evident
that he is a worker of iniquity ; does not only apagravsiv, as a true peni
tent may do, sin sometimes by surprisal, without deliberation, full consent,
unwillingly, &c., but noTeiv a//,agr/av, sins constantly, when he has occasion,
as though sin were his trade ; is constant in sinning ; not that he is
always acting it visibly, but that he always acts it, seldom forbears when
he is tempted ; will swear when provoked, be drunk when he meets with
company, profane the Sabbath when he has business, though not necessary,
disobey the word when it doth not please, revenge injuries when he has
opportunity, lie when advantage, deceive when unperceived. When the
chief reason why he sins not is because he wants occasion, temptation,
opportunity, he is impenitent. He who acts sin in every scene of his life, —
in his particular calling, is covetous or careless, negligent of God, to think
of, depend on him ; in his general calling, frequent omissions, or heartless
performances ; in his family, ignorance or profaneness, not instruct, not
pray for and with them ; to neighbours, envious, contentious ; in discourse,
profane or graceless ; in dealings, deceitful, disingenuous ; when some sin

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 48

reigns in every part of his conversation, — if thus, it is clear as the day, if
there be any light in the Scripture, he is impenitent.

2. He that leaves not all sin. Repentance is a turning from all sin.
He that turns not from all does not at all repent. Where true repentance
is, there is an equal respect to all commands. Leaving off sin must be
like the Israelites' departure from Egypt, there must not a hoof be left
behind. Exod. x. 26, the least sin must not be retained, reserved. That is
hypocritical repentance, which, like Saul's obedience, kills only the vile and
refuse. It is not enough to reform one part of your conversation, to make
clean one corner ; the whole will be reformed where true repentance is. If
carriage to others be reformed, it is well, but not sufficient, except thou
amend thy deportment to God. It may be thou wilt not be drunk, but if
thou swear, that is enough to shew thee impenitent. It may be not swear,
but profane the Sabbath, &c., it may be attend the ordinances ; well, but
if not obey, if not pray with heart ; if conform to public worship, it is well;
but if serve him not in family ; it may be left many sins that formerly
reigned ; but if there be any thou thinkest too pleasing, too profitable to
part with, thou art not a true penitent. Turn from all, Ezek. xviii. 21.

3. He that leaves sin only outwardly, excludes it out of his conversa
tion, not out of his heart. Repentance is a turning with all the heart,
Joel ii. 12 ; it is not only a turning from all sin, but a turning of all
the man, the whole man, inward and outward, from all sin. He that
abstains from all sin outwardly and visibly may pass for a penitent with
men, but it is not so in God's account, unless sin be turned out of the
heart as well as out of the life. Man judgeth according to outward appear
ance, but the Lord judgeth of repentance by the heart. There is no true
repentance where the life is not reformed ; but there may be an unblame-
able conversation, a life outwardly reformed, where there is no true repent
ance. Paul professes that he had lived in all good conscience, &c., until
that day, Acts xxiii. 1 ; and therefore, since he lived so all his life till that
day, he lived so before he repented, unblameably, in good conscience out
wardly before God, in the account of others, and in his own account ; he
lived so before he had truly repented, as neither others nor his own con
science could accuse him for outward sinful acts, Philip, iii. Therefore
abstinence from sin outwardly is not sufficient. If sin be regarded in the
heart, there is no true repentance though the life be freed from it. Men
judge of the heart by the life, but God judges of the life by the heart. He
hears every prayer of a penitent soul, Isa. Ivii. 15 ; yet David says, Ps.
Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.'
Whatever his life was, God would not respect, regard him as a penitent, if
he did regard it in his heart. If ye do not break out into gross acts of sin,
yet if your hearts entertain them, if you act uncleanness, revenge, covetous-
ness in your thoughts, you are in a state of impenitency.

4. He that leaves sin because he cannot commit it. Repentance is a
voluntary forsaking of sin ; but sin rather forsakes him than he it. He
that is not unclean, because his strength is spent ; is not contentious,
because he wants means to prosecute suits ; wrongs not his neighbours,
because he sees them wise to prevent, or able to hinder him ; gives not
himself to drunkenness, voluptuousness, because not rich enough to main
tain himself in such intemperate courses. The heart may be most despe
rately hard and impenitent, and yet may these abstain from sin ; nay,
there is such a forsaking of, and abstinence from sin in the devil himself,
he can forbear when he cannot help, when there is necessity.

44 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

He that sins not because he cannot would sin if he could ; and because
he would sin, it argues him as much impenitent as if he did. He that
rewards the will for the deed in that which is good, condemns and will
punish the will for the deed in that which is evil.

5. He that leaves sin only out of sinister respects, by-ends, because it
would deprive him of some advantage, or expose him to some loss, if com
mitted, of friends, credit, profit, in respect of God or men ; gives not
himself to intemperance, because it is expensive ; to uncleanness, because
it is a sin shameful in the account of the world ; avoids oppression, revenge,
because civil laws lay penalties ; wholly omits not ordinances, lest he should
be accounted an atheist ; he that leaves sin only thus does not repent ;
for true repentance is 'repentance toward God,' Acts xx. 21. It makes.a
man forsake sin out of respect to God, because it offends, dishonours him,
as Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 9 ; but this is to abstain from sin out of respect to
himself.

6. He that leaves one sin for another ; divorces one and engages him
self to another ; puts away one, and entertains another in the room of it ;
will not be prodigal as formerly, but grows more covetous ; will not be
superstitious, but grows profane ; not omit duties, but is hypocritical in
performance ; runs away from one extreme to another ; such a reforma
tion is no act of repentance. It is but like Jehu's, 2 Kings x., who
destroyed Ahab's Baal, but set up Jeroboam's calves, ver. 29 ; this is not a
turning from, but unto sin ; as the Pharisees, casting out devils by Beel
zebub, one cast out another.

7. He that leaves sin but for a time ; leaves sin, and resolves to leave
it while some judgment lies upon him, whilst under affliction, when upon
a bed of languishing, in fear of death, apprehensive of hell and the last
judgment. This, in discourse, could make Felix tremble, and almost per
suade Agrippa. Many at such times will resolve to abandon such and such
sins, and to reform their lives if God will prolong them ; but when God's
hand is removed, they prove the same men, by following their former
courses. When life is restored, hopes of life revive, they return with the
dog to their vomit, &c. This is not to repent, but to mock God, and
delude your souls ; this is not to escape out of the snare of the devil, but to
ensnare your soul ten times more. Ephrainvin affliction would seek God,
but after-revolts made their case desperate, Hosea vi. 4.

True repentance is never repented of. But those that return to sin
hereby shew they are sorry, repent of their shows of repentance, Hosea
vii. 16. This is returning, but not to the most High. Such are like a
deceitful bow, break, or return to their unbent posture before they have
delivered the arrow ; unbend their resolutions before they come effectual.
God looks upon such as guilty of impenitency in a high degree ; such as
are so far from repenting of sin heartily, as they are sorry they entertained
any thoughts of it ; for this is the language of after-returns. This was
Pharaoh's repentance ; while the judgment of locusts was on Egypt, he
confesses his sin and desires pardon, Exod. x. 16, 17, but the locusts and
his repentance vanish both together.

8. He that leaves sin, but does not endeavour to subdue it, will be con
tent it should be confined, but not crucified ; restrained, but not put to
death ; will have the fury and rage of it curbed, that it do not break out so
openly, but will not starve it ; kept under, not rooted out. He that will
not avoid the occasions of sin, those that nourish it, have drawn him on to
act sin formerly. He that truly repents of drunkenness will avoid that

LUKE XIII. 8.] OF REPENTANCE. 45

company which has tempted him to it. He that repents of uncleanness,
will, as Job, make a covenant with his eyes. He that repents of profane-
ness in words, will set a watch before his mouth. He that repents of
Sabbath breaking, will so dispose of his affairs before, as he may have no
occasion to profane it, to absent himself from the public worship. He
that repents of wanderings in prayer, will be watchful against distractions,
drive them away. He that tarns not from occasions turns not from sin,
and so is no true penitent. He that is not diligent in the use of mortify
ing duties to weaken sin, will not apply that word to his conscience which
wounds his sin ; casts off searching words, words of reproof and terror, as
too sharp, painful corroding plasters for his sore ; rather be exasperated
against him that speaks them, as one that rails, is too strict.

He, the strength of whose prayers is not against the strength of sin, can
pray affectionately for worldly blessings, removal of afflictions, and it may
be for pardon of sin, but wants heart, feels an ebb, a coolness in his
affectionateness, when he should pray against the strength of sin, either
leaves this out of his prayer, or his heart leaves his prayer when he should
desire this ; can be content to set apart days for private fasts, when some
judgment is near or upon him, but never looks upon the power of sin
within him as a sufficient, a necessary occasion to humble himself before
God by extraordinary mourning and fasting. When such means are not
used constantly, as are appointed by God in ordinary for subduing of
sin, and extraordinary too, when there is occasion, — a dangerous sign of
impenitency.

The heathens, many of them, went far in a way of outward reformation,
but came short of repentance, because they endeavoured not the destruction
of the inward power of sin.

Without this there is no true repentance ; for that is a turning from sin
wholly, with the whole heart, not only in respect of sin in its guilt and
outward acts, but power and dominion. There is an !xd/x»j<r/s, which is the
companion of repentance, 2 Cor. vii.

9. He that so turns from sin as he does not turn to God. This motion
cannot be perfect without its terminus ad quern. If it be not essential to,
it is inseparable from repentance, Isa. Iv. 7. So forsake sin, as embrace
Christ ; so hate sin, as love holiness ; so grieve for it as delight in God's
ways ; steer the conversation to a quite contrary point. Not only cease
to do evil, but learn to do good, Isa. i. 16, 17. It is not sufficient not to
profane God's name ; he that repents will glorify it ; not only not omit
holy duties, but perform them in a holy manner ; not only not pollute the
Sabbath, but sanctify it ; not only not dishonour profession, but adorn it ;
not only abstain from sin, but exercise grace. There are fruits of repent
ance which John requires, Mat. iii. 8, and Luke iii. 8. That repentance
which brings not forth fruit is not sound, no plant of God's planting; the
doom of it you may see, ver. 9.

Would you think it a sufficient evidence of a good vine, that it brings
forth no wild grapes ? No ; if it be an empty vine, though it have no bad,
if it bring not forth good grapes, it is good for nothing. Negative righteous
ness will never evidence true repentance. It is not enough Jto say with the
Pharisee, Luke xviii. 11, ' I am not as other men,' &c.

The apostle joins these, repent, turn to God, do works, &c., Acts xxvi. 20.
Those that would approve themselves clear in this matter, who would give
clear evidences to the world and their own consciences that their repentance
is to salvation, and that they sorrow after a godly sort, must produce all

46 OF REPENTANCE. [LuKE XIII. 3.

the effects of repentance which he inquires after, 2 Cor. vii. 11 ; not only
indignation against sin, clearing themselves from vice, but carefulness to
express the contrary virtues ; not only fear of offending God, but vehement
desire to please and honour him ; not only revenge for dishonouring God
by wicked courses, but zeal for his glory in all the ways of holiness. A
fruitless repentance is rejected.

10. He that never had a full, clear discovery of sin. Kepentance begins
here. The first step is illumination ; the Lord causes a light to shine ia
the soul to discover the hidden things of darkness, sends the Spirit to con
vince of sin, makes him believe those acts, &c., to be sins which he
accounted innocent.

Discovers sin in its number, multitude of abominations ; carries him, as
the Spirit carried Ezekiel, from one part of his life, from one corner of his
soul to another, and still shews him greater and greater abominations, brings
those sins to his remembrance which it may be he never thought of since they
were committed. Though the work begin at some master sin, and the
heart may be affected with one more than the rest, yet it is sensible of all,
each adds something to increase sorrow.

In weight. Makes him feel the burden of sin, shews how they are gone
over his head, Ps. xxxviii. 4.

In the aggravations. Such a sin against mercy, under affliction, after
conviction, reproof, when conscience checked, &c.
In the effects, what it has done, and what exposed to.
In the evil of it. The sinfulness of it. More evil in it than ever he
imagined, than ever he thought he could have believed ; more evil in it
than in anything he ever acted or suffered.

There must be first knowledge of it before repentance. How can ye
repent of that ye never knew ? When God gives repentance he first
' opens the eyes,' Acts xxvi. 18, ' turns from darkness to light.' As a man
who has walked through a way in the dark, full of serpents, snares, pits,
when he passes through it again with a light, and sees his danger, he
wonders that every step was not his death. He that wondered before that
any should make so much ado about sin, that so much sorrow, so much
mourning should be pressed ; he that was apt to think that they were
hypocrites, who talked of their humiliation, tears, and secret mourning for
sin, to imagine that whatever was pretended, there was no such thing in
reality, will now change his opinions ; sees so much evil in sin as he can
never sufficiently bewail ; wishes he could command back all that sorrow
which he has misspent upon his sufferings in the world, that he might spend
it upon sin as that which most deserves it ; thinks all his time little
enough, his constitution cannot afford tears enough to bewail it; so many,
so sinful enormities, he wonders that any sin should be counted small, mTov
afj^dpr^fiix,, &c.

11. He that has not some sense of the corruption of his nature. He
that repents, bewails actual sins, and he that sees and feels the evil of the
members, will have some sense of the body. He that tastes bitterness in
the fruits, will disrelish the root of bitterness. Those who are persuaded
their natures are good, will be angry at any that shall tell them they have
wicked, perverse, naughty natures ; never saw cause to complain, as David,
of their birth-sin ; nor to cry out with Paul, ' 0 wretched man ! ' Those
that think themselves innocent enough, but for some outward gross acts,
find no other reason why God should be displeased with them, why they
should be excluded from heaven or communion with God ; take no notice

LUKE XIII. 3.] or REPENTANCE. 47

of inward averseness to God, proneness to evil, so as to make it an occasion
of sorrow, humiliation, self-abhorrency ; are apt to excuse sinful acts from
their natures. Where there is not in some degree a sense of inbred cor
ruption, there the heart is hard, impenitent.

12. He that is loath his sin should be discovered.} rA penitent is thank
ful to those that will convince him of any sinful practice. He desires the
Lord to search him if any way of wickedness. It is his petition to God :
Job xxxiv. 32, ' That which I see not, teach thou me ; if I have done
iniquity,' &c. He would not hide his sins from God ; he knows this is
opposed to repentance, Prov. xxviii. 13; nor would have the Lord hide
his sins from him. As he would have the Lord discover them, so he is
not unwilling men should manifest them. He that repents looks upon sin
as a close traitor ; and who would not be glad to have a close traitor dis
covered ? If an enemy lance the imposthume of his heart, whatever be
the intention of the actor, he will be glad at the event of the act. He that
would have sin hid, is in love with it. He that is unwilling to have sin
detected in any practice, delights in it. None hide wickedness under their
tongue, but those in whose mouth it is sweet, Job xx. 12, 13, he would
spare it. He counts them his best friends who will discover such a
dangerous enemy. How thankful was Saul to the Ziphites for a discovery
of a supposed enemy ? 1 Sam. xxiii. 21. He will be as thankful for dis
covering sin, as David was to Abigail for preventing sin, 1 Sam. xxv. 32.
He will be so far from taking this for an occasion of enmity, as he will
make this a motive to friendship, and consult with the discoverer how he
may destroy that which is discovered.

It is a sign he has no mind to turn to God, who will not endure to be
told when he is out of the way.

13. He that will not endure a reproof. Those that cannot abide their
sins should be reproved, either by public ministry or private, will be ready
to ' lay a snare for him that reproveth,' Isa. xxix. 21, and count him their
enemy who tells them of sin, though he tell the truth, as Paul complains.
Be ready to do him a mischief, as wicked Ahab did Micaiah, 2 Chron.
xviii. 25. Whatsoever Joash was, the Holy Ghost leaves an eternal brand
upon him for his severity against Zechariah reproving his sin, 2 Chron.
xxiv. 22. Those who break out into reproaches against those that reprove
them, say as those against Jeremiah, chap, xviii. 18 ; or if they break
not out into acts, words, yet boil inwardly with rancour and malice. Those
who, instead of reforming the sin reproved, fall upon an inquiry after the
failings of the reprover, that they may retaliate. Hatred of reproof is a
sign of a scorner, Prov. ix. 7, 8 ; and scorners are placed in the highest
rank of sinners, Ps. i. Those are furthest from repentance. Hatred of
reproof and repentance are two such contraries as can never meet in the
same subject ; quite contrary things are ascribed to them. Repentance
leads to life, this to death, Prov. xv. 10. That is to salvation, this to
destruction, Prov. xxix. 1. You may as well say the same man shall both go
to heaven and hell, as say that man is a penitent who hates reproof. You
may know the temper of a humbled soul in David, Ps. cxli. 6. He is in
love with sin who will not endure reproof, says to ministers, as David to
Joab concerning Absalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 51, ' Deal gently for my sake,' &c.
He that hates it will have it froughly handled, will penitently bear all the
evil that can be spoke against it ; and not only against sin in general, but
against his sin. That word pleases him best which represents it most
hateful, most dangerous. He desires not the ministers should speak soft

48 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

and pleasing things, to flatter him in his evil ways, but welcomes reproof
for sin, though they be like the words of David's enemies, sharp as swords;
the sharper the better, the more healthful. He would not have this dangerous
sore skinned over, before it be thoroughly searched. He knows reproofs
for sin, how sharp soever, are ' the reproofs of life,' Prov. xv. 81, 32.

Use 1. Terror to impenitent sinners. Hear the doom in the text :
' Except ye repent,' &c. Those that do not, will not repent, must perish,
shall perish. There is no way without repentance to avoid perishing, and
these will not repent, mourn, hate, forsake sin. What will become of
them ? Christ, the righteous judge, gives sentence, they shall perish, cer
tainly, universally, eternally.

1. Certainly. For Christ has said it. He speaks peremptorily; not
they may, but they shall. Here is as much assurance that they shall perish,
as any saint ever had that he should be saved — the word of Christ. It is
as certain as if one from the dead should affirm it ; and Dives desired,
though an unbeliever, no more certainty. It is more certain than if an
angel from heaven should speak it ; for, behold, one greater than the
angels, higher than the heavens, has said it. As sure as Christ is true, as
sure as Christ is God, if there be any truth in truth itself, then this is cer
tainly true, those that repent not shall perish. Si Christus loquatur, &c.

2. Universally. All, and every one, without exception, whatever he be,
have, do, or can do, ' Except,' &c. Christ speaks to the Jews, and to all
without exception — ail perish. If any people in the world had any ground
to plead exemption, sure it was the Jews ; no people ever in greater favour,
none ever had greater privileges. Whatever you can plead why this should
not concern you, they had as much ground to plead.

Are you outwardly in covenant with God ? So were they ; to them
belonged the promises : Rom. ix. 4, ' To whom pertain the covenants and
promises.'

Do ye profess yourselves to be the children of God ? So might they ; to
them pertained ' the adoption,' a peculiar people.

Do ye enjoy those inestimable pledges of his favour, the gospel and ordi
nances? So did they; 'to them were committed the oracles of God,'
Eom. iii. 2.

Are you baptized, sealed to be his ? So were they circumcised, received
circumcision, &c., Bom. iv.

Has the Lord vouchsafed you such privileges as no people under heaven
enjoy besides ; so did he to them, Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20 ; but all these would
not secure them from perishing without repentance. Even them Christ
tells, ' Except ye repent,' &c. No more will they secure you ; except you
repent, you shall perish ; all, every of you.

Nay, these are so far from exempting you from repentance, as these
should lead you to it. The impenitent heathen, that never knew God,
shall more easily escape than you. ' Except you repent, you shall perish.'

3. Eternally. Soul and body, here and hereafter, now and for ever,
must perish without redemption : For who shall redeem from it but Christ ?
and Christ cannot do it except he will act against his own word, except he
will deny himself. The sentence is passed, and none in heaven will, none
in earth can, recall it. Men and devils cannot ; angels and saints dare not ;
God himself will not. This sentence is like the decrees of the Medes and
Persians, that can never be recalled. Christ has pronounced it, and he
will not fail to be as good as his word, except his power fail. Nothing
shall save impenitent sinners from perishing eternally, if Christ have power

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 49

to punish them with everlasting destruction. And is not Christ able to
destroy you ? Why, all power is given to him, Mat. xxviii. 18 ; power to
save and power to destroy. And how he will exercise this power he here
tells us ; viz., by saving eternally those that repent, and by the eternal
destruction of the impenitent : ' He that has the keys of hell and death,'
Rev. i. 8 ; Rev. iii. 7, ' shutteth, and no man openeth.' That which Christ
has ^here spoke with his mouth, he will at the last day execute with his
hand ; he will thrust impenitent sinners into hell, and lock them there for
ever : for when he shuts, no man, no angel, no, God himself will not
open. What his hand doth, none will undo for ever, and he will do what
he has spoken ; and that which he speaks is plainly this, impenitents shall
perish eternally. It cannot be meant of temporal ruin only (though that
also be included) for divers of the Jews to whom he spoke (as we may
presume) did not perish, like those Galileans, temporally ; therefore either
eternally, or else not at all, which cannot be if Christ be true. Perish
eternally ; eternal torments is the proper portion of such, it is only theirs.
WTho are those that must ' suffer the vengeance of eternal fire,' but those
who have been ' treasuring up wrath'? &c., Rom. ii. And who are they
but impenitent sinners ? Who is he that must be ' cast into outer dark
ness,' &c., but the ' unprofitable servant' ? Mat. xxv. 30. And who more
unprofitable than he who will neither do his Master's will, nor shew him
self truly sorry for not doing it ? And who is this but an impenitent
sinner ? Who are they that must ' depart into everlasting fire ' ? &c.
Christ tells, Matt. xxv. 41, ' ye cursed ;' and who are these but impenitent
sinners ? Other sinners are cursed by the law, but these are cursed both
by law and gospel ; and this is it which makes their misery eternal. He
whom the gospel curses can never be blessed. If the law only cursed, if
God only, there might be hopes in the gospel, in Christ ; but he whom
Christ curses shall be eternally cursed. But Christ curses the impenitent,
therefore they shall perish eternally.

Use 2. Exhortation 1. To the practice of this duty.

Christ urges it, and under such a penalty. These should be sufficient
enforcements. But there are many more considerations to stir up to this
duty. I shall reduce them to three heads : some concerning, 1. Sin to be
repented of ; 2. Christ that urges repentance; 3. Repentance itself, the
duty urged. 1. Concerning sin.

(1.) No creature ever got, nor can get, any advantage by sin. Whatever
gain seems to be in sin, is but an imagination ; and that conceit is put
upon men by a cheat, viz., by the deceitfulness of sin, the deceitfulness of
their hearts, and the cunning device of Satan. There is neither pleasure,
profit, nor credit to be got by sin, nor ever was. Satan, when he presents
sin, makes a show of these ; but he merely cozens poor sinners, that he
may ruin them. There is no sinner in the world that can pass a right
judgment, take a true estimate of his incomes by sin, but must say his
losses are real, great, many ; his gains a mere show, an empty delusion.

Men seem to gain by sin, when they get or increase their estates by lying,
oppression, immoderate cares, with neglect of their souls ; but let such
consider, the curse of God accompanies whatever is so gotten. And while
they gather some heaps of earth, they treasure up wrath, and lose their
souls ; and then let them tell me what they gain. ' What will it profit,' &c.?

Men fancy pleasures in uncleanness, drunkenness, &c. But this will be
bitterness in the end, and such bitterness as will raze out the memory of
all former imaginary delight. Such pleasure in sin ends in the bitterness

VOL. I. D

50 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

of death, when it brings hell into the conscience, or brings the soul into
hell ; it is like poison taken in a sweet potion, pleases the palate, but con
veys death into the inward parts ; it inflames, swells, tortures, and destroys
the soul.

Ask Daniel * what advantage he got by sin. He might fancy delights in
those unclean, unfaithful enjoyments ; so he might think, while Satan's
witchcraft prevailed. But when he is come to himself, then ask him, and
he will tell you it was an act as full of bitterness as ever man acted ; it
broke the bones of his comfort, and made him go with sorrow to his grave.

Ask Saul what he gained by disobedience. He imagined no small advan
tage in reserving the best spoils of Amalek ; but really what did he gain ?
Why, for a few sheep and oxen, he lost a kingdom, 1 Sam. xv. Indeed,
this is all the gain in sin : lose a kingdom for some cattle.

Ask Ananias and Sapphira what advantage they got by sinning. They
thought to have gained a part of their estate by a lie ; but did they gain
by it ? No ; they lost their estate, and their lives, and their souls too.
Oh woeful gain !

Nay, ask the devil himself what he got by it. If he would tell the truth,
he must say he is the greatest loser in the world by sin. It tumbled him
down from the height of glory into the nethermost hell. Sin cast him out
of the glorious enhappying presence of God into everlasting burnings, where
he is reserved in chains of darkness.

This is confirmed by a general suffrage of all creatures : none ever was
a gainer by sin. And this consideration may be a sufficient motive to repent.

(2.) The least sin is infinitely evil. When I say infinite, I say there is
more evil in it than the tongue of men or angels can express, than their
largest apprehensions can conceive. When I say infinite evil, I understand
it is a greater evil than the greatest in the world besides it. A greater evil
than any poverty, greatest torment, loathsome sickness, dreadfullest death,
nay, than hell itself. Gather up in your thoughts whatever on earth or in
hell you count evil, and put them all together, and the evil that is in the
least sin will far outweigh them all. It is inconceivably more evil than all
in the world together. To be infinitely evil, is to be evil above all we can
speak or think. Infiniteness is not ascribed usually to any but two : God,
the greatest good, and sin, the greatest evil. God is infinite essentially ;
sin is infinite objectively : infinitely evil, because against him who is
infinitely good, because injurious to an infinite God ; an offence of infinite
majesty, a contempt of infinite authority, an affront to infinite sovereignty,
an abuse of infinite mercy, a dishonour to infinite excellency, a provocation
of infinite justice, a contrariety to infinite holiness, a reproacher of infinite
glory, an enemy to infinite love.

Oh consider what ye do by continuing impenitent. You harbour an evil
in your souls that is unspeakably worse than hell ; and act that frequently
which it was better ye should die ten thousand times than act once. What
greater occasion of sorrow, than sin the greatest evil ! What fitter object
of hatred, than that which is infinitely hateful ! Eternity is little enough
to bewail such an infinite evil. Oh think not much to employ some of your
time in bewailing it.

(3.) The least sin deserves infinite punishment, i.e., greater than any

can endure, express, or imagine. The Lord has engaged himself never to

let any sin go unpunished, Ex. xxxiv. 7, and his justice requires that the

punishment should be equal to the offence : render to every one according

* Qu. ' David ' ?— ED.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 51

to his deserts. But the offence is infinite ; and therefore God's justice is
obliged to punish every sin infinitely, to inflict as much as is consistent
with the creature's being ; and what wants in degrees, to make it up in
duration. Eternal punishment is the wages of every sin, Rom. vi. 23 ;
eternal death (as the opposition betwixt death and eternal life does evidence)
is as due to every sin as wages to a hireling, as a penny to those who
wrought all day in the vineyard.

Oh then, what do ye, while ye continue impenitent ? By every word,
thought, act, draw down eternal vengeance on your heads, and treasure up
infinite wrath ; such wrath as, though it will be expending to eternity, will
never be quite spent, nay, will never be diminished. After a thousand
millions of years' expenses of wrath upon sinners that are impenitent, this
treasury will be as full as when first opened.

Oh then, make haste to repent, that your sins may be blotted out ; for
if the Lord come to reckon with you, and find any one sin on the score
unblotted out, your payment must be eternal torments.

(4.) The least sin cannot be expiated without infinite satisfaction.
Nothing can satisfy God for the injury of the least sin, but that which is
infinite, i.e., such as no creature, no man, no angel, can tender to him ;
no, nor all the creatures together, by all that they can do or suffer while
the world endures. God is not satisfied till sufficient amends be made.
No amends is sufficient, but that which is equal to the injury. The injury
is infinite ; therefore, nothing can satisfy for it, but that which is infinite.

He that will satisfy the Lord for the least sin, must bring him that which
is of more value than heaven and earth, than men and angels, than all the
creatures.

' Without blood there is no remission,' Heb. ix. 22. No remission with
out blood of an infinite value. If all the creatures on earth, if all the
glorious saints in heaven, if all the glorious angels in the presence of God,
should offer to sacrifice their lives for the expiation of one sin, it would not
be accepted, it could not be sufficient ; for their lives, being finite creatures,
are but of a finite value. Only the blood of him who, being God, derives an
infinite value upon his blood.

(5.) It is the cause of all the evils that we count miseries in the world.
"Whatsoever is fearful, or grievous, or hateful, owes its birth to sin. Were
it not for sin, either no evil would be in the world, or that which is now
evil would be good.

Is poverty a burden ? Sin should be much more burdensome ; for there
had been no poverty but for sin.

Is the cruelty of men, the crossness of friends, the contention of neigh
bours, the unkindness of children, an affliction ? We should be much
more afflicted with sin ; for there had been no such grievance, no self-
seeking, revengefulness, jars, &c., were it not for sin.

Is there vanity and vexation of spirit in all outward employments ? Oh
how then should you be vexed at sin, which has embittered all !

Do ye complain of pains, languish under bodily distempers, sicknesses,
&c. ? Oh rather complain of sin, for this breeds all such miseries ; it is
the sting and anguish of pain ; sickness had never seized on the body, but
that sin seized on the soul.

Is the wrath of God a terror to you ? Oh let sin be more terrible ; for
we had never known any such thing as wrath in God had it not been for
sin, nothing but smiles, promises, mercies.

Are you afraid of death, that the king of terrors should apprehend you ?

52 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

Be more afraid of sin ; the sons of men had never known, had never feared
death had it not been for sin.

Do ye tremble at the apprehension of hell, those everlasting torments ?
Tremble more at the approach of sin ; for there had been no hell, no devil,
but for sin. It was sin that prepared both tormentors and torments ; it
was sin that digged that bottomless pit, and overshadowed it with darkness,
and filled it with tortures ; it was sin that kindled the wrath of God, which,
like a river of brimstone, nourishes, continues those torments to eternity.
There had been no poverty, crossness, vexation, sickness, &c., but for sin.
We hate, we avoid, we mourn for these ; much more should we hate,
avoid, and mourn for sin, which is the cause of them.

(6.) It is the soul's greatest misery. Those evils which sin has brought
into the world are lamentable, but the miseries wherein it has involved the
soul are much more grievous.

[1.] It consumes the soul, weakens it, eats away its strength insensibly ;
a dangerous consumption, leaves no power to act, suffer, bear, resist,
move, help. So the state of sin is described to be a state of impotency,
Eom. v. 6.

[2.] It impoverishes the soul, steals away its riches, its ornaments, those
riches which are more valuable than all the treasures of the earth, those
which make the soul rich toward God. When sin broke into the soul it
robbed, spoiled, ransacked it, left it poor, empty, naked. The state of sin
is a state of poverty, nothing to cover it, nothing to feed it, nothing to lay
out for its own necessities. No such beggar on earth as one poor in soul ;
nay, after the Lord has in part repaired these losses by communicating the
riches of grace, yet even then the more sin the more poverty, Rev. iii. 17.

[3.] It defiles the soul, deprives it of its beauty, lustre, comeliness,
deforms it with ugly spots, besmears it with loathsome pollutions, such as
make it hateful in the eye of God, angels, &c. : ' Ezek. xvi. 6, ' polluted
in blood.' Hence sin is called ' uncleanness,' Zech. xiii. 1 ; and ' filthiness,'
2 Cor. vii. 1 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25, compared to things most filthy in the world.
Hence, before the Lord will suffer sinners to come near him, he bids them
' wash,' &c., Isa. i. 16. Corruptio optimi est pessima.

[4.J It enslaves the soul to the body, to Satan, to itself, a worse, a viler
tyrant than either ; no galley-slave in the world so miserable as a soul
enthralled to sin, led captive by Satan, &c. No thraldom so woeful as
spiritual soul slavery.

[5.] It confines the soul to itself, to the dungeon of the world, gives no
liberty to have any converse with God, Ps. cxix. 82 ; it loads it with chains
of darkness ; those invisible irons enter into the soul, the weight of them
presses it down to the earth, yea, towards hell. It is bowed down under
the pressure of them, so as it cannot lift up itself to God ; and thus it lives
till Christ set it free ; and even then sin is ready to entangle it with new
yokes of bondage, to encompass it with new fetters, Heb.*

[6.] It straitens the soul, contracts it. As it deprives it of what it had,
so it makes it uncapable of receiving what it wants, blocks up the passages
whereby grace, comfort, &c. should be conveyed ; so that nothing but
infinite mercy will relieve a sinful soul ; so nothing but infinite power can
make it capable of relief, Acts xvi. 14.

[7.J It blinds the soul, deals with it as the Philistines with Samson ;
not only fetters it, and makes it grind in the prison-house, but puts out
its eyes, Judges xvi. 21.

* Qu. « Gal. v. 1 ' ?— ED.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 53

[8.] It wounds it, makes wide gashes, deep and bloody furrows in it,
•ad in every part of it, the pain whereof, when felt, is intolerable, Prov.
xviii. 14, and when not felt is most dangerous ; leaves it as the thieves
left the man, Luke x. 30.

[9.] It murders the soul : it was so from the beginning, has murdered
all mankind ; all are ' dead in trespasses,' &c., Eph. ii., i. e., dead of this.
This is that mortal disease which never seized upon any soul but it deprived
it of spiritual life. What the pestilence is to the body, that sin is to the
soul, a deadly plague.

Oh look into your souls, see what a lamentable spectacle sin has made
them, and you will need no other motive to mourn ! If you would avoid
misery, and hate that which makes you miserable, sin above all things is
to be hated, to be avoided, as that which involves in greatest, i. e., in soul
miseries. Every sinner may cry out, Have you no regard, &c. ? < See if
there be any misery like my misery,' wherewith sin has afflicted me. And
the sorrow for sin should be answerable to the miseries of sin ; no misery
like that, no sorrow like this.

(7.) It is God's greatest adversary ; it has done much against the world,
more against man's soul ; ay, but that which it does against God is most
considerable, as that which should move us to hate, bewail, abandon
it, above all considerations. It has filled the world with fearful evils,
the soul with woeful miseries ; but the injuries it does to God are most
horrible.

The injury of one sin is equal to the ruin of heaven and earth. Christ
says it is better these should pass away than that his law should not remain
inviolable ; but sin violates it, and would have it quite abrogated.

It is so injurious as the Lord complains of it. We never find he com
plains of anything but sin ; but of this he complains as a burden to him,
an oppressing burden, that which wearies him, Isa. xliii. 24, Amos ii. 13 ;
and shall not that be a burden to us ?

It provokes, angers, highly offends, kindles his wrath, &c. And why,
but because it is unspeakably injurious to him?

In sin there is some contempt of God, low unworthy thoughts. No man
durst sin if he did apprehend God to be what he is.

Some sacrilege. Sin robs God, and robs him of that which is dearest to
him, as precious as the apple of his eye, more dear to him than our lives
to us, his honour.

Some idolatry. The heart gives more respect to something else than God.

Something like witchcraft ; an implicit compact, an agreement with Satan,
for some pleasure or profit, &c., and to do that which is most injurious to
God, 1 Sam. xv. 23.

Some treason. Sin is high treason against the most high God, a con
spiracy with the Lord's greatest enemies against him.

Some rebellion ; making use of members and faculties as weapons of
unrighteousness to fight against God.

Some blasphemy. Sin has a secret language which the Lord hears, though
we take no notice of it. It speaks proud and blasphemous things against
God ; denies him to be what he is, so holy, just, severe, true ; makes him
to be what he is not, ignorant, careless ; ascribes that to others which is
only his, goodness, happiness, pleasures, &c.

And is sin thus injurious ? &c. How should this consideration make us
tremble, that we deferred repentance so long ! and ashamed, that our
sorrow for, hatred of sin, is no more. A wonder the Lord will grant any

54 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

time for repentance after the commission of such a provoking act as sin is !
Great reason to make haste to break it off by repentance.

(8.) Consider the multitude of your sins. If any one sin be so infinitely
evil in itself and in its effects, oh how evil is he, what need to repent,
who is guilty of a multitude of sins ! And indeed so many, so numerous
are our sins, as it will be hard to find an expression which may help you
to conceive how many they are. I cannot better shew how numerable they
are, than by shewing they are innumerable.

And this will be evident, if ye consider that before repentance, every act,
word, thought, is a sin ; you can do, speak, think, nothing but sin. A
bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit. A soul, till implanted into Christ,
can bring forth nothing that is good, nothing but sin. And one of the
first-fruits after this implantation is repentance ; till then nothing but wild
grapes. Now if every act you did since you were born be sin, put all those
acts together, and into what a multitude will they swell ! They are without
number, beyond knowledge. He that takes the strictest survey of his life
and actions that is possible, cannot give an account of ' one of a thousand,'
Job ix. 3. Let him be as diligent as can be, yet where he takes notice of
one, a thousand will escape his observation. Those that we know are not
the thousand part of those we know not. The stars in the heavens, the
hairs of our head, are far more easily, numbered than our sinful acts. They
are like the sands on the sea-shore, which cannot be numbered. And if
sinful acts be innumerable, what account can we take of our words ! They
are more than innumerable, as being innumerably more than our actions ;
ay, and our thoughts more than both. What then ? How many are all
put together ? Ask man, ask angels ; both will be nonplussed : Ps. xix.,
' Who knows the errors,' &c., Ps. xl. 12.

We lose ourselves when we speak of the sins of our lives. It may asto
nish any considering man to take notice how many sins he is guilty of any
one day ; how many sins accompany any one single act ; nay, how many
bewray themselves in any one religious duty. Whensoever ye do any thing
forbidden, you omit the duty at that time commanded ; and whenever you
neglect that which is enjoined, the omission is joined with the acting of
something forbidden ; so that the sin, whether omission or commission, is
always double : nay, the apostle makes every sin tenfold, James ii. 10.
That which seems one to us, according to the sense of the law, and the
account of God, is multiplied by ten. He breaks every command by sin
ning directly against one, and so sins ten times at once ; besides that
swarm of sinful circumstances and aggravations which surround every act
in such numbers, as atoms use to surround your body in a dusty roonr; you
may more easily number these than those. And though some count these
but fractions, incomplete sins, yet even from hence it is more difficult to
take an account of their number.

And, which is more for astonishment, pick out the best religious duty
that ever you performed, and even in that performance you may find such
a swarm of sins as cannot be numbered. In the best prayer that ever you
put up to God, irreverence, lukewarmness, unbelief, spiritual pride, self-
seeking, hypocrisy, distractions, &c., and many more, that an enlightened
soul grieves and bewails ; and yet there are many more that the pure eye
of God discerns, than any man does take notice of.

And besides, every one of these many sins manifest themselves in every
duty many several ways, and every way sinful.

Now if so many sins be discernible in the best duty, and many more in

LUKE XIII. 8.] OF REPENTANCE. 55

every unlawful act, and the acts themselves be innumerable that have such
a numberless multitude of sinful attendants, what do ye think will the total
arise to ? Even such a sum, as all the arithmetic of men and angels can
not give an account of. If one sin, being so infinitely evil, deserve infinite
punishment, being so horridly injurious to God, being so dangerously
mischievous to the soul, call for shame, sorrow, indignation, hatred, &c.,
oh what then does such a multitude of sins, numberless even to astonish
ment, call for !

2. Considerations from Christ, who enjoins repentance.

If our sins were occasion of sorrow to him, great reason have we to
mourn for them. But so it is ; our sins made him a man of sorrows. The
cup which he gives to us, he drank himself; he drank out the dregs and
bitterness, the wormwood and gall, wherewith this sorrow was mixed.
That which he left to us is pleasant. The cup which Christ gives us,
shall we not drink it ? Nay, the cup which Christ drank, shall we refuse
to taste ?

Our sins made him weep and sigh, and cry out in the anguish of his
spirit ; and shall we make a sport of sin ?

Made him weep, express his grief in tears, Heb. v. 7 ; disfigured by sor
rows, and made him a reproach, Isa. liii. 2—4 ; shall not we grieve ?

Made him sigh. The weight of our sins made his soul heavy, heavy
unto death, Mat. xxvi. 37, 38. Why ? Isa. liii. 6, 1 Pet. ii. 24, our
sins were that deadly weight, &c.

Made him cry out to heaven, ' My God,' &c., Mat. xxvii. 48. To earth,
' Have ye no regard, all ye,' &c. He was afflicted by our sins, and shall
not our souls be afflicted ? ' He was wounded for our transgressions,'
and wept not only tears, but blood ; Oh, shall neither our eyes nor hearts
shew sorrow ?

3. Considerations from repentance, the duty enjoined.

That is the time when all happiness begins, when misery ends, the period
of evils ; the time from whence ye must date all mercies. Till then, never
expect to receive the least mercy, or have the least judgment, evil, removed
without repentance. Till then,

(1.) Whatever ye do is sinful. ' Without faith it is impossible to please
God ;' and where no repentance, no faith. Whatever ye think, speak, act,
is a provocation. Every thought ; for what is said of the old world is true
of every unrenewed man, not renewed 'by repentance, Gen. vi. 5. Every
inward act, every word ; for ' out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth
speaks,' Luke vi. 45. Now there is nothing in the heart but wickedness ;
therefore the words must be so ; good words cannot be brought out of the
evil treasure. Every action : as soon gather grapes of thorns, and figs of
thistles, as good actions from an impenitent : Luke vi. 44, ' He that is born
of God, sinneth not ' ; but till then, he does nothing but sin. Till repent
ance, no man is born of God ; for that is one of the first vital acts.

(2.) All your enjoyments are cursed. All the curses of the law are the
portion of an impenitent sinner ; and there are curses for himself, and
every thing that belongs to him, Deut. viii. 16, 17, &c. ; Deut. xxix. 19, 20.

A penitent has an undoubted title to all the promises ; but to an impe
nitent sinner the curses belong. He that repents not is not within the
covenant of grace, and therefore under the law ; which, since it was broken,
speaks nothing but curses to all under it. The penitent hear nothing but
from mount Gerizim, the impenitent nothing but from mount Ebal, Deut.
xi. 29.

50 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

(3.) All sin is unpardoned. The handwriting of ordinances, which is
against sinners, is not cancelled till then, Acts iii. 19. They remain in
God's sight, as writ with a pen of iron, Jer. xvii. 1. The Lord will never
speak of pardoning till then ; and then, though their sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow, &c., Isa. i. 18. Sin remains, John ix. 41.
Impenitence makes other sins unpardonable ; that which is small, shall
never be pardoned.

(4.) All ordinances ineffectual, uncomfortable, hurtful, damnable. The
word, the savour of death : till the heart be broken, the seed is rejected in
stony ground. The sacraments, seals of damnation, 1 Cor. xi. 26. Death
in the pot, poison. Prayer an abomination, Prov. xxviii. 9. No sacrifice
acceptable without a broken heart, Isa. i. 15.

(5.) God is an enemy. No communion with God till agreed ; no agree
ment without repentance. Will God count them friends who fight against
him, will not lay down their arms, their weapons of unrighteousness ?
He dwells in a penitent heart, Isa. Ixvi., Isa. Ivii. 15. But he is so far
from dwelling in an impenitent heart, as he will not endure his word
should be in their mouth, Ps. 1. 16, 17. ' He will wound the head of his
enemies,' &c., Ps. Ixviii. 21. Never expect smile, promise, mercy, till you
repent.

(6.) Justice is unsatisfied. No satisfaction without compensation ; none
can make that but Christ : nothing will be accepted but his A-irgov, that
which he paid as the price of redemption. But to whom is he a redeemer ?
Isa. lix. 20, to them that turn from transgression. Justice is your adver
sary ; no agreement without repentance ; nothing but such a dreadful pro
cess, Mat. v. 25, to be cast into prison.

(7.) Wrath is unavoidable. That is the attendant of unsatisfied justice.
No way to escape without this. Who has warned ? Mark iii. 7, 8 ; Rev.
xvi. 11, vials are poured out on those that repented not. Jer. xv. 7,
destroy, because they returned not.

(8.) Death is terrible. Better to die than live impenitent ; but better
never live than die impenitent. Death comes to them like the king of ter
rors, not as a messenger of peace ; armed with a sting, repentance only
charms it ; comes as an officer of justice, to drag the soul to execution ;
Christ's pursuivant, to bring before the dreadful tribunal of an incensed
judge, before the judgment-seat of Christ, to receive the sentence of eternal
condemnation. The penitent long for his appearance ; these will call to
mountains to fall on them, &c.

(9.) Hell is certain. It was prepared of old for these. Every tree that
brings not forth the fruits of repentance shall be cut down, &c. They
cumber the ground, are unfruitful, and hinder others : Rom. viii. 13,
' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.' It is, as was said of Judas, '1810$
TOKOS ; none but they, and all they, have that place for their portion.

(10.) Hopes of heaven are delusions, expectations of happiness dreams,
vain groundless fancies, which Satan begets and nourishes, that he may
more securely ruin impenitent sinners. The apostle asserts it peremp
torily, Gal. v. 21. Though it be long since you did these, yet till repent
ance, you are still doing, still continue in them. There is not only the
word of an apostle, but the oath of God ; he swears, hardened sinners
shall not enter into his rest, Heb. iv. 3.

Obj. God is merciful, infinitely so ; will not be so strict as many make
him. He may save me though I be not so penitent, though sorrow be not
so great, &c.

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 57

Ans. This is an ordinary conceit, suggested by Satan ; and the matter of
it is unreasonable, false, blasphemous, perverse.

1. It is infinite mercy that God will save any sinner that repents, that
he will vouchsafe life upon such terms. It is infinite mercy that any one
is saved, that all are not cut off in the height of sin. It would be infinite
mercy that sinners might be admitted to life upon terms more harsh,
chargeable, difficult. Oh what mercy to have life upon terms so easy,
equal ! Would not that traitor think himself graciously dealt with, who,
having acted treason a great part of his life, should be admitted to favour,
honour, if but sorry and reform ? Who would expect such easy terms for
rebellious sinners ? Oh, what would the damned do and suffer to have
such an offer ! It is unreasonable to think God will save without repent
ance because merciful, whenas it is mercy we may be saved upon our
repentance.

2. Infinite mercy will not save an impenitent sinner ; it is a false con
ceit, and very dangerous to entertain it. It has been the ruin of millions
to presume on mercy without ground. The Lord does plainly exclude all
such from all hopes of mercy, Deut. xxix. 20.

3. To think mercy will save impenitents is a blasphemous conceit, that
which makes God unjust, untrue, unfaithful. He has said, and sworn; he
has engaged justice, truth, faithfulness for the ruin of impenitent sinners.
To think he will be so merciful as to save them, is to make God a liar,
think he will deny himself to save you, trample upon his own glory to
advance you, and so make an idol of God.

4. Mercies should lead to repentance, and not be turned into perverse
disputes.

Obj. I will repent hereafter, it is time enough; I am so full of business,
I cannot attend it now.

Ans. The matter of this objection is groundless, false, and desperately
dangerous; for,

1. This is the devil's suggestion, which he proposes with a cruel inten
tion to destroy your soul. He would have you defer repentance that you
may perish. It is the great design which he now drives on amongst you ;
by yielding thereto you join with your greatest, most deadly enemy, against
God, Christ, the Spirit, your own souls. He is loath you should escape out
of his snare.

2. You presume without ground that you have time enough. You know
not how soon death may seize on you, how soon Christ may summon, what
watch the Master will come. X°u have no security for one hour, for the
time is uncertain, and comes upon most when they expect it not ; and why
not so to you ? And if so, if death come before repentance, oh it will be
a sad hour, a day of blackness and thick darkness ! You would be loath
to leave anything you value in the world at such uncertainty, and will you
leave your souls so ? Will you leave that in continual danger every moment
to drop into hell ?

3. If your lives should be prolonged, yet you will have time little enough
to repent though you should begin presently. Man's life, if longer, affords
not time sufficient to bewail sin, if sorrow should be proportionable to what
sin calls for. No pardoned sinner can ever think he bestows too much time
in mourning for sin. Besides, there are daily occasions for continual exer
cise of repentance. The work is long, and life is short ; no room therefore
or reason for delay.

4. Business and designs in the world should not hinder; for if they be

58 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

worth following, repentance will not hinder them. No man ever lost
anything by obeying God in this. This is the way to make the business
succeed, your designs prosper. Repent, and all things shall be well, those
which seem worst ; but till then, never expect but all will be either crossed
or cursed. You should rather argue thus : I have much business in the
world, therefore I will make haste to repent, because I have so little time.
It is a perverse inference, and savours of hell, where all such are forged, I
am too busy to repent.

5. When you say you will repent hereafter, you imagine you may repent
when you will ; but herein you delude your souls ; it is not in your power
to repent. It is the gift of God ; ' If so be,' &c., Acts v. 81. He gives it
when and to whom he pleases. You can never hope to have it till he give ;
and when have you any ground to hope he will give it, but when he calls
for it ? But now he calls for it, ' now he commands all men to repent,'
Acts xvii. 30. ' This is the accepted time,' &c., 'To-day, if ye will hear
his voice,' &c., Heb. iii. 15. To-day is the Lord's time, to-day is your
time ; who knows what to-morrow may bring forth ? To-morrow the door
of mercy may be shut, the Lord's hand may be closed, the Lord's patience
may be terminated. To-morrow it may be too late, and then, alas ! where
are you ? You may defer it till it be too late ; for there is a time when
the Lord will not be found, when repentance will not be found, though ye
seek it with tears, Heb. xii. 17 ; and if you now neglect to learn to obey
the Lord's voice, you may swear that hereafter will be too late. God will
not hear them hereafter, that will not hear him now, Prov. i.

6. The longer ye defer repentance, the harder it will be to repent. You
will be every day the less able ; the longer you neglect to get your hearts
softened, the more will ye be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,
Heb. iii. 13 ; the longer ye live in sin, the more ye will be in love with it;
the longer ye continue in the snare, the faster you will be entangled. Oh,
make haste while there is hope to escape. It must be done, it is neces
sary ; either repent, or perish. Resolve to do it then, while ye may do it
with most ease, before it become too difficult, impossible.

7. Ye judge such delays madness in outward things, much more is it
here ; nothing of greater consequence, of more present necessity. You
apprehend a present need of rain, and would censure him as void of sense
or reason, that would say rain will come time enough a month, a year
hence. But, oh, is there not more need of relenting hearts ! You may
lose a year's fruits by the intemperate drought of the season ; ay, but you
may lose your soul's happiness, not for a year, but for eternity, by hard
ness of heart. If your house should be on fire, would any but a madman
say, it will be time enough to quench it to-morrow ? For why ? It may
be consumed to ashes before to-morrow. The least delay may undo you :
Why, so it is here ; your souls are on fire though you feel it not, the wrath
of God has kindled on them, and it will burn to the bottom of hell, burn
and not be quenched till repentance be. Oh, make haste, while there is
hope, before it be too late, before your souls be quite consumed. The
Lord, to impenitent sinners, is a consuming fire.

If one be stung with a serpent, will he say it will be time enough to
mind the cure hereafter ? None but a mad, a desperate man will say so.
The poison is diffusive, will spread, and, if not prevented, seize upon the
vitals, and so become incurable. No poison like the poison of sin ; it is
like the cruel venom of asps. This serpent has bit the soul ; if it be not
prevented, it will be mortal to the soul ; no cure for it but the balm of

LUKE XIII. 3.] OF REPENTANCE. 59

Gilead, the blood of Christ ; and this is never applied without repentance.
Oh, defer it not, delay is dangerous, it may cost the life of your souls.

8. This has been the ruin of thousands. Ask those wretched souls that
are cast into outer darkness, what is the reason they are now in that place
of torment ? They will tell you, because they deferred repentance. It is
this that shipwrecked so many souls in that lake that burns with fire and
brimstone ; and will you run your souls upon the same rock ? You have
a whole world of warnings in one. Ask the old world why the Lord
brought the flood upon them ? why, by a deluge of waters he swept
them into a deluge of fire, and destroyed them in such a terrible manner,
twice at once ? They will tell you, it was because they repented not at
the preaching of Noah. If the men of Nineveh had no more regarded
the preaching of Jonah, calling them to present repentance, they also had
been certainly destroyed here and hereafter.

Use. Exhort. Does the Lord command it, and presently ? Take heed
of deferring repentance. Disobedience will be like the sin of witchcraft.
You have had warning for some years together ; you have had sin disco
vered, and the danger of it ; ignorance, drunkenness, profaneness, Sabbath-
breaking, neglect of worship, resisting holiness, contemning the gospel ;
sins of place and persons. If you will still continue in these sins, when
the Lord commands now to repent ; take heed he who now commands do
not the next moment threaten, do not next moment execute.

Take heed, if there be any regard of your souls ; take heed of continuing
in any sin, of hardening your hearts in any evil way ; take heed of it, it
infinitely, it eternally concerns you. It is matter of life and death, and
that of your souls, and that eternal. This is it I have been doing, and
which the Lord employs his messengers to do. Take it in Moses's words,
and mind it, as if it were the List thing ye should hear : Deut. xxx. 19, If
ye repent, turn now when the Lord requires, you choose life ; but if you
will live in sin, scorn holiness : I call heaven and earth to record this day,
and the God of heaven and earth will call me to witness against you at the
last day.

Obj. The thief on the cross repented when he was dying ; and so may
I. Why should I then trouble myself with repentance, while I have health,
strength, &c. ?

Ans. His repentance at death, is no ground to defer repentance till death.
It is dangerous to rest upon it. For,

1. It is but an example, and that is no ground of hope, that you either
shall or may find place for repentance then. If you had either permission
or precept to defer it till then, or promise that the Lord would then give
or accept it, you might defer, in hopes you might then repent. But it is
quite contrary. He is so far from tolerating such delay, as he declares
against it, commands it now ; so far from promising, &c., as he threatens, Luke
sxi. 34, 35, and xii. 19, 20, and xvii. 27 ; 1 Thes. v. 2, 3 ; Mat. xxiv. 38.
An example added to these would be an encouragement ; but without these,
is no ground at all. Your hopes, without other ground, are delusions ; and
this example will prove a broken reed, break under those that lean upon
it, pierce their souls, and suffer soul and body to sink. It is desperate
madness, to leave your souls without any hopes for eternity, but what this
will afford.

2. It is but one example. The Bible, a history of near four thousand
years, affords' but one instance of one saved by repentance at death.
Whereas, if we could search the records of eternity, we might find many

60 OF REPENTANCE. [LUKE XIII. 3.

thousands instead of those, who have eternally ruined their souls, by defer
ring repentance till death.

All that can be argued from this one example is, that it is possible to
repent when dying. Nay, if there were a multitude of examples, they
would but make it probable. A probability might satisfy in matters of
small concernment ; but in that which concerns the eternal state of your
souls, nothing less than certainty is sufficient. But here is no certainty,
here is no probability ! If you defer repentance till then, it is ten thousand
to one you will never repent. And what then ? It is ten thousand to one
you will perish. It is deperate madness to be satisfied with a possibility ;
whenas, if for anything in the world, certainty is here necessary.

It is astonishing, to have your souls in such a state, which will not afford
so much as a probability of being saved. You should make your salvation
sure ; but, relying upon one example, you make it not probable.

Roman history affords us one instance of Horatius Codes, who main
tained a pass against a whole army ; but will any state therefore trust their safety
with one man ? Will any, invaded by a numerous army, employ none but
one man to resist it ? Would not all that hear of such madness, judge
such a people besotted, that they might be ruined? Yet there is as
good ground to do this, and expect victory, as for any to defer repent
ance, and expect salvation. Here is but one example for this, and no less
for that.

Mithridates affords an instance of one that could take poison without
danger ; will any therefore eat deadly poison, and hope for life, because he
did ? You may as well hope for long life, though ye eat poison, as hope
to be saved by repenting at death ; there is as good ground for the one as
the other ; one example.

Jonah was cast into the sea, and was preserved by a whale ; but will
any cast himself overboard, in hopes of such an escape ? You may as well
cast yourselves into the sea, with hopes of such a preservation, from the
example of Jonah, as defer repentance, in hopes of repenting on your death
bed, from the example of the thief.

3. It is an extraordinary example. Now there is no reason to draw a
rule from an extraordinary instance. This was little less than miraculous,
we see it placed in a crowd of miracles ; would you have the Lord work
miracles to save you ? It is high presumption, to expect the Lord should
save you at your death, if you wilfully neglect the ordinary means of salva
tion all your lives.

Would not you think it strange madness for one to expose himself to
death, in hopes to be raised again to life by the wonder-working power of
Christ, because Lazarus was so raised. And why ? But because that
was extraordinary. It is no less madness to defer repentance till death, in
hopes you shall then repent, because the thief did then repent and was
accepted. For this was extraordinary. The Lord will rather shew extra
ordinary severity in punishing such mad presumption.

4. It is an impertinent example. It was not intended it should, and it
cannot in reason be used to that purpose for which you apply it. It may
be he never heard of Christ before. It may be he did not enjoy the ordi
nary means of repentance in his life. It is probable he never deferred it,
in hopes to repent at his death. The case is not alike. However, it is
certain the Lord never intended it to be an encouragement for any to live
impenitently. He left such an example, that no penitent should despair ;
not that any impenitent should presume. They may fear, the Lord

LUKE XIII. 8.] OF REPENTANCE. 61

never intends them mercy, who abuse this to that purpose that he never
intended it.

Obj. But repentance is harsh and unpleasing ; if I should take notice
of sin, to mourn for it, crucify it, I should make my life sad and uncom
fortable.

Am. 1. Suppose there be something unpleasing in repentance, as there
is to corrupt nature ; yet there is infinitely more bitterness in impenitency.

What is there in repentance so grievous as slavery to sin and Satan ; so
burdensome as Satan's yoke and tyrrany ? But while you continue impeni
tent, you are his slaves.

What evil so lamentable as madness ? But impenitents are, in Scrip
ture phrase, in God's account, madmen. The prodigal, when he returned
to his father, i. e., repented, it is said, he ' came to himself.' He was
besides himself before, and so are all impenitent sinners. Msravo/a comes
from ai/o/a, amentia ; he that turns not from sin is a madman.

What so terrible as death ? What bitterness in repentance comparable
to the bitterness of death ? But impenitents are dead in sins and trespasses.

What in repentance like the curse of God ! What like the guilt of sin,
so much, of so many ! What like to the wounds of a terrified conscience !
What like the lashes of vengeance, revenging justice ! What like the
scorchings of incensed wrath ! What like to hell, everlasting fire, the
gnawing worm that never dies, weeping and gnashing of teeth to eternity !

He that will expose himself to these miseries, rather than displease his
corrupt nature by the practice of repentance, is like one who had rather
continue all his life in a burning fever, than endure a chirurgeon to breathe
a vein. Or like one who, having drunk poison, will rather die a painful
death, than take an unpleasing potion to prevent it. If there were any
bitterness in repentance, there is incomparably more in impenitency.

Ans. 2. It is false that repentance is unpleasing. It is not so in itself;
it is not so to any but those whose palates are distempered ; to those whose
minds the god of this world has blinded, so as they cannot judge ; call bitter
sweet, and sweet bitter. It is not so to those who have had experience of
it, and none else are competent judges. Oh if ye would but practise it, if
ye would but taste and see what joys, what comforts, what delights are in
repentance, you would soon change your judgment, and cry out upon Satan
as an impostor, and your hearts as deceitful, for representing it unpleasing.
How can that be but comfortable upon which the Lord has entailed so much
comfort, to which he has made so many sweet promises : ' Blessed are they
that mourn,' Mat. v ; ' Those that sow in tears shall reap in joy,' Ps.
cxxvi. 6, and xcvii. 11. No great distance between seed-time and harvest.
Who can think that unpleasing on earth which occasions joy in heaven ?
Luke xv. 7. While your hearts mourn, bleed for sin, bemoan it, Jer.
xxxi. 18, the Lord's bowels yearn toward you. While your spirit is sad
in the remembrance of sin, the Spirit of joy and glory rests on you. When
you are confessing sin, Christ is speaking peace : John xvi. 20, ' Sorrow
shall be turned into joy.' While you are returning, nay, but resolving to
return, to repent, the Father is running to embrace you. And oh what
joy will there be in such embraces ! What joy to see the Father falling
upon your neck and kissing, giving such sweet intimations of his love, as men
use to do by such affectionate expressions ! Oh, let the world judge what
they will, let Satan suggest what he will of repentance, those that have had
experience of it will count it pleasing, comfortable, delightful.

Ans. 3. It is not so only positively, but comparatively. There is more

62 OF REPENTANCE. [LuKE XIII. 3.

sweetness in repentance than in all the pleasures of sin. All the ways of
Christ are ' ways of pleasantness,' Prov. iii. 17; i. e., most pleasing, super
latively so, beyond comparison. And this is one reason why Moses chose
rather] affliction, Heb. xi. 25. And why but because more desirable,
and really more delightful, whatever they seem ? The pleasures of sin are
short, like the light of a candle, quickly spent if it burn till consumed, but
often put out, Job xxi. 17. The pleasures of repentance are like the sun
that shines more and more, Prov. iv. 18. Those are mixed ; the heart is
sad in the midst of laughter, Prov. xiv. 13 ; like John's little book, Rev.
x. 9, ' sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly ; ' like Belshazzar's feast,
Jael's entertainment. These are ure,pspring* in heaven.

Those are brutish, sensual, have little pre-eminence above the pleasures
of a beast ; these are spiritual, heavenly, glorious, 1 Peter i. 8.

Those are groundless ; in fancy, when there is real cause of sorrow ; like
joy in a frantic man, or a malefactor led to execution ; lamentable joys,
such as deserve pity; joy when most cause of sorrow. The end in sorrow,
will be bitterness in the end ; for a moment's joy, eternal sorrows ; for a
few pleasures, many sorrows, Ps. xxxii. 10.

This sorrow ends in joy ; a moment's sorrow, endless joy, everlasting
joy ; it is a well of water springing up to eternal life ; a small stream, but
leads to the ocean.

Now, judge what ground for this objection, what reason to be hindered
by a conceit of unpleasantness, since the hardest part of repentance has
such comfort attending it here, and such joys rewarding it hereafter.
* So in text ; perhaps ' These are re-upspringing.' — ED.

OF FAITH.

He that beliereth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but lie that believeth not
shall be damned. — MABK XVI. 16.

THESE words require as serious attention as any that ever were spoken to
the sons of men ; for they are the words of Christ, the words of one from
the dead.

The last words of Christ, of our departing Saviour. The last instruc
tions of a departing friend, whom never like to see more in the world, they
make deep impression.

Why here is the last- words of Christ upon earth, the last will of Christ,
our husband, our friend, our elder brother. When he had said this, he
said no more that the evangelist relates ; for, ver. 19, ' after he had
spoken these words, he was received up into heaven.'

They are of greatest consequence, the sum of the gospel, the whole
epitomised in two sentences ; the whole covenant of grace. As much in
this verse virtually, as in the whole gospel. Life and death, and the con
ditions of both ; the terms of eternal happiness or misery. If a malefactor
at the bar should see the judge going about to declare to him upon what he
might expect life or death, how diligently would he attend ! All sinners
are malefactors. The Judge of heaven and earth declares here, upon what
terms we may live, though we be cast, found guilty, and condemned. It
is not a matter of credit or estate, but a matter of life and death, of the
life of our souls. It is no less than eternal life or eternal death, that these
words concern. And therefore,

The condition of life is double: 1, principal, faith; 2, accessory, bap
tism. Accessory, I call it, because it is not absolutely necessary to life, as
faith is. Non privatio, sed contemptus damnat. And therefore it is left out
in the latter part. It is not, he that is [not] baptized shall be damned, but
he that believes not. Faith is so necessary, as he that believes not, though
he be baptized, shall be damned.

Doct. Salvation or damnation depend upon faith and unbelief. No
salvation but by faith. Nothing but damnation by unbelief.

Faith is the principal saving grace, and unbelief the chief damning sin.
No sin can damn without this, and this will damn without any other sin :
John iii. 18, 'is condemned.' The law, which threatens death for every
sin, has already passed sentence of condemnation upon all, because all are
sinners. This sentence is so peremptory as it admits but of one exception,

64 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

which the gospel brings in. All are condemned, and shall be executed,
except they believe. So that where there is not faith, the sentence of con
demnation is in full force. An unbeliever so continuing is as sure to be
damned, as if in hell already ; as sure to be cast into outer darkness, as
if he were tormented in everlasting burnings; as sure to bear the eternal,
insupportable wrath of God, as if he had now fellowship with the devil and
his angels.

We say of a man that has the symptoms of death, he is a dead man.
Unbelief is the symptom of eternal death. There is nothing but death to
be expected where this continues ; no hopes of eternal life if he persevere
in unbelief. He is dead while he lives ; in hell while he is on earth.

The great physician of souls gives him over. He that healed all manner
of diseases cannot cure him, cannot prevent his eternal death who con
tinues in unbelief. When the plague-sore appears in a person, we con
clude him dead, phut him up, debar him of society with living men, write
Lord have mercy upon his door. Unbelief is the sore of an eternal plague,
of that plague which is incurable. While unbelief continues, he is shut up
amongst the dead, but in this more miserable, as there is no hopes of life,
so no hopes of mercy ; he must die without mercy. There is neither life
nor mercy for an unbeliever. When we see a condemned malefactor upon
the scaffold, with his neck upon the block, and none to plead for his pardon,
nor hopes of prevailing if there were any to plead, we may conclude he is
a dead man.

In such a condition is an unbeliever, he is condemned already, the in
struments of death are ready. There is none in heaven or earth will plead
for his pardon ; nor would the Lord pardon him, so continuing, if all in
heaven and earth should become intercessors. No hopes for him, except
he believe, he must die the death, he is condemned already, the mouth of
the Lord has spoken it.

Now if faith be so necessary, and unbeh'ef so dangerous, it concerns us
to know what it is to believe.

It comprises, 1, knowledge ; 2, assent ; 3, dependence, or relying on
the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Knowledge. Faith is expressed by knowledge, Isa. liii. 11. If
knowledge be not faith, yet there can be no faith without knowledge.

That blind faith of the papists is good for nothing but to lead them into
the ditch. That ignorance is the mother of devotion, is one of the prin
ciples of the father of lies. Sure it is the nurse of unbelief. It is Satan's
muffler, which he makes use of to lead sinners blindfold into hell ; it brings
them there before they know where they are. Ignorant persons are like
the Syrians, struck with blindness, 2 Kings vi. 20. They thought they
were going on a hopeful design, but when their eyes were opened, they
found themselves in the midst of Samaria, in the midst of their enemies.
The first step to conversion is to open the eyes, to scatter darkness, Acts
xxvi. 18. He begins the new creation as he did the creation of the world:
' Let there be light,' Gen. i. The first thing he produces is light. There
is a dawning of the day before the day-star arise ; some light goes before
the sun rising. Such a dawning of knowledge there is before the Sun of
righteousness arise, before Christ dwell in the heart by faith ; some light
from the law discovering sin and misery ; some light from the gospel dis
covering Christ's excellency and all-sufficiency. There is a competent
knowledge of the mysteries of the gospel, a knowledge more distinct, more
convincing, more affecting, than that which he had in the state of unbelief.

MASK XVI. 16.] OP FAITH. 65

2. Assent. As to the principles of the doctrine of Christ, so especially to
these two truths: 1, that he has a necessity of a Saviour; 2, that Christ
is the only all-sufficient Saviour.

(1.) There is an absolute necessity of a Saviour, which the Scripture
declares upon three grounds: 1, the sinfulness of a natural man; 2, his
misery ; 3, his inability to free himself from it.

There must be a full and effectual assent to, and belief of, what the Lord
declares concerning his sinful, miserable, impotent state.

3. Recumbence, relying upon Christ. To rely upon Christ alone for
salvation is saving faith.

It is not to believe him, but to believe on him ; which the New Testament
expresses by a peculiar phrase, not used by heathen authors : T/OTSUS/V tis
ro v Xf/ffrof, Acts xix. 4 ; eig ifis, Mat. ix. 42 ; sir} rov, or, svi rti, Acts
xvi. 31, licl TOV Kveiov ', Rom. ix. 33, tufrtitttv lit aur& ; Mark i. 15, sv rG>
svayysXi'w", Rom. iii. 25, sv r& a'l^arr, Gal. iii. 24, iic, Xg/ordv; Eph. i. 15;
g/£ 7-6 oVo.aa, John i. 12, &c.

It is not to give credit to him, but to rely on him ; it is to trust in him.
To trust in him is more than to believe him, to assent to his word as true.
It is, as Lombard explains it, lib. 3, dist. 23, credendo in eum tre, credendo ei
adharere, to adhere, depend, rely on him; not credere, \m.\>fidere,fiduciam
ponere.

This is the essence, the formality of saving faith. There cannot be
justifying faith without knowledge and assent, but there may be knowledge
and assent without it ; these are as the body to faith, this relying is the
soul ; without this, knowledge and assent are but a carcase. The devils
and hypocrites may have more knowledge, and they may have as firm an
assent, but this act is above their reach, and they never attain it.

Now because there is some difference amongst divines about the nature
and essence of faith, some placing it in assent, some in assurance, &c. ;

And because there are mistakes amongst ordinary Christians, many con
cluding they rely on Christ when indeed they do not;

And because mistakes are here dangerous, it being a matter of life and
death eternal, of salvation or damnation, — faith being the first stone on
which the structure of salvation is raised, and an error in the foundation
threatens ruin to the whole ;

It behoves to be diligent in inquiring what this faith is, what the nature
of this dependence and relying on Christ.

Now, the best way to find this out will be to discuss those words and
phrases whereby the Holy Ghost in Scripture expresses faith. From these
we may get light sufficient to discover the nature of this act ; and these are
various.

1. To believe is to come to Christ, so it is expressed in the New Testa
ment'; to betake ourselves to him, so in the Old Testament. And both
express this dependence, this relying on Christ ; for to betake ourselves
wholly unto one is to rely on him. To say, I betake myself to you alone,
is as much as I rely only on you.

So "TIDE, used in the Old Testament for trust, relying, &c., signifies also
to approach, to draw near, Ezra xxiv. 2,* answerably the apostle, Heb.

* This sentence is evidently incorrect. There are not twenty-four chapters in
the Book of Ezra, and "I^D does not mean either to trust or to approach, but to mix.
Perhaps it ought to be, ' fck> HOIT use(i iQ ^e Old Testament for trust, reliance, &c.,
signifies also to draw near, Job xxiv. 2.' In the next paragraph, HDH *s three

VOL. I. E

66 OF FAITH. [MAKE XVI. 16.

x. 22, ngo<rsgp£w/i£$a'' Iv crX»jgopog/a -TT/OTSWS, let us come with full sail, with
all haste, as a ship when it makes all its sail ; or if we take it as it is ren
dered, full assurance of faith, such a confidence as faith is in its full growth
and strength; yet there is also a beginning of our confidence, Heb. iii. 14.
The first intent motion of the soul to Christ is dg^ rye, WoovaTswg,* faith in
its infancy. But to come to the words whereby it is ordinarily expressed
under this notion :

To believe is to come to Christ, John vi. 85 ; here, to come is to believe.
The same may be evidently collected from ver. 64 and 65. We see this
in the prodigal; he is an emblem of a sinner both in his fall and in
recovery by faith: Luke xv., 'He went into a far country,' ver. 13. A
sinner in unbelief is a stranger to Christ, lives at a great distance from
him, without God in the world. His employment base, ver. 15; baser is
the employment of a sinner ; he is sin's drudge, he is Satan's slave, serves
them in a cruel bondage ; though he gratify Satan, and provide for his
lusts, yet he starves his soul, ver. 16. The lusts of the flesh, the vanities
of the world, are the husks that a sinner feeds on ; no wonder if his soul
pine and languish at the gates of death. All this while he is in a swoon,
sin has stuprfied him, he has lost his senses. Though he be ready to
perish, he apprehends it not ; he comes not to himself till he think of com
ing to Christ, ver.1 17. Till the Lord awaken the stupified conscience by
the ministry of the law, till he prick the heart, drop wrath into the soul,
make some impressions of terror on it, he remains senseless as to the
condition of his soul ; but then he comes to himself, he comes to his
senses, feels the burden of sin, sees hell ready to swallow him, apprehends
himself ready to perish. And then, not till then, he resolves, ver. 18, ' I
will arise,' &c., and he pursues his resolution, ver. 20, he came ; i. e., he
believed. The word in the Old Testament is HDP! ; Ps. Ixiv. 10, ' The
righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and ' "Q HDH 'shall trust in him.' It
signifies to fly, to betake one's self to a place of safety ; as the chickens,
in danger to be seized on, fly under the wings of the hen : Ruth ii. 12,
' Under whose wings thou art come to trust,' JTlDrP- The helpless bird
pursued by the kite, in danger to be devoured, runs under the wing of the
dam. Thus it is with a sinner at the first working of faith, he apprehends
himself pursued by wrath and judgment ; he knows if they seize on him he
must perish without remedy. Oh the sad condition of such a soul ! Oh,
but he sees Christ spreading his wings ready to secure perishing sinners ;
he hears him inviting in the gospel to come under his shadow. Oh, how
sweet is that voice to him (however, while senseless he neglected) ! He
hears, obeys, and runs to Christ for shelter, and so he is safe : Ps. xxxvi. 7,
' How excellent is thy loving-kindness, 0 God ! therefore the children of
men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.'

To believe in Christ is to fly to him as to a stronghold, a refuge, a
sanctuary, Nahum i. 7. The Lord is good, a stronghold, he knoweth
them '•DH; that trust in him. And hence it is that from this root come
some words, /TIDI! and HDHD, which signifies a refuge, a place of security,
a hiding place : Ps. xci. 2, ' I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and
fortress : my God ; in him will I trust ; ' Isa. xxx. 3, ' They trust in the
shadow of Egypt; ' Ps. xiv. 6, ' The Lord is his refuge.'

It is with the sensible sinner as it was with the man-slayer under the
law ; if the avenger of blood overtook him before he recovered the city of

times printed for HDPf '• but ^e correction is put beyond doubt by the references.
Indeed, every Hebrew word in this sermon is misprinted. — ED.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 67

refuge, hie was to kill him. The awakened sinner perceives that he is pur
sued by revenging justice, it follows him as Asahel did Joab, pursues him
close, he turns not to the right hand nor to the left, and if he overtake
him, the sinner dies without mercy, he dies eternally. Now there is no
city of refuge for the sinner but Christ only ; he is discovered, he is set
open in the gospel, and he that gets into him is safe, revenging justice
cannot touch him. And therefore the poor sinner makes haste, he flies as
for his life, the life of his soul, he knows he is but a dead man if justice
reach him ; he casts off sin, which clogs him in his flight, he looks not
aside to the world, he puts forth the whole strength of his soul, and makes
out to Christ with all his might, and never rests till he get into him.
This vigorous motion of the soul towards Christ is faith. Those dull and
sluggish souls, who have no motion to Christ but some wishes, some faint
inclinations, know not what faith is. So eager was the apostle in his ten
dency to Christ, as he cast off all things as dung, how precious soever they
had been to him before; he threw away all as loss and dung that might
hinder him in his way to Christ, Phil. iii. Be found in him as in the city
of refuge. Joab knew that he was obnoxious to justice; he heard Adonijah
was put to death for a crime that he was guilty of, he expected nothing but
death except some extraordinary course were taken to prevent it. Now
what course he takes you may see ; 1 Kings ii. 28, ' he caught hold on'.the
horns of the altar.' Answerably, a sensible sinner, he apprehends his
guilt, his provocation, he has received the sentence of death within himself,
he knows there are thousands in hell for those very sins whereof he is guilty,
and he concludes his soul will be in hell ere long, it may be the next hour,
if he take not some course to secure himself from justice. Now there is
no sanctuary for a guilty soul but Christ only ; therefore he flies to the
tabernacle of the Lord, and so takes hold on the horns of the altar ; he
flies to Christ, lays hold on him, resolves if he die he will die there. There
he is safer than Joab in his sanctuary ; for Christ is that strong tower to
which the righteous fly and are safe, Prov. xviii. 10. This making out to
Christ with all the strength of the soul for refuge is faith. To believe is
to come, fly, Heb. vi. 18.

2.'1To believe in Christ is to lean upon him, to stay and rest on him. The
word is W&, and it is used when Saul is said to lean upon his spear,
2 Sam. i. 6. Hence comes jyt^Q, which signifies a stay, a staff whereon
we lean to support ourselves. So the Lord is called : Ps. xviii. 18, ' The
Lord was my stay.' Thus, to lean upon Christ is to trust in him, when
we stay on him as the only staff and support of our souls. So the word
is rendered, Isa. x. 20, when we rest on him. So we have it, 2 Chron.
xiv. 11, ' Help us, 0 Lord our God, for we rest,' &c. More especially,
Prov. iii. 5, ' Trust in the Lord,' &c. ; Isa. 1. 10, 'Let him trust in the name
of the Lord, and stay himself,' &c. ; where to trust and to stay, nZD3 and
])?V) are all one, one is explained by the other.

Now this leaning does most significantly express this act of faith we call
relying ; and so the word is rendered 2 Chron. xiii. 18, 2 Chron. xvi. 7, 8.

There is another word of the same signification, by which the Holy
Ghost expresses faith in the Old Testament, and that is "]DD, which signi
fies to lean or stay upon : Isa. xlviii. 2, ' Stay themselves upon the God
of Israel,' 1DQD3, which is explained to be trusting, Isa. xxvi. 8 ; "ODD,
whose mind is stayed, because he trusteth mi03- So 2 Kings xviii. 21,
' Thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, on which if a man lean '
), &c.

68 OF FAITH. [MABK XVI. 16.

Now these words give us great light to discern what this act of saving
faith is. A sinner, before the Lord stir him up to helieve, is in a dead
sleep ; and there he dreams of heaven, and who surer of it than he ? But
when the Lord awakens him, he finds that he has been all this while
sleeping on the battlements of hell ; all his former hopes and persuasions
prove but fancies and delusions. He thought himself safe enough, but he
finds that he stands upon the very brink of the bottomless pit ; has no sure
footing neither ; he stands in a slippery place ; and the very weight of his
sins is enough to carry him down headlong into that place of torment.
Sin is a fall, ffaoavrupa ; and it is a wonder that every sin is not a fall
into hell. One sin was heavy enough to cast many hundreds of angels
from the height of glory into the lower hell. And alas, then, says the
sinner, what shall become of me, who have the weight of so many thousand
sins upon my soul ! How shall I stand under so many, when they were
sunk by the weight of one ! Oh what sad thoughts will assail the soul of
a sinner, when he is fully apprehensive of his danger ! Ay, but this is
not all ; he not only stands on the ridge of destruction, in such a tottering
condition, but Satan is pushing at him, and incensed justice is ready to,
tumble him down. And what if a tempest of wrath should arise, if the
Lord, in just indignation, should come upon him as a whirlwind ? what
would then become of him ? Had he not need to look out for some sup
port, for something to stay his soul on, which otherwise is every moment
in danger to tumble into hell ? He has nothing at present that keeps him
standing but the patience of God. Oh but this is abused, provoked; this
is no sure support, he is not sure of it an hour ; it may withdraw the
next moment, and then where is he ? What then can stay the soul from
falling into everlasting burnings ? Why, none but Christ. Unless he stay
his soul upon him, he falls, he sinks, he perishes without remedy. This
he hears and believes, and makes out to Christ for support. Not being
able to stand under the weight of sin, under the pressures of wrath and
justice, he leans upon Christ. The burdened sinking soul rests upon
Christ, and so is established, Ps. cxii. 7, 8.

3. To believe in Christ is to adhere to him, to cleave to him, cling about
him. The two words last instanced in, rendered to trust, do also signify
a close adhering: Numb. xxi. 15, ' Lieth upon the border of Moab,' runs
close to it. We may get some sparks from this word to light us in this
search. A man that has suffered shipwreck is left to the mercy of the
waves; has nothing in his reach to secure him but some planks or mast.
How will he cling to it ! how fast will he clasp ! He will hold it as if it
were his life, 2 Kings xviii. 5, Deut. iv. 4. He knows he is a dead man
if he leave it ; and therefore if any wave drive him off, he makes to it again
with all his might, and clasps it faster. He knows there is no way but
sink and perish if he part with it.

A sinner, when the Lord begins to work faith in him, apprehends him
self in a gulf of wrath ; all the billows and waves go over him, and the
depths are ready to swallow him up. Now in this case he sees no other
security but Christ ; he is the only tabula post naufragium, the only plank
that is left (after our miserable wreck in Adam) to bring a sinner to shore ;
and therefore he cleaves to him ; his soul clasps about him ; he holds him
as he would hold his soul ready to leave him, if it could come into his
embraces. He knows, if he part, he sinks for ever ; and therefore if any
apprehension of wrath, of sin, of unworthiness, would drive him off, he
clings closer to him, or he sinks eternally.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 69

4. To believe in Christ is to roll, to cast ourselves upon him. The
word is ^3, rendered by trust : Ps. xxii. 8, ' He trusted in the Lord,'
miT b$ b^> ^e rolled himself upon the Lord ; so Ps. xxxvii. 5, Commit
thy way,' mrp^SJ ^13> r°U ^hy way upon the Lord ; and what that is, the
next words shew, fFI02» ^ ig *° trust in him ; so Prov. xvi. 8, ,' Commit
thy works unto the Lord,' ^jj, the same word, roll thy works upon, &c.
The expression is explained by another word, *T^U7 : Ps. Iv. 23, ' Cast thy
burden upon the Lord,' &c., a metaphor taken from one ready to fall
down under a heavy burden ; he casts it upon one more able to bear it.

Now sin is a heavy, a most grievous burden ; the Lord himself complains
of the weight of it, Amos ii. 13. The weight of sin, though Christ had
none of his own, made him sweat, and sweat blood ; made his soul heavy.
It is burdened with the wrath and heavy indignation of God ; it is clogged
with the curses and threatenings of the law, so called frequently. No
wonder if one sin be as a millstone about the neck of the soul, able to sink
it into the bottom of hell.

But though it be so burdensome, yet the sinner, till conversion, finds no
weight in it. No wonder, since he is dead in trespasses. Cast rocks and
mountains upon a dead man, he feels them not.

Ay, but when the Lord begins to work faith, and brings the sinner to
himself, then he feels it burdensome indeed ; he wonders at his former
stupidness, he groans under the weight, he apprehends himself even sink
ing under the burden ; and if he be not eased of this burden, he feels it
will press him into hell. He lies grovelling under the weight, and cries,
Help, help, or else I sink, I perish ; and who is there that can help the
soul in this sad condition ?

If he should call to the angels, they know it is too heavy, they dare not
come near it ; they can remember since the weight of one sin sunk some
thousands of their companions into the bottomless pit.

If he should call to the saints, they have enough of their own burden,
Ps. xxxviii. 4.

If he should call to the inferior creatures, they need help as well as he.
It is the weight of sin that makes the whole creation groan and travail in
pain, Rom. viii. 22. Let the oppressed sinner cry out to whom he will,
they will all answer, as the king to the woman, ' If the Lord do not
help,' &c.

Why, then, must the burdened sinner perish ? Is there no remedy ?
Yes, the Lord has laid help on one that is mighty. Christ is willing, and
he is only able to ease the burdened soul. He invites him to come ; he
will take the burden on himself, rather than the soul shall sink under it.
Now, the sinner hearing this, it is glad tidings indeed to him : he closes
with Christ, rolls himself, casts his burdened soul upon him, and so
believes. For a sinner thus burdened, thus sensible of the weight of sin,
to roll himself upon Christ, is to believe in him.

5. To believe in Christ, is to apply him. It is an intimate application,
such as that of meat and drink by one pinched with hunger, and fainting
with thirst. Hence faith is expressed by eating, John vi. 51, 53, 54, 56.
To eat there, is to believe. It is not sacramental eating, as some mistake
it ; for then all that partake not of that ordinance should be damned (no
infants should be saved), and all that partake of it should be saved ;
whereas this is against experience, that against charity, both against
truth. But it is a spiritual eating, that is, believing, as we are led by the
coherence to expound it, verse 35. That which is eating here, is there

70 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

coming (fiducial coming) ; and that which, is drinking here, is there
believing. So in the Old Testament, "JEDj ordinarily rendered to trust,
rely, or stay on one, does also signify to nourish, to refresh and comfort,
as one fainting is refreshed with wine : Cant. ii. 5, ^"OQDi ' Stay me with
flaggons ;' and the only other word untouched, which the Old Testament
uses for faith, p^, signifies in Kal nutrire, in Hiphil fidere. This is
enough to evince that faith is an application, such an application of Christ
as that of nourishment to one that is hungry. And this tends something
to discover the nature of this act, which we shall make evident by a Scrip
ture allusion, Gen. xxi. The state of Hagar and her son in the desert
resembles the state of a sinner in unbelief. They are for their insolency
cast out of Abraham's family ; they wander, and lose themselves in the
wilderness ; and, which is worse, their provision is quite spent, and nothing
is to be looked for but a miserable death. Nay, death is already seizing
on Ishmael ; he faints, and she not enduring to see him die in this extre
mity, withdraws herself, lifts up her voice, and weeps, verse 16. Now the
Lord, pitying them in this forlorn condition, shews her a well of water.
Oh with what great eagerness, do ye think, with what greediness, does she
apply this water, to save the life of her dying child ! Thus it is with a
sinner ; he is cast out from the presence of God for his rebellion ; he
wanders, and loses God, and then loses himself. In this sad condition his
provisions are spent, he has nothing to support his soul, nothing to feed
on but wind. His soul faints and languishes, and lies gasping even at the
gates of eternal death. This is his sad condition, and this he apprehends
when the Lord begins to work faith ; and oh with what anguish does the
apprehension thereof afflict him ! Nothing can save his soul from death
but a draught of the water of life, a taste of Christ. The Lord in this
extremity discovers Christ, opens his eyes to see the fountain of life
opened in the gospel. And when the sinner, in sense of his dying con
dition, applies Christ for life, then he believes. When the soul takes in
this water of life as greedily as the hunted hart, who in danger of death,
both from burning thirst within, and the eager pursuers without, pants
after, and plunges himself in the water-brooks : when the soul, in sense of
such extremities from the indignation of God on all sides, takes in this
water of life as he would take in life itself, then he believes, Ps. xlii. 1, 2.

6. To believe in Christ is to receive him, John i. 12. Receiving is
explained by believing ; so that to receive is to believe on him, Col. ii. 6, 7.
As faith has taken root by this first act of receiving, so let it grow strong
and fruitful. Sometimes the object of it is otherwise expressed ; so that
to believe in Christ is to receive his righteousness, and to receive remission
of sins. And these expressions give light to discover the nature of this
act, as we shall improve them by a similitude or two.

A poor man over head and ears in debt, who owes more than he can pay,
if himself and all that he has were sold for payment. The Serjeants arrest
him, and hale him to prison, and there he is like to spend all his days
miserably in a dungeon ; while he is afflicted with the sad apprehension of
his misery, and even at the prison door, and one offers him a sum that will
discharge all that he owes, oh how will the poor man be transported with
such an offer ! how joyfully will he receive it, though it were upon condi
tion that he should be his benefactor's servant all his life !

The case is parallel. Sinners are debtors to the great God. Sins are
called cxptiXyfAara, Mat. vi. 12. The least sin is such a debt, as the sinner's
body and soul is not of sufficient value to discharge it. But justice must

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 71

be satisfied, and in default hereof, the sinner is every moment in danger to
be cast into^hell, and must not come out till he have paid that which he can
never pay, the utmost farthing.

Now while the sensible soul is dejected with these apprehensions, Christ
in the gospel offers him his righteousness, of such value that it will satisfy
the utmost demand of justice.

Now when the sinner receives this with such an open heart, such a trans
ported soul, as a debtor dragged to prison would receive a jewel able to
satisfy all his creditors, when he thus receives it, he believes, Rom. v. 17.
This gift of righteousness is that which is elsewhere called our Xvrgov, the
price of our redemption. To receive this, is to believe. For that which
is receiving the gift of righteousness, ver. 17, and receiving the atonement,
verse 11, is styled, being justified by faith, verse 1.

To believe, is to receive remission of sins, Acts xxvi. 18. And this affords
another simile, to illustrate the matter in hand.

A condemned person upon the scaffold, all the instruments of death ready,
and nothing wanting but one blow to separate soul and body, while he is
possessed with sad apprehensions of death, one unexpectedly comes, and
brings him a pardon. Oh how will his heart welcome it ! How will his
hands receive it, as though his soul were in his hands ! So here.

A sinner, while in unbelief, is condemned already, he has received the
sentence of death in himself; and there remains nothing but a fearful
expectation of judgment, and the fiery indignation, nothing but an expecta
tion of execution, but a step betwixt him and the eternal death. He hears
the gospel in this condition offering mercy, and proclaiming a pardon through
the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now for the dying soul to revive at these glad tidings, to welcome Christ,
to receive him for the remission of sins, as the condemned person with his
neck upon the block would receive a pardon, is to believe, Acts x. 43.

7. To believe in Christ, is to apprehend him, to lay hold of him, to
embrace him : Rom. ix. 80, ' have attained to righteousness.' The best
Latin translators render xar&ajSe, by apprehenderunt, have apprehended,
have laid hold on the righteousness of faith, i. e., the righteousness of
Christ, who is the Lord our righteousness, the proper object of justifying
faith. Now what it is to apprehend the righteousness of Christ, or Christ
who is our righteousness, we are taught, verse 33. So that to believe on
him, and to apprehend his righteousness, is all one.

It is to embrace Christ, Heb. xi. 13 ; aavaea^voi ; they had not yet re
ceived the promises, i. e., the things promised. Christ was not yet exhibited,
he was afar off ; but he was offered in the promise, there they embraced
him, i. e., believed on him. For there the apostle is giving an account of
the several acts of faith, whereof this is the principal, to embrace Christ in
the promise.

And this we may improve to discover the nature of this saving act, Mat.
xiv. 29-31. There Peter was so bold, as to come out of the ship and walk
upon the waters. But when the tempest grew strong, then his heart
fails him, and then he begins to sink, and sinking he cries out, Lord,
save me ! Christ, seeing him ready to perish, stretches out his hand, or,
as some render it, takes him by the hand, and so cures him. Answerably
here.

To walk in the ways of sin, is to walk as it were upon the waters ; there
is no sure footing, how bold soever sinners are to venture. If patience
were not infinite, we should sink every moment. The sensible sinner, he

72 OP FAITH. [MAKE XVI. 16.

begins to see his danger, patience will long ere withdraw, it' will not be
always abused ; a tempest of wrath will arise ; nay, he finds it grow
boisterous, it does already ruffle his conscience, he is as sure to sink, as if
he were walking upon the waves. Nay, he feels his soul already sinking ;
no wonder if he cry out as a lost man, as one ready to be swallowed up in
a sea of wrath.

But now Christ stretches out his hand in the gospel. Now for the soul
in sense of its sinking state, to stretch out itself to lay hold on that ever
lasting arm, that only can save him from going down into the bottomless
pit, this is to believe, Cant. iii. 4, apprehendi eum ;* to hold him, as one
falling from a steep place, in danger to be dashed in pieces, holds a branch,
a bough that he meets with, that he catches at in his fall ; to hold Christ,
as that only which can stay him, when he finds himself falling into hell
and eternal destruction ; to embrace, as he would embrace life, glory,
happiness.

This may be sufficient to discover the nature of faith. But for further
evidence, observe what is included in it, as appears by the former.

1. Sense of misery. It is a sensible dependence. Faith presupposes
sense of misery. When the Lord brings a sinner to believe, he makes him
thoroughly apprehensive of his miserable condition by reason of sin and
wrath ; he not only assents to it, but is sensible of it.

A man that has read or heard much of the sad effects of war, he may
assent, believe that it is a great misery to be infected with war. Ay, but
when the enemy is at his door, when they are driving his cattle, and
plundering his goods, and firing his houses, he not only assents to it, but
he sees, he feels the miseries of it ; he has more sensible, more affecting
apprehensions of it than ever. A sinner that continues in unbelief, hearing
the threatenings, the wrath denounced against unbelievers, he may assent
to this, that unbelievers are in a miserable condition ; but when the Lord
is working faith, he brings this home to himself; he sees justice ready to
seize on him, he feels wrath kindling upon him. He now not only believes
it, but has a quick sense of it. He has often heard of the misery of
such a condition by the hearing of the ear, but now his eye sees it, and he
sees it so as his eye affects his heart. He has often heard of the burden
and danger of sin, but now he feels it. He apprehends himself at the point
of sinking under it. He has often heard how terrible the wrath of God is,
but looking on it at a distance, it did no more affect him than a painted
fire ; ay, but now he feels the heat of it, it begins to kindle in his soul, and
scorch his conscience. He has heard of dreadful threatenings and curses
denounced against such and such sins, but he looked upon them as at a
distance, as discharged at random ; ay, but now he sees them levelled at
himself, his soul in the butt, the mark to which those arrows aim and are
directed, and the poison thereof drinks up his spirits. He reads and hears
the terrible things denounced against sin, as though he were another man,
and is affected with them as though they were not the same things. He
wonders at his former stupidness. This thunder is not afar off, but it
startles him, as though he were even in the thunder-cloud. Till it be thus
in some degree, he will not believe, will not come to Christ, till they not
only enter his fancy and understanding, but prick his heart. The physician
is neglected, while the patient thinks himself in health. The whole, i. e.,
those that think themselves whole, see no need of the great physician.
Till the sinner apprehend himself, his soul sick unto death, Christ is not

* Mercer.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 73

looked,' after. The malefactor will never sue for a pardon to purpose, till
he be (or apprehend himself in danger to be) condemned. No flying to
this stronghold, till there be some fear of pursuers. There will be no flying
to Christ, no believing in him, without some sense of misery. Lot would
never have fled to the mountain, but that the country was all in a flame,
Gen. x. 28.

2. A rejecting of other dependences, other supports. It is a sole de
pending, a relying upon Christ alone. While the sinner depends upon
anything else, in himself, or without himself, for safety, he believes not on
Christ, he stands no longer upon* his own legs. While the sinner stands
upon his own bottom, his own righteousness, his good meaning, good
nature, good deeds, his charitableness or religiousness, his being better
than others, or not so bad as most, and upon this raises hopes of pardon,
he is far from faith, he is but in the condition of the unjustified Pharisee.
But when he looks upon these as no greater securities than tow or stubble
would be, to shroud him from a consuming fire, then he will look out for
a better screen to interpose betwixt his soul and that fiery indignation that
his sins have kindled.

When the soul, feeling the flame of wrath kindling on her, cries out as
one that is already perishing, None but Christ, none but Christ, then he is
in the highway to faith.

If the dove which Noah sent out could have found rest for the sole of
her feet elsewhere, she would not have returned unto the ark, Gen. viii. 12.
Such an averseness there is in our natures to Christ, as he is the last thing
a sinner looks after. If he can rest in anything else, if he can find rest in his
friends, in his boon companions, in his accommodations, in his worldly
employments, in his religious duties, in his good accomplishments ; if he
find rest to the sole of his foot here, the ark is forgotten, he returns not to
Christ. But when he sees a deluge of wrath overwhelm him, when the
waters of God's wrath rise so high as nothing appears but the ark, nothing
to rest on but Christ, nothing but drowning and perishing in the common
deluge, except he get into the ark, then he rests not till he gets into Christ,
then he flies to him as for his life. See faith thus working in Ephraim,
Hosea xiv. 4. They reject all foreign dependences : ' Asshur shall not
save us ; ' they reject all dependence on themselves : ' we will not ride,' &c.
They reject all that they had formerly idolised, and that by relying on them,
they knew that this was the high way to mercy. None but the fatherless,
TO l^avlv. Till the sinner apprehend himself as an orphan, without
strength, without counsel, all his supports dead which were a father to him,
he will not betake himself to Christ as his only guardian ; till he thus
betake himself to Christ, he believes not.

3. Submission. Faith is a very submissive grace. Sin and wrath lie so
heavy, as the soul is bended to what the Lord will. If he will but pardon
me, says the humbled sinner, if he will but forgive me, let him deal with
me otherwise as seems good in his eyes. If he will but shew mercy, let
the Lord do it when and how he pleases. Ps. xxxvii. 7, ' Rest,' that is,
trust ; but the word is DVT, ' be silent to the Lord.' That is the temper
of faith, whatever the Lord says or does, the believing soul is silent. He
is sensible of so much sinfulness and wretchedness, as worse cannot be
said of him than he is, worse cannot be inflicted on him than he deserves ;
and therefore let the Lord say of him, and do with him what he pleases,
he puts his mouth in the dust, and is silent. Only let his life be given

* Qu. l stands upon' ? — ED.

74 OF FAITH. [MASK XVI. 16.

him, the life of his soul, and however otherwise the Lord proceeds, he will
not reply. If the Lord say, he shall continue upon the rack of terror, he
submits ; only, says he, Lord, save my life, let me have that for a prey.
If the Lord say, though he pardon him, yet he will make him exemplary
by sharp afflictions, that the contagion of his example may not spread,
0 Lord, says he, only spare my life ; whatever is not hell is mercy to
such a wretch as I am.

The sinner has been battered by the law, justice does besiege him, wrath
is ready to assault, he sees himself reduced to extremity, he stands not upon
terms, indents not with the besieger, but yields at discretion, will be at the
mercy of the conqueror, cautious for nothing but his life, stands upon
nothing but his soul, that this may not perish for ever. Whatever is not
death, whatever is not eternal wrath, is infinite mercy to such a rebel as I
have been. If the shipwrecked man can get to shore, can save himself
from drowning, he regards not the wetting of his clothes, the spoiling of
his goods ; a greater matter is in danger ; so it is with a sinner, in whom
faith is working. His soul is in a sea of wrath, he is ready to sink ; if he
can but reach Christ, get to shore, he is content, though he come there
naked, stripped of all that was otherwise dear to him. For why ? His
soul is in danger ; if the Lord let that escape, come what will come else,
he submits, he is silent.

4. Resolution to persist in his dependence. It is a resolute dependence,
he is resolved to keep his hold whatever the event be. He knows justice
is incensed, and the wrath of God is kindled against him, and whether or
no the Lord may proceed to destroy him, he knows not ; but he appre
hends withal that there is no other way to pacify the Lord, no other way
to escape wrath, but by casting himself on Christ, and therefore he resolves
to persist in it.

It is with him as with Esther in her undertaking for the Jews, Esther
iv. 16. If she should go, and the king not hold forth the golden sceptre
to her, she was but a dead woman ; but then if she did not go there was
no other way to save her and her nation from ruin, and therefore she
resolves, ' I will go in unto the king, and if I perish, I perish.' So here,
if I go to Christ (thinks the trembling sinner), and take sanctuary in him,
it may be justice may pursue me thither ; Oh, but if I go not, then there
is nothing for me but certain destruction ; thereupon he resolves, I will
go to Christ, I will lay hold on him, and if I perish I will perish there ; if
wrath seize on me, it shall find me in the arms of Christ ; if I die, I will
die at his feet.

When Joab had fled for refuge to the tabernacle, and caught hold of
the horns of the altar, Benaiah, sent to execute him, bids him leave his
sanctuary : 1 Kings ii. 30, ' Thus says the king, Come forth.' ' Nay,'
says Joab, ' but I will die here ; ' if there be no mercy for me, no remedy
but I must die, I will die here.

Thus the humbled sinner when he has taken sanctuary in Christ, and
laid hold of Christ ; when Satan or his own guilty soul tell him that he
must come forth, there is no mercy for such a traitor, such a heinous
offender ; nay, says the believing soul, but if I must die, I will die here ;
if justice smite me, it shall smite me with Christ in my arms ; though he
kill me, yet will I rely on him ; here will I live, or here will I die ; I will
not quit my hold, though I die for it.

This his resolution as to his former evil way. He will not quit his hold
of Christ, to return to his former courses, though he die here. As the

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 75

three children, Dan. iii. 17, 18, ' The Lord on whom I rely is able to
deliver me ; but if not,' I will never serve my lusts any more.

5. Support. It is an establishing dependence. The heart that trusts,
that relies on Christ, is in some degree or other fixed, more or less estab
lished : Ps. cxii. 7, 8, ' His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' His
heart is established, *:|DD, rendered to trust, to lean ; transitive signifies to
underprop : Ps. Ixxi. 6, ' By thee have I been holden up from the womb.'
A man cast into the sea scrambles up to a rock to secure him ; the rock
is firm enough, able to support ; ay, but the apprehension of his late danger
has left impressions of fear on him ; he is still timorous ; though he be
above the water, he knows not but a storm may blow him off, or a wave
may wash him again into the deep.

Christ is the rock of ages ; he that stays on him stands firm ; he cannot
but have some support for the present, though he has little confidence, no
assurance. He cannot yet say, The Lord will shew me mercy, I shall have
pardon, he will be reconciled, I shall be saved ; he cannot conclude this
certain. Though there be certitudo objecti, yet not certitudo subjecti;
though it be sure he shall not perish, yet he is not sure, he is not fully
persuaded of it. Only this he has to support him, it may be the Lord will
pity me, will shew mercy. He has that which was Benhadad's support in
his great extremity, 1 Kings xx. 31. The Lord is a merciful king, and
this is the only way to find mercy, peradventure he will save my life.
Who knows but the Lord may be reconciled ? Who can tell ? Jonah
iii. 9. This bears up the heart at present, and by degrees he finds more
and more support. It is with him as with the lepers, 2 Kings vii. 8, 4 :
1, he may ; 2, he will ; 3, he has.

6. A consent to accept Christ on his own terms. This is included in
the phrase of coming to Christ, and receiving him, whereby faith is ordi
narily expressed. For we must not understand by coming, any corporal
motion, but a motion of the soul. Now the will is anima locomotiva
facultas, the soul's moving faculty, the organ whereby it performs this
motion ; it moves to an object by consent, and from an object by dissent.
When it consents to take Christ, it comes to him ; it is included in the
phrase of receiving Christ ; for this is an act of the soul too ; and the will
is the soul's receptive power ; it is as the hand of the soul, which closes
when it dissents, and opens when it consents. The will is naturally closed
against Christ, but consent opens it ; and when the will is open to receive
him, it always receives him ; when it opens, it consents ; when it consents,
it receives, i. e., believes.

n. Of the object. Having largely opened the act of saving faith, it
remains that I declare what the object of it is ; for virtues, as other habits,
being defined by their acts and objects, as being their prime essentials, the
essence and nature of this saving faith will be apparent when to the expli
cation of its acts I have added a declaration of its object.

Now, this I shall endeavour, 1, in general; 2, more distinctly in some
particular propositions.

1. In general. The object of justifying or saving faith is Christ; it is
he by and in whom faith seeks pardon and salvation. For this purpose
to him a believer flies, on him he leans and rolls himself, to him he cleaves
and clings. It is Christ he applies, receives, apprehends, and embraces
when he would obtain pardon and life. I should rehearse to you a great
part of the gospel if I should allege all those testimonies which the Scrip-

76 OP FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

ture gives to this truth, Gal. ii. 16, Acts xvi. 31, Bom. ix. 33, Gal. iii. 26,
1 Peter ii. 6, John iii. 16, 18, 36.

2. More particularly.

(1.) The whole word of God is the adequate and general object of faith,
when faith is taken for assent. Saving faith believes the histories, the
precepts, the threatenings ; but as it believes these, it is not saving ; for
those that shall not be saved, viz., the devils and reprobates, may believe
as much. Justifying faith assents to the whole, but it does not justify as
it assents to the whole, but as it rests on Christ ; even as the hand which
feeds the body hath many offices, to work, to receive, to defend : but it
feeds not, but as it conveys nourishment to the mouth. As the rational
soul has many powers and acts besides the power to understand, — -it
remembers, and wills, and fancies, but it understands not but as it appre
hends the truth of its object, — so justifying faith has many acts besides
that whereby it justifies : it believes the threatenings, yields to the com
mands, assents to the historical relations of the word, but it justifies only
as it respects Christ. So that the whole word of God is not the proper
and specifical object of saving faith.

(2.) The mercy of God is but a partial object of faith. A partial, I say,
because this alone is not enough to give faith any hold. Faith can find
no mercy to pitch on but in and through Christ, nor is there any mercy
for a sinner out of him. Therefore Christ must be added before mercy
can be an ample object for faith to fix on. Christ is the only mercy- seat
of faith. Would it find mercy ? it must seek it where it is to be found,
where it is seated: Rom. iii. 25, of xgosdiro 6 &s^g /Xa<rr^/oi/, whom God
has placed as a mercy-seat ; the same word, Heb. ix. 5, jcara<rx/a£oira TO
'iXaffTqpiov. The mercy-seat in the tabernacle was a type of Christ ; and the
posture of it is no more mysterious than comfortable, Exod. xxv. It was
the covering of the ark, above it were the cherubims of glory, the seat of
the divine Majesty; and therefore he is said to sit betwixt the cherubims,
Ps. Ixxx. 1. Under it were the tables of the covenant, or of the testimony,
as it is called, Exod. xxv. ; i.e., of the law, which bears testimony against
sinners, which accuses, curses, condemns. Christ the mercy-seat is inter
posed betwixt the judge and the condemning law. Take away Christ, and
nothing can be expected from the Judge but the law in its rigour, law
without mercy. As the law will shew no mercy, that is all for justice, so
the Lord will shew no mercy but on the mercy- seat, none but through
Christ. Christ must be added to make mercy a complete, a fit object for
faith. Without him it is but a partial object, if any at all. Mercy
through Christ is faith's object. If faith pitch on mercy without him, it
will pitch upon that which will not support it.

(3.) The promises of the gospel, they are the less principal, the subser
vient objects of faith. The promise is as the dish wherein Christ, the bread
of life, the manna from heaven, is set before faith, and presented to it. Both
are served up together; but faith feeds not on the dish, but on the manna,
the bread of life in it.

The promise is as a glass, a prospective, wherein the Day-star, the Sun
of Righteousness is discerned. When we make use of a glass to discover
a star, we look upon both; but our sight is not terminated in the glass,
the use of it is to be subservient to a farther discovery, to be helpful to
our sight to discover the star, which is the principal object. So faith,
' with open face,' does, in the promise, ' as in a glass behold the glory of
God,' take a view of Christ who is the brightness of his Father's glory.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 77

The promise is but subservient to that happy, that delightful sight of
Christ. And therefore I call it a subservient object, a mediate, less prin
cipal object.

(4.) The proper and principal object of faith is the person of Christ; not
the promise of Christ, not the benefits of Christ, but the person of Christ ;
not the promise, as we shewed before. Faith is not an assent to a propo
sition affirmed, but affiance in a Saviour offered ; not the benefits firstly
and principally. Faith unites the soul to Christ; it is the bond of our
conjugal union. Now, we marry not the dowry, but the person.

That faith respects Christ himself in the first place, appears by the notions
of faith, which we may collect from Scripture.

Faith is the hand of the soul; so it receives Christ himself, who is the
gift of God, John iv. 10.

It is the arm of the soul ; so it embraces Christ, Cant. iii. 4.

It is the eye of the soul ; so it looks upon Christ, as the stung Israelites
upon the brazen serpent, John iii. 14, 15.

» It is the mouth of the soul ; so it feeds on Christ the bread from heaven,
John vi. 32-34.

It is tlaefoot of the soul; so it comes to Christ, Mat. xi., John vi.

It is the li])s of the soul ; so it kisses Christ, Ps. ii. In all it has an im
mediate respect to Christ, to his person.

(5.) The person of Christ, as invested with his righteousness, is the formal
object. Not the person of Christ barely considered, but as clothed with a
righteousness qualifying him to a Mediator, a Saviour; as one that has
fulfilled the law and satisfied justice in whatever it could demand on our
behalf. As Christ without this would not be a Saviour, so without this he
cannot be the object of saving faith : Rom. iii. 25, ' Through faith in his
blood ;' where blood, being the most signal part of his satisfaction, is put
for his whole righteousness. Here is in this verse whatever is assigned as
a special object of faith. Here is Christ and his righteousness expressly
the formal object ; faith in his blood, called avoXvTguffig, ver. 24, through
the redemption, i. e., through the satisfaction of Christ, who paid a satis
factory price (a Xirgov) that captive sinners might be delivered. And that
price was his righteousness, here called his blood: ut significetur fidem non
alib quam ad Christi sacrificium ferri.

The person of Christ, the principal object, in the particle ov, Jesus Christ,
whom, &c.

The gospel, the subservient object, intimated in irgoifero, whom God has
set forth; as in the decree and in his understanding, so in the gospel, now
seen, Rev. xi. 19.

The mercy of God the partial object, to be a propitiation, a mercy-seat,
and this by his blood : ut per hostiam corporis sui hominibus propitium
faceret Deum.* Faith does, in the business of our justification, embrace
whole Christ; but it is properly terminated in his blood. f That is the
proper (as I take it), the formal object of saving faith, that righteousness
by virtue of which Christ is a Saviour.

(6.) The benefits of Christ are but the secondary objects of faith, Rom.
viii. 32 ; they seem more properly to be the end of faith. We depend not
upon pardon or salvation, but upon Christ for pardon and salvation; and
that not as having obtained, but that we may obtain them.

* Origen.

t Fides totum Christum amplectitur, et proprie in ejus sanguine terminatur. —
Pareus,

78 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

Faith at first relies on Christ, not as one that has pardoned sin, but as
one through whom alone pardon is to be obtained. The persuasion that
sin is pardoned is a consequent of justifying faith, it is not the justifying act.

III. How does the Lord work faith ? That is the next thing we under
took to shew, in what manner, by what steps and degrees, the Lord ordi
narily proceeds when he brings a sinner to believe. Having giving an
account of the act and object, let us see how the Lord brings the act and
object together.

But, 1, we shall not attempt to shew how this is wrought in infancy or
those of unriper years, for that is a secret ; the Scripture seems reserved
in this case, and secret things belong not to us.

And, 2, there are some extraordinary cases wherein the Lord proceeds
not in the ordinary method. He ties not himself to one track. He is a
most free agent, and works as when, so how, he pleases. We shall only
follow him in the ordinary, the beaten road, where his footsteps are visible
by Scripture and experience.

And, 3, in ordinary cases there is great variety in respect of circum
stantials; it may be as much variety as there is in faces. Now, as no
limner will undertake to draw a piece that shall exactly resemble every
face in every feature and lineament, though, without any curious inspection
of particulars, he may draw one that will easily distinguish a man from any
other creature, so we will not undertake to give such a discovery as will
exactly answer every one's experience in circumstantials, but such as may
be sufficient to distinguish a saving work from that which is but common
to those that are not sound believers. And this will be very useful, both
for^discovering faith where it is, and for direction where it is not, to shew
•what way they must walk in who would attain it. To proceed then.

The Lord, when he works faith in those that enjoy the gospel, and are
capable of improving it, doth ordinarily proceed by these steps, and brings
them to believe by these degrees.

1. A discovery of sin, which the Lord makes by the law and by the Spirit,
Eom. vii. 7. The law of God is a light. A sinner, while he continues in
unbelief, he shuts it out as an unwelcome guest ; hates the light, John iii.
20 ; but now the Lord brings it into the soul and conscience, and this dis
covers sin to purpose. In the dark great things seem small, and small
things are not discerned ; while in security, great sins are extenuated,
neglected, and small sins are not at all taken notice of, but this makes a
discovery of great and small.

The Spirit of God concurs with the law. It is his office, and one of the
first he performs to the unbelieving world, John xvi. 8, JXsygs/. Before he
convince of righteousness, he shall make evident their sin, give them a
demonstration of it, make their sin manifest. That is the import of the
word, 'tktyyjtg, yag tffrl X/av dq\uv,* a clear manifestation. J

This is the first thing he works by the ministry of the word, when it is
effectual, Acts xxvi. 18, to open their eyes, before he turn them to God,
before they receive forgiveness of sin, before they have faith to receive it :
He opens their eyes, &c. They were as blind men before, but now they
see sin in its colours. Their apprehensions of sin now differ as much from
those they had of it formerly, as the conceits which a blind man has of
colours differ from his apprehensions of them when his eyes are opened.
He apprehends his sins in their number and danger, guilt and stain, weight

* Chrysost.

MAKK XYI. 16.] OF FAITH. 79

and heinousness, in their dishonouring and incensing quality as to God, in
their defiling and damning power as to himself.

The Spirit of God removes all excuses which he made use of to extenuate
sin, make it seem light, and keep the weight of it from his conscience; now
he looks on it as aggravated, as exceeding sinful, exceeding damnable.

And though this discovery begin with some one particular sin, which the
Lord sets home to the conscience, as the apostle first convinced the Jews
of their sin in crucifying Christ, Acts ii., yet usually it rests not in one,
but proceeds to more. As a man run much in debt is first arrested for
one sum, but when he is clapped up, then one action is laid on him after
another, till he be charged with the whole debt ; so after the sinner is under
this arrest of the law, when one sin has seized effectually on the conscience,
the rest (as David said of his enemies) like bees, &c., he can say with a
sad heart, ' Lord, how are they increased that trouble me.'

As the Lord led Ezekiel from one place to another, and the further he
went the greater abominations he discerned, Ezek. viii. 6, from the door
of the court, ver. 7, to the door of the gate of the Lord's house, ver. 14,
and from thence to the inner court, ver. 16 ; so the Spirit of the Lord leads
the sinner from one part of his house to another, from one room, one
faculty of his soul to another, and still discovers greater, more and more
abominations ; leads him from the profaneness of his ordinary conversation
to the sins of his religious duties, and from the sins of his life to the sins
of his heart, from the streams of sin in his actions to the spring of sin
which bubbles up continually in every part of his soul, Job xiii. 26. He
brings to mind the sins that he has forgotten, makes him possess the sins
of his youth, of his youngest years ; though he had let them slip out of his
mind, yet the Lord takes a course to retain them, he seals them up in a
bag, Job xiv. 17. And now the bag is opened, and the sinner sees what
he is to reckon for, he cries out as the prophet's servant : 2 Kings vi. 15,
' How shall we do ?' and as David, Ps. xxxviii. 4, ' Mine iniquities are gone
over mine head : as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.'

2. Application of the desert of sin. The Lord convinces him that all
those dreadful things which are denounced against sin belong to him, so
that he applies them in particular to himself. He not only apprehends in
general what is due to sin, the curses and threatenings of the law, the sen
tence of condemnation, the wrath of God, &c., but he applies these in
particular : I have sinned thus and thus, and these are due to my sins,
and therefore these are my portion.

Heretofore he looked upon these in general without any personal appli
cation ; or if he applied them it was to others : Such and such a notorious
sinner, these will fall heavy upon him, but I am not so wicked, mercy will
keep off these from me. Oh, but now these are laid at his own door ; his
conscience tells him (as Nathan did David), ' Thou art the man.' So he
takes it to himself: I am the man whom the Lord threatens, whom the
law condemns, whom justice pursues, whose portion is the wrath of God,
who am sentenced to death. He looks not upon the tempest of wrath as
afar off, as that which may spend itself before it reach him, but he feels it
beat upon his own vessel, ready to sink it ; the sea of wrath works and is
tempestuous about him, and his conscience speaks, as Jonah i. 12, ' I know
that for my sake this great tempest is come,' it is I, that vengeance follows ;
it is I, that in justice and sentence of law stand condemned to eternal death.

He comes not to the assizes as formerly, to be a spectator, to see others
tried and condemned. He sees himself now at the bar, himself arraigned

80 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

and indicted, he cannot but plead guilty. He is clearly cast in law, and
he hears the sentence of condemnation as though his name were writ in the
Scripture, as though the Lord did by name pronounce sentence against him.

This is the work of the spirit of bondage, of which, Rom. viii. 15, where
observe the order and opposition.

The order. The spirit of bondage goes before the spirit of adoption ;
again, intimating plainly, they had received the spirit of bondage formerly,
viz., before they had received the spirit of adoption. They had fearful
apprehensions of wrath, before they had the assurances of a Father's love.

The opposition. These two spirits are opposed in their works. The
work of the spirit of adoption is to witness together without our spirits, the
spirit of believers, that they are the children [of God] ; and, therefore, the
work of the spirit of bondage is to witness together with the spirits, the
consciences of unbelievers that they are the children of wrath.

And as the spirit of adoption works this comfortable assurance by way
of a practical reasoning, in like manner does the spirit of bondage give in
the contrary testimony by way of a syllogism. ' Cursed is every one that
continues,' &c. But I have continued in practices quite against the law,
ergo, I am cursed. ' The wages of sin is death ;' but thousands of sins lie
upon my charge, ergo, eternal death is due to me. ' The wrath of God is
revealed from heaven,' &c. But I am guilty of so much ungodliness, so
much unrighteous ; therefore what remains but that the wrath of God
should be revealed from heaven against me ? The Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know
not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord, 2 Thes. i. 7, 8, but I have
disobeyed the gospel, and, therefore (unless salvation come by the Lord
Jesus Christ), I shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the
presence of God, verse 9. ' He that believes not is condemned already,'
John iii. ' The wrath of God abides on him ;' but I have continued in
unbelief, ergo, I am condemned, the wrath of God abides on me, and
(unless some gracious provision be made for my perishing soul) I shall be
damned. This application, &c., is another step to faith. And though the
condition of a sinner under these convictions seem sad, yet is far more
hopeful than the state of those who continue secure and senseless, because
they are in the way, they are upon the anvil ; and though the law be a
hammer to them (as the word is called, Jer. xxiii. 29), and the strokes
thereof be terrible, yet this is the way to be polished, to be made fit stones
for Christ's temple, for the New Jerusalem ; whereas secure sinners are
as stones in the quarry, far off from that which is but a preparative to faith
and salvation.

8. Compunction. The soul is wounded with the apprehensions of sin
and wrath ; the weight of them lie heavy upon his conscience, they enter
as iron into his soul : Acts ii. 37, ' When they heard this,' when their sin
was applied particularly, ye have crucified, verses 86 and 28, and appre
hended what was due in particular for such a horrid act, ' they were pricked
at the heart,' xarsvi»y?j<rai', it pierced their hearts as though they had been
run through with a sword or a spear. So the word is used IA. O. vuasovnc
%/<piaiv re xal sy%tsiv- Such acute anguish, such piercing grief, did4wound
their souls, as though a sword had lanced their very hearts, Jer. vi. 4. It
is a rending of the heart elsewhere, Joel ii. 13, a ploughing up of the heart.
The law armed with wrath makes deep furrows in the heart. Now what
anguish will follow such a rending, a wounding of the heart, we may imagine ;
but our thoughts and our words will come short of the sinner's sense.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 81

The issue of such a particular application of wrath must needs be fear,
horror, anguish, and fearful expectations of judgment. The very discourse
of this made Felix to tremble, Acts xxiv. 25, much more might the gaoler
tremble, who had the sense of it, Acts xvi. 29.

The Lord sometimes makes use of outward providences, the sight or
report of some fearful judgment, or the quick apprehensions of death, to
startle the sinner, and likewise to bring him to the sense of his misery.
These may be subservient to the word, to begin or increase this consterna
tion of the soul, as we see the earthquake was to the gaoler, verse 28.

And the Lord, when he makes his word effectual, he fixes the eye of the soul
upon these sad things, holds it to them. This is grievous to nature, the sin
ner will be inclined to shake off these sad thoughts, and Satan will be ready
to offer him diversions enough, to draw him to his jovial companions, that
he may drown or sing away these cares, or to engage him in deep worldly
business, that the noise of the world may drown the cries of his conscience.
He will tempt him to shake them off, as Felix did when he began to tremble
at Paul's preaching of judgment, ' Go thy way for this time ; when I have
convenient season I will call for thee,' ver. 25. Or carnal friends, &c.
Ay, but when the Lord intends hereby to fit the soul for Christ, he pre
vents this diversion, he holds the iron in the furnace until it be malleable ;
he fixes the eye upon sin and wrath, so that whithersoever he turns, his
sin is with him, and hell before him ; the cry of sin, and the curse of the
law, is ever in his ears, Ps. li. 3. The pillar of fire leaves him not till he
be on the borders of Canaan, till it leads him to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He continues him under the spirit of bondage, where work is fear, Rom.
viii. ; he abides under these fears, this anguish, hanging as it were by a thread
over the bottomless pit, till he be fit for the glad tidings of the gospel.

But hence observe, the Lord is very various in this dispensation, both
as to the continuance of those fears and terrors, as also to the measure and
degree of them. Some lie long upon the rack of terror ; to others he does
but as it were shew the torture. Some lie long under the pangs of the
new birth, their throes are strong, and many others have a more quick and
easy delivery. The apprehensions of wrath seize upon some as an earth
quake, which makes the foundations of the soul to shake, and with violence
breaks or unhinges the door of the heart ; in others, the door is unlocked,
the bolts knocked off with a blow or two, and the heart opened to Christ
in a gentler way. Some are led through these dreadful visions of wrath,
even to the pit of despair ; others have a door opened, when they are newly
come into this valley of the shadow of death.

It is the Lord's design in all upon whom he thus works, to make them
sick of sin ; but in some it is a burning, a raging fever ; in others it is
but as a stomach sickness, which makes them loathe sin, and vomit it up
as bitter and nauseous.

But though this humiliation be in some more, in some less, both as to
time and degree, yet in all, v/hen the Lord draws to believe, there is so
much as to drive them utterly out of themselves unto the Lord Jesus.

4. Inquiry, how he shall avoid this misery, what he shall do to be freed
from that burden of sin and wrath, which is ready to sink him ; what he
shall do to pacify that wrath that burns like fire, and is ready to devour ;
how he shall satisfy that justice which pursues, and is every moment ready
to smite him dead ; what course he shall take to escape those everlasting
burnings, into which he is in danger to fall every hour ? When Peter's
sermon had wounded the Jews with sense of their sin, this is the imme-

VOL. I. F

82 OF FAITH. [MAKE XVI. 16.

diate issue of it, Acts ii. 37, ' What shall we do ?' So in the gaoler ; when
the apprehension of his misery shaked his soul, even as the earthquake
shaked the prison, Acts xvi. 30, it puts him upon this inquiry, ' What shall
I do to be saved ?' Nor does the sinner in this case inquire as upon the
bye, carelessly, indifferently ; but his whole soul puts itself forth in this
inquiry. As a man run through with a sword has present death before
his eyes, would inquire for a chirurgeon, — Oh for a chirurgeon, or else I
die ! or as one whose house is on fire, and the flames all about his ears,
would inquire how he may quench it ; or as a man upon the sea, when
the waves and storms beat the ship upon the rock, when he apprehends
the vessel broke, and the waters breaking in upon him, would inquire what
he should do to escape death and drowning, — he inquires as for his life.
He is not as one that comes to a shop to cheapen a commodity, indifferent
whether he have it or no, unless he can get an extraordinary pennyworth ;
but he inquires as one that resolves to have it, whatever it costs him. He
inquires of the way, as a soldier after a route inquires after a stronghold :
he is pursued by the enemy, death is at his heels ; he resolves to press in,
if he can find the way, whatever danger or difficulty encounter him, Luke
xvi. 16. John was the messenger of the Lord, sent before Christ to pre
pare the way for him, ' to prepare the way of the Lord,' &c. And this he
does by declaring their sins, and the wrath of God coming upon them for
sin, Mat. iii. 7, 10. Now when they were effectually possessed with the
sense thereof, they press. The straitness of the gate, the crowd of impe
diments wherewith Satan, the world, their lusts stop up the way, shall not
hinder them ; they resolve to press through, to put their whole strength
and might, as a man that would break through a thick crowd. An inquiry
thus resolved is another step to faith.

5. A renunciation, a renouncing of all unsafe ways, all indirect courses,
to procure peace. When the sinner comes to inquire what course he shall
take, he may meet with many counsellors, and he does not always at first
pitch upon the best. Satan and his carnal acquaintance will advise him to
return to his former sinful courses, those that have been so delightful to
him formerly, that in them he may find ease. If he follow this counsel, he
is lost ; but if this seem too gross, too dangerous, if the flame already
kindled be so terrible as he dares not add fuel to it ; if he be convinced
that this is not the way to quench the fire, but to make it flame higher :
it may be one more specious may be suggested ; he will betake himself to
hear and pray, to wait upon the ordinances, to reform some things amiss,
and think hereby to pacify God, who seems so angry, to satisfy justice,
which is so incensed, and so to get ease to his afflicted conscience. Ay,
but if he rest here, he will never come to faith ; and therefore when the
Lord intends a saving work, he will not suffer him to rest in these. These
are good in themselves, and necessary ; but, if rested in, they are perni
cious. The Lord will convince him that these are the way, not the end.
To rest in them upon these terms is to make them saviours, not the way
to a Saviour. He will shew him tnat these amount not to the least mite,
whereas he owes ten thousand talents. He will shew him the sinfulness
of them, that they are so far from satisfying, as that thereby he runs fur
ther upon the score ; that these are so far from saving him, as that he
needs a Saviour when he has done his best, lest the sins of his best deeds
should condemn him. He knocks down these rotten pillars, on which the
soul would find an unsafe support ; so that he falls flat down under the
sense of his sinfulness and impotency. He sees, for all that he has, or all

MAEK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 83

that lie can do, he must perish, unless help be laid upon one that is more
mighty. He empties him of all opinion of his own righteousness, of his
own sufficiency. He spreads his net in the gospel to catch this lost sin
ner, that will else be a prey to Satan. Now, as fishermen, when they would
be sure of a good draught, they beat the sides of the river ; they know if
the fish can lie secure in any hole, they will never come into the net ; thus
the Lord drives the sinner out of conceit of himself, out of every lurking-
place, that he may run straight to Christ.

Faith is a flying to Christ. Now in this motion there is something from
which, a terminus d quo ; this is not only his own wickedness, but his own
righteousness. This is the stronger hold of the two, and usually holds out
longer. To drive him out of it, the Lord shews him the vanity and weak
ness of it, that it is but like those, Nah. iii. 12. The least blast of the
Lord's displeasure will make them fall, as ripe figs in a storm of wind ; that
they are but as broken reeds, if he lean on them they will break under,
pierce him rather than support, and let him fall into hell besides. He says
to him, as Rabshakeh to Hezekiah, 2 Kings xviii. 21, ' If a man lean on
it, it will go into his hand and pierce it.' And so he brings him to the
apostle's opinion, who, Phil. iii. 8, counted his own privileges, righteous
ness, but as loss and dung. And now he is in the highway to Christ ;
there is but a step betwixt him and faith.

A soul in this distress, like a drowning man, will catch at every twig to
save his life ; but if the Lord intend to bring him to shore, he will not
suffer him to trust to that, that will let him sink and sink with him ; not
trust to his own righteousness, performances, &c. He takes him not off
from performing these, but from resting in them. Oh ! alas ! says the
humbled soul, if I have nothing else to save me, I perish for ever. He
sees these are but a refuge of lies : Isa. xxviii. 17, ' The hail shall sweep
away,' &c. It is a deceitful refuge ; I shall have nothing of what I expect
from it. It is such a shelter, as a storm will beat down about my ears
and sweep it away. If I take sanctuary in my duties, righteousness, these
will not secure me. Justice will pluck me from the horns of these altars, and
slay me. And therefore he looks further.

6. Eevelation of Christ. When the Lord has brought him out of these
by-ways wherein he would lose himself, he shews him the true way, the
only way to pardon and life. When he has diverted him from his deceitful
refuges, he shews the distressed sinner a city of refuge opened in Christ.

He shews him the glory and excellency of Christ, represents him as
' fairer than the children of men, the chiefest in ten thousand, and infi
nitely loving and lovely.'

He shews the sufficiency of Christ ; that there is nothing can be required
to deliver and enhappy a humbled sinner, but it is to be found in him ;
that he is able to save to the utmost, Heb. vii. 25.

He shews his necessity of Christ, that there is ' no other name,' &c.
Acts iv. 12. No other sanctuary will secure, no other price will discharge
him, and no other surety will be accepted.

He shews him a possibility that Christ may save and pardon him ; he
has pardoned such and such, whose sins were so great and so many ; he
came to save what was lost, and why not him ?

He shews him a certainty of it in case he will believe, that he will cast
off none that come to him ; that he will lose none, suffer none to miscarry,
that cast themselves on him.

The sinner has heard these things, it may be, often before, but he heard

84 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

them as though he heard them not. He was like the Jews when the veil
was upon them ; seeing, he saw, but perceived not ; hearing, he heard,
but understood not. Not because they were not clearly revealed, but
because of his blindness, unbelief, carelessness ; his carnal heart was not
moved with spiritual discoveries, looked on them as not so much concern
ing him. He heard of this as a man with a full stomach hears of a feast ;
or as one that thinks himself above the fear of justice hears of a pardon ;
he finds no need of it, and so little regards it. Thus he heard of Christ
before. Oh but now he hears these things as though he were another man,
as though he had another soul. The report of Christ is glad tidings indeed.
He hears of Christ as one in the executioner's hand, ready to die, hears
of a pardon. He looks on Christ as one that has been all his days in a
dungeon would look on the sun : 2 Cor. iv. 6, the discovery of Christ is
to him as a glorious light shining on a sudden upon one in darkness. He
was before in Satan's dungeon, as the apostle was before the revelation of
Jesus Christ, verse 4 ; his eyes was put out. And besides, the object was
veiled ; he saw no more beauty in Christ than the Israelites saw glory in
Moses's face when the veil was upon it, verse 3. But now his eye is opened,
the veil is removed (for to that the apostle alludes), and he sees a glorious
light, a glorious beauty in the face of Christ.

7. Hope. Though he despair as to himself, yet the Lord keeps him from
despairing as to Christ. Though he have no hope in himself, yet ' there
is hope in Israel,' there is hope in the gospel ' concerning this thing.'
Though he be ready to sink under the pressure of sin and wrath, yet the
discoveries of the gospel keep his head above water. He continues trem
bling under the apprehensions of wrath and misery, yet the Lord keeps
him from falling quite down. The discoveries of Christ afford so much
hope as somewhat strengthens the feeble knees, and yields some support
to the trembling soul. He continues in a fluctuating condition, sometimes
up, sometimes down, according as the impressions of law or gospel prevail,
sometimes more, sometimes less. His feet are sometimes quite gone, his
hold is lost, and he is ready to say, My hope is perished from me. Yet
the Lord has made such provision in the gospel that though he fall, yet
shall he rise ; though he sink, yet will the Lord bring him up again.
Some twig or other the Lord helps him to in the gospel, and holds him by
it till he bring him to shore. He apprehends justice pursuing him, he
hears it crying out to an incensed God, Shall I smite him ? shall I smite ?
and he is in dreadful expectations of the fatal blow. Oh but he hears
withal there is a sanctuary, there is a city of refuge set open in the gospel
if he could but reach it ; if he could but get into it, there is hopes for him,
there he might be safe, there he might be secure from revenging justice.
It never seized on any sinner that was fled thither for refuge.

He feels that sin has stung his soul ; the sting of that fiery serpent is
deadly, the poison thereof drinks up his spirits, he feels it even seizing
upon his vitals ; it has brought him even to the gates of death, all the art
of men and angels cannot cure the wound. Oh but he hears withal there
is a brazen serpent lifted up in the gospel, there is a healing, a sovereign
virtue in Christ, there is balm in Gilead, there is a physician there, one
that can heal a dying soul with a word, with a touch, nay, with a look. If
he might have but a sight of him, might be admitted but to touch him,
though it were but the hem of his garment, there is hopes. Though I were
dead, yet should I live ; no poison too deadly, too strong for that sovereign
virtue that is in Christ.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 85

He apprehends the waves and billows of God's indignation ready to go
over him, ready to sweep him out of the land of the living ; he knows not
how soon he may be buried under those waves, under that wrath ; he lives
in a fearful expectation of it, and here the waves grow higher and higher.
Oh but he hears withal there is an ark able to save him from that deluge,
if he could but reach it ; if he could but get into it, he might be safe ; if
Christ would but put forth his hand and take him in, he should be above
that dreadful flood.

Wrath is due to thee, says the law, it is coming, thy damnation sleeps
not ; it is swift destruction, wrath will come upon thee speedily. Oh but,
says the gospel, there is a Jesus, a Jesus that delivers from the wrath to
come. Oh how sweet is that sentence to the sensible sinner, Jesus who
delivers !

Alas, says the sensible sinner, I am but a dead man, the sentence of
death is passed upon me, I am condemned already ; I am now in the hands
of justice, ready for execution. Oh but does not the gospel speak of a
pardon ? There is a pardon out for some that are condemned, here is some
hope for me ; though the sentence of condemnation be passed, yet it is not
absolute ; though I be cast in law, and judgment passed against me, yet if
I could but believe, execution might be stopped. There is life to be had
for some who have received sentence of death. My condition is not hope
less, unless my unbelief make it so, 1 John v. 11, 12. There is life for
condemned wretches if they believe. Though wrath has so far seized on
me as to proceed to sentence, yet wrath will not abide on me unless I abide
in unbelief ; there is some hopes if I could but believe. Thus the sensible
sinner is helped up from sinking ; hope keeps his head above the waves,
or brings him up again when he is already overwhelmed and seems quite
gone.

When he is even oppressed by the powers of darkness, and the dismal
apprehensions of wrath and misery, the Lord opens some crevice, lets in
some glimpse of hope. The discoveries of Christ in the gospel are as ' a
door of hope opened to him in this valley of Achor,' Zech. ix. 11. Here
is the state of a lost sinner represented by the state of the Jews captivated
in Babylon : where you may see the misery of it, ' in a pit ' ; the helpless
ness of it, ' no water'; the hopes of it, though prisoners, yet '.prisoners of
hope ' ; the grounds of those hopes, wholly out of themselves, in the blood
of the covenant, and this stronghold.

Their misery, which sinners in the way to faith are sensible of, they are
in a pit, a dark pit ; the state of nature is a state of darkness, it is Satan's
dungeon, not a spark of saving light ; and therefore when brought out of
it they are said to be ' turned from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan to God,' Acts xxvi. They are bound, fettered in this dungeon ;
and therefore the Dutch render it ' thy bounden ones ;' they are loaden
with fetters, with that which is worse than fetters and iron, the bonds of
iniquity. They are in no capacity of themselves to scramble out of this
dismal condition ; nay, the mouth of the pit is closed, the Lord has shut
it up, and shut them up in it, Rom. xi. 32, gwex\n<K. And as of them
selves they cannot get out of it, so they cannot live in it, they have not so
much as water to live upon ; a pit wherein there is no water, no succour,
no comfort, no refreshment, nothing to refresh or sustain their souls for a
moment. He apprehends the misery of it, a pit wherein there is no
succour, destitute of all remedy. So he now finds it, he must look out if
he mean to live.

86 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

But as it is helpless, is it hopeless too ? No ; a sensible sinner, though a
prisoner, yet a prisoner of hope, he hears there is a refuge, a stronghold
for him ; though he be now sunk into this pit, though there be no water
to keep him alive in it, yet there is the blood of the covenant to bring him
out of it. This is it which makes him a prisoner of hope ; an eye of hope,
in this forlorn state, upon this stronghold, upon this blood of the covenant,
is one step out of the pit, one step towards faith.

8. Self- abhorrence. This springs from the former. Hopes that he may
find mercy with God, and probability that he may have pardon through
Christ, fill him with indignation against sin, and himself for sin ; makes
him condemn himself and justify God, though he should proceed against
him with the greatest severity. When the soul is cast down low, under
dreadful apprehensions of wrath and misery, and then raised up, though
but a little, to some hopes of deliverance, it makes a great impression upon
the heart. And is there hopes for me, says the sinner, who have so much,
so long, so highly offended God ? for me, who have so shamefully abused
mercy, so vilely contemned Christ ? Is there hopes for me, who might
have been now in hell, in a hopeless condition ? for me, when so many less
sinners than I are without hope ? for me, who have done all I could to
make my condition desperate ? Can the Lord be inclinable to shew me
mercy ? Can Christ entertain any thoughts of peace concerning me ? Is
this possible ? Is there hopes after all ? Oh then what a wretch am I,
that have so dishonoured such a God ! that have so affronted, so wounded
such a Saviour ! Oh there is no hell too grievous for such a wretch as I
am, no wrath too heavy for such a rebel as I have been, no vengeance too
severe for such injuries, such sins as mine. How few are there in hell,
who have more deserved hell than I ! I am, I hear, in a way to mercy, in
a way of hope, when so many better than I are in that place of torment,
shut up in a despairing state for ever. And is it that Gcd whom I have
so provoked, so dishonoured, that has made this difference ? Has all those
millions of provocations been levelled against that God, against that God
that gives me hopes of mercy ? Oh what a monster am I ! Oh how
exceeding monstrous are my sins ! Nothing in earth or hell so vile as I !
No sins so abominable as these of mine ! The provocations of devils and
damned souls are not worse than mine. They sin not against a God that
gives hopes, as I have done. The sinner thus affected, apprehends he
cannot speak bad enough of himself and of his sins.

This makes him abhor himself, this makes him sick of sin. That
which was before as a sweet morsel, it is now nauseous to his soul, it lies
heavy on his stomach, he is sick of it, Mat. ix. 12. The sinner will not
come to the physician, nor will the great physician undertake his cure,
till he be, more or less, in some degree or other, thus sick of sin. This
nauseating of sin, this loathing of it, and himself for it, is another step to
faith.

9. Valuing of Christ. He has far other thoughts of Christ than hereto
fore. When he is brought so low in the sense of his own vileness, sinful-
ness, misery, impotency, and sees the excellency, the all -sufficiency of Christ
discovered in the gospel, his thoughts of Christ are raised. He that heard
before of the blood and righteousness, of the satisfaction and intercession,
of the love and bounty of Christ, as common things, words of course, of
which he had but common thoughts, he finds a strong, a strange alteration
as to his apprehensions of the value, worth, and necessity of them. Dis
courses of Christ are not tedious now ; he thinks he can never hear enough

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 87

of them ; they do not pass out as they come in ; they do not glide through
his mind, without leaving any impression. He finds his thoughts of Christ
raised by every word. He was before in a soul lethargy, as, alas ! the most
are. Tell him of cure, he minds it not, he is insensible. Ay, but now he
has such thoughts of Christ, as one tortured with the stone has of that
which he hears may give him ease and cure. He prizes Christ, as one
ready to die with thirst and heat would prize a well of waters, as Samson,
Judges xv. 18, or Hagar. He prizes Christ now, as one in cruel, miserable
bondage in Turkish slavery would prize a ransom. So does he value this
Xurfoi/. He looks on Christ now, as one that has been long in a dark dun
geon would look upon the light, if a beam of it should break in on a sudden
upon him in that dismal place, Mai. iv. Suppose a man bom blind should
have his eyes opened on a sudden, and see the sun rising in its glory, what
thoughts would he have of it ! Such thoughts has the sensible sinner
now of Christ, when, his eyes being opened, he sees him revealed in the
gospel.

He wonders at his former blindness and stupidness, that his apprehen
sions of Christ should be so low, when he has been so clearly revealed in
the word. Where Christ is truly preferred before all things, there are the
seeds of faith. But I suppose this high esteem of Christ is in order of
nature, though not in order of time, before actual faith. For till Christ be
thus valued, the sinner is not willing to accept of Christ on his own terms ;
till he be the pearl of great price, he is not willing to sell all for him, to
renounce all, that he may cleave only to Christ for pardon.

10. Strong desires after Christ. It is the goodness of a thing which
makes it the object of our desires ; and the more excellent that goodness
is apprehended to be, the more ardent are our desires. The more neces
sary it is apprehended, the more restless, and importunate, and insatiable
are our desires, and the more easily will we yield to any terms upon which
it may be obtained.

Now the discovery of the sinner's misery and impotency, makes him
apprehend an absolute necessity of Christ. The discovery of Christ's all-
sufficiency, as able to save and relieve him to the utmost, makes him
apprehend a transcendent excellency in Christ. Hence his desires after
Christ are ardent, importunate, such as make him ready to stoop to any
thing, so as he may have Christ.

His desires are ardent. He longs for Christ as Rachel for children, Gen.
xxx. 1. Oh give me Christ, or else I die. Wrath will overwhelm me,
justice will seize on me, hell will swallow me up ; there is no way but I
must perish, without Christ. Give me Christ, or else I die.

His heart is carried after Christ, as David's was to that which he calls
the law, the word, the testimony of God ; he longed, he breathed, he panted
after them : Ps. cxix. 40, ' I have longed after,' &c. ; ver. 20, ' My soul
breaketh for the longing that it hath,' &c. His heart was so far stretched
out in longing desires, as it was ready to break. Now indeed that which
he thus intensely desired was Christ, veiled under the expressions, law, &c.,
for we cannot by the law here understand the covenant of works (for what
is to be desired in that ? ) but life. Now life, upon the terms of that law
or covenant, is become impossible ; and that which is impossible, is not
desirable. The object of desire is a possible good. It is not the doctrine
of the covenant of works. What then can it be, but the doctrine of the
covenant of grace, since the whole doctrine of the Scripture is referred to
one of these covenants ? That law, &c., which he longed for, was that

88 OF FAITH. [MARK XYL 16.

which is contained in the covenant of grace. And what is the sum of that
but Christ ? This is it which he longed for. And indeed Christ was as
fully and sufficiently held forth in the Old Testament as in the New, though
not so clearly and perspicuously. They had the gospel under that adminis
tration, which we call the law or Old Testament, sufficiently, though not so
evidently as we. And therefore Paul, who preached the gospel as purely
and fully as ever it was preached in the world, professeth that he preached
nothing but what was contained in the law and the prophets, nothing in
the New but what was in the Old Testament, Acts xxvi. 22.

David had the doctrine of the gospel of Christ, of salvation by Christ
then. And this was it his heart was so drawn out after ; and so he expresses
it, Ps. cxix. 81, 174. The law wherein he delighted was the doctrine of
salvation, and so the doctrine of Christ, in whom alone salvation is to be
found ; and Christ is called salvation, Luke ii. 28. That which Simeon
saw David longed for ; he longed for it ardently. And so does the sensible
sinner long for Christ as for salvation, when he finds himself in such danger
to be damned ; longs for Christ as for life, when he sees death and hell
before him, and no hopes of life without Christ.

This makes his desires importunate. Nothing else will satisfy him ; he
will not be put off with any else. If the Lord would offer him a world in
this case, it would not satisfy. Alas, says he, what would a thousand
worlds avail me, if, after a momentary enjoyment of them, I must go to
hell for ever ! What will these profit me, so lung as the Lord's wrath
burns against me ! What will all the pleasures and riches of the world
avail me, so long as I am but a condemned person, and in danger every
hour to be led forth to execution ! Oh no ; let me have Christ, whatever
I want. Let me have him who can procure a pardon for a condemned
soul ; let me have him who can make my peace with an incensed God ;
let me have him who can save me from the wrath to come. Oh Christ, or
nothing. Alas ! whatever else I have or the world can afford, they are
woeful comforts, miserable comforts to a perishing soul. A Jesus, a Saviour
for a lost soul ; none but Christ.

Effectual desires. Such as make them stoop to any terms, submit to
any conditions, so he may have Christ. He will not now capitulate with
Christ ; but so as he may have himself, he may make his own terms. He
is ready to do anything, to suffer anything, to part with anything, so he
may gain Christ. So it was with the apostle, Philip, iii. ; those things
which were gain to him, of which he thought to make the greatest advan
tage, he would part with them as loss, as freely as a man would part with
that which he were like to lose by, as that which is like to undo him. And
those things which he counted his glory before, he would part with them
as <rx'j/3aXa, as dung, as freely as one would cast dung out of his lodging.
And why ? That he might gain Christ ; that he might be found in him.
Ask the soul now (who was resolved before to keep such and such a sin,
notwithstanding all that Christ could do or say in the ministry of the
gospel), Wilt thou part with such a lust, that which has been so gainful,
brought in such a revenue of pleasure, profit, or applause ? Oh, says he,
it is loss now ; it would undo me if I should not quit it ; I should lose
Christ, I should lose my soul, if I live in it ; I'll part with it as freely as I
would part with a mortal disease, as with that which would ruin me.

He desires Christ, as Esau longed for meat when he was ready to faint
and die for hunger ; if Jacob would but give him meat, he might make his
own terms for it, Gen. xxv. 30-82 : ' Sell me thy birthright,' says he.

MARK XVI. 1C.] OF FAITH. , 89

Here was hard terms ; for the birthright concerned the office of the priest
hood, a pre-eminence over the brethren, and a double portion of the father's
estate. But though this might seern hard, yet Esau's necessity is so great,
his appetite so strong, that he sticks not at it, ver. 32. So the sinner hears
what he must part with, if he will have Christ ; and when Satan or his
corrupt heart would persuade him it is a hard bargain, yet he finds his
extremity so great, death so near him, he will not stand on it. Behold, I
am at the point to die ; there is but a step between me and eternal death ;
my soul is ready to drop into hell ; and what will these riches, these plea
sures, these lusts do to me ? I shall die, if I had ten thousand times more
of the best of these, if I have not the bread of life, if I have not Christ.
And therefore he resolves as firmly as if he were tied by Jacob's oath, that
he will quit all, if he may but have life, if Christ will be life to him. He
longs for Christ, as Shechem did for Dinah, Gen. xxiv. 8. He would give
anything, if he might but obtain his desires, ver, 11, 12. Oh but they
stand not upon dowry ; they propound terms of another nature, ver. 15.
He and his people must 'be circumcised, if he meant to have Dinah ; and
to be circumcised was painful, it was perilous too, and it is like at that
time reproachful to the heathen. But yet so was his heart drawn out after
her, as even these hard terms pleased him, ver. 18, 19. It pleased him
so as, how grievous soever it might seem, he deferred not to do it.

Thus it is with a sinner in this case ; he is so taken with Christ, he does
so long for him, that if the match may be but made up, whatever terms
Christ will propound shall please him, even the reproach of Christ, even
dangers and sufferings for Christ shall please him, so he may but enjoy
him. Whatever stands in the way shall be cut oft', though it be as dear to
him as his own flesh, as a right hand or right eye. Even his heart shall
be circumcised, since Christ would have it so ; how painful soever it seem,
yet it does please him, he will not defer to do it, so as Christ may be
given him.

And when it is come to this, the seeds of faith (which are in the heart
when Christ is so highly valued, as I shewed in the former head) begin to
sprout forth. Such an ardent, importunate, effectual desire after Christ is
a sprig of faith ; but yet he is not come to cast himself on Christ, to that
actual dependence on him, whereby the Holy Ghost seems most frequently
to represent faith unto us, one step further he must go before he come
to this.

11. A persuasion that the Lord would have them to believe that Christ
is willing they should rest on him for pardon and life. Not only that he
will receive those that come to him, but that he is willing they should
come ; not only that he will not fail those who rely on him, but that he is
willing they should rely on him. He convinces the sensible sinner not only
of the necessity of faith, that unless he believe, there is nothing for him but
wrath and condemnation, no way but this to avoid hell and eternal death.
Not only of the excellency of faith, and of the certain advantage which
may be got by believing, that if he could believe, the storm would be over,
justice would be satisfied, wrath would be appeased, pardon, and reconcilia
tion, and life would be his portion, but also that it is a duty, yea, his duty
to believe, and to believe now. Many times the sensible sinner sticks at
this, he finds a difficulty here not easily mastered. Though he be satisfied
it is a duty to some to rest on Christ, and apply the promise, those who
are deeply humbled, and fitly qualified, yet he questions whether it be his
duty, at least whether it be yet his duty. He doubts whether Christ's

90 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

invitations and commands be directed to him for this purpose. He eyes
not the authority of Christ so much as his mercy in such injunctions, and
doubts that he is not yet a fit subject for such mercy. He looks upon
believing as a privilege rather than a duty, a privilege that he is altogether
unfit for, unworthy of. He is not yet sufficiently prepared, not humbled
enough ; he is too sinful, too unworthy, to have anything to do with Christ
and the promise. It may be a duty to others, but it would be presumption
in him to lay hold on Christ in the promise. That is bread for children,
he cannot presume that a crumb of it belongs to him. Will the Lord
invite such a woeful prodigal as I have been to return to his house ? May
such a rebel as I have been have access to the King of glory? Will the
golden sceptre be holden out to me ? Does Christ stretch out his arms to
such a sinful piece of deformity ? May I come into his embraces ? Oh,
it is no easy matter to persuade a humbled soul of this. But yet he waits
upon the Lord in the use of appointed means, and in the use of them the
Lord lifts him above this difficulty, and satisfies his doubts, removes his
scruples, persuades him that it is his will, even that he should believe.
And indeed, as faith of assurance comes ordinarily by the application in
particular of a promise, so the soul comes not ordinarily to this faith of
dependence but by the particular application of Christ's commands and
invitations, till he be persuaded that the general command to believe con
cerns him, and is, as it were, directed to him in particular.

When he hears these gracious invitations, ' Come unto me, all ye,' &c.,
'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come,' &c., and 'let whosoever will, come,'
Why, says he, it seems Christ would have me come to him ; I am the
person, how unworthy soever, whom he invites, importunes, beseeches.
When he hears the command, 1 John iii. 23, he takes it to himself, as
though he were named in it : It is the will and pleasure of Christ that I
should believe ; he directs his command unto, and lays it to me. When
he hears that to believe is to give glory to God, Bom. iv. 20, Why, says
he, though I have so much dishonoured Christ, he will count himself glori
fied by my believing in him. When he hears that he that believes not
makes God a liar, 1 John v. 10, If I should not believe, says he, I should
cast this dishonour on him ; my keeping off from Christ puts this affront
on him ; either I must believe him or give him the lie. Oh, I have dis
honoured, affronted him too much already, shall I add this to all the
rest?

12. He resolves to comply with the Lord's invitation, to obey his com
mand, and so casts himself upon Christ, cleaves to him, rests on him,
embraces him, and holds him fast.

Though I be the unworthiest sinner that ever had access to Christ, yet
since he delights to glorify the freeness and riches of his grace in admit
ting those that are most unworthy, and since he expresses it by inviting
me, shall I not hearken to him ? shall not I comply with his gracious
invitations ?

Though I be unworthy to come, yet is not he worthy to be obeyed ? I
am cast away for ever if I cast not myself on Christ ; and now he stretches
out his arms to receive me, what can I desire more ? I perish if I come
not ; and now when he invites me to come, shall I refuse ? shall I defer ?
shall I destroy myself and dishonour him both at once, by forbearing to do
what he commands me, when I am damned if I do it not ?

The invitation of Christ encourages him, but his own extremity forces
him to roll himself on Christ ; it forces him, &c.

MARK XVI. 16.J OF FAITH. 91

It is with the sinner in this case as it was with those four lepers, 2 Kings
vii. 3, 4. Thus says the sensible sinner within himself, Why stay I in
this state of unbelief till I die ? What course soever offer itself, there is
but one way to escape death, and that is by running to Christ. If I say,
I will enter into the city, if I return back to my former evil ways, whether
of profaneness or formality, the wrath of God beleaguers that state, a
famine is there, no relief can come into it, my soul will certainly perish
there ; but if I sit still here in the state where I am, without venturing on
Christ, why, here I shall surely die, I am every moment in danger of
eternal death. Now therefore, come, let me fall into the hands of Christ ;
if he save me alive, I shall live, and if he kill me, I shall but die. There
is hopes I may live by coming to him, but if I go not, there is nothing but
certain death. Nay, the humbled soul has more encouragement here than
the lepers. There is not only provisions for life enough in Christ's all-
sufficiency, he has his invitation to come to him for life ; nay, he has his
promise, that if he will come, he shall live.

Upon this, the soul resolves, and ventures, renouncing all other ways
and supports, resolving to submit to Christ's terms, whatever they be ; he
casts his perishing soul into the arms of Christ, and there he rests.

Now, when the Lord has brought the sinner thus far, he is actually
arrived at that faith which is saving and justifying. I have explained this
act at large before. I need add no more, only a brief account of some of
the consequences of this act.

13. The Lord discovers his faith to him, possesses him with an appre
hension that he does truly believe. The former is the direct act of faith,
this is a reflex act ; when he has acted faith, to know that it is faith which
he acts.

And sometimes it is a good while before the believer knows that he be
lieves indeed. As a man fallen into the water, in danger of being drowned,
yet drawn out to land with much ado, through the fear and amazement
that is on him, though he be safe, yet for a while knows not where he is,
&c. As it is the power of the Spirit that works faith, so it is the light of
the Spirit that discovers faith when it is wrought, 1 Cor. ii. 12.

14. This makes way for assurance, that assurance which we call dis
cursive ; wherein the Spirit of God witnesses together with the spirit of a
convert, that he is a believer ; by consequence brings him in this testimony,
that he has everlasting life. He that believes has everlasting life ; but I
believe, ergo, I have, &c.

There is another kind of assurance, from an immediate testimony of the
Spirit, without such an application of Scripture grounds.

But whether this assurance be intuitive or discursive, if it be an act of
faith, it is not the justifying act ; indeed, it seems rather an effect than an
act of that faith, and that which follows after it, and sometimes at a great
distance, Eph. i.

15. From this assurance proceeds sometimes peace, sometimes comfort,
sometimes a joy, triumph, and glorying in God. Peace, freedom from fears
and terrors ; comfort, a degree above peace ; joy, which is comfort in its
exaltation ; peace, which is the hushing of the storm ; comfort, which is as
the breaking out of the sun ; triumph, joy, which is as the sun shining in
its full strength, Bom. v. 1-3.

Use 1. Information. See here the misery of unbelievers. Here is a
dreadful representation of this in these words, we need go no further.
Here is the handwriting of God in the text, as terrible to unbelievers as

92 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

that handwriting on the wall was to Belshazzar, Dan. v. 5, 6. Methinks
the countenance of every unbeliever, that sees or hears these words, should
be changed. ' He that believes not shall not see,' &c. Particularly here
is misery negative : ' He shall not see life ; ' positive, ' the wrath of God,'
&c. We have here an epitome of hell as the portion of an unbeliever.
The miseries of hell are no more ihatijMma damni, and pcena sensus, and both
these are entailed upon unbelievers : ' He shall not see life ;' here is the
pain of loss ; the pain of sense : ' The wrath of God abides on him.' An
unbeliever is so far in hell upon earth as hell can be upon earth. He is
without life ; he is dead spiritually ; he has not the least degree of spiritual
life, no breathing, no motion truly vital and spiritual ; he is dead legally ; the
law has passed sentence of death on him, he ' is condemned already,' ver. 18,
and the sentence is so far executed, as that the wrath of God does now actually
abide. He is without God, the author of life ; without^Christ, the purchaser
of life ; without the covenant, the promise of life, and without hopes of
heaven, the seat of everlasting life ; without grace, the beginnings of life ;
without hopes of this ; so far he is from it, that it is out of sight ; nor shall
he ever see it, or hopes of it, till he believe. Distinctly,

(1.) He is without Christ, the fountain of life. It is faith by which the
soul is contracted to Christ. An unbeliever is a stranger, an enemy to
Christ, whatever friendship he pretend. And so is Christ a stranger, an
enemy to him. It is faith by which the soul is united to Christ. An
unbeliever is as far from Christ as earth is from heaven ; you may as well
mingle and join heaven and earth together as join an unbeliever to Christ,
Eph. ii. 12.

It is faith by which Christ dwells in the heart, Eph. iii. 17. Christ dwells in
the heart by faith. Satan dwells in the heart by unbelief. The heart of
an unbeliever is the place where Satan has his throne. The heart of a
believer is the habitation of Christ. The heart of an unbeliever is the
habitation of the devil, Rev. viii. 2. Christ has possession of a believing
soul, but the soul of an unbeliever is possessed by the devil. The strong
man armed keeps that house, there he dwells, there he rules, Eph. ii. 2, vioTg
7%$ avtidtiae, the children of unbelief, so rendered, Rom. xi. 32. He
rules there, not only in hell, but on earth ; not only then, but now, \i\jv
evtpyoiJvrog, now, and will do for ever, till Christ come by faith to put him
out of possession.

An unbeliever has nothing to do with the person of Christ ; that I have
shewed ; nor has he any rights to the purchase or benefits of Christ.
Instance in two, which comprise the rest : the blood of Christ, or the
righteousness performed on earth ; the intercession of Christ, continued in
heaven.

An unbeliever has nothing to do with the righteousness of Christ ; for
this is the righteousness of faith, Rom. iii. 22. Nor with the intercession
of Christ, John xvii. 9, 20.

Now, being without Christ, it follows necessarily they are without life,
1 John v. 11, 12. And who is he that has the Son ? Yer. 10, he that
believeth.

(2.) He is without the covenant, the evidence of life. An unbeliever is
not at all specified in the covenant of grace; it no more belongs to him than
the writings, the evidences of another man's lands belong to you, who were
never thought of, never mentioned in the drawing of them up. Believing
is our first entering into covenant with God ; how can he that never
entered into covenant be in it ?

MARK XVI. 16.J OF FAITH. 98

Unbelievers are strangers to the covenant, Eph. ii. 12. The covenant
of grace is called the law of faith, Horn. iii. 27, as the covenant of works
is called there the law of works.

Now as Adam, not performing perfect obedience, which was the con
dition of the covenant of works, could have no benefit by that covenant,
no more can he who believes not have any benefit by the covenant of grace.

Unbelievers are not in covenant with Christ ; their league is with hell,
their covenant is with death. Christ looks on them as confederates with
Satan, that cursed league is inconsistent with any confederacy with Christ,
and that league is never dissolved till ye believe. Your pretended
renouncing of sin and Satan is but a deluding of your souls, a mocking of
Christ ; you never break your league with Satan, never enter into covenant
with Christ till ye believe.

An unbeliever has nothing to do with the promises ; for the promises
are but as so many articles of the covenant, and so it is called a covenant
of promise, Eph. ii. Now what has he to do with the articles of a cove
nant that never entered into it? Rom. iv. 13. The promise is through
the righteousness of faith ; and, ver. 16, it is of faith. It is of faith that
we have a right to any promise. The promises of life and pardon are all
to faith : ' If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, thou shalt be saved ; ' ' He
that believes has everlasting life.' The promises are a sealed fountain to
an unbeliever, it is open to nothing but faith. It is children's bread, and
we are the children of God through faith. An unbeliever has neither a
hand, .nor a mouth, either to gather or to eat any crumb of this manna.

And as nothing to do with the covenant, so neither with the seals of it.
What right has he to the seals of your writings or evidences, who has
nothing to do with the writings and evidences themselves ? The covenant
is evidence for heaven, under the hand and seal of God ; a deed of gift
under the seal of heaven. How does the seal belong to him, who has
nothing to do with the deed ?

Indeed, the seals of the covenant are, as Augustine, verbum visibile,
visibilis promissio, visible promises. Now he that has no right to the
audible promise, that which offers pardon and life to the ear, has no right
to the visible promise, which offers pardon and life to the eye, since the
very same thing is tendered in both. As we must not apply the audible
promise to an unbeliever, so must we not apply the visible promise ; there
is the very same reason for both. The promise belongs to believers and
their seed, both visible and audible promises, for they should never be
separated. Neither of them belongs to unbelievers, nor their seed, for they
are not the heirs of promise. And to make over the inheritance, or the
seals and evidences of it to them, would be to give the heir's inheritance,
in its sealed evidences, to pretenders and intruders, to those to whom
Christ. in his will and testament never bequeathed it, — an injustice that
we should use all our care to avoid. While a man is visibly in unbelief
nothing can be sealed to him but condemnation, because he has no evidence
for anything else. So the seal is either set to this, or nothing.

(3.) Without grace, the beginning of life. He that is an unbeliever,
whatever fine show he make in the flesh, whatever he pretend, profess, or
practise, how specious soever his deportment be, whatever outward con
formity he shew, either to the rules of law or gospel, he is a graceless
person. How finely soever' the sepulchre is painted and beautified without,
if faith be not within, there is nothing but dead bones and rottenness ;
nothing but what is as loathsome in the eye of God, as the rottenness of a

94 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

dead carcase is to us. For it is faith that purifies the heart, Acts xv. 9.
Till the heart be purified by faith, nothing is pure, either within or without,
Titus i. 15. There is not the least degree of holiness or sanctification,
till faith ; it is that by which we are sanctified, Acts xxvi. 18. Faith is a
root-grace ; there is not, there cannot be, a spring of holiness, till faith be
fastened in the heart.

No degree of spiritual life without faith : Gal. ii. 20, ' The life that I
live is by faith in the Son of God ;' by faith uniting Christ to the soul as
the principle. Till then the soul is dead, even as the body is dead when
not in conjunction with the soul. This is his state, he is dead in sins and
trespasses, and so are his actings ; all his works are dead works, till there be
faith in Christ, as appears by that connection, ' repentance from dead works.'
And,

(4.) He has no title to heaven, which is everlasting life. No title ; for
how should he come by it ? The Lord never ordained heaven for unbe
lievers ; ' he has chosen the poor, rich in faith.' He has prepared hell for
unbelievers, Rev. xxi. 8. Christ never purchased that for them. He is
' become the author of eternal salvation to those (only) who believe.' Those
that contend most for the extent of Christ's death, will never say that the
blood of Christ ever brought any unbeliever, so persevering, into heaven.
He was given, and gave himself only for this end.

He was never promised to them. Nay, all the threatenings, in law or
gospel, are the portion of unbelievers. Take one for all, and that from
the mouth of Christ, who speaks mercy and life when there is any to be had ;
and they are part of the last words he spoke in this world, Mark xvi. 16.

They have no right by adoption. They were never adopted. Unbe
lievers are not the sons of God, but the children of the devil. No sonship
but by faith, Gal. iii. 26 ; those that are not so by faith, are not so at all ;
for all that are sons, are so by faith.

(5.) They are far from life ; so far, as they never come in sight of it, never
Bee life. And if they can never come in sight of it, what hopes can they have
to enjoy it ? Hope of heaven without faith, is a castle in the air, a structure
without a foundation. Alas ! how can they hope to enjoy it, whom the
Lord calls off from all hopes ever to see it ! While ye are without faith,
ye are without hopes, in that forlorn condition of the Ephesians, before they
believed, Eph. ii. 12.

(6.) All this is certain, as sure as the Lord is true. For it is he that
speaks it, and he speaks it peremptorily. He does not say, possibly he
may never see life ; or probably he may never see life ; but he shall never
see it. As sure as the Lord will not lie, as sure as he is able to make good
that word, so sure is this, he that believes not shall not see life.

This is the sentence of the gospel. If it had been a sentence of the law,
that is not so peremptory, that admits of an exception, the gospel may
relieve one against the sentence of the law. Ay, but this is the sentence
of the gospel, the final decision of this case, which admits of no exception,
against which there is no relief, neither here nor hereafter, the last de
claration of God's will concerning a sinner, that if he believes not he shall
certainly die, and that without any further hopes of mercy or remedy ; he
shall never see life.

Here is the negative misery of an unbeliever. Oh that this might stir
you up to search your hearts, to examine seriously, as becomes you in a
business of such consequence, &c.

Come we to his misery expressed positively. ' The wrath of God abides

MAKK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 95

on him.' Every word is dreadful, and big with terror. It is wrath, and
the wrath of God, and the wrath of God on him, and the wrath of God
abiding on him.

(1.) Wrath. It is not anger or displeasure only, though that be dread
ful ; but wrath, sublimated anger, anger blown up into a terrible flame.
This is it which kindles upon unbelievers, a consuming fire, the furnace
made seven times hotter. This is the portion of unbelievers, their lines
fall in this place ; they are children of wrath, and this is their heritage.
There is no quitting of this woeful relation, but only by faith. ' Who can
stand before thee when thou art angry ?' Is there no abiding of it then ?
Who then can stand before it, when it flames forth into wrath ? Isa.
xxxiii. 14, ' Who can dwell,' &c.

(2.) It is the wrath of God. It is not the wrath of a king, though that
be as the roaring of a lion, at which all the beasts of the field do tremble ;
it is not the wrath of all the kings of the earth ; it is not the wrath of all
the men on the earth, or all the angels in heaven put together. What
then ? It is a wrath infinitely more dreadful ; it is the wrath of that God, in
comparison of whom all the men on earth, all the angels in heaven, all the
creatures on earth, are as nothing. All their wrath put together is as
nothing compared with the wrath of God. Theirs would but be as the
breath of one's nostrils ; whereas the wrath of God is as a whirlwind, such
a one as rends the rocks, and tears up the mountains, and shakes the
foundations of the earth, and shrivels up the heavens like a scroll, and
causes the whole fabric of heaven and earth to stagger like a drunken
man. Oh, ' who knows the power of his wrath ! ' Their wrath is but like
a spark; his wrath is like a river, a sea of kindled brimstone, Isa. xxx. 33.
This wrath, this wrath of God will be thy portion, if thou believe not.

(3.) It is the wrath of God on him. He says not, it is near him, or
coming towards him, but it is on him. Not that all the wrath of God is
on him already, for there are vials of wrath that will never be emptied,
never emptier, though the Lord be pouring them forth to all eternity. It
is compared to a river, and that is continually running ; and when it has
run some hundred years, there is as much to come as if there were none
run by already ; it will run on thee to eternity, unless by believing thou
stop it, divert the course of it in time.

But it is all on him as to the sentence. He is adjudged to all the wrath
of God already, and execution is beginning, though the beginning be small
in comparison of what it will proceed to hereafter. The first fruits of
wrath are reaped now, but a full harvest is coming ; and the longer thou
continuest in unbelief, the riper thou art for that dreadful harvest. All
that thou hast from God now, thou hast it in wrath ; for as all the ways of
God are mercy to the believer, so all his ways are wrath to the unbeliever.
The execution is begun now, and the Lord is ready, if thou prevent it not,
for a farther, a full execution. He does ' whet his sword,' Ps. vii. 12, 13.
If you continue in unbelief, you are likely to be the butts of the Lord's
indignation ; his arm, his sword will fall upon you.

(4.) It is abiding wrath. If this wrath were but for a moment, it were
more tolerable, but it is abiding wrath ; it is not on and off, but always on
him without intermission ; and there, unless he believe, it will abide for
ever, wherever he is, whatever he does, wherever he goes. The curse and
the wrath of God are in effect the same thing ; and what the Lord denounces
against the Israelites concerning the curse, holds true against unbelievers
as to this wrath of God : Deut. xxviii. 16, 17, ' The wrath of God is on

96 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

him in the city,' &c. The wrath of God is on him in every place, in every
state, in every enjoyment, in every undertaking.

This is the woeful, the miserable condition of every unbeliever.

Quest. But who are unbelievers ? Are there any amongst us in this
dreadful case ?

Ans. 1. He that has no other faith than a bare assent to the truths of
the gospel, a belief that all that is declared concerning Christ is true, all
that is delivered in the Scripture is the truth ; he that has no other faith
than this is an unbeliever, for the devils have as much as this comes to,
James ii. 19. If he go no further, he shall no more see life than they.

Ans. 2. He that goes on in any known sin of omission or commission ;
whether it be an acting of what God forbids, uncleanness, intemperance,
profaning of God's name or day or ordinances, worldliness, idleness, injus
tice, covetousness ; or neglect of what God requires, neglect of hearing the
word, prayer, meditation, self-examination, &c.

When you hear this or that condemned as a sin in the word, and yet
will continue in it, here is enough to evidence you are unbelievers. The
apostle speaks of ' the obedience of faith ; ' they are inseparable, children
of disobedience who are children of unbelief ; the apostle uses one word for
both, Eph. ii. 2; Bom. xi. 32. 'Faith purifies the heart,' Acts xv. 9;
when that is purified the conversation will be purified ; where it is not,
there is no faith. If you go on, allow yourselves in any unlawful thing,
this is your portion.

Ans. 3. He that finds not an universal change in himself. He who finds
he did love any sin, and does not now hate it, did delight in it, or make
light of it, and does not now bewail it, count it his burden and affliction ;
he that did scorn purity, or at least slight holiness, and is not now in
love with it, that durst once venture on sin, and does not now fear it ;
he that has had low thoughts of Christ, and does not now highly value
him, so as to part with all for him, so as to prefer him before his chief joy;
he that did neglect Christ, and does not now hunger and thirst after him ;
he that did immoderately follow the world, and does not now contemn it ;
he that did gratify the flesh, and does not now strive to crucify it ; he
that did count the word and prayer a burden, and does not now count them
his delight; that has been careless, heartless in holy duties, 'and does not
now stir up his soul, and strive with his heart to get it raised to God in
them, — he that does not find such a change is an unbeliever ; for when
the Lord works faith, he works such a change.

If this be thy case, all the dreadful things are thy portion. Apply them
as you love your souls, put not off conviction ; for you are never like to
come to faith till convinced of unbelief.

Use 2. Exhortation. This should excite sinners to mind this duty, as
that which is of greatest concernment. This I shall direct to sinners that
are secure : these should never be at rest till they find their hearts willing
to accept of Christ upon his own terms ; sensible sinners, those who are
willing thus to close with Christ, should never rest till they be brought to
depend on Christ, to rest theirselves on him for pardon and life. Here are
two sorts of sinners, and two acts of faith. I think this distinction neces
sary, the conditions ot these persons being so different, they must be led to
a different act of faith ; for a secure sinner, not yet sensible of his sin and
misery, not yet willing to leave all for Christ, not yet resolved to come under
the government of Christ, &c., for such a one to depend on Christ for
pardon and life, is not believing, but presumption. He must first be brought

MAKE XVI. 16.J OP FAITH. 97

to this, to be willing to accept of Christ as he is offered ; till then he has
no ground to expect pardon and life from Christ ; till then he has no
encouragement to rely on Christ for it ; till then we cannot press it on him
as his duty.

But for the sensible sinner, who is already brought thus far, who is bur
dened with his sin, abhors himself for it, who prefers Christ before all, who
has such ardent, importunate, effectual desires after Christ (as I explained
to you), it is his next duty to cast himself on Christ for life and salvation.
This is that the gospel calls him to, to which, in this use, I shall encourage
him, propounding some motives, removing impediments, answering objec
tions, and giving some directions distinctly, in reference to these different
states, as the case shall require.

For motives I shall go no further than the text. Here is the weightiest
duty propounded, with the weightiest motive in the world : believing the
duty; everlasting life the motive. Every word contains the strongest
attractive. Here is life for him that will believe ; here is everlasting life,
and here is this at present, ' hath everlasting life.' ' He that believes hath
everlasting life.'

1. Here is life for him that believes. And what more sweet, more
necessary, more desirable, than life, especially to him who is in apparent
danger of death ! A man that is sentenced to death, that is condemned
already, that is every moment in expectation to be led to execution, what
would not he do that he might have life ? Why this is the condition of
every man by nature, not one in the world excepted ; he is a child of wrath,
a son of death ; the great Judge of the heaven and earth has passed the sen
tence of death on him. It stands on record in his righteous law ; you may find
it everywhere in the Scripture. The mouth of the Lord does there pro
nounce it, Thou art condemned already, ver. 18 ; every moment in dan
ger of eternal death. And in this condition thou remainest, till that
almighty power, that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, work this great,
this difficult work, which is beyond the power of men or angels, faith in
thee. Now if there be any sense of thy condition, if sin and Satan have
not quite stupified thee, wilt thou not cry out for life ? Is not life desir
able ? Why, there is no way but one to save thy life. This is the only
way, and this is a sure way. Believe, and thou shalt have life ; otherwise
thou art a dead man. All the world cannot save thy life : no way but this.
Unless thou believe, thou art never like to see life, never like to feel any
thing but the wrath of God.

2. Here is everlasting life to him that believes. A condemned man
would be glad of a reprieve ; he would do much for that. Ay, but here is
not only a reprieve, but a pardon, if thou believest. Here is not only a
respiting of the execution, but a revoking, a nulling of the sentence of death.
Here is not only a reprieve, not only a pardon for a malefactor, a rebel ;
but the highest advancement and preferment. A son of death becomes an
heir of life and glory ; ' heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ.' He is not
only brought from his dungeon and fetters unto light and liberty, but
brought to a crown, to a kingdom ; not only raised from the dunghill, but
set amongst princes, those that are heirs apparent of the crown of life and
glory ; a kingdom that cannot be shaken, a crown that fadeth not away,
that which he shall enjoy, that which he shall wear for ever, everlast
ing life.

Oh what a motive is this ! Everlasting life is a big, pregnant word.
There is more in it than the whole world will hold. There is more in it

VOL. I. G

98 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

than in all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them put together.
There is all in it that the eternal decree of love does grasp. There is all
in it that the precious blood of Christ could purchase ; that sum, that price,
in comparison of which (so rich, so valuable is it), that all the treasures of
the earth amount not to a mite. There is all in it that the covenant of
grace and the everlasting gospel can hold. There is more in it than tongue
can express, than heart can imagine, than angels can comprehend. All
this is in it ; and all this will be thine, if thou believest : nay, all this is
thine.

8. Here is everlasting life at present for him that believes. ' He that
believes,' ?%£/. He does not say he may have it, as though it were only
possible or probable ; he does not say he shall have it, as though it were
merely future ; but he hath it, it is his own at present. Whatever is com
prised in this pregnant word, he hath right to it all at present, and he hath
something of it in possession ; and he is as sure of the rest as if he now
had it, and as if he were actually possessed of it. And here I shall come
to open this more fully.

(1.) He hath it in the decree of God. The Lord purposed from eter
nity to bring his chosen to everlasting life by faith. Faith is an effect of
that eternal purpose, suc'h an effect as is an evident and infallible sign of
its cause ; a certain evidence of those that are comprised in that purpose
of love, an infallible character of an elect soul, and therefore called ' the
faith of God's elect,' Titus i. 1.

The purpose of God is secret : it runs under ground till faith, and
then it breaks forth, then this secret comes to light when the soul
believes. Faith is the first saving appearance of it : he that believes may
conclude that he is elected to life. He has eternal life by an unchange
able decree, a purpose as unchangeable as God himself, that can no more
be changed than that God who is ' without variableness or shadow of
changing.'

Upon this account the apostle speaks of those that believe, as having
ajready obtained the inheritance of life, Eph. i. 11, 12, he speaks of himself
and others then on earth as having obtained. And how had they obtained
it ? he adds, being predestinated ; and who are these that had obtained it
by this purpose ? Why, those that trust in Christ. Believe then, and
that great question, Am I elected ? will be no more a question, there need
be no more doubt of it. Believe, and you have everlasting life by the decree
of heaven.

(2.) He hath it by the purchase of Christ. It is bought for a believer ;
it is bought and paid for ; and what is more his own than that which is so
purchased for him ? Everlasting life is a purchased possession, Eph. i. 14.
The purchaser is Christ ; the price was his blood ; a price of such value as
did fully satisfy him of whom the purchase was made. But for whom did
he purchase it ? Why for all those, and only those, that believe. Christ had
no need to purchase any thing for himself, he wanted nothing ; he pur
chased for others ; and who are they ? ver. 16. Believe then, and eternal
life is as much thine as that which is bought and paid for in thy name,
and for thy use. The Lord is engaged, not only in point of mercy and
favour, but as he is just and righteous, to let thee have it, it was purchased
for thee.

(8.) He hath it by the sentence of the gospel. As an unbeliever has the
sentence of death passed against him by the law, so a believer has the sentence
of life passed for him by the gospel ; both in chap. iii. the former, ver.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 99

18, the latter in the text; so John i. 5 ; and this latter supersedes the
former. If a man who has received sentence of death from the law, can
appeal to the gospel, and there plead that he believes, the gospel will quit
him, and declare him an heir of life, by virtue of the sentence of God him
self, pronounced and recorded in the gospel. The sentence of death is of
force no longer than the sinner continues in unbelief. As soon as he
believes, from that time forth he hath everlasting life. If any question his
right to it, he has the verdict of the gospel, the sentence and judgment of
the Lord of life ; that is sufficient to decide all controversy, and put it out
of question that he has everlasting life.

(4.) He hath it in title. He is born to it, 1 Pet. i. 3-5. Those who
are kept through faith unto salvation, are begotten again to an inheritance
incorruptible.

Faith is one of the first acts of a new-born soul, a sure evidence that he
is born again, that he is born of God ; and he that is born of God is a
child of God, and all his children are heirs, Rom. viii. 16, 17. Believe,
and you are sons of God, and then this is your portion. Everlasting life
is as much yours as the portion bequeathed to you by your father. Believe,
then you are heirs, and this is your inheritance ; you have this life as your
patrimony.

(5.) He hath it by covenant. The covenant of grace is a covenant of
life ; the Lord therein engages to give everlasting life to those that enter
into covenant with him. Now faith is our first entrance into covenant
with God. When the soul consents to accept of Christ upon his own
terms, the match is made up. The day of believing is the day of espousals ;
Christ becomes his husband, and everlasting life is his dowry, it is made
sure to him. Now a dowry is appointed and made sure to a woman ;
though she have not the full possession and disposal of it while her hus
band lives, yet none will deny but she has a jointure. So, though a
believer have not the full possession of heaven now, yet there is no reason
to deny but he hath eternal life ; for it is a dowry made sure to every one
that believes, 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. A believer has the word of Christ for
it, his promise, Rom. iv. 16. He has it under the hand of Christ, a
written evidence, John xx. 31. He has it under the seal of Christ, sealed
evidence, Rom. iv. 11. He has it under the oath of God, Isaiah liv. 9, 10,
Heb. vi. 17, 18.

(6.) He hath it in possession in some respect. He has possession of it
in his head. Believe, and you are united unto Christ ; united to him as
really, as intimately, as inseparably, as head and members are united.
Christ and believers make but one body. The union is so near, as both
head and members have one name ; both are called Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 12.
The Lord Jesus and believers make but one Christ. Now, Christ is in
possession of everlasting life ; and therefore they are, because Christ and
they are but one. The best, the principal part of a believer, his head, is
in possession, and therefore he is said to be in possession. Hence it is
that believers, as though they were in heaven already, are said to sit in
heavenly places, even while they are on earth, Eph. ii. 6. Christ and
believers being so much one, what is ascribed to Christ is ascribed to them ;
what is suffered, done, enjoyed by him, is said to be done, suffered, enjoyed
by them. Because Christ was crucified, they are said to be crucified,
Gal. ii. 20. Because Christ is risen, therefore they are said to be risen,
Gal. iii. 1. Because Christ is set at his right hand in heavenly places,
Eph. i. 3, and set down together there, Eph. ii. 6. But how can this be?

100 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

They are still on earth. Why, it is true in respect of Christ, it is in
Christ Jesus ; he is their head, and he is in possession, and therefore the
best part of them is in possession already. Christ is their husband ; he is
gone before to take possession of heaven in their name, on their behalf :
' I go to prepare,' &c. And what is in the husband's possession belongs
to the wife. Believe but this, and thou art in some respect in heaven
already.

(7.) He has the beginning of everlasting life now. That life which will
last for ever, is begun as soon as ye believe, Eph. i. 13, 14. They have
the earnest of this inheritance as soon as they believe ; and it is such an
earnest as does not only make sure the bargain, the contract, but is part
of payment, part of the purchase. That light which they have now from
the Spirit of truth, is the same in kind, though not in degree, with that
which they shall have in that inheritance. That joy which they have now
from the Comforter, is the same in kind, though not in degree, with the
joys of heaven, John xiv. 16. That glory which they have now from the
Spirit of glory resting in them, is part of fhat which heaven affords, though
short in degree, 1 Pet. iv. 14. That holiness which they have now from
the Spirit of holiness, is the same in kind, though in less degree than in
heaven, John iv. 14. The same water of life that overflows in heaven, is
springing on earth in the heart of a believer. It springs not so fast now,
nor does it rise so high ; but it is the same well, and it is in him now,
and all the powers of darkness cannot hinder it from springing up to ever
lasting life. He has everlasting life now as in a well, there he shall have
it as in a river.

(8.) He has everlasting life for his use and advantage upon all occasions.
He is not only a proprietor, and in part a possessor of it, as appears
before, but an usufructuary. He may make use of heaven for whatever he
needs, and whenever he has occasion.

He may have access to the throne of grace, the best place in heaven,
whenever he will. Faith sels open the door ; he may come with boldness
and confidence, Eph. iii. 12, Heb. iv. 16. And coming in faith, he may
come with full assurance that he shall have whatever he asks, 1 John
v. 13, 14.

(9.) All this is sure. He is sure of all that is present. He is sure of
all that is not yet in possession ; as sure of it as if he had it already.
This the expression imports, he hath. He is as sure of heaven as if he
were in heaven. Nay, he is surer of heaven than his mere being in heaven
could make him ; for the fallen angels had a being once in heaven ; but
that was no assurance of everlasting life to them there ; the event proves
that a believer on earth is more sure of everlasting life in heaven, than
those angels were when they were actually in heaven. But how come they
to be thus sure ? Why, it is partly through faith, 1 Pet. i. 4, 5. Through
faith. Oh, but may not their faith fail ? No, so long as Christ has any
interest in heaven, so long as he has any power to prevail with his Father,
who will easily be prevailed with for those whom he eternally loves. Now
he has prayed to this purpose, Luke xxii. 32. But was not this peculiar
to Peter, wherein others share not ? No ; for he adds, Strengthen thy
brethren. When thou findest the benefit of this prayer, securing thy faith,
strengthen thy brethren with this encouragement. Now what encourage
ment had this been to them, if Christ did not pray for them as well as
him ? John xvii. 20.

2. Impediments that hinder men from believing, that keep them short

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 101

of saving faith. These must be discovered, and removed. I shall endeavour
both together.

The impediments are many. Satan uses his utmost craft and power to
multiply and enforce them. I shall insist on some, that I apprehend to be
the principal, most common, and most dangerous.

(1.) A conceit they have faith already, when really they have it not.
This is Satan's great engine, whereby he destroys heaps upon heaps (as it
is said of Samson), ruins multitudes of those that live under the gospel.
When the light of it discovers the necessity of faith so clearly as there
can be no gainsaying, he comes up with his reserve to secure the hold, and
make good the ground that he has in a sinner, when his forlorn of atheism
is routed. What, says he, though there be no salvation, no life, without
faith, yet trouble not thyself, thou hast faith already. Hereby he keeps
off conviction, renders the word ineffectual, hardens the sinner in his
unbelief, and makes him secure there, without looking out for faith in the
use of those means whereby faith might be attained. This conceit is as a
great stone rolled to the door of the sepulchre, to make the soul, who lies
buried in a state of unbelief, sure from starting. It is such a mistake as
if a physician should judge the disease of a man desperately sick to be
quite contrary to what it is, and should prescribe him physic accordingly.
The patient [is] in this case under a double mischief, both which are mortal.
He not only wants that which is proper for the allaying of his distemper,
but he has that applied which feeds and heightens it. So the sinner, under
his mistake, avoids that which is proper to his distemper, rousing and
convincing truths, threatenings, and representations of the misery of
unbelief. He puts away these as belonging to others, and applies the
promises and sweetnesses of the gospel as his portion, presuming he is a
believer ; whenas, considering the true state of his soul, these are as deadly
to him as poison ; Satan makes use of these to destroy him. These to a
believer are the savour of life ; but to him, being but a believer in conceit
only, they are the savour of death.

Now this mistake arises from another. He mistakes the nature of true
faith, and so takes himself to be a believer, when he is not. He takes an
historical faith for a justifying faith, or a temporary faith for a saving faith,
or a presumptuous credulity for sound believing. Satan, concurring with
a deceitful heart, can put a counterfeit faith into the habit of that which
is saving, as Rebekah dressed up Jacob like his elder brother ; and so far
delude a credulous soul, one that is willing to have it so, as he blesses
himself, takes the blessing as his portion ; whenas indeed he is under the
curse, and the wrath of God abides on him.

Now to remove this, the counterfeit must be uncased, the imposter must
be discovered ; the vizard must be taken off, that the true face of that
glorious faith or presumption may be discerned, which is most commonly
mistaken for that which is saving and justifying.

A sinner is thus deceived sometimes with an historical, a temporary
faith, sometimes with a credulous presumption. For the former,

[1.] He believes the Scripture, that all is true, and orthodox and divine
truths. He believes all the articles of the Christian faith ; he does not
doubt of or question any of them. He believes that all that is related in
the Bible is true ; that all the commands are just and good, and ought to
be obeyed ; that all the threatenings are true and righteous, and will be
executed ; that all the promises are true and gracious, and will be fulfilled.
And he that believes all this, is not he a believer ? Is not this faith ? He

102 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

believes that Christ is the Saviour, a Saviour of sinners, those that
believe ; the only Saviour ; that there is no salvation in any else.
Hence he concludes that he has faith, and he is a believer, and shall
be saved. And if any should tell him he has no faith at all, then he
would wonder at it, and tell him he is very uncharitable ; his faith is as
good as the best.

For the discovery and removing of this dangerous mistake, take notice,
that this faith comes far short of that which is saving. Though it be
necessary to believe thus much, yet to believe thus much is not sufficient
to salvation. There is no saving faith without this ; but all this may be,
and much more, where yet there is no saving faith. This is a common
faith, common both to elect and reprobates; it is not that special faith
which is saving, called the faith of God's elect. And to convince you of
this, take some testimonies of Scripture.

Hypocrites may have such a faith as this, and apostates too, such as
shall never see life. Those hearers of the word, which are compared to
the stony ground, those in whom the word had no saving effect, had yet
such a faith as this, Luke viii. 15. They received the word, and received
it with joy, and believed too, and yet fell away, turned apostates, whereas
saving faith never fails.

Keprobates may have this faith, even such as Simon Magus the sorcerer,
Acts viii. 13. He believed, and continued with Philip, attending on the
word which he believed, and was so affected as he was filled with wonder
and admiration ; and yet Peter tells him he had neither part nor lot in the
Holy Ghost, in that which was saving. If he had any faith at all in reality,
it could amount to no less than this ; and yet his heart was not right in
the sight of God, though he seemed to be right in the sight of Philip and
the rest, else they would never have baptized him. Yet it was not so in
the sight of God; for all his faith, and for all the show that he made of
more than this, yet he was in the gall of bitterness, ver. 23. Those that
are in a damnable state may have this faith.

Nay, those that are in a state of damnation actually, even the devils,
may have this faith, James ii. 19. The devils know as much of the
nature and attributes of God as men can know, and much more ; and they
know it so clearly, with evidence and conviction, as they cannot but
believe it; they believe it so effectually, as it makes them tremble. Now,
the truth of God is one of his attributes, so that knowing the Scripture to
be the word of God, they cannot but believe that it is universally true ;
relations, assertions, promises, threatenings, they believe all ; that which
they would least believe, the threatenings, these they so believe as it
makes them tremble. They believe not only natural truths, such as the
light of nature can discover, but supernatural truths, such as depend upon
divine revelation, the truths of Christ and the gospel.

That Christ is the Son of the living and true God, is a truth not known
but by revelation, Mat. xvi. 16. Here seems to be much in Peter's acknow
ledgement and belief of this ; yet the devils do acknowledge and believe this,
Mat. viii. 28, Luke viii. 26, Mark v. 7, 8.

They believe the gospel to be the doctrine of salvation, the preaching of
the gospel to be the way of salvation. This appears sufficiently by their
opposing of it ; but there is a plain testimony of it, Acts xvi. 16, 17. It
is well if some amongst us did not come short of the devil in this. If they
believed it indeed to be the way of salvation, methinks they should be
more in this way. The spirit of divination, which was a devil, believes

MAEK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 103

and acknowledges that Paul and his companions were the servants of the
Most High, and the gospel they preached the way of salvation.

Thus, you see, the devils believe the gospel ; and there is no article of
the Christian faith but they believe it, these being contained in the gospel.
So that those who have no more faith than this, have no more reason to
conclude they have saving faith than that the devils have it. You must
have another kind of faith than this, else you shall no more see life than
those that are in hell already.

Oh, but, says another, I have more than this; I not only believe that
Christ is a Saviour, but I trust he will be my Saviour. I have hopes of
heaven and salvation, and I hope in Christ for salvation, and I hope in
Christ alone for it. Now, this is it which the devils can never attain to,
though they have some kind of faith ; yet their faith has no confidence,
they are without hope.

For removal of mistakes in this, consider that all this may be no more
than presumption. Though faith be not without some confidence, yet
there may be great confidence where there is no true faith at all. Faith
is not without hope ; but hope there may be where there is no faith. Job
speaks of the hypocrite's hope, — a hope that is not saving, that is in those
who shall never be saved, — a hope like the spider's web, Job viii. 13, 14,
which, together with those that rely on it, will be swept down into de
struction. We have a clear instance of it in the parable of the virgins,
Mat. xxv. The foolish virgins, when the door was shut, yet they come to
the door, which they would never have done but that they had some hopes
to be let in. They had some confidence they should be admitted into the
marriage chamber as well as the rest, and they hoped in Christ the bride
groom for it; and that makes them call upon him to open, ver. 11. And
it seems they hoped in him alone for it, for they apply themselves to him
only ; and yet this was but vain presumption, Christ shuts them out, and
will not own them, ver. 12.

For a fuller discovery of this mistake, we shall lay down some grounds
by which presumptuous hopes and confidence may be discovered from true
faith, shewing the difference betwixt faith and presumption in some parti
culars which the Scripture affords us. They differ,
[1.] In their rise; vide Sermon on James.

[2.J In their object. Faith pitches upon whole Christ, presumption will
but have part of him. Christ is so precious in the eye of faith, it cannot
endure he should be divided ; he cannot spare, he cannot be without any
of him. He will not have the Lord Jesus separated ; he will have him as
a Lord as well as a Jesus, as his Lawgiver no less than a Saviour. That
is the voice of faith in Thomas, John xx. 27-29, as a Lord to rule him as
well as a Jesus to save him.

He embraces Christ coming by water as well as blood. He would have
him for purity as much as for pardon, for sanctification as much as for
satisfaction. Pardon will not satisfy him without purity ; heaven will not
please him without holiness; he sees something of it in holiness. He
would have complete redemption. He would be redeemed not only from
hell, and death, and the wrath to come, but from that which might give
Christ any distaste at present, he would be redeemed from a carnal
temper within, from a vain conversation without. He counts it but the
one half of salvation to be saved from hell hereafter, and the powers of
darkness.

His lusts are an affliction, a torment to him, if he were freed from other

104 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

tormentors. A carnal, worldly temper, corrupt temper of heart, is a misery
something like hell to him. He would have Christ to save him, to save
him from these, or else he cannot count himself happy. He would have
Christ to be his King in all his royalties. He is welcome to him, not only
with his crown for glory and happiness, but with his sword and sceptre.
He would have Christ come with his sword to circumcise his heart, to cut
him off from carnal, worldly interest, to wound his lusts, to put to death
his dearest corruption. The sceptre of Christ is lovely and glorious in his
eye. He would have him come into his soul with the government upon
his shoulders. He desires nothing more than to be brought fully and
unreservedly under the government of Christ. He would have Christ reign
in him here in holiness and righteousness, as much as he would reign with
him hereafter in glory and happiness. Here is the proper genius and the
true strain, the genuine character of saving faith ; and he would have all
Christ, and this above all.

But now presumption would have Christ divided ; it can be content with
part of him. It shews itself to be presumption in that it will pick and
choose something in Christ it likes, something in Christ it dislikes; it
will take what it likes, and leaves the rest. A presumer, he would have
Christ's righteousness to satisfy justice, procure him a pardon, and pur
chase him heaven ; but he cares not for Christ's holiness. When he looks
upon that, he sees no beauty in it, nor comeliness that he should desire
it. Such strictness, such holiness, such purity, he hopes he may be saved
without that ; however, he will venture it. He has no mind to the strait
and holy ways of Christ ; that is a yoke too grievous, it is a burden too
heavy ; he hopes Christ will be so gracious as to dispense with him here :
The Lord be merciful to me in this, I cannot digest it ! As much of Jesus
as you will, but as little of him as Lord ; or if as Lord, yet not really,
universally, or solely.

Not really. He will call him Lord, profess and acknowledge him to
be his Lord as well as the best. So the foolish virgins, Mat. xxv. ; and
those presumptuous hypocrites, Mat. vii. 21, 22. This was verbal, not
real ; but while his tongue confesses him, his heart does not stoop to him.

Or if they yield to him in some things, yet not in all ; if they admit him
as their Lord, yet not as absolute Lord ; they submit but in part, not
universally. Some things they may do, yea, many things, in compliance
with Christ, but not all ; something or other seems too precise, too diffi
cult, too hazardous ; it entrenches too much upon their ease, or pleasures,
or carnal humours, or worldly interest ; the sceptre of Christ must waive
that.

Some sins they will leave, yea, many sins ; but some or other is too
pleasant, and too gainful, and that is the reason they cannot part with it ;
the sword of Christ must not touch it.

Here is presumption indeed ! If they entertain Christ, either he must
come without his sceptre, or else his sceptre must be broken ; they will not
come under the entire government of Christ. Either he must lay aside his
sword, or else it must be only unsheathed at their discretion. He must
spare what they cannot part with, and do execution only where they will
appoint him, and yet they will hope to be saved by him. Can presumption
appear in more lively colours ? Alas, how apparent is this in most of
those who say they hope in Christ for salvation ! And how many, in whom
it is not so apparent, yet in their own consciences, if they would look there
impartially, they might read this presumption put together with all their

MAKE XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 105

hopes, or indeed made up of nothing else, so that if this presumption were
subtracted from them, the hopes remaining would be a cypher, and stand
for nothing, except it be to delude them.

[3.] In the grounds. Presumption properly is a confidence without
ground. Then he presumes, who is confident he shall be saved, when his
confidence has no bottom ; either no ground at all, or that which is as
good as none. The grounds of presumption, such as they be, are either
without or within him. Without him, such as these, God is merciful, he
delights not in the death of sinners, he would have all men to be saved, &c.
Christ is a Saviour, he died to save sinners, &c.

These indeed, when there is a special reason for a particular application,
are grounds of hope, but to one who is yet in impenitency and unbelief,
they afford no more hopes than to Cain or Judas; for why might not either
of them draw this conclusion from the premises as well as such a one ?
Yet if Cain, or Judas, or the like, should conclude thus, God is merciful ;
Christ died for sinners, ergo I shall be saved, who would not say this is
presumption ?

The grounds within them are ordinarily their own righteousness, their
good meaning, purposes, inclinations ; they mean well, whatever fault be
found with them. They do no man wrong, give every one his own, are
not so bad as others, nay, much better than many about them. Upon
such grounds did the presumptuous Pharisee raise his confidence, Luke
xviii. 11, 12 ; or their outward conformities and enjoyment of ordinances,
such as theirs, Luke xiii. 87, &c. ; or upon their performances, doing much
in an outward formal way of religion. So theirs, Mat. vii. 22, 23. But
now a true believer grounds his confidence and hopes of heaven upon
something which the Scripture assigns as proper and peculiar to the heirs
of heaven, which can be found in none but those that are in a saving state.
He draws not his conclusion but from such premises as are confirmed by
the Spirit of God. He concludes his interest in mercy and salvation,
because he finds the first fruits of salvation, the effects of special mercy, in
his soul, he has the earnest of the Spirit in his heart, this makes sure the
contract for eternal life, Eph. i. He concludes Christ died for him, be
cause he finds the saving effects of his death produced in his soul. He
has lively hopes, because he is alive to God, he is born again, he is be
gotten to these hopes, 1 Peter i. 3. His hopes of glory arise from Christ
within him, Col. i. 27. He finds Christ dwelling in him, Eph. iii. 7,
working in him, acting him by his Spirit, and thereby testifying to him
that he is a son, and so an heir. He concludes that he is in Christ,
because he is ' a new creature,' 2 Cor. v. 17. He finds 'old things passed
away, and all things become new.' His old vain, carnal, wanton imagina
tions are passed away. His old secure, benumbed, unfaithful conscience
is passed away. His old perverse, stubborn, rebellious will, he has a new
will. His old strong, sensual, corrupt, unbelieving, impenitent heart is
gone ; he has a new heart, a heart of flesh, bearing the image of Christ.
His old disordered, misplaced, inordinate affections, &c., his old vain,
sinful conversation is altered, he has a new life, all things are become new.
He has new thoughts, new inclinations, new intentions, new designs, new
resolutions, new desires, new delights, new employments, new conversa
tion, all suitable to the state and hopes of a new creature, becoming one
who is renewed in the spirit of his mind, which has put on that new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, as the
apostle speaks, Eph. iv. 22-24. He can say, he was sometimes darkness,

106 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

but now he is light in the Lord, Eph. v. 8 ; sometimes carnal, but
now in some measure spiritual ; sometimes worldly, but now in some
degree has his conversation in heaven ; sometimes profane, but now
in part holy. There is such a change, as in the Corinthians, 1 Cor.
vi. 9-11.

[4.] In the effects. As faith and presumption do differ in their nature,
so they produce different effects, and these effects may be referred to three
heads. They respect Christ, or sin, or the persons themselves.

First. The effects of faith, in reference to Christ, are a high esteem of
him, strong desires after him, unfeigned love to him.

Presumption does not transcendently value Christ so as to prefer him
before his chief joy ; nor effectually desire him, so as to part with all for
him ; nor sincerely love him, so as to cleave to him only. Something
takes place of Christ in his mind and heart, though it may be self-love
(which is very strong in a presumptuous confident) does so blind him as
he does not perceive it, will not believe it. But of these effects of faith I
have spoken sufficiently in the explication.

Secondly. The effects of faith in reference to sin are fear of it, hatred of
it, sorrow for it. Faith sets the heart fully against sin, as that which is
dreadful, hateful, and most grievous, whereas presumption slights sin, at
least some sins, makes no great matter of them, cleaves to some, and is
indifferent as to others ; presumes it shall go well with him though he go.
on in this or that evil way.

First. A true believer fears sin ; faith makes him afraid of it as of a
dreadful evil, Heb. xi. 7. Where faith is in the heart, the heart is moved
with fear, this makes such an impression on him, all the scorns of the
world will not prevail with him to neglect a duty. Though he see not the
effects of sin, though they be future and at a great distance, as the flood
seemed to be, yet being warned of God, he is moved with fear. His own
experience is enough to render sin fearful to him. He has felt the burden
of sin oppressing his soul, he is afraid to add more weight to a pressure
that he has found too heavy for him. While the Lord was working faith
in his heart, he found his iniquities going over his head, Ps. xxxviii. 4.
He has felt sin straining his conscience. He remembers the anguish of a
wounded spirit, he is now afraid of it as of a serpent. His soul has been
scorched with sin, he remembers that it kindled wrath in his soul, and now
he dreads the fire, is afraid of coming near the flame ; whereas presump
tion is bold and venturous, will play with the flame, will be tampering
with some evil or other, though it singe him, and at last he drops into hell,
as the moth, making too bold with the candle, at last loses her wings, and
falls down lame or dead before it.

The voice of faith is that of Joseph, ' How shall I do this great wicked
ness, and sin against God ! ' but the voice of presumption is like that of
Lot concerning Zoar ; he says of this or that sin, ' Is. it not a little one ? '
my soul may live in it and be secure.

That which seems to be a great sin to faith seems a little one to pre
sumption; that which faith trembles at, this makes bold with it. He
presumes that the Lord is not so strict and severe as to condemn him for
not straining at such sins as he counts but like a gnat, presumes he may
come to heaven though he be not so strict and precise as the word would
have him. To be so precise, is to be over righteous in his conceit, he will
make bold to gratify himself in one or other forbidden path, whatever come
of it. Presumption is a bold, a venturous humour ; he blesses himself,

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 107

and says, I shall have peace, though he walk after the stubbornness of his
own heart.

Secondly. A true believer hates sin. He is not only angry at it, dis
pleased with it, but he hates it, pursues it to the death, seeks its ruin,
would have it utterly destroyed, root and branch, the body of death and all
its members, would have the whole crucified, and shews his ^hatred by
diligence in use of all means to get it mortified. He hates all sin, every
false way, even those that he has most loved, wherein he has most
delighted. His hatred is universal and impartial. Faith in Christ is
always accompanied with a dear love to Christ, and love to Christ always
attended with hatred of sin : Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate
evil.' Being so much in love with Christ, and knowing there is nothing so
contrary, so injurious, so hateful to Christ as sin, he cannot but hate that
which is so contrary to him whom his soul loves, Ps. cxxxix. 21. Every
sin is hateful to Christ, and therefore he hates every sin. But self-love is
predominant in the presumer ; he hates sin no further than self-love leads
him, no further than it is contrary to his own humours, inconsistent with
his own interest, or disagreeing with his temper.

Hatred springs from some contrariety betwixt the person so affected and
the object hated. Now a believer has a new nature, to which sin is as
contrary as darkness is to light, John i. 11, 12. Now as in the natural
birth, so in this supernatural, there is a new form, a new nature ; he is
renewed after the image of God in holiness. Now sin and holiness are as
contrary as hell and heaven, as filthiness and purity. Hence it is, that
there is in every true believer an antipathy to sin, as being contrary to that
new nature. That divine nature which he partakes of, he comes to partake
of it by the promises, and so consequently by faith, without which the
promises afford us nothing, 2 Pet. i. 4 ; and by this escapes the pollutions
of the world through lust. This divine nature puts him upon this, by all
means to flee to Christ, make an escape from the pollutions of sin, as that
which is hateful and contrary to him.

But there is no such principle in a presumer, and therefore no such act.
He may be angry at sin, and so may avoid it, and put some restraint upon
it, so as he may seem to have escaped the pollution, but he hates it not ;
he contents himself to restrain it, that it break not forth into outward acts,
but he seeks not to ruin it. Or though he may hate some sin, as being
contrary to his temper, or inconsistent with his credit, profit, safety, or
other interests, but he does not hate all sin ; there is one or other that he
is always in love or league with ; and if he would deal faithfully and impar
tially with his soul, he might discover it. But presumption is a blind,
hood-winked boldness, which, as it will not see that which is hateful in a
beloved sin, so it will not see, will not believe that he loves it. Or if this
cannot be avoided, rather than his presumptuous heart will yield to con
viction, he will presume that the sin which he loves and lives in, is no sin,
or at least, no such sin as will keep him out of heaven, or argue a damnable
state.

Thirdly. Sorrow for sin. A believing heart is a new heart, a heart of
flesh, a heart that receives deep impressions from the love of Christ, a heart
that will melt and bleed when he remembers the injuries, the unkindnesses
that he has offered to Christ, Zech. xii. 10. When the soul looks upon
Christ with the eye of faith, when he sees what he has done, and against
whom he has done it ; when he sees Christ pierced, and pierced by him,
and willing to be wounded, that the soul that was thus unkind, thus cruel

108 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

to him, might have life by him, oh this makes him mourn, and mourn
greatly, and mourn bitterly, as they mourned for Josiah at Hadadrimmon,
a place in the valley of Megiddon, where that peerless prince was slain.

The soul looks upon Christ, represented in this posture in the gospel,
set forth there, as if he were pierced and crucified before his eyes. His
eye sees, and so sees this spectacle of love and wonder, as his eye affects
his heart. Oh, says he, what have I done ? what have I been doing all
this while that I have lived in sin ? Have I been all this while piercing
Christ ? Has every sin (when I am guilty of so many) wounded Christ ?
Have I been all this while crucifying him, and put him to an open shame ?
Have I been piercing him who loves me, who so loved me as to be willing
to die for me ? And does he now love one who has been so unkind, so
cruel to him ? Will he pardon me after such provocations ? Will he think
thoughts of love and peace to one that has thus used him ? Will he
embrace one who is covered with such bloody sins ? Why, yes ; behold
he offers love to such a wretch ; he stretches out his arms to embrace me
who have pierced him ; he will make no other use of those wounds that I
have given him, but to heal me by them. Oh the wonders of Christ's love !
Oh the bloody guilt of my sins ! Oh these thoughts enter deep into a
believing heart : it melts him, he is all dissolved into sorrow. The rod of
Moses did not smite the rock more effectually when the waters gushed out
of it, than this thought, this sight of a pierced Christ, strikes and pierces
the heart. He now tastes in his sins the bitterness of death, the bitterness
of Christ's death ; no wonder if he mourn bitterly.

But now a presumptuous heart is a hard heart ; it is a heart of stone.
It melts not, it bleeds not, when it sees Christ set forth bleeding and dying.
The love of Christ makes no deep impressions on it ; it glides off, as water
from a stone. There is no such heart-meltings, no such passionate relent-
ings, no such breaking reflections on Christ or upon sin, no such great or
bitter mourning.

Presumption is impudent. He hardens his face, and will not blush in
secret for all his unworthy dealings with Christ. His heart is hardened ;
it will not bleed, though he sees Christ pierced before him. Indeed, how
can it be that his heart should break into sorrow for that which his heart
loves and delights in ?

Thirdly. The effects, in reference to these persons, are humility and
watchfulness in the believer, pride and security in the presumer.

First. A believing heart is a humble heart. Faith lays the soul low, in
sense of its own vileness, emptiness, impotency ; in sense of former sinful-
ness, present unworthiness ; in sense of its many wants, weaknesses, dis
tempers, corruption. As nothing more exalteth Christ, so nothing more
debaseth man. As it advances man high in the account of God, so it lays
him low in his own eyes. The Lord, having a design to display the riches
of his grace, made choice of faith as the fittest instrument, as that which
gives all to God, and nothing to man. It is the soul's going out of him
self, as having nothing but sin and misery, unto Christ for all. It has a
double aspect : one to himself, there it sees nothing but guilt, weakness,
emptiness ; another to Christ, and there it sees righteousness, strength,
all- sufficiency.

Faith empties a man of himself, self-conceit, self-sufficiency, self-con
fidence, makes him seem nothing, that Christ may be all in all. Where
the strongest faith, the greatest humility, Mat. viii. 7-10 ; judges himself
unworthy of the least favour, counts himself the greatest of sinners, less

MAEK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 109

than the least of all mercies, thinks better of others than of himself,
patient of reproofs, and ready to stoop to the meanest service that Christ
shall call him to ; ascribes all he has to Christ and grace.

Whereas presumption is proud and haughty, swells a man full, and raises
him high in his own conceit. It is attended with self-conceit and self-con
fidence ; thinks well of himself, and stands upon his own bottom ; counts
himself fit for services above him, and is impatient of reproofs, contradic
tions, and what he judges undervaluings. Some strains hereof are visible
in that presumptuous Pharisee, Luke xviii. 11, 12.

Secondly. A holy jealousy and watchfulness over himself, Bom. xi. 20.
Because he stands by faith, therefore he is not high-minded or self-confident,
but wary and watchful ; careful that he may not receive the grace of God
in vain ; fearful lest he should make unworthy returns ; jealous over his
heart, as knowing it to be treacherous and unfaithful ; watchful over his
spirit, that it do not start aside from Christ ; careful that no mercy may
slip his notice, that no rod or affliction may speak in vain ; keeps a strict
hand over his soul in all his ways, especially in ordinances of worship ;
trembles at the word ; and in a word, works out his salvation with fear and
trembling. Easy to be convinced of miscarriages, thankful for such dis
coveries, such smitings are acceptable to him, when he is himself; and
ordinarily his own heart smites him first, and more than others.

But presumption is careless and secure, gives the reins to his heart.
The temper of his spirit is loose and negligent, even in acts of worship ;
bears up against conviction in miscarriage, staves it off, and is stubborn
against the word when it crosses him.

We may see this in the deportment of the Jews, the presumptuous part
of them, under the ministry of Christ himself.

[5.] In their properties. True faith being a form far differing from
presumption, the properties that flow from it are far different.

First. It is a purifying faith. The confidence, which is either the act
or attendant of it, is a lively hope, that will be working out all impurity of
flesh and spirit. As a living spring will not long continue mudded, but is
still working out the mud and impure mixtures which defile it, 1 John
iii. 3. Vide sermon on Mat. vii. 21. 1. He makes it his work. 2. It is
his beauty. Impurity is an eye-sore to faith ; this looks upon sin as its
deformity and defilement, as that which is nasty and loathsome. Now as
one that affects beauty will not endure anything upon the face, the seat of
beauty, which is nasty and loathsome, will use all means to wash off such
a defilement, to remove that which is looked upon as an ugly defilement,
so does he who has this hope labour to purify himself from the defilements
of sin, to free himself from it, as that which he knows is most loathsome
to Christ, in whose eye he would be lovely. And Christ is his pattern.
' He that hath this hope in Christ, purifies himself as Christ is pure.' He
sets the holiness of Christ before him as his pattern ; he would have that
purity copied out in his soul ; he would be holy, as he is holy ; he would
have ' the same mind to be in him which was in Christ.' And though he
knows, when he has done his best, he shall come far short of this high
example, yet since the Lord has set it before him, he will strive to come
as near it as he can. He will be following of Christ, though it be hand
passibus ccquis, though it be at a great distance, through the weakness of
the flesh. Though he come far short of him, yet he will strive to keep
Christ in his sight, Heb. xii. 1, 2. Though he cannot make so large steps
as his glorious forerunner, yet he will be careful to make straight steps to

110 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

his feet ; lie will not step out of that holy way wherein Christ is gone
before him ; he will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, into
by-paths of sin and vanity ; but endeavours to follow Christ fully, fully,
though weakly. Other examples, even the greatest, he will not follow
further, or otherwise, than they follow Christ, 1 Cor. xi. 1, 1 Pet. ii. 21.
He will not encourage himself, by the sins and failings of the most eminent
saints, to grow loose, or take liberty to do the least thing that may be
offensive. They did thus and thus formerly, they do so and so now.
Well, says he, be it so, but they are not my pattern. Would Christ do
so and so ? I must follow him.

Ay, but presumption writes not after this copy. This will make bold to
waive Christ's footsteps, where the way seems cross, or rugged, or deep, or
difficult ; especially if he see any, who have the repute of holiness, go
before him herein. He copies out the blots of God's saints, those characters
in their lives which agree not with the original. He encourages himself by
their sins and failings ; his hopes feed upon their corruptions, and nourish
themselves thereby. Noah, Lot, David, Peter, these and these sinned thus
and thus, and yet were saved. My sins, says he, that I fall into now and
then, are not worse, are not so bad as these. And therefore though I con
tinue in this or that evil, why should I doubt of salvation ? Here is the
true face of presumption without any mask.

A true believer abuses not his hopes, so as to grow more loose, to sin
more freely, to make more liberty to himself in things doubtful or sus
picious, to be negligent of more purity, careless of an increase in
holiness, higher degrees of grace. He argues not thus : My condition is
safe, I am sure of heaven, therefore I need care for no more ; if I should
take liberty in such and such things, to decline a little from the strictness
of the rule, it would cut me off from salvation ; and therefore why should
I not gratify myself herein ? He contents not himself with such a degree
of purity, such a measure of holiness, as will be sufficient barely to bring
him to heaven. No ; but because he has this hope, therefore he is more
careful to avoid sin, therefore he purifies himself more and more, therefore
he would be more heavenly, therefore he strives after more holiness. Hope
spurs him on in the way that is called holy ; hope makes those ways plea
sant and delightful to him ; hope quickens his endeavours, makes him
unwearied in the pursuit of holiness, engages him cheerfully against all
difficulties, incumbrances, opposition, that would hinder his growth and
proficiency in holiness.

Those hopes that encourage a person to sin more freely, to walk more
loosely, to count strictness and preciseness more than needs, to count
purity and holiness in the strength, life, power, exercise, and daily increase
of it needless, any degree of holiness or righteousness too much, they
are no better than a damning and deluding presumption.

These hopes put a man upon an universal purity ; purifies himself, all
that is in himself, both inward and outward man, and that especially
which is most himself, his heart and soul, Acts xv. &. Faith purifies both
heart and life, but it exerts its purifying virtue first in the heart. That is
the spring of impurity ; and the streams will never run clear to purpose in
the conversation, till the spring be cleansed. ' A good man, out of the
good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things,' Mat. xii. 83. Till the
heart be good, nothing is good ; till that be purified, all is defiled. Even
that which makes the greatest show of purity, that holiness which is not
minted in the heart, and brought out into the life from thence, as out of a

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. Ill

good treasury, however it glister, it is but counterfeit coin, it is not current
with Christ, however it may be with men. When he brings it to the touch
stone, it will be found but dross, or gilded wickedness. It is not of the
stamp of heaven, if it bear not the impression of that precious faith which
purifies the heart. A true believer will not content himself with outward
purity, with visible holiness, a refined conversation, though he has all care
of that ; but if he could converse in the world like an angel, as to outward
purity, holiness, innocency, yet, so long as he find vain thoughts lodge in his
mind, so long as he feels sinful, impure notions stirring in his heart, though
they should never break forth into outward act, nay, though they should
never procure full inward consent, yet this he accounts an impuritv, a
defilement not to be endured. Those secret motions of sin, which no eye
sees but the eye of God, are his burden and affliction. Faith makes him
restless, industrious to get his heart and mind purified from these. These
buds of that root of bitterness, his natural corruption, he is cropping them
ofl', casting them out as that which defiles him. He is daily striking at
the root itself, that by degrees his heart may be cleansed from that mass of
corruption.

But now presumption rests in an external purity, satisfy themselves with
an outside holiness, consisting in avoiding gross sins, and the outward acts
of religion and righteousness, and presume upon this they shall get to
heaven, whoever be excluded. In the mean time theyjtrouble not them
selves with inward purity, to get their minds and hearts purged ; sinful
thoughts, impure motions are tolerated. The body of sin is no burden.
The stirrings and actings of natural corruption are winked at. All is well
enough, if it break not forth into open acts. If the outside be clean, they
look no further. This they take as a sufficient evidence for heaven. They
will scarce believe that there are any who do more. This was the very
temper of the presumptuous Pharisees, who were so confident of heaven, as
though it had been reserved alone for them. Thus does Christ describe
them, while he pricks their swelling confidence with those sharp menaces,
Mat. xxiii. 25-27.

I have insisted the longer on this head, because the particulars in it are
very plain and distinguishing ; so as, if you would deal faithfully with your
souls, in applying them, and examining by them, you might be able to
discern whether the hopes of heaven be the issues of a true faith, or of a
vain presumption.

1. The presumer makes not holiness his work, it is not his great
business to purify himself. He minds it not seriously. If he mind it
at all, it is but upon the by. There is something else that is more his
design, which has not only more of his time and endeavours, but more of
his heart.

2. Holiness is not purity to him. It is not an ornament, a beauty in
his eye. He is not in love with it. The face of it is not so lovely, that
he should be at so much pains to wipe off, to wash out the spots which are
contrary to it. As the judgments or fancies of some persons are so depraved
by custom or example, that they count a spotted, a patched, a painted face
beautiful, so these confidents please themselves with their bespotted
souls, yea, and presume that the Lord is pleased with them ; so well
pleased with them, as that he will admit them into heaven, though they be
not cleansed, purged, purified. And, which heightens this presumption,
they will believe this in contradiction to what the Lord has plainly and
positively declared, that ' without holiness no man shall see the Lord,'

112 OF FAITH. [MAEK XVI. 16.

and that the pure in heart are blessed by God, and shall alone be admitted
to see him.

Secondly. True faith is working faith. Presumption is an idle fancy.
Saving faith is operative, Gal. v. 6, Ivggyov^svjj. It worketh, and it ' worketh
by love.' It worketh, and therefore called effectual, Philem. 6, and 1 Thes.
ii. 18. There is an effectual working in those that believe. It is effectual
to make them walk worthy of God, verse 12. How that ? Why, as the
apostle, verse 10. Where this is rooted in the heart, it grows up and
spreads itself in all the branches of obedience, and is filled with the fruits
of righteousness. It makes a man active for God, and thereby shews it is
a living principle, a lively faith, a lively hope, 1 Peter i. 8 ; whereas the
hope and faith of presumers is dead: no breathings after Christ, no
vigorous motions towards him, no lively actings for him. No wonder, for
it is dead, and hereby appears to be so, James ii. 17 ; verse 20, he says it
again, it is as a carcase, a body without a soul. Not that good works are the
soul of faith, but because they are the vital acts of it. Where there is no
vital acts, there is no soul ; because the soul where it is will be acting, will
shew itself by acts of life. Even a new-born infant, though it cannot walk
and work as a grown man, yet it cries, and breathes, and moves, and sucks ;
and hereby shews it is alive, that there is a soul, a principle of life in it.
Whereas a child coming into the world, if it do not put forth some of these
acts, if it do not cry, move, or breathe at least, we then conclude it is still
born, it is already dead. Not because these acts are its life, but because
they are the signs of life.

So that the apostle makes good works to be the vital acts of faith, where
by a living faith may be distinguished from a dead. Presumption, if
it do not cry after God, move towards him, breathe after him, cling
to him, as the child to the breast, act for him in a lively manner,
according to the proportion of strength received, it is but a mole, a
lump of flesh, not informed with a living soul. Though there may seem
to have been some conception, some tumour, yea, some travail too, some
legal pangs like those of the new birth, yet that which is brought forth is
but a dead thing, if it want these vital acts which the apostle calls works.
It is but a picture of faith, how much soever it resemble it. Though it
have the colour, the features, the lineaments, the proportions of a living
child, yet these are no more than you may see in a picture. Without
these acts it is but a painted faith. If you would make it appear to be
alive indeed, you must do it by the acts of obedience, by good works.

Quest. But you will say, May not presumptuous hypocrites do good
works ? May not they abound in them ? in good works of all sorts,
works of charity, and works of righteousness, and works of piety and reli
gion ? Did not the Pharisees exceed in works of piety ? Was not that a
notable work of charity in Ananias and Sapphira, when they sold their
estate, and brought the greatest part of it to be disposed of for the relief of
those that were in want ? Did not those presumptuous hypocrites,
Mat. vii. 22, do many wonderful works ? If good works be common to both,
how can this be a distinguishing character to know the one from the other ?

Ans. Presumption may be attended with good works, and a presumer
may go as far in this respect as a true believer. He may do the same
works, if you look only to the outside of them ; but if you look in the inside
of those works, there is a great difference ; and such a one as a man, if he
will faithfully and impartially examine, may discern in himself, though he
cannot discern in another.

MARK XVI. 16.J OF FAITH. 113

This difference is intimated by the apostle James, ii. 23 ; he wrought for
God as a friend, and so the Lord accounted him. His works were acts of
friendship to God ; they proceeded from love to him ; not out of love, or
fear of punishment, or hopes of reward only ; but because he was a friend,
and loved him. A true friend, though he have no fear to lose any thing,
nor hopes to gain any thing by what he does, yet he will appear and act
for his friend. Why ? Because he loves him. Thus it was with Abraham,
and thus it is with every true believer. If there were neither heaven nor
hell, neither hopes of the one, nor fear of the other, yet he would do what
is well pleasing to God ; he would be acting for him because he is his friend,
he loves him. Where there is love, there will be acts of love ; and the acts
of this love and friendship to God is obedience, John xiv. 15, and xv. 14.

But this difference, which is but intimated by James, is plainly expressed
by Paul, Gal. v. 6, ' Faith works by love.' Presumption works by some
thing else ; he has some other principle or motive that sets him a-work.
The papist works that he may merit heaven. The Pharisee works that
he may be applauded, that he may be seen of men, that he may have
a good esteem, a good report with them. The slave works lest he should
be beaten, lest he should be damned. The formalist works, that he may
stop the mouth of conscience, that will be accusing, disquieting him, if he
do nothing. The time-server works, because it is the custom, the fashion,
the way to stand or to rise, to gain his own ends, or secure his own inte
rest. The ordinary professor works, because it is a shame to do nothing,
where so much is professed ; the temporary, because he is in a good
mood. These are all presumers in their kind, or as bad as presumers.
But the true believer works because he loves. This is the principal, if not
the only motive, that sets him a-work. If there were no other motive
within or without him, yet would he be working for God, acting for
Christ, because he loves him ; it is like fire in his bones.

But presumption works not by love. Either it is idle, or it is acted by
some other principle. Some of the fore -mentioned motives, or some other
of like nature, set him a-work, when he betakes himself to any work that
is good. If he acted by love, it is not love to Christ, but self-love. Indeed,
the presumer makes himself his centre : all the lines in the whole circum
ference of his life, all his acts and works that have a show of goodness, are
drawn from hence ; and here they all meet and are united. He loves him
self so well, as he would be happy, he would not be damned, he would
be applauded and esteemed, he would not be disquieted by a clamorous
accusing conscience, he would avoid reproach and shame, he would compass
his own ends. And these, or the like, are the weights that sot all the
wheels on motion when he seems to move for God ; if these were taken off,
all would stand still. Love does not sway him. Faith is active, and
works for God, because he loves ; and presumption is idle, or else works
for himself, being acted by self-love.

Thirdly, True faith is'precious ; it is like gold, it will endure a trial. Pre
sumption is but a counterfeit, cannot abide to be tried, 1 Pet. i. 7. A true
believer fears no trial. He is willing to be tried by God, Psa. xxvi. 2,
cxxxix. 23. He is willing to have his faith tried by others, he shuns not
the touchstone. He is much in trying himself. He would not take any
thing upon trust, especially that which is of such moment. He is willing
to hear the worst as well as the best. That preaching pleases him best
which is most searching and distinguishing, Heb. iv. 12. He is loath to
be deluded with vain hopes. He would not be flattered into a good

VOL. I. H

114 OF FAITH. [MAEK

conceit of his spiritual state without ground. When trials are offered, he
complies with the apostle's advice, 2 Cor. xiii. 15.

But presumption takes things upon trust, will not be at the trouble to
try, and is loath to be troubled with searching truths. That teaching
pleases him best, which keeps at a distance, comes not near his con
science, makes no scrutiny in his soul. Such a man as would convince
him that his hopes are but delusions, his confidence presumption, he takes
him for an enemy, though he do but tell him the truth, and that truth which
is most necessary for him. When he is called to trial in the ministry of
the word, and means offered whereby his heart might be searched, he keeps
off, as a cheater would keep off from the touchstone with his counterfeit coin.
Why, would you drive me to despair ? says he ; trouble not me with so
many scruples ; I trust my faith is as good as those who make a greater
show : however, God is merciful, and I will trust him with my salvation
without more ado. And thus he is willing to delude himself; ay, and will
be deluded. Those that do pity him, and would undeceive him, are sus
pected, or scorned, or hated.

Fourthly, True faith is growing. It comes not to its full stature at once,
but by degrees. There is a growing from faith to faith, Rom. i. 17, a
passing from weakness to strength, and from one degree of strength to
another, and in the way a conflicting with doubts, weaknesses, discourage
ments, opposition. So it passes from acceptance to dependence, and from
dependence on him for pardon and life, to a life of dependence, a resting
on him for all things ; and from dependence to assurance, and from a weak
assurance to a full assurance. The beginnings of it are small and weak,
and there is a sense of this weakness, and strivings after increase. ' I
believe,' &c., Mark ix. 24. A true believer is apprehensive of his weakness,
and feeble as his faith is, finding unbelief strong, is struggling with it, com
plains of it, bewails it, diligent in the use of all means to get faith encouraged
and strengthened, and grows up accordingly.

But now presumption starts up on a sudden, and comes to its full growth
and maturity in a moment. There is no such sense of weakness, meets
with no such opposition, finds no such cause to complain of unbelief, no
such wrestling with doubts, no such need of diligence for increase. His
faith, i. e., his presumption, is as strong at the first, as it is after many
years' standing ; sensible of no increase in the use of means.

Fifthly, In the extent. True faith, in its actings, reaches both to the
things of eternity and the things of this life. Presumption trusts God
only as to his soul and salvation ; things which he less minds than temporal
things. A true believer trusts God with all. A presumer hopes, or, as
he says, trusts that God will be gracious to his soul ; but as to the things
of the world he trusts himself; he will rely upon his own wit, or prudence,
or industry, or friends, or parts, or interest. That which we mind not,
value not, we can be more free to leave to the care and in the trust
of others ; but that which is above all dear to us, we are cautious in
trusting any with it but ourselves. This is the truth of the business.
Those that ordinarily presume so much of heaven, the things of this life
are dearest to them, and most valued by them, therefore they will take
care of these themselves ; but the things of eternity they much mind not,
and therefore they leave these, as they say, to God's mercy. So that their
trusting God with their souls is no more than this in plain English, they do
not much mind them. And this appears, in that they think no industry
and pains too much, all care little enough for their estates or posterity,

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 115

little fear lest their care should be immoderate, lest it should intrench too
much upon that care and time that is due to their souls ; little or no
scruple lest the means they use, the courses they take, should be irregular.
Or if there be any scruple, yet if they see the same used ordinarily by
others, that will be a sufficient salvo, a sufficient warrant to proceed therein.

They make haste to be rich or great, or get from under the cross, poverty,
disrespect, &c. They will take nearer ways than God sets open to them ;
they will not stay to take God along with them, or to see him going before
them (as those that trust him will do), they will not be hindered by busy
ing themselves much about their souls, they are in haste : and hereby
they shew plainly they believe not in God ; for he that believes will not
make haste, Isa. xxviii. 16. He that truly trusts in him, will stay God's
time, and use God's means, and walk in God's way, though it seem about ;
they will not neglect their souls for haste ; they know this would be to make
more haste than good speed. Nor would they step out of the way, the way
that is holy and righteous, though they may escape a loss, an affliction by
it, though they might gain some desirable advantage by it. Time faith goes
leaning upon God, and therefore will keep his way, Ps. xxxvii. 34. He
that will not be liberal for the promoting and honouring of the gospel ; he
that fears poverty or affliction more than he fears sin ; he that is more
careful for the things of the world than for his soul ; he that takes indirect
or suspected courses, to get, or increase, or secure his estate ; he that is
not jealous or watchful, lest his cares for the world (when he is much
engaged therein) should be immoderate, — it is plain he does not trust God
with his estate ; and he that does not trust God for his estate, whatever he
think or pretend, he does not trust God for his soul, for his salvation ; his
hopes of heaven and salvation are but presumption.

Thus I have given you an account of the differences betwixt faith and
presumption ; and hereby, if you deal faithfully with your souls, you may
be able to discern whether you truly believe indeed, or whether you only
presume. This may be sufficient through the Lord's concurrence to dis
cover mistakes in this weighty business, and so to remove the first impedi
ment which keeps men from faith, viz., a conceit they have faith, when in
truth they have no such thing.

2. Impediment. A conceit that faith is a business of no great difficulty.
Men wonder why any should make such ado about believing ; they think
it an easy thing to believe, and so trouble not themselves much about it,
make it not their business to look after it. This conceit being so common,
it is a plain evidence there are few who have it. Those who think it such
an easy matter to believe, shew plainly they never did believe, nay, they
do not so much as know what it is to believe indeed. And as it is a sign
they want it, so it is an impediment that keeps them from it.

To remove it, consider what the Scriptures declare concerning faith in
opposition to this conceit.

(1.) It is the gift of God. It is not the work of man's hand, or of his
head, or of his heart. It is something without him, not in him naturally ;
something above him, out of the reach of nature, though improved and
raised to the height. It must be reached down by the hand of God, other
wise man can never come by it : Philip, i. 29, ' To you it is given,' &c.
It is not a gift of nature, nor a gift acquired by the improvement of nature's
abilities, but a gift supernatural, a gift of grace, Eph. ii. 8. Both salva
tion and faith are of grace ; neither of them of ourselves, both the gift of
God. What Christ said to Pilate in another case, is true here, John

116 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

xix. 11. There is no seeds of it, no propensity to it in nature, it must
come from a foreign hand ; nay, there is no power in nature to receive it
when it is offered ; the hand is full, and intus existens, &c. : ' How can ye
believe ? ' John v. 44.

(2.) Man is naturally unwilling to receive it. Not only without it,
unable to procure it, but unwilling to receive it, John v. 40. Coming is
believing. Now, though Christ, who is truth itself, told them this was the
only way to life, yet, though their life lay on it, they were not willing to
come, they were resolved not to come at him, not to believe. Is not he
unwilling to receive a thing who will die rather than receive it ? Oh but
though they were unwilling to come to Christ, yet suppose Christ should
condescend to come and offer himself to them, could they be then unwill
ing ? Sure then we should see them willing to receive him. No ; not
then : ' He came to his own, and his own received him not,' John i. 11.
Those who challenged the Messias as peculiar to themselves, those to whom
he was promised, those who had so long expected his coming, yet when
he comes, they receive him not. So the Lord complains : ' Israel would
none of me.' Christ takes up the complaint, Mat. xxiii. 27. They would
not be gathered by him, when he would have gathered them ; they would
not receive him, when he offered himself to them. They were so far from
receiving him, as they hated the sight of him : ' Light is come into the
world, and men love darkness rather than light,' John iii. 19. Here is
not only a bare unwillingness, but an averseness rising up into hatred, Isa.
Ixv. 2. Here is not only an unwillingness, but a rebellious opposition.
And such an opposition to faith, to Christ, there is in the heart of every
man till born again. Ye do but flatter and delude yourselves if you think
you are better disposed than the Jews. It is thus with every man, all men,
though no natural man will believe it. The Jews could think better of
themselves than they were ; this is not only the delusion of these days,
Mat. xxiii. 29. They would not believe they should have opposed the
prophets, as their forefathers did, and yet even then were they opposing
Christ himself, the prince of prophets. No wonder if men will not believe
now they oppose Christ and faith, even when in the ministry of the word
they do daily resist and oppose them. But however you delude yourselves,
this is the truth of God ; there is a desperate opposition in every unre-
generate heart against faith, against Christ himself.

(3.) This opposition is so strong as it requires an exceeding mighty
power to overcome it.

The power of nature cannot master it. Indeed, this is wholly employed
for the strengthening of unbelief, to enforce the opposition against faith.
The stronger a man's parts are, wit, memory, judgment, reason, affections,
the more vigorously does he oppose faith. That is evident in the scribes
and Pharisees, men amongst the Jews of greatest parts ; and those most
heightened and improved, in them the opposition was strongest.

The power of divine institutions alone cannot master this. What more
powerful than the word ? Yet this alone cannot prevail : ' The weapons
of our warfare,' 2 Cor. x. 4, 5, ' mighty through God ; ' ay, but in them
selves too weak for unbelief; too weak, though managed by an apostle,
the greatest of the apostles. ' Paul may plant ; ' ay, but all this is labour
in vain without a higher, a mightier power, 1 Cor. iii. 5-7 ; too weak,
though managed by an angel, as you may see in the ministry of the angel
Gabriel to Zacharias, leading him to a particular faith, a business one would
think of less difficulty, the circumstances considered, Luke i. 11, 19, 20.

. 16.] OF FAITH. 117

Too weak, though managed by Christ himself. How little did his
ministry prevail against the opposition of the unbelieving Jews ! So little,
as he complains : ' I have laboured in vain,' Isa. xlix. 4. Oh the wonder
ful power of unbelief ! the incredible strength of this opposition ! that the
power of the word in the ministr}' of Christ himself, yea, the power of
miracles, wherewith his ministry was enforced, could not prevail against
it, John xii. 37, 38.

Nay, the power of God does not master it when it is put forth only in a
common way ; for a common concurrence is always vouchsafed ; without
that we cannot move nor breathe, yet we see unbelief is seldom overcome,
this opposition to faith seldom mastered.

But the power of (rod, the almighty power of God, must be put forth in
a special manner to prevail aguinst this opposition. That almighty arm
must be made bare, and stretched out ; it must be put forth in the infinite-
ness of its strength, that a sinner may be made able or willing to believe,
Isa. liii. 1 ; that the report of Christ may be believed, the arm of the Lord
must be revealed, it must be made bare, Isa. Hi. 10 ; alluding to the
gesture of men, who setting themselves to some special work in good
earnest, that they may use the force of it with less encumbrance, strip the
arm up to the elbow. Such a power is required to raise sinners out of the
grave of unbelief as was requisite to raise Christ from the dead. Thus the
apostle pregnantly expresses it, Eph. i. 19, 20.

3. Impediment. A conceit that the terms of Christ are hard. This
keeps off a sinner from closing with Christ as he is offered. Satan, who
seeks by all means to hinder the match betwixt Christ and a sinful soul,
he represents the conditions hard ; and the heart, which is under the power
of Satan's suggestions, does easily believe him. Oh, says he, if I accept
of Christ as he is offered, I must leave my sins, I must be deprived of my
ease, my former stolen pleasures, my former sweet delights ; I must
abandon such a course that has been so gainful, so advantageous to me,
that which has upheld my credit and repute, that which has been such a
solace, a refreshment to me ; I must relinquish such a practice to which I
have been so long accustomed, which is so endeared to me ; Christ declares
it offensive to him, he will not tolerate it ; I must enter into that way which is
so strait and holy, that path which seems so sad and melancholy, which is
jeered and derided by others, and which has been so distasteful to me.
Oh, this seems a hard saying, this keeps him off from giving his consent to
Christ. He sees something desirable in Christ, he sees some reason to
close with him, he sees some necessity of him, there is no salvation with
out him. Oh, but if he yield to Christ, his beloved sin, his Benjamin
must go. This seems hard, he cannot yield to it, and so when Christ has
been long treating with him in the ministry of the word, the match is
broken upon this account ; Christ stands upon too hard terms, thus he
apprehends. This is the true cause why the ambassadors of Christ prevail
so little in their treaty with sinners ; the main cause why Christ being
offered to so many, is accepted by so few. The greatest part do not like
Christ's terms, they seem too strict, too hard.

It much concerns us therefore to endeavour the removing of this, it being
the great stumbling-block, the great rock of offence upon which so many
fall and split ther souls. For this purpose consider,

(1.) The terms of Christ are easy, whatever Satan or a corrupt heart
suggest to the contrary. They are as easy as possible can be, as easy as
the nature of the matter can possibly admit of, as easy as can be desired

118 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

•with any reason. They could not be easier without the greatest absurdity
and contradiction imaginable. They are such as those who object against
them would in a like case count them easy enough in all reason. Satan
knows them to be so ; and those wretched souls who are now damned for
not accepting, without doubt do now acknowledge them easy and reason
able, though they would not see it till it was too late. That this may not
prove the sad case of any of you, I will make it plain to you; so plain, as
if any will not close with them, as they will certainly perish, so they will
perish without all excuse. Suppose a man should offer to restore sight to
another upon condition he would not wilfully shut his eyes, is it possible
he should have his sight upon any other terms ? Or could he desire his
sight upon any easier terms ? Would it not be absurd, unreasonable,
impossible for him to desire to see, while he is resolved to shut his eyes ?
The case is like here ; Christ oifers to discover to a sinner the things that
concern his peace, if he will not shut his eyes, if he will not give himself
up to be blinded by Satan. He offers to discover himself to him, if he
will not turn his back on Christ when he is presented to his view. Could
he have this happy sight upon any other, upon any easier terms ? Is it
possible to have it upon other ? Is it reasonable to desire it upon easier
terms ? A prince offers to adopt a man for his son, and to admit him to
the state and privileges of a son, upon these terms, that he do not wilfully
continue in the state of a slave. Could this be done upon other, upon
easier, terms ? The Lord offers to adopt a sinner for his son, to admit
him into the state and privileges of that blessed sonship upon these terms,
that he do not wilfully continue in the slavery of sin and the service of
Satan. Now, can this be done upon any other easier terms ? Are not
these two states inconsistent ? Is it not utterly impossible that a man
should be in the state of a son and of a slave both at once ? Is it not a
plain contradiction ? Would it not be absurd to desire it, to think of it ?
Christ offers to restore sinners to the glorious liberty of the sons of God,
if they be but willing to leave their dungeon, to have their fetters knocked
off. Is it possible they should have liberty while they are resolved to con
tinue in their fetters ? Your sins are your fetters ; hence they are called
the bonds of wickedness, the bond of iniquity. It is a most absurd con
tradiction, a most unreasonable thing, to desire to be at liberty and in
fetters both at once. Can ye have liberty upon easier terms than to leave
your fetters ?

Christ offers to be reconciled to you, to delight in you, to make you
beautiful and lovely, if you will but part with your leprosy, your deformity,
sin, which makes you nasty and loathsome to him. Now, would you have
Christ to be in love with deformity ? Would you have him delight in that
which is nasty and loathsome ? Can any have beauty upon easier terms
than to part with their leprosy, their deformity ? Nay, is it possible to
have it upon any other, upon any easier terms ? Can Christ pardon you
when you will not lay down your weapons ? Or would you have him heal
you while you will not part with your disease ? Is not this a plain contra
diction ; to be cured, and not part with the disease ?

If a physician should undertake to secure his patient's life in case he
will not drink poison, is it possible he should do it otherwise ? Why, sin
is the poison of the soul ; sinful words are called the poison of asps, sinful
practices are called the poison of dragons, Deut. xxxii. 33. Now, Christ
will secure the life of the sinner if he will not drink in this poison, if he
will not drink in iniquity, &c. Would you not think him a madman that

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 119

would have life upon any other terms besides these terms ? What, live
and not leave this deadly poison !

Suppose a man having wandered from home and lost himself, should
meet with one that would lead him home, but upon these terms, that he
would leave that path which leads him directly further and further from
it ; would you not think him void of all sense and reason that would be
brought home upon other terms, that would go backward and forward,
north and south, at once ? This is the case. The sinner has lost himself,
lost his soul, lost heaven, lost the way to it. Christ meets the sinner,
offers to bring him home, to bring him to heaven; but it is upon these
terms, he must not still walk on in the path that leads directly to hell, for
these lie quite contrary, as north and south. And are these terms hard ?
Or rather must not he bid defiance to all reason, that would think of coming
to heaven upon any other terms ? If a man were to make his own terms,
would any be so ridiculous, so absurd, as to say, I will come to heaven in
that way that leads directly to hell ? Would you have Christ, by making
other terms, to make himself more absurd, more ridiculous, than any man
that has the use of reason would be ? Oh, the unreasonableness of sin 1
the absurdness of a deluded soul ! May not the Lord say, ' Are not my
ways equal ? 0 house of Israel, are not your ways unequal ?' Could I
have stooped lower to sinners ? Could I have condescended further ?
Could I have devised terms more easy, more equal, for a sinner's happi
ness ? Those whose hearts now quarrel with them, will hereafter be so
confounded with the clear apprehensions of their equity, that they will be
struck dumb and speechless when they shall stand before the judgment-
seat of Christ, when he shall then demand why they refused him when
offered upon terms so easy, so equal ; the sense hereof will strike them
dumb and silent. This is so clear as I doubt not but it is seen even in
the darkness of hell. I question not but the apprehension does wound
those damned souls with more anguish than any pang of death, when they
remember that they refused Christ when he was offered upon such easy,
such equal, terms.

This is the first consideration, the terms of Christ are easy. Not as
easy is opposed to difficult, for there is difficulty therein to corrupt nature,
but as it is opposed to that which is harsh, rigid, or unequal. So they are
most easy.

(2.) The grounds upon which thou thinkest the terms of Christ to be
hard, are false and delusive. He is a cheater that suggests them to thee ;
there is a design therein to cheat thee of heaven, to cozen thee of thy soul.
Examine them a little, and this will be plain. If thou closest with Christ,
says that deluder, thou losest thy ease, thy pleasures, thy gains, thy
friends and boon companions, &c. These are the grounds upon which
Christ's terms are judged to be hard. Well, but inquire a little further,
what ease, pleasures ? Christ will abridge thee of no ease but that which
is unlawful, of no pleasures but those that are impure and sinful, of no
gain but that which is unjust and unrighteous, of no friends but those that
are unworthy of the name of friends, those that are indeed enemies to
Christ and thy soul. When all is cast up, if thou close with Christ, thou
losest no more than these by the bargain, and then thou losest nothing
that is worth the keeping. To lose these is indeed the greatest gain.
Thou art lost, undone if thou quit them not. Would any man be loath to
part with that which will undo him ? Shall the match betwixt Christ and
thy soul be broke upon such terms ? Wilt thou judge Christ's terms hard

120 OF FAITH. [MAEK XVI. 16.

because he would have thee part with that which shall certainly and
eternally ruin thee ? Wilt thou break with him upon this ? Wilt thou suffer
thy soul to be thus cheated ? Consider of it a little better, and view those
things more distinctly, and do it seriously. Be mindful that I am by the
appointment of Christ in a treaty with thee about thy soul, the issue of it
will be life or death to thee for ever.

[1.] Thou art at ease now, neglecting thy soul, and [not] troubling thy
self much about thy eternal estate. But if thou accept of Christ, this
spiritual sloth must be shaked off. Now, thou art loath to forego thy
ease, and art ready to forego Christ rather than thy ease. And is Christ
indeed so little set by ? Is thy soul of so small value with thee that thou
wilt not trouble thyself about it ? Well, but this is not the way to avoid
trouble, this is not the way to enjoy thy lasting ease. Believe it, for it is
certain truth, this ease will end in endless torments. Oh, that is a woeful
ease that has such a woeful issue ! Woe to them that be at ease ! So
soon as that fool in the gospel had said, ' Soul, take thy ease,' the tor
mentors take his soul; this night, Luke xii. 19. If thou break with
Christ for thine ease, thou art no wiser than that fool, nor wilt thou fare
any better. Torment for ease, intolerable torments for a little ease,
eternal torments for a moment's ease ! 0 foolish, deluded soul, wilt thou
make such a bargain ? wilt thou break with Christ for a little ease ? Well,
take heed thou dost not find it a ' little-ease' indeed when it will be too late
to repent.

[2.] For sinful pleasures. Thou now eatest, drinkest, and art merry;
carnal mirth and jollity is that which makes thy life desirable to thee. Thou
givest the reins to thy sinful appetite, usest no curb to thy receptions.*
Thou singest away care, and drinkest away sorrow, and laughest at those
that would restrain thee, or are so precise as not to follow thee in these
excesses. Or if thy excesses be not open, yet there is some secret sin
which thou hidest under thy tongue, and pleasest thyself with it as with a
sweet morsel. There is some forbidden fruit or other on which thou
feedest with much delight. Now if thou shouldst close with Christ, all the
sport would be spoiled. And so it would indeed, so far as it is sinful, and
in things unlawful, so far as it is immoderate and excessive in things
lawful. And wilt thou break with Christ for this ? Are sinful pleasures
of more value with thee than Christ, than thy soul, than heaven, than
life ? It may be so, but then they are taken upon the devil's report.
But will you behold them, and judge of them, as Christ represents them ?
Methinks those that profess themselves Christians should be as ready to
believe the Spirit of Christ as the father of lies. Why, then, the pleasures
of sin are worse than the bitterest affliction. The Spirit of God testifies
that they were so to Moses, Heb. xi. 25. The bitterness of death is in
the pleasures of sin, and they will prove such bitterness in the end. If
Christ be put off for these, and the way of holiness declined as a sad,
uncouth, melancholy path, that which is pleasant to the palate will be
torture to the bowels, Rev. x. 9. Lazarus's sores and poverty is far better
than a fulness of such delights ; and so Christ propounds it in the parable,
and so he found it who fared deliciously every day ; being in torments, he
could see it. ' And in hell,' says the text, ' he lift up his eyes.' He
could see it then, though he would not see nor believe it before, Luke
xvi. 23 : ' Son, remember,' ver. 25. Oh that is a sharp memorandum ; it
cuts deep. Remember thou hadst thy pleasures. Thou hadst them ; but
Qu. ' affections ' ? — ED.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 121

now they are gone, they are vanished ; nothing remains but the remem
brance of them ; and this does more torture him than ever the enjoyment
delighted him. Thou hadst thy pleasures. Oh, but what has he now ?
Why, now thou art tormented. Ay, thou art, and thou wilt be. This
will be true in every moment of an endless eternity, thou art tormented.
And as sure as these are the words of Christ, this will be thy condition,
who wilt not quit thy sinful pleasures to close with Christ. Oh that you
would now remember it, before the time come, when it will be too late to
remember it, before you be in that place where it will be a hell to remem
ber it. Have you not seen a distracted man skip, and dance, and laugh,
and sing, as though he were the merriest man alive ? But have you not,
withal, pitied that mirth, as being the issue of madness and distraction ?
Such is the mirth of those who will not quit their sinful pleasures to follow
Christ. It is the mirth of madmen ; their jollity and pleasures are the
acts of spiritual frenzy and distraction. It is said the prodigal ' came to
himself when he resolved to come to his father, when he was upon his
return to Christ. Before, while he run in his way of pleasures, he was
beside himself, Luke xv. 17. So is every sinner, till he leave all to return
to Christ. He is beside himself, his mirth is but frenzy, his delights are
the issues of distraction. Oh, lamentable mirth ! If he knew his con
dition, it would soon damp all his joy ; his laughter would be turned into
mourning, and his joy into heaviness. But he is beside himself; and what
clearer symptoms of madness than this ? He will forego Christ rather
than his pleasures.

[8.] Unlawful gain. Whether it be got in an ungodly way, by laying
out those thoughts, that time, those endeavours, for the things of the
world, which should be employed for the things of heaven ; or whether it
be got in an unrighteous way, by unjust or indirect courses in word or
deed. Take the apostle's estimate of such gain, and then judge whether
the relinquishing of this be any just ground for to count Christ's terms
hard, James v. 1—3. To hoard up such gain is to hoard up sorrows ; it
is for a man to make a bed of thorns for himself, which will make him
weep and howl, and pierce him through with many sorrows, to heap up
racks, to heap up miseries. It is not a heap of precious things, but a
mass of corruption. It is not a treasure, but a canker, a consuming rust,
which will not only consume the rest of his substance, but himself, and
that in a grievous manner, as with fire. This is gain with a witness ; but
it is such as will bear witness against him, and cast him in the day of
judgment. Ye have heaped up, ye think ye have heaped up treasure ;
true, but it is a treasure of wrath, and so you will find it at the last day.
Now sum up this together, and then judge whether you will lose anything
by quitting this for Christ. Such gain is a hoard of sorrows, a heap of
miseries, a mass of corruption, a consuming rust and canker, a devouring
fire, a condemning witness ; and, if this be not enough, a treasure of wrath.
And will any man count it a loss to be rid of such a horrible evil as this ?
And are they not miserably cheated who will be persuaded to quit Christ
rather than to quit such a dreadful mischief? This may be sufficient to
clear this second consideration.

(3.) Christ will make up what you seem to lose by accepting him with
real gains, and that in abundant measure, in a transcendent manner.
Though, by closing with the terms of Christ, you lose nothing that is
worthy the keeping, you lose nothing but what it is a gain to lose, as
appears by the former consideration. Yet he will make up that seeming

122 or FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

loss with better things, such as are incomparably, unspeakably, incon
ceivably, infinitely better.

For carnal ease, you shall have spiritual rest ; rest from the intolerable
and cruel slavery of sin and Satan ; rest from the troubles of a disquieting
conscience, ' Come unto me,' &c., Mat. xi. 28 ; rest from the vexations of
the world, ' In the world,' &c., John xvi. 83; eternal rest, ' There remains
a rest for the people of God,' Heb. iv. 9 ; ' Blessed are they that die in the
Lord ; for they rest,' &c., Eev. xiv. 13.

For sinful pleasures, the comforts of the Holy Spirit, ' I will send the
Comforter;' for fading pleasures, everlasting joy, Isaiah Ixi. 7; for unsatis
fying pleasures, satisfying delights : Ps. xxxvi. 8, ' abundantly satisfied ;'
for pleasures that are not worthy the name of pleasures, unspeakable joys;
for impure pleasures, glorious joy, 1 Pet. i. 8 ; for embittered pleasures,
fulness of joy ; for the pleasures of mad men, the Master's joy, Mat. xxi.
21, John xv. 11 ; for the pleasures of sin, the joy of Christ.

Set these things together, and see if there be any comparison.

For unlawful gain, the riches of Christ's purchase ; for uncertain riches,
an inheritance immortal, undefiled, &c. ; for riches on earth, treasures in
heaven ; for a little gain on earth, the unsearchable riches of Christ ; for
thorny pricking enjoyments, a rich crown of glory ; for a little gain, that
which is as good as nothing, that which amounts to no less than all things,
1 Cor. iii. 21-23, ' will I give to inherit all things.'

For carnal friends that ye may lose, the Lord will admit you into an
inward friendship with himself, with his Son, with his Spirit, with the
glorious angels, with the spirits of just men made perfect, with all that are
excellent upon earth ; such a friendship, as all together shall have one
heart, and one spirit, and one interest, and one habitation ; all these
joined in one blessed league, to promote one interest, even that interest
which is thine, and Christ the head of this league. Oh what is the league
with death, the covenant with hell, the confederacy with the greatest carnal
men on earth, to this league ! Oh, if men be not wholly given over to the
spirit of delusion, the terms of Christ will never be counted hard.

Compare the terms upon which you give up yourselves to sin and Satan,
with the terms of Christ, and see then if they be hard. Till you accept
of the terms of Christ, while you close with those of sin and Satan, what
is your state, your employment, your reward ? By these you may judge
of Satan's terms.

As to your state, you are slaves, slaves and drudges to the vilest of
creatures, to the most unmerciful tyrant in the world, ' led captive by Satan
at his will,' at his lust.

Your employment is to fight against God, and to wound and destroy your
own souls. This you do continually; you are slaves upon no better
terms. Your lusts are weapons of unrighteousness, and Satan continually
sets you on work thus to use these weapons against God, against your own
souls. And lest sinners should be unwilling to do this, if they should see
what they are doing, he puts out the eyes of these wretched slaves. He
deals with you as the Philistines did with Samson when they had taken
him captive, Judges xvi. 21.

And what reward, what encouragement, may they expect for this hard,
intolerable service ? Why, ' the wages of sin is death.' Here is all ;
when the poor sinner hath spent himself, soul and all, in their service, and
comes to look for a reward, behold they put him to death. Here is no
other reward for him but eternal death.

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 123

These are the terms upon which you serve sin and Satan. These are
the terms which you count better than the terms of Christ. Christ's
terms are hard, but these are easy to you. And is it so indeed ? Or are
not sinners blinded and bewitched, who call bitter sweet, and sweet bitter ;
darkness light, and light darkness ; hard easy, and easy hard ? If the
Lord open your eyes, and undeceive you, this may be sufficient to remove
the third impediment.

4. Impediment. Is a man's resting in his own righteousness. While
a man rests in himself, he will never rest on Christ. While he stands
upon anything in himself, he never rolls himself upon Christ. He will
never rejoice alone, rely alone upon Christ Jesus, who has any confidence
in the flesh. The apostle including his own righteousness in this word
flesh, directly opposes these, Phil. iii.

But are there any such ? Alas ! nothing more common amongst the
Jews, who professed so much confidence in the Messias. Nothing is more
ordinary now amongst those who profess that Christ is their only Saviour,
than to neglect him, and rest on their own righteousness. How common
is it, for men to state their righteousness thus. They hear the word,
desire the ordinances, pray in public and in private ; they mean well, are
charitable to those in want, deal honestly, do no man wrong, keep the
commandments as well as ever they can, hope their hearts are as good as
the best ; fall into no great sins, or when they are overtaken with sin, they
are sorry for it ; and for this they trust that God will be merciful to them,
and will save them, whatever become of outrageous sinners ; for this they
hope to find pardon, to procure acceptance with God ; and here they rest,
and ground their hopes of heaven.

Now this is one of Satan's strongest holds, whereby he keeps sinners
safe and sure from coming to Christ. Against this did Christ and the
apostles bend the force of their ministry. For you may see the apostle
Paul in travail with this design, especially in his Epistle to the Romans
and Galatians. He knew Christ would never be formed in them, till they
were cured of this tympany, this false confidence and conceit of their own
righteousness. Against this did Christ direct that parable of the Pharisee
and Publican, Luke xviii. 9. This was the great stumbling-block of the
Jews, upon which they fell and split their souls. Instead of resting on
Christ, Eom. ix. 80-32, chap. x. 3, they placed and established their own
righteousness in the outward conformity to the law ; and because they did
outwardly observe it, for this they concluded that God was pleased with
them, would pardon, and bless, and save them. They thought this right
eousness sufficient, stood upon it, and would not stoop to any other ;
submitted not to the righteousness of God, and so came short of the right
eousness of faith, never attained it. Such a block was this in their way, as
the Gentiles found righteousness sooner than they. The Publicans, who had
no such thing to rest on, were more easily persuaded to cast themselves on
Christ, than the confident Pharisees.

To remove this, let me shew how groundless and dangerous this is.

(1.) You have, as you suppose, some righteousnesss ; but have you not
withal some sin ? You can recount several religious, charitable, right
eous acts, but is there no one act of sin you are guilty of ? I hope there
is none so brutishly stupid, as to have such a thought. If this be acknow
ledged, then further ye may be assured, that all your supposed righteous
ness will not countervail one sin, and that either in reference to the honour
of God, or to thy own salvation.

124 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

All thy righteousness does not so much honour God, as that one sin does
dishonour him. He gets not so much by all thy righteousness, if it were
i'ar more than it is, as he loses by that sin. ' Heaven and earth shall pass
away,' &c. So tender is the Lord of his law, as he had rather heaven and
earth should pass away, than that this* part of the law should be abolished.
Now every sin would abolish that part of the law, against which it is
directed ; every sin would do that, which the Lord had rather heaven and
earth should perish, than it should be done. And the Lord knows the
tendency of it, and accordingly resents it. The injury that is in sin, con
sidering against whom it is directed, is infinite ; but no finite creature, no
finite righteousness, can infinitely honour him. One sin will do more to
condemn thee, than all thy other righteousness can do to save thee. For
the least sin is such a wrong, a dishonour to God, as he cannot in justice
admit the sinner into heaven, or into his favour, till he be satisfied for it.
Now all thy other righteousness cannot satisfy the Lord for that one sin ;
nay, all the righteousness of men and angels cannot make amends for that
one sin. For when they are perfectly righteous, they are no more than
they ought to be ; they do no more than they owe, therefore they cannot
thereby satisfy for that one sin. For the payment of one debt does not
discharge another.

So then, all thy righteousness vanishes at the appearance but of one sin.
One sin renders all thy other righteous acts unavailable to salvation. What
then will it do, when thou art guilty of many millions of sins ? If one sin
will dash all thy righteousness out of countenance, and quite deface it ;
where will it appear before so many swarms of sins, as the Lord may
charge thee with? Alas, poor deluded sinner, thou leanest upon a
shadow, a shadow already vanished, when thou restest on thy own right
eousness.

(2.) The righteousness that you rest upon is no righteousness ; and
therefore when you rest upon it you rest upon nothing : you hang the
weight of salvation and your souls upon nothing.

This will appear if you grant but that one supposition, which every one
but he that is stark blind will acknowledge. Grant but that you are guilty
of one sin, and the apostle will thence infer that you are guilty of all, James
ii. 10. The parts of the law are so linked together, that he who trans-
gresseth one part thereof, does in some way and degree or other transgress
the whole law. Now, he that is a righteous man is an observer of the law ;
therefore, he that is a transgressor of it is not righteous, and consequently
has no righteousness, except in his deluded fancy and imagination. What
righteousness has he then, who continually transgresses the rule, who
seldom or never observes it as far as he can, who, to be sure, never
observes it as far as he ought ? And is not this your case ? And does not
every one see it, whose mind the God of this world has not blinded ? The
church's acknowledgment is observable, Isa. Ixiv. 6. We have no more
righteousness to rest in but what is indeed no righteousness at all, no more
than filthy rags are clean.

Farther, that observance of the rule of righteousness which is not done
in a due manner, and for sincere ends, is no part of that righteousness
which is according to law. That which is not done in a due manner, wants
the form, is but the carcase of a righteous act, wants that which is the soul
of it, and therefore is no more a righteous act than that lump of flesh is a
man, which wants a reasonable soul.

* Qu. ' the least' ?— ED.

MARK XVI. 1C.] OF FAITH. 125

And that which is done out of sinister respects is not a righteous act,
but an act of hypocrisy. Now whosoever rests in his own righteousness,
he never did anything in a due manner, never anything with a sincere aim ;
and therefore, how confident soever he is of his righteousness, the truth is,
he never did any righteous act in his life ; and so when he rests upon his
righteousness, he rests upon that which he never had, upon nothing, upon
that which is not, nor ever was in being.

Moreover, there is no righteousness but either that which is legal or evan
gelical ; but this self-confident has neither. Legal righteousness he has
none ; indeed, there is none now in the world ; for the law acknowledges
no righteousness but that which is absolutely perfect. And he is not only
without righteousness, but without sense and reason, that will arrogate to
himself such a perfection.

Nor has he any evangelical righteousness ; for that is the righteousness
of God, of Christ, of faith, as the Holy Ghost calls it, But he that rests
in his own righteousness has none of these ; for his own righteousness is
not the righteousness of God, nor of Christ, nor of faith. Nay, by resting
on his own, he makes himself altogether incapable of this righteousness ;
that must be renounced before this can be received, as the apostle shews
by his own practice, Philip, iii. ; so that the righteousness which he rests on
is no righteousness that the Scripture will acknowledge, and therefore none
at all ; so that trusting to this, thou trustest upon nothing, layest the stress
of thy soul and salvation upon nothing.

(3.) Inquire a little farther, and we shall discover the righteousness
which men rest on is indeed unrighteousness ; that seeming righteousness
which they rest on is really unrighteousness. That this may be evident,
take notice that the righteousness of a self-confident is made up of acts
which he conceives to be righteous. Now acts are specified by their end,
a true rule in morality, which holds true in divinity. It is the end that gives
both name and nature to the act. If the end be not good, the act, what
ever the matter of it be, is stark naught. If the end be ungodly, the act is
ungodly, though for the matter it be one of the highest acts of divine wor
ship. If the end be unrighteous, the act is unrighteous, though for the
matter it be one of the highest acts of justice. Now he that rests in his
own righteousness is an unbeliever, and he that is an unbeliever has no
good principles, his heart is not purified, his mind and conscience is defiled,
Titus i. 15. Now he that has no good principle can have no good end in
anything that he does. An unholy heart cannot have an holy end, for the
streams rise no higher than the spring. The fruit can be no better than
the tree. It is Christ's own reasoning, Mat. vii. 15-17. Then, since his
end cannot be good and righteous, it must be evil and unrighteous ; for
there is no medium, no third thing in this case. And his end being un
righteous in all his acts, all his acts must needs be unrighteous, so that
the righteousness which he rests on is all of it unrighteousness. It is a
plain case ; all the ends and purposes of these self-confidents are perverse
and wicked, and tend some way or other to the promoting (though they will
not discern it) of some other iniquity, so that the acts of righteousness
which they rest on, when they are sifted, will be found no better than
instruments of iniquity, weapons of unrighteousness. To conclude then,
that which they rest on under the notion of righteousness is really and
indeed unrighteousness. The matter, when it is searched to the bottom,
appears to be this : they trust that for their righteousness God will accept
them, be well pleased with them, and admit them into heaven. Now, whether

128 OP FAITH. [MASK XVI. 16.

this be a greater madness or a greater wickedness is not easy to determine ;
sure it is in a high degree both.

(4.) Those that trust in their own righteousness are enemies to all
righteousness. Their righteousness is not only no righteousness, it is not
only unrighteousness, but their resting on it bears upon it the brand of an
high enmity against all that is righteous. They are enemies to the right
eousness of God, of Christ, of the law, of the gospel.

If you rest in your own righteousness, you are enemies to the righteous
ness of God ; for the righteousness of God consists principally in his truth
and justice. Now this confidence rises up against both, for his truth is
engaged that no man shall come to heaven without a righteousness that
can satisfy his justice, and justice has declared that it will not be satisfied
with any imperfect, sinful righteousness. Yet this self-confident believes
and rests on it, that his own righteousness will please and satisfy God, and
that, however it appear to be sinful and unrighteous, it will make his way
to heaven notwithstanding, so that to trust in this is indeed to trust that
God is unrighteous, that God is no God ; for he is no God if he be not true
and just, if he be not a righteous God, and he is not righteous if he be not
true and just.

If you rest in your own righteousness, you are enemies to the righteous
ness of Christ. This confidence in self-righteousness thrusts Christ's
righteousness out of doors, leaves no place for it, no use of it. It counts
the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, a thing of no use or value ;
tramples upon the blood of Christ as an useless, a fruitless thing ; counts
Christ to have done and suffered so many things in vain, Gal. ii. 21. Now
the self-confident says he has a righteousness that comes by the law, by
some outward works and acts which the law requires ; places his righteous
ness in some outward observance of and conformities to the law, and so
would make Christ to have died in vain ; for why did he die, but that lost
man might have a righteousness to bring him to heaven ? If men have
this in themselves, Christ's undertaking, and his sufferings too, were vain
and needless. In vain did he take upon him ' the form of a servant,' in
vain was he ' made under the law,' in vain did he ' fulfil all righteousness,'
in vain did he become a ' man of sorrow,' in vain did he bear the wrath of
God, in vain was he wounded, scourged, and crucified. All this was need
less and waste if men have a righteousness of their own to be rested on.
Oh, what a horrid reflection does this cast upon Christ ! What a monstrous
provocation is this ! No imagination can fathom the depth of it.

If you rest on your own righteousness, you are enemies to the righteous
ness both of the law and of the gospel, for by thus doing, you give the lie
to both. The law says, there is no life to be had without perfect obe
dience ; the self-confident says, he shall have life, though he have neither
such an obedience, nor faith to be justified from the defects of it. The law
says, ' Cursed is every one that continues not in all things,' &c., Gal. iii. 10;
he says, he shall be blessed, though he continue not in all things, no, nor
any thing, as it is prescribed in the law, though he rest not only upon him
who only can free a sinner from the curse.

It gives lie to the gospel too ; for that says, ' By the works of the law
shall no flesh be justified.' But he says, he shall be accepted for his works,
for his righteous acts, and his observance of the law therein. The gospel
says, no sinner shall come to heaven but by the righteousness of Christ,
the righteousness of faith : he trusts he shall find acceptance and life for
his own righteousness. See here what it is to rest in your own righteous-

MARK XVI. 16.J OF FAITH. 127

ness. View it in its own colours, and then judge whether it be not a
horrid provocation, since it is no better than this when unmasked, than to
trust he shall have acceptance and life, and procure it by such a horrible
wickedness, as this appears to be. If there be any fear of God, any respect
to Christ, any regard to your own souls, let this consideration fright you
from resting on any righteousness of your own.

Thus much for the removing of the impediments, which keep insensible
sinners from believing.

I now proceed to answer those objections which are ordinarily made by
sensible sinners ; those that are convinced of their sin and misery, who are
apprehensive of the weight and burden of sin and wrath ; who not only see,
but feel an absolute necessity of Christ ; who highly value Christ, and
prefer him above all ; and whose souls are drawn out in strong and restless
desires after him. These are they indeed whom Christ invites to come to
him, and rest their weary souls on him. But several discouragements
there are ordinarily cast in their way by Satan and unbelief, which hinder
them from complying with Christ, and closing with the promise. These I
shall endeavour to remove, but briefly ; because, considering how small the
number is of humbled and awakened souls, in comparison of these who are
secure and insensible, I fear it will not be so generally seasonable. Some
few I shall touch on.

1. One objection wherein humbled souls are ordinarily entangled is
drawn from election. Oh, says the soul, I fear I am not elected ; and then
what ground have I to believe in Christ, to rest on him for pardon and
life ? Faith is peculiar to chosen vessels, it is called ' the faith of God's
elect.' If I knew that I belonged to the election of grace, then I might
believe indeed ; but till then, I cannot, I dare not ; till then, I cannot
think that Christ or the promise belongs to me. To this I answer,

(1.) It is impossible to know election before faith ; therefore to desire
this, is to go about to compass impossibilities. This was never done, nor
ever will be. If this had been stood upon, there had been no faith in the
world, no soul had ever believed in Christ ; for it is not possible for any to
know he is elected till he believe. This is to desire to see thy name is
writ in the book of life, written in heaven, before thou hast an eye to see
it. It is the eye of faith that only sees this, that alone can read this ; it
is impossible you should see it without an eye, without this eye.

It is impossible you should read this in the book of life till that book be
opened ; now it is a book shut and sealed till faith open it. Election is a
secret, it runs \mder ground till faith. When the soul believes, then it
first breaks forth ; then, and not till then, is this secret made known and
brought to light. When you desire assurance of it before, you desire to
know that which cannot be known, to see that which cannot be discerned.

(2.) It is preposterous. To attempt this, is to set the cart before the
horse, to desire to be at the end before ye are in the way ; as if a man would
be at a good distance from him,* before he set a foot out of his own door :
as if the Israelites would have been in Canaan, that pleasant land, before
they were come out of Egypt.

This is to have a conclusion proved without any premises, without any
good medium to prove it by. You must first have the ground and medium
before you can reason and draw the conclusion. If ever you would con
clude on good ground that you are elected, faith must be the ground on
which you must conclude it. I believe, therefore, I am elected ; that is

* Qu. ' home ' ? — ED.

128 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

the method wherein the Lord would have you reason. First, make that
sure, I believe ; and then this conclusion will be easy and certain, I am
elected. This is the apostle's method, 1 Thes. i. 4, first the work of faith,
and then the election of God.

The work of a sinner's salvation is like Jacob's ladder ; it reaches from
earth to heaven, and so has many rounds : the highest round is election,
that is as high as heaven ; the lowest round is faith, that is on earth.
Now would ye be at the highest round before you have set foot on the lowest
step ? No ; be not unreasonable, invert not the order that God has set.
If you would get up to this great height, and mount this heavenly ladder,
begin at the bottom ; begin at faith, that is the lowest step, and so you will
ascend by degrees towards election, the knowledge and assurance of it.

(3.) It is impertinent to trouble thyself about this. It is a secret, and
so the Lord will keep it till thou believest. It is not his will that it should
be known to any before faith. To inquire into it before is to pry into
God's secrets. Indeed, if a man were certain that he were not elected it were
another case, but as it is not certain that thou art elected, so it is not certain
that thou art not elected. Thou hast no means to know either the one or
the other till faith certainly ; till then the Lord reserves it in his own breast as
a secret. Now ' secret things belong to God,' Deut. xxix. 29. The Lord
shews here what belongs to him, and what belongs to us, that we should
mind our duty, and not busy ourselves with impertinencies. Whether
thou art elected or no at this time is a secret which the Lord never discloses
to an unbeliever, and therefore till faith it belongs not to thee. But that
thou shouldst believe is no secret ; that is a revealed duty ; the law, the
gospel enjoins it. The law of faith is a known law ; this is it which belongs
to thee, to do all the words of the law. Thou wilt not believe, lest it should
be too much boldness, being uncertain whether thou art elected ; but is it
not a greater boldness to pry into God's secrets ? Thou thinkest it would
be presumption to believe, though God reveals it to be his will ; but is it
not greater presumption to inquire into that which it is his will thou shouldst
not know ?

Observe the apostle's order, 2 Pet. i. 10. Both belong to thee, but not
both together, but one after the other, as the Holy Ghost has placed them.
First make thy calling sure : till then it belongs not to thee to seek assur
ance of election ; till then thou wilt seek in vain, never find it. The duty
that lies upon thee, and which must first be'looked to, is to make sure thy
calling. The Lord calls thee now to believe ; answer his call by believing,
and so thy calling will be sure. This being assured, thou art in the high
way to assure thy election. Thy diligence will not miscarry, because thou
takest the way, and followest the method that God prescribes thee. But
to follow thy own way, and give diligence in that which belongs not to thee,
is not the way to prosper. Believe in the Lord, and so shalt thou prosper ;
but unless thou believest, thou wilt never be established as to thy election.
(4.) You think it needless, unreasonable, to pry into God's decrees before
you apply yourselves to other undertakings ; and it is as unreasonable here.
When you are dangerously sick, and the physician tells you unless you take
such a course of physic, your case is desperate, do ye use to reason thus :
If I knew that God had decreed my recovery, I would take that course that
is so like to restore me ; but till I know that God has decreed my recovery,
I'll take nothing. Sure we should think such a reasoner not only sick, but
distracted. Thus it is here. The sinner is ready to perish ; apply thyself
to Christ, says the Lord, cast thyself on him, apply the promise ; there is

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 129

no other way to save thy life. Oh, says he, if I knew the Lord had decreed
my salvation, I would venture on Christ ; but till I know this, I must not
believe. Oh the unreasonableness of unbelief ! Satan's suggestions make
poor creatures act as though they were distracted. This is as if an Israelite,
stung with the fiery serpent, should have said, If I knew that the Lord had
decreed my cure, I would look upon the brazen serpent ; but till I know
this, though there be no other way to save my life, I will not look on it.
If all the stung Israelites had been thus resolved, it is like they had all
perished.

Or as if one pursued by the avenger of blood, should have set him down
in the way to the city of refuge, when he should have been flying for his
life, and said, If I knew that the Lord had decreed my escape, I would
make haste for refuge ; but till I know this, I will not stir, till I die for it.
Would not this be counted a wilful casting away his life, with a neglect of
that provision which God had made to save it ? Was it not sufficient that
a way was made for his escape, and a way feasible enough, the city of
refuge always open ? Even so are the arms of Christ always open to receive
a humbled, distressed, perishing sinner flying to him for refuge. And wilt
thou destroy thyself, by suffering Satan to entangle thee with a needless,
impertinent, and unreasonable scruple ? If there be no way but one, and
any encouraging probability to draw men into it, they fly into it without
delay, never perplexing themselves with the decrees and secrets of God.
This is thy case, Christ is thy way ; there is no way but this one, fly to it
as for thy life ; and let not Satan hinder thee, by diverting thee to impossi
bilities and impertinencies. Do thus, and prosper. When the disciples
were inquiring after an impertinent secret, Acts i. 6, 7, Christ takes them
off, and directs them to the duty that then lay upon them : ' It is not for
you to know,' &c.

Obj. 2. Oh but I am unworthy to come near Christ, unworthy to have
anything to do with the promise. Will Christ entertain such an unworthy
wretch as I am ? I have not only no merit, but no motive, nothing to
engage, nothing but what may disoblige him, most highly engage him
against me. Oh the sense of my unworthiness sinks my heart, and does
utterly discourage me.

Am. 1. Christ never excluded any upon this account, because they were
unworthy. Christ never laid this as a bar to keep thee out ; why shouldst
thou make use of it to bar thyself out ? He has always shewed himself
ready to entertain a humbled returning sinner, how unworthy soever.
Christ makes this no exception ; why dost thou make it one ? He never
spoke word of discouragement to this, and why dost thou make it a dis
couragement ? Who more unworthy than the prodigal, either really, or in
his own apprehension ? How unworthy he was really, you may see in the
former part of the parable ; how unworthy in his own apprehension, you
may see by his own expression. Yet does not this hinder him from return
ing, nor did it hinder the father (who there represents Christ) from receiv
ing and embracing him. When he returns, filled with shame and sorrow,
burdened with the sense of his former unworthy carriage, see how freely,
how affectionately, how joyfully he entertains him. See it, and never let
the thought of unworthiness discourage thee more. Methinks the sad heart
of a humble, dejected sinner should revive and leap within him to see this
affectionate passage. When this worthless wretch is afar off, he runs and
meets him ; when he comes at him, he falls about his neck and kisses him ;
when he has brought him home, he has the kindest entertainment that love

VOL. I. I

130 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

can make him, thinks nothing too dear, nothing too good to welcome him,
who in the mean time is thinking nothing so vile, nothing so bad, so base
and unworthy, as himself. He rejoices in him as one would do who receives
a dear child from the dead. He rejoices himself, and he calls heaven and
earth to rejoice with him. Oh see here the tender compassions, the wonder
ful kindness, the overflowing affections of Christ to the unworthiest of sinners,
when he does but really return to him. As sure as that parable is Christ's,
so sure will this be thy welcome, thy entertainment, poor dejected soul, if
thou wilt but return to him. Thou hast unworthy thoughts of Christ, if
the thoughts of thy unworthiness do discourage thee from coming to him.
Will that hinder Christ from receiving thee, that never hindered him from
admitting any ?

Ans. 2. None that were worthy did ever believe. None such ever came
to Christ, nor did Christ ever receive any such ; and wilt thou have that
before thou believest, which none ever could have ? There are none, there
never were any, really worthy ; and those that think themselves worthy,
will not believe, cannot cast themselves on Christ ; or if they should come,
yet would not Christ receive such. It is not his way, it stands not with
his honour. Look over all those thousands or millions that have trusted
in Christ, thou canst not find one amongst them all that were worthy. If
thou canst find any thing in them that will bear the name of worth, they
brought it not to Christ, but received it from him ; they had it not before
faith, but received it by faith. And wilt thou be such a one before thou
believest, as never any one will be after thee ? If none had believed but
those that were worthy, there had never been a believer in the world, there
had been no faith on earth, there had been no soul in heaven. And wilt
thou be such a one as neither heaven nor earth will afford ? If thou wilt
never believe till thou art worthy, thou wilt never believe while thou hast a
being. If thou must either believe while thou art unworthy, or not at all,
why does unworthiness hinder thee, unless thou intendest to continue in
unbelief for ever ?

Oh it is true, you will say, none are worthy, all are unworthy ! but I am
more unworthy than any, there is none like me for that. Well, suppose
this were true, which is not so likely, yet consider,

Ans. 3. It is most for Christ's honour to receive those which are most
unworthy. It suits best with his greatest and dearest design ; it tends
most to promote that which he most aims at, when he graciously receives
those that are most unworthy. And therefore thy unworthiness should
not discourage thee, nay, it should rather encourage. For will not Christ
do that freely, which most advances his own great and glorious design ?
You doubt not but an intelligent man will do that freely, which is most for
his own interest. Why, it is the interest of Christ to receive those that
are most unworthy ; and will he not freely do it ? Do ye think he does
not know his interest ? Will ye make him more ignorant than the sons of
men ? Or do ye think he will neglect his interest ? Can he be guilty of
negligence ? To make unworthiness a discouragement, accuses Christ of
both, casts those unworthy reflections of ignorance or negligence. Sure to
do thus, is as great an unworthiness, as that which you object. Though
you be worthy to be neglected, yet sure Christ will not neglect himself, his
own great design and interest. This is Christ's design in admitting sinners,
to make his freeness and riches of his grace most conspicuous, to make his
grace glorious, Eph. i. 10-12 ; ii. 7-9. This is his counsel, his purpose,
his design, his interest ; to shew the exceeding riches of his grace. Now

MAHK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 181

grace is most rich, grace is most grace, when it is most free. That is
plain to any who understand what grace is ; and grace is most free when
it is shewed to those that are most unworthy, those who have nothing in
the world to boast of. Then it appears in its lively colours, then it shines
forth in the riches of its glory. Well, then, thou art unworthy, thou art
most unworthy ; thou art greatly afflicted, deeply humbled under the sense
of thy utter unworthiness ; and does this discourage thee from coming to
Christ ? Dost thou think for this he will reject thee ? Why, thou art the
person in whom, above others, Christ may meet with that which he most
aims at ; thou art he on whom Christ may make himself, his grace, most
glorious. Thou art the fittest subject for Christ to accomplish his great
design on. And why ? Because thou art, and art sensible thou art, most
unworthy. Lo here, that which thou objectest as a discouragement to keep
thee from him, from believing in him, proves a great encouragement to
hasten thee to him.

Ans. 4. Christ, in pursuance of his gracious design, does, as it were,
pick out those that are most unworthy. Who is more worth ? he that can
bring money and a price, something of worth to Christ ; or those that have
nothing ? Now Christ will have those to come that have nothing, Isa.
Iv. 1. Who are worthy? Those that are rich and full, or those that are
hungry and empty ? Why, these will Christ choose, while he rejects the
other : ' He fills the hungry,' &c. Who are more worthy, the righteous or
sinners ? Why, Christ calls the unworthiest of these : ' He came not to
call the righteous, but sinners,' &c. Who are more worthy, the wise or
the foolish ? the mighty or the weak ? the noble and honourable, or the
base and despised ? those that are something or those that are nothing ?
Why, Christ pitches most on the more unworthy, 1 Cor. i. 26—28. If
thou wouldst be more worthy, thou wouldst be among those whom Christ
is wont to reject or pass by ; while thou art more unworthy in thy own
apprehension, thou art one of those whom Christ is wont to choose and
pick out for himself. And is unworthiness a discouragement ? Thou
hast more encouragement now than thou wouldst have, if thou wert in thy
own sense more worthy.

Ans. 5. Unworthiness does rather qualify you for Christ than otherwise,
and therefore should rather encourage you to come to him than keep you
from him. The Jews plead ill for the centurion, when they allege that he
was worthy, Luke vii. 4. He pleads better for himself, and there is more
truth, more ingenuity in his plea, that wherewith Christ is more taken,
ver. 6, 7 ; not worthy that Christ should come to him, not worthy he should
come to Christ. But does he fare worse for this ? No ; he obtains all that
he desires, and a transcendent commendation besides. No subjects so
capable of Christ and his benefits as unworthy creatures ; not only in
reference to Christ's honour, of which before, but in respect of their neces
sities, those that render them unworthy. If they were not such, they were
not in such a capacity of a Saviour. Are you such in a spiritual sense, as
you find Luke xiv. 21 ? Why, these are they whom God invites to the
marriage of his Son. Are you in Laodicea's state ? a condition unworthy
enough, Rev. iii. 15. Why, Christ offers the riches and treasures of his
purchase unto such, ver. 18. None else are so capable of them. Art thou
poor, afflicted with thy soul-poverty ? Why, who else should Christ enrich
but such ? His treasures would be slighted by, and thrown away upon
others. Art thou blind, afflicted with that darkness that covers thy soul ?
Who else should Christ restore to light but such ? His eye- salve others

132 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

will count needless. Art thou naked ? Hast nothing to hide thy soul
defilements, nothing to cover the shame of thy inward nakedness ? Why,
who else should Christ clothe but the naked ? The white raiment will be
useless to others. Art thou halt and maimed, thy soul out of joint, and
discomposed ? Why, who else should Christ cure but the maimed ? The
more desperate thy case seems to be, the more will it be for his credit and
honour to undertake and effect the cure. The whole need not the physi
cian, but the sick. Art thou wretched and miserable ? Who else should
Christ enhappy but those that are miserable ? Art thou sinful, exceeding
sinful, ashamed, grieved, burdened with thy sinfulness ? Why, 'who
else should Christ pardon but sinners ? Art thou over- spread with soul-
pollution ? Who else should the blood of Christ cleanse but those that are
polluted ? For whom was the fountain opened ? Art thou empty ? Who
else should Christ fill but the empty ? To what end else did it please the
Father that in him should all fulness dwell ? Can he fill those who are
full already ? Are they capable of it ? Art thou lost indeed, and in thy
own sense ? Who else should Christ seek but those that are lost ? Should
he seek those that never went astray ? He came to seek them that were
lost. Art thou a captive to sin, to Satan, weary of it, groanest under it ?
Who else should Christ redeem but the captives ? Art thou nothing, less,
worse than nothing, in thy own apprehension? To whom else should
Christ be all in all ? To whom else can he be so ? Can he be all in all
to those who are something in themselves ?

Take a view of whatever makes thee worthy* in thy own apprehension ;
and being sensible of it, afflicted with it, and it renders thee more capable
of Christ ; so far is it from being a discouragement to keep thee from him.

Ans. 6. To believe is not only a privilege, but a duty. (Vid. Serm. on
James.f)

Ans. 7. The longer you continue in unbelief, the more unworthy you
will be to come at Christ. Whatever tends to make you unworthy is hereby
increased. Is it hardness of heart ? Your hearts will be daily more and
more hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Is it inability to be ser
viceable to Christ ? You will be every day more unfit, more unable to do
him service. Sin is every day wounding and weakening your souls. You
lose time too, wherein you might do him much service, you lose both
ability and opportunities. Is it sinfulness ? You will grow every day more
and more sinful. Is it the defilement and loathsome pollution of your
hearts ? Your souls will every day grow more and more loathsome ; no
stepping out of that puddle of sin, till you come out to Christ. You will
still wallow more and more in it till you believe, still more besmear your
selves with that which renders you loathsome and hateful in the eye of
Christ. Is it the multitude of your sins ? You will find them grow more
and more numerous ; that horrid heap will rise higher and higher, swell
bigger and bigger. Is it the heinousness and grievousness of your sins ?
Till you believe, they every moment grow more and more heinous, more
provoking. They cry louder and louder to the Lord against you. You
add to them more unbelief, which has in it a peculiar provocation above
the rest.

If you be unworthy now, you will be much more unworthy hereafter.
If it discourage you now, it will much more discourage you when it is
greater ; so that if you believe not now, it is like you may never believe.
If you leap not over this discouragement, when it is but as a mole-hill in com-

* Qu. ' unworthy' ? — ED. t OB James i. 6 ; the next Sermon but one. — ED.

MAKK XVI. 16.] OP FAITH. 133

parison, how will you get over it when it is grown into a mountain ? If
you now suffer yourselves to be carried down with this stream, how will
you get up it, when the waters of it are swelled higher and higher, and
break in upon you with greater violence ? It is most unreasonable to let
unworthiness discourage you now from believing, unless you never intend
to believe ; for you will never be less unworthy.

If a man were to wade through a river, or die for it, he would enter
it when it is lowest ; for when he still sees it rising higher and higher,
the longer he stays the more he may be afraid to venture. The water,
which is but to the knees now, may be above his height in a little time.
So here thy unworthiness is now at the lowest that ever it will be ; thy
life lies on it to believe on Christ. The longer thou stayest, the deeper,
the larger will thy unworthiness grow. If thou beest not careless of thy
life, venture now.

Ans. 8. Unbelief is the greatest unworthiness, the most provoking, that
which seals thee up under all former unworthiness, binds it all upon thee,
that which adds a new aggravation to all ; not only incenses justice, but
refuses mercy. It is the only excluding unworthiness.

Ans. 9. The Lord requires no other worthiness of thee but faith, nothing
but a cordial acceptance of Christ as he is offered. He that hath this, the
Lord will no more question him for his unworthiness, than the Lord's own
goodness and faithfulness can be questioned.

Obj. 1. But I am not prepared for Christ ; I am not sufficiently humbled,
I have not had experience of the work of the spirit of bondage as others
have. I never was so deeply afflicted with the apprehensions of God's
wrath ; nor have I had such terrors of conscience as are usual in others
when the Lord is bringing them to Christ.

Ans. 8. It may be you lay more stress upon those terrors and legal
humblings than is requisite. To prevent miscarriages, and remove mis
takes herein, which seem to be the grounds of the objection (observe) that
you may form right apprehensions of this matter, before which this scruple
will fall.

(1.) Legal terrors are no parts of faith or conversion ; they are neither
essential nor integral parts. Those are essential parts which make up the
essence of a thing, as soul and body are the essential parts of a man. Those
are integral parts which make up the entireness of a thing, as the several
members are integral parts of a man's body.

Those parts which give the essence to a thing begin with it, and con
tinue with it while it is in being, but these terrors cease as soon as faith
begins, and so they are no essential parts. A thing cannot be complete
and entire without its integrals ; the body, when it wants some members,
is lame, or maimed, or defective ; but faith may be entire and complete
without these ; it is not the more defective when these are gone and
vanished ; so they are not integrals. They are so far from being parts, as
they are no degrees of faith ; though some step to it, yet not the least
degree of it. As the dryness of wood is no degree of heat or fire which
kindles the wood, though it tend something to make it kindle more easily ;
so these, though they may something dispose a man towards faith, yet
they are not any degree of faith. The least degree of true faith is saving,
but these humblings may be in those who shall never be saved.

(2.) They are no causes of faith ; no efficient causes to produce faith ;
nor subservient causes, by which alone the Lord does immediately produce
it ; nor moving causes, which oblige the Lord to work it.

134 OP FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

They are not efficient causes which work faith, or have any virtue in
themselves to effect it. The mere pulling off the gloves does not make
clean the hands, there must be a farther act to do that, they must be
washed. Those are but as the pulling off the gloves, something by way of
preparation, but no causes that will do the work And as they are no
causes of faith in themselves, so the Lord does not work faith by these
only, nor by these as the next and proper means. These are wrought by
the law, faith is wrought by the gospel ; that is the means by which the
Lord produces faith ; not the law, nor any effect of the law. The Spirit of
Christ begets faith, not as a spirit of bondage, but as a sanctifying Spirit.
Unless this regenerating Spirit proceed to a farther work, those legal
humblings will be vain and fruitless.

Nor are they moving causes, such as engage or induce the Lord to bestow
faith. When these terrors are in the highest degree, the Lord remains
free whether he will give faith or no, and we see his proceedings are answer
able. Sometimes he bestows it, sometimes he denies ; but if these laid
any engagement upon him, he could never deny faith to any who are once
under the spirit of bondage ; for the Lord will answer all engagements.

(3.) These are no conditions of any promise. The Lord has not pro
mised faith, or any grace, to these legal preparations ; so that as these can
not engage him to give faith, so he has not engaged himself thereto. There
needs no proof of this, because no such promise can be produced. But
the ground hereof is clear ; for those who have gone no farther than these
legal humblings are yet in a state of nature, and these preparatory works
are common to reprobates. Now the Lord promises no grace to nature,
nor to any thing that can be found in a mere natural man ; no such thing
is ever made the condition of any promise : otherwise the Lord could not
deny grace to reprobates, could not deny faith to vessels of wrath, without
the forfeiture of his truth and faithfulness ; for where the condition is
found, to him the promise must be accomplished, the truth and faithfulness
of God requires it. Nothing which can be found in castaways can be the
condition of a gracious promise ; but these terrors may be found in a high
degree in reprobates and mere natural men, ergo, &c.

(4.) These are not necessary antecedents of faith, though they be usually
antecedents of faith, yet not necessarily ; though they ordinarily go before
faith, yet not always. It is possible some may have faith without these, and
so it is possible a man may be fit for Christ who never had them. There
is no place for legal terrors in infancy ; yet that some have been sanctified
from the womb we have some instances in Scripture. And though it be
denied that infants are capable of actual faith, yet few or none deny but
that age is capable of the habit or principle of faith. So that the Lord
may prepare some for Christ in another way than this of legal terrors,
though this be the usual way ; and therefore they are not necessary indis
pensable antecedents of faith, though they be the ordinary way to it.

Hence it follows that, as he who finds in himself undoubted effects and
evidences of faith need not question the truth of his faith for want of legal
humiliation, so he that finds in himself the clear evidences of a prepared
ness for Christ, need not be discouraged from coming to him for want of
these legal terrors, because these do not always go before faith, at least in
the same degree with it.

(5.) Though these legal humblings do ordinarily go before faith, yet
there is a great variety both as to the measure and continuance. All have
not alike as to the time they are under them, some have a quicker passage

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 135

to Christ. All have them not in the like degree, in the height and depth
of them ; some have an easier passage to Christ than others. We find
not that Zaccheus and Lydia were so deeply humbled, so much terrified,
as Saul and the jailor. When good education prevents those gross enor
mities which are the occasions of those strong convulsions of conscience ;
or when the Lord begins to work in younger years, when sin is not so ripe
nor so deeply riveted in the sinner by custom ; or when wrath and mercy,
misery and a redeemer, are both propounded together ; there is many times
some abatement of terror in these cases. And the Lord, who is a most
free agent, and works how and in what manner he pleases, may make
some abatement thereof in other cases, upon such reasons, and for such
ends, as our shallowness cannot sound. That degree of humbling which
is sufficient for some may not be enough for others. And that which is
too little for one may be too much for another ; his temper may not bear
it, his case may not require it. That degree may fit one for Christ which
will not so much as move another. And therefore you cannot upon any
ground conclude that you are not prepared for Christ because you are not
afflicted with such a degree of terror as you may meet with in some others ;
a threatening word, a light apprehension of wrath, may fright some out of
their ways of sin, which others will not leave till they be fired out.

(6.) You must not judge of your preparedness for Christ by the depth of
your humblings or the height of your terrors, but by the effects thereof.
Judge of your fitness for Christ by those things wherein this fitness con
sists, that is a sure way, not by those things which are accidental to it
and separable from it, as this or that degree of legal humiliation may be ;
to judge by these is the way to mistake. Inquire not how much or how
long you have been under the spirit of bondage, but what is the issue of
it, what is the end, and how much thereof is hereby attained. The end
of those legal humblings is to fit you for Christ, they are but means used
for this end. If the end be attained, the means are no farther necessary
nor desirable. Whether more or less of those means have been applied,
if you be prepared for Christ by that measure of humiliation you are under,
be it more or be it less, no mere is necessary or desirable, because the end
of these means is attained. He is an unreasonable patient that will have
more physic than is requisite for his health, a strange person that will
have the chirurgeons to lance and scarify or cauterise him more than is
necessary for the cure of his wound. If you be fit for Christ it is enough,
how little soever your humblings have been.

Oh, but how shall this be known, whether I be fit for Christ ? Why, it
is best known by those things wherein this fitness consists. They are such
as these ; I will but name them.

(1.) He that is brought off from all dependence on himself and his own
righteousness, so as to see and feel an absolute necessity of Christ.

(2.) He that is fallen out with every sin, so as to hate that which he has
formerly most loved, and resolved to pursue every lust to the death.

(3.) He that hungers and thirsts after Christ, so as to be ready and will
ing to part with all for him.

(4.) He that is in love with holiness, purity of heart and life, so as he is
heartily willing to comply with Christ in all his ways, even in those that
are most strait and holy. He that, upon a faithful and impartial search,
and observance of his heart, finds that he is truly and indeed brought thus
far, whatever his humiliation have been, he is ^sufficient!} nrepared for
Christ.

136 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

If this be thy case, thou hast no more ground (for want of legal hum-
blings) to be discouraged from coming to Christ, and resting on him for
pardon and life, than those who are already clasped in his everlasting
arms.

Obj. Oh, but Christ does only heal the broken-hearted ; he has comfort
indeed, but it is only for the mourners. Now, alas ! my heart is hard, it
is a heart of stone ; I find not that softness, that tenderness, those tears
and meltings, which is requisite in those returners whom Christ will
welcome.

Ans. 1. Observe, there is a threefold tenderness, a tenderness of heart
and will, a passionate tenderness, and a tenderness in expressions.

Tenderness of heart or will is when the will is pliable, when it is facile
and easy to yield to Christ. And so that is a hard heart which is stiff
and untractable, which will not be persuaded, is not yielding and comply
ing with the will of Christ. This the Scripture calls a hard heart ; and it
is so, whatever meltings or relentings there be in it upon occasion. There
are some natural men who will find strange meltings and passionate motions
within them at the hearing of some pathetical discourse on the sufferings
of Christ, or the like affecting exercise, whose hearts are nevertheless as
hard, in Scripture phrase, as the nether millstone; even as that wax, which
you call hard, will melt if you apply it to a flame, but hard it is, and so
we account it for all that. That is soft wax indeed which with a little
warmth becomes ductile and pliable, so as you may mould it into any
form, and is apt to receive any impression. And that is a soft heart
which is pliable in the hand of Christ, which will be moulded as he would
have it, which is not stiff against his word, but yields to any signification
of his will.

The passionate tenderness consists in grief and sorrow, when these
passions or affections are easily raised, excited, and drawn out by their
proper objects and occasions, when the objects of them are sin, and the
unkindness and dishonour to God that is in sin. The Scripture comprises
this also under the notion of a soft and tender heart. The heart in Scrip
ture is both will and affections.

The tenderness of expressions consists in tears and weeping, and this is
properly a softness or tenderness of complexion.

Now, for the application of the several parts of this distinction to our
purpose,

Ans. 2. This tenderness of expression in tears and weeping may be where
there is no tenderness of heart in Scripture sense. This, as it is free, so
it signifies rather a tender complexion of body than a tender constitution
of the heart. This is not a property, but a common and separable accident
of a soft heart. There may be tears, and that in abundance, and possibly
in some consideration of sin too, where the heart is extremely hard. And,
on the contrary, there may be a very tender heart, a heart of flesh, the
blessing of the covenant, where there are no tears at all. It is in this case
as it is with words in reference to prayer, there may be a prayer where
there are no words, as in Hannah; and there may be words, yea, very
high expressions, where there is no prayer; for the essence of a prayer
consists in the desires and motions of the soul, the expressions are but the
dress and outward garb of it. So here, there may be a soft heart where
there are no tears, and there may be many tears where the heart is exceed
ing hard ; for tenderness of heart consists principally in a pliableness to
the will of Christ, seconded with some motion of the affections.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 137

And as words and expressions in prayer, so tears may proceed from some
other cause than tenderness of heart. Indeed, they depend much upon age,
natural temper of the mind, or complexion of the body.

So that from want of this tenderness of expression you cannot duly con
clude a hardness of heart either in yourselves or others. Indeed, if crosses,
disappointments, loss of friends, and other sorrowful accidents in the world,
can draw tears from you, and the consideration of sin, its unkindness, dis
honour, heinousness will draw none, this alters the case ; this signifies the
want of them is from the constitution of a hard heart rather than a less
tender complexion of body.

Otherwise you cannot from hence conclude your heart is hard, and so
have no ground from hence to discourage you from coming to Christ and
resting on him. If there were a just ground to discourage from believing,
it might as well hinder those who have true faith from being true believers ;
for many, who are truly and eminently so, while they can find a heart
bleeding for sin, yet want an eye that can weep for it ; the renewed con
stitution of their souls help them to that, but the temper of their bodies
will not afford this.

Am. 3. The way to have clear evidence of a soft and tender heart, is to
believe. This is the direct way, both to get present hardness removed, and
to get a sure evidence that former hardness is removed. This is clear from
what I have premised. Tenderness of heart, that which the Lord in
Scripture most commends to us, consists principally in a pliableness with
the will of Christ, an easiness to be persuaded by him, a facileness to yield
to him, a softness that will be easily bended into a compliance with his
good pleasure. Now this is the will of Christ, that thou wouldst come
to him, believe in him, rest on him. This is his will, wilt thou comply ?
This he calls thee to, wilt thou answer his call ? This he persuades thee to,
art thou easy to be persuaded by him ? This is thy present duty, that will
afford thee the clearest evidences. We are apt to flatter ourselves with
imaginary compliances in duties past or future. Oh, say the Jews, if the
Messias would come, how would we receive him ! how would we rejoice in
him ! but when he has come indeed, and they were put upon trial by a
present duty, the deceit appeared. Instead of receiving him, they rejected
him ; instead of welcoming him with joy, they pursue and persecute him
with a strong hatred. So in another case, they flatter themselves with a
compliance, upon an imaginary supposal. Oh, say they, if we had lived in
the days of our forefathers, we would never have treated the prophets as
they did. And yet when Christ himself, the great prophet, was amongst
them, and their present duty was to hear him, the deceit appeared, the
hardness of their hearts was manifest. They treat him as unworthily as
ever their forefathers did the former prophets. We have the same deceit
ful hearts, and are as ready to impose upon ourselves by the very like
delusion. Oh, says one, if I should be assaulted with such a foul tempta
tion, how far would I be from yielding to it ! and yet the temptation that
he is under at present, he yields to it. Oh, says another, if I were called
to suffer, as martyrs formerly, I hope I should suffer cheerfully, and part
with all ; and yet his present duty he neglects ; the ^sacrificing knife of a
mortifying course must not touch his lust ; he cannot suffer that, who
fancies he would readily suffer all. Indeed, these imaginary compliances
argue no tenderness of heart, but that which is merely imaginary ; it is but
a fancy, a delusion, there is no reality in it. But if thou wouldst not be
deluded, here thou mayest have a just trial. How doest thou demean thy-

138 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

self towards thy present duty ? If thy heart be tender indeed, it will not
be stiff against it, it will yield to it.

Christ requires thee to abandon every sin, the lusts, carnal or worldly,
which thou hast been so fast in league with ; doest thou yield here ? Does
thy heart say, ' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God ; thy law is in my heart ;
my soul has received the impressions of it, I desire nothing more in all the
world than to be rid of sin.

Christ requires thee to receive him as thy Lord ; does thy heart yield ?
Does thy soul answer, I'll have no Lord, no king but Jesus ; his burden
shall be light to me, his yoke shall be easy ; Oh that he would bore mine
ear, that I might be in his service for ever ! Oh that he would free me
from this slavery to sin and the world, which is so intolerable to me !

Christ requires thee to come and cast thyself on him ; here is thy pre
sent duty. Wilt thou be persuaded to it ? Yield now, and thou needest
not doubt but thy heart is soft and tender. A persuadable heart is a soft
heart ; thou needest never any more make this a discouragement.

Ans. 4. As for that passionate tenderness, which consists in grief and
sorrow for sin, never expect these to purpose, till thou believest. These
ingenuous meltings, those passionate relentings, those streams of sorrow,
which thou wantest and longest for, they are the fruits, not the fore
runners, of faith. If thou expect them full and ripe before thou believest,
thou expectest fruits of a tree before it be planted. That which pierces
the heart, that which makes it a spring of sorrow, that which sends forth
the streams of it in abundance, is the sight of Christ pierced, the sight of
him by faith ; it is the eye of faith beholding Christ pierced, and pierced
for thee, that will so affect the heart, as to dissolve it into sorrow, and
spring in it a bitter mourning, Zech. xii. 10. "When the eye of faith sees
Christ pierced, when it sees him lifted up in that highest expression of his
love, when the heat of that love reaches the heart, when the shines of
Christ's countenance, the beams of the Sun of righteousness, penetrate into
the soul, then will it melt, then will it dissolve indeed, then will it flow
out in streams of sorrow. Those meltings that are most kindly, that
sorrow which is most ingenuous, is the proper issue of faith, that which
follows it, not that which goes before it. Wlien thou hast experience of
the loving-kindness of Christ ; when thou feelest his tender compassions
to thee ; when thou findest him as it were falling upon thy neck, and kissing
thee ; what, such love, such compassions, such kindness for me ! for
me, who have been so unkind, so unworthy ! for me, who have been
such a rebel, such a prodigal ! oh, a heart of flint will melt now, and the
rock will be dissolved into waters ! This is the effect of faith ; it is unrea
sonable to expect the effect till the cause is in being. The want of this
should not discourage from believing ; it is not to be expected before. But
if thy heart desires it, the want, the desires of it, should quicken thee to
make haste to Christ, make haste to believe ; because this is the only way
to obtain what thou desirest, to be possessed of this melting temper.

Obj. Oh, but I have slept out the day of my gracious visitation ; I fear
the time of mercy is expired. I have often resisted the Spirit, long neglected,
yea, rejected the offers of Christ and mercy ; and now I am afraid the
decree is gone forth against me. Alas ! I fear it is too late.

Ans. This is a tender point, I must proceed warily in it. The resolu
tion may be useful to all, and therefore I shall insist a little on it. For
answer, 1, I premise some things by way of concession; 2, add some
things for satisfaction.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 139

1. By way of concession. (1.) It is granted, there is a time wherein
the Lord offers mercy ; which being determined and come to its period, the
Lord withdraws, the sinner is left to himself in a forlorn condition, to reap
the woeful fruits of his own obstinacy.

This time expires, when the Lord, provoked by obstinate resistance and
wilful refusals, gives over the sinner as hopeless and incurable ; will use
no more importunity, will strive no longer ; leaves him to those lusts, and
in that state which he has chosen ; seals him up under spiritual judgments ;
gives him up to blindness of mind, hardness of heart, a spirit of slumber,
a reprobate sense. Nothing more evident in Scripture than that there is
such a time of grace, and such a period of it, Ezek. xxiv. 13. The Lord
would have purged them, while he afforded means for this purpose. They
resisting those means, rendering them ineffectual, this time ended. And
this was the end of it, Thou shalt not be purged ; and the Lord seals it,
ver. 14. Mat. xxiii. 37, Christ would have gathered them. While he
endeavoured this, it was their time of mercy ; but they would not be
gathered ; this puts a period to that time. He leaves them, that is the
issue of it, and their house is left unto them desolate, Luke xix. 42. They
had light to discover the things which concerned their peace. All the while
that shined, it was their day; but they neglected, shut their eyes, employed
about other objects ; so these things are hid from their eyes. There is
their night, the sad period of that gracious day, Isa. Iv. 6. There is a time
when the Lord may be found, while he is near. That is the time of mercy.
But the expression implies there is a time when he will not be found, when
he is gone far out of sight, out of call. That is the time succeeding the
former, a time of rejection. As sinners have their time of rejecting God, so
he has his time of rejecting them, Prov. i. When the Lord calls, stretches
out his hand, that is the time of mercy ; but their continued refusals and
neglects puts a period to that time, it ends sadly.

When this woeful period comes, the gospel, in itself a message of peace
and love, has then a new commission of a sad tenor, Isa. vi. 10. When
this period comes, then comes forth that dreadful decree, ' He that is
unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still,' &c., Rev. xxii. 11.

(2.) This time of visitation is sometimes longer, sometimes shorter ; it
is continued to some more, to some less. The period comes sometimes
later, sometimes more suddenly. And no particular man knows but his
own share therein may be the shortest.

This time is in some places measured by years. Three years is allotted
them who are represented by the fig-tree, Mat. xiii. 6, 7. With much
importunity, one year longer is obtained. And about so many years was
Christ gathering Jerusalem : the time of that their visitation was of betwixt
three and four years' continuance. This time is elsewhere expressed by a
day, as if it were confined in such a narrow compass : Heb. iii., ' To-day, if
ye will hear his voice.' This is the day of salvation ; and this, as other days,
is sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. To some it is a longer day, like the
days of summer ; to others it proves a winter day, a day of short continuance.

To determine precisely of the continuance of this time, to say thus long
it shall be, and no shorter, to fix its period, is a presumption for any son
of man to undertake. The length and period of these times and seasons
of grace, the Lord has reserved in his own power, they are amongst his
secrets. He has cut off all occasions of presuming on his patience, leaving
us at uncertainties. No man can make account of another hour, he is not
sure of any further moment.

140 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

Only this seems clear in the negative : the time of grace to a particular
man is not always as long as his life, how short soever his life be. The
longest time of patience we find allotted to any, is that determined for the
old world, Gen. vi. 3. These are those days of which the apostle Peter
says, that the long- suffering of God waited on them, and that Christ, by his
Spirit in his servant Noah, preached to them, 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20, which
Spirit, in his ministry, did strive with them ; so that this was the time of
their visitation, and the continuance of it is an hundred and twenty years.
Yet this was not the seventh part of the time to which their lives were
ordinarily prolonged before the flood. An hundred and twenty years, com
pared with their lifetime, is not so long for them as ten years are now for
us. I think we may conclude, though the time of grace be sometimes
shorter, sometimes longer, yet it is seldom drawn out to the length of life
time. Sin often puts a shorter period to it. Many men who live under
the gospel, outlive their time of grace.

(3.) It were just with the Lord to put a period to the time of grace, upon
the first refusal of any offer of grace. A wonderful thing if Christ and
mercy be ever again offered, after it has been once refused ; for as the
apostle argues, 2 Pet. ii. 4, ' If God spared not the angels that sinned, but
cast them down to hell,' why should man expect any favour or forbearance ?
The angels were glorious and powerful creatures ; man is an impotent and
contemptible worm in comparison. Those angels, for one sin, were destroyed ;
men loaden with multitudes of sins are spared. Those angels perished,
for anything appears to us, without any mercy so much as once offered
them ; sinful men have Christ and mercy tendered, before justice seize on
them. Now, if it were just with the Lord to destroy the angels, without
any offer of grace made to them, may he not justly proceed against sinful
men, after grace offered and rejected by them ? Might he not justly pro
ceed upon the first rejecting of it ?

(4.) It must be granted that any refusal of Christ and mercy is exceed
ing dangerous. If we consider who Christ is, what pardon cost him, who
the sinner is to whom these are offered, we may easily see that any slight
ing or refusal of these offers does highly provoke the Lord to take you at
the first word. You make excuses. You cannot yet close with the terms
of the gospel : you are too busy, you have no leisure. Well may the
Lord say, Be it so ; yet you shall have leisure enough to see your madness in
eternal torments ; you shall have leisure enough in that endless eternity.
You use delays. You cannot yet enter into the strict and holy ways of Christ ;
you will have a little more ease, a little more pleasure, a little more gain by
sin. Well may he say, Ye will not when ye may, ye shall not when ye would ;
ye shall never taste of the sweetness and happiness of my holy ways. Ye
will not take Christ, and submit to him, on the terms he is offered. Well,
it shall be so ; ye shall never have Christ ; ' ye shall die in your sins.' Ye
will not come when I invite you. Well, ' not one of you shall taste of my
supper.' It is Christ's threatening in so many words, Mat. xiv. 24. The
apostle insinuates the danger in the form of that expression, Heb. ii. 3. Here
is very great danger; here is occasion enough of fear, lest the Lord, being
thus provoked, should ' swear in his wrath, Ye shall never enter into his rest.'

(5.) Some, in special manner, have great cause to fear that their day is
past. I say not they have ground certainly to conclude it, but canse to
fear it. Some signs of an expired day of grace are visible upon them, such
as are probable signs, though not infallible. Such as these, to give you
briefly some instances :

MASK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 141

[1.] A long, wilful continuance in known sins, under a searching, con
vincing, and lively ministry. Take it as I deliver it, lest it be mistaken.
When a man continues in sins, in known sins, continues long in them,
continues in them wilfully and obstinately, and that is resolved to do it,
under a ministry that shews him it, convinces him of it, threatens it, declares
the danger and sinfulness, and brings this home to his heart and conscience,
I say not this is a certain sign, but I say it is a dangerous sign, that the
day of his visitation is expired. I say not this case is utterly desperate ;
but were I without assurance of heaven, and under doubts and fears of my
eternal state, yet would I not be in that sinner's condition for ten thousand
worlds, for such are scarce ever recovered.

[2.] When the means of grace are withdrawn upon contempt and refusals,
when the candlestick is removed, the glory departed, the light of the gospel
gone, then it is too plain the day is at an end. When you see the sun set
and the light gone, you doubt not but the day is expired. When no gospel
light is left, the things that concern a sinner's peace must needs be hid
from his eyes. And this is it wherewith Christ shuts up Jerusalem's
day.

[8.] When men withdraw from the means of grace, though the means
be not withdrawn from them. A man may make it night in his chamber
when it is day abroad, by shutting out that light which makes the day.
Thus may a man bring a night upon himself in particular, though those in
the same place enjoy a day of visitation, when, after other disobediences to
the word, he adds this contempt, he will not so much as hear it ; when he
puts away the word from him, or puts himself from it. Thus the Jews'
day ended. Though they might have had the word, they would not, Acts
xiii. 46. That which was hereby brought to the Gentiles, departed from
the Jews ; that was light and salvation, ver. 47. Those that put them
selves from the word, or put the word from them, put light and likewise
salvation from them ; and when they are gone, sure the day of grace is
expired.

[4.] When the Spirit will strive no more with a sinner, then he is cast
off. The means of grace are continued, and he attends on them ; and has
formerly, in the ministry of the word, found some motions of heart, some
stirrings of affection, some strugglings of conscience ; but now all is hushed
and gone, the sense of his soul is locked up, as it were, in a deep slumber;
a stupefying humour is seized upon every faculty, and the promises, the
threatenings, the terror of the law, the sweetness of the gospel, fall on his
heart with no more effect than if it were a senseless thing. This is a
dangerous sign his time is past, When the Spirit will strive no more with
a sinner, his day is at an end. The end of the old world's day is thus
described, Gen. vi. 8.

2. Though all this must be granted, yet there remains enough to satisfy
this scruple. We shall comprise it in these heads.

(1.) It is not usual with Christ to put an end to the time of grace when
his gracious offers are first refused. Though he might justly do it upon
the first provocation, yet such is his mercy, his patience, he will not be so
provoked. He breaks not off the treaty with sinners when his terms are
first rejected, but sends his ambassadors again and again to beseech, to
importune, to persuade sinners to be reconciled, and to be at peace with
him. The treaty, when sinners would break it off, is often resumed, and
those gracious proposals renewed and also reinforced, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15,
on which you have a comment, Jer. xxv. 3, 4. The Lord from time to

142 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

time diligently addressed himself to them by the prophets. No time was
slipped ; they rise early day by day, and that for divers years.

He uses not to depart, though he might justly, when the heart opens
not to him at the first knock, but he stands knocking, Rev. iii. 20. He
stands long, all the day long, Cant. v. 2. Though there is more provoca
tion in the unkindness of his spouse than of strangers, yet this occasions
not a sudden departure. He stays till his head be wet with the drops of
the night. When they will not be gathered at first, he tries again, he tries
often: Mat. xxiii., 'How often would I have gathered you ?' &c. He
withdraws not the golden sceptre, if sinners come not in, when it is first
holden forth. He stretches it out all the day long, even to the stiff-necked,
those that will not stoop to it, those that rebel and rise up against the
sceptre of his Son. If the day should end at the first provocation, if this
day should be thus shortened, no flesh would be saved. There are divers
hours in this day ; if they come not in at one, he tries another. He goes
out at the third, the sixth, the ninth, the eleventh, all the hours into which
their day was divided, Mat. xx. 3. He that, when he was first called, said
he would not go, was not shut out because he went not at the first call,
Mat. xxi. 28, 80. The Lord waits to be gracious ; that imports a con
tinued patience and expectance, 1 Pet. iii. 20. He strives, he gives not
over at the first impulse. He comes seeking fruit for some years together,
one year after another, Luke xiii. 6, 7. That seems great severity, Mark
xi. 13. It was not a good, a seasonable year for figs ; it afforded not many.
This seems extraordinary rigid and severe, that he should be so quick with
it as to curse and blast it at the first disappointment. But it appears so
only as to the emblem, the fig-tree. As to Jerusalem, which it signifies,
this was not the first disappointment. He had been with her again and
again, and a third time, before he blasts her. He both comes and sends ;
and contents not himself to send once, how ill soever his messengers be
treated, but sends a second, a third, a fourth time, as Mark xii. 1, 2, 4, 5,
&c. He is not wont to take sinners at the first word ; to offer no more,
when they once refuse ; to try no more, when they once resist. Alas ! even
the best, those that yield at length, yield not at first ; they resist too long,
too much. When Christ would lay his yoke on them, how easy soever it
is, he finds them like an untamed heifer, a bullock unaccustomed to the
yoke. So they demean themselves. So it was with Ephraim, when
returning, Jer. xxxi. 18. His demeanour was no better than that of an
untamed and unruly beast. So Ephraim complains, and so all the people
of God, who observe the carriage of their heart towards God while he is
reducing them. Before you make your resisting and refusals a discourage
ment, first see if you can meet with any who can truly say they never
resisted or refused.

(2.) No man can certainly determine concerning himself or another that
the time of grace is past, especially where the means of grace are continued
and made use of. Some probabilities there may be, which I gave an
account of in the premised concessions ; but no peremptory certainty.
Some cause there may be to fear it, but no ground absolutely to conclude
it. Indeed, one exception there lies against this rule. When it is known
that a person hath committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, it may be
known that there is no mercy, no more time of mercy for him. If that be
certain, it will be an infallible sign his day of grace is ended. And it may
be sometimes known that this unpardonable sin is committed ; for the
apostle makes it a rule that we should not pray for him that has sinned

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 143

unto death. Now if it could never be known when a man is guilty of this
sin unto death, his rule would be utterly useless and unpracticable ; he
should lay down such a rule as none could ever practise or walk by. But
to leave further inquiries into that, this may be sufficient for our present
purpose, that the ground of the objection now before us, cannot be a ground
to any one to conclude that he has committed the unpardonable sin. The
ground of the scruple is refusing offers of mercy, resisting the Spirit. Now
every one that resists the Holy Ghost, though he do it long and often, does
not sin that sin against the Holy Ghost which shall not be pardoned. This
is clear from Acts vii. 51. He tells the Jews they ' always resisted the
Holy Ghost;' they had resisted, and resisted the Holy Ghost, and that
striving with them in the most powerful ministry that ever the world
enjoyed. Not only their fathers, in the ministry of the prophets, but in
the ministry of Christ himself and of the apostles, wherein the Holy Ghost
appeared in the clearest light and greatest power, in the glory, power, and
convincing evidence of miracles. Here they had resisted the Holy Ghost ;
and that not once only, or seldom, or for a short time, but always. And
yet these had not sinned against the Holy Ghost unpardonably ; for Stephen,
full of the Holy Ghost, prays for their pardon, ver. 60. Now if their sin
had been that against the Holy Ghost, he would not have prayed for them,
there is a rule which prohibits that, 1 John v. 16. Further, Saul was one
of the resisters of the Holy Ghost, being one of his persecutors, ver. 58,
and so one that he prayed for. And his prayer was heard for Saul ; his
conversion, of which you have an account presently after, is accounted a
return of Stephen's prayer. So that though he did resist the Holy Ghost,
yet sinned not unpardonably ; otherwise Stephen would not have prayed
for him, he could not have been pardoned, he would not have been converted.
From hence also it appears that a man may resist the Holy Ghost much,
long, often, so as to amount to an always, and yet his day of mercy may
[not] be expired. And so it was with Saul, whom grace at last conquered,
after such resistance. Though you have resisted the Holy Ghost, you
cannot from hence be certain that you have sinned the unpardonable sin,
you cannot hence be certain that the time of mercy is at an end. There
is no certainty of it for all this.

(3.) There are strong probabilities, such as are next to certainties, for
the sensible or gospel-sinner, that this day is not past. I shall give you
some signs of it ; some that will be probable grounds, some that may be
certain grounds, that his time of mercy is not expired.

[1.] Fear that it is past is a probable sign it is not past; for Satan
usually troubles those most with fears of this who have least cause to fear
it, and leaves them most secure and fearless who have most cause to be
fearful. This is the way whereby he promotes his great design upon
sinners. His great interest is to make them sure to himself; to effect this,
he strives to cut off all endeavours by representing them hopeless, so he
tells them their day is past, it is to no purpose.

He would take off insensible sinners from endeavours by representing
them needless ; their state is safe, or else they have time enough, they
need not fear, he will not have them disturbed with any such fears while
they are in his custody, that being quiet, they may not so much as think
of an escape. ' The strong man armed keeps the house,' &c., Luke xi. 21.
They are asleep in sin, and while they are so, he is sure of them, so he is
concerned to keep them from being awakened with any such fears. While
they are thus lulled asleep, they dream that mercy, grace, heaven, and all

144 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

is sure ; they put away the evil day far from them when it is just upon
them ; ' They cry peace, peace, when sudden destruction is coming upon
them ; ' they will not so much as apprehend, conceive of it, till they be in
travail ;. they go on, bless themselves, say they shall have peace, Deut.
xxix. 19. Such a security had seized on the old world when their day was
expired, Luke xvii. 27. When the Lord had rejected the Jews, and so
their day was gone, the effects hereof was a spirit of slumber, Rom. xi. 8.
The word in the prophet, QTl, signifies to nod, Isa. xxix. 10, which is the
consequent of a sleepy or lethargic humour, which leaves them senseless :
' Eyes they have, but see not ; ears, but hear not.' They see no cause of
fear, nor will they hear of any ; without sense of danger, and so without
fear. Such a spirit of slumber is a sign of an expired day. But when the
soul is fearful it is wakeful, the spirit of slumber has not seized on it ; that
is a probable sign the time of mercy is not past. Your fears may give you
hope in this case.

[2.] When there is a diligent attending upon the means of grace, it is a
sign the day of grace is still continued. When the Lord gives the heart to
be diligent in the use of his appointments, to be diligent in hearing him in
the word, seeking him by prayer, and giving encouragements to his mes
sengers, it is a sign the Lord is not yet gone, he has something further to
do before he depart. We find not that the Lord utterly rejects a people
till they some way or other reject him in his messengers, or in those means
of grace wherein he offers himself. The Lord gives encouragement to those
that diligently seek him ; those that hear him, watching at his gates, and
waiting at the posts of his doors ; and so long as here is encouragement,
the time of mercy is not past ; when that is gone, all hopes are gone.

When the Lord sends forth his disciples, he orders, that when any
received them, there they should stay, and their staying was a continuing,
a prolonging of the day of grace and visitation ; but if any would not receive
them, i. e., hearken to them, entertain them, encourage them, they were
to shake off the dust of their feet, as a token that such were cast off by the
Lord, Mat. x. 14. And we find Paul and Barnabas proceeding according
to this rule, Acts xiii. 46, 51. When the Jews put away the word from
them, they shook off the dust, to signify that the Lord had so shaken off
that people, he had quite left them off, their time was past.

When the Lord is gone, a spirit of sloth and torpor seizes on the soul ;
he will not stir up himself to follow after God or wait on him, a spirit of
contempt possesses him, he cares not for the means of grace. He hears
now and then out of custom, but if some by-respects did not move him,
he cares not much if he never heard at all. As this temper provokes God
to put a period to the day of grace, so, when it is ended, this sloth and
contempt increases. As it was before, in its beginnings and progress, a
cause, and so it is now, in its height, a sign that the Lord has cast him
off, his time is past and gone.

But when there is a heart to prize the means of grace, and to attend on
them accordingly, it is a probable sign not only that the day of grace is
continued, but that the Lord will continue it yet longer, if this be thy case.

[3.] When there are desires after the breathings and workings of the
Spirit in the ordinances, this is a sign of more evidence and probability
than the former. When the soul cannot be contented with this, that he
enjoys the means of grace, and that he waits on them, unless he find him
self wrought upon by them, unless he find some enlightenings, some
motions of the heart, some stirrings of affection ; cannot rest in the bare

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 145

performance of holy duties unless he find some light and heat of the Spirit
in them ; is not satisfied that he prays unless he find that his heart moves
therein more than his lips, nor that he hears the word unless his soul be
affected with what he hears. If this be thy case, thou countest it a sad
day, a sad duty (whatever other respect may commend it to thee), when
no other impression is made on thy soul, thou hast no cause to fear thy
day is past. The Lord never withdraws while his presence is desired.
The Spirit never leaves that soul which is ready to make him welcome,
while his workings and breathing are acceptable and desired. These
desires argue he might be welcome if he would come in ; his workings
would be acceptable if he would vouchsafe it. The Lord is with you while
you are with him ; and so far as you truly desire his effectual presence, so
far he counts you with him. The Lord does not judge of us by what we
are, but what we would be.

[4.] When the Spirit is striving with the soul. When he not only
desires the strivings of the Spirit, but feels them, this is not only a strong
probability, but an evident certainty that his time is not past. When the
Spirit looks into the mind, and lets in some light to discover the things
that concern a sinner's peace ; when Christ is knocking at the heart, and
using importunity to get in ; when he is awakening the conscience to a
sense of sin and misery ; when the Spirit is thus enlightening, convincing,
persuading, humbling ; when the word is brought home to the mind, heart,
and conscience with these effects, it is evident the Spirit is not gone, for
he is now at work. If this be thy case, thy day is so far from being ended,
that it is now at the height. This is the accepted time, this is thy hour,
take heed thou do not slip it. Satan makes the hour of thy visitation an
hour of temptation ; he would make thee let it slip by persuading thee it
is past already ; but as sure as he is a liar this is truth, it is now thy day ;
this is the accepted time, and will be a day of salvation if thou improve it,
if thou yield to the Spirit's strivings, and resist no longer : ' My Spirit
shall not always strive,' Gen. vi. 3, and then sets down how long the Spirit
should strive. The length of our days is measured by the continuance of
the Spirit's striving. Every hour that he strives is an hour of that day.
It is not night till the Spirit will strive no longer. And therefore your day
is not yet ended who feel the Spirit still striving.

[5.] When the soul is grieved for former refusal ; when the heart bleeds
to think of former resistance. This clearly signifies the day is not past.
You may see this in Ephraim, Jer. xxxi. 18. Here is first observable his
resistance : when the Lord took him in hand, would have laid his yoke upon
him, brought him under his government, he demeaned himself as a bullock
unaccustomed to the yoke; he was wanton, unruly, slung off and refused,
withdrew his shoulder and resisted. Turn thou, else no turning. Then
take notice how he resents this. When he came to himself he bewails it.
This was it for which he bemoaned himself; of this he was ashamed, con
founded ; for this he smote upon his thigh, used all the actions of one
moaning himself under pain and grief ; such grief, shame, sorrow did the
thoughts of his former resistings and refusals smite his heart with. If
this be thy case, why then surely it is the time of mercy ; for so Ephraim
in this condition found it, ver. 20. Though he spake against him for his
former froward refusals, and perverse resistings, yet when he saw Ephraim
remember this, so as his soul was troubled for it, why the Lord does
earnestly remember him, and his bowels are troubled for relenting Ephraim.
I will surely see here; If Ephraim's case be thine, though thou have

VOL. i. K

146 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

resisted as he did, yet if thou art troubled for it, as he was, the Lord assures
thee of mercy ; it is not only a time wherein he offers, but a time wherein
he will vouchsafe it ; he assures thee of it. It is so far from being past
already, as it shall never be past ; thou mayest be sure of it, if the Lord's
word can make it sure.

[6.J When the Spirit has prevailed with the soul to refuse and resist no
longer. When it does not only strive, but prevail with a sinner, so far as to
be heartily willing to yield to Christ on his own terms. This is an undoubted
sign that the time is not past, when the soul strives and wrestles with that
principle of opposition and resistance that is in itself, &c. If this be thy
case, thy day is so far from being ended, as it shall never end.

(4.) The readiest way to put this out of question is to believe, to cast
thy soul on Christ. There is no danger for a sensible sinner to venture on
this ; there is all encouragement. Thy day is not so past, but if thou come
in there is mercy for thee ; if thou lay down thy weapons and submit,
Christ will receive thee. He does not say, I have mercy, but it is only
for those who have [not] refused and resented. This is contrary to the
tenor of the gospel. The promises are not in any such strain. That who
soever believes, not that those only who have not resisted so long or so
much, but that ' whosoever believes shall be saved ; ' ' He that comes, I
will in no wise cast out,' upon no consideration, however he have resisted
and refused. The apostle Paul is an encouraging instance. Who had
more resisted and refused than he ? Consider what resistance he made.
It was a scornful resistance, Acts ix. 5. He kicked against Christ, he
rejected his offers with scorn. It was a violent and bloody resistance ; he
resisted Christ unto blood and slaughter of his messengers ; he embrued
himself in the blood of Christ's members, Acts viii. 1, 3, ix. 1, 2. It was
a continued resistance ; he was one of those of whom Stephen complains,
Acts vii. 51, Now, was his time of mercy expired for all this ? No ; he
believed and found mercy, and he found mercy for {his very purpose, that
he might encourage thee, that he might be a pattern, an encouraging
instance to all humbled and returning sinners, whatever their refusals or
resistance have been. He tells you so expressly : 1 Tim. i. 16, ' For this
cause,' &c. Christ holds him out as a standing instance of his great long-
suffering, that every humbled and returning sinner, apt to be discouraged
from believing by the sad consideration of his former rebellious and
obstinate resistance, might in him clearly see that he is not so short and
quick with sinners as to cut them off from mercy for some resistings, no,
not for such resistings as Saul's were. They put not a period to his time of
mercy, but upon believing he found mercy. If thou hadst resisted as he
did, yet believe as he did, and thou shalt find like mercy. The Holy
Ghost has recorded this example on purpose to encourage those that should
believe hereafter.

Obj. 6. Another discouragement which keeps sensible sinners from
believing, is a fear that they have sinned the unpardonable sin. There are
two extremes of faith (as every grace and virtue has its extremes), pre
sumption and despair. If Satan can drive the sinner into either, both
being at the greatest distance from the middle, he keeps them far enough
from faith. Now that his malicious attempts may be successful, he suits
them to the condition of the sinner. Those that are secure he draws them
to presumption, of which before. Those that are sensible and awakened,
he would drive them to despair, and the most effectual engine to this
purpose is that which is now before us, a suggestion that they have sinned

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. H7

against the Holy Ghost, and so there remains no more sacrifice for sin,
Christ can profit them nothing, it is impossible they should be renewed
either by repentance or faith.

This is a temptation whereby he too often perplexes awakened sinners ;
nay, this fiery dart he sometimes sticks in the consciences of believers too.
Those that are not assaulted have no security but they may be. There
fore it will not be amiss to give some satisfaction to this scruple, such as
may serve either for cure or prevention.

That which will be most satisfactory is a right understanding of the
nature of this sin. The great advantage of that prince of darkness is, that
he assaults the soul in the dark, and when he wants light to judge, puts
that upon him for this sin, which indeed is no such thing. The texts
wherein this sin is described will scatter this darkness. I shall not engage
in a full discourse on this subject, but only open this sin by opening those
texts, so far as may be sufficient for my present purpose, as briefly as may
be consistent with perspicuity. There are many scriptures where this sin
is mentioned, but I find but three where it is described : Mat. xii., Heb.
vi. and x., with the other evangelists concurring. And from these scrip
tures we may collect this description of this sin. It is a blasphemous
renouncing of Christ and his doctrine out of hatred, and against conviction
by the Holy Ghost's light and testimony. We shall take it into parcels,
that you may see distinctly how every part is contained in all and every of
those alleged texts. (1.) It is a renouncing or denying of Christ. (2.)
With blasphemy and reproaches. (3.) Out of hatred and malice. (4.)
Against light and conviction. The two former are as the matter of it ; the
two latter the form which constitutes this sin in its peculiar being, and
distinguished! it from all other sins.

(1.) A renouncing or denying of Christ and his doctrine. You may see
this in the scribes and Pharisees, Mat. xii. When Christ by a miracle had
drawn the people to acknowledge that he was the Messias, ver. 23, nay,
say the Pharisees, he is not the Messias for all this, this he does by the
power of Satan ; he is not the king of Israel, the king of the church, but
he tampers with the prince of devils. He is not the prophet, but a con
juror, a deluder, and consequently he is not the great high priest that
must be a sacrifice for sinners ; for a sinner cannot be a sacrifice for sin.
This more expressly elsewhere : ' We will not have this man to reign,'
Luke xix., and so rejected him as king. No: 'but he deceives the
people,' John vii. 12. So rejected him as prophet. And after crucify
ing him as a malefactor, shed his blood as the blood of a notorious sinner,
and so utterly denied him to be the priest, even when they made him a
sacrifice.

So answerably in Heb. vi. It is a falling away, a falling off from Christ,
his ways and truths, a putting him to open shame ; not only a putting
Christ away, but a putting him away with shame and reproach ; a crucify
ing him again, that is a renouncing of him with a witness.

So Heb. x. 29. A treading the Son of God under foot, a casting him
down from being king, so as to trample on him ; accounting the blood of
the covenant an unholy thing, no better than common blood, the blood of
a malefactor. So his priesthood is renounced ; for it was that blood by
which he was sanctified or consecrated to be a sacrifice, John xvii. 19.

Doing despite to the Spirit. So the prophetical office of Christ and the
doctrine which he teaches is rejected ; for it is the Spirit of grace and truth
by which Christ executes his prophetical office.

148 OP FAITH. [MARK XVI. 1G.

Christ is renounced, both when there is a falling off from him, after he
has been professed and acknowledged, so it is described in that Epistle, or
when there is an opposing of him, when clearly and convincingly pro
pounded, though he have not been openly professed. So it is described in
the Gospel as the sin of the Pharisees. Here is some difference in the
subjects, but the act is the same, a renouncing of Christ in both.

(2.) With blasphemies and reproaches. This sin is expressly called
blasphemy, Mat. xii. 31 and 32, speaking a word, that is, a blasphemous
word, such as is shameful and reproachful to him. The blaspheming of
the Son is called blaspheming of the Holy Ghost, because it is against the
Son as discovered and borne witness to by the Holy Ghost ; against the
person, offices, and doctrine of the Son, but against the light and testimony
of the Holy Ghost. Their particular blasphemy is set down, ver. 24,
where they do as bad as call Christ a conjuror, and the Holy Ghost,
whereby he acted, an evil spirit, the prince of devils. Expressly, Mark
iii. 22, 30. And this was their blasphemy, ver. 29 ; this sin is blasphem
ing too, as described Heb. vi. 6, a putting Christ to open shame, ascribing
that openly to him which is shameful and reproachful. It is the same
word which is used Mat. i. 19, wagadeiyftarifyiv, to make a shameful
example of her. He was willing to put her away, but not so as to make
her a public shame and reproach. But this sin is a putting Christ away,
a rejecting him in a shameful and reproachful way, with blasphemies and
opprobrious reflections and aspersions. So Heb. x. 29, £vu/3g/<ra; ; to use
one injuriously and contumeliously, rendered contumelid afficere. When
Christ, as held out by the light and testimony of the Spirit of grace, is
shamefully abused, either in words or deeds, he and the Spirit are blas
phemed ; really blasphemed, by injurious affronts ; verbally, by opprobrious
and reproachful speeches. The word will bear either, so that in all the
descriptions it is blasphemy.

(3.) Out of hatred and malice. This is the rise, the principle, from
whence this sin proceeds ; it is from hatred of Christ and his truth. It is
not for want of care and watchfulness, as in sins of surprisal ; nor from
want of knowledge, as in sins of ignorance ; nor from passion and fear, as
in sins of infirmity ; nor from boldness merely, as in some sins of presump
tion ; but from hatred and malice. This was the rise of it in the Pharisees,
this was at the bottom. That which appeared was horrible, they broke
out into blasphemies ; but Christ minds not that only, but what was
within, Mat. xii. 24, 25. He takes an estimate of their sin, not by their
words only, but by their thoughts, which were boiled up and set a-working
by hatred and malice. And this he charges them with expressly elsewhere,
John xv. 25 ; cited from Ps. xxxv. 19, where the word is Djfl, used
1 Sam. xix. 5, hated him as Saul did David. This put them upon reject
ing his government, Luke xix. 14, upon rejecting his doctrine, John iii. 19,
John vii. 7. This put them upon seeking his life, and murdering him
when they had found opportunity. It was not anger, for that acts rashly ;
but they consulted how they might do it, John xi. 53, acted deliberately,
and so were wilful and malicious murderers.

Aristotle puts this difference betwixt anger and hatred, 6 [itv yag avn-
vudiiv /SouAsra/ u opyifyrai, o ds /ATI sivai. Anger would make him suffer who
has occasioned it, but hatred would deprive him of his being. Nothing
less would satisfy the hatred wherewith they were acted but a shameful and
cruel death. And this hatred is expressed by the like acts, Heb. vi. 6 ;
they crucify him again ; not as to the physical action ; that cannot be repeated,

MAEK XVI. 10.] OF FAITH. 149

Christ is now above their malice ; but as to judicial interpretation. They
disprove* not what the Jews did, they have the same malicious mind, they
use him as far as may be like the Jews ; if the same could be done, they
would do it again. Their actings against him, his truth, his members, are
equivalent, they will bear such an interpretation. What clearer expres
sions of hatred, than Heb. x. 29, to trample on him, to vilify his blood as
the blood of a malefactor. If their tongues do not speak it, their actions
do. All is of malice, they do despite to the Spirit of grace. Their actings
are from spite and malice. It is clear, in all the descriptions, that there
is in this sin a hatred against Christ.

But observe, that it is not necessary to this sin, that this hatred should
be of truth as truth, or of Christ as Christ, /. e., as a Redeemer, as a
Saviour, as the Son of God, or the Messiah ; for so he cannot be the object
of hatred ; but it is a hatred of the truth and of Christ, and of the Spirit
witnessing of him, as these are contrary to their desires and expectations,
to their lusts and interests, John iii. 19, vii. 7 ; Mat, xxi. 8 ; they feared
Christ would deprive them of that power, honour, good opinion, which
they then inherited amongst the people, &c.

(4.) All this must be against light and conviction. This is express,
Heb. vi. 4—6 ; it is the falling away from Christ of those that have been
enlightened ; so Heb. x. 20, a sinning after the receipt of knowledge, a
sinning wilfully, which cannot be but against knowledge.

There is some question of this concerning the Pharisees, started by some
who would otherwise state this sin ; but I see no reason for it, I see much
in Scripture against it.

They knew that Christ wrought miracles, they acknowledge it, John
xi. 47. It is strange if they were not convinced that these miracles were
acts of a divine power, the finger of God. Can we think them more stupid
than the Egyptian magicians ? They saw and acknowledged the finger of
God in Moses's miracles, Exod. viii. 19. Were they blinder than those
instruments of Satan /in the midst of Egyptian darkness ? There was a
convincing light went along with the miracles of Christ, which shewed their
original, and convinced all the people who was the author of them : John
xi. 47, 48, ' All will believe on him,' Mat. xii. 22, 28 ; John vii. 31 ; iii. 2.
' We,' i. e., he, and those of his sect, the Pharisees, they knew it, were
convinced of it ; and when they spake otherwise, said they were of the
devil, they had something within them that gainsaid them ; they said it
with some reluctancy of conscience.

They were convinced that Christ was the Messias ; the light of the Holy
Ghost, shining in his doctrine and miracles, discovered this unto them ;
though they were loath to see it, unwilling to believe it. Their rebellious
will rising up against their judgment, did check and oppose this light, but
it could not be avoided, nor quite suppressed. Christ tells them they knew
him, John vii. 28. They knew he was the heir : Mat. xxi. 37, 38, ' This
is the heir.' They knew who he was, and they perceived that Christ
intended them in that parable, ver. 45, 46. All the three evangelists agree
in it. This was that which completed this sin, so as it became unpardon
able, Luke xxiii. 34. There were some of those actors against Christ that
could not be forgiven, Luke xii. 10 ; for those Christ prays not ; he would
not pray for that which he knew could not be granted.

But there were some who might be forgiven, for such he prays ; and who
were those ? Why, those who knew not what they did, acted not against
* Qu. ' disapprove' ? — ED.

150 OF FAITH. [MARK XYI. 16.

knowledge and conviction. So then, those who knew what they did, are
they who could not be forgiven. Their sin, acted against knowledge and
conscience, was the unpardonable sin. So Peter encouraging the Jews to
repent, by proposing hopes of pardon, lays down this as the ground of the
encouragement, Acts iii. 17—19, as your rulers, Herod and Pilate did,
implying that if they acted against knowledge, if they had known him to be
the Lord of life whom they crucified, there had been no hopes or encour
agement for them.

Answerably, the apostle Paul shews how it came to pass that he found
mercy, after he had so blasphemously and maliciously opposed Christ : ' I
did it ignorantly,' 1 Tim. i. 13. There were all other ingredients of that
unpardonable sin in Paul's sin, but this only, he acted not against know
ledge and conscience ; if he had not done it ignorantly, he had found no
mercy, as the expression seems to insinuate.

This seems to be the reason why this sin directed against Christ is yet
called the sin against the Holy Ghost. Light and conviction is the work
of the Holy Ghost ; his office and operation is to convey light, and thereby
effect conviction. When Christ discovered convincingly by the light and
testimony of the Holy Ghost is thus renounced, the Holy Ghost is blas
phemed, which discovers and bears witness of him ; his light and testimony
is rejected and renounced. The Holy Ghost gave the Pharisees a double
testimony of Christ. One,

[1.] Outward. Those miracles which he wrought were the work of the
Spirit, ver. 28 (and elsewhere the receiving of miraculous gifts is called
the receiving of the Holy Ghost), and they were wrought by the Spirit of
God to testify of Christ, John v. 36 ; Mat. xii. 28.

[2.] Inward. And that is, when the Holy Ghost brings the light, which
shines in the doctrine and miracles, home to the mind and conscience, with
convincing evidence. When Christ appearing with this evidence is re
nounced, the Holy Ghost, whose evidence and testimony this is, is therein
renounced, and so blasphemed.

And by this we may be led to conceive aright of that distinction, Luke
xii. 10. Christ may be considered two ways, either as appearing in the
•weakness of human state, as merely the Son of man ; or else as appearing
in the light of the Holy Ghost, viz., in the light and evidence of his doc
trine and miracles, whereby he is declared to be the Son of God with power.
Blasphemy against the Son of God, in the former appearance, may be for
given, but blasphemy against the Son, in the latter appearance, shall not
be forgiven ; because then it is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,
which, attended with the fore-mentioned ingredients, is declared to be un
pardonable.

Thus you see what this sin is. Not every blasphemy, nor every blas
phemous renouncing of Christ ; no, nor every blasphemous opposition of
Christ out of hatred ; but withal this is done against knowledge and con
science. It is not every sin against knowledge and conscience ; nor every
blasphemy against knowledge and conscience ; nor every blasphemous
renouncing of Christ against these ; but when there is all this out of hatred
and malice. You must not judge yourselves or others guilty of it, because
of one or more ingredients ; there must be a concurrence of all, both matter
and form, the form especially, else there cannot be this sin.

And this being positively cleared, will afford some negatives which may
be most satisfactory in this case. I shall instance in such as are most apt
to be mistaken ; such sins, which humbled souls or others may take to be

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 151

the sin against the Holy Ghost, when indeed they are no such thing, fall
short of it in something or other which is essential thereto.

1. It is not every forsaking of Christ. Then not only Judas, but the
rest of the disciples had been guilty of this sin ; for they forsook him,
and that in his greatest extremity, when their love should most have shewed
itself in cleaving to him, Mat. xxvi. 56, Mark xiv. 50. They all fled, and
left him, to secure themselves. Only John must be excepted ; we find him
after in the high priest's hall. Hence is drawn an instance of Christ's
faithfulness in making good his word, Mat. x., Luke ix. 23. John, who
fled not from Christ to save his life, hje saved it ; he survived them all,
lived to a great age, and died in his bed. All the rest, who fled to save
their lives, lost them, and were plucked out of the world by violent death.
But though they lost their lives, they did not lose their souls ; they found
pardon and favour, both to be saved themselves, and to be instruments for
the saving of others. They were far from this sin, though one might think,
by flying from Christ, they came near it.

2. It is not every resisting of the enlightening Spirit. A man may be
guilty of sinning against the Holy Ghost, in such a high way as that of
resistance, and yet not be guilty of that sin against the Holy Ghost.
Many of those who did resist the Holy Ghost in the ministry of Christ, did
yield afterwards to it in the ministry of the apostles, and so were converted
and pardoned. I shewed you this before, from Acts vii. 51. Indeed, if
all should sin unpardonably who resist the Spirit, who is there that would
be pardoned ? for who is there that has not resisted ? Upon what account
should the grace of the Spirit be called victorious, but that it meets with
resistance ? It is conquering grace, not because it is not resisted (that is
no great conquest where there is no opposition), but because it prevails
against resistance ; not because it meets with no opposition, but because
it masters all opposition.

3. It is not every persecuting of Christ, his truth, and members ; no,
not that which is out of spite and hatred. Such a persecutor was Paul, an
eager persecutor, Philip, iii. 6, which zeal made it a piece of his religion.
His zeal was as a burning flame, as wild-fire in the church ; he wasted it,
made havoc of it. His violence transported him beyond all bounds, Gal.
i. 13. He did it out of hatred and malice, nothing would satisfy him but
the blood and slaughter of Christ's saints, Acts xxii. 4, Acts ix. 1. An
outrageous persecutor, pursued them with exceeding rage and fury, Acts
xxvi. 11, his cruelty reached not only their bodies, but their souls. He
' compelled them to blaspheme,' and that was the high-way to destroy their
souls. Now all this Christ takes as done against himself, Acts ix. 4, 5.
Ah1 this fury and bloody rage is resented by Christ as let out upon himself,
and yet he finds mercy.

4. It is not every blasphemy.

(1.) Not every blasphemy injected. There may be blasphemous sugges
tions cast into the mind, without any guilt of blasphemy, where they are
not entertained and consented to, but rejected and cast out with indigna
tion. In this case the soul is as it were ravished, and may be nothing the
less chaste and pure, when it is a mere patient as to this force, and no
consent yielded. Christ himself was assaulted by Satan with such sugges
tions. In the history of his temptation, you may observe Satan's drift is
to fasten on him this doubt, that he was not the Son of God.

(2.) Not every blasphemy admitted. Blasphemous suggestions may be
admitted so far by the saints of God, as to occasion some doublings of a

152 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

blasphemous tendency, e.g., concerning the providence of God, the natures
and offices of Christ, the truth and divinity of Scripture. What unworthy
thoughts had the psalmist of the providence of God, Ps. Ixxiii. for which
he censures himself severely as a fool and a beast.

Some of the disciples, after his death, seem to question whether he was
the Messias, the Redeemer of Israel, Luke xxiv. 21. They had believed
this before, but now things being of another appearance, they call it into
question, as the words imply. They had the word of God, the word of
Christ, which is now scripture to us, that Christ after his sufferings should
rise the third day, Mat. xviii. And yet when this was come to pass, and
they had divers testimonies of it, they doubt of the truth of his word, so
that he upbraids them, Luke xxiv. 25, 26.

(3.) Not every blasphemy expressed. Saul forced some blasphemous
expressions from the saints that he persecuted, Acts xxvi. To secure
themselves from his rage, they utter some reproachful speeches against
Christ, his truths, or ways.

(4.)' It is not that particular blasphemy, Mat. xii., in the matter and
substance of it, if it be without that attendant, which formalised and aggra
vated it to that height in those Pharisees (though it has been of late other
wise determined). This to me is an evident reason of it. All the Jews,
or others, who knew that Christ wrought these miracles, and yet did not
receive or acknowledge him to be the Messias, I see not how they could
avoid that blasphemy, at least in thought. For knowing that he wrought
such miracles, and that they were wrought to testify that he was the Messias,
either they thought that he did them by the Spirit and power of God, and
then how could they choose but believe that he was the Christ, without running
into as great a blasphemy, by thinking that the Spirit of God would give
such a testimony to a lie ? And it is evident many of them did not believe
him then to be the Messias, being not converted till after his death. Or
else they thought he did those miracles by some other spirit and power
than that of God. No third thing can be imagined. And what other
spirit and power could that be, but the same to which those Pharisees blas
phemously ascribe it ? Yet they might do that ignorantly, which those
Pharisees did against conviction. And so, though they were guilty of blas
pheming the Holy Ghost, yet not of that unpardonable blasphemy, though
it was materially the same blasphemy, yet wanted that ingredient, which
does formalise it into the unpardonable sin.

Yea, it seems probable to me, that Paul before his conversion was guilty
of this particular blaspheming materially considered, as before expressed ;
that he ascribed those miracles to the working of Satan. Which may thus
appear : he could not but know that Christ wrought miracles ; this was
generally known and acknowledged by those of his own sect, the Pharisees.
It was not denied by the most malicious enemies that Christ had, John
xi. 47. It is like Saul was an eye-witness of some of them, coming to the
passover (as all such were bound to do), when Christ wrought many of his
miracles, Mat. xxi. 14. At least he could not but know that the apostles
wrought miracles ; and they were done expressly to confirm this truth, that
Jesus was the Messias. Either then he thought these miracles were done
by the Spirit of God, and then he had been convinced that Jesus was the
Christ ; but this he says he was ignorant of while he was a persecutor.
And since he thought them not done by the Spirit of God, what spirit
could he think they were done by, but Beelzebub, that evil spirit ? Now
this was materially the very blasphemy of the Pharisees his associates.

MAMS XVI. 1G.J OF FAITH. 153

And indeed he confesses he was a blasphemer, 1 Tim. i. 13, but adds, that
which hindered his blasphemy from being that unpardonable blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost, < I did it ignorantly.' He did not know, he did
not believe, that Jesus, whom he persecuted and blasphemed, was the
Christ, acted and testified of by the Holy Ghost. If the rest of the
Pharisees had done it ignorantly too, as he did, for anything I can see,
their blasphemy had not risen up to the height of that sin which is de
clared to be unpardonable. So that, in fine, that particular blasphemy,
Mat. xii., is not the unpardonable sin, but when it is against knowledge and
conviction.

5. Every denying and renouncing of Christ, when it is against knowledge
and conviction, is not the sin against the Holy Ghost. For Peter denied
and renounced Christ, when he clearly knew, and was convinced that he
was the Christ ; when he fully believed it, and had openly professed and
acknowledged it, Mat. xvi. 16. He denies him after admonition, denies
him openly and scandalously, and this with cursing and swearing, against
conscience, former resolutions, solemn engagements. A horrid sin indeed !
Yet Peter repented, was pardoned. This was not the sin against the Holy
Ghost. There was something of infirmity in it. He did it out of fear and
passion, not wilfully, not presumptuously.

6. Every presumptuous sin is not the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Though this be a sin of high provocation, and all persons, especially the
people of God, are highly concerned to watch against it, as David, Ps.
xix. 12. The Seventy render it, dvo aKXorgiuv, and vulgar, ab alienis, from,
strange sins. They are sins to which the people of God should be wholly
strangers ; and yet David himself was not altogether a stranger to it. There
was too much presumption in those sins of adultery and murder. This
latter especially was wilful, against knowledge and conscience, upon deli
beration. He compassed not the death of Uriah, but by a series of plots
and contrivances succeeding one another. And see how the prophet charges
him, 2 Sam. xii. 9. In that he charges him with the despising the com
mandment of the Lord, he accuses him of sinning presumptuously. For
this is the very phrase, by which the Holy Ghost expresses a presumptuous
sin, Num. xv. 30, 31. And it is expressed by the same phrase, Heb.
x. 28. A heinous sin indeed ! There was no sacrifice for this sin under
the law. If a man sinned ignorantly, an atonement might have been made
for him by a sacrifice, so the Lord appointed. But if a man sinned pre
sumptuously, no sacrifice was appointed, none could be accepted in lieu of
his life, he was to die without mercy. This was a grievous sin indeed, yet
not unpardonable ; so David found it. But there is something more
grievous in the sin against the Holy Ghost. For the apostle argues there
from the less to the greater ; from that as a less sin, to this as a greater,
Heb. x. 28, 29. He that sins against the Holy Ghost (for he is describing
that wickedness), shall be thought worthy of much sorer punishment, than
he that, sinning presumptuously, despises Moses's law. And why worthy
of much sorer punishment, but because it is a much more grievous sin ?
The sin against the Holy Ghost is not a sin of presumption only, but
something more, something worse ; something that has in it more provo
cation, and shall have sorer punishment.

Obj. 7. Faith is an application of the promise ; the promise is condi
tional. And there are none have any ground to apply the promise, but
they that have the condition, that is, it upon which the promise is suspended.
Now, alas ! I have not the condition, and what ground have I to apply the

154 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

promise ? I have no ground to believe. To apply the promise without
ground, is not to believe, but to presume. It would be groundless pre
sumption in me to offer it.

Arts. 1. Faith may be without the application of a promise. This cleared,
the main foundation of this scruple falls. Now it is clear, both from the
principal object and the first acts of faith.

The principal object of faith is quid incomplexum, it is Christ himself, not
a proposition nor a promise ; so that, if there be no promise which thou
canst apply, yet is there an object for thy faith. Christ may be embraced,
though not in a promise. It is true Christ must be discovered and offered,
before he can be the object of faith ; but so he may be in other parts of
the word, not in the promise only. The whole gospel discovers and pro
pounds Christ to sinners ; the promises are but some parts of the gospel.
The promise is not the only or the principal object of faith, but Christ
himself.

And it is clear from the acts of faith too. The first acts of faith are
acceptance of, or dependence on Christ, not the application of a promise.
The application of a conditional promise is for assurance, and that is a
consequent of faith, or faith in its growth and elevation, not in its first
actings, Eph. i. The Spirit seals the promise to a soul by application, but
that is after believing ; some acts of faith go before it. The first act of
believing is a hearty acceptance of Christ for a Lord and Saviour, or a soul's
dependence on him for pardon and holiness. Indeed, these are both one ;
for to take Christ for a Lord and Saviour, which I call acceptance, and to
commit myself to him, to be pardoned and governed by him, which is
dependence, is the same thing.

You say you have no ground to apply the promise ; well, but have you
no ground to accept of Christ as he is offered, to apply yourselves to him
for pardon and life, to commit your souls to him to be saved and ruled by
him ? have you no ground for this ? Why, the command of God is a
sufficient ground for this, he enjoins you to do it. The promise has a
condition, you say, and the want of it . hinders you from applying the
promise. Ay, but what condition has the command to hinder you from
obeying ? Will not the Lord be obliged but upon condition ? Is he not
absolute Lord ?

You say you may not apply the promise ; but may you not give your
consent that Christ shall be your Lord and husband, and rest on him
accordingly ? Why, this is it you are called to do ; do but this heartily,
and you believe on the Son, though you cannot apply the promise, John i.
The receiving of Christ is the heart's consent to take- him upon his own
terms ; and this is believing. Y/here this is there is faith, though there be
no application of a promise.

Ans. 2. There are absolute promises, to which no condition is annexed;
general offers of Christ, not restrained to special qualifications, Isa. xlviii. 9,
Jer. xxxiii. 8, Micah vii. 18, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, Rev. xxi. 17. Now, though
the want of the condition hinder a sensible sinner from applying conditional
promises, yet why should want of the condition hinder him from applying
those promises that have no conditions ? I speak to those that are sensible
and humbled ; for secure and presumptuous sinners are too apt to catch at
these, and thereby to harden and encourage themselves in their presump
tion, to their ruin ; such have neither share nor lot in this encouragement.
But for the humbled sinner, who is weary of sin, and would count it the
greatest mercy to be rid of it, the way to these promises is set open to

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 155

them. They were so delivered on purpose for their encouragement. To
these I speak: Though ye cannot apply a conditional promise, yet can you
not apply yourselves to Christ in an absolute promise ? May you not
apply Christ to yourselves in those free and general offers, wherein the
Lord tenders him to you ?

^ These are sufficient grounds of dependence, if not of assurance ; suffi
cient encouragements to receive Christ, though not to apply him and rejoice
in him as already received ; sufficient to make him yours, if sons.* These
offers will make him yours if you will close with them, though not prove
him yours ; that follows acceptance.

If a man should hold out his hand and offer you a jewel, you would
think that a sufficient ground to take it, thongh he should not express by
any special qualifications that he intended it for you in particular ; nay,
though he should speak never a word, yet being one who is not wont to
delude any, his holding it out and offering it to you would be a sufficient
encouragement to receive it. So it is here, the Lord holds out Christ to
humbled sinners in the general offers of the gospel ; and he is never wont
to delude any, much less those that are returning to him. Is not his offer
a sufficient ground for you to receive what he offers ? If you cannot apply
him upon promised conditions, yet may you not receive him offered freely ?
But 'whosoever will,' &c., close with that word, come and embrace Christ
as he is offered ; and in so doing you believe, though you cannot apply any
other promise.

Ans. 3. The least degree of the condition in sincerity shews title to the
promise. Perfection is required by the law, but it is not the condition of
any promise of the gospel; perfection would be acceptable under the
gospel, but sincerity is accepted. The gospel would have us strive after
perfection, but it has pardon for imperfections; it has promises to the
least degrees in truth, when accompanied with greatest imperfections, Mat.
xii. 20. Though there be but in the soul a spark from heaven, more
smoke than heat, almost smothered in corruptions and imperfections, yet
this has the promise. Not to quench is to kindle, not to break is to
strengthen ; a ptiuaig, where much more is intended than expressed,
Mat. v. What less degree of righteousness or holiness than a sincere
desire of it ! Yet this has the promise of satisfaction and blessedness.
And lest this should be thought a high degree of desire, it is expressed by
willingness. It may be the sensible sinner concludes he wants the con
dition, because he has it not in such or such a degree, and then the dis
couragement is raised upon a mistake. The least degree shews thy right
to the promise.

Ans. 4. He that has the condition of any one promise has title to all
the promises ; to all, except those which are made upon some special and
singular account ; for he that has the condition of any one promise is in
Christ. And in Christ 'all the promises are yea and amen;' they shall
all be accomplished to such a one faithfully and certainly.- He that has
the condition of any one promise is thereby admitted into the covenant of
grace, the league with Christ. Now, the promises are so many several
articles of the covenant, and he that is in league and covenant with Christ
shall have the benefit of all the articles ; he may upon that ground plead
his right thereto.

The covenant is made up of so many promises, as a golden chain of so
many links ; one link draws with it all the whole chain. He that has hold of
Qu. ' sinners ' ? — ED.

156 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

one, by virtue of that he has hold of all. Indeed, he that has the condition
of any one promise, has the conditions of all the promises really ; if not in
his own apprehensions, in one degree or other, in principle or in act. For
every condition of a promise evangelical is some gracious quality, or some
act of such a quality. Now, as there is a concatenation of vices (as
moralists), so there is a connection of graces (as divines). They are never
found single, they are never divided; the soul that is possessed of one is
possessed of all.

The sensible soul may be apt to conclude he has no qualification and no
condition of any promise ; it is because he has not such and such ; but this
is a great mistake, and he herein discourages himself from applying the
promise without ground; for if he has any one, he has all and every one
indeed, though not in his own apprehension; for they are never really
divided.

Ans. 5. You may have the condition though you discern it not. It may
be discernible in you though you do not see it, will not acknowledge it.
Here is one difference between the humbled and secure sinner ; the secure
confident will conclude he has those qualifications which he never had ;
the humbled is apt to conclude he has them not when he is in possession
of them. You cannot persuade those but they have that which they have
not ; you cannot persuade these that they have that which indeed they
have. The least degree of the condition is not easily discernible ; for that
which is least is next to nothing, and it must be a quick eye that can dis
cern that ; and when it is come to be discernible by others, yet it is not
easily discerned by himself ; in that dejected state he is not apt to believe
it ; he has had such a sight and sense of his sinfulness and misery as hath
brought himself quite out of conceit with himself, so he is more apt to
suspect the worst than to believe anything that is good concerning himself ;
and, therefore, if the humbled soul would not mistake, he should not judge
himself till he has duly examined, not pass sentence before a just trial.

And because he is more apt to mistake himself, he should consult with
those who have more light to discover it, and will more impartially judge
of it. Let me propound a question or two for trial : Hast thou not for
saken every sin ? Is not thy heart resolved against every evil way ? Doest
not thou confess, bewail, and set thyself against every sin ? Why, this is
the condition of a promise, Prov. viii. 13. Wouldst thou not come to
Christ if he would entertain thee ? Wouldst thou not leave every by-path,
how pleasant soever, wherein thou hast lost him ? Doest not thou heartily
consent to come to Christ upon those terms on which he calls thee ? Why,
this is a condition of a promise, John vi.

Ans. 6. Go to Christ for the condition. Believe, and you have the con
dition.

IV. It remains that I should shew by what means faith may be attained.
Faith is the gift of God, but he gives it in his own way. Those that would
come by it must walk in this way. If you would receive this gift, set
yourselves in that way wherein he is wont to communicate it.

Faith is the work of God. But he works it not immediately, but in the
use of appointed means. He can work it without means, but he will not
do so ordinarily. It will be presumption to expect extraordinary acts,
while the ordinary way is open.

The means prescribed cannot effect faith of themselves. They are no
further effectual, than as instruments in the hand of him who is the prin-

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 157

cipal cause. They can do nothing -without him. But usually he does no
thing in this business without them. It is his power that works faith ;
but in that way, and by those means, which he has prescribed. Though
he has not absolutely tied and confined himself to them, yet he has tied and
confined us. " Though he is free, yet the means are necessary to us.

I shall but instance in two, viz., prayer, and hearing the word ; and will
endeavour to shew you that they are means appointed for this end ; and
withal how you may use them so as this end may be attained, laying down
some particular directions for this purpose.

1. For prayer, that one way wherein the Lord will be sought, and
wherein he may be found. That is one means which the Lord will have
used for this end, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Here is a promise of the first grace,
under the notion of a new heart. He promises conversion and regenera
tion, of which faith is a principal part. But in what way will he accom
plish this and those other promises ? What means will he have used for
this end ? That he shews, ver. 37.

So Saul, after he was humbled and struck down in an extraordinary way,
before his conversion was completed by the Lord concurring with the
ministry of Ananias, before he was filled with the Holy Ghost, we find him
seeking of God, Acts ix. 11. The Lord takes notice of this in Saul, and
will have Ananias to take notice of it, to encourage him in his work.
Here is the way wherein this chosen vessel was carried. And you see, both
by precept and example, that it is your way ; if ever you would meet with
faith, walk in it. It concerns every sinner who is not careless of his soul,
who has any regard of everlasting life, any fear of everlasting death, any
care of his eternal state, who is not desperately regardless of all that is
dearest to him, to be seeking God for faith. For upon this are the issues
of life and death. You especially, to whom the Lord has shewed so much
mercy, as to shew you your want of faith, your necessity of it, your misery
without it, be diligent, be importunate with God in prayer, that he would
give you faith. Whatever you do, pray ; whatever you pray for, pray for
faith especially. The life of your souls depends on it.

Pray diligently. Spend that time in prayer which you have been wont
to mis-spend in idleness, in vanities, in unnecessary employments. You
have thrown away too much time already ; that which remains is short,
you know not how short. Labour to redeem it. Redeem time from your
vanities and recreations, from your worldly business, yea, from your meat
and sleep, rather than want time to seek God for this. For faith is of far
more concernment to you than the world, than your pleasures, yea, than
your meat and sleep, than your bodies and lives ; the everlasting life of
soul and body depends on faith. The wrath of God is more dreadful than
poverty and wants, yea, than death itself. And till you believe, the wrath
of God abides on you. Oh then seek God for this, above all things seek
him, seek him night and day, give him no rest, &c.

Pray importunately. Seek faith of God, as a condemned malefactor
would beg a pardon. There is no pardon without faith. Seek this of
God, as one that feels and sees a sword at his breast, sees death present
before his eyes, would sue for his life. There is no life for you without
faith. Fall down before God, and cry to him aa for life, Oh give me
faith, else I die ! I may live without friends, or wealth, or honours, or
pleasures ; but I cannot live without faith. There is nothing but death
for me in unbelief. Lord, whatever thou deny me, deny me not faith. I
am lost, undone, I perish, I am a dead man, without faith. It had been

158 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

better I had never been born, than to live in unbelief; the wrath of God
abides on me, while I abide in this woeful state ; and so it is like to abide
on me for ever. I shall never see life, unless I believe ; there is no hope
for me till then. My case is miserable and desperate till I believe, and I
can never believe unless thou give me faith. Lord, give me faith, or else
I die. Get the sense of your misery without faith, and let this stir you up
to be importunate. Content not yourselves to seek it in a careless, heart
less, formal way ; but seek it as that on which the life and happiness of
your souls depends.

Obj. But what ground has he to pray, who is an unbeliever ? His
prayer is sin : ' The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,'
Prov. xv. What encouragement has he that his prayer may be heard, who
cannot pray in faith ? What has he to plead for himself, either for
audience or acceptance, who has no promise to be heard, who has no inte
rest in the intercession of Christ for acceptance ? It seems either that
prayer is not his duty, or else that he has no encouragement to perform it.

This is a difficulty which may be of very dangerous consequence, if it be
not removed. There is that wrapt in it, which is apt to mislead .some in
their judgments, others in their practice, and that in a way very injurious
and dishonourable to God, very dangerous and pernicious to the souls of
men. And therefore it highly concerns us to remove this stumbling-block,
and satisfy this scrupk, which Satan may make such a great advantage of,
both against God and men. That this may be done clearly and fully, I shall
(1.) shew the ground of the objection is a mistake ; (2.) prove that prayer
is a necessary duty to unbelievers ; (3.) shew that they have encourage
ment to pray ; (4.) what pleas they may use for themselves in begging for
faith. For the

(1.) The ground of the objection is this, that the prayer of an unbeliever
is sin, that it is a sin for him to pray ; and hence it is inferred, that he
ought not to pray. That the mistake herein may appear, observe,

[l.J Though an unbeliever sin in praying, yet it is not a sin for him to
pray. There is sin in the manner of his praying ; but praj'er, as to the
act and substance of it, is his duty. He sins, not because he prays, that
is required of him, but because he prays amiss, not in that manner that is
required of him. There are abominations in the prayers of a wicked man,
but for him to pray is not an abomination, it is the good and acceptable
will of God, that which he commands. He commands him to pray, and
he sins not in complying with the command, so far it is obedience ; but he
prays not as he ought to do, there is his sin. Now he should leave his
sin, not his duty. He should pray better in another manner, that is all
which can be inferred, not that he should not pray at all. For so he leaves
not his sin, but his duty. A boy is learning to write ; he scribbles at first
untowardly, makes, it may be, more blots than letters. It is his fault that
he blots, not that he writes, that is his duty ; in this case you would have
him leave blotting, not leave writing. So here, the act of prayer is a duty,
but the manner of performing this act, therein is the fault ; this should be
corrected, but the act should not be omitted. Ay, but since an unbeliever
cannot perform his duty in the manner that he ought, were it not as good
he should not perform it at all ? No, not so. For observe,

[2.] An undue performing is better than a total neglect. Better he
should do what he can in a way of obedience than do nothing at all ; bet
ter pray as he can, though he cannot pray as he ought, than not pray
at all.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 159

If your servant do what you command, you like it better (though he do
it not in that manner, and for that end which you desire) than if he should
refuse to obey you at all.

An unbeliever sins, whether he pray or pray not. Such a woeful neces
sity has sin brought him into, that he cannot but sin, whatever he does.
But in this case the less evil must be chosen. Now when the Lord enjoins
a duty, not to do it at all is a total disobedience ; to do it in an undue
manner is but a partial disobedience. Not to do the act is a wilful diso
bedience ; to fail in the manner of doing it is an unavoidable disobedience.
Now a total disobedience is far worse than that which is but partial ; a
wilful disobedience is far more provoking than an unavoidable failing. He
may do the act if he will ; if he do it not, he wilfully rebels : he cannot do
it as he ought, his falling short therein is that which cannot be avoided.
So it is far more excusable, far less sinful, to pray as he can, than not to
pray at all. His best is bad enough ; yet he must do his best, else he
sins more, and shall suffer more.

[3.] If an unbeliever must not pray, because he sins in praying, then
believers themselves must not pray for this reason too, because they also
sin in praying. ' In many things we offend all,' James iii. 2. ' All their
righteousness is as a menstruous rag,' Isa. Ixiv. 6. The best of them, when
they do their best, fall far short of praying in that manner as they ought ;
they sin in the manner themselves.

Oh, but they sin less herein than unbelievers.

I answer, If they may pray, though they sin in praying, because they
sin less ; by the same reason unbelievers may pray, because they sin less
in praying than in omitting prayer, as before.

[4.] If an unbeliever may not pray, because he sins in praying, then by
the same reason he must not do any thing at all, because he cannot do
any thing in the world, but in doing of it he sins. He must not do any
thing spiritual, or civil, yea, or natural ; for he sins in all as much as in
praying. He must not read, nor hear the word (though this be the plain
duty of heathens and infidels), because not mixing the word with faith, he
sins in that. He must not work, not do the necessary duties of his calling
(if this were a sufficient reason) for he sins in that, Prov. xxi. 4. He must
not eat ; for that ensnares him in sin. His table is a snare. He .must not
speak ; for therein he sins, Prov. xii. 13. He must not walk or converse
with men, for even his way is an abomination, Prov. xv. 9.

Now if this be absurd, that an unbeliever must not hear, nor work, nor
speak, nor eat, nor move, notwithstanding he sins in all these (as indeed
there can scarce any greater absurdity fall into the imagination of a man),
then it is absurd that an unbeliever must not pray, notwithstanding he sins
in praying. If that woeful necessity of sinning in all these will not hinder
any of them from being his duty, no more can it hinder prayer from being
his duty. This may be sufficient to shew the vanity of the objection, the
mistake of the ground upon which it is raised.

(2.) The necessity of it. Prayer is a necessary duty to wicked men and
unbelievers ; and that will appear many ways. But briefly :

[1.] The Lord's express commands directed to such, enjoining them to
seek him and call upon him, Isa. Iv. 6. It is taken by many to be an
exhortation directed to the Gentiles not yet converted ; and so prayer is a
duty before conversion ; but whether it be Gentiles or Jews for whom it is
intended, it is for such as are wicked and unrighteous, as appears, ver. 7.
Wicked and unrighteous men are enjoined to seek God, and call upon him,

160 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

and those that are such in a high degree. The most abominable sinner in
the world is called the man of sin, and that is the expression here ; the
' unrighteous' is in the original the ' man of iniquity.' So Acts viii., Peter
lays the injunction upon Simon Magus, when he knew him to be a grace
less wretch, ver. 21, 23. He directs him to pray, ver. 22.

[2.] Neglect of prayer by unbelievers is threatened. The prophet's impre
cation is the same in effect with a threatening, Jer. x. 25, and the same
imprecation, Ps. Ixxix. 6. The prophets would not have used such an
imprecation against those that call upon God, but that their neglect of call
ing on his name makes them liable to his wrath and fury ; and no neglect
makes men liable to the wrath of God but the neglect of duty. Prayer
then is a duty even to the heathen, the neglect of which provokes him to
pour out his fury on them.

[3.] We have examples for it in Scripture, such as are unquestionable.
The example of the prophets by divine instinct calling wicked men to this
duty, Joel i. 14, all the inhabitants ; and yet many of the inhabitants
were extremely wicked, such as deserved to be cut off both from church
and state, and such as the Lord is threatening to cut off by a destroying
judgment, ver. 15. And yet all these must join in prayer, he leaves no
scruple for joining in this duty with wicked men ; yea, sucking children
must join too, lest any think that little ones have nothing to do with
prayer, Joel ii. 16.

[4.] The Lord charges the neglect of this duty upon wicked men as a
heinous crime ; as that which involves them, or shews them to be involved,
in the greatest and most horrible guilt.

First. He charges it as an act of pride and contempt of God, Ps. x. 4.
If prayer be not the duty of wicked men, then pride and contempt of God
is no sin. The connection which the Holy Ghost makes between these
does make this evident.

Secondly. It is charged as the casting off all fear of God, which is the
height of profaneness, Job. xv. 4. If it be not a duty for all to pray, it is
not a sin to cast off all fear of God.

Thirdly. It is charged as atheism, one of the characters by which the
atheist is described, Ps. xiv. 1, 2. Those that do not seek God, say in
their hearts there is no God. So ver. 4. Who are they that say in their
hearts there is no God ? Why, he describes them to be such as call not
upon the Lord. This is a plain sign of speculative, a principal act of
practical atheism. So Psalm x. It may be read, ' All his thoughts are,
there is no God.' He that will not seek after God, does hereby shew that
all his thoughts are, there is none. Those that would not have all men
to pray, would have all men to be atheists. Atheism is not a sin, if calling
on God be not their duty.

[5.J This will appear, if we consider what prayer is, in these particulars.

First. It is an act of respect and honour due to God from every man by
the light of nature. It is not an act of positive and instituted worship,
peculiar to the church and the true members thereof, as the seals of the
covenant are ; but it is an act of natural worship due from men, not as
they are Christians, but as they are men ; and so due from men always,
and indispensably due. No sinfulness can disoblige any man from his
duty ; no, nor anything else but that which makes him cease to be a man ;
for that which is due by the law of nature is of eternal obligement ; and
we see the light of nature led the mariners in Jonah to this duty, though
those heathens had no revealed light, no knowledge of Scripture.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 161

Those that would not have wicked men to pray, would not have them
give that honour and respect to God which is due by the light and dictate
of nature.

Further. Prayer is an acknowledgment of your dependence upon God :
Ps. Ixxix. 6. ' That acknowledge thee not, by calling on thy name.' The
plain import of prayer is to acknowledge that all we have we receive it
from God, and that all we want we expect it from God alone. Now, if it
were [not the duty of unbelievers to pray, it would not be their duty to
acknowledge their dependence on the Lord ; not to acknowledge that he
is God, and that they are creatures ; that in him they live and move, and
have their being ; that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father
of lights ; but that they might have these without him.

Finally. Prayer, if we consider it in its essence and nature, is a motion
which the soul makes to God ; it is the soul's desire of what it asks ; it is
but the turning God's commands into requests. Now, if it were not the
duty of unbelievers to pray, it is not their duty to desire to please God,
to know him, to obey him. To instance in that which is for our present
purpose. If it be not the duty of unbelievers to pray for faith, it is not
their duty to desire faith ; for prayer is essentially a desire, &c. When
the Lord has declared that without faith it is impossible to please him, it
would not be their duty to desire to please him. When he has declared
that faith gives glory to God, it would not be their duty to desire to glorify
him. When he has declared this to be his commandment, that they
believe, &c., it would not be their duty to desire to obey him, and to
comply with his revealed will. When he has declared that he that
believes not makes God a liar, it would not be their duty to desire not to
give God the lie.

If it be a necessary duty for unbelievers to desire these things, it is their
necessary duty to pray for them ; for prayer essentially is nothing but the
soul's desire.

(3.) I shall endeavour to shew what encouragement a man, yet without
faith, may have to address himself to the Lord in prayer.

He has no such encouragement as the Lord offers to believers ; but some
encouragement he hath, especially a sensible sinner, one who is in the
way to faith, though he be not yet arrived at it. I will give you an account
of this in some particulars. And herein I shall not leave the good old
way, though the path wherein I walk may seem solitary.

[1.] He may find some acceptance with God, some kind of acceptance ;
not a full acceptance, so as his person shall be accepted with his prayer ;
for the person cannot be accepted till he be in Christ, and he is not in
Christ but by faith; and so the person of an unbeliever cannot be
accepted.

Nor is it an absolute acceptance ; for in that sense, ' without faith it is
impossible to please God ;' he cannot please him absolutely. But he may
find in his prayer a comparative acceptance, and that both negatively ; —
the Lord is not so much displeased with his prayers, though there be sin
in them, as with other sinful acts. He was not so much displeased with
Ahab humbling himself, as with his other wickedness. A less degree of
displeasure is something considerable ; it may bear the name of acceptance
by some warrant from Scripture ; for as a less degree of love is called
hatred, Luke xiv. 26, so a less degree of displeasedness may be called
acceptance.

We may express it positively too. The Lord is more pleased with the

VOL. I. L

162 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

prayers of such, than he is with not only their open sins, but than he is
with other acts that have a show of goodness. For as acts of sin against
the first table are more heinous, and do more provoke God, than acts of
sin against the second, so, in proportion, acts of obedience to the precepts
of the first table, such as prayer, being an act of worship immediately
respecting God, are more pleasing to him than acts of justice or charity
respecting men.

Such acts of worship, though in unbelievers, they are not spiritually
good ; yet there may be a moral goodness in them, which is pleasing and
acceptable to God, so far forth that he likes the work, and approves it with
that common allowance which he affords to all things done in compliance
with his will, and bearing any stamp of his own goodness ; though not so
much as to accept the person, and receive it into any special favour. He
has a common acceptance for common and moral goodness, and the more
by how much the more it respects himself; and acts of worship, such as
prayer, respect him more than others. When there is a moral and com
mon affection and sincerity in prayer, Gen. xx. 6, as some yet in unbelief
may have, though not a special and spiritual affection, the Lord likes it,
and accepts it, so far as it is the work and effect of his own common
grace. This our divines grant in their contests with the Arminians. (Vid.
Pemble, p. 83.)

Now this is some encouragement to pray. You cannot do anything in
unbelief more pleasing to God. You displease him more when you neglect
prayer : he has a comparative liking of them, a common acceptance and
approbation for them.

[2.] The Lord may hear such prayers ; he may so far accept them as to
hear them. Though he have not engaged himself by promise to do it, yet
he has not tied up himself, so as he may not do it. Though an unbeliever
have no promise, and so no certainty that his prayers shall succeed, yet he
has some probability ; there is some likelihood that they will not miscarry.
He has a may be for it, and that is counted encouragement enough to act
in other cases. Peter gives this encouragement even to Simon Magus to
pray, Acts ix. 22. He determines it not against him, but leaves in sus
pense a question undecided for or against him ; possibly thy sin may not
be forgiven, but perhaps it may be forgiven, prayer may prevail for pardon.
The men of Nineveh were hereby encouraged to pray, Jonah iii. 9. It is
not certain he will, it is not certain he will not ; he may, for anything we
know. They had thus much, and no more encouragement, in Joel ii. 14.

The people of God sometimes find no more encouragement than such a
may be, Amos v. 15. Caleb expresses no more, Jos. xiv. 12. You count
this an encouragement enough to put you upon moral endeavours, and why
not upon prayer ? Though it be not certain that he will hear and answer,
yet he may hear and answer ; there is nothing certain to the contrary.
Soldiers do continually venture their lives, and merchants do constantly
venture their estates, when they have no surer ground to succeed. And is
not this encouragement enough to engage in a necessary duty ?

[3.J The Lord does many times answer the prayers of unbelievers. We
have many examples hereof in Scripture. It is not only a may be, but we
see it actually done. Ishmael is represented to us as a persecutor, and as
one excluded from Abraham's spiritual seed, Gal. iv. 29, and yet the Lord
heard his cry in the day of his extremity, Gen. xxi. 17. The mariners in
Jonah are expressed to be heathens and idolaters, yet seeking God impor
tunately that he would not let let them perish for Jonah's life, whom they

MARK XVI. 16.] OP FAITH. 163

cast into the sea, Jonah i. 14, and we have the return of their prayer in
the next ver. 15, ' The sea ceased,' &c. ; so the men of Nineveh, whose
wickedness was gone up to heaven ; yet crying unto the Lord, he was
entreated, and answers them graciously, Jonah iii. 10. Yea, Ahab, the
wickedest king that ever Israel had, though they had few or none but such
as were wicked after the division, yet none like him, 1 Kings xxi. 25.
Yet when he humbled himself, and sought God, he prevailed; and he sends
him an answer of his prayer by the prophet, who had denounced the wrath
of God against him, ver. 28, 29.

So that the Lord hears the prayers of such who have less ground to
hope for any such thing than the sensible sinner. Here is that which may
encourage all to pray, but here is more encouragement for such a one ; he
may fare better, when the worst fare so well.

[4.] The Lord has more respect to those prayers that are made for
spiritual mercies than petitions put up for temporal blessings ; such are
more pleasing to him, more according to his will, and he manifests it by
making readier returns thereto. He has expressed his liking and approba
tion of prayers, not so much in respect to the person praying as in respect
to the things prayed for, and has answered them upon this account. There
is a notable instance hereof in his acceptance of Solomon's petition, 1 Kings
iii. 10-12. The Lord was well pleased with his prayer because of the
thing that he prayed for, ver. 10 ; and because he asked an understanding
heart, and not such things as nature is more apt to desire ; upon this
account the Lord grants his request, ver. 11, 12, and that with an over
plus, ver. 13. Yet this seems to be but a moral accomplishment, an
endowment that might fitly qualify him as a magistrate to discern between
right and wrong, good and bad, to do judgment and justice.

And if the Lord be better pleased with petitions for moral accomplish
ments than with those for riches, or long life, and outward success, by
consequence he may be better pleased with prayers for spiritual blessings
than those for moral accomplishments ; if he be so ready to hear prayers
for moral virtues, he may be more ready to hear prayers for spiritual
graces. Corrupt nature has less inclination to these, the Lord is more
honoured by them, and is more pleased with them. What an encourage
ment is this for those that want faith, to pray for it ; being the chief spiritual
accomplishment, and that which is the root of the rest. What hopes are
here, that such requests will be heard and granted. What encouragement
that such a request will please the Lord, when that very thing is asked
which is most pleasing to him.

[5.] If unbelievers should seek spiritual blessings of God, as far as
natural meu may do, the Lord would seldom or never reject their requests.
I do not only say he would not ordinarily deny them, but he would seldom
or never deny them. But this must be taken cautiously. It must be
observed that few, or rather none, in the state of unbelief, do seek for
spiritual blessings to the utmost of their ability, as far as they may do. It is
likely that sensible sinners come nearest to this; but even they, when they
stretch out their endeavours farthest, do fall short of what they might do ;
when they do most, they do not their utmost. And it must be farther
observed, that if natural men should do their utmost, yet this would not
oblige the Lord to confer grace on them. No prayers or endeavours of
natural men whatsoever, not the utmost improvement of the power of nature
herein, can lay any engagement upon God ; but he remains free, when all is
done, to bestow grace or deny it. This we hold firm against Pelagians of

164 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

all sorts and sizes. But yet we say there cannot be an instance given of
any one man in the world that ever sought God so far as a natural man
may do for spiritual blessings, and was notwithstanding denied and rejected.
Such an example cannot be produced, nor hath it yet fallen under any
man's observation. There seems to be an instance to the contrary in
Esau, but it is a mistake, Heb. xii. 14. For this was a repentance in his
father, not a repentance in himself, that he sought so carefully and so pas
sionately. The word [Mravota, rendered repentance, signifies a change of
the mind ; and this was it which he sought of his father, to change his
father's mind. Isaac, his father, had given the blessing to Jacob, his
brother ; he would have his father change his mind as to this particular,
and give the blessing, not to his brother, but to him. This was the repent
ance that he sought ; he would have Isaac repent of this, that he had given
the blessing of the first-born to the younger brother, Gen. xxvii. Now as
this consideration clears up the justice of God in his proceedings against
sinners, since none perish but such as do not what in them lies, do not
their utmost to be saved, so it gives a great encouragement to all, especially
to sensible sinners, to stir up themselves to seek faith, seeing no instance
can be given of any who sought it of God, so far as a natural man may do,
that ever miscarried, or were rejected. It cannot be observed that any man
ever sought it so far as his power would reach, and so far as he was hereto
moved by the Spirit of God, and yet fell short of faith ; it hath not been
observed that such prayers did not succeed.

[6.] The Lord does more respect the prayers of those for whom he has
designed faith, when they seek him for it, than the prayers of others.
Their persons and prayers are not fully accepted till they actually believe,
but their requests are more accepted than their prayers for other things, or
the prayers of other men. And there is special reason for it ; for the Lord
has some love for them even before they believe ; not that which is called
amor complacentice, the love of complacency and delight, for so he affects
none but those that actually believe, and are thereby brought into a state
of union with Christ, and reconciliation to God ; bnt he affects such with
that love which is called amor benevolenlice, a love of good will ; he bears
them a secret good will, though he do not yet express it. He has an
inclination to do them good, it is his purpose to bestow faith and those
spiritual blessings on them which they are praying for. Now their prayers
concurring with his own purpose, and being agreeable both to his re
vealed and his secret will as to the matter of them, must needs be so far
acceptable.

Besides, Christ has purchased faith and spiritual blessings for those to
whom the Father has designed them. And the intercession of Christ is,
as it were, a continual representation of those sufferings whereby he has
purchased these blessings for them, that by virtue thereof, they may be
communicated in their season. Therefore, when such pray for faith, they
pray for that which he did not only purchase, but for which he is then
interceding. Now such prayers as go along with the intercession of Christ,
and are interested in it, must needs be so far acceptable and prevail. He
that is seeking that of God, for which Christ himself is interceding, will
surely be heard. As redemption, so Christ's intercession is not only for
actual believers, but for those of his chosen who want faith, that they may
be made believers. The prayers of such for faith will be heard and
answered, not by their own virtue, but by virtue of the intercession of
Christ.

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 165

But what encouragement is all this, though very great in itself, to a
sensible sinner, since he knows not, nor can know, that God has designed
faith for him, and consequently knows not that the Lord bears any good
will to him, or that Christ has any respect to him in his intercession ?

I answer, whether he know it or no, these things, though hidden and
secret, will have their effect, and they will have such an influence on his
prayers as will render them so far accepted as to prevail for answer.

And farther, though he know not this certainly, for there can be no cer
tainty of it till he believe actually, yet he has some probabilities for it,
some probable grounds on which to hope it. The Lord has brought the
sensible sinner into the way that leads to faith, he has given him a heart
to use the means whereby faith is attained, he has carried him on so far as
few go but those that reach. And these are fair probabilities that the Lord
has designed faith for him, that he has a good will to give it him, and that
Christ is interceding for this purpose.

Such encouragement there is even for unbelievers to pray for faith, such
encouragement the sensible sinner has to seek God for it. It is not only
his duty to pray, there is not only a necessity for it, but he may do it with
great hopes to succeed. He has special encouragement, not only to pray
diligently, importunately, but to carry him on cheerfully in this duty. And
though this last consideration speak peculiarly to the humbled sinner, yet
the other particulars encourage every sinner to be much and often in seek
ing God for faith.

(4.) What pleas may the sensible sinner use in prayer ? What has he
to plead for himself when he is seeking faith of God ?

A believer indeed has many and strong pleas. He may plead the pro
mise, whereby the Lord has engaged himself to hear him. He may plead
the covenant, wherein the truth and faithfulness of God is engaged. He
may plead the mediation of Christ, his purchase and intercession. He may
plead Christ's relation to him as his friend, his brother, as his head, his
husband. Here is strength in these pleas, and such as afford strong sup
port. But what has the sensible sinner to plead, who has no interest in
the covenant or promise, who knows not that Christ has any love for him,
or any relation to him ? Why, even he has many things to plead, though
they come short to these ; such as may make him fervent, importunate,
and affectionate ; such as may encourage him thereto, and support his
heart therein. And these are the proper ends of using pleas in prayer.
Not to move God, or make any impression on him, for such motion would
infer some change, some alteration in God, and that is inconsistent with
his perfection, who is without variableness or shadow of changing. But
the use and end of them is to make impression on our own hearts, to work
upon our affections, to stir us up to more fervency and importunity, and to
afford some support and encouragement, that our hearts may not be dead
and formal, and our spirits may not sink and faint in our addresses to
God. Now the sensible sinner has many things which he may make use
of for this purpose. He may plead,

[1.] His misery. How miserable he is without faith. I spread before
you the miseries [of] an unbeliever in the first use. The sensible sinner
may spread this before God, as Hezekiah did Rabshakeh's letter in his
prayer. This was the plea which the man in the gospel used for his son,
Mat. xvii. 15, ' My son is miserably vexed.' He lays open his misery,
ver. 16, and this plea prevailed, ver. 18. As he pleaded for his son, plead
thou for thy soul, lay open its miseries before Christ. Lord, what misery

166 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

is it to be excluded from life, to be dead while I live ! Unless thou give
me faith, I shall never see life. What misery is it to be under wrath !
How great is my misery, who am under the wrath of the great God ! How
unavoidable my misery, who am under abiding wrath ! What joy can I
have in any enjoyment, when the wrath of God is mixed with all ! What
comfort can my life be to me, when the wrath of God hangs continually
over me ! Out of the depths cry unto God, out of the depths of that misery
wherein unbelief has sunk thee. Lord, hear me ! bring my soul out of this
mire and clay, out of unbelief, the pit wherein there is no water, no com
fort, no refreshment, no relief. Thou takest no pleasure of the miseries of
wretched creatures. It is no delight to thee that I am miserable, but rather
that I should live. Lord, give me faith, or else I shall never see life ; give
me faith, or else I shall be for ever miserable.

[2.] He may plead mercy. This was the publican's plea, Luke xviii. 13,
and it prevailed, ver. 14. This is the proper plea for a sensible sinner, the
suitableness, the largeness, the freeness of mercy. He may plead,

First, The suitableness of mercy. His misery, of which he is so sensible,
renders mercy suitable to him. Misery is the proper object of mercy.
Who is mercy for, if not for the miserable ? Mercy would be lost, it would
be an useless perfection, an attribute without use or exercise, if it did not let
out itself to misery ; for it has no other object, but those that are miserable.

Secondly, The largeness of mercy, Ps. cxlv. 9. His mercy is like the
firmament spread over all this lower world ; and every inferior creature
partakes more or less of its influence, according to its exigence and capacity.
True, may he say, I have made myself, by sin, the vilest1 of all creatures ;
I am become worse than the beasts that perish ; as vile as a worm, as
loathsome as a toad, by reason of the venomous corruption that is in my
heart, and this woeful contrariety to the nature of a holy God. But there
is mercy over all, even over such vile and loathsome creatures as these ;
there may be some over me, though wrath do now abide on me. Oh let that
mercy, whose glory it is to stretch itself over all, reach my soul also ! Oh
that the blessed and powerful influence thereof would beget faith in my heart !

Thirdly, The freeness of mercy. That is its nature, its genius. It needs
no motive, it expects no worth nor value in its object, to draw it out. It
runs freely ; no sin or unworthiness can stop the current of it. It is a
great depth ; though there be a mountain of sin, it can cover and overflow
it ; that can no more hinder the outflowings of mercy, than a rock can
hinder the motions and Sowings of the sea. Here is an encouraging plea
for a sensible sinner. Lord, may he say, I have nothing to move thee to
shew me mercy, nothing to engage thee to be gracious to me ; nothing but
what may engage thee against me, to shut me out from mercy. Oh but
free mercy can move itself; it looks for no motive from without ; there is
enough to move it in its own bowels. If sin and unworthiness may exclude
a sinner from faith and mercy, I may lie down in sorrow and despair for
ever. Oh but it is the glory of mercy to run freely, to flow out upon those
that are most unworthy. Such am I, 0 Lord, the unworthiest of any ever
sought faith in thee, that ever found mercy with thee. But the more un
worthy, the more will it be for the glory of thy mercy that I perish not ;
the more will the lustre and riches of thy grace appear, in giving me faith.
Glorify thy mercy on such an object. Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, that I
perish not.

[8.] He may plead his impotency, his own inability to believe, and the
insufficiency of all things to help him to faith, unless the Lord help him.

MASK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 167

This was the poor impotent man's plea, he that lay at the pool of Bethesda,
John v. 6, 7, and it prevailed. Let this be thy plea. I have been sick of
sin, nay, spiritually dead in unbelief many years ; there is a fountain opened
for sin and for uncleanness, a healing, sovereign virtue in that fountain,
able to restore my soul to life and health. But, alas ! I cannot move
towards it of myself, and I have none to put me in. I have been a long
time in this languishing condition, and I shall be so for ever, unless thou
pity me. There is life for me in Christ, if I could but come to him, if I
could but touch him ; but such is my impotency, to such a low condition
has sin brought my soul, that of myself I cannot come to Christ ; I cannot
move towards him, though I die for it. There is none come to him, unless
the Father draw them. Lord, ' draw me, and I shall run after thee.' I
would believe ; ' Lord, help my unbelief.' Help, Lord ; for vain is the
help of man. There is no help for me in myself ; there is no help for me
in any creature. I am altogether helpless, I am utterly hopeless, unless
the Lord help. Such is the violence of my distemper, such is the strength
of my unbelief, as it is too hard for men or angels, it is too hard for all
creatures, for all ordinances ; nothing can overpower it but an infinite, an
almighty power. Stretch out that almighty arm, and rescue my perishing
soul from going down into destruction. This is a work beseeming the
greatness of that power which worketh wonders, to which nothing is impos
sible, nothing difficult. Is anything too hard for God ? Lord, shew thy
self to be God ; shew forth thy glory, by doing that for me which men and
angels, which heaven and earth cannot do for me. They all say to me,
while they see me perishing, If the Lord do not help thee, how shall we
help ? Oh I have destroyed myself, but in thee alone is my help. The
more helpless my condition is, the more will it be for thy glory to help me.
In vain is salvation hoped for from the mountains, in vain is faith expected
from prayers, from ordinances, &c. ; it is the Lord alone can help me to
faith. Help, Lord, for vain is all other help.

[4.J He may plead the will of God. He commands sinners to believe ;
he threatens them in case they will not believe ; he declares that he is
highly dishonoured by unbelief. He appointed his gospel to be preached,
and sends messengers to preach it, for this very end, that sinners might be
brought to faith. He complains when his report is not believed, and he is
glorified by believing. All this makes it evident that it is his will the sen
sible sinner should believe. Hence he may encourage himself to pray for
faith. Lord, I have been too long disobedient to the heavenly call, I have
too long resisted thy holy will ; but now I would comply with the will of
God, so far as I know it. I have no way to know it but by the word, and
that speaks plainly, it is thy command I should believe. Why, Lord, let
thy will be done in my heart ; let this law of faith be written in my inward
parts. If it were not thy will, I durst not ask it, I could not expect it ;
but since it is thy will, Lord, let it be done on earth, as it is [in] heaven.
What may be done, if the will of God may not be done ? What may I
seek for, if not for this, that thy will may be done ? What may be obtained,
if this will not be obtained, that the will of God may be fulfilled ? If I
should ask of thee riches, or long life, or great things for myself, this might
be thought rather my will than thine ; but it is thy will that I should believe :
' Lord, not my will, but thine be done.' Give me a heart to believe, that
I may obey thee, for thou hast commanded it. Give me a heart to believe,
that I may please thee, for thou hast declared it to be thy good pleasure.
Give me a heart to believe, that I may honour thee, for thou hast declared

168 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

that gives glory to thee. He may plead this with great encouragement that
his plea will prevail ; for what petitions will succeed, if not those which are
for things according to his will, those wherewith he is best pleased, and
things which tend most for his glory ? Though the person of a petitioner
were distasteful to the prince, yet if his petition were for things that pleased
him, and tended to the advancement of his honour and interest, and such
as he had enjoined those that are least acceptable to him to sue for, in all
probability they would be granted. So, though the person of the sensible
sinner be not accepted in the sight of God, yet since, when he prays for
faith, he petitions for that which is most acceptable to God, &c., there is
great hopes they will succeed, there is much encouragement in such a plea.

[5.] He may plead the descent of faith, it is the gift of God : and the
nature of this gift, it is a free gift. A gift, Philip, i. 29 ; a free gift, Eph.
ii. 8. Not only salvation, but faith, the condition of salvation, the way to
it, is %ag/o7ia, a free gift. Hence the sensible sinner may argue, Faith is
a gift, therefore it may be asked, sued for ; it is a free gift, and therefore
it may be given to those that are unworthy ; and then, why not to me ?
It is not to be bought or purchased, it is a gift ; it is not to be merited or
deserved, it is a free gift. The Lord expects no such thing as price or
merit : the nature of the benefit will not admit it. Now, may I not seek
that which the Lord is wont to give ? May I not obtain that which is wont
to be given freely ? It is a gift that conies from the Father of lights, who
gives liberally, and upbraids no man. The sinner may set this against all
that sinfulness, unworthiness, unpreparedness, which Satan usually suggests
to the humbled soul, to hinder him from praying, or to cut him off from
hopes of succeeding.

[6.] He may plead the examples of those who have obtained faith, and that
against the greatest unlikelihoods and improbabilities that may be. ^ Who
would have thought that she, whose heart was the seat of seven devils,
should ever have been made a receptacle for faith and the Holy Spirit of
promise ? Who would have thought that those bloody wretches who
crucified Christ should ever have found grace to believe, and entertain him
in their hearts by faith ? Yet so did some thousands of them, Acts ii.
Who would have thought that Saul, who was such a persecutor, such a
blasphemer, should ever have found mercy to become a believer ? Yet he
found mercy, and mercy to believe, and for this end that his example might
be a standing plea for encouraging all that should believe after him to the
end of the world, 1 Tim. i. 13, 15, 16.

[7.] He may plead his willingness to submit to any condition, the
lowest, the meanest that can be, so he may but find this favour with the
Lord. We find the prodigal making use of this, Luke xv. 18, 19. Lord,
such a wretch as I have been, have little reason to expect that high relation
of a son, that dear affection of a father, that is too much for one so un
worthy. Only I would be thine, though in a lower relation ; I would
belong to thee; I would not be quite shut out from a father's house, though
I can never look to be entertained as a child. Lord, do but entertain me,
though in the lowest capacity, though in the meanest employment ; let
me be thy servant, so I may but have a place in the family ; nay, let me
be but the meanest of servants, a hired servant, no better used, no more
respected. I will submit, I will be thankful, whatever my condition be, so
I be not quite disowned. Lord, let me be thine, and it is enough, in what
relation soever; and that I may be thine, give me a heart to believe ; with
out faith I can have no interest in thee. This plea in the prodigal was

MAKE XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 169

prevailing for more than he had the confidence to plead for, ver. 21. 22.
The father's affection breaks out in the midst of the plea, and cuts him off
there, would not let him vilify himself farther. Instead of using of him as
a hired servant, he commands his servants to wait on him as his son.
Such a plea was that of the woman of Canaan, Mat. xv. 26, 27.

[8.] He may plead Christ's prayer. He, when he was on earth, prayed
for those that did not then, that do not yet believe, John xvii. 20. He
prays not only for those who did actually, but for those who yet had not
faith, for those who yet were not in the way to faith, for those who yet had
no being. Now the sensible sinner is in a more hopeful condition than
some of those for whom Christ prays ; for he is in the way to faith, and
that is a strong probability that he is one for whom Christ put up this
petition. And for what does he pray? see ver. 21. He prays that they
may have union with the Father and himself. Now the bond of this union
is faith. He prays then that those who did not yet believe may have faith
in him, and so union with him. He prays that sensible sinners may have
faith. Now, though the Lord hear not sinners, yet he always hears his
Son. He was heard in that which he feared, he cannot be denied in that
which he desired. Here is a strong plea indeed. Methinks it should be
strong enough, not only to confirm faith in those that have it, but to work
faith in those that want it. Methinks it should be effectual, not only to
persuade the humbled sinner to pray, but to believe ; not only to pray with
some hopes, but to pray in faith.

[9.] He may plead the compassions of Christ to hardened and rejected
sinners. For from hence he may argue there are more compassions for
him, Luke xix, 41, 42. This was the city who shewed such obstinacy in
rejecting Christ, that he gives her over as one whose condition was despe
rate, of whom he had not hopes ; and yet even for such he has some pity,
which breaks out into tears. Now if Christ have such compassions for
those who so long and so obstinately opposed him, that he sees cause to
cast them off as utterly incurable, has he not some compassion for the
sensible sinner, whose soul is struck with remorse for his former disobedience
to Christ, and whose heart is inclining to yield to him ? If he be so
passionately touched with their condition, who are so rebellious as to refuse
all further treaty with Christ, has he not compassions for those who are in
parley with him, and are about to submit to him ? This is the state of a
sensible sinner, and this is a hopeful plea which he may draw from Christ's
tenderness. If he have such pity for obstinate enemies, he has some
affections for those that incline to be his friends. If he lament the
unbelief of those, he may be ready to further the work of faith in these.

[10.J He may plead the workings of the Spirit already begun, though
they be but initial and preparatory. In the sensible sinner there is some
illumination, some conviction, some humiliation, some sorrow, some hopes,
some desires, some endeavours after more. These look like the beginnings,
the foundation of a greater work. Some strongholds of Satan are demo
lished, the rubbish is removing, the materials are preparing, the outworks
are begun. Are not these in order to that spiritual structure which is the
Spirit's master-piece, the work of faith ? Now the Spirit of God does not
use to leave his work imperfect, unfinished, but upon some great provoca
tion. The sensible sinner may plead this : Lord, thou hast let in some
light into my mind and conscience, let it not end in darkness ; let it be
like that light which shines more and more unto a perfect day. The Spirit
of conviction has awakened my soul, Oh let it not end in a spirit of slumber.

170 OF FAITH. [MARK XVI. 16.

There are some sparks of thy own kindling, let them not be extinguished.
All thy works are perfect, let not this be unlike the rest, but carry it on
to perfection.

[11.] He may plead the respect which the Lord shews to irrational
creatures. He hears their cries, will he shut out the cry of my perishing
soul ? He hears them crying for food, will he not hear me for that which
unconceivably more concerns me, for that without which my soul will die
for ever ? Ps. civ. 21, 27, cxlvii. 9, 10, cxlv. 15, 16. Does the Lord take
care for orxen ? 1 Cor. ix. 9. Will he take care of lions and ravens, and
will he not regard my perishing soul ?

[12.] He may plead his necessity, his extreme need of faith: Mat. ix. 12,
' The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' 0 Lord, my
soul is sick, sick unto death. Unbelief will be my death, it will be the
eternal death of body and soul, unless the great physician undertake the
cure. Will not he, who shewed so much compassion on diseased bodies,
have some pity on a dying soul ? ' Is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there
no physician there ?' I die, I perish, there is no help for me in heaven
or earth, unless Christ will cure me ; none else can cure me of unbelief.
Though others pass by, and have no regard to see me wallowing in my
blood, yet will the good Samaritan so pass by ? Has he no compassion
for me ? He came to seek that which was lost, Luke xix. 10. I am lost,
not only as the rest of the world, but I feel myself lost, will he not seek
me whom he came to find ? He is found of those that seek him not, will
he not be found of me who seek him ? Will he not be found of me whom
he came to seek ? shall a lost soul find him ?

2. The other means for the attaining of faith is hearing the word. This
is a means of the Lord's appointing, and which he ordinarily uses for this
end, John xvii. 20. He prays for some that were to believe afterwards,
but were to believe through the word in the ministry of his servants. And
all that the Holy Ghost mentions afterwards as believers were brought to
believe by the ministry of the word. The Jews, Acts iv. 4 ; the Gentiles,
Acts, xiii. 48 ; the Ephesians, Eph. i. 13 ; the Corinthians, Acts xviii. 8.
And therefore the ministers of the gospel are called ' ministers by whom
they believed,' 1 Cor. iii. 5. And the word preached is called ' the word of
faith,' Eom. x. 8. He shews the necessity of this means by a gradation,
verse 14, 15. There must be a mission, that there may be preachers ;
there must be preaching, that there may be hearing ; there must be hearing,
that there may be believing ; and so he concludes his discourse, verse 17.

Those that will have faith without hearing would have it out of God's
way, and are such ever like to find it ? If the word be not preached it
cannot be heard. The Lord may work it in an extraordinary way, but
can it be expected the Lord should step out of his ordinary path to meet
those who shew so much contempt of God and of their souls as they will
not wait on him for faith in the way that he has appointed ? Will God
work miracles to save those who so much despise him and his great salva
tion ? Nay, the Lord will have the ministry of the word more honoured
in this respect than miracles. He has used miracles sometimes for to
startle and humble sinners in order to faith, but has referred those persons
at the same time to the ministry of the word for the working of faith. We
find not that ever the Lord so much honoured miracles as to work faith
by them without the word, though we find the Lord ordinarily so far
honouring the ministry of the word as to work faith by it without miracles.
Miracles are ceased many hundred years ago, yet the Lord has been work-

MARK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 171

i

ing faith in all ages by the ministry of the word. And when miracles were
in use, they were but used as subservient to the word, to prepare for faith,
which the Lord would work by hearing the word. Saul was struck down
and humbled in a miraculous way, but he was sent to hear Ananias, that
he might be possessed with the Spirit of faith ; he was not filled with the
Holy Ghost till then, it descended on him in his ministry, Acts ix. 6. The
jailor was humbled by a miraculous earthquake, Acts xvi. 27, 28, but the
Lord would not work faith in him by that miracle, he reserved the honour
of that work to the ministry of Paul and Silas, ver. 30, 31, 32, 34.

Hearing the word is the ordinary means to attain faith, and was the
ordinary means when the Lord appeared in extraordinary and miraculous
dispensations. If you would have faith, then,

(1.) Be diligent in hearing. Neglect no opportunities, especially none
that are offered on that day which the Lord has set apart for this purpose.
When men neglect these opportunities, it signifies too plainly that they yet
have no faith. If it had been wrought in them by the word, the word
would be more esteemed by them ; they would not proclaim their con
tempt of it so openly by such gross neglects. It is strange, if men can so
much despise that which has even been an instrument to save their lives,
to deliver their souls from death ; and as these neglects signify they yet
have no faith, so hereby they run the hazard never to have it ; for the
word is not effectual without the Spirit, and the Spirit breathes not always.
The Spirit blows where and when it listeth. What know you but the Spirit
may vouchsafe a gale when you are wilfully absent ? And when you have
provoked him by neglecting such an opportunity, such an advantage for
your soul, what know you but that the Spirit of God may never vouchsafe
any more ? You that would have faith, neglect no opportunity ; the neglect
of one may be the loss of your souls.

(2.) If you would have faith by hearing, give way to no prejudice against
the word, nor him that delivers it. If the devil cannot keep men from
hearing, his next attempt is to fill them with prejudice, that so they may
get no more benefit by hearing than if they heard not. The apostle speaks
of some whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. This prejudice was
one of those hot irons wherewith he seared the minds and hearts of the
Jews : so that the word, in the ministry of Christ himself, made so little
impression on them ; you find them frequently in the gospel expressing
their prejudices against him, and this was it which made the gospel, in the
ministry of the apostles, ineffectual to the Gentiles. The ap'ostle was a
babbler to the Greeks, and his preaching foolishness. Give not way to
such prejudice against the word, if you would have it prove a word of faith.

I know a natural man cannot of himself pluck up the roots of this preju
dice, it grows deep in the corruption of his heart ; but yet the branches,
the acts of it, are for the most part so unreasonable, as reason itself would
cast them out if it were but exercised. To give you an instance or two :

He is not of our way and judgment, he complies not with our ancient
customs and practices. This is the common rise of many men's prejudice
against their ministers ; but now, was not this the very rise of that preju
dice which the Jews had against Christ and the apostles ? They were not
of their way and judgment, they decried their old customs and usages ; is
it reasonable to give way to that which was their ruin, and to entertain it
upon the same account ?

Oh, but he shews no learning, has no eloquence in his style, no orna
ment in his discourse. This is a common prejudice too, but very rarely

172 OF FAITH. [MAKK XVI. 16.

objected by any, but such, as cannot judge what is sound learning or true
eloquence ; a clear, masculine style, a spiritual, judicious discourse, signi
fies nothing to these persons, who have more of self-conceit than judgment.
Some ridiculous quibbles, or affected jingles, is that which they count
eloquence ; some scraps of stories, and patches of Greek and Latin phrases,
which school-boys may reach, and men of judgment count below them, is
that which they call learning.

But if the objections were more judicious, yet would this prejudice be
unreasonable ; for must the face of divine truth be patched and painted
before it can please you ? must it be set off with the colours of fancy, and
borrow some beauty-spots from human learning ? can you not like it but
in a wanton dress, nor embrace it but in the habit of a harlot ? must the
truth of God be adulterated to please you ? or were not Christ and the
apostles wise enough to know what habit did best become it ? I question
not but Paul, yea Christ himself, would have been counted a babbler by
such profane and foolish wretches as these.

Oh, but he speaks out of spite, and his reproving my sins is edged with
spleen. But is not this to take upon thee the prerogative of God ? Doest
thou presume herein to know the heart of him that speaks ? This is not
only to be unreasonable, but presumptuously wicked ; to make thyself like
God in knowing the heart, but to act like the devil, in forming an accusa
tion that is without all ground.

Other prejudices, as unreasonable as these, I might pursue. But judge
of the rest by these ; and if ever you would have the word to beget faith,
empty the heart of prejudice against it.

(3.) Take most heed to that word which most concerns you. Mind that
most which is most suitable to the state of your souls. Now the truths
that are most proper for a state of unbelief are such as these : —

First, Those which discover the sinfulness, the misery, and impotency
of an unbeliever ; his sin which brings this misery upon him, and his impo
tency that keeps him under it. Attend diligently to that word which
discovers the sinfulness of a natural man's heart and life, which shews that
his heart is a puddle of corruption, a spring of sin, a seed-plot of wicked
ness, a sink of uncleanness, a habitation of devils and impure lusts, a
raging sea casting up mire and filth, which, though it may seem calm and
quiet sometimes, yet ruffled a little with the wind of temptation, is restless,
raging, and tempestuous, overflows all banks and bounds, which shews the
sinfulness of his life, that it is a continued act of rebellion against him ;
that every thought, word, act, is an offence and dishonour to him ; that his
whole way is an abomination to the Lord ; which shews the sinfulness of
sin, which sets it out in its colours, which presents you with the aggrava
tions of it, holds it out in its weight and pressure, which sets it forth in its
dimensions, the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of his wickedness.

Attend to that word which discovers the misery of an unbeliever ; that
he is under the curses and threatenings of the law, under the sentence of
condemnation, pursued by the justice of God, exposed to the wrath of the
Most High, and every moment in danger of hell. Mind that word which
expresses the weight of those curses and threatenings, the danger of that
sentence, the severity of that justice, the terror of that wrath, the dreadful-
ness of those everlasting burnings.

Attend to that word which shews the impotency of an unbeliever ; of
himself he can do nothing to shake off this sinfulness, to escape those
curses, to repeal that sentence, to satisfy that justice, to appease that wrath,

MABK XVI. 16.] OF FAITH. 173

or to avoid eternal torments ; that while he continues in this state, all this
sinfulness increases, this misery grows bigger and swells higher.

Secondly, Those truths which tend to conviction ; mind those and apply
them. When the word comes home to any of your consciences and tells
you this is your case, if ever you desire faith, yield to such convictions,
apply that word to yourselves, and say, I am the man that am thus sinful,
whose heart and life has been such a provocation to God ; I am the man
who am thus miserable, the threatenings are directed against me, the sen
tence is passed against me ; I am the man whom justice pursues, and on
whom the wrath of God abides. When the word is applied in particular,
and the soul convinced thus in particular of its own sinfulness and misery ;
Satan is dislodged out of one of his strongholds, and the sinner is in a fair
way towards faith. To be convinced of unbelief is a good step to faith.
Satan knows this, and therefore he opposes conviction with all his might,
and raises in the soul all the prejudice against it that he can possibly;
suggests to the sinner that this is the way to distract him and drive him to
despair, whenas that malicious spirit knows it is the way of peace ; but
this way of peace he would not have the sinner know, lest he should lose
him, and therefore he puts the soul upon resistance, would have him rise
up against the convincing power of the word, and stave it off with all his
art and might. When the word comes near the conscience, and the minister
is fastening conviction on it, he cries out in the soul against him, as he did
against Christ in the possessed man, ' Art thou come to torment me before
my time ? What have I to do with thee ? ' Whereas this is not the way
to be tormented, but to avoid everlasting torments ; this is not the way to
wound you, but to make you sensible how you are wounded, that so ye
may be more capable of cure, and may make haste to the physician who
only can cure you.

And therefore, as you desire faith, as you love your souls, and would
not gratify Satan in destroying them ; yield to the conviction, yield to the
convincing power of the word ; resist not that Spirit whom Christ sends on
purpose to convince you of sin, because you have not believed in him.
When the Spirit has done this work effectually, when the soul is convinced
of unbelief and of the miseries that attend it, when he applies these to
himself, then he is under sail for faith and happiness.

Thirdly, Those truths that discover the rich grace and all-sufficient
righteousness of the Lord Jesus. When the sinner is sensible of his wound,
it will be seasonable to apply that word which leads him to the balm that
is in Gilead, which discovers Christ lifted up for the healing of wounded
sinners ; when he sees himself miserable by unbelief, the word that dis
covers Jesus the author and finisher of faith will be in season ; when the
Spirit has convinced him of sin, the word should be applied to convince
him of righteousness, that there is a righteousness sufficient to expiate his
sin, sufficient to redeem him from misery.

He should mind that word that may moderate his fears, raise his hopes,
quicken his desires, attract all his heart and affections to Christ.

Each part of the word, as it is in season, should be laid up in the mind
and pondered there ; diversions from the world or carnal company should
be avoided ; the loose vagaries which the mind is wont to take in hearing,
and after, should be curbed ; the word must be kept close to the heart by
fixed thoughts till it works its effect.

And the soul should be lifted up in prayer to God for the concurrence
and the co-operation of his Spirit.

OF LIVING BY FAITH.

Now the just shall live by faith. — HEB. X. 88.

THESE words are used four times, Hab. ii. 4, Rom. i. 17, Gal. iii. 11, and
here. In the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, they respect Justin-
cation, Paul making use of them to prove that we are justified by faith.
In Hab. ii. 4, and the text, they respect our conversation, and hold forth
what should secure and support a righteous man in all dangers and neces
sities. It is plain in the prophet ; for having, in chap, i., foretold the
calamities which the Chaldeans should bring upon the Jews, in this verse
he propounds faith as the security of just men in those miseries ; he shall
live by this, when others die by the sword ; this shall keep him alive, hold
his head above water, when that inundation of wrath shall break in upon
Judea. And the apostle borrowing these words of Habakkuk (save that he
follows the Seventy, and not the Hebrew text in the latter part), holds out
this as the security of the Hebrews, 'in the midst of all trials, temptations,
and persecutions, while they are in this world, till the Lord, who has pro
mised to come, do come, and give them the end of their faith ; he exhorts
and encourages them to perseverance and constancy from verse 26, and
propounds patience as a means necessary to this end, verse 36. And that they
may be patient, tells them the exercise of it will not be tedious, nor fruitless,
verse 37. The Lord will come suddenly, and reward their patience with a
triumph in glory. And in the mean time they are well provided for, they
have that which will keep them alive, will secure them in all necessities,
against all dangers. ' The just shall live by faith.'

Obs. It is the privilege, or the duty, of the just to live by faith.

In the prosecution of it I shall observe this method : What ? How ?
When?

I. What is it to live by faith ?

Ans. This living by faith is not a single and transient act, but something
habitual and permanent. And therefore its nature, as of other habits, will
best appear in its acts and objects.

1 . The acts of faith. The Scripture holds them forth under the notion
of dependence and recumbency. And we may thus describe it : living by
faith is constant dependence on God, as one without whom we cannot live.
Three things concur to its constitution.

HEB. X. 38.] OF LIVING BY FAITH. 175

(1.) A sense and acknowledgment that we cannot live without God.
This is presupposed. Our life depends on him ; and it is our life to
depend, life in its latitude ; life and all that pertains to it ; life and live
lihood ; life of body and soul ; in its being and well-being ; in its being
and actings, and all that maintain it in both. God is that to the soul,
which the soul is to the body, enlivens it and acts it ; so Christ quickens
and acts the soul. The body cannot live, or move, or act, or grow, it
cannot hear, or see, or smell, or touch, without the soul. No more the
soul without Christ. Christ is the life of the soul, and faith is the bond,
the copula which unites the soul to Christ. And so by means of faith we
live, faith uniting us with the principle of life. Both these are remarkably
holden forth, Gal. ii. 20, ' I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life that I live is by faith in
the Son of God.' Even as we may say, the body lives ; yet not the body,
but the soul lives in it ; and the life that it lives, is by means of its union
with the soul. So in a spiritual sense, the soul lives ; yet not the soul,
but Christ lives in it ; and the life that it lives, is by faith in Christ uniting
Christ to it.

(2.) There is a relying on God for all these, for continuance of what we
have, and supply of what we want ; rolling ourselves, and the burden of
our affairs, on God. This is the formal act of faith. And because it is above
us, and few are acquainted with it, I will draw it down to your capacities,
and offer it to your senses in a simile or two, which the words, whereby
the Hebrews express it, afford us. The first is "$&, to lean, to stay upon,
to rely. It is used 2 Sam. i. 6, where it is said of Saul, ' he leaned upon
his spear,' iJT^ITTy _]U£ttO, the same word : Pov. iii. 5, ' Lean not to thine
own understanding,' i. e., as some render it, ' trust not.' For these are
used as synonymes : Isa. 1., ' Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and
stay himself upon his God ;' ]y\ZP and ntO^*1 are of the same force. For
to trust God, is to stay ourselves on him. Even as one standing upon a
high precipice, and perceiving himself ready to fall, takes hold of some
bough, and stays himself by it, and hangs there, he is said to live by stay
ing himself there, because it saves him from death, so we live by faith,
because by this we stay ourselves on God, and so escape falling into hell,
sin, and eternal death, though we stand continually on a precipice. We
live by faith, because, were it not for faith, we should die ; but for this stay,
Satan would push us into hell, and our hearts into a gulf of sin, wherein we
might sink and perish ; but that faith, laying hold on Christ, leaning upon
him, is held above water, and so lives by faith, as a drowning man lives
by means of that which stays him from sinking.

The other word for faith is ]")QN which comes from ]DN to nourish, and
thence rUQN, a nurse. This affords another simile, which clears that other
act, whereby we rely on God for all we want. As the infant depends and
hangs upon the breast of the nurse, and so by depending and sucking" is
said to live, so we do live by such an act of faith. The Lord draws out
and offers to our faith his promises, providences, ordinances, as so many
breasts, on which faith hangs, and sucks out of them life, comfort,
nourishment. As infants live by sucking, so the just live by believing, by
faith.

(3.) Constancy, frequency. It is a continued thing ; a life of faith,
not one act of believing ; a whole life of acts. Since we always stand
upon the brink of sin and death, and have no security from falling, but
God's maintaining, and our apprehending of him, we should continually

176 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

depend and hang upon God, never let go our hold ; for then we fall without
recovery. If we live by faith, when we neglect faith, we die. Our whole
life should be a continued act of dependence on God — when we eat, or
drink, or sleep, or work, or pray, &c. ; apply ourselves as often to God by
faith, as the infant to the breast, without which it cannot live. We should
exercise faith more frequently than we use bread ; for we live more by it than
by bread. ' Man lives not by bread, but by every word,' &c. If we believe,
God can command other things to nourish in the want of bread. This for
the act, the objects follow.

2. The object of faith is God in Christ, as made known in his attributes,
offices, relations, promises, and providences. We may refer the objects
and support of faith to these heads.

(1.) Divine attributes. Those are the pillows and grounds of faith,
rocks of eternity, upon which faith may securely repose : ' Though the earth
should be removed,' &c. ' The name of the Lord* (i. e., his attributes) ' is
a strong tower, the righteous fly into it,' and faith admits and there secures
them. Hence this is faith's ordinary plea in Scripture. ' For thy name's
sake,' i. e., for the glory of those attributes whereby thou art known to us,
as men are known by their names. These are frequently propounded and
made use of as the objects and supports of faith.

[1.] Power. This is it on which the heroical faith of Abraham fixed:
Eom. iv. 21, ' Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was
able to perform.'

[2.J Wisdom. This upheld Peter's faith, when Christ, so often ques
tioning his love, might have made him doubt of it : ' Lord, thou knowest
all things, thou knowest I love thee,' John xxi. 17. And David's faith
acts upon the omnisciency and immensity of God, Ps. cxxxix.

[3.] Justice. This was David's plea: Ps. cxliii. 11, ' For thy righteous
ness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.' And Daniel's, ix. 16, ' 0 Lord,
according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee,' &c.

[4.J Faithfulness. This was the foundation on which Solomon raised
that prayer, so full of faith, 1 Kings viii. 33, ' There is no God like unto
thee, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants ;' and Dan. ix. 4,
Heb. x. 23.

[5.] Truth. David useththis, Ps. cxv. 1, ' For thy truth's sake;' and
frequently, ' Do this according to thy word,' Ps. cxix. 154.

[6.] Mercy. Faith never finds more strong support, nor ever fixes with
so much delight as here : Ps. cxix. 149, ' Hear my voice, according to thy
loving-kindness ;' Ps. cxxx. 7, ' Let Israel hope in the Lord : for with
the Lord there is mercy ;' Ps. lii. 8, ' I trust in the mercy of God for ever
and ever.'

• (2.) The offices of Christ. These are strong supports to faith as any,
though less made use of : in special his

Priestly office. The apostle, Heb. iv. 14-16, urges them from this con
sideration to approach God with faith and confidence, to come boldly unto
the throne of grace. Paul, Eom. iii. 24, makes Christ's satisfaction the
object of our faith, ' whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood.' And this, joined with his intercession, raises his faith
into a triumph, so as he makes a confident challenge to all opposers :
Eom. viii. 33, 84, ' Who shall lay any thing to the charge,' &c. ? ' Who is
he that condemneth ?'

Eegal Office. Peter, persuading the Jews to believe, holds out Christ
not only as a Saviour but a Prince: Acts v. 81, ' Him hath God exalted to

HEB. X. 38.J OF LIVING BY FAITH. 177

be a Prince ;' and Nathanael's faith pitches here, John i. 49, 50, ' Thou
art the King of Israel.'

Prophetical Office. This was prophesied : Dent, xviii. 15, ' The Lord
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet ; unto him he shall hearken,'
i. e., believe ; and cited twice in Acts iii. 21, and vii. 37, to persuade faith.

(3.) Mutual relations betwixt God and his people. These are the sweet
food of faith, which, digested, nourish it into strength, and enable it to
vigorous actings ; and to this end we find them frequently used by the
saints: Ps. cxix. 94, ' I am thine, save me ;' and Jer. xiv. 9, ' Thou, O
Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name ; leave [us]
not.' And from particular relations : servant, Ps. cxliii. 12, ' Destroy all
them that afflict my soul ; for I am thy servant.' And Jer. iii. 14, the
Lord, to encourage the faith of the backsliding Jews, clothes himself with
the relation of a husband : ' Turn, 0 backsliding children, for I am mar
ried to you.' Father, Isa. Ixiii. 15, ad. fin., ' Doubtless thou art our
Father ;' where there are the strongest actings of faith upon divers relations.

(4.) Promises. These and faith are so usually joined, as though they
were relatives. These are the breasts of consolation, out of which faith
sucks. These are the wells of salvation, out of which faith draws joy, &c.
These have been the supports of the saints' faith upon all occasions.
Many instances will be needless. See it in Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 24-26,
' Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst
him.' So Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 9, 12, ' Thou hast said, Eeturn unto thy
country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee,' &c.

(5.) Providences of God are objects and encouragements to faith. The
consideration of what he has done for others, and for themselves, has sup
ported the saints. These are the hands of God stretched out, on which
faith takes hold. David, Ps. cxix. 132, « Look upon me, and be merciful
unto me, as thou art wont to do to those that love thy name.' And from
his own experience, 1 Sam. xvii. 37, ' The Lord that delivered me out of
the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out
the hand of this Philistine.' This was Paul's support when all forsook
him in his greatest extremities, 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18. Some will not believe
God, except, with Thomas, they may see and feel. Now herein God offers
himself to be seen and felt, and leaves men without excuse if they continue
in unbelief.

II. How do they, how must we, live by faith ? Here I shall give parti
cular directions how faith may act with most advantage upon its several
objects formerly propounded, and shew what support and encouragement
faith may find from them in all its actings.

1. Attributes of God. For the direction and encouragement of faith in
acting upon them, observe eight particulars :

[1.] Study the attributes. Labour to know them distinctly, effectually.
Though faith be not knowledge, yet it is not without it. Nay, the more
we know, the more we believe : Ps. ix. 10, ' Those that know thy name
will trust in thee ;' thy name, i. e., those excellencies whereby God is
made known. Be much in thoughts of God, frequent, delightful, consistent,
efficacious thoughts ; such as bring a divine influence into the soul, and fill
it with heat and light ; leave deep impressions of God upon the heart,
abstract him from all imperfection, and lift him above all perfections visible
or imaginable, such thoughts as beget veneration ; for high apprehensions
beget great expectation, and this makes the actings of faith easy. Those

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178 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

•who have known much have believed much ; much in contemplation, strong
in faith, as Abraham, Moses. Imitate David, who, studying the omniscience
and immensity of God, Ps. cxxxix., cries out, ver. 17, ' How precious are
thy thoughts unto me, 0 God,' &c. Then follows the actings of his faith,
ver. 19, ' Surely thou wilt slay the wicked.' Let what you have seen of
these divine beauties make you sick of love till you see more. Learn
Moses's importunity to see God : ' Let me see thy glory,' Exod. xxxiii.
' Shew me thy glory : cause thy goodness to pass before me.' Display thy
glorious excellencies ; dart out some lightsome beam that may discover
thee ; unveil thyself: open my eyes, scatter clouds, remove interpositions.
The more ye see, the more ye believe.

[2.] Assure thy interest in the attributes. Let thy knowledge be appli-
catory. Be not satisfied that thou seest God, till thou see him to be thine ;
what he is in himself, but what he is to thee. It was a great refreshment
to Moses that he was admitted, from the top of Pisgah, to view the pro
mised land ; but how would he have rejoiced if the Lord had assured him
that he should enjoy a share in it ! It is a great encouragement to faith to
view the excellencies of God in an abstracted sense ; but the assurance of
interest therein raises it to a triumph, to say with David, Ps. Ixxiii. 26,
' God is my portion for ever ;' and Ps. xvi. 5, ' The portion of mine inhe
ritance.' For if the Lord be thy portion, then thou mayest conclude,
Omnipotency is my portion, immensity, all-sufficiency, &c. Say not, If so,
then I should be omnipotent, &c. There is a vast difference betwixt iden
tity and interest, betwixt conveying of a title and transmutation of nature.
A friend gives thee an invaluable treasure, and all the securities of it that
thou canst desire ; wilt thou deny it is thine because thou art not changed
into its nature ? The attributes are thine, as thy inheritance, as thy lands
are thine ; not because thou art changed into their nature, but because the
title is conveyed to thee, it is given thee, and improved for thy benefit. If
another manage it, who can do it with greater advantage to thee, than thou
to thyself, it is no infringement of thy title. Even so the Lord has given
thee himself, and interest in all his glorious attributes, that whatever is in
him shall be thine, and for thee ; but he improves these for thee, and does
it with infinite more advantage than thou canst for thyself. It is true, he
drives another interest, his own glory, but never separates it from thy hap
piness : these are accumulative, not privative. Whenever God advances
his glory, he at the same time promotes thy interest : nor does this make
thy title to God less than thy title to thy estate, for that is managed for
God's glory too, else thou gainest nothing by it. It is true, we see not,
we enjoy not, the total of these rich revenues which daily arise out of this
glorious inheritance, but it is treasured up for us till we come at age in
glory. Then the treasury shall be opened, and then we shall see that all
the glorious outgoings of God, the appearance of his excellencies in this
world, have been with special respect to enrich us, to enhappy us, when we
never thought of it. Oh what support, what encouragement to faith, to be
assured that all God's attributes are mine, thine; as much thine, as the por
tion thy father left thee as thine inheritance; as the drink in thy cup, or the
meat on thy trencher ! for so much is holden out in those expressions,
Ps. xvi. 5, ''013') ip^n "T)JQ> phrases taken from those shares which were
assigned to every one in feasts, Gen. xliii. 34, 1 Sam. i. 4, &c., ' My lines
are fallen in a pleasant place,' &c. With what confidence may faith take
possession, and make use of them, at all essays, upon all occasions !

But some may say this is a high privilege, far above poor weaklings, and

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requires a high degree of grace to attain it. Not so'; the lowest degree of
faith gives thee interest in this, for the least act of faith puts thee into
covenant with God ; and the tenor of the covenant is, that God will be
thy God. Faith begets assurance, and assurance begets faith ; yet this is
not a circle, because not ad idem. A weak faith will assure, but assurance
begets a strong faith.

[3.J When thou art acting thy faith, so dispose and methodise the attri
butes of God as thou mayest thereby prove and make it evident to faith
that God is both able and willing to do what thou wouldst believe. That
God is willing and able are two ansas, two handles, on which both the
hands of faith may take hold, and so act more strongly (as we do) than if
it use but one. A man ready to drown, if he can lay hold upon anything
with both hands to keep him from sinking, is more secure than if he can
but stay himself by one. Faith is but weak when it fastens but upon one
of these ; the doubting of either will keep off faith from its stedfastness.
Martha's faith was not stedfast, John xi., when she questioned whether
Christ was able; and the leper's faith staggered when he doubted whether
Christ was willing, Mat. viii. 2: 'If thou wilt thou canst." The way to
make it strong in its daily actings is to confirm it in both these, which we
may do by making use of the attributes to prove it. That he is able,
faith may be persuaded from his omnipotency, omnisciency, all- sufficiency;
that he is willing, from his mercy, faithfulness, immutability; and some
prove both these, as his infiniteness, immensity, eternity. Learn to draw
arguments from these ; and when these two premises are confirmed, faith
will easily draw sweet and strong conclusions. Thus, the Lord is able to
subdue my lusts, to make all grace abound, to tread Satan under my feet,
and the Lord is willing, &c. ; faith will easily conclude these shall be done.
It is true the minor needs most confirmation ; we are most subject to doubt
of God's willingness ; but the Lord has provided against this remarkably ;
for whereas there is but one attribute to prove God able directly, viz., his
power, for the other do it by consequence, there are many titles that
directly prove him willing, as mercy, goodness, bounty, grace, love, loving-
kindness, compassion, bowels of compassion, patience, long-suffering. Get
faith fixed upon this double basis, and it will stand firm.

[4.] Let faith fix on that attribute which is most suitable to thy condi
tion. And here faith may meet with many encouragements : first, there is
no condition thou canst possibly fall into but some attributes afford sup
port ; secondly, there is enough in that attribute to uphold thee, as much
as thou standest in need of, as much as thou canst desire; thirdly, there
is infinitely more ; though thy condition were worse than it is, worse than
ever any was, yet there is more than thou needest, more than thou canst
desire, more than thou canst imagine, infinitely more. Some one attribute
will answer all thy necessities ; some most, some many. For, first, some
of God's attributes encourage faith in every condition.

Omnipotency. When thou art surrounded with troubles and dangers,
there is the power of God to rely on ; so Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. Art
thou called to difficult duties above thy strength, strong lusts to oppose,
violent temptations to resist, weighty employments to undertake ? Let
faith support thee and itself on omnipotency, as Paul : ' I can do all things
through Christ strengthening me.' Art thou called to grievous sufferings ?
Imitate the three children, act on God's power : ' Our God whom we trust
is able to deliver us.' Dost thou want means for effecting what thou ex-
pectest, and so seest no possibility in reason or nature for obtaining it ?

180 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HfiB. X. 38.

Act like Abraham; believe he is able, Rom. iv. 21, to perform without
means, or against means. Art thou afraid to fall away ? Stay thyself on
God's power: ' We are kept by the power of God through faith.'

Omnisciency. Wantest thou direction, knowest not what to do, at thy
wit's end? Eye omnisciency: 2 Chron. xx. 12, 'Neither know we what
to do, but our eyes are upon thee.' The Lord knows how to deliver the
righteous. When thou searchest thy soul, and art afraid a treacherous
heart should deceive thee, trust omnisciency. He searches the heart, and
can teach thee to search it. Art thou upbraided for hypocrisy, and borne
down by Satan's suggestions, so as thou almost suspectest thy integrity ?
Let omniscience support thee here ; he knows, he sees the least gracious
motion. Fearest thou secret plots of Satan, crafty conveyances of wicked
men, such as no eye can see or discover ? Trust omnisciency.

Immensity. Art thou deserted by friends, or separated from them by
imprisonment, banishment, infectious diseases ? Let faith eye immensity ;
as Christ, ' Yet I am not alone,' &c. Fearest thou remote designs in other
countries, nay, in the other world, in hell ? Thou canst not be there to
prevent ; ay, but the Lord is everywhere.

All-sufficiency. Let faith set this against all thy wants. I want riches,
but the Lord is all-sufficient ; liberty, children, friends, credit, health, he
is liberty, &c. I want grace, the means of grace, comfort; he is these.
Dost thou fear death ? The Lord is life. Dost thou fear casting off ?
The Lord is unchangeable. Nay, whatsoever thou fear, or want, or desire,
there is one more that will give universal and full support.

Mercy. This will hold when all fail. It is the strength of all other sup
ports, and that in all conditions. There is no condition so low but mercy
can reach it, none so bad but mercy can better it, none so bitter but mercy
can sweeten it, none so hopeless but mercy can succour it. It bears up
faith, when nothing else can, under the guilt of sin and sense of wrath ; in
misery, that is the time when faith should eye mercy. Hence you may
argue strength into faith. If one attribute answer many, yea, all, condi
tions, will not all answer one ?

Secondly, There is enough in any one attribute to support thee as much
as thou needest or desirest, let thy corruptions be never so strong, thy wants
never so many.

Thirdly, There is more than enough, than thou needest or canst desire ;
more than is necessary for thy condition, for a worse than thine, for the
worst that ever was. If thy dangers were greater than can be paralleled in
former ages, if the impetuousness of all those lusts that have broke out
since the creation were united in thine, yet there is more power in God
than is needful for thy condition. If thou wert pinched with all the wants
that all the indigent men in the world were ever pressed with, yet all-
sufficiency can do more than supply. Suppose there were many more
worlds, and in each ten thousand more sinful creatures than in this, and
every one's sins ten thousand times more sinful than thine, yet mercy
could do more than pardon. And faith may say, If mercy can pardon,
more than pardon, so many more than mine, and so much more heinous,
why may not mercy pardon mine ?

[5.] There is no condition possible but some attribute encourages faith ;
so there is nothing in God that discourages faith in any condition, the most
formidable condition. The most formidable attributes administer comfort
and confidence to a believer, as purity, jealousy, justice. Oh, says a
doubting soul, I am impure in heart, life, in my best services, and the

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Lord is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; what encouragement can I
have to approach God in faith ? Yes, enough ; there is support in that
which thou makest use of to deject thee. The Lord is pure, and loves
purity; therefore may faith say, he will make me pure. He is jealous of
sin, he hates it, punishes it ; therefore faith concludes he will destroy my
lusts, for they are the objects of his hatred, not my person ; he will be a
consuming fire to them, not to me. Faith may feel God embracing with
one hand while the other is wounding his lusts.

Justice, both punitive and remunerative, encourage faith. That which
is a rock of offence to crush unbelievers and grind them to powder, is a
rock of repose and security to faith. The most terrible attribute is com
fortable. Lord, I have sinned, deserved wrath ; but my Surety hath done
and suffered all that thy righteous law requires, — ' he was wounded for my
transgressions,' &c., — and it is not consistent with justice to punish the
same offences twice : ' Shall not the Lord of heaven and earth do justice ?'
Hence faith may conclude, justice itself cannot condemn, cannot lay any
thing to my charge, Horn. viii. 83, 34 ; nay, justice is my security that I
shall not suffer, for that would be injustice. Punitive justice has now
another object, thine enemies, sin, to subdue it, Satan, to trample him
under foot, the wicked, &c. : 'It is a righteous thing with the Lord to
render vengeance to those that trouble you,' 2 Thes. i. 6, 7.

[6.] Learn to draw arguments for confirmation of faith in acting upon
attributes. These we may raise : first, from ourselves, laying this ground,
that whatever engages God encourages faith ; for it is easier to believe that
one will act for us who is engaged, than one who has no inducement thereto.
Now, to speak after the manner of men, yet not without Scripture warrant,
the Lord seems to be engaged and induced to employ his attributes for us :
1, by our necessities, I am poor and needy; 2, pur impotency, ' We have
no strength against this great multitude,' as Jehoshaphat; 3, deficiency of
other helps, 'Help, Lord, for vain is the help of man;' 4, danger, ' Save
us, or else we perish;' 5, misery, ' I am brought low,' Ps. cxlii. 6; ' attend
to my cry,' &c.

Secondly, From the attributes themselves separately considered. To in
stance in two that faith makes most use of, power and mercy. Power
renders everything easy. This consideration much strengthens faith. For if
we have a friend who can do for us a business of great importance with ease,
without trouble or expense, with turning of a hand, or motion of a finger,
or speaking a word, it is no hard matter to believe he will do it. Now
thus it is. There is nothing that we stand in need of, but the Lord can
do it as easily as we can move a finger, or speak a word. And can we
doubt the Lord will not do it.

Then for mercy, this pleases him. ' He delights to shew mercy.' Now
can we doubt the Lord will do that for us which he delights to do ? Jer.
ix. 24.

Thirdly, From attributes associated. "We may doubt of creature power,
because it is limited, but he is omnipotent. The creature may have
strength, but want wisdom, and this may disable him, and weaken our con
fidence ; but God is omniscient. A friend may have strength and wisdom
too, but may be far from us ; oh, but he is omnipresent. A man may have
all these, but be prevented by death ; but God is eternal. A man may
have power, wisdom, propinquity, life, but not be willing ; but God is
merciful, gracious, compassionate, and joins other attributes to his mercy,
the more to confirm faith. Mercy endures for ever ; there is eternity.

182 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

Over all his works ; there is immensity. Abundant in goodness, there is
its infiniteness. His compassions fail not, there is unchangeableness.

Fourthly. From God's design in manifesting his attributes, viz., his
glory. Here is a stronghold for faith. It is not only our interest, but
the Lord's concernment, to employ his attributes for us ; not our happiness
only, but his own glory. Hence that argument so frequently used, ' For
thy name sake.' It is no matter for us, Lord, though we perish ; but
what wilt thou do for thy great name ? He will not lose his end, nor be
crossed in his design. If faith may confirm itself in acting by one argu
ment, how much strength will all add ?

[7.] Compare the attributes with what men usually trust, and see how
infinitely they transcend; how much more reason there is to rely on God's
attributes than on riches, strength, princes. Riches are an uncertain,
unsatisfying, insufficient, limited, deceitful nothing, Prov. xxiii. 5. God
is an unchangeable, satisfying, all-sufficient, faithful, all things. Strength
is a vain, depending weakness. God is perfect, independent, omnipotent.
Princes are shaking, piercing, broken reeds, 2 Kings xviii. 20. God is the
Eock of Ages. Is there not more encouragement to trust the Lord than
to put confidence in princes ? to trust in the living God, than in uncer
tain riches ? to trust in the Lord of Hosts, than in chariots or horses ?
Ps. xx. 7. Shall men think it reason to trust in a spider's web, Job xviii.
14, to trust in a shadow, Isaiah xxx. 3, in vanity, Isaiah lix. 4, in a lie,
Jer. xxix. 31, in nothing, Prov. xxiii. 5, and shall not we think it reason
able to trust in the Lord ?

[8.J Learn from the attributes to answer all objections that may dis-
courage faith, viz., I cannot believe, have used all means, &c. ; God is able
to work faith. But my own impotency is moral, sinful, contracted by sin ;
God is merciful. But I am unworthy; he is gracious. But I have turned
grace into wantonness ; he is patient. But I have abused patience, and
what reason to expect he should longer forbear me ? his love. But I have
played the harlot ; he is unchangeable. But he may cease to love me, as
he did the angels, and yet be unchangeable ; he is faithful, his faithfulness
was not engaged to the angels. But I am unfaithful, and the unfaithful
ness of one party disengages the other. But he is infinite ; it is so, as you
object, with men, but his thoughts are not as ours, nor his ways as our
ways. But infiniteness discourages, if infinitely above ; there is an infinite
distance ; how can, how dare my faith lay hold, approach ? There is a
Mediator, which brings me to the second.

2. The offices of Christ. To direct and encourage faith herein, take
these rules.

(1.) Acquaint thyself with the offices of Christ, what they contain and
hold forth to us, and for us. If faith be left in the dark, it will stagger,
not know where to fix ; may lay hold of a shadow, and rest upon a totter
ing basis ; cannot be stedfast nor confident. Knowledge of Christ is put
for faith in Christ. ' By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many,' Isaiah liii. 11. 'I know whom I have believed,' 2 Tim. i. 12.
Find out what faith may lay hold on in every office, what are its supports
in his

[1.] Kingly office. 1. As he is king, he is lawgiver; writes laws in
our hearts. Gives not only laws to be obeyed, but hearts to obey ; laws
for obedience, and principles of obedience. 2. To subdue our enemies,
Ps. ii. 6, 8, our lusts, the world, the powers of darkness. He will bruise
them with a rod of iron. ' He leads captivity captive,' Eph. iv. 11, 12.

HEB. X. 38.] OF LIVING BY FAITH. 183

3. To rule us. The government is on his shoulders. He sets his throne
in our hearts, and takes care that we live under his government in peace,
plenty, safety ; peace of conscience, plenty of grace, perseverance.

[2.] Prophetical. To declare his Father's will, the mysteries of salva
tion ; to continue it as written and preached, and so to give pastors when
he ascended, Eph. iv. 11 ; to make us understand it ; to enlighten our
minds ; to send the Spirit of truth to clear up obscurities, resolve doubts,
remove scruples, satisfy cases of conscience.

[3.] As priest. So he suffered, and intercedes. His sufferings are both
satisfactory and meritorious. As satisfactory, he has redeemed us from
the law's curse, God's wrath, death and hell. As meritorious, he has
purchased all things, pardon, peace, grace, glory ; and for this life all good
things, a spiritual title to them, a sanctified use of them. He interceded
on earth by fervent and affectionate prayers, with sighs and tears, Heb.
vii. 5, John xvii. ; and he now lives to make intercession, appearing before
the Father, presenting his merits, and effectually applying them; silencing
Satan's accusation, rendering our persons and prayers acceptable. Oh
what work is here for faith ! If the just had nothing else to live on, here
is enough for the life of faith.

(2.) These offices are purely relative ; wholly ours, for us, in reference
to us ; relative both secundum esse et operari, both in their constitution
and execution. He was made king, priest, &c., for us, and does exercise
these for us. They are essentially relative, depending on us, as one term
of the relation upon another. As there cannot be a father without a child,
so Christ had not been king without believers, who are kis kingdom,
1 Cor. xv. 24. There cannot be a priest without a sacrifice ; nor a
sacrifice, except some for whom to offer it. It is otherwise in the former
object ; God's attributes are absolute essentially, their relation to us is but
accidental. Their being is not for us, but only their acting. God had
been omnipotent, omniscient, merciful, &c., if no creatures had ever
received a being. Therefore here is more support for faith than in the
attributes. Where there is more interest, there may be more confidence.
Faith may plead, Christ is my king, and was anointed, crowned, in refer
ence to me. For this end he came to the kingdom, that he might govern
me. He is my priest, consecrated for my sake, in reference to my guilt,
my necessities, that he might satisfy for me. Christ is my prophet ; for
this end he was anointed, and received the Spirit without measure, Isaiah
Ixi. 1, that he might instruct me ; ergo, I will be confident.

(3.) These being the offices of Christ, he is to perform them ex officio,
as a duty. He, who was independent, and stood in no need of us, was
pleased, for the encouragement of our faith, to come under the engagement
of a duty. The Father's command is upon him, and therefore not only
called a son, but a servant: Isaiah xlii. 1, ' Behold my servant, whom I
have chosen.' It is [not] out of courtesy to us, but out of obedience to
God, that he acts ; Christ submits to it : Ps. xl. 5, ' Mine ear hast thou
bored. Behold I come to do thy will.' A perpetual servant. Safely we
may say there is as strong an engagement laid upon Christ, as upon any
of us, to do our duty. This brings us to such a dilemma. Either we must
believe, or else think Christ is impotent, negligent, or ignorant ; for none
else omit their office. Can he be impotent, unable, to whom all power is
given in heaven and earth ? Or ignorant, who is the wisdom of the Father ?
Or negligent, who was ' faithful to him that appointed him,' by the tes
timony of God? Heb. iii. 2. Nay, faith may draw arguments from the

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offices themselves to confute this blasphemous conceit, that Christ will not
to the utmost execute his offices. If he should not, it must be for want
of power, wisdom, or will. But the offices exclude these. As a king, he
is able ; as a prophet, he is wise : ' He that made the eye, shall he not
see ?' as a priest, he is willing, ' a merciful high priest.' So that you must
either believe or blaspheme. Here is then as strong a plea as is imagin
able : Lord, it is thine office to do this. It is true there was nothing that
could oblige thee ; but it pleased the Father so to appoint, and it pleased
thee, dear Saviour, to submit, and undertake these offices. Such poor
creatures as I may fail in our duties, and be unfaithful in our trust, but
heaven and earth shall perish, the blessed angels shall turn devils, and
glorified saints apostates, before my glorious Mediator fail his office;
therefore I believe.

(4.) Christ, as he is Mediator, is both God and man, and executes his
offices as Mediator. Here then faith hath all the encouragement that both
heaven and earth can afford. He is God ; for where he is called the
Wonderful Counsellor, i. e., our Prophet, and the Prince of Peace, that is,
our King, there he is called the mighty God, the everlasting Father, Isa.
ix. 6. And as our priest, so our God too ; for his blood is called, Acts
xx. 28, the blood of God. Therefore all the attributes of God are engaged
for the performance of these offices. He is man too, 1 Tim. ii. 5, ' the
man Christ Jesus ;' and therefore all the affections of a man ; not meta
phorically, as they are ascribed to God, but properly : he loves, rejoices,
delights, compassionates, as the sons of men. Nay, these affections are
more tender in him than in any man ; because his bodily constitution, upon
which these motions depend, was more pure, and his temperament more
exact. Nay, our faith in acting here has another great advantage, viz.,
Christ's experience. It is some encouragement for those who are pressed
under afflictions and sufferings to consider him whom they depend on for
relief, of a sweet affectionate nature ; but are much more confident if they
know that he has had experience of the like sufferings, and groaned under
the same afflictions, knows what it is, &c. Now this support faith has
from the consideration of Christ's manhood. He himself has been a
sufferer, a man of sorrows, acquainted with the same griefs that afflicts us,
Heb. ii. 16. He was made perfect through sufferings. He ran through
the whole circle of afflictions. And why ? See verse 17, ' That he might
be a merciful and faithful High Priest :' and verse 18, ' For in that he
himself suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.'
For this end he suffered, that he might learn to pity them, and be as ready
as able to relieve them. And this the apostle holds forth as a ground of
confident access, Heb. iv. 15, 16. Art thou poor, despised ? He was
set at nought. Art thou calumniated ? so he. Deserted of friends, and
hated of most ? tempted by Satan, forsaken of God ? So he, when he
cried out to heaven, to earth. Let faith conclude, he does pity, he will
succour.

(5.) Let faith begin first to act on the priestly office. This is the basis of
the other. The high priest, a type of Christ, had a crown on his head,
the ensign of royal dignity ; and Urim and Thummim on his breast,
emblems of the prophetical office, to denote that the kingly and priestly
office are grounded on the sacerdotal. Begin then at the foundation.
Persuade thyself that he is thy Priest, and it will be easy to believe him
thy King and Prophet. If he have executed that, he will execute these.
Believe that he suffered for thee, and thou mayest without difficulty believe

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that he will sanctify thee, illuminate thee ; for faith has great advantage
here. The worst is past, sufferings, the greatest employment is finished,
the rest is small. That which is most difficult is overcome, the rest is
easy. That which was painful and grievous is past, all that remains is
delightful. That which was accompanied with shame and ignominy is
past, that which is to be done is high and glorious. The conflict is over,
that which remains is triumph and dividing the spoils. Here faith may
act strongly. Has Christ suffered, done the greatest, the most painful,
that which was ignominious ? Will he not do the less, that which is
delightful and glorious ? Has he suffered ? Will he not do ? Has he
conquered ? Will he not divide the spoils ? Was he wounded for my
transgressions ? Will he not wound them ? Did he shed his blood ?
Will he not shed his love in my heart ? Was he emptied of his glory, and
filled with wrath ? Will he not empty me of sin, and fill me with grace ?
Has he taken away the guilt of sin, which cost him so dear, so many
prayers and tears, so many wounds and blood ? and will he not take away
the power of sin, which he can do with a word ? 2. The other offices
depend on this ; grace, peace, light, glory, must be purchased before they
can be bestowed. The purchase belongs to the priestly office, the com
munication to the other. Let faith first believe they were purchased, and
it is easy to believe they will be bestowed, especially if it consider, 3, that
the end why they were purchased was that they might be communicated.
Here faith may act strongly. The end why Christ purchased knowledge
and holiness was that he might impart them. Surely though poor, weak,
improvident creatures fail of their ends, Christ will never so dishonour
himself, never be so disappointed ; especially in that which cost him so
dear, in his master-piece, his greatest and most glorious design. Has he
suffered so many things in vain, so much wrath, so much torture and soul-
affliction, so much blood, &c., to sanctify me ? Oh I shall be sanctified !

(6.) They are adequate to our conditions. This is necessary for the life
of faith, that in every condition possible it have something to rely on.
And in these we may find it. When lusts are strong, temptations violent,
grace weak, God's ways unpleasant, let faith look on Christ as thy king ;
it is his office, it is his glory to succour thee ; he triumphs when we con
quer. Christ will act as a king, will be royal and magnificent : Luke xxii.
25, tuigysroii, ' The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship,' &c. He will
give like a king, conquer like a king, like himself.

In sense of ignorance, want of the means of grace, want of the Spirit,
danger of seducing, perplexity of mind, &c., look to Christ as your prophet ;
it is his office, his honour.

In sense of wrath, guilt of sin, let faith go to Christ's satisfaction. In
the sense of its pollution derived on our persons and services, go to his
intercession. It would be too tedious to direct how faith should act in
every particular. We will instance in one less taken notice of, the prayer
of Christ upon earth, the pattern of his intercession in heaven, John xvii.,
where he prays for union, freedom from evil, sanctification, joy, persever
ance, glory, for all believers. Here what he prayed for. How he prayed,
see Heb. v. 7, ' In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and suppli
cations, with strong crying and tears.' Upon this faith may thus act, and
as strongly as upon any ground in the world. The prayers of poor sinners
that believe on Christ are always heard, much more the prayers of the Son
of God. Their weak cries never return unanswered ; how prevalent, then,
are the strong cries of Jesus Christ ! Their tears are so precious, as the

186 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

Lord puts them in his bottle ; of how much more value are the tears of
Christ ! They never wrestle with sighs and groans but prevail with God ;
how much more prevalent with God are the sighs and groans of Christ.
Those prayers, cries, and tears are not forgot, they are on eternal record
in heaven ; they were presently answered, he was heard in that which he
feared, and the answers shall be returned to the end of the world, and shall
fall, may faith say, into my bosom ; for he prayed for me, wept for me,
cried for me, and therefore was heard for me, for he was always heard,
John xi. 22. Let faith go to God on this account, Christ has prayed that
I might be sanctified, united, &c.

(7.) Consider how affectionately Christ executed these offices on earth, and
it will be a strong ground to believe he will not neglect them in heaven.
He looked upon this as his work, that for which he was sent, to which he
was called, his calling and vocation, and went about it with all his soul,
all his strength, strong desires : Luke xii. 50, ' I have a baptism to be
baptized with ; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.' This
baptism was his death and the grievous sufferings that attended it ; he was
to be drenched in a sea of wrath and sufferings, which, being the most
intolerable that ever were suffered, might have been most formidable. But
even death, which, when but ordinary, nature shuns as the most fearful
evil, Christ desires it, and so passionately as can scarce be expressed.
' How am I straitened ! ' aw't^o/tai, my soul is so big with desire, as there
is not room for it in the body. How is my soul pained with desire to
sacrifice my life, my blood, for my lost people ! The intenseness of his
desires appears in that sharp rebuke he gives Peter, when he persuaded
him to save himself, not to expose his life : Mat xvi. 23, ' Get thee behind
me, Satan; thou art an offence to me.' That temptation to save himself
from death, which he so much desired, was as detestable, as offensive to
him, as a suggestion of Satan, and he requites Peter with no better title
for that unacceptable counsel, though immediately before he had pronounced
him blessed, ver. 17. This appears in that he uses all means to bring men
into a capacity of receiving benefit by his offices, invitations, commands,
promises, threatenings, complaints, expostulations.

See with what delight: Ps. xl. 8, 'I delight to do thy will, 0 my God ;
yea, thy law is written in my heart.' The will of God in which he de
lighted, was (as appears by the coherence, and the quotation of this place,
Heb. x. 5) that Christ should make his soul an offering for sin, as more
acceptable to God than all other burnt-offerings and sin-offerings. This
law was in his heart, ^Q "11/0, in the midst of his bowels. He did as
much delight in it as we do in following those inclinations which nature
has implanted in our hearts, as we do in eating and drinking. So he
expresses it, John iv. 33, ' My meat is to do the will of him that sent me,
and to finish his work.' He was as willing to bleed and die for thee as
thou art to eat when hungry. He delighted as much to be scourged,
wounded, crucified, as thou delightest in meat when most delicious.

His sorrow you may see in his tears and pathetical complaints when
men excluded themselves from the benefit of his offices: Luke xix. 41,
' He beheld the city, and wept over it.' There is his tears. And oh what
a compassionate complaint was that, ' Oh that thou hadst known in this
thy day ! ' &c.

For his joy, see Luke x. 21, 'In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit,' &c.
For his zeal, it was so ardent, as the disciples apply that of the psalmist,
Ps. Ixix. 9, to Christ: John ii. 17, ' The zeal of thine house hath eaten me

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up,' xarsfayi fie, O.TPDN, devoravit me. The flame was so hot within, as
it drank up the vital moisture. Exhausit succum vitalem, et emaciavit
me.

Now, faith will say, if the Lord was so affectionate on earth, certainly he
is the same in heaven, and will there execute his offices with as much
delight, desire, and zeal. He changes not, whatever we do. Where is
thy zeal, and thy strength, &c. Can the Lord neglect ? No ; we are his
members, dearer to him than his natural body. Can he forget ? No ;
though a mother may forget her sucking child, yet cannot he forget us. We
are graven upon the palms of his hands. He remembers very well who
they^are for whom he was pierced.

(8.) The Father and the Spirit are engaged for the execution of these
offices. The Father, he decreed it, so Christ is a ' Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.' He sent Christ : John xvii. 18, 'As thou hast
sent me into the world.' He commands it: John x. 17, 18, speaking of
laying down his life, he adds, ' This commandment have I received of my
Father.' He approves it: when he entered upon his office, he had a
wonderful approbation from heaven from the excellent glory, ' This is my
beloved Son.' He therefore loves the Son : ' Therefore does my Father
love me, because I lay down my life,' John x. 17. He swears the con
tinuance of Christ in office : ' The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, Thou
art a priest for ever,' Heb. vii. 21.

[l.J Faith here grows confident. If the Lord have decreed, and sent
Christ for this end, and commanded him to execute his offices, if he do
approve and love him for it, and has sworn he shall do it, shall sanctify,
justify, enlighten, certainly he will do it, here is no room for doubting.

[2.J Faith appropriates. He decreed him for me, to sanctify me, &c.,
sent him to enlighten &c., me, commands him to subdue my lusts, &c.,
loves him because he does so much for me.

The Spirit is engaged too ; for, 1, he furnished Christ for the execution,
Isa. Ixi. 1. And will the Spirit lose his labour, come short of his end ?
2. He co-operates with Christ in the execution. Sanctification is the great
work of the kingly office ; he is the Spirit of holiness, Rom. i. 4, illumina
tion of the prophetical office, he is the Spirit of truth and wisdom. And
the issue of the priestly office is comfort from the sense of justification ;
and he is the Spirit of comfort, of adoption. Faith^hath all the security
that heaven can afford in acting on the offices of Christ.

8. Promises. How faith may act with most advantage upon promises,
and get support and encouragement from them in its actings.

(1.) Consider the latitude of them. There are promises suitable to all
estates. No condition wherein faith may not find support from promises.
Soul, body, estate, relations, actions, there are promises for all ; promises,
I say, that are explicitly, in express terms, quoad formam.

But besides these, there are innumerable more that we take little notice
of, which are promises implicitly, virtually, or by just consequence. And
there is little in the Scripture out of which faith may not extract the
comfort of a promise, titles, assertions, relations, prayers, commands,
threatenings.

The titles of God are virtually promises. When he is called a sun, a
shield, a strong tower, a hiding-place, a portion. The titles of Christ, light
of the world, bread of life, the way, truth, and life ; the titles of the
Spirit, the Spirit of truth, of holiness, of glory, of grace, and supplication,
the sealing, witnessing Spirit ; faith may conclude as much out of these

188 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

as out of promises. Is the Lord a sun? Then he will influence me, &c.
Is Christ life? Then he will enliven me, &c.

Assertions. Many things delivered in Scripture as assertions may be
applied promissorily. As, ' He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely ; '
i. e., he shall walk surely : Gal. v. 22, ' The fruits of the Spirit are love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper
ance.' Faith may conclude, therefore the Spirit in me will bring forth
these fruits.

Relations of what the Lord has done for his people formerly are in effect
promises, as is evident from Deut. viii. 8, ' He humbled thee, and suffered
thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna ; that he might make thee know
that man liveth not by bread only,' &c. This here is a bare relation-, but
Christ seems to make use of it as a promise, Mat. iv. 4. From relations
of what God has done for his people in times past, faith may conclude, the
Lord will do the like for the future. If he delivered others who trusted in
him formerly, he will deliver me if I trust in him now : Ps. xxii. 4, 5,
' Our fathers trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them : they cried unto
thee, and were delivered,' &c. He is the same God, the same engagements
are on him. And from such we may not only conclude the same mercies,
but others also proportionable to them, nay, exceeding them. David went
against Goliah in the name of the Lord, and prevailed. If I go in like
manner against my lusts, I shall prevail against them.

Prayers of God's ancient people are virtually promises to us. What
prayers they made for the church and themselves, we may, cceteris paribus,
apply as promises. We have a remarkable ground for this, 2 Chron.
xx. 9, where Jehoshaphat makes use of Solomon's prayer mentioned, chap.
vi. 28, as of a promise, and urges several of his petitions as though they
had been promises. The reason is this, whatever the faithful pray for, it
is granted, therefore their prayers are promises, and the answers to them
performances.

Commandments of God are virtually promises, equivalent to them. Not
only by proportion, as that command, Luke xvii. 4, Mat. xviii., to forgive
our brother till seventy times seven, faith may conclude, the Lord will
forgive much more. But directly as that, ' Thou shalt love the Lord,' &c.,
we may read it as a promise ; for whatever the Lord command his people,
he has engaged himself to give strength to obey. So that every command
may be read by the eye of faith as a promise in this sense, I will enable
thee to love me, &c. ' The just shall live by faith ; ' faith reads it, I will
enable the just to live by faith ; ' mortify your members ; ' Met him deny
himself.' The reason is, because the Lord writes his law in our hearts,
Jer. xxxi. 83. And every law written there becomes gospel, every precept
a promise ; for to write laws in our hearts is to make our hearts answer
able to the laws, i. e., both willing and able to obey : ' We are not under
the law,' for it is in us, ' but under grace.' If a man command a thing,
and engage to enable the performance, his command is equivalent to a pro
mise. He works all our works in us.

Nay, which is strangest, threatenhif/s are by just consequence promises.
The threatenings denounced against the wicked are promises to the godly.
Where any sin is threatened, a promise to the opposite virtue is contained
in that threatening. This by the rule of contraries. ' The wicked shall
be turned into hell ; ' faith may conclude, the godly shall be carried into
heaven. ' Cursed are those that do the work of the Lord negligently,'
therefore blessed are those that do it faithfully. The antithesis we find in

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Scripture betwixt these warrants faith : ' Say to the righteous, It shall go
well with him ; but woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him,' Isa.
iii. 10, 11 ; ' He that believes shall be saved,' &c., that is frequent. And
when one member of the opposition is not expressed, faith may be bold to
add it, as following by necessary consequence. Faith may extract as much
comfort out of that terrible chapter, Deut. xxviii., as out of any. Here is
food enough for faith to live on.

(2.) Collect the promises ; treasure them up ; methodise them aright ;
meditate on them. Many in one.

Gather them. They are the meat that you must live upon in this wil
derness, angels' food. Be as careful to gather them as the Israelites to
gather manna. Be often searching the mines. Suffer not these pearls of
great price to lie neglected in the field. These must defray all the charges
of your pilgrimage. The angels take much pains (so the word Kagaxv-^ai
implies) to pry into the gospel, much more should we ; for these are the
sweetest strains, the quintessence of the gospel, and we are more concerned
than they. If the angels had had such promises as believers, none of them
had fallen. In reading and hearing, take special notice of promises.
Treasure them up. Let your memories be like the pot in the ark, always
full of this spiritual manna. Otherwise you confine God's gracious work
ing by way of promise to times and means, to reading and hearing, whereas
we always stand in need of promises, but have not always opportunities to
read and hear. A promise treasured up will afford comfort in our beds,
in our callings, in a dungeon, banishment. Faith will starve or be unactive
at such times if you have no treasure.

Dispose them so as you may have some ready for all occurences, emer
gencies, upon all occasions, that no accident, no employment may surprise
you without a promise of support. To live by faith is to make every act
of your life an act of faith ; and how can that be except you have a promise
suitable to every act, condition, and accordingly apply it ? Pray, hear, eat,
walk, work, all in the strength of a promise, for direction, protection,
strength, success in all. This is the life of faith.

Meditate frequently and seriously on them. They are the sweetest lines
that Christ writes to his spouse, will you not often peruse these ? There
is majesty in the commands, severity in the threatenings, but love is pre
dominant in promises, nothing but sweetness, we should let them stay
long on our palates. What concoction is to the natural life, that medita
tion is to this life of faith ; no meat will nourish and preserve life except
it be digested. They are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb ; you
get little sweetness except you squeeze it out by meditation. This clasps
faith and the promises together, removes discouragements, suggests argu
ments. The comforts and acts of this believing life are much weakened
and interrupted by neglect of meditation.

(3.) Accustom yourselves to a holy kind of discourse and reasoning.
Faith does not abolish, but improve reason. Whatever is requisite to the
constitution of a man may be useful to him as a Christian. The application
of promises is nothing but sanctified reason exercised by faith. Argue
from general promises to particulars, from specials to you as individual,
from typicals to reals, from temporals to spirituals, from spirituals to
temporals.

From generals to individuals. All things shall work for good, &c.,
therefore this loss, affliction, distemper, temptation. All the ways of God
are mercy, therefore this way, though cross to my desires, interests,

190 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

endeavours. Whatsoever ye ask, it shall be done; therefore this want shall
be supplied, this lust subdued, this temptation conquered, this occurrence
sanctified : ' It shall go well,' &c., Isa. iii., therefore now when it seems to
be worst.

From specials to your own particulars. From those which seem appro
priated to one person, if there be no peculiar reason for a restriction ; for
it is with these promises as with judicial laws, they are of universal extent
if their reason be so. Hence the apostle applies that to the Hebrews which
was made in special to Joshua : ' I will not leave thee,' Heb. xiii. 5. So
may we those to Abraham: ' I am thy shield,' &c., Gen. xv. 1, ' I will
bless those that bless thee,' &c., the same God, the like privilege. And
that to Peter: ' I have prayed that thy faith fail not.' There is the same
necessity, the like temptations, and as great weakness. And that of Paul:
' My grace shall be sufficient,' 2 Cor. xii. 9. The same engagements on
God, such lusts in us, and less strength.

From typical promises to accomplishments in the antitype. There is
ground for it, 1 Cor. x. 6, TVKOI qfA&v sysvtidriffav. So Egypt was a type of
our natural condition, Pharaoh of our spiritual enemies ; the water out of
the rock, and manna from heaven, of spiritual nourishment by Christ ;
the cloud and fire, of direction and protection, Canaan of heaven. The
promises of these to them are promises of the antitype to us, and the
accomplishment an encouragement to our faith, such as these : ' I will be
honoured upon Pharaoh,' &c., Exod. xiv. 4 ; ' My presence shall go with
thee,' Exod. xxxiii. 14 ; 'Ye shall eat the good things of the land,'
Isa. i. 19.

From temporals to spirituals. From those to the body to those for the
soul. Spiritual blessings are included in temporal promises. Videntur
temporalia proponi, quando speciale prcemiwn occulte significatur. Temporals
are pledges of spirituals, hence Paul argues, 2 Tim. iv. 18, ' The Lord
shall preserve thee from every evil work.' Christ useth the like argument to
confirm faith : Mat. vi. 25, ' Is not the life more than meat, and the body
than raiment ? ' And the apostle, 1 Cor. ix. 9, ' Does God take care for
oxen ? ' &c. An argument a minori ad majus is strong with God. Will
he give his beloved food for the outward man, and let the soul famish ?
Will he guard the body with angels, and let the soul be a prey to Satan ?
Will he maintain the outward man in health and strength, and suffer the soul
to languish under spiritual distempers ? Will he heal all bodily diseases,
and not the soul's more grievous and dangerous ones ? Will he take care
for the body, and neglect the soul ? do less for precious souls than vile
bodies ? Will special love afford but common mercies ? Shall the body
prosper, and not the soul, when he delights more in the soul's prosperity ?

From spirituals to temporals. This is strong in all respects, a majori ad
minus. Will he do the greater, and not the less ? Will he give the king
dom of God, and not add the inconsiderable things of earth ? Will he give
the most precious things in heaven and earth, and not paper and thread to
wrap them in ? Will he afford the entertainment of a Father's house,
and not a few husks ? Will he deliver the soul from death, and not the
feet from falling ? Will he give special, eternal, and not common mercies ?
the upper springs, and not the lower ? the fountain, and not a few drops ?
Faith may here be confident.

(4.) Confine not God in his performances to things, degrees, times, or
persons. Let not faith so act, as to limit him in acting. This limiting of
God occasions disappointments, and these discourage ; and discouragements

HEB. X. 88.] OF LIVING BY FAITH. 191

weaken faith, impair its strength and life. Expect not peremptorily, either
the individuals which seem to be promised, or the degrees of them. The
conclusions of faith in its arguings must not exceed the premises. Con-
clusio seguitur deteriorem partetn. Conclude not peremptorily, but when the
promise is peremptory. There are some things which God does not pro
mise peremptorily, degrees of grace, arbitrary assistances, outward blessings,
inward joy. In applying such promises, faith need not conclude absolutely,
but either conditionally, I shall have this if it be good for me ; or dis
junctively, I shall have either this, or something better. It is an ordinary,
but, I think, a great misapprehension, that we do not believe, but when we
confidently expect the very things promised. I think it is more than God
requires in applying any promises, but those which are necessary for our
being ; in those which concern our well-being, we do hereby limit the Holy
One of Israel, where he hath not limited himself. This is not to believe, but
to tempt God.

For times. In applying promises, we must not always expect a present
accomplishment, but wait and depend. These are vital acts of faith, and
to continue in the exercise of these, is to live by faith. Times and seasons
are in God's hands, it is his prerogative to fit acts to seasons. We take
notice of time, but he only knows opportunity, as what is good, so when it
is so. When he seems slack, though time pass, yet he never lets slip an
opportunity. How long did the faithful Jews expect the Messiah's coming,
and Japhet's persuasion, yet both promised ! How long have we expected
the fall of Babylon, and erecting of David's tabernacle ? The like for par
ticular persons. Abraham had a son promised, he stayed long for perform
ance. And so David for the kingdom ; it was so long deferred, till his
faith was near expiring ; it was very weak, when he said, ' I shall one day
fall by the hands of Saul.' The liveliness of faith is never more evident
than in long expectations. ' He that believes makes not haste,' Isa. xxviii. 16.
It is unbelief that hastes, Ps. xxxi. 22, cxvi. 11.

Confine not the accomplishment to persons. It is probable Isaac
believed the promises made to him and his father should be accomplished
in Esau, God performed them to Jacob. If the promise be performed to
you or yours, to this child, if not to that ; God is faithful, and faith is not
in vain.

(5.) As to conditional promises, if you have the qualification in sincerity,
let not the want of degrees discourage you from application. The lowest
degree of grace entitles to the promise. It may be grace is not broke forth
into a flame ; it is acceptable to Christ when it does but smoke : ' He will
not quench,' &c. It may be yon are not grown to the tallness of a cedar,
Christ delights in a reed, a bruised reed : ' He will not break the bruised
reed.' He deals not with poor worms, as one that sells, but gives. There
fore he propounds conditions of so low a rate, as in contracts with men
would scarce admit the notion of conditions ; gives, if ask ; satisfy, if desire ;
accept, if come ; bestow, if receive. And in this respect the covenant of
grace is in reality absolute, though, according to the form of proposal, it
seems conditional.

God descends to as low conditions as are imaginable ; and yet the least
degree of the lowest condition gives interest in the promise. ' Blessed are
the pure,' &c., he says not perfectly pure. Oh but I am impure in heart
and life, how can I apply this promise ? The Lord comes lower, ' Blessed
are they that hunger and thirst.' To thirst after purfty, is less than to be
actually pure. Oh but thirst is a high degree of desire, I fear mine amounts

192 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HfiB. X. 88.

not to so much.. The Lord comes lower : ' If there be a willing mind, it
is accepted,' 2 Cor. viii. 12. ' Whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely,' Rev. xxii. 17. Willingness, the lowest degree of desire, and
desire, the lowest condition imaginable, entitles to the highest degree of
blessedness.

But further ; suppose you have but the qualification in so weak a degree
as you do not discern it, yet should not this discourage from applying the
promises. For observe it, believing is more acceptable to God, and gives
clearer title to the promise than any condition annexed thereto. For this
is the principal condition of the covenant, others are but accessories ; this
makes others acceptable, none can be accepted without it ; by this the rest
are attained, none are attainable without this. Therefore ye should believe,
that ye may be qualified, not refuse because ye are not. If you bring faith
to a promise, you bring that which most pleases God, and that which will
bring the rest.

(6.) He that can lay just claim to one promise, has interest in all ; he
that can apply any one, has property in every one. This observation is
necessary to advance the present design. For all the promises are requisite
to maintain the life of faith ; he that excludes himself from any, confines
the influence of faith to some part of his life, which should be diffused
through all. Yet this is ordinary with weak believers, to apply some, but
restrain themselves from others, as pertaining only to saints of higher
attainments and greater eminency. This is a mistake. He that applies
one, should apply all ; all the promises are his, as clearly as his inheritance ;
he that possesses one is heir of all. The first act of faith gives interest in
Christ ; and he that hath Christ, hath all ; for in him all the promises are
yea and amen, 2 Cor. i. 20. The least act of faith admits you into cove
nant ; and the promises are but parcels of the covenant, he that has the
whole has every part. If the Lord has given you possession of any one,
though by the weakest act of faith, he has given you interest in all ; and
therefore let no discouragement hinder from applying any. ' He that over
comes shall inherit all things,' Rev. xxi. 7. All promises are included in
this one. And who is he that overcomes ? John tells us, 1 John v. 4,
' This is the victory, even our faith.' He, then, that believes has right
to all promises, and shall inherit all ; and therefore should confidently
apply all.

(7.) The Lord's word is more valuable in his account, than all his works ;
he will suffer all the works of his hands to perish, rather than fail in the
least degree to perform the most inconsiderable promise. Angels and men
shall be destroyed, heaven and earth shall be annihilated, rather than one
tittle of a promise shall fail of its full accomplishment : Luke xvi. 17, 'It
is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than one tittle of the law to
fail ;' and Mat. v., neither iura, nor xspdia,, nor the least letter, nor the least
point. His glory is as much interested in the gospel, therefore he uses an
expression comprehensive of both : Mat. xxiv. 85, ' My words shall not pass
away.' The heavens shall vanish into darkness, and the earth sink into
nothing, rather than the least letter of a promise shall not be fulfilled. Faith
resting on a promise, has a surer foundation than the earth, and stronger
pillars than the heavens ; therefore let it repose there with confidence in
every act, and live there secure in all occurrences.

8. Persuade thyself, that God had a particular respect to thee in every
promise. This is the great objection, which does much prejudice faith in
its life and actings. The Lord did not intend this for me ; he might respect

HEB. X. 38.] OF LIVING BY. FAITH. 193

others, those with whom he conversed familiarly, but not such a worm as I.
This J;is an error which, though you think it arises only from a mean
conceit of yourselves, yet indeed it proceeds from too low apprehensions
of God, the impartialness of his love, and the infinite comprehensiveness
of omniscience.

If the Lord should appear to you in a visible shape, as to Abraham, and
make you a promise, as one friend to another, then you would not question
his intention and respect. Why, consider you were as full in the eye of
God when he engaged himself by promises, as Abraham was when he talked
with him face to face. Nothing is past or future in respect of God's all-
seeing eye. Things past to us will be present to him unto eternity.
Things future from us were present to him to* all eternity. Nothing is
hid or unobserved, Heb. iv. 13, rsToa^riXiff/^sva. The faces of all things
are naked and open, as one of our faces to another ; even those things
which are so small, as they seem unworthy to come under divine cognisance ;
every sparrow, every hair, much more his jewels, his peculiar treasure.
All believers that were, are, or ever will be, were as fully and distinctly in
God's eye, while he was purposing to engage himself by promise, as our
fingers are to us, when our eyes are fixed most intensely upon our hands :
' I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.' The Lord had as special
and distinct a respect to every believer in each promise of the covenant, as
a father has to each child in every legacy that he bequeaths by will, when
he divides his estate among them, and sets out every child his portion.
And therefore faith may with as much confidence make use of every pro
mise, and live upon them, as any child may upon the portion left him by
his father's will. This notion is well grounded ; for God's covenant is not
only called (TUV^XTJ a compact, but diaQfaq, a will or testament, Mat. xxvi. 28,
and so the Seventy-two ordinarily render /VQ. What a sweet encourage
ment is this to act and live by faith, to consider you were in the thoughts
and eye of God promising, as a child in the eye of a father making his will ;
and that God gave you the promises to live upon, as a father gives a child
an inheritance, a portion ; and his eye as full upon you, as upon Abraham
or David, when he made them promises face to face !

(9.) Consider, it is all one with God to do as to say, to perform as to
promise ; it is as easy, he is as willing, as able, to one as the other. There
is no such distance betwixt God's saying and doing, as amongst men. His
saying is doing : Ps. xxxiii. 9, ' He said, and it was done ; he commanded,
and it stood fast.' His rb hsytiv is xoffpovoia, : ver. 6, ' By the word of the
Lord were the heavens made ; ' Heb. xi. 3, ' The worlds were framed by
the word of the Lord.' There is omnipotency in his word, both of com
mand and promise : therefore called, ' the word of his power,' Heb. i. 3.
One word of his can do more in an instant, than the united powers of
heaven and earth can do to eternity.

This consideration removes at once the chief discouragements that hinder
the lively actings of faith ; for what is it that weakens our confidence of
the promises' performance, but because we look upon the accomplishment
as uncertain or difficult, or future and afar off ! Now from hence faith
may conclude the performance is certain, easy, and present.

It is certain. The root of all certainty is God's will. He is willing to
promise, for he has actually done it. He is as willing to perform, for it is
all one with him to do as say.

It is easy. What more easy than a word ! An act is not more difficult.
* Qu. 'from'?— ED.

VOL. I. N

194 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 38.

And one word will give accomplishment to all the promises : no pains,
trouble, cost, hazard. The covenant is our tree of life, the promises are
its branches, laden with all precious fruits. The least word, the least breath,
from God's mouth, will shake all the fruits into your bosoms. Will not
he speak so little who has done so much, sent his Son to suffer so much,
let his Spirit strive so much ? There is but one word betwixt you and all
the happiness contained in the great and precious promises. And is it not
easy for faith to believe that it is easy for God to speak one word ? This
may be faith's plea, Only speak the word, and it shall be done. Nay, it is
done, the accomplishment is present, the word is passed out of his lips.
You have as much for the accomplishment of promises, as all things that
now exist had for their creation, God's word. He does when he says ; his
saying is doing. Nothing remains on God's part to be done further. That
which suspends your enjoyments is want of faith ; do but believe, and all
is said, all is done, to make you happy. You may as easily believe that
he will perform, as that he has promised. It is easy to believe that he has
promised : you question not that. There is as much reason to believe he
will perform, for it is all one to him. Men promise great things, but can
not perform without trouble, expense, or hazard ; therefore may we doubt
of them. But there are no such things incident to God's performances ;
no more trouble or pains to perform a promise than to make it. He can
perform all with less trouble than we can speak, do all he has said as easily
as anything he does.

10. Believers have a just and unquestionable title to all things promised,
besides that title which the promise conveys. They have right to them,
and therefore have no reason to doubt but the gracious God will bestow
them, especially when he has confirmed the former title by promise. All
that is promised was bequeathed to believers by the eternal will of the
Father, and purchased for them by the precious blood of Christ, and they
are instated therein by many endearing and interesting relations. They
have as much right thereto as an heir to his inheritance, or a wife to her
jointure ; for they are co-heirs with Christ, and married to him : 1 Cor.
iii. 23, ' All is yours.' All. This is more than if he had said a kingdom,
though this is much ; nay, more than if he had said, all the kingdoms of
the earth ; nay, more than if heaven and earth were yours. What then is
all ? Why heaven and earth, and all in both. All in heaven that you are
capable of, and all in earth that is desirable and good. Not only angels
and men ; not only riches, pleasures, glory ; but the Father (that which is
more than all), Christ, and the Spirit ; all that they are, have, can do, so
far as these are communicable, attributes, offices, functions. All these are
your own, though you do not believe it. You have jus ad rem, right to
these, upon other accounts besides the promise. Faith gives jus in re,
actual possession. Here is great encouragement for believers to act faith
in the promises, from this consideration. Will a child doubt that a pious
and indulgent father will not give him his own, though he do not promise
it ? But if he engage himself by promise, he will be confident. Shall we
be more confident of the justice of men, than the righteousness of God ?
He has made all your own, and will he be so unjust as to detain it ? He
has promised to give all that is yours, and will he add unfaithfulness to
injustice, such injustice as is odious amongst men ? Shall not the Lord of
heaven and earth be righteous ? Faith cannot doubt here. Either you
must believe, or cast such horrid aspersions on God, as though he were
as unjust or unfaithful as the worst of men.

HEB. X. 38.] OF LIVING BY FAITH. 195

The whole glorious essence of God is engaged for the performance of
every promise. It is of as much concernment as the Deity. He would
cease to be God if he should fail to perform any promise. This would
undeify him. For he ceases to be God, when he ceases to be most perfect ;
for this is the proper and essential notion of God, to be quid perfectissimum.
If there be absence of any perfection, or the presence of any imperfection,
he would not be God. But non-performance argues both ; this divests him
of all perfection, and consequently makes him most imperfect.

Faithfulness. He is not faithful amongst men, who answers not his
engagements ; he fails his trusts who keeps not promise.

Truth. ' He that believes not, makes God a liar ;' for how is he true
who doth not what he says he will do ?

Justice. That does suum cuique tribuere. The promise makes every
thing promised our own, and it is injustice not to give it.

Goodness. He is bad amongst men, who is not as good as his word.
Holiness. His promise is as sacred as our vows to him. Violation of
a vow is a profanation, so is non-performance of a promise. If he perform
not, it is because either he will not, and then where is mercy ? or cannot,
and then how is he all- sufficient ? If he cannot, it is either for want of
wisdom, and then where is his omniscience ? or ability, then how is he
omnipotent ? or opportunity, then how is he omnipresent ? Nothing but
absence in him can occasion the want of an opportunity. Either he never
intended it, and then how is he upright ? It is odious dissimulation, with
men, to speak what they never intend. Or he did once intend it, but now
does not ; then how is he unchangeable ? If he is not unchangeable, he is
not eternal ; for there is no succession, no variation in eternity. If not
eternal, not infinite. If not all these, not God.

As sure as he is God, as sure as he has any perfection, he will perform
his promises. He that doubts of performance, doubts of God's being by
consequence. Unbelief is horrible atheism, it dethrones God. You may
as well say there is no God, as say there shall be no performance. The
glory of his being is concerned ; that is infinitely more than our happiness.
He loses nothing if he perform ; all, if he do not.

His engagements are infinite. Every perfection engages, and every
perfection is infinite ; therefore the obligements are strong, and the perfor
mance sure, above the apprehension of men and angels.

We have all the confirmations and assurances, ad extra, that the most
suspicious heart can desire.

God's word. That is more than the word of angels, more than all his
works, as much as himself. He engages himself when he engages his word ;
he should deny himself if he should fail. Men may be men, though
unfaithful, but God cannot be God : his being is concerned.

Writing. We have them under God's hand, have his hand to shew.
He would not have us to depend upon uncertain revelations, here Satan
might have deluded us, but inspired holy men of God to write what he
dictated, has delivered it as his act and deed. His word of promise written,
is more assuring than a voice from heaven would be, 2 Pet. i. 19.

Sealed. The sacraments are seals of the righteousness of faith, seals of
the covenant wherein faith apprehends that righteousness. ' The covenant
of promises.' ' The New Testament in my blood.' A double seal : without,
the impressions are Christ's sufferings in blood ; a seal within, the Spirit,
Eph. i. 13 ; 2 Cor. i. 22.

Sureties. A surety equal with the principal. He who counts it no rob-

196 OF LIVING BY FAITH. [HEB. X. 88.

bery to be equal with God ; equal, both in faithfulness and sufficiency, as
willing and as able ; no robbery to be equal with God, a disparagement
to be compared with men or angels ; he who sees no stedfastness in saints
or angels, sees nothing else in him : he has engaged with himself his Son
and heir, and made him the mediator of this better covenant, Heb. viii. 6,
and ix. 15 ; Heb. vii. 22, he who values his faithfulness more than his life.

Pledge. Of as much worth, and more than heaven and earth, the eternal
Spirit : 2 Cor. i. 22, ' Who hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of the
Spirit ; ' chap. v. 5, 6, ' Who hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Therefore we are always confident,' &c. ; Eph. i. 13, 14, ' In whom ye
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance." God will forfeit his Spirit, rather than fail his promise.

Oath. He has confirmed it by an oath, Heb. vi. 17, 18 ; we have no
more cause to fear the promise will not be performed than that God will be
perjured.

Witnesses. Besides those in heaven who bear witness with the Father,
the Word and Spirit ; and those in earth, 1 John v.* 8, the Spirit, the
water, and the blood ; ' Christ the faithful witness,' Rev. i. 5 ; and the
' Spirit which beareth witness with our spirits,' Bom. viii. 16 ; we have
heaven and earth, men and angels, to witness. These things were not done
in a corner. As the Lord calls heaven and earth to witness against the
unfaithfulness of men, so may we call them to witness the faithfulness
of God.

FAITH IN PRAYER.

But let him ask in faith. — JAMES I. 6.

THE apostle, in the former verses, after the preface, directs the Jews how
they should bear afflictions, viz., with joy, ver. 2, 3 ; patience, ver. 4 ;
wisdom, ver. 5.

' Servant.' 1, By universal subjection, and in respect of their state ; not,
2, by particular employment in respect of their use, as Nebuchadnezzar,
Cyrus.

' All joy.' Not in respect of the afflictions themselves, for they are
grievous, and we are not required to be Stoics ; but in respect of the issue,
to prevent sin, purge corruption, increase holiness, glorify God, and try
grace, ver. 3.

' Perfect work.' Extensive, to all its objects, occasions. Intensive, in all
its acts.

' Lack wisdom.' To demean himself under afflictions so as to attain the
former ends.

' It shall be given.' There is a promise, the object of faith, with an
encouragement to act faith from God's gracious disposition. He gives,
gives to many, to all men ; gives much, liberally and freely too, he up
braids none ; how much soever he gives, he never thinks much.

But the promise is conditional, and the condition is expressed : ver. 6,
' Let him ask in faith ; ' otherwise he asks in vain, ver. 7.

Qbs. He that would have God to give what he asks, must ask in faith :
Mark xi. 24, ' Whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive them, and ye shall have them ; ' Mat. xxi. 22, ' Whatsoever ye
shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.' A great privilege, but
limited.

Quest. What is it to ask in faith ?

.4ns. To this some things are requisite as necessary conditions, though
more remotely ; some things as essential ingredients.

I. The necessary conditions respect the petitioner, asker, the thing
asked, the manner of asking.

1. The asker must be in the faith, or rather faith in him; the petitioner
must be a believer. How can he ask in faith, who has no faith? John
xvi. 23 ; how can he ask in Christ's name who believes not in it ? There

198 FAITH IN PRAYEB. [JAMES I. 6.

is no audience, no answer, for him that is not a believer: John ix. 31,
' God heareth not sinners.' Those that live in sin, live not by faith ; or if
you live not in it as to visible practice, yet if it live in you, have entertain
ment, love, approbation in the heart. When there is no faith there will
be no audience : Ps. Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me.' God will not hear that which displeases so as to answer
it. But prayer without faith does not please him, it is impossible it should,
for Heb. xi. 6, ' without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him.' God will not accept the service till the person
be accepted, Heb. xi. 4 ; Abel obtained witness that he was righteous, and
then God testified of his gifts. He obtained both by faith.

2. The thing asked for must be an object of faith ; such things as you
may upon good grounds believe that God will grant. There must be a
belief, a persuasion, that the things desired are lawful according to his
will : 1 John v. 14, ' And this is the assurance that we have in him, that
if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.' No assurance he
will hear, without assurance that what we ask is according to his will ; now
that is according to his will for which we have command or promise ; for
these, though not properly his will, yet are ordinarily so called, they are
that will to which our practice must be conformable. His decreeing or
secret will belongs not to us, it is not the rule of our practice in praying,
hearing, &c., but that which is revealed by command or promise. Example,
too, may direct and encourage this act of faith ; but it must be the example
of the godly, approved and ordinary. Extraordinary examples are no rule
for us, as that of David, Ps. cix., praying against particular enemies ; it
is extraordinary, since he had (as it is supposed) extraordinary assistance
to discern that his particular enemies were incorrigible ; otherwise, though
it may be lawful to pray against the public enemies of God, his ways, and
people, or against the cause and practices of particular enemies, yet not
against their persons. If there be no persuasion, or none upon these
grounds, the prayer is not of faith, and so it is sin ; for whatever is not of
faith is sin, and sin can expect no comfortable return from God. He that
cannot behold it will not hear it, or hear it so as to reward it but with
punishment. A fervent prayer for a thing unlawful is a crying sin.

3. The manner of asking must be faithful. As it must be in fide as to
the person, and defide as to the object, so fiddlier as to the manner. As
he must be bonus that asks, and bonum that is asked, so must he ask this
bene, in three particulars.

(1.) With fervency. He does not ask in faith that asks not fervently :
James v. 16, ' The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.' And what prayer that is, see ver. 15, ' the prayer of faith.' It
mnst be Sejjtr/s tnfytv/uni, it must be an inwrought prayer, proceeding
from the powerful working of the Spirit in the heart. Now what the work
ings of the Spirit are in the heart as to prayer the apostle tells, Rom. viii.
26, ' sighs that cannot be uttered.' Such prayers as shew the parties to
be fvieyovftfvoi in a good sense, i. e., possessed with the Holy Spirit, and
acted by it. Prayers must be strivings : Rom. v. 30, ' Strive together
with me in your prayers.' He that will prevail must wrestle, as Jacob ;
give the Lord no rest, as" Isaiah Ixii. 7. Cold, heartless prayers argue
want of faith, and will want success ; teach God to deny. If there be only
lip labour, draw near with the lips only, God will withdraw. If we pray
as if we prayed not, God will hear as though he heard not, take little notice

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 199

except to correct. Strong cries only reach and pierce heaven ; such were
Christ's.

(2.) With submission. We must not limit God. To limit the Holy
One of Israel is to tempt him, and that is a notorious effect of unbelief,
Heb. iii. 9, 12, and xi. 18. We must not limit God as to time, place,
persons, things, degrees.

Time. Be willing to stay God's time. He that believes, makes not
haste. It was an unbelieving prince that said, ' Why should I wait on the
Lord any longer ?' And Hab. ii. 3, 4, ' The vision is for an appointed
time ; though it tarry, wait for it,' &c.

Place. Jacob would not have prayed in faith for provision, if he would
not have had it in Egypt.

Persons. Noah would not in faith have asked blessings for Ham, if he
had limited God as to the person. We must leave the Lord to his own
way of free dispensation.

Things. Lawful things are temporal or spiritual ; and these necessary
for being, as grace, and the means of grace ; or well-being, as joy, assur
ance, enlargements.

Temporal blessings must be desired with such conditions as they are
promised, and besides, with reference to God's good pleasure, and caution
of their expediency for us ; if it seem good to thee, if they be good for us.
Spiritual blessings for well-being, though they may be desired with more
importunity, as being of more worth, and more expressly promised, yet
with the like references. But spirituals necessary to salvation may be
desired absolutely, without reserves, conditions, exceptions, because they
are so promised, and we are so commanded.

Degrees. We must not limit God to degrees of grace, or plenty or
plausibleness of the means, but refer it to infinite wisdom to bestow what
degrees he knows will make us most serviceable, and what kind of means
soever he will please to make effectual for attaining those degrees.

(3.) With right intentions. It is not bene, except ad bonum: James iv.
3, ' Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.' We must pray to
glorify God, make us serviceable to him, capable of communion with him.
We must not desire grace to excel others, or, as Simon Magus, the Spirit,
to be admired, praised. We must not desire gifts, to advance our credit,
get applause ; riches, to satisfy lusts, to live at ease, &c. This is to ask
amiss ; and he that asks amiss, must miss of an answer.

These are the necessary conditions of this duty. I call them but con
ditions, because, though we cannot pray in faith without them, yet we may
have these, and yet not pray in faith.

II. The essential ingredients of this duty are the actings of faith in
prayer, which are one or other of these four. He whose faith puts forth
any one of these acts prays in faith.

1. Particular application. Believing the promise whereby God has
engaged himself to give what he asks ; so to ask in faith is to pray with
confidence the Lord will grant the petition, because he has promised ; to
pray with David, ' Do good to thy servant,' &c., and to rest assured he
will do it, because it is his word, his promise, 1 Kings viii. 24-26.

2. Fiducial recumbence. Casting himself upon God, without the media
tion of a promise, and relying, depending on him for the grant of what he
asks, when faith in prayer supports itself upon God immediately ; which
act of faith has place either when there is no particular promise of the

200 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

thing asked, or faith is so weak as it cannot make use of it by way of
application. There are other supports of faith besides a promise, and
other acts of faith besides applying a promise, which the soul putting forth
in prayer may be said to ask in faith, and this act of dependence is one in
special. Faith can read an answer of prayer in the name of God, and stay
itself there, when a promise appears not, or, through faith's weakness,
cannot support it, Isaiah 1. 10, 11.

3. A general persuasion that the prayer shall be heard. I call it general,
to distinguish it from that particular persuasion that the thing asked shall
be presently granted, or granted at all, which is not simply necessary to
this duty. The prayer may be heard, though the thing desired be not
presently bestowed, or not bestowed at all. And so a man may pray in
faith, though he be not confident that what he prays for shall be given
him, much more that it shall not be presently given. Zachariah prayed
in faith, and it is like he prayed when he was young, yet a child, though
that which he asked, was not given him till he was old, Luke i. 13. Noah
prayed that God would persuade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem, and
he prayed in faith ; yet this was not granted till many hundred years after.
Christ prayed in faith that the cup might pass from him, the bitterness of
death ; yet he had not a particular persuasion that this should be granted ;
for this persuasion had been false, for it was not granted ; yet was his
prayer heard, Heb. v. 7. Paul prayed in faith that he might be free from
that messenger of Satan ; that mercy was not granted ; yet was his prayer
heard and graciously answered : 2 Cor. xii. 9, ' My grace is sufficient.' A
prayer may be heard, though the mercy desired be not granted; therefore
it is not necessary to this duty that a man should have a special persuasion
to receive what he asks. He prays in faith, who is persuaded in general
that his prayer shall be heard, referring the answer to the wisdom and
goodness of God, to be returned when and in what kind he pleases. He
that believes God will hear his prayer, though he be not confident that he
will grant this particular desired, yet prays in faith.

4. A special confidence that the very same thing which is asked shall be
given. This is the highest and rarest act of faith ; and if the mercy
desired be temporal, it is extraordinary, not raised in the heart but by
special instinct ; yet may it now and then be vouchsafed to some who are
admitted to sweeter familiarity and nearer communion with God, Ps. xxvii.

Use. Take notice of the misery of unbelievers. They that cannot pray
in faith must not expect to have their prayers heard. All men have not
faith, though most presume. They cannot give an account how or when
it was wrought, cannot shew their faith by their works. Such, though they
make many prayers, God will not hear. If this be your case, what will ye
do for support in distress, for supply of wants, for removal of fears and
dangers ? It is the great, the sweet privilege of believers, whatever they
ask in Christ's name it shall be given. It is the misery of unbelievers,
whatsver they ask it shall be denied, or given in wrath. ' Call upon me,'
says the Lord to believers, ' in the day of trouble, and I will hear you.'
Unbelievers must read the contrary : ' Though ye call, I will not hear,' &c.
To believers Christ says, ' Ask, and it shall be given ; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:' but to them, Though ye
ask, I will not give, &c. Christ says to them, as to the Jews, ' Ye shall
seek me, but shall not find me, and whither I go ye shall not come ;' and if
they must not come to Christ, whither then? Christ will neither hear
them in life, nor at death, nor after death. Those that live in unbelief may

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 201

read their doom, ver. 7 ; those that die in it, Christ will send them to the
gods they have served. He will say, Ye would not come to me, believe in
me, that ye might have life ; therefore ye shall die in your sins, die now,
die for ever. And after death, if you come with the foolish virgins, and
knock at the bridegroom's chamber, Christ will profess, ' I know you not,'
and command a sad and everlasting departure.

Obj. The Ninevites prayed, and were heard, Jonah iii. 7, 8, 10. Ahab
prays, and is heard, 1 Kings xxi. 27, 29 ; yet both unbelievers, Ahab noto
riously, ver. 25, 26.

Ans. 1. As a prayer may be heard, yet the thing prayed for not granted,
so the thing desired may be granted, and yet the prayer not heard : so it
is with unbelievers ; for, to speak strictly and properly, a prayer is not
heard, but when both person and prayer is accepted. None are accepted but
in Christ, and none are in Christ but by faith ; therefore unbelievers, both
person and prayer, are not accepted, and consequently their prayer not
heard ; though what they pray for be granted, it is not out of respect to
the prayer.

Ans. 2. The Lord gives nothing but temporal things upon the prayers of
unbelievers. The Ninevites obtained but a temporal deliverance, no more
does Ahab ; not a removal of the judgment threatened, but a delay of the
execution ; not forgiveness, but forbearance. In the next generation, as
some observe, Nineveh was quite destroyed ; and the evil threatened to
Ahab's family surprised it in his son's days, and the severest part of it is
executed upon himself, chap. xxii. 24. Unbelievers do not unfeignedly
desire spiritual mercies, grace, regeneration, holiness ; none desire these
but those that in some degree have them, ' found of them that seek him not.'
And will the Lord hear a prayer not accompanied with unfeigned desires ?

Ans. 3. He gives not temporals in mercy, when unbelievers pray for
them. Israel desires a king, he gives them one in wrath : they desire flesh,
he sends quails, but sends his wrath upon them ; that pleasant meat had
bitter sauce, Ps. cvi. 15, Num. vi. 11, 33, Ps. Ixxviii. 29-31. He gives them
outward blessings, but curses them. Unbelievers, as such, have nothing
in mercy, because neither rise nor issue merciful ; not the rise, they pro
ceed not from love ; nor the issue, they make them not better. That is
cursed which brings not a soul-blessing with it. Then only prayer is heard
properly when mercy is the return of it.

Obj. If the Lord will not hear, why should we pray ?

Ans. 1. We are obliged to obedience, though we be not assured of any
reward. Subjection to God is necessary, being founded in our natures, as
his creatures, and such creatures. Reward is arbitrary, as being grounded
merely on his will, which moves freely. Though God do not hear, we are
bound to pray, for he has commanded.

Ans. 2. Though unbelievers sin in praying, and therefore God will not
hear them, yet they sin worse in not praying at all. It is a more heinous
sin not to pray, than not to pray in faith. A total omission is a greater
abomination than an undue performance. It is much worse to fail in the
substance than in the manner only.

Ans. 3. It is more dangerous not to pray at all, than to pray amiss. The
danger is proportionable to the heinousness of the sin. He may deny
mercy to those that pray amiss, but he will pour wrath on those that pray
not at all, Jer. x. 25.

Use. Exhortation to practise this duty. Whatever ye do, ask ; whenever
ye ask, ask in faith. Nothing more necessary than prayer ; no qualifica-

202 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

tion of prayer more necessary than faith. Of all duties and privileges,
none more advantageous and comfortable than prayer ; but it is faithful
prayer : for without faith there is neither advantage by it, nor comfort
in it. To pray, and not in faith, is to profane the ordinance, to
take God's name in vain, and to pray in vain. Pray as much, as often
as you will, if not in faith, you lose your labour. The apostle is per
emptory : ver. 7, ' Let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the
Lord.'

Now to prevent this wavering, this doubting, so dishonourable and offen
sive to God ; so prejudicial, dangerous, uncomfortable to you : let me pre
scribe some directions, the observance of which will establish the heart,
and encourage faith, in your approaches to God.

Direct. 1. Get assurance of your interest in the covenant ; that Christ has
loved you, and washed you from your sins in his blood ; that he has given
you his Spirit ; that you are reconciled and in favour. If you be sure you
are his favourites, you may be sure to have his ear. As acceptance of per
sons goes before acceptance of services, so assurance of that is the ground
of confidence in this : 1 John v. 13-15, ' These things have I written,
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him,
that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we
know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the peti
tions that we desired of him.' First, assurance that ye have eternal life,
and then confidence that he will hear. If ye know that ye have right to
eternal life by faith, the first fruits of it, then ye may be sure he will hear
and grant ; not hear in vain, but make sweet returns to the petitions he
hears, ver. 15. : John xv. 7, ' If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' First assure
your union, and then doubt not of your audience. Union goes before
audience, so assurance of one goes before assurance of the other.

Faith in its infancy may put forth some weaker acts of recumbency and
dependence upon God for answer of prayer ; but till it be grown up to
assurance, it cannot be confident that he will hear or answer.

Direct. 2. Consider, the Lord is engaged to hear prayer. If the Lord be
engaged, strong engagements lie upon him to hear. Faith may conclude
he will hear, for he will not, he cannot, be false to his engagement ; but he
is engaged strongly, by his titles, attributes, &c.

(1.) His titles : Ps. Ixv. 2, ' 0 thou that hearest prayer !' This is one
of his titles of honour, he is a God that hears prayer ; and it is as truly
ascribed to him as mercy or justice. He hears all prayer, ' therefore unto
thee shall all flesh come.' He never rejects any that deserves the name of
a prayer, how weak, how unworthy soever the petitioner be. All flesh !
and will he (may faith say) reject mine only ? Eom. x. 12, ' He is rich
unto all that call upon him ;' Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, ' Thou art plenteous in mercy
to all that call upon thee ;' Heb. xi. 6, ' A rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.' This must be believed as certainly as we believe that God is.
As sure as God is the true God, so sure is it that none who sought him
diligently departed from him without a reward. He rewards all seekers,
for indefinita in materia necessaria aquipollet universali. And if all, why
not me ? You may as well doubt that he is God as doubt that he will not
reward, not hear prayer ; so James i. 5, ' If any man lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it
shall be given him.'

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 203

(2.) His attributes. To instance in his power and goodness ; from
hence faith may infer that he is both willing and able to hear, and from
hence confidently conclude that he shall be heard. These are strong sup
ports of faith, like the pillars of Solomon's temple : Boaz, ' In him is
strength,' i. e., he is able ; and Jachim, ' He will establish,' i. e., he is
willing, 2 Chron. iii. 17. When you pray, consider he is,

[1.] Able to hear and give what you ask. It is gross atheism to doubt
of this, to question omnipotency. If able to do all things, then sure what
you pray for. Omnipotency has no bounds, no nil ultra to it, no limit to
this but his will : Ps. cxxxv. 6, ' Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did
he in heaven and earth.' Consider he can do,

First, Abundantly, Eph. iii. 20. He can do more than we ask. We
can think more than we have any reason or necessity to ask ; he can do
more than we can think, abundantly more, exceeding abundantly. He has
done more at the requests of his people than we can ask, and he can do
more than he has done : create more worlds ; Heb. vii. 25, ' Save to the
uttermost.'

Secondly, Easily. He can do the greatest thing you ask more easily
than you can do the least thing you think. That which all the united
strength of men and angels, the whole creation, cannot do at all, or not
without great labour and travail, he can do as easily as you can move a
finger or turn an eye ; he can do that with a word, with a look, which all
the creatures in heaven and earth cannot do with their whole strength ;
Mat. viii. 8, he can work a miracle with a word, how easily then can he
do all that you need ask ! And if it be so easy for him to grant, why
should faith doubt ?

Thirdly, Safely. Without any loss or damage to himself, without any
diminution of that infinite store that is in himself. Whatever he gives he
has never the less, for he bestows favours as the sun communicates light ;
the sun loseth nothing by shining, the more it shines the more illustrious ;
the more he bestows, the more glorious. All that you can desire is not so
much to God as a drop is to the whole ocean. The sea would lose some
thing, though an inconsiderable loss, by the subtraction of a drop; but
God, whatever he gives, loses nothing, because what he bestows are things
without him.

[2.] He is willing. Faith seldom questions God's power ; that which
hinders its actings is doubts whether he is willing. But there is more
reason to question this, for he is as willing as he is able. His goodness is
infinite, and so nothing less than his greatness. Nay, he is as willing (if
not more willing) to hear as you are to pray, as willing to grant as you to
petition, as willing you should have what you desire as you are to have it;
nay, more ; which appears from,

First, His secret will. He was willing, resolved, determined to hear,
before you were willing to ask. He decreed it from eternity ; he was will
ing before you had a will, a being. Nay, he was not only willing before,
but he was the cause why you are willing. You must not think that your
prayers move God to be willing; his will is the same for ever, not subject
to the least motion or alteration. Prayers are rather a sign than a cause
that God is willing. He is not made willing because we pray, but because
he is willing he stirs up our hearts to pray : Ps. x. 17, ' Lord, thou hast
heard the desire of the humble : thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt
cause thine ear to hear.' He is first desirous to do us good, and then
makes us desire it, and pray for it, that we may have them in his own way, — .

204 FAITH IN PRAYEB. [JAMES I. 6.

a clear evidence he is more desirous than we, because he makes us, so our
desires spring from this.

Secondly, His revealed will. He that prescribes the only course where
by prayer may get audience without fail, and commands us to follow that
course, is more willing prayer shall be heard than those that are negligent
in observing that only fallible way. But so it is, the Lord has commanded
and prescribed such a course, which punctually followed, prayer can never
return without the answer desired. But the best of men are more or less
negligent in observing this prescript; therefore he is more willing our
prayers should be heard than we ourselves.

Now, since the Lord is willing, and so willing, to hear, why should we
not believe that he will hear ? What strong encouragement is here to
pray in faith ! There is as much reason to believe that God will hear as
there is to believe that you are willing to be heard. You may as well
doubt that you are unwilling to be heard, as that God is unwilling to hear.

Thirdly, Christ's intercession. A great encouragement to faith, and so
it is propounded by the apostle : Heb. iv. 14, 16, ' Seeing that we have a
great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold fast our profession ;' ' Let us come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy,' &c. ; pera fa^fflas, a confident free
dom to speak all your mind and heart. And speak it with assurance of
prevailing : Heb. x. 19, 22, ' Having boldness to enter into the holiest by
the* blood of Jesus ; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance
of faith :' sv nXrigotpogia, wlarws. Why ? Having a high priest whose
office is to intercede. In him, as such, we may have access with boldness
and confidence, Eph. iii. 12 ; <s^v inc££«|«for, &c., iv KiKoiQriaii. This
affords many things to embolden faith, and make it confident in its access
by prayer.

First, He appears for us, Heb. ix. 24 ; he entered into heaven for this
purpose ; and for this end he sits on the right hand of the Majesty in the
heavens, Heb. viii. 1. How confident might you present a petition, if
assured that one who not only has the greatest power, but all power, in
the court where you prefer it, would appear for you ! Christ has all power
in heaven and earth ; in that court where your petition is to be presented,
he appears for you who thinks it no robbery to be equal with God, he who
can do whatever he will in the whole world. And can you doubt but that
your petitions will prevail, when Christ owns you and stands up in your
behalf?

Secondly, He presents us, our persons, unto God ; presents us as ac
quitted from guilt, adorned with his righteousness, united to himself; in
so near relations, as if we be rejected he must be rejected. He presents
us as free from whatsoever might exasperate justice, provoke wrath, or
render us in our addresses in the leastwise unacceptable, Zech. iii. 4. No
filthy garments, nothing in our persons, so presented, can prejudice our
petitions. This was typified by the high priest carrying the names of all
the tribes on his breast into the holy of holies. He presents us to his
Father as the travail of his soul ; as though he should say, ' Behold I, and
the children whom thou hast given me.' He presents us as those that are
as dear to him as his spouse, does as it were take us by the hand and lead
us to his Father and our Father, Eph. iii. 12 ; Kgosayuyriv seems to inti
mate such a similar posture. And Paul's expression, as some think, does
imply as much : Philip, iii. 12, ' I follow after, if that I may apprehend
that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' He presents us as

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 205

those that are as near to him as his own members. And in reference to
that intimate union we are said, Eph. ii. 6, to ' sit with him in heavenly
places.' He presents us in such a lovely, endearing posture, as we need
not doubt of acceptance, though himself should not pray for us: John
xvi. 27, the Father himself loveth you, because he hath loved me. And
when we are thus presented, what reason to doubt but that the Lord will
hold forth the golden sceptre ?

Thirdly, He offers our prayers. This was the high priest's office, Heb.
v. 1, and viii. 3. And he was a type of Christ therein. The Lord receives
our petitions from his hand, Rev. viii. 4. He, as it were, takes us in one
hand, and our petitions in the other, and in this engaging posture delivers
them; and can you fear the Lord will reject a petition delivered by the hand
of Christ ?

Fourthly, He sanctifies our prayers, and separates whatever is offensive
from them. The Levitical priests were his type in this, who were to bear
the iniquity of the holy things, Exod. xxviii. 36, 38. When the Lord
looks upon Christ he takes notice of nothing but holiness in the prayers
presented by him ; he reads nothing in them as offered by Christ, but
holiness to the Lord, Christ expunges the rest. Christ is always ready at
hand to present them : ' He ever lives,' &c. He intercedes as Paul for
Onesimus: ' I beseech thee for my sons,' Philem. 9. And if there be any
thing blame- worthy, put that on mine account, ver. 18, 19. He stands up
as our advocate, to prevent the prejudice that sin might bring to our prayers,
1 John ii. 1. He not only petitions, but pleads. It is just and equal that
the Lord should not take notice of sin in our prayers, so as to reject them,
because he has fully satisfied even for every failing. If anything should
make faith doubt of the success of prayer, it is their sinfulness ; but Christ
prevents that, for he has so fully satisfied for that, as the Lord will not,
cannot take notice of it, so as to be angry with prayers. It is through the
virtue of Christ's intercession that our prayers are not dead works, that
they are freed from that guilt that would make them deadly. For this end
he entered into the holy place with blood, Heb. ix. 12, sprinkling unclean
prayers, that they may be sanctified and pure, 13, 14. And when they are
thus purged, they are services acceptable to God, 1 Peter ii. 5. It is
Christ's work to purge, and this his end, Mai. iii. 3, 4. He shall sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, &c.
Now, is there any room for faith to doubt here ? Will not the Lord accept
of that which is rendered acceptable by Christ ? Can he be displeased
with that which through Christ is pleasant to him ? Will he reject a peace-
offering ? Mai. i. 11. Christ's intercession leaves no exception. Will he
deny a prayer against which he has no exception ? Faith must either be
confident here, or entertain blasphemous thoughts of God.

Fifthly, He answers all accusations that can be framed against our
prayers. And indeed he having undertaken to remove all just ground of
accusation, whatever is that way suggested reflects upon the sufficiency of
his undertaking ; and therefore it nearly concerns him to vindicate them,
since if any exceptions can be taken to our prayers, for the utter rejecting
of them, his own merit and satisfaction is equally liable thereto. Hence it
is that he takes up Satan with such indignation for accusing Joshua :
Zech. iii. 1,2,' The Lord rebuke thee, Satan,' &c. And hence it is that
Paul's confidence rises up into a triumph : Rom. viii. 33, ' Who can lay
anything to the charge of God's elect ?' &c. And if our prayers can be
charged with nothing to hinder the Lord from answering, why should we

206 FAITH IN PRAYEK. [JAMES*I. 6.

doubt but be will answer tbem ? Will tbe Lord reject tbat against which
there is no exception ? Can we imagine the Lord will be of such a
disposition, as none but the perversest of men are guilty of, to except
against that which is freed from exception ? Or will the Lord hearken
to Satan rather than his own Son ? Such reason is there for confidence
here, that we must either believe, or entertain most horrid thoughts of
God.

Sixthly, He mingles his own prayers and intercession with our requests.
He joins with us, and as it were petitions that our petitions may be
received. He adds the virtue of his merits to our prayers, and this, as
incense, does sweeten and make them acceptable ; so that these and all
other services are like those contributions of the saints which Paul mentions,
Philip, iv. 18, an odour of a sweet smell, or like Noah's offering, Gen.
viii. 21, from which the Lord smelled a sweet savour.

This was typified by the legal service. While the people under the
law were praying without, the priest offered incense within, Luke i. 8-10 ;
answerably, while we are praying, Christ offers incense to sweeten them,
and make them ascend as a delightful odour before God, Rev. viii. 8, 4.

Seventhly, That Christ does not only present us and our petitions unto
the Father, but does as it were prefer a petition himself to the Lord, that
he would answer our prayers, so that if the Lord deny us he must deny
him too ; and can we doubt Christ will be denied ? We are as sure to be
heard as Christ himself, and the Father always hears him, John xi. 42,
xii. 28. No surer ground of confidence in the world than Christ's prayer
for us.

It is true indeed, the Scripture, in describing Christ's intercession, uses
some expressions which must not be taken properly ; for if so understood,
according to the letter, they import something inconsistent with Christ's
glorious state, and his equality with the Father. But yet we have ground
enough to say and believe that Christ prays for us, for Christ himself
professes it, John xvii. He did pray, and he promises he will pray, John
xvi. 26, John xiv. 16. And the Father expects and requires it, Ps. ii. 8,
even after his exaltation.

There are four acts of Christ which amount to as much as prayers for
us, are more than equivalent thereto, and afford more encouragement to
faith than if he should now pray for us after the manner of men. I do the
more willingly insist on this particular, because Christ's praying for us,
and the success of our prayers, is such a confirmation of faith as leaves no
room for doubting.

(1.) His requests on earth, which are properly and formally a prayer,
and such a prayer as, though made on earth, is no less effectual than if it
were now made in heaven, for he is always heard, then as well as now,
John xi. 42. This prayer is delivered to us, John xvii. Wherein observe
for whom, ver. 20, not only for his disciples, but for all that shall believe
to the end of the world. For what ? For all things that we stand in
need of while we are on earth, nay, to all eternity. It is so comprehen
sive as there is nothing we can desire of God but may be reduced to some
of his petitions ; so that whatever we need desire was granted to Christ
praying for us,» before we actually pray for it. Therefore in respect our
petitions are as good as granted before they be performed,* Christ has
prevented us in desiring all things of his Father for us that we can desire
for ourselves. Therefore when we go to pray, faith may be encouraged to
* Qu. 'preferred'?— ED.

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 207

consider that Christ prayed for us, and was heard as to those very parti
culars which we are to pray for.

(2.) The cry of his blood ; that is metaphorically, yet really a prayer.
It is a pleading, a speaking blood: 'It speaks better things,' &c., Heb.
xii. 24. It is as effectual to procure the bestowing of those things which
are purchased by it as innocent blood is to procure vengeance for those that
spill it. Christ's blood is an importunate, a prevailing advocate, it is never
non-suited ; its plea is justice ; it is just the Lord should hear our prayers,
since this was one end for which the blood of Christ was shed ; it is just
our request should be granted, since his blood was the price of this pri
vilege ; the Lord should be unjust, and undervalue the blood of his Son,
if he should not give that which he shed his blood to purchase. You must
either believe upon this consideration, or blaspheme. It is the blood of
the covenant, Heb. x. 29, by which the blessings of the covenant were
purchased and are confirmed. Now that is one article of the covenant,
that whatever we ask in Christ's name shall be given ; and his blood cries
for the performance of this, and justice itself hears it. It is but a righteous,
a just thing in reference to Christ, though pure mercy to us, that all our
prayers should be heard.

(8.) The will of his divine nature ; this is transcendently a prayer. A
prayer I call it, because his prayer on earth runs in the same tenor: John
xvii. 24, ' Father, I will,' &c. It is the will of Christ, as he is God, that
all our prayers should be heard, else he would not so often promise it. A
prayer transcendently, because though it differ from ours in form, yet it
far, yea infinitely, transcends them in efficacy. His bare will, as he is God,
is more effectual for the comfortable returns of our petitions than if as man,
and as he was upon earth, he should prostrate himself, and with strong
cries and tears importune the Lord to answer us ; for his divine will is
all one with his Father's will, they differ not ; therefore if the Father
should deny him, he should deny himself. Here is encouragement
indeed ; we may as well imagine he will deny himself as doubt he will
deny us.

(4.) The desires of his human nature. This is effectuallly a prayer, it
has all that is essential to a prayer. The voice and outward posture are
but accidents. It is a mental, though not a vocal prayer; has as much of
a prayer in it as any angel or soul can make, 1 Sam. i. 13. This was his
desire on earth, and this is his desire in heaven, that all our prayers may be
answered. His affection to us was not impaired by his removal, but rather
improved, and he that was heard in that which he feared will be heard in
that which he desires. Now let faith put all these together, and it will be
easy to read the necessity of an answer. Let it observe the premises, and
it may well conclude the Lord will answer. If the Lord will hear his
Son, if he will not deny himself, if he cannot be unrighteous, if he cannot
be changeable, then he will hear us.

4. The Spirit's office. He is a Spirit of supplication, Zech. xii. 10. It
is his function to intercede for us, to pray in us, i. e., to make our prayers.
He, as it were, writes our petitions in the heart, we offer them ; he indites
a good matter, we express it. That prayer which we are to believe
will be accepted, is the work of the Holy Ghost ; it is his voice, motion,
operation, and so his prayer. Therefore when we pray he is said to pray,
and our groans are called his, and our design and intent in prayer his
meaning, tpoovr,fict, ro\j crvs-^aaro;, Rom. viii. 26, 27, ffuvavr/Xa/i/Sacgra/ ; he
joins with us in prayer, and supports us under infirmities with his own

208 FAITH IN PEAYER. JAMES I. 6.

strength, vvtgtvrvyxuvfi vveg ^awv. That prayer is the work of the Spirit,
appears in many particulars.

(1.) He stirs us up to pray. He prepares and disposes, incites and inclines

the heart to make requests ; removes that backwardness, averseness, in-

disposedness, that is in us naturally unto this spiritual service : Ps. x. 17,

' Thou wilt prepare their heart.' He prepares it by his Spirit. Interpellat,

says Augustine, quia interpellare nos facit. He intercedes for us, because

he makes us to intercede. He stirs us up to do it, nos ad preces instigat,

excites us, provokes us to pray. Nemo sponte prameditari vel unam syllabam

potest, no man of his own accord can premeditate one syllable, says Calvin,

nisi arcano spiritus sui instinctu nos Dens pulsat, but that God by the secret

instinct of his Spirit does knock up the heart to it ; he puts the heart into

a praying frame, and sometimes excites us so powerfully, as we cannot

withhold from pouring out our souls before him. As it was with the

prophet in another case, — Jer. xx. 9, ' His word was in mine heart as a

burning fire,' &c., — so, as to prayer, the workings of the Spirit are some

times so powerful in the heart, so fill the soul, that it cannot contain, but

must vent itself, and pour out its requests. Thus with David : Ps.

xxxix. 2, 3, ' I was dumb with silence ; I held my peace, even from good ;

and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me ; while I was

musing, the fire burned : then spake I with my tongue.' Those that have

the spirit of prayer, do find this by experience, especially when the Lord

intends, and is about to shew them some special favour, or do some great

thing for them, he stirs them up answerably to seek it ; so that often, if

they observe it, they may discover the return of their prayers in the temper

and workings of their hearts to it. The Spirit's preparing the heart to pray,

signifies the Lord will cause his ear to hear.

(2.) He presents matter, teaches what we shall pray for. This is plain
in the apostle's expression, Kom. viii. We know not what is proper and
expedient for us, what is seasonable, what is best for us, or when it will be
so. We of ourselves would be ready to ask that which is impertinent, or
unseasonable, or hurtful to us ; we would have ease, and liberty, and
plenty, and deliverance out of troubles, or freedom from sufferings ; we
would have joy and assurance, yea, triumphs and raptures ; we would have
these or the like presently, and in full measure, at such a time, or in such
a degree as might be prejudicial to our souls ; and so we would seek them
if we were left to ourselves, if the Spirit did not better direct us, and lead
us to what is most necessary, and proper, and advantageous. And this xara
Qsov IvTwyxaw, he helps us to pray according to the will of God, for such
things as are according to his will. Ut benepossit mens orare, says Ambrose,*
pracedit Spiritus, et deducit earn in viam rectam ; that the soul may pray
well, the Spirit goes before it, and guides it into the right way, that we
may not seek what is carnal, nor things that are either too small or too
great for us. A good physician knows what diet is most proper, and when
it will be most for the advantage of health. The opportuneness of meat
sometimes restores the health, which, if it be taken unseasonably, endangers
the patient ; therefore, says he, because we know not what to pray for, and
how we ought to seek it, postulat pro nobis Spiritus, the Spirit intercedes for
us, viz., by directing us what to ask.

(3.) He helps his people to expressions ; and therefore that manner of
praying seems best, which gives most liberty to the Spirit in its workings,
and leaves us under his influence and assistance, not only as to the inward,
* Ambr. 1. iv., Epist. 23.

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYEB. 209

but also as to the outward manner of praying, letting the Spirit clothe his'own
matter in his own dress,' and taking words from him as well as things, when
he is pleased to afford them. I do not say that all the expressions used by
his people in prayer are from the Spirit, nor that he always helps them to
expressions immediately. Whether they have them by the use of such
means as he has appointed and concurs with, or whether they have them
by immediate suggestion, either way they are from the assistance of the
Spirit ; and that he is ready to assist them some way, even as to words,
seems signified by the apostle's expression, Rom viii. which I have opened
before, and shall now further insist on. The word is l^i^vrvy^avn ; IvTwy-
ysdvstv xara ri'va, is to act as an accuser, a xanjyogoj ; vxegsvTwy%dvitv \i<xt%
rivog, is to act as an advocate, a ffui/^yogoj. And so the Holy Ghost is
frequently in the New Testament called an Advocate. ITa|axX7jToj, as the
Spirit is called by our Lord Jesus, is an Advocate, one called in for the
assistance of a client. And very fitly may TagaxXjjros be rendered an
advocate, this comprehending the other notions, whereby it is expressed,
particularly that of a comforter, by which it is translated. For an advocate
is the comfort and encouragement of his client, advises him, pleads for him,
moves for him, draws up his petitions or motions, dictating the form or
words. And so vaeax'kriais in other authors is sometimes used for a prayer
or petition, and -zrasaxaXs/v is to petition or invocate. Now the Holy Ghost
is an advocate for his people, both with men and with God. And by
observing how he performs this ofiice for them with men, we may probably
collect how he performs it for them with God. He acts as an advocate for
them with men, by telling them what they shall say when they are brought
before men's tribunal, Mat. x. 20, Mark xiii. 11, Luke xii. 11, 12, and
xxi. 14, 15 ; answerably he acts as their advocate with God by dictating or
suggesting to them what they shall say in prayer, when they come to the
throne of grace. And so the best interpreters that I meet with explain the
expression. Veluti verba et suspiria nobis intus dictat,* he doth as it were
inwardly dictate to us words and sighs ; he assists us by his holy inspira
tion both with powerful and effectual words and sighs ; he telleth us as it
were within what we shall say, prompteth as it were our lesson to us.f

(4.) He stirs up affections in prayer suitable to the subject thereof, joy
or sorrow, and love and delight, with earnest desires, called envayftoi • fills
the heart with affections and motions, as manifest themselves by sighs and
groans, and cannot otherwise be expressed, therefore called dXaXjjro/ ; so
full of affectionate workings as it cannot find vent by words.

A pretender to the Spirit has more in his expressions than is in his heart ;
but one effectually assisted by the Spirit, has more in his heart than he
can express ; the words of those over-reach, but the expressions of these
fall short of what they feel within. The Spirit helps his people to the
sense of their spiritual state, makes them sensible of their spiritual wants,
their inward distempers, their soul-grievances ; makes them apprehensive
of the importance, the necessity, the excellency of what they are to seek,
and hence spring love to them, desires after them, zeal and fervour in
seeking them. Hence those affectionate workings in their hearts, which
are too big to be let out by words, which are signified by sighs and groans,
such as cannot otherwise be uttered.

(5.) He acts graces in prayer ; helps the weakness and infirmity of
spiritual habits and principles, and draws them out into vigorous exercise.
He helps the soul to approach with confidence, and yet with reverence ;
* Beza. t Eng. Annot.

VOL. I. O

210 FAITH IN PKAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

with filial fear, and yet with an emboldened faith ; with zeal and importunity,
and yet with humble submission ; with lively hope, and yet with self-denial.
As it is the Spirit of supplication, so it is the Spirit of grace, not only
works grace in the heart, but sets it a-work, and brings it into exercise, as
in other acts and duties, so especially in that of supplication.

(6.) He removes, or helps the soul against distempers which are ready
to seize on the soul in prayer, distractions, straitness of heart, indifferency,
formality, lukewarmness, hypocrisy, weariness, pride, self-confidence. Now
since thus much of prayer is to be ascribed to the Spirit, since he gives
both matter and form, expression and affection, the act and motion to the
act, since he teaches both when, and what, and how we should pray, affords
assistance answerable, well may believers' prayers be counted the work,
&c., of the Spirit. And this consideration affords great encouragement to
faith. If prayer were our own work only, we might fear it would be rejected,
for all our righteousness is as filthy rags ; but the work of the Spirit must
needs be acceptable, yea, accepted. If we ourselves only spoke, the Lord
might shut his ear and refuse to hear sinners. But prayer is the voice of
the Spirit : he speaks in us and by us, Mat. x. 20 ; and the Lord will
certainly listen to that voice. Prayer is the motion of the Spirit, and what
ever motion he makes in, the court of heaven, it can never be rejected. If
we prayed of ourselves only, the Lord might refuse to send any comfortable
returns ; but since the Spirit intercedes for us, the Lord cannot deny him,
else he should deny himself. Nobis gemendi et interpellandi imponit affectum*
The Spirit intercedes as effectually, though not in the same manner, as
Christ. Christ intercedes by office, the Spirit by operation. Christ appears
in person for us, and pleads our cause himself; the Spirit inspires and
assists us to plead for ourselves. Not only through Christ, but by the
Spirit we have access, Eph. ii. 18. And will the Lord exclude those who
have access by the Spirit ? The Spirit ' strengthens us with might in the
inner man,' Eph. iii. 16, and the strength of the Spirit will prevail, as
Jacob. Come armed with this strength, and you may come boldly, Heb.
x. 15, 19.

5. Consider his providence. That affords many encouragements to faith.

(l.).He hears those that cannot pray, answers that which cannot be
called a prayer. He hears irrational creatures, brutes, listens to their cries,
though they want both matter and form of praying. He rewards their very
looks, answers their expectations, fulfils their desires, though they do not,
nor cannot be properly said, either to look up to him, or wait on him, or
desire of him. Ps. civ. 21, ' The young lions roar after their prey, and
seek their meat of God ; ' ver. 27, ' These wait all upon thee, that thou
mayest give them their meat in due season : thou openest thine hand ; '
ver. 28, ' They are filled with good ; ' Ps. cxlvii. 9, ' He giveth to the beast
his food, to the young ravens that cry ;' Ps. cxlv. 15, 16, ' The eyes of all
wait upon thee, and thou givest them meat in due season : thou openest
thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.' They do but
open their eyes, and God opens his hand. They do but intimate a natural
desire by crying and looking, and God satisfies.

Now may faith say, as 1 Cor. ix. 9, ' Doth God take care for oxen ? or
saith he it altogether for our sakes ? For our sakes no doubt, that he
that prayeth should pray in faith,' &c. Will the Lord hear lions and ravens,
and will he not hear me ? Will he satisfy their natural, and not my spiritual
desires ? Will he regard when their eyes are lift up, and not the lifting

* August.

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRATER. 211

up of my heart ? Am not I much better than they ? It is Christ's own
argument to strengthen faith, Mat. vi. 26. Shall he not much more hear
me ? ver. 30. He that will doubt here, deserves the brand of 6X/yoV;ffro?,
may well pass for one that has little faith. It is very weak, if this will not
support it.

(2.) He grants some things to men that they pray not for ; much more
will he grant when they pray: Isa. Ixv. 1, ' I am found of them that sought
me not ; ' ver. 24, ' Before they call, I will answer.' Some things, nay,
the greatest, are granted to those that pray not. No prayer had any influ
ence in election, and our prayers did contribute nothing to the glorious
work of redemption. These fountains of all our mercies were digged with
out the help of any ; the greatest, the sweetest streams of love that issue
hence run freely, before our prayers can draw them out. Regeneration,
justification, pardon, adoption, reconciliation, are bestowed on those who
cannot, who will not pray for them. For we cannot unfeignedly desire
these, before they are given ; and will we pray for that which we do not
desire ? And how many other mercies, which we thought not of before we
enjoyed them ! Much precious fruit falls into our laps, before we by prayer
shake the tree. It may be they were the issue of some other's prayers,
but not of ours. Now if the water of life do flow in such streams upon us
when we pray not, how pleasantly will they flow when they are drawn by
the attractive power of prayer ! If the Lord is found when we seek not,
open when we knock not, answer when we call not, how much more will
he open and answer when we knock and call ! If the greatest be vouch
safed before we have hearts to pray, how confident may we be that prayer
will obtain the less !

(3.) He makes some kind of returns to the prayers of unbelievers. He
heard the voice of Ishmael, Gen. xxi. 17, 18, &c., a persecutor ; of Ahab,
the most abominable of all the twenty kings of Israel. Now if they be
heard in any sense, who hate God and are hated of him, they whose prayers
are as the bowlings of dogs, an abomination, to whom God is no way engaged,
who have none to intercede, none to help their infirmities, no promise, how
much more those who are his servants, and have interest in the intercession
of Christ ?

6. Consider the nature and dignity of prayer, which affords divers argu
ments to confirm faith.

(1.) It is God's ordinance, instituted and enjoined for this end. He
commands us to pray, that we may be heard ; and therefore ordinarily,
where you meet with a command, you find a promise : ' Call upon me in
the day of trouble, and I will answer ; ' 'Ask, and ye shall have,' Mat. viii.
7, 8. When he commands prayer, he promises audience. It was his
intention in this institution. Therefore if the Lord should not hear, his
ordinance would be in vain, the Lord should lose his end. And is it not
more easy to believe the Lord will hear it, than to believe he will come
shcrt of his end ?

(2.) He in Scripture adorns it with, and ascribes to it, many transcendent
privileges, such as, considered, may fortify the most languishing faith.
There is a strength in prayer which has power with God : Hos. xii. 3, 4,
' By his strength he had power with God : yea, he had power over the
angel, and prevailed ; he wept, and made supplication unto him.' That
strength was weeping and supplication. With this he wrestled, Gen. xxxii.
24. He had power, i.e., was a prince, a princely deportment. Poor dust
and ashes, in a praying posture, are in the state of princes, honourable and

212 FAITH IN PKAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

powerful, in such a state as the Lord will not resist ; therefore it must
prevail. The Lord may seem to wrestle, as though he would give a repulse
to the assaults of prayer, but this is hut to exercise the strength of this
princely champion ; he honours it so much, as in the issue he always suffers
it to prevail. No wonder if it be powerful, for it lays hold on God's strength.
So some apply that, Isa. xxvii. 5, ' Let him lay hold of my strength, that
he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace.' The Lord, for
our encouragement, condescends to express the power of grace in such
terms, as though it laid some restraint upon his infinite self : Exod. xxxii.
10, ' Let me alone.' He seems so unwilling to deny prayer, as though he
were unable to act anything against it. That is a transcendent expression,
Isa. xlv. 11, ' Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker,
Ask me of things to come concerning my sons ; and the work of my hands,
command ye me.' A wonderful indulgence ! An astonishing condescen
sion ! As though asking were commanding. It is blasphemy to imagine
that the creature should command the sovereign Majesty of heaven ; yet
thus much we may safely infer, prayer shall as surely prevail, as though it
could command ; it shall prevail as much with God, though infinitely above
us, as we can do with those who are under our command.

(3.) Prayer is the Lord's delight, the most pleasing service we can
ordinarily tender ; therefore he does not only most frequently command it,
but importunately sue for it. Let me hear thy voice, says Christ to his
spouse, Cant. ii. 14, for thy voice is sweet. It is sweet as incense, Ps.
cxli. 2 ; Prov. xv. 8, his delight ; ascends as the odour of a sweet smell ;
no sacrifice more acceptable. One sincere prayer pleases him better than
hundreds of rams, or thousands of rivers of oil. Therefore, after he had
declared how little he needs or regards sacrifices and burnt-offerings, he
tells what would better please him : Ps. 1. 14, 15, 'Offer unto God thanks
giving ; and pay thy vows to the Most High : and call upon him in the day
of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.' The reason is,
it most glorifies him ; it acknowledges and gives a clear testimony to most
of his glorious perfections, power, wisdom, bounty, goodness, immensity,
all-sufficiency, providence. Now that which most glorifies him does most
please, for his glory is the end of all his administrations. Now, will the
Lord reject that which pleases him ? will he not listen to that wherein his
soul delights ? will he not make gracious returns to that which is the most
acceptable service ?

(4.) He threatens men for not answering prayer : Prov. xxi. 13, ' Whoso
stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall cry himself, but shall
not be heard.' Now, will he do that himself for which he threatens us ?
Mat. xviii. 28. He will deal severely with those who will not hearken to
the importunity of such as seek to them in their want and distress.

7. The things prayed for may afford arguments for faith. Either they
are of great consequence or of small consequence. If small, then faith
may argue, Will the Lord stand with me for small things ? will he deny
inferior mercies ? will he who has granted greater things deny less ? will
not infinite love vouchsafe small favours ? will he who has given me Christ
deny any thing, any small thing ? will not he who has delivered your souls
from death deliver your feet from falling ? If of great consequence, faith
may argue, Though it be great, yet the Lord has granted greater to me, to
others. Is anything greater than Christ ? any of more importance than
pardon of sin ? is any more precious than the blood of Christ ? I can ask
nothing so great but the Lord has already granted greater ; or, suppose it

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 213

be the greatest thing that ever was granted to or desired by you, the
greater it is the more encouragement to ask it, the more hopes God will
grant it. It becomes the great God to grant great things, ' To him alone
who does great wonders,' Ps. cxxxvi. 4. When you ask great things, you
ask such as becomes God to give, ' whose mercy is great above the hea
vens,' Ps. Ivii. 10. Nothing under heaven can be too great for him to
give. The greater things he bestows, the greater glory redounds to his
name. Great and wondrous works speak the glorious honour of his
majesty, Ps. cxlv. 5. Great personages shew their magnificence by great
presents ; it is their delight, their honour. God shews his infinite great
ness by doing such things, bestowing such favours, as are above the crea
ture's power. Jehohsaphat argues, 2 Chron. xx. 6, ' Art thou not God in
heaven ? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathens ? and
in thine hand is there not power and might, so that not none is able to
withstand thee ? ' But suppose the greatness of what you desire does dis
courage, consider it is great only in your apprehension. Nothing is great
to God. See how he is described, Isa. xl. 15, 17, 22. What greater than
this vast fabric of heaven and earth ? How did the Lord make this only
with a word ? Let there be, and it was so, Ps. xxxiii. 6. It is true the
Lord speaks not, but this manner of expression tells us the effecting of the
greatest things is no more to him than the speaking of a word is to us,
2 Chron. xiv. 11, so 1 Sam. xiv. 6. It is all one with God to save by few
or many ; to do that which seems great to us, as that which seems small.

8. Consider the promises. The Lord has promised he will hear. If ye
doubt he will hear, ye doubt he is not faithful. Consider how many, how
universal, how engaging.

(1.) The multitude. No duty, no act, to which the Lord has made so
many promises as to prayer. Now, why should the Lord multiply his
promises, but that he will never fail to answer, but that he would have us
to be confident we shall never fail ?

(2.) Universality. He has promised again and again to hear whoever
prays, and grant whatever is prayed for. Whoever prays, whatever they
pray for, they shall be answered, it shall be granted. Whosoever: Joel
ii. 32, ' Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered;'
repeated Acts ii. 21 ; ' plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him,'
Ps. Ixxxvi. 5; 'nigh to all,' Ps. cxlv. 16; 'rich unto all,' Kom. x. 12.
Whatsoever: ' All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22 ; John xvi. 23, ' Ye shall ask me nothing ;
whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you ; '
1 John iii. 22, ' Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him;' John xv. 7, 'Ask
what you will, and it shall be done unto you.'

(3.) The oblifjement. It is more engaging to him than an oath, he more
values it than we our lives. It is more valuable to him than heaven and
earth ; he will suffer these to perish rather than a jot of his word shall fail:
' Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.'
The Lord would lose more by failing to answer than you by failing of an
answer. That is engaged for your security, which is more precious to God
than anything you ask: his word, truth, faithfulness, his seal, his oath, the
blood of his Son, all these are engaged in a promise.

9. Consider your relation to God. He is your Father ; Christ teaches
us to begin with this. This is a strong support to faith, and Christ makes
this use of it, to encourage us to pray, and pray in faith : Mat. vii. 7, 8,
' Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it

214 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

shall be opened to you,' &c. There is the promise. The argument whereby
he would persuade us to believe the promise in praying, see ver. 9—11.
The Lord is ready to give to them that ask, as the most indulgent father
to the best beloved child ; nay, more ready, much more ready : ' How
much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them
that ask him!' ver. 11. He is much more ready to give the greatest
favours, than earthly parents to give the least. That which is good things
in Matthew, is the Spirit in Luke xi. 13. And what greater gift than the
Spirit ? There are many things may hinder earthly parents, poverty, or
covetousness, but nothing to hinder God, he has infinite treasures and a
large heart ; he can give whatever we ask, ' The earth is the Lord's,' &c. ;
and he is more willing, as much more as heaven is above earth.

10. He gets glory by hearing prayer. We do not only glorify him by
praying, as I shewed before, but he glorifies himself by answering prayer,
Ps. 1. The Lord gets by giving, gets that which is of more account with
him than what he gives. It is his interest to grant as well as ours to
receive. If the Lord should reject our prayers, he would reject his own
honour.

11. Consider the success of others, how effectual the prayers of God's
ancient people have been ; this affords great encouragement.

(1.) You never find any prayer wholly denied. In all the Scripture, not
one example of a faithful prayer without a gracious return. ' He never
said to the house of Jacob, Seek my face in vain.' Those instances which
seem to contradict this do confirm it. David prayed for the life of his
child and prevailed not, but his prayer was answered in that the Lord gave
him another child, honourably born, and rarely endowed. Moses prays
that he might take possession of Canaan, he was not heard as to that par
ticular, but the Lord gratifies his prayer with a miracle, shews him what he
desired in a miraculous way, commits the conduct of the Israelites to a
dear relation of his, his servant Joshua, and, instead of the earthly, trans
lates him into the heavenly Canaan, where Moses will acknowledge it was
the sweetest return of prayer he ever had experience of. Though on earth
he complained the Lord would not hear him, yet there he does praise the
Lord for so answering his prayer. And if the Lord did never deny prayer,
will he begin now ?

(2.) He usually gave more than was prayed for : Ps. xxi. 4, ' He asked
life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.'
So to Solomon, 1 Kings iii. 9-13. Abraham prays for one, God gives
many, by Hagar, Gen. xvii., Sarah, Keturah, Gen. xxv. David desired one
thing, Ps. xxvii. ; he gives that, and withal a kingdom, dominion, glory.
Jacob seems to desire nothing but for safety and necessity, bread arid
raiment, and to return in peace ; but the Lord adds plenty to safety, brings
him back with great substance and a numerous issue : Gen. xxviii. 20, ' If
God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give
me bread to eat, and raiment to put on.' There is his vow, his desire.
See his return, chap, xxxii. 10, ' I went over this Jordan with this staff,
and now I am become two bands.' And if the Lord will give more than is
prayed for, sure, may faith say, he will give as much. The Lord is not
less bountiful now than in former times ; his ear is not straitened nor his
hand shortened, his ear is as open to hear, and his hand as open to reward.

(3.) Prayer procured greater things in former times than any you have
now occasion to ask. It wrought miracles, and that may be ascribed to it
which the apostle attributes to faith, Heb. xi. 33-35; faith in prayer,

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYEB. 215

faithful prayer. This, as handled by Elias, was the key of heaven, which
he thereby opened when and how he pleased, James v. 17, 18. Prayer
preserved Daniel in the midst of devouring lions ; the opening of his mouth
did shut theirs. This brought Jonah out of the midst of the sea, out of
the belly of a whale, safe on shore. This revoked the sentence of death
passed on Hezekiah, caused the sun to go backward, and brought an angel
from heaven to destroy Sennacherib's host. This ruined an army of ten
hundred thousand, and made them fly and fall before Asa, 2 Chron. xiv. 12.
It drew out the Lord's hand, destroys Jehoshaphat's enemies by their own
hands, arms them against themselves, and ruins them without his help,
chap. xx. This brings light into a dungeon, an angel from heaven into a
prison, breaks off chains, and opens iron gates, Acts xii. 5-7, &c. Did it
work miracles in former times, and will it not procure ordinary mercies
now ? Is it less effectual ? Does the Lord less regard it, or love us ?

(4.) He heard his ancient people not only for themselves, but for others ;
for those whom he would not hear praying for themselves ; for unbelievers,
for the most abominable of sinners ; and that not only for one, or few, but
for whole cities, whole nations ; Abraham for Abimelech, a heathen, a
prince in whose territories there was no fear of God. The Lord tells him
this, Gen. xx. 7, and he was as good as his word, ver. 17. How often did
he hear Moses for a whole nation in high rebellion against God ! Even
in the height of his fury he appeased him. Nay, he hears Abraham for
five cities, the most abominable that were to be found on the earth, Gen.
xviii. 23-33. He makes six motions for the Sodomites, and the Lord
rejects not one. He condescends, even to astonishment. We may think
it had been wonderful if the Lord had but yielded to the first, to save five
whole cities destined to destruction, if there had been in them but fifty
righteous persons ; but so prevalent is prayer, as the Lord yields to save
five cities for ten men, verse 32. Now if the Lord will hear his people
for others, will he not hear me for myself? If he would hear them for
heathens, rebels, idolaters, Sodomites, will he not hear me in covenant
with him, justified by him, obedient to him, approved of him ?

Obj. But does not the church complain : Ps. Ixxx. 4, ' 0 Lord God of
hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people ?'
Lam. iii. 8, ' When I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.'

Ans. This may be misapprehension ; think the Lord angry when he is
not ; or when not at their prayers, but at their sins. Zion complains,
' The Lord had forsaken,' &c., but the Lord convinces her it was a mis
take, Isaiah xlix. 14—16. They thought the Lord denies because he
delayed ; think him angry, because he did not answer presently ; whereas
delay itself is sometimes a gracious answer, a sign of love rather than
anger. To bestow mercies when petitioners are unfit for them, is to
answer prayer in anger; to defer till then is love. Their eyes may be so
fixed on the particular desired, as to take no notice of whatever other is
returned.

12. Consider your own experiences, how many times God has answered
your prayers formerly ; that will be a great encouragement to trust him for
time to come. Those that have tried God., are inexcusable if they will not
trust him. His word is a sufficient ground for faith in prayer; but expe
rience, withal, should exclude all doubting. This should both encourage
to pray and believe. David made this use of it : Ps. cxvi. 2, ' Because he
hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I
live.' Those who know what it is to enjoy communion with God in prayer,

216 FAITH IN FBAYEB. [JAMES I. 6.

and make conscience to pray frequently and fervently, must needs have
many experiences of sweet returns. It may be you have been afflicted in
conscience, and by crying to God, found comfort, as David, Psalm cxvi. ;
or in doubts and perplexities, ' I cried to God, he resolved me ;' or in
wants and necessities, and ' he supplied me ;' or in fear and dangers, and
'he delivered me;' or in trouble and affliction, and 'he supported and
relieved me,' and sanctified it to me; or under temptation, buffeted by
Satan, and ' his grace was sufficient for me ;' or assaulted with some strong
lusts, and ' he subdued them, and strengthened me ;' or very desirous of
some blessing, and ' he bestowed it on me.' Now faith should argue from
these experiences, The Lord has heard me formerly, and why should I
doubt but he will hear me now? He is the same God still, and prayer is
as prevalent, as acceptable. My person and services were unworthy then,
and this did not hinder, therefore it will not now, Ps. vi. 9. Paul's faith
grows confident from former experiences : 2 Tim. iv. 17, ' The Lord stood
with me, and strengthened me,' &c. There is his experience. See what
inference his faith makes, verse 18, ' The Lord shall deliver me from every
evil work,' &c. So David, 1 Sam. xvii. 34-37. In like manner we should
conclude, because the Lord has heard me so frequently, so freely, so
graciously, notwithstanding all my failings, weaknesses,, unworthiness,
therefore I will believe he will hear me still, he will answer me for time to
come.

13. Limit not yourselves, nor the Lord, to the particular desired. You
may pray in faith, though you be not confident that the very thing desired
shall be granted ; for if you apprehend that this is the only way to pray in
faith, you will neglect other ways. And since this particular confidence is
but required sometimes, you will but pray sometimes in faith, whereas this
is always required. To prevent this, consider there are divers acts which
faith may put forth in prayer, any of which, in its season, will make the
duty a prayer of faith.

(1.) Sometimes determinately ; or, if the word be not too bold, peremp
torily. Faith may so act when you pray, being in covenant, for things
absolutely necessary for God's glory and your salvation, those things which
have a necessary connection with these. So you may ask in faith so much
of temporal or spiritual blessings, as without which you cannot honour
God, or be serviceable in your callings, and be confident of receiving
them.

Or, when the Lord promises peremptorily and absolutely, faith is to
keep proportion with the promise. If he promise absolutely, we may
believe absolutely that we shall receive : so Heb. xiii. 5, ' I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.' He promises peremptorily ; so we desire
he would not forsake us, and believe we shall be heard in this deter
minately : so John xiii. 1, he says absolutely, ' Having loved his own, he
loved them to the end.' So we may pray he would love us with an ever
lasting love, and believe that he will hear us in this particular : so Rom.
vi. 14, ' Sin shall not have dominion over you.'

Or when he promises conditionally, but has made you partakers of the
condition ; for then it is equivalent to an absolute promise : so Mark xvi.
16, ' He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved.' If he have given
faith, you may pray for salvation, and believe that he will hear, i.e., he
will save : Prov. xxviii. 13, ' He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins,
shall have mercy.' If he have enabled you to confess and forsake your
sins, in judgment, affection, and practice, you may pray for and expect to

JAMES I. 6.] FAIIH IN PRAYER. 217

find mercy. So Mat. v., if you mourn, you may pray for comfort, and
believe you shall receive it.

(2.) Sometimes indefinitely. That is, when you believe your prayer
shall be heard, though faith define not, i.e., pitch not upon any particular
way, how, or when, or in what kind. He may be sometimes said to pray
in faith who believes his person and prayer shall be accepted, though faith
expect not a particular answer. This has place when the promise is in
definite, when a mercy is promised under a general notion, without defining
the way, time, manner, kind, when, and how, or in what it shall prove a
mercy to me : so Rom. viii. 28, ' All things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.' If
you pray that such an occurrence or dispensation may work for good, and
believe that it shall in general, though you be not confident that it shall
do it in such a manner, time, way, degree, yet you may pray in faith :
so Isaiah iii. 10, ' Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him.' If
you pray it may go well in every condition, and believe it shall, and you
shall receive a suitable answer : so Joel ii. 32, ' Whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord, shall be delivered.' Though ye believe not ye shall
be delivered at such a time, in such a manner, by such means ; yet if in
general ye be confident of deliverance, ye shall have it.

(3.) Sometimes disjunctively. Believe not precisely that you shall
receive this you pray for ; but either this, or some other ; something as
good or better in reference to God's glory and your happiness ; this is
sufficient when you are not certain whether that you pray for be best for
you ; I say not, whether it seem, but whether it be. In this case, it is not
required you should believe determinately that you shall receive what you
pray for, but disjunctively, either this, or some other. In such a condi
tion was Paul : Philip, i. 23, 24, ' I am in a strait betwixt two, having a
desire to depart, and to be with Christ ; which is far better : nevertheless
to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.' When you are in such a
strait you may pray for what you apprehend to be best, but not believe you
shall be heard in that precisely; but either in that, or some other thing
better or equivalent ; so in praying for riches, posterity, deliverance, and
indeed all things that are in their own nature, or to you, indifferent ; you
may desire riches, &c., but it is not necessary you should be confident that
God will make you rich ; but either do this or something as good.

(4.) Sometimes conditionally. We are to pray for nothing but what is
commanded or promised ; and the things we are to pray for are held forth
in the word with two sorts of conditions, some annexed to the promise,
some to the thing promised. Spiritual blessings are conditional, because
sometimes conditions are annexed to the promises, whereby God engages
himself to give them. Now when he has already wrought the conditions,
we may pray in faith for them absolutely, as before. When the conditions
are not wrought, then we should for the conditions themselves, not for the
blessings conditionally : as Mat. v. 6, that we may hunger and thirst after
righteousness ; and Rev. ii. 10, that we may be faithful unto death. Tem
poral blessings are conditional, because conditions are annexed to the things
themselves, and they are such as these : if it seem good, if it be thy will,
if it be for thy glory, if it be for my soul's good. Temporal favours are to
be asked in faith, but faith must act conditionally. The like is to be
observed about the removal of afflictions, and vouchsafing of spiritual
favours that tend to our well-being : faith in asking these must be acted,
but acted conditionally, and with submission. Aa example we have in

218 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

David, a man strong in faith and much in prayer : 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26, ' If
I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and
shew me both it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight
in thee ; behold, here I am, let him do to me as seemeth good unto
him.' And in Christ himself, his faith acted conditionally : Mat. xxvi. 89,
' If it be possible, let this cup pass from me : nevertheless, not as I will,
but as thou wilt.'

14. Labour to remove those discouragements which hinder the exercise
of faith in prayer, or weaken it in its actings.

(1.) Great discouragement is, jealousy that the Lord has not heard you
formerly. If you entertain such conceits that God has denied, rejected
your petitions formerly, you may be apt to fear he will, or may do so for
time to come. Such fears and jealousies are as worms at the root, or as a
palsy in the hand of faith, deprives it of strength and stedfastness ; they
are as storms, which unsettle, shock faith, and make it waver as a wave of
the sea, ver. 7. This must be removed, as inconsistent with that confi
dence which the Lord expects in all that approach to him. To remove it,
consider, the Lord may answer your prayers when you take no notice of it.
He has many ways to answer our petitions, whenas we ordinarily take
notice but of one ; and if the return come not that way, we conclude there
is none, and thereby both wrong the Lord and ourselves. We may think
he does not hear, we are not answered, when he both hears and answers us.
Take notice how many ways God may answer your prayer, and you will
see much more reason to conclude that he granted all, though you did not
observe how, than that he ever denied any.

[1.] Prayer is answered when it is accepted, though there be no other
effect of it visible. Prayer is not in vain, if the person be accepted, and
the service approved. Do you think it is nothing to please God, to do
that wherein his soul delights, to offer that which ascends to him as the
odour of a sweet smell ? Is it nothing to obey God, to honour him, to
give a testimony to his glorious perfections ? Is it nothing, to be admitted
to such sweet intimate communion with God in such a familiar way, to
speak to him as a man to his friend, as a child to his father ? Suppose
you should reap no other benefit by prayer, is not here as much as will
amount to an answer ? If you will not measure the return of your prayers
by lower inferior advantages, these are the most blessed returns. It should
be more desirable in your account to please him, than to be happy your
selves. His glory should be more valuable than your salvation, or all the
means that tend to it. And such society with him should be esteemed the
first-fruits of heaven. Yet these are the privileges of every accepted
prayer ; and therefore, if it be accepted, though it obtain nothing more, it
is abundantly answered.

[2.] He sometimes makes prayer an answer to itself, answers when you
are praying : Isa. Ixv. 24, ' While they are yet speaking, I will hear ;' not
only hears, but answers, answers the prayer by enabling us to pray, Dan.
ix. 20, 21. While Daniel was speaking in prayer, an angel was sent in
answer to his desires. You will judge this is a sweet return. But how
much more is it for the Holy Ghost to be sent into the heart, and thereby
to have powerful assistance, comfortable enlargements, heavenly affections,
and vigorous exercise of graces ; to have the soul winged with holy affec
tions, to fly into the bosom of Christ ; to have heaven as it were opened,
and the veil withdrawn, that the light of God's countenance may break out
and shine upon the soul ! These are the greatest, the sweetest of spiritual

JAMES I. 6.J FAITH IN PBAYEB. 219

blessings, and infinitely transcend all outward enjoyments, Ps. iv. 6-8.
Well then may they be accounted most blessed answers.

[8.] He sometimes answers prayers by discovering the defects of prayer,
convincing his people of those failings which might make them fail of being
answered ; discovers the defects of prayers, and the sinfulness of them,
formality, lukewarmness, unbelief, carelessness, sloth, irreverence, hypo
crisy, self-seeking, or what else may render their prayer offensive. If
prayer obtain this, to have such sins, and the evil of them discovered, it
is a great advantage, a great mercy ; and if it obtain so much, sure it is
not unanswered.

[4.] It is a gracious answer sometimes to be denied. You account it a
good answer to a petition when you have that which is better than the
things desired ; but when you desire that which is not good, the denial is bet
ter than the grant. The denial is a mercy, the grant would be a judgment.
So it was with David : he was importunate for the life of his child ; but
was it not better for him that the Lord granted not its life, since it would
have been a living monument of his ignominy, wherein every beholder
might have read both his shame and heinous sin ? The Lord is merciful
oftentimes in denying outward blessings, worldly enjoyments, to his chil
dren ; denies them plenty of temporals, lest it should bring leanness into
their souls ; denies them health, that their souls may prosper ; denies com
fort in dearest relations, by making them cross and uncomfortable, lest
they should steal away the heart from himself. These denials are great
mercies, and therefore sweet returns of prayer.

[5.] He sometimes answers, by bestowing only some degree of the thing
desired, not the whole. The Lord answers Moses's prayer, by giving him
a view of Canaan, not the full possession. Those who pray for increase of
grace are answered, when the Lord draws out the heart in stronger desires
after it. Desires after grace are a degree of grace. If the messenger of
Satan, against which Paul prays, were some corruption, his prayer was
answered, not totally, so as to be freed from assaults, but in some degree,
BO as to have power sufficient to resist. The prayers of God's people for
the destruction of antichrist are answered in some degree, in that the
impostures of that man of sin are discovered, and so many nations fallen
off; many hate her, though make her not desolate.

[6.] He may hear the prayer, though he do not answer it presently.
Delay is no denial : prayer is sure to be heard, though the Lord sometimes
seems slow in granting what is prayed for. Delay is sometimes a mercy.
He never defers, when it is seasonable to grant : 2 Pet. iii. 9, ' The Lord
is not slack, as some men count slackness ;' i. e., as though he had altered
his purpose, forgot his promise, or careless to accomplish either. He
deferred in mercy, in long-suffering. He is not slack, though he may seem
so to us, ver. 8. The promise was of the day of judgment, the coming of
Christ, which is the prayer of the church, Rev. xx. 20. Quickly, because
as soon as ever it is seasonable, he will come instantly, not defer one
moment. As soon as it will be a mercy : Luke xviii. 17, ' Shall not God
avenge his elect, though he bear long with them ? I tell you that he will
avenge them speedily.' Stay long, and yet speedily. He stays that we
may exercise faith in prayer, Heb. x. 35, &c. Christ prayed for his ene
mies, and was answered after his resurrection. Stephen prayed for his
persecutors, and answered after his death in Saul's conversion. How long
did God's ancient people pray for the coming of the Messiah, and the pri
mitive Christians for good magistrates, all the faithful for the ruin of anti-

220

FAITH IN PKAYEB.

[JAMES I. 6.

christ, and the primitive martyrs for vengeance against their persecutors ?
Rev. vi. 10. Prayers are seed, though they as it were lie under ground ;
talents laid up in heaven for improvement. One talent in prayer will be
improved to ten in its return. Though the answer be as a cloud in your
days, it may cover the heavens for your posterity, and rain showers of
blessings. The last times will be times of greatest mercies, because the
times of so many prayers, many answers are reserved for them. There
is therefore no reason to conclude you are denied, because not presently
answered.

[7.] He may grant the mercy desired, though not to the person for
whom it is desired. He may answer your prayers by bestowing that on
another which you desire for yourselves. So Moses was answered ; he
desired himself might conduct the Israelites into Canaan ; the Lord appoints
a dear relation of his, Joshua his servant, to be their conductor, and pro
vides better for Moses ; or he may bestow that upon yourselves which you
desire for others ; so he answered David, Ps. xxxv. 13 ; his prayer returned
into his own bosorn. The Lord will not suffer prayer to be in vain for
hypocrites, for such were these, ver. 11, 12 ; or by bestowing it upon one
as dear to thee as he that is prayed for. Abraham desired the promise
might be accomplished in Ishmael, the Lord fulfils it to Isaac. Isaac
intended and desired the blessing might fall upon Esau, the Lord bestows
it on Jacob ; and what David desires for his first child by Bathsheba, he
grants to the second, to Solomon ; the apostles desired the benefits of the
Messiah might principally be the portion of the Jews, the Lord vouchsafes
them to the Gentiles. There is no reason to conclude he denies, because
he answers not as to the individual.

[8.] He answers by granting something else in lieu of what is desired,
though he bestow not the same thing. He answers if he grant something
as good, something better : Jer. xlv. 5, ' Seekest thou great things for
thyself ? seek them not : for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith
the Lord ; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey.' It was better for
Baruch to have his life where he went, than to enjoy a plentiful estate
where he would have no security of his life. God seldom or never denies
the particular desired, but he gives something as good or better, in one or
all these four respects.

1st, In kind. When we pray for temporals, he gives spirituals. The
apostles desired Christ would rule as a temporal king ; he uses them as his
instruments to erect a spiritual kingdom. They desire outward prefer
ment, to sit at his right hand or left in worldly pomp ; he assures them of
spiritual and eternal glory, they should sit upon twelve thrones.

2d, In reference to the rule of goodness, his own will ; which being
summe bona, that which is agreeable must needs be best. That is agiarov,
which is TZ ®tZ> cigtarov. That is best for us which pleases him best. If
he make not a return according to our wills, yet always according to his
will ; and that being the rule of goodness, that which is conformable to it
is best for us.

3d, In reference to the great end of all we pray for, God's glory. If
he give not the very thing desired, yet he will give something that will tend
more to his glory ; and that which most conduces to it is best ; not only
in respect of God, but us, for our chief happiness consists in his glory ;
the more we honour him the more is our happiness, and that is best, sure,
which makes us most happy. That is a sweet answer to prayer, when he
gives that which is better than what we desire.

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 221

4th, In reference to the particular end of your desire. If he give not the
mercy desired, yet something that will as much advance the end for which
you desire it. And if you have your end for which, what you aimed at,
you have your desires, for the means is not otherwise desirable. As if
you desire a blessing that you may live contentedly ; if he bestow not that,
but another mercy that will afford as much or more contentment. You
desire an alteration of your condition, that you may live more contentedly;
if the Lord do not alter your condition, but change your heart, so as to
make it contented with your present state, though he do not raise your
condition in respect of riches, credit, as high as your desires, yet if he
bring down your heart and desires to your condition, so as to be therewith
fully satisfied and contented, he gives that which is as good or better than
what you desire, and so returns a sweet answer to your prayers. Or if
your desires pitch upon some particular means to subdue a lust, though he
grant not, yet if he offer another, which is as or more effectual to subdue
that lust, he grants what is as good or better. Or if you desire the removal
of some affliction, that you might with more liberty and cheerfulness serve
the Lord, though he remove it not, yet if he enable you under that afflic
tion to serve him Math as much cheerfulness and enlargement of heart, he
grants your request, and answers your prayers.

2. Discouragement is sense of unworthiness. A humble soul will be
apt to say, How can I believe the Lord will hear me who am so vile, not only
in respect of the common condition of mankind, being but dust and ashes,
a worm, less, worse, but also being more than ordinary sinful, having often
profaned this ordinance, and abused former comfortable returns ; and in
respect of my condition in the world, being so mean and contemptible, as
I cannot be confident of access to men of any extraordinary note in the
world ; how much less can I be confident of acceptance or audience with
the great and holy God ?

To remove this, consider,

(1.) The Lord never heard any that either were really worthy, or did
account themselves so. All that ever had access to, and audience with
God, have been really, and in their own esteem, unworthy. The Lord
requires not that his people should bring any worth with them to com
mend their prayers to him. The want of personal worth did never hinder
the Lord from answering prayer. Therefore no reason to be discouraged
for want of that which is neither necessary nor ever was present. No flesh
is justified in his sight.

(2.) The more unworthy, and withal the more sensible of it, the more
hopes of answer and acceptance. This is so far from being any just impedi
ment to faith, as it should rather encourage it ; for Scripture and experience
tell us it is both the Lord's gracious disposition and practice to do most
for them who are, or seem to themselves to be, most unworthy : ' He fills
the hungry,' Luke i. 53, 48, but ' casts down the mighty,' ver. 52. He
pronounces them blessed who are poor, Mat. v. ; calls not many wise and
noble, 1 Cor. i. 26-28 ; seeks that which is lost, Luke vi. 19, 20 ; saves
sinners, the chief of them, 1 Tim. i. 15 ; invites beggars, sends out his
servants to fetch them, Luke xiv. 21, 23 ; those who have no money, no
worth, worth nothing, Isa. Iv. ; pities those whom no eye pities, Ezek.
xvi. 6 ; condescends lowest to those who are lowest. He takes pleasure
in it, he gets honour by it. Hereby is the freeness, the riches of grace
made more conspicuous, infinite mercy appears more merciful.

Consider but the different demeanour and success of the Pharisee and

222 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

publican as to this duty, and it will put it past doubt. Consider wbat self-
confidence and conceitedness in the one, what humility and sense of
unworthiness in the other : Luke xviii. 10 to the 15th, ' This man went
away justified, rather than the other.' Justified, i. e., pardoned, accepted,
answered. Rather, i.e., exclusively; he was justified, and not the other.
The reason is observable : ver. 14, ' For every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' Sense of
unworthiness should rather strengthen than discourage.

(3.) Prayer and praying in faith is not only a privilege, but a duty; and
is any one unworthy to do his duty ? If it was only a privilege, unworthi
ness might be some plea to keep off sinners from meddling with prayer or
acting faith, but since it is a duty, you cannot with any reason, cannot
without absurdity make use of it to discourage you. What, are you
unworthy to obey God, to do what he commands, to do as he requires ?
The very conceit of this is absurd ; men would laugh at such a plea ; God
will be far from accepting it. Would you take it well from your servant,
if he should neglect to do what you command under pretence that he is
unworthy to obey you ? Yes, you would count it a jeer, you will think
him idle, and foolish too in finding no better excuse for his idleness. The
case is alike in reference to God ; we are unworthy to receive, but not to
obey. There is no show of reason why this should be a discouragement.

(4.) Though you be unworthy to be heard, yet Christ is worthy ; it is
he that undertakes to present your petition, and procure an answer.
Believers, when they are found praying, they are found as Paul, Philip,
iii. 9, ' not having their own righteousness, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, that which is of God by faith.' Faith makes Christ yours,
and so his righteousness yours. It unites to Christ as to your head :
Caput et membra sunt quasi una mystica persona. When the Lord looks
on you he finds you having Christ's righteousness, and that is enough
to make both persons and prayers righteous, to cover all unworthiness in
either that might hinder acceptance. Though Christ communicates not
his merits, so as we can deserve anything, yet he communicates the efficacy
and benefits of interest in his merits, so as if they be not ours they are for
us ; he deserves, he is worthy that we should be heard.

3. Discouragement is weakness of prayers. A humble soul will be apt
to say, I am not only unworthy, but my prayers are weak ; much unlike to
the prayers of God's people formerly, accompanied with many infirmities,
deadness of heart, straitness of spirit, 'formality, distractions.

To remove this, consider,

(1.) You may mistake, and think your prayers weak, when they are
strong. The strength of prayer consists not in anything outward, not in
expressions either by word or tears, not in outward gestures or enlarge
ments. It is a hidden, an inward strength. Those may be sometimes
the signs, but never the sinews. Men may judge of its strength by multi
tude, vehemency, or patheticalness of expression ; but ' the Lord seeth not
as man seeth ; man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart,' 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Man's judgment differs far from his ;
man may judge that weak which he judges strong. The strength of prayer
lies in the heart, in the motion of the affections, and the exercise of graces ;
and above all affections, in zeal; above all graces, in faith. Faith and
fervency is the strength of prayer ; faith principally, and fervency but as it
springs from faith. All affectionateness without this is not prevalent, not
powerful. Cut out of faith, and you cut out of the strength of prayer ; for

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYEB. 223

though it be the most prevalent exercise on earth, and has power both
with God and men, yet without faith, it is like Samson deprived of his
locks, Judges xvi. 17. The great champion of Israel, his strength went
from him, and he became weak, and like another man. So prayer when
without faith it becomes weak, and like those bodily exercises which profit
not. You should not be discouraged from believing, because your prayers
are weak, but rather he hereby persuaded to exercise faith that your prayers
may be strong.

(2.) Examine whether those weaknesses be voluntary or involuntary,
whether through unavoidable infirmity, or carelessness, sloth, and negli
gence. If they be voluntary, prayer is weak, and you willing and content
it should be so : if slothful, and will not stir up yourselves to lay hold on
God ; want strength, because you will not exercise it, will not summon up
spiritual forces of affection and graces to follow after God, then I confess
your condition is sad, and full of sin and discouragements. So long as you
continue thus slothful, the word affords little encouragement. You must
pray, if you would be heard, not pray as though you prayed not. You
must cry, if you would be answered ; offer up strong cries. You must
follow hard after God, if you would find him ; lay hold on him, and stir up
all your strength to do it, if you would enjoy him. But if these weaknesses
be involuntary, i.e., if you bewail, mourn for them ; if they be your burden
and affliction ; if you long, thirst, breathe after more strength ; if you
earnestly endeavour to shake off these distempers, and be diligent in the
use of all appointed means to gather more strength to your prajers ; this
mourning, longing, endeavouring are signs the Lord will not take notice of
your infirmities, will not charge your weaknesses upon you, nor impute
them to you ; they shall not hinder the Lord from hearing and answering,
nor should not hinder you from believing. In these cases, the Lord accepts
the will for the deed, 2 Cor. viii. 12, answers and rewards weak prayers as
though they were strong. He stands not so much upon the quantity of
your strength, but that he will accept the sincerity of your endeavours. He
will look upon you and reward you, not according to what you are, but
would be. He that has but a little strength, and puts it all out in prayer,
shall more prevail than he that prays with much strength comparatively, if
he do not pray with all. This is plain from Christ's testimony of the widow,
Luke xxi. 3. Her two mites was more than twenty talents cast in by one
that had an hundred. The Lord is so gracious, he will accept of a little
from those who cannot do much, better than of much from them who can
do more. He despises not the day of small things, takes special notice of
a little strength in Philadelphia, Rev. iii. 8. There is no reason, therefore,
to be discouraged from weaknesses, if not voluntary.

(3.) If you be weak, labour to pray in faith, that you may be strong.
This should rather be a motive, than a discouragement. Would you think
him reasonable who, being weak, would neglect or refuse nourishment,
because he is weak ? He should rather receive it, and has more need to
do it, that he may be strong. So here. To act faith in prayer, is the best
way to get ability and strength to pray powerfully. Faith draws together
both domestic and auxiliary forces, stirs up the strength of the soul, and
withal engages the strength of Christ ; and they that wrestle with that
strength shall surely prevail. The efficacy of the head is divided into the
body, by means of the union betwixt head and members. Now it is faith
that unites to Christ ; he who has all power in heaven and earth dwells in
our hearts by faith, it makes his strength ours. The ancients, through

224 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

faith, ' out of weakness were made strong,' Heb. xi. 34 ; not only strong
in battle, to prevail against tbe armies of the aliens, but strong in prayer,
to prevail with God. If you would be strong in prayer, you must pray in
faith, that your weaknesses may be hereby scattered, infirmities put to flight.
These should not drive you from your confidence, but engage you to be
confident, since this is the only way to grow strong.

4. Discouragement. My prayers are not only weak, but sinful. The
weakness is too voluntary ; slothful, and too willing to be so, loth to stir
up myself ; lukewarm, and shake it not off ; pray as though grace were
asleep, and my soul in a slumber.

Ans. I must suppose that, though there be much sinfulness and weak
ness in your prayers, yet there is something gracious, else there can be
nothing spoken that will afford the least encouragement ; though much
corruption, yet something spiritual ; though much of the flesh, yet some
workings of the Spirit ; some actings of grace, though in a low degree ;
some desires after God that are sincere, though weak; some motions toward
Christ, though slow and feeble ; some apprehensions of the Lord, though
distracted and hindered with other impertinencies ; some heat, so much as
argues the soul alive to God, though in a slumber ; though much of sin,
yet something of holiness. This supposed, take what I have to say in this
case in two propositions.

(1.) So far as your prayers are sinful, you can expect no answer ; God
will not reward, cannot approve the sinfulness of prayer.

[1.] Sinful prayers, as sinful, are all one in God's account as other sinful
acts. And the wages of these are death ; no other reward can be expected
for these but this ; expect rather he should punish than answer. It is true
these or other sins are pardoned, through the satisfaction of Christ, to those
that repent and believe. You must repent for the sins of those prayers,
and pray that the Lord would pardon them, and then believe he will pardon ;
and this is all faith is to expect in this case. Christ never purchased any
thing, nor did the Lord ever promise anything, to prayers as they are sinful.
You cannot expect God should answer or reward them as such; it is infinite
mercy that he will pardon them. Gracious acts, as such, will be rewarded ;
but as sinful, it is well if they be pardoned.

[2.] Though the Lord pardon, yet he may, and usually does, correct his
people for them. They will not be rewarded ; all that Christ procured for
them is pardon, nor such a pardon as will exempt them from smarting
sufferings. He does visit sinful prayers with stripes. Though he pardon,
yet he may chastise severely, Ps. xcix. 8. It is madness, a hellish impos
ture, to think God is as well pleased with us acting sinfully, as graciously.
He rewards this, he will not pardon that without satisfaction of infinite
value ; nor so, but he will manifest his displeasure by afflicting.

[3.] Though these afflictions tend to good, yet the way is grievous.
They tend to good to believers, as it is promised, Rom. viii. It is good
for them that are afflicted. So it is good for one in a lethargy to be
cupped, for one whose wounds are gangrened to be cut, lanced, cauterised.
These are good in these cases, but grievous in themselves. Were it not
better to be in health, to want wounds, than to need such cures, to be in
such a condition, when nothing will be so good as that which is so grievous?
It is madness to think it is not better to shake off sloth, than to pray so as
we can expect no answer, so as we must pray for pardon of prayers and
bring afflictions. Prayers as sinful must not be answered, may be par
doned, will be chastised for the good of believers, but in a way that is

JAMES I. 6.J FAITH IN PRAYER. 225

grievous, and in itself no way desirable. You see what we must expect
from prayers as sinful.

(2.) So far as the prayer is gracious, there is encouragement. For,

[1.] The Lord will accept, and in some way or other answer, a prayer in
any degree gracious, though there be much corruption or weakness in it.
That prayer where grace is acted, though weakly, and in which the Spirit
assists, though less powerfully, is more or less acceptable. For, 1, grace
is the work, the gift of God, Deus coronal dona sua. He accepts, rewards
his own gift, wherever it is. And the work of the Spirit is well pleasing to
him, though its attendants be offensive ; he can discern and separate wheat
from chaff, gold from dross. 2. He will not quench the smoking flax.
Heavenly, spiritual heat is pleasing to him, though it flame not, though
nothing but smoke be visible. He takes notice of a little strength in
Philadelphia, Rev. iii. 7, 8, and promises much to that little. 3. If the
mixtures of corruption and weakness be bewailed and repented of, they are
pardoned. If the righteousness of Christ be applied by faith, this will be
a satisfaction for those offences ; and if the Lord be satisfied, what can
hinder him from answering ? Offences not imputed, are in effect no offences ;
and the Lord, satisfied, will be as gracious as though he had not been
offended.

[2.] When there is much of corruption and little of grace in a prayer,
though the Lord may answer, yet ordinarily, if not always, the answer is
not so full, speedy, comfortable, satisfying, nor perceivable. Though the
Lord pardons the sins and failings of weak prayers, yet he may, and often
does, afflict for them ; and part of the affliction may consist in the quality
of the answer. The Lord often proportions his answer to our prayers ;
slothful prayers have slow answers, &c. Experience bears witness to this,
and David observed it, Ps. xviii. He tells us the Lord answered him :
ver. 6, ' He heard my voice, my cry came before him.' He tells us how
he answered him : ver. 20, ' The Lord rewarded me according to my
righteousness ; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed
me.' Though he answer not propter, yet secumlum preces : though not for
the holiness, fervency, affectionateness of our prayers, yet according to the
holiness, &c., of them. Though they be not causes why he answers, either
meriting, as papists, or moving, as ignorants conceive, yet they may be
qualifications to fit us for, or presages or signs of, gracious answers. They
may qualify, aliud est de causa agere, &c., aliud de quantitate, as Gregory.
Though they do not procure, yet they may prepare, dispose, and fit, the
soul for receipt of an answer. When the Lord will open his hand to bestow
a bountiful answer, he enlarges the heart to seek it, and withal to receive
it : see it in Dan. ix. A dead, lukewarm heart would not prize spiritual
mercies, could not make good use of temporal blessings. When the Lord
will give an answer of a better nature, he puts the heart into a better temper.
They are signs of a gracious answer. Bernard says of works, they are
futures responsionis prcesagia, comfortable signs of a comfortable answer ;
occultfB predestinationis judicia, arguments that the Lord intends, and is
resolved to deal bountifully. When the heart is shut, it is a sign the Lord
intends to shut his hand, Mat. vii. 2. According to the measure of our
prayers, the degrees of grace and affection exercised in them, God measures
out his blessings in answer to them. So it is ordinarily. He that sows
sparingly must reap accordingly. He that prays but little, and prays not
well, has no reason to expect large or gracious returns.
, [3.] Since the Lord is so gracious as to accept, and in some degree or

VOL. i. P

22G FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

other answer weak and sinful prayers, and to own that which proceeds from
grace and his Spirit in them, though accompanied with such corruptions as
might provoke him to reject them, and punish you for them, hence you
have encouragement to believe the Lord will answer them, and to expect
the returns thereof; and you will have good warrant to do this, if you do
that first which he requires. If you exercise repentance, ?'. e., bewail the
sins and weakness of your prayers, abhor yourself for giving so much way
thereto, and resolve to endeavour, with all your strength, in the use of all
appointed means, to avoid them for time to come ; if you exercise faith,
i. e., rest upon Christ for pardon of those provocations, apply those pro
mises which offer pardon, and lay hold on that righteousness of Christ
whereby he has satisfied the Lord for those offences ; this done, you may,
nay, you ought, to believe that the Lord will not only answer your prayers
for time to come, but to expect returns of prayers past.

3. Use. For examination. Try whether we pray in faith. It is a work
of great importance ; for if ye pray not in faith at all, it is a sign ye have
no faith ; and then ye are under the law, cut off from Christ, exposed to
the curse, liable to eternal wrath. What is hell but abiding wrath ? If ye
have faith, but act it not in prayer, you deprive yourselves of the benefit of
this ordinance, ver. 7 ; prayer is the conduit-pipe appointed by God to
convey all the blessings of the upper and lower springs to the children of
men ; but if the passage be obstructed, it will be useless, of no advantage
to you. Want of faith is a dangerous obstruction ; this will hinder the
passage of all mercy ; not a drop of the water of life will be conveyed by
prayer without faith. Therefore there is great reason to examine ; and to
help you, take some characters.

(1.) Backwardness to pray is a sign you pray not in faith. He that
believes he shall have whatever he asks, freely, without upbraiding, will be
ready and forward to ask upon all occasions. If you did believe, you
would omit no opportunity to address yourselves to God this way ; you
would not neglect it in your families, in secret, in public : those who omit
it, undervalue it, make no great account of it, spend whole days without it,
count it a burden, say, What a weariness is it ! take no pleasure, no
delight, come to it as a task, cannot be said to pray in faith.

(2.) Carelessness in praying. Prayer is a blessed engine, which, being
carefully managed by faith, will procure all mercies that you need, for time
or eternity ; never made use of it in vain ; if you did believe this, you
would not be so negligent in prayer, but would stir up yourselves and dili
gently improve all your might in prayer. Those who pray only with their
lips, draw near only with their mouths, make it only an exercise of the
body, and suffer their hearts and thoughts to wander without control, pray
as if they prayed not, do not pray in faith ; if you prayed in faith, you
would observe the condition of such a prayer, one of which is fervency.
Where lukewarmness, indifferency, formality, distractions are tolerated,
faith is not exercised.

(8.) Perplexity and solicitousness after prayer. This was a sign Hannah
prayed in faith, 1 Sam. i., because, though she spake out of the abundance
of her complaint and grief; yet, after, her countenance was no more sad.
Faith is expressed by casting our burden upon the Lord ; he that groans
and is oppressed under a burden, when it is laid on another is at ease ; he
that acts faith in prayer casts his burden upon God ; therefore, after such
a prayer, the oppressed soul will be at ease. ' return to its rest ; ' no heart-
dividing cares molest it : 'Be careful for nothing.'

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 227

(4.) Is the promise your encouragement in prayer ? Does this draw you
to pray ? does this quicken you in praying ? does this encourage to expect
a return after prayer ? do you plead the word ? do you urge the promise ?
Then it is faith. Thus the people of God have done in their prayers of
faith ; so Moses, Num. xiy. 17, 18 ; and Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 23-26 ;
Neh. i. 8 ; so David, Ps. cxix. 25, 28, 58, 65, 76, 116. Do you plead the
word of promise, Though I he unworthy to be heard, yet the Lord is
worthy to be honoured ; and it is not for thy honour to neglect thy word ;
though I can do nothing to engage thee, yet thou hast engaged thyself, and
the Lord will be true to his engagements ; though nothing be due to me
but wrath, yet the Lord hath made this mercy due to me by his promise,
therefore I will expect it ; the Lord will not detain what himself has made
due ; though I forget my promises and resolutions for God, yet the Lord
will not forget his covenant ; it is his attribute, ' a God keeping covenant ; '
and though the Lord may deny me, yet he will not deny himself? Does
the faithfulness and righteousness of God encourage you to ask and to
expect an answer ? Do you plead these, as David frequently, ' Deliver me
in thy righteousness,' Ps. cxix. 40 ; Ps. cxliii. 1 ; though my unrighteous
nesses do testify against me, yet the Lord is righteous from everlasting to
everlasting ; and is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to do what he
has said ? Though I am unfaithful, and have dealt falsely in the covenant,
yet my unfaithfulness cannot make the faithfulness of God of no effect.
The Lord has promised, and faithful is he who has promised, who also
will do it ; thus to conclude, thus to act upon the promises, and upon the
righteousness and faithfulness of God engaged in the promise, is the work
of faith ; and the prayer where such actings are found, is of faith ; where
the promise raises the heart to hope, and hope quickens it to more fre
quency, more fervency in prayer.

(5.) Can you submit to the Lord's time for an answer, believing that your
prayer shall either be answered now or hereafter, when it is best for you ?
This is enough to denominate your prayers. Faith is a submissive grace ;
it will not prescribe to the Lord, nor limit the Holy One ; it will acknow
ledge him to be both xvgiog rov dovvai xai ro\J KOTS dovvai, as Chrysostom,
both Lord of what he gives, and of the time when he will give it ; some
times the Lord answers presently, Gen. xxiv. 12-15, Dan. ix. ; sometimes
' the vision is for an appointed time,' Hab. ii. 3 ; and then, ' though it
tarry, we must wait for it ;' so do those who live (who pray) by faith, ver. 4.
It is uncertain to us when the appointed time is, whether now or hereafter:
' It is not for us to know the times and the seasons,' Acts i. 7 ; so Christ
told his disciples when they were a little too peremptory as to a present
answer : ' Wilt thou at this time?' &c., ' It is not for you to know,' &c.,
and withal commands them to wait, ver. 4. Faith will be content to act
upon what God has revealed ; it is unbelief that pries into God's secrets :
faith will be content with God's time ; it is unbelief would confine the Lord
to our time : ' He that believes makes not haste ;' he will stay God's leisure,
refer himself for the time to him who knows what time is best ; it is unbe
lief that is so hasty, must have it now, or not at all, as that wretch,
2 Kings vi. 33. It is sufficient, ordinarily, to constitute a prayer of faith,
to believe the Lord will answer, either in our time or his, either now or
hereafter ; either at present, or when it will be more seasonable, more a
mercy ; and to rest satisfied with this ; if faith act thus in prayer, you
pray in faith.

(6.) Are you persuaded the Lord will give either what you desire, or

228 FAITH IN PEAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

what is better? Do you rest in this, that you shall have what you ask,
either in kind or in an equivalency ; that the Lord will satisfy your desires,
either as to the letter of your petition, or as to the intention of it ? Do you
acquiesce in this, that the Lord will answer you, either according to your
will, or according to his will ; that he will give either what you think best
or what he thinks best ? Do you believe you shall be heard, either ad volun-
iatem, or ad salutem ? as Augustine ; that he will give either what you
desire, or what is better than the thing you desire ? if so, you pray in faith.

It is a great mistake to think you pray not in faith, unless you believe
the very particular shall be granted which you ask. Faith acts in a greater
latitude, hath a larger sphere, it reaches as far as that providence which
orders the returns of prayer ; faith acts for an answer, according as the
Lord is wont to make answers. Now this is clear in Scripture and expe
rience, that the Lord doth answer, not only by giving the thing desired, but
by vouchsafing something else, as much, or more desirable : Acts i., ' Wilt
thou restore the kingdom ?' &c., ver. 6 ; this was it they desired, a temporal
kingdom. He gratifies them not in this, yet grants that which was much
better : ver. 8, ' Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me,' &c. ; and as faith is not
confined in such narrow bounds, so it will not confine the Lord to them, it
will not limit the Holy One of Israel. To limit the Lord is to tempt him ;
and to tempt God is an act of unbelief, that unbelief whereby the Israelites
provoked God in the wilderness, Ps. Ixxviii. 41 ; this is censured under
the notion of unbelief, ver. 22 ; it was from their unbelief that they limited
God. They were not contented with manna, though angels' food, that
which* the Lord thought best for them ; they must have flesh too ; they
must have flesh or nothing, ver. 18 ; their lusting was a peremptory desire,
an issue of unbelief. We may judge of the nature of this desire by the
quality of the answer ; if it had been a desire of faith, it had been answered
in mercy ; but the Lord answers them in wrath, ver. 29-31. Ad vohtn-
tatem auditi sunt Israelite. He gave them their own desire ; since they
would not be satisfied, unless they had that very thing which they desired,
they had it indeed, but they had the wrath of God with it. The Lord does
not answer the desires of faith in this manner ; they are of another strain ;
they will be satisfied either with what is desired, or with what the Lord
counts better. It is unbelief that must have that which is desired, or
nothing ; faith is not so peremptory. When we pray for things not abso
lutely necessary, or not comparatively necessary, i. e., not so necessary, but
something else may be more necessary, we may pray in faith, though we
believe not that the particular we desire shall be granted ; it is sufficient in
these cases, if we believe the Lord will either vouchsafe that, or something
else which he knows to be more convenient : and therefore if your faith
act accordingly in prayer, it may be called a prayer of faith.

(7.) Can you suspend your hopes of an answer upon a condition, upon
such conditions as have warrant and approbation in Scripture? Faith
acted conditionally is enough, in some cases, to constitute a prayer of
faith. Abraham prayed in faith, yet his prayer runs in a conditional
strain, Gen. xviii. 29, 30, 32 ; so Solomon, 1 Kings viii, 35, 44, 47 ; so
Christ himself, Luke xxii. 42. The apostle mentions a conditional con
fidence, 1 John v. 14. The confidence is, that he will hear when we ask;
the condition is, if we ask according to his will; or, which comes to the
same issue, if we ask what is good for us, all things considered, for what
is good for us is according to his will.

JAMES I. 0.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 229

In case, then, you are uncertain what is according to his will, if he have
not absolutely manifested, by command, promise, or other equivalent that
what you desire is that which he wills, either in substance or circumstance,
or in case you are uncertain whether that you pray for be absolutely good
for you, or so good, but something else may be better, in these cases, when
you believe that what you pray for shall be granted, if it be according to
his will, or if it be best for you, you pray in faith ; no more is required.

Augustine gives this rule for regulating our prayers as to temporals,
and it holds in spirituals, when there is that uncertainty now spoken of:
Quando petitis temporalia, petite cum modo, ask them with restriction, i. e.,
conditionally, illi committite, ut si profit, del; si scit obesse, non det, refer it
to him to give if it be good, to deny if it be hurtful, quid autem obest, quid
prosit, novit medicus, non cegrotus; submit will and wisdom to him.

Before we conclude, it is requisite to resolve some cases.

1. Since it is necessary that those who would receive must pray in faith,
i. e., must be confident and assured that their prayers shall be answered,
what can they expect who want assurance, who (as to their own appre
hensions) have not the grounds of this confidence ? How can they be
confident of this privilege, who are full of fears and doubts that they are
not in that state on which this privilege is entailed ? How can they
pray in faith, who fear they have not faith ? How can they believe their
prayers will be accepted, who see no ground to believe that their persons
are accepted ? This is the case of those who, being in or newly past the
pangs of the new birth, have the seeds of faith, but not the evidence.
Faith is in its infancy, not grown up to that maturity as to know itself.
Such walk in darkness, and see no light ; have no light to discover that
God is their Father, that the promise is their portion, that Christ inter
cedes for them, or that the Spirit intercedes in them. What support can
these have in reference to the success of their prayers ? This may be the
case also of such who have had assurance, but have now lost it ; who are
in that sad condition as they have occasion to invert the apostle's expres
sion, that they were sometimes light in the Lord/4but now they are darkness ;
their former evidence is blotted, former light clouded, the Spirit of God
suspending his assuring and evidencing testimony, either for trial or upon
some provocation. The question here will be, What encouragement and
support such may have as to the issue of their prayers ? can such pray in
faith ? or can they pray so as their prayers shall be granted ?

Ans. A faith of dependence may constitute a prayer of faith, where assur
ance is wanting; and therefore those who, through the weakness of faith,
or through the withdrawings of God in time of desertion, are destitute of
assurance, may yet pray in faith, if so be they exercise this faith of depen
dence. To open this a little, a faith of dependence, as but a may be, God
may answer ; a faith of assurance has a will be, says, God will answer.
That says, Probably the Lord will hear ; this says, Certainly the Lord
will hear. Jonathan went out against the Philistines in the strength of
that faith we express by depending or relying, upon God, and it rose no
higher than thus, ' It may be,' 1 Sam. xiv. 6. Now, faith thus acted in
prayer makes it a prayer of faith. But to resolve this case more fully and
clearly, 1 shall endeavour four things.

(1.) To shew that this relying on God for answer is sufficient to make a
prayer of faith, that this faith of dependence is enough in some cases.
And thus I proceed. It is this faith which justfies a sinner. The person
being justified is accepted ; the person being accepted, the prayer is

230 FAITH IN PRAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

accepted, and so will be answered. A sinner is not justified by assurance,
but by an act of dependence or relying on Christ ; for he is justified by
the first act of faith, when he first believes. But assurance is after the
first act of believing, Eph. i. 13. The Spirit's sealing, which causes
assurance, is after believing ; upon which he is justified, person and
prayers accepted. A faith of dependence, without assurance, is sufficient to
render the prayer acceptable and capable of an answer. And therefore this
relying, acted in prayer, makes it a prayer of faith. Besides, this faith is
sometimes all that is required, and all that is expressed, in those prayers
which have been graciously answered, Joel ii. 12-14. The prophet
directs them how to address themselves to the Lord. Faith is necessary
in all such addresses, yet all the faith whereby they made this address is
in those words, ' Who knoweth ? ' &c., which amounts to no more than this
faith of dependence. It is no more than this, It may be the Lord will
return and repent, &c., Jonah iii. 9. That faith, in the strength of which
they were to send up those mighty cries, goes no farther than a may be,
Who can tell? &c. ; yet this prayer prevailed, ver. 10. So that it is clear
from hence, that a faith of dependence, acted in prayer, will prevail with
God for an answer, and make it a prayer of faith.

(2.) I will shew the objects upon which this faith is acted, and by which
it is supported, and how it is to be exercised on them in the cases pro
pounded. The objects to which I will be confined at this time are
three.

[1.] The name of God. The Lord directs those that are in darkness to
this object, Isa. 1. 10 ; and there is enough in this name to encourage and
support the weakest, and to silence all his fears and doubts as to the
success of his prayers. See it declared, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Here is firm
footing for that faith which is so weak and small as it cannot be discerned
by him that hath it. It is said of Abraham, that he ' staggered not through
unbelief,' Rom. iv. 20 ; and the reason is, because he had firm footing for
both feet. He that stands but upon one leg may easily stagger ; he that
is persuaded that God is able, but not willing, or willing, but not able, his
faith stands but upon one leg. But Abraham was persuaded of both :
the promise, that persuaded him God was willing ; his power, that per
suaded him he was able; both expressed, ver. 21. Therefore his faith
having ground for both feet, stood sure and stedfast ; it staggered not.
Now the name of God affords as good ground for faith ; there is that in it
which may persuade a doubting soul that God is both able and willing.
' The Lord, the Lord God ;' Heb., ' Jehovah, Jehovah El.' The strong
God ; he that has his being of himself, and gives a being to things that are
not. This shews he is able, able to give a being to all you want or desire,
though they are to be brought out of nothing ; able to make thee pray, and
able to make all desirable returns to thy prayers, nay, ' above what you
can ask or think.' And that he is willing, the rest of his name shews,
' merciful, gracious,' &c. He is merciful, and misery is a proper plea for
mercy, and am I not miserable ? He is gracious, and grace expects no
motive from without ; free grace will move itself ; nor will it be stopped
by any hindrance within me. Unworthiness cannot hinder, for then it is
most grace when it rests in the most unworthy ; and am not I such ?
Long continuance in sin cannot hinder, if broken off by repentance, for he
is long-suffering ; no, nor the abounding sinfulness of sin, for he is abun
dant in goodness ; no, nor the infinite multitude and variety of sins, for
he forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin ; nor the huge number of peti-

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PEAYEB. 231

tioners, he keeps mercy for thousands. And though the doubting soul
cannot in prayer plead his truth (another letter of his name) in reference
to the covenant, as not knowing his interest in the covenant, yet he may
plead it in reference to the declaration of his name ; as sure as God is true,
so sure he is merciful and gracious, &c.

[2.] The free offers of Christ. The Scripture abounds with them ; I will but
instance in one : John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ;
and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.' That which faith prin
cipally eyes in Christ for the success of prayer, is his intercession, his office as
advocate. Now, though a doubting soul dare not rely- upon Christ as one that
is his advocate, yet may it rely on him as one that offers to be its advocate.
He professes that he will in no wise refuse any that will retain him. Christ,
may the soul say, prayed for his enemies, for those that were murdering
him, and may he not then intercede for me ? It is true I have been an
enemy, but oh how do I hate myself for that enmity ! I have now laid
down arms, and now, though I can do little for him, yet I resolve never
more to oppose him, though I perish. And since he was so gracious, as to
pray for his murderers, who knows but he may intercede for me ? And
further, Christ prayed not only for those who did actually believe, but for
those who should afterwards believe, John xvii. 20. He prayed for those
who then had no faith when he prayed. And is not this thy case, poor
doubting or deserted soul ? Is not this the worst thou canst make of it ?
Canst thou say anything worse of thyself than this, I do not believe, I
have no faith ? Well, then, seek to Christ, rely on him, as one that prayed,
as one that intercedes for unbelievers ; and hereby thou wilt shew thou
hast faith, and thy prayers will be answered, as the Lord useth to answer
prayers of faith.

[3.] The general promise ; such as are not restrained to those qualifica
tions and conditions, which the dark soul apprehends to be out of its reach ;
such as that, Heb. xi. 6, 'He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him ;' Joel ii. 32, ' Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall
be delivered.' The doubting soul may thus reason. There was nothing in
man could move the Lord to make these promises, and there is nothing
in man can hinder him from performing them when and where he pleases.
And who knows but he may perform them to me ? It is true I have
neglected Christ formerly, oh but now I resolve to seek him indeed. And
though I be not certain that he will be found of me, yet I will seek him
early, seek him first, before all others, seek him principally, above all
others ; who knows but I may at last find him ? He has been found of
those that sought him formerly ; he has been found of those that sought
him not ; and will he not be found of me that seek him ?

(3.) The acts of this faith, in which it is exercised, and by which it may
be discerned.

[1.] A renouncing of all supports and refuges, but Christ. See it in
returning Ephraim : Hosea xiv. 3, ' We will no more rely on Assyria, nor
trust in our armies of horse.' So the soul will no more rely on his own
wisdom and righteousness, on his own works and performances. When he
comes to pray, he will not ground his confidence on what he doth, or what
he is, or what he is not, as the Pharisee ; he perceives these to be but a
refuge of lies. And though he become hereby destitute and helpless, and
has not thus much to comfort him, that God is his Father, yet here is his
support in this orphan state, ' In thee the fatherless find mercy.'

[2.] Submission. A depending soul will be content with anything, if

232 FAITH IN PEAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

the Lord will but own him, if Christ will but smile, entertain him. This
is visible in the returning prodigal, Luke xv. 18, 19. To my father ;
there is faith. Though thou hast dealt with me as a Father, yet I am
unworthy to be called a son, unworthy to be entertained and employed as
a son. Lord, let me be anything, so as I may have a being in thy house ;
let me but come under thy roof, and I will be content though I have no
other usage, respect, reward ; the meanest office in thy house is too good,
only let me not be shut out of doors.

The woman of Canaan, though she followed Christ with such strength of
faith and importunity of prayer, as he admires her, yet so submissive, she
will be content with crumbs, anything that has relation to children, though
not the relation itself, yea, though it be but the crumbs that fall from the
table, Mat. xv. 22. So 2 Sam. xv. 25.

[8.] Acceptation. He will yield to any terms, so as the Lord will but
grant his chief desires. Tell him, if he will have Christ, and follow him,
he must forsake all ; he embraces the motion, he says, This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation. He says with Mephibosheth, Nay,
let him take all, if my Lord will return to my soul in peace. Tell him, if
he will inherit the land of promise, he must come out of Egypt, he is con
tent, he will not leave a hoof behind. All his lusts shall go, if Christ will
but come, small and great, secret and open, pleasant and profitable ; his
Zoars, his little ones, shall be turned into ashes ; his Herodias, his pleasant
beloved sins shall be divorced. The best and fattest of the cattle, his pro
fitable and gainful sins, shall be put to the sword, with the rest of the
children of Amalek ; his secret idols, those that are hid in the stuff, shall
not only be buried, but, as Moses with the calf, ground to powder. Tell
him, if he will be joined to Christ, he must forget his kindred and father's
house, his former old acquaintance and conversation ; he is satisfied, so as
the King will delight in his beauty, so as Christ will but take pleasure in
him. Tell him, if he will have Christ as an intercessor, he must submit
to him as a king ; Oh, says he, if the golden sceptre may be but holden
forth, I will submit to it for ever. Tell him, if he will have the Spirit of
Christ, he must have him as a Spirit of grace, as well as a Spirit of sup
plication : he yields with cheerfulness ; he looks upon holiness as garments
of wrought gold, that which will both enrich and beautify him ; the
sanctifying work of the Spirit is acceptable to him, as well as the sealing
work. Tell him, he that will name the name of the Lord with acceptance,
must depart from iniquity : he answers presently, ' What have I any more
to doVith idols ?' This accepting Christ, and the Spirit of Christ, upon
gospel terms, is called faith, John i. 12.

[4.] Appropriation. Coming unto Christ, stretching out his soul to
lay hold on him, opening his heart to embrace him, flying upon the wing
of desire to draw near him. Thus faith is expressed by ' drawing near,'
Heb. x. 22. Though he cannot draw near with full assurance of faith, yet
with a full sail of affection. By ' embracing the promise,' Heb. xi. 13 ;
though he cannot embrace the promise, as having received it for his pre
sent portion, yet he embraces it as seen afar off. By laying hold, Heb.
vi. 18 ; though he cannot lay hold of Christ as his treasure and possession,
yet on the hope set before him. By ' coming to Christ,' John vi. 35 ; I
am unworthy to come near him, yet he is worthy to be obeyed, and he
commands me to come. Though I be not sure he will entertain me, yet
there is no way but ruin if I come not. He invites me, and who knows
but he may receive me ? I have none else to come to, the world I have

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYER. 233

renounced, and to come to it is to run upon the sword of an enemy ; my
lusts I have forsaken, a-nd to return to them is to run back into ruin.
There is none but Christ, none but Christ, my soul can come to for
refuge. And lo he calls me, why, ' Behold I come unto thee, for thou art
the Lord.'

[5.] Resolution. Being come, he resolves to continue there. If he die,
he will die at his feet. If he perish, he will perish with Christ in his
arms. If justice seizes on him, it shall slay him at the horns of the altar.
Nothing shall fright him from his hold. Come death, come hell, I will not
let thee go. Nay, the more he is afraid, the faster he clings. ' What
time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.' ' Though he kill me' (as he may
justly), ' yet will I trust in him,' yet will I hold him fast ; and those that
find me dead, shall find my heart, my hands fastened upon Christ. And
as nothing shall fright, so nothing shall persuade him to leave his hold.
He answers all, as Ruth did Naomi : Ruth i. 16, 17, ' Whither thou goest,
I will go,' &c.

[6.] Expectation. Being thus resolved to cleave to Christ, he expects
something from him. Though his hopes be weak, his hold is strong.
There is a hope before him, though he apprehend it not in him, which he
lays hold of. Although he cannot come to the throne of grace with that
full assurance of hope which the apostle mentions, though he arrive not
there with full sail, yet he has a sweet breeze of probability, enough to
keep him in motion, and hold his head above water, and this may support
him in the mean time : Ps. ix. 18, ' The expectation of the poor shall not
perish for ever.' Though it may stick upon the flats, and dash now and
then against the rock, yet it shall not perish ; or though it may seem to
perish for a time, yet it shall not perish for ever.

(4.) The special encouragements which this faith may have, in reference
to the success of prayer.

[1.] This relying upon God, engages him to answer, and the Lord will
not fail his engagements. If one rely upon a great person for a favour, and
have encouragement from him so to do, it will not stand with his credit and
honour to disappoint him ; much less will the Lord fail those whom he has
encouraged to depend on him. He is tender of his honour. If such a
soul come to him, and tell him, Thou hast invited me to fly to thee for
refuge ; I have none else to defend me, I have renounced all other depend
encies ; if thou fail me, I perish ; he that thus flies to the Lord for refuge,
shall find in due time strong consolation. Christ will not deliver those up
to justice, who fly to him for sanctuary.

[2.] Christ highly commends this faith of dependence, seems to admire
it, and to be extraordinarily taken with it : Mat. viii. 8, ' Speak the word
only, and my servant shall be healed.' Here is no more expressed than a
faith of dependence ; if there be any assurance, it is but a half assurance,
that which respected the power of Christ, not his willingness, no intimation
of that. So Mat. xv., of the woman of Canaan. Christ beats her off there
from all assurance ; that which she asked was not proper for her : ' It is
not meet to cast the children's bread to dogs.' Nor was he sent for this
purpose. He leaves her no ground for assurance, yet by this faith of de
pendence she clings to him, pleads with him, urges him so far till he yields,
till she prevails, and she prevails as far as she will. See here the power of
this faith put forth in prayer, it can prevail with Christ for the obtaining of
all we desire.

[8.] The obedience of one that has but a faith of dependence in seeking

234 FAITH IN PKAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

God is in some respect more excellent than theirs who have assurance.
For a child that has his father's smile and love to be affectionate and
obsequious is no great matter ; but for one whom his father does not own,
who knows not that he shall have any share in the inheritance, [toj be
obedient and affectionate, this is excellent and rarely ingenuous ; so for
one that is assured of the love of God, that walks in the light of his coun
tenance, and knows heaven is his portion, to be much in seeking God, and
waiting on him, is not so much, but for him who sees nothing but frowns
in the face of God, and has no assurance of any reward for his attendance
on him, to be much in prayer, eager in following him, diligent in waiting
on him, this is obedience of a rare ingenuous temper, and cannot but be
highly acceptable in the sight of God. For one to say as the martyr,
Though I know not that Christ loves me, yet will I die, be burned for him.
Will not the Lord value such an affection ? will he not reward such ? will
he not make sweet returns to such prayers ?

[4.] He that has this faith of dependence has really interest in all the
privileges that attend assurance, though not in his own apprehension.
This faith justifies the person, and the person being justified, the prayer is
accepted. This gives an interest in the covenant, and he that is in cove
nant has right to all promises. This gives interest in Christ, and he that
has that has interest in his intercession, his Father's love, his Spirit's
assistance ; and what more is required to make prayer successful ? If
prayer be accepted, it will be answered, though he apprehends it not, if the
Lord be engaged by promise, if Christ intercede, if the Spirit assist.

2. Case. There is a confidence to be found in unregenerate men in their
addresses to God. We see too many are confident as to their state that
they shall be saved, and they may be as confident as to their duties that
they shall be accepted, as to their prayers that they shall be heard when
they pray for salvation. As nothing is more dangerous, so nothing more
common than such presumptions. And they are so high and strong, as it
is one of the most difficult works of gospel ministers to demolish and level
these confidences, to beat sinners out of them. This is one of Satan's
strongholds, wherein he secures natural men against the assaults of law
and gospel tending to reduce them, and bring them to surrender and yield
themselves to Christ upon gospel terms. Such confidence we see in the
Pharisee, Luke xviii. And the prophet declares against it in the degene
rate and profane Israelites, Amos iii. 9-11. Here the question will be,
how the confidence of faith may be known and distinguished from this pre
sumptuous confidence, how a true believer may discern that his confidence
in approaching to God is not the presumption of hypocrites, and how pre
sumptuous sinners may be convinced that their carnal boldness is not the
confidence of faith ? that so the prayers of faith may be distinguished from
the prayers of presumption and carnal confidence.

Am. The confidence of faith in prayer differs from this presumptuous
confidence in its rise, grounds, attendants, and effects.

(1.) In its rise. The carnal man arrives at this confidence he knows not
how. If we should say to it, as the master of the feast to him that wanted
the wedding garment, ' How earnest thou hither ? ' he can give no satisfy
ing answer, he can give no rational account how he came by it, he has had
it ever since he can remember, ever since he was accustomed to pray. He
attained it with ease, it cost him nothing; it sprang up in him as a
mushroom, on a sudden, without his care or industry. Whereas the confi
dence of faith is not in an ordinary way so soon, nor so easily, nor so

JAMES I. 6.] FAITH IN PRAYEK. 235

insensibly attained. Believers can many times remember their carnal
confidence was cast down by the spirit of bondage, and that their spiritual
confidence was not raised but with difficulty, and by degrees ; it was a work
of time and labour, like the casting down of mountains and the filling of
valleys. The work of law and gospel too were little enough to effect it.
After the convictions of sin and wrath, their own vileness and unworthiness
had made a valley in their spirits, had undermined their mountain of pre
sumption which stood so fast, and had laid them low and vile in their own
apprehensions, it was a work of difficulty to raise their souls to this confi
dence. They found fearfulness and confidence struggle in their souls, as
the twins in Rebecca's womb, Gen. xxv. 22 ; a strife as betwixt Pharez
and Zara, Gen. xxxviii., which would get out first ; doublings and fearful-
ness putting out the hand before this confidence could break forth, and the
soul in the mean time, as it were, in travail.

(2.) In the grounds. Presumption has either no ground at all, or else it
is raised upon nothing but the sand ; in some it springs from their natural
temper, they can be bold and confident with men, and they will be so with
God ; he may complain of them as of those, Ps. 1. 21, ' Thou thoughtest I
was altogether such a one as thyself.' Their apprehensions of God differ
little from those they have of men, and so they make as bold with him as
they do with their familiars. They sometimes ground it upon their prayers,
especially if they be long and often in this duty, they think they oblige
God thereby, and conclude something is due to them from God upon this
account, and accordingly they expect it. Hence it is that when the returns
do not answer their expectations, they are ready to expostulate with God,
as though he did them wrong, like those, Isa. Iviii. 2, 3. Sometimes they
raise it upon the same foundation with the Pharisee, Luke xviii. They
are not so bad as some, and they do more good than others, and therefore
are confident they shall fare well at God's bands. But now the confidence
of faith is to be found in those who are most bashful and modest as to their
natural constitutions, when once they are renewed and fortified by the power
of grace. Christ and the promise is the ground of this confidence. They
rest not in their prayers, nor any part of their own righteousness ; they
know that all their shreds put together will make no more than a menstru-
ous cloth, a garment both ragged and loathsomely bespotted. This is
occasion of shame and blushing, they can have no confidence to be seen in
such a woful habit. They count all their prayers, abstinences from sin,
and actual righteousness but loss, look on them* all as lost, and have no
confidence to be found anywhere, in anything, but in Christ, Phil. iii. But
what the grounds of it are I have given a large account before.
(3.) In the attendants. Confidence of faith is accompanied with,
[1.] Reverence ; a filial and a holy fear of God. The apostle, who so
often exhorts the faithful Hebrews to draw near with boldness, with confi
dence, with full assurance of faith, brings it attendant with it : Heb. xii. 28,
' Being confident we shall receive,' &c. Let us hold fast this confidence,
and thereby we shall be enabled to serve God with reverence. Hope (often
put for faith and confidence) is joined with fear: Ps. cxlvii. 11, Ps. v. 7,
' In the multitude of thy mercy, there is confidence,' &c. A believer is
sensible of his own vileness, and apprehensive of the majesty and holiness
of God, low thoughts of himself, and high thoughts of God. These thoughts
impress upon the soul an awful respect of God, fill it with reverence, and
an ingenuous dread lest any action or word should pass him in this duty
not beseeming such a majesty, that might be in the least offensive or dis-

236 FAITH IN PKAYER. [JAMES I. 6.

honourable to him, as we see a child is then most afraid to offend his father
when he is nearest him. The presumptuous have a good conceit of
themselves, but low thoughts of God. The Pharisee was an emblem of
such. In his prayer, he is more in praising himself than praising God.
Or if upon any occasion their thoughts of God be raised, yet so slight and
powerless, as they leave little or no impression upon the heart. The higher
they rise in these speculations, the weaker is their influence ; as the stars,
we see, they are so high they give little light. Their apprehensions leave
no awe or dread of God upon their hearts ' Or if there be any impressions
of fear, yet it is a fear of smarting and suffering from him rather than of
displeasing or dishonouring him ; as slaves, that would not dread the dis
pleasure or disparagement of their master, but that they are afraid of stripes
and blows.

[2.J Resignation of his will and wisdom to the will and wisdom of God.
He will be content with God's time, his way, his measure, his will, as to
the answer of his prayers, and all the circumstances thereof. But pre
sumptuous confidence must have what he desires, or nothing ; when he
expects it, or not at all ; in that way and degree he looks for it, or else it
is not worth the having. It is a proud stiffness of spirit, his will must be
the rule to measure his receipts, his wisdom must be judge what is best ;
these must not veil nor lower to the will and wisdom of God. He is like a
sturdy beggar, that must have what he asks, or else you must look for ill
language from him. If the Lord will not punctually gratify his desires, he
has hard thoughts of him, murmurs and repines against him, as you see in
the Israelites all along under their conduct by Moses. True confidence is
like the ground of it, Christ ; a tender plant will bow and bend to the will
and at the pleasure of God, but counterfeit confidence is like a sturdy oak,
or a dry stick, that will break rather than bend.

(4.) In the effects. Confidence begets,

[l.J Fervency. We see by experience, where there are hopes of attain
ing, they will quicken up to eagerness in pursuing. A due confidence of
receiving will make a believer vehement and fervent in asking. The apostle
makes a prayer of faith to be a fervent prayer; James v., that which is a
prayer of faith, ver. 15, is described to be a fervent prayer, ver. 16.
And Elias, who is given as an instance of one praying in faith, and his
prayer is there expressed by this character of fervency, verse 17, tgoaw/ji
Tgoojv^aro ; according to the letter it is, ' he prayed in his prayer,' — a
form of speech, it is usual with the Hebrews, to express vehemency j he
prayed vehemently. True confidents pray their prayers, others do but say
their prayers.

If a man desire a thing above him, and have hopes that he may reach it,
he will stretch out himself to do it. This hope, this confidence of attain
ing what we desire of God, will make our prayers to be a stretching out of
our souls to God, according to the import of that expression, Acts xii. 5,
vgoafuysj) sx.rei/fa, an extended prayer was made, a prayer wherein the soul
was extended and stretched out to God.

That prayer which springs from this confidence is a soul-labour, the
travail of the soul ; the heart is in labour while it is in prayer. But that
of the presumptuous is but lip-labour, a labour of the outward man, a
bodily exercise ; the heart and affections are cold, dead, without lively
motion. Or if there be any heat, life, fervency, in them, it is but at some
times, and for some things. There may be some eagerness at some times,
as when they are under some strong convictions, in some imminent danger,

JAMES I. 6.J FAITH IN PRAYER. 237

or under some sharp affliction ; ' in their affliction they will seek me early.'
Then diligently, at other times carelessly.

Or they may be eager for some things, for temporal blessings, for
outward deliverance. They may howl upon their beds for corn and wine,
but not for holiness, not for power against endeared lusts ; they pray for
these, like Augustine before his conversion, as if they were afraid to be
heard. Or they may be affectionate in some parts of prayer. There may
be some heat and importunity in petition when their necessities of outward
things are pressing, Isa. xxvi. 16. They poured out a prayer ; their hearts,
as though they were dissolved by the ardency of desires for deliverance,
ran out in their petitions. Oh but what melting was there in their confess
ing and bewailing sin ! what heat and affectionateness in their praises of
God ! No ; when such are to offer a sacrifice of praise, there is no fire
on the altar, no heat nor ardour of affection ; no fire from heaven, at least
nothing but strange fire, such as their own interests and concernments
kindle.

%* This Sermon appears to be unfinished. — ED.

OF DYING IN FAITH.

These all died in faith. — HEB. XI. 13.

THE apostle having in the former chapter exhorted them to persevere in
the faith, in this he explains the nature of it. 1. Describing it by some
properties, ver. 1. 2. Confirming the description by examples of the
faithful in general, ver. 2, particularly of Abel, ver. 4, Enoch, ver. 5, 6,
Noah, ver. 7, Abraham, ver. 8, 9, 10, Sarah, ver. 11, 12, and gives au
account of their faith in four particulars, ver. 13. 1. The continuance of
their faith : died ; as lived by it, so died in it. 2. The object of it, the
promises. 8. The acts of it : (1.) see; (2.) persuaded ; (8.) embraced.
4. The effect of it, an acknowledgment they were strangers. From the
first,

Obs. The elders died in the faith.

1. In the profession of the faith. They held fast the truths of God to
the death. They 'denied not, they made not shipwreck of faith; they
suffered not Satan or his instruments to cheat them of it ; exchanged it not
for fancies, delusions ; did not apostatise, fall from it, as was prophesied
of many in the last times ; made not their opinions subservient to carnal
interests ; did not tack about, not carried about with every wind. Judg
ments firmly anchored in truth could ride out foul weather, bear up against
storms. .

2. In the state of faith. As they lived, so they died believers. Having
begun in the Spirit, they did not end in the flesh. They kept faithfully
the Spirit's cagaxaratfjjxjj. They lost not the habit of faith ; suffered it
not to decay, languish ; but strengthened it, bore on towards perfection ;
that when their outward man decayed, faith increased, and was strongest
in the greatest weakness, in death.

8. In the expression of faith. The genuine expression of faith in God
is faithfulness to God ; and they were faithful unto the death. Though
sometimes in the place of dragons, yet did not deal falsely in the covenant;
endeavoured to perform the conditions of it, to walk before God in upright
ness. Deal faithfully in the covenant, when do what is promised, answer
engagements, as intent upon repentance and new obedience.

4. In the exercise of faith. Though the other be true, this seems most
proper. As they acted faith in their life, so in their death. Their life

HEB. XI. 13. J OF DYING IN FAITH. 239

was the life of faith, as Paul, Gal. ii. 20. Faith had an influence into
every act of their life. Natural acts, Sarah conceived by faith, and was
delivered, Heb. xi. ; civil acts, Abraham sojourned, ver. 9 ; spiritual acts,
Abel sacrificed by faith, ver. 4 ; ordinary acts, Abraham's travel, ver. 8 ;
extraordinary, Noah's building an ark, ver. 7. What they did, they did by
faith, i.e., depending upon Christ for strength, believing the promise for
assistance and success. And from the considerations of God's nature,
attributes, providence, and their experiences of his goodness and faithful
ness, did whatever they were commanded, went wherever they were called,
expected whatever was promised. Thus they lived, and thus they died in
faith, with confidence that God would perform what he had promised, even
after their death, to them or theirs. Those that were begun to be per
formed in their lives, should be perfectly accomplished in or after their
death ; and those that were not at all performed before, should be fully
accomplished after. God had promised to Abraham the land of Canaan,
and heaven which that typified, and the Messias the purchaser of it.
Abraham died in faith, that is, went out of the world confident that he
should be admitted into heaven, ver. 10, and that his posterity should
inherit the land of Canaan, and that the Messias should proceed from his
loins. He saw the day of Christ, and that sight, strengthened by faith,
made the day of death a day of joy, a gladsome day. Died in faith, i.e.,
in expectation of the performance of promises.

Use. Let us endeavour to imitate the ancient worthies ; so to live by
faith, as we may die in it. There can be no scruple of endeavouring an
imitation here, since their example is commended to us by God, verse 2.
Paul exhorts, Philip, iv. 8, ' Whatsoever things are of good report,' &c. He
that dies in the faith dies honourably, comfortably, happily.

1. Honourably. He honours God, and God honours him. A strong
faith does honour God at any time, Rom. iv. 20, sure then in death, since
faith has then the most discouragements. How the 'Lord honours faith,
we need go no further for instance than this chapter, where the apostle, by
special instinct from God, makes honourable mention of faith and the
faithful, and leaves an eternal monument thereof to all posterity. Thus
shall it be done to the men who honour God, whom God will honour ;
their memory shall be blessed, and all generations shall call them so.
When they are dead, and turned to ashes, rather than they shall want a
testimony, the Lord will give one from heaven, a sufficient vindication
against all the slander of the world. And who will put dishonour upon
these whom the Lord will honour ?

2. Comfortably. Faith and joy are mutual causes. Where strong
faith, there is strong consolation in life or death. When faith ebbs, joy
ebbs ; a spring-tide of faith brings a strong stream of joy. Where there
is flrX»igopog/a viffTtuf, full assurance of faith, then the soul is carried with
full sail into the bosom of Christ. A weak faith does but creep into
heaven, strong faith gives an abundant entrance.

3. Happily. ' He that continues faithful to the end, shall be saved.'
It is he who must hear that ravishing welcome from the mouth of God,
' Well done, good and faithful servant,' and must receive a glorious crown
from the hand of Christ; ' Be thou faithful unto death,' &c. Faith enters
with triumph into heaven, it conquers all opposition ; ' This is your victory
whereby ye overcome the world, even your faith.' It conquers Satan; the
shield of faith quenches his darts, conquers sin, conquers death, jam
deventum est ad triarios; it disarms him, and then enters heaven with a

210 OF DYING IN FAITH. [HEB. XI. 13.

triumph, ' 0 death, where is thy sting ?' Given victory through Christ.
What we have through him, we have by faith in him.

Directions. 1. That you may live and die in the faith of Christ, in the faith
once delivered to the saints, i. e., in the truths of Christ ; that you may
be constant and irnmoveable, not tossed to and fro, not carried away with
the error of the wicked, the prevailing delusions of the times ; that you
may not be carried down the stream of error, the waters which the dragon
vomits, Rev. xii. 15 ; take this golden rule : ' Receive the truth in the
love of it,' 2 Thes. ii. 10. If you would continue in the truth, and have
the Lord establish you in it, love the truth for itself, and love it above all
inferior respects whatsoever. He that loves, espouses the truth only for
some sinister advantages, out of custom, for applause, to avoid censure,
&c., when these cease, will divorce the truth, and embrace any error that
will comport with these respects. This is the great reason of the unfaith
fulness of these times ; why do many relinquish, disclaim those truths,
which they formerly held, maintained, professed ? Why, they did not love
the truth for itself, but for some base respects ; they never were in love
with the beauty of truth, but only its garb, its dowry ; and therefore when
error comes in a garb more pleasing to carnal minds, with a dowry more
advantageous to their base hearts, these wantons will entertain the truth
no longer, but embrace error, a strumpet in room thereof. He that loves
truth only for applause will embrace error when it is more plausible. He
that loves carnal pleasures more than truth, will be ready to entertain those
errors that will grant a toleration. He that receives the truth only, or
principally, because it is generally received, will change his opinion when
the times change. Nay, if a man's carnal heart were not apt to fall out
with truth, yet the Lord is so much in love with it as he will not suffer
those to be blessed with it, who will not love it for itself, who prostitute it to
base respects. He gives such up to strong delusions, &c.

2. That you may live and die in the state of faith, get into that happy
state. Get faith rooted and grounded in your hearts, and then you are
sure : ' Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' You can
neither live nor die without faith. While ye live without faith you are
under the sentence of condemnation, and if ye die without faith, death will
lead you to execution. Be not deceived, think not that to be faith which
is not ; think not you have faith, because you believe the word of God is
truth, and what it reveals concerning God, and Christ, and holiness, and
happiness, is true. This is faith indeed, but such a faith as the devils have ;
such a faith will be no advantage either in life or death ; it will distinguish
thee from an infidel, but not from an unbeliever. That faith which is
saving, which receives testimony from God, &c., is such a faith as will
make you willing to embrace Christ both as prince and Saviour; willing
to obey him, as to be saved by him ; to be sanctified as well as justified ;
that worketh by love, purifieth the heart, brings forth the fruits of the
Spirit. This is the faith by which ye mustj live, in which ye must die,
if ye will die happily, comfortably, &c. That you may attain this faith,
be diligent in attending upon the word. This direction is the apostle's,
Rom. x. 14, 17. It is the word that both begets faith, and nourishes
it. Those that neglect the word (it is evident to me) care not how they
live, nor how they die.

3. That you may live and die in the expression of faith ; i. e., that you
may not deal unfaithfully in the covenant ; consider how horribly wretched
such unfaithfulness is. Those that use to deal unfaithfully with men, lie,

HEB. XI. 13.] OF DYING IN FAITH. 241

or forswear, to get some advantage, there may be some temptation to this ;
but he that deals unfaithfully with God, deals unfaithfully with God to
undo, to ruin himself. There is no advantage in the world to be got
hereby, to tempt a man to it ; the sin is desperately wicked and inexcus
able. He that deals unfaithfully in the covenant does God a high dis
pleasure, that he may damn himself. What do ye, when you neglect
faith, repentance, &c. ? what tempts you to it? what advantage ex
pect ye ?

4. That ye may die in the exercise of faith, (1.) learn to live in the
exercise of it. The more faith is acted, the easier it will be to exercise.
Those who are strangers to the life of faith while they live, will find it a
strange work to act it when they die. If you exercise it not now, it will in
an ordinary way be impossible to act it then. The way to die in faith is
to live by it. Learn now to live in a continual dependence upon God, to
trust him with all you have, for all you want, to rely on him for supply of
wants, assistance in duties, success of endeavours, strength to resist tempta
tions, subdue lusts, bear afflictions, a blessing on your enjoyments. Walk
always leaning upon God ; so the word ]^Tl} imports ; depend on him, as
the child upon the mother's breast ; by the attractive power of faith, draw
out of his all- sufficiency whatever you want. The life that you live, let it
be by faith, &c., and then your death will be like these worthies'; and this
may be writ upon your monument, at least it will be writ in heaven,
« These all died in the faith.'

(2.) Treasure up the promises in your hearts, in your memories. No
such treasure as this. You will find riches a vain thing in that hour, they
cannot deliver from death ; but faith acted on the promises will both sup
port in it, and deliver from it. These you will find the best cordials,
sweeter than manna, the bread of life. That soul can never faint that feeds
on them. Faith supports the soul when death assails, and these support
faith; they are the staff of bread ; if faith feed on them, they will nourish
it into strength, such strength as will break through the terrors and
pangs of death in a triumph. Let not the promises lie neglected, as
though of no use. Choose out those that are most pertinent, those that
will support in the conflict, and raise your expectation of approaching
glory.

(3.) Clear up your evidences for heaven. While your title is dark, faith
will be weak. How can ye be confident of the eternal blessings of the
covenant, while ye have no assurance that you are in covenant ? How can
ye with confidence go out to meet the bridegroom, when ye know not
whether ye have oil in your lamps ? Oh then give all diligence to make
your calling and election sure. Till that be sure, faith will scarce find any
firm footing, and so stagger and waver. Examine yourselves whether in
the faith ; give no rest to yourselves till ye know ye have interest in him,
who through death has destroyed him that had the power of death, Heb.
ii. 14, 15. You can never be confident ye shall depart in peace, till ye be
assured that Christ is your salvation.

When you have cleared this evidence, endeavour to keep it clear. Sin
blots it, guilt is a blur in the evidence. If you avoid not these in your
lives, you will scarce read your evidence at death, and then faith may be non
plussed and to seek, when most [you] need it. Endeavour to keep a good
conscience always, in all things, towards God and man, that so you may
have the testimony of God and of your conscience on your deathbeds : as
2 Cor. i. 12, ' That in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your

VOL. I. Q

242

OF DYING IN FAITH.

[HEB. XI. 13.

conversation.' Oh, such a testimony will be a great encouragement to
faith, when all outward encouragements fail.

(4.) Lay up experiences. The remembrance of experiments of God's
mercy and faithfulness in your lives will be a sweet support to faith in
death. God's people have made good use of experiences to this purpose ;
David, Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 18. Faith from such promises* will draw sweet
conclusions. The Lord has delivered me from the dominion of sin, and
the cruelty of Satan, therefore he will deliver me from the power of death.
The Lord has given me the first fruits of heaven while I lived, he will give
me a full harvest of glory after death.

Qu. ' premises ' ? — ED.

OF LIVING AS STRANGERS.

And confessed that they were strangers. — HEB. XI. 13.

You have here an account of the life and death of those faithful servants
of God, the patriarchs. Of their death, ' These all died,' &c. ; of their life,
' Strangers and pilgrims.' That they thus died, we have God's testimony,
' These all,' &c. That they thus lived, we have their own confession ; they
were strangers all their life, they were faithful to the death, and are thus
recorded as examples to the people of God in all ages, that they may thus
live, thus die.

Obs. Those that would die in the faith, should live as strangers and
pilgrims.

For explication I shall shew, 1. What it is to die in the faith ; 2. What
to live as strangers.

For the first, it is to die as those ancient people of God did : 1. In the
profession ; 2. In the state ; 3. In the expression ; 4. In the exercise of
faith, of which before.

For the second, I shall first shew the OT), secondly, the iru$.

The people of God in all ages thus lived. Jacob professeth it to Pharaoh,
both of himself and his fathers, Gen. xlvii. 9. The Lord himself, in the
following age, styles all the Israelites thus, Lev. xxv. 23. But they were
not settled in Canaan, and that might be the reason. No. After it was
given them as their inheritance, when they had possession of it, and had
continued in possession some hundred years, in David's time, yet does he
profess this of himself and all his fathers, Ps. xxxix. 12. But it may be
David spake this when he was under persecution and in banishment, when
he was hunted as a partridge, &c. No ; it was when he was established
upon the throne of Judah and Israel, when he had conquered all opposers
abroad and at home, as it is evident, 1 Chron. xxix. 15. Nor was this the
condition of God's people under the law only ; no other is their state under
the gospel. The apostle writes to them under this notion, 1 Pet. ii. 11.
That it is so is evident ; but in what respects are they so ?

Ans. They are strangers and pilgrims :

1. In respect of their station, the place of their abode. While they are
in the world, they are in a strange country ; while they are present in the
world, they are far from home. The world is a strange country, and their
habitations in it, how much soever their own in civil respects, are but as

244 OF LIVING AS STRANGERS. [HEB. XI. IB.

inns in that journey homeward. The land of promise was but to Abraham
a strange country ; his dwelling there was but a sojourning, so far was he
from thinking himself at home, ver. 9.

The world is a strange country to the people of God, and the men of the
world are men of a strange language, strange customs, strange laws, far
differing from that of their own country. A strange language, the language
of Ashdod. To hear God's name profaned, his people reproached, holiness
vilified, miscalled ; to hear unclean, unsavoury, revengeful language ; to
hear men wholly taken up with discourse of the earth, and earthly things,
oh this is, or should be, strange language to the people of God ; there is
no such word ever heard in their own country. While in the world, they
are amongst a people of a strange tongue, strange customs and laws too,
such as were never enacted, nor had place in their own country. To neglect
the worship of God in public, in their families, to make provision for the
flesh, &c., to lay up treasure on earth, to neglect God, their souls, eternity,
these and such like are customs of the world ; and they think it strange
(so common is it) that God's people will not run with them, 1 Pet. iv. 4,
not swear, be drunk. A people of strange doctrines, Heb. xiii. 9 ; strange
vanities, Jer. viii. 19 ; of a strange God too, 2 Cor. iv. 4. He is their
lawgiver ; the course of this world is according to his laws, Eph. ii. 2. The
laws of their own country have no place here : the law of faith, love, self-denial,
loving enemies, &c. Such a country is the world to the people of God, a
strange country ; and in this respect they are strangers.

2. In respect of their design, their motion, it is still homewards. This
strange country likes them not, nor they it ; they are travelling towards
another, that which is, that which they account, their home, that better
country, that heavenly country, that city prepared for them, that city whose
builder and maker is God. Thus these faithful worthies, ver. 14, they that
say, i. e., that confess, &c., do plainly declare, ver. 16. That heavenly country
is the place of the Lord's abode ; and because he is their God, this is their
country, their home. This they look for, ver. 10, this they seek, ver. 14,
this they desire, ver. 16 ; their expectations, their affections, their endeavours
are for heaven, when they are like themselves. While they are present in
the world, they are absent from home. So their life here is in motion ;
they are in a journey ; they are travelling homewards, and that is to heaven.
This is their journey's end, the end of their pilgrimage ; and till they come
there, till they be at home in heaven, they are strangers.

8. In respect of their enjoyments. They are but accommodated here
like strangers. Much would be a burden, a hindrance to them in their
journey ; they have more in hopes than hand. These worthies died, not
having received the promises, i. e., all the good things promised : no, their
richest enjoyments are at home ; no matter for state and superfluities in a
journey. They are not known in those strange places where they pass, no
matter how they seem to strangers. Though they be princes, sons of God,
heirs of a crown, their Father sees it best, safest for them, to travel in a
disguise. No matter what strangers take them for, 1 John iii. 2, what
they now enjoy are but like the accommodations of an inn, enough for tra
vellers. Their treasure, their crown, their glory is at home, their Father's
house ; till they come there they are strangers.

4. In respect of their usage. They are not known in the world, and so are
often coarsely used. In this strange country they meet with few friends, but
many injuries. See how the world used those of whom it was not worthy,
ver. 86-88. Here is strangers indeed, and strangely us ed. No wonder if

HEB. XI. 13.J OP LIVING AS STRANGERS. 245

a stranger be jeered and derided ; his habit, his manners, his language, is
not conformed to the place where he is. Their habit, language, practices,
must be after their own country fashion, such as become heaven : now
this being contrary to the world, meets with opposition, scorn, reproaches,
hatred. This was the portion of Christ, of his disciples, of his people in
all ages ; and this is the reason they are not of the world, they are strangers,
John xvii. 14. If they have something that commands outward respect, it
may be they will find some ; but the hearts of worldly men are against
them, John xv. 18, 19.

5. In respect of their continuance. Their abode on earth is but short.
A stranger, a traveller stays not long in one place. Upon this account does
David call himself and the people of God strangers, 1 Chron. xxix. 15.
They dwell but as Abraham in tabernacles, ver. 9, in tents, moveable
dwellings, quickly, easily removed ; no dwelling that has a foundation that
is lasting, durable, till at home, ver. 10. Continuance on earth but a
shadow, but a passage.

6. In respect of their relations. Their dearest relations are in another
country. Their Father, their Husband, their Elder Brother, their dearest
Friend, their Comforter, and the far greatest part of their brethren and
fellow-members, are all in heaven. He that lives at a distance from his
relations may well pass for a stranger.

Use 1. Reproof of those who profess themselves to be the people of God,
and yet live not like his people ; live on earth, as though earth was their
home, and mind heaven as little as they mind a strange country ; suffer
their thoughts, affections, endeavours, to be so taken up with the earth,
and the things of it, as though the world were all the home they expect ;
instead of being strangers to the world, are strangers to the thoughts of,
to the employments of, to the endeavours for heaven; rise up early, &c.,
to lay up treasure on earth, and lap up their hearts and souls with it. No
wonder if these people be unwilling to die, since they must part from the
world as one parts from his own country to go into banishment. They
that thus live in the world cannot expect to die in the faith. Whose image
and superscription do they bear ?

Use 2. Exhortation to the people of God. You are strangers and pil
grims, oh endeavour to live as strangers. You expect to die in the faith,
oh live then as you may so die.

(1.) Be not familiar with the world. Let the pleasures, the carnal inte
rests of it, be strange things to you, 1 Pet. ii. 12. < Be not conformed to
the world,' Eom. xii. 2. If you count heaven your home, your country,
disparage not heaven so much as to prefer the customs, the fashions, the
practices, the language of the world, before those of your own country. To
be ashamed to hold forth a heavenly conversation before the world, is to be
ashamed of your own country, of heaven. Let your lives testify that you
are citizens of heaven, that you are strangers.

(2.) Be patient under sufferings, under the affronts, reproaches, hard
usages you meet with from the world. It is the portion of strangers. If
ye were known, ye might expect better usage ; but here you are strangers,
you must put up wrongs and injuries. What folly for one in a strange
country to seek to right himself ? Expect no vindication till in your own
country.

(3.) Be content with what things you enjoy. Though it seem small or
poor, it is enough for a stranger. More would be a burden to you, and
travellers should avoid burdens, if they long to be at home. The things of

246 OF LIVING AS STRANGERS. [HEB. XI. 13.

the world are cumbersome ; they may make your journey tedious, and
keep you longer from your desired home. Be content for a while ; it is
but a while, and you will be at home, and then you will find better enter
tainment, and more plenty.

(4.) Set not your hearts upon any thing here below. Eemember, while
you are on earth, you are but in an inn. What folly would it be for a tra
veller, who has far* home, to fall in love with, and fix himself in his inn ?
Such folly, or worse, would it be for you to fix on the world. Mind the
things here below as in transitu ; use them as though ye used them not.

(5.) Make haste home. Make no longer stay than needs must in this
strange country. Make straight steps to your feet ; disburden yourselves
of worldly cares, projects, fleshly lusts, that weight that does so easily beset
you. What you have to do here, do it with all your might, that you may
be fit for home. Despatch, make haste ; remember whither you are going,
and to whom. Your Father expects you ; the Bridegroom thinks long till
you come, he that will delight in you for ever. You are but now con
tracted ; the marriage will not be solemnized till you come home ; and
there he stands ready to entertain you, to embrace you in the arms of
everlasting love. Hear how sweetly he invites you : Cant. ii. 10, ' Rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Oh turn not aside into by
paths of sin and vanity. Look not back, close with sweet exhortation,
Heb. xii. 1, 2. Oh let the sight, the thoughts of Jesus, quicken your pace.
And while you are absent in the body, let your hearts be at home, your
hearts in heaven, where are your treasure, your joys, your crown, your
glory, your inheritance, your husband. Oh, is not here allurement enough ?
This is the way to be at home while you are from home.

(6.) Be not too fearful of death. It is a sleep now ; Christ's death did
change the property of it ? and will a pilgrim, a weary traveller, be afraid
of sleep ? When you are come to the gates of death, there is but one step
then betwixt you and home, and that is death. Methinks we should pass
this cheerfully, the next step your foot will be in heaven. How does it
cheer the weary traveller, to think this is the last day's journey ; to-mor
row, to-morrow I shall be at my own home, with all my dear relations.
There I shall have ease and rest, and many welcomes. Suppose this last
be the worst, the most stormy day of all my journey, to-morrow will make
full amends for it.

Now such a day is the day of death, the last day of a wearisome pilgri
mage, and that which brings the stranger to his long home, into the bosom
of God, into the embraces of Christ, unto all those joys and engagements
that his own country afford, such as eye has not seen, nor ear heard, &c.
This is partly the way to live as strangers, to live so as ye may die in
the faith ; and those that die in the faith die in the Lord, and those are
blessed.

* Qu. 'a fair'?— ED.

THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the know
ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. — PHILIP. III. 8.

HERE are the sweet strains of a gospel spirit, letting out itself in express
ing a dear love to, a high esteem of Christ, and him alone ; advancing
Christ above all, giving him the throne, and making all competitors his
footstool.

The occasion of them we may find in the former verses, wherein I
cannot let pass some sweet and raised expressions without giving you a
taste, glancing at them by the way, that you may understand them, and
the coherence of these with them. Some teachers there were amongst
them who drove on a pernicious design to corrupt the doctrine of the
gospel and dishonour Christ, by joining with him the works and obser
vances of the law, in point of justification and salvation. To prevent the
mischief of this unworthy medley, he gives them saving advice, which we
may take up in four parcels.

1. To rest joyfully in Christ alone, to embrace him with delight, and
rest satisfied in his righteousness, the all-sufiiciency of his undertaking and
performance for pardon and glory, ver. 1 ; and lest they should nauseate
this doctrine as too often repeated and inculcated, he tells them ' to write
the same things, to him was not grievous,' because most sweet and
delightful, most necessary and profitable ; ' to them safe.' They were in
danger to be removed from him that called them unto the grace of Christ,
unto another gospel. The repetition of this was necessary to prevent the
danger ; it was safe, i.e., saving ; no doctrine saving but that which
advances Christ alone, and preserves his glory entire in those points.

2. To beware of false teachers, those that adulterated the gospel, and
made a medley of righteousness by works and faith, and bring in their
ceremonial or moral observances to share with Christ, as partial grounds
at least of their confidence and rejoicing. And he sets on this advice with
sharp terms, as being tender of the glory of Christ, bitter and vehement
against his co-rivals. He rebukes them aworopus, cuttingly, sharply, vide
ver. 2. He calls them ' dogs,' those that did rend and tear the simplicity
of gospel doctrine, and divide the glory of man's salvation betwixt faith and
works ; such as did bark out reproaches against the apostles and their

248 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

doctrine delivered in its native purity and simplicity. It will be useful to
observe here the different temper and carriage of this divine apostle in
different cases. When things were indifferent, and less necessary and
doubtful, farther from the heart of gospel truth and the great mystery of
Christ, then who more mild, who more indulgent ? who more complying
in things indifferent ? He became all things, &c. In things doubtful, of
less moment, he calls for meekness, forbearance, peace, love ; he breathes
nothing else but the mild spirit of his gracious Lord, Rom. xiv. 1. But
when opinions were broached that intrenched upon the glory of Christ, and
tended to subvert souls, and pervert the gospel, why then the apostle is
another man, a Boanerges ; he seems to speak fire and thunder, mera
tonitrua. No terms are bad enough, too bad for such seducers. Though
they were cried up and applauded as the only pastors and shepherds, he
calls them ' dogs.' They thought themselves the only patrons of good
works, he calls them ' evil workers.' They would be thought the only
legitimate children, he calls them ' concision ;' to shew his dislike of their
abusing and idolising circumcision, he gives it a by-name. So Hezekiah
calls the brazen serpent (at first set up by God's appointment), when it
was abused and idolised, Nehushtan, in contempt of that which was
advanced to the dishonour of God, a piece of brass ; or concision, cutting
off. This advancing of circumcision into Christ's place tended to cut
them off from Christ, from the church of Christ. It did not only occasion
division amongst the members, but did tend to cut them off from the
head ; a ruining, destructive evil. Let us be followers of the apostle, as
he followed Christ; learn when to be mild, and when to be zealous.
(See Luther on Gal.)

3. He opposes to these seducers the examples of the apostles and
faithful, to encourage them to cleave to that doctrine which advanced
Christ alone, and renounced all things coming in competition with him,
ver. 3. As though he had said, Ye shall lose nothing by closing with this
doctrine, and following us herein ; whatever they pretend, we are the
circumcision, we. only are truly circumcised in the account of God. You
reject not God's institution, he himself has laid it aside ; you lose no
privilege by it, we have that which these rites intended and held forth.
We have it in Christ more perfectly, more excellently. They have the
shadow, we have the substance. They have the outward rite, we have the
spiritual benefit intended by it ; we have it in a transcendent manner, in
its growth and height. They, by sticking to the ceremony, keep them
selves in nonage ; we are heirs, and enjoy the substance of these cere
monies. We are circumcised in heart ; Christ has cut off the foreskin of
our hearts, the guilt and power of sin.

' Worship God in spirit ;' we understand the spiritual sense of all rites,
types, ceremonies. Christ is the truth and substance of them ; in him we
have all. We worship him, accordingly, in spirit and truth, and so by
Christ's verdict are the only true worshippers, John iv. 14. We place not
worship in carnal observances, as they do. ' Bodily exercise profits
nothing ;' it is the heart and spirit that God requires, and this we give
him. Follow their example. No worship without the spirit.

' And rejoice in Christ ;' xctv^f^voi, we glory in him. Let them glory
in their carnal rites, ceremonial observances, legal righteousness, outward
privileges, we will rejoice in Christ alone ; nay, glory, exult, triumph in
him. Joy in its strength is exultation, which is a kind of vaulting or
leaping of the soul, yea, a leaping out of itself to its object. Their souls

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 249

leaped for joy at the contemplation of the infinite fulness, all-sufficiency,
glorious and transcendent excellency, of Christ. A man boasts when he is
full of that which he thinks excellent. They counted it not only their
happiness, but their glory, to have Christ, and Christ alone. They, with
undauntedness and full contentment, set Christ against all that the false
teachers could pretend to, all that could be offered in competition with
Christ. He was the only ground of their joy and confidence. In him
they exulted, triumphed, gloried, though they parted with all, lost all for
him. See here Christians' temper.

' No confidence in flesh ;' carnal rites, ceremonies, privileges, perfor
mances ; of which after. These were not ground of joy, satisfaction, con
fidence ; they relied not upon these for pardon, acceptance ; expected not
mercy nor salvation for these. Christ only, he alone was the ground of
their confidence, rejoicing, exulting.

4. He enforces his advice by his own example. If there were any reason
to glory, or be confident in carnal prerogatives, outward performances, he
had as much reason to do it as any of them all, ver. 4. He could boast
of as many privileges, as much self- righteousness, as they that could most,
which he shews in many severals, ver. 5. 1. ' Circumcised ;' the seal of
the covenant, and thereby he was outwardly in covenant with God ; a great
honour, and that which entitled him to many privileges. 2. ' Stock of
Israel ;' of that nation which the Lord set apart fcr himself when he
rejected all the nations of the earth besides. One of the ' Israelites,' to
whom, Bom. ix. 4, 5, belonged the adoption, &c. 3. ' Of the tribe :' as
he was one of the most honoured people, so one of the most noble tribe,
that of Benjamin ; born, not of a bondmaid, but the patriarch's beloved
Rachel ; a tribe honoured with the first of Israel's kings, in reference to
whom, it was like, himself was called Saul. He might have gloried in his
nobility, born of a tribe, a family, which was not strangers to the blood-
royal. 4. ' A Hebrew :' one of that honoured people, and noble tribe, in
the most honourable way ; not by affinity, but by pure descent both by
father and mother. A proselyte's offspring might be a Hebrew, but not a
' Hebrew of the Hebrews,' as he was. 5. ' A Pharisee:' one of the strictest
and most honoured sects amongst them ; those were counted eminently
religious, both negatively and positively, &c. 6. Ver. 6, ' zeal :' as one
of the most religious sect, so was he most zealous in that way of religion ;
not profane, careless, indifferent, but zealous and active, according to his
judgment and conscience. 7. ' Righteous :' not eager only in persecuting
those whom he counted enemies of righteousness, but righteous himself,
in point of outward conformity to the law and institutions of God ; so
observant thereof, as he was apupos, in the eye of men, and in his own
account, ' blameless,' without spot ; his conversation not stained with any
gross sins ; an exact man in his life and deportment, living answerable to
his knowledge and judgment.

All these grounds of confidence the apostle had before he was converted,
and if he would have been as vain-glorious as the false teachers, if he would
have been injurious to Christ and his soul, might have rested here, and
gloried therein as well as they ; but far was he from this temper. He
adds, ver. 7, those things fore-mentioned which formerly he counted gain ;
thought to gain pardon, acceptance, salvation by them; now, since he
knew Christ, he was of another judgment; now he counts them loss. He
saw he had lost his soul, been a lost man for ever, if he had rested on
these for salvation, if he had made these the grounds of his confidence ;

250 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

and therefore Christ being made known to him as the only way to gain
pardon, acceptance, life, he renounced his former privileges, his former
legal righteousness. He would not lean upon these broken reeds, which
might have let his soul fall into hell. He would have no more confidence
in the flesh, but in Christ only, by whom he expected to gain that which
in vain he expected from these.

Now, because this might seem a wonder and hard to be believed, that
the apostle should renounce, cast away that which others counted their
gain, treasure, ornament, their glory and confidence, that which they
thought highly commended them, and made them acceptable in the sight
of God, and glorious in the eyes of men ; to procure the easier belief, to
express further the height of his resolution herein, and the fixedness of his
heart in what he had done, he affirms it again, and that with an assevera
tion, together with divers heightened expressions, ver. 8, ' Yea, doubtless,'
&c. He did not only count them loss, but he had actually renounced
them. It was not only his judgment, but his practice. He did not only
count them loss, but dung, filth, excrements, when compared with Christ.
He did not only thus account, thus renounce these things fore-mentioned,
but all things, even those things that he had done and suffered for Christ,
since he knew Christ. Not that he repented of what he had done or suf
fered, nor that he thought these would not be graciously rewarded, but in
point of confidence, in point of justification. If he had brought these before
God's tribunal to be accepted, pardoned, justified, saved for them, he had
been lost, they would have proved the loss of his soul. God would no
more accept of these as satisfaction for sin, or meritorious of eternal life,
than he would accept of dung. And therefore in these respects he did that
which the Lord would have done, he counted them loss and dung. He
smelt a savour of death in those things which had been his confidence be
fore for acceptance and life.

And further, he adds the cause of this strange effect, ' The excellency of
the knowledge,' &c. It was the discovery of Christ that wrought his heart
to this temper. It was his view of a sinner's transcendent advantage by
Christ, that made him account all these loss. It was the wonderful excel
lency of the knowledge of Christ, that made all these things seem as dung.
When we are in the dark, we are glad of candle-light, and glow-worms will
make a fair show in our eyes ; but when the sun is risen and shines in
his full strength, then candle-light seems needless or offensive, and the
worms that glittered in the dark, make no better show than other vermin.
So when men are in the state of nature and darkness, then their church
privileges and carnal prerogatives, then their outward performances and
self-righteousness, make a fine show in their eyes. They are apt to glory
in them, and rely on them, as that by which they may gain the favour of
God and eternal life. Ay, but when Christ appears, when the Sun of
righteousness arises in the heart and discovers his excellency, his all-suffi
ciency, then a man's own sparks vanish; then all his formerly beloved and
rich esteemed ornaments are cast off"; then all he has, and all he has done,
privileges and outward services, are loss and dung. None but Christ,
none but Christ, for pardon, acceptance, life. This is the excellent effect
of this excellent knowledge.

We may explain the other expressions hereafter. Now (that we spend
not all the time in exposition), take from the cause this

Obs. The knowledge of Christ is an excellent knowledge. There is a
transcendent excellency in the knowledge of Christ.

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 251

Now to proceed most for edification in handling this truth, we will shew,

1. What knowledge of Christ is that which is so excellent. It is not
every knowledge, nor every knowledge of Christ that is so. The devils,
the reprobates, have, living under the gospel, some apprehensions of Christ,
and so have the elect before conversion, which yet is not this excellent know
ledge. That which is transcendent, is such as the apostle was, such for nature,
though not for degrees. The Scripture abounds with characters of this
knowledge, and it were easy to be large in describing it. But I shall con
fine myself to such as the apostle's discourse in these verses offers to us ;
and three we have in the text. That knowledge of Christ which is excel
lent, is,

(1.) Extensive ; apprehends him in all those notions and respects wherein
the gospel principally discovers him. Three words in this verse which the
apostle uses, do comprise all or most of the rest, ' Christ,' ' Jesus,' ' Lord ; '
not only as Christ, but as Jesus ; not only as Jesus, but as Lord. Appre
hend what he is,

1st, In his nature and offices; these are included in the word Christ, i.e.,
the Messias, him whom the Lord anointed to be Mediator. Know him as
God, as man, and what necessity sinners had of such a mediator ; and so
in his offices, apprehend what he is, as king, as prophet, as priest ; what
excellent and rich advantages flow from each of these into the state and
souls of believers. What was the inducement which brought him under
such engagements for sinners ? The dimensions of his love. Eph. iii. 18,
19, 'To know what is the height, length,' &c., we can, though we have
no measure will fully reach the dimensions.

2d, In the intention and execution of his offices, that in the word Jesus,
a Saviour, how he exercises these offices to bring about man's salvation.
What saving acts belong to each office, and how to apply yourselves to
every one of them for salvation.

3d, In the consequents of his offices, that is, dominion in Christ, sub
jection in us. We have both in the name Lord, Bom. xiv. 9. Many will
take notice of Christ as a Saviour, but not as Lord ; but this is to take a
view of Christ in an eclipse, to apprehend Christ without his crown. This
is not to know Christ in all his discovered excellencies, and so is not the
excellent knowledge of Christ.

(2.) Appropriating ; so the apostle, ' Christ Jesus my Lord.' The mar
row of the gospel, as Luther observes, is in these pronouns, meum, nostrum.
He bids us read these with great emphasis. Tolle meum et tolle Deum,
says another, take away propriety, and you take away God, take away
Christ. To apprehend him yours upon good grounds, is the excellency of
this knowledge. Christ is notionally known by the evil angels ; they know
he is a Saviour, a King, a Priest ; but they apprehend him not with appli
cation as their Saviour, their Head, as a Priest and Mediator for them.
But this excellent knowledge apprehends him, and propriety in him ; my
Lord, my Jesus, my Advocate, who intercedes for me ; my King, who has
writ his laws in my heart ; my Prophet, who has turned my darkness into
light, shining in my dark heart ; my Sacrifice, who has loved me and washed
me, &c. ; my Head, who quickens and conveys holy quickening influences
into me, ifiog fgca$.

(8.) Effectual. Has a powerful efficacy both upon heart and life, both
upon judgment, affection, and practice. We see it in the apostle ; this
excellent knowledge of Christ raised his esteem of him, possessed him with
contempt of all things else, kindled his affections, ardent desires after him,

252 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

intense delight in him, made him both active and passive for Christ : ' for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things.' Where this excellent know
ledge is, there Christ is exalted as the chiefest of ten thousand, as the
highest excellency, as the richest advantage, as the sweetest enjoyment, as
the only matchless beauty, as the most glorious object. Christ outshines
all in his judgment, where this excellent knowledge shines. The greatest
glory in the world. is but as a glow-worm, compared with the sun in its
noonday brightness ; the choicest excellency seems base when Christ appears ;
the chiefest gain in the world is loss, when Christ is gained ; the richest
treasure is dung, when Christ's riches are displayed ; the most esteemed
accomplishment is vile, when the preciousness of Christ appears ; all things
put together which natural men, which the most judicious of them, do value
and most prize, put in the balance with Christ, are then but vanity, and
then apprehended to be lighter than vanity. Whatever the heart was set
upon before, it leaves them, it shakes them off, and turns to Christ, and
cleaves to him with unspeakable complacency and contentment. Did he
before admire riches, or pomp and greatness, or honour and authority, or
natural parts, a strong memory, or a good judgment, or a nimble wit, or a
reaching head, acquired accomplishments or moral honesty ? Ay, but
when Christ appears, he has the pre-eminence. He says to the best of
these, when they would take his heart and judgment, Friend, sit lower ; a
worthier than thou must have this place. He that is higher than the
heavens must have the highest place in my esteem, the chiefest room in my
heart. If you will sit at Christ's feet, and minister to him, then welcome ; but
the throne is for Christ Jesus my Lord. It has a powerful efficacy upon
the affections, to kindle desire, and raise joy in Christ, as the object tran-
scendently desirable and delightful. He covets no gain so much now, but
to gain Christ. He sees no righteousness now available, but the righteous
ness of Christ ; he pants and gasps after this righteousness, as that only
that can shroud him from revenging justice, and stand betwixt him and
that righteous God which is otherwise a consuming fire to sinners. His
chiefest desire on earth is to be found in Christ. He cares more indifferently
in what state as to the world, in what condition soever the Lord find him,
so he be found in Christ ; cares not though he be found in prison, found
covered with reproaches, found environed with afflictions, found naked as
to his own righteousness, privileges, enjoyments, personal excellencies, so
he may be found in Christ. This was the apostle's temper, &c. Christ is
his glory, and the crown of his rejoicing ; he exults, triumphs, glories in
Christ, though he lose all for him. Even as a poor beggar discovering a
rich mine or some vast treasures, is ready to leap for joy that he has found
that which will make him rich for ever ; he casts away his former rags, he
despises his former poor and wooden furniture, for he has discovered that
which will enrich him and make his condition plentiful ; so the soul to
whom the Lord has made this rich, this excellent discovery of Christ, he
has found a mine more precious than gold, and larger than all the face of
the earth ; he casts off the menstruous rags of his own righteousness ; his
former accomplishments are now but as a beggar's furniture ; his heart is
full of joy ; he says, Rejoice, 0 my soul ; he says, Rejoice with me, 0 my
friends, for I have found the pearl of great price ; I have discovered the
unsearchable riches of Christ, that which will make me rich and happy for
ever : ' My lines are fallen,' &c. ; ' Return to thy rest, 0 my soul.' So
the apostle : ' We are the circumcision, and that rejoice in Christ Jesus.'
And it has an influence upon his practice. If he have not, as the apostle,

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 253

Eph. iv. 20, ' suffered the loss of all,' he is ready to do it when Christ calls
for it. Whatever he cannot enjoy with Christ, he casts from him with
indignation, casts to the moles. He renounces the profits of sin, abandons
the pleasures of sin, lays aside the honour of his own righteousness, parts,
gifts, performances, so far as would obscure the glory of Christ ; is ready
to lose all, that he may gain Christ, to part with everything, that Christ
may be all in all.

(4.) Fiducial. It brings the soul to rest upon Christ and his righteous
ness alone, for pardon, acceptance, salvation, and to cast away all those
rotten props, good nature, well meaning, harmless life, honest carriage,
just dealing, church privileges, natural accomplishments, religious perfor
mances, upon which he relied, and made the grounds of his confidence
before. Who more confident than Paul before he knew Christ ? His being
numbered amongst the people of God, his strictness in an outward way of
religion, his zeal in the way of his conscience, his blameless conversation,
were the things for which he thought himself sure of heaven. Here was
his confidence ; but when Christ was made known, to rest in these he saw
was to trust in the arm of flesh, to lean upon a broken reed ; and there
fore, when the joyful discovery of Christ was made to his soul, he had no
more confidence in the flesh, then he would not own his righteousness of
the law as a ground of confidence : ' Not having,' &c. The soul that has
this excellent discovery of Christ, will make nothing but Christ his confi
dence ; despair in himself, how good soever he be, what good soever he
has done, and only rely on Christ his righteousness.

(5.) Useful. He that has it studies to improve Christ, to make use of
him for those glorious and blessed purposes for which he knows Christ is
given, such as the apostle expresses, ver. 9, 10 : to find the blessed advan
tages of his righteousness for pardon, acceptance, and right to glory, and
that upon all occasions of doubting, all contracting of new guilt. ' Power
of his resurrection : ' lifting him up, not only out of the state of sin, but
also above all pressures, incumbrances of life and the world, to seek those
things that are above, and enjoy him who is exalted for, &c., and to be
raised of him, and brought to him who is the earnest of our resurrection,
the first-fruits of the dead. « Fellowship of his sufferings,' in union and
participation. To find by comfortable experience that Christ suffered in
his stead, and to receive what he purchased by his blood, merited by his
sufferings ; and to find a compassionate presence and support from Christ
in all sufferings for him, knowing, Heb. viii. 18, 19.* ' Conformable to
his death : ' to find the power of Christ's death killing sin, crucifying his
heart unto the world and the world unto him, that so he may be crucified
with Christ, but so die and suffer as he may reign with him. This is the
notion, these the properties of that knowledge of Christ which is excellent.

2. Why is the knowledge of Christ excellent ? in what respects ? upon
what account ?

(1.) Because it is that knowledge which the most excellent creatures on
earth, yea, the most excellent in heaven, did ardently desire, laboriously
seek after, and which obtained, they rejoice and glory in. The most excel
lent on earth are the saints, Ps. xvi., and amongst them, the most excellent
were the patriarchs, the kings, the prophets, the apostles ; and all these
counted the knowledge of Christ their joy, their chief desire. So Abraham,
John viii. 56, he saw but the discoveries of Christ afar off, and he rejoiced ;
he saw but the dawnings of that day wherein Christ's knowledge should
* So in the text ; evidently a misprint. — ED.

254 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

shine in its strength and glory, and his heart was glad ; a glimpse of this
excellent vision, at many hundred years' distance, filled him with joy and
gladness. Moses preferred the reproach of Christ before all the treasures
of a flourishing kingdom, Heb. xi. 26 ; and if sufferings for Christ were so
precious in his esteem, what then was the knowledge of Christ's sufferings
for sinners ? This was the great inquiry of the prophets, this was it after
which they searched diligently, 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. They inquired, they
searched, and searched again (it is twice repeated), and searched diligently;
they searched for this as for hidden treasures. Oh how excellent was it in
their account ! Nay, both prophets and kings were ambitious of this as
their greatest glory, Luke x. 28, 24. Nay, the Lord Jesus himself rejoiced
that the Lord would vouchsafe this excellent discovery to the unworthy
sons of men, ver. 21, ^yaXX/ao-aro, his spirit leaped within him for joy, that
this excellent knowledge should be vouchsafed to sinners. Sure there was
something transcendent, something exceeding excellent, in that which would
occasion the Spirit of Christ to leap for joy within him, when he was in the
condition of a man of sorrows. For the apostles, it is most visible in Paul,
who was, while in darkness, a deadly enemy to Christ and the knowledge
of him ; but the appearance of Christ to him wrought a wonderful altera
tion. He was afterwards privileged above the rest, rapt up into the third
heaven, and saw there visions of glory such as transported him, such as
were past expression ; but whatever glory he saw, he saw nothing that more
affected his heart than the sight of Christ, than the excellent knowledge of
his Lord Jesus. The excellency of this took up his heart, engrossed his
affections, 1 Cor. ii. 1,2. He sought not excellency of speech or wisdom ;
his eye was so taken with the splendour of Christ's knowledge, as nothing
else seemed excellent to him. Some might expect, if of the like temper
with divers in these times, that an apostle coming from the third heaven
should have brought with him some new glorious discoveries, some lofty
seraphical notions, above the pitch of the other apostles' doctrine. But
what brought he ? Why, that which he preached. And what was that ?
He tells us in 1 Cor. i. 23 ; and that not with wisdom of words, but in such
a way as the wise men of the world counted it foolishness, ver. 17, 18.
But was it thus indeed as vain men imagined ? No ; the preaching of
Christ was the wisdom, the power of God, ver. 24 ; glorious and excellent,
if anything in God be so. A constellation of glorious excellencies appears
in discoveries of Christ. Christ crucified, preached in plainness and sim
plicity, if the Spirit of God be a competent judge, is the most excellent, the
most glorious discovery that ever was, that ever will be made to the sons
of men on earth. And if this glory be hid, as it seems to be to those who
expect something more new, rare, costly, nauseate the plain preaching of
Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. ...

Nor is this only the joy and desire of the most excellent on earth, but
also of the most excellent creatures in heaven. The angels, though they
enjoy the blessed vision of God, and are eternally happy in it, yet one
sight more they earnestly desire, and that is of Christ the Mediator, as
manifested in the gospel, 1 Peter i. 12. They stoop down, they stretch
out themselves to pry into the things preached in the gospel, to know the
mystery of Christ there manifested ; and this was prefigured by the pos
ture of the cherubims upon the ark, Exod. xxxvii. 9. Now, Christ was
typified by the mercy-seat, and the name itself is ascribed to him, Rom.
iii. 25 ; whom God has set forth to be 2Xa0r6g/or, a propitiatory. Now,
towards Christ was the face of the cherubims ; they looked earnestly, they

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 255

pried into the glorious mystery of God reconciled to man through the
blood of Christ; their faces were towards it, their eyes continually on it;
BO wonderful, so excellent is it in their account, as they think it not below
them to learn more of this by the discoveries made to the church, Eph.
iii. 10. The Lord makes known the mystery of Christ to the church in
the preaching of the gospel, and even the principalities and powers learn
more of this mystery by the preaching of the gospel to the church. And
how they rejoice in this knowledge, you may see by their deportment at
the first appearance of Christ in the world, Luke ii. 13. Sure that must
be an excellent knowledge which the cherubims of glory, the principalities
and powers in heavenly places, do so earnestly desire, do so greatly rejoice
in, when they are less concerned in it than men in many respects.

(2.) In knowing Christ we know the glorious excellencies of God, John
xiv. 7. The Father and Christ are so like, as he that knows the one
knows the other also, sees the Son, sees the Father. This is so apparent,
as Christ seems to wonder that Philip, who had seen him, should speak as
though he had not seen the Father, ver. 8, 9. He is known in the know
ing of Christ, and seen in the seeing of Christ. Hence he is called ' the
image,' Col. i. 15, — that which represents, and in a lively manner holds
forth to us, the infinite perfections of God ; therefore styled, Heb. i. 8,
' the character,' * — not a shadow of him, not a dead, superficial representa
tion of him, such as pictures and portraitures are, but a living, express,
subsisting, perfect representation. The similitude seems to be borrowed
from a signet's impression, which represents all the sculptures and linea
ments of the seal. But no similitude can reach this mystery; only this
we learn by this expression, that as Christ is perfectly distinct from, so is
he a full and perfect resemblance of the Father, of the same nature and
essence with him, so that there is no perfection in the Father but the
same is substantially in the Son, so that in knowing Christ we apprehend
(as weakness will suffer) the excellencies of God ; hence the glory of God
is said to shine in the face of Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 6, so that those who know
Christ, thereby see the glory of God in the face of Christ. That know
ledge, that light which discovers Christ, discovers the glorious excellencies
of God, the brightness whereof appears in the face of Christ. Nor is this
only true of Christ as he is the Son of God, of the same nature with the
Father, but also as he is Mediator. In the great work of redemption, the
Lord caused his glory to pass before the sons of men. Never was there
such a full, such a clear, discovery of God's glorious perfections, as was
made to the world in Christ. In him we may see infinite power, wisdom,
justice, mercy, holiness ; glorious truth, faithfulness, unchangeabless ; the
glory of love, of free grace, of goodness ; he even caused all his goodness
to pass visibly before us in Christ, so that he who knows Christ knows all
these glorious excellencies ; ergo, &c.

(3.) It makes those that have it excellent, 2 Cor. iii. ; having preferred
the gospel ministry before the legal ministrations, as far more exceeding
glorious, he prefers also our state under the gospel before theirs under the
law. They knew but little and darkly, the veil was before them ; but we
may know more, and more clearly, for the veil is taken away in Christ,
ver. 16. So that now, as verse 18, in the gospel, as in a glass, we may
with unveiled faces behold the glory of Christ ; and so behold it, as it will
work a glorious change in the beholders. As Moses by conversing with
God seemed to be changed into the same image, from the glory of God
* That is, ;£apa/cr»jp, translated ' express image.' — ED.

256 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

with whom he conversed there passed some glory upon him, which shined
in his face ; so that, as verse 7, they could not stedfastly behold, &c.
Even so by knowing Christ, and beholding the glory of God shining in his
face, the soul is as it were changed into the same image, from glory to
glory; i.e., from his glory there passes a glory upon the soul, as there
did upon his face ; but this is done by the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit
of holiness working in the soul those gracious qualities which are the
beginnings of glory here, and the most glorious accomplishment of which
created nature is capable, holiness being a conformity to, a resemblance
of, the image of Christ, who is the Lord of glory. So that you see there
is an excellent transforming virtue in this knowledge, it leaves a glorious
tincture upon the soul, it assimilates the soul to Christ, in part here, and
perfectly hereafter, 1 John iii. 2. The seeing of Christ will make those
that see him like unto him. Set a glass full in the sun, and you will see
in it something like the glory of the sun, a bright, shining splendour,
dazzling the eye of the beholder. Such a glory appeared with Moses
when he had been with God ; such a glory (though not visible) shines in
every soul that is much with Christ, often viewing him, fixing his eye on
him; and if the grossness, the incapacity of the subject did not hinder,
they would be and seem more glorious ; but hereafter this shall be re
moved, and then not only the soul but the body shall be like unto Christ,
in Christ in glory, Philip, iii. 21. Even as the moon, conceived to be a
gross, dark body in itself as the earth is, yet when it is full against the
sun (in opposition) we see in it some resemblance of the sun's glory; the
lustre of the sun darted on it makes it seem a lightsome, glorious body
like itself ; even so will the enjoyment, the sight of Christ, glorify those
that truly know him. So excellent is this knowledge, as it will make those
that have it excel in glory.

There are four steps and degrees by which the Lord raises fallen man,
now more vile and base than the beasts that perish, to the height of glory
and excellency ; and they are all ascribed in Scripture to this knowledge of
Christ.

[I.1, The removal of that which makes him vile, that which is his greatest
debasement and deformity, that which renders him not only contemptible,
but odious and loathsome, and that is the pollution, the filth of sin, where
with the soul fallen from God is besmeared ; it covers him as a garment,
and it is a garment of filthiness, a covering of excrements, Zech. iii. 3.
Man is sunk into the mire and clay, into the puddle of corruption, and
there he sticks, no escaping for him by anything in the power of nature ;
that which works his escape is this knowledge of Christ, 2 Peter ii. 20.

[2.] Partaking of the divine nature ; one of the highest expressions in
Scripture. Not of the essence and nature of God, but of holiness, the
nearest resemblance of God that is to be found in anything created. It is
the image of God, Col. iii. 10. The image of God stamped upon the soul
of man in his creation, was by the fall broken and shattered, quite defaced.
Now how is it renewed ? He tells us, ' in knowledge." Holiness is the
image of God, as being a resemblance of him who is ' the Holy One,' &e.,
and so called the divine nature ; and by this knowledge of Christ we come
to partake of this : 2 Peter i. 3, 4, ' All things that pertain,' &c., are given,
but how ? « Through the knowledge of Christ.' Now what things are these
that are thus given ? He instances in two most considerable : verse 4,
' exceeding great,' &c., and ' the divine nature.'
^ [8.] Investing us with the righteousness of Christ ; a privilege so high

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHEIST. 257

and glorious, as man or angel could never have expected it, never believed
it, if the same mercy that vouchsafed it had not clearly revealed it ; an
excellency, in comparison of which the apostle counts all other excellencies
as dung ; in the apprehending of which consists the excellency of this
knowledge which he so highly advances, as appears, ver. 9. How we come
to be invested with it, the prophet shews, Isa. liii. 11. We are justified by
his righteousness ; but how justified ? By his knowledge. It is this
fiducial knowledge that leads a man out of himself, and all confidence in
the flesh, to rely only upon Christ, by which he is made partaker of Christ's
righteousness.

[4.] Eternal glory. And then man is at the height, he can rise no higher ;
and hither he is raised by this knowledge of Christ, John xvii. 8. The
knowledge of Christ is the light of life, the dawning of approaching glory.
When Christ is first known, the day of glory breaks, and the more it
increases, it shines more and more unto the perfect day, unto perfect glory.

Oh how excellent is this knowledge, that raises a man to such a height
of glory, that invests him with so many excellencies !

8. Christ himself is most excellent, ergo, &c. We may conclude of the
act by the object ; the knowledge of the most excellent object is the most
excellent knowledge, such is Christ's.

(1.) There is nothing in him but what is excellent. There is a mixture
in all created beings ; where there is something excellent, there is also
something deficient. Search out the best accomplished creature on earth,
and something or other will be found distasteful in it. The heavens,
though they seem the most excellent of all things visible, and their excellency
seems to be their lucidness and purity, yet in the Lord's sight even they
are not pure, Job xv. 15. Nay, the angels, though the most excellent of
all invisibles, and their chief excellency be wisdom, — ' wise as an angel,' —
yet the Lord charges them with folly, Job iv. 18. Those glorious creatures
are conscious of something not fit to be- seen by the eye of God ; they
cover their feet, Isa. vi. 2. Ay, but Christ he is altogether lovely ; whatever
is in him is excellent, nothing in him deficient, distasteful, imperfect ;
' fairer than the children of men,' ' higher than the heavens ;' so far tran
scends the angels, as they adore him, Heb. i. 6, as infinitely below him ;
nothing in Christ but what is worthy of all love, all delight, all admiration,
everlasting praises of saints and angels.

(2.) All excellencies that are in the creatures are eminently to be found
in Christ. Take a survey of heaven and earth, and whatever you see that
is truly excellent in any, in all things therein, look up to Christ, and you
may see it transcendently in him. Whatever is truly amiable, desirable,
delightful, or admirable, whatever takes thy heart, if it be worthy of thy
heart, look upon Christ, and there it shines in its full brightness. Every
excellency that is scattered here and there in the creatures, are altogether
in Christ ; all the several lines of perfection and transcendent loveliness do
all meet and centre in him.

(3.) All these excellencies are in him in a more excellent manner : perfectly,
without any shadow of imperfection ; infinitely, without any bounds or
limits ; unchangeably and eternally, they ebb not, they wane not, they are
always there in the full, they alter not, they decay not. He is infinitely all
excellencies, without variableness or shadow of changing. The angels kept
not their first habitation, the heavens shall wax old as a garment, the glory
of man is as the flower cf the grass, but Christ is yesterday, and to-day,
and the same for ever, for ever altogether excellent.

VOL. I. B

258 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

(4.) Not only all that are in the creatures, but innumerable more excel
lencies than are in all the creatures together, are in Christ alone. Not
only the creatures' fulness, but the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him,
bodily, i. e., substantially, personally. Besides all that he has communi
cated to heaven or earth, there are unspeakably more excellencies in him
than eye ever saw, or ear heard, or can enter into the heart of man to con
ceive, Col. ii. 9.

Oh how excellent must that knowledge be, whose object is so transcend-
ently excellent !

Use I. Reproof, to those that despise, neglect the knowledge of Christ.
If it be excellent in itself, and so in the account of God, so by the testimony
of the Holy Ghost, so in the esteem of all that are excellent, then they
deserve rebuke who despise it. But is there any Christian who despises
the knowledge of Christ ? Oh that most that bear that name were not guilty
thereof, and worthy of this rebuke ! Who they are, you may know by these
two characters.

1. Those who are not diligent to get and increase this knowledge.
Nothing excellent is attained without diligence, ra xaXa -^akti* knowledge
especially. Those that think it not worth their diligence, despise it. If
you thought it precious, you would search after it ; if it were a treasure in
your esteem, you would dig for it ; you would carefully, constantly search
the Scripture, for that is the mine where this treasure is to be found, that
is the field where it is hid, — hid, not that it should not be found, but that
it should be sought after. What a sad thing is it, that those who profess
themselves Christians, should spend whole days, nay, whole weeks, without
looking into, without reading, without searching the Scripture. The Lord
has writ to us (as he complains), not only the great things of the law, but
the excellent mysteries of Christ, the great things of the gospel, and these
count them a vain thing. Do ye not count it a vain thing, when ye care
not for looking into it ? Say not .ye are too busy. What, are ye too busy
to know Christ ? are ye too busy to be saved ? or is there any possibility
of being saved without this excellent knowledge of Christ ? Say not you
want time ; alas ! it is want of heart, not want of time ; want of affection
to it, not want of time for it, that keeps men from knowledge. That time
which you merely mis-spend in idleness, or needless pastimes, or satisfying
your unclean, intemperate, or worldly lusts, would be sufficient to get this
knowledge. If ye counted it excellent, ye would redeem time for it. Say
not, What needs so much knowledge, so much diligence ? Those that think
it excellent will never think they can have too much knowledge, or that it
cost them too much diligence, Prov. ii. 2-4. No getting knowledge without
crying to God for it, seeking diligently after it. Those that have not thus
sought it do yet want it, and those that are not diligent to get it despise it.

2. Those that strive not to communicate this knowledge to others, to
their relations, brethren, children, family. That which ye count excellent,
ye will not withhold from dear relations. You would catechise, instruct
your children and servants, you would be often instilling the principles of
the knowledge of Christ into them ; you would not let any one be ignorant
that has relation to you, or abides with you. This was Abraham's com
mendation, and will be to all generations, Gen. xviii. 19. He would not
only make them know the way, but command them to keep it. Those that
would be found faithful must follow him ; whatever Satan or a corrupt

* Probably the author wrote ra KaKa %«X. «-/, meaning rat. xaXa
sari. — ED.

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 259

heart may tell thee, none shall come into Abraham's bosom but those that
walk in his steps. Those parents that instruct not their children, they are
like the cruel ostrich, Job xxxix. 14-17, you bring them forth, but you leave
them carelessly, to be a prey to Satan and every vile lust ; you let their
souls perish, and by this you shew that you are hardened ; this is to use
them as though they were not yours ; this is the most woeful, the most
unnatural neglect, not to care what becomes of their souls, to leave them to
perish for ever ; better they had never been born, than live without the
knowledge of Christ. You would think her an unnatural wretch, that
having brought a child into the world, would let it starve for want of
nourishment. Why, those are more unnatural, more cruel, that bring not
their children to the knowledge of Christ. ' My people perish for lack of
knowledge,' says the Lord. Your children perish for want of knowledge,
and you neglect to help. Oh consider, if they perish, at whose hands must
their blood be required ? Will it not be a sad thing, that children should
appear against their parents at the tribunal of Christ ! Oh these are they
who gave me life, but they let my soul perish ! Woe is me that ever they
brought me into this world ! through their neglect must I be tormented in
that flame for ever ! That ignorance in which they suffered me to live has
brought me into this outer darkness ! You that have the charge of families
must give an account of them ; not only for their profaneness, which you
may restrain, but for that ignorance which you might remove. Oh bring
not the guilt of their eternal ruin upon your souls ! Oh that the Lord
would give you hearts to resolve upon more care of the souls of your family,
&c., to instruct them at home in a way of catechising, and to bring them
hither to be instructed ! And here I shall endeavour it by explaining the
principles of the knowledge of Christ, in the most easy and familiar way.
Oh that you would concur herein, and let it appear that the knowledge of
Christ is excellent in your esteem ! This is one of the greatest ornaments,
this is one of the best provisions you can make for your children, to bring
them to the excellent knowledge of Christ. But ignorance of Christ, in
yourselves or them, is a pernicious evil.

(1.) This is to despise Christ, to contemn God, to contemn him in the
most full expression of his love. The Lord, in revealing Christ to the
world, made out the richest manifestation of his glory that ever he vouch
safed to the children of men ; therefore to neglect the knowledge of Christ
is to contemn God in the riches of his glory. What greater contempt of
Christ than not to take notice of him ?

(2.) This is a brutish sin. A man without knowledge is scarce a man ;
let him be what he will for other accomplishments, how comely, how rich,
how noble, how powerful soever, if he want the knowledge of Christ, he is
like a beast. It is not I, but the Holy Ghost that so terms him, Ps.
xlix. 20. He that is in the world's account a man of honour, is in God's
account, without this, little better than a beast. He deserves no more the
name of a Christian that wants the knowledge of Christ, than an ape
deserves to be called a man ; he may have some resemblance of a Christian,
as an ape has of a man, but without this he wants the soul, the life of a
Christian.

(3.) It is a mother-sin, the root of all destructive evils. The two
main cursed branches that spring from the root of bitterness, are unbe
lief and profaneness. No faith without knowledge, whatever the blind
papists imagine, who are concerned to shun the light, lest their apostasy
should be discovered. ' Those that know thy name,' &c. Ps. ix. 10.

THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

These are so inseparable, as the Holy Ghost puts the one for the other,
Isa. liii. 11. All your confidence without this is but presumption, no jus
tifying faith, for that gives honour to God, and is of a saving virtue and
efficacy to the soul ; but confidence without knowledge is dishonourable to
God, destructive to the soul. No benefit by Christ's death, no partaking of
his righteousness, without faith, and no faith without knowledge. Ignorant
persons are apt to say, Christ died for me, and then what needs so much
to do ? Ay, but those that will live without the knowledge of Christ shall
find that Christ died for none but those that know him ; as for others, he
never knew them, so far was he from dying for them.

It is the mother of profaneness. Why does drunkenness, uncleanness,
so abound ? Why, some have not the knowledge of Christ, they love dark
ness rather than light, and therefore their deeds are evil. If the Sun of
righteousness did shine in their hearts, these works of darkness would
never appear in their lives. Men have not yet learned Christ as the
truth is in Jesus, for, Eph. iv. 21, 22, every knowledge will not be effec
tual to restrain sin. We see that the air is not by the light of the
moon preserved from stinks and unwholesomeness ; it is the light of the
sun does this. Whatever knowledge you have, it' your lives be corrupt, you
want the excellent knowledge of Christ. These vermin appear not where
Christ shines. The grace of God, manifested in Christ, when it appears
effectually unto men, it teaches them to deny ungodliness, &c. Where
this ungodliness, this worldliness is, where there is not sobriety, godliness,
there Christ has not yet appeared to purpose. You are yet in darkness,
if these works of darkness be yet in request ; nor is there any escaping
out of these snares of the devil, but by the knowledge of Christ.

(4.) It is most contrary to Christ : he is light, and this is darkness ; he
is wisdom, this is folly. What communion has light with darkness ? You
have nothing to do with Christ while you know him not, nor will he have
any thing to do with you. These are they to whom Christ will say here
after, Depart from me, I know you not.

Contrary to the design of Christ. His sovereign end is his glory ; there
fore did he create the world, and manifest himself to his creatures, that he
might be glorified. Now he can no other way be glorified by the creatures
but by their acknowledging him to be glorious, and how can they acknow
ledge him who do not know him ?

Contrary to his interest. He can have no soul-worship without this, no
fear, no love, no desire. All these presuppose knowledge ; non feruntur
in incognitum. If there were none in the world but such as know not
Christ, he would have no service in the world. This renders men unser
viceable to Christ, to others unfruitful, such as cumber but the ground ;
it calls for the axe to the root, it brings forth nothing but briers and
thorns.

(5.) It lays you under many dreadful threatenings. It is the occasion
of the Lord's controversy with a people, Hosea iv. 1. A dreadful thing to
have God contend against you ; the issue of this controversy was the utter
ruin of that people, ver. 6. A fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God. Do ye ? Are ye stronger ? Oh, ye will say, he is merciful ;
ignorance is not such a sin, but mercy will pass by it ; he that made us
will save us ; he will not damn his creatures for a little ignorance (thus
will some be ready to say) : but see how punctually, yet how dreadfully,
the Lord answers, as though he intended to meet with this objection, Isa.
xxvii; 11. How contrary are God's thoughts to yours herein ; that which

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 261

they make their reason why they hope to escape, he alleges as the reason
why they shall not escape ; no mercy, no favour, no, not to those that he
made and formed : that does not so much engage him for you as ignorance
engages him against you. I add no more but that, 2 Thes. i. 7-9, than
which I know not if there be any more terrible expressions in all the book
of God.

(6.) Ignorance in this land is altogether inexcusable. Invincible igno
rance does excuse in part, but all ignorance of those who have the use of
reason, and enjoy the gospel, is wilful. If ye know not Christ, since there
is light enough vouchsafed to discover him, it is because you will not know
him. This is it which will render the condition of many amongst us more
intolerable in the day of judgment than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Light is come, and men shut their eyes. If this land had been a place of
darkness, where Christ had never appeared in his gospel, if it had been a
shadow of death, where the light of life never shined, then the Lord's con
troversy with us had not been so great, then we might have had some plea
to mitigate his indignation ; but when he has made this land a valley of
visions, when no nation under heaven has more means of knowledge, and
yet gross ignorance continues amongst us, we are laid open to wrath with
out the least excuse to shroud us from it : ' If I had not come to you,' &c.,
John xv. 22. Oh, sad condition, that we who have the word in our tongue,
the gospel preached in season and out of season, and so many excellent
discoveries for the opening and applying it, should make no other use of
all this, but to leave us inexcusable ! So will all that know not Christ be ;
they will not have a word to plead for their ignorance at the tribunal of
Christ, because they might have known him, but that they were unwilling
to know him, wilfully neglected it.

Use II. Exhortation. 1. To those that want it, Be exhorted to get it;
2. To those that have some degrees of it, Be exhorted to grow in it : Prov.
iv. 5—7, ' It is excellent ;' and this should be a sufficient motive to put you
upon endeavours to attain it. Excellency is a powerful attractive to every
spirit that is not debased, degenerated, and sunk below itself into the earth ;
why here is a transcendent excellency, this knowledge far exceeds all natu
ral, all moral accomplishments whatsoever. The apostle, who was able to
judge of things that are excellent, counted his highest privileges, his rarest
endowments, dung in comparison of it. And as it is excellent in itself, so
will it make you excellent in the esteem of God ; but without it, whatever
ye have besides, ye are vile persons. Oh, but how shall we get this excel
lent knowledge ? What means shall we use to attain it ?

Ans. 1. Be convinced of your want of the knowledge of Christ, be sen
sible of it, be humbled for it, bewail it in the presence of God. He that
thinks he knows Christ sufficiently, when indeed he has not attained to
this excellent knowledge, his case is desperate, his blindness is next to
incurable, Prov. xxvi. 12. Far more hopes of one that knows not, and
bewails his want of knowledge, than of him that thinks himself wise
enough.

Ans. 2. Begin at the foundation, lay a good ground-work in the prin
ciples of the knowledge of Christ, otherwise you will but build in the air.
This is the apostles' method, the first nourishment they tendered was milk,
afterwards strong meat ; he would not carry the Hebrews further till he
had fully established them in the principles of the doctrine of Christ, Heb.
vi. 1. This is one main reason of the woeful apostasies in our times;
many professors never laid a good foundation, never were well grounded in

262 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

these principles of Christ ; because they are ordinarily taught in catechisms,
and learnt by children, they think this below them, trouble not themselves
with them, and so these prime fundamental truths being never fastened and
rooted by sound understanding in their judgments, they are easily plucked
from them ; and the foundation being gone, no wonder if all the rest easily
follow. It is an easy matter indeed to say the words of a catechism, and
to get some slight apprehension of these truths, but to have a clear and
well-grounded knowledge of them is an excellency not below the highest
professor on earth, indeed that which many never attain to. This you
must endeavour if you would know Christ to purpose.

Ans. 3. Let the word of God be familiar to you. What is to be known
of Christ is here to be learned, Col. iii. 16. Be much in reading the Scrip
ture, it is Christ's advice to the Jews, John v. 39, ssiuvars, search daily,
search diligently, search as for a treasure, as for the pearl of great price,
here it is to be found. Those that are strangers to the Scripture will be
strangers to Christ. You may as well see without light as know Christ
without the knowledge of the Scripture. Follow the Lord's advice to Israel,
see how strictly, how punctually he enjoins this, Deut. vi. 6-9.

Be much in hearing the word. Christ is wrapped up in the Scripture,
here the covering is unfolded and exposed to open view, here he is set as
crucified, &c. It is the Lord's ordinance, instituted for this end, to bring
sinners to the knowledge of Christ, to open their eyes that they may see
him, to unveil Christ that ye may behold him with open face. Whenever
you read or hear, be sure to meditate ; you must not think the Lord will
work knowledge by a miracle, this is the means by which he makes it
effectual, the knowledge of Christ will never be rooted in your souls without
meditation.

Ans. 4. Make use of those who are already acquainted with Christ,
' Forsake not the assembling,' &c., Heb. x. 25, Pro. xiii. 20 and xv. 7.
Turn your vain worldly discourse into inquiries after Christ. When you
meet with anything dark, see whether the Lord has discovered it to others ;
•when anything doubtful, seek resolution ; let not the fear to bewray your
weakness hinder you from propounding the doubts and difficulties you
meet with.

Ans. 5. Be much in seeking God ; beseech him to open your eyes, to
remove the veil, to discover Christ more clearly ; both advice and promise,
James i. 5.

2. To those that have attained some degree of this excellent knowledge :
Content not yourselves with present attainments, let this light shine more
and more unto the perfect day ; follow the apostle's advice, 2 Peter iii. 18,
grow in knowledge of the excellency of his person, the fulness of his satis
faction, the worth of his graces, the mystery of his will in the gospel, the
sweetness of vision and communion with him, the dimensions of his love,
the riches of his righteousness.

For direction :

(1.) Make all your other knowledge subservient to this. Learn the
heavenly art of making use of all other knowledge, so as to discover more
of Christ, to make him better known. The knowledge of the world ; when
you discover anything vile, mean, worthless, useless, hence you may infer
there is no such thing in Christ ; so the world may be a foil to set off
Christ, to represent him to your minds as purely, perfectly, transcendently
excellent, as the darkness of a dungeon sets off the sun.

When you see anything lovely, desirable, in the world, see Christ in it,

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHEIST. 263

this came from him, all lower excellencies dropped from this fountain ;
thence you may conclude there is infinitely more of this value in him.
What are these sparks, these weak glimmerings, to the Sun of right
eousness.

The knowledge of sin ; the more you see of its guilt, and pollution, and
damnableness, the more you may discover of your necessity of Christ ; of
the wonders of his love, who would become sin for us, who would bear our
sins, &c., who would be wounded, of the value of his blood, of his right
eousness, which could expiate and remove such horrid evil, and bring
heaven out of such a hell.

Make such use of the knowledge of yourselves, of the creatures, of the
Scripture, even those parts thereof that seem more remote from Christ ;
they all point at him, and will lead you to discover more of them, if you be
wise to observe, and careful to follow their direction. I, says the apostle,
1 Cor. ii. 2, Paul had much other knowledge, he was brought up at the
feet of Gamaliel ; he had improved it by his studies, his travels, his experi
ence, but as he valued it not in comparison, so he cared not for it but in a
subserviency to the knowledge of Christ crucified. As the light of grace
shall end in that of glory, so the light of nature shall end in that of grace,
that light which will discover more of Christ. Other things should serve
and be made use of as vantage-ground to help us to a better prospect of
Christ. Every advance in other knowledge should be to us as Zaccheus
getting up into the tree that he might see Jesus passing by. Other light
should serve us as a candle to find the jewel, the pearl of great price, and
view it better ; it should be as the opening of the window, or the with
drawing of the curtain to let in the sun, to let in more of this excellent
knowledge.

(2.) Get nearer him, and keep near him ; the nearer to him, the more
full, and clear, and satisfying view you may have of him. Oh, live not at
a distance from Christ, be not satisfied with such a temper of heart, such a
performance of holy duties, such a manner of conversation as theirs who
are far off from him ! You will have but a dim sight of Christ at so great
distance. Take heed of what may estrange you, take heed of neglects,
unkindnesses ; beware of sin, it is iniquity that separates, Isa. lix. 2 ;
take heed especially of sins against light and love, there is more of offence
in these, more of provocation, and so they will occasion greater estrange
ment, further withdrawings ; and the more remote you are from Christ,
the more you will be out of sight of him ; your sight will not be so clear,
nor full, nor refreshing. Beware of sins against light ; if you abuse it, if
you disobey it, if you follow not the conduct of it, if you turn aside into
by-paths when the light shews you the right way, if you stand still, or draw
back when it is going before you, if you detain it in unrighteousness, so to
use the light you have is the way to be left in darkness. If a friend hold
you a torch, and you turn aside or demean yourself as if it were an offence
to you, that might move him to knock it out, or leave you without it.

Beware of sinning against love. You may well think Christ will less
bear this than other miscarriages. This will provoke him to depart, as
the spouse found, Cant. v. 6, and when he removes, the light is gone, and
you will be at a loss for the sight of Christ. Christ, like the sun, is seen
and discovered by his own light ; but such miscarriages will raise clouds,
or cause an eclipse, and you may see no more of Christ than of the sun in
a dark gloomy winter day ; nay, these may raise a dismal storm, wherein
you may see neither sun nor stars for many days.

264 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHEIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

(3.) Fix your minds, the eye of your souls, upon him ; let your souls be
to Christ in the like posture as the cherubims were to his type the mercy-seat :
' Towards the mercy-seat was the faces of the cherubims,' Exod. xxxvii. 9. Let
the face of your souls be still towards Christ, your eye often on him, as the
angels, Mat. xviii. 10 ; that is not only their duty, but their happiness ;
and count it yours, for it is so. Such a vision of God does establish them
in their blessed and glorious state, such a beholding of Christ will enhappy
you with more of this excellent knowledge of him. Let the thoughts of
Christ be pleasing to you, let him be your meditation, and let your meditation
of him be sweet, Ps. civ. 84 ; that will be the way to have your eye fixed.
We stay not in the sight of that which does not please us, a short view will
be enough or too much ; but a short view of Christ, a glance by some
transient, fleeting thought, will not be enough to get much knowledge, to
make any considerable discovery of him. The mind should stay on him,
and view him well ; and . that it may stay there, it must be pleased with
the sight, else it will be on and off, as soon off as on. Let no sight be so
taking, so delightful, as a sight of Christ; then your minds will not be
backward to dwell on him, as it dwells on that which it would study, and
study thoroughly. Labour so to study Christ, that is the way to know him
more fully, more thoroughly.

Study the excellencies of his person, the infinite advantage of his offices.
What riches of wisdom and knowledge are held forth to you in his pro
phetical office, even all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. ii. 3 ;
what riches of power and glory are offered you in his kingly office ; what
safety and protection in all dangers ; what power and assistance in all
services; what supplies and sufficiency in all wants; what encouragements
and supports in all trials and sufferings ; what victories and triumphs, after
all conflicts with the world, with the powers of darkness, with the strength
of corruption ; what assurance this regal, this glorious office affords us, that
in all these we shall be more than conquerors !

What riches of grace and compassion, of pardon and forgiveness, in his
priestly office ; what riches of holiness and glory he has purchased by his
suffering, and is prevailing for by his intercession ; what we gain by his
sufferings, what we are redeemed from by his death, what we may expect
from his appearing for us at the right hand of God, and ever living there
to intercede for us !

, Yiew Christ all over, as those that would see something of all the dimen
sions of his love, which appear in all his offices, in the undertaking, in the
performance of them : ' The height,' &c. Let your minds stay here, as
those that have a mind to know what you can of that which passes know
ledge ; study Christ, as those who have the minds and souls of men prin
cipally for this end, that they might be employed upon Christ; you should
dig for this as for hidden treasure. The mind is digging while it is study
ing ; the more you study, the further you dig, and the further you dig, the
more you will discover of this infinitely large and precious mine, the
unsearchable riches of Christ.

(4.) Seek not the knowledge of Christ merely to know, that may be the
end of a vainly curious mind ; but seek to know him, that you may enjoy
him more, that you may improve him better, that you may gain more
heavenly and spiritual advantage by him, Mat. xiii. 45, 46. A merchant
that travels into other countries, his end is not to view the places, and the
rarities of them ; that he minds but upon the by ; but his design is to meet
with commodities, whereby he may get the advantage to raise an estate.

PfllLIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 265

Such should your design be, a labouring to get more acquaintance with
Christ, not merely to see and know more than others, — that may be done
for ostentation, or out of curiosity, — but to discover that which may make
your souls rich unto God ; that you may discern that in him which may
make you willing to sell all to possess and enjoy him, to suffer the loss of
all things to gain Christ. Press to get near him, as the woman in the
Gospel, that you may find a healing, a sovereign virtue coming from him ;
labour to get into the light which discovers him, that you may be under his
influences, those healing, quickening, strengthening, comforting influences
upon which the strength, life, comfort, and activeness of your souls depends ;
that you may derive from him more spiritual life, sense, strength, refresh
ment, motion, and activeness ; that you may partake more of his riches,
taste more of his sweetness ; that you may adore, admire him more, and
be more in his praises ; that you may be engaged and enabled to honour
him more, and serve him better, to do and suffer more for him ; so to
discover him, as to know the power of his resurrection, &c., Philip, iii. 10,
so as to be excited and enabled to follow after, ver. 12, 13.

(5.) Content not yourselves with light without heat. Let every spark of
knowledge beget some spiritual and heavenly heat, let it kindle you into
more zeal for him, more ardent desires after him, more flames of love to
him, more fervour of spirit in seeking, in following him. If the light
whereby you discover anything of Christ be not accompanied with spiritual
heat, it will prove but a fruitless blaze, which will soon go out, and end in
smoke, come to nothing or worse. Satisfy yourselves with no knowledge
of Christ, but such as makes you in love with him, Cant. i. 3. The
apprehensions they had of Christ gave them a taste, a delicious relish of
him, such as made them in love with him, sick of love. Let it raise you
to such a heat of resolution as it did Peter, Mat. xxvi. 35. Let it excite
in you such desires as in David, Ps. Ixiii., raise you to such a value of
Christ as the spouse had, Cant. v. 5, 6, 10, 16. If it beget not heat of
affection, it will not be like the light of the rising sun, which shines more
and more, &c., but like a flash of lightning, which appears and vanishes
in a moment, and often does more hurt than good.

(6.) Live up to the knowledge you have; that is the way to attain more.
Let the light that shines in your minds shine in your lives. Imprison not
the truth ; so you do when it is in your understandings, but confined there
so as the influence of it does not reach your conversations. This will
provoke the Lord to leave you in darkness, it was the effect of this crime
in the heathen ; this was the cause of that darkness and those delusions
amongst the papists, 2 Thes. ii. The pleasure they had in unrighteous
ness prevailed against the belief and knowledge of Christ and his truths,
and rendered it impractical ; so that though they knew his ways, they would
not walk therein ; though they knew the will of Christ, they would not do
it, therefore he gave them up to be blinded by Satan. If you so abuse the
discoveries of Christ, they will be rarely, sparingly vouchsafed ; the Lord
will not entrust you with more, but rather take from you what you have.
But on the contrary, there is a promise to improve knowledge, John vii. 17.
If according to your knowledge ye do more for Christ, ye shall know more
of him. If you follow the light, the light will follow you, you will have it
in more abundance ; but if you walk not answerable to your knowledge, if
you contradict it in the temper of your hearts, or course of your lives, you
take the course not to have it augmented, but to have less of it, or none at
all. If a friend hold a light to you, and you will not follow it, that will not

266 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

move him to add to it, or make it brighter, but rather to put it out. If
the light whereby Christ discovers himself to you be not used for those
purposes for which it is vouchsafed ; if it do not lead you effectually to a
fuller compliance with him, to an exacter conformity to him, to higher
degrees of holiness, self-denial, mortification, contempt of the world ; this
is^the way not to have the light increased, but rather extinguished.

(7.) Let humility keep pace with knowledge, and be of an equal and
proportionable growth. If knowledge puff you up, take heed the light be
not puffed out. Pride would be the attendant of knowledge, but it never
thrives nor comes to good where this is not checked. It is such a weed as
sucks away the life and sweetness of knowledge ; it is. not only an enemy
to it in its own nature and quality, sucking away the moisture that should
make it grow, but it provokes the Lord to blast it. He resists the proud,
beats down that in which they exalt themselves, but gives grace to the
humble, inspires both mind and heart with more grace, gives both more
holiness and more knowledge.

(8.) Make use of Christ's prophetical office. As he is a prophet, he is
engaged to give the light of the knowledge of himself. He came under
the obligation of this office for this end, that he might instruct his people
by his word and Spirit, and lead them up to clear and effectual appre
hensions of himself. Let this encourage you to labour for it, to seek him
for it, to trust him for it. Endeavours succeed through prayer, and prayer
prevails through faith.

II. Doct. Those that have attained the excellent knowledge of Christ will
not think much to lose all things that they may gain Christ.

Explication. What by gaining Christ ? What by all things ? What by
losing or suffering the loss of these all things ?

First, To gain Christ is to get interest in him, and participation of
him.

1. He gains Christ who gets interest in him, right to him, union with
him ; he who is joined to Christ, as members to the head, married to
Christ in an everlasting covenant ; he that has interest in his person, his
offices, his righteousness, his sufferings, his intercession, his administra
tions, and that which is the spring of all this, his love ; he that is interested
in the affection, the love of Christ, the acts and expressions of it, — he has
gained Christ.

2. He that partakes of Christ, the benefits of his purchase, all those
spiritual and eternal blessings wherewith those that have interest in him
are blessed ; he that gets the graces and advantages of his mediatorship,
of his offices, righteousness, sufferings, resurrection, &c., so as to have
communion with him in all these, and a communication of all that he has
procured, and bestows upon all that are his, he has gained Christ. To
gain pardon of sin, right to eternal life, reconciliation with God, holiness
in its life, power, exercise, increase, perseverance, the exceeding great and
precious promises, high and glorious privileges, sweet and honourable
relations which the gospel tenders, all things that are good in this life, the
presence of Christ in every state, employment, the assistance of Christ in
every service, acceptance through Christ of every endeavour, the joys and
comforts of the Spirit, the foretastes of heaven, and a full assurance of
actual possession ; to partake of Christ in these respects is to gain him.
This is that for which he, and all that know Christ with him, are ready to
lose all. And if the worth and value of Christ, and these invaluable

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 267

advantages by him, be duly weighed, it will seem no wonder that those
who know him think not much to suffer the loss of all to gain him.

But what are these ' all things?' The apostle gives us an account of
them in this chapter, and elsewhere in his Epistles. By ' all ' things we
may understand his privileges, his accomplishments, his enjoyments, his
righteousness too ; much more all and every sin.

1. His privileges. He was born of a noble tribe and family, was one of
the blessed seed, the seed of Abraham, had that blessedness sealed to him
by circumcision, and so was outwardly in covenant with God, and num
bered amongst his people. This he once counted a gainful, an advanta
geous privilege ; but after he had attained the knowledge of Christ, he saw
that without Christ this would not at all avail him, ver. 7.

2. His accomplishments. He was a man of great natural parts, and he
had raised, improved them by art and learning: he sat at the feet, i.e.,
was the scholar of Gamaliel, a great rabbi, a master in Israel. He might
have advanced his esteem amongst men by excellency of words and wisdom,
but he wholly denied himself, and waived these, when there was danger
thereby of obscuring the glory of Christ. He was content to lose the
reputation of them, 1 Cor. ii. 1, 4: The like mind is in those who have
attained not to make ostentation of their gifts.

8. His enjoyments. His credit, ease, plenty, friends, liberty, safety, he
was willing to lose all for Christ's sake ; he was content to be accounted as
the filth and offscouring of the world, 1 Cor. iv. 13. His ease ; in labours
more abundant, in journeyings often, in weariness and painfulness, in
watchings, 2 Cor. xi. 23, 27. The plenty and advantages of a good estate,
ver. 27, hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness,
choosed rather to serve Christ in such necessities, than to enjoy a plentiful
estate without him. His friends, these became his enemies for Christ's
sake ; hence he was in perils by his own countrymen. Instead of favours
he received stripes, and that often, ver. 24. His liberty ; in prison more
frequent, bonds and afflictions, Acts xx. His safety ; run the hazard of
his life often for Christ, ver. 25, 26. Those that are savingly acquainted
with Christ are like-minded ; rather lose anything than part with Christ.

4. His righteousness too. His exactness in outward observation of the
law, his zeal in the way of his conscience and judgment, all his outward
performances, how specious or plausible soever, he was willing to lose, to
renounce these, in point of confidence. He knew, after he knew Christ,
if he had relied upon these for pardon, acceptance, salvation, it had been
to the loss of his soul. So in this consideration he suffered the loss of
them ; he was willing to renounce, to disclaim them as grounds of his
confidence.

5. As for his lusts, all and every of those sins that he was formerly
addicted to, he counts it no loss to part with them ; they scarce come into
this account. It was a thing without question not only with him, but
even the false teachers, that he who would not part with every known sin
could not gain Christ, could have no interest in him, no advantage by
him.

Thus you see the effect of this excellent knowledge of Christ in the
apostle. Whatever was sinful, he utterly rejected it ; those things that
were indifferent, he had either actually suffered the loss of them for Christ,
or it was the purpose and resolution of his soul so to do, whenever the
interest of Christ should require it. And the things necessary, he
renounced them as to any confidence in them, for those purposes for

2G8 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

which they were not sufficient. They were loss, of no value to him in
this respect. But to open this more clearly, which is the

Third thing to be explained, viz., What is meant by losing all these
things ? To prevent mistakes in a matter of so great concernment, that
no tender conscience, who has resigned itself up wholly unto Christ, may
be perplexed or troubled at this truth, which, barely proposed, seems a
hard saying. That none may misunderstand it, observe, that we may be
said to lose all things to gain Christ in five respects.

(1.) In respect of utter rejection. Thus, in reference to sin, every one
that will gain Christ must, every one that savingly knows Christ will,
readily lose and freely part with every known sin. Till this be utterly
rejected, Christ is never gained. There is not one word in Scripture that
gives the least hope to any sinner of gaining Christ that will continue in
any known sin. You utterly lose Christ, and all the benefits which sinners
can expect from Christ, if ye will not part with every lust. No matter
how gainful, how advantageous soever it seem, you will, you must lose
Christ for it, if you will not lose it for Christ.

(2.) In respect of submissive deprivation. This in reference to outward
enjoyments. Every one that knows Christ, as the apostle did, will quietly
submit, and be content to be deprived of his ease, credit, honours, estate,
safety, friends, liberty, and life too, whenever Christ calls for them, when
ever Christ requires this of him. But when does Christ call for these ?
Why, then he requires us to part with these, when these, or any of these,
cannot be enjoyed without sin. When the case is thus, that either Christ
must be denied, dishonoured, or otherwise offended, or else you must part
with these enjoyments, he that will rather offend Christ than submit to part
with them, shews that he does not effectually know Christ : Luke xiv. 26,
27, ' He that hates not,' i.e., ' He that loves not me more than these,' as
he explains it Mat. x. 37.

(3.) In respect of disposition and purpose of heart. He that savingly
knows Christ, even while he does enjoy outward comforts, does heartily
purpose and resolve to quit them whenever he shall be called to it, and in
this regard may be said to lose them, because it is in his heart to do it
whenever occasion is offered. The enjoyment of outward comforts, and
the enjoyment of Christ, are not inconsistent; many times both may be
enjoyed together. Christ does not always require every one that has
interest in him actually to part with their earthly enjoyments, but he
always requires a heart fully resolved to quit them, in case they cannot
be enjoyed without the dishonour or displeasure of his Lord. The apostle,
in his lowest condition, had always some or other outward enjoyment, at
least his life ; how, then, is he said to have suffered the loss of all things ?
Why, because it was the resolution of his soul so to do, whenever the
interest of Christ called for it ; and thus is every soul resolved that savingly
knows Christ.

(4.) In respect of judgment and estimation ; this in reference to all. So
invaluable is Christ in his account, as all his enjoyments, accomplishments,
privileges, performances, seem loss compared with him. They make a fair
show in the dark before Christ is known, but when he appears and shines
in the heart, these disappear, vanish into nothing. In respect of those
ends for which Christ is given, those benefits which are gained by Christ,
he makes no more account of these than a man does of that which he is
sure he shall lose by. When these come in competition with Christ (as the
false teachers set them), they will really prove the soul's loss, and so he

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST.

accounts them. If a man should have offered to his choice a heap of dung
or an inestimably rich jewel, if one should come and advise him to choose
the dung rather than the jewel, Oh no, would he say, you offer me loss,
the jewel is more worth than a world of dung. Thus was it with the
apostle, all these were dung in his account ; Christ was the pearl of great
price ; to have chosen them before Christ, was to have chosen loss before
gain, and made a woeful bargain. Thus it is with each soul that, &c.

(5.) In respect of confidence and affection. He relies not upon his
parts, privileges, righteousness, for pardon, acceptance, or salvation. He
has no more confidence in these, he makes them no more the grounds of
his rejoicing, as attainable hereby, than if he had them not at all, than if
he had quite lost them. He knows, if he should rest upon these, expect
to get pardon by them, or for them, he should lose by it, it would prove
the loss of pardon and salvation to his soul. He has lost them as to any
confidence in them, as to any rejoicing therein, as though hereby he might
be saved ; so the apostle, verse 3. And so every one that knows Christ,
he will have no more confidence to gain the favour of God, and life by
these, than in that which if he depend on he is sure to lose by.

Thus you see in what respects they think not much to suffer the loss
of all.

Reason 1. Because they know that they will lose more by any one of
these things retained, not quitted, in the foresaid respects, than they can
gain by them altogether. They know this is the way to lose Christ, to
lose heaven, to lose their souls for ever. Any one known sin allowed and
lived in, is enough to lose heaven, Gal. iii. 10, and v. 21. Good reason
not to think much to part with sin, &c.

Any privilege not quitted in respect of confidence, when we expect sal
vation by and for it, cuts off from Christ, Gal. v. 2.

Any enjoyment not parted with, when the honour of Christ calls for it,
excludes the enjoyer from any benefit by Christ, Mat. x. 37—39. Nay,
your own righteousness, your observance of the law of God, performance
of the duties the Lord requires, if it be not quitted as to any confidence
of obtaining pardon and life by and for it, makes Christ of none effect to
you ; you lose Christ by it, Gal. v. 4, if you look upon it as that for
which God will pardon you, as that by which ye may be justified, &c.
Great reason to suffer the loss of all for gaining Christ, since the retaining
of any one would be the loss of Christ.

Reason 2. They know that all these things cannot be available to gain any
saving benefit, and therefore good reason to quit them, that they may gain
Christ, by whom only the benefits that accompany salvation are to be gained.
If any of these can be imagined as available to attain saving blessings, it
must be either covenant privileges or religious performances ; the rest are
in an utter incapacity for such a purpose, but both these are renounced as
altogether unprofitable for this end, Gal. vi. 15, for righteousness, see Gal.
iii. 10, 11. If not justified, then not partakers of any saving benefit for
salvation, and all the blessings that accompany salvation do depend upon
justification.

Use I. By this you may know whether you have attained this excellent
knowledge of Christ. Those that know him effectually will count all
things but dung in comparison of him, cannot but be willing to suffer the
loss of all for him. They have suffered the loss of all that is inconsistent
with the enjoyment of Christ, they have renounced their sin, and all confi
dence in their own righteousness, in any privileges or performances, which

270 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

those that are not indeed acquainted with him rest on as a sufficient sup
port for pardon and life. They rely not on anything else for happiness or
peace with God, and they are willing to suffer the loss of all, which they
may lawfully enjoy otherwise, when it will be inconsistent with the enjoy
ment of Christ. They will count it no loss to part with their most en
deared enjoyments in this world, when the keeping of them would part
them and Christ, Mat. xiii. 35. Christ is this pearl of great price, a pearl
of inestimable, of incomprehensible, of infinite value. He that has found
him, that has effectually discovered him, and apprehends truly of what
worth and value he is, he will sell all, part with all, as a man would part
with all the farthings he has for an inexhaustible mine of gold ; or as
a beggar would part with his rags and poor function, that he may have the
possession of a crown, and enjoy the riches and glory of a kingdom.

Use II. Exhortation. Shew that you know Christ, by being willing to
suffer the loss of all for him. Make use of the knowledge of Christ to dis
pose you to this great but difficult duty, to be ready and resolute to lose
all for Christ, whenever he calls you to it. If you know Christ indeed,
there is enough to induce you to it, even in those instances which may
seem most intolerable and hardest to be digested. Let me shew this in
one or two particulars.

1. As to your outward enjoyments and earthly possessions. To tell
you, you must be ready to part with these, may seem an hard saying ; it
is so to those who are well accommodated in the world ; it was so to him in
the Gospel, who presumed that all the other commands of God he had
observed, he fell off at this ; when he was tried here, he left Christ, went
away sorrowful, Mat. xix. But the apostle Paul had actually done it (as
in the text), and so had the rest of the -apostles, Mat. xix. 27. And none
are or can be the disciples of Christ indeed, none are Christians really, but
such as are resolved on it beforehand, and actually do it when they are
tried, when the honour and interest of Christ requires it, Luke xiv. 33.
And those that know Christ effectually will see no reason to stick at it ;
for he has assured us, that to suffer the loss of all for him is no loss at all,
how great and intolerable soever the loss is in appearance, yet really it is
the greatest gain, the richest advantage. We cannot possibly make a
richer, a more gainful improvement of what we have in the world, than by
losing it all for Christ. How great a paradox soever this seem, Christ
has assured us of it, and if we do not believe him, we do not know him,
Mat. xix. 29. You think it a good improvement of what you have, if you
could gain twenty or fifty in the hundred, but what is this to gain an hun
dred-fold ! You would think it a rich return of an adventure to double it
or treble it ; what is it then to double it more than forty times over ?
What merchant is there that would not venture all he has, nay, that would
not throw his goods into the sea, upon assurance (as good assurance as he
can desire), that for every pound he so loses he shall certainly gain an
hundred ? Why, Christ himself assures you of no less advantage by any
thing you lose for him, and can you desire better assurance ? or can you
expect greater advantage ? If you think not this advantage enough, if you
desire more, he assures you of more, in the next world everlasting life ; an
hundred-fold here in this present time, and besides that, everlasting life
hereafter, Mark x. 29, 30. Now eternal life in the kingdom of glory is not
only an hundred-fold more, but ten thousand times more, ten millions more,
unspeakably, unconceivably more, beyond all computation than all you can
lose for Christ. And will you think much to lose a pound upon assurance

PHILIP. III. 8.] THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHEIST. 271

to gain many millions ? You shall gain no less by suffering the loss of all
for Christ, than if by the loss of a farthing you should gain ten millions ;
the advantage will be greater, vastly greater, beyond all proportion.

Yea, but what assurance is there of this ? It is a gainful adventure in
deed, beyond all in the world, if it were sufficiently insured. Why, you
have the best assurance of it that the whole earth, yea, or heaven itself
can give. Christ himself is engaged for it, he who is the mighty God, the
faithful and true Witness, who has all power in heaven and earth to make
it good ; and heaven and earth shall perish, rather than one iota of his
word shall fail and not be fulfilled. You shall sooner see the heavens fall,
and the whole earth sink, than see the least failure as to the performance
of his word.

And this being so, certainly if Christ were known, if he were believed,
if there were faith concerning this thing, to suffer the loss of all for Christ
would be so far from being counted an intolerable loss, that it would be
esteemed the richest and most advantageous bargain that we can possibly
make for ourselves in this world. It would be so far from being feared and
avoided upon unworthy terms, that it would be welcomed and embraced as
that which is richly desirable.

2. Our personal righteousness, the best of it, holiness of heart and life,
this must be quitted in some respect, and only in some respect. To speak
or think of suffering the loss of all absolutely, is intolerable. A personal
righteousness is in its own place transcendently excellent, and absolutely
necessary ; without it we cannot be qualified for glory, we cannot be ser
viceable on earth, we can never come to heaven ; without it we cannot
honour Christ here, nor shall ever see his face hereafter, Heb. xii. In
these respects we must not think of suffering the loss of it, we must not
lose it for a world, we lose heaven and our souls if we suffer it.

But in point of justification we must quit it, i.e., we must not rely on
our personal righteousness as a justifying righteousness. To quit it thus
far will be no loss, for it is no loss to quit anything so far as it is not use
ful, how excellent soever it be otherwise. Now our personal righteousness
is not useful to justify us before God against the accusation of the law of
works ; to quit it here, to lose it thus, is to lose nothing but a false conceit,
a conceit that it is what it is not, and can do for us what it can never do.

No person on earth ever had in himself a justifying righteousness. It
is true if our first parents had continued in their primitive state, without
sin, their righteousness would have justified them ; but since their fall, sin
entering into the world, and spreading over it, no man ever had in him
self a justifying righteousness but the man Christ Jesus ; no other personal
righteousness besides can answer the demands of the law in a full, perfect,
spotless conformity to it ; none can satisfy for the transgressions of it,
none can give a title to eternal life. This I call a justifying righteousness.
The best personal righteousness of the most eminent saint on earth is no
such thing, it can no more justify him than dung can feed him ; how ex
cellent soever it be for other purposes, it is not sufficient, it is not useful,
for this, here it leaves us at a loss. On this account the apostle did suffer
the loss of his own righteousness ; if he was to appear before God, to be
justified or condemned, he would be found not having his own righteous
ness, he durst not rely on that. Elsewhere, 1 Cor. iv. 4, and others, Ps.
cxliii. 2, they decline the consideration of their own righteousness in this
case, as knowing upon that account they could not be justified, the sinful
effects of it would rather expose them to condemnation.

272 THE EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. [PHILIP. III. 8.

But if we rely not on our own righteousness for justification, what
righteousness is there to rely on ? We shall be at a loss for a justifying
righteousness. So the papists, so the Socinians and their followers, deter
mine. But the apostle was otherwise minded, he knew where to find a
righteousness fully sufficient for this purpose : ' Not having his own right
eousness ;' if he might be found in Christ, even in him who is ' the Lord
our righteousness,' in him who is ' made of God wisdom and righteous
ness,' &c., who is ' the end of the law for righteousness,' ' who was made
sin for us, that we,' &c. This is a righteousness far transcending any
personal righteousness that sinners are capable of; yea, and that right
eousness too which would have justified our first parents if they had not
sinned, as being the righteousness of God, the righteousness of faith, an
everlasting righteousness. It is a better, a more excellent, righteousness
than that in the state of innocency would have been, if it had been per
fected in respect of the subject, it being ' the righteousness of God,' so
called verse 9, and not of man only. 2. In respect of the facility of ob
taining, it is attainable by faith, and so described, ver. 9. Faith interests
those in it who can neither personally satisfy for past disobedience, nor
perfectly observe the law for the time to come. 3. In respect of its per
petuity, it is everlasting: Dan. ix. 24, 'Righteousness of eternity' (Heb.].
Adam's righteousness, if it had continued a thousand years, might have
been lost by sin; but this righteousness makes an end of sin, and so
makes a justified state endless. Those that believe this effectually, need
not think much to suffer the loss of all, that they may win Christ and be
interested in his righteousness, so they may be found in him, not
having, &c.

JUSTIFICATION BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF CHRIST.

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith. — PHILIP. III. 9.

You have heard, verse 8, of the wonderful effect of Christ's excellent know
ledge : ' For whom I have suffered.'

Here you have the end why he was willing to lose all, ' to be found in
him.' The apostle cared not though he were found without all other things,
so that he might be found in Christ. Hence

Obs. Those that have Christ desire above all things to be found in him ;
are willing to do. endure, to want, to renounce anything, all things ; care
not in what condition they be found, how low, poor, despised, afflicted, so
they may be found in Christ.

Nothing needs explanation but this phrase, what it is to be found in
Christ.

Now, this includes three things :

First, Spiritual intimacy in respect of union. A sinner cannot be found
in Christ till he be in him. Union is necessarily presupposed, such an
union as the Holy Ghost expresses by that of head and members, Eph. i.
22, 23; by that of root and branches. Hence Christ is frequently called
a root, Isa. xi. 10, Rev. xxii. 16; by that of vine and branches, John
xv. 1. As the branches are in the vine, and thereby receive juice,
strength, growth, fruitfulness, so is a believer in Christ; and the union is
so intimate, there is such an oneness betwixt them, as both have one
name; so much are they in him as they are him, are called Christ, 1 Cor.
xii. 12. Now, this it is which is to be desired above all, to be in Christ,
united to him, to be looked upon as one of his members, as implanted into
him.

Secondly, Judicial account in respect of representation. Christ is a
public person as Adam was, represents those that are his as Adam did,
and what he doth or suffers in their stead the Lord accepts it as if they
had done or suffered it. This acceptance I call judicial account, and this
I take to be the principal import of the expression. Then are we said to
be found in Christ, when the Lord accounts, accepts what Christ performed

VOL. i. s

274 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

for his elect in way of satisfaction, as if they had performed it. Mind this
notion well ; for the greatest, the sweetest mystery of the gospel cannot be
understood without it.

Christ is by the Father's appointment the sponsor of his people ; he doth
vicariam presentiam agere, they whom he represents are looked upon as
present in him, and what he acts doth pass as though they did act it.

In this sense did the apostle desire to be found in him, that Christ might
be looked upon as his sponsor, and what he performed might be looked on
as undertaken in his stead, on his behalf, and so set upon his account.
The Scripture offers us this tiotion in divers expressions, in special, to
instance in no more, when Christ is called a surety, a sacrifice, Heb. vii. 22 ;
when the surety pays the debt, the bankrupt is discharged, as though him
self had paid it. Every sinner since the fall is under a double obligation :

He owes the Lord both perfect obedience, and, through his default, the
penalty due for disobedience.

Justice will not suffer any man to enter heaven till this debt be paid ;
nay,' in default of payment, the Lord in justice is engaged to cast every
sinner into hell, there to pay the utmost farthing.

Man has utterly disabled himself from paying either the one or the
other ; he can neither obey perfectly, nor satisfy for the least disobedience,
and hereupon every son of Adam becomes guilty before God, and liable to
eternal wrath, without the least hopes of recovery from and by himself;
no more hopes of payment nor of freedom from the penalty than that a
beggar should pay an hundred thousand talents.

This is the forlorn condition of every sinner by nature.

But now the Lord, out of infinite love to his elect, accepts of Christ,
freely offering himself to be their surety, and to pay that for them which
they were never able to pay themselves ; and this he did by performing
perfect obedience, which was the principal debt, and suffering death and
the wrath of God, which was the penalty. Now this surety's payment
being accepted for those that believe, they are discharged as though them
selves had paid it. And this is it the apostle desires, that he might be
found in Christ as his surety, that the Lord 'would look upon him in Christ
satisfying in his stead, and would discharge him upon Christ the surety's
payment. To be thus discharged for Christ is to be found in him.

So Christ was a sacrifice, Heb. ix. 26, Eph. v. 2, Isa. liii.

Now the sacrifice was offered in the stead of him that brought it ; there
was actio vicaria, the death of the sacrifice was instead of the death of him
that brought it, so that it passed as though the sinner had suffered in the
sacrifice.

Thus, those for whom Christ offered himself are looked upon as though
they had suffered in him, and in this sense should we desire to be found
in Christ as in our sacrifice, as in our surety.

Thirdly, Real efficacy in respect of participation : when by virtue of his
being in Christ a believer is secured from what he fears, and hath that pro
cured for him which he most wants ; when he hath in Christ acceptance to
life, and by Christ is delivered from the curse and threatening of the law ;
when he obtains the blessings, as Jacob by being in his elder brother's
garments, and escapes vengeance, as the malefactor by being in the city of
refuge ; these were typical, and very significantly shew us what it is to be
found in Christ.

To be found in him is to be covered with his righteousness, held forth
in the notion of a garment, Isa. Ixi. 10, Rev. xix. 8. Every sinner is full

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 275

of uncleanness and deformity, the pure eye of God cannot behold him
•without loathing, nor will he admit any unclean thing into his presence.
If he seek a covering of his own righteousness, it helps not, it is but as a
menstruous rag, it adds to his uncleanness rather than hides it.

How then shall a wretched sinner stand in the sight of an holy God ?
Why, the Lord hath made provision ; when the sinner returns as the
prodigal, the Father bids bring out the best robe, he covers, he adorns him
with this ; he takes order with a returning sinner, as with Joshua, Zech.
iii. 3, 4. A believer puts on Christ, Gal. iii. 27, Rom. xiii. 14, Rev. xii. 1.
This is his robe, his garment, and when he is found in it, then he is found
in Christ ; his person, his services are accepted, the way to heaven is
opened for him, the Father delights in him, and blesses him with spiritual,
eternal blessings. So that to be found in Christ is to be found in his
righteousness, and that the apostle explains himself, ' Not having,' &c.

Then for security from evil : to be found in Christ is as the malefactor
to be found in the city of refuge. The man that had slain his neighbour
casually was to fly to the city of refuge ; if the pursuer overtook him before
he was in the city, he had liberty to slay him without mercy ; if he found
him in the city of refuge, he was not to touch him. Thus here, every
sinner out of Christ is liable to the stroke of revenging justice, but when
he is found in Christ he is secure, justice then will not touch him. To be
found in Christ is to be found as in the city of refuge.

Use. Exhortation. Oh that hereby you would make it evident that you
have Christ, by desiring above all things to be found in him ! Oh that the
same mind might appear in you that was in the apostle, that you might
desire it above all, and so desire it as to count all things dung !

And indeed, whether you so account them or no, so they will prove.
All your privileges, outward performances, earthly enjoyments, they will no
more avail you than dung, they will render you no more acceptable to God
than excrements, unless you be found in Christ.

That I may a little enforce this exhortation, consider, —

Except you be found in Christ you are lost; your persons, services,
happiness, and hopes of it, all are lost, unless you be found in him.

1. Your persons: it is as impossible that any person in the world should
escape the wrath of God, out of Christ, as it was impossible any man
in the old world should escape drowning, when the flood came and found
him not in the ark ; some of those perishing creatures might scramble up
into some mountain or tree and preserve themselves a little while the
waters are low, bat they were all swept away ere long who were not found
in the ark. So here, there is a deluge of wrath coming upon the world of
unbelievers and obstinate sinners, and though some may think to escape by
flying to outward duties, and relying upon their privileges and enjoyments,
yet those are but a refuge of lies, there is no escaping for any but those
that are found in Christ, the deluge of wrath will sweep away every sinner
sooner or later that is not found in Christ.

2. Your services too are all lost : whatever you do in a way of religion,
or in a way of charity, except you be found in Christ doing of it, it is lost,
it will never be accepted. Do what you will, it is impossible to please
God if he find you not in Christ, in whom only his people are made accept
able : ' Without faith it is impossible to please God,' Heb. xi. 6. Why ?
Because it is faith that brings a man into Christ, that faith which purifies
the heart and life, that faith which runs to Christ out of deep seas of sin
and wrath, that faith that will take Christ upon his own terms.

276 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

3. Your happiness, and hopes of it, are lost too : ' There is no name
under heaven,' &c. The Lord blesses his people with spiritual blessings
in heavenly places ; but how ? In Christ only, Eph. i. There is no enjoy
ment of happiness, there is no hopes of it, but for those that are found in
Christ : ' Christ in you the hope of glory,' Col. i. Without Christ, with
out hope in the world. Those who anchor not within the veil, will see
their souls and hopes wrecked together. In what condition soever you be
found, if found without Christ, you are miserable. Though you be found
in health, in plenty, in prosperity ; nay, though you be found in a throne,
if you be not found in Christ, there is no hopes of happiness, they give
no rest.

But what course shall we take to be found in Christ ?

1. If ye will be found in Christ, you must not be found in your sins.
You must not be found in love with any sin, you must not allow yourselves
in the practice of any ; you must hate it, you must depart from it, else
there is no coming at Christ, no being found in him ; these are utterly
inconsistent, as light and darkness ; you cannot be found in both at once.
' What fellowship,' &c., 2 Cor. vi. Joshua's filthy garments must first be
taken from him, before he could be clothed with change of raiment. Lot
could not possibly be in Zoar until he left Sodom. The manslayer, if he
would stay in the place of guilt, where he had shed blood, could never be
found in the city of refuge. It is as impossible you should be found in
heaven while you are in hell, as that you should be found in Christ while
you continue in sin. If any sin be so endeared to you by pleasure, advan
tage, custom, or interest, that you will not leave it, you thereby abandon
Christ, and can never expect to be found in him, or near him, unless only
at his left hand. They do but delude themselves, if there be any truth in
Christ, who hope to be found in Christ, and yet will be found in the love
and ways of sin. It is a disparagement to Christ, for any to name him who
will not depart from iniquity ; and can such hope to be found in him ?
1 John i. 6.

2. You must have no confidence in your own righteousness. The
apostle joins these both in his doctrine and practice, ver. 9. If you would
be found in Christ, you must lay aside all conceits of any sufficiency in
your own righteousness to justify or save you ; those that lead you to this
draw you from Christ. It was such conceits that kept off the Pharisees
from Christ, and made it less feasible for them to be found in Christ than
the publicans ; and against this is that parable directed, Luke xviii. 9.
This cut off the Jews from Christ and his righteousness : Eom. x. 84, ' In
the Lord have we righteousness, in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be
justified,' Isa. xlv. 24, 25. But this self-confidence will make men say, ' We
are lords,' Jer. ii. 81. This makes Christ of none effect, discharges them from
being found in him, or finding any advantage by him, Gal. v. 4. An expec
tation to be justified by conformity to, or observation of the law, tends to
disannul and abolish Christ ; such are fallen from the doctrine of grace,
which doctrine teaches that we are justified freely by another righteous
ness, Rom. iii. This renders the death of Christ a vain and needless thing,
Gal. ii. 21. Christ was obedient unto death, that we might have righteous
ness in him to justify us. If we can have such a righteousness by our
observance of the law, he died in vain and to no purpose, we might be as
well without him.

3. Put on Christ. He that will be found in him, must put him on,
Rom. xiii. 14. Desire the Lord to plant faith in your souls, for by this

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 277

only is Christ put on. This is coming to him as to a city of refuge,
John vi.

4. Walk in Christ, 1 John ii. 6. Those only will be found in Christ
who walk in the steps and ways of Christ ; those ways of holiness, humi
lity, self-denial, meekness, contempt of the world, activeness for God,
wherein he walked, Eph. ii. 10 ; for those are neither the causes nor con
ditions of justification, either as begun or continued, yet they are the inse
parable companions or effects of that faith by which we are justified at first,
and by which our justification is continued.

' Not having my own righteousness,' &c. You have heard (1.) Of the
dignity of the knowledge of Christ ; (2.) Of the efficacy of it, it made him
suffer the loss of all things ; (3.) The end why he suffered, that he might
win Christ, be found in him ; (4.) The way how he would be found in
Christ: [1.] Negatively, 'not having,' &c. ; [2.] Positively, 'But the
righteousness of the faith of Christ.'

The negative expression is that which I shall now insist on ; and that I
may clearly ground a particular observation, explain,

First, What he means by righteousness. It is a conformity to the rule
of righteousness, such a conformity as is found in man since the fall ; and
that either inward, in respect of the temper and motions of the soul ; or
outward, in respect of the actions of his life, religious or moral. He con
cludes all acts in his soul, or conversation, that had a show of righteous
ness, which seemed to answer the law of God.

Secondly, Hence he calls it that ' righteousness which is of the law,'
because the law is the rule of righteousness ; and any motion or act is more
or less righteous, as it comes nearer to the law, or less answers.

Thirdly, ' His own righteousness.' His own in opposition to that other
righteousness, which he calls the ' righteousness of faith,' ' of Christ,' ' of
God ;' for though this was his too, as it is every believer's, yet not in the
same way. That which he calls his own ; for this was his by personal
performance, but that of Christ was not his personally ; but in respect of
God's gracious acceptation, imputing it to him, accepting the performance
of a surety for him, as though it had been his personally.

Fourthly, ' Not having ;' that is, not having confidence in it, not relying
upon it, as that for which the Lord will pardon, accept, save me. The
gospel hath revealed another ground to rely upon for this, and had dis
covered the insufficiency of his own righteousness for this purpose ; and
therefore he renounced this in point of confidence, not otherwise. You
must not think the apostle accounted a personal righteousness or observance
of the law unnecessary, he endeavoured it in himself, he urged it upon
others, to bring their hearts and lives to an accord with the law, the will of
God ; and pressed holiness, which is nothing but a conformity to the law,
as that ' without which no man shall see God.'

Thus far he retained his own righteousness as excellent in its own place ;
but he renounced it in point of confidence when it took the place of
Christ's righteousness ; when it was urged as that which could justify,
make acceptable in God's sight, and give him a title to heaven. These are
the privileges and offers* of the righteousness of faith ; and therefore in
this respect he disclaims his own legal, personal righteousness. Hence
the

Third Obs. Those that would be found in Christ must renounce their
own righteousness : they who have attained the excellent knowledge of
* Qu. ' offices' ?— ED.

278 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

Christ will not rely upon it, rest in it, or make it the ground of their con
fidence.

The apostle in this respect counts it loss, calls it dung ; and those that
have truly learned Christ will be like-minded. Though personal righteous
ness, observance of the law, be necessary and useful in other respects, yet
in point of confidence it must be renounced, it must in no case be relied
on ; it is commendable and advantageous in its own place, when made use
of for those ends, and in that way which God requires ; but if it be relied
on, it may prove dangerous, pernicious ; it will be found a broken reed,
deceive the soul that puts confidence in it.

The reason is, because personal righteousness of any man since the fall
is defective, and comes far short of that righteousness which should be the
ground of our confidence.

That only may be relied on, 1, which fully answers the rule of righteous
ness ; 2, which can give title to life ; 3, which can make satisfaction for
sin ; 4, which can render us acceptable in God's eye ; 5, which will justify
us in the sight of God : such a righteousness it must be. But now no man
hath such a righteousness of his own as will do any one of these, and there
fore it must in no case be relied on. To shew particularly, no man's per
sonal righteousness, take it at the best since the fall, —

1. Doth answer the rule of righteousness ; for the law of God, which is
the rule, requires perfect obedience, perfect both in respect of habit and
act, both in respect of parts and degrees : but the best righteousness of
any fallen man is imperfect ; imperfect both these ways, therefore can
scarce so be called righteousness ; it is but a sinful and unrighteous righteous
ness ; it is crooked, and comes not up to the rule ; it is defective, unan
swerable to the purity of the law : and hence the church acknowledges her
righteousness is but as a menstruous cloth, Isa. Ixiv. 6.

Four reasons :

Reason 1. Omnis jmtitia humana injustitia esse convincitur. All man's
righteousness is detected to be unrighteousness, if it be strictly examined,
James iii. 2. There are many sinful flaws in all, in the best, in the most
righteous. The apostle includes himself, ' We offend in many ;' whereas,
if we did but offend in one point, that would be enough to deface our
righteousness, to make it another thing than the law requires ; to denomi
nate us guilty rather than righteous, James ii. 10. He that transgresses
but in one point, would by the sentence of the law be found guilty of all,
rather than righteous, Job xv. 15.

Reason 2. Obedience, if it be sincere and universal, it may evidence a
title, but it can give none : 2 Tim. i. 9, ' He saves us,' i. e., gives a title
to salvation ; but how ? ' Not according to our own works,' our own
righteousness ; ' but according to his grace in Christ.' If we had it, were
entitled to it by our own righteousness, we had it not by grace ; these
are still opposed as inconsistent. If we had it in ourselves, we had it not
in Christ.

Reason 3. It cannot satisfy divine justice, it can be no compensation to
his laws and honour, violated by sin ; it can be no vindication of his holi
ness and justice. There is that in our best righteousness which exposes
us to more severity, and makes us further obnoxious to justice ; that which
may provoke him, instead of appeasing or satisfying.

Reason 4. There is that in it that may procure loathing, rather than
acceptance, Hab. i. 13. There is a mixture of evil in our own righteous
ness, the Lord cannot behold it ; but he will see iniquity in it, which his

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 279

pare eye cannot look on with acceptance, Dan. ix. 18. Daniel, and the
people of God who prayed with him, ventured not to present their suppli
cations for their own righteousness ; they durst not presume to expect their
prayers would be accepted for their righteousness, but for his great mercies.
Those great mercies for which they presented their supplications, that they
might be accepted, include Christ, through whose mediation and righteous
ness a way is opened for those mercies ; and without which no sinners
under the law, or under the gospel, would be capable thereof. It is not in
ourselves, not in our own righteousness, but in Christ, that any are accepted,
Eph. i. 6.

Reason 5. As touching the righteousness of the law, he was blameless,
unspotted. But this was before conversion, no wonder if he did not expect
to be thereby justified. Ay, but after conversion too, when what he had
and did was from grace, he had no confidence in his own righteousness,
that it would justify him, how exact, how eminent soever it was, Acts
xxiii. 1. His righteousness was universal, in all good conscience ; it was
sincere, it was before God that he thus lived ; it was continued, uninterrupted ;
he had thus lived to that very day. But did he rely on this to justify ?
No, 1 Cor. iv. 4. He was not conscious to himself -that he had been
unfaithful or unsincere in anything, yet would he make no account that
thereby he should be justified. Here is an evangelical righteousness, an
unspotted, a sincere, an universal, a constant righteousness, an apostolical
righteousness, of an extraordinary quality and degree, both as to the habits
and acts of it, such as transcended that of the other apostles : ' He laboured
more abundantly than they all, suffered more abundantly than they all ;'
yet was he not hereby justified. Now if such a righteousness could not
justify, what personal righteousness can be found in the world that may be
counted a justifying righteousness ? Well might he lay it down as a general
rule, Gal iii. 11, and ii. 16.

It will be yet more evident, that our own righteousness cannot justify us,
by two or three particulars.

(1.) Our own righteousness answers not the demands of the gospel, no
more than those of the law, and so falls short of every rule of righteousness,
and therefore cannot justify us with respect to any. The gospel calls for
perfection as well as the law, it abates no degree of holiness which the law
required, it allows us not to love God less, to fear, trust, serve him less
than the law would have us. It is true, the gospel has pardon for imper
fections, which the law had not ; but we are as much obliged to perfection
under the gospel, as under the law, and cannot be justified by that which
falls short of what we are obliged to.

(2.) Our own righteousness cannot justify itself, much less can it justify
us. It needs another righteousness to justify it, being many ways faulty ;
otherwise it is, and will be under the condemning sentence of the law, Ps.
cxxx. 3. If there be iniquities in our righteousness, it cannot stand in
judgment, it cannot be justified, it needs another righteousness, by virtue
of which it may have pardon.

(3.) It cannot justify us in our own consciences, much less can it justify
us before God. There is no man's conscience, if it be not senseless, but
will see something to be condemned in his own righteousness. Now God
is greater than our consciences, he sees more therein that is worthy of con
demnation, 1 John iii. 21.

2. -It cannot entitle any man to life, nor give right to happiness ; this is
evident from the former. The first charter man had for eternal life runs

280 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

upon these terms, ' Do this and live ;' that is, perform perfect obedience,
and thou shalt have eternal life. It is only perfect righteousness, obedience,
that gives a man title to heaven ; whereas, that which is defective (as the
best is since the fall) leaves a man under the curse, Gal. iii. 10. There
must be a better provision than man's personal righteousness, before he
can be free from the curse, so far is he from procuring eternal happiness.

3. It cannot satisfy the justice of God, it cannot make a recompense for
the least sin. Nay, suppose it was perfect, it is most imperfect : perfect
obedience cannot satisfy for the least disobedience. ' 0 my God, incline
thine ear, and hear ; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the
city which is called by thy name : for we do not present our supplications
before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies,' Dan. ix. 18.

If a man could perform perfect obedience without sin, yet this being his
duty, and that which he owes, this would not satisfy for any former sin ;
for the payment of one debt is no satisfaction for another.

4. It cannot render him acceptable in God's eye. The Lord will accept
no man till satisfaction be tendered ; this agrees not with his justice, and no
man's personal righteousness can satisfy justice, as appears by the former.
No man since the fall is or can be accepted upon his own account, and
men's personal righteousness being stained with sin, is so far from render
ing the performance acceptable, as the performance itself cannot be accepted
without the mediation of a better righteousness than that of the law, of
which here, Eph. i.

5. It cannot justify the performance before God's tribunal. The apostle
clears this by his own example : if any man might expect to be justified by
his own righteousness, he much more ; for ' as touching the righteousness
of the law he was blameless ;' he lived in all good conscience towards God,
&c. He was not conscious to himself of any gross misdemeanour or
neglect : ' I know nothing,' &c., 1 Cor. iv. 4. He lays it down as a general
rule, Gal. iii. 11, and chap. ii. 16.

Use ; of exhortation. If you desire the comfort and happiness to be
found in Christ, take heed of relying upon your own righteousness. There
are two ways whereby Satan leads the greatest part of the world to destruc
tion. The one is, the open way of profaneness and ungodliness ; the other
is, the retired way of self-confidence. If that great enemy of souls cannot
prevail with men to run with other* excess of riot, when he sees some
through religious education, or common workings of the Spirit, to have
escaped the gross pollutions of the world, he attempts their ruin another
way, by possessing them with a conceit of the sufficiency of their own right
eousness, tempting them to neglect Christ by resting in themselves. And
though this way be fairer than the other, yet ordinarily it proves more
dangerous, because those that are entered into it are not so easily con
vinced of it, and brought out of it ; publicans and sinners are more easih
brought to Christ than Pharisees. The word to which the apostle com
pares self-righteousness tells us thus much. He calls it axv{3dXa, which is
rendered to you dung ; but some critics observe, the word signifies such
costive excrements as the power of physic doth hardly purge out of the body.

It must be an extraordinary power that will work a man that is civilized,
and hath the form of godliness, to deny himself, and renounce his self-
righteousness ; and yet nothing doth more cross the great and glorious
designs of God in the gospel, nothing is more dishonourable to Christ, and
more affronts him ; nothing more dangerous to the soul of sinners, than to
* Qu. 'others to'?— ED.

PHILIP. III. 9.J RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHEIST. 281

rely upon their own righteousness for pardon and salvation. And therefore,
if you would not be found fighters against God in his most gracious con-
trivement of man's happiness ; if you would not be contemners of Christ
and the grace of the gospel ; if you would not be found accessory to the
destruction of your own souls, take heed of depending upon your own
righteousness, take heed of making anything the ground of your confidence
but Christ and his righteousness. And that you may the better escape
this snare of the devil, let me discover those several dresses wherein Satan
presents this self-righteousness, that he may the more easily entangle the
more in a soul- deceiving confidence therein ; and few that know Christ will
find but they either have been, or are upon the borders of it, if not further
in some of these by-paths.

1. Some rely much upon a natural righteousness, that which we call
good nature ; if others persuade them, or they can persuade themselves
that they are of good dispositions, mild, candid, gentle, ingenuous, kind
and peaceable temper, they rest here, and are apt to conclude, the Lord
will not be so severe as to cast so good nature (though there be nothing
more than nature in them) into hell.

2. Some rely upon a positive righteousness, and observance of some rites
and circumstances in religion. They are baptized, and accounted members
of the church, and partake of ordinances, and come under church order,
submit to this or that form of ecclesiastical government, and adhere strictly
to some outward observances prescribed by God, or perhaps received by
tradition from their superiors or forefathers. Here they ground their hopes
of heaven. This was part of the Pharisees' righteousness, and that in which
their false teachers grounded their confidence, which the apostle here opposes,
and overthrows elsewhere, when he tells us, ' The kingdom of God comes
not by observation,' &c., Luke xvii. 29 ; Rom. xiv. 17. And Christ raises
it : ' Except your righteousness,' &c., Mat. v. 20.

8. Others rely upon a moral righteousness, because they have some care
to observe the duties of the second table, because they are just, sober, tem
perate, liberal, love their neighbours, do no man wrong, give every one his
own ; hence conclude they are sure of heaven. Whereas if this were a
sufficient ground of confidence, we might conclude many heathens in heaven,
such as never knew Christ, nor heard of the gospel. If such righteousness
be sufficient, then Christ died in vain, as the apostle concludes to like pur
pose, Gal. ii. 21.

4. Others rely upon a religious righteousness, their outward performances
of some religious duties. Because they pray, and hear the word, and read
the Scriptures, receive the sacraments, converse with those that are religious,
and in some sort observe the Sabbath, upon this are confident that they
shall die the death of the righteous, and it shall be well with them in the
latter end. But even this support the apostle rejected as rotten ;* though
he was one of the most religious sort among the Jews, and blameless as to
his outward performance of religious duties, yet he durst not be found with
this righteousness alone ; he disclaims all confidence in it.

5. Others rely upon a negative righteousness. Because they are not so
unrighteous, not such idolaters, atheists, not such apostates or heretics,
not such swearers or Sabbath-breakers ; because they are not drunkards
nor adulterers, not murderers or oppressors, not covetous, proud, or ambi
tious, therefore it shall go well with them. This was the Pharisees', as in
the parable ; but it was far from justifying them, Luke xviii. 11, 14.

6. Others rely upon a comparative righteousness, their being or thinking

282 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

themselves to be more righteous than others, because they do more in a
way of religion, of justice, of charity, than others who have like engage
ments ; whatever their principles be from which, or the ends for which they
do it, conclude for this they shall be saved. This is like that of the labourers
sent into the vineyard early in the morning. They expostulate about their
wages, as though they had deserved some extraordinary reward in having
borne the burthen and heat of the day, Mat. xx. 12. There is a sad inti
mation, that though these were called, yet they were not chosen, ver. 16,
Mat. vii. 22.

7. Others rely upon a passive righteousness. Because they have suffered
for the truth, being jeered, reproached, persecuted for some way of religion,
therefore they are confident that for these sufferings they shall be saved
and pardoned. But the apostle here sheweth the vanity of this confidence,
for who had suffered more than he, who had suffered the loss of all things
for Christ ? He makes not his sufferings, but Christ, the ground of his
confidence ; he durst not be found, not in his sufferings for Christ, except
he might withal be found in Christ : that he desired above all. Nor would
he rest in anything but in Christ : ' Not having his own righteousuess ; '
he counts it loss so far as it was unuseful and insufficient, he counts it
dung so far as it invades Christ's prerogative, so far as it would usurp the
place and office of his righteousness ; it was no better than dung when it
would supplant and dishonour the righteousness of God.

(1.) Man being made a rational creature, and so made capable of moral
government and obedience, he was necessarily subject unto God as supreme
governor, who, that he might rule him according to his nature and capacity,
gave him a law by which he was to be ordered in all things, and according
to which he was to be judged. To enforce this law, he added a penalty in
case of transgression, the import of which is this, that if he rebelled, he
should be miserable here and hereafter, Gen. ii. 17. To enjoin man not
to eat of the tree of knowledge, to obey him herein and in all other particu
lars, he was obliged by the law of nature ; and the penalty is death, which
is elsewhere called the curse, Deut. xxvii. 26, Gal. iii. 10.

(2.) Man transgressed this law. Our first parents disobeyed God, and
we in them, Rom. v. 12. Hereby the image of God, wherewith he was
created in holiness and righteousness, was lost, and the nature of mankind
universally corrupted, and all so inclined unto sin, that they sin actually as
soon as they are capable of acting, and continue to sin while they are in the
state of nature, and all are concluded under sin, Eom. iii. 9, 10, &c. ' All
are become guilty before God,' ver. 19. 'All have sinned.' This the
apostle premises before he delivers the doctrine of justification, ver. 23.
Thus it was with all the world after the flood, and so it was with the old
world before, Gen. vi. 5. All are sinners from the womb and from the
conception, Ps. li.

(3.) Sin being entered into the world, the Lord was concerned not to let
it go unpunished. It is enough for our purpose, which is out of question,
that it was the Lord's will and determination to punish all sin. But there
seems to be a sufficient proof, that it was not from the mere pleasure of his
will that he should be punished, but there was a necessity for it, from the
nature and perfections of God, and from his relation to man as his governor,
and from the law enacted as the rule of his government. The Lord is
obliged, not only by his truth and unchangeableness, but by his wisdom,
holiness, and justice, to punish sin.

His truth engages him to it. He threatens it in his law, and if he will

PHILIP. III. 9.J RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 283

rule according to law, it must be inflicted. His truth is obliged for the
executing of the threatening, and to make good what he had declared to be
his resolution.

His unchangeableness makes it necessary. He did determine from eternity
to punish it. The event shews that it was eternal purpose, and the coun
sel of the Lord must stand : he is not as man.

His wisdom makes it necessary. The end and designs of his law and
government would be lost, his law would appear to be powerless and insig
nificant, his government would be rendered contemptible, the authority of
the one, and the honour of the other defaced, if sin is not punished.

The holiness of God requires it. Sin is contrary to him ; he hates it.
If he will shew himself to be what he is, ' an holy God, of purer eyes than
to behold evil, and who cannot look on iniquitjV Hab. i. 13, it is necessary
to shew his hatred of it by punishing it : Josh. xxiv. 19, ' he will not for
give,' that is, he will punish, because he is holy, where, as in other places,
the necessity of punishing is grounded upon his holiness.

If the Lord be necessarily an holy God, it will be necessary to hate sin ;
for hatred of sin is essential to holiness, and cannot be conceived or appre
hended without it. Now to hate sin is velle punire, necessarily includes a
will to punish it. It is essential to holiness to be displeased with sin.
Now as the love of God is our chief reward, so God's displeasure is the
chief punishment of it. If then it be not necessary that he punish sin,
there will be no necessity that he be displeased at sin. It will be arbitrary
to the holy God to be pleased with sin, if it be arbitrary not to punish
it. We might conceive (that he may as well be pleased with sin as dis
pleased with it, which is intolerable to say or imagine.

Finally, His justice obliges him to punish it ; for suffering is indispen
sably due to sin, and the sinner justly deserves it, and justice requires that
everything, every one, should have his due, that every disobedience receives
a just recompence of reward, Heb. ii. 21, Rom. i. 32, 2 Thes i. It is
righteous with God to give to every one according to his work.

An earthly governor cannot without injustice decline to punish the viola
tion of righteous laws, unless in case he can otherwise secure the end of
government. The ends of the divine government are his honour, the
authority of his laws, and the good of his subjects. His honour and
majesty must be vindicated, the authority of his laws (wherein the interest
of the world is so much concerned) must be asserted ; and sin, seeing it
entrenches upon all, unless it be punished, how can they be vindicated or
asserted ?

And there is more necessity that a compensation be made to the laws
and honour of the supreme Governor of the world, by how much his person
and majesty is higher, and the dishonour greater, his laws more advan
tageous to the world. Here the necessity of a vindication by punishment
rises higher, and appears to be greater in all respects.

It is true a private person or a magistrate, as to his own particular con
cern, may in some cases remit injuries, without any prosecution, he may
do it as the offended party ; but as a governor he cannot justly do it when
the interest of government is concerned [in] it, and the public would suffer
thereby. Now in reference to God, it is plain the universe would suffer
if these rights of his sovereignty and honour were not vindicated, the
assertion thereof tending so much to the good of the whole.

And the Socinians confess that it is repugnant to justice for a private
person to relinquish his right in case of some injuries, and the injury they

284 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

instance in, viz., notorious defamation, is not more intolerable to man
than sin is to God. And therefore to think it is not necessary for the
great God to vindicate his rights by severity against sin is altogether
unreasonable.

In short, the honour of the divine perfections cannot be secured or
vindicated unless sin be punished ; therefore it is highly necessary that
sin should not escape -without punishment.

(4.) Since there is such necessity that sin be punished, and the Lord
so highly concerned to inflict the penalty due to sin, either the sinners
themselves must bear the penalty, or some other for them ; if the sinners
themselves must bear the punishment, no flesh could be saved, all man
kind must be eternally miserable, for it is the penalty expressed by death
and curse.

If some other bear the penalty for them, it must be such a person, and
in such a way, that will be as satisfactory to justice, and as full a salvo to
the divine perfections concerned in his law and government, as if the
sinners themselves suffered it.

The design of the law must be secured, and the ends of divine govern
ment attained, and the justice, holiness, truth, and wisdom of God vindi
cated and manifested, as much as if the penalty was inflicted upon the
transgressors themselves.

(5.) It was Christ that undertook this, and the way wherein he effected
it was by suffering in our stead. 4

This is it which we are concerned to maintain ; Christ suffered in our
stead ; for if he did not, the punishment due to sin is not inflicted (since
his bearing the punishment due to our sin, and his suffering in our stead
is all one), neither we nor any for us undergo it.

Thus sin, as to all that are saved, will go unpunished every way, and so
the ends of government are neglected by the infinite wise and righteous
Governor of the world, and the glory of his wisdom, truth, justice, and
holiness are by himself exposed and left to suffer without any salvo. If we
be saved in a way that will not secure the honour of the divine perfections,
salvation will be effected in a way not consistent with the honour of God.
But no salvation can be expected on these terms, and therefore either none
will be saved by Christ, or elsa it is upon the account of his bearing the
penalty of the law in their stead.

But by Christ's suffering in our stead all is secured, justice is satisfied
for them, sin hath its deserts, that which is due to it, and which justice
requires should be inflicted for it ; his holiness is demonstrated, for what
clearer evidence, that he is of purer eyes than to behold it, that he per
fectly hates it, than by punishing it in his own Son, when he appeared but
in the room of sinners. His truth is manifested, when the Lord of life
must die, rather than what the law denounced shall not be executed ; his
wisdom is no way impeached, the ends of government fully attained, the
law vindicated from contempt, the authority of the great lawgiver upheld,
and the children of men deterred from sin, when the Son of God must
suffer for it.

I need not here give an account of that abundant evidence we have in
Scripture that Christ should suffer in our stead, only this in short : the
several notions whereby his death is represented to us in Scripture, make
it plain that he suffered and died not only for our good, but in our
stead.

His death is held forth as a punishment, as a ransom, and as a sacrifice.

PHILIP. III. 9.] EIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.

His death was a punishment : ' He was wounded for our transgressions ; '
he died for our sins ; that is, he suffered what our sins deserved, that we
might not suffer ; and this is the very thing that we mean by his suffering
in our stead.

His death was our ransom, Mat. xx. 28. He paid that in our behalf
which justice required of him, and this is to pay it in our stead.

His death was a sacrifice : he died that we might escape that death
which was the penalty of the law transgressed by us. As the life of the
sacrifice went for the life of the sinner for whom it was offered ; this is to
die in our stead, as the sacrifice died instead of the offender.

(6.) Christ's sufferings were accepted for us, and accepted as suffered in
our stead. None who believe he suffered will question but his sufferings
were accepted ; nor will any deny that they were accepted as suffered
in our stead, but those who against all evidence of Scripture deny that
he suffered in our stead. (1.) The ground of his death and suffering ;
(2.) The end and design of them ; (3.) Their full sufficiency for their
end ; (4.) The dignity and quality of the person suffering; everything, in a
manner, which occurs therein tends to make this unquestionable among all
Christians.

It was the will of the Father, expressed in the form of a covenant between
Father and Son, that the Son taking our nature should thus suffer, Ps.
xl. 6-8, Heb. x. 5. The Father promises that these sufferings should be
accepted, Isa. liii. 10, 11. The Son, upon assurance of the Father's
acceptance, submits to the sufferings.

He suffered all that in justice was required, that way might be made for
our acquitment.

His sufferings were a full demonstration of his truth, wisdom, holiness,
justice, yea, of his mercy too ; the Lord was hereby every way tran-
scendently glorified, and that which thus glorifies him must needs be highly
acceptable.

He that suffered was not only man, but God, of the same essence, power,
and will with the Father. His sufferings and blood was the sufferings and
blood of him who is God, and therefore of infinite value, and so most
worthy of all acceptance, such as could not in justice but be accepted.
The Lord was herewith fully satisfied, and that which fully satisfied him
was unquestionably accepted.

(7.) Since Christ's sufferings were accepted for us, it is undeniable that
they are imputed to us (this is the conclusion which necessarily and
unavoidably follows from the premises) ; for such acceptance of them for
us, and imputation of them unto us, is the same thing. To impute Christ's
sufferings to us, is nothing else but to accept them for us, as suffered in
our stead. Hence, [1.] let me give some account why I express imputa
tion by acceptance ; [2.] to shew that they are the same thing, and
nothing else meant by the one than by the other.

[1.] What others means here by imputation I express in these terms,
accepting thereof as done in our stead, for us ; but they are clear and
proper (and help to state this point more advantageously), and to distinguish
this from other sorts of imputation. Imputation in general is to account
a thing to belong to us. This general is specified and differenced by three
severals, all here comprised, viz., the state of the thing imputed, the
ground of the imputation, and the quality of what is imputed.

First, As to the state of the thing imputed, they are either ours, or not
ours, personally. That is denoted in the words ' for us.' He endured it

286 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

for us, not we for ourselves ; and so the imputation of Christ's sufferings
is accounting of that to belong to us which is not personally ours.

Hereby it is distinguished from the imputation of things which are
personally ours. Phinehas's act was imputed to him for righteousness ; it
was his own act personally, Ps. cvi. 31 ; and so Rom. iv. 4.

Secondly, As to the ground of the imputation, that is here Christ's
suffering in our stead ; that is the ground why his sufferings are accounted
to belong to us. So the imputing of his sufferings is the accounting that
to belong to us which he suffered in our stead. Thereby it is distinguished
from those imputations which are injurious or groundless, from such also
as have other or different grounds from these.

Thirdly, As to the quality of what is imputed ; it is either good for us,
or evil. The sufferings of Christ are good for us ; that is denoted in the
word accepted, and serves to distinguish of* the imputation of that which
is evil. The imputation of that which is good is called the accepting of it
for us, as the imputation of that which is evil is called the laying it to our
charge, 2 Tim. iv. 16 ; so that I express the imputing of Christ's suffer
ings to us by the accepting thereof for us, to distinguish it from the
imputation of that which is evil. To impute that which is evil to us, is
to charge it on us ; to impute that which is good to us, is to accept it
for us.

Thus, as the imputation of evil to us is distinctly expressed by laying it
to our charge, so the imputation of that which is good is distinctly and
properly expressed by accepting it for us. Both the charging of the evil,
and the accepting of the good, is the accounting it to belong to us, which
is the common notion of imputation.

[2.] Hereby the other thing propounded is manifest, viz., that to impute
Christ's sufferings to us, and accept them for us, is the same thing. But
let us clear it a little more. Take imputation in its full extent, and it is
the accounting of a thing to belong to us, and dealing with us accordingly.
Thes#two things it includes, and it is all we mean by it. Now a thing
may be accounted to belong upon several grounds ; that particularly
belongs to us which is done or suffered in our stead, which is the case
before us. And in this case, to accept for us what is suffered in our stead,
is to impute it to us ; for to accept it as suffered in our stead, is to judge
it to belong to us, and to deal with us answerably in respect to the
advantages thereof; and this is all that imputation imports.

Thus, when a friend pays a ransom for a captive, if it be accepted for
the captive, it is imputed to him ; for to accept it for him, is to account it
to belong to him, being paid in his stead, and to deal with him accordingly,
by discharging him.

Thus, when a propitiatory sacrifice was offered for the sinner, the
accepting of it for him was the imputing of it to him ; for, being accepted
in his stead, it was accounted to belong to him, and he had the advantage
of it for atonement, Lev. i. 4. He laid his hand upon the head of it, to
signify that it was to suffer in his stead, and it made atonement for him ;
so that, being accepted, it was accounted to belong to him, and he fared
according ; atonement was made by it ; where it is plain in those sacrifices
accepting and imputing are all one, and so they are expressed by Lev. vii.
18, where not to accept is explained by not to impute ; aud there is
sufficient warrant by accepting to understand imputing in other places
where it is applied to sacrifices, Ps. xx. 3, Isaiah Ivi. 7.
* Qu. ' it from ' ?— ED.

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 287

Hereby it is clear, that to accept Christ's sufferings for us, as suffered in
our stead, and to impute them unto us, is the very same thing ; so that
those who grant his sufferings are thus accepted for us, can in nowise deny
that they are imputed to us, unless they will be so absurd as both to grant
and deny one and the same thing ; so ridiculous as to grant it in one
expression, and deny it in the other, which doth express the very same
thing. There are no small advantages I may expect from thus stating the
question.

(8.) Hereby it appears that none can deny the imputation of Christ's
death and sufferings but those who deny his satisfaction (and so subvert
the foundation of the gospel) ; for since the imputation of his sufferings to
us, and accepting of them for us, are one and the same thing, if they be
not imputed to us, they are not accepted for us, as suffered in our stead.
If they be not accepted for us, as suffered in our stead, he did not suffer
in our stead ; and if he did not suffer in our stead, he did not make satis
faction, for by satisfaction nothing is to be meant but the suffering the
penalty of the law in our stead ; so that this draws deep, and tends directly
to undermine the foundation of Christianity. I would they who make bold
to deny the imputation of Christ's sufferings, would shew us, things thus
stated, how it is possible to secure his satisfaction. I am confident that
Socinus himself, if he had not denied the satisfaction of Christ, would
never have denied the imputation of it to us, as before explained ; for even
a Mahomedan hath so much respect for Christ, as not to deny but what
he undertook in our stead was accepted of God as accomplished in our
stead.

Let me say farther, that as the case is stated, we may force any who
grant the satisfaction of Christ, to acknowledge the imputation of it, even
those who oppose it so passionately, and are possessed with the greatest
prejudices against it, if they can but procure leave of their prejudice and
passion to use a little reason when they are masters of much ; if they do
but discern the true notion of the things in question, when it is clear and
obvious ; nay, if they but understand themselves and the matters they con
test about, while some of them are ready to charge the clearest, the greatest
lights of the protestant world with ignorance or inadvertency.

That Christ satisfied for us they grant ; no protestant, no papist, no
Christian, none but Socinians question it. Well, if he satisfied for us, he
suffered in our stead ; if he suffered in our stead, his sufferings were accepted
as suffered in our stead ; if they were accepted for us, they are imputed to
us, for we mean nothing else in the world by imputation but this acceptance.

This they grant, and cannot but grant, and must yield the very thing we
contend for, while they will have the world believe that they deny it, and
write bitter discourses against it, as though they were in such a transport
as not to understand what they do or say.

That I do not misrepresent them will be hereby evident ; ask dissenting
protestants, such who have forsaken the doctrine of the Church of Eng
land, and of all reformed churches in this point, whether the righteousness
of Christ be imputed to us ? No, by no means, will they say ; and some of
them have the discretion to smut it with black invectives, as a dangerous
doctrine, of I know not what pernicious consequence ; well, but ask them
again, Did Christ suffer in our stead ? Was what he suffered accepted as
suffered in our stead ? This they will readily grant, as being maintained by
the whole Christian world against the Socinians. The papists themselves
will not have the face to deny it, how much, how satirically soever they

288 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

write against the imputation of Christ's righteousness ; now where is the
reason and ingenuity of those men, papists and others, when they presume
so much upon the strength and the clearness of their reason ? They grant
the sufferings of Christ in our stead accepted for us, yet deny they are
imputed to us, when the accepting of them for, and imputing of them to
us, are the very same thing ; they both grant and deny one and the same
thing, only expressing it in differing terms ; and these terms differing only
in the sound, when in truth they are of one and the same import.

This is not to deal like men of reason ; it is no more reasonable than to
grant that this is a living creature, but to deny it to be an animal ; or to
grant they have received twenty English shillings, but to deny they have
received one pound sterling. The Socinians are more impious, and bid
more defiance to the gospel, in denying the imputation of Christ's satisfac
tion, because they deny he made any satisfaction ; but those are more
repugnant to reason, who grant that he made satisfaction, but deny that it
is imputed.

If they will use their reason, they must either fall into the detestable
error of Socinus, and deny both, or submit to the doctrine of the gospel,
and acknowledge both ; both must stand or fall together ; and both must
be denied, or both must be acknowledged.

(9.) Hereby it appears that there is abundant evidence in Scripture for
the imputation of Christ's suffering for us ; there is as much ground to
confirm and establish us in the belief of it, as there is for the most, the
greatest points of the Christian faith ; for truths that depend upon mere
revelation, have more ground in Scripture. Those testimonies which are
usually alleged and insisted on as direct proof thereof, are but a'very small
part of its confirmation ; they are but, as it were, some few drops, in com
parison of a full stream of Scripture, wherewith it is enforced : all those
multiplications of divine testimonies, which prove the satisfaction of Christ,
against the Socinian, are full evidences of the imputation thereof.

For the satisfaction of Christ being proved, none can or will deny the
Lord's acceptance of it ; and so the imputation of it being the same thing
with that acceptance, will be thereby out of question.

So that all those sorts of scripture, almost innumerable, which signified
that he suffered in our stead, are just proofs that his sufferings are imputed
to us ; all those texts which declare, he died for us ; was delivered for our
offences ; that the Lord laid our sins on him ; that he bare our iniquities ;
was wounded for our transgressions ; was made sin ; made a curse for us ;
that he gave himself, his life, a ransom for us ; that he redeemed ; bought
us with a price ; obtained redemption ; that he was a propitiation, made
atonement or reconciliation ; made his soul an offering ; gave himself a
sacrifice; offered himself without spot, &c. These, and all of the same
import, more than can be soon or easily reckoned up, do declare that he
suffered in our 'stead, and so are sufficient proofs that his sufferings are
imputed ; for it being proved that he suffered in our stead, that his suffer
ings are imputed, i. e., accepted for us, must and will be granted without
other proof.

For it cannot be denied that Christ's sufferings are imputed to us, if they
be accepted for us, because they are both one. It cannot be denied that
his sufferings are accepted as suffered in our stead, if they were suffered in
our stead. For none will have the face to question the acceptance of
Christ's sufferings as they were suffered.
t Therefore it being proved that Christ suffered in our stead, all is proved

PHILIP. III. 9.J BIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHBIST. 289

that can be denied ; that which evidences Christ to have suffered in our
room makes all evident which needs any proof in this question.

Now a great part of the Bible makes it evident that he suffered in our
stead, and no less than all this evidence there is for the imputation of his
sufferings, since it is carried by the same evidence beyond all reasonable
denial, and needs no other testimonies to clear it.

(10.) Hereby the vanity of what is objected against this imputation of
Christ's sufferings will be manifest ; to instance in two or three which are
counted considerable.

[1.] It is objected, that the Scripture doth nowhere express the imputa
tion of Christ's righteousness to us ; it is not said anywhere in Scripture,
that the death or sufferings of Christ are imputed to us.

Be it so, that these very words are not found in any place in Scripture,
yet the thing we mean thereby is found in hundreds of places, wherever we
find that Christ died or suffered for us. Wherever we find any expressions
signifying that he suffered in our stead, which any but the Socinian can
see in all parts of Scripture, there the acceptance, or which is all one, the
imputing of his sufferings, is held forth.

For his sufferings and the acceptance thereof do so clearly and neces
sarily involve one another, that one of them cannot be apprehended or
believed without the other ; we cannot believe that he suffered, without
believing that his sufferings were accepted, and so without believing that
they are imputed, since they are the same thing.

Let me only add this, it is dangerous reasoning from the want of some
words to the want of the thing ; such reasonings may overturn our faith,
and leaves us no gospel. If we must not believe the imputation of Christ's
sufferings, because those words are not in Scripture (I mean in any one
place together, for that they are not in several is not pretended), we must
not believe the satisfaction of Christ, nor the merits of Christ, no, nor the
incarnation of Christ, because those words are not in Scripture.

[2.] It is objected, that there is no evidence of this in the Evangelists,
that Christ nowhere delivered this doctrine concerning the imputation of
his righteousness or satisfaction, neither in his sermons nor private dis
courses with his disciples ; that since Christ is faithful in the discharge of
his prophetical office, this point would never have been omitted, if it had
been necessary to be believed.

Ans. The premises discover this to be a great mistake ; for Christ so
delivered this doctrine in his sermons and discourses, as to leave nothing
therein questionable. There is abundant evidence in the evangelists of all
that need any proof in this matter. For as it is stated, nothing can be
questioned, but whether Christ suffered in our stead. If this be not denied,
all that we assert is and must be granted. Now there is full evidence for
this from Christ's own words, in all the evangelists ; and so clear, that
none can avoid it, but those who, with the Socinians, shut their eyes. Let
me point at some few : Mat. xx. 28, ' Gave his life a ransom.' The same
words in the evangelist, Mark x. 48. And so Mat. xxvi. 28, ' This is my
blood,' &c. That also, Mark xiv. 24, and Luke xxii. 19, ' This is my
body,' &c. ; the 20th verse, ' blood shed for ' &c. So in the other evan
gelists, John i. 29, ' the Lamb of God ;' John xv. 13, ' laid down life for
friends;' John x. 11, 'life for sheep.'

Now if we will understand these phrases, either according to the common
usage of Scripture, or the common sense of mankind as to such expres
sions, the meaning of them must le, that Christ died and suffered in our

VOL. i. T

290 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

stead. And this being proved by Christ's own words, recorded by the
evangelists, all is sufficiently thereby proved that we intend. Nothing
more concerning the imputation of his sufferings need any proof, because
there is nothing of it that is or can be denied.

[3.] It is objected, that if Christ's sufferings be imputed to us, then we
must be reputed to have suffered what he suffered, and then we must be
accounted to have satisfied justice ourselves, and consequently to be our
own saviours and redeemers.

Am. From imputation in the sense fore-explained, it cannot with any
reason be inferred that we suffered personally, but only that Christ suffered
in our stead. And from thence it cannot be inferred that we ourselves
made satisfaction, but only that Christ in our stead satisfied divine justice.
And so in short the foundation of this fallacy being removed, the rest of
the consequences fall.

Thus much for the imputation of Christ's death and sufferings, com
monly called his passive righteousness ; the truth whereof I hope is ren
dered so plain and firm, that it cannot (as I said) be denied by any, but
such as will deny Christ to be a Saviour and Redeemer in the style and
sense of Scripture.

I proceed to the imputation of his active obedience, or, as it is called,
his active righteousness. This, I confess, seems not of so great import
ance as the former, nor the denial of it of so dangerous consequences ; for
there are some who are zealous assertors of Christ's satisfaction, and walk
with a right foot in other truths of the gospel, who take occasion to dissent
here, and to declare it publicly ; yet, because I apprehend it to be a truth
of some moment to the honour of Christ and comfort of believers, and this
discovered in the gospel, and in the text particularly, and asserted by {he
community of protestant divines, from whom I would not be tempted to
straggle, and wish others would not upon slender grounds, especially in
our present circumstances, wherein papists make so great an advantage of
stragglers, and make it the matter of no little triumph, when they see any
part of the common protestant doctrine deserted by its professors. There
fore I shall endeavour to make this also evident in the same method as I did
the former, and hope to do it so as to satisfy dissenters ; such, I mean, as
dissent for want of -evidence, or out of some sense that this truth is or may
be abused ; not those who oppose it out of ill design, or affectation of sin
gularity, for in such there may be something too hard for light otherwise
convincing.

First, Christ performed perfect obedience for us. He was born of a
woman, and made under the law, for the same purpose, and on the same
account, as the apostle signifies, Gal. iv. 4. He was born of a woman for
us, and not for himself, and so he was .made under the law, substituted*
to it for us, and not for himself.

The Socinians will not deny, but that his obedience was for us, that is,
for our good, only they will not have it meritorious for us. As they will
have no satisfaction in his sufferings, so no merit in his obedience.

But herein they are opposed by all sorts of Christians, both protestants
and papists. The papists, who arrogate a meritorious excellency to their
own obedience, how defective soever, cannot deny it to the perfect obedience
of Christ. As for protestants, to instance only in such whose concurrence
may be less expected, those who will not have Christ to have performed
obedience in our stead, yet maintain his obedience was meritorious for us,
* Qu. ' submitted ' or ' subjected ' ? — ED.

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 291

both his obedience to the moral law, and to the law of Moses, to the special
law of mediation. He perfectly fulfilled all that was required of him in
the covenant of redemption, and so deserved what is promised in that
covenant, the sum of which we have, Isa. liii. And he perfectly fulfilled
all that was required of man in the covenant of works (as to the substance
thereof, and the duties common to all), and so deserved for us what was
promised in that covenant, viz., to live.

Thus his obedience was meritorious, jure pacti, in respect of that cove
nant, whose conditions he exactly performed ; but this is not all, it is but
merit in a large sense, such as some divines will have Adam's obedience
capable of, if it continued perfect.

Christ's obedience performed for us was meritorious not only thus, but
also jure operis, in respect of the value of the performance, the divine
nature deriving an infinite value upon what the human nature performed
in our behalf ; so that on this account it deserved, and was truly worth
the life and blessedness procured by it for us ; they do acknowledge that it
is infinitely meritorious.

Yea, those of our divines who are most reserved in asserting what is due
to the active obedience of Christ, do grant that his obedience, in respect of
the condescension of it, was meritorious. Now there was active obedience
in condescending ; it was his Father's will that he should condescend, he
complied with his will, so that there was condescending in every act, a-nd
thus there was merit in every act of his obedience.

Indeed, I should be sorry to find any protestant divines denying the
merit of Christ's active obedience, for thereby his whole undertaking will
be divested of its meritorious excellency. If there be no merit in his obe
dience, there will be none in his sufferings ; for penal sufferings, as such,
do not merit, as is confessed on all hands, they are not meritorious but as
there is obedience in them. And therefore if his obedience be not meri
torious, there will be no merit in his sufferings, and consequently none in
his whole undertaking.

And his satisfaction will fall with his merit, for that only is satisfactory
which is meritorious ; so that, when there is no merit, there is no satis
faction.

This then we may take for granted, as being generally acknowledged,
that Christ fulfilled the law, performed perfect obedience on our behalf, so
that it was meritorious for us.

Secondly, Christ performed perfect obedience in our stead, not only for
us, for our good, but vice nostrum, in our place or stead.

This, as to what I intend, is of more consequence than the former, and
will clear the whole business before us, if we can but clear it. If we can
gain this one point, we shall go near to carry all that we desire ; and, if I
mistake not, it may be easily done. Indeed, there are divers who stick at
this, those who acknowledge that Christ's obedience was for us, and that
it was meritorious for us, will scarce grant that it was performed in our
stead ; but if they take notice what we mean thereby, they will not, they
cannot stick at it.

A duty is said to be done in another's stead, when that is performed for
for him which he was obliged to do himself.

As when one pays a debt for another which he himself was bound to
pay, it is truly said to be paid in his stead.

Or when one is obliged to do some work, but is some way or other dis
abled for it, another undertaking to do it for him, doth it in his stead. So

292 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

Christ fulfilling the law for us, which we were obliged to have done our
selves, he truly and properly did it in our stead.

This seems clear, past all denial ; no more is required that it be done in
our stead, but that what we were bound to do ourselves be done for us.
That it was done for us, all grant ; and that we ourselves were obliged to
do it, none can deny.

Nor can it be denied that he performed it for us but for that end for which
we should have performed it, that is, that we might have life; so that he
did for us what we should have done, not accidentally, but out of design ;
for it is acknowledged that his end and design in performing perfect obe
dience was to merit life for us, that is, purchase for us a title to heaven.

All that I find objected against Christ's obeying in our stead is only
this : if he performed obedience in our stead, we shall be thereby exempted
from obedience ourselves, as his sufferings in our stead did free us from
sufferings.

But this which is alleged to enforce the objection serves to dissolve it.
By Christ's suffering in our stead we are freed from suffering anything for
that end for which he suffered, that is, for satisfying of divine justice ; so
by Christ's obeying in our stead we are freed from obedience, for that end
for which he performed obedience in our place, that is, that we might have
title to life. For these ends for which he suffered and obeyed, it is not
required of us either to obey or to suffer, for he alone satisfied justice by
the one, and he alone purchased title to life by the other.

For other ends we suffer afflictions and death, not to satisfy divine jus
tice ; and so for other ends we are as much obliged to obedience as if he
had not obeyed for us, but not to purchase a title to life, not for that end.

In short, I cannot see how those who will have Christ's active obedience
to be satisfactory or meritorious for us, can reasonably deny that it was
performed in our stead, since they must grant all that is requisite thereto ;
for no more is necessary that it be done in our stead, but that what we are
obliged to do be done for us. That it was done for us they assert ; that we
ourselves were obliged to do it, they cannot deny.

Thirdly, What Christ performed in observance of the law, is accepted in
all points as he did it. What he performed was accepted; what he per
formed on our behalf is accepted in our behalf; what he performed in our
stead is accepted as done in our stead.

This is clear and unquestionable, no Christian will deny anything of it.
Those that make Christ to be what he is, that believe he is the beloved
Son of God, in whom he is well pleased, which was declared by a voice
from heaven, Mat. iii. 7, that the Father is transcendently pleased, fully
satisfied both with Christ's undertaking and the accomplishment of it ;
that believe the divine dignity and excellency of his person, and the infinite
virtue of his performance ; that it was the Father's will and pleasure that
Christ should do this, and do it exactly in all points as he did, Heb. x. 7;
that the will and design of Christ in this was one and the very same with
the will and design of the Father, John v. 30 and iv. 84 ; that it was a
covenant and agreement between them that this should be thus done, and
thus done should be accepted ; that it was the pleasure of the Lord which
was in Christ's hands, and that he had promised it should prosper and
succeed, and be effectually accepted, Isa. liii. 10, 11 ; — those that believe
these severals, or any of them, cannot in the least doubt but his obedience
was accepted for those persons, and in that capacity in which it was per
formed ; will not question but if it was performed on our behalf, and in our

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 293

stead, it is so accepted. A Socinian, I had almost said a Mahomedan, -will
not deny the acceptance of what Christ performed, so far as the}' admit his
performance. There needs no more proof in the case, if so much as is
premised be needful of a thing past denial.

Thus far we have gone upon clear and undeniable grounds ; there
remains but one thing more, and that must pass as clear as the rest with
all men of reason, and be as far from being denied, and that is the
conclusion.

Fourthly, Hence it follows, that the active obedience of Christ is imputed
to us. This cannot be gainsaid, the former being granted. If Christ per
formed such obedience on our behalf, and that be accepted for us, then it
must be imputed to us ; for to be imputed to us is nothing else but to be
accepted for us, as performed on our behalf and in our stead. Those who
cannot deny that he performed this obedience in our stead, and that it was
accepted for us, must grant that it was imputed to us, unless they will
be so unreasonable as when they admit the premises to deny the con
clusion.

I mean nothing by imputation but what is included in that acceptance
which themselves grant. When a surety's payment is accepted on behalf
of the debtor, it is imputed to him. If Paul had paid what was owing to
Philemon, or satisfied for the injuries done him by his servant Onesimus,
Philemon's acceptance of that payment or satisfaction on behalf of
Onesimus would have been the imputation of it to him ; for imputation
here is nothing else but the accepting of what another doth for us, instead
of that we should have done ourselves. I shewed this before by instances
in such things whereby the satisfaction of Christ is held forth in Scripture,
and gave you a plain text, where imputing and accepting are terms of the
same import.

Nor need I give any further account than I have done why I express
imputation by acceptance, a term not so usual on this subject, only this,

Imputation in general is an accounting of that which is not personally
ours to belong to us as if it were ours, or the setting it on our account ;
and thus either that which is evil, or that which is good, may be accounted
to belong to us. When that which is evil, and* done by us, is set on our
account, the imputing of it is expressed by charging it on us ; so our sins
are said to be charged on Christ, imputed to him: Isa. liii., 'The Lord
laid on him,' &c ; laid them to his charge, imputed them to him. And
this was the ground why our sins were set on his account, laid to his
charge ; it was because he became our surety, and undertook to suffer in
our stead the punishment due to sinners; the Lord accepting of this sub
stitution, is said to be made sin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21, to impute our sins to
him. He accounted our sin to belong to him, though he was not guilty of
any sin personally.

As in the other case, when that which is good, and performed by another,
is accounted to belong to us, the imputing of it is expressed by accepting
of it for us ; and so his obedience is accepted for us, that is, imputed to
us. And the ground why it is set on our account is, because he performed
it in our stead and on our behalf.

Now, they who cannot deny but Christ's obedience was accepted for us,
must grant the thing we mean by imputation; and who can give any
rational account why they should decline the word ? Those who see the
definition belongs to it, why should they deny it the name ? Why should

* Qu. 'not'?— ED.

294 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

not he who is a rational creature be called and pass in their account for a
man ? And further, those who cannot but allow the grounds of this im
putation, viz., Christ's performing in our stead, I cannot see how they can
reject that which clearly and necessarily results from it. For anything I
can perceive, this doctrine, as stated here, cannot be opposed without
offering some violence to one's reason. If I much mistake not, neither
protestants nor papists can deny the principle upon which I proceed ; and
so there is hopes, that if the principles were sedately and impartially con
sidered, there might be no longer a controversy among Christians.

Fifthly, Let me clear what I have insisted on from an exception which
it seems liable to ; and there is but one that I can discern, after I have
looked carefully every way to discover what weakness there may be in it, or
what inconvenience may follow from it ; and it is this, If imputing of Christ's
righteousness to us be the same thing with accepting it for us, then it must
be imputed as soon as it is accepted, and it was accepted as soon as it was
performed. It will hence follow, that we are justified at the death of
Christ, and so we shall be justified before we believe, yea, before we have
a being ; whereas the Scripture speaks of no justification but only of
believers, and will have none to be justified but by faith, in no wise with
out or before faith.

This is the charge which the principle I insist on is subject to in appear
ance ; but it is only in appearance, and may soon and easily be discharged.

It is true and evident in Scripture, that none are actually justified before
or without faith ; and whatsoever is inconsistent with this doctrine of the
gospel cannot be maintained. But that principle which I insist on doth
not at all clash with this evident truth ; and this will be apparent, if you
take notice, that the acceptance of Christ's obedience, active or passive,
may be considered in two different notions. It is accepted as from him,
and it is accepted as for us ; it was accepted as from Christ, as soon as it
was performed, but it was not accepted for us till we believe.

It was accepted absolutely as performed by Christ as soon as it was
finished, as being the full performance of all that any law, or covenant, or
justice did require of him, and being fully worth all that he designed to
obtain hereby ; but it is not accepted with relation to particular persons,
for application to them, and to instate them actually in the privileges and
advantages of it, till the terms agreed on in the covenant of redemption be
fulfilled ; that is, till they believe. I will endeavour to make it clear by
this comparison : as if one undertakes to pay the debt of another, upon terms
required of him who contracted the debt, when the surety pays the full
sum that is owing, it is accepted as to him, but it is not accepted as to
the debtor ; he hath not an acquittance, a discharge, till he performs the
terms agreed on ; so here Christ undertakes to pay what we owe to the
law, but it is required that we believe on him ; that is the terms agreed on.

As soon as Christ had performed all that was due, it was accepted as to
him, no more was required on his part; but it is not accepted as to us, so
as we should be actually acquitted, and receive the benefit of it, till we
believe, and so comply with the terms agreed on.

Now it is acceptance as to us that I call imputation, and then Christ's
righteousness is not imputed but to those that believe ; and so there can
be no occasion to infer from hence, that any are or can be justified before
or without faith.

Sixthly, Hereby it appears evidently that the righteousness of Christ is
imputed to us, and not only the effects of it. There are many that say,

PfllLIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHBIST. 295

the righteousness of Christ itself is not imputed to us, but only as to the
effects of it.

The Arminians acknowledge that the righteousness of Christ may be said
to be imputed to us, because he thereby merited that our faith or obedience
should be accepted for our justification, as if it were, though it be not, a
perfect righteousness.

The papists grant that Christ's righteousness may be said to be imputed
to us, because thereby he purchased, as other benefits, so inherent holiness,
which with them is our justifying righteousness.

The Jesuits, Vasquez, Bellarmine, and others, expressly own the impu
tation of Christ's merits or righteousness in this sense.

So others among us grant that Christ's righteousness may be said to be
imputed to us in this sense, and no other ; but because he thereby pur
chased pardon of sin, and title to life, in which, they say, consists that
righteousness which justifies us, they will have us justified not by a
righteousness which Christ performed for us, but by a righteousness which
by his performance he purchased for us.

Not by his own righteousness, but by that which is the effect of his own.

All these admit not of any imputation of Christ's righteousness in itself,
but only in its effects and benefits.

But it is plain, by what is premised, that the obedience of Christ itself
is imputed ; for to be imputed to us is nothing else but to be accepted for
us, as performed in our stead. But the obedience of Christ was per
formed in our stead, and is accepted for us, therefore his obedience itself
is imputed to us.

Indeed, either the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us or nothing ;
for the effects of it, viz., pardon of sin, and title to life, &c., are not
imputed to us, because it cannot be said with any tolerable sense, that
right to life, or pardon of sin, were performed in our stead, or accepted for
us as so performed.

Besides, that which is imputed to us is not personally or subjectively
ours ; but the effects of Christ's righteousness, our faith, our inherent holi
ness, pardon of sin, title to life, are ours subjectively and personally ; we
are the subjects of them, as we are not of that which is only imputed to
us-; and .to say these effects of it are only imputed to us, is to deny all
imputation of it.

But I have hopes that the premises being impartially and duly con
sidered, as they should be by the lovers of truth, none that are unquestion
ably Christians (for whether the Socinians be so is a question), will scruple
to grant that Christ's obedience is itself imputed, since it cannot be denied
but that it was performed in our stead, and accepted for us, as it was per
formed in the sense explained ; and no more but this is intended when we
say Christ's righteousness is itself imputed to us.

Seventhly, It remains that I should answer some objections that are made
against the imputation of Christ's obedience. I shall take notice of two or
three that are counted most considerable.

Obj. 1. If Christ fulfilled the law for us as our surety, and so we be
judged to have kept the law perfectly by him, then we must be accounted
never to have sinned, and so Christ's death will be needless, and many other
consequences must follow.

Ans. The main consequent here, upon which all the rest are founded,
is the same. If we be judged to have perfectly kept the law by Christ as
our surety, then we must be reputed not to have sinned. The inference

296 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

is to be denied, because plainly the Lord may account us to have kept
the law by our surety, he fulfilling it in our stead, and yet judge that
we have transgressed it as to ourselves. He may judge that we are
righteous on Christ's account, and yet that we are transgressors on our
own accounts.

As on the contrary, he made him sin for us, that is, imputed our sin to
Christ, when he himself never transgressed the law.

Their inference would hold, viz., that we had never sinned if the law
had been fulfilled by us personally ; but it holds not at all, since it is
only fulfilled for us by another. All that can be inferred is only this,
not that we have not sinned as to ourselves, but that we sinned not in
our surety.

They may as reasonably conclude, that because the bankrupt hath dis
charged the bonds, and paid all by his surety, therefore he must be reputed
not to have been in debt, as that we must be esteemed never to have broke
the law ourselves, because Christ discharged what the law required of us
in our stead.

Obj. 2. Christ's death and suffering freed us from all punishment, both
pain and loss, and so from the loss of heaven, and consequently procured
for us a title to heaven ; and therefore there is no need of his active obe
dience, that we may have a title, and so no need of the performance or
imputation of it for this end.

Ans. Those who argue thus, do hold that his active obedience was meri
torious, did deserve heaven for us, and so procured a title to it, will not
have any to conclude from hence, that his death and sufferings were need
less for that purpose ; what they will answer to it, will answer your own argu
ment. If they say that both his obedience and sufferings procured our
title to heaven, we may say so too, both are needful ; and so the objection
falls, and whatever account be made of it appears to be frivolous.

Indeed, we should not separate, what the Lord hath not disjoined ; the
obedience and sufferings of Christ are not disjoined in themselves, in their
virtue, or in their effects.

Not in themselves: he suffered in all his obedience, and obeyed in. all his
sufferings, Phil. ii. 8. There was obedience in all his sufferings, because
he suffered in compliance with his Father's will, and there were sufferings
in all his obedience, because his acts of obedience were acts of humiliation
and abasement, all performed by the Son of God in the form of a
servant.

Nor in their virtue: his obedience was both meritorious and satisfactory,
and his sufferings were both satisfactory and meritorious. His obedience
was not only meritorious, but also satisfactory ; if not as obedience, yet as
it was penal.

And his sufferings were not only satisfactory, but also meritorious ; if
not as they were great, yet as they were obediential.

Nor in their effects: his sufferings could not have satisfied justice without
his perfect obedience.

Because sufferings simply considered without obedience find no accept
ance with God, his perfect obedience could not have procured for us a title
to life ; for we have no title to life by obedience, unless freed from con
demnation by his sufferings.

Obj. 8. If Christ fulfilled and obeyed the law in our stead, so that his
obedience be imputed to us, then we are not ourselves to obey or keep the
law; the necessity of personal holiness is hereby taken away; it will be no

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 297

more needful for us than it is to suffer personally what Christ suffered in
our stead.

Ans. I said enough before to satisfy this ; we are neither bound to obey
and fulfil the law on that account for which Christ fulfilled it in our stead,
as we are not liable to suffer on that account for which Christ suffered in
our stead, &c.

But because this consequence is importunately forced on us, however we
disclaim it, I know not why, unless some be resolved to render this truth
odious, right or wrong, let me add,

That we are for a necessity of obedience and personal holiness indis
pensably in the highest degree, and for all its acts of necessity which they
pretend to, who charge us with making it unnecessary ; nor is there any
thing in this doctrine to hinder us from holding it to be so necessary as
to our judgment, or from shewing it in our daily practice.

There are but two sorts of necessity which can be ascribed to things of
this nature ; and we maintain both, and that in a full and fair consistence
with this truth. There is a necessitas precepti, the necessity of it as a duty
indispensably required ; and necessitas medii, the necessity of it as the means
or way to salvation, without which it cannot be attained.

1. It is necessary as a duty; obedience, holiness of heart and life, is
required by the law of God ; the law of nature requires it of all, no less of
those for whom Christ's obedience was performed, and is actually accepted,
than of others.

It is enjoined by a law, whose obligation arises from our very nature and
being, and is founded in the relation between God and man, as he is
governor of intelligent creatures, and they subject to him, so long as they
are such creatures, and he their ruler and superior ; that is, so long as
they are men, and he is God, they cannot but owe him absolute obedience
in all things. Nothing can free us from this obligation, unless God and
man cease to be what they are in themselves, and what they are as thus
related to one another. To deny perfect obedience to be due from man is
to deny him to be man, and to deny it to be due to God is to deny him to
be God.

As it is impossible that we should be freed from this obligation, so it
cannot be imagined that Christ should either dissolve or weaken it.

He came not to dissolve the law, but to fulfil it ; his undertaking and
performance was so far from taking off the obligation to obedience, that it
strengthens, and adds more powerful enforcements to it, even all the con
straints of his great love, that wonderful love which he expressed in dying
and suffering so much for us. They are more justly charged with this
who would charge it upon others ; those of them I mean who will have the
law requiring perfect obedience to be abrogated, and the obligation of it
dissolved.

2. It is necessary as a means : holiness of heart and life is necessary
as the way that leads to life, as the way wherein we must walk if we would
arrive at it, Eph. ii. 10. Acts of holiness are the end why we receive new
life, and are made new creatures ; and this is the way wherein all must walk
that will be saved by grace. There is no attaining of happiness, or arriving
at the enjoyment or sight of God without holiness, Heb. xii. 14 ; no hap
piness without seeing the Lord ; no seeing the Lord without holiness, with
out following it. We make holiness with the Scripture necessary as the
way to life ; ay, but you make it, they say, not necessary to procure a title
to life ; that is true ; the Scripture doth it not, and we dare not do it. To

298 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

make it not needful for that end is only to make it not necessary to sup
plant Christ and invade his prerogative. It is he, and he alone, that
procures for us a title to life ; this is all the necessity we deny, viz., the
necessity of it to dethrone Christ and pluck the crown from his head, to
usurp his purchase, honour, and office.

We leave them to do this who will shew themselves traitors to Christ,
pretending a necessity of obedience and subjection to him.

Eighthly, Others rely upon an actual righteousness, some acts of right
eousness, some good works, some deeds of charity. This is the foundation
upon which many build their hopes of pardon and salvation in the dark
darkness of popery ; and notwithstanding the light of the gospel, many yet
discover not the sandiness of it ; though the Lord in the gospel doth con
found this Babel and the builders of it, yet how many think to secure
themselves thereby in opposition to what the apostle professes, Titus
iii. 4-6.

Ninthly, Others rely upon an internal righteousness, such as they fancy
in their good meanings, intention, inclination ; though their conscience
tells them they do little or nothing for God, yet since they have the confi
dence to think they mean well, have a good mind to do something, are of a
willing mind, though they want the deed, and when they sin, find some
kind of remorse and inward sorrow for it, for this they conclude God
will pardon and save them.

All these several rooms, and many more, hath Satan contrived in men's
own righteousness, and persuades sinners that they may be secure therein,
and rely safely thereon.

Whereas, indeed, whatever refuge men fancy in their own righteous
ness, it will prove a refuge of lies, it will deceive and betray those that fly
thereto.

1 . They are but imaginary sanctuaries, they are none of God's appoint
ing ; there is nothing in them to hinder revenging justice from proceeding
against the sinner in a way of wrath and vengeance.

These are altars of your own erecting, though you fly to the horns
thereof; nothing hinders, but the wrath of God may seize you there and
proceed to execution, these can afford you no more security than the
horns of that altar did to Joab, 1 Kings ii. 28. If you stay here, the Lord
will say to justice, as Solomon did to Benaiah, ' Fall upon him, and slay
him there.'

The apostle, though he had more reason to think himself safe in his own
righteousness than others can have, yet he durst not be found there ; the
' not having,' &c. He flies to another refuge, runs to Christ, desires to be
found in him ; ay, there is none but Christ, none but Christ, no other
refuge, no other sanctuary, no other altar that can secure a sinner from
the wrath and justice of God, but Christ and his righteousness ; though
the hills and mountains should fall upon you and cover you, yet could they
not hide you from the wrath of him.

How high soever your righteousness be in your own opinion, the flood
of God's indignation will overwhelm it, and your souls with it, if you get
not into this ark.

To neglect Christ and his righteousness, and to rely upon your own, is
to forsake the fountain of living waters, that fountain which is open for sin
and uncleanness, that which can only cleanse you from the guilt and pollu
tion of sin, and to dig broken cisterns, such is your own righteousness ;
take it in what notion you will, it will hold no water, there is no virtue

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 299

in it to cleanse you from the least evil ; your souls will perish if you stay
here, rely on it.

If you will not trust in the righteousness of Christ only, and stay your
selves upon him, but rely on your own righteousness, as the prophet saith :
Isa. 1. 11, ' You kindle a fire, and compass yourselves about with sparks :
you walk in the light of your own fire, and in the sparks that ye have
kindled.' But what will be the issue ? ' This shall,' &c. To lie down in
darkness, for all your own sparks, in that darkness where there is eternal
sorrow, where there is weeping, and, &c.

2. This is to oppose the glorious design of God in the gospel. His
design there is to advance the riches of his grace and mercy ; and how doth
he advance it, but by pardoning and saving those who find nothing in
themselves why they should be pardoned anR saved. If I should write all
those places which declares this to be the Lord's intention, I should quote
a great part of the New Testament; let two places suffice, Titus iii. 5,
Eph. ii. 8, 9.

Now this being God's design, and he thus promoting it, those that rely
upon their own righteousness, upon anything in themselves, for pardon and
salvation, they cross the design of God, the most glorious design that ever
he promoted in the world, they are herein found fighters against God, and
fighters against their own souls too ; for hereby you put yourselves out of
that way wherein the Lord will only save and justify sinners.

3. This frustrates the death of Christ, it speaks the sufferings and blood
shed of Christ to be in vain. So the apostle, Gal. ii. 21. If a man by a
personal observance of the law may have a righteousness, by which or for
which he may be justified and saved, then Christ's death was to no pur
pose, he might have saved his pains and labour, the expense of his blood
was needless. For why ? Christ lived and died, obeyed even unto the
death, that guilty sinners might have a righteousness for which the Lord
might pardon and save them.

But if sinners could attain such a righteousness by their personal obedi
ence, as would entitle them to pardon and life, then Christ's undertaking is
to no purpose. He obeyed and suffered to effect that which might as well
have been effected without him. And therefore, in vain did he assume our
nature, in vain took on him the form of a servant, in vain was he made
under the law, in vain did he suffer the wrath of God, in vain did he shed
his blood ; it was to as little purpose as water spilt upon the ground.

Why, man might by his personal obedience obtain that righteousness
which was the end or issue of Christ's undertaking, and wherefore then
was all this waste ?

This is the language of your self-confidence. Dependence on your own
righteousness, it makes Christ's undertaking to be in vain, and to no
purpose.

Thus you' see how trusting to your own, &c., is highly dishonourable to
God, exceeding injurious to Christ, and evidently destructive to your souls.
And what more powerful motive to dissuade you from it ? •

But because this is a secret evil, is not easily discerned, hath such sly
streams, such retired conveyances, as those that are guilty of it do many
times think themselves innocent, let us in some few particulars shew
wherein by an observing eye it may be discovered ; and shew such streams
of it as those may in part be guilty of, who for the main make Christ their
chief confidence.

They bewray some confidence in their own righteousness.

800 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

(1.) Who look not up to Christ for strength to do the work of righteous
ness ; who go about the duties they are called to, as though they were sufficient
of themselves to do them, and think they can pray, hear, meditate, restrain
sin, do acts of justice and charity, in a spiritual manner, without a special
assistance from Christ to perform them, without hearty actual applica
tion of themselves to Christ for that assistance ; whose hearts mutter some
such things as those proud confidents speak out, of whom the Lord com
plains, Jer. ii. 31 ; who depend not on Christ as him who only works all
their works, who only can enable them to work them ; as on him without
whom they can do nothing ; who in the sense of their own weakness to
that which is spiritual, cannot speak from their hearts what the apostle
professes, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Where there is not this continual dependence on
Christ, there is some self-dependence, some relying on righteousness, a
sufficiency in yourselves.

(2.) Who are not sensible of the worthlessness of their own righteousness ;
who look not upon their best acts, inward or outward, as a rnenstruous
cloth.

Who are apt to think there is something in their services, especially if
plausibly and affectionately done, that may commend them to God, without
any other mediator. If they pray with enlargement, or relieve those that
are in need cheerfully, hear the word so as to be affected with it, &c., and
think they shall be accepted for the work so done, which makes the work
done, or the manner of doing it, the ground why they hope for acceptance,
the heart least minds Christ in duties (as they think) well performed. Here
is a visible appearance of confidence in your own righteousness.

When apt to think the spiritualness or affectionateness of any perform
ance could make amends for the other defects of it, as though upon this
account the Lord would not take notice of other sinful infirmities in them.
Those that observe their hearts, &c.

The church was of another mind, Isa. Ixiv. 6. And the apostle, 1 Cor.
iv. 4, Ps. cxliii. 2.

(3.) Those that think they oblige God by an act or work of righteous
ness ; imagine anything they do can make anything due to them from the
hand of God ; ex. gr., think because they have prayed so fervently, so
affectionately, therefore God is bound to hear them ; because they have
acted in this or that business so sincerely, so conscientiously, therefore God
is bound to reward them. This argues too much presumption upon, too
much confidence in, their own righteousness.

It is true, the Lord rewards the sincere obedience of his people, but his
rewards are of grace, not of debt, freely bestowed, not due to them upon the
account of what they do, Eom. iv. 4.

It is true also, he hath promised, but this makes him not a debtor to us,
but to his own faithfulness. (Of this more in the next.) Gratis promisit,
gratis reddit* Promissio divina in sacra Scripturis non sonat in aliquem
obligationem, sed insinuat meram dispositionem liberalitatis divincB.\ Luke
xvii. 10, wa have done no more than we owe, and what can be duo to us
for paying our debts ? Dens sine dubio pr&stabit quod promisit propter
veritatem, non propter obligationem ; quod, si non fvastet, mendax est, non
injurius.

(4.) Those that pacify their consciences with what they do in a way of
righteousness, without looking for further ground of peace and pardon. To
clear it by an instance, the man is afflicted in conscience for sin, he goes
* Ferus. t Durand.

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 301

and mourns for it, and prays for pardon ; if he hereupon speaks peace to
himself, as though for thus doing he shall be pardoned, he relies on his
own righteousness. It is not for anything we can do, but for what Christ
hath done and suffered, that sin is forgiven.

It is true, the sincere acts of faith and repentance, they are signs of
pardon, but they are not the ground or causes for which the Lord grants
pardon ; even faith and repentance itself, in respect of their sinful imper
fections, stand in need of pardoning mercy.

Thus you see the several appearances of self-confidence. Take notice
of them, bewail them, get further out of yourselves, and your own righteous
ness, with the apostle, that you may be found in Christ, ' not having, &c.'

' But that which is through the faith,' &c. The way how the apostle
desired to be found in Christ is expressed :

First, Negatively : ' Not having,' &c., of which formerly.

Secondly, Positively : ' That which is through the faith,' &c. Explained
in the following words: ' The righteousness which is of God by faith;' and
this is it we shall now speak of. But before we proceed to fix upon the
observation which these words afford, it will be necessary to inquire, what
righteousness this is which the apostle desired to have ? Why it is set
forth in such terms in this verse ?

For the first, Whose righteousness is it ?

He knew he must have some righteousness, else the Lord would never
justify or save him, Exod. xxxiv. 7, Prov. xvii. 15.

K ? He had renounced his own righteousness as insufficient for this end ; he
terms it ' flesh,' ver. 3, a word that ordinarily sounds ill in Scripture
language ; at the best he could with no more security rely upon it for
pardon and life, than the ' arm of flesh,' which the Scripture terms ' a
broken reed,' rather pierces than supports, rather hurts than helps a guilty
soul, if relied on for this end. He counts it ' loss,' ver. 7. He made
account that confidence in this would be the loss of his soul, of his salva
tion ; he should come short of pardon and life if he trusted on his own
righteousness ; for he counts it ' dung,' ver. 8, of no more value for pro
curing of pardon, acceptance, salvation, than dung is for procuring, pur
chasing of what we count most valuable. Thus, and in such significant,
such vilifying expressions doth he renounce his own righteousness.

What righteousness then would the apostle have ?

Why, the righteousness of Christ ; there is no other imaginable ; so the
words, ' That righteousness which is through the faith of Christ,' bear the
same sense as if they ran thus : ' That righteousness of Christ which is
through faith.' Many other scriptures confirm this : Jer. xxiii. 6, ' The
Lord, whose righteousness is ours ;' 1 Cor. i. 30, how is he made unto us
righteousness, but because his righteousness is made over to us, is made
ours ? Rom. v. 18, ' the free gift of righteousness,' &c., ver. 19.

Now the righteousness of Christ is sometimes by the apostle called
' the righteousness of faith,' Bom. ix. 30, chap. x. 6, chap. iv. 13 ; and
sometimes ' the righteousness of God,' Bom. x . 3, chap. i. 17, chap,
iii. 21, 22. And because both these expressions are used in this verse, we
must give some account of them, that they may be rightly understood
before we go further.

The righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of faith,

First, Not because faith is this righteousness, but because it is made ours
by faith. The reason is not because faith is this righteousness, as some
novelists fancy ; we need go no further than the words to prove this. It was

302 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

the righteousness of another, not his own, that the apostle desired to have,
but his faith was his own, inherent in him, acted by him, Hab. ii. ;
fide sua.

Again, That righteousness which is through faith is not faith itself, but
this righteousness is through faith.

Secondly, But because through faith applying, apprehending, receiving
it, it is accepted for, imputed to believers, and so becomes theirs.

It is called the righteousness of God, not because it is that righteous
ness which is in God, but because it is the righteousness which is from
God. When it is said God's righteousness, you must not understand by
it that righteousness which is essentially in God, for that is not communi
cable, we cannot have it, it can no way be made ours : neither by inherence,
for this being God's essence, hereby the creature would become God ;
nor by imputation, for this cannot be performed for us ; and what is
imputed must be performed.

But it is called the righteousness of God, because it is of his appointing
and bestowing. It is his appointment, it is his gift, he appointed Christ
to perform it for us, he accepts of his performance in our stead, and so
imputes it to those that believe. Thus it is his gift of righteousness.

Luther, the great vindicator of Christ's righteousness, and free justifica
tion by it, from Romish corruptions, before his conversion did very much
stumble at this expression, 'the righteousness of God.' The phrase which
is the spring-head of all gospel comforts, when rightly understood, did
terrify and affright the soul, while the scales of popish blindness were
upon his eyes. Such mistakes may befall others, and that may be a suffi
cient apology for a larger exposition, but let this suffice.

This righteousness was appointed, is imputed, bestowed by God, and
therefore called ' the righteousness of God.'

It is received, applied, made ours by faith, and therefore called ' the
righteousness of faith.'

It is inherent in Christ, and was performed by him, and therefore called
' the righteousness of Christ.'

And now a clear way is made to the observation which I intend to insist
on, which I shall deliver, and in it the mind of the apostle, and the sweetest
mystery of the gospel, in these words :

Obs, Those that know Christ will desire above all things to have the
righteousness of Christ; they will count all things loss that they may gain
Christ's righteousness; those that will be found in Christ must have his
righteousness.

Hence three points must be opened :

1. What is this righteousness of Christ ?

2. How we may have it, how it becomes ours ?

3. What is the use, what are the advantages of it, what makes it so de
sirable? and then come to the application.

This doctrine of Christ's righteousness made ours being the principal
doctrine of the gospel, and that which Luther called articulus stantis et
cadentis ecclesia, the article which being maintained, the church of Christ
stands ; being overthrown, the church falls, Satan, the great enemy of the
church and gospel, hath set himself by all means to oppose it ; he hath
raised assaults against it on all sides, some denying it, some obscuring it,
some perverting it, some through woeful ignorance and carelessness neglect
ing it. It is assaulted both on the right hand and on the left, both by
seeming friends and open enemies of the gospel.

PHILIP. III. 9.j RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 303

Therefore it highly concerns all that profess the gospel, all that will
walk with a right foot in this principal and most comfortable part thereof,
to be fully established in this present truth. And to this end I shall be
longer in opening the particulars premised than usual, and yet shall endea
vour to make the doctrinal part as practical and useful as may be.

1. First question, What is the righteousness of Christ which we must
have?

Ans. 1. It is not his righteousness as God, not his essential righteousness ;
for that cannot be made man's, but man thereby will be made God.

Ans. 2. It is not his habitual righteousness ; that is, those habits of
holiness and righteousness wherewith the soul, the human nature of
Christ, was endued by the Holy Ghost, by whose secret operation he was
conceived.

The reason which sways me (though some be otherwise minded) is this,
that righteousness of Christ which is made ours must be performed by
Christ for us. Eut the habitual righteousness of Christ was not his per
formance for us, but the Holy Ghost's performance in him.

Ans. 3. But it is Christ's actual righteousness ; that is, his actual
fulfilling the law of God, his perfect obedience thereby.

For righteousness is a conformity to the rule prescribed ; this rule is
the law of God. This law hath two parts, the precept prescribing duty,
the penalty or threatening in case of disobedience.

Now Christ was conformable to the law in both respects, both in doing
what was commanded, which is called active righteousness, and his suffer
ing what was threatened for our disobedience, which is called passive
righteousness, though less properly.

Hence the effects of a perfect righteousness are sometimes ascribed to
his active obedience, Rom. v. 19.

Sometimes to his blood and sufferings ; ' By whom redemption,' &c.,
and Rom. iii. 25. Hence he is said to be ' the end of the law,' Rom.
x. 3.

So, then, the righteousness of Christ is his fulfilling the law, by doing
and suffering what it required for us. Thus the righteousness which w.e
should have, &c.

2. Second question, How come we to have this righteousness ? How
can that which is Christ's become ours ? In what respects may it be so
said, &c. ? It concerns believers to be inquisitive about this, because
herein depends their title to the richest treasure that ever the Lord vouch
safed to the sons of men.

Ans. 1. In respect of substitution, Christ performed this righteousness
in their stead ; he performed for believers what they should have performed
themselves, and this is properly to do a thing as a substitute, in the stead
of another. Christ hath done and suffered for them what they themselves
should have done and suffered. He did succedere in eorum locum, — he did
it in their place.

When Christ is said to die for, to give himself for, &c., his people, the
words tweg and avri rendered for them, the other doth always denote such
a substitution, or a doing in their place ; qui utriusque partis vicem apud
alterum agit. Hence those titles given to Christ in Scripture, which speak
him a common person, a mediator, one who supplies the place of either
part to other. Christ supplies the place of man to God, and the place of
God to man, that he might reconcile one to the other.
Now what he doth in the place of sustaining the persons of believers,

304 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

that passes as though they had done it, as though it was their own per
formance.

Now when the surety pays a debt instead of the debtor, it stands in law
as though it was the debtor's payment. So here, Christ fulfilling the law
instead of believers, stands as though they had fulfilled, as though the
performance was theirs. Hence that expression Rom. viii. 4 : that ful
filling it in our stead, the righteousness of the law is hereby fulfilled in
them.

Am. 2. In respect of acceptation, when what Christ performed for
believers is accepted of God as performed for them. If it were not accepted
for them, the performance of it in their stead would not be sufficient to
make it effectually theirs, but God's acceptation concurring, the righteous
ness of Christ becomes as much a believer's as that which is done by
another can be. Acceptation is that which the Scripture, and our divines,
according to Scripture phrase, calls imputation.

There is indeed, through the heat of contention, a great dust raised
about this word, so as an ordinary Christian can scarce clearly see what it
is, though it be of great consequence to apprehend it clearly.

I shall give you an account of it in these few and plain words, obvious
to the meanest capacity.

Then doth God impute the righteousness of Christ to a believer, when
he accepts of what Christ performed for him, as though he had performed
it (not as having performed, but as though he had), as we say ; then the
creditor imputes the payment of a debt to the debtor, when he accepts of
what the surety paid for him, as though the debtor himself paid it.

Answerably Christ is called the Surety, Heb. vii. 22. Our sins are
called debts, sinners are the debtors, the law is the creditor : then doth
the Lord impute the righteousness or satisfaction of Christ to a sinner,
when he accepts of what Christ performed for the sinner in a way of satis
faction, as though the sinner himself had performed it.

And by the light of this familiar simile a mean capacity may see a clear
answer to the greatest objections brought against Christ's righteousness
irnputed. To instance,

(1.) If Christ's righteousness be ours, imputed to us, then we are
saviours, we are mediators, as having a Saviour's, a Mediator's righteous
ness ; and so Bellarmine.

But hence it appears he may as well argue the debtor is the surety,
because his surety's payment is accepted for him.

(2.) If Christ's righteousness be ours, then we are as righteous as
Christ ; so Bellarmine.

Ans. He might as well argue, the bankrupt is as rich as his surety,
because his surety pays his debts.

(3.) If Christ's fulfilling of the law be ours, then we need not fulfil it;
no need of our repentance or obedience ; so some among us.

Ans. It is true, we need not fulfil it for those ends for which Christ ful
filled it, viz., to satisfy justice, to purchase heaven, &c.

But in other respects it doth no more follow that we should not endea
vour after repentance and obedience, because of Christ's fulfilling the law
for us, than it follows from the surety's paying, the debtor needs express
no thankfulness to the surety, nor sorrow for unnecessary contracting that
debt, or diligence in his calling for the future. You see here the unrea
sonableness of what can be objected against this doctrine. Indeed, taking
imputation in the sense fore-expressed, and none that acknowledge Christ's

PHILIP. III. 9.J RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST 805

satisfaction, can with any colour of reason deny the imputation of his
righteousness. £ However, the Scripture is clear. Bom. iv. 6, This right
eousness can be no other than the righteousness of Christ, as aforesaid.
As Adam's first disobedience is ours, to make us sinners, so is Christ's
obedience ours (if believers) to make us righteous ; but his first disobe
dience was ours only by imputation, and no otherwise doth it make us
sinners; so Christ's obedience is ours by imputation, 2 Cor. v. 21.
Christ's righteousness is ours, as our sin was his ; but our sin was hia
only by imputation, ergo his righteousness is ours by imputation, or that
which is all one, by acceptation. That is the second way.

Am. 3. In respect of participation. The benefits and blessed advan
tages of it, as if it were ours ; so we have it equivalent, as much benefit by
it as though it were ours never so much. That leads me to the

8. Third query, Of what use is the righteousness of Christ ? What are
the advantages of it, that it should be so desirable ? What gain we by it,
that we should lose all for it ? Why come out of all, to be found in it ?

Ans. I shall be the larger in shewing the usefulness, the blessed advan
tages of this righteousness, that Christ and his righteousness may not be so
much neglected, as he is too much, not only by the men of the world, but
even by such as have interest in him.

That you may learn to esteem, highly prize and value this righteousness
of Christ, see it desirable above all things, and apprehend the necessity of
it, not only at first conversion, but every moment of our lives ; not only in
respect of these great concernments of soul, pardon, acceptance, and salva
tion, wherein the need of it is obvious, but also in every occurrence, every
enjoyment, every undertaking.

Now this usefulness, necessity, advantageousness of Christ's righteous
ness, will be evident in many "respects. We will reduce them to ten heads.

First, In respect of sin. By the righteousness of Christ, believers have
the pardon of sin, and power against it : pardon of sin, continuance of
pardon, sense of pardon ; pardon by this righteousness performed, con
tinuance of it by this righteousness presented, sense of it by this righteous
ness applied.

A sinner, whose conscience the Lord hath in mercy touched, awakened
(as for secure sinners, they little regard Christ or his righteousness, or
pardon by it), will be apt to say, Can, will the Lord pardon my sins, —
mine, that are so many, so grievous, by which the Lord hath been so
highly provoked, so exceedingly dishonoured? Against so much light,
such means, such mercies, sins of such a deep die, so heavily aggravated,
that cry so loud for vengeance ? Can the Lord, or will he, pardon such
sins, such a sinner ?

Why, no ; till he hath received a ransom, till his law and his justice be
satisfied, the truth and justice of God will not permit him to pardon any sin ;
but when through the righteousness of Christ his law and justice is satis-
fie'd, then it is no more for the Lord to pardon them (though all the sins
of all the elect from the beginning of the world were thine), than it is for
a creditor to cease his suit against a debtor, when his surety hath fully dis
charged the debt. Christ's righteousness is the price of pardon, that
which purchased it : Eph. i. 7, ' In whom we have redemption,' &c.
Bedemption is freedom procured by a price paid, remission of sins is free
dom from guilt, and the price by which it was procured is the blood of
Christ, his righteousness, his passive obedience ; this is the fountain
where alone guilty souls can be cleansed, though sins be red as scarlet,

VOL. i. u

306 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

Isa. i. 18 ; it is but ' wash and be clean,' ver. 16; 1 John i. 7, Eev. ii. 5.
The righteousness of Christ is expressed by his blood, because that is
the cost.

Oh, but though there be pardon through the righteousness of Christ,
yet I have sinned since pardon, since conversion. All the love of the
Father, of the Son, hath not restrained me from sinning against the sweet
expressions of pardoning love, sometimes by apparent evils, dishonouring
Christ and my profession itself, continually provoking him by sinful infir
mities. The Lord may justly revoke his pardon, he may be weary of for
giving one who multiplies provocations ; he may say, I will spare, I will
forgive no more. Will the Lord continue to pardon one who doth little
else every moment but offend him ?

What can support a soul under such sad reasonings ? Why, only the
righteousness of Christ ; this being continually presented by Christ, is the
occasion of continued pardon : 1 John ii. 1, Heb. vii. 25, ' Always making
intercession.' Now what is his intercession, but the presenting of his
righteousness, his will and desire that all his people ma_y be pardoned and
saved by virtue of his righteousness? So Rom. viii. 83, 34. Pardon is
everlasting, because the virtue of his righteousness is everlasting, Dan. ix. 24.
Whenever sin appears, there appears to cover it Christ's righteousness.

Oh, but saith the awakened sinner, though the Lord be so gracious as
to pardon, and Christ's righteousness effectual to procure it, yet I want
the sense of it ; my conscience is still wounding, accusing me, the sting of
it continues with pain and anguish in my soul. It is this blood sprinkled,
that is, applied to the conscience, that speaks better things, Heb. xii. 24,
which speaks peace. By this the heart is sprinkled from an evil con
science, Heb. x. 22, that is, from a guilty, accusing, terrifying conscience.

Oh, but though the Lord hath pardoned me, and given my soul the
comfortable sense thereof, yet what will this avail me if I should still con
tinue to provoke and dishonour him, if my lusts still prevail against me ?
Though the guilt be removed, yet the power and dominion of sin still
continues. And, ' 0 wretched man,' &c., Rom. vii. 24, 25.

Why, there is no deliverance but by virtue of this righteousness, Rom.
vi. 14. Under the grace of the gospel, the foundation of which grace is
Christ's righteousness.

God had never let out any gracious expressions to the sons of men after
sin, had it not been through the interposal of Christ's righteousness : ' In
all, we are more than conquerors ;' but how ? ' through him ;' and what
we are through him we are through his righteousness.

Secondly, In respect of your persons. Look upon any person as desti
tute of Christ's righteousness, and he is loathsome, accursed, abhorred, and
woefully enslaved, and no redress for any of those miseries but by Christ's
righteousness : no such loathsome deformity as sin. Hence in Scripture
every soul, by reason of its natural sinfulness and corruption, is as loath
some in the eye of God as a toad or serpent is in our eyes ; and how shall
such loathsomeness become lovely ? How shall such odious creatures be
rendered acceptable ? Only in Christ, that is, by virtue of his righteous
ness, Eph. i. 6, 7.

How shall such an unclean, polluted soul, become clean ? Only by
washing in the fountain of Christ's righteousness, Rev. vii. 14. Every
person out of Christ is under the curse, all the curses written in the book
of the law are bent against him, Gal. iii. Not only thy sin, but thy per-
gon is cursed : ' Cursed is every one.' Nothing in heaven or earth can

PHILIP. HI. 9.] BIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 307

remove this curse, but only'Christ's righteousness, Gal. iii. 13. How was
he made a curse, but by being obedient, even to a cursed death.

God is an enemy to every person destitute of Christ's righteousness ; he
hates him, his wrath is kindled against him, his indignation burns like fire
against such a sinner, and will seize on him, and consume him to eternity,
if nothing interpose between this wrath and a guilty soul ; and nothing can
effectually interpose but the righteousness of Christ, nothing can quench
this fire but his blood. This enmity between the Lord and a sinner is
only abolished by Christ's righteousness, Eph. ii. 15, 16. The Lord
would never be reconciled to a sinner but by the mediation of this right
eousness ; no peace for sinners but by virtue of Christ's undertaking,
Col. i. 20-22.

Every person without this is a woeful slave to Satan, a slave to the vilest
thing in the world, to his own lust ; no redemption from this slavery but
by a ransom ; no ransom will be accepted but only Christ's righteousness,

1 Peter i. 18, 19.

No way to bring such vile persons into a capacity of being the sons of
God, except the Son of God would become a servant, and be made under
the law, to fulfil the righteousness of it ; and so he did effect it, Gal.
iv. 4, 5.

Thus you see the necessity and usefulness of Christ's righteousness as
to our persons ; without it no acceptance, no redemption, no reconciliation,
no adoption..

Thirdly, In respect of graces and qualifications. The very being, the
implanting of grace in the soul, is from the righteousness of Christ. No
spark of holiness had ever been found, had ever been kindled in the heart
of lost man, had it not been procured by this righteousness, Heb. x. 5.
Other sacrifices God would not, therefore Christ took a body, that he might
become a sacrifice ; this was the will of God, ver. 9, and this was Christ's
will too : ' By which will,' ver. 10. So Heb. xiii. 12, we owe the very
being of sanctification to Christ's righteousness in his blood. We may
conclude of the rest of what the apostle speaks of faith, 2 Peter, i. 1. Why
so precious, but because the price of it was the invaluable righteousness of
Christ ; and ' like precious,' because the same price for all, Eph. i. 3.
What we have in Christ we have by virtue of his righteousness.

Ay, but when the soul is sanctified, and the principle of spiritual life
implanted in it, what need then of Christ's righteousness ? Yes, even then
in many respects. The gracious heart, sensible of its spiritual condition,
apprehensive of the weakness and defects of grace received, will mourn
under them, even as worldlings mourn under outward wants and afflictions.
Now the spring-head of redress in this case is Christ's righteousness ; we
owe not only the being, but the means of grace to his righteousness,

2 Peter i. 1. Through God, by the mediation of Christ ; as no otherwise
doth God multiply any blessings on us.

But to what purpose is grace, or the means of it, if it be not exercised ?
And no acceptation of it, but by the virtue of this righteousness ; for the
actings of grace depend upon the influence and operation of Christ's
Spirit ; and the sending forth of the Spirit was the purchase of Christ's
righteousness.

Nay, further, though grace, holiness, be the most excellent accomplish
ment, yet it is of itself a frail thing, and too weak for the opposition it
meets with, if it were not supported with an almighty power ; and how is
this procured but by the righteousness of Christ? How is this continued,

308 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

but by his continual presenting of that righteousness in his intercession ?
This made the apostle confident of his perseverance, Rom. vi. 14, 15, 17.

Thus you see the usefulness of Christ's righteousness in respect of grace,
for its being, increase, exercise, perseverance.

Fourthly, In respect of our obedience and services, and that many ways.

1. That we have any power or will to tender any service or obedience
unto God, it is from Christ's righteousness ; therefore you find obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus joined by the apostle, 1 Peter i. 2.
What the apostle saith of prayer, Rom. viii. 26, is true of all other duties.
We are so far from being able to perform any duty spiritually, that we do
not so much as know how to do it ; it is the Spirit that helps our infirmi
ties, and the assistance of the Spirit is the effect of Christ's righteousness,
Gal. iii. 14.

2. There are many failings and infirmities, such as are sinful, and cannot
appear in the pure eye of God, in our best services. In every act of
obedience we offend in many respects, in manner, measure, intention, and
other circumstances : ' In many things we offend all.' Now what shall
expiate these offences ? Why, nothing is effectual but Christ's righteous
ness. This seems .to be typified in the method of the legal service ; the
daily sacrifice, which was a sacrifice of expiation (to take away guilt), was
offered before any of their other oblations. In vain had the rest been
offered had not the Lord provided a propitiatory sacrifice, which by virtue
of Christ, the Lamb without spot, thereby typified, did expiate the guilt
of their other offerings. There is enough in our best sacrifices to condemn
us, if the blood of Christ doth not cleanse, if his righteousness do not
expiate them.

3. As they cannot be expiated, so they cannot be accepted but through
the righteousness of Christ ; if our services be not mixed with the incense,
they will never ascend to God as the savour of a sweet smell.

Nothing can be well pleasing unto him but through the mediation of
Christ, Heb. xiii. 20, 21. Though we do the will of God, and do it im
partially in every good work, and do it sincerely, be perfect in doing it, yet
will not this be well pleasing in his sight but through Christ, that is, by
virtue of his mediation and righteousness.

4. Our services can have no success, no reward, but through and for
the righteouness of Christ: 1 Cor. xv.,-<End in the Lord;' that is, in
respect of the Lord Christ ; ' through whom,' he saith, ver. 57, ' we have
the victory,' Were it not in respect of him and his righteousness, all our
labour would be without success, without reward ; though we abounded
in the work of the Lord, yet would it be in vain, but that through
Christ's righteousness he vouchsafes both blessed success and gracious
reward.

Fifthly, In respect of the covenant of grace. The Lord hath not, will
not shew himself merciful and gracious to the sons of men, but in a way of
covenant.

All the favours and special blessings he vouchsafes to his people, are
conveyed this way. That therefore to which the covenant owes its being,
is that to which we owe all the blessings of this life, and that which is to
come ; and this is the righteousness of Christ, for the foundation of, admis
sion into, the confirmation and perpetuity of this covenant is from Christ's
righteousness.

1. It is the foundation of the covenant of grace. The Lord had never
more made any covenant with fallen man, had it not been through the

PHILIP. III. 9.] KIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHKIST. 309

mediation of Christ's righteousness. And here Christ is called ' the media
tor of the covenant,' Heb. xii. 24. The Lord having in the first covenant
promised life eternal to man and his posterity, upon condition of obedience,
man breaking this covenant, and dealing unfaithfully with God, exposed
himself and his to eternal death, which was the penalty thereof; and
eternal death we all had suffered, nor could the Lord in justice admit of
any new covenant, without satisfaction given for man's first treachery and
disobedience ; till then the truth and justice of God would not suffer him
to have anything to do with man in a way of mercy, such as the covenant
offers.

Man thus lying under the curse and sentence of eternal death, as utterly
unable to make satisfaction for the dishonour he had done God, in break
ing covenant made with him upon such advantageous terms, oh, Christ
here interposes and offers, if lost man might be again received into favour,
and have terms of mercy and reconciliation offered in another covenant, he
would undertake and satisfy offended justice for man's disobedience and
treachery, for the unfaithfulness of all that believe. That he may not die
eternally (saith Christ), I am willing in him to die for him ; and for his
obedience, the condition of life eternal, since he can never perform it, I
will perform it for him ; let my life go for his, and my obedience satisfy for
his disobedience, I engage myself to do and suffer what justice and the law
requires of him, so that he may be admitted to mercy in a covenant of grace.

Hereupon the Lord, through the mediation of Christ and his righteous
ness, condescends to make a new covenant. The covenant of grace and
salvation, it was made through this mediation of Christ. He is called often
the Mediator of the covenant, Heb. viii. 6, and ix. 15.

So that of the apostle may be taken, Gal. iii. 20.

Man was before his sin as one with God, joined in league, in covenant
with him, no need then of a mediator. But sin set them at variance,
raised dissension between them, and they could never be reconciled but by
the interposal of a mediator. Christ was this mediator, who by his right
eousness satisfied the offended God, brought God and man again together,
and joined them in a league and covenant. So that you see the righteous
ness of Christ is the foundation of the covenant of grace, Christ hereby is
all in all in the new covenant. Hence he is called the covenant, Isa. xlii. 6,
and xlix. 8.

2. Admission into covenant is by virtue of Christ's righteousness, Isa.
liii. 10. Christ in performing this righteousness was ' a man of sorrows,'
and his sorrows were dolores parturientis, the sorrows of one in travail,
verse 11. The issue of his travail was the children of the covenant. We
have the expression, Acts iii. 25, ' children of promise,' Rom. viii. 9,
Gal. iv. 28.

Now, how comes it to pass that Christ had such a seed, such a numerous
issue, that so many became children of the covenant ? The prophet tells,
' When thou shalt make,' &c. If he had not made his soul an offering for
sin, that is, performed this righteousness, he had never seen this seed,
none of the sons of men had been admitted into covenant. If thou and I
be in the covenant of grace, if we be impaled in the bonds of grace and
saving mercy, and so separated from the lost world, who are ' strangers
from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God,' &c.,
Eph. ii. 12, it is for the righteousness of Christ, it is because he made his
soul an offering for sin.

3. The confirmation of the covenant is from Christ's righteousness. By

310 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

this it is ratified, made sure, therefore Christ is called the surety, Heb.
vii. 22. He made it sure on both hands.

On God's part, because by fulfilling righteousness he removes whatever
might hinder the Lord from performing the gracious contents of the cove
nant to believers.

On man's part, hereby procuring whatever the Lord requires on their
part in this covenant of grace.

And because it is confirmed by his righteousness, therefore it is called
the covenant, the testament in his blood ; for it was the custom to make,
dedicate, confirm covenants by blood, the blood of sacrifices ; see Gen. xv.
Hereon, Heb. ix. 18, the covenant of grace under the first administration
was dedicated with blood ; the ceremony you may see in Exod. xxiv. 6, 8.
Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons, which was so reserved
to be sprinkled upon the people. By this blood was signified the blood of
Christ, by the virtue whereof the covenant of grace is established between
God and his people ; and the dividing of this blood (half being sprinkled
upon the altar, which did represent God, and half upon the people), signi
fied that Ihe performance of the covenant by both parties, God's favour and
grace to his people, and the people's faith and obedience to God, were to be
ascribed to the blood, that is, to the righteousness of Christ.
Whence also it is called the testament, A/a^x?j, Heb. vii. 8, 9.
A will or testament is not in force till the death of the testator ; it is that
which makes it firm and inviolable. So the apostle, Heb. ix. 16, 17. It
is the death of Christ (in which his righteousness was completed) which
so confirms the covenant as no men nor devils can alter or disannul it, Gal.
iii. 15. How was it confirmed ? He tells us, verse 17, ' of God in Christ,'
and how in Christ but as other testaments are, by his death. This it is
which makes it firm and sure, the righteousness of Christ. If thou hast
sure covenant, strong consolation in this covenant, it comes from Christ's
righteousness, who makes it strong and sure.

4. The perpetuity of the covenant. It is not only made firm and sure
for some time, but for ever, by Christ's righteousness. Hence it is called
' the covenant of salt,' 2 Chron xiii. 5. The reason is this, there is a virtue
in salt to preserve things from corruption ; so that by a covenant of salt is
meant a stable, firm, and incorruptible covenant, a covenant of an everlast
ing continuance. And why it is so, the apostle's expression shews, Heb.
xiii. 20, ' an everlasting covenant ;' because the blood of Christ, his right
eousness, is of everlasting virtue.

Here is the greatest comfort, the strong consolation of God's covenanted
people, the covenant between them and God (the great charter of all their
peace, hopes, present enjoyments, and future happiness) can never be
broken, never violated ; all the blessings of it are to continue, not only like
Joseph's blessing, ' to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills,' Gen.
xlix. 26, but while the Rock of ages, the Rock of eternity continues, Isa.
liv. 10. And why ? Verse 14, ' In righteousness shalt thou be established.'
It is founded upon that righteousness which is far more durable than the
mountains.

It is this that bears up the people of God in all fears and assaults from
hell and the world ; when they are afflicted and tossed with tempests, here
is their anchor both firm and sure, when it enters within the veil, when it
fastens on Christ and his righteousness : ' Though the earth be removed,
and the mountains, &c., yet the covenant of peace shall not be removed.'
It is true, Satan is a mortal enemy to this union between God and man

PHILIP. III. 9.1 RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 311

in a way of covenant. It torments that envious, malicious spirit, to see
man, made far lower than himself at first, now advanced to this glorious
privilege of being in league, when himself is cast out. He set himself to
break the first covenant, and then prevailed, as the lost sons of men found
by woeful experience. That covenant had no such sure foundation, it was
quickly broken. And now he employs all his craft, all his stratagems to
disannul the covenant of grace. And why don't the gates of hell prevail
against it ? Why, it is founded upon a rock, upon Christ, upon his right
eousness.

Besides, such is the weakness, the sinfulness, the unfaithfulness, the un-
stedfastness of the best that are now in covenant with God, such are their
provocations, as the Lord might justly break with them, even with them
that are most observant of covenant terms.

Nay, if there were nothing to continue the best of us in covenant but
the observance of what the Lord therein requires of us, there would cer
tainly be a breach ; the holy and wise God must needs cast us out. What is
it then that keeps the Lord and his people together, notwithstanding his
justice and holiness, notwithstanding their backsliding and unfaithfulness?
Why, it is Christ's righteousness only, this is the foundation of it which
can never be shaken ; take away this, and the covenant of grace, with all
the hopes and happiness of believers, fall to the ground. But this con
tinuing, by virtue of it the Lord is satisfied, reconciled, when he is angry,
and ready to break with us ; by virtue of this our revolting hearts are
again turned unto the Lord, and our treacherous declinings pardoned;
otherwise there would be no peace, no league, no covenant between the
Lord and such creatures, no, not the least moment.

Doth not this affect your hearts (ye that believe), that the Lord will be-
your God to everlasting ? that those great blessings you have by virtue of
the covenant, are everlasting blessings, everlasting forgiveness, Jer. xxxi.
33 ; and everlasting joy, Isa. xxxv. 10 ; everlasting salvation, Isa. xlv. 17 ;
everlasting life, John iii. 16 ; everlasting love, Job xxxi. 3 ; and everlast
ing kindness, Isa. liv. 8.

Doth not your hearts leap within you, when the Lord helps you to think
on this in secret ? Why, then, look to the rock from whence these ever
lasting blessings are digged, whereon this everlasting covenant is founded :
look to the righteousness of Christ. And if this everlasting happiness be
dear to you, oh let this endear Christ and his righteousness to you ! For
therefore are the covenant and its blessings eternal and everlasting, because
Christ's redemption is eternal, Heb. ix. 12 ; because his righteousness is
everlasting, Dan. ix.

Sixthly, In respect of the promises : 1. Through Christ's righteousness
they are made. 2. By it believers have interest in them. 3. For it they
are performed to them.

1. Upon account of Christ's righteousness were all the promises made.
The Lord, after the violation of the first covenant, had never made one
promise to the sons of men, had it not been through the mediation of
Christ's righteousness ; all these ' exceeding great and precious promises '
(the riches, the treasures of the saints on earth), they were made upon this
account, given through Christ, 2 Pet. i. 2-4. To instance in two of the
greatest promises, wherein the Scripture is express, the promise of spiritual
life, the promise of the Spirit, and the promise of eternal life. For the
first, Gal. iii. 13, 14, ' the promise of the Spirit' ; that is, of all the graces
and comforts, all the light, life, and strength, all the assistances and in-

312 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

fluences of the Spirit ; this promise, which is the all of the believer in this
world, is given and received through Christ. And how through him ?
The 13th verse shews, viz., by his being made a curse for us, his subjec
tion to the law, and fulfilling the righteousness thereof.

Here is all that concerns spiritual life promised through Christ, and so
it is all for eternal life, Heb. ix. 1 5. It is received by means of death,
which being the consummation and completement of Christ's righteousness,
is ordinarily put for the whole. Therefore if thou hast ever been refreshed
with the sweetness of a gospel promise, as those that are in covenant have
one time or other found sweeter refreshment in a promise than in any out
ward comforts, and while their souls are in good temper, do feed on them
with great delight.

If thou hast ever tasted how gracious the Lord is in a gospel promise,
then let Christ and his righteousness be dear unto thee ; for this is the
spring, the fountain from whence all these streams of comfort flow, which
are the great refreshment of believers on this side heaven.

2. By Christ's righteousness believers have interest in the promises,
both those that are absolute and conditional. Nothing promised becomes
due, nor is the Lord engaged to perform any promise, but by the media
tion of Christ's righteousness.

This is evident in absolute promises, such as that of the first grace,
Ezek. xi. 19, 20, chap, xxxvi. 25, 26. Now before this promise be per
formed, who can challenge interest in it? There is no qualification ex
pressed to a promise, to one more than another. To whom then is it due ?
Why, only to those who are given to Christ, and for whom he hath given
himself ; only to those for whom he hath satisfied the law and justice, by
fulfilling the righteousness required of him. To such only are these pro
mises due ; and hereby it is apparent it is Christ's righteousness which
makes them due.

It is clear also in conditional promises ; and let it be the more carefully
observed, because herein is an ordinary mistake, not only of vulgar Chris
tians, but of those who have their senses exercised to discern between truth
and error. It is taken for granted, that the mercy promised is due, and
the Lord engaged to perform the promise, when the condition or qualifica
tion annexed to the promise is in sincerity performed. Ex. gr., Since God
hath promised to save those that believe, and pardon those that repent, it
is concluded, when a man believes, salvation is due to him ; when he re
pents, the Lord is engaged to pardon him, without looking further than
those conditions, to that without which no mercy promised can be due,
nor any promise engaging. It is true, he that truly believes shall be saved,
and he that truly repents shall be pardoned ; but these mercies are not due
merely upon our believing and repenting, but upon another account.

I clear it thus : there are many sinful defects and imperfections in the
faith and repentance of the best, and there is a curse due to every sin,
even to every wilful imperfection, Gal. iii. The wilful defects of these
qualifications are under a threatening. Now, both a blessing and a curse
cannot be at once due to the same person, the Lord cannot be under two
contrary engagements, both of a promise and a threatening, to the same
person, at the same time. Therefore, though a man repent and believe,
yet the mercies promised cannot be due to him, unless the curse due to
the sinful imperfections of his faith and repentance be removed, Now it
is Christ's righteousness alone that removes the curse, that takes off the
threatening ; and therefore it is his righteousness (not our qualifications,

PHILIP. III. 9.J BIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHEIST. 813

faith, repentance, holiness, obedience, considered in themselves merely),
that gives us right to the mercies promised ; without this, even all those
gracious qualifications would leave us under the curse ; so far are they from
making the promise due, or engaging the Lord to bestow it.

This deserves further enlargement, but I leave it to your own thoughts ;
the clear apprehension of it would clearly discover to you the freeness of
grace in the promises, the worthlessness of man's best righteousness, and
exceedingly endear the righteousness of Christ to us. There is no interest,
no right to the promise, but through Christ's righteousness.

3. It is for Christ's righteousness that any promise is performed : 2 Cor.
i. 20, ' In him,' in him as mediator, and so by virtue of his righteousness,
' are yea,' &c. Yea always ; not sometimes yea and sometimes nay, but
always yea : there is constancy; and amen : there is faithfulness. In him,
through his mediation, the Lord will constantly and faithfully perform his
promises to all believers.

Indeed, if a wicked man, a worldling, &c., comes and inquires at these
oracles, if he ask, as she of Jehu, ' Is it peace ? ' shall I have peace with
God ? will he pardon me ? will he save me ? the answer to him will be
negative, not yea but nay ; no peace, no pardon, &c. And why so ? Be
cause he that lives in sin is out of Christ, hath no interest in his righteous
ness ; ' but every one that nameth the name of Christ departs from iniquity,'
2 Tim. ii. 19.

But let a believer come, one who hath given up himself to Christ in a
way of faith and gospel obedience ; let him inquire, Shall I have peace,
grace, life, glory ? the answer will be then affirmative, the promise to him
is yea; and it is so constantly, ' it is yea and amen,' the Lord will be faith
ful in performing promise. The righteousness of Christ engages the truth
and faithfulness of God to the performance of every tittle : ' Heaven and
earth shall pass away, before," &c.

If thou hast had experience of the accomplishment of promises, thou
owest this to Christ's righteousness ; if thou expectest the performance of
any promise, thou must depend upon Christ and his righteousness for it.

That the promises are given, that we have interest in them, that they are
performed to us, all must be ascribed to Christ's righteousness.

Seventhly, In respect of the law ; and that in reference to all its parts,
the precept, the threatening, the promise.

1. In regard of the precept. This requires perfect obedience, and that
universally, in all things, of all persons, at all times.

It requires perfection both inward and outward, both perfect holiness of
heart and perfect acts of lives, and that both for parts and degrees ; a
perfect observance of every precept, and that in the highest degree. It is
not a good intention or meaning, or a sincere resolution, nor a conscionable
endeavour, nor a bewailing of imperfections and failings, that will satisfy
the demands of God's righteous law. That calls for absolute perfection, and
that from all persons, both regenerate and unregenerate, both of those that
are in the covenant of grace, and those that are under the covenant of works,
and this always, from the moment of man's creation to eternity. This is
essential to him while he is a reasonable creature, to be perfectly subject to
God as creator ; and being essential to him while he is a reasonable creature,
he cannot be freed by any dispensation from his obligation to perfect
obedience.

Well then, when the Lord comes to demand what is due to him, when
he calls for such obedience as we owe him, alas ! what can we answer him ?

314 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

He requires that every act of our hearts and lives should be perfectly holy ;
and there is not one act since we had a being that comes near what he
requires, though at first we had power to do it. We owe him an hundred
thousand talents, and we cannot bring him the value of one farthing upon
the account of perfection. Where then shall the best of us appear ? what
shall we plead ? or how shall we satisfy his righteous demands ? Why, if
Christ's perfect obedience be not accepted, if his righteousness doth not
here satisfy for us, we are utterly cast, we are eternally lost, as will appear
further in the second.

2. In regard of the threatening: ' In the day thou sinnest, thou shalt die.'
Death is the wages of every sin, death temporal and eternal. The law
entails the curse of God upon every sinner, and exposes him to the ever
lasting wrath of the almighty and eternal God, Gal. iii. 10. Secure sinners,
though under the heaviest part of this curse, weigh it no more than the
wind.

But one who is under the spirit of bondage, as all must be more or less
before they receive the spirit of adoption, will hear those words as thunder
and lightning from the presence of an incensed God ; they will smite his
soul with trembling and affrightment. Alas ! is the curse and his eternal
wrath due to every sin ? Oh then, how woeful is my condition ! What
wrath is due to me, who am guilty of more sins than I have lived hours,
moments in the world ! Oh how shall my soul bear the burthen of that
wrath that is heavier than the hills and mountains, and will sink me into
the lower hell ! Oh how shall I abide with devouring fire ! how shall I
dwell with everlasting burnings !

Why, there is no remedy, saith the word, nothing but curse, and wrath,
and hell for thee, for any sinner, except the Lord's justice be satisfied ; and
there is nothing will satisfy him but a righteousness of infinite value, nothing
but the righteousness of Christ. Get interest in this. Christ's righteous
ness must be fully imputed to thee, or else wrath and hell must be thy
portion for ever. This method the Lord ordinarily uses to awaken secure
sinners, to bring them unto Christ ; therefore the law is called the school
master, Gal. iii. 24 ; and happy that apprehension of wrath that is thus
effectual.

Here is the usefulness of Christ's righteousness. No sinner in the world
ever was, or ever shall be, freed from the wrath of God and curse of the
law, but by the virtue of this righteousness.

3. In regard of the promise of the law, 'Do this and live,' that is, perform
perfect obedience, and thou shalt have eternal life. This perfect obedience
was the way to life under the law, and if the gospel shew not another right
eousness, it is the way still.

Now Christ, when he was interpreting the law, tells us, ' One jot or tittle
shall in nowise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.' So that unless per
fect obedience be fulfilled, it seems there is no life to be had under the
gospel, Mat. v. 17. Nay, the apostle, when he is proving justification by
faith only, which seems quite to repeal the law in this point, Rom. iii. 28,
answers this very objection : ver. 31, 'Do we then make void the law through
faith ? God forbid,' saith he ; ' yea, we establish the law.' So that it
seems the way to heaven by perfect obedience, which the law prescribed, is
not contradicted by the gospel, but established. No eternal life now with
out perfect obedience. But you will say, Alas ! if it be so, then no flesh
shall be saved, for perfect obedience in man's fallen estate is impossible.
See here then the necessity of Christ's righteousness. It is indeed impos-

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 815

sible for man, though a believer, hut not impossible for his surety, Christ ;
so the apostle tells us, Rom. viii. 3, 4, ' What the law could not do,' &c.
The law could not bring any to life, because of man's inability to satisfy its
demand's. Christ was able to do it, and he did it, performed all that the
law requires, ' in the likeness of sinful flesh, that the righteousness of the
law,' ver. 4, that we, being unable to fulfil it ourselves, might have it ful
filled in us. So that the gospel doth not contradict the law, but favourably
expounds it. Whereas it might be taken thus, Do this in person, and live,
the gospel expounds it thus favourably, Do this (if not by thyself, yet) by
thy Surety, and thou shalt live. So that the doctrine of the gospel is not
contrary, but subservient to the law.

The righteousness of Christ turns the law into gospel to a believer, and
of a doctrine full of dread and terror, renders it the most acceptable mes
sage that ever was brought to the world. The law, which stands as the
angel with a flaming sword, to bar all flesh out of paradise, when the
righteousness of Christ is applied, it becomes an angel to carry every
believer into Abraham's bosom ; Christ's righteousness added, it loses its
name, and we call it gospel. The way in both seems to be the same for
substance; perfect obedience is requisite in both. They differ in the
circumstances of the person performing this obedience. In the law it was
to be personal, in the gospel his surety's performance is sufficient.

However, if there be any terror, dread in the law, Christ's righteousness
removes it ; if any grace, comfort in the gospel, Christ's righteousness is
the rise of it. Take away Christ's righteousness, and the gospel can give
no life ; take it away, and the law speaks nothing but death ; no life, no
hope of life without it, either in law or gospel.

Eighthly, In respect of the ordinances. The enjoyment of them, the
sanctifying of them, the presence of God in them, and the efficacy of them,
are for and from the righteousness of Christ.

1. The enjoyment of ordinances: they are the gift of Christ, the pur
chase of his righteousness, 2 Pet. i. 3. All things that pertain 'to god
liness are given through the knowledge of Christ; that is, through faith
in him, faith that lays hold on his righteousness, particularly the seals of
the covenant; they are the signs of the New Testament in his blood; the
ministry of the word, the great ordinance for the begetting and increasing
of godliness. This is the purchase, the gift of Christ, Eph. iv. 8, 11.
These are the gifts of his triumph, and what he gave in his exaltation he
purchased by his humiliation. The apostle ascribes both his office and
ability to execute it unto Christ, Rom. i. 5.

2. The sanctifying of the ordinances is from Christ's righteousness, by
virtue of his blood. So polluted are we by sin, and such is the defilement
of sin^within us, that everything we touch, or meddle with, or make use of
(even the holy institutions of God not excepted) are unclean unto us,
except the blood of Jesus makes them clean to us, and makes us clean in
the use of them. To signify this, the Lord prescribed in the law that
' almost all things should be purged by blood,' Heb. ix. 22. « Both the
book and the people, both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry,
were sprinkled with blood,' ver. 19, 21 ; sprinkled with blood, that they
might be purged, whereby was typified the virtue of Christ's blood to
sanctify not only our persons, but also the ordinances we make use of.

And therefore, when we go to the ordinances, we should be apprehensive
of a necessity of Christ's righteousness in the use of them; look up to the
blood of sprinkling for its sanctifying virtue to remove that defilement,

316 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

•whereby we pollute the ordinances, whereby they become unholy, unhal
lowed, unclean to us; else nothing is pure, nothing sanctified to our
use.

3. The presence of God in the ordinances is only vouchsafed through
his righteousness. The presence of God, which is the life and comfort of
them, cannot be enjoyed but in and through Christ, the mediation of his
righteousness. A sinner cannot draw near to God, nor will the Lord
draw near to him, till he be found in Christ's righteousness. He is a
consuming fire to a sinner out of Christ, he beholds him afar off, he cannot
endure to come near him, not in the use of his own ordinances, where he
draws nearest to his people, nor can a sinner draw near to God. Those
that are out of Christ have no interest in his righteousness ; they are far
off when they seem to draw near unto God ; there is no access to him but
in the blood of Jesus, Eph. ii. 13. While without Christ, they were not
only without God in the world, but without God in his ordinances ; they
were always strangers, God took no notice of them, but now in Christ
Jesus, &c., through him only they have access, Eph. ii. 18, 19. The Lord
will converse with them as a man with his friend, his familiar, he will use
them as children, as friends, they are then the household of God. But it
is in Christ's mediation, of his righteousness; he saith to us, as Joseph to
his brethren, Gen. xliii. 5, ' Ye shall not see my face, except your brother
be with you ; ' no seeing God's face, except Benjamin, except Christ, the
Son of his right hand, the Son of his love, be with us, and we in him.
If ever thou hast seen the face of God in his ordinances, if he ever have
vouchsafed himself, if ever he hath unveiled himself and caused his glory
to pass before thee, if ever thou hast seen light in his countenance, that
light which is better, sweeter than life, it must be ascribed to his righteous
ness ; if ever thou expectest the comfortable, enhappying manifestations of
God to thy soul, thou must depend on Christ and his righteousness for it.

4. The efficacy of the ordinances is from Christ's righteousness ; all the
spiritual use and strength, all the peace and comfort, all the growth and
fruitfulness, all the light and heavenly refreshments, all the blessings and
blessed advantages found in any or all the ordinances, flow from this foun
tain, that are effectual for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of
the body of Christ, &c. It is the gift of Christ, Eph. iv. 12, 13.

No blessing can be expected from God, except we come as Jacob, in the
garment of our Elder Brother, except we be found in Christ's righteousness ;
if the Lord hath made the word ^effectual to turn thee from darkness to
light, to convince, enlighten, comfort, quicken, strengthen, encourage thee,
&c. ; if he hath made thee joyful in the house of prayer, satisfied thy soul
with marrow and fatness, made the Sabbath thy delight, a day of refresh
ment from his presence ; if in the use of ordinances thy secure conscience
hath been awakened, blind eyes opened, hard heart melted, cold affections
inflamed, thy soul raised to a spiritual and heavenly temper.

Ninthly, In respect of outward enjoyments. By Christ's righteousness
believers have a spiritual right to a comfortable use of spiritual advantages
by, and sincere improvement of, these temporal enjoyments.

1. A spiritual right to them. Another kind of right than unbelievers
have ; those that are strangers to Christ may have a civil right to what
they lawfully obtain and enjoy, and such a right as is grounded on the laws
of men ; and so far as the Lord approves of these laws, so far they have
them by divine approbation, and he approves of laws tending to the good
of mankind. A civil right they have ; but no spiritual, evangelical right,

PHILIP. III. 9.J RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 317

for that is grounded upon the covenant of grace, which hath its being from
Christ's righteousness.

Now believers, who have interest in the righteousness of Christ, have
hereby a spiritual right to temporal blessings ; they have them jure pro-
missionis : ' Godliness hath the promise,' 1 Tim. i. 8 ; it hath the promise,
and all the promises are in Christ yea. Jure donationis : 2 Pet. i. 8 ;

1 Tim. vi. 17 ; ' Through the knowledge of Christ,' ver. 2. Jure emptionis:
Christ hath purchased these for them, his righteousness was the price,

2 Cor. viii. 9 ; though it be true of spiritual riches, yet the context leads
us here to include outward enjoyments ; and the same warrant we have to
understand Philip, iv. 19.

Christ is the heir of all things, and none can come to this spiritual right
but by being found in him ; and those who are found in him hold their
enjoyments in capite, their right is derived from their head, Christ. Hence,
1 Cor. iii. 22, 23, ' If you be in Christ,' he yours (for the interest is mutual),
then ' all is yours,' by the best, the noblest, the surest title under heaven.

Besides, wicked men, by their treason and rebellion against the Lord
and his Christ, have forfeited all they enjoy, and deserve to be deprived
of all temporal enjoyments ; the Lord may most justly (though men cannot)
take his forfeiture.

You will say, the best have forfeited all and deserve to enjoy nothing.
It is true, but observe a vast difference herein, even believers have for
feited, but the ground of the forfeiture is removed ; their sin is pardoned,
and satisfaction made by the righteousness of Christ, which is a just stop
to the seizure; so that it is a righteous thing with the Lord to continue
them in the enjoyment of all things good for them. Why? They have
forfeited, but Christ hath satisfied ; they have lost all, but Christ's right
eousness hath purchased all good things for them, Eom. viii. 32. How
shall he not for him give us all things, who gave himself for us, that all
things might be freely given us.

2. Comfortable enjoyment. Strangers to Christ have the use of these
things, but cannot be properly said to have the enjoyment ; they seem to be
masters of them, but indeed they are servants to them ; possessors as to
outward use, but slaves as to their inward affections ; they serve them
while they seem to dispose of them ; they do not dominari, but servire ;
have not the command of, but are enslaved.

Nor is their use truly comfortable ; they may fancy comfort, but their
comfort is but a fancy ; it flows from another fountain than can be digged
in earth ; true, solid comfort is the portion of those only who have the
righteousness of Christ for their portion.

These may look upon every temporal enjoyment as a token of everlasting
love, as a pledge and earnest of eternal glory ; and both these, because
they may receive them as the purchase of the blood (of the righteousness)
of Christ ; ay, here is the well-spring of comfort, the fountain of that com
fort which is better than life. Oh what comfort is it to taste the sweetness
of Christ's love in every enjoyment ! when we can say, ' Christ loved me,
and gave himself for me,' that I might enjoy these blessings ! Oh how will
this raise the value of every common mercy ! Christ's righteousness which
was performed, the highest expression of his love, purchased this for me !

Upon this account is that of the psalmist true, Ps. xxxvii. 15; he that
hath but food and raiment, hath in this respect more than he that hath the
Turkish empire, or the gold of the Indies ; he hath more ground of com
fort in his little than they in all.

318 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

Alas, what comfort can they take in any enjoyment if they are but appre
hensive of their condition ; the fatter their pastures are, the fatter will they
be fed for slaughter.

What pleasure will a malefactor take in the things that continue his life
till the day of execution ?

He that is not in Christ is condemned already ; for anything thou
knowest, this day shall thy soul, thy life, be taken from thee ; and then
whose shall these things be ? what comfort in them ?

No comfortable enjoyment of the chiefest outward comforts, without
interest in Christ's righteousness.

3. Spiritual advantage. Strangers to Christ seldom use these things
lawfully, much less spiritually ; and where there is no spiritual use of them,
there can be no spiritual advantage by them ; if the Lord hath made a
distinction between thee and others in the use and improving of these
things that are common, so that thou canst reap spiritual advantage from
temporal enjoyments, even this must be ascribed to Christ's righteous
ness.

If they are as cords to draw thy heart up to God and tie thee to him ;
if they endear Christ to thy soul, and engage thee more to love him ; if
these drops make thee thirst after the fountain, where there is more sweet
ness, in much more abundance ; if they raise thy esteem of heavenly
enjoyments as more valuable ; if they provoke thy zeal for his honour, who
gives thee experience of the riches of his bounty ; if they strengthen thy
faith to expect greater things from him, who will not let thee want the less ;
if they engage thee to lay them out, to improve them as a good steward,
for the honour, for the service of him who entrusts thee with them ; if they
encourage t thee to serve him with cheerfulness and gladness of heart in
abundance of all good things ; if the Lord bless them to thee so as thy
soul prospers the more for this outward prosperity; — if thou gettest these
or other spiritual advantages by them, without which they are not blessings,
even this thou owest to Christ's righteousnsss ; for when temporal enjoy
ments are thus spiritually improved, their property is altered ; they are in
effect spiritual blessings, and such wherewith we are only blessed in Christ,
Eph. i.

4. Secure improvement. If you improve them so as to avoid the snares
which Satan conveys into every outward comfort. Since sin entered into
the world, all the things of the world are full of snares ; whatever we use,
whatever we see, nay, what we do but imagine, though we neither see nor
enjoy it, is apt to ensnare us.

There are snares in our beds, snares on our tables, snares in company,
snares in solitariness, snares in riches, credit, pleasures ; everything apt
to entangle us in sin, pride, security, licentiousness, neglect of God, our
souls, eternity, &c.

Those that are strangers to Christ lie miserably entangled in these snares ;
so they live, die, perish. Hence these outward things prove not blessings
but curses to them, as the Lord threatens, Mai. ii. 2.

Now if any of you escape these snares, if you have been delivered out
of them, if you do not perish in them, this must be ascribed to Christ's
righteousness, Gal. i. 4. Why is it evil ? because it is so full of sin, so
full of snares. How are we delivered from it ? by Christ's giving himself
for our sins ; that is, by Christ's performing this righteousness for us. The
Lamb's company, Rev. xiv., are said to be redeemed from the earth, ver. 3,
that is, the defilements of the earth, ver. 4 ; to redeem is to deliver by pay-

PHILIP. III. 9.J RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 319

ment of a ransom ; so are we delivered, and the ransom is the blood of the
Lamb, the righteousness of Christ.

Tenthly, In respect of afflictions and death, upon divers accounts :

1. Those afflictions which befall believers are not punishments, it is to
be ascribed to the righteousness of Christ. A sweet privilege, &c. That
is a punishment which is inflicted for the satisfaction of justice. A father
corrects his child, not to satisfy the law, which is the intent of a judge.
Under this dreadful notion must those that are excluded from Christ's
righteousness receive their sufferings, they are inflicted by a Judge for
satisfaction of offended justice ; and because they can never fully satisfy,
they must ever suffer, sometimes here, always hereafter; but he that is
found in Christ's righteousness, shall never be found under the stroke of
punishment. Whatever he suffers there is no revenge in it, no intention
thereby to seek satisfaction ; the sting of affliction is gone, the bitterness
of death is past, Christ's righteousness hath disarmed, hath sweetened, the
sharpest sufferings ; the Lord requires no satisfaction of them, and there
fore he inflicts no punishment on them. And why ? Because the right
eousness of Christ hath fully satisfied offended justice on their behalf, and
it is not agreeable to justice to demand satisfaction twice ; and when the
Surety hath fully satisfied for the offence, he will not require satisfaction
also of the offender, Isa. liii. 5.

The sufferings of believers are not to wound, but to heal them ; when
this Head hath been wounded even to satisfaction, he will not wound the
members also. On that account their afflictions are the chastisements of
a father, not the revenges of a judge ; to reclaim the offender, not to satisfy
for the offence. Christ's righteousness hath done that in abundance, no
thing now can be laid to their charge ; no ground of punishment, since all
their sins have been punished in Christ, ver. 6.

A believer may say upon another account as Christ did, John xviii. 11,
It is but a cup, and it is a Father's cup ; how bitter soever it seems, it
was love that mingled it ; and it is given me, it is a gift, a pledge of love,
the gift of a friend, of a father ; not the wounds of a judge, of an enemy.
It is not a deadly potion, as given to a malefactor who is sentenced to
death, and must die to satisfy law and justice. Christ took this cup out
of my hand, and drank it up all in my stead, even the dregs of it ; though
the bitterness of punishment, of penal, ciifsed death, was in it, he left not
a drop of this nature for me to drink.

That which is reserved for me is a draught of physic, a medicinal potion ;
how bitter, how distasteful soever it seems, the design of it is health and
life. From Christ's righteousness it is that the most afflicted condition of
a believer is more happy, more desirable than the most prosperous estate of
the ungodly ; affliction is with the people of God to be chosen rather than
the pleasures of sin. The bitterest things that befall Christ's people are
more desirous* than the sweetest enjoyments of sinners, the very pleasures
of sin. Oh the wonderful virtue of Christ's righteousness ! were it not
for this, every suffering would be a foretaste of hell, and the first-fruits of
eternal sufferings, a spark of those everlastings burnings. The sufferings
of finite unbelievers on earth, and the sufferings of the damned in hell,
differ but in degrees ; they agree in common nature of punishments, both
for satisfaction of revenging justice. If thou beest not in the same condi
tion, if thy sufferings are not the beginnings of hell on earth, it is because
of Christ's righteousness.

* Qu. « desirable ' ? — ED.

820 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

2. Hence it is also that the sufferings of believers are mitigated ; the
Lord inflicts nothing but in that proportion which he knows is best for
them, Isa. xxvii. 7, 8.

If Christ's righteousness be thine, no reason to fear the bitterness of
sufferings, he will not put one drop into thy cup, but what is necessary
for thy soul's health; no other end but this, or what may be assigned to
this.

No reason to fear his hand will lie too heavy on thee ; thou shalt not
feel one stroke, one scourge more than what will tend to cure thee.

No reason to fear the king of terrors, the dreadfulness of the last enemy ;
thou shalt not endure one pang more in thy last agony but what will tend
to thy good. Why so ?

It is hard to believe this, faith hath need of some ground to support it.
Why, here is the reason : if the Lord should inflict more than what is good
for thee, it would savour of revenge ; but Christ's righteousness hath left
no place for revenge, revenging justice did satisfy itself fully upon Christ,
while he performed this righteousness ; if this be thine, it hath left nothing
for thee but mercy and love ; this shall be the portion of thy cup, even
when it seems most bitter ; that deadly mixture and wrath he drank himself.

3. The blessed fruits of afflictions are from Christ's righteousness. If this
be thine, thou shalt want nothing but what thy soul would be a loser if it
did not want it, thou shalt suffer nothing but it would be far worse for thee
if thou didst not suffer it.

Wonderful things are spoken in Scripture of the happy issue of sancti
fied afflictions. It is a riddle indeed to flesh and blood, such as Samson's
to the Philistines : ' Out of the strong comes forth sweetness ;' and honey
is found in the carcass of devouring afflictions. You will never expound
this but by consideration of the righteousness of Christ, of whom Samson
was a type. It is this that sweetens the water of Marah ; like Elisha's
salt, so heals them as there remains no more death nor barrenness in
them, 2 Kings ii. 21. If thou hast had David's experience, and canst say

. And if by this thy iniquity hath been purged, thy heart estranged

from the world, learned to love the appearance of Christ, if hereby thou
art made partaker of his holiness, if they have brought forth in thee the
peaceable fruits of righteousness, even these are the fruits of Christ's
righteousness, who having answered all other ends of such sad dispensa
tions by his own ' sufferings, hath left no other end why his people should
suffer, but that their souls might thereby prosper ; no other end but this,
or what may be reduced to this. You may see other effects of suffering in
others : Kev. xvi. 9, 11, ' Men were scorched with great heat, and blas
phemed the name of God: and they repented not to give him glory.'
Who were these ? They were the enemies of Christ ; though they seemed
to profess him, had no share in his righteousness, and so had no better
issue of their sufferings.

4. Strength to bear afflictions. Support under sufferings is from
Christ's righteousness: Philip, iv. 13, 'I can do all things through Christ
which strengthens me ;' this doing includes both acting and suffering, as
appears, ver. 12. Strength to bear up in every condition is through
Christ, and we have nothing through Christ but by virtue of his righteous
ness. That believers can suffer with patient submission, with contented-
ness, comfort, and courage, as becomes the dependents of Christ, it is from
his righteousness.

Not only strength to suffer, but to conquer in suffering, is from Christ,

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 821

as Eom. viii. 37. ' In all these things,' see what they are, ver. 85. When
they seemed to be killed, they conquered, and triumph when they are led
as sheep to the slaughter, ver. 36. Hell, and death, the king of terrors,
and the thrones of darkness, the devouring lion Satan, and the raging
world of persecutors, are under the feet of believers, while they seem to be
oppressed by them ; they do more than conquer when they seem to be
captives. And how comes this to pass ? He tells us : ' Through him,'
&c. ; and therefore through that which was the highest expression of his
love, the fulfilling this righteousness for us, this is it which raises a
believer even in his lowest condition above the height of a triumph, makes
him more than conqueror.

Thus I have at large shewed you the usefulness of Christ's righteous
ness upon a manifold account, so that you can scarce meet with or think
of anything in this world or the other but may endear the righteousness of
Christ to you, provoke you highly to esteem and demonstrate the necessity
of it.

The uses are,

First, Of confutation and reproof. If it be so, as hafh been declared,
here is a just reproof of those who profess they know Christ, yet neglect,
oppose, deny his righteousness. It is strange that any who enjoy the
gospel should be herein guilty, but this shews the woeful depravation of
man's mind since the fall. Such is the corruption of it, as rather than it
•will yield to the revealed truths (when they cross the interests of men, and
their pre-engaged apprehensions), men will deprive themselves of the richest
treasure which ever the Lord discovered to the world.

We have too many instances in this case :

1. Those who deny the end of this righteousness, deny the satisfaction of
Christ, as doth Socinus and his wretched followers ; hereby in effect deny
ing the righteousness itself, and rendering it of no value; for if it be not
satisfactory, it is not meritorious. Sure nothing can be procured of mercy
until satisfaction be tendered to offended justice ; and if neither merit nor
satisfy for us, of what use is it ? of what value ? why should the apostle
so highly esteem it as to suffer the loss? &c. Surely these men are not
led by the same Spirit which guided the apostle, who so much disparage
that which he so highly prized.

2. Who deny the sufficiency of it. So the papists, who, as though
Christ was not sufficient to satisfy justice and procure eternal life, join
their own fond merits and satisfaction with that of Christ's righteousness;
as though man's own righteousness could be either satisfactory or meri
torious, which are the prerogatives and sovereign virtues of Christ's right
eousness alone.

Far was the apostle from apprehending any such worth in his own
righteousness (and sure he was not behind any of the papists), when he
styles it flesh, and loss, and dung; when he disclaims it expressly, is
afraid to be found in it, in any, save the righteousness of Christ.

3. To deny the participation of it, deny that it is imputed to us ; as do
the Arminians, with both the former. What this imputation is, I have
shewed before ; and thence it may appear how unreasonably they deny it
to be imputed to believers, who grant it is accepted for them ; since impu
tation is nothing but the acceptation of it declared and pronounced in the
gospel.

I would fain know how that which is neither in us nor performed by us
can be ours otherwise than by imputation. Either they must grant it is

VOL. I. X

322 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

imputed, or deny that we can have it. If so, what made the apostle dis
claim all, suffer the loss of all, that he might have that which is impossible
he should have ?

4. Those who deny the righteousness of Christ in effect, though they
confess it in words, live so unacquainted with it as though they did not
acknowledge it ; are such strangers to the use and improvement of this
righteousness, as if there were no such things.

Many there are who disclaim popery in words, and yet are too like
papists in undervaluing the righteousness of Christ ; many who rely not
on it alone for pardon, acceptance, and life, who set up their posts by
God's post, and join their own righteousness with the righteousness of
Christ, if they leave any place at all for this. Their good meaning, honest
dealing, religious duties, or works of charity, must share with Christ in the
honour of procuring for them pardon and life. Here they rest.

And this is too common, and the grounds of it seem to be pride and
ignorance ; the motive, corruptions* of our minds and hearts. Such pride
there is in every man by nature, as he will have something of his own to
commend him to God ; he will not be beholden to another for his salvation.
He is loath to think himself so vile as that he hath nothing, or can do no
thing, that may help him to pardon and life.

That self-denial, self- abhorrence which the gospel requires, is quite con
trary to nature ; and if there be nothing but nature in thee, thou wilt never
attain them.

This pride is it which keeps multitudes (who yet think themselves humble
enough) out of that way of life which is revealed in Christ. This is it which
is the great enemy of the honour of Christ in his righteousness, and so deeply
is it rooted in man's nature, as nothing but an almighty power can pluck
it up. Those weapons must be mighty through God that cast down these
high imaginations.

Another ground is ignorance. Men are not well acquainted either with
Christ or themselves, forf if they know, yet do not effectually lay it to
heart ; they consider not what perfection and exactness the law of God doth
indispensably require of them ; they consider not into what misery every
act of disobedience sinks their souls ; they consider not how impossible it
is, by anything they have or can do, to free themselves from this misery ;
they consider not that Christ's righteousness is only sufficient to do it.
And thus they go on in the dark, neglecting Christ and their souls, till he
sends his Spirit with power and evidence, to convince them of sin, of wrath
due to sin, of misery by reason of wrath, of their absolute necessity of Christ
to free them from this wrath. Till you have lively apprehensions of these
things, Christ's righteousness will be of little value ; and so it is with a
great part of those who daily profess the gospel, which is a lamentation,
and will be for a lamentation.

Secondly, The second direction is, Be apprehensive of its necessity. In
other cases, we need no other motive to raise our desires of a thing, than
the apprehension that it is absolutely necessary for us. The righteousness
of Christ is of absolute necessity, and that in the weightiest concernments ;
it is absolutely necessary for thy life, for thy soul, for thy salvation. And
that appears briefly in three particulars.

1. Nothing but this can answer the law of God. This requires perfect
obedience of all that will have life, perfect righteousness under pain of death.
Now no man in the world can perform such obedience, can produce such a
* Qu. ' native corruptions ' ? — ED. f Qu. ' or ' ? — ED.

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 823

righteousness. It is only to be found in the man Christ Jesus. Either
thou must be found having this righteousness of Christ, or else there is no
life for thee ; else there is nothing but death for thee, and that as sure as
God is true and unchangeable.

2. Nothing but this can satisfy the justice of God. It must be a right
eousness of infinite value that satisfies justice, for sin is against an infinite
majesty, and therefore the injury is infinite ; the satisfaction must be an
swerable to the injury, and therefore it must be infinite. But no righteous
ness, no satisfaction is of infinite value, but only that of Christ. Therefore
thou must be found having Christ's righteousness, or else justice will press
thee to death, justice will cast thee into hell, justice will there exact the
utmost farthing, justice will have satisfaction on either, from the offender
or his Surety. If thou hast not interest in Christ's satisfaction, to tender
it unto justice, justice will require of thee in person ; and because thou
canst never fully satisfy, thou must ever suffer.

3. Nothing but this can justify a sinner. There can be no justification
without a perfect righteousness, for where there is imperfection there is
some guilt, and the righteousness of God will never justify a guilty person,
Exod. xxiii. 7, Prov. xvii. 15.

Now where must this perfect justifying righteousness be had ? Thou
hast no such of thine own, Isa. Ixiv., nor can any men or angels afford it
thee. The angels have no more than will justify themselves, and fallen
man hath not so much, Job xv. 14.

Either thou must have this righteousness of Christ, or else thou canst
never be justified, and without justification no salvation : Rom. viii. 30,
' Whom he justifies, them also,' and them only, ' he glorifies.'

If, then, salvation be necessary for thee, then thou must count the right
eousness of Christ necessary ; and if that be to be desired above all things,
which is absolutely necessary to salvation, then is Christ's righteousness to
be desired above all things.

Thirdly, The third direction is, Labour to get an interest in it. We are
apt to esteem those things which are our own, and this esteem will make
us desirous to continue in possession of them. So that the way to raise
our esteem and quicken our desire after this righteousness of Christ, is to
get interest in it. Make this your business and your great design, to get
an interest in it ; and mind this as the one thing necessary, ' Seek first the
kingdom of God, and this righteousness of him,' Mat. vi. ' Seek it first,'
that is, primarily, before all, and principally, above all. It is a preposterous
course to seek the things of the world first and most, and this after, with
less care, less affections. This is the way to lose both, both heaven
and earth, both the glorious things above, and the comforts of all enjoy
ments below. Make sure of this, and all is sure : ' All these shall be
added.'

Now the way to obtain this righteousness we may find out in this
phrase by which it is here expressed, ' The righteousness of God through
faith.'

First, It is the righteousness of Christ ; and therefore, if we would obtain
it, we must renounce our own righteousness, for these two are opposed by
the apostle in point of confidence. If we rely upon our own righteousness,
we disclaim the righteousness of Christ ; and if we rely on Christ's right
eousness, we must disclaim our own. If these two could be joined, the
apostle would not divide them ; but he professes, ' he would be found in
Christ, not having,' &c., ' that he might have that which is,' &c.

324 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

Be convinced, then, of the insufficiency of your own righteousness. It
cannot satisfy justice, it comes far short of what is required, it cannot make
amends for the least sin, it cannot entitle you to heaven, it cannot justify
you in the sight of God : ' By the deeds of the law,' &c., Gal. ii. 16. Since
it is thus insufficient, rely not on it for what it cannot perform, depend not
on it for pardon, acceptation, or life ; think not your praying and being
sorry for sin, or works of charity, is that for which the Lord will pardon or
save you, Tit. iii. 5. The like of justification, adoption, acceptance.

Be convinced no righteousness that you have, no works of righteousness
that you do, will make any satisfaction for sin, or procure you any title to
glory.

If you place your confidence herein, you cut yourself off from Christ and
his righteousness, Gal. v. 4. Your own must be renounced, or else there
is no hope of the righteousness by faith ; renounced, I say, not in respect
of performance, but in respect of confidence. The works of righteousness
must not be omitted, neglected ; this was not the apostle's practice nor
intention ; he saw the necessity of these in himself, he urged them upon
others ; they are commendable, yea, necessary in their own place, for
those ends, and in that way which the Lord requires ; to testify your
submission to God, to express your thankfulness for gospel mercies, to
honour him, adorn your profession, evidence your sincerity ; for this and
such like ends there is an excellency in them, a necessity of them.

But in respect of confidence you must renounce them ; perform them
you must, but when you have performed them, you must repose no more
confidence in them than if you had performed nothing at all. ' When we
have done all, say,' &c., Mat. xvii. 10. Your own righteousness is good
in its own place, but when you rely on it you misplace it ; and a good
thing out of its own place may prove a dangerous evil. What more neces
sary and useful than fire when it is confined to the chimney ? Put it in
the thatch, you know it will prove a dangerous, destructive evil. So here,
righteousness confided in is a good thing out of its place, and so it may
prove pernicious ; it will exclude you an interest in, and benefit by Christ's
righteousness ; and therefore, in point of confidence, you must renounce
it, if ever you would partake of Christ's righteousness.

The ground hereof is signally expressed by the church, Isa. Ixiv. 6.
Not righteousness, this or that act, but righteousnesses ; not some, but all
put together ; let no rags, a rag will not cover you, it is not a garment ;
stretch it as you will it cannot so hide your nakedness but some of it will
appear ; your own righteousness cannot cover your guilt or pollution from
the eye of God, it is a rag, there are many rents and holes in it, many
defects and sinful imperfections in all, even the best. It is a rag, that
which you have cause rather to be ashamed of than glory in, that which
can neither secure you from extremity of heat or cold. It cannot secure
you from the wrath and justice of God, it leaves you exposed thereto, it is
not therefore to be trusted to.

Nay, filthy rags, not only defective, but polluted, and filthily polluted ;
if the Lord observe it there is no standing in his sight ; it needs another
covering to hide its filthiness from the pure eye of God, and nothing can
so cover it but Christ's righteousness ; it must be cast off in point of confi
dence before we can put on Christ. Those that will be found in it cannot
be found in Christ : it is the Lord's method to strip a sinner of his own
rags before he put on him the best robe, Zech. iii. 3-5. The apostle
observed this method : ' Not having,' &c. The way to Christ's righteous-

PHILIP. III. 9.] EIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHKIST. 325

ness is renouncing your own. If you would rejoice in Christ Jesus, in
the participation of his righteousness, you must have no confidence in
the flesh.

Secondly, It is this righteousness which is of God. He ordained it, he
appointed Christ to parform it; he accepted it performed, and imputes it,
gives it believers; it is his gift, Rom. v. 15-19; and therefore if you
would have it, you must ask it of God. Go, then, take to you words,
desire it of him in all humble importunity. To beg for this as for life,
pray as Rachel for children, Gen. xxx. 1. Give me Christ, give me his
righteousness, or else I die : I die spiritually, I die eternally ; nothing
less can satisfy revenging justice, every hour ready to destroy ; can appease
that curse that burns like fire against me ; can deliver me from wrath to
come ; can preserve me from going down into the pit. Oh give me this,
or else I die, I perish eternally! Heaven and earth cannot save me
without it; my soul is lost, my condition is desperate; I am undone for
ever, if the Lord deny me this. Oh, this calls for your strongest cries !
Life or death, and that of soul and body, and that to eternity, depends on
it. Beg for it, as you would beg for life ; say, nothing but this can pro
cure me pardon of sin, can render myself or my services acceptable in his
sight, can give me the least grounded hopes of heaven. If my hopes were
only in this life, I am of all men most miserable. Why ? Without Christ's
righteousness I am without hope ; this life cannot be comfortable, and
there is no hopes at all of eternal life. If thou deniest this, I am of all
men most miserable ; I may be happy without worldly enjoyments, but all
things in the world cannot make me happy without this. And therefore,
however thou disposest of me in the world, whatsoever thou deniest me,
Lord, deny me not this. I can be happy without riches and abundance,
as was Job and Lazarus ; happy though reviled and reproached, so was
Christ, so was his disciples ; happy and comfortable in prison, so was Paul
and Silas. Oh, but I cannot be happy without this ; all the riches, places,
honours on earth, will leave me miserable, if I be left without this ; so I
should be rich and increased so with goods as to stand in need of nothing,
yet if I want this, I shall be wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind,
and naked. If I had all things else that heart can desire on earth, yet
what would all this avail me without Christ's righteousness ! What profit
in riches, while I have them with the wrath of God! What comforts in
honour, while I am a son of perdition, a child of wrath ! What sweetness
in pleasure, while I am hastening to everlasting torments ! Oh, miserable
comforts, miserable enjoyments are these, whilst Christ's righteousness is
not my portion !

Lord, however thou dealest with me in outward things, whatsoever thou
takest from me, whatsoever thou deniest me, oh, deny me not Christ, deny
me not interest in his righteousness ! Thus follow the Lord with strong
cries, lie at the Lord's feet, cast thyself at this throne of grace, resolve to
give the Lord no rest till he gives thee Christ and his righteousness.

Thirdly, It is a righteousness through faith. The righteousness by faith
here, and elsewhere a righteousness of faith, and that because it is made
ours by faith. It is the righteousness of God, because his gift ; the
righteousness of faith, because faith is, as it were, the hand by which we
receive this gift. Hence believing and receiving are all one in Scripture,
John i. 12. If you would have Christ's righteousness, you must have
faith. But here mistake not that for faith which is not faith, an ordinary
but dangerous mistake, when Satan persuades men they have Christ's

326 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PHILIP. III. 9.

righteousness, though they have it not, by persuading them they have
justifying faith, when they have no such thing.

Think not you have faith because you believe the word of God, and
what he there reveals is true. This is not justifying faith; this is no more
than devils may have. Think not it is an easy thing to believe; those that
think so know not what faith is. A man, whilst in the state of nature, can
no more believe of himself, and receive Christ's righteousness, than a dead
man can stretch out his hand to receive meat, for natural men are dead in
trespasses and sins.

Those that say they have faith ever since they can remember, know not
how they came by it, may suspect they never had it at all. It is an
almighty power that works faith in a sinner, and there is a wonderful
change wrought in the heart when faith is there planted, a change answer
able to the greatness of that power that works, answerable [to] such a
power as raised Christ from the dead, for such a power is requisite to work
faith, Eph. i. 19, 20.

Observe the way, the method, which the Lord ordinarily uses in working
that faith which receives this righteousness.

He convinces the soul of sin, sets his sins in order before him in its
sinfulness, heinousness, aggravations, and desert; of the wrath of God due
to him for sin, and his misery by 'reason hereof, so as his conscience is
affected, his soul burthened therewith; he discovers Christ, his excellency,
all- sufficiency, and the absolute necessity of him. He had heard of this
before, but now sees them; his present apprehensions of these things
differ as much from his former, as those of a quick-sighted man differs
from his who is blind.

He hereupon quickens his desires after Christ, begets in him hungering
and thirsting after his righteousness, such as a famished man after meat.

He persuades the heart to accept of Christ upon his own terms, makes
it willing, resolute to abandon every known sin, how dear soever, and to
walk in every way of holiness, how strict and precise soever he hath judged
it formerly, how much soever it be hated or derided by the world.

And in the deep sense of his misery and lost condition, by reason of
sin and wrath, and the insufficiency of all things to deliver him, but Christ
only, he inclines the soul to cast itself upon Christ for pardon and life, and
to rest upon him as the only refuge from wrath and misery ; the soul lays
hold, rests upon Christ, even as a drowning man lays hold on a plank and
stays himself thereupon from sinking; this is that faith which receives
Christ's righteousness, and this you must believe if you would partake
of it.

Fourthly, Be diligent to improve this righteousness of Christ. We little
value or desire those things whose use and virtue we know not, and the
virtue of a thing is not fully known till it be improved and made use of.
Labour to improve the righteousness of Christ, and then the sweet and
blessed advantages of it will be known effectually ; for hereby you will
know them experimentally, and an experimental knowledge hereof is the
most effectual means to raise your apprehensions of it, and draw out your
desires after it.

For further directions I intended to shew how Christ's righteousness
may be improved for the encouragement, increase, and exercise of every
grace, of love and zeal, of humility and self-denial, of hatred of sin and
contempt of the world, with many more. I intended also to shew how you
may improve it in every duty, enjoyment, occurrence, and undertaking;

PHILIP. III. 9.] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 327

but if you forget not what I have formerly delivered in many particulars
concerning the usefulness and advantage of Christ's righteousness ; if you
conscientiously make use thereof accordingly, there will be no need of
further directions herein ; and lest I should seem to stay too long upon
this subject, thither I must refer you.

I shall now only insist upon one particular, or rather two in one, but
that which will be instead of many ; and this is to shew you how we may
improve it in praying and believing, for the strengthening of faith and your
encouragement to pray in faith.

These two are as it were the life, breath, of a quickened soul ; that
which it lives upon is Christ and his righteousness, Gal. ii. 20 ; he that
can pray and believe needs want nothing, this will fetch him rich supplies
in abundance ; the treasury is Christ's righteousness.

He needs fear nothing, this will scatter all occasions of fear, Christ's
righteousness will be his security.

He is a Christian indeed that is much in prayer and strong in faith ;
these two must be joined, for faith is best experienced in prayer, and prayer
is most effectual when in faith, James i. 5, 6.

These are the two great attractive faculties of the new creature, they
draw into the soul all that virtue of Christ's righteousness which is com
municable ; these are the ways, the means to make the utmost improve
ment of the righteousness of Jesus.

And which is here most considerable, nothing affords more encourage
ment to improve this righteousness by faith and prayer than this righteous
ness itself.

As the best way to improve this righteousness is by praying and believing,
so the greatest encouragement to faith, to prayer, is from this righteous
ness ; this strengthens the hands of faith, this suggests arguments to make
the soul earnest, affected, importunate in prayer ; this answers all objec
tions, removes all discouragements that might dishearten the soul from
praying, or hinder the acting of faith in prayer.

Let me shew this more particularly, that you may see the way herein to
improve Christ's righteousness.

(1.) A humble soul, sensible of his spiritual condition, and the weakness
of his best services, will be apt to discourage himself with such thoughts
as these. Alas ! my prayers are weak, if I could pray with such fervency,
such enlargements, such affections, such importunity as other servants of
God have done formerly, and some I see are wont to do now, then I might
be encouraged to pray, and to expect an answer of my prayers ; but my
prayers are so weak, faint, imperfect, as there is little hope they should be
regarded, little hope they should prevail.

Ay, but consider, though thy prayers be weak, yet the plea of Christ's
righteousness is strong, this hath a voice which the Lord hears, though we
take no notice of it ; nunquam tacet, &c.

It speaks better things than the blood of Abel, Heb. xii. 24. The
weakest prayer, enforced with the righteousness of Christ, is more effectual,
mor» prevailing than that which seems strongest, if Christ's righteousness
be neglected ; if Christ should now, as in the days of his flesh, send up for
thee strong cries, with tears and sighs, thou wouldst not doubt, whatever
thy weakness be, but he would prevail for thee ; why, the righteousness of
Christ presented to the Lord now in heaven, doth as effectually speak for
thee (if a believer), as if he did now pray for thee with sighs and tears.
There is a more powerful plea in the blooa of Christ than there could be in

328 JUSTIFICATION BY THE [PillLIP. III. 9.

his tears : and that is as fresh in the Lord's remembrance, as if it were
now, as if it were every hour shed for thee ; it ever pleads, and therefore
he is said for ever to make intercession ; and canst thou doubt that this
plea ever joined with, always enforcing thy prayers, will not prevail ? Oh
what encouragement is here to faith in prayer from Christ's right
eousness !

(2.) Secondly, Oh but my former sins are great, my provocations many, and
when I come to pray, nay, would believe the Lord will hearken, then I fear
my sins may come into remembrance, may meet my prayers at the throne of
grace, and this dashes my hopes, sinks me into distrust and doubtings.
My sins cry louder than my prayers, and what hope then my prayers should
prevail ? The Lord's ear is not straitened. Methinks I see my sins spread
ing themselves as a thick cloud about the throne of grace, so as my prayers
cannot come near.

Ay, but to remove this, consider there is a virtue in the righteousness of
Christ to scatter thy sins as a thick cloud. Let faith carry with it the
righteousness of Christ to the throne of grace, and thou wilt see thy sins
vanish as a mist before the sun, and this is applied by and to a believer,
and presented by Christ in his behalf, his sins shall never more be had in
remembrance ; nay, he will cast them into the bottom of the sea. So that
thou mayest say of them as it is said of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, ' Those
that ye now see, ye shall see them no more.' Christ's righteousness will
be continually presented on purpose to nonsuit sin and Satan. When this
is applied, though sin appear in judgment and plead against the believer,
yet it will certainly be cast, Rom. viii. 8. Christ, by virtue of his right
eousness, is the most powerful advocate, he always hath the judge's ears
and heart, and that cause will always be found righteous that Christ's
righteousness is engaged in ; it is impossible it should miscarry.

To bring this with faith to the throne of grace, and then whatever
sins yours have been, you may plead there with confidence to prevail ; hence
triumphant challenge of the apostle, who otherwise was as sensible of his
sins as any, Rom. viii. 83 ; your sins may outcry your prayers, but they
cannot outcry the blood, the righteousness of Christ.

(3.) Thirdly, Oh but I am unworthy, how can I expect the Lord should take
notice of such a worm ? there seems no more reason the great God should
regard my prayers than that he should regard the crawling of a worm, or
take notice of the regardless motion of dust or ashes ; I am less, I am
worse than these, sin hath made me more unworthy.

Ay, but though thou beest unworthy, yet Christ is worthy ; though there
be no worth in thee, yet there is worth enough in Christ's righteousness ;
though thou and thy services be found too light, lighter than vanity, yet
put Christ's righteousness in the balance, together with thee and thy prayers,
and then they will be current, acceptable, without question.

If thou be found in Christ, then look not on what thou art simply in
thyself, but what thou art in him ; now he hath made thy lust his, and his
righteousness thine, no matter then for thy unworthiness since he is
worthy; say, Most unworthy am I, 0 Lord, but worthy is Christ; and so
the angels and saints cry with a loud voice, Rev. v. 12.

Now, as he is worthy to receive all this for himself, so he is worthy to
obtain, to receive all good things for his people ; if thou beest found in
him, having his righteousness, his merits, his worthiness will be as available
for thee though thou beest most unworthy ; thou shalt as easily obtain what
thou prayest for as though thou wast worthy to receive it ; though thou

PHILIP. III. 9.] KIGHTEOTISNESS OF CHRIST. 329

art the vilest of slaves by reason of sin, yet believing this, by this right
eousness art made a king and a priest to offer up spiritual sacrifices, &c.

(4.) Fourthly, But I fear the Lord is not willing to grant what I pray
for. Ordinarily there seems to be no doubt of the Lord's power, but that
which most weakens faith and discourages the heart in praying is fear, or
doubting that the Lord is not willing. Here is the greatest discouragement
a believer meets with, Gal. iv. 5.

But the righteousness of Christ removes this, hence thou mayest per
suade thyself the Lord is most willing, most ready to grant what thou
desirest ; for if thou be found in Christ, and if thou ask what is good, what
is necessary for thee, the righteousness of Christ hath purchased this for
thee ; now, will the Lord be unwilling to put thee in possession of what
Christ hath purchased for thee ? You cannot imagine him unwilling here,
except you will think him unjust, unrighteous.

Besides, the relation wherein Christ's righteousness instates thee may
persuade this ; hereby thou standest in that relation to God as a child to
his father, Gal. iii. 26. Now, will a father so gracious, so indulgent, be
unwilling to afford his child what is good, what is necessary for him, when
he asks it affectionately, begs it with all importunity ? It is Christ's owii
argument, Mat. vii. 9-11.

(5.) Fifthly, Oh, but it is a great request I put up ; if it were a small
matter, I should with more confidence look to have it granted, but in this
case, here is more ground for doubting.

For answer, no more ground at all ; the righteousness of Christ satisfies
this on a double account.

fl.J If the Lord hath given thee Christ and his righteousness, he hath
given thee the greatest mercy that can be given or received ; if he hath
given thee the greater, mayest thou not with confidence ask the less ? He
that thought not Christ himself too much for thee, will he stand with thee
for a small matter? The greatest is small compared with Christ, Rom. viij.

[2.] Is this great thing of more value than Christ's righteousness ? No
such instance can be given. Why, then, it was bought for thee by Christ's
righteousness, this was the price of it ; and if it be purchased for thee, can
the greatness of it hinder the Lord from giving it to thee ?

(6.) Sixthly, Oh, but there are many provocations even in my prayers,
much deadness of heart, much unaffectedness, much indifferency and luke-
warmness, much self-seeking, and many distractions, much backwardness
to it, dulness in it, weariness of it, &c., and many other provoking evils.
Those that observe the temper of their hearts in spiritual duties, and take
an account of their ways and walking with God, will find cause to bewail
the sinfulness of their best prayers; and Satan, he takes an occasion hereby
to assault their faith, and discourage from expecting any gracious returns
to such offensive petitions. How can this offering (will he suggest) ascend
up as a savour of a sweet smell unto heaven, when there is so much corrup
tion in them ?

But for answer : If these sinful imperfections be bewailed, and the blood
of Christ applied by faith for pardon, then they are pardoned ; and what
sins are pardoned can no more hinder the answer of prayer (if good) than
if they were not committed.

The prayers of believers appear not in the sight of God simply as they ,
come from them, they are presented by Christ; their petitions are, as it
were, offered by his hand, and his righteousness presented with them ; if
the sin appears, the satisfaction is at hand too, and how then can the

330 JUSTIFICATION BY CHKISl's KIGHTEOUSNESS. [PHILIP. III. 9.

appearance of sin be prejudicial ? See this comfortably set fort in Rom.
viii. 3, 4.

It was the priest's office to offer incense, and this angel that here offers
is the High Priest of heaven, the Lord Jesus ; he offers the prayers of the
saints, they ascend before God out of the angel's hand, and needs must
they be accepted from his hand, whatever they be in themselves.

Nay, further, he offers them with much incense, or, as it is in the Greek,
he adds much incense to them ; that is, he adds his meritorious and satisfac
tory righteousness, for incense was a type of his mediation. The prayers
that ascend up with this incense must needs be the savour of a sweet smell,
must needs find gracious acceptance and sweet returns.

Thus you see how this righteousness may be improved to strengthen
faith, and remove all discouragements in praying, to answer all objections
that may occasion any doubt of gracious returns. And by this one instance
you may judge how advantageous it would be to the rest. Oh that the
comfort and precious advantages which arise from the improvement of this
righteousness might be effectual to raise your thoughts of it, and quicken
your desires after it, so as ye might be willing to suffer the loss of all
things, &c.

MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING TO COME
TO CHRIST.

Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. — JOHN V. 40.

THE Lord Jesus having miraculously cured an impotent man on the Sabbath
day, the unbelieving Jews are so far from believing in him, that they
blaspheme, persecute, and reproach him as a profaner of the Sabbath,
ver. 16. Christ hereupon makes an apology for himself, and proves by
unanswerable arguments, that his act was no violation of the Sabbath, to
the 31st verse. But the Jews, full of malice and unbelief, were apt to
object, that the weight of his own arguments lay upon his own testimony,
and a man's testimony of himself in his own cause is not counted valid or
credible, ver. 81. But though this objection have only place amongst men
(whose testimony of themselves is not satisfactory and convincing), and
cannot be made use of to weaken the testimony of Christ, who was more
than man, no less God than man, yet he so far yields as to waive his own
testimony ; and for confirmation of what he had delivered, produces variety
of testimonies against which there could be no just, nay, no plausible
exception ; and he alleges,

1. The testimony of John, ver. 33, which you see, John i. 7, and this he
makes use of, not out of any necessity in respect of himself (who being
God, and truth itself, needed not the witness of man to testify of him), but
out of respect to them, with whom John's testimony was more valid than
his own of himself; for John was a burning and shining light, he came
both with evidence and power, such as was not altogether ineffectual upon
these hardened Jews, ver. 35.

2. The testimony of miracles, this was a real witness. If they could not
hear, they might see a testimony, the miraculous power of Christ testifying
the truth of his doctrine, and so confirming that he was God, and sent of
God. This was the testimony which the Jews required as that wherein
they would rest satisfied : ' What sign shewest thou ?' ver. 86.

3. The testimony of the Father : ver. 37, ' The Father which hath sent
me, hath borne witness of me ; ' not only by wonders on earth, but by a
voice from heaven, Mat. iii. 16, 17. But if ye will not acknowledge that
ye have heard his voice, no more than ye have seen his shape, yet there is
a further witness that ye cannot, dare not deny ; and that is,

832 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

4. The testimony of the Scripture, ver. 89. Moses and the prophets,
even all that have been from the beginning of the world, they testify that
I am the Messias. Now as to the rest, so to this he subjoins an applica
tion, and that by way of complaint, ver. 40. Though the Scriptures testify
that life is to be had only in the Messias, and though they testify that I
am the Messias, in whom only life is to be fouud, ' yet ye will not come
to me,' &c.

Wherein three things are observable : 1. Men's misery out of Christ;
they are off from him, dead without him, unwilling to come to him.
2. Men's happiness in Christ; they that find,-him find life, the sentence of
life as to justification, the principles of life spiritual as- to sanctification,
the comforts of life temporal as to their present enjoyments, the joys of life
eternal as to their future condition. 3. Christ's resentment of man's con
dition; he complains of it, it grieves, it troubles him; he vents his grief to
a sad complaint, ' Ye will not come to me.'

Each part affords some fruitful observations, and from man's misery we
may collect two very useful doctrines :

I. Doct. Men by nature are far from Christ.

II. Doct. Men without Christ are unwilling to come unto him.

I. For the first, men by nature are far from Christ. This is clearly
implied. What need of coming to him, but that they are at a distance
from him ? All, every man by nature is so, the Lord speaks this of the Jews,
and the apostle witnesses the same of the Gentiles : Acts ii. 39, ' The promise
is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off; ' the like, Eph.
ii. 13, 17. The Jews were nearer in respect of some privileges and enjoy
ments, but far off in respect of spiritual saving improvement of them.
The prodigal is an emblem, a lively representation of both, both Jew and
Gentile. We departed from our father's house in Adam, and till the
Lord convert us, we, as he, dwell in a far country, at a great distance
from Christ, far from him in respect of knowledge, union, participation,
converse.

1. In respect of knowledge. Far from knowing Christ savingly, effectually,
experimentally ; far from apprehending such excellency in him as to count
all things dross and dung in comparison of him ; such necessity of him as
to part with sin, self, the world, and all for him ; such all- sufficiency in
him, as to be content with him in the want, in the loss of all ; far from
clear knowledge of Christ, as a poor prisoner, locked and bolted in a dark
dungeon is far from seeing the light of the day, or as a man stark blind is
far from seeing the light of the sun ; so, and far more than so, is a
natural man from seeing Christ ; shut up in darkness, under the power of
Satan, having the eyes of his mind blinded by the God of this world, that
he cannot see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ.

2. In respect of union. He is far from being united with Christ, from
being one with him ; wedded to sin, glued to the world, and unwilling to
be separated, and so far from Christ, because there can be no contract
betwixt Christ and the soul till there be a divorce betwixt the soul and
sin, the soul and the world. No league with Christ till the covenant with
hell and death, with sin and the world, be broken. Far from faith, which
is the bond of this union, shut up under unbelief, and a gravestone laid
upon the soul, which nothing can roll away but an almighty power ; far
from marriage-union with Christ, even as a child yet unborn is far from

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 333

the hopes and comforts of a conjugal life and union ; so far are men
from Christ, who are yet in the state of nature, not regenerated, not
born again.

3. In respect of participation. As far from union with the person of »
Christ, so far from partaking of the benefits of Christ ; far from pardon,
being yet under the sentence of condemnation ; from adoption, being yet
servants of sin, and slaves to Satan; from reconciliation, being enemies to
Christ in their minds through wicked works ; from sanctification, the old
man keeping still possession with a strong hand, and the interest of the
flesh and the world prevailing in the soul ; from heaven, there is a great
gulf betwixt him and heaven, a gulf deep and large, no passage possible by

the act or power of nature. Far from enjoying any of the benefits of
Christ's purchase, as he that is in the Indies, without ship or boat, is far
from enjoying any comforts or accommodations here with us.

4. In respect of converse. A stranger to Christ, far from communion S
with him ; a stranger to his thoughts, Christ is not his meditation ; his
heart is not with him, his affections not on him, his inclinations not towards
him, his desires not after him, his delight not in him, his designs not for
him ; he lives not to Christ, acts not for him, walks not with him ; Christ

is in heaven, and his heart is on the world. As far as heaven is from earth,
so far is a natural man from Christ.

Use. See here the misery of every man by nature, far from Christ, and
consequently near to hell and Satan ; and since man is always in motion,
the longer he continues out of Christ, the further he wanders from him.
"While you are in the state of nature, till ye be converted, till ye be regene
rated and born again, till ye be translated out of that state wherein ye were
born, wherein ye have lived, this is your condition, ye are far from Christ.
Oh sad state, if ye were sensible of it ! There is something of hell in this
condition, far from Christ ! It is heaven to be with Christ, it is his pre
sence that makes heaven glorious, it is his presence enjoyed that makes
heaven happy ; but to be far from Christ, is to be in hell upon earth ; to
be far from Christ, is to be in the suburbs of hell ; when Christ is farthest
off, then is hell opened. What is hell, but the state farthest from Christ ?
And now if this be your state, if ye be far off from Christ, why there is but
a step between you and hell.

Oh the misery of this condition ! If natural men were not possessed with
a spirit of slumber, if they were but sensible how miserable this condition
is, they would scarce sleep, or eat, or count anything comfortable, while
they are in it.

While far from Christ, you are far from comfort, happiness, hopes of
either; you are far from the dearest friend, the sweetest relation you can
desire in the world ; far from being rich, however you are provided in the
world, for Christ is the only treasure ; far from comforts, however ye
solace yourselves in things below ; all your springs of comfort are in Christ.
Dig where you will, bitterness will spring up, no pure comforts ; while far
from this fountain, far from happiness. Christ is the foundation of all
happiness. Ye may delude yourselves with fancies, but you will find it
really true, till ye be near to Christ, you are far from happiness, ay, and
far from hopes of happiness ; without Christ, without hope ; far from Christ,
far from hope : Christ, where he is, is the hope of glory, Col. i. Ye are
far from heaven, far from glory, far from hopes of glory, while ye are far
from Christ.

Oh then, never rest in this condition, make haste out of the state of nature,

834 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

never be at quiet, till ye be converted, born again ; till ye feel the power of
Christ's Spirit drawing your souls off from sin and the world, till then ye
are far from Christ.

II. Doct. Sinners are unwilling to come to Christ. It is evident in the
•words, Christ complains of it, and he never complains without cause. If
this were not so, Christ should wrong them, his complaint would be
groundless.

Nothing more true than this, and yet nothing less believed. Indeed,
every one will acknowledge this in general, but come to particulars, and
inquire, Art thou willing ? &c. And you shall scarce find one man that
bears the name of a Christian, but he will confidently tell }TOU, he is not
only willing to come, but is already with him ; even as it was with the
Jews, so it is now with most Christians. Those of the people whom the
apostle calls Jews outwardly, if one had told them they were unwilling to
come to their Messias, they would have looked upon it as a groundless
slander, as a most intolerable reproach. What, not we who make it our
daily prayer, who live in continual expectation of him, who desire nothing
more than to see him in the world ? What more false than that we should
not be willing to come ? And yet nothing was more true ; for when Christ
the Messias was really in the world, they were so far from coming to him,
as they would not receive him when, he came to them : ' He came to his
own, and they received him not.' So it is with those amongst us who are
Christians outwardly. What, are not we willing to come to Christ, who
call upon his name, and are called by his name, and expect salvation only
by him ? This seems a most uncharitable, groundless charge ; and yet
there are but few (of all that many that profess, Christ) that do, or will
really come to him ; and they are apt to be most confident who are farthest
off. They are his own, those who bear his name, to whom Christ comes,
and yet they will not receive him : it is the generality of those who are
called Christians of whom Christ may complain, ' Ye will not come to me.'
They will not come to Christ for spiritual life, they will not come to him
at all for the life of holiness and sanctification ; and though they seem
willing to come to him for pardon and heaven, for judicial and eternal life,
yet they are unwilling to come to him even for these in his own way ; and
as good sit still as not come in Christ's way. He that will walk in his Own
way towards Christ, he goes from him, not to him. Nothing more clear
in Scripture and experience than this, else what needs so many invitations,
so much importunity, Isa. Iv. 1, Kev. xxii. What needs he cry aloud unto
them, Prov. i. 20, but that they are unwilling to hear ? What need he
send so many messengers ? What need so many entreaties and persuasive
arguments, 2 Cor. v. 20, but that unwillingness is not easily removed ?
What needs he come himself to call them ? Mat. xviii. 11. Why does he
wait so long, and stand without knocking, Rev. iii., if there need be no if,
but that men are unwilling ? What need so many commands to come, so
many threatenings if they do not, Luke xiv. 24, so many expostulations for
not coming ? What need he take the rod, and whip them home to himself,
but that they are loath to come, fair means will not prevail ? Why does
he weep and sigh at the obstinacy of sinners ? Luke xix. 41, 42. To con
clude : What needs an almighty power to draw sinners unto him ? Are not
they unwilling that must be drawn to it ?

You see, it is as clear in the Scripture as the sun, that it is so. Let us
inquire why it is so, and who they are that are unwilling, that every one

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHEIST. 835

may know what to judge of himself in this particular ; and both these we
shall shew with one labour.

1. Many think they are already come to Christ, when indeed they are
far from him. They conceive they are come far enough, and therefore are
unwilling to come farther, so they sit down short of Christ, and are not
willing to come to him. What is the language of men's hearts but this,
We profess Christ, are baptized in his name, hope to be saved by him,
submit to his ordinances, hear his word, call on his name, and who then
can say that we are not come to Christ ? And whereas, alas, many go
farther than thus, and yet live and die without Christ, and so far from him
as he knows them not ; and so he professeth to the foolish virgins, and to
those, Mat. vii. Did not Judas, did not Simon Magus do all this, and
more than this ? which yet is all that most can allege to prove they are
come to Christ.

Do you come to Christ as a Saviour to deliver you from the wrath to
come ? It is well ; but if ye go no further, ye go but half the way to
Christ. If you will come home to Christ indeed, you must go to him,
not only as a Saviour, but as a Lord ; not only to receive pardon from him,
but to be ruled by him ; not only to be saved, but to be sanctified ; not
only for happiness, but for holiness too, for Christ is both or neither ; and
if ye come for one and not for the other, indeed you come not at all ; you
do but delude yourselves with thoughts that you are already come ; Christ
will have as much cause to complain of you as of the Jews, ' Ye will not.'

2. Many do not fully apprehend their necessity of Christ. And if they -s
think it unnecessary, no wonder if they be unwilling. But what ignorant
wretches are they, you will say, who think it not necessary ? Oh that

the greatest number of those that profess Christ were not such ! A little
search into the thoughts and ways of men, will discover that there are
multitudes who did never thoroughly apprehend what necessity there is of
Christ.

Are there not such, who when they sin, think it enough to be sorry for
it, to ask God forgiveness, or to be more careful for the future ? Do not
some think they make amends for sinning by doing some good work, or
falling upon some religious duty after it? Is not this ordinary, even
amongst the better sort of ordinary Christians ? (for some miscreants there
are who run on in sin without any remorse at all). Now what necessity
of Christ do they apprehend, who can thus satisfy their consciences ? Do
such duly apprehend, that the least of those many millions of sins which
they are guilty of, deserves eternal torments ? that the justice of God is
engaged to inflict those torments for every sin, though it be but a vain
thought or idle word ? that justice can never be disengaged from thus
punishing such sin, till it be fully satisfied ? that nothing can satisfy justice
for the least, but that which is of infinite value ? that none in heaven or
earth can offer this to justice, but only Jesus Christ ? If these were truly
apprehended, which are the sure truths of the gospel, you would be far
from thinking to make amends for the least sin, though you should fast,
and pray, and weep for it to all eternity.

There is none but Christ, none but Christ, can satisfy for the least sin- ^
ful motion that ever was in thy heart. Oh, if men believed Christ thus
necessary, they would not only go, but run, but fly to him. You would
not work, nor sleep, nor eat in quiet, till you were sure that Christ had
satisfied for your sins. Sure when men sin, and are not disquieted ; or,
if they be, yet can quiet their consciences with anything in the world but

336 MEN BY NATUBE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

the application of the blood of Christ, they see not their necessity of Christ,
they are not yet come to him.

Further, are there not such who believe they shall be saved because they
mean well, and do no man wrong, and give to every one their own, and
now and then serve God in some religious duties ? They think God is
more merciful than to damn such harmless, well-meaning people. Why,
but if you can come thus to heaven, what need is there of Christ ? Sure
you never were convinced of your necessity of Christ, and then it is evident
enough you are not yet come to him.

Besides, are there not many who see no need of regeneration, of an uni
versal change in their whole souls ? who, if they can restrain their lusts,
see no need to endeavour the subduing them ? think their natures suffi
ciently sanctified, if the corruption of them break not forth in gross sins ;
think the outward performance of religious duties sufficient ; see no need
of so much zeal, faith, fervency, delight, and spiritualness, and aims at God
in the performing them ; think it enough if their conversation be honest
and civil, though it be not spiritual or heavenly ? If these be not the
thoughts of most, let your consciences, let your former or present experiences
judge. And if it be thus, what need is there of Christ for regeneration or
mortification, for exercise of grace or holiness of life ? Alas ! it is plain
here are no due apprehensions how necessary Christ is in all these respects,
but here are clear evidences that such never yet came to Christ, no, nor
ever yet were willing to come ; for since they think it unnecessary, they
cannot but be unwilling. Christ has yet cause to complain of such, ' Ye
will not come to me.'

They that are come to Christ indeed, have been led to him by the sense
of their necessity of him. When sin has wounded the conscience, they fly
to him as the wounded, dying man in the wilderness to the brazen serpent ;
they make haste to him, as the fainting hart hastes to the waters, panting
after them.

They know a change in their lives without a change in their hearts, will
but leave them as painted sepulchres in God's eye, and none can change
their hearts but Christ ; therefore they come to him for sanctification.
They know it is to little purpose to restrain sin, except it be subdued ; and
Christ being only able to subdue their lusts, they come to him for strength.
They know outward performances are but the carcase of religious duties :
the soul of them is the exercise of grace in them ; therefore they come to
Christ for quickening grace. They know a civil conversation is not enough
to adorn the gospel : there is need of Christ to make them spiritual and
heavenly ; therefore they come to him for it. They know when they have
done their best, and put forth their souls to the utmost in holy services,
yet they are but unprofitable servants : there is enough in their exactest
performances to damn them, and kindle God's displeasure against them ;
therefore when all is done, they run to Christ for acceptance. Those who
never saw these things necessary, nor their necessity of Christ for those
, ends, were never yet willing to come to Christ.

3. Many are too busy to come to Christ, they have not leisure for such
a journey ; some busy in following their sports and pastimes ; some eager
in pursuing their unlawful pleasures ; some wholly taken up with the cares
of earth, have their hands, and hearts, and heads, so full of the world, as
there is little or no room to think of coming, that must be laid aside till
more leisure. If Christ call, they bid him have patience, or come another
time, when sickness, or old age, or death approaches ; then it may be

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 337

they will think of it, at present they must be excused, they cannot
come.

You have the temper of these men plainly represented in that parable,
Luke xiv. The Lord sends to invite many to the marriage-feast, but they
all with one consent make excuse. One is too busy about his farm, he
must be excused ; another is taken up with his marriage, he cannot come ;
another is employed about his oxen, he must be excused. Thus it is with
most to whom the Lord sends the gospel, they are too busy to be saved,
too full of employment to mind Christ or their souls.

Though Christ invite them again and again, though he lift up his voice
and cry aloud to them in the ministry of the word, yet such a noise does
the world make in their ears, they do not hear Christ ; he speaks to stocks
and stones, no more are they moved by his invitations. Or if there be
any resemblance in them of living creatures, the deaf adder is their emblem,
which stops his ears though the charmer charm never so wisely.

Though Christ weep, as we read he did in the Gospel, to see such
wretched unkindness unto him, and such strange cruelty to their own
souls, yet they regard not ; their eyes are so fixed upon other things, that
though Christ be held forth to them as a man of sorrows, yet they mind
him not, they hid their faces from him.

Though Christ knock at the door of their hearts, and stand there knock
ing from Sabbath to Sabbath, by his word and Spirit, yet they are so taken
up with entertaining the world and their lusts, as they have no leisure to
mind him ; knock he may, and stand knocking till his head be wet with the
dew, and his locks with the drops of the night, yet they will not open. Or
if his importunity make them listen, yet usually he gets no other answer,
no other return than this, We are not now at leisure, trouble us not now ;
come another time and we may hear thee. Oh brethren, is not this the
language of those delays wherewith ye put off Christ from time to time ?
Oh take heed lest he who now complains, but ye will not hear, bo pro
voked to turn his complaint into that dreadful threatening, Because ye
will not come to me for life, ye shall die in j'our sins. And that leads
me to the

4. Many will not part with that which keeps them at a distance from
Christ. They will not part with sin to come to Christ, and there is no
coming to him without turning from that ; these two are the opposite
terms of this motion, &c. Now this is the condition of most that hear the
gospel, they have one sin, if not more, which they cannot endure to part
with. If Christ and my sin may be joined together, says the sinner, then
with all my heart I will accept of Christ's invitation, I will come to him ;
but if there be no coming to Christ without parting from my sin, oh this
is a hard task, a hard saying, I know not how to live without my sin ; and
thus he leaves Christ.

This is the fatal rock upon which millions of sinners have shipwrecked
their souls, and lost eternal life and Christ together. They are wedded to
sin, and will live separated from Christ rather than be divorced from their
lusts, for there is no enjoying of these together. It is as possible to
reconcile light and darkness, or join heaven and hell together, as to join
sin and Christ together in one soul: the ways of sin, and the way to Christ,
are as far distant as heaven and earth. You may as well expect to have
your bodies both in heaven and earth at once, as to have your souls act
sin and come to Christ together ; no serving of these two masters. Now,
because there is no coming to Christ without turning from sin, and most

VOL. i. Y

838 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

have no mind to part with sin, hence Christ has cause to complain of so
many, ' Ye will not come unto me.'

5. Many are possessed with prejudice against Christ, as represented in
the gospel, and offered in the ministry of it ; and this prejudice renders
them unwilling to come to him. This was that rock of offence at which
the Jews stumbled, and so fell short of Christ; they expected another kind
of Messias than Christ appeared to be when he offered himself to them ;
they looked for a Messias in the garb of a temporal monarch, to reign
amongst them in worldly glory, 'and to subdue all nations to them by the
force of secular power, and to make their country the head of the world's
empire. This appears in that petition of the mother of Zebedee's chil
dren. Nay, the disciples themselves were possessed with this conceit, as
is manifest by their question, Acts i. 6, ' Wilt thou at this time restore
the kingdom to Israel?' Now, Christ not answering their expectation, but
appearing in the form of a servant, disclaiming all secular jurisdiction, and
professing that his kingdom was not of this world, that he came not to
rule, but to minister, not to reign, but to suffer, hereupon the carnal Jews
were filled with prejudice against him, rejected him, hid their faces from
him, and would not come to him as the Messias.

Thus it is now with the carnal professors of the gospel; because Christ
answers not their expectation (though not the same, yet altogether as
groundless as that of the Jews), therefore they entertain prejudice against
Christ as represented in the gospel, and so they will not entertain Christ ;
they are unwilling to come to him; they expect a Saviour that should let
them live quietly in their sins, and be indulgent to them in their sinful,
voluptuous, licentious courses, and yet should bring them to heaven when
they can live in sin no longer. But now, when the gospel represents
Christ as one who requires strictness and holiness in all his followers, who
calls for mortification and estrangement from the world in all that come to
him, who tells them they must suffer any evil rather than sin, and take up
the cross if they will have him for their Christ ; when the gospel offers a
crucified Christ, one whom nothing will please but that holiness, purity,
strictness, which the world scorns and derides; one whom tribulation, per
secution, reproaches, will attend in all his followers; hearing this, presently
they are offended, prejudice seizes on their souls ; This is not the Christ,
say they in their hearts, that we expected ; this is a Christ of some preciser
men's setting up ; we will not come to him for life. The Lord, who is the
searcher of hearts, knows and sees such secret motions as these in the
hearts of most who bear the name of Christ, but will not own him, close
with him, as the gospel offers him, but separate Christ from holiness,
from sufferings, from which he is not separable. Thus you see why so
many will not come to Christ, and who they are.

Use 1 ; of information. See here the wretchedness of man's nature, take
notice of it, and let it be particularly applied. Every man, Jew and
Gentile, pagan or Christian, is by nature unwilling to come to Christ; and
oh what wretchedness is this ! Ye are all by nature far from Christ, far
from happiness and life ; we are all, till converted and regenerated, in the
jaws of death, in the gulf of miseries; all spiritually dead, and the sentence
of eternal death passed upon us. The Lord has awarded this heavy
sentence not only in the law, but in the gospel, John iii. 18, 36.

And as we are thus miserable, so are we unable utterly to free ourselves
from it. Nay, all the powers in heaven and earth cannot revoke this
sentence, cannot draw us out of this misery ; none in heaven or earth but

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHEIST. 339

Christ; and yet, though our life and death be in the hands of Christ,
though our eternal happiness or misery depend upon our coming or not
coming to Christ, yet we had rather die and perish than come to him for
happiness ; rather die in our sins, than come to him for life.

Christ has now, or has had formerly, cause to complain of every one,
Thou wilt not come to me, &c. And if Christ have such cause to com
plain of us, what reason have we to complain of ourselves. Oh the wretch
edness of this my nature ! oh the desperate depravedness of this heart,
that has been, nay, that is, may most say, so unwilling to come. Oh what
woeful, what hellish perverseness lodges in this soul, that will use so many
excuses, put him off with so many delays, nay, give him plain refusals,
when he invites thee, beseeches thee, urges thee with all importunity to
come to him for life ! I cannot part with my sin, says one, and there is
no coming to him without parting from it. I cannot endure that holiness,
that strictness (nor none of my companions), says another. I shall be
jeered, derided, forsaken, and Christ will not endure me without it. I am
well enough as I am, says another; I thank God I am no drunkard,
adulterer, extortioner, &c., and what need I go farther? I have time
little enough to provide for myself and family, says another; I cannot
spare time for prayer, self-examination, mortifying duties, as Christ
requires. I may come hereafter, says another; at what time soever I
repent and turn to him, he will receive me, and there is time enough before
I die. Thus men put off Christ with such pleas and excuses as the devil
and their corrupt hearts suggest. And what need is there of any other
argument to prove that our natures are desperately wicked above all
expression ! Such an averseness is in them unto Christ, as you will rather
die than come to him. Nor fear of death, nor desire of life itself, can
make men wiling to come to Christ. Christ himself could not prevail with
many sinners to make them willing, though he preached divers years
together, and made this the chief scope of his sermons, and spoke so to
this purpose as never man spake, yet all that he could say or do was not
effectual with the greatest part of those that heard him. Hence he con
cludes his sermons sometimes with complaints, sometimes with tears,
Luke xiii. 34, Mat. xxiii. 37. So few did he prevail with, as he expos
tulates in the Prophet as though they were none at all, Isaiah liii. 1, applied
to this purpose, John xii. 37, 38, and elsewhere, Isaiah Ixv. 2, and xlix. 4.
Such obstinacy did Christ meet with against himself, and such will his
messengers meet with. This is a lamentation, and will be a lamentation,
and oh that every one would lament the wretchedness of his own nature !
and then the servants of God would have less cause to weep in secret that
Christ's message is so fruitless. We abhor toads and serpents, and such
creatures, who seem to be made for the mischief and ruin of others ; how
much more should we loathe our poisonous mischievous natures, which, by
their obstinacy against Christ, shew we are worse than these, as tending
not only to the mischief of others, but are obstinately bent to ruin them
selves. We abhor the devil for making it his work to devour souls, but
are not our natures, till renewed, worse devils to ourselves, being more
unwilling to come to Christ for life than Satan is desirous to push us on in
the ways of death? May ye not find a toad, a serpent, a devil, or that
which is as bad in this respect, in your own bosoms ? Oh, bewail the
rebellion of your natures against Christ, be ashamed to say or think that
you have good natures. And if there were nothing but this, it is sufficient
to confound this conceit, and to make you ashamed and confounded for it.

340 MEN BY NATUBE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

You are by nature unwilling to come to Christ, had rather die than come
to Christ for life.

Use 2. Examination. Since sinners, for* the greatest part of men are
unwilling, it concerns every one of you to try whether ye be in the number
of those who are not willing ; that is a most undoubted truth, if that be
such which truth itself speaks, and yet who is there that believes it as to
himself? It is not easy to determine whether it be more difficult to per
suade men to be willing, or to persuade men that they are unwilling to
come to Christ. All will easily assent to this in general, sinners are un
willing, but come to particulars, and ask, Art thou unwilling ? and most
will deny it, and with detestation ; I was willing to come to Christ ever
since I heard of him ; he is unworthy to live, unworthy to be counted a
Christian, that will not come to Christ ; thus will every one be ready to
answer. And as this is an evidence that these confidents never yet came,
so it is one great impediment that hinders them from coming. The way to
remove this dangerous obstruction in your way to Christ is to be convinced
of your unwillingness, and the way to get this conviction is to put your
selves upon serious trial whether ye be willing or no ; and this is the
intention of this present application, to direct you how to know this.

If ye be willing to come to Christ, you are already come, for there is
nothing stands betwixt Christ and a sinner but this unwillingness ; as soon
as you are willing, you are with him.

Now, whether ye be come to Christ, ye may upon serious trial know by
these particulars. Those that come to Christ,

1 . Are sorry that they were so long ere they came to him ; they know
when they were without Christ in the world, they remember when Christ
strove with them in his word, by his Spirit, and they resisted, as others do ;
but now, being by his almighty power drawn to him, they know by experi
ence what they lost by living without him, they are sensible how they pro
voked and dishonoured Christ by slighting his invitings, neglecting his
entreaties, resisting his motions ; this is their grief, their sorrow ; so it
was with the prodigal when he was come home to his father, the first thing
that bewrays itself is grief, remorse, for departing from, neglecting to
return to him: ' I have sinned,' &c. Their unkindness pierces them* that
they kept Christ so long out, that they suffered him so long to stand knock
ing at their hearts, striving by his Spirit, beseeching them in his word, yet
they excluded him, closed their hearts against him. Oh, says the soul,
what a wretched rebel was I, who, when Christ stretched out his hands all
the day, I refused ; when he called, entreated, I would not answer ; when
he drew me, I resisted ! Oh, what love, what indulgence, what kindness
was this ! and what wretched unkindness was mine ! This melts the soul
into sorrow. Oh, how happy might I have been long ago if I had yielded
to his motions ! What a wretch was I, to choose rather to feed on husks
than to be entertained with the pleasures of a father's house, than to feed
on those delights which communion with Christ affords. If this be your
temper, it is a good evidence you are come ; but those who say they never
were unwilling to come to Christ, they came to him ever since they can
remember, have reason to suspect they are not yet come.

2. They are acquainted with the way to Christ. Those that have walked
in that way do know it by experience, they have clear, distinct discoveries
of the multitude and heinousness of their sins, have been apprehensive of
the wrath of God due to them for their sins, have been sensible of their

* Qu. « far' ?— ED.

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 841

misery by reason of sin and wrath, even as a man sinking under a burden
is sensible of the weight thereof; have been hereupon convinced of an
absolute necessity of Christ, even as the man pursued for slaughter under
the law saw his need of the city of refuge, so as he must die if he did not
without delay get into it ; felt their hearts drawn out in ardent desires after
Christ, so as their souls could say of Christ as she of children, Give us
Christ, or else we die ; and upon this have been drawn to consent to take
Christ upon his own terms, to part with all the Lord requires, submit to
all he enjoins, undergo all that he will inflict, so as he might enjoy Christ;
cares not what he want, so as he may have him ; cares not what he lose,
so he may gain him. This is the way whereby the Lord brings sinners to
Christ. If ye know this way by experience, you are come to Christ indeed ;
but if strangers to it, you are not come.

3. They have a high esteem of him. While the soul is afar off, as all v
are by nature, he sees little of Christ, and enjoys less, and his esteem of
Christ is answerable ; he is apt to ask, ' What is thy beloved ? ' sees no
such beauty nor comeliness in him but that other things may have his affec
tions, tastes no such sweetness in him, but that the pleasures of sin are as
delightful ; and no wonder, for he is at a great distance, and so cannot sse
and taste that which is afar off; but when he is come to Christ, he sees
such beauty and excellency in him as darkens all outward excellencies,
makes them seem dross compared with Christ ; so did Paul when he was
found in him, Phil, iii., ffz.vj3a\a, those things which he formerly admired
were now not counted worthy to have place in thoughts or affections ; he
cast them out, as more fit for dogs than for that heart which had enter
tained Christ.

Now the soul wonders at his former blindness, that he could see so little
of excellency in Christ, when there is (as now he sees) so infinitely much,
now he tastes that the Lord is gracious. He had heard of him before but
by the hearing of the ear, and his apprehensions were suitable, such as a
blind man has of the sun when he hears a discourse in commendation of
that which he never saw ; but now his eye sees him, and his eye affects his
heart, and his heart is filled with admiration of him, as the chiefest of ten
thousand, as fairer than the children of men ; worthy of all his love, if his
heart could be all turned into love ; worthy of his highest thoughts, if his
thoughts could be raised to the pitch of the angels ; worthy of all his
praises, if his lips could speak nothing but praises to all eternity. Who is
like to thee, 0 Lord, glorious in holiness, in beauty, in all transcendent
excellencies ! wonderful in love, in sweetness, and all delights ! Thus
does he esteem Christ, who is come to him. Those who are so taken with
vain delights, sinful pleasures, as they can forego the sweetness of com
munion with Christ, or know not what this is, who dare usually sin away
Christ's favour for worldly advantage, shew they esteem him not, are not
come to him.

4. They are in a new condition. He that comes to him, comes, as it *
were, into a new world ; ' old things are passed away, all things are made
new.' He finds such a change, as a man who has lived many years in
darkness finds when he is brought into the light ; so it is expressed, Col.

i. 13. He has new thoughts and new affections, new companions and new
employments, a new heart and a new life. ' If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature ;' can say as Augustine, Ego non sum ego, I am not the man I
was. If no such inward and outward change, you are not yet come to Christ.

5. They walk with Christ. That is the end of their coming ; formerly

342 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

they had fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, now their fel
lowship is with the Father and with the Son ; formerly, they had their
conversations in the world, now their conversation is in heaven, now they
know what it is, as Enoch, to walk with God ; communion with Christ is
no mystery, experience has made them acquainted with it, their mind is
with Christ, he is their meditation, their thoughts are of him, they prevent
the night-watches, and when they awake, they are continually with him ;
their hearts are on Christ, he is their love, delight, desire ; the bent of
their wills is towards him, and so carried with strong inclination, they live
to him, act for him, aim at him, depend on him. If it be not thus with
you in some degree, you are not come to Christ.

» 6. They are at a greater distance from sin and the world. For this
motion is betwixt these terms, it is a passage from sin and the world to
Christ ; as when they lived in sin they were at a distance from Christ, so
when they are come to Christ they are at a greater distance from sin ; as
when they were wedded to the world they were separated from Christ, so
now when they are married to Christ, they are divorced from the world,
they are estranged from it when acquainted with him ; crucified to them
when alive unto Christ.

7. They have renounced their own righteousness. So Paul, Philip.
iii. 9, ' And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith.'

Use 3 ; of exhortation. Then it is the duty of all that the Lord has per
suaded to come, to endeavour to persuade others, to strive against this
unwillingness in their several places and relations. You that are entrusted
with children, &c., have the charge of servants, you that have any dear
friend or relation, who you suspect are yet far from Christ, oh use all
means, motives, to persuade them to come to Christ, strive against it in
yourselves, and in all with whom you converse ; this is a common duty,
but the special charge of it lies upon ministers ; it is their office, they are
sent and authorised by Christ for this purpose, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. Now
that I may discharge this trust, let me propound some motives and induce
ments, which, through the concurrence of God, may be effectual to make
you willing, and these drawn from — 1, necessity; 2, advantage; 3, equity ;
4, danger.

1. Consider what necessity there is. You cannot look upon anything,
but, if duly weighed, will convince you of this necessity. Look upon heaven
or hell, upon this world or the world to come, upon present enjoyments or
future hopes, upon mercy or justice, upon the word of God or his works,
look upon what you will, you may see an absolute necessity to make haste
to Christ ; look upon heaven that is shut up against you ; upon hell that
is set open to swallow you, till you come to him who has the key of David,
«&c. ; look upon this world, there is nothing will afford you comfort ; upon
the world to come, there is nothing but endless torment ; here nothing but
a world of vexatious vanities, hereafter nothing but a world of eternal
miseries, till you come to Christ, who is a world of comforts here, a world
of blissful enjoyments hereafter ; look upon present enjoyments, they are
all cursed ; upon future hopes, and they are all blasted, till you come to
Christ, by whom the sinner's curse is slain, and his hopes revived ; look
upon mercy, that cannot save you ; upon justice, that is engaged to destroy
you, till you come to Christ, in whom mercy is magnified, justice satisfied ;
look upon the word, that does nothing but threaten you ; upon his works,

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHKIST. 343

they are nothing but the executions of God's threatenings upon you, till
you come to Christ, who makes all the word of God as sweet expressions
of love, as a promise, and all the works of God acts of mercy. But more
fully thus, till you come to Christ.

(1.) You are under the power of Satan. You are his children, his mem
bers, his vassals. The interest of Christ and Satan divide the whole world:
there is the world of sinners, and Satan is the god of this world ; there is
the world of believers, and Christ is the king of this world. Till ye come
to Christ, ye belong to Satan really, however in word ye may disclaim
him ; he that is not with Christ is against him, joins with his mortal enemy,
fights under Satan's colours against Christ and his interest, even when he
thinks he does Christ service ; so Paul before his conversion.

Till ye come to Christ, you are under the power of darkness, you are
one of the kingdom of Satan ; he rules you, works in you, tyrannises over
you. You are in more grievous bondage to him, than the Israelites under
Pharaoh, for it is soul- slavery, a bondage that you are not sensible of, that
you will not believe, though the Lord in Scripture aver it over and over.
Hence this coming to Christ is described by a turning from Satan, Acts
xxvi. 18. If sinners perceived their slavery, they might seek to escape ;
Satan, to make sure work, deals with you as the Philistines did with Samson,
he puts out your eyes. Thus woeful is your slavery ; your souls are enslaved,
and slaves you are to the worst of tyrants, to Satan, till ye come to Christ.
Oh is there not necessity to haste out of this condition ! Had you rather
serve Satan in cruel bondage, than come to Christ for liberty ? rather sit
in darkness, in the confines of hell, under that hellish taskmaster, than
come to Christ for redemption, and be partaker of the glorious liberty of
the sons of God ?

(2.) You are under the guilt of sin. You have done nothing but sinned
since ye came into the world ; every of your thoughts, words, deeds, have
been sins against God. And of all these numberless millions of sins, not
one of them is pardoned, nor ever will be pardoned, till ye come to Christ ;
there is as much guilt lies upon every of your souls, as is sufficient to sink
a soul into hell, and not the weight of one dram that can be removed, till
ye come to Christ. Oh you cannot long bear up under such a burden ;
there is but a cobweb life betwixt you and sinking. If you make not haste
to Christ to lay the burden on him, it will certainly press you down into
the lower hell. All your sins are in continual remembrance with God :
they are set in the light of his countenance, they are in his eye as writ with
a pen of iron and the point of a diamond ; this handwriting will never be
cancelled, these sins will never be blotted out of his remembrance, except
you come to Christ ; all the dishonour, injuries, affronts you have offered
the Lord, will be continually in his eye, till ye come to Christ to interpose.
Oh what need is there to make haste ! As you have lived, so ye will die
in your sins.

(3.) You are under the wrath of God. He is your enemy : the Lord of
hosts is his name ; his anger is kindled against you. He is angry with the
wicked every day ; his indignation burns like fire ; he loathes your persons,
he abhors your services ; all you do adds but more fuel to that flame which
will scorch you here, but will burn to the bottom of hell, except ye come to
Christ to quench it ; it is he only that has slain this enmity, it is he only
that has brought you righteousness. Oh fly out of this condition, as you
would fly from everlasting burnings ! Make haste to Zoar ; look not back
till ye come to the mountains, lest you perish by fire from heaven, lest the

814 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

wrath of God consume you ; your sins have kindled it ; it burns so as none
can quench it but Christ only. Oh look upon this warning as that message
from heaven to Lot's family ! Your natural condition is a Sodom ; if you
slight this warning, as Lot's sons-in-law, Gen. xix. 14, you will certainly,
like them, be consumed in the iniquity of that state. God has prepared
Christ, a Zoar for the safety of his chosen ones ; and now hear the Lord
speaking by me, as he spake to Lot, ver. 17, Escape, poor sinner, for thy
life ; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in this condition ; escape to
the mountain, fly to Christ, lest thou be consumed.

(4.) You are under the curse, Gal. iii. 10, Deut. xxix. 19. All the
curses of the law are levelled against you, all the threatenings of the Lord
fall heavy on you, till ye come to Christ ; there is not one word in all the
book of God that speaks the least comfort to a sinner out of Christ ; you
cannot strike the least spark of hope out of any expression in the word of
God, till you come to Christ ; whatever curses and threatenings you meet
with, they are yours ; whatever comforts or promises you meet with, you
have no more to do with them than with your neighbour's inheritance. The
word is the last will and testament of God in Christ, wherein he has left
every man his portion, his legacy. Now look this will over, from the first
line to the last, and you will find nothing bequeathed to you in this condi
tion but a curse. Oh sad legacy ! Esau lift up his voice and wept, yea,
and cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, because his father did not
leave him a blessing equal with his brother Jacob, Gen. xxvii. 34, 38. But
how would Esau have cried, have wept, if his father had left him nothing
but a curse ! Why, this is all the inheritance of those who will not come
to Christ ; they have no other portion by this will but the Lord's curse.
If you will have any better portion, you must come to Christ for it ; if ye
will inherit the blessing, if ye will be heirs of the promise, ye must be
adopted in Christ ; till then, the curse, the threatening is your inheritance.
Oh make haste out of this cursed condition, fly to Christ, who has borne
the curse, and purchased title to the promise, for all that come to him !

(5.) The justice of God is engaged to destroy you. As sure as God is
just, all that come not to Christ must perish. Observe it, the mercy of
God, infinite mercy, cannot save you, except you will come to Christ, for
the justice of God must be satisfied before any sinner, any offender can
find mercy ; and none can satisfy justice but Christ, and he satisfies for
none but those that come to him. God will never be so merciful as to
violate his justice. Now, God would be untrue, unfaithful, unjust if he
should spare, if he should save, any sinner that comes not to Christ. If
you think God will be merciful to you (unless ye come to Christ, and upon
his own terms, so as to forsake sin, renounce your own righteousness, and
give up yourselves to holiness), you make an idol of God, and conceive
not of him as he is, but represent him to be a God according to your own
fancy and likeness, an image of your own forming, not the true God. God
will cease to be God if he save a sinner that continues in sin, and will not
come to Christ. Justice stands betwixt heaven and every sinner, there is
no entering there till justice be satisfied ; if you come not to Christ who
tenders it, the Lord will require satisfaction at your hands, and you must
pay it in hell to the utmost farthing. This is your condition, mercy can
not save you, justice will seize on you, except ye come to Christ ; and is
there not need to make haste ? But though a man without Christ (may
some say) be thus miserable in respect of his spiritual and eternal state,
yet there is some comfort for him in respect of his temporal estate, he has

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHEIST. 345

many outward enjoyments wherein he may solace himself. No; even in
these, which are his only support, he is miserable. For,

(6.) His outward enjoyments and accommodations in the world are un
comfortable, unsanctified, accursed. Nothing is sanctified to an unbeliever,
Tit. i. 15; and if not sanctified, then not blessed; and if not blessed, then
accursed, and so they are in all they enjoy, Deut. xxviii. 15, 16, &c.
Outward things are indifferent in themselves, but are to be judged bless
ings or curses by their rise and issue. If they proceed from the love of
God, and tend to the spiritual good of the enjoyers, they become blessings,
otherwise they prove curses. And so they are to those that will not come
to Christ; the Lord gives them in anger, and when they are lost, he takes
them away in his wrath ; and when they are continued, they are continual
snares, harden them in wickedness ; they abuse them as provisions of lust,
use them as occasions of sin, and so aggravate their condemnation; and
hereby treasuring more wrath against the day of wrath, instead of laying
up a good foundation for the time to come ; and so bear an impression of
wrath with them all along, in their beginning, increase, continuance,
departure. Thus it will be with you and all your enjoyments till ye come
to enjoy Christ. But if their condition without Christ be so sad and
lamentable, how is it (may some say) that they live in so much mirth and
jollity ? Who more pleasant usually than sinners without Christ ? It may
seem strange indeed, yea, an astonishment, especially for those that live
under the gospel; but consider one instance, and the wonder will cease.
Have you never seen distracted men in Bedlam or elsewhere ? They laugh,
and sing, and dance, as though no men were so happy as themselves, no
condition so pleasing and comfortable as theirs. And why are they so
merry in such a sad state ? Alas ! they know not what their condition is,
they are beside themselves, and are not sensible what they are or do.
Thus it is with sinners out of Christ, they are just like the prodigal, of
whom it is said, when he thought of returning to his father, ' he came to
himself,' Luke xv. 17; implying that before he was willing to return,
he was beside himself. And so is every sinner, while he is unwilling to
return to Christ he is beside himself. No wonder if he be so full of mirth
when his condition is so sad and lamentable. Alas ! he is a distracted
soul, he has lost his senses, all spiritual sense; he knows not, he is not
sensible, what he does, nor what his soul's condition is, and this is the
height of a sinner's misery without Christ ; though he be miserable
beyond apprehension, yet he is not in the least apprehensive how miser
able he is. And this shews what necessity you have to come to Christ,
even such need as a distracted man has of an expert physician. Till ye
come to Christ, ye are, in a spiritual sense, beside yourselves. And if
these considerations draw you not to Christ, it will be an evident symptom
of this madness. Till you come to Christ, you are under the power of
Satan, the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, the curse of the law; justice is
engaged to destroy you, and so engaged as mercy cannot save you; nor
can any outward enjoyment afford you the least true comfort. Oh, then,
if ye be not quite without sense of your miserable condition, make haste
to Christ, resolve to close with him upon his own terms; give no rest to
your souls till ye come to Christ and find rest in him.

2. The advantage. As the necessity should force you, so the sweet and
precious advantages you will gain hereby should allure you to come to
Christ. As soon as you are with him, all the fore- mentioned miseries will
instantly vanish.

346 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

Come to Christ, and he will free you from the power of Satan, he will
knock off those fetters wherewith Satan has loaded your souls; he will
judge the prince of this world who does now tyrannise over you, tumble
him down from his throne, and make him your footstool. Ye shall be no
longer slaves of Satan, but the sons and daughters of the Most High ; this
shall be your honour, your liberty : ' If the Son make you free, you shall
be free indeed,' John viii. 36.

Come to Christ, and he will free you from the guilt of sin, he will tell
your souls, himself has borne your iniquities on his body upon the tree ;
those sins that come now in remembrance before God shall be remembered
no more; they are now before God's face, but then they shall be cast
behind his back; they are now open to his view, but then they shall be
covered. Come to him, he has loved you, he will wash you from your
sins in his blood ; come to him, his name is ' Jesus, he will save his people
from their sins.'

Come to Christ, and he will make your peace with God, he will slay that
enmity which is betwixt the Lord and your souls, he will quench that wrath
which threatens to consume you ; though he seem now to be all in a flame
against you, yet then will he say, ' Anger is not in me;' that cloud of dis
pleasure will be scattered, and the light of his pleasing countenance will
shine on your souls.

Come to Christ, and there shall be no more curse ; all the threatenings
shall be turned into promises ; then you may look upon threatenings with
out dread or terror; Christ has satisfied them, you may draw the sweet
ness of a promise out of them. Then you are in covenant with God, in
the covenant of grace ; and all the promises are so many articles of that
covenant which the blood of Christ has sealed to be yours.

Come to Christ, and then justice itself will be your friend; that which
stood before as a cherubim at the way of paradise, with a flaming sword to
keep you out of heaven, will then be your security, and conduct you thither.
He that comes to Christ has as much security for his happiness from the
justice as from the mercy of God ; Christ has engaged both for all that come
to him, 2 Thes. i. 6, 7.

Come to Christ, and then all your outward enjoyments will be comforts,
blessings indeed, sweetened by the love of Christ, sanctified by the blood
of Christ, ordered by the wisdom and power of Christ, to make your lives
truly comfortable and serviceable here, and happy and glorious hereafter.
Death will be no more in the pot, nor fly in the box of ointment, when you
are in Christ. When Moses had cast the tree which the Lord shewed him
into the waters of Marah, the bitter waters immediately were made sweet,
Exod. xv. 25. When Christ mixes himself with your enjoyments, their
bitterness is past, they then become sweet and comfortable indeed. Nay,
your very crosses and afflictions shall then be sweeter than the sweetest
enjoyments of sinners without Christ. 'All things,' Horn, viii.; these
shall work for your good, spiritual, eternal, whereas their prosperity shall
tend to their ruin; you shall have cause to rejoice and be exceeding glad
when men persecute you, &c., whereas they shall have cause to mourn
and lament, even when their corn, wine, and oil increase. These are some
of those sweet advantages that you reap by being willing to come to Christ.
And oh that the Lord would persuade you to be willing, that you would
go hence with resolutions never more to give Christ occasion to complain,
' Ye will not come to me,' &c.

Particularly, the advantages you will gain by coming to Christ I will

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 347

reduce to three heads : union to, communion with, participation of Christ.
Come to Christ, and you shall be

(1.) United to him, one with him. This is Christ's aim in inviting you,
this he desires, this he prays for, John xvii. 20, 21. He invites you, not
to your prejudice or disparagement, but to make you happy and glorious ;
and whereby can you become more happy and glorious, than by being one
with him who is the King of glory, the spring of happiness ? What greater
glory can a poor worm aspire to, than to become a member of Christ, to
be a member of that glorious head which is advanced in heavenly places,
far above all principality, &c., Eph. i. 20, 21. And what greater hap
piness than flows from this union ! When you are come to Christ, you are
as near, as dear to him, as any members of your bodies are to yourselves,
Eph. v. 29, 30. Then not only your souls, but your bodies, are members
of him, 1 Cor. vi. 15.

And though this union be mystical (not gross, carnal, you must not so
conceive of it), yet will it interest you in as much love and tenderness from
Christ as though it were corporal. Christ has given a real demonstration
of it ; he loved his mystical body, the members of it, more than his own
natural body, more than any, nay, more than all the parts and members of
it ; for he gave his natural body, and exposed it in all parts, to wounds,
and tortures, and death, rather than his spiritual members should suffer
their deserts. Now when we give one thing for another, that for which we
give it is more loved and valued than that which we give for it. Even so
Christ shewed, by giving himself for his people, that he more loved, more
valued them than he did his own body. This will be the sweet issue of
your coming to Christ, you will hereby become one of his members, he
will be no less tender over you than of his own body. Of what part is
any man more tender than his eye ? Come to Christ, and the Lord will
count you as dear to him as his eye, as the tenderest part of it, ' the
apple of his eye,' Zech ii. 8.

Come to Christ, and you shall be admitted to such union with him, such
a relation to him, as will not only engage his tenderness and love, but his
joy and delight. You are now the bond-slaves of sin and Satan, but come
to him, and he will espouse you to himself, 2 Cor. xi. 2. You are now in
league with hell and death, but come to him, and he will join you to him
self in an everlasting covenant, a marriage-covenant, that shall never be
broken, nor you ever divorced. Now you are loathsome in his eye, by
reason of the pollution of sin, but then shall the King, the King of glory,
greatly desire your beauty, Ps. xlv. 11. Even when ye see cause to loathe
and abhor yourselves, yet then shall ye be the joy and delight of Christ : ' As
the Bridegroom rejoiceth,' &c., Isa. Ixii. 5. Now you are forsaken and cast
off, but then you shall be the Lord's Hephzibah, his Beulah, his spouse, his
delight, ver. 4. Now you are viler in his account than the vilest creatures,
than the beasts that perish ; then you shall be as a crown of glory, a royal
diadem, ver. 3 ; and though ye be now blind and lame in a spiritual sense,
poor, deformed, miserable, and naked, enough to discourage any apprehen
sive soul from expecting such wonderful love, such glorious privileges,
such a high relation, yet is there no just cause of discouragement, if ye be
but willing to come to him. He looks not you should bring with you a
portion, or beauty, or parts, or relations : all that Christ requires is but
your consent ; consent but to come, and the match is made, your Redeemer
will be your husband, Isa. liv. 5. The love of the most affectionate hus
band in the world will be nothing, compared with the love of Christ to those

34:8 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

who are willing to come to him. Hence Christ's love is made the pattern of
conjugal love, Eph. v. 25. The copy here, when best drawn, comes far short
of the original ; the love of the conjugal relation is but a shadow of Christ's
love, ver. 32. Thus shall it be done to the man who will come to Christ.
And is there nothing of all this that will make you willing to come to him ?

(2.) Communion with Christ. That communion which, when perfectly
enjoyed, is the height of happiness in heaven ; and as vouchsafed here, is
the beginnings of heaven on earth ; a privilege to have it with angels ;
such communion as is betwixt head" and members, such as( is betwixt
dear and intimate friends. No such distance, estrangement between
Christ and you as formerly, but a blessed intercourse, a sweet intimacy, a
holy familiarity. He will walk with you, you converse with him ; he will
confer with you, you may speak to him, Eph. iii. 12. He will visit you,
and you may have some access to him ; he will feast you, and you may
entertain him, Rev. iii. 20.

Oh what an high privilege is this ! Are you not willing to come to
Christ upon such terms ? He will admit you to speak to him, as a man to
his friend. You may empty all your grievances into his bosom, who is
merciful and gracious ; you may ask counsel of him in all straits, who is
the ' wonderful Counsellor ;' you may desire supply of all wants of him,
who has all power in heaven and earth to supply, and is as willing as you
can desire, John xv. 17. Oh what is it to have Christ dwelling in you,
walking with you, communing with you, speaking to your hearts, leading
you as it were by the hand in all your ways, bearing you in his arms when
you are weak, guiding you by his eye when you are to seek, lifting you
above difficulties which you cannot else overcome, standing by you when
all forsake you, supporting you in all 'pressures, comforting you in all tri
bulations, arming you against assaults ; in a word, to have an all-suffi
cient Saviour to be all in all to you, in a way of sweet communion, and
this for ever, John vi. 37. This, even such communion does Christ offer
you, if you be but willing to come to him.

(3.) Participation of him. Come, and you shall partake of all that
Christ can communicate, and man can receive. Satan and sin will pro
mise much to stay you from him, but though they promise more than ever
they perform, yet they cannot promise so much as Christ will really give.
Upon condition you will come, you shall have all that Christ can give you,
and what cannot he give, who is Lord of heaven and earth, and has the
disposing of all in both! You shall have all that heart can desire, Job vi.,
provided you desire nothing but what is good for you, nothing but what is truly
desirable ; you shall have all. All what,? you will say. Why, all that Christ
is, all that he has ; all that he has done, and is doing, and all that he has
suffered : all these, so far as they are communicable, and you capable ; all
this, if you will but come for it.

All that he is. Is he God? He will be your God, and this is infinitely
more than if I should tell you, that all the kingdoms of the earth shall be
yours. Is he man ? Then you shall know that he was made man for your
sakes, that he stooped so low as to become man, that he might raise you
to the enjoyment of God. Is he Mediator, God and man in one person ?
Then you shall find that he is your Mediator, for your sakes to take up the
differences betwixt God and your souls ; he was both, that God and you
might be at one. Is he a king ? Then you shall know that for this end
he came to the kingdom, that*'you might be advanced, and he might be
the ruin of your enemies. Is he a prophet ? Then you shall find him to

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 349

be your prophet, to let you know the mind of God, and teach you the way
to life. Is he a priest ? Then it will appear it is for your sake, that he
might be a sacrifice for your sins. In these respects principally the Scrip
tures declare to us what Christ is, and in all these he will be yours, if you
be willing. If this be not enough, here is more than all this : come to
Christ, and you shall have

All that he has. Christ, I told you, will marry those that come to him,
and this shall be the dowry, all that he has, which is communicable to the
creatures ; all those riches which the apostles calls unsearchable, Eph. iii. 8.
That which is his shall be yours, he will withhold nothing that you are
capable to receive ; his righteousness is yours, Horn. v. 18. Christ's own
robe shall cover you, Isa. Ixi. 10. Then you need not be afraid or ashamed
to stand in the sight of God, this robe will hide all your deformities ;
whereas they that want it will call to the mountains to fall on them, and
the hills to cover them, rather than appear before him who sits on the
throne. His holiness, the ornament of his human nature, and the resem
blance of his divine excellency, John i. 16, hence called the divine nature,
2 Peter i. ; his peace yours, John xiv. 27 ; the peace of Christ shall be
yours, and that is the peace of God, Philip, iv. 7 ; his joy, John xv. 11
and xvii. 13, their joy is the joy of the Lord ; his glory, John xvii. 22, the
glory wherewith Christ as man shall be glorious in heaven, those that come
to him shall partake of hereafter; his kingdom, those who upon Christ's
invitements will come to him on earth, shall hear that sweet invitation of Christ
hereafter, Mat. xxv. 34, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king
dom prepared for you,' &c. ; the same kingdom where Christ reigns shall be
your inheritance hereafter, Luke xxii. 29, 30; his throne, Rev. ii. 21; those
that come at Christ's invitation shall not only be admitted to his table, but to
his throne; not only sit, but reign with him, 2 Tim. ii. 12; the poorest
sinner that will come to Christ shall be crowned with royal majesty, and
reign gloriously with Christ for ever and ever ; — all these are yours if you will
come to Christ^ And is there no power in all these to make you willing ?

Nay, further, more than all this,

All that he has done is done in your stead, or in your behalf, or for your
advantage; all that he did on earth, and all that he is doing in heaven, it
is all for those, and only for those, that come unto him.

His observance of the law yours. You will then find, that ' he was
made under the law, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in you,' Rom. viii. 84. That shall be as available to entitle you to eternal
life, offered in that first covenant, ' Do this and live,' as if you had perfectly
done it in person.

His miracles yours, i. e., for you to ascertain the truth of that doctrine,
of those promises, which are your evidences for all the happiness you can
expect here or hereafter.

His prayers yours. They shall be as effectual for you as if he had
prayed for you by name, or as if he were now on earth to pray for you, John
xvii. 20. And oh how precious, how invaluable is interest in those prayers !

His resurrection yours. Those that come to Christ are risen with
Christ, Col. iii. 1. Then you shall know that he rose from the dead, that
you might be raised ont of the grave of sin, to sit with him in heavenly
places, Eph. ii. 5, (3.

His ascension yours. Then you shall find he ascended to prepare for
your entertainment in heaven, to make ready those mansions of glory where
you shall mutually enjoy one another to all eternity, John xiv. 2, 8.

350 MEN BY. NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

His intercession yours. As he lived on earth to act for you, so he
ever lives in heaven to make intercession, Heb. vii. 25. No plea shall be
admitted against them, he stands to rebuke any that will attempt it, Zech.
iii. 1, 2. No service of theirs rejected in heaven, he offers them with his
own hand ; and lest sins and failings should appear, he interposes his
merit, righteousness, satisfaction ; this is that incense mentioned, Rev.
viii. 8, which turns all their imperfect offerings into the smell of a sweet
odour. Oh what comfort is here for those that are come ! What encourage
ment for those that are not come to resolve upon it ! Nay, more,

His present administrations. Not only all he did on earth before his
ascension, and all he does in heaven since he left the earth, but all he does
on earth when he is in heaven ; all his dispensations are with respect of
them, and for singular advantage to them, though they take no notice of
it, though it seem so much of another tendency as they can scarce believe
it, Rom. viii. 28. 'All things,' none excepted ; 'called,' those that answer
his call, come when he calls. Nay, further, not only all that he did on
earth, all that he does in heaven and earth, but

All that he suffered shall be yours, as much for your advantage as if you
had suffered them in person. Did he endure poverty ? It was that you
might have the riches of glory, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Did he live in the form of
a servant ? It was that you might obtain the adoption of sons. Was he
forsaken ? It was that you might be eternally owned. Was he slandered
and condemned ? It was that you might be absolved and justified before
God's tribunal. Did he weep? It was that you might rejoice. Did
sorrow oppress his heart ? It was that everlasting joy might be upon your
heads. Was his soul burdened with wrath ? It was that you might be
freed from that burden. Was he wounded ? It was that your languishing
souls might be healed. Was he made sin ? It was for you, that you
might be made the righteousness of God. Did he bear the curse ? It was
that you might inherit the blessing. Was he scourged ? It was that you
might be embraced in the arms of everlasting love. Was he crucified ? It
was that you might be crowned. Did he bleed and die ? It was that you
might live and reign for ever and ever.

Come to Christ, and you shall know this so assuredly as if an angel
from heaven were sent to tell it to you. But if you will live in sin, if all
this move you not to part with all to come to Christ, you shall have neither
share nor lot in anything that pertains to Christ ; if, when Christ has
made known to you these great things of the gospel, and when he has
offered you his unsearchable riches, you continue obstinate in your evil
ways, and confident of your good estate, while strangers and enemies to
him in your minds through evil works, why, then, these glorious discoveries
are as a vain thing to you, it is a sign the Father has not given you to
Christ, for ' all that the Father hath given him will come to him ; ' it is
a sign the offers of sin are more prevalent with you than the offers of
Christ, and that ' the god of this world hath blinded your minds,' &c.,
2 Cor. iv. 4 ; but if hereby you resolve to deny yourselves, renounce your
sins and come to Christ, then all these glorious riches of Christ shall be
your portion. Conclude with Deut. xxx. 19, here is set before you a curse
and a blesssing, sin and Christ ; set before you life and death, sin with
death, if ye continue in sin, ye shall die ; Christ and life, if ye come to
Christ, ye shall live. Oh then, come to Christ, and ye shall have life !
choose him, and your souls shall live !

3. The equity of it. If there were neither necessity nor advantage, yet

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 351

since it is most equal to do this which Christ requires of you, even this
should be a prevailing motive. The equity appears in these particulars,

(1.) Ye lose nothing by coming to Christ. If ye were invited to your
loss you might then refuse, there would be some excuse to make your
delays and refusals more plausible, but ye can be no losers; gain you may
much, infinitely much, but ye can lose nothing; all you get by this journey
will be clear gains. But shall we not lose our sins ? Must we not part
with our dear, gainful, delightful lusts ? True, you must part with these ;
but if you did duly apprehend what sin is, and believe what the Lord in
Scripture speaks of, you would never count it a loss to part with any sin
whatsoever. Sin is your misery, the spring of all that you count miser
able ; Satan and the world could never injure you were it not for and by
sin, it is sin that is the foundation and complement of your misery. Now,
is it any loss to part with misery ? Does Christ offer you loss when he
would have you come to him upon condition you will part with your misery ?

Sin is your fetters, your dungeon ; hence the state of sin is set forth in
Scripture as a state of darkness and bondage, these are the chains wherein
Satan keeps you captive. Now, will a poor captive think he loses anything
by leaving his prison and shaking off his fetters ? No more can you lose
by parting with sin to come to Christ.

Sin is your sickness, your soul's consumption : hence the prophet ex
presses the sinfulness of Judah in these terms, Isa. i. 5, ' The whole head is
sick ; ' hence freedom from sin is promised under the notion of healing,
Hosea xiv. 4, implying sin is the soul's disease. Now, is it any loss to part
with a disease ? You lose no more by parting with sin than a languishing
consumed man loses by parting with his sickness ; and will you refuse to
come to Christ rather than part with this ?

Sin is the wound, the plague of your souls. The more sins the more
plague-sores ; for sin is that which is called ' the plague of the heart,'
1 Kings viii. 36. By reason of this, the prophet says, there was no sound
ness in his people, nothing but wounds, &c., Isa. i. 6. Now, is it any loss
to part with the plague ? is it any loss to be cured of a mortal wound ?
This is all that Christ would have you lose, and will you refuse him rather
than part with it ?

Sin is your ugliness, your deformity, that which makes your souls loath
some, Prov. xiii. 5. Why loathsome, but because wicked ? Every crea
ture is lovely in God's eye, but this whom sin has polluted and putrified ; it
is sin that is your loathsomeness. Now would any woman that stands upon
her preferment think it a loss to part with a loathsome deformity ? This
is your case : Christ would have you come, that he may espouse you ; he
requires no other terms than that you would be willing to part with your
deformity ; and will you lose Christ, rather than part with your loath
someness ?

Sin is your poison ; so it is called, Deut. xxxii. 33 ; James iii. 8, ' Full
of deadly poison ;' what is that but full of sin ? If the tongue, much more
the heart, for that is the spring of sin ; being full of sin, it is full of deadly
poison. This then is your condition : there is a deadly poison working in
your bowels, working in your heart; it will certainly be your death if you
do not void it ; and this is all you lose by coming to Christ, only part with
your poison, be willing to vomit up that which will otherwise ruin you.
And will you love your poison more than Christ ?

Sin is your frenzy and madness. The prodigal, till he was coming to
his father, came not to himself. This is all Christ would have you part

852 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

with. Will any but a madman be unwilling to be rid of his madness ? It
may be you slight these things now, and have quite other apprehensions of
sin ; but you will find it no better, you will apprehend it to be much worse
than I have represented it ; much worse, either here, or when it will be too
late, if you persist. I beseech you, consider the day is coming, when you
must stand before Christ's tribunal, to give an account of this very thing,
why you would not part with sin, why you would not come to Christ. Will
you then say, you thought better of sin than now you find it ? But Christ
will tell you, you heard what sin was from his mouth, from his mes
sengers ; you heard it was your sickness, your plague, your poison, your
deformity, and yet you would lose me rather than part with it, you would
prefer your plague and poison before me, offering you life and glory. Oh
how glorious will the justice of Christ be in sending such sinners to hell,
who will not have one word to plead more for themselves why they should
not perish ! How justly may he say to them, ' Depart from me,' who will
not hear for all he can do or say, who will not here come to him, who will
not part with the plague to come to him, who prefer their fetters and frenzy,
their diseases and deformity, before Christ !

If Christ required you to cut off your members, there might be some
plea, but it is only to part with your wounds ; if he should bid you pluck
out your hearts, &c., but he would only have you part with the plague of
your hearts ; if he should bid you abstain from meat for ever, then you
might have something to plead ; nay, but he would only have you abstain
from poison : and then judge you, are not Christ's ways equal ? Does he
require you to come upon any unreasonable terms ? Oh no. Even those
that must perish for their refusals, as all must that will persist refusing,
will be forced to confess that it was the most equal thing in the world that
Christ desired, when he bade them leave their sins to come to him.

(2.) He waits till you come. The great God stoops so low as to wait
upon sinners, Isa. xxx. 18; he waits as one ardently desiring the motion,
the return of sinners to himself, and shall he wait in vain ? He stands
willing to entertain you. If there was any fear not to be admitted, there
might be some plea for not coming ; but he never rejects a returning sinner,
he never did, he never will withdraw from them, or shut them out from
himself, provided they come when he invites them. There is a time, indeed,
when sinners shall not be admitted, but that is hereafter ; when sinners
have worn out his patience, and rejected his offers and entreaties, till there
be no remedy ; but ' now is the accepted time,' the time when you may be
accepted : ' To-day, if ye will hear his voice,' and come to him, you shall
undoubtedly enter into his rest. He that now resolves to come needs not
doubt of entertainment, John vi. 87 ; no matter what you have been, or
what you are, how sinful, how unworthy, resolve but to come, this shall
not hinder ; he never did, he never will, cast out a returning sinner ; he
will not do it in anywise, upon any terms and considerations whatsoever :
If you come when he calls, he will in nowise cast you out.

And so he waits for your coming, waits industriously, waits patiently.
He waits so as he uses all means to draw you to him. He speaks to you
by his providence, he woos you by his word, he sends his messengers to
invite, to entreat, to beseech you to come, he puts words in their mouths
by which he would have them woo you, he suggests arguments to their
minds by which he would have them persuade you, he assists them by his
Spirit to manage these persuasions, to enforce these arguments, so as they
may prevail, or leave you inexcusable ; he sends these to you, when he

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 853

neglects others ; he sends them early and late, he sends them, and sends
by them to you, rising up betimes, because he has compassion on you,
2 Chron. xxxvi. 15 ; he bears with the disrespects you put upon his mes
sengers, though they reflect upon himself; and though you refuse to hear,
and be weary of hearing, yet is not the Lord weary of waiting, not weary
of entreating ; and when others or yourselves would put away the word,
and break off this treaty for reconciliation, yet the Lord maugres all pro
vocations, continues it. Oh the wonderful indulgence of Christ !

Nay, he comes himself, he leaves not himself without witness as to the
vouchsafement of his presence ; your consciences can tell, you are con
vinced, though not persuaded ; he ' stands at the door and knocks ;' he
stretches out his hands to you, you see him held forth by the gospel in a
posture ready to receive you, and when you take no notice, he calls, he lifts
up his voice and cries to you ; he calls to you over and over, Come, come,
come unto me, Mat. xi., &c. ; and thus he waits with patience, he waits
whole days, all the day long ; he stands day and night till his head be wet
with the dew ; nay, he waits whole years, ' These three years have I come,
expecting fruit,' &c., ' Forty years long have I been grieved with this
generation,' &c. ; and when all this will not do, he breaks forth into sad
complaints, and laments their wretched disregard of himself, and woeful
cruelty to their own souls : ' Oh that thou hadst known,' &c., ' 0 Jerusalem,'
Ps. Ixxxi. 13 ; ' Oh that my people had hearkened unto me ! '

But then, if any sinner listen unto him, and be willing to come, why
this is his joy, his delight ; in this Christ rejoices, and heaven rejoices with
him, Luke xv. 7-10 : Christ does, as it were, say to the angels, as he to
his friends and neighbours, ver. 6, ' Rejoice with me ;' this poor sinner
was given me by the Father, he was mine by eternal purpose, but he had
lost both himself and me, and now, after much seeking, I have found him,
he is returning to me : ' Rejoice with me,' &c.

Oh if you will come to Christ, you will make Christ glad, you will make
heaven rejoice ! All this is clearly exemplified in the next parable of the
prodigal : ' When the prodigal was yet a great way off, his father met him.'
The son comes but towards his father, but the father runs towards an
unworthy child ; the son is ashamed of himself, his father had compassion
on him ; he stands accusing himself, his father falls on his neck and kisses
him ; he confesses his offence, his father never once mentions it ; he expects
to fare like a servant, but is entertained as the most beloved son ; the father
provides him a robe, a ring, a feast, and entertains him with great joy :
' For this my son,' says he, ver. 24, ' was lost, and is found,' &c. See
here, poor sinners, how you shall be entertained if you will return to Christ,
even as the father entertained his prodigal son ; he will run and meet you,
he will have compassion on you, he will never upbraid you, he will fall, as
it were, upon your neck and embrace you ; he will think nothing too good,
too fine, too costly for you ; he will rejoice, and call others to rejoice with
him for you. The Lord thinks it meet to rejoice and be glad : ver. 82,
' This my son was dead, but he is come to me for life : he was lost, but I
have found him.' Oh how equal, how more than equal, is it to come to
Christ, since he is so ready to meet you, since he will BO joyfully enter
tain you.

4. The danger. And this is exceeding great, whether you consider the
sin or the punishment ; not to come to Christ is a most grievous sin, and
will be most grievously punished ; a heinous sin. For not to come

Is murder ; and which is more, soul-murder ; and which is more, wilful

VOL. i. z

854 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

murder of your souls. You know the cry of murder is louder than the cry
of other sins, it is a loud crying sin ; but soul-murder is more grievous, and
cries louder for vengeance than that of the body, inasmuch as the soul is
more precious and permanent than the body ; but wilful murder is this sin
in its highest exaltation of guilt and heinousness. Now you wilfully murder
your souls if you will not come to Christ ; for why does he invite you ? he
bids you come for life. Now if you will not come, you will not have life,
you are resolved to die in your sins ; you wilfully put away the life of your
souls, and so murder them.

Nor does it hinder that sinners are already dead in a spiritual sense : for
to prevent life, is murder in the sight of God, as well as to take away life ;
those that wilfully procure abortions are as guilty of murder as those that
cut the throats of their children. And this is the case, by refusing to come
to Christ, you prevent the life of your souls ; and this is as much murder
as if one should deprive his soul of spiritual life after she is quickened.
Here is an Italian cruelty indeed, to murder a soul, yea, and wilfully too.
What means has Christ used to make you willing to come for life, and ye
would not ! what arguments have his messengers used to persuade you to
come for life, and ye will not ! what remains then, but if you perish, the
blood of your souls will be upon your own heads ? None else can be accused,
of none else can your blood be required, Ezek. xxxiii. 8, 9 ; if you come
to Christ, you may have life, but you will not ; you may escape death, but
you will not. If so, are you not then the death of your own souls ? do
you not wilfully murder them ? Oh tremble at the apprehension of such
a crime ! and you that are afraid to shed the blood of others, imbrue not
your hands in the blood of your own souls ; as you would avoid the guilt
of self, of soul murder, come to Christ, that you may have life.

Dangerous, in respect of the severity of Christ's proceedings against this
sin.

(1.) If you will not come to Christ, he will come against you, either in
a severer way to reclaim you, or utterly to destroy you. This he threatens
to Ephesus in case she returned not from a partial backsliding, Eev. ii. 5 ;
if you will not come when Christ calls, he will make you smart for it ; so
he warns Laodicea, Rev. iii. 19; if he love you, he will whip you to him
self rather than quite lose you ; if the word prevail not, Christ will take
the rod ; if you will not hear, he will make you feel what it is to neglect
him. Wise parents that are afflicted with rebellious children, if no other
means will reclaim them, will rather send them to the house of correction
than suffer them to come to the gallows ; be sure of it, if the word move
you not, Christ will sharply correct you, rather than let you perish, except
you be castaways.

Manasseh was an obstinate sinner, he little regarded what the Lord spoke
to him by his messengers, while he was in prosperity ; but the Lord took
another course with him, he gave him into the hands of the Assyrians, who
bound him with fetters, and led him captive, and then he bethought him
self of returning to the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxiii.

The prodigal was resolute in his evil ways till he was almost starved,
but want brought him first to himself, and then to his father. The Lord
can take a course to starve you out of all the strongholds of sin, that hold
out against Christ, and detain you from him ; and if he take any pleasure
in you, this course he will take, if the word prevail not. When Joab would
not come to Absalom, he fired his corn-field, and that brought him. Look
to it, if the Father hath given you unto Christ, he will not lose you ; if fair

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHBIST. 355

means will not prevail, he will take another course ; if your hearts be so
much on any enjoyment, as it hinders you from Christ, he will find a way
to take it from you ; therefore if you would enjoy what he has vouchsafed
you, come to Christ, that is the way to secure it; better you should not
have anything left you in the world, than that anything in the world should
keep you from Christ. As Christ has cords of love, so he has a rod of
iron ; if you break his cords, he will take his rod ; such a rod, as if mercy
manage it, it will bruise you, but if justice wield it, it will dash you in
pieces ; though you belong to him, he may bruise you. David's fall cost
him broken bones ; but if you are not his, the weight of it will grind you
to powder ; had you not better come to Christ at a word, than force him to
take his rod, put him upon a severer course ?

(2.) If you will not come to him, he will depart from you, and you know
not how soon. Christ may wait long, but he will not wait ever; his
patience will have a period, and thou knowest not how suddenly as to thy
self. If thou now refuse, may be Christ will depart this instant ; and when
he is once gone, then woe to thee for ever, Hos. ix. 12. Thou mayest
hear his word, but it shall never profit thee ; though it be spoke to thy
ear, he will never speak to thy heart ; then though thou call, yet will he
not answer thee ; though thou cry unto him, yet he will not regard thee,
no more than thou wouldst formerly regard him ; nay, he will ' laugh at
thy destruction, and mock when thy fear cometh,' Prov. i. This will your
sad estate be when Christ is gone, and it is your refusals that provoke him
to depart. When Jerusalem would not come to him, would not be
gathered by him, what follows ? Mat. xxiii. 37, immediately to their would
not he returns, ' Behold your house is left unto you desolate,' ver. 38.
Why desolate ? Not only because of those desolating judgments that were
to follow, but because of Christ's departure, which was their forerunner ; so he
adds, ver. 39, ' Desolate, because ye shall not see me there.' Ay, that place is
desolate where Christ walks not, where he is not seen and enjoyed, what
ever other company frequents it. And how many places that enjoy the
gospel are left desolate in this respect ? Their refusals have occasioned
Christ's departure. The gospel does not convince, convert, persuade, it
prevails not. Why ? The people have sinned away Christ's presence.
And then, though the gospel be sent, yet it is sent in wrath ; for such a
time we read of, when it is sent, not to heal and convert, but to harden
and make blind, Hosea vi. 9, 10. This is the issue of refusing to come
when Christ calls, and oh woeful is their condition to whom the only ordi
nary means of life is turned into the savour of death.

These are the sad effects of Christ's departure, and it will not be long
ere he depart if ye still refuse him ; though he be long-suffering, he is not
ever- suffering. The spouse herself delayed but a little to admit Christ,
and presently he was gone, Cant. v. 2, 3, 6. Make haste then before it be
too late ; now you enjoy the light, come to Christ while you see the way,
walk in the light while ye have the light ; when Christ is gone, darkness
comes, and he that walks in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Now Christ stands and knocks, make haste and open to him ; ere long he
will not stand, he will not knock any more ; now he seeks to you, if you
will come, he will be found of you ; if you put him off, you may seek him,
but never find him more : ' Now is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation ; ' but ere long this time, this day will be no more ; now he
invites, entreats, beseeches you to come. Oh that you would answer with
the_church, ' Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God 1 '

356 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

Now he speaks, ' To-day, then, if you will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts, lest he swear in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest.'

(3.) If you will not come to Christ now, you shall not come to him
hereafter. This was the sad issue of the Jews' refusal, John vii. 33, 34.
Thus will it fare with all refusers ; Christ will say to them, I sought you,
and you would not he found of me, therefore now, though you seek me,
you shall not find me ; I came to you in my word and ordinances, by my
messengers, hy my Spirit, but you would not entertain me ; sin and the
world was more welcome than myself, therefore I will be gone, I will leave
you; and whither I go, you shall not, you cannot come: I go to my Father,
my abode will be henceforth in heaven, but you are joined to the world
and your lusts; enjoy what you have chosen, me ye shall not enjoy, where
I am, ye shall not come. Oh sad doom ! Whither will wretched sinners
go, since they must not come where Christ is ! Now ye please yourselves
with sin and outward enjoyments, but sin shall then be your torment, and
all your delightful enjoyments shall then be consumed before your eyes ;
no joys, no hopes of any then, but in Christ (that which you will not believe
now, your eyes shall then see) ; but when these are gone, Christ will be
gone too, and whither he goes, ye shall not come. 0 forlorn sinner,
1 thine own wickedness then shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall
reprove thee : then thou shalt know and see, that it is an evil thing and
bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God,' Jer. ii. 19. Forsaken
of all comforts in the world, and forsaken of Christ too ! Oh woeful con
dition ! This is it that your refusals lead to. If ye will not come to him,
he will be gone ; and whither he goes ye shall not come ; if ye will not
have Christ now, ye shall not'have heaven then ; if you say, We will not
have this man (so holy, so strict, so severe against sin, so jealous of our
compliance with the world) to rule over you now, why, you shall not rule, you
shall not reign with him then. His kingdom will not be open for all
comers, only for those that come to him here. Those that will not come
now, must then go. Go whither ? Why, go from Christ. Oh dreadful
word ! Go from Christ ! There is hell in this word ; yea, and then
obstinate sinners will find it so. Christ now says, ' Come,' that is the
voice of his love, of his gospel ; ay, but if ye now refuse, Christ will change
his note, ye shall hear other words from him ; he that now says ' Come,'
will then say, ' Go,' get ye hence, ' Depart from me, ye cursed;' you would
none of me, my ways were too straight, too holy, too solitary ; my yoke
was uneasy, my burden too heavy in your account ; well, now I have
nothing to do with you, depart from me into everlasting burnings ; get ye
hence from me to the devil and his angels ; to him ye came, to him ye
ehall go ; from me ye departed, and now ye shall depart from me for ever ;
since you would not believe, now you shall feel what it is to prefer sin and
the world before me. Go to the gods that ye have served, feed on the
fruit of those lusts that ye have loved ; get ye to him whose suggestions
you would rather obey than my invitements, this is the doom of all that
will not come, Mat. xxv. 41.

(4.) If ye will not come to Christ, ye shall not have life. This is the
sense of the words, no life but in Christ, no partaking of life but by com
ing to Christ; if ye will not come to him for life, ye shall die in your sins,
die spiritually, die eternally. No life at all, nothing but death, without
Christ, without coming to Christ ; if you will not come to Christ, why
then bid adieu to Christ and life together, for they can never be parted ; if
ye will not come, ye shall die ; if ye will come, ye shall live.

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 357

Obs. Those that come to Christ shall have life. It is clearly implied,
the scripture is in nothing more express than this, 1 John v. 12, as Christ
professes that he is life in himself, John xiv. 16, BO is he life to his people,
to those that come to him, Col. iii. 4. But how come they to have
life by Christ, but by believing ? John xi. 25, and believing is coming,
John vi. 35.

But what life is this ?

All that the Scripture compriseth in this word life, all that is opposite
to that death which Adam brought into the world, Rom. v. For as the first
Adam was the original of death in its full extent, so is Christ, the second
Adam, of life in its utmost latitude ; of life spiritual, eternal, yea, and of
natural too ; if not in its being, yet in its well-being. For though the two
former be principally intended, yet must not the other be excluded, since
it is a safe and received rule to understand Scripture in the largest sense,
where there is no reason to restrain it. But the Jews were alive naturally
when Christ thus spoke to them ; what need was there to come for that
which they had already ? may some say. It is true, they had natural life
in its being, but not in its well-being ; they, and all, must come to Christ
for that, or want it. Natural life without Christ is as good as no life ; new
est vita vivere, sed valere ; it is the welfare of life that is life indeed, and
this men get by coming to Christ, another kind of life natural than natural
men partake of, in respect of the tenure, blessing, comfort, usefulness,
tendency of this life, without which better not live than have this
natural life.

1. Those that come to Christ shall have another kind of temporal life.

(1.) In respect of its tenure. Until sinners come to Christ, they hold
their life only upon common providence, that is their title ; but believers
they hold their lives by virtue of the covenant of grace, and that is the
most sweet and blessed tenure in the world, 1 Tim. iv. 8. They have the
promise of life, the Lord gives them a title by covenant ; now covenant-
mercies are the chief, if not the only mercies. Sinners out of Christ live
as a condemned malefactor under a reprieve; sentence of death is passed,
only the judge's patience suspends the execution. Such is the condition of
a sinner's life ; he is only suffered tolive, he owes his life to the Lord's
patience, he lives but by permission ; ay, but he that is in Christ has his
life by gift, a gift of love and free grace, not common patience, but special
mercy gives him life, 1 Cor. iii. 22, and life among the rest. Until Christ
be yours, even this temporal life is not yours upon covenant terms, not
yours by virtue of special mercy and distinguishing love. Before your lives
can thus be yours, Christ must be yours, you must come to him, or else
want life while ye have it, want it upon those blessed and gracious terms.

(2.) In respect of the blessing of life. Life is not a blessing special but
by Christ. Sinners out of Christ, as they are cursed when they die, BO,
while they live, the curse cleaves to their life, as the leprosy to Gehazi. It
leaves not their natural life till they leave their natural condition, and come
to Christ. Your temporal life is an accursed life till ye come to Christ ;
so it is from the womb to the grave, Deut. xxviii. 18. As soon as life is
received, the curse is conceived, and expires not till the sinner comes to
Christ, who became a curse, that those who come to him might be delivered
from it. Life is a blessing in itself, but sin turns this blessing into a
curse ; and till siu be taken away, the curse continues, and guilt is not
removed till the soul move to Christ ; then, and not till then, does life
become a blessing, when the sinner comes to Christ.

858 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

(3.) In respect of the comfort of life. Natural life can never be truly
comfortable while the sinner lives out of Christ. He has the possession of
life, but not the comfort of life, till Christ make it comfortable : Ps. Ixxxvii.
7, ' All my springs are in thee.' Christ is the only spring of comfort in
the world. Sin, at its first entrance into the world, made all other springs
dry, and ever since, all the earth, and every part of it where Christ is not
enjoyed, is a dry and thirsty wilderness, where there is no water, no drop
of comfort. It is true sinners think their lives comfortable, but their
comforts are but fancies, at least unhallowed comforts, such as will be
bitterness in the end. If their coming to Christ prevent not, even their
chiefest delights will end in the greatest bitterness. They will see (what
now they are far from believing) that their mirth is but like the mirth of
madmen. If they knew their condition, their joys would be turned into
sorrow and astonishment. The Lord is in Christ the Father of mercies,
and the God of all comfort. As all comforts are in him, so not a drop of
comfort comes from him but through Christ ; and none is conveyed through
Christ to any but such as come to him. The fountain is sealed to all other
sinners, 2 Cor. i. 3 ; there is not the least ground of comfort in your lives
while ye live without Christ. The comfort of life, which is indeed the
life of our lives, is only from Christ, only for those that come to him.

(4.) In respect of the usefulness of life. Of what else* is the life of a
sinner living without Christ? Serviceabler, indeed, it is to make provision
for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof, serviceabler it is to Satan to increase
his subjects, and strengthen his kingdom; but how is it serviceable to God?
how useful for promoting those great ends for which it is vouchsafed ? In
these respects it is of no use, renders the sinner a vessel in which the Lord
takes no pleasure, as being unfit for his master's use. Indeed the Lord
serves himself of sinners, and overrules their lives, so as to force honour
to himself out of them, but otherwise of their own accord they are unser
viceable and useless.

A sinner's life without Christ is a talent hid in a napkin; the Lord of it
gets no advantage by it; it serves to bring the sinner under the doom of
an unprofitable servant. Of what other use is it? Your lives without
Christ are as lamps without oil ; if ye make not haste to Christ to light
them, you will fare as the foolish virgins; the bridegroom may pass by,
and shut you out of the marriage-chamber, shut you out of heaven for
ever.

The usefulness of your lives depend upon your coming to Christ ; then
only will they become serviceable, ' vessels unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work,' 2 Tim. ii.
21. What Paul says of Onesimus, Philem. 11, — 'Which in time past' (viz.,
before he came to Christ) ' was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to
thee and me,' — may be said of the life of every sinner before he comes to
Christ. He is unprofitable to Christ, to his church, to his family, to his
relations ; not spiritually useful to any, no, nor to himself; a burden of the
earth, one that cumbers the ground; barren himself, and keeps others
barren ; is fruitful in no respect, except in the unfruitful works of dark
ness; but when he comes to Christ, then serviceable to the Lord, to his
people, &c. Oh, what is an useless life worth! Why, it is not worth
the having, the desiring. If you would have your lives worth either, come
to Christ ; that is the way to make them useful ; the usefulness of them
depends on this.

Qu. ' use ' ?— ED.

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 859

(5.) In respect of the tendency of life. Natural life in a sinner without
Christ tends to death; it is always as Jordan, running towards the Dead
Sea. The tendency of it is to lock up the sinner faster in the grave of
spiritual death, to roll more stones to the mouth of that woeful sepulchre,
that he may be more sure of eternal death. The tendency of this life is
deadly. Ay, but when he comes to Christ, his life tends to spiritual life
and peace, to glory and happiness, to the glorifying of God, and being
glorified with him. Christ turns the current.

Thus you see that natural life, in all respects wherein it is truly desir
able, depends upon coming to Christ. Till then, this life is little better
than death ; and the sinner, while he lives without Christ, is, as the apostle
speaks of our living in pleasure, 1 Tim. v. 6, ' dead while he lives.' And
so was the prodigal, till he came to his father ; he was frolic, merry, active,
lively enough in his own ways; but when he was not himself, his father,
who could better judge of his state, took him for a dead, a lost man :
' This my son,' says he, ' was dead,' &c. And herein, as otherwise, he
was an emblem of a sinner out of Christ ; how merry, jovial, lively soever
he be in the ways of sin, he is as a dead man in the Lord's account.
Natural life does then become truly life when a sinner comes to Christ, and
those that come shall find it so in the premised respects.

Thus in these respects temporal life is from Christ. Now,

2. Spiritual life is from him in all respects. Those that come to him,
and only those, shall have spiritual life from him, both a life of righteous
ness and holiness.

(1.) A life of righteousness. That is it which the apostle calls, Rom. v.
18, ' Justification of life comes upon all men.' Not all and every man, but
all that come to him, all that are his. As condemnation came upon all
that were Adam's, death came by Adam's sin, justification to life by Christ's
righteousness ; that to all that were in Adam, this to all that are in Christ,
all men being in Adam, and death threatened in case he should sin ; ' In
the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,' Gen. ii. 17. He sinning,
the sentence of death passed upon him, and all his posterity in him ; so
that all men by nature are dead men in law, they are condemned already,
John iii. 18. Now the sentence of God's condemning man to death being
most just and righteous, it is irrevocable, and so death unavoidable.
Christ then, seeing God's justice could not be salved nor satisfied without
death, was willing to suffer the death threatened, and this he suffered for
those, and only those, that come to him. Wherefore a sinner coming to
Christ, when he finds in the law the sentence of death awarded against
him, it is true, may he say, the sentence is most righteous ; death is due
to my sin, but Christ has suffered that death ; he died in my stead, and
God looked upon him dying for my sin as though I myself had died for
it; and death being suffered, the law is satisfied, and I am absolved; I am
in Christ, come to him, and there is no condemnation to such, Bom. viii.
The Lord himself has justified me, as having suffered in Christ what justice
required, and therefore now nothing can be laid to my charge, according
to ver. 33, 84. Can any charge me that by law I am condemned to
death ? No, ' it is God that justifies me.' He absolves me, ' who is he
then that condemneth ?' But how can this stand with the truth and
justice of God, who has peremptorily passed the sentence of death against
thee, and said, ' In the day thou sinnest thou shalt surely die'? Why,
very well, for Christ has died in my stead ; so he adds, ' It is Christ that
died.' Thus by Christ's sufferings and righteousness comes the justifica-

SBO MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

tion of life to those who come to Christ. Hence the favour of God,
Ps. xxx. 5, Ixiii. 3.

(2.) A life of holiness. This is life in Scripture phrase. Hence, when
a sinner is translated out of the state of nature into the state of grace, he
is said to pass from death to life, 1 John iii. When he first receives the
principles of holiness, he is said to be born again, John iii., and the pro
gress in holiness is called a new life : Horn. vi. 4, ' newness of life,' after
the Hebrew phrase, who put the abstract for the concrete, newness for
new, &c. This life is from Christ, and those that come to him have it
from him in these respects :

[1.] Principles of this life. The seeds, the habit of grace, every perfect
gift, comes from above, as all light comes from the sun ; but how do these
gifts come from him ? By, or in whom are they conveyed ? The apostle
tells us, Eph. i., in Christ. When the soul, coming to Christ, has union
with him, it is united to the fountain of life. Christ is that to the soul
which the soul is to the body ; accordingly it is expressed, Gal. ii. 20,
* Nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.' Even as we may
say, the body of a man lives, yet not the body, but the soul lives in it, by
virtue of its union with the soul ; so a believer lives, yet not he, but
Christ lives in him ; and the life that he lives is by virtue of his union with
Christ, by faith uniting him with the Son of God. No life of grace, no
seeds, no principles of it, without coming to Christ, without union with
him ; those that come to him shall be united with him, shall be replenished
with these principles.

[2.] The increase of this life. This is from Christ, John x. 10. Justi
fication and glory are not capable of addition or diminution, cannot be said
to decay or abound ; it must be meant of the life of holiness. As Christ
lays the foundation, so he carries on the building ; both the being and
increase is from him ; even as animal spirits (upon which the life, and
motion, and sense, the vital acts of the body, depend) are conveyed in
abundance by the several parts through the whole body, from the head, so
from the head Christ (it is the apostle's similitude, which he uses more
than once, Eph. iv. 15, 16). All that tends to the growth of Christ's
body is conveyed from the head to the several parts and members, com
pacted together for the better conveyance of this lively influence to the
whole. '* And this is by and ' according to the effectual working of Christ
in every part,' according to its capacity, and hence arises the increase
thereof, which he expresses by the same resemblance, Col. ii. 19. From
Christ the head, all his members, mutually united amongst themselves, and
unto him, as it were by joints and ligaments, have nourishment ministered,
so as they increase with the increase of God, i. e., with an exceeding great
increase ; according to the property of the Hebrew tongue, much followed
in the New Testament, who, when they would express the exceeding great
ness of a thing, they add the name of God unto it: Ps. Ixxx. 11, goodly

cedars, 7& *HN, the cedars of God ; so Ps. xxxvi. 7. Eighteousness, as

the great mountains, 7N HIIID ; so Cant. viii. 6. So here, the spiritual
nourishment which he conveys to those who come to him, are one with
him, tends to make their increase, their growth in grace, an exceeding
great increase ; to him we must go if we would grow in grace, if we would
have this life in more abundance. If we would not be guilty of the back-
slidings, barrenness, non-proficiency, for which the Lord has a controversy
with the professors of our times, we must come to Christ for it ; it is he

JOHN V. 40.J TO COME TO CHRIST. 861

that causeth all grace to abound, it is of his fulness that his people receive
grace for grace.

[3.] The acts of this life. The exercise of holiness, as the habit is from
him, so is the act ; it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do ; both
the inward motion, to will, and the outward expression, to do, is from him.
If a man have never so much strength, yet if he sleep, he acts not, till he
be stirred up ; if a man have never so much grace, if he be not acted,
excited by Christ, if he have not a special assistance from Christ's Spirit,
he cannot, he will not exercise it. We see many sanctified, as having the
principles of holiness implanted in them, yet few acts, little exercise of it
in their conversation ; why ? They neglect Christ, rest on what is received,
depend not on him for special assistance to act them, and draw grace into
exercise. Independency in acting is God's prerogative : Philip, iv. 13, ' I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' He wanted not
habitual, but actual strength, without which we can do nothing, with which
a weaker Christian can outdo a stronger : 2 Cor. iii. 5, ' Not that we are
sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency
is of God.' What sufficiency was wanting ? Why, Christ's special help,
to move, act, determine holy principles ; without which, not sufficient for
a good thought ; if we would have the lively, vigorous actings of grace, we
must come to Christ ; if we would not have the principles of life received to
lie unactive in the soul, as though they were dead, we must come to Christ
for this life ; he has it for those who come.

[4.] The continuance of this life. Though ye have received it, and that
in abundance, and exercise it accordingly, yet without Christ, grace itself
would die and expire ; it is he that keepeth our soul in life, Ps. Ixvi. 9.
The continuance of this life depends upon Christ's intercession and acting
for us ; he tells Peter, Luke xxii. 32, ' I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not.' And every one that comes to him is included in this prayer :
John xvii. 15, 'I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world,
but deliver them from the evil ;' from those evils that are destructive to
life, and threaten the death of the soul. In order hereto, he strengthens
them to resist those assaults, those blows, which would else prove mortal ;
he enables them to oppose corruption within, and Satan and the world
without, so that they are in all these ' more than conquerors.' But how ?
' Through him that has loved us,' Rom. viii. 37. He keeps them in his
hand, else they might be plucked from him, life itself plucked from them,
John x. 26. Spiritual life in all these respects is from Christ, and those
that come to him may have it of him.

8. Eternal life is from Christ. Those that come to him shall have
eternal life, in respect of title, hopes, and earnest here, and possession
hereafter.

(1.) Title to eternal life. Adam in his integrity, and we in him, had a
right to eternal life, the promise of God was our patent, but sinning, and
failing in the condition, he, and we in him, utterly lost all title to eternal
life ; nor can any son of Adam, out of Christ, lay any claim to it. But the
Lord Jesus Christ has bought a new title for those that come to him. It
cost him dear indeed, the price was his blood, but all that come to him
shall have it freely ; he bought it for this end, and therefore heaven is called
a purchased possession, Eph. i. 14. The patent is renewed, another title
is acquired. But for whom ? Those only that come to him ; none else
have right to it : Rev. xxii. 14, ' Blessed are they that do his command
ments, that they may have right to the tree of life.' What commandments

3G2 MEN BY NATURE UNWILLING [JOHN V. 40.

are those upon which this right is suspended ? Why, the first and chief com
mandment is, that we come to him, and if there be any other, it depends upon
this ; when this is done, Christ gives a sinner right to the tree of life.

(2.) Hope of eternal life. A lively hope, an assuring hope, a well-
grounded hope, such a hope as makes it so sure as though we were in
possession. Hence believers are said to be already saved, Eph. ii. 8,
Titus iii. 4. But salvation is yet to come ; how are we then said to be
already saved ? The apostle tells us : Rom. viii. 24, ' By hope.' But
whence comes this hope ? See 1 Tim. i. 1, Col. i. 27. Christ is the
foundation of this hope, and to them only who come to him, 1 Peter ii. 4, 6.
Those alone shall not be confounded. Those who hope for heaven, and
yet are so much in love with sin as they will not come to Christ, and yet
will hope for heaven, shall find their hopes delusions, and thereupon, as
men who beyond all expectation meet with great disappointments, shall be
confounded, their hopes shall make them ashamed. That hope which
makes not ashamed, is the hope of those who have fled to Christ for refuge,
to lay hold on him, the hope set before them, Heb. vi. 18, 19. This is
the anchor of the returning soul ; it will secure him in all storms, for it is
both sure and stedfast, it is firmly and deeply fixed, and that in a sound
bottom too : it entereth into that within the veil, the bottom where it is
fixed is heaven, figured by the holy of holies, which was separated from the
body of the temple by the great curtain or veil. He anchors in heaven who
comes to Christ, who is entered there as his forerunner ; he may safely ride
out all storms, and is sure to arrive where his forerunner is landed, even
in heaven.

(3.) Earnest, the first fruits of eternal life. Those that come to Christ
shall have the beginnings of heaven here on earth, the first fruits of eternal life
even in this life, some clusters of Canaan's grapes in the wilderness. Heaven
is a place of joy, here they shall have joy unspeakable ; a state of enjoy
ment, here they shall enjoy the presence and favour of God, fellowship with
the Father, a state of glory ; here some buddings of glory, that which makes
them all glorious within, that for which they are said to be changed from
glory to glory ; a state of vision, here they shall see with open face the
glory of God, though but in a glass, here they shall have a Pisgah sight of
heaven at least.

(4.) The possession of life eternal, John vi. 40. They are so sure to
possess it, as though they were in present possession. The expression is
answerable, ver. 47, 1 John v. 10, 11.

Use 1. Information. Take notice of the misery of those who will not
come to Christ. Those only that come to him have life ; those, therefore,
that come not to him are without life.

Without the blessings and comforts of natural life. The life you live
without Christ is but such as the life of condemned malefactors ; it is an
uncomfortable, an unuseful, an accursed life, such as tends to death.

Without spiritual life in all respects. Justice has passed the sentence
of death upon every such sinner, and it will never be repealed without satis
faction, which being of infinite value, none can tender but Christ, and he
tenders it for none but those that come to him ; till then, every such sin
ner is JDD ]3, a son of death : 1 Sam. xx. 31, rendered, ' He shall surely
die ;' or, as the Hellenists phrase it, John xvii. 12, 6 uib$ rrjj avuXiIas, a
lost, a dead man ; so he is in law already condemned, John iii. 19. Light
Christ revealed in the gospel, and men love darkness, sin, the work of
darkness, their natural sinful state, which is the state of darkness, and this

JOHN V. 40.] TO COME TO CHRIST. 863

is condemnation. For this cause sinners are under the sentence of con
demnation ; and if God be just, as just he is essentially, no less than mer
ciful, the sentence now passed will be executed on all that come not to
Christ. This was the issue of the first sin : Eom. v. 18, ' Judgment came
upon all ;' so that every son of Adam, as soon as he lives, has judgment
of condemnation to death, and so he continues a condemned person under
the sentence of death, till he come to Christ, and then only is he absolved,
Rom. viii. 1. Till then, as justice has sentenced him, so wrath attends
him, he can have no sense of the favour of God, which is better than life,
and so his condition is in this respect worse than death.

Use 2. Examination. By this ye may know whether ye be come to
Christ or no. It concerns thee as much as thy life to know this, and yet
few regard. Most take it for granted, when they have no ground for it,
and therefore I have delivered many things formerly tending to conviction,
that none may deceive themselves in a matter of such consequence ; but
because Satan and men's corrupt hearts are great enemies to this convic
tion, and it is the hardest thing we meet with to convince any of those who
profess Christ that they are not come to Christ, let us make use of this
truth for a further discovery. Would ye know whether ye be come to
Christ or no ? Why, by this you may know it : if ye be come to Christ ye
have life, spiritual life. But how shall this be known ? Why, by such
resemblances betwixt natural and spiritual life as the Scripture holds
forth ; as where there is natural life there is breath, motion, sense, so
where there is spiritual life there is spiritual breathings, motions, sen-
sibleness.

1. Where there is life there is breath. Death is expressed by want of
breath : Ps. civ. 29, ' Thou takest away their breath, they die ;' and life is
expressed by breath, as that which is inseparable from it, Ezek. xxxvii.
5, 6, 8, 10. Where there is spiritual life there is breathings after God ;
so Lam. iii. 56. The quickened soul breathes after God, the sense of his
favour, communion with him ; breathes after Christ's righteousness, the
power of his death, the virtue of his resurrection ; after growth in grace,
and increase of holiness, victory over sin ; after the enjoyment of God,
Christ in his ordinances, nothing else will satisfy ; so David, Ps. xlii. 1, 2,
Ps. xxvii. 4, Ps. Ixiii. 1, 2. Think not we go too high in making David's
example our rule ; our gospel enjoyments require more, though few answer
them. Where spiritual life is, there will be in some degree such breathings
after Christ, such ardent desires, in some degree, more or less, according to
the degrees of spiritual life : where no such breath, no life ; that soul is
not yet quickened, not yet come to Christ.

2. Where there is life there is motion. These are joined : ' In him we
live and move ;' they are inseparable both in grace and nature. When the
soul is quickened, it moves towards God, the bent and inclination of the
heart is after Christ, the affections are carried out to him, the conversa
tion is an acting for him, it has another centre, and moves to other terms,
from sin and the world, to Christ and heaven, Col. ii. 1. It moves spi
ritually. A natural man may move in God's ways, but he moves not
spiritually ; he may pray, read, hear, meditate, but not spiritually, not out
of love to Christ, but out of custom, self-love, enforcements of conscience ;
not to honour Christ, not with any desires to enjoy him, but for by-ends,
sinister respects ; not affectionately, but in a heartless, careless, unaffected
manner. If the work be done, he is satisfied, whatever the temper of his
heart was in doing of it; whether God get glory by it, or he enjoy Christ in

384 MEN UNWILLING TO COME TO CHEIST. [JOHN V. 40.

it, he regards not ; so the duty be performed, it is enough. Such motion
there may be without spiritual life, but it is spiritual motion which is the
pulse by which ye may know this spiritual life. Where no heavenly
inclinations, no holy tendencies towards Christ, with desires to enjoy and
honour him, there is no spiritual life, such as are* not yet come to Christ.

3. Where there is life there is sense.

The quickened soul sees a transcendent excellency in Christ, as to con
temn, part with all for him ; sees a loathsome deformity in sin, sees a
wonderful beauty in holiness, sees a woeful misery in a natural condition,
and sees so as his soul is affected with it. Where these objects are not
spiritually seen, affectionately discerned, there is no spiritual life.

Hears. The heart hears. That which comes but to the ears of others,
when the gospel makes known the mysteries of regeneration, of Christ's
righteousness imputed, of self-denial, of mortification, hears them as things
which he finds, and has experience of in his own heart. When Christ
commands to leave sin, to mortify lusts, be crucified to the world, decline
his own carnal humours, interests, inclinations, he hears so as to obey, to
resolve and endeavour it.

Feels a weight, a burden in sin, feels the wounds it has made in his
soul ; he wonders he should be so much past feeling before, as not to be
sensible of that load of sin which was pressing his soul down towards the
pit. His conscience smarts by those sins which the world count not
worthy the name of sin. Those that are past feeling are without life.

Tastes the sweetness of Christ, 1 Pet. ii. Christ is sweeter to him than
any of the pleasures of sin. Formerly he heard of Christ's sweetness, and
had such apprehensions of it as he had of the Israelites' manna, which he
never saw nor tasted ; he thought of Christ's sweetness before, but now he
has tasted his sweetness.

He tastes sweetness in the promises. They are sweeter to him than
the honey and the honey-comb, he feeds on them as on manna, he lets
them lie long on his soul, in his thoughts, as sweet things on our palates ;
they are his dainties, his refreshment in the night-season, he has meat to
feed on which the world knows not of. .

He tastes sweetness in spiritual enjoyments. Enjoyment of Christ in
his ordinances, this is to his soul as marrow and fatness ;|_as David pro
mises himself, if he should again see the power and glory of God in the
sanctuary: ' Then my soul shall,' &c., Ps. Ixiii. 5."^ If you never tasted
this, never had experience of so much pleasure in wora, or prayer, or medi
tating on Christ or promises, but you have taken more delight in worldly
pleasures ; never tasted such sweetness therein, but that you can live com
fortably without them, if outward comforts be but continued, then it is evi
dent you are yet without spiritual life, not yet come to Christ.
* Qu. ' such are' '? — ED.

THE LORD THE OWNER OF ALL THINGS.

AN INDUCEMENT FROM EAETflLY-MINDEDNESS.

For all . . . is thine. — 1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.

THESE words are part of David's praise and solemn thanksgiving to God.
In which we may observe, 1, the occasion or ground ; 2, the form and
mode of it.

1. The occasion of it is this, as laid down in the former verses : David, in
a general assembly of his people, declaring his design to prepare for the
building of a temple for the solemn worship of God, moves them to
contribute towards it, and encourages them by his own example. They
comply with him herein, and contribute 'willingly,' cheerfully, of their own
accord, without further importunity ; ver. 6, ' sincerely,' not out of osten
tation, not to gratify their king, but to honour God in promoting his interest
and service ; ver. 9, ' liberally,' in great proportion ; for reckoning a talent
of silver at £375, and a talent of gold at £4500, what they offered amounted
to above twenty-six millions of pounds sterling (besides the ten thousand
drams of gold, the other metals, and precious stones, ver. 7), which, with
what David himself gave out of his private treasury, being above sixteen
millions more, ver. 4, makes a very vast sum. For this he and the people
rejoice. Pleasure is nXslag foggyeia$ sKiyiwftivov rt\o$, the result of an
excellent act, ver. 9, and David lets forth this joy in public praises, ver. 10.
He blesses and praises God, not because they had so much, but because
they had hearts to lay out so much for God and his worship. It is more
occasion of joy and praise to expend much for God and for his service than
to have much to expend. To have much may be a curse and a snare, and
matter of greater condemnation ; but to have a heart to employ it for God is
a happiness indeed, a far more blessed thing than to keep it, or to gain it,
or any way to receive it, Acts xx. 25. And this is a truth so evident to
reason (though a paradox to worldlings), that the heathen did acknowledge
it. Isidore tells us it was the maxim of some amongst the Persians.

2. The form or mode of his praising God we have in this verse. It is
an ascribing all excellencies to him. Whence we may learn wherein the
true praising or blessing of God consists ; it lies in acknowledging that to
be God's which is his. We can give him nothing, for all is his ; we can
add nothing to him or his glories by blessing him, he is far above all such

866 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CflRON. XXIX. 11.

praises and blessings ; he wants nothing that is excellent, he is all-suffi
cient of himself, and infinite in all his perfections, and was so from, and
will be so to, everlasting. All that men and angels can do is to acknowledge
him to be what he is, and to have what he hath. And to do this is to
praise or bless him. Thus, when our Lord Jesus is teaching his disciples
how to pray, and how to praise the Most High, this is the mode of prais
ing him, Mat. vi. 13, ' Thine is," &c. And after the same manner does
David here praise him.

' Thine is the greatness.' Thou art immensely, infinitely great, and all
other greatness besides is from thee, it is thine.

' The power.' Thy power is almighty, and the power of all others is
derived from thee, and depends altogether upon thee, it is thine.

1 The glory.' Thou art all-glorious, and all other glory is but the shadow
of it.

' The victory.' Thou conquerest all that oppose thee, and givest victory
to all that vanquish, the victory is thine.

'The majesty,' or 'authority' as some render it. Thou hast all authority
in heaven and earth, and all that have authority have it from thee ; what
is not exercised for thee is no authority, and what is duly exercised is thine.

' The kingdom.' Whoever rules in any realm, the kingdom is thine ;
0 Lord, they do but rule by commission from thee, and as substitutes
under thee ; thou art supreme governor of them all, thou art exalted as
head above all, and, in a word, all is thine, all that is in the heaven and
in the earth is thine.

All dominion is here ascribed to God, whether it signify rule, or whether
it signify propriety ; God is both the ruler of all, and likewise the owner of
all. I have insisted on the former at large in some late discourses, and
the latter I have chosen for my present subject. Take it in this observa
tion, clearly held forth in the words of the text,

Obs. The Lord is the owner of all things.

Whatever is in being is either in heaven or on earth, and all this is the
Lord's ; he has the best title to it, he is the true proprietor and owner of it.

This is a truth of great moment and consequence, yet little, or not at all
(so far as I have observed) insisted on in pulpits, and but sparingly touched
in writings ; but since it is of much importance, and exceeding useful to
stay a little on, it may not be amiss.

In the prosecuting hereof, I shall endeavour to shew, I. What evidence
there is in Scripture for the Lord's title to all things. II. What kind of
title it is for which he is called the owner of all. III. What the ground
and foundation of it is, upon what account he challenges it and will have it
acknowledged. And then, IV. What useful application may be made of it,
how much and excellent fruit it will bear if it be duly improved.

I. For the first, the Scripture abounds with evidence for this purpose,
asserting the Lord's title to all things, even such as we count ours, whether
ours in common with others, or such as we think to be properly ours.

1. Of the former sort; the world in general is said to be his own, Ps.
1. 12, the fulness, the furniture of it, whatever fills it or adorns it, what
ever does replenish or beautify it : ' The world, and all that it contains, is
mine.' More particularly the principal and integral parts of this great
fabric, with appurtenances. Heaven is his, Ps. Ixxxix. 11, and whatsoever
has the name of heaven, Deut. x. 14. The heaven of heavens ; i. e., the
highest heavens, these are the throne of the Most High ; and the heavens,

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FEOM EAKTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 867

i. e., both the ether, the place of stars and planets, and the air, called hea
ven, Gen. i. 20, &c., this is called his chamber, Ps. civ. 3, the beams of
his upper rooms in the watery clouds ; and these clouds are his chariot,
and the winds (which are but air in motion) are the wheels of his chariot.
All, from the highest to the lowest, are his own.

The sea also is his, Ps. xcv. 5, and so are the rivers ; and he resents it
as an intolerable arrogance in Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he would lay
claim to the river Nilus as his own, Ezek. xxix. 9. The earth likewise,
Ex. xix. 5, not one, or many regions of the earth, but all, and all the parts
of it, high and low, even to the centre, Ps. xcv. 4, and all the furniture of
the whole, and every part of it, Ps. xxiv. 1, whatsoever in the least takes
up any part of the earth, whatsoever is in it, Deut. x. 14. He lays claim
to whatever is under the whole heaven as his own, Job xli. 11.

Finally, no more need be, if any more may be added, under this head.
Time is his, and every season and moment of it, Ps. Ixxiv. 16, 17. We
are ready to say, We have time enough for this or that ; but if we presume
that it is ours, and at our disposing, it must be such time as falls neither
under night nor day, nor any season of the year ; for every moment of this
is the Lord's, and so wholly at his disposal.

2. But there may be more question of things under the other head, such
as we count properly ours. Yet here we may be deceived in the title, and
mistake the true owner. There is as much evidence that the Lord is the
true proprietor and right owner even of these. We may be proprietors in
respect of men, so far as none of them may be able to produce any good
title, or lay any just claim to what we have, nor can of right deprive us of
it; but we are no proprietors in reference to God. He is the owner of us,
and all we have, and not ourselves, as will be manifest by an induction of
particulars collected from the Scriptures.

(1.) Lands; that which is left one as his inheritance, or that which he
purchaseth, or which he is otherwise legally instated in ; this he counts
unquestionably his own : and so it may be, as to any title that man can
set up against it: Ps. xlix. 11, they impose their names upon their lands,
signifying thereby that they are the undoubted owners of them ; and others
agree with them herein, and say, This is such a man's land, and that is
such a man's. But the Lord puts in another claim, which will carry it :
'The land,' says he, ' is mine,' Lev. xxv. 23. This is spoken not of the
land as it was then only, but as it would be when the Lord had given it
them, as much as he gives anything, when they had conquered it, and the
law of nations, jcearot;//,?!' IK* TUV xgarovvruv sJvai <paffi, when it was divided
amongst them, and each one had possession of his share ; when it was as
much theirs as anything could be among men, yet then says the Lord,
' The land is mine.' You cannot dispose of it as you will, but as the chief
landlord, the true proprietor will allow you.

And the same may be said of houses as of lands; we are no more the
owners of the one than of the other in reference to the Lord of all. The
Lord shewed how much they are his own in giving not only the lands, but
the houses and cities of the Canaanites to the children of Israel. And
when the Israelites built a house, they used to dedicate it, Deut. xx. 5 ;
and the solemnity of the dedication was feasting and thanksgiving, and by
this means they acknowledged the Lord's interest in their habitation. The
80th Psalm is such a thanksgiving at the dedication of David's house, as
the title of it tells us. So when the walls of Jerusalem were built, they
* Qu. ' xoarovpsva ' ? — ED.

3G8 ALL THINGS THE LOKD*S ' AN INDUCEMENT [1 CflKON. XXIX. 11

were solemnly dedicated, Neh. xii. 27. And because they were wont to
be dedicated by other nations, hence the civil law determines, that the
gates and walls of cities, nullius in bonis sunt, are no man's property,
cedificio* cadit solo.

(2.) The fruits of the land, whatever it yields, is as much the Lord's as
the land itself. Though among us he that does but farm some ground,
and pretends to no other title, yet the fruits of it, and what through his
industry it prodnceth, he counts his own; yet whoever let it, or take it,
whatever care, or pains, or culture is spent upon it, the Lord is the owner
of all that it yields, Hosea ii. 9. She calls all her own, ver. 5 ; but the
Lord shews her who was the true owner, and will make her understand
effectually whose it was by disposing of it as he pleases. He that has the
present disposal, has the propriety. So it is made an aggravation of the
people's idolatry, that what was the Lord's of right they offered to idols,
Ezek. xvi. 18, 19.

Cattle also, wherewith the land is stocked, and wherein, in ancient times,
their riches did principally consist, Job i. 3, are as much his. Whoever
have the possession, the Lord is the owner, Ps. 1. 10, 11. Hence it was
ordained under the law, that the children of Israel should offer the first
born of their cattle, and the first-fruits of their trees and lands, unto God,
Exod. xxxiv. 19, 20. This was the tenure by which they held of him all
they had ; by this part they acknowledged him to be Lord of all, and that
he was the proprietor, though they had the use of all. Thus what was not
fit to be offered, was to be redeemed; and if they did not redeem it, though
it were but an ass, no man had any right in it so much as to use it, Exod.
xiii. 13. God's propriety in such things is evident by one instance, Mat.
xxi. 2.

(3.) Money and clothes also are as much his, though they be on our
backs, or in our coffers, as that which is most our own ; yet the Lord is
more the owner thereof than the possessor, Haggai ii. 8. This David
acknowledges in this chapter. All the silver, and gold, and precious
stones, and other metals which they offered so willingly for the building of
the temple, it was all the Lord's, even before they offered it, ver. 14, 16.
And thus the act of the Israelites is best justified, when they spoiled the
Egyptians, and restored not the jewels of silver, and gold, and raiment
which they had borrowed, Exod. xii. 35, 36. To detain that which is not
ours, without the owner's consent, is theft; but here the Israelites had the
consent of the chief Owner; they had his special warrant for it, who was
the Lord of all the Egyptians had, and had right to dispose of it to whom
he pleased. If the Lord had not been more the owner of the Egyptians'
raiment and jewels, then they themselves, the Israelites could not be
excused.

(4.) There is something counted more ours than any of the former, viz.,
our children; the parents' relation to them is such as cannot be extin
guished, nor transferred to any other; they have such interest in them,
and such power to dispose of them, as amongst the Israelites they might,
in some cases, sell them, as when they could not otherwise pay their debts,
or were not able to sustain them, Exod. xxi. 7. And amongst the Romans
they had power of life and death over their children: xai mveatnifiv roi)g
•jraTda; ro7g yovwffiv ex-erei-^av xai tpovsvuv ari/jjugqru$. The ancient laws of
the Romans, says Simplicius,f allowed parents both to sell their children

* Qu. ' cedificium?' That is, the building goes with the ground on which it is
erected. — ED. t Ad Epicteti Enchiridium.

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 369

and to put them to death without being questioned for it. Yet for all this
parents are not so much the owners of their children as God is, who is the
owner of all, Ezek. xvi. 20, 21. The ground of parents' interest in their
children, and why they are judged so much their owners, is because they
give them life and being; but this reason will shew the Lord more the
owner of them, for he contributes more to the life and being of children
than the parents do, and without him they could do nothing towards it.
It is in him -that all the children of men live, move, &c., Acts xvii. 25, 28.
And we find when he calls them ' my sons,' then the ground of it is added,
' the work of my hands,' Isa. xlv. 11.

(5.) We are thought to have much propriety in our children, but much
more in ourselves, and yet the Lord has more propriety in our persons
than we ourselves; so much more, that we are said in Scripture not to be
our own in comparison, 1 Cor. vi. 19. His title and interest in us is so
great, that all which we conceive we have in ourselves is swallowed up by
it. We are not our own. Whose are we then ? who has more right to
us ? Why, his we are who made us, Ps. c. 3. He hath made us, and
(as it may be as well read) his we are. We are his people, his servants.
A bond-servant was no way sui juris, could no way dispose of his own
person, it was part of his master's goods; peculium domini, he might sell
it, or do what he would with it, in servum omnia licent. Our persons are
no more our own than such servants were. We are more the Lord's than
they were their master's.

(6.) It need not now seem strange to tell you that the Lord is the owner of
our bodies, that he has so much propriety therein as they are more his than
ours. The apostle tells us as much : 1 Cor. vi. 20, ' Glorify God in your
bodies, which are his.' Our bodies, and every member thereof, are his;
for if the whole be so, no part is exempted. And therefore they spake
proud things, and presumptuously usurped the propriety of God, who said,
' Our lips are our own,' Ps. xii. 3, 4; as though their lips had not been his
who is Lord and Owner of all, but they had been lords thereof, and might
have used them as they list. This provoked God to shew what right he
had to dispose of such lips and tongues, by cutting them off.

(7.) But what shall we say of our souls ? Our bodies indeed may be so
in our power, and at the disposal of others, that we cannot count them,
nor use them as our own ; they may be imprisoned or enslaved, yea, or
sold. That has been ordinary heretofore, to make sale of the bodies of
men as well as anything else ; but the soul would remain free in such a
condition, and is not in danger of any such bondage, confinement, or
alienation, nor anything else that can hinder it from being called or used
as our own. Is it not so, are not our souls our own ? The Lord answers
this himself, Ezek. xviii. 4 ; and the apostle says both the body and the
spirit or soul is the Lord's, and not our own, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20; conse
quently all the powers of the soul are his, and all the abilities of those
faculties, in what degree soever they are found or exercised in the soul of
man, for he that is the owner of the principal has right to the accessories.*

So you see it is most clear in Scripture that God is the owner of all, and
every thing and person.

II. Now, since all just propriety and right has some good ground and
foundation, let us inquire in the next place what is the ground and foun-

* Caius. Si in alienis scribat, licet aureis vel argenteis litteris, ejus est scriptura
cujus est charta. — Instit., lib. ii. tit. 1 , sect. 6.

VOL. I. A a

370 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CflKON. XXIX. 11.

dation of the Lord's title to and propriety in all things, and so discover
the reason why he is the owner of all ; and this will shew the justness of
his claim, and the necessity and reasonableness of acknowledging it, and
yielding to it. Now, the ground of God's propriety in all things is his
creating of all, and (which is equivalent to creation) his upholding them.
Redemption is a ground of peculiar interest in the redeemed; but it is
not pertinent here to insist upon that, because the question is of an
universal propriety, not in some, but in all, and the foundation of this
general title to all is creation. Accordingly, you may observe in many of
the scriptures before quoted, as also in others, where the Lord's propriety
is asserted, this, as the ground of it, is annexed: Ps. Ixxxix. 11, 12, the
heavens, the earth, the whole world, and all therein is thine. Why so ?
' Thou hast founded them.' And so are all the regions and quarters of
the world, northern and southern, western and eastern ; for Tabor was on
the west, and Hermon on the east; all are thine, for thou hast created
them. So sea and land, Ps. xcv. 5. As all things measured by time, so
time itself, the measure of all, Ps. Ixxiv. 16, 17. ' Thou hast made the
light,' i.e., the moon for the night, and the sun for the day. He lays
claim to all the climes of the earth, and all the seasons of the year, on
this account ; he made them. So children are his, being the work of his
hands, Isa. xlv. 11 ; and our persons his own, because he made us, Ps.
c. 3. He still produceth.* He that gave all their being is clearly the
owner of all; he has all right in the work of his hands, to dispose of it as
he will. This will be more evident and unquestionable, if we take notice
of these particulars.

1. He made all for himself. He was not employed by any to make it
for another, for in that case the maker is sometimes not the owner ; but
the Lord did employ himself in that great work, and for himself did he
undertake and finish it, Prov. xvi. 4, Col. i. 15, 16. The first-born, the
heir of all, because all created, not only by, but for him, Rev. iv. 11. Not
for the pleasure of another, as the Israelites wrought for Pharaoh.

2. He made all things of nothing, either without any matter at all, or
without any but what himself had before made of nothing. A potter when
he makes an earthen vessel, if the clay be not his own which he makes it
of, he is not the full owner of the vessel, though he formed it : the form is
his, the matter is another's ; but since the Lord made all of nothing, or of
such matter as himself had made, all is wholly his, matter and form, all
entirely. Caius ; Ex alienis tabulis navim fecit, navis ejus erit de cujus ligno.\

3. He made all without the help or concurrence of any other. There
was none that assisted him, or did in the least co-operate with him in the
work of creation. He created all, oudevog eKidt6,u,evo$, as Athanasius. He
needed none, he used not any help foreign, Isa. xliv. 24. Those that assist
and concur with another in the making of a thing, may claim a share in it ;
but here lies no such claim in this case, where the Lord alone did all, alone
made all. All is his only.

4. He upholds all things in the same manner as he created, continues
the being of all things in the same way as he gave it. He does it of him
self, without other support, without any assistant. All would fall into
nothing in a moment, if he did not every moment bear them up. So that
all things upon this account have still their being from him every moment,
and their well-being too, and all the means which conduce to it ; and there-

* Ps. civ. 36. He still produceth. All things within the course of nature receive
being, so they are his works, ver. 31. t Tom. i. page 188.

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 871

fore all are his own, Col. i. 16, 17, Heb. i. 2, 3. His Son is the heir, i. e.,
the owner of all things, not only because he made the worlds, but also
because he, as one God with the Father, upholds all things. He that thus
created all, thus maintaineth all, must needs be the owner of all. There
cannot be a more full and clear title to propriety in all or any things, than
the Lord's so creating, and so upholding of all and every thing. Why the
Lord is owner of all hereby we see.

Now for the on that he is so, may be thus made evident. Propriety is
a right of possessing, disposing, and using the thing or person owned. And
such a right the Lord has in reference to all things and persons, and shews
he has it by acting accordingly.

1. He has a right to possess all, and is actually in possession of all.
The ' possessor of heaven and earth,' i.e., of the whole world, is his title
and attribute, Gen. xiv. 19, 22. Ps. cxxxix. 14, he ' fills heaven and earth ; '
he is actually everywhere and in everything, as the maker and preserver of
it ; and so, as the owner, he has taken possession of all, and keeps it, and
will do, while it is capable of possession. And sure he would not take and
keep possession of anything but what is his own ; he has undoubted right
and title to all he possesses.

2. He has right to dispose of all as he will, and does actually dispose of
any things and persons as he thinks good. He disposes of the things in
this world when, and to whom, in what manner, and upon what terms, and
for what time he pleases. He has jus presenter disponendi, the right of
present disposal, which is properly dominion or property.* He gives pos
session and ejects, puts in and throws out, lifts up and casts down, whom
and when he will, Isa. xl. 22-24, 1 Sam. ii. 6-8. Why does he thus dis
pose of all ? Why, because all is his own. The pillars, i.e. (say many),
the poles of the earth, the whole earth from one pole to the other, is all his
own. Dan. ii. 21, he gives kingdoms as we give farthings ; he disposes of
them to beggars, and throws the loftiest princes out of their thrones upon
the dunghill, Isa. xliii. 3, and xlv. 12, 14. You see he disposes of persons
and things, kingdoms and countries, houses, and lands, and cities, of money
and merchandise, and all. He would not do this, but that he has right to
do it ; and how could he have right to do it, if all were not his own ? And
he has right to dispose of persons as he pleases, not only as to their out
ward condition in all circumstances, but as to their eternal state. So much
propriety has he in soul and body, that he can make both everlastingly
happy or miserable as he will, Rom. ix. 18-20. Can any reasonably except
against God for dealing with man as he pleases, since he is his own creature,
of his own forming ? He shews how much right the Lord has herein, by
one that has less, ver. 21. He that disposes of all things and persons as
he pleases, shews thereby they are his own. If they were not his, what
right could there be to do it ?

3. He has right to use all as he will, to make what nse of persons or
things he pleases. Accordingly, he can make the land barren or fruitful,
he can improve the ground or consume it, he can hold up kingdoms, cities,
houses, families, or let them fall. Who can tie him to keep the world, or
any part of it, in repair ? He can sow it with man and beast, or he can
sow it with salt or with fire, and has right to do it. He can turn a place
like the garden of God into a vale of Sodom, or let Sharon run into a desert.
He shews what right he has, Jer. i. 10 ; he has right to use all as he will.
He can employ what persons he pleases for the highest or the meanest

* Dominium est jus, sive facultas habendi, regendi, utendi rebus vel personis.

372 ALL THINGS THE LOEc's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

uses. He can make use of Hazael, as a man or as a dog, 2 Kings viii. 13 :
as a man when he was a subject, and as a dog when he was a king ; and
could use the great Nebuchadnezzar as a king or as a beast. He binds all
others to such use of what they have, as he thinks fit ; * and they have no
right to use anything otherwise. They are obliged to employ whatever they
possess, and all the improvement of it, for his use, for his interest and
honour. And if they do not thus employ it, they forfeit it, and he has right
to take the forfeiture, though he always does not. And how could he of
right do this to all the world, if all were not his own ?

Thus much may serve to shew both that the Lord is owner of all, and
why he is so.

III. Let us now further endeavour to be satisfied concerning the nature
and quality of this propriety, that so we may understand in what sort and
way, in what capacity or degree, the Lord is the owner of all. Take an
account of this in some particulars.

1. He is the primary and original owner of all. His title and propriety
is underived. Whatever right any other has, it descends from him ; but
his right is not derived from any other. He had it not from any former
owner, for he was the first ; he had it not by inheritance, for he has no
predecessor, nor does he succeed any ; nor had he it by contract, for in
that very instant wherein he created anything, it was upon that account
then his, before any moment wherein we can conceive any contract to have
been possible. That which he gave for all things that are his, was their
very being ; and from his giving this, his right to them did result imme
diately, before and without any act of theirs, and so without any contract
or bargain, which includes mutual acts.

Nor had he it by gift, Rom. xi. 35. The question here is a peremptory
denial. No creature can pretend that he gives God anything, any right
which he had not before. It is true the holy angels and sanctified men do
give up themselves unto God ; but this does not make them his first, but
is an acknowledgment that they were so before. As soon as they were
creatures they were his, even before they did act either as good or intelli
gent creatures ; and when they resign up themselves unto him, they do not
hereby give him a title to them, but effectually recognise it. They were his
before, whether they would or no ; but now they are his voluntarily, and
hereby acknowledge it. They now oblige themselves to regard him as their
owner, and he now owns them in a more peculiar manner. But he was
before the owner of them, as he is of all things, by a primary and original
right.

2. He is the absolute owner of all, without any condition or limitation.
His right and propriety is not in any way limited, nor in the least condi
tional. He holds not anything sub certa leye, upon certain terms and con
ditions. For who could give law to God, or prescribe him terms, or tie
him to conditions, or any way .bound or limit him who was Lord of all,
before any were in a capacity to deal thus with one another. Some, in
what they possess, are limited as to the time, they may hold it so long, but no
longer ; some as to disposing, they may not alienate it at all, or not convey
it but to such and such ; and some as to the use, it must not run to ruin
or out of heart, and some proportion of the profits must be paid out of it.
But the Lord is not under any such restraint, as to all, or anything. None
can limit him but himself. He makes his own terms, and has no other

* t^tariv oval an §1X01

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FKOM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 873

bounds but his own will. He holds all as long as he will, disposes of all
as he pleases, uses all as he thinks fit, and none can say unto him, What
doest thou ? They that are, or count themselves most absolute in their
possessions or kingdoms, in respect of God, have but a limited and condi
tional tenure. And if they transgress their bounds, and observe not the
conditions they are under, they do it at their peril, and he will call them
to account for it, they must answer for it before the great God of heaven
and earth. But he is accountable to none, being under no tie nor obliga
tion from any in the world, Dan. iv. 34, 35. The work of his hands could
not tie him to terms, more than the clay can bind the potter ; nor would
he limit himself to the prejudice of his own right. His title to all remains
such as becomes him, the greatest, highest, and most excellent, and there
fore every way most absolute.

3. He is the principal owner. All others that have right to anything,
have it under him, and in subordination to him, and are tied to acknow
ledge it by doing him service for whatever they have.

No creature has such a dominion or propriety, as the feudal laws call
allodium, an independent and sovereign right, so as to be nemini leudes,
under none, and to owe no service or acknowledgment for what he hath ;
though some owe it not to men, yet all owe it unto God. For he is Lord
paramount, and all hold of him and under him, not only their estates, but
their beings ; and so are obliged to him, more than he that had feudum
ligium, who upon that account contra omnes fidelitatem domino debet, was
bound to be faithful to his lord against all men, the emperor not excepted.
Amongst us, some hold what they possess of their landlords, some of
manors, some of the king. But lord, and king, and all, hold of God, and
owe him service and fealty as his liege vassals ; they have all from him,
and can duly dispose of nothing but by him, nor use anything but for him,
Kom. xi. 36.

4. He is total owner of all. He has a full title to all, and the right is
wholly in him ; he has no copartner nor associates therein. When David
gave the possession mentioned, 2 Sam. xix. 29, between Ziba and Mephi-
bosheth, they had a joint interest therein, as Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah
would have had in the navy and adventure, if they had joined their ships,
according to the proposal, 1 Kings xxii. 49. But none has a joint interest
with God. He has a plenary title to the whole world, not a half, or a
divided right. As none could have such a title to the land of Egypt and
the people thereof, as Pharaoh had, Gen. xlvii. 20, but he that was king
of Egypt ; if he had had a partner therein, he would have had a share in
the royalty ; so here, it is the royalty of God to be the owner of all things.
This is not separable from him, nor communicable to any, but he that is
God. If any should share in his title, they would share in his lordship ;
but he is Lord alone, Isa. xliii. 10, and xlv. 5, 6. Besides, the foundation
of this propriety, as I shewed before, is God's creating of all things. Now,
none can have a share in the right, but such as have a share in the ground
of it. But God alone createth all things, and none beside him can create
anything ; and therefore, none can pretend to partake in the title with him.
He had no partners in making all of nothing, or of sustaining all so made ;
and therefore he has no partner in the title to all. The propriety is wholly
in him, he is the total owner of all.

5. He is the perpetual owner of all. His interest and right to all is
never transferred, never diminished, never lost or extinct. However things
are disposed of in the world, he still remains proprietor, and will do so for

374 ALL THINGS THE LORD*S ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

ever, and he alone. In respect of God, there are no such owners as the
civil law calls perpetuarios. For though one man may convey to another
estates of inheritance to him and his heirs for ever, and thereby cuts off
himself from all right, to deprive the other of his possession, yet^the Lord
always retains a right to dispossess whom, and when he pleases, being ever
the full and absolute owner. This right abides in him for ever, for none
can deprive him of it. What is said of one particular, holds true as to his
propriety, in all, John x. 29. He must be greater and more powerful than
the Almighty, that can wrest his right from him. There is no way of
parting with it, unless he himself will voluntarily quit it. But neither will
he divest himself of it, for it is one of the glories of his crown, that all
should hold of him as the chief Lord and absolute Proprietor. And this
honour will he not give, this glory will he not part with, to any other. It
is annexed inseparably to his kingdom, and so must last no less than that
which is everlasting, Dan. vii. 14. It can no way cease, unless the ground
of it should fail. Dominium non amittitur, nisi amisso eo in quofundatur,*
property is not lost, unless the foundation of it fail. But that is here im
possible, unless the Lord should cease to be what he is, the maker and
preserver of all things, for therein his propriety is founded. And whereas
it may be said, The Lord gives away many things, and that in one way of
alienation, the propriety passes by gift to him that receives, he becomes
the owner, I answer, So it is amongst men in full donations. But the
Lord gives nothing so as to divest himself of the propriety he has therein.
He gives us the use of things, an use limited as he thinks fit, and an an
swerable possession of them ; but he never gives away his interest and pro
priety in what he bestows on any. And so you may observe in Scripture, that
after he has given things, yet they are said to be his own still. He has given
the earth unto men, Ps. cxv. 16, yet not so given it, but that it is his own
still, Ps. xxiv. 11, 1 Cor. x. 26, 28. So he gave the land of Canaan to
the Israelites, and gave it for an inheritance, Deut. iv. 21, yet did he not
give away the propriety, it continued his own still. ' The land is mine,'
Lev. xxv. 23. So Hosea ii. 8, 9, he gave, and yet still they were his own,
and Ezek. xvi. 18, 19. So he gives us our souls, Eccles. xii. 7. The
Father of spirits gives the spirit, the soul, but so as it is his still, Ezek.
xviii. 4. He gives to the children of men some use and possession of
things, but he does not give his interest and right in them. He is as much
the owner of them as before he gave them, and so perpetually.

6. He is transcendently the owner of all. He has the greatest right to
them, a super-eminent propriety and interest in them, far exceeding all
that any other can challenge. He has more right to all than we have to
any thing', and is more the owner of all than we are of that which is counted
most our own. The nature and being of all things are his, he being the
maker and upholder of them; but the use of things only is ours, and
therein also we are subjected to him, and are to be ordered by him, having
no right to use any thing, but as he appoints us, or gives us leave, no
otherwise than according to the rules of our tenure prescribed by him.
But he in this is ordered and regulated by none, but has right to, and may
use all or any thing as he pleases. We count that which we pay for more
our own than that we borrow, and an estate of inheritance more ours than
that which we have but as tenants, and our children more our own than
other possessions, and our persons more oar own than children are ; and our
souls more our own than any thing. Yet the Lord is more the owner of

* Gerson.

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EAKTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 375

all things than we are the owners of our souls ; for propriety in things is
more or less as the right and power to possess, dispose of them, or use
them, is more or less ; for herein dominion or propriety consists. Now
we cannot hold, or retain, or possess our souls as long as we will : Eccles.
via. 8. No man has dominion over his spirit or soul, to keep it in his
body while he pleases. Death comes (when the Lord will send it), and
takes away the soul, whether we will or no, we have no right to keep it a
moment longer ; but the Lord has right to keep, or hold, or retain any
thing as long as he pleases. And so, in this respect, all or any thing is
more his own than our souls are.

Further, We have no right or power to dispose of our souls in what
state we will, either a state of grace here, or of glory hereafter ; but the
Lord, who worketh or disposeth of them and all things, according to the
counsel of his will, Eph. i. 11, has right to dispose of all things, in any
state, as to their being or well-being, as to their happiness or misery, as
he will. And so, in this respect also, all things are more his own than our
souls are ours.

Finally, we have no right to use our souls, or any faculties thereof, as
we will, but only according to the laws and rules he has given us ; but the
Lord has right to use all, or any thing, as he will himself; and so, in all
respects, he is more the owner of all things than we are of our souls. He
has more propriety in any, in all things, than we or any else have, even
in that which is counted most our own.

7. He is the sole owner of all things. He is the only proprietor in the
sense expressed in the former particulars ; yea, none else but he is strictly
and properly the true owner, not only of all, but of any thing. And that
you may be satisfied herein, and assent to it as a truth, which at first
sight may seem new and strange, and upon a bare proposal may meet
with some contradiction, let me give some reason for it ; for I would not
impose any thing upon you of this nature, liable to exception, upon my
bare assertion.

(1.) If the whole right be in him, none can have a part of it ; but he is
the full owner of all, and the right to all is wholly in him, as I made it
evident in the fourth head.

(2.) If he have right to take all, or any thing away when he will, and to
dispose of it to whom, and when, and how he pleases, and to tie and oblige
the possessors to what uses they shall employ all they have, so as they
have no right to employ it any otherwise, then is he the sole proprietor,
and the right and title is only in him ; for this power is a clear and unde
niable evidence of it, as appears by the nature and essence of propriety,
and the severals wherein it consists, of which I have given an account
before. He that has right to do what he will with all, and every thing,
and none else but he, is the sole owner of all, and every thing ; but such
is the Lord's dominion over all, such a right hath he as to all and every
thing. Therefore, &c.

(3.) If the persons of the possessors be not their own, then nothing else
is. He that is not the owner of himself, is owner of nothing ; 6 Seamrrig rov
jiytpovixou, vug ovys tfyi ro UTTO&CTJXO'J ; he that is the lord and owner of the
principal, cannot but be the owner of the accessories ; but so is he who is
Lord of all, the owner of all persons, and so the owner of all that belongs
to them, and not they themselves. So a bond-servant, being part of his
master's goods, domini in bonis, since himself was not his own, he was
owner of nothing; all that he had was his master's. Thus, a Hebrew hav-

376 ALL THINGS THE LOED's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

ing sold himself, or being sold by others, to be a servant, so that his per
son was become his master's possession, all that he had in that capacity
was his master's, even his wife and children, Exod. xxi. 4. When he him
self was free (as he might be by law in the seventh year), yet, by the same
law of God, his wife and children were to continue with his master as his
own goods. And so we need not wonder, that in the Roman empire, by
the common laws of it, if a servant had an inheritance or a legacy left, it
was his master's, he being not his own man, could not be the owner of it.
So Ulpian, Si haredes instituti sunt, et hcereditates nobis adquirunt, et leyatia
ad nos pertinet. If our servants be made heirs, the inheritance is ours,
and the legacy left them belongs to us. So Caius,* Quicquid iis a qudlibet
persond donatum, vel renditum fuerit, <£c., id dominis sine aliqud dubitatione
conquiritur. Whatever by any person is given to (servants) or sold to
them, that without all doubt is their master's ; so that in all law and
reason, if our persons be not our own, nothing that we possess is ours,
but his who is lord and owner of our persons. But I shewed before, that
our, and all persons are his, and therefore he is the sole owner of all.

Obj. But are we owners of nothing (may some say) ? Both Scripture,
and law, and common sense, make and speak many things to be ours.

Ans. I shall shew you how these things are ours, and how they are not,
both to prevent mistakes, and also thereby to declare more fully and evi
dently how the Lord is owner of all things, and how he is the sole owner
of all. Take it in these particulars :

(1.) We are not true proprietors of any thing in respect of God, though
otherwise what we possess may be called ours. To clear this, and leave
no room for misunderstanding, observe, that things in our possession may
be considered either in respect to the right lord and true owner, or in respect
to others. In reference to God, who is the right Lord and true Proprietor
of all things, we are not properly owners of anything. But in reference
to others, such things as the providence of God in a just way gives us the
possession and use of may well be called ours, because no others can
challenge them, or lay any just claim to them. This will be clearer by
some parallel instances.

That which we borrow may be considered with respect either to the
lender, or to others. In reference to the lender, we have no propriety in
that which is borrowed ; for, as the Civilians say,f in commodato res non
ita datur, ut fiat accipientis. A thing lent, is not so given as to become
his who borrows it. ' Alas, master, it was but borrowed !' 2 Kings vi. 5.
The lender is* still the owner, though it be in another's possession.

But in reference to others, that which we borrow is so far ours, as an
other may not take it from us, nor hinder us from the use of it. So in
what a tenant possesses, in reference to the landlord, he is no owner, for
he has the possession and use only, not the propriety. So it is a rule in
the feudal laws,]: Possessio per beneficium ad eum pertinet, proprietor ad
alium spectat, possession belongs to the tenant, propriety to the lord.
But in reference to others, it is and may be called his land, his own farm,
because no other has anything to do with it ; he may challenge it as be
longing to him, and if any take it from him, they do him wrong, and he
may maintain a right against them.

In like manner, in reference to God, we are no more owners of what we
have, than a borrower is in reference to the lender, or a tenant is in respect
of his landlord ; but in respect of others, they are and may be called
* Institut. Tit. 19, sect. 19, vid. 18, 20, 21. f Jura Gothofred. J Lib. ii. tit. 8.

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EABTHLY-MINDEDXESS. 377

ours, because others have no interest therein, cannot justly deprive us of
them, have no right to disturb us in our possession, or hinder us in the
use, or from the profits thereof. In these respects we are quasi domini,
as it were owners, but not vere domini, not true owners, as Civilians dis
tinguish* between verum dominium, and quasi dominium, true propriety,
and that which is but as it were such. The Lord alone is truly proprietor,
we are but the improvers of his possessions ; so some understand those
expressions in Scripture, where the servants of God are called strangers,
or sojourners ; and in two places there seems good ground for such a sense
in the context : one is in this chapter, where, having in many expressions
ascribed all to God as the owner of all, and he only, he adds, ver. 15, Non
proprietarii sed tui coloni, say divers of great note, we are not proprietors,
but thy husbandmen ; so Levit. xxv. 23, ye shall reap the fruits of it, but the
land is mine ; ye are HD^, ye are my labourers, or husbandmen, coloni, it
is rendered. Now, husbandmen in the Roman empire, such as were eva-
xoygayoi, enrolled, had nothing of their own, but all they had was their
master's, as appears by that of the emperor Anastasius, in Cod.,-\ rarovruv
•/rsxouX/a ro?z dsa--6rai; dvyxti, their proper goods belong to their lords.
Answerably the Lord says here to the Israelites, ' The land is mine,' not
yours ; and David, in the other place, acknowledges, ' All is thine own ; '
so that we are not what landlords are accounted in reference to .their
tenants ; nay, we scarce are so much as tenants in respect of the Lord of
all. For,

(2.) We have not a full tenant's right to what we count ours. Those
who are thought to be most the lords of their lands, are not so much as
tenants in respect of God.

[l.J For a tenant is sole possessor, though he be no proprietor. He
that lets him a farm, keeps it not in his own hands, but gives whom he lets
it to investiture,! or» as we ca^ ^, livery or seisin, gives him possession,
and so parts with that to the tenant, though he give him no propriety.

But we are not sole possessors in respect of God ; for though he give us
possession of what we have, yet he gives it not away from himself; he puts
nothing out of his own hands, but continues always in possession of heaven
and earth, and all things, as much as if there were none else in possession,
Gen. xiv. 19 ; he has jus retinendi, and insistendi rei (as possession is
defined), a right to hold and abide upon everything, everywhere ; he never
divests himself of this right, as others do to their tenants ; yea, he always
actually exercises this right, keeping all in his hands, and remaining in and
upon his possessions, and every part thereof, every moment (as none else
can do), Jer. xxiii. 24.

[2.J A tenant hath usually some time in what he holds ; some have it
for life, some for years ; and if less, yet for some time certain ; and those
that have no lease are not turned out without some warning ; but we have
no time certain in anything that we possess. The Lord may turn us out
when he will ; he may take it from us, or us from it, whenever he pleases ;
nor is he obliged to give us a moment's warning, Mat. xxiv. 42, 44, 50.
Our tenure is no better than that of the most ancient feudatories, § whose
possessions domini quando vellent auferre, their lords might take away at
their pleasure ; or theirs of old in England, who were called tenants at will,
but were really bondmen, || who had nothing of their own (person or estate),

* Feud. Lib. ii. Tit. 8, i\A&.—Gothofred. t Lib. xi. Tit. 47, lin. 18.

t Investire est in possessionem mittere Gothofred, § Feud., Lib i. Tit. 1.

|| Villainage tenure.

378 ALL THINGS THE LOED's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.

and no time in what they improved for another, but were wholly in the
power and at the will of their lord for all. It is not so good as that of
those feudal tenants,* who, after a year, their lord turned out of possession,
quacunque hora vult, at any hour when he list ; they had a year certain,
but we have not an hour nor a moment. We have warning, indeed, not
lo let us know what time we may be certain of, but to give us notice, that
we are not certain of any time at all, nor of the least parcel of it, Mat.
xxv. 13. Whenever he comes, he turns us out of all our earthly posses
sions ; and we know not but he may come the next day, the next hour ; he
comes whenever he will, Mark xiii. 35, and ordinarily when we least expect
it, Luke xxi. 34, 35.

[3.J A tenant, observing conditions and paying his rent, hath the rest of
the profits for himself and his own use.f Proprietor rei penes dantem
remanet, usus fructus vero rei ad accipientem transit, is the rule in law betwixt
lord and tenant ; though he have not the propriety, yet he has the use and
profit for himself; so when Pharaoh had got all the land of the Egyptians
into his own hands, he lets it out to them upon these terms, that paying
a fifth part to him, the rest of the profits should be their own, for the use
of them and theirs, Gen. xlvii. 20, 23, 24.

But all that we have must be employed for the use and interest of our
Lord ; not for ourselves, but for him. Accordingly, the Lord represents
himself to us by a householder, who, having planted a vineyard, lets it out
to husbandmen, but sends his servants to receive the fruits of it for him
and his use, Mat. xxi. 33, 34 ; all the fruits of our lands, trading, labour,
studies, belong to him ; and he expects they should be wholly employed
for him one way or other ; and we have no right to spend them upon our
selves, or relations, or others, any otherwise than may be for his service
and interest. We have nothing simply for our own use (as tenants are
supposed to have), but all we are bound to use for him ; all the profits and
advantages of what we have should be ordered so, as to advance his honour,
and serve his pleasure, and promote his interest, or else they are abused,
and usurped against all right, and contrary to the terms and conditions
upon which we hold all we have ; but if we are neither true proprietors,
nor have so much as the right of tenants, how are things said to be ours ?
I answer positive :

(3.) We have them as stewards, entrusted by their master with his
treasure, or goods, to dispose thereof to such persons, and for such uses,
as he appoints. Thus we are frequently in Scripture represented as
stewards, particularly Luke xii. 42. A steward has his master's stores
committed to his trust ; he has them in his custody, and so far they are in
his possession ; he has power to dispose thereof according to his trust, and
so he is said to be the ruler over the household, i.e., the disposer of things
belonging to the family, ver. 44. And accordingly he makes use of, and
employs what is in his hands : he provides and brings forth necessaries
for the family, gives them their meat, &c. And so Abraham's steward is
pl^E P» one wno raris t° and fro to provide what is requisite ; or as others,
Jilius eductionis, who brings forth necessaries out of the stores, Gen. xv.
2 ; but all according to his master's order and appointment, Mat. xx. 8,
Gen. xliv. 1. And no other has any right to take from him what is in his
custody and possession, or to dispose thereof as he may, or to hinder him
from so using or employing it. And so far, that which he, and no otber,
has right to possess and dispose and use, may be well said to be his ; but

* Use of the Law, Lib. i. Tit. 11, page 37. t Lib. ii. Tit. 23.

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 379

it is not his to keep, or use as he list, as the steward in the parable found,
Luke xvi. 1, and xi. 45, 46.

And even thus are things ours. The Lord has entrusted them in our
hands, to dispose of them as he appoints, and use them as he has given
us order, and no otherwise ; because we have right to such a possession,
disposal, and use of them, a right which no other can claim to the things
in our trust ; upon this account they are and may be called ours.

Or as an artificer's tools, which he entrusts in the custody of his servant,
so as he may dispose them most conveniently for his work, and use them
for his service ; another has no right to take them from him, or to use
them without his leave. So far they may be said to be the servant's
tools.

We are the Lord's servants, and a servant is, as Aulus says, rov fagvorou
opyavov, his master's tool. So are we, so are all our members and faculties,
our Lord's instruments ; but he gives us them to be employed in his work,
and used for his service, and none can justly hinder us from so employing
them. So far they are ours ; and other things which we possess propor-
tionably, ours in trust, but the Lord's in true propriety.

So much for the explication and proof of this point, in which I have
stayed the longer, that our judgments might be more clearly and firmly
settled in this truth, too little understood, or too little regarded, as we may
suspect, since the genuine consequences of it in practice are so much
neglected. That which is dubious or obscure being cleared, we may pro
ceed more currently with the practical improvement of it, to which I now

Use 1. Of information, in many particulars of great concernment.

1. Herein we may discern the greatness of that Lord whom we serve,
and whose we are. The whole world, and its fulness, all that is in it, both
persons and things, are his own, wholly and absolutely his. The heaven
is his throne, the earth is his footstool ; hell is his prison, the devils are
his executioners ; the angels are his ministers, as much his servants as
those who are bought and sold ; they do nothing but his will, and have
nothing but at his allowance ; they cast their crowns at his feet, as having
them and all from him, and holding them and all at his pleasure. The
greatest monarchs in the world, and those that are called ten-arum domini,
lords of the earth, are his vassals ; they hold what they have of him, by a
tenure of as much subjection as that which was anciently known here by
the name of villainage. They have nothing of their own ; all they possess
is his. They have it but to improve for him and his service, and they are
turned out of possession at the will of the supreme Lord ; and though they
may seem to have much in their hands, yet the greatest empire, that of
Ahasuerus, consisting of one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, or that
of Alexander greater than the Persian, or that of the Romans much larger
than the Grecian was, is but as a mole-hill, or the small possession of an
ant, yea, much less, compared with the dominions of the great Lord of all.
The whole earth is but as a needle's point to the visible heavens, and how
much less these are than the heaven of heavens we cannot tell. But this
we know, that these and all are his own, and more at his disposal, than
any clod of earth is at ours. In brief, all that are in the heavens, or on
the earth, or under the earth, are his, his creatures. Whoever they are,
whatsoever they have above mere nothing, they have it all from him, and
so hold it as that they and all are still his own. Oh what reason have we
to adore and admire him, to ascribe all to him, and to him alone ! Thine

380 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnEON. XXIX. 11.

is the greatness, and the majesty, and the kingdom, and the dominion.
' Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearch
able,' Ps. cxlv. 3 ; ' Great is the Lord,' &c. He is exalted far above all.
What high thoughts should we have of him ! How should we revere him !
How should all the earth tremble before him ! ' For the Lord most high is
terrible ; he is a great king over all the earth,' Ps. xlvii. 2, over all the
heavens, over all the world. Let us strive for suitable apprehensions of
him, and praise him according to his excellent greatness.

2. This may inform us that the Lord hath right to deal with us, or any
creature, as he will. However [he use us, he can do us no wrong. This
is manifest, in that we are his own. This is enough to answer whatever
may be objected against his disposing of us or anything at his pleasure.
Shall I not do with my own as I will ? Mat. xx. 10, 15. If our diminutive,
limited, dependent interest gave us right to do what we will with what we
call our own, we think it our due to exercise it as we please upon the
inferior creatures, what right and power has he, who is Lord of all, to use
us or anything as he will, when he is so fully, so absolutely, so transcend-
ently the owner of us and all things ? It is true, and should be observed
and remembered, that in reference to rational creatures, the Lord has
restrained the exercise of his plenary right by his laws and promises ; he
has declared hereby, that though he has undoubted right to use us any
way as he will, yet he will not use us but so and so, according to the
import of those laws and promises. Yet though he will not exercise all
that right and power over us, as he is our ruler, yet otherwise, as he is
our owner, it fully belongs to him. And thus, if we consider him as a
lord and proprietor antecedently to his determination of forbearing such
exercises of his right, so he might use us however we would ; nor could
whatever he did be any wrong to us. No usage of us whatsoever, no, not
that which seems most grievous to nature, or most harsh at first sight unto
reason, could possibly be unjust in him or an injury to ns ; for justice or
righteousness sv r£ u<psx.Tix£ xai aj3Xa(3i? y.irrai, consists in abstaining from
what is not our own ; or, as others commonly place it, in giving suum cuique,
every one his own ; so that which is unjust or a wrong to us, must be a
withholding or taking from us that which is our own. Therefore nothing
that he can take or withhold from us can possibly be injurious to us,
because in respect of him nothing is our own ; he is the true owner of us,
and all we have or can have.

Yea, if we were innocent, and without sin, yet the Lord, as our pro
prietor, might deny or take from us anything whatsoever, our estates, lives,
being, or well-being, righteously, and without doing us the least wrong ;
for what injury could it be to take that from us which is his own and
not ours ?

If he should take from us what estate we have, as he did from Job, and
as is generally conceived, without respect to his sin, he would not thereby
wrong us, he takes but his own.

If he should take away life, or give others a special command to do it,
as he did to Abraham in reference to his son Isaac, Gen. xxii., the taking
away his life in that case had been no murder in Abraham, no wrong to
Isaac, because the Lord and owner of his life gave order for it, who had
right to call for his own, and take it in what way he pleased.

If he should take away our being, and quite annihilate us, he would but
take his own, and that which we wholly owe to him. Thus, as our Lord
and proprietor, he has right to do, but only that he has declared he will

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EAP.THLY-MINDEDNESS. 381

not do it. If we have so much power over the being of other creatures, as
to destroy them, so as they are never restored again, though they be not
reduced to nothing ; if we may kill them for our use, food, or physic ; if
we may burn wood and other things, turn them to ashes for our service,
and yet do them no wrong, what right and power hath he over our being
who is full and absolute Lord and owner thereof !

If he should take away our well-being, if he should inflict pain on us in
any degree or for any continuance, so as to deprive us of a comfortable, a
well-being, this would be to take his own, and that which he owes us not ;
this he might take, considered as our proprietor, and without respect to
his promise; that .indeed declares that he will not so use us, but otherwise,
setting that aside, he hath right to do it, and might inflict what pain he
would, and continue it as long as he pleased, as a mere affliction, without
respect to sin, though not as a punishment. If freedom from pain, any
degree of it, be not due to us, then it would be no wrong to inflict it on us
in any degree, and if freedom from it for a moment is not our due, then it
would be no injury to inflict it for any continuance ; for it is no wrong to
deny us that which is not due to us, and that is not due to us which we
cannot challenge as our own. And what can we count our own, if being,
well-being, and all, be wholly and absolutely his, who is Lord and owner
of all ? In that which is not due to us, we can have no right ; and in that
where we have no right, we can have no wrong ; and so the Lord, as owner
of us and all things, may deal with us, or any, as he will, without doing us
any wrong. Rationabiliter autem negatur, quod nulla ratione debetur.*

3. Let this inference be minded and believed according to the reason you
see for it. It clears up the absolute dominion of God, and those difficulties
which concern it, very much to my own satisfaction, and it may do such
service to others. It is no curiosity nor useless speculation, but tends
much to illustrate the freeness of grace, and to manifest the righteousness
of God's decrees with the execution of them, and by the help thereof we
may vindicate it from the reasonings of such as would impeach it.

But so much for the general inference. The truth before us will give us
more special information concerning the Lord's righteousness in some
particulars, which our partial reason may be apt to call in question. As,

(1.) That the Lord has right to pass by some when he chooses others ;
to leave some to misery, while he sets apart others for life and happiness.
Unless the sovereign Lord of all have less right and power to dispose of
that which is more his own, than common reason acknowledges men to
have for the disposal of that which is less their own, he may righteously,
and without any show of injury to others, do what he will with his own,
and so may choose some of the sons of men to be the objects of his special
favour, and refuse others, without any injury to those that are rejected ; for,
in this case, both the persons whose state he will have to differ, and the
things which make the difference, are more incomparably his own than any
thing we have power to dispose of is ours. The persons are his own, they
are the work of his hands entirely, they are his creatures ; whatever they
are, or have beyond nothing, is wholly his. And may not he of right dis
pose of that which is so much his own, into what state he will ? And then
the things are his too ; life and happiness are his gift, Eph. ii. They
are more his than anything which we have right to give to whom we will.
And has not the Lord right to give what is his own to whom he pleases,
and to bestow his bounty on what objects he thinks fit, and to single out
* Aquinas Disp. de Praedest., Art. 2.

882 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnEON. XXIX. 11.

some from amongst others to partake of it ? Till the common notions of
equity and righteousness be razed out of the souls of men, methinks this
should be counted most equal and righteous. The Lord asserts his own
right to dispose his mercy to whom he will, Exod. xxxiii. 19. This the
apostle applies to the present case, and by the light and evidence of it dis
perses the objection of unrighteousness, as a mist is scattered by the sun
going forth in its strength, Rom. ix. 13-15. If it be not righteous with
the Lord to shew his mercy, or refuse it to whom he will, he has not the
right (which men have) to do with his own what he will. Those who dis
pute against this, leave not the Lord so much right over his own as the
potter hath over his clay or his vessel, as the apostle's argument proceeds,
ver. 20, 21. Both persons and things here concerned are his own, more
the Lord's than either the clay or the vessel is the potter's. If he have
not as much power and right to dispose of us for happiness or misery, for
honour or dishonour, as the potter has to dispose of his clay or vessel,
then he will have less right when the ground of it is more.

And whereas it is said that the Lord, dealing thus differently with per
sons otherwise equal, makes him chargeable with respect or acception of
persons, which he both disclaims himself, Acts x. 84, 35, Rom. ii. 11, and
forbids and condemns in others, Lev. xv. 16, it will appear by the truth
we insist on, that this objection (how much soever some great pretenders
to reason would make of it) is altogether impertinent ; for acception, or
respect of persons, which is culpable, has place only in judicial acts (or
those of like nature), where justice must be done according to the merits
of the cause, without respect to the quality, relations, accomplishments of
the person concerned. He that is swayed by such personal respects, to
pass sentence otherwise than the cause itself in justice requires, is an
accepter of persons in a criminal sense. But in acts of bounty it has no
place, where one is not deciding what is right and just betwixt others, but
where he is disposing of his own ; he may dispose of his own, and express
his bounty to whom he pleases, and not be liable to any charge of un
righteous respect to persons.* And this is the case here : the Lord pro
ceeds not in these acts as a judge, distributing to every one what is due in
law, but as a lord and proprietor, disposing of what is his own to whom
and how he pleases. And there is not herein any shadow of respecting
persons, since he is not moved thus to deal with us by any external respect
whatsoever.

(2.) That the Lord has right to vouchsafe his gospel unto some, and not
to others. It is his own, and if he have right to dispose of his own as he
will, he may vouchsafe it or deny it to whom he pleases. He has used
this right in all ages, apparently under the law, Ps. cxlvii., and afterwards
also, Mat. xi. 25. In the apostles' times, the gospel did go through all the
world ; but that world was little more than the Roman empire, for any
thing appears in Scripture, and that empire is called the world, Luke ii. 1.
Take the world in its full latitude, and there are many parts of it in which
no footsteps of the gospel could be discerned in latter ages. This some
cannot digest, that the ordinary means of salvation should be denied to
any. But the Lord does them no wrong that want it ; it is no injury to
withhold that from any which is no way due to them. And how does it
appear that the gospel was due to any that want it. By what right can
they challenge that of the Lord which is his own and at his free disposal ?

* Nulla est acceptio personarum quia sic alius honoratur, et alius debito non
fraudatur. — Auguttin. in Tom. 325.

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 383

(3.) That the Lord has right to deny his grace to some when he gives
it to others. It is his own, he may give it or deny it to whom he will.
He has declared it to be his right, by communicating or withholding it as
he pleased, Dent. xxix. 2-4, Mat. xxii. 14. ' Many are called' (he says not
all any way), 'but few are' called effectually ; few have grace to answer the
call, 1 Cor. i. 26, 27. Yet the Lord wrongs none to whom he imparts it
not. If it were a debt indeed, this might be alleged, but it is grace, Rom.
iv. 4. It is his own, and comes not to any but by free gift, and so with
right and liberty to bestow or deny it to whom he pleases. He owes it no
way to any, unless he have promised it ;* and where has he promised it to
all, or to any that never have it ?

(4.) This shews us evidently the freeness of the love of God, to all that
are the objects of it, men or angels, and of all the acts and expressions of
it. If the Lord could not love most freely, he would love nothing at all
besides himself. For hereby it appears, that all else is most worthless ;
not only utterly uncapable of deserving love, but far from any way of oblig
ing his affection, or moving him to vouchsafe any expression of it.

1. We are most worthless creatures ; we are worth nothing at all; we
have not anything of our own, not anything that is good or fit to be loved
that we can call our own, James i. 17 ; whatever we have that is any
way good, it comes from him ; it is his gift, and he gives it not so, but
that it is his own still. If we were stripped of all that is not our own, we
should have nothing at all left, that could be the object of any love, or
capable of any expression of love ; we should not have so much left as our
mere being, for even that is not our own ; we should be no better than
just nothing.

If a prince should take a beggar from off the dunghill, and set his affec
tions on her, the freeness of his love, to such a wretched object, would be
a wonder ; and yet the beggar would have more of her own in respect of
him, in such a condition, than we in our best estate have in respect of
God. Her person would not be his till she gave her consent ; but our
persons, parts, accomplishments, all are not our own, but his, whether we
yield to it or no. Oh then, how wonderfully free is the love of God ! how
admirable is it, that he Could think of loving such as are worse than nothing !
What we have of our own, we may take an account of, in the description
of Laodicea, Rev. iii. 17. Who can love wretchedness, and misery, and
poverty, and blindness, and nakedness ? Why, we have nothing better of
our own ; and if the Lord loves us not for our own, he loves us freely. If
the Lord could not have loved most freely, we had never been the objects
of his love ; for we had nothing at all of our own, but what might rather
stop and non-plus love, than any way encourage it. Oh with what sense
and affection, with what admiration, should we look upon such declarations
of his love ! Hosea xii.

2. How far are we from deserving his love ! How ridiculously unreason
able are those conceits of our deserts in reference to the love of God, or
any expression thereof! There are three conditions necessary to make
anything in us deserving; and this truth discovers them, and every of
them, to be utterly impossible, and so the fancy of merit to be an absurd
chimera.

[1.] If we deserve anything, it must be by virtue of that which is our
own. But we have nothing of our own; all that we have and are is bis

* Neque cuiquam obnoxius est, nisi quatenus se per promissiones suas obligavit.
— Arminius.

884 ALL THINGS THE LOED's ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHKON. XXIX. 11.

that loves us, and therefore lets us have whatever we have. Can one
deserve anything of another by letting him have what is his own ? He
that lends may deserve something of us, but not he that only restores
what he borrowed ; he is so far from meriting hereby, that he would be no
better than a thief if he did it not. The Lord lends us what we have, he
deserves of us for trusting us ; but can we deserve anything by letting him
have his own when he calls for it ? Prov. xxii. 7. Whatever we do,
whatever we bestow for God, we give him but his own, 1 Chron. xxix.
14, 16. We deserve nothing cf him, unless it be the reputation of not
being cheats and thieves ; no more love or expression of it than this.

[2.J If we deserve anything, it must be by virtue of that which we owe
not. Now, since we have nothing of our own, but all is the Lord's, and
from him, we owe him all we have, and all we can do, it is a due debt ;
and no man merits by paying his debts. Not to be grossly dishonest, is
far from being meritorious.

[3.] If we deserve anything, it must be by virtue of that which is of
some advantage to another; but what advantage has the Lord by us ? Job
xxxv. 7 and 22, and Job xli. 11. Who has prevented him? Who has
given him anything which he had not first received of him ? He prevents
all; for all is his, before any be in a capacity to give to him. And if we
should give him what is his (as, alas ! we do not) he is but as he was ; it
was his before, he is no better for it, we do but give him his own ; and
upon this account, when we have done all, we are but unprofitable ser
vants, Luke xvii. 10. We deserve not so much as thanks ; and that
which merits not so much, deserves nothing, ver. 9. We are but such
servants as a master has no advantage by. He gets but barely his own
by us, seldom so much. When he that was by his Lord entrusted with a
talent restored it to him, and said, ' Lo, there thou hast that is thine,' he
suffers as an unprofitable servant, Mat. xxv. 25, 30. And if we make any
improvement of what he entrusts us with, even that is his also, and for him
we have it, Philip, ii. 13.

So that if the Lord express any love to us, we do not any way in the least
deserve it, and so he loves freely.

And this is not only true of the children of men in the state of degeneracy
and imperfection, but even of the angels in the height of their blessed and
perfect condition. All they do for him cannot deserve his love; they give
him but his own ; they do but what they owe him, and he is no better for
it. Whether he loves angels or men, he loves freely.

[4.] We cannot oblige him to love us, or to express it. Yet one may
be obliged to that which is not deserved of him; that which is deserved is
due in justice ; but we may be obliged as to equity and ingenuity, and so
we are engaged to return love for love ; but thus we never do, we never
can oblige him to love us, for his love is before ours, 1 John iv. 10, 19.
Even our love to him is from him; this is his as all things else, he works
it in us. As he puts his fear, so his love, into our hearts, else it would
never be there, Deut. xxx. 6.

We cannot any way oblige the Lord to love us. It is his promise that
obliges him to express love to us ; and our love, and whatever else we can
think may oblige him, is that which is promised, and so is his gift, and
given after he has obliged himself ; and so no possibility of our obliging
him beforehand, since all that might be thought to do it is the issue and
effect of his own love.

He loves us freely, we can no way oblige him to do it.

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY- MINDEDNESS. 885

[5.] We can no way move him to love us, or to express it. We have
not anything of our own to attract his affection. We have nothing of our
own that is lovely, nothing that is delightful, nothing desirable. What
ever of this nature is in us, it is his, not ours. We have no estate (and
that moves some to love) but what he is the owner of ; no sweetness of
temper, but what he helps us to ; no good quality, but what he plants in us ;
no beauty, but what is lent us by him. And who will love a person that
has no loveliness of her own, no beauty at all, but what is borrowed ? We
may discern how far we are from having anything that may move the Lord
to love us, by looking ourselves in the glass of that description, whereby
he represents Jerusalem ; we may see our unlovely state therein, Ezek.
xvi. 6, instead of rare, fine complexion, and lovely features, all covered with
blood and pollution ; so far from being amiable, as we were ghastly and
loathsome, more fit to be cast out with abhorrence than to be embraced ;
not only too bad to be loved, but to be pitied ; not only without beauty and
ornament, but without life ; no more in us to move love, than in a dead
carcase. Such were we, such the state of our souls ; and could the
sovereign Lord of the world set his love on such objects as we, having
nothing in the world that we can properly call our own, but sin, the most
hateful, the most ugly, and loathsome deformity in the eye of God ? Oh
how free is that love, that would pitch (on such objects as we, who had
nothing in us fit for love, nothing of our own that could deserve it, nothing
that could oblige it, nothing that could any way move or attract it, nothing
of our own, but what might sooner have provoked hatred and loathing.

Oh if the Lord had not loved most freely, if his love could not have
moved itself, we had never met with it, nor any expression of it. We see
hereby the Lord loved us (as he shews mercy), because he would love ; we
see that wonderful freeness of it exemplified again in us, as it was in Israel,
Deut vii. 7, 8.

[6.] This shews us the great evil of sin, how exceeding heinous, how
extremely dangerous it is ; what reason there is both to hate it, and fear it,
and bewail it, and be ashamed of it ; how much we are concerned, both to
avoid and mortify it.

First, It is the worst that we can possibly do against the greatest bene
factor ; we cannot act or contrive anything worse against him who deserves
the very best, infinitely the best of us. And so it is the most horrid ingrati
tude that a creature can be capable of; si ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris,
when you call a person ungrateful, you brand him in one word with all that
is odious. Oh but there is no ingratitude to men that has anything in it of
a like hateful and abhorred import, as ungratefulness to God in sinning
against him. It is ungratefulness not to return good for good ; one kind
ness for another ; what is it then to return evil for good ? It is ungratitude
to return the least evil for a small courtesy, for any one good turn ; what
is it then to return the greatest evil for all that is good ? This, in reference
to men, would be counted, not only inhuman, but devilish. A devil cannot
be more odiously disingenuous than to render the worst he can for the
best, and to do him the greatest mischief who has done him most good.
Yet this, how odious and horrid soever it seem, we do, and are guilty of in
reference to God, when we sin against him ; for sin is the worst thing of
all in the account of God ; it is all the evil we can do him, and we do it
against him from whom we have all the good we are possessed of; for he
is the owner of all, we have nothing at all of our own ; all we have, all
we are, we had it from him. Our very being, our well-being, all that

VOL. I. B b

886 ALL THINGS THE LOBD's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.

belongs to, or makes up, or sustains either of them, is' from him ; and so
when we sin against him, we do the very worst against him, from whom
we have all the good we have. And what can be more odious and disin
genuous in the worst of creatures, of devils, than this ! Oh think of this
when you are tempted to sin, when you would excite a greater hatred of it
in your hearts, when you would engage yourselves more resolutely for the
mortifying of it. It is ingratitude hateful to our natures, odious and
abhorred by a temper that is anything ingenuous. It is ungratefulness in
the highest degree, and of the most hateful and intolerable strain, not
tolerable in the account of any, who have not exchanged humanity for
devilism ; it is a return of the worst evil for all good.

Secondly, Hereby it appears that sin is an abusing of the good things of God
against himself. It is a turning of the goods you are entrusted with against
him that entrusts you ; as it were, the converting of the instruments which
he lends you for your advantage, to do execution upon him who lends them.
There is no sin which you act any way, but it is by the help of some instru
ments or enjoyments which you have from God, which he is the true
owner of. You have nothing of your own, he is the owner of all, and so
when you sin you employ that which is his own against him. When you think
evil, when you conceive it, when you incline to it, or resolve on it, or affect it,
your minds, wills, or affections are the instruments of this evil. Now your
souls, and all their faculties, belong to God ; he challenges them as his
own, and so you make use of his own, against him ; they are his ; so are
your tongues, when you speak evil ; so, are your other members, when
they act sin ; so are your estates, when they minister to pride, or covetous-
ness, or sensuality, &c. You make use of these to help you to sin ; and
these are not yours, but his who is the owner of all, and so you employ
that which is God's against himself. What a horrid and intolerable pro
vocation is there in this dealing with God ! And what would it be
accounted if you should deal thus with one another ? It is as if a wretch
should take the clothes and jewels of his wife to adorn his harlot ; she
would be ready to say, when she saw her rival tricked up with her
ornaments, Can flesh and blood endure this ? Oh but the Lord endures
more, and has worse usage at our hands. We bestow more upon sin, and
that which is more his, when it is a rival, more odious to him than any
can be to us.

It is a great evil not to employ for the Lord what we have from him,
as appears by the dreadful doom passed on the slothful servant, Mat.
xxv. 30 ; his crime was, not the using his talent against his lord, but only
not using it for him. It would be a horrid thing to employ anything against
God, if it were not his own ; to be found striking at God with any weapon,
from whomsoever we had it. What is it then to turn his own weapons,
which he has furnished us with for our security and advantage, against
himself; to make use of that which is his own, to do him the greatest
injury; not only not to employ it for him (which he may reasonably
expect, since we have it upon these terms), but to employ it against him !
Sure this is most intolerable. As if one should give you wood for firing to
warm you, and you should make use of it to set his house on fire, from
whom you have it.

By this the Lord sets forth the sinfulness of Jerusalem's sin ; this made
it not only abominable, but did aggravate it into an abomination in the
abstract. That what was his she employed againsf'him, laid it out on idols,
made use of what was his own to serve her idolatry, Ezek. xvi. 17-23.

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11. j FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 387

She employed what was the Lord's against him ; this made her actings so
exceeding abominable. And this we do in every sin against God. When
he is the owner of all, we still make use of something or other which is
his to help us to provoke and dishonour him.

Thirdly, This shews us (and thereby the extreme danger of sin directly
appears) that we cannot make the Lord satisfaction for the injury we do
him by sin. We have no way to satisfy his justice, so as to obtain free
dom from what it is most just to inflict on us for sin. We can make him
no satisfaction but what is our own, and what we do not owe him, and is
not his, and due to him, though we had not offended him.

If we have injured a great person in his honour, it will be no satisfaction
to give him some of his goods, or to pay him what was his due if we had
not injured him.

How then can we satisfy the Lord, since we can part with nothing but
what is his own, nor do anything but what was due to him on another
account than the injury we have done him ?

If you perform most perfect obedience for time to come, as sinless as
that of any saint in heaven, yet this would be no satisfaction for any for
mer sin ; for such obedience is due to him if you had not sinned ; you
owe it him, because you are his own, his creatures; and so being no more
than is due on that account, it cannot discharge that which is due on another.
The paying of one debt is no satisfaction for another.

If you should offer all your estates, yea, or all the treasure in the
world for satisfaction ; if you should ' come before him with thousands
of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil ; if you would give your first-born
for your transgression, or the fruit of your body for the sin of your souls,'
Micah iv. 7 ; if you should offer him your lives, your well-being, or your
very being itself, this would be no satisfaction for any of your sins ; for
all this is his own already, and you tender as good as nothing for his
satisfaction, when you can give no more but what was his own before.

Oh consider this when you sin ; you do the great God such an injury as
neither you, nor all the men on earth, nor all the creatures in the world,
no, nor all the angels in heaven, can make satisfaction for. The dreadful
penalty of sin will be inflicted, if the Lord be not otherwise satisfied. And
you having nothing of your own, nothing but what is his, who is owner of
all, can give no more towards a satisfaction, twhich will procure a dis
charge, than that which comes to nothing.

Use 2. For exhortation. This truth leads you to very many duties of
greatest moment and consequence, such wherein the glory of the most high
God, and the honour of your profession, and your own safety and comfort,
your own happiness and salvation, is very highly concerned. This truth
has in it the force of a powerful motive, to engage you in and for those
duties. And the due sense how it obliges soul and conscience therein, will
be an effectual means to help you to the performing of them. And I shall
endeavour, in the prosecution of this use, to lay both jointly open before
you, that you may neither want motives nor means, and may neither be
left unwilling nor unable, if you be willing to practise what the Lord hereby
calls you to. The first duty I shall instance in is,

1. Thankfulness : a duty so pleasing, so honourable to God, that he will
have it continued to eternity ; and will have it not only to be the employ
ment of earth, but in heaven, where many other acts, now our duties, will
be out of date.

This engages us to thankfulness for all things and at all times, so that

388 ALL THINGS THE LOKD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

our whole life should be made up of acts of gratitude. Whatever we do,
should be some way or other a giving thanks to God ; otherwise we do not,
we cannot answer the engagement which this truth lays upon us, 1 Thes.
v. 18. It is his will that you be thankful in everything ; it is his will that
everything should be an occasion of thankfulness. It is of his good will
that everything is so ordered for good, as to minister cause of thankfulness.
It might have been otherwise if he would, for everything which obliges you
to be thankful was his own, he might have disposed of it as he would ; and
so, if he had pleased, it might have been worse with you in everything
than it is.

But that you may see more distinctly how you are hereby obliged to have
your whole life all made up of thankfulness, and that continually, whatso
ever we have that is good is from him, of his mere good will and pleasure,
and not only the substance, but every degree of it. And we owe it to him
as much every moment, as if every instant we did anew receive it of him.

(1.) Whatever is good is from him. Take a survey of all you have :
begin at the foundation, at your very being, whatever is added to make it
a well-being ; the ground-work and the whole structure, the subject and all
the accessaries, are wholly from him, for all is his own. How then come
you or others to have anything, but merely of his favour and good will, who
disposes of his own to whom he pleases ? None could constrain him, none
could oblige him to part with anything (for by what could they do it, aU
being his own ?), to dispose of his own any otherwise than he would. So
that whatever you have, you have it of him, and you have it freely. You
have not, you could not have anything, but of his good pleasure. To this
you owe all, and so owe thankfulness for everything. All are as free favours
(though not so great) as Christ and heaven is. You received everything,
and everything gratis ; so that you have no occasion of glorying in the least,
nor in the least an excuse for not being thankful in and for everything,
1 Cor. iv. 7, since there is nothing which thou hast not received, nothing
wherein thou canst glory, as if thou hadst it not from his mere bounty.
Wherefore art thou not as thankful for everything, as the unworthiest beggar
ought to be for the freest alms ? Gen. xxxii. 11, the word translated ' not
worthy,' is VOZDp, ' I am little, or less, by the least, in respect of thy mercies.'
Take away all that Jacob owed to free mercy, and he would have had little
left ; indeed, he would have been just nothing ; he owed all to the mercy or
the truth of God, to "TDJ1, or J")DN. Some favours he had which were not
so much as promised : these were free indeed ; the Lord had not obliged
himself to bestow them. And some he had by virtue of the promise : these
came from the truth and faithfulness of God ; but even these were from free
mercy too, for this alone moved him to promise, and this moved him to
perform the promise, when Jacob's miscarriages might otherwise have dis
obliged his truth and faithfulness.

And thus are we little, thus have we nothing but we owe to mere bounty,
and so should make a thankful acknowledgment of it in everything, if it be
but a grain above nothing. All was his own ; and it was at his free choice,
whether we should have anything of it or nothing.

(2.) Every degree of what is good to us, we have it from him, for all is
his own wholly, every degree of it, and wholly at his disposal ; and so it
was at the choice of his own will, whether we should have it in such a
degree or no ; and if we have it, we owe it to his good will and pleasure,
and therefore owe thankfulness for every the least degree or advance of
what we have.

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11. J FBOM EAETHLY-MINDEDNESS. 889

If it be better with us in any degree than it might have been, or than it
has been, or than it is with others, we owe it to him who is the owner of
all. And so, wherever we look, there will be matter obliging us to thank
fulness still in our eye.

If it be better with us than it might have been, for this we should be
thankful ; it might have been worse, if he would have had it so. We might
have been toads or serpents, instead of rational creatures : the matter he
made us of was his own ; he might have formed it into what shape he pleased.
If he had given us the shape of those creatures which we count most ugly,
instead of that we have, he had done us no wrong, nor could we have had
the least cause to complain ; all expostulation had been unjust and unreason
able, Isa. xlv. 9, Jer. xviii. 4-6.

If we had been fools or idiots, without the exercise of reason or the use
of senses, he had but done what he had all right to do, in so disposing of
us. Could we oblige him any way to make us better, before we were ?
What we have more desirable than such a lamentable condition, is from
the good pleasure of his will. He might have done what he would with
his own, and disposed of it in that or a worse condition. The paper cannot
oblige the writer ; he may put a nourish on it, or make it a blot, as he
pleases, no more, &c.

We might have been without common gifts, or without ordinary comforts,
without estate, without friends, without ease, without health ; we might
have consumed our days in want and poverty, in affliction and misery, in
languishing sicknesses or torturing pains. What could have hindered the
Lord from so disposing of us, his own ? Only he would not do it. Not
because we could any way engage him to deal better with us, but because
he would not do it. We owe every degree of a better condition to his good
will ; and how much thankfulness do we owe on this account, since every
degree of our well-being, in all its latitude, is a free favour ?

Yea, he might have cut us off and cast us into hell, before we had got
into the way to heaven. You may say his eternal purpose and decree was
otherwise : and this is true concerning the elect. But what is his purpose
and decree, but his will ? And what determines his will but himself ? not
anything existent or foreseen in us. And might not he who hath right to
dispose of his own as he will, both in time and from eternity, have other
wise disposed of thee and me, or any, if he would ? Oh what thankfulness
does this oblige us to !

(3.) If it be better with us, in any respect or degree, than it has been
sometimes, this is from him too who owns all, and to him should it be
thankfully ascribed.

If we were sometimes darkness, but are now light in the Lord ; if we
were dead in sins and trespasses, but are now begotten again to a lively
hope ; this is from him, and must be gratefully ascribed to the good pleasure
of his will, James i. 18.

From whence is this happy change ? Might not he, who may do with
his own what he will, have left thee still in the gall of bitterness, a state of
sin and wrath ? If you look for a reason of this, as far as from everlasting,
you will find none but his good pleasure. He did this for thee because he
would, and if he would, he might have done otherwise. And why may he
not do according to his pleasure with his own ? And that he deals so
graciously with thee, when he had all right to deal otherwise, what heart
will it not constrain to all thankfulness !

So if thou hast, in any degree, more comforts, or more health, or more

390 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CflBON. XXIX. 11.

wisdom, or better gifts, or more grace, than heretofore, thou owest it to
him who is the owner of all, and owest thankfulness for it. And the more
because thou hast it so freely, of his mere good will, when he was not obliged,
either by others or by himself, to let thee have so much of his own in these
particulars. For as nothing can oblige the Lord to us but his promise, so
he has not obliged himself by promise to give any of these, to such or such
a degree.

(4.) If it be better with us in any degree than with others ; if we have
had better education, example, more restraints, means, light. To touch
this last a little. Darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the people.
How is it that it does not cover you ? Why have you the light of life, that
of the gospel, when others have nothing but the light of nature, very dim
and obscure, and almost extinct ? Are your lines fallen in a pleasant place,
in a valley of vision ? Why were you not disposed of in some valley of
the shadow of death, when such valleys take up far the greatest part of the
world ? Why did not your lot fall in those dark places of the earth, where
Christ is not known, and the way to life not discovered, where they breathe
in no air but what is dangerously foggy and pestilential, where is no air for
souls but what conveys poison to them, and is infected with the mortal
contagion of popery, heathenism, or Mohamedanism ? This is the condition
of ten to one in the world ; and how comes it that your lot is fallen with
the fewest, in the light, rather than with the most, in darkness ? All
places and persons are the Lord's ; he disposes of them as he will. What
thankfulness do you owe for his disposing of you so mercifully, in compari
son of others, so many others, almost all the world ? Our Lord Jesus
shews how much this obliges to thankfulness by his own practice, Luke
x. 21.

(5.) If it be better with you, not only as to that which is good, but, in
any degree, as to that which you count not good. Such are afflictions.
These are occasions of thankfulness, 1 Pet. iv. 6. The apostle has
respect to them, 1 Thes. v. 8. These engage us to glorify and praise
God, not only when we are called to suffer for Christ, and have therein a
peculiar honour, which the Lord will not vouchsafe to every one of his
own, not only because they are sanctified to produce comfortable and
blessed effects, but on this account also, because they are easier and more
tolerable than they might have been. We never met with any thing
grievous in this life, but it might have been heavier. It is never so bad
with us in this respect, but it might have been far worse. It is heavy and
grievous, but it is not too heavy to be borne ; it might have been so. There
are very bitter ingredients in it : oh, but they might have been more, and
those more bitter ; the bitterness of death is not in it. How bad soever it
be, it is not hell. So much better as it is than it might have been, so
much cause of thankfulness we have ; and so in every affliction, thousand
and thousand causes of thanks, because it might have been, by many
thousand degrees, worse than we suffer.

The Lord has taken away some degrees of our ease, or health, or liberty,
some of our friends or dear relatives, some part of our estates, some por
tion of our comforts ; but he might have taken away all, in every degree,
for all is his own. And why might he not have taken all that is his own, as
well as any part or degree of it ? He deals mercifully with us, when he
leaves us any thing, when he leaves us so much ; when we can challenge
nothing as ours, but by his good will and pleasure only. Every good
thing, every degree of it left us, is an act, a degree of mercy ; and if thank-

1 CHKON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EAETHLY-MINDEDNESS. 391

fulness be due for every degree of free mercy and bounty, we bave innu
merable occasions of thankfulness in tbe most afflicted condition we meet
with.

(6.) We owe him as much thankfulness, every hour or moment, for all
we have, as if, every hour or moment, we did receive all; for every
moment's continuance thereof is as much a favour, and so as much obliges
us to thankfulness, as the first giving of it, because all being his own, he
might take what we possess the next instant, and is no more obliged to
continue it another hour, than he was at first to let us have it.

As we say, the Lord does as much every moment in preserving the
world as he did at first in creating it, the same power and influence which
at first made it being put forth every moment to uphold it, so that the
preservation of all is no less than a continued creation of all ; and all things
owe their being to him every minute, as much as if they received it anew
of him every minute. Answerably here. The Lord does as much for us,
in continuing what we have, as he did at first in giving them, the same
favour which at first bestowed it being shewed every moment in not
taking it away, so that the continuing of what we have is as much as
a continual giving of it ; and we owe as much to mercy every hour, in
that we lose not what we have, as if every hour we received all from his
hand.

God may take away his own when he will ; every moment that he does
not, the mercy which at first gave them is as gdod as renewed, and so
there is renewed occasion of thankfulness, for all we have, in every moment
of our lives ; as much cause for it as if we received all by a new gift every
hour and moment, so that no part of our lives should be void of thank
fulness. We are every moment as much obliged to it, as if every moment
we were receiving from him all we have. Let us therefore, as Heb.
xiii. 15, —

2. Give up yourselves unto God as your owner, and as to such an owner
as indeed he is. This is a great duty, indeed the sum of all that the Lord
requires of you. And this truth shews you that there is all reason for it ;
that you are so strongly obliged to it, that there is no refusing, there can
be no pretence for declining. You are his, for all things are his own ; and
will you not let him have that which is his own ? Give unto God the
things that are God's. It is most unjust and unreasonable to deny him
anything that is his ; and if you be not willing yourselves should be his,
that which is most in your own power, you will be wholly inexcusable. It
is true, the Lord needs not your consent to give him a title to you ; you
are, and will be his, on a common account, as all other things are, whether
you will or no ; but by resigning up yourselves to him, you will honour
him by acknowledging his title ; and this is the way for you to be his in
a special manner, and to be owned by him as his peculiarly to be his own,
upon an account more for your comfort, advantage, and happiness, than
other things and persons are. So, as there is the greatest reason for it,
the advantage is answerable ; and the danger, in case of refusal, no less.
It will prove dreadful in the issue, to put the Lord to distrain for his own,
and to make you acknowledge his right and title. Perforce he will secure
his honour this way, but you will have nothing left but guilt and misery.
And what can they expect better who are not willing the Lord should have
his own ? If you have any regard of the Lord's honour, or your own hap
piness ; if you would not defraud God, and make yourselves miserable,
then resign up yourselves freely to him.

392 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

But how must this be done ? Wherein does this resigning up of our
selves to God consist ?

Ans. It requires an act of the judgment, of the will, and of the life.
(1.) Be apprehensive that you are his, and how much you are so ; what
clear and full title he has to you, upon the grounds formerly opened ; what
evidence there is for it in Scripture, and in common reason ; and hereupon
you must yield a full assent to it, and firmly believe it ; and be fully per
suaded that you are more his than anything which you count your own is
yours ; such an act of faith, such a belief and persuasion, of his interest
in you, is the foundation of all ; and without it nothing will follow to pur
pose, either in the will or life ; but the judgment being fully possessed and
convinced hereof, and the apprehension of it being quickened and reinforced
with frequent and due thoughts hereof, so as the belief of it be kept firm,
actual, and lively ; this will facilitate all the rest, and make the will (upon
which the acts of the whole life depend) come off more freely to this great
work of resigning up ourselves unto God.

(2.) The will must consent, that the Lord shall possess you, and dispose
of you, and use you as his own. When the will gives consent to this,
thereby we become his own peculiarly ; for this is our entering into cove
nant with God ; upon which the Lord owns us, not only as he does all
other things, but as his own by covenant, Ezek. xvi. 8 ; you are his before,
but not so as now ; not his by covenant till you give consent ; you give up
yourselves unto him, and effectually acknowledge that you are his, when
you consent to the particulars, wherein propriety consists.

[l.J To be possessed by him as his own. You must be willing that he
should have possession of mind and heart ; that he should have highest
place in your minds, the chief place in your hearts. It is fit that the owner
should have the best ; the best and highest of your thoughts ; the best and
strongest of your affections, Ps. cxxxix. 13 ; reins are the seat of desires ;
the Lord took up his affections, Ps. Ixxiii. 25, and his thoughts too, ver. 17.
It is not fit that any should be entertained but who the possessor likes ; if
you yield up your souls to God, as his possession, you must not admit any
thoughts, yield to any inclinations, give way to any motions, harbour any
affections, but what he allows ; none that will take place of him ; none that
will disturb him in his possession ; nor any that will not please and serve
him. You yield him not possession, unless you admit him as your King
and Lord, for he is so ; therefore he must have the throne in your souls ;
all must be cast out that rebels against him, or any way resists him ; nothing
must be entertained or tolerated, but under him, or for him ; as his foot
stool, or as his ministers and servants, to observe his will, and do his
pleasure ; the will must consent to this, if you resign up yourselves unto him.

[2.] To be disposed of by him as_his own. You must yield to be ordered
by him, as to your condition in this world ; to be low as well as high ;
poor as well as rich ; afflicted as well as delivered, if he see fit, so to dis
pose of you ; so was John Baptist, John iii. 30, and the apostle Paul,
Philip, iv.

You need not fear that he will dispose otherwise of you than will be for
the best ; he has given you sufficient security as to that ; or if he had not,
yet would it be your duty still to yield to be wholly ordered by him ; if
you do not resign up yourselves to him, you deny, in effect, that you are
his own, if you will not be fully at his disposal ; you, yourselves, do not
count that your own which is not at your disposal.

[8.] To be used by him as his own. Yield soul and body to be put to

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 393

what use he will ; give all powers and members into his hand, to be used
his instruments, for what he pleases, and for nothing but what may please
him ; dedicate them to his use, and his alone ; be resolved and ready to be
used by him, in any service, active or passive, what suits you, or what suits
you not ; both in what is easy and what is difficult ; not only in what is
applauded, but what is reproached ; not only in what is gainful, but what
is expensive ; not only in what is safe, but what is hazardous, and may
endanger your outward concernments. You are his own, and if you will
acknowledge it, and resign up yourselves to him as his own, you must con
sent to be used by him as he will ; otherwise, you may pretend to giva up
yourselves to him, but you do it not really. You think it just to allow
another to use his own as be will, upon this account, because it is his own ;
and if you be not willing, the Lord shall put you to what use he will, though
you profess to be his own, yet hereby you deny it indeed, and contradict
your profession ; when there is a sincere resigning of yourselves unto God,
the will consents to all this ; see it in Paul, Acts ix. 6, 15, 16, a chosen
vessel, ready for any use his master would put him to ; they were great,
and difficult, and hazardous services, and sufferings too, when it came, to
the trial, Acts xxi. 13.

(3.) You must lay out yourselves for him, in your whole course ; employ
soul and body, your whole person for him, under a continual sense that
they are not your own, but his ; an apprehension of his interest in you.
No consent is enough without this ; indeed, you did never consent enough,
t. <?., cordially, unless this be the issue of it. The apostle calls for it upon
this ground, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20, employ body and spirit for the interest of
his glory ; think it not much nor hard to employ both all the members
and faculties of both, thus for him, and thus continually. It is not hard, it
is no more than is highly reasonable and equal, that both should be thus
employed, and thus only ; for both, and whatever in either you call your
own, is indeed not yours, but his ; and for whom should they be laid out,
but for their owner ? For whom should a servant be employed but him who
bought him for his service ? His person was part of his master's goods ; he
had bought it, and paid for it ; if he had followed his own employments,
or been set a- work by others, instead of doing his master's service, it would
not have been endured. We are more the Lord's, not only than mercenary
hired servants, but than mancipia, bought servants ; both our bodies and
spirits are his, not our own. If we will let sin, or the world, or self set us
a- work, and employ our faculties, senses, or members, the Lord, whose we
are, is wronged by it. You may as well work another man's horse without
his leave, or command his servant to do your business, as do what these
other usurpers would have you ; you deny the Lord's interest in you by
obeying them, Rom. vi, 16 ; if we will acknowledge ourselves to be his, we
must do his work, and none but that which is some way his ; we must be
only at his command, ready to do whatever he enjoins, and to undergo
what he would have us endure, and to resist what he would have us oppose,
and to avoid what^he forbids us, and to part with what he would not have
us possess.

This may serve to shew you what it is to give up ourselves to him as
our owner. This is it which this truth obliges us to. But this is not all ;
we must give up ourselves to him not only as our owner, but as to such
an owner as he is indeed. The particulars you may collect from what was
delivered in the explication. I shall instance only in four. We must give
up ourselves to him,

394 ALL THINGS THE LOED's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

[1.] Absolutely, without offering conditions, or making any terms. The
Lord is the absolute owner of all ; there is no obligation restraining him
from disposing of his own as he pleases, but what flows from his own free
will. If we will offer to restrain him by any condition as to his disposal
or using of us, instead of giving up ourselves to him, we take from him
the glory of his absolute dominion.

To say, I will give up myself to him, if he will not urge such a duty,
grievous to me, and prejudicial to my wordly interest; if he will allow me
in the neglect of this one, or if he will tolerate me in such or such an evil,
which is gainful or pleasant, or otherwise endeared to me ; this is not to
resign up yourselves to him as becomes such a Lord, but to do nothing,
yea, that which is far worse than nought ; for to make terms with God,
and prescribe conditions to him, is an intolerable presumption in the greatest
of men, yea, in the highest angels. To make any terms but what himself
has made, to offer yourselves to him with an if, is to offer him an affront
of an unspeakable provocation.

[2.] Principally ; for he is the principal owner of all, and of us. Others
may have some interest in us as superiors and parents, and so may chal
lenge some observance from us ; but we owe none to any but for him, and
in subordination to him. They are to have no affection from us but such
wherein a greater love is expressed to God. As we love the picture of a
dear friend, not for itself, but for something of him in it, so that, even in
loving it, we love him more, so are we to love other things and persons,
and no otherwise, but for something of God in them ; something of his
authority, or of his image, or of his goodness, as they resemble him, or as
they come from him, or point at him, or lead us to him, or help us in
serving him ; so that affecting them for him, we may shew even in that
affection we more love him.* Likewise they are to have no obedience but
such wherein we obey God, and this is to obey in the Lord, Eph. vi.
1, 5-7.

[3.] Entirely ; without exception or reservation of anything ; for he is
the total owner of all, and of us and all wholly. To deny or withhold any one
thing is in construction to deny him all ; for he has the same title to that
one as to any ; and so his title, not acknowledged in any one particular,
is, by consequence, disclaimed in all ; it will hold no more in any than in
that. All the superior powers, the mind, conscience, memory, the will
and affections ; all the inferior faculties, the fancy, appetite, senses, the
whole body, with all its parts, must be resigned to him, and given into his
hands, to be ordered and disposed of by him, to be used and acted for
him, and wholly for him.

No habit or disposition, no inclination or resolution, no intention or
motion, no act or word, or thought, must be exempted from his disposal
or use ; must be ordered or used not as we will, but as he will, as that
which is his own. Whatever of these will not serve him must be suppressed,
noway tolerated ; and what is capable of serving him must be used in his
service, and ordered for it.

This is it which the apostle desires for the Thessalonians, and thereby
shews it is the duty of all to desire and endeavour it, 1 Thes. v. 23.
To be sanctified, is to be given up and dedicated to God, so as to be set
apart from all other uses for his use alone, as that which is his own, and

* Our honouring of them mus1 be an honouring God in them, our loving of
them a loving of him in and for them, and delighting in them a delighting in God
in and by them.

1 CHKON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EABTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 895

no other's. This is the proper notion of holiness or sanctification. Now
thus he would'have them sanctified, o\or£\t7g, entirely; wholly as to every
part and motion, and the whole of each. He would have 6XoxX»]goi' lifiuv,
the all, the whole of them, their body, soul, and spirit; all the parts of
the body, all the powers of the soul, both higher and lower, both rational
and sensitive ; the whole of this thus given up to God, and set apart
for his use alone, as the way to be preserved blameless to the coming of
Christ.

We are as much concerned in this as they were. We profess Christ to
be our Lord, the full owner of us, and he that has a plenary dominion in
and over us, and therefore we are obliged to let him have his own ; to give
up soul, and body, and spirit; to set apart the whole of them wholly for
his use, that so, at his coming, we may be found blameless, as those who
have effectually acknowledged that he is our Lord, and we wholly his, and
have not withheld anything of his own from him.

[4.] Perpetually ; for the Lord is the perpetual owner of us, as of all
things. His right never ceases, and he is ever actually exercising it ; and
therefore we should give up ourselves to him by an irrevocable act, such
as will never be recalled or repented of; and by a continued act, such as
will not admit of any intermission. We must resign up ourselves to be
always his own, and always acting as his own. We are hereby obliged to
be always his servants, and to be always serving him.
ft ^Not only as those husbandmen mentioned in the code, who were to serve
their masters, so as all they had and did was his and for him, during the
space of thirty years, but afterwards had more freedom and property.

Nor only as those Hebrews, whose service lasted but for seven years,
Exod. xxi. 2, but rather like those of them who loved their masters, and
would not leave them when the law gave them liberty, and so were to have
their ear bored, ver. 5 and 6, and fastened to the door, Deut. xv. 17,
whereby was signified, that he was fixed inseparably to his master, and
was never to quit his service. He thereby became 72$ cbw, a perpetual
servant, fastened to his master for ever.

Thus should we give up ourselves to God, to cleave to him inseparably,
and continue his servants for ever, as Euth i. 16, 17.

And as we should be perpetually his servants, so should we be always
actually serving him one way or other.

Take care you be always so employed, as if any inquire, at any time,
what you are doing, you may be able to answer it, the Lord's work, viz.,
that which he sets mo about, whose I am, and to whose service I am
obliged every, hour. Be ever doing that which you may be blessed for, if
the Lord should come when you are at work, and ' find you so doing.'

But then you need not think that you are only employed in your Lord's
work, when you are about acts of worship. For in a due following of
your lawful callings, if you sincerely design to employ what you get thereby
for the Lord, and to dispose of it, as the Lord, who is owner of you and it,
would have it disposed of, you are therein truly serving him. Yea, in
eating, sleeping, recreations, if you use these only for this end, to render
you more serviceable to the Lord, you may be herein truly said to be serv
ing him. But you must never be employed, but either in that which is
his work directly, or that which conduces to it, and is requisite to help you
therein ; if you will demean yourselves as those who have resigned up
themselves unto him, and would effectually acknowledge his interest in you,
as those who are his own.

396 ALL THINGS THE LOBD's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.

(4.) Improve all you have for God. Your parts, your time, your
strength, your estates, all that you have, as well as all that you are, should
be laid out for God. The truth in hand leads you directly to this duty,
makes it evident that it is your duty, and powerfully obliges you to mind,
pursue, and perform it.

For all is his own. All that the world hath, all that you have. And should
not all be improved and used for the true and right owner, especially when
we are entrusted with all we possess upon these terms, that all of it should
be employed for him, whose it is, and for whom we have it in trust ?
Which is our case, as I shewed you in the explication.

If all be not thus used for God, one way or other, as he has directed
you in his word, you will bring great guilt upon your souls, and expose
all you have to greater danger than I can easily express, or you appre
hend.

Mind this, as to your estates, to instance in that one, where it is so
much neglected ; and what is said of this, holds proportionably of all, and
yourselves may easily apply it to the rest. I must not stay to dilate on
severals.

[1.] Let this be your design and end in following your particular callings,
to employ what you get for the Lord and owner of all. You should not
have the end and design of worldlings in anything ; no, not in your earthly
affairs ; but such ends and intentions as become Christians, if you would
approve yourselves to be such really, and not in name and profession only.
Your end, in your main course, will shew what you are, whether you have
given up yourselves to God or the world. A worldling would be rich.
That is his aim in following his calling, therefore is he careful and indus
trious, therefore sparing and saving, and parts with little to others or him
self. But a Christian would be rich in good works, or rich unto God,
that is the main end of his care and pains. A worldling would have abun
dance for him and his. A Christian would have more, that he may do
more good, and be more serviceable. A worldling would have the repu
tation and credit which riches procure, that esteem and respect which a
sordid degenerate world almost appropriates to riches. A Christian would
honour God with his substance, according to the divine rule, Prov. iii. 9.
A worldling would gratify the flesh, or his fancy, with such a garb, state,
or accommodation, as a great estate will afford. A Christian would please
and glorify God more, and that is his end in desiring and seeking more of
the world, that he may be able to lay out more for God. If you be out
as to the end of that which is the business of your lives, you are greatly
and fearfully out indeed. God will judge of you, not by this or that par
ticular act, but by your whole course, and principally by the end of that.
If your end in your callings be that of worldlings, and not of Christians,
what portion or reward can you expect from God, but that of worldlings ?
And if your end be not to employ all you have, all you get, for God, is
there any hopes you will so use it ? Is it likely you will do that which
you never intended to do ? When you would express yourselves farthest
from doing a thing, you say, You never did intend it. How far are you
then from honouring God's dominion, and acknowledging all to be his own,
by employing all for him, if it be not your end in possessing or getting
what you have, if you do not so much as intend it ? Make sure that
this be your end in all.

[2.J And that being done, pursue it. Shew that you did sincerely design
all for God, by conscientiously employing all for him ; that so, when you

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FKOM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 897

are thinking to dispose of anything, or actually doing it, and inquiry be
made, Who is this expended for ? you may be able truly to say, It is for
the Lord ; I am disposing of it as he, who is the owner of it, and has
entrusted me with it, would have it used. Some may say, How can it be our
duty to expend all for God ? Something must be laid out for ourselves,
something for our relatives and families, and something for others. This
is true, and yet all may, and must be employed for God principally and
ultimately ; for no other chiefly, but for him ; for others only in subordina
tion to him ; for no others, as the last end, without looking further ; for
others, with respect and reference to his pleasure, and service, and honour ;
for it, and in subserviency to it, and so only.

Now thus it is not employed,

First, When it is buried ; when what we have is kept close to ourselves
and ours, as if the Lord had not designed it, or any considerable share of
it, for any besides us. Nothing in comparison of what the Lord expects,
is laid out for the adorning of their profession, or maintaining of the gospel,
or relief of those in want, or comfort of those that suffer. When it should
be brought forth freely and plentifully, for these and such uses as the Lord
and owner of it would have it employed for, it is hid in the earth, and there
they keep it for themselves. This is, with the unprofitable servant, to hide
your Lord's money, instead of improving it for him. Consider his dread
ful doom, and tremble at being guilty of a crime which the Lord will punish
everlastingly with such severity.

Secondly, When it is consumed. When it is laid out for the support of
pride, vainglory, earthliness, or sensuality ; to nourish the lust of the eye,
or the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life ; this is not to improve, but
consume it, James iv. 8.

Thirdly, When it is thrown away. As it is no better, when used idly,
vainly, on such things as will turn to no account ; when laid out upon such
superfluities, as are not helpful to soul or body, in any way of serviceable-
ness to the great Lord or owner. If the servant entrusted with one talent,
had only played with it, or laid it out in trifles, his Lord had got no more
advantage by this, than by his hiding it ; he had been as unprofitable a ser
vant, and might have met with as much severity.

Fourthly, When no due proportions are observed in employing what you
have ; but that has all, or very much, which should have little or nothing ;
and that has little or nothing which should have most ; when that which
tends, certainly, directly, or advantageously, to the promoting of the Lord's
interest, is scanted and pinched, while the main stream of what we possess
runs another way ; we let but out some drops there, and the sluices not
opened but for other occasions.

To clear this a little, and to shew you withal what it is to employ what
you have for God, observe these severals.

First, There is a way to lay out what you are entrusted with certainly
for God ; and that is, when you employ it so as he commands you. That
is undoubtedly for his interest, which he himself directs you to. You may
have a discovery of this in part from these few scriptures, 1 Tim. vi. 17-19.
To do good with what you have, and to do it richly, according to the pro
portion of your estate ; to be as ready to distribute, as willing to communi
cate, as if it were the way to be rich ; so it is indeed to be rich in God's
account. What you do thus, you do it for God certainly ; for it is by his
appointment, Gal. vi. 10, 16, Mat. xxv. 34, 35, 36, 40. You see a way
certain, so to employ what you have, as Christ will take it as employed for

398 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S ' AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnRON. XXIX. 11.

himself, Heb. xiii. 16. This will be as much for his service, as ever the
most acceptable sacrifice was.

These are ways of laying out what we possess for God, who has entrusted
us, and that most certainly. Yet many there are, too many, who will
expend little this way, in comparison of what they reserve, at great uncer
tainties, whether ever it will be employed for God or no. Some will be
sparing till they have raised their estates to such a pitch, and then they will
be free and bountiful ; but when this will be, none knows ; or whether they
will be then of the same mind, all utterly uncertain.

Others will be sparing while they live, but when they come to die, they
will leave abundance to good uses ; but this is as uncertain as their lives.
Others will reserve more for a child, than all the good they have done in
their whole life'comes to ; and it may be for such a child as gives no hopes,
much less any certainty, that he will employ what is left him any way for
God.

Others, who have no children, will save and spare for they know not
who. But all this, and the like, are but wicked attempts of covetous hearts,
to defraud God of his own. Those that mean to employ what they have
for him, will never neglect those certain ways of his own prescribing, for
such ways of their own, as are mere uncertainties. They will rather choose
to do nothing at uncertainties (though it be the fashion of the world to do
most there), than not to be free and open handed, in a way which they are
certain is for God.

Secondly, There is a way to lay out what you have directly for God and
his interest, more directly than some other ways which are commanded
us. Such is the promoting of his worship, the upholding of his gospel.
You cannot lay out what you possess upon any thing that tends more
directly to the promoting of God's interests than this ; and those that mean
to be free for God any way at all, will not be sparing here. The nobles of
Israel, upon David's motion in this chapter, contribute more towards the
worship of God than the whole estates of all our nobility will amount to.
They were sensible it was for the Lord in a special manner, being for his
worship ; they thought it their duty to return him his own in greatest
proportion, when there was so fair an occasion for it. And for the gospel,
you cannot expend anything which tends more directly to serve the interest
of Christ, than what serves to keep it amongst you, or help others to it ;
for the several lines of Christ's interest do all, in a manner, centre in the
gospel. To uphold that, is to employ what you have to scatter darkness
and ignorance, to suppress wickedness and ungodliness, to advance holi
ness and righteousness, to convert souls, to enlarge Christ's kingdom, and
destroy the dominion of Satan ; and what can you do which will more
directly honour Christ, and serve his interest, than what is of this tendency ?
Yet many there are (though I hope few, if any, here) who own God and
his dominion, yet think a very little to be much, for the upholding of the
gospel, for themselves and others. They like addxavov faayyeXiov, a gospel,
a religion that will cost them nothing ; but they will make a shift for their
souls rather than it shall be chargeable. They will and do lay out far
more for superfluities, than for that wherein God and his interest is so
directly and highly concerned. They who have devoted what they have
unto God will omit no occasions to shew it ; but such as more directly
concern him, they have a particular respect for ; they will not only spare
some little out of their superfluities (as one that has little sense of God's
interest may do), but will pinch themselves in necessaries, rather than the

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EAKTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 899

gospel shall want support amongst themselves or others. As those of
Macedonia, in the like case, 2 Cor. viii. 23, and the Galatians before they
were seduced, Gal. iv. 18, John xxiii. 12.

Thirdly, There is a way of employing what you have for God advanta
geously, and that is, by laying it out for a common good. It is obvious to
common reason that a public good is to be preferred to a private ; it is best,
says Plato, both for the whole and each particular, rb -/.oivbv ridsadcu nctkug
/ti&XXov jj TO 'Jdiov, that the common good be regarded more than any parti
cular. And this is evident, not only because therein we do good to more,
and do more good at once, than we can do in many particular acts, but
because hereby we serve our Lord's interest more advantageously, this
being more extensively promoted by a diffusive good than by that which is
but personal and particular. This is to act more like God, and to lay out
what we have in a way that he likes best. A public spirit is upon this
account a more divine and excellent spirit, and most becomes those who
would imitate their heavenly Father ; it is as far to be preferred before
that private spirit which acts too many, and confines them to themselves
and relatives, as the sun, which enlightens so much, is to be preferred
before a candle, which gives but light in one private room. The Lord
would not have our light to shine to ourselves and ours only, but before
men, because this is more for his interest, Mat. v. 15, 16. We put that
which should make us shine under a bushel when we reserve it for our
selves and ours ; when others, far and near, have advantage by it, it is set
upon a candlestick, and so it reflects most glory upon God, and best serves
his interest. Those who mean to employ what they have for God will be
most free where they may do it most advantageously.

This may serve to shew how what you have may be improved for God.
What enforcements there are in this truth, to oblige us to improve all we
possess for him, I shall next give some account of. From hence we may
clearly collect the equity and the advantage of so improving all, and like
wise the danger of neglecting it.

1. The equity of employing all for God is hereby apparent. If all be
the Lord's, all that is in heaven and in earth, then all that we possess is
his. If he be the full and sole owner of all, then is he the owner of all
that we have. And if it be his own, is it not equal and reasonable that it
should be employed for him ?

If he be so much the owner of all, as I have shewed, what we possess,
we can have no otherwise than in trust ; and the trust, the intent of it, is
declared, it is left in our hands for the owner's use, and can it in any equity
be employed to other uses ? If you should convey any part of your estate
to another in trust, and declare for what ends and purposes you did it, you
would count it a great iniquity for him who is so entrusted to convert it to
other uses. We have our time, opportunities, parts, gifts, graces, health,
strength, estates, and all, upon such terms ; he is the proprietor, we are
but trustees. Is it not equal his own should be used for him according to
the trust ?

2. The advantage we shall have by employing all for God may be hereby
discerned ; to use all for him as he would have us, and as all that is his
own should be used, is the way to be entrusted longer and entrusted with
more.

We need not fear that to improve all for another is the way to have
nothing ourselves. To use all for God is the most advantageous improve
ment thereof for ourselves.

400 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

We shall be far from losing anything thereby. He who is owner of the
whole world, and all that is in it, has enough to reward us, enough to
encourage us, and has declared himself willing and ready to do it. He
has so obliged himself, as we have all assurances we shall not have less
but more.

It is so with men. If you have a factor that manages your concerns for
you to the greatest advantage, you will count it your interest to trust him
still, and to commit more to his hands. And thus the Lord represents
himself to us in the parable of the talents : he that had improved five
talents to the gaining for his lord five more, because he had been faithful
in a little, is entrusted with much, Mat. xxv. 22, 28, 30, 31 ; for the
faithful improvement of one pound for his lord, he is made ruler of ten
cities, Luke xix. 16, 17. One that is wise in the world's account, would
have thought it more for his advantage to employ the money for himself
than for his master, at least to have reserved something of the improve
ment to himself; but if he had made use of such wisdom he had lost all,
it would have undone him. He found that the wisest and surest way to
make him a man was to be faithful to his lord. By improving all for him,
nothing for himself, he got much more than both stock and improvement
came to. And of the like advantage are all assured, ver. 29. To him
that uses all he hath for his Lord, though he seem to neglect himself and
his particular concernments, yet he shall find it the way both to secure
and advance them, to him much shall be given; he shall be entrusted with
much more, and shall have abundance. The talent is taken from the un
profitable servant, who would not employ it for his Lord, and given to him
who was faithful, ver. 28. Thus the Lord confutes the wretched wisdom
of worldlings, who think nothing is to be gained but by serving themselves.
Their way of saving and gaining is the direct way to be undone ; and his
way of improving, by using all for him, and according to his order, though
it seem the way to leave ourselves nothing, tends most to the increase of
•what we have, Lev. xix. 23-25. The three first years they were not to
meddle with the fruits of their trees. The Lord was to be first served ;
he was to have the first-fruits, those being reserved as an acknowledgment
that all was his own, and they were not fit for him till they came to full
maturity and perfection, which, it seems, in new plantations, was not till
the fourth year ; so that four years' fruit seem lost to them. Was this
the way to make the best advantage of their plantations ? Yes ; the
increase thereof depended on it. It would yield the increase if the Lord
had his due and his orders were observed, otherwise they were not to
expect it. If you would have anything you possess yield its increase,
dedicate it to God, employ it for him. This is not the way to diminish
what you have, though it may seem so to carnal and selfish reason, but to
have it increased with the increase of God ; a blessed increase.

8. The danger of neglecting to improve all for God is hereby discovered;
and that both in respect of sin and suffering. It is a dangerous sin, and
exposes us to answerable sufferings. The sinfulness of it is great, and the
Lord will proceed against it accordingly.

(1.) For the sinfulness:

1 [1.] There is intolerable unthankfulness in it. It is as if one who had
received all that he has in the world from the bounty of another, should,
when he has it in his possession, refuse to acknowledge the owner who
lent it him, but should call it all his own, and use it accordingly. All that
hear of such dealing would cry out of him as a most disingenuous and

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY- MINDEDNESS. 401

ungrateful wretch ; yet we deal no better with God. Our being, our well-
being, all we are and have, he lends us, yet by not employing it for him,
we refuse to acknowledge his interest in what we have. We look not upon
him, but ourselves as the owners. We say, It is not his, but ours, in
using it as we list ourselves, and not as he would have us. And this is all
he gets by dealing thus bountifully with us ; this is the return we make
for all he vouchsafes us, and it is such ingratitude as heaven and earth
may condemn. To them the Lord seems to appeal, Isa. i. 2, 8. I have
dealt with them as children ; they owe their being, their nourishment, their
advancement all to me, and yet, as if they owed nothing at all, they do not
acknowledge me to be the owner of them and theirs, they are more disin
genuous herein than the very beasts. The ox will, according to his
capacity, acknowledge his owner, but my people will not consider, not take
notice that they are mine, and all they have too, but act as though they
had right to dispose of themselves, and all that they have, as their own.

[2.] It is horrid unfaithfulness to God. It is as if a steward, having his
master's goods in his hands to be employed for his use, should refuse so
to employ them, but challenge them as his own, and convert them to his
own use. We are but the Lord's stewards, 1 Peter iv. 10. We have no
more right to any gift, grace, enjoyment we are entrusted with, than a
steward can claim in his master's goods. We have them but to use
and lay out for him, and as he appointed. Now, 1 Cor. iv. 2, ' it is
required in a steward that he be found faithful ;' but how are we faithful if
we observe not the Lord's orders, acknowledging not his propriety, nor
him as owner, and employ not all for his use, but as if all were our own,
not his, use all as we please, and dispose of all as we list ; not for him,
but for ourselves and ours, without regard whether therein we serve his
interest or not ? Oh, what account will be given of such unfaithfulness
when the Lord calls us to give an account of our stewardship ?

[3.] It is gross theft, and the worst kind of it that any creature can be
guilty of ; it is a stealing from God, a robbing of God. ' Will a man rob
God ? ' says the prophet, Mai. iii. 8. He is a desperate wretch that will
offer to rob a man in the face of death, which the law sets before him.
What then is he that will attempt to rob God ? Can any such wretch be
found out of hell ? Alas ! they are to be found everywhere. Every one
who employs not what he hath for God, is a thief to God, and offers to
rob none less than the Almighty. He would take that which is God's,
and make it his own, and uses it as if God had no title to it, no right to
have it used for him.

By the civil law,* if a man have the use of a thing, if he use it other
wise than the owner allows, si aliter ea wus fuerit quam acceperit, fvrti
action* tenetur, he is liable to an action of theft. The Lord is the owner
of all, he lets us have the use of what is in our hands, but allows us not to
use it any otherwise than for himself, 1 Cor. x., 1 Peter iv. 11. If then
we lay it out for ourselves, or ours, in any way which may not justly be
accounted an using of it for him, we are no better than thieves, not only to
men, but to God, and that even by the determination of human laws, Mai.
iii. 8. The Lord charges the Jews for robbing him. They, not imagining
themselves guilty of so horrible a crime, ask wherein they had robbed ?
He answers, ' In tithes and offerings ; ' in not bringing that which was
requisite for the upholding of his worship. To which that in the first
chapter may be also reduced, in offering the refuse, that which was of
* Caius. Inslit., lib. ii. tit. 10.

vor,. i. c e

402 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

small value, to him, and keeping the best for themselves. Now, if we allow
not what is necessary for the maintaining of his worship, or give but the
Lord the offal of our estate, some crumbs or driblets, something little
worth, and of small value in comparison, and reserve the most and best of
what we have for ourselves and relatives, will not this in us be proportion-
ably a robbing of God ?

And since it is a robbing of God, I need not tell you that it is unright
eousness, that is a dealing most injuriously and unrighteously with God.
To deal thus with men was abominable even to the heathen. It is the
character of a very odious person to make no conscience of letting others
have their own. What is it not to let God have his own ? What is it to
defraud, to go about to put a cheat upon him, and so act as such cheats in
our whole course ? To detain from him what is his own, when we know
it to be so ; to put him off with a little, when we know that all is due ; and
not to restore, when we are convinced of the fraud ; when we profess that
all is his, and that we ought to use all as his servants, to use it for our
selves, and as we list, will the Lord endure this ? Do we think that he
perceives not the fraud of our dealings, the hypocrisy of our pretences ?
Will he not bring it upon our heads in the issue ? Gal. vi. 6, 7. We may
deceive and cheat ourselves herein, but God will not be cheated, he will
not be abused. We may be sure that as we sow we shall reap ; as we
deal with God in using what we have for him, or not for him, so will he
deal with us.

•? [4.] It is virtual atheism, and no less in effect than treason against the
Most High. We cannot deny that to be his which properly is so, but
thereby we shall deny him to be what he is. When we deny his propriety
in all, or anything, it is constructively an attempt to dethrone him ; it is
in effect a denying him to be God. If he be not the owner of all things,
if he be not the rightful possessor of heaven and earth, and all things
therein, he is not God. Deny his universal propriety and dominion, and
you deny him that which is essential to him, viz., to be universal Lord.

But you practically deny his dominion and right to all, when you use
what you have as though it were your own, and not his ; when you use it
not for him, as his own should be employed, you deny in effect that [it is
his, and thereby deny that he is Lord and owner of all, and consequently
that he is God.

Now what a dreadful and dangerous thing is it to go on in practical
atheism through the whole course of your life ; to be guilty of not owning
God in the continued and main concernments of your conversation and
actings ; to order your improving and using of what you have, so as it will
be a disowning of God ! And so it is, and will be, if what you have be
not improved and used for him as his own.

I need not add that this involves a denial of his infinite power, or
wisdom, or justice, which are essential to him, so that, without any one of
them, we cannot conceive him to be God. A thief would not adventure to
rob a man if he did believe that he was able to resist him, and would be
too hard for him ; neither would he attempt, if he was sure he should suffer
for it according to law. A cheat would not offer to defraud a man, if he
perceived that he was aware of him, and discerned all his intents and
practices.

And would you neglect to employ what you have for God, which he
mccounts a defrauding or robbing of him, if you did believe his omniscience,
that he is perfectly aware of you in all that you act or design ; or his

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 403

almighty power, that he would certainly be too hard for you; or his justice,
that he will undoubtedly have his law executed upon you ? If you believe
not this, you do not believe that he is God ; and you do not believe this
to purpose, if you do not resolve and endeavour to employ what you have
for God. Though you profess to acknowledge and believe God, yet in
works, and that in a continued course, you deny him. You profess your
selves Christians, owners of God and his dominion, but herein you act
more like atheists, and deniers of God and his interest in yourselves and
in the world.

I beseech you consider these things, and when you are tempted to save
or spare what God would have you lay out freely for him, say thus to your
selves, Shall I be such an ungrateful miser as to grudge him anything he
calls for, when I owe to him all that ever I have ? Shall I be such an
unfaithful wretch as to reserve and convert my master's goods to my own
use ? Shall the world prevail with me to be so desperate as to offer to
rob or defraud God of what is his own ? Shall I act so atheistically under
the profession and vizard of a Christian, as to disown God in the improve
ment and use of what I have ? Oh far be this from me ; far be this from
any of us. It would be incomparably better, and more tolerable, that we
and ours should be utterly beggars, than that we should involve ourselves,
under any pretence whatsoever, in such horrible guilt. And this they will
one day acknowledge, and be sensible of as a real truth, who are now
farthest from believing or considering it.

(2.) You see the danger in respect of guilt, how great it is. Let me
shew you also the hazard, in respect of suffering, in a few particulars.

[1.] You forfeit all you have if you employ it not for God. You are by
him entrusted with it upon these terms ; upon these you hold all ; and
upon the observing of the terms your right of holding what you have
depends. If you observe them not, your right is gone, and all you have
is forfeited. What right soever may continue in respect of men, yet you
leave yourselves no right at all in respect of God. And to hold what you
have without any such right, is a lamentable tenure. You are but as
usurpers in the sight of God, though human laws do allow your title.

If a tenant pay not his rent, observe not conditions, his lease is void ;
he has no right to what he holds. So in the feudal laws,* negato servitio
amittitur feudum ; he loses his land, who denies the homage he is obliged
to for it. And there is an instance of the emperor Frederick, who, holding
a dukedom of another, and denying fealty for it because be was sovereign,
yet, by the judgment of his peers, for the refusal, he forfeited the
dukedom.

The homage and fealty which we owe to God for what we have, is the
employing it for him for his honour and interest. Upon these terms we
hold it ; and if they be neglected, what we have is forfeited. He shews,
when he will, that no right remains to the possessors, by turning them out,
and taking what is in their hands away. He does it not always, but he
may do it when he will ; and Israel is threatened accordingly, Hos. ii. 8, 9.
She did not acknowledge that she had them from God, and that they were
his own ; she did not employ them for him, but as her own inclination led
her; thereby she forfeited them ; and the Lord will take the forfeiture, and
strip her of all, ver. 10-12 ; ' She forgat me,' ver. 13. So by those
ancient laws,f if one acknowledge not the interest of the lord in his estate,

* Lib. ii. tit. 100, *id. lib. ii. tit. 24, sect. ' Non est alia justior causa,' &c.
t Gothofr., L. ii., p. 510.

404 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

si proprid autoritate capiat, if he hold it as his ovtn,feudum amittit, he
loses it. So we hold it ; when we employ it not for God, we extinguish
what right we have, and provoke the Lord to take the forfeiture, and to
deal with us as with Israel, ver. 3.

[2.] That which you have, if you employ it not for God, will never pros
per, nor will a blessing attend it. If he takes it not away, he will some
way or other blast it ; and you will find it, or yourselves, blasted for it
sooner or later. When one gets or increases what he has fraudulently or
unrighteously, it is the common sense of mankind, and we are wont to
express it by saying confidently, It will never prosper. And why ? But
because we think (as we have reason) that the righteous God will never
encourage unjust and unrighteous practices with his blessing ; he will not
let that fraud and injustice to prosper whereby others suffer ; and can we
think he will be more favourable, where himself, in his honour and inte
rest, suffers ? Doth he curse us, when we cheat men ? And will he bless us,
when we defraud God ? Will he bless us in unrighteously withholding his
own from his own use, that which he has given and designed it for ? No,
sure, you may make account, that what you spare or save, when it should
be laid out for God, will be followed with a curse ; which will seize either
upon your estate, or souls, or other concerns, or all together. You may
expect either a visible, or (which is far worse and more dangerous) an
insensible curse: Mai. iii. 9, ' Cursed with a curse;' i.e., exceedingly,
superlatively cursed. Why so ? Ye have robbed God. Wherein ? In
not giving that which was due to his worship, and his officers employed in
it, ver. 8. They may think that the sparing of so much, and keeping it
to themselves, was the way to be rich ; but the Lord confuted their vain
imaginations with a curse. He cursed what they had, and cursed what
might have supplied them with more. A blessing did neither attend their
possessions nor their hopes.

If they had laid out all which was due to God, in his worship and ser
vants, they might have thought this the way to impoverish them, lessen
their estates, and keep them low. But their worldly hearts did befool and
delude them ; it was quite otherwise : this had been the way to all plenty
and abundance, ver. 10, 11. Their hands and hearts were shut, so that
God could have little or nothing of what was due to him ; this shut the
windows of heaven : whereas large hearts for God would have set them
wide open, and made way for more than they had room for, and, what
was more than all, his blessing with it. If you would not have what
you possess cursed of God, and blasted from heaven, employ it faithfully
for God.

[3.] God will judge for this. He will have an account of you for all
his own wherewith he entrusted you. It may be, you hope to make shift,
as to the curse here (as some seem to do, when it falls especially upon the
soul, and there is not taken notice of, though the fall of it there is heaviest
and most dreadful), but what will you do hereafter, when God will reckon
with you for all that you have had of his ?

The day is coming when he will say, ' Give an account of thy steward
ship, for thou mayest be no longer steward.' He will then mind you of
that which it may be now you forget, for he has a book of remembrance ;
and then the books will be opened, and there you may find what has been
done with all you had, and how and for whom it has been disposed of; so
much to please my humour, my fancy, my appetite, my vanity, my curio
sity ; BO much for the excess of my garb, my table, my other accommoda-

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 405

tions, to please myself, or answer the vain expectation of others ; great
sums for these : and for some there will be so much to satisfy pride, or
revenge, or lust, or vain-glory, no small quantity, the rest left to my chil
dren or relatives. For what ? To educate them so, as they might be
more serviceable : it may be some respect to that ; but principally to make
them rich, or great, to bear up my name and family, or that they may live
like the children of one who had a better estate than others.

Well ; but what in all this for God ? what for his worship ? what for
his gospel ? what for his suffering messengers ? what for his poor mem
bers ? what for others in need and distress ? what for the adorning of your
profession, and winning others to a good opinion of the ways of Christ ?
what for any public good ? Why, something for these, or some of them,
what little I could spare from those other uses, wherein myself alone, or
myself multiplied, was so much concerned.

Or another, who loved the world too much to be expensive any way,
will have nothing to say, but, ' There was that which is thine.' I did no
good with it while I lived, and when I died I know not what became of it.
The napkin I carefully hid it in was opened when I was gone ; I left it
amongst them, and if they have squandered it away, I cannot help it.

But, may the Lord say, all that you had was mine own, and should have
been all employed for me, How comes it then to pass that so little account
was made of me, and of my interest, and so very little laid out for me, in
comparison of the great sums expended otherwise, whenas it should have
been all for me ? More for a costly garment, or a needless ornament, or a
modish excrement, in one day sometimes, than for me directly in a whole
year. And, upon the whole, more for mere superfluities and excesses,
than for the special concerns of my interest in your whole life. Is this
the account you will give God of all his own you have had ? Is this
to be faithful stewards, or not more like to unfaithful and unprofitable
servants ?

What will be answered for these things ? What can be expected but
confounded silence ? what but shame, and remorse, and confusion ? what
but that dreadful sentence which Christ, at the last day, will pronounce
against, and execute upon, those who have not been faithful in using what
they were entrusted with for him ? Mat. xxv. You see those who employ
not what they have for Christ, will at the last day be counted goats, useless
and odious creatures, in comparison of the sheep ; they will be set at his
left hand, as those that are castaways, rejected by him ; they will be cursed,
as he who turned what was set apart for God to another use was anathema,
cursed, Lev. xxvii. 28. They will be separated from the blessedness of the
divine presence, as those who had not given up what they had to him, and
separated it for other uses from him. They will be cast into everlasting
fire, and there tormented with the devil and his angels, and that for ever.
And why all this severity, in so fearful a sentence and so terrible an execu
tion ? It is plainly upon this account, because they laid not out what they
had, so as it might be accounted laid out for Christ. Oh that you would
avoid the wrath of the Lamb, and of him that sits upon the throne ! If
you have been guilty herein, yield to conviction. Break off this dangerous
evil without delay, persist not in such wickedness. Take warning before
it be too late. Employ what you have so as, when you stand before the
tribunal of Christ, you may give an account thereof with joy, and not with
grief, and shame, and terror, and a fearful expectation of judgment and
fiery indignation, which will then devour those who continue in such

406 ALL THINGS THE LOED's ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

ungrateful, unfaithful, injurious dealing with God, and will be devouring of
them for ever and ever.

[4.] I might add, as another inducement, the comfort we may have
thereby. This is the way to make all we have, and all we do, to be holy,
holy unto the Lord, and used holily. How acts of worship, and what is
set apart thereto, are holy, we easily apprehend ; but how our particular
callings, our earthly business and worldly enjoyments, should be made so
holy, and those pursued, and these used, in a holy manner, is the difficulty,
and yet a most necessary duty, for otherwise we cannot be holy in all manner
of conversation, which is required of us indispensably, 1 Pet. i. 15. Not
only in that part of our conversation which immediately respects God in
duties of worship, but that part of it which respects the world, and the
business and enjoyments of it. How may these be made holy, or we shew
ourselves holy in them ? Why, plainly, thus : that is holy which is set
apart to God, and used for him. That which you design and really resolve
shall be for God, you consecrate it, and make it holy, and what you use (as
so set apart) for him, you use as a holy thing ; so that if God be your end
and design in your particular callings, if you follow your business for him,
and employ what you get for God, all thus become holy, and you use them
as becomes holy persons to use holy things. If your intention in all be to
please, and serve, and honour God, and you employ all in a subserviency
to these ends, and no otherwise, you are holy, even in this part of your
conversation, and not only in that part of it which is taken up with his
worship, Heb. xiii. 16, Philip, iv. 16-18.

The art* of sacrificing was a holy employment, and the sacrifice offered
to God was a holy thing, and so are you employed, when you are doing
good with what you have ; and that portion of your estates which you do
good with, which you employ to please, and serve, and honour God with,
it assumes, as it were, the nature of a sacrifice, and is offered to God as a
holy thing.

You see the way that holiness to the Lord may be upon all you have and
do in the world. Use it as that which is God's, and as he who is the
owner would have it used ; use it not for yourselves or others, but so as
God may be served, and pleased, and honoured by it, and then it is em
ployed for God. It is as it were offered to him ; it will be holy and accept
able to him, as the sacrifices of his own appointing were.

And how comfortable will it be for you to have the Lord look upon the
use and employment of what you have in the world, as the odour of a
sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to him, and to make it
the end of your callings, and the business of your lives, to be (when others
are sacrificing all to their lusts, or themselves) still offering to him (in the
use), or preparing for him (in your care and industry) such holy offerings.

[5.] What you have will hereby be better secured. The Lord will be
particularly interested in the preservation of it as that which is his own,
not only by a common right which he has in all things, but by a particular
right, such as he has in things dedicated to him.

If our end and design be, if we sincerely intend to employ what we have
for God, we have thereby given it up, dedicated it to God ; and so it is his
own peculiarly, and those that wrong us therein, wrong God himself, not
as common transgressors only, but as those who should steal away that
which was provided and prepared for a sacrifice for God. This would not
only be a wrong to the person who provided it, but to the Lord for whom

* Qu. 'act'?— ED.

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11. J FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 407

it was designed, and to whom it was to be offered. God is herein more
particularly concerned than in common injuries, and will shew it by taking
special vengeance for it. Those that will oppose or defraud you, or by
deceit or violence take anything from you, when you have given up all to
God, and are accordingly employing all, run a more dreadful hazard than
any other deceivers or oppressors, they shall not escape so well as others.
He will make them know they had better have employed their fraud or
violence anywhere than upon such, they shall feel what it is to attempt
upon that which is God's own, Jer. ii. 3. ' Israel was consecrated or set
apart to me, and the first-fruits of my revenues, all that devour him shall
offend,' not as common offenders, but as those which devoured that which
was God's, as such who attempt to rob the exchequer of the Most High ;
' evil shall come upon them,' some grievous evil answerable to the offence.
They shall not escape without exemplary punishment.

Hereby you have assurance, that the Lord will secure what you have as
he will secure his own. All you have is his, and so should be given up to
him, and used for him ; hereby it becomes his own peculiarly. And so
this is the way to engage him to take care of your concerns as his own.
But enough of this ; though indeed never enough of it, till it lead you
effectually to the practice of this most important duty, of employing all
for God.

4. Another duty that this truth leads us to is patience, and the continual
exercise of it, as there is occasion. It will help us, being duly considered
aud effectually believed, in patience to possess our souls, whatever ^our
condition or the circumstances of it be. It will serve both as a motive and
a means to keep our souls in a submissive, quiet, composed, undisturbed
temper, even in such cases which are most like to disturb and discompose
us, to make us yield submissively to the disposal of God when others rise
up against it, and to silence and quiet our hearts when they are tempted
to grumble and murmur and shew themselves unsatisfied. This will shew
us that the least degree of impatience is most unreasonable, very sinful,
and exceeding dangerous, that it reflects untowardly upon the universal
dominion and propriety of God as to all things, and either denies it, or
questions whether he duly exercise it towards us, and by such guilt very
much endangers us, and tends to make our condition far worse, when we
think it too bad already. Let me instance, in three particulars, when
impatience has the greatest advantage, and usually most prevails.

(1.) In wants and necessities. When we have not what we desire, or so
much of it as we would have, this brings us into impatience. But how
unreasonable it is to yield to it, whatever our wants be, how heinous and
dangerous it is, hereby appears evidently.

The Lord is the owner of all : that which we would have, as well as that
which we have, is his own, and so he has all right to dispose of it as he
will. No, says impatience (this is the voice and language of it, though we
are apt to put a better construction on it), it ought to be disposed other
wise ; I should have more than I have, I have not enough, my share is too
little in this, or that, or many degrees. And what is the meaning of this,
but a denying that God is the owner of what we would have, or that he has
not the right to dispose of his own as he pleases ? And how intolerable is
this, for a poor worthless creature, who has nothing at all but what he owes
to the mere bounty of God, thus to rise up against the Lord of heaven and
earth, and question his interest, and impeach his undoubted right, and
prescribe to him how he should order that which is his own ! If a beggar,

408 ALL THINGS THE LOKD's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnEON. XXIX. 11.

•when you have given him what you think fit, should mnrmur and repine,
and say you gave him not enough, he wants this, and that, and so much
of it, and ought to have it of you, you would take him up as saucy and
impudent, for challenging more than you think fit to give, and prescribing
to you how you should dispose of what is your own, you would tell him if
he were not satisfied with what you think fit to give, he should have
nothing at all, as he deserved. A greater sauciness in such a beggar
would be nothing to that of our impatience in God's account; the absolute
ness of his dominion and right, with the infiniteness of the distance be
twixt us, raises the provocation inconceivably higher.

It were more tolerable if that which we are impatient to have were our
own, or any way due to us ; but this truth leaves us no plea nor pretence
for that. God is the true and sole owner of all ; and therefore this should
hush and quell all the stirrings of impatience, and quiet our hearts when
our needs would disturb us, as it silenced those in the parable, who
murmured that they had no more, Mat. xx. 11, 13, 15. Is it not most
intolerable not to allow the absolute Lord of all that right which we chal
lenge ourselves, to do what we will with our own, when that we call our
own is nothing so much ours as all are his ? If any say, the Lord has
promised what I would have, and so, though it be not otherwise due, yet
by virtue of his promise it is ; for that creates some right ; —

Ans. The Lord has nowhere promised earthly blessings in such a degree
to thee or any ; he has promised in general what is good for his people in
temporal enjoyments, but not such or such a degree thereof, or so much
as they may desire, no, nor spiritual blessings in such a degree, though
we are in little danger of impatient desires after these (alas ! we do not so
much value them, we are not so sensible of our want of them, the Lord
encourages importunate eagerness after these), our danger is in respect of
temporal enjoyments ; and the degrees of these he has nowhere promised,
and so he has not, as to these, any way restrained his own right of dispos
ing of them in what degree and proportion soever he will. His dominion
herein continues fully absolute, and altogether unlimited and unrestrained,
so that we cannot challenge this or that degree of them as any way due to
us, no, not so much as by his promise. He is at liberty to give less or
more, as he thinks fit. And if we will impatiently desire this or that, or
more of it, which he has reserved to his free disposal, we exalt ourselves
against the dominion of God, as though he were not the owner of all, and
might not distribute them as he pleases.

(2.) In losses. When we lose much, or that which is dear to us, we are
apt to be impatient at the loss. But to arm us against the assaults of this
evil, let us consider whose it is we part with, and who it is that takes it
from us. It is the Lord that takes, whoever be the instrument, and it is
he that is the owner of it, for he is the owner of all. He takes but his
own ; and should we repine, or think much that the Lord should have his
own when he calls for it ? Is this reasonable ? ' Is this tolerable ? Should
you not rather be thankful that you had it at all, and that he would let you
have it so long, than grudge that he should have liberty to take his own
when he sees fit ? Job had as great temptations to impatience as any we
are like to meet with, considering how much he lost, and how dear some
of it was to him, and in what way he was bereaved thereof, and yet by such
considerations became an example of patience to the world. He was so far
from repining at his losses as he blesses God under the pressure of them,
Job i. 21. It is the Lord of it who gave it ; it is the Lord, the owner of

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 409

it, who took it : blessed be his name in both, adored and admired be his
dominion both in giving and taking away.

If you should, in kindness, lend a friend what he needs ; and he, after
he has had the use and advantage, should think much to let you have your
own again, when you have occasion to call for it ; what a heavy censure
would you think he deserves ! We are worthy of a heavier censure our
selves, when we give way to the least impatience, when the Lord calls for
anything in our possession. He did not give, but lend us what we have.
He lets us not have the propriety, but the use of it. Our estates, outward
comforts, dearest relatives, they are but lent us ; when we have them, he
is the proprietor, not we ourselves. And shall we think much to part with
his own to him, when he will ? Do we think ourselves the owners, because
we have been so long entrusted with what is truly his ? Will we deny his
universal right and interest in all, because he has been so kind and bounti
ful to us ? Is not this shameful, and to be abhorred by a temper that has
the least tincture of ingenuousness ? Let it then make us ashamed to give
way to any impatience in such a trial.

(3.) In troubles and afflictions ; when they are many, or grievous, or
smarting, or tedious, then we have need of patience ; and this truth, duly
considered, that the Lord is the owner of all, may help us to it. He who
is the owner of all things, is the owner of us. We are more his own
than anything is ours, which we think we may use as we please, because it
is ours. And has not he, then, all right to deal with us as he will ? May
he not do all his pleasure with that which is so much his own ? And shall
we be any ways impatient, when he does us no wrong at all, nor can do ?
Shall we repine, when we have not the least cause to complain ; as we have
not, when we are not at all wronged. And can he do us 'any wrong, who
has all right to do with us what he will ? And so he has, if we be his own ;
and so we are, if he be the owner of all : Job ii. 10, ' Shall we receive good
at the hands of God, and shall we not receive evil ?' so Job checks the
impatience of his wife. Shall we think ourselves wronged in one more
than the other, when the Lord has equal right to do both ?

When all those grievous things were threatened Eli, which the Lord
declared he would inflict upon him and his, what says he, but that which
expresses a great patience ? And this is the ground of it, 1 Sam. iii. It is
the Lord, he who has all dominion over me and mine ; he has right to
inflict on us whatever seems good to him ; it will be good and righteous,
whatever it seem to be ; he will herein do us no wrong. And so we shall
have no cause to complain, not the least excuse, not the least reason for
any touch of impatience. It hereby appears to be a most unreasonable
evil, and that which those who have the use of reason should be ashamed of,
and blush at, as if it transformed them into the state of brutes.

5. This will serve, as a powerful means, to help us to humility. It may be
improved, as one of the best expedients to make us humble, and to keep
us so ; to cast down all high thoughts and imaginations of ourselves, and
to keep them under. All that we are, all that we have, may, by this con
sideration, be converted into the nourishment of humility, a grace which
nourishes all other graces. This will teach you to make use of everything
which others are proud of, to lay you low, and make you humble. There
is nothing more tends to ' hide pride from man,' and to make ashamed, and
afraid of it, as a most shameful, and one of the worst of evils. For hereby
it appears,

(1.) That it is a most absurd and ridiculous evil. If God be the owner

410 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnEON. XXIX. 11.

of all, we have nothing of our own. And, therefore, whoever is proud of
anything, he is proud of that which is not his own. Now we count it
matter of scorn and laughter, to see one proud of that which is another's ;
to see one strut or look big, because he wears a jewel or a rich garment,
when we know it is but lent him, is occasion of derision or indignation to
any that observe it. Such a person is counted a fool, as being proud,
when there is not the least occasion, nor any shadow of reason for it. And
this is our case ; we have nothing to lift us up, nothing to set us off in our
own eyes, or in the eyes of others, which is truly and properly our own. We
have no accomplishments, no enjoyments, which we can call our own. God
is the owner of all we are and have. And to think better of ourselves for
that which is not our own, is to shew ourselves fools, and to make ourselves
ridiculous, and worthy of all scorn and indignation. Upon this account,
that may be ackowledged as true, which passes for a rule amongst the
masters of reason ; so far as any man is proud, so far he is a fool. , If he
wants not reason, yet herein he wants the use of it ; he has not judgment
enough to discern what is nearest him, or to understand himself in that
which is most obvious. If we have a high opinion of ourselves, when there
is not the least reason for it, we are unreasonably, absurdly, ridiculously
proud ; and no person on earth can be proud at a more intolerable rate,
because he has nothing of his own, and so no reason in the world to give
way to the least stirring of pride, 1 Cor. iv. 7. If thou art exalted upon
the account of anything thou hast, it is without reason. As if the madman
at Athens, who fancied all the ships which came into the port were his
own, should have been proud upon this conceit. There is as little reason,
as much madness, in all the pride of the world ; it is all for that which is
not their own.

(2.) That it is a perverse and desperate malady. Pride feeds itself by
that which should starve it ; turns that into poison which should cure it ;
is swelled and puffed by that which should take down the tumour. We
are proud of something which we have ; whereas everything we have should
humble us, because we have nothing of our own. What a desperate malady
is this, which is enraged and heightened by that which is most proper to
assuage and heal it ! How incurable by any art, by any hand, but that
of the great Physician ! How impossible the cure of it by anything but
infinite wisdom and power ! How dreadful to us should that distemper be,
which is so hard to cure !

(3.) That it is a transcendent wickedness. You could not be proud, if
you did effectually believe that you were nothing, that you had nothing at
at all of your own. If you do not believe this, you disown God ; you do
not acknowledge his universal dominion, his propriety and interest in all
things. And what a horrid and monstrous wickedness this is, I need not
tell you. Yet when you give way to pride, you harbour such a monster,
which rises up against God, opposes his dominion, and denies him to be
the Lord and owner of all.

Make use of this to make and keep you humble ; to suppress and quell
all the stirrings of pride ; to repel and baffle all temptations to it.

When you are in danger to be proud of gifts, or parts, or any accom
plishments wherein you seem to excel others, ask yourselves, From whom
had I these ? Whose are they ? Wherefore are they in nay possession ?
Did I receive them ? If I be any way before others, who made the differ
ence betwixt them and me ? did I make myself to differ ? And when he let
me have them, did he part with his propriety ? Is he not the owner still ?

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EABTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 411

Are not all these my master's talents ? Have I them otherwise than in
trust ? And shall I be proud of that which is another's, and put a greater
value on myself, for that which is not my own, or have higher thoughts of
my own condition, because I have more of another's in my hands ? If all
those feathers which set me off, and make so fair a show, were plucked
away, and none left me but what I might truly call mine own, what should
I have left, for any to be proud of ?

Some are in danger to be lifted up with a conceit of their beauty and
comeliness. Now what would you think of one that is proud of a painted
face ? You would judge her worthy of scorn and laughter. It is not
her own beauty, you will say, she owes it to the art and colours of another.
And do not you more owe what comeliness you have to the hand of God ?
And does not this make it as little your own as that which you deride is
hers ? Native and painted beauty differ not in this respect ; neither is
your own ; it is equally groundless and ridiculous to be proud of either.

Some are so vain as to be proud of what they wear, if it be finer and
richer than others have. This seems some pre-eminence, and may possibly
puff up a mind that has no better ballast than mere vanity. They think
better of themselves for it, and think others will do so too. Now if you
should see one adorned exactly according to the mode, with all the art
and cost that might set her off to the eye of the beholders, and while she
is shewing how proud she is thereof, by looks and gesture, one should
declare, in the hearing of her, and all about her, that nothing of this was
her own ; that all from top to toe was stolen or borrowed ; this would be
enough to prick the bladder, and make the empty thing fall lank, and blush
at her folly. Why, whatever you were, it is no more your own than that
which is borrowed ; nay, many times it is stolen, as it is always, when it
should have been employed to better uses. At the best, he that clothes
the lilies affords you clothes ; you owe it to another as well as they, and
have no more reason than they to be proud of it. If you were stripped of
all that is not your own, you would be left, not only without your orna
ments, ,but without your being. And should he be high-minded, who is as
much in debt as all that he has comes to ?

Others are in danger to be proud of their estates. The apostle will have
those that are rich warned that they be not high-minded, 1 Tim. vi.
Something in them apt to lift up the mind. Riches are apt to puff men
up. There is some venom attends them, which if those who have them be
not aware of, will make them swell. And the world is ready to feed the
poisonous humour, which being not acquainted with the precious things of
heaven, and the treasures above its reach, will have that most valued which
is visible and sensible. Many are apt to be raised in their conceits, and
to look upon others as below them, because they have more than others ;
they value themselves more, because they have much.

Well, but whose is that which you have ? Is it your own ? ' The land is
mine,' saith the Lord to Israel. ' The silver and the gold is mine,' saith
he to the Jews, Haggai ii. All the riches in the world is his, Ps. civ.
24, 25. If all the riches in the earth and in the sea be his, what is there
that is properly yours ? What has any to be proud of, unless they will be
proud of nothing ? You have more in your hands than others, but whose
is it, and wherefore have you it ? Is it not the Lord's, since he is the
owner of all ? And are you not to improve it for him ? And were you
not entrusted with it for this end, and upon these terms ? And will you
think better of yourselves, because you have more than others in your

412 ALL THINGS THE LOPJ>'s ] AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

hands, whenas nothing of it is your own ? yours only in trust, and for
the use of him who is the true owner. You will count that steward little
better than a changeling, who will be proud because his master is rich.
It is true, the more his lord has, the more the steward may be entrusted
with ; but what is that to him, since he cannot call justly one penny of it
his own, nor can* otherwise employ any of it but for his master's use, unless
he will play the knave, and be false to his master and his trust ?

Those that have most have no more of their own than such stewards
who have nothing but their master's goods. What the richest have, they
have but in trust, and the Lord entrusts them with it for this end, that it
may be wholly employed for his use, and according to his appointment.
And what occasion in the least to be high-minded for what they have, when
it is not theirs properly, nor at their disposal, but according to the Lord's
appointment ?

So that those that have most have no more of their own than they that
have least ; and so no more reason to be high-minded in respect of their
estates than the poorest ; only one is more in trust than the other. And
if it be said, It is more honour to be entrusted with more; and he that is
more honoured may be more valued by others, and may have some sense
of it himself ; I answer, It is more honour to be entrusted with more, if
the faithfulness be answerable to the trust ; otherwise it is no more honour
than to be a greater cheat and deceiver than to be a less. The greater
fraud, the greater infamy and reproach. And such is the fraud of those
that are unfaithful in the employing of great estates. And if they be faith
ful, this also is from him from whom they receive what they are faithful in,
1 Cor. vii. 25. So that they owe both what they have, and their faithful
ness in it, to him who is the Lord and owner of all ; and therefore have no
occasion for anything, but a great humility in all.

6. Another great duty which this truth teaches us is self-denial. It
leads us to it directly, and strongly obliges us to the continual exercise of
it. If God be the owner of all things, he is the owner of us ; and if he
be the owner of us, we are not to own ourselves, and not to own ourselves
is to deny ourselves; to deny ourselves is to make account we are not our
own, but belong to another as our owner; and to demean ourselves as in
the condition of such a one who is not sui juris, his own man; as children
in respect of their parents, or more fully, as bond-servants in respect of
their master. They are not their own, but pertain to another as their
owner. If they look upon themselves as their own, they wrong the true
proprietor.

So the Lord being our owner, we wrong him if we account ourselves our
own. If we deny not ourselves, we deny his right and interest in us. So
far as we own ourselves, we deny him ; and his universal dominion, we
acknowledge it not in all things, because not in ourselves. If we will give
him the honour to be the owner of all things, we must not own, we must
deny ourselves. You see what a necessary connection self-denial has with
the acknowledging of this truth. Let us shew how it obliges us to the
exercise of this grace, in some particulars, wherein self-denial consists.

(1.) As to our own judgments. He that is not his own man, must not
follow his own judgment, must submit to be ordered by the discretion of
his owner. Children must be guided by their parents, and servants must
be ordered at the discretion of their master: douXog ws<pvxa$, ov p'snari 001
Xoyou. Thou art a servant, what hast thou then to do with reason ? The
master's reason must conclude the servant; for why, he is not his own

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 413

man, and so not to be ordered by his own judgment, but give up himself
to the conduct of his owner. We are no more our own, the Lord is more
our owner; therefore we must quit our own mind and judgment, and be
guided by the wisdom of him who is our Lord and owner. We must give
up ourselves to the conduct of that judgment which is laid down in Scrip
ture, that which is called the mind of the Lord.

(2.) As to our wills. He that is not his own man, must not be ruled by
his own will; he is to be disposed of at the will of him in whose power he
is. The will of his owner must be his will. Since the Lord is our owner
so fully, so absolutely, so transcendently, we must have no will of our own.
This must be denied, crossed, laid down; and the will of the Lord must
take its place, and be our will.

(3.) As to our ends. We own ourselves in that which is of greatest
moment, that which influences our whole course, and moves all the wheels
of it, if we pursue our own ends and designs. We are far from acknow
ledging ourselves to be wholly the Lord's, if we mind our own ends instead
of his. Unless we deny ourselves herein, we deny his propriety and interest
in us. If we be wholly his, we should give up ourselves wholly to serve
his end, an end higher than our own, and that in all things. The pleasing,
and honouring, and enjoying of God is the end, the only end, that they
should propose to themselves, either in holy duties or worldly business,
who look upon themselves as entirely the Lord's, and not their own.
Whatever is not subservient to this, is wholly excluded, &c.

(4.) As to our interests. That which is God's must be ours, and that
only, if we own him, and none else, as our owner. He acts as if he were
his own man, and not his master's servant, who minds his own interests,
and not his master's, as Ziba did, 2 Sam. xvi. 3. He shewed that he had
more mind to be a master than a servant, and acted as a traitor, not like
one faithful to his lord, when he did Mephibosheth that disservice to serve
his own turn.

If the Lord be your owner, you ought to own and mind his interest,
and none else. You must disclaim the interest of the flesh and of the
world, as inconsistent with the interest of your Lord; you must espouse
that.

(5.) As to our business and employments. He that is not his own man
must not do his own work, but that which his owner sets him about. So
did the Israelites when they were bond- servants in Egypt, they did what
work Pharaoh would have them. A servant, says Aristotle, is dsavorou
ooyavov, his master's instrument ; so must we be in the hand of God as liv
ing tools, to act as he moves us, to do what he would have us, to follow that
business, and that only, which he employs us about. Our Lord Jesus,
when he took upon him the form of a servant and acted in our stead, gave
us an example what we should be always doing, Luke ii. 49, John iv. 34,
and ix. 4. We must be followers of him, making it the business of our
lives not to do our own work, but the work of him that sent us, and that
only. We must not do what our own humour, or inclination, or interest
leads us to ; nor what Satan, or the world, or the flesh, would have us.
None should set us a-work, but our Lord and owner. We shall shew
whom we acknowledge ourselves to belong to, by the work we busy our
selves about. If we let Satan employ us, we shall thereby confess he has
interest in us, John viii. 41, 44. If we do Satan's work, we shall thereby
declare that we own his interest in us, rather than God's.

If we follow the world, for the world's sake, and do its drudgery, we

414 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CfiRON. XXIX. 11.

shall thereby shew that we are the children rov aiuvos rou-ou, of this world,
and that we belong to it of choice, and to no other than this present world.
If we do what the flesh would have us, that is our master, and we can
expect no other reward but what such a lord and owner can give us, Gal.
vi. 8 ; Kom. vi. 20, 21 ; Rom. viii. 13.

If we do our own work, that which seems good in our own eyes, self
prevails, and we shew hereby, that we think we are our own, and acknow
ledge not the Lord to be our owner. We own not God and his propriety
and interest in us, unless it be the business of our lives to do his work,
unless it be of that nature as it may be some way truly counted his.

(6.) As to our possessions. If the Lord be the owner of all, and of us,
we ought to deny ourselves so far as to look upon what we possess as his,
not ours.

Self-denial includes a denial that we are owners of ourselves. And ho
that is not the owner of himself, can call nothing his own. A bought ser
vant, as I told you, being his master's possession, could neither count his
person, nor anything he had, his own. Yea, whatsoever fell to him while
a servant, it was his master's, and that by law, Lev. xxv. 45, 46, Exod.
xxi. 21 . And if a woman had a child while in service, and that by a free
man, the child was as much the master's as the mother, as much his ser
vant, and part of his possession, as she. The Lord is more the owner of
us, than any lord is of his servant. And we do not acknowledge his
dominion and propriety in all, or in us, unless we look upon what we have
as not our own but his, and so use it. But of this before.

We are not the disciples of Christ, unless we endeavour to live in the
practice of self-denial. And how much this truth engages us to it, and
how far the belief and due consideration of it may help us herein, you may
discern by the premises.

7. This may be improved as a powerful means to wean us from the
world. To bring us to a holy indifferency as to the riches and plenty of
it; to make us contented with what the Lord has allotted us, though it be
or seem but little ; to take down the immoderate esteem we are apt to have
of earthly enjoyments, a large portion of them ; to moderate our affections
towards them ; to help us against an excess of love to, or delight in, or
desires after them, or care to get, fear to lose them, or grief when they are
lost ; and so to crucify our hearts to the world, and the world to them ;
and likewise to take us off from that eagerness in pursuing the world,
which engrosses the time, strength, endeavours, of so many, and leaves
so little of this for heaven and their souls ; and so dry up both the spring
and the stream of those excesses and inordinacies towards the world, which
are so common, and bear down the most that meddle with it, and are too
hard for the best, both to cure this reigning disease, and to remove the
symptoms and ill consequences of it.

Those who mind their souls, and are sensible how much they are endan
gered by the world, will look upon that, which may effect such a cure, as
a receipt of sovereign virtue, and exceeding great value. Now such is the
truth before us ; if it be duly improved, there is that in which it may be
effectual to cure this deadly distemper where it is working, and to prevent
it where it is not. There are several considerations which flow from it,
that are powerful for this purpose. For hereby it appears that,

(1.) Whatever you have of the world, how much soever you can get more
of it, yet you will be nothing the richer for it all. Now if men were fully
convinced of this, that if they could get as much as they would have, if

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11. j FROM EAKTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 415

they could compass all that is in the large grasp of their worldly designs,
yet they would not be in any degree richer than they are at present, or than
such are, who have but a very little for their earthly portion ; if we could
make them believe this, that all their care and pains, and affectionate
industry, would nothing increase their riches, this would do much to quench
that feverish thirst wherewith so many are distempered ; for this is mani
fest, that it is eagerness to be rich that sets all the wheels a-going, and
whirls them into disorderly motions ; and had they no hopes to grow richer,
they would drive on more heavily ; they would be more moderate in their
pursuit of the world.

Now if you believe this truth, that God is the owner of all things ; the
absolute, the total, the sole owner of all, as I have explained and proved
it ; it will not be hard to convince you, unless the love of the world have
left no use of reason, that whatever you get more will make 'you nothing
the richer ; for if God be the owner, the sole owner of all things, then he
is and will be the owner of all that you have already, and of all that you
can get hereafter ; and if so, you are not, you cannot be the true owner of
it ; it will not be your own, but his (whatever your title be in reference to
men), and that which is not your own, how much soever it be, cannot make
you rich, how much soever it be increased, cannot make you richer ; how
much soever you have in your hands, if it be all another man's, you count
yourselves no richer for it. Now whatever you have, or can get into your
hands, it is and will be another's. God is still the owner of it, and not you
yourselves ; and will you count yourselves the richer, for that which is none
of your own ? When you have done all you can to raise and enlarge your
estates, yet he that has the least, and is the poorest, will have as much of
his own as you, and so will be as rich as you. Men may count you rich,
and human laws may give you title to more than others, and in reference
thereto the Scripture calls you rich, speaking according to common appre
hension ; but, in respect of God and his dominion and propriety, all that
you can get will make you no richer than those who have least, unless more
of that which is not your own can make you richer.

You count not a tenant rich for having much land in his hand, because
it is none of his own ; nor is he like to be rich, if he be tied to let his
landlord have all the improvement of it, all that he can make of it ; such
a tenure there was once in England ; and we hold all we have of God by
no other tenure ; the Lord lets to us all that we have, he continues Lord
and owner of it, and has obliged us to improve it all for him ; both the
estate and the improvement is his, not ours. If, then, we have never so
much in our hands, what shall we be the richer, since nothing of it is our
own ?

You count not a man the richer, because he has much in his possession ;
if he have borrowed it all, and be bound to restore it when the owner calls
for it ; so it is with those that have most ; the Lord has but lent them
what they have ; he parts not with the propriety, though he lets you have
the use and possession ; he is still the owner of it ; and you are obliged to
part with it whenever he calls for his own ; and will that which is but bor
rowed, how much soever it be, make you richer ? Joseph had a great
trust, when Potiphar, a great officer of Pharaoh's, put all he had in his
hand, Gen. xxxix. 4—6 ; but Joseph counted himself not the richer for all
this ; because all in his hand was his master's, not his own ; and answer-
ably, some understand that passage, ' and he knew not aught that he had,'
referring it to Joseph ; he converted none of all that he was entrusted with

416 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CflEON. XXIX. 11.

to his own use. What was he the richer for it, when it was not his own,
nor might he turn any of it to his own use ? So it is with those that have
most, and with those that are industrious to get more ; they are but labour
ing to get more of their master's goods into their hands ; and when they
have got all they can, they will be no richer for it ; it will not be their own,
nor for their own use, if they mean to be honest and faithful to the owner
of it, as Joseph was. They have as much of their own already, as ever
they will have ; nor will they be richer, do what they can, unless that which
is not their own will make them so.

If riches be that which you so highly esteem, so much affect, so eagerly
labour for, this may be sufficient to moderate and restrain you herein ;
since God is the owner of all, more of the world will not make you richer,
nor rich at all, how much soever you have, unless you could call it your
own ; which you cannot call it, nor account it, since it is his who is the
Lord of all. Much of the world is (whether for this I do not now examine)
in the account of Christ, riches but falsely so called and accounted, Luke
xvi. 11. ' True riches' are put in opposition to that which is riches in the
world's account, which therefore is not true riches.

You see also by this, what reason we have to be contented with what we
have already, though it seem little, since we can have no more that will be
our own ; and what a strange humour is it not to be satisfied, unless we
have more in our hands that is not our own !

(2.) You will have no more to spend than you have already, if you should
get more of the world ; no more to lay out, as it is the guise and custom
of the world to lay it out ; and this is it which endears a large share of
earthly things unto us ; this makes us put so high a value on it, and affect it
so much, and follow it so keenly, even with the neglect of better things ;
this is counted the great privilege and advantage of having much ; they
who have it may lay out more than others in ways that please them ; but
this truth will let us see that those who have much have no more to expend
in the way expressed. For God being the owner of all things, and so of all
we have, we have no right to use it, but as he would have us ; we are
obliged to employ it so (and no otherwise, but) as he has appointed us ;
and so, how much soever you have, you will have nothing to expend, as
the world is wont to do it ; those that have most, have no more to spend
upon their lusts than those that have least ; no more for pride, or lust, or
revenge, or intemperance, or sensuality, or ostentation, or the maintaining
of factions and parties, or the countenance of any evil whatsoever. If they
expend anything of their abundance in any such way, they are thieves to
God, and thieves to men also, viz., to those for whose relief and refresh
ment that was due, which runs into such a sink. The employing great
estates and revenues this way is no better than unjust wars are called,
magna latrocinia, great robberies, and persons so spending them, the greatest
robbers ; they have no more to spend idly and vainly, so as no way tends
to serve the Lord's interest, than those who have least; they have not a
penny to spend this way, more than the poorest have ; and if they venture
to do it, it is at their peril ; they do it against the express order of him
who is the Lord and owner of it, and has entrusted them in it for no such
purposes. But have they not more to lay out for themselves and relatives ?
No ; not for themselves simply and precisely, but only for God upon them
selves ; only in such ways, and such a manner, as the laying it out on
themselves may be justly said to be an employing it for God, the owner
of it.

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EABTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 417

As for their relatives and children, they may have more, if thereby the
Lord's interest may be best served ; but if they be such as give no hopes
that they will employ what is left them for God, but rather against him,
they ought to have no more, from those that have most, than what will
serve them with mere necessaries, and keep them from being chargeable to
others. And that seems to be all intended in that text, which is much
abused otherwise in favour of worldly designs, 1 Tim. v. 8. He is speak
ing of poor widows whom the church relieved. Those of them who belonged
to families, and had relatives that could maintain them, they were to be
provided for by their pains and industry, so as they might not be charge
able to the church.*

Now if those that have more than others have no more to spend, in ways
desirable to a carnal heart and a worldly temper, than those that have less,
as it is plain they have not, because the Lord, who is the owner of all they
have, allows them no more to expend in any such way, why are we not
content with less ? why not more indifferent whether we have more or no ?
why do we so much value, so much affect more of the world, and take so
much care and pains for it ? Is it because we would have more to lay oat
for God ? He, who is the owner of it, and all, approves of no end but
this, or what may be reduced to this. Indeed, when we see any so eager
after the world, singly and sincerely because they would have more to
expend for God, and manifest it by so employing it, they should be so far
from being discouraged or pulled back, that they ought to be greatly
admired, as those who have attained such a high degree of holiness and
love to God, and zeal for his interest, as is rarely to be found amongst the
children of men.

For those who cannot say they desire more of the world for this end,
because they would have God to have more from them, here is all reason
to abate this keenness. They have no right from God, the owner of all,
to spend any of it in the other ways they propose to themselves ; though
they be worth many thousands, they have not one penny to spend in their
own ways more than the poorest beggar. And if they take the liberty to do
it, they do it in opposition to God's dominion and right in themselves and
the world.

(3.) The more you have, the more you are in debt ; and where is the
advantage then of a great estate, if the more it be increased the farther you
run in debt ? But so it is, and by the truth in hand it appears to be so : for
the Lord is the owner of all, you owe to him all you have, and he that
has most owes most ; and you owe to all those to whom the Lord and
owner orders you to pay it ; and the debt to these is proportionable to
your estate, and rises higher as the estate is raised ; for ' to whom much
is given, of him shall much be required,' Luke xii. 48.

The more you get, the more you owe to God, the more for the uphold
ing of his gospel and worship, the more to his messengers, the more to
his suffering servants, the more to all in want, especially those of the house
hold of faith, the more to the common good ; the more for the honouring
your profession, the more for the promoting of his interest here and abroad.
And the debt grows vastly and insensibly through the neglect of payment,
yea, or for the improvement of every parcel which was due, but not dis
charged, ever since it was neglected. None so much in debt as those that

* So the provision there urged comes to no more than what would keep them from
being chargeable to the church, when it was not in a condition to be charged with
them.

VOL. I. D d

418 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

have most in their hands : it sometimes eats them up, and they owe more
than they are worth before they are aware, because they employed that
otherwise which should have discharged it. What a hole would be made
in many men's estates, if their debts were paid, if all were deducted which
they owe even in God's account ? The Lord will not dispense with their
neglect of payment, though they have so little conscience as to dispense
with themselves. He would have the people of old so just in paying what
they owed, that he allowed them and their children to be sold for satisfac
tion of their creditors, if they had not otherwise wherewith to satisfy:
Lev. xxv. 39, 41, 2 Kings iv. 1, Mat. xviii. 25. Now did the Lord admit
of such a course for the discharge of what was due to men ? What course
then will he take with those who neglect to discharge what is due to him
and his ? The best plea that can be used, in excuse of such neglects, is a
great charge of children, many poor relatives to be provided for. But
he was so far from allowing they should be provided for out of what was
due to men, as he would rather let them be sold for slaves or servants ;
and will he allow provision to be made for them out of that which is due
to himself ?

You owe much of what you have ; and the more you have the more you
owe, and the Lord keeps an exact account of it, and will not think (as you
may) that the great sums which you owe can be discharged with a trifle.
Till what you owe be faithfully paid, you hoard up or spend that which is
another's, that which should pay your debts. You eat that which should
feed others, and wear that which should clothe others, and make yourselves
fine, and fare deliciously, with that which youjowe to others' necessities, and
live upon the estate of your creditors. Those whom the Lord has made
such, you eat their meat, and wear their clothes, and lay up that for your
selves which should be in their purses, if you would be so just as to pay
your debts. In like manner does Basil* express this wickedness, ToD wti-
vuvrog tarn 6 agTog ov av KKTs^etc, it is the bread of the hungry that thou
eatest ; Tov yvfivrirtvovros, &c., the garment of the naked which thou
wearest ; ToD ^gfifyvrog rb agyvgiov, &c., the money of the needy which thou
hoardest up. And the ground of it, which Augustinef thus delivers : What
the Lord lets us have, above what we need, he doth not give it to us, but
transfers it, that we may lay it out for others ; et si non dederimus, res
alienas invasimus, which, if we give them not, we invade other men's
goods. This is no better than to defraud our creditors, c\> dt ovx dcromgjj-
rrt;, a vgog oiKovofiiav eds^u, Taura '/dia aecturou KOIOU/MVOS ; art not thou a
defrauder, which keepest that to thyself which thou receivedst to be dis
tributed to others ? If you should see one sumptuous in his habit, diet,
and accommodations, and designing great portions for his children or rela
tions, when you know him to be over head and ears in debt, would not
this move your indignation ? Would you not judge him void of all con
science and honesty ? Alas ! this is the case of many who little think
of it. None are more in debt than those who have much of the world.
You can scarce look anywhere but you may see something they are indebted
to some persons whom the Lord has made their creditors ; and many times
deal with them, as the unjust steward did with his master's debtors, Luke
xvi. 5—7. They deal worse with those they are indebted to on the Lord's
account ; when they owe eighty or an hundred, they set down not eighty
or fifty, but put him off with one or two-, and so make a shameful compo
sition, when they have more than enough to pay all. The Lord and
* Serm. de Avarit, page 155. Serm. 29. da Temp.

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EABTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 419

Owner of all will not thus be put off : lie will not be so defrauded, though
men may.

And since the having of more will put you more in debt, and the Lord
will see it paid, or have satisfaction for it here or hereafter, what is it that
men propose to themselves ? What is it that they expect ? What makes
them so greedy after more ? You use to count that no great or desirable
advantage which will put you as much in debt as it comes to.

(4.) The more you have, the greater charge is upon you; and the greater
charge, the heavier burden; and we care not in other cases to be burdened.
Every one cannot bear a great burden, and to those who can make a shift
to bear it, yet is it heavy and troublesome ; and they are wont to desire
rather to be eased of some of it than to have more weight laid on.

To have children is counted a charge, as the world now goes. Those
that have very many are said to have a great charge of children ; their
condition is not thought to be so easy, there is more lies upon them. A
great estate is as truly a great charge. If all that is required of those that
have it were duly minded, it would be so accounted. They have more to
maintain proportionably to what they have ; there is far more lies upon
them than upon others.

And it is not an easy burden that lies upon them, if we believe the Scrip
ture, where riches are called thorns, Mat. xiii. 22.

It would be a wonder to see one forward to take up a burden of thorns
on his back ; an astonishment to see him eager for more and more, unless
he be void of sense, and feel neither weight nor smart. Who else would be
earnest to pierce himself through and through with so sharp a load ? 1 Tim.
vi. 9, 10. He that would bear such a wounding weight, and that too not
for himself, but another, might well be counted a person of rare self-denial.
And if you count it your own, you wrong God, deny him to be the owner
of all ; and if you would have it for yourselves principally, you would not
have it in God's way, nor upon his terms, nor as becomes those who pro
fess they are his. Yet it is selfish aims and respects most commonly,
which makes all seem easy and light, and takes away sense of smart or
burden, and digests all those fears, cares, perplexities, sorrows, cumber,
trouble, which otherwise would make much of the world an uneasy burden
and a burdensome charge, if at all tolerable.

Consider it as a trust (as it is no more indeed); the more you are
entrusted with, the greater is your charge. A man in a journey would
not choose to have along with him a great charge of money, especially if it
were another's, and himself responsible for it ; nay, he would be loath to
have much treasure that is not his own long in his own house, if he had
no other meaning but to be honest and faithful to the owner.

If we look upon what we have as no otherwise ours than in trust (and
this truth allows us to look upon it no otherwise), why are we so impor
tunate to be still charged with more, and to have more of that which is an
other's in our hands, unless we think to defeat the true owner, and convert
what we are entrusted with for another to our own use ?

If you observed one to make it his business to be entrusted with all that
he could any way compass, and to get into his hands of other men's all
that possibly he could, you would suspect he had some dishonest design
for himself therein, and that he did not intend only the advantage of those
that trusted him, because none are wont to be so desirous of more trust
and charge. We have cause to suspect ourselves, that our ends are not
right, and such as become our profession, when we are still earnest for

420 ALL THINGS THE LOED's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

more of the world, which, -when we have it, we know will not be our own,
but his who is the owner of all ; since in, other cases we rather decline a
mere trust and charge, the benefit and fruit whereof not we, but others,
must reap. If we intend our own advantage thereby, we are unfaithful to
our trust, and to the Lord of all, whom we would have to trust us. If we
intend not our own pleasure or profit, and design not to serve ourselves of
it, why are we not content without a greater trust and charge ? Even self
will be content with less, when more does not tend to serve it.

(5.) The more you have, the more is your danger. And great danger
is enough to those who are apprehensive of it, to take them off from that
which they have otherwise a mind to. Those that have most are in most
danger, not only of cumber and trouble, and those torturing affections
which attend much, nor only of losing more, fraud and violence being
most levelled against such ; those who live by preying upon others being
most eager upon the richest prey ; such men being set in slippery places,
and they being in most danger to fall who stand highest, when the place is
slippery, and the fall from such a height being more dangerous, such
tumbling, lapsu gravion, with a more terrible fall.

Nor only of losing that which is more valuable than all the world, of
losing their souls, and heaven, and eternal life, and of being drowned in
perdition. Those who are cast into a depth, with a greater weight about
them, sinking lower and most irrecoverably, and those who have more,
having more to obstruct their way to heaven, and make the passage so
difficult, as it will be next to impossible, Mat. xix. 23, 24. But also in
most danger of that which is worse than the loss of all the world, yea,
worse than the loss of heaven, yea, worse than hell itself. What is that ?
Why, they are in more danger of sin, 1 Tim. vi. 9. They fall into temp
tation, and the most dangerous temptation, a snare ; and such a snare as
makes them sure, entangles them in not one, but divers, lusts ; and such
lusts as are not only foolish and hurtful, but most destructive, fivdifyvat,
such as engulf or plunge them deep, past recovery, in utter perdition.

More particularly, to insist upon that which is most pertinent, he that
has more is in danger of greater unfaithfulness. He is entrusted with
more, and so, if not faithful, he is false to the greater trust, which is to be
most heinously false.

He that is trusted is thereby tried ; so he that has more is, all the time
he has it, under the greater trial ; Tawsa, &o%i{j,affia$ tvtxa TroXXax/j didorai.
Outward enjoyments, says Isidore,* are for the most part given us for
trial's sake, just as afflictions are frequently called trials in Scripture.
Riches are not counted afflictions ; but they are no better in this respect,
they are trials no less than afflictions ; and the more dangerous trials,
because the danger of them is not so well discerned, nor so much feared,
and so not so easily avoided. Both are trials or temptations ; for the
import of wslgafffiog, which is rendered temptation, is no more than a trial.
But much of the world is the more dangerous trial or temptation. And
so the apostle, when he says it leads men into temptation, adds, ' and into
a snare ;' the danger of which is the greater, because it is laid secretly, so
as those for whom it is laid do not see it, and so may not fear, and conse
quently take no care to escape it, but be fast in it before they are aware.

Such a trial or temptation, and, in the issue, such a snare, is a plentiful
estate. The Lord tries those with whom he trusts it, whether they will
employ it for him who is the owner of it. He tries whether they will be

* Ep. cccxiv. lin. 5.

1 CHBON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY- MINDEDNESS. 421

faithful in seeking, and possessing, and using it for him as his own ought
to be, or whether they will be unfaithful, in doing this for themselves only
or principally.

Now, here is the danger, the world minds not the end of getting, nor the
rule in keeping, nor the proportion which is to be observed in disposing of
what they possess. It is the custom of the world (so far has the tempta
tion prevailed) to look upon what they have, and what they can get, as
their own ; and so make account they have right to dispose of it as they
think fit, forgetting that God is the owner of it, and not they themselves ;
and that they have no right to dispose of any of it, but some way or other
for him, and according to his order, who is the Lord and owner of all. And
accordingly they do actually use it as if God had actually parted with the
propriety, and made them the owners.

This, being so common, taints professors also, whose apprehensions and
actions should be conformed to the word, and not to the world ; and so
they become guilty in not acknowledging the Lord to be the owner of what
they have, and not employing it for him; and the more they have, the
greater the guilt, the greater the danger.

(6.) The more you have, the more you are to give an account for, and
the more difficult will it be to give a good account of it, Eccles. xii. 14,
Rom. xiv. 10, 2 Cor. v. 10. If you must give account to God of all you
get, of all you possess, of all you do dispose of, you are highly concerned
to look after it. There is nothing can possibly come into your thoughts
that is of more weight and consequence than such an account, nothing
that should strike your souls with a more awful regard than how you may
acquit yourselves therein, as being your very greatest concernment. Those
who look no further than the present world, judge it their great concern
ment to mind whether they or theirs be poor or rich. Poverty is a
dreadful thing to them, and wealth a principal, a highly- valued attainment.
Oh but riches or poverty are but trifles, no more to be regarded than
children's playthings, in respect of the consequence of that last account !
In that you are infinitely concerned, for all eternity depends on it ; in
comparison of which this life is but as a moment, and all the enjoyments
of it are but as bubbles of one or two minutes. The consequence of that
account is the eternal state of your persons hereafter; the everlasting
happiness, or everlasting misery, of soul and body. No less are you con
cerned in such an account, and it is certain such an account you will be
called to ; it is evident by this truth ; for if he be the Lord of all, and the
true owner of all you have, he will certainly reckon with you for his own.
If he be the right proprietor, and what you possess you have but from
him, and hold but of him in trust, he will undoubtedly examine whether
you have been true to him and your trust or no. If he be the chief
Lord, and you but stewards, he will have an account of your stewardship.
It would be blasphemy to imagine him like those careless lords who never
look after what they have, or those whom they trust with it ; that is not
for his honour, nor consistent with his perfections. His dominion over
all, and his wise and righteous exercise of it, requires an account, and
obliges us to look and prepare for it. He who is Lord and owner of all
you have, will have an account of all you have, why you sought it, and
how and wherefore you kept it, and how you employed and disposed of it,
and every parcel of it, to whom, and upon what, and in what manner, and
for what end, and in what proportions.

And so much for the considerations which this truth affords to secure

422 ALL THINGS THE LOEO's ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.

us against the most ensnaring temptations of the world. They are such
as (if duly believed and weighed) may be helpful to wean us from earthly
enjoyments, to satisfy us that they are not so highly to be valued, or so
much affected, or so eagerly pursued with any neglect of heaven and our
souls, and to help us against those excesses and inordinances, wherein the
men of the world are quite drowned, and worldly professors are dangerously
overwhelmed.

Use III. For encouragement. Here is great encouragement to all sorts.

1 (1.) To those who have not yet given up themselves to God; to those
that are yet in their sins, and engaged in the service of other lords, that
have hitherto continued in the service of sin, or of the world, or of them
selves ; what encouragement is here to relinquish these, and to make choice
of God to be your Lord ! If you will be his, he will be yours, and so all
will be yours ; for all that is in heaven and earth is his.

(2.) He will be your friend. And what an infinite advantage will it be
to have such a friend, one so rich, and who can do so much for you ! If
you were a friend, a favourite of some prince of great dominions, you would
think you had enough, having such interest in one that had so much, and
would deny you nothing. Why, but all the dominions of earthly princes
are but mole hills, compared with the possessions of that great Lord. The
greatest kings are but stewards to him, who will be your friend, if you will
but enter into covenant with him. You may be his favourite, if you will
but set your hearts upon him ; you may have such interest in him, as he
will deny you nothing that the greatest favour and friendship can afford,
nothing of all that is in heaven, and all that is in earth, that is good for
you. He were not a friend if he would let you have that which is not
good ; but all that is good you may be sure of, for all is his own, and he
can dispose of it to whom he will, and to whom so soon as his friends and
favourites ? And such you may be, if you will relinquish his enemies,
and make choice of him, and reserve yourselves for him only.

(3.) He will be your Father. And what will it be to have him for your
Father, who is the Lord and owner of all things ! ' We have Abraham to
our father,' said the Jews. That was an honour, a privilege which they
were proud of. We have a king to our father, say others. They think
they have much to boast of who can say that. But both these are nothing
in comparison of what you may say, if you will give up yourselves to God.
If you will make choice of him, he will adopt you, own you as his children ;
you may say, he is my Father, to whom Abraham was a servant, and few
kings are so much as subjects, so good as servants to him; he is my
Father, who is absolute King and Lord of all kings, and their dominions,
who can say, All that is in heaven and earth is mine : ' Thine is the king
dom, and majesty, and thou art exalted as head above all.'

Oh, what can they want who have such a Father ! Is not all that is in
heaven, and all that is on earth, enough to supply you, enough to provide
for his children ? What need you fear ? Has not your Father all things in
his hands ? Are they not his own, so as he can and may dispose of them
as he will ? And can he not dispose of what you fear, so as it may prove
a comfort and security to you, instead of what you fearfully expect from
it ? Can he not do it ? And who more ready to do it than a father ? So
he will be, if you be but heartily willing to be his.

(4.) He will be your portion. Do but make choice of God for your
portion, and he will be so. And what a portion will this be ! What is it
to have him for your inheritance, who is the owner of all things, who

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY- MTNDEDNESS. 423

possesses and disposes of all that is in heaven, and all that is in earth, as
his own ! Interest in him will give you interest in all, insomuch that all
the wealth -which the men of the world possess will be but as the drop of a
bucket, and as the small dust of the balance in comparison of it.

Then may it be truly said, all are yours, as 1 Cor. Hi. 21, 22. Not only
ordinances and offices, spiritual things and enjoyments, but the world, so
far as it is good, so much of it as is truly desirable ; not only things pre
sent, but things to come, which are so much greater and better than this
present world can afford, as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it
entered into the heart of man to conceive how much greater and better
they are ; life also for the enjoyment of things present, and death to convey
you to the enjoyment of things to come. Oh where will you have such a
rich possession ? or, who will make you such an offer, or can make good
any considerable part of it ? Can you gain any such thing by Serving sin,
or following the world, or seeking yourselves ? 1 Sam. xxii. 7.

What can sin, or Satan, or the world offer to move you to continue in
their service, comparable to what the Lord offers you, if you will come
over to him ?

Oh how great will the condemnation of the children of men be, who will
be tempted from God with a trifle, while he is offering them, what he will
really give, himself and all. These deluders promise you much, but they
are cheats and deluders ; they cannot, they will not make good anything.
But the Lord can make it good ; for all that is in heaven and earth is
his own.

2. To those who have interest in God.

What comfort is it, what ground of rejoicing, to have interest in him who
is the owner of all things ; to be able to call him yours, who can, and who
only can, call all that is in heaven, and all that is in earth, his own. What
reason have you to rejoice in the Lord, and to rejoice in him always, and
to say with joyful hearts, ' My lines are fallen in a pleasant place,' &c.
What a goodly heritage have you ! What comparable to it, when you can
lay claim to him who is Lord and owner of all !

What cause have you to be contented in every condition, to be well
satisfied, though your share of earthly things seem small ! You have
enough in God, if all in heaven and earth be enough. All is his, who
allows you to call himself your own. What if all be not in your hands, is
it not better for you that it is in his hands, who vouchsafes to call himself
your Father, your Husband ? You are richer, and it is more for your
advantage that it is in his hands than if all were in your own. He is able,
he is willing to manage it more for your advantage than if it were in your
possession. Be satisfied then, and say, as you have reason, ' Eeturn to
thy rest, 0 my soul.'

What support is here to your faith ! What encouragement to expect
the accomplishment of all those great and precious promises which he has
given you ! This leaves no occasion to doubt of it in the least. When
men promise many and great things to us, the multitude or greatness of
them may make us apt to question the performance, especially if it be
delayed. But though the Lord has promised more and greater things to
us than men or angels could have expected, or can make good, yet, since
the Lord hath promised, there can be no doubt but he will perform all, if
he be able ; and that he is able to make good all to a tittle, there can be no
doubt, if all in heaven and earth can make it good ; for all that is in the
heavens and in the earth is his own, and fully, absolutely at his disposal.

424 ALL THINGS THE LORD'S ; AN INDUCEMENT [1 CnBON. XXIX. 11.

Unless that which you expect to be performed be more than heaven and
earth, and all that is therein amount to, this truth leaves you not the least
occasion of unbelief or doubting.

More particularly, this truth affords you encouragement in those special
cases which are most apt to trouble and deject you.

(1.) In wants and necessities, whatever they be, whether they con
cern your inward or outward estate. If the Lord be both able and willing
to supply you, you need not be careful, you need not be troubled. But
hereby it is evident that the Lord is both able and willing to supply you.

[1.] That he is able. For what are your needs ? Are they such as any
thing in heaven or anything in earth can relieve ? Why, then, no doubt
but he can relieve you ; for all heaven and earth is his own, and he can
give any of it to whom he will.

Want you wealth, or what you judge a competency ? ver. 12. All the
riches of the world are in his hands, and he can dispose thereof to whom
and what proportion he see good, 2 Cor. ix. 8, Philip, iv. 19.

Want you authority to countenance and secure you ? All the authority
in the world is his ; the greatness, and the power, and the majesty, and
the kingdom, ver. 11. He has the disppsing of it all.

Want you victory over enemies, those that afflict and oppress your souls ?
The Lord can give it you ; it is his own.

Want you strength outward or inward, to do, or to suffer, or to resist ?
This he can also help you, for it is all his own, ver. 12.

Want you wisdom ? This is his too : thine is the wisdom, James i. 5.

Want you gifts or graces, or a greater measure of them ? These he can
help you to ; they are his, even as light is the sun's, James i. 17. He can
give them as easily as the sun gives light.

Want you comfort ? He is the owner of that too, 2 Cor. i. 3.

Want you friends ? That cannot be, if you want not God. All the
friends in the world are but cyphers to him. He is the best, the most
powerful friend, who has all, and can dispose of all, in heaven and earth.
You see hereby he is able ; he is all-sufficient for your relief, whatever your
necessities be. And,

[2.] That he is willing also, is manifest by this truth, divers ways.
For,

First, You are his, since he is the owner of all. And who is the Lord
willing to provide for, if not for his own ? You see him ready to supply
all that any way pertain to him. He makes provision for the ravens, the
young lions, the wild beasts, the grass of the field, the lilies. His hand is
open, and he is ready to satisfy every living thing, Ps. civ. 10, and xxi.
24, 27, 28. He provides for all ; he neglects nothing that is any way his.
But if you have given up yourselves to him, you are his own peculiarly ;
and since he is ready to provide for all that are but his by common title,
can you think him unwilling to supply those that are his own by special
interest ?

Will not he who provides for the very dogs of his great family, and takes
care of the least thing that any way pertains to it, be more ready to make
provision for his own children ? There is little faith indeed, where there is
any doubt of this, Mat. vi. 26, 28, 29, 80.

For whom does a father design the best share of his possessions ? Is it
not for those whom he counts most his own, his children ? And will your
heavenly Father deal worse with those whom he counts most his own ?
Mat. vii. 9-11.

1 CHRON. XXIX. 11.] FROM EARTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 425

Secondly, The Lord has nothing the less, for -what he affords to relieve
and supply you, how much soever your necessities require. For he con
tinues ever the owner of all, whatever is transferred into other hands ; it
remains still as much his own, as if none else were the possessor of it.
The words of the text are eternally true, ' All that is in the heavens, &c.,
is thine.'

If the Lord lost anything by supplying your needs, there might be
some question whether he were willing to afford you all supplies. But
how much soever you have of him, he loses nothing ; he has nothing the
less than if you had it not, for he parts not with the propriety ; that and
all is his own still, and he is as much in possession of it, as if it were not
in your hands. It is not with him as with men, who, the more they give,
the less they have. But he gives all things, as the sun gives light ; and
accordingly the apostle, in reference to his gifts, calls him ' the Father of
lights,' as the sun is called the fountain of lights, James i. 17. The sun,
when it communicates its light to the whole world, and diffuses it through
heaven, and air, and earth, yet has not one jot the less light for all this ; in
what place soever, or how much soever it shine, it is all the light of the
sun still; so how much soever the Lord communicates to you, he has
nothing the less, it is all his own still. And why should you doubt of his
willingness to supply all his children's needs, when all those supplies will
not in the least impair his own stores ?

Thirdly, The more the Lord does for your supply, the more he gives,
the more he shews himself to be the owner of all ; the more conspicuous
does he hereby make the glory of his riches, and the greatness of his
dominion.

As the sun is so far from losing anything, by communicating its light to
the world, that the more it shines, the more glorious it appears ; so the
Father of lights, by expressing his bounty in relieving his people, gets him
self more glory ; he makes it appear that all is his own, in that there is
no wants whatsoever but he can supply them. And you do not doubt but
he is willing to be glorified.

(2.) Here is encouragement, to undergo or undertake anything for God
which he calls you to ; to offer yourselves willingly to the most difficult, or
expensive, or hazardous services, for his name's sake ; for why ? He is the
owner of all things, and so has enough to requite you, to reward you,
if all that is in heaven and in earth be enough to do it.

Why do men venture themselves freely for princes or great persons, but
because they know such can do far more for them than all their hazards
or expenses in their behalf come to ; and because they hope that those
that are able will be effectually mindful of such eminent services ? And
shall any be more free to venture themselves and what they have for men,
than we are for God ? Does not he take more notice of all you do, or
suffer, or expend for him ? And is not he infinitely more able to recom
pense you, when he has all things in the world at his disposing, for that
purpose ? This made Moses contemn the greatest things on earth, and
prefer sufferings, before the honours, and pleasures, and riches of a flourish
ing kingdom, Heb. xi. 24—26. Let this make all difficulties in the work
of God seem easy. You are working for him who has all in heaven and
earth at his disposal to reward. Let this make all sufferings for him seem
light. You are suffering for him who is the Lord and owner of all things.
Are you like to lose anything by suffering for such a God ? Rom. viii. 18.

Let this make all expenses for him seem small. You understand not

426 ALL THINGS THE LOBD's J AN INDUCEMENT [1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.

your own interest, when you will be saving or sparing in anything wherein
God is specially concerned. If you had assurance to receive an hundred
fold for all you lay out, either in hand or that which is equivalent, you
would think it the best improvement you could possibly make of what you
had, to lay out all you could spare in such a way. The Lord has given you
assurance of this, as to all you part with for him, Mat. xix. 29. And since
he has promised, nothing can hinder you from this hundred-fold advantage,
unless the Lord be not able to make it good. But who can question that,
since he is Lord and owner of all things ?

Particularly, [l.J In losses for God. When anything is taken from you
because you will not sin against God, the case, as this truth directs us to
state it, is this : they take that which is the Lord's out of their hands,
whom he has made his stewards, because they will not be unfaithful to
their Lord. You need not question but the Lord, in due time, will take
order with such wretches as dare attempt this. And in the mean time,
you ought to be sensible that he suffers more by it than you, it being more
his than yours. Nor need you to fear that you shall lose anything by such
a loss, if you had assurance that you should receive an hundredfold.

[2.] In banishment. In case you should be forced to leave your country,
and your enjoyments in it. This is great encouragement. None can ever
send you out of your Father's dominions. You will be still there, where
he is the owner and disposer of all. If a child were sent from one of his
father's houses to another, what great affliction would that be, so long as
he is still in his father's house, and amongst no persons nor things but
such as he is the owner and disposer of! This was Chrysostom's support,
when he was threatened by Eudoxia the empress, si SeXti ifyeifyiv, if she
will banish me, l£og/£srw, let her banish me ; the earth is the Lord's, and
the fulness of it ; every part of it is part of his dominion. What matter
is it to be sent out of the emperor's dominion ? You can be sent to no
place but where the Lord is the owner of all, for all is his own ; and so can
dispose of all as easily for your comfortable subsistence, as much for your
satisfaction, in any place, as in that which you most affect. He could not
be counted the owner of all if he could not so dispose of all, and that
everywhere.

[3.] In fears and dangers. If the Lord be the owner of all, then you
are his own ; and if you have resigned up yourselves to him, to be pos
sessed, and disposed of, and used as his own, then are you his by a special
title. And will not the Lord secure and take care of that which is his
own ? This may encourage you to call upon him in the day of distress,
and to expect relief from him.

The people of God of old did find support upon this ground. This has
encouraged them to pray, and to pray in faith. This hath strengthened
the weak hands and the feeble knees under great pressures, Ps. cxix. 49,
Ps. xliv. 4, Jer. xiv. 8, 9. Thy name is put upon us, as men mark what
is their own with their name. This encouraged to hope the Lord would
not leave them unregarded, undelivered in their distress, Jer. ii. 2. Israel
being set apart to God as his own, he looked upon that people as part of
his revenue ; this he would not suffer to be spoiled and devoured. He
would make them examples, that would so provoke him by devouring that
which was his own.

[4.J In reference to your children. We are apt to be solicitous about
them, how they shall be disposed of, how they may be provided for when
we are gone, when they are many, and but a little to leave them. As

1 CHEON. XXIX. 11.] FBOM EABTHLY-MINDEDNESS. 427

Andrew said, John vi. 9, so we are ready to say, What will my little be,
divided amongst so many? Well, but if the Lord be the owner of all,
then sure he has enough both for thee and thine. Though thou hast not,
yet he has sufficient for them, if all that is in heaven and in earth be
sufficient ; for all this is his. True, you may say, he is all-sufficient, but
will he take care of mine ? For this, too, look again upon the truth before
us. If the Lord be the owner of all, then he is the owner of your chil
dren. If he have a transcendent interest in all, then those children are
more his than they are yours. And whom will the Lord take care of,
whom will he provide for, if not for his own ?

You have given them up unto God ; let it be your greatest care that
they may give up themselves unto him, as becomes those who are in
covenant; and then remember what he says to Abraham, Gen. xvii, 7.
If he will be a God to thy seed after thee, he will own them when thou art
gone ; he will dispose of them, and provide for them as his own. And
what can you desire more ?

HEARING THE VOED.

Take heed therefore how ye hear. — LUKE VIII. 18.

IN the former part of this chapter we have the parable of the sower, which
is propounded, explained, confirmed, applied.

1. Propounded, from ver. 5 to 8, 'A sower went out to sow his seed :
and as he sowed, some fell by the way-side; and it was trodden down, and
the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock ; and as soon
as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And
some fell among thorns ; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold.'

2. Explained. The occasion, ver. 9, ' The disciples asked him, saying,
What might this parable be ?' The preface to it, ver. 10, ' He said unto
them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God :
but to others in parables ; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
might not understand.' To you it is given to know savingly, effectually,
&c. ; to others no further than to make them inexcusable. The explication
itself from ver. 11 to 16, what by « seed,' ver. 11, what by the ' way-side,'
ver. 12, on the ' rock,' ver. 13, ' among thorns,' ver. 14, ' good ground,'
ver. 15.

8. Confirmed, by the causes of the several events. The cause of the
unfruitfulness of that by the way-side was, 1. ' It was trodden down ;' 2.
' The fowls of the air,' i. e., the devil, ' devoureth, takes it away ;' 3. He
' understands it not,' Mat. xiii. 19. The unfruitfulness of that on the
rock was, 1. Because ' it lacked moisture,' ver. 6 ; 2. It ' had no root,'
ver. 13; 3. ' Temptation,' ver. 13; ' affliction,' ' persecution for the word's
sake,' Mark iv. 17 ; called the sun, Mat. xiii. That among thorns was
unfruitful, because the cares, riches, pleasures of this life choked it : Mark
iv. 19, ' The cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, and the
lusts of other things.' That on the good ground was fruitful : 1. Because
' an honest and good heart receives it ;' 2. ' Understands it,' Mat. xiii. ;
3. ' Keeps it;' 4. ' Brings forth with patience,' ver. 15.

4. Applied. Makes use of it by exhortation and admonition ; exhorts
to manifest fruitfulness ; urges it by a similitude, ver. 16, and a proverb,
ver. 17. 2. By an admonition, ' Take heed therefore how ye hear.'

Obs. Those to whom the gospel is preached must take heed how they
hear ; take heed as to the act, matter, manner.
v 1. As to the act : Take heed that ye hear. This is implied, and neces-

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEARING THE WORD. 429

sarily supposed. The modus supposes the act; and expressed, ver. 8,
' He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.'

2. As to the object or matter : So take heed what ye hear. How with
Luke is what with Mark. He concludes the parable with this admonition,
chap. iv. 24, « Take heed what you hear.' That it be good seed, as well
as good ground ; that this seed be the seed of God, his who sows wheat,
not tares.

3. As to the manner, How. This is principally intended, though the
other be necessary. If we hear not at all, take not heed what we hear,
neglect the means, the duty, no hopes to be fruitful. If we receive not
seed, we can bring forth nothing but briars and thorns, cursed fruits, des
tined to the fire. If you hear, but take not heed what, you miscarry. If
you receive not good seed, you cannot bring forth good fruit. If tares be
sown only, no reason to expect wheat. If you take heed what, but not
how, all is in vain. If you receive good seed, but not in a right manner,
if you hear that which is good, but not as those that are good ; you must
receive good seed as good ground, not as the highway, else no good will
come of it. If ever you would reap benefit by hearing, you must take heed
how you hear. It is in vain to hear, in vain to hear that which is good,
except we hear it well.

The manner being principally intended, I shall principally insist on it.
I need not go far for reasons, this chapter affords abundance.

1. Few hear well. There are not many good hearers; the most mis
carry ; therefore there is need to take heed. Of four sorts of hearers in
the parable, three are naught, but one good. There is but one sort of
good ground ; the seed is lost upon three ; they are barren, fruitless.
Nay, in every of those three sorts there are many more bad than those
that are good : ' Many are called, few chosen.' Many have common,
rocky, worldly hearts, few good and honest. Though the multitude of
hearers be as the sand of the sea, yet but a remnant hear well, Is. x. 22.
Those that are planted by the rivers of waters are for multitude as the
trees of a vast forest, yet those that bear fruit are so few as a child may
write them, ver. 19. Good ground is but as a little island to the large
continents of Africa, Asia, and America. The most that hear perish ; few
hear savingly. This should be a strong argument to take heed. If you
were to shoot a gulf where millions had been drowned, not hearkening to
the pilot, and but a few escaped, would you not take heed ? If one should
have told the Israelites, when they came out of Egypt, that if they would
not hearken to Moses, all those hundred thousands should perish in the
wilderness, and only two or three enter into Canaan, would they not have
taken heed how they hearkened to him ? The Lord gives us warning
beforehand.

2. There are many enemies to oppose, and many impediments to hinder
you in hearing. Where there is great danger, and much difficulty, there
is reason to take heed. Here are enemies within, without, many, powerful,
active, implacable ; difficulties insuperable, but by almighty power, from
ourselves, Satan, the world, afflictions, allurements ; blindness, ignorance
in the mind, no suitableness betwixt the faculty and objects, averseness to
the word, ' will not see,' it is holy, just, good ; the heart unclean, evil,
desperately so, evil beyond knowledge ; hardness, rocky, resists the word ;
it can take no impression, find no root ; fulness, multitude of lusts, no
room for the word. Intus existens prohibet alienum, 1 Pet. ii. 1, overgrown
with weeds.

430 HEAEING THE WORD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

Satan opposes hearing with all his strength and craft, this being the
principal means of salvation, ver. 12, he is resolute and able too ; a mul
titude, the fowls of the air ; nimble, can pick it up in an instant, imme
diately, Mark iv. 15. It is his meat to do it, as fowls feed on corn. He
is a bird of prey ; therefore, Job i. 6, ' When the sons of God came to
present themselves before the Lord, Satan comes also among them.'

The world, this opposes on the right hand and left ; on the left hand
with afflictions, tribulation, persecution, hot and scorching like the sun,
Mark xvi. 17 ; on the right hand riches, pleasures, honours, cares, for
these to get them, to keep them, and lusting after them, Luke viii. 14.
These are as thorns to choke it, leave no room for it to root in, no mois
ture to nourish it. These overtop it, crush it down ; no good engrafting
among thorns. The soul spends its strength and spirits upon these ; no
power to conceive the word, no strength to bring forth.

8. The advantage or disadvantage. This in the text, ' For whosoever
hath, to him shall be given ; but from him that hath not, shall be taken
away even that which he hath.' Mark explains and applies it to the
purpose : Mark iv. 24, 25, ' With what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you ; and unto you that hear shall more be given, for he that
hath,' &c. According as you measure to God in hearing, so will he
measure to you in blessing or cursing. The gospel continued, increased
in light and glory, more of God's presence, Spirit, workings, motions,
inclinings, more light, knowledge increased. Light to you, which is
darkness to others. Comfort more refreshing ; it shall be as marrow and
fatness ; grace more strengthening and nourishing ; you shall grow up as
calves of the stall. Else the candlestick shall be removed, a famine of
hearing, Amos viii. 11 ; your pastors shall be removed into corners, Isaiah
xxx. 20 ; the Spirit withdraw, no longer strive ; light end in darkness,
stench, delusions, 2 Thes. ii. 11 ; joy in terror, despair, lie down in sor
row, Isaiah 1. 10, 11 ; seeming graces, fair appearances vanish, he will
take away what he seemed to have ; outward blessings removed, and
turned into war and desolation, Satan loosed. Then no balm in Gilead,
no physician, no bread of life for the dying soul, no support for the sinking
sinner, no hopes, no Christ, no pool for the diseased soul, or no Spirit to
trouble the waters ; no manna, or no stomach ; no strength or sweetness,
as in the quails, ' He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their
souls,' Ps. cvi. 15. t

And when the gospel is gone, all outward judgments rush in. After the
white horse, Christ with the gospel, neglected, comes the red horse of war,
the black horse of famine, and the pale horse of pestilence, and other
judgments, Rev. vi.

4. The gospel, according as it is heard, is a great mercy or a great judg
ment, a blessing or a curse, therefore great reason to take heed. The
abuse of the greatest mercy may curse it. It lifts up to heaven or casts
down to hell ; it is the savour of life or of death, 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16 ;
advances salvation or aggravates condemnation. The cords of love or the
snares of death ; mollifies or hardens, Mat. xiii. 14, 15, Isa. vi. 9, 10 ;
enlightens or darkens their eyes, Rom. xi. 10, John xii. 40, ix. 39; opens
the heart to Christ, or shuts it against him. If one should tell you this
diet, according as you use it, will be life or death, would you not take
heed ? The gospel is like the water of jealousy. A bad hearer is like the
adulteress, to him it is bitter water, which causeth a curse, Num. v. 19 ;
her belly shall swell, and thigh rot ; it causes tumours and rottenness, and

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEARING THE WORD. 431

makes him a curse among the people. To a good hearer it is sweet,
blessed, the water of life, fruitfulness, causes him to conceive seed, ver. 28.
The word brings nearer heaven or further from it, it does good or hurt,
makes better or worse, it is medicamen or venenum, a quickening spirit or
killing letter. It returns not in vain, Isa. Iv. 10, 11 ; it shall accomplish
that which I please, and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Now he
appoints his servants, as Jer. i. 10, not only to build, but to pull down ;
not only to plant, but to root out and destroy ; and puts his words in their
mouths for that end, ver. 9. It blasts those who blossom not, flourish not
under it ; overthrows where it edifies not ; consumes, where it refines not
as fire; it is a sword, either lances imposthumes, or pierces the heart
savingly or mortally.

They are in a more desperate condition who hear amiss, take not heed
how they hear, than those who cannot hear, those who never had the
gospel. Their sin is more heinous, against clearest light, the gospel added
to the law, John ix. 41, the greatest mercy, more inexcusable : John
xv. 22, ' If I had not come and spoke to them, they had not had sin,' &c.
The punishment is more grievous, more severe, sudden, certain. ' Under
the whole heavens hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem,'
Dan. ix. 12. The reason is often given, ' We obeyed not his voice,'
ver. 10, 14. The dregs of God's wrath was poured upon them because
they had tasted the quintessence of his mercy, the gospel. No people like
them in gospel enjoyments, which they not heeding, no people like them
in grievous sufferings. What caused that fearful desolation, see 2 Chron.
xxxvi. 15, 16, ' They despised his words, and the wrath of the Lord came
on them without remedy.' ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great
salvation?' Heb. ii. 3. The nearer to heaven any are lifted up by gospel
preaching, the lower will they sink into hell if they heed it not. ' It shall
be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah,' Luke x. 12 ; ' for Tyre and
Sidon,' the most heathenish, the most abominable people in the world,
those who have been most notorious both for vile abominations and dread
ful sufferings, these shall fare better in the day of judgment, and suffer less
in hell than gospel despisers; cords for them, scorpions for these; the
finger of justice will lie heavier on these than it lies on them, those ever
lasting burnings will be made seven times hotter. These shall rise up in
judgment against them, Luke xi. 81. The queen of the South, 'Woe bo
to thee, Bethsaida,' Luke x. 12, 13, ' And thou, Capernaum,' ver. 15.

6. It is the eternal concernment of souls. Hearing is the provision
made for the soul's eternal well-being, its everlasting welfare depends upon
it ; if you fail here, your souls perish without remedy. For salvation comes
by faith, and faith comes by hearing. It is an act of eternal consequence.
According to our hearing, so shall the state of our souls be to eternity. It
is not a temporal interest, but eternal. As you hear in time, so shall you
be to everlasting. It is not the concernment of credit, body, or estate,
but of your souls immortal. If a friend should say, Take heed to my
advice, and you shall live in credit, and preserve lyour reputation un
stained, but if you will not hearken to me, you will live in perpetual dis
grace and contempt, who would not diligently observe what such a friend
suggests ? Is there not more reason to take heed how we hear God ?
His word concerns eternal glory, theirs but temporary opinion and repute.
If a skilful physician should come to a patient desperately sick, and assure
him if he hearken to his advice he would recover, if not, he should cer
tainly die, who would not in that case take heed to his advice ? The great

432 HEARING THE WOKD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

Physician of souls prescribes hearing as the only way to recover our sick,
desperately diseased souls. Shall we not take heed how we hear ? The
gospel preached holds forth a sovereign receipt^ for a dying soul ; shall we
not hear and take heed how ? There is no hope for your souls but in
Christ, no benefit by Christ but by faith, no faith but by hearing. If we
miscarry in hearing, not only our estate, or bodies, but souls miscarry, and
perish eternally without recovery. Is it not reason to take heed how we
hear ? Shall we be heedful to advice for body and estate, and not for our
souls ; for temporals, and not for eternals ?

7. The gospel preached is the word of God, not of man, though by man;
God is the fountain, man but the conduit-pipe ; he the author, man the
instrument ; it is the sun his light, they the medium. The word of God
is not that only which is written, but that which is equivalent to it, as the
translations, verbum, though not verba Dei, That which is agreeable to it,
if not expressed in the same words which are in Scripture, yet if in others,
so as to express the mind of God, his intention ; it is his word if it be his
sense and meaning, though not tied to the form of words in which it is
written. An ambassador sent from a king to a foreign state with short
instructions to transact public affairs, though he do not tie himself to the
words and letters of his instructions, if he express the meaning, and prose
cute the intentions of his master in words of his own at large, yet are they
received as the words or message of his master. Ministers are Christ's
ambassadors, 2 Cor. v. 20, who speak the word of God, Heb. xiii. 7. That
which is deducible from it by just consequence, that which is drawn from
Scripture by necessary consequence, is Scripture. That which follows
from the word of God is the word of God, if not directly, yet by conse
quence. Christ justifies consequences by his own practice ; being to prove
the resurrection by Scripture, he proves it by consequence : ' God is the
God of the living,' Mat. xxii. 82, Luke xx. 37. That which we draw from
the words of men by consequence is not always their judgment, for man is
short-sighted, of a narrow understanding, and therefore cannot see all that
may be drawn from his words ; but the Lord's understanding is infinite and
immensely comprehensive ; when he spoke and inspired his word, he fore
saw all possible consequences, and will own them which are just to be his
word as well as the letter from whence they are drawn. If he should have
spoke at large, and expressed all that is consequent, the world would not
have contained the books. He expressed his mind in brief for our con
venience, and has appointed, and enabled, and authorised his servants, his
deputies, to explain, to enlarge, to deduce, apply, what would have been
impossible or inconvenient to have delivered at large. He gives his word
in Scripture as a lump of precious metal, more precious than gold, appoints
ministers to beat it out into large plates ; and as gold is the same in the
lump and mass and in the plate, so is the word the same word of God as"
it is read and as it is preached ; he gives us his word in the Scriptures as
honey in the comb, he appoints the ministers of the gospel to squeeze it
out, it is the same honey in the comb and out. Only take this caution,
that the gospel preached be received as the word of God, it is required he
that preaches it should be sent by God, invested with his authority,
appointed to be his vicegerent, sent as ambassador from him, otherwise
doctrine agreeable to God's word cannot be delivered authoritatively as the
word of God ; it is like silver, though precious in itself, yet not current,
not money, without the magistrate's stamp and impression. A private man
may deliver things agreeing with the instructions of an ambassador, yet

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEABING THE WORD. 488

no state will look upon them ag the words of a king, because he is not
authorised by him to deliver them.

Now ministers are sent by Christ : ' Go, teach,' Mat. xxviii., made
Christ's vicegerents, have the honour and authority of ambassadors ; they
are Christ's mouth, %siXr, rot Xoittrov, deputies, vice-Christi, as they are
called. ' No man takes this honour to himself, but he that is called ' to it.
They are furnished with abilities, ' I am with you,' ' in you,' Mat. x. 40,
Luke x. 16, John xiii. 20.

That therefore is the word of God which is equivalent, agreeable to,
deducible from it, when delivered by those who are sent with authority
from Christ to preach it. Such is the gospel which has long and is daily
preached to you. Take heed, then, how ye hear, for it is the word of
God.

It is more than if it were the word of a king, the greatest potentate.
Yet in the word of a king there is power ; it is as the roaring of a lion,
strikes dead,* reverence into hearers. What heed would one take to hear
a king ; how composed, how reverent, attentive, obsequious ; but what is
it then to hear the King of kings, Lord of hosts, Prince of the kings of the
earth, in comparison of whom all kings are not so much as worms !

It is more than if one from the dead should speak to us, as is plain in
the parable, Luke xvi. 31, ' They have Moses and the prophets,' who,
being authorised to speak from God, and as God, do deserve so much reve
rence, obedience, attention, as if they will not hear them, if they do not
respect my word from 'them, my authority in them, it cannot be expected
they should mind one from the dead ; though one from the dead might tell
them his experience, yet this might be as soon questioned, and more easily
evaded than those sent by me.

It is more than if an angel from heaven should speak, Gal. i., if not sent;
if he spoke never so heavenly, seraphically, yet if it do not agree with the
word, the word of God in the mouth of the meanest worm would be better
entertained, Gal. i., Heb. ii. 1-3. How attentive and heedful would we be
if an angel should speak with the tongue of angels ; much more when God
speaks, when it is the tongue of God.

Nay, it is better far, than if God himself should appear and speak imme
diately : his glory, his majesty would affright us. None can see him and
live. Israel at Sinai, Exod. xx. 18, 19, and xxiv. 17. The sight of the
glory of the Lord was like devouring fire. Shall we despise this treasure,
because in an earthen vessel ; this light, because it appears in an elemen
tary body ; this water of life, because it passeth through a leaden pipe ?

However we receive it, he looks upon it, accounts it his word ; and he
will resent it more heinously, in some respect, as he speaks by men, than
if it were spoke by himself; for he condescends to our weakness, speaking
to us by one of ourselves. So we contemn not only his word, but his
mercy, in delivering his word in such a familiar way. We might pretend
fear if he should speak immediately, durst not hear ; but now, speaking by
one of us, there is no excuse. If we will not take heed how and what we
hear, it is because we will not. Hearers, generally, are guilty of a sin pro
portionable to the sin of the Jews. There is a like mistake about verbum
Domini with us, as there was about Verbum Dominum with them. They
took not the Word for God, because it appeared in flesh ; we receive not
the gospel as the word of God, because delivered by flesh. Their mistake
was fatal and woeful. They crucified the Lord of life, because in the

* Qu. ' dread ' ?— ED.
vox*, i. E e

434 HEARING THE WORD. [LlJKE VIII. 18.

likeness of sinful flesh ; we trample under foot the word of life, because it
proceeds from sinful flesh. The mistake was their ruin, and so it will be
to us. Come to hear, as expecting God to speak, hear it as the word of
the great God.

8. It is that by which you must be judged at the last day : Judge, &c.,
according to this gospel, Kom. ii. 16, John xii. 48. The sentence is
already passed in the gospel : ' He that believes shall be saved,' &c. The
execution accordingly will be at the last day ; evidence will be brought in
by the gospel. Herein, will Christ say, was laid open the way of life ;
herein discovered the paths of death ; herein unbelief, impenitency, dis
obedience, were noted as damning sins, yet you would not avoid them,
Luke viii. 17. 'Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, neither
any thing hid that shall not be made known.' At the day of judgment, an
account of every sermon will be required, and of every truth in each ser
mon : of every idle word we must give account, Mat. xii. 36. If of every
idle word, much more of every idle act ; if accountable of what we speak
to others, much more of what God speaks to us ; if of unedifying speaking,
much more of unprofitable hearing. The books will be opened, all the ser
mons mentioned which you have heard, and a particular account required,
why you imprisoned such a truth revealed, why you committed such a
sin threatened, why neglected such duties enjoined. The gospel, at the
last day, if neglected, will plead you inexcusable. ' If I had not come,' &c.,
1 you had no sin.' You cannot say, Si scissem, fecissem. Oh what a fearful
account ! So many sermons slept, not regarded, prejudiced, hated, forgot
ten, unpractised.

We must give account of all talents, all enjoyments, how improved, time,
parts, riches. If of common mercies, much more of special, extraordinary.
None like the gospel, no account therefore so exact. Other mercies are
but as one talent, the gospel as five in proportion to one. If he that
improved not one, received such a heavy sentence, what shall he expect
who neglects, hides, improves not five ? ' If every transgression and dis
obedience,' in the use of less mercies, ' receive a just recompence of reward,
how shall we escape if we neglect' the gospel, ' which at first began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those that heard him ?'
Heb. ii. « Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the
things which we hear.' No wrath so fierce as God's for the contempt of
mercy, and of the greatest mercy in the gospel ; no plea, no excuse, no
escaping.

Use. Reproof to those that will not hear, neglect opportunities, make
light of it. If it be a duty to hear well, it is a sin not to hear. If it be a
sin not to hear right, it is a great sin not to hear at all ; it is a common
ein, national sin, threatens ruin to the gospel. Heathens and savages more
forward than we ! Manna is loathed, light hated. The sin of this place !
A thin congregation makes me jealous with a godly jealousy, out of love
to your souls. Are not you absent upon small occasions ? A little rain,
cold season, small employments, prejudice against God's messengers, keep
you at home. Is not this to make light of the gospel ? Others compass
sea and land, run from sea to sea, to hear ; you will not stir out of doors.
Read the parable, Mat. xxii. A king made a feast at the marriage of his
eon, sent his servants to invite guests : they made excuses ; one had mar
ried a wife, &c. What was the issue ? The king was wroth, sent out his
armies to destroy and burn their city, not one of them should taste of his
Bupper. God in the gospel offers to espouse us to his Son, to feast us

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEAEINO THE WORD. 435

with fat things, the pleasures of his house ; invites us. If we neglect, we
shall never taste of Christ. The children of the kingdom shall be cast out.
It will be with you in this nation, and this place, as with the Jews : he
turned from them to the Gentiles. He will take Christ and the gospel
from you and give it to Americans ; and when the gospel is gone, then
look for destruction and desolation. The Lord convince you of the sinful-
ness of this sin !

1. It is a high contempt of God, of Christ. Contempt is the highest
degree of dishonour ; God is jealous of this. Men cannot endure it, much
less God ; he is infinitely above us, we are worms ; he stands in no need
of us. It is for our good, our happiness : it is God contemned in his dearest
and most glorious manifestation, mercy, bowels. If a great king should
send an ambassador to a poor impotent man lying on a dunghill, a stranger,
an enemy to him, to offer reconciliation, to adopt him, to make him heir
of his kingdom, if this wretch should refuse to hear him, would it not
highly exasperate him ? So it is here ; the Lord sends to us lying in our
blood, poor, blind, &c. Mercy slighted, turns into the greatest fury.
The arm of God's vengeance will fall heavier upon gospel-slighters than
upon any persons in the world. ' It shall be] more tolerable for Sodom,'
Luke x. Why, might they say, it is but man that delivers it ; if it were
God, we might expect severity. Nay, it is all one : he adds, ' He that
hears you, hears me.'

2. If you will not hear God now, God will not hear you in the time of dis
tress, though you may make many prayers, Isa. i. 15. He will send you to
the gods whom ye have served : Isa. Ixvi. 4, ' I will bring their fears upon
them ; because when I called, none did answer ; when I spake, they did
not hear : but they did evil before mine eyes,' &c. Isa. Ixv. 12-14, « I
will number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter :
because when I called, ye did not answer,' &c. ' He will laugh at your
destruction,' Prov. i. 24-31, Jer. vii. 14-16. The time may come, when
all outward refuges and supports will fail, at least on your deathbed, when
it will be in vain to call to men and angels. If you then cry for pardon,
mercy, the Lord will stop his ears ; you heard not him in health, life, and
he will not then hear you. Nay, at the day of judgment, Fwhen you,
with the foolish virgins, knock at the gate of heaven, and say, Lord, open,
deliver me from these everlasting burnings ; Oh save me from these tor
mentors who are ready to hale me into endless torture. Nay, Christ will
say, You would not hear me when I invited, beseeched, nay, and wept over
you ; now I will not hear you. Then you shall hear nothing but that dread
ful sentence, « Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting burnings,' &c.
If this terrible sentence must be denounced and executed upon wretches,
because they did not feed, clothe, and visit Christ, much more against
those who would not so much as hear him. Lord, hear me, or I perish, I
sink into the bottomless pit, I shall be haled into outer darkness. Nay,
you would not hear : he will hear no plea, no excuse.

3. Consider the state of the damned, those who, for neglecting the light,
are cast into outer darkness. With what torture and anguish do they look
upon their neglect of the gospel ! Read the parable of Dives, Luke xvi.
Lay your ear to hell, and hear those forlorn creatures cry out against this
sin, as that which has damned them, sunk their souls into endless miseries.
Suppose you heard them say, Oh that we bad esteemed the gospel ! Oh
that we had more regarded the Lord's messengers ! Oh that we had
hearkened to the voice of Christ in them ! Then might we have escaped

436 HEABING THE WORD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

that wrath which was once to come, but now is upon us ; hut now it is
too late; alas, it is too late, the day of our visitation is shut up in eternal
night I But oh if it were possible that time might be recalled, and a
revenging God appeased, oh what would we give to hear the word of recon
ciliation from the most despised minister ! We would give our estates ;
our health, our liberty, would be thought a small matter to part with for
such advantage. Oh what would we do to hear but the least hope offered
in the gospel ! We would run from sea to sea, watch night and day, spend
time, and strength, and means, upon condition we might but hear one
gospel sermon, Christ once more offer peace to us ! Oh what would we
suffer, to redeem one of those many neglected opportunities ! We would
endure a thousand years' torments for one hour's time; a thousand
years' darkness for one minute of gospel light ; a thousand years' burning
for one encouraging word from Christ, ten thousand of which we formerly
slighted.

But there is no hope for them, despair is part of their torture : yet can
they not choose but be astonished at the desperate carelessness of men on
earth, who will not hear, though this sin have sunk millions into hell ; who
will take any excuse, any occasion to be absent, when Christ is offering
life and reconciliation ; for hopes of a little gain, hazard the loss of their
souls ; for a little ease, expose themselves to eternal torments. It is too
cold to hear the word, but you will find an alteration in hell ; that will be
hot enough, seven times hotter for you then. A little rain or snow will
keep you at home when Christ speaks ; but how will you endure that hor
rible tempest, which the Lord will rain upon gospel contemners ? A flood
of brimstone will be poured on you, kindled by the Lord's fiery indig
nation.

Use II. Exhortation to this duty. It is a duty of Christ's enjoining,
and to his disciples.

To further the practice of it, I shall, 1, remove impediments that hin
der ; 2, prescribe means to facilitate and direct.

1. The impediments are ignorance, contempt, distractions, prejudice,
obduration, bad ends or principles.

(1.) Ignorance in the mysteries of the gospel, the principles of religion :
' Without knowledge the heart is naught,' Prov. xix. 2. Now the seed of
the word is not well received, but into a good and honest heart, ver. 15.
This is one of the defects in those who receive the seed, as the high-way,
they understand it not, Mat. xiii. 19 ; and therefore are more obnoxious
to the wiles of that wicked one : none so fit a subject for Satan to delude,
to work upon, as ignorants ; we are easily deceived in that, and deprived
of that, of which we have not knowledge. Ignorance is darkness spiritual,
and darkness is Satan's element ; he is the prince of darkness ; he has
most advantages to act there, most nimbly, dexterously, and advantageously.
Ignorance hinders the operation of the word upon conscience, will, affec
tions ; it is a thick, gross medium, which either much weakens, or quite
obstructs the influence of the gospel. Conscience, not awakened, sleeps
on, darkness serves the sleepy temper. On the will ; will not yield to he
knows not what, nor admit he knows not who. On the affections ; a blind
man is not affected with colours, how rare and orient soever ; set before
him the most exquisite pictures, the most curious pieces, that art can frame,
they move him not. In the gospel, Christ and sin, grace and the world,
are set out in their own colours, but to no effect, till the eye be opened,
and the scales of ignorance removed : ' The God of this world has blinded

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEAKING THE WOBD. 437

the minds of them which believe not,' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; ' My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge,' Hos. iv. 6 ; the mind is not opened but
by the key of knowledge, Luke xi. 52 ; be sensible of it, bewail it, use all
means to get knowledge, reading, conference ; dig for it as for hidden
treasures, above all for the knowledge of Christ, as Paul.

(2.) Contempt of the gospel. That which we despise, we heed not. If
we think it not worth hearing, we will not take heed how we hear ; say
not you are innocent, the best are incident to it : 2 Sam. xii. 9, Nathan to
David, ' Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to
do evil in his sight ? ' Not hearing, is evil doing, either initially, or caus
ally, or /formally ; it is the beginning, or cause, or the same with evil.
Contempt is the natural issue of pride, and pride is the enemy of hearing,
Jer. xiii. 15-17, ' Hear ye, &c., be not proud ;' Jer. v. 5, ' Broken the
yoke, and burst the bonds.' We must deny our own excellencies and
understandings, and in the apprehension of the glory of the gospel, and
the glory of that God who delivers it, lie low and tremble : Ezra x. 8,
' Tremble at the commandment of our God ;' and ix. 4, ' Every one that
trembled at the words of the God of Israel,' Isa. Ixvi. 2 ; a sweet promise,
To this man will I look, that is poor, and of a contrite spirit,' &c. ;
* Though heaven be his throne,' &c. ; and ver. 5, « Hear the word of the
Lord, ye that tremble at his word.' Others will not.

Nor is this a legal temper ; see it in the gospel, 2 Cor. vii. 15. The
Corinthians received Titus with fear and trembling ; not Christ, nor Paul,
but Titus, an inferior teacher ; and the Corinthians did it out of awful
apprehensions of God, and not eye the instrument alone, having high
raised thoughts of the gospel, 2 Cor. iii. The most glorious manifestation
that ever was vouchsafed, which the angels desire to pry into, Tagaxi-vJ/a/,
1 Pet. i. 12. Principalities and powers think it not below them to be
taught by the gospel, Eph. iii. 10 ; look on it as the gospel of peace, the
word of reconciliation,1! of life, nothing but death without it ; of salva
tion to those who would otherwise perish ; of glory, else hell. What low
condescensions of God in the gospel ! What high exaltation of man, pro
mises, privileges, relations.

(3.) Distractions. Wanderings, rovings of mind, will, affections, senses,
caused by the cares of the world and lusts of the flesh ; carefulness of
other things makes careless of the word. It is hard to hit a moving object,
a bird in flight ; as well, to as much purpose, sow the waves in a tempest,
or cast seed upon branches tossed with the wind, as preach to a distracted,
wandering hearer ; nothing fixes, sinks, abides ; his soul is like a highway,
every man or beast has free*passage. What encouragement has the hus
bandman to sow there ? It is impossible, while it is crowded ; and if clear,
yet being open, it would be trodden down.

Fix your whole soul on God. Hoc age. Let there be no thoughts,
projects, motions, affections, but what is suitable to, or raised by the word ;
summon the whole soul to wait, to attend to God ; watch, that ye be not
surprised ; if any intrude, cast them out, drive them away : ' Keep thy
heart with all diligence,' Prov. iv. 23. What an affront would it be to
turn your back on a king, or to discourse with others while he is speaking
to you ! The postures and motions of your souls are as'visible to God as
your outward one to another. Deal with wandering thoughts, extravagant
motions, as Abraham did with the fowls which came down upon his sacri
fice, Gen. xv. 11, he drove them away; wandering thoughts, like these
fowls, would spoil our sacrifices ; they are a progeny of devils, Satan has

438 HEARING THE WORD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

that name in the parable ; they are his emissaries ; bid them as Christ,
' Avoid, thou art an offence to me ;' drive these fowls away. We must
serve God with our whole heart, not suffer it to be divided, distracted,
especially in the act of worship : ' My heart is fixed,' says David, Ps. ix. 1 ;
Ps. cxix. 10, ' I will praise the Lord with my whole heart ;' ' Unite my
heart to fear thy name,' Ps. Ixxxvi. 11.

(4.) Prejudice. An ill conceit of the gospel ; the matter, or the manner
of delivery, plainness, simplicity ; or ministers, their persons, conversation,
office, or execution of it. This was the ruin both of Jews and Gentiles,
hindered them from hearing, or made the hearing ineffectual, though
preached by Christ himself, or the apostles extraordinarily assisted. The
gospel, and the prime subject of it, Christ, was ' to the Jews a stumbling-
block, to the Greeks foolishness ;' the gospel, when preached by extraor
dinary agents, when confirmed by miracles ; much more now. The Jews
were prejudiced against Christ his person ; he answered not their expecta
tion. They looked for a glorious monarch, not one in the form of a servant ;
his calling, not sent of God, an impostor, deceiver, blasphemer ; his
conversation, his country : ' Can any good come out of Nazareth ?' His
doctrine, too plain, too severe, taxing abuses. Paul was a babbler to the
Athenians.

To remove it, consider there is no reason, no room for prejudice against
the gospel ; those that despise it never saw its glory, nor tasted its sweet
ness : ' If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost,' 2 Cor. iv. 3 ;
shall we think worse of the sun, because a blind man speaks against it,
because an owl cannot behold it ? and for ministers, there is glory enough
in the gospel to gild them, how mean soever. To neglect the gospel, for
their weakness or infirmities, is to refuse to take up manna because it falls
on the ground ; if there be any fault in them, they must bear it, it will be
no excuse to you. Those who would not hear Judas, were no less guilty
than those who would not hear the other disciples ; Christ makes no
distinction, either in his commission or sanction ; those were equally
threatened who received not him as the rest. Prejudice, when there is
some ground for it, does not excuse ; but for the most part it is groundless.
I am apt to think, where there is a call, there can be no ground of preju
dice ; therefore, if there be any ground of prejudice, it must be something
that may make the calling questionable.

Now those things from which we raise prejudice, are not sufficient to
make a minister's calling questionable ; for those objections, which are
ordinarily made use of to this end, Christ or the apostles themselves are
liable to.

Meanness, or despicableness of the person. Christ a carpenter's son, no
beauty in him, &c. The apostles fishermen.

Ambition, affectation of superiority. Christ's disciples contend who
shall be greatest.

Hypocrisy, covetousness. These were in Judas, yet he was called.

Weakness. The disciples had no acquired parts, their education would
not admit it, they were ignorant of many truths.

Difference in judgment and affections. The stumbling-block in these
times, yet visible in Peter and Paul, Gal. ii. 11, and Barnabas and Paul,
Acts xv. 89. The contention so sharp as they parted asunder.

Carnalness, looking for a temporal kingdom and preferment thereby.
Fear of suffering, all forsook him. Intemperate zeal, they call for fixe
from heaven.

LUKE VIII. 18.] HEAEING THE WORD. 489

(5.) Obduration : hardness of heart. ' To-day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts,' Heb. iii. 7, 8 ; Pharaoh heard not Moses, for his
heart was hardened. We sow upon rocks ; no hopes of fruit, where neither
root nor moisture ; it should be an ' engrafted word,' James i. 21 ; can
one engraft upon stone? It should ' dwell in us richly,' Col. iii, 16 ; the
heart is hardened by sinning against light. When the gospel reveals this
to be sin, and that a duty, and no regard to practise this, or avoid that,
the first brings the first degree ; and after the more neglects, the more
hardness, till the conscience grow senseless, and, as it were, cauterized.
The Lord for this sin hardens judicially, withdraws mollifying influence,
and exposes to occasions that harden.

Take heed of sinning against light, disobeying the gospel. Be not dis
obedient to the heavenly vision. Urge the covenant, whereby God is
engaged to take away the heart of stone, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Plough up the
fallow-ground, Jer. iv. 3, Hos. x. 12. Make use both of law and gospel,
that to break, this to melt. The heart must be softened, then broken,
then melted, that it may be cast into the mould of the word. The image
of Christ is stamped on the word, it must leave impressions of Christ on
us ; therefore we must be cast, delivered into it, Bom. vi. Hereby it
transforms, Rom. vi. 17, obeyed from the heart. Observe what considera
tions do soonest affect, judgment or mercy, promise or threatening, and
make use of that which is most effectual.

Look upon hardness as the greatest judgment, more fearful than any
temporal sickness, poverty, blindness, sword, &c., a sign of reprobation,
an earnest of hell. Desire, with all importunity, a tender, melting, bleed
ing heart, trembling, yielding to every stroke, receiving every impression,
running into the mould, complying, obeying.

(6.) Bad ends and principles, motives or reasons inducing to hear,
these make every act good or bad. Take heed to these. We take not
heed how we hear, when we hear.

[1.] Out of custom, because others do it. It is the fashion of the nation,
and he that runs not with the stream hazards his reputation. He that
hears but thus, will never take heed how he hears. Yet, which is lamentable,
this is the ground upon which the greatest part found both their religion and
the exercises of it. Why are most protestants ? Their parents, their
magistrates, the major part are so ; not weight of reason, but number of
professors. So for religious exercises, hearing, praying, singing ; not for
any necessity, excellency, or spiritual advantage, but because others do it.
And this is the cause of inconstancy in religion, and negligence and for
mality in the duties of it. He that will be religious, hear, &c., only be
cause the most do so, shall receive that reward which the most do.

[2.] To carp, cavil, ensnare, take advantages. So the Pharisees to Christ.
Make a man an offender for a word. It is the practice of the devil, he
hears, observes, that he may accuse, disquiet, ensnare. To pervert it in
such a horrid way makes you worse than the devil, the word was never
intended for his advantage.

[3.J To please the fancy, perfect intellectuals, to get notions, to satisfy
itching ears ; placere, not sanare ; neat expressions, apt similes, quaint
notions, please more than wholesome words. This is to abase the gospel,
and bring it down to base ends, which was appointed for the highest.

[4.] To satisfy conscience, if convinced it be a duty enjoined under
penalty, and conscience not asleep, dare not omit. Or to pacify conscience,
to expiate a week's sin with one act of service.

440 HEABING THE WOED. [LuKE VIII. 18.

Get right principles. Propound the best, the highest motives. Act
upon spiritual grounds. Be armed by spiritual reasons.

God's glory, Jer. xiii. 16. Hearing brings glory to God, acknowledges
many of his attributes, authority, truth, mercy, our subjection to him. It
is an act of worship naturally engaging.

Our good. Our necessity of it as new-born babes. Come as the
Israelites to gather manna. It is the bread of life, water of life. Come
as to the pool. Consider the excellency of it. Hear the word out of love
and delight : Ps. cxix. 127, ' I love thy commandments above gold.' ' Oh
how I love thy law ! ' Ps. cxix. 97. If the law, much more should we love
the gospel. It is ' sweeter than honey,' Ps. xix. 10. ' As the hart panteth
after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God, &c. Oh
when shall I come and appear before God?' Ps. xlii. 1, 2. Ps. Ixxxiv.
10, ' A day in thy courts is better than a thousand.' Consider the spiri
tual advantages of it, light, life, strength, growth, comfort, peace, glory.
It is an inestimable treasure and mine, an universal remedy,
the choicest dainties, an all-sufficient magazine, an infallible oracle.

2. Directions how to hear.

(1.) Get a punctual knowledge of the state of your souls in reference to
God. Every man is either in a state of nature or grace, regenerate or un-
regenerate, either in the faith or in his sins. Now before you can hear
aright, you should know in which of these states you are. The reason is
this, we must take heed how we hear, that we may hear fruitfully, that the
word may be profitable. It is most profitable when it is seasonable. It
cannot be seasonable to you (whatever it be in itself), except you be ac
quainted with your soul's condition. It is seasonable in itself when it is
suitable to a hearer's condition, but it is not seasonable to him, except he
know it to be suitable, which he cannot do except he know what his con
dition is. ' A word in due season, is like apples of gold in pictures of
silver,' Prov. xxv. 11. It is precious, lovely, excellent, profitable, adorn
ing, and enriching. It requireth the tongue of the learned to speak sea
sonably, Isa. 1. 4. It requireth a learned heart to hear seasonably. Indeed,
this is requisite to every spiritual service, whether we pray, read, receive,
else we offer the sacrifice of fools. Paul in another sense, 1 Cor. xiv. 8,
' If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the
battle ? ' It is uncertain, when it is not known what it means, or whom it
concerns. The sound of the gospel is uncertain, when hearers know not
whom it concerns, know not whether them or no. Ministers speak in the
air, to no purpose. And ver. 11, ' If I know not the meaning of the voice,
he that speaks is a barbarian,' &c.

It is dangerous. If a man, not knowing his temper and constitution,
come into an apothecary's shop, where are receipts of all sorts, he might,
through ignorance of his complexion, take that which would be poison to
him, though healthful to another. The word offers that which is proper
to every condition. That which is not proper is destructive. If you know
not your condition, you may undo your souls, apply promises for threaten-
ings, persuade yourselves of God's love when in a state of enmity, conclude
for heaven when heirs of wrath. As you love your souls, follow the
apostle's advice, 2 Cor. xiii. 5 : ' Examine yourselves whether ye be in
the faith, prove your own selves.' The duty is ingeminated and enforced
with a reason, ' Know you not your own selves, how that Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates.'
i (2.) Before you hear, endeavour to get your souls into a capacity of

LUKE VIII. IS.] HEARING THE WORD. 441

hearing fruitfully, to get spiritual advantage by hearing. Take pains with
your hearts in private before ye come, make them tender, fit to receive
impressions. Set them open, that Christ may come in. Make room,
empty them of sin and vanity, that the Spirit may work freely, with
liberty, without interruption. Get them melted in prayer, sublimated,
raised by meditation. If you seek the Lord there, he will find you here.
If you meet him in private, he will come along and continue with you.

You expect no increase from seed if it be cast into the ground before it
be ploughed and broken up. You must get the fallow-ground of your
hearts broken up before you come to receive the seed of the word : Hos.
x. 12, ' Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up the
fallow ground ; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain right
eousness upon you.' If you would sow rightly, and reap in mercy, you
must break up, &c. How is that ? Seek the Lord by heart-breaking,
heart-melting prayer; then he will rain righteousness, rain peace and
holiness ; not in drops, but showers, Jer. iv. Sow not among thorns,
pluck them up, cast them out, cares, pleasures, lusts ; else no room for
the good seed ; they will choke it. Say to them, a& Abraham to his yonng
men going to sacrifice, Gen. xxii. 5, ' Abide you here, and I will go yonder
and worship, and come again to you,' if lawful. Let not your hearts be
as the highway ; that seed prospered not which fell there. Enclose your
hearts with holy thoughts, awful apprehensions of sGod. He is a jealous
God, and will be sanctified. Common hearts are profane hearts ; there
must be a separation ; you must fence your hearts against the inroads of
the world.

Let not your hearts continue rocky ; if they are, though the seed may
abide there, yet it cannot take root. Get them mollified, melted, that they
may receive impressions from the mould of the word. By conversing in
the world, we contract hardness and pollution ; though it make us not
altogether incapable of fruitful and familiar converse with God in ordinances,
yet it many times leaves but a remote capacity. To remove this requires
extraordinary presence and working, which we have no reason to expect.
Green wood will not quickly nor easily take fire if we would kindle it sud
denly; the matter must be dry. We must get our hearts warmed in
private, that we may be kindled in public, so as our hearts may burn within
us when he speaks to us. Those who have experience of the Lord's
presence and workings, find there is a vast difference, as to the efficacy of
the word, when they come negligently and preparedly. When they step
immediately out of the world into God's presence, their interviews are not
so delightful, so advantageous, the word not so powerful, melting, inflam
ing, as when they have endeavoured to dispose their hearts for so great a
work.

(3.) Receive the word, and every part of it, as concerning thee in par
ticular. Set thyself as in God's presence, and persuade thyself that he
speaks to thee ; hear it, as believing that God designed it, cut it out for
thee. God aims at thee, intended it and put it into the mouth of his
messenger on purpose for thee. It is Satan's policy to persuade, that he
may render it ineffectual, the word belongs to others, not to me. It is
certain there is no truth delivered, no sin threatened, no duty enjoined, no
state discovered, but it concerns every one, and therefore thee in particular,
and God sends it on purpose to thee ; for if a sparrow do not fall to the
ground but by God's appointment, surely there is no word proceeds from
the mouth of God but out of design. If providence reach less things, much

442 HEABING THE WORD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

more greater. If thou must give an account for every word thou nearest,
sure every word concerns thee ; for God is not imprudent or unjust, &c.
Hear it then as spoke to thee, as sent to thee.

The word never is effectual but when it is particularly applied ; when
thy soul is opened to receive it, as Lydia's ; when thy heart is pricked, as
Peter's hearers. Now generalia non punyunt, generals affect not. Now
ministers, in public auditories, can but speak generals; they must not
name men, and say, as Nathan to David, « Thou art the man.' Though it
be their duty, and they endeavour to speak punctually to every man's
condition, which is o^oTo/^sTv roV Xo'yov, yet that which is most par
ticular as from them is but a general notion to thee ; if thou apply it not,
receive it not as spoken to thee. If there be not a receptive faculty in
every particular soul, in every member of the mystical body, as there is in
every part of the natural body, this spiritual food will never nourish. A
chirurgeon bids apply a salve to a sore hand ; the hand casts it off as fitter
for the head ; is there any hopes of a cure ? A physician prescribes physic
to a sick man ; he refuses to take it, and says his neighbour stands in more
need of it ; so if you, when threatenings are denounced, say such a man
indeed is a great sinner, this may belong to him, but I thank God I am
not so bad, I am not as other men, &c., this is a dangerous stratagem of
Satan, to make the word unprofitable. The word, whenever it does good,
enters into the heart, Acts xvi. 14 ; Ps. xl. 9, ' Thy law is within my
heart ;' Ps. cxix. 11, « Thy word have I hid in my heart;' Jer. xxxi. 83,
' I will put my law in their inward parts.' Now by those means the word
is kept out.

Some truths are more seasonable than others, yet all seasonable in some
respect. That is seasonable which is suitable to our condition. Our con
dition is past, present, future, or possible. That is most seasonable which
concerns the present state, others as they have an influence upon it.

Present. If in the state of nature, it is seasonable to shew the misery of
it, and the necessity of a change.

Past. This may be useful to one regenerate, to make him thankful,
fearful of relapsing into former sins, pitiful to others, affectionate to Christ.

Future. I am now in health and prosperity; but sickness and persecu
tion will come, and it will be seasonable now to prepare for them.

Possible. You hear some grievous sin threatened, you are not guilty of
it, but it is possible you may be ; the seeds of that sin are in you. There
fore it is useful to make you watchful and dependent upon Christ, and sad
for the sinfulness of your nature.

Get knowledge of your greatest wants, weakest graces, strongest lusts,
worst distempers, coldest affections, difficultest encumbrances, that so you
may know how to apply the word. All must be applied, but those more
especially that are most seasonable. There is prudence required, to
discern ' what is that good, perfect, acceptable will of God," Eom.
xii. 2. The word, if you apply it not, will no more profit than meat not
eaten.

(4.) Be not satisfied with anything in hearing, but the presence of God.
That special presence, when operative, makes the word effectual to the ends
appointed. The presence of the Lord his glory filled the tabernacle under
the law ; and his presence is as abundant and glorious under the gospel.
He fills now the tabernacle with his presence, when the glorious effects of
his presence are sensible in the hearts of the hearers, convincing, enlight
ening, terrifying, humbling, melting, inflaming, comforting, strengthening,

LUKE YIII. 18.] HEARING THE WOBD. 448

quickening. These are the signs of this glorious presence. It is a greater
glory than the other, though not visible ; it is liker to that of heaven, and
more suitable to the spiritual and elevated estate of gospel spirits.

The efficacy of all ordinances, and of this in special, depends upon God's
co-operating presence, their light, life, power, sweetness. No healing
virtue in these waters, but when the angel of God's presence descends, and
troubles the waters, whoever steps in after the troubling is made whole of
whatsoever disease, John v. 4.

It is a popish delusion to expect anything, ex opere operalo, from the
work done, without respect to the manner of doing. It is a great provoca
tion to expect ex opere operantis, from the preparation of the hearer or
endeavours of the speaker without looking higher. All that we have to
depend on, or expect from, is opus co-operantis, the concurrence of God.
If an angel from heaven should preach, or a man with the tongue of men
and angels, it would be ineffectual without co-operation. If Christ himself
should again exercise his prophetical office on earth, and preach the gospel,
it would have no better success than on the Jews, without divine concur
rence. The word, though light in itself, is darkness to you, except the
glorious presence of God scatter the clouds which benight the faculty, clear
the medium, discover the object. The word, though spirit and life in
itself, yet will be a dead letter to thee, except his Spirit and presence
quicken it. It is as a body without a soul ; it is his presence that informs,
acts, enlivens. It is quick and powerful in itself, but it moves not the soul,
conscience, will, or affections; these weapons are mighty through God.
The affections are like the wheels in Ezekiel's vision, God's presence like
the spirit of those living creatures : Ezek. i. 21, ' Whithersoever the spirit
was to go, they went : for the spirit of the living creatures was in the
wheels ; when they go, these go ; when they stood, these stood ; when they
were lifted up from the earth, these were lifted up.'

What is the reason that a truth sometimes breaks in with rays of light
and evidence, which was always darkness before, though oftentimes before
propounded ? What is the reason some passage doth sometimes affect,
move, inflame ; at other times, though pressed with as much power, moves
not at all ? God's presence. The heart is sometimes as brass, sometimes
as oil. Seek God's presence above all, avoid what hinders; mourn and
lament after him. If thou goest not with us, we will not go. ' She called
his name Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed,' 1 Sam. iv. 21. Cry
after him, ' Oh that thou wouldst bow the heavens, and come down,'
Isa. Ixiv. 1.

(5.) Take heed of suppressing any good motions raised by the word.
Constant hearers have experience of some convictions of sin, and resolve to
leave it and mind the soul. Nourish these, take heed of smothering them.
They are the blessed issues of Jieaven ; will you stifle, murder them in the
conception, make them like an untimely birth ? They are buds springing
from the immortal seed ; will you nip them ? They are sprigs planted by
the hand of Christ, which would grow into a tree of life ; will ye pluck
them up by the roots, expose them to the frosts, break them while young
and tender ? They are sparks kindled by the breath of God, heavenly fire ;
will you quench it ? They are the Spirit's breathings, stragglings, he will
not always strive. They are Christ's knockings, you know not how long
he will stand ; will you send him away without admission ? They are the
Bridegroom's wooings ; will you repulse him, and cause him to make no
more motions ? They are Christ's messengers ; he sends these for trial,

444 HEARING THE WOBD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

prepare the way before him. What became of them who stoned and killed
the messengers ? Mat. xxi. 35, 41-43.

Nourish these, encourage them ; the children are come to the birth, get
strength to bring forth, concur with the Lord. Overwhelm them not with
worldly employments, choke the'm not with cares, quench them not with
pleasures. Drown not the voice, as the Israelites the noise of the sacri
ficed children; nor, as Cain, run to build cities, busy yourselves in the
world, stop your ears, till God's voice be heard and accomplished. Go
not from this place into worldly company, &c. ; retire to your closet, blow
up the sparks into a flame with prayer ; digest it with meditation, cast it
not up till concocted.

(6.) Come with resolution to do whatever ye shall hear, to comply with
the whole will of God without reserves. There must be no more respect
of truths than respect of persons. You must not deal with duties as
Nebuchadnezzar with his subjects, Dan. v. 19, which you will set up, and
which you will pull down. This is to exalt yourselves above God. There
is a concatenation of truths and duties ; if you take one link out of the
golden chain, you break the whole, James ii. 10. Obedience is the
sweetest harmony the Lord can hear on earth, the perfection of it is a
consonancy to the divine will ; if every string, every act be not screwed
up thereto, there can be .no concert, nothing but discord, harsh and un-
pleasing in his ear. You must present yourselves before the Lord as
Cornelius and his company : Acts x. 33, ' We are all here present before
God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God ;' to hear all
things commanded, and to do all things we hear. You must believe every
truth revealed, avoid every sin forbidden, practise every duty commanded,
without exceptions ; you must not pick and choose. Every fruitful hearer
has a good and honest heart, and this is a heart after God's own heart.
The character of such a heart we have in David, he fulfilled Kavra ra,
SiX^ara, Acts xiii. 22.

Eesolve to do what the people promised the prophet: Jer. xlii. 5, 6,
' The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even
, according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.
Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the
Lord our God;' whether it seem good or bad to us, great or little, diffi
cult or easy, pleasing or harsh; though it cross carnal reason, lusts,
interests.

Say not, Is it not a little one ? the Lord will dispense, he is not so
precise as the minister. There is nothing little which the great God com
mands. His pure eye sees atoms, the least will damn. He is jealous ;
he that offends in one of these little ones, better a mill-stone were tied
about his neck.

Think not anything difficult : to avoid all. sin and the occasions, to exer
cise every grace, to keep a constant watch over heart and ways. Is any
thing too hard for God? He is engaged: Isa. xl. 81, 'They that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength,' &c. The more difficulty, the
more honour. Abraham is ready to obey in that which was grievous.
Did not Christ suffer more grievous things than you can do ? Is not
the penalty more intolerable? Would the damned think anything too
hard?

What if it cross reason ? Paul consulted not with flesh and blood. Say
not as the Jews, tfxXJjgo? Xo'yos : 'It is a hard saying, who can bear it ? '
John vi. 60. '0 man, who art thou that repliest against God?' Rom.

LUKE Vin. 18.] • HEABING THE WORD. 445

ix. 20. Art thou wiser than he ? Is not infinite understanding the rule
of his will ? Captivate reason, bend the understanding to his mind.

What if it ruin thy lusts, pluck out thy right eye ? Is it not better,
' more profitable, that one member should perish, than that the whole
body be cast into hell ? ' Mat. v. 29. An honest heart counts that word
most pleasant which wounds his lusts : Ps. cxli. 5, ' Let the righteous
smite me, it shall be a kindness ; let him reprove me, it shall be an excel
lent oil, which shall not break my head.' He says to the word, to the
minister preventing sin, as David to Abigail, 1 Sam. xxv. 32, 33, ' Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: and
blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day
from coming to shed blood.' Lay thy conscience bare; say, Speak, Lord;
smite, Lord, with a deadly wound these thine enemies that would not have
thee to rule.

What if it comport not with thy interests, profit, pleasure, credit ? Is
any interest dearer than thy soul's ? Is it not better to deny thyself than
that Christ should deny thee ? What lost Zaccheus by restitution ? Ask
him now in heaven. What lost Moses by choosing afflictions rather than
the pleasures of sin ? What lost the apostles by exposing themselves to
contempt ? <rtgixadde(j,a,ra. They are so far from repenting, as, if they
were on earth again, they would say with David, 2 Sam. vi. 22, ' I will
yet be more vile than thus.' If thou make exceptions against any com
mand, God will except thee when he dispenses eternal rewards.

It is not enough to promise God to the half of the kingdom ; halting
obedience will never come to heaven ; all, or none. Say not, ' The Lord
be merciful to me in this.' The Lord will never be merciful to any allowed
disobedience : ' If any man shall take away from the words of the book of
this prophecy,' — from the words expressing God's will, — ' God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,' &e., Rev.
xxii. 19.

(7.) Mix it with faith : Heb. iv. 2, ' The word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.' Faith is a neces
sary ingredient to all spiritual services. Without faith it is impossible to
please God ; and that which does not please him cannot profit us. Get
faith, and exercise it. Believe, 1, that God speaks; 2, to you; 8, that
which is true ; and, 4, good. Of the first and second I spoke formerly.

Believe the truth and goodness of what you hear ; true in itself, good to
you. There are two acts of faith, assent, consent ; that in the mind, this
in the will ; the object of that, truth, of this, goodness ; both necessary ;
that ineffectual, insufficient without this. Get to be assured of the truth
and goodness of the word ; all truth is excellent, this transcendent, of a
higher descent ; chara Dei soboles, it is divine, derives its original from
God ; comprises all other truths, aud adds, de proprio, unspeakable excel
lency to them. Not only logical or moral, but divine ; consists in a con
formity not only with the mind of men and angels, but of the mind of God ;
divine intellect, infinite understanding.

So is its goodness in consonancy to the divine will ; it is appetible, ogfxrlv,
to God, so convenient and agreeable to his will, as it is called directly the
will of God.

It has all degrees of goodness : xaXoV, ^3i), g^fa/Mfc
[1.] Holy and just, perfectly so ; the rule of all holiness and justice
in the world ; primum et perfectissimum in ttnoquoqut ggnere, mensura
reliquorum.

446 HEARING THE WORD. [LUKE VIII. 18.

[2.] Sweet : honey, manna, bread of life, water of life. It is to the soul
as these would be to one dying, ready to expire for hunger or thirst.

[3.] Profitable : to make perfect, happy. Both these are applicable to
assertions, commandments, promises, threatenings. The truth none but
an atheist can deny. The goodness is unquestionable, if that which seems
most doubtful be certain, viz., that the threatenings are good. That is
clear in Hezekiah, 2 Kings xx. 19. Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, ' Good is
the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken ;' notwithstanding, we may
take up the prophet's complaint, Isa. liii. 1 , ' Who hath believed our
report ? ' If we did believe ' the wages of sin is death,' ' Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,' ' Except we repent, we
shall perish,' ' He that is not in Christ is a reprobate,' we should follow
Jehoshaphat's advice : 2 Chron. xx. 20, « Believe in the Lord your God,
so shall ye be established ; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.' Let
it dwell in your hearts by faith.

(8.) Eeceive the truth in the love of it : 2 Thes. ii. 10, ' Because they
received not the love of the truth,' i. e., truth in love, ' that they might be
saved.' He that would hear savingly, must hear it with love ; not out of
fear, custom, not for by-ends, for credit, profit, preferment ; but out of
love to the naked truth, for its own native loveliness, without extrinsecal
consideration ; as the truth is in Jesus, of him, from him.

If you are moved by base ends, when these are removed, the word will
be rejected. But if you are moved by the intrinsecal excellency of the
word ; that being eternal, your actings for, and affections to, the word will
be constant.

This was the cause of the inconstancy, the apostasy of the stony ground ;
they believed, received the word with joy while the word was in credit, while
they might do it with safety, applause, and outward advantage ; but when
persecution arose, they fell away.

It is love that gives the word rooting. Love would have made the rock
open, not content to receive it in the superficies. It unites the word to
us, us to it ; it is affectus unionis, Ps. cxix. 31 ; it incorporates it, it trans
forms us into its likeness, assimilates us to it.

Some truths challenge a special love, evangelical, spiritual, above those
common to us with heathens ; such as discover our happiness or misery,
moral virtues; the excellency of Christ, necessity of him, way to him,
privileges by him. Practical, not notional ; only such as may awaken sin,
nourish grace, and teach us to order our conversation. Searching; such
as discover our ' condition, pierce conscience, unmask the soul, detect
hypocrisy, and offer to our view the more refined and less visible stains of
the spirit : pride, selfishness, earthliness, and other secret and little dis
cerned evils.

OF TAKING UP THE CROSS.

Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

—LUKE XIV. 27.

THESE are the words of Christ. The occasion of them you may see,
ver. 25. He seeing multitudes following him, takes occasion to tell them
upon what terms they must follow him, if they would follow him to pur
pose. Lest any of them should deceive themselves, and think that a bare
outward profession of Christ would be sufficient, a safe, easy, external
following him would serve their turn, he tells them what he did expect from
every one that would be his follower and disciple. It was not so safe and
easy a thing to be a Christian as they might suppose. It would cost them
more than they did imagine. He deals plainly with them, and lets them
know the worst of it. If they would be his disciples, his followers, Chris
tians indeed, they must be so upon these and these terms, which he expresses
in two propositions.

i> 1. They must leave all for him. They could not follow him, unless they
were content to forsake all to follow him, ver. 26. If any man seem
willing to be a disciple of mine, he must have such an affection to me as to
hate all other things for my sake, otherwise I will never own him, he is
but a pretender ; he is not, he cannot be a Christian indeed.

But has Christ no disciples but such as these ? Are none Christians
but upon these terms ? Alas ! who then is a Christian ? Who then can
be saved ? Can none be disciples of Christ but those that will hate their
dearest relations, their best worldly enjoyments, yea, their own lives, for
Christ's sake ? Will he own none, will he admit none to follow him, but
upon these terms ? Sure this is ffxXqgog 6 Xoyos, this is a hard saying indeed,
who can bear it ?

Why, but thus it is, Christ will admit none to be his disciples, he will
own none for Christians, upon other terms than he here expresses. Only
you must not mistake. He requires not that you should hate these rela
tions absolutely ; for that would be to contradict his own law, the law of
God and nature, which requires natural affection. But this is it which he
requires, you must hate them,

(1.) In effect. You must as freely part with them for Christ's sake, as
if you did hate them. You must be as willing to relinquish them, when he
requires it, as you are to part with a thing that you hate. You will part

448 OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

with a hated thing freely, readily, cheerfully ; even so must you part with
your relations, enjoyments, and life too, not out of hatred to them, but
leave -them all as readily, when Christ calls, as if you did hate them. To
hate them here, is freely to forsake them for Christ's sake. And so it is
expressed, Mat. six. 29. Part with them as freely for Christ, that the world
may judge you do hate them, because you quit them so easily, without
murmuring, repining, reluctancy.

(2.) Comparatively. You must love Christ more than all these, more
than the dearest of these, and shew you do so indeed by quitting all of
them, rather than forsake, or dishonour, or displease Christ. If you do
not, you love these more than Christ : Mat. x. 87, ' He that loveth father
or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.' And to love anything
more than Christ, is to hate him. A less degree of love is called hatred in
Scripture, Gen. xxix. 30, 31. Because he loved Leah less than Rachel,
he is said to hate her. Even as you may be said to hate your relations,
enjoyments, lives, when you love them less than Christ, so much less as
you will be content to part with them for his sake, whenever he requires it.
And in this sense you must be able to hate them, or else you cannot be
the disciples of Christ, or else you are not Christians ; for upon these terms,
and no other, will he own you for such.

The second proposition, wherein he expresses upon what terms we must
be disciples, is in the text, ver. 27. It is not enough to part with all, but
you must be willing to suffer all ; to undergo sufferings not only privative,
but positive : the cross includes the former, and something more. It
signifies all afflictions for Christ's sake. It denotes all sufferings, cala
mities, torments, even those that are most ignominious and most grievous ;
in allusion to those sorrows and tortures which Christ on the cross suffered
for his people. Whoever does not bear these, he is not, he cannot be, a
disciple ; i. e., he that does not actually bear the cross when it is laid upon
him, or he that is not fully resolved to bear it, how heavy and grievous
soever it may be, whenever it shall be laid upon him, he is not, he cannot
be, a disciple of Christ.

A disciple, what is that ? Why, he cannot be a Christian. A disciple
and a Christian are dl one, Acts xi. 26. A disciple of Christ is one that
gives up himself to be wholly at Christ's disposing; to learn what he
teacheth, to believe what he reveals, to do what he commands, to avoid
what he forbids, to suffer what is inflicted by or for him, in expectation of
that reward which he hath promised. Such a one is a disciple of Christ,
and he, and none else, is a Christian. Such as these, who give up them
selves to be taught and governed by Christ in all things, were at first
called disciples, and afterwards at Antioch they were called Christians;
they are two names of the same persons. Many descriptions you have of
them in Scripture, and here you have them described by one of their
essential properties. Christiani sunt cruciani, says Luther, Christians are
cross-bearers. So they are always, though they be not always in a suffer
ing condition ; they ever bear the cross, either quoad actum or quoad propo-
situm. It is in their hearts to bear the eross, whatever it be, whensoever
Christ shall require it ; and they do actually bear it whenever they are
called to it. They do not flinch from it, nor decline it, nor turn from it,
by any indirect or unlawful course. They had rather lose all they have in
the world, and suffer all that an enraged world can inflict on them, than
deny any truth of Christ, or decline any way of Christ, or commit any sin
against Christ. This is their temper, their practice, who are Christians.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CBOSS. 449

And those who are otherwise disposed, let them call themselves what they
will, they are not Christians. Nor can they be Christians upon any other
terms. They have not given up themselves to him, they have no interest
in him, they can have no benefit by him, they shall have no reward from
him.

So that you see the words contain the terms upon which you must
be Christians, if you will be Christians indeed, and not in name, and
show, and profession only. They afford us this

06s. He that doth not, will not bear the cross, he is not, he cannot be,
a Christian. He that is not ready to suffer for Christ, he is none of Christ's
disciple. You cannot be Christians upon lower, upon easier terms, than
bearing the cross, and undergoing sufferings for him. So Christ himself
tells us over and over : Mat. x. 88, ' He that taketh not his cross and
followeth after me, is not worthy of me.' 'Not worthy of me,' i. e., he is
not for my turn. If he pretend to be one of mine, he does but disparage
me, he deals unworthily with me. It was never my intention, nor is it for
my honour, to own any who are not content to undergo the sorest and
heaviest afflictions and calamities for my sake. He speaks again, Mat.
xvi. 24, ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross and follow me.' Let no man offer to follow me unless he be
resolved to follow me in this posture, unless he will follow me under the
cross. A third evangelist tells us the same thing : Mark viii. 84, ' Whoso
ever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me.' And once more we have it, Luke ix. 23. To follow Christ,
and to be a disciple of Christ, is all one ; for scholars or disciples do not
go before, but follow their masters. And to be a Christian is all one as to
be a follower of Christ. As the scholars or disciples of Plato, Aristotle,
Galen, Paracelsus, are called their followers, so the disciples of Christ, or
Christians, are the followers of Christ, those that follow his doctrine, and
are as ready to follow him in his sufferings. And those that will be Chris
tians indeed must thus follow him daily, take up the cross daily, always,
continually, every day. But how can this be ? (Let this be noted, lest
any of you should think this truth unseasonable at this time.) How can
the cross be taken up daily, since every day does not trouble us with the
cross ? The people of God have some lucida intervalla, some times of joy
and peace. The rod of the wicked doth not always lie upon them. Though
a great part of their voyage through the world be stormy and tempestuous,
yet now and then they may have calm, and serene, and halcyonian times.
This is true, and yet the cross must be taken up daily. It must be taken
up actually every day when providence brings it to us. And those days of
peace and security, when it is not brought to us, we cannot take it up
actually indeed ; but even every of those days must the cross be taken up
in the preparation and disposition of the mind ; it must be in .your hearts
to bear the cross every day, even when it is not actually laid upon you.
So that this concerns you every day while you are hi this world, if you be
concerned every day to shew yourselves Christians.

Let me a little more particularly explain to you what is meant by the
cross, and what by bearing of it.

1. The cross includes loss and damage, the greatest losses as well as the
least ; the loss of all outward things, as well as the loss of any. When
Christ was nailed to the cross, he was bereaved of all, and fastened to it
naked ; he had not so much as his garments left ; they who brought him
to the cross divided these amongst them. He that is not willing to part

VOL. i. » f

450 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LlJKE XIV. 27.

with all, to follow Christ, when he cannot fully and faithfully follow him
without quitting all, he is not worthy of him, unworthy the name of a
Christian.

He that is not content, when he is called to it, to be separated from
nearest friends and dearest relations, to part with his country and habita
tion, to be stripped of his estate and outward accommodations, to be
deprived of his liberty, and what else is dear to him in this world, he is
not for Christ's turn, he cares for no such followers. The foregoing verse
leads us to this particular : ver. 26, ' If any man come to me, and hate not
his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' He that is not con
tent to follow Christ, so as to leave all these behind him, he does not fol
low him as a disciple, as a Christian ; for he that is a Christian indeed, he
loves Christ above all, but he that will not part with relations, estate,
country, liberty, for Christ's sake, he loves them better than he loves
Christ ; for that a man loves most which he will least 'part with. He that
will not part with them all rather than sin against Christ, has not the love
of a disciple for Christ, and so is not indeed a Christian.

2. It speaks shame and reproach. It was servile supplicium, a base,
ignominious suffering, to which none were exposed but the vilest of men.
It was a suffering proper to slaves and fugitives ; there was not the meanest
freeman amongst the Romans but was above it. Hence shame and the
cross are joined together, Heb. xii. 2. Hence that expression, Heb. xiii. 13,
' bearing ^his reproach,' i. e., bearing the cross. No coming to Christ
but in this posture, when the Lord calls to it. He that is not content to
bear the scorn and contempt of an insolent world ; he that cannot be con
tent to be jeered and derided, to be vilified and set at nought even by vile
persons, to be abused and reviled, even for doing good to those that so abuse
him, to be made the scorn of men, and reproach of the people, as Christ
was, to be counted as the filth and off-scouring of all things, Trgg/^jj/xccra
and ffegiKaddgparot:, as the apostles were ; he that cannot, will not digest this
when he meets with it in the world for Christ's sake, he is not fit to be a
disciple of Christ ; for we cannot be his disciples upon other terms.

3. It imports pain and torture. The cross was a most grievous and
painful suffering. Ausonius calls it pcence extremum, the extremity of tor
ture. And Cicero, crudelissimum teterrimumque supplicium, the most cruel
and horrid suffering. If you be not content to bear the hatred and cruelty
of an enraged world, to endure any pains and tortures, the most exquisite
torments that the malice of man can invent, or their cruelty execute, rather
than deny Christ or. his truth, rather than leave his ways and worship,
never think of being Christians, never take on you the name of his fol
lowers, you cannot be his disciples upon other or easier terms. When
Ignatius was going to be exposed to the fury of wild beasts for the name of
Christ, he cries, vvv ag^o/tai fj,a6riTJ}$ l/ra/, Now I begin to be a disciple.

4. It imports death itself. The cross was ultimum supplicium, the last
thing that could be suffered. Cruelty was herein terminated, and could go
no further, at least to the sense of the sufferer. It was the worst kind of
death. Ilia morte nihil pejus inter omnium mortium genera. Of all kinds of
death there was none worse than this : Phil. ii. 8, ' That humbled himself
to the death of the cross.' To no less than death, and the worst kind of
death. If you be not willing to die for Christ, and to die the worst kind
of death, to drink up this cup, and to be baptized with this baptism when
his cause, and honour, and interest requires it ; to drink up the cap of

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 451

death, and to be baptized in your own blood, rather than be disobedient or
unfaithful to him ; if your hearts cannot say as the apostle, ' Neither count
I my life dear, that I may win Christ.' Acts xx. 24 ; I am not only ready
to be bound, but, Acts xxiv. 13, to die, whenever and wherever he shall
require it ; not only ready to sacrifice my name and reputation, but my
person for Christ ; not only ready to suffer some pain and torment, but to
suffer death, rather than the honour, and truths, and worship of Christ
should suffer by me ; not only ready to part with relations, liberty, coun
try, enjoyments, but to part with my life whenever he calls for it ; — if this
be not the resolution of your hearts, you are not his disciples ; for this he
requires of all, ver. 26, 'He that does not hate his life,' i. e., is not as free
to part with it for Christ as if he hated it, he loves his life more than
Christ; and he will never count them Christians, whatever they may count
themselves, who love anything, though it be life itself, more than him, or
equally with him.

Thus you see what the cross is. Let us inquire what it is to bear it.
Bearing the cross supposes or includes these four things :

1. You must make account of it. If you will follow Christ indeed, make
account you will meet with the cross. This Christ presseth and illustrates
by two similitudes in the verses following the text, from 28 to 34. To
taking upon you the profession of Christ, without casting up what it is like
to cost, that which is like to prove both shameful and dangerous in the
issue. If you make account of better fare in following Christ than you are
like to meet with, you will go near to repent your bargain, to tack about
to save yourselves, and so come off with shame and ruin in the issue ; and
make it appear that whatever you did profess, you were never Christians
in reality.

Sit down, then, and cast up what it is like to cost you. If you will give
up yourselves to Christ entirely, to follow him in all his ways seriously,
and closely, and faithfully, you are like to meet with all the hatred, and
opposition, and hard usage that he expected from the implacable enmity of
hell and the world. I must look to meet with many a bitter taunt and
jeer. I am like to be hated, scorned, reviled, and reproached, and trampled
on in the world. I may have trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. It may cost me the loss of all that
is dear to me in the world, relations, liberty, country, estate, yea, life and
all. You must make account of this beforehand, if you mean to be
Christians indeed. And then see what your hearts say to it. Can you '
endure this, or can you not ? If not, your profession of Christ is vain.
If you promise yourselves ease, safety, respect, plenty, and a quiet enjoy
ment of what is grateful to the flesh, and think the cross will not come
near you, or at least fall so heavy on you, but you may be able by one shift
or other to avoid it well enough ; if this be your temper, though you may
make fair shows, you are never like to hold out, and so had better never
pretend to be Christians. He is far from following Christ under the cross,
who does not so much as make account of it.

2. A resolution to bear the cross, whatever it be, how heavy, or grievous,
or tedious soever it may prove; a firm, and hearty, and settled resolution
to bear it, is a virtual bearing of it beforehand, ver. 33. Whosoever he be
that is not resolved to part with all that is dear to him, to undergo all that
is grievous to him, rather than flinch from Christ his cause, truth, worship,
interest, whatever he seem to be, he is no disciple indeed; he is far from
bearing the cross as becomes a follower of Christ, who is not yet come to

452 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LuKE XIV. 27.

a point so as so resolve to bear it without dispute, doubting, or hesitation,
whatever come of it.

When the account is cast up, this and this it will cost thee, this and
this thou must part with, these and these things thou must suffer, if thou
wilt be Christ's disciple ; and then the question is put, Wilt thou give up
thyself to him on these terms ? Wilt thou take him for better and worse ?
Wilt thou follow him through good report and evil report ? Wilt thou make
after him, though stripped, and wounded, and overwhelmed with shame
and reproach ? Wilt thou follow him through fire and water, yea, through
the valley of the shadow of death? Wilt thou follow him alone, though all
forsake thee, though no friends or relations may accompany thee ? When
the question is put, he that is a Christian indeed will resolve on it fully and
freely. In re tarn necessaria non est deliberandum. I need not take time
to think upon this ; I am at a point ; I will follow Christ whatever befall
me, though my way lie through poverty, and banishment, and prisons, and
solitude, and pains, and tortures, and scorn, and contempt, or death itself.
I will never leave him, I will never turn aside from him, let Satan and the
world do their worst. He resolves to follow him as Kuth did Naomi,
when her mother-in-law tried to divert her by so many arguments, and
such as prevailed with her sister to turn back, Euth i. 16-18. She was
etedfastly minded to cleave to her in her poor, forlorn, desolate condition.
Such a resolution is, by interpretation, a bearing the cross before it come.
So Abraham is said to offer up his son Isaac, though he was not actually
sacrificed, Heb. xi, 17, because he did fully purpose and resolve to do it ;
it was in his heart to do it. Though he was not sacrificed upon the altar,
yet he was already offered up in his heart. To be fully, heartily resolved
to bear it, is a kind of bearing it before it comes. And in this sense there
may be many martyrs who never suffered death for Christ. If they be so
resolved to die for Christ as nothing hinders but want of opportunity, they
are martyrs in heart, though not in act ; the Lord accepts the will for the
deed in such cases. When the mind is so resolved on it as nothing hinders
the deed but want of a call or an occasion, the Lord looks on it as if it
were done. A disciple thus resolved to bear the cross, will be accepted as
one that bears it, though it be not actually laid on him. But he that is
not come up to this full and sincere resolution to part with all, to suffer all
for Christ, he is not so much as a Christian intentionally ; ho is not, he
does not intend to be, a disciple of Christ, whatever he may pretend to.

3. You must be always ready for the cross, always preparing for it,
whether it seem near, or whether it seem further off. One paraphraseth
the words thus, ' Whosoever doth not come to me with a preparation of
mind to suffer anything rather than part with me, he is not for my turn.'

This is to bear the cross daily, as Christ requires, Luke ix. Though
every day do not afford a cross, yet every day we bear the cross by daily
preparing for it, 1 Cor. xv. 81. I protest by that which I take most joy
in of anything in the world, viz., my fidelity to Christ; which appeared
not only in that he every day ran the hazard of death for Christ, but in
that he was every day ready to. die, 2 Tim. iv. 6. Jy<fc y>ag %bn ffvevfopai,
I am now offered up. He speaks of it as done, not only because it was
near, but because he had made himself ready to be sacrificed for Christ
whenever he should call him to it. Gen. xxii. 9, 10, Abraham was pre
pared, had made all things ready to sacrifice his son, and therefore, though
he was hindered from doing of it, yet the Lord accepted of it, and spoke of
it as done, ver. 16 ; James ii. 21.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 453

Even when the cross seems far off, much more when it is in view, you
must be preparing for it, if you be Christians indeed ; and the Lord will
take your readiness to bear it for a bearing of it, when he sees good to
prevent it. A man that is ingenuous, if his friend have made all things
ready to entertain him, though he come not, will take it as kindly as if he
had partaken of the entertainment. Christ will resent your faithfulness to
him, as if you were always bearing the cross for his sake, if you be always
preparing for it. If you be still loosening your hearts more and more
from the world, your relations and enjoyments ; if you be still dragging
the flesh, with its affections and lusts, unto the cross; still fortifying your
souls against a day of trial ; still crucifying the world, and crossing your
carnal and worldly inclinations ; it may be the cross you expect will not
be laid upon you, but whether it be or no, you shall not lose the reward
of those who are faithful in bearing it, because you are as ready to do it as
those that are actually under it. Christ looks on you as taking up the
cross, because you are so ready to take it up ; whereas those who mind
it not, prepare not for it, put the thoughts of it far from them, they are
so far from bearing the cross before it come, as they are never like to touch
it (though it may be heavy on them) as becomes the followers of Christ.
They are like to deal unworthily with him.

4. It speaks actual undergoing it when it is laid on us. The followers
of Christ, whether the cross be far off, or whether it be near, they must
make account of it, resolve on it, prepare for it. There is no bearing the
cross without these ; these are included, and are, as it were, some offers at
it at a distance. But when the Lord brings it to us, we must actually take
it up. He is no disciple for Christ that will not do it. He whose heart
is so linked, glued to his relations and outward enjoyments, that he cannot
tell how to part with them; who must have the flesh pleased and gratified
in its inclinations and desires ; who must have the ease, and plenty, and
respect, and favour of the world ; he is not of a temper fit for a Christian,
he is not for Christ's turn. He will not own him for a disciple who will
not endure the cross, whatever it be, when he is called to it. But when
are we called to take up the cross? Why, when it cannot be avoided
without sin, then are you clearly called to it. When you cannot shun the
cross without dishonouring Christ, deserting his cause, or betraying his
interest, or denying his truth, or declining his way, or transgressing his
will one way or other, then are you called to shew yourselves disciples by
taking up the cross. When this dilemma is before you, either you must
suffer, or sin ; if, then, you decline suffering, whatever it be, you are
unworthy the name of Christians.

And so I have explained the object, and shewed what is meant by the
cross ; and the act, as to the substance of it, what is meant by bearing.
Let me inquire a little into the manner : how does he who is a Christian
bear the cross ? He endeavours to bear it,

1. Patiently. That while the cross oppresses his outward man, he may
possess his soul in patience. Not the patience of the Stoics, a senseless
stupidness ; nor the patience of the heathen, a mere yielding to necessity ;
but a due sense of the pressure, with a quiet submission to the hand of
God, whoever be the instrument, without murmuring, repining, disquiet-
ment, or despondency. ' Good is the word of the Lord,' though that word
bring a real cross. So the judgment submits, takes it kindly that it is no
worse, Isa. xxxix. 9, accepting the punishment of their iniquity. So the
will submits, as knowing it may be from sin, though it be for Christ too.

454 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

And the inward man being thus possessed does influence the outward, Lev.
x. 3, Ps. xxxix. 9. This is to bear the cross, so as to come after Christ,
to tread in his steps, to imitate him ' who was led as a lamb to the slaughter,'
&c., 1 Peter ii. 21, 23.

He that follows Christ in bearing the cross will ' let patience have its
perfect work,' James i. 4. The perfect work of patience is its most
eminent act, L e.t a submissive but resolute perseverance, holding out, and
bearing up, notwithstanding the sharpness, the tediousness, the variety of
crosses and calamities. ' That you may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing;' i.e., defective in no part, in no grace, which is requisite to a
soul that is entirely Christian. It is a perfection of parts here spoken of.
When a Christian has all the graces of the Spirit in exercise, he has all
the parts of a Christian; and having all his parts, he is entire, and so is
wanting in nothing necessary to his Christian constitution. But if patience
be wanting, he wants a necessary, an essential part, and so is not entire
and complete. And therefore as you have other graces, so be sure you
get also the grace of patience. This is essential to a disciple of Christ.
If this be not exercised under the cross, you bear it not as Christians, you
do not come after Christ in bearing it. Patience is the noblest piece of
valour; that which those who have been most cried up for their valour in
the world have not attained to; they were indeed daring rather than
valiant. True valour appears more in bearing pressures and sufferings
without disturbance, than in attempting dangers or encountering difficul
ties. The world places valour in a resolute attempting of dangers, the
Scripture places valour in patient enduring of sufferings. 2 Tim. ii. 13,
xaxoirddqaov. Endure patiently the cross, so shalt thou shew thyself an
excellent soldier : ug xaXoj ffrgariurvs. He is a good soldier that will
follow his leader close, whatever come of it. So doth he follow Christ
who runs after him with patience, Heb. xii. 1, 2. He that endures the
cross with patience, runs after Christ, follows him closely.

2. He endeavours to bears it cheerfully. That which is bearing the cross
here is taking up the cross, chap. ix. Now, to take up the cross, imports
not only a patient bearing of it when it is laid upon us, but also a ready
and voluntary undergoing it. Christ bore his cross willingly ; Simon of
Cyrene was compelled to bear that cross. Christ would have us come
after him, imitate him, bear it as he did. It should not be a forced, but
a voluntary act. Not that we are to pull crosses upon ourselves, as some
of the primitive martyrs did — whom yet we should not censure, because
we know not by what spirit they were acted — but we should cheerfully
undergo it, when the Lord imposeth it. When the honour and interest of
Christ requires it, we should take up the cross as we would take up a
crown. We should receive it as a gift: ' To you it is given.' We should
meet it with joy, look on it as our glory, Gal. That cross may denote
not only the sufferings which Christ endured for him, but also those
sufferings which he endured for Christ; for in these he gloried, Bom. v. 8,
2 Cor. vii. 4, virtgxtPiffcsvofAai. He was more than full, he did more than
overflow with joy; it did run over into glorying in all his tribulations.
We may glory in them as in a triumph, the greatest occasion of joy and
glorying in this world, Bom. viii. 37. We may glory in them as our
happiness, a greater happiness than all the victories and triumphs in the
world can afford us, being the beginnings and pledges of an eternal
triumph in heaven, Mat. v. When those who suffer for Christ sink into
sorrow, dejection, despondencj under the cross, they deal unworthily

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 455

with Christ, they shew themselves no way worthy to bear his name, Mat.
x. 38.

3. He endeavours to bear it fruitfully. The cross is dry wood, and so
was Aaron's rod; but as that blossomed, so does this bring forth fruit,
when improved, Heb. xii. 11. It is no miracle for honey to be found in
the carcase of this lion; the goodness of God has made it ordinary, the
promise of God gives assurance of it ; and this puts the followers of Christ
upon seeking the sweet fruits of peace and holiness in the bowels of
devouring calamities : to get spiritual gain and advantage by outward loss ;
to grow richer unto God by worldly impoverishment; to converse more
with God when separated from friends and relations; to value more the
love of Christ when they smart by the world's hatred; to partake more of
holiness when he partakes less of the ease, peace, plenty of the world; to
make use of the cross for the crucifying of the flesh; to make sin more
hateful and dreadful, the conscience more tender, the world less tempting,
more contemptible, grace more active and lively, the word more sweet and
effectual, prayer more fervent and affectionate, the appearing of Christ
more lovely and desirable, the conversation more heavenly. To bear the
cross as a disciple of Christ, is to bring forth more fruit in bearing of it.

So much for explication ; we shall confirm this truth by these three pro
positions :

I. The cross is the ordinary lot of Christians.

II. A Christian cannot ordinarily avoid the cross without sinning against
Christ.

III. He that will ordinarily sin against Christ to avoid the cross, cannot
be a Christian. This being proved, it will appear an evident truth, that he
that doth not, will not, bear the cross, is not, cannot be a Christian.

I. For the first, the cross is ordinarily the lot of Christians. The cross
is so inseparable from a Christian, as he seems to be nailed to it, Ps.
xxxiv. 19, John xvi. 33, Acts xiv. 22, Mat. x. 34. So it was under the
Old Testament. The prophets and people of God had not troubles and
persecutions only from the heathen — the Egyptians, the Philistines, the
Assyrians, the Babylonians — but from those who professed themselves to
be of the church, Mat. xxiii. 31, 34, Acts vii. 51, 52. And so it hath
been under the New Testament, not only in the time of Christ and the
apostles and primitive Christians, but in all ages. Search the records of
all times, and you shall find that persecution and troubles have always
attended the people of God. And so it will be while there is rage and
malice in Satan, and enmity in the world, and necessity even from the
sufferers that it should be so.

The first three hundred years after Christ, to go no higher, are divided
into ten persecutions. It was no less than death to bear the name of a
Christian. And though there were some lucida intervalla, some breathing
times, yet were they usually short, always uncertain; they had rather
some truce than any firm peace, and the longer respite they had, the more
grievous was the cross when it came. Witness the last of those ten perse
cutions, which succeeded an intermission of about forty years; but was so
cruel when it came, that lasting ten years, there was in thirty days no less
than seventeen thousand put to death for the name of Christ. So for the
three first ages, the Christians were seldom from under the cross.

The fourth century is accounted more peaceable and favourable to the
Christian name, Constantino the emperor being a Christian. Yet were not

456 OF TAKING TIP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

the people of Christ free from the cross all his time, much less in the time
of his successors. In the beginning of his reign they suffered grievous
things from Maxentius, Maximinus, and Licinius, who of a professor turned
a persecutor, alleging the Christians prayed for Constantine and not for
him. And in the latter end of his reign, great troubles were raised by the
Arians; so that Eustathius, Athanasius, and others suffered persecution
even to banishment in the time of Constantine.

After his decease, his son Constantius, seduced by the Arians, persecutes
the orthodox Christians ; and therein survived his brethren, who were of a
better temper.

After him the apostate Julian shewed all the enmity to the Christian
name that his subtilty could devise, and sought to root it out by fraud,
which he saw had been in vain attempted by force.

After him, Valens opposes them as much in the east as Valentinian
favoured them in the west. And so far did violence prevail in that and
the other Arian persecutions, that the sincere professors of Christ were
driven from the public meetings into dens, and caves, and solitudes. Num
si alintbi sunt pii, &c. If there be any that are godly, says Athanasius,
and affectionate to Christ, they are hid with Elias the prophet; they secure
themselves in dens and caves, in cavernas et speluncas terra; se abscondunt ;
or they continued wandering about in exile and solitude, aut in solitudine
oberrantes commorantur. So Hilary complains, and Augustine after him :
qui erant firmiores reliquis, those that were stedfast and faithful ; illi partim
pro fide fortiter exulabant, partim toto orbe latitabant ; they were either
banished or hid themselves, and that was their condition thi'ough the whole
world. So heavy did the cross lie upon the people of Christ, in the fourth
age, which seemed to promise the greatest freedom from it. It is almost
incredible, which the ancients affirm of those times, that there were scarce
five pastors left in the whole world that were true Christians, truly Chris
tian ; and those in banishment too, and the church laid thus desolate by
those who professed themselves to be of the church.

In the fifth and sixth ages the Goths, and other barbarous nations in the
west, the Vandals in the south, the Persians in the east, made havoc of
the church.

And in the seventh, Mahomet riseth in the east, and Antichrist appears
in the west, under which character Gregory, a pope himself, describes
Antichrist ; and these have made it their business in the following ages,
that the faithful followers of Christ should be always under the cross.

Thus it has been, and thus it will be. And the reasons of it are
evident.

f jfl. The malice of Satan, who knowing himself to be cast off by God,
he hates God with an implacable hatred ; and since the Lord is above the
reach of his malice, he falls upon those who are dearest to him, the people
of God. Christ having excluded those apostate spirits from any benefit of
his redemption, they are filled with rage against him, but being not able to
reach'the head, they let out their rage upon his members : Gen. iii. 15,
* I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed : it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.' His
commission, or rather permission, is no larger, and he will not fail to go
as far as he can ; he will be always bruising the heel, since the head is
above him. It is his business to multiply crosses, and to make them as
heavy and piercing as may be. All his fury, for which he is called a lion,
and all his subtilty, for which he is called a serpent, will be employed

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 457

to this purpose, 1 Peter v. 8. He is watchful upon all occasions to let
out his wrath upon the woman, Kev. xii. 4. He would have stifled Chris
tianity in the birth, but being then prevented, he makes another attempt,
ver. 18. And when this succeeds not, he will cross her another way,
ver. 15. He pours whole floods of calamities upon her. And when these
do not the execution he desires, yet he desists not, his wrath still boils up,
ver. 17.

2. The enmity of the world. The world will be sure to cross, to afflict
and persecute what it hates ; and the disciples of Christ are hated by the
world, John xv. 19. Not only that part of the world, which evidently lies
in wickedness, but the more refined part of it, which dresseth up itself in
a form of godliness. Those who have no more but the form, hate those
that have the power, because this is a real reproof and conviction of the
vanity and insufficiency of outward forms, how specious soever ; and that
which detects them is hated by them, 1 John v. 19. Open wickedness
makes open war with the people of Christ, but the form of godliness will
not persecute the power of it openly, but under some disguise or other,
which may afford some plausible excuse for its hatred and violence. But
enmity there is in all the seed of the serpent, Gen. iii. 15. And this
enmity will find vent one way or other ; sometimes openly, so as the devil
may be plainly seen in it ; sometimes covertly and subtilly, so as Satan
conceals himself, as he did in the form of a serpent, and acts in the shape
and form of innocent creatures. But however it act, the tendency of it is
to keep the people of Christ always under the cross.

8. There is a necessity of the cross upon a manifold account.

(1.) To distinguish true disciples from hypocrites and pretenders. When
Christ may be professed and followed with ease, and safety, and credit,
multitudes will follow him, even many will profess him, whose hearts are not
with him. But when the cross comes, that makes a distinction. When it
comes to this, if you will stick to the truth of Christ, if you will worship
him according to his own rule, if you will be true to your engagements, the
cross will be upon you ; you are sure to suffer for it ; you cannot escape
hatred, reproach, poverty, imprisonment, exile, or death itself. Will you
be at such cost and hazard for a small truth, a rite, a circumstance, a dis
putable point ? No ; this is counted folly with those who are wiser for the
world than for their soul. Here the formal professor, how forward soever
he was before, plucks in his horns. Now will it appear who are really for
Christ, and who are but pretenders, Mat. xiii. 20, 21. Before the storm,
the chaff and the corn lie together in one heap, but when the wind riseth
it blows away paleas levisfidei, the chaff, and makes the heap less in the
garner.

The cross is expressed by a fiery trial. Now it is the property of fire
and heat, segregare heterogenea, to separate those things which, though they
be of differing natures, yet are congealed together in one heap ; but when the
heat comes, that dissolves and separates them. This is the property of the cross.
It separates false-hearted professors from faithful Christians, and makes it
appear they are of different natures and tempers, though before the
trial they lay together in one lump. As the apostle says of heresies,
1 Cor. xi. 19, ' There must be heresies, that they which are approved may
be made manifest.'

(2.) To try his disciples, that he may have an experiment of their
affection and faithfulness to him : ' Who is on my side ? Who ? ' says
Jehu, 2 Kings ix. 33. So says Christ, when he brings out the cross ; let

458 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

me now see who is for me, let me see who it is that will bear the cross for me.
The sharper, the heavier, the more grievous it is, the more love will he
shew that takes it up cheerfully for my name's sake; the more faithfulness
will he shew that will continue under it, that will not use shifts, and
excuses, and distinctions, and pretences, to keep it off, or throw it off, when
the interest of my truth, and worship, and honour requires him to bear it.
You profess you love Christ above all, that you love him more than father,
and mother, and wife, houses, ease, plenty, life ; well, but how shall it be
known that you have such an affection for him indeed ? Why, hereby
shall it be known that you love him more than all, if you will part with any
of these, with all of these, for his sake. That is the clearest way to decide
the question, and to give Chrisi, and the world, and your own consciences
a convincing evidence, that you have such a transcendent affection for
Christ. ' Lovest thou me more than these ? ' says Christ to Peter. So
he asks you in the day of trial, Lovest thou me more than these ? Every
one will be ready to answer, Yes, God forbid but I should love Christ more
than all the world. Oh but the heart is deceitful, how shall this be dis
covered ? Why, Christ has a trial for you ; when the cross conies, he brings
you to the test. You have often said you love me so and so, let me now
see it ; I shall now perceive what is in your hearts. If you love me more
than relations, come follow me into exile or solitude, and leave them all
behind you. If yon love me more than riches, be content with want and
poverty for my sake. This and this you must do, or else you are like to
be ruined and undone in the world, and this you cannot do without offend
ing me. Now shall I see whether you love me better than your estates.
If you love me more than liberty, you will freely go to prison for me ; if
you love me more than life, you will freely die for me, when you cannot
have liberty or life but upon such terms as will dishonour me. Hereby it
will be known whether you love Christ indeed, or whether you do but talk
of it. The cross is to try your sincerity, faithfulness, affection, it is need
ful upon this account, Dan. xi. 85, Rev. ii. 10. That is true love indeed,
•which all the waters will not quench.

(3.) For the advantage of grace. A Christian is not complete unless he
have on his whole armour ; and it is the cross puts us upon putting of it on ;
it would lie rusting by us, if we were not roused to the use of it by the
frequent approaches of the cross. We should be at a loss as to suffering
graces, and a great part of the whole armour is wanting, we are far from
being complete and entire when these graces are to seek. Samson roused
up himself when he heard that the Philistines were upon him. The soul
would grow drowsy, and grace would lose it strength for want of use, were
we not awakened by the cross. Grace gets or loses as it is more or less
exercised. ' To him that hath shall be given,' &c. We have no more
grace, in effect, than what we use, and the more we use the more we shall
have. He that is much in the exercise of what he hath, be it little or much
at first, he shall have abundance in a little time. Nothing more strengthens
and increases holiness than the frequent exercise of it, and the cross calls
it forth into exercise in all the means of grace. What a difference is there
betwixt the prayers of one at ease, and the prayers of one under the cross ?
Isa. xxvi. 16. The soul is melted and runs forth in every such prayer.
And the word makes a far greater impression upon a soul under trouble,
it has more sweetness, and power, and efficacy.

It is not out of love to our souls that we are so much in love with out
ward prosperity ; it is hard and rare for the soul to prosper in such a con-

LUKE XIV. 27.1 OF TAKING UP THE CBOSS. 459

dition. It does so much befriend our corruption, and yields it such advan
tages, that grace would be borne down and overpowered thereby, did not
the Lord prevent it by frequent mixtures of the cross. The heart would
be overgrown with weeds were it not often ploughed up by sufferings. And
hence is it that men are suffered to make long furrows upon the backs
of his people. Those crosses which seem to threaten our ruin do often
prevent our ruin ; so that one may say of the cross, as Themistocles in his
banishment, Periissem nisi periissem, I had been undone unless they had
undone me. It had fared ill with my soul if I had fared better in the
world.

(4.) To take us off from the world. The cross embitters the world to
' us, and confutes those vain conceits which make us fond of it. The
vizard falls off by which it had deluded us, and now we may perceive what an
impostor it was, when, for all its fair promises, we meet with nothing but
vanity, and enmity, and vexation, and hard usage. And will it not seem
lovely ? Or can we doat on it any longer ? The cross lets us not only
see, but feel what the world is. When we find that while we are in it our
souls are amongst lions, and we dwell with briars and thorns, which tear
away what we have from us, and pierce us besides, how can we be in love
with it any longer ? Those, Heb. xi. 37, 38, ' who wandered in deserts, and
in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth ; who wandered in sheep
skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented;' I warrant
they were as willing to be rid of the world as the world was to be rid of
them. The cross is the best instrument to crucify the world, Gal. vi. 14.
The crosses that we meet with from the world may be made use of for the
crucifying of the world itself. It would go near to ruin us if the cross did
not help us against it. If we were not emptied from vessel to vessel, our
hearts would settle here upon the lees.

(5.) To tame the flesh, and keep it under, which otherwise would grow
headstrong, and bear down all the restraints of grace, and hurry us into
carnal excess : John xv., ' Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it.'
He lops off the luxuriances of natural corruption. And how is this done ?
Why, a sharp cross will be effectual to do it, when the Lord takes it into
his hand and useth it for this purpose ! Isa. xxvii. 9, Nothing will better
hinder corruption from taking its course than a hedge of thorns, Hos.
ii. 6. A condition of ease, and peace, and plenty in the world cherishes our
lusts ; it thrives best when we thrive most in the world. There would be
no dealing with it were it not curbed, and taken down by the cross ; it
then pines away and languishes when it is fastened with us to the cross.

(6.) To endear heaven to us. The ark was more acceptable to Noah's
dove, when she found no rest to the soles of her feet on the face of the
earth. The thoughts of the promised kingdom were sweeter to David when
he was hunted as a partridge upon the mountains. Canaan was more
acceptable to the children of Israel when their burdens, oppressions, and suf
ferings increased in Egypt. There remains a rest for the people of God : with
what joy will they think of that, when they find no rest here below ! How
sweet will the thoughts of that eternal rest be to those who are still labour
ing under the cross ; how sweet will it be to think of a day of redemption
for those who are still oppressed with the hatred and malice and insolence
of the world, Rom. viii. 23. How sweet will those days of refreshment from
the presence of the Lord be to them who are vexed, and troubled, and
harassed here below ! how sweet the thoughts of approaching glory to
those who are here reviled, and abused, and covered with shame and

460 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

reproach ! how sweet the thoughts of an eternal triumph to those who are
still conflicting under the cross ! 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. A sharp sight of afflic
tions is an effectual means to make us in love with the appearing of Christ ;
whereas when all things succeed with us in the world as we desire, heaven
is neglected, the thoughts of it are not so sweet, our desires after it are
more faint and cold, we are apt to forget that we are pilgrims and strangers
here below.

II. Proposition. The cross cannot ordinarily he avoided without sin
ning against Christ : 2 Tim. iii. 12, ' All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution.' He must suffer, even when the times are
peaceable, as well as when they are troublesome. He will suffer persecu
tion, either of the hand, or of the tongue, or of the heart ; he will be hated
if he be not reproached ; he will be reproached if he be not smitten ; he
will be smitten if he be not slain. He is sure of it if he will live godly.
Indeed, if he will comply, or dissemble, or swim with the stream, or soothe
men in their sinful humours, or stretch his confidence to serve his worldly
interests, he may shift it off ; but if he will live godly in Christ Jesus, if
live like a Christian, he shall suffer persecution.

III. Proposition. Those that will sin ordinarily, to avoid the cross,
they are no Christians. I say not he that does at any time sin, for we see
Peter did it, but it was against his resolution, and upon surprisal ; and he
recovered himself by a quick and deep repentance, and we hear no more of
any such fall afterwards. But the case is otherwise with those who sin
ordinarily to avoid sufferings ; ordinarily, i.e. as often as temptation comes,
whether it come frequently or seldom. Those that will sin, to avoid
danger, as often as their relations, estates, or lives are in danger, they are
no Christians ; for to sin ordinarily is to commit sin. And he that com
mits sin is the servant of sin, not the servant of Christ, John viii. 84.

Those that will sin, rather than suffer, Christ renounceth them here,
and he will do it solemnly hereafter. Though they may possess, and pre
tend to the name of Christ, he will have nothing to do with them ; he will
express himself ashamed of them, Mark viii. 3, Luke ix. 26, whether
they be the words of faith or obedience. He that, to avoid shame or
reproach from a wicked generation, forbears to give his testimony to any
truth of Christ, or forbears to yield obedience to any command of Christ,
Christ will be ashamed to own such a man for a Christian, he will renounce
him as one that has no part in him, Math. x. 33 ; 2 Tim. ii. 12.

Christ is denied either when faith or obedience is denied. Faith is
denied either expressly or tacitly : expressly when any truth of Christ is
disclaimed, to avoid sufferings, when the party knows it to be a truth, and
is called to bear witness to it ; tacitly, when the truth is betrayed by our
silence. So he denies Christ, says Fulgentius, qui silendo non adstruit
veritatem, who, by holding his peace, does not assert the truth when his
testimony is required. Christ is denied too when obedience is denied him :
Tit. i. 16, they ' profess to know God, but in works they deny him, being
abominable and disobedient.' He that will disobey Christ ordinarily,
rather than venture suffering for obeying him, he is no Christian ; Christ
will disown him. He looks upon such not as Christians, but as enemies,
Phil. iii. 18. Many there are who bear the name of Christ and yet are of
a most unchristian temper ; such as will not suffer anything for Christ,
will not stand by any truth or practice that may bring sufferings on them,

LUKE XIV. 27. J OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 461

but will comply with Jews or Gentiles to avoid persecution. The Chris
tians in the apostles' times were in danger of suffering, both from the Jews
and from the Gentiles. Now, some that professed themselves to be
Christians, but, indeed, preferred the accommodations of this life, ease,
safety, credit, plenty, before Christ, rather than they would be exposed to
sufferings, they did comply with both.

They complied with the Gentiles, to escape persecution from them, by
sitting with them at their feasts in their temples, and there eating things
sacrificed unto idols ; pleading, this was a thing indifferent, d5/apog?/v
sidu\o9uruv, as Eusebius tells us the Gnostics did.

They complied with the Jews, to avoid persecution from them, by being
circumcised themselves, and urging others to be circumcised, Gal. vi. 12.
And yet they made a fair show of a profession ; but they would comply
rather than suffer persecution. And for this they are branded by the
apostle as false teachers, and false Christians, and, indeed, whatever they
pretend, enemies to the cross of Christ. Those that will sin, though under
never so fair and specious pretences, rather than suffer, rather than bear
the cross, they are no Christians, Christ and his apostles disclaim them.

Quest. What is it to suffer for Christ ? How may I know that I suffer
for him, that my suffering is the cross of Christ ? The resolution of this
is necessary, both for the comfort of the sufferers and for the explication of
the doctrine. For the cross is properly a suffering for Christ ; and, there
fore, that we may know what the cross is here mentioned, and when we
bear it, we must understand what it is to suffer for Christ. Non pcena, sed
causa facit martyrem.

Ans. In general. The Scriptures describe this to us in several expres
sions. It is to suffer for the gospel, Mar. x. 29 ; ' for Christ' and ' for the
gospel' are joined together as terms explaining one another. To suffer for
the truths of the gospel, for the profession, the promoting, the maintaining
of, adhering to the gospel, is to suffer for Christ.

It is to suffer for the kingdom of God, Luke xviii. 29. For acknow
ledging and promoting the kingdom of Christ inwardly or outwardly, in
those ways and means whereby he exercises his regal office in his church
under the gospel. It is to suffer for righteousness, Mat. v. 10. This is
suffering for his name's sake, ver. 11 ; so 1 Pet. iii. 14 ; for doing that
which is righteous ; for obedience to any of Christ's commands, in obser
vance of any law of God. It is to suffer for the discharging of a good con
science, 1 Pet. ii. 19. It is to suffer for well-doing, 1 Pet. iii. 17;
explained by another expression, 1 Pet. iv. 19. To suffer according to
the will of God, is to suffer for doing anything that he would have us do,
whatever the will and judgment of men be concerning it.

Now these general grounds being laid down before us in Scripture, we
may by the light and help thereof proceed to a more particular resolution
of the question, and such as may tend more to remove the doubts and
scruples whereby Satan has been wont (and will be ready) to rob sufferers
of their comfort under the cross. We shall attempt this, 1, negatively;
2, positively. In the negative observe these rules :

1. It cannot be concluded that sufferings are not for God, because those
who profess themselves to be the people of God are the instruments of
them ; or that it is not the cross of Christ which is borne, because it is laid
on by those who profess Christ. Abel is called the protomartyr, the first
sufferer for God ; and he suffered by the hand of one who worshipped the
same God, with the same kind of worship : both Abel and his persecutor

462 OP TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

offered sacrifice. Isaac suffered by Ishmael, Gal. iv. 29 ; yet Islimael was
Abraham's son, and by him circumcised, and so admitted to the church
and its privileges. Who were those that persecuted the prophets of old,
but they who professed themselves to be the peculiar people, and true wor
shippers of the true God ? Jerusalem, the chosen city, killed the pro
phets, and stoned God's messengers, Mat. xxiii. 87. Amongst this people,
though there was no other people that owned the true God in the world,
some persecutors were found in every generation. Even when they utterly
disclaimed this, as thinking themselves far enough from being persecutors,
yet then are they charged with this guilt by Christ himself, ver. 30, 81.
Christ himself suffered by those who took themselves peculiarly to be the
people of God. And since the profession of Christ became general, ordi
narily a man's enemies are those of his own house. The bitterest perse
cutors are those of the same profession.

2. It cannot be concluded that sufferings are not for Christ, because
those who inflict them will not acknowledge it ; for they will always plead
it is for evil-doing, though it be really for Christ and righteousness. If per
secutors may state the cause of those whom they persecute, none amongst
Christians will ever suffer for Christ ; for though they love the thing, yet
they hate the name of persecutor, and therefore will pretend always some
other cause of their hatred and violence. They think themselves con
cerned, not to let it appear that they persecute any for Christ's sake, or
for righteousness, or for the gospel, though that be the cause indeed.

As it is said of the heathens in primitive times, they covered the
Christians with beasts' skins, so that the wild beasts, to whom they
exposed them, might with more fury seize on them ; so it is, and has
been with persecutors in all ages. They shew the people of Christ in an
odious habit, state their cause otherwise than it is, that so they may let
out their malice and cruelty more freely upon them.

Thus Ahab persecuted Elijah, not for his faithfulness in reproving his
wickedness, and calling back the people from their idolatry and apostasy
to the sincere worship of God : no, that had been odious ; but he falls
upon him as a troubler of Israel, 1 Kings xviii. 17. He charges him as
one that brought trouble upon the church and state, as one who dissuaded
the people from the religion established, and so disturbed the peace of the
land, Ezra iv. 12, Esth. iii. 8.

Thus Jeremiah was persecuted as a seditious preacher, an enemy to
king and state, when, indeed, he sought to secure them from ruin, by
bringing them back to God, from whom they had revolted, Jer. xxxvii.
12, 13, and xxxviii. 4. And upon such an account must Paul and Silas
suffer, as disturbers of the peace, breakers of ancient customs, and op-
posers of C»sar, as evil-doers, if their persecutors may be judges, Acts
xvi. 20, and xvii. 6, 7.

Yea, Christ himself must suffer for sedition, and as an enemy to Caesar,
if Pilate and the Jews may state his cause. The Jews thus accuse him :
Luke xxiii. 2, ' We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding
to give tribute to Cassar, saying, That he himself is Christ, a King.' And
they cry out, John xix. 12, ' If thou let him go, thou art not Cassar's
friend ; whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caasar.' And
the cross was the punishment in use for that crime. Authores seditionis
aut tumultus, pro qualitatis dignitate, aut in crucem tollentur, &c. But
because he died the death of a seditious person, shall we judge he died for
no better cause ?

LUKE XTV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. 463

The primitive Christians were persecuted as incendiaries, enemies of
the emperor and empire, xart-^evaavro qftuv Suior/a fafirva, %al didinodtloug
/<£/££/£, as the French churches in those times complain (Euseb. lib. 5),
accused of inhumanity and horrible uncleanness, as causes of all the evils
that befell the empire : and, therefore, when any calamity befell them, they
were wont to cry out, Christianas ad leones ; for this they must be cast to
wild beasts, as though they suffered for no other cause, but as being causes
of the world's calamities. No people ever suffered more clearly for Christ
than the Christians in those times ; and yet their persecutors^fasten on
them for other causes of their sufferings.

3. It cannot be concluded that their sufferings are not for Christ,
because their sins have provoked God to leave them to sufferings.
Though sin should raise the storm, yet he who is ready, in that tempest,
to have himself, and what is dear to him, cast overboard, rather than
Christ should be further dishonoured, will not want the comfort and honour
of suffering for Christ.

Cyprian tells the elders and deacons in an epistle, lib. 4, that the
persecution came upon them for their sin. Intelligendum est enim et confiten-
dum, secundum peccata nostra venisse. And yet then such multitudes suf
fered for Christ, that the persecution, Gregem nostram maxima ex parte
populata est, et usque populatur, had even laid their churches desolate.
Eusebius, in the beginning of lib. 8, going to describe the tenth persecu
tion, gives an account of those sins which brought those sufferings upon
them ; yet never was there greater multitudes in any age who gave up them
selves to be sacrificed for the name of Christ. Though the sins of God's
people may provoke him to let loose the rage of hell, and the world upon
them, and to bring them into a suffering condition, yet, if in this case they
humble themselves, and return to him, and in the day of trial part with
all, rather than flinch from him, they will be owned as sufferers for him.

Nor need it seem strange that the same suffering should be both for sin
and for righteousness. Here is no contradiction : these are very well con
sistent in different respects. The same suffering may be for sin in reference
to God, who may leave his people to sufferings, because they have sinned
against him ; for pride, worldliness, slothfulness, security, lukewarmness ;
for their contentions, divisions, want of brotherly love ; or for their back
sliding, declinings, or their non-proficiency and unfruitfulness, or other
sinful miscarriages. And yet these very sufferings may be for righteous
ness, in reference to their persecutors, who afflict them, not because they
have sinned against God, but because they will not sin more ; not because
they have been unfaithful to Christ, but for their faithfulness to him,
because they will not further provoke him by complying with their sinful
impositions, or serving their wicked designs. The hard measures which
the believing Hebrews met with from the unbelieving Jews, when they
were reproached, and their goods spoiled, were sufferings for Christ, else
they could not have endured this joyfully, and yet the apostle speaks of
these sufferings under the notion of chastisements, Heb. xii. Now chas-
tisings are properly for sin ; take the word in a proper sense, and none are
chastened but in reference to some miscarriage.

The two last particulars I shall a little more insist on, adding what the

time would not then permit me to offer to you. And the rather because I

find I am apt to be mistaken, and such constructions put upon my words

as the expressions will not bear, and my thoughts were never guilty of.

It may be of some use to take notice of those sins which Cyprian and

464 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

Eusebius mention, as the provocations which brought the Christians in
their times into a suffering condition.

Eusebius tells us that the Christians, under some of the governors before
Diocletian, had much liberty, many encouragements, and some of them
great preferments. But ex. rr^g evl v'h.sTov e\tvdseia$ ; they as it were sur
feiting of too much liberty, grew wanton and slothful, contented themselves
with a specious outside holiness, fell into divisions and contentions, envy
ing and reproaching one another, and strove who should get uppermost
to lord it over their brethren, oTa, n rvg&vvl&as ra$ pi\ag%jas Ix^u.aws
diexdixouvKs/;. That which he most insists on, and repeats over and over,
is their divisions and contentions amongst themselves, ra?$ mb$ aXX^Xoyj
avfpXeyovro piXovfixlaiz. The fire of contention broke out amongst them;
discord, threatening, emulation, and mutual hatred did increase among
them. For these sins did the Lord wax angry, and involved them in that
dreadful persecution. Yet afterwards he gives an account of hundreds and
thousands that suffered for Christ. So that hence it is clear that men may
suffer for sin, and for righteousness too.*

The sins that Cyprian tells us brought the Christians in his time under
persecution, were their too much minding their estates and riches, patri-
monio et lucro studentes ; pride, superbiam sectantes ; emulation and dissen
sion, ernulationi et dissentioni vacantes; neglecting the faith and simplicity
of the gospel, simplicitatis fidei negligentes; worldliness, seculo verbis soils, et
non factis, renunciantes ; self-pleasing, and offensiveness to others, unus-
quisque sibi placentes, et omnibus displicentes. These sins brought them into
a suffering condition ; for he adds, vapulamus itaque ut meremur, we have
deserved these scourges, cum scriptum sit, servus, &c., Luke xii. Yea, he
instances in the confessors themselves, who were already under sufferings,
that were also under guilt, and yet owns them as confessors, i.e., sufferers
for Christ, though they had not yet resisted unto blood.

But it may be you will be better satisfied with a domestic instance.
Let me give you one nearer home, and which some of you are better
acquainted with. In Edward the VI. his time a reformation was happily
begun, the main body of popery was cast out, and the gospel had a free
passage. Yet the reformation being so opposed as it could not be perfected,
and the gospel not being duly esteemed, and obeyed, and improved, these
and other sins, as the martyrs confess, brought those black and dreadful
days of Queen Mary's government ; so that sin brought those suffering
times, and yet those times afforded many hundred martyrs. The martyrs
acknowledge that their sins had some hand in kindling those flames
wherein so many were sacrificed for the testimony of Jesus ; so that it is
clear to any one that will not shut their eyes that men may suffer for their
sins, and yet for Christ too.

4. It cannot be concluded, they do not suffer for Christ, who have some
sin mixed with that which is made the cause of their sufferings, if it be the
cause of God indeed, for the substance of it, and they sincere in it for the
main. When the people of God are ready to offer up themselves, and
what they have for him, he will not reject such a sacrifice for every blemish.
Christ had something against the church of Ephesus, something to charge
her with as matter of provocation, even when he is speaking of her suffer
ings, Rev. ii. 4. And yet he owns her as one that had suffered and laboured
for his name's sake, verse 3.

Nor can this be concluded, because of some miscarriage under their suf-
* Vid. Spondanum.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 465

ferings. David, while he was persecuted by Saul, miscarried divers ways,
as you may see 1 Sam. xxi. 2, 12, 13, and elsewhere ; yet this did not
hinder him from being a sufferer for righteousness.

As the Lord has provided a way, that what his people do for him may be
accepted as done for him, though there be too many sinful mixtures therein,
so he has provided an expedient, that what they suffer for him may be
accepted as suffered for him, though there be many flaws therein, both for
matter and manner. The Lord Jesus, the advocate of and sacrifice for
his people, is effectual for both. When they apply themselves to him, in
the exercise of faith and repentance, through his mediation, that which is
therein evil shall not be remembered, that which is good therein will be
accepted, Rom. xii. 1. How acceptable, see Eph. i. 6, 7.

Licinius, as you may read, Eusebius De vita Constantini, makes an edict,
that whosoever did relieve the imprisoned and distressed Christians should
suffer the same things that were inflicted upon them. Now, suppose some,
out of love to Christ and his afflicted members, should have ventured (as
many did indeed) to have relieved them, and yet should have done it too
sparingly, or too fearfully, or with some selfish reflections, and should,
according to the edict, have suffered for relieving them, here had been
some sin mixed with the cause of their sufferings. And yet in this case,
since their cause was good, and the cause of Christ, for the substance of
it, who would deny but they suffered for Christ ?

Or suppose one should suffer because he would not leave praying (which
was Daniel's case, Dan. vi.), and yet in his prayer should have some mixture
of unbelief, and lukewarmness, and other distempers, which the best cannot
always escape, here would be some sin mixed with the cause of sufferings ;
yet who would deny but that, suffering for doing his duty, he is a sufferer
for God ?

To proceed a little further : suppose some godly Lutherans should suffer
for those great truths of the gospel, which they maintain against the papists,
and together with them should suffer for consubstantiation, which indeed
is an error, here would be a sin mixed with the cause of their suffering ; yet
I suppose their laying down their lives for those other great truths of Christ,
notwithstanding this sinful mixture, would be accounted a suffering for Christ.

So much for the negative rules. Proceed we now to the positive.

1. They suffer for Christ, who suffer for the truths of Christ. He suffers
for Christ who suffers for the gospel, who will part with all, rather than
deny any truth of the gospel, Rev. ii. 13. To ' hold fast Christ's name,'
and ' not to deny the faith,' are all one. So that to suffer, as Antipas did,
rather than deny the faith, is to suffer for Christ's name, Philip, i. 27.
To stand striving for the faith of the gospel, <s\iva&\o\JvTt$ rfj rtiffrii, striving
as combatants, resolving to uphold the truth, or to fall for it, is to suffer
for Christ ; for he adds, ver. 29, ' To you it is given, not only to believe,
but to suffer for his name.' Jude, ver. 3, eKayuv/gopat, struggling for it,
as with the pangs of death. It is taken pro luctu in morte, says Gerard.
Those that strive for the truth as for life, being ready to part with life and
all rather than quit it, in such contests they are suffering for Christ. He
that parts with all, rather than deny the least truth, for the name of
Christ is concerned in all, and he is faithful indeed who will not be unfaith
ful in a little. So the Christians in the fourth age would suffer rather
than yield a title, an /Wa, to the prejudice of the truth they were then
called to contend for, viz., the divinity of Christ; rather than they would
put 6/Ao/o-j<r/o£ for opoovaiog, in their confessions of faith (though there be

VOL. i. G g

466 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

but the difference of the least letter in the alphabet), they would be exposed
to the rage and cruelty of the Arians.

Some think that which is said here of the church of Pergamos is a pro
phetical description of the state of the church under popish corruptions, that
apostasy being a falling from the faith ;"so suffering for the truths corrupted
or subverted by the papists will be a suffering like Antipas, which wants
but a syllable of Antipapas.

2. They that suffer for the worship of Christ. The name of Christ is
put for his worship, 2 Tim. ii. 19. To suffer for his worship is to suffer
for his name's sake, to suffer because they will not neglect the worship of
Christ. So Daniel, because he would not forbear praying, though there
was a law to the contrary, Dan. vi. 7, was cast into the den of lions ; he
suffered for God. Or because they will not give the worship of God to any
other, so the three faithful Jews would be cast into the furnace rather than
fall down before an image ; they would not give outward adoration to an
image, though they were free to keep their hearts and inward man for the
true God, Dan. iii.

So those that have suffered by the papists' cruelty, for not bowing to
altars, and images, and crucifixes, have suffered for Christ. ' Mine honour
will I not give to another,' Isa. xlii. 8. He is jealous of it, and takes it
as a kindness to himself when others are jealous of it too.

So the primitive Christians that suffered, not only for not sacrificing,
but rather than they would throw a little incense into the fire with respect
to an idol, as those did who are called by the ancients Thurificati ; yea,
rather than they would receive a ticket signifying they had done so, though
indeed they had not, thereby to escape suffering as those did whom they
call Tjibellatici.

Or because they will not worship God otherwise than he has prescribed,
according to the devices and inventions of men, who are so presumptuous
as to think their own inventions may take place of God's institutions, and
will not be content to serve God as the apostles and primitive Christians
served him. Those that have suffered for opposing the superstitions and
will -worship of papists, and popish innovators, have suffered for God;
they are amongst the number of those who, as the apostle expresses it, ' suffer
according to the will of God,' 1 Pet. iv. 15, when they run all hazards
rather than not worship God according to his will. The children of Israel,
while they retained their integrity, are ready to hazard their lives, even
against their brethren, upon an apprehension that they had innovated upon
the service of God by setting up an altar, Joshua xxii. 11, 12, as the
apostles did for not observing the Jewish ceremonies.

Or because they will not be present at false worship, though they do not
join in it. So the Reformed divines determined upon the question, that
those who would be faithful should suffer rather than be present at the mass,
though their hearts were against it, Dan. iii. They might have directed
their inward worship to the true God, and to him they might have referred
their outward adoration too, without intending to give either to the image.
But such relative worship they did not know, or could not swallow, though
modern idolaters and their advocates think theirs sufficiently excused and
justified upon this pretence, that what honour they seem to give the image
is directed and referred to God in Christ.

3. Those that suffer for the discipline of Christ. For hereby Christ
exercises his kingly office in the church ; and to suffer for his kingdom is
to suffer for himself, Luke xviii. 29. Christ has left us not only ordi-

LUKE XIV. 27. ] OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. 467

nances of worship, but ordinances of discipline, probation, and trial of
officers and members, ordination, admonition, excommunication, that the
societies of Christians may be visibly holy, and their administrations not
profane. They that suffer for observing the orders Christ has left us, for
keeping out those who have no visible right to church-membership and
privileges, or casting out those who are scandalous and impenitent, lest
the church of Christ should become a nest of unclean birds, to the profan
ing of his ordinances and the dishonour of the Christian name, they
suffer for the name of Christ, Eev. ii. 2, 3. He owns what they had done
or suffered in trying pretenders, and not enduring those that were evil
amongst them, as done for his name's sake. Those who are acquainted with
the practice of the churches in the first three hundred years after Christ,
may observe a remarkable strictness and severity both in their admissions
and censures.* Nor were they deterred therefrom by all the sufferings in
those times.

4. Those that suffer for acts of mercy or justice. These in Scripture
pass frequently under the name of righteousness, and so to suffer for them
is to suffer for righteousness' sake ; and that is all one as to suffer for
Christ's sake, Mat. v. To suffer for such acts as those of the two
famous virgins Prazidis and Potentiana, who hazarded themselves to bury
the bodies of the martyrs, and laid out their estates to relieve those that
were in distress : Mat. xxv. 40, ' Inasmuch as ye have done it to one
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me ; ' consequently,
inasmuch as they suffer for doing this for the least of Christ's members,
they suffer for him. Such an act was that of Obadiah, 1 Kings xviii. 34.
Now if he had suffered for this act of mercy and charity, he had suffered,
not only for relieving men, but fearing God, for that was the rise of it.

So for acts of justice. Elijah causes the priests of Baal to be slain.
For this cause Jezebel persecutes him, 1 Kings xix. 1, 2, and puts him to
fly for his life. Now, herein he suffered for God, and so he apprehends it :
ver. 10, ' I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.' This will
be more evident and unquestionable when those acts are done out of love
to Christ, or in obedience to him, or with respect to his honour, or in
subserviency to his interest ; for acts of a lower nature thus done, are done
for Christ, and to suffer thus is to suffer for Christ. Elijah had warrant
to do thus by the law of God; for, by the judicial law, idolaters and
seducers were to be put to death, Deut. xvii. 2. And this was done with
the concurrence of the elders and the people ; for there was met in Carmel
a general assembly of all Israel by Ahab's order, so that, if the prophet
was not a magistrate, we need not have recourse to special and extra
ordinary instinct to justify the act. He, according to the law of God,
requires the assembly, consisting of magistrates and people, to do execu
tion, and they do it ; but for this Jezebel threatens and persecutes him.

5. You may suffer for Christ, though the cause for which you suffer be
a civil act. That a person may suffer for God, it is not always -requisite
that the cause for which he suffers be merely and strictly religious. The
cause of David's sufferings from the hand of Saul was his title to the king
dom, and that was a civil thing ; yet when for this he was hunted as a
partridge upon the mountains, he is counted as one that was persecuted
for righteousness' sake. A man may suffer for God when he is persecuted
for a civil act, if that act be his duty, if he was called to it by God, if it
was that which God would have him do ; for in this case he suffers for

* Vid. Spondan. in Cypr.

468 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

well-doing. He suffers according to the will of God, he suffers for right
eousness, which expressions are all one in Scripture with suffering for
God. He that is persecuted for doing the will of God, whether it he in a
matter religious or civil, he is a sufferer for God. And so he may be more
comfortably when the cause is mixed ; when, for the matter of it, it is civil,
but the end of it is religious (and so indeed it should be always), when the
end is the advancement of Christ, promoting his gospel, depressing of
wickedness, encouraging of holiness; when it has a special tendency to
these or like ends, and is undertaken in order thereto, then is their suffer
ing for it more evidently for God. I say, it will more evidently be a
suffering for Christ if the civil act be directed further, and so is of a higher
tendency than otherwise in its own nature it would be. For substance, the
choice of officers or magistrates in a corporation is a civil act. Now, sup
pose a man should endeavour, in his place and station, so far as lawfully
he may, to get such chosen as will oppose popery, give free passage to the
gospel, discourage wickedness, decline persecuting, and be true to the
interest of Christ, and the nation, and the people of Christ in it, if he
should suffer for such endeavours, though he act but in his civil capacity,
yet he would constructively and really suffer for Christ ; and so far as he
acts sincerely with such intention, Christ will own him as one that suffers
for his name's sake, and he may have the comfort of such a sufferer. And
those that decline such endeavours, for fear it should expose them to suffer
ing, they thereby decline the gross when they are called to take it up, and
are so far guilty of disobedience and unfaithfulness to Christ.

6. A man may suffer for Christ in refusing to do that which in itself is
lawful to be done ; and that in two cases, to instance in no more.

(1.) When the doing of that which is lawful in itself may be an offence
to others; i. e., an occasion of sin to one or other, either to weak brethren
or to false brethren. The apostle is an example to us in both, 1 Cor.
viii. 13. Though it was lawful for him to eat this or that, yet rather than
he would lay a stumbling-block before those whose weakness was not satis
fied of the lawfulness of it, he would not eat, whatever came on it, what
ever he suffered for it.

And as careful he was not to lay an occasjon of sin before false brethren,
as appears in another instance. Circumcision was in his time lawful ; and
so being in such circumstances wherein it might be done without offence,
he circumcised Timothy, Acts xvi. 3. But when it was like to prove an
occasion of sin, he refused to circumcise Titus, Gal. ii. 4, 5. He saw, if
he should then have used that rite, which otherwise was lawful, it would
have confirmed the unbelieving Jews in their opinion of the necessity of
it, when indeed it was not necessary, and it would have encouraged them
to impose and obtrude it as necessary upon others. The case being thus,
rather than he would do it, he exposed himself to the malice and rage of
those false brethren who persecuted him upon this account. Yet, Gal.
v. 11, what he suffered for this cause he suffered for Christ, insomuch as
he glories in his sufferings.

Obj. Whereas it may be objected, that there is a twofold offence, scandalwn
acceptum et datum, an offence taken, and an offence given ; it is the
offence given that is of pernicious consequence, when a dangerous occasion
is offered, such as tends to the prejudice of another's soul. This offence
the apostle condemns, and would have avoided; and we ought to suffer
(as he would have done) rather than offer it to any. But an offence taken
is another thing; when one takes occasion when no just occasion is offered ;

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 469

when he is scandalised, stumbles, and falls, because another does that which
he may lawfully do.

Ans. It is an eating to this latter sort of offence which the apostle forbids
and condemns (that which seems more innocent and more tolerable), the
meat which he speaks of, the eating of it was lawful in itself; he declares
it so, and was persuaded of it by the Lord Jesus, Rom. xiv. 14; and yet
he would have it forborne when thereby a weak brother is offended, though
the meat being not forbidden, and so the eating of it innocent in itself, the
weak brother had no just occasion of offence offered ; nor could he reason
ably take it, it was merely his mistake to judge it unlawful. He would
have every one avoid occasion of such offence, this tending to destroy him
who takes it, Rom, xiv. 15, 20. And we ought rather to suffer than do
what is otherwise lawful, when it may prove destructive to another's soul.

(2.) When the thing is lawful, yet he who is put upon the doing it is
doubtful whether it be lawful or no, Rom. xiv. 23 ; while he doubts of its
lawfulness, if he should do it, he would sin ; and therefore if he should
suffer for not doing of it, he suffers for avoiding sin, and consequently
suffers for conscience towards God, which indeed is a suffering for God,
Rom. xviii. 23. He that eateth or does anything not of faith, i. e., as he
explains it, while he doubteth of the lawfulness of it, if he be not fully per
suaded that he may do it lawfully, as verse 5, he sins. He does that for
which he may be damned, that which exposes him to condemnation ; and
therefore he ought to suffer anything rather than to venture on anything
with a doubting conscience, for any suffering from man is far more toler
able than condemnation by God. Aud those who enjoin anything, not
only apparently sinful, but which is suspected and doubtful, and those
under penalties, instead of that love they should have for souls, take the
course to damn them.

7. Whatever be alleged as the cause of good men's sufferings, whether
it be a matter religious or civil, whether it be a duty or a thing indifferent,
yea, though it be some sin or miscarriage that is pretended to be the
cause why they are hated, and reproached, and persecuted, yet if the great
motive, the main inducement, be their godliness, their strictness in follow
ing Christ, their zeal for his interest, their severity against sin, their
endeavours for reformation, and the like, though their persecutors would
have it believed that they suffer as evil doers, yet Christ will own them as
suffering for him.

Polybius tells us that statesmen have their causas justificantes, some
plausible reasons, which they publish as the cause of their actings, to put
the fairer colours upon them ; and some causas reales, which though they
conceal, yet really set them a-work, and are the true reason of their pro
ceedings. Just so have persecutors something specious, which they give
out to be the cause of their acting against the people of Christ, whenas
they conceal that which has the greatest influence on them, and is the true
cause indeed. It would not be for their credit to let it be known that they
are so fierce against any that profess Christ for their strictness, and holi
ness, and faithfulness to Christ.

Now, whatever be alleged as the cause of any man's sufferings, if the
causa realis, the true reason, and the great inducement, that sets them
against him, be his strictness, holiness, faithfulness in discharge of his
place, &c., endeavours to reform what provokes God; so that were it not
for this, notwithstanding anything alleged against him, he might be passed
by, he might escape hatred, reproach, persecution as well as others ; in

470 OF TAKING UP THE CKOSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

this case, however the cause of his sufferings may be disguised, yet is it
for Christ that he suffers indeed, 2 Tim. ii. 9. When the panther flies
upon a picture, and tears it, because it has some resemblance of a man,
the picture suffers, but it is for the man's sake. If persecutors fly upon
you for the image of Christ in you, for any resemblance you have of him,
whatever you suffer, it is for Christ's sake.

Whatever Cain might pretend why he fell upon his brother, the Scripture
tells us the true cause: 1 John iii. 12, 'Because his works were evil, and
his brother's righteous.' And upon this account Cain passeth for a mur
derous persecutor, and Abel for a martyr.

Whatever the wicked Jews pretended of old for their persecuting the
prophets, and fair pretences they had to delude their own consciences and
justify their actions before others, yet the true cause was because the pro
phets reproved them for their backsliding, and corrupting the worship of
God, and endeavouring their reformation. And upon this account Christ
brands the Jews as persecutors, and honours the prophets as sufferers for
his name's sake, Mat. v.

The primitive Christians, as Eueebius and others tell us, were accused
of sedition, sacrilege, murder, meeting privately to conspire against the
emperor, putting out the lights and committing filthiness together, &c. ;
and by these and the like pretended crimes the persecutors sought to justify
their rage against them, whereas the true cause was because they were
Christians, worshippers, and followers of Christ, and would not join with
them in their worship of idols. And now the other odious and false asper
sions being wiped off, the true cause of their sufferings appears, and is
acknowledged ; and they are, and will be in all generations, honoured as the
martyrs of Jesus, as sufferers for Christ, even by those who otherwise follow
the steps of those persecutors in their false accusations of the people of
God, and in their real enmity to purity and holiness.

To go a little further : suppose one should speak or act something with
out due cautiousness, such as prudence requires, and thereby occasion be
taken to draw him within the compass, or make him obnoxious to some law,
rigidly and so injuriously interpreted, and thereupon he suffer grievously ;
if there be sufficient ground to believe that this advantage would not have
been taken against him, it might have been overlooked, but that he had
before appeared steady for the interest of Christ, or in opposition to
mischievous designs and attempts against it ; in such a case, though this
be never alleged, nor so much as mentioned, as the cause of his sufferings,
yet he may be justly reputed to suffer for Christ, though another occasion
was taken to make him suffer.

This and the other I thought it requisite to insist on for the ends fore-
mentioned. Other doubts and scruples that perplex any under the cross
may be reduced to these, and so hereby be removed. It concerns you to
take notice of them, and remember them, against any hour of trial and
temptation, when Satan, and subtile and malicious persecutors, would rob
you of the comforts you may have in suffering for Christ ; or want of a
clear understanding of the true cause of suffering may hide them from you,
and render a suffering condition dreadful. Nothing can hinder it from
being formidable, unless you be satisfied that you suffer for Christ.

Use. Information. If he that will not suffer for Christ is no Christian,
this shews us that Christianity is another thing than many take it to be ; a
harder thing to be a Christian than it is supposed to be. Many (it is to be
feared) take themselves to be Christians who are not so indeed, think them-

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 471

selves complete Christians when they want that which Christ himself hath
made essential to a Christian.

That thou mayest be a Christian indeed, it is not enough to be baptized
into the name of Christ, nor to take up the profession of Christ, nor to
believe the truths of Christ, nor to partake of the outward privileges of
Christians, nor to expect the reward of Christians, nor to do the acts and
perform some duties of Christians, to pray, hear, communicate with them,
and minister to their necessities, &c., — these are some things indeed that
belong to Christians ; but these are not all, all this is not enough.

When the young man told Christ that he had observed all the command
ments, < All these,' says he, ' have I kept from my youth,' Mark x. 20,
one would have thought this had been enough. No, says Christ ; for all
this, ' One thing thou lackest,' ver 21, ' sell whatsoever thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.' So say I, or rather
Christ in the text says it to yon, notwithstanding all the truths which you
believe as Christians, notwithstanding ah1 the duties you perform as Chris
tians, yet one thing you lack ; and for ah1 the good conceit you have of
yourselves, if this one thing be wanted, indeed, all that you profess you
have will be nothing to prove you Christians. This one thing will try
what your professions and pretences are. And what is this one thing upon
which so much depends ? Why, it is the cross. What think you of that ?
Here is the test. Are you willing to take it up ? Are you willing to be
hated, and reproached, and impoverished, and tortured, and ruined for
Christ ? What say you to this ? Do you think it a hard saying ? Must
you hate* the ease, and the plenty, and the credit, and the friendship of the
world, or else no bargain? You like not to be Christians upon other
terms ; you are ready, with the young man, to go away sorrowful when
you hear that it is like to cost you so much ; or, you will not believe that
Christ is so strict, or that it is so dangerous a thing to be a Christian.
Well, I know not upon what grounds you go, but I am sure these are the
words of Christ, and such as you will find true hereafter, however you may
evade them now. He that taketh, &c. He that is not willing, ready, re
solved to part with all that is dear to him in this world, to suffer all that
is grievous to the flesh for Christ's sake whenever he shall be called to it,
let him please himself with what fancies he will, Christ will never own him
for a Christian. If you be not ready to entertain the cross for the name
of Christ, whatever you are, or do, or believe, you are but almost Chris
tians ; what progress soever you seem to have made in Christianity, you
are not so much as fully persuaded to be Christians if you be not resolved
upon the cross, Acts xxvi. 28, 29. Except these bonds, says Paul. We
may wish, indeed, that there were such an exception, that the sufferings
which attend the faithful profession of Christ might not deter any from
being Christians ; but, whatever we may wish, Christ has made no such
exception. He tells us plainly, if we will have him, we must have him
with the cross ; if we will take him we must take him with bonds, and im
prisonment, and poverty, and disgrace, or whatever we may be put to suffer
for his sake. He would not have us mistaken in promising ourselves better
usage than we are like to find : Mat. x. 34, ' Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth ; I came not to send peace, but a sword.' Do not
deceive yourselves with a conceit that I came into the world with any
design to secure those that follow me in a quiet and peaceable possession
of outward prosperity. No ; if you will follow me indeed, you must rather

* Qu. 'have'?— ED.

472 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

expect the sword ; not only lesser sufferings, but death itself, ver. 35. No
bonds, sacred or civil, shall restrain those from whom you might expect
better usage, from exercising their malice and cruelty against you ; the
nearer they are to you the more bitterly will they persecute you. These
are the terms which Christ makes known to you. Now are you Christians
upon these terms ? Can you welcome Christ with the cross ? Will you
bear it for him ? Are you ready to be nailed, to be fastened to it, for his
sake, whenever you have a call to it ? If not, delude not yourselves, you
are no Christians. Qui timet pati, non est ejm qui passus est, says Tertul-
lian ; he that will not suffer for Christ is none of his who suffered so much.
And by this it is too manifest that there are few Christians indeed, how
many soever take up the profession. And we shall endeavour to convince
you of it in some particulars, since such conviction is exceeding necessary ;
for while men persuade themselves they are what they really are not, they
will never seek to be what indeed they should be.

(1.) What shall we think of those, who are so far from bearing the cross
themselves, that they are ready to lay it upon others ; those who hate,
and revile, and reproach, and persecute the servants and ministers of
Christ ; whose hearts are possessed with hatred, and malice, and bitter
ness against them ; who are so far from bewailing and resisting these
unchristian distempers, and striving to suppress them and root them out,
as they nourish them, and are pleased with them, and encourage one
another therein, and desire more power and liberty to let them out more
freely, and take all occasions to express their malice and enmity against
them ? What think you, are these Christians ? Another question may
resolve this. Were they Christians who persecuted Christ himself? Were
those Jews Christians who cried out, ' Crucify him, . crucify him' ? If they
were not, no more are these ; for those who hate, and reproach, and per
secute the members of Christ, they, in Christ's account, do this against him
self. ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?' And upon inquiry it will
appear they have little more to excuse themselves from this guilt than
those wretched Jews had ; for if some should plead that they do not hate, or
reproach, or persecute any, because they are Christians, or ministers, but
because they are hypocrites, and pretend to be what indeed they are not,
why, just this did the Jews : they did not persecute Christ because he
was the Messiah (they abhorred the thought of such a crime), but because
(as they wretchedly alleged) he was an impostor, one that deceived the
people, and pretended to be the Christ, the Messiah, when they could not
believe he was any such person.

And if any should plead that they are far from -persecuting any, they abhor
the name, the thing ; they detest those wretches who burnt the martyrs in
Queen Mary's days ; if they had lived in those times, they would have used
those faithful people otherwise. Why, but just this did those Jews, who per
secuted Christ and his followers ; even while they were eagerly persecuting,
they detest the name of persecutors. They condemn their forefathers for
killing the prophets ; if they had lived in their days, they would have been
far from so abusing the Lord's messengers, Mat. xxiii. 29, 30. This they
said, whenas they were walking in the steps of their fathers, ready to
express the same persecuting spirit which possessed them. Yet they would
have been taken for the people of God, as persecutors since would be
accounted the people of Christ. But he tells them what they are indeed :
ver. 38, ' Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the dam
nation of hell ?' The poison of malice and hatred which fills their hearts,

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CKOSS. 473

the sting which these put forth in their words and actings, shews what
they are : not Christians, but a generation of vipers ; not the seed of the
woman, but the seed of the serpent ; not the disciples of Christ, but the
followers of those who persecuted Christ and the prophets of old.
•^ (2.) What shall we think of those who will not part with their lusts,
will not forsake their sins for Christ, will live in them, however he forbid
them, however he threaten them ? Are these Christians ? No, certainly ;
whatever they may think themselves, whatever others may account them,
Christ will never own them as his disciples. Are they no Christians, who
will not part with father and mother ?' &c. And are they Christians who
will not so much as part with their lusts for Christ ? Will they take up
their cross for Christ, who will not lay aside their cursed sins for his sake ?
Will they obey Christ, when he calls them to lay down their lives for him,
who will not obey him, when he commands them to leave their swearing,
and drunkenness, and Sabbath-breaking, and worldliness, and uncleanness,
and revengefulness, and malice, for his sake ?

Can you think that servant will go an hundred miles for you, who will
not so much as stir out of doors for you, when you command him ? Will
they suffer so much for Christ as the bearing of the cross amounts to, who
will not do so little for him as the leaving of a sin comes to ? Will they
suffer all extremities for the name of Christ, who will not forbear profaning
that blessed name by their oaths, and irreverent use of it in common dis
course ? Will they endure to be tortured for Christ, who will not deny
their carnal ease and sensual pleasures, who will not cross their carnal
appetite and inclination for his sake ? Will they part with all in the world
for Christ, who will not be restrained, at the command of Christ, from such
an immoderate pursuit of the world, as makes them neglect heaven and
their souls ? Will they drink up the bitter cup of death for Christ, who
will not leave their intemperate cups at his command ?

What clear convincing evidence is here, that those who allow- themselves
in any known sin are no Christians ! If men were not under a strong delu
sion, they would never think themselves Christians while they go on in any
sin. But, alas ! the God of this world has blinded their minds. What
clearer reason than this ? Those that will not bear the cross of Christ are
no Christians ; but they who will not leave their sins for Christ, will never
bear the cross for him ; (Are they like to suffer for Christ, who daily make
him suffer by their sins ?) Ergo, those that will not leave their sin for
Christ are no Christians.

(3.) Others there are who will bear but some part of the cross. The
whole weight of it is too heavy, too grievous, they must be excused if they
will not endure that.

Some cannot endure to be vilified, and reviled, and reproached for
Christ. They will decline those ways that are covered with- shame and
reproach. They forbear good company, and neglect good duties, lest their
wretched acquaintance should jeer and deride them. That way, which is
everywhere spoken against, shall have none to walk in it for them. But
are they Christians who wiU not bear the lightest part of the cross ? What
lighter than the froth and spawn of malicious hearts and tongues ? Are
they worthy the name of Christians, who will not endure to be abused and
reviled for his sake, who gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks
to the nippers, and withheld not his face from shame and smiting ?*
That was a Christian temper in David, who, when he was jeered for
* Qu. 'spitting'?— ED.

474 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

his zeal for God, could answer, 2 Sam. vi. 22, ' I will be yet more vile
than thus.' Others can better bear reproach ; but to lose their estates,
their places, their livelihood, to have their relations ruined, to be brought
to a low, poor, necessitous condition, this they cannot bear. They will
stoop to unworthy shifts, and stretch their consciences, and not stick at a
small matter, to prevent this. Why, but if you have given up yourselves
to Christ, you give up your estates, and all you have, to be at his dispos
ing. You promised to be content with him alone, so you might but have
him for your portion. If, therefore, when it comes to the trial, you will
not part with all rather than offend him, it signifies you did never heartily
enter into covenant with him, yea, but did natter with your lips. That
was a temper truly Christian in the Hebrews, who, as the apostle testifies,
did suffer the spoiling of their goods with joy, Heb. x. 34.

Others can better endure the loss of outward comfort ; but when life is
endangered, when a shameful or cruel death is before them, though they
have been forward before, yet then they recoil, they relent, they comply,
here they will be excused. ' Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he
give for his life.' Why, but Christ himself tells you, in the verse before
the text, that life itself must be hated if you will be Christians. If you
love life itself more than him, you are none of his. If you be Christians,
you are not your own, neither your estates, nor your bodies, nor your
spirits ; all that are called yours before are now his, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
Now, if they be all his, you are no more true Christians, if you do not
part with life and all when the honour and interest of Christ requires it,
than he is a truly honest man who will not give every one his own. You
are his, all you have is his, not your own ; and do you deal as Christians,
do you deal honestly, if, when he calls for it, you will not give up that
which is his own ? An honest heathen would not deal thus with you.
And can they be counted Christians who will deal thus with Christ.

(4.) Others are confident that they will be ready to suffer for Christ,
whenas there is not any probability that ever they will suffer for the truth
of Christ. This is too evident in those who are ignorant of the main truths
of the gospel, and will not spare time, nor take pains to get a competent
knowledge thereof, for all the means of knowledge which are at hand. Is
there any probability that such will suffer for the truth ? Is it likely that
men will suffer for they know not what ? Or count that worth the dying
for which they count not worth the knowing ? or endure the pains of death
for that which they will not take the pains to understand ? Is it likely
they will take up the cross, rather than deny the truth, who count it a
cross to labour for the knowledge of it ? How far are these from being
Christians, if none be Christians but those that take up the cross, since
there is no likelihood that such will ever take up the cross whatever become
of the truth.

Others presume they will suffer for Christ and the gospel in the gross ;
suffer rather than turn Turks, or Jews, or papists. But single out any
particular truth, and rather than they will suffer for it, they will deny it,
or yield it up for peace' sake, or overlook it as a point of small conse
quence, or give half of it away by some distinction, or betray it by con
cealment, when it requirei a plain and open confession ; this argues more
fear of the cross than love to the truth, this is not to deal with it as Chris
tians. Christ will not own these as his disciples, he will be ashamed of
them who are afraid or ashamed to bear witness to his truth : Mark
viii. 38, ' My words ; ' whatever he hath delivered to us.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING up THE CROSS. 475

(5.) How few are there' who would suffer for the worship of Christ !
How manifest is this, since there are so many who wilfully neglect the
worship of God in their families, are so far from instructing them, that
they do not pray with them, though they have all liberty and encourage
ment to do it, no danger yet of suffering for it, these are more like heathens
than Christians. The prophet makes it the character of heathens, Jer.
x. 25. Though some would suffer rather than yield to gross and palpable
idolatry, yet how few would suffer for that which is only probably and in
appearance such ?

How few would take up the cross rather than yield to superstition and
will- worship, since so many run into it of their own accord ! How few
would suffer for the purity and spirituality of gospel- worship, as freed from
carnal rites and ceremonies, and from the mixtures of man's devices and
inventions ! And »yet this is the character of true worshippers, i. e., of
true Christians, John iv. 23, 24.

(6.) How few would suffer for avoiding of sin, unless some gross and
notorious abominations !

[1 .] How few would suffer rather than offend in a little ? The general
looseness of men's lives, and largeness of their consciences, gives occasion
of jealousy in this particular. How few of the temper and tenderness of
that^famous sufferer Marcus of Arethusa, who would die rather than give
a halfpenny for the repairing of an idol temple ! Ne obolum quidem. He
would be tortured to death rather than give two farthings for such an un
lawful use, Sozomen. lib. 5, cap. 9. How far are many from the temper
of Valentinian, that great captain under Julian, and afterwards emperor,
who, having a drop of water sprinkled upon his garment, which was cast
about by their priest in their heathenish services (much like the papists'
holy water), to shew how far he was from approving their superstition, cut
off that piece of his garment upon which the drop fell, and that in the sight
of the heathenish emperor, avrixa vsoiTZftfTv xai anogoi-^ai ciiv avrfj rfj ^txddi
osov sfigdxri r5jc eadqros, and hereupon was afterwards banished by Julian,
pretending (says Sozomen. lib. 6, cap. 6) that he was negligent in looking
to his soldiers ; for he would not seem to punish him for his religion, lest
he should have the honour of a martyr or confessor, p. 371.

In the primitive times, they excluded such from the communion of
Christians who had yielded to an officious lie that they might avoid suffer
ing; nor would they re-admit them till they had satisfied the church by an
exemplary repentance. This was the case of those who, in Cyprian's
phrase, did libellis consdentiam suain maculare, purchase tickets, signifying
that they had complied with the heathen in their worship, when indeed
they had not, and so avoided suffering by a kind of officious lie. Those
that did thus they looked upon as lapsi, such as had fallen from the faith,
and therefore they would not own them as Christians, nor admit them to
the privilege of the church without a deep and solemn repentance ; yea,
they would not look upon them as Christians who would make use of a lie
for the avoiding of the greatest extremities.

[2.] How few would suffer for avoiding the appearance of evil ! Not
only for shunning apparent evils, but the appearance of them ; apparent
sins, but sins in appearance. The ancient Christians would not conform
to the rites and customs of the heathens when abused by them to idolatry,
though they might have been otherwise lawfully used ; they would suffer
rather than do this, because there was an appearance of evil in it, viz., a
seeming compliance with the heathen.

476 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

It was lawful in itself to set up lights and bays at their doors, but be
cause the heathen did this out of respect to their idols, therefore the Chris
tians would rather suffer than do it, in gratiam magistrates, though the
magistrate enjoined it. Igitur quia lucernes pro; foribus, et laurus in postibus,
ad dcemones pertinent; accendantur lacernce quibus lux nulla est: Affigant
postibus lauros, postmodum arsuras, quibus ignes imminent*

It was lawful in itself to wear garlands upon their heads, yet because the
pagans did it, the Christians, to avoid the appearance of that evil, would
suffer rather than do it. Hence the soldier, for whom Tertullian pleads, in
lib. de Corona Militis, when he came to the tribune for his donative, would
not wear the garland upon his head, but brought it in his hand, by which,
discovering himself to be a Christian, he was haled to prison and executed.
How far are they from this temper and tenderness, how far from suffering
upon such accounts, who are zealous for a conformity to the papists in those
rites, ceremonies, and gestures which they apparently abuse to idolatry !

Diocletian, having a design to root out the .Christian religion, gave order
that the Scriptures should everywhere be burned, whereupon multitudes
suffered in that tenth persecution because they would not deliver their
Bibles to the flames. Amongst the rest, Secundus being commanded to
deliver his Bible, makes answer, Christianus sum, non traditor, I am a
Christian, I cannot do it. Then he is required to give up some riff-raff,
aliqua ecvola, to be burnt instead of his Bible ; this also he refused, and
would rather suffer than do it ; for though it was lawful, yet it had some
appearance of that evil which they were guilty of who are called Traditores ;
he would die to avoid the appearance of sin (Park. p. 11).

[3.] How few would suffer for avoiding that which is evil by construction
and interpretation ; for avoiding that which others put an ill construction
on, though themselves see no hurt therein. Julian, above others, infamous
for endeavouring by subtilty to overthrow Christianity, used many artifices
in a cunning way to ensnare Christians, and to debauch their consciences.
He would dress up that which he required them to do in the fair shows of
innocency and lawfulness ; but, when he had drawn them to do it, then he
would construe it to be a compliance with him in his idolatrous services.
And since they could comply in one thing, why not in another? Thus,
like an angler, he hid the hook till he could catch them. And some indeed
he did ensnare. But when the hook was discerned, his design discovered,
they would suffer anything rather than be tempted by the fairest baits he
could lay before them. To give some instances pertinent to our purpose.
The Christians thought it lawful to give some honour to the emperor in his
picture ; Julian taking an advantage by this to ensnare them, together with
his own picture, sets up some of the images of the heathen gods, exeXsvai,
&c., says Sozomen, lib. v. cap. 16, iragapiynaBat.! raT; sixosiv. Now the
Christians, while they suspected no hurt, continued their civil reverence to
the emperor in his resemblance ; but some of them understanding that he
accounted this an adoring of his heathenish images, ovx avii^ovro VPOKXVVIH,
would give him that reverence no longer, when so ill a construction was
put upon it ; but rather chose to suffer, though he made them suffer upon
this account, w? xa! tig voXiTttav x.ai' fSaaiX'sa, e^apagruvovrsg, as offenders
against king and state, for so are the historian's words.

Theodoret gives us another instance. When the soldiers were to receive
donatives from Julian, he had ready before his throne a fire with incense ;
and those who would receive the gold from him, must first throw some
« Tertul. « De Idololatria.1

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 477

incense into the fire. This divers of them did, looking on it as a civil
custom, and suspecting no hurt in it, T^M fe T^V vdyriv In ^.tfarot fj.iv rtyv6rioa.v
<ra.vTt\u;, lib. iii. chap. 15. They understood not that it was a snare.
But when it was told them that this was not agreeable to the Christian
profession, raDra yag rr\c xgiartuvixr/g 6/aoXoy/as dmVaXa, they lamented
bitterly, and tore their hair, and cried out in the streets, that they were
ensnared by the emperor's fraud, f3a.siXix.oTf irctgaxtxpoZcdai T^va,<ffj>asi ; and
run to the palace, and desired that they might be cast into the fire, since
they had dishonoured Christ by casting incense into the fire, chap. 16.

It is to be feared, then, many amongst us would not be so ready to suffer
for such a thing, as to excuse it, and plead its lawfulness, as Marcellinus
did, non Diis sacrificavi ; that which I did was no sacrificing unto idols,
sed tantum grana thuris, &c., but only throw a grain of frankincense into
the fire. But this excuse did not hinder Marcellinus, the Bishop of Rome,
from being condemned as an apostate. Nor is he worthy the name of a
Christian, who, to avoid suffering, will do anything (howsoever excusable
by fair pretences) which may be interpreted to be a denial or dishonour of
Christ.

Another pernicious device of Julian's to ensnare the Christians was this,
all the meat which was to be sold in the market at Constantinople, he
mixeth secretly with that which had been offered to idols (as Baronius
relates it) that so the Christians might either perish by famine, or else eat
.that which might be interpreted an honouring of his idols. This they
perceived, abstaining from buying any meat in the market, and contented
themselves cocto frumento, with boiled corn. And though some may think
this a nicety, and more scrupulousness than was needful, yet if that of
Augustine be allowed, it will justify them ; for he determines that it is
better to die by famine than to eat an idolothyte.

It is to be feared that many who bear the name of Christians would
make use of the Nicolaitans' plea, rather than suffer in such a case : Though
I eat the idols' meat, yet my heart is free from all idolatry and superstition ;
though I do thus and thus, &c., as papists and superstitious persons do,
yet, &c. Ay, but there is something else to be minded, if you will
demean yourselves as Christians indeed ; not only what the act is in itself,
or what you intend in it, but what others may judge of it, and suffer rather
than do that which is like to be judged evil. He that sees thee eat meat
dedicated to idols, existimabit te nonnihil idolorum cultus deferre, says
Chrysostom. And we must suffer rather than do that which may be judged
a countenancing of idolatry.

[4.] How few would suffer for avoiding of that which is but accidentally
evil ? In itself lawful, but by accident evil, as it may be an occasion of
sin to others ; because it is adificans ad delictum, as Tertullian defines
scandal, may build up others either in erroneous opinions or unlawful
practices. We think it enough if we are ready to suffer rather than sin
ourselves ; but the apostle thought it a sufficient ground to suffer rather
than give occasion of sin to others ; he would take up the cross, and bear
it, rather than venture upon a thing lawful in itself, in case of scandal.
In the interval betwixt the death of Christ and the destruction of the
temple, the ceremonies of the law were indifferent, and in themselves
lawful ; yet the apostle would rather suffer than use them, when the use
of them was like to prove an occasion of sin to others, viz., when the Jews
were like thereby to be confirmed in their opinion of their necessity, which
was an error ; or encouraged to press them as necessary upon others,

478 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

which was a sin to the prejudice of Christian liberty. In such cases the
apostle would suffer persecution rather than use them, Gal. v. 11. As if
he had said, Some report that I am for the urging of circumcision, but this
report appears to be evidently false, because I suffer persecution for this
very thing. If I would use circumcision as others do, I should be no more
troubled with the cross ; the wrath of the Jews would be appeased, and the
cross would cease. I should escape it as well as others. The main cause
why the apostle was persecuted and suffered so much from the Jews was
his non-conformity to the ceremonial law; because he would not practise
himself, and press upon others, those ceremonies which were indifferent in
themselves, but could not be ordinarily used without offence, i.e, without
being occasion of sin.

It was sometimes lawful to eat that which had been sacrificed to idols,
viz., in case the party that ate thereof did not know it had been idolatrously
abused ; for so it could not be countenancing idolatry. Or in case none
present with him knew it to have been so abused ; for so it could not prove
a scandal. But in case of scandal, however otherwise it might be lawful,
it was no ways allowable, 1 Cor. viii. 9, 1 Cor. x. 25, 28. If it be a Gen
tile that tells thee, avoid it, lest thou confirm him in his idolatry. Or if
it be a weak Christian that tells thee, one not satisfied of the lawfulness of
it, avoid it for his sake, lest by thy example he be drawn to eat thereof
with a doubting conscience, and so be betrayed to sin. Or if it be one in
the way to Christianity, not fully taken off from his idols, avoid it for his.
sake, lest by thy example he be turned back again to his idolatrous prac
tices, xa,) odog s-ffi eibu^oXarglav rb Tgay/ia tyivtro, Chrysost. in 1 Cor. x.
He would have them avoid even that which in itself is lawful in such cases
as these, though they suffer for it ; for he more than intimates that, ver.
13. Though some motives you meet with may tempt you to comply herein
with idolaters, viz., the persecution of the heathen, yet let not this fright
you into such a compliance ; for this is the common lot of Christians to
be persecuted, and God will moderate their rage, and deliver you. And
therefore avoid this evil, and fear not, whatever may befall you for so
doing.

And to be brief, those who, to avoid persecution and the cross, would
eat things sacrificed to idols, whatever offence came thereby, Christ himself
thinks them unfit and unworthy to be continued in the fellowship of Chris
tians, and reproves the church of Pergamos for not casting them out, Rev.
ii. 14. There was some amongst them who bare the name of Christians,
and after ages called them Gnostics, whose principle it was that they might
comply with idolaters, to avoid persecution; and therefore rather than
suffer, they would eat things offered to idols, though thereby they laid a
stumbling-block (like Balaam) in the way of others, and occasioned their
falling into sin. He reproves the church for tolerating such among them ;
he would not have them owned as Christians.

Many who now profess Christ are too much of this temper, as far from
taking up the cross of Christ, since they shew themselves so ready to
comply with things that have been as much abused to popish idolatry as
those meats that were offered to heathenish idols.

To conclude this use, since it is essential to a Christian to bear the
cross rather than offend Christ, to suffer rather than sin, how few true
Christians are there to be found, since so many who bear the name will
rather sin, in one kind or other, than bear the cross, and undergo anything
grievous for the name of Christ.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 479

Use II. For Exhortation. Let this stir you up to prepare for the cross.
He is not a Christian that will not bear the cross ; and he that doth not
prepare for it never means to bear it.

The disciples of Christ are always liable to the cross, and that which we
are always liable to we should be always ready for. Christians should
always make account of the cross ; so the apostle, Acts xx. 22, 23. And
what we should always make account of, we should always prepare for.
Christ would have his disciples take up his cross daily. Now you do not,
in the remotest sense, take it up daily, if you do not daily prepare for it.
It is certain the cross will be upon you if you will be faithful to Christ,
but when it will fall upon you is uncertain ; you cannot promise yourselves
one day's exemption from it, and therefore you should be every day ready.
Christ having discoursed of the troubles which were like to befall his
disciples in the general calamities that were coming upon that generation,
concludes it with this use, 'Watch ye therefore,' 'be ye always ready,' Mat.
xxiv. 42, 44 ; Mark xiii. 33, 35-37 ; Luke xxi. 34-36.

Obj. But some may say, I see no danger of the cross, no danger of per
secution, and therefore what need so much talking of it ? What need so
much preparing for it ?

Ans. 1. Is there no danger because you do not see it? Did no evil ever
befall you but what you foresaw ? Has nothing fallen out in your days but
what you saw beforehand ? or rather, has anything remarkable fallen out
in these times which you did expect a year before it came ?

It does not become a Christian to say he need prepare for no danger but
what he sees. He is in most danger who sees least. If you be Christians,
you are engaged in a spiritual warfare. Now if a soldier should tell his
captain that he will not prepare, he will not be ready for danger till he see
it, he would think him more fit to be cashiered than to be trusted. Even
so may Christ, the Captain of our salvation, deal with such secure professors.
What, are there no ambuscades, no surprisals in your spiritual warfare,
nothing that may be upon you before you are aware of it ? You run quite
counter to Christ's advice. He would have his disciples watch always, be
always ready, because they know not at what hour the master of the house
will come, at what hour a calamity will come. He will have them always
ready, because it may come at such an hour when they are not aware of it.
You think it needless to be ready, because you know not the hour; need
less to prepare for it, till you see it and be aware of it. Nee tamen remit-
tenda sunt excubice, si quanilo hostis simulabit tranquillitatem. If you will
demean yourselves as Christians indeed, you must not neglect your watch ;
you must not neglect to be in readiness, when there is fairest show of tran
quillity ; that is the way to be surprised.

Ans. 2. Grant you see no danger of public and open persecution, yet
there may be much still of the cross, and much persecution where it is not
open and public, and by authority. You may meet with enough of the
cross, enough of persecution, in a private way, if authority do discounte
nance it. You may, said I ; nay, you must, says the apostle, either of the
heart, or the countenance, or the tongue, or the head. There was no perse
cution by public authority till the latter end of Nero's reign, above thirty
years after Christ's death ; yet in that time of connivance and indulgence
the Christians had a heavy share of the cross, escaped no kind of sufferings,
as you may see in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the catalogue of Paul's
sufferings, 2 Cor. xi. 23-25.

Ans. 3. If you will not prepare for the cross till it come, you will not

480 OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. [LuKE XIV. 27.

prepare for it till it be too late. What, prepare to take up the cross when
it is upon you ! Preparation is a readiness beforehand. If it be upon you
before you are ready, preparation comes too late. Then it is most neces
sary, most seasonable, before the cross comes ; and because it ordinarily
comes before men can or will see it, it will be necessary to prepare for it
before it be seen.

It may be, some of you feel not the pressure of the cross. Oh, but if
you be Christians, this in general you must make account of, that it will be
upon you one time or other, and when, or how soon that time will be, you
know not ; and therefore, if you would not be surprised, you should always
watch, i. e., as Christ himself explains it, you should be always ready,
always prepared. It may come as a thief in the night, who chooses to come
when his coming is least looked for, least feared or suspected. It may
come as a snare which is laid out of sight, and catches him who thinks he
treads safe and discerns no danger. Therefore be always watchful, always
prepared.

The watchful soldier will stand upon his guard, and have all things ready,
even when he sees no danger, because there may be danger when there is
none seen, he may be surprised; but if he perceive danger near, and see
an enemy approaching, even though he be disposed to sleep, he will not
then give way to it, he will not then need any warning to have all things
ready for his defence. You should be always preparing for the cross, even
when you see no danger of it ; much more when it is visible, and the
approaches of it are apparent.

But how shall we prepare for the cross ? I shall give some directions.

1. Make your peace with God. Eom. v. 1, 'Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' What follows ?
ver. 2, 3, 'We glory in tribulations,' &c. Peace with God will en-able you
not only to bear the cross, but to triumph under it. John xvi. 23, Christ
promises peace as the best means to bear up his disciples under the cross.
Without this, tribulation will be unsupportable, the cross will be intolerable.

Now, though Christ promise peace, yet this, as all other promises, will
have its accomplishment in his own way. You must use the means that
he has prescribed, walk in the way that he has directed you to, if you will
have the peace he has promised. And therefore, if there be any controversy
betwixt God and you, make haste to get it taken up ; fly to the blessed
Umpire, the great Mediator betwixt God and you. Mourn that you have
given him any offence ; apply the blood of Christ by faith ; beseech him
with all importunity that he would interpose and make your peace, and rest
on him for that purpose as the great peace-maker.

If your conscience check you for any act, or any neglect, which may be
the matter of a controversy betwixt God and your soul, bewail it with grief
and anguish of spirit, humble yourselves for it to the dust, get your hearts
filled with hatred and indignation against it, and yourselves for it; get
your souls raised to strong and vigorous resolutions against it. Shew the
sincerity hereof, by avoiding all occasions, by watching against all tempta
tions, by diligence in the use of all appointed means, that you may never
return to it. Or if it be some secret corruption which hath not broken
forth into open act, but disturbs your peace by its inward motions
and solicitations, engrossing your thoughts, or drawing your hearts to incli
nations towards it, why then rise up with all your might for the subduing
of it, fly unto Christ for more strength, be diligent in the use of all means
to get it mortified. Shew that you look upon it as an enemy (though it be

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE OBOSS. 481

in your quarters, and you cannot get it dislodged), by making a hearty, a
constant, a resolute resistance. Let the Lord see that you look upon it as
a greater grievance than any outward pressure or suffering.

Or if your conscience do not check you for outward acts, or inward cor
ruption, take heed it be not because conscience is asleep. And therefore
be diligent in searching conscience, lest anything escape you that may mako
a difference between God and your souls. It will be sad to have conscience
asleep, till it be awakened by the cross. The pressure of the cross and the
pressure of guilt falling on you together, is like to prove a burden too heavy
for you. The cross, when it falls upon a guilty soul, it is like a heavy
burden upon a galled shoulder, the pain and anguish of it will scarce
be tolerable. If conscience be not pacified, if God be not at peace
with you when the cross comes, the coming of it will be terrible. Jer.
xvii. 17.

If men accuse, and reproach, and revile you, and conscience accuse you
too; if they frown, and through guilt you can expect no smile from God;
if they threaten, and you find yourselves under the Lord's threatenings also ;
if the world's rage and hatred break out against you, and the Lord withdraw
the sense of his love ; if the world smite and wound you while conscience
is lashing you ; if the Lord be a terror to you while the terrors of sufferings
are before you ; if you have no peace with the world, nor no peace with God
neither, what will bear you up in such a condition ? If the cross lie heavy
on you, and, through guilt, you cannot with any confidence expect support
from God, the pressure will be unsupportable. And therefore, if you would
not sink under the burden, get this laid as the foundation to bear up all:
whatever you do, mind this above all, your peace with God. Whatever
you neglect, neglect not to do this, for so the cross may undo you. No
matter how much water there may be without the ship, the more sea-room
it hath, the safer it Is in the storm ; but if water get within the vessel, then
it is in danger of sinking. It will be less matter how many troubles soever
you meet with from without, if there be peace within. And therefore keep
the way of peace, if the Lord have continued you in it ; or if you have
swerved, make haste to recover it. Search out your sins, especially those
that have had any influence upon the public, that have contributed anything
to the loss of gospel liberties, or the bringing of national judgments. Apply
yourselves seriously to the exercises of repentance and the actings of faith
upon Christ, for we have peace, being justified, and are justified through
Christ, and that is by faith, which acts not in this case without the exer
cise of repentance.

2. Get much love to Christ. A strong affection will carry you after
Christ when you cannot follow him but under the cross, will make you
follow him wherever he goes, though the way be deep, and rugged, and
thorny, though it lead directly to the cross, and bring you to mount
Calvary.

Much love will make you willing, ready, resolute to suffer for Christ ; and
it is want of will, more than want of strength, that disables us from bearing
the cross. Christ uses not to deny strength to those who are resolutely
willing to suffer for his name's sake. There is a strength in love which is
too hard for death itself; love is strong as death.

Much love will make you suffer much, for it is affectus unionis, that
which makes the soul cling to Christ ; and the more it is, the faster it
cleaves to him, and the more hardly will it part from him ; no small matter
will part them. A servant that has some affection to his master will suffer

VOL. i. H h

482 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LiUEE XIV. 27.

something for him, but an affectionate wife will suffer far more for her hus
band, because the conjugal love is stronger.

If you mean to suffer much, you must learn to love much. A little love
will go but a little way under the cross. If love be weak, get it strength
ened ; if it be cooling, get it inflamed ; if it be declining, get it repaired. A
declining love is a step to apostasy, and will be in danger to end there in
a day of trial. When the Church of Ephesus has lost her first love, Christ
speaks of her as fallen, Rev. ii. 4, 5. There are some amongst these
churches who professed Christ, but, for want of love to him, gave way to a
principle which was more for their own safety than his honour. They
would hold all those things indifferent for which they were like to suffer,
that so none might condemn them for yielding in things indifferent, rather
than be ruined. These held it indifferent to be circumcised, to escape suf
ferings from the Jews ; indifferent to eat things offered to idols, to escape
sufferings from the Gentiles ; and, when they had no other way to escape,
they would hold it indifferent to deny the faith. So Eusebius, lib. vi.
chap xi., tells us, it was the opinion of their followers, or/ rl a^saedai
adidpogov l<srl, indifferent fv avayxcus, in great necessities, to deny with'the
mouth, provided they do it not with the heart. Now it is probably thought
that this principle had made some impression upon the church of Ephesus.
Hereupon she is charged with losing her first love, because she was not so
ready to suffer for Christ as at first. This principle, inclining her more to
comply than suffer, she was not so disposed to do her first works, and
undergo her first sufferings, for which she is commended, ver. 8. And
why ? Her first love was lost, she was fallen. If you would not decline
the cross, or fall under it, keep up your first love ; or, if it be declined,
make haste to get it repaired. Follow Christ's advice to Ephesus, ver. 5,
' Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent,' &c.

Content not yourselves with some small degree of love to Christ ; that
will not serve you when a day of trial and suffering comes. A little water
will quench a spark ; it must be a flame, indeed, that all the waters will not
quench, nor the floods drown and extinguish, Cant. viii. 6, 7. Get your
love kindled into a vehement flame, and then you will follow Christ, and
may safely do it, though all the waves and the billows go over you.

Labour by all means to raise your affections to a higher pitch. That
love, which will make a fair show, and makes a shift to go after Christ,
while it is encouraged by outward prosperity, will not serve your turn when
the cross comes. The apostle, 1 John iv. 18, speaks of a perfect love ;
not that there is any love in this life free from imperfection, but there is
one degree of love perfecter than another ; a love which will embolden a
man to appear for Christ in the face of discouragements and dangers. Such
a love he calls perfect, as being nearer to perfection than that which startles
at the cross. And thus he describes it, ver. 17, ' Herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment ; ' that we may
have boldness, viz., in confessing Christ and his truth. It is iragfutra, a
bold, and open, and fearless confessing of Christ in the face of dangers.
He had been speaking of confessing Christ before, ver. 13 ; not every one
that professeth this upon any terms, for every professor dwelleth not in
God, and God in him, but he that thus confesseth Jesus when he hazards
the loss of all by so confessing him. The perfection of this love expresseth
itself in such a boldness for Christ, sv r^^ot. xgi'aius, in the day of judgment,
i. e., not the final judgment, but when we are brought before the tribunal of
men, to be judged or sentenced for faithfulness to Christ, because as he is,

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CBOSS. 483

so are we in this world ; as he was exposed to sufferings in this world, so
are we ; and our love to him should carry us through these sufferings, as
his love to us did him. He adds, ver. 18, ' There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casteth out fear.' Such a degree of love makes us fearless of
sufferings, renders the soul bold and valiant for Christ, so as he will not
shrink from him and his interest for any danger ; he will not think any
cross so dreadful as to decline it when Christ calls him to bear it'. So
Tertullian fourteen hundred years since explained this text. John denies,
says he, that there is fear in love : Quern timorem intelligi prastat, nisi
negavimus authorem ? What fear may we here best understand but that
which is the cause of denying Christ ? Quam dilectionum perjectionem,
what perfect love, nisi fugatricem timoris, et animatricem confessionis, but
that which banisheth fear and animates to a confession of Christ. So
that love, thus freeing the heart from the fear of the cross, is an excellent
preparative to the bearing of it.

But how shall our hearts be raised to such a degree of love ? Why, I
know nothing more effectual in the world than frequent and fixed thoughts
of the love of Christ. If that will not kindle your hearts into flames,
vehement flames, I know not what in heaven or earth will do it, 1 John
iv. 19. Set some time apart frequently to meditate on the love of Christ,
and the wonderful transporting expressions of it.

Say to thy soul, Was he, in whom there dwelt the fulness and riches of
the Godhead, content to become so poor for my sake, as he had not whereon
to lay his head ? And shall I think much to hazard my estate and out
ward enjoyments for his sake ? Oh what had become of my soul if he had
stood upon such terms !

Was he, who was the brightness of the Father's glory, content to become
the scorn of men and reproach of the people ; to be jeered, and buffeted,
and spit upon ? Was he willing, when he was the King of glory, to be
reviled and abused, as the vilest of men, for me ? And shall I think much
to be vilified, and scorned, and reproached for his sake ?

Was he content to leave the delights and joys of heaven, that he might
become a man of sorrows ? Was he willing to be scourged, and nailed,
and wounded, and endure such grievous things for me, as made his soul
heavy unto death, and forced him to cry out to heaven, ' My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?' and to cry out to earth, 'Have ye no
regard, all ye that pass by ? ' &c. And shall I think much to endure any
pain or torture for him ?

Was he content to bear the wrath of God, and the rage of men and
devils for me ? And shall I think much to endure the rage and malice of
men for him ?

Was he content to suffer a cruel, a shameful, a cursed death for me ?
And shall I refuse to suffer a blessed death, a death that himself hath
blessed, for his sake ?

Oh what had become of me ! in what a hopeless and helpless condition
had my soul been in, if he had stood on the honour, and ease, and plenty,
and respect of the world, yea, or his own life ! And shall I stand upon
these, when his honour and interest requires me to forego them ?

Make such use of the love of Christ to provoke your hearts to a more
ardent and vehement affection. « The love of Christ constrains us,' says
the apostle. There is something in it that is irresistible ; a sweet and
powerful force therein, when the Spirit of God impresseth the sense thereof
•upon the heart, to constrain you to such a love as will compel you to take

484 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

up the cross, and bear it for his sake, notwithstanding any reluctancy of
flesh and blood.

3. Learn to deny yourselves. Be still practising of self-denial. It is
self that is pinched by the cross, and so makes us loath to take it up, and
impatient to bear it. Till self be renounced, the cross will not be endured,
Mat. xvi. 24, Mark viii. 84, Luke ix. 23. The order and connection of
these in all the evangelists shews us plainly that self must be first denied
before ever we will take up the cross. Self-denial is the first letter (as
you see in these texts) in the Christian's alphabet ; he that hath not learnt
this is far from the highest form, which in the school of Christ is the place
of sufferers. When the cross conies, Christ and self are brought into
competition, either self must be denied or Christ will be denied. He that
cannot deny himself, rather than take up the cross, will deny Christ, either
in point of faith or obedience. If ever you would bear the cross, as becomes
the disciples of Christ, you must learn to deny,

(1.) Your own worth and excellency, the apprehensions and conceits
thereof, whether the ground of it be your accomplishments or enjoyments.
If this be not denied, you will think yourselves too good to suffer for
Christ. He that is high in his own apprehension will never stoop to
the cross ; he will count it intolerable, to be vilified, and set at nought,
and trampled on, and reproached, and counted (as the apostles were) the
refuse and off-scouring of all things : Mat. xi. 29, ' Take my yoke, &c., for
I am lowly.' If you will follow Christ, and take up the cross as he did,
you must be qualified as he was, meek and lowly.

(2.) Your own judgment and wisdom ; else you will be too wise to
suffer for Christ. You will think it foolishness to be undone in this world,
rather than yield in a small matter, offend Christ in a little ; you will
think it folly to suffer, when you may avoid it by straining conscience
a little. The cross is foolishness to the wisdom of the world, 1 Cor. i.
18, 22, 23.

(3.) Your own reasonings, else you will reason yourselves out of the
reach of the cross. This is too small a matter (will carnal reason say) to
lose all for ; and this is not clear, it is controverted amongst great names,
persons of great learning and judgment ; and this is yielded to by men of
great repute for piety and strictness ; and this few stick at, the whole stream
runs against it. Which was the great reasoning against Luther of late,
and Athanasius of old ; what pertinacy, for one man to hold against the
whole world ! Or this may be connived at now, it may be retrieved here
after. To tack about is not to go backward (not to backslide), but to make
our way so well as the wind will serve ; when it serves fairer, we will keep
a more direct course ; but now we must do as we can, though we do not
what we should. If such reasonings had not been renounced heretofore, the
world would have had but few instances of such as would follow him under
the cross.

(4.) Your own wills. ' Not my will, but thine be done,' says Christ,
and yields up all when the question was about his suffering. He that
cannot follow Christ in this, will never take up the cross, unless per force,
will never bear it as a Christian. Accustom yourselves daily to make your
selves yield to God when his will lies cross to yours, which if you will not
do now you are not like to do it when the cross comes, when it cannot be
done but upon harder terms, and more contrary to flesh and blood. If
your wills be flexible now, and you are accustomed to submit at every beck,
at every intimation of the Lord's pleasure in the way of obedience, there is

LUKE XIV. 27.J OP TAKING UP THE CKOSS. 485

no such danger that they will be stiff and inflexible when the Lord tries you
in a way of suffering.

(5.) Your own inclinations. If you give way to these, they will carry
you far from the cross, even when Christ calls you to it. He that cannot
endure to cross his own natural inclinations will never endure the cross.

(6.) Your own ease and contentments. The cross of Christ and your
own ease are inconsistent; if you cannot forego these, you are never like to
bear this as becomes the followers of Christ. If respect to your ease make
you neglect holy duties, or cut them short, so that you do not watch to
them, and continue in them ; if the exercise of repentance and duties of
mortification be waived, or slightly passed over, because they cross your
ease, how will the cross be endured, which is more inconsistent with your
ease ? As the prophet, Jer. xii. 5, ' If thou hast run with the footmen, and
they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses ? ' &c.
The apostle would have Timothy to inure himself unto hardship, 2 Tim.
ii. 8. If it seem a hardship, and contrary to the ease which the flesh would
have, to be much in prayer, meditation, self- examining, watchfulness, the
exercise of repentance, the duties of mortification, if this seem a hardship,
inure yourself to it ; forego your own ease herein, and that will be a good
preparative to greater hardships. It will not go so much against the hair,
to quit your ease when the cross will not give way to it, if you have been
accustomed to it before. He that has found his inclinations commonly
denied, will not think much to be denied upon special and extraordinary
reasons.

(7.) Your own interest. When the question is, Whether you shall bear
the cross or no ? the question is indeed, Whether the interest of Christ
shall be preferred before your own interest ? For a carnal heart counts it
his interest to have ease, plenty, safety, which the cross would bereave him
of; but the interest of Christ is, that we should suffer rather than displease
or dishonour him. Now he that can deny his own interest will readily
take up the cross and bear it ; but he that is wedded to his own interest,
and will not be divorced from it, will deny Christ one way or other,
expressly or implicitly, directly or by consequence, less or more, rather
than let his own interest be crucified, as it must be if he yield himself up
to the cross.

The more you can deny yourselves in all respects, the more are you
prepared for the cross, the more ready for sufferings ; and therefore, if you
would bear the cross as followers of Christ, be much in the practice of self-
denial. If you be to seek here, Christ will have you to seek when he calls
you to suffer.

4. Die to the world. Get your minds and affections disentangled, your
hearts loosened more and more from worldly relations and enjoyments.
An inordinate affection to the things of the world, arising from an over
valuing of them, is a main reason which keeps men from following Christ
in bearing the cross, and puts them upon sinful shifts to avoid suffering :
2 Tim. iv. 10, « Demas hath' forsaken me, having loved this present world.'
He left him, and would not partake with him in his sufferings, which he is
there speaking of, because he loved this present world. A man who is in
love with the world will run into the embraces of that strumpet, far more
readily than follow Christ in a way of suffering. Hence worldlings are
called adulterers and adulteresses for their excess of love to the world,
James iv. 4. This friendship is enmity to God, enmity to Christ, espe
cially to the cross of Christ. Die to the world ; for he that is alive to

486 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

it must needs look upon the cross as dreadful. Now he is alive to the world
whose mind and heart is upon the riches, and delights, and splendour of
it ; whose soul, by a high esteem of these, and an immoderate affection to
them, is linked and united to the world. For as natural life is from an
union of soul and body, and spiritual life from an union of the soul with
Christ, so this moral life is from an union of the soul with the world ;
which union is affected by love to worldly things ; for love is affectus
unionis, and this love is begat and nourished by a high esteem of worldly
things. So far as you overvalue and overlove the world, so far you are
alive to it ; and so far as your esteem thereof is taken down, and your love
thereto is taken off, so far you die to the world. So far as you are dead to the
world, BO far you will less fear or regard the cross, as that which only can
bereave you of what your heart hath already quitted, and from which your
soul is already separated and divorced, which you have inwardly relin
quished as a worthless, unlovely object, as a dead thing.

The more you are dead to the world, the less sensible will you be of
sufferings in your worldly concernments ; the loss of them will but be as the
removing the dead out of your sight. It would have been a great affliction to
Abraham to have been bereaved of Sarah while she was alive, but when
she was dead, ' Give me a burying-place,' says he, ' that I may bury my
dead out of my sight."

While you are alive to the world, riches, and honours, and the pleasant
things of the world will be lovely and amiable, you will be apt to doat upon
them, know not how to be without them, cannot bear the loss of them,
count that an insupportable cross ; but you being dead to them, and they
to you, you will not then think much to have them removed, to have them
buried out of your sight.

It was an evident symptom of this death in the apostle, when he was so
indifferent as to outward things, indifferent whether he did abound or was
in want, Philip, iv. 11, 12. Make this your business, your great endeavour,
so far to die to the world, to get mind and heart so far separated from it,
as to be indifferent whether you be high or low, whether you want or
abound, whether you have much or little, whether you be respected or
despised ; and then you will be fit indeed to bear the cross, yea, and ready
to welcome it. ' I can do all things,' as he adds, ver. 13. No cross will
be too heavy for you if you could once come to this. The apostle could
not only bear the cross, but triumph under it, glory in it, yea, and
in nothing so much, Gal. vi. 14. But how was he enabled thus to
entertain the cross with triumph and glorying ? Why, the following words
shews us: 'By whom I am crucified,' &c. He was dead to the world, and
the world was as a dead thing to him. Now what means you should use to
this purpose, I have shewed at large on another subject.

5. Get freed from fears of the cross and the instruments of it. Fear not
men, feat not sufferings, if you would bear them like Christians. Give not
way to diffident, distracting, perplexing, discouraging fears. There is no
one thing that you have more frequently from the mouth of God in Scrip
ture than this, ' Fear not,' ' Be not afraid.' Labour to be obedient to this
heavenly call, to the command of God, if you would not decline the cross,
or sink under it, or under something worse than any cross can be ; for such
fear makes the cross worse than it is, and makes a Christian less than he
is, and exposeth him to that which is far worse than the cross.

(1.) Fear makes the cross worse than it is. Many a man has sunk
under his fears, who might have been otherwise able to have stood upright

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 487

upon the cross. When we look upon suffering through our fear, it is like
a magnifying glass, which represents it greater than it is, makes a mole
hill seem a mountain. And besides, fear often troubles us more than the
troubles that we fear. A man suffers more by his fears than by the suffer
ings he is afraid of. Fear many times proves the heaviest part of the cross,
so that he that gets his fears removed is already freed from the weightiest
part of the cross, that which is often most oppressive. Many have been
more oppressed with the fears of a low afflicted condition than with the
condition itself when they have come to try it ; tnany more afflicted with
fear of a prison and exile than with imprisonment and banishment itself,
when the Lord has vouchsafed them his presence in such a state ; many
more troubled with fears of death before it came than with death itself when
they have come to it, which occasioned that saying, Mortis tinior est morte
pejor, the fear of death is worse than death.

This is a remarkable difference betwixt the enjoyments of the world and
sufferings for Christ. Those enjoyments promise more than ever they per
form, these sufferings threaten more to a fearful heart than they ordinarily
execute. Those enjoyments prove not so good as we expect, these suffer
ings prove not so bad as we fear. Our fears are often the worst part of
them, and tortures a man more than what he suffers. ' Fear has torment,'
says the apostle. Get fear removed, and the sting and torment of the cross
is in a great part gone, you will more easily bear it.

(2.) Fear makes a Christian less than he is, less fit to bear the cross
than a weaker person whose fears are less. It makes him both unable and
unwilling either to take up the cross or to bear it ; it makes him unable, it
deprives him of his strength, or makes his strength useless. Fear dispirits
and discourages him; and when his courage and spirits are down, the
strongest Christian is like Samson when his locks were cut, he becomes
like other men, no more fit to bear the cross than if he had no strength to
bear it. A strong and numerous army, when they are under fears, and
their courage gone, are easily routed, a small matter will put them to flight.
A weak Christian, when he has a spirit of courage raised above fears, will
venture more, and may undergo more for Christ, than a Christian, other
wise strong, when his spirits are sunk under the burden of his fears ; even
as a stout stripling may shew more gallantry than a fearful, cowardly giant.
Fear weakens the hands, and makes the knees feeble, so that he can neither
take up the cross nor undergo it.

And as it disables, so it makes unwilling. The more fearful any one is,
the more loath to venture upon anything hazardous ; it makes him draw back
when the cross approaches. No greater obstacle in the way of sufferings
than fear: 1 John iv. 18, 'Fear hath torment.7 The expression may be
three ways taken, and so may serve to illustrate all the three particulars
before us ; xoXasig may be as much as xwXuff/s, an impediment or hindrance.
Fear stops a man, and keeps him back from suffering; and it is an impedi
ment, because it is tormenting ; there is a kind of rack in it which awes
men, so as they will not, ^dare not venture upon anything noble and heroical
for the name of Christ. You will never be able, never be willing, never
dare to venture on the cross further than you prevail against the fears of it.

(3.) Fear exposeth you to that which is far worse than any cross you
can meet with ; Jer. i. 8, ' I am with thee,' that is one motive. But ho
adds another kind of inducement, ver. 17, 'Fear not their faces,' their stern
countenances, their wrathful dispositions, which are wont to appear in the
face. Fear not to deliver my message to them, fear not when thou shalt

489 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

be convented before them for delivering it. Why so ? Lest I confound
thee ; or, as the word signifies, lest I break thee to pieces before them, lest
I destroy thee utterly ; and that will be worse than anything which they
can inflict on thee. So Mat. x. 28, Luke xii. 4, 5. To fear what you may
suffer from man, to fear the cross which they may lay on you, so as to
offend God by shifting it off, is as if a man should fear the sting of a
wasp, whenas a dagger is at his heart, or as if he should fear the wetting
of his clothes, when he is in apparent danger of drowning. If you will be
unfaithful out of fear to suffer, there is something more to be feared in such
a case, and that which is so dreadful, as should swallow up the sense of
your other fear, 1 John iv. 18, xoXaaiv. Fear hath punishment. The
Lord will dreadfully punish that fear which keeps you from taking up the
cross when he calls you to it. What punishment, says Tertullian, Nisi
quam negator relaturus est, but that which he that denies Christ shall suffer ;
cum corpore et anima occidendus in Gehennam, when he shall be destroyed
body and soul in hell. This is the portion of the fearful, of those whose
fears make them unfaithful to Christ, Kev. xxi. 8, &/X5/, the cowardly.
Those that are so cowardly and fearful as to deny Christ rather than suffer,
so fearful as to be airtaroi, unfaithful to Christ in the day of trial, have some
thing worse to fear than the cross, viz., their part in the second death.
Inter reprobos, imo ante omnes ; amongst others, nay, before others, says
Tertullian, Timidis partwula in stagno ignis.

But how shall we get above these fears, which are so dangerous in them-
Belves, and such heavy aggravations of the cross, and such great impedi
ments to the bearing of it ? Why, briefly, if you would be freed from fears
of man, set God before you ; it is the means which himself does everywhere
direct us to. How often do we meet with that, ' Fear not, for I am with
thee' ? Let your eye be much and often upon the infinite greatness of God,
and man's nothingness ; upon the absolute sovereignty and power of God,
and man's impotency ; upon the unlimited goodness of God, and the re
straints of man's mischievousness, Isa. li. 12, 18. Man is not much
feared but when God is out of sight and not remembered.

[1.] View much the greatness of God, and man's nothingness in com
parison. See how the Lord describes himself, and how inconsiderable all
the world is when set before him, Isa. xl. 15, 17, 22, 23, 24. What pro
portion do they whom you are apt to be afraid of bear to this drop, to this
dust ! How little are they, how little to be feared, when all nations are so
little, of which they are but a small part, and, as it were, the thousand
part of this drop ! What fear of such a thing as this ! What, be afraid
of that which is not so much as nothing, be afraid of that which is less than
nothing and vanity, be afraid of those which are not so much as grass
hoppers compared with that great God who is your security !

[2.] Upon the sovereignty and power of God, who has all things at his
beck, and rules the hearts, and tongues, and hands of all men, so as they
cannot so much as move without him, nor move any farther, nor any other
wise than he will give leave, no more than the rod can move without the
hand ; and therefore the hand of God should be feared, and not men, who
are but as a rod in his hand, and cannot stir without him, Isa. x. 5, 24.

[8.] Upon the unlimited goodness of God, who is so good that he can
turn evil into good, and none can hinder him ; let the actings and inten
tions of men be never so mischievous, the issue of them, in despite of hell
and the world, shall be good to his people ; a greater good than the friend
ship of the world could do them, or the enmity of the world can deprive

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CK;JSS. 489

them of; a good that will more than countervail all the evil that men can
bring upon them, Eom. viii., Jer. xxiv. 5, Gen. 1. 20. Now, if all they can
do shall turn to good, why are they so much feared ? A wise man does
not use to fear a good turn. But these things I must but point at.

6. Get corruption mortified. The mortified Christian is the best suffer
ing Christian, the willingest to take up the cross, and the ablest to bear it,
so as to honour Christ in bearing of it. Carry on the work of mortifica
tion with all speed, with all diligence, for mortification affords many
advantages for enduring the cross.

(1.) There will be less reluctancy to the cross the more you are morti
fied. When corruption is subdued, there will be little left to lift up itself
against the will of Christ, calling you to the cross ; for though nature not
corrupted would be averse to that which is afflictive to it, yet corruption
very much strengthens this reluctancy. And though outward prosperity
would be desirable to innocent nature, yet corruption desires it excessively,
doats upon it, knows not how to be without it. And no wonder, for this
brings in provision to the flesh, and cherishes corruption, and gratifies our
lusts ; whereas the cross rather straitens, and pinches, and starves them.
So that the voice of the flesh is always that of Peter's to Christ, when he
was speaking of his suffering, ' Master, spare thyself.' It cannot endure
to hear of the cross. An unmortified soul is like an untamed heifer, a
bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; it will not be brought to the cross
without much struggling, it will fling every way to avoid it; and when it
cannot be avoided, will fling it off as soon as may be, whatever come on it.
But so far as corruption is mortified, there is a quiet submission to take the
cross when Christ calls to it, and to bear it, whatever it be, during his
pleasure. You see it eminently in the apostle : he being dead to sin, could
die daily for Christ, and could rejoice in so doing.

(2.) There will be more strength to bear the cross, for corruption is the
soul's sickness and distemper ; and the stronger a distemper is, the weaker
is the subject. A soul little mortified is in a sickly, and weakly, and lan
guishing condition, not able to support itself, much less to bear a cross, a
heavy cross. Where corruption is unsubdued, there is but little spiritual
strength ; and a little strength will be apt to sink or faint under an oppress
ing cross, Prov. xxiv. 10. A soul of small strength will be ready to faint
in the day of adversity ; and where corruption is strong, spiritual strength
is small. A mortified soul is of a healthy, strong constitution, having
purged out those distempers under which others languish, and so is the
more able to bear up under the cross. The more you are mortified, the
more strength you have both to do and suffer.

(3.) Mortification is a kind of martyrdom, it has some resemblance of it,
and the expressions which represent it to us in Scripture import as much ;
for our natural corruption is called our old man, and a body of death,
Rom. vii. 24; a body of sin, Rom. vi. 6, Col. ii. 11. And our lusts are
called the members of that our body, Col. iii. 5 ; and naturally are as dear
to us, and we as tender of them, as of the members of our bodies. And
then to mortify them, as the word tells us, is to kill them, to lay them
dead, i/sxowffars, Col. iii. 5 ; to put them to death, Savarourj, Rom.
viii. 18 ; to put them to the worst kind of death, to crucify them. ^ So
that he who is daily mortifying his lusts is daily suffering for Christ's
sake; and so it will be no new, no strange thing for him to suffer; he has
this lesson ready, he daily learns and practises it. Hence when Christ
calls him to part with relations, or estate, or liberty, he can say he hath

490 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LuKE XIV. 27.

parted with that already which he loved as much as these ; he hath parted
with the life of his lusts, which naturally are as dear to us as our lives.
When Christ calls him to suffer pains, or tortures, or death, why, he hath
suffered some such things as these long since, he daily suffers it; he is
cutting off his right hand, and plucking out his right eye, and wounding
the members of his body of sin; yea, he has sacrificed his Isaac, his
darling sin, for Christ's sake. And he that has suffered thus much, what
will he stick to suffer for Christ ? He has parted with one life already,
the life of his lusts, and so has learned the better to part with the other
life too when Christ requires it. You are dead, says the apostle, Col.
iii. 4; and I am crucified, says he of himself, Gal. ii. 20. He hath
suffered one death already, the death of his body of sin, which is indeed
another self, and so is the readier to suffer the other death when he shall
be called to it. He has given up his old man within him to be crucified
for Christ's sake, and so will not think much to give up his whole man to
be crucified, or otherwise martyred, if the honour and interest of Christ
should require it. None so ready, so fit, so willing, so able to suffer for
Christ, as he that is most mortified ; and therefore if you would be
thoroughly prepared to bear the cross, get thoroughly mortified. The
book which goes under the name of Cyprian, De duplici Martyrio, is ex
press in this : Si deest tyrannus, si tortor, si spoliator, non deerit concupi-
scentia, martyrii materiam quotidianam nobis exhibens : if there be no tyrant,
no tormentor, no spoiler, yet concupiscence (our natural corruption) will
be present always to afford us a continual occasion of martyrdom, p. 865.
And afterward : Apud Deum tamen quicunque carnem suam crucifixerunt,
<&c., martyres sunt, nee martyrum corona fraudabuntur. In God's account,
those who crucify the flesh, quicunque Christo vere commortui sunt, those
who are truly dead with Christ, they are martyrs, and shall not be deprived
of the crown of martyrdom.

7. Keep conscience tender. Be tender of his truths, of his worship, of
all his ways, of every part of his will, so as not to offend in the least ; to
avoid the appearance of evil, to hate the garments spotted with the flesh ;
not only the flesh, and the spot of it, but the garment that is spotted
with it. He that is fearful of all sin, afraid of the least, will be ready to
suffer rather than offend in a little. Fear sin more than suffering, and
then you will welcome the cross rather than give way to any sin.

Want of this tenderness has made way for many to make shipwreck of
faith and a good conscience, cast these over board to save themselves
from suffering. Want of this tenderness is the highway to apostasy,
the highway to deny Christ, and betray his cause, and renounce his
truth; for he that will be drawn to sin in a small matter, to escape
suffering, may by degrees be drawn to yield to anything rather than
suffer. We may observe it in experience : some, by bending their con
sciences to comply in less things, by degrees have made them so flexible
as to yield to anything ; by admitting of small evils, have made way for
the greatest. For every degree of evil brings a degree of hardness with
it ; so the conscience in a little while becomes as it were paved, so that
anything may pass it without scruple, when it would have scrupled a little
thing at first. By often swallowing, the passage becomes wider and
wider, so that anything will down at last, especially when fear of suffering
enforceth it. Qui modica contemnit, <£c., says Augustine ; he that slights
smaller evils, by little and little falls into greater; and he instanceth in
his mother Monica, who by sipping of a little wine at first, came by

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 491

degrees to take large draughts. Turn but a bowl down a steep hill with
the least touch, and you will scarce be able to stop it till it comes to the
bottom.

Thus the ancients, by giving too much way to ceremonies and human
inventions in the worship of God, made by degrees a way for popery, as
protestant divines observe ; and by giving way to an exorbitant prelate
in a particular church, made a way for a pope in the universal church.
Though they saw no harm in prelacy to make them scruple it, but thought
it a prudential expedient to prevent divisions in the church, as Jerome
tells, yet the premises being laid by them, after ages thought such a con
clusion did necessarily follow as they little dreamed of: if a prelate bo
necessary to prevent divisions in a particular church, then a pope is
necessary to prevent divisions in the universal church. This consequence
had never been swallowed, if men had been so tender as not to yield the
antecedent. And to this day the papists rely upon the connection of these,
and thereupon ground some hopes and expectation of prevailing ; insomuch
as Contren the Jesuit is bold to say, in his Politics, lib. ii. cap. xviii., that
were all England once brought to approve of bishops, it were easy to reduce
it to the Church of Rome.

The want of this tenderness, too, has let in idolatry amongst those who
profess the name of Christ ; and has made them so far from being sufferers,
as the primitive Christians were, for not yielding to the appearances of
idolatry, that they are transformed into persecutors of those who will not
join with them in their idol worship. At first there was such tenderness,
as they thought themselves greatly defiled by the touch of an idol :
seque putant contactu simulacri vehementer contaminari. They would rather
suffer death, as the supposed Cyprian tells us, than to defile themselves :
Ut mortem oppetant citius, &c., p. 364. Non est dubium, says Lactantius,
quum nidla religio sit, ubicunque simulacrum: without all doubt there is no
religion where there are images. And the Council of Eliberis, Can. 86 :
Placuit picturas in ecclesia esse non debere: let there be no pictures at all in
the church. And Epiphanius, when he found a picture in a hanging at a
church door, he tore it in pieces. But by degrees this tenderness was
remitted ; pictures were admitted into the church for ornament, and, in
Gregory's time, in the seventh century, for instruction. And then in the
eighth century the second Council of Nice decrees that images should be
adored, and those that opposed this decree were persecuted. So that
when at first they would suffer rather than teuch or see an image in their
churches, this tenderness being lost by degrees, it came to this in the con
clusion, they must suffer who would not adore those images which the pri
mitive innocency detested and abhorred.

Those that will not preserve their consciences tender, so as to avoid the
occasions, the beginnings, the appearance of evil ; instead of suffering for
Christ, are in danger to prove persecutors of such who are faithful to him ;
instead of taking up the cross themselves, are in the highway to lay it
upon others. If you would be faithful to Christ in bearing the cross, pre
serve that tenderness of conscience, which will be alarmed at the first
approaches of any corruption, either in doctrine, worship, or daily practice.

8. Acquaint yourselves more with God. Get effectual apprehensions of
him, what he is in himself, and what he is to his people. Walk in the
sight, in the view of God ; have him often in your eye. This enabled
Moses to endure the cross, Heb. xi. 24-28. Study much the all- sufficiency,
the power, the goodness, the unchangeableness of God.

492 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

(1.) The all-sufficiency of God. What fulness there is in him to make
up all you can lose for him ; what refreshments there are in him to sweeten
all you can suffer for him.

What fulness. You may as well doubt that all the waters of the ocean
cannot fill a spoon, as that the divine fulness cannot be enough to you, if
you should have nothing left in this world ; for all the waters that cover
the sea are not so much as a spoonful, compared with the boundless and
infinite fulness of all- sufficiency.

What refreshments in him, &c. One drop of divine sweetness is enough
to make one in the very agony of the cruellest death to cry out with joy,
The bitterness of death is past. Now in him there are not only drops, but
rivers ; not a scanty sprinkling, but an infinite fulness.

What is there you can want under the cross, but all-sufficiency can supply !
What is there you can fear under the cross, but all-sufficiency can secure
you ! And that which can secure you from all wants, and from all fears,
is enough, well considered, duly improved, to make you willing to take up
the cross, and make you able to bear it.

(2.) Eye much the power of God, how it can support under the cross,
what it can bring to pass for you by the cross. No cross so sharp and
grievous, but he can make it sweet and comfortable. No cross so heavy
and intolerable, but he can make it light and easy. No cross so ignomi
nious and reproachful, but he can turn it to your honour. No cross so
fastened to you, but he can easily remove it : Eph. iii. 20, he is ' able
to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think.' A man may
ask much, so much as men and angels cannot give ; but how much soever
he ask, he can think more than he may think fit to ask. Yea, but let him
ask or think as much as ever he can, the Lord can do more than he can
either ask or think, abundantly more, exceeding abundantly more, twf£
ffdvra, \jxigixiregig6o\J, more than superabundantly more.

You may be apt to think, Oh if such a cross befall me, such disgrace, or
poverty, or imprisonment, or such tortures as the primitive Christians suf
fered, I shall never endure it, I shall sink under it, it will be my utter ruin.
Oh but look to the power of God. He can make the cross prove quite
another thing than you imagine it to be ; far more easy, far more comfort
able, far more advantageous, than you can imagine ; far better to you every
way, than that part of your life wherein you have fared best in the world.
He can make a ruining, impoverishing cross, the way to the greatest
riches and advancement. See it in Joseph : what a grievous cross was that
for him, who was his father's darling, to be sold by his own brethrentfor a
slave ; to be slandered by his mistress as a rogue ; to be thrust into the
worst dungeon as the vilest malefactor, where his feet were hurt in the
stocks, and he laid in irons ! Would you think this a way to preferment ?
Yet so the Lord ordered, as thereby he was advanced to be lord of Egypt,
and, which was more, the preserver of Israel.

Nay, which is stranger and better too, he can make the cross a means to
advance the soul nearer heaven. Never was David's soul in a more gra
cious and heavenly temper, never nearer to God, nearer to heaven on
earth, than when he was bereaved of all that was dear to him, not only
outward comforts, but public ordinances, and hunted as a partridge upon
the mountains ; which plainly appears by the psalms he penned in that
condition.

He can make a poor and indigent estate most rich in inward comforts
and sweet contentments, as you see in Paul.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CBOSS. 493

He can turn a prison into a most delightful paradise. So Pomponius
Algerius found it, who, being imprisoned for the gospel, dates his letter
from thence, ex delectabili carcere, from my delightful paradise.

Finally, What more terrible to flesh and blood than fire ? What more
dreadful to nature than a tormenting flame ? Yet this the Lord can make
as full of ease as a bed of down, as full of delight as a bed of roses. So
our English martyr found it, and tells the papists out of the midst of the
fire, when his body was all of a light flame, I feel no more pain in this
fire, than if I were in a bed of down ; it is as pleasant to me as a bed
of roses.

Look to the power of God ; if you would be encouraged to take up the
cross, if you would be enabled to bear it, he can make it as tolerable, as
comfortable, as that condition which most likes you.

(8.) His goodness. His all-sufficiency and power make him able, his
goodness makes him willing to do for his .people under the cross what his
all-sufficiency and almighty power can afford. His goodness sets his mighty
power a-work for his suffering saints. His goodness sets his all- sufficiency,
his fulness, abroach for them, so that it runs freely upon them ; and never
more freely than when they are under the cross : Ps. xxvii. 13, ' I had fainted,
unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord,' &c. What is it
that makes you ready to faint under the cross, or thoughts and foresight of
it ? Look to the goodness of God, there is support.

[1.] Fear you the pain of the cross, the weight, the pressure, the tedious-
ness of it ? Why, but the Lord is too good to lay more on you than you
are able to bear. He will not suffer you to be tempted above what yon are
able. He knows your frame, he remembers that you are but dust. He
spares you, as a father spares his son that serves him. He stays the rough
wind in the day of the east wind : he afflicts in measure ; and though the
wicked know no measure, nor no end, he will make them know both ; the
rod of the wicked shall not always lie upon the back of the righteous. He
will not contend for ever, lest the spirit should fail. He is too good to let
the cross lie too heavy, or to let it lie too long. He is so good, as he will
suffer with you, and as it were, bear his part of the cross. In all their afflic
tions he was afflicted. He cries out, as touched with the sense of the pres
sure, ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?' As though it were not good
ness enough for Christ to admit us to the fellowship of his sufferings, he is
so good as to come himself into the fellowship of our sufferings. As we
suffered in him then, so he suffers with us now, and so head and members
are all along fellow- sufferers. And fear you to suffer, when Christ will
suffer with you ? Will you not take up that cross, whereof Christ himself
will bear a part ? Oh what honour, what happiness is this, to suffer for
Christ, nay, to suffer with him ! Who had not rather have a share in such
a cross, than in all the glory of the world ?

Or [2.] do you fear want under the cross ? Why, but hear what Good
ness itself says to this : Mat. vi. 26, ' Behold the fowls of the air : for
they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your
heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ?' If
you have a servant that works for you, you will think yourselves obliged
to provide for him, much more if he suffer for you. Why, but here is a
greater engagement the Lord lays upon himself. Those that take up the
cross for him, he looks on them as children, as children suffering for him.
Now will not he who provides for his ordinary servants, yea, for the very
birds, provide for children when under the cross for his sake ? Sure, if

494 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

ordinary means fail, he will provide for them in an extraordinary way : he
that feeds the ravens, will send the ravens to feed his children, as he did
the prophet, rather than that they shall not be provided for. What special
care may not they be confident of, since he sometimes feeds the ravens in a
way little less than miraculous, if we may believe what some good authors
report. They tell us, that when the young ravens are forsaken of their
dams, and so in danger to be starved, out of their own dung there
ariseth a worm, which creepeth to their mouths, and becomes nourish
ment to them. Has the Lord such a care of ravens ? will common
goodness do so much for them ? what then may children, suffering
children, expect from the special goodness of a heavenly Father ?
Are ye not much better, much dearer to him than they ? If you
would be encouraged to take up the cross, and bear it, look to the good
ness of God.

(4.) The unchangeableness of God. He is the same God to you, though
your condition be not the same, and therefore you may have as much peace
and contentment, as much joy and comfort, under the cross, as in a pros
perous condition ; and if so, there will be no reason to dread the cross, or
to decline it. This may make you as ready to embrace the cross as to
embrace outward prosperity.

Those exhortations, whereby the apostle calls us to rejoice evermore, and
to rejoice always, may seem strange. What, rejoice in poverty, disgrace,
in losses and sufferings, in wants and dangers, when destitute, afflicted,
tormented! What, can we rejoice as much then as when all things suc
ceed with us in the world according to our desires ? Why, yes ; if your
joys and contentments be those of Christians, and not those of wordlings,
you may have as much joy and contentment in a suffering as in a prosper
ous condition, because the Lord, who is the ground of your joy, is still the
same. Where there is the same ground of contentment, contentment may
be the same, but the Lord is the same in every condition. Indeed, if your
joys and contentments arise from earthly things, they will alter as those
things suffer alteration. But if they arise from God, as they do if they be
such as become Christians, they may be the same under the cross, because
God is the same still; though your condition be changed, yet the Lord,
who is the ground of your comfort and contentment, is not changed. ' I
the Lord change not.' His all- sufficiency, his power, his love, his good
ness, is without variableness or shadow of change. If there be any change,
it is not in his nature, but in some outward expressions ; and even in these,
when you come under the cross, there will be no change unless for the
better. The Lord may be better to you in a suffering condition than in
any other condition ; and indeed so he is wont to be far better to his people
under the cross than in outward prosperity ; they find him then a thousand
times better than ever. And this we may expect from that promise,
whereby he engages himself to return an hundredfold for whatever they
Buffer or part with for his name's sake. He will be an hundred times better
to them under reproach for his sake, than when they are cried up by the
world ; an hundred times better in wants and losses for his sake than when
they have the greatest abundance ; an hundred times better in prison and
Bufferings than at ease and liberty. To be still looking thus upon God is
an effectual way to prepare you for the cross. Such a view of God will
make you ready to take it up, and willing to bear it.

9. Get more spiritual strength. Make it your business, before the cross
comes, to strengthen yourselves for it. Be diligent in the use of all means

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 495

to get all the strength that may be ; and the more, to use the apostle's ex
pression, as you see the day approaching.

There is an habitual strength, which consists in the grown and confirmed
habits of grace, strengthen that which is weak, Rev. iii. 2. And there is
an actual strength, which consists in the exercise of grace, which the Scrip
ture expresseth by girding up the loins, denoting agility. And there is an
auxiliary strength, which consists in divine influences and assistances, Eph.
vi. 10. And there is an external strength, which consists in extrinsecal
advantages, such as a staff is to a man under a burden, and such as wind,
and sun, and armour, and fortifications, are to a soldier. And there is a
strength proper for a suffering condition, which consists more peculiarly in
suffering graces, faith, and patience, &c.

Now, if you would be prepared for the cross, you must endeavour to
strengthen yourselves every way ; all will be little enough to enable you to
demean yourselves as the followers of Christ, and so as you may honour
your leader.

The less strength you have, the less will you be able, as to do, so to
suffer for Christ. Nihil agit ultra vires. A little cannot do much, suffer
much, 1 Cor. xvi. 13. If you will 'quit yourselves like men, be strong.'

The less strength, the more danger sinfully to decline the cross, or
shamefully to sink and fall under it. You know what befell Peter when he
encountered the cross in his weakness.

The less strength, the more afflictive, the more painful, will any cross
be. A man of strength will carry that with ease which will be a grievous
oppression to a child or a weakling.

The less strength, the more weaknesses and distempers will you shew
under any cross whatsoever, so as Christ and his cause and interest may
hereby come to suffer by you when you are called to suffer for him.

(1.) Get more habitual strength. Get the habits and principles of grace
strengthened and confirmed. The cross will try your strength.

[1.] Content not yourselves with the infancy of grace, with the first
beginnings of it. Think not that enough which will barely give you a title
to heaven. If you will come there, you must keep the way, and the way
lies through many tribulations ; and it will require more than the strength
of an infant, to hold on in deep and rugged paths, to bear up under many
and heavy crosses, Eph. iv. 14. As there is a wind of temptation from
the sleight and cunning craftiness, so there is a temptation from the hatred,
malice, and violence of men; those that are but like children will be in
danger to be tossed to and fro with every wind. It must be a strong cable
that will ride out a storm. Labour to be rooted and grounded in every
grace. A weak plant, not well rooted, will hardly bear up against a fierce
blast, Mat. xiii. 21. Those that have no root, when tribulation and perse
cution ariseth, will never stand ; those that are but weakly rooted will be
in danger to fall.

[2.] Take heed of inward consumptions and declinings, which waste the
strength already attained. Take heed there be no carnal, or worldly, or
spiritual distemper insensibly consuming the inward man. A languishing
consumptive soul is very unfit to bear a cross, Rev. iii. 1, 2. Some of
them had already fallen under persecution. Though they seemed to be
alive, yet when the cross came they appeared to have no more strength
than dead men. Others of them were ready to die, ready to fall; their
weakness was not like to bear up under the cross. To prevent the danger,
he calls upon them to strengthen that which was weak and languishing.

496 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

Make this your great business, to grow in grace. While others make it
their business to grow rich and great, or to entrench themselves so as their
worldly interest may be secured ; while they trouble themselves about the
many things of this life, mind you this, as that one thing needful, to grow
in grace.

Keep up eager desires after the increase of grace. The hungry soul is,
above all other, the growing and thriving soul. 'He filleth the hungry
with good things.' He is wont to do it, to fill them that hunger with the
strength and riches of grace. And he is engaged to do it, Mat. v. Never
look to thrive and grow strong, if you keep not up an eager appetite after
more and more spiritual strength. ' The rich he sends empty away.' Who
are the rich ? Those who think themselves rich, who demean themselves
as though they had enough already. Be diligent in the use of all appointed
means for the increase of grace. It is the diligent hand that makes rich.
Spiritual riches is spiritual strength. Be the more diligent, because the
time is short and your opportunities may be shorter. Suck in the word,
as those that know your life, and strength, and growth, depends on it,
1 Peter, ii. 2. Labour to retrieve what you have lost by former sloth
and negligence, and be much at the throne of grace ; there it is you may
find grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 16. Come with faith, with
fervency, with importunity. You are encouraged by the promise of God
and the experience of his people, Ps. cxxxviii. 8, "OHiTVI, Thou shalt
strengthen me. He hath done it, and he will do it. Let this encourage
you, and provoke you, not only to pray, but to cry as he did.

(2.) Get more actual strength. Be much in the exercise of grace. A
man that hath strength and useth it not, loseth it for want of use ; he will
be able to do less when the trial comes than he that hath less and useth it
more. A soul well furnished with grace is like a good instrument, but if
grace be not kept in exercise, it is out of tune. He that hath a worse in
strument may play a lesson in less time and with less pains than the other
can tune a neglected instrument. When Christ would have his disciples
prepared for the troubles he had been foreshewing them, he calls upon them
to have their loins girt and their lights burning, Luke xii. 85, i.e., keep
your graces still in exercise. No matter how much match soever a soldier
have, if his match be out when danger is upon him, he is not like to do any
service. If grace be not kept in exercise, your light is not burning, your
match is out; you are more like to run than stand to it when danger comes.
'I sleep, but my heart waketh,' says the spouse. 'I have put off my coat,
how shall I put it on?' Cant. v. 2, 3. That is the posture and condition
of a soul that hath not grace in exercise ; how much soever he be furnished
with, yet it is as it were put off and laid aside when it is not used and
exercised ; and in that case he will be unready to entertain Christ, when he
comes with a visit of love, much more when he comes with the cross. The
strongest man, when he is asleep, may be more easily mastered and baffled
than a weaker person upon his guard. If the cross surprise you when you
are asleep, i. e., when grace is unexercised and laid down in a sluggish rest,
it will find you unprepared, unable, unfit to bear it.

(8.) Get more auxiliary strength. Look up to God for divine assistance
and influences. The strength of inherent grace, though it be necessary,
yet it is not sufficient to support you under the cross, unless it be con
tinually empowered and influenced from above. We are not sufficient of
ourselves, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Who had more inward strength than the apostle?
And yet that was not sufficient, without a further aid, to think of bearing

LUKE XTV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 497

the cross, to resolve on it, much less actually to endure it. But our suffi
ciency is of God. It is the name of God, 1 Sam. xv. 29. He is ' the
strength of Israel.' And so he is, not only by planting strength in the
soul, but by a continued conveyance of strengthening influences. For the
strength implanted in the soul is but a dependent strength, something like
a staff in a man's hand, which depends upon the hand both for its support
and motion. Remove the hand, and the staff falls, and will stand him in
no stead who formerly leaned on it. If you rely upon inherent grace,
without looking higher, it will prove like a broken reed ; it will fail you
when the pressure of the cross is upon you.

The earth hath a vegetative power in itself, whereby it brings forth
herbs, and flowers, and fruit ; but without the heat and influence of the
sun, this power will be fruitless. Even so will the power of inherent
grace. It will be fruitless, and stand you in no stead, unless it be excited,
and quickened, and fortified by renewed aids and influences from above :
Eph. vi. 10, ' Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.'
There is the fountain of your strength. That which you have in the
cistern has no virtue nor power otherwise than by a secret intercourse
betwixt it and the fountain. Apply yourselves then to the Lord for those
divine aids and influences : engage him to vouchsafe and continue them,
by a continual dependence on him for them. ' Those that wait on the
Lord shall renew their strength.'

Take heed you provoke not God, by high conceits or self-confidence,
neglects of him, or any otherwise, to suspend these influences of assisting
grace. Not only Peter, a man compassed with like infirmities as we, but
Adam in the state of innocency, of perfection, and the angels in a higher
state both of grace and glory than he, when they were left to themselves,
found all their strength to be mere weakness, not able to support them a
moment. They fell by a less temptation than the cross may prove ; for
the impressions of fear, proper to the cross, are more forcible than those of
the other affections wherewith they were overpowered.

(4.) Make use of strengthening advantages. I shall name some of them,
which will contribute much strength and support under the cross.

[l.J Keep the sense of former comforts. To comfort is confortari, to
strengthen, as the word imports. The joy of the Lord is your strength,
Nehem. viii. 10. Comfort is that strength which the object contributes to
the heart, as one describes it; and the strength is proportionable to the
object. The Lord being the best object, brings most strength to the heart.
He that can comfort himself in the Lord, will be thereby so strengthened
as he will not faint under the cross.

[2.] Make use of former experiences, both your own and others'. Re
member what the Lord hath been, and what he hath done for yourselves
and others under the cross. Experiments are great encouragements, and
that which encourageth the heart doth strengthen it. When the psalmist
was ready to sink under the pressure of his troubles, he fetches strength
and support from hence, Ps. Ixxvii. 10-12. From the experience of
times past, he draws encouraging presages of future mercies, and had
thereby strength and relief under the infirmity and weakness he there
mentions.

[3.] Stay yourselves on the word, the promises of God. No such
cordials in a fainting fit. Treasure up those promises which are suited to
the cross. No condition hath so many promises, nor any of a sweeter
import. Let these be your delight, and they will be your strength,

VOL. I. ". I i

498 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

Ps. cxix. 92. He had fainted and sunk under the weight of his afflictions,
but that the promise was his support, and that which he delighted to stay
upon.

[4.] Keep in God's way. The strength of a soldier is in his intrench-
ments and fortifications. While he [is] within his works he is in his
strength, whenas a straggler may be easily cut off. While you straggle
not, but keep God's way, you are within your fortifications ; ' The way of
the Lord is strength,' Prov. x. 29. If a cross meet you there, it may
trouble you, but it cannot easily hurt you. If a storm rise while you are
at anchor in the channel, or in the harbour, you may ride it out more
safely ; but if it take you while you are amongst rocks and shelves (as you
are always when you leave the way of God), you will be in danger to be
wrecked. When a man is under a heavy burden, it is a great advantage
to him if his way be fair ; but if he be upon a bog, the weight of his
burden will go near to sink him. Every step out of God's way is over a
quagmire. There is no bearing a heavy cross where you can have no
sure footing ; but the way of God is firm ; it will bear you up under any
pressure.

(5.) Labour for that strength especially which will serve in a more
peculiar manner to fortify you under the cross, that strength which con
sists in suffering graces. Let me insist a little upon two, faith and
patience. Every grace may contribute something to enable you for the
cross, but these two more than any of the rest, more especially, more
immediately.

[1.] For faith. The apostle commends this to us above all the rest,
with an lirf naffiv, as that which above all the rest will enable us to stand
in a day of trial, Eph. vi. 13, 14, 16. Above all, get the shield of faith,
if you would stand. Get faith strengthened, get it exercised ; act it upon
the attributes, upon the promises of God ; encourage it by your relations to
him, by your experiences of him, by the acts of his providence for you and
others under the cross in all ages. Those worthies of whom we have a
catalogue, Heb. xi., were by faith enabled both to do wonders, and to
endure wonderfully. All that they acted, all that they suffered, is by name
ascribed to faith, ver. 24, 25. By faith Moses took up the cross out of
choice ; he did choose it, rather than all the pleasures, riches, and honours
of Egypt. And by faith, when he had taken it up, he bare it, he endured
it, ver. 27 ; and others were enabled thereby to endure things more
grievous, ver. 85-38. And all by faith. This enabled them to encounter
death in all shapes, to bear all kinds of crosses, even those that seem most
intolerable to flesh and blood ; and so to endure them, as they were not
only admired by men, but the Lord himself breaks forth into their praises,
ver. 39. If you would tread in their steps under the cross, you must get
their faith; for faith affords the greatest advantages to fortify you for
bearing the cross. Let me instance in some briefly.

First, Faith engages the strength of God with you ; and they are strong
indeed who are fortified with his strength. What cross is there that the
strength of the Almighty will not enable you to bear ? Now faith will make
you sure of this. It will oblige the everlasting arm to bear you up, and
to keep you upright under the cross, how heavy and oppressing soever it
be, 1 Pet. i. 5-7. What kept them in such a temper under the cross, as
they could rejoice under manifold sufferings, so as they lost no more by
their sufferings than the gold loseth by the fire, which comes out more
bright and precious and orient than it goes in ; yea, so as their manifold

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 499

crosses, and their undergoing them, was to the praise and honour and glory
of God, exceedingly every way to his glory ? What is there that could
keep flesh and blood thus under the cross ? Why, it was the power of
God, to which nothing is impossible, nothing difficult, being kept by the
power of God. And how came this power of God to be engaged with
them? Why, through faith. Never fear the heaviest cross, if there be
the power of God to bear it. And this will not be wanting if faith be not
wanting. Faith is a relying upon God for strength. Now those that rely
on him oblige him ; he will not fail them, Ps. ix. 18, D*)^- The oppressed,
those that are ready to sink under their pressure, if they expect the Lord's
strength to bear them up (and faith doth expect it), he will not disappoint
them. That would be a great dishonour to him, to disappoint those whom
he has encouraged to depend on him. Honest and ingenious men will not
deal thus, much less the faithful God. If you believe, the Lord and his
power is engaged.

Secondly, Faith stays itself upon God, Isaiah 1. 10. Believing is a lean
ing on him, Cant. viii. 5. The words *pD and |y^, whereby faith is ordi
narily expressed in the Old Testament, signify to stay or lean upon. One
of them is used when Saul is said to lean upon his spear. And from ty]tf
comes tyWQ, a staff, such a staff as a man leans upon, and supports him
self by, when any pressure is upon him ; so that the words which the
Holy Ghost makes use of to express faith clearly teach us thus much, that
by trusting God, by believing on him, the Lord himself becomes our stay,
our staff, our support. And what cross can be too heavy when there is
such a support under it ? when the Almighty becomes, as it were, your
staff, your stay, to bear you up ? Ps. Iv. 22. The burden of the cross is
too heavy for thee ; why, but it is not too heavy for the Lord, and he
would have thee cast both thyself and thy burden upon him. He can and
will sustain both ; and so sustain it, that how heavy soever it be, it shall
not so much as move thee. He will bear it himself, rather than it shall
move ; only cast it upon him. That is the way to be eased of the pres
sure, to cast it upon God. But how is this done ? Why, by believing.
It is cast upon God by trusting him. So it is explained, Ps. xxxvii. 5, 58.
And the same word is rendered trusting, Ps. xxii. 8 ; so that faith is a
compendious way to give you ease under the cross. When it grows heavy,
you may relieve yourselves by rolling it upon God, which is done by be
lieving. And he commands you thus to ease yourselves, by casting the
burden upon him. You can never be oppressed, let the cross be what it
will, if faith be thus employed.

Thirdly, Faith brings strength from heaven into the soul, fetches sup
plies from above for the strengthening of the soul under the cross, Ps.
xxvii. 13 ; faith strengthened his heart, kept him from fainting, ver. 14 ;
so Ps. lix. 9, because of his strength Ity ; because of the strength which I
have from God, I will wait upon him ; for that is the way to have it ;
thereby God becomes my strength and defence. It was by faith that the
suffering saints, Heb. xi., out of weakness were made strong ; so strong,
as nothing was too hard, too heavy for them, Isa. xl. 81. Those that rest
upon God for his aid, and rely on him for the accomplishment of his pro
mise, they shall have new supplies of strength, enabling them to bear up
and hold out when they seem to be quite spent ; they shall as easily sur
mount all the grievances and difficulties that encounter, as if they were
carried above them upon eagles' wings ; they shall be above the cross even
while they are under it ; they shall run when the cross lies heaviest on

500 OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

them ; it shall not weary nor retard tham ; they shall walk with it and not
faint. Such are the wonderful effects of faith, and the efficacy of that
strength wherewith it empowers a believing soul.

Fourthly, Faith strengthens by its representations, Heb. xi. 1 ; it makes
those things visible and evident which are not seen, gives the believer a
clear prospect of them, and represents those things as present which are
yet to come, gives them, as it were, a present subsistence, and consequently
shews him those things as past which at present are grievous ; represents
to him the crown as though it were present, and the cross that is upon him
as though it were already past.

First, Faith represents Christ to one under the cross, as though he were
standing by him, as though he saw and heard him, and felt him. It
shews him Christ, as though he saw him before his eyes smiling on him,
and expressing himself highly pleased that he will express such love to his
Saviour as to suffer for him.

It sets Christ before him as though he felt him putting under his
almighty arm to ease and support him under the pressure ; as though
he felt him holding his head and wiping off the sweat or blood, as one of
the martyrs testified, and embracing him with all affectionateness and
tenderness.

It sets Christ before him as though he heard him speaking in his ear,
Well done, good and faithful servant ; I see thy love, thy faithfulness to
me, and I will never forget it. Oh if you did but see Christ standing by
you, and hear him with an audible voice speaking so to you, you would
think nothing too grievous to suffer for him ! Why, faith will represent
him as effectually as if your eye saw him, and your ears heard him, as
though you heard him whisper in your ears those sweet words, Mat. v.
11, 12, 'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heaven.' It was such
a representation of faith that enabled Moses to endure, Heb. xi. 27 ; by
faith he saw him, and so endured, as 'seeing him who is' otherwise
' invisible.'

Secondly, Faith represents heaven to him, as though it were set open to
his eye ; shews him all the glory that is approaching, as though it were
already present ; helps him to such a prospect of heaven in a promise, as
Moses had of Canaan from mount Pisgah : ' If we suffer with him, we shall
also reign with him.' ' Henceforth is laid up for me a crown,' 2 Tim. iv. 8.
' The sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the
glory which shall be revealed in us,' Rom. viii. 18. It is already revealed
to faith, though not to sense. Faith can draw the veil, and get such a
sight of glory as will make the sense of sufferings to vanish. Faith
sees the crown, as though he were already crowned ; sees the kingdom,
as though he were already reigning ; sees the glory of it, as though he
were already shining in it: looks upon these things as matters of as
great reality and certainty, as any thing that he hears, or sees, or actually
enjoys.

Faith gave Moses such a sight of heaven, as enabled him both to take
up the cross and bear it, Heb. xi. 28, d7r£/3A£Tg yag ; he looked upon it,
he had a sight of it. And so had the apostle ; and that made him think
light of all the crosses that befell him, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. How came the
apostle to such a sense of glory as made him speak so slightly of all his
afflictions and sufferings ; to make nothing of them, as light, momentary,

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 601

and inconsiderable ? Why, ver. 18, he looked at things not seen: he saw
the exceeding greatness and eternity of an unseen, glory. And nothing but
faith could give him such a sight.

Thirdly, Faith represents the cross as if it were past, looks upon it as
that which is but for a moment, and can easily overlook a moment when
the boundless length and breadth of eternity is before it. ' These light
afflictions, which are but for a moment,' says the apostle, when the eye of
faith was upon that unseen eternity. Faith compares the time of suffer
ing with the time of reigning, and sees that that is but as the twinkling of
an eye, when it is set against an infinite duration. ' Mine age is nothing
before thee,' says David of his life, compared with God's everlastingness,
Ps. xxxix. 5. If the cross should lie upon us while we live, yet that is
nothing to the eternity of glory with which it shall be recompensed,
and faith will not think much to endure that which it looks upon as
nothing.

If you would be prepared for the cross, get such a faith as this, and thus
exercise it. Let it represent to you Christ and heaven as if they were pre
sent, crosses and sufferings as if they were past ; since it is but a moment,
and they will be no more. Make use of it to engage the strength of God
with you; though a small cross may be grievous to you, yet nothing
can be too heavy for that. Make God your stay, your support ; lean on
him by faith ; and if the cross grow too weighty, cast it, roll it upon him :
he is ready to sustain you, if you will but trust him. At what an easy
rate may you be eased of all your pressures !

And when you are ready to faint, make use of faith to bring in new sup
plies of strength. If you have not such trials now, yet you cannot want
occasions to exercise it every day ; and the more you exercise it now, the
readier will it be to serve your turn in greater necessities, under heavier
pressures. This will hold the head above water in the fiercest storms : no
cross will ever sink you while faith bears up.

[2.] Patience. Get yourselves stored with this : a quiet submission to
the hand of God, without disturbance or discomposure, without murmuring
or repining ; not thinking it too heavy, or too tedious ; not giving way to
a thought of revenge, or of making the least ill return to the instruments
of your sufferings. This is a grace, serving in a special manner to fit
you for the cross. There is no bearing it like the followers of Christ,
unless in patience you possess your souls. Hence it is so frequently
required, and so highly extolled. The apostle glories in the Thessalonians :
2 Thes. i. 4, ' We glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience
and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.' And
indeed, it is a great advantage under the cross : it makes the cross far
more easy. Levins fit quicquid corrigere est ne/as : that which is otherwise
intolerable, is easily endured by a patient soul. A weak Christian, armed
with patience, will better bear a heavier cross than one that has more
strength and less patience. This secures the soul against that inward dis
turbance and discomposure, which is the very sting and malignity of any
outward suffering.

But how shall we compass this patience? Why, briefly, follow the
apostle's advice: Heb. xii. 1, 2, * Let us run with patience the race set
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,' &c.
Look upon Jesus, see with what patience he bore the cross in all forms,
and endured all kinds of persecution.

First, The persecution of the heart, that is hatred. He was hated, and

502 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

hated with cruel hatred, as the effects of it shewed ; and hated without
cause. David therein was a type of Christ, and hated by those to whom
he expressed the greatest love, John xv. 18 ; and yet he was the greatest
expression of love to the world that ever the world saw, John iii.

Secondly, The persecution of the countenance, when scorn and derision
appears in it. For this is Ishmael branded as a persecutor, Gal. iv. And
how did he persecute him ? Gen. xxi. 9. By mocking. The word is
metsahhak, which signifies derision, or laughing to scorn. And with this,
as some conceive, begin the four hundred years of the Egyptian affliction.
Such persecution Christ endured. They fleered at him, and derided him ;
they scorned him when he preached against their wickedness; Luke xvi. 14,
£g£/ivxr^/£oi<, they blew their noses at him, as the word signifies ; they
nodded their heads at him when he was in the greatest extremity.

Thirdly, The persecution of the tongue. He was reviled and vilified,
falsely accused, and horribly reproached. They called him a glutton, a
wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, Mat. xi. 19 ; a Sabbath-
breaker, John v. 16, 18 ; an impostor, a deceiver, John vii. 12 ; a Samari
tan, and one that had a devil, John viii. 48 ; a conjuror, and one that cast
out devils by the help of the prince of devils ; Mat. xii. 24, BaX^sCoCC,
a blasphemer; Matth. xxvi. 65, a traitor, an enemy to Ceesar. And upon
these accusations he suffered, and all this falsely. He infinitely abhorred
the very thought of what they laid to his charge. They might as well
have charged the sea with want of moisture, or accused the sun itself of
darkness.

Fourthly, The persecution of the hand. They thrust him out of their
synagogues, and out of their city, Luke iv. 29. They apprehended him as
a thief, Mat. xxvi. 55 ; arraigned him as a malefactor ; they stripped
him, and buffeted him, and smote him with the palms of their hands, ver.
67. They tore his flesh with scourges, and pierced his head with thorns,
and wounded his side and heart with a spear, and drove great nails through
his hands and feet, thereby fastening him to the cross, and putting him to
a painful, a cruel, a lingering death.

Now how did he demean himself under all these sufferings and abuses,
which were the more provoking and the less sufferable with any patience,
because they were offered to a person of perfect innocency, of infinite worth
and excellency. Could he endure this with patience ? Could the Lord of
glory put up such things, when vile worms thus used him ? Why, yes ;
the prophet shews us how he endured : Is. liii. 7, ' He was oppressed, and
he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth ; he is brought as a lamb to
the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his. mouth.' Not an impatient word, not an impatient motion; and
the apostle, 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23, ' Who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again,' &c. And thus he suffered, that he might teach us thus to suffer,
ver. 20, 21. If you would learn patience, look upon Jesus; if his
example will not teach it, there is nothing in heaven or earth can help you
to learn it.

Thus much for direction. Let me now remove some pleas which carnal
reason is apt to make use of, and flesh and blood, when it is consulted
with, will be ready to lay hold of, to excuse itself from bearing the cross,
and to decline it when Christ calls for the taking of it up.

Some may be ready to say, I would willingly take up the cross, rather
than deny Christ, or renounce the religion I profess ; I would suffer rather
than quit the substantial and fundamental truths of the gospel.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 503

Obj. But when the question is about circumstantials and smaller matters,
about rites and ceremonies, gestures and postures, this or that form of worship
or discipline, — here I must be excused, — these are not worth the contending
about ; no wisdom to run any great hazard for such small matters as
the Arians of old. What needs so much stir, propter duos vocales,
for two small words, and those not found anywhere expressly in the
Scripture ?

In answer to this, let me present to your consideration these four
things.

1. He that is a Christian indeed, and follows Christ fully and faithfully,
will not, in the day of trial, inquire whether the matter be small or great
that is imposed on him, but whether it be lawful or unlawful. If it be un
lawful, not warranted by the law of God, how small soever it may seem, he
counts it an occasion great enough to suffer anything rather than yield to
it ; he will submit to anything, how great soever it be, provided it be law
ful ; he will yield to nothing, how small soever it be, if it be a sin against
God. In this case, nihil obstinacius Christiana (as the ancient says), no
thing more obstinate than a Christiana. Let the thing be never so small,
if he discern but the least sin in it, do what you will with him, he will never
yield to it while he acts like himself.

He counts no sin small, whatever the world may judge of it. Though one
sin be less than another, yet no sin to him is little absolutely ; as the earth,
though it seem but a small point compared with the heavens, yet absolutely,
and in itself considered, it is of a vast bigness. So are those sins to him
which the world counts little. He sees something of infiniteness in every
sin, as that which is committed against an infinite majesty, as that which
makes him obnoxious to infinite justice, as that which deserves infinite or
eternal torments, as that which cannot be expiated without a satisfaction
of infinite value. Let them make light of sin who never saw its sinful-
ness, who never felt its weight and grievousness. The true Christian has
seen and felt that in sin which will not suffer him to look upon it as a
light matter, in what diminutive shape soever it appear; and therefore,
when it comes to this, either you must do such a thing, forbear such a
thing, or suffer for it ; he inquires not whether this thing be small or great,
but whether it be sin or no ; as a man that is careful of his life will not
inquire whether a suspected potion be less or more, but whether it be
poison or no ; if it\be deadly poison, he knows a drop is too much, and may
destroy him as well as a large draught, and therefore will not meddle with
a drop of it. A true Christian looks upon every sin as deadly poison,
how finely soever it be gilded over ; in how small quantity soever it be
offered him, he dare not venture his soul to take it, he will rather venture
body and all outward things under the cross.

Thus Daniel would hazard his life rather than not open his window
towards Jerusalem ; though this was but a circumstance, and the main
duty might have been done unobserved, and so without danger, if this had
been omitted, Dan. vi. 10.

So Laurentius the deacon, in the primitive times, would die rather than
discover the church's treasure to those that would have seized on it,
though it is like the church would have been willing to lose their treasure
to have saved the life of such a person.

So the man of Berne, that Melancthon speaks of, would be martyred
rather than observe a fast in the popish manner, though that may seem a
small matter.

504 OF TAKING UP THE CKOSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

So divers Christians, in Diocletian's persecution, would suffer rather
than yield to the appearance of evil ; they would not redeem their lives by
giving a piece of paper at the command of the officers, lest thereby they
should have seemed to have delivered their Bibles to the fire.

And the Christians in Tertullian's time would suffer rather than
use the rites, and ceremonies, and customs of idolaters, though they
might have used them to another end, and with another mind, than
they did.

They thought these sinful, and therefore, though they might seem small
matters to others, they counted them matter sufficient to suffer. And so
is the smallest matter which is but in the leastwise sinful to every true Chris
tian ; he that will be faithful to Christ must choose the greatest sufferings
rather than the smallest sin, and take up the heaviest cross rather than
offend in the least.

There may be great evil in that which passes for a little sin, a small
matter. Vain thoughts are counted the smallest sins, but the Scripture
otherwise represents them : ver. 4, 14, ' Wash thine heart from wicked
ness, that thou mayest be saved ; how long shall vain thoughts lodge
within thee ? ' There is pernicious wickedness in vain thoughts, such as
may hinder those who allow it from being saved. An idle word passes for
a slight fault, many will count it none at all ; but we are told, Mat. xii.
36, ' Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment.' Is it not better to be condemned at man's tri
bunal for avoiding of that which, how small soever, may be matter of condem
nation at the judgment- seat of Christ ? The apostle would have us avoid
all appearance of evil, 1 Thes. v. 22. He would have us avoid nothing
but what we may comfortably suffer for, yet would have us avoid not only
apparent evils, but the appearance ; so Jude 23, ' hating the garment
spotted with the flesh.'

2. A small evil in itself may become a great evil in consequence ; by
giving way to the least we may make way for the greatest. He that will
yield to small evils, rather than endure the cross, may thereby lay the
foundation of the greatest mischiefs. Solent et minima paulatim despecta in
malum magnum trahere. The least evils slighted are wont to draw us into
the greatest.

This is evident in all experience. The greatest abominations in the
Christian world have had their rise from small beginnings, and such as it
would be counted a nicety to scruple at. What greater abomination was
there ever amongst Christians than the popish mass, as we find it now in
the Eoman missal ? Pursue this to its original, and the first step to it will
appear to have been a stinted, imposed liturgy. No such thing as a common
prescribed liturgy can be found in the first and purest ages of the church.
Nay, Socrates the historian tells us, that in his time (and he lived about
the middle of the fifth century), lib. v. cap. xxi, page 698, ragra irdtais
SgTjffxs/a/s ruv s-j^uv oux isrtv ivgt7v (aXXjjXa/s) av/A<puvovoas dvb SKI TO O.VTO,
that amongst all the sorts of worshippers there were not two to be found
that used the same prayers. But in the beginning of the seventh century
Gregory the Great, who is called the last bishop and the first pope of Rome,
imposed the Gregorian form upon the Church of Borne,* thrusting into it
the invocation of saints. f And in the ninth century it was urged upon the
other western churches by Charles the Great : and in the eleventh century
upon the churches of Spain by Alphonsus the VI. And still, as it pro-
ide Field, Append. t Vide Chemnit.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 505

ceeded, some additions were made, the additions bringing in new corrup
tions, and the universal imposition making the corruptions generally
received, till at last it came up to that height of superstition, idolatry, and
error, which we see it now consists of, and which all true protestants cannot
but greatly abhor and detest. And so we perceive what a mischief may
arise from a small and seemingly innocent thing.

Nor can any deny, but if way had not been given to a stinted, imposed
form, the popish mass had never taken place in the world. So that hence
it is manifest that a small and seemingly innocent thing may make way
for a dreadful mischief. Let me add another instance.

The first step to the pope's throne was the inequality introduced amongst
ministers, by one degree after another, rising to a papal height. There
was granted to one person, first a presidency over others, then a sole
power of ordination, then a sole power of jurisdiction over the rest ;
and that first over all in a city or diocese, then over all in a province,
then over all in divers provinces, and at last over all through the whole
world.

If this inequality, in the former degrees of it, had not been yielded to,
the man of sin could never have advanced himself above all that is called
God. If that egg had never been laid, or had been crushed when it first
appeared, this cockatrice had never been hatched ; it had never become a
dragon, or such a fiery flying serpent as we now find it.

The papists' invocation of saints is apparently idolatrous, and yet the
beginnings of it seemed modest. They first began with a commemoration
of the saints, naming them, and praising God for them. From thence
they proceeded to the suffrages of the saints, beseeching God that they
might have the benefit and advantage of the prayers and supplications of
the saints departed. And so, in fine, they came to direct their prayers
immediately to the saints, making them mediators of intercession. Now
if they had at first scrupled those commemorations, they had never gone
so far as intercession ; but yielding to the one as harmless, made a more
easy way to the other, though grossly idolatrous.

Nay further, some words, though less material than things, being
incautiously used, have been the foundation of pernicious errors. The
ancients using the words merit and satisfaction in a tolerable sense, the
papists upon those words have hatched their blasphemous opinions of the
merit of condignity and human satisfactions, challenging heaven as that
which they have deserved, and presuming they can make God a recom-
pence for the injury sin has done him.

There is danger in words, not only in rites and actions. Change in
words may occasion some change in religion ; which the Jesuits apprehend,
and therefore advise their followers not to use the words of protestants.
So the Ehemists, ' While they say ministers, let us say priests ; and when
they call it a communion-table, let us call it an altar. Let us,' say they,
' keep our old words, and we shall keep our old things, our religion.' So
jealous are they of their religion, indeed their superstition, as they will
not hazard it by the change of a word ; whenas both names and things
as hazardous to our religion, are swallowed down freely by many who are
accounted protestants.

Basil was more cautious, who would not abate one syllable to keep his
place and purchase the emperor's favour. It is remarkable what Theodoret
relates of him, lib. iv. cap. xvii. The emperor Valens being desirous to
win Basil over to a compliance with the Arians, sends a governor to him,

506 OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. [LUKE XIY. 27.

with instructions, either to prevail with him or cast him out of his place.
The governor applies himself to Basil with all persuasive words, exhorting
him to yield to the time, ti^ai rs rw xaigw, and not to run so great a hazard
for so small a matter, 8i l\.iyw doypuruv axgij3f<av ; promises him the
emperor's favour, and great advantages thereby, both to himself and
others. Basil answers him, ' These words are fitter for children, whose
weakness is apt to be taken with such things ; but those who are nourished
up with the word of God, ovb'i piav avs^ovrai ffuXXa/3j?v, will not quit so
much as one syllable of divine truth ; nay rather, they will suffer, -raffag
TOV Savarcu Tag Sdsag, all kinds of death. As for the emperor's favour
(says he) pfya yu.% fiyovpai (MT faas(3tlag, I value it highly when it is
consistent with piety ; but without this I count it pernicious, bXsdgtav

If the ancients had foreseen that their incautiousness in some smaller
matters would have been of such pernicious consequence to after-ages,
they would have kept closer to the rule, both in rites and words, though
they had suffered for it. And we, being warned by such experiences, will
be left inexcusable, if we do not endure the cross rather than yield to the
least thing which may be of dangerous consequence either to present or
future generations.

3. Small things may be accompanied with such circumstances, effects,
and attendants, as may swell them into a monstrous and very formidable
bigness. Those things which seem small, when you consider them in
themselves simply, yet behold them in their concomitants, and you may
discern them to be exceeding great evils. As,

(1.) If we stand obliged against them under sacred and solemn bonds,
if we be engaged against them by solemn oath and covenant, in that case
there is no yielding to them without perjury and perfidiousness to God and
men. And that is no small thing which involves us in the guilt of perjury,
and that vengeance which will follow it. ' It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.' And such perfidiousness will bring us under
the hand and stroke of divine vengeance ; for the Lord threatens he will
avenge the quarrel of his covenant, and avenge it with the dreadfullest
judgments, sword, and famine, and pestilence, Lev. xxvi. 25, 26. And
you may see one part of the threatening executed with severity in David's
time : 2 Sam. xxi. 1, 2, Saul had slam some of the Gibeonites, and thereby
violated the covenant made with them some hundred years before, in the
days of Joshua. And for the breaking of that solemn league, though it
was rashly made, and the Israelites were drawn into it by fraud and dis
simulation ; and it was questionable whether it was lawfully made, since
the Lord had commanded to destroy the Canaanites, part of whom by this
oath escaped the sentence of destruction ; nevertheless the Lord's wrath
broke forth against Israel, nor would he be atoned till David had punished
that perfidiousness upon Saul's house by the sword, as he had punished it
upon all Israel by famine.

There is some comfort, if we fall into the hands of men for our faithful
ness ; but what comfort can there be if we fall under the hand of God for
perfidiousness ? The faithful found some comfort and support in a desolate
condition, upon this account, because they had been faithful in the cove
nant, Ps. xliv. 17, 19. Though they were brought into the most desolate
condition of horror and darkness, the very next degree to death itself, yet
this supports them, they had not dealt falsely, &c. But perfidiousness
will leave us under the revenging hand of God, without support. That is

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. 507

no small thing which will bring us under such a horrid guilt, and under
such a dreadful danger.

(2.) If they make us like idolaters. It is no small evil to he like those
whom God abhors, in small matters. The Lord will not have the Jews to
use the rites of the idolatrous nations. Because the Gentiles worshipped
towards the east, he will have his temple built westward. He forbids the
shaving of their heads, because he would not have them like the Gentiles.
Longum divortium mandat Deus ab idololutria (says Tertullian, de cor. Mil.)
The Lord commands us to keep the greatest distance from idolatry. In
nullo proxime agendum, We must not in any thing come near it. Draco
etiam terreus de longinquo hominis spiritum absorbet, The dragon can kill a
man at a distance, and therefore need to keep far off. The idolatry of the
papists is as odious to God as the idolatry of the Gentiles, and in many
respects more abominable ; and therefore it is dangerous to borrow their
rites, and habits, and forms, lest in imitating them we partake with them,
Rev. xviii. 4. To have fellowship with them in their ceremonies and man
ner of worship, may be ill resented, 2 Cor. vi. 14-17. The Lord is a
jealous God : he will have the relics of idolatry to be abolished ; those that
will retain them, provoke him to jealousy. Though the brazen serpent was
set up by his own appointment, yet when it was once abused to idolatry,
Hezekiah breaks it down, and is commended for it by the Lord. How much
more should the inventions of men be cashiered, after an apparent abuse,
when the Lord will not have his own appointments spared, after once they
have been idolatrously abused ? Hosea ii. 17. Though the names Baali
and Ishi signify both of them an husband, and Baali is an appellation of
God himself, Isa. liv. 4, yet since it had been abused and given to idols,
he would have it no more used. The Lord is so jealous of his service,
that he will not endure an abused name to be made use of in his worship.
And will it not provoke the Lord to jealousy, to use not only names, but
things, which have been popishly and idolatrously abused ? Or is it a
small matter to provoke the Lord to jealousy ?

(3.) If they give scandal, and lay a stumbling-block in the way of others ;
if they induce others to sin, or confirm them in sin, or hinder their spi
ritual edification and comfort, they are scandalous. That which hardens
the papists in their way, and makes them apt to think, that those who
have left them are again returning to them. That which disposeth others
to a better liking of popery, and abates their detestation of the Roman
antichrist, which is a principal means to secure them against his impos
tures ; that which confirms any in their superstitious, formal, and heartless
devotions ; as though the worship of God were but a bodily exercise, a lip-
labour, or a ceremonious complimenting with God : that which is of this
tendency is scandalous, and that which is scandalous is no small matter.
The apostle makes it murder, Rom. xiv. 15 ; and Christ burdens it with
dreadful woes, Mat. xviii. 7, Luke xvii. 1, 2.

(4.) If they tend to corrupt the doctrine of the gospel. Rites, and cere
monies, and forms of worship, borrowed from the papists, in use amongst
them, seem small things ; but the Reformed churches abandon them all,
lest the doctrine of the gospel should be hereby endangered. Utinam vidissent
(says P. Martyr) qui hate conservanda censuerunt ; I would they had seen,
who would have these things retained, evangelium, Us manentibus, non satis
esse firmum, that while they continue, the gospel is not secure. The
divines of Hamburgh, in their epistle to Melancthon, call the popish mix
tures in the German Interim, though they passed under the name of indif-

508 OF TAKING UP THE CROSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

ferent tilings, semina corniptela, the seeds of Romish corruption ; intimating,
that in time they were like to bring forth a large popish crop. They looked
upon them as cuniculi, as secret mines, through which the papists would
convey themselves under their foundations, and so overthrow their churches.
(Vid. Park, of the Cross, page 67.)

The divines of Saxony looked upon it as a design of Satan, qui ab his
parvis initiis ceremoniarum, &c., who, from those small ceremonious begin
nings, was making his way to corrupt their doctrine. Now that is no
small evil, how small soever it may seem, which tends to corrupt the doc
trine of the gospel.

If any ask, why we may not imitate the papists in their ceremonious
worship, what hurt, what danger in that ? We may have an answer from
Augustine : In multitudine ceremoniarum periclitatur fides, the faith itself is
endangered by such ceremoniousness. We shall be put to borrow Roman
principles, that we may defend Romish practices. Why may we not imitate
them in the government and discipline of the church, rather than tie our
selves strictly to primitive rules ? Why, that of Cyprian may deter us from
it : 'It cannot be,' says he, ' that Novatus should keep the doctrine of the
church, if he break the discipline.'

(5.) If they be a hindrance to the gospel, and the powerful preaching of
it, they are no small things ; for that which is an impediment to the gospel
strikes at the interest of Christ : for this is the main instrument to advance
him in the world, by casting out Satan, and beating down sin, and pro
moting holiness. Yet so have these small things been managed heretofore,
to the great prejudice of the gospel ; being made use of for the thrusting
out, or keeping out many able and faithful labourers, and making many
congregations desolate, leaving them in darkness, or without any more light
than some stinking snuff would afford them, like those Gileadites, Judges
xii. 6. They have served, like those Grileadites, to keep the passages of
the church, so as no minister, how able or worthy soever, could pass, unless he
could pronounce this Shibboleth. That is no small thing which has been the
cause of so great mischief to the souls of men, as the want of the gospel
comes to. Boniface, the martyr, wished for the golden preachers which
were in the church when they had but wooden chalices ; he would have
counted it an ill bargain to have exchanged golden preaching for wooden
ceremonies.

It is the observation of learned and moderate Bucer, one of the princi
pal reformers both here and in Germany, ' That the ceremonies and the
preaching of the word, do mutually for the most part expel one another.
Where knowledge prevaileth through the preaching of the gospel, there the
love of them withereth ; and where the love of these prevail, there know
ledge decayeth.' And therefore, in his judgment, though they were small
things, they were great mischiefs.

To conclude this, Bellarmine himself is forced to confess this much, that
when a man hath more care to adorn the church with outward ornaments
than with a preacher, though his mind be not Jewish, yet doth he repra-
sentare Judaicam superstitiotiem, he acts as superstitionsly as a Jew. To
hinder the preaching of the gospel, or to discourage or disable the
ministers of it for rites and forms, is the way to make these small things
intolerable mischiefs, and such as we had better suffer any thing than
yield to.

(6.) If they be made engines of persecution ; if they be made use of to
vex, and afflict, and oppress, and ruin those that are truly conscientious.

LUKE XIV. 27.] OF TAKING trp THE CEOSS. 509

And this is no new or strange thing either here or in other parts. Such
small things have been made the instruments of great oppression and
cruelty. You may see it in the persecution of the Interim by Charles the
Fifth in Germany. I instance so far off, because some men see better afar
off than near at hand. There divers popish rites were urged as adiophora,
under the notion of things indifferent. And though they called them small,
yet they made them heavy, imposing them under great penalty. And the
pressure lay heaviest upon those who were most conscientious, especially
the ministers, who, for a modest refusal of what their consciences could
not digest, were reproached as turbulent and seditious, deprived of their
places and estates, driven out of the country ; and so many congregations
were laid waste, and left as sheep without a shepherd ; and the shepherds
were scattered, or left to wolves in priests' habits.

Now let such things as these be counted never so small, they will be
found grievous things in the conclusion, which involve men in the guilt of
persecution ; especially since Christ counts himself persecuted in the suffer
ings of his people. He resents it, as though himself were reproached,
indicted, arraigned, banished, imprisoned, when his servants are thus used
for conscience towards God : ' Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least
of these my brethren, you did it unto me.' It holds as well in doing them
hurt as in doing them good.

And thus you see everything is not small that is so accounted. That
which seems little may be exceedingly big with guilt. He that will not
bear the cross, rather than yield to things thus aggravated, under a pre
tence that they are matters of small moment, never intends to bear the
cross at all.

(7.) When they are instruments of division, and engines to make
breaches amongst Christians, as they are, and will be, when they are
generally and rigorously imposed. And hence it comes to pass that those
are the greatest dividers who most cry out against divisions, and the
greatest enemies to unity who are most violent for uniformity. For when
they will not be content to worship God, and order the churches, as the
apostles did, and will not satisfy themselves with the primitive simplicity,
with those few plain things which the Scriptures make necessary, but will
urge such things, and so many, as no general concurrence can be expected,
they must needs cause a falling off of many particulars, and so they become
the greatest schismatics who most declaim against schism ; for they are
the schismatics, not who withdraw when they have just cause, but who give
the cause of withdrawing. As our divines justify themselves against the
papists, when they charge them with separating from Rome. We are not
fugitivi, buifugati; they stirred not till they were chased away, and had
'just cause given of withdrawing from them. When a necessity is laid upon
things which are not necessary, and such small things are rigorously im
posed, they make great breaches ; and if that be a great evil, these things
so urged are not a little guilty.

4. The less the evils are for which any bear the cross, the more faithful
they are in following Christ. This is to follow him fully, when you will
rather suffer than swerve from him in a small matter. He is faithful
indeed who will bear a heavy cross rather than yield to the least evil. He
is exactly faithful who will not be unfaithful in a little.

This is the greatest trial, and he that quits himself well here will give a
signal testimony that he is a good and faithful servant. This shews the
greatest love to Christ, gives the greatest encouragement to others, and

510 OF TAKING UP THE CEOSS. [LUKE XIV. 27.

will have the greatest reward. For what Christ promises in another case
he will make good in this: Luke xix. 17, ' Because thou hast heen faithful
in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities ;' Mat. xxiv. 23, ' Thou
hast been faithful in a little, I will make thee ruler over much,' l/r/ 6X/y«

END OF VOL. I.

EDINBURGH :

PBINTBD BY JOHN GREIG AND SON,
OLD PHYSIC GARDENS.

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