Christ Crucified - 72 Sermons on Isaiah 53

Unto the Readers, and more particularly unto the Inhabitants of the City of Glasgow, of all Ranks.

THough the whole Field of the Sacred and infallibly inspired Scriptures, be very pleasant and beautiful (a spiritually cool and cleansing, a fructifying, fresh, refreshful and wholesome air breathing continually there) yet if we may compare some parts thereof with others, those wherein the treasure, precious Jesus Christ lieth most obvious and open, are certainly most pleasant and beautiful; And amongst these, such as hold forth his sufferings, and himself as crucified, most evidently before men's eyes, have a peculiar and passing pleasantness and beauty in them: If so, then sure this fifty third Chapter of the Prophesies of Isaiah cannot but be looked at as a transcendantly pleasant, beautiful, sweet-smelling and fragrant piece of Divine Scripture-field, wherein the Evangelic Prophet discourseth of the sufferings of Christ as particularly and fully, as plainly and pathetically, even to the very life, as if he himself had been a spectator and eye witness of them. However this sweetest Chapter from beginning to end, as also the three last Verses of the fore-going, be by the greatly learned Grotius most miserably perverted, while he industriously diverts it from the Messiah, and by stretching and curtailing thereof at his pleasure (as the cruel Tyrant Maezentius did the men he laid on his bed to make them of equal length with it) wholly applies it to the Prophet Jeremiah in the first place, only not denying that it hath accommodation to Christ, of whom too he takes but little or no notice in all his Annotations thereon: The impertinencies and wrestings of which application, are convincingly holden forth by famous Doctor Owen (who looks on this portion of Scripture as the sum of what is spoken in the Old Testament concerning the satisfactory death of Jesus Christ) that Mell of Socinians, in his Vindiciae Evangelicae against Bidle and the R • covian Catechism, who was a burning and shining light in the Reformed Churches, though now alas! to their great loss lately extinguished: And indeed the dealing of that very learned man professing himself to be a Christian, with this most clear, and to all true Christians most comfortable Scripture, is the more strange and even stupendous, considering, 1. That several passages in it, are in the New Testament expressly applied to Christ , but not one so much as alluded to, in reference to Jeremiah. 2. That the ancient Jewish Doctors, and the Chaldee Paraphrast, (as Doctor Owen in the foresaid learned and savoury Book, gives an account) do apply it to him. 3. That a late Doctor of great note and honor among the Jews, Arabinel, affirmeth, that in truth he sees not how one Verse of the whole (several of which he toucheth on) can be expounded of Jeremiah; and wonders greatly that any wise man can be so foolish as to commend, let be to be the Author of such an Exposition, (as one Rabbi Gaon had been) which is (saith he) so utterly alien and not in the least drawn from the Scripture. 4. That several Jews do profess that their Rabbins could easily have extricated themselves from all other places of the Prophets (a vain and groundless boast) if Isaiah in this place had but held his peace, as Halsius (very late if not present) Hebrew-Professor at Breda, declares, some of them did to himself. 5. That a Rabbi by his own confession was converted from a Jew to a Christian by the reading of this 53. of Isaiah, as the excellent Mr. Boyl in his delicate Discourses on the style of the Holy Scriptures informs us; yea that diverse Jews have been convinced and converted to the Christian Faith by the evidence of this Prophecy, as learned and laborious Mr. Pool affirms in his lately published English Annotations on this Scripture. 6. That the Socinians themselves have not dared to attempt the accommodation of the things here spoken of to any other certain and particular person then the Messiah, though, being so much tortured thereby, they have shown good will enough to it. And 7. That himself had before written a Learned Defense of the Catholic Faith concerning Christ's satisfaction against Socinus, wherein also he improved to notable purpose several Verses of this same Chapter; But in these later Annotations being altogether silent as to any use-making of them that way; he as much as he can delivers that Desperado, and his Disciples from one of the sharpest Swords that lies at the very throat of their cause (for if the Chapter may be applied to any other, as he applies it wholly to Jeremiah, no solid nor cogent Argument can be drawn from it for confirming Christ's satisfaction); and by his never re-enforcing of that defense of his, against the assaults made upon it by the Socinian Crellius, (though he lived twenty years thereafter) he seems for his part quite to have abandoned and delivered it up into the hands of these declared enemies of Christ's satisfaction, yea and of his God-head. By which Annotations of his, as by several others on other Scriptures, how much (on the matter at least) great Grotius hath by abusing his prodigious Wit, and profound Learning subserved the cursed cause of blasphemous Socinus; and further hardened the already alas much and long hardened poor Jews; And what bad service he hath done to our Glorious Redeemer, and to his Church satisfied-for, and purchased by his blood, by his sad sufferings, and fore soul-travel, most clearly and comfortably discoursed in this Chapter, let the Lord himself and all that love him in sincerity judge; I wish I could and had reason to say no worse of this admirably learned person here, then that, Quandoque dormitat Homerus.

Which very many and various, very great and most grievously aggravated Sufferings, were endured by him, not only in his Body, nor only in his Soul, by virtue of the sympathy it had with his Body from the in-time and strait union betwixt them: But also, and mainly, in his blessed human Soul immediately; since he redeemed, satisfied for, and saveth his Peoples Souls as well as their Bodies; and the Soul having principally sinned, and being the spring and source of Sin; Sinners withal deserving punishment in their Souls as well as in their Bodies; and, being without the benefit of his Mediation, to be punished eternally both in their Souls and Bodies, and mainly in their Souls; there is no doubt, the same cogent reason for the Mediator's suffering in both parts of the Human Nature assumed by him, that there is for that Natures suffering which sinned: Which, his sad complaints of the exceeding trouble of his Soul, putting him to say these strange and stupendous words, What shall I say? and of the great Sorrow and Heaviness thereof, even to Death, his Amazement, strong Crys, and Tears, with his Agony and Sweat of Blood, (and that before any pain was caused to his Body by men, and his conditionate deprecating of that bitter Cup, put beyond all reach of ranional contradiction: And to think or say, that only the fear of his bodily sufferings quickly approaching him, did make these sad impressions upon him, and draw these strange expressions from him, would make him who is Lord and Master to be of far greater abjectness of spirit then many of his servants the Martyrs were, and to fall hudgely below that holily-heroic and magnanimous courage and resolution wherewith they adventured on extreme Sufferings, and most exquisite Torments; which would be very unworthy of, and a mighty reflection upon him, who is the valiant Captain of Salvation, made perfect through suffering, who drank of the brook in the way, and therefore lifted up the head: But here is the great and true reason of the difference betwixt his sad and sorrowful deportment under his Sufferings, and their solacious, cheerful and joyful deportment under theirs; that they through his Sufferings and Satisfaction, were persuaded and made sensible of God's being pacified towards them, and were mightily refreshed by his gracious comforting presence with them amidst their Sufferings; while be on the contrary looked upon himself as one legally obnoxious to punishment, fisted before the terrible Tribunal of the Justice of God, highly provoked by, and very angry at the sins of his People, who was in a most signal manner, pouring out upon his soul the vials of his Wrath and Curse, which made him lament • bly and aloud to cry out of desertion, though not in respect of the perso • all union as if that had been dissolved, nor yet as to secretly supporting; yet as to such a measure at least of sensibly comforting and rejoicing presence, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (here Faith was in its Meridian, though it was dark Midnight as to Joy); wherewith as such, his Body could not be immediately affected, spiritual desertion not falling under bodily sense. Whence we may see how justly the Doctrine of Papists is to be exploded, who deny all suffering in his Soul immediately, to salve their darling dream of his local descent as to his Soul, while his Body was in the Grave, into Hell, and to Limbus Patrum to bring up thence into Heaven the souls of the Fathers; whom, without giving any reason, or alleging any fault on their part, they foolishly fancy, after their death till then, to have been imprisoned there, though quiet and under no punishment of sense, yet deprived of all light and vision of God, and so under the punishment of less, the greatest of punishments, even by the confession of some of themselves, whereby they put these holy and perfected souls (for there they say there is no more purgation from sin, that being the proper work of their profitable Purgatory ) in worse case all that length of time after their death, then they were when alive on the Earth, where doubtless they had often much soul-refreshing fellowship with God, and the light of his Countenance lifted up upon them.

Neither were these his Sufferings in Soul and Body, only to confirm the Doctrine taught by him (if that was at all designed by him as an end of his Sufferings so much stumbled at in the time (which yet I will not debate, let be peremptorily deny) his Doctrine being rather confirmed by his Miracles and Resurrection) and to leave us an example and pattern how we should suffer (as non-Christian and blasphemous Socinians over) which were mightily to depretiate and disparage, nay to enervate and quite to evacuate his Sufferings, by attributing no more to them then is attributable to the sufferings of his Servants and Martyrs (it's true his Example was an infallible Directory, the Example of all Examples, but theirs not so, yet this doth not at all influence any alteration of the nature of the end; ) but also and mainly by them undergone for his People and in their room, and as sustaining their persons, vice and place, truly and properly by the Sacrifice of himself to satisfy Divine Justice for their sins: And who I pray can put any other comment on these Scripture-expressions, whthout manifest perverting and wresting of them? He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, (which is by the Apostle subjoined as a superior end of his sufferings to that of leaving us an example, discoursed by him immediately before) He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him; The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all; For the transgression o my people was he stricken; When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin: He bare the sins of many; In whom we have redemption through his blood: Who is the propitiation for our sins; and the like.

Nor did he undergo these sad sufferings for all men in the world, to satisfy Justice for them, and to reconcile them to God, but only for the Elect, and such as were given unto him.

For First, The chastisement of their peace only, was laid on him, who are healed by his stripes, as it is, v. 5. of this 53 of Isai. For the iniquities of my people was he stricken, saith the Lord, v. 8. The same who are called the Mediators people, Ps. 110.3. for saith blessed Jesus to his Father, Joh. 17.10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine) Who shall, without all peradventure or possibility of misgiving, be made willing in the day of his power; He only bare the iniquities of these whom he justifieth by his knowledge, v. ii. For otherwise the Prophets reasoning would not be consequent; He only bare the iniquities of as many trangressors as he makes intercession for, v. 12. And that he doth not make intercession for all, but for these only who are given to him, that is, all the Elect, is undeniably manifest from Joh. 17.9. where himself expressly saith, I pray not for the world, but for these whom thou hast given me. Now God's eternal electing love, and his giving the Elect to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption, to be satisfied for, and saved by him; and his intercession for them, are commensurable and of equal extent, as is most clear from Joh. 17.6. Where he saith, Thine they were, (to wit by election) and thou gavest them to me, to wit, in and by the Covenant of Redemption (God's decree of election being in order of nature prior to this donation or gift of the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption) compared with v. 9. where he saith, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; It is observable, that he saith twice over, I pray for them, manifestly and emphatically restricting his intercession to them, and excluding all others from it: Why then should not also his sacrifice (the price of the Redemption of these elected and given ones, agreed upon in that Covenant betwixt these two mighty Parties) be commensurable with the former three? Especially since he saith, v. 19. For their sakes sanctify I myself, or separate myself to be a sacrifice. 2. Christ's satisfaction and his intercession being the two parts of his Priestly Office, and his intercession being founded on his satisfaction, as it is clearly, v. 12. of this 53. of Isaiah; (yea, • very learned man affirms, that Christ's appearance in Heaven and his intercession are not properly Sacerdotal acts, but in so far as they lean on the virtue of his perfected sacrifice); What just, relevant, or cogent reason can there be to make a disjunction betwixt these parts of his Office, and to extend the most difficult, operous and costly part to all men, and to narrow the other which is the more easy part, as that whereby he only deals for the application of what he hath made a purchase of by his satisfaction, which put him to much sad and sore soul-travel, and to restrict it to the elect and gifted ones? 3. Doth not the Scripture hold forth his death, and the shedding of his blood, as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people? As is clear else-where, so particularly Joh. 15.13. Greater love then this hath no man, then that a man lay down his life for his friends; Nay, purchased reconciliation through the death of Christ, is by the Holy Ghost made a greater evidence of divine love in some respect, then the glorification of the reconciled, according to what the Apostle saith, Rom. 5.10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 4. All the other gifts of God to sinners, even the greatest spiritual ones, fall hugely below the giving of Jesus Christ himself, that gift of God by way of eminency; As the Apostle reasoneth irresragably, for the comfort of believers, Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Will he give the greatest gift and not give the lesser? As Justification, Adoption, Sanctification and Glorification; Which, how great soever in themselves, are yet lesser then the giving of Christ himself to the death; And if it be undeniably certain that he giveth not these to all which are the lesser and lower gifts, why should it be thought that he hath given the higher and greater? 5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God, be made common, by extending it to all the world, the greatest profligats and Atheists not excepted, no not Pharaoh, nor Ahab, not Judas the traitor, nor Julian the Apostat, nay, nor any of all the damned reprobates who were actually in Hell when he died and shed his blood? 6. If he died thus for all, it seems that the new Song of the redeemed, Rev. 5. would have run and sounded better thus, thou hast redeemed us all and every man, of every kindred and tongue and people and nation to God by thy blood, then as it there stands by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; But who may presume by such an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath so restricted, and to make that common to all which God hath peculiarized to a few favorites? But the Author having much to better purpose on this Head in these Sermons, I need add no more here.

I shall only further say of these astonishing, in a manner non-plussing, and surpasing great sufferings of blessed Jesus, that, as they were equivalent to what all the elect deserved by their sins, and should have suffered in their own persons throughout all eternity, consistently with the innocence and excellency of his Person, and with the dignity of his Mediatory Office; Therefore it is said, v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, or as it is in the Original, In his deaths, in the Plural Number, as if he had died the death of everyone of the Elect, or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all their deaths in his one death; And v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, or as the word is, made the iniquity of us all to meet on him, there having been a solemn tryst, convocation, and rendezvous (as it were) of all the iniquities of all the Elect more common and more peculiar, in all their various aggravating circumstances, not so much as one committed since Adams first transgression, or to be committed to the day of Judgment, being absent in the punishment of them upon his person; no wonder that such a load of innumerable thousands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan, and that the consideration thereof made great Luther say, That Christ was the greatest sinner in all the world, to wit, by imputation of the guilt of all the sins of all the Elect to him, and by his having had the punishment of them all laid upon his person: So we may from them be instructed in these things.

First, Concerning the hight of holy displicence and detestation, that the Majesty of God hath at sin, the only thing in the whole world that his soul hates, and which in the vile and abominable nature of it hath an irreconciliable antipathy with, and enmity against, his infinitely pure, holy, and blessed nature, and hath a tendency, could it possibly be effected, to seek after the destruction and annihilation of the very being of God, and is interpretatively Deicide; The Language of it being, O that there were not a God; That he cannot behold it in his own sinless innocent, and dearly beloved Son, though but by imputation (for he was not made formally the sinner, as Antinomians blasphemously aver) but he will needs in so terrible a manner, testify his great dislike of, and deep displeasure at it, and take such formidable vengeance on it, even in his person: Ah! the nature of sin which God who is of pure eyes, cannot, where ever it be, behold, without perfect abhorrency of it, is but little thoroughly understood and pondered; Would we otherwise dare to dally and sport with it, or to take the latitudes in committing of it at the rate we do? I have sometimes thought, that it is an error in the first concoction (to say so) of Religion in many Proffessors of it end pretenders to it; that we have never framed suitable apprehensions of the most hateful, vile, and abominable nature of sin (which hath a great influence on the superficiariness and overliness of all duties and practices of Religion) and that many of us had need to be dealt with as skillful School-masters use to deal with their Scholars that are foundered in the first Principles of Learning, lest they prove but smatters all their days; to bring them back again to these; even to be put to learn this first Lesson in Religion better and more thoroughly to understand the jealousy of God, as to this cursed thing Sin; For which, though he graciously for the sake of these sufferings of Christ, pardon the guilt of it to his people, and hear their Prayers, yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions, be they never so seriously holy, and eminently serviceable to him and to their generation according to his will, whereof Moses the Man of God, is a most memorable instance: That Ancient conceived rightly of the nature of sin, who said, That if he behooved necessarily either to commit the least sin, or go to Hell to be tormented there eternally, he would rather wish to desire to go to Hell, if he could be there without sin.

Secondly, Concerning the severity of Divine Justice in punishing sin, whereof its punishment in the Person of the Son of God at such a rate, is one of the greatest, clearest, and most convincing evidences imaginable, to whom he would not abate one farthing of the Elects debt, but did with holy and spotless severity exact the whole of it; And though he was the Fathers Fellow, yet he would needs have him smitten with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice and Wrath: As if all the executions that had heed done in the earth on men for sin, as on the old World of the ungodly drowned by the Deludge. On the miscreant Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and of these other Cities, upon whom he showered down liquid flames of fire and brimstone, even somewhat of Hell in a manner out of Heaven (Coelum pluebat Gehennam) burning them quick, and frying them to death in their own skins: On Core, Dathan, and Abiram, and their associates, upon whom the earth opened and swallowed them up in a most stupendous manner alive, the rest being consumed by fire sent down from Heaven. On the one hundred eighty five thousand men of Sennacherib's Army, all slain in one night by an Angel: And on the Israelites, who, by many and various plagues were wasted and worn out to the number of six hundred thousand fighting men in the short space of forty years; Reflections on which made Moses, a witness of all, with astonishment to cry out, Who knows the power of thy anger? As if, I say, all these terrible executions of Justice, had been done by a Sword asleep, or in the Scabbard, in comparison of the execution it did on Jesus Christ the Elects Cautioner, against whom it awakened was unsheathed, forbished, and made to glitter; So that we may say, had all the Sons and Daughters of Adam, without the exception of so much as one, been eternally destroyed, it would not have been a greater demonstration of the severity of the Justice of God in punishing sin.

Thirdly, Concerning the greatness, incomprehensible vastness, and unparalellableness of the love of God to the Elect World, which he so loved (O wonderful so! Eternity will but be sufficient to unfold all that is infolded in that mysterious so; an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that hath not an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an ita that hath not a sicut, a so that hath not an as, That he gave his only begotten Son to suffer all these things, and to be thus dealt with for them; And of the Mediator who was content, though thinking it no robbery to be equal with God, to empty himself, and be of no reputation, to take on him the shape of a servant, to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with gri • f, to be chastized, smitten, wounded, and bruised for their iniquities; To step off the throne of his declarative Glory, o • of his Glory manifested to the Creatures, and in a manner to creep on the Foot-stool thereof in the capacity of a Worm, and to become obedient even unto the death, the shameful and cursed death of the Cross: This is indeed matchless and marvelous love, Greater then which no man h • th, to lay down his life for his friends; But he being God-man, laid down his life for his enemies that he might make them friends! O! the hight and depth, the bread • h and length of the love of Christ, whereof, when all that can be said, is said, this must needs be said, that it's a love that passeth not only expression but knowledge, its dimensions being altogether unmeasurable: So that we may say, if it had seemed good to the Lord, and been compatible with his spotless Justice, and with his infinite Wisdom, as Supreme Rector and Governor of the World giving a Law to his Creatures, to have pardoned the sins of the Elect in the absolutene • s of his dominion that knows no boundary but what the other Divine attributes set to it, without any intervenient satisfaction to his Justice at all, (which needs not to be debated here, especially since God hath determined, and in the Scriptures of truth made publication of his determination, that he will not pardon sin without a satisfaction, and particularly without this satisfaction made by Jesus Christ); It would not have been a greater and more glorious demonstration of the freeness and riches of his love, then he hath given, in pardoning them through the intervention of so difficult and toilsome, of so chargeable and costly a satisfaction, as is the sad sufferings, and the sore soul-travel of his own dear Son: Who yet is pleased to account sinners coming to him, and getting good of him, satisfaction for all that soul-travel: And indeed, which of these is the greatest wonder and demonstration of his love, whether that he should have undergone such soul-travel for sinners, or that he should account their getting good of it, satisfaction to him for the same, is not easy to determine, but sure both in conjunction together make a wonder passing great, even a most wonderful demonstration of love.

Fourthly, Concerning what dreadful measure all they may look for who have heard of these sufferings of Christ, and make not conscience in his own way to improve them for their being reconciled to God thereby, and whose bond to Justice will be found still standing over their heads uncancelled in their own name as proper debtors without a Cautioner; When the innocent Son of God, who had never done wrong, and in whose mouth no guile was ever found, having but become Surety for the Elects debt, was thus hotly pursued, and hardly handled, and put (through sad soul-trouble) to cry, What sh • ll I say? And falling a-groof on the ground with the tear in his eye, in much sorrow and heaviness even to death, and in a great agony, causing a sweat of blood, though in a cold night and lying on the earth, conditionally to pray for the passing of that Cup from him, and for his being saved from that hour; So formidable was it to his holy Human Nature, which had a sinless aversation from, and an innocent horror at what threatened ruin and destruction to itself simply considered; And which, had it not been mightily supported by the power of the God-head united thereto in his person, would have quite shrunk and succumbed under such an heavy burden, and been utterly swallowed up by such a Gulf of Wrath: What then will sinners, even all the dyvour debtors, not having seriously sought after, nor being effectually reached by the benefit of his suretyship, do, when they come to grapple with this wrath of God, when he will fall upon them as a giant, breaking all their bones, and as a roaring lion, tearing them to pieces when there will be none to deliver? will their hands be strong, or their hearts able to endure in the day that he shall deal with them? then, O! then they will be afraid, and fearfulness will take hold of them, and make them say, who can stand before the devouring fire, and who can dwell beside the everlasting burnings? and to cry unto the hills and mountains to fall on them and to hide them from the face of the Lamb, and of him that fits on the throne, for the day of his fierce wrath is come, and who is able to stand? then it will be found in a special manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: All such man see in the great sufferings of Christ, as in the clearest glass, what they are to look for, and most certainly to meet with, for if it was thus done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? O! it's a sad, even one of the saddest subjects of thoughts, to think, that a rational creature shall be eternally supported, preserved, and perpetuated in its being, by the one hand of God's Omnipotency, that it may be everlastingly capable of terrible vengeance to be inflicted by the other hand of his Justice.

Fifthly, Concerning the very great obligation that lieth on Believers to love Jesus Christ, who hath thus commended his love to them, by undergoing all these sad sufferings for their sakes; even out of love to them to become a Curse, to bleed out his precious life, and to pour out his soul to death for them; which to do he was under no necessity, nor in the least obliged by them, being infinitely removed from all possibility of being reached by any obligation from his creatures, whom be loved, and for whom he designed this grand expression of his love, the laying down of his life for them, before they or the world had any being: nay, being by their sins infinitely disobliged: Ah! that most of these whom he loved so much, should love him (who is altogether lovely) their duty, his friends and interests for his sake so little; Even so very little, that if it were possible he could rue or repent of what he hath done and suffered to commend his love to them, they would tempt him to it: And indeed there is nothing that more speaks forth the freeness of his love then this, that he should love them so fervently, and continue thus to love them, even to the end, who are often so very cool in their love to him; Sure, such when in any measure at themselves, cannot but love themselves the less, and loath themselves the more, that they love him so little, and earnestly long for that desirable day, wherein he shall be admired in, and by all them that believe, and when they shall get him loved as well as ever they desired to love him, and as well as he shall will them to love him, and when they shall be in an eternal extacy and transport of admiration at his love.

Sixthly, Concerning the little reason that Believers have to think much of their small and petty sufferings undergone for him: For what are they all, even the greatest and most grievous of them, being compared with his sufferings for them? They are but as little chips of the Cross in comparison of the great and heavy end of it that lighted on him, and not worthy to be named in one day with his: All the sad and sorrowful days and nights that all the Saints on earth have had under their many and various, and sadly circumstantiated crosses and sufferings, do not by thousands of degrees, come near unto, let be to equal that one sad and sorrowful night which he had in Gethsemane (beside all the sorrows and griefs he endured before that time) where he was put to conflict with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice, that did most fiercely lay at him, without sparing him; Which terrible Combat lasted all that nigh, and the next day till three a clock in the afternoon, when that sharpest Sword, after many sore wounds given him, killed him outright at last, and left him dead upon the place (who yet, even then when seemingly vanquished and quite ruined, was a great and glorious Conqueror, having by death overcome and destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil, and having spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, and triumphing over them in his cross, the spoils of which glorious victory Believers now divide, and shall enjoy to all eternity.) Ah! that ever the small and inconsiderable sufferings of the Saints, should so much as once be made mention of by them where his strange and stupendous sufferings offer themselves to be noticed.

Seventhly, Concerning the unspeakably great obligation that lieth on Believers, readily, pleasantly and cheerfully, not only to do, but also to suffer for Christ as he shall call them to it, even to do all that lieth in their power for him, and to suffer all that is in the power of any others to do against them on his account, who did willingly and with delight do and suffer so much for them; they have doubtless good reason heartily to pledge him in the cup of his cross, and to drink after him, there being especially such difference betwixt the cup that he drunk and that which they are put to drink; his cup was stirred thick with the wrath of God, having had the dregs thereof in a manner wrung out to him therein, so that it was no wonder that the very sight of it made him conditionally to supplicate for its departure from him, and that the drinking of it put him in a most grievous agony, and cast him in a top-sweat of blood; yet saith he on the matter, either they or I must drink it; they are not able to drink it, for the drinking of it will distract them and put them mad, will poison and kill them eternally; but I am able to drink it, and to work out the poison and venom of it, and though it shall kill me, I can raise up and restore myself to life again, therefore Father, come away with it, and I will drink it up and drink it out, this to the everlasting welfare of these dear souls; not my will but thine be done, for thus it was agreed betwixt thee and me in the Covenant of Redemption; when as theirs is love from bottom even to brim (whatever mixture may sometimes be of paternal and domestic Justice proper and peculiar to God's own Family, and which as the Head and Father thereof he exerciseth therein) not so much as one gut or scruple of vindictive wrath being left therein: Ah! it's both a sin and shame, that there sho •• d be with such, even with such, so much shyness and shrinking to drink after him in the cup of his Cross especially considering that there is such a high degree of honor put upon the suffering Believer for Christ, above and beyond what is put on the simple Believer in him, so that in the Scripture accompt, the suffering Believer is not only but also, according to what the Apostle saith Philip. 1.29. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Eighthly, Concerning what mighty obligation lieth on Believers to mourn and weep, to be sad and sorrowful for sin, how can they look on him whom they have thus bruised, wounded and pierced by their sins without the tear in their eye, without mourning for him and being in bitterness as a man is for his first-born, and for his only begotten son? when they think (as all of them on serious consideration will find reason to think) that if their sins keeped the tryst and rendezvous when all the sins of all the Elect did meet and were laid on him, then sure there came no greater company and more numerous troop of sins to that solemn rendezvous from any of all the redeemed then came from them; and that he had not a heavier load and burden of the sins of any then he had of theirs, whereby he was even pressed as a cart is pressed down under the sheaves, and was made most grievously to groan, even with the groanings of a deadly wounded man: and that if he was wounded and pierced by their iniquities, then surely he was more deeply wounded and pierced by the iniquities of none then by theirs; O! what mourning should this cause to them? even such mourning as was at Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo, on the occasion of the sad slaughter and death of that good and desirable king Josiah? this is indeed one of the most genuine and kindly, one of the most powerful and prevalent, one of the sweetest and strongest springs of, and motives to, true Gospel-repentance, sorrow and mourning for sin.

Ninthly, Concerning the notable and non-such obligation that lieth on Believers, to study the crucifixion and mortification of sin; Was it not their sins that crucified and killed precious Jesus Christ, the prince of life? was it not their sins that violently drove the Nails thorough his blessed hands and feet, and thrust the Spear thorough his side, to the bringing forth of water and blood? shall they not in their burning zeal and love to him, and in the height of holy indignation at themselves, be avenged on that which brought such vengeance on him? shall, they not seriously seek to be the death of that which brought him to death, and whereof the death and destruction, was one of his great designs therein, on which he was so intent, that in the prosecution of it, he did amidst his dying pangs and agonies breathe out his soul? O! let it never be heard for shame, that ever any of them shall find the least sweetness in that accursed thing that was so bitter to him; that ever any of them shall be found to dally with, or to hug that serpent and viper in their bosom, that so cruelly stung him to death.

But this being the great subject of these following Sermons, wherein the Preacher being in a good measure wise, hath sought to find out acceptable words, and words I hope of uprightness and truth (O that they may be to the Readers as goads and nails fastened by him who is the great master of assemblies. ) I shall insist no further, only I think I may humbly say, that to my knowledge, none have preached on this whole Chapter to better purpose every way; many may have done virtuously, but it's probable he will be found to excel them all: nay if I should say, that for anything I know, this Book for so much, is amongst the best Books of this nature the World hath seen, I suppose hardly will any judicious Christian, thoroughly exercised to Godliness, after he hath read it all over, and pondered it, think that I have greatly, if at all, hyperbolized.

There are in these choice Sermons, deepths as it were for Elephants to swim in (whereof his surpr •• sing, sublimely spiritual and very deep diving discourses concerning the Nature of Christ's Intercession, and the right improvement of it, in the last six Sermons, is a notable instance) and shallows for Lambs to wade in; There is in them milk for babes in Christ, and stronger meat for such as are of full age, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil; Nay, I may in a good measure say of these Sermons, as it's said of the learned Discourses of a late great man, That in the doctrinal part of several of them, ye will find the deepth of Pole • ical Divinity, and in his inferences from thence, the sweetness of Practical; some things that may exercise the profoundest Scholar, and others that may edify the weakest Christian; nothing readily is more nervous and strong then his Reasonings, and nothing more sweetly and powerfully affecting then his Applications: There is in them, much for information of the Judgment, for warming of the Affections, and for direction toward a Gospel-becoming Conversation; there is much for clearing and expeding the doubts and difficulties of more weak and more darkened Christians, and much for edifying, confirming and establishing of more grown ones; there is much for conviction, reproof, warning, humbling, for stirring up and provoking to the serious exercise of Godliness, and much for the comforting and refreshing of such as stand in need, and are capable of Consolation; there is much for discovering, rousing, awakening and all • raming of carnal, secure, unsound, hollow-hearted, and hypocritical professors of Religion, and much for beating and hammering down of the pride of conceity self-justifying Professors; much for training on of young beginners, and much for advancing and carrying on in their Christian course such as are entered into it, and have made any tolerable progress therein; In a wooed, he doth in a great measure approve himself to God as a work-man that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, and as a skillful and faithful Steward giving to everyone his portion in due kind, measure and season.

It may be some Readers will think, that there are in these Sermons, several co-incidencies of purposes, and repetitions; To which I shall but presume to say, that beside, that there is a great affinity amongst many of the purposes delivered by the Prophet in this piece of his Prophesies, if not a holy co-incidency of them, and a profitable repetition now and then of the same thing in different expressions; As there is in some other Scriptures, without any the least imputation to them, as that truly Noble and renowned Gentle-man Mr. Boyl showeth in his elaborat, eloquent, and excellent Considerations, touching the style of the Holy Scriptures: And that the same midses, and nearby in the same expressions, may very pertinently be made use of, to clear and confirm different points of Doctrine; It will be found, that if there be in so many Sermons or Discourses on Subjects of such affinity, any co-incidencies or repetitions, they are at such a convenient distance, and one way or other so diversified, and appositely suited to the Subject of his present Discourse, that the Readers will not readily nauseat, nor think what is spoken in its place, impertinent, superfluous, or needless, though somewhat like it hath been said by him in some other place; Or if there be any not only seeming but real repetitions of Purposes and Expressions, as they have not been grievous to the Preacher, so he with he Apostle Paul judged them needful at the time for the Hearers.

And now, as for you, much Honoured, Right Worthy, and very dearly beloved Inhabitants of the City of Glasgow, let me tell you, that I have sometimes of late much coveted, to be put and kept in some capacity, to do the Churches of Christ, and you in particular, this piece of service, in putting to the Press these sweet Sermons on this choice Scripture before I die; And indeed after I had gone thorough a good number of them, not without considerable toil and difficulty (having all alongst, had no Notes of his own, but the Sermons as they were taken hastily with a current Pen from his mouth, by one of his ordinary Hearers, no Scholar, who could not therefore so thoroughly and distinctly take up several of the Purposes handled by the Preacher) the Lord was pleased to give me a stop, by a long continued sharp affliction, not altogether without some little more remote and gentle threatenings of death; But he to whom the issues from death do belong, graciously condescended to spare me a little, that I might gather some strength to go thorough the remainder of them. I have much reason to think, that if poor I had been Preaching the Gospel to you these twenty years past, wherein we have been in holy providence separated (which hath been the more afflicting to me, that ye were in my heart to have lived and died with you, and if it had so seemed good in the eyes of the Lord, it would have been to me one of the most refreshing and joyful providences I could have been tr • stead with in this World, to have had fair access through his good hand upon me, and his gracious presence with me, to have Preached the Gospel to you a while before my going hence and being no more) I would not by very, very far, have contributed so much to your edification, as these few Sermons may, and I hope through God's blessing shall: Several of you heard them Preached by him when he was alive amongst you, & now when he is dead, he is in a manner Preaching them over again to you (O that such of you as then were not taken in the Preaching of them, might be so now in the serious reading of them) & by them speaking to these of you that did not then hear them, who, as I suppose, are now the far greatest part of the City-Inhabitants: You will find yourselves in them again and again ranked & classed according to your different spiritual estates, and the various cases and conditions of your souls, and wonderful discoveries made of yourselves to yourselves, that I something doubt, if there be so much as one Soul amongst the several thousands that are in Glasgow, but will find itself, by the reading of these Sermons, spoken to suitably to its state and case, as if he had been particularly acquainted with the person and his spiritual condition (as indeed he made it a considerable part of his work, as the observing Reader will quickly and easily perceive, to be acquainted very thoroughly with the soul-state and condition of such at least of the Inhabitants as were more immediately under his own inspection and charge) and, as if he had spoken to the person by name; O! how inexcusable will such of you be, as had your lot cast to live under the ministry of such an able Minister of the New Testement, of such a Scribe very much instructed into the kingdom of Heaven, who, as a good householder knew well how to bring out of his treasure things new and old, if you were not bettered and made to profit thereby; God and Angels, and your own Consciences, will witness, how often and how urgently the Lord Jesus called to you by him and ye would not hear; and how inexcusable will ye also be, that shall disdain or neglect to read these Sermons (as I would fain hope none of you will) that were sometime preached in that place by that faithful servant of Christ, who was your own Minister, which layeth some peculiar obligation on you beyond others to read them; or if ye shall read them and not make Conscience to improve them to your souls edification and advantage; which contain more genuine, pure, sincere, solid, and substantial Gospel then many thousands have heard it may be in an age, though hearing Preachings much of the while; even so much, that if any of you should be providentially deprived of the liberty of hearing the Gospel anymore preached, or should have access to read no other Sermons or Comments on the Scriptures, these Sermons, through God's blessing, will abundantly store and enrich you in the knowledge of the uncontravertably great mystery of Godliness, God manifested in the flesh, & according to the Scriptures make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, much insisted on in them: I would therefore humbly advise (wherein I hope ye will not mistake me, as if by this advice I were designing some advantage to myself, for indeed I am not at all that way concerned in the sat of them) that everyone of you that can read, and is easily able to do it, would buy a Copy of these Sermons; at least, that every Family that is able, wherein there is any that can read, would purchase one of them; I nothing doubt, but that ye will think that little Money very well bestowed, and will find your old Minister, desirable Durham delightful company to discourse with you by his Sermons now when he is dead, and you can see his face, and hear him speak to you by vive voice no more; whose voice, or rather the voice of Christ by him, was, I know very sweet to many there now asleep, and to some of you yet alive; who, I dare not doubt, never allow yourselves, to expect with confidence and comfort to look the Lord Jesus in the face, but as seriously and sincerely ye make it your business to be found in his Righteousness, so much cleared and commended to you; and in the study of Holiness in all manner of Conversation, so powerfully pressed upon you, here:

That these sweet and savoury Gospel-Sermons may come to you all, and more particularly to you my dear friends at Glasgow, with the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel, even of the word of his grace which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified, is the serious desire of

SERMON I.

WE hope it shall not be needful to insist in opening the Scope of this Chapter, or in clearing to you of whom the Prophet meaneth, and is speaking: It was once questioned by the Eunuch, Acts 8.32. when he was reading this Chapter, Of whom doeth the Prophet speak this, of himself, or of some other man? And it's so clearly answered by Philip, who, from these words, began and preached to him of Jesus Christ, that there needs be no doubt of it now: To Christians these two may put it out of question, that Jesus Christ and the Substance of the Gospel is compended and summed up here. 1. If we compare the Letter of this Chapter with what is in the four Evangelists, we will see it so fully, and often so literally made out of Christ, that if any will but read this Chapter, and compare it with them, they will find the Evangelists to be Commentators on it, and setting it out more fully. 2. That there is no Scripture in the Old Testament so often and so convincingly applied to Christ as this is, there being scarce one Verse, at least not many, but are by the Evangelists or Apostles made use of for holding out of Christ.

If we look then to the sum of the words of this Chapter, they take in the sum and substance of the Gospel; for they take in these two, 1. The right description and manifestation of Jesus Christ, And 2. the unfolding and opening up of the Covenant of Redemption. Where these two are, there the sum of the Gospel is; but these two are here, therefore the sum of the Gospel is here. First, Jesus Christ is described, 1. In his Person and Natures, as God being Eternal, as Man being under Suffering. 2. In all his Offices, as a Priest offering up Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfy Justice, as a Prophet venting his Knowledge to the justifying of many thereby, and as a King dividing the spoil with the strong. 3. In His Humiliation, in the Cause of it, in the End of it, in the Subject of it, in the Nature and Rise of all, God's good pleasure. And 4. In His Exaltation, and Out-gate promised Him on the back of all His Sufferings and Humiliation.

2. The Covenant of Redemption is here described and set out, 1. In the particular Parties of it, God and the Mediator. 2. As to the Matter about which it was, the Seed that was given to Christ, and all whose iniquities met on him. 3. As to the mutual Engagements on both sides, the Son undertaking to make his Soul an offering for Sin, and the Father promising that the efficacy of that His Satisfaction, shall be imputed and applied for the justification of Sinners, and the terms on which, or the way how this Imputation and Application is brought about, to wit, By His Knowledge; All are clearly held out here.

This is only a touch of the Excellency of this Scripture, and of the Materials (to say so) in it, as comprehending the substance and marrow of the Gospel; we shall not be particular in dividing the Chapter, considering that these things we have hinted at, are interwoven in it.

The first Verse is a short Introduction to lead us in to what follows. The Prophet hath in the former Chapter been speaking of Christ as God's Servant, that should be extolled and made very high, and before he proceed more particularly to unfold this Mystery of the Gospel, he cries out by way of regrate, Who hath believed our report? Alas (would he say) for as good News as we have to carry, few will take them off our hand, such is Men's unconcernedness, yea, malice and obstinacy, that they reject them. And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? to point at the necessity of the Power of God to accompany preaching, and even the most lively Ordinances, to make them effectual; how few are they, that the Power of God captivates to the obedience of this Truth?

For the first part of this Verse, Who hath believed our report? To open it a little, ye shall take these four or five Considerations ere we come to the Doctrines:

Consider 1. The Matter of this Report in reference to its scope; it's not every report, but a report of Christ, and of the Covenant of Redemption and of Grace: In the Original it is, Who hath believed our hearing actively, that is, that which we have proposed to be heard; and the word is turned tidings, Dan. 11.44. and rumour, Jer. 51.46. It's the tidings and rumour of a suffering Mediator, interposing himself betwixt God and Sinners; and it may be, hearing is mentioned, to point out the confidence which the Prophet had in reporting these News, he first heard them from God, and in that was passive, and then actively, he proposed them to the People to be heard by them. 2. Consider that the Prophet speaketh of this Report, not as in his own Person only, but as in the Person of all that ever preached, or shall preach this Gospel; therefore this Report is not peculiar to Isaiah, but it's our Report, the Report of the Prophets before, and of these after him, and of the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel. 3. Consider that Isaiah speaketh of this Report, not only in respect of what he met with in his owntime, but as foreseeing what would be the carriage of People in reference to it in after-times, therefore John. 2.38. and Rom. 10.16. this same place is alleged to give a reason of the Jews unbelief, because Isaiah foretold it long before. 4. Consider, that when he complaineth of the want of Faith to the report and tidings of the Gospel, it is not of the want of historical Faith, as if the People would not give Christ a hearing at all, but it is of the want of saving Faith, therefore Joh. 12.37, 38. it is said, though he had done many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him; and this propherick Scripture is subjoin'd as the reason of it, that the saying of Isaiah might be fulfilled, who said, Lord who hath believed our report? applying the believing spoken of here, to that saving Faith whereby folk believe and rest upon Jesus Christ. 5. Consider that though there be no express Party named to whom the Prophet complaineth, yet no doubt, it is to God, therefore Joh. 12.38. and Rom. 10.16. when this Scripture is cited, it is, Lord who hath believed our report? so it is the Prophet's complaint of the little fruit himself had, and that the Ministers of the Gospel should have in preaching of the Gospel, regrating and complaining of it to God as a sore matter, that it should come to so many, and so few should get good of it, so few should be brought to believe and to be saved by it.

Though these words be few, yet they have four great things in them, to which we shall reduce them, for speaking more clearly to them. 1. That the great subject of Preaching, and Preachers great errand is, to report concerning Jesus Christ, to bring tidings concerning Him. 2. That the great duty of Hearers (implied) is, to believe this Report, and by virtue of it, to be brought to rest and rely on Jesus Christ. 3. That the great, though the ordinary sin of the generality of the Hearers of the Gospel, is unbelief, Who hath believed? that is, it's few that have believed; it's a rare thing to see a Believer of this Report. 4. That the great complaint, weight, and grief of an honest Minister of the Gospel, is this, that his Message is not taken off his hand, that Christ is not received, believed in, and rested on; this is the great challenge Ministers have against the generality of People, and the ground of their complaint to God, that whatever they report concerning Christ, He is not welcomed, His Kingdom thrives not.

That we may speak to the first, considering the words with respect to the Scope, we shall draw five or six Doctrines from them: The first whereof is more general, that the discovery of Christ Jesus, and the making him known, is the greatest News, the gladest Tydings, and the most excellent Report, that ever came, or can come to a People, there is no such thing can be told them, no such Tydings can they hear; this is the Report that the Prophet speaks of by way of eminency, a Report above, and beyond all other Reports; these are News worthy to be carried by Angels, Behold, saith one of them, Luke 2.20. I bring you good tidings of great joy; which shall be to all people: And what are these Tydings so prefaced to with a Behold? for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord: these are the good Tydings, that Jesus Christ is come, and that he is the Savior by Office. We shall not insist on this, only 1. We will find a little view of this Subject in the following words, which hold forth clearly Christ, God and Man in one Person, so completely qualified, and excellently furnished for His Offices. 2. It's also clear, if we look to the excellent effects that come by His being so furnished, as His satisfying of Justice, His setting free of Captives, His triumphing over Principalities and Powers, His destroying the works of the Devil, &c. there cannot be more excellent works or effects spoken of. 3. It's clear, if we look to Him from whom this Report cometh, and in whose Breast these News bred, (if we may speak so) they are the result of the Counsel of the God-head; and therefore, as the Report here is made in the Lord's Name, so He is complained to, when it is not taken off the Prophet's hand. And 4. it's clear, if we look to the mysteriousness of these News, Angels could never have conceived them, had not this Report come; these things tell that they are great, glorious, and good News, glad Tydings, as it is in the end of the former Chapter, That which hath not been told them shall they see, and that which they have not heard shall they consider.

The first Use is, To draw our hearts to be in love with the Gospel, and to waken our estimation of it: Peoples ears are itching after Novelties, and ye are much worn out of conceit with these News; but is there in any News such an advantage as in these, when God sendeth News to Men, they must be great News, and such indeed are these.

Use 2. Therefore be affrayed to entertain loathing of the plain substantial Truths of the Gospel; if ye had never heard them before, there would, belike, be some Athenian itching to hear and speak of them, but they should not be the less thought of, that they are often heard and spoken of.

Use 3. Therefore think more of the Gospel, seeing it containeth the substance of these good News, and glad Tydings, and think more of Gospel-ordinances whereby these good Tydings are so often published and made plain to you.

2. More particularly, Observe, that Jesus Christ, and what concerneth Him, the glad and good News of a Savior, and the reporting of them, is the very proper work of a Minister, and the great subject of a Ministers preaching; his proper work is to make Him known, or take it thus, Christ is the native subject on which all preaching should run; this is the Report the Prophet speaketh of here, and in effect, it was so to John and the other Apostles, and should be so to all Ministers; Christ Jesus and what concerns Him, in His Person, Natures and Offices; to know, and make Him known to be God and Man; to make Him known in His Offices, to be Priest, Prophet, and King; to be a Priest, in His suffering and satisfying Justice; to be a Prophet, in revealing the Will of God; to be a King, for subduing folks Lusts and Corruptions; and to know, and make Him known, in the way by which Sinners, both Preachers and Hearers, may come to have Him to themselves, as follows in this Chapter. This, this is the subject of all Preaching, and all Preaching should be levelled at this mark; Paul is 1 Cor. 2.2. peremptory in this, I determined to know nothing among you, but Jesus Christ and him crucified, as if he had said, I will meddle with no other thing, but betake myself to this; not only will he forbear to meddle with civil Employments, but he will lay aside his Learning, Eloquence, and Human Wisdom, and make the preaching of Christ crucified his great work and study, the reason of this is, because Christ standeth in a fourfold relation to preaching. 1. He is the Text, to say so, of Preaching; all Preaching is to explain Him, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witness, and so do the four Evangels, and the Apostolic Epistles, which are as so many Preachings of Him; and that Preaching which standeth not in relation to Him, is beside the Text and Mark. 2. He is holden out as the Foundation and Ground-work of Preaching, so that Preaching without Him wants Foundation, and is the Building, as it were, of a Castle in the Air, 1 Cor. 3.10— I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon, but let every man take heed how he buildeth, for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ; importing that all Preaching should be squared to, and made to agree with this Ground-stone. 3. He standeth as the great End of Preaching, not only that Hearers may have Him known in their Judgments, but may have Him high in their Hearts and Affections, 2 Cor. 3.4. We preach not ourselves, that is, not only do we not preach ourselves as the Subject, but we preach not ourselves as the end of our Preaching, our scope is not to be great, or much thought of, but our end in Preaching is to make Christ great. 4. He standeth in relation to Preaching, as He is the Power and Life of Preaching, without whom, no Preaching can be effectual, no Soul can be captivate and brought in to Him; hence 1 Cor. 1.23. he saith, We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, they cannot abide to hear him, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to them that are saved, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Use 1. For Ministers, which we shall forbear insisting on; only 1. Were Christ the subject and substance of our Report, were we more in holding out Him, it's like it might go better with us. 2. There is need of warriness, that the Report we make, suit well the Foundation: And 3. the neglect of this may be the cause of much powerless Preaching, because Christ is not so preached as the subject-matter and end of Preaching, many Truths are (alas) spoken without respect to this end, or but with little respect to it.

Uses particular for you that are Hearers, are these. 1: If this be the great subject of Ministers Preaching, and that which ye should hear most gladly, and if this be most profitable for you, we may be particular in some few Directions to you, which will be as so many branches of the Use. And first, of all Truths that People would welcome and study, they would welcome and study these that concern Christ and the Covenant of Grace most, as Foundation-truths, and seek to have them backed by the Spirit; we are affrayed there is a fault among Christians, that most plain and substantial Truths are not so heeded, but some things that may further folk in their Light, or tickle their Affections, or answer a Case, are almost only sought after; which things (it's true) are good, but if the plain and substantial Truths of the Gospel were more studied, and made use of, they have in them that which would answer all Cases: It's a sore matter when folks are more taken up with Notions and Speculations, then with these Soul-saving Truths, as, that Christ was born, that he was a true Man, that he was, and is King, Priest, and Prophet of His Church, &c. and that other things are heard with more greediness: But, if these be the great subject of Ministers Preaching, it should be your great study to know Christ, in His Person, Natures, Offices, and Covenant, what He is to you, and what is your duty to Him, and how you should walk in Him and with Him; this was Paul 's aim, I count (saith he) all things loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, &c. Phil. 3.8, 9, 10. It's my design, (as if he had said) not only to make Him known, but to know Him myself; there is little Faith in Christ, and distinctness in use making of His Offices, and folks take but little pains to know these things: Therefore, on the one side, let me exhort you, to make this more the subject of your enquiry; and on the other side, take it for your reproof, that there is such a readiness to snuff when plain Truths are insisted on, or when they are not followed in some uncouth or strange way, which says we are exceeding unthankful to God for giving us the best things to speak, hear, and think of.

2. Think much of the Preaching of Christ, and to have Ministers to preach of Him, He is the best News, and God hath sent Ministers on this errand to make them known to you; had He sent them to tell you all the secret things to come that are in God's purpose, and all the hid works of Nature, it had not been compareable to these News; what would ye have been? O what would Sabbath-days, and Week-days, your lying down and rising up, your living and dying been, if these News had not been? ye should have had a sinful and sad life, and a most comfortless and terrible death; therefore think this Gospel a thing of more worth then ye do, and count their feet beautiful on the Mountains, that bring these News and glad Tydings, as it is Isa. 52. that good Report of making Peace betwixt God and Sinners should be most thought of and prized, and counted a greater favor then we use to count it. 3. By this ye may know who thrives and profits best under the Gospel, even these that learn most of Christ, which consists not in telling over words. But first in actual improving of Him, as it is Eph. 3.20. Ye have not so learned Christ, but so as to improve what is in Him. 2. In an experimental finding of these effects in us, that are spoken of to come by Christ, which is, that the Apostle meaneth, Phil. 3.10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, that I may be conformable to his death; I am affrayed that of the many that hear this Gospel, there are but few that know Christ this way: But if He be the great thing that should he preached by us, and that ye should learn, 1. What is the reason that so many should be ignorant of Him, that the most part look rather like T •• ks and Pagans then like Christians? God help us, what shall we say of the condition of the most part of People, when the preaching of the Gospel has not gained this much ground on us, as to make us know Christ, in His Person, Natures, Offices, our need of Him, and the use we should make of Him? But 2. If we will try how he is improven, it is to be feared, there be far fewer that know h • m in this respect; do not many Men live as if they had never heard tell of Him? Though they hear that pardon of Sin is to be gotten through Him, and that virtue to subdue Sin must flow from Him, yet they live as if no such thing were in Him: If your Consciences were posed, besides the evidences that are in your practice, this would be found to be a sad truth. And 3. If we will yet try further, what experience folk have of Christ, what virtue they find flowing from His Resurrection, what fellowship there is in His Sufferings, what conformity to His Death, what benefit red • unds to them from His Offices of King, Priest, and Prophet, to the slaying of Sin, and quickening to holy Duties, what benefit or fruit from His Death; Alas! no more with most then if He had never died; what profit or real influence as to any Spiritual change do any to count upon find? and think ye all these things to be but words? They know Him not that feel not something of the efficacy of His Death and Resurrection in themselves.

3. Observe, That the Report concerning Christ, is the main subject and e • rand that has been, and is, and will be common to all the Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World; It's our Report, it was the Report of all the Prophets, Act. 10.43. To him bear all the Prophets witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth on him, should have remission of sins; they all agree, and have a joint Testimony in these. 1. In one Subject, Christ, and the same things concerning Him, as, that the pardon of Sin is to be gotten in Him, and through Faith in Him, and no other way, &c. 2. In one Commission; they have all one Commission though they be not all equal; all are not Apostles, yet all are Ambassadors, there is the same Authority for us to report and you to receive the Gospel, as if Isaiah or Paul were preaching; the Authority depending on the Commission, and not on the persons of Men who carry it. 3. In one common End which they all have, and in one common Object they are sent to. 4. In this, that they all hold of one common Master, being Gifts of one and the same Mediator, Eph. 4. When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men, to some Apostles, &c.

The first Use is, To teach you not to think the less of the Testimony, or matter testified, because of these that testify to you; if Isaiah or Paul were testifying to you, ye would get no other Tydings, though their life and way would be of another sort and stamp then ours are alas! for the most part, we are warranded as well as they to make Christ known to you; therefore take heed of rejecting this Testimony of this Christ that we bear witness unto; it is the same Christ that the Law and the Prophets bear witness to, There is not another name given under heaven whereby a sinner can be saved; it's through Him, that whosoever be- on Him may receive remission of sins; in this ye have not only us, but the Prophets and Apostles to deall with, yea Jesus Christ, and God Himself; and the rejecting of us, will be found to be the rejecting of them; it's the same Testimony on the matter that it was in Isaiah his time; and therefore, tremble and fear, all ye that slight the Gospel, ye have not us for your Party, but all the Prophets, and Isaiah among the rest, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath said, He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me; there will be many aggravations of the guilt of an Unbeliever, and this will be a main one, even the Testimony of all the Prophets that concur in this Truth which they have rejected; take heed to this all ye Atheists that know not what it is to take with Sin, and all ye Hypocrites that coin and counterfeit a Religion of your own, and all ye legal Persons that lean to your own righteousness; what will ye say when it shall be found that ye have rejected all these Testimonies? ye must either say, ye counted them false Witnesses, which ye will not dare to say, or that ye accounted them true, and yet would not receive their Testimony, and the best of these will be found sad enough; for if ye counted them true, why did ye not believe them? this will be a very pungent dilemma.

Use 2. For comfort to poor Believers, they have good ground to receive and rest upon Jesus Christ, there is never a Prophet, Apostle, or Preacher of the Gospel but he hath sealed this Truth concerning Christ; what needs any sinner scar at Him or be fearful to close with Him? will ye give credit to the Testimony of Isaiah and of Peter, Acts 10.43. and of the rest of the Prophets and Apostles? then receive their Report, and set yourselves to be among the number of Believers, that their Testimony may be rested on: We are persuaded there is one of two that will follow on this Doctrine, either a strong encouragement to, and confirmation of believing, and quietly resting on Jesus Christ for pardon of sin, or a great ground of aggravation of, and expostulation with you for your guilt, who care not whether ye receive this Report or not. We shall say no more for the time, but God bless this to you.

SERMON II.

THE Prophet Isaiah, is very solicitous about the fruit of his Preaching, when he hath preached concerning Christ; as indeed it is not enough for Ministers to preach, and for People to hear, except some fruit follow; and now when he hath been much in Preaching, and looketh to others that have been much in that work, he sadly regrates the little fruit it had, and would have among them, to whom Christ was, and should be spoken of; a thing, that in the entry should put us to be serious, lest this complaint of Isaiah stand on record against us; seeing he complains of the Hearers of the Gospel, not only in his own time, but in our time also.

We told you, there were four things in this first part of the Verse. 1. The great errand that Ministers have to a People, it is to report concerning Christ; and beside what we observed from this Head before, looking to the Scope, we shall observe further.

1. The end that Ministers should have before them in preaching Christ and the Gospel, is, That the Hearers of it may be gained to Jesus Christ by hearing, so as they may be brought to believe on Him; it's in a word, to gain them to saving Faith in Christ:

2. It is implied, That Jesus Christ is only to be proposed as the Object of Faith, to be rested on by the Hearers of the Gospel, and as the only ground of their Peace; there is no name that can be mentioned for the salvation of Souls, but this Name only; lie; and there is no other Gospel can be proposed but that which holdeth Him out to People.

3. Observe, (which is much the same with the former Observation, and to which we would speak a little more particularly,) That by the preaching of the Gospel, Jesus Christ is laid before the Hearers of it, as the Object of their Faith, and proposed to be believed upon by them, else there would be no ground of this complaint against them; but where-ever this Gospel is preached, there is Christ is laid, as it were, at the foot or door of every Soul that heareth it, to be believed and rested on; this is the great errand of the Gospel, to propose to People Jesus Christ, as the Object and Ground of Faith, to lay Him down to be rested on for that very end; when the Apostle is speaking Rom. 10.8. of the Doctrine of Faith, he saith, It is not now who shall ascend into heaven, nor who shall descend into the deep, but the word is near thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; what word is that? the word of faith which we preach; now saith he, Christ by the preaching of the Gospel is brought so near folks, that He is brought even to their Hearts, and to their Mouths, so near, that (to speak so) People have no more to do but to stoup and take Him up, or to roll themselves over upon Him; yea, it bringeth Him in to their very Heart, that they have no more to do but to bring up their Heart to consent to close the Bargain, and with the Mouth to make confession of it; and these words are the more considerable, that they are borrowed from Deut. 30. where Moses is setting Death and Life before the People, and bidding them choose, though he would seem to speak of the Law, yet if we consider the scope, we will find him to be on the matter speaking of Jesus Christ, holden forth to that People under Ceremonial-Ordinances, and showing them that there was Life to be had in Him that way, and according to God's intent, they had Life and Death put in their choice.

I know there are two things necessary to the acting and exercising of Faith, The 1. is objective, when the Object or Ground is proposed in the preaching of the Gospel. The 2. is subjective, when there is an inward, spiritual, and powerful quickening, and framing of the Heart, to lay hold on, and make use of the Object and offer; it is true, that all to whom the offer cometh are not quickened, but the Doctrine saith, that, to all to whom the Gospel cometh, Christ is proposed, to be believed on by them, and brought near unto them; so that we may say as Christ said to His Hearers, The kingdom of God is come near unto you; both Christ and John brought, and laid the Kingdom of Heaven near to the Jews, and it is laid as near to you in the preached Gospel: This is it then that Doctrine says, 1. That the Gospel holdeth out Christ as a sufficient ground of Faith to rest upon. And 2. with a sufficient warrand to these who hear it, to make use of Him, according to the terms on which he is offered. And 3. it brings Him so pressingly home, as He is laid to the Doors and Hearts of Sinners who hear the Gospel; that whoever hath the offer, he must necessarily, either believe in, and receive Christ, or reject Him, and cast at the report made of Him in the Gospel.

I shall first a little confirm this Doctrine, and then secondly make use of it.

First, I shall confirm it from these Grounds, 1. From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in His Word, and from the warrand he giveth His Ministers to make the same offers; It's their Commission to pray them to whom they are sent to be reconciled, to tell them, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, as it is, 2 Cor. 5.19, 20. and in Christ's steed to request them to embrace the offer of Reconciliation; to tell them that Christ died for the Sinners that will embrace Him, and that He will impute His Righteousness unto them; and Chap. 6.1. We beseech you (saith he) that ye receive not this grace in vain; which is not meant of saving Grace, but of the gracious offer of Grace and Reconciliation through Him; This is Ministers work, to pray People not to be idle Hearers of this Gospel, for, saith he, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation; The force of the Argument is this, if ye will make this Gospel welcome, ye may get a Hearing, for now is the day of Salvation, therefore do not neglect it; So Psal. 81.10, 11. (where God maketh the offer of Himself, and that very largely,) Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it; The Offer is of Himself, as the words following clear, My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me; for they that refuse His Word, refuse Himself; and hence, Isa. 65.1. he saith, I am found of them that sought me not, I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name, and to the Jews, I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people. 2. We may clear and confirm it from these similitudes, by which the Offer of this Gospel is, as it were, brought to the doors of People, and there are several similitudes made use of to this purpose; I shall name but four. 1. It's set down under the expression of wooing, as 2 Cor. 11.2. I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ, this is ordinary, and supposeth a Marriage, and a Bridegroom, that is by his friends wooing and suiting in Marriage; so that (as we show) wherever the call of the Gospel comes, it's a bespeaking of Souls to Him, as Cant. 8. What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for? 2. It's set out under the expression of inviting to a Feast, and Hearers of the Gospel are called to come to Christ as Strangers, or Guests are called to come to a Wedding-feast, Mat. 22.2, 3, 4. All things are ready, come to the wedding, &c. Thus the Gospel calleth not to an empty House that wants meat, but to a Banqueting-house where Christ is made ready as the Cheer, and there wants no more but feasting on Him: So it's set out under the similitude of Eating and Drinking, John 6.57. He that eats me, even he shall live by me. 3. It's set out often under the expression or similitude of a Market, where all the Wares are laid forth on the Stands, Isa. 55.1. Ho everyone that thirsts come to the waters, &c. and least it should be said, or thought, that the Proclamation is only to the thirsty, and to such as are so and so qualified; ye may look to what followeth, let him that hath no money come, yea, come buy without money and without price; and to the offer that is made to those of Laodicea, Rev. 3. who in appearance, were a hypocritical and formal People, yet to them the Counsel and Call comes forth, Come buy of me eye-salve, and gold tried in the fire, &c. It says, the Wares are even in their offer, or even offered to them. 4. It's set out under the similitude of standing and knocking at a Door, because the Gospel brings Christ a knocking and calling hard at Sinners doors, Rev. 3.20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me; So Cant. 5.2. By the sleepy Bride it is said, It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh; and Psal. 24. last four Verses, it's cried, Lift up your heads ye gates, and be lift up ye everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in, which is an • arnest invitation to make way for Christ Jesus, wanting nothing but an entry into the heart; whereby we may see, how near Christ comes in the Gospel, and is laid to folks hand. 3. We may confirm it from the nature of Faith, and of the obedience that is required to be given to the command of Believing; Wherever this Gospel comes, it tieth and obligeth all the Hearers to believe on Christ, that is, to receive and welcome Him; and there could be no receiving of Him, if He were not making an offer of Himself; thus it's said, Joh. 1.11.12. He came unto his own, but his own received him not, but to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; He came to both these who received Him, and to these who received Him not; but He gave to Believers only, this privilege of Son-ship: If we look to all the names of Faith, as coming to Christ, eating and drinking of Him, receiving of Him, resting on Him, &c. They all suppose that Christ is near to be catched hold of, and within speaking and trysting terms to People that hear the Gospel. 4. It may be confirmed from the many sad complaints that the Lord hath for not receiving Him, and not believing His Word, and from the dreadful designations by which He holds out the sin of Unbelief; all which, will make out this, that God lays Christ at Sinners door in His Word; Hence Joh. 5.40. our Lord says, Ye will not come unto me, that ye may get life: and Matth. 23. at the close, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, and ye would not; This was it that did aggravate their sin, that He would, and they would not; So Psal. 81. My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me; and Luke 7. it's said, the Scribes and the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves; and Acts 13.45. when the Jews rejected Christ, it's said, they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life; and therefore the Apostles say, that they will leave them and turn to the Gentiles. 5. We may confirm it from this, That in respect of the Gospel, and Offer made in it, Christ comes alike ne • r to all that hear it; for if He be near to some, then He is near to all, I mean in regard of an objective nearness; there is the same warrand to speak and make the offer to all, before there be some discovery made for qualifying the Doctrine to some; I • 's true, there is a difference in respect of the power that accompanieth the Gospel, but as it layeth out the offer of Christ, and Life through Him, it comes alike near to • ll the Hearers of it; the Invitation comes to all, and in the same terms, to them that refuse, as well as to them that receive Him, the same Gospel is preached to both. A 6th. Confirmation is from the nature of God's administration of His external Covenant, which is sealed in Baptism to both, not one Covenant to one, and another Covenant to another, but the same Covenant on condition of believing to both: Behold then, in the preaching of this Gospel, that Christ comes near you, even to your door, in respect of the mediate Ordinances, as near as He did to Abraham and David; Although God had His extraordinary ways of manifesting Himself to them, not common to others; yea, this day, the Gospel is more clear objectively to you then it was to Abraham, who rejoiced to see Christ's day afar off, when it was veiled; yea, the Gospel is as clearly preached to you, as those who are now before the Throne of God, had it preached to them, as to the matter of it, though we will make no equality as to the manner of it.

Use 1. Advert to this, when ye come to hear the Gospel preached, and think how ye are living in trysting terms with God, and how near Christ comes unto you; the word of Faith lays Him so near, that ye have no more to do but to receive the offer of Him, to believe and close with Him, and step in upon Him, as it were, to come as living Stones to be built upon Him as a sure Foundation.

But it will be asked, How comes this Gospel so near? How does it bring Christ so near to Sinners? Answ. In these five steps, 1. As it makes the Report of Christ, and brings the Tydings of such things, as that He is Born, and that He hath Suffered, and for such an End, and that we may partake of the Benefit of them on such terms; It makes the Proclamation narratively, and tells what He did, what Good may be gotten of Him, and how we may come by it. 2. As it brings an offer of these good things on the terms on which they are to be gotten, so that it never tells that Christ is come, but it says also, here is Life to be gotten in Him by you, if ye will take the way proposed to come by it; therefore, when the Proclamation comes forth, that all things are ready, the next word is, Come to the Wedding; And when in the one word He says, I stand at the door and knock, at the next He says, If any man will open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with me; and when Isa. 28. it's said, He is a precious corner-stone, a tried foundation-stone laid in Zion, the next word is, He that believes on him shall not make haste, or as the Apostle hath it, shall not be ashamed or confounded; this makes the Gospel glad Tydings, because it comes always with an offer of Christ and of Life in Him. 3. When the Offer is made, and the precious Wares are exposed to sale in this cried Fair of Grace, a command comes out, choose Life, come buy the Wares, believe, receive the Offer, as is clear in all the places we named before; It leaves not Folks indifferent to receive or nor, but chargeth them as they would be obedient to a Command, to receive Him, 1 Joh. 3.23. This is his commandment, that ye should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ; This is the great Gospel-command, and Ministers have not only the telling of these News, and warrand to make the Offer, but a Commission to command to receive it, and therefore the sitting and slighting of the Offer, is a Sin opposite to the Command. 4. It not only makes the Offer, and backs the Offer with a Command to embrace it, but it sweetens the Command with many gracious Promises knit to it, as Isa. 55. Hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David; And whenever the Command of Believing comes out, it's always with a Promise; as Paul deals with the Jailor, Act. 16. Believe and thou shalt be saved; and Mark 16. towards the close, the Lord says, They that believe shall be saved, to encourage to Faith in Him. 5. It presses the Offer, and commands embracing of it with the Promise, with a certification; for the Offer is not conditional, but alternative, Mark 16. If ye believe not, ye shall be damned; so Deut. 30. Death and Life are proposed, and they are bidden choose: If the Gospel be not effectual in it's Commands and Promises, it will be effectual in its Threatenings; The Word of God will triumph one way or the other, and not return to Him void, as is very clear, Isa. 55.11. and 2 Cor. 2.15, 16. It triumphs in some, while they are brought by the Promise to give obedience to the command of Believing, and to them it becomes the savor of life unto life; and to others it triumphs as to the execution of the Threatning on them for their Unbelief, and to them it becomes the savor of death unto death: In a word, Christ Jesus comes so near People in this Gospel, that He must either be chosen and Life with Him, or refused, to the destruction and death of the Refuser; ye have the same Christ, the same Word, the same Covenant, the same obligation to Believe, proposed to you, that Believers from the beginning of the World had, and another ye will not get, and what more can the Gospel do to bring Christ near to you? when it brings Him so near, that ye have Him in your offer, and the Authority of God and His Promises interposed, to persuade you to accept of the Offer; and Threatenings added, to certify you, that if ye accept it not, ye shall perish; in which respect, we may say as the Prophet Isaiah doeth, chap. 5. What could God do more to his vineyard which he hath not done? as to the holding out of the Object of Faith, Jesus Christ to be rested on by you.

But some wi • l, it may be, object here, 1. But if there come not Life and Power with the Offer, it will not do the turn; we cannot Believe, nor receive the Offer. Answ. Whose fault is this that ye want ability? It's not God's fault, ye have a sure ground to Believe, His Woe • d is a warrand good enough, the Promises • re free enough, the Motives sweet enough; the great fault is a H • art of unbelief in you, that ye will not believe in Christ, nor open to Him when He is brought to your Door; I doubt, yea, I put it out of doubt, when all that ever heard the Gospel sh • ll stand before the Throne, that there shall be one found that shall dare to make this excuse, that they were not able to receive Christ; the Gospel brings Christ so near them, that they must either say yea or nay, it is not so much, I cannot, as, I will not believe, and that will be found a willful and malicious refusal.

2. It may be objected, But how can this Gospel come to all alike, seeing it cannot be, that these that will never get good of the Gospel, hath it as near to them, as these that get the saving Fruit of it? Answ. Not to speak of God's Purpose, or what He intends to make of it, not of the Power and Fruit that accompanies it to some, and not to all; it's certain, the Gospel and Christ in its Offer, comes alike near to all that hear it: It objectively reveals the same glad Tydings to all, with the conditional offer of Life, and with the same command and encouragement, and certification in Threatenings as well as Promises; In these respects Christ is brought alike near to all, and when God cometh to reckon, He will let Sinners know in that day, that the Gospel came to their Door, and was refused; yea, it comes, and where it comes, will take hold of some to pluck them out of the Snare, and be ground of Faith to them, and to others it will be a ground of Challenge, and so the savor of death unto death; for though it take not effect as to its Promises in all, nor in its Threatenings to all, yet as to either Death or Life, it wi • l take effect in everyone, so as, if Life be refused, Death steps in the room of it.

But it may be asked, Why will God have Christ in the Offer of the Gospel brought so near the Hearers of it? Answ. 1. Because it serves to commend the Grace and Love of God in Christ Jesus, when the Invitation is so broad, that i • is to all; it speaks out the royalty of the Feast, upon which ground 2 Cor. 6.1. it's called Grace, the Offer is so large and wide. 2. Because it serves for warranding and confirming the Elect in the receiving of this Offer, for none of the Elect could receive Him if He were not even laid to their Door; It's this which gives us warrand to receive that which God offers; it's not because we are elected or beloved of God before time, or because He purposed to do us Good, that we believe, these are not grounds of Faith, being God's secret Will; but we believe, because God calleth and maketh the Offer, inviteth and promiseth, knowing that He is faithful, and we may trust Him; Hence David says, I will never forget thy Word, and, in God will I praise his Word; for the Word in its Offer speaks alike to all, and to none particularly: Indeed when it comes to the Application of Promises for Consolation, that is to be made according to the qualifications in the Persons, but the Offer is to all. 3. Because by this means the Lord hath the fairer access to found His Quarrel and Contraversie against Unbelievers, and to make their Ditty and Doom the clearer in the day of the Lord, when its found that they never received the Offer, My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me, therefore I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counsels; and this is an approbation given to Justice here, it's well-wair'd seeing they would not receive Thee, that they get worse in Thy room.

Use 2. Seeing Christ comes near you in this Gospel, and this is one of the Mercat days, I entreat you, while He is near, receive Him, call upon Him while He is near; or take it in the plain words of the Apostle, open to Him, take Him in, give Him welcome while He bodes Himself, to say so, on you; there is not a Conscience in any Man that hears this Gospel, but he will have this testimony from Him in it, that He came near them, was in their sight, and within their reach and grips, as it were, if they would have put out their hand to receive Him, and seeing it is so, O receive this Gospel, give Him room; while He is content to sup with you, take Him in, make sure your union with Him; this is the end why this Report is made, and Christ is laid before you, even that ye may lay yourselves over on Him.

I would follow this Use a little, by way of Exhortation and Expostulation jointly, seeing the Doctrine will bear both, for when Christ is brought so near even to the Mouth and to the Heart, it will be great ground of reproof and expostulation if He shall be rejected. Be exhorted therefore to be in earnest, seeing 1. It is a matter of such concernment to you; many Nations, Kings and Kingdoms have not had Christ so near them as ye have, neglect not such an opportunity; do ye think that all that is said in the Gospel concerning this, is for naught? Is it for no use that such a Report is made, and Preaching continued so long among you? And if it be for any use, is it not for this, that ye may receive the Report, and may by doing so, get your souls for a Prey? To what use will Preaching be, if this use and end of it be missed? Will your hearing the Gospel make your Peace with God if Christ be not received? 2. Consider the Advantages ye may have by receiving the Gospel that others have not, is it a little thing to be called to God's Feast, to be married to Christ, to be made Friends with God, and to enjoy Him forever? the Day comes when it will be thought an Advantage, and are there Motives to persuade to anything, like those that are to induce to that? 3. Consider what it is that we require of you, it's no strange nor hard thing, it's but Believing, and this is nothing else, but that the Report concerning Christ be received, yea, that He be received for your own good; that is it that the Gospel calls you to, even to betake you to a Physician for Cure, to betake you to a Cautioner for your Debt; if ye could escape a Reckoning and Wrath another way, it were something, but when there is no other way to obtain pardon of Sin and Peace, or to escape Wrath and obtain favor and friendship with God, but this, and when this way (to speak so) is made so easy, that its but to stoop down, and to take up Christ at your foot, as it were, or to roll yourselves on Him, how inexcusable will ye Unbelievers be, when ye shall be arraigned before His Tribunal? But 4. look a little farther to what is coming; If ye were to live always here, it were hard enough to live at feed with God; but have ye faith of a Judgment after Death? if so, how will ye hold up your Faces in that Day that now refuse Christ? will not horrible confusion be the portion of many then, and will any ground of confusion be like this, the slighting of Christ? when He shall be seen coming to judge Slighters of Him, what horror will then rise in Consciences when He shall appear and be avenged on them that were not obedient to this Gospel? as is most clear, 2 Thess. 1. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire, with his mighty Angels from Heaven, to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel. 5. Consider, that Death and Life are now in your option, in your hand as it were, choose or refuse; I speak not, nor plead here for Free-will, but of your willing electing of that which ye have offered to you; for one of two will be, either shall ye willingly choose Life, which is a fruit of Grace, or refuse Life, and choose Death, which will be found the native fruit of your Corruption; ye may have Life by receiving Christ who is laid to your Door, and if ye refuse Him; Death will follow it; as now in Hearing this Gospel ye carry in choosing or refusing, so will the Sentence pass on you at the great Day, and so your Sentence, in a manner, is written down with your own hand, as it's said Act. 13.46. Ye judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, not out of humility, but maliciously: Now when the matter is of such concernment, beware of playing the fool; if ye will continue presumptuous and secure, following your Idols, what will the Lord say, but let it be so, ye get no wrong when ye get your own choice, and He, but as it were, ratifies the Sentence which ye have past on yourselves. 6. I shall add but this one word more, and beseech you that ye would seriously lay this to Heart, as a weighty thing, considering the Certification that follows on it; It's not only Death, but a horrible Death, Wrath, and Wrath with its aggravation from this Ground; like that of Capernaum that was lifted up to Heaven in this respect, having Christ brought so near them; to whom this Gospel is not the savor of Life unto Life, it shall be the savor of Death unto Death, and think not this a common Motive, though it be commonly used, it will bring Wrath upon Wrath, and Vengeance upon Vengeance on the Hearers of this Gospel, beyond that of Sodom, if ye be still Rejecters of it; sure, none of you would think it an easy thing to be punished as Sodom was, nor digest well the Curse that came on them; is there any of you but ye would think it uncouth and strange, yea stupendous, to enter into their Judgment, and to have your Lands turned in a stinking Loch, and yourselves eternally tormented with them? but there is more wrath and vengeance following on the sin of Unbelief, and rejecting of Christ when He comes to your Door in this Guspel. To close up all, Consider that Christ is near you, and hath been long near you, and wooing you, ye know not how many Days or Years ye shall have, how soon this Gospel may be taken from you, or ye from it, how soon ye may be put in the Pit, where ye will gnash your Teeth, gnaw your Tongues, and blaspheme God; therefore be serious while Christ is in your offer, and roll yourselves over upon Him while ye have Him so near you, welcome this Hearing or Report while it sounds in your Ears, that there may be no just ground of this Complaint against you, Lord, who hath believed our report?

SERMON III.

THe most part of Men and Women think not much of the preached Gospel, yet if it were considered what is the Lord's end in it, it would be the most refreshful News that ever People heard, to hear the Report of a Savior; that is, and should be, great and glad Tydings of great Joy to all Nations; and we should be so composed to hear such News from God, and concerning His Will and our own well, as to be suitably affected with them; It's a wonder that God hath sent such a Report to People, and in it hath laid Christ so near them, that He puts Him home to them, and lays Him before them, even at their Feet as it were; and as great a wonder, that when the Lord hath condescended to give such a Savior, and b • ought Him so near, that all He calleth for is Faith, to believe the Report, or rather Faith in Him of whom the Report is, which is the second thing in the words.

The second thing then, is, The Duty that lies on People to whom the Lord sends the Gospel, or this Report concerning Christ, and ye may take it in this general; That it lies on all that hear the Gospel to believe the Report that it brings concerning Christ, and by Faith to receive Him who is holden out to them in it; this is clearly implied, Isaiah and all Ministers are sent to report concerning Him, and to bear witness of Him, and its the duty of all Hearers to believe it, and this is the ground of his and their complaint when People do not believe it: By comparing this Text with Rom. 10.16. and John 12.38. we show that it is saving Faith that is here to be understood.

I shall take up this Doctrine in three Branches, which we will find in the words, and which will make way for the Use. 1. That a People to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel, may warrantably accept of Christ, or, the offering of Christ in the Gospel is warrand enough to believe on Him; otherwise there had been no just ground of expostulation and complaint for not believing; for though the complaint will not infer that they had ability to Believe, yet it will infer they had a warrand to Believe; for the complaint is for the neglect of the Duty they were called to. 2. That they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel are called to Believe, it's their Duty to do it, thus, Believing, in all that hear this Gospel, is necessary, by necessity of command, even as Holiness, Repentance, &c. are. 3. That saving Faith is the way and mean by which these that have Christ offered to them in the Gospel, come to get a Right to Him, and to obtain the Benefits that are reported of to be had from Him; thus Believing is necessary as a mids to the end of getting Christ, and all that is i • Him: This is also here implied in the regrate made of the want of Faith, which prejudgeth Men of Christ, and of the Benefits of the Gospel.

We shall shortly put by the first of these, which is, That all that hear the Gospel preached, have Warrand to believe and receive Christ for their eternal Peace, and for making up of the breach betwixt God and them; this preached Gospel gives you all Warrand to accept of Jesus Christ, and ye would not seek after, nor call for another. I shall first premit two distinctions to clear this, and then secondly confirm it. As for the first of the two distinctions that serve to clear it, We may take up the Gospel more largely and complexly, in a Covenant-form, holding out Christ and His Benefits on condition of Believing; or we may take it up as it holds out a Promise, without particular mentioning of a Condition: Now, when we say that the Gospel commands and warrands all that hear it to accept the Offer, we do not mean the last, that all that hear the Gospel have Warrand to accept the Promise without a Condition; but the first, that is, that all the Hearers of the Gospel are commanded to accept of Christ offered; there is by the preaching of it, a Warrand to close with the Report, and then to meddle with, and take hold of the Promises, and the things promised; so that it's the Gospel conditionally proposed that gives warrand to Believe, as Believing rests on Christ for obtaining Life in Him. The second Distinction is, That we would consider Faith, as it rests on Christ for obtaining Union with Him, and Right to the Promises; or, as it applies and makes use of the Benefits to be gotten in and by Christ; the Offer of the Gospel gives not to all a Warrand to apply the Benefits to be gotten by Christ instantly, but it warrands them to close with Him first, and then to apply His Benefits.

Secondly, For confirmation of this Truth, That the general preaching of the Gospel is a Warrand for believing and exercising Faith on Jesus Christ, for making our Peace with God: It's clear from these Gr •• nds. 1. From the nature of the Gospel, it's the Word of God, as really invitng to do that which it calls for, as if God were speaking from Heaven; it's the Word of God, and not the word of Man, and hath as real Authority to call for Obedience, as if God spake it immediately from Heaven; and the Word of Promise is as really His Word, as the Word of Command, and therefore to be rested on and improven, as well as we are to endeavor obedience to the Command; and if we think that God's Testimony is true, and if we lay any just weight on these three Witnesses testifying from Heaven, and on these other three testifying from Earth, 1 Joh. 5.7. then we may rest on Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel, and believe, that these who rest on Him shall have Life; for it is, as we said, as really God's Word, as if He were speaking it audibly from Heaven. 2. It may be confirmed from these solemn things, the Word and Oath of God, whereby He hath mightily confirmed the external Offer of the Gospel, even the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for Him to lie, that these who are fled for refuge, to lay hold on the Hope set before them, may have strong Consolation, as it is Heb. 6.18. And God having thus said and sworn anent this external Covenant, for this very end, that the Hearers of the Gospel may know, that they who receive Christ offered therein, shall have Life, it is Warrand sufficient to believe on Him for Life: It's also for this end that He ha • h put Seal • to the Covenant, Circumcision and the Passover in the Old, and Baptism and the Lord's Supper in the New Testament; which are extended, not only to the Elect, but to Professors in the visible Church, that everyone who is baptized and admitted to the Communion, may have confirmation of this, that the Offer that God maketh of Life through Christ, is a true and real Offer, and will be made good to the Persons that shall receive it, and so perform the Condition. 3. It may be confirmed from the End for which God hath appointed the Word and Ministry in His Church, even to make the Offer of Christ and Life through Him, John 20.31. These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his Name; the Word is both written and preached for this very End. 4. And lastly, It's confirmed from the experience of all the Saints, and from the ground on which they believed, which was the same that we have; they had no other ground but the same Gospel and Word that we have; it was not the secret operation or instinct of the Spirit, it's that indeed which works Faith, but it was the Word which was the ground of their Faith, for there is no warrand for Faith but in the Word; and as many Believers as have gone before us, are as so many instances and experiences to confirm this Truth to us.

Use. It serves for good use to such as may fall to doubt and dispute what warrand they have to Believe, we say, ye have as good warrand as Abraham, David, Paul, or any of the Godly that lived before you had; ye have the same Gospel-Covenant and Promises, it was always God's Word preached which was the ground of Faith; and there needs not be much disputing what is God's Purpose, for we are not called to look to that in the matter of Believing more then in the matter of our Duty; and as it were evil reasoning to dispute what may be God's Purpose in the matter of Duty when we are called to it, it's as bad reasoning to dispute His Purpose in the matter of Faith: And therefore we leave this Use with a word of Adver • isement, That this Gospel as it lays Christ before you, it gives you Warrand to receive Him, and rest upon Him, and we may say as Paul did, Acts 13.38, 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren, that through this Name is preached unto you forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses; There is the Way held out for obtaining pardon of Sin, and Peace, the Lord hath made the Offer, and laid a fair Bridge over the Gulf of Distance betwixt God and Sinners, though ye should never get good of it, and though ye should never set a Foot on the Bridge; none needs to fear to step forward, behold our Lord Jesus hath holden out the Golden Scepter, His Call may be Warrand enough to come; the Preaching of this Gospel stops all Disputing, and banisheth debating of the Business; it Calls all the Hearers of it, and gives them Warrand to come forward; and it's such a Warrand as they will be found Slighters of the Great Salvation offered, who had this Door opened to them and did not step forward, for as the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 6. Behold now is the day of salvation, behold now is the accepted time; and Heb. 2.2. If the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, &c. It's the same Gospel that from the beginning hath been preached to Sinners, and this is the reason why the Gospel is called Grace, in that 2 Cor. 6.1. We beseech you that ye receive not this grace of God in vain; and Gal. 2. at the ciose, I do not frustrate the grace of God; for many get the Warrand and Pass to come and receive Christ, who put it up in their Pocket as it were, and make no use of it, as the Man that hid the Talent in his Napkin; the Bonds of Marriage are proclaimed, and the Warrand given forth, and yet they halt and come not to the Wedding.

We shall add the second Branch, which is, That this Gospel where it comes and offers Jesus Christ to Sinners. Men and Women are not only warranded to come, but required and commanded to come, the great Duty that the Gospel calls for is Believing; it leaves it not indifferent to Believe or not, but peremptorily lays it on as a Command; ye hear many Preachings, and Christ often spoken of, now this is the great thing called for from you, even Believing in Christ, and while it is not performed, there is no Obedience given to the Gospel.

We shall first confirm, and then make use of this Branch of the Doctrine.

1. For Confirmation, take these Grounds, 1. From the manner how the Cospel proposeth Faith, it's by way of Command in the Imperative Mood, Believe, Come ye that are weary, &c. Come to the Wedding, open, &c. wherein somewhat of the nature of Faith is held out, all these being the same with Believing. 2. It's not only commanded as other things are, but peculiarly commanded, and there is a greater weight laid on the obedience of this Command, then on the doing of many other commanded Duties; It's the sum of all Christ's Preaching, Mar. 1. Repent and believe the Gospel; it's the only command which Paul proposes to the Jailor, Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus, &c. 3. It's as it were the peculiar Command that Jesus Christ hath left to His People, 1 John 3.22. This is his commandment, that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ; and this Command of Believing on Him, is the peculiar Command left to, and laid on Ministers to press. 4. It will be clear, if we consider, that the great Disobedience that He quarrels for, is, when there is not Believing, when Sinners will not come to Him, this is His Quarrel, John 5.40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life, and here, Who hath believed our report? so Matth. 23. I would have gathered you and ye would not; and John 12.37. Though he did many mighty works among them, yet they believed not on him. 5 Look to the nature of the Offer made by Christ, and to the End of it, and ye will find that the great thing called for, is the receiving of it, which is nothing else but Believing; and all our Preachings of Christ, and of His Benefits, are useless without it; without this he wants the satisfaction he calls for, for the travel of his Soul; and without it the Hearers of this Gospel profit not, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls; the subordinate End of Preaching, to wit, the salvation of our Souls, cannot be attained without Faith.

The Uses are three. 1. It serveth to be a ground for us to propose the main Gospel-Duty to you, and to teach you what is the great and main thing ye are called to; it is even to Believe in Jesus Christ, to exercise Faith on Him; it's not only that your Life should be civil, and formal; that ye should Read, Pray, frequent Ordinances, learn the Catechism, and such like; but this is it, to Believe on Jesus Christ for the obtaining of Life, and remission of Sins through Him; and it's not a thing indiff • rent to you, but commanded, and with this certification, that if ye Believe not, ye shall never get Life nor pardon of Sin; and therefore, as we tell you that remission of Sins is preached to you through Christ, so we command and charge you to believe on Him, and receive this Gospel, wherein He is offered, for the remission of Sins.

For clearing of this Use, and that we may have the more ready access to Application, We shall speak a word to these three. First, To several kinds of true Faith, three whereof are no • saving; or to the ordinary distinctions of Faith. Secondly, To the Scripture expressions that hold out the nature of saving Faith. Thirdly, To some differences betwixt this saving Faith, and false and counterfite Faith, or these acts of true Faith more generally taken, which yet are not saving.

For the first of these, When we speak of Faith, we shall draw it to these four kinds ordinarily spoken of, and shall no • alter nor add to the common distinctions of Faith, though there may be moe given. The first is Historical Faith, which may be called true, being it whereby we assent to the truth of a thing, because of his supposed fidelity that telleth it; as when an Author writes a History, we give it credit upon report that he was an honest Man that wrote it: So Historical Faith is, when People hearing the Word preached or read, they assent to the truth of it all; and do not question but that Christ came to the World, that He was God and Man in one Person, that He died and rose the third day, and ascended to Heaven, that they that Believe on Him shall be saved, &c. and taking the Word to be God's Word, they may give to it a higher assent then they give to any Mans word, because God is worthy, infinitely worthy of more credit than any Man, yea then all Men, and Angels too: There may be, I say, in this Historical Faith of Divine Truths, a higher or greater assent then there is in believing of any Human History, which may be the reason why many mistake Historical Faith, and yet it is but of the same kind, and a thing which m • ny Reprobates have, as John 2. at the close, it's said, Many believed on him when they saw the miracles which he did, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them; they were brought to believe from the Signs which they saw, that He was more than a mere Man, and that it was the Word of God which He spoke, and yet it was but a Historical Faith; yea this Faith may be, and is in Devils, who are said James 2.9. to believe and tremble; there are many, who, if they believe Christ to be God and Man, and the Word to be true, think it enough; yet James having to do with such, tells them, that the Devils believe as much as that, and more thoroughly then many that h • ve that Histor • cal Faith; he knows God to be true, and One that cannot lie, and he finds it to his cost; he knows that such as Believe cannot Perish, for he cannot get one of them to Hell; he knows that there is a time set when Christ will come to judge the World, and himself among the rest, and therefore he says often to Him, torment me not before the time; and as the Devil hath this Faith, so there are many in Hell that have it too, the rich Glutton had it, therefore he bids go tell his Brethren that they come not to that place of torment, and its told him, they have Moses and the Prophets, &c. which says that he then felt the truth of many things he would not believe before: This I speak, that ye may know, that this Historical Faith is the first step of Faith, but it may be in Hell, and so in many in whom saving Faith is not; its really a wonder that Folks that are called Christians should own this to be saving Faith, and think they are well come too, when they are only come the Devils length in Believing, yea, there are many that never came his length, else they would tremble more. The second sort of Faith, is, the Faith of Miracles, which is often spoken of in the New Testament, as when the Lord saith, If ye had saith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye should say to this mountain, be thou removed and cast into the sea, and it should be done; there was an active Faith to work Miracles, and a passi • e Faith to receive the particular effect the M • racle did produce; some had the Faith of Miracles to heal, and others to be healed; this is an extraordinary thing, and Folks may go to Heave • without it, and go to Hell with it, though they cannot go to Heaven without Historical Faith; hence it's said, Many shall come to me in that day, and shall say, we have casten out devils in thy Name, to whom he will say, depart from me ye workers of iniquity: And the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 13.2. If I had all faith, and could remove mountains, if I want charity, it avails me nothing; this Faith of Miracles availeth not alone to Salvation, because it acts not on Christ holden out in the Promises, as a Savior to save from Sin, but on Christ, as having power and ability to produce such an Effect; which may be where there is no quiting of a Man's own Righteousness, and if there be not Grace in the Person that hath it, it is an occasion of Pride: We call you then to Historical Faith, as necessary, though not sufficient, but not to this Faith of Miracles, it being neither necessary nor sufficient. A third sort of Faith is Temporary Faith, spoken of Matth. 13. and set out under the Parable of the Seed sown on stony Ground, which soon springs up, but withers; so some Hearers of the Gospel receive the Word with joy, and are affected with it, but endure not: The difference betwixt this and Historical Faith, is, that Historical Faith as such, consists in the Judgment, and reaches not the Affections, at best it reaches not the affection of Joy, for though the Devils tremble, yet they are never glad; Temporary Faith reaches the Affections, and will make a Man, as to tremble at the Threatenings, as Felix did; so, some way to delight himself in the Promises of the Gospel, and to smack then as it were from the apprehension of the sweet taste and relish he finds in them: It is even here (as it were) told a whole Man, that a Physician is come to Town, he is neither up nor down with it, but tell it to a sick Man, and he is fain, from an apprehended possibility of a Cure, yet the apprehended possibility of the Cure, never sends him to the Physician, nor puts him to apply the Cure. The fourth sort is Saving Faith, which goeth beyond all the rest, and brings the sick Man to the Physician, and to make use of the Cure; there may be some measure of true Saving Faith, where there is not much Temporary Faith, or moving of the Affections, and there may be a considerable measure of Temporary Faith, where there is no Saving Faith at all, even as a fallen-Star may seem to glance more then a fixed one that is over-clouded, yet it hath no solid Light. Know then, that Faith is called for, but take not every sort of Faith for Saving Faith; it would make tender Hearts bleed to see so many mistake in the matter of their Faith; there are some who say, they had Faith all their days; O that ye were convinced of the lamentable deceit and delusion that ye are under, and that ye could distinguish betwixt Faith and Presumption, betwixt Historical and Temporary Faith, and true Saving Faith, though the two former be not Delusions, but in so far as ye rest on the same, and take them for Saving Faith, ye are deluded, for Saving Faith puts you out of yourselves to rest on Jesus Christ.

SERMON IV.

THE Gospel is a sweet Message, and ought to be glad News when it comes to a People; and therefore, when this Report of our Lord Jesus Christ is made to Sinners, O! but it's a sad Complaint that follows on the refusal and not welcoming of it; there is no better News a Minister can carry, then these brought to the Shepherds by the Angels, Luke 2.10, 11. Fear not, behold we bring you glad tidings of great joy to all people; unto you is born in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord; but were it an Isaiah, it will weight him when he looks on a fruitless Ministry and despised Gospel, and will make him complain, Who hath believed our report? O! that we may experimentally know the cheerfulness and gladness that follows the Gospel where it is embraced, and that we may not know the sorrow and sadness that will follow the challenge for despising of it; one of these two the preached Gospel will be, either it will be joyful News to you, or a sad ground of complaint to God against you.

We entered to speak of the great Duty of a People that hears the Gospel, and the great mean whereby these News become delightsome, and that is, by Faith to receive the Report of the Gospel, or to Believe on Christ reported of in it; This is clearly implied, for the regrate which holds out the sin, is, Who hath believed our report? and therefore the great Duty must be, to Believe, and by Faith to receive the Report. We come now to speak of the Use, and because it's the great design of the whole Gospel, yea, it's the design of the Law also, both of which level at this End and Scope, even Faith in Christ. It will be expedient, and no ways impertinent, that we insist a little on this, especially when so many thousands are utterly ignorant of Faith, being Strangers to what Believing in Christ is, and so great Strangers to the native End of the Gospel, and out of the way of getting good by the Preaching of it, so that to this day, they have not learned this one Lesson, to wit, concerning Faith in Christ, and other Lessons will be to little or no purpose till this be learned.

We shall not insist to speak at large of the Doctrine of Faith, but only in a plain way, glance at what this great Duty is, that is required of the Hearers of the Gospel; it's Believing in Christ savingly, or Saving Faith, for no other thing will hold off the Complaint against you; ye will be complained of, though ye would believe with all other Faith, therefore it's this Faith that is here meaned.

That we may come the sooner to that which we would be at, we shall premit two or three words. First, When we speak of Believing here, we presuppose these things that are necessary for clearing the Object of Faith and capacitating us to Believe, though they be not Saving Faith; As namely, 1. That the Offer of the Gospel must come to People, that the Object of Faith be held out to them, that it be told them, that there is a way for a Sinner's Justification through Christ Jesus, and that Sinners may be accepted before God on His account, or through Him. There must also, 2. Be an understanding of this, a conceiving in the Judgment what it is; Folks cannot Believe except they Hear, and Understand what they Hear, in so far as distinctly to fix their Faith on the thing known; they must know and understand the Mediator's fullness, the Covenants freeness, and the efficacy of Faith to make Christ theirs. Yea, 3. It's necessary there be some acquaintance with our own condition, as that we are naturally under Sin, that we are lost, and under the Curse, sick, and utterly unable, and even desperate to get ourselves recovered, by anything that is in, or by anything that we can do of ourselves, that we are forever undone if we get not a Savior, that our mouth may be stoped. 4. Not only must we know this, but it's necessary there be an Historical Faith of it, to Believe that there is Fulness and Sufficiency in Ch • ist, that He is able to cure, and take away the guilt of Sin in all that rest on Him; these must be believed in general, ere ever Sinners can rest on Him for their own Salvation; which supposes that there may be an Historical, where there is not a Saving Faith. Now when all this length is gone, Saving Fai • h is that which the Gospel calleth for, and it is the Hearts acting according to what sound light and conviction it hath, on Jesus Christ as holden out in the Promise, for obtaining of Life and Salvation through Him; so that when the Soul is lying still under its conviction, and knows it cannot have Life but by resting on Christ, and hears that there is a Sufficiency in Him for up making of all its wants, then the work of the Spirit prevails with the Soul, to cast itself over on Him for obtaining of Life, and of every other thing needful; it brings the Soul to embrace and lay hold on Him, not only as one able to save Sinners, but to save itself in particular; and this is the native work of Faith that waits the Soul to Christ, and pu • s it over the bound-road, or march of all Delusion; it's like a sinking Man's leaping to catch hold of a Rock or Rope; it's the b • inging of a lost Sinner from the serious apprehension of his own naughtiness and undone Estate, to cast himse • f over on Jesus Christ for the obtaining of Life through Him.

Secondly, When we speak of Faith, we would premit this, That even this true and Saving Faith, which is not only in kind true, that is, such as hath a real Being, but is Saving, may be considered in its different acts or actings for its different needs or necessities: Though the Covenant be one, yet the acts of Faith are many, we having to do with Pardon of Sin, with Sanctification in its parts, Vivification, and Mortification, with Peace, &c. Faith differently acts on Christ and the Promise for obtaining of these. Now, the Faith that we would insist on, is, the F • ith that rests on Christ for Pardon of Sin, on which all the rest of the acts of Faith depend; it's that Faith whereby a Sinner receives Christ, and casts himself over on Him; that Faith whereby Union with Christ is made up.

Thirdly, We would premit, That there is a great difference betwixt Faith, and the Effects of it, as Peace, Joy, Assurance of God's Love, and these other Spiritual Privileges that follow Believing: It's one thing actually to Believe, another thing to have the Peace and Joy that follows upon, and flows from Believing; the one being as the putting out of the Hand to receive the Meat, and the other as the feeding on it: It's the first of these we mean, and intend to speak of, even that Faith whereby we grip Jesus Christ Himself, and get a Right to all these Privileges in and through Him.

Fourthly, We premit, That even this Saving Faith hath its degrees, as all other Faith hath; some have more weak Faith, some stronger; some have that full Assurance spoken of Heb. 10. or a Plerophory, not only as to the Object that it's sufficient, but as to the apprehending and obtaining of Life through that Object; so that they are able to say, neither height nor depth, nor anything else, shall be able to separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus; we say then, that Saving Faith hath its degrees, though the degree be not that which we speak of; but it's the kind of this Faith, whether weaker or more strong, whereby a lost Sinner rolls itself over on Christ; the Faith which puts the Sinner off the Ground it stood on, ever on Him; the Faith which brings the Soul from the Covenant of Works to a new holding of Life by Christ and His Righteousness. We shall then speak a little, 1. To what we conceive this act of Saving Faith is not for precaveating of mistakes. 2. What way the Scripture expresses it; when then we say that such a thing is not Saving Faith, ye would know that thing is not it that ye must lippen to; and when we say such a thing is Saving Faith, ye would labor to act and exercise Faith according to it.

First, For what Saving Faith is not. 1. It is not the knowing that Christ is God and Man, that He was Born, was Crucified, Dead, and Buried, and Rose again; Ask some, what true Saving Faith is? they will say it's a true Knowledge; Ask them again, how long is it since they Believed? they will say since ever they knew Good by Ill; ye would know that apprehensive or literal and speculative Knowledge is needful, but it will not be taken for Saving Faith. 2. It's not a touch of warmness or liberty in the Affections in a natural way, which may be in unregenerate Men, yea possibly in Pagans, as in a Felix, who in the mean time, have not so much as Temporary Faith, because it rises not from the Word, but from dispensations of Providence, or from Temporary things; and if it rise from the Promises of the Word, if there be no more, it's but temporary Faith. 3. It is not Convictions, which many take for Faith, and take it for granted if they be convinced of Sin, they Believe, and will say, whom should they Believe on but Christ, and yet they never follow the Conviction, to put in practice what they are convinced of. 4. It's not simply a Resolution to Believe, as others take Saving Faith to be, who being convinced that their own Righteousness will not do their turn, resolve to Believe on Christ for Righteousness, but they will take a convenient time to do it; and many maintain their Peace with this, though it be no true Peace; but a bare resolution to Believe is not Faith; ye use to say, there are many good Wishers in Hell. I remember the words of a dying Man in this Place, who thought he believed before, and being asked what difference he conceived to be betwixt the Faith he had before, and the Faith he now had attained to? he answered, before, I thought or resolved to Believe, but never practiced it, now I practice Believing: There is such a subtlety and deceit in the Heart, that if it resolve to Believe, and if it observably thwart not with Faith, it will sit down on that as if all were done, therefore the Word is, To day if ye will hear his voice, that is, today if ye will Believe, harden not your heart: This resolving to Believe, is like a Man sinking in the Water, and having a Rope cast out to him, he resolves to grip it, but does it not; So, many think they have the Promise beside them, and resolve to make use of it, but do not presently make use of it, and the Ship sinks down, and they perish, while the Promise abides and swims above. 5. It is not Prayer; There are many who think they Believe when they some way Repent, Pray, and put their Hand to other Duties, and they know no more for Believing but something of that kind; it is true indeed, Prayer may help to Believe, yet it's not always with Faith, it's not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, that believeth; many will seek to enter that shall not be able: Folks very often have these two miserable mistakes about Prayer, either they put it in the room of Christ, or in the room and place of Faith, not considering that they are different things; for Faith exerciseth itself on Christ as Mediator, and Prayer taketh Him up as God, the true Object of Divine Worship; though if it be not founded on Christ as Mediator, it hath no access; the acting of Saving Faith is properly on Christ held forth in the Word, and Prayer is a putting up of Suits according to the Word: There are many that know no more what use to make of Christ, then if He had never been incarnate, nor had come under that relation of a Mediator, and make their Prayers serve to make up all; whereas Faith, not only respects Christ as God, but His Merits as Mediator and His Offices. 6. Nor is Faith only a believing this Word of God to be true, though we could wish many were come that length; it would make a Man tremble to hear the blasphemous words that some will have, when they are asked concerning their believing the truth of the Bible; but though ye were that length, it were not enough, the Devils believe and tremble; the Faith that we call you to, is more then Historical, it's to resting on Christ, to cordial receiving of the Message which He sends to you; as, suppose a King should send an embassage to a Person to woo her to be his Wife, it's one thing to know that there is such a King, another thing to believe that he is real in his offer, and that the Woman by consenting to marry him, may be, and will be happy, and (which is yet more) actually to receive the Message, and to consent to go and marry him; It's here as when Abraham 's servant is sent to Rebekah, Gen. 24. She and her Friends believe all the report that the Servant made of his Master and of his Son, that it was true, and then it's given to her option if she will go with the Man, and she consents to go, and actually goeth; this is it we press you to, to go with us and close the Bargain, and to accept of Him, and of Life through Him; by the same similitude ye may know what Saving Faith is, and what is the difference betwixt it and Temporary Faith; when the great, rich, and brave offer comes to be made to Rebekah, by a Man with many Camels, Gold, and Bracelets, when she believes that it's true, and that it's made to her, she is fain, and it may be over fain, if not somewhat vain also, that is like Temporary Faith; but when it comes to the articles of the Contract, it's said to Sinners, ye must subject to Christ, and follow His Will and not your own, this, this casts the Bargain; thus many when they hear there is a possibility of Life to be had in Christ, and much more when they hear it's to be had on good, easy, and free terms, it will make them smile, but when it comes to that, Psal. 45.10. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, forsake thy fathers house, or the fashions of thy Fathers House, it halts there, and they suspend and demur to close the Bargain, but Saving Faith goes further on, and with Rebekah, finally closes the Bargain.

Secondly, The next thing is, What is Saving Faith, or what is it to Believe in Christ? and would to God ye were ready to Believe, and as ready to receive the Invitation as to ask the Question, and that in asking the Question ye were in earnest; for by the way, many have asked the Question, What shall we do to be saved? where if they had been in earnest, they might have been soon resolved; The Answer is at hand, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved: But to them that desire further clearness or confirmation in this concerning Business, we shall speak a little, yet ye must know, that it's such a thing as is impossible to be made plain to a proud humoured or unhumbled Sinner, it's the poor humbled Soul that will take it up, and to such a Soul, half a word will help to take it up.

The plainest way to set it out, as we conceive, is, to name some Scripture Expressions, and Similitudes, that hold it forth, The first whereof is in that of Mat. 11.28. Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden; and John 6.35. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst; readily these Expressions hold out these three. First, An Evil which Men cleave to. Secondly, A Good that is offered to them. Thirdly, A passing from the Evil to the Good, and so, come to me implies. 1. A hazard that Folks are in by being at a distance from Christ. 2. That there is access to Jesus Christ for remeiding that evil, and removing of that hazard. 3. A passing from the one to the other, a passing from our own Righteousness to Christ's Righteousness, a passing from our natural condition to Jesus Christ, a real passing from Death in ourselves, to Life in Him: Most part, think Faith to be a conceit, a humor, or a guessing, that they think they may have and never know how; but it's a real thing, a coming from our own Righteousness, as I said, to His, from a Covenant of Works, to rest on Christ and His Righteousness, held forth in the Covenant of Grace; this is somewhat explained, Rom. 7. where two Husbands are spoken of, a Woman cannot marry another Man till her first Husband be dead, so, till a Sinner be dead to the Law, he cannot marry Christ, there must be a divorcing from the Law and Covenant of Works ere ye can close with Christ.

The second Expression is, John 1.12. Where Faith is held forth as a receiving of Christ, To as many as received him, he gave them power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his Name; and it's well expressed in the Catechism, to be a receiving of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel; this supposes that Christ is offered to us, and that we are naturally without Him; The Gospel comes and says, Why will ye die, O house of Israel? come and receive a Savior; And the act of Faith is a gripping to that Offer, a receiving and embracing of it, a being well content to take a free Discharge through His Blood.

A third Expression is, Phil. 3.12. Where Faith is set out as an apprehending of Christ, and Heb. 6.18. It's called a laying hold on the Hope set before us, and Isa. 56.4. a taking hold of the Covenant; all which suppose Folk to have a choice, as it were, laid to them, and Christ to be holden out as a City of Refuge, and a Shelter from that which we are in hazard of; Christ is held out in the Gospel as the City of Refuge, and the exercise of Faith is to run from the hazard to Him, as a Child that is chased by an unknown and uncouth Body, flees unto the Mothers Arms, or as the Man-slayer fled from the Avenger of Blood to the City of Refuge; and Faith having run to Him, casts itself on Him, or thrusts itself (as it were) into Him.

A fourth Expression is, rolling or casting of ourselves over upon the Lord, as Psal. 55.22. Cast thy burden on the Lord, and Psal. 37.5. Commit thy way to the Lord, it's on the Margent, roll thyself on the Lord, or rest, as it's verse. 7. and ease thyself on the Lord; the Gospel lays Christ, as it were, at Folks feet, and Faith rolls them over on Him; it's even the Souls finding itself through the work of the Spirit, unable to stand under the Burthen; rolling itself on Christ, as a crafie and weak Body casts itself on a Doun-Bed for ease; This is a very emphatick, significant, and active Expression of Faith, setting out a Man quiting his own Legs or Feet, as unable to stand on them, and laying himself over on Christ; This is it that we call you to, even to quite your own Feet, and to roll yourselves over on Christ.

A fifth Expression is, Rom. 10.3. Where it's called a submitting to the righteousness of God; which is held out in the Gospel, thus, as if a King were proclaiming a Pardon to Rebels, and saying to them, for as many heinous Crimes as ye have committed, and are guilty of, if ye will take with them, and betake yourselves to my grace and mercy, sincerely resolving to be henceforth faithful and dutiful Subjects to me, I will freely pardon you; which gracious offer they most gladly accept of, and submit themselves to it: Submitting, is an acquiescing in the terms of the Gospel, as it is proposed; It's even as if ye should say, we hold the Bargain, and are well-content and satisfied with it; In a word, Faith carves not to God the way of Salvation, but sweetly submitteth to the way He hath carved out.

A sixth Expression is, Hiding of ourselves in God, or in Christ, so the word trust in God, signifies, to hide ourselves in Him as in a place of Refuge, according to that Prov. 18. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the righetous run unto it and are preserved, or hid, or, they flee to it as Doves do to their Windows; and this is it the Apostle hath, Phil. 3.9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness, &c. so that if ye ask, What is Faith? It's a Man's betaking himself to Christ, that when he shall be called for, it may be answered, Lord, I am in Christ not having mine own Righteousness, &c. it is not to be lippenning to the Man's good Hopes, to his good Prayers, or to his good Meaning, but to Christ's Satisfaction, and God's Promise; By Faith, when rightly exercised, the Sinner holls and hydes himself in Christ, till (to speak so) a bit of the Man cannot be seen; and this is well set out by the Lord, when He says, Isa. 23.26. Come my people, enter into your chambers, shut the doors about you, hide yourselves for a little while, &c. come in under the Mediator's Wings, lock in yourselves by Faith there, and so make all sure.

A seventh Expression is, 2 Chron. 30.8. Where, when Hezekiah is writing to the degenerate Tribes to come home again, he bids them, yield themselves to the Lord, in the Original it is, give the hand to the Lord, even as two Men who have been at odds and variance, or have broken the tyes that were betwixt them, come to renew the Friendship, they chop Hands: Now God is brought in stretching out His Hands to you, Isa. 65.2. therefore come and close with Him, yield to Him, give Him the Hand, or chop Hands with Him, and make the Bargain and Engagement sicker for the time to come; all these Similitudes borrowed from Men, are partly to make the Nature of Faith obvious and clear, partly to strengthen and confirm Believers Faith.

An eighth Expression is that of opening to Christ, Cant. 5.2. Open to me my dove, &c. Rev. 3.20. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man open the door to me, &c. Acts. 16. it's said, the Lord opened the heart of Lydia: When the Word comes, Sinners Hearts are locked on God, Christ comes by His Word, and knocks hard to be in, bids open and take in the Savior, and Faith discerns His Voice, and gives Him entry; it's the letting of the Word sink, the making of Him welcome; it's not only the crediting of the Word as true, but the receiving of Him whom the Word offers, for the End for which He is offered; and this is, when the work of the Spirit with the Word, wakens up a stichilling, or flightering (to say so) within, and makes the Heart to open to take in Christ; as one worded it well and significantly, my Heart clecked as a Lintseed-Boll to Christ; and wherever Christ hath a design of Grace on the Soul, and comes with Powet, He continues knocking, rapping and calling hard and aloud, till Doors and Gates be cast open to Him.

A ninth Expression or Similitude under which Faith is held forth, is that which is ordinary, of a Marriage, or of covenanting or consenting, whether in Marriage or otherwise, but more especially in Marriage: When Christ taketh on Him the place of an Wooer, Ministers are His Ambassadors, the Word is their Instructions, wherein He bids them go tell Sinners, that all things are ready, and to pray them to come to the Marriage, or to marry and match with Him; and Faith is a coming-away to this Husb • nd, a receiving of the word of Invitation, a consenting to the Marriage: It's not so much a local, as a qualitative change or mutation, we change Fashions, we subscribe the Contract on the terms it is laid out to us: In the Bargain of Grace, something is offered by God, and that is Christ and His Fulness, and there is something done on our side, and that is, acccepting of Him by Faith; and this is not so much a saying with the Tongue, as it is a believing with the Heart, as it is Rom. 10.10. With the heart man believes unto righteousness; it's the Hearts present subscribing the Marriage-Contract, and going away with Christ, to live and cohabit with Him, though Confession will be readily with the Mouth also, as He calls for it.

A tenth Expression or Similitude, is that of buying, Ho everyone (crieth the Prophet Isa. 55.1.) that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no money, come buy, &c. so Rev. 3.18. Buy of me eye salve, &c. It says this much, that God in the Gospel sets forth as in a Mercat, to Sinners, rich and rare Wares, and good cheap, or at very low and easy Rates; and that Believing is like buying up of the Wares; Life Eternal is holden out on condition of believing on Christ, and the poor Sinner thinks that a good Bargain, for it takes no Money from him: Rev. 22.17. This is called willing, whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely; the Soul hath a good will to the thing. It is held forth by several other Expressions in the Scripture, it is called a cleaving to the Lord, or sticking to him, Josh. 23.8. and Acts 11.23. it is called hearing, hearkening, and inclining of the ear, Isa. 55, 2, 3. an attentive concerned, and holily greedy listening to, and taking hold of this Offer; it's a cleaving to the Lord, as Woodben or Ivy cleaves to an Oak, because its life depends on it: And Deut. 30. and Josh. 24. it's called a choosing of the Lord, and that upon deliberation, as knowing that we have need of Him, that He is a Savior suited completely to all the necessities of our Souls, and that we are warranded to Believe on Him; it's the native act and exercise of Faith to choice Christ among all the Wooers that are courting the Soul: So likewise it's set out under trusting and committing, Psal. 37. Commit thy way to the Lord, trust in Him; I know saith Paul, 2 Tim. 1.12. He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him; it's to give Christ the credit of your Salvation; it's one thing to give a Man the credit that He is true, and another thing to concredit Him with our greatest concerns; we will credit many whom we will not thus concredit ourselves to, nor commit our concerns to; the former (when these are applied to God) is Historical Faith, but this latter is Saving Faith, when we dare trust and lippen ourselves to Him, and to His Word, and we think this Expression holds forth as much of the nature of Saving Faith as any of the former, if we could take it up, when we dare concredit ourselves to Him because He hath said the word: Thus also to act and exercise Faith on Him, for Temporal, or for Spiritual things, it's to expect the event from God, but so, as we expect and look for it on this ground, that Christ hath purchased it, and we have accepted Him on His Offer, which gives us a right to these things needful for us, and purchased by Him: It's said Matth. 22.5. when the Invitation comes, that some made light of it, but Faith, on the contrary, is a laying weight on it, and a concrediting of ourselves to God on that ground: It's called Rom. 6. a delivering up of ourselves to the word, and to Him in it; it's even to put a Blank in Christ's Hand, to be filled up as He pleases,

Ye see then what ye are called to, it is to open to Christ, to come to Him, to marry Him, to roll yourselves on Him, to commit yourselves to Him, to give Him credit, &c. and is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you? and if they be very reasonable and advantageous, (as indeed they are,) we would exhort you to come to Him, to receive Him, to apprehend Him, to flee to Him, to take hold of Him, to marry Him, &c. Believe on Him, and by believing, be united to Him, and get a right to Him, and to all His Purchase; give Him the credit of saving your Souls: This we call for from you, and if ye do it not, the complaint in the Text will stand against you, Who hath believed our report?

SERMON V.

IT's a great matter once to get the Gospel brought amongst a People, and such Messengers, as may make the savoury Report of Jesus Christ unto them; yet this is not all, there is a greater work behind, and that is, to get Christ believed on, and to get the Report concerning Him received by the People to whom it is made; This being the greatest and gravest work of the Prophets, and of the Ministers of the Gospel, and the most eminent, not so much to get a word to say, as to get the Word believed; and this is Isaiah 's complaint, that though he himself brought the Report concerning Christ, and foresaw many moe would bring it, yet, that the exercise of Faith in these who should hear it would be very rare.

We spoke of the great thing called for from a People to whom this Gospel comes, and the Report of Christ is made, and that is to Believe on Him, to receive and rest on Him of whom the Report is made; except this be, though there were never so many Preachers, and encouragements to Preach, though ye should flock to the Ordinances every day, the ground of Complaint will still remain, if there be not Saving Faith in Jesus Christ, which is the substance of the Gospel.

After confirmation of this Point, We show what Faith is from the several names the Scripture giveth it, and wherein the exercise of Saving Faith is holden out, all which imply these three. 1. A great hazard and danger that the Hearers of the Gospel are in, whether they be sensible of it in such a measure at least, or not, we speak not now, yet they are so really; so much fleeing, coming, laying-hold, apprehending, &c. insinuate. 2. A fullness and sufficiency in Christ Jesus holden forth to them, as the object of their Faith, as one that can deliver out of that danger, and can right what ever is wrong. 3. An act, wherein mainly the exercise of Faith is holden forth, and it's the act of the Soul under that danger and distress, betaking itself to Christ's fullness for help: It's a fleeing from the Curse of the Law, to Him, as to the City of Refuge; so every name that Faith gets, sets out a Man acting and moving some way for Christ's remeeding the evil, and removing the hazard he is in.

Having spoken a little to this, that Faith is the main duty that is called for, we may now follow the Exhortation to press you to it, it being to no purpose to speak of Christ and of Faith in Him, except He be received; This is the end of the Word written and taught, John 20. at the close, even to believe in the Name of the Son of God, and by believing to receive Life in and through Him.

And therefore, Secondly, Seeing this is the main Duty called for by the Gospel, that by Faith ye should receive it, and Christ offered in it, we earnestly exhort you to it; It is not so much to this or that particular Duty, though these be implied; it's not so much to attendance on Ordinances, nor to submission to Discipline and Censures, though these also be Duties that we exhort you to; but it's to obedience to the great command of Faith, even to believe on Him whom the Father hath sent and sealed; It is to receive this Gospel, to submit to the Righteousness of Faith, to open to Him that is knocking at the Door, to yield to Him and to give Him the Hand, that bygone Quarels may be removed, and taken out of the way; except this be, we profess to you in His Name, that ye bring not forth the Fruit that this Gospel calleth for from you, and that no less will be acceptable to God, nor taken off your Hand by Him.

And to add here the third Branch of the Doctrine, We say, that no less will do your turn as a necessary mean for attaining the Promise and that which is promised. 1. Look to all the Promises, whether of Pardon of Sin, or of Peace with God, of Joy in the Holy Ghost, of Holiness and Conformity to God; there is no access to these, or to any of them but by Faith; this is the very proper condition of the Covenant of Grace, and the Door whereby we step into it; and if ye think Pardon of Sin, Peace with God, and Holiness to be necessary, then this great Gospel-Duty of Believing is no less necessary; for the Lord saith, John 3.36. He that believes not is condemned already. 2. Look to the performance of any Duty, or mortification of any Lust or Idol, and Faith is necessary to that, 1 John 5.5. It is by Faith we obtain victory over the world; it was by Faith ( Heb. 11.) that all the Worthies spoken of there, wrought Righteousness, &c. 3. When any Duty is done, of whatsoever nature it be, there is no acceptation of it without Faith; It is not our Praying, or coming to the Church, that will make Duty to be accepted, but it's Faith, the word profited them not, saith the Apostle, Heb. 4.2. because it was not mixed with Faith: And that for making the Duty acceptable, Faith is necessarily requisite, we may clearly see, Heb. 11.6. where it is expressly said, that without Faith it is impossible to please God; And how is it that Abel offers a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain, it was nothing sure in Cain 's Sacrifice itself that made it be casten, nor anything in Abel 's that made it be received or acceptable, but Faith in the Messiah to come, that was found to be in the one, and was a missing in the other; Is there not reason then to press this Duty on you? and to exhort you not to think this a common and easy thing, though the most part think it to be so; if we look to the benefits of it, to the difficulty of it, and to the rarity of it in the World, there is no Duty had need more to be pressed than this, even that Christ Jesus should get the Burthen of your immortal Souls cast on Him by this Saving Faith. I shall therefore, in the further prosecution of this. First, Shew, what mainly ye would eschew and avoid, as that whereat Folk more ordinarily stumble. Secondly, What it is we would press you to, and on what Grounds.

For the first, I know the deceits and mistakes in Men about the Exercise of Faith, are so many, that they are moe then can well or easily be reckoned up, yet we shall in some generals, spoken of before, hint at a few of them; for so long as ye continue in the same Snares, they must be still pointed out to you, and endeavors still used to undeceive and extract you out of them; and therefore, 1. Beware of resting on a Doctrinal Faith, which before, I called Historical; We know it's hard to convince some that they want Faith, yet we would have you to consider, that it is not every kind of Faith, but Saving Faith, that will do your turn; it's the want of that which the Prophet complains of: And therefore, to open this a little, ye would consider, That there may be really such a Faith as is an assent to the truth of the Word, in a natural Man, yea in a Reprobate, but that Faith will never unite to Christ, nor be waited with the Pardon of Sin. First, I do not say, that everyone that is in the visible Church hath this Doctrinal Faith, to believe a Heaven and a Hell, that the Scripture is the Word of God, and that all that believe in Christ shall get Pardon of Sin and Life; the carriage alas! of many testifies that they have not this much, whatever fleeting notions they may have of these things, or whatever esteem they may seem to put on the Gospel, and whatever profession they may make, that they believe the truth of it, yet in their deeds they deny it; for if there were a fixedness in the Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel in Men, they durst not for their Souls live as they do. Neither yet Secondly, Do we say, that all they that have this Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel, or somewhat of it, do believe every passage in it alike, but often as they please them, they believe them: Hence many believe what the Word speaks of Mercy and of Pardon of Sin, and will not question that; but what it speaks of Holiness, and of the severity of God's reckoning with Men for Sin, they do not so credit that part of the Word; it's true, where the Faith of the one is, the Faith of the other will some way be; but because the one agrees better with their Corruption than the other, therefore the one is not so so received as the other; and it's very frequent with such, to be found diminishing from one place, and adding to another, of the Word of God. Nor Thirdly, Do we say, that all Men do in a like and equal degree, believe the true • h of the Word; there is in some more Knowledge, in some less, in some moe Convictions, in some fewer; and though we preach to you all, yet there are some that believe not this to be God's Ordinance, albeit there are many who will not be saved, that takes this Word to be the Word of God, and believe what is the meaning of it, because the Word itself says it is so: And the reason of this is, 1. Because there is nothing that is not Saving, but a Natural Man may h • ve it; now, this Doctrinal Faith is not Saving, and so a Natural Man may have it, yea, the Devils believe and tremble; and James does not dispute with these to whom he writes on this account, that they believe not thus, but tells them, that Historical Faith was not enough; and we think a man in Nature may have a great persuasion of the truth of the Word of God, and that what it says will come to pass, and yet still continue but a Natural Man. A second Reason is, Because the Scripture speaks so often of many sorts of Faith that are not Saving, as Exod. 14. at the close, it's said, the People believed the Lord; and Psal. 106.12. then they believed His Word, and sang His praise; and John 2.23. many believed on Christ to whom He did not commit himself; there was Faith in them, which His Signs and Miracles extorted from them, which was not Saving; and Matth. 13. two or three such acts of Faith are spoken of in the Parable of the Sower, that were not Saving, however sound they might be in their own kind, and 1 Cor. 13. we have such a Faith spoken of, as a Man dare not deny the truth of the Word, though he should bring his Body to be burnt by his avouching of the same. A third Reason is, Because, as much credit may be given to the Word as is given to any other History that is creditably believed; and it's on this ground that we believe there was such Men as Caesar, Pompey, Wallace, &c. and it being certain, that there may be impressions on the Consciences of Hearers, that this is God's Word, backed with some common work of the Spirit, and that it is generally received to be the Word of God, in the part of the World we live in; what wonder is it that Folk believe thus, and drink in this Historical or Doctrinal Faith of the Word, so as they may even dare to suffer to Death for it? and yet in the mean time, they may want Saving Faith, the Devils being as sure as any Natural Man is, that God is true, and that His Word will be performed, and therefore they say to Christ, Art thou come to torment us before the time; the Pa • gs of a Natural Conscience in Men will assure them of a Judgment coming, though they tremble to think on it.

And therefore ere we proceed further, take a word of Use from this, and it may let you see the great and very general mistake of the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel, in resting on this Doctrinal Faith; If ye tell them that they have no Faith, they will not by any means take with that; they believe there is a Savior, and that He is God and Man, and that such as believe on Him shall be saved, and on this they rest: It's such as these who think they have believed all their days since ever they had any Knowledge, because the Word was always, or very long since, received in the Place where they lived, for the Word of God, and they believe it to be so also; and know no difference betwixt believing the Word, and believing on Christ holden out in it; though alas many of you believe not this much, for if ye were among the Jews, ye might be soon brought to question the truth of the Gospel; But though ye had the real Faith of the truth of the Word, take not that for Saving Faith, for as there is a real Sorrow that is not the Saving Grace of Repentance unto Life, so there is a sort of real Faith that hath a real Object, and a real being in the Judgment, which yet is not a real closing with Christ, and so, not Saving Faith; as, suppose a Man pursued by his Enemy, should see a strong Castle-door standing open, or one in hazard at Sea should see dry Land, if he should stand still while the Enemy were pursuing him, or abide still in the sinking Vessel, the sight of the Castle-door open, nor of the dry Land, would not save him; so it's not the believing that there is a Savior come into the World to save Sinners, that will save, except there be a resting on Him as He is holden out in the Woe • d of the Gospel: Historical Faith, is only (as it were) a looking on the Savior, but Saving Faith grips to Him, and rests on Him; Historical Faith looks on Christ, but acts not on Him, closes not with Him; and therefore such as have it only, and no more, sink and perish without getting good of Him: We would think it a great matter to get many of you as far on in Believing as the Devil is, who believes and trembles; the little trembling that is, shows that there is but little of this Historical Faith, yet, as I have often said, this is not all, ye may have this, and yet if ye halt there, ye will certainly perish if ye were never so confident to be saved; the Apostle doth well distinguish these, Heb. 11.6. He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; where these two are presupposed. First, Believing that God is, or hath a Being. And secondly, Believing that His Promise is sure and sicker, that He is Faithful that hath promised, and will make His Word good. And then thirdly, On both these follows a coming to Him as a Rewarder of diligent Seekers of Him. The first two take in Historical Faith; for to believe that God is, is Natural, and to believe that God is Faithful in His Promise, may be in Natural Men; but to come to Him, to get the hazard that the Soul is in, removed through Jesus Christ, is a thing few do attain: This then is the first thing we would be aware of, not aware to believe the truth of the Word, but to be aware of resting on it as Saving Faith; it's not enough to look on Christ, and to grant that it is He, but the Man must never be satisfied till he get himself rolled on Christ, and the weight of his Salvation and Peace laid on Him in His own way.

The second thing ye would beware of, is, Some common and quickly transient work on the Affections, that may accompany Historical Faith; Whether the Affection of Grief, or the Affection of Joy be stirred thereby, both are unsafe to be rested on; when ye cannot prove your resting on Christ, or where there is no relevant ground to prove it by, though ye should tremble as Felix did, and be under allaruming convictions of Conscience and fears of your hazard, or though ye should be affected with Joy as the Temporary Believer may be, and sometimes is, what will that profit you? it's a great mistake to take some small work on the Affections, which at the best is but an effect of Historical Faith, for a Saving work of the Spirit. Or secondly, If it be not an effect of Historical Faith, it's an effect of a challenge of Conscience, and smiting of the Heart, as in Saul, who could say to David, Thou art more righteous than I, my son David. Or thirdly, It's some common work of the Spirit, such as was in Simon Magus, of whom it is said, he believed, and who could say, pray for me; for Folks to conclude on this ground, that they are brought out of Nature into a State of Grace, is to build upon a Sandy Foundation: The Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 7.10. of worldly Sorrow, as well as of a godly Sorrow and as there may be a worldly Sorrow, so there may be a carnal Joy, a piece of fainness, to speak so, in Prayer, or at hearing of a Preaching, or at a Communion, which is not Saving Faith; some hear the Word with Joy, Matth. 13. who yet endure not; and John the Baptist 's Hearers rejoiced in his Light for a season; even as a sick Man, who hearing (as we hinted before) that a Physician who is skillful and able to cure him, is come to Town, he grows fain in the contemplation of a Cure of his Disease; but here is the stick, when the Physician tells the Man that he must be so and so abstemious, and keep himself under such a strict Diet, he dow not abide that, and so, all his joy evanishes: There is something like this in Tempory Faith, where some remote expectation of Salvation will cause a carnal Joy and Fainness; but when it comes to this, that a Man is called to quite his Lusts, or his Estate, or, in the World to undergo Trouble and Persecution for the Gospel, by and by he is offended, he thinks (to say so) a Fowl in his hand is worth two fleeing; and therefore when the Storm blows in his Teeth, he turns his Back and runs away: Especially we will find this to be with Men in Sickness, they will have mints and seriousness, and sometimes flashes of Sorrow under Convictions or Challenges, and sometimes flashes of Joy that will evanish when they come to Health again: When we speak of some common work on the Affections, we would take in liberty and some warmness of Spirit in Prayer, which, no question, even unrenewed Men may find more at one time than another, as when they are in some great hazard or strait, they will be more than ordinary serious in that Duty, and yet that may be but an effect of Nature; This proves a great Stumbling and Neck-break to many, that they think they are well enough if now and then they get utterance in Prayer, as sometimes they will get words beyond what they expected, and when upon reflecting, they find that they have been in earnest, though it hath been but with Moral seriousness, that blows them up; upon which ground it is, that many shuffle in Prayer in the place of Saving Faith, and when they Pray with warmness, they trow they Believe, when in the mean time they never knew what it was, in good earnest to lay themselves over on Christ Jesus; therefore when we invite you to Believe, this is another thing we would bid you beware of, that ye put not a flash of Sense in the room of Faith.

3. There is yet a more subtle, though no less dangerous Mistake, that ye would beware of, and that is, When Faith is confounded with Obedience, and is looked on in Justification as a piece of new Obedience, with Love, Repentance, and other duties of Holiness; so some think they Believe, because they have some Natural awe of God in their Walk, and some fear of Sin, and do perform some duties of Religion, and walk Honestly, as they think, according to the Rule; which is to confound the Covenant of Works and of Grace, and to make the Covenant of Works a Covenant of Grace, or to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works; only with this difference, that though their works be not perfect, but defective, yet wherein they are defective, they think there is worth in their Faith to make up that want, and to supply that defect; and so by Faith they think they will obtain the acceptation of their works, and of their Persons on account of their works; they look upon their works as pleasing to God, but because they are not perfect, they will believe, or exercise Faith, to make up their defects, to which the way of Grace is quite contrary, which makes the Tree first good, and then the Fruit; This way that many take, is not to draw the evidences of Believing from works of Holiness, which is warrantable, but the founding of Faith, or their hope of Heaven on works, and the use they make of their Faith, is to ward off Challenges for the imperfection of their works, and to make Faith procure aeceptance (as I just now said) to their works, and acceptance to their Persons for their works sake.

4. Beware of that which ye ordinarily call a certain assurance, or sure knowledge of your Salvation, and that all the Promises are yours, whereby ye think yourselves in no hazard; a hope and assu • ance of Heaven that ye can give no ground for, nor proof of, only ye think ye are sure of Pardon of Sin, and coming to Heaven, and that ye are obliged to maintain that groundless hope; but that is not Saving Faith, for it's a hope of Heaven that can give you no right to Christ; there must first be a fleeing to Him, and closing with Him, before ye can have any true and well-grounded hope of Heaven; but your hope and confidence is, never to question the matter, ye are like Laodicea, who thought herself rich, and to stand in need of nothing, when she was beggarly Poor; or like these Men, who, when God was threatening them with Judgment, yet would needs presume to think that they leaned on the Lord: I think, among all the Persons that God hath indignation against, it's in a special manner against these: who have this sort of hope, and to whom God discovereth the groundlesness of it, and yet they will still stoutly maintain, and stand fast by their hope; it's to these He speaks, Deut. 29.19. who despise and tush at God's Threatenings, and say, We shall have peace, though we walk in the imagination of our own hearts, and add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord there pronounceth a Curse, and to the Curse addeth an Oath, that He will not spare such Persons, but will separate them for Evil, and cause all the curses of the Law to overtake them; judge ye now, what a condition this is for Persons to be in, to be believing that all the Promises are theirs, and yet in steed of that, to be (in the mean time) liable to all the curses threatened in the Word of God; it's this that we call presumption, and the hope of the Hypocrite that will perish, Job 8.13. the confidence of such shall be rejected and sweeped away as a Speeders Web, and shall be rooted out of their Tabernacles, and bring them to the King of Terrors; they think they Believe always, when they are not troubled nor disquieted, they never want Faith, but have a great deal of it, which yet is but a guessing, which cannot support and uphold them when they come to a strai • ; when they are more secure they Believe very well, and they think when they are more awakened and disquiet'd, they believe less, and their fancied Faith ebbeth quite on them; when they hear of any exercise of Mind, or trouble of Conscience in others, they wonder that they will not Believe, and all this work is to maintain their deep Security and strong Delusion, this is then the fourth thing ye would beware of, for it's not the Faith that will turn away the Complaint, Who hath believed our report? and yet how many are there of this sort? who say they shall have Peace, and please themselves with this their good Hope, say the Word what it will. O! be persuaded, that this is nothing else but woeful Unbelief and Presumption; and we preach to you Terror and the Curse of God, though ye cry Peace to yourselves; the Lord complains of such Persons, Jer. 5.12. saying, They have belied the Lord; He sent His Prophets to denounce Judgments in the days of Josiah when there was a fair profession of Religion and Reformation, yet they would believe and hope that no evil should overtake them.

That which we aim at in this part of the Use, is to make way for what follows, even to give you a cleanly ground for exercising of Faith on Jesus Christ, when all these Stumblings and Mistakes are rolled out of the way: We therefore exhort you, to lay your Hand to your Heart, and narrowly to try, if ye have called, or accounted any of these to be Saving Faith; for there are hundreds, nay thousands, that perish under these Pretexts, deceiving themselves, and deluding others, with a Faith they were born and brought up with, and they have no more but their groundless hope to prove their Faith by, and they will stick by it, be said to them what will; but be not deceived, for God will discover you; ye think a strong presumption is Faith, and that ye can by such a Faith drink in the Promises, but God will make you vomit them up, and ye shall be declared to be void of Faith in the great Day; therefore be more jealous over your Faith, and seek to have your grips of Christ sickered, which is done, when from the belief of your Hazard and Self-emptyness, and of Christ's fullness, ye go to Him and close with Him, to make up all ye want, in Him; and this Faith is especially qualified by the account on which we go to Him, and rest on Him, even as a conscientious Duty is that which flows from a Command, as obedience to it, so, one of the main things that qualifies this Faith, is a receiving Christ as Christ, or as He is holden out in the Gospel, which is therefore well put in the description given of Faith in the Catechism; and it's called a believing on Him whom the Father hath sent, which is not to Believe on Christ simply, but as He is holden out in the Word of the Gospel; Presumption may look on Christ and His Fulness, and few or none will readily dare to give Him a direct and down-right refusal, or to reject Him professedly and avowedly when they hear of such Happiness that is to be had in Him; but that which we say qualifies Faith, is to desire, receive, and embrace Him according as He is holden out in the Gospel,