Instructions About Right Believing

DOCTRINE. [Doctrine.]

This is oft repeated in this Chapter: And for opening of which. Consider these Questions.

[Question. 1] First, What is meant, By Bread of Life.

[Answer.] I Answer; whatever is needful, & sufficient, to bring People out of that Misery they are in by Sin, to that Happynes they lost in Adam: A Sufficiency of Means. To Free from Misery, And Bring to Happynes: As is more fully expressed (though in other Metaphors) In Verses 53, 54. of this Chapter; Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you &c. And therefore Christ culls out a Metaphor, that is one of the chief to support Mans mortal Life; Viz: Bread; And therefore adds this Epithite; Of Life, That as Bread is specially useful for our Life; So is Christ for the Spiritual & Eternal Life; The Bread of Life, That is the Remedy of Mans misery, in which he is by Nature & Sin.

[Question. 2] Secondly, Whether this be proper to Christ, Or common with him to some other?

[Answer.] I Answer it is proper to Him; Nothing else, nether in whole, nor in part, hath any share in it (except as his Instruments) These Words [I am the Bread of Life] are not only declarative of what He is, but impropriative, and restraining this, to Him only; This is the meaning; That He, and He only is the Bread of Life: Therefore, that Verse. 53. Except ye eat Him ye have no Life; Therefore, He only, is the Bread of Life. And Gen: 3. 15. The seed of the Woman (that is Christ) shall break the Serpents head; That is, recover Man out of Misery; God never promised it should be, but Only by Him, Therefore by Him only it shall be; And so much is expressed by that, John. 6. 67. 68. Jesus said unto the twelve, will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life; If Eternal Life could have been had by any other, then they might have gone away frō Christ; that reasō had not been strong; And this is express by that, Acts. 4 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other: For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. As the Israelites in the Willdernes had no help from the deadly stings of fiery Serpents, but by the Brasen Serpent.

[Question. 3] Thirdly, By what Means; Christ comes to be bread of Life.

I Answer, by His Incarnation, and all that He did & suffered, till He sat down at God's right hand in Glory: All this, was for the fiting & making Him bread of Life; as Christ came into the World for this end, to become Bread of Life; So all He did & suffered, in coming into, and being in, the World, till He was translated out of it, and set down in Glory, was for this end. As:

[ 1] 1. His Incarnation, or joining together of both Natures, the Divine & Human, in One Person was for to make him fit to be this Bread of Life; Therefore Christ, being about to show Nicodemus, that Eternal Life might be had by Him, John. 3. 15. That is, that He was the bread of Life; He first shows him his Incarnation, & double Nature; Verse 14. That as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernes: Even so must the Son of man be lifted up: For as Bread is not made of one single substance, but of several, joined together; So Christ, the Bread of Life; the Man-hood of Christ, could not be effectual to bring us to Life; without the God-head; being neither of Power enough to stand under, and come forth, frō that Wrath it must undergo; Nor of Virtue enough to make its Actions & Suffrings of infinite worth without which an infinite debt could not be paid; And the God-head, though in it Self its a Fountain of Life, & very Communicative, being infinitely Good, Yet by Sin; Its sealed up, and becomes terrible & a consuming fire, So that It Conveyes nothing but Wrath & Destruction; But the Man-hood, makes it an Open Fountain, satisfying & appeasing of It Heb. 10. 19. to 23. Thus; Christ's Incarnation & Union of two Natures, Viz: The God-head & Man-hood in One Person; prepares and fits Him to be Bread of Life. And:

[ 2] Secondly, His natural Infirmities, & outward Meanesse, and all His Sufferings, were to fit Him for this; As Corn, is threshed, ground, baked in the Oven, before it makes Bread. Col. 1. 14. 21 22. These, appeased God's Wrath, and satisfied His Justice, for our Sins, by which, we were Condemned:

And so, His Obedience & Fulfilling of the Law; This prepared a Robe to cover us, by virtue of which, We might appear spotles in God's sight, Rev 19. 8. And:

[ 3] Thirdly, His Resurrection, was also to fit Him to be Bread of Life; 1. Cor. 15. 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. As Bread comes out of the Oven in which it is baked, Or else cannot preserve our Life. And:

[ 4] Fourthly, His Ascension & siting down in Heaven, was also to fit Him to be Bread of Life; This indeed was the last preparative Thing he did, and but an Introduction, or letting Him into that place & Condition, wherein He might do the Work of Bread of Life, who was now by former things, made fully, Compleate Bread of Life: Yet this also was done as a Concurrence to His being Bread of Life; For before He could be given as Bread, and work as Bread, He must be ascended Heaven and set down there; Therefore he saith He must ascend That the Spirit might come, John. 16. 7. And Ehp. 4. 8. Ascending up He gave Gifts unto Men; As Bread, descends into the Stomack and so sends virtue & strength into the Body, before it can nourish & preserve Life.

Thus ye see, how Christ comes to be Bread of Life; And how many Things were to be done, to fit Him: And though before he died; He said all was finished; He means not everything, (for then why died he) But all that was to be done, before He gave up the Ghost; And therefore he proceeded to do that, And therefore, None but He can be it, because none else have, nor can have all these necessary Quallifications. And hence ye may farther gather Two Things.

[ 1] 1. When Christ is actually The bread of Life; namely in his state of Glory, then, when he is exalted & at God's right Hand; All the time & state of his Humiliation was to fit & prepare him to be bread of Life, Heb. 7. 25. 26. Now he is made higher then the Heavens, he is able to save to the uttermost; And John. 14. 19. Now he lives (Viz: that glorious Life in Heaven) they shall live. And whereas He gave Life to many, before he had done these things (namely, to all Believers before he came) yet it was by virtue of all these, done in God's account (because surely to be done) and in God's sight to whom all things to come, as well as past, are present; Acts. 15. 18. Knowne unto God are all his Works from the beginning of the World. Rev. 13. 8. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the World. And:

[ 2] 2. Ye may hence gather; what in Christ, Is the Bread of Life; Or how Christ must be considered & applied for Bread: Namely thus; The Man-hood of Christ, furnished with all that which it hath Done & Suffred, & consequently out of Merrit received as into a store house; Is the bread of Life; Therefore he saith His Flesh is meat & his Blood is drink indeed John. 6: 35. It is true; that the Man-hood singly considered without Personal Union with the God head, is not This bread of Life (for then it is not of virtue enough, as ye heard before) But, the Man-hood, as it is in Personal Union with the God-head; and so made of Infinite Worth & Virtue; So, the Man-hood is the Bread of Life; 1, Cor. 1. 30. He of God, is made; that must be meant of his Man-hood (though as it is in Personal Union with the God head) For the God head cannot be made a Communicated Wisdom, Righteousness &c. as that is; God joined in Person with Christ's Man-hood, hath by the Doings, Suffrings, and Merrits of the Man-hood, to which it was enabled by the God-head; furnished that Man-hood, with all Sufficiency, to free from Misery and make Happy: Its not Christ's God-head but His Man hood which is in Union with His God-head, and so a Virtue & Effect of the God-head, and that which is in His Man-hood, that is the Bread of Life: Here be Two Errors to be avoided.

One when the God-head of Christ shall be made the Bread of Life; and that which is applied by Faith, and made One with us.

Another, when the Man-hood shall be simply Considered, and not as it is in Personal Union with the God-head, and receives Virtue frō it, to make its Acts of Infinite Worth.

And thus by Faith we eat this Bread; whilst we receive, apply & trust in Christ's Man hood, that which he did & suffered in & by it (through Union with the God-head) for our Justification, Sanctification, and Salvation; and by Faith, we eat not his God-head, but Man-hood, and the Virtue of the God-head, that is in his Man-hood; And thus, that Question; John. 6. 52. is resolved, How Christ can give us his flesh to eat.

1. USE, [Use. 1]

To teach us; How much we owe to God & Christ; who hath provided Bread for our Souls; as the Egyptians did to God for that Gen: 50. 20. For by this he saves many Souls alive: God was oft magnified for the Manna he sent for the Israellites when they were ready to perish for hunger: This is more Mercy: Therefore, that, John. 3. 16. God so loved the World; So, as cannot be immitated; So, as cannot be expressed; So, as cannot be conceived.

This Mercy farther appears; If we Consider, that (which also this Doctrine teacheth us) it cost God and Christ somewhat before they helped Souls; Christ must be bread; That is not his up & doing it; But much must he do and endure, before he was fited for it; As Bread doth before it become Bread; Therefore, we are the more bound to Him for his undertaking the Work of Our Redemption: And to God the Father, For Giving Him to that Work; If a King should appoint his Son, and his Son undertake, to save Traitors, only by coming to the Prison & fetching them out, it were worthy of much Thanks; But much more, when the Son, by much pains and cost, shall do it; Joseph procured Bread for Egypt, But Cbrist was made Bread.

2. USE, [ 2]

For Encouragement to Such as droop in the Sence of their Misery, and want of Life; I may say to such of you, as be amazed with the Sence of your Misery by Sin; As Jacob to his Sons, Gen. 42. 1. 2. Why do ye look one upon another? Behold I have heard that there is Corn in Egypt &c. Whatever you want, whether God's Favor, Or Image, The Life of Comfort, Or of Grace, despair not; For God hath provided Bread for you; I, and ye need not be afraid to come to this Bread, and take it; For he loves to have People eat of Him; as will clearly appear by this, which also follows from this Point, Viz: That Christ Came from Heaven for this End, To recover Sinners out of their Misery, And to help them to live; For that is the End of Bread; It is not directly for any other use; It is so of Christ's Comming, Math. 18. 11. For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost: John. 3. 17. For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World. but that the World through Him might be saved: And Chap. 12. 47. I came not to judge the World, but to Save the World: Therefore they that feel their need of him, need not fear Comming to Him, or question his helping of them: It was the End of His Comming, and the Use God chiefly put Him to: Therefore he will not be averse from it; Hence it was in that, Math. 18. 11. Having told them that this was the End of His Comming, to Save; He, by a Parable shows them what Joy it was to Him to save any one; How can He but joy in making good the End of his Comming? Therefore, they that droop in a Sence of their Misery, and dare not go to Christ for help, do not know Christ, Nor the Mistery of his Incarnation, Nor the End of his Comming; That it was to Releive the Afflicted; Learn it now therefore, and come confidently to Him for Help; He cannot but with all readiness entertain thee, and the Opertunity of making good the End of his Comming; Therefore in Scripture, Christ was greedy of any opertunity to relieve a distressed Soul; And did not quench the smoking flax &c. Math. 20, most meek, and gentle, and easily entreated; therefore a Dove sat on him, in His first Instalement into his Office; This is a main thing, that is taught in the Gospel; and may be observed through the whole Story; that Christ with abundance of gentlencs & willingness, entertained & encouraged all that in sincerity came to him for help; Fear not then Christ's rejecting thee, so thou have a right desire to him, but press him, if he seem to deny thee, as the Woman did Mark. 7, 27. 28. Let not want of Life, or Weakness hinder thee, for he came to help such; as bread is for the empty and weak, Therefore say ye as Moses, Exod. 16. 15. 16. This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat &c.

3. USE. [Use. 3]

To teach us, how much we should esteem & prize Christ, and Labor for Him; even as hunger starved people do for Bread; Israel desired a cruel Bondage for Breads sake, Exod. 16. 3. the Egyptian bondage frō which they were freed; And they John. 6. 24 26. How did they follow Christ, from one Coaste to another, for Loaves? What did Egypt do for Bread-Corn, (not Bread, nor fitted to their hands) Gen: 41. 55. They cried to Pharaoh for bread; And Cap. 47. 14. They parted with all their Money for bread; And Ver. 17. They parted with all their Cattle; And Ver. 20. They parted with their Land; And Ver. 23. They sold Themselves; Would ye so do for Christ, ye should have him, Isaiah. 55. 1. Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy & eat, yea, come; buy wine & milk without money, and without price; and why should ye not, since He is Bread, not bread corn, but ready fitted to your hands? How did all Nations flock to Egypt, Gen: 41. 57. Because Bread Corn was there? And why, flock ye not to Christ, since He is the Bread of Life? Do ye not manefestly give him the lie, who calls Himself Bread? And ye who so much care for Bread (as if ye call it to mind) ye did lately in the Famine; yet prize not, not care to get Him: Though it may seem, not desirable, as Bread oft doth to Children, therefore when it is given them, they cast it away, Yet consider, the case of your Souls, hunger-starved; And He; the Bread of Life.

That I may quicken ye up to prize & esteem Christ more, Consider, in how many Perticulers, He is better then any other Bread.

[ 1] 1. Other Bread only supports Life, it doth not give Life, (as ye all know) But Christ is a Bread that gives Life to them that be dead, and therefore is called the Bread of Life, John. 6. 53. 54. 57.

[ 2] 2. Other Bread preserves Life but for a while; Gen: 3. Eate it till thou turn to dust, It doth but repreive as it were till another Sessiōs; It Corrupts, and keeps not the Body from Corrupting; But this Bread, gives Eternal Life. John. 6. 50. 51. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die; But live forever; Therefore, Christ by this Argument persuades them to prefer this before other meat, John. 6. 27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:

[ 3] 3. Other Bread helps but the Body in Point of Life, and but in an earthly Life; But this helps the Soul & Body, and that in a Spiritual Life.

[ 4] 4 Other Bread, is not enough to Life, but with that there must be other things, even in this sense is that true Man lives not by bread alone, Therefore ye have Sampson, not complaining of danger of Death, for want of Bread, but Water; But this Bread is All Sufficient; It alayes Hunger & Thirst both, (as is in the Text) Yea, Its Wine, Milk, & fat Things, Isaiah. 55.

[ 5] 5. Other Bread may be kept from you, or took from you when you need it, and usually is ratest to be had, when we most need it, as in Famine; As Ponds which be full in Winter, when we need no Water, but dry in Summer, when Water is most needed; But this Bread, None can keep, nor take away, Its Ever free & plentifully to be had.

[ 6] 6. Other Bread, oft costs dear, and is not every ones Money, (as in Dearths) But the Price of This (as ye shall fee hereafter) is only the Receiving it, the Comming, Taking, and Eating, (as its in our Text) and Its free for any, without restraint or limitation of Persons.

[ 7] 7. Other Bread may possibly have somewhat found in its room that may serve Nature, though not all so well; But this Bread, can only help our Souls, None else can but this, as ye heard in opening the Doctrine. So that without this, There is no Life to be had; Now Considering all these Super-excellencyes in Christ, Why should ye not prize Him, and labor for Him more then for Bread? remember what you did for bread in the dearth, and do more for Christ.

4. USE. [Use. 4]

To teach us, That Christ is only for hungry Souls Such as be sensible thoroughly of their Misery by Sin and so Pant after a Remedy; For, therefore he is called Bread, because Its only for the hungry: God hath provided him only for such (as ye heard before from, Luke 5. 31 32.) as the Table is spread for the empty, not for the full; For indeed none else desire, prize, or will receive him; pleasant food is slighted by the full (even the honey comb) much more this, which is hard of digestion, and very gross to Flesh & Blouds palate & eye: Therefore, observe in Scripture, who they were that so Prized Christ; they were Souls, hunger bitten with the sense of their spiritual Misery: And, who did slight him? Who were they to whom God never gave him? the Pharisees & blind People, who were not hungry after a spiritual Mercy, as not being thoroughly sensible of a spiritual Misery: And this is the very reason, why Christ is so little regarded in the World; When one looks in the Scripture and sees what Excellent Things are spoke of Christ; and on the longing desires, the Saints of old had after Christ, and their abundant joy in Christ; and look now how slightly & by how few he is esteemed; one would think that which is writ of them is fabulous; or they were foolish, or our Christ is not the same Christ; or why should he then be longed for; and now, being come and offered is despised? But he ere is the truth of it; He is Bread, and they were hungry; But now most are full; Full with their Sins, their Honors, Profits, Contents of this World; and therefore care not for Christ; And marvel at the hunger bitten Souls, which keep such a do for Christ; But let all such know, that Christ is not as yet for them; God never prepared, appointed, or sent him, for such, but for the hungry; as the Shewbread was not for David himself but in case of great hunger, Math. 12. 3. 4.

If God had immediately & suddenly conveyed Christ to sinnfull Souls, then might he have been enjoyed by you, without being first hungry; But since he gives him as Bread, you must so take him; that is first being hungry; This is the reason why many eat this Bread, Christ, and be never the better, because they eat him without hunger first; and soe digest him not; but fill their Souls with crudy Humors, Security, Presumption, &c. which kill the Soul: Let an hungry Soul eat of this Bread; it exceedingly strengthens him to all Obedience, filling the Soul with good Nourishment & Spirits, of Love, Peace, Hope, Joy: But if any that be not hungry do eat of Christ; that is, apply him; He is to them, but as the food to the Angels who were without stomachs Gen 18 8. they see 〈…〉 eat, but eat not, and so were never the better for it though the food was good. Hence the Souls of People be so starveling like, though they oft enjoy large Meales of this Bread, (Viz: the Word oft preached, Sacraments oft administered) because, wanting Stomacks they only seem to eat, but eat not. If therefore, ye would be the better for Christ, ye must get an Hunger, which that ye may the better do.

[ 1] 1. Disgorge your Souls of that Surfet of Sin & earthly Vanityes, which ye have taken in; By Considering the vanity & hurtfullnes of them.

[ 2] 2. Get a strong Appetite to Christ; Which is done, Partly by drinking down the Vinegar of the Law, eating the sower Hearbs; By the Law laboring to see your Sinnfullnes & Misery thereby; And partly by looking into the Gospel, and Christ's Beauty, and Desirablenes; as Eve by Considering the Fruit, was drawn to take & eat it: But I will not press this, because I have lately done it, and shown you how far you must be Humbled & the Signs & Means of it: All that I now say is this:

That as it was with the bitter Water in another sense, So is it with Christ; If they that hunger, take & eat him, they are saved by Him; If they that hunger not, medle with Him, It is their bane & ruin: Therefore think not those Preachers your enemies, who labor to humble you by pressing on you the Law, and your miserable Estate by Nature, for it is but to make you hungry, and so fit for Christ, the Bread of Life; We are your Pastors & Nurses, and must seek to get you Stomacks, that ye may eat, and not tread underfoot this spiritual food; therefore, thus, and for this end to seek to humble you, is a part of our Duty & Love to you; should Preachers only preach Christ to you, it would but delude you, for till you be hungry, God will not give him, nor will ye accept him, because He is Bread.

Thus much for the First Thing in the Text; The Description of Christ; as the sufficient Remedy of Mans Misery.

DOCTRINE. [Doctrine.]

This is express in the Texts, whence we now raise it, there is no more to be done, and Christ is enjoyed, If God required more, or more must be done; Then this Verse of my Text, doth not fully direct how to get the Bread of Life, But that it doth; Therefore, let a Man come to Christ, and he shall have Christ; This is all that God requires for the obtaining Christ; and therefore our Savior, expresseth Christ by a Feast, ready prepared, and to be pertaked by all that come; Pro. 9. 1. 2. 3. Wisdom hath built her House, She hath killed her Beasts: She hath mingled her Wine: She hath furnished her Table, She hath sent forth her Maydens, She crieth: Who so is simple, let him turn in hither, She saith come eat of my Bread, and drink of my Wine which I have mingled. Luke. 14. 17. He sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden; come, for all things are now ready; And they that eat not of it, miste it because they came not, Verse 24. And however there was One that came, and yet was not permitted to eat at the Feast; Math. 22. 11. 12. 13. yet it follows not, that there is some what more required then Comming; for he miscarried because he came not, had he come indeed; he had obtained; but he did but seem to come, though it is called a Comming, for the want of the wedding garment, was only a want of Comming, (as ye shall see hereafter, when we show what Right coming is) This also is farther proved by these Scriptures, John. 5. 40. Chap. 6. 37. Chap. 7. 37. & Math. 11. 28.

And as the Scripture is express for the proof of this; under the expression of Comming; So also, is it as express; under the Phrase of Believing; Math. 21. 31. The Publicans & Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you: Why? For Verse. 32. Ye believed not, but they did; Therefore Faith is the Way: Therefore when the People asked Christ; What they should do to work the Work of God, that is to get Salvation, He prescribes them this only, John. 6. 39. This is the Work of God, that ye Believe: Hence; that, Mark. 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved.

This is taught by our Savior's making Faith the Instrument & only Means of Curing, & Helping all them He cured in the Gospel; and where He found not Faith, He did no great Cure; Math. 13 58.

Also, hence it is that Unbeleefe is made the only Ground & Reason of Men's Damnation; John. 3. 18. 36. & Chap. 8. 24. Though Men shall be punished for all other Sins, Yet not Believing is the Ground & Reason why they perish by their Sins; Because Believing is the only Means of Salvation:

And this was typified by the Israelites not entering Canaan, because of their Unbeleefe, Heb. 3. & last.

And hence also it is, that Believing, is in Scripture made the Fruit, Sign & Pledge, of God's ordaining People to Eternal Life, Acts. 13. 48. And not believing is made the Fruit, & Sign of God's not purposing to Save People John. 12, 39, 40. Because, Believing is the only Means of obtaining Salvation.

Lastly, It is hence also, that all the Requisites to Salvation, are made in Scripture the Consequents & Works of Faith: Namely: The Righteousness of Christ for our Justification, Rom: 3. 22. And the Spirit of Christ for our Sanctification: Gall. 3. 14.

Thus ye see, how the All and Only Means of, and all that God requires for, Our obtaining Christ and Salvation by Him is to Come to Him, Or Believe on Him.

And this was typified by the Brasen Serpent; as it is expounded & applied by Christ John. 3. 14. as All that God required, and was the Means for obtaining Cure from the Brasen Serpent, was the Looking on it: as you may read, Num: 21. 8. 9.

There are two Propositions, of necessity to be known by all that would be saved: One is, that Christ is the All & only Remedy of our Salvation; The other is, that Comming to Christ, or Believing on Him, is the All & only Means, whereby Christ saves us: There is no Salvation but by Christ only; and there is no having Christ & Salvation but by Faith only: As God conveys Salvation only by Christ; So Christ & Salvation are had only by Comming to, or Believing in Christ: The former of these, hath been taught you in the former Point; and now, the latter is as clearly taught.

For the better understanding, and making use of this Doctrine; It is fit to open & show; What this Comming to Christ, Receiving, Taking, and Believing on Him; is. They are (as ye heard before) several Words expressing one and the same Thing: And that is this.

The Act of the whole Man (that is of every part and faculty of Man) entertaining Christ offered in the Gospel, and resigning up himself to Christ, in all the Offices of Christ, as a King, Priest, & Prophet, to be saved by Him through those Offices. To Believe in Christ; is not in General to fancy & conceit that I shall be saved by Christ and he died for me; as the Worlds Faith is.

Ye shall find Divines giving other descriptions of Faith. As namely, a persuasion of the forgiveness of my Sins & Salvation of my Soul by Christ: Or a Confidence, & Trust in Christ for Salvation; which (with all other descriptions of Faith) I conceive to be the expressions of some higher Degrees, Effects Consequents of Faith; and not to be the first act of Faith; But, as for this; which I have now given, so far as I can find by Scripture, it is the first act of Faith, and that which truly gives title to, & interest in, the Lord Jesus and Salvation by Him; And being the first act; it may be, where other & farther acts & degrees of Faith, cannot presently be found; This is it; which Bucer explains the Comming to Christ, to be; To Come to Christ (saith he) is to receive him for a Savior, and to resign & give up his whole self to him; And therefore, I think, Believing is expressed by the phrases of coming to Him, taking receiving of Him; because it is a so doing as is before described; For then (as any one in reason knows) is Christ come to, took, and received, when he is entertained as He is, and as He is offered by God A King, Priest, & Prophet; for the Ends for which God tenders Him; Viz: To be saved by Him.

And whereas it may be objected; that the Word, Believing, in or on Christ; implies a Confidence or Trust in him; a relying on him; I Answer it is most true; and therefore, the phrase is extreordinary, not to be found (as some have observed) in any Writers, but the Scriptures, (and Such as take it from them) Others using only this phrase, to believe a thing; and not to believe in it, or on it; So that the phrase implies relying on it with a Confidence & Expectation of the Thing. And so I think, that there never is, nor can be, a Comming to Christ, or Receiving him, without a Trust, Confidence, or Relying on him: And the Comming to Him, or Receiving of Him, is the Effect of this; (for therefore, they Come to Him & Entertaine Him, because they Trust to be Helped by Him) but this may not always be Evident, as the Cause is oft more obscure then the Effect, And so, a Man may Entertaine Christ, when he thinks he cannot Relye on Him & Trust in Him:

But yet there is a double Trusting or Relying on Christ; The one is, at a Venture, without a Perswasion of an Interest in Him; grounded on God's free offer of Him to all Sorts of People; this is the Ground of coming to him, and entertaining of him, (for if this were not, People would never receive Him) this seems to be no more then a confidence in his ability & willingness to save all that come unto Him, and in the truth of Him, gives record of Him:

The other is, a more Certain Thing, grounded on the Knowledge of an Interest in Christ; Because a Soul knows it hath Christ for Its own; Therefore it rests on Him confidently for Salvation: This follows the Knowledge of our Believing, and is a farther act and degree of Faith, and comes after our Comming to Him and Receiving of Him. The former may not appear, though it ever is, where Christ is believed on; and is weaker according as the the act of Faith is weaker; And that makes some Divines make Faith to be a resting on God's Authority, or a trust in the Truth of God that speaks; for this ever is, where Faith is:

Thus, all Things considered, we see, Faith, may be so defined, as I have done; Viz: The act of the whole Man &c. It is an Entertayning Christ, and Resigning himself to Christ; Therefore, it is called an acknowledging Christ, 2. Pet. 1. 3. as it is in the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And therefore, expressed by a Woman's marrying a Man, Rom. 7. 4. which is an entertaining by covenant of a man, resigning up hir self to him; And it is expressed by Ingrafting, Rom. the 11. whereby the Science embraceth the Stock for its Roote & Means of Life & Fruit, and is given up to the Stock to be preserved & furnished with Sap, and made fruitful by it.

Only in this, there is this difference; The Fruit follows the Science & Impe, and not the Stock: But the Believers Fruit is Christ's, the Stocks, and not Its own: And this seems to be Paul's believing; For, Acts. 9. 6. when he perceived that Jesus was God in Heaven, and so raised from the dead &c. (as appeared by that Vision & Voice) then Paul, entertains him, and resigns up himself to him, in those Words: Lord what wilt thou have me to do? as if he had said Lord, save me, and rule thee, I become thine &c. And this seems to be Faith; for the Fruit of Faith is found in him Vers. 11, He prayeth (saith the Lord of him) and Verse. 17. Ananias calls him Brother; and together with this sight, he was to receive the Holy-Ghost, which was a sign of his believing; And in the 22. Chapter. where the Story is repeated, Verse. 16. Ananias hasteneth him to be baptized: therefore, he took it for granted that He believed, or else he would have said as Phillip Acts. 8. 37. to the Eunuch, If thou believest with all thy Heart, thou mayst be baptized: And thus it is a Perticuler application of Christ, to a Mans self; for one cannot entertain him and resign up ones self to him; but we do perticuletly apply him; as the marrying a Man, or ingrafting an Impe, is, a particular application of them: So there is a particular application of Christ, that is not ever with the first act of Faith: and that is an assurance that Christ is mine (for this follows the reflect act; whereby I know that I believe) There is another, and that is a taking Christ for mine, and giving up myself to Him; and this is ever, where there is Faith.

Again, as it is an entertaining Christ, and resigning up ones self to him; So it is an entertaining and resigning up to Him in all his Offices: whole Christ, not some part of Christ: Therefore, John 1. 12. a receiving him, not some part of him, Psal 2. 12. a kissing Christ. As the Woman in marriage takes the whole Man; as Exodus. 12. the whole Lamb was to be roasted & eaten.

This is the difference twixt falce Faith & true, And the reason of so many Peoples miscarriage: They rereceive & apply Christ, in someone Office, as to be a Priest, But not in all his Offices, to be a King & Prophet; whereas God hath joined them altogether, & they cannot be parted: God conveyed Help to Israel, by all those three Offices, Kings, Priests, & Prophets. So doth he Salvation to Souls: Therefore, that Isaiah. 33. 22. Christ must be entertained & resigned up to; As to our King, to be wholly ruled by his Laws: As to our Prophet, to be only taught by his Directions; Aswell as to our Priest, to be only reconciled to God, and enabled for performance with acceptance in all Services, by Him: This was it that he wanted, who is said to want the wedding garment: Indeed, none can be actually, & perfectly subject to Him as King & Prophet, but this must they be willing, & covenant, & endeavor to do; and so to expect Salvation by Christ through his execution of all those Offices; when he shall be in us as well as for us, a King, Priest, & Prophet: This is to Believe.

Now the Ground of thus doing, and so of Faith, is God's free offer of Christ, on these Tearmes, thus to be had, with his promise of Salvation by Him to all that so entertain Him; therefore, the doing this, is called the setting to a Seal that God is true; and the not doing it, is called the Making God a liar

THE REASONS of this DOCTRINE.

Why thus to do, as hath been explained, is, All that God requires, and the only Means of obtaining Christ, and Salvation by Christ: Are.

[ 1] First, Because Christ & Salvation, are Gifts of God, John. 4. 10. Rom. 6. last. (for in them God seeks the praises of his Grace; Eph 1. 6. and so they must be Gifts & free Things) Now a Gift, must not be deserved, for then it is a Debt, Nor, have anything done for it, but the receiving it; for else, it is an Exchange, no Gift: And indeed this is one main reason, why God so magnifies Faith, as to make it the only Means of obtaining Christ & Salvation; Because Faith only magnifies God's free Grace; For if anything were done; then Christ & Heaven could not be Gifts; And this also shows that Faith only as it is a receiving Christ (and no other way, not as it is an Obedience, or Deed done) is the Means of obtaining Christ & Salvation by him: Because else, they could not be Gifts, nor of Grace, Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith, that it might be by Grace.

[ 2] Secondly, Because Man should be abased, and stripped of all boasting; for whilst that nothing is required of him for having Christ & Salvation, but receiving and taking it, he can attribute nothing to himself; Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then? It is excluded, by what Law: of Works? nay: but by the Law of Faith

[ 3] Thirdly, Because this makes Salvation sure to us; Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith, to the end the Promise might be sure; for that it is grounded on God his Truth & Faithfullnes, and not on us, as it was in Adam.

There are two Things by which some abuse this Doctrine; which must be removed.

1. Some be ready to think; If all that God requires to Salvation be the Believing in Christ, then may we live in Sin as we list; and yet come to Christ, believe in Him, and so be saved.

I Answer, but this is prevented by the description of Comming to Christ, receiving of Him, or believing on Him; It is (as ye heard) the entertaining and resigning up one self to Christ in all things, to be taught & ruled by him, as well as to be saved by him; and they that do not this; do not come to Christ, nor receive, nor believe in him; So that the very nature of Believing, and a carnal Heart, & Life, are incompactible. Faith unites to Christ, and so from Christ there is communicated, Death to Sin, Resurrection to newness of Life. Faith affords many holy reasonings, whereby the Heart is stirred against Sin, and to Obedience, Rom. 6. 10. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your Selves to be dead indeed unto Sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1. Peter. 4. 1. For as much thē as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind &c. They that believe, are married to Christ, and therefore bring forth fruit by Him to God, Rom. 7. 4. Christ Lives in them that believe, Gall. 2. 20. And dwells in their hearts, Eph. 3. 17. Faith works by Love, Gall. 5. 6. And Love makes us keep (that is, Evangelically; in desire & endeavor) all the Commands.

2. Some be ready to think; If all that be required to get Christ & Salvation, be to come to Christ, receive & believe in Him, then it is not so hard a work to be saved, as it is made to be, for that it is an easy & short work, to do this.

I Answer but this is a gross mistake, for that there is nothing in the World harder then to Come to, Receive, or Believe in Christ; therefore Christ saith; No Man can come to me except the Father draw him John. 6. 44. he must be drawn, and that by an Almighty Hand; or he cannot come: Therefore when so many were invited, None came, Luke the. 14. they all made excuse; and they that came, were compelled, Verse. 23. and therefore the Perfecting of Faith is attributed to Power, 2. Thes. 1. 11. and the Disciples pray for the Increase of Faith: There is nothing that conduceth to Believing, but it is all above the Power of Nature, and contrary to Mans inclination; As to go wholly out of ones self, and rest on another for all good; To apprehend Sin & its misery; Therefore the Spirit must come from Heaven to Convince of Sin, John. 16 8. And then to apprehend a way of being Justified from Sin; the Spirit must likewise come from Heaven to Convince of Righteousness: which needed not, if anything but God could do it; And so for a Man to renounce his own will & ways, and give up himself to Christ, whose Laws be so contrary to Mans will; this is above Nature: Also the Devil is most strongly against this; hence so many discouragements & subtle temptations are put on them that endeavor to believe; for Satan knows that this only gives Christ the Kingdom and turns him out. To conclude, therefore is it so hard to be saved, and so few are saved; because it is so hard to believe, and so few do believe.

But it is farther objected against this Doctrine; thus, The Scripture calls for many Things besides Faith of them that be saved; as legal Humiliation, Mortificacion, Holynes, Obedience &c. Therefore it seems that Believing or Comming to Christ is not all that God requires.

I Answer, The Legal Humiliations, and all woundings of Spirit, with the sight of Sin, are required, not as Means by which we partake of Christ & Salvation; (for many have them that never obtain Christ or Salvation) but as Preparations whereby People are fitted, & inclined, and drawn, to Come to Christ, to Receive, & Believe on Him; and they be one Means by which the Father draws and the Ministers compel People to come; And Mortification, Holynes, Obedience &c, are only the Fruits & Effects of our Believing; that, which Christ doth in them, he means to save, after they have believed in Him; These are the beginnings of Salvation & Glory which Christ begines and perfects in them that come to Him for Salvation; So that although these must be in all that be saved; Yet there is no other Means required of God for Obtaining Christ and Salvation, but only Believing.

USES.

[Use. 1] First Use, may serve for Instruction, in Three Perticulers.

[ 1] 1. To show us in the General what to observe in Mans Salvation, Viz: Free Grace, Certainty, and that God is All in All, in Itt; These (as ye heard in the Reasons of the Point) are manifested abundantly in God's requiring no other Means of getting Christ, and Salvation by Christ, but only Believing: Therefore let us see these in God his saving of People; This is indeed the sweetness of the Gospel, and that which makes it so much glorify God & encourage miserable Man; that it assures us, all Happynes is to be had in Christ, for receiving it.

[ 2] 2. To show their Error, that labor most for Pleasure, Wealth, Honor, Content &c. Whereas these neither are Means, nor are required by God, for our getting Christ & Salvation: Therefore folly it is to labor for them more, then to Believe.

[ 3] 3. To show the Errors, both, Of Papists, who seek Salvation by Works also, and not by Faith only; and so make it neither Free Grace & Gift, nor sure; nor shut Man out from all beasting. And also, the Error of many among us (even that have some good thing in them) who, to the end they may get Christ & Salvation, labor most for Humiliation, or for Holynes, and least of all, to Come to Christ, & believe on Him; whereas only Faith is the Means, and All that God requires for our obtaining Christ & Salvation.

There are Two Snares, which the Devil sets for People.

One is, when they hope to be saved by Christ, and 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 never look to be humbled, nor to be sanctified; (thus the Profane are caught) which is a most silly thing, to think that any can be Saved, that be not regenerated & sanctified; or to think that one can believe, & not hate all Sin, & study all Holynes, or that any one can be brought to Heaven by Christ, and not to Holynes first; It was a good speech of Francis Spira, lying in the distress of Spirit; I will not (saith he) detract from the Gospel, it is most true, that by Faith in Christ, we be only saved, but yet, take heed of resting on Faith, and neglecting the Works of Faith, Faith requires not that we be Christians in word only; Believe me (qouth he) who have fully tried the matter; and therefore he much commended to them, the Epistles of Peter, which press Sanctity & Chastity &c. This was good Counsel, and very useful against this Snare, by which Satan intangles the most of People, who rest in a Conceite that they believe, and never care for the Works of Faith; but the Error of this hath been opened before.

There is another Error, which is a second Snare of Satan; Viz: To labor for Humiliation, Mortification, Holynes & Obedience, and not to labor to Believe; this is the Snare in which many well disposed People are caught: And the Error of it appears by this Doctrine; Because there is no other Means required by God for our obtaining Christ & Salvation, but only Faith: Indeed some measure of Humiliation must be had, before we can believe (as ye have heard before) Viz: So much as may make one hunger after Christ, and be willing to receive Him on any Conditions; But when thus much is obtained; (which is, when there is a serious labor after Mortification, and all Obedience) Yet then to labor for more Humiliation, or Holynes, and not first & chiefly to labor to believe in Christ; this is a great error; for there is no other means to get Christ & Salvation but Faith; So that all the other Labor is in vain, and for that, which never can bring Christ or Salvation; (as if a Man that desires to bring his dead Freind to Life, should only labor to bring him to the acts of Life (as to speak walk &c.) and not to the only Means of Life: to have his Soul joined again to his Body) and that Satan knows, and therefore putts them on it, to make them spend time & pains to no purpose; To such therefore, I may say, as Elisha in another case, to the Syrians; 2. Kings. 6 19. This is not the Way; Ye seek Salvation and Christ, but by farther measure of Humiliation, (having enough already to make you willing) or by Holynes, you cannot get them; there is but one Way, one Thing that God requires, and that is, to Believe; Therefore as Christ said to Martha in another case; Luke. 10. 41. 42. Ye are careful about many things, but one thing is necessary Viz: to Come to Christ, and Believe in him; to Entertaine him, and Give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices; do this and you shall be saved; When this is done, then shall ye be able to attain Mortification and Victory over your Lusts Sanctification & Ability to Duty, and not before, These be the Fruits & Effects of Believing; and you must Believe, before you can have these; As the Woman must be married to the Man, before she can have lawful Children by him; And the Science must be engrafted into the Tree, before it can bear Fruit: Were it not a simple thing, for a Woman to expect Children Legitimate by a Man and then she would marry him; Or to expect that a Science should first bear Fruit by the Sap of a Stock, and then ye would ingraft it to it; Or to expect that a Roome should be first enlightened, and warmed in the cold Winter, and thē ye would bring in a Candle & Fire; As absurd is it, to expect first to be Sanctified and then to Believe in Christ; For Faith in Christ, is the Cause, of all Mortification & Holynes; It is Christ that sanctifies People, Heb. 2. 11. And of His Grace conveys to us, John. 1. 16. and he never doth it, but by our Faith in Him; (for it is by Faith that He lives in us & dwells in us, as ye have heard) Holynes is the Means by which Christ after he is believed in, brings them that believe in Him, to Salvation:

It is therefore, a most preposterous, and wholly unprofitable way, for People to labor for Holynes, or Heaven, or Christ; and not first & chiefly to labor to Believe in Christ; The Right and only Way is: being soe far humbled, (as I said before) as to hunger after Christ, and be willing to have him on any Tearmes, thē to labor to Believe, and after that is done, to labor for Mortificatiō & Holynes, By, & From Christ to get it, Whome thou hast made Thine own by Faith: Wherefore, I beseech you see your Error, who will not believe, till first you have the Spirit quickening you, Grace strengthing you to Duty, and subduing Sin in you, if you could thus find it in you, then you could believe and not else; This is the inverting God's Order, and a way, that will never bring you to Christ, or Heaven.

Indeed (and I pray observe it) there is an Act of Faith; which cannot be had till this be had, and that Divines calls a reflect Act; where by a Soul believes that it doth believe: Before this can be, there must be Repentance, Holynes &c. This is a knowing that we have Faith; this is not the necessary Means to Salvation but to Assurance & Comfort; But there is another Act of Faith, Viz. the direct Act; which is Believing; not a Believing that I do Believe; but a Believing, and this must be, before we can repent, or have, or do any good; this is the Means and only Means to be saved.

Now consider the absurdity of your Error; before you labor to Believe, you labor to know you do Believe; you will be sure you do Believe, before you will Believe, you labor for the Evidence of Faith, before you labor to have Faith it Self; you more and first, care for the Means of Assurance & Comfort, of your Salvation, then the Means of being Saved; And one main Ground of your doing thus, is partly Pride, that ye will not have all ground of Hope & Mercy to be in God, and none in your Self; For observe it, you will not go that way, which makes you ground your Salvatiō only on Christ, and not at all in your Self, but you must see somewhat in your Self, before you will believe; And partly it is not daring to venter your Souls on God's bare Word, but you must see somewhat done by him in you, before you will credit him; For though He saith, that Whoever comes to Christ, and believes in Him, shall be Saved & Sanctified; yet you will not believe, till you find he hath sanctified you; and so dare not trust his Word; and therefore it is that the Scripture makes every Vnbeleever, to make God a Lyar; Consider that of Thomas John. 20. 25. The Disciples said we have seen the Lord; But he said, except I shall see the print of the nails, and put in my fingers I will not believe; then Verse. 29. Jesus said because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen me and yet have believed.

Yea farther: By this means: you hinder the shining forth of God's free Grace; For whilst that you will not First believe; but first will be able to do somewhat, you make not Christ & Heaven a free Gift; nor can it be free Grace in God; and so not seeing God's free Grace, ye do not so magnify Him as else you would; nor find such sweetenes in the Gospel, nor be so encouraged as ye might be; but sink, perplex, & wound your Souls by fears & discouragemēts, which indeed be groūdles, Also, you hinder your own Certainty & Assurāce; For whilst you ground your Believing on somewhat in your Self, and not only on God's free Promise & Word of Truth: It being grounded, (partly at the least) on your Self who change; it is uncertain & chāgeable. By all this I beseech you see your Error, who being so much humbled as is requisite; labor for Humiliation, Holynes &c. and do not first & chiefly labor to Believe.

[Objection.] It may be Objected by some; But I have indeavored this Way as you teach, and have believed, and yet I find not Christ & Holynes follow after.

[Answer. 1] I Answer, First it is not possible to Believe, in the least measure or degree, but Christ & Salvation must be had, because God hath absolutely promised it to Believing. And the Spirit & Sanctification must be had, for these be as inseparable as Light from the Sun; but these things be not ever sensible to them that Believe.

1. Because, they do not know & consider the first, least & weakest works of Christ, in the believing Soul, but only judge themselves by the more full & strong workings of Christ in the Soul; In trying the truth of Faith, take the weakest Evidences so they be sure, (though rest not there, for that, true Grace will never do) as if a Man judgeth Life, only by walking, & eating, he may think a Man that sleeps is dead.

2. Because the Act of Faith is not strong enough to put forth it Self very sensibly, as the Acts of the Soul in a Swound; inasmuch as there is not a frequent accustomed acting and exercising Faith, till by practice the Heart is settled in it.

3. Because there is not a reflect Act, a Considering what it is to Believe, and that thou hast so done, and then a drawing the comfortable Conclusions to thy Self that flowe thence; and from Faith, a reasoning to quicken thee up; for Faith produceth its Effects by reasoning; As thus, If Christ hath suffered in the flesh, then must I make the flesh suffer in me; If Christ rose again, then must I rise to newness of Life. If Christ loved me so as to give Himself for me. Then shall not I love Him so as to give my Lusts for Him &c. Let these Things be observed, and there is none that do in the least measure truly Believe, But they shall find Christ & Salvation made theirs.

[ 2] Secondly I Answer; If thou hast indeavored to Believe, and yet obtainest not Christ; It is not, because this is not the way, & the only Way & Means to get Him; But because thou hast not Beleeved, thou hast not gone this Way, nor used this Means rightly: Therefore thou must not give over this Way, but labor to find it out, If there be many Pathes in a Feild and but one that leads to the House a Man is going to, and he have gone to the end of one Path, and finds not the House, It is a good reason why he should think that is not the right Path, and so seek it out, but no reason why he should leave that Feild and betake himself to another for in that Feild only is the Path; So it is no reason that thou shouldst cease striving to Believe, and take to some other Course; but labor to find out what it is to Believe, and then care to do that.

And as this Doctrine shows their Error who labor to Repent, to be Holy &c. and not first to Believe. So it also shows their Error; who finding a decay in their Souls of Grace; and an increase of Sin; cease their Faith, and lay it aside and take to some other Course: Whereas, the only way & means for them to recover themselves, is to recover, strengthen & increase their Faith, for Faith is the only Means to Christ & Salvation.

2. USE. [Use. 2]

For Exhortation, To exhort ye all to labor above all things, to Believe; that is, To entertain Christ, and resign up your Selves to Christ in all his Offices to be saved through them: Mind this Work most of all, for it is the all in all to your Salvation; Thus did Paul Phill. 3. 8. 9. Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excelency of the knowledge of Christ; and do count all but Dunge that I may win Christ; And be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ: This is a work I commend to you, and Command you in God's Name: It is God's Work that which he most chargeth on you under the Gospel, John. 6. 29. do ye make it your chief work:

You that take up your Thoughts & Hearts most with the World, with the Honors, Pleasures, or Profits thereof; I might exhort you to believe (for till you do it you cannot be saved) but you are to far off from Faith yet; You are to be exhorted to get Preparations for Faith; your Hearts to be so affected by the Law, with a sight of your Sins, and Misery by it, that ye may be brought to thirst after Christ, and willing to entertain him on any Conditions; Mind ye this above all, because without this, ye cannot come to Faith, that only brings Christ & Salvatiō: This Worlds Honors, Pleasures, & Profits, cannot give you Christ nor Salvation, and why then shall they be prefered & minded & sought after more then Faith, and that Humiliation which fits for Faith?

But I will not address my Exhortation to you; But to Such as be humbled & troubled with their Sins, & Cry out, What shall we do to be saved? To you I say, as Luke. 8. 50. Fear not, only Believe: Ye have but one thing to do, there is but one thing God requires of you, and you shall have Christ & Salvation: And that is to Believe: Oh do it! this will certainly, bring you all you desire: Acts. 1 • . 3 • . What must I do to be saved, Ver. 31. And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved; And although Peter pressed them to Repent, as Acts. 2. 38. Yet that is, but as if he had said Believe, Which in & by Repentance will show forth it Self & work in you; If ye fear Hell & desire Salvation, then Believe. This is the one & only way, All other Things that be good, come after this; All other Labor of thine, is in vain till this be done; Therefore this is so called for, and pressed in Scripture; It is charged on People by a Command. 1. John. 3. 23. This is his Commandment: that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ; And so is in that Call to Repent, Acts, 17. 30. for till they Believe, they cannot Repent; And it is required with the greatest reward promised, & threat annexed, Mark. 16. 16. He that believeth & is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.

To persuade you to this duty, Consider the evil of not Believing, And the Benifite of Believing.

The Evil of not Believing is very great; Its very Injurious to God, Christ, and your Selves.

To God; It makes him a Liar, whereas Believing, sets to your Seal that God is true; therefore it is called a Justifying of God, Luke 7. 29. 30. His truth & faithfulness, And not Believing, is a condemning God, as not true & faithful; You also wrong God in not obeying his Cōmand (which is to Believe) and in not regarding his Feaste: nor valueing his Dainties: which made him say they that did so should not taste of them; for he that believes not, is expressed by them that refused to come when the Supper was prepared Luke, the 14 And so ye wrong him in not receiving his Son (for that is Believing) when he proffers & sends him to you.

It also is Injurious to Christ; Its a slighting him, as if he were not worth the taking, It is a refusing to kiss Him, and to let him reign over you, and a Hating Him, Luke. 19. 14. It is as much as to say he is not worth the taking up, he is not sufficient, or not free to help.

It is also Injurious to your own Souls, Luke. 7. 30. against themselves (that is not believing they did wrong themselves, John. 3. 19. It is The Condé̄nation; many Cōdemnatiōs ye have viz. Oaths, Lying &c. but this is The Cōdamnation; Ye do keep your Selves frō Salvation, because this is the only Means, & ye will not use it; Ye do that, Acts, 13. 47. Judge your Selves unworthy, and make the Preachers of Christ be turned from you; And for you that by discouragmēts are kept frō Believing, ye keep your Souls, from that partaking of Christ, and his Benifites which ye might attain to; And so also, such as do believe but weakly, they wrong God, Christ, and themselves very much; as if their food which God provides were not good enough; as if Christ the Second Adam were not as good to help them, as the First Adam was to hurt them; and keep themselves from that measure of Grace from Christ, which they might attain to.

As the Evil of not Believing is great; So is the Benifite of Believing; Its as effectual as doing was with Adam, With him it was, do & live; Now it is Believe and Live: Not that God loves a fruitless Faith, but because it is Faith that must help to do, and that is better esteemed with God then doing, Rom. 4. 21. 22. Because Faith brings Christ's doing, which is Perfect, and Ours is not; Believing it is the very Key which opens Christ: in whom are unsearchable Riches, and gives entrance into Heaven: It is the Bucket by which we fetch Water from that Well of Life; And all that have this Key & Bucket, may take thence: And therefore it is, that many have no Grace from Christ, because they have no Faith in Christ: And others have so little Grace, because they have so little Faith, for as we Believe, so is it unto us; Matb. 8. 13. It is the turning the Cock, which sets all a flowing from God, both Mercy & Grace; It is in the least degree, a sure Evidence of Heaven, gives Title to Christ, and all Promises, brings Justification, Sanctification, and Salvation, affords Adoption & Sonnship, John. 1. 12. Now then Considering the Evil of not Believing, and the Benifite of Faith, What canst thou do that is of so much Consequence as to Believe.

To help thee to Believe: Observe these Directions.

First labor to understand & be clearly convinced of these Perticulers.

[ 1] 1. Christ's Alsufficiency, to help thee to all things, needful to Salvation.

[ 2] 2. God's Offer, & tender of Christ to all People, where the Gospel comes, without respect, or limitatiō of Persons but only of Conditions (which is the next Point to come in our Text.)

[ 3] 3. That God who offers him freely. Is most true & able, and most sincere & willing to give. what he offers.

[ 4] 4. That for the fitting us to have Christ, or before we do seek for him, God requires nothing, but so far to see our Misery, as to desire Christ, and be willing to take Him on His own Conditions, and that then we be fittest for obtaining Christ, when we see in our Selves nothing but emptiness of all Good, and fullness of Sin & Misery.

[ 5] 5. That Believing brings Christ & all Grace, and must be the first thing we do, to get Christ or Grace. (which is the Point in hand)

[ 6] 6. That Christ readily embraceth, and sweetly encourageth all; that attempt, & endeavor to believe in Him.

[ 7] 7. That the express Command of God, is upon All, where the Gospel comes, That they do believe; These are undoubted Truthes express in the Scripture,

Secondly, Practice these Things.

[ 1] 1. Pray to God for help & grace to believe, for it is his gift.

[ 2] 2. Attend on the Preaching of the Gospel, Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17.

[ 3] 3. Strive to it, sit not still, give not way to Doubtings, and Tentations, and Carnal reasonings, but reason from the above premised Propositions, and press your own Heart, with the Conclusions that must follow thence; Also ponder & consider of those Propositions, & resist all that furthers Doubting, & hinders Believing; Thus make it your work & trade, to work your Heart to it.

[ 4] 4. Bring your Self To venture upon that which the Word sets before you, even above Reason & Hope, and without Sence; studiously search out, what it is to Believe, in the first & least act of it; and then do that at a Venture, and commit your Soul to it, doing it, what ever riseth against it in your own reason: And thus Faith begines.

Thus much for the Second Thing in the Text: The Means by which this Bread of Life: The All sufficient Remedy of Mans misery may be obtained.

DOCTRINE. [Doctrine.]

The meaning is not, only, that Christ is for all sorts of People; for all Sorts of People shall actually have him, because God hath Elect of all Sorts; both Men & Women & Children, Yonge & Old, Poor & Rich, Wise & Foolish, One Nation & Another &c. But the meaning is this, that there is no particular Person in the World, which may not by Believing have Christ, & Salvation by him; Christ is so freely tendered to all Comers, to all Receivers, to all that Believe in him; that there is no person of any Sexe, Age, Country, Condition, or Sins whatever but by Believing may have Christ & Salvation by Christ; This is express in the Text; whilst our Savior saith, He that comes, He that believes; that is, Whoever comes & believes:

As it was in the type; the Brasen Serpent cured only by being looked on, and it cured all that looked on it, so that whatever stung Israelite looked on it, by that means was cured; which tipyfied, that what Person soever, Came to Christ & Beleeved on Him, should be Saved; for although, the Serpent helped none (as it is like) but the Israelites; yet Christ is larger then that type, being for all whoever, one or other, that come to him; as Himself applies, & expoūds it John. 3. 14. 15. & in other Scriptures: And therefore, Mark. 16. 15. 16. He appoints His Disciples to preach the Gospel to every Creature, (that is to everyone of Man-kind) and then adds, He that believes shall be saved; that is, whatever Creature of Man-kind, whoever among them doth Believe, shall be saved; Indeed where the Gospel is not preached, the People are not Commanded to Believe; and so the Obedience cannot be exacted from them, nor they punished for the want of it; Yet the Commission of Mercy, & Pardon given out; is no way limited in regard of Persons, but tenders Mercy & Pardon without limitation of Persons, upon Believing, and therefore where ever it comes, and is preached, it offers Christ & Salvation free for every Person of them whatever, to be obtained by Believing; And it may be truly said that Christ is free to be had, by any Person, by Believing; even as it was with the Jews, in the Proclamation of Cyrus, 2. Chron last, two last Verses. and Ezrah. 1. 1. 2. 3. any Jew might have liberty & freedom from Captivity, upon the terms of accepting it, for it was granted to all whoever, to depart that would depart. Now though it is true all did not take it, and so were not delivered, yet Freedom was Free for everyone, to be had by accepting it; So is it with Christ & Salvation by Him; although not everyone, nor the most do obtain it, because they use not the Means, accept not the Tearmes & Cōditions.

And this was typified by the Yeares of Jubilee (which typified Christ; as is clear by Luke. 4. 19. Christ is to preach the acceptable Yeare; that is, the Iubil; He is to Preach it; that is, in & by Him, it is performed & declared) In those Yeares any Servant of the Hebrews might go from his Master, and if he would go, and so accept of Freedom, he was to have it, Deut. 15 12. 13. any Hebrew was to have Freedom in this Yeare, if he would accept it (though if he would not accept it, he was not to have it as we shall see hereafter) which taught, that any Persō (for though the Tipe was limited, yet the Antitipe is not, because the Wall of Seperation is removed) I say it taught, that any Person whoever, upon these Tearmes by these Means, Viz: Accepting Christ & Salvation, that is, Believing in Him, should have it: And this seems to be implied in Rom. 3. 22. 23. That as there is no difference among People till they believe, (they are all Sinners) So there is no difference in God's offer of Mercy in the Gospel, Its on the same Tearmes; to be had a like by All; and therefore with Christ, The Angels said glad Tidings came to all People, Luke 2. 10. Now if Salvation might not be had by All, on the same Tearmes, then were it not glad Tidings to All, But this makes it glad Tydings to All; That All whoever, by Believing may have Salvation; therefore is that Luke. 2. 30. 31. Myne eyes have seen thy Salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all People:

This is another main thing to be known; as, that Christ is the All & only Remedy; and that He is to be had by Believing; So that any Person whatever, by Believing may have Him; As a General Pardon, offering Mercy to all Traitors which submit & come in; any Traitor whatever upō those Tearmes may have Mercy; Indeed Christ doth actually afford help to none, but to them that Believe, but his help is freely tendered all, upon their Believing, So that any One whatever Believing, shall have help by Christ; this is express, Revela 22. 17.

Neither let this Point be perverted, for it shows not that any Person may have Christ & Salvatiō, on any terms (for so it should justify & encourage carnal Libertines) Nor that all, or the most shall have Christ on these terms; that is, actually enjoy him by thus doing, for the most shall not have Grace to do so, though by so doing, they may have him; But the Point shows, that any Person may have it, on Christ's terms; and that every Person (where the Gospel is preached) may & should endeavor to Believe, and Believing, shall have Christ; And this is most clear, by those Scriptures which express Christ by a Feast; Prov. 9. 1. Luke. 14. 16. &c. where all are invited, and upon coming might eat of the Feast; and the most unlikeliest of all to be permitted to come, are instanced in; Viz: The Simple & Fools, the Poor, and the Hedge & High way Persons, to show that None be excluded; out of the Offer, but on the same Tearmes any one whatever may come & injoye Christ.

REASONS. [Reasons.]

[ 1] First, Because this much magnifies & sets out God's Grace, & Free-Mercy; whilst that Christ & Salvation, may not only be had for taking; but also may be had by any One whatever, for taking. So freely to offer Christ and Salvation to a few were great Mercy, but to offer it so freely to everyone, that is Wonderful Mercy; As it is great Mercy for a Prince, to offer Pardō to one or two Traitors, upon the terms of accepting Pardon; but to tender it to all Traitors on the same free terms, is wonderful Mercy; even as it was wonderful Riches in Solomon in the 2. Chron. 1. 15, to make Silver at Jerusalem as Stones; that is that any one whatever may have for taking up, if he desires them (for so are Stones;) Even thus is the Riches of God's Mercy, set forth: inasmuch as Christ & Salvation (Things of more worth then Gold & Silver) are to be had by any whoever, if they accept thē, that is, Believe in Christ.

[ 2] Secondly, Because this Incourageth everyone to obey the Gospel, & believe in Christ; inasmuch as Christ is not limited, nor are any sequestered & shut out from having Christ by Believing: Therefore there is good Encouragement for any one, so for everyone, to endeavor to Believe.

And this is a wise Administratiō of God, for, by this means, they who live under the Gospel, and yet believe not, are left wholly without excuse, even as that Man Math. 22. 12. speechles; for it will be clear (even their own selves being Judges,) that they missed Mercy, because they cared not for it, but loved other things better, for when it was free to be had by any one; by Receiving & Believing, they would not do that; even as the Traitor, who receives not the free and general Pardon, hath no plea nor excuse left him, when he comes to receive the Sentence; And this seems to be implied in John. 3. 19. The Condemnation to them that have heard the Gospel • , will be this, That Light came into the World, (which must be supplied) and might have been had by everyone of them if they would have received it, but they would not so much as take it, when they might have had it, because their deeds were evil; This free tender of Christ, It discovers the wickedness of their Hearts, the evil Deeds of thē (for therefore they will not love, nor receive the light) and leaves them without all Plea, and makes their Destruction to be of themselves, their own willful ruin, who do perish under the Gospel: And as there is this effect.

So also, by this means, the Persons (as the Apostle speaks 1. Thes. 5. 9.) are appointed by God to obtain Salvatiō by Christ; they are brought on to Believe, and so to be saved by Christ; For God, doth not first, show People that he hath Elected them, and then & thereby persuade & bring them to believe, but Election is concealed as a secret thing, and by God's offering Christ freely to everyone to be had by Believing His free Offer encourageth them to labor to Believe, and they finding themselves not shut out of Mercy, they labor to Believe, and God helps & gives them the Gift of Faith, and so they Believing, come to know that they are ordained to Life Eternal, Acts. 13. 48. This is a wise course & way to bring in the Elect, and discourage or hinder none.

USE. [Use.]

For special Encouragement to everyone of you To come to Christ & believe in Him; I now in God's Name, as his Messenger & Embassador; Tender & Offer Christ to every One of You, on these Tearmes, that ye Come to Him, Receive Him, Believe in Him, and assure you, that so doing, Ye shall be saved by Him: I tender Christ to you All, only annexing these Two Cautions least ye should mistake or abuse this Doctrine:

[ 1] First, That none must meddle with Christ, but they who be willing to have him on His own Tearmes Viz. To be Lord & King to them as well as Priest.

[ 2] Secondly, Whoever do get Christ, they are surely Changed by Him, and made New Creatures.

These being premised; I do this Day, Offer Jesus Christ to ye All, and assure ye He is to be had by you if ye Come to Him, Receive Him, Believe in Him; that is, If ye Entertaine Him, and give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices; upon these Tearmes, He may be had by any of you; It is most probable there be Some of You to whom God intends good; where He so freely sends his Gospel; Now let everyone hope it is he. And endeavor to make it so; as men do at a Dole: and let Heaven Suffer Violence.

Oh Receive Him then! Give up your Selves to Him in Covenant; Accept Him for your King, Priest, and Prophet; Resolve this Day, The Lord Jesus Christ, shall be my Prophet, I will in all Things labor to be Taught & Guided by Him; And he shall be my King; I will in all Things care to be Ruled by his Laws: And he shall be my Priest; I will rest on Him for Atonement and Satisfaction to God-wards.

I must address my Self to Two Sorts of People among you.

1. To such of you as are Willing that Christ should reign over you, but dare not, or cannot trust in Him for your Salvatiō; be ye encouraged, for there is none such but be welcome to Christ, that is all he seeks, to reign over you, it is all the terms he stands on, ye having granted him his own Conditions, why should ye question his Mercy; This I say to you, 1. that if ye be made willing to give up your Selves to Christ in all things to be guided by him, and covet his Kingly Office in your Souls, and study & seek for Holynes, And 2. If ye find, that hope of Mercy, makes ye fear to offend, & care to please God in all things, and doth not make you presumptuous, secure & bold to Sin; Then you may, and should apply Christ for Mercy, and expect it from him; And do it now, Now He is offered to you this Day, as a Priest to save you, & reconcile God to you, accept it, in that Office & put your trust in him, Is he not free for everyone upon these terms, and why will you neglect so free Mercy? You have sinned against it hitherto, in doubting & questioning of it, Oh now sin not any longer! but boldly venture thyself on Christ; fear not thy Wellcome, or being permitted to apply Christ, the free general Pardon is given out; & sue it forth, whoever lays hold on Christ must be saved: Christ puts this out of doubt: John. 6. 37. He that comes I will in no wise send away; Limitt not, where God hath not limited; do not shut out thy Self, where God hath not shut thee out; do not inquire whether thou art chosen or no, but look to the Gospel, in which Christ is freely tendered to everyone on the terms of believing, and labor to believe; Therefore against all malicious suggestions of Satan, and against all carnal reasonings of thine own Heart, boldly endeavor to rely on Christ's Merrit for thy Justification and so doing thou shalt be saved; Thus reason with your Self; Doth God freely offer Christ to save all that entertain him, and requireth nothing but our accepting him, why then should not I venture my Soul on him, and rest Confident? How can the God of Truth but be as good as his Word? And if he be so, how can I but obtain Salvation by Christ, if I trust in Christ? I would believe a Man whom I thought honest upon his word; and shall I not God, when I have his Word & Oath?

2. I am to speak to another sort of People; Viz: Such of you, as mind not Christ at all, or if you do, yet not so much as to let him reign over you, but are still bent on your Lusts, & your old & former Ways; Ye are they, who yet mind something in the World, to much, and are not willing to entertain Christ for your King; Be ye now exhorted to receive him, and let him reign over you; He may be had upon these Tearmes even by you (for he is free for everyone on these terms) therefore entertain him, let the World & your Lusts go, and choose Christ; Reason thus with your Selves; Is not the Love of the World enmity to God, so that He that is a friend to the World, must be God's Enemy? The Things of the World they are but perishing, uncertain, insufficient Helpers, & Comforters; And as for my Lusts & Ways, are they not deceitful, vanishing, & damnable? Is not the Fruit of every Sin, Shame; and the Wages Death? must I not leave them, & get Pardon for them, or go to Hell? Why then shall I prefer the World & Sin before Christ? And (as the Jews in another case) choose Barabbas a Murderer, and let Christ go? At the Day of Judgment I shall need Christ; But how can I think, Christ will own me hereafter, if I now will not own him, and let him rule over me? Will he not one Day, bid me depart, and say He knows me not, if I be a Worker of Iniquity? Wherefore since Christ is so free, that I may receive him as well as any other, so that I will but renounce all my sinnfull ways, and give up my Self to Him; I will so do: Whats the World & my Lusts to Heaven & Christ; which thus I may have?

Oh! that ye would be persuaded this Day, to abandon the World & your Sins, and Entertaine Christ for your Lord & King; Do it, when as you hear, that if you now accept Christ, ye shall be wellcomed; and though hitherto ye have been great Sinners; Yet now if ye abandon your Lusts, and embrace Christ; ye shall have him given, and all that is past freely forgiven: Oh! why will ye neglect so great Salvation? Do not so, but do this; Receive Christ; and now do it; do not defer the doing this, But now make this Covenant with Christ, even this Day, at this Time: Covenant in your Spirits with Christ; that you will accept Him in all his Offices to be yours, and give up your Selves to be his, and rest on him for your Salvation; Now I say do it, whilst it is called too Day, and defer not; if now you will endeavor to do it, Christ will help you forward; Incline to this happy work, and the ministry of the Gospel shall promove & farther you; It is the Ministry of the Spirit, and not of the Letter; God's Spirit accompanies it, both to work in you a Will to do thus, and to Help them that are willing & do endeavor it; But if ye shall defer Christ; and excuse your not Comming, and put him off, ye can expect no other return but that, Luke. 14. 24. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper: and ye may well fear, it shall fare with you, as with the Israelites, who because They would not accept God's offer & enter Canaan, when he tendered it, although a while after, they would have done it, and did endeavor, yet God would never let them come into it: Where God's Mercy is most free; he is usually most quick & severe; and they that may & will not go free, are served, as the Servant that might, and would not. Deut. 15. 16. 17. No after Yeares of Jubile, could free them.

Remarkeable is the Speech of Francis Spira, (one of whom I told you before) when he languished under the torture of his Conscience, for preferring the World, before Christ: Oh saith he! that I could but hope in God's Mercy; Oh! what would I give for one of those sweet Motions of God's Spirit, to incline me, which I have had before & slighted; A pitiful Case; and yet the like and worse may yours be, if ye neglect or defer to take Christ, now that he is offered to you all; Therefore, if ye have any sense or apprehension of Things Spiritual, Eternal & to Come, If ye have any fear of Hell, or desire of Heaven; If any respect or reverence to God who thus condescends & stoops low, so as to Offer Christ & Salvation to you, and Invite you to come & take it; Be Exhorted to Come & Believe in Jesus Christ.

But if all this will not move you, then briefly Consider what the Lord saith in his Word; where Christ is offered, and not received; Oh! how fearful is that Peoples State?

1. They are in a more Special desperate subjection to Sin then others; For Light is come into the World, and such Men Loved Darkness, rather then Light, because their deeds are evil; John. 3. 19. Christ, Who is set for the rising again of many, is set also for the fall of others; Luke. 2. 34. 35. And for a sign which shall be spoken against, that the thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed; And herein the Iniquity of Sin is discovered.

2. They must Perish; you heard before, how they that were Invited, and Came not, should not taste of the Supper, Therefore 2. Thes. 1. 7. 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming Fire, to take Vengance; But on whom? On them that know not God, and Obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the same Apostle tells us, If the Gospel be hid, it is to them that perish 2. Cor. 4. 3. Such shall call for Christ & Mercy, as Pro. 1. 24. &c. but shall be answered, Him ye would not have; Such shall have in them as much fear of Christ, as of God, and as much danger from Christ, as from God; For Christ will be Wroth, and will certainly Have those his Enemyes, which would not that he should reign over them, brought, & slain, before Him, Luke. 19. 27. Christ the Lamb, will be wroth, and such shall be the day of his wrath, so great, & terrible, as that men shall say, who shall be able to stand? & therefore unbelievers of all ranks, Kings, Great men of the Earth, Rich men, and the Cheife Captains, Such as now dare look Death in the Face, shall then Call to the Mountains & Rocks to fall on them, to cover them from that Wrath, Revel. 6. 15. 16. 17. And how can Such want ruin, When the Gospel shall Judge them; as Christ tells you it shall do those who hear it and do not believe, John. 12. 47. 48. The Word that I have spoken, the same shall Judge them at the Last Day:

And Such shall not only perish, but Perish worse thē Others; The Gospel is a Savour of Death unto Death to them, 2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. They are dead already, but shall die worse; They are fallen in Adam, but shall fall farther Luke. 2. 34. Therefore that Place is very Considerable, Math. 10. 12. to. 16. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words: when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you; It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom & Gomorrhah in the day of Judgment, then for that City.

Thus much for the third Thing in the Text; Viz: the Persons that may use these Means, and so obtain Christ: Now the Last follows.

DOCTRINE. [Doctrine.]

He shall be sent away with a Compleate Satisfaction, as the hungry Man when he is filled with Meat, or the thirsty Man with Drink.

The Point is plain & express in the Text; If there were no other Proofes, we might build our Faith on it: But there are Divers

This was Prophesied off, under the same Metaphors; Isaiah, 49. 9. 10. That thou mayest say to the Prisoners, go forth; to thē that are in darkness show yourselves; they shall feed in the ways, & their pastures shall be in all high places; they shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the Heate nor Sun smite thē: for he that hath mercy on thē, shall lead them, even by the springs of Waters shall he guide them. To which Christ hath reference; Revel. 7. 16. 17. Tbey shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore &c. And is in express words promised, Ier. 31. 14. 25. And I will satiate the souls of the Priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with goodness, saith the Lord; And Verse. 25. I have satiated the weary soul, & I have replenished every sorrowful soul; And so Ier. 50, 19. I will bring Israel again to his Habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel & Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upō mount Ephraim & Gilead. And therefore, it is affirmed, as made good by, & in Christ; Luke. 1. 53. He hath filled the hungry wih good things; therefore Psal. 34. 8. 9. 10. The Believer (who is after expressed by the effects of Faith) fearing & seeking God; is said to be Blessed, and why? because He shall want no good; for that is Blessedness: Thus much is also inplyed in Isa. 55. 1. 2. 3. by Believing in Christ, (which is meant there by Comming Buying &c.) they shall come to enjoy all good things, that be requisite to their welfare, and so Consequently shall have All desires alayed: Therefore it is, that as all our Desires are in the Text expressed by Hūgering & Thirsting, so Christ is expressed by a Feast in Scripture and tipified by the Manna & Rock, that yielded Rivers of Water in the Wildernes; to show, that as by coming to a rich & full Feast, there is a supply, of all the wants, & an alaye, of all the desires, of an hungry & thirsty Man; So by Believing in Christ, all the Wants of People are supplied, and all their Desires alayed: Therefore, Math. 5. 6. They which Hunger be Blessed, because they shall be Satisfied, If not Satisfied, they be not Blessed.

REASONS. [Reasons.]

[ 1] The Reason is grounded upon a twofold Proposition. First, That Believing possesseth a Man of Christ: He that Beleeves in Christ, hath, Christ, and is one with Christ; Therefore, (as ye heard before) Believing is compared to a Marrying, and to an Ingrafting into Christ: That look as a Woman married to a Man, enjoyeth him as her own; and a Science grafted, enjoyeth & possesseth the Tree for its own; So, Whoever believeth in Christ: Injoyeth & Possesseth Christ for their own: Christ is the Gift of God John 4. 12. and Faith is a receiving of this Gift John. 1. 12. Now as a Man that hath received a gift doth possess & injoye it as his own. So Believers receive Christ given of God, and so injoye & possess him as their own, Faith makes us the House of Christ; Christ dwells in the Heart by Faith, Eph. 3. 17. even as a man dwelleth in his House, and so he hath Possession of the House; So have Believers of Christ: Hence when Thomas believed; he saith my Lord, my God; Therefore David Psal 144. 1. 2. Challēgeth God to be his, and why? He trusts in Him; in the end of the Verse. So that Believing possesseth a Man of Christ.

[ 2] Secondly as Believing possesseth of Christ, & makes him to be ours: So the Having Christ makes God to be ours; Christ brings to the Fruition & enjoying of God; which may be gathered from his very Name; which is Immanuel, that is, God with us Math. 1. 23. which not only implies, that in him God is come in our Nature, because he that is God took our Nature into Personal Union, but also that in & by Him God is enjoyed by us, even by so many as have Christ: For by Christ, all is removed, that kept us from God, and all is supplied that may bring us to God, and make us enjoy God; The Sufferings, Obedience, & Intercession of Christ; appease God's Wrath, & satisfy God's Justice, and soe brings the Person into full Favor with God, Math. 3. 17. he saith not with whom, but In whom I am well pleased; And the Spirit & Holynes of Christ, works out Corruption, & works in Holynes; and so there is brought about a Communion with God, & Fruition of God, and so God walks in them, and is their Father and God, they his Children & People, 2. Cor. 6. latter end. And so in Eph. 2. 13. Having by Faith got Christ to be theirs, though before they were affarr off, yet now are made near; and so in the 19. Verse. You are no more strangers & foreiners, but Citizens with the Saints & of the household of God: Hence is that Rom. 5. 11. Not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement; there is Joy in God through Christ, therefore by Christ God is enjoyed; Now, where God is enjoyed; All wants must be supplied, and All desires allayed; For God is an Infinite Goodness, therefore, they can want nothing, that have him; As they cannot want Light that have the Sunn, or Water that have the Ocean, because there is a sufficiency of Light in the Sunn, & of Water in the Ocean:

Now God is Alsufficiēt, Gen. 17. 1. This God hath clearly proved, by his Works of Creatiō & Providence, He of Nothing made several Things; and filled them all full; He gave Perfection to every Creature at first, so that it lacked nothing, and to the whole Creation, that is meant by seeing it was good & very good, that is every Part was perfect, lacking nothing, and the Whole was very Compleate & Full; He that filled the whole World that it lacked nothing, Cannot he fill Mans desires? And so by his Providence he fills & satisfies, as Psal. 107. 9. & 145. 16. And he had not made all Man-kind to seek him, (as he did, Acts. 17. 26. 27.) if he could not satisfy them; for then he had made sonthing in vain; all the infinite desires that are in Man-kind, after a chief Good; by enjoying which they may be happy, as they show there is a God, so they teach that, that God can fully satisfy them all; and this is express; Psal. 16. & last. Fullness of Joy, Joy; therefore Fruitiō & Satisfaction of Desire, else no Joy; and full Joy; therefore there is supply of all Wants, and alaye of all Desires; God himself is satisfied in himself, else he were not God, and being able to satisfy himself, who is an Infinite being, he can much more satisfy Man that is but of a finite being; Since therefore Christ brings us into God's Presence as Eph. 3. 12. By him we have access, that is he is God's Emissary, sent from God to bring Believers into God's Presence & so to enjoy God (as the word signifies in Greek) it must needs follow; That Everyone that enjoyeth Christ, must be Satisfied, and have All desires alayed; Because with Christ, God is had, and so All fullness.

For the better clearing this Point; Consider we in What Respects, or How this can be true; That the Believer never hungers nor thirsts.

It is true, in some degree in this Life; and fully & compleately in the Life to Come.

First in this Life, it is true, in some degree; That he that Beleeves in Christ; hath all his wants supplied, & so all his desires alayed; And that in a Three-fold Respect.

1. In respect of Sin; He that believes in Christ, shall not hunger nor thirst after Sin. This is the greatest Hunger & Thirst of an Unbeleever; Therefore Sinns are called Lusts, because they are the appetites & desires of Unbeleevers; The Unbeleever, as truly wants & desires after, the Commission of Sin, some or other, according as he is carried by Constitution, Condition, Custom, Company, or Tentation, as the hungry or thirsty Man doth after Meat, or Drink, Pro. 4. 16. They sleep not except they have done mischief; therefore it is, that they are so eager upō Sin, Pro. 1. 16 Their feet run to evil; so 1. Pet. 4. 4. For there is a Nature in every Unbeleever; that is satisfied & upheld by committing Sin, as our Nature is by Eating and Drinking, therefore It lusts, after evil; James. 4. 5. But now, He that Beleeves in Christ; is not thus to Sin; The Body of Sin is destroyed in him, Rom. 6. 6. therefore, he serves not, and so seeks nor Sin; For he is said to be Dead to Sin Verse. 7. therefore he desires not after Sin; Hence, Rom. 8. 5. The Believer (who is described by his inseparable Property to be after the Spirit) minds the Things of the Spirit, that is, and not the Things of the Flesh; The Unbeleever minds fleshly things; as a Woman that is with Child her eyes are still on it if it be present, or else her Phant'sy runs after it; But the Believer, lives the Life of Christ; and hath Christ dwelling in him, therefore he must do as Christ did; that is, not desire Sinning, but to suppress it as 1. John. 3. 8. and Verse. 9. He is made partaker of the seed of God, therefore cannot sin; that is, so far as he is partaker of that, there is a Nature in every Believer; which is contrary to Sin, He pertakes of the Divine Nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. therefore wants not, nor seeks any satisfaction by Sin; but the Contrary; He lusts after Holynes (as in the former Place is said; minds the things of the Spirit; & lusts against Sin; as Gall. 5. 17. for it makes the Soul see misery, in the Sins it desired; and that happiness it sought in Sin; to see it & seek it in God & Holynes: Now in respect of this the Doctrine is true; That in every Believer there is no Hunger; because the Nature is destroyed and so the appetite: Indeed there is an old Nature remaining in part in the Believer, & shall be in him as long as he lives, and that desires after Sin, which is meant by the Flesh its lusting against the Spirit, Gall. 5. 17. but there is another Nature which is in him, that doth not lust, in which regard he is said not to desire Sin; So that the alaye of these desires, is but in part & some degree in this Life. As this is true in Respect of Sin; So is it true:

2. In Respect of the lawful things of this World; as Life and things tending there to, Pleasures, Honors, Profits, &c. He that believes in Christ, shall not hunger & thirst after these, As is clear in Zacchaeus; who so thirsted after Riches, that he defrauded, oppressed, withheld unjustly; yet having believed in Christ; he gives away half to the Poor; and tenders to restore four-fold to all that he had wronged, Luke. 19. 8. Therefore the Believers Acts. 2. 44, 45. sold their Goods & Lands, & committed them to the Apostles dispose in good uses, Thus Gal. 6. 14. The World is crucified to me, (saith Paul) and so not coveted nor desired, as a withered flower is not; therefore Paul had all appetite to this Lyfes Content alayed; only for some spiritual respects, Viz. the Churches good, he desired to abide in this Life Phillip, 23. 24. for all his overweaning opinions of their excellency, are rectified, and he is made see, the Emptines, Uncertainty, Insufficiency of them; that he cannot much regard them. 2. Cor. 5. 16. Knowe (that is esteem and regard) no man after the flesh, that is in regard of Carnal Excellencies, and he sees so much Satisfactiō and Excellency in God, that he cannot much desire them, as He cannot the Candle light, that hath the Sunns light; As Peter by the Glory of Christ's Transfiguration, was taken off from the Contents in the World, and therefore desired to stay in the Mount with Christ, therefore, 1. Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with Content, (with Self-sufficiency as the word is) is great gain; there is a Self-sufficiency in Godliness, and therefore there is a moderation in desire to all outward things, for he knows they be not of much concernment Luke. 12. 15. & he knows that they are not gort by our caring for them, but rather by our not caring; But God cares & gives sufficient, Verse. 25. 30. Indeed Believers have & may have some desires after thē; Christ teacheth us to pray Give us this Day our daily Bread; But it is nothing such as it is in Unbeleevers, Its not the Principal & Cheife Good: But as the bait & refreshment at an Inn, which one that travels to another Place, takes for his necessary refreshment, therefore Believers are expressed by Their leaving their Country and not returning when they might, Heb. 11. 13. to 17. This Alaye of Hunger, comes from the former, for the same Nature that had appetite to Sin, sent forth inordinate appetites to the things of this World: which Nature being destroyed the Desire ceaseth. As it is true in these Respects; So:

3. In Respect of Grace & true Happynes: The Believer in Christ, in this Life, shall not hunger nor thirst after Grace, & true Happynes: For the understanding this, Ye must know that none do so desire Grace & true Happynes, as the Believer doth, 1. Pet. 2. 2. 3. and he never desired it before he believed; so much as he doth after; as is clear in David, so in Paul who had strong earnest Thirsts after Grace, as appears by those expressiōs he useth, I beat down my Body: I so run that I may attain &c. And this God would have us do; he hath Commanded to follow or hunt after Righteousness &c. But the Believer is said not to hunger & thirst after it; In these Four Regards.

First, Because He that believes in Christ, shall never finally or totally loose Grace & true Happynes Viz: God's Favor, Image, & Fellowship which he hath got by Christ; These things shall be in him as a Spring living & springing up forever, John. 4. 14. and not as a Pond which may in time be quite dried up: and so the Believer shall never hunger & thirst after these things, as we do after Meat & Drink, who though we have had it, yet over a while, are as destitute of it, and as fully want it as ever we did.

This Not hungering, excludes not every desire, but such an one, as springs from a total want of Grace; That this is true of the Believer, is most clear in Scripture, by many Places Viz: Psal. 89. 33. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him; nor suffer my faythfullnes to fail. Some may say this is meant of David for the Crown; that his Seed should never be wholly stripped of it forever: true; but not only so, for Isaiah, 55. 3. every Believer is promised The sure Mercyes of David, Ier. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting Love: Rō. 11. 20. The Gifts, that is the gift of faith, & so of Christ with faith, & the Calling, that is, Vocation, and so the drawing to believe; is without repentance; that is on God's part: Where God hath begun a good work he will perfect it, Phill. 1. 6.

Secondly, He that Beleeves in Christ, may in this respect be said not to hunger after Grace, Because he possesseth, and hath in himself, and of his own, that which is abundantly able, to supply all his wants, & satisfy all his desires; there is a spring in him John. 4. 14. however he may stand in need of Grace, yet he hath as his own, what may give a full supply; and all his desires are virtually satisfied, in that he cannot desire, what, he hath not to satisfy; He hath Two Store-houses, First Christ, In whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom & Knowledge, Coll 2. 3. and in whom dwelleth the fullness of the God-head bodily Verse 9. And Secondly he hath All the Promises, wherein there is All fullness, and wherein God hath given him. All things that pertain to life & godliness 2. Pet. 1. 3. 4. He is said to have Rivers in him, John. 7. 37. that is a continual Streame of Satisfaction, able to fill up all wants; He cannot be said to hunger because he hath that in him, which is able to alaye his hunger; and when ever he will, he may take what ever his Soul can desire. as Paul Rom. 7. 24. had desires, which he presently satisfies himself in Verse. 25. and gives thanks to God; And that there is ever a supply, appears in this; that in his very want & desire, there is some Content, and stay to his Soul, therefore there is some supply.

Thirdly, They are said not to hunger, because there is a Fullness, Viae, not Patriae, such a Fullness, as suites their present Condition; a Comparative, though not an absolute fullness; Therefore the Saints speak of a Fullness Psal. 36. 8. 9. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and Psal. 63. 5. My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow & fatness; Such a fullness, & satisfieing, as they are capable of in this Life; For instance, a Child may be said to be a lusty strong Child, whose strength is nothing, in respect of the strength of a Man, to which he may after attain; So Believers, have Satisfaction suitable to their Condition, proportionable to the State wherein they are, a fullness of Grace in regard of parts, though not of degrees, a Satisfaction according to their Capacity, though not so absolute, as they shall one Day be capable off.

Fourthly, They are fully satisfied in this Life, Because they have All Things actually in Christ, and really by Faith; whoever Beleeves in Christ, hath all things actually in him: Coll. 2. 10. They are Compleate in him, There is in Christ a Fullness of Grace & Glory, and All that is in Christ is theirs, and they have it in him; He being full, they may truly be said to be full: Christ not hungering and thirsting, they may truly be said not to hunger or thirst; Christ being fully satisfied, they are said to be fully satisfied; For Christ stands in their stead, and possesseth all things in their name & right; Christ was their Substitute, and that which is done to him, may be truly said, to be done to them; as a Man who hath his debt fully paid to his Substitute, though he receive it not by his own hand, yet may truly acknowledge satisfaction, because the other is his Receiver on his behalf; So Believers may be said, to have for the supply of all their wants; because Christ hath received a fullness, that they out of his fullness, may receive a full supply.

And further, as they have actually a complete fullness in Christ, Soe they have really that fullness by Faith; In Christ, He that believes, hath everlasting Life; John. 3. 16. 36. everlasting life, admitts not of hunger & thirst, having cōpleate satisfactiō, so faith brings in really a supply of all; as God hath all things to come, present, by reasō of his Infinitnes & Eternity; so hath a believer by faith, which is the evidence of things not seen, Heb, 11. 1. as Abraham had Christ's day present to him; And they are growing up to Perfection daily; as the Child increaseth daily; for by Virtue of their Union to Christ. they receive of His fullness, in the use of the Means; John. 1. 16. growing up by the Ordinances towards Perfection; not only a perfection of Parts (for that is at first received) but of Degrees, Eph. 4. 12. 13. As the Branch from the Roote, sucks more & more Sapp, or the Child from the Nurse, or Body frō the Head & Stomack by which it grows up to full Stature; so that they be going to that Fullness, which is in Heaven; wherein all desires shall be satisfied.

In these Respects it is true in this Life; in some measure & degree.

Secondly in the Life to Come, it is Perfectly & Compleately true; Every Believer then shall have All wants supplied, all desires, alayed: All the abundance of Good that the Soul is capable off, shall be there, fully supplied; and so, all desires must cease when there is a full Fruition; Therefore it is called Joy, Math. 25. 21. because it is a full fruition of all desirable Good, and they be said to enter into it; to show that it is so full & large that it cannot enter thē, but they enter it, & so they are every way filled with it: As the Sea cannot be Cōtayned in a smalle Uessell which may enter into it & be filled as full as it can hold, yea swallowed up of it; so shall they be fully supplied, and have more then they need or can receive, and he that enters into an infinite Satisfaction, must needs have his finite Appetite fully satisfied; as Psal. 17. last. When I awake (that is, am raised up out of the Dust, at the last Day, for Death is called a Sleep, and so Resurrection an awaking) I shall be satisfied, therefore, no Hunger, no Thirst; and it must be so, because of that where with we be satisfied; Viz: God's Likenes, that is, God Him-self & his Glory; God's Face (as in the former words) it shall be viewed; that is, there shall be a full & clear fruition of God, 1. Cor. 13. 12. Then I shall see Face to Face, and know even as also I am known: Therefore if God can give full Satisfaction, it shall then be had; for then shall that fully be made good, Eph. 3. 19. That ye might be filled with the fullness of God; All the fullness of God, so far as ye are capable: If therefore there be enough in God, there then shall be enough: Thus, in the Life to Come, He that believes in Christ, shall have all wants supplied, & all desires alayed; because he shall fully & perfectly enjoy God, and so perfect Happynes: Then all desires to Sin, shall be perfectly quelled, (for that all Sin shall be compleately purged out) Then all need & desire of the Creature in this World, shall be quite removed; because God shall be instead of all, as the Sunn is instead of a Candle, and the Ocean instead of a Dropp 1. Cor. 15. 28. God shall be All in All; Meat, Drink, Clothing, Honor, Wealth Pleasure Friends, and All, Mark. 12. 25. Then all desires after Grace, shall be fully satisfied; because there shall be a Perfection of all Grace, in regard of measures & degrees, so much Grace shall be enjoyed, as is desired, or needed: Thus he that Beleeves in Christ, shall never hunger nor thirst; because God begines to alaye his desires so soon as he believes, and never leaves till He hath brought him to the full Fruition of all desirable Good in the Heavens.

USES. [Uses.]

First, for Instruction & Comfort to all that truly believe in Christ (What it is truly to Believe? I opened in opening the Second Doctrine; where I shown, It is not a groundless & slight Conceite that Christ died for us; but an entertayning & receiving Christ in all his Offices a full resigning ones Self to Him; Covenanting to be ordered & guided by Him in all Things) to such here is Instruction & Comfort; and that, In these Two Perticulers.

[ 1] First, You that believe in Christ; shall never totally or finally fall away from God & Grace, so as wholly, or forever to loose them; (a Comfortable Point in these dangerous seducing & declining Tymes) For he that once believes in Christ; saith Christ in my Text, shall never hunger nor thirst; that is, shall never be wholly without God & Grace, Christ & Happynes, (as ye have heard in opening of the Point) Therefore, whatever appearances there may be, through the Subtilty of carnal Reason & Satan's Suggestions. Be thou assured, that having once believed in Christ, thou shalt never be wholly destitute of God & Grace; for then thou must hunger & thirst; which Christ saith, shall never be:

Neither is that of weight against this Cōmfortable Truth that Some object: So long as one believeth he shall never loose wholly God & Grace; But one that believeth may loose his Faith; and then loose God & Grace wholly: This I say; is of no weight; For, though one may loose the use of Faith for some time; Yet None that Believe, can ever wholly loose Faith, nor any other saving Grace, as hath been showed in the opening of this Point; and so as, he can never wholly loose Faith, so neither can he ever loose Christ or Grace; If the Covenant did run thus; That he that believes, so long as he believes, shall never fall away; But yet he might loose all Believing, and so fall away; then were not that true; Isaiah. 55 3. For with Every Believer God makes an Everlasting Covenant; Even the Sure Mercyes of David; Now how were the Covenant Everlasting, or the Mercy Sure; if that he might wholly loose Faith, and so loose God, & all Grace? Surely that Place expressly teacheth That when any one Beleeveth; God makes with him a Covenant, that shall Last for Ever; and bestows on him Mercy, that is Sure; and therefore he cannot be disappointed; He that once believes must be forever God's, and never so fall as to miss Heaven; For Christ hath prayed for All that believe, that They should be with him, & see his Glory, John. 17. 20. 24.

The Sons of God (and so is everyone that Beleeveth, John. 1. 12.) must be Like Christ, when He appears at the Last Day, 1. John. 3. r. 2. Therefore, He that believeth, must be saved, and can never wholly loose God or Grace; And therefore it is, that He that once Beleeves can never wholly loose his Faith, because to the end He may never loose God or Grace, God preserves Faith in him, and by that Faith preserves him in Grace & Favor with God, till he come to inherit Glory, 1. Pet. 1. 4. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith &c.

[ 2] Secondly, You that believe in Christ; shall have All your desires alayed, All your wants supplied, & your Souls satisfied fully in this Life: 1. Your sinful desires to Sin, & the Worlds Vanityes; these shall be alayed, by removing the Cause of them; Viz: Original Corruption, the Vanity of your Minds & Hearts: Your Souls shall be purged from those ill Humors, which make you Hunger after this Trash; and shall be put in right frame, and you made to Hunger after good & wholesome Things; Viz: God's Favor & Holynes, Gall. 5. 24. & Chap. 6. 14. Examine your Selves well, and ye shall find, that ye do not so hunger after these Things as ye did, and be ye sure that ye shall do it less & less, till at last, ye shall be quite freed from that vain Desire: For those many Exhortations in Scripture, to Mortify those Affections, and to Lay them down; as Eph 4. 22. 23. 24. & Coll. 3. 2. 5. do include Promises (upon your endeavor) that it shall be done; as may be gathered from Rom. 6. 12 14. where God promiseth that shall be, which he exhorts to: Yea God's Exhortations to Believers, are as his Word in Creation was, Operative. and working that which he Calls for, and Commands to be: Therefore do ye but Exercise your Faith, and use the Means God hath appointed, and you shall have your sinnfull & troublesome Desires alayed.

2. So also, Your good & commendable Desires after Grace & Holynes; Those shall be satisfied; Christ will fill you as full as ye can desire, or contain; Allready, ye have in you, the Store-house & Treasury of all Grace, the Spring is in you; Christ, in whom is all you need, and therefore it is in him, that you may have it; He is yours, and from him ye may have whatever you need do but let down the Bucket of Faith and draw what Water ye desire; He will never with-hold any Grace ye thirst after, if ye trust in him, and use the means, Psal. 81. 10 He will fill the Mouth that is opened, and according to your hope in him, will he do to you, he may defer you a while, to try the strength of your Desire, and of your Faith; but he will not with-hold ever, but satisfy your Desire; Yea, he cannot with hold; for what you seek by Faith in Him, and in the use of His means, he must give you, His Promise & Office do tie him to it; for He is your Spring of Grace to satisfy your thirsty Souls: And as a Mans own Spring cannot with hold Water from him, when he comes to it, no more can Christ.

Some wants ye shall have so long as ye live here; but yet there shall be a satisfieing, & filling up, though not filled up; as the Child is growing, though not fully grown, till he comes to Age: And ye shall have that fullness, & satisfaction; that is needful & requisite for this Life, so much ye shall have: Therefore be Comforted; and sink not under the sense of your wants; It is good to be sensible of spiritual wants, so as to seek for supply; but it is folly & unbelief, to be discouraged under them, since that ye have in hand & do possess as your own, that which is able & ready to supply them all, if you use the means, Viz: Christ & the Promises; Would not one think them Fools, that complain of Thirst, and had a Spring of there own, at their Door?

Yea farther Consider; that ye have actually all Fullness; Viz: In Christ & the Promises; there is All Fullness, what can you desire that is not there? and it is all yours; So that in your Substitute, Treasury, Srore house, Wardroope, there is actually all that you need or desire, and it is all yours; For all is yours (as ye heard before) 1. Cor. 3. 21. and therefore the Apostle speaks of Believers as possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. & I am. 2. 5. styles thē rich in faith; that is not meant of abundance of Faith, (as sometime the word is taken) but that by Faith they be Rich; So that everyone that Beleeves is Rich by Believing; therefore possessed of abundance (else none are called Rich) for the present enjoying all that is needful; and Heirs of a Kingdom; for in the Life to come ye shall have a Satisfaction of all your Desires: There ye shall have an absolute Fullness; all sinnfull & worldly Desires shall be quite extinguished; all Holynes & Happynes shall be perfectly administered; there is nothing necessary or desirable for your Happynes, but ye shall enjoy it actually in the highest Degree; ye shall have your Wills to the full, no Want or Cross in any Desire. God will say to you, as Herod to Herodias her Daughter Mark. 6. 22. 23. and better; not only ask what you will to the Halfe of the Kingdom, but to the Whole, and it shall be granted you; Whatever Christ, Heaven, God can give, to fill you, you shall have so, far as you can receive. In a Word Ye shall be as Christ is 1. John. 3. 2. So that if Christ is full, Ye shall be full; Wherefore be ye Comforted with these Things.

2. USE. [Use. 2]

For Trial; Ye may by this try, whether ye Believe or no: If ye Believe: ye do not hunger & thirst: Thou that art not thus alayed in thy Desires: Thou either dost not Believe; Or dost not exercise & use Faith, Or Cbrist saith not true: Ye that have gaping wide Desires after Sin, that feed on Sin as an hungry Man, and drink down Iniquity as Water; ye do not believe: Ye that as fully admire, seek, & delight in the Things of this World, as ye did formerly, and hunger & thirst chiefly after them, Ye Believe not: If your Desires, go out constantly, in an inordinate Way, to any of these Worlds Contents; Its a Sign you have not Faith.

Hence also a Discovery may be made; Both concerning the Measure, and Exercise of Faith; The stronger your Faith is, the less is your hunger after the World and Sin &c. and according as you exercise Faith; will be the alaye of your desires after such things; You want the exercise of Faith, who cannot supply your wants, as you feel them; For Faith if exercised will draw from Christ and the Promises such a fullness as is convenient for this Life; It will show you a Compleat fullness in Christ as your own; And where this is not, there Faith is weak, or not exercised as it ought to be.

3. USE. [Use. 3]

Shall be for Exhortation to Believe; Because of the Benifite that comes by it; This is Christ's aim in this Place: And this Use belongs, First to such of you, as yet never Beleeved: Secondly to such as have, and do in some measure Believe.

First to you that yet never Beleeved; That is never entertained Christ in all his Offices, and never gave up your Selves to whole Christ, as to your King, Priest, & Prophet; But the most ye have done, is in a General manner to fancy Christ died for you, and you shall be saved by him; which is not true Faith, as ye heard before: You, therefore that yet never rightly believed; be ye persuaded to do it, and that above all things: For why! what can do you so much good as this? Is there any Thing in the World, can satisfy all your Desires? Sin doth not; Sinning alayes the Desire of Sin, no otherwise, then casting on Oil doth alaye the Fire, it increaseth it; the more ye sin, the more ye desire to sin: It is like the administering Wine in a Dropsy, Riches satisfy not, Ezekiel. 7. 19. Eccle. 5. 10. He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver, nor he that loveth abundance, with increase, he spake it that had fully tried it, and therefore the more to be regarded, And as it holdeth in Riches, So likewise in Honor, Pleasure, or any Thing else, ye seek after, and neglect Believing.

That which is reported of Alexander, is to be found in every ones Heart, which a Philosopher discovered in his, by this Questiō to him, When thou hast Conquered Greece what wilt thou do? He answered, I will Conquer Asia and the whole World; When that is done what wilt thou do? I will (saith he) wish for another World to Conquer; thus unsatisfied was he by all his Honor: And thus is it with Men, both for Honor, Pleasure &c.

Our Souls are made to enjoy God, therefore Covet an Infinite & Eternal Good; which is meant by that Groping after God, Acts. 17. 27. Not that they seek God as God, for so, that is true, Rom. 3. 11. There is none seeketh after God, but in that they seek blindly after an Infinite & Eternal Good (which only is God, though they think not so) they be said to grope or feel after God and therefore rest unsatisfied, in any finite or mortal good, real or seeming: Our Souls are like the gapeing Earth, full of Chinckes, and great Crannyes, which nothing in the World can fill & satisfy, but the Ocean or Showers of Heaven, God Him self; hence is that restlessnes that is in all Hearts: Whatever they have, even in this sense, they are tossed up & down, as the Sea, and not quiet: For so long as the Soul is in Desire, it is in a restlessnes, & troublesome Motion. And hence it is there be such shiftings frō one thing to another, frō Coveteousnes to Prodigallity &c. (though ye never have the wit to shift from the Creature to God, for then ye would be satisfied) because in nothing ye be satisfied: yea, and God oft lets you have your Desires, so much Wealth, Pleasure, or Honor, as ye seek, and yet ye be not satisfied, that so ye may know, there is nothing can satisfy but God.

And this I assure you, if ye Believe not, (Mark it, for ye shall one Day remember, ye were told of it) ye shall ever hunger & thirst, and never be satisfied, and that is a great Misery: as He that believes shall never, so you that believe not, shall ever hunger & want, and never get Satisfaction, Pro. 13. 25. Therefore such a Condition is described in Scripture by them that labor in the Fire, and for Vanity, Habuc. 2. 13. That feed on Ashes, Isaiah. 44. 20. Follow the East Wind, Hosea. 12. 1. Labor wholly in Vain; as Isaiah. 55. 2. Consider the Difference twixt them that Believe, and those who do not Believe, Isaiah. 65. 13. God's Servants, that is, Believers; shall have Joy, because full Satisfaction; and so no hunger: Ye, that believe not, shall want, and so be ashamed, because ye have not got that ye sought:

In this Life, ye shall not be satisfied, and much less in Hell; there is Paena Damni, ye shall be punished with loss & want of what ye seek: Dives; who was full of Honors & Riches, and enjoyed a fullness of all outward Contentments, while he was in the World; yet this Dives, because he was not a Believer, he thirsted after a dropp of Water; and could not have that Thirst alayed: There shall be continually Renisus Voluntatis, your wills shall ever incline unto this & that good which ye want, but shall ever desire, and never attain to; It is a painful thing, to hunger & thirst, and not to have to satisfy; the Poor know this: Oh! what is it thē to hunger & thirst, a Yeare together and never be satisfied? and what is it to do so Ever? yet this, & all this is, & shall be your Case, who believe not in Christ; that is, do not so receive him in All his Offices. as hath been opened.

But on the other side, if ye will Believe in Christ; ye shall never hunger nor thirst, what would a hungry Man do for this? will he not venter his Life? If ye will Believe, ye shall have a supply of all good things, and be as Deut. 33. 23. Satisfied with Favor, & full of the Blessing of the Lord. Ye need not go out as I may so say, but shall have of your own, whatever you need for Soul or Body: Ye may have outward Things, & yet want more, or loose them again: But Believe, & ye shall have all Good, and never loose it: Ye desire Joy, Here is the Way to Full Joy; ye must have full fruition of all Good, and that is only had by Believing: Your desires to Sin shall be alayed; and new Desires given you, & satisfied; and that is all one, as if ye had them of Sin, satisfied:

Therefore Consider what the Prodigal saith, Luke. 15. 17. 18. In my Fathers House is Bread enough; and I die for Hunger: In God there is Fullness enough of Satisfaction, and I am distracted through want of it: Reason then as the Prodigal did; Allas! I am here, ready to famish, for want of Bread; How unsatisfied is my Soul? I follow after Wealth, Honors, & Pleasures, and yet my Soul hungers & thirsts; Why should my Soul be famished here; and perish hereafter? There is Bread enough in the Gospel; In Jesus Christ, I may have to supply all my wants, a Compleate Satisfaction: Why should not I renounce my Self; Forsake my Sin; and Go to Christ? I will go to Him, and Believe in Him: How great a Benifite would it be to have Meat or Drink that would alaye Hunger & Thirst for Ever? This is had by Faith: This Argument persuaded the Woman John. 4. 14. 15. Let it persuade you.

Ye have heard in the former Doctrine; That Any one, what Person soever, may by Believing get Christ: God in his Gospel shutts out None, therefore be not kept from endeavoring to Believe by a Conceite, that such a Sinner as thou shalt not be accepted, for any that come are Wellcome; Labor thou thē to Believe: and know that on these Tearmes, Perfect Happynes, is offered thee; For it is that only which can satisfy all Desires; and therefore, above all, Labor to Believe in Christ; If thou wilt not, thou refusest Perfect Happynes; and shalt have perfect Misery.

Secondly, This serves also for Exhortation, To You that have Beleeved: Gett more Faith, and exercise Faith more, So shall your Wants be supplied, and Desires satisfied, and this is the Way to have more freedom from sinnfull & worldly Desires, and to have your fill of Grace, God, & Happynes; you want so much, because you actually believe so little; For Believing brings Satisfaction, and the more ye Believe, the more full Satisfaction: Be always then in the use & exercise of Faith, abound there with; Satan above all things, labors to hinder your growth in Faith; because by that means he would keep you in want; But learn you above all things, to labor to abound in Faith, for then shall you want nothing: Hence are there so many Exhortations & Prayers made by the Apostle in Scripture for Believers abounding in Faith; For as they exercise & increase in Faith, so all Fullness is farther conveyed to them:

Faith is as the Bucket, which let down fetcheth Water; and the oftener you let it down, the more Water you have; The Exercise of Faith is as the turning of the Cock, which if turned, lets in Water; So Faith exercised, lets in all supply, and the more it is exercised, the greater is the supply; The more Faith, the more fullness; If we want, the want is not from Christ, but from our want of the exercise of Faith: Exercise Faith then, and you will never be pinched with Hunger or Thirst, or be so perplexed, as often ye are; But you shall enjoy a Heaven upon Earth; you shall have a sweet Influence of all Grace, as fast as your Souls can receive it; you shall enjoy the Spirit of God, and the Favor of God, and be fully satisfied; All Supplyes are to be had only from Christ; and all to be had from Christ, only by Believing.

Faith Exercised doth Three Things.

[ 1] First, It Conveyes the Thing that is sought; Therefore so oft in Scripture, It is made the Instrument of Conveyance of all God's Blessings; By Faith Sarah received the promised Son: Heb 11. 11. So Gall. 3. 14. The Promise of the Spirit is received by Faith: It is Faith brings it: Therefore the Scripture makes Faith to Conveye the Pardone of Sin, the healing Diseases: and whatever it believes, Math. 8. 13. (as ye heard before) For, whatever Faith lays hold on, it makes it thine own, be it ever so much: And.

[ 2] Secondly, Until it hath Brought & Conveyed the Thing, It gives Assurance that it shall be had, and so it gives Content & Satisfaction in some measure as if it were had; As it did to Abraham for his Isaac, Gen. 17. 17. it made him laugh, that is Joy, (for it was another kind of laughing then Sarah's was; who laughed out of scorn of the thing spoken, as deeming it impossible & therefore was she rebuked) I say, Faith made Abrahamlaugh; that is Joy in the Assurance of the thing: And so it made Hanna quiet, and eased her of her perplexity, 1. Sam. 1. 10. 18. upon Her praying, she Believing was Satisfied, until she had it; For Faith exercised, doth assure the Soul, the Thing desired shall be had, in the best time & manner.

[ 3] Thirdly, It presents all fullness & desirablenes, as that which shall be in due time possessed, & enjoyed; It gives a glimpse, of all that God hath Promised, or thou desirest; Faith leadeth thee to Heaven, and showeth thee the many Mansions, the Crown of Glory, the glorious Roabes, the immortal Inheritance, the Kingdom that shall never be shaken, whatever is to Come, Faith gives the sight of it before hand; look as God did to Abrahā, Gen. 15. He shown him that full Posterity, & Possession that in due time, he should have; So doth Faith; Heb. 11. 13. By faith they saw the things promised afar off, & were persuaded of them, & embraced them (or saluted them) that is as things present and enjoyed by them.

Now Faith doing thus; the more it is; the more it doth thus; as Fire heating, the more the Fire is, the more it heats; and the more it is exercised, the more it doth thus: For it is with Faith, as it is with any Skill Power, or Habit; if it be not used & exercised; it doth nothing, he that hath it is never the better, there is no difference twixt him & another, that hath no such thing: And this is the great folly of Believers that they grow not in, and exercise not their Faith; did they so, they could want no good thing: Therefore Consider, what Increase can yield ye so much Benifite, as the Increase of your Faith? what Exercise can do ye so much good, as the Exercise of your Faith? Therefore, above all things, mind this: Do ye as Hab. 2. 4. Live by your Faith: Let that be it whereby ye do All Things, and pass All Tyme, let it be in Continuall Action in you, on All Occasions: And I Assure you, Ye shall never Hunger nor Thirst; But be free from all the Pinches and Pangs, Perplexities, and Troubles, that now ye under go.

Thus; Ye have had the Pith & Substance of this Text, In these Four Doctrines.

1. That Christ is the Bread of Life; that is, The only & all-sufficient Remedy of Mans Misery.

2. That the all & only Means appointed & required by God, for the obtaining this Christ; is Comming to him; that is, Believing on Him.

3. That Every Person without any limitation or secluding, by Believing on Christ, may certainly obtain Him.

4. That whoever Comes to Christ, or Beleeves in Christ, shall never hunger nor thirst; that is, shall have all his Wants supplied, and his Soul fully satisfied.

I Conclude all, with that of