This book made available by the Internet Archive.

SEEMONS

DISCOURSES

ON SEVEKAI,

IMPORTANT SUBJECTS IN DIVINITY.

REV. THOMAS BOSTON,

or ETTRICK.

And by It tie, being dead, yet speaketh.— Hbb. xi. 4.

ABERDEEN: GEORGE AND ROBERT KING, ST. NICHOLAS STREET.

^

ADVEETISEMENT

THE FIRST EDITION

The Discourses and Sermons contained in this volume are all printed from the manuscripts of the worthy author, my father; whom I must love and honour in the grave. The " Miscellaneous Questions," and " Paraphrase on the Epistle to the Glalatians," were written in his younger years, while he was minister of Simprin, for his own improvement, and not with any design of printing them ; though, it is hoped, the publication of them now may be for the edification of the church of Christ. The Sermons are also taken in his own notes, prepared for the pulpit only ; and therefore they are not so full as, doubtless, they would have been,^ had he prepared them for the press. But though these volumes labour under the disadvantages which commonly attend posthumous works, there is ground to hope they may, throuojh the divine blessing, be of singular use to the people of God.

They who had the happiness to be acquainted with the author, and have heard him preach—especially those who lived under his ministry—will easily observe in these Discourses that clear and distinct method of opening up texts, and deducing points of doctrine from them, wherein he excelled; as also the occasional opening up the Scriptures in the course of his sermons; with the close and warm application of the several subjects to the cases both of saints and sinners ; in all which he " shewed himself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." He used to observe, that when he had continued for some time preaching on a subject, he still got the clearer insight

VI. ADVERTISEMENT.

into it, when he came to bring it home upon the consciences of his hearers.

So great was his delight in his Master's work, and so earnest his desire to be found occupied therein, when he should be called hence, that he preached two or three Sabbaths from a window in the manse to the people sitting without, after that he was no longer able to go to the kirk. And as the two Sabbaths, or three at most, in which he was, by his growing indisposition, laid aside from his public work, were very heavy upon him; so his Master was pleased to call him home on the Saturday, May 20, 1732, to celebrate the eternal Sabbath in that place where " the inhabitant shall not say any more, I am sick."

The subjects here handled are of the last importance, both to saints and sinners ; and therefore justly claim their most attentive consideration. The character of the author is long since established ; and any further commendation of him, as there is no need for it, so neither would it be so decent from the pen of such a near friend as his Son,

Thomas Boston.

Vlll. CONTENTS.

IV.

A paraphrase upon the Epistle to the Galatians, ... ... ... 240

PRACTICAL DISCOURSES.

GOSPEL-COMPULSION. Luke xiv. 23.—Compel them to come in, ... ... ... ... . 2Kl

CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

1 John iv. 14.—And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Sou

to be the Saviour of the world, ... ... ... ... ... 294

THE NECESSITY OF SELF-DENIAL.

Luke ix. 23.—And he said to them all. If any man will come after me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me, ... ... 306

THE OLD AND NEW MAN IN BELIEVERS.

RoM. vi. 6.—Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body

of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, ... 31 y

WORM JACOB THRASHING THE MOUNTAINS. IbAiAH xli. 14, 15.—Worm Jacob,—thou shall thrash the mountains, and beat

them small, and shalt make the hills as chaflf, ... ... ... ... 328

THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

Luke xviii. 1.—And he spake a parable unto them, to this end, that men ought

always to pray, and not to faint, ... ... ... ... ... ... 340

THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS AND NOT FAINTING.

Luke xviii. 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily, ... ... 3;)3

THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST ILLUSTRATED IN THE WEAKNESS OF HIS PEOPLE.

2 Cor. xii. 9.—For my strength is made perfect in weakness, ... ... 365

THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE.

LuKH xiii. 3.—I tell you. Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, 377

THE DANGER OF DELAYING REPENTANCE.

pRov. vi. 10, 11 .—Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hRnds to sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that travailcth, and th) wynf as aL ai'Uicd man, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... i-i'.i

CONTENTS.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF THE THIEF ON THE CROSS NO ARGUMENT FOR DELAYING REPENTANCE.

Li'KK xxiii. 42.—Anfl he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest

into thy kingdom, ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4fi8

GOD'S DELAY OF EXECUTING THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST UNGODLY MEN OFTEN MISERABLY ABUSED BY THEM.

EccL. viii. 11.—Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily ;

therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil, 481

THE SINFULNESS AND HAZARD OF A PROFESSION OF RELIGION WITHOUT A CORRESPONDING PRACTICE.

Luke vi. 46.—And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which

I say 526

THE MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION BY CHRIST OPENED UP.

John xiii. 8.—If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me, ... ... 6ol

THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE ; OR, THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH.

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS,

QUEST. 1.

WHETHER OR NOT THE SINS OP BELIEVERS WHILE UNREPENTED OF, MAKE THEM LIABLE TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT ?

There are two things which the children of God ought diligently to study ; what they are in themselves; and what they are, and do enjoy, in Christ. The consideration of the former will serve to keep them humble ; and the knowledge of the latter will be a store house of comfort against discouragement, a magazine of armour, wherewith they may resist the devil in his assaults, and will aflFord unto them great matter of thankfulness and praise, which well becometh Christians, For, to exalt Christ is the Christian's great work; and no wonder, seeing it is the great design of the gospel to exalt him, and the riches of free grace, as the Apostle Paul almost every where teacheth. Wherefore we may safely lay it down for a certain conclusion, and rule of doctrine, That whosoever doth most exalt Christ and free grace, so as it have a native tendency to a holy walk, is a gospel-truth; which, if duly noticed, will readily lead us unto a true answer to the question proposed. Now, amongst all the privileges which believers do in their own person enjoy, the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free, is not the least; which, how far it extends itself with respect to the sins of believers, is the subject of the present inquiry. In which, that we may the more happily proceed, I shall promise these few things to be considered.

1. Sin is a relative term, and denotes somewhat to which it hath a relation ; and that is a law; " for where there is no law," saith the Apostle, " there is no transgression; and sin is a deviation from the law of God, to which the creature, in point of right, is subject; and therefore is called anomia, 1 John iii. 4. Now, there are two things in the law which are here to be taken notice of; the command, which is the rule of life; and the threatening, which is a denunciation of tlie punishment the guilty doth incur.

Vol. YI. b

Agreeably thereto, there are two things in sin, besides the action itself, (in sins of commission, which may be called the substratum, or the To materiale of sin, which is metaphysically good). First, The disconformity of the action (in sins of commission), and of the power and principle of action (in sins of omission,) to the law of God; which may be called the Toformale of sin, being that which constitutes the action, or the power, sinful. Secondly/, There is the guilt of it; which is an obligation to punishment: and this is a consequent ot sin, flowing both ex natura rei, et. ex institutone Dei; from the nature of sin itself; and the sanction of the divine law.

2 The guilt of sin may be considered two ways (1.) In actupnmo. (2 )' In actu secundo. As it is considered under the former notion, it denotes the intrinsic demerit of sin, whereby the sinner, in whatsoever state he be, doth indeed deserve the wrath and curse of God for his sin, and that so much the more as the sin is aggravated by light, mercies received, and the like. And thus believers are more guilty than others. In this sense, guilt cannot be separated from sin, no more than risibility from a man, or heat from the fire. The guilt of sin considered in actu secundo, denoted an actual obligation to undergo the penalty denounced in the law, whether a remission be to follow or not. There is a vast difi'erence betwixt these two, and therefore the distinction is carefully to be noticed in this question. The difference betwixt them is as great, as betwixt a man's deserving a sentence of death to pass upon him, and the actual passing of the sentence. And although guilt under the former notion is inseparable from sin, yet in this sense it is separable therefrom ; even as the three children in the fiery furnace were in actu prima combustible ; but not in actu secundo ;* the fire could have no power over them. The pardon of sin takes away the guilt of it in the last sense, though in the former it still remains. And so Christ took on our guilt in the latter, but it remains with us in the former sense. Turretine calls the one potential guilt, the other actual ;t the one, says he, respects condemnability, the other condemnation.

3. We must also distinguish betwixt actual guilt, or the actual binding over the sinner to punishment; and the execution, or actual inflicting of the punishment. The former may be where the latter shall never follow; as the elect unconverted are lying under the condemnatory sentence of the law, though it shall never be executed upon them. The confounding of these two cannot but lead men into mistakes. All the three do clearly appear, if we compare the ease

• Mares, in dist. Castan. p. 19. Ameoii medulla, cap. 12. thes. 5. t Loc. de pecatto.

of a sinner with that of malefactors committing capital crimes. The malefactor by his deed first deserves death, then he is adjudged thereto, and last ot all the sentence is executed. All these are not only to be distinguished, but they may indeed be divided; which I need not stand to enlarge upon.

4. Punishment is taken either largely or strictly. Largely, it is used for the afflictions, or niala tristia, that come upon men,* whether good or bad, for their sin. So the scripture useth it, so orthodox divines use it sometimes ; and therefore we may make use of the word in the present inquiry without any imputation of heterodoxy. Strictly so called, it respects only those evils that are inflicted for sin upon men, by the Lord as a just judge, without any mixture of fatherly love ; and so it is termed judicial punishment, in opposition to the evils inflicted on the children of God, flowing from fatherly love. In respect of the end of punishment, it is either correctory or vindictive. The first is inflicted for the correction of the offender; the other for the satisfying of justice without respect to the amendment of the party ; which I understand of God's intention simply: for as to the vindictive punishments inflicted on the reprobates, on this side of time at least, the amendment of the party may be justly looked on as the Jlnis operis, though we cannot rationally suppose it to be the Jlnis operantis, seeing it is not effected. In respect of its duration, it is either temporary or eternal. Correctory punishments are temporary, in regard the end of them is effected, therefore are they confined within the limits of time ; but the other are eternal, and never have an end, in regard men are never able completely to satisfy the justice of God.

5. Lastly^ The sins of believers are of two sorts. First, Some such as they having fallen into, do lie in, at least for a time, through the growing power of corruption, not having risen therefrom by the renewed acts of grace. In this case was David when Nathan came unto him, 2 Sara. xii. Secondly, Some they have fallen into; but, by the influences of the Spirit upon the principles of grace in their hearts, putting grace in exercise, they have recovered therefrom, having renewed their faith and repentance. In this case find we David, Psal. li. These things premised, we

Assert I. That the sins of believers whether repented of or not, in regard of their disconformity to the law of God, make them liable in actu primo, not only to temporal, but to eternal punishment. This is so clear that none who know what God is, or what sin is, will deny it, but will cheerfully subscribe to the truth of it.

• Lev, xxvi, 41. Lam. iii. 39.

Therefore David testifies,* that no man living can be justified in God's sight; and when the worst comes upon us here from our Father for sin, we must still say, " That with us he hath not dealt as we sinned.f Therefore believers not only may, but ought to confess their sins, mourn over them, condemn themselves for them, &c. And the contrary practice is s'o far from a gospel spirit, that it doth evidently argue a licentious spirit, regardless of the honour of Grod, and the purity of his law. Believers, so far as in them lies, by their sins do cast themselves into the fiery furnace of eternal wrath, so that if there were not one with them, " like unto the Son of God," the fire should actually fasten on them ; wherefore they may-look on themselves, as indeed they are, " brands plucked out of the fire ; and sing that song, " Not unto us, Lord, not to us,"J &c. And the truth is, as one says well,|| In some respects the sins of the godly are worse than the sins of others; for they grieve the Spirit more, they dishonour Christ more, they grieve the saints more, they wound the name of God more, they are more against the love, and grace, and favour of God, than other men's sins are.

Assert. II. The sins of believers while unrepented of,^ make them liable actually to the temporary strokes of God's fatherly hand. So that a guilty conscience in a believer, fearing a stroke from the hand of God, doth not fear where no fear is : for though God " sees no iniquity in Jacob, nor transgression in Israel," so as to punish them in a way of vindictive justice, as he does the reprobate, though Papists would have it so, yet no doubt he sees it in them, so as to punish them with the stroke of a fatherly hand; which is manifest (whatever Antinomians say to the contrary) from the many instances thereof recorded in scripture, as Moses, Samson, David, and many others; and from that plain scripture, Psal. Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32. " If his children forsake my law—Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, &c." of which more anon.

Assert. III. The sins of believers, even while unrepented of, do not make them liable, in actu secimdo, to the stroke of vindictive justice, or make them not actually liable to eternal wrath. Take it in hi/pothesi thus: David being a gracious man, even while he lay under the sins of murder and adultery unrepented of, though he did lay himself open to the temporary strokes of God's paternal anger, and deserved eternal death thereby, yet he was not actually liable to eternal wrath.

Argument. I. That promise Psal. Ixxix. 30, 31, 32, 33. seems to carry it so, " If his children forsake my law—Then will I visit

• Psal. cxiiii. 2. f Ps^l- ciii. 10. J Paal. cxv. 1. |1 Bridge's Lifting up, p. 60.

their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." Where it is evident, that by the rod and stripes, he means only temporary strokes of his fatherly anger. This is a repetition of that promise, 2 Sam. vii. 14,15. Let us inquire to whom these scriptures do rela,te, that it may be seen how they favour our purpose. To exclude David and his son Solomon here, and the continuance of David's line and kingdom, were unaccountable, especially considering that clause, 2 Sara. vii. 15. " As I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee." But surely it looks farther than to David and his seed, even to the Lord Jesus Christ; as appears from 1 Chron. xxii. 10. He is the true Solomon, the builder of the Lord's house, whose kingdom is established for ever indeed; and of him Solomon, the king was a type. David himself testifieth this, while he shews that these promises were to be fulfilled in him, 2 Sam. vii. 21. "For thy word's sake (says he) hast thou done this." Compare 1 Chron. xvii. 19. " For thy Servant's sake hast thou done all this." Where it is observed by Witsius* and others before him, that whom he calls in the one place, the Lord's Word, in the other place he calls, the Lord's Servant, meaning thereby the Messiah. But the Apostle puts it beyond all doubt; when speaking of Christ, he cites that scripture, and applies it to him, " I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a son," Heb. i. 5. From all which it seems to be plain, that the promise mentioned does belong to Christ's spiritual seed; that is, believers ; " who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John i. 12, 13. Here then is a promise of temporary punishments, which are to be merely correctory, to bring them in from the extravagancies into which, by temptation, they may fall. And I think I may call it a promise of the covenant :f for it is much to be doubted, if the gospel and covenant of grace know any threatenings properly and strictly so called. And truly this fatherly nurture is that which the children of God cannot want; yea, these rods and stripes are the peculiar privilege of those who are his; and they have as good right to them by the covenant, as to any other benefit. Here we have a discovery of the Jjord's way of dealing with his people as plainly laid down as any where else : yet not the least hint of any actual liableness to eternal wrath. So that we may justly conclude, that their liableness to temporal strokes, is their utmost hazard; which will more clearly appear, if we consider^

* Extrc. de serm. Deo. th. 18. Rivet iu Psal. ii, 7. f Wits, de CBC. feed.

b2

uuder what notion the Lord deals thus with them; even as they are Christ's seed, the fruit of his soul-travail under the pangs of death, in which he having taken on their guilt, they can be no more liable : only the rod of a reconciled God remains to them, called " the rod of men ,"* 2 Sam. vii. 14.

Arg. II. If the sins of believers, even while unrepented of, do make them actually liable to eternal wrath, it must be by virtue of some law: wherefore there must be one found in this case, who may say of the believer, as the Jews said of Christ, " We have a law, and by our law he ought to die;" or, which is all one upon the matter, he must be liable to death by some covenant: for however God might have exacted obedience of man, and threatened and inflicted punishment in case of disobedience, merely upon the account of his sovereignty, without making any covenant with him; yet being pleased to enter into a covenant with man, he deals with him covenant-ways; which I think I need not stand to prove. But I say, there is no such law, and no such covenant, by virtue whereof the believer can be made actually liable to eternal wrath : for if there were any such, it must either be the covenant of grace, or the covenant of works. I can scarcely think it will be said. That it ia the covenant of grace, by virtue whereof the believer under sin unrepented ought to die; for that were to bring in the law, with its cursing and condemning power, into the new covenant, and so utterly to overturn it, and make it a covenant of works. The tenor of the covenant of grace runs thus, " Believe, and thou shalt be saved;" but it does not say, " He that believeth not, shall be danmed ;" for the covenant of works says that completely, and secures the destruction of those that despise the covenant of grace: but Frustra fit per plura, &c. It must needs be said then, that it is by virtue of the covenant of works, or by the law. But the Scripture teacheth us, that believers being now under the covenant of grace, are no more under that of works; for a man cannot be under both; they are therein incompatible. We are plainly taught in God's word, that believers are "dead to the law," Rom. vii. 4. " Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body," i. e. the sufferings of Christ in his body), (Pars pro toto, Senec, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead; that is, to Christ. It seems then that the Apostle is of opinion, that a man cannot be married to Christ, unless

' Be She Bot Ana Shim, with the rods of old or weak meu : for even as an old man lajeth on hut a weak blow, so doth the Lord correct his children but with a faint blow. IVeems til. Leigh in Crit,

he be dead to the law, more than a wife can be married to two husbands at once; that is plainly, one cannot be both under the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, at one time : for if to be married to Christ, signify the bringing of the man within the covenant of grace, which I think cannot be denied, with any colour of reason, by those that acknowledge consent of parties necessary to the making up of the covenant; the being dead to the law, must be freedom from the covenant of works. Now, I pray you, what is it that makes the believer liable, in any case, to eternal punishment ? If there be any thing, it must needs be the law; but we hear he is dead to it; but if dead to it, how can it have any jjower over him ? To be dead to the law, says Luther,* is to have nothing at all to do with it; not to be held by the law, but to be free from it, and not to know it. And so the orthodox teach with one consent, that believers are free from the law, as to its cursing and condemning power; for " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."f And indeed, according to the Apostle's reasoning in the fore-cited place, the law, as it is the covenant of works, and as to its condemning power, has no more to do with believers, or no more authority over them, than a man has over her, who alive was his wife, but is now dead; and therefore the believer needs no more fear the threats of the law, nor concern himself with them, as directed against him, than a dead wife, the threatenings of him who sometime was her husband; for what has the law to do with him now, when death hath dissolved the relation ? The Apostle teach-eth the same doctrine, Rom. vi. 14. where, speaking to believers, he tells them, it is their privilege, that " they are not under the law, but under grace." The law and grace have two distinct dominions; therefore a man under grace is not liable to answer at the court of the law, he not being under the jurisdiction of the law, or covenant of works. So that the law, with its condemning power, can no more reach the believer, than the laws of this kingdom, those that dwell under the great Turk.J From all which I may thus argue, He that is thus divorced from the law, that lives not under its dominion, but is as a dead man unto it, cannot be condemned by it, nor by virtue of it made liable to punishment; but such is every believer. Ergo. And I doubt not, but if we were as much dead to the law in point of practice, as we are in point of privilege, we

* Luih. Com. in. Gal. ii. 19. f Gal. iii. 13.

% The godly often think that Christ will accuse and condemn. This comes hence; they are not free of the flesh, therefore the terrors of the law return, &c. Luth. in Gal. iv. 4.

would more easily believe this. But the truth is, that, in respect of practice, believers are rather dying than actually dead to the law. And it is not easy for a man that is exercised, to quit living to the law : and therefore Luther,* speaking of this privilege of believers, Las that feeling expression, " These things (says he) are easily said, but happy he who knows them well in the conflict of conscience; that is, who, when sin rushes on him, when the law accuseth and terrifieth him, were able to say. What is that to me, that thou, 0 law, makest me guilty, and convincest me that I have committed many sins ? That is nothing to me. Now am I deaf, I hear thee not, because I am dead to thee." This will be yet more clear and convincing, if we consider, that the law is dead to them, as well as they to it, Rom. vii. 1. " Know ye not, brethren, how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth ?" So our translation reads it: the words in the original are, epJi' hoson chronon ze; and may as well be rendered, "as long as it liveth, referring the life to the law, not to the man. And I think the context does fairly carry it this way : for all along this discourse, the Apostle speaketh of the law under the notion of an husband, even the first husband to elect sinners; and it is clear, that in the two verses immediately following, he speaks of the life and death of the husband: " The woman is bound to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead,"—ver. 2. " If while her husband liveth—but if her husband be dead," ver. 3.f So the connection of the fourth verse with the former, plainly appears; for having premised that the law is dead to the believer, he concludes, that therefore they are dead to it, and their relation to it is now ceased. And thus it is read and understood by several judicious interpreters, both ancient and modern. The Apostle more clearly asserts this, ver. 6. "That being dead wherein we were held; apothanontos en ho cateichometha.^' The context also cleareth this exposition: for the Apostle adds, "that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the latter ;" importing so much, as that " that wherein we were held," made us to " serve God in the oldness of the latter," viz. of the law : which cannot be properly said of the flesh, or of sin, for that stirs up, even to sin against the letter of the law; but well may be said of the law, Avith its threatenings, which forcibly sets on even the un-regenerate to outward obedience. Whereunto well agrees the term used by the Apostle, speaking here of the law, " in which (says he) we were held ;"* the word signifies forcibly holden, and is used of

Ubi supra, ■f Origcn, Ambiose, Tiiidal, Erasni. cit. Mar. of Mod. Div. p. 142. So Aretius.

those who are detained in prison and custody, which the Apostle Gal. iii. 23. doth plainly speak of, the " keeping under the law;"— " "We were kept cphrouroumetha" kept as in a prison, and shut up, &c. And this word held, seems plainly to answer to that, ver. 2. " The woman is bound to her husband." Now, that husband is dead, even the law wherein we were held. Thus said Luther,t "The law which bound me, and held me captive, is now bound and holden captive by grace." The law then is dead to the believer. Christ, by his death, hath been the death of the law, in point of con-(lemniug power: the law, which was the strength of sin, that is, whereby sin had a power of binding over the soul to eternal wrath, is now gone by the death of Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 46. By his blood he hath " blotted out the hand-writing, (Col. ii. 14.), nailing it to his cross." For to the cross two were nailed, the Son of Grod, and the law of God. The law nailed Christ to the cross, and Christ would not die alone, but crucifies the law that crucified him; as Samson at his death was the death of those that were the cause of his death. Upon which consideration, LutherJ brings in the believer insulting over the law, with a kind of holy pride, and thus speaking to the law : " I do nothing value thy terrors and threat-enings, because thou hast crucified the Son of God. Therefore the sin which thou hast committed against him, is unpardonable; thou hast lost thy right; and now hereafter thou art not only to Christ conquered and strangled, but also to me believing in him, to whom he hath gifted that victory." Thus he. All which being considered, I think it will be very hard to shew, how a believer can ever be actually liable to eternal wrath.

Aku. III. Those scriptures which declare the believer to be " free from condemnation," plainly teach this doctrine which we now prove. John iii. 18, " He that believeth, is not condemned ; but he that believeth not, is condemned already. It is easy to see what the meaning of this is, which is said of him that believeth, if we consider the antithesis in the text; "He that believeth not, is condemned already;" not that the sentence is already executed upon him, but that he is sentenced by the law, and so liable, in actu secundo, to eternal wrath : so he that believeth is under no sentence, or is not liable so as the other is. So John v. 24, " He that believeth, shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life ;" where it is plain, that the same thing is taught; for passing from a legal death, to a legal life, which is nothing else but the taking oflT of the sentence of death, whereby the soul is made actually liable to

' Leigh's Crit. Sac. f Ubi supra. J Com. in Gal. iv. 4. 5.

eternal wrath, is opposed to coming into condemnation. The words in the original press this more strongly; eis laison uk erchetai alia inetabebeken ek tu thanatu ; cometh not, in the present time into judgment, but hath passed, &c. ;* the word krisis here, and krmomai in the former, being simple words, do no doubt signify judgment, and to be judged, but tropically condemnation : only properly, I think the judgment or condemnation here spoken of, relates not only to the judgment and condemnation to come, but also to that which is in this life. But nothing can be more plain than what the apostle hath, Rom. viii. 1, " There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." But believers even lying under sin unrepented of, are in Christ Jesus ; therefore there is no condemnation even to them. I shall not say with Jackson,t that the meaning is, there is no cause of a damnatory sentence in them; but I shall say with judicious interpreters,J that it holds forth freedom from guilt, whereby they might be bound over to eternal punishment; and am well content to hold by the argument from this place, which Wendelin says the orthodox use against the Papists for the perfection of justification. The argument is this " Where there is no condemnation, there is no punishment; but to the justified there is no condemnation : Ergo, To them there is no punishment; or, they are bound over to no penal satisfaction. The proposition is proved, because condemnation is an adjudging to punishment." II Thus he. How shall the force of this argument be invalidated ? "Will any say that this privilege is restricted by the following clause, " that walk not after the fiesh, but after the Spirit," and so belongs not to those who lie under unrepented-of guilt ? This were to make two sorts of persons in Christ; some in Christ, that " walk after the Spirit;" and others in him, that " walk after the flesh :" and if there be such, let us no more ask, what concord Christ can have with Belial, light with darkness ? But the apostles plainly applies the not walking after the flesh, but after the Spirit, to all believers, to all in whom the " righteousness of the law is fulfilled, ver. 4. And the walkers after the flesh, he makes the same with them that are in the flesh, ver. 5, who cannot please God, ver. 8. have not the Spirit, and are none of Christ's, ver. 9. If any shall say, that the meaning is, There is no actual condemnation to them, though there want not something condem-nable in them; it is the truth, and the very thing we plead for, viz.

* Leigh's Crit. Sac. f Concord. \ Piscat. annal. in loc. Zanch. torn. 4, loc. de pecatto, col. 81. II S>st. Theol. p. 599.

That though by their sins they deserve to be damned, yet there is no sentence passed against them, binding them over to eternal wrath, even though this sentence should never be put in execution. But this is not the meaning of those that make this exception; but thus they understood it, as we commonly say. They shall never be damned; that is, the sentence shall never be executed upon them ; the wrath they are actually liable to by their sins, shall be diverted; the antecedent being put for the consequent, condemnation for the execution of it. But if so, I would fain learn of those men, what the apostle hath done, in asserting this, seemingly at least, great privilege of believers beyond others ? and why he adds this now to it, importing, as it would seem, somewhat which those persons had not before ? Are there not thousands out of Christ, that are as highly privileged as they ? Are there not many that are yet enemies to Christ, walking after the flesh, regardless of the Spirit, who shall never have the sentence of condemnation executed upon them, but shall certainly be saved ? Is it not as true of the elect unconverted, that the sentence shall never be executed against them, as of believers ? Yea, surely. It must needs then be meant of this actual liableness to eternal wrath, the freedom from which is the peculiar privilege of believers.*

ArGt. IY. If believers under sin unrepented of, be actually liable to eternal wrath, or the strokes of vindictive justice, then they are liable to pay a debt over again which hath been once already paid to the full; which is absurd, and unworthy of the divine Majesty, irapeacheth his justice, as our divines say against the Papists, and reflects dishonour on the merits of Christ's death. "SYe believe, that " by once ofi'ering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified ;" he hath fully paid the believer's debt, and satisfied for all his sins past, present, and to come : and shall the believer himself be yet liable to pay that debt? This argument Beza hath pithily holden forth in his confession of faith,f " Thou wilt say then," says he, " that there be infinite iniquities in me, which deserve eternal death. I do grant; but I add more to it, which thou, (Satan) hast maliciously omitted : that is, tliat the iniquities which be in me, were sufiiciently revenged and punished in Jesus Christ, who hath borne the judgment of God in my stead. So upon this I make my conclusion contrary to thine ; that is to say, Forasmuch as God is righteous, and will not be paid double, and Jesus Christ,

* Sin hath a potential, but not an actual guilt, as the sins of the godly ; here is reatus concupiscentia:, sed 7L0n persona. Weems Christ, Syn. p. 294. j" Confess, point 4. art. 10.

God and man, liath, by one infinite obedience, made satisfaction to the infinite Majesty of God ; it followeth, that ray iniquities can no more fray nor trouble me, my accounts and debts being assuredly erased and wiped out by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who was made accursed for me." But here it will perhaps be said, that if this prove anything, it proves too much, viz. that the elect unconverted are not actually liable to eternal wrath, for Christ hath satisfied for their sins, as for the sins of believers. In answer to this, it would be considered. That there is a vast difference betwixt a man's paying his own debt in person, and another's paying it for him. "When he pays it himself, he is ipso facto discharged of it; but when another pays it for him, the debtor is not presently discharged from the debt, in regard of the surety, but to be discharged when the surety pleaseth. Now, our sins were charged on Christ as our surety, and he did pay our debt; look therefore, when he pleaseth, we are discharged from them, and that (saith he"^) is upon your believing, not before, Rom. v. 1. So Bridge.f It is certain, the remission of sin, which takes away actual liableness to eternal wrath, is not communicated but to those who believe ; for as Parisiensis saith, As the damnation of Adam doth not pass, but by natural generation, upon those that are carnally generated of him ; so the grace of Christ, and remission of sin, doth not pass but by regeneration, to those who are spiritually regenerated through him. Further, it is to be considered, that although payment be made by the surety, yet the debtor is still liable in law, till it be instructed that the debt was paid for him in particular; the ground of which is the union betwixt the cautioner and the princpal debtor. Now, it is certain, that the union betwixt Christ and a soul is made by faith only; that is, when the soul believes, and not till then. It is true, that from all eternity there was an union betwixt Christ and the elect, in the designation and decree of God ; but as sure it is, that Decreta Dei nihil pomunt tn actu. To this purpose speaks Mr. Durham,| " It is not," says he, " the cautioner's payment simply, that is sustained, as a relevant defence in judgment, till that be instructed, and except the defence be founded thereon; for so the law provideth : so it is not Christ sufi^ering simply, but his satisfaction pleaded by faith, and fled unto, that justifieth." And thus I think there remains nothing in this exception to invalidate the argument: for the elect unconverted are still liable to eternal wrath, in regard the time set by the surety

"Christ in Travail, p. 101. f Ct. Brirlge, ibid. p. 114 in Marg. J Cum. on Rev. iii. p. 145.

for their personal discharge is not yet come ; they are not yet Christ's seed by regeneration; they are not yet united to Christ; nor hare they by faith pleaded his satisfaction before the bar of the court of heaven. But believers being united to Christ by faith, even then when they lie under sins unrepented of, cannot be liable. And therefore the believer, even in this case, may look the law in the face, and say, "It is God that justifieth, who is he that con-demneth ?" I was crucified with Christ, in him I obeyed, in him I satisfied thee, 0 law, in whatsoever was demanded; I am therefore no more liable to thy condemnation : and with Luther,* " 0 law, thou hast no power over me, in vain dost thou accuse and condemn me ; I believe in Christ, he has poured out his life most largely for me, besides him I will hear and see nothing." This I say a believer may do de jure, though he cannot de facto, under those sins that waste the conscience, and darken the sight of his interest in Christ. If it be alleged, that there must still be a fresh application of the merits of Christ's death, before the soul have the benefit of them for the particular sin, and repentance must be renewed for the same end: this is a mere begging of the question. But I truly wonder how repentance comes in here : for it can have no instrumentality here, consistent with the nature of the new covenant; for it is a giving, not a taking grace; and therefore the Lord hath made it to be " of faith," not of repentance, " that it might be of grace," Rom. iv. 16. As for that of the necessity of faith, it is more tolerable ; and there is no doubt but it is necessary in order to the attaining of the comfort of the pardon of after sins, as repentance may likewise be. But I believe, that the righteousness of Christ is a perfect righteousness; and that at the first moment of believing, we put on the Lord Jesus with his perfect righteousness; that the Lord seeing us clothed therewith, declareth us perfectly just; and that we remain for ever without interruption clothed with the same, and are thereby kept from all liableness to eternal wrath in actu secundo. So that there is no need of fresh application here for this end, the thing supposed being false. But I would gladly understand what they mean by a fresh application of the merits of Christ's death here : for either they are applied to them before that application, or not till then; or that righteousness is theirs before the fresh application, or not till it be anew applied. If they say the latter, then the state of justification is interrupted by the believer's after sins; if the first, then they cannot be liable to eternal wrath.

* Com. on Gal. iv. 4, 6.

This mast only be needful for the comfort of their privilege. And this leads as to another argument; which is,

Arg. Y. Believers, even in their worst case, have a perfect righteousness, and so are perfectly righteous : therefore they can never be liable to eternal wrath. The reason is, because to be perfectly righteous, is to be conformed to the law,; but to be perfectly conformed to the law, and yet to be liable to the condemna-nation of the law, is a flat contradiction. It is true, that the righteousness is not originally and inherently theirs ; but it is derivatively theirs, and imputed to them; which, with respect to Adam's sin, was sufficient to make us actually liable to eternal flames: and why shall not the imputed righteousness of Christ be sufficient to make us free from that actual liableness to the revenging wrath of God ? Are they not perfectly righteous ; Hath the law any more to require of them than what it has got ? There were but two things it could demand, accoiding to the strictest tenor of the first covenant; to do and to suffer perfectly ; and they have in Christ their head both done, and suff'ered accordingly, Rom. viii. 3. 4. " That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us," &c. Rom. vi. 10, 11. Gal. iv. 4, 5. " "We learn (says Beza.*) to pay by him, who hath set himself debtor and payer for us, who hath put himself in our place, and hath paid our debt, as the principal debtor, even unto the uttermost penny, in such wise, that the rigour of the law, which did before fear us, now comforteth us in Jesus Christ; forasmuch as life eternal is due to those who have fully obeyed the law, and Jesus Christ hath fulfilled the same for ns." Now, surely, what Christ hath done for us, is as good as if we had done it ourselves ; yea, for the honour of the law, it is a thousand times better, because of the incomparable dignity of the person. What then should make them liable at any time to eternal wrath, being at all times clothed with this perfect righteousness ? It cannot be, that falling asleep, and faith not being in exercise, they let the grips of it go, and therefore they are thus made obnoxious to divine vengeance. But surely it is not so easily made ineff'ectual. If inherent grace remain so securely under the grievous backslidings of the regenerate, that they cannot become children of the devil; much more doth the imputed righteousness remain, so that they cannot become children of wrath, that is, actually liable thereto, Eph. ii. 2. If they cannot keep the covenant, the covenant will keep them. If any shall say, that God will not impute it to us for the covering of that particular sin or sins we lie under

* Confe3s. point 4. art. 23.

for the time, till we do anew receive it by faith for that end ; it is false : for if a perfect righteousness be at all imputed, it covereth all sins. The ground of this opinion seems to be a mistake anent the imputation of Christ's righteousness, as if the imputation of it were a making of it ours, and that this imputation were carried on by repeated acts, so as it is still made anew as the soul stands in need of it, falling into new sins. That the fii'st of these is a mistake, appears from this, that Christ's righteousness is ours before it be imputed, I mean not in order of time, but in order of nature. It is not ours, because it is imputed; but is imputed, because it is ours. It is evident, that it is used in this matter forensically, and is a judicial word and act; and is nothing else but a legal accounting of a thing to be ours. Now we know, " that the judgment of God is according to truth; and therefore he cannot account that to be ours which really is not so.* And the word itself will import no other: for whether you understand the primary signification of it to be the casting up of an account, and finding the total sum, as Arithmeticians do; or the concluding of a thing by reason and argument, as in Logic; it still imports the being of the thing so, before it be imputed; as two tens are twenty, before the Arithmetician cast up the number, and the Logician finds the conclusion in the premises, before he gather it out of them. So, in this metaphorical sense, we are sinners in Adam, before Adam's sin be imputed to us, or we be reckoned guilty of his sin ; and also righteous in Christ, before his righteousness be imputed to us. Hence I cannot but judge, that the Westminster Assembly, in their definition of justification,f are much more accurate than several learned foreign divines, who make our justification formally consist in the imputation of Christ's righteousness: for indeed, as they accurately give it, it is presupposed to our justification, as the ground thereof. Now, the way how Christ's righteousness becomes oui's, is by faith, (as the aforesaid Assembly teacheth), and that as it doth make up an union betwixt Christ and the elect person; which I conceive to be the primary and immediate eflfect of faith. Hence issues a communion betwixt Christ and the believer; so that as all his sins, wants, &c. become Christ's; the righteousness, obedience, and death of Christ become theirs; which so being, God accounts it, and judicially owns and acknowledgeth it to be theirs, as indeed it is; and therefore justifies thera; that is, pardons their sins, and accepts them as righteous upon the account of the righteousness they appear before him clothed with. So Witsius| teach-

' Leigh's Crit. Sac. f Shorter Cat. f Oec. feed. Dei. alicubi.

eth. Now, what is it to be righteous, but to be conformed to the law ? And seeing no righteousness can be sustained at the tribunal of Grod but that which is perfect, it remains that believers, at their first believing, are reputed perfectly conformed to the law of God; that is, to have perfectly obeyed and suffered ; and this in regard of their union with Christ: and therefore, unless this his state be changed, which can never be till the union be dissolved, which the scripture holds forth as constant and perpetual, he can never be liable to eternal wrath. Hence it follows, that the opinion of a repeated imputation is also a mistake : for the imputation can no more be anew made, than the soul can be anew united to Christ Jesus. And, as Durham* saith, " Imputation being a judicial word and act, it supponeth an instant sentencing of such a righteousness to belong to such a person, as it were, and to be accepted for hira : for if he hath not perfect right, there is no legal imputation, (to say so); but if it be perfect, then it is an instantaneous act." I add, and if instantaneous, then it is not repeated ; nor is it a continued act, formally considered, though virtually it be ; that is, the virtue of the imputation once made in the court of heaven never ceaseth, but remains still in force for all time to come.

Aeg. VI. If the sins of believers unrepented of make them actually liable to eternal wrath, the salvation of many of the regenerate is lost; yea I shall add, " Who then can be saved ?" for believers may die under sins unrepented of; and therefore, according to this principle, they must needs perish, being actually bound over to the eternal wrath of God; unless you say, either that God saves them, and takes them into glory while they lie under a sentence of condemnation, or that he takes off the obligation after death : both which are absurd. This argument is not so trivial as to be dismissed, as some would, with a, "What if they die not in that case? But it is said here, that although God, by his absolute power, can cut off believers in this case, yet, by his ordinate power, he cannot; for he will not do it; he hath secured them in that point, that though they fall, yet they shall arise by repentance ere they go off the world; they cannot die under sin without repentance, because they " are kept by the power of God unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. But this I refuse, as what cannot be made out by the scriptures; and must needs do so till I see a promise of it in God's word; for to expect a benefit not promised, were too great rashness : but such a promise I confess I have never, as I conceive, heard of, or seen in the word of God. The scripture alledged doth

* On Rev. iii. p. 153.

indeed prove, that the salvation of the godly is sure, so that it cannot fail. That we deny not: only we judge, that the doctrine we impugn, is not the doctrine of the gospel; because it is not consistent with this certainty of the salvation of the regenerate, which is here taught us by the scripture cited; but their salvation is sufficiently sure, without this renewing of the acts of repentance, though in some cases at least it is necessary to their comfort. I deny not, but there are promises of the influences of grace for the renewing of repentance, made unto believers: but this I say, that they are no more to be extended to every time, than the promises of increase of grace; so that they are indefinite in respect of time. It is a command to grow in grace, and there is a promise thereof too, Psal. xcii. 13, 14. as Avell as repentance is commanded and promised. And yet I suppose it will not be denied, but that the last days of some may be worse than their first days, and that believers may die in a time of the decay of grace. But if we may judge of what God hath promised (as certainly we may) by the event, for " his counsel shall stand," we shall soon find that there is no such thing. Let us consider Eli* sitting by the way-side, and in an instant falling back and breaking his neck. Was it not his sin, that the news of the ark of God being taken, did so affect him as to destroy nature ? Though this argued much good in him, yet doubtless it was his sin, arising from weakness of faith; which, if it had been duly exercised, would rather have set him on to wrestle with God for the bringing of the ark back again; which faith could tell he was able enough to do. Yet Eli dies under this sin unrei)ented of; but yet we have no reason to doubt his being in glory. Yea, unless we maintain a perfection of grace in this life, it is impossible to evite this : for suppose that the renewed acts of repentance were the actions of the last moments of our time, yet repentance itself is as filthy rags ; there is still sin in it when it is in the most lively exercise ; so that either we must never die, or die under sin unrepented of. It will not at all satisfy here to say, that the question is not to be understood of sins of infirmity, but of the more gross sins ; that the latter is that which thus makes liable to eternal wrath. For, 1. The distinction is naught here; all the sins of the godly being sins of infirmity, Heb. iv. 15. Wherefore I cannot but differ from Mr. Bridge, who, in his sermon " of the sin of infirmity,"f tells us, that a great, gross, foul, scandalous sin cannot be a sin of infirmity. He gives the reason, because it is a sickness, not a weakness. If a man have some distemper in his body, and yet he bears

• 1 Sam. i,-. 18. t Prop- 2.

Vol. YI. c

28 WHETHER THE SINS OF BELIEVERS WHILE UNREPENTED OF

up to meat and to his work, he is not sick, but hath an infirmity. Thus he. Now, I think it will not be denied, but a godly man may fall into a great, gross, and scandalous sin ; so then they fall into sins that are not sins of infirmity. Let none then that have fallen into gross sins, take any comfort of that, Heb. iv. 15. " For we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; though he was in all points tempted like as they have been," even to those of the grossest sort, self-murder, and worshipping of the devil. This is strange divinity. The reason is no less strange ; because it is a sickuess, not a weakness. The learned gentleman Leigh* tells us, that asthcneia, the word put for infirmity signifies invaletudo, morbus often, and imbecillitas, debilitas, morbus: for which he cites Plato, Xenophon, and Thucydides. And the Apostle, when he would show what sickness, or rather death, we were under by nature, he tells us, we were infirm, so far were we from bearing up to work, Rom. v. 6. onton hemon asthenon. But not to stand on words ; Was not Peter's sin in denying of his Master a sin of infirmity ? He was resolved against it; and Christ prayed for him, that his faith should not fail; he had a principle of resistance within, by the weakness whereof the tempter gained the day: so that it was a sin of infirmity indeed, yet a gross sin.f But the foresaid author tells us, that, properly and strictly, an infirmity is that sin which a man is taken captive by, against his will, Rom. vii. that is, against the general bent and frame of his heart, which he hath not present strength to resist. So Rom. xv. 1. Thus he. And this is the very truth which the scripture teacheth, Rom. vii. and elsewhere ; and thus it was with David, Peter, and others, in their gross sins. But here is the mystery of this distinction according to him, that gross sins committed by a believer are not against his will, nor the general bent of his heart; that there is no resistance at all made to the temptation by the will, but that it goes on with full swing. And so Rom. vii. hath no respect to gross sins: and that law whereby a godly man is brought into captivity, against his will, to the law of sin that is in his members, hath no respect to adultery, fornication, &c.; the contrary whereof the Apostle teacheth. Gal. v. 17, 19 ; and John, while he tells us, that he that is born of God doth not commit sin, 1 John. iii. 9. But enough of this. The learned Zan-chius teacheth more orthodoxly in answer to that question, " But how do the saints make increase when they sin daily, and sometimes most grossly ?" His answer is, " They sin of infirmity and according to the flesh; but their mind abides right with God."J But, 2. Those sins which are quotidiann^ incursioms, as some term them, and the more

* Crit. Sac. f Ubi supra. % Cum on Eph. iv. 15. p. 147.

gross sins are alike as to the point in hand ; in regard it is not sin as it is lesser or greater, more or less evitable, but sin as " contrary to the law of God," that makes men liable to God's wrath or eternal punishment in actu primo ; and sin as it is unrepented of (ad hom-inem), that makes them liable in actu secundo ; for a qua tali ad omne valet consequentia.

Further, I urge, That a believer may die even under gross sins unrepeuted of: as we see in the Patriarchs and others their polygamy and incestuous marriages: which I hope will readily be reckoned gross sins : yet it is generally said by divines, that they repented not of these sins expressly, but yirtually. "Which is no doubt a firm truth. But if any shall make use of it here for an evasion, it will be so far from helping them, that it is a manifest yielding of the cause : for what is virtual repentance, but actual repentance virtute suoe causoi ?* So that the meaning is, That although they did not expressly and actually repent, yet they had a principle or habit of repentance in them, which, positis ad agendum requisitis, "would have broke forth into action with respect to that particular. But the question is not of this virtual and habitual repentance; for a believer in the case supposed hath still the habit of repentance, and the act is in the virtue of the cause, power, or habit; but it is of actual repentance, or else there is nothing said at all. If any shall say, that this is not the virtual repentance they mean, but that it is when a man is heartily affected with such a particular sin or sins as he knows, and for the corrupt inclination that is in him that is the seed of all, though there be some particular which either he knows not, or is not actually in his mind ; yet so he may be said virtually to repent of the same ; because he repents of one sin upon the account which is common to all: I answer, That when it comes to the arguments for it, taken from the necessity of confession, forsaking, &c. more than all this seems to be pleaded for. But however, the necessity of actual repentance is pleaded for in the case of sins known, and minded, but not in the case of sins unknown, or out of mind. But where find they this difference ? Psal. xix. 12. " Cleanse thou me from secret sin," will not ground it; for that is a prayer for repentance, not repentance itself otherwise than was said before ; unless it be said, as is indeed alleged, that the actual turning from one sin unto God, is a virtual turning from all, sufficient to bring the soul from under the liableness to eternal wrath for the sin unminded and unknown; which I suppose they shall not easely prove : and, if I mistake not, it will be found in-consistant with their own principles; for they will readily allege

' Marps. indist. ciist.p 149.

u2

for tlieir cause, I mean the necessity of repentance in believers in order to their pardon, David's case, supposing hira to be liable to eternal punishment ay and until he renewed his repentance, when Nathan came unto him : and yet I think it will be very hard to say, that David, all that three quarters of a year and more, never exercised one act of repentance for any one sin all that time. So Joseph's brethren remind their sin in selling Joseph, when they say, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother;" which our adversaries understand of actual liableness to eternal wrath. But who can suppose, that they did not forsake one sin by repentance all that time; But what more ordinary than for saints to commit sins which they know not to be sins for some time ; or if they do, they slip out of their mind not repented of: yet ere they know that particular action to have been sinful, or before the other come back into their minds, it may be a long time, and they may both have and lose a tender frame, and a repenting heart, in the interval. I say then, in this case, when the sin is known, and minded first before actual repentance for the same, the man is either actually liable to eternal punishment for it, or not. If it be, then the virtual repentance now pleaded for is not sufficient to free the soul from actual liableness to eternal punishment, as is alleged: if not, then actual repentance is not necessary for the taking off the obligation to eternal wrath by known sin; the contrary whereof is here pleaded. Whence it appears, that this is a mere shifting of the thing that is in question.

Moreover, it were surely worth their pains who stand so much for believers' liableness to eternal wrath by their sins while unrepented of, seriously to consider, whether or not all those that die by their own hands, are set beyond a possibility of salvation ; and whether or not it may be, that some truly godly under unrej)ented of sin may be struct with madness, or taken with a raging fever, and die in that case ? and whether or not good men in a carnally secure frame may be killed while asleep, and surprised with sudden death ; It may be rationally supposed that many such cases fall out in the world.

Arg. YII. Justification is an instantaneous act, and immediately perfect upon our believing, as is generally maintained by the orthodox : for, as Mr. Durham says,* " If Justification be not immediately perfect, it must either be upon one's not believing in Christ, or because of some defect of the righteousness that faith presenteth, and so faith were not a sufficient shield ; or it must be because the word doth not pronounce him just upon the ground of that righteousness ; which were also absurd." I shall not stand more upon the

* Cow. oa Rev. iii. p. 150.

proof of this. But from thence it follows, that the after sins of the justified do not make them actually liable to eternal punishment: which I prove thus. The state of perfect justification is either interrupted by the after sins of believers, or not. If ye say it is, then, 1. The gifts and calling of God are not without repentance. 2. A believer is sometimes under grace, sometimes under the law. 3. There is condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus ; or, the after sins of believers dissolve the union. I shall say no more of this at the time. If ye say, it is not interrupted by their after sins, then they do not make them liable to eternal wrath; for an uninterrupted stato of justification, and being actually liable to eternal wrath, are utterly inconsistent. And I prove the assertion thus.

1. To be justified, is to be absolved from guilt in actu secundo. To be liable actually to eternal punishment, is not to be absolved from guilt in actu secundo ; which is a flat contradiction : The man is absolved, and not absolved; absolved, because justified; not absolved, because he is liable to eternal punishment. I know it will be said, for solving the matter, that it is in different respects that the man is absolved, and not absolved ; absolved in respect of sins repented of; not absolved in respect of sins unrepented; he is justified in respect of his state, but in respect of that particular sin or sins he is liable to eternal wrath. But I answer. That this is meant either of the man's past state, whereof he hath no benefit now, or of his present state. If you say the former, then the state of justification is interrui)ted, in such sort that the man must begin anew again, as at the first moment of believing ; and so the believer under unrepented of sin, is in no better case, in respect of justification before God, than he was when unconverted ; and if so, why is it urged here ? If it be meant of his present state, the distinction is not to be admitted : for the man hath no benefit of that state, more than what flows from former experience of God's goodness, and readiness to forgive; and so his state is not indeed a state of justification, (call it as you will), but of condemnation; for bonum non nisi ex integra causa, malum ex quolibet defectu: which, according to the law, is applicable here ; for the curse is pronounced on him " that continueth not in all things written in the law to do them," Gal. iii. 10; and the Spirit of the Lord expressly tells us, that " whosoever olfends in one point, is guilty of all," James ii. 10.; and when "the righteous turneth from h s righteousness, and committeth iniquity, all the righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned," Ezek. xviii. 24. I confess these scriptures hold forth the Lord's way of dealing with men according to the covenant of works, not according to the covenant of grace ; which knows nothing of con-

derailing or adjudging to eternal wrath, as was said before. But if raen will needs be dealt with according to the law, is it reasonable they take their hazard of all it says. Should the foresaid distinction be used (as it might be on the same grounds) for the comfort of a man, who having been frequently accused of treason, yet was still absolved ; but now one treasonable act being proven against him, and he for the same condemned to die ; would he not think you miserable comforters 5 and conclude himself to be in a state of condemnation ?

2. The Apostle Paul makes them inconsistent, Rom. viii. 33, 34. " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" viz. those of them that believe. Synec. generis. * The interrogation is a strong denial. Q. d. None shall lay any thing to their charge, f The word encaleo here used, signifies to enter action or suit against a man in some open court. Now, if there be none to lay any thing to their charge, yea none so much as to enter action or suit against them de jure, then there can no sentence pass upon them, making them actually liable to eternal wrath. So saith Luther, " Every one that be-lieveth on hira, is righteous; the law cannot accuse him," &c. J The Apostle goes on in his holy boasting, " It is God that justifieth . who is he that conderaneth ?" says he. Not Christ, he is our Advocate; not sin, for Christ "was made sin for us ;" not the law, for Christ hath " fulfilled the law for us ;" not Satan, for God is his judge; and if he have acquitted us, what can the jailor do?|1 We see the ground of the Apostle's boasting his justification before God. Q. d. God justifies us. Ergo, None can condemn us. Now^ where lies the strength of this argument, if to justify and condemn be not inconsistent; or, which is all one, to be justified, and to be liable actually to eternal wrath ? If believers may be so liable notwithstanding that they are justified, or in a state of justification when the Apostle says, " Who is he that condemneth ?" he may have an answer to his question. Yea, may the law say, I condemn him, for he lies under unrepeuted of sin, though he be a believer. " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" Yea, says Satan, I have unrepeuted of sin to lay to his charge. " But who is he that condemneth ?" Why ? here is the charge, his own conscience cannot deny it. The law then must condemn him, yea hath condemned already ; for he is actually liable to eternal punishment, so that there remains nothing but the execution of the sentence. If any shall say That the Apostle's meaning is, that howsoever the godly be condemned, reproached, &c. by the world, yet they have no ground to be discouraged, seeing God justifies them; I shall not quarrel it, so

• 2'iscal. Kchol. in loc. f Leigh's Crit. Sac. J Com. in Gal. iv. 24.

II Isaac Ambrose's ]\Iedia, p. 4,

that it justle not out the other; which cannot rightly be done, as the context makes evident. See the golden chain, ver. 29 30. what knits the links together, ver. 32. and how he goes on in that holy exultation, particularly in the two last verses of the chapter. The ground of non-condemnation here alleged, which is the death, and resurrection, and intercession of Christ, plainly teacheth the same. And indeed it had been small ground of boasting, if a man were still in hazard of the judgment of God, though he needed not fear the world's condemning him. In fine, the words are general; and it were too much boldness to restrict them. But what if God himself condemn them, or declare them actually liable to eternal wrath ? then I say, the Apostle hath an answer to his question. And their is not so great cause of boasting of the privileges of believers ; for if a man were freed from all hazard of angles, devils, and men, but yet liable to God's wrath, it is too great boldness to boast till that be over. But one would think, that the Apostle had sufficiently secured us against suspicion with respect to God, while he tells us, ver. 31. " If God be for us;" that is, seeing God is for us, as appears from the context: and so it is that God is for them ; therefore they need not fear he will turn against them to condemn them.

If it be said. Why may not the state of justification consist with a believer's being actually liable to eternal punishment upon the account of some particular sin unrepented of, as well as a state of sanctification with the prevailing of some particular lust, or as well as health and sickness in the same body ? I answer, the reason is plain: Because justification is a legal and judicial act, makes only a relative change, is perfected in an instant, and admits not of degrees : but sanctification is a physical or hyperphysical work, makes a real change on a man's nature, is imperfect, and carried on by degrees. If a man be not perfectly justified, he is not justified at all; if the least unpardoned sin remain, the law condemns him for it. Gal. iii. 10. But a man may be holy, though not perfect; and in health, though not perfectly. Suppose a murderer to be lying in prison, dangerously wounded with the same sword wherewith he killed others. The libel is drawn up against him, consisting of several articles. The man hath both the physician and the advocate to employ. The physician sets to work, and by his medicine so prevails, that he cures his wounds, though not perfectly as yet ; but he tells him, and that truly, he is in a state of health, though he goes halting, and that there is no fear of death. The advocate doth his part, and of twenty articles disproves nineteen; but as to the twentieth article, though he said much against it, yet he could not invalidate the proof of it; but thereupon he is condemned.

He cannot say now to Lira, as the physician, that there is no fear of death. And the reason is obvious.

Object. 1. The command to repent, with respect to believers lying under unrepented of gnilt, is prefixed to the promise of pardon, as is manifest in the church of Ephesus, Rev. ii. 4, 5 ; and the ground is general, Rev. iii. 19. ""Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous therefore and repent;" where repentance is put in as a necessary midst for removing of God's rebuke and quarrel, even from those whom he loveth. John keeps the same method, writing to believers, 1 John i. 9. " If we confess our sins, he is just to forgive." This is confirmed by the experience of the godly. Witness David, Psal. xxxii. 3, 4, 5. —"I acknowledged my sin,—and thou forgavest," &c. Ergo. Answ. 1. That there is a necessary connection betwixt the pardon of sin and repentance, I grant: so that there is no pardoned sinner, but he is also a penitent; so that, sooner or later, virtually or expressly, whatever way sin be forgiven, it is also repented of. But will the objectors screw up this so high, as that no sin can be forgiven, unless it be expressly repented of? They cannot, surely, as long as that remains true, '* "Who can understand his errors ?" Psal. xix. 12. And so we must admit of virtual repentance in the first scripture, and virtual confession in the two last. Which I say still is beside the question. And therefore, if they mind to prove any thing here by these scriptures cited, they will prove to much, viz. That express repentance is necessary to pardon; which is contrary to the scripture cited before. For if a sin be not known, it cannot be expressly repented of. And yet no doubt they must say, that a sin unknown may be pardoned. E.g. Jacob lives in polyganiy, and that with two sisters; he could not expressly repent of it, not knowing it to be a sin, as is commonly said : yet this sin was no doubt pardoned, and Jacob saved. Then virtual repentance was sufficient, which Jacob never wanted, unless he lost the habits of grace; which I hope our adversaries will not say. As for the prefixing of the command to repent unto the promise of pardon, it can of itself have little weight, in regard the order of words is not always the order of the things themselves. So Mark i. 15. repentance is prefixed to faith ; though it is evident, that, in order of nature, it follows the same, if it be understood of gospel-repentance. See 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11. But of this perhaps more afterwards. But, 2. I deny the consequence of this argument; which I conceive may be, and must be thus framed categorically. Repentance must go before pardon; but pardon is the removal of the obligation to eternal wrath: Ergo. Now, the minor, if understood of the elect entering into a state of justification, is true ; but so it hits not the point in hand.

But if understood of those tliat are already justified, or ia a justified state, it is false; pardon to them being nothing else but either the sense of pardon, or the taking off" of temporal strokes, or relaxation of temporary punishment or chastisements. Which interpretation the instances adduced do very fairly accept of. In the church of Ephesus there were some under a decay of their love. What were they liable to upon the account of it ? Not to hell-fire; but to a famine of the word, a removing of the candlestick ; that, being pinched with want, they may learn not to loathe the heavenly manna; which God threatens actually to accomplish unless they repent, and that according to the tenor of the covenant, Psal. Ixxxix. 31, 32, And what else mean these words in the objection, " Whom I love ?"•—where repentance is put in as a necessary midst for removing of God's rebuke and quarrel. I cheerfully yield it. But assuredly there is a vast difl'erence betwixt God's removing of his rebuke and quarrel, and his taking oflT the obligation to eternal wrath ; unless it be that God cannot rebuke but as a judge. In that scripture it is plain the exhortation is to repentance; and the argument used to enforce it, is very plain to our purpose, viz. " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, unless they repent; but ye are they whom I love : therefore unless you repent, be sure I will rebuke and chasten you. As to that, 1 John i. 9. that he writes to believers, is plain, as we shall hear mo7'e afterwards; and it receives the same answer, viz. That they are to confess in order to the removal of temporary wrath. It is evident, that David's case, Psal. xxxii. is thus to be understood, of the removal of temporary strokes or chastisements. The words are, NaSathaGnaVon Chattathi* The word Nasa properly signifies levavit, to take ofl', or ease peoi)le of burdens; and so David says, ver. 4. " Thy hand was heavy on me." The lifting off" that heavy hand, which was but the hand of a father, is then the forgiving of sin, or lifting it off". GnaVon is rendered iniquity, according to the proper signification of the word ; for it denotes the crookedness and vitiosity of the action : but it must be expounded of punishment, metonymically, as it is frequently used. So the old translation reads it, Thon forgavest the punishment, &c. Amesius reads it, Sustulisti pcenam peccati mei. And so it must needs be understood, whatever way it be translated : for God never takes away the crookedness or vitiosity of sin, for that were to make it no sin; but he takes away the punishment of it. Now, this we heard before was God's hand that was heavy on him; yet the hand of a father,

* Leiali's Crit.

not of a judge. Compare Psal. xxv. 18. "Look upon mine affliction, and my pain, and forgive all my sins. Then, says Mr. Rutherford,* sin here is pardoned only according to the present pain and grief of body and soul that was on David.

Object. 2. Nathan tells David, upon his confession, and taking with guilt, that his sin was pardoned, or put away, 2 Sam. xii. 13. "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; and yet, ver. 9, 11, 12, 14. he threatens him with temporal strokes. Now, this j)utting away of sin, must be either as to the obligation to eternal or to temporal wrath. It cannot be the latter, because we see plainly he lies under the same: therefore the first must be said. Now, let it be marked, when it is said to be put away, even after his confession, and taking with the guilt; therefore he was actually liable to eternal wrath before his confession; and so believers lying under unrepented of sin, are actually liable to eternal punishment. Answ. In the Jirst place. It cannot be denied, but that these words are the words of Nathan, declaring by the Spirit what God had done for David; and so they are not a formal pardon, but an intimation of pardon. Now, there is a great difference betwixt these two. But if the conclusion be valid, it must be drawn from the formal forgiveness of sin after confession, which doth not at all appear here; and not from the intimation of it at that time : for a man may be freed in foro Dei from guilt, and yet not have it intimated to him, till some time after, and particularly till he be in the exercise of repentance; yet is he not therefore liable to eternal wrath before the Lord till that time. In the next place. It comes to be considered, in what sense David's sin is said to be put away. In respect simply of the actual obligation to eternal wrath, say the objectors. Giving, though not granting it to be so, it remains still, that here is the intimation of pardon only. And truly David's conscience being now awake, and accusing him of these gross abominations of murder and adultery, it was no wonder if he lost his sight of his interest in Christ and his justification. This being supposed, such an intimation of pardon was most seasonable, that he might have somewhat to keep him from desponding. And this intimation made by the ministry of Nathan, with some measure of the Spirit's light illustrating this, though but, as it were, with a dawning light, and some secret underpropping, was sufiicient for this; though a greater influence of the Spirit was necessary in order to the full establishment of his heart in this truth which the Prophet told him. This then being supposed, we may thence judge his sin to have been pardoned before. So Luke vii. 48. Christ saith to the woman,

* Christ's Dying and Drawing, p. 34.

" Thy sins are forgiven." Of this woman it is said, that " she washed Christ's feet with her teai's, and wiped them with the hair of her head." After this Christ tolls her, that " her sins are forgiven." But this is nothing else than an intimation of the pardon granted before her washing Christ's feet with her tears, &c. as is evident from ver. 47- But of this more afterwards. Hemmingius* speaking of David in this case, tells us, there were in him horrible terrors, and extreme fears ; for he did fear everlasting punishment: but hearing this voice of the Prophet by the commandment of God, " Thou shalt not die, the Lord hath put away thy sin," he turneth again unto the Lord, and repenteth; he hateth his sin, he fleeth unto mercy by faith. Ye see in what order the learned man placeth David's pardon and repentance; and how he supposeth him under fear of everlasting punishment. But, if I mistake not, acute Bezaf will not grant so much: for, says he, " "When David and Peter fell so beastly, yet there is no doubt but they lamented and sorrowed, till they felt the working of their generation and sanctification : but being in their temptation, they stayed themselves upon the anchor of the testimony which the Spirit of God brought into their conscience ; which caused them not to doubt, (notwithstanding their fall), but that they were the children of God, and that their fault was forgiven them." Thirdly, But why must it needs be understood of putting away his sin touching the obligation to eternal wrath, and not with respect to temporary and and fatherly displeasure and chastisments ? Because, say they, he still lies under temporary wi'ath. Let us hear holy and learned Mr. Rutherford's judgment in this case.j Having laid down this assertion. Sins of youth already pardoned as touching the obligation to eternal wrath, may so rise against the child of God, as he hath need to ask forgiveness of them, as touching the removing of present wrath, sense of the want of God's presence, of the influence of his love, the cloud of sadness and deadness, &c. ; he adds, enlarging on the same,II "We may well say, that God pardoneth sin, when he removeth temporary wrath. So 2. Sam. xii. 13. Nathan saith to David, " The Lord also hath put away thy sin." Why ? " Thou shalt not die." This is meant of temporal death especially, as the context cleareth, ver. 10. " The sword shall not depart from thine house;" and ver. 14. " The child born unto thee shall surely die." Then the Lord's putting away of David's sin, was in loosing him from the sword, in his own person, not in his house and children."

* Com. on Jam. il. digress, concerning repentance, f Confess, point. 4. art. 20. % Christ's dving and drawing, p. 34. || ibid, 35, 36.

And herein do I cheerfully acquiesce. We say then, that this putting away of David's sin respects temporary wratli, though David be yet threatened with it. Now, iu that temporary wrath which believers lay themselves open to by their sins, there are several particular strokes ; but none of thera any way for tlie satisfying of jnstice, but for correcting the offender, the terror of others, &c. And therefore the executive pardon here is capable of degrees, and may be remitted or intended, as the Lord sees meet. So that the alleviating of the cliastisement, or relaxation of the fatherly punishment due to David for his murder and adultery, is that which is holden forth in these words, The Lord also hath put away thy sin;" not excluding, but rather including the other. And thus David's case herein was as of a man who by the law is punishable by death, but is only actually punished with banishment. To this purpose the worthy author just now named, explains it, and I think has proven it. I add, that it further appears, if we consider and compare ver. 5. with the text. While the thing is kept in thesi, David himself pronouuceth the sentence on the guilty person, not knowing as yet on whose head it would alight: "The man that hath done this, shall surely die." Now, when Nathan tells him flatly, that he was the man, he found, that by his own sentence he was condemned to death ; and he knowing that sentence to be according to the law of God in the case of the murderer and adulterer, it may well be supposed, that he concluded, that if men would not execute the sentence, God himself would do it. Wherefore it answers aptly to the sentence passed against himself by him, and exalts the mercy of of God towards him : " He shall die," said he. " Thou shalt not die," says Nathan. Consider also the antithesis, ver. 13, 14, " Thou shalt not die. Howbeit—the child shall die; not an eternal, but a temporal death. There was great reason for both. The text tells us expressly the reason why the child should die; even because David by that deed had given great occasion to the enemy to blaspheme. Wherefore the Lord (to speak so) behoved to vindicate the glory of his holy name, shewing that sin was displeasing to him in whomsoever it be found. The other is not without great reason likewise : for God had promised to him, 2 Sam. vii. 12. that his seed, viz. Solomon, who was not yet begotten, should sit in his throne, and build the Lord's house; therefore he must not die; it was inconsistent with the faithfulness of God. That the Lord's putting away of sin, should be thus expounded of the relaxation of temporal punishment, needs not seem strange : for so it is used elsewhere in the scriptures, Neh. ix. 17, 18, 19. " But thou art (or wast) a God ready to pardon." How? Thou " forsookest thera not in the

wilderness," Yet who knoM's liot what strokes those people met with in the wilderness ? But herein was pardoning mercy ; the Lord forsook them not, he did not cast off his care of them, as a people peculiar to himself. We may see this yet more plainly Num. xiv. where let it be considered, what the Lord threatens that people with. It is death in the wilderness; " I will smite them with the pestilence," ^c. ver. 12. " If thou shalt kill all this people, as one man," says Moses, ver. 15. " Moses in his prayer asks forgiveness for them;"" Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people," ver. 19 ; he prevails, " And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word." But mark what follows: " Because they have tempted me these ten times, surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers." Now., what is their pardon thej get, but the relaxation we speak of? They are freed from death, but are kept out of the land of Canaan, for their sin so pardoned. And David himself tells us of this way of the Lord's dealing with him, Psal. cxviiii. 18. "The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death." The same way is that to be understood, Psal. xcix. 8. " Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions." Compare Psal. cxvi. 43, 44. " They were brought low for their iniquity; nevertheless he regarded their affliction," &c.

Object. 3. If believers lying under unrepented of sin be not liable actually to eternal wrath, what need is there of Christ's intercession ? Yet John, 1 Epist. ii. 1. when he is directing believers what course to take for the pardon of their sin, he tells them of " an Advocate with the father" whom they are to employ; but what needs he an advocate, who is not liable to the lash of the law ? To this I answer, 1, The object of Christ's intercession is confined within too narrow limits, if it be supposed only to be employed for the obtaining of the pardon of sin. Christ prayed for Peter, that his " faith might not fail." See John xiv. per totum. He intercedes always for his people, in whatever case they be; and I think it will not be denied, but that the benefits we enjoy, most of them come by Christ's intercession. 2. The pardon of sin, as it denotes the taking away of an actual obligation to temporary wrath, either in a total removal of the same, or a relaxation thereof, is not such a small thing as to be so overlooked. God's deserting of the soul, shooting his arrows against them, are not easy to the godly; and that they have Christ to employ for the removal of these, is no small ground of comfort 2. There is great fallacy in that which is said, that a man not liable to eternal wrath needs not an advocate. If it be meant of liableness thereto in actu primo, it is true. But who

denies that they are so liable ? If they mean it of liablenesa thereto in actu secundo, it is false; for advocates use not to be employed for reversing a sentence of death, but to hinder it from passing. And upon this ground I say, that this doctrine is very far from invalidating the necessity of Christ's intercession; yea, it is indeed founded on the intercession of Christ: Rom. viii. 34. " Who is he that condemneth ? it is Christ that died;—who also maketh intercession for us." And, if I mistake not, this scripture used against us, affords us a solid argument against the doctrine of our adversaries in this point. Which ye may take thus: Those who have always an Advocate at the right hand of the Father, who hath undertaken their defence, and never fails to gain his point, their cause cannot go wrong in heaven; but whenever an accusation comes in against them, he will undertake their cause, so that it cannot come to a sentence against them; which is the only thing that can make them actually liable to wrath: but if believers sin, they have such an Advocate: Ergo. And it is worthy of our consideration, that our Advocate is called " Jesus Christ the righteous, " But he is not (says Zanchius*) a just advocate who defends an unjust cause: but Christ defends our cause, because he is our Advocate, and he is a just Advocate. John therefore teaches, that our cause which Christ defends, is just." So he. Now, where lies the justice of the cause ?—in our repentance ? No; in that Christ became liable for us, and hath paid the debt, and satisfied justice; and we are now one with him. And if our cause be just, how can it go to a sentence against us, though it never be executed ? A just judge will no more pass a sentence against one that has a just cause, than he will execute it. And truly it seems, that those who will have such a sentence to pass against a believer in the court of heaven, though they believe it will never be executed, do not deeply consider Christ's sitting continually at the Father's right hand, and exhibiting the merits of his death and sufferings: for if this be, how can any accusation that comes in against them proceed so far? For, as one saysf well, he interupts the accusation, and strikes in for us, Heb. vii. 25. because he hath not only died for us, and risen for us, but he follows the business to the utmost. If he does not thus effectually stop sentence passing against us, it must either be because he cannot, or because he will not. The first is more than absurd; if the latter be said, it is like it will be alleged that it is because we do not employ him, and so the oil must come from earth to anoint the wheels of his compassion towards those persons, for whom he poured out his blood while they were yet enemies. And if his in-

• Com. in loc. f Cotton in loc,

tercession in this case depends upon our motion, why not in other cases also? And so we shall never exercise faith nor repentance more: but these are undeniably the fruits of his intercession, as ■wrell as freedom from condemnation; for we cannot employ hira but by faith. If any shall say, that if Christ's intercession do stop the sentence of eternal wrath's passing, why does it not hinder the believer's actual liableness to temporary strokes ? I answer. The reason is obvious ; because temporary strokes to believers are merely correctory, and, according to God's dispensation, cannot be wanted, Is. xxvii. 6 ; but eternal wrath is not so. And I think it is no solecism to say, that as the taking off of temporal strokes in due time, so the laying them on in due season, is a fruit of Christ's intercession.

Object, ult. This doctrine opens a gap to licentiousness and carnal security, and therefore cannot be of God. Answ. I take notice, that the Apostle hath the same objected to him against this doctrine, Rom. vi. 15. and therefore I say, with him, God forbid, &c. But, 1. In such sins as so waste the conscience that they blind men as to their state, there is no place for this objection; tor then the man looks on himself de facto as liable to eternal wrath ; but de jure he cannot so look on himself. And why should this seem strange ? for " will a man speak wickedly for God ?" 2. Is not the same objection to be retorted on the adversaries who side not with Arminians, &c. ? does not their doctrine upon the same ground lie open to this calumny ? for, according to them, the punishment shall never be executed. If a man had the privilege that he should never be actually liable to capital punishment, then you will say, that man may do what he pleaseth without control, I say, on the other hand, if a man be so privileged, as that although ten thousand sentences of death pass upon him, yet they shall never be executed, upon the same ground he may do what he pleaseth : for, at most, there is but magis and minus betwixt them, quce non variant speclem ; and so they shall both be licentious doctrines, though the one more than the other. 3. I suppose it can scarcely be denied, but that temporal strokes, or the fear of them, may be curbs to our licentious humours suo quodam modo ; though, without restraining grace, the fear of ten thousand hells will not be sufficient to hold in a man from the pursuit of his lusts. But why may not fear of death help to keep the church from murmuring at cross dispensations in life, Lam. iii. 39. and the fear of a whale's belly the second time make Jonah to go to Nineveh ? That which truly seems to be the ground of this objection, is, the not considering what is the extent and power of God's fathei'ly displeasure to which believers are made

actually liable by their sins. The pondering of this aright would silence such objectors. Temporal strokes, the effects of God's fatherly displeasure, are not confined to strokes upon our bodies, or crosses in our outward estate; though indeed sicknesses of several sorts, poverty, losses, &c. yea and death, are not very light things, but such, as the prospect of them may make a stout heart to stagger. But these strokes reach the soul likewise ; and strokes upon the soul are very heavy. They may all come under the general name of desertion ; which spreads itself into innumerable branches, such as, want of communion with God, a wounded spirit, yea the arrows of the Almighty driven into the soul, and their poison drinking up the spirit, &c. I add, the Lord's suffering men to fall into one sin, and that sometimes a very gross sin or sins, for a correction of them because of former miscarriages; as David's security was punished with his being suffered to fall into murder and adultery ; Peter's self-confidence, with denying his master. All these the godly make themselves actually liable to by unrepented of sin. And it is well worth our noticing, that here is something in the obligation to temporary wrath, that is more to be feared than hell, if so be that sin be the greatest evil; which I hope no serious soul will deny. I thus think, and. thus will ever preach. It is more bitter to sin against Christ, than to suffer the torments of hell, said Chrysostom.* Anselm said, that if on the one side were presented unto him the evil of sin, and on the other side, the torments of hell, he would rather choose to fall into hell, than to fall into sin. Now, I refer it to the judgment of any godly, if, these aud the like things considered, the doctrine we maintain be chargeable justly with opening a gap to licentiousness ? I shall not dispute here, whether or not the temporary wrath which is inflicted on the godly, be tlio same essentially with that which is poured out upon the damned. But sure I am David calls those strokes that had been upon him, "the pains of hell," Psal csvi. 3. Job speaks very terribly of them. Job vi. 4. " For the arrows of the Almighty are within me," &c. Heman gives the same name to what was upon him that the Psalmist gives to what comes on reprobates, Psal. Ixxxviii. 16. compared ■with Psal. Iviii. 9. The word in both places is Charon ,-f only the godly man Heman hath it in the plural number. Lastly, We say this doctrine gives true gospel liberty; which perhaps the contrary doth not; and it is our duty to " stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ;" which if we will hear Zacharias in his song, Luke i. T'i. is, " that we, being delivered from all our ene-

* Citante Bolton, Dead saint speaking, p. 10. f Fruin Charah, exanit.

mies, might serve him without fear. And if we would know what enemies we are delivered from, the apostle tells us, the law is one of them, as it curseth and condemneth the sinner, Gal. iii. 13. And as we answer Arminians, Papists, and other enemies of Christian assurance, when they object. That it is a pillar of security ; so I positively aOirni, that this doctrine is so far from being justly chargeable therewith, that it is a most strong inducement to gospel-obedience, and a strick walk with God ; I mean, to a gospel spirit. So that I fear not to say with Dr Preston,* he that hath the strongest faith, he that believeth in the greatest degree the promise of pardon and remission of sins, hath the holiest heart and the holiest life. And I think it is worthy of our observation, that Paul never groaned more deeply under the body of death, than in the midst of the discourse of a believer's being dead to the law, and freed from condemnation : Rorc. vii. 24. compared with chap. vii. 1, &c. and viii. 1. The scripture is very plain in teaching us, that it was Christ's design in bringing his people from under the laAv, that they might be employed in new obedience, Rom vii. 4, 6. And surely it doth not fail. Nothing hath greater influence on gospel obedience than love ; love is a strong cord to draw souls to a holy walk, 2 Cor. v. 14. " For the love of Christ [whether ye understand it subjectively or objectively, it is all one to the purpose] con-straineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead ;"f ^. e. legally dead, as is clear from the antithesis. Yet it cannot be meant of the actual execution of the sentence upon us ; therefore only of this actual liableness to death. And indeed this is the very force of the Apostle's argument, how can that love but constrain us, seeing by him we have been freed from the obligation to eternal wrath, in which respect we were dead ? dead juridically, says Mr. Pool.J We were all as dead condemned persons, because he died in our stead. But more of this afterwards. I shall conclude with that saying of Mr. MerritonH in his sermon of Christ's humiliation, " Sin is done away by this blood [of Christ], as it binds over to wrath and punishment. Siu may remain, but it shall not condemn, if the channel of Christ's blood runs through thy soul, thou hast shut the gulf as to condemnation."

* New cov. p. 1.J4. t AUudit nd vatum fnrorem. Beza.

% Morning exercise 1659 p. 347. |1 p. 302.

A^oL. YI.

QUEST. II.

Whether or not all sins, past, present, and to come, are pardoned together and at once ?

This question hath much affinity with the former; and what is already said, may contribute to clear our way in answer to this. I mind not here to consider the doctrine of the deluded Antinomians, who assert, that men are justified and actually pardoned from all eternity ; and so not only before they believe, but before they are born ; not distinguishing between active and passive justification. The former, being an imminent act in God, and a constant will to pardon such persons as he hath chosen to everlasting life, is no doubt from eternity, and complete from that date. But the latter a transient act, exercised not only about, but terminated on the creature living and believing, whereby he is actually pardoned, and judicially declared righteous, while he stands trembling before the tribunal of God ; and so cannot be from eternity.

Their doctrine in this is flatly opposite to the Scriptures ; which declare all men once and by nature to be children of wrath, and under condemnation, and unpardoned ; and truly overturns both law and gospel at one blow ; the law, in that the case being so as they pretend, there is no need of it to accuse, convince, condemn, and to stop every mouth, and to make all the world guilty before God. And no better friends are they to the gospel, which proclaims salvation to lost sinners. Yet none greater pretenders to the purity of the gospel than they; none seem to cry up free grace more, which nevertheless in very deed they labour to hide, while they set off the law altogether, without which a man shall never have a right taste of the grace of God. They cry down the law and a legal walk ; which is, no doubt, the bane of many professors; but plnck-ing up the law out of the conscience in the matter of justification, and a sinner's acceptance with God, they root it out of the heart in the matter of sanctification. So true is it, Dum vitant stulti viiia, in eontraria curriint.

But had more care been taken of preserving pure and entire the doctrine of free grace, it would no doubt have prevented the delusion of many simple and well-meaning people, and cut off" the occasion of crying down good works, and the study of holiness, under pretence of sacrificing all to free grace, from others led merely by their own licentious humours. And therefore, if I mistake not, the greatest noise that Antinomianism hath made in the church in these later centuries, hath been after a deluge of superstition ; formality.

and ignorance of the doctrine of the gospel, had over.vhelmed the church, and sermons sounded rather like Seneca's morals, than Paul's doctrine of Christ crucified, and the riches of God's grace. So was it in the time of the reformation from Popery ; so in the time of Britain's struggling with and wading out from Prelacy and Arminianism, «Sic. How dangerous is it to set up morality instead of the power of godliness, and life of faith ? to turn the covenant of grace into a bastard covenant of works ; and to mix the law with the gospel, which is indeed accounted by the Spirit of God another gospel, the preacher whereof is devoted to a curse ? Gal. i. 6, 8.

And indeed nothing is more incident to men than this ; for it is as natural to them to seek to go to heaven by the covenant of works. as it is for fishes to swim, or birds to fly; we being naturally disposed to apprehend God as a great lord and master, and ourselves as his servants, who must work for wages. And so it comes to pass, they consider God absolutely, forgetting Christ the way to the Father; and this while their consciences remain in darkness, without any illumination : for indeed, if the conscience were awakened, the sight of Majesty would dazzle our eyes. Wherefore Luther,* on Psal. cxxx. saith, " Often and willingly do I inculcate this, that you should shut your eyes and your ears, and say. You know no God out of Christ." On the other hand, until the conscience is indeed enlightened, and the soul sees what a holy God it hath to do with, how hard is it to attain suitable apprehensions of the riches of his grace? And therefore the woful remains of corruption whereby we are inclined to measure God's ways by our own, start that question, concerning the privileges of the saints, " How can these things be ?" and, with Peter, in a fit cry out, " Depart from me for I am a sinful man." But to the question.

In this point the orthodox themselves do not agree ; which is the more to be lamented, and the rather to be considered and seriously weighed, that it is not a mere speculation, but a very practical point, and cannot but have great influence on the frame of the spirit, whatsoever way the judgment goes. This may be absolutely said of the wrong side of this controversy, but not without some qualification concerning the right; seeing experience testifieth, that although the truth in its own nature is apt to have influence upon the heart for a holy walk, yet it hath not that actually at all times; truth known, without the blowings of the Spirit, being as wild-fire, giving light, but not heat. To which part of the controversy do this aptitude to influence the heart to the love of Christ, and the

* Cit. Burronohs on Hos. p. 729. D 2

I

study of a holy walk, belong? The determination thereof were to-determine the doubt; which we leave to its proper place.

In those points which are the most weighty in the matter of the pardon of sin, the orthodox do agree: As, 1. That God firmly purposing from all eternity to pardon the sins of the elect, laid them wholly on Jesus Christ. 2. That the Lord Jesus hath fully satisfied the justice of God for all the sins of all his elect, so as he hath left nothing of the price to be paid by them. 3. That, upon these grounds, all the sins of believers are virtually pardoned. 4. That, no believer shall ever be damned, that is, sent into the place of torment, for any sin; but shall certainly and infallibly be saved. 5. Lastly, That, upon the soul's union with Christ by faith, when God pardons one sin, he pardons all sins actually which are committed, commonly called all sins past and present. Only they differ in their sentiments touching the pardon of sin yet not committed.

The question then is this, "Whether or not all the sins of a believer, past, present, and to come, are actually pardoned upon the soul's first believing on Chi'ist? or. Whether their sins to come are only virtually pardoned, and not actually till such time as they renew their ftiith and repentance in order to the pardon thereof? Some simply assert the foi'mer; others the latter.

According to what hath been said upon the former question, I assert. That all the sins of an elect soul, past, present, and to come, are together and at once pardoned, touching the actual obligation to eternal wrath, upon his first believing in the Lord Jesus, and justification before God ; so that in no moment of time there, after he can be supposed to be actually liable to eternal wrath. And in this sense I embrace the opinion of those that stand for pardon of all sins simul et semel. I think I need not insist much in proving this assertion, so long as the arguments before adduced stand in force : for if the sins of believei's, even while unrepented of, do not make them actually liable to eternal punishment, this position stands good; unless there be any found to say, that they are pardoned always as soon as committed; or, with the Antino-mians, that they are pardoned from all eternity. But I shall adduce these following arguments for proof of what is asserted.

Aegument I. The Lord promiseth not to remember his people's sins. Is. xliii. 25. " I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Now, how are they not remembered, if they be at any time, after they are brought Avithin the covenant, unpardoned, and the poor souls laid under a sentence of eternal death for them ? If this be not to remember

sins, notliing is. It is certain, that remembering cannot be jiro-perly attributed to Grod; but God is then said to remember sins, when he does that which men do when they remember the faults of others. And who will not say, that a judge remembers a malefactor's crime, when he hath passed the sentence of death on him; or a bankrupt's debt, when he obligeth him to pay the same by a judicial sentence ? Say not, that remembrance of sin is sometimes put for the punishment of it, therefore it must be so understood in this matter: for though I will not deny but it is so taken in the scripture; yet to fasten that upon the promises of pardon, touching the obligation to eternal wrath, is dangerous; in regard that then ye must assert, that what evil is inflicted on the elect unconverted, is laid on them by way of vindictive justice, and for satisfaction; which is too much positively to determine. It clearly follows, in regard the not remembering of sin is a privilege which is new, and supposeth that God remembered their sin before ; not only does he promise not to remember them, but to remember them no more; Jer. xxxi. 34; Heb. viii. 12. Which confirms what was before said of the Lord's remembering the sins of the elect unconverted; and further plainly lets us see, that God will alter his former course and way of dealing with them in respect of their sins. So much does that no more import evidently; as Job xxxiv. 32. "If I have done iniquity, I will do NO MORE." Ezek. xxi. ult. " Thou shalt be no more remembered." Now, what was God's way of dealing with them before they were brought into covenant ? It was not to send them to hell for their sins; but it was not to pardon them, but to let them lie under the sentence of eternal wrath, ay and until they made application to Christ by faith, and repented them of their sins likewise, as some say; on what grounds we shall see afterwards. And where is there any alteration of the Lord's way of dealing with them, if their sins remain still unpardoned as to the obligation to eternal wrath, till they again believe and repent? It is still, I hope, the same faith and the same repentance. There is no doubt, but there is a vast difference betwixt the Lord's way of dealing with the elect unconverted and converted, considered in bulk, even by this way of our adversaries. But as to the precise point of the pardon of sins, of which alone we now speak, there is no difl^'erence at all left. Yet this promise holds out a quite contrary course, as is declared. Further, the scripture speaking of the pardon of sin, extends it to all sin, without distinction, Ezek. xxxvi. 25. Ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. That this is a promise of justifica-

tion, and pardon of sin, in the removal of the guilt of it, is plain, as the following promise is of sanctification. And so Sedgwick, no friend to this doctrine, understands it. And on the text, indeed, if that be not a promise of pardon, there is none there. It will perhaps be said, that this promise secures the believer of the pardon of all his sins sooner or later, but not together and at once. Eut pray let it be considered, that the text tells us expressly, that it shall be then when he "spiinkles clean water on them, gives them a new heart, takes away the stoney heart," &c.; which is undeniably then when they are first brought into Christ. If you say, it respects only sins that are committed ; I answer, Non distinguendum uhi lex non distinguit. But then future sins are not comprehended here : and what have they then to lippen to for the pardon of these sins ? It must surely be a great strait that will drive men to exclude hence the pardon of future sins ; and if they will sufl^er them to be included, I say again, the text tells us when this cleansing shall be. The Apostle Paul delivers the same doctrine, Col. ii. 13. " quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses ; where we see all trespasses simply were forgiven them when they were quickened with Christ.* Upon this text saith a judicious commentator, Eut that we are quickened to eternal life, is evident from this, that all sins are forgiven on which our eternal death did depend. Now, I say, it is as evident that our death depended on all our sins, past, present, and to come ; for it was all these that were the cause of Christ's death. And this the subsequent verse doth confirm. I shall only add that scripture. Num. xxiii. 21. " lie beholdeth not iniquity, neither does he see perverseness in Israel;" thus read and cited by Amesiusf upon this head. Upon which he saith, " Because justification hath left no place to condemnation ;" and tells us, that future sins are pardoned in the subject, or person sinning. It is true, he calls this pardon of future sins but a virtual i)ardon : but, if I mistake not, it is the very same thing that we assert.

Argument II. Let us take a view of the sacraments, and see how they favour this full remission at once. The pardon of sin is at least among the first of the benefits of the covenant, sealed by the sacraments ; and surely, if the sacraments seal the pardon of all sins, past, present, and to come, they are all pardoned ; for God sets not his seal but to a truth. Again, a seal presupposeth a deed done ; for a thing must be before the being of it can be confirmed. This is so evident, that I cannot think how it can bo

" Znnch. Com. in loc, f MedvUa theol. p. 142.

denied with any colour of reason. The stress of the argument lies then in the proof of that, That the sacraments seal the pardon of sins, past, present, and to come. That they seal the pardon of sin, I mean in the lawful use of them, or when they are conferred on believers, I think none will deny amongst the orthodox ; they who acknowledge them at all to be seals, will acknowledge this likewise. That they seal the pardon of all sins, past, present, and to come, the Scripture teacheth us, 1 Pet. iii. 21. "Baptism now saveth us." There are many opinions about the efficacy of the sacraments, and how baptism is said to save us, which I shall not now meddle with; but take for granted, what is proven by the learned amona; Protestant divines, That the efficacy of the sacraments doth consist in effectual obsignation and application. So then baptism saveth us from sin, in so far as it seals our salvation therefrom : but if we be for one moment under the guilt of it, where is our salvation from it ? for one sin is damning as well as a tl'ousand. Therefore all must be pardoned at once. And learned Rutherford doubts not to say,* that Christ communicates to believers at first such a remission as he hath obtained ; but he hath, saith he, obtained the remission of all sin: therefore such a remission doth he communicate to us: And addeth,f that there is no reason why he should communicate to us the purchased remission by halves. Further, Mark tells us, (chap. i. 4.), that " John baptized for the remission of sins;" and Peter calls those i)ricked at the heart to be " baptized for the remission of sins," Acts ii. 38. But will any exclude from this future sins? Surely so their comfort would have been exceeding lame; knowing that immediately after they would run into a new score, and then they are just where they were before; their baptism having not sealed the remission of these, but only of sins committed before or in baptism. And so this sacrament should rather be administered to the party when a-dying, than when new-born. But if future sins be included here, as certainly they are, then the remission of them is sealed, and consequently is before; for they are not called to be baptized in order to obtain a remission, (the scripture knoweth no such doctrine) ; but in order to their getting the remission obtained, sealed, in testimony of the remission of sins, as Piscator;}: expounds it. The same may be said of the sacrament of the Lord's supper. So then baptism seals unto worthy receivers (as also does the other sacrament) full freedom from eternal punishments, in the pardon of all

*Exerc. p. 36. t Il)ld. p. 37. X Si-'k'I- in loc.

sin, in tliat respect, together and at once. And so Ursin,* after he hath shewed that the outward baptism is a seal of the inward, tells us, that so is sin abolished in baptism, that we are freed from the guilt of sin, God's wrath, and eternal punishment. To the same purpose says Zanchius,"]" Indwelling sin actually remains, but is taken away as to the guilt. And baptism is ordained for that end, that we may be freed from all guilt of punishment due to sin. The thing signified, says Beza.J and verily represented, is the aspersion or sprinkling of the death and passion of Jesus, in remission of sins.

If it be said. That the sacraments do indeed seal the pardon of future sins, but that is only conditionally; whereas the remission of sins committed is sealed absolutely : I answer. This distinction is to be rejected. For a seal, as a seal, doth absolutely confirm the thing scaled, especially where the benefit made over is a free gift, as the pardon of sin is. "Were there a thousand conditions in a bargain, the seal confirms the same absolutely. So, if we will make any thing of conditional sealing, it must be the sealing of some conditional promise of the pardon of sin, and that to a believer, touching the obligation to eternal wrath : which is a mere begging of the question; for we know of no such promise in the Bible. But this is not the sealing of a remission. When a king pardons a traitor, and formally gives it under his hand and seal, the pardon is then sealed; but not when he writes an obligation, and seals it, wherein he obligeth himself to pardon him for whatsoever he may afterwards do treasonably, upon condition he do so and so. Here the obligation, which is conditional, is only sealed; not a remission. But we have heard, that the scripture holds forth baptism as a seal of the remission of sin ; of remission actually conferred, not merely promised, as a thing to come. So teacheth Wendelin,]| in answer to the Popish objection. Infants are baptized for the remission of sins; Ergo, Sins are pardoned by baptism in the Popish sense. He answers, "I deny the consequence. The reason is. Because to be baptized for the remission of sins, is by baptism to be confirmed of the remission of sin. So of old, adult persons were baptized by the Apostles for the remission of sins, which by faith they had received before baptism. So John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, Mark i. 4. who ncA-ertheless baptized none but those who had before professed repentance, and believed the gospel." It is in vain to talk of the conditional sealing of the remission of sin : for the sacraments are seals of the covenant; but the covenant must be made ere it be sealed: unless we will say,

' ]\Iiscell. de bapt. th. 10. f Com. in Eph. v. digress, de bapt.

J Confess, point. 4. art. 47. || Svst. Theol. p. 438.

that God sets his seal to a blank, which no wise man will do. Now, faith is that which enters the soul into covenant; and then, and not till then, do the sacraments, though before received, seal the covenant. So that, although au elect infant be baptized, or an adult person partake of the sacrament of the supper, being unregenerate, the sacraments seal no saving benefit to them any manner of way; unless you either say, that the unregenerate, and such as have no saving good from God, are in covenant with God, or that God sets his seal to a blank ; both which are most absurd. We speak not now of an external federal relation; for no saving benefits depend thereon. And what else is the meaning of that so frequently inculcated by the generality of Protestant divines, for ought I can learn, that the eflft-cacy of baptism is not tied to the time of its adminstration ? "We heard before wherein the efficacy of it doth consist. It seems then, it doth not always effectually seal any saving benefit at that time ; and what is the reason of that, but that the party hath nothing of that nature to be sealed .? The Lord does indeed call all men that hear the gospel, to believe ; and tells them, that if they will believe, they shall be justified, pardoned, &c. But this is an offer of the covenant, and not the covenant itself, to which the seals are appended ; otherwise every one to whom the gospel offer comes, ought not to be debarred from, but invited, encouraged, and pi'essed to receive the sacraments, as seals appointed of God to confirm them in the belief of the Lord's willingness to help them ; that, being so persuaded, they might embrace the gospel oflTer, and so the heavenly pearls should be cast before dogs and swine. But the sacraments are confirming, not converting ordinances ; appointed for friends, not for foes *. Moreover, as in civil contracts, some things are ipso facto dis-ponded and given over by the one party to the other, and some things are promised to be given at such or such times, one seal serves for both ; yet this seal confirms the former, as actually made over to the party for the present time ; the latter, as to be given him at such a time : so it is in the covenant of grace. There are some things actually made over in prcesenti to the believer, such as justification, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification begun ; there are other things promised to be given at such times as God sees meet afterwards, such as, progressive sanctification, final victory over sin, &;c. Of the former kind is the pardon of sin, as hath been already said. And there is no promise in the Bible for the remission of sin in the sense pleaded for, made to a justified person ; no more than there is of

God ordaineth the sacraments to believers as believers, and because they are withiu the covenant ; and their interest in the covenant is the onlv true rii'ht to the seals, llutherf. Due Riylit nf Presh, What infants to be hajitized ?

formal jnstiflcation, reconcilation with God, and adoption. So that there must needs be a difference betwixt a sealing the pardon of sin, and a sealing the promises of the covenant; thongh one seal serves for both. From all which it appears, that there is no conditional sealing of the pardon of sin, either before or after the soul is brought to Christ; but seeing, upon our first believing in Christ, the sacraments seal to us remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, absolutely, all are together and at once pardoned. And so Calvin teacheth.* " Baptism (says he) bringeth three things to our faith. This is the first which the Lord setteth out unto us, that it should be a token and proof of our cleansing; or (to express ray mind belter) it is like to a certain sealed charter, whereby he confirmeth unto us, that all our sins are so defaced, cancelled, and blotted out, that they may never come into his sight, nor be rehearsed, nor be imputed. For he willeth, that all they that believe, should be baptized into forgiveness of sins." And again a little after.f " Neither is it to be thought, that baptism is applied only to the time past.—But thus we ought to think, that at what time soever we be baptized, we are at once washed and cleansed for all our life. Therefore, so oft as we fall, we must go back to the remembrance of baptism ; and therewith we must arm our mind, that it may be always certain and assured of the forgiveness of sin."

Argument. III. If a believer, at his first entrance into covenant with God, and union with Jesus Christ, be reputed in law to have fully satisfied the law, for all sins, past, present, and to come ; then he is actually absolved from the guilt of the same. The connection is evident: for if the law be satisfied, it can demand no more ; when the payment and satisfaction is made, and sustained in law, before the bar of God, as the payment and satisfaction of such a person, what can hinder the absolution, or the getting up of the discharge ? But so it is, that an elect person, upon his union with Jesus Christ by faith, is reputed in the court of heaven, to have actually, though not personally, satisfied the law for all his sins, past, present, and to come ; Ergo, Then they are altogether and at once discharged. The assumption appears true ; because Christ and the believer are but one person in law, as the cautioner and principal debtor, the advocate and his client, the husband and wife ; yea much more than any of these, in so far as our union with Christ is a more strait union than any of those among men. So the Lord Jesus Christ having fully satisfied for all sins, and the believer being one with him, it is true, that they have suftered and satisfied in him; and the

* Inst. lib. 4. cap. 15. § 1. j" Section 3.

judgment of God, being according to truth, doth surely go this way.* " in virtue of this conjunction, (says Beza), and spiritual marriage by faith, he taketh all our miseries upon himself, and we do receive all his treasures of him." So teacheth Zanchius :f *' For (says he) by our incorporation with Christ, his whole passion becomes ours, because we are made one flesh and blood ; and by the passion of Christ, all punishment due to sin is taken away."| Luther delivers the same, in these words :1| "Thus he (to wit, Christ) happily making an exchange with us, took on our sinful person, and gifted to us his innocent and victorious person. Herewith we being arrayed and clothed, are freed from the curse of the law, because Christ himself willingly became a curse for us."§ And truly the scripture speaks of Christ and Adam, as if there had never been any other men in the world but they, they being the two public persons, in which are all mankind. Now, as Jesus the second Adam entered into the same covenant that the first Adam did, (for Christ purchased heaven and glory for his people, according to the strictest terms of the covenant of works); so by him was done for the elect whatsoever the first Adam had undone for all mankind. "Wherefore the case stands thus : that like as whatsoever the first Adam did, or befel him, is reckoned as done by, and to have befallen all mankind ; so whatsoever the second Adam did, or befel him, as head of his people, is reckoned to their account. So then as in Adam they sinned, eating of the tree, so in Christ they sufi^ered hanging on the tree; as in the first Adam they broke the law, in the second Adam they repaired the breach thereof. And as it is then, and not till then, that we become the children of Adam by natural generation, we are reputed to have sinned in him; so it is then, and not till then, that we become the children of Christ by faith and regeneration, we are reputed to have suff"ered in him. Mr. Gibbons, in his sermon intitled, " The nature of justification opened," (it should have been said overturned), is much piqued at this doctrine; and tells us, it is the fundamental mistake of the Antinomians, to think, that a believer is righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous; as though believers suflTered in Christ, and obeyed in Christ, and were as righteous in God's esteem as Christ himself, having his personal righteousness made personally theirs by imputation. But we need not wonder to hear this^ from one who tells us, that the covenant of works is not fully executed; that it is not abrogated, but is in part executed on be-

* Confess, point 4. art. 9.

■f Com. in Eph. dig. de hapt. cap, 3. th. 7. J Com. in Gal. iii. 14.

II 1 Cor. XV. 45. 4(?. 47. § Morning Exercise 1659, p. 423. ^ p. 413, 414.

lievers, yet dispensed with by superinducing a new^ covenant of grace over it; and tliat the threatenings of the law are no more predictions of the event, than " thou shalt," and " thou shalt not," in the command ;* that the terms on which sinners are justified, are, first, Faith. People would expect a secondly here; but that were too barefaced. Therefore says he. Then this faith hath two daughters that inseparably attend her, 1. Repentance. 2. Newness of life. Surely he understands this in the matter of justification, not of sanctification ;f for we suppose he speaks sense, and to the purpose in hand. Further, that God accepteth of, imputeth unto sinners faith in Jesus Christ as their righteousness; which faith justifies formaliter et ratione sui, as it is covenant-keeping, &c. Surely this learned man knew other adversaries to him of better credit than Antinomians; but he seems to dissemble it, to make his doctrine take place the more easily. It is well known, that is the doctrine taught by the body of Protestant divines. That the imputed righteousness of Christ is our righteousness before God; and that faith doth no Avay justify us but instrumentally or correlatively ; that all our righteousness for justification is without us. And till their arguments against the Arrainian way of justification by faith be overturned, his doctrine cannot have place. He invidiously talks of Christ's personal righteousness made personally theirs, and believers being as righteous in God's esteem as Christ himself. We disclaim all pretences to the righteousness of Christ as the second person in the glorious Trinity, commonly called his essential righteousness; but we know no righteousness else upon which we can venture our souls, but the righteousness of Christ as our E,edeeraer,J resulting from his perfect active and passive obedience; and fear not to say with the Apostle, 1 John iii. 7, that " he that doth righteousness, is righteous, even as he is righteous; not in regard of quantity, but verity; there being a finite application of an infinite righteousness, not in respect of the full value of it, but in so far as our necessity craves it.|| Righteousness considered formally with respect to the rule of righteousness simply, is not capable of degrees, though it be in respect of the subject of it; one righteous person being infinitely more noble than another; the excellency of the agent or patient giving value to the obedience, active or passive. But it is evident, that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us merely under the former notion, as it denotes a conformity to the rule of righteousness. Now, I pray you consider what the law,

• Morning Exercises, p. 415. 417. t p. 422. 420.

J Isaac Ambrose's Media, p. 4. || See Owen on justitic. p. 509.

•which is the rule of righteousness, doth require; even to love the Lord with all the heart, and with all the soul. But there is no possibility of going beyond that; and if the person como not up to it, he is not at all righteous; and it is nothing else but conformity to the law that denominates a person under a law, righteous. "Wherefore degrees of comparison here are unreasonable. But we need not marvel to hear them speak of degrees of righteousness, or conformity to the law, who bring forth a new rule of righteonsness, besides that which was given at first, as this learned man does. I had always thought, that as there is but one God, and he unchangeable, so there had been but one rule of righteousness, and that unchangeable; and that that had been fully expressed in the first covenant its commands contained in the decalogue. But now we are taught otherwise : Righteousness (says he) is a conformity to the law; he that fulfils the law, is righteous in the eye of the law. Now, the law of the new covenant runs thus, " He that believeth, shall not perish;" so that a believer keeps and fulfils this law, and therefore faith is imputed to him for righteousness. This is a new sort of a law indeed, where there is no commandment at all. But I think it is God that fulfils this law, and not the believer: for the accomplishment or fulfilling of it is in the salvation of the believer ; ■which the scripture tells us is not of ourselvas, but is the work of God alone. But let us consider it in form of a law, thus, " Believe, and thou shalt be saved;" and let us suppose the rule of righteousness to be here found. I say, that this requires either perfect believing, or not. If it require perfect faith, then the judgment of God is not according to truth, in pronouncing men righteous according to this law; for no man in this life is perfect in faith ; If it require not perfect faith, then all the unbelief and doubtings in a man's heart, where there is anything of faith, are no sins against this law of grace; which is absurd: yea and so they are no sins at all; for, as hath been already proven, believers are dead to the law of works. Moreover, believing, or faith, being in several degrees in several persons, one is more righteous than another, or more conformed to the law than another; andthe least measure of true faith being a fulfilling of this law, any further degree of it must be a work of supererogation, the law being more than fulfilled; all ■which are absurd. In fine, this doctrine makes the gospel to overturn the law, and maketh Christ the end of the law for destruction, not for consummation, for " righteousness, to every one that believeth ; because the righteousness of the law must be put out of doors, before this new righteousness can be brought in. But Christ hath plainly told us, that heaven and earth shall sooner pass away than

one jot or tittle of the law. And how does it reflect upon the justice, purity, and holiness of Grod, to accept us as righteous in his sight formally on the account of a righteousness which is as filthy rags ? for such is our faith formaUtei' et ratione sui.

I think, indeed, this author does rationally yoke these two together, viz. a believer's being righteous in the sight of God with the self-same righteousness wherewith Christ (as Redeemer, head, and representative of his) is righteous; and a believer's suffering and obeying in Christ; for these indeed se mutuo ponunt et iollunt; and this obligeth those that acknowledge the immediate imputation of Christ's righteousness to us, to acknowledge also our being reputed, upon our union with him, to have suffered in him for all sins, past, present, and to come; which being granted, they must needs yield the pardon of the same, in the sense pleaded for. But why should a believer suffering in Christ be thought such a gross point of Antinomianism ? That we sinned in Adam, I suppose he will not deny ; and if so in the first Adam, why may we not be said to have suffered in Christ the second Adam, who was no less a public person in his suffering, than the first in his sinning. The Apostle Eph. ii. 6. tells us, that believers were raised up in hira; which must needs suppose that they died in him. But he is very plain in this point. Gal. ii. 20. " I am crucified with Christ." Hereby he proves, that he was dead to the law through the law, for the law had crucified him with Christ: wherefore it had no more to require of him, than the law of a land of a malefactor hanged for his crime. This scripture hath led Luther* into that fundamental mistake of the Antinoraians : " For (says he) I am crucified and dead with Christ through faith," And that none may mistake his meaning, he tells us, that the Apostle doth not speak here of con-crucifixion of intimation or example, but of that sublime con-crucifixion, where Christ alone doth all, but the believer is crucified with him through faith. Fergussonf tells us, that the threatening of death, Gen. ii. 17. is fulfilled in the elect; so that they die, aud yet their lives are spared; for they are reckoned in law to have died, when Christ their surety died for them. Zanchius| favours this doctrine much : for he says, that whatsoever was done to our head Christ, that is partly done to his whole body, and so to each member already; and partly to be done. Beza is in this point Antinomian in grain ;|| "Although thou (says he) hast satisfied for

* Com. in Inc.

f Com. in lor. rloct. 3. J Coin, in Eph. ii. 6. observ. J.

II Conffiss. point 4. art. 23. See art ^3,

the pain of thy sins in the person of Jesus Christ, and that thou art also clothed with his righteousness, &c." And Rutherford,* though a great adversary to the Antinomians, as is well known by his learned writings against thera, hath yet fallen into this fundamental mistake of theirs: " for (says he) Christ's dying and satisfying, is ours; he dying in onr stead and place, and we dying in him legally, (not physically); and so are we not only by his satisfaction, which is made ours, and by faith applied to us, negatively freed from hell; but positively righteous." The Apostle teacheth believers so to think of themselves. Rom. vi. 10, 11. "For in that he died, he died unto sin (i. e. for sin) once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin; but alive unto God and Christ, en Christo, &c. "Where we see plainly that believers are called to reckon or conclude themselves to be dead unto sin; that is, for sin, as is plain from the 10th verse, otherwise they do not reckon concerning themselves as they do concerning Christ. The Apostle taketh it for granted, that believers have all laid down this conclusion, or have made this reckoning, "That Christ died to sin," that is, suffered for it: here is another conclusion he would have them to make, " Likewise reckon ye also," viz. that ye are dead to sin, and this by way ot syllogistical deduction from the former, Houto kai humeis logizesthe; where the medium is our union with Christ, sealed in baptism, ver. 4. "For if Christ died to sin, then we being one with him," died to it also, viz. in his person, as the text hath it, in Christ, "Whereas indeed our dying to sin in point of sanctification, is in our own person, not in the person of Jesus Christ, as is manifest. From what is said it appears, that a believer is reputed to have satisfied for all sins, past, present and to come, at his union with Christ by faith; and consequently that all his sins are then pardoned simul et semel.

If any shall say, That although we be reputed thus to have satisfied the law for all sins past, present, and to come; yet it no more follows that we have the pardon of themf in our own persons, than that we are glorified in our own persons at our first believing in Christ; for both are the fruits of the same purchase: I answer, That this is to confound our absolute and relative state, and to make them go on alike by degress: which is absurd. But pray you let it be considered, that there are two things in Christ's obedience to the law as the representative of his people ; First, The payment of a debt; Secondly, A purchase of some positive benefits. The

• Influences of the life, &c. p. 43. t Future sins.

debt being paid, and the payment of it for such a person being sustained in law, the discharge cannot be kept up; but justice ipso facto looseth the man from the obligation, as is manifest. But as to these other blessings, there is no such necessity of their being made immediately forthcoming unto them; only they have immediately a right to them all given them ; and thus especially when the payer or purchaser consents to the delay of giving up these things to those for whom they are purchased; as it is in this case. This we see plainly in the way of human contracts. As when a man pays his debt to the creditor, and purchaseth a piece of ground from him; the very paying of the money in justice looseth him from his former bond or obligation, and gives him a right to the land; but does not put him actually in possession thereof at that very time.

Aegument IY. The Scripture plainly holds out unto us, that the Loi'd, in dealing with believers, cousidereth tliem as in Christ Jesus, and not as they are in themselves ; and it cannot be otherwise, seeing the union made up betwixt Christ and a soul by faith, is a lasting, even an everlasting union ; so that after their union with Christ, at the first moment of believing, they never more stand before God on their own bottom, otherwise God should be to them, even as to others, " a consuming fire." But if we account a believer to lie one moment under unpardoned sin, he must be considered abstractedly from Christ, and dealt with judicially as he is in himself; or if otherwise, it reflects no small dishonour on the Mediator, the person who is one with him, being condemned by the law. And the truth is, that a person being once united to Christ by faith, whatever is chargeable on that person must be laid to the charge of Christ, and he is answei'able for it; and the same may be exacted of him, as the debt contracted by the wife is chargeable on the husband; but " by once offering up of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." To this purpose speaks holy John Careless* in his letter to William Tymes: "He hath clothed us in all his merits, and taken to himself all our sin; so that if any should be now condemned for the same, it must needs be Jesus Christ, who hath taken them upon him. But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost ; so that, for his sake, they shall never be imputed to us if they were a thousand times more than they be." Thus he; and that most truly, because the elect person being once united to Christ, the Lord Jesus is reputed to have

* Suffering Saint's Mirror, p. fiC.

taken on all his sins in particular, whether past, i>reseut, or to come; so that now, if any person be reputed guilty, or actually liable to eternal wrath, it must be Christ himself, who is legally the sinner in point of guilt, though the fault was never transferred on him ; therefore, if the sin be unpardoned for the least moment, it must be to him, and not to us ; for though they be ours by commission, yet he hath undertaken and bound himself to answer for them. Among men there are two sorts of sureties. Some become sureties for others, so as the creditor hath still a right to crave the principal debtor, who, notwithstanding of the suretiship, remains still liable : in which case, if the j)rincipal party fail to pay after diligence used for the same, the creditor falls on the surety. Some do so become sureties for others, that the principal debtor is eo ipso relieved and discharged; there being no hopes at all of payment from the principal. This last way Christ is surety for his people, and not the first way: for the Lord knowing that it was utterly impossible for man to satisfy by himself, must needs be supposed to make no other bargain ; but " laying help upon one that is mighty," he simply passeth the sinner in his own person, and takes Christ for all; who says to the Father, " If you take me let these go their way. And so, as it is said, Isa. liii. 7- Niggas Vehu Nagnaneh, He (to wit, the Father) exacted, and he (to wit, Christ) answered; or he was answered, viz. by Christ. So Rabbi David* judgeth the word in Niphil should be expounded. A godly writer tells us, that God laid all on him, that he might be sure of satisfaction; protesting, that he would not deal with us, nor so much as expect any payment from us.f Wherefore in law Christ is the sinner, and the believer goes free ; and if so, then the sin, if it be at all unpardoned, it must be to him, and not to us. None will stumble at this, who consider matters duly. Luther]: doubts not to say, Christ was a sinner, and that there was none a greater sinner than he ; and that whatsoever sins we do commit, or shall in time to come, commit, they are as I)roper to Christ, as if he himself had committed them. " In sum (says he) sin must become Christ's proper sin or we perish." II Rivet defends Illyricus against Bellarmine, in that ho says, Christ miglit most truly be called the sinner. Bellarmine (says he) contends, that Christ may attribute our sins unto himself; and that truly, as I believe, for he cannot lie ; therefore he might also truly call himself the sinner, while he sustained our person; who nevertheless was in himself innocent. What blasphemy

Cit. Pagn'mo in lex. f Marrow of Mod. Div. p. 27. % Com. in Gal. iii. 13.

II 111 P-!>\. Xxil. 1.

Vol. YI. k

and impiety is here ? The same is taught by Heramingius, Taunovius, Witsius, Rutherford, and Bridge.* The Apostle puts it out of doubt, that it is Christ who speaks to the Father Psal. xl. see Hob. X. and in the 12th verse of that Psal. he calls the sins the burden whereof he bears, his iniquities. And it cannot be denied, but that he was made sin ; which is more than to be a sinner, in so far as the abstract signifies somewhat more exquisite than the concrete, if we will believe the learned Rivit, loco supra citato. From all which I conclude, that seeing Christ is made the sinner in law, and the Lord passeth the man thus, upon Christ's undertaking the charge, all sins, past, present, and to come, are together and at once pardoned, viz, as soon as the soul is one with Christ by faith.

Argument. Y. The love of Grod, called the love of complacency, is as God himself, unchangeable ; " for whom he once loves, he loves to the end ;"f and "nothing can separate them from it."| Thongh the emanations of it towards believers may be stopt for a time in great measure, yet that love as it is in God still remains, quoad apectum, as they say, though not quoad effectum. The due consideration of this, which is not controverted amongst the orthodox, and is plainly proven by them against the patrons of the saints falling away, will necessiate the asserting of the pardon of all sins, simul et semel; so as the believer is never, after his union with Christ, by any sin, for one moment actually liable to eternal wrath. For that liableness to God's wrath, and the unchangeableness of God's love, are incompatible. "Which I prove thus. For a sinner to be liable in actu sccundo to eternal death, is nothing else but to be under a sentence of eternal death as a sinner; that is to say, the law condemns him as such, though the sentence never be executed. Now, what is the law of God, but a transcript of the holy nature of God ? so that God himself is surely set against those whom the law is against; otherwise God is changeable, or the law is not a true copy of his nature ; both which are more than absurd. It comes in effect to this, that God approves whom the law disaproves ; that is, God hates the man, hath no delight in him at all; seeing he that is guilty of one, is guilty of all: and yet at the same time he loves him, and delights in him; which is a flat contradiction. If any shall say, that the sinner may be hated of God as he is in himself, yet beloved as united to Christ, it is granted; but it makes nothing to the purpose : for while we speak of a believer as he is in himself, it is merely a notion of our minds by precision ;

* Hem on Jam. digress, of rep. Taun. in Psal. pass. p. 263. Wits. Exer. p. 378. Chiist^ D}ing, p. 370. Christ in Tinvel, p. 110.

f John. % Rom.

but really and iiulood lie is ever in Christ, and the Lord's judgment is according to truth ; so he never deals with a believer, but as he is indeed in Christ, as was said before. And if to adjudge a person to eternal wrath be not to hate him, I confess I understand not what can be made of Grod's hatred against a person ; for it is certain it is no passion in him, as it is in us. Rutherford tells us,* that there is no reason why God should communicate the purchased remission by halves, (per partes), unless he loved and hated also the self-same person from eternity ; which is inconsistent. So saith Piscator,f God hates them whose sins he hath not pardoned ; and this, while he teachcth, that, by the forgiveness of sin, which we seek in the Lord's prayer, is meant the sense of pardon. There is one thing, I forsee, will readily be said against this, to invalidate the argument; that is, that the Lord Jesus Christ was condemned by the law, yet still beloved of God; and therefore they are not inconsistent. To this I answer. There is in sin the fault, and the guilt arising therefrom : the latter, not the former, was transferred on Christ; but an unpardoned sinner lies under both. Hence ariseth a vast diiference betwixt the law's condemning of Christ, and its condemning us. While the law condemns a sinner, who is formally such and in himself, it declares him to be sinful, and opposite to God ; which is the formal notion under which he is hated of God; and thei'eforc it adjudgeth him to eternal wrath. But here Christ is innocent; only the punishment is exacted of him, seeing he came in the room of condemned sinners, and undertook voluntarily to satisfy for them : wherefore God cannot but delight in him, seeing there was no sinful evil in him, only a penal evil is inflicted on him. But the law, finding one sin in the sinner uncovered with the righteousness of Christ, leaves him in no other case than it did Adam guilty of the first, viz. condemned, and one whom God had no delight in.

Argument VI. If all sins, past, present, and to come, be not pardoned at once, when the soul is united to Christ by faith ; then a believer at one and the same time is adjudged to eternal death. That he is adjudged to eternal life, in so far as he is a believer, the scripture plainly teacheth ; " for he that believeth, hath everlasting life :" and that he is adjudged to eternal death upon the account of sins not yet pardoned, though committed, is no less evident; seeing, according to this doctrine, sin is not pardoned in respect of the obligation to eternal wrath, till he renew the acts of faith and repentance ; which is nothing else, than that he is

* Exer. apol. pro fJivina grnfio. p 37. f Ohs in orat. Dom. K 2

actually bound over thereto. And so the man is legally dead and legally alive at one and the same time. Whoso shall reconcile these, erit mihi magnus Apollo. But I shall stand no more on this ; but conclude with the following argument.

Akguhent VII. ult. This doctrine, teaching the pardon of all sins together and at once, upon the soul's believing at first on Christ, hath the advantage of the other, in two respects.

I. In that it is most adapted to the grand design of the gospel ; which is, to exalt the riches of the free grace of God in Jesus Christ. Yor, first, who sees not the grace of God far more exalted in giving out a full and complete remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, together and at once; than in giving out remission by halves; as the giving up of a bond wholly and at once, speaks out more favour than now and then particular receipts and dischargos. Let none say, that it is too much boldness for us, thus to lay down methods and rules for God's exalting his grace; and if this were true, then he should sanctify us wholly at our union with Christ, as well as pardon all sins, past, present, and to come. We say, that we do not take upon us to lay down or propose rules that way ; but understanding the exalting of grace to be the great design of the gospel, we may well be allowed to consider what doth most contribute thereto. And whatever other way the Lord might, in his boundless wisdom, have fallen upon, for bringing about that end, I confidently aver. That none in the world can devise a way how grace might have been more exalted than it is by this way laid down in the gospel. And with the same confidence I say, that the gradual sanctification of believers doth more exalt the riches of grace, than if God had made believers perfectly holy at the first moment of believing, as I shall afterwards make appear. So sweetly doth the perfect pardon of sin, and the imperfect sanctification of believers, contribute to the grand design of the gospel. Secondly, It doth also exalt the grace of God more, that the sinner being once united to Christ by faith, hath a free and full remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, than that the pardon of future sins should be suspended on the acts of our believing and repenting.

II. It is most adapted to excite believers to the serious practice of godliness, to a holy and strict gospel-walk. Which appears, first, In that it doth natively fill the heart with love to God, the mainspring of gospel obedience, and the most powerful incentive to a tender walk. It is true, the man who apprehends sins past and present forgiven, cannot but love much ; but he who apprehends sins, past, present, and to come, to be forgiven, must love more. Here then are two debtors to the grace of God ; I think I may well

propose our Lord's question, Luke vii. 42. " Which of them will love hira most ?" and will acquiesce in Simon's answer, seeing Christ approved it, " I suppose that he to whom he forgave most," ver. 43. Secondly, As this doctrine furnishes the children of God best, with love to constrain them, and cords of a man to draw them ;* so it doth remove the fear of eternal wrath, which keeps the soul in bondage, fills the heart with confusion, dashes and mars us in our access to God, and looks like slavery rather than the glorious liberty of sons. But the doctrine of the pardon of future sins only upon after repentance, &c. cherisheth this fear; so as men must be continually under it, in regard they are continually sinning; and though a man be in this moment perfectly freed from an actual obligation to eternal wrath, yet the very next moment he is again brought under it: so that in very deed it is a perfect rack to the conscience, and would effectually prove so were it as firmly believed as is pretended. It is needless to distinguish here betwixt greater and lesser sins : for sin as sin lays the soul under God's wrath, where it is in a capacity of actual obligation thereto, as was said before. Whatever influence the soul's apprehension of its liableness to eternal wrath, under sin till it be repented of, may be supposed to have, I think it is plain, that one great end of Christ's death was to deliver us, that we might serve him without fear of what the law or vindictive justice of God may do to us.f Luther, who was a man very much exercised with conflicts of conscience, is very plain this way ■,% " Wherefore, (says he), if sin torment thee, if death terrify thee, think it is but a vain spectre, and an illusion of the devil, as certainly it is. For in very deed tl'.ere is no more sin, no more curse, no more death, no devil; because Christ hath overcome and abolished all these. There is no defect in the thing, but in our belief; for it is diflicult for reason to believe these so inestimable benefits." And elsewhere :|| " Hence (says he) it follows, that, in respect of the conscience, we are altogether free from the law; therefore that schoolmaster ought not to be troublesome to it with his terrors, threats, and captivity." And again,§ " We ought, without the conscience, to make a God of it, (the law); but within the conscience, it is a devil," &c. And a little after, " Let him (Christ) alone reign in righteousness, security, joy, and life ; that the conscience being glad, may sleep in Christ, without any sense of law, sin, and death." These expressions are somewhat unusual ;

* Rom. viii. 15. 1 John iv. 18.

t Luke i. "4, 75. J Com. in Gal. iii. 13. p. {mihi) 4G6. [[ cap. iii. 25, p. 566.

§Cap. iv. 3. p. 591. p. 692.

bat the matter is heavenly and sublime, and the very marrow of the life of faith, and savours much of Paul's elevated spirit, whi'e treating of the doctrine of free grace, or rather of the Spirit of Christ. Agreeably to this doth Calvin teach :* " The law (says he) hath no place in the consciences of the faithful before the judgment-seat of God. The second part (of Christian libertyf) is, that consciences obey the law, not as compelled by the necessity of the law, but being free from the yoke of the law itself, of their own accord they obey the will of God. For because they abide in perpetual terrors, so long as they be under the dominion of the law, they shall never be, with cheerful readiness, framed to the obedience of God, uuless they first have this liberty given them. On the other side,J if being delivered from this severe exacting of the law, they hear that they be called with fatherly gentleness, they will with great cheerfulness answer his call." So Beza:|| "Forasmuch (says he) as Jesus Christ hath, by one infinite obedience, made satisfaction to the infinite Majesty of God, it followeth, that my iniquities can no more fray nor trouble me; my accounts being assuredly erased by the precious blood of Christ."

Now, I shall consider the objections against this doctrine; and shall handle them in the same order as Sedgwick§ hath them gathered together. That learned man delivereth them not as his ; but tells us after all, that his own judgment inclines to tliat opinion, That all the sins past of a believer are (at once) forgiven, and all his future sins are remitted unto him upon renewed acts of believing and repenting, for Christ's sake.

Object. 1. Heb. viii. 12. "Their iniquities I will remember no more." " Not to remember iniquity any more," doth in common sense suppose, that that iniquity was before ; for if it never was, it cmnot be said to be remembered at all. So that passage, Jer. xxxi. 34. " I will forgive their iniquity ;" and Jer. xxxiii. 8. " I will pardon all their iniquities," do suppose an iniquity or offence committed ; for if it be not yet committed, how can it properly be said to be forgiven ? So Is. xliii. 25. " I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions ; but debts which were never as yet made, may not be entered into the book, and therefore cannot be said to be blotted out.

Answ. I have already shown, in what sense the Lord saith, he will remember their sins no more; which is no way infringed by this objection, and doth very well agree with the scripture dialect. JJut as for that criticism upon the word remember, that in common

' Iti9tit. lib. 3. cap 19 § 2. f Section 4. J Section 6. II Confesn. (xiint 4. art. 10. |). (^mi/ii) 42. § On tbe cuv. (). 427.—430.

sense it supposeth that the thing was before; I say it is weak, to say no worse of it: for the most sensible mere man that ever was ill the world since the fall, and inspired by the holy Ghost too, useth the word of that which only was to be, Eccl. xi. 8. " Let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many." And what will ye say to find it used of a thing that never so much as was to be? So David useth it concerning Judas, Psal. cix. 16. " Because he remembered not to show mercy." A learned critic tells us,* that, in the holy language, to remember, does not necessarily presuppose "any precedent knowledge which was forgot, and afterwards comes into mind ; but as we see, says he, it is taken simply for the knowledge of any thing, and speaking of the thing known. Now, when it is applied to God, it is certain the existence of the thing, and his knowledge of it, cannot be separated, for the least raomeut.f The learned Gentleman Leigh tells us, that the Hebrew word signifies to make mention of a thing. And I think it is to be observed, that the Apostle, in translating it, useth not a Compound, but a simple word, ou me mnestho eti yj which may very well be so translated, as well as the verbal is in almost all the places of the new Testament. In the Greek, mnemoneue, which signifies to remember, memini, recordor, 2 Tim. ii. 8. Rev. xviii. 5. Luke. xvii. 32, &c. So the Septuagint use it, Exod. xiii. 3. And one tells us, it answers to the Hebrew word zachar ; and yet we find it used of a thing that was to come, to wit, the departure out of Egypt, which was long after Joseph's death ; but by faith Joseph remembered it, emnemoneuse, Heb. xi. 22. But why should men go so strictly to work about the notation of the word ? for if so it be, it is certain God can no more be said properly to remember a thing than to forget it. And as unhappy are the adversaries in their criticism on the words pardoning and forgiving their importing the actual commission of sin. The apostle tells us, 1 Tim. iii. 16. that " Christ was justified in the spirit," viz. absolved from the guilt of the elects' sins which he had voluntarily taken upon him and satisfied for; yet some of these were not then committed, nor are they to this day, notwithstanding he was justified in respect of them. 2 Kings. V. 18. "In this thing" (says Naaman) "the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon ; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon, &c. Upon this there is a question proposed, "Whether or not Naaman deprecates and seeks that to

* Rivet in Psal. xxii. 28. f Crit Sac.

X Heb. viii. 12, mncia Rom i. 9. Epb. /. Ifi. &c.

be forgiven which he did before his conversion, or that which he was to do after his conversion ? Wendelin tells us,* that some modern interpreters embrace the first; but mostly all others tlie latter; which he himself holds likewise. And of that judgment, he says, are the Chaldee, Greek interpreters, Jerome, Pagniu, Luther, Vatablus, Munster, Junius, and Tremellius ; the French, Italian, and Spanish translators. However it be, I remark, for the purpose in hand, that many learned men are not so fond upon the pretended import of the word pardon, but that sometimes, for their part, they will sufi'er it to respect sin not yet committed. And I would challenge any man to give me a solid answer and reason, why sin may not be forgiven before it be committed, as well as satisfied for at the dearest rate before the actors be in rerum natura. I think the first may at least as easily be as the latter, of which no true Christian will doubt; and I would leave it to the judgment of any unbiassed person, whether or not the exacting of satisfaction for sins not only not yet committed, but even the actors of which are not yet in being, seems to be more liable to inconveniences, than the pardon of sins, though not yet committed, yet satisfied for, the person now even at the time living and believing in him who died for the ungodly? Wherefore it is strange, that Bishop Downhame's gravity permits him to be so wanton on this point, as to tell us, that this cannot be, unless we make God like the Pope, who forehand forgave sins to come. Will his Lordship allow the Pope to take money aforehand for sins to come, and not allow him to give people what they have bought with their money ? But no more of this. If we did not too much measure God's way's by man's ways, perhaps there would be less diflftculty in this matter. Only we know, that, as to him with whom we have to do, all is I)resent before his eyes; there is neither time past nor time to come with him. No better is that which they would make of the word blotting out. If the future sins of believers were not in God's debt-book, how came justice to exact payment of the Lord Jesus Christ for them ? Scripture tells us, that " in the volume of God's book it was writtenf concerning Christ, that he came to do the will of the FatherJ. What was that will, but that he should lay down his life for his sheep, or die for the sins of the elect ? If Christ's sufterings were written in that book, it is reasonable to suppose the cause of them might be found there also. But if things must needs actually be before they be put in God's book, David

• Syat. Theol. p. 562. + Psal. >1. 7. t.Iohn x. 18.

has been in a great mistalie, wliile lie tells us, that all his members were written in God's book, when as yet there was none op

THEM.

Object. 2. Other scriptures purposely speaking of the forgiveness of sins have a restrainedness unto sins committed, and look only at them, Jer. xxxiii. 8, whereby they have sinned,—have transgressed. Mark, have sinned, and have transgressed, respecting the sins past, not what they shall commit, Ezek. xviii. 22. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. 1 John ii. 1. If any man sin ; as if sin must be committed before he make intercession for the pardon of it. So in the Old Testament there was no sacrifice for any future sin.

Answer As for the first two scriptures, that they have a respect to past sins, I do not deny ; but that they respect these only is said, not proven. If they be restrained to past sius, what comes of present sins, the second member of this tripartite division, very little, if at all, used, for anything that I have yet learned, by any but those of late ? others that went before, being content with the phrase of pardon of sin, simply, or all sin, universally, as the scripture speaks. " It hath been (says Isaac Ambrose) commonly said by some of our best divines, that justification^is transacted in our first union and incorporation into Christ; at which time it is conceived, that the pardon of all sin is sealed to the believer at once." If then it be restrained, I say, to sins past, then this assertion is false, That all sins, past, and present, are forgiven at once; which the adversaries themselves do hold true. But these clauses, have sinned, and have transgressed, are plainly set down, not to distinguish their past and present, from their future sins; that would have been but small comfort to a man with a deceitful heart, that is ever sinning; but to press the sense of their sius upon their consciences, and to hold them before their eyes, that they might be the more affected therewith, and see the grace of God in Christ more. If we must consider that, Ezek. xviii. 22. all his transgressions that he hath comraited, they shall not be mentioned; pray take in likewise the following clause. In the righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Here are sins that he hath committed; and righteousness that he hath done. If the sins that he hath committed be exclusive, in point of remission, of the sins he shall commit ; then his righteousness that he hath done, which must be understood, in a gospel sense, of the righteousness of Christ received by faith, must, by virtue of the antithesis, be exclusive of the righteousness he shall do, in point of pardon, or legal life. And so the doctrine of obtaining the pardon

of future sins by the renewed acts of faith and repentance, falls to the ground: their life being appropriated to the righteousness they have done, as much as the not mentioning of their sins is to those that they have committed. Let no man tell me here, that the Lord is speaking to them in the tenor of the covenant of works, and according to tha law, I acknowledge, that the phrase of doing righteousness, looks like the legal dispensation of the covenant of grace under the Old Testament. But the law strictly so called, or the covenant of works, knows nothing of repentance and turning from sin, nor of the pardon of sin, here mentioned. Nay, though a man under the inlinence of the covenant of works could turn from sin indeed, that covenant would not allow his former sins not to be mentioned. As for that place, 1 John ii. 1. it makes nothing against us, in regard the Apostle is there speaking of believers who have an Advocate with the Fa'.her, and are actually pardoned as to the obligation to eternal wrath, but do fall under God's fatherly displeasure by their after sins, for removal of which they must employ the Advocate. But take it as ye will, there is no necessity of the actual commission of sin before intercession can be made anent it, no more than before satisfaction be made for it. But this was spoken to at large already. As to what is said of the sacrifices under the Old Testament, we are sure of two things; First, That they were types of the true sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as suffering for sinners; Secondly, That the sacrifice of Christ was for all sins, past, present, and to come; and therefore the believing Jews who were taught the mystery of Christ behoved to understand it so.

Object. 3. Those qualifications which God himself makes with respect to the forgiveness of sins do necessarily suppose a precedent commission of them: 2 Chron. vii. 14, " If my people—shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face," &c. 1 John i. 9. "If we confess," &c. Prov. xxviii. 13. "He that confesseth and for-saketh shall find mercy." Acts iii. 19. " Repent ye,—that your sins may be blotted out." Doth God put us to humble our hearts to pray for the pardon of sins not yet committed ? Would he have us to confess and forsake those sins ? Wherefore, if these things be required for forgiveness, and yet respect only sins that are past, as indeed they do, all are not pardoned at once.

Answer. Somewhat of this nature I have met with before in the first objection against the first question. I think it strange, that men, when they hear the pardon of sin spoken of in any place of scripture do presently fancy to themselves, that is the taking off the obligation to eternal wrath. As for that 2 Chron. vii. 14. it

relates to the taking off of temporary strokes from the people, as is evident from the text. "I will forgive their siu." How? " I will heal their land." "What is the disease ? The shutting up of heaven that there is no rain, &c. So Rutherford* expounds it. And that forgiveness they might have, and no doubt some had, and yet lie under God's wrath for ever. But suppose it did relate to the pardon of sin in the sense pleaded for, there are more conditional qualifications here, than the adversaries themselves will readily require as absolutely necessary. There is prayer made in the temple, ver. 14, 15. which I hope they will not say was, even under the Old Testament, necessary simply for the pardon of sin. The second scripture alleged I have already spoken to, and may afterwards speak to it further. The last of them will also be considered afterwards. Wherefore I leave them for the time. As for that, " He that confesseth and forsaketh, shall have mercy;" it seems to be that which hath most weight for that which is pleaded ; but yet the weakness of it, we hope, will appear. That the argument then may be the more closely answered, I shall reduce it into this form. The soul's humbling of itself, confessing, forsaking, and turning from sin, respect only sins past, and cannot be where siu is not actually committed; but these qualifications mentioned, are necessarily required to the obtaining of the pardon of sin: Ergo. No sin can be pardoned till it be committed, and so all is not pardoned at once. I distinguish the major, The soul's humilia-ation, confessing, and forsaking, &c. considered and taken explicitly, respect only sins past, and cannot be where sin is not actually committed ; I grant: considered virtually, they respect only sins past, &c. I deny ; for so they reach to future sins also. Apply this distinction to the minor: These qualifications are necessarily required to the obtaining of the pardon of sin, if they be taken explicitly, I deny; and so will our antagonists, so long as that remains true, " Who can understand his errors ?" That they are requisite as considered virtually, transeat. But what can be made of that against us ? Nothing at all in the point in hand : for this virtual humbling, confessing, &c. takes in future sins as well as past sins, and present, which we know not: for a man who is truly humbled for one sin, is virtually humbled for all, past, present, and to come ; seeing he is humbled for it, confesseth, forsaketh, and turns from it as sin; for a qua tali ad omne valet consequentia. Will our adversaries deny, that a believer's future sins are virtually pardoned upon his first entry into the state of justification ? If they be vir-

* Christ's dying, p- 36.

tually pardoned, why not virtually confessed and forsaken, especially seeing they make confession, &c. so necessary antecedently to pardon. And truly this may as well be said of future sins, as of those sins which we neither know, nor yet shall ever after know in time ; for as to us De non apparentibus et non existentihus eadem est ratio. Thus I think the weakness of this argument doth sufficiently appear. I shall not further meddle with the assumption here ; but in what sense we understand repentance to relate to the pardon of sin, will afterwards be declared.

Object. 4. If all sins, past, present, and to come, are forgiven at once unto believers, then no believer is to pray unto God for the forgiveness of any sin which he commits, after he is once brought into Christ; yet Jesus Christ doth teach even believers to pray, " Forgive us our trespasses," Matth. vi. 12 ; Luke xi. 4. To this may be added for confirmation, that the children of God do accordingly pray daily for the pardon of sin, as may be seen every where in the lives of the saints.

Answer. 1. Our Lord here teucheth believers to pray for the sense of pardon, and manifestation of the same to their own souls ; and that prayer suits believers very well, though all their sins, past, present, and to come, are already pardoned before the Lord in the sense pleaded for. And though it may be hard to find where pardon is used precisely for the manifestation thereof, yet he is a great stranger in the scripture who knows not, that therein things are frequently said to be or be done, when the same is only manifested. We find the Apostle tells us, that "Abraham was justified by works,"* not formally, but manifestatively ; his justification which he had long before, being then plainly evidenced. But as for those who are of opinion, that there is no pardon mentioned in the scriptures, but what respects the obligation to eternal wrath, there needs to be no great difficulty in finding such a place as may convince them, that pardon is used sometimes for the sense or manifestation of pardon precisely and only ; and which may rationally convince any man, that pardon is not always taken for the removal of the obligation to eternal wrath, formally considered ; Matth. vi. 14 " For if ye forgive men their traspasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Not unlike to this is that, Luke vi. 37. "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." We may see plainly here, that our forgiveness is required as previous to God's forgiveness ; and the follow^ iug verse tells us, that their can be no hope of forgiveness, so long as we do not forgive others. Mark, to whom he speaks ; even to be-

' James ii. 21.

lievers, wlio may call Grod Father ; yet, under a temptation, may be led away with a revengeful spirit against those who have done them wrong ; but till they lay it down, God will not forgive them. Now, will any man who is orthodox, suspend our formal remission of sin at the hand of God, on our remission of offences done to us, as previous to God's formal act of removing the obligation to eternal wrath ? This the Papists would indeed have to establish our justification by works. But the scripture teacheth us, that God's forgiving us formally considered, is the cause of our forgiving others ; and so must go before it, as the cause before the effect. A judicious interpreter* tells us, that our remission is posterior to the divine remission ; as Christ teacheth in the parable of the king and the servants, Matth. xviii.; for the king forgave first, the servant behoved to forgive after: " I forgave thee all that debt, shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant ?" And a little after, pursuing the cause against the Papists, he will not so much as yield it to be a cause of remission sine qua non. Baynf speaks very pithily to the same purpose : ' Our forgiving (says he) followeth, and doth not go before forgiveness (divine) : for none can forgive his brother, that doth not love his brother, none can love his brother truly, that loveth not God; none can love God, but those that are first loved of him, and have their sins covered by him. And this forgiveness of God is an action of his simul et semeV And afterwards he concludes; " When the scripture therefore bids us forgive that we may be forgiven, it meaneth the sense, that we may feel sealed to our spirits of God's pardon." Now if it be not a formal remission touching the obligation to eternal wrath, and yet all pardon have respect to that obligation, it must needs be understood of the manifestation of that pardon. Seeing tlien the scripture mentioned is an argument to enforce the duty injoined in the petition, it is very reasonable, that we understand the petition the same way ; as we said before, that we are here taught to pray for the sense of pardon, not for a formal pardon, as it respects eternal wrath. And we prove it by the argument used already, thus : the forgiveness mentioned in this petition is posterior to our forgiving others ; but it is the manifestation of forgiveness, not the formal pardon, that is posterior to our forgiveness : En/o. The assumption is proven already, I prove the proposition : Fh^si, We seek this remission as a benefit we yet want, but speak of our remission as a duty we in the present do. Secondly, How can we seek of God, that he would forgive us as we forgive others, if we have not

* Farms in loc. f Com. on Eph. iy. 32. p. 569.

I

done it, or are doing it? Surely that were to pray for the shutting up of God's bowels of mercy on us, rather than the opening of them ; " For if we forgive not men, God will not forgive us ?" ver. 15. Thirdly, That these words, " as we forgive them that trespass against us, are an argument, though not to move God to forgive, yet to move us to believe that God will forgive us, I think will not be denied by any sober person. But if it be such an argument, then the soul must feel itself endued with this qualification, ere it can certainly determine that God will forgive its sin; and the confidence of hearing cannot be in greater degree than the feeling of that qualification. Fourthli/, That it is so to be understood, appears from the parallel place, Luke. xi. 4. " Forgive us—for we also forgive ; kai gar lieme'is aphiemcn. Picator expounds forgiveness in the petition, plainly of the manifestation of pardon. " Christ (says he) by devine remission* in this place understands the sense of it in our minds, which is the sense of faith ; signifying, that it cannot be that we by faith can feel the divine remission, unless we be conscious to ourselves of our remission whereby we have forgiven others." That we pray here then for the sense of pardon, is evident from what is said; and so far I acquiece in it: but I mean not to say, that pardon is taken here or elsewhere only for the manifestation of pardon. But it seems no less evident to me, that, upon whnt is said, they that understand it only of the manifestation of pardon, may hold their ground against those who acknowledge no pardon but what respects the obligation to eternal wrath. But in regard that a soul may have the sense of pardon touching the obligation to eternal wrath continuing with him, and that he is still obliged daily to pray, " Forgive us our trespasses," in respect of which he can only pray in such a case for the continuance of it; and seeing the words are apt to beget in us a conception of a formal pardon, and that the scripture teaches as another sort of a formal pardon than what respects God's eternal wrath ; I do not judge, that the sense of pardon is all that we are taught to pray for in this petition. Therefore,

2. I answer. We pray here also for a formal pardon. For understanding of which, let us remember the distinction formerly made betwixt pardon of sin as it relates to the obligation whereby the sinner is bound over to eternal wrath, and that which respects the obligation whereby the soul is bound over to temporary strokes. That pardon of sin is in scripture used in the last sense, hath been already proven, and it is very commonly so taken. I shall adduce

• Schol & obs. in M.it. vi. 12. 14.

some other instances. 2 Kings, xxiv. 4. " And also for the innocent blood which he shed, which the Lord would not pardon." Jer. v. 1. " Run, through the streets of Jerusalem, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it." Would not the Lord pardon the bloodslied by Manasseh (to thera that were involved in the guilt with him) as to the obligation to eternal wrath ? Manasseh himself was pardoned in that sense, and doubtless God passed no such peremptory sentcnco on the rest that were involved in his guilt. But the context plainly tells us, it is meant of temporary strokes that came upon tho Jews by the hands of their enemies. Is that the gospel oifer to pardon Jerusalem as to the obligation to eternal wrath, if there were found but a few among them* that sought the truth ? No, sure; though the Lord averts temporal strokes on that account many times. The believing and repenting people of God still under temporary strokes complaiu. Lam. iii. 42. saying, " We have transgressed, and have rebelled, and thou hast not pardoned." But will God hold his people under obligation to eternal wrath, though believing, repenting, confessing, and forsaking ? Is. xl. 2. " Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins;" not in a way of vindictive justice, surely, but of temporary strokes from fatherly displeasure. I say then, that in this petition we are taught to pray daily for the pardon of sin, as it respects temporary strokes, and fa-tlierly displeasure ; but no otherwise, even no more than that God Avould justify us, and adopt us, &c. which are done already perfectly. And that this is the formal pardon which we are commanded to seek, is plain from that we are directed to go to a father for it. To conclude : we are taught there to pray for the sense of pardon as touching the obligation to eternal wrath, and for a formal pardon respecting temporary strokes; or, if you please, call it only that formal forgiveness just now mentioned, so that ye include the other in it, as a certain species in the general kind. For the confirmation of the objection, what the practice of the saints is de facto, is not the question ; but what it ought be de jure, or in point of right. When the children of God have lost sight of their interest in Christ, what wonder is it that they pray as those who have no part in him ? But such a practice is grounded on a mistake, and therefore is not warrantable. But that their prayers are actually sometimes for the removal of temporary anger, when they pray for pardon of sin, though some may understand them otherwise, is

* Or a magistrate, as Caryl understands it.

evident: As wlien David, Psal. xxv. " Lifting up his soul to God," ver. 1; "trusting iu him," ver. 2; "waiting on him all the day," ver. 5; recalling to mind former experiences of God's loving-kindness, ver. 6; and conscious to himself of those acts; yet prays, ver. 7' " that the Lord would not remember the sins of his youth :" can it be supposed, that he thought they were unpardoned as to the guilt of eternal wrath still? Or did the church think so, Psal. Ixxix. 8. when she prays, " 0 remember not against us former sins?" It is plain both aim at the guilt of temporary strokes, that may be brought on after they are, by their pardon, put out of hazard of eternal wrath. I shall conclude this answer with what Mr. Rutherford* says : " Our deliverance from misery is twofold, as our misery is. First, Thei'e is a guilt of sin, or our obligation to eternal wrath; the other misery is the blot of internal guilt of sin. In regard of the former, we are freely and perfectly justified, and pardoned at once from all sins in our person and state. Through the sense of this, and in regard of deliverance from temporal judgments, and doublings, and fears of eternal wrath, every day, while we seek daily bread, we desire that our sins may be forgiven."

Object. 5. It is possible, that a believing person may fall into such a sin or sins of scandal, for which he may be justly cast out from the visible church; and, upon his neglect or jiractice of repentance, he stands bound or loosed from his sin, not only in earth, but also in heaven; for so Christ himself delievers it to us in Matth. xviii. 18. But this cannot possibly be, if all sins be already pardoned in heaven; for then they are always loosed, and never bound in heaven.

Answer. That it is possible a believer may fall into such sins, for which he may be justly so treated by the church ; and that what the church does that way in that case is ratified in heaven, I doubt not. But that such a person is bound over, upon his contumacy, either in heaven or earth, to eternal wrath, or loosed upon his repentance therefrom, I do utterly refuse : and till that be proven, the argument is of no force. I will not here enter upon an inquiry into the nature of excommunication. But the screwing it up so high in the case supposed, is so far from confirming the hypothesis of adversaries, that it doth exceedingly weaken it: for by this the sin of a believer may be loosed in heaven, and yet bound on the earth, and the church in her duty still as to that person. Put the case, (which may very well supposed), that the excommunicate believer, tliinking himself (though wrongously) lesed by the sentence of

* Dying and Drawing, p. 593.

excommunication, goes over seas into a far country, where tliere is no cliurcli at all, and is there touched with the sense of his sin, renews his faith and repentance, and sues for a pardon, or the removal of the obligation to eternal wrath; he cannot but have it, even according to the principles of our adversaries : yet still he is bound on earth; and if so, bound in heaven too, as we heard just now: and so his sin is both pardoned and unpardoned in heaven at one and the self-same time—pardoned, because he has repented ; unpardoned, because he still lies under the sentence. And if this binding of a believer's sin on earth and in heaven respect the obligation to eternal wrath, it seems to me natively to follow, that a believer in a state of excommunication is in a state of condemnation. For, as one says* well, " If there were any sin remaining, a man is still in the state of condemnation." How powerful is truth ! If we turn over but another leaf before that in which this argument is applauded as Achilleanf indeed by the learned man,we shall find him telling us, that if God did yet hold you guilty, ye could not say, that ye have peace with God; for God is not at peace with you, nor are ye at peace with him, while enmity continues between you ; and so it doth while any sin remains unpardoned.I And after he hath told us there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, he adds, " And verily, if all condemnation be removed, all sin is pardoned ; if any one sin remained unpardoned, then condemnation would still be in force upon us for that one sin." But if we shall understand this binding and loosing of a believer's sin with respect to temporary anger or temporal judgments, the matter is plain, and the absurdity is evited : for though the man in such a case may, by the renewing of his faith and repentance, recover the sense of his pardon touching the obligation to eternal wrath ; yet, till he be loosed on earth, he is not loosed in heaven from the temporary judgment he was laid under; but still he feels the weight of God's fatherly displeasure, having no access to the communion of the church ; which is no doubt a very heavy band to a tender heart, and will make such an one go with a bowed down back.

Object. 6. If all sins, past, present, and to come, are forgiven at once, then a justified person, in the midst of the grossest sins, may rejoice in God, as much as when he humbles his soul, repents, and seeks his face.

Answer. This objection is justly raised against Antinomians, who deny a believer's liableness, either to eternal wrath or temporary strokes for sin. But it can, with no colour or shadow of reason, be

" Brook's Golden Key, p. 74. f Sedjiwick on the Covenant, p. 425. J P. 263.

Vol. YI. p

brought against us, who are taught, that the frowns of our dearest Father are bitter as death. See more above.

Object. 7- Forgiveness of sin is a judicial act in God, as the contrary act of condemning is. Now, the judge neither condemns nor forgives offences which are not extant.

Answer. This objection is of a piece with the first, and does truly strike at the root of the doctrine of the gospel, and quite overturns the satisfaction of Christ; and is as unadvisedly objected here by the adversaries, as some do object that logical maxim, Non-entia nulla sunt accidentia. It is dangerous to endeavour to regulate the procedure of the omniscient judge, according to the order of human policy. It was a judicial act in God, " for sin to condemn sin in the flesh"* of Christ; but wo to us that live now, if it was only sin that was extant which was thus condemned.

Object. 8. ult. The continual work of Christ in heaven as our intercessor, 1 John ii. 1. and the daily suing out of pardon in his name, seems to carry much in it for the acquiring of daily pardon.

Answer. It does so for pardon; that is, the taking off" of temporary strokes. And that we might be sure of what we sue daily for, he left that comfortable word with his people before he ascended into heaven, *' I go to your Father and my Father, to your God and my God." But of this before.

I conclude with that of the Apostle, " Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occassion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

QUEST. III.

WHETHER OR NOT REPENT 4.NCE BE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO THE OBTAINING or THE PARDON OP SIN ?

Having, in the former questions, had so frequent occasion to speak of repentance and its relation to the pardon of sin, I shall endeavour to clear what I have hinted at before in this matter. I do not now speak of the repentance that may be found in Cain and Judas, arising merely from the sense of God's wrath, which is called legal

• Rom. viii.

repentance; but of the true gospel repentance, which is a saving grace, and acceptable to God. Laying aside the Popish and Armi-niau necessity of it, and the conditional necessity thereof urged by others ; not needing to consider them particularly, seeing a fortiori they will be overturned, if it can be proven, that the pardon of sin is prior to repentance ; I shall lay down some concessions touching this matter, then our assertion confirmed with arguments, and objections answered.

CoNCEss. 1. Repentance is necessary necessitate frcecepti. It is a commanded duty, and ought to be preached by the ministers, and practised both by them and hearers of the gospel. And whoso make no conscience thereof, plainly appear to me to know neither Moses nor Christ, law nor gospel.

CoNCEss. 2. It is necessary also necessitate medii. It is a holy mean appointed of Grod, or a mids necessary to be gone through in order to the attaining of eternal life.

CoNCESs. 3. Faith and repentance, as they are ordinarily linked together in preaching, so they cannot be separated in practice. And though we may, and must distinguish them, yet they must not be divided. And whatsoever precedency is here, it is rather in order of nature, than order of time. The graces of the Spirit being given together and at once, yet much depends on the distinct uptaking of the native order of those graces.

CoNCESs. 4. As pardon denotes a relation to temporal strokes, as hath been above explained, repentance is a necessary mean in order to the obtaining of it; that is, the removal of temporal strokes. The reason of this is obvious : for the Lord's design in inflicting such strokes, is the believer's repentance, humiliation, and amendment, &c. So that when the Lord hath inflicted temporary strokes on a believer for his sins, they are not taken away till he repent and amend, and so answer the design of God in inflicting them.* It is true, they may be changed as to the species of them ; and when one sort prevails not, the Lord brings on another. But still there is a continuance of them till they prove eff'ectual. I do not say, that presently the sin is pardoned, or the stroke removed upon repentance. Scripture and experience tell us the contrary. David, though repenting, yet lies under the effects of God's fatherly displeasure ; it is a while ere his broken bones be cured. The Lord will not, upon every repentance of a sinner, pass by the ordinary course of nature. Men may be cast into diseases for their sins, and repent while God's hand is upon them, and may recover, but by

• Is. xxvii. 9.

f2

degrees. Besides, some temporary strokes of God upon believersj are of that nature that they cannot be taken off without a miracle ; as the death of David's child, &c. And there is great reason for this : for God, in inflicting of temporary strokes on believers, has other designs besides that of the amendment of the party; as the vindication of his own honour, that others may fear, and the like.

CoNCESs. 5. Repentance also is necessary in order to the attaining of the sense of the pardon of sin, as it relates to eternal wrath; as the tree must be known by its fruits. Repentance is a fruit of faith; and where there is no repentance, it cannot be supposed that assurance can be had. Yet this concession I understand so as, that although a clear discerning of repentance in a believer is necessary unto a firm assurance which fully quiets the heart, yet the believer may, without that, Mtain unto such an assurance, as is that of an adherence unto the truth of that proposition, " My sins are pardoned;" of which perhaps we may hear more afterwards. These things being yielded,

I assert, with Rutherford,* That in regard of our obligation to eternal wrath, and all the punishments of sin according to the order of justice by the law of God, faith in Christ is the only means and way to get out of our bondage and misery. And I wish this way of speaking of faith as a mean were more generally received. If it were so, it might be of good use to bury the debates about the con-ditionality of the covenant of grace, and the instrumentality of faith in our justification, and might tend to give us distinct uptakings of the true nature of the second covenant. " I had rather," says Durham,! " call it [faith,] the mean by which it, [Christ's righteousness,] is apprehended." So then repentance is not required as a mean in order to the obtaining of the pardon of sin, touching the obligation to eternal wrath. In a word, gospel repentance doth not go before, but comes after remission of sin, in the order of nature.

AtlGt. I. The first and immediate effect of saving faith, is union with the Lord Jesus Christ: for the formal act of faith as justifying, is the receiving of Christ, by which the soul is joined unto him.l The union betwixt Christ and believers may be considered, as with respect to us, actively and passively ; as we are said to join ourselves, and to be joined to the Lord : in respect of the latter, the Spirit, on God's part, apprehending us; and in respect of the former, faith on our part apprehending him, makes up the blessed union, as the immediate result thereof. || Moreover, it is evident we can have no saving benefit from Christ by faith, without communion with

• Christ's Dying and Drawing, p. 593, 594. f On Rev. p. 152. col. 2.

X 1 Cor. vi. 17. II Jer. 1. 5; 1 Cor. vi. 17.

him; which communion supposeth, and is grounded upon union with him. So Parson,* speaking of the effects of faith, tells us, that first there is union with Christ. " What can," says he, " more necessarily and immediately follow upon the offer, on God's part, in the gospel, of Christ to be ours, and our receiving him by faith, than union to his person? This I take to be the fruit of the first consummate vital act of the quickened soul, and then is the marriage-knot tied." Now, if union with Christ be the immediate effect of faith, repentance must either go before faith, or it must come after remission of sins. The former cannot be said, seeing the repentance in question is pleasing to God; but " without faith it is impossible to please God."f The Lord himself tells us, that without him we can do nothing :j; choris emu; extra me, says Grotius; seorshn a me, says Beza. Now, we are still without Christ, till by faith we be united to him, Eph. iii. 17. Wherefore true Repentance cannot go before faith. It remains then, that it comes after remission of sin. For how can it be conceived, that the soul is united to Christ, but that siu is also immediately pardoned? Seeing by virtue of this union the soul hath a perfect righteousness to present unto God, it cannot but eo ipso be justified and pardoned. If anything shall be supposed to intervene betwixt union with Christ and justification, we shall have a man righteous and unrighteous, condemned and not condemned at once; condemned, because, ex hypothesi, he is not justified, nor his sins pardoned; not condemned, because he is " in Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 1.

Argument II. We may clearly perceive this doctrine from the parable of the two debtors. Luke vii. where the conclusion of the whole is in ver, 47. " Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins^ which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much : but," &c. The occasion of this parable is told us, vers. 37, 38, 39. A woman who was a sinner comes to Christ, washes his feet with tears, wipes them with her hair, kisseth bis feet, &c. The Pharisee having known what a profane wretch this woman was some time, but being ignorant of the change wrought on her, and the favour she had obtained with God, thinks with himself, that Christ cannot be a Prophet, iu regard he admitted such a profane person to treat him so; ■ which he supposeth he would not have done, had he known what sort of a woman she was. The scope of the parable is, to convince the Pharisee, that this woman was not such a one as he took her to be; but that she was a pardoned sinner, and one who, nothwithstanding her former course of life, had now obtained favour with God^

* Morning Exer. p. 468. jHeb. xi. 6. J John xv. 5.

and therefore there was no ground for the Pharisee's inference, that Christ was not a Prophet, and he was mistaken in thinking Christ knew not what she was. To prove that this woman was such a one as is said, he makes use of the parahle of two debtors; the one whereof owed five hundred, the other fifty pence, both to the same creditor; and both are forgiven; then proposes the question, "Which of the two will love most?" Simon answers, "He to whom most is forgiven." "Wherefore the conclusion of the point is, That seeing those love most to whom most is forgiven, and it is evident this woman loves most, which is manifest by those her expressions of love, and her tears, most is forgiven to her, she is a pardoned sinner. And thus our divines against the Papists unanimously understand this love as the effect or consequent of her forgiveness. See Calvin,* instead of all, handling this place at large against the patrons of the merit of works. Hence I argue thus: Our love to God follows upon, and is a fruit of remission of sin; but our repentance proceeds from love to God, and so in order of nature is posterior thereto: Ergo, Repentance follows remission of sin. Both the premises are evident from this parable, especially the proposition. To confirm the assumption, we are told, 1 John iv. 19. " We loved him, because he first loved us." God's love to us is always antecedent to ours towards him. Now, these presuppose remission: for how can God delight in those whom his law condemns? He hates those whose sins he hath not pardoned, as we heard before: or how can we love God while he is our enemy, which he is still so long as our sins are not pardoned ? This is plainly taught us, Hos. xiv. 4. " I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely." Upon which Zanchius thus comments :f " He says not, in the first place, I will love them, then I will heal their rebellions; but first I will heal; then, I will love." He teacheth then, that God loves none with that love whereof we speak, but after the forgiveness of their sins through Clirist; and that those whose sins are not pardoned, are hated of God, For there can be no love, says Hemmingius,| no obedience, except mercy and reconciliation, for the Mediator's sake, be first apprehended. We heard before Bayn telling us there can none love God, but those that are first loved of him, and have their sins covered with him.

A godly and learned divine hath an exception here; which is this. Repentance may be considered as it doth not only follow pardon, but also the intimation thereof; so it is a melting of heart,

* Itistit. lib. 3. cnp, section 37. f ^"om- 'i Joe. % Com. in Jam. fol. 32.

and a self-loathing that floweth from felt love. This is the melting of heart spoken of in that woman. But repentance, as it is a work of sanctifying grace, arising from the sense of bypast sin, and hope of future mercy, goeth along with faith, for the attaining of the hoped-for remission.

Contra. 1. That it is granted, this woman's repentance followed her pardon, is well; but that it followed the intimation thereof, is not proven ; yea the contrary seems pretty clear, if we consult the place : for after she had expressed her penitency, as the Evangelist tells us, her pardon is intimated, ver. 48. " And he said unto her. Thy sins are forgiven :" and adds, ver. ult, " Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace ;" which is a manifest check to her doubts and fears, creates a calm in her troubled soul; and tells us plainly, that she came to him in trouble, fear, and anxiety. So far was she from the intimation of pardon. And no wonder it was so; for it is but the Lord's ordinary way to use a hard wedge for knotty timber. She was a sinner, a harlot, says Piscator, and, it seems, but very lately converted; they who knew her before, not having as yet discerned the change. If it be said, that intimation was made, not so much for her who had the sense of pardon before, as for those who sat at meat with Christ; the contrary of that appears, in that the same was convincingly concluded as to them in the preceding verse. As for what is said of her repentance flowing from felt love, it is true in some sense. For God's love may be felt two ways; first, materially and objectively; secondly, formally or subjectively. The first way no doubt she felt it; for God's pardoning love was the efi'ectual cause of her love to God, and repentance in her heart, according to that, " With loving-kindness have I drawn thee :"* for God's love worketh its like in our souls, independently on our knowledge thereof; as the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, though we know not whence it cometh, nor whether it goeth.f Did not our hearts burn within us, (say the disciples),| while he talked with us, &c. ? and yet they knew not till afterwards who it was that spoke to them : so might she feel God's love, yet not formally and subjectively, as is clear from the necessity of the intimation spoken of before; for had she known that indeed, the power whereof she felt, it would have created peace, and quelled the storm of conscience in her.

2. That there is another kind of repentance, than this of that woman's, which goes along with faith for the attaining of

* Jer. xxxi. 3. f John iii. 8. X Luke xxiv, 32.

remission, I must needs refuse till it be proven. I confess I can see no such repentance in the Scripture as is here described. The repentance we now treat of, respects the soul's union with Christ, at the first conversion of the soul to God; and so the worthy-author tells us in these words : " We say, that repentance understood in the last sense, is simply necessary for the obtaining of the pardon of sin ; so that without it no unreconciled sinner can expect peace with God." Aud yet this repentance is said to be a work of sanctifying grace. Now, that a work of sanctifying grace should, in order of nature, go before the pardon of sin, I think will be hard to reconcile to that which is generally the doctrine of orthodox divines, that justification goes before sanctification ;* that the state of the soul must first be changed, and the tree be first made good, before it can bring forth good fruit, or a work of sanctifying grace; or that our persons must be first accepted, ere our works can be acceptable. But sure it is, while sin is unpardoned our persons are not accepted.

Argument III. Hence then it further appears, that true repentance follows the pardon of sin, and therefore cannot be a mean to attain it. For if good works do not go before, but follow our justification, as is generally maintained by Protestant divines, with whom you will seldom miss, on that head, the famous saying of Augustine, Bona opera non prcecedunt justificandum, sed sequuntur justificatum ; repentance must needs follow the pardon of sin, or it must be denied to be a good work ; the contrary whereof we have heard, in that it is said to be a work of sanctifying grace : and it surely implies good works, if it be such as our Catechism, according to the Scripture, describes it, viz. " a turning from sin unto God," &c. We cannot but take notice how much Socinus and his fellows labour for the precedency of repentance to the remission of sin, hoc velut et magno mercentur. But repentance and conversion (says Socinus)f go before the blotting out of sin. Acts iii. 19. For justification (says Schlichtingius) neither begins without faith and repentance, nor does it last without the fruits and eifects of faith and repentance. I know, that the learned men who plead for repentance as necessary to the attaining of the pardon of sin, do with their souls abhor Socinus' design therein ; but why should we yield anything to the common enemy without necessity? In his treatise of justification, he lays hold ou this their

• Assem. Cat. Hoornbeek Socin. Conf. vol. 2. p. ti79. Zanch. in Eph. f De fide et operihvs, p. CO. i:it. noornheek Socin. Conf. vol. 2. p. 680. p. 334. cit. eod. ib, p. 695.

doctrine to inveigle them in a contradiction: " There is another extreme (says he*) received commonly, not without the great undoing of souls, that is, that our good works do nothing at all pertain to our justification, but as they are effects of the same. (Here is the venom of the Auti-Socinian doctrine). Whence it follows, that seeing it is certain we are justified by faith, it must needs come to pass, that they be of opinion, that a man is justified even before he doth any good, though afterwards he shall do. Which is contrary to the whole Scripture; which, to pass other things, doth plainly testify, that the remission of our sins doth not consist nor exist without repentance ; and seeing it is most true, and they themselves acknowledge that, and confess that our justification is no other indeed than remission of our sins," &c. Hoornbeekf answers to this: " We confess, says he, that our good works pertain not to justification antecedently and causally, but are the effects of justification itself." This is the very thing we plead. But as for that which the same learned man adds in answer to that of Socinus, viz. That repentance is required in the subject, which ' may be partaker of remission, but is not therefore requisite to Grod's justifying as it denotes his action absolving a man; but well indeed as it denotes its termination, and the sense of it passively in the faithful soul; it does indeed confirm me in the doctrine I plead for, while I see the miserable strait those are brought into by this objection, who hold the precedency of repentance to the remission of sin. For I think it is clear, Socinus is not speaking of justification as it is an action of God precisely, not terminated upon the creature; for thus justification goes before faith as well as repentance, it being in that sense from eternity; nor yet is he speaking of the sense of it in the soul; but of justification, properly so called, terminated on the creature. And unless we make the termination of justification in the faithful soul, and the sense of it, all one, I confess I cannot divine what is the difference betwixt justification as it denotes an action of God absolving a man, and as it denotes the termination of it on the soul; only they are different ways of conceiving one and the same thing; J even as calefaction, as it is referred to the fire, is termed an action, and as referred to the water, is called passion. For an action of God absolving a man, (unless you understand it of the decree of absolution, which is not in question), is a transient act; and it will be very hard to shew a difference betwixt a transient act, and an act terminated on an extrinsic object. I like much better what that learned author delivers afterwards. " So

* P. 51. cit. ib. p 679. t 11,1(1. X Wend S^-st. Theol. p. 571.

justification (says he) is considered either on God's part, or on onr part, terminated in us, and its subject. The first is in the eternal decree of God destinated for us; in the promises from the first age of the world, and in the gospel, off'ered ; by Christ, merited ; by his resurrection, confirmed and ratified; hitherto actively. But it is considered passively, as applied to and terminated on the soal, by faith. And this way the grace of remission is more clearly seen, as it comes to men, not only having merited nothing of good, but yet being (consistentihus) in guilt and wickedness: In the meantime, with the grace of justification, endued also with that of sanctifica-tion, whereby, for the time to come, they from the heart do live, not unto wickedness, but unto God and Christ." This doth indeed dash Socinus' doctrine in the head and heart. The Assembly, in their Larger Catechism,* tells us, that in sanctification the seeds of repentance unto life are put into the heart. "Whereby it is manifest, that repentance doth not go before justification, and consequently that it cannot be a mean to attain the pardon of sin.

If any shall say, that repentance is properly and solely an evangelic work, and therefore is not to be put in the same class with other works following justification, and commanded by the law: I answer, That according to the doctrine of the gospel, it is plain, that faith as it receives Christ, is oj)posed, in the matter of justification, to all works whatsoever: and so does not only exclude repentance, but itself as a work, as Protestant divinesf teach against the patrons of the righteousness of works. But this is not to be yielded, that repentance is in such sort an evangelic work,J as if it were not at all commanded by the law; for the law of the Lord is perfect, and contains the whole duty of man. It is true as was said above, the law knows no place for repentance, how it may be accepted as the gospel doth ; it promiseth no strength wherewith it may be performed, as the gospel does. But as, supposing the revelation of Christ, and the ofi^er of him in the gospel, the law obligeth us to believe; so supposing the rational creaturd to have sinned, the law obligeth him to turn from sin unto God, that is, to repent; otherwise the impenitency of the devils were no sin; which I think none will adventure to say. So then it is true, that expressly and absolutely the law does not call for repentance,

* Q. What is Sanctification ?

t Never a Protestant divine (Arminians and Socinians I disclaim, as no Protestants') made sanctification a cause of justification, but an effect. Christ's Djing and Drawing, p. 109.

% Evangelium nulla habet formaliter ah operihus legis dislincta. Wend. S)st. Theol. p. 415.

yet virtually and hypothetically it doth. But why are any works called evangelic, but because they are done by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ manifested in the gospel, and under the influence of the covenant of grace ? "Whereas legal works are done by the power of nature, and under the influence of the covenant of works; and in this sense any work of sanctifying grace is as much an evangelic work, as repentance is. But, upon the whole, let the fore-mentioned author, in his confutation of Socinianism,* answer for me, " Now, (says he), in that he (viz. Socinus) placeth evangelic works before justification, in that he is contrary to Scripture and reason; to the scripture, Rom. iv. 5. and iii. 28; Gal. ii. 16; Rom. xi. 6. That opinion is contrary to reason; because, seeing faith is the beginning of all good works, without which no man can please God, or perform any thing acceptable to him, and by it as soon as it is present, we are justified, good works cannot go before justification, as they cannot go before faith, but only follow." The like he hath again elsewhere,f telling us, that God absolves men choris ergon, without works, without previous piety. It ought not to be said, that, by this doctrine, faith itself as an evangelic work is to be cast behind justification likewise; for faith, being the principle of all, must needs be excepted, in regard it is that which unites the soul to Christ. The forecited author tellsj us how we are to understand this. " A man (says he) is justified before he hath done any good, that is, good following on faith; who when he believes is justified." But the description formerly given of an evangelic work, leaves no room at all for this exception; and truly the name of a work should be far from the matter of our justification before God. Though it should be said, that repentance is not considered here as a work, but as a quality, it will not take off the force of the argument, which concludes against the very being of repentance before pardon, in order of nature at least.

Argument IV. If we consider the promises of repentance in the covenant, we shall find they come in the same order that we plead for. Ezek. xxxvi. After the Lord had told them of remission of sin, ver. 25. "From all your idols will I cleanse you;" he pro-niiseth repentance, ver. 31. "Then shall ye remember your own evil ways," &c. So Ezek. xvi. 60, 61, 62, 63. " I will remember ray covenant with thee—Then thou shalt remember thy ways—And I will establish my covenant with thee, that thou mayest remember, and be confounded," &c. Hos. xiv. 4. " I will heal their backsliding." Yer. 8. " Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more

* Vol. 2. p. 681. 1^-^96. JP. 680.

with idols ?" Is. xliv. 22. " I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee." This is the native order of these things; and why should we strive to disturb and confound the same ? for this doctrine of the precedency of repentance to pardon calls for the quite contrary order. If it be said, these promises respect a repentance they should be stirred up to after their pardon ; but that does not hinder but that there may be a sort of repentance going before pardon: I answer, (besides what is already said on this head). That there is a sort of legal repentance that goes before pardon, I do not deny, which belongs to conviction, and may be in Judas and Cain, and was in those elect ones. Acts ii. 37- when they were " pricked at the heart;" whom yet the Apostle calls to true repentance, ver. 38. And this I judge to be necessary by God's appointment, at least in the ordinary way, in the course of God's ordinary dispensation: those persons being first killed by the law whom he minds to revive by the gospel. But this goes before faith; and cannot, but in a very large sense, be reckoned a mean in order to the attaining of remission of sins; seeing it is toto genere different from any special and saving work of the' Spirit. But the question is of gospel repentance which is theologically good: and if there be any such different from that which is here promised, I would know where it is promised; for no other appears in those places, but what follows pardon. If it be not promised at all, it is not at all, otherwise the covenant is defective : which is absurd. If you say, it is included in the new heart; I shall on the same grounds infer the necessity of all the graces of the Spirit, as well as of repentance, patience, chastity, &c.; which no man holding justification by faith alone, ever said were necessary in order to the attaining of pardon. But let it be so; the new state of cleanness by way of pardon is set before; " I will cleanse you;" also, " I will give yon a new heart." But we stand not on the order of words. The apostle plainly tells us, that the ungodly are the objects of justification, Rom. iv 5. "But to him that work-eth not, but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly, &c. Is the repenting sinner the man who worketh not ? is he the ungodly whom God justifieth ? " Who can think (says Hoornbeek)* that the ungodly is said by Paul to be justified, because after justification he remains ungodly, and not because he had been ungodly ; and in the very act of justification, he could no otherwise be considered than in himself ungodly ? though with his justification he be endued with

• SiH'in. Conf. vol. 2. p. 096.

the grace of God, whereby he shall afterwards live godly : but this neither before nor in justification ; for God absolves a man even choris ergon, without previous piety."

Aegujient. Y. Though the patrons of the doctrine of the necessity of repentance in order to the obtaining of the pardon of sin, do not aim at any encroachment on the doctrine of free pardon ; yet, with all deference to those learned men, I conceive, that such doctrine is injurious to the grace of God, and doth much darken the free pardon offered in the gospel, in regard the pardon is promised immediately to those that believe,* Acts x. 43. " Through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins." But they require, that believers bring something with them, if they would obtain it, even that they bring repentance along with them. I think Dr. Prestonf says well, when he tells us, " It is a fault to think God's pardons are not free, and that you must bring something in your hand. The very end (says he) of thy going to Christ, is to get thy hardness of heart and deadness of spirit removed, to be healed and enlivened." And it is truly strange to think from what airth repentance should come to people, while as yet their sins are unpardoned, and God is their enemy. What need is their of those ways ? "Why go we not by faith to a reconciled God, to get repentance ; but must seek repentance wherewith we may go to an unreconciled God, who is a consuming fire ? If I mistake not, that is not the way of the gospel. It is a seasonable admonition that one gives us to this purpose,:]: " When you go to mourn for sin, begin aloft with Christ ; and do not always think to begin below with sin, and so to come up to Christ; but begin aloft with Christ, and fall down upon your sin." "Papists (says Dr. Preston||) tell of escaping damnation, and of getting into heaven. J3ut Scripture gives other motives (to good works). Thou art in Christ, and Christ is thine ; consider what he hath done for thee, what thou hast by him, what thou hadst been without him, and thus stir up thyself to do for him what he re-quireth." Let them that will, repent that Christ may do for them ; I shall desire always to believe what Christ hath done for me, that I may repent; not doubting but that the being instructed therein is the plain way to smiting on the thigh, and saying, What have I done? So says a godly writer,§ "First of all, God's favour is apprehended, and remission of sin believed; then upon that cometh alteration of life and conversation." Upon the whole we may see^

• Is. Iv. 1. Acts. xvi. 31, Rev. xxii. 17. t Ahridg. of his works, p. 394.

If. Bridges' Good Mua's Peace, p. 17. || Ubi sup. ^ Stock;

I

that the gospel teaches us to come empty-handed to the market of free grace, for remission of sin and God's favour. But he comes not empty, who brings repentance along with him. If any shall say, that if we screw up matters so high in this point, we must cast faith as well as repentance, in the matter of attaining pardon; for that is still something we bring with us. I shall answer; For the safety of God's grace, let the work faith, the inherent quality faith, go, and be made to stand aback, while the sinner stands before God's tribunal to be justified; that the empty-handed, taking faith, may alone hare place. Hath not the Lord made it to be only of faith, that it might be of grace, while faith comes with an empty hand, and receives all ? There is a vast difference betwixt faith and repentance in this matter, even as much as betwixt giving and receiving: for there is no grace of the Spirit that hath more of the nature of giving than repentance, in so far as it is a turning of the whole man from sin unto God ; and upon that head it ought to be banished far from the soul's justification, and to have no part nor lot in the matter of attaining free pardon. And seeing this doctrine doth so well agree with the natural religion that is in all men, whereby they, when they come to God to obtain a favour, would always be sure of some qualification in themselves fitting them for the receipt of it; let us take heed, that it turn not the covenant of grace into a bastard covenant of works. The covenant of works says, Do this; the covenant of grace says so too. Where is the difference then? Why, the covenant of works says. Do this, and thou shalt live, viz. in God's tavour, wherein life lies.* But the covenant of grace saith, Live thou, and do this.f Now, this doctrine says. Repent, and thy sins shall be pardoned ; which is indeed, Do this, and thou shalt live. It requires not perfect obedience indeed; but if we resolve it, we find it to be this. Turn from sin sincerely unto God, though thou canst not perfectly, and thou shalt live in God's favour. Now, we know magis et minus non variant speciem. I have almost lost sight of faith its relation to the pardon of sin: and no great wonder; seeing another thing is set betwixt them, which seems to take the right hand of faith; for they will not say repentance goes before faith, and yet they will not allow it to come after remission of sin. So then it must go betwixt them, and therefore is the nearest mean : and whichsoever of two means be in themselves the more noble, yet, in relation to the common end, it is highly reasonable to prefer the immediate and nearest mean to the mediate and remote; whereby it comes to pass, that, in the matter of the pardon of sin,

♦ Psal. XXX. 5. t Ezek. xvi. 6, 7,

repentance must be the more noble mean. Again, I say, I believe and desire to go immediately to Christ for pardon; but dost thou repent of thy sins, thy faith cannot obtain pardon without repentance ? Well then, still repentance is preferable to faith here: for without it faith can do nothing; but with it, it proves effectual; now. Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale. But this I am confident is not the doctrine of the gospel. Let us take a watchword from holy and learned Rutherford : " We would beware (says he) of Mr. Baxter's* order of setting repentance and works of new obedience before justification ; which is indeed a new covenant of works."

Argument VI. ult. If repentance be a mean necessary in order to the obtaining of pardon, then unless a man be assured of the truth and reality of his repentance, he cannot without sin embrace the offered pardon; the very embracing of it is a sin unto him ; which is very absurd. 1 prove the connection : for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin : that is, says acute Beza,f all that is done in doubt of conscience, whether it please God or not, and so consequently whether God commanded it or not, is but sin. And the context makes it plain, that the apostle means it of the faith of God's command. Now, how can that be of faith, and how can that be but sin, when the person doubts of God's command obliging him in particular to believe and lay hold upou the offered pardon ? He is persuaded, that he dare not embrace the pardon or believe it, unless he be a true penitent; for God offers it to none immediately, but to true penitents, ex hypothesi; and yet no wonder that he very much doubts whether he be such a one or not, and is most ready to conclude he is not. So that till he be persuaded of the truth of his repentance, he cannot in faith embrace the offered pardon. When God makes his offers of pardon only to such as are so and so qualified, how can he be excused from presumption that adventures on the embracing of them, not discerning himself to be thus qualified? When the Lord covers his table in the gospel, but invites none but such as are qualified with true repentance, he that doubteth, is damned if he eat. But the gospel requires no such thing, as that a man must know his repentance to be true before he embrace the offered pardon ; but simply calls all that will come, to come and take of the water of life freely. We may easily perceive how injurious this is to souls under exercise, how it natively tends to keep them long in the place of the breaking forth of children. For although the person appre-

• Influences of the Life, &c. p. 346. f Conf. poiut 4. art. 15.

hends God's anger gone out against him, and hears of the free pardon offered in the gospel; yet still it appears to him forbidden fruit, unless he be conscious to himself of the truth of his repentance ; seeing true repentance is a mean absolutely necessary in order to the obtaining of the pardon of sin. And while they cannot see the truth of their repentance, the offers of the gospel and promises of pardon, while they hear them, do but torment them the more, while they persuade themselves, that none but true penitents can have access unto them ; which ere they can lay hold on, they must redd the marches betwixt legal and gospel repentance, and must have it made out to their consciences, that their repentance hath all the discriminating characters that distinguish it from the repentance of Judas, and from that sorrow for sin which proceeds merely from the force of an enlightened conscience. And seeing true repentance proceeds from love to God, as we heard before, they must love God, not only while they apprehend him their enemy, but even while he is their enemy in very deed; being a judge to them, under whose condemnatory sentence they lie, their sins being unpardoned. Whatever the soul in this case actually does, it is plain from what is said, that, acting according to this principle, they are obliged to suspend the embracing of pardon till they know they repent. But I suppose, that when a sinner is sufficiently made to see his absolute need of Christ, and of gospel grace, he does then embrace Christ by faith, which makes up a happy union betwixt Christ and him ; whereupon follows the absol-vitory sentence ; and that independently on his consciousness either of his' own acts towards God, or of God's actions towards him. In the meantime, this false persuasion, while stuck to, mars their peace and comfort. The plain gospel way, so far as I understand it, is, That a soul being by the law, brought to a sense of the absolute and indispensable need of Christ, (for till then a soul will never be content -with the gospel way of salvation,) hath an offer of Christ, and of the pardon of sin freely made unto it, without any respect to any inherent qualification ; and thereupon cordially takes both according to the offer, embraceth Christ and his pardoning grace; or consents to take Christ, by which he becomes his : whereupon he is immediately justified and pardoned, without any more ado : and hence natively flows true repentance ; which being discerned by them, confirms to them the pardon of sin more and more. I said more a:id more ; in regard that this truth we now plead for being believed, supposing the soul conscious of its own act of reception, it is even then, at the soul's first embracing of Christ, sufficient in suo genere to assure him of the pardon of his sins. And no farther goes the

consciousness of true repentance : for, in respect of both, the supervenient testimony of the Spirit is necessary to remove all doubts, and to set the soul in perfect peace. For let the medium be, either the receiving of Christ and the pardon offered, or repentance, the illustration of both premises and conclusion by the Spirit is necessary, in order to the full quiet of the heart. And I think 1 may add, that faith is a more firm and steady ground of assurance of the pardon of sin, quad nos, than repentance; in regard it is easier known. And hence it is, that divines use to give advice to Christians perplexed with doubts and fears as to their state, when they can discern no evidences of grace in themselves, to lay by the inquiry, and, as if they had never believed in Christ, repented of their sins, &c.* to exercise a direct act of accepting of Christ offered in the gospel, and then to reflect on that act in order to their quietness.| If any shall endeavour to retort this argument, and say, that if it hold, then as to faith, which is a necessary mean to pardon, we must in like manner be assured of the reality thereof, or it is sin for us to embrace the pardon: I answer, It follows by no means. There are two ways of embracing a pardon. Fhst, A pardon may be embraced in the way of presumption ; which overleaps Christ himself, and grasps at his benefits, and particularly remission of sin. This no doubt is a sin ; for God offers no pardon in that way. Secondly, A pardon is embraced by faith ; which receives Christ, and in him and with him the pardon of sin. This cannot be sin, whether we be conscious of the reality and uprightness of our act or not; though it is not so in regard of repentance. The reason is, There is a vast difference betwixt faith and repentance in this matter. The last of these is required as a qualification in the party distinct from the receiving of the pardon ; or it is required as a mids, through which a soul must go before it can win at the pardon : and therefore, if faith should lay hold on pardon, not knowing it hath come by this mids quad nos, we come not at it in Grod's way, and consequently it is sin to embrace it so, viz. not having known, antecedently to our taking it, that we do repent. But faith is not a qualification previously required to the embracing of the pardon ; but, as it is considered here, is the very act of receiving it, Acts xxvi. 18, " That they may receive forgiveness of sins." Wherefore the previous knowledge thereof in us cannot be necessary in order to the embracing of the pardon ; unless you say, that a man must know he receives forgiveness before he receive it; which is absurd. To conclude, I suppose, that the way to deal with souls in order to their salvation, is, to labour by all means to conclude

* Perkins' Alicubi. f Cmighead oa the Sac. p. 31.

Vol. YI. tt

tliem under the law ; tliat is, to hold out unto them tlieir niiserahle state by nature, so as they may clearly see themselves lying under the curse, no ways able to help themselves; whence they shall feel an absolute need of the Lord Jesus Christ; and, when they ai-e brought that length by the blessing of God, to propose unto thera Christ with his free pardon : which he is to be commanded in God's name to accept, without any more ado about any thing to qualify him for a pardon. " Wherefore," says Luther,* " when I see a man sufficiently broken, to be oppressed with the law, terrified with sin, and to thirst after comfort; then is it time that I remove out of his sight the law and active righteousness, and propose, by the gospel, passive righteousness ; which, Moses with his law being excluded, does exhibit the promise concerning Christ, who came for the afflicted and sinners."

Object. 1. The command of repentance is prefixed to the obtaining of pardon, and preventing of wrath, and that by way of certification, that if it be not, remission is not to be expected. Acts iii. 19. " Repent, that your sins may be blotted out;" which doth imply, that without this the blotting out of sin is not to be expected. See also Acts ii. 38. and viii. 22.

Answer. How little weight is to be laid upon the prefixing of the command to the obtaining of pardon, will appear in the examination of the places of Scripture adduced. As for that of preventing wrath, I cheerfully yield, we cannot be saved unless we repent and obey, as we cannot be pardoned unless we believe. For the better understanding of the Scriptures alleged, I am content to borrow light from the learned man that hath this objection ; who, while he defends faith alone to be the condition of the covenant of grace, propo-seth an objection against himself, viz. As these places (which he had adduced for confirmation of that assertion, that faith alone is the condition of the covenant) do propose faith, so other places do propose repentance, as Acts ii. 38. &c. He answers to this. That if that objection hold, repentance and works would be equalled with it. "We therefore" says he, "take it thus: "Where repentance is proposed, there the whole way of turning to God more generally is proposed." And herein he follows Calvin, who speaks thus: " And truly I am not ignorant,f that under the name of repentance, is comprehended, the whole turning to God, whereof faith is not the least part." I presume, that in these places alleged, faith is not once named, but repentance is proposed: Ergo, The whole way of turning to God more generally is proposed. And if the prefixing

Arg in epist. ad. Gal. t Instit. lil). 3. caj', 3. .Sect. 5.

thereof to the promise of pardon do sufliciently eviuce, that it is previously required to forgiveness, then faith, repentance, and works are in the same balance, or repentance and works are equalled with faith : for who can deny, that new obedience is conipi-e-liended under the whole turning unto God ? So Hemmingius citing that of Jeremiah,* " Let every man return from his evil ways, and I will forgive your iniquity and your sins," tells us, " That here is a comraandracnt, and a promise. The commandment is, that the ungodly do return : the promise is of reconciliation. Hereupon it is gathered, that repentance is a conversion of man unto God ; in the which conversion he doth depart from evil, believe the promise, and studieth to lead a new life according to the will of God." Now, unless that our whole turning to God more generally be a mean of remission of sin, which I hope will not be said by the objector, these Scriptures alleged prove nothing to the purpose. But let us take a particular view of them. As to that Acts iii. 19. "Repent,—that your sins may be blotted out;" though I should grant, that the repentance here exhorted to is repentance strictly so called, aud that God offers pardon here, and requires repentance ; it will not therefore follow, that it is required antecedently to the obtaining of pardon. " Wherefore, when God offereth forgiveness of sins," says Calvin,j- "he likewise useth to require repentance on our part; secretly declaring, that his mercy ought to be to men a cause of their repentance. Again, " repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," Acts iii. 19. where yet it is to be noted, that this condition is not so annexed, as though our repentance were a foundation to deserve pardon ; but rather (because the Lord hath determined to have mercy upon men, to this end that they should repent) he teacheth men whether they shall travail if they will obtain grace." But indeed I very much doubt, if the repentance here spoken of, be meant, either in whole or in part, of true gospel repentance ; in regard we find conversion is also exhorted unto in the very next word, which I suppose may take in true repentance. "Wherefore I rather incline to expound it simply of a change of the mind from one opinion to another, from worse to better. It is well known, that the people of the Jews had very unsound notions concerning their Messiah, his nature and offices; they looked for one who should make a great figure in the world, restore the kingdom to Israel, and deliver them from the Roman yoke. This prc-judicated opinion remaining with them, the doctrine of the gospel could have no access unto their hearts : for the preacli-

Com. on Jam. digress concern. Repent.mcp, fol 27. f Instit. lib. 3. cap. 3. Sect. 29.

G 2

ing of the cross was to the Jews a stumbling-block ; they expected far other things of their Messiah than that he should be crucified, &c. The apostle therefore calls them to lay aside this prejudice, and be converted. This very well agrees with the context ; for Peter having told them how they had crucified him whom God now had glorified, he shews them, how it came to pass they did so, ver. 17; Through ignorance ye did it. For (as Paul says) had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Wherefore, ver. IB. he removes their mistake, telling them, that, by the writings of the prophets, the Messiah was to suffer the very things that they had inflicted ou Jesus of Nazareth. Whence he brings in that exhortation, ver. 19. Repent therefore, &c. " Then be no more under the power of that dangerous mistake, but change your mind, and turn to the Lord," &c. But understand repentance here what way you please, this Scripture makes nothing for what it is alleged: for it is evident that the blotting out of sin here respecteth, not the time of repentance, but the time of refreshment. Wherefore, as Mr. Rutherford answers, " The words should bear, that sins were not pardoned until the time of refreshment,* that is, till the day of eternal happiness, and rest from our labours of this life; in which day sins are only blotted out declaratively, saith Diodati." The world to come, says Tainovius, whose beginning is at the last judgment, is called by Luke very elegantly, as his manner is, Anapsuxis,f because it denotes refreshment, which is done, and comes to them who are weakened by heat, through refrigeration ; as ye may see in some who are in a swoon, when ye pour cold water on them. So Calvin, Beza, Piscator, and Aretius, understand it. Wherefore the remission here spoken of is not the formal forgiveness that is in question ; but is an opeu declaration of the same at the day of judgment. And hereunto the emphasis of the Greek word rendered blotting out doth best agree : for it signifies (says Zanchius|) so perfectly to blot out a thing, that there remains behind no vestige of it. As little does that place. Acts ii. 38, Repent, and be baptized—for the remission of sins, help their cause: for who sees not, that the command of being baptized is prefixed to the promise, as well as the command to repent ? Must it then follow, that baptism is a necessary mean in order to the obtaining of the remission of sin ? The argument is of alike force for both. But, moreover, where is there a promise he>-e ? Mention is indeed made of remission, but not by way of promise. Nay, there is nothing here of a formal

* Influences of the Life, &c. p. 348. f Leigh's Crit. J Com. on Col. ii.

reception of forgiveness. For, as Piscator* well observes, these words, for the remission of sins, do not depend upon the word repent, but upon that be baptized. And the plain sense of the words is, that they should be baptized in testimony of remission of sin, not to obtain remission of sin through this mean or instrument, because faith alone is the mean or instrument whereby we apprehend remission of sins in the gospel. If you say. Is there no promise of the pardon of sin to be found here ? I answer, The formal forgiveness of sin is comprehended in ver. 39. The promise is to you, &c. Now, what promise ? the promise of the Spirit, ver. 17- And of salvation, ver. 21. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved first of all; which pre-supposeth faith ; for how can they call on him on whom they have not believed ? Now, it is plain, that the apostle exhorts them to repent, from this ground, that the promise is to them, as the particle/or imports. And though the 39th verse comes last, yet, in order of nature, it is first, as the premises go before the conclusion. And thus I think, we have the plain meaning of the apostle in these words, q. d. :—" Ye are pricked at the heart; but do not despond, in regard the saving and special gifts of God are in your ofi^er, and promised to you upon your acceptance thereof: therefore do ye wholly turn to God by faith, repentance, and new obedience; and, for your confirmation in the remission of your sins, receive baptism as the seal of the covenant," As to that Acts viii. 22. we say, that the command to pray is prefixed to what he says of remission, as well as the command to repent; yet must it not be hence concluded, that prayer must needs go before forgiveness. But here, as before, we say repentance is put for the whole turning to God.

Objection 2. The connection betwixt repentance and pardon is peremptorily inforced, Luke xiii. 2, 3. " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," Prov. xxviii. 13. " "Whoso confesseth and for-saketh his sins, shall have mercy."

Answer. All this is what we deny not. There is no doubt a connection betwixt repentance and pardon. But the question is rather about the annexing of the one to the other. Whether repentance be annexed to pardon, or pardon to repentance ? We say, the former is true, and there is nothing here to prove the contrary. Yea, the first of these Scriptures cited, doth not so much as hold out a connection betwixt repentance and pardon, but only betwixt non-re-l)enting and perishing. And there is a vast difference betwixt these two; for the former cannot be lawfully inferred from the latter; as

'Schol. in loc.

will appear, if duly considered. Let the argument be this, " Except ye repent, ye shall perish ;" Ergo, if ye do repent, ye shall live. The consequent is true; but the consequence is naught.* Tt is as that, Our ill works will damn us, Ergo, Our good works will save us ; or as if we should say. If ye do not pray to God, ye shall perish. Ergo, If ye do, ye shall live. We see here the consequent is false, and so is the consequence : for bonum non nisi ex integra causa, malum ex quolibet defectu. Non-repeutance simply, and of itself, is sufficient to make us perish; but who will say, that simple repentance of itself is sufficient to save us, even in the way of means ? As to that other Scripture, Prov. xxviii. 13. I say with Mr. Rutherford,f that the Holy Ghost there is not upon order, as if penitent confession, forsaking all sin, must go before forgiveness; but the Lord designs the persons pardoned, that they must be suth as forsake their sins. Now, there is great reason for this; because men who hide their sins, and forsake them not, will yet pretend to share of pardon; who therefore have great need to be undeceived. And truly, seeing, as the apostle speaks, " Confession is made with the mouth unto salvation," Rom. x. 10. and, with respect to open and scandalous sins, it must be understood of confession before men; I see not how the necessary precedence of it unto pardon can be avouched: for who will say, that a formal pardon cannot be had, but these things must be before it ?

Objection 3. The Scripture grounds the causes of people's ruin on their not repenting, as in Lev. xxvi. Amos iv. Ezek. xviii. Rev. xvi. and many such places; where this. They repented not, is given as the cause of God's continued quarrel with them.

Answer. If we will understand this according to what was said above, that by repenting in such places where it is simply proposed without faith, is meant the whole turning to God, the argument is of no weight. But it seems here to be urged as taken for repentance strictly so called. And let it be so, the consequence is naught. Every thing that people's ruin is grounded on, the contrary is not therefore a previous mean to pardon; as is evident to any that will consider, Hos. iv. Swearing, lying, &c. are made the grounds of that people's ruin ; yet I hope the reverend use of God's name, and sjjeaking truth, must not therefore be reckoned the means of pardon. Many such places might be alleged. But perhaps it will be said, none of these things had been their ruin, if they had repented. But what is that to say, but that none of these things would have been their ruin, if they had turned from them unto God, embracing

• Eun me metaiioete. f Influences of the Life, &c. p. 348.

the contrary virtues ? So it is still the same thing as before these contrary virtues are made by this way the means of pardon. But if the argument be good, it is believing that is the raean : for the Scripture expressly tells us, that men are condemned because they have not believed, John iii. 18. and Christ calls believing the work of God, John vi. 29. and John calls it his command (1 John iii. 23.) by way of eminency.

Objection 4. ult. In the promises of the covenant, remission of sin is subjoined to the exercise of repentance, as necessarily antecedent; so that without it there is no access to any promise of pardon. Lev. xxvi. 40, 41, 42. " If they confess their iniquity, then will I remember my covenant:" which doth pre-suppose confession, and the exercise of repentance, and the humbling of the heart, to go before the application of the covenant. And lest it should be thought a legal covenant, it is expressly said to be the covenant with Abraham, which cannot be denied to be of grace. 1 Kings viii. 47. Solomon expressly covenanteth for pardon on these terms; and 2 Chron. vii. 13, 14. the Lord doth expressly assent to these articles. It may be confirmed from 1 John i. 9. which supposeth that there is no engagement, to speak so, upon God's faithfulness to pardon any sinner, but him who repenteth.

An8Wer. I have already proven the contrary of this in the fourth argument; having produced several promises where there is no vestige of any such order, but of the contrary. If there be no access to the promise of pardon without repentance, it is we ourselves that bolt the door; and therefore let us blame ourselves, and those who advise us to find any good qualification in ourselves, before we embrace the free pardon. But if God's hand be at the work, the pardon shall find access to us, and our hearts shall be opened to receive it; and being received, it shall, by its supernatural efficacy, melt and thaw the heart into true repentance, though we know not whence it comes, nor whither it goes; but are busy in preparing the room for it, while we neglect to open the door to let it in. As for the covenant itself, it is our consent that brings us within the bond of it. The Lord offers to be our God in Christ; wc by faith consent to take him so. Call it the condition, mids, or what you please; I hope you will not say, I dare not give this consent until I repent; for this consenting or believing is my necessary and indispensable duty, whatever state I be in. But you will say, I dare not embrace the pardon till I repent. If you mean de facto, it is my weakness ; \^ dcjurc, how strange is this? I may not embrace what is lesser; and yet may, and must what is infinitely greater and better; for God himself is better than ten thousand pardons. But I am per-

suaded, tliat when I find ray soul content to take God in Christ to be my God, and do actually consent to that gracious offer, that the promise of pardon is absolute to me, Ezek. xxxri. 25: for eo ipso that God is my God, his free pardon is mine, and it can be no presumption in me to embrace what is mine own. God holds it forth to me in the covenant, I by faith lay hold on it; there is nothing here that intervenes, so that it is still absolute; and if absolute, how can it be said there is no access to it without repentance? As for these Scriptures, Lev. xxvi. 40. &c.; 1 Kings viii. 47; 2 Chron. rii. 13 ; I grant they pre-suppose repentance, &c.; but they touch not the point in hand, in regard they respect the pardon of sin, as it is the removal of temporary strokes, as I have already shown, and will be manifest to such as view the places: for who sees not, that the multitude of those things there required, is very unlike the simplicity of the gospel offer—Believe, and thou shalt be saved ? It is clear, that the people are considered there in a national capacity, and under national strokes for national sins; for removal, repentance of the same kind is required. And though, in such a general repentance of a people, they that believe are spiritually and theologically serious, and, with a removal of common calamity from off the society whereof they are members, get God's countenance to shine on their souls; yet the generality are never evangelically penitent. But moral seriousness in such a case, according to the Lord's way of dealing with nations, is a mean to get these temporal strokes removed; as may be seen in the case of the Ninevites, and many a time in the case of the Jews. "What though this covenant be a covenant of grace ? the covenant of grace has undeniably temporary strokes threatened in it; and it is generally allowed, that there is a twofold being in this covenant; the one external, the other internal. The one gives people to share of the outward blessings of the covenant, the other makes them partakers of special and saving blessings. And thus one and the same person may be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace ; in the former, in respect of his soul's state, with God's curse upon him; under the latter, externally partaking of the external privileges, protections, deliverances, &c. given to the visible church. So then we may plainly see what it is for God to remember his covenant. When the captive, broken, and afflicted Israelites confess their sins, humble themselves, &c. God removes the temporary strokes they lie under. And this is applicable to particular persons, in respect of the spiritual and saving federal relation to God; for so it is in the inward and special administration of the covenant: but then it respects such as are justified and sanctified, but none other, as these

promises and prayers concern Israel separated from among all other people, 1 Kings viii. 53. As to that Scripture, 1 John i. 9. " If we confess," &c. the author himself tells us afterwards, that John is there writing to believers, and puts himself in the roll. And there is no doubt but it is so: for he writes to his children, and that their joy might be full; and speaks of God as faithful, in respect of his promises to them; and just to forgive, in respect of the merits of Christ imputed to them. And, as Case tells us,* he asserts the doctrine of actual sin in the justified against the Simon-ians. Gnostics, and other heretics of that age; of whom he shews, out of Augustine, that they taught, that there was no sin but unbelief; that to the justified all things were clean, however they live ; that a just man does not so much as commit a small sin ; and upon this they could not but teach, that the justified were not to confess sins. Against these then the apostle sets himself here, and teacheth the justified to confess their sins. Whence it appears, that this doth not at all concern the point in hand; the question being of the means necessary in order to justification, and the pardon of sin at first; betwixt which and the subsequent pardons, I have proven above that there is a vast difference.

QUEST. IV. WHERE HATH SIN ITS LODGING-PLACE IN THE REGENERATE ?

"God made man upright, but he found out many inventions." He was a glorious creature, as he dropt from the forming' finger of God, all whose works are perfect. It was man's glory, that he was created after the image of God. It was God's will he should be created mutably so. Of his mutability thera can be no controversy. Sad experience teacheth us, that man is not now perfect; but, on the contrary, a mass of sin, and lump of hell, the noble kind being affected with diabolic contagion, which he voluntarily received. Whereby it comes to pass, that all is infected. The understanding, which formerly was a sun of light in this little world, is not only overclouded, but utterly darkened, as to any saving uptaking of spiritual things. The will, which before

' Morning Exer. p, 14.

was the Lord's deputy-governor there, endued with principles of true loyalty to its Supreme Master, is now turned traitor, and utterly perverse : having forsaken its allegiance to the great King, gathers in the rents of the crown to itself, and in very deed, with sacrilegious audacity, attenips to occupy the throne of the Highest. Call it no more Naomi, but Marah ; no more will, but lust; for we have dealt bitterly with ourselves. The affections, formerly subject to right reason, having lost their master, go up and down roving as lawless miscreants ; set themselves on lawful objects excessively, and unlawful objects are their desire. Neither conscience nor memory can do their work. And the body with its members is made slave to this unruly beast; which also is made to serve the polluted piece of clay, which wants not a miserable influence on the more noble part of man.

But grace makes a change, and sets right the disjointed members, though not perfectly; for the saint's complete deliverance cometh not till the pins of this tabernacle of the body be loosfcd. The body of death remains till the death of the body. Then shall they be made perfect in holiness. But now they groan under the burden of indwelling sin, and, with Paul, cry out, " 0 wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death !" That sin doth remain in the regenerate, is evident from Scripture and experience, against deluded perfectionists. Where it remains, is the question. The Dominican monks,* and some others, were of opinion, that though original sin remains after baptism, yet it is only in the inferior part of the soul, as they speak, or in the sensitive part; but not iu the mind and will. Some have been of opinion that it remained only in the body, and that it was nothing else but desire of meat, &c. or sensual pleasures. No wonder these things entered into the minds of men, who were left to grow vain in their imaginations, without a due sense of the remaining corruption of nature. But I find some express themselves in this matter to this purpose, viz. That sin which is left in the regenerate, dwelleth in the body properly so called, and is as an enemy beat out of the town or stronghold, and lodging in the outworks, and as it were about the walls; from whence it makes its sallies, and infests the soul. Which I suppose we may soon find contrary to Scripture, reason, and experience.

Argument I. The Scripture plainly holds forth sin dwelling in the heart: Jer. xvii. 9, " The heart is deceitful above all things, aud desperately wicked; who can know it?" There is an uu-

' Zanch. de pec. oiig.

IN THE REGENERATE ? lUl

fathomable deptli of wickedness therein, which none can search out unto perfection. Our Lord tells us, that the heart is the spring and source of all evil, Mark vii. 21, " For from within, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, &c. So Matth. xii. 34, he brings a general reason to prove that the Pharisees being evil could not speak good things : " For" says he, " out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." These places are manifestly general, and agree both to good and bad. Is there not deceit and desperate wickedness even in the hearts of the regenerate ? Have any such perfectly known their own hearts ? Do not evil words proceed out of their mouth ? This then is from the abundance of the heart. Hereunto add the necessary qualification requisite in those who shall have access to God in duties, " That they know every one the plague of his own heart," 1 Kings viii. 38. Not without reason doth the wise man call for " keeping of the heart with all diligence,"* that we may set double guards on it. It plainly tells us that the heart is a deceitful thing, and bent to turn aside after crooked ways. Say not, that all the hazard is from the influence which the body hath on it; for the heart can go astray in such things wherein it is not capable of being influenced by the body, as will appear afterwards. But indeed if that were so, we should rather have been directed to keep the body with all diligence. But it is plain, the greatest hazard is from the heart; as Moses teacheth in that parallel place. Dent. iv. 9, " Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently," &c. Mr. Gray speaks feelingly, and no less truly, concerning the heart:f "I think," says he, " such is the desperate deceitfulness of our hearts, that if all the saints since Adam's days, and who shall be to the end of the world, had but one heart to guide, they would misguide it."

Argument II. The Spirit of God calls the regenerate to carry on the work of renovation in their souls, minds, and wills; which evidently holds forth, that there is much of the old man remaining there still, even in their souls, and that in the most noble faculties thereof: Rom. xii. 2, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind ;" where it is clear the apostle is speaking to regenerate persons. Eph. iv. 23, he c.ills those who had learned Christ, yet to be *' renewed in the spirit of their minds." And the apostle speaking of himself, 2 Cor. iv. 16. tells us, that "the inward man is renewed day by day." If any shall say, that by the renewing of the inward man, is meant the strengthening of the soul to bear afllictions ; I grant the same without any prejudice to what we assert; for it sup-

* Prov. iv. 23. \ .Sermou ou Prov. iv. 23.

posetli a culpable weakness, in regard of which the soul hath need to be renewed. The apostle, Col. iii. 10, teacheth the same doctrine; " And have put on the new man, which is renewed; kai endu-samenoi ton neon, ton anakainoumenon; where I pray you take notice of the apostle's changing of the tense, " Ye have put on the new man which is renewed ;" he speaks of the renovation in the present tense, denoting the continuance of the action. And that it relates to the mind is no less clear; for this new man is expressly said to be " renewed in knowledge." Hereunto add the apostle's prayer for the believing Thessalonians, 1 Thess. v. 23, " And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

And how frequently doth the Scripture discover the particular evils that are to be found in the soul as their proper place ? as we may see in the apostle's prayer for the believing Ephesians, chap, i. 17, &c. So Col. i. 9, 10. How frequently does the Lord reprove his disciples for the relics of unbelief in them ? The apostle con-fesseth, in the name of all believers, the great remains of darkness that are yet on their minds, I Cor. xiii. 12. But to recount such places as teach that sin is yet remaining in the mind and will, were an endless labour.

Argument III. There are many members of the body of death, which the godly groan under, that are purely spiritual; whereof the body can be no receptacle ; and must needs remain in the soul, even in the mind and will; such as, Atheism, ignorance, hatred of God, unbelief, want of love to God, &c. That these and the like cannot be said to lodge in the body, is evident: for, 1. Some of these sins are mere privations ; as, ignorance of, and want of love to God, &c.; privations, I say, of rectitude, that ought to be, not in the act, (for there is no act, but a cessation from action); but in the power, which is nothing else than the soul, mind, and affections ; unless you will say that the body is capable to love God, which is most absurd. And no less absurd is it to assert the same anent the sensitive part of the soul, as they call it. 2. How can these sins be said to lodge there, where there cannot be so much as an imagination of their objects ; as in hatred of God. The body is not capable thereof; in regard God is not the object of the fancy, but of the mind; so that we cau have no imagination of him; he being infinitely removed from matter; and therefore as far from the imagination, as colours from hearing, sounds from the taste, or the most abstract notions from the soul of a beast. 3. Moreover, there are some sins fonuded on retlectiou, which the body is not capable of;

as, pride, and lifting up of the soul, upon the account of its perceiving in itself ideas of the most sublime things, far removed from the knowledge of others. How such can be said to be driven out into the body, I persuade myself no man can show with any colour of reason ; yet pride is not the least of the members of the body of death.

Argument IV. If the remains of original sin in the regenerate be not in the soul, but whatever remains of it be driven to the body ; then original sin is quite razed out in regeneration, not only ut non imputetur, but ut non sit; it hath no more a being in the saints : and so there is no sin the regenerate are chargeable with but actual sin ; and so all the children of God have been under a miserable mistake, while they confessed and bewailed their original corruption. All which is contrary to the Scriptures, and the sentiments of orthodox, divines. I prove the connection : for if the remains of natural corruption lodge not in the soul, it hath no lodging in the man at all. The reason is, because the body, considered as contradistinct to the soul, is not subjectum capax ; for the body as such is subject to no law ; now, " where there is no law, there can be no transgression;" and if the body as such were subject to a law, then all bodies should be so; I mean of a moral law. If you say, the body is not considered here simply as a body, but as a constituent part of the man ; I answer. That indeed the whole suppositum is under the law. But the formal reason of a man's being subjectible to a law, is rationality, which is the only thing that makes him capable to be directed by a law. So that, although sin may be from the body occasionally, as madness from the distemperature of the brain; and may be also in it terminatively, as whoredom, drunkenness, &c.; yet formally it is in the soul; which, against the law, complies with the temptation, which in some cases the body may have a deep share in; and the soul useth the members of the body for fulfilling the desires of sin, to which it is incited by the body. "Whatever power we grant unto the body for stirring up the soul to sin, and whatever we say of that incitation considered simply as an action of the body; we judge it highly agreeable to reason, that the inciting to sin which is by the body, as it ariseth from a view of the object, is, at least iuterpretatively, an imperate act of the soul, which takes fire upon the first view of the species of the external object presented by the eyes, ears, &c.; and consequently follows that act of the soul, though the motion of the blood and spirits, thus commanded by the soul, adds fuel to the fire. For whence, I pray you, is the motion of the blood and spirits in the body inciting to sin, but from the soul, which, upon

a view of the object, judgetli the same to be fit for it to enjoy hie et nunc ; and so wills it with a sort of velleity at least; whereupon natively follow such motions in the body ? This is evident from this, that when the practical judgment goes a contrary way, these motions in the body follow it in the same : though indeed, when once the devil is raised thus in the blood and spirits, the soul cannot easily lay him; because the will hath but a politic, not a despotic power over the fancy once set upon an object; as is too evident from experience. Had Achan, when he saw the Babylonish garment, and wedge of gold, judged they had been devils appearing in shape of bodies, doubtless quite contrary motions tending to aversation would have arisen in him. So that 1 think it is clear, that incitation to sin by the body, follows the conception of lust in the soul; and that the body is only the midwife helping to bring forth the unhappy birth.

From what is said it appears, that even actual sin is not formally in the body, but in the soul : for though the body may contribute something thereto in genere entls, yet the soul only gives all m genere moris. From thence is the anomia of the action. Now, if it be driven to the body, as is alleged, it surely stirs there ; that is, original sin there breaks forth into action ; which cannot be said, as we have already declared. And therefore we may safely thence conclude, it is not there; for where it is, there it will bring forth its unhappy births.

One thing more I add : That if the patrons of this opinion be of the judgment, that the soul doth not always think, by this argument they shall be obliged to say, that regenerate infants have no sin in them at all ; nor godly persons adult, when they sleep, and do not dream: for sin is put out of the soul, they say, and the body is at rest.

Argument. Y. If in regeneration indwelling sin be driven out of the soul into the body, then it is in the body, either in more or less, or in equal measure, as before conversion. In greater measure it cannot be, or then the renewing in the whole man falls to the ground ; yea, the body is the worse of regeneration, and is so far from having old things done away, that they are increased to a greater height; which to reconcile to the privilege which the bodies of believers have in their union with Christ, and being the temples of the Holy Ghost, is impossible. If it be said, it is there in lesser measure than before ; let them shew how that can be. Surely, according to their principles, sin properly had part of its lodging in the body before conversion. Now, what room it had in the soul, it has lost according to them. ^Therefore it cannot

be in less measure there than before ; unless you say, that it had less before conversion in the soul, than it had in the body. But experience flies in the face of this assertion : for those that are converted before they come to maturity, when they do come to years, find tenfold more difficulty in guiding their bodies, than they had before their conversion. If the last be said, then the body is nothing the better of regenerating grace ; which is inconsistent with the union with Christ. If you say, that we just now confessed the body may be iu a worse case after regeneration than before, wherefore much more equally evil with what it was before, I answer, That I ever denied the body to be a subject capable formally either of moral goodness or evil; and therefore in that respect it neither can be better nor worse. But otherwise, we must distinguish the state of the body with respect to nature, and with respect to grace. With respect to nature, and in itself, it may be indeed in a worse case, as was said ; in so far as, by the power of nature grown up, it is more hard to be tamed and holden in than before. But iu respect of grace conferred on the soul, when it is at its worst, it is in better case than when it was in its best natural state, the soul being graceless; as one is in a better case when he hath drunk in the precepts of sobriety, and has a faithful tutor, than when he was a child ; though now both have more ado than formerly. This will more clearly appear, if we consider how the body is partaker of regenerating grace. Grace is not, nor cannot be formally and subjectively in the body, but objectively and reductively. It is not by way of inherence in it, but in respect of usefulness it is for it; for grace makes no change in the body, but in respect that the members of the body are thereby better employed than before, as the apostle teacheth, 1 Thess. iv. 3, 4; 1 Cor. vi. 19 ; Rom. vi. 13. So then grace in the soul is the guide and tutor of the body, though the body be not formally gracious; even as the eye wbich sees alone, serves the whole body for light; for if the eye be single, the whole body will be full of light.

Argument VI. ult. The experience of the godly testifies, that sin is not so driven out of the soul as is pretented : for " who is so holy,* that he does not find much darkness in his understanding ? great self-love in his will ? that all his faculties do frequently go astray from what is true, just, and good?" &c. says Zanchius. Although the godly have much ado with their bodies, yet I conceive that the hardest work of all is with the heart. Nothiiig is more ordinary with exercised souls, than complaints of the deceitfulness

' L'ic, de pec. orig.

of the heart; which they believe, though it wanted a corrupt body, or a devil to tempt, yet would prove a tempter and a devil to itself. "Who finds not, when the body lies quite by from troubling, sufficient matter of exercise from a hard and dead heart? Who does not discern in themselves a root of Atheism, blasphemy, hatred of God, &c. all which are the kindly fruits of old Adam, springing from the cursed ground of the heart ? And I doubt not, but if I could have access to the closet-doors of some such as stickle for this banishment of sin into the outworks, but I should hear them confess sin's lodging in the prime faculties of their souls, though in conference they refuse it.

One thing more I must add : That seeing distempers having their seat in the body are to be cured, not by the word, but by physical applications, when ministers have done their work in converting souls, they ought to turn them over into the hands of skilful physicians, the proper object of whose art is the body, as curable of distempers. But enough of this.

Objection 1. The apostle (Rom. vii.) teacheth us that sin dwells only in the body; ver. 24. "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death !" ver. 23. speaking of indwelling sin, he tells us, he "finds a law in his members;" and ver. 18. "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, {i. e. the body), there dwells no good thing."

Answer. Vehemency of aflfection, whether of love or hatred, pro-duceth several designations to the thing beloved or hated, the more to express the vehemency of the mind for or against the object. So was it with the apostle in the matter of indwelling sin, which was a most grevious burden to him. Wherefore sometimes he calls it sin by way of eminency, as being the great master-devil, Rom v'. 12; sometimes lust, Rom. vii. 7- to express the vehemency of its activity, Gal. v. 17; sometimes he speaks of it as an officious troublesome guest, Rom. vii. 17, 20 ; sometimes he calls it a man, and an old man, Eph. iv. 22. because of its antiquity, and subtilty, and strength. It is old indeed, yea the elder brother, though made to serve the younger. Here he calls it a body, and a body of death. The meaning is, says Piscator,* " Who shall deliver me from this death, which as a sort of body, or thing subsisting by itself, exerceth its power in me, and miserably vexeth me? But by death metonymi-cally he understands indwelling sin." And indeed this very well agrees with the scope of the apostle ; and chap. vi. 6. he had called it a body. But why he should call his own body, which he knew was the temple of the Holy Ghost, a body of death, I see not. On

' Schol. in loc.

good reason doth he call indwelling sin a body, in regard that as a hody hath many members, so hath indwelling sin. It is not one simple lust, but a compound of all iniquity, and the seed and spawn of all unrighteousness. It is a complete body; it wants not one member: for as a believer hath every grace in the root and habit, so hath he every sin the same way dwelling in him ; for let grace once be withdrawn there shall be a compliance with any temptation. And well might he call it a body of death, as being in its own nature a deadly thing, as loathsome as carrion, and devoted to death or destruction, being already nailed to the cross of Christ, Gal. v. 24. from which it was not to come down till it had breathed out its last. As to what the apostle says of his members, Piscator doth indeed understand it properly of the members of his body,* in which sin exerts its strength ; yet doth not dream that the seat of sin is only or mainly in the body. And so we may understand it without prejudice to our cause ; for it is plain sin may exert its strength there where it hath not its proper place of abode. Othersf think, that by members he means every faculty of soul and body ; and so they will have the word taken, Rom. vi. 13. James iv. 1. If this be admitted, it weakens the cause of our adversaries. But I suppose the apostle here distinguishes two opposite parties in and from himself. The one he calls the inner man ; the other he must be supposed to call the outer man. Let us see then what he means by those men which he speaks of. That he does not thereby understand the soul and the body, is clear to me upon these three accounts: 1. Because the inner man, in the act of sin, still stands out against the outer man ; so that the inner man is blameless, ver. 20. But this cannot be said of the soul. 2, In the outer man there dwells no good thing, ver. 18; which to understand of the body, I shall afterwards shew to be absurd. I add, 3. That, as I said before, the outer and the inner man are really distinct from the man himself. Though they both be ours, yet they are not ourselves; which is plain, if ye consider, that, through the whole of this discourse, the man himself is holden forth as tossed betwixt these two; sometimes led by the one, sometimes by the other: the man himself is the prey; they are the two combatants that fight for the mastery over him; and accordingly the strongest party carries away the poor captive. According to the inner man, he delights in the law of God; which gives us to understand, that, according to the outer man, he is averse to it. Whence it is evident, these two are distinct from himself, and

* Schol. in loc. f Leigh's Crit; Wilson's Diet.

Vol. VI. H

therefore cannot be his soul and body. Moreover, these two are elsewhere called by the apostle the new and old man ; whereof the one is said to be put on, the other to be of the man himself. But though they be distinct really from the man himself, yet are they not divided or separated from him ; both of them are in him, and diffused through the man, according to the capacity of each part. Whence it plainly appears, that these men are nothing else but grace and corruption, as the apostle teacheth, ver. 20.—" Sin that dwelleth in me." And hence we may easily perceive what he means by the members he speaks of. Why, even as the several graces of the Spirit are the members of the inner and new man, Eph. iv. 24. so the several particular lusts of the heart are the members of the old and outer man ; which members the apostle calls us to mortify, Col. iii. 5. Now, in these members of his he finds a law; that is, activity, power and efficacy; for "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit," Gal. v. 17- " As laws," says Flavel,* " by virtue of their annexed rewards and punishments, have a mighty power and efficacy; so sin, indwelling sin, that root of all our trouble and sorrow, hath a mighty efficacy upon us." And by this law indwelling sin brings the soul into captivity to itself, the man being made captive to that law of sin which is in his members. Where we must take notice, that the apostle does not refer that being in his members to sin; if so indeed, this exposition ■would be ridiculous; but the words in the original plainly refer it to the law, to nomo tes hamartias to onti, holding forth the power and efficacy of original sin, which sets its several members on work. But to proceed : That the apostle calls his body his flesh, is false. For, 1. No good thing dwells in his flesh; but the Holy Spirit dwells in his body. 2. Will any say, that the law of sin is served only with the body, and the law of God only with the soul ? But the apostle tells us, ver. 25. that with the mind he serves the law of God, with the flesh the law of sin; where he assigns to each part its proper work and service. We say then, that the apostle does not here distinguish the soul from the body, but corrupt nature from grace, and himself as regenerate, from himself so far as he was unregenerate. And so the apostle, Gal. v. 19, &c. while he reckons up the works of the flesh, he placeth among them heresies; which, if any thing, do belong to the soul: and among the works of the Spirit we find temperance; which the body may claim on as good grounds as any good thing else. And it is remarkable, that when the apostle speaks of the state of non-regeneration, while men are

* Sac. Med. on Rom. vii. 21.

totally under tlie power of corruption, lie calls it being in the ttesh, Rom. vii. 5. not in the body I am sure. And in this way of speaking of corruption the apostle follows Christ himself, in his conference with Nicoderaus, about the necessity of regeneration, John iii. 6. " That which is born of the flesh, is flesh ;" not a body in opposition to a soul, but corrupt, and therefore standing in need to be born again. Only, to hold forth the necessity more strongly, he calls it not fleshly, but flesh itself, in the abstract: q. d. It is nothing but a very lump of sin and corruption.

Objection 2. Rom. vi. 12. " Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body ;"* Ergo, Sin remains only in the body, not in the soul.

Answer. Some tell us here that by the body is meant, syuecdo-chially, the whole man ; as, upon the other hand, the Spirit of God, in the Scripture, under the name of soul, comprehends the body also. Bui the epithet given by the apostle to the body while he calls it mortal, seems to restrain it to the body properly and strictly taken. Therefore we pass that, and deny the consequence, on good grounds: for it is plain here, the apostle speaks metaphorically of sin's power as a king : but who will say, but a king may reign there where his seat is not ? wherever sin remains, it is certain where it hath not lost the reigning power, it reigns through the whole man, soul and body. Shepherd tells us,f that here is, 1. Obedience, i. e. the outward acts ; 2. Lusts, the inward breathings; 3. Sin itself, where the lusts are seated. " This, therefore," says he, " is the reigning sin, which hath taken possession of every part." And no doubt sin may work there where it hath not its proper seat, as a king reigns in the remotest parts of his dominions.

Objection 3. ult. " That which is born of the Spiiut, is spirit," John iii. 6. Ergo, There are no remains of sin left in the soul.

Answer. The body is, suo quodam modo, born of the Spirit, as well as the soul: for the leaven of grace leavens the whole man; grace makes not a new soul only, but a new creature ; " Old things are done away, and behold, all things are become new," 2 Cor. v. 17. The body, as well as the spirit, is Christ's, 1 Cor. vi. ult.; yea the bodies of the regenerate are members of Christ; yet are they not wholly renewed. So say we of the soul: the whole soul is cleansed, but not wholly. Were men perfectly born of the Spirit, they should be altogether spirit; but this renovation is carried on by degrees only. " For," as Luther saith,;}: " we have got the first-fruits of the Spirit; the leaven is hid in the lump; but the lump is not wholly leavened; it is begun to be leavened."

* Zauch. de pec. orig. t Parable of the Ten Virgins, part 1. p. 193.

X Coin, in Gal. iii. 25. p. 567.

h2

no

WHY THE LORD SUFFERS SIN

QUEST. V. WHY THE LORD SUPFERETH SIN TO REMAIN IN THE REGENERATE ?

"We have seen already, that though there is a great change wrought on the elect in their regeneration yet that change is imperfect; there shall be no perfect delivery from indwelling sin till death; the body of death, though crucified, yet lives till the death of the body : and it is not so driven out to the outworks, but that it remains, and hath its seat in the main hold, in the soul, even in the mind and will. Experience sufFereth not gracious souls to doubt of the being of sin in them, while it occasions them so much struggling and wrestling; yea, while they feel the great strength of it, they are many timts ready from thence to call in question the being of grace in them, and to pat forth that which was Rebekah's question, in another case, " If it be so, why am T thus ?"* And therefore, although we are not to call God to an account of his doings with supercilious boldness, flowing from an obstinate and stubborn heart; yet it may very well be allowed, that we go humbly, and with her inquire of the Lord,

The soul, in regeneration, gets a new nature, though the grace received is not of such efficacy as totally to drive away the old. The regenerate get a real love to God in their hearts, and a real hatred against sin; so that the man would fain leave sin, if it would leave him. And the truth is, that although sin and the soul are inseparable till death, yet sin rather cleaves to the soul than the soul to it. But, alas ! though hated, it will not depart; following the man closely, as the shadow doth the body. But could it be lulled asleep, could it be so intoxicated as to leave ofl" action, the child of God might have so much the better occasion to serve God withoilt distraction while in the body. But how can the devil be qniet, when he knows his time is short? How can this old man sleep, while so many and various ensnaring objects still present themselves unto his view ? Or how can the flesh be at rest, when it is nailed to a cross ? Wherefore sin cannot but both be, and be active in the soul while on this side of time; even till that terrible soldier death come, and thrust his spear into its side, and bring forth its heart-blood.

" But are not two sparrows sold for one farthing ? yet one of them cannot fall to the ground without our heavenly Father; yea, the very hairs of our head are numbered." "We must not therefore think, that the children of God are left in this case by a fatal necessity, and that God is here an idle spectator. He hath

* Gen. XXV. 22.

the hearts of all men in his hand. If the centurion knew that he, being a poor mortal, clothed with a shadow of authority, having rude soldiers under him, could say to one. Go, and he goeth ; to another, Come, and he cometh; faith might well thence draw the conclusion. That, much more, God, the sovereign Lord of all, can say to distempers, whether of body or soul, Go, and they should be gone ; Come, and they should immediately be at hand. He raised up the soul when it was dead in sin spiritually; now the living soul is sick, how can any doubt of his power to cure it, and make it every whit whole. Yet the distemper remains with his dearest children, though he be a hater of iniquity, and his people groan to him daily under it. Though he can, yet we see he will not free them from it till death. But whatever be the reason or reasons of this dispensation, we believe, that when once his people have got over Jordan into the heavenly Canaan, they shall say without all reluctancy or doubting, " He hath done all things well."

As when a man hath newly recovered out of a severe fit of sickness, he is then most ready to take care of himself, and will be afraid of the least cold blast, and more narrowly than before inquire into the causes of his distemper, by which he hath so sore smarted; and if he find himself in such circumstances, that he cannot miss but again fall into his old distemper, he will long to be rid of that condition, and seriously think how he comes to be in such pitiful circumstances : even so I think it will be with a thinking soul, after a recovery from a dead frame and disposition of spirit, into which, by his unwatchfulness, the power of corruption within, and the malice of the devil from without, he had before been cast. Contraries set together appear then best in their own colours; therefore the disadvantages of a bad frame can never so well appear, as when they are fresh in the memory of the newly recovered saint, who hath now the candle of the Lord shining on his tabernacle ; and consequently the way leading to that bad frame of spirit, never appears so hateful as at such a time. Suppose then the thoughts of a certainty of his falling back to be observant unto him, what thoughts of heart will this create ? It is true, sometimes a child of God, when matters go right with his soul, may be thinking on building tabernacles here, as Peter on the mountain ; and, with David, saying, " My mountain standeth sure, I shall not be moved." But this is a piece of the levity of the vain and foolish heart, when men look only above them, without deep consideration of the way of God's dispensation. But I suppose, that when in this case they look about them, through the world, where so many snares are laid for them, amongst which of nccessitv thev must walk : and look also within them, and see

what bosom enemies are yet alive, ready to betray them into the hand of the devil; and do take pains to consider what a vile heart yet they have, from whence such mists and fogs are ready to arise, as may again make a thick cloud betwixt them and their Lord, and make them lose sight of the guide of their youth, and captain of their salvation; they will then even stand in need of new comfort, and something from above to establish their hearts. And here I think we may stand, and see a gracious soul joining trembling with mirth, and bemoaning itself thus :—

" 0 happy hour when the Lord awakened me out of my spiritual sleep ! The devil and mine own corruptions had lulled me asleep; though even in the time my heart waked, and I found an inefficacious dissatisfaction with myself, which was not able to rouse me up, but made me sometimes as it were to start in my sleep: but my Beloved left me not, as justly he might, to sleep a perpetual sleep; but knocked at the door of ray heart, saying. Open to me, ray sister, my spouse : and though I was long a stirring to get up, he stood still, till his head was filled with the dew, and his locks with drops of the night; at last he put in his hand at the hole of the door, gave the rousing knock, spoke to ray heart the overcoming word, captivated my soul, so as my bowels moved towards him. I opened to my Beloved ; ho came in ; I supped with him, and he with me. He hath brought me into the banqueting-house, his banner over me is love. 0 how does my soul love him ! my Lord and my God !—But, ah Lord ! ray soul fails ; I have been here before, but a cloud overtook me, darkened the holy place, I lost the light of thy countenance ; and, which now pierceth my soul, the very enemies remain in me, who before carried me back into the borders of Egypt, set me down in the land of darkness and shadow of death, and put out my two eyes. Now is sin to me more bitter than death and hell; yet I know assuredly I must again meet with that terrible ghost; and if I live long in this tabernacle, I shall lose all I now enjoy; my song shall be turned iuto lamentation and howling, the now smiling countenance shall again be provoked to frown, my wine is mixed with water; corruption will again lift up the head, the sorrowful day of my captivity will, I fear, ere long overtake me, this heart of mine will have me back to where I was before. 0 to be gone ! I see, with a sorrowful heart and weeping eyes, a necessity of sinning, iuto which we poor mortals have brought ourselves, and the Lord leaves me yet under it. Lord, why are not the cursed Canaanites utterly rooted out ?"

I judge, that a man in this case needs not fear his enjoyment to be a delusion, there is so much of an evangelical spirit breathing

in it. The sound hatred that appears here against sin, while the soul doth feelingly apprehend it as the greatest of evils, is so far above the sphere of elevated nature, that it is a clear discovery of a renewed nature. A man willing to part with all, so that he might be free of sin, is one made partaker of the divine nature, aspiring to a more accomplished participation of it. This case savours of much real burning love to the Lord Jesus Christ, while the soul hath such an ardent desire of being nearer to him, and would fain be so near him, as to have such communion with hira, as might never be interrupted, nor overclouded any more. It is also an evidence, that the soul hath tasted of the sweetness of Christ and fellowship with him, while it is so filled with fear of losing his presence. And many such things may be discerned in it.

Yet I dare not justify the soul through the whole of this case. So true it is, Nihil est ah omni parte beatum. I conceive, there may be something here in the mourner which is not allowable, and may justly be new grounds of mourning to him. There seems to appear here a kind of spiritual selfishness, when the soul hath its own spiritual advantage (which is so seemingly at least) so much upon the heart, that it keeps not due respect to the sovereign will of God, to which belongs the free disposal of all good, and particularly of the influences of his grace ; so that the creature, as a creature, is indispensably bound to a silent submission, whatever way sovereignty doth cast the balance. When Peter was upon the mount with Christ, " It is good for us to be here, let us make tabernacles," says he ; but the verdict of the Spirit of God thereupon is, that he wist not what he said. Sense is much addicted to self; and though it had specious pretences, yet its language is not always to be heard ; for it is certain it is an ill judge of controversies betwixt Christ and the soul. But faith is sure always to decide in Christ's favour. If Christ smile on the soul, faith saith, He dolh well; and sense says so too. If he frown, then sense cries out against him; but faith says. He doth all things well; let him desert, afflict, yea, kill the man, faith says, " It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good; good is the will of the Lord." Faith puts a knife to the throat of self-love, and self-wit, to sacrifice them to the will of God, who is infinitely wise; it teacheth a man to lay his mouth in the dust, and wraps up the will in the will of God. In the hearts of the godly exercised, pride goeth much abroad in vail, though not in dress; it is there transformed into an angel of light, appearing in a shape different from that wherein it doth appear in others. Pride in the

WHY THE LOKD SUl'l'BKS SIN

hearts of natural luen, when Christ comes to them, says, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy name ; but pride in the hearts of the godly exercised, when Christ seems to be going away, or they know they will not have always the present measure of communion with him, will not suffer Christ to be master of his own process ; though it is certain, that we are obliged to a holy submission, and the potsherd must not quarrel with the potter, but the Lord must have leave to go and come as he pleaseth. Humble-hearted Mary, when Christ says unto her, " Touch me not, Mary, for I am not yet ascended :" though her love would have carried her forward, yet her deniedness to her spiritual self, at Christ's command, makes her hold up her hands. It were good in such a case to learn that lesson.

Moreover, Satan may be working here under ground to blow up the present enjoyment with a fear of distrust. Satan grndgeth the happiness of the people of God, and endeavoureth by all means, seeing he cannot hinder these refreshing influences of the Spirit, and comfortable manifestations, to make them as short-lived as possible, and for this end he goeth about to fill the soul with a distrustful fear, holding before his eyes, the certainty of his backsliding, and of losing the present enjoyment : which breeds in the soul a sinful jealousy of Christ, while the man is either ignorant of, or doth not consider the end and design of God in his dispensation; which Satan is now busy to misrepresent, wrest, and make use of to his great disadvantage : which once taking place, blasts the comfort of the present enjoyment, mars our thankfulness for what God hath given already. And whereas it is now time for the man to improve his access to God, for more strength against the devil and his own corruption, this fear takes up the man so, as he lets that good occasion slip out of his hands, and so is more easily overcome by the temptation ; even as the fear of the battle in a soldier takes away his stomach, that he cannot eat, whereby he is the more unfit for his work. And, in fine, God may hereby be provoked to withdraw, so as they shall be made to say. That which I feared, is come upon me. Prohatum est.

For the cure of this jealousy of Christ in the soul, arising from the consideration of his dispensation in leaving sin to be and act in those who wrestle against it, and account it their greatest burden, it is necessary the soul be acquainted with, and seriously consider of the true reason or reasons thereof, in regard we are ready to suspect the worst. A wife observing her husband frequently to cany towards her reservedly, and to wrap up himself from her,

though he may be doiug so for his own and her good, will yet be ready to suspect, that such carriage flows from his want of love towards her; and will not be satisfied easily, till she know the true reason of his so doing. So is it here. And surely the Lord doth not deal thus with his people, but with great reason; which being known and seriously pondered will make the soul conclude, he doth all things well.

To a soul then in this case several things may be proposed.

I. In the first place, God hath so ordered the matter of the believer's sanctification, that sin is left to be active in their souls while here, for their further humiliation. They are hereby taught to bear low sails all the days of their lives, and, with " Hezekiah,* to go softly all their years in the bitterness of their souls." "Wherefore we read, that lest Paulf should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to him a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan is sent to bulFet him. And so we find David,J after his grievous fall, grows in the grace of humility.

II. Next, This gives the soul many errands to God, stirs him up to the frequent exercise of prayer, and calling on the name of the Lord. The soul feels the continual need of pardon, and therefore must needs be much lying at God's footstool. The experience of the godly seals the truth of this, while, many times, they feeling the children (grace and corruption) struggling together within them, are made, as Rebekah,|| to " go and inquire of the Lord." Hence, when they grow remiss in their duty, the Lord sometimes, for their awakening suffers them to fall into some sin or sins grievously wounding the conscience; and so, like a presumptuous, self-willed child falling into the fire, they cry for and value the help of their father more.

III. Yea hereby we are made more watchful and observant of the heart. When the prisoner, having escaped, is retaken, he will be put in more close custody than before. When men find by experience what a bankrupt the heart is, they will learn not to give it credit. We live in a world where there are traps set before, and behind, and on each side, to catch us; we walk amidst many snares, yet are ready to fall secure, and careless, and to let down our watch. It is not amiss then, that we sometimes smart in order to our being kept awake.

lY. Further, as God left the Canaanites in the land to try his people, so he hath left the remains of natural corruption in his

* Is. xxxviii. 15. t 2 Cor. xii. 7. % Psal. li. || Geu. xxv. 22.

WHY THE LORD SUFFERS SIN

people for their exercise and trial; that having listed themselves to war under Christ's banner, they may have whom to fight with, and whom by strength from above they may overcome. God gives his people armour at their conversion ; is it reasonable it should lie by them rusting ? If the Canaanites were at the first dash utterly expelled the land, many of the graces of the Spirit should be laid by as useless. " Hope that is seen, is not hope ; for what a man seeth^ why doth he yet hope for it ?" Had we no enemies, or were we put beyond their reach utterly, there should be no occasion for the exercise of the grace of watchfulness. Patience should not have its perfect work; yea faith itself, as being " the evidence of things not seen, and the substance of things hoped for," should be of no more use. What should become of ordinances ? God hath set up a ministry in his church to be for working together with him, to bring down the kingdom of darkness by degrees ; he hath set up his word for a light to travellers towards Zion, not being well acquainted with the way; he hath given us his holy sacraments for our confirmation in faith, growth in grace, and comfort through the Spirit: these all might be laid aside, were it not that our sanctification is carried on by degrees.

V. Moreover, by this dispensation of grace, we are made more and more to feel our need of Christ, and his precious blood for the removal of guilt daily contracted anew, and for strengthening of our souls in our Christian course; so that we must come up out of the wilderness leaning on our Beloved. And we see that our stock is not in our hand; and if it were, that it would quickly be lost. Is not the soul made hereby to bless the Lord, that it is not left to be its own pilot while sailing through the troublesome sea of this world; but that Jesus Christ is his great steersman, by whose conduct he shall come safe to Imraanuel's land ?

YI. I add. That it may be observed, it is God's ordinary way to bring about great works by degrees ; amongst which the sanctification of a sinner deservedly takes place. God could have created the world in a moment, yet he was pleased to take six days for it. As soon as Adam fell, he could have sent Christ to have died; but thousands of years must pass before this great work be accomplished. It is determined to the last days, the time of the world's old age. A dark revelation of this his purpose was made to Adam in the primitive gospel-promise; it was made more manifest to Abraham ; revealed yet more clearly to and by Moses, more to the prophets, till John the Baptist at last pointed him out with the finger. He could have brought Israel out of Egypt into Canaan easily in a few days; but it pleased him, that they should wander forty years in

the wilderness. So that it is but consonant hereunto, that he exer-ciseth his people so long in the wilderness of the world, after he hath brought them forth of the spiritual Egyptian bondage. And as it is God's ordinary method to carry on great works by degrees, so to bring them to pass through many difficulties—Joseph must be sold for a slave, and laid in irons in a strange land, before he be advanced; the Israelites must endure hard bondage and grievous affliction in Egypt, before they are brought into the land flowing with milk and honey ; yea, the man Christ must first suffer, and then enter into his glory. So that in this dispensation he holds but his ordinary road. Finally,

VII. A learned man* lays down the whole matter thus:— " "While we bear about a mortal body, this domestic tyrant cannot be altogether expelled;—because it is neither expedient for the glory of Christ, nor for our salvation. For the glory of Christ is so much the more illustrious, as his benefit is the better felt by us, while that enemy doth indeed dwell in us, but by the grace and Spirit of Christ is so repressed and holden captive, that it cannot domineer over us nor destroy us;—yea while we experience in us the grace of Christ so efficacious, that by it he makes us overcomers. Moreover, the glory of Christ becomes more illustrious, while, by reason of indwelling sin, we in very deed feel that we cannot be justified but by the perfect obedience of Christ, which we apprehend by faith. It is also expedient for our salvation, that the enemy abide in us till death, that we may have one to fight with perpetually, and fighting by the grace of Christ may overcome, and by overcoming may gain a greater crown to ourselves," Rev. iii.; 2 Tim. iv.

That the consideration of these things may be very useful to a soul exercised with the consideration of this dispensation of providence in the matter of sanctification, as above declared, I think none can deny. To see how God makes such an excellent medicine of such poisonous ingredients, cannot be but very delightful. Yet I doubt, if the principal, if not the only reason, be yet explained; or if those things in this mould and frame be very likely to satisfy tho soul, when this pnzzling question comes more closely home upon the heart; but that very plausible objections may be raised against the same, to show their invalidity as to the main point in hand.

The great matter is, to find out the reason or reasons why it hath pleased the Lord to leave sin in the elect after conversion, and not to make them perfectly free from the indwelling of it at that very

* Zanch.

time, as he could certainly have done if it had pleased him. Now, I observe upon the whole of those grounds formerly laid down, which are usually pleaded in this case, That the case under consideration is resolved either into our own advantage, and the quickening of inherent grace, or into the will of God simply; and this by all of them, except the first part of the last ground assigned. As to the last of the two; it is indeed in effect that God would have it so because he would have it so; which I do confess may suffice, and no more can be had in some cases, Rom. ix. 18, " Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy." But I suppose that this case is not of that sort. As to the first; sin now appearing to the soul in its blackest colours, the creature's advantage being laid in the balance therewith, can have but little weight. As for the three first grounds, they do plainly suppose the question. The fourth seems to go the same way. As for the first part of the last ground, it points out the truth in general. But the explication of it mars all, while it is declared by our proper feeling of the benefits of Christ; which doth indeed hold good considered absolutely, but comparatively understood it doth not. Now, it is plain, that any thing that can be here said satisfyingly, must be by way of comparison. But I think no man can doubt, but that the more free of sin a Christian is, he feels the benefits of Christ the better. The same is to be said of the fifth reason. As to the rest, they do at least come under the disadvantage proposed in the general observation (to say no more upon them) resolving the case as said is.

To all of these grounds the following rei)lies seem not to be unreasonable. You tell me (says the Christian under the supposed exercise) That this is God's design by this dispensation to humble me, to stir me up to call on his name, to make me more watchful, to let me see ray need of Christ more. But my pride, slothfulness, unwatchfulness, unsensibleness of my need of Christ, are the great burdens I groan under. That which I would be at, is to have all these rooted out of my heart; and I know God could have done this at first, can do it still, yet he does not: What shall I say ? As for faith, hope, &c. it is ray soul's trouble, that I have so little of thera; I would fain be at the full measure; and I know the graces of the Spirit are inseparable ; whoso hath one, hath all. But though the exercise of these graces were inconsistent with the state of perfection that I would fain be at, which nevertheless is not so, (for if I were perfect in this life, or altogether free from sin, I could not but exercise faith, hope, and patience, as the man Christ did; and watchfulnes, as Adam did, or at least might

have doiie in paradise); yet I am sure the spirits of just men made perfect above, are at no loss in that they do not, nor need not exercise those graces; neither is the glory of God thereby impaired, but indeed made more illustrious. I desire to value ordinances more than my necessary food, both because they have Christ's stamp upon them, and because in this my weary state I cannot want them. But, Oh ! should I not be content, though all the stars were set, and had hid their heads, so that the Sun of Righteousness were risen with perfect healing under his wings? What though the inns were blocked up, if once the traveller were at his journey's end ? But surely, if I were as I would be, I could manage ordinances far more to the glory of my Lord, and to mine own satisfaction, than I can now do at my best. The first and second Adam wanted not sacraments, and made use of them too. And I am persuaded, that if I were free of sin, I would have a far more deep sense of Christ's benefits, and of my need of him, than now I either have or can have. Self-righteousness, that spawn of the old serpent, is one of my greatest burdens, that makes me weary of this longsome night, and long to see the day when I shall be able to sing the song of the redeemed ones, and to give my Lord all and hail the glory, in which my wretched heart now will needs share with him. Though I cannot love him as I ought, nay nor as I would ; yet would I be well content to continue in the fight never so long, so that I could but manage it without dishonour to my captain. It is not suftering, but sinning that affrights me. And I cannot but think that ten thousand jewels in my crown are too dear bought at the rate of one sin against my Lord ; whereas there is not one sin, but many in my most complete actions now. It is God's ordinary method, I confess, to bring about great works by degrees, and over the belly of many difficulties. And 0 how early did God begin with me, how many times did he lay siege to my graceless heart, how long did he follow a poor miserable worm nothing, ere 1 wou'd give consent? What great difficulties did grace break through, what iron gates did it lay by, when at first it shined into my soul ? And yet I would cheerfully bear, and go through difficulties, if they were only in the kind of suff"ering, so that I were free of sin, that evil of all evils.

By all this we may see farther into the nature of the case proposed, and may discover what it is that is at the bottom of all, and •what that is which most toucheth them in the quick. The case then terminates in an ardent desire of, and an unfeigned respect unto his glory, who hath brought the soul from darkness to light, and crowned it with loving-kindness and tender mercies; to which glory sin is so opposite. Wherefore I am of opinion, the whole is

to be rpsolved into the praise of the glory of his grace, Eph. i. 6. which seems most exactly to answer the point.

I confess, that as none can bear a wounded spirit, so none can cure it bnt the great physician of souls. " It is he that smiteth, and it is only he that can bind up ; ho kills and he makes alive." He is the healer of all the soul's diseases and pains. An exercised soul hath great dexterity in raising objections, and is not easily satisfied ; and its doubts and difficulties can no man resolve to its satisfaction, till he who is the great interpreter of the mind of God, and hath the tongue of the learned, take the work in hand, " and speak a word in season to the weary soul," by his Holy Spirit. Yet the Scripture shews that the Spirit teacheth and comforteth by the word : " He shall receive of mine," says Christ, speaking of the Spirit, " and shall shew it unto you," John xvi. 14. ; which is more clearly delivered chap. xiv. 26. " But the Comforter, he shall teach you all things, and shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto yon." So that from the word souls are to be dealt with for their comfort and satisfaction, looking to the Lord Jesus to send his Spirit to render the same effectual.

It plainly appears to such as read the Scriptures with a humble mind, and consider the doctrine therein delivered, and take notice of the Lord's way of dealing with his own, that the grand design of God in the contrivance of the elect's salvation, is, to exalt the Hches of the free grace of God in Christ: Rom. iv. 16. "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace." Eph. ii. 8, 9. " For by grace are ye saved ;—not of works, lest any man should boast." Most plainly does the apostle resolve the whole of man's salvation into this, Eph. i. 3—6. " To the praise of the glory of his grace." I say, not simply to exalt grace, (which is always here to be understood of the free favour of God, or the grace of God without us); for even by the first covenant, the grace of God was exalted, and manifestly appeared in God's condescending to enter into a covenant with Adam, and to require obedience of him by virtue of a covenant, and that with a promise of so great a reward, to which his best works could bear no proportion; when, by virtue of his sovereignty merely, he might have exacted all obedience; here was grace, though, as Bayn* calls it, a more common and inferior grace: But I say the riches of grace, in respect of which the former was but a small scantling of grace. Thus the apostle holds it forth, Eph. i. 7. " According to the riches of his grace." Chap. ii. 4. " But God, who is rich in mercy;" and ver. 7. " That in the ages to come

* Com. on Eph. p. 238.

lie might show the exceeding riches of his grace." This then is clearly the great design of God iu the contrivance of man's salvation. Now the heart of a child of God is (if I may so term it) shapen out in breadth and length to this design : for what is faith but an hearty acquiescing in the way of salvation held forth iu the gospel, as suited both to man's necessity, and the divine perfections, and particularly tending unto the manifestation of the riches of grace whereby Christ is made all, and the creature nothing?

Here then I apprehend, we may find the great reason of the Lord's dispensation in the matter of the believer's sanctification, the knowledge and consideration whereof is most likely to give satisfaction to the soul thus exercised. And it is briefly this: The exalting of Christ, and of the free grace of God in him, is the great design and end of the contrivance of man's salvation, as held forth in the gospel; but God's leaving of sin to be, and to be active in the regenerate while they are in this world, yea and keeping of them for a while in that case in the world, does contribute more to the advancement of that design, than the making of them sinless immediately upon their closing with Christ. Therefore may we already not only believe, but see, that in this matter he hath done all things well.

If we consider a person under this exercise before declared, we shall find he is one that is filled with a deep sense of his own vile-ness, emptiness, and nothingness; and hath high thoughts of Christ, and of free grace ; and so he is disposed to welcome whatsoever hath a tendency to the exalting of the same. And forasmuch as the glory of that God who hath done so great things for him lies nearest his heart, and the dishonour done unto him, galls him most: when he sees this way brings more glory to Christ, and exalts grace more than the way he would be at, it may justly be expected, he shall lay his hand upon his mouth, saying, " It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." It remains then, that we demonstrate the truth of this. That this way does more exalt Christ and free grace than the other; which I hope will be no diflicult task.

I. The more sins be pardoned to a believer, grace is the more exalted, Christ hath the more glory; the more items are blotted out of justice's debt-book by the precious blood of the immaculate Lamb, the sinner is the more deep in the debt of free grace: But it is beyond controversy, that in this dispensation more sins are pardoned to a believer than otherwise would have been. Ergo, Let none pretend that free grace might have been as much or more exalted in keeping the believer from sin altogether after conversion, as in pardoning of the same, lest they fall foul upon God's design

in suffering sin to enter into the world, prefer tlie grace of the first covenant to that of the second, and, in effect, say that God's dispensation is not suitable to his design.

II. The more sin is aggravated by its circumstances, the more is free grace exalted in pardoning it, the more illustrious is the virtue of Christ's blood ; for the deeper the stain is, the harder is it to wash out: but by this dispensation, whereby sin is left in the regenerate for a while, free grace hath the glory of pardoning sins more heinous than those committed in the state of ignorance and unbelief. Ergo, Is not the offence of a spouse, child, friend, &c., more grievous than the offence given by a stranger? Friends' wounds pierce most deeply: " for it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have borne it," &c. Psal. Iv. 12. The godly lie under far more accessary bonds and obligations to duty than others; and it is certain, the more obligations a man lies under to duty, the sin is the greater. Adultery and murder committed by a David, are more heinous in the sight of Grod, than the same sins committed by a wicked man. This is so manifest, that I need not insist to enumerate those aggravating circumstances that are to be found in the sins of the godly, which by no means can be in those of the wicked. And does not the pardoning of these deep-dyed sins exalt free grace wonderfully ? Let men but consult their own experience, and they shall have a clear proof of this. The pardon of any sin does much affect a godly heart with admiration of the riches of grace; but when a man, after a recovery from some sin, after vows and resolutions against it, &c. doth relapse into the same, and yet has his backslidings healed, this augments the admiration of it. Of all sinners backsliders have the greatest difficulty to believe ; and upon a received pardon, as they indeed are, so they seem to be, greatest debtors to grace.

III. The more deeply sin appears to be rooted in our natures, the more is the grace of God magnified in rooting it up; the more inveterate the disease seems to be, the more is the cure of it to the honour of the physician : " Since the world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," John ix. 32. If a tree were plucked up in an instant, beholders could never so clearly see how fast rooted it was, as when it abides many pulls of a strong hand. Who could have imagined the strength of sin to have been so great in David as afterwards it appeared, when he had been so often bruised and troubled in spirit, and had arrived at so great mortification ? The experience of believers affords to us an example of the same. Many times, after great wrestlings, they seem to themselves to have got great victory over a particular cor-

ruption, so that they are ready to think with themselves, that it will never be able to molest them as before; but at length it gets out again, renews the assault, and makes them see how it is, like Nebuchadnezzar's tree,* fastened in the earth of the heart with a baud of iron and brass. Now, it is manifest, that were sin rooted out at the first dash, the fixedness of it in man's nature could never so much appear to beholders, as it may and doth in the way of this dispensation. Ergo,

W. That which discovers, to the view of all, the creature's emptiness most, doth undeniably exalt grace most; but the emptiness of the creature, and its continual need of supply, is most discovered to the view of all this way: Ergo, I think, the angels themselves, who desire to pry into the mystery of grace, could not but learn a lesson of the creature's frailty and nothingness by Adam's fall, and of the riches of free grace in the way of his recovery ; and the daily slips of the saints on the earth may be to them speaking testimonies of the creature's weakness; for we see the apostle thinks it not below their dignity, that they go to school in the church to learn " the manifold wisdom of Grod," Eph. iii. 10. Suppose a weak child be held up on his feet by his father's hands, so that he cannot fall; whether doth his weakness appear so as when he is left to feel his own weight, and so gets several falls ? The spirits of just men made perfect, who are now above the clouds, and the confirmed angels, are still creatures; and therefore live and act by a continued dependance on God: but the emptiness of the creature appears not so clearly in their case, as in the state of the saints on earth; whose weakness we not only know, but see with our eyes, while they get so many falls, and give so many ocular demonstrations of their need of grace, and of their own emptiness. So that if the nothingness of the creature proclaim the riches of grace, free grace is most exalted this way.

V. The more cowardly, faint-hearted, and feckless the soldiers are that get the victory over a potent enemy, the more is the valour of the captain discovered, the greater glory redounds to him; but such are the saints in their Christian warfare: Ergo, When David attempted to take the strong hold of Zion,f the Jebusites boasting of the strength of the castle, looking on it as an impregnable fort, told him, that except he took away the blind and the lame, he could not get in there ; meaning, that such was the strength of the fort, that the very blind and lame were sufficient to defend it against David and all his men, though others should sit by, looking

• Dan. iv. 15. t2 Sam. v. 6.

Vol. TI. i

on and doing nothing: which did mightily commend the stronghold. They are potent enemies, expert, and subtle, whom the Christian is called to encounter with : " For he wrestles not [only] against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."* In the meantime he is a weak creature, weak naturally as a man, in comparison of them, but yet weaker as a sinful man; but he is nevertheless more than conqueror: which surely doth more advance the glory of the gi'eat Captain of our salvation, than if he had stronger and more expert soldiers. 0 what riches of grace appears here, which otherwise would have been in great measure smothered ! And seeing the Scripture so frequently calls the Christian course " a warfare," let me also add this. That when an enemy beseigeth a town, wherein he hath a multitude of friends ready on all occasions to betray the same into his hand, yet the town holds out, and he is repulsed ; what a shameful repulse is that ? Is not the glory of the governor far greater in this case, than if he had forced the enemy to raise the seige, while he had plenty of his friends within the walls ? The application is easy.

Finally, to shut up all; it is plain, that the more difficulties the work of man's salvation is carried through, the free grace of God is the more exalted; our Lord Jesus, the author of eternal salvation, hath the greater glory: but in this way it is carried on over the belly of more difficulties, than it would have been, if by the first grace the Christian had been made perfect. Ergo, And seeing {coBteris patibus) none can prize rest so much as they who have been sore toiled, and have come out of the greatest tribulations, I think I may be allowed to say, that a child of God having come to his journey's end after many ups and downs, falls and risings; having win through the troublesome sea of this world, and being set safe ashore, after many dangers of shipwreck, in a longsome voyage, will have the praises of free grace in his mouth sounding more loudly, and will sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb in a more elevated strain and higher notes, than if he had never been in danger through the whole of his course.

From all which it aj)pears, that this dispensation is most suitable to the grand design of the gospel, the exalting of the riches of free grace in Christ. And what lover of Christ will not say. Amen !

Eph. vi. 12.

QUEST. VI. WHO HAVE UiailT TO BAPTISM:, AND ARE TO BE BAPTIZED ?

The right of infants to baptism liath been denied and violently opposed by the Anabaptists, so called from re-baptizing of those that were in their infancy baptized; so that, according to them, adult persons only have right to this ordinance, the whole species of infants being excluded. Against this spiritual robbery much hath been written by learned men, and infants' right to baptism asserted and solidly instructed from the Scriptures of truth. In which point I am fully satisfied, not doubting but as God is the believer's God, so he is the God of his seed ; and therefore none can forbid water: wherefore I am not to meddle with this point. As the Anabaptists, denying infant baptism, have been faulty in making the subject lawfully receptive of baptism too narrow ; so it is a question to me, Whether or not others have made the same wider than the word of God will allow? There maybe a fault both ways; in excess as well as in defect. That some infants, born within the visible church, may be baptized, I doubt not; but that all such ought to be admitted to this holy ordinance, I find I cannot subscribe unto, unless I be more satisfied in that point than hitherto I am. This being a matter of practice, is worthy of consideration : and ray doubts in that point have obliged me to this inquiry, if possibly I may find any thing in this matter wherein I may rest. In answer to the question proposed, somewhat must be said touching the right of adult persons to this ordinance, as well as of infants. But in regard that it is very rare to hear of an adult person baptized amongst us, I shall say but little upon that head ; and possibly I might have waived it altogether, were it not that it may contribute something to the clearing of that wherein my difticulty lies, viz., the right of infants born of Christian parents who are a reproach to their profession.

That we may the better succeed in this inquiry, there is one distinction that must be taken notice of; and that is, There is a twofold right to church privileges ; there is a right in foro Dei, or before the Lord ; and there is a right in foro ecdesice. or in the judgment of the church. Where these two are confounded, men multiply words to no purpose. A person may have a right to church privileges before the Lord, who hath no right thereto before the church; and contrariwise, one may have a right before the church to church privileges, that hath no right thereto before the Lord: for the being of

i2

a thing is sufficient inforo Dei, but the appearing of it to be so, is necessary in foro ecclesice ; seeing as to us de non apparentihus et non existentibus eadem est ratio et idem judicium. So these are two distinct questions. Who ought to be baptized? and. Who ought to seek baptism ?* The first respects a right to baptism before the church ; the second a right thereto before God. Which being premised, we lay down these following conclusions.

Conclusion I. None have a right to baptism before the Lord, but those who have actually a saving interest in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Argument I. The Scripture plainly holds forth, that the having of the Spirit and faith are necessarily pre-requisite to baptism: Acts viii. 36, 37. " Here is water," says the eunuch, " what doth hinder me to be baptized ?" Philip answereth, " If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." He saith not only, " If thou believest;" but, "If thou believest with all thine heart;" which plainly denotes faith unfeigned, as the apostle speaks; hence then, as Ursin infers,f Ergo, si non credas, non licet; "If thou believest not, thou mayest not;" which is necessarily to be understood with respect to the judgment of God ; for none can say, that sincere faith is necessary to a right to the ordinance before the church. And so Philip baptizeth him on a credible profession of faith ; but withal tells him, that it is no less than the truth of faith that can warrant him before the Lord to seek baptism to himself. Acts x. 47. " Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we ?" importing, that if they had not received the Holy Ghost, they had no true right to baptism; but they had received the Holy Ghost, as well as (Greek, kathos, even as) the apostle himself, and the believing Jews, who received the same as a spirit of saving grace, as well as of extraordinary gifts; not only (says Piscator) the gift of tongues, but of Christian faith. Whence he observes, that adult persons, concerning whom it appears from probable arguments that they believe in Christ, are to be received into the church by baptism. What though this receiving of the Holy Ghost have an immediate respect to extraordinary gifts, it is no otherwise made a ground whereupon they have right to baptism, but as it is an evidence of their having the Spirit of sanctification. They heard them speak with tongues; therefore says Peter, " Can any man forbid water, seeing these have received the gift of the Holy Ghost;" which, according to that Acts ii. 38, 39. did pre-suppose repentance, at least in appearance;

• Ur». Exp. cat, p. 471. t Expl. cat. p. 564.

■which appearance was the ground of their right in foro ecclesice, and the reality of the same the ground of their right coi^am Deo.

Argument II. The words of institution make this evident, Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. " Go ye therefore and disciple all nations, baptizing thera," «&c. They must first be discipled; and then, and not till then, have they a right to baptism. To be a disciple of Christ and a believer are reciprocal terms, as Christ teacheth us, comparing with this Mark xvi. 16. " He that believeth, and is baptized," &c. And infants may be no less disciples of Christ than adult persons, as is clear from that Acts xv. 10. " Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke [viz. circumcision] on the neck of the disciples?" The apostles understood it so, as is plain from their practice; which may well be to us a sufficient commentary thereupon. See how Peter sets himself to his work, Acts ii. 38. " Repent therefore, and be baptized; where it is plain, that he requires their repentance antecedently to baptism, as necessary to qualify them for the right and due reception thereof. And there is no example of baptism recorded in the Scriptures, where auy were baptized but such as appeared to have a saving interest in Christ; as afterwards we shall shew.

ARGUiiENT III. This will plainly appear, if we consider the nature of sacraments, the ends and uses for which they are appointed of God, as the Scriptures do declare the same.

1. The sacraments are not converting, but confirming ordinances ; they are appointed for the use and benefit of God's children, not of others; they are given to believers as believers, as Rutherford expresseth it loc. sup. at. so that none other are subjects capable of the same before the Lord. Either must we say, they have no respect at all to saving grace; or that they are appointed as means of the conveyance of the first grace, that is, to convert sinners; or, finally, for confirmation of grace already received. If it be said, they have no respect at all to saving grace, then baptism cannot be called the baptism of repentance; nor are persons baptized for the remission of sins; nor can it be looked on as a seal of the righteousness of faith: all which is evidently against Scripture testimony. And I do not remember it is pleaded by any, though Mr. Fulwood is pleased to say, that persons may be considered to be truly baptized* without respect to saving grace. If it be said they are appointed as means of the conveyance of the first grace ; then, 1. Either there are none converted before baptism, which is manifestly false. Acts viii. 12. 37; or else baptism is in vaiu

* Discourse vis Chur. p. 49.

conferred on couveits, which is no less false. But surely in vain are means used to confer on any that which they have before. 2. It were unfaithfulness to Christ, and cruelty to men to withhold the sacraments from any person whatsoever. Were it not soul murder to withhold the means of conveyance of the first grace from any, and unfaithfulness to him, who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth ? But that the sacraments, and particularly baptism, are not to be conferred on all promiscuously, none can deny. "Wherefore it remains, they are indeed appointed for confirmation ; which doth necessarily suppose the pre-existence of grace in the soul, seeing that which is not, cannot be confirmed.

2. Baptism is appointed of God to be a seal of the righteousness of faith. So testifies the apostle concerning circumcision, Rom. iv. 11. and consequently of baptism, which hath now come into its room. Col. ii. 11. 12..—" By the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism." This none but Sociniaus, and such as they, will quarrel. But now none have right to the seal, but such as have interest in the thing sealed. The being of a thing is pre-supposed to the sealing of it; the contract must be made before it be sealed. No wise man will seal a blank, far less must God's seal be given to him that hath no interest in that which it is appointed to seal. And it is evident, that such as are out of Christ, have no interest in his righteousness, therefore no right before God to the seal of it. " Abraham received circumcision" says the apostle, " a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had before." Where the party baptized is one that hath no saving interest in Christ, the ordinance as to him is abused, and so he hath no right thereto before the Lord. The abuse is manifest from what is said; for, as Witsius teacheth,* God seals nothing, to such a one, that is truly good. The benefits of the covenant he hath neither part nor lot in; how then can he have right to the ordinance sealing the same ? Some possibly may say it seals the conditional covenant of grace to such a one. But, not to examine the couditionality of the covenant of grace, denied by many godly and learned divines,| 1. This is inconsistent with the common doctrine of orthodox divines, teaching, That the efficacy of baptism is not tied to the moment of time wherein it is administered : for if it seal the conditional covenant to such, it is certain its efficacy is tied to that moment; for we know no other efficacy of it but eflfectual obsignation. 2. Baptism either seals that conditional covenant as merely oflTered and not accepted, or as both offered and accepted. If the first be said, then, 1. It seals no engagement on our part; which is not only contrary to the

• Exer. de bapt. section 6. f Zanchiui*, Luther, Junius, Ames. Rysseniu?, and others.

orthodox doctrine of divines about baptism, but is iiicousist-ent with what the Scriptures say of the baptized, tlicir being *' buried with Christ in baptism, baptized into Christ, into one body," &c. 2. How then can any deny baptism unto those to whom the conditional covenant is held forth, whether they consent to be disciples of Christ or not ? If the second be said, the case is altered, yea the cause is yielded : for such as accept of the covenant are in Christ, seeing there can be no entering now into covenant with God but through the Mediator. It will not help the cause to allege, that it seals the conditional covenant, as accepted externally by profession : for God doth proj)ose faith, and not profession, as the terms of the conditional covenant of grace ; and therefore whoso come not up to the terms defined by God himself in his word, they are not at^counted before the Lord to have accepted of the covenant, though before men they may be so accounted of; in regard not faith in itself, but the profession of it, vocal or real, appeareth to them. If any shall say, that baptism seals visible church membershij) to those that have no saving interest in Christ, his righteousness, &c. I would demand a proof of that, that baptism is appointed to seal visible church membership, and no other benefit of the covenant; or where it can be found, that God sealeth the benefits of the covenant by halves. As Mr. Baxter observes, the end of a sacrament must enter the definition thereof; and it is certain it is appointed of God to seal the righteousness of faith, remission of sins, &c. to some. If then it be appointed to seal only visible church raembei'ship to others, there must be two baptisms, though the apostle tells us there is but one, Eph. iv. 5.

3. Let us view those Scrij)tures that directly hold forth the nature, ends, and uses of baptism. Math. iii. 11. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance," eis metanoian. So it is called the baptism of repentance. Acts xix. 4. John verily baptized with the b.iptism of repentance : not in respect of repentance to come after, but going before; for John baptized none but those that confessed their sins, Matth. iii. 6. and he required of them a profession of their faith in him that was to come,* Acts xix. 4. It is called the baptism of repentance, for remission of sin, Mark i. 4. Peter calls those pricked at the heart to repent and be baptized for the remission of sin; where it can be no otherwise understood, but in testimony and confirmation of remission of sins, as our divines shew agarnst the Papists. Rom. iv. 11. He received circumcision, a seal of the righteousness which he had before. Gal. iii. 27. " For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put

. ' Piscator iii loc.

on Christ;" where baptism is made a seal of our union with Christ, which is one of the ends of baptism. This end, says a learned man,* none but the faithful do obtain ; for, as the apostle says in the same place, " Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." So bapti^n is called the laver of regeneration, and we are said to be baptized into Christ's death, and into one body; all which are to be understood of baptism, as sealing those things done already. From which it appears, that none but such as have au interest in Christ have right to baptism before the Lord. "Which will be further clear by the arguments to be adduced for proof of the next conclusion.

Many testimonies might be adduced which are given by orthodox divines, unto this truth, whereof some afterwards shall be touched. But Mr. Fulwood flies in the face of it, in his discourse of the visible church. " The word of God" says he " Gen. xvii. 23. acknow-ledgeth, that one may have a right to the first seal of the covenant, and that coram Deo, that hath no saving grace. Ishmael was thirteen years old, ver. 25. when he was circumcised, and therefore of age to answer for himself; yet Ishmael had no saving grace, neither was he within the covenant of Isaac—the covenant of absolute and certain salvation, from which he was excluded, ver. 19. Yet Ishmael hath a right to the first seal of the covenant coram Deo, as is most evident from the immediate command of God, that he that was born in Abraham's house, must needs be circumcised, ver. 12. and accordingly Abraham understood it. He proceeds upon the command of God to circumcise Ishmael first of all. Now what is it that giveth one right to any ordinance but the command, or at least more evidently than the command of God himself? And that right which we have from God's command, is doubtless a right coram Deo, and in his sight."

In answer to this, I deny that Ishmael had a right to circumcision coram Deo ; and the contrary is very far from being most evident from the immediate command of God, ver. 12. The command of God layeth an obligation on such as it is directed unto, to make use of such an ordiuanca as the command relateth unto; but it giveth not a right to any ordinance. If the ordinance which the command respects be not a sealing ordinance, then indeed the command pre-supposeth the person's right thereto, and evidenceth it; the ordinance being such as requires no special qualification in the party to found his right thereto : As it is in the hearing of the word, the command to hear pre-supposeth a right to hear, otherwise ministers should, at the command of God, preach to them that have

• Wtindel. Christ, theol. p. 432.

no right to hear; for the comraand to hear obligeth not but wheu there is something spoken that may be heard. But if the ordinance be a sealing ordinance, as that we now speak of is, then the receiving of it comes under a twofold notion; first, of a duty ; and, secondly, of a special privilege; the confounding whereof, or not distinguishing of the same, seems to be the ground of this mistake. It is a duty, because commanded; it is a special privilege, because allowed only to a certain sort of persons. Now, in such a case there is some special qualification in the party required to found his right to the sealing ordinance. I think this learned man will not say but it was necessary, that the party having right to circumcision, should be one in covenant with God, whatever that covenant be said to be; and that a person no way in covenant with God, could have no right thereto coram Deo: so that the right to that ordinance turned on the hinge of personal qualifications undeniably ; and the command of God did not give a right to it, but obliged to the qualification (whatever it was), and to the usemaking of the ordinance, and that conjunctly ; but did not so much as evidence a right thereto, either before God or the church. And what is said of circumcision, agrees to all sealing ordinances: so that what is alleged by the learned man concerning the right to a sealing ordinance, from God's command obliging to receive, it is de subjecto non supponente, in my opinion. And the thing he had to prove, was, that the command of God in such a case gives a right to the ordinance; which cannot be received without proof, and upon a bare assertion. When Peter, in the name of the Lord, commands every one of those to whom he spoke to be baptized, Acts ii. 38. it did indeed oblige them to submit to that holy ordinance, but in the meantime to go about it in God's own way, and to be persons duly qualified for baptism. But this command did not evidence their right thereto, either coram Deo or coram ecclesice, while they continued impenitent murderers of the Lord of glory ; nay nor at all; for it was upon their gladly receiving the word that the apostle proceeded to admit them. Here then I would ask, 1. Whether or not those persons to whom the apostle said, " Be baptized every one of you," were obliged to submit to this ordinance ? That they were, is manifest, if the command of God, by the mouth of his servant, could oblige them. 2. Whether or not, while they continued impenitent mockers of religion, enemies to Christ, neither sorrowing for their sins, nor professing sorrow for them, not believing nor repenting, nor appearing so to do, might the apostles have baptized them ? or could they lawfully have received baptism? Whoso will say they might, would pour contemj)t

ou Christ's holy ordinance. Sure I am, had they baptized them in such a case, they had gone beyond the bounds of their commission, obliging them first to disciple, then to baptize. From all which it appears, that persons may be obliged to the receiving of baptism by virtue of the command of God, and yet have no right thereto, either before God or the church. Again, the command of Christ, "Do this in remembrance of me," obligeth all that hear the gospel to partake of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, as God giveth opportunity ; yet it neither gives all a right thereto before God or the church : nay nor does it evidence the same; for there are many that may not lawfully partake, and many that may not lawfully be admitted thereto by church officers, notwithstanding that the command of God obligeth them to do this. If it he their sin not to partake, which it must needs be, Christ revealing his will to them, whereof this is a part; then it is their duty to receive it: yet they may not lawfully receive it, while continuing in their open wickedness. All that hear the gospel have not a right to it, either before God or the church, as I think none will deny. All indeed ought to eat; but, according to the apostle, they must first examine themselves, and then eat.* Ursin upon that question, "Who ought to come to the supper?" tells us,t " The sacraments are appointed for the faithful and converted only, to seal the promise of the gospel to them, and confirm their faith." And that the wicked and hyj^ocriles ought not to come ; not that they are not obliged to come, that is not his meaning; but that they cannot lawfully come as is manifest from what he says afterwards,J that such not coming peccatum peccato cumulant, " heap sin on sin." Eut hear the objection against this doctrine, and his answer to it. " Objection. ' God commands all to make use of the sacraments.' Answer. He commands to all the use of the sacraments; yet the lawful use, which is not without faith and repentance. He com-niands that all be baptized, and make use of the supper; but he also commands that all believe and repent, Acts ii. 38." Let us suppose, a master commands his servant to sow his ground; doth this give a right to him to go immediately and cast in the seed, before that ever he break the ground with the jjlough, and make it fit for the receiving of the seed ? Slionld he go thus to work, he were a disobedient servant. Neither could it excuse that he had his master's immediate command to sow his ground. Even so in the present case. Ishmael being by the command of God obliged to receive the seal of the righteousness of faith, was co ipso obliged to receive the righte-

* 1 Cor. xl. 28. t Expl. Cat. p. 547. J P. 348,

ousncss of faith ; and till then he had uo right to the seal before the Lord.

Conclusion II. Visible believers, and such as have a profession of religion, probably signifying their having a saving interest in Christ, have a right to baptism before the church, so that they may be admitted thereto, though indeed they have no saving grace, yea or never shall have it. This may bo allowed without a scrupulous inquiry into their state before God ; and men in this case onght to take the first probable profession as the ground of admission. All this is clear from the examples of baptism recorded in the Scriptures, particularly from the practise of John the Baptist, Matt, iii, 6: and of Philip baptizing the Samaritans, and amongst thera Simon the Magician ; and his baptizing the eunuch, Acts viii. And truly, if an apparently serious profession did not warrant the church to give the seals to such persons as have it, they could administer thera to none without a revelation from God as to the person's state before the Lord. But this is so plain, that it were in vain to stand upon further proof thereof. And therefore we proceed to

Conclusion III. None but visible believers, or such as appear to have a saving interest in Christ, have right to baptism before the church. Whatever people do profess, in words, as to their faith in Christ, &c. if their profession be openly and visibly contradicted and belied by their practice; if they be habitually profane in their walk, or grossly ignorant of the fundamental points of the Christian religion, they ought not to be baptized, though they offer themselves to baptism.

Argument I. " That which is holy is not to be given to dogs, neither are pearls to be cast before swine," Matth, vii. 6. But the sacrament of baptism is a holy thing, and those that are not visible saints, are visible dogs and swine : Prov. xxvi. 11, "As a dog re-turneth to his vomit, so a fool to his folly." 2 Pet. ii. 18, 20. Who is the fool, but he that understaudeth not, and doth not seek after God, who is altogether corrupt and filthy ? Psal. xiv. Our Lord himself tells us, that " it is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs," Matth. xv. 26. " And therefore," as Zanchy* saith, " to admit unto the sacrament of baptism the impenitent and unbelievers, what else is it but to trample under foot the blood of Christ, and expose it to mockery ?" It were frivolous to say, that if this prove aught, it would prove that no unregene-rate man ought to be baptized; for they are those fools; for indeed, as was said before, none of these have a right to the ordinance

* Com. on Eph. p. 226.

before the Lord. But be what they will as to their state before God, unless they appear to us to be fools, dogs, and swine, we are not to hold thera as such, but to esteem them visible saints, as they are indeed supposed to be.

Argument II. None ought to be baptized but visible disciples of Christ; for in baptism there is an open acknowledging of the party for a disciple of Christ. He ought to be looked on as a servant of the great Master, befoi'e he get on his badge, and wear his livery. The commission for baptizing runs so, first to make disciples, then to baptize. Matt, xxviii. 19. And this is the very native order of these things. But none but visible believers can be acknowledged for Christ's disciples. Ergo, The assumption I prove. 1. None can be esteemed Christ's disciples, but those that appear to have " learned of the Father," and so also have come to Christ, being drawn effectually by the Father, John vi. 44, 45 ; and none but visible believers are such. Though that the Lord may have begun to teach others, and they are beginning to learn of him, yet till this appear to us, we can never reckon them disciples of Christ. Let it be remembered, that we do acknowledge infants to be disciples of Christ, as well as adult persons ; and whatever is, or may be said on this head, must be understood de subjecto capad, and without prejudice to the holy seed, the infants of the faithful. 2. "We must judge of people's discipleship by their fruit. Matt. vii. 20, " By their fruit ye shall know them;" viz. whether they be Christ's disciples, or the devil's. This our Lord plainly teacheth, John xv. 8, " Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit; so shall ye be" {i. e. appear, yea further appear, to be) " my disciples." The same is taught, John viii. 31, " If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." Hence it plainly follows, that none but visible saints are visible disciples of Christ, and that such whose practice belies their profession are excluded. 3. Such as are worse than infidels, cannot be reckoned disciples of Christ; such as have denied the faith, are worse than infidels ;* and those whose practice openly contradicts their profession, have denied the faith; for though they " profess to know God, yet in works they deny him," Tit. i. 16 ; and it is horrid indeed to think on sealing them with the seal of the covenant that in their works deny God, unto whom " nothing is pure, who are abominable, disobedient, and to every good work reprobate." 4, We are plainly instructed what it is without which none can be Christ's disciples,. Luke xiv. 26, 27, " If any man hate not his father and mother;—and whosoever doth not bear his

• I Tim. V. 8.

cross, and come after me, cannot be ray disciple." "Will Christ acknowledge men as his disciples, on no other terms ? then, without the appearance of these things, we ought not to reckon persons his disciples. Neither are ever any called disciples of Christ in the Scriptures, but such as were visible believers. We read indeed, John vi. 66, " that many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him," and so some visible believers apostatize : not that they are visible disciples of Christ when they fall into a total and final apostacy ; but they that now are apostates, were visible disciples of Christ before. When we say an apostate disciple, or a disciple gone back, the terra disciple is affected with alienation, as philosophers speak; as when we say, a dead man, the meaning is, he who was a man while living, is now dead. Hence it appears, that the argument taken by Fulwood* from this Scripture, to prove that the visible church may be considered to be truly a church of Christ without respect to saving grace, is of no use to his purpose. " Now, let it be supposed," says he, " that they now ceased to be disciples, (and truly I think it may not only be supposed, but fully concluded they now ceased to be disciples), yet this only evidenceth, for the time past, that they never had any true grace, howbeit they were then disciples. Unless they had gone on, they could not have gone back; and so long as they went on, they were disciples. Not those that seemed, but those that were disciples, went back." It is true indeed, that the apostacy of these persons evidenced, for the time past, that they never had any true grace ; but it did not evidence that they never had any evidence, before men, of true grace, or that they never had any appearance of true grace, which, unless his argument prove it, cannot reach his conclusion : yea, it evidenceth the quite contrary, that they had some time an appearance of saving grace, in so far as they were accounted disciples of Christ, and to have walked with him. But I deny that their apostacy only evidenced they had no true grace ; it evidenced also, that they were never the true disciples whom Christ sent his disciples to make and baptize, and so no church members before Grod : for, as Mr. Baxter saith, " When Christ saith. Make rae disciples of all nationsf baptizing them, he means sincere disciples, though we cannot ever know them to be sincere." It is a weak criticism, to remark, that it was not those that seemed, but those that were disciples, that went back ; for were is no more in the text than seemed. And what if I say, they were seeming disciples, and not real. But they were indeed visible disciples before their visible

' Discourse vis. Chur. p. 129. f Inf. Bap. p. 327.

apostacy; they were as really visible disciples, as Peter and John were; but when they apostatized, they ceased to be visible disciples.

Ar&ument III. All the examples of baptism recorded in the Scripture, hold forth none to have been baptized, but those that before baptism appeared to have a saving interest in Christ. Those whom John the Baptist admitted, were such as " confessed their sins," Matth. iii. 6. So those baptized by Peter, Acts ii. 41, " Then they that gladly received his word were baptized." The Samaritans believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Grod, and the name of Jesus Christ, and then were baptized, Acts viii. 12. " Simon himself believed also, and was baptized," ver. 13. " The eunuch said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and then was baptized," vers. 37, 38. Paul is first converted, and then baptized. Acts ix. 18. The centurion, and those with him, received the Holy Ghost; and therefore none could forbid water.* So Lydia, Acts xvi. 14, 15. the jailor, vers, 32, 33. Crispus and others. Acts xviii. 8. Neither can any instance be adduced wherein the matter appears to have been handled otherwise ; and surely these examples are our rule in this case. What though some of them, as Simon Magus, were indeed hypocrites, the argument nevertheless holds good, if their hypocrisy did not appear before they were baptized; which cannot be proven to have been, even in the case of Simon : yea it appears right plainly, from the history of him, that it was some time after he was baptized that his hypocrisy appeared; for, after he was baptized, he continued with Philip all the time, till the apostles which were at Jerusalem, sent unto Samaria Peter and John, and the Samaritans received the Holy Ghost through the laying on of the the apostles' hands.

Argument IY. If the admission of such to baptism as are not visible saints be a profaning of the holy ordinance, then they have no right before the church thereto, nor ought they to be baptized; the former is true: Ergo, the latter also. The profanation of the ordinance appears, in that those are declared to be real members of Christ, clothed with the righteousness of Christ, blessed with the pardon of sin, &c. who, to the sight of the world, have, or at least appear to have, none of these things: for baptism, as was shown before, is appointed of God to seal these and such like ; and so is a testifying sign that the party baptized is such a one.

* " Can any man forbid," signifying, that unless the FIol)' Spirit had rested on them,

there should have beea who would have hindered them from hapusui hen. Adv.

Heres. b 2.

Wherefore, to baptize snch persons, were to proclaim an agreement betwixt Christ and Belial, and to set up for concord betwixt light and darkness, and seal the same with a witness; which cannot be but an abuse of God's holy ordinance. Tt was a heavy charge against the priests, Ezek. xxii. 26. that they had violated God's law, and profaned his holy things; and put no difference between the holy and profane, nor shewed difference between the clean and unclean. Now, the law which they violated in this, we have expressly set down, Lev. x. 8. 9. 10. " And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congreg:i-tion; lest ye die : It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean." The first respects moral, the other ceremonial purity or impurity. And this putting difference is evidently distinguished from the shewing difference doctrin-ally; as appears from ver. 11. " And that ye may teach the children of Israel," &c. Now, surely the Lord doth as little allow the profaning of his holy things under the gospel, as under the law ; and the putting no difference betwixt the holy and profane, cannot but be a i)rofauing of God's holy things, now as well as then. The priests also are reproved for bringing into the sanctuary, strangers uncircumcised in heart and in flesh, and thereby polluting it, Ezek. xliv. 7- And to prevent the mistake, lest they should think that the only ground of the quarrel was, that such were uncircumcised in flesh, the Lord tells them, ver. 9. that " no stranger uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into his sanctuary." Mark the disjunctive particle, " uncircumcised in heart, nor in flesh." Was the sanctuary more holy than the sacrament of baptism is ? will moral impurity pollute the one, and not the other ? If any .shall say, that this respects not Israelites, but strangers ; and so although it may hold good in our case as to professed pagans, yet not as to professed Christians : I answer, 1. The strangers were debarred from the sanctuary as uncircumcised in heart, therefore all uncircumcised in heart were debarred ; for a qua tali ad omne valet consequentia. 2. The Lord expressly reproves the profane Israelites for entering into his sanctuary, Jer. vii. 9. 10. 11.

Argument V. ult. If none have a right to baptism before the Lord but real saints, then none have a right to it before the church but visible saints. The argument has been already proven ; and the consequent is very plain. These two positions do mutually establish one another. If the word debar all from the sacraments that are not real saints, to admit such as have no appearance of

saintsliip, were to pull in with the one hand, when we shut out with the other ; which is the high way to make people Atheists, and to believe nothing that is preached. When Grod hath declared, that none have right before hira to the seals of the covenant, but those that have a saving interest in his Son, in whom " the promises are Yea and Amen;" and hath required the dispensers of the holy mysteries, to " put a difference betwixt the holy and unholy, and to sej)arate betwixt the precious and the vile," and told us, that " we shall know them by their fruits ;" men ought to beware of admitting such as plainly appear to be profane and vile. Men must not be blind, when the Avorks of the flesh are manifest, Gal. v. 19.

Now, all this doth no way prejudice the right of infants to baptism corame cclesice ; for the infants of visible believers are no less visible believers than they themselves are, seeing the Lord declares himself to be not only the believer's God, but the God of his seed. " We do not tie," say the professors of Leyden,* "the efficacy of baptism to that moment when the body is washed ; but we do, with the Scripture, pre-require faith and repentance in all that are to be baptized, at least, according to the judgment of charity : and that as well in infants that are within the covenant; in whom, by the power of God's blessing and of the gospel covenant, we affirm, that there is the seed and spirit of faith and repentance; as in the aged, in whom the profession of actual faith and repentance is necessary." "Yea," saith Zanchius,f " We must believe, that an infant of faithful parents is already baptized with the baptism of the Spirit, seeing it is in the covenant." It were easy to heap up testimonies given by orthodox divines to the first and third conclusions. UrsinJ gives his judgment thereanent in two theses : " All," says he, " and only the regenerate lawfully, receive baptism. The church administereth baptism lawfully to all, and only these whom she ought to account in the number of the regenerate." See " Calv. Inst." lib. 4. cap. 16. § 23, 24; " Wits, in Syrob. Apost." p. 455. § 15; " Exer." p. 372, 381, 416; " Zanch. in Eph." p. 226; " Wend. Christ. Theol." p. 432; «'Baxt. Inf. Bapt." p. 327; "Bowies' Past. Evang." p. 185.

Conclusion IV. All infants descended of parents whereof one only is a visible believer, hath right to baptism before the church ; they ought to be baptized, whether it be the father or mother that makes a credible profession. Such are in covenant with God visibly; we are to look on them as probably within the covenant, as to the saving benefits thereof, so that none can

• Synop. Pur. Theol. p. 609. f Com. in Epb. p. 225. th. 13.

X T/ies. the,)}, de Bapt. th. 12. misc. p. 125.

forbid water. The apostle plainly tells us, they are not unclean but holy, I Cor. vii. 14. and therefore subjects lawfully capable of this ordinance. I find no need to insist on this point, being fully satisfied therein, and knowing none that deny it who do not altogether reject infant baptism. If it le inquired, Who is to be sponsor for the child when the father is the unbeliever? I answer. The father cannot be admitted, seeing there is no reason to expect that he will bring up his child in ihe fear of that God, the fear of whom is not before his own eyes; or in that religion to which he himself is a stranger. To overlook the mother, and to require another to be sponsor for the child, I see no reason. But the mother is to be sponsor for the child : 1. Because it seems the child hath its right by her. 2. Because the Scripture lays the bonds on her; so that she is antecedently obliged to bring up her child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Eph. vi. 4. 3. Because she is the person most to be trusted in such a weighty concern. Whoever it be that presents the child to be baptized, I suppose is not material, providing he or she be a church member. Neither is it necessary that the sponsor present the child; but if it can be conveniently done, it ought to be. Only in the case supposed, the bonds being laid on the mother, it is not reasonable the child should want the seal of the covenant till she be able to appear in the congregation, if providence allow an opportunity before that time.

But now I come to the main point of this inquiry, viz. Whether or no all infants born of Christian parents, so called in opposition to Jews, Turks, aud pagans, have a right before the church to baptism ? or, whether the open wickedness, profanity, or gross ignorance of the parents, should hinder the infant to be baptized, till either the parents reform, or the child come to mature age, aud by his personal walk satisfy the church as to his right to that ordinance ? What hath been said to the former points seems pretty clear; but to determine this, hoc opus, hie labor est.

Many godly and learned hold the former part of that question, though, as I apprehend, on different grounds; all which, I conceive, are expressed by Zanchy, and Oliver Bowles. Their words are as follows. " The children of those," says that judicious divine, Zanchius,* " that are indeed in the church, but, because of their unclean way of living, declare that they are not indeed of the church ; if they be offered to baptism, they cannot be debarred therefrom, nor ought they. The reason is, because though the parents be wicked, yet their impiety ought not to prejudge their children which

* Com. on Eph. p. 22(i.

Vol. VI. K

are born within the church. But if you say, only the children of the faithful are to be baptized, because those infants only are judged to be within the covenant, and they only holy; I answer, the impiety of their nearest parents is not to be considered here, but the piety of the church in which they are born;—as also their ancestors who have lived godly and holily." " All infants," says Mr. Bowles,* " who, in the judgment of charity, are within the covenant, are to be baptized. And baptism is to be administered exactly according to this judgment of charity. And that judgment concludes all to be within the covenant, whose parants were sometime sealed with the seal of the covenant." Hereto add Mr. Fulwood's notion of it. He judgeth the children of openly wicked parents are to be baptized, because their parents may be really members of the visible church, (notwithstanding their want of saving grace), and really baptized. And so they allow the children of such heretics amongst whom the formula of baptism remains safe, children of excommunicate parents, bastards, if there be any evidence of the baptism, at least of one of the parents. Some add foundlings. Bowles requires that there be sponsors found in order to the baptizing of these children of heretics, &c. otherwise he acknowledges the action to be lusory, and baptism to be polluted. I remember there is a question. Whether or not the infants of pagans, Turks, or Jews, wholly in the power of a Christian believer, being by him devoted to Christ, ought to be baptized ? This is by Mr. Baxterf resolved in the affirmative, on Scripture grounds. In this case, the infant's right is wholly from the sponsor. Now, if the children of openly wicked Christians be put in this case, the plea for their right to baptism from their being born in the church, of godly progenitors, of baptized immediate parents, falls to the ground. But I suppose those learned men mean no such thing; but that, by virtue of their birth privilege, the children of openly wicked Christian parents have a right to baptism; and that, laying aside the case of such sponsors from whom the infants wholly derive their right to the ordinance, it is not necessary that one of the parents be a visible believer, or have a serious and credible profession, in order to their children's having a right to baptism coram erxlesia. And for proof of this point let the following arguments be considered.

Abgument I. The seal of the covenant belongs to all those that are within the covenant; but the infants of all Christian parents are within the covenant; for so runs the covenant, "I will be thy

' Past. Ev. lib. 3. cajj. 3. f luf. Bapt. p. 101.

God, and the Grod of thy seed." Seeing the parents are sealed with the seal, they must needs be within the covenant, and consequently their seed also. The covenant is not made with the root, bnt also with the offspring; and if so, why may not the seal of the covenant be effectual, not only to the baptized parent if he believe, but also render his seed capable at least of the external sign. Wherefore the apostle saith, " Now are your children holy," to wit, by external holiness ; whereby they are reputed to be within the covenant, being come of such a parent as hath given up his or her name to Christ, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Let it be duly considered what was the case that was so straitening to those Corinthians, which Paul doth resolve in the forecited place. It was not, whether or not the godly husband or wife might lawfully abide in the state of marriage with a wicked Christian yoke-fellow ? but, whether or not the Christian husband or wife might lawfully abide in that state with a pagan ? The apostle tells them they might, and gives the reason, " For the unbelieving husband is sanctified to the believing wife," i. e. the pagan to the Christian ; and gives the reason, " Else were your children unclean; but now they are holy." And it is very palpable there was very open wickedness amongst that people. What sad divisions and disorders were among them ! They tolerated the incestuous person ; they did not mourn, but were puffed up ; some of them wei"e drunken when they came to the Lord's table ; some denied the resurrection, &c. Notwithstanding of all, the apostle tells them their children were holy, consequently within the covenant, and to be baptized.

Argument IL The infant not having stretched forth its hand to the parent's iniquity, must not bear his sin, at least in spirituals, Ezek. xviii. 20. " The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father : the soul that sinneth, it shall die." But surely, if no infants should be admitted to baptism but those of visible believers, many infants born of Christian parents should be debarred, and so uncontrover-tibly bear the iniquity of their fathers. If God hath manifested his mercy so far, that the child shall not bear the father's sin, they seem to go strangely to work that will debar poor infants because of the wicked life of their parents, in which they, poor souls, have no hand. Which is the more to be noticed, and calls people to be the more wary, if we consider that many a time God brings chosen vessels out of the loins of the most profligate parents. Even in the family of Jeroboam was one " found in whom there was some good thing found toward the God of Israel."

Argument III. If the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents did not exclude their children from circumcision, then the

k2

heresy, profanity, or iiupiety of Christian parents cannot exclude their children from baptism; the former is true: Ergo, the consequence is plain : for baptism is the same to us, that circumcision was to them; " circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of faith," Rom. iv. 11. as well as baptism ; and none will say, that the grace of God is more narrow under the New Testament than it was under the Old. The minor is no less manifest, if ye consider these four things. 1. The universality of the command with respect to circumcision, Gren. xvii. 10. " Every man-child among you shall be circumcised ;" which command is repeated ver. 12. Here is no exception. 2. The punishment or censure to be inflicted on the uncircumcised man-child among the Jews, ver. 14. " The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off" from his people." 3. Consider the practice of Joshua, who at God's command circumcised the children of Israel at Gil-gal, Josh. V. where it is expressly said, " When they had done circumcising all the people," ver. 8.; yet these were the children of them whom God for their wickedness kept out of Canaan, who fell in the wilderness, who vexed his Holy Spirit forty years, so that he sware they should never enter into his rest And they themselves cannot be supposed to be all visible believers. 4. "We never read of any of the Israelites' children that were debarred from that ordinance on any pretence whatsoever. From all which it is evident, that the impiety of the Jewish parents did not debar their children from circumcision, and therefore as little can the impiety of Christians debar theirs from baptism. Here is a grant of the first seal of the covenant, yea, a command to receive the same, directed, unto the children of all that are externally in covenant with God, as Christians and their seed are. If any will say, it is now done away, and concerns not us under the New Testament dispensation; they must acknowledge themselves obliged to shew us the repeal thereof in the sacred records, otherwise confess it still stands in force.

Argument IY. This doth further appear, if we consider that Scripture, Acts ii. 38, 39, " Repent therefore, and be baptized every one of you. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off", even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Now, what is that promise he speaks of, but the great promise, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed." The apostle hereby means to stir them up to repentance, and to be baptized; and for their encouragement he tells them, the promise is to them and their seed. Note, that the promise is to them antecedently to their repenting ; this is plain, because the apostle's argument is truly thus, the promise is to you, therefore repent and be baptized; he argues from their privilege to their duty. Again, the promise

is said to be to such " as are afar off, even to as many as God shall call," meaning the Gentiles, Eph. ii. 13. " Ye who sometimes were afar off." The call here spoken of, is the outward and external call, which puts the Gentiles into the same case with those Jews who surely were not savingly called, so that the promise is to their seed also, as well as to the Jews' seed. Hence I form a twofold argument.

1. If the promise be to the born Israelites and their seed even antecedently to their repenting, then the promise is unto persons within the Christian church and to their seed, antecedently to true repentance in them: but the former is true : JErgo, and if the promise be so to them, the seal of it must be so likewise,

2. The promise is to the Gentiles, whom the Lord externally calleth, and to their seed; but such are openly wicked Christian parents : Ergo, Who can forbid water to their infants ?

Argument. Y. John Baptist and the apostles admitted all to baptism that offered themselves, Matt. iii. 5, 6. " Then went out to hira Jerusalem and all Judea, and were baptized of him." He debarred none; no not the Pharisees, whom yet he called " a generation of vipers," ver. 7. That he did baptize them, is clear from his own express testimony, ver. 11, where, speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, he saith, " I indeed baptize you with water." Luke iii. 21, it is expressly said, " When all the people were baptized." Now the practice of John plainly holds forth, that they had a right to that ordinance, and that they were in covenant: Ergo, a majori the infants of wicked Christian parents are to be baptized. Now, if we look to the practice of the apostles, we shall find, that notwithstanding of all that John baptized, yet Christ by his disciples baptized more than he ; as the evangelist expressly testifies, John iv. 1. Philip, on a bare profession of faith, baptized the eunuch; and so in other examples. Now, it is certain, that they would never have refused baptism to the infants of the parents whom they baptized; but so it is, that those children whose title to this ordinance is questioned, are the children of such parents as profess their faith in Christ; why then should not their right to the ordinance be acknowledged ?

Argument YI. Those children whom God acknowledgeth to be born to him, and to be his children, have a right to the first seal of the covenant; for what children have right to it, if God's children, such as are born to him, have it not ? but so it is that God owneth the children of the Jewish wicked parents to be born unto him, and to be his children : Ergo, Ezek. xvi. 20, 21. " Moreover, thou hast taken thy sons, and thy daughters, whom thou hast born unto

me, and these thou hast sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Thou hast slain my children, and delivered thera to cause them to pass through the fire unto them." Here is most gross and open wickedness of the parents, yet the Lord will not have it to prejudge the church state of the children.

Argument VII. If none but the infants of visible believers have right to baptism, and ought to be baptized; then, 1. Families, parishes, and whole countries, might come in a short time to be paganized; seeing in many places there are so very few visible believers. 2. Through the rigidity and indiscretion of church officers, many poor infants who are the children of believing parents should be deprived of that ordinance : for people may go lo heaven while we hear not the sound of their feet; and it is well known saving grace may lie hid under the ashes of much ignorance and corruption. 3. Then ministers should have no certain rule to walk by in baptizing any infants. All that is left to them, is their opinion : They think such a one to be a believer, and such a one to be an unbeliever; and therefore they will baptize the infants of the one, not of the other: and they may be mistaken as to both ; they may take a sheep for a goat, and a goat for a sheep. Is this sure standing ? or can we suppose that God hangs such a weighty matter as this npon the opinion and fallible judgment of men ? One possibly thinks such a measure of knowledge, and such a walk, to be sufficient ground whereon he may judge a man a believer ; another will think so little will not serve the turn : "Where shall we fasten ? Surely these things hang not on such uncertainties.

Argument YIII. The children of baptized church members ought to be baptized; but the children of many openly scandalous and wicked parents are the children of baptized church members: therefore such children ought to be baptized. This argument is Mr. Fulwood's, and is the result of a large discourse concerning the visible church.* And so much for the proof of this point.

Notwithstanding of all that is said for the right of the infants of such Christians, some are of opinion, that one of the parents must needs be a visible believer, or have a serious credible or probable profession, or else the child hath no right before the church to baptism. And truly, though I have not willfully dissembled any thing that might add more force to these arguments, but have represented thera to the best advantage so far as it occurred to me, yet I still doubt of the truth of that position : and therefore I will now pro-

• P. 213.

pose some arguments that make mc to doubt the truth of it, aud in-cliue me to the latter opinion, that I may at least ease my mind a little, by casting forth these my doubts into this paper.

In the Jirst place. We must consider, whether infants may derive their right from their mediate and remote parents, or only from their immediate parents ; for to bury this in silence, were to beat the air in arguing for the last position. And if I understand ought of this controversy, this is one of the main hinges of it. Some learned men, distrusting the right of infants from such immediate parents as are openly wicked, who declare by their impure life they are not of the church, do derive the right of such infants from their mediate or remote parents, who lived a godly and holy life. I fiud two Scriptures adduced for proof of this. The one is, Rom. xi. 16. "If the root be holy, so are the branches." " By the root" says Zanchius* " he understands not their nearest parents, who perhaps were wicked ; but those first fathers of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom was made and confirmed the promise and covenant, that God would be their God, and the God of their whole seed, by a perpetual covenant. Therefore all their posterity, who had not altogether apostatized to the gods of the Gentiles, were, I say they all were, in the covenant, and they were judged holy by reason of covenant holiness, foederis sanctitate sanctijudicabantur." Hence the promise is said to be "to them and their seed," (Acts ii. 39.), many generations after Abraham. Another Scripture is that, Exod. xx. 6. " Shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments," while he visits iniquity only to the third and fourth generation. The truth is, if this were satisfyingly explained, and convincingly proven, the difficulty of the case would be in great measure removed. But it seems to me to come short of both. Against it let these few reasons be considered.

I. I observe, that the learned men who plead this, must needs disown the necessity of the baptism of one of the parents ; and so they shall be judged holy, and within the covenant, and to have right to baptism, whose immediate parents were never so much as baptized; besides, that they are openly wicked in their lives: for it is plain, that godly progenitors may have such come of them as are unbaptized. But notwithstanding, according to this opinion, the children of such unbaptized parents may have right to baptism, and ought to be baptized; which will not be granted, as we heard before, even by such as agree with them in the main point: and I suppose, there

• Com. in Eph. p. 227,

are few that will be satisfied with less than the baptism of one of the immediate parents.

II. Are there not many infants born in such places where God has a church, whose immediate and mediate parents, so far as any man now living knoweth or can remember, have been brutishly ignorant, profane, or both ; so that the God in whose name the infant is to be baptized, is a God whom neither they nor their fathers have known ? As to these we may crave leave to enquire, Quomodo constat ? what evidence is there that their mediate parents have lived a godly and holy life ? I think no man that considers for how many generations God hath left some nations without the knowledge of his will concerning man's salvation, will obtain of himself to build his charity in this point upon that, that God " visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation" only.

III. If it be sufficient to give an infant a right to baptism, that it is come of godly progenitors, then the children of some pagans and Mahommedans have a right to baptism, though born and to be bred up in a pagan and Mahomraedan country, and having nothing common with the church of God ; but that is absurd, Eph. ii. 12. " At that time ye were without God, strangers to the covenant of promise." And the apostle gives us to know, that the children of pagans are unclean, 1 Cor. vii. 14. The consequence holds good, in regard the children of some pagans have had godly ancestors, and some of them lively baptized members of the Christian church, as is manifest in the case of those of Smyrna, Thyatira, Laodicea, and the rest of Asia (for the most part), which are now unchurched. But you will say, these infants are unchurched. It is so, but how do we know that but by their parents being unchurched ? What if a godly woman with child should be cast out into a pagan country and there bring forth her child ; is the poor infant therefore a stranger to the covenant, and no church member, because born in a pagan country ? No, sure : " the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof," and the place of the child's birth can never prejudge it of the right it has by the promise and covenant of God. Wherefore it is plain, that the place of the nativity of the pagan's children can never evince their being unchurched; for quatenus ad omne valet coiise-quentia. So that it is by the unchurched state of the parents that we know these infants to be unchurched. Let us consider the infants of the first unchurched generation, wo find they have no right to the seal of the covenant, yet, ex hi/pothesi, they are come of godly progenitors. Wherefore it doth inevitably follow, that mediate parents their being in covenant with God, is not sufficient to give to their remote seed a right to baptism.

' IV. If infants may derive their right before the church, or the evidence of their right before the Lord, to baptism, from their remote parents; than either from any of them whatsoever, or from some of thera only—I know no mids. If from any of them whatsoever, then there is no infant under heaven that hath not a right to baptism; which is absurd. The reason of the consequence is, because there is not an infant in the world that is not come of parents that were godly ; which will hold true, so long as it remains undoubted that all the world is come of Noah and of Adam. If from some of them only, then, 1, They that will have this believed, must tell us how far we may go back to seek mediate parents from whom the infant may derive its right. 2. They must afford us some probable evidence that such mediate parents were godly. 3. They must give us some reason, why we may go so far back, and no further. These demands seem truly as reasonable as the answering of them is dtficult, to say no more.

Now, let us consider the Scriptures adduced for infants deriving their right to baptism before the church, from their remote parents. The first whereof is that Rom. xi. 16, " If the root be holy, so are the branches." I am satisfied, that by the root the apostle doth not mean Christ, as some think; nor yet the covenant, as others; but Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or rather Abraham alone. And it is clear, that the apostle is speaking here of the Israelites, to whom only Abraham was a root in respect of carnal generation ; so that whatever advantage the Israelites may have of this, we Gentiles can have none, seeing he was none of our remote parents. It is true, the Gentiles may be the spiritual seed of Abraham: but this quite alters the case, if we would plead it in this matter; for now we speak of parents from whom infants descend by carnal generation. And the way how we come to be Abraham's seed, the apostle plainly tells us. Gal. iii. 29. " And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." If any shall say, that this is a general maxim, and may be applied to the Gentiles as well as the Jews; then unless the immediate parents be the root, by virtue of which their children are holy, as was argued before, so now, we crave 1. That it be shown how far we may go up to seek .the root. 2. That it be manifest such infants are branches of a holy root. Tea, and it is reasonable in this case, such a remote parent be condescended on as had such a privilege as Abraham had, that he should be a root, whose remote seed should be holy: for however every godly parent is, by the covenant of God in which he enters, so privileged, that God is his God, and the God of his seed; yet I think none will make every believing parent equally

privileged, in this matter, with Abraham; the Scripture holding forth Abraham's special privilege in the holiness of his seed, by any other person in the world. Now, where can we fix for such a one in the case of ns Gentiles ? But to speak plainly to the point, I am of opinion, that unless we be swayed with authority of men, there is nothing in this Scripture that appears for evidencing the right of the branches to the seals of the covenant; so that it hits not the point in hand. My reason for this is. That the branches the apostle speaks of here, was the body of the people of Israel, the ofi^spring of Abraham, and natural branches of this holy root; which branches were already actually broken off and unchurched : so that whatever be said of thera, they could have no right to the sacraments, unless you will make them common to them that are without the church, as well as those that are within. That the body of the Israelites was now broken off, is plain; so that it were in vain to prove it, while the apostle is treating so expressly of their reingraffing. And that they were the branches spoken of here, is evident to me from the scope and design of the apostle, which is, to prove the calling again of the Israelites, and their reingrafiing. For one proof of which he adduceth this argument, " If the root be holy, so are the branches;" but the root is holy : Ergo, the branches also. But holy branches, though cut off, shall be graffed in again. It is true, some of these branches were not broken off, viz. the believing Jews; for there were still some, amongst whom the Gentiles were graffed in, ver. 17- But the apostle needed not prove, that the believing Jews were holy ; neither would it contribute ought to his purpose, so far as I can see ; neither did the Gentiles boast against those branches that were not broken off, but against those that were broken off, ver. 18, 19, 20. " Boast not against the branches. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off." The only difficulty here is this. How branches broken off, or an unchurched people, can be said to be holy ? I find one* arguing from this text for infant baptism, brings in this objection, " But what kind of consequence is this, If the root be holy, so are the branches ?" which he solves, and senseth the text thus. " The apostle in the former verse speaks of a receiving in again of the Jewish nation, and brings in this as a ground to hope for it: There is yet a holy root which hath an influence on the branches; and argues, that if the root be holy, when the branches broken off shall be reingraffed, they shall be holy likewise." If this interpretation be received, the difficulty is removed; but I know none else

* Sydenliatii Exerc. on Inf. Bapt. p. 71.

that puts this sense on the text. It is true, no time is defined in the text, neither the present nor the future ; for the words are ei he nza hagia, km hoi kladoL But if we read that of the branches in the future tense, why not also that of the root ? But that which stumbles me mainly as to this interpretation, is, that it is utterly alien from the scope of the apostle, makes his arguing very jejune, and fathers on him a most palpable petitio principii: for thus says the apostle, according to him. The Jewish nation shall be received again ; for when they shall be reingraffed, they shall be holy ; which evidently supposeth the thing in question. But the learned man supports the cause with better arguments than this. Only by the by I cannot but notice, that Mr. Baxter upon that subject, adducing several arguments out of that chapter, makes no mention of any argument from the text under consideration. In whatever sense those branches broken off are said to be holy, it seems plain they are called holy. And, in my opinion, the branches of this root, or the body of that people which was now broken off, are said to be holy ; holiness being attributed unto them not universally, but indefinitely; and that not only in respect of particular persons, but particular generations of them. Abraham being the root, all that come or shall come of him, from the first child begotten of his own body, to the last of his race that shall be born in the world, are accounted the branches of this root, make up one collective body of branches, one seed, and one people ; which, by virtue of the holiness of the root, is said to be holy. Thus we find the apostle speaks of them, ver. 15. " For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world ; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead ?" "Where it is evident, the apostle understands not this receiving again of the particular generation, or the particular persons that were then broke off, as the event hath proven; yea, many generations have passed since, and they are not as yet received ; but of this collective body of branches, which is said to be received again, when some of them are received. So ver. 24. " How much more shall these which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive ?" Ver. 31. " Even so also these have now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." Now, this holiness is in respect of separation to God by the decree of election ; God having so cast the lot of electing love, that it runs most eminently in that vein, or amongst the natural branches of the root; though it is, by the unsearchable judgments of God, like unto some rivers, that having run above ground a good space, get under the earth, and run there, (as Guadiana in Spain, running under ground fifteen miles), and afterwards brake forth again, to run

above the ground, till they empty themselves into the sea; as Ovid says of Lycus, a river in Lycaonia,

Sic ubi terreno Lycus est epotus hiatu, Existit procul hinc, alioqtie renascitur ore.

So under the Old Testament dispensation, " Happy wast thou, 0 Israel ; "who was like unto thee ?" Now their sun is overclouded, but we look for the day when all Israel shall be saved, Rom. xi. 26. Or, if you please, call it a separation by virtue of the covenant with Abraham; all comes to one thing. Only this holiness of the branches, you see, can give no right to sealing ordinances. The apostle right clearly favours this interpretation, ver. 28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." "Why not holy, as well as beloved of God ? not that every individual branch has share, either before God or the church, of the special love of God; but that that people, and collective body of branches, is so beloved of God by others, that out of them he will yet choose many to himself, having in a special manner pitched on that seed for vessels of glory. Thus God is said to have " so loved the world, [in opposition to fallen angels], that he gave his Son, that whosoever should believe on him, should have everlasting life." Even as a king may be said to love a particular family, when he takes one or two of that family, and prefers them, while he takes not any notice of other families, though he do not prefer every individual person among them. This is plainly confirmed by the apostle's reason, ver. 29. " For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." Yea, and they are still called the natural branches, and the olive, their own olive, notwithstanding that they are broken off, ver. 24. And thus we see how the branches broken off are said to be holy. As to that Scripture, Acts ii. 39. brought for confirmation of the point foresaid, it is plain, that notwithstanding they were Abraham's seed, and the promise was to them, and to their children, (in what sense we shall afterwards inquire), yet the apostle expressly pre-requires repentance to their admission unto baptism.

As to that other Scripture, Exod. xx. 5, 6. " Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me;" whence some learned men would prove infants' right to baptism from their remote parents: I suppose no such thing can be proven from hence. This promise doth not respect the children of wicked immediate parents, though the remote seed of the godly, as those learned men would have it; but only the children of immediate godly parents, to whom the Lord will shew mercy for their parents' sake, and that unto thousands,

viz. successively godly; the Lord will still remember those their progenitors, in doing them good, and the longer the godly race has continued, one after another, in the love of God, the better shall it be for the children. Now, these few reasons incline me to understand it so.

I. If by the event we may judge of this promise, as doubtless we may, we shall find, tliat it cannot be understood as those that differ would have it. Take we an instance in the seed of Abraham. From Abraham to Christ, as Matthew reckons, there are reckoned only thrice fourteen generations. However we understand the evangelist, it is certain, there were but a few generations in comparison of the thousand in the text; and yet a very little after, the Jews are broken off, and unchurched, and had no right to the seals of the covenant; and long before, the ten tribes, all the seed of godly Abraham, were rejected. Yet no doubt the promise of God remained sure; his truth failed not, though the wicked seed of Abraham was cast off, yea, and '' wrath came on them to the uttermost," as the apostle speaks, 1 Thess. ii. 16. I know, that to ward off this, it is said, the promise is only to be understood of those that are within the church. But, in my opinion, those who will be satisfied with this answer, are fixed before in the point in question, on some better grounds, or else they are easily satisfied: for it seems strange, to plead from this text in favour of the children of openly wicked immediate parents, for their right to the seals of the covenant, and yet to yield, that God may so far take away his mercy from them, notwithstanding of this promise, as to break them off utterly, and put them in the same case with pagans, while they, poor souls, were not capable to unchurch themselves; so that, notwithstanding of the piety of their remote parents, they are ruined by their nearest parents. I would think, that if this promise made over church privileges to such children, it should, in the first place, secure them from breaking off, and being cast out of the church; in regard it is made to go over the immediate wicked parents, and the mercy is to be shown to their children, being the remote seed of the godly. If any shall say, that, by virtue of this promise, the rejected Jews shall be received again, it is gratis dictum: for there is nothing here peculiar to the Jews, nothing which may not be applied, and belongs to the godly Gentiles, and their seed, as well as the Jews; and so ye may as well argue for the receiving in again of the Laodiceans, Thyatirians, &c. Bnt however it be, notwithstanding of this promise, they are broken off for the time, and have no right to church privileges.*

• Baxt. OQ Inf. Bapt. p. 65.

II. Unless our interpretation be admitted, the promise and the threatening will be found inconsistent. For suppose the second generation of a wicked man be godly, and also the third, the promise and the threat both should belong to that third generation; the promise, because such a one is the immediate seed of the godly, and the Lord will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him ; the threatening, because he is the remote seed of the wicked, even the third generation ; and the threat is, that he will visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. And that such cases may and do fall out, who can deny ? An instance of it take in the case of Rehoboam, whose son was like himself, 1 Kings xv. 3. " He walked in all the sins of his father, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord." Yet Asa, the second from Rehoboam, did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father, ver. IL And the third, Jehoshaphat, was a godly man. See then, according to the interpretation of those that differ, if both the promise and threat belong not to Jehoshaphat ?

III. Unless we expound it of the immediate seed of the godly, there are none, or at least very few in the world, not comprehended in this promise : for I think it will be hard to find any in the world that are a thousand generations removed from godly parents. And truly, if it be so very good and profitable to be come of godly parents so far remote, genealogies are no more vain under the New Testament than under the Old.

Thus it would seem, that children derive their church right to baptism from their immediate, and not from their remote parents. But I will add yet some more for proof of that point; and will try whether those texts alleged on the contrary, have led us to any thing that may be helpful to our purpose.

Argument I. The child stands coram ecclesia for church privileges by the same person or persons by whom he falls. This proposition, I think, cannot be denied in the matter of moral standing, and right to privileges, whether civil or religious; and of no other standing do we speak here. But so it is, that infants fall from church privileges by their immediate parents : Ergo, they stand by them. The minor is clear from the case of the Jewish infants at the rejection of that people. That their infants fell from all right before the church to the seal of the covenant, is clear; and I think none will doubt it: for they were the natural branches as well as others, and were capable of reingraffing; and the believing Gentile comes with his seed in the room of the unbelieving Jew and his. "Well, then, the apostle tells us, it was " for unbelief they were broken off,'*

Rom. xi. 20. If so, then either because of their own, or their parents' unbelief; not because of their own, for they were not capable of rejecting Christ in their own persons, if because of their parents' unbelief, then either of their remote or immediate parents ; not because of the unbelief of their remote parents, for their root was holy, ver. 16: therefore because of the unbelief of their next parents. I think none will quarrel our reasoning from the case of the Jewish children to those of Christians, but Anabaptists and Socinians. I see not what exception any would enter against this argument, unless it be, that these Jews who professedly rejected Christ; but the openly wicked Christians, of whom we speak, do not. But let the difference be what it will; though these Jews had turned professed Atheists, still it remains true, that unless their children had stood by them, they could not have fallen by them. I find Fulwood* brings in this as an objection against his doctrine, " That children stand in the visible church in their parents' right:" And answers, " That the infant's right is seated in itself, though it be derived from its parents." And this he proves by four arguments. But, in ray opinion, he needed not have been at the pains ; for I doubt if there be any that say the child's right is seated in the parent, whether it be understood of his right before God or the church. But sure it is, the child can have no visible right to the seals of the covenant, but as he is the child of such mediate or immediate parents, that have right to the same, and are members of the church; and his visible right stands or falls with theirs. So that it may well enough be said, that they stand in their parents' right, or that they stand before the church by their parents.

Argument II. If the repentance of immediate parents be necessarily pre-requisite unto their infants' right to baptism, (I mean the visible repentance of the parents to the visible right of infants), notwithstanding that such infants are the remote seed of undoubtedly godly parents; then infants derive their right to baptism from their immediate, not their mediate parents ; but the antecedent is true : Ergo, the consequent also. The sequel is manifest. The assumption I prove from Acts ii. 38. 39. " Repent, and be baptized for the remission," &c. Here are two sorts of persons spoken oflT, viz. adult persons, who were personally guilty of the murder of the Son of God ; and their seed, or little ones. Both were Abraham's seed, at least most of them were so : for however these words, " and to as many as are afar off," &c. be explained ; yet none can doubt but the natural seed of Abraham

• Disc, vis Church, p. 186. 186

are designed in these words, " For the promise is to you, and to your children." So the children here spoken of, are the children of remote godly parents. Two things here remain to be proven for clearing of the assumption : 1. That repentance is required as necessary antecedently to a right to baptism here enjoined. 2. That in the call to baptism, the children of those parents are comprehended as well as themselves.

1. As to the first, That repentance is required of the parents in this text, as necessarily pre-requisite to a right to the baptism urged by the apostle, is plain, if ye consider, in the first place. That if they had right to baptism antecedently to their repentance, the apostle could not have denied the same unto them till they did declare it; and that the rather, that they were now pricked at the heart for their murdering of Christ, and crying out, " What shall we do to be saved ?" Yet we find the apostle requires, in the first place, that they should repent, and stays their baptism till they have evidenced their repentance, notwithstanding that their present perplexity required a speedy possession of those privileges they had right unto. And when the apostles do fall a-baptizing, they ba^)-tize those, and those only, who gladly received Peter's word, ver. 41. Further, how could they have been baptized antecedently to their repentance, seeing they were to be " baptized in the name of Jesus Christ," as says the text; and none but Christ's disciples ought to be baptized? Matth. xxviii. 19. They could not be accounted Christ's disciples till they professed their faith in him, and their repentance; and consequently till then could have no right coram ecclesia to baptism in his name. Finally, they are called to be baptized for the remission of sins, non obtinendam, sed obsig-nandam, i. e. in testimony of remission of sins: but this could not be before faith, seeing it is by faith we obtain remission; and faith cannot be without repentance. Wherefore it is evident, they are called to repentance as necessary antecedently to baptism.

2. For the second, That the call to baptism here comprehends the children of these parents as well as themselves. Metanoesate, kai baptistheto ekastos humon. The authors of Antisynodalia Americana will have these words (if I right remember) read, " and every one of you be baptized," (it seems) that the sense may be, Every one of you that repent be baptized. But as our translation is exactly according to the original, so the call to repentance and to baptism are of equal latitude, as the words plainly bear, and the nature of the things themselves, as was shown before; otherwise it was no sin in them that rejected baptism so to do, providing only they did not repent, though under this call: whicii methinks is no sound divinity. But

to the point: This appears, if ye consider these particulars. 1. Here is express mention made of their children together with themselves, " For the promise is to you, and to your children." Now, those to whom is the promise, are by this call obliged to be baptized ; but the promise was to their children as well as themselves : £rgo, If any doubt the major, I might prove it thus: If the gift of the Holy Ghost was to be given after baptism, then those to whom the promise is made, are called to be baptized; the former is true : Ergo, The reason of the consequence is, because the gift of the Holy Ghost and the promise being to them, are joined together; the latter as the ground of the former. The assumption appears from the apostle's own words, " Be baptized,—and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 2. To what other end should mention be made of their children, but that the apostle would have them to repent, that so both they and their seed might receive the seal of the covenant ? This, I think, must be granted, unless we will join hands with the Anabaptists, and delay the baptism of their children till such time as they were capable personally to evidence their repentance. 3. The scope of the apostle, which was to comfort those that were pricked at the heart for the murdering of the Lord of glory, doth prove this. They saw now what it was to be guilty of Christ's blood; and doubtless (as an awakened soul has a quick memory for bygone sins) they remembered well, that sometime they had cried out, " His blood be on us, and our children." Wherefore, that the plaster might be as broad as the sore, it was necessary that they should be taught the reception of their children to baptism, together with themselves; and so both were called together thereto. 4. In all examples of the parents' call to receive the first seal of the covenant, the children also are comprehended, whether under the Old or New Testament dispensations; and how can it be otherwise, seeing God has said, he will be the believer's God, and the God of his seed also.

Argument III. God threatens that he will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him; but promiseth to shew mercy to thousands of them that love him, and keep his commandments. I have already proven, that the promise is only to the immediate seed of godly parents; and by the same labour, that the threatening is only to the immediate seed of the ungodly: and as I said of the meaning of the promise, its being extended to thousands ; so say I of the threatening, its being extended to the third and fourth generation, viz. successively, and one after another ungodly. God, in punishing the children, will remember

Vol. YI. l

the iniquity of their fathers and grandfathers ; they being still the children only of the wicked. Now, whatever else the mercy promised doth comprehend, I think it will be denied by none but Anabaptists, and such as they, that it includes a visible right to the first seal of the covenant. By the same reason then, the threatening includes the contrary; and so Grod himself, in his holy and wise dispensations, has explained it, while he hath broken off wicked parents and their seed from the visible church, and all right to church privileges. This Scripture then afi^ords us a twofold argument for our purpose.

Akgument 1. From the threatening. If God visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of immediate wicked parents, then the children of immediate wicked parents have no right to baptism, though they be the remote seed of the godly; the former is true: Ergo, The sequel, which only needs proof, is thus evinced: The mercy promised to the children of those that love God, comprehends a grant of a visible right to the initiating seal made to them ; Ergo, the judgment threatened to the children of wicked parents, comprehends a denuding them of, or a denying unto them, a visible right to the same : for contrariorum contraria sunt consequentia. And otherwise, they to whom the threatening visibly belongs shall have the mercy of the promise visibly belonging to them also ; not without great appearance of confusion of those things which God hath so divided and distinguished. This reasoning the learned Zanchius yields to us in thesi,* though in ht/pothesi he is against it. His words are, " There is a certain antithesis betwixt the promise and threatening. Now, what doth he promise, when he says ' He will shew mercy to those that love him' ? temporal good things only ? not at all; but eternal life, according to that, ' He that doth these things, shall live in them :' and in many places he proraiseth salvation to them that keep his law. Therefore also in the threatening, he threatens eternal death." Yet the same learned man will not allow us to conclude from this, that the children of those parents who are excluded from the covenant for their iniquities and defections, are excluded also.f But why, upon the same ground we may not argue as before is done, I see not. Nothing can strike against the one, that doth not equally militate against the other. But says the learned man,| " Surely when we have come to the fourth generation, where those fathers also are wicked, and excluded from the covenant for their own wickedness; their children also, belonging to the fifth generation, must necessarily be supposed to be excluded from the covenant; and likewise

* Tom. 4. p. 372. t P. 375. % ''"d-

their children, and so on. How then would it be true that the Lord says, he will not extend this curse but to the fourth generation at most?" I answer, with all deference to that judicious man, there is no absurdity in this consequence that he draws from the opinion of those that differ from him; yea, the threatening itself obligeth us to believe it, it being supposed they are still wicked one after another : for surely even the fifth generation, in the case supposed, are the children of those that hate God, and so liable to the threatening ; only the fifth generation, according to the threat, hath not the sins of any of the former, but the fourth remembered against them in the punishment: and so on, till we come to the third and fourth generation again: whereby the Lord shews himself indeed slow to wrath, but abundant in goodness ; while, on the other hand, the mercy promised extends to thousands. And thus we see how it remains true, that God will not extend this curse beyond the fourth generation, that is, visiting the iniquities of grandfathers upon the children. But nevertheless, if there should be thousands of quaternions of wicked generations, the denial of the mercy should be carried down through them all, according to the threatening. If the learned man mean, that we cannot refuse, according to our interpretation, to allow the fifth generation of successively wicked persons the seal of the covenant; I deny any such thing follows, but the contrary, as ■was cleared before. But if he take that to be true, it deserves consideration, how that can agree with God's dispensation, in visiting the iniquities of the fathers on the children among the Jews, sixteen hundred years and upwards ; not to speak of the pagan nations. It can no more be inferred from thence, then, that God will not give the mercy to more than thousands of them that love him. But when God minds the mercy we speak of, either to the fourth or fifth generation, the mercy, I say, of visible right to the first seal of the covenant in their infancy, we may expect he will deal with the third or fourth so as to make way for it.

Argument 2. From the promise. If the mercy promised belongs only to the immediate seed of godly parents, then children derive their visible right to the ordinance of baptism from their immediate, not from their mediate parents; the former is true : Ergo, the reason of the consequence is, because a visible right to the first seal of the covenant is comprehended in this mercy, whatever more it include ; which I need not stand to prove, till the arguing of the orthodox from this text, against Anabaptists, be invalidated. The assumption I have already proven by three reasons. And I shall now add a fourth from the scope of the words. The scope plainly is this : that seeing it is natural for parents to desire the prosperity

l2

and happiness of their seed, and the evil that cometh on their children, especially by their means, is afflicting and heavy to them; therefore, as they would not ruin the fruit of their bodies, they should take heed that they depart not from the way of God's commandments ; and as they would have their children to enjoy the mercy of God, they would shew themselves to be lovers of God, and keepers of his commandments. That this is the scope of the place, is past doubt with me. This the learned man before mentioned doth grant.* " If then," says he, " their children be dear to them, at least on their account let them not revolt from the true worship of God to idolatry. Surely this is the end of this commination." But how the contrary opinion agrees with the scope, I cannot see. Now, let us consider the Israelites to whom the law was immediately given. It is pleaded, that the open wickedness of immediate parents among them did not take away this mercy from their seed; but they derived their visible right to the seal from the holy root, which was Abraham alone, or Isaac and Jacob also. But these holy men were dead long before, so that there was no need to stir them up to keep God's commandments, being then in glory : and as for that generation of adult persons, it could have no iniluence on them, being so understood ; what needed they fear the threat, seeing their infants were already secured from any harm they could do them, seeing they were the remote seed of the godly ? The promise could have no influence on them either; seeing, by virtue thereof, however holy they were, their infants could have no advantage they had not before, from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So that the threatening and promise both are rendered quite useless to them, and could have no tendency to the stirring up of them to a holy life; unless their fearing where no fear was, and hoping where there was no ground, could have efficacy on them. The same way is it rendered useless to us Gentiles, supposing once that we have had but one godly remote parent. I see no way to evite this, unless we say, that the mercy promised has no respect to a visible right to the seal of the covenant, and so gratify the Anabaptists; or deny this to be the scope of the place. Either of which they may venture on, that will; I dare not. It is in vain to say that the mercy in the promise comprehends many particular mercies; and though that one was secured to them as the children of remote godly parents, yet there might be some others that the children might meet with, through the holy life of their immediate parents. For, though it might be, that they should have many

* P. 373.

mercies, through the holy life of tlicir immediate parents ; yet none at all by virtue of this promise, winch they had not before by their remote parents: for though the mercy promised comprehend ten thousand particular mercies, they are all in that one word made over to the children of those that love God ; and if these be the remote parents, in the supposed case, then they are all made over unto the remote seed of the godly, though the immediate seed of wicked ones, as upon the account of the remote parents. But nothing can be more agreeable to the scope, than to understand it only of the immediate seed of godly parents: and it is easy to perceive what an incentive to a holy life it must needs be to every parent. Tt is very probable it would scar many from their open wickedness, if it were duly pressed doctrinally, and followed accordingly in the way of discipline. And I am truly apprehensive, that the blunting of the edge of this threat and promise, is one of the pillows of the security of our day, and fills our congregations with so many people as would not be tolerated in a well ordered commonwealth. I will add yet

Argument 3. From the threat and promise jointly considered. If the children of openly wicked immediate parents may be acknowledged by the church to have a right to the seal of the covenant, on the account of their remote godly parents, as well as the children of godly immediate parents ; then the church should make no difference betwixt the children of those that love God, and those that hate him: but that ought not to be so. For where God in his word hath made a difference, the church ought to do so too; for in all things revealed we are bound to follow God's judgment: but such practice seems to thwart with it, as the text shews ; God having put so manifest a difference betwixt them, that he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the one, and shew mercy to the other. It seems then, we ought to separate betwixt the precious and the vile, put difference between the holy and profane, even in this case. Let none say, they know not who are the precious, who the vile, amongst infants. Here is God's revelation of his mind, for the terror of the wicked, that he will visit their iniquities on their children. If the Lord be pleased to bring elect vessels out of the loins of openly wicked parents, and of his free grace to give them his Holy Spirit, as no doubt he may do, and many times actually doth ; yet de occultis non judicat ecclesia. We are to wait till we see the same evidenced by their personal carriage; and in the meantime, we go according to the plainly revealed word, leaving secret things unto the Lord : even as we are to look on the seed of visible believers as visible saints, and to deal with them as such, till by their walk they manifest the contrary. Wherefore, there is no

ground to say, as Zancliy,* " that this is repugnant to God's eternal election, seeing that many times elect children are born of wicked parents and idolatrous reprobates." What though they be elected, we have no evidence of it; without which, as to us, it is as if it were not. Truly, if this should hold good, there is no infants of the most barbarous savages in the world but have a right to baptism ; for who knows but they are elected, and in due time will be called ? But I suppose, in admitting to baptism, the church looks to the party's being in Christ, and having the Spirit; not to his election immediately or solely; for even the elect may be for a time dogs and swine, not fit subjects of sealing ordinances. If any say, that they do make a difference betwixt those children requiring sponsors, in order to the administrating of the seal to the children of openly wicked parents; I answer, 1. I wish it were so ordinarily, that sponsors were required for the children of such parents as are not themselves visible believers. 2. If the godly parents die before the child's baptism, where is the difference ? But, 3. There is no difference at all in point of right to the ordinance and church state : for still the one as well as the other is supposed to have right to the ordinance as such a seed; and the children of the godly are not baptized without sponsors either. Argument IY. If the children be unclean, unless the unbelieving husband be sanctified by the believing wife, or the unbelieving wife be sanctified by the believing husband, then the children derive their right to baptism from their immediate parents ; the former is true: Ergo, All this is clear from the testimony of the apostle, 1 Cor. vii. 14. " For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife by the husband : else were your children unclean ; but now they are holy." So that the apostle plainly turns this matter of the children's holiness, and consequently of their right to the ordinance, on the state of the immediate parents, as the only hinge of it coram ecclesia. I do easily perceive an exception that will be entered against this argument by those that differ, to wit, that in this case there were no remote parents from whom the children could derive their right; these immediate parents being once both pagans, come of pagan parents, though now the father or mother was a believer ; and so can make no general rule. Answer, Grant these parents to whose case the apostle applies this, were all come of mere pagans; which nevertheless will be impossible to prove, but that some of them might be the children of parents proselyted to the Jewish church ; yet the rule that the apostle lays down here, is a general rule for all such cases wherein a believer is yoked with an unbeliever, " For the unbelieving—is sanctified : else were your chil-

* Ubi sup. p. 375.

•dren unclean," &c. This, I thinlc, cannot be denied. Let us then suppose the believing wife, a daughter of a believer, but the wife of an unbeliever: such a case not only may be, but no doubt has been. It is no strange thing to imagine an unbeliever to profess faith ynd repentance, and that to gain marriage with a believing woman ; and thereafter to turn back again to infidelity, and that openly, when he has accomplished his design : yea, it is very supposable, and like unto the Lord's dealing in his ordinary dispensation of grace, that there were some in Corinth in that case, the father and the daughter called, but her husband left to remain in infidelity, or vice versa. In this case then, I ask, Whether or no the chil-■dren of the believer and unbeliever should be holy, and have right to the seal of the covenant, though the unbelieving husband were not sanctified by the believing wife ? If you say, they should be holy, as you must say, while so much stress is laid on a child's being the remote seed of the godly, (for so the child is in the supposed case), then you plainly contradict the apostle, teaching that unless the unbelieving husband were sanctified by the believing wife, the children were unclean, not holy. If you say, they should not be holy, unless the unbelieving husband were sanctified by the believing wife, then you plainly derive the child's right from the immediate parent, and acknowledge that the piety of the remote parent giveth not a visible right to the ordinance unto the child; which is the very thing we plead for. Moreover, let us suppose amongst these Corinthians a believing father, his daughter a wife, and her husband, both unbelievers; which I think is a very rational supposition: I ask, whether or not their children be holy ? If they be holy, then I would know what children under heaven are unholy. If they be not, then the piety of remote parents doth not evidence their seed to be holy, and infants derive not their right from godly remote parents. We have a case in the Old Testament which we shall consider here: Ezra x. 3. " Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away all the strange wives, and such as are born of them." ver. 16. " And the children of the captivity did so." ver. ult. " And some of them had wives by whom they had children." Now, I would know whether or not those children born to the Jews of their strange wives, were holy children, and had right to the seal of the covenant ? If they were, it is strange they should put away their holy children, or that the fierce wrath of the Lord should go out against them for keeping such a holy generation. This looks not very like God's way, to put out of his church a holy seed. To say they were to be put away because they rejected the covenant of God, is gratis dictum; surely

some of them were not capable to reject the covenant. Yet those children put away, were the remote seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as much as Boaz, whom Salmon begat of Rahab a Canaanite; and Obed, whom Boaz begat of Ruth the Moabitess, and many others. These two are expressly owned by Matthew to be the children of Abraham, Matth. i. 2. 5: yet were not these children holy; and consequently, some of the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were not holy; and that though born within the visble church: which, I think, should go far to prove the main point now under consideration. How was it then that they were unclean, and not holy ? I know no other reason can be given, but that their mothers were not sanctified to their fathers for bringing forth of a holy seed. The contrary whereof was in the case of the Corinthians; which still hangs all on the state of the immediate parents. Whatever disparity be betwixt these two cases, here is all we are seeking after, viz. children come of godly remote parents, born within the church likewise, as that phrase is commonly used, yet unholy, having no right to the seal of the covenant, because of the state of their immediate parents. And if a thousand differences betwixt these two cases should be produced, so long as they agree in the point for which they are adduced, the cause is safe.

Argument V. ult. A cursed seed have no right to the seal of the covenant; but the children of openly wicked immediate parents, though they be the remote seed of the godly, are a visibly cursed seed. This is plain from Dent, xxviii. 18. where God tells the Israelites, even the seed of Abraham, that " if they did not hearken to the voice of the Lord, to observe to do all his commandments, the fruit of their body should be cursed." Hence it follows, that children's right to the seal of the covenant is derived only from their immediate parents, not from their remote parents: for, notwithstanding of the holiness of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God will curse their remote seed, because of their immediate parents' wickedness. Now, whom God has declared in his word to be cursed, they are visibly cursed; which is inconsistent with a right to a sealing ordinance, as I shall afterwards prove, when I come to improve this argument further. And so much for the proof of infants deriving their right to church privileges, or to the sacrament of baptism coram ecclesia, from their immediate parents only.

I come now to offer some arguments to prove that none but the children of visible believers, or such as make a credible profession, have right before the church, or a visible right, to the sacrament of baptism. Having fixed the former point, viz. that infants derive their visible right to baptism, from their immediate, not their

remote parents; now the question is, Whether or not it be necessary, in order to the child's visible right to baptism, that one of the immediate parents be a visible believer, or have a probable or credible profession ? We offer the following arguments for the affirmative.

Argument I. If no infants but those whereof one of the parents do commend themselves and their seed to the church, either by their conversation, or by their baptism, have right before the church to that ordinance; then no children but those whereof one of the parents is a visible believer, have a visible right to the same; the antecedent is true: Ergo, the consequent also. The truth of the antecedent is acknowledged, at least by some of those that differ, while they do necessarily require that it appear to the church, that one of the parents have been baptized, otherwise the children can have no visible right to the ordinance; though indeed they think this sufficient to entitle their children to baptism, though their walk be not as becomes the gospel in any tolerable measure. I suppose those learned men that do require the evidence of the baptism of one of the parents, understand it as the minimum quod sit, that the church can be satisfied in this matter with nothing less than this; though albeit this were wanting, if the parents commend themselves and their seed to the church, by a credible profession, or holy conversation, in the sight of men, they would look on this as giving their infants a visible right to the seal. If it be not understood thus, I cannot yield to it. I doubt not but in some cases, the administrator of baptism may have greater clearness to baptize the child of an unbaptized person, than of many that are certainly known to have been baptized. The child of such a parent may have a visible right to baptism ; for it is plain, that an unbaptized parent may have faith and repentance, and that so as they may sufficiently appear to the church to be believers and penitent, while in the meantime there is not the least shadow of those things in many that are baptized. Now, by faith the soul is entered into covenant with God; and at the same time the parent is taken into covenant, his seed also is brought into the covenant: whence it appears, that both parent and child have a visible right to baptism, antecedently to the baptism of the parent. So these converts. Acts ii. they had visible right to baptism before they were baptized, and this by reason of their probable profession; which also gave their children a visible right thereto as soon as they themselves had it. So, put the case such parents should have died before they were baptized, it could not have robbed the children of their visible right which they had before to the seal of the covenant. Yea, I suppose, the truth of the antecedent is yielded by them all, viz. That one of these two,

either the baptism, or else a visible godly conversation of one of the parents, is necessary to the child's visible right to baptism. As for those that go to the remote parents for the child's right, we are agreed in that the visible piety of parents is necessary. Only they say, the piety of the remote parents is necessary; we say, it is the immediate parent, as has been proven. Others express themselves thus, that the children of such as are probably judged within the covenant, have right to baptism. Now, this probable judgment must needs proceed upon one of the two things mentioned. And as for those who say, that the infants of wicked parents being born within the church, have right to baptism, I think it is plain they mean by that, born of baptized parents. Either they mean it so, or that it is the place of their birth that gives them this privilege. I could scarcely have thought any could have been so absurd as to have affirmed the latter. Yet I find one zealous assertor of the real and visible title that the children of openly wicked parents have to baptism, tells us,* that there are many arguments urged by divines for it, that to him were never yet satisfactorily answered; whereof this is one : " That such children have their right supplied from the holiness of the place or people wherein they are born." I wish he had told us what divines those are that urge this argument. I doubt if he can shew us any of whom he will have much credit, that ever asserted such a thing. He might have left out the people here, for there are none born in people, but in the place where a holy people lives: but by this addition he seems to answer a question arising from his own words, which I fancy would puzzle many great divines; and that is. How a place now under the gospel dispensation is made holy, especially so holy that the very birth of an infant in it gives it a real title and visible right to the holy ordinance of baptism ? Answer. There is a holy people lives in that place. But I would propose more questions still upon the back of that. What holiness is that that a holy people communicate to the spot of ground where they live ? And what is the way how they make it holy? And by virtue of what appointment of God is it that English ground is holy, where a holy people lives? And whether or not we may suffer pagans to come in, and defile our holy place with their unclean feet? And how came it that the land of Egypt and Babylon were not made holy places, seeing they were places where Ood's holy people lived for many years ? Why had not the Egyptian and Babylonish infants a right to circumcision from the holiness of the place

* Fulivood's Disc. vis. Ch. p. 213.

and people wherein they are born ? No doubt, if this learned man had been living in the seventh century, when Augustine came from t|ie Bishop of Rome, and called the Britons to help him in the conversion of the Saxons that were heathens, he would have thought their answer very unmannerly, (as indeed it cannot be approven), viz. that they were not obliged to preach to their enemies, seeing the Saxons had spoiled them of their lands, and did still continue to prey upon them : but he would off-hand not only have preached to them, but baptized their infants, in regard of the holiness of the place and people wherein they lived : for, besides the ancient inhabitants, the queen was a Christian, and had her preacher; and the king was converted too afterwards by means of Augustine, and no doubt he did not alone embrace the Christian religion. But enough of this. Paul used another way of arguing, 1 Cor. vii. 14. " For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband : else were your children unclean ; but now are they holy;" though these infants were born in a place where God had a church. And I do not think we shall find many to conclude, if a pagan woman were cast out upon our coast, and brought forth a child, that ipso facto the child should have a right to baptism. But I proceed to prove the sequel of the major thus : The baptism of a parent that hath no credible profession, or is an openly wicked person, is not suflicient to commend himself to the church, or to commend his seed to her, for the seal of the covenant; Ergo, the sequel stands good. For if one of these two, the baptism, or the credible profession of the parent, be necessary to this end, then it clearly follows, that if his baptism be insufficient to that end, and yet he have no credible profession, his child hath no visible right to baptism: and so none but the children of visible believers are thus privileged. I prove the antecedent, That baptism that ought to be looked upon as unprofitable and non-baptism, cannot commend a man's seed to the church, as having visible right to baptism; but that baptism which is without a credible profession, ought to be looked upon as unprofitable and non-baptism: Ergo, the proposition is clear. The assumption I shall prove by the following reasons.

Reason I. The apostle tells us expressly, Rora. ii. 25. " Circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law : but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision." I hope those that differ will allow us to argue from circumcision to baptism; and will easily acknowledge, that we may say the same concerning baptism, Baptism verily profiteth, &c.* Ursin, arguing for the neces-

* Expl. Cat. p ,566.

sity of church discipline, among other reasons gives this for it, " Those that are not yet baptized, must not be admitted to the supper ; but baptism is not baptism to those that fall away from their baptism, Rom. ii. 25. j&V^o," I hope none will think he is arguing for the necessity of church disipline to be exercised against Turks, pagans, and Jews ; but the openly wicked of whom we speak; as is manifest from what he says in the same page. It is evident the apostle speaks here of the openly wicked Jews, who had the outward sign of circumcision, but a profane conversation ; as is clear from the preceding verses. So that ver. 24. he plainly tells them, *' the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles, because of them," (as it is in our case); which manifestly argues open wickedness, with a profession of religion. Yet because of their circumcision they valued themselves highly; but the apostle shews them they had no profit of it, but their circumcision was by their profane life made uncircumcision. " He answers," says a learned commentator* on the place, " That the outward sacramental symbols profit nothing without good life and manners ; without which circumcision differs nothing from uncircumcision ; that is, a Jew differs nothing from a heathen." If then God in his word hath pronounced the circumcision of openly wicked persons to be unprofitable and uncircumcision, and so hath declared his mind concerning the baptism of openly wicked Christians; the church ought to look upon it to be such as God hath declared it to be, that is, unprofitable and non-baptism. If this hold good, it says much to the point. I shall consider what exceptions may possibly be entered against it, so far as they occur to me.

Exception 1. It would follow then, that such should be re-baptized when they repent. Answer, I deny it would follow, more than that those to whom circumcision became uncircumcision by their profane life, ought to have been circumcised again upon their repentance; which was never done : and yet this was no new, but the good old way, that the apostle lays down here. Although, as Christ teacheth, by excommunication a man is made to be as a heathen ; yet the re-baptiziug of an excommunicated person upon his repentance, is not urged. I say then, with Ursin,f in answer to the same objection, that " reception by baptism is ratified to penitents, even without the iteration of the sign." Indeed, if baptism were of the kind of physical causes, this exception might possibly have some force; for when a physical cause is unprofitable, and as good as none, there must be a new

* Aret. in. loc. f Ubi, sup.

application, or else tlie effect is not produced; as when a plaster is laid to a sore, if it be unprofitable, and as good as none, there must needs be a new application made, or the party cannot be healed. But baptism is no physical cause, but a moral cause; which, though unprofitable, and as good as none to a person sometimes; yet, without a new application, it may become profitable : As suppose a seal were appended to a blank paper, even the king's seal, and given to a man, what is he the better of it, what doth it profit? nothing at all: but if the king shall write on that paper a grant of a pension, then it profits indeed. But you see plainly there needs no iteration of the sign. The application is easy.

Exception 2. The apostle means, that circumcision profits nothing to justification, though otherwise it may. I answer, Non distinguen-dum ubi lex non distinguit. The apostle simply, without any limitation, pronounceth. That circumcision profiteth nothing, if a man be a breaker of the law. To which that is a plain contradiction. Circumcision profiteth something, though a man be a breaker of the law. Yea, he tells them roundly, it is uncircumcision, and therefore unprofitable, not only to justification, but to all intents and purposes. And I think it can scarcely be denied by any that considers the apostle's discourse, but that hereby he levels the openly wicked Jews with the heathens in point of circumcision, so that the one had as much real profit of it as the other, that is, none at all. Yet further, I do indeed believe, that the great thing the apostle is aiming at in these chapters, is justification by the free grace of God; and to this end, he endeavours, in this chapter, to beat down the boasting of the wicked Jews, (as, in the next chapter, he proves all, both Jews and others, to be guilty before God): for effecting of which, he lays out before them their vicious lives so unanswerable to the written law that God gave them; which has a native tendency to his main scope and design : and withal tells them, that their circumcision would not cover their wickedness. But notwithstanding of that, they were wicked men still, as he clearly shews, vers. 28, 29. " For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly :—But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly," &c. But I see no reason to understand the words of the text we are now upon, as the exception gives it, viz. That it profiteth nothing to justification, but in that respect is uncircumcision. Read the whole text accordingly; and I suppose we may find the weakness, yea and unsoundness of this exception. " For circumcision verily profiteth to justification, if thou keep the law : but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision in point of justification." Now, by 'ustification here, is either meant justification by free grace, or jus-

tification by works. If justification by the free grace of God, according to the covenant of grace, be meant; how does circumcision profit to it ? has that any hand in our justification ? If justification by works, according to the old covenant, then I ask, by what appointment of God was ever circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith, made profitable for justification by works ? Let any such appointment be produced, and then we shall see the law and the gospel confounded. "Wherefore, though a man should keep the law of works, circumcision could profit him nothing to justfication: yea, possibly I may say, if he should go about it as a piece of God's worship, it should contribute to his condemnation, in regard it is no part of the law of works, and therefore to him should be will worship. And so, if any shall say, that though circumcision was never appointed to be a seal of the covenant of works, yet it might profit as a commanded duty, and as an act of obedience to the law of works; I confidently deny it, that it could be an act of obedience to the law of works; that could ever profit that way. And the reason is, because God never commanded it to bo used but as a seal of the righteousness of faith: nor did it ever belong, before God, to any but such as were in the covenant of grace with him; nor, before the church, to any but such as were visibly in that covenant. The law and grace have two distinct dominions, Rom. vi. 14; so that receiving of circumcision could no more be an act of obedience to the law of works, than the obeying of a particular law of the kingdom of England, can be an act of obedience to the law of Scotland, though both kingdoms be under one sovereign. Only I desire it to be noticed, that when I deny that the receiving of circumcision could be an act of obedience to the law of works, I deny it only in the sense it is asserted in the instance against our answer to the exception; that is, that it could be an act of obedience to the law of works profiting to justification, thereby, as a part of a law righteousness ; which is the plain sense of the instance. The reason why I add this caution, is this, because I am of opinion, that where the covenant of grace is revealed, and it is revealed only to lost sinners, and they are called to enter this covenant, and consequently to receive the seal of it; those sinners being under the covenant of works, as to its commanding and threatening power, though the promise of it is weak through the flesh, are, by virtue of that covenant and law of works, obliged to believe, accept of the covenant of grace, and to receive the seals thereof, and so to get out from that covenant of works. In this respect, to receive the seal of the covenant of grace, is a remote act, at least, of obedience to the law of works, but not at all

profiting as a part of our righteousness before God, or profiting to justification by tbat lavr. I cannot indeed apprehend how the coivenant of works does not oblige every one that is under it to obey whatsoever God shall command them to do; so that, suppose ing a call to receive Christ made to one under the law, he ia obliged by the law to receive Christ, and to submit to the law of Christ, which commands men to receive the seals of the covenant of grace, whosoever they be that are under it: and therefore I cannot deny but thus it is a remote act of obedience to the law of works, to receive the seals of the covenant of grace, in so far as it obligeth them to submit to Christ, whose law particulai'ly enjoins this; though indeed the law of works leaves the soul as soon as it is in Christ, they dying to it, and it to them. The law then, that the apostle speaks of here, I conceive to be the ten commands, as they are the law of Christ; to which obedience is performed only in point of sanctificatiou. And thus indeed these persons might be profited by circumcision, if they did evidence their faith in, and love to Christ, by sincere keeping of his law ; circumcision being a seal of the covenant of grace; and their keeping of the law sincerely, an infallible token that they were within the bond of that covenant, and had right to all the promises of it; the accomplishment whereof is confirmed by the seal. But while they, by their loose walk and wickedness, evidenced their hypocrisy, and that they were but Jews outwardly and in name, they were not a whit profited by circumcision.

Exception 3. This is understood of their circumcision before the Lord, not before the church. Answer. That cannot be proven /rom the text. But let it be so: Then, 1. I say, seeing God makes account of everything as it is in itself, for his judgment is according to truth, then their baptism who are profane in their lives, profiteth nothing, but their circumcision is made uncircumcision. 2. Seeing God hath not kept his judgment of it secret, but hath revealed the same in his word, so as every one may read what account he makes of it, it necessarily follows, that the church must account so of it, unless men may take liberty to let their judgment go another way than God's mind revealed, and look on them quite another way than God tells us he looks upon them.

Exception 4. The apostle plainly teacheth the profit of circumcision, chap. iii. 1, 2. " What advantage then hath the Jew ? or what profit is there of circumcision ?" Much every way. For answer to this, we must take notice, that there are here two distinct questions, which are so many objections, of the Jews against his doctrine. He had in the former chapter levelled them with the

heathens, and reckoned their circumcision for uncircumcision ; he easily perceives the Jews would take this very ill, and therefore brings them in here with two questions in their mouths; the first, " "What advantage hath the Jew ?" the second, " or what profit is there of circumcision ?" To the first of these, the apostle answers by way of concession, " Much every way," ver. 2. to wit, in respect of God, who had given them many things which were indeed advantageous in themselves; which things he had not given to the heathens: but not in respect of themselves; for they were no advantages to them, no advantages eventually. And so again, in this chapter, he puts the Jews and Gentiles in the same balance, by testimony from the Psalms. So that it is a kind of ironical concession, used also by the apostle towards these same persons, chap. ii. 17, 18, 19, 20. As if he should say : " Ye have indeed much advantage every way, I confess : for unto you were committed the oracles of God ; God gave you the revelation of his mind and will, when the poor heathens were left to walk in darkness, having nothing to guide them but the dim light of nature; but so much the more miserable are ye, and the greater shall your condemnation be, while ye walk as ye do." As for the second question, it is not here answered ; but that " much every way" belongs allenarly to the first, which the words in the original plainly hold forth, which are these : Ti oun to perisson tou lotidaiou, e tis he apheleia tes peritomes ? Polu kata panta tropon. Polu, viz, to perisson But the second question he answers, chap. iv. 11 ; where he tells them, what profit there is of circumcision,* and to whom it was profitable. Both these he sheweth in the person of Abraham, of whose fatherhood they boasted; " And he received circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet before being uucircumcised." That is the profit of circumcision, that it seals the righteousness of faith; but it profits only those that have received and submitted to that righteousness : to the wicked it profits no more than a seal to set a blank. So that the argument stands good notwithstanding of these exceptions.

Reason II. The baptism of those persons to which the characters given by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures appear not to agree, ought to be reputed unprofitable, and their circumcision is uncircumcision; but such is the baptism of those who have no credible profession: Ergo, the major is plain: for no baptism but the Scripture baptism can be reputed profitable; and the Scripture characters of baptism must needs agree to Scripture baptism. The

• See Aret. in loc. Piscat. in loc.

minor will appear if we take a view of some Scriptures speaking of baptism. Mark i. 4.—"the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins." Matth, xxviii. 19. "Disciple all nations, baptizing them," &c. Mark xvi. 16. "He that believeth and is baptized," Acts ii. 38. " Repent and be baptized, for the remission of sins." Acts xxii. 16. "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins," or, " be washed from thy sins," as some read it,* and the words will bear, kai aplousai tas hamartias soxi. Gal. iii. 27. " As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." 1 Pet. iii. 21—" Baptism doth also now save us ; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh." " For many are externally washed only, [which is the use of baptism not lawful, qui est visiis baptismi non legitimus) ; few, so as they may call on God with a good conscience." Parens in he. " This purifying of the conscience is opposed indeed to washing simply carnal, but not to the sacrament of baptism; for to the eutireness of baptism (ad integritatem baptis^ni'f) both concur the external and the internal washing, not one of them only; and when any hath received it worthily, that answer of a good conscience towards God is joined." Hoornbeek. Now, let it be considered how these things agree to the baptism of those that have no credible profession: What visible agreement is there betwixt them? nay, what visible disagreement is there not? If any shall say, that such persons profess all these things; I shall reply with the same learned man,| speaking of the same Scriptures, Nunquid^ ilia non plus dicunt quam nudam aliquam a nobis factum professionem ?

Reason III. That baptism which the church cannot look upon as a seal of the righteousness of faith to him that hath it, they ought to make no account of it, but look on it as unprofitable; but such is the baptism of him that hath no credible profession: Ergo, the proposition is evident, if ye consider, that baptism is a sacrament of the covenant of grace, and all the sacraments of the covenant of grace, whether under the Old or New Testament, agree in this, that they are seals of the righteousness of faith. Now, it is an undeniable maxim, Negato genere tollitur species ; That which I cannot look upon as an animal, I cannot look on as a man. That baptism which is not a seal of the righteousness of faith, is non-baptism ; and how can that baptism be profitable that sealeth not that which baptism is appointed of God to seal ? The assumption I prove also: "Where the church cannot look on a man as privileged with the righteousness of faith, they cannot look on his baptism as sealing the righteousness of faith to him; but so it is in the present

• Hoornbeek. Piscator. f Loc. Conf. torn 3, p. 239. % P. 237.

M

case, where the person makes no probable or credible profession : Ergo, the assumption is clear, and the proposition also; for the having of the thing sealed is pre-supposed to the seal, as was said before. If they repent, it becometh indeed a seal to them, but otherwise it doth not. This I apprehend to be the truth. We have heard Pareus' judgment, that the bare outward washing, which is all that many get, is the unlawful use of baptism. Ursin tells us,* " The sacraments are no sacraments to them that have no true faith. Therefore," says he, " they are mad that say unbelievers receive, together with the signs, the things signified by the signs." And a little after he thus argues : " To whom nothing is promised in the word, to him the sacraments seal nothing. To the wicked nothing is promised in the word ; therefore the sacraments seal nothing to the wicked." The learned "Witsius teacheth us thus :f " Baptism confers nothing on such [viz. to whom it belongs not stricto jure]; no grace, no salvation doth it signify or seal, no more than a piece of wax, adorned indeed with an elegant character, but appended to clean paper, on which nothing is written, and to be written ; or, if you will, appended to a paper bespattered every where with so exceeding great blots, that no good can be written on it." It must be observed, that this very learned man is of opinion, that all federate elect infants are regenerated before baptism.J That I dare not say; but, with the generality as I suppose of the orthodox, I think they are, in the judgment of charity, to be looked on as such, and that baptism is conferred to them as visible saints. Now, that opinion made the learned man to express himself so, " On which nothing is written, and to be written." And concerning adult persons, he tells us,|| " It cannot be that any adult person may well be baptized, but he that believeth." So that it is plain, according to him, baptism seals nothing to the unregenerate. Mr. Baxter gives us his judgment in the point thus :§ " Baptism is ordained to signify and seal, and thereby confer remission of sins; but not to all that have right in the judgment of the church to be baptized ; but only to those that have right to it before God, and to whom his word doth first give remission; that is, not to all whom we must baptize, as being probably true believers, but only to those that have true right to baptism and its benefits, as being true believers indeed." And if we would hear again who have right to baptism before God, he tells us elsewhere,^ " It is only solid true faith which is the condition of the promise of remission; therefore it is that only that gives right

* Expl. Cat. p. 453. f Exer. de. Eff. Bapt. § 6. X Section 32.

II Oec.fced. Dei, p. 15. § Inf. Bapt. p. 329. f P. 327.

inforo Dei to tlie seal." But liow, notwithstanding of all this, he condemns as an error in Mr. Tombes the following proposition, I do not understand. The proposition is,* " Every right administration of baptism is not God's sealing: actually God sealeth not, but when it is administered to a believer: it may be called a right act of the administrator according to God's appointment, but not God's sealing." We see here Mr. Tombes speaks plainly of the administration of baptism in respect of the administrator, not of the party to whom it is administered. I confess I incline very much to Mr. Tombes' error in this point; and so much the more freely, that I think, by what is said, it appears to be the judgment of others of more entire fame than he. Once more hear the learned Witsiiis.f " Indeed," says he, " the administrators of holy things, who must act about every one from the judgment of charity alone, cannot distinguish the elect from the non-elect; and in so far they are not at all faulty (atque hactenus nihil peccant) if perhaps they baptize even them to whom baptism is not due stricto jure." And a little before :l " If we consider the most strict right to baptism, it agrees to none but the elect in very deed and in the judgment of God." And who would think but Mr. Baxter himself had fallen afterwards into the same error with Mr. Tombes, at least when he says,|| " "We ought to baptize them though they have no true right to baptism, because we are to take all for true believers that make a probable profession." Is not that a right act of the administrator which he ought to do, and must do ? And yet, as he himself says, baptism is ordained to seal remission of sins, but not to all whom we must baptize. I hope none will say, God seals by baptism what he did not, or where he did not ordaiu it to seal. It would seem then very consequential to infer Mr. Tombes' conclusion from thesa premises. Mr. Baxter says indeed, in confutation of this position of Mr. Tombes, "That it is only the conditional promise which God sealeth by the sacraments, ' If thou believe in the Lord Jesus, thou shalt be saved.'" Possibly then one may think, that he means God seals remission of sins to believers only, but to others he seals the conditional promise. But this will not salve the matter in my opinion. For, 1. Mr. Baxter telleth us roundly, that the promise is to others besides believers, and so is the seal; and that this will be evident, if it be once understood, that it is only the conditional promise which God sealeth by the sacraments. What can be made of this, but that it is the same thing that God seals to believers, and to others besides them ? 2. Understand it only of others, besides be-

• P. 222. t Exer. de Eff. Bapt. § 6. % Ibid. || Inf. Bapt. p. 298.

Jl 2

lievers; is not remission of sin comprehended in that promise which he says the sacraments seal ? Sure I am the scriptures make it one main part of the salvation promised, Matth. i. 21. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their sins." 3. How can baptism be appointed to seal remission of sins to believers, and only the conditional covenant to others, when, as Mr. Baxter himself teacheth us, " That in relations, such as sacraments are, the end entereth the definition ?" Therefore (if not through any natural incapacity of the subject, (which I dare say Mr. Baxter will not plead in this case), but God's mere institution), baptism have ends so exceeding different in (infants and the aged, says he there, let me change it into) believers and others, then you must have several definitions of baptism, and so several baptisms; but the apostle saith, there is but one baptism.* Much more he has to the same purpose in that place. Let them who can reconcile these things, do it, it is altogether beyond my reach ; it may be because I am not well acquainted with his doctrine. But I will weigh what the learned man says in confutation of the above-mentioned proposition, and to prove that the sacrament rightly administered to a hypocrite is Glod's actual sealing. His arguments are two.

I. " If the sacrament rightly administered to an hypocrite have all in it that is essential to God's actual sealing,f then it is an actual sealing : but the sacrament—therefore it is his actual sealing. A seal is an engaging or obliging sign, or at least a testifying. He that actually useth a seal to such an end, doth actually seal. Now, I.God useth this sign; II. and to this end. 1. He useth the sign while his ministers use it in his name at his command. 2. He commandeth it to be used to this end, to engage himself to make good his promises. For, 1. to what other end should God command them ? 2. Else he should command them to be used to one end to one, and to another end to another. 3. If the promise be to others besides believers, then so is the seal, (for to whom God proraiseth, to them he engageth himself to perform); but the promise is to others : therefore, &c. It is only the conditional promise, &c. ut supra."

Answek. I deny the minor of this argument, together with the proof of it, that God useth the seal to this end to hypocrites. The reason is because hypocrites have no possession of, interest in, or right to those things whereof God hath appointed the sacrament to be a seal. What a minister may do de facto, is not the question : but I deny, that ministers do use the sacrament at God's command,

• P. 300. t P- 222.

or de jure, towards any but as they are visible saints; and if they should use it in his name towards any that are not so, they should go beyond the bounds of their commission, Matt, xxviii. 19. as it is above improven, with help from Mr. Baxter himself. That God commandeth the seal to be used to this end, to engage himself to make good his promises, is true in respect of them that are in Christ, in whom the promises are Yea and Amen; but in respect of hypocrites, it is false. But to what other end should God command them ? I answer, that God hath commanded the seals as seals to be used towards believers only; and he hath commanded ministers to look on them as visible believers that have a probable profession. And if it be said, that he has commanded ministers to use them towards all visible believers, but some of them are hypocrites and so he commands them to be used to hypocrites; I answer, he commands the seals materially considered, that is, sprinkling with water, and bread and wine, to be given and administered to all visible believers; but considered formally as seals, he commands them only to be administered to those that are real saints. So that in this sense the sacrament cannot be administered as a seal to any but on supposition that the party is in Christ, seeing none other have a right before God thereto: yet it is a right act of the administrator when he administereth the sign to one that is a close hypocrite, in regard he is a visible believer. And in asserting that the administrator is not bound to know certainly and infallibly, that the party whom he baptizeth hath a right to baptism before the Lord, Mr. Baxter himself will bear me out: for he saith expressly,* " Ministers have right to baptize those that before God have no right to baptism; for they must judge of men's right by a probable profession." Now, let Mr. Baxter ask, to what other end than to seal actually, doth God command the seals to be administered to a hypocrite ? I answer, he commandeth them not at all to be administered to them : for whatsoever is given them, or administered to them, is not God's seal; for forma dat esse rei. And the water in baptism administered to a hypocrite, is no more God's seal to him, than a soul and a body without union are a man. And if I should say, the sacrament is no sacrament to him, it is no more than what we heard before was roundly said by a far wiser head. And truly I think it deserves to be considered, how the definitionf of a sacrament agrees to that which is administered to a hypocrite. " A sacrament is an holy ordinance, instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are re-

• P. 328. t Assem. Short, Catech.

presented, sealed, and applied to believers." But I pass this. If we consider other cases wherein ministers are commmanded to dispense other ordinances, besides this of baptism, it may give light to what is now under consideration. When a brother hath fallen into any scandalous sin, and he appears penitent, the church officers look on themselves as commanded to absolve him, and to loose his sin; and this they do in the Lord's name and at his command, not only loosing him from church censure, but declaring his sin to be pardoned before Grod; yet this is on supposition that he really be before the Lord that he appears to be before the church. Yet, notwithstanding of all this, if he be hypocritical in his repentance, he is not loosed in heaven; but what they do herein, they do in God's name and at his command. And you may prosecute this the same way, to prove God's loosing the hypocrite in heaven, as Mr. Baxter doth the present argnraent. In admitting of close hypocrites to the sacrament of the Lord's supper, the church dare not debar them, which argues a sense of God's command in the case; yet the church dare not admit them but as they appear to be real believers. The act of admission is a right act in those that admit them; but God in his word declares they have no right to it, ministers doctrinally debar them as such to whom the seals belong not. Only men know not their hearts ; and in their lives they are visible believers, but in their hearts enemies to God, whom he will severely examine for coming to this gospel feast without a wedding-garment; for stretching out their hands, being profane dogs, to snatch up the children's bread. Strange ! if notwithstanding of all this, the administration be God's actual sealing. The short is, the command to the administrators is not an absolute, but a qualified command. His second reason to prove that God useth the seals for actual sealing to hypocrites, falls with the first. It follows indeed on his doctrine, as was observed before, that the sacraments are used for one end to one, and another end to another, which with him (as it was above explained) I account an absurdity; but it no way follows upon our doctrine. As to the third reason, that the promise is to others, and therefore so is the seal; I cannot but observe another piece of inconsistency (as it appears to me) of this man with himself. He saith, the promise, meaning that, " If thou believe," &;c. is to others besides believers, and therefore infers that so is the seal; no doubt he means it belongs to them really and in foro Dei: and yet elsewhere he flatly denies, that the seal belongs to any but true believers, and such as have true solid faith, in foro Dei, though it may belong to them in foro ccdesice. But I deny, that the promise which the sacrament seals is that promise he speaks of, and have given my reason before.

But the former observe brings to mind an argument against it; ■which is this: if it be that conditional promise which baptism sealeth, or God sealeth by baptism, then whosoever have a right before the Lord to that promise, have a right before the Lord to baptism ; but that is absurd: Ergo, the consequence is evident: for whoso have a right to the thing sealed, have a right to the seal; and deny it who will, it cannot be denied by any making use of his argument. The minor I prove thus: if those that have a right to that promise before the Lord, have therefore a right to baptism before the Lord, then Jews, Turks, and pagans, to whom the oifer of the gospel is made, though they be still in their infidelity, have a right to baptism, even coram Deo ; but that is most absurd: Ergo, the sequel is plain. For whosoever they be that have the gospel offered to them, have right in foro poll to the conditional promise of salvation; so that if they should believe, God could not but save them by virtue of that promise. The appendix to his " Aphorisms," in which he saith he hath fully proven this position of his, my poor library doth not afford me; neither think I myself at any great loss thereby, for I look on it as most uncomfortable doctrine, That it is only the conditional promise which God sealeth by the sacraments. If they seal no more, sadly have many godly souls, been deluded in their enjoyments at sacraments. But, however, it falleth under the next question, he says; and so we may expect to hear that sad doctrine confirmed. If I really believed he could confirm and prove it convincingly, I would hear it as my doom and sentence of death. Wo to poor saints if the sacraments confirm and seal no more to them.

Now, that which Mr. Baxter in the next question sets himself to prove, is, that the absolute promise (or covenant) of the first grace* is not it that is sealed in baptism and the Lord's supper. And for proof hereof he gives six arguments. But this seems to me strange arguing, as from the mill to the moon. What consequence is this, it is not the absolute promise of the first grace that baptism seals; Ergo, it is only the conditional promise, " If thou believe, thou shalt be saved?" What though it be not the absolute promise of the first grace, must it therefore be that conditional promise ? are there no other promises in the covenant but these two ? I think, if there were any shadow of a consequence here, it behoved to be thus: It is not the absolute promise of the first grace; Ergo, it is the conditional promise of the first grace; which should be Pelagianism in grain, and put much respect on the Jesuits' maxim, Facienti quod in

* P. 225, 226.

se est, Deus non denegabit ulteriorem gratiam. And so we might leave him to his dispute with Mr. Tombes. But I cannot think that ever Mr. Tombes would assert, that it was only the absolute promise of the first grace that baptism is a seal of. His words as Mr. Baxter sets them down, are,* " That the covenant, whereof baptism is the seal, is the absolute covenant of grace, made only to the elect." It is certain many famous divines do hold, that the covenant of grace is absolute, and that baptism is a seal of the covenant of grace; and therefore it must needs be, according to them, a seal of the absolute covenant. But that which Mr. Baxter aims at, seems to be, that baptism doth not at all seal the promise of the first grace. Whatever be of this, if I were obliged to believe it, I would require more convincing arguments than Mr. Baxter offers for it; which I will briefly consider, to the end I may win to some light in it.

Argument 1. " That which is sealed to by the sacraments is a proper covenant, having a restipulation on our parts, as well as a promise on God's part; but the absolute promise is not a proper covenant, with such a mutual engagement: therefore."! Answer, Those that hold the covenant of grace to be absolute, will tell him, that in respect of us it is a mere promissory covenant. But if I deny the major with them, I see nothing to prove it, but somewhat from Mr. Baxter, who holds it to be that promise, " If thou believe," &c. to disprove it. For, says he, " The very definition of a proper covenant sheweth as much, that it mast be a mutual engagement. Now, in that absolute promise there is no such matter—but only God telleth what he will do." I say the same, mutatis mutandis, of the conditional promise, there is no mutual engagement there; but only God telleth what he will do, if we will do so and so. "Where it is plain, there is no engagement at all upon the party to whom this promise is made by virtue of it, unless it be an engagement, by way of gratitude, to accept of such^ a precious offer; but the promise is to him, whether he fulfil the condition or not, or any way engage with the promiser, ay and until he that made the promise declare he will no longer stand to these terms. I am confident, that neither Grotius de jure belli, nor other lawyers (of whom he speaks here), will ever say, that a bare conditional promise is a proper covenant, where there is a mutual engagement. Many times both in peace and war, such conditional promises are made, which not being accepted, there is no covenant made. So that by this argument neither Mr. Tombes nor Mr. Baxter are right.

• P. 223. t P- 225.

Argument 2, " If it were the absolute promise of the first grace that is sealed by the sacraments, then the sacraments must be given to no man, or to all men. But, &c. The consequent is manifest, because that absolute promise or prophecy is only of the elect, and that before regeneration : now, no man hath any sign given him, so much as probable, by which to judge of the unregenera'e elect." Answer. I deny the consequence, here called the consequent, either by a typographical error, though not marked among the rest, or that Aquila non capiat muscas. And what is alleged for proof thereof, is false taken universally. Though we have no probable sign given us whereby we may judge of the election of the seed of oi)enly wicked parents, till such time as they evidence some good thing in them by their personal walk; yet as for the seed of believers, we have God's promise, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed." As for infants especially this holds good. And as for those children of godly parents, who when they are come to years of discretion, yet savour nothing of piety, that says indeed we cannot judge them probably to be regenerated: but yet it says not that we may not probably judge them elected. But this brings into my mind an argument against baptism its being a seal of the absolute promise of the first grace, which possibly may deserve consideration. It is this.

If baptism be a seal of the absolute promise of the first grace, then some openly wicked adult persons have a right coram ecclesia to baptism; but that is false, as we have before proved: Ergo, I prove the consequence. They to whom the thing sealed doth visibly belong, have a visible right to the seal of the covenant; but if baptism be a seal of the absolute promise of the first grace, the thing sealed by baptism doth visibly belong to some adult persons openly wicked: Ergo, if baptism, &c. The proposition is plain. The reason of the assumption is, because the promise of the first grace belongs visibly to those .that are visible elect ones, or such as we may probably judge elected; and the seed of the righteous we must probably judge to be elected, because of the promise, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed ;" yet nothing is more plain, than that there are many of the adult seed of the righteous that are openly wicked: Ergo, but I pass this.

Argument III. " It may be known to whom that covenant belongs which is sealed by the sacraments, but it cannot be known (before the fulfilling, no not at all) to whom (particularly) that absolute promise doth belong : therefore, &c." Answer. I distinguish the major. It may be known (without extraordinary revelation) probably to whom that covenant which is sealed by the

sacraments belongs particularly, I grant; and in this sense the minor is false. It may be known infallibly, I deny. But, as Mr, Bowles saitli,* " Baptism is to be administered according to the judgment of charity, seeing it can by no certain signs be determined who they are that are actually in covenant." Now, if this argument could have any weight, it behoved to be proven, that we may, without extraordinary revelation, know infallibly to whom in particular the covenant sealed in baptism doth belong; which the learned man doth not attempt.

Argument IV. " If that absolute promise must be fulfilled to a man before he be capable of receiving the sacraments, which are seals of the covenant of grace, then it is not that absolute promise which is the covenant of grace sealed to by the sacraments; but that absolute promise must be fulfilled, &c. : therefore it is not that absolute promise which is the covenant so sealed to." Answer. Tins is a manifest ignoratio elenchi. This is neither what Mr. Baxter undertook to prove, nor what Mr. Torabes denied, so far as we can learn by his words cited by Mr. Baxter. Mr. Tombes indeed saith, that the covenant whereof baptism is the seal, is the absolute covenant of grace, as several divines of better note say as well as he, but not that the absolute promise of the first grace is the covenant of grace ; it is according to their opinion a part of it, but a part is not the whole. Does Mr. Baxter think, that his adversaries in this point leave out of the covenant of grace all grace but the first ? and if Mr. Baxter would have concluded his own thesis, he should have inferred. Ergo, it is not the absolute promise of the first grace that is sealed to. But let us hear the proof of the consequence ; which is this : " The mercy promised in the covenant which is sealed, is not given before the first sealing; but the mercy promised in that absolute promise is (according to Mr. Tombes, and in part the truth) given before the first sealing of the covenant of grace : therefore, &c." I wish Mr. Baxter had set down his conclusion. However, we will get some conclusion in the premises. But behold! how he wavers again. The conclusion of this argument is plainly this: Therefore the mercy promised in that absolute promise, is not the mercy promised in the covenant which is sealed. And this conclusion we have instead of the major proposition of his argument, which ought to have been the conclusion of his proof. Such wavering would tempt a man to distrust the cause he is defending. But as to the premises, the major taken universally is manifestly false : and unless you will maintain that

' Pubt. Evang. p. 180,

there is only one single mercy of the covenant which is sealed, which is the covenant of grace no doubt, you must either take it so, or it is an argument ex puris particularibiis, as is manifest. So then the major is, no mercy promised in the covenant which is sealed, or in the covenant of grace, is given before the first sealing. But most of our divines, that ever 1 read, against the Papists and Lutherans, their baptismal regeneration, will tell him, that some mercies promised in the covenant which is sealed, are given before the first sealing; yea more, unless that some of these mercies be given before baptism, such as the saving indwelling of the Spirit, regeneration, union with Christ, remission, &c. they can have no right, before God, to the first seal; and unless they appear to us probably to be given them, they have no right before the church to it. And if Mr. Baxter hath not said as much, as that some mercies promised are, yea, and must be given before the first sealing, or the parties have no right to baptism before the Lord, let what is said before manifest. I need not stand to prove the falsity of Mr. Baxter's major proposition last named, it hatli been sufficiently done before. But at length we come to something that is indeed to the point, which immediately follows the conclusion of the last syllogism ; and it is this : " God doth not promise and seal to a man that hath a new heart, to give him a new heart; or to a man that is a believer, that he will give him to be a believer; except we speak of the continuance or increase of faitli and newness, which is not the thing in question." But I answer, there is another use of a seal besides that of engaging and obliging to the performance of anything; it is also of use to testify and represent,, as a demonstrative sign. This is plain not only from the common nature of seals appended to contracts, but from that plain Scripture, Rom. iv. 11. " And Abraham received circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had before." And Mr. Baxter himself acknovv-ledgeth it ;* " A seal" says he " is an engaging or obliging sign, or at least a testifying." So then, although God doth not seal the promise of giving a new heart to him that hath a new heart, by way of engagement and obligation to perform the promise, yet he may seal to him that hath a new heart the promise of giving a new heart; he may seal it, 1 say, by way of testimony, that such a promise hath been made to, or concerning that person that hath the new heart. This is not done in vain : for the promise contains a grant of the mercy ; it is the foundation of our right thereto, and the tenor of our free-holding, or holding of free grace ; which it is very reasonable we

t P. 222.

should be put in mind of, the rather that some learned men do very much to darken the glory of grace. Suppose a king should write a promise of a vast sum of current money, to be given freely to one that had been a traitor to him, or rather is a traitor, and should actually pay it him before the writ be sealed; and, upon the payment thereof, the man sees his folly, in that he should have been so unduti-ful to such a gracious prince, and so becomes a loyal subject: what solecism in conduct would it be, either in the subject to desire of him, (even after he hath got the money), that he would please to seal this his promise and grant; or in the king, to seal his own writ ? Maybe the man hath no great skill to discern betwixt true and counterfeit money; the rather should the promise be sealed. Tlie application is easy. God made promise to Abraham, saying, " I will be thy God," seals it with circumcision ; yet before circumcision the promise was made out to Abraham ; God was the God of Abraham before he was circumcised, yet was not the seal used in vain. But Mr. Baxter will say, that he sealed the continuance of that mercy of being his God. Let it be so; yet ipso facto that God sealed by way of engagement and obligation the continuance of that mercy to Abraham, he also sealed, by way of testimony, the beginning of that mercy, or that mercy given at first, and consequently the promise thereof; for God seals no mercy to us but as it is comprehended in a promise. If any will say, that the sacraments seal any mercy but what the word promiseth, let them prove it. For my part I think it contrary both to Scripture and reason.

Argumeij^t V. " The benefits of the covenant of grace, which is sealed by the sacraments, are (by those of age) to be received by faith ; but the benefits of the absolute promise of the first grace are not to be received by faith : therefore this is not the covenant of grace so sealed. The major is evident. Mr. Tombes saith, only believers must be baptized as disciples. The minor is proved before. Faith is part of the thing promised ; and we do not by faith receive our first faith, or our power to believe." Answer. To pass this, that the conclusion of this argument is indeed. Therefore the benefits of the absolute promise of the first grace are not the benefits of the covenant of grace, which is sealed by the sacraments; the conclusion, as it is formed by the learned man, labours under the former disease, quod non condudit negatum. He had need of quicker eyes than I can pretend to, that can discern a contradiction between these two ; The absolute promise of the first grace is not the covenant of grace, which is sealed by the sacraments ; and that. The covenant whereof baptism is the seal, is the absolute covenant of grace, made only to the elect; which is the proposition Mr. Baxter undertakes to confute. But T

deny the major, universally taken. When Mr. Baxter speaks of receiving the benefits of the covenant by faith, either he means receiving things themselves, or) receiving a right to them ; and in both senses the proposition is false. If he mean it of receiving the things themselves, as contradistinct from receiving a right thereto, then I Avould fain know, 1. Whether the resurrection of our bodies, and glorification, be benefits of the covenant of grace ? and then, 2. How these benefits in this sense are received by faith ? If he mean it of receiving a right thereto, contradistinct from receiving the things themselves, then I would desire to understand, whether justification, adoption, and such relative benefits, be benefits of the covenant of grace; and then, how a man can receive a right to relative benefits, as contradistinguished in re from the things themselves ; or if a man can have a right to a relation, and not ipso facto be so related. I speak not of jus sub termino ; but an immediate present right, as the matter with faith in respect of justification, &c. Whoever may quarrel this, it cannot be contradicted by Mr. Baxter's principles, " As to the relative benefits," says he,* "right to them, and right in them, are inseparable," &c. As to the proof of the proposition, I confess I see not how it toucheth the point. Mr. Tombes saith very right, and according to the scriptures, when he saith, Only believers must be baptized as disciples, meaning it of those that have right thereto before the Lord; and many others say, and that on good grounds, that only the regenerate, justified, &c. must be baptized as disciples; and yet it will not hence follow, that the benefits of the covenant of grace, sealed by the sacraments, must be received by regeneration, justification, &c.

Argument 6. " The covenant sealed to by the sacraments is a plainly propounded, unquestionable covenant; but this absolute promise of the first grace is not such," &c. Answer. This conclusion is like some others before, that hit not the scope of the dispute. But no doubt the covenant is plainly propounded, and ought not to be questioned. But who can help the questioning that nice wits will needs make about truths plainly propounded? And this argument might have been left out, while it is seen plainly and unquestionably, that many that have eyes in their head as well as this learned man, cannot agree with him, as to what it is that the sacraments do seal. But it is time now to come to his second argument for Grod's actual sealing to hypocrites.

II. " If God do no more in his actual sealing to believers, than he doth when the sacrament is rightly applied to hypocrites, then

• Inf. Bapt. p. 308.

he actually sealeth to hypocrites; but God doth no more, &c. The major is proved by the enumeration of the several acts. 1. God maketh the promise. 2. He commandeth ministers to publish it. 3. He hath instituted the sacraments as mutual engaging signs or seals. 4. He commandeth ministers to deliver or apply them to those that profess their consent and desire to enter or renew the covenant—now, what act more than these doth God perform to the elect or believers ?" Answer. The proof of the major I will take for the proof of the minor, which is denied. And to his question, I say, God doth more than all those things enumerated while he actually seals to believers, or else he should not actually seal to them at all. The Westminster Assembly, in their Shorter Catechism, tells us, what God doth more, in answer to that question, " How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation ?" The answer is, " The sacraments become effectual—by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them." So then God blesseth them to believers, which he doth not Avhen administered to hypocrites; God works by his Spirit in the one, not in the other; and thus he gives them efficacy to believers, not to others. God ratifies in heaven what ministers do on earth, when the sacraments are administered to them who are fit for receiving them ; which is not done in the case of others. What if a Jew or a Mahommedan should undertake to put a mock on the Christians and their God; and, in pursuance thereof, should feign repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ, so as no minister should know but he were serious, and so be baptized ? might not this be a right act of the administrator ? But doth God no more in his actual sealing to believers, than he doth when such a one is baptized? Believe it who will, I cannot obtain it of myself to give credit to it. Put the case, that two visible church members fall into some scandalous sin, and are censured: both give sufficient evidences of their repentance to the church, yet the one is hypocritical, the other sincere: God maketh the promise, commandeth his ministers to publish it, he hath instituted church discipline for the gaining of offenders, he commandeth that such as appear penitent be absolved. But doth God no more towards the one than towards the other? Surely he doth, as in the former case.

Akgument II. If the parents of such infants concerning whom our question is, have no right to the table of the Lord, then the infants have no right before the church to the ordinance of baptism: but the former is true : Ergo, and hence it hath been a piece of difliculty to me, to reconcile the practice of admitting men's children to baptism, and in the meantime debarring themselves from the

sacrament of the Lord's supper, and that constautly. The minor is least to be doubted ; for the chvirch, in debarring openly wicked persons from the table of the Lord, declareth that they are looked on as persons that have no right thereto. I apprehend it will be said, that such persons hare jus ad rem, but not in re ; and that the former is sufficient to entitle their children to baptism in foro cccle-sioe. This I willingly grant, as to some that are debarred from the sacrament of the Lord's supper : even as in the case of the Israelites with respect to the passover, where some had a remote right to that ordinance; but when they were unclean, they could not rightfully claim the possession of it. But I would distinguish of scandalous Christians, or baptized persons. Some are habitually and constantly scandalous, who never gave any probable signs of their sincerity; others there are that have sometimes given such probable signs, but afterwards fall into some scandalous sin or sins. That the latter sort have jus ad rem, or a remote riglit to the sacrament of the Lord's supper, I will not deny. Yea, it will not be grievous to me to grant, that the children of such persons, while as yet they have not evidenced their repentance, have nevertheless a right coram ecdesice to baptism. And my reason is, because the church still looks on such a person as a living, though not a lively member of Christ, as one savingly in covenant with God, evidenced by his former walk, before the hour of temptation; and the child's visible right to baptism, depends not on the parent's visible frame, but his visible state as in covenant with God ; for so runs the promise, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed :" so that the church looking on the parent as having God for his God, in the sense of the promise, must needs look on his seed as enjoying the same privilege, ■ and consequently a right to baptism. But as for those who are habitually profane, who never appeared to walk in any tolerable measure becoming the gospel, as there are too, too many baptized persons, they have not so much as a remote right to the sacrament of the Lord's supper: for it is appointed of God for believers, and them only : for the living, to make them grow; not for the dead, to give them life, else why are any debarred from it ? So that none have a right, no not a remote right thereto, before God, but real believers ; and none have a remote right thereto, before the church, but visible believers. Whatever some are pleased to plead for the right of all baptized persons to the Lord's table, it will not much move me, nor do I think will it move many (but to indignation,) when they sist their consciences before the tribunal of a holy God ; therefore I will not digress from my purpose, to consider the weak arguiugs whei'ewith some endeavour to support that cause. We

say then, that as none have a remote right to this sacrament in foro poll, but such as are right as to their state ; and none a proximate right thereto, but such as are in a frame, in some measure, suitable to that venerable ordinance : so none have jus ad rem in foro poli, hut visible believers ; and none jus in re, but the same persons being free of public scandal. I proceed to prove the consequence. The child hath no visible right to that ordinance to which the parent hath none. This proposition hath been proven before. But if the parents have not so much as a remote right to the table of the Lord, they have no right to baptism : Ergo, if the parent have not so much as a remote right to the table of the Lord, the child hath no visible right to baptism. The minor is clear; for I think it will be denied by none, that all that have right to baptism have a remote right to the table of the Lord, et vice versa. None need to think it strange, that we speak of persons actually baptized having right to baptism, no more than to question the right that a man hath to an estate he has long enjoyed; for it is certain here, that possession may be where there is no rightful possession, or right and title to what is possessed. If any say, that children are not baptized in their parents' right, but in their own right, they may freely for me enjoy their liberty to express it so : for it is certain the child has a right, and that right is not the parents' right; but all the evidence that we can have of a child's right to baptism, is from the parents ; therefore said I, the child can have no visible right, &c. I doubt not, but as the child of a most profane parent may have the Spirit; so in that case it hath a most undoubted right, before the Lord, to the seal of the covenant: but the parent being an oi)enly wicked person, there is no probable evidence of this; nor can there be in that case, till the child do manifest the same by its personal carriage. In the meantime, as to us de nan' apparentibus et non existentibus eadem est ratio.

Argument III. A cursed seed hath no right to a sealing ordinance ; but the children of the openly wicked, or such as make no credible profession, are a cursed seed : Ergo, there can be no doubt of the assumption, the Scripture is express for it, Deut. xxviii. 18. " Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body." The proposition I prove thus. If a visibly cursed seed, (for so I understand the cursed seed I speak of in the argument, taking it for granted, they are visibly cursed whom God has declared in his word to be cursed, which I think none can deny with any colour of reason); if a visibly cursed seed have a visible right to a sealing ordinance, then a visibly cursed seed are a visibly blessed seed ; but that is absurd: Ei-go, the consequence is plain : for they that have right to the seal of the covenant of grace, are a visibly blessed seed ; they are surely visi-

bly blessed who appear to be in covenaut with God, and members of Christ, as those do who have a visible right to baptism. The assumption is no less plain : for blessing and cursing are inconsistent ; whom Grod visibly curseth, he cannot at the same time visibly bless, else they should be visibly happy and miserable at one and the same time ; even so happy as God's blessing makes, and so miserable as God's curse makes a person. It is in vain to say, they are blessed and cursed in sundry respects ; so that however in some other respects they are cursed, yet, in respect of a right to the first seal of the covenant, they are a blessed seed : for there is no distinction, nor ground for such distinction, in the text. But in what other respects can they be visibly cursed, when they are visibly blessed in this resj)ect ? "Were they in the most miserable case that ever any was in the world in other respects, while they have a visible right to baptism, God is their God, and who will dare say, that those who are thus visibly privileged are visibly cursed ? As the blessing of God puts a person in a blessed state, so his curse puts him in a cursed state, in whatever particular the blessing or the curse do chiefly appear ; for God's blessing and cursing are formally forensic actions, and so the different states resulting therefrom are inconsistent utterly, as justification and condemnation. Yea, I add, that the executive blessing and cursing are also inconsistent; for these flow from, and do necessarily pre-suppose the formal acts of blessing and cursing : so that although a person in a cursed state may receive good things from God, that are in themselves, and unto others blessings indeed, yet they are cursed to him, Mai. ii. 2: even as afllictions, which are curses to the wicked, are nevertheless blessings to them that are in Christ. What though the seed of the ■wicked by sovereign grace may be blessed ; yet, while this blessing is latent, we are to look on them as God in his word hath denounced the seed of the wicked to be : for the word is the rule of the church's judgment, not the secret will of God; "Secret things belong to the Lord, but unto us those things that are revealed." "When they do by their personal carriage declare themselves to be blessed ones, the church is to deal with them as such then, but not till then. As God hath declared the seed of the wicked to be cursed, so he hath also declared the seed of the righteous to be blessed, Psal. xxxvii. 26, " His seed is blessed;" and cxii, 2. " The generation of the upright shall be blessed." "What a vast difference doth the Lord in his word make between the seed of the righteous and the ungodly ! the one is blessed, the other cursed: it seems reasonable then the church should make some difference betwixt them also in the matter of church privileges, as was argued Vol. VI. N

before. Can we suppose, that God hath given no more ground of comfort to the godly as to their seed, than he has given to the wicked, if they be but baptized ? or can we restrain this ground of comfort merely to temporal good things? In this readily the children of the faithful have least share, I think it is a pitiful straitening of the many promises that are made to the godly and to their seed, to allow them no more ground of comfort as to their children's souls, than wicked baptized persons may have as to theirs, notwithstanding of the curses denounced upon them. Allow both an equal right to the seal of the covenant of grace, and so to all the benefits thereof, and then sure all odds are made even. For my part, I am indeed of opinion, that, but prejudice to the sovereignty of God, who hath neither in the curse nor in the blessing set a law for himself, to bind up the hands of free grace from bringing forth elect vessels out of the loins of wicked parents; nor the hands of absolute dominion, in reprobating some of the seed of the godly; that the main thing aimed at, both in the curse and in the blessing, is what concerns the eternal state of their seed, viz. that God will deny his grace to the children of the wicked, and so damn them for their sins; and give his grace to the seed of the godly, and so save them eternally. So judicious Calvin* understands the threatening and the promise in the second command. And it is highly reasonable, that the holy oracles of God should be always understood in the most comprehensive sense, where there is nothing to restrain the same, as it is in this case. And what else can we make of the grand promise of the covenant, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed ?" This answers the scope and design of the declaration of the mind of God most fully, both in the declaration of the curse, and of the blessing. This makes them most pungent incentives to true piety. And thus God himself hath visibly explained the same. How often do we see the children follow the footsteps of their parents, graceless parents with children no better than themselves, when the children of the godly are blessed ? It is true, the wickedness of some of the children of the godly is much noticed, and ready to be talked of, when the impiety of the children of the wicked is not: but this plainly confirms what we say; for no better is expected of the seed of the wicked, when better things are looked for in the children of the godly. Seldom it is but the godly have some good; seldom the wicked have any. Of some stock of people God never wants some, even to the view of the world; and of others he hath none, in all appearance. And if the curse and blessing be

Inst.

thus understood, it doth mightily strengthen the argument, as I apprehend; for baptism is de jure conferred on children, only as they are apparently such as belong to God in a saving manner, as was before pleaded. This argument then I will conclude, with Balaam's words inverted, " How shall we bless whom Grod hath cursed ?"

Argument IY. If it be necessarily pre-required to infants' right to baptism coram ecclesia, that their parents appear penitent, and lovers, not haters of God; then none but the infants of visible believers have a visible right to the ordinance of baptism: the former is true; Ergo, the latter also. The consequence is plain: for visible penitents, lovers, and not haters of God, are visible believers, and none other; the one cannot be necessary, but the other ipso facto is also necessary; and those whom we cannot look upon as visible penitents, and lovers of God, we must needs look upon as visibly impenitent persons, and haters of God, and so as visible unbelievers, wanting that which is necessary to evidence their infants' right to baptism. The assumption is proven before from Acts ii. 38. Exod. XX. 5, 6. From the former of these, it plainly appears, that repentance was pre-required of those pricked at the heart, antecedently to their own, or their children's visible right to baptism. And what though parents now are ordinarily possessed of that privilege in their infancy, when they were admitted as visible saints, seeing afterwards they have nothing of that visible saintship ? ought they not to be pressed to repentance, in order to a visible right to their seed for this ordinance, having now lost that visible right thereto themselves, which they possibly had in their infancy ? Those in the text were circumcised, whether jure or injuria we shall not determine ; and circumcision was a seal of the same covenant whereof baptism also is; it was a seal of the righteousness of faith, as well as baptism: yet notwithstanding, they behoved to evidence their repentance before their children's right to baptism could be acknowledged; as was proven before. It seems then no less reasonable, that baptized parents should be obliged to do the like, ere their children's right to baptism be acknowledged by the church. From the latter of these Scriptures, it hath been evinced, that the children of wicked parents are, by the threatening, denied a right to the seal of the covenant; and that it is given, by the promise, only to the children of those that love God; which doth plainly restrain the same to the seed of visible believers coram ecclesia. Hereunto add that testimony of the apostle, 1 Cor. vii. 14. " For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife:—else were your children unclean; but now they are holy:" from whence

n2

it doth inevitably follow, that one of the parents mnst needs he a visible believer, else the children cannot be reckoned holy; and hence it is ordinary to prove the right of the infants of the faithful unto baptism.

Exception 1. By the haters of God in the second commandment are meant idolaters only; and so by lovers of God, those that cleave to the true worship of God : and therefore the threatening cannot be extended to the children of those that do not turn aside to idolatry, or renounce Christianity. Answer. Many things may be returned to this exception; as, 1. Then all baptized persons' children have not a right to bajitism ; for they may be baptized, and yet be idolaters, though they have not renounced their baptism. 2. Then the children of Papists have no right to baptism; for they are manifest idolaters, as all Protestant divines do hold; and yet those that differ will not allow this. But, 3. Though the contempt of this command is no doubt aimed against in the threatening, and the promise hath respect to the keeping of it; yet to restrain either the threat or the promise to this command, is to do violence to the words ; for the words are express for God's commands in the plural number, both in Exod. xx. 6. and Deut. xxvii. 10 ; so that at least they belong to all the commands of the first table. " If you consider duly," says Calvin,* " the promise which we have now explained, is not peculiarly annexed to one command, but is common to the whole first table of the law." Zanchius carries it further.f " The true interpretation," says he, " is that this (viz. the fifth command) is the first command with a promise, to wit, not pertaining universally to all the commands." And a little after : " God doth so much esteem the keeping of this command, that he hath added to it only, and so to none other, a peculiar promise." 4. That by haters of God are meant idolaters only, &c. is gratis dictum. It seems strange, to restrain that odious character to those only, seeing the hatred of God is common to all unregenerate persons, who are " enmity against God," Rom. viii. 7; and the hatred of God is most vigorous amongst those where idolatry is banished, and the pure word of God is preached, levelling pithily against the sins of the wicked. And no less strange is it, that those should be accounted lovers of God who outwardly cleave to pure ordinances, while they are openly wicked in their lives: surely Christ accounts those his enemies, who shall be brought forth, and slain before his eyes, and that with a double death. Wherefore we understand the haters of God to be all the wicked, and the lovers of God the truly godly, who obey out of love, as the other disobey out of hatred to God; as Calvin judiciously teach-

• Com. in loc. f Cora, in Eph. vi. 2.

eth.* Those that love me. " The fountain and origin of true righteousness is expressed. The transgressors of the law are called enemies and haters of God. For seeing he cannot be separated from his justice, the contempt of the law argueth this hatred; because it cannot be, but he that will not suffer God to be his lawgiver and judge, desires also to rob him of his government." 5. Lastly, Though it should be yielded, that the threatening and promise belong only to this command, yet what reason is there that they should be restrained to one sin and one duty ouly ? I should think at least, that such as do not observe the ordinances of God, as prayer, &c. should be also here included.

Exception 2, The apostle (1 Cor. vii. 14.) means not real believers, in opposition to openly wicked Christians ; but believers, in opposition to pagans, accounting all believers who had given up their name to Christ in baptism. Answer. The apostle means visible believers, amongst whom some were sincere, others hypocrites ; even as he means visible holiness, when he saith, their children were holy. To suppose that there were any in the church of Corinth that were not visible Christian believers, is what I cannot grant without proof; and I am of opinion, it caunot be proven from the Scriptures. There is, as I said before, a vast difference betwixt one that sometimes, by his personal carriage, gave probable evidence of his saintship, and one that never did so. There were certainly many grievous enormities amongst that people, or in that church; yet the former of these appears to be their case. The reason is, because, as the history of the acts of the apostles shew, none in those days were baptized, but such as gave probable signs of their sincerity, together with their children; and of the Corinthians particularly Luke testifies, that " many of them hearing, believed, and were baptized," Acts xviii. 8 ; and the Lord told Paul in a vision, that " he had much people in that city, and so he abode a year and six months with them," vers. 9, 10; and though he himself baptized few of them, yet it cannot be thought but that people were baptized by his direction, and that therein he did as the rest of the apostles, requiring them to evidence their repentance before baptism; and when he was gone, Apollos, a faithful brother, was with them for a time. Acts xix. 1. That others than visible believers were baptized among them, we cannot without proof grant, especially seeing all of them whose baptism is recorded in the Scripture, were visible believers, and therefore baptized. "Wherefore, although that by means of their own corruptious, and hypocrisy, no doubt in some of them, and by means of false teach-

* Ubi sup.

ers, some were led aside into erroneous principles and disorderly-practices, they could not lose their visible saintship, till such time as they proved utterly irreclaimable : but how they took with the apostle's reproofs, the apostle himself plainly tells, 2 Cor. vii. 8. &c. And indeed, for all the faults that were among them, the apostle acknowledgeth them still as visible believers; writing to them, as few ministers amongst us, I suppose, durst write to his congregation of baptized ones : 1 Cor. i. 2. " Unto the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesns, called" (our translation adds, but without reason,) " to be saints" ver. 3. " Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father." ver. 7. " Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." ver. 8. " Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." See ver. 9. chap. vi. 15, 19, 20. But in our case the persons we speak of, are such as never^gave probable evidence of their sincerity, else there would not be so much difticulty about the matter.

Argument Y. Those who cannot be probably judged to be within the covenant, have no visible right to baptism; but the children of openly wicked parents cannot be probably judged to be within the covenant: Ergo, the major is owned to be a truth by most divines that are orthodox. Wendelin is very express for it :* speaking of the subject recipient of baptism, he says, " It is all, and only those who are probably judged to be within the covenant of grace." So saith Oliver Bowles,f who nevertheless allows the children of all baptized persons a right to baptism. " All infants," says he, " that in the judgment of charity are within the covenant, are to be baptized. I call that the judgment of charity, when we obtain all those things by whicli it is probable the party to be baptized is under the covenant." It is evident, these learned men speak of a saving inbeing in the covenant, the probableness whereof they think is requisite in those that have right to baptism before the church ; which is the very thing our proposition doth import. However, I shall prove it. None have right to that ordinance, before the Lord, that are not really and savingly in covenant with God, as hath been already cleared; Ergo, none have visible right to the ordinance, that are not visibly or probably within the covenant. The consequence is manifest; because the judgment of the church must be regulated by the judgment of God, so far as the same is revealed. Again, those who cannot be probably judged to have a real right to the thing sealed, or rather a real interest iu

'Christ. Tlieol. j). 426. f Pas*- E^'ang. lib. 3. cap. 3.

the same, have no visible right to the seal; but those who cannot be probably judged to be within the covenant really and savingly, have no visible interest in the thing sealed, because it is the covenant of grace that is the thing sealed.- Ergo, if therefore any will plead an external being in covenant with God, as a distinct thing from a visible being in covenant with him; and allege, that the seal may be given on the account of this external being in covenant, they speak unadvisedly; for it is no other covenant that is sealed by baptism but the covenant of grace, which is entered into, or accepted by faith; neither can any be said to be in it, but either really or apparently, which we call visibly. Now, I prove the minor. Openly wicked parents cannot be probably judged to be within the covenant; Ergo, neither their children. The antecedent must needs be yielded, unless we say, that openly wicked persons give probable signs of their piety and interest in Chi'ist; that they are probably regenerated, justified, adopted, &c.; which is in eiFect to say, that openly wicked persons are not openly wicked, but visible saints. It is in vain to say, that they are within the conditional promise, in so far as they are baptized; for we speak now of a probable judgment of a particular person's being within the covenant. But if by this be meant, that they are within the compass of that promise, though they have not yet come up to the terms, then they have no more than what pagans have, whensoever the gospel-olfer is made to them: if the meaning of it be, they are within it in so far as they have really believed, then we would fain learn, how a real believer comes to be an openly wicked man; and by what means, or probable signs, men do judge an openly wicked person to be a believer. The consequence is proved from hence, that children stand and fall before the church, with their immediate parents; so that we cannot judge a man's seed probably to be in covenant with God, if he himself be not visibly in the covenant. I can apprehend no way how the force of this argument can be warded oif, unless we make recourse to the remote godly parents : which to how many inconveniencies it is liable, we have heard before. Some indeed lay the whole stress on the baptism of the parents, one or both, and will have the judgment of charity to conclude all those to be within the covenant probably, whose parents sometime were baptized; which, in my opinion, is wonderfully wide charity, to say no more of it. How can a person's baptism be more useful to another, than to himself that personally received it ? The baptism of some is followed with open wickedness; and that which we now speak of, is that right the children of openly wicked parents can have to baptism; and we have proven, that the openly wicked can-

not be probably judged to be within the covenant; and yet a baptized person may be openly wicked ; consequently the baptism of an openly wicked parent cannot be a ground whereon we may probably judge him within the covenant. Yet that this baptism, so useless to himself, should be so useful to his seed, is a thing that would need strong arguments to back it with, in order to its reception. One would expect, that such as go no further than the immediate parents for the church-state of the infants, should shew as much in the immediate parent as the child hath, seeing nothing can give more than it hath to itself. Moreover, if the judgment of charity must conclude all those children to be probably in covenant whose parents were once baptized, then, if Simon Magus had enjoyed a child, even after his discovering himself to have been still " in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity," and to "have neither part nor lot" with the people of God " in the gifts of the Holy Ghost," that child would have been probably judged to be within the covenant, and so to have had right to the seal of the covenant: but that could not be, in regard Simon himself had then no visible right to baptism; and had that discovery been made before, doubtless he had not been baptized. How many baptized persons do as really discover themselves to be still " in the gall of bitterness," as Simon did, by their open wickedness? But the nnprofitableness of the baptism of openly wicked persons, while they continue so, has been largely discoursed on before.

Argument YI. If none be visibly privileged with having " God to be their God, and the God of their seed," (in the sense of the promise and covenant of grace, which is sealed to by the sacraments), but visible believers; then the infants of openly wicked parents, though baptized, have no visible right to baptism ; the former is true: Ergo, the latter also. The sequel is manifest, if ye consider, that openly wicked persons, though baptized, are visible unbelievers, and that they can have no right to baptism coram ecdesia whose God the Lord is not: for, in baptizing infants, we do really declare that we look on God as the God of the parent, and the God of his seed. Now that this great privilege visibly belongs only to visible believers, we hope to manifest by these following reasons.

1. That which belongs only to real believers before God, visibly belongs only to visible believers and their seed; but this privilege belongs only to real believers before the Lord : JErgo, &c. The reason of the proposition hath been given oftener than once in this discourse, therefore I stand not upon it. I prove the assumption : Those to whom this privilege is given, have ground to expect the accomplishment of the rest of the promises of the covenant to them :

Uie reason is, because this is comprehensive of all, and all the rest depend on it; for what can God promise or give more than himself to be a God to us ? but none have ground to expect this but real believers : Ergo, further, those who are thus privileged now coram Deo, God will at the last day openly acknowledge as his people; for these two go together, " I will be their God and they shall be my people ;" but God will so own none but real saints : Ergo.

2. Those to whom this privilege doth visibly belong, whose God the Lord is, are those, and those only to whom the Lord hath been visibly so gracious, as to "put his law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;" but these are none other but visible believers and their seed : Ergo, the major is clear; for these two are joined together in the promise, Jer. xxxi. 33. Heb. viii. 10. " For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel—I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." See now how this doth visibly agree unto the openly wicked, that visibly cast God's laws behind their backs.

3. Only Abraham's visible seed are thus visibly privileged : Ergo, only visible believers. The antecedent is plain. The consequence I prove thus : None are Abraham's real seed spiritually but real believers ; Ergo, none are his visible seed but visible believers. The Scripture plainly holds forth, that none are really Abraham's seed but true believers. Gal. iii. ult. " And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The apostle is there speaking to such as in the judgment of charity were Abraham's seed ; but because men may be Abraham's seed that way, yet none of his in the judgment of God, he tells them who they are that are the true seed of Abraham, even they that are Christ's by real union with him through faith ; not by a bare profession, or by baptism without true godliness : for there were none of them but were baptized, and professed Christ, but that was not enough to make them heirs according to the promise, and consequently not enough to make them sons either. Gal. iii. 7- " They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." ver. 9. " So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham."

4. Those only are thus visibly blessed for whom it appears Christ has died, and who are apparently redeemed by him from the curse of the law ; and such are only visible believers and their seed : for the apostle plainly teacheth, that these go before the blessing of Abraham, as the procuring causes thereof, vers. 13. 14. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law—that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we

might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Now, it is certain, that God's being Abraham's God, and the God of his seed, was the blessing of Abraham, comprehending all other particular blessings, which is now come on the Gentiles.

5. From the same Scripture we further argue thus : That blessing which comes on people only through Jesus Christ, and that promise of the Spirit (or promised Spirit) which is received only by faith, doth visibly belong to none but visible believers, such as appear to be in Christ and endued with faith; but such is the blessing of Abraham which comes on the Gentiles : JErgo, the proposition is plain : for where there is no visible evidence of a person's being in Christ, through whom alone the blessing comes; where there are no probable signs of faith through which it is received, that blessing is not, nor cannot be visibly come on them.

6. Lastly, It sounds exceedingly harsh, to say, that God is the God of a visible unbeliever and his seed, in the sense of the great promise sealed by the sacraments ; for in some sense he is the God of the whole creation, but surely it will not be denied, that this is something else, viz. that he is their God by way of covenant. Either, then, to have God for our God in the sense of this promise, is to have God for our God in the way of the covenant of works, or in the way of the covenant of grace. The first will not be pleaded : for the sacraments seal not the covenant of works ; besides, God is the God of all out of Christ that way, of pagans as well as others. It is therefore meant of God's being our God in the way of the covenant of grace ; and what greater blessing hath the most undoubted real believer ? Consider then how this can be digested, that God is the God of an openly wicked person ; one grossly ignorant of the principles of religion, necessary to salvation to be known; of one possessed with a dumb devil, that calls not on God in secret or in his family ; that hath not so much as a form of godliness, but is a visible member of Satan's kingdom, and a visible enemy to the kingdom of Christ. That God is the God of such a one and his seed, and that we are to judge so of him and his seed, as of the most holy and exercised professor of religion, is what would need bands of iron and brass to tie a body to the belief of it. Wherefore I conclude, that seeing God cannot be judged to be the God of any and of their seed, but of visible saints and believers, none others' children have right to baptism : which must needs hold good, till such time as it be manifest, that others have right to baptism than they whose God the Lord is not, and have no interest ia that privilege and blessing, to which circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith, and consequently baptism, was appended,

Gen. xvii. 7—10. Let none say, he is their God by their profession, in so far as they were baptized in his name, and have not yet renounced it; for what sort of a profession is that which is visibly contradicted by their practice ? Surely men would lay little weight on such a profession of service made to them by others. But God hath made faith, not profession, especially a profession visibly contradicted by their practice, to be the way of entering into covenant with him ; and we look on a credible profession only as a probable sign of real faith, which we cannot discern but in its effects, "Where then this credible profession is wanting, there appears no faith ; and consequently there is no probable evidence of God's being the God of such persons, or of their seed.

Argument YII. If the children of openly wicked parents, though baptized, have a visible right to the seal of the covenant, then the church is bound to admit them to baptism, and actually to baptize them ? but that practice of baptizing the infants of openly wicked persons, or such as are not visible believers, as deriving their right from their parents, (in which sense the proposition is to be understood,) is unwarrantable ; Ergo, the sequel is plain : for it is a wrong to deny any the possession of that to which they have a visible right, when there is no impediment laid in the way by the party who is to have possession; as it is in the case of infants. Yea, it is a wrong not to put infants in the possession of those privileges whereof they are capable, and liave a visible right to, seeing they are such as cannot move in their own business. Thus Moses was injurious to his son, in not circumcising him at the time appointed of God ; for which cause God sought to kill him, Exod. iv. 24. I prove the minor: the action is lusory, even according to the principles of those that differ, if the church hath no probable grounds to expect the religious education of those children that are baptized, or that they shall be brought up for the service of him in whose name they are baptized; but, in the case we speak of, they have no probable grounds to expect the same : Ergo, the action is lusory, and consequently unwarrantable. How can openly wicked persons, whether grossly ignorant of the fundamentals of religion, or profane in their lives, having knowledge, be trusted for the bringing up of a child for Christ ? Is it probable, that they who are visible slaves to the devil themselves, will bring up their children in and to the service of God ? We know not but they may formally renounce their baptism, and carry away their children with them to idolatry, &c. who have so far gone on in a practical renunciation of the same. Such persons are not fit to be trusted in such a weighty concern. If any shall say, that the baptizing of the children of such parents

is to be suspended till their parents reform, or they themselves come to ripe years, and evidence their piety by a visibly holy walk ; we agree in the thing, though not in the name; for by this means the infant's visible right is plainly made to depend on the visible state of the parent; which is Indeed not to suspend, but utterly to deny the thing, and all right thereto, unto such infants, till such time as one of these two things before mentioned does appear. But how the suspending of the child's baptism for shorter or longer time, upon the parent's account, can be pleaded, according to the principles of those that differ, I see not; seeing that were contrary to what they urge in the main point, that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.

But this is thought to be salved by bringing in of sponsors for such children ; that their openly wicked parents are not to be admitted to make faith for them, but some other fit person. If such a fit person be found, then the child is to be baptized; if not, then indeed the action is lusory, say they. To this I answer. That either the child hath its right to the ordinance from the sponsor, or the parent. If from the sponsor, then not from the parent; which is the very thing we plead : if from the parent, then how comes the child to be denied that which it hath a visible right to, in any case, while, poor soul, it can do nothing to lay an impediment in the way of its possession of the privilege it hath right to ? must it so far bear the iniquity of the father ? It follows then still, that such an infant must be baptized in the right of the immediate parent; and that, on the same account, the infant cannot be kept back from baptism, nothing being on its part to hinder the actual possession. It is in vain to say, that the infant hath from the parent jus ad rem, and from the sponsor^ws in re: for unless there were ajus sub terrnino fixed by the Lord in his word, as it was in the case of circumcision, when the child had no actual right in that ordinance till the eighth day, which cannot be alleged here, the infant hath a most immediate right by birth privilege, if it have any at all; so that the actual possession of that privilege may be immediately claimed in favours of such a child. And therefore that distinction is not applicable to the matter in hand. Neither do we need the help of it, in such a case, where godly parents are both dead before the child be baptized : for such a child being by birth privilege within the covenant visibly, and so having a visible right to baptism, in whose favours the actual possession of the seal may immediately be claimed, the church is bound to be tutor to it, and see to the education of it in the ways of God, and baptize it according to its right. Even as in the case of a temporal inheritance, where the heir is left an infant; the magistrate

is bound to see to the bringing up of such a one, and that it be not defrauded of its heritage. So the church, in this case, gives it not any right to the ordinance that it had not before, but doth her duty in putting it in actual possession of that which it had all right to, antecedently to their meddling with it, and takes care of its education. And this they were obliged to do upon this formal consideration, that such a one was a child of the covenant.

To consider a little further of sponsors for the children of openly wicked parents : In the first place, the practice of many is to require those only in some more odious cases, as when the parent is guilty of fornication, adultery, or the like ; but readily, if they be civilized, though they have not so much as a form of godliness, nor ever bow a knee to Grod in secret or in their family, which doth hold them out of the number of visible believers, and so ranks them amongst the openly wicked, no sponsors are required for their children other than themselves. Now, what, are those persons to be trusted in the religious education of a child ? Either we must say, that mere civility is religion and Christianity ; or else we must say, it is probable that these will bring up their children in the holy religion and for Christ, that have not so much as a form of godliness themselves; which is a strange sort of probability. And what reason truly is there why such a difi'erence should be made, in this matter, betwixt civil men that have not so much as a form of godliness, and common drunkards, swearers, &c. that are baptized ? Are they baptized ? so are these we speak of. Are they civil persons, free of gross immoralities ? so are some pagans as well as they. If the church be satisfied with them on the account of their baptism, they must also be satisfied with the other sort: if on the account of their civility, then they must be so satisfied with pagans also; for quatenus ad omne valet consequentia : if on the account of their baptized civility, why not also with many of the other sort upon the account of their drunken prayers ? Nothing but bad custom, I presume, hath authorised the want of a form of godliness, neglect of prayer, and the like, in a civil baptized person, to go with such a black character, in the face of the visible church, as drunkenness and the like are marked with. Further, what if the parents will not allow another person to be sponsor for their child, and will rather let it lie unbaptized than suiFer any such thing ; will the church force away their children from them, and baptize them whether they will or not, so that the child may not be defrauded of its pretended right ? Finally, in order to the church's security for the education of such children, it seems to be of absolute necessity, that they be put wholly in the power of the sponsor; for how can a man be trusted with the upbringing of a child that hath

it not wholly in his power ? To promise otherwise is to promise impossibilities, or that which might bo rendered impossible by the parent. Surely no man will take it upon him to learn another man's son a trade, whereby he may gain his livelihood, unless such a one be put in his power, so that the father may not call him away when he pleaseth. If the child be still at the disposal of the wicked parent, the sponsor may promise, but the parent will perform as he seeth good. Now, if the child be put wholly in the power of the sponsor as to its education, it is plain, the formal reason for which the child is baptized, is not because he is born of baptized parents, but because he is as it were the adopted son of the sponsor; so that the child hath his visible right to baptism, not by the parent, but the sponsor. And so the cause is yielded, and tho case and question quite altered. And the question will be. Whether or not an Infant which is devoted unto Christ by a stranger, having it wholly in its power, at least as to its education, hath a visible right to baptism ? which is resolved by Mr. Baxter in the affirmative, on Scripture grounds, even though they were the children of Turks and Jews. Against which I dare not as yet reclaim, providing these sponsors be visible believers, and so fit to be trusted in such a matter. Hence it appears, sponsors, 1. ought to be visible believers; 2. having the child for whom they engage, wholly in their power as to its education; 3. required in the case of all children that are not the seed of parents whereof one is a visible believer. If matters were brought to this pass, much, if not all the difficulty of this case, would be removed.

Argument YIII. No infants but those of visible church members have right to baptism coram ecdesia ; and none but the infants of visible believers are the children of visible church members: Ergo, the major is evident: for if the children of those that are no visible church members have right to baptism, it is made a privilege common to the church with those of the rest of the world; which is absurd. I prove the minor: if none be true members of the church but the faithful or real believers, then none are visible church members but visible believers; the former is true, therefore the latter also: consequently none are the children of visible church members, but the children of visible believers. The reason of the consequence is this, that visible church members are none other but such as apparently are true members of the church of Christ; so that if none be true members but real believers, none can be visible members but such as appear to be true believers. Christ hath not two churches, one invisible, and another visible; but one church, that in one respect is visible, in another respect invisible : Christ is not

a head with two bodies, but we are "all baptized into one body," and mystical " Christ is but one," 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. If then the true members of the church are only believers, it is plain that the visible members thereof are only such as are apparently believers. If we judge in thesi that believers only are true members of the church, when we come to judge in hypothesi as to this or that particular person, we cannot judge him a true member but as he appears to be such. As to the assumption, the body of Protestant divines will bear me out in it; whose constant doctrine against the Papists is. That the wicked, hypocrites, and reprobates, who outwardly profess the faith, are not true members of Christ's church ; but only the godly and faithful, who not only profess faith, but indeed believe and are regenerate, are to be judged true members of the church.

Argument IX. If none but visible believers have right to baptism before the church, and infants derive their visible right thereto from their immediate parents; then none but the children of visible believers have right to baptism before the church. The antecedent hath been already proven in both its parts, and the consequence is too evident to be denied. The Scripture is so plain and full, in asserting, that no adult persons but such as are visible believers ought to be baptized, that I can see no evasion from the force of this argument, for those that do not derive the infant's right from the remote parents, but require evidence of the baptism of one of the immediate parents; whereby they plainly suspend the visible right of the infant on the visible state of the next parent; unless they say, either that one can give what he hath not to himself, or that the parent's baptism, notwithstanding of his gross ignorance of the fundamental points of religion, or of his openly vicious life, never having had so much as a form of godliness, be a sufficient evidence of his faith as to us: the absurdity whereof I will not stand to prove, being under no temptation to suspect the truth of it, but assured, by the Lord's word, that we ought to judge of the tree by its fruits.

Argument X. Lastly, I shall conclude with this. That the way we plead for seems to have the advantage of the other, in that it apparently hath a more direct tendency to the advancement of the great ends of the gospel; which calls men to "join themselves unto the Lord" through Christ by faith, and " to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live godly and soberly in this present world." And this it hath, in respect of the parents, of the children, and of others.

1. In respect of the parents. We find the most ignorant and pro-

fane wretches almost that are amongst us, cannot easily digest their children's want of baptism, though they understand not the nature of it, the ends and uses for which it is appointed ; or if they do understand, yet take no care to perform their vows. Now, while their children are baptized, as they offer them to baptism, they are hardened in their impiety, and the church is mocked with their engagements; for what trust can be put in them, or what credit can be given to the promises and engagements of such ? It is sad that many are trusted in this matter, to whom we could give no credit in far less matters. And this evil is not cured by requiring of sponsors, into whose power the child is not wholly given up, as to its education, as was said before. But were the children of such parents debarred from the sacrament, till such time as either their parents, one of them at least, should reform and amend their lives, as the same parents are debarred from the Lord's supper ; or they themselves should evidence their faith by their carriage at years of discretion, it might rationally be expected, that we should see a reformation in the lives of many, if not of most, who now do never bend themselves that way : " the haters of the Lord should" at least " lye unto him," as it is Psal. Ixxxi. 15. And it is a promise made unto the church, that "her enemies shall lye unto her," Deut. xxxiii. 29. but otherwise, it is rather a mocking than a lying to her : for, as Ursin says, " they deny in their deeds what they profess with their mouth, and it is plain they lye:" for faith and a Christian life cannot be separated. "Whoso separate them, mock God and the church. But were they thus dealt with, they might at least be brought to the performance of the external duties of religion : and who knows but many, being thus laid in Christ's way, might be really delivered from the snare of the devil, who otherwise are led captive at his pleasure. Experience hath shown these hopes are not vain.

2. In respect of the children themselves. They seem the same way to be hardened in their sinful courses. When they come to understand their parents have always lived as they see them do, and yet they were admitted to baptism in their infancy, being born not of unbaptized but baptized persons, having right to the seal of the covenant by their parents, whether mediate or immediate ; unless God, with his overcoming grace, work with them, there is no probability that they will in the least trouble themselves to mind religion. And if it should be so, that their wicked parents should tell them, they were devoted to God in their infancy, what success can their instructions and admonitions be expected to

have, while they have still before their eyes the bad example of their parents ? A more forcible inducement to wickedness, than a thousand of their admonitions will be to the contrary. But were they denied baptism, till either their parents should reform, or till they themselves by their personal walk should evidence their right thereto, in case their parents be incorrigible, it would be a very probable mean to induce them to seek the knowledge of religion, and to study a holy walk ; considering that they live in a place where the gospel is preached, and the sad case of those that are without the church is holden forth. I confess, these things have no small weight with my conscience.

3. Whence it appears, that it would very probably have no small influence on others, especially the younger sort; who first, because of their youth, think religion not fit for them; and then betaking themselves to a married state, do wholly drown themselves in the cares of the world, or other lusts, leaving all care concerning their souls till they come to old age, (which perhaps they never see), or to a death-bed. This would at least put them in mind of changing their course of life, and turning over a new leaf ere they change their single life. I shall add, that by this means it would probably come to pass, that the holy ordinance of baptism, which is a seal of the same covenant with the Lord's supper, should not be so visibly degraded, and put so far below the other sacrament, in people's estimation, as indeed it is, by the promiscuous admission of infants thereto; there should be a more beautiful harmony in the subjects receptive of both; gross ignorance and wickedness should get a black mark set on it before the world ; and, finally, the name of Christ should not be so blasphemed amongst Turks, Jews, and pagans, as it is, by reason of the vicious lives of those that live in the visible church.

Thus I have proposed what arguments on both sides have occurred to me, being desirous to find out the truth: and though there be difficulties on both hands, some whereof possibly may not be easy to answer, yet, truly, upon the whole of what is said, I think the opinions of those that say, None but the infants of visible believers have a right to baptism before the church, is most probable; and that the infants of any such as are not visible believers, though their immediate parents be baptized, and though they have had godly remote parents, have no visible right to baptism. And so I address myself to consider the arguments off'ered by those that diff'er, which are mentioned above.

I. As to the Jirst argument, That the infants of all Christian

Vol. VI. o

parents are within the covenant; I answer, The phrase of being within the covenant is ambiguous. 1. Improperly, it may signify a person's living under the outward administration of the covenant; that is, in a society and amongst a company where all gospel ordinances are administered, so that they have the call of the gospel to come to Christ, and partake of the benefits of the covenant: for to say, the meaning of that is, that they are those to whom all ordinances are actually administered, as it would not help the cause, so it were impertinent here, while we speak of those to whom some of these ordinances may lawfully be administered. But this is very improperly said to be a being within the covenant, and can give no right to the seals of the covenant: for why ? people may be living under the outward administration of the covenant, that is, in a society where all gospel ordinances are administered, and yet neither be in reality nor in appearance within the covenant; as Jews and pagans living in a Christian town or country, having Christ olfered to them, and the benefits of the covenant, as well as baptized persons. So these Jews, Acts ii. were under the outward administration of the covenant, yet had they no visible title to baptism, and consequently were not properly within the covenant, till such time as they gave evidence of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance towards God. 2. There is a real being within the covenant coram Deo ; as all are, whether adult or infants, that have the Spirit of grace. This cannot be meant here, (although it is that which only gives right before God to the seal;) because, as Mr. Bowles* tells ns, we cannot certainly know who are actually, as he terms it, within the covenant. 3. There is a visible being within the covenant ; and that is, when a person doth really appear before men to be savingly within the covenant, or rather really and before God in it; and in this sense I deny that such infants as we speak of, are within the covenant: yet this only is that whereby they can have a visible right to the seal. The reason is, because their parents are not visibly within the covenant, unless you will reckon them to be visibly Avithin the covenant, who have made a professed but a feigned devoting and upgiving of themselves to God; which is openly and plainly discovered to be feigned, by their profane walk, or gross ignorance. But of this before. Yet, if you will, it shall not be grievous to me to grant, that even this is a visible being in a covenant with God, (though not in the covenant, viz. of grace, holden forth in the gospel,) and a most proper visible being, under their own voluntary promise to take God for their God; by virtue of which, God hath a kind of interest in them more than others that

* Past. Evanff. lib. 3.

have not come that length, which serves to aggravate their sin, and will heighten their misery ; so that they are God's people, by virtue of their voluntary obligation to take God for their God; and God also, by virtue of the same, is their God, to give them laws, exact obedience of them, and to punish them for their disobedience. Yet are they not within the covenant of grace, either really or apparently; neither is God their God in the sense of the promise on which this argument is built; and so they can have no right to baptism by their being under that covenant or promise, however it be called. The plain reason is, because in that covenant, or the covenant of grace, to which baptism is appended as a seal, God pro-niiseth not to be our God on any other terras but saving faith : so that whosoever believeth not really and savingly, is not before God within the covenant; and whoso doth not visibly believe, is not visibly within it. Hence seeing openly wicked baptized parents come not up, either really or in appearance, to the terms of the covenant, which is not a bare profession with the mouth, or the receiving of the sign in baptism, but true faith, or a real accepting of Christ, and God to be our God in him, they cannot be said to be in the covenant, either really before God, or visibly and apparently before the church. And this observation may serve to invalidate an argument wherein some do confide much, viz. that God owns himself to be the God of a profane people, and them to be his people. As to that which is added for proof, that such are within the covenant, viz. that their parents wei'e sometimes sealed with the seal of the covenant; I deny it follows; and there is good reason for it: for so let men turn Arians, Socinians, &c. or wallow in never so open and manifest gross abominations, notwithstanding of all means used to turn them from their evil way, they must still be looked on as within the covenant of grace, till they actually and formally renounce their baptism. Eut I say, with Riissenius, answering the Popish objection and argument adduced by them to prove that hypocrites and reprobates are true members of the church, because they are baptised, " they have only the sign."* It was never a seal to them, as I have already shown. It will be worth our pains to hear what a censure a very learned divine passet^ against the assertors of this doctrine, " To profane the covenant of God," says he, " is to give out and acknowledge those for the confederates of God, who are enemies of God; and so to make such a God as obligeth himself to hypocrites and wicked ones." As for that proof of the argument, viz. That the covenant is made, not

" Urs. Expl. Cat. p. 553,

o2

only with the root, but with the offspring; from whence it is inferred, that the seal may not only be effectual to the baptized, if he believe, but also render his seed capable of the external sign; it is of no force. If the learned man that hath this argument, mean by the root, the immediate parent, as I think he plainly does, then I deny the covenant is made with such roots; and therefore not with the offspring either, visibly ; and have given the reason before. If he mean the remote parents, we have discoursed that already at some length. But truly I see no reason to talk so diminutiv^ely of baptism, as to call it the external sign. Was ever baptism appointed of God for a mere external sign ? or do ministers, in baptizing the children of profligate parents, mean, that they should receive only the external sign, and not the seal of the righteousness of faith, remission of sins, &c. ? If so, no doubt they are guilty of profaning that holy ordinance. As for the confirmation of the argument taken from 1 Cor. vii. 14. we have already vindicated that place, and shewn that the apostle speaks to them as visible believers, which needs not be repeated here.

II. I am convinced there is scarcely less force in any of the arguments adduced for this cause, than in the second, which is. That the children must not bear the iniquity of their fathers, (for which Ezek. xviii. 20. is alleged); and therefore the infants of wicked, openly wicked baptized parents, are to be baptized. Answer 1. Why then is there an infant under heaven that ought not to be baptized ? The infants of the rudest savages in the world have as little stretched forth their hands to their fathers' iniquity, as the infants of baptized persons. 2. Whose iniquity did the infants of the first unchurched generation of the Jews, and those of Smyrna, Laodicea, and others, bear ? I suppose none will plead their visible right to baptism. 3. The Israelites had God's express command for cutting off all the Canaanites, Deut. xx. 16. 17- *' Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth : But thou shalt utterly destroy them, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. All the males among the Midianites' little ones are slain with the parents at God's command, Numb. Xxxi. 17. The children of Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up with their parents ; Achan's sous and daughters were stoned and burned with him; and so, as Mr. Baxter* saith, cut off from the church and life. 4. Doth not the Lord expressly threaten, that " he will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation ?" But how all this may be, and yet

• Inf. Bap. p. 69.

that it should be such a strange thing, that the children of openly wicked parents have no visible right to baptism, because they are the children of such parents, I see not any colourable pretext for it. Now, as for the reconciling of this with Ezek. xviii. 20. the opponents are obliged to see to it as well as we, not only in the fore-mentioned cases, but also iu their dealing with the Sociuians, in the matter of the imputation of Adam's sin, and our obnoxiousness to the wrath of God upon the account of it, and in the point of Christ's satisfaction; in reference to both which, these heretics abuse that Scripture : yea, not only so, but in the case of baptizing the infants of heretics and excommunicated parents, where they do necessarily require sponsors; and if there be none found that will oblige himself to the church, and undertake the care of teaching those infants, they confess the action is lusory, and baptism is polluted: so that, even according to their own principles, the child may bear the father's iniquity. But the reconciling of these may be seen with such of our divines as write on the second command, and of the Socinian controversy. And what answer those learned men that use this argument make for themselves in the forementioned cases, they may bestow the same on themselves for us. Only I think, in the meantime, they should prove, that our doctrine doth properly make the children to bear the iniquity of their fathers in this case, as if the formal ground and reason whereupon the Lord proceeds against those infants were their parents' open wickedness; which if they do not, they do but beat the air, and fight with a shadow. "Why may not the Lord well be said to visit the open wickedness of such parents on their children, when he only takes occasion from that open impiety of the parents thus to punish the children ; yea, to punish them for worse, for their own sin, which they bring to the world with them, and lays thera open to the wrath of God ? As if a king had a parent and his son both under sentence of death for treason, and the father should be so far from shewing any sorrow for his offence, that he is still going on in treasonable attempts, the king should on that occasion execute the sentence of death, not only on the father, but also on the son, who otherwise might have had mercy; and thus punish the father in his son, as well as in his own person : and yet the formal reason of the sentence against the son is his own treason, though he owes it to his father that the sentence is executed, but yet has no ground to complain of injustice in this matter. For my part, I will plead for no more in this matter; and this sufficiently maketh the argument without force.

IIL But now we come to the third argument, which is the most considerable, in my opinion, of all that is advanced in this matter

by those that differ. It is this: if the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents, did not exclude their children from circumcision ; then the heresy, impiety, or profanity of Christian parents, cannot exclude their children from baptism; but the former is true : Ergo, Answer ; before I come directly to answer this, I will propose three prejudices that I have against it. The first is this : that this argument concludes, that no heresy, profanity, or impiety of Christians, so called in opposition to pagans, Turks, and Jews, excludes their children from baptism; so that the door is thereby opened to the children of the most gross heretics that ever bare the name of Christians, and that even though accompanied with the grossest wickedness, unless perhaps they formally renounce their baptism: so that, as good right to the seal of the covenant have the children of the Grnostics, Nicolaitans, Ebionites, Cerinthians, Samosatenians, Arians, and Socinians, and such hellish crew, as the most holy and pious professor of the truth that is according to godliness. Quis feret heed what a sad thing is it to repute practically open blasphemers of Christ, and of the Holy Trinity, amongst those in covenant with God, though Turks, pagans, and Jews belch not out such blasphemies as they do against the truth ! 2. This is inconsistent with the principles of some of those that use this argument. They say concerning the Jews simply, without any limitation, that their heresy, &c. did not exclude their children from baptism; yet when they come to shew their mind concerning Christian parents, they tell us only of the children of such heretics amongst whom the formula of baptism is safe, that they are to be baptized; whereas, their argument carries it, not only to those, but to all heretics. And, alas! what is the formula of baptism to the purpose in Socinian congregations, where they do baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, while it is the open confession of their Satanical synagogue, that Christ is a mere man, whatever divine dignity is conferred on him, and the Holy Ghost not a person?* It is strange there should be such virtue in bare words, without the true sense and meaning. The Socinians in Transylvania sometimes baptized " in the name of Jesus who was crucified," but afterwards were obliged by the Prince to baptize " in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." If the children of those who were baptized in the name of Christ who was crucified had right to baptism, then even the children of heretics, amongst whom the very formula of

* Ego sentio, siquis doceat baptizandum, solem Palrem esse veriim Deum, Filium primam creaturam. Spiritum Sanctum actionem tantum Dei in unimis nosiris ; et ita in nomen horum baptizet, hunc baptismrnn mdlum esse. Zanch. torn. 4, col. 441. Fide Honinbeek ^ipp. ad Cont. Soc.

baptism is not preserved, have right to baptism; and so indeed the argument concludes: if they had not, but the latter sort had, what made the difference betwixt them who still retained their former doctrine and principles, and only for pleasing their prince changed their words ? It is like it will be said, the former were not Christians: and why were they not Christians ? because they were not baptized persons, not being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I should be loath to plead, that either of them were or are Christians: but I dare not unchristian them upon this head, that they are not baptized, lest I should make the holy children of the faithful no Christians, till they be baptized ; or unchristian such Anabaptists as are not baptized, till such time as they may be baptized according to their principles ; or unchurch the church in the wilderness, that for forty years wanted circumcision : but I would make both the sorts aforementioned no Christians, on the same ground that John makes them Atheists, 1 John ii. 23. " Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father :" which is judiciously improven against them, by a late writer.* And thus, as we go on, we go the deeper, finding the right of the children of very Atheists to baptism. 3. There is another prejudice I have against it, the lawfulness whereof may appear, if ye consider this argument: if the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents, did not exclude their children from circumcision; then the heresy, impiety, or i)rofanity of the Jewish parents did not exclude their children from baptism : the former is true : ErgOy the consequence is plain, (I use the same words that the opponents do, for proof of the consequence of their argument, only mutatis mutandis) : for baptism was to them what circumcision was to them ; their circumcision was to them a seal of the righteousness of faith, and so was baptism. Now, the grace of God is not more narrow under the New Testament, but more large than under the Old. This argument hath the advantage of the other, in that it proceeds from the Jewish parents and children under the old dispensation, to the same under the new ; whereas the other proceeds from the Jews under the old, to the Gentiles under the new. If those things alleged by them prove their consequence, they must also prove ours. Yet I suppose they will not grant the conclusion of this argument, viz. that the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents, did not exclude their children from baptism : that the children of the Pharisees and Sadducees, impenitent murderers of the Lord of life, had a visible right to baptism. However, I think Peter judged not so, Avhen he does so peremptorily require repentance antecedently

* See Edwards' Socinian Creed, p. 52, &c.

to baptism. One of the premises must then be false : the minor ia their own in terminis ; they must then stick at the sequel of the major. If there be any just ground so to do, we have the same reason against theirs, as we shewed before. And let me add, that it is certain it is one and the same covenant to which both baptism and circumcision were appended as seals ; it is one and the same church in which the Jews were under the Old Testament, and we are now under the new. The believing Jews were not taken out of one church and put into another ; but only others were graffed in amongst them, and they continued still in the same olive, Rom. xi. God did not pull down his old house, and build a new one ; but only took down the partition wall, and so made more room, Eph. ii. 14. Say then> that the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents did not exclude their children from circumcision, and see if it will not follow, that these things did not exclude them from baptism either. I am not concerned either as to the truth of the antecedent, or of the consequent; it is only the connection betwixt the two. It is as true a proposition Si equus esset alatus, esset volabilis ; as Passer est alatus et volabilis. I do indeed think the consequent false, and therefore am led by the hand to question the truth of the minor of the argument proposed. I cannot but observe, that (so far as I have read or remembered) our divines against the Anabaptists do still set themselves to prove, that the children of the faithful ought to be baptized ; and, in their arguing from circumcision, do hold the conclusion in the same terms : and so indeed the argument is not liable to the former exception, if it be so proposed, the children of the faithful under the Old Testament were circumcised; Ergo, the children of the faithful under the New must be baptized. Now, although I should not answer the argument propounded to mine own satisfaction, these seem to me such lawful prejudices against it, that until I be rid of them, I cannot fall under the force of the argument.

To come now to answer directly to the argument, I deny, the minor, viz. That the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents, did not exclude their children from circumcision. The grounds whereupon I deny it, besides that in the third prejudice, are these, 1. God threatens the Jews as well as others, in his law given on Mount Sinai, that " he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation ;" which was already shown, that it extends to the seal of the covenant. And judicious Calvin* understands it of " the Lord's taking away from the house of the wicked his grace, the light of his truth, and other helps of salvation." He doth also declare the seed of the wicked to be a

• Inst. lib. 2. cap. .3. Sect. 20.

cursed seed, Deut. xxviii. 18 ; of which before. 2. It was a positive law that God gave unto the Jews, that in case a city were withdrawn to serve other gods, that city was utterly to be destroyed, and all that was therein ; no not the infants were to be spared, Deut. xiii. 12, 13, 14, 15. Now, if the idolatry of the Jewish parents excluded their infants from the church and life, it excluded them also from circumcision; and so the impiety and profanity of the Jewish parents excluded their children from circumcision. So Achan's sons and daughters were stoned and buried with him. Josh. vii. 24, 25, 26. How hard is it to believe, that the impiety of wicked parents amongst the Jews did go so far, as to cut them off, even from the church and life ; and yet not to cut them off from a visible right to the seal of the covenant ? 3. The Jews were to be excommunicated for heresy, impiety, and profanity. This must needs be granted, unless we say, that there was no such thing as excommunication amongst them ; for who could be excommunicated but such ? Now, even those amongst them that were excommunicated with the least degree of excommunication, called Nid-DUi, those who were the aposynagogoi, their male children were not circumcised, as Goodwin tells us.* And truly, whoso considers how usually the children smarted with their parents in their impiety, will not easily conceive of it otherwise. 4. This further appears, if we consider how God visits the profanity of the Jewish parents in their contempt of circumcision, not only upon themselves, but their seed ; as we may learn from that. Gen. xvii. 14. " And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people : he hath broken my covenant." To understand this place, so as that the parent only was liable to this punishment, and not the child, till he come to the years of discretion, as Goodwin doth, seems to me a commentary destroying the text; which passeth a sentence on all Jewish male children, whose flesh of their foreskin is not circumcised, that these shall be cut off from their people, and not that they shall be cut off when they are past the age of childhood. Till the eighth day they were not obliged, yea they might not be circumcised; but when that was over, and the child not circumcised, through the parent's contempt, he is then an uncircumcised man-child, and so liable to this sentence here passed against all such. Now, a parent might be guilty of this profane contempt two ways; either by reason of continuing impenitently in an openly wicked course, whereby his seed lost visible right to

^ Moses and Aaron, p. 182.

that ordinance; or by a profane sligliting of it, though otherwise his child's title to it could not be denied: however, the child by this profanity of the parent, is cut off before he be capable to cut off himself; and no less can be meant by it, than a cutting off from visible church membership. " If any object, (these are Calvin's words),* that the infants were not to be blamed; I answer, that even as God adopts the infant son in the person of the father, Avhen the father rejects such a benefit, the infant is said to abdicate himself from the church; for so much signifies that word, " To be put out from among the people whom God had chosen for himself." That some expound it, they shall not be Jews, is too coldrife : we must go further, to wit, that God will not acknowledge among his people those who will not bear the mark and badge of adoption." However this text directly toucheth the cutting off of the child,t yet it seems plainly to follow thence, that much more the parent was to be cut off. From which it appears, that the profanity of the Jewish parents did render their children no visible church members, and consequently excluded them from circumcision, as Jewish chidren, or children of such profane parents: which hath the more weight, if it be considered, that the Lord doth not here command others to see to the circumcision of such a child, which might have been expected if he had any visible right thereto, but precludes this, while he tells ns, " he shall be cut off, or not acknowledged among his people :" so that should such a one afterwards be admitted, he comes in as a stranger doth, but not by birth privilege.

I come now to consider the reasons adduced to i^rove that the heresy, impiety, or profanity of the Jewish parents, did not exclude their children from circumcision. The first, which is taken from the universality of the command, is answered already, in taking off an objection made against our first conclusion. The command does indeed oblige all to be circumcised ; but it doth also at the same time oblige them to be subjects theologically capable of that ordinance ; as is above more fully declared. And, by the same labour, the force of the second reason, taken from the punishment to be inflicted on them, is removed also. And that Scripture we have spoken to before, and improved it for our purpose. To the third, taken from the practice of Joshua, in circumcising all the people at Gilgal, at the command of God; I answer, It can no

* Calv. in loc. t Cutting off is of himself and of his children. Artich. cit. Lightf. Temp. Serv. p. 9.

no more be proven from hence, that Joshua circumcised every individual male among this people, than it can be proven from Matt. iii. 5, 6. that every individual person of Judea, and the region round about Jordan, was baptized of John, confessing their sins; for there it is said, " All Judea, and all the region," &c.: yea it is certain, neither Joshua himself nor Caleb were then circumcised, being circumcised before. But the persons that were the first subjects recipient of that ordinance there, were men at age standing in their own right, capable to answer for themselves ; and for the infants among them, they stood by the right of their parents, who are, without all possible proof, denied to be all visible believers. How can it be proven, that such were there circumcised as were not visible believers ? The contrary is rather manifest, that being men at age, they were circumcised at God's command. But if men will hold by this, that such as were heretics, impious, and profane, were circumcised by Joshua, then we see more how far on this argument does lead us, not only to admit the children, but even such persons themselves at age, to baptism. That is observable in Joshua's commission,* " Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time." With respect to Abraham and his family, their being circumcised, which was the first time, where the first subjects recipient of the ordinance were men at age, and then the infants by right derived from them ; and so to be continued in the church, the males always to be circumcised in their infancy: but this order was broken off by the generation of adult persons who came out of Egypt, Josh. v. 5; so that it is now a second time to be set on foot, and so to go on as at first was appointed; first men at age to be circumcised, and then their infants. But in Old or New Testament it cannot be instanced, where the first subjects recipient of the seal of the covenant, were not visible believers. And is it not expressly said, that all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, and obeyed not the voice of the Lord, were consumed in the wilderness ? and after their circumcision, before they removed from Gilgal, these people kept the passover ? ver. 10. Either then we must say, they were not heretics openly impious and profane, or else let us admit such as these to the sacrament of the Lord's supper too under the gospel: As Ursiuf observes from these two places. Numb. xv. 28; Dent. xvii. 12. " God commandeth the contumacious to be taken away out of the commonwealth, nor does he allow them to be members of his people; much less then will he have them to be

• Josb. V. 2. t Expl. Cat. p. 563.

holden for members of his visible church, and to be admitted to th^ sacraments." And it appears, that in the wilderness, in a special manner, God acted himself the part of the magistrate, and put his own laws in execution. As to the fourth and last reason, That we never read of any of them excluded; I answer, A non scripto ad non factum non valet sequela. We read of children excluded from the church and life by their parents' impiety, and it would seem there were laws for the excluding of them ; so that, by the word of God, they were excluded dejure. And we have heard, that the children of excommunicated parents were actually excluded.

IV. As to the fourth argument, taken from Acts ii. 38, 39. we have already explained and improved that Scripture against the doctrine of the opponents. "Whether by the promise be meant that, " I will be your God, and the God of your seed," or not, is not very certain. Some learned men* understand by the gift of the Holy Ghost, the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, peculiar to the first times of the church; and by the promise, the promise of the same, lipited by Peter out of Joel, which he did repeat at large, ver. 17, &c. But howsoever it be understoood, it is clear, that this promise being to them gave them not a right to baptism, but that repentance was necessarily pre-required of them in order thereunto; as we have proved before; which quite invalidates any argument taken from hence for the cause that is pleaded. Again, there is another thing in this text that makes it, as explained for this cause, altogether useless to the purpose; and that is, that the promise is no less said to be to those whom the Lord shall call, who as yet were afar off, than it is said to be to those to whom he spoke; but had the Gentiles yet uncalled a right to baptism too ? Finally, it is to be marked, that those to whom the apostle speaks here, were not all Jews, but many of them were Gentiles, neither were they all proselytes, as Aretius observes; yet to them is this spoken as well as to others. I have seen nothing as yet that satisfieth me as to that, in what sense the promise is said to be to those persons; but from what hath been said, it plainly appears, that in whatever sense it be said to be unto them, it doth not follow, they had thereupon a right to baptism.

y. The fifth argument is, That John the Baptist, and Christ's disciples, baptized all that offered themselves. This plainly concludes, that we are to baptize all that offer themselves ; which I doubt if any sober man will affirm, seeing Turks and pagans may oiler themselves in mock to be baptized: nor would ever this have

Piscator, schol. in loc ; Hoornbeek, Soc. Conf. torn. 3. p. 237.

come into my head, that they baptized all that oltered themselves, as an argument for this cause, unless I liad seen it among the arguments offered, as Mr. Fulwood says,* by divines, (what divines he means, unless it be Mr. Prin, I cannot conjecture), which to him were never satisfactorily answered. 1 grant indeed, that John and Christ's apostles did baptize whosoever, being visible believers, offered themselves; but I utterly deny it in any other sense. The proofs adduced are lame, and not to the purpose ; for it is plainly said of the persons whom John baptized, that they were baptized " confessing their sins." Whether or not he did baptize the Pharisees and Sadducees, of whom mention is there made, is a question, the negative whereof I think is most probable; seeing it is expressly said, Luke vii. 30, " But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." And in Luke iii, while the Evangelist is speaking of those whom John baptized, particular mention is made of the people, the publicans, and the soldiers, their asking questions of John as to what they should do, and each of them gets their directions ; but there is not one word of the Pharisees and Sadducees asking what they should do, nor any particular directions, given to them ; for which no satisfying reason appears, if we admit that they were baptized as well as the rest: Matth. xxi. 32, " Ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him." Yer. 45, " And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard- his parables, they perceived that he spake of them." As for that saying of John, " I indeed baptize you with water," ver. 11, it will no more prove that he baptized every individual person to whom he spoke, than it will prove that Christ baptized every individual among them with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; for this, as well as the other, John speaks to the same persons. Luke tells us the occasion of this speech, and to whom he said it, Luke iii. 15, 16, " And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not; John answered, saying unto them aZZ," (amongst whom the Pharisees and Sadducees were, as Matthew must be understood,) " I indeed baptize you with water;—he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." "Will any from hence infer, that he baptized every individual person that heard him ? if they will, we shall infer on the same ground, that they were all baptized with the Holy Ghost. So then that word, Luke iii. 21, " When all the people were baptized," must needs be understood of all those of them who were baptized by him at that time ; as the forecited word,

• Disc. vis. Ch. p. 213.

vers. 15, 16, " All men mused—and he said to them all," viz. that heard him at that time. But grant he did baptise the Pharisees and Saddncees, how will it be made appear that they were not visible believers, or that they did not with the rest confess their sins ? That he calls them " a generation of vipers," will not prove it; for that he said to all the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, as well as to them : and it is to be specially noticed,* he calls them not vipers, but " a generation of vipers," gennemata ecMdnon, those come of vipers, or the offspring of vipers : this they might be, a.nd yet not be vipers themselves. That word, John iv. 1, doth indeed bear, that Christ by his disciples baptized more than John ; yet neither John nor Christ's disciples baptized any but visible believers; for it is expressly said, " that Christ made and baptized more disciples than John," ibid. ; so that both made them disciples before they baptized them. Finally, I deny that the apostles baptized any on a bare profession, or on a profession which ■was not a probable profession, or a probable evidence of true faith ; as is clear from the Scriptures instanced, of which before.

YI. As to the sixth argument, taken from Ezek. xvi. 20, 21, that the children of the idolatrous Jews are called " Grod's children," and " born to God ?" I answer, this will not prove that they had a visible right to the seal, no more than that magistrates have such a right, because they are called " the children of the Most High ;"f as specious a character as is given here to the seed of these idolatrous persons. These might be God's children, as being heirs of God and the kingdom of heaven, though thus barbarously slain by their parents ; yet no visible members of the church, nor having any visible right to the seal. What if I say, they were the first-born whom God challengeth a special propriety in, upon the account of the deliverance their fathers met with when the first-born of the Egyptians were slain? according to that law, Exod. xiii. 2. "Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb,—both of man and beast: it is mine." It will not thence follow, as Mr. Fulwood says,J that he owneth their parents yet to remain in his covenant; for this law would have obliged the children of Israel, though they had openly renounced God's covenant, and turned entirely apostates. It was the whole nation of Israel that had this mercy conferred on them, and so it obliged those that were of that nation, though not of the church. Wherefore, howsoever the parents should apostatize and renounce the covenant, by this law their first-born was the Lord's; unless we will

• Urs. Epl. Cat. p. 575. f P«- l^xxii. 6. J Discours. vis. Chur. p. 131.

say, that men by their iniquity may free themselves from being under the law of God once given to them. But truly I think, if we consider the context, we may plainly perceive the reason of this designation given to those children; and that is this: because God gave them those children, but, in the giving of them, reserved still his propriety in them, and made them not absolute lords over them, to dispose of them what way they pleased; but they were obliged to make use of them for God's honour, under whom they had their right to them. So that herein, not only cruelty, but robbing of God, and disposing of what was his, contrary to his revealed will, is objected to them. Now, view the context, and see how it favours this exposition, ver. 17. " Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images." vers. 18, 19. " Thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them." " My meat also which I gave thee, fine flower," &c. ver. 22. " Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare." Nothing more ordinary witli the wicked and idolaters, than to forget God's propriety in what they have, and thence to take liberty to dispose of it at their pleasure, and to thauk their idols for them rather than God; therefore God will vindicate his propriety in what they have, that they may see their sin, in abusing God's gifts to them towards his dishonour. Hos. ii. 5. " I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink." ver. 8. " For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil,—which they prepared to Baal." Ver. 9. " Therefore will I— take away my corn,— my wine,— my wool, and my flax."

VII. The seventh argument is taken from the following absurdities, that are supposed to accompany our doctrine.

\st, Families, parishes, &c. should soon be paganized. Answer. Fiat justitia, et ruat mundus. A. man, say some, had better be a beast than like a beast. Sure I am, it had been telling some they had never been baptized, nor acknowledged to be church members. But truly I think the quite contrary would follow most probably, viz. that this would be a mean to bring them to be visibly christianized, as was above declared. It is truly a sad matter that people have nothing but their baptism to discern them from pagans. I confess, if the church should give over all dealing with them, there were some shew for the absurdity, or rather bad consequence, before mentioned; but while it is still the church's duty to preach to them in order to their conversion, there is no reason for it; yea, if it were so, by all probability, preaching would have more influence on them than now it hath.

Though I dare not say, it is more for the honour of Christ to have no more in his visible kingdom than only such as are real believers, and rather to want close hypocrites than have them ; yet I confess it is my settled judgment, that as it is a greater credit for a master of a family to have a few servants of entire fame in his house, than to have a great many rogues ; so it is more for the honour of our holy head in the world, to have a few visible believers or saints, visible members of his church, than a great number of profligate wretches amongst others, members of the same.

Idly, Many infants of believing parents should be deprived of this ordinance. I answer. Baptism is not due coram ecclesia to the infants of any but visible believers: if therefore a parent be a believer, and yet not a visible believer, his child hath no right before the church to baptism ; for de occultis non judicat ecclesia. But whatever men may speak of people's going to heaven, the sound of their feet not being heard, it seems to be no very diflicult question. Whether or not a person come to years, can be a real saint, and yet want a form of godliness ? " Although," says a grave author,* " we cannot say, every one that hath a form of godliness, hath also the power of godliness; yet we may truly say, that he who hath not the form of godliness, hath not the power of godliness; though all be not gold that glistereth, yet all gold doth glis-ter."t Our Lord tells us, " By their fruits ye shall know them." I shall add, that if a person be a real believer, and yet not appear so to be, he that judgeth him a visible believer, judgeth amiss, for he is not so.

ddli/, As to the third. That ministers have no certain rule, &c.; it equally militates against the ordinary practice of admitting to, and debarring from the Lord's table those that are baptized, and not excommunicated; the same flourish of words might be used in that case. But I deny that we have no certain rule here, or that we stand on uncertainties. The rule is certain, because laid down in God's word, viz. That we are to take that person for a visible believer who makes a credible profession, and are to deal with him in the dispensing of the seals, as such.J This rule we learn from all those Scriptures that shew us on what grounds ministers did baptize persons who off'ered themselves, Matt. iii. 6. Acts ii. 41. and viii. 12, 37- and such like. And what though the person whom we take for a visible

• Mar. of Mod. Div. p. 169.

f If thine affections appear not, thine affections are not Fenner Treat, of the

Affections.

J See Urs. Expl. Cat. p. 574. Baxter on Inf. Bapt. p. 93, &c.

believer be not a believer indeed, we are not mistaken in our judgment, unless we go to judge so as we have no warrant, that is, to judge hiui to be certainly a true believer : if men judge so of others, what wonder they be mistaken, when they arrogantly thrust themselves into that Avhich the Lord hath not revealed. But we are to judge according to the rule, that a person making a credible profession, is probably a true believer, that is, certainly a visible believer: and herein we are not mistaken, though the person we so judge of be really " in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity ;" for it is certain he appears and seems to be a true believer, though indeed he is stark naught before the Lord. As for that which is added, viz. " That one thinks so much enough to make one a visible believer, &c. ;" Answer. The Lord hath plainly told us in his word whom he accounts real saints, and whom the church hath accounted visible saints. If we swerve from the rule in our application, it is no doubt our sin : who can help it, if men will needs close their eyes when the works of the flesh are manifest? It is certain we are commanded to separate the precious from the vile, to put difi'erence betwixt the holy and profane, and to judge of the tree by its fruits. And for infallibility of our judgments in the application, as none will pretend to it now, so it can as little be had the other way as this way. Suppose it be, that such a parent was baptized ; that such a one hath had godly remote parents amongst us Gentiles; unless we go up to Noah or Adam, no greater certainty can be here than what we have from our eyes and ears, which doth not reach to an infallibility ; yea, for the most part, we have not so great certainty the other way, as in the way we plead for. But enough of this.

VIII. We come now to the last argument, viz. That the children of many openly scandalous and wicked parents, are the children of baptized church members. Answer. I conceive there is a vast difference betwixt an openly scandalous, and an openly wicked person ; so that they ought not to be confounded. David and Peter in the hour of temptation were openly scandalous, but not openly wicked persons. And therefore as to many openly scandalous 1 yield the argument, concluding that the children of many openly scandalous ought to be baptized ; but then there is ignoratio elencki Laying aside this then of many openly scandalous, and the argument being made to proceed only as to the openly wicked, I distinguish betwixt church members de jure, et de facto. It is plain we speak now of visible church members. Those that are church members de jure, are those who have not only a possession of church membeiship, but a right and lawful possession of it.

Vol. YI. p

Those are church members de facto (only), which have a visible possession of that privilege, but no rightful possession ; and therefore ought to be cast out and deprived of that possession. Now, such a possession can give no right either to the parent or child as to church privileges, for nullum jus fundatur in injuna: even as an usurper, though he hath the crown, yet neither he nor his have right to the revenues of the crown. Wherefore I distinguish the major of that argument. The children of baptized church members, who are visible members in point of right, ought to be baptized; and thus the minor is false : the children of baptized church members, who are such only de facto, and not de jure, ought to be baptized, I deny. And in this sense only are the openly wicked (some of them, I say) baptized church members.

A MEDITATION ON THE DAY OF EXPIATION, AND THE FEAST OF

TABERNACLES.

The day of expiation was the only anniversary stated fast and humiliation that God gave to the church of the Jews : it was a sorrowful day, for afflicting their souls ; so that he who ate anything that day, was liable to cutting off. The " feast of tabernacles" was the most joyful feast they had ; so that the Jews say, that he who never saw the rejoicing at the drawing of water (used at this feast), never saw rejoicing all his life. The ceremonial law was the Jews' gospel; and the gospel to them and us is glory let down in words and syllables, the map of Imraanuel's land, a looking-glass wherein we see heaven, a scheme and draught of the house with many mansions. The day of expiation represents to me the time of this life, the state of the saints in this world ; the feast of tabernacles, heaven.

The day of expiation went before the feast of tabernacles. "Why should not our day of afflicting our souls go before our days of rejoicing ? The Babylonians began their natural day at the sunrising, and so their night came last. The Jews began theirs at sunsetting, and BO they had their night first. " Woe to you that laugh now, ye shall weep." " Blessed are they that mourn now, they shall be comforted." Let the evening and the morning make our day. If we have our morning first, the fears of the approaching night will make our sun go down at noon. If we will take the evening first,

when in the darkest hour we cry, " Watchman, what of the night ?" we will get the answer, " The morning cometh." It was the Psalmist's choice, Psal. xvii. 14. 15.

The day of expiation was but one day : the feast of tabernacles lasted seven days; which number of seven has gained the reputation of perfection. If the saint's life here be sorrowful, it is short. Our life here is but a day, with a morning, noon, and evening. And that sun in the heavens which runs such a rapid course, never standing still, either ascending or descending, seems to be set in the heavens, to " teach us so to count our days, as to apply our hearts to wisdom." Eccl. i. 5. " hasteth to his place where he arose ;" (Heb.) panteth, as a man running with full speed, till almost out of breath. How quickly is the vain shew in which we walk at an end ? Solomon, (Eccl. iii.) will allow only " a time to be born, and a time to die," as if life were nothing but a skip out of the womb into the grave ; the womb of mother earth (Job i. 21.) being ready to keep us, when falling out of the womb of the mother that conceived us. No wonder our weeping and crying, wherewith we come into the world out of our mother's womb, continue till we return thither; there being scarce time betwixt the two to dry our cheeks. But, as these flies bred by the river Hypanis in Scythia, we are bred in the morning, winged at noon, and dead at night. Much need to fly while our wings last. If our afiliction be grievous, it will not last. Nay, but the apostle, comparing otir affliction with the weight of glory, will not allow it any weight, 2 Cor. iv. 17- where he calls it (Gr.) That light thing of our affliction ; light, not only in respect of weight, but swiftness; that haste-like thing of our afiliction, which in a moment skips away. This should correct the petty time-eternities that we make to ourselves in our affliction, Psal. xiii. 1. Nay, our "weeping endures but a night," Psal. xxx. 5. The feast comes in the morning, Psal. xvii. ult, 0 but the feast lasts long ? what shall or can we say of eternity, that everlasting " Sabbatism that remains to the people of God;" that morning that knoweth no night; that ocean that knoweth no shore ?

There were but four free days intervening betwixt the day of expiation and the feast of tabernacles ; the former being on the 10th, the latter on the 15th day of the seventh month. Lev. xxiii. 27. 34. By what time the greatest affliction sits down with us, the greatest joy knocks at the door. 0 quick harvest of glory ! 0 hot seed of tears that so quickly spring up, and so suddenly bow their heads with that weight of glory on them ! to see bottles of tears turned, and that so quickly, into rivers of pleasures, wonderful! Surely there is need of faith in our religion, to believe super-rational mysteries.

p2

It is a bundle of wonders. How unlike were the Jews rejoicing and dancing at the feast of tabernacles, to what they were but four days before, when bowing down their heads and afflicting their souls, at that solemn yearly remembrance of sin. Quantum mutatus ah illo qui quondam! If it were not that the light of glory infallibly removes all mistakes, the saints there would uiisken themselves, and be apt to think it a dream. It would at least be a while ere they came to themselves.

At the feast of tabernacles they were to "dwell in booths made of the branches of the trees," not in houses. Lev. xxiii. 42; and the reason is given ver. 43. " Because they dwelt in booths in the wilderness, when the Lord brought them out of Egypt." So their places of mourning are turned to places of rejoicing. Joy arising from past dangers, feelingly toucheth men's hearts. The more they remember their wilderness-booths, the more they rejoice. This seems to me to point out an ingredient in the heaven of the saints, that would have had no place in the heaven of innocent Adam and his sinless offspring. Had not the Jews dwelt in booths in the wilderness, they had not rejoiced in them seven days in the land of Canaan. It was their going so low that raised them so high. Surely the saints are more than conquerors. Grod's people in heaven will not forget their wilderness-entertainment. It will be for the glory of God to mind, and it will screw up their joy, Rev. v. 9. It is storied of Agathocles, who, being a potter's son, became king of Sicily, that he used to be served at his table with earthen vessels; alleging the reason thereof from his extract. He was wise to give that additional sweetness to his enjoyments, which he could not have had if he had been born heir to the crown. Certainly meat can never be so sweet as to a hungry man; nor can one so much esteem wealth as he that has been pinched with poverty. The best view of the stars is from the bottom of a deep narrow pit. Surely the remembrance of the cross will sweeten the crown; and the memory of the wilderness will put an additional verdure on the fields of glory, when the saints shall be walking through them in their white robes, remembering the mournful blacks in which they were wont to appear. Let us not cast at our blessings, nor grudge to sow the seeds of glory. Durate, et vosmet rebus scrvate secundis. The heathens, it seems, allowed prosperity not to be first, but allotted it the second place. God himself has confirmed the order. Take your firsts then pleasantly, though grievous. Olim hcec meminisse juvabit.

It is worthy of our consideration, to take notice what these booths were to be made of: Lev. xxiii. 40. " And ye shall take

unto you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. Compare Neh. viii. 15. "Fetch olive-branches, and pine-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palra-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths." As to the boughs of goodly trees, the Jews, says Lightfoot, interpreted that of the j)omecitron; and so did carry a pomecitron apple in their hand at that feast. This is not clear from the text.

As to the olive-tree, it is a beautiful tree, that retains its green-' ness all the winter, Hos. xiv. 6. The pine likewise is an evergreen, continues green all the year. Spec. mun. This puts me in mind of that perpetual spring wherewith Immanuel's land is blessed for ever. No winter there, no casting of leaves. The crown is immar-cessible, fades not away, as the flowery garlands given of old to victors did in a little time, 1 Pet. i. 4. We have long winters here; wherein life, leaf, and fruit, are all many times almost gone. Our springs are short. Our greenness soon decays. That will make amends for all.

They were to take the boughs, (Heb.)the fruit of goodly trees, i. e. of fruit-bearing trees, or boughs with the fruit on them, Lev. xxiii. 40. The pine bears fruit, called pine-apples; of which I can give no account. But concerning the fruit of the olive, see Judg. ix. 9; Psal. civ. 15. " Oil which maketh man's face to shine," used ordinarily at feasts. This may present to our view that passage in Christ's transfiguration, Matt. xvii. 2. " His face did shine as the sun." "With which we may compare what the apostle says, Phil, iii. ult. that " he shall change our vile bodies, and make them like his glorious body." Compare also Dan. xii. 3. What though our faces are now clothed with shame ? what though they gather blackness? "His visage was marred more than any man's;" yet there is now no vestige thereof in that face which surpasseth the sun in brightness, and would with its splendour darken that globe of light. Neither shall any spot be seen in the faces of those who dwell in these booths in the promised land.

The pine was also remarkable for its durableness, * not being subject to worms or rottenness ! for which cause ships were made thereof. The saints have their anchor, and therefore their ship too, Heb. vi. 19. 0 who would think that ever the ship were so durable ! What a blythe sight will it be to see them all brought safe and sound, after such tossing in the sea of this world, to the shore of Iraraanuers land ! There they will never rot.

As for the palm-tree, the best of which grew in Palestine, it is

* The victors in the Isthmian games were crowned with pine.— Desuper ex Plin.

notour it was a sign of victory; the reason whereof seems to be that which is said of it, that when oppressed with heavy weights, it yields not, but rather shooteth upward the more. The myrtle also was a sign of victory, being worn garland-wise in triumphs. Hence (Zech. i. 8.) Christ is seen " among the myrtle-trees in the valley ;" shewing, that the church of Christ, however low she was bi'ought by the enemies, shouM come off victorious. It seems then, all that will come up to the feast of tabernacles, must be soldiers, and conquerors too. Indeed the Jews behoved to fight their room in and their way to Canaan, and they won it at length. And what is heaven but an eternal triumph? Rev. vii. 9. Let this animate us to the spiritual warfare. The people in Egypt, the more they were oppressed, the more they grew. How sweet will all the heavy wrestlings with flesh and blood, principalities and powers, be to us when we get the palms in our hands !

I find the palm was wont to be given to those that overcame in bloody battles, and particularly to those that were victors in the bloody spectacles of the gladiators; the myrtle, when they had got a victory without slaughter of men. All the saints go not to glory through a sea of their own blood. Every one gets not the honour of a fiery chariot. And we have reason to believe, that as all are not alike in the battle, so there will be degrees of glory, and the triumph of some greater thau that of others. But, if we look somewhat higher to the main thing that stood between heaven and us, the victory to all the saints is a bloody, unbloody victory ; bloody in respect of Christ, unbloody in respect of them. Some of them have slept, never one of them died, in the cause : Rom. viii. 34. *' It is Christ that died." The proto-martyr, Acts vii. ult, " fell asleep." Therein, as in a glass, the Lord would represent to all those that were after to strive against sin resisting to blood, what that sort of passage to heaven would be to them. Sure, death's nature is changed ; it is not what it was to Christ; it is not that which was threatened. Gen. ii. 17. Why may not the name be changed too ? The Holy Ghost's connection, Rev. xii. 11, is worthy to be remarked, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives even unto death." In the victory, Christ's blood and their blood are not joined together; but Christ's blood and their word of testimony. Christ fought, they but gave the shout, to the obtaining of the victory. Surely " he trod the wine-press alone, and of all the people there was none to help him."

As for the willows, it is known the place thereof is by the watersides. Hence that text Lev. xxiii. 40. calls it " the willow of the brook." God's people sometimes hanged their harps on the willows

that grew by the rivers of Babylon, Psal. cxxxvii. 1, 2; because then their joy was turned to mourning, and they had no use for them. In Immanuel's land there " is a river, on either side of which grows the tree of life," Rev. xxii. 1. 2 : but no harps hang thereon. They behoved to go to the brook, and fetch their willows. I cannot find one place where the willow is spoken of, but it is still with some addition of its growing by the waters. Job xl. 22. Psal. cxxxvii. 1. 2. Is. XV. 7- Ezek. xvii. 5. Isa, xliv. 4. They cannot then want nourishment in the greatest drought. This presents to my view, that Immanuel's land is no land of drought; the trees of the Lord's planting are set by the rivers, so that they can never want moisture, but shall have an eternal supply of the Spirit, by Christ, from the Father, whereby they shall spring as willows by the water-courses, even those floods of the Si^irit's influences. Is. xliv. 3, 4. This promise is but arled in this life ; it will tell out through all the ages of eternity, and will never be at an end till the last drop of that river run by, which will never be.

It is also said of the willow, that it is a great friend to chastity ; for which cause forsaken lovers are allowed to wear a willow-garland: which offers to our consideration that character the Scripture so often gives to those that are to be the inhabitants of the upper house, who are to be i>resented as a chaste virgin to Christ, when the marriage is to be solemnized in heaven, 2 Cor. xi. 2. and " without spot," Eph. V. 27." They that stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb, are virgins Rev. xiv. 4. True it is, it is not to the state of the saints in heaven that these words have the nearest reference ; but it is implied therein ; the state of the church in the world being held out in terms borrowed from the state of the church triumphant.

When I compare that Neh, viii. 15. " Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches," &c. with that Lev. xxiii. 40. " and willows of the brook," not brooks ; I cannot but incline to think these willows grew about the brook Kidron, which ran between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives; which, no doubt, was the mount they were directed to. Which may lead us to the consideration of the spring and source of all the joys in heaven, even the sorrows of Christ. When David was obliged to leave Jerusalem upon the account of the rebellion raised by his own son, he passed over this brook Kidron in great distress, and went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, weeping as he went, 2 Sam. xv. 2-3, 30. In this there was a type of Christ's sufferings for the sins of sons and daughters. And so we find him, after he had been at the last feast with his disciples, preached his farewell sermon to them, and prayed that prayer, John xvii., the hour being come, ver. 1; passing over this brook Kidron, John xviii.

1. to grai)ple with the wrath of God, in the garden that was on the other side of it. Who can imagine in what case he went over it ? for who can conceive that weight of wrath he was to bear ? A far-off prospect of it had a terrible effect on him, John xii. 27, 28. Behold the wells of salvation whence we draw our joy; those bitter waters of wrath that he was plunged into; that terrible cup which his sinless human nature shivered at; the brook that he drank of in the way, Psal. ex. ult.

Lightfoot saith, that the Jews so understood that rejoicing commanded at that feast, as that there was in the court of the temple* trumpets sounding, dancing, &c.; that their greatest joy began towards night, continued far on in the night, and some of the most zealous would stay out the whole night. Compare that Rev. iv. 8. " They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

He adds, that every day once they went about the altar, with their myrtle, palm, and willow in their hand, singing Hosanna, Psal. cxviii. 28. In the meantime, they set their boughs, bending towards the altar. Truly the imagination of this pierceth ; we will never see them do that again: but we will see the saints in glory compassing the altar always, and singing their Hosanna about it, bending their palms towards the altar; acknowledging they owe all to him, even to the " Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed them to God by his blood." I conclude with that Rev. vii. 9.—" A great multitude—stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;" ver. 10. " And cried with a loud voice, Salvation unto our God that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." A plain allusion to what is said. 0 that we may be helped so to manage our day of expiation, (for it is but a day and no expiation beyond it), as that we may be accounted worthy to partake of the joy of the feast of tabernacles !

ARGUMENTS FROM SCRIPTURE AND REASON, PROVING CONSERVATION TO BE A POSITIVE ACT, OR A CONTINUED CREATION.

Conservation is a positive act, i. e. an effect, or continued creation; though not a bringing of the creatures out of nothing, yet a keeping them every moment from running back into the womb of nothing: so that in respect of God they are continually in fieri.

* Is. XXX. 29.

This I find was the doctrine of the schoolmen : and both Scripture and reason prove it.

ARGUMENTS PROM SCRIPTURE.

Argument I. Heb. i. 3. Pheron te ta panta, &c. The apostle seems to me to have respect to Job xxvi. 7- " He hangeth the earth upon nothing," sustaining the same by his creating power. Thus the Son of God holds up all in their being by his power, that they may not fall down into that abyss of nothing, from which the same power raised them up at first. I remark, 1. That the word phero7i, whatever else be imported in it, there can be no less than conservation and susteutation, whatever way these be explained. And as the Scripture ordinarily links together creation and conservation, so that it is not wanting in this context either; compare ver. 2. " By whom also he made the worlds." 2. This susteutation or conservation is a positive act, according to the import of the word. It is an act of power; not a ceasing from acting, or a not destroying of the creature : by the word of his power they are upheld. 3. They are sustained the same way they were created. It is the word of his power does both, Gen. i. 3. " And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Ver. 6." And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters; and let it divide the waters from the waters." Psal. xxxiii. 6. " By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." Ver. 9. "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." The apostle says, he calleth things that are not, to be; calleth them, viz. by his powerful word; a most positive action. Thus also he sustains them : therefore conservation is a continued creation. 4. This is a continued action, pheron, in the present time; therefore a continued creation. It is not needless; therefore they would fall down from that in which they are kept, if they were not sustained every moment, if his bearing shoulders should shift them oflT for a moment, to bear their own weight, Is. xlvi. 4. "I have made, and I will bear,—carry," &c. as one doth a weight or burden ou his back. I will not say but this looks farther; but this susteutation cannot be excluded, but is supposed. However, the Arminians have no ground to quarrel it; seeing they will allow that God made us men, though we make and continue ourselves his people. 5. The apostle useth this to prove Christ to be God, as appears from the whole chapter. Compare chap. ii. 1, 2, 3. Now, if this be no positive act, or any thing less than what argues omnipotency ; if all of it be the leaving of the creature to stand, as the mason leaves his house after it is built, it would no more prove

Christ to be God than the angels. True, I do not think an angel can annihilate the least creature ; yet sure then they do not destroy them, they leave them in their being. But though they cannot destroy or annihilate the soul or the body, yet they can destroy man. The Scriptures prove God to be God, from his positive acting; and idols to be no gods, because they act not.

Akgument II. Rev. iv. 11, " Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power : for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." Here again creation and conservation are joined as effects, or rather acts, of the same almighty power ; " Thou art worthy to receive power," i. e. to have thy power acknowledged ; " for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." Now, there can be no reason why he should receive glory, honour, and power, because things are for his pleasure, if he did not glorify and honour his power in keeping them up. If it be a mere cessation of his power, and that he does only not throw them down, that may be ground for the glory of his mercy and goodness, but not of his power; for every attribute of God is glorified by the emanation thereof: but in this case there were no emanations of power; but on the contrary, a stopping of the same. But, according to the right side of the plea, things run pleasantly here, and that according to the strain of the Scripture, which magnifies the power of God upon the account of the sustentation, as of the creation of the creatures. I cannot but take notice of the Greek dia to thelema sou eisi which Beza and Piscator render per voluntatem tuam. Compare Rev. xxii. 11. (Gr.) And thus the words speak home to the point, shewing that it is by the will of God that they are even as they were created. So that creation and conservation are set on an equal level.

Argument III. Col. i. 17, "By him all things consist." Such is the fluid nature of the creatures, that they cannot consist without conservation from the Lord, more than waters, unless they be held together by something besides themselves. And this giving of them this consistence, is a positive action; or they consist by a positive action of God; for it is by virtue of the very same power, and in the very same way, that they were created, ver. 16, en auto ektisthe: and ver. 17, en auto sunesteke. This is likewise used to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ. Therefore, &c.

Argument IV. John v. 17, " My Father worketh hitherto." Christ here defends his healing on the Sabbath day the man that lay at the pool, by the example of his Father's working still, and that on the Sabbath day, as well as other days; though the Jews

observed, by God's appointment, the Sabbath day, in commemoration of God's resting on that day from the work of creation. Therefore the Father's working here is the work of providence, and particularly of conservation, which is mainly aimed at; for the work which Christ defends by this example, was of that kind, even the preserving of the life of that man. This working of the Father must needs be a positive action, else the Armiuians must give us a new Lexicon. Besides, unless it be so, this example could not justify our Lord's practice ; for they condemned him because he did not cease from working, and leave the poor man as he was before the Sabbath. Moreover, this working of the Father is a continued creation : for though he rested the seventh day from all his work which he had made, Gen. ii. 2. yet he hitherto works, how ? by continuing it in the conservation of all things, species and individuals : and the very work that our Lord was defending, was a creature-conservation being a miraculous cure. Further, if this work of conservation be nothing else but a not destroying of the work which was made, and left with a power in it to conserve itself, it would no more prove the Father's working on the Sabbath day, which Christ in these words doth assert, than the going of a clock in the Sabbath, which was made and set agoing any other day of the week, will prove the maker of the clock to work on the Sabbath day.

Aeg-ument Y. Acts xvii. 28. " For in him we live, and move, and have our being." If we live, move, and have our being in God, conservation is a positive act, and continued creation; for we should fall from life and being upon the ceasing of that life-giving power to act in us, as doth the body when the soul is gone. If conservation were not a positive act, but negative, that is, no act at all, but a cessation from action, after he had given US life and being, we might be said to live and be from him, but not in him, but in ourselves. It is like it will be said here, that this is to be understood of the effect of a past action of God, and that en auto is no more than per ilium, as Luke xi. 20, en daciulo Theou, " by the finger of God." Indeed, no doubt, the apostle means, that we live, move, &c. by the Lord ; but I think, whoso will allow himself to be encompassed with the light of this context, vers. 27, 28. "He is not far from every one of us: for in him we live," &c. must needs acknowledge there is something more in the expression, even that the omnipresent God does ever compass us about on every side with his continued influences for life, motion, and being, as the light of the sun doth our bodies, so as we see not only by, but in it: which emanations of light from

the sun, should they be withdrawn, we should in a moment be left in darkness. But consider, l*^, The text doth not only say we move, but, which is more, kinoumetha, we are moved by him. Here is a passion, and there can be no passion without an action. If we are moved by him, then he moves us; that is, he acts positively, and leaves us not to move ourselves, he ceasing to act on us. "Where I apprehend I have insensibly slipt into the very heart of the controversy : hinc nice lachrymai. But this passion cannot be the effect of an action long since past; for action and passion are so inseparable, that they must needs be at the same time, live and die together; for what else is action, but the changing of the state wherein a thing is? Now, it is impossible a thing can suffer a change, if there be not something at the same time producing that change, which is called action ; and you shall as soon conceive a mountain without a valley, as a passion without an action. Passion is the suffering of an action, and must needs cease whenever the action ceaseth ; as the heat in my hand caused by the particles of fire acting on it, must presently cease when they are gone. So that we not only move by him, as the clock by the artificer that made it— which is all I think they will allow—but as the clock by the weights hanging at it, which when they are taken away, the clock is at rest, and can move no more. Even so we live, move, and are [esmen) by him, from whom at first we had our being. But quorsum hcec, seeing the controversy is not about motion? Anstver 1. Seeing the text speaks of all the three alike, if it hold in this, it must hold also in the other. 2. If our motion depend thus on God, much more does our life and being, to which we can contribute less than to our motion. I apprehend the Arminians will not stick here; for if we would yield to them our moving ourselves without an immediate hand of God, I suppose they would not stand to gratify us with the other point. 2dli/, Consider the ai>ostlc hereby proves that God is not far from every one of us; but God's giving us life, motion, and being at first, with a power to conserve the same without his continued action, can never prove that, more than a man's making a ship will prove him to be in America, when the ship is there, though he be in Scotland. I should rather think, that the apostle reasoning with philosophers proceeds upon the maxim, Nihil agit in distans; therefore seeing we live, and are moved in and by him, he is not far from us. It seems to me that makran answers to the Heb. MeRaChok, which signifies distance of time as well as place, Psal. cxxxix. 2; Jer. xxxi. 3. So that the sense is, God is still with us, acting in us, and not at the distance of a number of years. This opinion seems to me akin to the Sociuians' denial of

God's omnipresence in respect of his essence, allowing it only in respect of his virtue and power; as Arminianism in other points is seen to pave the way to Socinianism.

Argument VI. ult. Is. xlviii. 13. "I call unto them, they stand up together." This call is a positive act, for it hath a positive effect. It is a continned action; KoRe, "I am calling." It is the act of conservation: for, 1. It is a call that makes things which are already created (compare the first clause) to stand, so that the frame of the world is not dissolved. 2. God here proves himself to be the First and the Last. The First, because he laid the foundations of the earth, &c. the Last, because as he called them when they were not, so his call makes them stand up, abide, or remain, as the word signifies also. This cuts off the exception of interpreting it of gubernation ; for gubernation can never prove the governor to be last in being in respect of the governed, seeing the- latter may very well survive the former. But that is simply impossible in the case of conservation, such as we plead for; for an efl'ect depending in its being on the continued acting of its cause, can never be posterior to its cause. If the creature's being wholly depend on God's continued conservation, so that it must go to nothing when he withdraws his suppoi'ting power, this demonstrates him to be the Last.

ARGUMENTS FROM REASON.

Argument I. There is no necessary connection betwixt the creatures' moments of duration : Ergo, &c. It follows not, because I am this moment, thei'efore I shall be the next; for so I should be an eternal necessary being, which is proper to God. If it be said, so many moments of ray duration, and no more, are connected by the decree of God; I answer, this decree is either a will to hold me up so long, or a will to leave me to the power of conserving myself, and not to destroy me for so long a time. I know no mids. If the first, it is the very thing we plead, if the second, the thing willed here is a mere cessation from action, which can have no positive effect, and therefore it can make no connection of these moments. My being last moment is now gone; an evidence it had no connection with my being this moment, which then was not, but is now come forth from a creating power. Now, if there be no connection betwixt the creatures' duration one moment and another, it is plain they are in a continual flux and state of dissolution by their very natures; and therefore there must be a continual positive conservation of them, no less than creating, else they cannot endure.

Argument II. Our duration must have some immediate cause.

That must either be God, ourselves, or some other creature. The last I think none will plead; if they will, let them shew who it is. If it be God, it must be by a positive act of conservation ; for it is inconceivable how it can be otherwise, and therefore they refuse an immediate hand of God in our conservation. Now, it cannot be ourselves; for we neither do, nor can conserve ourselves. Which I prove thus. 1. Nothing can give what it has not; we have not our being next moment: Ei-go, &c. Exception. Our being is still the same in all moments. Answer. No otherwise than the water of Ettrick is the same it was this morning. Those things which may be separated are not the same; but my being in the moment A, may be separated from my being in the moment C, being annihilated in B, and created again in C. Now, there is the same reason of all. My being this moment is necessary ; for quicquid est quando est, necessario est: my being next moment is not necessary, for I may be annihilated ; Ergo, they are not the same. And truly, if I may now look again to Scripture, I do not see how this opinion leaves the name I AM to God alone. 2. We find often we cannot conserve a thought, how can we then conserve our own being, which is more ? 3. What man is conscious to himself of his act of conservation of himself? As for the conservation of ourselves by meat, drink, &c. the question is not anent that; these keep us not in being, but in wellbeing ; for if we should destroy ourselves in a vulgar sense, yet we should still be something, till annihilated by the hand that made us. Nay, even by all these things we cannot conserve those particles whereof our bodies are just now compounded, but use them as constant badges of a perpetual flux. But how can a man conceive his conserving of his soul ? It is inconceivable. Surely they that are in hell do not believe they conserve themselves, that would every moment creep back into the womb of nothing, if the hand of Oranipotency keeping them in being would desert them. 4. I ask, what way this self-conserving power is conserved ? If God by a continued act conserve the same, they are in the same mire where they allege we are, putting God's work in meaner circumstances than man's. And why may they not rather allow the conservation to reach us immediately ? Frustra fit per plura, quod ceque commode fieri potest per pauciora. If he does not by a continued act conserve it, there must be another power for conserving it, and another for that, and so in infinitum ; which is absurd.

Argument III. Angels and souls may be destroyed, and we can conceive but two ways of it; either by creating something wherewith they cannot co-exist, and we know nothing wherewith angels cannot co-exist, they being incapable of dissolution as bodies are ; or

by withdrawing of the supporting power. If so, then conservation is a positive act and continued creation.

Argument IV. ult. From that opinion, it would follow, that one creature depends more on another than on God ; as light on the sun, plants on the sun and earth, &c.; for they need continual conservation from their particular causes. But that one creature depends more on another than on God, is absurd. See, for the whole, Job xxxiv. 14, 15.

OF THE ORIGIN, NAMES, TEXTURE, AND USE OF GARMENTS.

The first garments were made of the leaves of the fig-tree, which is said to be of those trees that have the broadest leaves ; of these our first parents made haghoroth, aprons, things wherewith they girded themselves about. Gen. iii. 7- The text says, they " sewed them together." I observe late writers vary from this translation, and will have it, that they fastened or twisted the tender twigs of the fig-tree with the leaves on them, about their waist; which seems to be taken up to satisfy our Atheists, because forsooth they had not then needle and thread. But they answered as well, who alleged they used other things instead of these. And why might they not sew the leaves together, though they had neither needle nor thread, while they had thorn prickles* to serve instead of needles, yea or nails on their fingers ; and rinds of trees, &c. instead of thread ? Besides, it would seem no easy girdle or apron that were made of twigs, though the leaves were on them ; nor very fit to cover nakedness at all times, unless the leaves had been sewed together. If it was so, I should observe, God's calling them to an account Lehruahh Hajom, " in the wind of the day," ver. 8. at which time they might quickly be convinced their fig-leaf ajn'ons were to little purpose for covering nakedness. The word rendered sewed, is found only in other three places, viz. Eccles. iii. 7- Ezek xiii. 18. and Job. xvi. 15. Nicholas, in his conference, says, it signifies not to sew together with needle and thread; for which he cites that place in Job. It is plain, in the two first passages it denotes proper sewing ; and it signifies no other in Job xvi 15. We may fairly account for the translation there, and the sense accordingly, without supposing Job to sew sackcloth on his loins, as one sews a piece of cloth on a block; it being most frequent in the holy tongue, which

* Job xii. 2. " Canst thou bore his jaw through with a thorn?"

is very concise, to denote both an antecedent and consequent action by one word signifying the antecedent, as Is. xxxviii. 17. (Heb.) " Thou hast loved my soul from the pit." ver. 21. (Heb.) " Bruise them upon the boil," i. e. bruise them, and then lay them on the boil. So Job sewed sackcloth, and, being sewed, put it on his loins. This sewing of the first garment of the first Adam, brings me in mind of the second Adam's, which was without seam ; and what a covering we have from him, even one that is all of one piece, while Adam has left us nothing but patched-up rags.

The prime reason of garments is plain from the same passage, to wit, to cover the shame of onr nakedness, which was not shameful till man had sinned. And the holy language puts them on us still as badges of our sin and shame, that they may serve us as memorials for humiliation, and phylacteries of the doctrine of the fall.

Beged, primarily treachery, signifies a garment, from hagad he dealt treacherously. I take this to point at the breach of the first marriage-covenant betwixt God and sinners, the covenant of works : for the word is ordinarily used of the breach of a marriage-covenant. So Jer. iii. 20 ; Mai. ii. 14. Thus Prov. ii. ult. adulterers are called bogedhn ; compare ver. 17—" forgetteth the covenant of her God." And observe the punishment, " they shall be rooted out of the earth;" because they take such methods to root themselves in it, Hos. iv, 10.* Remarkable is that of Solomon, that all his wives left but one son, and him a fool. To confirm this notion, it may be observed, that the word Gen. iii. 23. vaishallehhehu, " God sent him forth out of paradise," is the word ordinarily used of the setting oif of the divorced woman. Dent. xxiv. 1,3, 4. Among the Jews, if there could be proved anything of villany against the wife, she was sent away sine tauhlis, (wherein her dowry, and what she brought with her when she was married, was written),f and destitute of all things, because she had played the harlot: to which there is an allusion, Hos. ii. 3. " lest I strip her naked." Thus our marriage ornaments are kept in the house of our husband and we sent away only with the badges of our treachery.

Yea, robes are but megnile, Ezek. xxvi. 16. from magnal, " he trespassed," to put us in mind of to tou enos paraptoma, " that oifence of that one," Rom. v. But the megnil was one of the High Priest's garments belonging to him alone, Exod. xxviii. In which we may see our High Priest clothed with our transgressions, coming in the

* Among the ancient Germans, the husband had power to punish the wife found in adultery. He stripped her stark naked, and shaved her in presence of her parents,

put her out of his house, &c Mezeray Histoire de France, p. 33.

f Burroughs on Hos,

likeness of sinful flesh, and, as Joshua, standing before the Lord in tlic filthy garments of our guilt. Whence in the day of the spiritual marriage we get on his " robe of righteousness," me<jn'd tzedakah, and are " decked as j)riests" (as the word signifies. Is. Ixi. 10), whose garments "were for glory and beauty," Exod. xxviii. 2.

A garment they also call simlah, and, by a transposition of a letter, sahtMh; from sonol, the left hand; sinistra, the unlucky hand. Thus they are put on us as badges of our going wrong, turning out of the way, and falling from our honour. Scripture antiquity has given the preference to the right hand, and so the profane likewise ; though some stand for the ancients preferring the left, of which see Rivet on Psal. ex. Xenophon tells us, that Cyrus set those whom he minded most to honour, on his left hand; but withal gives the reason of his doing so, because in that posture men were least liable to snares, which seems to argue it was an invention of his own. It is somewhat surprising, that the Greeks* called the left hand aristcran, the best; but in the pagan rites of divination the left hand was the best, because the giver's right hand in bestowing a benefit is opposite to the receiver's left hand. Thus avis sinistra, intonuit Uevum, are good luck. Hence, as Lipsius thinks, the Greeks so called the left hand. These confirm the preference of the right hand : Jacob lays his right hand on Ephraim, and his left on Manasseh, seeing Ephraim was to be the more honourable. And the sheep are set on Christ's right, the goats on his left hand, at the last day. The left hand also was the place assigned to the accused in the Jewish courts, while the accuser stood at his right hand ; hence Psal. cix. 6. Zech. iii. 1. Satan is represented in the posture of an ac-cnser.f And on the right hand of the judge sat one who wrote the sentence of absolution ; which may give further light to that of Christ's sitting on the right hand of God; compare 1 John ii. 1. and on the left, one who wrote the sentence of condemnation. On which account our garments may well bear the character of the left hand. The custom amongst the Greeks was, that the accuser stood in a pulpit on the left of the tribunal, the accused in another upon the right, so that they were one just over against another.^ And it seems this also was the custom amongst the Romans, to stand face to face in judgment. Acts xxv. 16. And it seems it was also in use amongst the Hebrews, as well as the other custom, 1 Kings xxi. 10. So saith Leigh.II But that confounds the accuser and witnesses. But these two men of Belial, ver. 13. are expressly called witnesses ; and

Goodw. Rom. Antiq. f Weems Christ. Svn. % Archaol. Atlic,

II Aiiuot. on Psal. li.

Vol. VI. 0

whereas the accuser and accused stood, these witnesses sat, ih. Their custom then it seems was, that both the parties stood before the judge, Zech. iii. 1. the accuser on the right hand, ib. and the witnesses sat, and that before the accused, 1 Kings xxi. 10. negedo, over against him ; unto which David seems to allude, Psal. li. 3. " ever before me." And so is it more fully declared, Hos. vii. 10. " And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face." Hence our garments to us are as a face-covering of the condemned.

Lastlif, It is called Lchush, which the Talmudics, as Buxtorff relates, say is quasi Lo buahah, not shame, because by clothing it comes to pass that man is not ashamed of his nakedness. I should rather think it is Lehosh or hoshah, for shame. We have put in the letter L, and made that word blush ; the native consequent now of nakedness discovered. All nakedness is not shameful yet, but of those parts that nature will have covered. So our first parents made them aprons. Which consideration must needs present to our view original sin propagated by natural generation. To this nakedness of Adam after he had sinned, that shame of our nakedness, Rev. iii. 18. which the second Adam offers us white raiment to cover, hath respect. The shame of nakedness is a deep impression on all mankind to attest the fall; and so remains with them, that even savages have Adam's art of covering what the Scripture calls nakedness.* It is worth the notice to this purpose what Valerius Maximus tells of the Roman people, at the Ludi Florales, where shameless strumpets run up and down naked, that while Cato was looking on, the people were ashamed to desire that those shameless creatures should be stripped ; which when he knew, he went away from the theatre, that he might not stand in the way of what was the custom. And hence it is threatened as the greatest disgrace. Is. xlvii. 3. Ezek. xvi. 37. and therefore was inflicted on the Egyptian captives. Is. xx. 4. which may give light to that Rev. xvi. 15. " Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, least he walk naked, and they see his shame ;" denoting that everlasting contempt they shall get poured on them at the coming of Christ, who shall be found naked as Adam was when God came to him to call him to an account. It is also to be added,f that there was one who walked the round through the temple guards every night, and if he found any asleep, he had liberty to set fire to his garments, and struck him ; to which there is here a manifest allusion. Compare, " Behold I come as a thief." Hence we may conclude, that the nakedness of Saul, 1 Sam. xix. 24. when he projjhesied before Samuel, and that of Isaiah, chap. xx. 2. was not absolute nakedness. That before

• S(i (lid the priests 'u\ the Lupercalia Roin. Ant. f Liglitf. Temp Serv.

noted, may bo oue reason among many, why the devil is called " the unclean spirit;" and it is not to bo thought such a gesture could proceed from the motion of the Holy Spirit. But the Hebrews call him naked who hath cast off his upper garment. And so the Greek plays called G-ymnid* where they cast off their cumbersome clothes, that they might the more nimbly perform their games ; for it cannot be thought they were absolutely naked. To this the apostle alludes, Heb. xii. 1. " laying aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us;" apothemenoi, putting off, as oue doth a garment, Eph. iv. 22. euperistaten amartian: Sin is compared to their large and long garments coming down to the heels, that were laid aside as unfit for a race, seeing they were so apt to fold about the legs, and hinder them in their course. Gennanos Mela plerum-que nudos egissc dick. Interprctatur id Tacitus, rejecta veste siiperiori, says Grotius. Hence we may also see why Christ hung naked on the cross, even because he was to satisfy the justice of God for that sin which had made Adam naked. What a fearful sight of the fall was to be seen on the cross ? and what a killing piece of suffering was this? Goodwinf out of Artemidorus shews, that those that were crucified suffered naked, that they were first stripped of all their clothes, and then fastened to the cross. And with this the Scripture agrees. Matt, xxvii. 35. Heb. xii, 2. "He endured the cross, and despised the shame."

These were the first garments, taken on to cover the shame of nakedness, after they were stripped of their garments of inuocency, and, as some think not improbably, of a glorious brightness that was upon their bodies before the fall; upon the removal of which they saw they were naked, and so betook themselves to the leaves of a tree to cover their nakedness. In which the providence of God is remarkable, that the cover they make themselves, was not only a badge of their sin, but of the very kind of their sin; Avhile they that had sinned in the eating of the fruit of a tree, have the leaves of a tree for the covering of the shame of their nakedness arising therefrom. And what a melting consideration is it, to imagine Adam and his wife sisted before the Lord, to answer for their eating of the forbidden fruit, aud that in a garb of the leaves of a tree, which some think was the very kind of tree on which the forbidden fruit grew; even as a thief brought to judgment with what he has stolen hanging about him ?

*2 Sam. vi. 20; John xxi. 7. And those that are ill clail, Job xxii. 6; Matt. XXV. 36 ; I Cor. iv. 11 ; Jaaiei ii. 15.

f Rom. Antiq.

q2

The next garments were of the skins of beasts, which liave been long in use ; as the Greek word himation, from himas, leather, gives ground to suppose. The ancient Germans covered themselves with jackets that came down scarcely to their haunches ; were fastened with a clasp; and were made either of coarse cloth, or skins with the pile on the outside. The slaves had them sometimes of the rind of a tree; and they lay on boar-skins. Mezer. Hist, cle France, p. 27, 28. And to this day the Finlanders, it seems, wear coats of skins, they being often seen on the coasts of Orkney in their little boats of seal-skins, or some kind of leather, with their leathern coats on them ; as Mr. Brand says in his description of Orkney. Many of the worthies under the Old Testament were made to wander up and down in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, Heb. xi. 37. The author of the supplement of Pool's annotations in he. says, this was the common apjiarel of the prophets, as of Elijah, 2 Kings i. 8 ; Zech. xiii. 4. "What authority there is for that I find not. But I think the text points out these not as the ordinary array of them that wore them, but as taken up in a destitute case, for lack of better; as they had dens and caves, ver. 38, instead of their houses, which they durst not keep. It is there added, that they wore these skins as they came off the beast's back, undressed. But the prophets' garments, from the Scriptures, seem not to have been of skins, but of hair. So 2 Kings i. 8. Elijah is called " a hairy man," and his girdle is said to be of leather, as of matter different from that whereof his gown was made ; which is explained in the other Elias, Matt. iii. 4, whose garment is expressly said to have been of " camel's hair;" which, being coarsely wrought, might have the hairs sticking out in it; on which account Elias might be called " a hairy man." The "rough garment," Zech. xiii. 4. is addereth segnar, "a garment of hair." Compare with this Rev. vi. 12. where " the snn became black as sackcloth of hair ; whence it may be gathered, that sackcloth of hair was in use in time of mourning ; and what was extraordinary to the people, may be allowed as ordinary to the prophets. From what is said, it appears, the prophets' garments were of hair; and that garment is called in Is. xx. 2. "the prophet's sackcloth." For if that garment of Isaiah's was his habit only in time of mourning, as some would have it, how comes it that he is enjoined to cast it off when he is to appear as a mourner, to wit, naked and barefoot ? 2 Sam. xv. 30. And it is plain the Scripture expresseth a joyful turn in a person's case by casting off sackcloth in that sense, Ps. xxx. 11. But Isaiah might well be said to be naked, casting off his prophet's coat, as Peter, John xxi. 7- casting off his fisher's coat. In the time of Antichrist

the witnesses prophecy in sackcloth, as being successors truly of the ancient prophets ; and particularly there seems to be an allusion in it to Elijah's prophesying, in time of the apostacy and idolatry of his day, in sackcloth of hair ; as there is incontestably an allusion to Elijah's case, Rev. xi. 6. " These have power to shut heaven."

I am so far convinced of the truth of that opinion, that these were the skins of beasts oifered up in sacrifice, that I cannot think it probable, as Nicholas in his conference says, that they were not made for them till the winter after. The covenant being made, and the Messias promised, it is most reasonable to think it was confirmed by sacrifice; in respect of which sacrifice Christ may be called "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." And upon this original sacrifice, that sacrifice, Gen. iv. Heb. xi. 4. is brought in as a piece of ordinary instituted worship. Did not Anton, van Dale de oraculis Ethnicorum repute for a fable the story of the pilot Thamus, hearing by night a voice ordering him to cry, " the great god Pan is dead," at the death of Christ the great shepherd; I would with a great deal more pleasure observe what Vahr. Max. lib. 2. cap. 2. tells of the Lupercals, wherein Pan was honoured with sacrifices, and games so called. The Lupercals, says he, were begun by Romulus and Remus then, when being overjoyed that Numitor had allowed them to build the town there where they were brought up, they did sacrifice goats, (which were two), and having ate and drank liberally, they diverted the company of shepherds, and merrily ran up and down, dncti pellibus immolatarum hostiarum, switching every one they met with in their merriment. One would think the devil had taken this, from whence he has drawn many other rites in his service.

But on surer grounds we may observe, that our first parents made their first garments, and God made the next, which were eflfectual for the use of garments. "Whence we may learn the utter insufficiency of our own righteousness to cover spiritual nakedness, and the absolute necessity of the righteousness of God, the imputed righteousness, with its fitness every way to clothe the sinful soul. And when I consider how, when the antitype was sacrificed, they parted his garments, and on his vesture did they cast lots, I am the more convinced that our first parents were clothed with the skins of the first sacrifice. We may also hence take a view of our natural inclination, upon the first view of our nakedness, to provide a covering for ourselves of our own making, and to hold by it, till, being sisted before a righteous God, we see it will not avail; at which time Christ is seasonably discovered, and the proud heart being humbled, will at length submit to an imputed righteousness,

Rom. X. 3. Finally, those Adam and his wife made, were sewed together; as for the other, Moses only says God made them.

The original of vests, a vellere, I find not. The pagans have made Minerva the goddess of weaving, and generally of lanifice. so Buchanan calls weaving the Palladian art, ad Ad. Otterb. And the Greeks seem to have derived their ergon from arag, to weave, as if it were a work by way of eminency, which it is indeed. Vossius takes Naamah to be the heathen Minerva or Venus. And the Arabians say, that the same Naamah invented colours and painting, as Jubal did music. And it is very probable, as lanifice is still mostly left to the women, so the invention of weaving is due to that sex. Weaving was a piece of housewifery, and the usual employment of women in their houses among the ancient Greeks, Arch. Attic. ; and that not only of those of the meaner, but of the highest and most honourable character amongst them. Penelope's web is famous to a proverb. And Creusa in Euripides, daughter of Ericht-hcus King of Athens, had a bearing cloth of her own weaving for Ion. This was the cloth in which they wrapt the new-born child after it was washen, which Israel wanted, Ezek. xvi. Augustus Csesar, says Suetonius, trained up his daughters and nieces to card, spin, and make cloth. Yea, he readily wore none but what was made within the house by his wife, sister, daughter, or nieces. Which observation may make that character of a wife for a king, Prov. xxxi. seem less strange to us. And it would seem that a virtuous woman is a weaver as well as a spinster, seeing she makes herself tapestry, ver. 22; see ver. 24, being skilled in weaving, and having her loom, of whatever sort it was, in her chamber, as Delilah, Judg. xvi. 13, 14.

A PARAPHRASE UPON THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS,

CHAPTER I.

" Paul an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),

" 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

" 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul an apostle, not an apostle of men, as an ambassador of

a state, but an apostle of the great God ; and that not mediately, by man, as ordinary church officers,* but called thereto immediately by God-mau Jesus Christ, and by God the Father, who raised Christ from the dead, and so gave an infallible testimony to the doctrine of Christ; who, being raised from death, may as well be allowed to send out mo for an apostle, as he did others while he was yet bodily present on the earth :f ver. 2. And all the professors and ministers of the church that are with me at the writing hereof, (who do approve of this my epistle, to mo dictated by the Spirit): unto the congregations of the country Galatia; whom I still hold for true churches, notwithstanding of the errors embraced by them. Ver, 3. The good will and favour of God, and all sort of true peace and prosperity, be to you, from the Father as the fountain of all grace, aud from Christ as the only conduit by which both flow, or can flow to sinners.

" 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God aud our Father : " 5 To whom be glory for ever aud ever. Amen."

Yer. 4. Whom seeing I have named, I cannot but commend; the rather that we may see we have so much in him for our perfect happiness, as that we need not look to our own works for an eek; for he gave himself to the death for expiating our sins, which cannot be but sufficient for that end: and one great design of his dying for us was, that he might deliver us from the snares which the wicked men of this present world lay for us; which is too sadly verified in your being ensnared by the false teachers among you. This Christ did according to the will and decree of the Father, who was concerned for the redemption of the elect, so that he gave a commission to the Son for that purpose. Ver. 5. And therefore let him have the glory of our redemption, by our lij)s and lives; and seeing time is not sufficient for the work of his praise, let it be echoed out of the saints' mouths to all eternity. So be it.

"61 marvel, that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel:

" 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."

* 1. The preface, v. I ; v. 2, the party from and to whom ; v. 3, the salutation; v. 4, a description of Christ; v. 5, a doxology to the Father.

f They questioned Paul's apostolic authority, because he had not seen Christ in the fl.'fh.

Yer. 6. I am surprised to hear, that ye are embracing the doctrine of the necessity of the observation of Moses' law, and mixing the ■works of the law, whether ceremonial or moral,* with the righteousness of Christ in point of justification; and to make way for that, over the belly of the doctrine I taught you, ye hearken to false teachers, questioning my apostolic office, and suggesting that I had the doctrine of the gospel only from the second hand, which I have since corrupted : I marvel, I say, that ye have embraced these doctrines, whereby you making defection (being carried thereto by others) from God, who, by my ministry, called you to Christ's gospel, the gospel of free grace, are carried oflf, and that very suddenly, (which aggravates your sin), unto a pretended gospel: ver. 7. Which is not a gospel at all; for it brings bad, instead of good news. But I cannot lay all the blame on you: there are some among you, who as winds do trouble waters, so they trouble your churches by their new doctrine, stirring up divisions, and bringing many to that, they know not what to believe, or whom ; and they no less trouble your consciences, drawing you off from the perfect righteousness of Christ, whereby it comes to pass that ye can never have solid peace within; and they would overturn the gospel, setting up a doctrine inconsistent with the doctrine of the gospel.

" 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

Yer. 8. But so fully am I persuaded of the truth of the doctrine I have preached to you, and of the perfection and sufficiency of it for true happiness, that I doubt not to anathematizef and declare separated from Christ, accursed of God, and to be destroyed, myself, or an angel from heaven, if either of us should preach another gospel, way of justification or salvation.

" 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

Yer. 9. It is not passion and unruly rage that makes me talk thus, but ray zeal for God; and therefore with all soberness I

' II. The body of the Epistle. 1. He asserts the truth of his doctrine: ushered in vers 6, 7, with a 6oft reproof; ver. 7, blaming their teachers rather than them. I Hu aiseitg it, I. by anatUemaliziug those that should preach another gospel.

denouuce the same against any man that shall adventure so to do. Ye formerly received the very same doctrine that 1 preached, and therefore so let it be to him who preaches what is inconsistent with your former principles.

" 10 For do I now persuade men, or God ? or do I seek to please men ? for if 1 yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

Yer. 10. "Wonder not I am so bold in devoting to a curse those that preach other doctrine than I: for though, when I was a Pharisee, I persuaded people to hear and follow the dictates of men, which humour yet remains with your teachers; yet now my only business is, to persuade men to hear and follow the dictates of God himself; so that it is God's cause, not my own, or men's. Neither do I seek to humour men, as those teachers of yours bend their doctrine to curry favour with the Jews; which was my own way in the time of my blindness : but if that were my way still, I should not be about Christ's work, and so I should be not the servant of Christ, but of men.

"11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is not after man."

Yer. 11. But I am the servant of Christ;* for I assure you, the doctrine I preached to you, was not from earth, but from heaven.

"12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Yer. 12. For I neither received it from men as the authors of it, though men would be found the highest spring of the new doctrine among you, if you would impartially examine the author of it; neither was I taught it mediately, by the help of any apostle, or other man, as some allege: but I had it by immediate revelation from Jesus Christ at the time of my conversion.

"13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

' 2. Upon the ground of his divine and immediate call, which he clears hj a narration, or short histor}- of his life to chap. ii. v. 15.

" 14 And profited in the Jews' religion, above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers."

Yer. 13. The truth of which will convincingly appear from a short history of my life: for ye have heard of my former conversation, while I was a Jew; and I grudge not to confess it to my own shame and God's glory, how I was an eminent persecutor of the church; and like an enemy going through a land with fire and sword, leaving nothing but desolations behind him, so I wasted the church, getting some killed, others scattered. Ver. 14. And I wanted not parts to my hostile mind: for though I shall not say I profited more in the Jewish religion than those that were elder than myself, or than all those that were of the same standing with me, or those in other nations; yet I may without breach of modesty say, that I was more learned in Judaism than many of my standing in mine own nation. And the worst part of that religion, even unwritten traditions, to which Christ was a great enemy, I bestowed the cream of my zeal upon; which zeal had arrived to an exceeding high pitch.

"15 But when it pleased Glod, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

" 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood :

" 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apostles before me ; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus."

Vers. 15, 16, 17- Yet notwithstanding all this, when the time appointed of God for my conversion came, and it pleased God—who from my mother's womb had separated me to the apostolic office, in so far as his providence had from that time been secretly working to shape me out for the work, bringing me into the world by such parents, giving me a healthful constitution, and the benefit of human learning; who also by his powerful and overcoming grace called me to himself, who had been running away from him—when it pleased him, I say, to give me the saving knowledge of Christ, which in an extraordinary way, without the preached word, did immediately break into my soul; to the end I might not only be saved thereby myself, but might preach the same Christ nnto the heathen world : then I was so pei-suaded of the divinity of the doctrine revealed, and so clear as to my call to the ministry, that I would not consult mine

own reason, nor any man whatsoever, as to ray duty in tliis case ; neither did I return from Damascus to Jerusalem, to meet with the other apostles to get a permission from them to preach, or to get my call confirmed by them : but without disputing the call of God, having first staid certain days in Damascus, and preached, Acts ix. 19—22, I went, not without great hazard and pains, to preach to the heathen Arabians, and returned from Arabia afterwards, and came to Damascus,* Acts ix. 23.

" 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem, to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."

Ver. 18. Then three years after my conversion, I went up from Damascusf to Jerusalem, to make a visit to Peter, not to learn any thing of him, bnt to give a testimony of agreement in the same doctrine, he being the great apostle of the Jews, and I of the Gentiles; and it was but short timej I abode with him, so that I had not time to learn.

" 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother."

Yer. 19. Neither learned I of the rest of the apostles ; for I saw none of them but James, || our Lord's kinsman according to the flesh.

" 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not."

Yer. 20. Now, as to the truth of these things, seeing God's glory and your edification requires it, I confirm it by an oath, declaring before God as a judge and witness in the matter, that I am speaking nothing but truth.

" 21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

Arabia and Damascus being now both under the government of Aretas. t See the occasion, Acts ix. 23—26 ; 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33. J For immediately persecution was raised against him, he having preached and disputed with the Grecians or Hellenists, i. e. Jews dwelling for ordinary amongst the Grecians. Acts ix. 29. 30.

II James the son of Alpheus. It is probable the rest of the apostles were not in Jerusalem, but in the country, preaching and settling churches; Peter and James abiding to take care of the church of Jerusalem.

" 22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ:

" 23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

" 24 And they glorified God in me."

Yer. 21. Afterwards* I carae into the regions of Syria, and particularly into Cilicia, iny native country, and preached the gospel there. Yer. 22. And though the Christian churches in Judea, visible members of Christ's body, were not acquainted with me, having been but occasionally sometimes in Jerusalem, and made no considerable stay, and having made it my business familiarly to converse with those of my own charge, rather than them to whom I had not such a special relation : ver. 23. Yet when they had heard the news of my conversion, and of my preaching that doctrine which once I endeavoured to destroy, by persecuting the professors thereof, ver. 24. They acknowledged the mercy and power of God appearing in his dealing with and by me ; and considering me as a convert and successful preacher, they gave God glory upon my account.

CHAPTER II.

" 1. Then fourteen years after, I went up again to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also."

Yer. 1. Then fourteen years after my conversion,! I made another journey to Jerusalem, with Barnabas my ordinary companion in my travels, and I took Titus the Evangelist with me also; as two witnesses which might testify to the apostles at Jerusalem what doctrine I preached amongst the Gentiles, and with what success and visible seals of my ministry; and who might also testify again to the Gentiles what should pass in the designed conference.

*' 2. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them

' Upon the occasion of that persecution by the Hellenists, he came into Syria, to Tarsus, a city of Cilicia ; having first touched at Caesarea Stratonis. Acts ix. 30.

f The private conference, Peter's dissimulation, Paul's not urging the authority of the council at Jerusalem, &c. says plainly, these fourteen years were before the council of Jerusalem, Acts xv. which was in the 49th or 50th year of Christ. Paul was converted anno. 35.

which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run in vaiu."

Yer. 2. And I went up by an impulse of the Spirit of God, revealing that particular to be my duty; and when I came there, in a friendly and familiar way I declared to the churches of Judea the gospel and doctrine which at this present T preach,* for I preach no other doctrine now than what I always preached since I was an apostle ; but Christian prudence obliged me not to give this declaration of my doctrine presently before the whole multitude, lest unnecessary scruples and debates might be raised amongst the vulgar; nay, this declaration I thought necessary to make, not to any of the apostles, but those who were of greatest reputation in the church : and the great design of my entering upon this conference with them was, to preserve the fruit of my preaching in time past, and to secure it for the time to come ; for if once that had obtained amongst the Gentiles that I preached other doctrine than the chief apostles, my labours in the gospel would have been lost, both for the time past, and the time to come.

" 3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised :

" 4 And that because of false brethren unawai-es brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage."

Ver. 3. But in that meeting, Titus, an uncircumised Greek, was freely admitted to the apostles' society; and so far were they against the necessity of the observation of the ceremonial law, that they did not require him to be circumcised; which they would certainly have done had they thought that circumcision was necessary to be observed. Yer. 4. And in this particular case they did thus carry; not because they thought that circumcision was yet simply unlawful, but because they would not give an occasion of triumphing to some false brethren, who held the necessity of observing the ceremonial law, and who had been brought into this meeting without the apostles' knowledge, and came into it, not with any good design, but as so many spies, to spy out our Christian liberty, and to rob us of it, and bring us again under the bondage of the ceremonial law ; for if Titus had been circumcised here, they would have made use of that practice, as a certain confirmation of the

* Comp. Acts XXV. 14.

necessity of circumcision, and the observing of the whole ceremonial law.

" 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no not for an hoar : that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."

Ver 5. But being aware of this their design, we, the rest of the apostles, at the meeting, and I, would not subject our Christian liberty to them, nor yield to them in that point, no not in using circumcision but that once. The reason of our stiffness in this was, that the doctrine of the gospel might remain with you Galatians and other Grentiles, pure and uncorrupted, and not mixed with Jewish leaven; for had they got their will in this particular, they would have had a specious pretence against Christian liberty.

" 6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person) for they who seemed to be somewhat, in conference added nothing to me.

" 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncir-cumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

" 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles ;)

" 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship: that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."

Ver. 6. But of the apostles of greatest credit, in comparison of whom I am despised by some, as nothing in comparison of them, I indeed learned nothing. Say not, they were apostles before me, and had seen Christ in the flesh, and therefore I am nothing in comparison of them. Whatever advantages they had of me, I notice not, neither does God judge of men according to these external things. I am an apostle now as well as they, and preach the gospel as well as they. I do not deny but they liave these advantages of me: but that is nothing to the matter in hand; their having them makes not my office nor my doctrine less divine than theirs: for in conference about our calls and doctrine they added nothing to me; they found no error to correct, nor defect in my doctrine or call to make up. Vers. 7, 9. But indeed they were so far from adding any thing to me.

that tliey forthwith gave me the right hand of fellowshij), when thoy saw, by undoubted evidence, that God had committed to me the dispensation of the gospel (as a rich treasure) unto the Gentiles, even as he had committed to Peter the dispensing of the gospel unto the Jews. Ver. 8. This they clearly understood from this, that the same God who had given his assistance to Peter, and had made use of him as a blessed instrument in his hand, to the conversion of the Jews, by his overcoming grace, had done no less by me towards the Gentiles, whose conversion they looked upon as a seal of my apostleship. Yer. 9. And when James, Peter, and John, who were reputed the upholders of the church, under God, perceived the gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, wherewith God had fitted me for the apostolic office ; when (I say) they saw my call to the work, and my gifts fitting me for it, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, shaking hands with us in token of our agreement in doctrine, and amicably dividing of our charges for carrying on the work of our common Master; that they might go on to preach (for ordinary) to the Jews, and we to the Gentiles.

"10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do."

Yer. 10. Only they desired Barnabas and me to make a collection through the Gentile churches, for the relief of the poor Jews who were turned Christians; which I did (espoudasa) with all diligence study to make elfectual.

"11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed."

Yer. 11. But when Peter, some time after this conference, was come to Antioch, where was a church of the Gentiles using their Christian liberty, I freely and boldly to his face opposed him, because he was indeed blame-worthy.

" 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision."

Yer. 12. For he did make use of his Christian liberty, freely eating with the Christian Gentiles, having no regard to the difference of meats, nor of Jews and Gentiles, established by the ceremonial law ; this liberty (I say) he used all the time he was in Antioch, before

the coming down of certain Jews from Jerusalem, where James had his ordinary residence; which Jews were zealous for the observing of the ceremonial law: but when they came, Peter withdrew* from the Gentile and uncircumcised Christians, would not keep up fellowship with them, but set up a seperate meeting from the uncircumcised Christians; to which oflfensive course he was led, by a preposterous fear of those bigoted Jews, lest they should have been offended by his liberty.

" 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him ; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation."

Yer. 13. This was great dissimulation in Peter, to assert, by his practice, the necessity of observing the ceremonial law; which he knew notwithstanding, by divine revelation, was now of no force, Acts X. and xi.; and the other Jews, who had before used Christian liberty, they fell into the same dissimulat'ou : and such was the speat at that time, that even Barnabas himself was not able to withstand his and their example, but he dissembled also, withdrawing and separating himself.

" 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? " 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, " 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ; that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law : for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Yer, 14. But when I saw their practice crooked, and contrary to the doctrine of the gospel in this point, I said unto Peter before all the rest, carried off by his bad example, seeing thou thyself, though a Jew, and so bound, if any were, to observe the ceremonial law, yet dost not observe it, but for ordinary livest after the manner of the Gentiles, making no difference of meats, clean or unclean, as appears by thy former practice in this place; how canst thou force upon the necks of the Gentiles that yoke which thou thyself hast cast off, by your separating from the Gentiles on this account, thereby obliging

* HupesteUe, he recoiled and drew back, like a coward in battle.

tljcm cither to embrace the ceremonial law, or else to be deprived of fellowship with you and your adherents ?* Ver. 15. And now, (to fall upon the main point) ye may observe, 0 Galatians, from the history of Peter's carriage, particularly before these zealots came from Jerusalem, and from my reproving him, and his not defending the fact, that we who are born Jews, and not of the profane nations without God's covenant, we to whom the ceremonial and judicial laws were given particularly, and who received the decalogue upon Mount Sinai, that we (I say), ver. 16. being persuaded in our consciences, that no man, circumcised or uncircumcised, is declared or reputed righteous before God, upon the account of his own works, done in obedience to the law of God ceremonial, judicial, or moral, but by faith in Christ, receiving him and his righteousness; even we (who, if any, might have pursued a law-righteousness) have renounced our own works for justification, and have, by faith, betaken ourselves to Christ for a righteousness, that so we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works : and with what confidence then can the Gentiles seek righteousness by the works of the law, a great part of which was designed only for us Jews ? Now, that we have done so, ye see is plain; and that we might and ought to have done so, and you also, is plain from the Old Testament, which testifies, that by the works of the law no man, Jew or Gentile, can be justified before God, Psal. cxliii. 2.

*' 17 But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin ? God forbid."

Yer. 17. Ye will readily object, that our doctrine has little advantage by what I have narrated of Peter and others, their observing the ceremonial law over the belly of their light; it seems they have learned that art of gross dissimulation at the school of your gospel. But I say, what though we ourselves have been found (eurethemen) sinners and gross dissemblers, (we, I say, that know our freedom from the law, and that there is no justification by the law), even then while we were seeking justification by Christ ? does it therefore follow, that the doctrioe o^ the gospel, burying the ceremonial law, teaches men to sin ? God forbid.

" 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

* 2 That justification is not by work?, but bv faitb. Arg. 1. v. 15. 16.

YoL. YI. R

" 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."

Yer. 18. For if I, or Peter, or any man, do by our practice build up again the sin which we have destroyed by our doctrine, and practice conform thereunto ; in that case we ourselves, or (to hold out this supposition in my own person) I am the transgressor who should be blamed, and not the gosj)el which I preach. This is clear, if ye consider, (ver. 19.), that the gospel natively tends to my leading a holy life, and the gospel is not to be blamed for my sinful slips: for I am now dead to the law, and look upon the relation betwixt it and me as ceased ; not that I may live as I list, but that I may live to God in the duties of obedience and thankfulness to God ; and this is what the gospel teacheth me: and to this actual death to the law, I was brought by the law itself, which proved such a rigorous husband to my conscience, that it would be satisfied with nothing I could do ; which necessitated me to give over thoughts of ever pleasing it, and so to betake myself to my new husband, Christ.

" 20 I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ livetli in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Yer. 20. Tet have I done the law no injury, but am dead to it in point of right: for by faith I am crucified in the person of Christ my head and representative; so that the law having got all it could demand, it has no more to crave of me than it has of Christ. But notwithstanding of this crucifixion I am alive, I live to God. But no thanks to me for this life; I have it not but because of ray union with Christ, who is the soul of my soul, and the vital principle in me: and that life of sanctification which I now live Avhile I am in this mortal body, I live by faith in the Son of God; by which I draw vital influences from him the fountain of life, who loved me with an everlasting love, and from that undeserved love was pleased to give himself to the death for me, that by his dying I might live.

" 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God : for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

A^'er. 21. I think* this was wonderful love; and I do therefore

• Argument 2.

endeavour to make a suitable return, lippening ray salvation to the death of Christ, and to that only, and so I do not render God's grace, in sending Christ to die for me, 'vain. If I should do otherwise, I should make it a vain needless thing : for if our righteousness be by our works, for what end did Christ die for us.

CHAPTER III.

" 0 Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you ?"

0 Foolish Galatians, what devilish artist has deluded your spiritual senses, and cast mist before your eyes to dazzle them, and make things appear which you do not indeed see, so that you do not obey the commanding light cf the truth of the gospel ? In which ye are most inexcusable,* seeing by ray ministry the doctrine of Christ was as evidently preached to you, as if the mystery of Christ had been painted on a board before your eyes, and he had been crucified again amongst you.

" 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ?

" 3 Are ye so foolish ? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ?

" 4 Have ye suffered so raany things in vain ? if it be yet in vain."

Yer. 2. Ye are very fond of the doctrine of justification by works; but pray you tell rae this one thing,f Ye have received the Spirit of God to dwell in you as the principle of saving grace and miraculous operations, according to the promise thereof in the prophets ; but whether did you receive this Spirit by the doctrine continually buzzing in your ears the works of the law, or by the doctrine of faith in Christ which ye heard ? Your own consciences will tell you, it was the latter, not the forraer way ; and is it possible that doctrine should be false by which God communicated to you his Spirit ? Yer. 3. Wonderful folly ! when ye first embraced Christianity, ye received the Spirit of God, which, as a seal of the truth of that doctrine ye heard, taught you to look for justificatioa by faith alone ; so that it must be indwelling corruption that sets

* A sharjj reproof. f Argumeat 3.

r2

up for another way : and what more unworthy of a wise man, than to think the Spirit began the work, but corruption must give it the finishing stroke, and teach you a doctrine better, though contrary to that which the Spirit sealed ? Yer. 4. I know ye suffered many hard things for adhering to the gospel doctrine, especially by the Jews, whose rage was kindled to raise persecution against the Christians, because they thought the gospel was destructive of the law ; and have ye even suffered all these things in vain, so as to lose the reward by your after disowning of the truth ye suffered for ? Shall I say ye have suffered in vain ? I would fain hope yet it will be otherwise, by your taking up again the same cause ye suffered for before.

" 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith ?

" 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness,"

Yer. 5. Ye did receive the Spirit at first among you by means of the doctrine of evangelical righteousness; I will ask you then another question. Some among you do receive the Spirit at this day, and there are yet miracles wrought among you ; now, rhat sort of teachers is it whose ministry God thus seals by conveying saving grace into the hearts of the hearers, and by miracles ? is it they who preach justification by works, or those that preach justification by faith ? Ye cannot but acknowledge it is the latter, not the former sort. Truly saving benefits are communicated to none any other way than they were before ;* they are received by faith still: ver. 6. Even as Abraham received, who believed God in that promise, (ver. 8.), and that was reckoned for righteousness to him ; not faith in itself, which with other works is also excluded, but that righteousness of Christ which Abraham's faith did lay hold upon, was reckoned by the Lord for his righteousness.

" 7 Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."

Yer, 7. I would have you know, then, that seeing Abraham was justified by faith, those that seek justification by faith, they are the spiritual children of Abraham, heirs with him of the same spiritual inheritance, though they be Gentiles, and none of his natural seed.

* Argument 4.

" 8 Alul the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel uuto Abraham, say-iug, lu thee shall all nations be blessed."

Yer. 8. And this will plainly appear, if it be considered, that the Spirit of God who speaks in the Scriptures, saw long before it was accomplished, that God would justify the heathens by faith ; and therefore long ago he preached to Abraham the same gospel we now preach, which was holden forth in this promise, viz. That all nations, Jews and Gentiles, should be blessed in him, in so far as of him should come that blessed seed Jesus Christ, who should purchase all blessings to be bestowed on them, and not leave them to be procured to them by their own works.

" 9 So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham."

Yer. 9. So then it follows, that they which seek justification by faith, are blessed with the same blessings as believing Abraham, and so are his children, and no other.

" 10 For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."

Yer. 10. For as many as adhere to the law, seeking to be thereby justified, they are under God's curse, and so have no share in Abni-ham's blessing.* That they are under the curse, the Scripture teaches, where it is written, That every one who gives not perfect and perpetual uninterrupted obedience to the law, is under the curse, being by the same law devoted to destruction. So we see that all men adhering to the law for justification, are cursed by the law.

" 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for. The just shall live by faith."

Yer. 11. But that no man is justified by the law before God, (however tlieir works may justify them before men), is evident from that of the prophet Habakkuk,f He that is just by faith, even he shall live a life of justification, sanctification, and comfort, and that for ever ; he shall never lose it.

* Argument 5. f Argument 6.

" 12 And the law is not of faith : but, The man that doth them shall live in them."

Yer. 12. But the law does not hold forth justification or life by faith, but by works ; for thus speaks the law. The man that doth those things which the law commandeth him to do, he shall live by virtue of his works ; and this no man can do, and therefore no man can be justified by the law ; nor is law-righteousness the righteousness pointed at by the prophet as the righteousness which will give life.

" 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us : for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree :

" 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles tlirough Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Yer. 13. Perhaps ye will say, that if the law be so rigorous, as we pretend,* that it will not justify a man but him that fulfils it every way perfectly, and curses others, we ourselves must be cursed too, or else the law's threatening is made void. I answer, That Christ has freed us from the curse of the law; and that not by making it void, but by his bearing the curse that the law denounced against us. And that Christ did bear the curse, is evident from his cursed death which he died, being hanged on the tree of the cross; which kind of death had, by the great lawgiver, a ceremonial curse annexed thereto; and all the ceremonies having a respect to Christ, the curse fell on him in the greatest reality, which lay but typically on malefactors that were hanged on a tree. Yer. 14. And Christ bear the curse of the law, to the end that the same blessings which ■were entailed on Abraham, the father of the faithful, by promise, might be given to the Gentiles through Christ, coming into the ■world, dying, and by his death taking down the partition wall, and making Jew and Gentile all one, according to the promise, " In thee shall all nations be blessed." And further, he bear the curse, that we, both Jews and Gentiles, might receive the Spirit, (comp. ver. 2), which was promised to be poured out in gospel days in larger measure than ever before ; that we might, I say, receive the Spirit through faith, not by the works of the law.

" 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be

* Objection 1.

but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulletb, or addeth tliercto."

Yer. 15. Brethren, I will borrow a similitude from human affairs, to let you see that the giving* of the law by Moses did not bring in a new way of justification, difi'erent from that of the promise made to Abraham, or covenant of grace. Though a covenant be made only between man and man ; yet, if it be confirmed by oath of parties, or other usual ways of confirmation, neither of the parties can justly make that covenant void, nor add any clause thereto destructive of the former.

" 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."

Ver. 16. Now the promises of the inheritance, &c. were made of God to Abraham and to his seed. God making these promises, saith not. And to Abraham's seeds, as if the promise had respect to several sorts of Abraham's seed, some to be justified one way, some au-other way; but as including all his children together in one, he saith, To thy seed, which is Christ mystical, believing Jews and Gentiles gathered together into one body, making up Abraham's one sead; to which the promises are made, as well as to Abraham himself.

*' 17 And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

" 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise : but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

Yer. 17. This then I say, for application of that known maxim in human affairs to the business in hand. That seeing the covenant of grace, or those absolute promises, (ver. 16.), made to Abraham and to his one spiritual seed, were before the giving of the law confirmed and made sure by the oath of Godf to Christ mystical, that one seed ; the law of Moses, which was given four hundred and thirty years after the promises above said, cannot make void the covenant, so as to render the absolute promise of righteousness and life of

* Objection 2. t (Gr.) eis Christon, to Christ, So the particle eis signifies, Matth. xxiv. 9. John viii. 26, 1 Pet. iii. ult.

none effect and to no purpose ; it never being fulfilled, but a new way introduced, viz. by the law, which would undoubtedly make the promise useless : ver. 18. Because if the inheritance of glory, typified by the inheritance of Canaan, be by the law, it is not by that absolute promise, for these are inconsistent. But sure it is, God gave* the inheritance to Abraham by virtue of that promise, and therefore it was not by the law.

" 19 Wherefore then serveth the law ? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

" 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one ; but God is one."

Ver. 19. Ye will say,t For what end was Moses' law given then, if it was not that we might get life by it ? I answer, That, purely with respect to the Israelites, to discover their transgressions to them, Moses' law was adjoined to the promise made to the one seed, not as a part of the covenant, but as a thing extrinsical to it, yet subservient thereto; which was only to remain adjoined to the covenant or promise till such time jis the one seed should come, Jews and Gentiles being gathered together into one body, and one spiritual seed by Christ; to which one seed the promise was made, as I have before shewed. And that Moses' law was thus, and no other way added to the promise, appears from its being ordained and given by the ministry of angels, Moses serving as mediator betwixt God and the people in the giving of this law. Yer. 20. But so it is, that this mediator of the law, to wit, Moses, is not the mediator of the one seed, to which the promise]; was made; and yet God is the covenanted God of the one seed, he being that one God of all, in whom both believing Jews and Gentiles have a common interest, as making up the one seed of Abraham, to which he promised to be a God, saying, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed." Therefore it clearly follows, that Moses' law had respect to no other but the Israelites, and that only a temporary respect, even to them; and that God is the covenanted God of believing Jews and Gentiles, Moses' law being entirely laid aside, having already served out its time.

" 21 Is the law then against the promises of God ? God forbid:

* Or made over the right thereto by an absolute promise, not on condition of works.

f Objection 3. That Moses' law, particularly the ceremonial, is abrogated. X Rom. iv. ().

for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

"22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

Yer. 21. But ye will object, If God be the covenanted God of Abraham's one seed, but Moses not the mediator of that one seed, the law will be contrary to the j)romise, seeing the law promises life only to works, and yet God will be a God to people without any respect to works. I answer, That were a blasphemous assertion to say, the law is contrary to the promises, for that would make God inconsistent with himself: but the law was given for no such end as to give life to sinners ; for if that law had been given by Moses, as a law able to give life to sinners, truly then righteousness had been by the law. Yer. 22. But that written law of Moses is so far from giving righteousness, that, upon the contrary, it hath, by its rigorous commands, and ceremonial rites, concluded, as in a prison, our persons, thoughts, words, actions, in a word (ta panta, Gr.) our all, under sin. It has irrcfragably demonstrated all to be sinful, to the end that the righteousness and life promised in the absolute covenant, might be given to them that believe, they receiving the same by faith. So that the law of Moses was notably subservient to the promise, and not contrary to it.

" 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."

Yer. 23. But before the doctrine of faith in Jesus Christ was revealed clearly in the gospel, being severed from those things wherewith it was enveloped under the legal dispensation, we Jews were kept, as by a guard, under the laws of Moses, and shut up, as in a prison, by the commands and threatenings of the moral law, and by the rites of the ceremonial law, which still held guilt and death before our eyes; that the revelation of the doctrine of faith, which was clearly to be proposed in the gospel, might be as welcome to us, as the opening of prison doors to poor prisoners.

"24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Yer. 24. Whence it follows, that the law of Moses served the church in its iul'aut state, as a schoolmaster to teach us the

need we had of Christ, and so to bring us to him, that we miglit be justified by faith in him.

"25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

" 26 For ye are all the children of Grod by faith in Christ Jesus."

Yer. 25. But now seeing the clear revelation of the doctrine of faith is made in the gospel, we are no more under that schoolmaster. Yer. 26. For all of you, whether Jews or Gentiles, believing in Christ, are now sons of God come to age, having the clear knowledge of the mystery of Christ by the gospel, and so not standing in need of that legal pedagogue: ye hear and know that Christ was crucified, &c. so that ye need not sacrifices to hold forth the death of the Messias to you, &c. And ye are sons of God, and that sons come to age, by reason of your faith in Christ Jesus, who is already come ; your faith having the pre-eminency of the faith of the saints under the legal dispensation ; that whereas the object of their faith was Christ who was to come, the object of yours is Christ come already.

" 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ."

Yer. 27. Ye need not doubt your sonship, because of the want of circumcision : for baptism has come into its room : and as many of you as have been baptized, (I speak of you according to the judgment of charity, none of you having been baptized by the ministers of Christ but such as made a credible profession of saving faith); as many of you, I say, as have been baptized in token of your ingrafting to Christ, are united to Christ the Son of God; of which union your baptism is a seal.

" 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Yer. 28. The one seed is now come, the partition wall is taken down; though before it was otherwise, yet now it is no matter whether ye be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, male or female. The believing Gentile, without any more ado, has as great privileges as the Jews. And though bond-servants and women were restrained from the enjoyment of some privileges under the Old Testament,

•which free persons and men were admitted to (Lev. xxii. 10. Geu. xvii. 10), it is not so now; women are baptized, though they were not circumcised; bond-men may eat of the gospel holy things, and freely partake as well as the free, though they were debarred from eating of the holy thing under the law: for why? ye are now all one body and one spiritual seed, made one in Christ, to whom all of you are joined by faith.

"29 And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Yer. 29. Now, seeing ye are Christ's, which interest of his in you is sealed by baptism, ye are the spiritual children of Abraham ; yea, all of you together are that one seed of his to which the promises Avere made, and so ye are heirs of the heavenly inheritance, accord-iug to the promise thereof made to you as Abraham's seed, without any respect to the law.

CHAPTER IV.

" Now I say, that the heir as long as he is a child, dilfereth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

" 2 But is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father."

Now, for the further clearing of the abrogation of the law, this I say, that the heir (in human affairs), as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, in respect of liberty, and actual possession of the inheritance, though in the meantime he is lord of all his father's inheritance, in respect of right and title thereto. Yer. 2. But he is still under the government of tutors and curators, until the time come that his father, in his will or testament, has set for his liberty, and entering to the actual possession of his inheritance.

" 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world :

" 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

" 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

Yer. 3. Even so we, tiie church of God, while we were in our

minority, under the Old Testament, though heirs, yet, as servants, were in bondage, and that under the grievous yoke of ceremonies and carnal rites, whereby we were rudely instructed, even by corporal things, as figures of spiritual things. Yer. 4. But when the time set by our heavenly Father was fully come, God sent forth his Son Christ, being without father as man, but made by the power of the Holy Ghost, of the substance of the Virgin Mary; being also, though Lord of the law, yet, in our stead, made subject to the law, or covenant of works, its threatenings and commands; whereof the ceremonial law, to the Israelites, made up a considerable part. Yer. 5. And Christ was thus made under the law, that they that were under the law might be delivered from it; that all that should believe might be freed from the commands of the law of works, as the condition of life, and from the threatenings of the law upon their disobedience; and the Jews who were under the ceremonial law, might be delivered from that yoke of ceremonies, Christ the substance of them being come : and that we, both Jews and Gentiles, believing in Christ, might receive a more clear manifestation of our sonship to God under the New Testament dispensation ; even as the heir, when he becomes major, and actually enters to the possession of his inheritance, appears no more in the condition of a servant, but a son.

" 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Yer. 6. And because ye are now sons come to age, God has sent forth in a more plentiful measure his own Spirit into your hearts; whereby ye have a more ready access to God, and familiarity with him, whether ye be Jews or Gentiles, than believers under the Old Testament had; there being as great a difference betwixt your and their access to and familiarity with God, as between that which the heir, being a child, has with his father, while he is under the rod, and that which he hath, being a man, come to years,

" 7 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

Yer. 7. Wherefore, seeing ye have received this plentiful eflfusion of the spirit of adoption, ye are no moi*e as servants, as the child under age is; but ye are sons, past your minority : and if sons, then heirs of God himself as your inheritance; to which privilege you are advanced through Christ, to whom by faith ye are united.

From all which it is evident that your cleaving to the ceremonial law is as unreasonable, as if you, being come to years, should return to the state you were in while in your non-age.

" 8 Howbeit, then when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods."

Ver. 8. Howbeit, then when ye knew not the true God, ye served idols, which are gods only in men's opinion, and not by their own nature ; and ye were neither born nor bred up* under the ceremonial law, but in pagan idolatry; so far were ye from sonship to God, which ye are now advanced to.

" 9 But now after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

" 10 Ye observe days, and mouths, and times, and years.

" 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

Yer. 9. But now seeing ye know the true God, or rather are known of God, the acquaintance being entirely due to God's free grace, what a return is this ye make to God for his kindness, to return againf to ceremonial observances, which are such as can neither justify you, nor afford true consolation, but in these respects are weak, yea, and beggarly, as a coffer from which the jewel is gone, Christ being now come, and therefore no more to be seen in them; to which nevertheless ye will needs again be in bondage ? Yer. 10. I speak not of this your soul-retreat without ground; for ye do observe days after the Jewish manner, viz. their sabbaths and new moons, their months, as the first and seventh anniversary feasts, and sabbatical years. Yer, 11. Upon which account I am afraid my labour among you may be in vain : for what will it profit to return from paganism to Judaism ?

" 12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am ; for I am as ye are : ye have not injured me at all."

Yer. 12. Brethren, I beseech you, let me have room in your affec-

* 4. He sets himself to work on their affections, t So Ruth is said to Return to Canaan, where nevertheless she never was before, Ruth i. 10. and 22. Or the apostle speaks of the collective body of the church of God. comprehending the church under the Old and New Testament in one, of which one church the Galatians were members.

tions; for I assure you, that ye have a place in ray heart as my other self: and while I so sharply reprove you, I persuade you I am not resenting any personal injury, but the injury ye are doing to Christ and his truths.

" 13 Ye know how, through infirmity of the flesh, I preached the gospel unto yon at the first.

" 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected ; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus."

Yer. 13. Ye know how that, at the first when the gospel came to you, I preached it to you, being in a contemptible outward condition by reason of the afllictions I endured in the work. Yer. 14. And that trial of mine wherewith God was pleased to try me, in respect of my various bodily afllictions and persecutions, ye did not haughtily overlook and despise, nor did ye reject me and my ministry for them; but, upon the contrary, ye received me as a messenger of God, yea as Christ himself, looking upon me as his ambassador, as knowing Christ spoke to you by my mouth.

"15 Where is then the blessedness you spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

"16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth ?"

Yer. 15. But where is that happiness ye thought ye had in my ministry ? where is it now ? I am sure the time was ye thought yourselves very happy in me; for I can bear witness, that some time your respect to me was so great, that you would have parted with any thing ye had for my encouragement. Yer. 16. Ye looked on me then as your great friend ; but now will ye look upon me as your enemy, because I tell you that which is truth ? ye should herein be very injurious to me ; for my telling you the truth is an argument of my lasting affection towards you.

" 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that you might affect them.

" 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you."

Yer. 17. The legal teachers among you have a great deal of zeal

for you indeed, but it is not of the right stamp ; yea, they would exclude you out of ray affections, that ye might be zealous for them and their doctrine. Yer. 18. But I would put you in mind, that as ye have been zealous for my doctrine before, so it is good to be constant in your zeal for such a good thing ; and it is not good, but very bad, to have been zealous for it only when I was personally present with you.

" 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you,

" 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change ray voice, for I stand in doubt of you."

Yer. 19. 0 Galatians, whom I love as my little children, for whose conversion I laboured at first, as a woman laboureth to bring forth a child, and of whom I am as it were travailing in birth again, until the image of Christ, defaced by error in you, be restored to its former lustre. Yer. 20. I would fain be present with you, to speak with you face to face, and to accommodate my speech more closely to your present case; for being absent, I am in several doubts about your case, which might be cleared by converse with you.

"21 Tell me, ye that desirato be under the law, do ye not hear the law ?

" 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

" 23 But he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh : but he of the free-woman was by promise."

Yer. 21. Ye that desire to be under Moses' law, tell me. Do ye not hear Moses' law ? This of itself might convince you of your error. Yer. 22. For it is written in the book of Genesis, that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael by Hagar a bond-maid, and Isaac by Sarah a free-woman.* Yer. 23. But there was a difference in their nativity: for Ishmael was born according to the course of nature of a young woman fit naturally for conception ; but Isaac was born by virtue of a special promise, Gen. xviii. 10, his mother being barren, and also past the age of child-bearing.

" 24 Which things are an allegory; for these are the two cove-

* He illustrateth the vvLole former dispute by the typical history of Abraham's family.

nants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children."

Yer. 24. Which things are a typical history ; for these two women represent the two covenants, with the churches thereto adhering respectively ; the one from Mount Sinai, to wit, the covenant of works, which was given there, and where the Jewisli synagogue, under that covenant, had its beginning : this bringeth forth children indeed, but such children as are mere mercenary worshippers, and under the bondage of that covenant, its curses and commands; and this is that represented by Agar the bondwoman, and that very conveniently. Yer. 25. (Gr. To gar Agar, Sina oros estin en te Arabia, &c.). For as to that allegorical Agar, the mountain Sinai is in Arabia, where lived Agar and her son ; and the same Sinai answers well to the earthly Jerusalem, the now Jewish synagogue, nothing being heard from either of them, but Do and Live: but Sinai still but serves with the legalists her children, Sinai and her covenant, because it was never designed but to be subservient to the covenant of grace, as Hagar to Sarah ; her children, the legalists, following the state of the venter i. e. the womb from whence they came, are but in the state of bond-servants ; not in the state of sons and heirs, more than Ishmael had Isaac's privilege.

" 26 But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written. Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."

Yer. 26. But the othir covenant, the covenant of grace, with the church adhering thereto, to wit, the church of believers in Christ, which is the heavenly Jerusalem, enjoying the reality of all the typical external privileges which the earthly Jerusalem had, which covenant and church is the mother of us all, Jews or Gentiles, that believe in Christ, even she is free : the covenant is served, but serves not as Sarah ; the church is mistress of the family, being Christ's spouse ; and her children sons and heirs, as Sarah and her Isaac. Yer. 27- I say, the Christian church is tliat free mother of us all; for Isaiah in his 54th chap. ver. 1. with an eye to that typical history of Hagar and Sarah, in Abraham's family, after he had

spoke of tlic sufferings of Christ, immediately addrcssseth himself to her, as she was in her very first days before the preaching of the gospel by the apostles, saying, Rejoice thou that, as Sarah, art yet barren, thy children making no figure in comparison of the synagogue, break forth over all thy discouragements, and cry for joy, though thou travailest not yet to bring forth children, as thou shalt do ere long by the preaching of the apostles, after the eft^nsion of the Holy Ghost on them : for though thou seem desolate as a widow, thy husband being yet in his state of humiliation, and so very little known, thou shalt have many more children, even such as shall join themselves to thee as members, than the Jewish synagogue, which only seems to have God for her husband. This shall be as sure to thee as if thou hadst all these children about thy hand already.

" 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."

Ver. 28. Now, brethren, to apply the whole unto us, ye see, we who adhere to the covenant of grace are such children as Isaac, even children of promise; born unto God by virtue of the absolute promise ; not by the strength of natui-e or by our own works.

" 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

" 30 Nevertheless, what saith the scripture ? Cast out the bondwoman and her son : for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman."

Ver. 29. But as then Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so now the legalists, children of the covenant of works, persecute the children of the covenant of grace. Yer. 30. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture ? even. Cast out Hagar and Ishmael, for he shall not be heir with Isaac. The same sentence is passed against the Jewish synagogue, and all that adhere to the covenant of works; they shall be rejected and cast out of the society of saints, for they shall never partake of the heavenly inheritance with those that believe in Christ.

" 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free."

Ver. 31. Therefore, seeing we are children of promise, as Isaac, Vol. VI. s

we are not under the legal covenant, but the covenant of grace, and so are free; and therefore have nothing to do with the law.

CHAPTER V.

" Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

" 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ sliall profit you nothing.

" 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

From the whole of that I have said, I exhort you to stand fast in the liberty purchased to us by Christ, as stout soldiers keeping their ground where the captain has set them; and let no man wreath that servile yoke of the legal covenant about your necks again. And to press you to this, ver. 2. Behold, (in opposition to all that the seducers among you say for it), I Paul, an apostle of Christ, say, that if the Gentiles shall be circumcised, looking on that rite as necessary to your justification, ye shall have no benefit by Christ. Ver. 3. For I, as Christ's messenger, do further testify to every man who is circumcised, laying any stress on it for his justification, that, by his very receiving of circumcision under that notion, he is obliged perfectly to obey the whole law, under pain of the curse ; which is inevitable to him, in regard no man is able so to obey it. He is, I say, thereby obliged to give such obedience ; in regard whatever evangelical use circumcision had to believers, yet it is to him the sacrament of the legal covenant, binding him to the observance of the same covenant, according to the tenor of it, which promises life to perfect obedience, and otherwise denonnceth the curse.

" 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

" 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

" 6 For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love."

Ver. 4. "Whoever of you seek to be justified by the law, can have no benefit by Christ; for by your seeking justification by the law, ye renounce and fall from the free favour of God as the fountain of

justification, ami so yc renounce Christ also, and therefore must stand and tall according to your own works. Yer. 5. Ye that do so, are certainly fallen from grace; for we that stand cleaving to it, look for no good by our works, or by the law; but through the Spirit of God working in us, we look for, and expect heaven, which is given only to the perfectly righteous; we expect it, I say, by faith only.* Yer. 6. And this we do, because we know, that, in the kingdom of Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth ought to justification, and a right to glory, (whatever circumcision may avail for in the law's dominions, or whatever stress that way foolish Gentiles may lay upon their uncircumcision); nothing avails here for these ends but faith ; not that which is dead and idle, but that faith which is operative. So that ye need not fear want of work by casting off of the legal covenant: if ye have faith of the right stamp, even that which is justifying, it will put you to work good works; and that not from a mercenary principle, fear of punishment, and hope of reward, as those that live under the influence of the legal covenant; but out of a principle of love becoming sons.

" 7 Ye did run well, who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth ?

" 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. " 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

Yer. 7- Time was when you did forwardly embrace and cleave to my doctrine, so that you were making pleasant progress in religion; who has now stopt you in your course ? whoever it was, it is unaccountable ye should be stopt in giving obedience to the truth. Yer. 8. However fully ye seem to yourselves to be persuaded of your opinion, that persuasion is from another hand than his, who by my gospel called you out of paganism to Christ. It is not from God. Yer. 9. To tell you the mystery of it. As a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, even so a few seducers, that have crept in among you, have corrupted, by their false doctrine, the whole churches of Galatia, which are as one lump.

" 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Yer. 10. I have confidence concerning you, when I consider the

* Ver. o. (Gr.j Hameis yar pnevmati ek pisteos elpida dikuiosunesupekdechonietha.

s2

constancy of God's grace, that some time you will think no other thing than I have just now told you of the rise of this persuasion, and that you will be of the same mind with me in that matter, and so will return to the truth ye have deserted; but be who he will that troubles you, and loads you with that yoke of bondage, God shall lay a burden on him of another sort, even a burden of punishment here or hereafter, (bastasd to krima).

" 11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet saffer persecution ? then is the offence of the cross ceased."

Yer. 11. But as for me, brethren, it is strange that any should have the impudence to say, that I preach the necessity of circumcision, because forsooth I circumcised Timothy : for if I preach that doctrine, how come I to be persecuted of the Jews as an enemy to Moses' law ? yea surely, if I preached that doctrine, then the offence that the Jews take at the doctrine of the gospel, holding forth Christ's sufferings, embraced by faith, as the only way of salvation, is ceased; which I find daily the contrary of, by their restless malice against me.

" 12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

" 13 For, brethren, ye have been called uuto liberty ; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

" 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Yer. 12. I would that they which so trouble you with the doctrine of cutting off the foreskin, were themselves cut off from the society of the church, with the circumcising knife of excommunication ; though indeed to do it actually at this time, while ye are in such a ferment, would not tend to edification. Yer. 13. I wish not this without good reason; for, brethren, God has called you to liberty, but they have called you back again to bondage. God has indeed called you to liberty, only I would caution you against the abuse of Christian liberty : do not so make use of your liberty, as to make it a pander to your corruption, taking occasion of licentiousness from it; but, on the contrary, (though now ye are all in confusion among yourselves), learn to advance one another's welfare, (as if each of you were servant to his neighbour), by mutual love.* Yer. 14. For

' The love of our neighbour pie-siviposes love to God.

this is the most compendious way of fulfilling the law, the law being fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour with the same sincerity thou lovest thyself. This argument may well take with you that are so zealous for fulfilling the law.

"15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."

Ver. 15. But, on the other hand, if ye, like so many wild beasts, go on to bite one another by reproaches, and to devour one another by violence, take heed it end not in a total devastation of your society, by your own hands.

" 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

" 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

Ver. 16. But, for remedy of these evils, I say. Walk ye, and frame your conversation according to the dictates of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you*; and so although your corrupt part will have its lust, its sinful motions, yet ye shall be thereby kept from consenting thereto, which perfects and fulfils that sinful motion. Ver. 17. For the corrupt nature lusteth against the Spirit, desiring those things which are grievous to the Spirit; and the Spirit against corrupt nature, in so far as he stirs up in the saints desires of those things that are grievous to the corrupt nature; and those in the gracious soul lie against one another, as soldiers in a trench against a fort; on design that ye may not (iname ha an thelete, tauta poiete) do whatever things ye would, whether as gracious or as corrupt: so that, if you take part with the Spirit, ye will get the upper hand, though the flesh will still lust in you, and so make a blot in the fairest line you write.f

* Reasons why the word Spirit, occurring several times here, is understood of the person of the Spirit. 1. This is the only way he uses it in this epistle before. See chap. iii. 2, 3, 5. 2. Compare 2 Cor xii. 18. and vid. Beza in loc. 3. The Spirit we are led by, Gal. v. 18. is the Spirit of God, Rom. viii. 14. Compare vers. 15, 16 ; the Spirit we are led by, is the Spirit we walk after, which is the Spirit opposed to the flesh, Rom. viii. 1. 4. These phrases seem to be of the same signi-iicatioa with those of the Old Testament, " walking with God, after God," &c.

t For expounding of the Spirit's acting, ver. 17. so as is done, compare Rom. viii. 26, 27. where the groanings, &c. of the Spirit are mentioned.

" 18 But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

Ver, 18. But for your comfort in this case, I tell yon, that if ye be led by the Spirit of God, walking after, and setting yourselves to follow his dictates, ye are not under the law as a covenant of works; for the Spirit is given to none under that covenant, as I told you before, chap. iii. 2; and if so, then ye are not under, nor liable to the curse for your slips.

"19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these ; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

" 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

" 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Ver. 19. Now ye may know whether ye be led by the Spirit, or by the flesh, by your actions and course of life; for as to the flesh, though that corrupt principle lies very inwardly and is hid, yet the works of it are manifest, any body may discern them. These works are, adultery, fornication, all other sorts of filthy lusts of that kind wantonness ; ver. 20. Idolatry; witchcraft; feuds, (echthai), quar-rellings proceeding therefrom; emulations, whereby men desire to outstrip others in what is commendable, just because they have no will to be overclouded by them; wrath, or inordinate anger; contentiousness ; sedition, or dissension, in which men separate from one another; errors opposite to some substantial truth in religion, pertinaciously maintained; ver. 21. Envyings at the good of others; murders, drunkenness; revellings, or excess of belly cheer, joined with lascivious behaviour; and such like vices. Of which I now warn you aforehand, as I have before told you by word of mouth, when I was present with you, that those who impenitently persist in these things shall never inherit the kingdom of heaven.

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suff'eriug, gentleness, goodness, faith,

*' 23 Meekness, temperance : against such there is no law."

Vers. 22. 23. But the savoury product of the Spirit in men, is love to God and our neighbour; spiritual joy ;* peaceableuess,

* Mark the gradaiioa in lliose four following.

whereby we are disposed to do no wrong to any man; long-suffering, whereby we patiently bear if they wrong us; gentleness, whereby we are affable and pleasant to them, and easy to be entreated* goodness, whereby we are ready to communicate any good we have to any man ; fidelity, meekness, and temperance, which bridles fleshly appetite and desires. No law strikes against such things, but they are commanded by the law. In order to your trial, ye have heard what are the works of the Spirit, and what are those of the flesh.

" 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts."

Ver. 24. But so it is, that all they that are Christ's by his Spirit dwelling in them, have served their corrupt nature, together with its uneasy passions and pleasant desires, as they served Christ; that is, they have crucified them, they have nailed them to Christ's cross, and given them death's wounds, so as though they be not utterly extinct as yet, they nevertheless are a-dying.

" 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Ver. 25. If then we pretend to have the Spirit in us as a principle of spiritual life, let us evidence it by our taking part with the Spirit against our corruptions, and framing our life according to his dictates.

*' 26 Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Ver. 26. I fear ambition has been very hurtful to you; so I would exhort you, in order to your returning to a sound mind, that ye would not be ambitious or desirous of applause among men, which is but vain and empty glory ; provoking one another by mutual disdain, as if others were nothing in comparison of you; and envying one another, desiring none to be esteemed but yourselves.

CHAPTER VI.

" Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a f^ult, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness ; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

Brethren, if any of your fellow-church-members, who have sometimes given evidence of their having the Spirit, be surprised into a fault, whether in principle or practice, by the flesh prevailing against the Spirit; I exhort you who are strong, who stand by the Spirit's prevailing against the flesh, that ye would endeavour the recovery of such, as a surgeon sets right a disjointed member ; (for those, by their fall, are disjointed members of Christ's body); and that ye would do this in meekness, purging your admonitions and reproofs to them, of all fleshly passions; and to press and help you to this, ye would, in the meantime ye are about that work, consider yourselves, how the root of all sin is in you ; lest, if ye forget to look to yourselves in these glasses of human fi*ailty, God be provoked to make you a glass to others, sufl'ering you for self-conceit to be tempted and succumb.

" 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

Yer. 2. Take a lift of one another's burdens, sympathizing with them under their miscarriages, as if they were your own, being affected with them; and thus answer the command of loving one another, which is Christ's law, recommended to us in a special manner by his precept and practice. This Christian sympathy will be an evangelical fulfilling of that excellent law.

" 3 For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

Ver. 3. Those that have fallen, they doat on Moses' law; ye that stand do say ye will hold by Christ's law : pray you then give this proof of your sincerity in these pretensions ; for if a man think himself something, and above others, while, in the meantime, in his practice he is no more than his neighbours, that man is [heauton phrenapata) a soul-deceiver of himself: so ye, if ye hold by Christ's law in your principles, but flinch from it in your practice, ye deceive yourselves, valuing yourselves upon principles contradicted by your practice.

" 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. " 5 For every man shall bear his own burden."

Ver, 4. But let every man try his work and practice by the touchfcitouc of God's word; and then, if he find it will abide the

touchstone, he shall have ground of rejoicing, and counting himself happy in his state ; he shall have it, 1 say, in himself thus appoven by God's word, so that he shall not need to fetch in that silly joy and rejoicing in his own state, from other men's falls, as some do who think themselves right enough, because they are not so bad as some others that they see. Ver. 5. Let every man try his work : for at the day of judgment every man shall give an account of his own actions to God; and the best will find they have burden enough, when they come before a holy God, who will never pass a comfortable sentence on any, just because they were not so bad as others.

" 6 Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things."

Ver. 6. Let the people who are taught, communicate to their ministers who teach them, in all temporal good things necessary for their comfortable maintenance.

" 7 Be not deceived ; God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

" 8 For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption : but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Yer. 7. Do not deceive yourselves: when ye have no will to be at the expense of maintaining your godly pastors, ye can find out many fair pretences for it to stop their mouths, whereby they are mocked; but ye have to do with God, who will not be so mocked by you : for as a man shall reap the same grain that he soweth, so shall ye at the great day get a reward suitable to your actions in this life. Yer. 8. For he that liveth according to the flesh, shall get eternal destruction, as the product of his sinful actions ; but he that liveth according to the Spirit, shall get eternal life, as the product of these good works.

" 9 And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Yer. 9. And being entered on a course of doing good works, let us not shrink back from it, as cowards in war: for though we do not reap the fruit of it presently, more than the husbandman does, yet ■we shall reap the fruit of it, even eternal life, in the time destinate for reaping, viz. the harvest of the world, if we do not faint and

give over, like a man sunk under a burden, liis spirits being wasted, and his members thereby being as it were all loosed.

" 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Ver. 10. Therefore, as we have opportunity to do good, let us do good, spiritual and temporal, to all men ; but in a special manner to the godly, who are members of Christ's family, which is joined together by the bond of faith.

" 11 Te see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand."

Ver. 11. Te see how large a letter I have written to you with mine own hand, and thereby my affection to you; for though I have written larger letters to others, yet they were written with other hands than mine own.

" 12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised ; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Clirist.

" 13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law ; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

" 14 But Grod forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

" 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

" 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them^ and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."

Ver. 12. As many as desire to make a fair outward shew of religion in the body, while they neglect religion in their spirits, they, bv the doctrine of the necessity of circumcision, constrain you to be circumcised, only that they may ward off from themselves the blow of persecution by the Jews, who would be stirred up against them, if they should preach the sincere doctrine of Christ's sufferings. Ver. 13. It is not out of true respect to the law that they urge it: for even they themselves that are circumcised do neither keep the moral law, nor the ceremonial law, where it crosseth their interest; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may satisfy their ambition, and may glory in making so many proselytes to their opinion,

receiving circumcision in the flesh, which we have preached down. Ver. 14. But far be it from me to glory in any thing but the sufferings of Christ, by which I am so mortified, that I care no more for the world's good opinion, or any thing in it, than men use to care for or value a crucified person, who is pronounced to be cursed; and, on the other hand, the world cares as little for me, even upon the very account of Christ's cross, which I preach, and put my whole confidence in. Yer. 15. I glory only in the cross of Christ; for I take it for an infallible rule. That in the kingdom of Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is ought worth ; but that the new creation, or regeneration, is the great business requisite to evidence our interest in Christ. Ver. 16. And as for those that turn the edge of their endeavours this way, living according to this rule, I, as an apostle of Christ, bless them from the Lord, (though false teachers should curse them): Peace of all kinds be on them, and the mercy of God be their sure refuge ; and let these be on all the spiritual Israelites, true believers, which God will account his Israel, though they be not circumcised.

" 17 From henceforth let no man trouble me ; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

" 18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."

Ver. 17- From henceforth let no man trouble me, quarrelling my call, or my doctrine, particularly alleging that I myself teach the necessity of circumcision: for in my body I bear such scars, received from persecutors, as are marks of my being a servant of Christ, even as servants bear their master's mark : and these received by me for preaching Christ sincerely, shew, that I have not pleased the Jews in preaching circumcision. Ver. 18. Brethren, all the saving benefits purchased by Christ be with your souls. Amen.

PRACTICAL DISCOURSES.

GOSPEL-COMPULSION.*

A Sermon preached immediately before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, at

Ettrick.

Luke siv. 23.

Compel them to come in.

And are they not happy that are iu ? Is your rock as their rock, 0 sinners, yourselves being judges ? And why will not ye come iu too ? Christ's house is not yet filled. Many have come in, but " yet there is room" for more, ver, 22. And we are sent to " compel you to come in." So we have it in charge in our text.

The scope of this parable (which, upon the matter, is the same with that of the marriage-feast. Matt, xxii.) is to shew the rejection of the Jews for their rejecting of Christ, and the calling of the Gentiles into their room. The supper to which they are bidden here, is Jesus Christ, with all his saving benefits : he is the maker, and the matter of this supper also. In the morning of time, in the patriarchal ages, nen were invited to this feast; for even then there were not wanting preachers of righteousness, 2 Peter ii. 5. In the mid-day, under the law, they were invited to it, by prophets, priests, and Levites. And here in the evening, in the last times, the times of the gospel, they are called to it as a supper; the dispensation of the gospel being the last dispensation of grace to the world. The Jews were they that got the first off'er, but they would not come ; they made their excuses, as ye may read vers. 17, 18, 19,

* This Sermon, originally intended to have been inserted in the author's book entitled, " Human Nature in its Fourfold State," &c. at the close of the discourses oa " the state of grace, or begun recovery," to which it plainly refers, and prepared for the press with that view, is here inserted, as a very proper introduction to the many excellent discourses in this volume.

20. of this chapter. The Gentiles get the next offer ; the servant is sent out to the streets and lanes : the ministers of Christ preach the gospel to the poor Gentiles, and they receive it. But all come not in at once : therefore the servant is sent out into " the highways and hedges," where the most miserable sort of people are to be found ; and even these must be compelled to come in. Possibly, this double sending forth of the servant, may point at the Lord's way in the dispensation of the gospel to the Gentile world : the gospel being first preached to those of them who had renounced the idolatry of their country, and worshiped the true God ; and sometimes assembled with the Jews in their synagogues to learn of them the knowledge of God, though they did not embrace the ceremonial part of their religion : these might well be represented by the " poor, maimed, and blind," sitting in the streets and lanes of the city. But afterwards it was carried to the most dark corners of the earth, where there was no respect either to the Jewish or Christian relig-gion, but all were sunk together in most gross ignorance and idolatry ; which might fitly be represented by " the highways and hedges." See Acts x.; and xiii. 42, 46, 49.

In the text we have three things. (1.) The great design ministers should have before their eyes in preaching the gospel; and that is, to bring sinners in to Christ. It must not be to draw them to a pcirty, but to draw thera to Christ. It is not to make them only change their ivoi'k, they continuing still luithout, by preaching mere morality to them; but it is toPmake them change their master too, to get them into Christ by faith. (2.) Consider whom they are to deal with in order to bring them in; even those that are sitting in the highways and hedges, like beggars in rags and sores, the most unworthy and vile sinners. (3.) The method they must use to get them in ; " Compel them" to come in, not by using bodily violence towards them. Christ put the sword of the Spirit in the hands of his ministers, but not the temporal sword. Dragooning, torturing, murdering, may be fit means to bring in men to Antichrist, but not to bring them in to Christ. The compulsion in the text is a moral compulsion, such as those use who invite men to feasts, who are not wont to cudgel them in, but seriously and earnestly to deal with them until they consent. So should ministers compel sinners to come in to Christ, dealing with them seriously and affectionately, so as sinners may see they are in good earnest upon their Master's errand. "We must give them the charming invitations and oflfers of the gospel upon the one hand, and lay before them the " terror of the Lord," on the other hand, that if men will go to hell, they may go with a witness. Witlial, here is intimated that efficacy of tlie

Spirit, which goes along with the word, to the conversion of the elect; which does not force, but sweetly necessitates them to come in.

DocTEiNB. It is the great work of ministers to compel sinners, in a gospel-way, to come in to Christ.

The best way that I can handle this text, is to aim at that which is given in charge in it. And in order to this, consider with me the import of it.

I. Sinners naturally are out. Were it not so, they needed not be compelled to come in. Hear all ye this day that are out of Christ, what ye are out of, and where ye are.

First, Sinners, do ye know what ye are out of? (1.) All ye that are out of Christ, are out of God's family, £ph. ii. 18, 19, God's household is the household of faith, ye are none of it. His house may be an empty house for you. Adam ran out of the house, and all his posterity with him; and ye are still there, where Adam left you. And is not that a sad case, to be out of God's family ? Though ye are in our mother's house, ye cannot call him Father, seeing ye are not in Christ his Son: ye can have no claim to the portion and inheritance of the children, Gal. iv. 30. (2.) Ye are out of God's covenant of peace, and so without hope of salvation, while in that slate, Eph. ii. 12. Ye read of a glorious chariot, Cant. iii. 9, 10. It is the covenant of grace, the covenant of peace, as it is held forth in the everlasting gospel; for that is " the word of truth, meekness, aud righteousness," upon which Christ rides and prospereth. The first chariot, wherein Adam and his children should have been carried to heaven, was the covenant of works: Adam had the guiding of it; but it did not drive far till it was broken to pieces. Now, there is a new one made in which Christ is carrying all his people to glory; but ye are out of it. King Solomon, the Mediator Christ, made it; it could not be made without him. He made it for himself, to manifest his own glory, and the exceeding riches of his grace by it; and " for the daughters of Jerusalem," to carry his bride home to his Father's house, in it. It was made of the durable " wood of Lebanon;" for he will have it to be an everlasting covenant, that shall never be broken. It has " pillars of silver," those excellent promises that are peculiar to the covenant of grace, as the promises of pardon, perseverance, &c., for it is " established upon better promises." And because there is no small weight in this chariot when a sinner is in it, he hath made the " bottom thereof of gold," solid and strong, so that none that are in it (though heavier than mountains of brass) shall fall through

it: for " the foundation of God standetli sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his," 2 Tim. ii. 19 ; they are secured by God's eternal decree of election. No storms of wrath can fall upon them that are in it; for it hath a covering of the purple blood of Jesus Christ. " The midst thereof, the inner part" of it, " is paved with love:" love lines the chariot; it is above them, it is on every hand of them; yea it is underneath them, so that if they do fall in it, they shall not get such a grievous fall, but they will be able to rise again. Happy they that are in it! But, alas ! sinners, ye are out of it. Ye are lying there where the first chariot laid you when it broke, (3.) Ye are out of God's favour, being out of Christ. Now, that is dreadful, for our God is a consuming fire. And there is no shelter from the wrath of God, but under the covert of the blood of the Mediator, Eph. ii. 13. The destroying angel is coming through, and there is no blood sprinkled on your door-posts. God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself; if ye do not come tn, and meet him there, what can ye expect but that he will meet you without, as a bear bereaved of her whelps, rend the caul of your heart, and devour you like a lion ? Hos. xiii. 8. "What do your duties avail, while ye are out of Christ ? can they procure you God's favour ? Your tears will never come into his bottle, nor will your prayers reach his ears, John xiv. 6.

Secondly, Know ye, sinners, where ye are ? I will tell you where ye are. (1.) Ye are on the devil's pasture, the mountains of vanity, about the lions' dens, and the mountains of leopards, where Satan feeds his herd. Ye are out of God's house, wandering abroad for bread, begging at the world's door, saying, Where is it ? Ye know not Christ, the bread of life ; and therefore the duug of worldly profits and pleasures is so valuable in your eyes. But tell me, sinner, are you ever satisfied ? You would " fain fill your belly with the husks" of the world; but do they fill you indeed ? is not the substance squeezed out of these things, so as ye find them but empty husks ? In all your traversing of the mountains of vanity, came ye ever to the place of which you could say, (and stand by it). This is my rest, and here I will stay ? no nor never shall, till ye come to Christ, Is. Iv. 2. (2.) Ye are in hell upon earth. To be in hell, is to be without. Rev. xxii. 15. and ye are not come in, ye are condemned already John iii. 18. bound in the prison, Is. Ixi. 1. What is the difl'erence betwixt you, and them that are in hell ? Ye are both prisoners; only ye are in the outer prison, they are in the inner prison. Ye are both away from Christ; only ye luill depart from him, they must depart from him. The fire of God's wrath is set on in the consciences of both; only it is not as yet blown up and made to flame in you, by the breath

of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone to kindle it, as it is in them ; but ye know not how soon it may be so. But there is yet another difference ; they are prisoners past hope, ye are prisoners of hope. Therefore we proceed to another point.

II. It is the great errand of the friends of the Bridegroom to bring them in that are out. Sirs, ye that are out, ye are where ye should not be, ye are on forbidden ground. We would have you in; we would have you come in to Christ, to unite with him, by believing in him, accepting of him in all his offices.

First, We declare unto you, that our Lord is invested with the sole authority and commission to be the great Prophet, the Preacher and Teacher of the way to Immanuel's land. Acts iii. 22. 23. He has set up his school amongst us, but he hath few disciples ; and we are come to compel you to come in, that his house may be filled. Satan has many disciples ; carnal wisdom has many scholars. Alas for it! 0 leave them. Our Lord alone is he that is given of the Father to be the great Leader to the heavenly Canaan, Is. Iv. 4. None ever came, or shall come there, but his followers; come in then, giving up yourselves to hira to be guided by him. Ye would all be happy, ye would all be at heaven at last: but ye are wandering in a wilderness, where there is no way; and ye will surely lose yourselves, if ye take not him for your leader. The way to glory is a difficult way, and ye are not acquainted with it; nay ye are blind travellers, ready every moment to fall over some precipice. 0 ! will ye take a guide ? Ye are now standing (as it were) in a place where two ways meet, uncertain which of them to take. Your own wisdom, which is folly, points out a fair broad way, saying, " Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither," Prov. ix. 16. but turn not in thither, for "the dead are there, and her guests are in the depths of hell," ver. 18. The Wisdom of the Father, our Lord Christ, points out to you a narrow way, but it leadeth to life ; and he is this day saying to you, " Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither," ver. 4. Come in then, renounce your own wisdom, give up yourselves to hira, to be led and guided by him. " Hear, and your souls shall live."

Secondly, Sinners, do not ye know that ye are guilty, and that ye can have no access to an unatoned God ? There was a breach made betwixt God and man by sin. Justice demands a sacrifice ; an atonement must be made. The sinner himself is unclean, he cannot be the priest; and he is not able to provide a sacrifice, for the cattle on a thousand hills are not sufficient for a burnt-off"ering. Wherefore Jesus Christ became our Priest; his human nature was the sacrifice; his divine nature the altar that sanctified the gift; the wrath of God was the fire that burned the sacrifice : the blood was carried in to

Vol. VI. T

the most holy place, when Christ ascended into heaven, and sat down at the Father's right hand, to intercede for sinners, upon the ground of his satisfaction. Now, here is the atonement; and we would have you to fall in with this device of salvation by a crucified Christ, renouncing your own righteousness, that you may mount to heaven by the ladder of Christ's mediation. In the earthly paradise, God set up a ladder by which all mankind might get up to the heavenly paradise. It was the covenant of works ; a ladder able to bear the weight of all the world at once ; but so contrived, that if but the least pin in it were loosed, all would break together. All mankind mounted it, even the first Adam, and all his children in his loins : but he having loosed one pin thereof, in a moment the ladder broke, and he and all his fell down into a gulph of misery, and an horrible pit, where they might see heaven afar off, but no way to get to it nioi'e. This dreadful break rejoiced the devils : it astonished the angels; they saw that they could not mend it, nor make another, and they were wiser than to attempt it. The Son of God saw there was none amongst all the creatures to help, and therefore his own arm brought salvation. Another ladder is made, Jesus Christ God-man, the Mediator betwixt God and men, the way to the Father, Gen. xxviii. 12. The foot thereof is set on the earth, for he is man; the ladder was set so low as sinners might reach it; it was set very low, even in " the lower parts of the earth," (Eph. iv. 9), the region of death. The top of it reached to heaven, for he is God; the ladder is so high, that it can set the sinner up to heaven. It can neither loose nor break with the utmost weight upon it; for it is knit together with blood of infinite value, shed to the utmost of what justice demanded, Heb. ix. 14. Come, sinners, lay all your weight on it, and fear not. The first ladder could bear nothing but men's persons; it could not bear one sinner with a burden of guilt on his back, but it would break under him : but this will bear yon, and your burden of guilt too, though it would be heavier than the sand of the sea. Ah ! there are but few upon this ladder, we would compel you to come on. Have ye a mind to lie still in the gulph ? have ye taken your last sight of heaven ? have ye bid an eternal farewell to glory ? or have ye not done it ? then why will ye not be compelled to come on ? 0 come before the ladder be drawn up. I know what ye are thinking in effect, ye that will not be compelled to come on ; ye are thinking, like " a thief and a robber," to " climb up some other way." I know what ye are doing; ye are doing one of two: ye are either mending the old ladder, and making the best ye can of the broken pieces, by your morality and legal walk ; or ye are making a new one of your own, a ladder of uncovenanted

mercy, trusting to the mercy of God, without uniting with the Mediator. But set ye the feet of them as low as ye will, God's justice will never suffer the tops of them to reach heaven. Lay your weight on them then, if ye will do no otherwise; venture your souls on them, venture eternity on them, and climb up: but know assuredly, though ye should get up so high by them as ye could knock at heaven's door, and say, " Lord, Lord, open to us," there they shall fail you, there they shall break, and tumble you down into the lowest hell, John xiv. 6.

Thirdly, Christ has got a kingdom from his Father, Psal. ii. 6, 7, 8; but he has few real subjects. He has set up his standard here this day, and we are come to compel you to come in, and submit to him as your Lord and King. Ye are under strange lords, and have long refused allegiance to your true Lord. 0 renounce all your idols now, and give yourselves away to him, to be from henceforth his only, his wholly, his for ever. Come in now, and " kiss the Son," Psal. ii. 12. Bow the knee to him; put the crown on his head. Cant. iii. 11. Open the everlasting doors of your hearts, that the King of glory may come in, Psal. xxiv. 7- If any poor soul be saying within itself, Alas! the armies of hell within ray breast are not so easily dispossessed; it is true indeed; but yet I hope you are not so closely blocked up, but that intelligence may be got betwixt Christ and you; ye hear his offer to be your King, will ye give your consent to it^ I will ask you but two questions to clear this matter. (1.) If you can do no more, yet will you give him your good-will of the kingdom ? Are you willing to part with your lusts, though you be not able to put them away ? Though you cannot shake the yoke of bondage off your own neck, will you give Christ your good-will, to take it off, and lay his own upon you ? As a King "he will subdue our iniquities," Micah vii. 19. (2.) Can your heart consent to the absoluteness of his government ? He must be an absolute monarch, his Avill in all things must be thy law. And why should he not be so? for he can do no wrong, Psal. xlv. 6, 7. Will you consent that he model the kingdom in thy heart as he will ? Shall he set up and cast down there as he pleaseth ? have you no secret reserves, no lust that is but " a little one," and must be spared; no prince of the blood of hell, that he must "deal gently with for your sake?" If it be so, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without?" Thy consent to him as he offereth himself, is thy coming in.

III. Sinners may come in. Know then that ye have liberty from the Master of the house to come in. Were it not so, he would not send out his servants to compel you to come in. Nay, sirs, he

t2

could keep his doors bolted against you, if it were not his will ye should come in: and if ye would be so bold as to come and knock at the door, or offer violence to it, he could speak a word that would make you fall backward. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives fair liberty to all of you, even the worst of you, to come. Ye that are bearing the devil's mark in your foreheads; ye openly profane persons, that sit as it were in the devil's highways; ye that are bearing his mark in your right hand, which ye can hide when ye please, ye vilest hypocrites, who are hid about the devil's hedges; ye are all welcome for Christ's part, he will not cast the door on your face. Surely there can be no less imported in his charge to compel you to come in. And therefore I would have you step forward. Consider, (1.) Is it nothing to you that ye have leave to come in? It was not so always. If before Christ was revealed, the sinner had offered to have come in, he would have met with the flaming sword of justice, that would have driven him back to his dungeon of misery and darkness. If Christ had not been ground betwixt the upper and nether millstones of the Father's wi'ath, he could not have been bread to sinners, though they had been hungering after him. (2.) The fallen angels have not leave to come in, and never had since they went out, Jude ver. 6, If it were possible they could believe in Christ, and be content to come in to him, they would get the door cast in their face; for they never got leave to come in. The door was barred on them, and the bar was never drawn, nor ever will, Heb. ii. 16. And God was no more debtor to us than to them. (3.) Be your case what it will, this is sufficient to determine you to come iu. If ye remain without, ye are ruined, and all doors of hope are closed on you, except this. Acts iv. 12. The door is open, ye are not forbidden to come in, ye perish if ye come not in ; could we say no more, but it may be ye may get in, this might determine you to give it a fair trial, if ye would but act rationally. Lastly, This leave to come in will not last always with you. " When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door," there will be no more leave to come in, Luke xiii. 25. They that are iu hell this day, cannot get in though they would never so gladly; there is no passing of the gulph fixed betwixt Christ and them, Luke xvi. 26. The first Adam closed the door upon us, but there was a second Adam to open it; if the second Adam close the door on us, there is not a third to open it, 2 Cor. iv. 3. " But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." The apostle here has respect to what he had said of the vail on Moses' face, chap. iii. 13. the vail spread over the Old Testament, ver. 14; but the gospel removes this vail, vers. 16, 17, 18. "But,"

says he, " if our gospel also be vailed, it is vailed to them that are lost;" there is not another dispensation of grace to be expected to take off that vail. It is God's last grace to the world, Heb. i. 1, 2. The Lord has been making a feast for the world these five thousand years, and now the last service is on the table. The last ship for Imraanuel's land is now making ready to sail; therefore ye must put to sea, now or never, Heb. x. 26, 27.

ly. Sinners are desired to come in. They not only have leave to come in, but they are desired by the Master of the house to come in. Arise then, ye worst of sinners, the " Master calleth you." Ye are called, not to a funeral, but a feast; not to a prison, but to the guest-chamber, where he may entertain you with all the delicacies of heaven. If ye were not desired, why would he send his servants to compel you to come in ? and will ye refuse when ye are desired ? Consider, I pray you, (1.) It ill becomes you, vile worms, to refuse his call. I am sure he might be for ever happy in himself, though you and I both were where, in strict justice, we should be, in the bottomless pit. He needs none of us. What are we that he should be pleased to trouble himself about us, whether we sink or swim ! The angels adore him, his Father honours him, and vile wretches, whom he desires to come in, have the face to refuse him whom the Father heareth always. (2.) There are many as good as you, whom he never desired to come in. He does not call you because he has none other to call, who might fill his house. He might remove this gospel from you, and send it into the dark places of the earth, and compel the pagans to come in. Should he do it, it is very likely his offers would be better entertained amongst them than amongst us. Some divide the world into thirty parts, and find that nineteen of these are possessed by pagans, six of them by Jews, Turks, and Saracens, and only five by Christians; and of these five parts Christian, many are Antichristian, lying yet under the darkness of Popery. And has the Lord chosen us out from among so many, to give us the invitation to come in, and shall we refuse ? Lastly, How will ye look him in the face, when ye appear before his tribunal, if ye will not come in now at his desire ? How will ye look back on rejected love ? "What will ye do when he comes in wrath to you, that will not come to him now, upon his call ?

Objection. But some will say, Is it possible that he calls me, even vile and wretched me ? Answek. We have general invitations clogged with no conditions, free ofi'ers made to all that will come, Is. Iv. 1. Rev. xxii. 17- And the Lord expressly shews, that no vileness nor unworthiness shall stop any that will come. Is. i. 18. Jer. iii. 1. and what would ye have more? We are sent this day,

in our Master's name, to compel you all to come in, be yonr case ■what it will. And if that would persuade yon, we should come to you, one by one, and tell you, that it is you, and you, and you, that Christ calls to come in. But if ye believe our doctrine from the word, concerning the misery of your natural state, without hearing your name and sirnarae in particular, why would ye require more in the doctrine concerning the remedy ?

V. Sinners must come in. Compel them to come in. Sirs, ye not only may come, but ye must come, even the worst of you. Ye are not only desired to come in, but ye must not abide without. Consider,

First, " This is his commandment, that ye believe," 1 John iii. 23. Ye are peremptorily commanded to come in. God is peremptory with you, and so must we be peremptory with you too. Therefore I tell you, ye must come; and I charge you in his name to come in, and not disobey his peremptory command. Lay your hands to your hearts then, and see what ye will do ; whether ye will still abide without, and obey the devil, and your doubts, fears, and jealousies of Christ, or come in upon God's command. Have ye any regard to the authority of God ? have ye any respect at all to his command ? then give a peremptory answer, within your own breasts, just now, whether ye will come in or not. Are ye peremptory, that ye will not come, like those sullen desperate sinners, Jer. ii. 25, " No, I have loved strangers, and after them will I go ?" then what shall we say or do for you ? Lord, compel them to come in ! Oh! will ye harden yourselves against the Lord, will ye stretch out your hand against God, and strengthen yourselves against the Almighty ? For Christ's sake, for your soul's sake, recal that word.

Secondly/, But if ye dare not be peremptory that ye will not come, then be peremptory ye will come; for your coming is so commanded, that it will admit of no excuse. Those that were first bidden to this supper, they would not come, but they sent their excuses: but were their excuses sustained ? no; God would not take them oflF their hand, but passeth a peremptory sentence against them, ver. 24. " None of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper." We dare admit no excuses in this matter, bring them from whence ye will, whether from the heaven above you, the hell within you, or the world about you; whether from God's greatness, your own vileness, or world's incumbrances. Whatever your case be, ye are commanded of God to come ; and his commands are not to be disputed, but obeyed. Wherefore, if ye will not be peremptory that ye will come, we must report to our Lord that ye will not come.

Tfdrdlt/, This duty is so peremptorily commanded, that ye must come, and come presently; it admits of no delay. "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." " Now is the accepted time." We dare not allow you a day, nay nor an hour, to think on it, whether ye will come or not; lest the next day, or the next hour, ye be cast into hell, or a hell be cast into you, for refusing the offer made to you this moment, which is gone before I can name it. Wherefore delay no longer ; but this moment open the everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Fourthly, This is the duty God has commanded you: John vi. 29. " This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Ye can do the Lord no greater pleasure than to come in. Would ye exalt him this day ? then come on his call, Hos. xi. 7 : would ye put the crown on Christ's head ? would ye make it a " day of the gladness of his heart"? then come in. Cant. iii. 11. It is a great ease for full breasts to be sucked : the breasts of mercy and love are full; come, starving sinner, do him the pleasure to suck the bi-easts of his consolations. This is the great comprehensive duty: If ye do this, ye do all; if ye do not this, ye do nothing. What mean ye to be nibbling at the works of God, neglecting this, which is the work. Ye are keeping your windows closed in the daylight, and setting up a caudle here and there, within your house; yet there are terrible dai'k corners within the house still; open your windows, I beseech you, and let in the sun, " the sun of righteousness," and that will be instead of all, and better than all. Would ye, all at once, be wise, righteous, and holy ? then come in to Christ, 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ye that can do nothing, come to Christ, and so ye shall do all, Philip, iv. 13. Would ye honour God ? would ye honour his law ? then come to Christ. But if ye come not to Christ, do what ye will, ye do nothing. Should ye henceforth keep all the ten commandments, but neglect this, all you do would get a black note of condemnation from heaven written on it. Remember, I pray you, that " he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father," John v. 23. All your other duties are but cyphers without this ; and multiply them as ye will, the sum iu all will be but nought, if this duty do not stand upon their head.

Lastly, It is a duty commanded, with certification of God's eternal displeasure and wrath against those that will not come : Mark xvi. 16. " He that believeth not shall be damned." Psal. ii. 12. " Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way." And therefore I, as an ambassador for Christ, do, in his name, command and charge you, and every one of you, to come in, under the pain of God's displeasure, under the pain of vengeance, even the Mediator's

vengeance ; certifying, that if ye will not come, our Lord Jesus Christ will come out of heaven against you, and ye shall be " slain before him," Luke xix. 27. To be slain, and die before Christ, who died to save sinners, is a thousand deaths in one; it is a hell upon a hell. But those "that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, even that Lord whose gospel they have not obeyed, 2 Thess, i. 8,9. Ah ! would he be pleased but to confine his presence to heaven, and only allow those that now despise and slight him the favour of being punished from the absence of the Lord; ah ! would he but make their destruction come to them at some distance, would he dart the arrows of his wrath into them from afar: nay, but he will have a throne of justice in hell, that they may be punished " from the presence of the Lord," who while in the world fled from his presence on a throne of grace in the gospel, 0 consider in time what ye do: no fire will burn so violently as that which breaks forth from the altar; no flame of wrath will pierce into a damned soul, like that which is blown up by the breath of a slighted Mediator.

VI. and Lastly, Sinners shall come in. Compel them to come in. Leaving secret things to the Lord, I must tell you, sinners, Christ will not want as many as will fill his house. And struggle as long as ye will, in ye shall come. His house shall be filled. The Mediator has bought the furniture of his house too dear to want any of it, and to leave so much empty room in it. I hope there are some here that are the purchase of blood, which men and devils shall not get kept back from Christ. His Father has engaged by covenant, that his house shall be filled, Psal. xxii. 30. " They shall come." See Is. liii. 10, IL Nay, is not Christ's hand at the hearts of some just now ? Do not some of you find a moving of the iron gate of your hearts, towards an opening of it to Christ ? Have you not felt something within working to compel you to come in ? Are not some almost in already ? Thrust forward; there is no safety till ye be not only almost, but altogether Christians.

Come in to Christ then, ye old people, that are bowing down to meet the grave. Ye have delayed long, delay no more. Though it is very rare, yet it sometimes falls out, that a man is born when he is old, Joel ii. 28. Come in, ye of middle age. Are ye out of Christ in your best estate ? Surely then your best state is a bad state, a miserable state. Ye are busy providing for your families, but what are ye doing for your souls ? Ye are laying up for old age, which, it may be, you will never see: what are ye laying up for eternity? Come in, ye young people; ye are too old to be out

of Christ. Do not think religion is only for the hoary head, the wrinkled brows, and hollow eyes; there arc more with green heads than with gray hairs in the grave. Therefore come in, and delay not. The older ye grow putting off the work of religion, your hearts will grow the harder to work upon. Come in, ye profane wretches, that are far from righteousness: come, ye hypocritical professors, that are not far from the kingdom of God: come, ye trembling souls, that are hard at it, and yet dare not come in. 0 why will ye not come in ? I think it must be either because ye will not, or because ye dare not. I fear there are some amongst us that will not come in; they have no mind to quit their lusts, they must follow their old courses, cost what it will; they see no beauty in Christ for which he is to be desired. I shall say little more to such. If ye be resolute for sin, hell, and death, and that no Christ, no heaven, no hell, shall keep you back from the broad way; who can stop you ? But be it known unto you, and be it recorded in the black book of your consciences, which shall be opened at the day of judgment, that salvation was in your offer this day, that we endeavoured to compel you to come into Christ, but ye would not; and that therefore your blood shall be on your own heads.

As to you th.it dare not come in, why dare ye not, after all ye have heard? are ye afraid to come in on Christ's call? dare ye not embrace his invitation ? dare ye not obey the great command of God?

Objection. But my sins are innumerable, and most heinous; can there be any room for me ? dare such a vile and unworthy wretch as I come in ? Answee. If your sins were each of them as big as a mountain, were they as numerous as the sand of the sea; yet the blood of Christ, being the blood of the Son of God, is able to purge thera away, 1 John i. 7- Lay over all your guilt and unworthiness on him who is altogether lovely: sooner shall the rocks sink under the weight of a bird lighting down upon them, than that blood shall fail you. Remember none are compelled to come in, none are called, but the vile and unworthy, Matth. ix. 13. Should your disease keep you from the physician ? dare ye not come to the fountain to wash, because ye are unclean ? for whom is the fountain opened, but for unclean sinners ? The gospel-supper, though a costly one indeed, was provided for none but those that were unworthy of a drop of water, and far more, unworthy of Christ's blood. Be assured, beloved, the question betwixt Christ and you is not, "Whether or not Christ will stoop so low as to wash such a foul soul in his own blood ? that is a question determined already. Is. i. 18. Zech. xiii. 1. But the question that remains to be decided, is,

"Whether or not, after Christ has stooped so low as to be willing to do that, the vile unworthy creature will give him the aftVont of stooping in vain ? What say ye to that question ? Ye have affronted the law of God; will ye affront the Son of God too, refusing his offer? If vile-ness and unworthiness could have kept sinners out from Christ, never one of Adam's sons had come in. Did not Christ find all the fair ones that are now in glory, lying in their blood ? are there any now walking in white, but those who were washed in the blood of the Lamb ? turn over the Bible, look into the history of ages that are past, see if ye can find any one that died at his door, who could not be admitted because he was so vile, wretched, and unworthy.

Objection. But there was never a case like mine. Answer. There have been very bad cases in Christ's hand, which he has cured; and never did the cure of any case put in his hand misgive. What think ye of Mary Magdalene's case, out of whom he cast seven devils? Mark xvi. 9. Was not Paul's case, who was a blasphemer and a persecutor, and yet found mercy, a case that may be compared with your's? 1 Tim. i. 13. Sure I am, the workings of sovereign grace upon him were designed to encourage the worst of sinners to come in, ver. 16. Manasseh, though he had the benefit of a religious education by his godly father, was an horrid idolater, a consulter with the devil, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6. a bloody murderer, 2 Kings xxi. 16; yet he came in, and was received graciously, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12. 13. And what do ye think of the case of Adam, who at once murdered all his children, ruined the souls of all mankind, and sinned against greater light than ever ye could do ? But let us yield it to you this once, that never one's case was like yours; and let us add to it, and never shall one be like it hereafter, it is so very bad: then I think ye have, as the penitent thief on the cross had, an occasion of glorifying our great Redeemer peculiar to yourself, wherein none of the vessels of glory have shared, or shall share with you. Come in then, thou whose case is a marrowless case, whose case has no parallel; you have the advantage of an occasion to honour Christ with the cure of a case so desperate, that the like of it was never in his hands before. " Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old," Is. xliii. 18; come in to Christ with your new case, " and, behold," says our Lord, " I will do a new thing," ver. 19. His blood has not yet gone so far as it can go. Grudge him not a new jewel in his crown of grace, that will shine brighter than any yet put into it. Come in then, and take the place appointed for the chief of sinners, deepest in the debt of free grace, if it be yet empty, I assure you, they that have come in already think it is not, but

that they themselves have filled it up. If it be indeed as thou sayest, then they are mistaken ; come you in, and you shall get it.

Objection. But, alas ! I cannot believe, I cannot come in to Christ. Answer. To clear your way in this matter; see that ye set yourselves to come in to Christ in a promise. Christ is held forth to sinners in the promises of the gospel. Is. Iv. 1. John vi. 37. Rev. iii. 20. and chap. xxii. 17. If ye would come to his seat, come to the promises, he is in the still small voice; ye will find the babe wrapped up in these swaddling-clothes. They that overlook the promise, and try to believe and come in to Christ, go the wrong way to work : that is like a woman's consenting to marry a man, of whose consent to take her she has no declaration. But the gospel-promise is the contract sent down from heaven, signed already with the Bridegroom's hand ; do ye take and read it over, sign it, by your hearts consenting thereto; and then Christ is yours, and ye are his. But close with Christ in the promise as a free promise, as indeed it is. Is. Iv. 1. Rev. xxii. 17- Many bar the doors of the gospel-promise with bars of their own making, and then they cry out ;)nd complain that they cannot enter in by them. 0 ! say some, if I had so much love, repentance, and brokenness of heart, then I could believe. But I advise you to believe, that ye may get these things, Zech. xii. 10; Acts v. 31. Now, though the promise be written in the Bible only, it is as surely Christ's consent to be yours as if ye had a voice from heaven for it, yea and more surely. But you will say, I dare not meddle with the promise. Answer. Then meddle not with Christ, but perish; for there is no meddling with him, but in the gospel-promise. But why is a drowning man so fearful, that he dare not catch hold of a cord, even a silver cord, thrown in to hale him to land? Nay, beloved, be not so foolish: though the promise be, in your eyes, like Moses' rod, turned into a serpent; yet take it by the tail, and it will become a rod in your hand. Hos. xi. 10. " The children shall tremble from the west;" as the Israelites trembled after Saul, that is, followed him trembling, 1 Sam. xiii. 7. So then Christ's bride may sign the contract with a trembling hand, love her Lord with a trembling heart and follow him with trembling legs. And 0 that all of you would say, though it were with a trembling voice, " Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our Grod." If so, ye would not be in vain compelled to come in.

CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

A Sermon preached immediately before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, at Ettrick, June 7, 1724.

1 Jolin iv. 14.

And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

John, the beloved disciple, in his epistles, is still breathing love; love is the string he delights peculiarly to harp upon : so he is either magnifying God's love to us, or pressing our love to God and to one another. And his darling subject, love, is no narrow one, but most comprehensive : it comprehends both the gospel and the law, both faith and works. The love of God to man, is the great doctrine of the gospel, the object of faith ; men's love to God and to one another, is the great doctrine of the law of the ten commandments, and the object of holy practice. And there is a near relation between the two: God's love is the fountain, our love the stream; the former the original holy fire, the latter the flame kindled by it. Accordingly, in the text, there is a display of the love of God, for moving us to love one another; the which display of divine love is the substance of the gospel.

Here then we have the gospel, which all the apostles were in one voice to preach unto the world: " We have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." And therein we may consider,

1. The gospel or glad tidings itself, viz. that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Here is glad news to the world, Christ's mission. The promise of this mission was made to fallen Adam in paradise: believers under the Old Testament lived and died in the faith of it. But the apostles testified it as a thing performed; the Father sent, or hath sent the Son. The party sent is the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ; no other was fit for this mission. The party sending, from whom he had his commission, was the Father, the first person of the glorious Trinity. None of a lower dignity could send one of his dignity. The character in which he was sent, is, " the Son Saviour of the world." So the words are without any supplement; of which there is no need here. So Christ is said to have come a teacher from God, John iii. 2, i. e. in the character of a divine teacher. As one is sent ambassador to such a

court, tliat is, constituted by his prince ambassador to that court, and accordingly sent away in that character; so Christ was constituted, nominated, and appointed by his Father, " Saviour of the world," and so sent away into the world in that character. The world is the world of mankind indefinitely, ruined by Adam's sin, John iii. 16, " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." Therein Grod's love toward man appeared, Tit. iii. 4.

2. The certainty of this gospel or glad tidings. All the apostles witnessed with one mouth this great truth : and they witnessed the same as eye-witnesses, having seen the Saviour, and conversed with him, and read his commission for that efi'ect, and beheld heaven's seal again and again set to it in his miracles. And this matter of their witnessing from their eye-sight, was so much stood upon, that the apostle Paul, who was not called to be an apostle till after Christ's ascension, was allowed first to see with his eyes, before he should bear witness, Acts xxvi. 16, " I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee."

Doctrine. It is the great truth and testimony of the gospel, that the Father hath sent his Son Jesus Christ in the character of Saviour of the world.

In prosecuting this doctrine, I shall,

I. Take notice of some things imported in this testimony.

II. Open this character, " Saviour of the world," in which Christ was sent.

III. Apply.

I. I shall take notice of some things imported in this testimony.

1. The world needed a Saviour; otherwise one had not been provided for them by him who does nothing in vain. It was a sick world, cast into a desperate illness by eating of the forbidden fruit; and needed a physician to cure the distemper, Matth. ix. 12, " Jesus said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." It was a cursed world, staked down under wrath by the sentence of the broken law; and needed a Saviour to remove the curse, and bring in the blessing. Acts iii. 26, " God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you," &c. It was a lost world, lost to God, lost to themselves, lost to all good, lost and perishing under the wrath of God; and it needed one to seek and

save them, Luke xix. 10, " For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

2. None of inferior dignity to the Son of God could be the Saviour of the world. No man, nor angel, was able to sustain the character of Saviour of a lost world: the work which lay to that office was above the reach of the whole creation, Rev. v. 3, " And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." Here was a trial of the divine love to man ; his case was hopeless and helpless from all the creatures : and it issued in that, " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," John iii. 16.

3. Christ was sent Saviour of the world from heaven's proper motion. The plot to save man, was concerted entirely without him. The world did not meet, and send one to the court of heaven, with a petition for a Saviour, that a Saviour was granted to their earnest entreaties and supplications: but the Father, of preventing free love, sent his Son Saviour of the world. The world's need spoke loud, but they themselves were quite silent; and yet their needs spoke no louder than those of the fallen angels: and sovereign free grace heard the voice of man's need, while it stopt its ears to the voice of the needs of fallen angels, Tit. iii. 4, " But the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared."

4. Christ is fully furnished for the saving of a lost world. His being sent in that character, speaks his ability to answer it, Heb. vii. 25, •' Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." There is no case to be found in the world, but what there is a remedy to be found in Christ for. Whosoever in the world shall die, they shall not die because there was no help for their case in the Saviour, but because they did not employ him, or put their case in his hand. The Saviour of the world is certainly able to save the world ; since he was sent of God in that character.

5. Lastly, The salvation of lost sinners of the world of mankind is very acceptable to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, as well as to himself, otherwise he had not sent his Son Saviour of the world, 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. " For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved." Hence it is called "the pleasure of the Lord," Is. liii. 10. "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." So he is said to make the marriage for his Son, and to send forth to bid to that marriage, Matth. xxii. Whence it is evident, that there is no impediment to the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ, on Heaven's part; it is pleasing to the Father, tojiis Son, and to his Spirit.

II. I sluill open this character, Saviour of the world, in which Clirist was sent; and for that end inquire into two things. 1. In what sense Christ is Saviour of the world. 2. What is the business committed to him as such.

Fii-st, In what sense Christ is Saviour of the world. A saviour is a name of honour, and a name of business. It is an honourable thing to save and help the miserable ; to be destined, appointed, and called to that employment: but the honourable post has business annexed to it; it will not do without activity, which success is expected to attend, as in the case of a teacher, physician, and the like. Now, one may be a saviour, even as a teacher or physician, of a society, two ways. (1.) In respect of office, as being called to and invested with the office of saving, teaching, or curing that society. And thus one is saviour, teacher, or physician of that society, before ever he save, teach, or cure any of them. In this respect one may be called an official saviour, teacher, or physician. (2.) In respect of the event and success, as actually and eventually saving, teaching, and healing. As the former ariseth from an appointment put upon such a one ; this ariseth from the work he mauageth in virtue of that appointment. In this respect one may be called an actual and eventual saviour. Thus it is said, Neh. ix. 27. "And, according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hands of their enemies. This premised, we say,

1. Our Lord Jesus is the actual and eventual Saviour of the elect only, in whose room and stead only he died upon the cross, according to the eternal compact passed between him and the Father, in the covenant of grace, otherwise called the covenant of redemption ; for these are not two, but one and the same covenant. Thus the apostle calls him " the Saviour of the body," Eph. v. 23. that is, of the elect, who make up the body whereof he was appointed the head from eternity, and in whose name he contracted with the Father in the eternal covenant. And he is their Saviour eventually, as actually saving them, Matth. i. 21. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their sins." None but these will ever truly employ him as a Saviour, or put their case in his hand : and there are none of them but will certainly employ him sooner or later. Acts xiii. 48. " As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." John vi. 37. "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."

2. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the official Saviour, not of the elect only, but of the world of mankind indefinitely; so our text calls him " Saviour of the world." Agreeably to which, God in Christ is

called " the Saviour of all men," but with a speciality, " the Saviour of them that believe," 1 Tira. iv. 10. The matter lies here : like as a prince, out of regard to his subjects' welfare, gives a commission to a qualified person to be physician to such a society, a regiment, or the like; and the prince's commission constitutes him physician of that society; so that though many of them should never employ him, but call other physicians, yet still there is a relation betwixt him and them; he is their physician by office ; any of them all may come to him if they will, and be healed: So God, looking on the ruined world of mankind, has constituted and appointed Jesus Christ his Son Saviour of the world : he has Heaven's patent for this office ; and wheresoever the gospel comes, this his patent is intimated. Hereby a relation is constituted betwixt him and the world of mankind; he is their Saviour, and they the objects of his administration : so that any of them all may come to him, without money or price, and be saved by him as their own Saviour^ppointed thera by the Father.

That Christ is thus the Saviour of the world, appears, if ye consider,

\st, Scripture testimony, which is plain. Our text expressly calls him so: and so do the believing Samaritans profess their faith in him, John iv. 42. " "We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." You have the appointment of Heaven very plain thereanent, John iii. 16. " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life;" even as the brazen serpent lifted up on the pole in the wilderness was the ordinance of God for healing to the stung persons of the whole camp of Israel. Hence Christ's salvation is called the common salvation, Jude ver. 3; a salvation which any of mankind sinners may lay hold on. So the Saviour's birth is said to be " glad tidings for all people," Luke ii. 10, 11; which it could not have been, if he had not been a Saviour for all people. Wherefore he himself testifies, that he came to save the world, John iii. 17. " God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Chap. xii. 47. " I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." This was his office; to save sinners indefinitely; not this or that sort of sinners, but sinners of mankind indefinitely, without exception, 1 Tim. i. 15. " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;" the lost, Luke xix. 10. " The Son of man is come to seek and to save t!:at which was lost;" 2 Cor. v. 19. " God was in Christ, reconciling the world

unto himself, not imputing tlieir trespasses unto them." To the same purpose he declares himself "the light of the world," namely, by-office, John viii. 12. that whosoever will employ him may have the light of life.

2dli/, If it were not so, he could not warrantably be offered with his salvation to the world indefinitely, but to the elect only; more than he can be offered lawfully to fallen angels, who are not within his commission as a Saviour. For the ministerial offer can never lawfully carry the matter beyond the bounds of Christ's commission from his Father. But Christ and his salvation may be warrantably offered to the whole world of mankind-sinners, with assurance that whoever of them will employ him to save them, he shall be saved : Mark svi. 15, 16. " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." " He that believeth, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Moreover, if it were not so, the unbelief of hearers of the gospel, not elected, their not coming to Christ for salvation, could not be their sin : for it can never be one's sin not to do a thing he has no warrant for; not to employ one to save him, whom God never appointed to be his Saviour. So it is not the sin of fallen angels, that they believe not in Christ for salvation, because they are not within the Saviour's commission ; nor of those who never heard of Christ, because his commission was never intimated to them. But not believing in Christ the Saviour, is the sin that ruins the hearers of the gospel who do at all perish, John iii. 19. " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Finally, if it were not so, the elect themselves could never believe in Christ, till in the first place their election were revealed to them; which is contrary to the stated method of grace: for they can never believe on Christ for their salvation, till they see him to be a Saviour for them.

There are two things further to be remarked on this head.

1. The ground upon which Christ might be constituted Saviour of the world by office. And that was the sufficiency of the merit of his death and sufferings: for though Christ died only in the room and stead of his elect, ou the cross sustaining their persons only, according to that John x. 15. " I lay down my life for the sheep;" yet the price paid for them being of infinite worth, was sufficient in itself to save the whole world. The bread provided for them, viz. a crucified Christ, was sufficient to give life to and feed, not them only, but the whole world of mankind : and therefore he m'ght be appointed Savionr of the world, John vi. 33, 51. " The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and givetli life unto the

YoL. VI. u

world. I am tlie living bread, which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

2. The reason why he actually was constituted Saviour of the world. Among several reasons that might be given for this, I shall only observe here this one, namely, that it was put upon him as a piece of honour, the reward of his great service, ia laying down his life for and instead of those who were the objects of his Father's electing love, Is. xlix. 6, 8. " And he said. It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee : and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people." The Father for that cause invested him with " all power in heaven and earth," Matt, xxviii. 18. John v. 21, 22. " As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." And it was a reward suitable to his work.

Secondly, What is the business committed to him as Saviour of the world. Not to descend into particulars here, we may take it up in these two.

1. It is to save sinners from their sin. Matt. i. 21. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." Satan ruined the world by bringing sin upon them : thereby they were bound with the cords of guilt, the image of God in them was defaced, they were polluted and made loathsome, and shut up in the hands of a strange lord. God has appointed Christ Saviour of the world, that sinners may come to him, and be delivered from their sins, 1 John iii. 8. " He that committeth sin, is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." It was an inveterate disease, the cure of which was quite beyond the reach of any mere creature, as far as the raising of the dead is : so he was appointed Saviour in the case, Psal. Ixxxix. 19. " I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people."

2. It is to save sinners from misery, to free them from destruction, Hos. xiii. 9. " 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me iii thine help " Tliey are by sin made objects of wrath, laid under

the curse of the broken law, liable to revenging wrath for time and for eternity: he is appointed to save them from all this, upon their coming to him, and employing him for that purpose, Is. xxxii, 2. " And a man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary laud." Sin let in a deluge of miseries on the world, which flow about the sinner continually in greater or lesser measure : he is a Saviour to dry it up to them, 1 Cor. i. 30. " But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

Use I. Of information.

1. Echold here, admire, and believe the great love of God to a lost world, in providing a Saviour, and such a Saviour, for them, even his own Son. The Scripture speaks of this in a very high strain, John iii. 16. " God so loved the world, that he gave his ouly begotten Son," &c. There was a man-love in God, Tit. iii. 4. " But the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared ;" a love of the kind, mankind. It has appeared in two eminent instances. (1.) In securing, by an irreversable decree, the salvation of some of them. (2.) In providing a Saviour for the whole of the kind, constituting his own Son Saviour to the lost family of Adam indefinitely. Believe it with application to yourselves. If upon this a secret murmur begins to go through your heart. But it was not for me; crush it in the bud, for it is a bud of hell. If you are not one of the devil-kind, but of sinful mankind, it was for you. The Father gave Christ a Saviour for you, that if you would believe on him, you should not perish : he sent his Son from heaven with full instructions and ample powers to save you, if you will believe. And is not this love ? Believe it, and it will be the way to let you in to a sight of more love.

2. Behold here a broad and firm foundation of faith for all and every one of you; that you may come to Christ, whatever your case is, and claim his righteousness and his whole salvation for yourselves ; that you may betake yourselves to him as the refuge appointed for you by the Father, from sin and wrath, with as much freedom as a stung Israelite might have looked to the brazen serpent; that you may wholly trust on him, that he will save you from sin and wrath. For he was sent of the Father Saviour of the world; and if by the F.ither's appointment he is Saviour of the world, he is by office your Saviour, and my Saviour, since we are members of that world of mankind: so that we may by faith claim his saving us from sin and wrath ; as a scholar bred in a place

u 2

may claim teaching of him who is appointed master of a free school in that place ; as those of a congregation may claim preaching of their own minister ; and as the wounded in battle may claim healing of their own physician, who has a commission to be physician to their regiment. " For we testify, that the Father sent the Son Saviour of the world."

3. Sinners living in their sins, pining away, and about to perish eternally in them, are without excuse. For " we testify, that the Father has sent the Son Saviour of the world :" John xv. 22. *' If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had sin : but now they have no cloak for their sin." Sinners are destroyed with their living and raging lusts, they are run down with them as with running sores, their souls are bleeding to death with them as with mortal wounds: in this case they hold on over the belly of their convictions ; and they say, they cannot help it. One cannot help his swearing ; another his sensuality; another his pride, passion, cove-tousness, gross ignorance, his old corrupt unrenewed heart. But the truth is, ye will not have it helped, John v. 40. " Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." If ye cannot help it, ye have a Saviour who can help it, and would certainly help it if ye would employ him. Know it of a truth, if any of you shall perish, and if ye go on in your sins ye shall perish, ye shall not perish for want of a Saviour. At the tribunal of God, the devils may say, we could not be saved from our sins ; for there was no Saviour appointed for us : the pagans may say, we could not be saved; for though we were within the compass of the Saviour's commission, yet we never heard of it, it was never intimated to us. But what will ye have to say, that ye are not saved from your sins; when your Saviour shall sit judge upon you, and condemn you, to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, for that ye would have none of him, nor his salvation ; ye would not be saved from your sins, would not put your case in his hand ; though he had his Father's commission to be Saviour of tlie world, and your Saviour, and it was read to you, ye would not receive him as your Saviour, but would rather die in your sins than employ him ?

4. Believers themselves may be ashamed and confounded, for that iniquity prevails so against them. Alas ! it is a sad sign the Saviour is little employed among us. Little living by faith, makes little holiness of life. 0 look to that sin that so easily besets you, that has so often wrecked your soul's case : believe you have a Saviour for it, and employ him.

Use II. For trial.

Try whether the Saviour of the world by office is your actual Sa-

viour ; whether or not he has saved you. Think not that Christ puts off his saving of sinners till they corae to heaven : true, they are not completely saved till they hd there ; but if your salvation by Christ is not begun here, you shall never get there: Tit. iii. 5. G. 7-" Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour : that being justified by his grace, we sliould be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." And ye have no right before the Lord to his table, if he has not been a Saviour to you actually and eventually, in having saved you from sin and wrath initially, though not completely : for if it is not so, it is an evidence you have not received him as your Saviour; for no sooner is he employed by a sinner but he begins to save that sinner.

3Iark 1. If Christ has really begun to save you, ye will have the saved man's thoughts of sin, and of the wrath of God. If a drowning man were pulled alive out of a water, or a filthy stinking puddle ; and standing at the side of it, looking to it after that gliff; what would be his thoughts of that water, that puddle, where he was once over head and ears, and almost gone ? Such will be your thoughts of sin, and of the wrath of God. Ye will have awful and reverend thoughts of the wrath of God above all awful things : Heb. xii. 28. 29. " Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear." For our God is a consuming fire." Matth. x. 28. " Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Of all terrors it will be to you the most terrible. Those in the state of wrath, they are either so as they have lost their senses in it; they know not where they are, they are dreaming of some pleasant place ; and so they go on peacefully in their sins, undisturbed with thoughts of wrath : or else they have some terrible apprehensions of it; but there is something more terrible ; and therefore they will riither sin than suffer the hardships attending duty, yea attending mortification: or else their heart is fire-hot with the terror of the wrath of God, and in the meantime, at least, key-cold of love and child-like affection to the God whose wrath it is. But the saved soul looks on it as of all things the most awful, but in the meantime with a child-like reverence of and affection to that God whose wrath it is.

Mark 2. Ye will have a transcendent esteem of and love to your Saviour, 1 Pet. ii. 7- " Unto you which believe he is pre-

cious." His conscience-purifying blood, his soul-sauctifying Spirit, will be more valuable to you than a thousand worlds. Ye will desire them above all things, pant and long after them, and aye more and more of them : and in comparison of them, all the world will be but trifles in your eyes, which ye would be content to part with to gain them : Matth. xiii. 46. " The merchantman when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Luke xiv. 26. " If any man come to rae, and hato not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Phil. iii. 8, 9. " Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Mark 3, Lastly, Ye will be groaning under the remains of the disease of sin ye are saved from ; your conscience will witness ye would fain be wholly rid of it, Rom. vii. 24. "0 wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death !" Your souls will be longing for the complete salvation; that the enemies you see to-day, ye may see no more for ever; that ye may get a complete victory over all your corruptions : Rom. viii. 23. " We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Use Last.

Receive the Lord Jesus, then, 0 sinners, in that character wherein his Father sent him, as the Saviour of the world, and your Saviour. Ye are lost in your sins, and lost under the wrath of God, and the curse of the law ; come to him for his whole salvation. Employ him, put your case in his hand as your Saviour by the Father's appointment ; and slight him no more.

Motive 1. Consider you need a Saviour. Your disease of sin will ruin you, if ye be not saved from it. The guilt of it will stake you down under wrath, and the wrath of God will sink you into hell. And while sin keeps its dominion over you, be sure the guilt is not removed : Matth. ix. 12. " They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Gen. ii. 17. " But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

Motive 2. There is no Saviour besides Christ, Acts iv. 12. " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." All others are

physicians of no value. All your own endeavours will not save yon, nor any thing any creature can do for you.

Motive 3. He is able to save you, Heb. vii. 25. " He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him." Whatever be your case, there is infinite merit in his blood to take away the deepest guilt, 1 John i. 7. " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." There is an infinite efficacy of his Spirit to sanctify the most unholy, 1 Cor. vi. 11. " And such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." If ye doubt it, ye dishonour Christ, and his Father who sent him, Psal. Ixxxix. 19. " Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people."

Motive 4. He is willing to save you, Rev. xxii. 17. " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, Come, And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." The only thing wanting is your willingness to be saved, Jer. xiii. 27. " Wo unto thee, 0 Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ?" There is no fear of being rejected if ye come, John vi. 37. " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." He has taken on him the office of Saviour of the world, and he cannot refuse the business of it.

Motive 5. Lastly, Y'e must either receive him as your Saviour from sin and wrath, according to his commission from heaven; or ye will be, and be held refusers of him for your Saviour, after his Father has nominated and commissioned him for that eifect. Consider how ye will answer that before the judgment-seat.

Question. How shall I receive him, and employ him ? Answer. By faith, by believing on him. Being convinced of your sin and cursed state, and desiring to be saved from both, believe Christ is your Saviour by his Father's appointment; and so wholly trust on him as a crucified Saviour, for his whole salvation, on the ground of God's faithfulness in his word.

THE NECESSITY OF SELF-DENIAL. A Sermon preached, on a sacramental occasion, at Galashiels.

Luke ix. 23.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

They that are rash and indeliberate in their setting away after Christ among his followers, 'rill readily be found to break away from him again, and desert him, ere they come to the end of the course. Therefore our Lord Jesus fairly intimates here how he is to be followed of all that would come to the end of the course with him ; that men may count the cost ere they begin to build ; and lay their account with what they are to expect in his company, in the way to the kingdom. And in the words there is,

1. The case which this intimation refers to, " If any man will come after me." It is not the case of coming to Christ, as if none might come to him, or believe on him, till once they have denied themselves, and taken up their cross daily: for as none can come after Christ in the sense of the text, till once they have come to him; so none shall ever be able to reach these things, till once they have believed on him. But it is the case of coming after Christ; which is more than following him; and consists of two parts. (1.) Following him in the way to the kingdom, upon which one is set by believing. This part of it our Lord points at, Luke xiv. 26, " If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple;" as it is plainly imported in the expression. (2.) Coming in at his back into the kingdom ; as the term to which Christ with his followers was moving: where he being set down, they also come in after him, and in his right. And this part of it is expressed, ver. 24, " For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

2. What is necessary to that case, to one's following Christ in the way to, and coming in at his back into the kingdom of heaven. Two things are necessary thereto. (1.) Self-denial; " Let him deny himself," otherwise he will not follow me in the way to the kingdom : for I deny myself, Rom. xv. 3, " For even Christ pleased not

liimself; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." John v. 30, " I can of mine own self do nothing—I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent rae." The original word is very forcible, " Let him deny away himself," like those that desert a party, to have no more to do with them, and content that all the world know it. They must deny themselves as the Jews denied Christ, Acts iii. 14, " But ye denied the holy One, and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you." And how that was ye see, John xix. 15, " But they [the Jews] cried out. Away with him, away with hira, crucify him—we have no king but Caesar." Away with self, crucify it: we liave no king but Christ. They must deny themselves, as they must deny ungodliness, Tit. ii. 12, denying its cravings, starving it, till it dwindle away into nothing. (2.) Taking up the cross daily, and following him with it on our back, " Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily;" otherwise he will not come in at my back to the crown ; for so I go to it with the cross on my back, and that daily. The cross is any trouble or adversity which the Lord lays upon his followers.

Now, these things are necessary in this case, absolutely necessary; otherwise we do not follow Christ in the way to the kingdom, but self in the way to destruction : and so we cannot come in at his back to the kingdom, and there is no other way to get into it. They are universally necessary : " If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Be who they will, ever so delicate or dainty; they must lay their fair necks under this yoke, or perish.

3. The parties to whom this intimation is made : " He said to them allP Peter gave the occasion for this, by his rashness in advising or wishing Christ might spare himself as to the cross: for which he got a particular rebuke. But Mark tells us, that thereupon he called together the people, and his disciples also, chap. viii. 34. And here he said to them all, " If any man will come after me, let hira deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The matter nearly concerning them all, as well as Peter, the intimation was made to all accordingly.

DocTKiNE. Whosoever will follow Christ in the way to the crown, and come in at his back to the kingdom of heaven, must of necessity deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Christ with it on his back.

Three things fall here to be considered. I. One's coming after Christ, which is the case put; II. One's denying himself; and, III.

One's taking up his cross, and following Christ; which are the two things necessary in that case.

I. First, We are to consider the coming after Christ, which is the thing some do aim at, and all should. For clearing of that, consider,

1. Christ in the world was in the way to his kingdom, the kingdom of heaven: Luke xix. 12. " A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom." As he was God everywhere present, he was there even when on earth, John iii. 13. " the Son of man which is in heaven:" but as he was man, he was but in his way to it. That was the joy set before him, which he had in view all along while he travelled through our wilderness-world.

2. Accordingly he was in the world, not as a native thereof, but as a stranger travelling through it, with his face always away-ward from it, home to his Father's house. Therefore, though he was sometime courted to set up for himself in it, he would not hearken to the solicitations to stay, and take his kingdom here. The Jews would have forced their kingdom on him, John vi. 15; but he fled from it, departing into a mountain, where he was nearer heaven, out of the din of the world. Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world, Matth. iv. 8, 9. but he rejected his proposal with indignation.

3. Our Lord Jesus made his way to his kingdom through many bitter storms blowing on his face in the world, and is now entered into it: Heb. xii. 2—"who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." His life here was a life of sorrows; but now he has reached the fulness of joy. Death wrought on him all along to the grave ; now it has no more dominion over him.

4. There is no coming into that kingdom, for a sinner, but at his back, in fellowship with him: John xiv. 6. " I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." If we pretend to come into it otherwise, justice will cast the door on our face, and tumble us down into the pit. He is the captain of our salvation, that is on the head of the whole company of the saved: he is the door of the sheep, and there is no entering but through him. So, " If any man will come after me," is in effect, If any man will enter into the kingdom of heaven.

5. Lastly, There is no coming in at his back into the kingdom, without following him in the way: Psal. cxxv. 5. " As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth

with the workers of iniquity." John xv. 6. " If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." He is the author as well as the fiuisher of our faith; the chief guide in the way, as well as the giver of the prize at the end of the race. Certainly the merit of Christ is effectual on none unto salvation but those whom it conforms to his example. If we have any saving part in his death, we will be conformed to him in his life. Wherefore, since Christ went to his kingdom, denying himself, and taking up his cross, we must lay our account to go and do likewise, if we mind to be there.

II. Secondly, Let us then consider briefly, one's denying himself to come after Christ. And,

1. It implies two things. It implies,

\st, That Christ and self are coutrai'ies, leading contrary ways: " If any man will come after me, let him deny himsdf." Self is Christ's great rival in the world ; and no man can serve the two masters: he must either deny himself, and go after Christ; or he will deny Christ, and go after self. There is no compromising the matter betwixt the two: for Christ is the leader of God's upsetting; self of the devil's, when man fell off from God. Hence it implies,

2dly, That the self to be denied is our corrupt self, the old man, the unrenewed part; for that only is contrary to Christ. And, indeed it is not possible there can be any true self-denial but in sound believers, regenerate persons ; in whom there is a renewed part, which is that which denies, and an unrenewed, which is that which is denied.

2. Wherein it consists. It consists in a holy refusal to please ourselves, that we may please God in Christ: for it is a denying of ourselves in competition : and God is the competitor, whom the self-denying Christian prefers to himself, after Christ's example, Rom. XV. 3. " For even Christ pleased not himself," &c. And it is God in Christ for whom a sinner denies himself, as saith the text: for an absolute God out of Christ being a consuming fire, with which we can have no comfortable communion, the sight of him frights away the sinner, and causeth self to gather together all its strength in its own defence against him; whereas the view of God in Christ draws the sinner to lie down at his feet in hope. Hence, in self-denial there is,

\st, Faith and hope, as the necessary springs thereof: Phil. i. 29. " For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,—to believe on him." Rom. xii. 12. " Rejoicing in hope." Cut off these, and you cut off self-denial: for the heart of man will never quit hugging

one's dear self, till it get a God to rest in; nor let go its gripes of what it has, till it have hope of better.

2dly, A practical setting up of God as our chief end ; and a bringing down ourselves to lie at his feet: Psal. Ixxiii. 25. " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." This is true conversion, whereby a man i& brought back to his primitive situation, out of which he was turned by sin, setting self on the throne as his chief end, and laying the honour of God at its feet. The which unnatural situation all natural men are in; their whole life being one uninterrupted course of practical blasphemy, making themselves their chief end, and God the means.

'^dly, An unlimited resignation of ourselves unto God in Christ: 2 Cor. viii. 5.—" first gave their ownselves to the Lord." Faith taking hold of God as our God, according to the measure of faith, the whole man is swallowed up in him; God is all, and we become nothing in our own eyes: the whole soul, the whole man, the whole lot, is resigned to him.

4«Hy, A refusing to please ourselves in any thing in competition with God; but denying the cravings of self, as they are contrary to what God craves of us : Tit. ii. 12.—" denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts." And herein lies the exercise of self-denial, which there will always be occasion for while we are here. We may take it up in two generals.

1. Denying our self-wit, which is ready to crave of us a quite other belief and judgment than God demands of us by his word and works : Prov. iii. 5. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." If we will come after Christ, we must in this case shut our own eyes, or refuse to believe our own eyes. So did Abraham, Rora. iv. 17, 18.—" who against hope believed in hope," &c. There are two cases particularly wherein this self-wit is to be denied.

(1.) In the case of truths revealed in the word, be they never so mysterious: 2 Cor. x. 5. " Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The want of this is causing many unhumbled men to make shipwreck of the faith at this day, to sap the foundations of Christianity in gratification of their self-wit. But the grace of God will make the greatest wits and profoundest scholars receive revealed truths like a child, if ever it touch their hearts : Luke xviii. 17. " Verily, I say unto you. Whosoever shall not receieve the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

(2.) In the case of wants, crooks, and hardships that we find in our lot. God in his providence says, that trial, cross, &c. is best for you : self-wit says, it is very bad ; and thinks it sees well how that work of God might be mended, and made far better. And tlius many walk in a course of contradiction to the judgment of God declared in his works of Providence. Holding fast by self-wit, they will not quit their opinion of the matter to him. That is walking after self-wit.

2. Denying our self-will, which is ready to thwart with the will of God. Thei'efore we are taught to pray, (Matth. vi. 10.) " Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." If we come after Christ, we must take God's will for our will, saying with him, (Matth. xxvi. 39.)—" Not as I will but as thou wilt." There are two cases wherein we are particularly to deny our self-will.

(1.) In the case of duty, that we may comply with the will of God's command, however cross it may lie to our inclination : Rom. vii. 22, 23, " For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members." God's will must be a sufficient reason for our practice, and we must put the knife to the throat of all our contrary inclinations, Tit. ii. 12, " denying ungodliness and worldly lusts."

(2.) In the case of our lot, that we may comply with the will of God's providence, Acts xxi. 14, saying, " The will of the Lord be done." He that made us must be allowed to manage our lot and condition ; we calmly and contentedly submi:ting our will to his, readily embracing what he carves for us. There is reason for it. Job xxxiv. 33, " Should it be according to thy mind ? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose."

And this denying our self-wit and self-will must extend to three kinds of things.

1. To our civil comforts; such as, our outward peace, worldly substance, liberty, and credit, and the like : all which must be laid at the Lord's feet, to do with them as he will, take them from us, or continue them with us, if so be we will come after Christ: Luke xiv. 26, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

2. To our natural enjoyments, as health, ease, relations, even life; all which also must be laid at the Lord's feet, to be disposed of as he will, not as we will, Luke xiv. 26, forecited.

3. To things of religion ; not trusting in our own management for them, but depending wholly on the Lord, Psal. cxxvii. 1, " Ex-

cept the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain ;" nor making ourselves the chief end of them, but the honour of God, even as in all things else, 1 Cor. x. 31, " Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

And here two things are of special consideration. One is, that when we refuse to gratify our will, on some carnal motive that may feed some spiritual lust, as is the case in Popish austerities, that is not the Christian self-denial; but a gratifying of self in one thing by denying it another: and that is a bias the heart is ready to slip aside to. Another is, that there is a denying of ourselves even in spiritual things; for there is nothing wherein self may not mix •while we are here. This was called for at Mary's hand, John xx. 17, " Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father," &c. It was exercised by Paul, Phil. i. 23, 24, " I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Spiritual benefits are ever to be desired : but even in those things there must be an awful regard to the will of God. Say, " Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,"

Use 1. Is it so that there is no coming after Christ but in the way of men's denying themselves ? then religion is no easy business, and there are few like to see heaven. It is not a way wherein men can be allowed that latitude and self-indulgence which most men cannot want. And they do but deceive themselves, who pretend to faith, or to have come to Christ, that are not exercised to deny themselves.

2. See and consider, communicants, what ye are to lay your account with in coming after Christ, which, in communicating at his table, ye say ye are resolved on. Lay your account with the struggle against self; giving up with self-wit, and self-will: and lay your account with your cross.

3. See a weighty errand ye have at the Lord's table, with respect to denying yourselves, and taking up your cross. Ay, say ye, we are to bind ourselves solemnly to these duties. I will not deny but ye are. But I doubt ye know your errand well anent these things, if that be the main part of it: that should be, how to get strength for these duties, and to get a sealed possession of Christ and the promises for that eflfect. And believing is the way to attain that.

(1.) The more firmly ye believe on Christ, and apprehend God as your God in him, the more will ye be in case to deny yourselves, and take up your cross.

(2.) It is by believiug we at first become new^ creatures, 2 Cor. v. 17- " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Eph. ii. 10. " For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." And it is by believing that the new man grows. And so it is by it that there is a principle of self-denial, and by it one is strengthened to the exercise thereof.

(3.) Lastly, In this duty deny yourselves, and depend on the Lord.

III. Thirdly, "We come now to consider one's taking up his cross, and that daily, and following Christ. Without this none can come after Christ to the kingdom of heaven, and in the way thereto. They who mind to come after him to mount Zion, must go as Simon the Cyrenian went after him to Calvary, Luke xxiii. 26. bearing his cross.

We offer the import of this clause in these following things.

1. God will lay down the cross to every one that minds for heaven, that they shall have nothing ado but to take it up, John xvi. 33. *' In the world ye shall have tribulation." They shall not need to make crosses to themselves, nor to go out of their way to seek a cross : Grod will lay it down at every one's door. He had one Son without sin, but no son without the cross, Heb. xii. 8. " But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." And God lays down the cross to be taken up by us; when it is brought to that, we must either suffer or sin, Heb. x. 35. " Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."

2. He will lay it down daily to the followers of Christ, that they may have a daily exercise in taking it up, and bearing the cross of the day. Matt. vi. 34. " Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." A change of crosses may be got, but there will be no end of them as long as we are here. Our wilderness-station may be changed indeed; but it will be but for another wilderness-station, till once we are over Jordan : Psal. Ixxiii. 14. " For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning."

3. We must not be choosers of crosses. Every one must take up his own, allotted to him by sovereign wisdom, that is the best judge what cross fits us best. We are ready to think we could bear another cross better than that which is laid before us : but that is but a deceit of the heart, that is aye for shifting the present cross; and speaks a want of self-denial. But to strike the bottom out of this humour of picking and choosing crosses, know, that if God mind to take a particular trial of you for heaven and eternal

life, and there be any one thing wherein, of all other things, ye are least able to be touched, God will choose your cross for you in that very thing: ye will be sure to be touched in the sore heel, and get rubs where ye are least able to abide them. And it is highly reasonable the trial should be there, when the competition is betwixt Grod and self. Mark x. 21. "One thing thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come take up the cross, and follow me."

4. We must not trample on the cross, and step over it, but take it up: Heb. xii. 5. " My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord." The sullen manliness and Roman courage wherewith some bear their crosses is the produce of self-will, not of self-denial: and speaks contempt of God, not submission to him. When heaven is our party, it becomes us to stoop, and not to make our faces like flint, lest God be provoked to dash us in pieces.

5. Tet neither must we faint at the sight of the cross; for at that rate we will not be able to take it up: Heb. xii. 5. " Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." It is unbelief which causes that fainting, whispering into the soul at the appearance of the cross. Now, ye will never be able to bear that: and when that is received, the hands hang down, and the knees become feeble: and then the soul is next door to going out of God's way for relief, Heb. xii. 12, 13. " Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees: and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed." But know ye it for a truth, there is no cross whatsoever so heavy but we may get it borne acceptably: there is an allowance of proportionable strength made for it, to be fetched in by faith, 2 Cor. xii. 9. " And he said nnto me. My grace is suflicient for thee ; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Phil. iv. 13. " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

6. As we must not go ofi^ the road of duty to shift the cross, so we must not stand still till it be rolled out of our way, but take it uj-, and go forward. It is easy going off the way, but not easy co iug on again. There are quagmires of sin and sorrow on every side of the cross, where the shifters of it may come to stick, 1 Tim. vi. 9, " But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." And to follow Christ in the summer of prosperity, and desert him in the winter of adversity, speaks self-love, not the love of Christ to be predominant in us; and will shew us to be

iirtie-servers, not servants of Christ: Job xvii. 9, " The rigliteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."

7. We must take up no more for our cross than what God lays down ; not what Satan and our own corruptions lay to it: it will be our wisdom to shovel that oil' in the first place, and we will take up the cross the easier. God lays down barrenness to Rachel for lier cross, Satan and her own corrupt heart lay a killing weight upon it, Gen. xxx. 1, " And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." And then she is like to die in taking it up. 0 how often do men lay overweights on their cross, and then complain they are not able to heave it ! Indeed, we are for the most part in the mist about our crosses, and then molehills appear mountains : but when the cross is cleared of what is laid to it, the naked cross turns little bulk ; and he has it half up, that has it so cleared : 2 Cor. iv. 17, " For our liglit affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

8. But however heavy the cross be, we are not to refuse it. Our very life, which of all worldly things is dearest to us, must be laid at the Lord's feet, and we ready to part with it for Christ. The cross was an instrument of death, and that a most shameful and painful one : and the necessity of taking it up, says, that every true follower of Christ must be content to be a martyr; and will be so, either in action or affection. Luke xiv. 26, " If any man come to me, and hate not—his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

9. We must yoke with the cross willingly and submissively : God can lay it on us, whether we will or not; but he will have us to stoop, and take it up on us: James i. 2. " My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations " When, by the providence of God, we fall into thera, we must not be like the untamed bullock, on whose neck the yoke must be forced; but like the camel that bows down on his knees till the burden is laid on him. Lam. iii. 29, 30, " He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him, he is filled full with reproach." So did Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 18, " He said. It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth him good." This is done by a Christian submission of our will to the will of God in the matter.

10. We must bear it, going evenly under it, till the Lord take it down. It is what belongs to the Lord to take it off; it is our part to take it up. There must be an exercise of patience in our coming after Christ, Luke xxi. 19, " In your patience possess ye your

YoL. YI. X

souls." And patience must liave lier perfect work, enduring to the end, James i. 4.

11. Lastly, We must follow Christ with the cross on our back. The example of Christ's holy life is the compass by which we must steer our course, if ever we get to the shore of Imraanuel's land, 1 John ii. 6, " He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." And the hardships of the way through the cross will not excuse our going out of the way. However we be put to suffering, we must aye be doing in imitation of Christ.

Use. 0 Christians, communicants, and whosoever of you mind for the kingdom of heaven, lay your account with the cross; take it up meekly, and bear it after Christ. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial. The cross is a kindly name to a Christian: be reconciled to it. For that end consider,

1. The necessity of it, in virtue of the divine appointment: " If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." They that cast out with the cross, do in effect cast out with heaven. Though the way of the cross is a rough way, yet it is the highway, the only way to it. The fiery trial by the cross is that whereby God tries what metal is fit to be made a vessel of glory, and what not: and it is a dreadful thing to be casten here as base metal, Jer. vi. 29, 30, " The bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire, the founder melteth in vain ; for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them."

2. Christ bore the cross before you, for your sake ; and shall it be such a frightful thing for you to bear it after him, for his sake ? If ye would partake of his crown, will ye refuse your part of his cross ? Rom. viii. 17, " If so be that we suflFer with him, that we may be also glorified together." It is highly reasonable Christ's followers be like him in the way to the kingdom, as well as glorified with him in it. If the head bore a cross, it were unbecoming the members to go without one. When he was a man of sorrows, can his followers expect to be men of joys here ? Will the world, that was a step-dame to him, be a natural mother to us ?

3. Consider the relation your crosses and troubles have to the cross of Christ, 0 believers.

(1.) They are the cross set up again to Christ, upon which his members are now suffering: Col. i. 24. " Who now rejoice in ray sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church." And the cross, piercing his members, cannot miss to touch the head, Is.

Ixiii, 9. ** In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them : in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried thera, all the days of old." Zech. ii. 8. " For thus saith the Lord of hosts. After the glory hath he sent rae unto the nations which spoiled you; for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye." This view of the cross, in which Christ himself appears on it with us, may render it more lovely.

(2.) They are Christ's cross to you, as he left it. Christ in person took up the cross, and there was a curse in it when he took it up : he takes off the curse, and leaves it; and bids you take it up next. 0 believer, the tree is left thee, but the curse is away; the nails are left, but the venom they were dipt in is away. Though bulls should push you, the horns wherewith they pushed him are cut off. Though crosses of all sorts should meet together in your case, the soul and life which the fiery law breathed into them is gone.

(3.) They grow out of the cross of Christ. Ye will, may be, not expect the Christian's bitter troubles among the fruits of Christ's cross : but mistake it not: they must either be blessings or curses. Curses they are not, Gal. iii. 13. *' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ;" therefore they are blessings : and if blessings, from whence else can they drop ? Eph. i. 3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." It was by the blood of his cross he procured the covenant-blessings to his people, and the cross among the rest, Psal. Ixxxix. 30—33. " If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments : then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." We might welcome the cross in this view.

4. The cross is for the destruction of the old man, not of the new man. It is a cross to our corruptions that is much needed : but no real grace ever yet died by the cross. As the candle shines brightest in the night, and the fire burns keenest in a keen frost; so grace has ordinarily thriven best under the cross. It is indeed a cross to our corrupt will, that never goes right while it gets head : it is a cross to particular lusts, that should be mortified. Gal. v. 24. " And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts:" and both these need to be crossed.

5. It has been the lot of the saints in all ages. And there is no shifting of the cross, if we will go out by the footsteps of the

x2

flock. Yea, and ordinarily they that have been most dear to God have drunk deepest of the bitter cup; the most eminent for piety and usefulness, as Job; for piety and parts, as Heman and Paul ; for divine manifestations made to them, as Jacob and David.

6. Lastly, Public persecution for the cause of Christ is what most now alive never saw, far less felt; though our fathers had a long and dark night of it. But the way to heaven is still the same ; and therefore no wonder God is making up that want another way in the case of his people ; and what trial formerly he took of them, by persecutors, prisons, and gibbets, he is taking the same upon the matter of them now, by other means.

I will conclude by giving you some helps to bear the cross.

Help 1. Look on yourselves as strangers on earth ; and keep your eye on Christ, as he went through the world ; and upon heaven, as your home, where only ye expect your rest.

2. Quit not faith's gripe of the promise of through-bearing : Is. sliii. 2. " When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Believe firmly, that Christ lays on no cross without allowance of ability for acceptable bearing it; plead and look for it.

3. Lastly, Set the cross in the light of the word, and look in through it, till ye see the pleasure in it that Paul assures us from his experience to be within it, 2 Cor. xii. 10. " Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I strong." Why, (1.) There is a pleasure in a man's seeing hiinself standing a candidate for glory, on his trials for heaven. (2.) In seeing a gracious God cross our corrupt inclinations ; in seeing the thieves on the cross, and the hand of God darting one arrow after another into their heart. (3.) In seeing ourselves pass the mountains, where we see the marks of Christ's own footsteps before us. Sucli a paradise there is within the thorn hedge of the cross.

THE OLD AND THE ^fEW MAN IN BELIEVERS. A Sermon preached, od a sacramental occasion, at Maxtoa, in the year 1729.

Rom, vi. 6.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The sanctification of siuuers is no less a mystery than their justification : the former springing out of the cross of Christ unto them^ through the intervention of faith knitting the sinner to a crucified Christ, as well as the latter. Hence the apostle—having asserted the insurance of the sanctification of believers, that they shall certainly walk in "newness of life," ver. 4; in "the likeness of Christ's resurrection," ver. 5, i. e. as Christ, during the forty days after his resurrection, lived in the world after a new manner, very different from his manner of life in it before his death—brings the. ground of it from the cross of Christ, in the words of the text. In which we have,

1. The ground insuring holiness of life in believers united to Christ, " Our old man is crucified with him." This secures their holiness of life, in such manner as the drying up of the fountain doth the drying up of the streams.

(1.) The state the fountain of sin is in believers, " Our old man is crucified with him." This supposeth that Christ was crucified; that in believers there is a twofold man, a new man, and an old ; for while he saith, " our old man," he intimates that the old man is not the whole man, as in the unregenerate. The new man is the new creature of grace in the believer, or he as renewed. The old man is the corruption of nature, or he as unrenewed. This old man is the fountain of sin in his heart and life.

Now, the state it is in is a state of crucifixion; it is nailed to the cross, which is a state of death. And its crucifixion is a concruci-fixion with Christ, Gal. ii. 20. " I am crucified with Christ." In so far as the believer is by faith united to Christ, his old man is nailed to the cross of Christ, to fare here as Christ fared : and that was heavy fare.

(2.) The issue of this state of the fountain of sin in believers. It is twofold.

\st, The final issue, " That the body of sin might be destroyed."

The old man is the body of sin, being a complication of the seyeral sinful lusts opposite to the holy law, as the body is of members competent to the human frame. Now, the final issue of this state of the old man, the body of sin, is its destruction and utter ruin. Crucifixion is not present death indeed, but it is sure and certain death. Pilate would have " chastised Christ, and released him," Luke xxiii. 16. but the Jews would have him crucified, for that would carry him quite away from among them : even so the old man is not to be corrected and amended, but destroyed quite and clean.

2dly, The intermediate issue, " That henceforth we should not serve sin;" that from the moment of our union with Christ we should not serve sin any more, voluntarily living in it, and giving up ourselves to it as its servants, to live and act for satisfying it, as we did before. The old man may live long on the cross before he be destroyed : but then his hands and feet cannot serve him as they did before, there are nails driven through them ; he may move them indeed, but then it is with pain and difiiculty. So was it with Christ; he behoved to recommend his mother to the care of his beloved disciple John, for that his own hands and feet were not at liberty to act and go for her as formerly.

2. The certainty concerning this ground, " Knowing this." It is not a matter of uncertain hope, but known for truth. It could not be known by sense ; no bodily eye could discern our old man on the cross with Christ: nor yet by rational deduction from natural principles ; for the whole mystery of Christ is supernatural. Therefore it is known by faith upon divine testimony; it is a conclusion of faith to be laid down for invigorating us in all our endeavours after holiness of life, and to be firmly held and stuck by in all our struggles with the old man, as ever we would desire to make head against him.

That I may touch the several purposes of this text, I shall offer them in several doctrines to be briefly handled.

Doctrine I. " There is in believers united to Christ a new man, a holy principle ; and an old man, a fountain of sin.

I. "Why the holy principle and the corrupt nature in believers are called the new and old man ?

1. They are called men, because each of them possesseth the whole man, though not wholly. There are by their means two I's in every believer, Rom. vii. 15. " For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate that do I." There is not one part of the man that is in Christ, but grace has a part of it, and corruption has a part of it: as in the twilight there

is light over all, and darkness over all too, the darkness being mixed in every part with the light. So my renewed part is I, a man having an understanding enlightened, a will renewed, affections spiritualized, using my body conformably : but my unrenewed part is I too, having an understanding darkened, a will rebellious, affections corrupted, and using my body accordingly.

2. They are called the new and old man, for two reasons.

(1.) Because the new nature is brought in upon the corrupt principle, which was the first possessor. The corrupt nature is of the same standing with ourselves from the conception and birth, and possessed us alone till our union with Christ by faith. And then only came in the neiv nature, and that made the former old.

(2.) Because of their different originals; the one being in us from the corrupt first Adam, the other from the holy second Adam. So the believer, looking on the corruption of his nature, may call fallen Adam father ; and on the new creature in him, he may call Christ father. The second Adam coming after the first, made the first old: so the produce of them in us is the old and new man accordingly.

II. How the believer comes to be thus split in two, two men. This is done by virtue of his union with Christ, from whence ariseth a communication of grace to him from Christ, 1 Cor. i. 30. " But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." Concernin-J-which two things are to be noted.

1. That in the moment of one's union with Christ by faith, there is communicated to him, out of the fulness of grace in the man Christ, a measure of every grace in him, as the wax impressed receives every point in the seal, John i. 16. " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." Eph. iv. 13. " Till we all come— unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And thus is the new creature formed, being a new man perfect in parts, entire or having all its members, no grace totally wanting.

Hence it is that the new man is formed immediately after Christ's image, so that it is the very picture of the man Christ, as Eve was of Adam. Therefore the forming of it is said to be the forming of Christ in the believer. Gal. iv. 19.

2. That yet there is not then, nor during this life, communicated to the believer a full measure of any grace, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. " For we know in part." So all the graces being imperfect, though they remove sin as far as they go, they cannot fill up the room in any part, mind, will, or affections. And thus is there an old man left in the believer still, Rom. vii. 14. which is the image of the first Adam, from whom the corruption composing it is derived.

Use 1. Hence see, that the believer's life while here caunot miss to be a struggling life, Gal. v. 17- " For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." The believer is like Rebekah in another case, the two men struggle in hira ; and like the two armies in the Shulamite.

2. See here the rise of the peace and easy life of it most men have. The flesh in them has no competitor. In the state of glory, grace has all, so there is a perfect peace : in the state of nature, corruption has all; so there is peace too; except what is marred by the struggle between the flesh in one part Insting, and the flesh in another part fearing, as in Balaam, 2 Pet. ii. 15. "who loved the wages of unrighteousness." Compared with Numb. xxii. 18. " If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more." "Whereas the struggle in the believer is betwixt the flesh and Spirit in the same part willing, and willing the same thing of their proper motion, Rom. vii. 15, 16. forecited.

DocT. II. The old man in believers is a body of sin, an entire body, lacking none of its members, Rom. vii. 24. " 0 wretched mau that I am ! who shall deliver rae from the body of this death ?" This appears from the account of it already given. As we derive every grace from the second Adam in our regeneration, so every corruption from the first Adam in our natural generation.

Use 1. This may serve to humble believers, when they are at their best. There is an entire body of sin in them while they are here. Do they excel in any grace ? yet there is in them a member of the old mau opposite to it, as passion in meek Moses. Have they every grace in them ? They have every corruption too, though every one does not appear, more than every grace. Therefore they have need to watch against all sin whatsoever; for there is never a snare in the ill world but there is a member of the old man ready to fall in with it. Col. iii. 5. " Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth ; fornication, uncleanness," &c.

2. No wonder the believer groans being burdened, having a whole body of sin carrying about with him. And they that groan not under it are certainly all flesh ; no new man in them. If ye belong to Christ ye cannot want an errand to him for sanctitication. Ye have a body of sin to lay before him, which he alone can destroy.

DocT. III. The old man in believers is crucified with Christ. This boars two things, /

1. Christ was crucified. He not only died for us, but died for us the cursed, painful, shameful, lingering death on the tree of the cross; which we are met to commemorate. Christ was put to this death for us, rather than another kind of death.

1st, That the first sin that let in all sin into the world might be the more clearly read in the punishment. When ye consider the awful and tremendous dispensation of the Son of God, the second Adam, hanging naked on a tree, and dying there at great leisure in exquisite pain, can ye miss to see the fiery wrath of God against the sin of that naked pair in paradise, pleasuring themselves in the fruit of the forbidden tree, and in an instant defacing the image of God in thera ?

2dlY, That the whole world might see what a low and hard state Christ took on him, putting himself in our room. We were bondmen under the curse, and Christ took on him our state of servitude, and that under the curse becoming a bond-man for us under the curse, Philip, ii. 7. " He took upon him the form of a servant." Hereof the death on the cross was the sign and badge, being the punishment of slaves, and accursed in the law. And to make way for this circumstance, the Jews were subjected to the Komans.

Use 1. Remember a crucified Christ, enter this night deep into the thought of the Son of God hanging, groaning, dying on a cross for us. Admire the matchless love in it. Behold the severity of divine justice against sin in it. Prize the salvation so dearly bought, and receive it with thankfulness.

2. Think not strange, if ye have a crucified life in the world. If ye are Christians, followers of Jesus, why should ye think strange of it, to be thus conformed to your head ?

II. The old man in believers is crucified together with him. Here we are to inquire how it is crucified with him; which take in the following particulars.

1 Christ hung on the cross as a public person, a representative of his spiritual seed. For he was the second Adam suiferiug, as the other the first Adam sinning. So that as they sinned in Adam, they suffered in Christ; the law having them all on the cross in Christ their representative. Gal. ii. 20. " I am crucified with Christ."

2. Christ hanging on the cross had the body of all their sins upon him, your old man, and my old man. They were on him by the imputation of the guilt of them, though not inherent in him, 2 Cor. V. 21. " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Therefore our old man is said to be crucified, not in him, but with him.

3. "While he was hanging on the cross, he was raeritoriougly doing away the guilt of them, and consequently the power, pollution, and very being thereof; inasmuch as the guilt being removed, these must cease of course. For the strength of sin is the law, whereby it stakes down the sinner under the curse, 1 Cor. xv. 56.

4. The sinner being united to Christ by faith, the merit and virtue of Christ's suffering on the cross is actually applied to him. So that, his guilt being removed, there is a reigning principle of grace planted in him, going through the whole man, whereby the dominion of sin is broken, Rom. vi. 14. and the pollution removed so far as that new man goes, Tit. iii. 5. So that the believer is an image of Christ on the cross, full of grace in him, and of sin on him; but the former working off the latter.

Use 1. See then, 0 communicants, that the crucifying of the old man, the body of sin in you, depends entirely on your uniting with Christ by faith. The sacrament is appointed to seal and strengthen that union. Therefore your great business at the table should be, closely to knit with a crucified Christ. The more of that, the more will the death of sin be hastened on. And they that aim not at the destruction of sin in their communicating, while they pretend to remember a crucified Saviour, forget the end of his crucifixion, viz. that the body of sin, being crucified with him, might be destroyed.

2. The old man in believers is in a state of death, though not dead outright. It is crucified with Christ. It may move and stir in them, and vehement struggles it may make, as a dying man struggling with the mortal disease: but whatever efforts it make, it is on the cross, whence it shall not come down till it breathe out its last.

3. The practice of religion is painful work; and Christians must not think it strange, that oft-times they are pained to the heart in it. The saints in glory have no pain in their work; for the old man is destroyed in them: but the saints here have an unrenewed part; and that is on the cross, and cannot but pain them. There are right eyes in them to be plucked out; the man has a painful struggle in denying himself, crossing his own inclinations, wrestling against his own flesh and blood. Providence thrusts a spear into the old man's side, by piercing trials and troubles; it breaks his legs by cutting disappointments from many airths, to forward his death. This cannot be but painful.

4. The old man is long a-dying out; for crucifying is a lingering death. There must be an exercise of patience in the Christian course; for there may be many a battle ere the complete victory be

got. Many a wound the old man will take ere he fall; and after he is worsted again and again, he will get up and renew the battle, till he get the final stroke from the Lord's immediate hand.

It is a grave question, Why doth the Lord suffer the old man of sin to dwell in his people after their conversion? Why is not sin quite expelled at the first entry of grace? Our text affords one weighty reason for it, viz. that the members may be conformed to the head. Christ did not put off the body of our sins, that by imputation lay on him, at his very first encounter with it: nay, he liad a grievous struggle with it for the space of three hours on the cross, till he himself got the first fall, dying by its hand on the cross. Nay, if we reckon rightly, it lay heavy on him the space of thirty-three years; only upon the cross was the heat of the battle, which ended in his death and burial, whereby he put it off quite and clean. So, since imputed sin was on Christ the head all his life, inherent sin is left in believers, the members, all their life. The old man is crucified with hira.

Doctrine IY. By virtue of the cross of Christ, the old man in believers shall certainly be destroyed quite and clean at length. Here we may inquire,

I. What destruction is that that is certainly abiding the old man in believers? It is an utter destruction of it, with all effects of it, all marks and vestiges of it, all belonging with it to the oM Adam.

1. The old man himself shall be destroyed, utterly destroyed, out of all that are Christ's; so that though he has many a time trode them like a field of battle, there shall not be in them the least print of his feet to be discerned, Heb. xii. 23. " The spirits of just men made perfect." The day will come, when there shall not be the least guilt of it on them, to draw a frown from their Father's face against them, (Is. xxxiii. ult. " The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity"); when it shall have no power to prevail over them in the least: nay, when it shall no more have an indwelling in them, Heb. xii. 23. forecited; but shall be utterly cast forth as an abominable branch. So the new man shall possess all alone, without a competitor for ever.

2. The sinful vile body derived from old Adam, which brought him down from Adam to us, Psal. li. 5. and continues to the end the best friend he has in believers, shall be destroyed for his sake. The soul shall leave the sinful flesh to be carried into the grave, where it shall rot and consume, till it return to the dust again, so as not the least lineament of old Adam's image or likeness shall be discerned on it. And Christ will take the same dust thus purified.

and form it anew after his own likeness as second Adam, Phil, iii. 21.

3. The visible heavens that covered hira, and this earth that bore him, and furnished fuel to his lusts, shall for his sake be set on flames, and reduced to ashes, 2 Pet. iii. 10. " But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." Compare Gen. iii. 17. " Cursed is the ground for thy sake." So that it shall no more for ever be to be said, There is the earth where the old man some time lived, and there the heavens that gave him light and air. But Christ will make new heavens and a new earth for the new man, 2 Pet. iii. 13. " Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

4. Lastly, All that shall remain of him shall be buried in hell. Rev. XX. 14. " And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." Old Adam brought iu the old man into the world, and he spread his poisonous efficacy over all; so that look where ye will, ye shall not see in all this world that in which there is not sin, or some eff'ect of sin. But then all shall be gathered from off believers, and from off the now groaning creatures, and cast into the lake of fire; so that there shall not be the least sin, nor effect of sin, without the boundaries of hell.

II. When will the old man be thus destroyed ? You will easily conceive, from what is said, that destruction will have two periods.

1. At the death of the believer, and not till then. Till then the child of God must wrestle on with it; for so did Christ with it as imputed to him, till death set him free. It is a grave question, how come believei's to die being freed from the curse of the covenant of works ? Answer. They die in conformity to Christ their head; that as death came in by sin, sin may go off by death. It is not dying that does it indeed; for sin goes through death in them that are out of Christ, not moved from off them for all that death can do. But at death, Christ gives the redding stroke betwixt the new and old man, kills the old man outright, as 2 Sam. i. 10. And he does it, by letting in a full measure of every grace from himself into the believer, which takes up the whole man wholly ; and so the old man is gone in a moment, as the darkness upon the sun's displaying his beams over all.

2. At the end of the world. Then comes the utter abolition of all vestiges of it out of hell.

III. The certainty of it. It is even as sure as the death of Christ

could merit its destruction, and as the end of his death cannot be frustrated, and as he rose again from the dead free from the imputed guilt of it, and sits in heaven to-day without sin so much as imputed to him.

Use. Let the saints then take courage, and renew the battle vigorously with the old man; for the victory will uudoubtedly fall to their side. And as for you that are still for keeping the old man's head and heart hale ; as ye do interpretatively desire none of Christ's cross, it is an argument ye have as little saving interest in it.

Doctrine Y. In the meantime, till the old man be destroyed quite and clean by virtue of the cross of Christ, by virtue of the same cross the believer shall not be a servant to the old man more. That is the present piece of freedom from it the believer has.

1. The believer has heartily given up with him for a master. Some time he said, as Exod. xxi. 5. " I love my master,—I will not go out free." But now he hates him mortally, and would fain be altogether free at any rate, Kom. vii. 24. " 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" The very being in the house with the old man is a burden.

2. He will get no work, but forced work, off his hand more, Rom. vii. 15. " For that which I do, I allow not," &c. He will not yield his members to the old man voluntarily, as before, chap. vi. 13. ^' Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin." He will never get work with whole good will at his hand more, but half will at most.

Use. This writes death to such as have given their hand to Christ at his table, and are ready to go back into the service of their lusts. If from henceforth ye enter not into a struggling life against sin, ye have not felt the virtue of Christ's cross.

DocTKiNE YI. ult. Believers should go out against the old man in acts of holiness, in the faith that he is a crucified man; i. e. Believe your old man is crucified with Christ, and in this belief bestir yourself against him in the use of appointed means. If you believe it not, how can your hands be strong, having all to do yourself alone ? But believe it firmly, and it will make you as a giant refreshed with wine.

•

828 TTORil JACOB THRASHING THE MOUNTAINS.

WORM JACOB THRASHING THE MOUNTAINS, A Sermon preached on a sacramental occasion.

Isaiah xli. 14, 15.

Worm Jacob, — thoii shall thrash the mountains, and heat them small, and shah tnake the hills as chaff.

Religion is a mystery, and the truly religious are a mystery too. They are a mystery to the world, 1 John iii. 1, " The world kuoweth us not;" yea to themselves, ver. 2, " It doth not yet appear what we shall be." That is a matter not of sight and feeling, but of faith. There are many odd connexions, which folk would think contradictions and impossibilities, in their character. See a cluster of them, 2 Cor. vi. 9, 10, "As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live: as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." That is a strange connexion, an old man and a new man in one man: but none more strange and surprising than this in the text: A worm thrashing the mountains ; and that not ridiculously, without eflFect ; but most efficaciously, beating them small. In these words we have two things.

1. What the church and people of God are. They are named by him who misnames none, " Worm Jacob." Their name from their nature is a worm ; they are poor, weak, despised creatures, ready to be crushed by the foot of every passer by ; yet " worm Jacob ;" believing, praying, wrestling worm as he was.

2. What they shall certainly and infallibly do, " Thrash the mountains, and beat them small," &c. I find interpreters generally understand by the " mountains" the great and lofty potentates of the earth, setting themselves against the church. And no doubt these were in the prophet's view; but the view was not confined to them only. God's bringing down the Babylonian monarchy at their prayers, and the victories afterward of the Maccabees over their enemies, cannot reasonably be supposed to complete the intent of this prophecy. We must needs look to the kingdom of Christ for it; of which there is plainly an account, vers. 17, 18, 19. Compare Dan. ii. 34, 35. And we must carry on our view, all along to the end of time, Rev. ii. 26, 27; the rather that it is the manner of the prophet, to wrap up in one expression, temporal, spiritual, and eter-

nal deliverance; the deliverance from Babylon, which was temporal, being the first and nearest in view, Is. xxvi. 19, " Thy dead men shall live," &c.; but not terminating it. Here then we may consider,

(1.) "What " worm Jacob" has to encounter or yoke with, " mountains," and " hills," whose weight is sufficient to crush millions of him; difficulties quite disproportionable to his strength, as a mountain to that of a worm.

(2.) The success of this so very unequal match. The mountains shall not crush the worm ; but the worm shall thrash the mountains, as one does a sheaf of corn with repeated strokes. They did not in those days thresh their corn with flails, as we do ; but tread it out with the feet of men or beasts, or else by drawing a kind of cart, drag, or sledge, over and over it, called in the text "a thrashing instrument." I do not find the word here denoting the action of the worm, and rendered " thrashing," applied at all to that drag: but as it formally signifies " to tread out," as rendered Hos. X. 11, " Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn;" as appears from Is. xxv. 10, " For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill." So it is applied to a self-moving creature, man, Micah iv. 13, " Arise and thrash, 0 daughter of Zion;" or "beast," Jer. 1. 11. Here lies the mystery then, uniting the two notions of the self-mover and the instrument, that the worm shall tread out the mountains, as one would do a molehill. And if ye say, Alas! such a treader! what weight has it? I will make (says the Lord) the feet or belly of the worm like a new-shod thrashing drag for them, that shall tread out the highest and rockiest of them all to purpose.

(3.) The degree and pitch of the worm's success against those mountains : it shall beat them small, till they be like dust, as the word is used, Deut. ix. 21; or like chaff: so that they shall be blown away with the wind, and no vestige of them remain.

(4.) The insurance of this success of the worm. Who could insure it, but the mighty God ? He has done it. Jesus Christ, Jehovah, the most high God, and worm Jacob's Kinsman-redeemer, hath, by his word of promise, engaged his almighty power on the side of the worm against the mountains. Let not then the worm fear or doubt the success. A worm, seconded by Jesus Christ, will be an overmatch for all the mountains and hills setting up their heads from earth or hell.

Doctrine. The mystery of grace carried on by Jesus Christ in

WOn^r JACOB THRASIIIxa THE MOUNTAINS.

liis cliurcli and people, is like a worm's tlirasliing the mountains, infallibly to issue in its thrashing them away quite and clean. Briefly, worm Jacob shall thrash the mountains, and thrash them away quite and clean.

Here we shall consider,

I. The character of the subject v^herein this mystery of grace is carried on by Jesus Christ.

II. The mystery of grace carried on in them by Jesus.

III. I shall account for this mystery, worm Jacob thrashing the mountains of difficulties in his way, and thrashing them away quite and clean.

IV. Apply.

I. First, I shall consider the character of the subject wherein this mystery of grace is carried on by Jesus Christ. It is in worm Jacob, denoting the church in general, and every believer or true member thereof in particular : for of these the church consists, as in the text, ver. 14. without the supplement, " Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye men of Israel." One would think, that one designed to be a thrasher of the mountains should be a party of a signally great and swelling character, a hero, a giant, or if there were any thing could carry the character higher: but, on the contrary, it is very low, surprisingly low, worm, worm Jacob. This character points at these five things especially, in the case of the people of God. It points them out as,

1. Weak creatures, really weak for the encounters they must make, as a worm for a mountain. God himself gives them this name of extreme weakness : therefore they must be so in very deed. They have weak heads, hearts, hands, for the work they are called to. Not only does the first grace find them really weak, but the after supplies of grace also, Heb. xi. 34. " Out of weakness were made strong."

2. Humbled souls, truly sensible of their own weakness. By nature they were swelling vipers, but by grace they are humbled worms. And,

\st, Habitually humbled, in respect of their state, as the creeping worm, whose nature it is to go on its belly. So the humble and the gracious are equivalent terms, Psal. xxxiv. 2, 3. " My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 0 magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." There is a law-work, followed with gospel-grace, wrought on them; issuing in a thorough humiliation, breaking down their natural self-conceit, tumbling down their towering ima-

ginations about themselves which they had in their state of blindness, bringing thera, in their own eyes, from the consistence of mountains to that of worms ; and convincing thera, they are, have, and can do, nothing, Luke xv. 17 ; 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

'2dli/, Actually humbled, in respect of their frame. As the worm still retains its creeping gait, at the mountain, as in the valley ; so God's people, at difficulties to be happily surmounted, still keep up the sense of their own utter emptiness, and weakness for them, 2 Cor. iii. 5, " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is of God." If the worm Jacob begin to swell again, he will be so unwieldy that he will thrash no mountains till he fall anew, 1 Cor. xv. 10; 2 Cor. xii. 11.

3. Despised creatures. As the lofty mountains overtop the crawling worm, so doth the carnal world contemn worm Jacob, Psal. xxii. 6, " But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people;" and cxxiii. 4, " Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud." Though they may value worm Jacob for his gifts which he has in common with themselves, they will never value him for his grace, that leaves him still as a worm in their sight. What of religion lies beyond the reach of the natural man, they despise ; the Christian entertainment on words and promises, they despise, as we do the dust the worms lick up; the Christian way of doing in faith, they despise, as we do the crawling of the worm : Like Sanballat, when he mocked the Jews, saying, " What do these feeble Jews ? will they fortify themselves ? will they sacrifice ? will they make an end in a day ? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt ?" Neh. iv. 2, 3.

4. Yet united to Jesus Christ. Though a worm, yet worm Jacob. Our Lord Jesus himself is of the worm family, Psal. xxii. 6, viz. worm Jacob, Psal. xxiv. 6, " This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, 0 Jacob." Compare Is. xlix. 3. " Thou art my servant, 0 Israel, in whom I will be glorified." This intimates an union between him and them as his worm brethren, Heb. ii. 11. Being lowered and humbled to the condition of the worm, they are knit to and built on him by faith, Luke vi. 48.

6. Lastly, Daring adventurers, daring wrestlers. Worm Jacob ventured on him that formed the mountains, and wrestled with him, and prevailed too. Gen. xxxii. 24; Hos. xii. 4. What wonder to find him then venturing on the mountains themselves ? He must have the blessing, and must be forward whatever mountains be in the way, I proceed to,

II. The Second thing to be considered, namely, the mystery of Vol. VI. Y

grace carried on in them by Jesus Christ. We may take it up in these two.

1. An apparently hopeless encounter they are led to by him, worm Jacob thrashing the mountains. What a hopeless like encounter is a worm thrashing a mountain ! so hopeless like are the encounters the people of God have to make in their way to the eternal rest. These thrashers are certainly thrashers in hope, 1 Cor. ix. 10. But the naked eye cannot discover the ground of hope in it: it is faith only which shews it hopeful, while sight represents it as a hopeless case ; and therefore they must close their eyes, and thrash in faith, as Abraham did, Rom. iv. 19, 20.

We take up this hopeless like encounter in five things.

1st., The Lord lays in his people's way mountains of difficulties quite above their strength; difficulties which they look to, as a worm to a mountain before it: 2 Cor. 1. 8, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." However plain the way to hell be, the way to heaven will be a mountainous way, in the experience of all that travel it: they will never want mountains in their way, till they come to the hill of God.

2dli/, They must not go about the mountains in their way, shifting the difficulties which the Lord calls them to; but they must make their way over them, thrashing them down, Micah iv. 13, " Arise and thrash, 0 daughter of Zion : for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people, &c. If they offer to go about one mountain, they will be sure to meet with a higher in their way. Peter tried it, denying his Master, and found it so; encountering another as high above the former, as the anger of God is above that of the creature ; and which was like to crush him, Matth. xxvi. 75, "He went out, and wept bitterly.

Sdy, Therefore worm Jacob falls a-thrashing the mountains, combating the difficulties which the Lord lays in his way. He puts on a brow for a bargain, and resolutely bestirs his weak hands and feet, thrusting forward maugre all opposition. Gen. xxxii. 26; Matth. xi. 12. For there is a spirit in worm Jacob more daring and venturous than ever was in any unbelieving hero; a spirit for thrashing mountains, while they did but scatter molehills, Numb. xiv. 24 ; Prov. xvi. 32.

4<%, They continue the combating of difficulties resolutely and patiently. Thrashing is a continued action, consisting of repeated strokes. It takes some time to thrash a sheaf; how mucli more to

thrash a inouatain ? It is the ruin of many that they are not able to endure; if a stroke or two would do the business, they would brings their matters to a good account; but they have no heart to be thrashers. " But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing," James i. 4. " He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," Matth. xxiv. 13.

Lastly, Worm Jacob has many mountains to thrash. One would be enough, we would think, for the worm ; but there is a plurality of them. The truth is, this world is full of mountains to the people of God ; and when they have thrashed one, they will have another to fall to, till they be out of this mountainous country. Having passed one difficulty, they will get another to grapple with, till they be within the gates of the city. So they must have a thrashing lifetime of it till they come there.

2. A surprising success; even as surprising as a worm's thrashing and beating the mountains small to dust, and thrashing them away. Such will be the issue of the encounter which the people of God now have with their difficulties in their way through the world; for which the text is plain. We take it up in these two. They will have,

\st, Partial successes in their way, very surprising; surprising to others and to themselves; Psal. cxxvi. 1, 2, "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing : then said they among the heathen. The Lord hath done great things for them." What mountains of difficulties were in David's way to the kingdom! He thrashed long at them, and they never appeared to give way; nay he was like to be crushed with them, saying, " One day I shall perish by the hand of Saul." But see the surprising success, Psal. xviii. entitled, " A Psalm of David,—in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul;" wherein, after recapitulating the various difficulties he had to encounter with, he particularly mentions the happy deliverances he met with, and the surprising manner of the same. Some mountains God's people are kept thi-ashing at all their days, particularly the mount of corrui)tion ; and they never fall quite down till death. But, as a pledge for the time to come, God makes some mountains now and then fall down before the worm Jacob; wherewith he is surprised, and transported with wonder, hov7 it has come to pass : Mark xvi. 4, 5, " And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away;—and they were aiFrighted."

2ri/j/, A total success at the end of their way, which will swallow

y 2

them up in surprise and eternal wonder: 1 John iii. 2, " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." When the mystery is finished, the web cut out, it will appear an admirable piece. There will not be left then the least vestige of all the mountains that stood between heaven and them: the thrashed mountains will then be blown away with the wind; and they will lay by the flail, as an instrument they have no more use for.

Objection. But have not others, as well as worm Jacob, mountains of difficulty in their way, which they become masters of too at length ? Answer. This world is so mountainous, that none can get through it without meeting mountains in their way : carnal men make a shift to creep through some of them; but they can thrash none of them, as worm Jacob doth; they want his head-staff, John XV. 5, " Without me ye can do nothing." They creep into others of them, and nestle in them; the mountains of their corruptions, which in a special manner stand between heaven and them ; and at length they will be eternally buried under them.

Use 1. Here is a touchstone for trial of true Christians and worthy communicants, worm Jacob thrashing the mountains.

1st, They have a heart and spirit for thrashing mountains in their way to heaven. They are peremptory and resolute to break through them, without exception, as men that must be 'there, must not perish: Matth. xi. 12, " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Though they have long thrashed in vain to their own sense, they are resolute to hold on ; like Paul, " pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 14. This casts the delicate and soft-hearted in this case, that are not for thrashing mountains : they are for the easier tasks, but have no heart nor hand for that. These I think are the " fearful," Rev. xxi. 8, like the unbelieving spies and people in the wilderness. Take heed here how ye stand disposed,

(1.) To a vain world; whether there is in you a heart to row against that stream or no ; Rom. xii. 2, " Be ye not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind," &c. If ye have no heart for it, but must go along with it; be ye young or old, ye are no good Christians, Gal. vi. 14, " The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." And young communicants, leaving that gap open, make naughty and worthless old ones after.

(2.) To the sin that most easily besets you. Have you no heart

to thrash that mountain ? ye have not the spirit of worm Jacob, who is one " that keeps himself from his iniquity," Psal. xviii. 23 ; and ye will be buried under it at length ; like the young man, who was grieved at Christ's discourse about self-denial and the cross, and went away from him and never returned, Mark x. 21, 22.

(3.) To the crook in your lot. Have you no heart to set yourselves to a Christian way of bearing it, but must needs have it evened to your mind ? ye have not the spirit of worm Jacob; for the Lord has said, " If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," Matth. xvi. 24.

Idly, Yet they are but worms in their own eyes, an unequal match for the least of the mountains ; 2 Cor. iii. 5, " We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God." This casts the proud legalist, that minds nothing but binding himself to duty, reckoning himself man enough for the duties of Christianity.

The sum of this mark is, the Christian communicant is resolute and peremptory for doing all, yet convinced that he is sufficient for nothing.

Use 2. Here is likewise a ground of full comfort to such. Let not the height, rockiness, nor bulk of the mountains discourage thee ; nor yet the felt unsuccessfulness of thy attemj)ts hitherto. God has said it, " Worm Jacob, thou shalt thrash the mountains and beat them small." Be not afraid ; only believe.

Use 3. Lastly, Here is, moreover, a strong inducement to all to come to Christ: he will make you " thrash the mountains, and beat them small." Come ye that are wandering on the mountains of vanity, like to be worried on the mountains of prey, nestling in the mountain of corruption, unable to get over the mountains of difficulty before you; come to Christ, and ye shall " thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff."

III. Thirdly, I shall account for this mystery, worm Jacob thrashing the mountains of difficulties in his way, and thrasliing them away quite and clean. How can this be ?

1. God has said it, and therefore it cannot fail; " Thou shalt thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff." Compared with Numb, xxiii. 19, " God is not a man, that he should lie ; neither the Son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good ? He speaks things into being, and they must start out of the Avomb of nothing, or of not being, at his word, which calls them forth, Rom. iv. 17. There is as much for worm Jacob's thrashing and beating away the mountains as there was for making

the world, and all the mountains in it; Psal. xxxiii. 9, " He said and it was." (Heb.) Shall not his word that said them into being, be as effectual to say them away again? "Thus saith the Lord," is enough to insure the accomplishment of the hardest things prophesied.

2. The glory of his grace, which is the great design of the whole mystery of God, necessarily requires it. What does he intend by the mystery of Christ, but " the glory of his grace" ? Eph. i. 6; to shew the " exceeding riches" of it, chap. ii. 7. Therefore he has chosen the way that leads straight to that point, Rom. iv. 16, " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace." The worm is despicable in itself; but being the subject of glorious grace, if it should miscarry in its attempts, the glory of grace is sunk, as the precious loading with the ship cast away. Wherefore, that his grace may be glorified, if it be in a worm thrashing mountains, those mountains must needs be thrashed away by that worm. Though that sacred fire be but like a spark in the midst of a sea of corruption, it must not only be preserved in, but dry up that sea quite and clean.

3. By an unalterable decree, there must be a conformity betwixt the little worm and the great worm Jacob, the little one's Kinsman-Redeemer ; Rom. viii. 29, " For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren." Now, the great worm, the man Christ, a worm and no man, (Psal. xsii. 6), has encountered mountains, and thrashed them away. Where are the four monarchies, the most towering mountains that ever set up their heads on the earth ? The chief worm Jacob has thrashed them away to chaff, which is away with the wind, Dan. ii. 35. The mountains stood before him through the world, with all the fastness that human learning and the power of the sword could give: but by his few fishermen he thrashed them away; and the prophecy is fulfilled, Psal. Ixxii. 16, "There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains ; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth." Now many mountains stand before the little worm: but where will that conformity to heaven's beloved pattern be, if they also do not thrash them away ?

4. The little worm Jacob is in reality but a member of the great one, Jesus Christ. Take away that, and worm Jacob is as insignificant for thrashing of mountains, as any worm that crawls on the earth, John xv. 6, " Without me ye can do nothing." Fix that, and worm Jacob has a kind of derived omnipotence, ver. 7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye

will, and it shall be done unto you." Phil. iv. 13, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth rae." And it is fixed: so their thrashing is Christ's thrashing, Col. i. 24. And ye may well allow Christ's thrashing away mountains, with a little finger of his body. If with the finger of God he cast out devils, with the least of his fingers he may cast down mountains.

5. Lastli/, All the mountains that stand before worm Jacob are burnt mountains; so they are far easier to thrash than one would think. The mountain of the Babylonish monarchy stood before worm Jacob, and barred his way seventy years : at length God sets fire in the bowels of it, and makes it a burnt mountain; and then bids worm Jacob thrash, and it flies away with the wind ; Jer. li. 25, " Behold, I am against thee, 0 destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth, and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain." By the death and resurrection of Christ, all the mountains that stand between worm Jacob and heaven, are burnt mountains. Christ has gone through the bowels of them with his fire, undone their consistence, burnt the rocks to lime ; they are nothing now but the shape of mountains, with a thin scorched surface : they will give way at the thrashing of worm Jacob, like the apples of Sodom, that being touched go to dust between one's fingers: Micah ii. 13, " The breaker is come up before them : they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it; and their King shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." Nahum iii. 12, " All thy strong holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs : if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater." Compare Is. xxvi. 19, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise : awake, and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Hos. xiii. 14, " I will ransom them from the power of the grave : I will redeem them from death : 0 death, I will be thy plagues; 0 grave, I will be thy destruction ; repentance shall be hid from mine eyes."

Inference 1. The struggles of the church with all her adversaries will have a surprisingly comfortable issue at length. As weak as she is, and as strong and numerous as they are, she will infallibly have success, surprising success, against them, attending the encounter with them : Micah iv. 11,12,13, " Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say. Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thrash, 0 daughter of Zion : for

I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people : and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." And as to the present state of the church, learn,

l.s^. It is not at all strange, nor will it make the case of this church hopeless, that prodigiously high mountains, higher than our fathers saw, are raised up against her, overtopping worm Jacob, and threatening to crush him : mountains of national guilt of forty years' gathering, laid upon the top of the mountains of guilt raised by our fathers : profanity overflowing, and become fashionable ; a conspiracy carried on in the house of her friends against the grace of Christ and serious godliness, to palm upon us refined heathenism for Christianity ; the foundations struck at, mountains of damnable heresies and blasphemies against the person of Christ, and divine authority of the Scriptures ; and the advanced learning of the age improved to these monstrous ends. But,

2dly, Assuredly these mountains will be brought down: and though we have all ground to expect that multitudes shall be crushed to death with thrashing judgments for bringing them down ; yet neither the one nor the other shall crush worm Jacob, but he shall see them all blown away with the wind.

^dly, It is worm Jacob that shall thrash and beat them small: a believing, praying, wrestling, though despised remnant, will bring them down; though they stand immoveable against all the merely rational and politic methods used against them.

Inference 2. They are not for heaven, that are not for thrashing away the mountains in their way to it. As,

\st, Such as are not exercised unto godliness; that pretend to believe, but trouble not themselves with the work of mortification, letting these mountains stand unmolested: Gal. v. 24, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the afi"ections and lusts." Whatever kindred ye pretend to worm jRcob, if you had any thing of his nature, you would thrash, in mortification.

2dly, Such as are partial in their obedience, that are not for thrashing the mountains in their way without exception, Mark x. 21, 22. Such a lust they are content to sacrifice, but there is a darling one to be spared: any trouble they would bear, but only such an one as God lays before them, they can never think to lay their fair neck under that yoke: that is to say, they will scatter the molehills, but have no heart to venture on the mountains.

Zdly, Backsliders, that fall a-thrashing, but give over before the mountains begin to give way, or be beaten small; (Heb. x. 38); they draw back their hand, Luke ix. 62. These are like those that

came out of Egypt, but fell in the wilderness through their unbelief thinking there was no making it against the Anakiras.

Inferbnce 3. Last, Serious souls, sensible of their weakness, but resolute to combat whatever difficulties are between them and heaven, be the issue what it will, shall certainly be blessed with surprising success, to their own eternal wonder. The worm shall thrash away the mountains.

I would say to such, Go on and prosper : thrash on, worm Jacob, thou shalt beat them small.

1. Thrash on the mountains of opposition that stand in your way, from earth or hell: thou shalt get through them all at length ; and thou shalt " stand on the sea of glass, having the harp of God;" and shalt " sing the song of Moses, and of the Lamb, saying. Great and marvellous are thy works. Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints," Rev. xv. 2, 3.

2. Thrash on the mountain of troubles, trials, and afflictions. Let none of them, be they never so high and formidable, prevail to separate betwixt your God and you; they will be beat to dust at length, and blown away from before you; Rev. vii. 9, 10, 14, " After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and j)eople, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voico, saying. Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.—These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

3. Thrash on the mountain of corruption, indwelling sin; thrash on every height therein, particularly that top of it that is the sin that easily besets you : infallibly you will get it down at length. Paul saw this while he was thrashing it, Rom. vii. 24, 25, " 0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Say not, Alas! I am weak, my thrashing will be in vain. No, though you have no more strength for them than a worm for a mountain, it will not be in vain. God will have these mountains thrashed by worms.

But thou wilt say, Alas ! I have thrashed long without success. Answer. Thrash on; there must be patient enduring ere the mountain fall, Heb. vi. 15, " After Abraham had patiently endured, he obtjiined the promise:" but there is an oath mediating betwixt the promise and its accomplishment that it cannot fail, ver. 17. (Gr.) Mind the walls of Jericho. Have ye not had a partial success

340 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTINtt.

sometimes ? be sure then of the total. So it is with Jesus himself, Heb. ii. 8, " Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him."

The last mountain to be thrashed away is death, and ye shall beat that small too, 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55, " When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ?"

After all, it is a mighty wonder, worm Jacob thrashing the mountains. But the thrashing worm is shod from heaven, and so fitted to thrash. Three things this thrashing instrument is shod with. (1.) A word of command, calling to the work. (2.) A word of promise, securing the success. (3.) The use of means of Heaven's appointment for reaching the end. If any of these be wanting, there will be no thrashing the mountains away : a plain instance we have in the rationalists of the age laying aside the doctrine of a crucified Christ, and substituting in the room thereof the dry and sapless doctrines of heathenism; which God will never countenance to renew the hearts or reform the lives of any, as being contrary to the appointment of Heaven for that purpose. But worm Jacob, influenced by the command of God, excited by the promise of success, and using the proper means, " shall thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff."

THE CASE OF PETITIONERS AT THE COURT OF HEAVEN CONSIDERED; OR, THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

Two Sermons preached, on a sacramental occasion, at Maxton, July 15 and 16,1727.

Luke xviii. 1.

And he spake a parable unto them, to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

The time of this life is the time of trial; only in the life to come is full ease to be expected. Now is the warfare, and partial

TUB NECESSITY OF TKAYINU ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 34l

victories : the complete victory comes not till death. If we must have our portion of goods in hand presently, and cannot wait, we will soon be through it, and have nothing when we need most. If we mind for heaven then, we must be resolute, set a stiff heart to a stay brae, and hold forward whatever storms blow in our face, as we see in the words of the text. Wherein we have,

1. The Lord's insisting to teach his disciples, " And he spake a parable unto them," &c. That the relative them refers to his disciples, appears by the continued connexion of these words with the discourse from chap. xvii. 22. And he changes in it his manner of teaching, making a practical improvement, in a parable, of what he had before taught them in plain style. (G^r.) " Now he spake also a parable unto them," to impress the lesson the more lively, both on their minds, memories, and affections."

2. The new lesson he taught them, " That men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" that there would be a necessity of their praying always, and not fainting. The discourse whence it is inferred, among other things, bears, (1.) That their comforts should be less than they were then, ver. 22, " And he said unto the disciples. The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it." (2.) Their temptations more, ver. 23, " And they shall say to you, See here, or, see there : go not after them, nor follow them." (3.) That the world would be long in deep security, and they long in deep distress, so that they might be in hazard of giving it over; see vers. 26—33. (4.) That the Lord would come to them at length, and make all right: but when or where, they are not to know.

Now, to direct them how to carry in such a difficult situation, he speaks the following parable ; the scope and sum of which comes to this, " That men ought always to pray, and not to faint." So he tells them, (1.) The course they must hold, blow the wind as it will : they must " always pray ;" not that they must be always on their knees, but they must keep a habitual course of praying. (2.) What they must beware of; they must " not faint." The word signifies a succumbing or yielding under the pressure of evils or hardships, as one sinking under a burden, or giving over by reason of the badness of the way, Eph. iii. 13, and is well rendered fainting; for the apostle explains it by being loosened. Gal. vi, 9, because in fainting or swooning the nerves are loosened, relaxed, or unbended, and so activity is gone. So whatever hardships are met with, we must not be so outwearied with them as to give over. (3.) The necessity of this; men ought or must needs always pray, and not faint. If we give over, we are gone; if we faint, and break off our course, all is lost.

342 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

Doctrine. Our Lord Jesus Christ has kindly intimated to all that have business at the court of heaven the necessity of so managing themselves that they still hang on there, and not faint, whatever entertainment they meet with during the dependence of their process.

In this doctrine there are three heads to be considered.

I. Our Lord's kind intimation of this way of his Father's court.

II. The way of the court of heaven, in trysting petitioners with some hardships during the dependence of their process.

III. The duty of the petitioners, to hang on and not faint whatever they meet with.

lY. Apply.

I. The /rst thing to be considered, is, our Lord's kind intimation of this way of his Father's court. And here we would shew, 1. The import of Christ's making this intimation to petitioners there; and, 2. The weight and moment of this intimation.

First, I shall shew the import of Christ's making this intimation to petitioners at his Father's court.

1. The darkness that is naturally on the minds of poor sinners, with respect to heaven's management about them. "We may say, as Jer. V. 4, " Surely these are poor, they are foolish : for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God." The obscurest shepherd from the remotest corner, would know more of the king's court, if he had business there, than the wisest mortals naturally know of the way of the court of heaven. Dark clouds are about the sovereign manager to us : " His way is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known." Even Job, that had been a long hanger-on about the court of heaven, knew little of the way of it, and behoved to have a new lesson of it. Job xxxviii. 1,2," Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge ?"

2. Christ's good-will to the sinner's business going right there: Exod. xxviii. 29, " And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment, upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." He shews it by his concern for their right managing it: he knows they are unacquainted with the manner of the court of heaven, and so are in hazard of marring their own business; and therefore he is concerned to set them on the road to get a good answer. The poor soul that is sometimes at the brink of groaning and giving it over, is moved to stai't back from that precipice, and

THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 343

groan and look up again. Whence is that, but from Christ's secret making of this intimation to them by his Spirit? Rom. viii. 26, " Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

3. That our Lord sees sinners are in hazard of fainting from the entertainment they may meet with during the dependence of their process, Heb. xii. 3. He knows their frame, the hastiness of their spirits, John vii. 6, how apt they are to take delays for denials, and be discouraged with what is designed only for their trial. Therefore he opens and forewarns them of the manner of the court, Is. xxviii. 16, " He that believeth shall not make haste."

4. That they that shall hang on, and not faint, shall certainly come speed at length. Luke xviii. 6, 7, 8, " And the Lord sud, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." It is not possible that the soul, continuing resolute to go to no other door, but hanging on at his door, to make its grave there, if it be not let in, can be shut out always, John vi. 37, " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Wilful faith, that will be forward in face of " killing" and " slaying," Job xiii. 16, will get all its will at length, Matth. xv. 28, " Then Jesus answered, and said unto her, 0 woman, great is thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

Secondly, The weight and moment of this intimation. This will appear, if it is considered in a fourfold light.

1. Jesus Christ, who makes it, has experienced it in his own case. The man Christ, the head of the church, had the most important business at the court of heaven that ever came before it; viz., for through-bearing in a work on which his Father's glory, and the salvation of an elect world depended. And he was often in prayer : he spent a whole night in it, Luke vi. 12. But see his experience of this manner of the court, Psal. xxii. 1, 2, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring ? 0 my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night-season, and am not silent." And Ixix. 1—3, " Save me, 0 God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing : I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying, my throat is dried ; mine eyes fail while I wait for my God." Now, if this was the manner with the great Petitioner, how can we expect it should fare otherwise with us? Nay, God, in his dealing with Christ the Head,

344 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

set down a pattern to be followed thereafter in his dealing with the members, Rora. viii. 29, " For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren." Compare ver. 28, *' And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Grod, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2. He is the great Prophet of heaven, whose office it is to reveal the manner of the court to poor sinners. He is fitted for it, as being on all the secrets of it, which the most favourite angel cannot dive into, John i. 18. Therefore we may be very sure this is the manner of the court; and that those who will manage their business at it otherwise will be sure to mar it.

3. He is the only Intercessor there, the Father's Secretary, the Solicitor for poor sinners there. There is never a petition received at the throne of grace, but what is presented by him; nor graciously granted there, but through his intercession, Rev. viii. 3, 4; nor an answer graciously returned, or an order issued out for the sinner's relief, but it comes through his hand, John v. 22, " For the Father judge th no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." "Who then can doubt of the necessity by him intimated ? and who must not see the kind aspect that the intercessor's hinting this to the petitioners has on their business ?

4. He is himself the hearer of prayer. The angels are called to worship him, Heb. i, 6. Stephen, in his most serious moments, when he was nearest heaven, prays to him, A.cts vii. 59 ; a plain evidence that he is true God, the Father's equal, the Supreme, the most high God : for it is written, Deut. x. 20, " Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God ; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name." Compare Matth. iv. 10, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Psal. Ixxxiii. 18, "That men may know, that thou whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth." And the Scripture condemns serving those that are not by nature gods, Gal. iv. 8, Therefore Christ is God by nature, true God, necessarily existent, independent, God of himself, though not a Son of himself: but the divine essence being eternally and necessarily communicated from the Father to the Son, the Father's communicating it, and the Son's receiving it, are equally glorious. Since then he is the hearer of prayer that makes this intimation, it is equivalent to a promise that prayers so managed shall certainly come speed at length ; as appears from Is. xlv. 19, " I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain."

II. The Second thing to be considered, is, The way of the court of heaven, in trysting petitioners with some hardships, during the de-

pendeuco of tlieii* process. Here I shall give you, 1. A swatch of that way ; and, 2. Some reasons of that way, whereby to account for it in a suitableness to the divine perfections.

First, A swatch of that way in a few particulars. Though the Lord sometimes gives his people very quick dispatch, (Is. Ixv. 24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear"); yet it is very usual to try them another way.

1. Oft-times there is deep silence from the throne, Matth. xv. 23; and that even when the petitioner is crying with the greatest earnestness, and crying incessantly, Psal. xxii. 1, 2, and is at the point of being overwhelmed for want of help, Psal. cxliii. 7; yet no voice to be perceived, no motion appearing towards the petitioner's relief.

2. Oft-times they get a very angry-like answer. The woman of Canaan got a couple of them, one on the back of another, Matth. xv. 24, 26, " But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.—It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." It is very ordinary for Heaven's petitioners to hear some Sinai thunders when they are on Mount Zion ; to come in a low and heavy case to the throne, and to go away laid lower then they came. So going with their petitions to the throne of grace, they are teazed there to purpose, and many a foul ply of their heart and life is opened out to them, and they come back with a breast full of convictions, Judges x. 10—14.

3. Many a time, at the sight of the King on the throne, they falter, and their speech fails, that they cannot get words to tell what they would be at, Psal. Ixxvii. 3, 4. Hence many broken sentences in their petitions, which yet are understood well enough in heaven, the blanks being filled up with groans, Psal. vi. 3; Rom. viii. 26, 27.

4. Disappointed expectations are a piece of very ordinary entertainment there, Jer. viii. 15, " We looked for peace, but no good came : and for a time of health, and behold trouble." Hope may be raised, and yet be deferred, till it make a sick heart. These disappointments may meet the petitioner over and over again ; Cant, iii. 1, 2, " By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth : I sought him but I found him not." If ye ask how long the course of them may last? I know of no term fixed for them but one, and that one is enough for faith, Psal. ix. 18, " For the needy sliall not always be forgotten: the expectation

346 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYnSTG ALWAYS, ANB NOT FAINTING.

of the poor shall not perish for ever." And if ye go to another door than the Lord's, the course of your disappointments will have no end.

5. Many a time, looking for an answer, providence drives a course apparently just contrary to the granting of their petition ; so is fulfilled that Psal. Ixv. 5, " By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, 0 God of our salvation." And it may be so stunning, as to require much faith not to take that for the final answer, as if God had said, speak no more to me of that matter : and yet the wheel of providence may be but fetching a compass to come to the point desired. Thus the sunk spirits of the Israelites were raised in hope, Exod. iv. 31, " And the people believed : and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped." But the very first thing that comes after that, chap, v., is, that they are in a worse condition than ever, their bondage is more intolerable ; which made Moses' faith stagger; vers. 22, 23, " And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? for since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people ; neither hast thou delivered the people at all.

6. Lastly, Oft-times the Lord, instead of easing the petitioner, lays new burdens on him, Jer. viii. 15, " We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble." Instead of curing tlie old wound, there are new ones given. So that sometimes the waters come in on every side, and compass the poor soul: and yet the Lord, though he see it meet to give the sinner such a gliff", may have no mind he should drown for all that; Psal. cxvi. 3, "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me : I found trouble and sorrow." Ver. 6, " The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me:" and lxxxviii.17, " They came round about me daily like water, they compassed me about together." So it was in Job's case.

Use 1. Whosoever of you would manage your business successfully at the court of heaven, on this occasion, put on resoluteness to hang on about the Lord's hand, and not to faint, till ye get it to a happy issue. And,

\st, Lay the great business of salvation close to heart, let it be your main business; the securing of your saving interest in Christ, now when you have this solemn occasion of both the word of the covenant, and the seal of the covenant together; not knowing if

THE NECESSITY OF PRAYINft ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 347

ever ye may have such a favourable occasion again. Time goes away, death is hastening on, it is dangerous to delay. If ye be indifferent in the business, ye will never hang on.

2dli/, Lay it down for a conclusion, ye must have Christ, or ye perish. Pinching need makes men importunate : if ye feel not that, ye will soon weary, and never bring the matter to a good issue, John vi. 67, 68, " Then said Jesus 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." The sinner will hang on at Christ's door when he sees all others shut against him.

Mil/, Embrace Christ in the great promise of the gospel, believing the promise; taking a dead gripe of it, never to part. It is held out to you, and every one of you, Heb. iv. 1, " Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." It is the report from heaven to be believed. Is. liii. 1. Without faith there is no eviting of fainting, Psal. xxvii 13, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

4ithli/, Take an eternal farewell of the vain world, and deceitful lusts; resvolving, that, come what will, ye will hang by Christ in the promise, if ye should die there ; saying with Job, chap. xiii. 15, "T hough he slay me yet will I trust in him." None come ariglit to Christ but they that come resolutely.

Lastly, Be not hasty, but resolve to wait in expectation, setting no time to the Lord's comforting you, Is. xxviii. 16,—"He that believeth, shall not make haste." Micah. vii. 9, " I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness." If all thy life long should pass uncomforted, peace and comfort in the end is well worth waiting on.

Use 2. Be not surprised, nor offended at the way of God, though in your addresses to the throne ye meet with apparent harsh entertainment. They have seemed to themselves to be boasted away, who taking the buffet, have got the bit too by waiting on, like the woman of Canaan, Matt. xv. 21,—28. The importunity of faith, that is, a continued trust in the promise, and an incessant use of the means, will prevail.

Secondly, I shall give you some reasons of that way, whereby to account for it in a suitableness to the divine perfections.

1. This way is taken with petitioners in the court of heaven ; for thereby God is glorified, and his attributes more illustrated than otherwise they would be. In this view of it, Paul welcomes it in

Vol. VI. z

his own case, though it was hard to sense, 2 Cor. xii. 9, " And he said uuto me. My grace is sufficient for thee : for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." God treating his people thus, displays his wisdom, in guiding the broken vessel safely through many rocks and shelves to land without splitting ; that afterwards they are made to say. None else but he could have done it. Is. ix. 6, " His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor;" his power, in supporting them under a pressure that otherwise they would sink under, 2 Cor. i. 8, 9, " For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life : but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead ;" his grace, mercy, and goodness, in seasonable interposings thereof when their foot is ready to slip. Pal. xciv. 18, " When I said, My foot slippeth : thy mercy, 0 Lord, held me up." 2 Cor. xii. 9, forecited.

2. Hereby the state of petitioners is tried, and a plain difference constituted between hypocrites and the sincere, Matt. xxiv. 13, " He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." God's petitioners in the gross are like Gideon's army. Judges vii. far more than are to be trusted. So God brings them down to these waters of trial; and there is a heap of them that must have a fill presently, or they faint, cannot go forward ; so they are set on, like the men that bowed down on their knees to drink, Job xxvii. 10, " Will he delight himself in the Almighty ? will he always call upon God ?" Others are disposed to endure hardness, without fainting, like the men that lapped ; and they are kept as meet to have their petitions granted at length, Luke xviii. 7, " And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ?

3. Hereby the graces of believing petitioners are tried, bqth as to the reality and strength of them ; particularly their faith and patience, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7- " Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. James i. 12, " Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." Our Lord takes great pleasure in the faith and patience of his people,

THE NECESSITY OP l^RAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 349

and therefore lie puts them sorely to it in these points, like the woman of Canaan, Matt. xv. that they may have occasion to exort themselves vigorously. Sometimes they meet with such a shock that they are foundered in them: anon there is a secret breathing, and they get to their feet again, and act more vigorously than before, like a giant refreshed with wine, Jonah ii, 4, " Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple." Hereby they have a double benefit; they see the reality of their faith and patience better than in a calm, and the strength of them more than they could have expected, and withal that they are other things than eft'orts of natural abilities, no more to be their product, than roses of the desart: Rom. v. 3, 4, 5, " And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

4. Hereby believers are humbled, and taught that they hold of free grace. The exalting of grace is the great design of the whole contrivance of the gospel. Therefore faith is made the turning point in it, the hinge of it as to us; Rom. iv. 16, " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace: to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed. Therefore this method is used in the dispensation of Heaven's favours according to it. Dent. viii. 2, " And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee, these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments, or not." They that buy with their money must be served presently; but beggars must be content to wait on. There are powerful remains of a legal spirit in the best, kything in requiring supply for their needs, with little sense of their unworthieness ; and in a disposition to fret, if they be not quickly answered. It takes much hewing to bring down these ; to empty the man of himself, and to let him see that God is no debtor to him for any thing, great or small.

5. This way is taken for honour of the word, Psal. cxxxviii. 2, " Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." There are many letters of God's name, but this Bible is the capital letter of it: and there is not one dispensation of providence, that magnifies the Bible more than this. It is even the thing that bears the head above, and keeps the heart from fainting, in this case, Rom. xv. 4, " For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning ; that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." This treatment at the court of heaven

z2

350 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

sends the petitioner to tlie records, •wliich gladden his heart, finding that it has been the ancient way of the court; and in a desert way it is no small comfort to the traveller, to find a track, and the print of some one's feet before him. It makes him mark narrowly, and greedily catch at a word ; and to discover a treasure, where many a time, when he went over it before, he saw nothing.

6. Lastly, It is taken to make them long to be home. God's children are in this world, young heirs that are abroad out of their Father's country : they send their letters, and draw their bills on their Father: and while they are speedily answered, at every turn, they live at ease in the strange country, and are not solicitous to be home : but their Father cures them of that, letting them at length write over and over again, without an answer ; and ceasing to answer tlieir bills : and then they long to be home.

III. The third thing to be considered, is. The duty of the petitioners to hang on, and not to faint, whatever they meet with. We may view it in these things following.

1. They must never lift their process from the court of heaven, John vi. 67, 68,—" Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life." It was Saul's ruin, that when God answered him not, when he went to a witch ; and the unbelieving Israelites when they heard of the giants of Canaan, that they would be back to Egypt again, Numb. xiv. 4 ; and it is the ruin of many, when they find not the sweet in religion that they expected, to go back to the world and their lusts, that will answer them, they think, sooner. But whatever be your sore, ye should protest that it shall run for you, till the Lord put forth his own healing hand, and that ye will not go to another for a cure. Lam. iii. 49, 50, " Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission : till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven."

2. They must never give over praying, but " pray always." They that will pray about the time of a communion, and afterwards leave it off" by degrees, will lose all their pains, and prove themselves to be hypocrites, Job xxvii. 10, " "Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?" And Satan sometimes plies distressed souls to give up with it, as what they may see they will do no good with, for that God will not hear them. But that is a deceit of hell which ye must never yield to; no not though God should continue to answer you not a word; nay not though your attempting to pray, should seem to serve for nothing but to set a-raging against you; for it is God's command, that " men pray always." There is less ill in mismanaging prayer than in giving it over altogether; for that is tamely to yield your-

THE NECESSITY OF PUAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 351

selves to Satan's will. And though ye may be in such confusion, as to take the devil's whispers within you for your own voice, Grod will carefully distinguish the two, and not lay that to your charge wherein ye are pure sufferers. And continuing to pray, ye are in the way of duty, wherein ye may expect God will hear and pity at length.

3. They must insist on their tabled petitions, while their need remains, whatever entertainment they seem to meet with, as the woman of Canaan did. Matt. xv. If ye insist not, ye will be construed to have fallen from it: but importunity will speed at long-run, Luke xi. 8, "I say unto you. Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend : yet, because of his importunity, lie will rise, and give him as many as he needeth. And indeed, need continuing to pinch, and the petitioner giving over his crying for supply, is fainting with a witness.

Case. But may it not be that the Lord may say Speak no more to me of this matter ? Answer. It is true, it may be so, as the Lord did to Moses, Dent, iii, 26, " But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me : and the Lord said unto me. Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto me of this matter. But in that case I conceive, (1.) The Lord shows his people they do not need that thing; let it suffice thee, or thou hast much, or enough. And to quiet Moses in this case, he gave him a sight of the land from Pis-gah, ver. 27. (2.) The help of the Spirit as to praying in that particular is withdrawn. There is an embargo laid on them in that point, " Speak no more unto me of this matter."

4. They must carry all their incident needs in new petitions, to the same throne of grace, where the former petition may have been long lying, and still unanswered ; and so xmrsue all together. The latter must not drive out the former, nor the former keep back the latter. It is one of the ways how the Lord keeps his people hanging about his hand without fainting, by sending them several loads above their burden ; which loads he takes oif soon at their request; and so makes them go under their burden the more easily. These short incident i)rocesses, tha.t get a speedy answer, confirui their faith and hope in waiting on for the answer of the main. I believe it will be found, that the Lord's children, who have had the most tedious process before the throne, have not wanted experience of very quick dispatches in the time, Isa, Ixv. 24, " And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

5. They must continue in the faith of the promise, never quit the gripe of it; but trust and believe that it shall certainly be accom-

352 THE NECESSITY OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT PAINTING.

plislied, though the wheels of providence should seem to drive ont over it and in over it, Kom. iv. 19, 20, " And Abraham being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." Providence is not our Bible ; the works of God may be very various, but the word of pi'oraise is always the same, it is never moved. Ye have a very poetical passage, Psal. xviii. 7, and downwards. I think it proceeds upon this view, that though all the confusions of the universe cannot move the promise ; yet if hills, earth, fire, waters, heavens, were all standing before it to hinder its accomplishment, it would move them all out of their places, and make its way through them.

6. They must keep up hope of the thing promised over the belly of all improbabilities, 2 Pet. i. 13, " Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Faith opening the door of the promise, hope sees the blessed answer to the petition lying at the King's hand, however long it may be ere it be transmitted. That is very pleasing to God, Psal. cxlvii. 11, " The Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy."

7. Lastly, If at any time they begin to faint, they must wrestle against it, that they go not quite away, Heb. x. 35, " Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." If faith and hope fail, so will patience : but ye must set yourselves to believe over the belly of sense, and hope against hope.

Use. Christians, communicants, and whosoever of you would have your business go right in heaven, go from this place resolute to hang on about the Lord's hand, and not to faint, whatever ye have met with, or shall meet with from that airth. Have a horror of fainting, giving over, or going back to another door. Consider,

1. If ye faint and give over, your suit is lost, ye liave given up with it. And,

1st, If your suit be the main thing, the eternal wellbeing of your soul, which is what we all pretend to; then your soul is lost, Heb. X. 38, " If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Be resolute in religion, as ever ye would not be eternally lost; for none will get to heaven but those that have a brow for a bargain, to yoke with difiiculties in the way, and go through them. It is a concerning word, Rev. xxi. 8," But the fearful, and unbelieving,—shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death." I think it has a view to the fearful and unbelieving disposition thet kept the Israelites out of Canaan, Numb. xiii. 33, and xiv.

THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. S5S

2(%, If it be a temporal morcy, ye may get it, but the substance will be out of it, at least till ye repent of your fainting, Psal. cvi. 15, " He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul."

2. If ye hold on and faint not, be your on-waiting ever so long, it shall not be in vain. Matth. xxiv. 13, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Gal. vi. 9, " Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." God will never put those away empty from him, that hang on, and will not go without the blessing.

3. He is well worth the waiting on. (1.) Though he is infinitely above us, he has waited long on us. (2.) The longer you are called to wait for a mercy, ye will readily find it the more valuable when it comes. The promise uses to go longest with the biggest mercy; witness the promise of Christ, while many lesser promises brought forth. (3.) His time will be found the due time. Gal. vi. 9; the best chosen time for the mercy's coming; witness the time of Isaac's birth. (4.) Ye shall be sure of some blessed offallings, while ye wait on, Psal. xxvii. 14, " Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." and cxxxviii. 3, " In the day when 1 cried, thou answeredst me; and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." Ye shall be sure of some pledge of a good answer, Jer. lii. 31, 32.

4. Lastly, They have waited long, that have lost all, by not having patience to wait a little longer, Exod. xxxii.; 1 Sam. xiii. 8, 10. Therefore "let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing," James i. 4; " for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not," Gal. vi. 9.

PETITIONERS AT THE COURT OF HEAVEN ENCOURAGED; OR, THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

Two Sermons preached, on a Sacramental occasion, at Galashiuls, August 12 and 13,

1727.

Luke xviii. 8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

At a late occasion I spoke to the scope of this parable from ver. 1. The parable itself we have vers. 2—5, the doctrine of it, vers. 6, 7.

354 THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYINd ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

In the text we liave the doctrine of it repeated, amplified, and confirmed.

1. The doctrine of the parable is here repeated, "He will avenge them." Our Lord had already laid it before his disciples, ver. 7, in very strong terms: for it is a point upon the belief of which very much depends ; particularly his people's " praying always, and not fainting :" q. d. God will certainly hear them at length; therefore they must hang on about his hand crying, and not faint.

\st, Consider the parties for whom this benefit is secured ; them. It refers to ver. 7; and so the parties are, they that " cry unto God night and day ; and what that is, appears from the scope : it is even to " pray always, and not to faint;" which I have already explained. So they who having laid petitions for supply of their needs before the Lord, do hang on and insist without fainting and giving over, are assured of a happy issue of their process, however tedious it may be. This is good news to petitioners at the court of heaven, though their answer may have been so long delayed, that it seems as if they would never be heard : this may make them renew their suit, and pursue as a giant refreshed with wine.

Objection. But it is expressly restricted to the elect; therefore, though I hang on never so long, I am, may be, none of God's elect, and therefore can have no encouragement from it. Answer. The scope of the parable looks to men indefinitely, ver. 1, " That men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" and the term elect is no restriction of the criers that are to be heard, as if there were some that cry day and night unto God, that are elect ones ; and others that cry night and day unto him that are not elect ones. No ; but the crying of the elect day and night in the sense of the text, is proposed as an evidence of eternal election : it is inferred from their so crying, that they are elect ones, and therefore shall surely be heard. Q. d. The unjust judge heard a woman he had no regard for, because she came continually to him : how much more will a just God hear those that are coming continually to him, since they are surely his chosen ones, else they would certainly give it over, and go to another door ?

2dly, The benefit secured for them, " He will avenge them;" that is, agreeable to the general scope, he will hear them at length to their full satisfaction ; their process shall have a happy issue. But it is expressed by " avenging them," to intimate, (1.) That all the grievances that God's children labour under, and which send them crying to God for relief, arise from their adversaries, temporal or spiritual, without them or within them. (2.) That they are not able to rid themselves of their adversaries, but must grapple with

THE HAPl'T ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 355

their burden till another hand take it off. (3.) That God will not only deliver them, but shew them just vengeance on the springs of their grievances.

2. The doctrine of the parable amplified, " I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." Though they think they are put to wait long, yet matters being weighed in an even balance, they shall have a quick return of their prayers.

3. The confirmation of the whole, " I tell you," Our Lord Christ gives his word for it.

The doctrine from the first verse was, that our Lord Jesus Christ has kindly intimated to all that have business at the court of heaven, the necessity of so managing themselves, that they still hang on there, and not faint, whatever entertainment they meet with during the dependence of their process. And, in]pursuance of the same scope, from the 8th verse compared with the first, I observe the following

DocTKiNE. To move them that have business at the court of heaven, still to hang on there, and not to faint, whatever hardships'they meet with during the dependence of their process, our Lord Jesus hath expressly intimated that such petitioners shall certainly be heard to their heart's content, and that speedily, in reality, however tedious their process may seem to them for the time. Briefly, Jesus Christ has given his word for it, that such petitioners at the court of heaven, as will hang on and not faint, shall certainly be heard to their heart's content, and that speedily.

In handling this doctrine, I shall show,

I. "What is that treatment petitioners meet with at the court of heaven, under which they will be in hazard of fainting.

II. Why petitioners are in hazard of fainting from such treatment at the court of heaven.

III. "Wherefore the Lord gives such treatment to any of his petitioners.

IV. What is the import of this intimation made for this end.

V. The certainty of such petitioners being heard at length.

VI. How they shall be heard to their heart's content.

VII. How it shall be speedils', notwithstanding the long delay.

VIII. Apply.

I. First, I shall shew what is that treatment petitioners may meet with at the court of heaven, under which they will be in hazard of fainting. I mentioned several particulars at another occasion ; I offer now only three things in general.

1. The weight and pres&ure of their heavy case itself, whatever it

356 THE HAJ*PY ISSUE OF PRATING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

is, may be long continued, notwithstanding all their addresses for help, Jer. viii. 20, " The harvest is past, the summer' is ended, and we are not saved." They may come again and again to the throne of grace, with their burden on their back, and as often carry it away with them. And that is faintsome work. A short trial, though it be sharp, is but " running with the footmen ;" but a long continued one is " contending with horses," apt to run one out of breath, Psal. vi. 3, " My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, 0 Lord, how long ?

2. There may be no appearance of relief, Psal. Ixxiv. 9, " We see not our signs, there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long." A glimpse of an appearance of relief, though yet afar off, would be like a cordial to the weary attendants, howbeit their night may have been long and dark, and yet no sign of day-break to be discerned. The petitioners are apt to faint, who though they often listen, can hear no voice; though they look oft to the throne, can discern no moving toward their relief, Psal. cxix. 123, " Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness."

3. They may get incident weights laid on them, as a load above their burden, Psal. Ixix. 26, " They persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded." These are like drops poured into a full cup, ready to cause it run over; like smart touches on a broken leg, inclining one readily to faint.

II. The second thing to be spoke to, is, why petitioners are in hazard of fainting from such treatment at the court of heaven. Four things concur to it.

1. Natural weakness, Is. xl. 6, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. On this very view the Lord "pities his children," Psal. ciii. 13, 14. We have weak backs, easily bowed down under a heavy burden, Psal. xxxviii. 6; weak hearts, soon damped, where God shews himself our party; weak heads, and are soon brought to our wits end; weak hands, that can do little for ourselves at a pinch ; and weak knees, ready to bow, and let us go to the ground, after long hanging on.

2, Conscience of guilt, Psal. xxxviii. 5, 6, " My wounds stink, and are corrupt; because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly ; I go mourning all the day loug." Guilt is a mother of fears, and fears cause fainting. The sinner goes to God with his pinching case, he is not answered: presently there is a quarrel apprehended, the man knows he is a criminal, and the guilty conscience whispers in his ear, " There is no hope."

THE HAPPY ISSUE OP PRAYING ALAVAYS, AND NOT FAINTING. 357

3. Uuacquaintedness with the methods of sovereignty, Psal. Ixxvii. 19, " Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." The mysteries of the management of providence have perplexed saints of the first magnitude, as Asaph, Jeremiah, &c. We are apt to measure God's ways by our own, which occasions much fainting in trials : whereas they differ as far as heaven and earth, Is. Iv. 8, 9.

4. A strong bias to unbelief and walking by sense, quite contrary to our duty and interest, 2 Cor. v. 7. We are apt to be impressed more with what we see and feel in providence, than what we hear from the word. And whereas we should expound providence by the promise, the word being our rule, and so get the cordial virtue of it; we expound the promise by providence, and so put ourselves in hazard of fainting: Luke xxiv. 20, 21, 25, 26, "The chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Then he said unto them, 0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the j>rophets have spoken ! Ought not Christ to have suff"ered these things, and to enter into his glory ?

III. The third thing to be considered is, wherefore the Lord gives such treatment to any of his petitioners.

First, Negatively.

1. It is not for mere will and pleasure. Satan will be ready to suggest this, and pose the party with such questions as these, for what use is all this delay ? what glory comes to God by it ? what profit comes to you by it ? Good folk may listen overmuch to it. But it is a lie, that it is for mere will and pleasure. Lam. iii. 33, " For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men."

1. It is not because he has no pity on you, nor concern for you under your burden ; though Zion, by the suggestion of Satan, may entertain that jealousy of her God, which he flatly refuses, Is. xlix. 14, 15, " But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Whatever the Lord's way be with thee, it is an eternal scripture truth, " God is love," 1 John iv. 16, " gracious and full of compassion," Psal. cxi. 4. And it is apparent even in this case, in that it is not worse with thee. Lam. iii. 22, and that thou art always getting new supports under thy burden, ver, 23.

3. It is not to signify to you that you should give it over, and trouble him no more with your petition ; as the hasty unbelieving

358 THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

heart is ready to take it, and to give over duty because there is no sensible appearance of success, Jer, xx. 9. " I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name." He lias signified his will to bo the quite contrary, 1 Thess. v. 17- " Pray without ceasing;" and our Lord spoke this parable to prevent that misconstruction.

4. Lastly, It is not because he is resolved not to hear you at any rate, cry as long as ye will. Satan will interpret it that way to you, and there is too much listening to it, Hab. i. 2. " 0 Lord, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear ! even cry out unto thee of of violence, and thou wilt not save !" He has promised the contrary Psal. 1. 15, " Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Our Lord assures you of the contrary in the text.

Secondly, But positively, in general,

It is for holy, wise, becoming ends; it is necessary for his glory and your case. Believe that on the credit of the word, Deut. xxxii. 4, " He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." There is not one random step in his whole way. Lam. iii. 83. There is a necessity for what he does.

Objection. I cannot see how my case requires it, or what glory God can have by it. Answer. You are no competent judge of what your case requires, and therefore you should leave that to the Lord, Psal. xlvii. 4, " He shall choose our inheritance for us;" Jer. x. 23, " 0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." If you are sick, you leave it to your physician how to order your case : if your affairs are perplexed, and you have a plea at law, you leave it to your lawyer : and when you have a process at the court of heave^i, will you not leave it to your God ?

Ye are as little competent judges of what glory God can have by such and such a management. God can raise glory to himself, where ye can see nothing but dishonour to him : and he will have it, Rom. xi. 36, " For—to him are all things." Believe that, and leave the way of raising it to himself. The seed of glory to God in Job's trial, neither he nor his friends generally saw for a long time : yet it sprung up fair at length, and flourishes to this day.

But particularly,

1. It is for the honour of the man Christ. It contributes to it,

I**, In that thereby the petitioners are conformed to his image, in the suffering part thereof. He met with that treatment at the throne, Psal. 1,2, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me \

THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYIXO ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTINO. 359

why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring ? 0 my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night-season, and am not silent." And for a reward of his bearing it, it is ai)pointed it should be the way of the court ever after. And therefore none of God's children shall miss to share of it, in greater or lesser measure, soon or late, Rom. viii. 29, ** For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.

2dli/, Thereby he gets the more employment as the great Intercessor, and is more earnestly applied to than otherwise he would be. Longsorae pleas give the advocates much ado ; and longsome processes at the court of heaven bring much business to the Mediator, and so much honour.

3(1%, It affords him the most signal occasion of displaying his power in combating with and baffling the old serpent, next to that he had on the cross, 2 Cor. xii. 9, " And he said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee : for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Here Satan and a weak creature is yoked, Heaven standing by and looking on. The poor creature has a burden on his back, he cries, Lord take it off, and cries again, but no answer: Satan takes the advantage, works against him to make him faint; but the combat is maintained, and Satan is baffled, through secret support conveyed to the sinner from Jesus.

2. To shew who are meet to be heard, and who not ? who have a due value for the mercy petitioned for, and the God in whose hand it is ? Israel wandered in the wilderness till all the despisers of the pleasant land, and unbelievers of the word, dropt off: and Caleb and Joshua, who followed the Lord fully, were brought in. The fainting petitioners either despise the mercy, by dropping it; or God himself, by carrying their process to another.

3. To magnify the promise. Satan, in man's state of innocence, bent his main force against the threatening, to shake man's faith of it. Now he bends his main force against the promise, to make poor sinners quit their grips of it. In such a case there is a solemn struggle about it; faith holds, and the devil draws. The believer sees he is gone if he quit it; it is his all; and therefore, though the floods overflow, he strives to keep the gripe.

4. Lastly, To keep up the mercy, till that time come, that, all things considered, will be the absolutely best time for bestowing it, John xi. 14, 15. " Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there (to the intent ye may believe); nevertheless, let us go unto him."

360 THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTING.

Use 1. Know then, that trifling and careless management will not do at the court of heaven. Deep earnest ye must be in, resolved not to take a nay-say. Be sincere, prepare, and vigorously press your suits.

2. This may encourage sinners to come to Christ, and to put their case in his hand, and hang on. Particularly back-sliders, and whosoever are fore-boding no good to themselves from him, may be encouraged by this doctrine.

IV. Hh^ fourth thing to be spoke to is, "What is the import of this intimation made for this end ? It imports,

1. That sinners are ready to take delays at the court of heaven for denials. Satan and their own and unbelieving hearts tell them they are so. And therefore, in opposition to this, and to prevent the mistake, our Lord expressly gives his word that it is not so.

2. That importunity and resolute hanging on, and repeated addresses for the supply of the same need, are very welcome and acceptable to Christ and his Father. There is no fear of excess here; the oftener ye come, the more resolute ye are in your hanging on, the more welcome. The intercessor will not weary of your putting your petitions in his hands, nor his Father of taking them out of his.

3. That the faith of being heard at length, is necessary to keep one hanging on without fainting, Psal. xxvii. 13. " I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Petitioners indifferent whether they be heard or not, may continue their customary prayers without the faith of being heard: but if men be in deep earnest with their petitions, they will never escape fainting without faith, Rom. iv. 18, 19, 20.

4. That the hearing to be got at length at the court of heaven, is well worth the waiting on, be it ever so loug. It will more than counterbalance all the fatigue of the process, that is kept longest in dependance. And the faith of this should be kept up, to keep the petitioner from fainting.

V. The fifth thing in the method is, The certainty of such petitioners being heard at length. Here it is necessary to repeat what was said of the duty of hanging on and not fainting, that we may see who they are that are such petitioners.* Now, that such petitou-ers will be heard, is beyond peradventure, however long they get to wait on, if ye consider,

1. They are doubtless God's own children, elect believers, what-

* Wbat the author repeated here, is to be found under head 3. of the sermons on Luke xviii. 1. pages 350, 351, 352, 363, above.

THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYINa ALWAYS, AND NOT FAINTINO. 361

ever they thiuk of themselves, Luke xvii. 7- " And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ?" If they were not so, they could never take snch a treatment at God's hand, and yet still hang on about it, John viii. 35. " The servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever." And will not God hear the cries of his own children at length ? certainly he will. The begun resemblance to their elder brother must be complete, 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. "It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him, &c.

2. The nature, name, and promise of God, join to insure it. He is good and gracious in his nature, Exod. xxxiv. 6,—9. He has bowels of mercy more tender than a mother to her sucking child, Is. xlix. 15. He is the hearer of prayer, Psal. Ixv. 2. and will he not answer that part of his name ? will he not hear his own children, and hear them after they have cried long, and still continue crying ? He has bound himself by promise, Psal. 1. 15. " Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me :" and cii. 17- "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." And will he not perform this his promise ?

3. Such prayers are the product of his own Spirit in them, and therefore he cannot miss to be heard, James v. 16. " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Ye say, ye have cried so long, and no answer ; and therefore your petitions appear to be the product of nature, not of the Spirit of God. But I say, according to the word, ye have cried so long and no answer, and yet continue crying, and have not fainted, and given over, but stick by it resolutely ; therefore your petitioning is not the product of nature, but of the Spirit. For nature's praying is a pool that will dry up in a long drought; but the Spirit of prayer is the lasting spring, John iv. 14. If thou art strengthened to hang on, and not faint, it is a token heaven's hand is at thy upholding; as was the case with David, Psal. cxxxviii. 3, "In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me; and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul."

4. Our Lord Jesus has given his word on it, and so has impawned his honour they shall be heard, " I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." Now, he is the Intercessor at the court of heaven, and his intercession is never baulked there: so the honour of the Mediator, and his people's being heard, are in one bottom to sink or swim together; and he is able to secure his own honour: and does not that make sure work of your being heard ? I proceed to shew,

VI. Sixthly, How they shall be heard to their heart's content. 1. They shall at length see that their prayers have been accepted.

362 THE HAPPY ISSUE OP PRAYINft ALWAYS, AND XOT FAINTINO.

I do not say they shall at length be accepted, but they shall see they have been so. Many cannot think those prayers are accepted, that do not come soon back with an answer. But that is a mistake ; for the petitions of those that hang on and faint not, proceeding from that disposition, are accepted instantly, though many years should run ere the answer come back, 1 John v. 14, " And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heai'eth us." God doth with his wrestling children's petitions, as a father with letters sometimes from his son in a far country, he reads them with pleasure and affection always as they come to his hand, and lays them bypast to be all answered at the most convenient time : Matth. xv. 28, " Then Jesus answered and said unto her, 0 woman, great is thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

2. They shall get an answer of their petitions to their heart's satisfaction, Matth. xv. 28, forecited. Psal. ix. 18, " The needy shall not always be forgotten : the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." God will tell out to them according to the promise in answer to their prayers; so that they shall change their wrestling note, and say, " I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice, and my supplications, Psal. cxvi. 1, and look on what they have met with as bearing the signature of the hand of a prayer-hearing God. Their burden shall be taken off, and they shall have their petitions in kind, or equivalent to their heart's content, 2 Cor. xii. 9, " And he said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee : for ray strength is made perfect in weakness."

3. They shall be fully satisfied as to the long delay, and the whole steps of the procedure, however perplexing they were before. Rev. XV. 3, " And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying. Great and marvellous are thy works. Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Standing on the shore, and looking back to what they have passed through, they will be made to say. He hath done all things well; and they will see that there could have none of it been wanting.

4. They shall get it with increase according to the time they waited on, and the hardships they sustained during the dependence of the process. The fruit of the i)roroise, the longer it is a-ripening, the more bulky it is. Abraham and Sarah waited for the promised child till they were coming into extreme old age, the very next step to death. Gen. xviii. 11; but they got with it an addition of the renewing of their ages. Gen. xxi. 7; and xxv. 1.

THE IIAPPT ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS AND NOT PAINTING, 363

them in the time of the darkness, shall be scattered at the appearance of this light, 1 Sam. ii. 5, "They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry, ceased : so that the barren hath born seven ; and she that hath many children, is waxed feeble." Formidable was Pharaoli's host while the Israelites had the Red Sea before them: but when they were through the Bea, they saw the Egyptians dead upon the shore, Exod. xiv. 30. Such a heart-sight shall they that hang on and faint not get of Satan and all his black bands. I proceed to shew,

VII. Seventhly, How it shall be speedily, notwithstanding the long delay.

1. It shall he speedily in respect of the weight and value of it when it comes: so that the believer looking on the return of his petition, with an eye of faith perceiving the worth of it, may wonder it is come upon so short on-waiting. This view of it the apostle takes, 2 Cor. iv. 17, " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." And so says Zophar, Job xi. 16, " Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away."

2. It shall come in the most seasonable nick of time it can come in. Gal. vi. 9. when it may come to the best advantage for the honour of God and their good : and that which comes in the best season, comes speedily. To every thing there is a season ; so fools' haste is no speed. Times and seasons are in the Lord's hand, and all his works are best-timed, Deut. xxxii. 4. and will abide the strictest examination, Eccles. iii. 14.

3. It shall come as soon as they are prepared for it, Psal. x. 17-*' Thou will prepare their heart;" and if it should come sooner, it would be over soon. And it may take long time to prepare for it; there may be many a lesson to learn, much working on their will may be necessary, ere they be prepared for it.

4. It shall not tarry one moment beyond the due and appointed time, Hab. ii. 3, " Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry ;" it will not linger, postpone, or put off beyond that due time. Whatever way the wheel of providence be driving, it is a wheel within a wheel, and so needs spend no time in turning about.

5. Lastly, It will be surprising, as a glaring light to one brought out of a dungeon, though he was expecting it. No doubt the church was expecting the end of their captivity in Babylon toward the end of the seventy years: yet such was the change, it was surprising, they "were like men that dreamed," Psal. cxsvi. 1.

Use 1. Let all know that it is not in vain to seek the Lord. Vol. \l. 2 a

364 THE HAPPY ISSUE OF PRAYING ALWAYS, AND NOT PAINTING,

God's trust is better than the world's hand-payraent. Though waiting on at the court of heaven may be longsome, yet it is a sure way to get our wants supplied.

2. All ye that have now set your faces heavenward, professing your resolution to forsake sin and the world, and to hang on about the Lord's hand for all; do not look back, turn not away from hira, Heb. x. 38, " If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Remember it is " he that endures to the end shall be saved."

3. Think it not strange if ye meet with treatment at the hand of the Lord, whereby ye may be in hazard of fainting. He loves to try his followers. But be resolute to hang on about his hand, come what will, and ye will be sure to speed at length.

4. Ye that are going away mourning from this communion because of a hiding God, and a hungry meal ye have got; do not despond ; but inquire into the causes, mourn over them, and renew your addresses to the throne vigorously; and what ye missed in public, ye may get in secret.

5. Lastly, Te that are under any pressure, who have been long tossed with tempests and not comforted, nor have any appearanca of comfort shewing itself; comfort yourselves with the words of the text, believing it; while ye can have no comfort from the appearance of providence; and be resolute in hanging on, and faint not. And ye have Christ's word for it, your case shall have a happy issue, though never so desperate like.

And whoever would be kept from fainting, and animated to hang on about the Lord's hand, believe, that hanging on ye shall certainly be heard at length to your heart's content. For so hath our Lord said, " I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."

DIVINE STRBNOTK ILLUSTRA.TED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS. 365

THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST ILLUSTRATED IN THE WEAKNESS OF

HIS PEOPLE.

Two Sermons preached on a Sacramental occasion at Galashiels, July 31, and August 1, 1731.

2 Cor. xii. 9.

For my strength is made perfect in weakness.

In the Lord's leading his people through the wilderness of this world, there are many mysteries of providence which are too high for them to comprehend; so that, after the narrowest scrutiny into them, they must conclude as Psal. Isxvii. 19. " Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known," But the light of glory hereafter will satisfy their sense as to all the particular steps therein; and till that time come, there is a light of the word that may satisfy faith as the general design of them ; and the text has a beam of such light in it. In the words,

First, Observe the connexion pointing to the mystery this beam of light was sent to clear; " For," &c. That we may see what this aims at, we must look back to the preceding account; where we find, (1.) Paul wrapt up into the third heavens, while yet alive, ver. 2. (2.) the same Paul quickly after in a kind of hell upon the earth; where instead of the pleasurable glance and taste of the happiness of the heavenly society he had got, he finds himself yoked in close combat with the devil, ver. 7 ; whom if he did not see with his eyes, he certainly felt the weight of his hands upon his body and spirit; for I think there is no reason to recede from the literal sense of the text. (3.) Paul praying again and again in this humble situation, to be brought out of it, ver. 8. " For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." (4.) The answer given to his prayer, whereof the text is a part. And here is, \st, The precise answer to his petition, " My grace is sufficient for thee." "Wherein there is, (1.) Something implied, viz. that the Lord was not minded to give the riding stroke as yet, but the combat behoved to continue longer, and how long he was not to know. (2.) Something expressed, viz. That he had such a second, that there should be no fear of the issue, " My grace is sufficient for tliee." Now, 2dly, Our text is the justifying reason of this answer; not of the expressed part of it, the sufficiency of the Lord's grace ; but the

366 DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS.

implied part, the divine conduct in letting the battle go on, thongh by this time it was with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood. Q. d. Paul, be not stumbled at this; I have a becoming design in suffering it to go on, and not giving the decisive stroke as yet.

Secondly, The beam of light clearing this mystery in the general to faith : " my strength is made perfect in weakness." "Wherein is set forth,

\st, An amicable yoking of divine strength and creature-weakness. There was indeed here a most powerful evil spirit, yoked in a hostile manner with weak flesh and blood; so that had they two, without any interposition from heaven, been left to dispute it, the former had torn the latter in a thousand pieces. But there was an invisible divine hand with the weak party, that supported against the strong.

^dly, The illustration of the glory of the divine strength by this conjunction with creature-weakness ; " My strength is made perfect in weakness." "Where,

1. Consider whose is this strength. It is the Lord's to whom Paul prayed vers. 8, 9: and that was the Lord Christ, ver. 9. To him Paul prayed, in this combat with Satan, it being he who by his office was to bruise the serpent. "Whereby it appears, that he is true God, God, by nature, as being the object of divine worship, and the subject of sovereign divine power. Col. ii. 9. " For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

2. What his strength is. It certainly comprehends the strength of his grace lodged in him as Mediator, but is not confined to his moral perfections, but takes in the whole divine power, whereby he is able to do all things for the weak creature, whatever its weakness be: for the words are general.

3. One of those fields wherein it exerts itself, viz. weakness. It exerts itself in the strong, both in heaven and earth; and without it the strongest would be weak as water. But on this earth there is occasion for exerting itself in the weak, in their weakness ; working in, by, and with the real weakness and felt weakness of the creature.

4. "With what advantage it exerts itself in the creature's weakness : it is " made perfect" there. There is a twofold perfecting of a thing; one real, by adding to it something that it wanted to complete it, and the power of Christ being infinite, is not capable of that: another manifestation, whereby that which was vailed before comes to be discovered, like the sun getting forth from under a cloud. Thus Christ's " strength is made perfect in weaknsss :" it

DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS. 367

shiues forth the more illustriously there, that it doth as it were appear alone, unmixed with creature-strength.

Doctrine. The strength and power of our Lord Christ, being perfected or illustrated in the weakness of the creature, sutliciently clears the dispensation of his keeping his people, so long as he really doth, struggling in circumstances of weakness in this world.

In handling this doctrine, I shall,

I. Consider this dispensation.

II. The matter clearing it.

III. Apply.

I. Fh'st, We shall consider this dispensation. The Father has committed all judgment into the hand of the Son : Christ the Mediator has the charge of conducting all his redeemed ones through the world, to the promised land, John v. 22 ; Is. Iv. 4. And here is his conduct in that matter, this is the stated course of his dispensations, keeping them long struggling in circumstances of weakness. And here consider,

First, The place of it. That is only this world. It begins with them as soon as, believing on him, they resign themselves to his conduct: it continues with them all along, while they are on the way: but when he has them at home in heaven, that dispensation is for ever laid aside as to them. It has no place but in this lower world. Paul, from the time he became a Christian, had a continued struggle, till he was wrapt up to the third heaven, Rom. vii. 24. "While he was there in that case, it intermitted. But when he came back again he even fell into it anew ; and the first attack of it was most fearful.

Secondly, The nature of it; which we may take up in these two.

1*^, He obliges them to a struggle, Matth, xi. 12, " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." They are not to expect an easy passage through the world to the pro-raised land; but must trust him their desired ease till they come to their journey's end. They are obliged to do it,

1. In that he lays great pieces of work to their hand, doing work, suffering work. He will not have them to be idle : every day will cast op its own piece of work, that unless they fall asleep, they will find their hand filled every day. And if at any time they do fall asleep, when they awaken again, they will find their work increased on their hand.

2. In that he suffers them to meet with great opposition. The wind of providence from heaven, often blows strong in their face for their trial, Gen. xxii. 1. The wind of temptation from hell, and

368 DIVINE SXKEKCfTH ILLUSTRATED IN CKEATTJRE-WEAKNESS.

opposition from that airth never falls, and at times rises very boisterous, and becomes tempestuous, as in the apostle's case here, ver. 7. Meanwhile they must not run in from their work, and take a house till it turn calm; but must hold on their way. This constitutes the struggle, Eph. vi. 12, " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 2dly, Yet, though he obliges them to this struggling life, he, in the depth of his wisdom keeps them in circumstances of weakness; and these circumstances of,

1. Real weakness ; whereby it comes to pass, that they really want within themselves a sufficient stock of ability, to manage their work, and grapple with and force their way through the opposition made them in it. He himself owns this to be the way of his managing his people, that he keeps them from hand to mouth, John xv. 5, " Without me ye can do nothing."

2. Felt weakness. They are not strong enough for their work, and he makes them sensible it is so, 2 Cor. iii. 5, " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves : but our sufficiency is of God." So that both builders and bearers about the temple of the Lord, are obliged with one voice to say, " Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain," Psal. cxxvii. 1. And if at any time they lose this sense of their weakness, it is his way to leave them to their own weight, till, catching a fall, the smart bring them to themselves, to a sense of their weakness; as in Peter's case.

More particularly, our Lord keeps his people while here, l*^. Always in circumstances of natural weakness ; and these,

1. Of pure natural weakness, a weakness that is inwrought with human flesh, though at its prime. Is. xl. 6, " All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field." The witnesses hereof are, the need of meat, drink, sleep, &c. wherewith the tabernacles of clay must daily be underpropped. Even this makes God's children objects of their " Father's pity," Psal. cii. 13, 14.

2. Of sinful natural weakness ; not that he brought them under such weakness, but he suffers them to lie under it. There are remains of the corruption of nature in them all, which makes them a company of poor groaning weaklings, Rom. vii. 24. Grace has got in indeed, but corruption is not yet quite got out. The Canaan-ites are left in the land, and they are not able to clear the land of them. And this corruption of nature hath a strong bias, in each

DlVimj STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN" CREATURE-WEAKPTESS. 369

of them, to some particular evil, according to their various tempers and circumstances, " the sin that easily besets them," Heb. xii. 1.

2dly Often in circumstances of accidental weakness, through a variety of afflictions, trials, and temptations, weakening their bodies, or weakening their spirits, or weakening both together; as in Paul's case here. The particulars of this kind are too numerous to enter into the detail of: physicians and divines have filled bool\'' with them respectively.

Thirdly The difficulty casting up about this dispensation. Th is a twofold knot here.

1. The first lies in that he can put them out of those circumstances of weakness, yet he keeps them in them. The former cannot be questioned, since his divine power could have perfected them in the moment of conversion, both naturally and morally : what he will do to their souls at death, to their persons at the resurrection, he could have done in the moment of their union with him. The latter is manifest from the experience of his people in all ages and places of this world.

2. The second lies in the consequences of this dispensation. The weak things act weakly, leaving the marks of their weakness on all they do, and groan under the whole. Here the creature's hardships and pressures are the easiest part; but the sin, and dishonour to Grod that eventually attends them under this dispensation, ties the knot straitest, and makes many a weary look for the deliverance.

II. Secondly, "We are to consider the matter clearing this dispensation ; which is, that the strength and i)ower of Christ is illustrated in the weakness of the creature. And here we would shew, 1. Wherein the strength of Christ is illustrated in the way of this dispensation ; and, 2. The becomingness thereof.

First, "Wherein the strength of Christ is illustrated in the way of this dispensation.

1. In supporting them under their weakness, 2 Cor. i. 8, 9, 10. The more ready the house is to fall, the more does appear the efficacy of the prop that holds it up. The dispensation of providence towards some of the saints, in supporting them under their pressures, is a train of wonders : the dispensation of grace supporting them all, is a continued miracle, in that the spark of grace is not extinguished, in the ocean of corruption wherewith it is encompassed in themselves and others, put in agitation by the powers of darkness.

2. lu doing great things by them, weak and contemptible as tlicy are. How illustriously shines the power of Christ in making

37^^ DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS.

" worm Jacob thrash the mountains," Is. xli. 14, 15, weak creatures victorious over all the power of the enemy ? It is in such Christ chooses to set forth his God-like strength, his divine power, 2 Cor. iv. 7. When he set forth with his gospel in the world, Satan had the power of the sword, and the learning in the world, on his side : but Christ, by a few illiterate fishermen, Paul expected, carried his point against Satan with his swordsmen and book-r men too.

3. In strengthening them out of weakness, Heb. xi. 34. How often is their case, when at the weakest, nearest to a strengthening; and the fainting saint becomes like a giant refreshed with wine, by a touch of Christ's hand, a word from his mouth! Is. xl. 29, " Ho giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Amos v. 9, " The Lord strcngtheneth the spoiled against the strong; so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress." Paul speaks his usual experience of this, 2 Cor. xii. 10, " Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." He gives strength for a particular effect: when the work comes to the setting to, it comes, according to Matt. X. 19, " "When they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak ; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak :" when the work is done, it goes. So the timing and continuance of it, speaks whence it comes, that it is not home-bred, but heaven-bred.

4. Lastly, In bringing the weak things, through all their difficulties, safe home at long-run, Psal. Ixxiii. 24. 0 wonderful counsellor, that will guide such a weak company, through all their snares, to glory ! how must the power and skill of the pilot shine, in bringing such broken and shattered vessels, amidst so many rocks and shelves, in a tempestuous sea, safe to laud ! Surely, whatever doubts remain now with them about this dispensation, when they set their foot on the shore, they will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, and say of his whole dispensations, " He has done all things well."

Thus do shine forth in this dispensation,

1. The strength of the wisdom of Christ, and it writes his name in legible characters, Tue Wonderful Counsellor. What wisdom bnt divine could conduct such a company of weaklings, under such circumstances of weakness, through all the powers of the enemy, so as to lose none of them ! Mark that connexion. Is. xl, 28—31, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth.

DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS. 371

faiuteth not, neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he inoreaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

2. The power of his hand, which eminently exerts icself here. To do great things by mighty instruments, is the way of the creatures : but to do great things by weak and contemptible means, is the way of Christ, because he is GOD. To overthrow mountains by earthquakes, is the work of God in nature; but to make a worm thrash mountains small as dust, is his work in grace.

3. The power of his grace, 2 Cor. xii. 9. Here it appears an immortal seed; and to be, in its meanest lodging, the heart of a weak creature, impregnable : whence ? Not from its own nature, as such a created quality, evident from Adam's case: but that it is the grace of Christ, communicated out of his fulness, and thereby fed as from a continual spring, John iv. 14, " The water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

4. Lastli/, The strength of Christ's interest in heaven, which procures the weak ones so many pardons, keeps them in the state of favour with God, and at last gets them, notwithstanding all their weakness and worthlessness, set up vessels of glory in the upper house.

Use 1. Hence we proclaim Jesus Christ a fit support for all weak ones to draw to: come to him then, ye weak creatures, that his povrer may be displayed in you, to his honour, and your good.

There are other weak ones than the saints, though none so sensible of their weakness as they. Strangers to Christ, ye aro weak, dead-weak, however strong in your own conceit. To convince you that feel it not,

1. Are ye brought out of the state wherein Adam left you ? No, ye are not. Then ye are weak, Rom. v. 6, " For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly:" not only weak bodies, but weak souls, notwithstanding all your natural and acquired abilities. And it is owing to the lowness of your case, that ye are not sensible of it.

2. What head can ye make against disease or death ? 1 Cor. xv. 55, 66, 57. What strength for that encounter? Is. xl. 6. All must die, say ye; but the saints through Christ are proof against the sting of it; but what safeguard against it have ye ?

372 DIViyE STEEKGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS.

3. Are your own legs able to bear you before the tribunal of God? Surely not, Psal. cxliii. 2, "In thy siglit shall no roan living be justified." Why seek ye not then for shelter under the covert of blood ? I say then,

1st, Insensible sinners, come to a sense of your weakness, and under the sense of it come to Christ. Without it ye will not.

2dly, Sensible sinners, let not your weakness scare you from Christ, but rather prompt you not to delay coming, Matt. ix. 12. "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' They will perish in their weakness that come not.

Let all consider, that whoever they be in whom the strength of Christ's grace shall not be displayed, in a state of union with him, the strength of his hand will be displayed against them for ever, in a state of separation from him, 2 Thess. i. 8.

Use. 2. Communicants may hence be directed in their approach, to come under a sense of their weakness, to receive the seal of God's covenant insuring the strength of Christ to be forthcoming for them under all their weakness. And all that are minded for heaven, may learn to set themselves to submit to this dispensation, and to lay their account to live by faith, not by sense, till they get home.

Secondly, The becoraingness of this constitution. It will appear worthy of God, and therefore in reason should be satisfying to the creature, if ye consider,

1. That the man Christ is now in heaven, and will be to the end of the world, Acts iii. 21. But by this means his divine power is, for his glory, still illustrated in the world. While be was on the earth, he did now and then let out a beam of his divine glory: but he was nevertheless put to an ignominious death in it; and his enemies gave out, that he was swallowed up in death as other men. But by this means there is a continual proof of his resurrection, ascension, and divine power, kept up and to be kept up in the world to the end, in that continued display of his strength in the weakness of his people, 2 Cor. iv. 11. " For we which live, are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." Consider,

Is^, His divine power had a vail cast OA'er it, when he was on earth, Phil. ii. 7. and in his sufferings, crucifixion, death, and burial, he appeared in human weakness, 2 Cor. xiii. 4. Is it not worthy of God then, that now, when he is in heaven, his divine power should shine forth in its turn in the world; and that there should be a scene of human weakness, wherein it may to the greatest advantage display itself?

DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS. 373

2dly, This display of the strength of Christ in the weakness of his people appears full to their conviction : and the more weak they are, they see it the more clearly while it is exerted in them; as contraries appear best by one another's side. And thus the glory of the power of Christ continually shines in the world, in the eyes of them who feel it.

Zdly, While there is a people in the world compassed about with much weakness yet professing their dependance on the strength of Christ, and they are accordingly strengthened, in many instances at least, to the conviction of beholders; this is a sufficient objective evidence of the power of Christ to the world, sufficient to extort a confession of it from them, as Psal. cxxvi. 2.—" Then said they among the Heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them." Is. Ixi, 9. '* Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed;" or to leave them inexcusable. Hence, in all times of persecution, the support from heaven that confessors and martyrs had, hath brought numbers over to their side, so that the blood of the martyrs usually proved the seed of the church.

Hence I conclude, that this constitution and method of providence and grace in the church on earth, is a glorious device worthy of God, for displaying the glory of Christ. There, where he was some time covered over with ignominy, reproach, and disgrace, as weak and contemptible, a worm not a man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people," is his glory displayed, Psal. xxii. 5.

2. It is agreeable to the method of divine procedure in other things, and so makes the divine conduct to be of a piece. Wherein we may observe, that it is God's ordinary way, (1.) To carry on great works by degrees, and not immediately to bring them to their perfection. So the world was made, first, a confused dark mass of earth and water, and then step by step formed, and finished, and beautified. Was the old creation a work of time, for the more full manifesting of the power of God ? it is congruous, that the new creation should be so too, for illustrating the strength of Christ, in and by whom it is done. (2.) From small and contemptible beginnings to raise the most eminent works, and by most unlikely and unpromising means to do great things; because the power of God appears the more clearly in such a situation. From Abraham's body in a sort dead, and Sarah a barren woman, whose womb by age was deadened too, he raised a nation like the stars for multitude, continuing to this day: and looking to their beginning, we see Isaac an only son, on an altar, ready to be

374 DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS.

sacrificed; and the first-fruits of them long in slavery in Egypt, and, when delivered, wandering forty years in a wilderness. How congruous is it, then, that the innumerable multitude that shall at length stand on the mount Zion above, round about the throne, in white robes, and palms in their hands, should be brough tthither from lying among the pots, and straggling long in the wilderness?

3. Particularly, it is agreeable to the divine procedure in the case of Christ himself. And that, (1.) In the constitution of his person as God-man; wherein infinite power and creature-weakness met together as attributes of one and the same person ; he who, being true man, was capable of being " crucified through weakness," being also the mighty God, 2 Cor. xiii. 4 Now, if the divine power wrs lodged with creature-weakness in Christ personal, how congruous is it that the same divine power should be illustrated in the weakness of his mystical members? (2.) In the conduct of providence about his person. The most signal display that ever God made of his power, was by the man Christ and in him, 1 Cor. i. 24. being " Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." By him as God-man he redeemed the world; the last a greater work than the first, as the giving his own Son was more than the speaking of a word. But ho^r was this work brought about, but by subjecting him to a number of weaknesses for his lifetime in this world, concluded at length with his death ? And in these the divine power sent forth its most radiant beams, and by them reared up the new creation. Shall it then be thought strange, that as Christ was in the world, Christians should be ever so too ? or that, since the power of God was illustrated in the weakness of the man Christ, the same divine power in the person of Christ should be illustrated in the weakness of his people, while they are here in this world ?

4. Lastly. This dispensation tends to the heightening of the glory of the victory of the Son of God against the devil. That proud apostate spirit rose in rebellion against God ; and having seduced man, set up a kingdom in the world in opposition to God's. Against him the Son of God, for his Father's glory, and the recovery of fallen man, proclaimed war in paradise, Gen. iii. 15. " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel;" and, for his more shameful defeat, encounters him in human nature, a weak one in comparison of the more powerful angelic nature, whereof Satan was; and illustrates his strength against him in the weakness of that nature, as in his natural body, so in his mystical body. The heat of that battle was on the cross, where he was "crucified through

DIVINE STRENGTH IliLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS. 375

weakness," yet triumphed over him. The battle is carried on in his mystical members laden with weaknesses: yet even in them also he defeats hira; and ssts them off the field conquerors, one generation after another, without the loss of a man. It will last till the end of the world : and then Christ's victory with his weak men will be complete, Satan with his party being chained down under everlasting darkness. So there will be no more occasion for Christ's illustrating his power in weakness: consequently, there shall no more for ever be a weak one among Christ's party; all their weaknesses corae then to an end.

Use. This may be of manifold tise in the Christian life,

1. As an oracle to satisfy serious inquirers anent the whole of the divine conduct about believers, and particularly as to two difficult questions.

1st, Why the Lord leaves sin in the regenerate ? Why though they pant, long, and breathe after perfection, yet they cannot reach it; though they would buy their freedom from sin with ten thousand worlds if they had them, and the bondage of a body of sin cleaving to them makes them long for cold death, to set them free, yet they must wrestle on with it? See what may satisfy. It is that the power of Christ may be illustrated in your weakness ; therefore it is that the " wheels of his chariot tarry."

2dli/, Why the Lord keeps his people under long and sore afflictions ? The reason is the same. Satan might be too hard for the Christian, in a perfect calm of providence about him: yet our Lord will give the Christian a disadvantageous post in a thicket of afflictions and trials, therefore called temptations, James i. 2; and Satan having that advantage of the ground, shall be suffered to attack him, and yet be baffled: to the greater glory of the strength of Christ, and shame of the enemy.

2. As a way-mark, to direct us, if we mind for heaven, unto the King's high-way to it; that is, the way of faith, and not of sense, 2 Cor. V. 7. Whatever sweet clusters of sense the Lord may allow any of his people for their refreshment by the way; the life of sense is certainly reserved for heaven, where all weakness is put ofl". The life of Christians here is a life of believing, hoping, patient waiting, in a course of doing, suffering, struggling, and wrestling, where Christ's power is illustrated in their weakness.

3. As an interpreter of Christ's mind anent the actings of grace in his people. The carnal world despises these actings as things of no value. A look of a weak creature to Christ, a groan to him for help, believing of a promise, hoping in his word, some confidence in him that he will at length appear for them, are but trifling things

376 DIVINE STRENGTH ILLUSTRATED IN CREATURE-WEAKNESS.

in their eyes. And in the eyes of believers themselves, except when they are bound up from them, they are but of small value, hardly "worth their own notice, far less Christ's ; especially considering that they are so weak, and so long a time intervenes between them. But certainly Christ notices them all, and looks on them as very precious, else this dispensation, whose end is to draw them out, had never been chosen by him, 1 Pet. i. 7, " That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Cant. iv. 9, " Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse ; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck."

4. As a cordial to support, with the prospect of a happy event, all the followers of Christ.

Istf Under their own personal weakness and pressures. He that has brought them under thera to illustrate his own strength in them, will surely make a shining morning follow their darkest night.

2dli/, Under the low case of the church, whether in point of corruption or persecution. Though she be either of these ways brought to death's door, she cannot die out: for Christ will not let her fall so low, but for the clearer manifesting of his divine strength in her recovery. The utmost point of hopelessness is the usual signal for Christ's exerting his power for his people : Deut. xxxii. 36, " For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants ; when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left."

5. Lastly, As a persuasive to Christians, with a holy submission of spirit to this dispensation, resolutely to wrestle on, till the Lord have fully served the ends of his glory by all their weaknesses. This bids us,

l*^, Stoop to the dispensation, and not quarrel; and after he has thus far discovered to us the design of it, to crucify all our hows and whys on the matter ; and that both with respect to our spiritual and bodily weaknesses.

2dZy, Resolutely to keep up the struggle, to get forward in the way the Lord calls us. What though we be weak ? the works of the Christian life are not to be laid aside, but we are to stretch out the withered hand, that his strength may be perfected in our weakness.

Whoso thus struggle resolutely, and yet stoop humbly to the dispensation, shew their concern for his honour, insomuch that they are pleased his strength should be displayed in their weakness. Thus honouring him here, he will honour them in the other world.

THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE. Several Sermons preached, at Ettrick, in the year 1717.

Luke xiii. 5. I tell you, Nay: hut except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

When we consider the abounding sin and hardness of heart prevailing under a preached gospel, it must needs let us see, that the doctrine of repentance is both necessary and seasonable, to pluck the brands out of the burning ; or if that will not do, to leave men without excuse. Sinners stave oflF repentance, as if they were resolved to persist in sin come what will, or at least as halting betwixt two opinions : But here is a peremptory decision of the case in this text, " I tell you. Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

In these words we have two things.

1. An abuse of a dispensation of providence corrected : " I tell you, Nay." Some had told our Lord the news of Pilate the Roman governor's falling on some Galileans, with his soldiers, and killing them, while they were sacrificing. It seems the tellers of this news, or others in the company, were apt to think, that these were sinners beyond others, because an unordinary judgment had fallen on them. Our Lord tells them, that it would not bear such a conclusion. He puts them in mind of another remarkable providence, viz. the tower of Siloam in Jerusalem its falling on and killing eighteen persons : but here he shews that this did not befal them, because they were greater sinners than all the rest in Jerusalem; nay there were as great sinners as those, which missed that stroke, and others like it too.

2. The right use of the dispensatiou instructed: "But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." The right use is to learn repentance from the ruin of others; if others give us an example at their own cost, that we take heed to it and improve it to our repentance and reformation. This is the import of the particle bict. These words are a peremptory certification given to sinners by our Lord. And the proposition in its own nature includes a twofold certification.

\st, A certification of ruin upon impenitence. Sinners go on in their course, yet hope that all may be well. No, says our

Lord, deceive not yourselves; for if ye do not repent, there is no hope of saving you. There is here,

(1.) The matter on which the certification is given, " Except ye repent;" i. e. If ye do not repent, if ye be not duly humbled for your sins, and sincerely turn from them. If ye harden your hearts under your guilt, keep still your sinful courses, and refuse to let them go, they will ruin you.

(2.) The thing certified, which is perishing likewise; not perislr-ing in that very manner, but ye shall perish as surely as they did. The judgments of God shall pursue you, and ye shall perish for ever.

(3.) The extent of the certification, " All—perish." This clears the perishing to be meant of everlasting death. Q. d. Though signal temporal judgments do pursue all that are impenitent, yet eternal punishment will; no impenitent sinner shall escape that, however they may escape temporal strokes of signal vengeance.

(4.) The pereraptoriness of it. This appears in two things. 1. That solemn assertion, " I tell you," supposed to be repeated in the last clause. Take it out of the mouth of the Lord himself, that ye shall perish except ye repent. Q. d. This has been told you by many, but ye would not believe: but now I tell it you out of my own mouth. And to hear this out of the mouth of the Saviour, may strike a sinner with concern, and let him see, that Christ's blood will never be laid out on a person continuing impenitent, to save him from death. 2. In the relation intimate to be between the punishment of those so signally smitten by the hand of God, and the future punishment of all impenitent sinners; the former is a pledge of the latter. This is intimated by the particle likewise.

2dly, A certification of life and repentance. This is implied here as Gen. ii. 17. God has made as sure connection betwixt repentance and life, as betwixt impenitence and death. Be your sins never so great, if you repent of them, and turn from them, they shall never be your ruin.

Before I come to the main point I design, I shall lay before you some observations from the words.

Obs. 1. That those who meet with more signal strokes than others, are not therefore, nor are to be accounted greater sinners than others. The Lord spares some as great sinners, as he signally punisheth, I tell you, nay.

Reasons of this dispensation of Providence.

1. Because of God's sovereign power and absolute dominion, which he will have the world to understand : Matth. xx. 15. " Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ?" Thus our Lord

accounts for tlie dispensation of the man's being born blind, John ix. 3. All men have that in them and about them, which may make them liable to the heaviest strokes that any of the children of men meet with ; And therefore whatever any suffer, the Lord does them no wrong, since he punishes them less than their iniquity deserves : but amongst many whom justice may strike, sovereignity picks out some, and causes them to smart. And who may say, " what dost thou ?"

2. Because we are now under the mixed dispensation of providence; not the unmixed, reserved to another world, when all men shall be put into their unalterable state. Now, hereunto this is very agreeable that Grod signally punish some of a society, while others as guilty do escape, that the whole may, with David, Psal, ci. 1, " sing of mercy and judgment too." And thus the dispensation of divers colours is held up in the world, as a display of the manifold wisdom of God.

3. Because the mercy of God to some is magnified by his severity on others. As black set by white makes the white appear the better; so God's severity against some, may be a looking-glass to others, wherein they may see how much they stand obliged to free grace and mercy, Rom. xi. xxii. Men are never fairer to prize health in themselves, than when they see others tossed on sick beds; nor to prize the exercise of sense and reason, and other mercies, than when they see what miserable and pitiful sights they are that are deprived of these. And this should make folk patient and thankful under the strokes of the Lord's hand, because if he take away a mercy, health for instance, or perhaps a member or limb of their body, being taken away, it may be more serviceable for him, than when they had it, in so far as it shall serve to magnify the mercy of God to others, that see and notice the hand of the Lord. See Matth. xxi. 3.

4. Because in very signal strokes very signal mercies may be wrapped up. So it was in Joseph's case ; there was a very singular blessing on the head of him that was separated from his brethren. Job's troubles were but a dark hour before a very glorious day. The halt Jacob got in his thigh, was more excellent, as a badge of his wrestling with the angel, than Esau's retinue of four hundred men.

5. Lastly, Because this dispensation is in some sort necessary to confirm us in the belief of the judgment of the great day. God punishes some remarkably, that the world may see that there is a God that judgeth on the earth; he does not so punish all, that men may be assured that there is a judgment to come. If none were

Vol. VI. 2 b

punished here, the world would improve that for Atheism; if all were punished, it would be improved to Sadducism.

Use 1. Then learn that unordinary strokes may befall those that are not unordinary siuners; and therefore be not rash in your judgment concerning the strokes that others meet with. It is true, whatever we or others meet with, it is deserved at the Lord's hand; and when God follows an unordinary seen sin with an unordinary judgment, as in the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, it is no breach of charity to judge that that stroke comes for that sin. But when people, in whose conversation ye see no signal sin, meet with signal strokes, beware of harsh judging. For in the way of the Lord's dispensation, some will meet with a signal stroke for some sin, such as the world would think little or nothing of, if they knew it.

2. Then adore the mercy of God to you, and wonder at his sparing you, when ye see others smart under the hand of God, which ye do not feel. Acknowledge, that whatever others meet with, the same might have been your lot, if the Lord had dealt with you as ye deserve; as the church did, Lara. iii. 22, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

Obs. 2. That the strokes which any meet with, are pledges of ruin to impenitent sinners. But " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Reasons of this are,

1. Because they show how hateful to God sin is, in whomsoever it is: Is. xlii. 24, " "Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers ? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned ? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law." God has no delight in the misery of his own creatures, Ezek. xviii. 23. He must therefore have a mighty hatred against sin, in that he is so heavy oftentimes on the work of his own hands for it. Not only his enemies smart for sin, but his dear friends; yea, his dear Son smarted for it, when it lay on him but by imputation. And therefore how can impenitent siuners think to escape ? Luke xxiii. 31, "For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry ?"

2. Because they shew how just God is. He is the Judge of all the earth, and cannot but do right. Gen. xviii. 25. Now, though justice may delay the punishment of one longer than another, yet it will not allow to punish some, and for ever to spare others, in the same state. For that would be manifest partiality, which God hateth, Ezek. xviii. 20. And therefore the apostle tells us, 2 Thess.

i. 6. that " it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to thera that trouble" the saints.

3. Because whatever any meet with in the way of sin, is really designed for warning to others, as is clear from the text. See 1 Cor. X. 11, 12. And they that will not be taught by the example of others, may expect to be made examples to teach others, as Lot's wife was. But the wise will have their eyes in their head, while impenitent sinners pass on and perish, as those that will not take warning. Hence it comes to pass, that the stroke afar off not prevailing, is oftentimes brought nearer home.

4. Lastly, Because all those strokes which sinners meet with in this life, are the spittings of the shower of wrath that abides the impenitent world, after which the full shower may certainly be looked for. As the joys in believing are the pledges of eternal joy, flowing from one fountain with it; the first-fruits of Canaan's land, which will be followed with the full harvest: so all the outlettings of God's wrath on sinners here, are the pledges of eternal wrath, and first-fruits of hell, which will be followed with the harvest of misery, being the same in kind, Rev. xx. 14.

Use 1. Be not unconcerned spectators of all the effects of God's anger for sin going abroad in the world; for your part and mine is deep in them. There is none of them but says to us, as in the same condemnation, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." 0 how unconcernedly do many look on the miseries of others, how far are they from taking a lesson to themselves therefrom ! But a hard heart and seared conscience, which cannot be awakened by the dispensations of providence far off from them, do but invite the heavy stroke to fall on themselves.

2. Consider, 0 impenitent sinners, how can ye escape, when your rnin is insured by so many pledges thereof from the Lord's hand, while ye go on in sin ? When a sinner goes out of God's way, he leaves his soul in pawn for his return by repentance; but the impenitent sinner never returns to loose his pawn, and so loses it. When God lets out any of his wrath in any measure on the children of men, that is God's pawn for his bringing eternal wrath on the impenitent; and we may be sure, that however careless we be of our pawns, God will not lose his. Therefore consider your ways, and repent.

Obs, 3. The strokes that others meet with, are loud calls to to us to repent. That is the language of all the afflicting providences which we see going on in the world. To confirm this, consider,

1. God does not strike one for sin with a visible stroke, but with an eye to all. The reason which "^od gives in his law for punishing

2b2

some transgresssors severely, is, that " all Israel might hear, and fear, and do no such thing." In the infancy of the Jewish chnrch, he consumed Nadab and Abihu with fire, Lev. x. 2. compared with vcr. 9. In the infancy of the Christian church, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for a lie. Why all this, but to be a warning to all that should come after ?

2. Thereby we may see how dangerous a thing sin is to be harboured ; and if we will look inward, we may ever see, that there is sin in us also against the God of Israel. If we saw one stung by a serpent which he had taken up, would not we quickly throw away one which we had taken up too, lest we should fare no better ? How can we think to prosper in that way, where we see it goes so very ill with others ?

Use 1. We may see that none go on impenitently in a sinful course, but over the belly of thousands of calls from Providence to repent, besides all those they have from the word. Look abroad into the world, 0 sinner, and consider how many have fallen into ruin, and are still falling by their iniquity. As many as there are of these, so many mouths are there calling thee to repent, and turn from thy sin. " Who did ever harden himself against God, and prosper ?" And dost thou think, that thy case shall be an exception to the general rule ? No ; so many witnesses give their testimony to thee, that " except thou repent, thou shalt likewise perish."

2. Impenitency under the gospel cannot have the least shadow of excuse. The calls of Providence common to the whole world, are sufficient to leave the very heathens without excuse, Rom. i. 20: how much more shall the calls of the word and Providence too make us inexcusable, if we do not repent? Sinners make many shifts for themselves, to preserve the life of their lusts, aud to keep themselves from this unpleasant exercise : but they will be but fig-leaf covers before the Lord.

3. How much more do strokes from the hand of the Lord on ourselves call us to repent ? Hos. ii. 6, 7, " Therefore behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now." What Absalom's design was in burning Joab's corn-field, is the design of afflicting providences. And therefore impenitency and hardness of heart under the strokes of the Lord's hand, is highly aggravated, Jer. v. 3. Every cross that we meet with, is a charge from heaven to

turu from our sinful course, and from the particular ills of our way. I come now to the principal doctrine of the text.

Doctrine. Sinners, except they repent, shall perish. This is an except without any exception. Be who they will, if they be sinners, they must repent or perish. All are sinners, and by sin depart from God ; and they must come back again to him by repentance, else they are for ever ruined. Be they sinners of a greater or lesser size, they must be penitent sinners, or it had been better for them they had never been born.

In discoursing this doctrine, I shall, I. Explain the nature of repentance. n. Apply.

I. I shall explain the nature of repentance. And here we may consider,

1. "What it is in its general nature.

2. How it is wrought in the soul.

3. The subject of true repentance.

4. The parts of repentance.

First, We may consider what repentance is in its general nature. It is a saving grace: 2 Tim. ii. 25, " In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if Grod peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." It is a grace given us of God freely, enabling and disposing a soul to all the acts of turning from sin unto God; and it is saving, as in its own nature distinguishing a man from a hypocrite, and having a sure connection with eternal salvation. To unfold this more particularly, consider,

1. It is not a transient action, as Papists and some ignorant creatures imagine, as if a sigh for sin, an act of sorrow for it, a confession of it with a " God be merciful to me a sinner," were repentance. No, no; these may be acts of repentance while they proceed from a truly penitent heart. But repentance itself is not a passing act, but an abiding grace, Zech. xii. 10; a continuing frame and disposition of the soul; a principle lying deep in the heart, disposing a man to mourn for and turn from sin on all occasions.

2. It is not a passing work of the first days of one's religion, as some professors take it to be; but a grace in the heart, setting one to an answerable working all the days of his life. It is a spring of waters of sorrow in the heart for sin, which will spring up there while sin is there, though sometimes through hardness of heart it may be stopped for a while. They that look on repentance as the

first stage in the way to heaven, and looking back to the sorrowful hours which they had when the Lord first began to deal with them, reckon that they have passed the first stage, are in a dangerous condition. And v^^hoso endeavours not to carry on their repentance, I doubt if they ever at all repented yet. As when Moses had smote the rock in the wilderness, and the waters began to gush out, those waters ran (it is thought, 1 Cor. x. 4.) and followed them while in the wilderness : so the heart first smitten with repentance for sin at the soul's first conversion to God, the wound still bleeds, and is never bound up to bleed no more, till the band of glory be put about it in heaven, Rev. xxi. 4.

Hence initial and progressive repentance, though the former be the repentance of a sinner, the latter of a saint, are no more different kinds of repentance, than the soul's virgin love to Christ, aud their love to him through the course of their spiritual marriage with him; or than faith in its first, and after actings. But as the midday and evening sun are the same with the morning sun, so are these; though the rising morning sun may be most noticed by the traveller, who having travelled in the night, was thereby brought from darkness to light.

3. It is not a common grace, but a special saving one. Men may have a repentance for their sin, gnawing their consciences, and tormenting their hearts, which they will carry on in hell through eternity: being only the first movings of the worm in the soul that never dieth : as Judas's repentance seems to have been Simon Magus's and Pharaoh's. They may bitterly rue their sin, as Esau, Gen. xxvii. 34. who never truly repent of it, Heb. xii. 17; and the stony heart may be broken in a thousand pieces, while yet every piece remains a stone. They may have a superficial sorrow for sin, and a light joy succeeding it, whose hearts were never pierced to the quick; and therefore the joy goes, as the effects of a scud of rain on the parched ground, Matth. xiii. 20, 21. But true repentance is a repentance never repented of, kindly working in the soul.

Secondly, We may consider how repentance is wrought in the soul. And here two questions must be answered, and two points cleared, namely,

1. "Who works repentance, or is the author of it? And that is the sanctifying Spirit of Jesus Christ: Zech. xii. 13. " And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." Sometimes notorious

prodigals become true peuitents; as a persecuting Saul turned to be a preaching Paul: so that the world is amazed with the change, and are ready to say as in Saul's case, 1 Sam. x. 11. " What is this that is come unto the sou of Kish ? Is Saul also among the prophets ? But that query, ver. 12. "But who is their father?" gives a rational account of the matter. All sort of timber to divine grace is alike easy to hew. And forasmuch as the house of God is ordinarily built of the knottiest wood, publicans and harlots entering into the kingdom of Grod before Scribes and Pharisees, it may plainly appear, that repentance is not the work of nature, but of grace ; not of men's own spirit, but Christ's Spirit.

This is evident from the word, Jer. xiii. 21, " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." It is the Lord's own work to " take away the stony heart, and give an heart of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. It is the office of the exalted Mediator to give repentance, in whose hand it is to send the Spirit, Acts v. 31. Ministers may preach repentance, but cannot work in it themselves, and far less in others. They may sow the seed, but cannot make it grow, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. It is but a peradventure if God give repentance, when they have done their utmost, 2 Tim. ii. 25. But if at all their weapons be mighty, it is through God, 2 Cor. x. 4.

2. By what means does the Spirit work repentance ? That is by the word, whether read or preached. The word is the channel wherein the influences of the Spirit flow; and from these it has its piercing, melting, and heart-softening virtue, as the pool of Beth-esda had its healing virtue from the angel's troubling the water: Acts xi. 20, 21. "And some of them were men of Cyprus, and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." Junius, who was deeply plunged in Athiesm, was brought to repentance by reading John i. in a New Testament which his father had purposely laid down in his chamber, if perhaps he might take it up and read it. Augustine was converted by reading Rom. xiii. 13, 14. " Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Three thousand we find were wrought on by one sermon. Acts ii.

Many and various are the occasions of repentance, which the Lord blesseth for bringing home the word to the soul, and the soul by it unto God. Personal afflictions have been so in the case

of many, Hos. ii. 7- The sight of strokes on others has been blessed to some. The first occasion of Luther's turning serious was a fright by the violent death of a dear companion of his. Nay, God has made falls into gross sins occasions of repentance unto many, whereof there are several instances, as Achan, the thief on the cross, &:c. Flavel gives an account of one, in the case of an attempt of self-murder. Augustine heard a voice, saying, " Take up, and read." Nay, God can make a dream in the night such an occasion, Job xxxiii. 15, 16. But these are not properly the means, but the occasions which bring men to consider of the word, which is the true and proper means. And here the Spirit of the Lord makes use of both parts of the word.

1st, The law, to break the hard heart: Jer. xxiii. 29, " Is not my word—like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces ? saith the Lord." It goes before like John Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord into the heart. And the Spirit of the Lord making use of it in a soul, is called " the Spirit of bondage," Rom. viii. 15. And here each part of the law has its proper use.

(1.) The commands of it, to convince the soul of sin : Rom. vii. 7, I had not known sin," says the apostle, " but by the law : for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." The commands of the law, held forth to the soul in their spirituality and vast extent, are the looking-glass wherein the sinner is made to see his black face, the sins and sinfulness of his nature, heart, and life, which he must repent of.

(2.) The threatenings of it, to convince the soul of judgment: Gal. iii. 10, " As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." These carried home on the soul, disturb its rest in sin, and let the man see that he has been sleeping within the sea-mark of divine vengeance, and so give him a frightful wakening. These discover the danger of sin for time and eternity, and tell him that he must turn over a new leaf, else he is ruined.

2dli/, The gospel, to melt the hard heart like a fire, Jer. xxiii. 29, " Is not my word like as a fire ? saith the Lord; and so to bow and bend it from sin towards God," Zech. xii. 10, " And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon me Avhom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." Thus the soul that was driven by the law, is kindly led and drawn by the gospel to repeut-

ante. The law serves to make a terrible reel in the conscience and affections : but the gospel is Christ's key to open the heart, and to turn about the will that he may come in, Gal. iii. 2. The stormy wind, and earthquake, may go before in the law ; but the still small voice of the gospel is that which the Lord is in. This is evident, if ye consider,

(1.) That repentance is the doctrine of the g03pel. I do indeed think, that it cannot be denied but that the law requires repentance as a duty, in so far as it binds the apostate sinner to return to Grod: but in the meantime it gives no hope of mercy to the penitent, seeing its constant voice is, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." But the gospel gives the glad tidings of place for repentance, and shews how the apostate creature returning will be accepted. And there can be no true returning to God, where there is no hope of acceptance.

(2.) Repentance is a promise of the covenant of grace: Ezek. xxxvi. 31, " Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations," It is not only the duty ot God's elect, but their privilege, made over to them in Jesus Christ, purchased by his death, and bestowed on them by virtue of his exaltation. Acts v. 31. And hence, as one of the benefits of that covenant, it is sealed in baptism, Mark i. 4.

The sum of what is said on this second head, is, that repentance is an evangelical softness of heart, and bent of spirit to turn away from sin, and to turn to God, wrought in a soul by the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of holiness being given to Christ without measure, he puts the same Spirit in his elect in the day of his power; who by his grace melts the heart for sin, and bends it away from sin to holiness.

Use 1. Repentance is not a man's taking up himself, in the point of his outward conversation. It is one thing to reform the life, another to reform the heart, by changing the will. The former is within the reach of mere nature, the other is not to be effected but by a supernatural hand, Jer. xxxi. 18. The former may make one a painted sepulchre, the latter makes him a new creature.

2. Legal repentance is no true repentance : and therefore though one have it, he may perish; as Pharaoh, Judas, &c. It makes a fretful restless conscience under the terror of God's wrath but mean while it leaves a hard heart, glued to sin. The law and its terrors coming into a sinful soul, may raise the dust ready to choke the sinner, as in a house when a sweeping; but it will never be made

clean, uuless the gospel liave its efficacy on the heart, as the water ■which lays that dust. Hence it comes to pass, that sinners sometimes have sharp convictions, but mean while their lusts grow as rampant as ever after.

3. See the folly of delaying- repentance, and not striking in with the motions of the Spirit, when one has them. How do people put off repentance from time to time, as if it were wholly in their power to do it at any time! But they that cannot command wind and tide, have need to fall in with them while they serve, least if they go, they be left hopeless. 0 delay not, lest the Spirit of the Lord be provoked to depart.

4. Lastly, Learn whom ye are to look to for repentance. It is the work of the Lord's Spirit; and unto him ye are to look for his grace to loose the bands of wickedness, to soften the hard heart, and to turn you to himself, Jer. xxxi. 18.

Thirdly, We may consider the subject of true repentance, what it is. It is a convinced believing soul. An unconvinced sinner cannot be a true penitent; for what the eye sees not, the heart rues not. Neither can an unbelieving sinner be so ; for without faith the heart may be rent for sin, but not from it.

First, The soul wherein true repentance is wrought, is a convinced soul: Job xxxvi. 9, 10, " He showcth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity." Acts ii. 87. 38, " Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall w-e do ? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." The first particular work in the creation was making light; and the letting in a new light by conviction, is the first work in the new creation. God begins his work, where Satan ends his; who having got the soul asleep in the arms of its lusts, shuts the windows, and draws the curtains, that it may sleep sound, till it awaken in hell. But the Spirit of the Lord by conviction opens them, and awakens the sinner ordinarily, if not always, in a fright. Here consider,

1. How this conviction is wrought. It is done by the erecting of a criminal court within the sinner's own breast, which the man cannot absent himself from, more than he can go out of himself. He must stay and answer, unless he prevail with the judge to let fall the process ; as, alas ! many do by silencing their consciences one way or other to their own ruin. And in this court,

1st, The Spirit of the Lord, awakening the sleepy conscience, sets it upon the bench, so that the man becomes his own judge : John xvi. 8, "And when he [the Comforter] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." The man searches and tries his own heart and life, which was before neglected as the sluggard's garden. But now every corner thereof is ransacked, and secret things set in the light.

2dl^, The man is convicted as a sinner by the law. His nature, heart, and life brought to the holy law and compared with it, he is found evidently to bo guilty and a transgressor. Hence says the apostle, Rom. vii. 9, '■ I was alive without the law once : but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." The law as a looking-glass is held before his eyes, and he sees his spots. His own conscience is as a thousand witnesses against him, and he cannot deny the charge. So his mouth is stopped, and his sin at length has found him out, Rom. iii. 19.

'ddli/, The man is sentenced and condemned by his own conscience according to the law, adjudging him liable to death, eternal death, for his sins: Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." He is therefore a condemned malefactor in his own eyes, by the sentence of the law pronounced against him. Consider,

2. The effects of this conviction ; -which are these.

Is^, A painful sense of sin, an affecting sight of it, Rom. vii. 9. forecited. For now the sore is lanced ; and they see those sins, and that in sin, Avbich they saw not before ; and their eyes affect their hearts. As when the sun shines into a house, the motes are discovered, which did not before appear: so is it here. And the sin which sat light on them before, becomes a burden too heavy to them to bear; for now they are roused out of their lethargy, and feel their sores. It is a burden on their spirits, which sinks them ; on their backs, that bows them down ; on their heads, which they are not able to discharge themselves of. Therefore the soul coming to Christ is represented as a man with a burden on him: Psal. Iv. 22, " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." Hos. xiv. 2, " Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, say unto him, Take away all iniquity;" (Heb.) Lift off iniquity as a burden.

2dl(/, Terror on their hearts: Psal. ix. 20, " Put them in fear, 0 Lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men." The convinced jailor, a man who wore a sword, falls a-trembling, Acts xvi. 29 : for the terror of God is too high for the stoutest heart, that knows not what it is to fear the face of man. The soul that was fearless before, because blind to its own hazard, now that his

eyes are opened, is magor missabib. For what heart can be strong before an angry God, brandishing the sword of a fiery law over the conscience, which awakened, is the tenderest part of the man ?

Sdly, Legal sorrow for sin : Acts ii. 37, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart." There are stounds of grief that go through their hearts like arrows, Psal. xlv. 5; and these are very piercing, Prov. xviii. 14, " The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear ? The man sees now that he has been murdering his own soul, and he groans out an elegy over his dead self; which is raised the higher, that he thought his soul was alive, when really it was dead. He calls himself fool and beast for doing as he did. But what is very sad, though his heart be rent in pieces for his sin, yet it is not rent from it. What grieves him thus, is purely selfish; his separation from God, without whom he sees he cannot be happy; and his liableness to his wrath and curse, which he sees will ruin him for ever to lie under,

-ithli/, A racking anxiety how to be delivered out of this state : Acts ii. 37, " Now when they heard this, they said,—What shall we do ?" And here many times fear and hope take their several turns in his anxious soul; sometimes hoping, sometimes desponding, like Jonah in the whale's belly, Jon. ii. 4, " Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple." Conviction of sin will make way for care into the most careless head, and will make folk bestow many thoughts on the neglected salvation, that used not to bestow one serious thought upon the business. And this care will swallow up all others, as that of a drowning man to save his life.

Use 1. The unconvinced sinner is an impenitent sinner. Hearken ye young ones, and old, that have lived at ease, and with a hale heart, in respect of your souls' state, all your days. They may sleep sound indeed, whom the devil is rocking in the cradle of a natural impenitent state. But ye will get a wakening yet, either in time to bring you to repentance, or when time is gone, and there is no more place for repentance, Jer. xlviii. 11, 12, " For except ye repent, ye shall perish." Ah poor sinner, thou wast never yet in the next step to repentance. Thy sore has not been lanced yet, therefore surely the filthy matter is never yet cast out by repentance.

2. Convictions and legal qualms of conscience are not repentance : for they do but qualify the subject for it, and that in part only. These are very necessary things I have spoke of under this head j but they are but like the unripe fruit, which must be ripened by

tlie work of the gospel on tlio heart, and brought to a i^erfection by the warm sun of gospel-influences, ere he that has them can bo accounted a penitent indeed. Or rather, they are like the blossoms which go before, and differ in kind from the fruit, which often fall off, and no fruit follows at all. Folk may have had these many days and years since, that never repented to this day, Hos. vi. 4. The first-fruits of the second death may be mistaken by many for the pangs of the new birth. Aud therefore ye that have had them consider well what issue they have had; for it is not enough to have been in them, but to have got right out of them. "Wrong curing of some diseases, breeds others, that prove mortal to many. The right issue out of them lies in three things.

1. It lies in self-denial, or unselfing of the soul, when the soul is shaken out of itself for justification and sanctification too: Jer. xxxi. 18, " I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God." Compared with ver. 19, " Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed. I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth." They see the heinousness of sin, and the corruption of their nature too, so as they conclude themselves utterly unable to help themselves in either of these points, and so come off from themselves.

2. It lies in faith, or believing; in coming to Jesus Christ for all, in point of justification and sactification too : Is. xlv. 24. "Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." The soul being turned ofl:' its own bottom, comes and builds on him for what it wants, and looks to him for his blood aud Spirit. Thus " the law is a school-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith," Gal. iii. 24. See Jer. iii. 22, 23.

3. It lies in repentance, or a kindly melting of the heart for sin, Jer. xxxi. 18. Zech. xii. 10. as done against a gracious God, whom the heart is knit to in love. The soul comes from before the throne of justice, where it stood weeping for itself and its own misery, unto the throne of grace, where it stands weeping for having offended such a gracious Father.

They land at this threefold shore, who come rightly out of these depths. But many plunge up and down in them a while, and land again just in the same side they went in at. Some land at the shore.

1. Of formality, or a legal walk, 2 Tim. iii. 5. '• Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." They change their former ways but retain their old heart. They go indeed to religious

duties, but tliey never go out of them to Christ. They act not as they did ; but still they have the old principle of action, acting from self, and to self; so that though they change their work, they still work to the old master. And thus many continue in a profession of religion, living on their duties, never coming to Christ. Others land at the shore.

2. Of their former security. They are neither better inwardly nor outwardly; but they come out of their qualms of conscience, as one out of a fever, returning just to their old way of living; as was the case with Felix, Acts xxiv. 25. who said to " Paul, go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee," Others land at the shore,

3. Of profanity; turning worse than before : Mat. xii. 43, 44, 45, ** When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Their lusts dammed up for a while, run with more vigour than ever thereafter.

Secondly, The soul wherein repentence is wrought, is a believing soul. Faith is the spring and sourse of repentance so that though the grace of faith and repentance are given together and at once in respect of time, yet, in the order of nature, faith goes before repentance, and the acting of faith goes before the exercise of repentance. And he that would repent, must first believe in Christ that he may repent. I know that some teach otherwise. But this is the doctrine of the Scriptures and our Catechism. To confirm it, consider,

1. That faith is absolutely the leading grace, and the first breathing of a quickened soul: Heb. xi. 6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God ;" therefore it is impossible to repent, for that is very pleasing to him, Jer. xsxi. 20. So John xv. 5, " Without me," i. e. separate from me, and there is no union with him but by the Spirit of faith, " ye can do nothing" acceptable to God, therefore ye cannot repent.

2. It is particularly the leading grace to repentance: Zech. xii. 10, " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son." Thus it is represented in fact, Acts xi. 21, " And a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." If repentance be the emptying of the soul by the dropping of the tears of godly sorrow, it is faith that gene-

rates thera in tlie heart. It is faith that melts the hard heart, which droppeth in repentance. The eye of faith fixes on God in Christ, and then the soul turns to him by repentance, Jer. iii. 22.

3. The scripture usually proposeth the objects of faith, and promises of grace, for motives to repentance; thereby discovering, that it is by a believing applicatiou of these, that a soul is brought to repentance: Jer. iii. 14, "Turn, 0 baclcsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you." Yer. 22, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings: behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God." Joel ii. 12, 13, " Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God : for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Hos. vi. 1, " Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us ; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. Chap. xiv. 1, " 0 Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity." Nay the very law proclaimed on mount Sinai with so much terror, is graciously prefaced with gospel-grace for faith to work on in the first place; " I am the Lord thy God," &c. And thus the doctrine of the New Testament concerning repentance is proposed to sinners, Mattli. iii. 2, and iv. 17, " Repent ye : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

4. Lastly, The nature of repentance plainly teacheth this. It la a cordial turning from sin to God: but is it possible to turn to God, but through Christ ? John xiv. 6, " T am the way, and the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." And is there any way of coming to Christ, but by faith ? The soul then that would turn and go to God again by repentance, must needs take Christ by faith, by the way. The people indeed wept; but did they put away the strange wives, or set to it, till Shechaniah cried, Ezra x. 2, " We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives, of the people of the land : yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing?" Tliey must not be only prisoners of fear, but of hope that will turn, Zech. ix. 12, " Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope." Repentance is a kindly humiliation and mourning for sin; but the faithless heart may roar under law-horror, will never kindly mourn but under gospel-influences.

Objection. Repentance is placed before faith, Mark i. 15; and sometimes repentance only is mentioned to natural men as the way to salvation, as in our text, and Acts ii. 38, and iii. 19. Answer,

(1.) Repentance no doubt is absolutely necessary to salvation ; and no man needs pretend to faitb, tliat does not repent, for they are inseparable. But that will no more infer the precedency of repentance to faith, than that, Heb. xii. 14, will infer the precedency of holiness to it. Now, this is all our text aims at. (2.) Repentance being the end, and faith the means to that end, no wonder they be so placed: for the end is first in one's intention, yet the means are first in practice. So Mark i. 15. Christ commands sinners to repent; but then in order to repenting, he commands them to believe. So Acts ii. 38, believing is implied in the command to be baptized. And therefore, speaking of the result of this work, ver. 44, it is said, "And all that believed," &c. So Acts iii. 19, it is implied in being converted; compared with Heb. iii. 12, " Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." And that this is the true reason of this way of speaking, namely, that repentance is the end, and faith the means, is clear from Acts xx. 21, " Testifying—repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:" for that Scripture can bear no other meaning, without destroying that fundamental truth, that Christ is the way to the Father. John preached repentance, Mark i. 4, but how did he direct them to it ? Acts xix. 4, " John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."

Use 1. Then it is not gospel-doctrine, that Christ will receive none but true penitents, or that none but such have a warrant to embrace Christ by faith: Rev. xxi. 17, " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say. Come. And let liim that is athirst, come : and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." The evil of this doctrine is, that it sets sinners to spin repentance out of their own bowels, and to fetch it with them to Christ, instead of coming to him by faith to get it. And it hinders sensible sinners from coming to Christ, as keeping them back till they be persuaded that they have true repentance. I say, persuaded; for how can a sinner come to Christ till he be persuaded he has a warrant so to do ? If Christ will receive none but such as have true repentance, then none other are invited to come; for surely those that are invited, will be welcome upon their coming: if none other be invited, then impenitent sinners are not bound to come to Christ; for none are bound to come, but those that are invited ; " for where there is no law, there is no transgression." However, none are here in Christ by faith, but thereupon they become true penitents; and none but true penitents will see heaven.

2. Then for sensible sinners to think that they dare not and ought not to believe, and embrace Christ, till they be more deeply humbled, and do more thoroughly repent of their sins, and in a word, be more fit to receive him, is but a gilded deceit, and a trick of the false heart, to make the soul stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children, and die there at length. The Scripture holdeth forth quite other doctrine : Rev. iii. 20. " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock ; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Is. Iv. 1. " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." It is one thing what a sinner will do; another, what he may and ought to do. It is very true, there are many who will never come to Christ, if they be not made more sensible of their need of him than they are. But all that hear the gospel may and ought to come, be their case what it will; and those that come not, will be condemned for their not coming, John iii. 19. Therefore let every sensible sinner under that temptation think, that he is in the case of a drowning man, who if he stand disputing whether he may catch hold of the rope reached to him to hale him to land, a wave may come and sweep him away; and therefore without disputing he must take hold of it.

3. This shews the true way to deal with a hard heart, to soften it, and bring it to hearty repentance. It is to believe. Te must do like those fowls, that first fly up, and then come down on their prey; first soar aloft in the way of believing, and then come down in true humiliation: Zech. xii. 10.—" They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him." One may otherwise toil long in vain with a hard heart. Unbelief will lock up the heart, as the waters with a hard frost; for hard thoughts of God set the soul at a distance more and more from him, when the believing of the proclaimed pardon touches the rebels' hearts, and makes them come in.

4. Lastly, The more faith the more repentance; as the fuller the spring is, the streams run with the more vigorous current. According to your faith be it unto you, is the rule of the dispensation of grace. For faith is the provisor for all other graces, as being the conduit pipe by which grace comes from the fountain of grace to the soul; so that it failing, all fails; and it moving vigorously, the rest do so too.

Question. How are we to act faith in order to repentance ? Answer 1. Firmly believe, that whatever your guilt be, God is reconciled to you in Christ Jesus; that there is hope of your case, Vol. VI. 2 c

if ye can attain to the way laid out for bettering it. You have God's word for this: Is. i. 18. " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Ezek. xviii. 23. " Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die ? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways and live ?" This will quicken your endeavours after the happiness of your souls. Satan strikes at this foundation, to keep the soul from repentance, many ways. He will tell you, it cannot be thought that God can ever love the like of you. But the Lord saith the contrary: Hos. xiv. 4. " I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from him." Again, Satan will tell you, that you were not elected, but made for destruction; though God never set him nor you in the secrets of his decrees : Dent. xxix. 29. " The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong nnto us." But why does he tell you all this, but to make you careless ? which being done, he knows yon cannot repent.

2. Believe that Jesus Christ is both able and willing to save you from sin and from wrath. You have ground to believe his ability : 1 John i. 7. " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Heb. vii. 25. " He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." And you have also ground to believe his willingness : Is. Iv. 1. Rev. xxii. 17. both forecited. This will set you a step further on; and truly this being believed by a sensible sinner, the bargain is almost closed. Therefore Satan works against the tossed soul's believing this, to the end he may not come to an anchor or rest, but may plunge up and down in the depths, knowing no landing place. Hence these hellish suggestions, What have you to do with the promises of grace ? they will be made out to others, but not to you. But see Acts ii. 39. compared with ver. 36. Hence also the suggestion of having sinned the unpardonable sin. But why is that sin unpardonable ? not that the physician cannot or will not cure it, Heb. vii. 25. John vi. 37; but because the sinner will never after desire to come to him, but willfully and maliciously rejects him. Hence also that suggestion, that Christ died not for him. But surely Satan never saw the roll of those whom Christ died for, and knows it no more than we. Dent. xxix. 29. forecited. We ought not to call that in question, but leave that matter to the Lord. It is plain, that we are commanded to believe, 1 John iii. 23. Let us do so, and we shall have evidences that Christ died for us.

3. Christ has given his consent to be yours in his word; believe

it; and do you consent to be his, accepting of the covenant, and of Christ therein to be your head and husband. Take him in all his offices as offered; and solemnly lay the whole weight of your soul, for justification and sanctification, on him. Lay over the burden of your guilt on his blood, of your raging lusts on his blood and Spirit; confidently trusting in him for salvation from sin and wrath. Yon have good ground to do this : Matt. xxii. 4, " All things are ready : come unto the marriage." Is. xxvi. 3, 4, " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is staid on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Chap. xliv. 5, " One shall say, I am the Lord's : and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." Chap. xlv. 24, " Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." This being done, the bargain is closed for time and eternity; Christ is yours, and ye are his, and God is your God in him. Satan strives against the soul here ; for he knows, that if this be done, the person is no more his. Hence are these suggestions, Christ is a hard master there is no living with ; though Christ says the contrary, Matt. xi. 28, 29, 30. Again, it is over soon for that serious work, Psal. xcv. If none of these nor the like will do, then he will tell the person, that it is presumption for him to offer at any such thing. But that is but the devil's doctrine, that it is presumption to do it, since God has commanded it, 1 John iii. 23, " This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." And do what ye will, ye cannot please God unless you do it, John vi. 29, " This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Heb. xi. 6, " "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Well, if the soul will venture, he is ready to tell him, he had as good let it alone as try it in vain, for Christ will never receive him, nor give his consent to the bargain. But Satan is a liar ; for he has given it already : Matt. xxii. 4, "All things are ready : come unto the marriage. Hos. ii. 19, " I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. The soul is like a traveller come to a deep water-side, over which lies a bridge appearing very thin and narrow; it is pouring on rain on this side, it is fair weather on the far side; he would fain be over; and while he is minting to take the bridge, a false friend tells him, that he will never get over, that the bridge will break with hira, or that his foot will slip, &c. And thus the poor man stands, sometimes putting on his

2c 2

foot, sometimes drawing it back again, till tlie flood rising behind him, he sees he must venture or perish. So he ventures with a trembling heart, and gets safe over, and sees that it was an enemy that made him so distrustful of the passage.

4. This being done, believe that Christ is yours. Cant. ii. 16; that God is reconciled to you in him; that your sins are pardoned for Christ's sake, and you are no more under condemnation for them, Rom. viii. 1 ; that you are now in a state of peace with God, and safe under the covert of blood. This will effectually melt your hearts into sincere repentance. And the stronger your confidence be in this point, the fire will be the more keen to melt the soul. Satan will oppose you in this also, that raising the dust of doubts and fears, your hands may be feeble that should fight against your lusts, the legs weak and trembling wherewith ye should turn from sin unto God. But the more he weakens that, the more he serves his own purpose against you.

5. Stand upon this shore, and look to yonr sins, and Saviour, Zech xii. 10. When a soul has, by a believing application of the blood of Christ, i)assed the gulf of condemnation and sees itself safe on the other side, it stands fairest for a hearty melting for sin, and a free and cordial turning from it unto God, Luke vii. 37, 38, compared with ver. 47. It is slavish fear that may be greater before, but it is filial relenting that will be greatest then. The waters of sorrow may make greater noise before, but they will come sweeping down with a more full flood then, as when a hearty thaw comes after a long frost.

6. Lastly, Believing the promise of his grace, use the means. There are means of God's appointment to stir up a soul to repentance ; namely, serious meditations on the sins of our nature, heart, lip, and life; the evil of it with respect to God, and to ourselves, &c. Rev. ii. 5, " Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent." Psal. cxix. 50, " I thought on my ways, and turned ray feet unto thy testimonies." There are promises of repentance, Ezek. xxxvi. 31, " Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations." Acts v. 31, " Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." To believe the promise without use of the means is presumption ; to use the means without believing the promise, is a selfish un-sanctified work. What God has joined, either of these puts asunder, and so must be fruitless. God says to us in this case, as unto Moses, Exod. xvii. 5, 6. " Go on before the people, and take with thee of

the elders of Israel: and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink." The means are as the rock, the faith of the promise the rod of God: the way to get the water was by smiting the rock with the rod.

Fourthly, Let us consider the parts of repentance. These are two, namely, humiliation for sin, and turning from sin unto God. These two put together, make up true repentance. Accordingly the Scripture speaks of repenting of sin, 2 Cor. xii. 21. " which have not repented of the uncleanness," &c.; and likewise repenting from sin, Heb. vi. 1, "Not laying aside the foundation of repentance from dead works, &c. So in the Old Testament repentance is expressed by two words; the one denoting remorse and sorrow, Job xlii. 6. *' Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Jer. viii. 6, " No man repented him of his wickedness, saying. What have I done ?" the other denoting the turning of the soul, viz. from sin unto God, Ezek. xviii. 30. " Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions.

But however these may be distinguished, they cannot be divided in true repentance. The true humiliation issues always in turning; and turning always begins at humiliation. Hence very often the whole of repentance is expressed by returning, and sometimes by humiliation, as Lev. xxvi. 41, " If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity." 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, " And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." We have both together, Joel ii. 12, 13, " Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend your heart and not your garments^ and turn unto the Lord your God : for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth hira of the evil."

1st, To begin with humiliation. This leads the van in the sinner's return to God by repentance. There is never a soul comes back to God, but it comes the low way of humiliation. The sinner gone from God, is set up against him : but grace puts down the sinner from that seat, and lays him down at the Lord's footstool, where the Lord takes hira up: 1 Pet. v. 6. " Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." As it was with Benhadad's servants, 1 Kings xx. 31. 32; so it is with the convinced sinner : faith teaches them, that the King of Israel is a merciful King ; repentance girds sackcloth on their loins,

and ropes on their heads, and in that posture brings them to him. Now, in this humiliation of the soul there are these five things.

First, A kindly sense of sin, whereby the soul sees and is deeply affected with its sins against a holy, gracious God. I call it so, to distinguish it from the legal convictions spoken of before, which make a terrible reel in the conscience and affections ; whereas this kindly soaks into the heart. The former is at the bottom involuntary, comes in, and is kept on against the sinner's will; because the natural enmity of the heart against God is not broken; and makes the man like one under great pain, who would gladly sleep, but still the new stounds awake him, and keep him awake. The latter is voluntary, it is welcome in, and welcome to stay; because the heart is brought low, and would fain be lower before a holy God. When the light appears at a chink, they would fain draw the curtains, and open the windows, that they may get a better sight of their black face and foul hands, Jer. iii. 18, 19. This sense of sin, 1. For the matter of it, is,

1st, A sense of the plague of the heart, or sin of the nature, 1 Kings viii. 38; Rom. vii. 7, 8. The man that is humbled, sees the corruption of his nature, himself to be a mass of corruption and confusion. He discerns the bias of his heart to the wrong side, the aversion to do good, the proneness to evil, that is interwoven with his very nature. The light of the Lord shining into his soul, gives him the affecting sight of the distortion and pravity that is in all the faculties of his soul, the blindness in his mind, rebellion in his will, and carnality in his aflFections. The want of this is a flaw in the repentance of many, of whom we may say, as Lev. xiii. 44, " He is a leprous man, he is unclean : the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean, his plague is in his head." They never see the corruption of their nature, and so repent not of it.

2dli/, A sense of actual sins: Job xxxvi. 9, " Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded." These are the poisonous streams flowing from the impoisoned fountain: Mark vii. 21, 22, " For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, co-vetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness." Sin now lies at the door; for those things that were buried out of sight, have a resurrection, and stand before him as an exceeding great army which he has mustered against Heaven. Sins committed many years before, will appear more fresh and green than that day they were committed. What he justified before as no faults, he will be now ashamed of; and what wore reckoned tolerable follies, will be accounted monstrous impieties.

Sdli/, A sense of the particular idol of jealousy, which the man has been most apt to be led away with. The soul is never truly humbled, till deeply sensible of its weak side: IIos. xiv. 3, " Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods." For the penitent will be particularly set against that, as what is particularly offensive to God, Psal. xviii. 22. This right eye smarts and pains him so exceedingly, that now he would gladly have it plucked out. And as it does especially grieve the Lord's Spirit, it specially grieves his, as what has been the great make-bate betwixt God and him.

4thli/, A sense of the numerousness and multitude of their sins: Job xiii. 23, " How many are mine iniquities and sins ? make me to know my transgression and my sin." A true sense of sin will open men's eyes to see innumerable evils compassing them about, countable only by him who telleth the stars, Psal. xix. 12. Hence the humbled soul is sensible of a cloud of guilt that it has been wrapt up in; and will see it must plead guilty to every line of the spiritual law: sees itself a mass of iniquity; " from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there is no soundness, but wofunds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." Is. Ixiv. 6, " "We are all as an unclean thiug, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," &c.

dthli/, A sense of the heinousness of their sins, the aggravating circumstances wherewith they have been attended: Luke xv. 18, " I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." Each sin pierces the heart of the penitent. And so it is wonderful to see what a dexterity a repenting sinner has in aggravating his sins, in his prayers and complaints. Time, place, person, and each circumstance, shoots as it were a dart through the liver.

Lastly, A sense of the evil of sin. Men may see sin, that see not the evil of it. Hence professing sin, instead of confessing it; turning to it, instead of turning from it. But if one saw the serpent's sting, he would not take it into his bosom, Luke xxiii. 34. But the Lord's language to the soul whom he is drawing to repentance, is that, Jer. ii. 19, " Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backsliding shall reprove thee: know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts." And there is a twofold evil in sin, which the soul is now sensible of.

(1.) The evil of it with respect to themselves. They are sensible of the bitter fruits of sin: Rom. vi. 21, " What fruit had ye then

in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death." They see now "the vine is the vine of Sodom, the grapes are grapes of gall, the clusters bitter, and their teeth are set on edge." They cry out, as the sons of the prophets in another case, 2 Kings iv. 40, " 0 thou man of God, there is death in the pot." This is the danger of sin, that they are made sensible of. They see the guilt of it, laying the soul open to temporal, spiritual, and eternal strokes: Jer. xiv. 7, " 0 Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslid-iiigs are many, we have sinned against thee." Hence " horror takes hold on them, because of God's righteous judgments." They are made to wonder that they are not in hell, drinking the cup of the wrath of God. Their hearts tremble to look back on the ruin that was hanging over their heads in their natural state; that the poisonous cup which they drank has not despatched them. Hence they fear to meddle with sin again, as one would do to take a serpent into his bosom.

(2.) The evil of it with respect to God and Christ; and that in a threefold respect. [1.] As contrary to the holy law of God : 1 John iii. 4, " Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." By sin one breaks over the hedge, yea, breaks it down, and so steps into the devil's ground; what wonder then a serpent do bite him! Now the sinner sees the equity of God's law, and so plainly perceives the evil of transgression : Rom. vii. 12, " The law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good." And the breaking over this so glorious a hedge, galls the penitent heart, the ingenuous spirit of an evangelical penitent.

[2.] As contrary to the holy nature of God: Hab. i. 13, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." Sin is the worst of evils in itself, and in the eyes of the l)enitent. There is nothing so contrary to the chief good, and therefore it is the chief evil. Now, the true penitent loves God, his holy nature and perfections; and therefore his sin is heavy to him, because by it he has walked contrary to him : Lam. v. 16, " Woe unto us that we have sinned."

[3.] As the procuring cause of the sufferings of Christ: Zech. xii. 10, " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him," &c. Mount Calvary is the Bochim to the true penitent; the sufferings of Christ are the commentaries on sin, which the true penitent reads; the groans of a dying Saviour rend their hearts ; and by the wounds of a Redeemer they see the ill of sin.

This is the loathsomeness of sin, Is. xxx. 22; whereby it is not only hated for what attends it, but is abhorred for itself, as a thing which on no terras the soul could any longer digest.

2. For the qualities of it. It is,

1st, A particular and distinct sense of sin, not a general and confused one. No man that hears the gospel, having common understanding, but he confesses himself a sinner ; but many nevertheless are blind as to particulars. But this puts one in a capacity to lay his hands on his sores, saying, as Psal. li, 4, " Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." It shews him his particular transgressions wherein he has exceeded, and the particular ills by which he has exceeded and offended in these. As the vermin appear crawling, when the stone is lifted up, which before lay hid; so the ills of the heart and life appear to the penitent: Rom. vii. 9, " I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."

2dli/, It is real, not imaginary. The Spirit of the Lord realizeth the evil of sin to the soul. And so it goes beyond a merely rational knowledge of sin, as far as the sense of the bitterness of gall got by tasting it, exceeds that got by the bare hearing of it: Jer. ii. 19, " Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee : know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord Grod of hosts." There is a spiritual sensation of spiritual things, arising from the new nature, as well as a natural feeling of what is grievous to us another way: 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15, " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things."

ddlif, It is operative, not dead and idle. The eye of the penitent affects his heart; and the heart being touched, sets all the powers of the soul on work. It is the spiritual physic, that ceaseth not to work till the whole soul be purged; as in the case of Peter's hearers. Acts ii. 37, " who were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" There is a sense of sin which vents itself in nothing but in sighing and going backward, or in dry and fruitless complaints. It is like the disturbance which the sluggard meets with on his bed, which never thoroughly awakens him. But this sense of sin is thorough work.

Lastly, It is an abiding sense of sin, not a transient one in a fit, and so away. Lam. iii. 49, 50, " Mine eye trickleth down, and

ceaseth not, without auy intermission ; till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven." The humbled soul carries it about with him, as long as he carries the body of sin and death about with him, saying with the apostle, Rom. vii. 24, " 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" For it is not a slight touch, which goes as it comes, very easily. The removal of the stroke carries off Pharaoh's sense of sin; but here the wound is deeper and so more abiding.

Use 1. An insensible sinner is an unhumbled impenitent sinner; as was the case of the church of Laodicea, who said, " she was rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing; and knew not that she was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Rev. iii. 17. They that never digged deep, are not built on the rock. They that have never got a broad sight of themselves in the sinfulness of their hearts and lives, have never yet got a believing sight of Christ. Consider this, ye that have still lived at ease, strangers to any thorough exercise about your soul's case; though the door is shut, the thief is in the house.

1. This shews how it comes that the pride of people's hearts still remains, though under crying guilt of sin. Though they know their sin, they have no due sense of it. If they had, it would be such a burden on their backs as would soon make them stoop, as Peter's hearers did. Acts ii. 37. Insensible sinners may sit high in the seat of the scornful, while they see not what a God they have to do with : but when the Spirit of the Lord opens their eyes, and touches their hearts, to let them see and feel the evil of sin, they will lie low in the dust. They will, with the afflicted man, " put their mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope," Lam. iii. 29.

3. See here a difference betwixt the saint's humiliation, and that of the hypocrite's. An Ahab may humble himself from a sense of the danger of sin; but a true penitent is humbled from the sense of the loathsomness of sin, 1 Kings xxi. 27, 29. Job xlii. 5, 6. A slave may bow himself for fear of the whip; but the disposition of a son is to be affected with the offence done to a kind father. Many will seem very low under the rod of God, and the apprehensions of his wrath, who are never touched with his love. They will be cast down under the sense of the evil their sin does to themselves, while the dishonour done to God by it lies far from their hearts.

4. Lastly, Let me exhort you to get and entertain a deep sense of sin on your Spirits. See your sins, and be duly affected with them, and be humbled for them. 0 how sad is it, that amongst our many thoughts, sin gets so few of them!

For motives to press this exhortation, consider,

TUE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE. '405

\st, That the Lord is anew calling the land by his providence to be sensible of their sins, and to be humbled for them. The Lord took it not long ago as a brand out of the burning; but he is threatening to cast it into the fire again, by a foreign invasion.* For though we were delivered, yet the controversy remains still. "We have not been thankful for our deliverance; Atheism, profanity, formality, contempt of the gospel, and a spirit of apostacy and declining from the Lord, and his work and way, wofully abound. How can we miss to fall at length!

2dlt/, Consider the present dispensation of providence towards this congregation, threatening to leave our house desolate.f It fills the mouths of many with what is little worth; would to God it might fill your hearts and miue with a serious inquiry into the causes of it before the Lord. It speaks aloud, 0 that we were taking up the language of the threatening rod. The melancholy state of this congregation, in the time of the last desolation, needs not be forgot. It would become us all very well on this occasion, to consider what a jealous God we have to do with, and what entertainment has been given to the preached gospel; to lay our hands every one on our own mouths, and consider well what we have contributed to the bringing of the matter to this pass. By taking with our sin, and humbling ourselves befor the Lord, way might be made for the acceptance of prayer through Jesus Christ; and them that humble themselves God will exalt.

3c%, Consider, that however lightly your sins may sit on your spirits, they are a burden to the holy Spirit of God: Amos ii. 13. " Behold," says the Lord, " I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." And we may be sure the Lord will ease himself of that burden sooner or later. And if it be not by our repentance and humiliation, it will be by his accomplishing his wrath on us: Is. i. 24. " Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies." Therefore consider your ways in order to a returning to the Lord. The lighter that sin sits on us, it is the more grieving to the Spirit of the Lord.

Lastly, Consider, that without sense of sin there is no humiliation; that without humiliation there can be no repentance; and that without repentance there can be no escape from the wrath of God. " For except ye repent, ye shall perish." luseusibleness of sin,

* Meaning the unnatural Rebellion that broke out in the year 1715; and an inva-sion from Sweden, in favour of a Popish pretender, in 1717 ; in which last year theee sermons were preached.

t This probably relates to a design of transporting Mr. Boston to Closeburn, which however did not succeed.

and the evil of it, locks np the heart in obduration and impeni-tency; and that will shut up the soul under wrath. But God loves the sensible humbled son: Jer, xxxi. 20. " Is Ephraim ray dear son ? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him. still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord."

Secondly, In true humiliation there is a kindly sorrow for sin : Zech. xii. 10, " I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications ; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." The soul is not only filled with remorse, but true grief, for off"ending a holy, gracious God. He grieved the Spirit in committing sin, his spirit is grieved in repenting of it. The hard heart is broken, the adamantine heart dissolved into tears of godly sorrow, the rock is struck by the rod of the gospel, and the waters gush out. The way to Zion lies through the valley of Baca: Jer. 1. 4, 5, " In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God, They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and Jet us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." And it is the mourners for sin whom the Lord comforts with the consolations of his Spirit. This is that brokenness and contrition of heart, which God calls for, and takes so much pleasure in. This is the rending of the heart, which God requires, Joel ii. 12, 13. This is godly sorrow, which hath these properties.

1. It is a sorrow for sin as sin; not only for the guilt of it, but the loathsomeness of it; not only for the ill it does to ourselves, but the dishonour and wrong it does to a holy gracious God, Psal. li. 4; Zech. xii. 10. The penitent in his sorrow, goes farther than awakened reprobates, who seeing their souls ruined and dead, do put on their mournings. He grieves at the heart, because of the off'ence done to God, tlie defacing of his image, transgressing a holy and most just law, furnishing a spear and nails to pierce a Saviour.

2. It is an inward real sorrow. Not the hanging down of the head like a bulrush. Is. Iviii. 5. Not a made sorrow in a disfigured countenance, which lies all in outward appearance. But it is a sorrow soaking into the soul, and piercing the very heart. Is. Ixi. 3, And therefore it follows the man in secret, where no eye sees; making him mourn before the Lord, when the world knows nothing of it. For it ariseth from an inward principle.

3. It is a lively sorrow. The sorrow of the world worketh death. It stupifies a man, and takes heart and hand for duty from him. But the spiritual pangs of godly sorrow for sin quicken a man to his duty: 2 Cor. vii. 11, "For behold, this self-sarae thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge !" It makes the man active in salvation-work. And the reason is, the one springs from slavish fear, which chills the soul, making it cold and stiff, and unfit for action; the other from love, which warms the heart, and disposeth it for action: Luke vii. 47, " Her sins which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much."

4. It is an abiding sorrow. It is not a flash of an affection, which is deceitful, but a " spirit of heaviness," Is. Ixi. 3. The sorrows of many are like a summer-shower, that wets the surface of the ground, but is presently dried up, ere it do any good. But godly sorrow is like that, Eccl. vii. 3, "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." The soul, like Mary, mourns till it find the Lord, Lam. iii. 49, 50. forecited. It may indeed remit of its degrees; but while sin abides, the spring of mourning abides too.

5. It is an universal sorrow. The true penitent heartily grieves for his own sin, Psal. xxxviii. 18, and for the sin of others, Psal. cxix. 136. It is like the letting out of waters: it may begin at one sin, but it does not stop there, but goes through all known sin, Psal. i. 5. and unknown too, Psal. xix. 12, " Who can understand his errors ? cleanse thou me from secret faults." They never truly mourn for one sin, that do not mourn for all: for that which moves sorrow in the repenting heart for one sin, is to be found in all sins, namely, its contrariety to the law and nature of God, the loathsomeness as well as danger of it. And hence, when once the floodgate of godly sorrow is opened, it overflows all; and the sweetest morsel becomes bitter.

6. It is deep sorrow. Peter repenting wept bitterly. He that would have a good crop, ploughs well; and he that would build surely, goes deep with the foundation. It was the want of depth of earth that was the ruin of the stony-ground hearers. Matt. xiii. 5. And deep digging was the safety of the house founded on a rock, Lnke vi. 48. This sorrow is a rending of the heart, Joel ii. 13; a rending of it as the plough rends the earth, Jer. iv. 3; a pricking and piercing of it as with daggers, swords, and spears, Acts ii. 37, compared with John xix. 34; a cutting it as with a knife, Jer. iv. 4.

It is a question, "Whether penitential sorrow exceeds all other sorrows for the comforts of tliis life, or not ? If we measure by the moving of the heart and affections, it is evident, that at least always it doth noc exceed other sorrows. But if we measure by the settled disposition of the heart, it is as evident that it does exceed them all. As the deepest waters ordinarily make least noise, so men will be more moved in a lesser joy and grief than in a greater; for they are but the lightest joys that move laughter, and oft-times the greatest sorrows are above tears. It settles more firmly, and continues more than any other sorrow whatsoever in the world.

7. Lastly, It is a heart purifying sorrow. It works repentance or forsaking of sin: 2 Cor. vii. 10. " Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of." True mourning and turning are inseparable companions; though there is a mourning for sin, that is not deep enough to turn up the love of sin by the root. True sorrow in the heart is a spring, which as it runneth will work out sin, as to the love, habitual practice, and dominion of it, as a spring works out the mud thrown into it.

Use. 1. There is no repenting with a hale heart, and without repentance no salvation. People must either be broken for their sins in a way of mourning, or God will break them for them in a way of judgment. There are many stout hearts in our day, that will boldly outface challenges from the word and their own consciences, without either breaking or bowing. But let such remember, that there is a day coming when God will make the stoutest heart to tremble, and the heart of adamant to fly in a thousand pieces, Psal. ii. 9. " Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

2. How far must they be from humiliation, that sin deliberately, glory in their shame, and rejoice in ungodly courses and practices! I think providences and ordinances are hardening to many in our day ; they are not bettered by them, and therefore they are hardened and made worse under them. Our penny weddings and set drink-ings, leaving such a stench behind them, and attended with before unheard of profanity, are speaking evidences of this. Are these Christian methods to help poor people ? Will God accept the gift, where such a fat sacrifice is ofi'ered to the devil ? Is that charity for which drinking must open men's hearts and hands to give ? If some methods be not fallen on to prevent these things, they will bring wratli on the congregation.* I appeal to the consciences of all

* Penny weddings and drinking bouts were not peculiar to the congregation of Et-trick : they prevailed as much elsewhere, and do so still, to the dishonour of God, and nourishment of profaneness.

sober persons, if it looked not juclgraent-like, that in that very time when abroad a design was managing to lay the congregation desolate,* at home many were met for a set drinking, carried on to a monstrous heiglit of profanity, in the day and in the night. It becomes ns all to mourn for this, lest we involve ourselves in the guilt. And particularly I warn all such as were any way partakers of that scandalous riot, to repent, lest wrath break out upon them. For it is a fearful thing to stand exposed to the lash of these threatenings, Hab. ii. 15, " Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink: that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness." Is. xxii. 12, 13,14, " And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth : and behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating^ flesh, and drinking wine ; let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts."

3. The sorrow of many for their sins, will tend to no good account before the Lord. Few have any remarkable sorrow for their sins at all; but amongst those whose hearts are really grieved and pained for their sin, how few are there that have any right sorrow? The danger of it, the disadvantage by it, the shame of it before the world, pains them a little ; but the dishonour done to God by it touches them not effectually. And so their sorrow will be but the beginning of hell, not of repentance.

4. Lastly, Be exhorted to mourn for sin. Labour to get your hearts affected with this mournful object, and be not strangers to this exercise. The sins and threatened judgments of this day call for it; and it is the way to attain particular safety in common calamity: Ezek. ix. 4, " And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." If we were more in the duty of mourning, we would share more of the gospel-comforts. Matt. V. 4, " Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted." And the more of the Spirit one has, the more will he be taken up that way.

Thirdly, In true humiliation there is a holy shame upon the account of sin before the Lord : Rom. vi. 21, " What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." The remembrance of sin fills the penitent

* Meaning the design of transporting the author to Closeburn.

with shame and blushing : hence says Ezra, chap. ix. 6, " 0 my Grod, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens." Shame was never known in the world, till sin entered ; yet sometimes sin comes to such a height with sinners, that it quite banishes shame : but the case of such is very desperate, Jer. iii. 9. " Thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed." Shame then is the remains of virtue in a sinner, to which whoso are lost, all are lost to all good, Is. iii. 9, *' The shew of their countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not." Now, the grace of God awakens this shame, and sanctifies it in the penitent soul, so that he hangs down his head before the Lord, as ashamed of his way and heart.

There are four things occasion shame, and meet here.

1. Nakedness causeth shame. Hence said Adam to the Lord, Gen. iii. 10, " I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Sin strips the sinners of their beautiful garments, takes away the glory of the rational creature, and leaves them without a covering before the eyes of a holy God. The penitent sees this, and is ashamed ; and so the publican, cannot lift up his eyes to heaven, but smites on his breast, as if he would wound the breast that sin bred in, which has brought him to this shamful case.

2. Pollution and defilement, for that makes one loathsome to others. Job ix. 31, " Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." Sin defiles the soul, takes away and mars all its beauty, and deforms it in the sight of God. And the penitent sees this, and is ashamed. Is. Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Never was a man that had been plunged over head and ears in a mire, more ashamed to come before others in that case, than the penitent is ashamed to shew his face before God.

3. Disappointment of raised expectations, Jer. ii. 36, 37. The sinner in his impenitent state, looked for his happiness and satisfaction in sinful courses. But when his heart is touched, he is ashamed; for he finds, that instead of bread expected, he has got a stone; instead of fish, a serpent. He finds, that he has been courting his own death and ruin; and that from the wall he leaned on there has come forth a serpent and bit him. And hence is that reflection, Rom. vi. 21, "What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death.

4. Discovering of one's reproach, Jer. ii. 26, " Sin is a reproach to any people." In the impenitent state the soul's reproach is hid to it; but when grace touches the heart, and the Lord brings the sinner's ways to mind, lays his sins in broad-band before him, how can he miss to be ashamed ? In a special manner, a conviction of base ingratitude fills one with shame, as to bo convicted of designs against him who had saved our life. And thus the goodness of God duly considered, fills the penitent with shame and blushing, while he thinks what an ungrateful wretch he has been : Jer. iii. 25, " Wo lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us : for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.

Use. 1. Shamelessness in sin is a badge of irapenitency, and therefore a forerunner of destruction, Jer. vi. 15. Phil. iii. 10. A forehead of brass is a sign the heart is of stone. Impudence in sin argues a filthy heart, an obstinate disposition, and a seared conscience. And such are a stage beyond others from the kingdom of God. What hopes can they have of the glory of heaven, that glory in their shame ?

2. We see then that sin will bring shame sooner or later, here or hereafter. As for them that live and die without repentance, their shame is sure, and they will be covered with it, before the great congregation of heaven and earth at the last day, and they shall never recover their countenance : Dan. xii. 2, " Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to shame and everlasting contempt." And if people be recovered by repentance, they will be filled with shame before the Lord, even holy shame. But whatever shame men have, it is no holy shame that keeps them from glorifying God by taking shame to themselves when called thereto; for no grace of God keeps folk back from duty. Josh. vii. 19. Common discretion teaches, that one ashamed of an injury done to the honour of another, cannot look him in the face but with shame, till he has done what he can to repair that honour.

3. Lastly, The penitent soul is an ingenuous soul, and heartily at odds with sin. For such an one will be ashamed before God, of what the world cannot tax him with. Many may be sorry for sin before God, because of the terrible consequences of it which they apprehend, who yet are not ashamed before him, because they see not the evil that is in itself. But it argues a childlike disposition, to be heartily ashamed of secret sins before the Lord.

Fourthly, In true humiliation there is self-loathing and abhor-VoL. VI. 2 i>

THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE.

rence : Ezek. xxxvi. 31, " Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations." The penitent not only loathes his sin, but himself for his sin. He cries out with Job, chap. xl. 4, " Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee ? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." Repentance sets a man at variance with himself. He sees his ugly face in the glass of God's law, Christ's sufferings, and the Lord's goodness, and he loathes himself. This self-loathing manifests itself,

1. In the low and mean thoughts the penitent justly entertains of himself. True penitents see such vileness in themselves, as makes them give a very mean account of themselves. Abraham owned himself to be dust and ashes; Jacob, less than all the mercies of God; David, a worm, and not a man; Asaph, as a beast before the Lord ; Agur, more brutisli than any; the centurion, unworthy that Christ should come under his roof: Paul, one born out of due time, the least of the apostles, nay, less than the least of all saints, nay, the chief of sinners ; and the prodigal son, Luke xv. 19, reckoned himself no more worthy to be called a son, but to be made a hired servant.

2. In the penitent's being heartily out with himself upon the account of his sin : Job xlii. 6, " Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." As one cannot with any pleasure touch himself, that has filth thrown on him, but his very heart stands at himself; so it is in spiritual self-loathing. He looks on himself as an ugly spectacle. He not only has nothing to say in defence of himself, but with indignation he rejects all the shifts and excuses for it, which he was satisfied with before : Luke xviii. 13. " The publican standing afar off", would not lift up so much as his eyes nnto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."

3. In holy rerenge, 2 Cor. vii. 11. He that was going on in sin before, is now divided against himself; so that the devil's kingdom of sin in him must needs go to ruin. He acts the part of an accuser, advocate, and judge, against himself; yea in some sort lashes himself for his sinful heart and life. Hence we find the humbled sinner,

1st, Smiting on his breast, Luke xviii. 13, as it were thereby declaring, that he deserves to be struck at the heart, and die for his transgression; that within him is the cause of all his sin and sorrows, he may thank himself for all; the source and spring of all is the corrupt heart.

2dly, Smiting on his tliigli, Jer. xxxi. 19, as if he would thereby declare, that he would be willing to take vengeance on the feet that carried him out of the way of God ; that he is filled with indignation against himself, for his unaccountable practices, saying, What have I done? what a wretched sinner have I been ?

Tiiere are these five things that stir up this self-loathing especially, in the penitent soul.

(1.) The remarkable blots, and signal miscarriages in his way, that deeply wound and defile the conscience : like Peter's denying his Master, which made him weep bitterly, when he came to himself. These in a peculiar manner cover the soul with confusion, and fill it with self-abhorrence. And hence sometimes repentance begins at some such thing, from whence it spreads to the whole body of sin : Acts ii. 36, -37, " Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said. Men and brethren, what shall we do ?"

(2.) The fulness of sin seen in the soul: Is. Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." The penitent being made sensible of his soul's case, sees the leprosy spread over the whole man, his mind under much darkness, his will rebellious against the will of God, his aflfections disordered, his whole nature corrupted, the seed of every sin in it; so that he concludes, that his heart is full of iniquity, and that the lusts that are hatched there, their name may be Legion. His life is a loathsome spectacle of the outbreakings and workings of that corruption. So that he sees that " from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no soundness ; and therefore he loathes himself."

(3.) The pollution cleaving to his duties : Is. Ixiv. 6. forecited. While he sees how the running sore of his natural corruption drops on all his holy things, and defiles them, how can he choose but loath himself? He sees his best works are like a moth-eaten garment, full of holes ; never a prayer, nor confession made, but there are provocations against the Lord in them. His mournings for sin must be mourned over, because of the woful defects thereof; while he goes to mend one hole, still he is sure to strike out another. Thus the penitent is in his own eyes like Job, who had not whole fingers to dress his sores with; so he abhors himself.

(4.) The aggravations of sin, Luke xv. 18. A sight of these makes sin look like an opened stinking sore, wherein each of them contributes to make it more and more loathsome. When the penitent considers with what bent of afl'ection he has sinned, the light, the

2d 2

many mercies, vows, and resolutions, &c. he has sinned against, he cannot but loath himself as a wretched self-destroyer, as an ungrateful miscreant, and as a beast before the Lord.

(5.) Instability in any thing that is good : Hos. vi. 4, " Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early due it goeth away." "Wavering hearts, and wavering hands, are very humbling to a soul truly touched. A good frame is a rare hour, and stays but a short while. How often are resolutions fairly taken up, and begin to bud in endeavours for practice, that yet are quickly let fall again ? How often do men relapse into the same sins they have sometimes had made very bitter to them ? There is nothing more apt than this to stir up self-abhorrence.

Use 1. Self-conceit is a need-nail to a state of impenitency : Rev. iii. 17, " Thou [the church of Laodicea] sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." No repentance can be where there is no humiliation, and there can be no humiliation while people are puffed up with a conceit of themselves. Publicans and harlots will enter into the kingdom of heaven, before such self-conceited professors. Whenever the Spirit of the Lord takes a dealing with such persons, and discovers to them the signal miscarriages in their life, the fulness of sin, &c. that swelling conceit of sweet self will fall away, as ever the snow melts in a sunshine day. They that look on themselves as among the chief of saints, will see themselves the chief of sinners.

2. Look into yourselves, if ye would loathe yourselves and repent. Hence said Isaiah, chap. vi. 5, " Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips." Things may be going all wrong in the house, and the master not know it, while he is a stranger at home. Many a poor soul is pining away in its iniquity, and running with loathsome spiritual sores, threatening its ruin, while in the meantime they are mightily in love with themselves, and fond of their own condition, like a miserable man that is happy in a dream. But heavy will the awakening of such be.

3. Lastly, Sin must needs be a very loathsome thing in the eyes of a penitent, since it makes him loath himself. Alas ! many times we love that in ourselves, which we loath in others. But when one loathes himself for his sin against a holy, gracious God, it is an argument that that soul is heartily out with sin.

Fifthly, and Lastly, In true humiliation there is a penitent confession of sin. Hence is that exhortation, Jer. iii. 13, " Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God," &c. This is the way that penitent sinners have always

sought pardon and ease to their consciences in: Psal. xxxii. 5, " I acknowledged ray sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess ray transgressions unto the Lord ; and thou for-gavest the iniquity of my sin." Confession of sin is the vomit of sin, whereby the sweet morsel is cast up again ; and it is the vent of real sorrow, shame, and self-abhorrence. And when the heart is loosed to it, the man becomes like the fish that is boiled in the water which it swimmed in.

This confession is to be according to the nature of the offence. If the sin be a secret one, a confession to God in secret is sufficient. If it be a private oifence, the confession is to be so too : Jam. v. 16, " Confess your faults one to another." If it be a public offence, giving public scandal, the confession is to be public also : 1 Tim. v. 20, *' Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." So penitent David left his confession on record, for the church's edification. And so did the apostle Paul, 1 Tira. i. 13. And the reason is evident, since by sin God's honour is impaired, and we can repair it no other way, but by confessing it with sorrow, shame, &c. the confession must be according to the nature of the offence, else the ■wrong done to the honour of God is not repaired by it. And in the private and public confession God is our party, and not men only, as well as in the secret one.

Now, confession is a necessary part of humiliation. If the hard heart be loosed to be truly humblied for sin, it follows of course, that the tongue will be loosed to confess it. Hence confession is put for the whole of humiliation, yea of repentance, Hos. v. 15, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence." 1 John i. 9. " If we confess our sins, he is faithful, and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confession of sin hath two parts.

1. Self-accusing. God has given a law, the sinner has broke it; the penitent confesseth his transgression with shame and sorrow, to the honour of the lawgiver. He cannot hide it, he dares not deny it; his soul is humbled, and therefore he confesseth it: Psal. li. 3. " I acknowledge my transgressions: and ray sin is ever before rae." He approves of the law as holy, just, and good, and disapproves of the transgression. Thus the morsel that was sweet in the mouth, turning bitter in the belly is vomited up.

2. Self-condemning. Hence said the returning prodigal, Luke XV. 18, 19. "Father, T have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." The penitent looks to the law, and the demerit of his sin, reads his own doom, and pas-seth sentence on himself. He owns that all the evil he smarts

under for the present, is just and righteous with God; Dan. ix. 14. " Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us : for tlie Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth: for we obeyed not his voice." If his broken bones pain him, he will own that it is just. If his sin find him, so that he read it in his punishment, he will acknowledge that it is a just contrivance ; and that he deserves to sink under eternal wrath for it, saying with the afflicted church, " It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not," Lam. iii. 22. He will say, that God may justly take the filthy garments of his sin, cover them with brimstone, wrap him up in them, and cast him into the pit, Psal. li. 4.

Now, this confession should be sincere, full, very particular, free, and accompanied with forsaking. *

Use. 1. Hiding and covering sin, and refusing to confess it in the way that God calls for a confession, is a sign of an heart not humbled for it: Prov. xxviii. 13. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy." Many in our day, falling into public scandals by their works of darkness, put on a forehead of brass, and refuse to confess them for the glory of God, cheating themselves with that, that they will confess their sins to God but not to men. But little do they consider, that by that means they put a bar in their own way to pardon, while by resolute lying they cover one sin with another, and by refusing to honour God at his call. Nor do they consider the weight of that word standing in the way of their peace with God, while they refuse to remove the scandal, that so they may be reconciled to the church : Matth. xviii. 17, 18. " If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if he neglect to hear the church, let hira be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican. Yerily I say unto you. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." It is true, it is but a word; yea but it is God's word, that will be more terrible to an awakened conscience than any punishment men can inflict.

2. They that shun to see their sins, that they may confess them, cannot repent of them : Jer. ix. 6. 7. " Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, behold I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people ?" It is true, there are sins which we cannot so see in our-

'" See Memorial concerning Fasting.

selves as to confess them particularly; but in that case the soul does not refuse conviction, as Psal. xix. 12. " Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults." But when one keeps the sweet morsel under his tongue, and has no will to see the evil of it, lest he should be obliged to confess it before the Lord, this is quite another case, and speaks a deceit of the heart, holding fast sin, and refusing to let it go.

3. Lastly Labour to be sincere, full, free, &c. in confessing your sins. "We are in debt to the justice of God, we cannot pay our debt • let us confess our debt, to prevent a pursuit, and that we may be capable to pray for forgiveness of it, which otherwise we cannot be. 0, if we had a due sense and sorrow for our sins, this would, like an overflowing flood, bear down before them all those things which now hamper us in confessing our sins.

Thus far of humiliation, the first part of repentance.

2dly, I come now to the second thing, viz. the returning of the soul unto God from sin. This is the completing of repentance-Whatever sense of sin, shame, sorrow, &c. for it one have, if it end not in returning to God, it is naught. It is under this notion that repentance is so often called for in the Old Testament, Return, Turn ye. And it may be well put for the whole of repentance : for.

First, The impenitent sinner is out of himself, out of his wits; but by repentance he returns and comes to himself. Hence we read, that the prodigal, Luke xv. 17- came to himself. There is never a soul that is brought to repentance, but there is as great a change upon him, as on a madman that is returned to his sound mind. He has quite other notions of things than he had before; he looks upon his sinful courses as the eifects of spiritual frenzy. This is the first part of repentance, namely, humiliation.

Secondly, The impenitent sinner is out of his place, like a wandering bird: Prov. xxvii. 8, " As a bird that waudereth from her nest: so is a man that wandereth from his place." And so the soul is out of its rest, and out of its duty. Adam shook himself and all his race out of their rest, and out of that they wander up and down Jn the devil's common. Repentance is the sinner's returning to his place again, to take up his place again in God's house among his servants. This is the second part of repentance. And whenever the soul comes to itself, it will come to God again. The grace of God finds the sinner, as the angel found Hagar, Gen. xvi. 8, 9 , and as Paul found Onesimus, Philemon ver. 10, 11, 12. Now, in this returning, according to the two terms,

I. There is a turning from sin: Ezek. xiv. 6, " Repent, and turn from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abomiua-

tions." 2 Tim. ii. 19, " Let every one that nametb the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." Psal. xxxiv. 14, " Depart from evil." The sinner changes his course, and gives up with his former lusts. The impenitent sinner is a misled traveller, who finding himself wrong, will go no farther on, but leave the wrong way, and seek the right one. To repent of sin, and yet continue in the practice of it, is a contradiction. No; the true penitent ceases from sin, he gives over his work in the service of sin and lusts. Is. i. 16. He forsakes his former ways, chap. Iv. 7. And though sin remains in him, yet it reigns not as before. If the question be, How the penitent turns from sin, since he is daily offending, and sin abides in him, while he is here ? I answer,

1. True penitents turn from it in their heart and affection. There is a bond in the impenitent state, whereby the sinner's heart is knit to his lusts, as ever the sucking child's heart is to the breast, which he can by no means want. Repentance looseth that bond: Rom. vii. 24, " 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" So though sin cleaves to the soul, yet the soul cleaves not to it as formerly. It hangs on him, it is true, but only as the chains on the captive, which are his burden ; as the grave-clothes on Lazarus raised, which he is working to put off. Thus repentance makes a change of the heart. And,

1st, His esteem of sin is turned to despite. His judgment is set against it: Is. ii. 20, " In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made, each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats." What he approved before, now he condemns; for the scales are turned, and what was highest before is now lowest. Grace and holiness get the ascendant of sin and wickedness in his esteem. Those he counted most happy sometimes, because they took the greatest liberty in sinful courses, he now accounts most miserable, as slaves to sin, and in the road to destruction; and therefore takes up Joshua's resolution, chap. xxiv. 15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

2dly, His love of sin is turned to hatred of it: Ezek. xiv. 6. fore-cited. Psal. cxix. 113, "I hate vain thoughts." Yer. 104, "L hate every false way." It was good in his eyes before, better than the favour of God, and communion with him. He knew nothing good or desirable but the world and lusts, and what might satisfy the corrupt cravings of the soul. But repentance turns his soul against it, and he hates it as an evil thing, as the worst of evils, worse than suffering and afflictions. Were he left to his choice without fear of puuishmeut, he would never choose it; for he hates it lor itself, its contrariety to God's nature and will.

Sdli/, His liking of sin is turned to loathing of it. Hence repentance is called a casting away of sin, Ezek. xviii. 31. as one would do some filthy thing that he cannot endure to have near him. For the penitent looks not only on sin as an ill thing, but as a loathsome thing which his heart stands at. Is. xxx. 22. And this is the ground of that self-loathing which the penitent is filled with.

Lastly, His cleaving to sin is turned into a longing to be rid of it, Rora. vii. 24. The man longs to be free from it, as ever the prisoner for the opening of his prison-doors, the captive for his being set at liberty, and the dropping off of his chains. It is a burden on his back, which he groans under; a sickness to his soul, that he would fain have the cure of. And therefore Christ with all his salvation is lovely in his eyes; his sanctifying Spirit, as well as his justifying blood.

2. They turn from it in their life and conversation. He that stood in the way of sinners before, now leaves it, when once the grace toucheth the heart. Is. Iv. 7- The penitent not only has a pure heart, but clean hands. Repentance will make a visible change on one's life: for it sets men to mortify the members of the body of death, Rom. viii. 13; to refuse compliance with lusts and temptations. Tit. ii. 12; to starve the lusts of the flesh, Rom. xiii. 14; and to nail the body of sin with all its members to the cross of Christ, Gal. v. 24. And,

\st, They turn from the gross pollutions of the outward man, Psal. xxiv. 3, 4. An elect soul before conversion may be a habitual profane person, as well as others: but if he may be so after conversion, where is the difference betwixt Christ's sheep and the devil's goats ? It is true, they may make gross slips, as David and Peter did: but they do not lie in them, they recover again by repentance. But a profane life is the mark of an impenitent state, Gal. v. 21. And it is a wonder how men can pretend to repentance, while they live in the habitual practice of drunkenness, swearing, sabbath-breaking, lying, dishonesty, and other gross pollutions of the outward man, where one would think the profane devil is not so much as gone out, far less cast out.

2dli/, They become tender with respect to the sins of common infirmity, labouring to make conscience of their words and actions, Acts. xxiv. 16. What others account light of, they will stand at a distance from, as having felt the smart of sin; and that not only before the world, but even in secret where no eye sees but God's. They will stand aloof from temptations, and even from the appearance of evil: and wherein they are overtaken through the frailty of the flesh, thev will mouru for it before the Lord.

3. In respect both of heart and life. They turn against sin to oppose and resist it, in the inner and outward man, as taking now the contrary side to the devil, the world, and the flesh. The spiritual combat is begun in the true penitent. Gal. v. 17- The war with sin is proclaimed and begun, which never ends till death. They revolt from, cast off the yoke, and stand up against their old masters, 2 Tim. ii. 19.

1st, They resist the motions of sin in their hearts, and endeavour after heart purity, as well as life purity: Psal. cxix. 113. " I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love." The Pharisaical professor may cleanse the outside of the platter, while he is little troubled about its being within full of ravening. But the hardest work a gracious soul has against sin, is with the heart, with what the world neither sees nor can see in him. And the guiding of the heart is the hardest piece of management in his religion.

2dlY, They resist the outbreakings of sin in the life: Psal. xviii. 23. " I was also upright before him: and I kept myself from mine iniquity." They see they are in a world where snares are thick laid; they see their own weakness, and how ready they are to be entrapped, and therefore labour to be on their guard, lest they be carried away with the stream. Hence they are afraid of temptations, and therefore labour to shut their eyes from beholding vanity ; sometimes fearing to fall one day by the hand of temptation, and therefore longing to be beyond the reach of sin.

4. And Lastly, Because their turning from sin is never perfect till death, therefore so long they are ay turning, and renewing their repentance, John xiii. 10, They are not true penitents who look on it as the work of some days or weeks, at the soul's first conversion to God. A true penitent will ay be repenting, as long as he is sinning. He sees that he is often falling into the mire, and therefore must be often washing; daily contracting new debt, therefore must be daily crying for forgiveness. And the more heinous his after miscarriages be, the longer he lies secure, his repentance will be the more bitter when he riseth up again.

Now, this turning from sin has these properties.

1. It is voluntary, as springing from an inward principle set up in the heart against sin: Job xlii. 6. " I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." The penitent does not only cast away sin as a live coal out of his bosom, that would burn him, but as some loathsome thing, that would defile him. Some turn from their sins against their will; they part with their sin as Phaltiel did with his unlawful wife Michal, 2 Sam. iii. 15. They dwell in the tents of sin, till the rigging-tree break, and there is no abiding longer there

for them; they part with their sins, as the covetous man with his riches at death, when, nill he \rill he, he must let it go. But true repentance is a turning from sin out of choice : and forced reformation neither is sincere nor will last, Psal. Ixxviii. 34.

2. It is sincere, as being a turning from sin as sin, a turning from it because it is a turning away from God, a turning from it for its contrariety to God's holy nature and law, Luke xv. 18. The man leaves his sin, not for the inferior motives only of danger to himself by it, but from the higher motives, namely, because it is offensive to God, dishonours his Son, grieves his Spirit, transgresses his law, and defaces his image. If your turning from sin proceed not from these motives, God will never regard it as acceptable in his sight. It is done for self not for God ; and God will never be the reward of that work whereof he is not the end.

Question. What should one do with respect to those sins he has turned from, from these lower motives of self, or those sins that have left him, before he left them ? Answer. Do not turn back to them; but do with them as they use to do with those that die by their own hands, bury them disgracefully, and throw stones on their grave. Look on them and loathe them, rise higher in your motives to forsake them than before. Ye left them for your own sake, put them further away for the sake of God's honour. Set them before your eyes again, and see how provoking they have been to a holy-God, how dishonouring to his Son, &c; repent and mourn over them on these accounts. And then your turning from them will be sincere.

3. This turning from sin is universal: Psal. cxix. 104, " I hate every false way." Ezek. xviii. 31, " Cast away from you all your transgressions." Whoever turns sincerely from one sin, turns from all known sin whatsoever; because the reason that moves the true penitent, is to be found in all as well as any one. Partial reformation is not sincere ; for God requires the whole heart, and will not be served by halves. Every sin is a deadly wound to the soul; and therefore though many be cured, if but one remain uncured, the mau is a dead man by that one : Matth. v. 29. " If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." A drop of poison will make a whole cup of good win edeadly, and one sin retained will render all other reformation naught; as Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal's concubine was the death of all his seventy sons by his wives except one.

4. It is speedy, withoxit delays : Psal. cxix. 60, " 1 made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." As long as a man is

undetermined to turn from his sin, or delays to do it, his repentance is not sincere. It is an evidence that the lance of humiliation has not gone deep enough, when the filthy matter does not presently spring forth. A man whose heart is truly touched with a penitent sense of sin, will delay as long the flinging a burning coal out of his bosom, as the casting away of his sin. No : when it goes to the quick, it must off presently ; though it were an offending right hand, it must be cut off presently ; though it were an offending right eye, it must be presently plucked out.

5. Lastly, This turning from sin is thorough ; it makes complete work evangelically, though not legally. It was a flaw in Judah's repentance, that she turned not unto the Lord with her whole heart, but feignedly. Jer. iii. 10 ; and in Ephraim's that he mixed himself among the people, and was a cake not turned, Hos. vii. 8. Men turn thoroughly from sin in these four respects.

\st, The true penitent sticks at no known sin, but turns from all without exception, even those sins that are dearest and nearest to them, and which they have been most easily beset with, Heb. xii. 1, " I kept myself from mine iniquity," Psal. xviii. 23. This turning from sin is never thorough, till it reach the sin that is the sin of one's constitution, the sin that is the sin which most attends his calling, stations, and relations wherein he stands ; the sin that he has most frequent and strongest temptations unto. That is the predominant evil which the heart must be loosed from, the right hand and right eye sin, the one thing lacking, which mars all other things, Mark vii. 21. Unless there be a turning from, a warring with this, it is all wrong; though indeed they may sometimes lose as well as win in the battle.

^dly, He turns from that which is the ensnaring hook in any of his sins, the handle whei'eby it caught hold of him, Psal. cxxxi. 2. Pharaoh would have been content to let Israel go, so be they would have left their little ones, which he was sure would have brought them back again. And Satan will let people turn from sin for a time, while they retain a reigning love to the bewitching thing that is in a sinful course. For while it is so, the tree is indeed cut, but the root is left in the ground, and will grenv again.

2>dly, He turns from the occasions of sin, Ezek. xiv. 6. Wherefore David prays, " Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity ;" and Solomon gives advice in case of drunkenness, Prov. xxiii. 31, " Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. It is vain to pretend to repent and turn from sin, while men do not watch against the occasions of it, and wrestle against them, as

against the sin itself. They that in a siege mind really to defend the town, they will defend the outworks as long as they can; wilfully to let the enemy in there, speaks treachery. Much lies in this point for reformation: Prov. iv. 14, 15, " Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."

Lastly, He turns from the enjoyment of the fruits of his sin. To pretend to turn from sin, and yet to feed sweetly on the fruits of it, is an absolutely vain pretence. "When sin itself is truly quit, the profit of it is given up with. This the prophet teacheth, Is. xxxiii. 15, " He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil," &c. This is so evident, that even Judas in his repentance, such as it was, could no longer brook the reward of his iniquity. Matt, xxvii. 3. A philosopher had bought a pair of shoes, but had not paid the price of them; the tradesman died ; the philosopher thought the money was gained ; but his conscience caused him bring back the money, and throw it into the shop. "Take it," says he, "thou art alive to me, while deid to all the world besides." Hence two things belong to this part of repentance.

(1.) Restitution, or restoring the thing again, which has been sinfully and wrongously taken away from others. He that can do it, and will not, cannot repent of that sin ; for he wilfully feeds on the fruit of his sin ; and that is a continuing in it inconsistent with turning from it. And since there is no pardon of that sin which a man does not repent of, it is a maxim in divinity, Non remittitur nisi restituitur, namely, to a person that is able, but unwilling to do it. Hence Zaccheus proves himself a true penitent by restitution, Luke xix. 8. And one may as well think a thief may repent in the time he is feeding on what he has stolen from his neighbour, as that one may repent of what in other cases he has unjustly taken from his neighbour, and can, but will not restore. When lovers part, they give back their tokens; and so when a sinner parts with his sin, he restores all that he had unjustly taken from others.

(2.) Reparation as far as may be, in those cases wherein proper restitution cannot be made : as in the case of unjust wounding our neighbour's honour, reputation, peace, quiet, and contentment, &c. Hence is that exhortation, Jam. v. 16, " Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." One may as well pretend to repent and go on in sin, as wilfully to refuse this and repent of the sin. The like reparation is necessary

in those scandalous sins, whereby the honour of God is impaired before the world, religion wounded, and exposed to the contempt and scorn of profane men, and the hearts of the godly saddened. To repent of such sins, and yet wilfully to refuse the way whereby the honour of God, and the credit of religion, might in some measure be repaired, is impossible. One may as well pretend to repent of his wounding a man, while he stands looking on him bleeding to death, and will not, though it is in his power, bind up his wounds. Use. 1. Hence we may see what is the proper way to follow out the design of our congregational fast; namely, to turn from our sins which have provoked the Lord to wrath against us. For humiliation without reformation can do little service. Let each of us lay our hands to our heart, and consider what has been the coal that we have cast in to raise this flame, and heartily turn from these things. If so, we would readily wear with thankfulness the blessings obtained by prayers.

2. All the trouble, grief, and sorrow that men have for their sin is little worth, if it issue not in turning from sin. For men to be sighing, but still going backward, is not repentance, but of that sort which may be carried on in hell, through eternity. If turning be not joined to mourning for sin, it is unsanctified sorrow, that will neither be acceptable to God, nor profitable to our souls.

3. Turning from sin outwardly, while the heart remains glued to it, is not repentance either. It is an easy thing to reform outwardly ; but the great business lies in getting the heart weaned from the world and lusts. If we would be satisfied as to the truth of our repentance, we must likewise examine the motives prevailing with us to turn from sin; for the mean and low motives that rise no higher than ourselves, our own advantage, ease, safety, &c. will never denominate us true penitents.

4. Repentance is not the work of a day or a year, but the work of our whole lives. For so turning from sin is. Sin follows us, while we flee from it; often does it overtake us, and so we must renew our flight. The whole life of a Christian is a war ; in that war are many battles, sometimes the Christian gains the day, and sometimes he loses. If he lose, he must renew the battle ; if he win, he must pursue the victory, and lay his account with a new engagement. The great comfort is, that though he may lose a battle, yet he shall be victorious in the war: " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under his feet shortly," Rom. xvi. 20.

5. Lastly, See here the necessity of turning from sin. " Except ye repent," says the text, " ye shall all likewise perish." Now, if ye do not turn from sin, ye do not repent; therefore if ye turn not

from it by repentance, ye shall perish. Our sins or onr souls must go. Turn, or burn in the fire of God's wrath, is the choice. Let us then return speedily and thoroughly from all our iniquities, so shall they not be our ruin.

II. In repentance there is a returning unto God : Hos. vi. 1, " Come, and let us return unto the Lord." This is the term to Tvhich the sinner comes back. Sin is a departing form God, repentance is a coming back to him again. It is a coming back, like that of a runaway servant to his master, returning to his place and duty in the family. Sin carried away mankind from God two ways.

1. Sin carried men away from God as a portion wherein to rest. He is all-sufficient to himself and to his creatures, and none but he is so. Sin carried man away from God to the creatures for happiness and satisfaction : hence says Jehovah, Jer. ii. 13, " My people have committed two evils : they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."* There he seeks a rest to his heart. By faith man returns to God as a portion, unites with him again through Christ, and takes up his everlasting rest in him. Thus he returns as the dove to the ark. Is. Ix. 3, " Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows ?"

2. Sin carried man away from God as a Lord and Master, to whom he owes obedience. In this respect man returns to God by repentance, returning to his duty, Psal. cxix. 59, " I thought on my ■ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies;" as Hagar was by the angel sent back to Sarah, Gen. xvi. 9. Men turning from God, turn their backs on his laws, and make their own lusts their laws ; but the repenting sinner turns back to the laws of God, Psal. cxix. 59, forecited. He has slipt his neck out of the yoke of the commands of Christ, but he comes and takes it on again, never to throw it off more, Matth. xi. 29. He has gone off the road, the strait way; but he comes back, and bids an eternal farewell to the broad way. And there is here,

1st, A return of the soul to God himself, 1 Kings xviii. 37, consisting in the heart's turning to the loving and liking of the Lord as a Lord and Master. Sinners departing from God, not only mis-like their service, but the Master and his house : Luke xix. 14, " His citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying. We will not have this man to reign over us." They are filled with prejudices against him, there is a natural aversion in the heart to him, they cannot away with subjection to him." Hence " they say unto

* See the author's sermons on this text, vol. 2.

God, Depart from us ; for we desire not the knowledge of tliy ways," Job xxi. 14. But in repentance that aversion is cured, and the soul inclines and moves towards him in heart and affections. This consists in three things.

(1.) The soul is brought to esteem the Lord worthy to be served and pleased in all things. The name of God is to the penitent a worthy name. Jam. ii. 7. The soul sees the transcendent glory and excellency of God, worthy of all adoration and obedience; and so slights and disdains all other masters, as unworthy of the service of an immortal soul.

(2.) The soul chooseth him as its only Lord and Master, saying, as in Is. xxvi. 13, "0 Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us : but by thee only will we make mention of thy name," This was Joshua's choice, chap. xxiv. 15, " As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The enlightened mind beholds his glory, the glory and excellency of himself, his image, laws, ordinances, and service ; and the renewed will consents and cleaves to him. It has tried many masters, " serving divers lusts," Tit. iii. 3 ; but could never have satisfaction in the service of any of them, and therefore says, as Hos. ii. 7, " I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now."

(3.) The soul looks upon the service of God as its great happiness. Hence said the prodigal, when he came to himself, " How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ? Luke xv. 17- And therefore the saints are found declaring them happy who are most employed in his service, as the queen of Sheba said of Solomon's servants: Psal. Ixv. 4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts." And Ixxxiv. 4, " Blessed are they that dwell in thy house : they will be still praising thee." And till the soul come to this, to account the Lord's service the only true freedom and happiness, though they may take up his service, they will not abide with it, because they do not like their Master.

'2dly, There is in this returning a return of the soul to its duty to God. Hence said Saul, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" Acts ix. 6. "Whoever returns to God, comes home as a servant to enter to work: for idlers about God's house may be nominal servants, but real ones they cannot be. God's servants have higher relations which they stand in to him; but all of them have duty annexed to them. Are they married to Christ ? they must bring forth fruit, Rom. vii. 4. Are they friends ? they must do whatsoever he commands them, John xv. 14. See Mai. i. 6. Now, the penitent return'- ' Ins duty in these two respects.

(1.) Tlie penitent returns to his duty in liis heart. He is (1.) reconciled to the whole law of God, and the whole yoke of Christ, so far as it is known to hira to be his law and yoke, Psal. cxix. 6. " I have respect unto all thy comraandmeuts." He has a love and liking of the duties of piety towards God, and righteousness towards men. Though there remain in hira a contradicting principle, yet he can say, as Rora. vii. 22, " I delight in the law of God, after the inward man." The heart-enmity against the law and the power of godliness is removed, and nothing is so desirable to him as to be holy as God is holy. (2.) He has a full and fixed purpose of new obedience: Psal. cxix. 57, "0 Lord, I have said, that I would keep thy words." Yer. 112, " I have inclined mine ear to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end." He returns with a purpose never to be what he has been; to pursue holiness, to enter upon and keep the way of duty, whatever be the hardships and difficulties he may meet with in it. And this purpose is for to-day, not for to-morrow only ; not to delay a minute, but presently to fall in with every known duty, as knowing there is no time for delaying.

(2.) The penitent returns to his duty in both heart and life. He is brought to sincere endeavours after new obedience : 2 Cor. vii. 11, "Behold, this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! in all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." Purposes without endeavours are but fair blossoms without fruit, which will never prove a penitent. If the lame man be cured, though not perfectly cured, he will rise and walk as he can. It is true, while here we can do nothing perfectly well; but the true penitent will endeavour to do all, and aim at no less than perfection. Hence said Paul, "I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 14. So the penitent returning to his duty,

[1.] Returns to the practice of every known duty. Hence said David, " I have respect unto all thy commandments," Psal. cxix. 6. He labours to know what is duty, and is willing to know it; and when known, endeavours to perform it. He puts hand to external and internal obedience; to serve God in heart and life too; to perform his duty to God and to his neighbour; personal and relative, secret, private, and public.

[2.] Returns to spirituality in every duty: Phil. iii. 3, " For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice

Vol. VI. 2 E

in Christ Jesas, and have no confidence in the flesh."* The true l)onitent will not sist in the carcase of duties, but will endeavour to get in to those unseen things where lies the life and soul of duties; namely, to have his heart imhued with love to God as the principle of his obedience, touched with regard to the honour of God as his end, raised above selfish ends and designs, and performing all in faith, leaning on the Lord for strength. Now, this returning to the Lord is,

1. A sincere returning, not feigned and hypocritical, with the whole heart, Jer. iii. 10. Hypocrites are said to have a heart and a heart, a divided heart, one for God, and another for their lusts. But the Lord says in this case, If ye take me, let these go away. For no man can serve two masters. It is a returning to him to abide with him for ever, as Ouesimus to Philemon, ver. 15. The penitent, like the servant under the law, his ear is nailed to God's door-posts, to serve him for ever. To return for a time is naught.

2. A voluntary return. The penitent comes back with heart and good-will, Psal. ex. 3, " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power;" as one that is going back to a good and honourable master, and will serve him with gladness: Psal. c. 2, "Serve the Lord with gladness." They that are only driven back to God, by heavy rods or sharp convictions, will come away again; yet people may be driven at first to God, who seeing his glory and excellency, and the desirableness of his service afterwards, do voluntarily and heartily yield themselves to him.

3. A speedy return: Psal. cxix. 60, " I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." They that are sincere will not delay for a moment; they will make no truce with sin. The moment wherein true repentance touches the heart, is the precise term of going home to God; for they know that if they delay a moment longer, that moment may be the fatal moment to them.

4. A thorough return. The soul sticks at no known duty, but embraces all, be it ever so hard, and unpleasant to flesh and blood. Hence said the Lord of David, Acts xiii. 22, " I have found David the son of Jesse; a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." The penitent puts a blank in God's hand, saying, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Speak, Lord," says he, "thy servant heareth." He is for the will of God, without disputing. For God is an absolute master, and is therefore to be obeyed without reserve.

Use of this point. It lets us see, that negative reformation

See the author's sermons on this text, in this volume.

is not sufficient for repentance. One must not only turn from sin, but turn unto God. We must not only put away evil, but take in to us the contrary good : Is. i. 16, " Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of yoar doings from before mine eyes, cease to do' evil, learn to do well," &c. We must not only give up with such and such lusts, but be endued with the contrary graces. Some people reform from the evils of their life, but they do not go forward to the positive ways of holiness. They satisfy themselves, with the proud Pharisee, that they are not unjust, no extortioners, &c.; but, alas! they do not consider, that when the house which the devil goes out of is empty, he returns with seven spirits more wicked than himself, and so the last state of such a person is worse than the first, Matt. xii. 44, 45.

THE APPLICATION.

I come now to the application of the whole. And here I would sound the alarm in the ears of impenitent sinners, to repent, and turn from their sins unto God. 0 sinners, repent, repent; ye are gone away to your lusts and idols, turn from them; ye have turned your back on God, turn to him again. In prosecuting this call to repentance, I shall,

1. Endeavour to convince you of the need you have to repent.

2. Lay before you a train of motives to repentance,

3. Shew you the great hindrances of repentance. And,

4. Give directions in order to your obtaining repentance.

I. I shall endeavour to convince you of the need you have to repent, to make way for the motives to it. There are three sorts of persons that will readily stave off all our calls to repentance.

1. One says, I repent of my sins daily. Well were it with thee, if it were so. Surely there is need for it. But none are so ready to pretend to this, as those that never yet knew what it is to rejient. If ruing the ill thou hast done, a sigh for it, and a short-winded wish for mercy, be repentance, it is easy work. But it is not so. Thou canst not repent with a hale heart: that heart of thine must be rent for sin, and rent from it; thou must turn from sin unto God in all known duties of obedience. If ye pretend then to repentance, bring forth fruits meet for it. But to such pretended penitents we may say, as Samuel to Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 14, " What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen ?"

2. Another says, I have repented already. But 0 consider, repentance is not the work of a day, but of thy wliole lifetime,

2 E 2

since thou art never free of sin, Jer. viii. 6. New provocations require new repentance ; nay, old sins are not to be forgotten. Hence said Moses, Deut. ix. 7, " Remember, and forget not bow thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness." Aud hence prays the Psalmist, Psal. xxy. 7, " Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions." And if thou repent of them thoroughly, thou wilt be ashamed, and the wound will bleed afresh at the remembrance of them. Hence said the apostle, Rom. vi. 21, " What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed ?"

3. Another sees no need of repentance for him; for such persons are of that blinded generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness, Prov. xxx. 12. They deny their sin instead of mourning over and confessing it, saying as ver. 20. " I have done no wickedness." They possibly keep free from the gross pollutions of the outward man ; and for the positive duties of religion, they either see no need of them, or if they do perforin them too, they are blind to the corruption of their natui'e, and to heart sins, and the spirituality of the law of God. But ye need repentance as much as the proud Pharisee, Luke xviii. and as the Apostle Paul, Rom. vii. 9. compared with Tit. iii. But 0 consider, 1st, Are there not many of us that never got a sound awakening all their days ? They had lived under the sound of the gospel, but it never broke their rest effectually in a sinful course. I will read the mystery of your case, Luke xi. 21. " When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace." Repent then, else ye are undone.

2dli/, Are there not many whose awakening has produced a partial change on them, but it has ended in a fearful apostacy from the way of God ? 2 Pet. ii. 22. " It is happened unto them according to the true proverb. The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and, the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." Their fair blossom they once had, has gone up as dust. Repent, or your backsliding will be your ruin.

Sdly, Are there not many sleeping virgins at this day, who are in a course of departing from God? The life, vigour, and tenderness they sometimes had, is gone; and death has settled down on their eyelids, and they are turned to be of the colour of the earth. To these we must say, as Rev. ii. 5. " Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, aud repent, and do the first works."

4:thli/, Are there not many living in known sin? They know the particulars wherein they are wrong, and yet on they go, as an ox to the slaughter. Their corruptions are too strong for conscience. Ye

must repent, or ye will perish. Profane courses will make a miserable end, and one sin retained will ruin the soul.

bthly, Look and see whether thou canst perceive the footsteps of Christ's flock, or of the devil's drove, on the way which thou art going, Cant. i. 8. Is your case the case wherein the fair company walked with displayed banners to Cannau, or that wherein many have slept and slipped away to the pit ?

Qthly, Canst thou deny but that there are many foul steps thou hast made and art making? 0 then repent. Go no farther on; one step more may put you beyond returning, Luke xiv. 24. Little knows the sinner how soon God may take the foot from him, either by clapping a withering curse on him, as on the fig-tree, Hos. iv. 17. or by taking him red-hand in his sin, and sending him to the pit, Prov. xxix. 1. "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." . II. I will lay before you a train of motives to repentance

Motive 1. Consider the obligations that lie on you to repent. Sit down and consider how ma nifold ties are on you to it.

1. The command of God obligeth you to it: Acts xvii. 30. " God commanded all men every where to repent." And will ye not have regard to the sovereign authority of him that made you? The command to repentance is one of the two great commands of the gospel, Acts XX. 21. " Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the command which the prophets of old did so often inculcate, Ezek. xviii. 30. " Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." This our Lord Jesus and the Baptist preached, and his disciples, saying, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This the Apostles preached, Acts ii. 38. " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." And this all along is the joint sound of the preachers of the gospel. So it is an old and new command too. No command is more peremptorily laid on, as in the text. As ye regard then God's authority, repent.

2. Your baptism obligeth you: Mark i. 4. " John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins." It is a solemn tie laid upon you to return to and serve God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; to die unto sin, to live unto righteousness. Ye have then taken on the Lord's badge; how dreadful must it be to continue runaways from your Great Master ? Repent, then, and return, as ye would not be treated as runaways from your colours, as rebels that cast off your allegiance sworn to the King of heaven.

3. Your mercies oblige yon in point of gratitude; Eom. ii. 4, " Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ?" your common mercies, and special ones, preventing, restraining, &c. Every mercy is forfeited by sin ; yet ye are still in God's debt, and every day a new load of favours is laid on, and these are'strong ties to repentance.

4. Lastly, Your profession obligeth you. Ye profess yourselves Christians. If ye will name the name of Christ, then depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. ii. 19. Why do ye call God Father, if ye will needs do the works of the devil, (John viii. 44.) which Christ came to destroy ? Do ye profess Christ your Redeemer, the Holy Ghost your Sanctifier ? why then do ye continue in bondage to your sin, in unholy courses ? Do ye believe every sin deserveth God's wrath ? what madness is it then to be treasuring np wrath againt the day of wrath ? Quit your profession then, or quit your sinful courses.

Motive 2. Seriously consider what sin is, that ye are so fond of, prefer to Christ, and for the enjoyment of it forfeit the favour of God. What do you see in it, that does so powerfully charm you ? If you are taken with the profit of it, ye would consider that no advantage will quit the cost of the soul's ruin brought about by it: Matt. xvi. 26, " For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?" Job xxvii. 8, " For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul ?" If you are taken with the pleasure of it; that is dear bought, being purchased at the rate of eternal flames, which sin will bring men to without repentance. The pleasures of sin are but momentary, Heb. xi. 25. And there is far more in God's service, even in this world : Psal. iv. 6, 7, " There be many that say. Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." Consider, I pray you,

1. Has not every bait a hook with it ? Prov. xxiii. 31, 32. Is there not a trap, gin, and snare in them all for you? How often have ye seen there has been death in the pot, when ye have sit down to feed your corruptions ? Ye have snatched at the bait, but have ye not in the meantime felt yourselves wounded with the hook ? ye have smelled the rose, but have not the prickles meanwhile annoyed you ? And how can it be otherwise ? for " he that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him," Eccl. x. 8.

2. Is there any solid rest in a sinful course ? No, surely: Is.

Ivii. 21, " There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Do not your consciences witness, that the sting of guilt in the conscience is like a dead fly in the ointment, causing all to be unsavoury ? Is there not always a worm at the root of every sinful gourd you sit down under the shadow of? Do not the very maybees of conscience suck the sap out of your lusts many times ? Will any man say, that ever he found rest to his soul in a course of departing from God ? No, no; ten thousand worlds will not satisfy an immortal soul.

3. Do not ye find sin to be an insatiable tyrant, like the grave and the barren womb, never saying, It is enough ? Is. Ivii. 20. " The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." 0 but they have a hard task, that have living raging lusts to feed! James iv. 2, 3, " Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain : ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." Psal. Ixxviii. 18, 19, " And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meet for their lust. Yea, they spake against God : they said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness ?" The more they are indulged, the more they grow rampant: the more their thirst is cared for, the greater thirst is created. Hence men in a sinful course go from evil to worse.

4. Is not a sinful course a most foolish course ? No man is unfaithful to God, but he is unfaithful to himself, and his own interest and happiness. The Lord offers to reason the matter with you, and to make your consciences judge; Isa. i. 18, " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." It stands betwixt you, and temporal and eternal happiness. It is a poisonous cup, bringing death along with it. And how foolish is it for men to hug a serpent in their bosom, when called to throw it out; to drink a cup of poison, when called to throw it away; to take coals in their bosom, when it is told they will burn them ; to court their own death and ruin ?

5. Is not sin the separation wall betwixt God and you ? Is. lix. 2, " Tour iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Does it not mar your comfort from the word, your confidence in the Lord, and your access to God in duties ? does it not make as it were a gulf betwixt Heaven and you, that whatever communion others have with Heaven, your unrepented-of sins lets you have none ? Shall this be your choice ? Sure, then, ye need not wonder, if ye will not

come back to God, he bid you at last depart from him, " into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

6. Lastly, Consider what will be the end thereof. Surely it will be bitterness in the end: Jer. ii. 19, " Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backsliding i^hall reprove thee : know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts." However pleasant the cup seem to be at the brim, the dregs of it will be bitter: Prov. ix. 17, 18, " Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell." However taking the entertainment be, the reckoning will be dreadful.

Motive 3. Consider ye must die : Heb. ix. 27, " It is appointed unto men once to die." Death is certain, and therefore repentance is necessary. 0 if men would realize death to themselves, sinners would soon find it necessary to turn a new leaf. One hearing Gen. v. read in the church, was so impressed with the thoughts of death, that he presently betook himself to a new course of life, that he might die well. We must all meet with death, lie down in the grave ; let us view it aforehand, and see how it calls us to repent. Look to thy dying hour, and to thy grave, 0 impenitent sinner, and consider these few things.

1, "Wouldst thou be content to die as thou livest ? Thou livest in thy sin, without God; wouldst thou desire to die so ? Many indeed entertain Balaam's wish, for the death of the righteous, while they care not for their life. Num. xxiii. 10, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." But remember he did not get it, chap. xxxi. 8, " Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword." And while death is so uncertain, it is the hanging o'' an eternal weight on a hair, to look to get matters mended then, that are not mended now.

2, Consider, what will a sinful life look like on a death-bed ? How will ye be able to look your unrepented-of guilt, and a long eternity in the face together ? Ezek. xxii. 14, " Can thine heart e idure, or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee ? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it." Sin sits e isy now on a sleepy conscience, while health and strength lasts, and death appears not. But when death stares thee in the face, and the awakened conscience flies upon thee, it will cut thee to the heart, that thou hast not repented before.

3, What will it be to die, and go to another world with a load of 'unrepented-of guilt on thy back ? Look to your grave aforehand ;

tliiuk \?ith yourselves, how will it bo to lie down there with yonr bones full of your iniquity ? Is it not best now, to shake off and cast away your transgressions, as knowing that however ye may live with them, ye cannot die with them well,

4. At a dying hour ye must part with the world, and the enjoyment of your lusts. The foul feast ye sit at now, death will overthrow the table, and the sad reckoning for it comes in then, and continues for ever. 0 rise up now, and leave it by repentance. Part with these things at God's call, which ye must part with ere long, whether ye will or not.

5. Lastly, There is no repentance in the grave, Eccl. ix. 10. Ye must repent, or ye perish ; and it is now or never. Mar matters now by an impenitent life, and let death catch you there, ye shall never be able to mend them more. The working time, and time of trial is over then. If the brittle thread of life were broke, which may be snapt asunder in a moment, then ye are beyond the line of mercy. The candle burnt to snuff, shall be as soon brought to burn again, as time shall be recalled.

Motive 4. Take a view of the tribunal of God, before which thou must appear; 2 Cor. v. 10, 11, "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." 0 sinner, knowest thou not that there is a judgment to come, and how this calls thee to repent? Acts xvii. 30, 31, "God commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained : whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." "Were men to lie for ever neglected, without a future reckoning, as the beasts that perish, they might live as they list, the hazard of condemnation for an eternity would not press them. But it is not so: Heb. ix. 27, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Consider,

1. While thou art going on in sin, thy debt to the divine justice is increasing, the accounts are swelling; and the reckoning for them before the tribunal will be terrible, however little ye think of them now, Eccl. xi. 9. They may fall out of thy memory, but they will not fall out of the book of God's remembrance, Hos. xiii. 12. But now is the time to get them laid over on the cautioner's score.

2. Though thou wilt not seek them out now to mourn over them, and turn from them, they will find thee out before the tribunal of God. Happy would the sinner be, if his sins would part with him

at the grave ; but they " shall lie down with him in the dust," Job XX. 11 : or if they would lie down with him there, if they would lie still and never rise again; but " God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," Eccl. xii. 14. The Judge is omniscient, nothing can be hid from him, he is not capable to forget the least injury which the sinner has done to his glory ; all must come into the account.

3. When thou seest Christ come again, and his throne set for judgment, when the trumpet shall blow, and the dead arise, and made to compear before that tribunal, when the heavens and earth shall pass away, what will be thy thoughts of staving off repentance ?

4, Lastly, Thy state for eternity will be determined there according to thy deeds done in the flesh. Impenitent sinners will get a long eternity to rue their obstinacy in, while those that repented in time shall be happy for ever.

Motive 5. To move you to repentance, consider the sufferings of Christ. A Roman senator intending to provoke the people to revenge the death of Caesar killed by Brutus, brought forth his bloody robe, and cried, " Here is the robe of your late emperor." And O will ye look to the bloody robe of Christ, hung up on the pole of the gospel, to move you to repentance ? Zech. xii. 10, " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him," &c. And learn here,

1. How dreadful must God's indignation against sin be, which is written with the blood of Christ, pierced with the sword of justice. Is it not " a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ?" And shall we continue in sin, against which such indignation appeared ?

2. Sin appeared terrible in Sodom when in flames, but yet more terrible in mount Calvary, where the justice of God pursued the Son of God with the sword of vengeance. A spectacle of amazement, the Son of God set up for a mark to the arrows of God! Do ye not ask into the cause of all this ? It was sin. The children ate the sour grape, and the father's teeth were set on edge. They contract the debt, justice lays hold on him, and he " restores what he took not away, Psal. Ixix. 4. The elect took on the debt jovially, but he is put to tears and strong cries in the paying of it. And will we not hate and loath sin ?

3. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods from above nor from below drown it. " Behold how he loved you." He might have been happy in his Father's love, though mortals had aever shared of it with him. But such was his love to sinners, as made

liira lay down his life for them, that so a way might be paved for the egress of his Father's love towards them. And will ye not hate and loathe sin which was the cause of his death ? Is this your kindness to your friend ?

4. "When Christ suffered, the earth quaked, rocks rent, the dead arose, the sun was struck blind with the sight, and hid his face for shame : and how can we stand unmoved, who were the first movers of the bloody tragedy, whose sins furnished a Judas to betray him, a Pilate to sentence him ? &c. Look here, and mourn for, and turn from sin.

5. Lastly, Did he not suffer enough ? must he suffer more still, even in his state of exaltation ? will ye grieve his Spirit, trample on his laws, yea and his blood, continuing impenitent in your sins ?

Motive 6. Consider the wrong done to God by your sin, in which ye may see the ugly picture of it. This kept Joseph from yielding to a strong temptation. Gen. xxxix. 9 ; and pierced David's heart with repentance for his sin, Psal. li. 4; and lay heavy on the prodigal son, Luke xv. 18. Every sin reacheth the throne of God in heaven, and him that sits on it. It is true, the malice of sinners against God is impotent malice, and can do him no real prejudice, do their worst. They cannot make him less happy, they cannot disturb his peace, Job xxxv. 6—8. But the sinner is like the beggar full of sores lying on a dunghill, venting his spite against the prince on the throne. He wrongs the honour of God, his declarative glory, though he can do nothing against his essential glory. Sinner, thou wrongest God by thy sin,

1. By setting thyself in opposition to his nature and will. What is sin continued in without repentance ? "A walking contrary to God," Lev. xxvi. 21; an interpretative aim to throw him down from his sovereignty, Psal. xiv, 1, " The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Thou mayst put what fair colours thou pleasest upon it; but it is a throwing out the flag of defiance against the God that made thee. For dost thou not thereby in effect disregard his all-seeing eye, and presence every where, bid defiance to his justice, and call in question his truth, despise his goodness and mercy, and run counter to his holy nature and will, while thou runest still on that of which he has said, Jer. xiv. 4, " Oh do not this abominable thing ■that I hate !" And is this a course to be insisted in ?

2. Thou wrongest God by trampling on his laws. Is. xxxiii. 22. He has given thee a law to be the rule of thy life, he has stamped it with his own sovereign authority, fenced it with punishments threatened, suitable to his infinite greatness : but thou makest no more of these than if they were cobwebs fit only to catch flies.

Thou breakest tlirougli the fences, and in contempt of his authority, will be over into the forbidden ground. Thus thou affrontest the God that made thee : will he sit with it think ye ? No, he can avenge the affront, James iv. 12, " There is one lawgiver, who is able to destroy ;" and he will do it, Luke xix. 27, " Those mine enemies which would not that T should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me."

3. Thou wrongest (xod by despising his Son, John v. 40. Ye wrong God at tlie rate heathens cannot do, and therefore your condemnation will be greater than theirs, John iii. 19. God has sent his Son into the world, by his death to procure reconciliation betwixt God and sinners; he has " exalted him to give repentance," Acts V. 31 : but by your continuing in sin, ye slight his death, and the purchase of his blood : you love your disease so, as you loathe the Physician. What will be the end of these things ? Acts xiii. 41, " Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish."

4. Thou wrongest God by grieving his Spirit, Eph. iv. 30. Hear God's complaints of impenitent sinners, Ezek. vi. 9, " I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me, and with their eyes which go a whoinng after their idols." Amos ii. 13, " Behold, T am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." How often has the Spirit of the Lord been at work with you to turn you from your sins, speaking to you by the word, providences, the secret checks of your own conscience, and secret motions and whispers within your own breast, but all to no purpose ? This will not last: Gen. vi. 3, " And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh." And it will have a doleful end, if ye do not repent: Is. Ixiii. 10, " They rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." If sinners continue to be a burden to the Spirit of God, and do not take off" the burden by repentance, God will throw it off to their cost: Is. i. 34, " Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies."

5. Thou wrongest God by defacing the remains of his image in your own soul, *' God made man upright, after his own image." Adam's sin ruined his image in us. But the more we go on and sin, we render ourselves still the more unlike God, and the more contrary to him. How fearfnl is this, to be still blotting out any appearance of the traits of God's image in us ?

6. Lastly, Thou wrongest God by the ill influence your example has on others. Hence says our Lord, Matth. xxiv. 12, " Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Every

impenitent sinner is an agent for the devil, and invites and encourages others to despise God and his ways, and so will be made to reckon for the mischief his sin does that way. The rich man in hell was sensible of this, though it would seem not before, Luke xvi. 27, 28, " I pray thee, father," said he to Abraham, " that thou wouldst send him [Lazarus] to my father's house : for I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."

Now, will ye go on, thus wronging God by your sin, and not turn from it unto him ? Consider, I pray you,

1. He is your Creator, Eccl. xii. 1. He gave you a, being, and brought you out of the womb of nothing, and will ye not be for liim? will ye be against him ? Has not he that made you a right to rule you ? does not reason itself say, that God's creating us gives him a sovereign dominon over us ? 0 why will the creature thus set itself against the Creator ? Will the potsherds strive against the potter.

2. He is your Preserver, Heb. i. 3. Acts xvii. 28. You live on his earth, feed on his good creatures, breathe in his air, and will ye not hearken to his voice ? Who was it that preserved thee in the womb, that brought thee out of it, so that it was not made thy grave ? Who has kept the brittle thread of thy life from being broken hitherto, and fed thee all thy life long ? Is it not the Lord ? And wilt thou fight against him with his own benefits which he has bestowed on thee, yea, is bestowing on thee while thou goest on in thy sin? Shall the life, strength, comforts of life, time, &c. which he has given thee, be employed to the grieving of his Spirit ? What will the end of these things be ?

3. He can destroy you, and that when he will, Matth. x. 28. Your life and breath is from him, and he can stop it when he pleas-eth. He does not suffer you to go on to your sin, because he cannot help it, nay, the moment thou provokest him, he can strike thee dead, or send thee down alive into the pit. But he waits to be gracious. And this one consideration might determine sinners to repent, if madness were not in their hearts, setting them to provoke him, who in a moment can destroy them, and make them silent in the grave.

4. He is your Witness, Psal. li. 4. Luke xv. 18. Sinners that like not to retain God in their knowledge, do in effect please themselves with the notion that God is closed up in heaven, Ezek. ix. 9. " For they say. The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not." But the day comes when they will see themselves miserably deceived. No; he is a witness, though many times a

silent witness; but he will speak in due time, Psal. 1. 21, 22. The opening of the book of conscience, and of God's remembrance, will clear his being a witness of your whole way and every step of it.

5. Lastly, He will be your Judge, 2 Cor. v. 10. And he is an omnicient one, from whom nothing can be hid; a just one, that will reward every one according to his works; an omnipresent one, from whose presence there can be no escape; an omnipotent one who can without fail make his sentence take effect. "Will men pretend to believe a judgment to come, and yet be at no j)ains to make the judge their friend aforehand, but keep up the war against him, and not break it off by repentance ? Alas! horrid unbelief is at the bottom of impenitency.

Motive 7- Grod is calling you to repentance. Be not deaf to the calls of God, lest the Lord i)ay home your rebellion, by refusing to hear you when ye call to him, Prov. i. 24. and downwards. God is calling you to repentance,

1. By the mercies wherewith he is daily loading you. Quot hene-fida, tot ora. Rom. ii. 4. " Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? These are the cords of a man wherewith God is drawing you. That you are spared on God's earth, that you are kept out of hell, that he gives you daily bread, and does not lock up heaven and earth that they may not help you, call aloud to you to repent, and turn to him. And he takes notice how little these prevail, Jer. v. 24. " Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth rain, both the former and the latter in his season: he reser-veth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest."

2. God is calling you to repentance by the crosses and afflictions, either laid on you, or threatened. Every cross providence is a messenger from Heaven calling you to repentance : Mic. vi. 9. " Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. They meet you in the way of sin, as the angel did Balaam; they bid you halt, and go no farther on ; nay, they bid you return to the Lord. God is speaking to the land this way, to this church, and to the congregation, and to every one of us at this day.

3. God is calling you to repentance by the preaching of the word, Acts xvii. 30. This is the great scope of all our preaching, that ye may repent and turn from your sins unto God. And while God continues his gospel with us, it is a sign he is waiting for our repentance : but to continue in sin over the belly of all warnings, will have a fatal end to take us from the gospel, or the gospel from us; which we have ground to fear at this day on more accounts than

one. Hence says Christ to the church of Ephestis, Rev. ii. 5, " Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

Motive ult. Consider the text, " Except ye repent, ye shall perish." There are two things in this to press you to repentance.

1 If ye repent not, ye shall perish. Sin unrepented of, brings ruin upon kingdoms, churches, congregations, families. And that is like to be the ruin of our land, and of our church, at this day. For, alas ! the face of all at this day is like that described, Jer. viii. 6. " I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done ? every one turned unto his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle." God has threatened us with desolating strokes, and is yet threatening but the generation is like to those scoffers spoken off, 2 Pet. iii. 4. saying, where is the promise of his coming ? And because God does not speedily execute the sentence, therefore men cast off fear, and go on in their sins, in defiance of heaven. But that concerns us nearly : Jer. ix 9. " Shall I not visit them for these things ? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

Sin unrepented of will ruin your souls; Except ye repent, ye shall perish. Consider, your life, your souls lie at stake. Sinner, thou hast gone away from God, thy soul is left in pawn that thou shalt return by repentance. If thou return not, thy pawn, thy soul is lost, lost for ever. Heaven's gate is too narrow to let you in there with a burden of unrepented-of sin on thy back. Nay, heaven thou canst never see ; hell thou canst not escape, if thou repent not. The gospel calls you to repent; if not, the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on you that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," 2 Thess. i. 7, 8. Have pity therefore on your souls, Ezek. xviii. 31, 32, " Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God : wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." To this narrow point the matter is bronght, Repent, or perish eternally ; quit your sins, or quit heaven.

Now, I pray you consider here,

\st, The certainty of your ruin in an impenitent state. Ye have it from the mouth of the Lord himself, in most plain and peremptory terms, that " except ye repent, ye shall perish." If it were but a may-be, it were sufficient in all reason to determine us to

repentance ; for it is unaccountable to put the soul in hazard of everlasting destruction, for all the profit or pleasure of a sinful course; a thousand times more than for one to put himself in hazard of drowning to catch a fly. But it is not a may-be, but certainly it shall be.

2dly, All other grounds of hope are cut oft", if ye repent not. Tell me, 0 impenitent sinner, that will not turn from thy sin, what wilt thou trust to for salvation from the wrath of God ? Wilt thou trust to the mercy of God ? I tell thee thou art a despiser of mercy, Rom. ii. 4; and thou canst not have it in this case, but over the belly of the truth of God ; for he has said, '' Except ye repent, ye shall perish." Pray consider, if thou wouldst have mercy, thou must seek it in God's way : Is. Iv. 7, " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

"Wilt thou trust to Jesus Christ, his blood and merits ^ Do not deceive yourself. Is not this Christ's own word, " Except ye repent ye shall perish ?" does not the Saviour tell thee this ? Q. d. None of my blood shall ever be wared on a sinner to save him from wrath, that will not repent and turn from his sin. "Why does any body at all perish that hears the gospel, if folk may continue impenitent, and yet share of Christ's blood ? No, no ; to whom Christ will be a Saviour from wrath, he will be first a Saviour from sin, Matth. i, 21. He will first give repentance, before he give access to heaven ; for Christ's blood was never shed to bring in dogs and swine into his Father's house, but shed, " that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Tit. ii. 14.

^dly, Where will the fruit of sin be, when this dear reckoning begins ? Heb. x. 31, " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Thou mayst get a time to run thy course : but at length thy eye-strings will break, the last pulse beat, and the soul will take wing and go to another world, and because of unrepented-of sin, be condemned to everlasting flames. And when thou enterest there, what will abide with thee of all the satisfaction thou hast had in thy sinful courses? No; then thou must bid an eternal farewell to all satisfaction, ease, or delight whatsoever, either in God or thy lusts.

4:thly, How wilt thou be able to stand under the load of wrath in the pit of destruction ? Is. xxxiii. 14, " The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites: who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire ? who amongst us shall dwell with

everlasting burnings ? How wilt thou be able to grapple with vengeance, the Mediator's vengeance, while God shall hold thee up with the one hand, and punish thee with the other ? Think in time on the worm that never dies, and the fire that is never quenched: for either thou must repent now, or that worm will gnaw thee, and that fire scorch thee for ever.

Lastly, Consider the eternity of this state. The pleasure, profit, and ease of sin are but for a moment; but the destruction for sin unrepented of is for ever, 2 Thess. i. 9. 0 madness! to run the risk of everlasting pain for a moment's pleasure ! If ruing, sorrow, remorse, rage against one's self for sin, were repenting, there would be repentance enough in hell. Men stave off repentance now for the bitterness of it; but there is a sweet in it too: but then ye shall have the bitterness of it in full measure, but never taste of the sweetness of it; for then the hopes of mercy are razed; and a fearful sight of an everlasting continuance of misery, without end.

Have pity then on your own souls, and throw them not away for that which cannot profit.

2. If ye repent, ye shall never perish. Repentance is the way to keep off the wrath of God from nations, churches, &c. Repentance is the way for each of us to escape the wrath of God: Ezek. xviii. 30, " Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." Acts ii. 38, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." All the threatenings of wrath are summons to repent, and have always that clause understood in them, " Except ye repent, ye shall perish:" Rev. ii. 22, " Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." Though ye have sinned with the world, if ye repent with God's elect, ye shall not perish with the world. Consider,

\st. It is not falling into sin, but lying in sin without repentance, that ruins folk to whom the gospel comes, John iii. 19. For there is a remedy provided; and it is for all diseases of the soul, even the worst and most desperate : and so nothing can be fatal to those that are willing to employ the Physician, and to undergo his method of cure. They are in glory this day, whose sins have been of the first magnitude, as David, Paul, Manasseh, Peter, &c.; but they were repenting sinners.

^dly, There is mercy for thee, if thou wilt repent, and come to Christ. Good news, 0 sinners, If ye repent, all your sins shall be blotted out, ye shall be embraced iu the wide and warm arms of

Vol. VI. 2 r

THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE.

luercy; if, as ye have gone away from God, so ye will come back again: Is. Iv. 7, " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Rev. iii. 20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." 0 sirs, will not bowels of mercy draw you ? God is now on a throne of mercy ; he stretches out the golden sceptre to you for peace, if ye will have it in his own way: and in his name we proclaim mercy to all poor sinners that desire to turn from their sins unto God. 0 will not the proclamation of the indemnity touch the hearts of rebel sinners, and cause them to relent ?

Objection 1. But my sins are many and great sins. Answer* God's mercies are many, Psal. li. 1. and great too, Psal. Ixxxvi. 13; and his mercy is magnified in pardoning of such. If thy sins were as great as mountains, as many as the catalogue of them would reach from heaven to earth, there is mercy for thee, if thou wilt repent: Is. i. 18, " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." There are riches of mercy, Eph. ii. 4. abundance of pardoning grace, Is. Iv. 7.

Objection 2. I have relapsed, gone back with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow that was washed, to the wallowing in the mire. Answer. There is mercy for backsliders too: Jer. iii. 14, " Turn, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you." Yer. 22, " Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." If it were not so, who could be safe ? Men must forgive in that case, and much more God will, Luke xvii. 4. For as the heavens are above the earth, so are God's thoughts above ours: Jer. iii. 1, " They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again ? shall not that land be greatly polluted ? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord."

Objection 3. But I have despised and slighted mercy, and the remedy of sin. Answer. They had gone all that length, who had so far despised mercy, and the remedy of sin, as they had murdered the Lord of glory, and yet they obtained mercy. Acts ii. 36, 37, 38. Despise and slight it no more, and your former sins shall not be remembered.

Objection 4. I have so long gone on in sin, that I can have no

hope. Ansaver. The longer the greater is your sin; yet God has iiot discovered to us any particular time, beyond which he will not wait. There are some called at the eleventh hour; and those that come in then, are not rejected. So was the thief on the cross. See Ezek. xxxiii. 10, 11; Luke xiv. 22 ; Joel iii. 21,

Objection 5. But there is no body's case like mine. Answer. Consider the case of Manasseh, 2 Chron, xxxiii, and of Paul, 1 Tim. i. 13. Such instances arc designed to encourage sinners to repent in hope of mercy, Eph. ii. 7. Adam's case was more hopeless, who had sinned against more light and mercy, than ye were capable to do. But suppose your case is a non-such evil, the mercy of God and the blood of Christ are non-such remedies. And ye may be sure, since he has said, John vi. 37, " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out," that he will work a new thing on the earth, rather than that your case be unhelped, if ye will put it in his hand. So I conclude that there is mercy for you, if ye will repent.

Lastly, Thou shalt certainly be saved for ever, if thou dost repent: Ezek. xviii. 30, " Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." No true penitents go to hell. Heaven is the landing-place of all true penitents. They that turn from their sins now, and turn unto God, shall for ever be with the Lord in another world.

0 look to the glory that is above, and let your souls be moved to repentance by it. Cast not away the hope of eternal happiness for what does not profit.

Now, sinners, consider these things, and be stirred up to repentance, and do not adventure over the belly of fair warning to go on in a course of impeniteucy. Impenitency under the gospel is a siu of a deep dye ; beware of it.

1. It is a continuation of sin ; it draws out the thread of a God-provoking course, adding sin to sin, till God cut the thread of life. And 0 are there not enough of items standing in God's accounts against you already ? why will ye be still adding more, instead of diminishing and breaking off the course by repentance ?

2, It seals sin and guilt on your soul, Impenitency keeps all the rest of your sins fast on your souls : John iii, 19, " This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." If you would repent, no sins whatsoever you are guilty of should ever be able to ruin you: but if you do not, that one will keep all the rest in life and vigour, to your utter ruin.

3- It flies in the face of the gospel, of Christ himself, his apostles

2f 2

and ministers, who with one voice call sinners to repentance. If ye do this, ye do all; if ye do not this, ye do nothing; ye receive the grace of God in vain; it will be in vain to you that ever you heard the gospel, that Christ died for sinners, &c.; for ye will have no benefit by any of these things.

4. Lastly, It is a bloody sin, that will involve you in everlasting misery. For there is no escaping of the wrath of God ; if ye do not repent, ye are undone for ever. For " except ye repent ye shall perish."

Now, ye have had a message from the Lord, what answer shall I return to him that sent me ? I think I may rank up all in these six sorts of sinners.

1. The brutish sinner, that hears as if he heard not. The word makes a noise in their ears, because they are capable of hearing ; but, alas ! they are no better than the beasts, in so far as they make no reflections on it, with respect to their state and case. "What shall I say to you, but that the time comes when these souls of yours, drowned in a moss of flesh and blood, will be separate from your bodies, and get a long eternity to reflect on the calls ye have had to repent ? Is. i. 3, " The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Psal. xxxii. 9, 10, " Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding : whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked."

2. The sullen, desperate sinner, whose answer will be that, Jer. ii. 25, " There is no hope. No, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." Their hearts are glued to their sins, they have no will to part with them, and they have no hope that ever they shall be made willing, or if they were so, that God would receive them; and therefore they are resolved to take their time. But 0 consider, they have been reformed that have been as mad on their idols as you, as Manasseh and Paul. If that cannot draw you, pray answer that question. Is. xxxiii. 14, " Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire ? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?

3. The crafty, subtile sinner, whose answer will be that of Saul to Samuel, 1 Sam. xv, 13. " Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord." But let the return to them be that of Samuel to Saul, ver. 14. " What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear V What means your continuing in sin, your not wrestling and striving against it in heart and life, if it be so ?

4. The presumptuous sinuer, whose answer will be that, Deut. xxix. 19. " I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart." There are some who have a heart of adamant, and put on a forehead of brass, that nothing of this sort can affect them. Let the messengers of the Lord be saying what they will, they will bo doing. They will have their course, and persuade themselves all shall be well. To such I would say, as vers. 20, 2L "The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses tliat are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the Lord shall separate him uuto evil, out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant, that are written in this book of the law." See Is. xxviii. 16. and downwards.

5. The slothful sinner, whose answer will be that of Felix to Paul, Acts xxiv. 25. " Go thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." They are convinced that they must repent, and resolve to do it, but not yet. Young folk put it off to old age; old folk delay it till a death-bed. Every one puts it off from time to time. But 0 sirs what certainty have ye of an hour, much less of a year? How many are there that never see old age ? How many drop into eternity ere ever they are aware ?

6. ias%, The convinced sinner, who being awakened, says, "What shall I do to be saved ?" For which reason I shall,

III. Show you the great hinderances of repentance. And,

1. Thoughtlessness is a great hinderance of it: Jer. viii. 6. "I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying. What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle." Men do not consider their souls' state, case, and way. They sleep away their time carelessly without due reflection; and therefore their spiritual state goes to wreck and they pine away in their iniquity, and are not aware of the same.

2. The love and cares of the world are great hinderances of repentance, Luke viii. 14. These take up men's hearts so, as that they have neither heart nor hand for the case of their souls. How many are there, whom the world keeps in a constant hurry all their life long, that they never come to consider their way till death stare them in the face ?

3. Prejudices against religion and seriousness are great hinderances of repentance. Some see no profit in it; but " godliness is profitable unto all things, having pi'omise of the life that now is,

and of that wliich is to come," 1 Tim. iv. 8. Some see no pleasure in it; but " wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," Prov. iii. 17. Some think that it is needless to be at all that pains, for less will serve : but, alas ! they do not consider what a holy jealous God the Lord is, and how many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

4. Presumption is a great hinderance of repentance. Dent. xxix. 19. They hope still all shall be well, however they take their liberty in a sinful course. They abuse the mercy of God as a screen to their lusts; not remembering that he will by no means clear the guilty.

5. Unbelief, the not embracing of Christ, and apprehending the uiercy of God in him, is likewise a great impediment in the way of repentance. And,

6. Lastly/, Slothfnlness, whereby the business is still put off from time to time.

lY. I shall give directions in order to your obtaining repentance. Supposing what I have said before of the way to gain repentance by believing, I offer further these following directions.

1. Labour to see sin in its own colours, what an evil thing it is. Jer. ii. 19. What makes us to cleave to sin, is false apprehensions we have about it. To see it in itself would be a means to make us fly from it. For this end consider,

1st, The majesty of God offended by sin. Ignorance of God is the mother of impenitency. Acts xvii. 30.

2dly, The obligations we lie under to serve him, which by sin we trample upon.

Sdli/, The wrath of God that abides impenitent sinners.

4thlt/, The good things our unrepented-of sins deprive us of.

Lastly, The many evils which are bred by our sin against the honour of God, our own and our neighbour's true interest.

2. Be much in the thoughts of death. Consider how short and uncertain your time is. Hopes of long life bring many into a hopeless case. And who knows when he may have outlived his day of grace, when the moment comes that God shall say, " My Spirit shall not strive any more with this man, for that he also is flesh ?"

3. Dwell on the thoughts of a judgment to come, where ye shall be made to give an account of yourselves.

4. Meditate on the sufferings of Christ.

5. Pray for repentance and believingly seek and long for the liord's giving the new heart, according to his promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. " A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I

will give you an heart of flesh." Ver. 32. " Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you : be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, 0 house of Israel."

6. Lastly, What ye do, do quickly. The sooner you begin, the easier will the work be.

Take the three following marks of true repentance.

1. Sorrow for sin, as offensive to a good and gracious God, Zech. xii. 10,

2. Hatred of sin, as the most abominable thing, Rev. ii. 6. This will be, 1. universal, against all known sin ; 2. constant, without intermission ; 3. implacable, without reconciliation; and, 4. vehement, without tolerating it.

3. A fixed purpose and desire of eschewing sin, and following duty ; guarding against present sins, and the occasions of these we are in hazard of; honestly endeavouring after it in the use of means, and labouring to remove the hinderances to a holy life.

THE DANGER OF DELAYING REPENTANCE.

Prov. vi. 10, 11.

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth, and thy want as an armed man.

I HAVE been pressing sinners to repentance from the former text, and I hope by this time all of you may be convinced of the necessity of it. But, alas ! delays in this matter kills their ten thousands. Men put off the work from time to time, till time be gone, and they are surprised into ruin, as we may learn from this text. Where,

1. We have the sluggard's picture drawn in reference to his eternal concerns ; which is the main thing here aimed at. He is one that puts off his great work from time to time, " Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep."

In the 6th verse the slothful sinner is set to school to learn a lesson of the emmet; which though she has not the advantages that he has, yet has so much natural sagacity, as to provide for winter, in the time of summer and harvest, when meat is to be got. In the 9th verse there is a rousing call to the sinner to follow that example. But behold how he entertains it; as a person that is loath to

arise, he begs " a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little m re folding of the hands to sleep." Here is,

Is^, Something supposed; and that is threefold.

(1.) The sleeper convinced that he has slept, and neglected his ■work. There are many who see themselves wrong, yet have no heart to endeavour to get right. They are convinced that their great work is far behind, yet have no heart to stir to set it forward.

(2.) The sleeper convinced that he must awake, and set to his work. Slothful sinners may see that the case they are in, is not a case they would venture to die in : they see that it is necessary to turn over a new leaf, to mind their salvation at another rate than they have done, or are doing.

(3.) The sleeper resolved to awake, and mind his business. He ■would fain sleep, but he does not design to sleep long, to sleep always. No; he designs but a little sleep, if ye will believe him, and afterwards to awake ; though, poor soul, he does not consider that he is sleeping within the sea-mark, and may be swallowed up ere he awake out of his little sleep.

2c?/y, Something expressed; and that is threefold too,

(2.) A delay craved : " Yet a little sleep," &c. He is not thinking never to waken, never to repent, but only he cannot think on doing it as yet. However long a sleep he has taken in sin, yet he must have more. For as men, the more they sleep, the more they would sleep; so the more they continue in sin, the more they would continue. And the more they put off repentance, they are the more unfit for it.

(2.) The quantity of this delay : it is but a little in the sluggard's conceit. Though the Spirit of the Lord be grieved and wearied with waiting on his awakening, yet he thinks that all is but little. If the sluggard considered that his whole time is but little in comparison of eternity, the least time he spends in his sleep would appear very great. But, alas ! he considers it not.

(3.) The mighty concern he is in for this delay. Though his ruin be wrapt up in it, he is fond of it, his heart is set upon it; and he pleads for it, as a starving man for bread. Ease is sweet to him ; and so he speaks, " A little sleep, a little slumber." There are three things here which he craves, each less than the other; which shews how loathe he is to bestir himself. (1.) "A little sleep;" not a dead sleep, but a moderate one. (2.) If that cannot be granted, let him have but " a little slumber;" a napping, as it were, a middle betwixt sleeping and waking. (3.) If he cannot get that, yet he would have " a folding of the hands to sleep ;" (Heb.) to lie a-bed. Let him but lie still loitering, and embracing his sweet self, and not

presently be obliged to rise to put hand to work. Love to folded hands goes deep with him.

Observe, how the hearts of sinners are glued to their sins, and carnal security. When conscience begins to draw them out of their bed of sloth, they will not yield, they will dispute every foot of ground with it. And they will take very little ere they want all. 0 were we as nice in the point of our salvation, as in the state of blindness, in the point of our ruin, how happy might we be ?

2. We have the fatal issue of this course. Delays are dangerous, but most of all in matters of eternal concern. The issue of these delays is, the man is ruined, he never awakes till it is out of time. His little sleep, &c. spends all his little time, and throws him out quite unprovided into a long eternity. Here consider,

1st, What ruin comes upon him: Poverty and want. It is held forth under these notions, to answer to the provision the ants make for themselves. They provide for themselves in summer and harvest : so that when the winter comes, when they cannot stir out of their holes, they live on the provision they have laid in. There is a winter abiding us, a time wherein no man can work, when there will be no access to God's grace and favour. Death brings in this. This time is our summer and harvest, wherein matters may be secured for eternity: but, alas ! the sluggard sleeps in working time; and so when it is over, he must starve and perish for ever.

2dli/, How this ruin comes upon him. It comes on,

(1.) Swiftly and speedily. So the word rendered one that tra-vaileth, imports : one that walketh vigorously, as a man in a haste upon the road. Though the sinner lies at ease on his bed of sloth, yet his ruin hasteth on apace, 2 Pet. ii. 3. The sun stands not still, though the sluggard's work goes slowly on. Every breath he fetches in his spiritual sleep, draws his destruction a step nearer.

(2.) Silently and surprisingly; " Thy poverty shall come as ono that travaileth." If we send one on an errand, we will be looking for him again at the time appointed ; but we know nothing of the traveller, till he come at us. So ruin comes on the delaying sinner ere he is aware ; destruction is at his bedside ere he is awakened, Prov. xxix. 1.

(3.) Irresistibly: " Thy want shall come as an armed man;" (Heb.) a man of a buckler, who may hurt thee; but not thou him, for his buckler defends him. Were this traveller unarmed, the danger were not so great; or were the party attacked watching, and armed too, he might possibly come off safe. But alas ! the poor man is naked, and sleeping too ; how then can he make his part good against his enemy ? He cannot; he must fall a sacrifice to his own sloth. Which brings me to consider,

Zdlyy "What all this is owing to : " So shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth," &c. It is all owing to the cursed love of ease, to sloth, to the delays and put-offs, wherewith precious time is squandered away, and the precious soul is irrecoverably lost. They delay and delay on, till the golden opportunity is lost, and they are swept away into the pit, with all their good resolutions for the time to come, which they never see.

The point I intend to speak to from these words, is.

Doctrine, The delaying and putting off of repentance or salvation-work, is a soul-ruining course among gospel hearers.

In discoursing this doctrine, I shall shew,

I. Why it is that gospel hearers delay and put off repentance.

II. That this delaying is a soul-ruining course.

III. Lastly, Make application.

I. I shall shew why it is that gospel hearers delay and put off repentance. There is a generation that are not resolved never to repent, never to ply salvation-work ; but only they are not for it yet. They hope to mend and reform afterwards, but for the present they have no heart to it: so by cheating themselves out of their present time, they put a cheat on themselves for ever. They are called by the word, and by their own consciences, to make ready for another world, to work out their salvation ; but their hearts say, " Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep ;" and their practice is conformable thereto. Why is it so ?

1. Satan has a great hand in this. If he cannot hold out the light altogether from disturbing them, he will do what he can to lull them asleep again, before they be fully wakened : Luke xi, 21. " When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace." Thus he did with Felix, Acts xxiv. 25, who, " as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." When the soul begins to think on making its escape, all the art of hell will be employed to hold it fast; and it is easier to get one to put off salvation-work till afterwards, than downright to refuse it altogether. And thus Satan is always on one of the two extremes, urging either that it is too soon, or else that if is too long a doing.

2. The cares and business of the world contribute much to this. Hence our Lord explained '* the seed which fell among thorns, to be those, who when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection," Luke viii. 14. How often are people in such an un-

sanctified throng of business, that they cannot find a convenient season for putting their salvation-work to a point ? They have so many other cares upon their hands, that they jostle out the care of their souls. They find themselves wrapt up in a cloud of cares; but think with themselves, that were they but once through that, they shall ply their main work. Well, but they are no sooner out of that than they are in to another; and so on, till the work being put off from time to time, is quite neglected. The truth is, persons in such a case will hardly find a time for that work, till they be resolute that they shall take it as they can find it.

3. The predominant love of carnal ease : Prov. xxvi. 15, "The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom, it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth." We are all naturally like Issachar, who saw " that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute," Gen. xlix. 15. Could people get sleeping to heaven on the sluggard's bed, would drowsy wishes carry them thither, many would be the passengers in that way. But that will not do. Men must labour, strive, and wrestle; and that is hard in the eyes of carnal men ; and therefore, if it cannot be altogether refused, it is put off as long as may be. And hence never will a soul ply salvation-work in earnest, till it be effectually roused out of its lazy disposition.

4. The predominant love of sin. Why do persons stave off repentance, but because they are like those who entertaining their friends whom they have no will to part with, do therefore put off their departure from day to day ? The parting with sin is like the cutting off of a member of the body, Matth. v. 30; which one will never yield to, unless he be very resolute. No man will delay a minute to throw a burning coal out of his bosom; but they will love to keep a sweet morsel under the tongue, who yet know that they must spit it out at length. And hence it is, that no purpose of reformation, which is only for afterwards, can be sincere; because it argues a love to, and loathness to part with sin.

5. A natural aversion and backwardness to holiness: Rora viii. 7. *' The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The heart will never be reconciled to the yoke of Christ, till grace make it so, Psal. ex. 3. But like as the bullock unaccustomed to the yoke is loath to stoop to it, and therefore still draws aback ; so will the heart of man do, till overcoming grace reach it, Jer. xxxi. 18. Hence, when light is let into the mind, but the aversion still remains in the will, what can be expected, but that the business of repentance, which they dare not absolutely refuse, will be delayed ?

6. The hope of finding the work easier afterwards. The sluggard thinks with himself, that a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep, would make it easier to him to get out of his hed; though, on the contrary, the more he sleeps unseasonably, the more he would sleep; and the longer persons delay the work of repentance, it is the harder to go through with it. For sin is a disease, which, the longer it lasts, gathers the more strength, and is harder to cure. And he that is not fit to-day to repent, will be less fit to-morrow.

7. A large reckoning on the head of time that is to come : Hence the rich man reckoned, " I will say to my soul. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry," But let us hear the judgment of God concerning this speech : " But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ?" Luke xii. 19. 2U : God has given no man a tack of years, no nor hours; yet every body is ready to tell what they will do to-morrow, next month, or next year. The young people think they have a great deal of time before their hand for repentance; the old people think they have enough before them for that too : and in people's conceit there is always enough, till their time be gone quite, and they be wakened out of their dream. Hopes of long life have ruined many a soul. 0 to be wise ! James iv. 13. 14. " Go to now, ye that say, to-day or to-morrow we will go unto such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: For what is your life ? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." But what folly is it to venture eternity on such uncertainty !

8. A fond conceit of the easiness of salvation-work. There is a generation that please themselves with the thought, that it is but to believe and repent, and that is soon done. "What persons can do with a touch of their hand, they think they need to be in no haste with. But 0 how contrary is this to the whole strain of Scripture, and the saint's experience ? Matth. vii. 14, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Luke xiii. 24. " Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall uot be able." Eph. i. 19, 20, "The apostle speaks of the exceeding greatness of God's power toward them who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead. 1 Pet. iv. 18. " If the righteous scarcely be savedj where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Did men believe

this, that there is such a difficulty in getting to heaven, they would not dare delay for a minute entering on the way.

9. A conceit of sufficient ability in ourselves to turn ourselves from sin unto God. That the doctrine advancing the power of natural reason and ability in spiritual things, does take so much with the world, is no wonder, since man naturally is such a stranger to his own spiritual impotency. Hence it is observed, that the first question with the awakened is, " What shall I do to be saved ?" It is worth observing how the carnal heart turns itself into different shapes, to retain its sinful lusts. Sometimes the man says, that he is not able to do any good ; but when his sin cannot find shelter under this covert but he is pursued hot with conviction, he puts off his reformation and repentance to another time; thereby in effect declaring that he can do it, if he had but a season for it. He that is to use his oars may row at what hour he pleases; but he that must sail by the help of the wind must set off while it blows, because he cannot command it.

II»I shall show that this delaying is a soul-ruining course.

This is evident if ye consider,

1. It is directly opposite to the gospel call; which is for to-day, not for to-morrow : Heb. iii. 7, 8, " To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." All the calls of the gospel x-equire present compliance, and do not allow sinners to put off till another day. It is true, salvation-work must be deliberate work ; but ye are not allowed a time to deliberate whether ye will come to Christ and be holy or not. It is like the call to quench fire in a house, that must presently be done, yet done deliberately, so as the work be not marred in the making. How then can it be but a soul-ruining course ?

2. It is threatened with ruin. The text is very express, " So shall thy poverty come as one that travaileth, and thy want as an armed man." And one with a thousand times more safety might venture on a sword-point, than the edge of such a divine threatening. See Prov. xxiii. 21; Eccl. x. 18. And this threatening has been accomplished in many, whom their slothful delays have caused to perish; as in the case of Ephraim, Hos. xiii. 13. and of Felix, Acts xxiv. 25. Many have been not far from the kingdom of God, who yet never came to it.

3. "Whenever grace touches the heart, men see that it is so. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. cxix. 60, " I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." When men are in earnest to get into Christ by faith, and to get back to God by repentance, they dare linger no more in the state of wrath, they flee out of it.

as one fleeing for his life, Matt. iii. 7- Their eyes are opened to see their danger, and therefore they are presently determined.

4. It has a native tendency to soul-ruin, which inevitably overtakes them, if they do not at length break off' all delays, and come away. This is evident, if ye consider,

1^*, The state of sin is a state of wrath, where ruin must needs compass a man about on every hand: John iii. 36, " He that believ-eth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." To have staid in Sodom that day it was to be burnt, was dangerous; but to abide a moment in the state of wrath, is far more dangerous. Who would venture into a house that is about to fall ? who would not presently leave it ? And will men venture " yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep," in a state of enmity with God ? Surely such persons know not God's greatness, nor the worth of their own souls.

2dlt/, The longer ye continue in sin, your spiritual death advan-ceth the more upon you. Every sin sets you a step farther from God, is a new bar in the way of your peace with him, strengthens your natural enmity against him, and alienates you more from the life of God. And where can this natively end, but in your souls' ruin ? Ah! are we not far enough on in that way already ? why delay more, that we may go yet farther off" from God ?

Sdli/, While ye remain in this state, there is but a step betwixt you and death, which you may be carried over by a delay of ever so short a time. All that is your security in this case, so far as ye can see, is the brittle thread of your life, which may be broken with a touch, and then ye are ruined without remedy. So that every delay, shorter or longer, of repentance, is a venturing of eternity on that uncertain life of yours, which in a moment may be taken from you.

Use I. For Information. This lets us see,

1. That delayers of repentance are self-destroyers, self-murderers. Well may it be said to such, as Ezek. xviii. 31, " Why will ye die ?" Should a man wilfully neglect a remedy for his disease, which puts hira in hazard of his life, he could not be guiltless of his own death; more than one who being called to rise and quench the fire in his house, and yet would lie still till it were consumed to ashes, would be blameless of its ruin. Self-love, that is, love of sinful self, is the source of the greatest cruelty; whereby lusts are spared to the destruction of the life of the soul.

2. By delays the interest of hell is advanced; where many are this day who had resolved to repent, but death did not wait their time, and so they were disappointed. No wonder new grounds of

delay be still laid to persons' liauds, for it is Satan's great drift to get men entangled in the wilderness, that tliey may not make forward to Canaan's land. And every new entanglement sets the soul a step nearer to destruction: and who questions but Satan has art enough to coin new pretences for delays ?

3. No wonder Satan is most busy to ply the engine of delays, when a sinner is somewhat awakened by conviction; as he did with Felix, Acts xxiv. 25. " A soft answer turneth away wrath;" and delays will blunt the edge of convictions, as much as a peremptory refusal. Under convictions, at a sermon, or on a sick-bed, the sinner is awakened out of his sleep; but then nothing can serve Satan's purpose better, than yet a little sleep: which if they get, they sleep off the edge of convictions.

4, They are sinners' best friends, that give them least rest in a sinful course. And whatever men think of them now, they will think so afterwards, Prov. v. 11, 12, 13. Every body loves ease, and therefore faithful preaching and dealing with souls, is a torment to those who love to be undisturbed in their rest in sin, Rev. xi. 10. But what suits best with our sinful inclinations, is worst for our souls, and will in the end be found so. Flattery has ruined many, when plain dealing and fair warning has brought many out of the snare.

Use 2. Of Lamentation. We may lament here the case of many, nay of most that hear the gospel. They put off their work from time to time, and so their spiritual case is going to wreck day by day. This is the case in natural things: Eccl. x. 18. " By much slothfulness the building decayeth, and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through." They are in a dying condition, the physician comes to their bed-side, and offers them a remedy; they do not absolutely refuse it, only they put off the taking of it. In the meantime their distemper increases, and death is advancing ai)ace. The market of free grace is opened, and they are called to come and buy: they see they need to buy, yet they are not like to stir till the market be over. 0 madness and folly to be lamented with tears of blood ! Poor slothful creature, that is yet for a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, there are four things thou knowest not.

1. Thou knowest not the worth of a precious soul, which thou art throwing away for what will not profit. Will the sweet sleep in sin quit the cost of the soul's ruin ? No, no : " For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?" Matth. xvi. 26. Christ left the bosom of the Father, and shed his precious blood to

redeem the soul. H3 was wise that paid the price; and if less would have done, he would not have been at needless expense of blood: he was a Father that received it; and would not have put his Son to that if it had not been necessary. Satan goes about without intermission to ruin it. But what low thoughts dost thou entertain of it, that wilt not break thy rest to save it from ruin ?

2. Thou knowest not the excellency of precious Christ; sleep locks up thine eyes that thou canst not see the ravishing sight, John i. 10. The eyes of saints and angels are fixed on him, as the glory of the upper house : the eyes opened here by grace, are arrested by his overcoming glory. Hence are these rapturous expressions in Scripture, Psal. Ixxiii. 25. " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." Cant. i. 3. " Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee." Zion's crowned King is making his progress through the city where thou dwellest; the cry to come out and behold him, reaches thiue ears, Cant. iii. ult; but while he goes by, thou must have "yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep," and so thou losest the sight. The royal Bridegroom stretches forth his hand unto thee, to espouse thee, saying, Behold me, behold me: thou openest thy drowsy eyes, and beginnest to stretch forth the hand; but sleep overcomes thee, thine eyes close, and thy hand falls down again, and the match is marred. The chariot of the covenant that is driving on to his Father's house halts at thy door, and thou art called out: the ship is to sail to Immanuel's land, thou art called to come aboard: but " yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep," and all is lost.

3. Thou knowest not the worth of precious time. The Apostle ■will have time redeemed, Eph, v. 16; but thou squanderest it away as a thing of no value; and working time is turned by thee into sleeping time. Precious moments slip away, and thou regardest not; though once gone, they can never be recalled. What would those who are past hope, give for an hour of that time, whereof thou lettest days, months, and years slip, without any improvement for eternity ? 0 unhappy soul, who " knowest not in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace !"

4. Thou knowest not the weight of the wrath of God. It is true none can have a full comprehension of it, Psal. xc. 11. " Who knoweth the power of thine anger?" But all the elect of God get such a notion of it, as rouses them up to fly from it, 2 Cor. v. 11. " Knowing the terror of the Lord," says the Apostle, " we persuade men." And if thou hadst tolerable apprehensions of it, it would

break off thy sleep and slumber, and cause thee put forth thy hands to work. Didst thou consider what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living Grod, and how when thou fallest down again iato thy bed of sloth, thou art truly in hazard of it, it would give thee such a gliff as would keep the waking. There are three things thou dost not observe.

1. Thou dost not observe what speed thy ruin is making, while thou liest at ease; how thy judgment liugereth not, "and thy damnation slumbereth not," 2 Pet. ii. 3. The avenger of blood is pursuing thee, though thou art not fleeing from the wrath to come. Thou art like a man sleeping in a leaky ship, which is drawing water every moment, and within a little it will be full, and sink to the bottom of the sea, if he do not awake and help it. Every hour thy debt is growing, the cup of wrath is filling, and fills so much the faster, as thou art secure.

2. Thou dost not observe how near thy destruction may be. Thon art like the old world, who " were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away," Matt. xxiv. 38, 39. Thy spiritual lethargy and dead sleep hinders thee from hearing the sound of the feet of the approaching stroke. Thou liest open to the most terrible surprise, to sleep the sleep of death, which thou mayest never awake out of till in hell, Luke xii. 19, 20. and xvi. 23. And 0 how sad is it for men to be past hope, ere they begin to fear; to have the house falling, ere they get over their bed !

3. Thou dost not observe how utterly unable thou art to ward off the blow when it comes: Is. xxxiii. 14, " The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites: who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire ? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?" Ezek. xxii. 14, *' Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the days thnt I shall deal with thee ? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it." Can worm man stand before the almighty God, whose patience may be worn out ere thou awake ? And if mercy and patience quit the field, justice will succeed into their room; and then there shall be no more sleeping, nor ease for ever.

Use 3. Of Reproof to delayers of salvation-work. Why do ye go on in this soul-ruining course ? Have ye no respect to the calls of the gospel, none to your souls, none to eternity ? Why do not ye with all your might whatever your hand findeth to do ? I would apply myself here,

1. To delaying saints.

Vol. YL 2 a

2. To delaying sinners.

1. To delaying saints; for such there may be, and of such there are many at this day, Caut. y, 2, 3 ; and our text is a general truth and warning. Spiritual sloth is so interwoven with our corrupt natures, that it will never be quite rooted out, till the corrupt nature be perfectly expelled. And as it remains in great measure in the saints, so it is fruitful of delays. There are these five delays incident even to the saints.

1. A delay of righting their case when matters are wrong, by renewing their repentance, and the actings of faith. Sometimes their case is quite out of order: their graces are not in exercise; they are strangers to the Spirit's influences, and to access to and communion T7ith God in duties. They have a secret dissatisfaction with this, and are resolved to get to their feet again; but sloth masters them, and the work is put off from time to time; as was the case with the spouse, Cant, v, 2, 3, " I sleep, but my heart waketh," says she, " it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled : for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on ? I have washed ray feet, how shall I defile them ?"

2. The delaying to give up with some bosom-idol that mars their communion with God, Cant. iii. 1; Psal. Ixvi. 18. They are convinced, that the harbouring of it does much harm to their souls' case, and many resolutions they have to put the knife to the throat of it, but still they draw back their hand. And from one time to another the crucifying of it is put off; so that still it lives, like a waster in the candle, causing the soul's case go to wreck.

3. The delaying to clear their state before the Lord. They see need to have marches rid, and to be brought to a point whether they be in Christ or not, whether in a state of grace or not. They have resolutions to put it to a solemn trial, to examine themselves, and search what evidences they have for a title to heaven : but still the heart draws back, and the trial is put off.

4. The delaying of some particular duty, or piece of generation-work, which they are convinced God calls them to. They have often thoughts of setting about it in earnest; but still some one thing or other intervenes, and it is put off. They begin perhaps sometimes; but it is broken off again, and they must yet have " a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep."

5. Lastly, The delaying of actual preparation for eternity ; like the virgins, Matt. xxv. 5, who, " while the bridegroom tarried, all slumbered and slept." They see that it is no easy thing to die;

they resolve to labour to put themselves through grace into a case for it; but day after day it is delayed. The lamps are not trimmed for meeting the Bridegroom. Though they be in a good state, they have not a dying frame.

To all such I would say, as Jon. i. 6, " "What meanest thou, 0 sleeper? arise, call upon thy Grod, if so be that God will think upon thee, that thou perish not." Let me expostulate with you upon this head, 0 delaying saints.

1. Do ye find yourselves any thing the nearer your purpose by all your delays ? Nay the longer ye delay, do not ye find yourselves-the farther from it ? Does not your aversion and backwardness to duty grow upon you the more ? and is not your confidence in the Lord still the more lessened? Yes; the more ye give yourselves to spiritual sleep, the more ye will desire to sleep.

2. Do not ye find this the way to rank poverty and want? Your consciences will witness the truth of that, that where the diligent shall abound with blessings, the idle soul shall suflTer hunger. Is it with you as in months past ? Have ye that sense and gust of religion, that access to God in duties, which ye have had when ye were doing with your might what your hand found to do ?

3. Has not your poverty come upon you as one that travaileth ? Have ye not been sometimes like Samson awaked out of Delilah's lap, and found your strength gone from you when you had most to do with it? Perhaps thou hast spent many days in estrangement from God, with much ease ; but at length some strong temptation, or piercing trial has overtaken you ; and then you have sucked the bitter sap of your slothful delays.

4. A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep, and the occasion may be lost, the opportunity for doing neglected duties may be lost. Either they may be taken from you, or ye from them. No man has a tack of his life, nor of occasions of doing good ; and therefore " as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith," Gal. vi. 10. And though the soul that is in Christ shall be saved surely, yet this will make the salvation to be so as by fire.

6. Lastly, The long delayed work is hard work when it comes to the setting too, Cant. v. 5—8. When the awakening comes, there may be little time, much opposition, and less strength than otherwise thou wouldst have had, and yet more to do with it than otherwise. The longer thy hand is from thy case the more ravelled will it be. And it will readily occasion much fear, darkness, and perplexity in a dying hour.

2 g2

II. I would apply myself to delaying sinners, to those that are yet out of Christ, and have all to do for eternity still. They are living in a state of wrath, and yet they linger, and put off their removal from Sodom. They delay repentance,, and go on in their sin. I would say to you, as Prov. vi. 9, " How long wilt thou sleep, 0 sluggard ? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep ?" I must expostulate with you on this head.

First, Ye young people, why do ye delay repentance ? why are ye like the wild asses' colts, untractable and unteachable ? No doubt, ye think it is too soon for you; that it may be time enough several years after this. Ye think repentance and seriousness suits best with the wrinkled brows, the pale face, and hollow eyes, &c.; that it is pity to spoil the bloom of youth with such work. When do ye mean to repent then ? It is like, it is when ye are settled in the world, or when ye grow old ; at least the days of youth must be over first. But, poor fool,

1. Is the debt of sin so small upon thy head, that thou must run thyself deeper in the debt of God's justice? Dost not thou know that thou wast born a child of wrath ? Eph. ii. 3; that thou broughtest that into the world with thee, that will damn thee, if thou repent not, and come to Christ ? And will not that sink thee deep enough in destruction, though thou add no more to it, unless tliou repent ?

2. Is not the same holy law binding on thee, since thou couldst discern betwixt good and evil, that is binding on the oldest alive ? Have the young a liberty to sin, and to cast off the fear of God and religion, more than the old ? See Gal. iii. 10, " For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse : for it is written, Cursed is every one that coutinueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Here there is no exception. The follies of youth men may pass ; but assure yourselves, God will not pass them: Eccl. xi. 9, " Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." And I doubt not, but if ye saw your sinful thoughts, words, and actions, whether vain or vile, laid before you, as you must reckon for them at length, how few soever your years have been, you will see them to be more than the hairs on your heads. And I must tell you, that being yet unrenewed, and strangers to the life of grace, all your actions have been sin: Prov. xxi. 4, " An high look, and a proud heart, and the ploughing of the wicked, is siu." And is it not then time to repent ? •

3. Who has assured thee, that ever thou shalt see the age thoii speakest of ? Gro to the churchyard, and ye will see graves of all sizes, of your length and under. There are far more young corpses, than there are of those that carry gray hairs, ten to one.* Most men and women are cut off before they come to old age. What has befallen others as young and flourishing as you, may befal you too. And therefore, since ye know not but ye may die young, repent while ye are young, lest in the end ye find yourselves miserably disappointed.

. 4. Who has best right to your youth and strength ? God or the devil? God is courting you for his own gift: Eccl. xii. 1, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Satan will labour to keep his possession. God is the first and last; and he required the first and best, the first-fruits, the first-born, the morning-sacrifice ; and he requires the first of your days, and he takes pleasure therein: Jer. ii. 2, " I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." And will ye devote the first and best to sin and Satan, reserving the last and worst to your Creator ?

5. Great is the advantage of those that get a gripe of religion while they are young, beyond others, in many respects. (1.) Readily their passage in the pangs of the new birth will be easier than that of others. In none is that scripture fulfilled more, Mark iv. 27. of the seed's springing and growing up, none knoweth Low, than where grace joins with good education in young persons. The nail lately driven, draws easily in comparison of that which has been long rusted in. Where grace catches persons before they begin to dip into the gross pollutions of the world, it frees them of much remorse that these must occasion to those that have been led away with them. (2.) Young people's aiFections are easiest moved; and as they move easiest, so they move most vigorously, whatever way they be set. Hence they lie most fair for tasting the sweet of religion: Hos. ii. 14, " I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." God sometimes dandling young converts upon the knees, and giving them sensible tastes of the pleasure of religion, is agreeable to the particular promise made for their encouragement, Prov. viii. 17, " I love them that love me ; and those that seek me early shall find me." (3.) They are in the fairest way to have most access to serve God in their generation.

It is observed, b) those wLo have accurately exaniioed the records of the dejd, that one half of mankind die before five years of age, and near a third more before twenty. How few then must arrive at old age ?

Suppose a man to be converted when he is old, his salvation will he secure; but, alas! his time for serving God's honour in the world is almost gone ere he puts hand to work.

6. Lastly, God commands you to repent presently, and therefore it is on the peril of your soul, that ye venture to delay a moment longer : Heb. iii. 7, 8, " To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Remember that word, Eccl. xi. 9, 10, " Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity." A sinful youth will at length make a sad soul. Ye know not how soon God may be provoked against you to cut you off", if you delay. Monuments of the Lord's anger have been set up in childhood and youth, as well as in old age. "Witness the children at Bethel, 2 Kings ii. 23, 24.

Let not Satan deceive you, as if there were no pleasure in religion. No, Wisdom's " ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," Prov. iii. 17- There is a sweet in religion a thousand times preferable to all the pleasures and vanities youth gades after,

Secondlt/, Ye middle-aged people, why do ye delay repentance ? why do not ye think with yourselves seriously, where ye are like to take up your eternal lodging, and prepare for eternity by repentance ? No doubt ye think ye have time enough too; but no time at present, for ye have another thing ado, the care of a family upon your heads, Luke xiv. 20. "When is your term-day of repentance ? It is like it is when ye shall have more time than now, or when ye grow old. But, 0 sirs,

1. What know ye that ever you shall see old age ? Yea what dost thou know, but, as Luke xii. 20, " this night thy soul shall be required of thee" ? Alas ! shall men thus from time to time venture their eternal state upon a mere uncertainty ? Thy life is but a day, a short day, a winter day, and thou hast a long journey to go; thy forenoon is past already, and wilt thou sleep on till the evening that will soon be upon thee ? The declining sun calls thee to awake.

2. What reason is there, that thy business in the world should shuffle out thy business for eternity ? Remember they had as good excuses as you, who upon the sending of them were rejected, and it was declared their day of grace was past, Luke xiv. 18, 19, 20, 24. Oh hast thou not a soul to provide for, thy eternal state to look after ? Can ye wonder, if, as ye prefer the world to Christ now, he

give you your portion iu this life; aud if ever the time come that thou set thyself to repeut, he deny thee his grace, and bid thee go to the gods thou hast served ?

3. Consider the advantages thou hast now for seriousness, when the foam of youth has settled, and the infirmities of old age have not yet drawn on. 0 consider, and shew yourselves men. Ye have spent your youth in vanity, and will ye spend this age too that way ? What is it ye design for God, the dregs of thy years, that age that is the sink of infirmities ? and ye will part with sin, when ye can follow it no longer. 0 sirs, what confidence can ye have, that God will accept that off your hand ? Mai. i. 8. " And if ye oflfer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil ? and if ye ofter the lame and sick, is it not evil ? offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person ? saith the Lord of hosts."

4. Suppose ye should live till ye grow old, 0 how few are there that get grace to repent when they are old ? I shall not say, there are none such ; but truly though they be, they are very rare. Be not ye encouraged to delay, because some were called at the eleventh hour, Matth. xx. 6 ; for if ye mark the text, these were others than those that were standing there at the third, sixth, and ninth hour. We set no bounds to sovereignity; but as for those that live under the gospel, and spend their best days in sin and estrangedness from religion, common observation tells us, that it is God's ordinary way to plague them with hardness of heart, when they grow old : Job XX. 11. "His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust." About three hundred years after Christ, there was one that had lived a pagan till he was an old man; when he told Simplicianus that he was a Christian, he would not believe him: but when the Church saw that he was really so, their was great shouting and gladness, saying, Caius Marius Victorius is become a Christian ! They wondered to see a man when he was old born again.

5. Lastli/, Will ye see the deceit of delays. When ye were young, did ye not put it oflf to this time ? aud now when that is come, ye are as unready as before. Delay no more then lest ye sleep the sleep of death.

Thirdly, Old people, why do ye delay repentance : why is not your heart bowing to God's call, when ye are begun to bow to meet the grave ? Ye that have always thought ye had time enough all your days, ye will think there is time enough yet. But when is your term-day for repentance ? a death-bed, it is like. And when ye come there, ye will hope it will be but a sick-bed, and so drive off your work till the utmost point. But, 0 sirs,

1. May not the time past of your life suffice to have wrought the •will of the flesh ? Must ye have "yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep ?" Well, when ye have taken it over the belly of God's call to you all your days, what confidence can ye have to look for grace or mercy then ? Sin, Satan, and the world shall have all your time, and ye will look to Grod, and seek his favour, when ye can do no more. 0, are ye not afraid, that that be accomplished on you ? Prov. i. 24. &c. " Because I have called, aud ye refused, I have stretched out ray hand, and no man regarded? but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you," &c. I trow, if your conscience were awakened just now, ye should have enough ado to fasten your feet on a promise of mercy.

2. How do you know, that ye will get a death-bed or sick-bed ? "What do ye know, but that in a moment ye may drop into eternity, as many have done ? Mind him who used to say, three words would do his turn at death. Death does not always send messengers to warn us of its approach. Xay, see what our Lord says expressly, Matth. xxiv. 48—51. " If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken : the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

3. Lastly, And is dying such an easy business, that ye must be laying up other work, yea your main work, for a dying time? I should think, that dying itself, with the pains, throes, and sickness that ordinarily attend it, were enough of themselves. Surely, if we were rightly exercised in health, we would endeavour, that when we come to die, we should have nothing ado but to die. But I pray you remember, you may come to die roving, without the exercise of your reason. But though ye should have it to the last, I pray you consider, is the work of repentance such an easy work as to leave it till the time you can do nothing else ? Will ye put oif turning to God, till ye are not able to turn yourselves on a bed, but as ye are lifted ? taking heaven by storm, till your strength be gone ? crying to God, till ye are not able to speak two sentences at once ? making ready for death, till it be come to your bed-side ?

Use ult. I exhort you all to delay repentance and salvation-work no longer.

Motive 1. Consider ye do but mock God, and cheat yourselves by your delaying. For it is inconsistent with a sincere purpose to repent and turn from sin, 1 Pet. iv. 1, 2, 3. For he that sincerely minds to turn from sin, -will presently turn from it.

Motive 2. Repentance is not in your power ; it is God's gift, which he gives when he will, Acts v. 31. " God hath exalted Christ with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel." The time of God's grace is limited: a time wherein he will be found, and when not: Is. Iv. 6. " Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Death certainly puts a period to it. But it seems to be clear, that men may outlive their day of grace : Luke xiv. 2L " I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper." Time was when Esau might have had the blessing, but then he despised it; but the time came when he could not have it: Heb. xii. 17. " Ye know how that afterward when he Avould have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Strike in then with the occasion ; for if wind and tide fail, there can be no setting to sea.

Motive 3. Though we knew certainly, that our day of grace were far from the end; yet it is a most unworthy thing so to deal with God. Shall men abuse mercy and grace because the Lord waiteth to be gracious? Will men abuse the divine patience, because it suffers long ? "What a folly is it to stand off as long as we can from him to whom we must needs submit ourselves at length ?

Motive 4. The time is short, the work great, and so is the opposition. Salvation-work is a great work ; it is no easy thing to be a Christian; ye must lay your account with all the opposition the devil, the world, and the flesh can make you; ye have but an age that is an handbreadth, as nothing to do it in.

Motive 5. Your life is most uncertain. We are tenants-at-will, we have no tack for to-morrow. Jam. iv. 13, 14. forecited. We are agreed about the necessity of repentance; the only question is, AVhen shall it be done ? God says, To-day; and to morrow is not yours, but God's. How then can ye destinate for this use the time that is not yours ? Return to God one day before thy death, say the Jewish doctors. Wisely said; return then to-day, for it may be ye shall die to-morrow.

Motive 6. The longer ye delay, the work will be the harder. For sin becomes stronger, as the waters, the farther from the head, the greater they grow. And the arrow that going from the bow strays from the mark, how far wide will it be ere it come to the utmost point? It is observed, that Christ groaned at the raising

of Lazarus four days dead; but not so at the raising of the young man of Nain, or Jarius' daughter. Jer. xiii. 23. " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Their number increaseth; the devil who comes alone at first, at length his name is Legion. The heart grows harder, the mind blinder, the will more perverse, the affections more carnal.

Motive 7- A moment's delay may be an eternal loss, because thou knowest not any moment that may not be thy last.

Motive ult. God commands you to repent presently, Heb. iv. 7. Therefore upon your peril it is, if ye delay any more.

Objection. The thief on the cross repented at the last gasp. Answer. His repentance was one of the miracles at Christ's death; and he glorified God more at his death than ye could if ye had been a penitent all your days. But though there was one that none might despair, yet there was but one that none might presume. The other thief even died as he lived.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF THE THIEF ON THE CROSS NO ARGUMENT FOR DELAYING REPENTANCE.

Two Sermons preached, at Ettrick, in June, 1717.

Luke xxiii. 42,

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when tliou comest into thy

kingdom.

The love that sinners bear to their lusts, and the conviction men generally have of the necessity of repentance, each of them putting in for a share, do natively produce a delay. And Satan and the corrupt heart join to support the delaying temper, both by pretended reasons, and abused examples: amongst which last none is more so than this of the thief who repented on the cross.

My great design being to convince you, that this instance can be no encouragement to delay repentance, I need not here lay for a foundation the proof of this man's sincerity, which the text and context put beyond all doubt; nor insist on explaining this his prayer, full of faith and repentance, which had a most gracious answer.

Every body knows the story ; and they that know very little of the Bible, will be found acquainted with this instance of the penitent thief on the cross ; and they abuse it to their own ruin, drawing encouragement from it to put off repentance till they come to a death-bed.

We need not much wonder, that this becomes a stnmbling-stone to many, on which they are ruined. Hearing the thief was converted near the last gasp, and having led a sinful life, the thread was suddenly broken, and he died happily ; his day was a dark day all over, till in the evening, the sun broke out with a bright though short glimpse, and then set; That this, I say, is abused and turned to a stumbling-stone by impenitent sinners, is no great wonder, if ye consider the following things.

1. As a vicious stomach corrupts the best of meat; so impenitent sinners abuse the best things to their own ruin: so that what raises up others taught of God, is an occasion of falling to them. The altar of God, and the whole law was so to the unbelieving Jews, Rom. xi. 9. Is not the very gospel, and the preachers thereof, a savour of death to some ? 2 Cor. ii. 16. Nay, Christ himself is a stumbling-block to them. 1 Pet. 7, 8.

2 There is a particular disposition in the hearts of impenitent sinners to abuse and wrest the Scriptures. Hence Peter, speaking of Paul's epistles, says, " In them are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction," 2 Pet. iii. 16. The Scripture is a light, and a rule of divine authority ; and it may well be expected, that if sinners can persuade themselves of a shelter there for their sins, it will be the most effectual one. This is the most feasible means for stilling the clamours of an ill conscience, and cheating men into their own ruin.

3. Abused Scripture is one of the chief pieces of Satan's armour, wherewith he maintains and promotes his kingdom among those that have the Scriptures. Thus Satan said to Christ, Matt iv. 6. " If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Hence unclean persons still their consciences with the example of David, swearers with that of Joseph by the life of Pharaoh, or Peter's, &c. Men that are mere moralists screen themselves with that, Mic. vi. 8, *' He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ?" And others satisfy themselves with good meanings and desires, because

of that, Matt. v. 6, " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled." Others think, they may repent at any time, from that Scripture, Ezek. xviii. 27, " "When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive." And thus it becomes harder to convince men that have some notional knowledge of the Bible, than those that never knew it.

4. Reigning love to sin makes people very dexterous to find out shifts to preserve their lusts; as in Saul's speech to Samuel, 1 Sam. XV. 15, " They have brought them from the Amalekites : for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed." "What people would fain have to be true, it is easy to persuade them of: and what they are loathe to part with, it is not hard to invent shifts to hold it still. Were men willing to be the Lord's, they would be so presently; and they would be loathe to delay one moment, lest they should never see another.

To come to this particular instance in the text, I must tell you, That though here is ground of hope for poor trembling sinners, that they may be brought to repentance, and be accepted of God ; yet there is no ground here for crafty delaying sinners to put oS repentance, in hopes to go through with it afterwards, especially in a dying hour.

I. There is ground of hope for trembling sinners. And we may learn from this instance these following lessons.

1. They may go long on, and far on in the way to hell, whom yet God may bring home to himself. Here is a man, a thief, whose course brought him to an ill end, to a violent death, and yet grace reaches him. See the following remarkable passage, 1 Cor. vi. 9, IQ, 11, " Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived : neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." From this it appears, that some of the Corinthian converts had been formerly the vilest of wretches, and guilty of the most enormous lewdness and impiety; and yet became famous monuments of the triumphs of sovereign efficacious grace. "What a length did Manasseh and Paul go; and yet what illustrious penitents did they afterwards become? The latter justly acquired the

character of the greatest of saints, and the most eminent of all the apostles.

2. Grace sometimes catches them that in appearance, and to the eyes of the world, are farthest from it. It passeth by the most likely, and pitches on the most unlikely objects, "While chief priests, scribes, and elders mock Christ, the thief on the cross is converted. The Lord loves to set up the trophies of his victory in the midst of the devil's kingdom. Hence is that promise. Is. Iv. 5, " Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee, shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God; and for the holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee."

3. Grace makes a vast difference betwixt those betwixt whom it finds none. Here are two thieves, both on the cross : grace touches the heart of the one, but passeth by the other; and makes the one a convert, while the other dies hardened. So true is Paul's observation, Rom. ix. 16, '• So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

4. Lastly, While there is life there is hope. Here is one converted when near the last gasp; while his last sand was running, grace overtakes liim, opens the eyes that before were closed, wins the heart that had been all along hardened. But I stay not on these things. Ouly the use that is to be made of this, is,

1. Let those that seek God early be encouraged from this, that they shall find him: Prov. viii. 17, " I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." Was he so ready to receive a penitent soul coming in at the last hour, then surely he will be very ready to receive thee that comes in before that time. He rejected him not because he was long a-coming; but received him because he came. Come then forward with assured hope of thy acceptance upon thy early return.

2. Let not those whose day is almost gone, before they have begun their work, despair. Who knows but that may be done in the evening, that was neglected the whole day before ? A gale for heaven may blow, that may put life in an old sinner, and make his flesh fresher than that of a child. The door of the vineyard stands open for labourers to come in even at the eleventh hour. Sovereignty is not pent up to times and ways, but takes a latitude in both.

3. Lastly, Let us sow beside all waters, in the morning and in the evening. It depends on the working of free grace, which shall prosper. We are ready to be hopeless of success, where persons have long stood out against the Lord. But God's heavy hand on a

man, and a view of eternity, may aiford a season wherein the wild ass may be caught.

II. But there is no ground here for the crafty delaying sinner to put off repentance, especially till a dying hour. To set this matter in a true light, consider these following things.

1. It is a most rare example. There is not an instance like it in all the book of Grod, unless it be that of Achan, Josh, vii. 20, 21. Yet the Lord has left that case of Achan's much under a cloud ; so that it is not positively determined as this is, though we may charitably hope the best in his case too. Now, here I would have you to consider,

1st, "What less could there have been to have cleared a possibility of acceptance with God, for a sinner at the last, after he has spent all his days in sin ? If we had not had this instance, what could have been said to shew such wretched raisspenders of time, that ever any that was so long a setting off in their journey to heaven did get in ? And because this says, that none should despair; must it therefore import, that they may safely delay ? The sun once stood still in the days of Joshua; which says it is possible such a thing may be: but will any man delay his work in hope of such an extraordinary cast again ? And why will ye ?

2dli/, As one swallo\7 makes not spring, so neither can this one event make a general rule that you or I may trust to. The ordinary rule is, that as men live, so they die ; a holy life, a happy end ; a graceless, careless life, an unhappy and miserable end. Because Providence may go off the ordinary road, and do that in a few minutes with some, that ordinarily costs many years to others; can you venture eternity on that, that he will do so with you ? Moses fasted forty days and nights, Exod. xxxiv. 28: yet who will venture on that in hopes of having his life preserved without food ?

Sdli/, A.re there not eminent instances to the contrary, wherein men living in their sin have been struck down in a moment, getting no time to repent of them, but fiery wrath has put an end to their days ? Consider the case of Nadab and Abihu, Lev. x. 1, 2, of whom it is thought they had erred through drink, ver. 9 ; Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numb. xvi. 31, &c.; Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v., who died instantly with a lie in their mouth. But why do I instance in particular persons ? Did not millions die together in their sins, by the deluge that swept away the old world, the fire and brimstone that burned up Sodom, Gomorrha, Admah, and Zeboim ? What multitudes were there there, who, being warned, put off to the day they never saw ? And shall this one instance encourage you to delay, over the belly of the dreadful example of millions on the other hand ?

4tfdi/, The most that this so rare an example can amonnt to, is a possibility. It is not to so much as a probability or likelihood. That is a probable event, which tliough it does not always fall out, yet for the most part it does so; as that the husbandman shall get more than his seed again. But from what is said it appears, that for the most part it falls out otherwise, namely, that people even die as tliey live. So that it is probable, that if thou do not repent before, God will deny thee grace to repent at the last. How then can a man that has any belief of a Grod, a heaven, and a hell, venture his salvation on a mere possibility, while the probability lies the other way ?

2. Though there wore two thieves on the cross at that time, yet it was but one of them that got grace to repent. The one indeed was a true penitent; but the other died as he lived, hardened in his sin ; nay, perhaps worse ; for he died blaspheming the Son of God, before whose tribunal he was to appear, ver. 39. Now, upon this I would make these rational reflections.

1st, Is it not possible that thou mayst die blaspheming, if thou do not repent now in time ? Thou canst not deny the possibility of it, when there is such a plain instance of it in the case of one of these thieves. Thou thinkest it may be thou may die a penitent with the good thief; and I say, it may be thou mayst die blaspheming with the other. The one is even as certain, as to us, as the other. Thou livest impenitent all thy days; when thou coraest to a death-bed, God may withhold his grace from thee which thou hast all along refused; he may let thee see thy case hopeless for ever, and thou mayst be filled with despair ; and in that case it is more than possible that both tongue and heart may rise against God.

2dli/, It is at least an equal venture, that thou mayst die impenitent, as that thou mayst die a penitent. Thou hopest to repent at the last; why ? because the thief on the cross repented. And I must say, that delaying repentance till then, thou runnest the risk of dying impenitent; for the other thief died so. And who has told thee, whether thy lot shall be with the one or with the other ? Now, to repent presently, makes thy salvation certain ; to delay it, does at best leave it to a venture. And consider with yourself seriously, if salvation and damnation be such trifling things, as to be left to an uncertainty, you do not know how it may fall.

Zdli/, It is inconsistent with common sense, to leave that thing to a venture, which may be made sure, where a hit or a miss is of the utmost concern. Suppose a rebel might certainly have his life by a willing submission to his prince, should he choose to stay till he were apprehended by the oflicers, he would act most unrea-

sonably, and put his life in hazard where there is no need ; as in the case of Shiinei, 1 Kings ii. 42. A thousand times more unreasonable art thou iu such delays of repentance, for now thou mayst make heaven sure : but if thou delay, thy soul is left to a dreadful venture; and if thou miss when it comes to the point, thou art ruined for ever.

4.thly, Nay but the venture is very unequal; for it is far more likely that delaying thou mayst die impenitent, than that thou mayst die penitent. Few took part with the good thief amongst all the crowd of spectators ; the multitude went the other thief's way, mocking, ver. 35. And what casts the balance here in case of likelihood, is,

(1.) Common observation, that tells us, that most people even die as they live. Repentance is a flower rarely seen springing up from a death-bed, A melting of heart for sin, because of the dishonour done to God by it, is seldom seen in such as have lived a graceless, careless, presumptuous life; but that disposition even hangs about them to the end.

(2.) It is certain that few are saved, in comparison of them that are left: Matt. vii. 14, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." As to what some say of the infants of all mankind; all that are saved must go by the strait gate, and still these are few. It is evident, that most men live impenitent; yet all must die ; and therefore it follows, that few get grace to repent at their last, but most of those that live impenitent even die so too.

(3.) The sad threateuings denounced against sinners going on in their sin, with respect to their latter end: Prov. i. 24—27, "Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear conieth as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you." Ezek. xxiv. 13, " In thy filthiness is lewdness : because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee." Now, show me one promise in all the Bible, promising the grace of repentance to those that delay, for to balance this. It is true, the gospel-oifer is general, and excludes none while in this world: but 0 what a hazard is there, that these threatenings be accomplished to the denying the grace to lay hold on them then.

(4.) Corrupt nature sticks fast in thee ; and it will harden thee in

tlie face of death as well as it does now, unless thou get grace from above. Now, that corruption has possession long continued already, thou art sure of it; but thou hast no certainty for the grace of God to break it in thee, and work repentance in thy so long impenitent heart. And therefore I must conclude the venture to be very unequal.

(5.) Repentance is not to be wrought by the sinner's being brought to au extremity, as you may possibly imagine. Here was a man that was hanging on a cross, bleeding to death in great torment, having a present prospect of eternity before him, who could have no more pleasure in the world. But did that humble him ? No, no. His heart remains obdured to the last gasp. He is going into eternity; yet he is adding sin to sin, and going out of the world as he lived in it, if not worse. We find from Matt, xxvii. 44, that after the chief priests, scribes, and elders had mocked and railed on Christ, it is added, that " the thieves also which were crucified with him" joined in the railing. Whence some think, that even the other too joined in this railing on Christ, till grace broke in upon him and overcame his nature.

(6.) The most powerful and likely means of grace will not prevail, unless accompanied with a special operation of the Spirit. This blaspheming thief was near Christ himself, and might hear his words and groans. He had the example of his companion moving him to repent. Grace was at work working wonders upon his neighbour. He had a dying preacher to call hira to repent. The sun's light was eclipsed, the earth quaked, the rocks rent, the graves opened: yet for all these he died impenitent, and hard-hearted. Think on this, ye that deem it so easy to repent, if ye were come to your last.

(7.) They that delay repentance till a dying hour, readily find they have another thing to do then, than to repent; as is evident from the case of the other thief on the cross, ver. 39. " And one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ save thyself and us." Death is the destruction of nature, and therefore nature wrestles against it, though there be no hope. This man was more concerned to get his body saved than to get his soul saved. And, alas! is not this the case of the most part at that time ? They have so much ado with the disease, that they can hardly get a due concern for their souls, or a composed thought.

3. There is no evidence that this thief had before such means of grace as you have. Who can say, that ever he heard the gospel preached by Christ or any of his disciples ? It is most likely he was a rake; that if he heard any thing of God, it was from the

YOL. VI. 2 H

Scribes and Pharisees at times; and may be, when he might have heard either them, or Christ and his disciples, he was about his thievish trade. Now,

1st, It is unreasonable to think, that it should fare at th« last with those who have had means of grace all their days, and despised them, as it may do with those who never have such means till they come to die. One would think it no wonder at all, to see a man converted at his last, who gets the first notice of Christ and the way of salvation when on his death-bed. But what is that to thee, who hast all along been invited to repent, and come to Christ, but wouldst not ? The former is no wonder in comparison of the latter.

2c//t/, This conversion of the thief doubtless was a perfect surprise to him, a thing he was not looking for. But thou art setting tryst with repentance at thy last hours. Can you believe, that ever this thief delayed repentance in hopes of what he met with, namely, to die on a cross with Christ, and then to feel the power of his grace ? Nobody can believe it. "What is his example then to thee ? Is it rational for thee to expect that favour which one has sometimes been surprised with, and got when he was not looking for it ?

4. This thief was converted, when by the hand of public justice he was to die. "When he was made a public example to the world, and as a n^alefactor brought to an untimely end for his crime, he got repentance at the gallows, not on a death-bed. He was cut off perhaps in the midst of his days ; at least he died not by the course of nature, nor by any sickness, but was executed for his evil deeds. And it is observable, that the one other case which looks likest to this in the Bible, was of the same sort, namely Achan's. Now,

Istf It is evident, that wicked men who are running on in such courses as will bring them to an untimely death, by the laws of the land, such as thieves, robbers, murderers, &c. have a fairer ground from this to delay repentance till they come to the scaifold, than you have, who are looking for a death-bed, and delay repentance till you come there. For their case is nearer akin to this than yours. But are not they most foolish if they so do, even la yonr eyes? No doubt they are. And so are ye in the eyes of others, whose eyes God has opened.

2(i/[y, If we compare the case of this thief put to death for his crimes, and of other malefactors so dying, with the case of men that have lived impenitently dying in their beds ; though grace is alike free to both, yet, humanly speaking, there is more hope of the repentance of the former than of the latter. And this I say on these three grounds.

(1.) It is more easy to convince a malefactor upon the scaffold, of

his crime, and the evil of it, and of those other sins that have been the inlets to it, than to convince another of his sin upon a deathbed, as common observation sheweth. Hence our Lord says, " that the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before the self-righteous Pharisees," Matth. xxi. 31. Many a time is sabbath-breaking, disobedience to parents, drunkenness, neglect of the means of grace, confessed and regretted on a scaffold, while there is not one word of them from a death-bed, in cases where there is perhaps as good ground for it. "When the corruption of nature breaks out in some atrocious crime that brings a person to an uutimely end, there is more access to convince them of it, than others who have the same plague in them, but it has not so appeared,

(2.) The view that the thief had of eternity upon the cross, and that other malefactors have in such a case, is more certain than what impenitent sinners generally have on a death-bed. The one see they must die without peradventure, the other have some hopes of life generally while they have breath. And so the terror of death must needs be more operative in the one than the other; forasmuch as there is such a difference in the certainty of the view of it.

(3.) If we except the time wherein both are actually grappling with death, the one with a violent death, the other with a natural one ; the former have less hinderances from the body to prepare for death than the latter; forasmuch as the one is tossed with bodily sickness and indisposition, the other commonly is not.

5. The conversion of the thief on the cross was an extraordinary manifestation of our Lord's power, made for special reasons. And therefore though it shows what the Lord can do; it does not show what ordinarily he will do. Consider here, to evince this, that,

1st, It was done in such a juncture of time, as the like never was, and the like never will be again; namely, when the Lord of glory, the Saviour of the world, was actually hanging upon the cross, paying the ransom for the lost elect world; Rom. vi. 9, " Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him."

2dlt/, It was a wonder wrought in a time allotted in a particular manner beyond all times, for God's working wonders. The time of the Lord's giving the law on Mount Sinai, was a time of wonders ; but not comparable to this. The leading wonder there was God's making his voice to be heard, and speaking forth a holy law; and it was attended with other wonders, namely, thunders, lightnings, a thick cloud upon the mount, smoke, and fire, and the sound of a terrible trumpet waxing louder and louder, Exod. xix. 16, &c. But

2 11 2

the leading wonder on Mount Calvary was yet greater, namely, the Son of God, and Saviour of the world, hanging, groaning, dying on a cross : and therefore the attending wonders were proportionably greater. For,

(1.) The sun was under a dreadful eclipse, for the space of not a few minutes, but three hours, Matth. xxvii. 45. The eye of the visible world was struck blind at the sight.

(2.) The vail of the temple was, without hands, rent from the top to the bottom, Matth. xxvii. 51; to shew that by this death an end was put to the ceremonial law, and the way unto the holiest of all made open.

(3.) The earth quaked at the dreadful fact of crucifying the Lord of glory, Matth. xxvii. 51.

(4.) The hard rocks rent, upbraiding the spectators and guilty multitude with the hardness of their hearts, Matth. xxvii. 51.

(5.) The graves were opened, and many of the dead saints arose, to shew that Christ by his death had overcome the power of death over his people, Matth. xxvii. 52.

(6.) The spectators of those strange things smote their breasts, being struck to the heart, Luke xxiii. 48.

(7.) ias%, The centurion and his soldiers were convinced, that he whom they had crucified was the Son of Grod, Matth. xxvii. 54.

Now, upon all these I would make these reflections.

[1.] Is it reasonable, because the thief was converted at the last Lour, in a time that the like never was, nor will be, for thee to expect that it shall fare so with thee ? Thou mayst as well throw thyself into a burning fiery furnace, and hope to come forth safe, because Daniel and his fellows were once so delivered. Were Christ to come again, and to be crucified a second time between two malefactors, and thou wert one of them to be crucified with him, it might be that thou mightst be converted at thy last hour. And yet thou couldst not be sure ; for it might be thy lot to be the hardened one, as it was the other thief's. But since it is not so, how darest thou trust to such a late repentance ?

[2.] Is it any wise strange, that amongst all these wonders of justice, power, and faithfulness, there was one wonder of mercy upon the thief on the cross ? that the same power that was rending the rocks, did mercifully open the heart of one of those thieves to receive Christ and his grace? But how canst thou think, that the time of thy departure will be a time of such wonders ? And if not, how canst thou deceive thyself into a delay of repentance, in expectation of receiving such a signal display of divine grace and mercy ?

[3.] Was it not very becoming the divine wisdom, that when the

divine glory of the Son of God was veiled upon the cross, a ray of it should break forth in the conversion of one of two that were hanging there with him ? that when his judges, and the rulers and people had got him on the cross as a malefactor, he shonld have his glory owned by one of those crucified with him : but what is that to thee in a day wherein it is long since Christ was set down at his Father's right hand, and his glory published through the world by the gospel ?

[4.] Is it any thing strange, that when our Lord was triumphing over principalities and powers, he set up one trophy, one sign of his victory, in the field of battle? Col. ii. 15. Was it not very natural, that he who when he should be lifted up, was to draw all men after hira, should actually at the time draw one after him ? But what encouragement can that be to thee to delay to the last, when that nick of time is over long ago ? And now there are thousands of visible monuments of Christ's conquest by his death set up, so that thou wilt never be missed, though thou die as thou livest, impenitent.

6. Lastly, The penitent thief on the cross was not only sincere, but he glorified Christ more in his late repentance, than thou art capable to do by thine, nay more than if thou hadst lived a penitent all thy days. For consider,

1st, When our Lord was in his lowest step of humiliation, he professed his faith of his divrne nature, and his being King of the other world : " Lord," says he, " remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." What wonderful faith was this, that while Christ was so low as hanging on a cross, he owns him King of heaven ; that dying, he was going to receive a kingdom ; that he has all power there; that he is full of mercy, compassion, and faithfulness ; so that the very remembrance of him would be sufticient to secure his eternal welfare ! thou mayst believe and profess all this, but never at such a time. He is now the exalted Redeemer, who has ascended far above all heavens, and sits on the right hand of God. But what is that to the glorifying of him in his lowest humiliation ?

2dhj, When others had crucified him as a malefactor, and were mocking him, and railing on him, as one that deserved not common compassion, he was praying to him, as Lord of the other world. If thou shouldst now do so too; yet remember how small a thing is that in comparison of what the good thief did in these circumstances.

Lastly, All this he did, and more, publicly before a multitude of spectators, which thou art not likely to have when thou comest to a

death-bed. He justifies God before them all; he condemns himself; he does what he can to convince and convert his poor graceless companion, who possibly sinned with him as he did suffer; he condemns those that crucified Christ, and gives his public testimony against them, as men that feared not God.

To conclude this matter: Repent ye timeously, and trust not to a late repentance. Let not this example of the thief on the cross, or any thing else, make you to delay. Many a call ye have had to return to the Lord; but, alas! to the most part they have been ineffectual. God is giving us a providential call to repentance, at this time : he is saying to us, as he did to the church of Ephesus, Rev. ii. 5, " Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent." God knows what our present trial may end in. But in that dark dispensation we may clearly see that God is a jealous God, and makes people's sins to find them out. Repentance would be the most feasible means to extricate us out of our diflficulties. If there were a spirit of prayer and mourning for the causes of the Lord's controversy with us, it would be a token for good. But, alas! the work of repentance for the most part is put off from time to time, till it be put off to a death-bed; and who can secure the tryst to be kept there ?

There are three things I would say of death-bed repentance.

1. If it be got, it is the most unuseful repentance for God, and the most uncomfortable for one's self. Fnuseful; for then men begin their work for God, when their time is ending; and so though they maybe saved, yet God gets little honour from them. And uncomfortable to persons themselves; for being saved, they are saved so as by fire; they must go to heaven by the brink of hell; while they see their last sand running, and get their consciences awakened, eternity must be to them a dreadful spectacle.

2. Death-bed-repentance is seldom sincere. The king of terrors may make a Pharaoh say, I have sinned. But what sincerity is in the most part of those things that begin on death-beds, may be learned from the case of many, who being past hopes of recovery from their sickness, either as to themselves or others, do yet recover, and turn just the old men and women they were before. When the best appearances of death-bed repentance are, it is hard to make sure conclusions; but as Augustine said in such a case, Non dico damndbitur, non dico salvabitur; sed tu, dum sanus es, pceni' tentiam age.*

' i. e, I don't say, that such a person shall be damned, or that he shall be saved; but do thou, whilst thou art in health, mind the business of repentance.

3. Lastly, Many trust to deathbed repentance that never see it. Some are surprised into eternity; some are tossed so with sickness that they cannot have a composed thought; some quickly lose the use of their senses and reason; and most part die as they live: Therefore repent ye in time, and delay no more, lest ye bring the ruin on your souls that will never be recovered.

GOD'S DELAY OF EXECUTING THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST UNGODLY MEN, OFTEN MISERABLY ABUSED BY THEM.

Several sermons preached at Ettrick, in summer, 1728.

EccL. viii. 11.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily ; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

This book of Ecclesiastes is in a particular manner a book of providence, wherein Solomon gives his observations upon it. It is a subject that has puzzled the best of men, how to reconcile it with the being and attributes of God: but there is no inconsistency; all odds will be made even at length.

He had observed some set on high to their ruin, made rulers of others to their own destruction, to the feeding of their own lusts, and so aggravating their own condemnation, ver. 9. He had observed them live prosperously in their wickedness, die in honour, and buried magnificently, ver. 10. He opens the secret of this dispensation in the text, namely. That a reprieve is no pardon. In the words we have,

1. God's patience with, and forbearance exercised towards ungodly sinners : " Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily." (1.) It is supposed that sentence is passed in their case. There is a righteous sentence standing against an evil work, and the evil worker for what he has done : it is not overlooked, nor forgotten. (Heb.) doing of the evil; by which is meant an ungodly course- This is plain from 1 John iii. 8, 9, "He that committeth sin, is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin j for his seed remaineth in him : and he can-

not sin, because he is born of God. See the sentence, Rom ii. 9, " Tribulation and anguislj upon every soul of man that doth evil." (2.) The execution is oft-times delayed; it is not speedily execute. Though the word is gone out of the mouth of the Judge, he does not presently bring on the blow; he spares the criminal a while for holy ends. (3.) It supposeth, that though the execution be slow, yet it is sure, if the sentence be not got reversed, and a pardon obtained. Saying, that it is not speedily executed, he intimates that it will be executed at length.

2. The wretched abuse sinners make of this patience of God with them. " Therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Because sentence is not executed speedily, they think it will never be executed ; and so they give themselves the loose. " Their heart is fully set in them to do evil." They find providence gives them head, does not check and strike them down in their course : and so they even run away with themselves. Their impunity fills their heart for their sinful courses, that they drive on like a ship with a full sail before a brisk gale.

Three doctrines may be deduced from the words thus explained.

DocTKiNE I. There is a sentence passed in the court of heaven, and standing, against ungodly men, evil-workers, however easy they be under it for a time.

Doctrine II. The Lord oftentimes does not soon come to the execution of the sentence against ungodly men, evil-workers; but delays it for a time.

Doctrine III. God's delay of execution is often miserably abused by sinners, to the filling of their hearts to do evil, and sinning more and more.

I shall handle each of these doctrines in order.

Doctrine I. There is a sentence passed in the court of heaven, and standing, against ungodly men, evil-workers, however easy they be under it for a time.

In prosecuting this doctrine, I shall,

I. Shew, that there is a sentence passed in the court of heaven, and standing, against ungodly men, evil-workers.

II. Explain the nature of this sentence.

III. Make some practical improvement of the subject

I. I shall shew, that there is a sentence passed in the court of heaven, and standing, against ungodly men, evil-workers.

1. They are already judged and condemned of God : John iii. 18, *' He that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Ungodly

men, evil-workers, are unbelievers; and being unbelievers, they have not the benefit of absolution by Christ: so they are under condemnation of the law for their evil works. For whom the gospel doth not absolve, the law doth condemn.

2. Only those that are in Christ, are not under condemnation; and their freedom from it is of no older date than their believing: Rom. viii. 1, " Their is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." But evil-workers are not in Christ, 1 John iii. 8, 9, fore-cited. If they were in Christ, they would be new creatures; 2 Cor. V. 17, " Fcr if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Therefore they are still under condemnation.

3. They are in a state of death, dead in sin, Eph. ii. 1. They who are morally dead in sin, being without a principle of spiritual life, Eph. iv. 18, are legally dead too; they are dead men in law, under a sentence of death, John v. 24. Hence they are called children of wrath, of hell, &c.

4. The power that Satan has over them, proves this. They are close prisoners, bound hand and foot. Is. Ixi. 1. Satan is the keeper of the prison, Heb. ii. 14; and they are under his power. Acts xxvi. 18. What gives him the power over them, but that they are condemned in law ? Let the sentence be reversed, and he has them no more under his power, 1 Cor. xv. 56.

5. Lastly, The spirit of bondage witnesseth the truth of this, convincing the sinner that he is a dead man, Rom. vii. 9, and that he stands in need of a remission, chap. iii. 19. This testimony is true ; for it is the testimony of the Spirit of God, whereby he brings sinners to see their need of Christ.

II. To explain the nature of this sentence, consider,

1. Every evil work is a breach of God's law ; and every sinful thought, word, or action is au evil work : 1 John iii. 4. " Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." No man is lord of himself but is answerable to God for every action of his life: and being guilty, if out of Christ, he is liable to vengeance, under the curse; if in Christ, he is liable to temporal strokes. So all ungodly ones, evil-workers, are liable to the curse for their sins.

2. The law is the accuser, that accuseth the sinner of rebellion against God, and demaudeth vengeance on him, John v. 45. Every command broken by the sinner accuseth him before God; and as many breaches as he has made of it, as many articles there are of the libel against him. And though these be innumerable to men, and many of them unknown to them ; they are not so unto an omniscient God.

3. Girod is the judge that judgeth and passeth the sentence against the guilty, Psal. 1. 6. And he is a judge whom no artful concealment can beguile. He cannot be blinded, bribed, or biassed, 1 Pet. i. 17. His sentence, hower severe, is always righteous. Rev. xvi. 7. And there lies no appeal from his tribunal; for there is none above him who is the Most High. Only, while the sinner is, in this world, there is access to a remission in Christ.

4. The sentence is a sentence of death. Gen. ii. 17; death in its full latitude, comprehending all miseries of soul and body; eternal death, in which the gnawing worm never dies, nor is the fire quenched. The sentences of men are at most the death of the body : but his sentence adjudgeth the soul to die eternally. The reason is, the infinite dignity of the divine Majesty offended by sin.

5. The grounds of this heavy sentence, are the transgressions of God's holy law: Gal. iii. 10. " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." The holy law is a transcript of the purity of the divine nature ; in it he hath set forth his own image. That image the sinner does what he can to deface, by violating the law: but God will magnify the law, and make it honourable, though in the destruction of the sinner.

The grounds of it more particularly are,

1st, The sin of nature, original sin imputed, Rom. v. 12; and original sin inherent, that corrupt frame of soul that is natural to us, whereby we are prone to evil and averse to good, Gen. vi. 5. By reason of this we come into the world under the sentence of death. And as serpents and vipers are objects whose destruction men seek on the first sight of them, because of their poisonous nature ; so it fares with men, the very first sight of whom, in respect of their original sin, is loathsome unto a holy God, and thereby they become objects fit only for destruction.

2dly, The sins of the heart, Psal. xxiv. 4; Matt. v. 28, 29. Heart-sins are not liable to man's judgment: but how can they escape the judgment of God, to whose all seeing eye our hearts are just as open as our lives? He sees the rottenness that is within the whited sepulchers, and passes his sentence against lusts of covet-ousness, uncleanness, malice, revenge, &c. burning within the heart, as well as against the same defiling the conversation.

Sdli/ The sins of the tongue. Matt. xii. 37. It is a channel by which the heart vents much of its inbred corruption, contempt of God, &c. Jude 15, in his mocking, maligning, and running down seriousness, and agenting the cause of irreligion; and contempt of our neighbour, in railing, reproaching, obscenity, lying, &c.;

•wliich may shew why the rich man in hell is represented as seeking water to cool his tongue.

Aithly, The sins of the life, wicked actions, whether of impiety against God, unrighteousness against men, or intemperance against ourselves, Jude 15. None of all these will escape the judgment of God, however craftily they be managed, whatever fair colours be drawn over them: Eccl. 12, ult " For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or ■whether it be evil." Sinners may forget them, and let them slip out of mind : but " the Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works," Amos viii. 7.

bthly, Omissions of duty, Matt. xxv. 41, &c. Men will find sentence passed on them by a just God, not only for the ill they have done, but for the good they were obliged to have done, but did it not. The man that hid his talent, and improved it not for his Lord, is doomed to outer darkness. Matt. xxv. 24, 30.

6. This sentence against the ungodly is openly pronounced in the word : Rom. ii. 8, 9, "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness : indignation, and wrath ; tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil." God speaks from heaven to men, Heb. xii. 25; not by a voice coming through the clouds, but by his voice in the written word, 2 Kings xxii. 19, compared with ver. 11. The Bible is God's word to us, whereby he is speaking to us, and will speak to men nnto the end of the world, either absolution or condemnation according to their state.

7. It is registered there too; Gen. ii. 17, " In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Ezck. xviii. 4, " The soul that sinneth, it shall die." The Scripture is the records of the court of heaven, where the ungodly may read their doom, and see the sentence standing against them. And that certainly is one of the causes of the neglect of the Scriptures in our day; for in it " the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness," Rom. 1. 18. Ahab hated Micajah, because he never spake good of liim. The Scripture never speaks good of a man that is wedded to his lusts, and has no will to part with his beloved liberty in the way of sin ; and therefore he hates or neglects it.

8. It is secretly intimated by the conscience sometimes, 1 John iii. 20. Conscience is God's deputy within the man; and when his corruption drives him full to do an ill work, and when he has done it, to defend it; conscience will be condemning it, and him too, from the holy law, Rom. ii. 15. And when it is thoroughly

awakened, it will so pronounce the sentence against the man as will fill him with the greatest terror.

9. It will be openly pronounced before all the world at the last day: Matt. xxv. 41, " Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Where it is observable, that they are declared cursed and condemned ones, before that solemn publishing of the sentence against them. For none will be condemned then, but such as are in this world before that in this life condemned already.

10. Lastly, Howbeit, the time of the execution of the sentence, in particular, is not now intimated to the sinner. The Lord keeps that a secret, that sinners may not adventure to live a moment in the state of condemnation ; but not knowing but it may be executed next moment, they may not put off a moment the suing for a remission.

Use 1. Of Information. Hence learn,

1. The state of every ungodly person, worker of iniquity, and all unbelievers, is a miserable state, a state of condemnation. They are as really under a sentence of death, as ever any malefactor was: John iii. 18, "He that believeth not, is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Think on this, ye young and old ungodly ones : though the sentence is not executed against you, it is passed on you ; look into your Bible, and see it.

2. As silent as God sits on heaven, while sinners on earth are neglecting and affronting him, he is no idle spectator of their way and manner of life : Psal. 1. 21, " These things hast thou done, and I kept silence : th.ou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." He has sentenced them, and " sees their day is coming," Psal. xxxvii. 13. They have their sinning day, and God sees their day of count and reckoning is coming on, wherein every item shall be distinctly charged on them : Eccl. xi. 9, " Know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." They laugh at the evil day, because they do not see it come ; God laughs at them, because he sees it coming; and his will be when theirs is done, Prov. i. 26, when he will laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear cometh.

3. It is not strange, that the world is filled with the noise of men's lusts and ungodly lives. If ye were gone into a prison filled with condemned men, ye would think it melancholy indeed, but not strange to hear the iron chains rattling in every part of the room.

This world is such a place, crowded with condemned people ; un-inortified lusts ai"e the chains on tliem : and that is the reason of the grating noise which the serious godly hear from every corner. And the jailor, the devil, is going among them.

4. Lastly, No wonder that most men love this life, so as to loath exchanging it for another; Psal. Iv. 23, " But God shall bring them down into the pit of destruction." The prison is a heavy place to the condemned man; but to go out of it is more so, for that is to go to execution, Jer. xvii. 11. Death brings the execution of the sentence.

Use 2. Of trial. Try whether that sentence is standing against you, or whether it is reversed, and ye justified.

To move you to put this to the question, consider,

1. One thing is sure, that once it was passed and standing against you : Eph, ii. 3, " And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Compared with Rom. iii. 19, " Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Now, what course have ye taken to get this sentence taken off? and if you have been aiming at it, have ye carried it?

2. As your state is in this life, condemned or justified, so it will be determined at death and judgment : Eccl. ix. 10, " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. Now, there is access for a remission ; but when death comes, there will be no more for ever.

3. Men are apt to mistake in this point. Many draw an absol-viture from the sentence for themselves, which God will never set his seal to: Luke xvi. 15, " Christ said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God." Is. xliv. 20, " He feedeth of ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand ? The foolish virgins called themselves the Bridegroom's friends ; but he shut the door on them as his enemies.

4. Lastli/, A mistake here is very fatal. By it men let the time of obtaining a remission slip. The oil might have been got for the lamps, if they had missed it timely. It brings a ruining surprise : dreaming of peace, they are awaked with the noise of war for ever.

Mark 1. They that never saw themselves in a state of condemnation, are under it to this day. For they are strangers to the very first work of the Spirit, conviction, John xvi. 8, " The law is our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith, Gal. iii. 24. They that have never been at the law's school, to learn that they are cursed and condemned sinners by nature, are not Christ's disciples.

Mark 2. They only are absolved, who laying hold on Christ in thecovenantof grace have applied to the law's sentence of condemnation against them, the righteousness of Christ wrought by him, and offered to and accepted by them. Hence says the apostle, Phil. iii. 7, 8, " But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus ray Lord:—and do count them but dung that I may win Christ." They continue not in mere suspense, but renouncing self-confidence, law-confidence, and creature confidence, have betaken themseWes to him as their only refuge, casting anchor on the promise of the gospel.

Mark 3. If the condemning power of sin is removed, the reigning power of sin is removed too, and contrariwise: Rom. vi. 14, " For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." If the condemned man has got his remission, he is taken out of his irons, and his prison, and the power of the jailor. The chains of reigning lusts rattling about thee, declare thee a condemned man still; but it is otherwise with the pardoned, Rom. viii. 1, 2, " There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death." If ye are justified, ye are washed, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11.

Mark 4. If the sentence be reversed, ye will be habitually tender in your conscience with respect to temptations, sin and duty, and appearances of evil. Hence Paul could say. Acts sxiv. 16, "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." The man who under the sentence of death, has obtained a remission, will readily fear falling into the snare again. Hence we find this was Hezekiah's exercise. Is. xxxviii. 17, "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all ray sins behind thy back." Yer. 15, "What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul " Absolved persons may be guilty of acts of untenderness; but habitual untenderness is a black mark of condemnation.

UNGODLY MEN UNDER A SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION. 489

Mark ult. The fruits of faith in a holy life follow the reversiiij^ of the sentence. We are justified by faith without works; but the faith that justifies, produces good works. Hence we read, Acts xv. 2, of purifying the heart by faith. If the curse is removed, the fruits of the Spirit will spring up in the soul, Gal. v. 22, 23, " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." The apostle James shews that faith not to be true, that is not attended with the fruits of holiness."

Now, if the sentence once standing against you is reversed, then,

1. Love the Lord, who freely gave you your remission, instead of leading you forth to execution; as did the woman of whom our Lord says, Luke vii. 47, " Her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; for she loved much." Remember the day when ye stood self-condemned and law-condemned before the Lord, and he said, Job xxxiii. 24, " Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom."

2. Pity and be concerned for those that are as yet under the condemnation which ye are freed from, Tit. iii. 2, 3. Where people's contempt and disdain have the heels of their pity, compassion, and concern for the welfare and recovery of sinners, it is a sad sign; speaking forth more of pride and presumption, than of themselves being in a state of remission.

3. Walk humbly and tenderly. The remembrance of the sentence of death sometime lying on you, may humble you while ye live. It sets us ill to be proud and conceity, who owe our life to a remission. Stand aloof from the deadly snare; a pardoning God has said, " Go, and sin no more," John viii. 11.

4. Bear your troubles and trials in a world patiently. Your life was forfeited, and that is safe by grace. Why does a living man complain ? This is a day wherein the Lord seems to be rising up to plead against the generation, bringing on common calamity. Take thankfully what falls to your share of it, in consideration that the sentence against your soul is reversed. If the seed should rot under the clod, and the beasts of the field perish under the stroke; kiss the rod, and be thankful, that the execution is not upon yourselves.

5. Lastly, Be of a forgiving disposition: Eph. iv. 32, " Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." The Saviour that brought in remission of sins, binds us to love our enemies; and the bitter revengeful spirit against others speaks us unforgiven, Mattli. vi. 15, " If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

But if ye are of those against whom the sentence still stands in the court of heaven, lay the matter to heart, and consider it as a most heavy case, as it is indeed, deserving tears of blood. And so I proceed to

Use 3. Of Lamentation. "We may here lament over the case of every ungodly one, and natural man. The state of one under sentence of death, is a lamentable case. 0 ungodly sinner, however easy thou art, God's law has condemned thee, and thou art under the sentence of eternal death, John iii. 36, " He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." See thy heavy case in this glass.

1. You are forfeited of your covenant-right to the creatures, as a condemned person. Whether thou hast little or much in the world, it is a sorry right you have to it; a mere providential right, such as a condemned man to his meat, till the day of execution come. Therefore " a little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked," Psal. xxsiv. 16. There is little satisfaction in that.

2. God is your enemy, befriend you who will, John iii. 36. fore-cited. He bears a legal enmity against thee, as a just judge against a condemned man. Ye can have no communion with him: Amos iii. 3, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed ?" All comfortable intercourse betwixt God and thy soul, is drowned in the gulf of thy state of condemnation. There can be no peace between God and you. To allude to the conference between Jorara and Jehu, 2 Kings ix. 22, " And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu, that he said. Is it peace, Jehu ? And he answered. What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many?" How can they have peace with God, whom his law condemns ? What peace ye have in your consciences, God allows not. Is. Ivii. 21.

3. Nothing you do can be acceptable to God; there is a lasting cloud over your heads that never clears : Psal. vii. 11, " God is angry with the wicked every day." While the condemning curse of the law lies on a man, it blasts all the good he does: Tit. i. 15, " Unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Hag. ii. 12, 14, " If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy ? And the priests answered and said, No. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands, and that which they offer there is unclean." It mars sanctifying inflaences,

■without which there can be no fruit, John xv. 5, " for without me ye can do nothing." Hence all ye do is turned to sin.

4. The sentence against you is confirmed daily. The truth of God confirms it: Num. xxiii. 19, " God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good ? And the cords of thy guilt are growing stronger and stronger; for the grounds of condemnation against thee are multiplying; while none of the old debt is removed, but new is still contracted. And though one may think, that it is but dying for all; yet the punishment will be increased, as evil works are; for men will be rewarded according to their deeds.

5. Justice craves execution against thee. There was a cry to heaven against Cain, and against Sodom: and so there is against every ungodly sinner, Jer. ix. 9, " Shall I not visit them for these things ? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ?" Mercy may suspend execution a while against the ungodly; but if they continue in that state, it cannot reverse it; since God cannot cease to be just.

6. All is ready for the execution. The bow is bent to let fly the arrows of wrath against thee, the arrows of death, Psal. vii. 12, 13. The pile of fire is set on, Is. xxx. 33, " For Tophet is ordained of old: yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." "When thon liest down, thou hast no security, that it shall not be executed ere thou arise, &c.

7. Lastly, Thy life depends, as to thee, only on God's long-tried patience and long-suffering, procuring thy reprieve from day to day, if so thou wilt sue out thy pardon. As secure as thou art, the sword of justice hangs over thy head, by the worn hair of long-tired patience; which if once broken, thou art gone for ever.

Use ult. Of Exhortation. "Wherefore bestir yourselves to get out of the state of condemnation, to get the sentence reversed.

Motive 1. It is a sad and miserable life to live in the state of condemnation. For in eflfect such a life is a continued death. (1.) It is a dishonourable life. Condemnation fixes a blot and stain on man, speaks him guilty of crimes for which he is not worthy to live. And surely the judgment of God is according to truth. (2.) It is an uncomfortable life : Is. Ivii. 21, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." There is enough in it to squeeze the sap out of all created comforts; and for the con-

VoL. VI. 2 I

solations of God, they can have none of them, Amos iii. 3, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" The joy and comfort of a natural man is but like that of a madman; and so when he comes to himself, all is swallowed np in that, he is a condemned man. This the prodigal found, Luke xv. 17, " And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of ray father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ! (3.) It is an unsafe life ; John iii. 36, " He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Amidst all thy mirth and jollity, the sword of justice is hanging over thy head by a hair, and every moment, for all that thou knowest, it may fall, and cleave thee asunder. This our Lord threatens in the parable of the wicked servant, Matth. xxiv. 50, 51, " The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Motive 2. The reversing of the sentence by a remission, is not so easily obtained as men are apt to imagine. Many think there is no more ado, but after a careless graceless life, when they come to die, to commend their souls to God, with a " God have mercy on rae;" and all will be safe. But they that get out a remission, get it so as they are taught other thoughts of it. Hence is that exclamation of the church, Micah vii. 18, " Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he de-lighteth in mercy." Consider,

1.9^, Sin is the greatest of evils, the deepest of all stains to wash out. Fair words, nay tears, nay not the blood of bulls and goats, not the blood of one's own body will wash it out; only the blood of the Son of God : Heb. xi. 22, " Without shedding of blood is no remission." Compared with 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Sin is the most contrary to God's nature : Hab. i. 13, " Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." And therefore it is the object of his greatest loathing. Going on in sin, thou art engaged against all the attributes of God. Sin has marred the whole frame of God's workmanship, provoking him to break it in pieces. Can it be easy to get all this buried in forgetfulness with a jealous God ?

2dli/y God's giving remissions, is one of his greatest works. Hence is that pT'ayer of Moses, Num. xiv. 17, 19, " And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people.

according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." This is a work greater than the making of a world. That was done by a word spoken But in this case, justice stands up for satisfaction, truth for the honour of a broken law, and wisdom finds a way for mercy only by the blood of Christ: John iii. 16, " Grod so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Sdli/, Sad breakings of heart do sinners ordinarily endure, ere they being once touched with sense of sin, get the pardon of it. This was the case of Peter's hearers. Acts ii. 37, " They were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" Paul can tell yon from his experience of the terror of the Lord; David of broken bones. However lightly ye think now of the way of coming at it; a medicine given you for sweating out the poison of sin, will readily make you sick at heart, and perhaps bring you to the last gasp. Is. xxxiii. 24.

Motive 3. Howbeit, Grod is now on a throne of grace to grant remissions : 2 Cor. v. 19, " God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." Te may get a pardon now in the Lord's own way : Is. Iv. 7, " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon hira ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Heaven's white flag of peace yet hangs out, the market of free grace stands open, an indemnity is proclaimed in the gospel: Acts xiii. 38, " Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins."

Motive 4. Lastly, Access to remissions will not last: Is. Iv. 6, ^' Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Abused patience will break out into fury : Luke xiii. 24, 25. " Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he shall answer, and say unto you, I know you not whence you ai-e." Beware ye sit not your day of grace, and delay not till ye will find no place for repentance : Luke xiv. 24, " For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper."

Objection. My sins are great. Answer. Neither the greatness multitude, nor backsliding into them will hinder: Is. i. 18. "Come

2 I 2

494 THE SENTE^TCE OP CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

now and let us reason together, saitli the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as now; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Is. Iv. 7. " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon hira; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Jer. iii. 22. " Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." The Lord has set up instances of pardoning mercy, that none may despair; as Adam, Manasseh, Paul, and the Jews, cruciflers of Christ.

Direction 1. Be sensible of your sin; of the evil of it; of the mischief done to yourselves, and the injury and dishonour done to God. Look to the law, the justice of God, &c.

Direction 2. Go to God, and confess your sins fully and freely ; and condemn yourselves, acknowledging yourselves justly condemned by the law, and God to be righteous if he should execute the sentence.

Direction ult. Look to Jesus Christ the propitiation held forth to you in the gospel, his unspotted righteousness offered to you, and the covert of his blood, the retiring place for safety to guilty creatures. Believe the gospel, that these are made over to you therein, and take possession thereof, by trusting wholly thereon to your remission, and the santification of your nature; John iii. 16. " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life." So shall ye be united to Christ by faith.

Take that advice, which the servants of Benhadad offered to their master 1 Kings xx. 31. Put on the sackcloth of deep humiliation, ropes about your necks, acknowledging ye are worthy of death, and go forth to Christ by faith ; for the King of Zion is a merciful king, and will save your life.

Doctrine II. The Lord oftentimes does not soon come to the execution of the sentence against ungodly men, evil-workers; but delays it for a time.

In prosecuting this doctrine, we shall,

I. Take a view of the method of Providence in this matter,

II. Account for this slow method of Providence.

III. Make application of the subject.

I. "We shall take a view of the method of Providence in this matter. There is a twofold method of Providence with the ungodly, evil-workers, in respect of execution against them; namely, a swift and a slow method.

Fir.ft, There is a swift method the Lord sometimes takes with

THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLWLY EXECUTED. 495

sinners: Mai. iii. 5. "I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers," &c. Sinners adventure on evil works; and God sentences them for them presently, and pursues them hard with execution, without delay. (1.) Sometimes the sinner has an ill work in design, and the Lord counts his will for the deed, and prevents by a speedy execution; as in Haman's case. He hatched the mischief, but he did not see it come forth. (2.) Sometimes the sinner is in actual motion to the ill work, and execution is done on him ere he get it performed. So it fared with the rebellious Israelites, in their attempting to go into the promised land. Num. xiv. 44, 45. And so it fared with Jereboam, putting forth his hand to lay hold on the prophet, 1 Kings xiii. 4; and with TJzziah having the censer in his hand, 2 Chron. xxvi. 19. (3.) Sometimes the execution trysts with the very doing of the ill work, so that the sinner is taken away with the stroke in his sin. Thus fared it with Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire. Lev. x. 1, 2; with Zimri and Cozbi cut off in the act of uncleanness. Num. xxv. 8; and with Herod, who was eaten up of worms for his Atheism and blasphemy. Acts xii. 23. (4.) Sometimes as the ill work is done out and ended, the execution begins. So it fared with Sennacherib's blasphemous letter. He had writ it, and it was read; so his sin was completed; and that very night the Lord smote his army, and soon after himself, 2 Kings xix. 14, 35. &c. (5.) Sometimes the execution keeps pace with the ill work, and the one goes on as the other does; judgment in the several degrees following hard at the heels of the sin. So it fared with Hiel, in his building of Jericho, 1 Kings xvi. ult. (6.) Sometimes execution begins with the sinner's beginning to reap the fruit of his sin when he leans upon his wall, a serpent bites him. So it fared with Ahab taking possession of Naboth's vineyard, 1 Kings xxi. 18, 19. And so it fared with the lusters in the wilderness, Psal. Ixxviii. 30, 31. (7-) Lastly, Sometimes when one's sin begins to ■work, in its bitter fruits and effects on others, it recoils on the sinner himself. So it fared with Judas the traitor. Matt, xxvii. 3, 4, 5. It is a sport to some to do mischief to others; but ere all be done, it may, in the just judgment of God, come as heavy on themselves as on their neighbour.

Secondly, There is a slow method the Lord takes oftentimes with sinners, Neh. ix. 17. They commit their evil works; the sentence is presently passed for them : but then the execution is delayed, Psal. 1. 21. And that is what is particularly noticed in our text. Concerning this method I offer these observes.

1. The sinner may get his evil work contrived and accomplished,

496 THE SENTENCE OP CONDEMN4.TI0N OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

without any let in this way from Heaven, by any execution against him. There is a God in heaven who has his eye upon him all along; but that God keeps silence, and lets the sinner take his swing, Psal. 1. 21. He could cut him off from the purposes of his heart, and break his arm, that he should not accomplish his work : but he does it not.

2. The ill work being done without let, the sinner may also for a time pass unpunished, and as little notice may seem to be taken of it, as if there were not a God to judge upon the earth, Ezek. ix. 9. There are times wherein holy Providence, as it were, winks at ungodly sinners, Acts xvii. 30. Hence God is said to awake to judgment, when that time is over, Psal. vii. 6.

3. Yea, ill works may not only for a time escape unpunished, but undiscovered too, Hos. xii. 7, 8 ; Prov. xxx. 20. There are many abominations that appear with open face in the world ; but there are perhaps more that are not discovered, being reserved to the judgment of the great day, 1 Tim. v. 21; Eom. ii. 16. An omniscient God could pull the vail off them, but in the slow method it is long a-doing.

4. Sinners finding it go thus, encourage themselves in evil, repeat their evils works, add sin to sin, and give themselves the loose in their sinful courses. This is observed in our text. None go to the highest pitch of wickedness all of a sudden, but by degrees.* Ill works at first have a terror about them, and the sinner trembles under some fearful expectation at first: but a long-suffering God strikes not, thence the sinner gathers courage, Psal. Ixiv. 5. and ventures again, and the terror wears off by degress.

5. Nay sinners may prosper in an ill course. So far may they be from execution done against them, that they may thrive in the world in it: Psal. xxxvii. 35, " I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree." The sun of worldly prosperity may shine light and warm on men in a course of sin, gone away from God, and God from them. Yea, objects of God's indignation may in that respect be treated as if they were the darlings of Heaven ; and the objects of God's special love, as if they were the buts of his wrath : Eccl. viii. 14, " There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked: again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous." This has been sometimes puzzling to the saints, as to Jeremiah, See chap. xii. 1, 2.

' Nemo repente sit turpissimus.

THE SENTENCE OP CONDEMNATIOH OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 497

6. More than that, they may prosper by their ill works, they may enjoy the fruits of their sin, and thrive by their ill courses; as Ephraim did, Hos. xii. 7, 8. Riches are called the mammon of unrighteousness, because ofttimes they are got together by unrighteousness. Many a fair estate, and great worldly wealth has been got together by oppression; yea the foundation of some has been laid in blood, Hab. ii. 12. A plain evidence, that men may not only prosper in, but by sin.

7. Sinners may get a long time of it, wherein they sin, and Grod spares still. The old world got a long day of 120 years. Job observes, that the wicked may live, and become old, and continue prosperous too, Job xxi. 7, and Is. Ixv. 20. Sometimes God quickly cuts off men in a course of sin: but it is not always so; but men may grow gray-headed in the way of wickedness.

8. The Lord may seem to be in his way to execute the sentence sometimes, and yet may give another delay ; his hand stretched out, he may withdraw again, Psal. Ixxviii. 38. Criminals may be set on the brow of the hill, and yet be returned safe, and make a very ill use of the deliverance, turning worse on the back of it. The 120 years being out, the old world got seven days more respite, and they gave themselves the loose. See Matt. xxiv. 38.

9. When execution is at length begun, it may be carried on very leisurely for a time: the drops may come very few and soft before the shower. Is. ix. 1. God may deal very gently with impenitent sinners, even when he is risen up against them, before he come to the full execution. God's judgments coming with iron hands, may yet proceed with leaden feet in slow pace.

10. Lastly, More than all that, the execution may be entirely put off during this life. Men may live wickedly and prosperously, die peaceably, and be buried honourably; and so would wholly escape with their ill works, were it not that there is another world and an after-reckoning, and that there is no delay of execution there. This is plain from EccL viii, 10, " I saw the wicked buried, who bad come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done." Luke xvi. 19, 22, " There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in j)urple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. The rich man also died, and was buried." Psal. Ixxiii. 4, " There are no bands in death: but their strength is firm." Sometimes God makes the world witness to the execution of the sentence against an ill work : but oft-times men get out of the world without it, in this slow method of providence.

498 THE SENTENCE 01' CONDEMNATION OFTEN SliOVVLY EXECUTED.

there is much need to do it, because there is a mystery of providence in it that is not easy to unriddle, and among men there are sad blunders about it. And,

1. It is wrested by many a sinner in his own case, to his own ruin, Prov. i. 32. We naturally have such high thoughts of the world's smiles, that we are apt to imagine God thinks highly of them too, and that he expresses his special love and kindness by them. But quite the contrary: Rev. iii. 19, " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." Hence a prosperous sinner can hardly imagine himself not to be a favourite of Heaven, at least cannot think God is so angry with his way as some would give out; and so he continues secure in his course, Psal. 1. 21.

2. Being misunderstood, it is ruining to many spectators, and is in hazard of turning them atheistical, and contemners of religion : Mai. iii. 14, 15, " Ye have said, It is vain to serve God : and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts ? And now we call the proud happy: yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered." There are many who have no inward principle of religion. Now, when these see that there is worldly advantage to be got by it, they embrace it, like the mixed multitude from Egypt: but when they see the way of wickedness prosperous, and sinners to keep the road for all the threatenings against them, and the godly afflicted and bowed down for all the promises to them; they are ready to think, that the threatenings and promises of the word are both but empty sounds, and that they see so.

3. There is a difficulty in it, that has puzzled many a great saint, and made him to stagger. So ready are we to walk by sense, not by faith. This was a knotty piece of the book of providence to Jeremiah, though he resolved to believe over the belly of sense, Jer. xii. 1, 2; and to Habakkuk, chap. i. 2. 3, 4. It had almost carried Asaph quite off his feet, Psal. Ixxiii. 2—13, 14.

4. There being a darkness on the minds of all men with respect to the methods of divine procedure, they are apt to imagine an inconsistency of this method of providence with the perfections attributed to God. And there are four divine perfections, that are apt to run a risk with poor sinners blind and rash in judging.

1st, His omniscience, whereby he seeth and noticeth all things done in the world, Prov. xv. 3, " The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." But when men themselves are conscious of their own wickedness, and yet see that God does not proceed against them for it, they are apt to say, as Ezek. ix. 9,

" The Lord hath forsaken the earth, aud the Lord seeth not." So the Psalmist represents men going on in their wickedness, secure as to any notice to be taken of it from heaven, Psal. xciv. 5, 6, 7, " They break in pieces thy people, 0 Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow aud the stranger, aud murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob regard it." Therefore Job asserts it on that occasion, chap. xxiv. 1, " Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him, not see his days?

2dli/, His holiness, whereby he is pure in himself, and cannot but hate all impurity and sin in his creatures. It is certain that it is so. The angels proclaim it. Is. vi. 3, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts." The Psalmist pointedly declares it, Psal. v. 4, 5, " Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness : neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." But when men see this method of providence with ungodly sinners, they can hardly believe it, Psal. 1. 21, " These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thought-est that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." For, think they, if it were so, how could he bear with such unholiness in sinners affronting him, and trampling on his laws ? Therefore the Prophet asserts it on that very occasion, but withal owns a difficulty of reconciling this method of providence with it, Hab. i. 13. " Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and boldest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he ?"

Mil/, His justice or righteousness, whereby he so hates sin that he cannot but punish it. It is certain it is so, Gen. xviii. 25. " Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" He has demonstrated it in the death of his own Son. But when men see ungodly sinners going on in their sin unpunished, they are apt to think, that God is not so very just in that matter, as some give him out to be; for they cannot see sin get a just recompense. Therefore Jeremiah asserts it on that occasion, Jer. xii. 1. " Righteous art thou, 0 Lord."

4:thli/, His goodness to his own people, whereby being good in himself, he does good to them that are good. It is certain it is so, Psal. xxxiv. 8, 9, 10. " 0 taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 0 fear the Lord, ye his saints : for their is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." The prophet got it in commission, Is. ill. 10.

500 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OriEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

" Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." But when men see this method of providence dangling ungodly sinners, and smiting the godly, they are apt to think it is not so. And therefore Asaph asserts it on that occasion, Psal. Ixxiii. 1. "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart."

Now, to remove these misconstructions, and account for the slow method of providence, I offer these considerations.

First, This method is taken to bring sinners to repentance, and prevent their ruin, 2 Pet. iii. 9.; and it is becoming the perfections of a merciful God, therefore to use it. By this means sinners,

1. Have time and space to repent given them. Rev. ii. 21. Were they always taken away just in the heat of their unmortified lusts, we would be ready to cry out of severity, Num. xvii. 12. But God gives them leave to cool ordinarily, if so they will bethink themselves, and turn to the Lord, and so prevent their own ruin.

2. They are invited to repentance, and drawn towards it with the softest methods. Rom. ii. 2. Every sparing preventing, bounteous mercy the impenitent meets with, calls aloud to him to repent. It says to him, " Do thyself no harm:" it upbraids him with wilfulness for his own ruin, why will ye die ? with ingratitude, Is this thy kindness to thy fi'iend ? And so hereby,

\st, God has the glory of some perfections, which otherwise would not shine forth so illustriously.

(1.) He has the glory of his long-suffering and patience: 2 Pet. iii. 9. " The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Grave observers of the method of providence must cry out, 0 wonderful long-suffering of a God! The patience of the meekest man on earth, would be quite worn out with less than the half of what a God bears with.

(2.) He has the glory of his universal good-will to poor sinners of mankind, 2 Pet. iii. 9. forecited. 1 Tim. ii. 4. " Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Justice is his act, his strange act; but mercy is what he has a peculiar delight in. He is slow to anger, but ready to forgive. This is written in very legible characters in this method.

(3.) He has the glory of his overcoming goodness. To do evil for good, is devilish ; to do good for good, is human: but to do good for ill is divine. Here shines forth the glory of the divine goodness, overcoming evil with good, Luke vi. 35. This is goodness becoming a God!

THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 501

(1.) His recovery, to the saving of his soul from sin, and perishing eternally. And God, who has a due value for immortal souls, sees that a great thing; and treats it as worth the waiting on, Luke XV. 7. The Scripture holds out this as a noble attainment, Jam. y. 20. " Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins." How many are there singing Hallelujahs in heaven this day, by means of the slow method, that by the swift method had been roaring with the damned ? " Had I died before threescore and sixteen, I had perished, for I knew not Christ." Turk, hist, pag. 96.

(2.) Or else his being left inexcusable, Rom. i. 20. The longer God has borne with, aud the more kind he has been to impenitent sinners, the more iuexcuseable they will be; and the more will God's severity against them be justified. And so this method tends to the clearing of God's justice.

Secondly, In the slow method God takes with sinners, he often has an eye to posterity ; and that,

1. To posterity in general. And it is of use to them, whether the sinner so spared repent or not. If he repent, it is of noble use to encourage them that come after, to turn to God. How useful to many one has been the slow method which God took with Manasseh and Paul! 1 Tim. i. 16. If he repent not, and vengeance seize him at length in sight of the world, he becomes a warning piece to others that come after, Psal. xxxvii. 35—37. Though it do not, his memory rots; and the conscience of every one that notices his wickedness silent and at an end in the grave, judges him to have spent his life foolishly. Job xxiv. 19, 20. Thus many who are of no use iu the world to others but for mischief, God in his providence makes good use of them.

2. To the sinners' own posterity; and that,

\st, To their posterity yet unborn. There may be vessels of mercy in the loins of vessels of wrath. Many graceless parents have been fathers and mothers of gracious children. It is for the elect's sake that the world is kept up; and if the last elect were born and brought in, the world will quickly be at an end. The law spares a condemned woman, if she is with child, till she has brought it forth : and God often spares long, condemned sinners, for the elect that may be in their loins, Matth. xxiv. 22. There was a sentence passed against the generation which came out of Egypt, which for this very reason was about thirty-eight years ere it was executed on some.

^dly, To their posterity already born j and that two ways.

502 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

(1.) As Satan gives some a surfeit of religion and sobriety in their parents; so God makes reprisals on him, by giving others a horror of sin and wickedness in theirs, Ezek. viii. 14. And God spares them, that they may be a glass wherein their posterity may have a view of the hatefulness of sin. A wretched office, but it justifies the slow method of a holy God.

(2.) Men are often punished in their posterity. Many a poor child has smarted upon the occasion of the parent, and many a fair and flourishing family has wickedness raised. A holy just God sometimes pursues quarrels against some evil-workers through several generations, as is threatened in the second command. The third and fourth generation are mentioned, because men may live to see themselves punished in their children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. And they may be spared in this slow method for that very end. "Witness Zedekiah.

Thirdly, In the slow method God takes with sinners, he has an eye to his own people : 2 Cor. iv. 15, " For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God." As the world is kept up for the sake of God's people, so it is guided as it is by providence for their sakes. And it is their good that is designed by it: Rom. viii. 28, " And we know that all things work together for good, to to them that lore God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." The way that it comes to be for their good, is by means of the sharp trial they have by it. So God takes the slow method with ungodly sinners for the trial of his own children. And it is a sharp trial to them two ways.

1. They smart sore under their wickedness. Ungodly men are God's rod, as the Assyrians was God's hand against his people, Psal. xvii. 14. Oft-times they feel as much at their hand, as makes them smart by the rod : Hab. i. 12, " 0 Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment, and 0 mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." They always see as much of them, as occasions to them many a heavy heart, ver. 3, " Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance ? for spoiling and violence are before me : and there are that raise up strife and contention." Wherefore since God's people need the rod, it is preserved, and not flung into the fire.

Meanwhile this tends to their good. The ungodly oblige them to pray, watch, live in the exercise of faith, more than otherwise they would do. Hence many times the most tender Christians are found among the most notoriously profane neighbours, like Lot in Sodom, who carried not so well in the cave. For as the godly are

THE SENTENCK OP CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 503

eyesores to tlie wicked, so tlie wiclced are often as whetstones and files to the godly.

2. They smart the sorer under their own afflictions : Psal. Ixxiii. 10, " Therefore his people return hither : and waters of a full cup wrung out to them." The prosperity of the wicked carries the afflictions of the godly to a pitch ; and sometimes to a dangerous pitch, through the sleight of Satan improving it against them. This was the case of Asaph, Psal. Ixxiii. 12—14, " Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning." Job's friend's acted Satan's part on that bottom, endeavouring to prove him an unsound man, because he was a man so afflicted.

But this also tends to their good. It makes them look more concernedly into their Bible, and find sweet and relief where otherwise they would find no more than others do ; as we see in Asaph's case, Psal. Ixxiii. 16, 17, " When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me : until I went into the sanctuary of God ; then understood I their end." And it makes them to look more narrowly into their own hearts, and to their sincerity. Job x. 7. It obliges them to live more by faith, and not by sight; to the exercise of hope, patience, &c.

Fourtldy, In this slow method, God often carries on his awful yet holy work of hardening sinners. There is such a work : Rom. ix. 18, " Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will, he hardeneth." And it is a most dreadful plague and judgment, whereby God ceasing to punish men for their sins one way, punishes them another way in a dreadful manner. This appears, if ye consider,

1. It is a spiritual stroke, lighting on the soul, and therefore, more terrible than external strokes on people's bodies or substance, Rom. i. 28. Hereby the mind is blinded, the will doubly enslaved to lust, and the conscience seared : a kind of stroke rife this day.

2. It is a stroke, whereby the disease of sin is increased, and the gospel-remedy is rendered ineffectual. The heart being hardened, the loose is given to lusts that before were under some restraint, Eph. iv. 19 ; and the means of grace become useless, if not noxious : the hardened heart turning the food of the soul, as it were, to poison in effect, Is. vi. 10; 2 Cor. ii. 16.

3. It is a fearful preparative to utter destruction, Rom. ix. 22. A nasty earthen vessel, that gets leave to contract more and more nastiness, and is not purged and cleansed, is designed to be broken

504 THE SENTENCE OP CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLT EXECrTED.

in pieces, and thrown away : Ezek. xxiv. 13, " In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee." So it is awful.

Yet it is a holy work in the hand of the Lord. God is holy in his hardening, as well as in his softening-work. Is. vi. 3, compared with ver. 10. For,

1. God hardens no soft hearts, hardens none but those who first harden themselves, Rom. i. 28. Men first shut their own eyes to the light, and then a just God blinds their eyes : they are wilful in their sin, and God gives them their will, Hos. iv. 17. For who can say he is obliged to strive on with them still ?

2. Sin is a meet punishment of sin, Rom. i. 27. And therefore it is just with God to punish sin by sin, to take off the restraint from those who cannot endure it; to let them fall into the mire, and lie in it, that will needs be in it.

Now, God in this slow method often carries on this hardening work ; and that both on the sinner himself and others.

1. In this method oft-times the sinner himself is hardened judicially. God is at much pains with sinners to bring them back from their sinful courses ; he trysts them with rebukes from his word, convictions, terrors, and anxieties, and adds to these sharp crosses and afflictions. But they struggle against all these, and over the belly of them pursue their sins : so God judicially hardens them, and carries on that fearful work in the slow method.

Is*, Denying or withdrawing his grace, and giving them up to their own lusts, Psal Ixxxi, 12. There is restraining grace given to many, who never get sanctifying grace ; good motions, thoughts, and convictions are put into their hearts : these the Lord withdraws, and leaves men to the swing of their corruptions; as he did Ephraira, Hos. iv. 17, " Ephraira is joined to idols : let him alone." They rebel against the light, and the Lord lets it die out. They are impatient of restraint, and the Lord takes it oif. They like the government of their lusts, and the Lord gives them up to them.

2dl^/, Giving them up to Satan to be hardened by him, as the executioner of God's just vengeance, 2 Cor, iv. 3, 4. Men resisting, grieving, and vexing the Holy Spirit of God, provoke him to depart, and to leave them in the hand of the evil spirit, who then finds easy work with them; as in Saul's case. Hereby Satan's power over them is confirmed, the opposition to his interest in them is much removed, and so his influence over them is increased.

God proceeding in the slow method with the sinner in this case, doth awfully carry on the hardening work upon him. In which we may observe,

THE SENTEKOF, OT' CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 505

(1.) Their impunity hardens them. They venture on sin, God in anger lets them go on unpunished, Hos. iv. 14. And Satan and their own corrupt hearts improve that to the encouraging and strengthening them in their sins. Thence a wind from hell rises that fills their sails. Hence in the text, Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in thera to do evil.

(2.) Their prosperity in the world hardens them: Psal. Ixxiii. 5, 6, " They are not in tronble as other men: neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain : violence covereth them as a garment." The hotter the sun shines, the clay becomes the harder: and the warmer the sun of worldly prosperity shines on the sinner given up to his own lusts and the power of Satan, he, like a dunghill, becomes the harder, and sends forth the more rank savour.

(3.) In the soft dealings of Providence with them, objects, occasions, and means to do their ill works, are justly laid before them : they are tempted, flattered, and encouraged by others. And thus the warm influence of providence on thera in external things, which should lead them to repentance, is, by means of their own lusts to which they are left, turned hardening and ruining to them : Prov. i. 32, " For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." These are to them like a full wind to a ship without ballast, in a storm.

(4.) Proper means for checking them are in the just judgment of God rendered ineff'ectual, and that hardens them. Thus it was with Pharaoh: the miracle of the rod turned into a serpent, waters into blood, bringing in the frogs, seemed to Pharaoh's eye-sight done by the magicians too. And thus were they rendered ineffectual to him.

(5.) Lastly, The adversity and frowns of Providence on the serious godly, harden them, Job xii. 4, 5, 6. These are improved, by the sleight of Satan, to the contempt of both the religious and religion.

2. In this method God carries on a hardening work upon ungodly spectators of it. Hence there is a woe to the world, because of off'ences, Matth. xviii. 7- The generality of men have so little sense of religion, and insight into the mysteries of Providence, that they are apt to think that that is the best way which is the most prosperous, Prov. xix. 4. Hence there was a generation that would needs make that the standard of religion; Jer. xliv. 17, 18, "But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to ponr out

506 THE SEyTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword, and by the famine." And so the Lord doth in his holy providence lay that method of it before worldly and carnal men, at which they, by reason of their own wilful blindness, do stumble, to their own ruin, Mai. iii. 14, 15, forecited.

Fifthly, The general method of Providence in managing the world, is soft to his adversaries, and sharp to his own children in this life: 1 Cor. sv. 19, " If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Rev. iii. 19, " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." This is the general rule, thought it admits of exceptions, both in the case of the one and the other. Grod's adversaries sometimes meet with sharp things, his children with soft. But the general and ordinary course of providence is soft to the former, and sharp to the latter.

This appears particularly in two things.

1. God's children are held shorter by the head, in point of particular rebukes of Providence, than his adversaries are.

\st, Grod sharply noticeth many things in his own, that he will pass in others, and greater too. Hence said Job, " If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity," chap. X. 14. The common proverb holds here, One man had better steal a horse, than another look over the hedge. A child of God many times pays dearer for a vain thought, than others for a vile action; for a rash word, than others for blasphemy and contrived wickedness. How did Moses smart for an unadvised word ? Psal. cvi. 32, 33, " They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes : because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips." Compare Num. XX. 10, 12, " And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them. Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you water out of this rock ? And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel ; therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." But see Psal. Ixxiii. 9, 10. " They set their mouth against the heavens; and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them."

THE SBNTEXCE OP CONDEMNATION" OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 50?

2dl(/, When both meet with rebukes for an ill thing, his own oft-times get the sharpest. Hence the lamenting church says, Lam. i. 12. " Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me, in the day of his fierce anger." The controversy for unworthy communicating was pleaded with some godly Corinthians, to the sickening of their bodies, yea even to death, 1 Cor. xi. 30. "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep.

2. A lot of adversity is in a peculiar manner the lot of God's people in this life, and the world smiles most on its own friends: John xvi. 33. " These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Psal. Ixxiii. 10. " Therefore his people return hither; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them." In the case of the church and people of God in this life, adversity seems to be the rule and ordinary course, prosperity the exception: but in the case of the men of the world, prosperity the rule, and adversity the exception. This appears,

1st, From the Sci'ipture, wherein we find the rod of adversity the beaten path in which the saints under the Old and New Testament have walked: the godly often groaning under the weight of their own afflictions, and the weight of prosperous wickedness in their enemies. The Cainites build cities, and have the harp and organ among them; while the church dwell still in tents: Abraham a stranger in the land of promise, while the cursed Cannanites enjoy it: Jacob's posterity in slavery in Egypt, while the Edomites were settled iu their own land, having a king of their own. Perhaps among the Jews in Canaan worldly prosperity was more annexed to piety, agreeable to the dispensation they were under, wherein temporal promises bear great bulk. But consider that people in comparison with other nations, and ye will find their prosperity very short, in comparison of their neighbours, and their adversity very long: Zech. i. 11, 12. "And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, 0 Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" But under the Nevv^ Testament the thing is most clear. Our Saviour points out this as the stated method of Providence; Luke vi. 20—26. "And Jesus lifted up his eyes ou his disciples, and said, Blessed Le ye poor: for

508 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye that when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate yon from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for behold your reward is great in heaven : for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich : for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full: for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now: for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you: for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Chap. xvi. 25. "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

2dly, From experience and observation. One needs but to open his eyes, and look about through the world, and he cannot miss to see the world's greatest favours bestowed on them who have least sense of God and religion; wickedness triuraphaut, while serious godliness is pressed down ; sinners often laughing while saints weep.

Now, this method becomes the divine wisdom. For,

(1.) At this rate the evil have a taste of good, and the good a taste of evil, Luke xvi. 25. forecited. The former, who will at length drink deep of endless sorrow, are patiently borne with, to bring them to repentance : the latter, who shall rejoice for evermore, have now the trial of a weeping time.

(2.) As a father is more concerned for, and exact in the correcting of the faults of his own children, than of his servants; so is our Father in heaven with respect to his family. The more he loves, the more he corrects with his rod: Amos iii. 2, " Tou only have I known of all the families of the earth : therefore I will punish you for all your inquities." There are some who are to dwell with him for ever: there are others who are to depart from him for ever. What wonder, that he is at more pains to purify the former than the latter !

(3.) This is most agreeable to the way he took with his own Son aud his enemies. While Christ was in the world, he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; the wind blew in his face continually, till he was cruelly put to death on the cross. The axe lay at the root of ihe Jewish church and state, his enemies; yet was it not wielded against them all the time he was among them, nor till about forty years after. This was the pattern that is copied after in this method: Rom. viii. 29, " For whom he did foreknow, he also

THE SEIfTEXCB OF CONDExMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 509

did predestinate to be couforraed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren."

S'uthli/, Though the slow method seems strange to us short-sighted creatures, it is not at all strange being viewed in the glass of the infinite perfections of the divine nature. A thing will appear in a shallow river, that being cast into the sea will appear no more. We wonder at the slow method of providence, while we look to men ; but we will cease to wonder if we look to God, and observe, that,

1. God is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, Psal. xc. 2. If men do not soon pursue their quarrels, death may snatch them away, and they can have no access more to do it: but however long the Lord delays pleading his quarrel, he can lose no time, for he is eternal.

2. In God's eternal duration there are no differences of time; all is present to him. Time is for measuring created beings, but not the infinite being. So a thousand years and one day are alike unto Lira, whatever odds there is betwixt them to us : Psal. xc. 4, " For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." This consideration the apostle suggests, 2 Pet. iii. 8, " One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

3. He sees exactly the time appointed for execution against every impenitent sinner, and will not let it pass beyond that, one moment : Hab. ii. 3, " For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." We see the beginning and middle of things, but cannot forsee the end. God sees all at once. Well can he bear with ungodly sinners, for he sees their day coming with speed, Psal. xxxvii. 13. What needs haste in respect of God ? for he sees the sinful creature is fading, and will drop down into a grave ere long, Psal. Ixxviii. 38, 39.

4. He knows what he intends to do, and none can hinder : Dan. iv. 37, " AH the King of heaven's works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. The prince that is afraid of the rebels, will strive to crush them ere they gather to a head; but he that knows he can crush them when he will, may let them gather all their strength together. God can carry on the designs of his glory, by bearing long with impenitent sinners: Rom. ix. 17, " For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all tlie earth." Thus also he can laugh at the trial of the innocent:

510 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

Job ix. 23, " If the scourge slay suddenly, lie will laugh at the trial of the innocent." Like a father holding his child in his hands over a deep pool; the child cries, and the father smiles.

5. Lastly, He is infinitely blessed in himself; and nothing tho creature can do against him can hurt hira ; nor in the least disturb his repose in himself: Job xxxv. 6, 8, " If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him ? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him ? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man." If the whole creation should conspire against him, opening their mouths against the heavens, and doing to the utmost of their power against him ; he might contemn their impotent malice, they would be but like men running their heads against a rock. The longest interval of time cannot make him weary: Is. xl. 28, " Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary ?

Seventhlt/, There is a necessity for both the swift and slow methods being used by Providence in the government of the world; it is so corrupt and atheistical. And,

1. The swift method is necessary to shew, that there is a God to judge upon the earth : Psal. Iviii, 10, 11, " The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance : he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say. Verily there is a reward for the righteous : verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." For as ordinary as the slow method is, there are never wanting instances now and then of swift process against ungodly sinners : which is necessary to bear testimony to the being of a God, and of a providence concerned in human affairs. And there are as many of these, as may give sufficient warning to all.

2. The slow method is necessary, to shew there is a judgment to come: 2 Thess. i. 4—7, " We ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suff'er: seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us: when the Lord Jesua shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels," &c. What the carnal world improves in behalf of Atheism, is necessary to prevent Sadduceism: for if all men's wickedness were punished in this life, it would thence be concluded, that there were no after-reckoning : but there is never a sentence passed against an evil work, that is missed to be executed now, but is a pledge of the judgment to come.

THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 511

Lastly, The slowest vengeance against impenitent sinners will be sure vengeance; and the slower it is in coming, it will be the sorer when it comes: Dent, xxxii. 35, "To me belougeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time : for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." The old world was spared a hundred and twenty years, but was swept away at length.

1. Let sinners be spared never so long, not one of all their ill works will, or can be forgotten. They may have forgot them themselves, but God never will. There is a book of remembrance of their ill, as well as of the saint's good words and works: Amos viii. 7, " The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works." Psal. 1. 21, " These things hast thou done, and I kept silence : thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes."

2. The longer sinners are spared, their counts will be the greater, and all will come on at once, Luke xi. 50, 51; 1 Sam. iii. 12. It is people's mercy, that Grod ceaseth not to be a reprover to them; as it is the mercy of weak people to pay their debt by littles, whereas they are broken if it get leave to run on.

3. When it comes on the impenitent sinner, God will charge both the interest and the principal sum together. They shall not only pay for their ill works, but for their mercies, and the sparing they have gotten: Rom. ii. 4, 5, " Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." What aggravated their sin, will aggravate their condemnation and punishment.

And how long soever the execution of the sentence against ungodly sinners, evil-workers, may be delayed, and how many external favours of providence be heaped on them; all will appear but small and short, when one considers,

Is^, The severity of the execution when it comes. They will at length be cut asunder. Matt. xxiv. 51. In flaming fire he will take vengeance on them, 2 Thess. i. 8. They will fall into the hands of the living God.

2dly, The eternity of it. That is a killing aggravation in the sentence, Depart into everlasting fire. If the worm were once awakened, and set on them, it dieth not; the fire once kindled, will not be quenched.

Use 1. Of Information. What is said may inform us.

512 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

1. That present ease and prosperity in the world is not* a sure sign of God's special favour, Eccl. ix. 1, 2. Indeed men are apt to construe it so; and Satan and the deceitful heart help them to draw such a conclusion. But so far is it from being such a sign, that it may very well consist with their being in a state of wrath, under a sentence of condemnation; and is so with many.

2. That present ease, impunity, and prosperity, is no security against the time to come. Men are ready to be secure upon it, and to dream that to-morrow will be as this day: Psal. x. 6, " He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity." But the mountain may be standing sure now, that ere long may be overturned. The sun shined fair on Sodom, the morning of that day in which God rained fire and brimstone on it. The rich man was full of thoughts of ease in that day, in the night whereof he was struck, Luke xii. 18, 19, 20.

3. There cannot be such worth in outward prosperity, nor such evil in affliction, as we generally imagine. For a holy, wise God would never heap what is really best on the objects of his wrath, and what is really worst on the objects of his love. Were there as much real value in the world's wealth, ease, and honour, health, strength, silver, gold, &c. as we imagine ; or were there as much evil in trouble, adversity, &c. as we think, would they be so dealt, as that the greatest share of the former should be given to the condemned, and of the latter to the justified ? It is owing to the weakness of human sight, that so much beauty appears in some human faces, and in some victuals we feed on. If they were looked to with a microscope, the beauty would disappear. Faith is the microscope here, Eccl. i. 2 ; 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.

4. God is a patient and long-sufi'ering God, not subject to passions as we are, 2 Pet. iii. 9. If he were liable to the transports of passion as we are, the world would have been many times burnt to ashes ere now; considering the provocations given to the eyes of his glory. But the infinite mind enjoys the profoundest serenity and calm, beholding all the confusions of evil-workers in the world.

5. Lastly, Sad and heavy strokes may be abiding a land and generation, though long warded oflT. Long has the Lord borne with this apostatising generation in principle and practice; and long have we been threatened: and through the delay, we have been brought to say, " The days are prolonged, and every vision failetb," Ezek. xii. 22. But a reprieve is no pardon ; the cloud is still hanging over our heads, and it is to be feared, that some will live to see a fearful breaking of it.

Use 2. Of Exhortation. And,

TUB SENTE^rCE OF CONDEMIfATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED. 513

1. Let ungodly sinners be exhorted to repent of tlieir evil works, and beware of abusing the divine patience with them. Ye have heard the slow method rationally accounted for : If hereafter ye will deceive yourselves, and turn the grace of God into wantonness, encouraging yourselves in sin from your impunity and prosperity ; know, that ye are wilfully blind, that ye shall be inexcusable, and your blood will be on your heads. But,

1st, Let the sense of gratitude move you to repentance, Rom. ii. 4. Think with yourselves, what case ye had been in, if God had struck you down, as he could, in the very act of your evil work ; how you might have been beyond all hope and possibility of recovery. You owe your life to the slow method of providence ; his patience exercised towards you has kept your soul back from the pit. Therefore repent, and go no farther on.

2dli/, Let the account ye have heard of the slow method, frighten you from abusing it. I am sure, ye cannot but see now, that there is no ground to take encouragement to sin from it. Consider what has been said, and shew yourselves men. If ye go on to abuse it so, ye make a jest of a most sei'ious and wise dispensation of providence. Ye turn your food into poisiou, and stumble at noon-day. And it will be a sure presage of everlasting ruin to you : Hos. xiv. 9, " Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them : but the transgressors shall fall therein."

2. Let all beware of censuring the slow method of providence with ungodly sinners, evil workers. Take heed how ye speak on that head; beware of risings of the corrupt heart upon it. For however rationally ye think ye pronounce upon the matter, sooner or later ye shall be made to recant that sentence, either in mercy, as Job did, chap. xlii. 3, and as Asaph did, Psal. Ixxiii. 22, or in wrath, Mai. iii. 14, 15, with 18. Consider,

1st, There may be a mystery in the dispensations of providence; but there can be no iniquity, error, or mistake : Deut. xxxii. 4, " He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." Silently adore that wisdom and the deep design of providence which ye cannot see through, that certainly are in the slow method God uses with some ungodly sinners, evil-workers. Though ye cannot see how God's glory can miss to suffer by it, believe that God will doubtless get glory by it.

2dly, The mystery of that dispensation in the case of every ungodly sinner, will be opened out before the world at length, to

514 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION OFTEN SLOWLY EXECUTED.

the satisfaction of all humble waiters ; and the confusion of the impenitent evil-workers, scoffers, and murmurers: 1 Cor. iv. 5, " Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts : and then shall every man have praise of God. Be not rash, wait the end, and then ye shall be allowed to judge : Prov. xviii. 13, " He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." But why should ye judge of the web of providence ere it be wrought out ?

3. Fret not at, neither envy prosperous wickedness : Prov. xxiii. 17, " Let not thine heart envy sinners : but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long," Psal. xxxvii. 1, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Who would envy the state of a condemned man, though he have a long reprieve, and enjoy many comforts in the iron house ? Such is the case of the ungodly, whatever world's ease they have. And therefore they are just objects of pity and compassion, but not of envy. One had better be a pardoned one in the depth of worldly misery, than in a state of wrath and condemnation in the top of worldly felicity, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? Matth. xvi. 26. Consider,

1st, Such fretting and envy proceeds from a distempered heart: Psal. Ixxiii. 22, " So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee." See Mai. iii. 15. It is the produce of a mixture of ignorance, rashness and inconsideration, unbelief and worldly-mind-edness. And there needs only to cure it, to have our eyes opened, to see things in their true state ; the laying aside of unruly passions; faith and due weanedness from the world : Psal. xxxvii. 1. 2, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."

2dli/, Every one's state is to be rated, according as it is before God. If God be one's friend, he is a happy man, though the world should never give him its word nor kind look. If God is one's enemy, he is a miserable man, though all the men and things of the world should favour him to his wish. For as is one's state with God, so is his present safety; and so will be his well or woe through eternity.

4. Let all learn to regulate their conduct by the example of God in this his government of the world, so far as it is proposed for our imitation : Eph. v. 1. " Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children." And we may learn from it.

lut, To be patient and slow to anger. How ill does it become us to be so ready to fire at every provocation, against our fellow-creatures; when the highest One uses so much patience towards us? Matth. xviii. 23, &c. The more meekly and patiently one carries himself, he is the more like unto God, who hath set us an example.

2dl(/, To learn to bear with sinners, in order to the seeking of their recovery: Gal. vi. 1. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the Spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Not that we are to suffer sin upon him, so far as it is in our power to remove it. God can bring good out of evil, but we cannot do that: therefore that part of the conduct of Providence towards the ungodly, we are not called to imitate. Eut let us be followers of God, in dealing still with the worst of sinners to recover them, and not give them over for hopeless.

3dli/, To do good to the worthless, unthankful, and evil: Luke vi. 35. "Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil." It is a naughty world, that people had need of such a principle to prompt them to do good to others. If we confine our good to those that do good to us, what do we more than others ? If we confine it to those worthy of it, we do it only for the creature's sake. But if we propose to follow the example of God, we will do good to all as we have access, and act from a Christian principle in it.

5. Lastly, Let us not be secure with respect to the case of the land and generation we live in. Let us not think that God has forgotten the iniquity of our fathers in their perfidy and cruelty against the godly for his cause; or that he approves of the course of apos-tacy from the truth and holiness of the gospel this day, whereby the present generation has entered itself heir to the ai^ostatising, persecuting generation that went before. The sentence is not executed, yet it is but delayed; therefore we may look for it, if repentance prevent it not.

Doctrine III. God's delay of execution is often miserably abused by sinners, to the filling of their hearts to do evil, and sinning more and more.

In discoursing this doctrine, I shall,

I. Point out the abuse of God's patience in the delay of execution, that ungodly sinners make, to the filling of their hearts to do evil.

II. Shew how it comes to pass, that sinners so abuse God's patience with them.

III. Make application of the doctrine.

616 god's patience often miserably abused by sinners.

I. I shall point out the abuse of God's patience in the delay of execution, that ungodly sinners make, to the filling of their hearts to do evil.

1. They abuse it to carnal security: Psal. x. 6, " He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved : for I shall never be in adversity." Finding that God does not execute his threatenings against them, they conclude they are in no hazard : and they begin to look on them as mere scarecrows, ver. 5, " His ways are always grievous ; thy judgments are far above out of his sight." And so they go on securely in their ungodly courses. Hence it is that the execution overtakes them quite unexpectedly: 1 Thess. v. 2, 3, " The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."

2. They abuse it to a sensual life, wherein their aim is not to keep a clean conscience, but to gratify their senses, as their circumstances in the world will permit; as the rich man did, Luke xii. 19, " 1 will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry." So the more that Providence favours them in external things, the more sensual they are, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind : Hos. xiii. 6, " According to their pasture, so were they filled : they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me." Hence the lives of many are trifled away, and wholly spent in making provision for the flesh, " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." And that is endless business: Eccl. i. 8, " All things are full of labour, man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."

3. They abuse it to impudence in sin, Jer. vi. 14, 15. "When God strikes men in a sinful course, they are ashamed readily as pointed at by the hand of heaven, as transgressors : but when men prosper in a sinful course, they put on a brow of brass, they gather a stock of impudence in sin, as if Providence had given them a patent for wickedness : Psal. Ixxiii. 5, 6, " They are not in trouble as other men: neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain: violence covereth them as a garment."

4. They abuse it to contempt of God, and all that is sacred : Psal. Ixxiii. 9, " They set their mouth against the heavens; and their tongue walketh through the earth." Agur saw the danger of this snare, and therefore prayed thus, Prov. xxx. 8, 9, " Remove far from me vanity and lies ; give me neither poverty, nor riches,

feed me with food convenient for me : lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." Israel fell into it: Dent, xxxii. 15, " Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fjitness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation." The ungodly have not love to God : if they have any thing that way of such affections, it is fear of him, a slavish fear of his wrath, springing from the love of themselves : this fear they lose also, when God delays to strike. And so it issues in contempt, as is natural in the case of one we neither love nor fear. And then all that is sacred is despised.

5. They abuse it to sinning more diffusely, giving loose reins to their several lusts, Jer. vii. 9, 10. One sin makes Avay for another, and prosperity in a sinful course gives many occasions of sin: and as the vicious stomach, the more it receives, breeds the more ill humours ; so the more one prospers in a sinful course, the more vile does he grow.

6. They abuse it to sinning more eagerly; Eph. iv. 19, "Being past feeling, they have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." The more that lusts are fed, the more strong they grow, and carry out the man more violently to satisfy them. So that the heart in that case is like a ship having a full gale of wind, and is eagerly set to do evil.

7. Lastly, They abuse it to incorrigibleness and obstinacy in sin, Jer. xxii. 21. A prosperous sinner quickly gets above reproofs, Hos. iv. 4. As affliction tends to humble, prosperity puffs up au ungracious heart: and the heart swelled with pride scorns to stoop, till God by his grace or judgments do lay it.

II. How comes it to pass that sinners so abuse God's patience with them ?

1. Sin reigning in the ungodly, fear of wrath is their highest motive to good, and most forcible restraint from evil: and so when that restraint is taken off by the delay of execution again and again; the heart naturally goes to its own bias, and is like the wild ass's colt snuffing up the wind at her pleasure. The love of holiness for itself, and likeness to God, would prevent it.

2. They mistake the design of providence. They misinterpret the slow method of procedure with them, Psal. 1. 21. The design of it is to lead them to repentance; but that they notice not. But they construe it, as if God approved of their ways, or had such a regard for them, that he will not be so angry with them, as one would make them believe: they cannot think that he is so very

angry at tlieir sin, while they prosper in it by his providence.

3. There is a root of Atheism in the hearts of all men naturally, and it reigns in the ungodly: Psal. xiv. 1, "The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God." Unless God be every now and then proving his being, providence, and justice to them, by his works of judgment on themselves; they are apt to forget him, and deny him. It is the interest of men wedded to their lusts, that there were not a God; or, if there be, that he were not such as the scripture represents him. So they are ready to entertain every thing that may favour it.

4. Lastly, The Lord often in that way carries on a holy hardening work. In which case, Satan and the evil heart conspire to this abuse.

Use 1. Of Information. This lets us see,

1. That we need not be surprised to see sinners escaping with one evil work fall into another, and so on; growing still more vile, the more outward favours are heaped on them. It is but a fulfilling of this scripture. Providence often has an odd aspect in our view, till we carry the matter to the Bible; and there we see it exactly answering the word.

2. It is good for men to be under frequent rebukes of Providence. Affliction is sore, but it is the more safe lot, Psal. cxix. 71. In the one men are put in mind of their sins, in the other they are apt to forget both their God and themselves. It would be profitable for the afflicted to consider the wretched abuse the heart is ready to make of ease and prosperity.

3. Slow vengeance will be sore vengeance, when it comes. For the longer it is a-coming, sin goes the deeper: the more God spares impcnitents, the more they treasure up wrath against the day of wrath; the counts run on, and swell the more. So whether we consider it coming on in time or in eternity, the heavier will it be.

4. Lastly, Great is the corruption of human nature. See it here as in a glass, how the mercy and goodness of God is despised by the corrupt heart, that will not be drawn by such cords of love. See how it turns our food into poison, and that which should be for our welfare into a snare and trap. See it an ungrateful nature, apt to be insensible of the ties of gratitude to our best benefactor.

Use 2. Of Exhortation. Take heed of abusing the patience of a long-sufl'ering God, of turning his grace, goodness, and forbearance into wantonness, of your heart filling to do evil while God spares.

1. Consider the evil of it. There is in it,

1st, An over-valuing of ourselves, as if we deserved not to be worse treated, and therefore were nothing obliged to our benefactor : Hab. i. 16, " They sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag: because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous." Men, who are not bettered by God's goodness, their hearts swell in pride, as patience is used towards them: Psal. Ixxiii. 5, 6, " They are not in trouble as other men : neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain : violence covereth them as a garment."

2dli/, An undervaluing of others whom providence doth not treat so softly. Hence Job said, chap. xii. 5, "He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease." How lightly do many that are at ease, look on the heavy things others suffer ? They are as unconcerned with them, as if they were creatures of an inferior rank. Were men sensible of God's goodness, in his patience towards them, it would make them sympathize with others, wondering that it is not worse with themselves, 2 Chron. xxviii. 10.

Sdlif, A monstrous abuse of the creature, and comforts of life, Hos. ii. 8. The use of the creature was given to man, for his comfort indeed; but always in subserviency to the glory of God. But abusers of divine patience turn the weapons against God, which he has armed them with for his service: Dent, xxxii. 15, " But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation." They are called adulterers and adulteresses, James iv. 4, because they bestow God's good gifts on their lusts, ver, 3. Hence the creation groans under the burden of the ungodly, evil-workers, Rom. viii. 22.

4:thli/, A denying the due tribute to our Sovereign Lord and King. All that we have we hold of him, in the way of free mercy, Lam. iii. 22. The king in his palace, and the beggar in his cottage, is God's tenant: our food and raiment, coarse or fine, with conve-niencies of life, are given us of God. We can pay him nothing, but the tribute of praise in our lips and lives: and that is denied. Hence,

5thlt/, Monstrous ingratitude, a sin of a deep dye: Dent, xxxii. 6, " Do ye thus requite the Lord, 0 foolish people and unwise ? is not he thy father that hath bought thee ? hath he not made thee, and established thee ?" It is a devilish disposition of heart, that cannot be won with benefits; a base spirit, which good done them cannot engage. But abusers of mercies, the more God loads them

520 god's patfence often miserably abused by sinners.

with benefits, tlie more they load him with their provocations. Ah ! shall men sin, because grace abounds ? shall their hearts be filled in them to do evil, because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed ?

Qthly, Practical blasphemy, as if men should say, they are hired to be vile, Jer. vii. 9, 10. Abusers of the doctrine of the gospel, to licentiousness, make Christ the minister of sin : therefore abusers of the kind providence of God to that end, make God in his government of the world so. While Heaven smiles in outward favours on men, and they use them so, the language of that practice is blasphemous.

']thly, Much Atheism and contempt of God. It is a denial of his providence, as if he had no concern about human affairs, Ezek.ix. 9. It makes a jest of his threatenings in his word, 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4. It misrepresents his holy nature, Psal. 1. 21, or bids him defiance, Is. v. 19, and throws off his yoke, Psal. xii. 4.

2 Consider the danger of it. If ye go on so,

\st, Ye will make your recovery aye more and more hopeless, Jer. vi. 29, 30. Sin is a current, the farther it runs, the deeper it grows: and the more goodness men sin against, the more is their heart hardened, and their consciences seared. Withal it provokes God to give up with men, leave striving with them, and give them up to their lusts, and to the devil, to be hardened more.

2c%, If God have any thoughts of good towards you, it will make your recovery more difficult. Strong diseases must have strong remedies: and long abused patience will make broken bones, at best; if ye be saved, it will be so as by fire. At best ye are but laying up for bitter repentance : the more loose and licentious one is in an unconverted state, the more severe pangs and throes he will readily find in the new birth. Witness Manasseh, Paul, &c.

Zdly, Be it as it will, that patience will have an end; ye shall not sin on and God spare on very long. The coupling of these two will be broken, and God will shew you that he will bear no longer with your abuse : Eccl. vii. 6, " For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool." Ye will find God will awake to judgment, and wake you out of your dream; and ye will either be his converts, or broken to pieces by him.

4:thly, The breaking up of patience with you is likely to be very sudden and surprising, 1 Thess. v. 2, 3. So was it with the rich man, Luke xii. 19, 20. God bore long with the old world, but at length the deluge came on like a thunderclap, in the midst of their carnal mirth and jollity. God does it in just recompense of long abused patience.

THE SENTENCK OF CONDEMNATION WILL BE SURELY EXECUTED. 521

Lastly, Abused patience, when it breaks off, will turn to fury ;* and the longer God has delayed execution, the more severe will it be when it comes on. Lev. xxvi. 28. The more a man has had in trust, his accounts will be found the greater and the harder to clear off, when once the creditors fall on him. It is most pleasing to the flesh, to live in ease and fulness ; but the abuse of these will make a more fearful reckoning, than otherwise.

Doctrine IV. Though the execution be never so slow, it will be sure, against impenitent sinners, evil-workers,

In handling this doctrine it is proposed to shew,

I. In what respects the execution against impenitent sinners, evil-workers, will be sure.

II. That the execution against them will be sure. Ill Apply the doctrine.

I. In what respects will the execution against impenitent sinners. evil-workers, be sure ? It will be sure, in respect of,

1. The full tale of their evil works: Eccl. xii. 14, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Neither the multitude of them, nor the long time they lie over nnreckoned for, will cause any of them to be forgotten. But the ill works of the several periods of the sinner's life, will be charged home upon him exactly. For God keeps a register of all their evil works, a book that will be opened at the last day. Rev, xx. 12; and has sworn that none of them shall be forgotten, Amos viii. 7-

2. The whole aggravations of their evil works, Jude ver. 15. A just God will remember against impenitent sinners, the manner as well as the matter of their sins; the time, place, and other circumstances of their evil works, will be remembered against them. Their abused mercies, the light they rebelled against, the warnings from the word and providence they slighted, the effects their ill example had on others, the snares others were entangled therein by their means, &c. will all be charged on them.

3. The conviction of their own consciences, Jude ver. 15. Sinners now find ways to cloak and cover their evil works, to deny or mince them : and few will now suffer themselves to be admonished or reproved, but they have a great deal to say in their own defence; but the lying lips, and tongues that speak proudly, will then be put to silence, Matt. xxii. 12. The light of conscience will then be like broad day-light, that is now as the darkness of the night. It will convince them clearly of what shall be laid to their charge, that

' Putientia saepe Iwsa sit furor.

522 THE SENTENCE OF CONBEMNATION WILL BE SURELY EXECUTED.

they can no more deny it, John viii. 9; and of the justice of God iu proceeding against them, Psal. 1. 6.

4. Just punishment brought on them for their evil works, 1 Thess. V. 3. While Grod delays, men dream with Agag, that the bitterness of death is past: but tliey will find themselves deceived, as he when Samuel took the sword and hewed him in pieces before the Lord. They cannot escape the due demerit of their sin at length; but as the needle draws the thread after it, sin will draw wrath. Judgment is sin's shadow.

5. The correspondence there will be between their sin and punishment. God will write every ungodly sinner's sin in his punishment. Oft-times it is so here with them, as in the case of Adonibezek, Judg. i. 7; but always so hereafter, as in the case of the rich man, Luke xvi. 19, with 24. Hence the worm is said never to die ; signifying the eternal remorse they shall have for their evil works. And the degrees of punishment will be suited to the degrees of their sin. They that have committed many sins, shall have many stripes.

6. Its inevitableuess, when once patience is come to an end : Luke xiii. 24, 25, " Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are." The door of mercy may stand open long, but it will be shut at length. And then there is no more escaping. For,

1st, Omniscience will find out the flier, and discover his most secret crimes, and overthrow all his defences : Heb. iv. 13, " Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked, and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Psal. cxxxix. 7, " Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ?" There is no blinding of the eye of an omniscient judge.

2dli/, Divine power will bring him under, and cause him to stand and receive the just reward of his deeds : Job ix. 4, " He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength : who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered ? There will be no resisting of omnipotence : the stoutest sinner will be poured out like water before an angry God.

Ml^, The divine severity will proceed over the belly of all entreaties, made out of time: Luke xiii. 24, 25. forecited. They that slight mercy while God's time for it lasts, will get no mercy when God's time is out, and theirs is come.

THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION WILL BE SURELY EXECUTED. 523

7- Lcxstly, Its eternity. The execution once on, will never be off; once begun, will never end : Mark ix. 44. In hell the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. While God is, he will pursue the quarrel. The ungodly sin on as long as they are in the world, and live on as long as they will, they will not alter their course: and God will pursue them for ever, when once he has broke off.

II. That the execution against them will be sure, appears,

1. From the inviolable regard God has to the honour of his holy law, Is. xlii. 21. Sinners trample on it, slight its commands, and despise its threatenings; but God highly regards it, as that wherein be has eminently expressed the holiness of his nature. If sinners then honour it not in the way of duty, it will be honoured upon them in a way of judgment. God's regard to his law may be seen clearly,

\st, In the works of providence. As soon as sin entered into the world, and the law was broken, the face of i^rovidence on the world was quite changed. And it has blown continually since in the face of the creation less or more, Rom. viii. 22. Oft-times it has risen to violent storms, to avenge the quarrel of the dishonour of the holy law by sinners. Remember how, in that quarrel, Adam was driven out of Paradise, the world drowned by the flood, Sodom burnt, Jerusalem destroyed, with the many awful strokes brought on impenitent sinners in latter times.

2c?Zy, In the work of redemption. God chose some from eternity unto salvation: but being breakers of the law, they behoved to be redeemed, and the price paid to the full reparation of the honour of the law. Christ the Son of God was their Redeemer; but that the law's honour might be seen to, he met with no sparing : Rom. viii. 32," He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." So God wrote his regard to the law in the salvation of his elect, and Wood of his Son.

2. The truth and veracity of God insures the execution. He has said, he will do it: Gen. ii. 17, " In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." His Son has intimated to us from heaven, that impenitent sinners shall not escape : Luke xiii. 3, " I tell you, Nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Every leaf of the scripture almost, has something to this purpose : " and hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Num. xxiii. 19. God's truth must either fail, or ungodly sinners be reckoned with at length.

3. The justice of God requires it: Gen. xviii. 25, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" Men may be unjust judges, but God cannot. He will give every transgression a just recompense of

524 THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION WILL BE SURELY EXECUTED.

reward: for it is in his power to do it, and his nature requires it. He hates sin, and cannot but hate it j and therefore though he delay for a time, he will punish.

4. The constant conduct of providence hitherto confirms it. There have been multitudes of ungodly in the world ; but may we not put the question, Job ix. 4, " Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered ?" Some have indeed been long spared, but did they not at length either bow or break before him ? What came of the giants in the old world, of Pharaoh, of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram ? These things happened for warnings to us. And if any have escaped during life, is there not sufficient evidence of execution on them in another world ? as is evident from the case of the rich man, Luke xvi.

5. Lastly, The peremptory appointment of the day of general judgment, puts it out of question: Acts xvii. 30, 81, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now coramandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." The Judge is named for that effect already, the commission to him for that end has passed the seals in his resurrection ; it is to be general, all must be judged by him; yea the sentence against the ungodly is conceived already, " Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

For Use I shall drop a word to,

1. The ungodly, evil-workers. And to you I would say,

\st, Let not your impunity for the present, make you secure for the time to come ; as is the case of the wicked man, Psal. x. 6, " He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity." As sure as ye think your mountain now stands, it may suddenly be overturned; yea it shall assuredly, if ye repent not. God is giving yon space to repent: do not trifle and dream it away, lest ye repent when it is too late.

'idly, Let not your observation of the prosperity of other sinners, encourage and harden you in your sinful course : as it did those, Mai. iii. 15, " And now we call the proud happy: yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered." Ye have seen much of their sinful course, and of God's patience. But ye have not seen the end of it yet: Is. xvii. 11, "In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the moi-ning slialt thou make thy seed to flourish : but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief, and of desperate sorrow." Many a day

THE SENTENCE OF CONDEMNATION WILL BE SURELY EXECUTED. 525

lias begun fair, and held on long so, that has had a foul evening. And whatever ye have observed of them, their prosperity in their ill course shall be their end in bitter repentance, or in their destruction, or else the word of truth fails.

Zdly, Take the alarm in time, and floe from the wrath to come: Is. Iv. 6, 7, " Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and tlie unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Know ye cannot prosper to the end, in your loose and licentious ways. Ye must come to Christ by faith, and leave the world lying in wickedness; must break off your sins by repentance ; or else ye will perish. If ye do it not, ye will mind that ye have been fairly warned, and lament for ever your slighting it.

2. To the godly I would say,

1st, Beware of entertaining any idol of jealousy in your heart, wherewith the Lord may be provoked against you. He is impartial in his judgments, and even his own shall not escape : Is. xlii. 24, " Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers ? did not the Lord, he, against whom we have sinned ? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his laws." Though being in Christ ye have shut the gulf as to condemnation, ye may be severely chastised; and ye may get broken bones for your transgressions, though ye cannot lose your souls.

2dlj/, Be not discouraged in the Lord's way, because in it ye meet with many sore trials, while others that are far from it go at ease. The work-ox goes with the yoke on his neck, while the slaughter-ox is full fed. But the former is preserved, while the latter is slain and hewed in pieces.

3 Lastly, To all I would say,

\st, Know that God is a holy jealous God. The way of sin is dangerous, and there will be no peace in the end of it.

2dly, Let us prepare to meet our God in the way of his judgments. God's proceedings against the land are slow, but they are like to be sure and sore. He has m.'.de the earth to quake beneath us, shown his anger from the face of the heavens above us.

THE SIN, FOLLY, AND DANGER OF MEN'S CALLING CHRIST THEIR LORD, AND NOT YIELDING OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAWS; OR THE SINFULNESS AND HAZARD OF A PROFESSION OF RELIGION, WITHOUT A CORRESPONDENT PRACTICE.

Several sermons preached, at Ettrick, in summer, 1728.

Luke yi. 46, And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ?

There was, together with the disciples, a great multitude gathered to hear Christ, and to be healed by him, ver. 17. Many of them pretended a great regard for him ; but it went no farther than good words. Our Lord tells them, that such is every man, good or bad, according as his life is, vers. 44, 45, " For every tree is known by his own fruit: for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is good ; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil : for of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaketh," And he closely applies this to their conscience in the text. Wherein we have,

1. A concession. He grants they made a fair profession; they called him Lord, their Lord. They owned his authority and Lordship over them, as if they were his subjects and servants ready to receive and obey his commands. They addressed themselves to him for his help, one and another crying, Lord, help me, pleading to receive benefit by him as their Lord. And this they did at times with much seeming zeal and concern, Lord, Lord.

2. A charge. He charges them with nothing like this in their practice. Though they called him their Lord, they carried not themselves at all as his subjects and servants. Though they would have him to do for them, they would do nothing for him. In his preaching and life, ho laid their duty before them: but though they owned him for their Lord, they shewed no regard in their practice to what he said, no conformity to his doctrine and example.

3. An expostulation. He puts them to consider the inconsistency of these things, and the unaccountableness of yoking together a profession and a practice that destroyed one another. A lord and a subject or servant are relatives; to the one it belongs to command, to the other to obey, Mai. i. 6. Why will ye plead the relation, and

yet throw off the duty of the relation ? " If ye call me your Lord, why do ye not what I say or bid you ? If you will not do what I say or bid you, why do ye call me your Lord ?"

Two doctrines are deducible from the text thus explained.

Doctrine I. There are who call Christ their Lord, owning his authority over them, and looking for benefit by him, who yet make not conscience of doing the things which he as a Lord says to them, and requires of them.

Doctrine II. It lies on men's consciences before the Lord, to take it home to themselves, to consider and answer it, how they come to call Christ their Lord, and yet make not conscience of doing the things which he as a Lord says to them, and requires of them.

I shall handle these doctrines in order.

Doctrine I. There are who call Christ their Lord, owning his authority over them, and looking for benefit by him, who yet make not conscience of doing the things which he as a Lord says to them, and requires of them.

In discoursing this doctrine I shall,

I. Consider men's calling Christ their Lord.

II. Consider their not doing the things which he says, notwithstanding of their calling him their Lord.

III. Shew how it comes to pass, that people call Christ Lord, and their Lord, and yet make not conscience of doing what he says.

IV. Apply the doctrine.

I. I will consider men's calling Christ their Lord. Under this head, I will shew,

1. How men call Christ their Lord.

2. What they do call Christ, that call him their Lord.

3. "What is the import of their calling him Lord.

First, I will shew how men call Christ their Lord. Men call him their Lord,

1. Professing Christianity. Christians is the name of Christ's disciples who owned him for their Lord and Master: Acts xi. 26. " The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." As ye are called Christians, ye are called by his name, owning him for your Lord and Master: Matth. xxiii 10. " One is your Master even Christ. Some, that they may take to themselves a liberty, which others may not, will pretend they do not make a profession. Strange ! Christians and yet not professors ! Can there be a more holy profession, than that of Christianity, whereof Christ is the head ! Heb. iii. 1. " "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Nay, at that rate ye take the name, and throw off the thing.

2. Being baptized in his name, Mattli. xxviii. 19. They are thereby externally marked for his subjects and servants, and renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh. It is a badge of subjection to Christ, which the members of the visible church have taken on, to distinguish them from the world, whereof Satan is the god ; while Christ is the Lord and God of the church.

3. Praying unto him, or to God in his name. Acts. vii. 59. Dan. ix. 17. Every praying person, so far as he prays like a Christian, calls Christ his Lord, and begs his help; though many do little consider what that requires of them in their practice.

4. Attending the assemblies of his people to hear his word, Ezek. xxiii. 31. The Lord Christ has appointed these assemblies for declaring his will to his people, as to what he will do for them, and what he will have them to do : and the very coming thither in a way of outward reverence, is a calling him Lord, from whom we are to learn our duty.

Consenting personally to the covenant. Is. xliv. 5. Thereby they say, he is, and shall be for ever their Lord, and that they shall be his only, wholly, and for ever. And at whatever time any have given such consent, they have no power to retract it after. Whether ever they shall renew it again or not, it stands recorded before God, and they will be judged by him accordingly. *" 6. Lastly, Partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's supper. The very name of that ordinance bears the partakers to call him so, 1 Cor. xi. 23, 26. And it is a very solemn profession before the world, angels, and men, that he is our Lord, and we give up with all other lords. We take Heaven's seal upon it, and in a manner make oath that it is so.

Secondly, I will shew what they do call Christ, that call him their Lord.

1. They call him their Lord God; as Thomas did, John xx. 28, " My Lord, and my God." They own him to be God thtir Creator, who made them, and preserves and sustains them, to be their Sovereign Lord, the Most High God with his Father and Spirit, unless they declare the contrary. For so the universal church of Christ on earth do understand Christ to be the Lord, Rom. ix. 5, however lightly men let of his commands.

2. Their Lord Proprietor, Master, and Owner, however little regard they show to the will of his providence and precepts, Rom. xiv. 9. For as all things are his by creation, so the Father has by a new title made him heir of all things, Lord of all, which is declared in the gospel, Acts x. 36. And so the head of every mau is Christ.

3. Their Lord Redeemer, Exod. xx. 2. however unsuitably they walk to the redemption purchased by him. For so his people understand him to be our Lord, who bought us with his precious blood, paying our ransom while we were captives of sin and Satan, giving himself for us.

4. Their Lord Husband, however i-efractory and disobedient they prove to him: Jer. iii. 14, " Turn, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you." Is. liv. 5, " Thy maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts is his name." And so they own their obligation to be subject to him, faithful and obedient till death. For as he is Lord, he is a Lord Head and Husband, to his church.

5. Lastly, Their Lord King, however rebellious they be: Is. xxxiii. 22, " The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, he will save us." They own him to be King in Zion, having power and royal dominion over them, to command, reward, and punish, as they carry themselves towards him.

Thirdly, What is the import of their calling him Lord ? Men calling him so, do in effect own, acknowledge, and profess,

1. His undoubted authority to command and prescribe duty to them : owning him as their Lord Husband, King, and God, they cannot deny but he has authority to bind them with laws. The husband claims authority over his spouse, the king over his subjects ; and shall not God claim authority over his own creatures ? All these meet together in Christ our Lord; so, by our own confession, he has authority over us.

2. The justice and equity of his commands : Rom. vii. 12, " The law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Husbands and kings among men, may require unjust things of their relatives, through their own perverseness or blindness: but he being our Lord God, is essentially just, and can command nothing but what is truly good. "Will we venture to attack the holiness of God, to accuse his commands of injustice, for an excuse of our neglect of them ?

3. Our absolute obligation to obey him. If he is our Lord, we owe him an illimited subjection, obedience without disputing his commands, Psal. cxix. 4. and a resignation to his providence without reserve. Matt. xx. 15. As the clay is in the hand of the potter, so are we in his. The potsherds of the earth may strive with one another, but shall they strive with their Maker ?

4. The strongest ties upon us to be for him. If he is our Proprietor and Redeemer, are we not bound by all the ties of honour and gratitude to be wholly his ? Do we say, he redeemed us from

death, and can we deny but we are bound to live for liira ? Has be redeemed us by dying for us, in our room and stead, and so saved us from dying eternally; what possible stronger incentive can there be to obedience ?

5. Lastly, The expectation of happiness from him. Calling him our Lord, we expect from him and by him, the pardon of our sin, the favour of God, and a part in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. vii. 21. We know that he is not only Lord of this world, but of the other world; and so we raise our expectation accordingly.

II. I will consider men's not doing the things which he says, notwithstanding all this. We may take it up in three things.

1. Christ as a Lord prescribes duty to his subjects. He has not an empty title of lordship and dominion, but is a Lawgiver: Is. xxxiii. 22, " He is our Lawgiver." And the law of the ten commands, in their spirituality and extent, is his law, binding by his authority on all that call him Lord, Exod. xx. 2, 3, &c. As he is the Lord our God, he claims absolute and illimited subjection and obedience of us ; as he is our Proprietor, he claims the absolute disposal of us; as he is our Redeemer, he requires our living wholly to him ; as he is our Husbaud, he demands our being subject to him in love, faithfulness, and obedience till death, yea for ever ; and as he is our King, he requires the duty of faithful subjects, and to have no commei'ce with his enemies.

2. He intimates his will to them as to their duty. He says what he would have them to do. We have his written laws in the Bible, which is God's word to every one into whose hand it comes. His ministers, as his messengers, do in his name proclaim his laws, and require obedience to them. Conscience within men's breasts testifies the necessity of obedience. So that none can pretend ignorance. If they be ignorant of his will, it is affected; they desire not to know it; as those do, Job xxi. 14, who say unto God, " Depart from us ; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."

3. Yet men neglect it. and regard it not in their practice. They plead the relation to him, but make no conscience of the duty of it. He has laid down their duty in laws and commands, and has intimated it to them : but they take no heed to regulate their practice according to them. He says what things he would have them to do, but they do them not.

\st, They have no due sense of their being absolutely bound up to his will, but fancy themselves to be at some liberty to walk according to their own, as if the government were divided betwixt Christ and themselves : Psal. xii. 4, " Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own : who is lord over us ?

i

They do not feel the tie of the yoke of Christ always upon them, but are like bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke, skipping at ease according to their own pleasure.

'idly, They frame not their life according to his will. Their habitual walk and practice is not holy, but loose, licentious, untender, carnal, and like the world, not like the followers of Christ; like the Ephesians in their unconverted state, Eph. 11. 2, who " walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." They attend ordinances, and perform some religious duties : but look into the strain of their conversation, it is no wise Christ-like, but world-like ; contrary to that exhortation, Rom. xii. 2, " Be ye not conformed to this world ; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Zdly, They never set themselves to do all that he says; contrary to what the Psalmist did, Psal. cxix. 6, who " had respect unto all God's commandments." This one or other thing that he says, they do : but they were never brought to a compliance with the things he says without reserve. They pick and choose out some things, but they reject others : a clear evidence that his authority which is stamped on all his commands, has little weight with them, Jam. ii. 11.

4ithly, They habitually do against what he says, making their own lusts and inclinations their law; like those who said, Jer. ii. 25, " I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." They call him their Lord; but Satan and their lusts are really their lords, to whom they yield their obedience, being captives at their pleasure.

Lastly, They do nothing purely because he says it, else they would endeavour to do all. In what they do, they have other ends than to please him : they do it to please themselves, for their own profit, pleasure, or safety.

III. The third general head is, to shew how it comes to pass, that people call Christ Lord, and their Lord, and yet make not conscience of doing what he says. The springs of this ruining practice, that so prevails, are many : as,

1. The want of a thorough change in their nature ; Luke vi. 43, 44, " A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit: neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit: for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes." There is some change made on them, therefore they call Christ Lord ; it is not carried through, therefore they do not what he says. Hence they are neither cold nor hot; they are neither professed enemies, nor cordial friends;

like the Laodiceans, of whom our Lord said, Rev. iii. 15, " I knovr thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot."

1^^, Grood education and religious company embalms some dead souls; but still they want the principle of the Spirit of life; like those of whom the apostle says, Jude ver. 19, " These be they who separate themselv^es, sensual, having not the Spirit. So they continue dead in sin still, and their course of life becomes abominable with dead works, till in end they are twice dead, ver. 12.

'2.dly, The gospel being new to some, makes a reel among their affections; as it did among the stony-ground hearers. Matt. xiii. 20, 21, " He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it: yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while : for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is olfended. So that they have some liking of the gospel, and begin to look kindly towards the way of God : but it changes not their hearts, ver. 21. And the newness going away, these affections wear off, and they begin to appear in their own colours of black nature. Hence we have many, who, while they were springing up in youth, blossomed fair, and solemnly gave their names to Christ at sacraments : but being grown up, turn stark naught.

Zdly, They get some new light into their heads, but no new life into their hearts. This was the case of many of John's hearers, who afterwards withered away; concerning whom Christ said, John V. 35, " He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light."

4tthlyy Many get awakening grace, that never get converting grace. Their convictions bring them to call Christ Lord ; but they living strangers to the work of conversion, cannot do the things which he says.

2. Entertaining wrong notions of religion. They form to themselves such notions of religion, as leave them at liberty in the course of their walk. (1.) They think that is religion to call Christ Lord in performing duties of worship, praying, &c. and consider not that the substance of religion lies in holy, tender walking : Tit. ii. 11, 12, " The grace of God thatbringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men ; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Hence having done these duties of worship, they are at no more care to keep their hearts in the Lord's fear all the day long; but, on the contrary, can take the greater liberty to themselves in loose walking; as the whore did, Prov. vii. 14, 15, "I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.

Therefore carae I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee." Hence publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven before such persons. (2) They think that faith will save tlieni, though it be dead, idle, and unactive ; contrary to what the apostle saith, James ii, 14, " "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him ? ver. 26, " As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." They do not consider, that that faith is not saving faith, which is so. Hence they can take a great deal of liberty in the way of sin, and put off repentance from time to time, even to a death-bed, upon the confidence that their faith in Christ will save them. Such have been of old, and still are, Jude ver. 4, " For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." There is no true faith but what purifies the heart, Acts xv. 9. and sanctifies the whole man ; and the salvation by faith, is salvation from sin.

3. Reigning unbelief. Of this our Lord complained, John v. 40, " Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." Whatever pretences there are to believing in Christ, the unholiness of the lives of men is a convincing evidence, that unbelief is reigning at bottom with most of us : Is. liii. 1, " Who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" The holiness of God, the spirituality of his law, his hatred of sin, and how severely he punisheth, are not believed. The report concerning Christ, another world, heaven and hell, sinks not deep into the hearts of many. If these things were truly believed, it is not possible that men could be so easy in a way of sin.

4. Want of consideration, Luke xv. 17. People dream away their lifetime ; and however deep they can enter into the consideration of other things, they have no power to consider their soul's state and case: Is. xliv. 20, "He feedeth of ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say. Is there not a lie in my right hand ?" Self-examination is utterly neglected ; so there is no due reflection made on their souls' state, and the course of life they are leading : Is. i. 3, " The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his masters crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."

5. The natural enmity of the heart prevailing against conviction; Rom. viii. 7. " The carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Hence is rebelling

against the light, keeping the truth prisoner in the head, that it may not get into the conversation to rule there, Rom. i. 18. There are notions of truth that force their own way into the mind, especially under a clear gospel-ministry: the natural enmity yoking with these, fights against them; and getting over them, runs with a stronger current than otherwise, Rom. vii. 13.

6. Lastly, TInmortified lusts still keeping the rule and dominion over the soul, though Christ has the name of their Lord. Many call Christ Master, who are still servants to sin, serving diverse lusts and i^leasures. Hence these hurry them into sinful courses, that they must do what their impetuous lusts drive them to, and cannot do the things that Christ says.

Use 1. Of Information. Hence we may see,

1. That ungodly sinners after the dropping of the gospel, are self-condemned, and will be condemned out of their own mouths. They own Christ's authority over them, which Jews and pagans do not ; and yet they regard it not in their walk, Mai. i. 6.

2. They are unreasonable and foolish in their expectation of benefit from Christ, and shall be disappointed: Matth. vii. 21. " Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven." 0 how can we expect salvation from Christ, who have no regard to what he says ! Ye will not do his will to honour him, but dishonour him by trampling on his commands! will not be saved from sin.

3. A profession of subjection to Christ, and bearing the external badges of it, is common to many of the devil's goats with Christ's sheep. Nobody needs value themselves upon it; for though we say well for Christ as our Lord, yet if we do not accordingly, we but deceive ourselves.

4. Lastly, No man has reason to be stumbled at religion itself, because of the unsuitable lives of some professors of it. Many such stumbling-blocks are laid down this day in the way of the blind world; they that lay them shall bear their judgment: but why should it be improven against the truths or practice of religion itself, since our Lord plainly forewarns that it will be so ?

Use 2. Of Exhortation. Ye do all call Christ your Lord, profess Christianity, have been baptized in his name, &c. Consider calmly and seriously, how your life answers your profession, whether ye do what he says or not, what regard ye shew to his commands in your practice. Consider,

1. It is expected that they who own Christ for their Lord, should carry themselves as his subjects and servants, that his will should be

their law, his commands the rule of their life. To call him Lord, and yet cast his laws behind your backs, is to mock him with those, Matth. xxvii. 29, 30. " And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand : and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head."

2. If he is your Lord, as he has power and authority to command you, so he has power to revenge your disobedience, and to reward your obedience. His obedient children may be sure their labour shall not be in vain, 1 Cor. xv. ult; and the disobedient will find the weight of his hand, that will grind them to powder, 2 Thess. i. 7. 8.

3. As he is a Lord, he is Lord and Saviour, Lord Redeemer. And what is it that he redeems from, and saves from ? Is it not sin ? Tit. ii. 14. " He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Matth. i. 21. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." He gave his life for that end, Eph. v. 25, 26. What horrid injury must it then be, to pretend he is your Lord, to save you, and yet ye will live in your sin, directly contrary to what his precious blood was shed for?

4. Lastly, Though we are not saved by our doing, but by believing ; yet faith and holiness are inseparable: James ii. 14. " What doth it profit though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him ?" Where there is not holiness of heart and life, there is no true faith in Christ there. Faith if it be true, unites the soul to Christ, works by love, purifies the heart, carries the soul heavenward in its conversation. Doing in perfection what Christ says, is reached by no believers here; but doing in sincerity, is what diflFerences them still from unbelievers.

Consider wsll then what regard ye show to what Christ says. And let your consciences answer these questions.

1. Can ye say before the Lord, appealing to his omniscience, that ye have renounced your own will, lusts, and inclinations, to follow whatsoever the Lord discovers to be his will for you to do; and ye sincerely endeavour to stick by that renunciation, to conform yourselves to his will ? Acts ix. 6. I doubt most of us have never been brought that length yet; and that many who have said it at some times have resiled from it, and follow their own will more than Christ's to this day.

2. Do ye really so far comply with whatsoever God has dis-

covered to be your duty, that ye dare not neglect it, but must endeavour it ? Psal. cxix. 6, Can you think ye show an upright regard to the Lord's commands, when there are some of them that you can cast behind your back? No; if you regard them not all, ye regard none of them as ye ought. Say not, There is none can do all. It is true, none can do all perfectly; but there is no upright man, but he will put hand to all that he knows to be his duty, and do his endeavour in every one of them.

3. Do ye sincerely set yourselves to oppose and fight against every thing the Lord discovers to be sin, and are ye longing to have the victory over it ? Rom. vii. 24. Are there not some sins that are your bosom-idols, which ye cannot be brought to part with ? Are there not such sins with many who indulge themselves in sins, of the vileness of which none can be ignorant, that are not given up to a reprobate sense, as lying, filthiness, dishonest dealing, &c. ?

4. Do ye really lie open to discoveries of sin and duty from the Lord's word? Job xxxiv. 31,32. An upright servant desires to know his master's will; but the refractory and rebellious servant, having no mind to do it, cares not for knowing it. Job xxi. 14 Do ye read the Bible, or care for hearing it read, and attend to it as that from whence ye are to learn your duty ? "When ye do read or hear the word, do ye embrace it as the rule you are to regulate your practice by ?

5. What weight has Christ's sayiug a thing with you, when a multitude of the world says against it ? The world says there is no ill in many things, that the Bible says there is much ill in. It says, there is no harm, where the word says there is. In a word, the Bible says, the way to heaven is the way of strictness or strait-nesc; the world says, there is no need of that strictness of life. Now, when the world's opinion carries it in your practice against Christ's decision in his word, do ye do the things which Christ says?

6. Do ye, in every part of your life and conversation, endeavour to approve yourselves to Christ as your Lord ? 1 Pet. 1. 15, " As he which hath called you is holy, so are ye holy in all manner of conversation ?" Do ye look on him as the party with whom ye have to do in all; not only in your religious duties, but in the common affairs of life, or worldly business ? not only in your personal walk, but in the several relations wherein ye stand, as husbands, wives, children, and servants ? 1 Cor. vii. 24. Alas! most men shuffle out any regard to Christ's commands, out of their worldy business, and their relations, confining their religion to their religions duties of praying, &c.

7. Lastly, How do ye take any intimations of the Lord Christ's

will made to you, to discover your duty or your siu in particular cases ? Have they a silencing weight with your consciences, or do they but irritate your passions ? Is. xi. 6. So the Psalmist shewed his regard, Psal. cxli. 5, " Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, ■which shall not break my head." Those that cannot bear an admonition, reproof, or to be told of a fault, but presently are up in their own defence to ward oif conviction, shew they have more regard to their credit, than their conscience, the authority of Christ the Lord, and any thing he says, Hos. iv. 4.

Doctrine II. It lies on men's consciences before the Lord, to take it home to themselves, to consider and answer it, how they come to call Christ their Lord, and yet not make conscience of doing the things which he as a Lord says to them, and requires of them.

In discoursing this doctrine, I shall only shew the import of the expostulation in the text, and then conclude with a word of application.

I. will shew the import of this expostulation. It imports,

1. That Christ is in earnest for our obedience. He is not indifferent what regard we shew to what he says as our Lord: Psal. cxix. 4, " He hath commanded us to keep his precepts diligently." He is a jealous Lord, and will not endure your baulking of any of his commands: Exod. xxiii. 21, "Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions : for my name is in him." Though we are not to lay the weight of our acceptance with God on our obedience, yet there is a "weight of evidence lies on it. And,

1st, The evidence of our belonging to Christ, in a saving relation, lies upon it: John xv. 14, " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever

1 command you." If ye do not what he says, he will disown you as none of his, Luke xiii. 28, pretend what ye will. Christ sets his seal on all that belong to him, as soon as they become his; whereby they may be distinguished from the world lying in wickedness,

2 Tim. ii. 19, " The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." If ye want that seal, he will reject you as none of his.

2dli/, The evidence of your right to heaven lies on it: Rev. xxii. 14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they might have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." And therefore, at the great day, the works of the saints, and of the wicked, are brought out before the world in judg-

ment; the former as evidences of their title to heaven, the latter as grounds of the sentence of damnation. If ye baulk any of the least of his commands, ye thereby baulk your evidence for heaven, and so perish : Matth. v. 19, " Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven."

2, It is possible for us in this life to get the things that Christ says, done accptably, in all the parts thereof. If it were not so, then, by the text, no body at all would be allowed to call him Lord; which is certainly false : Matth. vii. 21, " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven." So there are two sorts that call him Lord ; some that do, some that do not what he says ; the former allowed, the other rejected. The doctrine of the imperfection of the saint's obedience, is a stone of stumbling to many a blind soul. To prevent your stumbling.

1st, Distinguish between doing the will of Christ in all its parts, and in all its degrees. The latter no man in this life can do at any rate; but in every jjart of his obedience he fails in some degree : James iii. 2, " For in many things we offend all." But the former every true believer actually does: Psal. cxix. 6, he has " respect unto all God's commandments." A whole family hears so many particular pieces of work prescribed to them all by the father and master of the family. His grown children do them all exactly to his mind : the younger children, who are but learning to work, put hand to every one of them, and baulk none of the pieces; but they do none of them exactly. Refractory servants do some of them, but others of them they never notice. Just so it is with the saints in heaven, true believers on earth, and hypocrites.

Now, here lies the snare : none, say you, in this world can do all that is required of them, but they come short in many things : and so do but we. Answer. They come short of the degrees of every part, it is true; but if they are believers indeed, they do not come short of the parts themselves, as ye do. The whole parts of the will of God known to them, they do, and dare not but fall in with : and this will distinguish between them and you, that baulk any part of his will made known to you, as betwixt David and Saul, Acts. xiii. 22, See Col. iv. 12.

2,dli/, Distinguish between doing the will of Christ perfectly, and acceptably. No man in this life can do the former, Philip, iii. 12. But every true believer does the latter. Acts x. 25. Ye that are masters know very well to make this distinction in your own work. If a child of yours, or a pliable servant, shew a real good-will to

obey your orders, you accept of their work, though it is not every way as ye would have it. So does the Lord: 2 Cor. viii. 12, " For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that ho hath not." But if a servant say, I cannot do it every way as he would have it done, and therefore 1 will let it alone altogether ; how take ye that ? And how will Christ take such treatment oif your hand, in plain instances of duty which ye quite neglect, and of sin which ye indulge yourselves in ?

Here is your share: none do the will of Christ perfectly; and I do many things, though not all. Answer, Ay but true believers, though they do not do it perfectly, yet they do it so as God for Christ's sake accepts of their doing it: and that ye do not, and that ye are not careful about; but can be easy, whether he accept of it or not: and since ye are not universal in your obedience, ye are not sincere, nor are accepted in any thing.

Zdly, Distinguish between ability in ourselves, to do the will of Christ acceptably, and ability for it in Christ, offered to us in the gospel, and to be brought in by faith. No man, saint nor sinner, has the former: 2 Cor. iii. 5, " "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves." But all true believers do get the latter : Phil. iv. 13, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." You bid a servant do such a piece of work, and he neglecting it tells you, I wanted instruments for it: How take ye that ? Will ye not say, "Why did ye not come in and get the instruments for it ? Did not my bidding you do it, suppose I allowed wherewith to do it ?

Here is your snare: "We can do nothing of ourselves, say ye : and thereupon the sluggard puts his hands in his bosom; and many a poor sinner lies down in his bed of ease and sloth, laying his head on this soft pillow, and sleeps full sound till the flames of hell awaken him. But that will not excuse you from doing the will of Christ; but it will bring you under a double guilt, one of not doing what he says, another of slighting his offered grace that might have enabled you: and so ye will be condemned, not because ye could not, but because you would not do the things he said.

In the covenant of works perfect obedience only could be accepted, and there was strength for it allowed to Adam in that covenant, which he lost. In the covenant of grace sincere obedience, though imperfect, may be accepted; and there is strength allowed in this covenant for it, whereby every piece of obedience that he requires may be done, though not as it should be, yet so as it may be accepted : 2 Cor. iii. 5, " Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to

Vol. VI. 2 m

thiuk any thing as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God." Chap. xii. 9, " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Phil. iv. 13, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Only this strength is lodged in Christ, and must be fetched in by believing the promises, Psal. xxviii. 7; Jer. xvii. 7, 8. Now, the commands of Christ to sinners that hear the gospel, import an allowance of sufficient grace and strength for them thus to be fetched in : 2 Tim. ii. 1, " Thon therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Exod. XX. 2, &c., "I am the Lord thy God," &c. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The little noticing of this weakens believers in their obedience, and the total neglect of it by others ruins them.

3. Notwithstanding the things that Christ says may be got done acceptably, yet many that call him Lord will not do them: Tit. i. 16, " They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him," &c. He has made his yoke easy, but yet they will not let it come on their fair necks: they say, as Luke xix. 14, " We will not have this man to reign over us." The devil and their lusts get leave to ride them, but they will not be led by Christ. They say, they cannot help it; but the truth is, they will not help it, for they will have none of his help for it; as the Lord complains the Israelites did, Psal. Ixxxi. 11, " My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me." So their ruin is lodged upon a twofold score,

1st, Obedience to sin, and disobedience to Christ, is their choice. The way of life and death are set before them, and they choose the latter: Prov. viii. 36, "He that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me, love death." Ezek. xviii. 31, " Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ?" Christ calls them to a holy, serious, humble, modest, and pious life. That they cannot endure; but cost what it will, they must have a light, proud, unclean, sensual, and loose life, wherein they may think, talk, and carry themselves at liberty from the strictness of a holy walk, and tender conscience.

2dly, They have neither heart nor use for the grace and strength that is in Christ Jesus, John v. 40; Peal. Isxxi. 11, "And therefore ihey can live without him, John vi. 67, 68. They may have use for it, that really desire to have their lusts mortified, temptations resisted, their hearts and lives truly sanctified: but that is not their case. IIow then can they have a heart for it ? What

heart can tliey have for cleansing and purifying things, that love rather to be wallowing in the mire ? Therefore the opened fountain of Christ's blood and Spirit is neglected. For as the Lord saith, Jer. xiii. 27, " I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields: woe unto thee, 0 Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ?

4. Christ is highly displeased with the disobedience of those that call him Lord, who will not do what he says, Psal. 1. 16—22. Men will not believe this: they think little of their neglect of what he says, and they think that he looks on it as they do. He is their Saviour; but they consider not, that he is, and will be their Judge, But to persuade you of it, consider,

1^^, His infinite purity and holiness, Is. vi. 3. He is the Holy One of Israel. He is of the self-same numerical essence or nature with the Father; all the attributes of God, and particularly his holiness, are in him, Exod. xxiii. 21, " Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him." Therefore whatever is in Scripture of the holiness of God, belongs to him. And his willingness to receive sinners is, not to save them in their sins, but to cleanse them from them.

2dly, The dreadful strokes he has brought on such as called him Lord, for not doing the things that he says. He has in all ages of the church set up some monuments of this his displeasure. Whence came the fire that devoured Nadab and Abihu; came it not from before the Lord? Lev. x. 1, 2, and was not that the Lord Christ? Acts vii. 38. "Who struck Ananias and Sapphira dead for lying unto God ? Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Uzzah, &c. ? was it not Christ ? John v. 22, " For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.

ScWj/, Does he not refuse communion with such persons in holy ordinances, and thereby testify his displeasure against them ? Hos. v. 15, " I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face." What will it avail to attend, ordinances, to come to a communion table, while we continue in such a case ? There can be no communion with Christ, Psal. xxiv. 3, 4; Is. i. 15, 16. Even particular pieces of unrepented-of guilt and untenderness, may be a controversy on which he will refuse communion with those that are habitually holy : Psal. Ixvi. 18, " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." What then can others expect? Amos iii. 3, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed ?

2 Ji 2

Lastly, Consider how he will treat them at the last day: Luke xix. 27, " Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay thera before me." He is the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world; but he will be as a lion to them that will not do what he says, when he cometh in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, 2 Thess. i. 8, 9. In vain will they then call him Lord, and plead their eating and drinking in his presence, Luke xiii. 25, 26, 27-

5. There is a great evil in calling Christ Lord, and not doing what he says ; an evil that highly provokes him, as casting dishonour on him in a very special manner. There is something in it, that, so to speak, touches to the quick, beyond the dishonour done to him by others: Rev. iii. 15, 16, " I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

\st, Their sins and looseness of life reflect a peculiar dishonour on him, as pretending a relation to him : Rom. ii. 24, " For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you." How do ye think yourselves touched and affronted with the miscarriages of your children and servants ? Learn from that, how Christ takes with your sins and looseness of life. They are a blaspheming of his name and doctrine, calling him, in effect, the minister of sin, 1 Tim. vi. 1; Tit. ii. 4, 5. It is not in the power of open enemies to reach him such a blow.

2dly, They do Satan a peculiar pleasure. If there is any of the dust that is the serpent's meat, that relishes better with him than the rest, it is the sins and miscarriages of those that call Christ Lord : that is a feast for him; he will do more for it than for other ten, Job i. 7, 8. As there is joy in heaven at a sinner's repentance, there is a joy in hell among the devil and his angels at the falls of those that call Christ Lord. The enemy takes a peculiar pleasure and pride, in having not only his own professed servants, but others in Christ's livery following and serving him. In that, he can vie with Christ for a good master before the blind world, when he can shew them so many at his back; that sometimes gave their names to Christ.

Mly, They wound the heart of the real children of God, and make the whole family sigh more heavily, than the sins of others would do, Psal. Iv. 12. Where the sins of open enemies do but

scratch like a pin, theirs will pierce like a sword, Cant. i. 6. It covers them with shame, fills them with sorrow and indignation, and makes them weary of their post; as it did the prophet, Jer. ix. 2, " Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them : for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men." "What wonder then, that Christ the master of the family resent it dreadfully ? . 6.* Christ will disown them for his servants, that in their practice disown him for their Lord, not doing what he says. They count the duty of servants grievous to them, and therefore he will divest them of the honour and privilege of his servants. They secretly loath him and his service, however fair they carry it, calling him Lord; and he will let all the world see that his soul loaths them, Rev. iii. 16. " Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold uor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." And this he doth two ways.

1^^, Spuing them out of his mouth unto the earth; whereas before they were exalted unto heaven, in respect of hopefulness of their souls' case, and of external church-privileges. In Scripture style, the church is called heaven, professors the sons of God: the devil's kingdom, or the world lying in wickedness, is called the earth, the children of men. Gen. vi. 2; and xi. 1 ; Rev. xii. 4. The gospel is Christ's call to sinners to come out of the world lying in wickedness and be separate from them, joining themselves to the church, the family of God. Many profess to come away, and join so, and solemnly declare it by the partaking of the Lord's table: but though they so call him Lord, they do not the things that he says. And our jealous Lord being provoked with it spues them out, and in the sight of the world throws them back unto the earth they said they came from; and there they lie again amidst the world lying in wickedness.

Three things concur in this awful dispensation.

(1.) They are let fall into the mire of some gross pollution of the outward man: 2 Pet. ii. 22, " It is happened unto them, according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and. The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." Cain turns a murderer, Judas a betrayer of his master, Ananias and Sapphira liars, Demas a lover of the world, Jezebel and her children in Thyatira fall into adultery and fornication, &c. Rev. ii. 20, 21, 22, 23. (2.) Their leaf of appearance in religion falls. Though they get space, they get no grace to repent and cover, Rev. ii. 21;

* The author, after recapitulating what he had delivered on the second doctrine, delivered what follows to the end of this discourse on a fast-day before the communion at Ettriek, August 14, 172S.

but they are from that time blasted, wither, and fade away: John XV. 6, " If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." And they turn just the hue of the rest of the world lying in wickedness ; spiritual death is painted in their faces ; whereof this generation affords many frightful instances: Luke viii. 18, " Take heed tlierefore how ye hear : for whosoever hath, to hira shall be given ; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seeraeth to have." (3.) Hence they lose their new name, and get their old one back again. "What credit or reputation they had for religion and seriousness, is blown up. Their name stinks in that case among the serious godly, and they look upon them as none of theirs, Is. Ixv. 15, " And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen : for the Lord shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name." This is an awful case, Zech, xi. 8. " Three shepherds also I cut off in one month, and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me."

2dli/, Spueing them out of his mouth into the pit, at the last day: Luke xiii. 27, 28. " He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are ; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of Grod, and you yourselves thrust out." In vain will they then cry, " Lord, Lord open to us: Matth. xxv. 11, 12, "Afterward came also the other virgins, saying. Lord, Lord, open unto us. But he answered and said. Verily I say unto you, I know you not." In vain will they plead their eating and drinking in his presence. They called him Lord; but they walked with the workers of iniquity, and they will be led forth with them : Psal. cxxv. 5, " As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." They will see that he will count it inconsistent with his honour to own them: Mark viii. 38, " Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of ray words, in this audulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he coraeth in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels." They got their names enrolled in the visible church, among his servants ; but ho will blot them out publicly: Exod. xxxii. 33, " And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." Compared with Rev. iii. 5, " He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."

7. Men are ruined in this way, because they do not consider it.

It is waut of consideration that leaves them at ease, calling Christ Lord, and yet not doing what he says: Is. xliv. 20, " He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot dc-liv'er his soul, nor say. Is there not a lie in ray right hand ?" They are out of their place, like a wandering bird, Prov. xxvii. 8 ; and they are easy in it, because they are out of themselves, out of their wits, like the prodigal, Luke xv. 17. They consider not this matter.

1st, They call Christ Lord, and so bribe and soothe their blind and sleepy consciences. If they should give up with all pretensions to Christ and religion, they could have no peace with their consciences : therefore they will attend ordinances; hear the word, though they will not do it; pray in secret or in their families, though perhaps out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing; they will partake of the Lord's table, though they will not give up with the table of devils. These things flatter their consciences to be easy; as was the case with Micah, Judg. xvii. 13, " Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

2dl^, They do not the things that he says however, and so satisfy their unmortified lusts. Thus they please both parties within them. Their saying fair pleases their conscience ; and their not doing what Christ says, pleases their lusts. They have no more ado with Christ, but to be called by his name. For the rest, they will " eat their own bread, and wear their own apparel," and will not make their religion burdensome to their lusts by mortification and tender walking ; and so they are easy on that side.

But there are three things they do not consider.

(1.) What inconsistency is in this course: 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15, " What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness ? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ?" It is made up of contradictions. Their profession condemns their practice as abominable; and their practice condemns their profession as horrid juggling and dissembling with God. Ye pray for pardon of sin as a crime, and yet return to it with delight: that God would make you holy; and yet ye will not part with your lusts, but have a horror of being bound up to a holy walk : that God would at length receive you into heaven; and yet if you were there even now in the temper ye are in, you would flee out of it as from a hell, because ye have not relish of either person or thing that is there, and for nothing but what is not there,

(2.) How heinously the Lord Christ takes it, that men should yoke Satan's service with his, 2 Cor. vi. 15, forecited. He looks on it as highly dishonourable to him, and after a sort more than if

they should profess themselves none of his, Rev. iii. 16, forecited. That is an awful word of great indignation, Ezek. xx. 39, " As for you, 0 house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me : hut pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols." It bears, that their duties are but a polluting of his name. Your praying, hearing, and communicating will not cleanse the abomination of a loose life : but looseness of conversation will defile all these. Hag. ii. 12—14.

(3.) What the end of such a course will be, what it will issue in at length : Deut. xxxii. 29, " 0 that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end !" It cannot miss of a fearful issue : Is. 1. 11, " Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks : walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow." Psal. cxxv. 5, " As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." See it in the parable of the foolish builder, the foolish virgins, the tares among the wheat, the man at the marriage-supper without the wedding-garment, &c. It is pity men should not consider timely.

8. Lastly, People ought to consider it, see what account they can make of it, and how they will answer it. And,

\st, How they will answer it to their own consciences. Conscience may be asleep now, but it will certainly awaken: and the longer it be in awakening, it will be the more severe when it ia roused, as in the case of Belshazzar and Felix. Ye cannot shun a reckoning with your conscience. As silent as it is, ye will find it has marked your ways in its book : Prov. xx. 27, " The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly." And if conscience condemn you as hypocritical pretenders to Christ, what will come of you ? 1 John iii. 20, " For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." And if yo die with an ill conscience, it will be a gnawing worm for ever.

2dly, How they will answer it to the Lord Christ in the judgment. There will be a day of judgment, wherein the tribunal will be set, the books opened, and men's whole lives will be called over : Eccl. xii. 14, " For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." And every one will be judged according to his works : 2 Cor. v. 10, "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath

done, whether it be good or bad." Then men's calling Christ Lord, will be tried by their doing or not doing the things that he says. And what will men then say to the question in the text, " Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say ?" and to that question, " How earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment ?"

II. I come now to a word of Application.

First, Let me examine into this matter, and ask and put it to every one's conscience before the Lord, "Why call ye Christ Lord, and do not the things that he says ? You are rational creatures; ye will not allow that you are fools, that have no reason for what you do, or not do. Therefore " produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob, Is. xli, 21. What is your plea ? Is it,

1. We are saved by faith, and not by good works ? Answer. I have answered that already, that though the weight of our acceptance with God, lies not on good works, yet the weight of our evidence does. I add, that though we are not saved by, yet we are saved to, good works and obedience : Eph. ii. 10, " For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them, 1 Pet. i. 2, " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctifica-tion of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," &c. So if you are not brought to do what Christ says, you are not saved. But perhaps you will insist, and say, 0 but we will be saved after death. Answer. If ye be not saved while ye are in life, ye will never be saved after death. The notion of salvation begun after death, is unknown to the Bible: Eph. ii, 8, "For by grace are ye saved, through faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God," 2 Tim. i. 9, " Who have saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began," Tit. iii. 5, " Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

2. We have no strength in ourselves. Answer. That also I have answered at large. If the law came to you with its commands without the gospel, there would be something in this, though not so much but the law would overthrow it; as in the case of pagans, Rom. ii. 12, " For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law : and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law." But since the gospel comes with the law, telling you there is ability for it in Christ, which you may have by faith ; your

plea is rejected, and you are condemned, not only for not doing what Christ says, but for refusing strength to do it with.

3. We do several things, and there is no body but has failings. Answer. Ye may do many things, as Herod, Mark vi. 20 : but if ye set not yourselves to do all the parts of Christ's will known to you, without reserve, ye do nothing : James ii. 10, " For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet oiFend in one point, he is guilty of all." Sound believers fail of degrees, but not of the parts: Psal. cxix. 6, David said " 1 have respect unto all thy commandments," Acts xiii. 22, " I have found David the son of Jesse ; a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will."

4. God is merciful, and Christ is our gracious Saviour; we trust he will not be severe on us for our sins. Answer. That is a trust in God and Christ, not upon his word, but over the belly of his word; so that either it must fail and disappoint you, or God's truth must fail: Heb. xii. 14, " Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," Psal. cxxv. 5, " As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity," " But his confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors," Job xviii. 14. Is that the use ye have for the mercy of God ? Psal. cxxx. 4. and for the grace of Christ ? See the character of such, Jude 4, " There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into laciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. What needs all that strictness of life in our case: we are neither ministers nor elders, to have any character of that sort to support ? Answer. It is evident, that many take a liberty in sinful practices from this; practices which they would condemn in them, though they allow them in themselves. Ministers and elders un-tender and loose in their life and practice, shall bear their judgment, as betrayers of the cause of religion to an ungodly world. But it will be no comfort to you to go to hell with unholy ministers and elders. And therefore ye must either take the strait way with godly and tender ministers and elders to heaven; or else, in the first place, find out in your Bible, where the strait way to heaven is only for ministers and elders, but there is a wide way to it for others. Ye must seek another Bible for it; for this mentions but one strait way to heaven, for you and them both: Matt. vii. 13. 14. " Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, ana many there be which go in tbcrcut: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that

leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." But if ye belong to Christ, ye bear a character as venerable as that of a minister: ye are priests, 1. Pet. ii. 9. Rev. i. 6. Heb. xii. 23. If ye say, Ye are not so much as professors: Answer. Are ye Christians or not ? If ye be, set yourselves to answer that profession, and no more is required of you; or else why do ye profess so much ?

6. Lastly, But we hope to repent, reform, and find mercy, ere we die. Answer. When ? The young when they grow old, and the old when they come to a death-bed. And who has secured you that ye shall see another day ? Not God, I am sure : Heb. iii. 7. " The Holy Ghost saith, To-day if ye will hear his voice." And if ye should be old, and get a death-bed to lie in a while, how know ye that ye will get grace to repent? Truly it is not God's ordinary way: Job. XX. 11. " His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust."

Secondly, Let me expostulate this matter with, you, how ye come to call Christ Lord, and do not the things that he says.

1. Do ye think that religion is just a matter of form and fair shew, to say prayers, and come to the kirk on the sabbath, &c. not carrying it through the whole of your walk? If ye do, ye will shew yourselves void of it, 2. Tim. iii. 5. Gal. vi. 12. Is. Iviii. 5, 6, 7-

2. Do ye not mock the Lord Christ by this, and, like Judas, betray him with a kiss, Matt. xxvi. 49. But " be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap," Gal. vi. 7-

3. Have ye no regard to the honour of Christ ? If he is your Lord and ye expect salvation by him, what hearts have ye that cannot be moved thereby, to live to his praise, and be useful for him in the world ? They who have no use for holy walking, after salvation is secured by Christ, are surely far from salvation.

4. Is not the cause of Christ and religion much the worse of you? Rom. ii. 24. " For the name of God is blasphemed through you." Do ye call him Lord, that ye may have the more access to affront and dishonour him ? Do ye join yourselves to the church and kingdom of Christ, that ye may by such compliance advance the interests of Satan's kingdom ?

5. Has Christ's character as a Lord no weight on your consciences ? Do ye think it is a mere empty title ? You will find it otherwise : Mai. 1. 6. " If I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of Hosts." Luke xix. 27. " But those mine enemies which would that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me."

6. Lastly, How will we answer it at the great day ? If ye think it

is long to that, it will be longer after, that it will sit in yonr consciences and gnaw, that you called him Lord, and did not the things that he said: and it may be a very short while, that it might be iu your power to get things put in better case for that day. I shall conclude with a few advices.

1. Examine yourselves, and search out your sins sincerely, as in the sight of God : Hag. i. 7. " Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. Look into the several parts and periods of your life, and see how they have been led. Look into your public and private walk; into your relations, how ye have carried as a husband, wife, &c.; into both tables of the law, how ye have behaved towards God, and towards man; into your sins of omission and comission, your secret sins that are hid from the eyes of the world, the sin that is your particular bias. Look into your heart-sins : and trace up all to the sin of your nature.

2. Seeing yourself a sinful, ruined creature, solemnly take hold of the covenant of grace, personally entering into it by embracing Christ offered to you in the gospel, trusting in him as your Saviour, for his whole salvation from sin, and from wrath, on the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise; thus going to Christ for your sanctification, as well as justification; to purge you from the filth as well as the guilt of sin, 1 Cor. i. 30, receiving and eying him in all his ofiices.

3. Lastly, Lay down an honest purpose and resolution, in the faith of the grace and strength in Christ Jesus, offered and exhibited to you in the gospel, and provided in the covenant, to comply henceforth with the whole will of Christ declared to you in his word, without exception or reserve; to subject your souls wholly to the authority of his word, to comply with every duty therein made known to you, and to fight against every sin there discovered to you. So shall you call him Lord, and he call you his servants, Acts xi. 23; Psal. cxix. 112.

THE INSEPARABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN A SINNER'S HAVING PART WITH CHRIST, AND BEING WASHED BY HIM: OR, THE MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION BY CHRIST, OPENED UP.

Several sermons, preached at Ettrick, in tbe year 1728.

N. B. The first Sermon was preached immediately before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, August 18, 1728; and the others on some subsequent Lord's days.

John xiii. 8. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part luith me.

These words are Christ's answer to Peter refusing to let Christ wash his feet. No doubt it was a kind of modesty, reverence, and humility, that put Peter on this peremptory refusal of Christ's astonishing kind offer. But all is not gold that glitters. There is much of this bastard humility in the world, whereby people refuse Christ's offers, and put them away from them, with a very good grace, and great respect to the Lord Christ, as they think. Christ comes to sinners in the gospel, and offers to wash them from their pollution: But will they offer a foul defiled soul to God Almighty, the infinitely holy Saviour, to be washed by him ? No; they think they know more of their own sinfulness and unworthiness, and of Christ's greatness and holiness, than that comes to. And so they affront him, under a pretence of honouring him. There are three characters of this false humility.

1. It condemns the generation of the righteous, who came all to Christ, at his command, to be washed by him, receiving it with admiration of his condescension. The other disciples, no doubt, were struck with amazement at Christ's coming to wash their feet: but true humility took Christ's will for law and right, and makes them silently yield themselves to the Lord. But Peter's behaviour condemns them, as rude and disrespectful, vers. 5, 6, " After that, he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then Cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet ?

2. It keeps Christ at a distance, and so proceeds not from faith, but unbelief, ver. 6. No doubt, when Christ stretched out his hand to wash Peter's feet, he drew them in quickly to him; and shewed by his deeds, as well as his words, that he had no mind that Christ's

fair hand should come on them. So folk, under a sense of sinfulness, may flee from Christ, while he follows them.

3. It argues a heart not duly humbled ; and so it is but accursed pride under the vail of a shew of humility. (1.) Carnal wisdom and reason has the ascendant, and will not bow to divine revelation : vers. 7, 8, " Jesus answered and said unto him, "What I do thou knowest not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never rash my feet. Jesus answered him, " If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Let the gospel of God's grace be delivered never so plain, they will not give over measuring divine mysteries by their carnal reason. (2.) Insensibleness and self-conceit prevails. Peter doubtless thought either that his feet needed no washing, but that they might be borne with even in Christ's presence, as they were ; or, if they did, he would wash them himself. So he is peremptory in his refusal. And this lies at bottom in that false humility : either they think they are not so very polluted, but that they may be borne with ; or else, that they will wash themselves clean before they come to Christ.

In the text our Lord gives Peter a word that brings him down in a moment from all his heights, and makes him not only content, but earnest to be washed all over by Christ, without pretending to wipe off one spot off himself by himself: " If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Ver. 9, Simon Peter saith unto him. Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." This word strikes Peter to the heart, " If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Q. d. Peter, no washing by me, no part with me to salvation. "Washing by mo, and part with me, you nor no man shall ever be able to separate in your cases. Have the one, have the other; want the one, and upon heaven's truth you want the other."

I think it is an insipid question here, why so severe a threatening for refusing so small a thing ? For Christ says not, if I wash not thy feet, thou shalt have no part with me ; but simply, " If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," in the present time. Neither could it be drawn to the washing of the feet, if the questionists did not first suppose a change of the tense the Holy Ghost useth, which is not at least without necessity to be admitted. (Gr.) If I washed thee not, or, if I have not washed thee, thou hast no part with me. Q. d. Peter, if you belong to me, I have done more for you, than to wash your feet with water; I have washed you with my blood : if you have taken that vastly costlier washing off my hand, why refuse you this ? If I have not so washed you, you have no part with me; for none have part with me, but those whom I so wash."

The words then bear an inseparable connection betwixt two

tilings in tlie case of sinners, standing and falling together. (1.) The washing of thera by Christ, to wit, from their sins,. Rev. 1. 5. (2.) Their having part with him, partaking of his saving benefits, being joint heirs of heaven with him. Compare Dent. xiv. 27, " And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him: for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee." The Scripture knows no part sinners can have of salvation or of heaven, but with Christ: Acts iv. 12, " Neither is their salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." They that miss their part with Christ, there is but another side where their part will fall: Rev. xxi. 8, " But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which barneth with fire and brimstone : which is the second death." Now, if a sinner either be not washed at all, or be washed only with the nitre and soap of his own faithless endeavours and reformation ; if he be not washed by Christ; he has no part with him, he is none of his; he is in a state of death and destruction lying ready to be cast out as an abominable thing, into the unclean place, the stinking lake.

The relation betwixt these two, is, the former is a necessary consequent of the latter; and therefore is held forth as a necessary evidence of it. All that have saving part with Christ are washed by him : therefore, if Christ hath not washed thee, thou hast no saving part with him.

The doctrine deducible from the words is as follows.

Doctrine A sinner's having any saving part with Christ, and his being washed by Christ, from his sin, are simply and absolutely inseparable.

In discoursing from this doctrine shortly at the time, I shall,

I. Consider a sinner's having part with Christ.

II. His being washed by Christ.

III. The iuseparableness of the two. lY. Improve ihe doctrine.

I. The first thing to be spoken to, is, A sinner's having part with Christ. And this we take in two things,

1. His being of Christ's mystical body, through union with him: 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13, " For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." There are

but two general corporations of mankind on earth, heaven, and hell: the corporation of the first and fallen Adam, who has diflFused all manner of pollution and defilement over those that are his, not to be washed off by human art; and of this society we are all by nature members: the corporation of the Second Adam, Christ, who cleanses and purifies all that are his, from that pollution and defilement; for the latter is raised out of the former. See the two, 1 John V. 19, " And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." 2 Cor. vi. 17, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Now, if ye are not washed by Christ, ye belong not to the Second Adam's corporation; ye belong not to Christ.

2. The sinner's having communion with Christ in his saving benefits, partaking of them in fellowship with him : 1 John i. 3, " That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ." All salvation is in Christ; so that they who have part with him, are complete in him, Col. ii. 9, 10. And salvation is in him exclusively to all other, Acts iv. 12. Now, if ye are not washed by Christ, ye have no communion with him in his saving benefits, no part in his salvation, and so none in salvation at all. Christ has a righteousness fully answering the law's demands; it is so broad a white raiment, that it covers all his people, partaking with him in it, Rom. iii. 22. But if he wash you not, ye have no part in it. He has taken out a new right to God, as his God, and all his people partake with him in it: Rora. viii. 17, " And if children then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." John xx. 17, " I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God." But if Christ wash you not ye have no part, he is not your God

II. The next thing to be spoken to, is, The sinner's being washed by Christ. This is inseparable from his having part with Christ, and is the privilege of all, and only those who have part with him. Concerning this washing I offer these particulars.

1. There is a filthiness in sin, whereby the soul is polluted and defiled before the Lord. This is supposed in the washing from it: Ezek. xxxvi. 25, " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." Sin does not only make the sinner guilty, but filthy and abominable. It is the abominable thing that God hates, Jer. xliv. 4. filth itself. Is. iv. 4. This filthiness of sin lies in its contrariety to the holiness of God expressed in his law. Holiness

is tlie glory of God, and the beauty of the soul, Exod. xv. 11; sin the deformity and filthiness of it. Hence,

1st, Tt makes the sinner loathsome before Grod, that he cannot look on him, but with abhorrence; and with such abhorrence as one looks upon a thing he has a natural antipathy at, Zech. xi. 8, " My soul loathed them." Hab. i. 13, " Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." Psal. v. 4, " For thou art not a Grod that hath pleasure in wickedness : neither shall evil dwell with thee."

2dly, It fills the soul with shame before God. I mean not that holy shame that proceeds from a joint view of sin's loathsomeness, and God's pardoning grace in Christ; that is a fruit of the Spirit, Ezek. xvi. 60, 61, "I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed." But I mean a natural shame, whereby the sinner, obliged to fix his eyes on God's holiness, and seeing his own unlikeness to him, his countenance falls, he is damped, and filled with dread and horror, and therefore labours to make away out of his presence; as Adam did. Gen. iii. 10, •' I heard thy voice," said he to the Lord, " in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Now, unwashed sinners are filthy all over.

(1.) Their nature is filthy, Psal. xiv. 3, "They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doth good, no not one." Sin has spread its defilement over all the faculties of their souls, and over all the members of their bodies : Tit. i. 15, " Unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Their very bodies, however perfumed and adorned, are filthy before God with spiritual filth cleaving to them, Heb. x. 22.

(2.) Their life and conversation is filthy, 2 Pet. ii. 7- Their daily walk is a heaping new filth upon their already filthy souls. Their habitual filthiuess produces still actual filthiness, as the poisoned spring sends forth poisonous streams, Psal. xiv. 1.

2. Christ has them all to wash who get part in him. Hence the redeemed church sings praises to him that loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, Rev. i. 5. They come to him in their pollution, and are washed by him ; they come to him defiled all over, in the defilement of their nature, and of their life, that they may be washed; and coming to him by faith, it is done, Ezek. xvi. 8, 9 ; Rom. iv. 5; 2 Cor. v. 17- How can it be otherwise ? for they cannot wash themselves before they come. Is it possible for people to wash, before they come to the waters? or to bathe before they come into the laver ?

YoL. VI. 2 X

3. All tliose ■who take part with him by faith, he washes with his blood from their sin, Heb. xii. 24; Rev. i. 5. He offered himself a sacrifice to God for sin, and the blood of the slain sacrifice is sprinkled on the sinners in him, for their cleansing: 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." The stain of sin was so deep, that nothing else could wash it out: and had he not provided the laver of his own blood, Abraham, Paul, and all the saints now in glory, since they were once filthy, would have been filthy still, with Cain, Judas, and other filthy vessels of wrath.

There are two things in his blood, that make it to wash out this stain, as deep as it is.

1st, An infinite value and dignity; for it is the blood of an infinite person, the blood of God, Acts xx. 28, the Son of God, 1 John i. 7, the Father's equal, the Most High.

2dly, An infinite efficacy, power, and energy; for the Spirit is in it, the infinite Spirit of holiness, John vi. 53. with 63. The blood was given for atonement, because the life of the flesh, or the animal spirits, are in the blood. Lev. xvii. 11. And therefore it was to be sprinkled while it was yet warm with the spirits in it. Now, Christ's blood is always warm and fresh, with the spirits of life and holiness in it, Heb. x. 20; Rev. iii. 1.

4. There is a twofold washing by the blood of Christ; one that makes clean in the eye of the law, leaving not the least mark of a spot on the soul; peculiar to the saints in heaven, Heb. xii. 23. Another, making clean in the eye of the gospel, though not absolutely : John XV. 3, " Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Cant. iv. 7, " Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee." It is this last our text means only. Only observe, that they are not difl'erent kinds, but diff'erent degrees of the same washing by Christ's blood. It is the same laver of Christ's blood, that we are washed in before death to fit us for communion with God here, and that same laver that we are washed in at death, to fit us for communion with God in heaven. Only that efficacy of Christ's blood now exerted on us in part, is put forth on us in full measure to the utter abolition of sin, Eph. v. 25, 26, 27; Rev. vii. 14, 15.

5. As washing is properly the purging away of filthiness, spots, and stains from the object washed; so the washing from sin is formally and directly the sanctification of the sinner, Eph. v. 26; Tit. iii. 5, So if Christ sanctify us not, we have no part in him. Ilowbcit, it supposes or implies more than that wherein it formally consists.

In all washing there are two things to be distinguished : the

loosing of the filth sticking to the object; for if it do not stick, rt cannot defile: and the removing of it being once loosed, which is the washing properly. Accordingly in washing a soul from sin, there are two things.

1st, The loosing of the filth of sin sticking to the soul. Sin sticks to our souls, as pitch or tar to a man's fingers: and there is no removing of it, till once it be loosed by an application of Christ's blood. Now, it is by guilt that it sticks to our soul, 1 Cor. xv. 56. And that is done away in our justification ; which must needs go before our sanctification, as the loosing of sticking filth, before the washing it away; as the Holy Ghost teacheth, Rom. vii. 6, "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Hence the apostle saith of the Gorin-tliians, 1 Cor. vi. 11, " And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

2dlt/, The removing and purging away the filth of sin, being once loosed: and the same blood that looses it, purgeth it away in sanctification, as the same water that looseth the filth, carries it away ofi^ the cloth ; and so the pardoned sinner is made holy: Heb. ix. l-L, " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ?" Rev. vii. 14, " These are they which came ont of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." And this purging away of the filth of sin off the sinner, lies in three things.

(1.) The putting away of his former loathsomeness before God. The blood of Christ having come over the soul, it is now washed, and God can look on it with complacency, Rev. i. 6, 6. He calls her beloved, that was not beloved.

(2.) Making of the soul fair and clean before the Lord : Cant. iv. 7, " Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee." The Spirit in the blood leaves his own image on the son), and carries it all over the man, 2 Cor. iii. 18 ; Tit. i. 14. Life, eternal life, is in that blood, and wherever it comes ; and it goes over the whole man, seeds of life are left in the soul that shall never die out. The Spirit in the blood takes of the fulness of grace in Christ, and communicates to them grace for grace, John i. 16, so transforming them into his image.

(3.) Removing the legal shame out of the soul before God, and causing it, with child-like kindly blushes, to come before him, and

2 N 2

press near him, crying, Abba, Father, with the boldness of faith in greater or lesser measure : Rom. viii. 15, " For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Ezra ix. 6, " 0 ray God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God : for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."

6. Faith is the instrumental cause of this washing. Hence the apostle. Acts xv. 9, speaks of " purifying the heart by faith." It lays hold upon, and applies the blood of Christ: Rom. iii. 25, " "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins."

7. Lastly, Afflictions are the occasional causes of this washing: Is. xxvii. 9, " By this therefo-re shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin."

III. The next thing to be considered, is the inseparableness of the two. They are so,

1. In respect of their subject, which is necessarily one. He that has the one, has the other; and no man can have either of them singly. If thou hast part in Christ, thou art washed by him ; if thou art washed by him, thou hast part with him.

2. In respect of time. That moment one gets part with Christ, he washes him from his sins. In order of nature indeed, part with Christ goes before washing, and justification before sanctification. But in respect of time they come together and at once. That they are so inseparable, appears,

I**, From the end and design of Christ's death, which cannot be frustrated. He died for that end, that sinners taking part with •him by faith, might be washed by him from their sins, Eph. v. 25, &c.; Tit. ii. 14.

2dly, From the nature of the thing. There is a lively efficacy in Christ's blood to wash away sin : so that the soul come to Christ, and having part in him, must needs be washed ; or that precious blood must be counted as dead water, that has lost its virtue, Heb. X. 20. Can a foul garment be laid in a pure running stream, and the washing of it not be begun the moment that it is laid in ? And can an unholy soul be united by faith to Christ, and the washing of it not begun that moment by virtue from his blood ?

Use I. Of trial. Ye may hereby know whether ye have any part with Christ or not, and consequently whether ye have a right to the Lord's table or not ? Are ye washed by Christ from your sins, or not? If ye are unsanctified, unholy souls, yet living in

the filth of your sins, I declare ye have no part with Christ; since where there is no true holiness, there is no true faith.

Question. How may I know that I am washed by Christ ?

Mark I. If ye are washed by Christ, though ye are not washed perfectly, ye are washed universally: washed in every part, though not perfectly clean in any part: 2. Cor. v. 17. " If any man be iu Christ he is a new creature: old things are past away, behold all things are become new." Ye are washed from the gross pollutions of the outward man, from the reigning pollutions of the inner man: Psal. xxiv 3. 4, " Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? and who shall stand iu his holy place ? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." There is a new set in you for purity, darting to all the points of the Christian compass, though you Call short of degrees in every point. That compass ye find, 1 John iii. 3. "And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is jjure."

2. Ye lay the stress of your acceptance with God, not upon your inherent cleanness, the effect of your washing; but on the blood of Christ, the cause of it: Philip, iii. 3. " For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no coutideuce in the flesh." Close hypocrites never fail to split on this rock. That, Matth. v. 3. "Blessed are the poor iu spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," is set first, for it must be carried through all;" and ver. 8. " Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."

3. Your hearts are loosed from sin, though it cleaves to you. It lies not like mud in a pool, where there is nothing to wear it out; but like mud in a spring, where the spring-water tends to work it out. So ye will be groaning under the remains of your uncleanness, saying, with the Apostle, Rom. vii. 24. " 0 wretched man that lam ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" You will be content to see every spot, Fsal. cxxxix. 23, 24, that it may be washed off; and really desirous to be made perfectly clean; as was the Apostle, Philip, iii. 13, 14, " I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God iu Christ Jesus."

Use 2. Of instruction and direction to unwashed souls yet lying in their blood. Sinners, will ye be made clean ?

For Motive : To be left l>ing in the filth of sin, is formally one half of the punishment of the damned, and virtually the whole of it. See the form of Christ's giving up with a sinner, and dropping hitu

660 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HAVING PAUT WITH CHKIST, &C.

for ever, Rev. xxii, 11. " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still ; aiul he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." There is the punishment of loss. And in that filth will be bred and fed the worm that never dies; out of it will arise the fire that is never quenched. And that is the punishment of sense.

Now, the DiKECTioN is. If ye would be washed by Christ, get part with Christ. Say not, Will ever I get part with Christ being so unclean, jiot purified and meet for him ? But no uncleanness of yours can hinder your getting part with Christ, if you will but take it. See the case of the Corinthians, 1. Cor. vi. 11. " And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of onr God." And ye shall rot and pine away in your filth, wash otherwise as well as ye will, if ye will not take it: Psal. Ixxxi. 11, 12, " But my people would not hearken to my voice : and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts'lust: and they walked in their own counsels."

Question. "What access have I to get part with Chris!. ? Answer. Christ and his salvation are a common good : 1. John iv. 14, " We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." Jude ver. 3. this salvation is called " the common salvation." I proclaim to every one to come and take their part with Christ, assuring them of welcome: Rev. xxii. 17- " And the Spirit and the bride say. Come. And let him that heareth, say. Come. And let him that is athirst, come : And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Question. How may I be possessed of part with Christ ? Answer. By faith, crediting the promise of the gospel, and accordingly trusting on Christ as your Saviour, for his whole salvation ; for salvation from sin as well as from wrath; for that holiness and purity of heart and life, which are absolutely necessary to make you meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, as well as for that righteousness by which you can only be accepted in the sight of God, and by which alone you can have a sure and indefeasible title to heaven and glory.

Lastlt/, Let the saints consider, that the more part they have with Christ, the more they will be washed ; and that faith is the only way to have part with Christ iu all his saving benefits, and that it is a mean, of God's appointment, for washing and purification. Hence be exercising faith daily upon Christ, and particularly in the view of going to a communion table, in order to your being washed and sanctified; remembering, that unless Christ wash you, you can have no part with him.

THE MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION BY CHRIST.

Several sermons preached, at Ettrick, August 25, 1728, and subsequent Lord's days.

John xiii. 8, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

I ENTERED on theso words last Lord's day, on occasion of the sacramental solemnity which was then celebrated among us ; observed a doctrine, proposed a method, which was briefly prosecuted, and I made some practical improvement of the subject. But as this text opens a large field of discourse, and contains ample matter for directing faith and practice, I shall now endeavour to prosecute the design of the words more fully, in a series of discourses. For this end I observe the following doctrine, viz.

Doctrine. Such an inseparable connection there is between a sinuer's having part with Christ, and being washed from his sins by Christ in a work of sanctification, that if a sinner is not washed from his sins by Christ, he has no part with Christ, while he is so.

Briefly, If a sinner is not washed from his sins by Christ, he has no part with Christ.

In handling this important subject, I shall consider,

I. What it is to be washed from our sins by Christ, viz. unto a cleanness in the eye of the gospel.

II. The unwashed or unsanctified sinner's having no part with Christ.

III. Conclude with some practical inferences.

I. I shall consider -what it is to be "waslied from our sins by Christ, viz. unto a cleanness in the eye of the gospel. And upon

this head, I shall shew,

1. "What this washing supposeth.

2. Wherein it consists.

3. How it is done and brought about.

First, I shall shew what our being washed from our sins by Christ supposeth.

1. It supposeth in the sinner, a conviction of the filthiness of sin, and his loathsomeness by it. Hence the church says, Is. Ixiv. 6, " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." They that never saw the vileness and abominable nature of siu, are not washed from it; Prov. xxx. 12, " There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." The man cries not only, with the criminal. Guilty, guilty; but, with the leper, Unclean, unclean. Sin is not only frightful, but hateful and loathsome to him, as the vilest filth. Now, if ye have not been convinced of the filthiness of sin, ye have no part with Christ.

1st, This conviction is got by looking into the glass of the law, representing the spotless holiness of God: Rom. vii. 12, 13, 14, "The law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me ? God forbid. But sin that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good ; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." The glaring beaoty of God's holiness expressed in the law, striking the sinner, he sees himself filthy and loathsome before the holy God, as most unlike him.

2dli/, It fixes an impression of shame on the sinner. He is ashamed of himself, of what he is, what he has done, and what he has neglected to do; as the publican did, Luke xviii. 13. who " standing afar ofi", would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." He is like a child, that having got a clean white frock on him, has fallen into the mire, and stands ashamed before his mother in that pickle.

2. It supposes a willingness to be made clean : Psal. xix. 12, "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults." It is not easy to bring a sinner that length : Jer, xiii. 27, " Woe unto thee, 0 Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ?" Sin is so woven into our nature, and so strength-

ened by custom in sin, which is a second nature, that it is harder to make a siiiuer willing to be made clean, than to bring a swine away from the mire and dirt it loves to nestle and wallow in. But in the day of the washing of a sinner, he is made as willing to be washed as ever child ashamed of his nastying himself is. So if ye have not been made willing to be clean, ye have no part with Christ.

3. It supposes a conviction that we cannot wash ourselves clean, by any thing we can do or suffer: Rom. vii. 24, " 0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death V What mars the washing by Christ with many, is, that they think they can wash themselves clean enough by themselves. They see not how fast the filth of sin sticks to them, and so they think their praying, confessing, reforming, and tears, will do it. But hear what Job says, chap. ix. 30, 31, " If I wash myself with snow-water, and make my hand never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." This every soul that is sanctified is brought to. Therefore if ye have not been convinced, that ye cannot wash yourselves clean, by any thing ye can do, ye have no part with Christ.

4. It supposes a hearty consent of the soul to be washed by Christ. Christ washes none against their will: Jer. xiii. 27, " Woe unto thee, 0 Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ?" They that will needs lie still in their filthiness, shall lie and rot in it for ever for him: Rev. xxii. 11, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." Hos. iv. 17, " Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." Christ makes all his elect willing to be holy, but he forces holiness on none. Therefore if ye have not given a hearty consent of your soul to be washed, ye have no part with Christ.

5. Lastlt/, It supposes a j)resenting of our defiled souls to Christ to be washed by him. This is the work of faith, by which the soul comes to the waters: Is. Iv. 1, " Ho, every one that thirst-eth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." The soul comes to Christ, as the leper to the priest to be cleansed : Psal. li. 7, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Compared with Lev. xiv. 6, " As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar-wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them, and the living bird, in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water." It eyes him as a Saviour from the filth, as well as the guilt of sin ; as a sanctifier of the unclean, as well as a justifier of the ungodly. Therefore, if ye have not prestuted your

defiled souls to Christ, to be washed by him, ye have no part with Christ.

Secondly, I shall shew wherein oar being washed from our sins by Christ consists. As washing in the general consists in removing filthiuess, and making clean j so does the washing of a soul by Christ, lie in removing the filth of siu from off the sinner, and making him clean in likeness to God. Now,

1. Christ washeth sinners in the inner man : Psal, xlv. 13, "The King's daughter is all glorious within." Pharisaical washings reach the outer man only : but Christ's washing goes to the hidden man of the heart. Adam left us in the mire of sin, with a nature corrupt and filthy, the very reverse of the nature of God; all the faculties of our souls defiled. Tit. i. 15. But Christ washes our nature and faculties. And this lies in two things.

\st, Removing and washing off that filth of sin, that either clave to them from our birth, or has been added to them since : Tit, iii. 5. " Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." We came into the world with such corruption cleaving to our nature and faculties, as not only disabled us for all good, but made us prone to all evil, and averse to all good. This is strengthened and increased during the time one lives unregene-rate. And the corruption of nature spreads itself, and takes many roots in the soul, in diverse particular lusts, Ilom. vi. 12. Now, Christ washing this filth off the soul,

(1.) Purgeth our whole nature and faculties, from that corruption, so far that it does not reign there : Rom. vi. 14, " For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The total blindness as to the receiving of the things of God, is purged out of the mind ; that reigning aversion to good, out of the will; and the reigning carnality, out of the affections. The liutural corrupt bent of the heart is taken away, removed, and broken ; the stony heart is taken away, and a heart of flesh is given, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.

(2.) He purgeth the soul from its old lusts, loosing them at the root: Gal. v. 24, " They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." As in the deluge of waters coming over the earth, trees deeply rooted were washed away by the roots, and lay floating here and there, and so might give some disturbance to the ark : so Christ's efficacious blood coming over the soul, looses old lusts by the roots, though they are not quite taken away, but give disturbance to the believer. They are in him as a broken tooth, tliey hang at him as a leg out of joint.

2(%, It lies in introducing the beauty of habitual holiness into our souls, in conforming us to the image of Christ: Tit. iii. 5, fore-cited. 2 Cor. iii. 18, " But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." As the vessel of brass or silver, being overlaid with nastiness, has nothing of its primitive lustre ; yet when it is washed and scouted, it recovers somewhat of its former brightness : so the unwashed sinner has lost all liis primitive spiritual glory : but Christ washing him in the day of grace, he recovers it somewhat; and the washing being perfected in glory, he will be brighter and more glorious than ever. Now, Christ introducing this into our soul,

(1.) Implants iu us a new nature, which goes over all the faculties of the soul. It is a divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4, as coming from God, and making the soul like Grod, John iii. 6, " That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit." Hence the man is a new creature ; all his faculties are renewed, mind, will, and conscience: 2 Cor. v. 17, " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are j)ast away, behold, all things are become new." This nature has a bent and propensity to good, and an aversion to evil, and cannot lose it as long as it is in being : and it will be ever, for it is an immortal nature. Hence the combat, Gal. v. 17, " The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

(2.) This new nature hath iu it the seeds of all saving graces : 1 John iii. 9, " "Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ; for his seed reraaineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Compared with Dent. xxx. 6, " The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." We have a swatch of them, Gal. v. 22, 23, " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suff"ering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." And they are taken out of that fulness of grace that is in Christ the head, and communicated to the sinner as a member : John i. 16. " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." And thus they bear the image of Christ, that as he was meek, lowly, &:c. so are they in a measure. And hereby they are enabled for all acts of holy obedience, as a principle of life gives power for motion.

This is the washing of the sinner in the inner man : and if ye are not so washed by Christ, ye have no part with him.

2. Christ washeth sinners in the outward man too: Psal. xlv. 13.

"The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold." These two go together, the latter issuing from the former: Psal. xxiv. 3. 4. " Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? and who shall stand in his holy place ? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." James iv. 8. " Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded." As the candle within shines through the lantern, so grace in the heart appears in the outward conversation : Matth. vi. 22. " The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." As the corruption of nature reigning, vents itself in abominable works, Psal. xiv. 1; so the cleansing and purifying of our nature, vents itself in good works. Tit. ii. 14. " Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." " For as the tree is, so will the fruit be."

Now, Christ washing sinners in the outward man.

1st, Removes the filth that before clave to their life and conversation, Eph. iv. 22. It is no more a vile conversation, nay, nor a vain conversation, 1 Peter i. 18; not a disorderly, but a well-ordered conversation, Psal. 1. 23. Tiiey that go back to their former conversation, whether in vanity or vileness, shew themselves but Satan's washed swine, not Christ's washed saints, 2. Pet ii. 22. It reaches,

(1.) Their words, and purifies them from corrupt communication.

If the heart be circumcised, so will the lips be too: James i 26. " If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." If grace rule in the heart, the tongue will not be allowed to go at random. The liberty that some take with their tongues in obscenity, lying, swearing, mocking and jesting at serious religion, &c. proclaims them to be unwashed by Christ. See Psal. xv.

(2.) It reaches the course of their actions, and purifies it: Heb, ix. 14. " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to Grod, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ?" It purifies their course from impiety against God, and injustice against man; teaching them to walk, as Tit. ii. 12. " Soberly, righteously, and godly." Their hands are washed, as well as their hearts : and their feet are washed, that they go not in the way of sinners as before.

2dlt/, He beautifies them in their life and conversation: Cant. vii. 1. "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, 0 prince's daughter? the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman." Compared with Eph. vi. 15. "And your feet

shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." He makes them " shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation ;" and helps them to a conversation becoming the gospel. And this also reaches,

(1.) Their words. Their tongue is made their glory whereby they glorify God. Instead of corrupt communication, they produce something for the use of edifying. Being translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, they learn the language of it.

(2.) The course of their works. They not only cease to do evil but learn to do well, Is. i. 16. 17- They become "zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. As it is but half washing that takes away only the gross filth, but makes not clean : so it is but half Christianity, where people satisfy themselves with not doing evil, but set not themselves to do good.

Thirdly, I shall shew how our being washed from our sins by Christ is done and brought about. Christ washeth sinners, making use of several things to that blessed purpose.

First, Christ washeth sinners, using some things more immediately for that purpose towards them. And,

First, Christ washeth sinners with his blood, as the most immediate cause of their cleansing. Hence the church ascribes praise to Christ, " who loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood," Rev. i. 5. The blood of Christ hath that place in washing of defiled souls, that water hath in washing defiled bodies : so it is the holy water wherewith we are washed from our sins. Therefore it is called a fountain, and that not only to drink at, but to wash at: Zech. xiii. 1, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for unclean-ness." Compared with 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." This blood being applied to the soul polluted with sin, it efi^ectually removes the filth of sin from the soul.

For understanding this, these things are to be noted.

1. The defilement or uncleanness sin leaves on the soul, is not a bodily and visible thing, as nastiness on our bodies or clothes, which may be taken away with hands: but it is a moral and spiritual uncleaness, viz., an unlikenness or contrariety to the holiness of God expressed in his law; so that the washing of a soul from it is the rendering of that soul like unto God in his imitable perfections, expressed in the ten commandments, which express his image unto us, that appeared perfectly in the man Christ, being and walking exactly in every point according to these ten commands, in all their spirituality and extent.

2. By the blood of Clirist in this matter, is not meant simply the blood that ran out of his veins in his circumcision, the sufferings of his life, and crucifixion ; but Christ himself sacrificed for us j which sacrifice was begun from the moment of his incarnation, was continued all his life long, was perfected on the cross and in the grave, and received its actual purifying efficacy in his resurrection, as a sacrifice fully offered, and accepted for the ends it was offered for: Tit. ii. 14, " He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Rom. iv, 23, " Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." 1 Cor. vi. 11, " And such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Hence we owe our sanctification to the holiness of his nature, and the righteousness of his life, as well as to his death ; the former being as essentially requisite to make him an effectual sacrifice for us, as the latter; since no sacrifice could atone, but what was without natural and accidental blemish. But his blood is particularly named in the case,

1st, For that the life going away with the blood in all living creatures, and so in the man Christ, the shedding of his blood was the perfecting stroke in his sacrificing himself for us : so that we are said to be washed with his blood, as the prisoner is said to be delivered by his cautioner's paying the utmost farthing of his debt. See Rom. i. 17, " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith : as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Compared with Rom. iii. 25, " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins."

2dli/, For decency of expression, the term blood being most agreeable to the term washing, which relates to some liquid. Agreeable hereto was it, that after Christ being born holy, bad lived holy, and died on the cross, his side was pierced, and there came forth blood and water fitted to wash : the Holy Ghost thereby teaching, that the washing or sanctifying of sinners was to proceed from Christ, in his holy birth, life, and death; thence was the spring of purifying virtue from sin.

3. As it is by applying water to the unclean thing, that it is washed : so it is by applying to our souls, Christ sacrificed for us, that we are sanctified and washed from sin. A man may stand at a river side bedaubed with mire and dirt, till he die ; and yet be never a whit the cleaner if the water of that river, be not brouglit close upon him : so Christ, in the purifying virtue of his blood, may

be within reach of the sinner's hand all his days, and yet he may die in his iilth of sin, and lie in it in hell for ever, if Christ and he never come close together in a spiritual union. The blood of sacrifices was first offered to God for atonement, and then it was sprinkled on persons or things for their purification : Heb. ix. 19, " For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people." Compared with Exod. xxiv. 5—8, " And Moses sent young men of the children of Israel, which ofi^ered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled ou the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people : and -they said. All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said. Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words." The offering of the blood of Christ to God is over, near seventeen hundred years ago: but the sprinkling or application of it is still going on : Heb. xii. 22, 24, " But ye are come—to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Where it is sprinkled, they are cleansed ; where not, they lie still in their filth, having no more cleansing from sin by it, than if it had never been shed.

4. It is not every water that will wash clean; but there is a cleansing virtue in some water, that is not in other water. I am not to inquire into the cause of that difference; but into the cause of the cleansing virtue of the blood of Christ, whereby we are washed from sin, that is not in any other thing, though men have multiplied things for that end. If we inquire into the spring of the cleansing virtue that is in Christ sacrificed for us, and in no other things, we find these two.

1st, There is a real and proper merit of sinners' sanctification in him. By his sacrifice of himself he has merited at the hand of God the sanctification of us, and washing us from our sin : Eph. v. 25, 26, " Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it: that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of wafer by the word." Christ as really merited our personal holiness, and every good work we do, at the hand of God, as he merited the pardon of atheism and blasphemy to us: so absnrd is the merit of our works : Tit. ii. 14, " He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unt^ himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19, " Ye know that ye were not

redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Now, there is no such merit in any thing else, that they should wash.

Hence Christ being applied to the soul, or his blood sprinkled on it, has a loosing efficacy, that the filth of sin is loosed from the soul it stuck close to before : even as the payment of the ransom applied to the captive, actually looses the bond of his captivity; so as a just judge can no more suffer him to be a captive, a prisoner. I shewed before, that it is guilt that is that bond. "Wherefore, for persons to pretend part with Christ, while yet their filth of sin sticks as close to them, and they to it, as ever, is to blaspheme the justice of the Father, or the merit of the Son ; as if either the one did receive the ransom, and yet not set the captive free; or else the other's merit was defective, and therefore ineifectual.

Idly, There is a fulness of the Spirit of holiness in him. or in his Mood. Hence he is said. Rev. iii. 1, to have " the seven Spirits of God." Christ sacrificed for us, is the receptacle of the Spirit of sanctification, as the animal spirits are in the blood while fresh and warm, as Christ's blood always is : that is, Christ himself as sacrificed, Heb. X. 20. And that Spirit of sanctification is not in other things, not in Popish penances, not in the legal performances of prayers, tears, confessions, resolutions, &c. which many Protestants use for washing themselves. All these in this case are but dead water, congealed blood without spirits, that defile, but cannot wash.

Hence Christ being applied to, or his blood sprinkled on a soul, has a cleansing efficacy, removing the filth of sin, and cleansing and brightening the soul in likeness to God: 2 Cor. iii. 18, "But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Thus Christ speaking of that application of himself to sinners, as by eating and drinking, which are most close even to the incorporating the meat and drink with the feeder, John vi. 53, 54, " Then Jesus said unto the Jews, Yerily verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Sou of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day ;" gives this as the reason of the efficacy, ver. 63, " It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." As filthy sores are washed and cleansed with spirituous liquors, filthy souls are washed and cleansed with the blood of Christ, full of the Spirit of holiness.

Wherefore to pretend to part with Christ, and yet still to live in your sins, without repentance, or reformation and amendment, is to blaspheme either the blood of Christ, or his Spirit; as if either there were no Spirit of holiness in his blood, or else that that Spirit of holiness hath no efficacy to purge away the filth of sin, and make holy.

5. "Washing off of filth and making clean, is according to the degree of the application of the water with its cleansing virtue. It is a very slight spot that will be quite washed off at the very first brush. There is virtue enough in the river, at once to wash clean a filthy object; but the washer applies it but by degrees, so that it may be long ere it be got perfectly clean : so there is virtue enough in Christ to wash all whom he washes at all, perfectly clean at once; but that virtue is applied but by degrees, 2 Cor. iii. 18, forecited. Pro v. iv. 18, " The path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

There is a threefold washing of sinners, according to a threefold application of Christ's blood to them.

1st, A begun washing by a begun application thereof. This is done in the work of conversion. Tit. iii. 5, it is called the washing of regeneration. Here the soul that before all along was lying in wickedness together with the unclean world, being taken out from among them by effectual calling, and united to Christ by faith, and so having part with him, is washed from his filthiness, by an application of the blood of Christ, that never touched him before, but now streams over him in union with Christ: Ezek. xvi. 8, 9, " Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness : yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil."

Concerning the washing, the effect of this application, observe,

(1.) Tt is a washing all over; a washing of every part, though not quite clean in any part: 2 Cor. v, 17, " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are past away, behold, all things are become new." Therefore it is called a new birth : Tit. iii. 5, " Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." John iii. 5, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." "We do not say a child is born, when his head, or feet, or an arm are born ; but when the whole child is brought forth. Some shew a head, that, with notions of the principles of religion in it.

Vol. VI. 2o

and a tongue to talk of them, seems to be washed; others shew feet, that, by going in the road of outward reformation, and some external duties, seem to be washed. But it is not the washing of regeneration; for it goes not all over them : they are new in some things, but they are just what they were in other things. Trace them to their walk in their employments and relations, to the entertainment given to the beloved lust, to the inner man, and set of their heart with respect to the purity of the holy law ; and they are just the same with the world lying in wickedness. That is au evidence, that their washing is with their own nitre and soap, not with the blood of Christ.

(2.) It is a washing that puts one in a state of cleanness, bringing him out of a state of filthiness: John xiii. 10, " He that is washed needeth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." There is a difference between one lying in a mire, and another that has defiled his feet; though both need washing, the latter needs but to wash his feet. Such is the case of the unregenerate and regenerate : Cant. vi. 10, " Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners ?" When the dawning is come, ii is true it is not broad day-light; but yet it is day, not night. The moon has her spots, yet she is not filthy, but fair.

(3.) That state of cleanness can never be lost, John xiii. 10, fore-cited. Many seem to be brought to a state of cleanness, but at length they turn apostates: that says, they were never out of the state of filthiness, and the church of God was but beguiled with them, when they took them for persons in a state of cleanness. They that are once washed, will never apostatize, nor go back again to wallow in the mire : 1 John ii. 19, " They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us : but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us."

2(i(t/, A continued and progressive washing, by a continued progressive application of Christ's blood to the soul. This is done and carried on all along from the first conversion of a sinner, until his death. Therefore though the elders were about the throne in white, yet there was a sea of glass before it. Rev. iv. 4, 6. And the fountain stands opened for the house of David, as well as for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Zech. xiii. 1; for saints as well as for sinners. They that, deeming themselves once washed, find no need of washing more, proclaim themselves not washed by Christ, as do they who betake themselves for it to another laver. They that are come to Christ for washing, are still coming, 1 Pet. ii. 4.

Two things make this continued washing necessary.

(1.) Continued imperfection in the washing of the soul during this life, Philip, iii. 12. Believers are in no moment of time perfectly-clean ; in their most shining moments they are still but as the moon, not without tlieir spots. So that they never want matter of exercise, in purging that they may arrive at a perfect purity: 1 John iii. 3, " Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

(2.) New defilements contracted continually. Though they never lose the state of cleanness, yet they are always needing to wash their feet: John xiii. 10, "He that is washed, needeth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." An allusion to the priests in the temple service. They are all priests to God, and so washed : but while they go about, such is the defiled world they walk in, the remains of defilement in them, that in every thing they contract some spot: James iii. 2, " For in many things we oflTend all." Their heart and life have so many remaining seeds of corruption, that they never want occasion to pluck up weeds.

Now, this continued washing is by the continued application of Christ's blood, and no other way : 1. John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleansetli us from all sin." For,

[1.] This is the way the saints have looked for it; as David, Psal. li. 2. " Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Ver. 7, " Purge me with hyssop, aud I shall be clean : wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." As the lepers could, by no art of their o\7n, be so purified as to be admitted to society, but by the priests sprinkling them ; so sinners, by no art or ende;--vours of their own, can be purified so as to be admitted to fellowship with God, but by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon them. Therefore the sea of glass, which is the blood of Christ, stands before the throne, that whosoever would have communion with God, may wash there, aud so be fitted for it.

[2.] There is no merit of holiness, nor fulness of the Spirit in any thing else. The doings and suflTeriiigs of saints are as free of merit, as those of sinners: Luke xvii. 10, "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say. We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." Neither is there any thing of the Spirit in them, but so far as the blood of Christ is sprinkled on them, rendering them acceptable, Rev. vii. 14 ; 2 Cor. ii. 16. But in the blood of Christ there is a never-failing merit, a constant fulness of the Spirit, to which the soul may have continual recourse for washing, as to a fountain never dry.

'3dli/, A perfect washing, by a full application of the blood of

2o 2

Christ. And this takes place at death, Heb. xii. 23—" To the spirits of jast men, made perfect." Then believers washed in conversion, and who have been all along washed in the blood of Christ, are by the same means made quite clean and without spot: Eph. V. 25, 26, 27, " Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it: that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish." This lies in two things.

(1.) The doing away the remains of sin wholly. The reigning power of sin being broken by the first application, it is gradually removed by further application, and quite carried off* by the full application at death. Not the least stain, nor mark of it, will then be left on the believing soul. But the filth of sin now carried off in part from the whole man, will then be wholly carried off from every part.

(2.) The perfecting of the image of God: 1 John iii, 2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The several lineaments of it are indeed drawn now upon the believer, but mixed with corruption in every part: but then it shall be without mixture, every part getting the finishing stroke in that image, 1 Cor. xiii. 10. "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." So shall they " shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever," Dan. xii. 3. " The righteous shall shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father," Matth. xiii. 43.

Now, it is by a full application of the blood of Christ, that is, by a full participation of Christ crucified in his purifying virtue, that this washing is made : Rev. vii. 14, 15, " These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among thera." The cleansing virtue going out from him to the soul in some measure now, will then go out in full measure, as when a sluice is opened, and carries all away before it: 2 Cor. iii. 18, " But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'' Compared with 1 John iii. 2, forecited. The soul putting off the body, unites more closely with Christ than ever, and so partakes of

his merit, and fulness of Spirit, to a pitch of perfection: Eph. iv. 13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

Secondly, Christ washeth sinners by his Spirit: Tit. iii. 5, " Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renew^ ing of the Holy Ghost." 2 Thess. ii. 13, " God hath from tlie beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." And the Spirit of Christ has that place in washing defiled souls, that the hand of the washer hath in "vashing the defiled body of another. The hand being the instrument of action with men, the Spirit of Christ is held forth under that notion, the whole work of the application of Christ's redemption to us being done by him : Acts xi. 21, " And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." Is. liii. 1, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" Matt. xii. 28, " But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Compared with Luke xi. 20, " But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." So Christ washeth sinners with his blood, by his Spirit: John iii. 5, " Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 1 John v. 8," And there ai'e three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." This the apostle very plainly teacheth, 1 Cor. vi. 11, " And such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of pur God." So Christ's hand has never come on that soul for washing, which is destitute of the Spirit of Christ: Rom. viii. 9, " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Now, of the work of the Spirit of Christ in the washing of a sinner, we may take a view in the following particulars.

1. The Spirit of Christ discovers to the sinner his pollution and defilement of soul: John xvi. 8, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." He brightens the glass of the holy commandments of the word, and he opens the sinner's eyes, and determines him to look into that glass: and so the sinner, getting a new sight of the holiness and purity of God, Hab. i. 13, gets a new sight of himself, that he cries out, with the leper, Unclean, unclean; and says, with the church, Is. Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous-

iiesses are as filthy rags." Then he sees that loathsomeness in sin that he saw not before; the loathsomeness of his nature, heart, and life; not excepting those sins he looked on formerly as beauty-spots, glorying in them, Phil. iii. 19. And he is filled with shame and confusion before the Lord; like those, Jer, iii. 22, " Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God." Ver. 25, " We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from onr youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God." And if ye have no experience of this, ye have no part with Christ.

2. He discovers to the sinner the laver wherein he may be ■washed from that spiritual pollution, the fountain wherein he may be purified, viz. the blood of Christ, or Christ himself as crucified and sacrificed for us: 1 Cor. ii. 12, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." Here is the only effectual mean for purification, the only true purgatory, Jesus Christ in the purifying virtue of his blood, Heb. i. ii. And the Spirit points it out to the sinner. This is called " revealing of the Son," Gal. i. 16; in our Catechism, "enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ." Concerning which ye may note,

Ist, That it is natural to men under a sense of their filthiness, to look to and run to lavers of their own for washing themselves, however ineffectual they are : Hos. v. 13, ""When Ephraira saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound." Hence the first question, " What shall we do to be saved ?" They have neither eyes to see, nor hearts for the blood of Christ, as the alone mean of washing from sin. The whole ceremonial law pointed the Israelites to Christ as the only remedy for soul pollution, yet they are as great strangers to it, as if they had never heard of it. Hence we have these questions, with the Lord's answer, Mic. vi. 6, 7, 8, " Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God ? shall I come before him with burnt-offeriugs, with calves of a year old ? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? shall I give my first-born for my trangression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ?"

2dly It is the work of the Spirit a'lone to discover it, so as to bring the unclean soul to it. As Hagar saw not the well though

it was near lier, till the Lord opened her eyes; so the sinner sees not the opened fountain for sin and uncleanness, till the Spirit enlighten the raind : John xvi. 14, " He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." And he shews it effectually to the sinner, together with the ineffectualness of all things else for that purpose. And,

(1.) The Spirit shews the ineffectualness of all other, in the glass of the law in its spirituality and extent. There the sinner beholds all that he can do or suffer needs itself to be washed, being polluted and defiled, and so that it can defile him, but not wash him. Hence says the church. Is. Ixiv. 6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

• (2.) In the glass of the promise of the gospel, he shews the true laver, Christ Jesus : John iii. 16, " For God so loved the world, that lie gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Spirit brings home the promise of the gospel, and demonstrates it to the sinner, 1 Cor. ii. 4. And he demonstrates,

[l.J The infallible efficacy of it to cleanse from sin : 1 Thess. i. 5, " For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also iu power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." Notwithstanding all that the word saith of the efficacy of Christ's blood to wash from sin, that mystery is but folly to carnal men, till the demonstration of the Spirit come : 1 Cor. i. 23, 24, " But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." Then the soul says, as Matt. is. 21, " If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."

[2] The sinner's access to it in particular; that the fountain is not only open, but open for him, 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5. If this be not, the sinner can never apply it to himself by faith. And this the Spirit doth by opening the general warrant of the word, and applying it particularly to the sinner.

3. He brings the sinner into the laver, puts him into the water as it were. We are naturally in the case of that man at the pool, who said, John v. 7, " I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool." Though the laver of Christ's blood be near by us, we cannot put in ourselves for washing. Now, the Spirit does the sinner this good office : and he does it by uniting him to Christ, whereby the unclean soul is plunged into the fountain opened

for sin : 1 Cor. xii. 13, " For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." And the Spirit brings the sinner into the laver.

1st, Passively, entering into the dead and defiled sonl whereby the soul is quickened : Ezek. xxxvi. 27, " And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Rom. viii. 9, " But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Christ communicates the Spirit, which is his own Spirit dwelling in him, to the dead and defiled soul; and so the soul is passively united to Christ, and quickened. Thus Christ draws the sinner to him for washing, by the Spirit.

2dly, Actively, working faith in the sinner, whereby he comes to Christ, and unites with him : Col. ii. 12, " Buried with hira in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Compared with 2 Cor. iv. 13, " We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have T spoken : we also believe, and therefore speak." Eph. iii. 17, " That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." The soul being drawn, runs; being united to Christ, unites with him; being put into the opened fountain, dips himself over head and ears in it, Rom. iii. 25. This actual believing the Spirit produces in the sinner immediately out of the spiritual life given by the communication of himself to him : Philip ii. 13, " For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." John v. 25, " Yerily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear shall live." Cora-pared with chap. i. 12, 13, " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name : which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Now, the unclean sinner thus brought to Christ, and united to him, is in the fountain, and cannot miss to be washed from his sins with the blood of Christ: and the only hand that brings him there is the Spirit of Christ. Now, he has part with Christ, communion necessarily following upon the union.

4. Lastly, The Spirit washeth the unclean soul in the laver, applying Christ to it in the purifying virtue of his blood; as one washeth an unclean person in water, applying the water to him; 1 Pet. i. 2, " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprink-

ling of the blood of Jesus Christ." And according to the degree of that application of Christ to the sinner, in the purifying virtue of his blood, made by the Spirit, such is the degree of the sanctifica-tion or washing of the sinner. For understanding this mystery, consider,

1st, The soul being united to Christ, is clothed with his merit, as for justification, so for sanctification also : Rev. iii. 18, " I counsel thee to buy of rae white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Sanctification is a great privilege and costly, bought with the Redeemer's blood : 1 Pet. i. 18, 19, " Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Iamb without blemish and without spot." Tit. ii. 14, " Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." And the merit or righteousness of Christ being on a man, by union with Christ, is the ground in law for his partaking of the benefit of sanctification, as a benefit purchased for him : even as the guilt of Adam's first sin on us, is the ground in law for God's denying us the sanctification of our nature in our birth, upon which the corruption of nature is conveyed to us from Adam.

2dlt/, Sinners united to Jesus Christ, have communion with hira in his death and resurrection; i e., they have a common interest with him therein, they are in law reckoning their death and resurrection too: Col. ii. 12, " Buried with hira in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." The reason is, because Christ died and rose again as a public person, their head, in their name : Rom. vi. 4, " Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death ; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." And this communion with Christ in his death and resurrection, is the spring of their sanctification ; it is that which sets all the wheels in motion, that concur to the washing them from their sins : Rom. vi. 3—6, " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death : we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection : knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

Zdly, Christ dying put off from himself the whole body of all our sins, which before were upon him by imputation; and rose again without sin imputed, as he was ever without sin inherent: Rora. vi. 10, " For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God." For he by his death having fully satisfied for sins, the guilt of them whereby they clave to him, was dissolved of course, and he shook them all off as Paul did the viper into the fire, having no more power to cleave to hira or hurt him. Which death and resurrection being of a public person, their head, hath, by the merit thereof, a power of conforming all his members thereto, in dying to sin, and rising to newness of life ; even as there was a contrary power in Adam's sin and death : Philip, iii. 10, " That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comformable unto his death." Compared with Rom. vi. 5, 6, above-cited.

4thli/, Sinners having communion with Christ in this his death and resurrection, are in him legally dead to sin, freed from it in point of right, and alive spiritually to God : Rom. vi. 10, 11, " For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed nnto sin ; but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." The body of the sins of the flesh is legally put off them, and they are clean : even as the captive or prisoner to whom is legally applied the paying of the ransom or debt by the cautioner, is, in the moment of that application, legally free, and no more a captive or prisoner in point of right; though it may take some time ere he be brought freely out of the dungeon, and his prison garments be got all of them off, and his irons be all knocked off.

5thli/, Upon this ground the Spirit applies Christ's death and resurrection really to them, conforming them in their own persons thereto : even as when the judge hath legally applied the payment of the ransom to the captive, by sustaining it as paid for him; a messenger applies it really by opening the prison-doors, knocking off the chains, and bringing him out: Gal. vi. 14, " But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Philip, iii. 10, " That I may know hira, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Compared with 1 Pet. i. 2, " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." So that by the Spirit they are changed into the image of Christ dead and risen again : 2 Cor. iii. 18, "But we all with open face, behold-

iiig as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are clianged into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," Rom. \i. 0, " For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his <leath ; we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."

Qthly, The Spirit applies Christ's blood, death, and resurrection, to sinners, really, by conveying from Christ the head, unto them as his members, a certain measure and degree of that all-fulness of grace that is lodged in him, which he did to purchase, and rose again to apply : Col. i. 19, " For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, John i. 16, " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." Compared with John xvi. 14, 15, " He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath, are mine : therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." All the grace that is in the saints in heaven or earth, or ever shall be, comes from the fulness of grace in the man Christ; as all the light of the world from the sun : and the Spirit communicates it to them ■from him. Now, all graces are in Christ, and the Spirit communicates to his members of them all, John i. 16, forecited.

Itlily, Thus the blood of Christ applied by the Spirit, penetrates or seeks in to the unclean soul, to the washing it from its filthiness; Ezek. xxxvi. 25, " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." For wherever that grace comes, it must needs have a twofold effect: (1.) To remove sin according to its measure, and so to carry off spiritual filthiness. Where humility comes, pride goes; where heavenliness of mind takes place, there sensuality and world-liness are dislodged ; and so of other graces. For grace and sin are two contraries ; whereof as the one gains, the other must needs lose. (2.) To beautify and brighten the soul. Hence she is, like "the king's daughter, all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold," Psal. xlv. 13. For the more grace one has, the more he is like Grod. And this grace is immediately derived to us from Christ; who is the image of the invisible God, and therefore fairer than the children of men, Psal. xlv. 2; that we being thereby rendered like Christ, may be rendered like God, in his imitable perfections.

Qthly, This communication of grace, by the Spirit, from Christ, to us being united to Christ, is the Spirit's applying Christ's blood to lis; inasmuch as the blood of Christ is as it were the vehicle of his grace, as the water is of the soap, that cleansing thing, Mai. iii. 2, Christ is like fuller's soap. In this view is that j)rayer for sancti-fication, Psal. li. 2, "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Wash me, namely, as a fuller doth. In

vain is the soap used without the water for washing ; and in vain will we look for sanctification by the grace of Christ, without the merit of his blood on us It is in the stream of his blood going over our souls, that his grace is brought into and left in them, to the beautifying of them in holiness. By the merit of it, it hath a double effect. One relative, and immediate, to our justification. Hence the apostle, Heb. xii. 24, speaks of "coming to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Another effect it has, real, and mediate, to our sanctification. Hence the apostle describes Christians as, 1 Pet. i. 2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." And this is effected through the grace of Christ that it brings down with it. It is the bruising of the bread-corn that fits it to be bread; the dying of the corn of wheat, that brings forth more wheat: so it is the crucifying of Christ, that fitted him to be a fountain of grace, whereof sinners might drink ; it is the blood or death of Christ that makes Christians, i. e. men after his image, John xii. 24. Thus the Spirit's conveying of grace from Christ to us, is his sprinkling ns with the blood of Christ for our sanctification, 1 Pet. i. 2; to be distinguished, though not divided, from the sprinkling for our justification, Heb. xii. 24.

Lastly, According to the measure of the former sprinkling or application of the blood of Christ, so is the measure of our sanctification, purification, and cleansing from sin. The other having only a relative and immediate effect, is not capable of degrees: so it is alike in all believers. But this having a real and mediate effect through the grace conveyed in it, is made in very different degrees and measures, as a spring or fountain running into a vessel. And there are three degrees of this application of Christ's blood by the Spirit, as before observed.

\st, A begun application of it, in the soul's union with Christ at first in effectual calling. That moment the sinner becomes a member of Christ, the Spirit begins the application of Christ's blood to him for his sanctification, conveying real inherent grace to him from Christ his head, 2 Thess. ii. 13, compared with John xvi. 14, and i. 16. The sluice of grace in Christ that was quite stopt before as to the sinner, is then opened in a measure to run over him for his washing from sin. And as to this measure,

1. It is some measure of all saving grace that is then communicated to the believer from Christ, his head, by the Spirit: John i. 16, " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."

As the wax receives every point in the seal, so the believer receives every grace iu the man Christ. Hence the apostle, Eph. i. 13, speaks of believers being " sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. As all saving graces arc lodged iu Christ without measure, John. iii. 34, so a seed of them all is communicated to his members, 1 John iii. 9, of faith, love, repentance, or a set of heart turning God-ward, humility, meekness, &c. And though some graces may be more apparent and topping in a believer, than others ; yet he wants none of them altogether, Heb. viii. 10. The effect of this is the habitual sanctification of the believer, whereby the dominion of sin is broken ; the pollution and defilement by sin is begun to be removed, and the soul is made habitually holy. More particularly, hereby,

1st, The believer's nature is renewed, Eph. iv. 23, 2-4. He is renewed in the whole man, his whole person, soul and body, 1 Thess. V. 23. There are quite new qualities derived from Christ, into his mind, will, and aflfections ; habits of grace infused into them by the Spirit from Christ, which habits of grace are the immediate principle of gracious actings, distinct from the new vital powers that go before faith. The body is renewed in communion with the renewed soul. Hence the apostle exhorts the Romans, Rom. vi. 13, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead; and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." So sanctification is quite another thing than the bare amending of our lives; and holiness quite another thing than moral virtue, which can never give us this new nature.

2dli/, He becomes a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17; not only a spiritually living creature, as in the quickening of the dead soul, John V. 25, before faith in efi"ectual calling, called the first regeneration, John i. 12, 13, answering to the conception in natural generation ; but a new creature in all its parts, by the work of sanctification ; a second regeneration, following after faith, and answering to the forming of the conception into the distinct members in the womb, however small. Tit. iii. 5; Eph. ii. 10; i. 13. Hence there is not only a new head, feet, or life, in the case; but a new man, where all saving graces concur, as all the several membeis in a human body,

Sdl^, He is made over again in the image of God, bearing his image as a child of the faiher. Col. iii. 10. And this comes to pass, in that the new creature being entirely sprung of Christ, being made by receiving from him grace for grace in him, must needs be his image. Gal. iv. 19. And he is the image of God; therefore it must be the image of God too. Thus Eve was made after God's

image, but mediately, being made after Adam's image, who was made immediately after God's, Gen. ii. 18, margin, compared with 1 Cor. xi. 7, 8.

AtUi/, He becomes one spirit with Christ, which is the oneness with Christ that is the result of our uniting with him, 1 Cor. vi. 17, " He that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit." The Spirit is tbo principal cause, faith the instrumental cause, joining or uniting us to Christ; but this is it whereby Christ and the believer formally coalesce or go together into one, viz. one spirit, L e. one spiritual nature, Heb. ii. 11: even as Eve was one flesh with Adam, being made of him, of his flesh and bones; to which the Apostle alludes, Eph. V. 30. " For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." Suppose a tree had a virtue of changing the graft into its own nature, as Christ has; the gardener ingrafts, the graff by his art unites close with the stock : then the stock conveys of its juice into the graff, whereby the nature of the grafi" is changed; here is the oneness arising from the uniting, they are one tree, of one nature. So the Spirit puts the soul to Chi'ist, by faith it unites close with him: then Christ by his Spirit conveys of his graces to the soul, which change its nature into his own, and so they go into one, viz. one spiritual or divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4, partaking of it with him, and that from him. So they are his seed. Is. liii. 10.

Lastly, He is put in a near capacity for all acts of holy obedience, whether in doing or sufi'ering, Deut. xxx. 6; Heb. viii. 10; the seed of the several saving graces derived from Christ, and implanted in him, tending of their own nature to spring according to their several kinds. If the seed of any grace were wanting in him, then he would be in no near capacity for acting that grace wanting. Like as a dead man, who is not only quickened by a miracle, but is risen and come out of the grave, is in an immediate disposition for the common actions of life; so in this case of sanctification, the soul is not only quickened, as it is in efi"ectual calling, but is in the nearest capacity to walk what way the Lord calls: Rom. vi. 4, " Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In eff'ectual calling, Christ says to the sinner, Arise ; in sanctification he says. Loose him, and let him go.

2. But it is not a full measure of any grace that is then communicated from Christ by his Spirit to the believer: " For we know but in part," says the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. And says the same apostle, Rom. vii. 23, " I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the

law of sin, which is in my members." The believer has derived to him from Christ, the graces of faith, love, &c. but none of them iu perfection : even as when the child is perfectly formed in the womb, there is head, eyes, hands, feet, &c. but all of them very small, none of them come to perfection. Now, so far as they go, they do remove sin with its pollution off the soul: but they cannot fill up the room iu any part; therefore there are remains of corruption in every part, mind, will, and affections, and the body in communion with the corrupt part, Rom. vii. 14.

Now, the consequent of this is an imperfection of sanctification : the believer is sanctified, but not perfectly sanctified. More particularly, hence,

1st, There two contrary principles in believers; the flesh and spirit, the new and old man, the new nature derived to them from the second Adam, the old unrenewed nature from the first Adam : the one the old inhabitant, the other the new incomer upon it; like the house of Saul, and the house of David, in Israel. Hence believers are a mystery to the world, yea to themselves: Can. vi. 13, " Return, return, 0 Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon thee: what will ye see in the Shulamite ? as it were the company of two armies." Rom. vii. 16, 17, " If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

2,dli/, There is a continual combat in them, between these two contrary principles, being together side for side, as it were, in every part: Gal. v. 17, " For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Thus the believer is like Rebekah, Gen. xxv. 22, 23, who had the children struggling together within her; and who was told by the Lord, upon her inquiring into the affair, that two nations were in her womb, and tMO manner of people should be separated from her bowels. The two armies war in the Shulamite, Cant. vi. 13. So that the believer's heart by that means is often like a field of battle, where there is much confusion and struggle. There is something like this found sometimes in the unregenerate ; but iu them the struggle is between the flesh in one part lusting, and the flesh in another part fearing, 2 Pet. ii. 15, compared with Numb. xxii. 18. In the saiuts it is between the flesh and the spirit in one and the same part, receiving and refusing the same spiritual truth or falsehood, willing and nilling the same good or evil, of its own proper motion, Rom. vii. 15, 16, forecited.

'Sdli/, Neither their good nor ill actions are carried to perfection,

Gal. V. 17j forecited. For the two contrary principles being thus yoked, neither of them gets its full swing. When grace prevails to carry the good point, yet corruption clogs it in some measure: and when corruption prevails, grace clogs it in some measure ; Cant iv. 2, " Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing : whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." Saints in heaven in good, and unregenerate men in evil, are like strong men travelling in a calm day ; saints on earth, in good or ill, are like men travelling with a strong wind blowing in their face, that cannot make the way that otherwise they would.

3. Howbeit, it is a predominant measure of grace that is then conveyed by the Spirit from Christ to the soul: Rom. vi. 14, " For sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Grace is put in the heart to rule, though in midst of its enemies, which makes it difficult to maintain its superiority. Not that it is predominant in every particular event and encounter; experience testifies the contrary. Hence, says the apostle, Rom. vii. 23, " I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in n?y members." But it is fundamentally and habitually predominant; that is, it is more firmly rooted as an immortal seed against a mortal one, and generally speaking it prevails. Hence,

1st, The dominion and reigning power of sin is broken, Rom. vi. 14, forecited. It is turned off the throne it had before, and is put under the check of a superior principle. Hence the apostle saith, 1 John iii. 9, " "Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Thus Christ delivers the soul from that enemy, to serve him. Hence is that of the prophet. Is. ix. 4, " Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian." Indwelling it may be for a time, and, as a troublesome guest, breed much disturbance in the house: but it is no more master of the house. This was typified by the remains of the Canaanites in the land, which Israel could not drive out, but yet brought them under tribute, Jud. i. 19, &c.

2dli/, It shall be quite expelled at length : Rom. xvi. 20, " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Whatever particular battles it wons, the wars shall end in its ruin : 1 John V. 4, " Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world." When the true Israelite comes to the Red Sea of death, these

Egyptians shall be swallowed up there, and he shall see them all dead on the shore. Sin is crucified by the incoming of grace, and though the thief being on the cross may rage and blaspheme, yet shall he never come down till he breath out his last.

2dly, There is a continued application of the blood of Christ made to the believer by the Spirit, during his after continuing in the world. For the soul once united to Christ, his Spirit dwells in it ever after, never quits his dwelling. Hence Christ said to his disciples, John xiv. 16, 17, " I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither kiioweth him : but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." And the Spirit continues that application to it from time to time till death, conveying fresh supplies of grace to it from Christ the head. Hence the grace of Christ conveyed to believers is held forth under the notion of a spring-well ; John iv. 14, " But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life ;" which is still affording new water. The fulness of grace in Christ is the spring-head, Col. ii. 19. The receivers into which it runs, are believers, his members, that receive supplies of grace from him, as the branches supplies of juice from the stock: John xv. 5, " I am the vine, ye are the branches : he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." And the conveyer of these supplies from the head to the members, Philip i. 18, with ver. 11, is the Spirit. For clearing this purpose, consider,

1. Though one is renewed, and has the seed of all grace planted in him, in the begun application issuing in habitual sanctifica-tion; yet he is not able of himself to exercise one grace, to wash off one remaining spot, or add to himself one stroke of purity: but thereto is necessary a new supply by the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 4, 5. Even of our gracious selves we can do nothing; can bring forth no fruit of grace, John xv. 5, even when furnished with gracious qualities. This is not so very strange, if we consider, that though we have the power of natural motion, yet we cannot move a finger without a common providential influence of the Spirit, Acts xvii. 28, " For in him we live, and move, and have our being." Though fresh seed be cast into the earth, if the influence of the sun and rain is withheld, it springs not.

2. Hence every gracious act of ours is a fruit of the Spirit produced by him in us, through these supplies of grace ; as the springing of the seed is by the warmth and moisture it gets from the

YoL. VI. 2 p

heavens, Gal. v. 22, 23; Eph. v. 8. Hence the Spirit is said to lust against the flesh, Gal. v. 17, as producing these lustings in us; even as he is said to groan, Rom, viii. 26. So every act of mortification is by the Spirit, Rom. viii. 13, " If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." And so also is every act of obedience, Phil. ii. 13, " For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So that take away the Spirit, and ye take away all true holiness.

3. These supplies of grace are given in such a measure only, in the continued application, as in the begun application. There is some measure of every grace supplied, Col. ii. 19. Hence, (Eph. V. 9.), " The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth." But there is not a full measure of any grace : 1 Cor. xiii. 9, " For we know but in part." Yet there is a predominant measure, 2 Cor. xii. 9. Hence the imperfection of actual sanctifi-cation; there are still some spots to wash off while here. Washing of foul clothes will take time; there is much work for the hands there. But the washing of foul souls ordinarily takes more than the longest work of that kind. The Spirit could wash us perfectly clean in an instant, by a full application of the blood; but it is otherwise ordered. The thief on the cross was washed clean in a moment: but ordinarily the washing is gradual.

4. Lastly, These continued supplies of grace continue the washing of the soul; inasmuch as thereby,

\st, Inherent grace is preserved, that it die not out, amidst so many snares and temptations. It is but a created quality, and of itself would wither away and die out, and so leave the soul overwhelmed anew with the filth of sin, if it were not fed. Hence the Lord says. Is. xxvii. 3, " I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." John XV. 5, 6, " I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. But the continued supplies from Christ by the Spirit, render it an abiding immortal seed, 1 Cor. i. 8, 9, compared with John xiv. 19; Jude ver, 1.

Idly, Inherent grace is excited, that it lie not idle. Cant. v. 4. Sometimes it lies like fire under the ashes; new supplies coming in by the Spirit, it is stirred up, and casts abroad its light in the soul. Hence the Spirit is compared to the wind, Cant. iv. 16. Being excited to action, it removes sin; as the stopt spring loosed, works out the mud. And,

3<iiy, It is increased and strengthened, that it may act nioro vigorously towards the expulsion of its enemy, Col. i. 10; Eph. iii. 16; Is. xl. 29. As an addition of soap makes the washing go on more thoroughly, so the fresh supplies of grace from Christ by the Spirit carry on the washing of the soul, causing the stream run higher to the carrying oft' more of the filth of sin, and beautifying the soul more.

Sdli/, There is a full application of the blood of Christ to the soul made by the Spirit at death. That moment the soul and body are separated, the Spirit brings in a full stream of grace from Christ into the soul, Eph, iii. 19. with 1 Cor. xiii. 8, 9, 10. The communication of grace which was before but in part, is then made perfect. For clearing of this purpose, note, that,

1. The perfection of grace taking place in the souls of believei's at death, comes from the same spring as at conversion, and after, till death. It is all communicated to them from Christ their head, with this difference only, that the stream of it that ran small and scanty before, is then made to run full, as when a sluice is fully opened. As, out of his fulness, they got grace for grace in Christ, in some measure, before; so then, out of the same fulness, they get a fulness of grace for grace in him. For they grow to their perfection in him, as members of him, and therefore by communication from him, Eph. iv. 13. The new creature is both formed and perfected the same way.

2. It is the same Spirit who conveys the perfection of grace from Christ to believers at death, that conveyed the first grace, and the supplies thereof: the same Spirit who forms, and nourishes the new creature, in the time of this life, brings it to its perfection and full growth at death, Philip, i. 6; Psal. cxxxviii. 8. And as to the measure he then communicates.

1st, It is a full measure, such as wholly renews them in every part, perfecting the image of Christ, and so of God, on them, and utterly abolishes all remains of sin in them, 2 Cor. iv. 16, with Heb. xii. 23 ; Rev. vii. 14, 15. Thus they are washed perfectly clean, no spot is left in them, all being carried ofi* by the full flood of grace conveyed then from Christ to them. And thus they are enabled to serve the Lord in pei'fection for ever. Rev. xxii. 3, with 1 Cor. xiii. 10.

2dl^, Yet is it not such a measure, as that they never need more: no, but they will always be kept full, by the Spirit's communicating eternally to them full supplies of grace from Christ their head: Rev. vii. 17, "For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto livinof fountains of

2 p2

waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Compared with John xvi. 14, " He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." There will be nothing any more to stop or retard the flowing of grace from Christ into them ; but the fountain will empty of its fulness into them without interruption. That there shall be such an eternal communication to them from Christ by the Spirit, is evident, in that they continue for ever members of Christ; and members cannot act but by continued communications of influences from their head: John xiv. 16, 17, " And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever ; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." John xv. 4, 5, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches : He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." From what is said on this head, we draw these inferences.

1. They are not washed from their filthiness, that have never had a discovery of the filth of sin made to them by the Spirit. Men may get a sight of the guilt of sin, that will fill them with fear and terror; that yet get no kindly sight of the filth of sin, filling them with shame and self-loathing before the Lord. But without this last, there is no sanctification : Ezek. xxxvi. 31, " Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations." Therefore never think ye have seen sin aright, till ye see it in the monstrous filthiness of it, as opposite to the holiness of God: it is that only will turn one's stomach on it, and cause them to vomit it up by true repentance.

2. The filthiness of the soul by sin, is never duly seen, till it appear so ingrained as nothing but the blood of Christ can wash it ofi'. They evidence but slight thoughts of the filth of sin, that think it can be carried ofi" by prayers, confessions, tears, and outward reformation : therefore the Spirit carries the elect beyond all these to the laver of Christ's blood. Hence David prayed, Psal. li. 2, " Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." There only is there merit and efiicacy sufficient to wash out the pollution.

3. Whosoever truly come to Christ by faith, they come to him for sanctification, as well as justification; that they may be washed from the filth of sin by him, as well as freed from the guilt of sin

through him. ITence faith is a coming to the waters, Is. Iv. 1, and that to be washed in them, Zech. xiii. 1. It is but false faith that looks to Christ for freedom from guilt and the wrath of God, and not for conformity to God in holiness.

4. For to stand off from Christ, and uniting with him by believing on him, till one has made himself clean and fit for Christ, is the work of a false heart, marring the soul's washing; not the work of the Spirit, carrying on the washing of the soul. For it is the work of the Spirit to put the unclean soul in the laver, uniting it to Christ, that it may be made clean. Therefore let no pollution of sin whatsoever keep you back from Christ; but let the consideration of your pollution drive you forward to him; and the greater it is, ye have the more need to make speed, and unite the more closely with Christ.

5. Whosoever are united to Christ by the Spirit, are sanctified persons, truly regenerate, new creatures: 2 Cor. v. 17, " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." In vain do men pretend to be members of Christ, while they remain unsanctified in their nature and life. Can one be united to Christ in whom the fulness of grace is lodged, and yet there be no communication of grace from him to them ? or can there be such a communication, and yet they not be renewed after his image ? and if a new nature, must there not be a new life ?

6. Lastly, True Christianity is in its own nature a progressive thing, going towards perfection. Hence says the apostle, Philip iii, 12, " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect : but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." It is a most dismal sign, where a person having, as he thinks, embraced Christ for salvation, and so secured himself for eternity, is no further careful to advance in practical religion, but coutinues easy, being at a stand; seeing " the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. It is true, a real believer may not only be at a stand for a while, but may be going back : but it is of the nature of grace, as of a seed, or the morning light, to go forward and increase till it come to perfection, John iv. 14; Eph. iv. 13. This is the result of the continued application of the blood of Christ to the believer by the Spirit. Therefore observe whether ye grow or not.

Thirdly, Christ washetb sinners through faith. Hence the apostle, Acts XV. 9, speaks of "purifying the heart by faith;" and xxvi. 18, of being sent to open men's eyes, " and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may re-

ceive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ." And faith has that place in the washing of defiled souls, that the hand of the party washed hath in the washing of himself, under the management of the principal washer. For faith is the hand of the soul, John i. 12. And in the spiritual washing it is active. The soul being first passively washed by the Spirit, washeth itself by faith ; being put into the laver by the Spirit, it applies the water by faith, 2 Cor, vii. 1. Yet Christ by his Spirit is still the principal cause of the washing; forasmuch as he both works faith in the soul, and then by new influences puts it in exercise: Philip, ii. 13, "For it is God which worketh in ns, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." And so faith is the instrumental cause of our washing from sin. Acts xv. 9, forecited.

Now, the efficacy of faith in the washing of the soul lies in these following things, under these two heads.

1. It is the eye of the soul in that matter, and so it is an impulsive cause moving the sinner to wash away his sin, Gal. ii. 16; and is supposed in such calls, as that Is. i. 16, " Wash ye, make yon clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well." Now, by the eye of faith,

1st, The man discerns his pollution, that he is all over defiled, and unlike God: Is. Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." He looks into the glass of the word, which is a representation of God's holiness, and so represents the sinner as vile and loathsome. The man believes the representation to be true, and so cries out, as Job xl. 4, " Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee ? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." This glass is held to the eyes of others; but, notwithstanding being unbelievers, they see not their universal pollution. But thus the believer sees the need of washing.

2dlif, He discerns the depth of the stain, that it can be washed out by no human art. Faith brings, from the testimony of the word, that report into the soul, Jer. ii. 22, "For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God." Unbelievers are ruined in their pollution for want of this ; they see not how deep their defilement lies; so they think their own nitre and soap will do their business that Abana and Pharpar may cleanse the leper, as well as any other water, Hos. v. 13. But faith sees them all physicians of no value : and so the believer sees the need of another laver even the blood of Christ.

3dl^, Ho discerns the ill of his pollution on the one hand, and the good of the washing on the other. By faith the man is persuaded

of the destructive nature of sin, and its contrariety to God's nature and will: and he is persuaded too of the beauty and excellency of holiness, or purification from sin. The one he sees in the glass of the law, its threateuings and commands; the other in the glass of the gospel, in the face of Jesus. And these are a spur to incite him to seek to be washed, Luke xv. 17, 18.

4thli/, He discerns the laver, Christ crucified, Is. xlv. 22. By the help of the glass of the gospel, he takes up the sea of Christ's blood, as the only laver for unclean souls, Matth. ix. 20, 21. And by faith the unclean soul discerns Christ the laver,

(1.) As an efficacious laver in all cases, 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." The man believes that Christ is able to wash out the deepest stain, to make the filthiest soul clean, according to the word. Is. i. 18, " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." This is necessary, as appears in the case of the blind men, Matth. ix. 28, 29, " Jesus saith unto them. Believe ye that I am able to do this? they said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying. According to your faith, be it unto you."

(2.) As an open laver in its own case, Zech. xiii. 1, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for uncleanness." Compared with Heb. xi. 6, " But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." This is believing the gospel, one's warrant to come to Christ, without which none can come. For if one should look on the fountain as open to all the world, but only sealed to him, this will effectually mar his access to it, Jer. ii. 25, " Thou saidst. There is no hope. No, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." But faith says, Psal. Ixv. 3, " Iniquities prevail against me : as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away."

2. Faith is the hand of the soul in that matter, and so it is an instrumental cause of washing away sin. And by the hand of faith,

1st, The soul embraceth Christ, and unites with him : John i. 12, " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Compared with Eph. iii. 17, " That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." The soul, at its first union with Christ, being plunged into the laver by the Spirit, doth by faith spread out itself therein ; as one who having jumped into the water to swim, doth immediately spread out his body in it, and embrace the water as it were. Christ having ap-

preliended the unclean soul by his Spirit, and united it passively to himself; the soul again apprehends him by faith, and activaly unites with him. And hereby faith brings in the first application of his blood, the effect of which is habitual sanctification.

2dlyy The soul cleaveth to Christ, and abideth in him, all along till death : Heb. x. 39, "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition ; but of them that believe, to the saving of the soul." It is never extinguished again in the soul; though its gripe may be sometime slacked, yet it never lets it quite go : Luke xxii. 32, " But

1 have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Hereby it brings in the continued application, for progressive sanctification, John xv. 5. And the stronger its gripes are at any time, the more plentiful application is there of the blood of Christ to the soul; as the stronger the child sucks, he draws out the more milk, Is. Ixvi. 11. Hence he that has the strongest faith, hath the holiest heart and life.

2>dly, The soul cleaveth to Christ in death. When the body is falling down, the man still cleaves to and abides in Christ, and so dying in faith, dies in the Lord, Heb. xi. 13 ; Rev. xiv. 13. Faith keeps the gripe of Christ, while the soul is losing gripe of the body; and as the body drops ofi^, it brings in a full application of Christ's blood, which perfects sanctification. So the soul drops the remains of sin together with the body.

Now, the instrumental efficacy of faith for the washing of the soul, lies in trust: and as it trusts, it purifies; for therein lies its nature, and therefore its efficacy comes that way, Psal. xxxi. 19; Psal. xxxvii. 40. And the object of that trust is twofold.

(1.) The object of this trust is real, viz. the word. Faith trusts or believes the word as firm and infallible truth. Hence the apostle,

2 Thess. ii. 13, speaks of the belief of the truth. Faith trusts or believes particularly the word of the promise of the gospel, holding out to sinners the benefit of sanctification as well as other benefits, 2 Cor. vii. 1; such as that promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthi-ness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." This trust of the word of the gospel is our original obedience to the truth, 1 Pet. i. 22, wherein the soul subjects itself wholly to the truth of God in his word, believing it over the belly of all objections in this point, saying, as Mic. vii. 19, " He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us : he will subdue our iniquities: and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

(2.) The object of this trust is personal, viz. Christ himself. The soul trusts on Christ for the washing of it. Hence is that invitation, Is. xlv. 22, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of

the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." And hence is the language of faith, Psal. Ixv. 3, " Iniquities prevail against me : as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away." It is the very nature of faith to renounce all confidence in other things, and to trust in him alone for the washing of the soul. Hence Paul saith, Philip iii. 3, " We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." In the word of promise he is held forth as " the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world," as made sanctification to us: and faith is a trust or reliance on him as such to us, John i. 12. But more particularly.

Faith's trust on Christ is on him as crucified. Hence the apostle saith, 1 Cor. ii. 2, " I determined not to know any thing, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." While we look on him simply as God, we see his justice flaming against sin, and barring all sanctifying influences : Heb, xii. 29, " For our God is a consuming fire." But looking on him as God-man, by his obedience and death making satisfaction for sin, we have a fit object of trust for our sanctification ; for there we see a fulness of merit for purging away sin, Rom. vi. 6, " Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

Hence faith has a particular eye to the blood of Christ, in the point of sanctification, as well as justification. Hence the apostle saith, Rom. iii. 25, " God hath set him forth to be a i>ropitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins." And again, Heb. ix. 14, " The blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, shall purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God : that being the immediate cause of our washing, as the blood of his sacrifice offered to God for atonement, and sprinkled on us for our purification, Heb. xii. 24.

Now, this trust for washing, placed on Christ crucified held foyth to us in the word of promise, which is that wherein the eflicacy of faith for sanctifying us instrumentally lies, may be taken up in these four things.

[1.] The soul's turning its eye of expectation of purification, from oft' all things else, and fixing it on Christ crucified; Hence is the gospel invitation. Is. xlv. 22, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else." (Heb.) Face unto me. Secure sinners, being iudifterent about holiness, look no where for it; they desire it not. Awakened sinners look for it to physicians of no value, such as their own endeavours,

resolutions, &c. But faith looks off from all creatures, means, &c., unto Christ alone, for it, as the woman with the bloody issue did, Mark v. 25—28, that virtue may come from him for purifying.

[2.] Applying the promise of spiritual washing to itself: 2 Cor. vii. 1, " Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filtbiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The word holds forth the promise of cleansing from sin, to sinners indefinitely, saying, as Ezek. xxxvi. 25, " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filtbiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." Faith catches hold of it, and brings it home, saying, as Psal. Ixv. 3, " Iniquities prevail against me : as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away." Mic. vii. 19, " He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us: he will subdue our iniquities : and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." It pleads the promise, and hangs by it. Particularly, it appropriates the privilege of legal freedom, Rom. vi. 10, 11, " For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin ; but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord:" so that thereby the soul looks on itself as dead in point of right and privilege to sin, Rom. vi. 2, " How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?"

[3.] Relying on the merit of Christ for the out-making of the promise of sanctification, saying, as Psal. li. 7, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Compared with 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." The soul sees it is a great privilege as well as a duty, and believes that God will make it holy, for Christ's sake, forasmuch as he died for that very end, Tit. ii. 14. For true faith has the same reliance on Christ for sanctification as for justification, knowing that the one is the purchase of the Redeemer's blood, even as the other.

[4,] Lastly, Acquiescing in the faithfulness of God in his word, for that efi'ect. Faith receives the word of promise for sanctification ; and says, with Mary, Luke i. 38, " Be it unto me according to thy word." The purification of the soul from sin has so many difficulties about it, that the sinner truly sensible accounts it impossible in respect of all created power: but since God has said, that he will do it, the soul acquiesces in his word, judging him faithful who hath promised, Rom. iv. 24; Heb. xi. 11.

This faith or trust purifies from sin, according to the scripture, and the experience of the saints : Acts xv. 9, " Purifying thtir hearts by faith." Hereto agrees the Psalmist's experience, Psal.

xxviii. 7, " The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in him, and I am helped : therefore my heart greatly re-joiceth, and with my song will I praise him." And so does that of those to whom Peter wrote, and of whom he says, 1 Pet. i. 22, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." Yea, by this trust, joy is brought into the soul, as vers. 8, 9, " "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Rom. xv. 13, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." And that pre-supposeth the purging of the soul from sin. Is. xxxiii. 24, " The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick : the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity."

Question. How has that trust that efficacy ? Answer. By the appointment of God. How had the looking to the brazen serpent such efficacy as to cure the stung Israelites, but by God's appointment? So is the case here : John iii. 14, 15, 16, " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." The nature and efficacy of saving faith may be learned in part from that of the faith of miracles, they agreeing in one general kind. Matth. ix. 28, 29, 30, " Jesus saith unto the blind men, Believe ye that I am able to do this ? they said unto him. Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened." God has made choice of faith or trust for that end, and given it a word of appointment, Mark xvi. 16, "He that believeth shall be saved." And the appointment is, that on the soul's so trusting in Christ, the soul shall be sanctified by the Spirit with the blood, Gal. iii. 2. And there is a fitness in the appointment of this as a mean for,

(1.) Faith trusts the word of God, and the faithfulness of God requires that it be accomplished to them that trust it. So it is secured, Rom. ix. 33, " Whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed." If you would have a benefit from an honest man, you cannot take a more eff'ectual way to obtain it, than, having got his word for it, to trust it, plead it, and hold him to it.

(2.) Christ himself with all his benefits, comes to us in the word. Hence the apostle saith, Rom. x. 6, 7, 8, " The righteousness which

is of faith, speaketli on tliis wise, Say not in thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven ? (that is, to bring Christ down from above); or, Who shall descend into the deep ? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead): but what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach." Trusting the word is the only effectual way of receiving it farther than into the ears, at least as it is a promise. So receiving the word by faith, we receive Christ, and consequently the purifying virtue of bis blood that is in it, with himself. Hence the apostle saith of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. ii. 13, " For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of Grod which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." And then,

(3.) There is nothing so adapted to the end of glorifying free grace, as this trust of faith is; and that is the great end of the gospel : Rom. iv. 16, " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed."

I shall shut up this branch with a few inferences.

Inference 1. That is not true faith that leaves the soul still unholy, lying in the filth of sin. Unwashed sinners are unbelievers certainly : Tit. i. 15, " Unto the pure all things are pure : but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." In vain will ye please yourselves with a conceit of your believing in Christ, while your pretended faith brings in no sanctifying influences into your souls: James ii. 14, " What doth it profit, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works ? can faith save him ?" True faith, according to the scripture, hath a double effect.

1st, Within, faith purifies the heart, Acts xv. 9, and makes it evangelically clean, Psal. xxiv. 3, 4. It breaks the reigning power of lusts within, maintains a combat against their broken forces, sets the soul to approve itself to God in the inner man, where no eye sees, and longs for and presseth toward perfection.

2dli/, Without, faith works by love, in all duties of piety towards God, and justice and mercy towards our neighbour: Gal. v. 6, " For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." It is a principle within, that casts abroad its cleansing efiicacy into the life, purifying men's words and actions.

Inference 2. Then whosoever are really washed from their sins, as they will be sure to use all means of holiness, yet they will be

carried beyond them all to Christ for it. They will be conscientious in the practice of holy duties, and so go beyond the profane and careless; and yet they will not rest in them, but quit them all in point of confidence when they have done, and so go beyond hypocrites : " For," saith the apostle, Phil. iii. 3, " we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." This is the little further that the spouse went, Cant. iii. 4. and so found her beloved.

Inference 3. Lastly, The only true way to be holy, is to believe in Christ. This is the way that all the members of Christ are sanctified; they are sanctified in him, 1 Cor. i. 2, through faith, Acts xxvi. 18. And there is no true holiness in subjects capable of faith, without it: for saith Christ, John xv. 5, " "Without me ye can do nothing." So if the soul be brought to faith in Christ, it will undoubtedly be made holy: if it be not, all other means of washing of a person will be but washing a blackmoor, that will never become white for them all.

Thus far of those things which Christ useth more immediately for washing sinners.

Secondly, There are other means which Christ useth for that purpose, more mediately : of which briefly.

First, Christ washeth sinners by the word, Eph, v. 2b'. Hence Christ saith of his disciples, John xv. 3, " Now ye are clean through the word which I have spok en unto you." And hence he prays to his Father, John xvii. 17, " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." The word written, read, and preached, is the great external mean of washing sinners; and is efl'ectual for that end by the energy of the Spirit, being received by faith. The use of the word to the washing of the sinner lies in these things following.

1. It is the glass wherein the filthy sinner discerns his spots and filthiness. The word of the law particularly is that glass: Rom. iii. 20, " For by the law is the knowledge of sin." It represents to men the sinfulness of their nature, hearts, and lives : and when Christ comes to wash a sinner, he holds that glass to his eyes to convince him of sin, by the Spirit. Therefore the Psalmist recommends it to young men, Psal. cxix. 9, *' "Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way ? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." And they that look not into the word for this end, care not for washing.

2. It is a spur to washing, an external impulsive cause, by the strong motives whereby it presseth the sinner to wash. Here the law presseth him by its threatenings and curses against the uu-

GOO THE MYSTERY OP SANCTIPICATION BY CHRIST.

clean; the gospel presseth with the possibility, excellency, and unspeakable advantage of washing.

3. It is the key that sets open the fountain for washing in, Zech. xiii. 1, " In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for uncleanness." It is opened by the preaching of the gospel; which shews sinners, that whatever be their pollution, they are welcome to it. The voice of Christ in the gospel is, " Behold me," Is. Ixv. 1, i. e. " Here I am." Thereby our Lord unlocks his treasures, laying them open to the view of sinners.

4. It is the vehicle of the blood and Spirit of Christ, whereby sinners may be washed, receiving the word by faith, Rom, x. 6, 7, 8, forecited. John vi. 63, " It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The gospel is therefore called " the ministration of the Spirit, and righteousness," 2 Cor. iii. inasmuch as thereby Christ communicates his Spirit to sinners, and brings righteousness to them. Hence receiving the word by faith, the soul is cast into the mould of it, Rom. vi. 17; for it is able to save the soul. Jam. i. 21, and works effectually in it, 1 Thess. ii. 13. to the cleansing of the soul, John xv. 3, " Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."

I shall shut up this branch also with a few inferences.

Inference 1. Saints and sinners need the word; forasmuch as they are both defiled, and need washing; the one washing to be begun on them, and the other to be carried on. And they that can live contented without it, are content to lie still in their filthiness ; and will need no more to ruin them, but to get their will.

Inference 2. They have an enmity at the word, appearing in their aversion to dip into it, and neglect of it, are neither washed, nor desire to be washed: Job xxi. 14, " Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." The reason of their enmity against it is, their love to their lusts, to which it is an enemy: as, on the contrary, they whose hearts are turned against sin, are turned towards the word, as a mean for purging it away: John iii. 20, 21, " For every one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

Inference 3. Their soul's case is very hopeless, who get no good of the word: and these are all such who get no conviction by it, or are not stirred up by it to seek to be purged from their filthiness, who are not pointed to Christ as the only laver, aud never partake

of his blood and Spirit, by it. These are they on whom the great mean of washing from sin is ineffectual; of whom the Lord may justly say, as Ezek. xxiv. 13, "In thy filthiness is lewedness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee."

Inference 4. Lastly, They do not believe the word, who are not cleansed in heart and life thereby; for (as the apostle saith of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. ii. 13,) " When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in yon that believe." If the word were received by faith, it could not miss to be sanctifying: but beholding the unholiness of men, we may cry out, as Is. liii. 1, " Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" The word preached is not truly believed, therefore it brings not forth fruit.

Secondly, Christ washeth sinners by the sacraments, Eph. v. 26. Hence baptism is said to save us, 1 Pet. iii. 21. The sacraments are external means of spiritual washing, and are made effectual by the Spirit, being received by faith; but no otherwise in subjects capable of believing; for God hath not communicated the virtue of sanctifying to the elements as to natural causes which work necessarily, 1 Pet. iii. 21.

The use of the sacraments to the washing of sinners lies here.

1. The sacraments point out to us the laver wherein we may be washed, as being representing signs of Christ with his sanctifying blood. Hence the apostle saith, 1 Cor. x. 16, " The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ?" They set the laver as it were before our eyes, and call us to think of it, and our need thereof. Therein Christ is as it were crucified before our eye, his blood springing forth for our washing.

2. The sacraments confirm our right in it, and our welcome to it, as seals. Hence the apostle saith concerning Abraham, Rom. iv. 11, "He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised : that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also." The blood of Christ is most precious; but there is a grant of it made to us in the word, which is our charter, and the sacraments seal it. The word says, John iii. 16, " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life:" the sacraments seal it, that so we

may be excited and encouraged to come boldly, and make use of it for our sanctification.

3. The sacraments present, exhibit, and apply it to us who believe, 1 Cor. xi. 24. As by earth and stone delivered to a man upon a legal right, he is infefted and possessed of the house or land: so, by the sacraments received by faith, Christ and all his benefits are applied to us, for our cleansing.

An inference shall shut up this branch.

Inference. Hence we may try, whether the sacraments be effectual to us, or not; whether we have believingly received them or not. While people are never the more holy, for all the sacraments they receive, the more the worse, their disease is the more confirmed their filthiness is the more fixed on them. But when they stir up the soul to an usemaking of Christ for sanctification, and men get a cubit added to their spiritual stature, it is a good sign.

Tkirdly, and Lastly, Christ washeth sinners by afflictions. Hence the prophet saith, Is. xxvii. 9, "By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." They also are but external means, in the hand of the Spirit, and cannot of themselves purify. But the Spirit makes use of them for cleansing sinners. There are two ways of purging filthiness, by water, and by fire ; as we learn from Is. iv. 4, "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." Afflictions are God's fire for that end. Their use in the washing is sixfold.

1. Afflictions are memorials of ours in, and so puts us in mind to look back on our defilements; as they were to Joseph's brethren, when they said, as Gen. xlii. 21, " We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us; and we would not hear: therefore is this distress come upon us." The prosperous sinner wallows at ease in his filthiness; but when God lays his afflicting hand on him, the sharper it is, conscience is readily the more awakened out of its sleep. And it will readily read the sin, out of the punishment.

2. Afflictions are a glass, wherein one sees the loathsomeness of sin in the sight of God. While the sinner prospers in his course, he cannot think that God is sore displeased at it; as the Lord himself saith unto the sinner, Psal. 1. 21, " These things hast thou done, and I kept silence : thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself." But affliction is such a token of God's displeasure against sin, that when it comes, the sinner alters his thoughts ; sees its loathsomeness before God, and therefore loathsome in itself; which makes him anxious to be washed.

I

3. Afflictions are a fire that melt off the paint, and deface the beauty of the defiling objects in the world. Hence saith the Lord unto Israel, Jer. ii. 36, 37, " Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way ? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them." Where was the excellency of the thirty pieces when God's hand was lifted up against Judas for them ? The beauty of former lusts melts away, when a man is laid on a sick-bed: and the bewitching creature then loses all its charms.

4. Afflictions are a bridle whereby men are restrained from defiling themselves more, and are brought to a stand in a defiling course. Hence the Lord saith unto Israel, Hos. ii. 6, " Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths." They serve to take off" the edge of corrupt affections, and make them to languish ; whereby the sinner becomes more considerate, and pliable to counsel from the word.

5. Afflictions are occasional causes of sinners thinking of and going to the fountain to wash. Hence the Lord saith of Israel, Hos. V. 15, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face : in their afflictions they will seek me early." How many are there to whom afflictions have been the blessed means and occasions of their turning serious ? Such a rod they met with, or they had gone on like the wild ass upon the mountains, snuffing up the wind.

6. Lastly, Afflictions are a sharp wind to blow up the fire of grace where it is, and particularly to excite faith, whereby the soul is washed. Hence the spouse prayeth. Cant. iv. 16, " Awake, 0 north-wind, and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." In prosperity people can fetch in their comfort by sense ; but in afflictions, when created streams are dried up, they must fetch it in by faith, or else want it.

Two inferences shall conclude this branch.

Inference 1. Let this cause us to take afflictions kindly; since they are means by which Christ washeth us. Though the water be cold and piercing, yet we endure it, that we may get our hands made clean. Though medicines sicken us, we blame not the physician, because they are for our health. Why should we be angry at our God afflicting us, since the fruit designed is to purge away sin?

Inference 2. Let us, in all our afflictions, seek purification from our sin, and know they are not effectual unless they have a sancti-

VoL. VI. 2 Q

fying efficacy on us. They are indeed of the nature of fire, first causing the scum to corae above, but next throwing it oflf. They do discover much of the corruption of the heart, that otherwise would be latent: but then if they humble the soul under a sense of sinfulness, and send it anew to Christ for purging of the nature, they are not in vain.

1 shall now proceed to the second general head proposed, namely, II. To consider the unwashed or unsanctified sinner's having no part with Christ.

In discussing this head, I shall shew,

1. What the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ sap-poseth ; and,

2. Wherein it lies.

First, We shall shew what the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ supposeth. It supposeth,

1. That Christ himself is happy. He is not only happy as he is God, Rom. ix. 5, who is therefore styled " God blessed for ever;" but as he is Mediator, the head of the body, the church. Hence it is said of him, Psal. Ixxii. 17, " Men shall be blessed in him, all nations shall call him blessed." All mankind were brought to misery and ruin by Adam's fall: but the man Christ was an exception from that rule. He was happy from the moment of the incarnation, all along, notwithstanding what he suffered: and from his resurrection and ascension his happiness was completed: Phil. ii. 9, " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." Heb. x. 13, " From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." There are two things wherein Christ is completely happy.

1st, In having fully done the work he undertook to do. Hence he says to his Father, John xvii. 4, " I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." He had a great work to do, for the glory of his Father, and the salvation of sinners. It was the hardest work that ever was taken in hand. All hardships from heaven, earth, and hell, met together upon him; and his work was to go through them all in a course of perfect obedience. And now it is done; he was born holy, lived righteous, satisfied completely by his death : now he is got to the joy set before him: Rom. vi. 9, " Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion oyer him." Rev. iii. 21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

2o?/_y, In having received the reward of his work. Our Lord,

*' for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God," Hcb. xii. 2. Never was there such a reward of work, as Christ has received; it bears propoi'tion to the work, which was of infinite value. All the promises of the covenant, whether respecting himself, or his people, are now in his hand. They are won by him, and he is put in possession of the things promised, which make an inexhaustible treasure. Hence the apostle, (Eph. iii. 8.) speaks of *' the unsearchable riches of Christ."

2. There.is enough in him to make others happy too : Col. i. 19, ** For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell." There is a fulness of a fountain in him, whereby others may be supplied from him, may have part with him, and yet he have no lack. The first Adam was a spring of ruin to all his posterity: but the gospel points out Christ the second Adam as a spring of happiness for wretched sinners.

3. Sinners may have part with Christ in his fulness; it is lodged in him to be communicated. Hence our Lord himself says, Matth. xi. 27, 28, " All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He is the bowl on the top of the candlestick, (Zech. iv. 2.) the immediate receptacle of the oil, from whence it is conveyed to the seven lamps. Joseph was sent to Egypt, and exalted there, to provide for Jacob's family in the dearth : so Christ is great Steward of heaven, for the behoof of poor sinners ; that he having all in his hand, they may be happy in having part with him.

4. All th^it are sanctified are happy in having part with Christ: Col. ii. 9, 10, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him." They have part in his work, by imputation; even as they had part with Adam in his sin : Rom. V. 19, " For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous." They have part in his reward, by a real communication thereof to them; even as they had part with Adam in the corruption of his nature : John i, 16, " And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." 1 Cor. xv. 22, " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." This, it is true, is but imperfect as yet; but it is so begun that it will undoubtedly be perfected. But such as it is, their sanctification is not the cause of it, but it is the cause of their sanctification. This appears from 1 John i. 3, 7,

2q2

" That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

5. Lastly, Unholy sinners are miserable in the want of part with Christ. They are " without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world," Eph. ii. 12. Therefore this struck Peter, when he saw how deep it drew: for he said, Acts iv. 12, " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." It is true, all that hear the gospel are externally called to the fellowship of his Son : but most men love the fellowship of the world lying in wickedness, and will not take part with Christ. So they are without it, though it lies open to them : and to each one of them may be said what Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts viii. 21, " Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter : for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." Meanwhile their unholiness is not the thing that bars tliem from having part with Christ; but their want of part with Christ is that whereby they keep themselves unholy.

Secondly, I shall show wherein the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ does lie or consist. This will appear, with the misery of the case, in taking a view, 1. Of Christ's work ; and, 2. Of his reward; in neither of which the unholy have part with him.

First, Christ is happy, in that he has done out the work he undertook for the salvation of sinners : and all that are his have part with him therein ; it is imputed to them, as if they had done it, Gal. ii. 20. And,

1. He has been born boly, and answered the demand of the law for holiness of nature, by his bringing a holy human nature into the world with him, as a public person. Hence in Luke i. 35, he is called "that holy thing born." Heb. vii. 26, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners." So that demand of the law for salvation for all that are his, is answered; for in Col. ii. 10, 11, they are said to be complete in him ; and to be circumsised in him. The law cannot stop their salvation for want of a perfectly holy nature ; for they have part with him, in the holiness of his nature, and that holy nature is communicated to them.*

See View of the Covenant of Grace from the sacred records, head 3, concerning the conditiouary part of the covenant.

Bat unholy sinners have no part with Christ in this matter: the holiness of Christ's nature is not impnted to them, or reckoned theirs. There is a holy birth of the second Adam, to take away the guilt of sin that we are born in : but such as are not washed by Christ from their sin, have no share in it.

The evidence of this is, that whosoever have part in the holiness of Christ's birth by imputation, are really born again in their own persons : because Christ's holy birth is the efficient meritorious cause of the new birth of his members. Hence the apostle saith, 2 Cor. v. 17, " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." Col. ii. 11, "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circum* cision of Christ." Now, the unholy are not born again ; therefore they have no part with Christ in his holy birth : and so they have nothing to answer the law's demand for holiness of nature.

2. Christ has lived a righteous life, in perfect obedience to the law's commands : Philip, ii. 8, " He became obedient unto death." He did it as a public person : and all his have part with him in it; they obeyed in Christ, as they sinned ip Adam, Rom. viii. 3, 4, " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh ; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Hence are these epithets of the church, undefiled, without spot, complete in him. So the law's demand of obedience, as the condition of life, is answered as to them : their part in Christ's obedience answers it fully.f

But the unholy have no part with Christ in the obedience of his life. For Christ's obedience being meritorious of our sanctification, the want of the latter is a plain evidence of no part in the former; and that upon the ground of justice, which requires the delivering of the thing purchased, upon the application of the price, Rom. viii. 1,—4. If ye have obeyed legally in Christ, ye obey really in your own persons; for Christ's obedience hath a conforming virtue in those to whom it is imputed, Rom. viii. 29, " For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." 1 John ii. 6, "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Inherent righteousness necessarily follows imputed righteousness. An unholy life argues no part in the holiness of Christ's life: therefore there is a bar between heaven and the unholy.

f See View of the Covenant of Grace, Head 3, ut supra.

3. He lias suffered, to the full satisfaction of the law in its threatening and curse for sin, Philip, ii. 8, " He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Gal. iii. 13, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." And Christ suffering as a public person, all that are his suffered in him, having part with him in his sufferings. They were legally crucified with him. Gal. ii. 20, died with him, Rom. vi. 10, 11, and were buried with him. Col. ii. 12. So the law's demand of satisfaction is answered for them, since they have part with Christ.*

But the unholy have no part with Christ in his sufferings. Aa undeniable evidence whereof is their not being conformed to him in his death, Philip, iii 10. The death of Christ will infallibly prove the death of sin, when one has part with Christ in it; Rom. vi. 6, " Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Gal. v. 24, " They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." As sure as Christ died for the sins of the elect, they will die to sin that have communion with him in it: for as death made its way from the members to the head, till it laid him in the grave; so the merit of his death will make its way from the head to them to their sauctification. So that demand of the law lies on their heads unanswered.

4. He has brought in everlasting righteousness. In what he was, did, and suffered, he fully satisfied what the law had to demand, coming np, as a public person, to an exact conformity thereto. This is the righteousness he has wrought, sufficient to cover every sinner in the sight of God, and to render him accepted as righteous. All that are his have part with him in it, Psal. xlv. 13; Cant. vi. 10'; Rev. iii. 18. So they that have a righteousness that is law-biding.

But the unholy have no part with him in it. For wherever righteousness imputed is on any man, inherent holiness is in him. By the former satisfying the law, the strength of sin is taken away: so that the man cannot be living in sin as formerly. Hence the apostle saith, Rom. vi. 2, "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?"

Secondly, Christ has received the reward of his work; and so he has an inexhaustible treasure; and all that are his have part with him iu it.

1. Christ is risen again from the dead. By the authority of the

See View of the Covenant of Grace, head 3, tii supra.

Father he is discharged froui the grave; death is uever to seize him more : Acts ii. 24, '' God raised him up, having loosed the paius of death : because it was not possible that he should be holdeu of it." And all his have part with him in his ressurrection: Eph. ii. 6, " God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: forasmuch as he rose as a public person. But the unholy have no part with him in his resurrection. For,

1st, They are still dead in their sins, while they live in them. WJiere is there part then in Christ's resurrection? They that have part with him are risen with him, risen by virtue of his resurrection ; the power of the resurrection of the head raising the members from death in sin. Col. ii. 12; and iii. 1. Alas! the grave-clothes of the sins of the flesh, which ye are not putting off", but keeping on, and the ties whereof are still as fast upon you as ever, si)eak you destitute of any part with Christ in this matter.

2dlt/, They are still members of the congregation of the dead, Eph. ii. 1, 2, 3. When our Lord rose, he left the congregation of the dead in their graves; yea, he conversed not with the world thereafter, as before his death. And so, whenever a soul gets part with Christ, it leaves the world lying in wickedness, comes out from among them, and walks no more according to the course of this world. Hence the apostle saith, Rom. vi. 4, 5, " We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death; we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." "What shadow of ground have they then to pretend to a part with him, that ai'e not walking in newness of life, but just according to the course of the world.

2. Christ is now ascended up into glory, where he sits at the Father's right hand, Mark xvi. 19. He ascended into it, as a public person, to take possession of it for us, Hob. vi. 20. And all his have part with him in it, as the members of the glory of the head: Eph. ii. 6, " God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

But the unholy have no part with him in it. For,

1*^, They are yet lying in the filth of their natural state, through original aud actual sin, Psal. xiv. 3; all over defiled. Tit. i. 15. They may have worldly glory, outside glory, such as ariseth from bravery, wealth, and honour; yea they may glory in wickedness, that is really their shame. But there is no heavenly glory or any, but by sanctifying grace, 2 Cor. iii. 18; that only makes a gloriuii.-j

inside, Psal. xlv. 13; in so far as thereby the purity of the divine image is on the soul.

2dly, Neither is their heart there, nor are they making forward to it. Our Lord tells us, Matth. vi. 21, that " where the treasure is, there will the heart be also." And therefore the apostle urges, Col, iii. 1, 2, to " seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth." What part then have they with Christ in his glory, whose affections are not on things above, but on the earth, Phil. iii. 19, "who mind earthly things?" They carry themselves as natives of the world, not as pilgrims in it. Their great aim is, to compass designs of worldly profits and pleasures, but not to be fitted for glory, 1 John iii. 3.

3. Christ has the Spirit of life and holiness dwelling in him, as the head of his body mystical. So the Spirit of life is in him, to be communicated ; and it is the purchase of his death. Rev. iii. 1, " He hath the seven Spirits; seven Spirits answerable to the seven golden candlesticks; enough to quicken and actuate them all. Hence he is said to quicken, John v. 21, 26. And all his have part with him therein, Philip, ii. 1. The same Spirit that is in the head, is in the members too, in so much that " the Spirit of God dwells in them; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his."

But the unholy have no part with him in his Spirit For,

1st, He is the holy Spirit, " the Spirit of holiness," Rom. i. 4; so called not only from the work of sanctification ascribed peculiarly to him, but from the holiness of his nature, in opposition to the unclean spirit, Mark iii. 29, 30, to attest all the works of God without himself, whereof he is the immediate worker, to be holy. So that in whomsoever he dwells, and actuates, they must needs be made holy: Rom. viii. 2, " For the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made them free from the law of sin and death." Since then the unholy are under the law of sin as the subjects thereof, and under the law of spiritual death, they have no part with Christ.

2dly, They have the spirit of the world in them, conforming them to the world, in their frame of heart, way, and walk, 1 John iv. 4. It is an unclean, unholy spirit, whereby they cannot relish nor favour the holy things of God : but things that are fleshy, sensual, carnal, and earthly, Jude ver. 19 ; not without a secret enmity at true holiness, Rom. viii. 7, and cannot hold on in the way of God, as Caleb did. Num. xiv. 24.

3c%, They live in the state wherein Adam left them, without a saving change. 1 Cor. xv. 45, Adam was made " a living soul," but Christ " a quickening spirit." Wliat men derive from Adam, they

liave ; a natural life, a life of reason, gifts of knowledge, &c. But what men derive from Christ, they have not; they are not quickened by him with the Spirit of life unto God. But if they had part with Christ, they would be spiritually quickened souls; as sure as having part with Adam, they are living souls.

4. There is a fulness of grace in the man Christ: Col. i. 19, " For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell." John i. 14, " The Word was full of grace and truth." Grace is given him without measure, John iii. 4; and all that are his partake with him in it, it being in him as in the storehouse; it is so poured on him as the head, that it runs down to the skirts of his garment, John i. 16.

But the unholy have no part with him in his grace. For,

1st, They are not partakers of the divine nature, that new nature which is derived from Christ, by the communication of grace from him by the Spirit into his mystical members, whereby they escape the corruption of the world, 2 Pet. i. 4. Instead of that, the old nature reigns in them, which is enmity against God, and serious religion. The old man with his deeds is still in his vigour, has not yet got his deadly wound.

, 2dli/, Whatever good or grace may seem to be in them, it is but in some one or few particulars. There are still several black buts in their religion; they never make thorough work of it, Psal. cxix. 6, They have not respect unto all God's commandments. For they are never made new creatures; though some things, yet never are all things become new with them : An evidence that they have no part in the grace of Christ; for then should they have grace for grace.

Sdli/, Hence they do not bear Christ's image : they are not like him, in the set of their spirit, and tenor of their walk : 1 John ii. 6, " For he that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." They look like the old Adam, sinful, sensual, and averse from God. But 0 how unlike the holy crucified Jesus, and how quite unconcerned to be like him, their own consciences bear witness. But the having part with Christ makes a person like him.

5 Lastly, Christ is anointed of the Father with the Spirit to be the Prophet, Priest, and King of his church. Hence he says himself. Is. Ixi. 1. " The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." And the apostle Peter saith. Acts x. 38, that " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power; who went

about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with him." This is the honour put on him, to bear these offices, signified by his names Messias and Christ, i. e. anointed. And as he is Christ, all that are his are Christians, anointed with the same Spirit, Psal. xlv. 7, having part with him in his offices.

1st, Christ is a prophet: and all that are his, hare part with him in his prophetical office, are prophets too, Psal. cv. 15. They are let into the knowledge of the things of God by the Spirit. Hence the apostle saith, 1 John ii. 20, 27, " But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. But the anointing which ye have received of him, al'ideth in you : and ye need not that any man teach you: But, as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth and is no lie: and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." They are on the secret of heaven : For (Psal. XXV. 14,) " the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him : and he will shew them his covenant," Matt, xi, 25. And they teach them to others too, though they cannot make them effectual. Hence David saith, Psal. li. 13, " I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee." Not only ministers, but every true Christian has this office ; the former in a public, the latter in a private captivity, Philip, ii. 15, 16.

But the unholy have no part with him in his prophetical office.

(1.) They are not illuminated by the Spirit of holiness, savingly to know the things of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12, 14. They may be taught by men, but are not taught of God : they may know the literal sense of the words of the gospel; but the things thereof in their suitableness to the divine perfections and sinner's case, are are hid from them, Matt. xi. 25. They never get into the secret of religion.

(2.) Neither do they by the Spirit of holiness enlighten the world. Being dark themselves, they darken the world by their ungodly, profane, or formal lives. Most of them see no tie on them to be their brother's keeper. Such as teach others the things of God, do it by a gift, for their own glory; not by the Spirit, out of love to Christ and his glory. So they have no part with him in his prophetical office.

2dli/, He is a Priest: and all his have part with him in that venerable office. They are priests too, 1 Pet. ii. 9, a royal priesthood : Rev. i. 6, priests unto God. They are consecrated to God to serve him in his spiritual temple, in their robes of Christ's imputed righteousness and inhei'cnt holiness. They offer sacrifices of thanksgiving unto God, which are accepted of God through Christ, their only altar.

Tlicy ofitr to him themselves, Rom. xii. 1, their service to him in acts of worship and duty, Heb. xiii. 15 ; Acts x. 4, and in suffering or bearing the cross, Philip, ii. 17 ; 2 Tim. iv. 6.

But the unholy have no part with Christ in his priestly office.

(1.) They are not of the line, not descended from our great High Priest, as born of his Spirit. They were never truly consecrated, or made holy persons ; they are destitute of imputed and implanted righteousness : they are wholly polluted and defiled, as being of the world lying in wickedness: so if they pretend to the spiritual priesthood, they will be, as polluted, put from it.

(2.) They do not, nor cannot offer acceptable sacrifices to God. They never offer themselves to God as a sacrifice, but to the world and their lusts. If they offer prayers or other services to him, they never offer them on the right altar, Christ. Hence they, and all they do, even their best things, are an abomination, Prov. xxviii. 9.

Lastly, Christ is a King : and all his have part with him in that honourable office. They are kings too, Rev. i. 6, " Kings unto God." They have the right of dominion over their spiritual enemies, the rule of their own spirits governing themselves by the laws of Christ, and the lordship of the world, Rom. iv. 13 ; and they are heirs of the kingdom of heaven. They do not yet peaceably possess their kingdom; the rebels and their open enemies are making constant wars against them; but they do overcome, and are " more than conquerors, through him that loved them," 1 John iv. 4 ; Rom. viii. 37.

But the unholy have no part with Christ in his kingly office.

They are servants and slaves to sin and Satan, Rom. vi. 16. They are under the power of Satan, Acts xxvi. 18 ; led captive at his will, 2 Tim. ii. 26. They have no gracious management of their own spirits, Prov. xxv. 28. They are the servants of corruption; they can neither think nor do any service acceptable to God.

THE APPLICATION.

I shut up all with some practical inferences.

Inference 1. Holiness is absolutely necessary to happiness: for (Heb. xii. 14,) " without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Ye may be either poor or rich, sick or whole, and yet be happy. But if ye be not holy, ye are miserable ; for ye have no part with Christ, And, Acts iv. 12, " There is no salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." It is astonishing to think, how easy many that hear the gospel are about holiness; they are in no concern whether they be holy or not. They would not have people to take them for saints ;

nay. holy people are a jest with them. There is no accounting for this any other way but that holiness is rare in the world, and they have no mind to be singular, nor to distinguish themselves from " the world lying in wickedness." But consider these four things.

1. God is holy. The God that made you is holy by necessity of nature ; he is so holy that he cannot be but holy. If God is necessarily holy, he cannot but hate unholiness ; because he cannot but love his own image, and hate what is contrary to his nature: therefore he cannot but hate your unholiness, and for it hate you who are unholy. And what we hate as contrary to our nature, we seek, to destroy. Now, consider the misery of being objects of God's hatred and aversion, and what makes you so; and ye will see t!:e necessity of your being holy, 1 Pet. i. 16, " Be ye holy," saith the Lord, " for I am holy."

2. Christ our Saviour is holy. As he is God, he is " the holy One of Israel;" as he is man, he is " that holy thing," Luke i. 35. Jesus is called *' the holy One;" the very devils owned him to be so, Mark i. 24. The very end of his being Jesus, was to make men holy, Matth. i. 21, " Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." He came to destroy the works of the devil, he died to redeem sinners from their sins, Tit. ii. 14. What part then can ye possibly imagine yourselves to have in him, while ye continue unholy ?

3. The body of Christ is holy ; they that belong to him, the company of the saved, Eph. v. 25, 26. The devil is the god of this world; his subjects are the world lying in wickedness. Out of them Christ raises his kingdom, and his subjects are all holy, Gal. iv. 4; Rev. xix. 14. It is their distinguishing badge from those that belong to Satan, that agrees to them all, and to them only, 2 Tim. ii. 19. So that if ye are not holy, ye belong not to Christ, but to Satan.

4. Heaven is holy ; it is a holy state, a holy place, where no unholy thing can enter. Rev. xsi. 27. As to the dogs and swine, their place will be without. Rev. xxi. 15, that is, the unholy, who "go with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire," shall be cast out from the supper of the saints in glory into outer darkness, Matth. viii. 12.

Infekence 2. There is no true holiness, but in communion with Christ. Men may have a shew and semblance of holiness, without union and communion with Christ. But real holiness acceptable to God, no man attains but in Christ, being sanctified only with his blood, by his Spirit, through faith; made new creatures after his

image, by participation of the all-fulness of grace in him, as at large declared, 1 Cor. i. 2 ; Eph. ii. 10; 1 Pet. i. 2; Acts xxvi. 18. And therefore holiness is quite another thing, than, 1. Common civility. A man may be civil, not rude, but courteous, discreet, and obliging in his conversation; and yet be a stranger to holiness. This was the case of the young man, of whom, " when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God," Mark xii. 34. There are some rude persons that bear the devil's mark on their foreheads, who behave themselves neither according to the rules of grace nor good manners: some professors that affect and pride themselves in rudeness, regarding no body, nor their offence, but only to please themselves. Such would do well to consider, whether that be consistent with real holiness or not. The reason of the doubt, is the second great command of the law, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Howbeit, civility is not holiness, though a part of the matter of it.

2. Morality, whether we understand by it common honesty in dealings in the world; or a conformity to the letter of the law, which makes a blameless outward conversation, and goes under the name of moral virtue, but has no relation to Christ and his Spirit. Men may have all this, and not be holy; as had the Pharisee, Luke xviii. 11, who " stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." This was also the case of Paul, Phil. iii. 6, " Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." These fruits are in many like the apples of Sodom, which are fair to look at, but when handled fall to ashes.

3. A form of godliness, 2 Tim. iii. 5. There may be the going the round of the external duties of religion, where there is no holiness : for these may be done by thera that are without Christ, Luke xviii. 12; Matt. v. 20; Is. Iviii. 2, 3; though many place all their religion in these things, as if they pray, communicate, &c. to be concerned no more to be holy.

All these differ from true holiness,

1st, In the original and spring of thera. True holiness springs from union with Christ, the Spirit applying the blood of Christ to the soul, received by faith, improving the word, sacraments, and afflictions. The Spirit is the efficient cause, the blood the meritorious cause, and faith the instrumental cause of true sanctifi-cation. But these others have a far lower rise. They are the effect of good education and breeding; of unsanctified consideration

of their own circumstances and worldly interest, that oblige many to take up themselves, and live regularly; of fear and hope; of respect to credit and reputation; and in some, of legal convictions.

Idly, In the subject of them. Holiness diffuseth itself through the whole man, inward and outward, 2 Cor. v. 17; 1 Thess. v. 23. These are mere plasterings of the outward man, while enmity against God, rancour against serious godliness, and reigning power of lusts in the heart, do remain in their native force, and the old man bears full sway within; as appears in the Pharisees. They make a new life, but they leave the old nature unhealed, unrenewed.

?»dly, In the extent of them. True holiness extends to all the Lord commands and forbids, Psal. cxix. 6; for the whole law is written in the heart, Heb. viii. 10; and so they are holy in all manner of conversation. These never take in more than some shreds of the law; such men never set themselves to conform to it in its spirituality. They quite neglect many of the duties thereof; they consider them not, or they contemn them : for they have no mind to take more of them, than makes for their purpose.

Lastly, In the nature and kind of them. True holiness is a cluster of the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22, " Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." They are acts of moral discipline, which have self-love in an unrenewed heart, not the love of God in a renewed heart, for their principle. The reason of them is not the will of God; for reasons of their own they do so, but not because God commands it. They do not their works in faith of the promise of assistance from heaven, nor of acceptance for Christ's sake ; but out of their own stock, little valuing whether they be accepted or no ; or if they do, looking for acceptance on their intrinsic worth. Their end is not the glory of God, and to express their gratitude; but as they come from self, so they are swallowed up in self.

Inference 3. Vain are the pretences of the unholy to part with Christ; for no unwashed sinner has part with the holy Jesus. They do but deceive themselves in their pretending thereto; and the deceit will out on them to their eternal confusion, if they see it not timely. Here consider,

1. Who are unwashed sinners; and,

2. The state of unwashed sinners, as having no part with Christ. 1. Consider who are unwashed sinners. In the general,

\st, Those who have not yet escaped the pollutions of the world in the outward man, but in the course of their lives are conform to the world lying in wickedness, Psal. xxiv. 3, 4; Gal. v. 19—21.

How can they pretend to be washed, on whom the gross filth of sin is still lying visible in their outward life and conversation ? Men may escape that, and yet not be truly washed; escape and yet be intangled again by apostacy. Let none such pretend to have part in Christ, 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, for Christ will disown them.

2dly, They that have no apparent beauty of holiness on them, 1 Thess. V. 5. Men deceive themselves in despising the appearance of holiness, scorning to appear holy. That is but a peace of fashionable contempt of religion, poured on it in compliance to an ungodly world, and a naughty heart: for wherever grace is in the heart, it will shine forth in the life, Matth. vi. 22; Philip, ii. 15,16. And though men may appear holy, who are not so ; yet no man can be holy that has no appearance of it. If there is any religion at at all in the world, it must be among them that have an appearance of it, and not among those that have not.

More particularly, they are yet unwashed by Christ,

\st, Who have never yet had the glass of the law held to their' face, in a work of conviction of the sinfulness of their nature, heart, and life, John xvi. 8. Christ washes none till he has discovered to them their pollution. For till then they will never see their need of washing. He washeth by the word, as by its light it convinceth of defilement, points out the cleanness to be aimed at, and sets the soul astir anxiously to seek it.

2dly, Who have not yet got a view of the filthiness, loathsomeness, and abominable nature of sin, Ezek. xxxvi. 31. Men's consciences may be fired with a sense of the guilt of sin ; so as they may be brought to cast it out as a coal that would burn them ; that, yet are blind to the filth of sin, and see not how it defiles them.; This appears, in that if they could be but safe from wrath, they would never part with sin,

'^dly, Who have not yet been made willing to be made clean. None are washed against their will, Jer. xiii. 27. And there is need of a day of power to make willing, Psal. ex. 3. Men naturally love to be still in the pollution of their sin, as the sow to wallow in the mire. They are as loath to be brought away, as fishes to come out of the water. Nay, there is in every unregenerate man, a heart enmity against holiness, Rom. viii. 7. The heart spits its venom against it. They are not only not fond of it, but they hate it: A certain indication, that they are void of it.

4:thly, Who have never yet felt an absolute need of Christ, his blood and Spirit, for their sauctification; and so have not yet come to Christ by faith for it, Hos. v. 13; Psal. Ii. 2 ; and Ixv. 3. There is no washing but by Christ, and in union with him: therefore they

who have not come to Christ for sanctiflcation, whatever pains they have been at to wash themselves, are yet unwashed.

2. Consider the state of unwashed sinners as having no part with Christ. Having no part with Christ,

1st, They have no part in the favour of God, Eph. ii. 12. They are " without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and ■without God in the world." They are yet in a state of enmity with God; for he only is our peace, and the only way to the Father. All their sins, original and actual, in the guilt of them, do yet lie upon them : there is not one item blotted out of their account. For God gives no pardons, but to sinners in Christ: they must meet him there who would be pardoned or reconciled, 3 Cor. v. 19.

2dli/, They are loathsome in God's sight; his soul abhors them as abominable, Tit. i. 15. No sinner can be savoui-y in God's sight, but by the sweet-smelling savour of Christ's sacrifice upon them. The smell of Jacob was sweet to Isaac, in the goodly raiment of his elder brother: and sinners are savoury to God, only in Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 15. While the sinner has no part with Christ, the filth of all his sin, original and actual, lies on him; and there is nothing on him to master the filthy savour arising therefrom.

Sdlt/, They have no part with the family of God, but with " the •world lying in wickedness, 1 John i. 3, and v. 19, " They are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world," being without Christ, Eph. ii. 12. They have no right to the privileges of God's children; for none can have that but in the right of Christ as his head. What is the state of the world lying in wickedness, is their state. They are under God's wrath, and the curse of the law.

Lastly, They shall have no part with the saints in light, but their part will be with sinners in outer darkness. Col. i. 12, 13; Rev, xxii. 15. One who has no part with Christ here, will have no part in heaven hereafter for none can come there, but in and through him. They will have their part in " the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone," Rev. xxi. 8.

Inference 4, Lastly, The way to be washed from sin, and made holy, is to get part with Christ by faith.

1. Think not that ye must first be holy, before ye can have part with Christ: but ye must first have that part with Christ, ere ye can be holy, as appears from what is said. The former is as absurd as to say, the sick must be cured ere he come to the physician, aud the filthy washed ere he come to the waters. Hence, (1.) Your unholi-iiess cannot bar you from getting part with Christ. (2.) The first step to holiness is to believe.

2. This is a sure way to holiness; it canuot misgive. For hereby the sick are put in the hand of the physician, the filthy in the laver. The sinner united to Christ, must needs partake of his blood and Spirit: as through our relation to Adam we are defiled, so by our relation to Christ we come to be sanctified.

3. Lastly, This is the only way, as being of God's appointment. The sanctification of a sinner is above the power of nature, not to be reached by natural endeavours; they have not that word of appointment.

THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE ; OR, THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. Several Sermons, preached at Ettrick, in the year 1723,

1 Timothy vi. 12,

Fight the good fight of faith.

The A.postle having given Timothy an exhortation to several particular duties, here gives him an exhortation to the Christian life in general. Wherein we have two things.

1. A description of the Christian life. It is not an easy, idle, inactive life; but, (1.) A fight, a combat, a wrestling: for there are many enemies set to keep us out of the promised land. (2.) A good fight. There are many ill fights in the world. The men of the world have many fights and squabbles about this world, the honours, advantages, and pleasures of it, not worth the fighting for. But it is a good fight, a noble and worthy fight, wherein true valour and magnanimity appears. (3.) A fight of faith. Some understand this of the doctrine of faith, as that which is to be fought for. I understand it rather of the grace of faith, by which the fight is to be managed. This comprehends the former; and is more agreeable to the practical directions, ver. 11, and the "laying hold on eternal life," which is done by the grace of faith. So it is a fight to be managed in the way of believing.

2. The word of command given : " Fight the good fight of faith :" Agonize, like a combatant, wrestler, puting forth your utmost vigour. Timothy was engaged already in the fight; but still he was in the field of battle, and the enemy not yet off the field : therefore it is said to him, Fight. Paul was going off" the field, and he says, " I have fought a good fight, I have finished ray course, I have

Vol. VI. 2 k

kept the faith," 2 Tim. iv. 7. Timothy was come on the field, and to him it was said, Fight.

Tlie doctrine natively arising from the words, is this.

Doctrine. The Christian life is the good fight of faith, that must be fought by all that would see heaven.

In discoursing this doctrine, we shall shew,

I. In what respects the Christian life is the fight of faith.

II. In what respects it is a good fight.

III. Why the Christian life in the disposal of holy providence, is made a fight.

IV. Why a fight of faith.

V. Touch at some particular fights of faith the Christian may have in his course heavenward.

I. We shall shew in what respects the Christian life is the fight of faith. I take up this in these seven things.

1. There are enemies of our salvation, and there must be faith in the soul to set against them. Where there are not two parties, there can be no fight. There is no fighting in heaven, for there are no enemies there. Rev. xxi. 25. There is none of this fighting in the unbelieving world neither; for the enemies have all there alone, and there is no faith to set against them, Luke xi. 21. Unbelief carries the man quite over to the enemy's side; it is the evil spy, that says, It is needless to think on the fight. This fight is only found where faith and its opposites meet; and that is in the Christian's heart and life : Cant. vi. ult. " What will ye see in the Shulamite ? as it were the company of two armies." So the combatant is only the man that has given up his name to Christ, and listed with him.

2. The enemy will not be quiet; he will make an attack on the believer setting heavenward. Hence is that exhortation, 1. Pet. v. 8, " Be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." Satan may rock his own children, and labour to keep all quiet: the more secure they lie, they are in the less hazard to break away from him. But God's children must not look for such treatment; their faces are away-ward from his kingdom; and therefore the enemy's face will be set against them, as a prize.

3. God's people must resist: 1 Pet. v. 9, " Whom [Satan] resist stedfast in the faith." They must set themselves to stand their ground against all opposition, and grapple with the difiiculties in their way to heaven, Luke xiii. 24. They must be denied to their ease, content to quit their soft beds of ease, and take the field for it, and endure hardness, 2 Tim ii. 3.

4. They must resist by faitli, 1 Pet. v, 9. above-cited. Faith is the mouth of the soul, that must give the shout in this battle, the hands the men of might must find in it, the weapon they must wield in it, both in the offensive and defensive part of it: Eph. vi. 16, " Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to qnench all the fiery darts of the wicked." So one must not only have the grace of faith, but he must have it in exercise.

5. They must continue in that resistance, and hold on in it: Eph. vi. 13, " Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." The Christian life is a fight, and that denotes a continuance. Many think they should have no more ado, but whenever an enemy starts up, to lay at him with a stroke, and strike him down; and so be easy again: and so they perplex themselves with doubts, fears, and jealousies of the love of God, because it is otherwise with them, the enemy being still fresh and vigorous. Is. xxvi. 18. But alas ! Sirs, ye should consider, that that may be striking indeed, but not a fight, being of no continuance.

6. They must lay their account with ups and downs, getting as well as giving wounds in the encounter. Hence says David, Psal. XXX. 7, " Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." Prevailing Jacob halted in his thigh, after his struggle of faith with the angel. To be absolute masters over the enemy, would not be the fight of faith, but the triumph of faith, which is reserved for heaven. In the fight of faith, the Christian may be set to his knees, but must not give over: yea, though the enemy should lay him on his back, he must say, " Rejoice not against me, 0 mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me," Mic. vii. 8, and so bend to his feet again.

7. Lastly, Faith has the chief interest in this fight. In it there will be use for all the graces, the doing and suffering graces: yet the fight has its name from faith, as that which has the chief hand in it. For,

\st, It is faith's possession that the plea is about. Life and salvation in Christ Jesus is held forth, off'ered, and exhibited in the gospel to the sinner; and the sinner believing in Christ, appropriates and takes possession of it by faith: Cant. ii. 16, " My beloved is mine, and I am his." John xx. 28, " Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." 1 John v. 11, 12, "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." There is the ground

2 n2

of tlie quarrel the enemy has. If the man will quit his plea for life and salvation by Christ, the fight is at an end; the enemy has his design. But if not, the alarm is sounded, and the fight begins to force him from it.

2dly, It is faith that holds fast the possession which the enemy would force from the man. For it is the bond of union betwixt Christ and the soul, and it is that which is the hold of Christ and eternal life : Heb. x. 35, 38, " Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. Now the just shall live by faith." Therefore, believing, we are said to cleave to the Lord, to hold fast what we have, &c. The securities and rights to the heavenly inheritance are the promises; faith gripes them, and so keeps possession.

'^dly, It is faith that, of all the graces, is the main actor in this fight. Those worthies in Heb. xi. exercised and had need of all the graces of the Spirit. There was much love, humility, meekness, patience, &c. in their doing and suffering so great things: but all is ascribed to faith. For faith is the captain of all the graces; it leads them out, puts an edge upon them for the fight, and makes them active. And therefore, in this fight, the word that is given from heaven, is, " Be not afraid, only believe," Mark v. 36, " Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked," Eph. vi. 16.

Question. How comes it that faith has the preference among all the rest of the graces in this fight ? Answer. On these accounts,

(1.) It is the grace that is first on the field of battle, and all the rest follow it. It is the first link of the chain of the graces of the Spirit, that draws all the rest after it, 1 Tim. i. 5. It is the mother-grace, out of whose woinb they all come forth ; because it is the uniting grace that knits the soul to Christ, the fountain of fulness. So the way to get love, repentance, patience, &c. is to believe, thus it furnishes the field of battle, with fighters on Christ's side. (2.) It strengthens them all, according to its measure; for that is the rule of the dispensation of grace, " According to thy faith, be it unto thee." According as it is weak or strong, so are they: for it is not only the mother-grace but the nursing grace. Faith lies as it were nearest the fountain, and is the channel of conveyance of supply : so as it gets in, they get out for their nourishment.

(3.) It brings the healing they get to their wounds. Many a time the Christian's love is foundered in this fight, and is like to bleed to death, by an arrow of jealousy of God shot into their breast. Faith gives the combatant a sight of the glory of Grod in the face of Jesus; and so pulls out the arrow, John ii. 4. Their

patience is ^rounded, that it can no longer stand; faith brings the promise, Heb. ii. 3, " For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely corae, it will not tarry," and it sets patience to its feet again. It brings the leaves of the tree of life, applies them to the wounds, and heals them; so the fight is renewed.

(4.) It carries on the fight, and obtains the victory: 2 Pet. v. 9, "Whom resist, stedfast in the faith." 1 John v. 4, "This is the victory that overcoraeth the world, even our faith." It is by faith the enemy is put to flight, that partial victories are obtained during this life, and that the total victory is obtained at death, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. Thus by faith the martyrs swimmed through a sea of bload to the other side. And hence,

4:thly, The great design of the enemy is to weaken faith, and to wrest it away out of the combatants hand. It was by unbelief of the threatening of the first covenant, that Satan ruined the world at first: and now his great business is, to keep men from believing the promise of the second covenant. He knows full well their strengtli lies there ; and take away that, they shall be as other men, that he may do with them what he will.

Lastly, The great design of a holy God, in that fight is the trial of faith. Hence says the apostle, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7, " Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Faith acts in trusting an unseen God, believing his word, living npon the credit of the promise. Thus the Lord will have his people to go through the wilderness of this world, " walking by faith, not by sight." When they come to heaven the trial of faith is over : so there is no more fight.

II. The second thing is, to shew in what respects it is a good fight.

1. The cause is good. Many fight to carry their ill cause by force, and their fightings proceed from an eager desire to satisfy their lusts, James iv. 1, 2. But here is a good fight for a good cause, cleaving to the Lord over the belly of all difliculties; laying hold, and keeping hold, of eternal life. It is the cause of God, the cause of Christ, the cause of the sinner's eternal salvation, which cannot be but a good cause, to endeavour the maintenance of against all opposers.

2. It is an honourable fight, worthy of a man of true valour and magnanimity, 1 Cor. ix. 25—27; Prov. xvi. 32. The men of the

world boast tliemselves of their strength in making their part good against weak worms like themselves. In the mean time they are slaves to the devil and their lusts, and have neither heart nor hand to resist them, but are captive at pleasure. But the believer in his fight encounters more formidable enemies: Eph. vi. 12, " We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

3. There is a good captain in this fight, the Lord Jesus Christ, under whose standard the believer fights, Heb. ii. 10. He went on the head of all the fighting company and overcame ; and he calls his people to make their way through an army which he has already broken : Rev. iii. 21, " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." He is ever at their hand, and the cause is his ; it must therefore needs be a good fight.

4. In regard of the good that is got even of the partial victories ; the believers being helped to stand shocks, and get over them, though the war be not ended. Hence says the apostle, Rom. V. 3, 4, 5, " We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope : and hope maketh not ashamed." The sharp trials of faith are hard in the time : but a review of bypast dangers, of the Lord's working for the soul in the time of the combat, gives an exquisite pleasure : so that the man comes to say. It is good that I was afflicted,

5. Lastly, In regard the final and complete victory in the end, is sure. Hence says the apostle, Rom. xvi. 20, " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Many a battle the believer may lose in the course of the war; he may be shamefully foiled : but though the enemy prevail so far, yet the believer shall always be the conqueror at the end. The men of Ai got an advantage against Joshua's men: but it did not last; they got a complete victory at length over the men of Ai.

III. Why is the Christian life, in the disposal of holy providence, made a fight ? No doubt the Lord could have given his people a constant sunshine as well on this side as the other side of death, and cleared the way of those armed adversaries that are ready to attack them.

1. That the members may be conformed to their head in their passage through the world. The life that our Lord Jesus had in the world, was a fighting life all along, till he left the world, and entered into his glory. It is very agreeable then, that his followers should find it so, and so be conformed to their head in suftering as well as

in reigning : Rom. viii. 17, " If so be that we suflPer with him, that we may be also glorified together," 2 Tim. ii. 12, " If we suffer, we shall also reign with him,"

2. That the uothingness, and utter unworthiness of the creature, which is to wear the crown of glory for ever, may convincingly appear; so as they themselves and all others may see it is owing purely to free grace, not to them, Deut. viii. 2. We find the Lord usually laid those very low whom he minded to raise up on high ; as in the case of Joseph, Moses, and David: and this to stain the pride of all glory, that they might see their own unworthiness, and that it was wholly of free grace, and owing to no merit of theirs. The Lord accordingly minding to bring a select company into heaven at length, in the first place brings them into the wilderness. There they are stung with serpents, scorched with thirst, &c. whereby much corruption and weakness appeared in them, &c. and afterwards they are brought unto a wealthy place.

3. For the greater confusion of the grand adversary, who, attacked him in person in the world, and whom he causeth poor weak creatures to triumph over after they have maintained a fight with him, Rom. xvi. 20, " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Our Lord Jesus overcame and baffled Satan's temptations in the wilderness. He triumphed over him on the cross, where the heat of the battle was : Col. ii. 15, " Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Satan renews the battle agaiut his members on earth: and what is the issue ? The strippling, with his sling and stone, lays Goliath on the green. The weak believer through faith confounds the united wit and force of men and devils, Luke X. 19, which tends to the greater confusion of the enemy.

4. For the greater glory of the captain of their salvation, the more full display of the freedom of grace, and the efficacy of his blood and Spirit. (1.) Every wound the believer gets in this fight, puts a new jewel in Christ's crown. For every new wound requires a new plaister from Christ. That is a new item for the believer in the debt-book of free grace, and so puts him more in free grace's debt. (2.) Every wound the believer gives in this fight, consider-iug his weakness and fecklessness, and the strength and subtility of the enemy, does the same.

5. For that they may have a greater variety of experiences: Rom. V. 4, " Patience worketh experience; and experience, hope." The exercised Christian is the man of most experience. There is a great variety of promises in the covenant, for the various cases the children of God may be in: and that his peo])le may have experi-

euce of the relish of these promises, he brings them into the cases to which these j)romises are adapted. Who finds the sap of that promise, Is. xxxiii. 16, " Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure," like those that are put to a fight of faith for their daily bread; or of that. Dent, xxxii. 36, " For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants ; when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left, like" those whose case is brought to an extremity in point of hopelessness ?

6. Lastly, That heaven may be the more sweet to them, when they come to it. It is in this respect that heaven is called a place of comfort, Luke xvi. 25, wiping away of tears, rest from labours. None will find rest so sweet as the wearied man. A child of God come to bis journey's end, after many falls and risings, after many ups and downs; set ashore after a dangerous voyage, will sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb in a higher strain, than if he had never been in danger from his first setting out.

IV. The fourth thing is, to shew why their fight is called a fight of faith. The reason is, because by that means all the glory of the victories obtained redounds to free grace, not to the sinner himself: liom. iv. 16, " It is of faith, that it might be by grace." The Lord is jealous of his own glory, and sinful man is very apt to ascribe something to himself; therefore faith is pitched upon ; for its activity lies in these two.

1. In carrying the sinner quite out of himself, and from off his own bottom. Hence believers are said to have no confidence in the flesh, Philip, iii. 3. The unbeliever's great strength lies in summoning together all the power of his natural abilities, and in confidence thereof trying the battle. But faith makes a man to be denied to all his own abilities, and not to lean to himself, his light, strength, &c. And therefore as the fire burns keenest in the sharp frost, so faith acts most vigorously, when sentence of death is passed on all probable means, as Abraham's faith.

2. In leaning upon the Lord for all. Hence believers are also said to rejoice in Christ Jesus, Philip, iii. 3. Faith goes out to the battle in the name of the Lord, holding by his promise, trusting that he will make it out: and so it is the mouth of the soul that sucks the sap of the promise, by a fiducial application of it, and trusting in it.

V. I will touch at some particular fights of faith, the Christian may have in his course heavenward, such as,

1. In a call to some more than ordinary work or duty.

2. In desertion.

3. In temptations from Satan.

4. In afflictions.

5. "With this present evil world.

6. With sin.

7. With death.

First, There is a fight of faith, in a call to some more than ordinary work or duty. Sometimes the Lord takes trial of his people by calling them to some extraordinary piece of duty. Thus Abraham was called out to this field, Gen. xxii. 1; Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, Exod. iii; and Jonah, to preach to the Nine-vites.

Here the believer gets his hands full, as much as he is able to wrestle with ; yea, and sometimes as much as lays him by, his faith failing. Thus Jonah was so put to it in this fight, that he goes to fly towards Tarshish, to shift the duty.

Now, what makes the difliculty here, are, (1.) The hardness of the work in itself, as in Abraham's case. (2.) A deep sense of our inability for it, as in the case of Moses, when commanded to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, Exod. iv. 10. For sometimes it is that which the Christian seems of all things to be most unfit for. (3.) The great danger there may be in it, so that the Christian must run a risk in setting about it. Sometimes he must risk his reputation, as in Jonah's case ; sometimes he must risk even his safety or life. Here there is a particular fight of faith to be fought. And therein faith is to be exerted,

1. In complying with God's call in the faith of the promise of strength for it. Hence says the apostle, Philip, iv. 13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." God never calls his people to any duty, but what they have ground to expect furniture for from himself in the way of believing: " No man goeth a ■warfare on his own charges." God's call implies a promise of furniture : " The way of the Lord is strength to the upright." And God suits the back to the burden. It is much alike then whether it be little work and little strength, or g reat work and strength conform.

2. In following the duty, in the faith of divine protection, as far as he sees good. Faith trusts God with one's safety in the way of duty, according to th e promise, Psal. xci. 11, "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." As long as one is found in the way where God bids him go, he may be sure God will set a hedge about him, and make all work together for his good.

Secondly, There is a fight of faith in desertion. Here the believer is on the dark mountains in a special manner, the Lord in the depth of soverign wisdom withdr awing from him. And in this case there may be several things very heavy.

1. Darkness covering the believer's spirit, Is. 1. 10, whereby he goes mourning without the sun. Their former light is taken away, and clouds and mists arise, so they cannot know their way.

2. Indisposition for duty, proceeding sometimes from a listlessness to communion with God, Cant, v, 2, sometimes from the extremity of trouble, Psal, Ixxvii. 4. So that the soul is not more unfit for duty, than when there is most need.

3. An army of doubts and fears attacking them, doubting of their love to God, and God's love to them, Psal. Ixxvii. 7, downwards.

4. The terrors of God set in battle-array against them, Job. vi. 4. They " remember God, and are troubled," Psal. Ixxvii. 3, The man is carried captive from Sion to Sinai; the discharge is lost, and the law bends up a process against him. God appears an enemy, Psal. Ixxxviii. 15.

Now faith's part here in this fight is,

1st, To justify God in the dispensation, Psal. xxii. 3, and to submit to sovereignty. Job ii. 9, 10, believing he doth all things well. The man has to do with him whose will is the supreme law, and so must not adventure to call him to an account.

2dli/, To cleave to God in Christ by a faith of adherence; saying with Job, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job xiii. 15. He must resolutely adhere, over the belly of discouragements.

ddli/, To believe an outgate in due time; saying with the church, Mic. vii. 8, " When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." Hence is that exhortation, Is. 1. 10, " Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God."

4thli/, To hold the conclusion of our interest, notwithstanding the arguments drawn from the divine dispensation to prove us naught. Hence says Job chap, xxvii. 5, 6, " Till I die, I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live."

5thli/, Continuing in the way of duty notwithstanding; as Job did, chap. i. 20, 21, who, notwithstanding all the calamites that befel him, blessed God.

Thirdly, There is a fight of faith in temptations from Satan, He is the declared enemy of God and mankind. Natural men he tempts to sin, to get them kept the surer in his gripes; the godly, that he may mar their communion with God, their comfort and growth, and may make their lives bitter, if he cannot get them

l»ack entirely to his service; both that he may get God dishonoured by them. The temptations of Satan are too many to be reckoned up particularly; but I shall take notice of these eight things following, in which ye would set yourselves to fight the fight of faith.

1. Temptations to sin, after some seeming or real enjoyment of God in ordinances or providences. Nothing is more ordinary than a subtile or furions attack of the devil on a person brought into a better case than ordinary, Cant. v. 1, 2. Thus after solemn ordinances. So after Christ's baptism, Matth. iv. 1; and the disciples after the first communion. Satan is a proud, envious Spirit. The better it is with a soul, the more likely is the honour of God to be advanced, and their own salvation. And neither of these can that malicious spirit endure. In this case faith is to manage a fight,

by,

1st, Believing the Scripture warnings and instances of this: Luke xxii. 31, " And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." 2 Cor. xii. 7. " And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to bufi'et me, lest I should be exalted above measure." Hereby the soul will be set to watch before the temptation come, and so be in better case to resist it; and when it is come, will see that it is no more than what God's people have met with.

2dl^, Resisting, not in confidence of vows, purposes, and resolutions, the present frame of the heart, or grace already received; but in confidence of the grace that is in Christ, and the new supplies of it: 2 Cor. xii. 9, " My grace is suflicient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Tim. ii. 1, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." It is confidence in what we have in ourselves that mars all.

2. Temptations to the sin that one is most easily laid aside unto: Heb. xii. 1, " Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." Satan will be sure to attack you on the weak side, where he is most likely to prevail. He knows what is the sin of one's constitution, age, calling, and the like, and there to set on where the wall is weakest. But he that minds for heaven, must resist, and fight against him, and that in faith.

1st, Believing the necessity of overcoming, even in that particular: Matth. V. 29, 30, "If thy right eye off'end thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand off'end thee, cut it off', and cast it

from thee : for it is profitable for thee tliat one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Men would do well to remember that there the one thing lacking, which ruins all, may lie, Mark x. 21. And if the devil can get the man kept under the dominion of any one lust, it will serve his purpose for that man's eternal ruin, though he have otherwise many good things about him.

2dly, Believing, that such temptations may be overcome and got mastered: Luke xvii. 6, " If ye had faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye might say unto this sycamine-tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." These temptations men do so naturally incline to comply with, that they are ready to think, it is in vain to offer to resist them, for it will not do, Jer. ii. 25, " Thou saidst, There is no hope. Xo, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." This is the language of unbelief, which faith must contradict, if one would stand.

Zdly, Believing, that, in the use of appointed ireans, he shall overcome, through grace and strength from the Lord: Mark xi. 24, " What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." This faith makes the soul in this case like a giant refreshed with wine, opposing Christ's promised strength to its own weakness, and the force of the temptation ; and so brings it off victorious. Is. xl. ult. and xlv. 24.

3. Temptations to the grossest sins. Nobody is out of hazard of these, while in this world, 1 Cor. x. 12, " Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." Satan makes great hellish gain by these; he wastes and defiles the conscience, gets God greatly dishonoured, and religion exposed to reproach by them. He gets the mask 'pulled off many hypocrites by them ; and gets sincere Christians sometimes made to go halting to the grave by them, Prov. vii. 26. They that would see heaven must resist, and resist in faith,

\st, Believing that they are snares for soul-ruin, according to the word, Prov. vi. 27, 28, " Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt ? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?" and chap. i. 17, "Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird." It is the work of faith to discern, by the glass of the word, Satan's devices, and arts of destruction; that the soul, seeing them so, may conceive a horror of them. Hence says the apostle, Rom. xii. 9, " Abhor that which is evil."

'2,dly, Believing that it is not the temptation, but the yielding to it, that will provoke God against you. I own, that such tempta-

tions are often sent as a punishment for other sins, as Judas' covetousness was punished with a temptation to betray Christ for money: and by such means God often shakes himself loose of hypocrites, as in Judas' case, and spues them out of his mouth, leaving them to yield to them. Rev. iii. 16. And it is often the thought of serious souls, that temptations to sins so very gross are a sign of the Lord's hatred against them: yet that is a plain mistake ; for what sin is there so gross but a child of God may be tempted to it ? Asaph was tempted to deny a providence, Psal. Ixxiii. 13. Agur saw himself in hazard of atheistical contempt of God, Prov. XXX. 9. Job was tempted to blaspheme and curse God, Job i. 11, 12. to self-murder, chap. vii. 15. Christ himself was tempted to distrust, self-murder, and worshipping of the devil, Matth. iv. The faith of these things will be strengthening under such horrid temptations.

3tWj/, Believing the word condemning and forbidding these sins, and so opposing Heaven's word of command and threatening unto the temptation. Thus our Lord resisted all his temptations in faith, Matth. iv. This is faith's wielding the sword of the Spirit against the tempter, which is fitted to awe the heart with the authority of God, and fill it with abhorrence of the temptation. "Whenever the temptation is given, there should presently be some apt Scripture to oppose to it in faith; and as oft as the temptation is repeated, do ye repeat the word in faith, and Satan will fly at length. So in such cases ye should have such Scriptures as these ready, Deut. xxviii. 58, 59 ; Psal. xiv. 1; 1 John iii. 15; Eph. v. 5, 6.

Athly, Believing the promises suited to the case. There is no temptation any can be in, but there is a promise suited for it in the word, which is the armour faith must wield in order to overcome : 1 Cor. X. 13, God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." James iv. 7, " Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." And in the faith of the promise make resistance, not doubting but it shall be accomplished in your case : and according to your faith of the promise in the use of means, so shall it be ; as with Peter on the water, and the ai*my against Amalek with Moses' hands lift up.

4. Temptations artfully suited to one's circumstances. Satan has a hellish art of framing his temptations upon his observation of people's circumstances, wherein they are most likely to take with them. Thus Christ being an hungered, the devil tempted him to distrust, Matth. iv. 3. Job was tempted to blaspheme and despair under his afflictions. Achan was tempted to steal, a fair op-

portunity offering. Thus he has his temptations suited to the aged and the young, the poor and the rich, the jovial and those of a sorrowful heart. He knows, that in such a case he rows with the stream, aud is most likely to prevail. But resist ye in faith,

1st, Believing, according to the word, that Satan watcheth all opportunities against you, 1 Pet. v. 8. " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." This will make you to watch against him, when the enemy has such an advantage against you that he will not let slip. They had not need to sleep who are within the enemy's gunshot.

2(iZj/, Believing that God's eye is on you, and the Lord has you upon your trials in that particular, to which ye are so tempted. Hence says Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 9, '' How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God ? Men's corrupt hearts are apt to think, when a fair occasion of sinning lies before them, that now is the time to gratify the lust; but happy were they could they think, now, here is a trial for me, and God is looking on to see how I will behave.

Sdli/, Believing that as the devil suits his temptations, so Christ suits his help and assistance, to the circumstances of poor sinners : so that resolving to resist, you may say, There are more with us than against us, 1 Cor. x. 13, forecited. Whatever way the stream runs for your compliance with the temptation, stretch out your withered hands to swim against it, in faith of your throughbearing upon the ground of God's faithfulness, Is. xl. 28—30.

5. Temptations from one sin to another. Satan knows, that one sin makes way for another; and that to get in his finger once, is the way to get in his whole hand after. So Eve's lustful look to the forbidden fruit, made way for her taking, taking for eating, that for giving to her husband and his eating: and so the whole world's ruin was completed, Gen. iii. 6. Thus it is usual for Satan to prevail with those that have yielded to him in one temptation, to lie for covering it again. And some sins natively lead to others; as in the well known story of the three sins one was tempted to. Thus drunkenness makes men an easy prey to uncleanness, Prov. xxiii. 33. And some when once the devil has got them to be harlots, the temptation from that, and from their credit, has made them murderers : some murdering their children after they are born, some before they are born, going about to destroy their conceptions; the latter as well as the former murderers, and guilty of innocent blood in a degree beyond Onan, Gen. xxxviii. 9, whom the Lord himself slew as a murderer. But ye must resist, and that in faith.

Happy they wlio resist the beginnings of sin, who crush the viper la the bud ; but wheu ye are fallen iuto the snare, fight against the temptation to add sin to sin, or to cover one sin with another.

1st, Believing, that there is mercy for penitents, but none for those who harden themselves in their wickedness: Prov. xxviii. 13, " He that covereth his sins, shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy." Nay, there is not a more ready way under heaven to expose sinners to the arrows of God's wrath, than to be hardened in wickedness, Deut xxix. 19, 20.

2dlt/, Believing, th.at the design of the temptation to one sin from another, is plainly the ruin of the soul, that the devil may get the person so deep into the mire, that he may never win out again. Thus he drove Judas from the betraying of Christ, into an attack against his own life. For thus the one sin becomes a need-nail to the other, shutting up the soul under the guilt of it, not to be removed but by a miracle of mercy.

Sdl^, Believing, that all the shame, and pain, and misery that can follow in the world, upon one sin, is not to be laid in the balance with the wrath of God, that is kindled against the sinner by running into another sin because he has been guilty of one, Matth. xvi. 26. This all such as so do will find, either in this world, or in hell, when God shall make all their sins together lie on their own heads. For sooner or later sin will find out the guilty, Numb, xxxii. 23.

4thli/, Believing the promise of pardon through the Redeemer's blood, however atrocious and heinous the sin is : 1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Some are led on from one sin to another, because they have no sense of the ill and danger of it to their souls : the faith of God's testimony of their sin would cure this, and make them cry out. Undone. Others have a secret despair of finding mercy, and so they proceed from evil to worse : but the faith of the promise of pardon would cure that: Is. i. 18, " Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

6thli/, Believing the promise of renewed strength even to those that have slighted it before, Jer. iii. 14. They who have been foiled by one temptation, may get victory over another. They may have taken a large step on the devil's ground, who yet looking to Christ by faith, may stop and go no further, Psal. Ixv. 3.

6. Temptations suddenly and surprisingly cast in, and resolutely continued, 2 Cor. xii. 8. These are Satan's fiery darts, Eph. vi. 16. This is a furious assault of the devil, which he olten makes use of in blasphemous or other diabolical injections iuto the minds of

poor sinners; where the soul is in no better case than one, who descending a thatched house, no sooner gets one fire-ball quenched, but another is thrown in on him. If at any time this be your case, set to vigorous resistance, in faith,

1st, Believing, that these are your affliction and trial, but no further your sin than you yield or consent to them. This is clear from the horrible Satanical suggestions made to our Saviour, Matt, iv. while yet there was no sin in him. Satan does with these as harlots laying their brats at the door of honest matrons, so confounding, perplexing, and hurrying the poor tempted sinner, that he is apt to take the voice of Satan for his own voice. But unless ye yield to them, and embrace them, Satan, and only he, shall be accountable for them.

2dli/, Adhering resolutely by faith to the Lord Jesus, in that hour and power of darkness, as your Lord and Saviour did. Thus our Lord gave us an example, John xii. 27, " Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour : but for this cause came I unto this hour," If ever that resolute adherence is necessary, it is necessary at such a time: Is. 1. 10, " Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." The great end and design of the tempter by these furious attacks, is, to drive the poor tossed tempted creature from his hold of Christ: but we should be like the traveller in the windy day, that holds his cloak the faster the harder it blows.

3dli/, Believing, that there is no safety in parleying with the tempter, but ever and anon the temptation is to be rejected with abhorrence. It was Eve's parley with the tempter, that laid the foundation of the ruin of the world by the first sin, Gen. iii. Setting on the Second Adam, he got his answer a refusal, with abhorrence of his proposal, immediately, Matth. iv. These suggestions are not so far to be listened to, as that one should think with himself whether he should comply with them or not. " The Lord rebuke thee," is the short and safe answer.

4:thli^, Believingly opposing the Lord's word to them, which condemns and forbids the things tempted to. In those temptations our Saviour met with, which were shocking even to the light of nature, it is remarkable he still opposes scripture to them, Matth. iv. 7, 10. For that is a divine ordinance for repelling of temptation, to be reiterated in faith as often as Satan repeats his temptation.

5thli/, Believing, that there is grace in Christ Jesus sufiicient for repelling these most violent temptations, and that it is suflELcient for

you in your case in particular, Hence says our Lord, 2 Cor. xii. 9, ." My grace is sufficient for tliee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." If Satan prevail so far as to cause the tempted to think, that the violence of the temptation is so great that it is not possiblo for them to stand against it; this is such a weakening of faith, that the breach can hardly miss to be made there, as a breaking forth of an high wall in an instant. And Satan cannot obtain it of the tempted but by turning his eyes away from Christ into himself. Therefore, in that hour of darkness, let the tempted keep his eye on the fulness of strength in Christ for him: 2. Tim. ii. 1, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Qthly, Believing the promise of victory to the poor struggler with temptation: Jam. iv. 7, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The faith of the victory is necessary to animate the tempted to continue the struggle, and will make him in the temptation to be like a giant refreshed with wine, and will undoubtedly bring him oft' victorious at length. For there is the decision, " According to thy faith, so be it unto thee."

7- Temptations striking at the very foundations of faith and religion, such as against the being of God, and the divine authority of the scriptures, Psal. xiv. 1. and Ixxiii. 13. These are most dangerous, but they are what the devil himself cannot prevail with himself to believe; though he fain would, yet he cannot be an atheist, nor an infidel as to the scriptures. Jam. ii. 19. But he sometimes would palm these foul atheistical principles on poor sinners, even saints of God, who want not an atheistical principle in them to work upon. If at any time Satan attack you with such temptations, ye must resist them,

\st, Believing, that they are the spawn of the old serpent in the corrupt heart, the hissing of the crooked serpent: Psal. xiv. 1, " The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God." Hence it is said of the beast in Rev. xiii. 6. that " he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." This is the reception they should get immediately, faith discerning the devil's cloven foot in them at their very first appearance. Whether they come immediately from the devil, or from the corrupt heart itself moved by Satan, it is all a case in this point; believe them to be hellish, devilish, most abominable, and to be treated with the utmost abhorrence. And the sooner ye give them that entertainment, the victory will be the more easy and speedy.

2dly, Resolutely believing the foundation-principles which the temptation strikes against, over the belly of the Satanical objections

Vol. VI. 2 s

mustered up against them before you, though ye be not able to answer those objections or loose the difficulties: Heb. xi. 6, '* He that Cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." 2 Tim. iii. 16, " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." And hence is that exhortation of the apostle, Eph. vi. 16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

There is not wanting store of reasons to support the great foundation-principles of religion; and nothing but sophistry can be brought against them, which reason sufficiently enlightened may discover. There are convincing arguments for the being of a God, and the authority of the scriptures, to be used against atheists. But when ye are assaulted with these temptations, I dare not advise you to the way of disputing with the tempter, but to the way of believing; not to the bringing reasons for these principles against him, and answering his hellish objections against them, but to a resolute holding of the conclusion over the belly of all his objections; because,

(1.) They are first principles, and ye are not obliged to dispute them with any, unless it were to keep an opposer from ruin, as in the case of atheists. But this has no place in a combat with the devil, of whom there is no hope.

(2.) Because the devil is an intercommuned spirit, with whom we are not to commune and enter into reasoning without a special call. Our Lord himself, though he could have reasoned the devil out of it, yet he took not that method, but just opposed to his temptations the testimony of scripture. And it is certainly the safest way for us, whatever we have to say in temptation, to say it to God, rather than to the devil.

(3.) Because the devil is a disputant too subtle for us, and in the way of wit and reason may quickly over-reach us. I make no question, but the devil is a philosopher and divine far beyond any of our greatest scholars: and men may expect from him most subtle turns of wit to elude their arguments, and to start objections which it will not be easy to answer. And therefore it is not safe to engage in dispute with him.

But do ye resolutely believe the principles you have received on divine authority, which ye have no reason to quit on the devil's contrary testimony, though he pretend reason for it, since he is known to be a liar and murderer. This the apostle prescribes, Eph. vi. 16. forecited. And this method of holding by the conclu-

sion resolutely, while the sinner is not capable to answer the objections, is recommended to us by the practice of the saints, Jer. xii. 1; Matt. XV. 25. Therefore, while Satan casts in these temptations, or raises them in your heart, enter your protestation against them, (crying out of violence and wrong), that you allow them not, you do believe, and will through his grace believe these foundations, and will not quit them.

Zdl(/, Believing and applying the promise of saving illumination, and teaching of the Spirit. It is light from the Lord himself, that must dispel the mists that Satan raises in the corrupt heart, wherein these horrible temptations do take place. Hence says our Lord to Peter, Matth. xvi. 17, " Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." 1 Cor. ii. 12, *' Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." And this light is brought in, by faith's applying the promises suited to the case. Of these are many, such as Heb. viii. 11; John 17, and xiv. 21. And the tempted should lift his eyes unto tlie Lord, that he may so shine in his word, into his soul, as that his light may dispel the darkness, according to his promise.

4:thly, Believing the scripture accounts of these things, of those mysteries of providence from whence Satan raiseth these temptations. Satan sometimes observes the spirits even of saints fretted and rankled with long and sore afflictions, their prayers not heard and answered, the wicked prospering, and they in great distress: and here he plants his cannon, to beat down from these, even the foundations of all religion. Thus he dealt with Asaph, Psal. Ixxiii, 12, 13, 14. And he resists him by believing the scripture account of those mysteries of providence, vers. 16—18. This is the way to undermine Satan's battery, to rase the foundations on which he builds.

What will that malicious spirit make of the long and sore distresses of God's people, and the prosperity of the wicked, against the being or nature of God, and the certainty of his word? The sun may hide his head long in a stormy winter; but will any say therefore, there is no sun. or that the ordinances of the heavens fail and misgive ? Is not one day with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day ? Doth not the scripture shew, that the wicked are raised on high, that they may fall more grievously ? Is there not a judgment to come, and a long eternity enough to shew God's good pleasure in the vessels of his mercy, and his wrath against the vessels of wrath, though neither the godly have two summers, nor

2s2

the wicked two winters, in one year ? Have not prayers lain long over, that yet have got a gracious answer at length ? Zech. vii. 3; James v. 11.

Thus believing is the method of resisting in these temptations. Howbeit, when ye are out of the shock of temptation in these matters, it would be of good use to fortify and confirm your faitb of the foundation principles of religion, with all the reasons and arguments ye can draw together for them.

8. Lastly, Temptations of delusion. This is a kind of temptation most hard to resist, Satan therein transforming himself into au angel of light, and pressing to sin under the notion of duty, 2 Cor. xi. 14. It is a great trial of faith, Matth. xxiv. 24; a great and fearful plague where it takes, Is. Ixvi. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12, and has always a lamentable upshot, according to the nature thereof, Is. 1. ult. But ye must resist in faith,

\st, believing your own weakness and darkness in yourselves, together with the diligence of Satan the great seducer, according to the scripture, 2 Cor. iii. 5, " "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God. 1 Pet. V. 8, " Be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour." It is self-conceit, a high opinion of our own great attainments, that most readily betrays men into the snare of delusion ; for these are in little fear of Satan's wiles, and so are the more easily caught in his snare.

Idly, Believing the holy scriptures to be the only rule of faith and manners, and a full and perfect rule; and to improve it so: Is. viii. 20, " To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." There is an itch in the nature of man, to be wise above what is written ; and sometimes Satan has made his gain thereof by visions, voices, dreams, impressions, and impulses. But in all such cases take head to yourselves, that Satan delude you not: but bring the matter to the word written, and thereby examine it. What is of God will abide the trial by that touch-stone; and the more closely it is brought to the word, it will appear the more clear: what i-s not so, will lose its lustre there, as ill wares brought out to the light of the sun. And therefore those under delusion are mighty loathe to examine by the word : 1 John iv. 1, " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Pet. i. 18, 19, " And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy ; whereunto ye do well that ye take head, as unto a light that shiueth

in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts." The holy scripture is the stated way of communication betwixt heaven and us: it is from the Holy Spirit, and H is not possible that he should contradict himself, Is. lix. ult. Therefore " though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed," Gal. i. 8.

Lastly, Believing the promise of guidance into all truth, John xvi. 13, " Howbeit, when he the Spirit of truth is corae, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will shew you things to come." Psal. xxv. 2, " The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way." The soul thus emptied of itself, and leaning to the Lord Christ for his teaching, will not want teaching in the use of means. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. xxviii. 7, " The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped." Our Lord Jesus is the appointed leader and guide of his people, Is. Iv. 4. He is given of God for a light of the people. He has set us our ways-marks in this as in all other cases. Divine manifestations are always sanctifying and humbling; delusions puff up, and leave the soul always as unholy as they found it. Divine manifestations have ever an immediate tendency to holiness; delusions have always a tendency to unholiness. And even when duty is pressed in delusion, it will readily be found either out of season, or not the duty of one's station, or to have some such flaw in it or other.

Fourthly, There is a fight of faith in aiflictions: Heb. x. 32, " Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." One may as well think to travel without the flies annoying him in a hot summer day, as to go through the world without meeting with afflictions. They are common to good and bad. In the Lord's way one cannot miss them : Acts xiv. 22, " We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." In the way of sin one will meet them too : Eccl. x. 8, "He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." Sovereignty distributes them, to some more, to others less; but to all, some. The native eff'ect of afflictions on the guilty creature, is to drive it away from God, (however they are oft turned to good); even as the lash of a whip natively drives away him that is lashed, from him that lasheth. So that it is owing to something else that they do good to sinners. And that,

1. To a word of divine appointment. Afflictions are an ordi-

nance of God for good to poor sinners : Is. xxvii. 9, " By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." And a divine appointment will alter the nature and operation of a thing. The savour of burnt flesh is very unpleasant, but the divine ordinance of sacrificing made it a sweet savour, Gen. viii. 21. Clay laid on one's eyes is a mean natively to make one blind : yet, by virtue of a divine ordinance, it cured blindness, John ix. 6, 7. So afflictions natively, or of themselves, drive away the soul from God, but, by virtue of a divine ordinance, lead it to him.

2. To a receiving of them in faith : 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18, " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal." See Heb, xi. 35—39. "Whoever would profit by a divine ordinance, must receive it in faith, Heb. iv. 2. For to every divine ordinance there is a promise annexed to be believed : and the promise being believed, the ordinance has its effect. So that we see afflictions do good to some, to others no good, but ill: Why ? It is faith and unbelief that make the difference.

"Wherefore ye must fight in faith against the native tendency of afflictions in themselves. And if ye ask, "What is that tendency in afflictions on the guilty creature, which he must fight against ? and. How must one fight in faith against it ? I answer in the six following particulars. It is,

1. To impress the person with the apprehension that God is his enemy, and that he is seeking his ruin : 2 Kings vi. ult. Even Job himself was carried away with this hard thought of God, Job xxxiii. 10, 11, "Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he coun-teth me for his enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths." Guilt lying on the conscience, makes it full of hard thoughts of God, and terrible forebodings. Whenever the guilty soul hears from heaven by affliction, it is ready to strike in his mind, Now this is for my sin, and God is proclaiming war against me to ruin me. Hence affliction is several times the means of awakening the secure sinner; though he can never come to God till he believe.

Now, ye must fight against this in faith,

1st, Believing, that though all your afflictions are infallible signs of God's hatred of your sin, and his seeking the ruin of it; yet no affliction on you in this world can be such a sign of God's hatred of

your persons, and his seeking your ruin, Eccl. ix. 1, 2. No, no; God's dearest children may have as heavy afflictions on their backs, as any other persons in the world, Psal. Ixxiii. 12, 14. And no wonder, since God's only begotten Son had the heaviest burden of afflictions that ever was on the back of a man.

2dly, Believing, that afflictions are God's ordinance for good to the afflicted, even as really as is the preaching of the word to them: Prov. xxix. 15, " The rod and reproof give wisdom." They are the discipline of God's house, as the word is the doctrine of it: Heb. xii. 6, " For whom the Lord loveth, he chastcneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." So the design of the rod is your good, as the design of physic is the health of the patient; though, in ihe meantime, one, by misguiding under it, may indeed kill himself; even as one, by not complying with the design of the affliction may wound his own soul. It is certain, that afflictions have a word of divine appointment for good; there is a blessing annexed to them by promise: but how can ye share of it, if ye do not believe them to be an ordinance of God for good ?

'idly, Believing, that God by these means is seeking your good, as using towards you the very same means that he does towards the dearest of his children : 2 Pet. iii. 9, " The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, (as some men count slackness,) but is long-suffering to US-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Rev. iii. 19, " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten : be zealous therefore and repent." Should a physician give you the very same remedy that he gives to his own child, sick of your disease ; what but unreasonable jealousy should make you think he designs ill to you ? And what but unbelief then can it be that makes you think, that God seeks your ruin by affliction, with which he works the cure of his own ?

A^thly, Believing the promise annexed to that ordinance, with application to yourselves, that your affliction, through his grace, shall do you good : Is. xxvii. 9, " By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." Zeph. iii. 12, 13, " I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord, The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies: neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth : for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid," This is the way to partake of the efficacy of the ordinance of affliction; and it ij the faith of it that makes the saints welcome the rod, to be patient under it, and to comply with the design of it, Micah vii. 8, 9; wiiile those that expect no good of them, get as little many times.

2. To take all heart and hand from him in his approaches to God, Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. Ixxvii. 3, " I remembered God, and was troubled : I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. The guilty conscience takes up the affliction, and just knocks him down with it, fells him with it before the Lord. He is filled with consternation before an angry God, and his heart fails, and can look for no good at the Lord's hand, 1 John iii. 20, 21. The affliction lies so heavy upon the poor sinner, that he cannot think there is any hope of God's hearing his prayers, or making him welcome to the throne of grace. Hence says Job chap. ix. 16, 17, " If I bad called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto ray voice. For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause." But ye must fight against this in faith,

1st, Believing, that there are bowels of compassion in God, while nothing but frowns appear (Psal. cxxx. 1, 7) in his countenance. And it is faith's work, to take up these bowels of mercy in an afflicting God. Question. What way shall one perceive them ? Answer. While ye behold his anger in his providences, ye must look to his word by faith, and there ye will see these bowels of mercy: Is. xlix. 14—17, " But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. Thy children shall make haste ; thy destroyers, and they that made thee waste, shall go forth of thee." Chap. Ixiii. 9, " In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them, all the days of old. And ye may be helped hereto, by considering the heart of a father smiting his own child ; where, in a sense, the heart goes not along with the hand. Thus the church prays, but in faith : Is. Ixiii. 15, 16, " Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory : where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me ? are they restrained ? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, 0 Lord, art our father, our redeemer, thy name is from everlasting." And this the church doth, and that on good grounds^ Lam. iii. 33, " For he doth not afflict willingly [Heb. from his lieart], nor grieve the children of men."

2'%, Believing the testimony of God's word, as to instances of

persons that have had God's heart towards them, while his hand has been lying heavy on them. Thus it was with Gideon, Judg. vi. 12, 13. Thus it was with Job: he was most dear to God, yet he was given up unto the power of Satan to afflict him. And thus it was with a cloud of witnesses. These things are written for your learning ; that ye, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.

Zcllii, Believing the promise of hearing the prayers of the afflicted, with application to yourselves: Psal. 1. 15, "Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Oppose this promise iu faith, to the disheartening operation of the affliction upon yon before the Lord : take this cordial by the mouth of faith, when ye begin to faint in your approaches to God. So shall ye " lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees." Is there a secret whisper, that you are so afflicted that you need not pray ? It is the surmise of unbelief. Say ye, Since I am so afflicted, I am called to pray, James v. 13, " Is any among you afflicted ? let him pray :" and there is a particular encouragement in my case, Psal. cii. 17, " He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer."

3. To frighten the sinner away from God. Thus our first parents saw they were naked, and presently fled to hide themselves from the Lord. When the conscience is fired with guilt under affliction, its natural motion is to run away from God : 1 Sam. vi. 20, 21, " And the men of Bethshemesh said. Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God ? and to whom shall he go up from us ? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying. The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." Hence the sorrow of the world is said to work death, because the more deep one is drenched in it, the farther he goes from God. Satan knows this very well, and therefore is he so eager to have sinners afflicted, and to make their lives bitter with it; though he is sometimes outshot in his own bow, as in Job's case. But ye must fight against this in faith,

\st, Believing, that God sends on afflictions, not to frighten the sinner from him, but to bring the sinner to him : Hos. iv. ult, " The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices," Chap. v. 1, " Hear ye this, 0 priests, and hearken, ye house of Israel, and give ye ear, 0 house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor." It is indeed God's ordinary method to bring home runaways and backsliders : Hos. ii. 6, 7, " Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy ways with thorns, and

make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them ; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them : then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now." Satan's design is one thing in them, and Grod's design another : and though Satan row with the stream, a touch from the hand of God on the sinner's heart will carry his purpose.

2dly, Believing, that none can better their case by running away from the Lord : however hard their case may seem with him, they can never mend themselves at another hand. Hence said Samuel unto the people, 1 Sam. xii. 21, " Turn ye not aside : for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain," And hence we find, that Peter said to Christ, John vi. 68, " Lord to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life." The sinner under affliction is often like Hagar, " flying from the face of her mistress Sarai, Gen. xvi. 8 : and that is the best course which the angel of the Lord directed Hagar unto, ver. 9 namely, to return to her mistress, and submit herself under her hands. Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord, and shunning the journey to Nineveh, cast himself into a whale's belly. And those that take course in their affliction, will not speed better.

3c%, Believing your welcome unto, and certain reconciliation with an offended God through Christ, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20, " God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." God was never so angry with any of Adam's children, but he was ready to layby his anger for the sake of Christ, apprehended by faith. The whole tenor of the gospel holds out this truth : and the law is suffered to lash the sinner, and afflictions are laid on him, to the very end that he may improve it for his reconciliation with God.

4. To bring the sinner to cast off religion, and to lay aside the duties of it. Hence says Christ of the stony ground hearers, Matth. xiii. 21, " When tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by they are offended." Thus we find a profane generation arguing the vanity of religion, and the duties of it, from their afflicted and low circumstances, Mai. iii. 14, 15, " Ye have said. It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy : yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that temptGod are even de-

livered." No less a man than Asaph was near to have turned atheist on this very score, under a strong temptation, Psal. Ixxiii. 12, 13, 14, "Behold," says he, "these are the ungodly, who, prosper in the "world they increase in riches. Yerily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have 1 been plagued, and chastened every morning." And so it lias fared with many, who in their prosperity have kept up a form of religion, that their spirits have been quite soured as to religion in their adversity, and they have visibly given up with it; like the mixed multitude in the wilderness.

Here is great need to fight the fight of faith,

1st, Believing that prosperity is not tied to religion, nor yet to irreligiou : but which of the ways soever one takes, afl3iction will meet him in the world, Eccl. ix. 2, " All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked," &c. If men take up religion for worldly prosperity, no wonder Ihey be baulked of their expectation, and lay it aside again upon the disappointment. But their laying it aside will not secure them from aifliction. Therefore men should look so to i-eligion itself, as to be wedded to it for its instrinict value. But in the way of religion men may find a good conscience uuder affliction, while they find an ill conscience in the way of casting it off.

2cU(/, Believing that the great advantage of religion is to be reaped after the time of trial in this life is over. Hence says our Lord, Rev. ii. 10, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Chap. iii. 21, " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Now is our seed-time ; and the sowing must be in tears, where the reaping time of joy is to follow. The harvest of glory in heaven comes most full after a wet seed-time.

Sdly, Believing that there is a notable advantage in religion for bearing of afflictions. Hence says the apostle, 2 Cor. i. 12, " Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the woi'ld, and more abundantly to you-wards." There are promises in the covenant, which applied by faith, are full of comfort to the afflicted. The Lord's word is full of light as to the nature, uses, and ends of them; so that the Bible is the best company for those in affliction. This well is deep and faith must draw.

4«Mj/, Believing that the promises with respect to affliction, both as to the blessed issue of them in another world, and as to support

under them in tliis world, shall be made out to you. Thus Asaph in his affliction fastened his feet, Psal. Ixxiii. 24, "Thou shalt guide rae with thy counsel," says he, " and afterward receive me to glory." It is the faith of the upper Canaan, and of provision in the wilderness-world, that fits for the wilderness-life.

5. To provoke the sinner against God, to cause him to murmur against him, quarrel with him, and arraign and condemn in his heart, at least, the conduct of holy providence in the ordering of his lot: 1 Cor. x. 10, " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Prov. xix. 3, " The foolishness of man perverteth his way : and his heart fretteth against the Lord " Hard affliction laid on a man in whom dwelleth a corrupt heart, is apt to raise the black band of impatience, complaining, fretting, murmuring, and practical blashemy against God; like a stick stirring up a muddy pool, or an ant's nest. It made even a Job and Jeremiah to curse the day of their birth. Job was much overcome with his affliction, when he expressed himself so indecently, chap. xxx. 21, " Thou art become cruel to me : with thy strong hand tliou opposest thyself against me." Fight against this tendency of affliction in faith,

1st, Believing, that God is a righteous God, and your Sovereign Lord, having all power over you. There may be mysteries of providence in his dealing with us, which we cannot account for: but there can be no unjust step in his procedure with us: Dent, xxxii. 4, " He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." Therefore that conclusion must be stuck to by faith, Jer. xil. 1, " Righteous art thou, 0 Lord, when I plead with thee." We are his own by creation, and have forfeited our mercies by sin: let faith view him in the throne of sovereignty, and silence us: Matth. XX. 15, " Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ?"

2dlt/, Believing, that you are debtors to mercy for that it is not worse with you than it is; saying, with the church. Lam. iii. 22, " It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." However hard any one's affliction is in this world, it is certain they deserve worse, and God could lay on worse. Hence is that acknowledgment of Ezra's, chap. ix. 13, " Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve;" and that, Psal. xc. 11, " Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath." This will make one to give thanks for what is kept cif, rather than murmur for what is laid on.

3(^Z/y, Believing, that there is certainly need for all you meet

with: 1 Pet. i. 6, " "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season [if need be] ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." A holy wise God lays no needless afflictions on any: Lam. iii. 33, "For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." Nay he gives all by weight and measure, and will not put in one grain beyond what the case requires. What though ye cannot see it ? ye have yet grouud to believe it from the word, and may see it in the glass of God's infinite wisdom, the contrivance of which your lot is, Deut. xxxii. 4. So that whatsoever he doth to you, is not only well done, but best done in your circumstances, Eccl. iii. 14.

^thly, Believing, that, through the grace of our Lord Jesus, all you meet with shall work for your good: Rom. viii. 28, " We know," says the apostle, " that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." God can carry on the good of a person, by that which he is apt to think is for his ruin ; as was the case with Jacob, when he said unto his sons. Gen. xlii. 36, " Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me." And though the good of them may be long ere it appear, yet where it is believed and hoped for, it will come at length, Jam. v. 7. Now this and all other promises is held forth to you in Christ to be believed, and applied to yourselves.

6. Lastly, To cause the sinner harden himself in sorrow. So we render that expression of Job's, chap. vi. 10, " I would harden myself in sorrow;" But it is not the sense of that place. Affliction had this bad effect on good Jacob, Gen. xxxvii. 35. who, when all his sons, and all his daughters, rose up to comfort him concerning the loss of his son Joseph, "refused to be comforted; and said, For I will go down into the grave unto ray son, mourning." It had also this bad effect on Asaph, Psal. Ixxvii. 2, " In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord," says he; " my sorje ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted." Under affliction the heart is apt to sink ; and the case sometimes appears so hopeless, that the afflicted looks not after comfort, but staves it off when offered. They bid a solemn farewell as it were to joy and comfort, and draw the sable curtains of sori-ow about themselves : they have no comfortable prospect, they look for none, and resolve to hold there. This is dangerous. Fight against it in faith,

\st, Believing the promise of a comfortable outgate at length, with application to your own case. This hardening one's self in sorrow, whatever be the probabilities it is founded on, is the proper

fruit of unbelief, and casts discredit on the promises of God, Psal. ciii. 9, " He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever." Lara. iii. 32, " But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies." It is faith's work to believe the accomplishment of them, though one cannot sec how.

^dly, Believing the promise of a comfortable mixture in the affliction while it lasts. Grod has given a promise of moderating the trials of believers: Psal. xxxvii. 24, "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down ; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Is. xxxvii. 8, " In measure when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it; he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind." And they have had experience of the outmaking thereof, 2. Cor. iv. 8, 9, " We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, {says the apostle); we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not destroyed." God has given a promise of strengthening believers to bear their trials, Deut. xxxiii. 27, " The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arras. Is. xl. 28, 29, 30, 31, " Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength : they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." The Psalmist experienced the accomplishment of this promise, Psal. cxxxviii. 3, " In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, (says he): and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." God has given a promise of cordials now and then to support them, sweet blinks now and then to refresh them : Hos. ii. 14, " Therefore, behold, I w'ill allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." Micah vii. 8, " Rejoice not against me, 0 mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."

Zdly, Believing, that your patient suffering of affliction is as acceptable to God through Christ, as your doing for God : 2 Tin;, ii. 12, " It is a faithful saying. If wo suffer, we shall also reign with him." God has several pieces of work that he puts into the hands of his people : some he calls to do great things, others to sufflr great things, Heb. xi. Whatever it is the Lord carves out to you, ply that; it is what God will accept at thy hand through the Mediator. Suffering is as really service to God, as doing is.

Thu8 we have seen the evil tendency of afflictions in themselves, and how we are to figlit against it by faith. But there are three special cases wherein that force of allHction is greater than ordinary, and requires a strong faith to stand the shock.

1. When a stroke from the hand of the Lord comes upon a man in the way of his duty, which he is doing in obedience to the call and command of God. This is apt to make a stagger, especially when it is a duty others have an ill eye on : for by it God seems to give sentence against the man and his work. When people are going on in an ill way, it is no wonder Heaven works against them; but when the Lord meets a man as an enemy in the way of dut)', that is a great trial, Psal. Ixxi. 11. It is apt to make one leave duty.

Here is great need to fight in faith,

1st, Believing, that that is no sign that the way you are in, being wari'anted by the word, is displeasing to God. It has been the trial of the Lord's people, when they have been called to the plainest duty, and have been upon signal pieces of service to God. We are to observe providences, but not to make a Bible of them; but bring them to the word, and that will open the mysteries of providence. Jonah seemed to be favoured by providence when he set his face to go to Tarshish, Jon. i. 3, yet he was wrong. Jacob had God's call to return to his own country, and a promise of the Lord's being with him. Gen. xxxi. 3. Laban looked on it with an ill eye. But what a train of troubles met he with in his way thither? such as his meeting with Esau, his thigh put out of joint in wrestling with the angel, his domestic trials, &c. And you may read the trials Moses met with in his going down to Egypt, upon God's command to redeem the Israelites, Exod. iv. 24:, &c.

2dli/, Believing, that God has holy designs in the matter, becoming his own infinite wisdom, which ye may afterwards come to see, if ye see them not in the time; though in the meantime he is pleased with your way. Hence said our Lord to Peter, John xiii. 7, " What I do thou knowest not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter." Sometimes he designs to correct for some mismanagement in the setting about the duty, as in Moses' case for not circumcising his son, Exod. iv. 24, 25; sometimes to hide pi-ide from men's eyes, as in the apostle's case, 2 Cor. xii. 7, and as in the case of the children of Israel their being foiled by the children of Benjamin, Judg. XX. 18—26. And this he doth always for the trial of his people, their faith, regard to duty, &c. So Satan may be permitted to act against them for their trial; and sure he will be the more eager, the more important the duty is, 1 Cor. xvi. 9 ; 1 Thess. ii. 18.

'ddly, Believing, that there is no safety ia one's leaving the road of duty, meet with what they will in it. Hence says the wise man, Prov. X. 9, " He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely : but he that perverteth his ways shall be known." A rebuke in the way of duty is sweeter than a warm sunshine in the way of sin : " Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. There is communion with God to be had in such providences, and they furnish men with useful experiences for their after Ufa.

2. When the affliction is extraordinary, and unusual, so that it draws the eyes of beholders to notice it particularly. When people's afflictions are no more than what is very ordinary and usual, they are the more easily borne ; but when God seems to point out one to others, by some unordinary stroke, how hard is that to bear, how hard to keep off concluding that God has a particular hatred against us ? There is need to fight in faith here,

\st, Believing, that it has been often the lot of God's children, and particularly of his darling children whom he loved most to meet with such kind of trials as would seem to have imported a particular hatred of them. Hence says the apostle, Heb. x. 33, " Te were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions." And again, 1 Cor. iv. 9, " I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." This was the lot of Christ himself, Psal. xxii. 6, " I am a worm, and no man," says he ; " a reproach of men, and despised of the people." How was Job's heart pierced with that question, Job v. 1, *' Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn ? It is very rare, I suppose, that any of God's children have something more than ordinary about them to the advantage, but they get something more than ordinary to try them. Of all the patriarchs there was not one that had more divine manifestations or so many as Jacob, nor so many and great afflictions neither. Of all the sons of Jacob, there was none so high raised and useful as Joseph, and none so afflicted. Heman was a man of a more than ordinary reach, 1 Kings iv. 31, and so of afflictions, Psal. Ixxxviii. 15, " I am afflicted" says he " and ready to die, from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted." Moses was the meekest man in the earth, and never mere man had more ado with it; Job was the mirror of patience, and none suffered more.

2dly, Believing the illimited power of sovereignty, which requires absolute resignation: Matt. xx. 15, " Is it not lawful for me to do

what I will with mine own?" It is a silencing query, Rom. ix. 20, " Nay but, 0 man, who art thou that repliest against God ? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?" Sovereignty takes one piece of clay, and sets it on a throne; another of the same, and sets it on a dunghill in.rags and sores; reaches to some the ordinary meal of affliction, but makes another's mess five times as much. And who will set bounds to the disposals of sovereignty ?

Zdly, Believing, that these different aspects of providence upon men, are but for a time, for the time of trial: and they will soon be at an end: Job xxi. 23—26, " One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them." It is no great matter whether one be the king or the fool on the stage; for in a little they get behind the curtains, and each one appears as really he is. Ordinary and unordinary afflictions will shortly have an end; and they that bear their own part right, happy will they be.

3. When the affliction is of long continuance. Some afflictions are like a summer-shower, heavy in their time, but soon over, and it grows fair again: but the most trying are the continuing afflictions, that are like a stormy winter, that blows hard day after day. Many times deliverance is looked for, but it comes not. Any promising signs that appear at any time do misgive : and the storm is renewed, and grows ever the longer the more hopeless. Here is a sore shock to abide, which requires to fight in faith,

\st, Believing that this is a part of the discipline of Grod's house, whereby he exercises his own children. Hence says the prophet, Jer. viii. 20, " The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." David complains, Psal. Ixix. 3. of his being weary of his crying, of his throat's being dried; of his eyes failing while he waited for his God. The church was so long continued in affliction, that she forgot prosperity. Lam. iii. 17- Many of the Lord's people have been kept so long under the hatches, that they have hung up their harps on the willows, so as to have no more use for them; and yet have been delivered.

2dly, Believing that the longest and blackest night will have a morning; and that though the affliction continue long, it will not continue always. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. ciii. 9, " The Lord will not always chide : neither will he keep his anger for ever." If the question be, " Watchman, what of the night ? watch-

VoL. YI. 2 T

man, what of the night?" Is. xxi. 11. the answer is, ver. 12, "The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye : return, corae." The sky that has long lowred, may clear ere night: the wound may be looked on as incurable, that yet will be fairly healed, Jer. xv. 18, 20. And if it should not be removed in time, yet the faith of a blessed eternity may keep up the heart, when " God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away," Rev. xxi. 4.

Zdly, Believing that God knows the fittest season for removing the affliction, and not we. Hence said our Lord to his brethren, in another case, John vii. 6, " My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready." He keeps times and seasons in his own hand, and at the fit time he will remove it, Hab. ii. 3. but not before, if it is to be removed in mercy. Men's hearts must abide much hewing, and God may have much ado with an affliction that is not soon done. Tiie affliction is too soon over, that is removed ere the design of it be answered, Psal. x. 17- None blames the husbandman, that he sows not his seed, before the ground be fit to receive it.

Lmtly, Believing that the more we are resigned to the Lord as to the time and method of deliverance, the nearer we are to it, the fairer we lie for it. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. x. 17, " Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." Man's extremity is God's opportunity, Dent, xxxii. 36. Witness Abraham on the mount, the disciples at sea, the Israelites at the Red sea. Happy should they be, who leaving the deliverance on the Lord, should make it their main care to answer the calls of providence by the affliction while it is continued.

Fifthly, There is a fight of faith with this present evil world." Hence says the apostle, 1 John v. 4, 5, " Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" This present evil world is a party opposite to God and Christ, and on the devil's side: insomuch that he that lives in friendship with it, lives at enmity with God, James iv. 4. And therefore we mnst either fight against it, or be ruined by it. And there are these two particulars in the world, that we must fight the fight of faith against: 1. The things, 2. The men of the world.

\st, The things of the world are dangerous enemies to our souls.

because of the corruption of our hearts. Hence says the apostle, 1 John ii. 15, " Love not the word, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 0 the fearful havoc of souls that is made thereby ! By them many saints have been cast down, wounded, and many sinners have been slain thereby. The things of the world set out three bands against us, whom we must either fight and overcome by faith, or be ruined by.

1. The white baud of the world's smiles.

2. The black band of the world's frowns.

3. The mixed band of the world's cares.

First, The things of the world set out the white band of the world's smiles. And they are stained with the blood of many souls: Prov. i. 32, " For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." The smiling world does with other men, as the panther is said to do with other beasts. He draws them after him with the sweet smell of his breath, hiding his head, and afterwards devours them. Thus was Demas ruined. The white band fights against souls with two kinds of weapons.

1. Profits of the world. Thus it set upon poor Judas with thirty pieces of silver, and so knocked him down, and slew him. It set on Moses with the treasures of Egypt, and had done so to him, had he not had faith to resist it, Heb. xi. 26. The Psalmist observes the snare in these, and therefore gives the watchword, Psal. Ixii. 10, " Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them." And many a man, who lias stood his ground against the black band of the world's frowns, has been overcome with the white, like the man in the fable with the sun and the wind.

2. Pleasures of the world. There are three kinds of them; " the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," 1 John ii. 16. These are the silken cords, with which souls are drawn to destruction; wherewith when once men come to be bound, they are like iron fetters ; the breaking of which, if ever they be broken at all, will cost a flood of tears. Hence prays the penitent Psalmist, Psal. Ii. 8, " Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice." With many they end in a judicial up-giving to vile aff'ections, Rom. i. 26.

These weapons are wielded two ways.

(1.) In expectation. It is the natural desire of all men, ** Who will shew us any good?" Psal. iv. 6. The world steps in and makes such an off"er, as Satan did to Christ; who when he had " taken him

2 t2

into an exceeding high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me," Matth. iv. 8, 9. And when once the hope and expectation of its profits and pleasures is greedily embraced by an inordinate affection, the soul is set on fire therewith, and the poor creature runs to its own ruin on its own feet, Prov. vii. 22, 23, And so it fares with many in this case ; as with the mouse, who, watching for the gaping oyster, thrusts in her head presently when the shell opens ; which being immediately closed again, she is crushed. Hence says the apostle, 1 Tim. vi. 9 " They that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."

(2.) In fruition or enjoyment, Luke xfiii. 24, "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ?" Such is the corruption of the heart in man, that it is ten to one if the smiling world draw not his heart away from God. Men are apt to love the world inordinately, even when it gives them gall to drink: how hard must it be not to be overcome with it, when it courts men, and lays itself in their bosom ! Deut. xxxiii. 15, " But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation."

Ye must fight against the smiling world by faith if ever ye would have the smiles of the Lord's countenance,

1st, Believing the danger that is in the world's smiles, to your immortal souls. The danger is in the soul's being thereby drawn to sin against God, and so in end to be pierced with sorrows. Agur saw this, and believed it; and therefore prays thus, Prov. xxx. 8, 9, " Give me neither poverty, nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say. Who is the Lord ?"— The smiling world is apt to betray men into pride, and a high conceit of themselves, forgetting God, contempt of God's laws, giving up themselves to the swing of their corrupt lusts and affections, &c., and so to work the ruin of the soul, Eccl. v. 13. Believe this on the testimony of God and so shall ye we watch against it,

2dli/, Believing the vanity, emptiness, and insufficiency, that is in the world, and all the smiles thereof; Psal. cxix. 96, "I have seen an end of all perfection, (says the Psalmist;) but thy commandment is exceeding broad." Eccl. i. 2, " "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity." What do they avail to a man's real worth ? what can they contribute to one's eternal hap-

piness ? Tboy are uncertain, and may quickly leave us, and will certainly leave us at length; we must go as we came, naked, Prov. xxiii. 5. They are insufficient, they cannot give ease to the heart of man; one dead fly may spoil all the pot of ointment, as in Haman and Ahab's case. They cannot satisfy the soul; witness the disappointment which the rich man met with, spoke of Luke xii. 16, &c.

Zdly, Believing the trascendent profit and pleasure, that is to be had in the favour of God, the smiles of his countenance, communion and fellowship with him through Jesus Christ. This believe; and believe, that ye may have it, yea, that ye shall have it, seeking it through Christ: and ye shall overcome the smiling world. Ilence says the Psalmist, Psal. iv. 6, 7, " Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in ray heart, more than in the time that their corn and wine increased." Being thus by faith lifted up in your affections to heaven, the earth and all that is in it, will appear very little in your eyes, Matth. xiii. 45, 46; Philip, iii. 8. It is unbelief of, and blindness to the things of a better world, that makes the present evil world so bulky with men.

4:thli/, Believing the sufficiency of his grace to carry you above them: 2 Cor. xii. 9, " And he said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee; for ray strength is made perfect in weakness." There is strength in the Mediator, for men's overcoming the world: believe the promise with application to yourselves, and ye shall be more than conquerors. The promise brings salvation with it; and the faith of it loosed Zaccheus' heart from the world, Luke xix. 8.

Secondly, The things of the world set out the black band of the world's frowns. The world ofttimes brings up a train of crosses against men, to drive them away from God. Hence we read of the apostles " confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God," Acts xiv. 22. Men must lay their accounts with their ilk days cross: and sometiraes all goes wrong together with them ; their sun goes down at noon-day, as in Job's case. Crosses in worldly things do often much mischief to the soul ; they will irritate their corruptions, discompose them for duty to God, and lead them aside into manifold temptations, Prov. XXX. 9.

Some have a fighting life with the world all their days : but, alas ! it is not the fight of faith with it, but a sinful faithless fighting with it, that carries on the ruin of their souls. Ye will know this faithless fight with it by these two things.

1. All their fight is to get something of the world, not to be kept from the spiritual evil of the world. The world does not prosper

with them, as it does with some others: and all their concern is to msike a shift for throughbeariiig, which swallows up all other concerns with them. So they are such sons of earth, as that they live as if the curse of the serpent were lying on them, all their days to go on their belly, and lick the dust. The world flies from them ; and yet they court it above all things. God crosses them in it, to bring their hearts off it; but over the belly of all the rebukes of providence, it is their great pursuit, Jer. v. 3, 4.

2. Their fight they have with the world, takes away from them all favour of the word of God, and of religion. A sad instance of this ye have, Exod. vi. 9, where, when Moses had spoken to the children of Israel all the promises commanded him of God, mentioned in the preceding verses, it is said, " But they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage." The fight of faith with the world makes the gospel savoury to men : but this carnal fight with it makes it sapless and tastelesss; it rankles their spirits with respect to religion, that many such are not far from thinking that religion is for the wealthier sort; but that as for them, they have another thing ado. And thus the frowning world mins soul and body to them ; at once ruins them for time and eternity.

I would advise you to another sort of fighting with the frowning world. Fight in faith against it,

1st, Believing that the ordering of your lot is in the hand of a holy wise God, who knows best what lot is for you. Job 1. 21, whether prosperous or cross. The faith of this would make you embrace the world's frowns, and welcome crosses in the world, as well as prosperity, as what God sees meet for you; as did Job, chap. i. 21, who said, " Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord."

2dl}/, Believing that the world's frowns, and smiles too, are but empty and passing shews, which will be soon buried in everlasting forgetfulness. As the world's smiles appear more pleasant than indeed they are, so its frowns appear more terrible to the carnal heart, than they are really : Eccl. i. 2, " Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The one and the other are like foam on the water, appearing big, but soon pass away. Being seen by the eye of sense, 0 how weighty are they ! But look to them with an eye of faith, and ye will see they are all but empty noise, which will quickly be laid, 2 Cor. iv. 17- The longest term of their continuance is but a few years at most. "When one comes to the grave, the rich and poor are alike there ; the black band and the white baud are both disbanded there.

Sdli/, Believiug that ye have greater things to be taken up about, than either tlie world's smiles or frowns. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. iv. 6, 7, " Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." The one cannot make you happy, nor the other miserable. But the favour of God and his wrath are matters of weight; let it be your care to obtain the one, and escape the other. These things are eternal, the other but temporal; 0 slight not then the substance, with your concern for the shadow: Matt. xvi. 26, " For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?"

4thy, Believing that you are in yourselves unworthy of the least smile of common providence. Hence says Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10, " I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant ; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands." And says the church, Lam. iii. 22, " It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." 0 why do crosses in the world go so deep with men, but because of the want of due humiliation? and whence is that want, but from unbelief? The humble soul fighting with the world will surely be victorious, because however it frowns on him, he takes it kindly out of the hand of the Lord, as not worthy of better.

dthly, Believing that your souls are in hazard by the frowning world, as well as the souls of others by the fawning world. Hence is that prayer of Agur's, Prov. xxx. 8, 9, " Give me neither poverty, nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me.—lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." The devil holds some fast in the iron chains of worldly adversity, as well as he does others in the golden chains of prosperity. Some ignorantly think, that because they are poor in the world, and their lot very hard they will surely be well in another world. 0 deceive not yourselves. As God has no regard to men's riches in saving them, he has as little regard to their poverty : but be they poor or rich, if they be not in Christ, new creatures, really godly, they will be ruined for ever, John iii. 3 ; Exod. xxiii. 3.

dthlif, Believing the great promise of the gospel with application to yourselves, Heb. viii. 10, " This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord ; I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people, Hos. ii. 19, " And I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and

in mercies." Your crosses in the world may well be taken by you for an alarm, saying, Depart, here is not your rest. God is setting fire to the nests you would build to yourselves among the things of the world ; and withal holding out to you the great promise of the gospel. O embrace it, and trust him in it, Zeph. iii. 12. And thus shall ye defeat the frowning world eifectually. Believing God to be your God in Christ, ye will be very easy whether the world smile or frown, Hab. iii. 17-

Lastly, Believing, that, through the grace of Christ Jesus, even the frowns of the world shall be turned to your good : Rom. viii. 28, *' We know," says the apostle, " that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." How often has honey been gotten out of the car-cas of the lion, and much good found to grow within a thorn-hedge of afflictions ? The cross has brought forth much good fruit in them that have been exercised thereby : and God is kind to you indeed, if you take it so, in that he makes the world so strange to you, that ye may the more seek after acquaintance with him.

Thirdly, The things of the world set out the mixed band of the world's cares. There is none will be free of attacks from these : even a crown is lined with cares. Yea, we must needs care ; our daily bread will not drop down into our mouths, nor will our necessary business be managed without thought. But men are in danger by lawful things, and not by unlawful only. And the cares of the world are often ruining unto the soul. They are apt to put the man on a rack, to stretch out one's mind as on tenter-pins, degenerating into a faithless anxiety, Matth. vi. 25, Take no thought; in the Greek it is. Be not racked in your soul; to trouble one so as to unfit him for his duty to God, Luke x. 41 ; to swallow up all other concerns, and to render the Lord's word, the food of the soul, quite unprofitable, Matth. xiii. 22. Fight in faith against them,

\st, Believing that the success of your aft'airs depends on the blessing of God on your endeavours, not on your anxious care about them j Psal. cxxvii. 1, " Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." The vanity and useless-ness of our anxiety may be very plainly read in many experiments ; Matthew vi. 27, " Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature ?" In Providence's management of the world, how often is it seen that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all, Eccl. ix.

11; and that by strength no man shall prevail? How often does some unforeseen event render a hopeful and promising project vain ? and, on the other hand, set right again what seemed to be quite marred ?

2dly, Believing that the best way to secure what is truly necessary and fit for you in this world, it is to be first and mainly taken up about the things of another life. Hence says our Lord, Matth. vi. 33, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." They that are careful how to please God, God will see to them that they be provided, Psal. xxxiv. 10. They whose main care is for the eternal welfare of their souls, may expect, that, in the use of means, the temporal welfare of their bodies shall be seen to by heaven. This is the shortest and surest way to prosper, Psal. i. 3.

^dly, TrustiuT the Lord with all your concerns which require your care, depending on him as ihe sovereign manager, and as a sure and safe manager for you. Hence is that exhortation, Psal. xxxvii. 3, " Trust in the Lord, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." And ye should trust in him both as to yonr own conduct and success, both for direction and prospering: Prov. iii. 5, 6," Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." This implies three things.

(1.) Laying your burden of care over on the Lord himself, believing that he will care for you, 1 Pet. v. 7- Many an unbelieving lift we take of our own burden, and then we complain that we are not able to go under it : but Jesus Christ is appointed to be the great burden-bearer for poor sinners, and they are called to cast their burdens on him, Psal. Iv. 22, and xxxvii. 5. If they will needs take their burdens, and keep them on their own shoulders, who can help it ? But faith's work is to trust him with all.

(2.) Believing, that he will do the best: Psal. Ixxxv. 12, " The Lord shall give that which is good ;" xxxiv. 10, " They that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing." He knows himself what is best for us, we know it not : and we owe to him a faith so far implicit, as to believe whatever God doth is best done; and whatever way he leads us, that it is best for us to follow, as did Abraham, Heb. xi. 8. It is the property of faith, thus to resign all to the Lord, trusting, that whatsoever is truly best for us, he will bring it about.

(3.) Staying yourself upon the word of the promise. Gen. xxxii. 12, " I will surely do thee good." Thus faith is to be an anchor of the soul in doubtful events. While anxious care leaves a person

nothing to fix on, but causeth liira to waver like meteors in the air; faith fixeth on the promise of God, and renders the soul easy, come what will, Luke xii. 29; 1 Sam. i. 18.

2dly, The men of the world are dangerous enemies also. There is an old enmity, which will not cease to work in them, Gen. iii. 15. They are agents for the devil, factors for hell, soldiers in pay to fight Satan's battles. No man will get to heaven without a struggle with them; for they are opposite parties to all that really mind to be there. We find David very concerned to be delivered from them, Psal. xvii. 13, 14, " Deliver my soul," says he, " from the wicked, which is thy sword : from men which are thy hand, 0 Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure." We likewise find the apostle Paul was so concerned, 2 Thess. iii. 1, 2, " Finally, brethren," says he, " pray for us,—that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men." And our Lord forewarns his disciples of the world's hatred, John xv. 19, " If ye were of the world," says he, " the world would love his own : but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Now, the men of the world manage the battle three ways, viz. (1.) with the tongue, (2.) with their feet, (3.) with their hands ; and ye must resist them still one way, viz. in faith.

1. The men of the world fight against the children of God with the tongue. They are the seed of the serpent; and therefore it is no wonder to see them spit their venom against such as go not their way. Hence we read of their " imagining mischiefs in their heart;" of their being " continually gathered together for war;" of their having " sharpened their tongues like a serpent:" of adder's poison being under their lips, Psal. cxl. 2, 3. Ishmael's mocking Isaac, Gen. xxi. 9, is called persecution. Gal. iv. 29. The trial of the believing Hebrews was the reproaches of ungodly men, Heb. x. 32, 33. See what a conspiracy was formed against Jeremiah, Jer. xviii. 18, " Come, said they, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah : for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." See likewise what a secret consultation was formed against David, intimated in that prayer of his, Psal. Ixiv. 2, 3, " Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity : who whet their tongues like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words. God's people are to fight in faith .in this case,

\st, Believing, that our God is able to blunt the edge of their

swords, and the points of their arrows, and will do it so far as he sees meet. Hence is that promise, Job v. 21, " Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue." It is in the power of their hand to fling dirt upon the faces of God's children; but it is not in their power to cause it to stick, unless the Lord has said it for the greater trial of his people. God has the hearts of all men in his hands, and his people may confidently trust in him with the preserving of their reputation while they keep his way.

2dli/, Believing that all the dirt a mischevious world flings in the face of the Lord's people, the day will come that God will wipe it cleanly away from off them, and throw it back ou the faces of them that cast it: Is. li. 8, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation." A lying tongue is but for a moment, and will rebound upon them that use such a hellish weapon. God has secured by promise the taking away of reproaches from off his people: Psal. xxxvii. 6, " And he shall bring forth thy righteousness, as the light, and thy judgment as the moon-day. Ixviii. 13, " Though ye have lien among the pots, ye shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." And so, in the faith of the promise, they may be very easy ; and considering the use God may have for them for their good, may find soul refreshment in them. Hence says our Lord, Matth. v. 11, 12, " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." And says the apostle, 2 Cor. xii. 10, " I take pleasure in reproaches, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake."

2. The men of the world fight against the children of God with their feet; that is, by the example of their unholy lives. And much mischief they do by that means; hereby heaps are made to lie upon heaps. Hence says our Lord, Matth. xviii. 7, " Woe unto the world because of offences; for it must needs be that offences come : but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh." It is hard to bear up against the course of the world lying in wickedness, to swim against that stream, considering the corruption of nature that is in the best. By the force of ill examples, many good men have been worsted, many that had not the root of the matter in them have been ruined : Matth. xxiv. 13, " And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Fight against it in faith,

1st, Believing, that the way of the world is the way to eternal ruin: Eph. ii. 2, " Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Prov. xiii. 20. " A companion of fools shall be destroyed." Are we not expressly told, that the multitude is going in the way to destruction ? and that there be very few which are on the way to heaven, Matth. vii. So that whosoever mind for heaven, must needs be nonconformists to the world, though thereby they become the world's wonder, like Joshua and his fellows. See 1 Pet. iv. 4.

2dly, Believing, that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus, ye shall be able to stand the shock of the corrupt example of the world. The eye of faith will discern the greater strength to be on the side of the wrestler against ill example. Hence said Elisha, in another case, to his servant, 2 Kings vi. 16, "Fear not: for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them." And says the apostle, 1 John iv. 4, " Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. If God be for us, who can be against us ?" And for us he will be, if we trust him for our upbearing against it. He strengthens the spoiled against the strong: and be the force of the current never so great, they "can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth them," Philip, iv. 13.

3. The men of the world fight against the children of God with their hands. There is never a wicked man in the world, but, by his natural make and frame, is a persecutor. Gen. iii. 15. And none is fit to travel the road to heaven, but they that are resolute to hold on their way, notwithstanding all the mischief a wicked world may do them. Hence says our Lord, Luke xiv. 26, " If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Sometimes indeed God binds their hands, that they can do nothing with them against his people; but the mischievous persecuting nature never leaves the serpent's seed : and according as holy providence looseth the cord, so will they vent it. But resist in faith,

1st, Believing, that it is little they can do, when they do their worst. Hence says our Lord, Luke xii. 4, 5, " Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; Fear him, which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea I say unto >o", fear him." The utmost reach of the most malicious and powerful peicp.cutors, is but to the body, and things that concern time.

And what is the body in comparison of the soul ? time-things in comparison of those which are eternal ? The faith of this carried up the martyrs, and armed thera with a holy contempt of the impotent rage of their persecutors.

2dly^ Believing that they are ever under the check and control of a gracious God, engaged on the side of those that keep his way: Psal. Ixxvi. 10, " Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." So that " he thatwalketh uprightly, walketh surely, Prov. x. 9. How spitefully did Laban pursue Jacob, and Saul, David ? but God put a check on them. Faith will discover in this case an almighty power for protection, and man to be but a worm, a fading thing which shall be like grass, Is. 11. 12.

Zclly, Believing the eternal rest, peace, and safety, that remains for the people of God: 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18, " Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal." It is but a short time we are to remain among the inhabitants of this world : the firm faith of that, with the faith of a better life, would make us very easy whether we have their smiles or frowns. Our great concern is to fight our way to the better world, and resolutely to cleave to the Lord and the way of duty, over the belly both of the things and the men of the world.

Sivthly, There is a fight of faith with sin: Heb. xii. 4, " Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." Of all things, there is nothing so opposite to God as sin is. The devil brought it into the world at first: and fearful havoc has it made therein, ever since its entrance ; destroying the most part of Adam's children, wounding and doing mischief to all. And none can reach heaven, but those who both fight and overcome it: and there is no successful fighting against it, but in faith. And that ye may know what you have to fight against here,

1. There is the Captain of this hellish band; that is the sin of our nature.

2. There is a swarm of hellish lusts, as soldiers under the command of the sin of our nature.

First, There is the captain of this hellish band; that is, the sin of our nature, called " the old man, the flesh, and sin," by the way of eminence, Rom. vi. 12. Sin is woven into our very natures: our nature has got a wrong set by Adam's fall. It is averse to good, and prone to evil; the bias of it lies quite the wrong way. This corrupt disposition is most active, and by its indwelling and activity

fights against the soul. And it exerts itself against the soul especially these three ways.

1. "With its guilt, whereby it binds over the soul to the anger of God: the soul out of Christ to his revenging wrath, and even the believing soul to fatherly anger and displeasure, Gal. iii. 10; Psal. Ixxxix. 30, &c. The conscience feeling the band of sin on it, is frightened and fired. The man sees himself, by reason of the corruption and pollution of his nature, an object of God's indignation, liable to the fearful strokes of his hand : even as a serpent, or any other poisonous creature, is liable to the stroke of a man's hand wherever he meets with it. Now, if ever ye would break these bonds of guilt, fight against them in faith,

\st. Believing, that the Lord Jesus Christ has made a complete satisfaction to the justice of God, not only for actual sins, but even for the sin of our nature, Rom. vi. 6, " Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." In respect of the sin of our nature we needed a Saviour; and it was reckoned to him, to be cleared by him, as well as our actual transgressions. So that there is a sufficient remedy provided against the guilt of the sin of our nature, in Jesus Christ; so that no man needs to despond in that case as hopeless.

2dli/, Believing, embracing, and trusting to the promise of remission of sin through the blood of Christ: Eph. i. 7, " In him we have redemption through his blood ; the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." While the conscience is fired with guilt, faith must discern the promise of remission through Christ held forth in the gospel, like a rope to drowning men, Luke xxiv. 47. And faith must embrace that promise, relying on it as the Lord's own promise; even as the drowning man ventures his life on the rope let down to him : and so shall that guilt be removed, and the conscience purged, Acts xiii. 38, 39 ; Rom. iii. 24, 25. Your warrant is. Acts xiii. 38, " Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto the you forgiveness of sins."

Sdhf, Believing and applying to yourselves, and pleading the perfect holiness of Christ's birth and nature, as a public person, Col. ii. 10, 11. Thus faith may triumph over the sin of one's nature, as to the guilt of it. While the law says, Thou hast an unholy nature, and therefore must die the death : Yea, may the soul say. True, my nature is unholy in me; but Christ has satisfied for that guilt: and I have a holy nature in Christ, in him as a public person I was born holy, and retain the holiness of nature : and therefore I must not die, but live.

Objection But, alas! I dare not apply Christ's perfect holiness

to myself, for T fear I have not right to it. Answer. There is a twofold right. (1.) To a thing. (2.) In it. "What right has a beggar to a penny which a man seriously holds out to him, saying, Hae, there is a penny ? He certainly has a right to that penny : he may lawfully take it out of that man's hand, and put in his pocket. Such a right every one of you has to Christ's righteousness, whereof this is a part. It is God's gift to you Rom. v. 17; John vi. 32; held out to you to be received and applied by faith, Rom. i. 17- If the beggar neglect or refuse it, though he had a right to it, he is justly deprived of it; and the man may put it in his own pocket again : but if he do take it, then he has a right to it; it is his own in possession, and cannot be taken from him again. Go then, and take the gift of righteousness out of Christ's hand, verily believing that ye have a right to it.

2. "With its motions and activity, Rom. vii. 5. It is an active principle, still tending to corrupt the soul more, fighting for the throne in the heart, and to cause the soul obey it, in fulfilling its lusts. And it must be fought against, to the breaking of its designs, Rom. vi. 12. It is a restless enemy, present at all times with a man, and especially active at some times, and particularly when one would do good : as it was with Paul, Rom. vii. 21. It is like a dunghill, still sending forth its filthy steams. And as it strives to strengthen itself, anc* to have the throne ; so the Christian must fight against it, to bear it down, weaken, and get it mortified, Gal. V. 17 And ye must for this cause fight in faith against it,

1st, Believing that it is your most dangerous enemy : for so it is indeed. Never did Paul cry out to be delivered from the most bloody men that were set against him, as from indwelling sin, Rom. vii. 24, " 0 wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ! It is a domestic enemy ; an enemy within, more dangerous than all the enemies we have without, whether devils or the present evil world. Were it not for it, they would have a cold coal to blow at. But this furnishes them with notable advantages against us.

2dli/, Believing Christ to be the great ordinance of God for sanct'fication, and looking for your sanctification from him, on the credit of the promise held out in the gospel to you. Is. xlv. 22, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else." Men have by nature's light beeu convinced of the necessity of sanctification ; and some have thought one means proper to obtain it, and others another. Pagans have thought washings with water, sacrifices, the study of moral virtue, proper means for it. The Jews have added to these the

observation of Moses' law, moral, ceremonal, and judicial. The Papists liave thought a multitude of uninstituted ceremonies, fastings, whippings, &c. with the work itself in sacraments, all proper to sanctify the unholy. Legalists look on their own faithless endeavours after holiness, their watchings, &c. as proper means to obtain it. But all in vain.

But God has appointed his own Son to be the great ordinance for sanctification of the unholy, that the praise of our sanctification may be his own, as well as of our justification, 1 Cor. i. 30, 31. And he has lodged the fulness of the Spirit of holiness in him, to be partaken of in the way of believing. Acts xxvi. 18. Look how the stung Israelites were cured in the wilderness by looking to the brazen serpent, believing that by that means they should be healed; so is an unholy sinner made holy, looking unto Jesus, trusting unto him for their sanctification, John iii. 14, 15, or as the woman with the bloody issue. Hence the church, believing the promise of sanctification says, Micah vii. 19, " He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us: he will subdue our iniquities: and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

3dli/, Struggling against it in the faith of its having got its death's wounds, in the death and resurrection of Christ, as a public person, Rom, vi. 6—9. No wonder they be still under the power of indwelling sin, who struggle against it without an eye to the death of Christ. But the soul by faith eying the death and resurrection of Christ, as the death of sin, will thereby be animated to act against it, like a giant refreshed with wine. The sins of all that are Christ's were imputed to him, and he by his sufi'erings expiated the guilt of them ; and so he rose again free of that imputed guilt: so, in virtue of his death and resurrection, it loses its power over those that are his. And by faith of it, we become partakers of it.

4:thli/, Believing that we shall get the victory over it through Jesus Christ, Rom. viii. 24, 25, " 0 wretched man that I am, (says Paul); who shall deliver me from the body of this death ! I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." They will fight well who are sure of the victory: and it is faith's work to believe the victory over sin, according to the promise, Rom. xvi. 20, " The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." This was in eluded in the first promise, Gen. iii. 15, " The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent; which was proposed to our first parents to be by them believed.

With its sting still sticking close to the soul, Rom. vii. 17. It cleaves to us, like a stain that cannot be got fully washed ofi", while we are in this world. It is like the fretting leprosy in the walls of

the house, not to be quite removed, till the house be pulled down. Notwithstanding all the struggles against it, it cannot be got to the door till death. Fight in faith against it,

1st, Making no truce with it, but ever seeking its ruin, in the faith of Christ's excellency, and sin's hatefulness. The eye of faith fixing on the glory of Christ held forth in the gospel, has a transforming virtue. Hence says the apostle, 2 Cor. ii. 18, " We all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." And thus the heart is separated from sin, and set against it, while yet sin cleaves to the soul. Like the house of David and the house of Saul: no league between them, but the war continued till the house of Saul was quite sunk.

2dly, Believing, that the victory over it will be at length full and complete. Resist it in the faith of this. However it appears to be fixed with bands of iron and brass, yet the breaking thereof shall come suddenly, at an instant. As the walls of Jericho fell down on the seventh day, that were not moved while the Israelites compassed them the six days: so at death these walls will fall down, and be razed to the foundation.

Secondly, There is a swarm of hellish lusts as soldiers under the command of the sin of our nature, Rom. vi. 12. These are the members of the old man, the streams flowing from the bitter fountain of the corruption of nature. These " war against the soul," 1 Pet. ii. 11. They seek to drive the soul from God, they push on men to satisfy them with forbidden fruit, and at length drown the soul in destruction and perdition, where they get the final victory, 1 Tim. vi. 9. Against these also ye must fight in faith, resist them, deny them, weaken, mortify, and crucify them.

It is a difficult fight; but faith will help you out in it, as difficult as it is.

1. Their name may be legion, because they are many. Tit. iii. 3. All sin is radically in the corrupt nature of man: and there is never a tempti tion in the world, but there is in our nature some lust or other akin to it. Look through the world, and see all the abominations which any where appear there some are athiests, adulterers, &c. But the corrupt affections are in every body's heart naturally, Prov. xxvii. 19, " As in water face answereth to face; so the heart of man to man." But resist ye, believing, that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the victory is to be got over them all, Psal. cxviii. 12. There is neither strength nor multitude to be feared, where one by faith can oppose to both, the almighty power engaged on the side of the wrestlers against sin. Therefore says the apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 1,

Vol. VI. 2 u

" Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." The blood of Christ is of infinite value, the Spirit of Christ of infinite eflicacy, and faith must rely on these.

2. Their allies are all the powers of hell; Satan, John viii. 44, the world. Tit. ii. 12. All the snares and temptations that are in the world, are allied to some lust of the heart, which answers to them as tinder to fire. But ye should resist, believing that greater is he that is in you, than he that is in that combat, 1 John iv. 4. Oppose to these by faith the divine attributes, his power, wisdom, &c. the name of the Lord, which is a strong tower, &c.

3. Their lodging is not far off. It is the corrupt heart; thence it is that they issue out against us, Mark vii. 21. The heart of man is like a common inn, often so thronged with strangers, that there is no room for the entertainment of the master. But ye must resist them notwithstanding, believing that your helper is as near you as those your enemies, 1 John iv. 4. 0 it is a trying consideration to a gracious soul to think, that sin is woven into one's very nature, mixed with one's very constitution. But let faith discern the union betwixt Christ and the soul; let the Christian believe that Christ dwells in him by his Spirit, in an indissoluble union; so may he see how to get clear of sin at length.

4. Their qualities are very bad. They are the brats of Babel, the offspring of hell. And,

1st, They are greedy and insatiable lusts. Gal. v. 17. They are like the grave and the barren womb, that never say. It is enough. Where they are indulged, and yielded to, they fill the man's hands continually, seeking meat for them, to the provoking of God, Psal. Isxviii. 18; James iv. 3. And the more they are gratified and fed, the more they still crave : so that they " are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt," Is. Ivii. 20.

But ye must resist them, if ye mind for heaven. Ye must deny their cravings, Tit. ii. 12. Make no provision for them, but starve them, however painful that may be, Rom. xiii. 14, " But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." This is the way to rid yourselves of their trouble : for men's lusts are like fire, that will die out if there be no fuel laid to them.

(1.) Believing, that there is a fulness in Christ, enough to satisfy the soul, to give the heart a complete rest, that it shall need none of those things which nourish lusts, Matth. xiii. 45, 46. The one pearl discovered, stays the pursuit after the many. Hence faith

contracts tlie desires of the soul into one, Psal. xxvii. 4. which is the better part. 0 what is the cause men are so taken up to satisfy their lusts with their proper food, but the not believing of the fulness of Christ? Psal. iv. 6, 7-

(2.) Embracing that fulness of Christ for, and instead of those things your hearts lust after. This is the import of selling all and buying the field, the one pearl; the soul taking Christ for these things, as in buying one takes the commodity bought instead of all he pays. The surest and shortest way to mortification of lusts is this way of believing, whereby the soul makes a happy exchange; for and instead of such lusts which cleave to him, embracing Christ, from him to draw that content and satisfaction he sought in the lust. Thus men deal with their hearts, as men with children, giving them one thing to get another from them, Rom. xiii. 14. forecited.

(3.) Believing, that you shall find that rest and satisfaction of heart in Christ, which you sought in your lusts. This is the import of the gospel-offer to all, Matth. xi. 28, " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Is. Iv. 1, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." And if you believe it not, you believe not the gospel aright: and always the less ye believe it, the surer gripe will your heart hold of its lusts. But believe it firmly; and the more firmly you believe it, the more will ye let go your gripes of your lusts.

2dly, They are hurtful lusts, 1 Tim. vi. 9. And they extend their hurt to the tenderest part of the man, and to the not only wounding, but ruining of it, if the efi"ect thereof be not stopped, destroying the soul. They hurt as water hurteth, drowning the &o\i\., ibid.: as fire hurteth, burning it up, Rom. i. 27; as a canker hurteth, eating it away, 2 Tim. ii. 17; as poison hurteth, killing it, Psal cxl. 3; Is. lix. 5. They extend their hurt not only to the party in whose breast they are lodged, but to others, Eccl. ix. 18, " One sinner destroyeth much good" Sometimes one's lust involves many in guilt, and many in trouble; like a fire breaking out in a house, burning down the houses nearest it, and putting all into trouble and vexation. Thus Achan's lust involved his whole family in guilt, and troubled all Israel. Adam's lust ruined all the world.

Ye must therefore beware of them, and of the hurt by them. But deceive not yourselves, thinking ye may entertain them, and not be hurt by them; that ye can take the serpent in your bosom,

2 u2

and not be stung thereby, Prov. vi. 27, 28; Eccl. x. 8. Resist the beginnings of your lusts, nip them in the bud. The longer they go on, they will be the harder to master, like a fire, or a water. If they have got up upon you, by all means endeavour to hinder their spreading; and speedily quench them, if they are spread. To do it to purpose, do it in faith,

(1.) Putting yourself under the divine protection, by trusting in the shadow of the wings of a God in Christ. This is the work of faith. Hence says Boaz to Ruth, chap. ii. 12, " The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose ivings thou art come to trusty This has the promise of protection, Psal, xci. 1, t&c. Faith sees the hazard the soul is in from hurtful lusts, and therefore disposeth the soul to all due precaution, and to put the soul in the Lord's hand for keeping, as the chickens get in under the wings of the hen, Psal. xxxi. 5.

(2.) Applying the Redeemer's blood for purging away the guilt brought on the soul by these lusts, Rom. iii. 25 ; Heb. ix. 14. This is the only way to remove the hurt of them in that case. Thus the hurt of the guilt of them shall be cured, Mark xvi. 17, 18. The guilt of them casts the conscience into a fever; but faith applying the blood of Christ held out in the promise of the gospel, obtains pardon of the guilt, and cools the sick conscience, Is. sxxiii. 24, The access to this blood is free to all, Zech. xiii. 1, " In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for uncleanness. 1 Cor. vi. 11, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

(3.) Trusting to the fulness of the Spirit of sanctification in Christ, for breaking the power of these lusts, 1 Cor. i. 30. We are not man enough for the least of these powers of hell: therefore we are to trust to borrowed strength, 2 Tim. ii. 1, " Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." And going out against them in the name of the Lord, like David with his sling, we shall do valiantly: for he " streugtheneth the spoiled against the strong; so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress," Amos V. 9. Thus many who have long been a prey to their lusts, like dead men lying in the grave to the worms, receiving the Spirit of life from Jesus Christ, have shook them oflf. " For," says the apostle, " the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death," Rom. viii. 2. And in them has been fulfilled in a spiritual sense. Is. xiv. 2, " The people shall take them, and bring them to their place : and the

house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord, for servants and handmaids : and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors." And this in virtue of that, Psal. Ixviii. 18, " Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive."

Sdli/, They are restless lusts; " like the troubled sea, that cannot rest. Is. Ivii. 20. They are like the midges in a summer day, ever in motion, working some annoyance to the soul. For temptations are thick in the world, and they never want something to stir thera up, they are warring lusts, they are never at peace, they are ever in the field of battle.

(1.) "Warring among themselves, one against another. Jam. iv. 1. And the soul of man is what they are warring for, which shall possess it, and be governor of it. In this respect the poor sinner's heart is like a town situated in the confines of the territories of several ambitious princes, which is tossed and harrassed amongst them, he fightng to have it, and he fighting to have it; one turning out another, «Sz;c. Thus pride and ambition draw the mind one way, covetousness draws him another way : contrary lusts at once fight in him. And there is no peace for the man, but by mortifying both the contending parties.

(2.) They war against the soul, 1 Pet. ii, 11. All of them are enemies to it, and seek its ruin. Though they be contrary one to another, yet they conspire together for the destruction of the soul ; like Herod and Pontius Pilate against Christ. The soul, in respect of its make and constitution, is most allied to heaven, and therefore is the special object of their rage.

Wherefore ye also, if ye mind for heaven, must lay your accounts with a continual warfare. Ye must never let down your watch, nor lay by your armour, but ever stand in a fighting posture, Eph. vi. 14, " Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth," &c. As there is no peace to be made betwixt contrary lusts, so ye must not side with any of the parties, nor be at peace with either, but maintain the fight against both. And fight in faith,

[1.] Believing that this war will have a comfortable end at length, and ye shall have a profound, perfect, lasting peace, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. Though the war with your lusts must be a lasting one; it is good news, that it will not be everlasting; but the peace obtanied through the complete victory will be so. Take courage, 0 Christian, the last stroke will be given ere long in this battle, which will be the decisive stroke. The day will come, when the enemies " ye have seen to-day, yc shall see them again no more for ever* Exod. xiv. 13. In heaven ye will get eternal peace and rest, Rev*

xxi. 5. There the centinels are called from their posts, and the men of war lay by their swords, and put on their crowns.

[2.] Believing that your helper is ever as ready as your enemies, Psal. xvi. 8. It is a weighty consideration, that Satan walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and our enemies within are restless. But faith wants not a solid relief to oppose unto this, looking to the promise, Psal. cxxi. 4, " Behold, he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep, Is. xxvii. 3, " I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." At what time soever the enemies attack us, we may have access to our help : and the faith of the promise will fetch it in as quickly as by a look. Is, xlv. 22, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else.

[3.] Believing that his grace is ever sufficient for you, 2 Cor. xii. 9. Though the war last long, the stock of strength cannot be wasted, in which ye must fight ; since it is an inexhaustible treasure in Christ Jesus, to which ye can never come amiss, John i, 16. Indeed, if ye fight in your own strength, ye will soon find it wasted : but faith's work is to fetch in strength from Christ, and it is sufficient for the continued warfare, Is. xl. 31.

Lastly, They are deceitful lusts, Eph. iv. 22. We are apt to be beguiled by them, if we take not good heed. They deceive sinners, and then take them captive, Tit. iii. 3; and then slay them, Rom. vii. 11. They are the golden cup in Satan's hand, by which he ministers poison to the soul. They are deceitful: for,

(1.) They always promise what they never perform, 2 Pet. ii. 19. Who is the man that is not disappointed in them looking for that content and satisfaction he never finds ? How was Judas deceived that way ?

(2.) They often commend themselves to men under the mask of some harmless thing, or some real virtue, Col. ii. 18. Thus, like Satan, they transform themselves into an angel of light. So many call evil good, and good evil, &c.

(3.) There is a hidden mischief in them, when they are most smiling. There is a hook always, which is covered with the bait, James i. 14, " Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed." It is a metaphor taken from fi&hes caught by the bait, and drawn out of the water. But,

Ye must have your eyes in your head, and not be ignorant of Satan's devices, Prov. xxii. 3. Be not rash, but try ere ye trust. Forbidden fruit may be fair to look at, and the devil's ground may be very smooth ; and the sinner see no hazard where death is at his

elbow, Prov. xiv. 12. Therefore fight as against a deceitful enemy; Eph. xiv. 11. And fight in faith,

[1.] Believing the testimony of God concerning the heart, Jer. xvii. 9, that it is " deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it ? and therefore keeping a watchful eye, a holy jealousy over it: Prov. xxviii. 14, " Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischief." Faith is the soul's going out of itself to the Lord, and brings off the man from leaning to his own understanding, Prov. iii. 5, and trusting to his own heart, Prov. xxviii. 26. For these are the things that betray a man into the hands of deceitful lusts.

[2.] Trusting to the conduct of the Lord Jesus Christ, Prov. iii. 6. He is the Captain of salvation, the appointed leader of his people, eyes to them in the wilderness. And he will teach those who are willing to be taught, Psal. xxv. 9. And there is no way to get clear of the deceitful lusts, but by shutting our own eyes, and looking to the Lord for light to discern our way. For he is made wisdom for us, 1 Cor. i. 30, and by faith in him, " the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err in the way of holiness," Is. xxxv. 8.

Lastly, There is a fight with death. This is the last enemy ye will have to grapple with : 1 Cor. xv. 26, " The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death." There was never any who escaped this combat, but Enoch and Elias. As for all others, the encounter with it is appointed of Heaven, Heb. ix. 27. And there is no freeing of any from this battle, Eccl. viii. 8. Many trouble not themselves to fight with temptation, or with sin, but live at peace with these their enemies : but, whether they will or not, they must feel the bitterness of death. If ever ye would fight it so as to overcome, ye must fight in faith. Here consider,

1. How death may attack you ; and,

2. In what shapes it may do so.

\st, How death may attack you. And that,

First, With sorrow and heaviness, Psal. cxvi. 3. Death is apt to let in a flood of sorrows upon poor sinners: so that those who have spent their days in mirth, find then all their mirth quite swallowed up in that flood ; and they who have had a life of sorrows, feel then the flood of them swelling to the brim. And there are two sluices death opens to let in this flood.

1. The separation of the man from this world, and all things in it, Is. xxxviii. 11. It comes to carry the man off from this world; to separate betwixt him and his nearest relations; to put an end to any portion of his under the sun, that he shall no more see the sun rise or set again, and have uo more access to his own house, or bed, or

board. This is apt to let in a flood of sorrow upon the man. And there is no way to hold out against it, but one of these two;

1st, By turning it into the matter of joy: like those mentioned in Job iii. 22, " which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave;" when the man is so wearied of the world, that his heart leaps for joy, when God's messenger, death, knocks at his door. 2dli/, By a Christian resignation to the will of the Lord, Luke ii. 29, the man being ready calmly to deliver up unto the hands of God, all he has here.

Now, if ye would fight death's sorrows on this head, viz. separation from the world, either of these ways; ye must do it in faith,

(1.) Believing, that, through the alone merits of Christ, ye shall be admitted into a better world, set down in a better house, at a better table, and lie better, even in Abraham's bosom, 2 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Nothing else will work the soul into that Christian resignation. The heart of man will never be truly content to give away this world's good things, while it has no comfortable prospect of better: and therefore Christian resignation at death, will be according to faith's view of better things in the other world, Heb. xi. 13.

(2.) Trusting the same Lord Jesus with the charge and care of those whom ye are to leave and are concerned for, 1 Pet. v. 7, "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you." With an eye to this, the Lord has made that promise, Jer. xlix. 11, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." Ungodly men can have no such comfort, in the abundance they have to leave theirs, as a godly man may have in this way of believing, Heb. xi. 22.

2. The separation of the soul from the body, Is. xxxviii. 13, 14. The soul and body are closely knit; but death comes to loose the silver cord that knits them together; like a whirlwind to separate them, and carry them far asunder. The soul has a sure prospect of a separate state, which it has no experience of; and the consideration thereof is apt to fill it with sorrow, on the account of its foreseen widowhood.

There is no making head against this, but in faith; 1st, Believing the soul's union with Jesus Christ, and with God through him, Rom. viii. 38, 39. Thus the soul has full comfort against the separation that death makes. Though the man's spirit parts with his body, yet the Spirit of God still dwells in the soul. God would have his people believe this particularly: and for that cause he has appointed the sacraments, signifying and sealing their union with Christ.

2dhj, Believing and trusting for the blessed resurrection of the body at God's appointed time, Job xix. 26. It stays the sorrow of

friends at their parting, that they look to meet again in peace: and when the soul and body are parting, the stronger the faith of the joyful resurrection is, the less will the sorrow be on that head. And all that are Christ's have good ground for it: for our Lord has said, John xi. 25, " I am the resurrection, and the life : he that be-lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Secondly, Death may attack you with fear and terror. Death is of all terrors the most terrible. Hence we read of being " brought to the king of terrors, Job. xviii. 14. And therefore the scripture expresseth the greatest consternation by the terrors of death; as in the case of David, Psal. Iv. 4, " The terrors of death are fallen upon me." And says Job, chap. xxiv. 17, " For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death : if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death." Death will appal and damp the stoutest heart: it will fill them with fear, who have been a terror to others in the land of the living. But faith will bear out, where natural courage falls like a dyke of sand before a sweeping flood. Now, there are three sources of the terrors of death.

1. Guilt lying on the soul, 1 Cor. xv. 56, " The sting of death is sin." By the guilt of sin, the sinner is bound over to death ; so that is the sting wherewith it pierces men. The native guilt of sin binds over the sinner to death in its full extent, even to revenging wrath: the moderated guilt of it binds over the sinner to unstiuged death. When death comes up, it takes the man prisoner as a guilty man ; and so fills him with tei-ror. Here must be a close fight of faith to stop this source of fear and terror.

\st, Over tlie belly of all your doubts, fears, and felt unworthi-ness, stretching out the hand of faith, and laying it on the head of the great sacrifice Christ, and so transferring all your guilt on him, Rom. iii. 25, and v. 11. Ye must believe in, and trust on the obedience and death of Christ, for the removal of your guilt; believing, that, for the sake of a crucified Christ, all your sins shall be pardoned. And for the warrant of your so trusting, ye must discern the pardon off'ered to you through Christ in the gospel, Acts xii. 38, 39 ; and so, amidst all your doubts and fears, anchor your souls on the faithfulness of God in the promise. Thus ye shall pull out death's sting, obtaining the removal ot guilt by faith in his blood.

2dly, Believing and applying to yourselves Christ's full answering of the demands of the law, whereby the law is disarmed of its curse, and the bond of it as a covenant is loosed from oft' you, Gal. ii. 20; Col. ii. 14. Death's strength lies in guilt: take away guilt off the soul, death is like Samson without his hair. The strength of guilt lies in the law as a covenant: remove the bond of

the law from off the man, and the man's guilt is like the cords the Philistines bound Samson with, which became as flax burnt with fire, Judg. xvi. 14. Let faith apply to the soul Christ's obedience and death, and so his fully answering the demands of the law : and then the law can have no more effect on you, than a subscribed bond fully paid and discharged, blotted and rent in pieces, can have on you.

2. The unseen unknown world, therefore called the land of darkness, Job X. 21. One is apt to be seized with fear, when they are to be carried into a place which they do not know. Death comes to carry us to another world, which we never saw, nor can see till we be there, neyer to come back : and that makes it terrible. It is the world of spirits: the blessed spirits dwelling in the upper regions ; the damned spirits in the lower. We are so unacquainted with the inhabitants of that world, that the sight of a spirit, good or bad, would be enough to frighten us while we are here : what wonder then that death be terrible, coming to carry us, where there are none but spirits ? Here is great necessity of faith, to bear up against the fear rising from thence. We must then stay our hearts by faith,

1st, Firmly believing the scripture accounts of the unseen world, Heb. xi. 1. Though we have never seen it, yet we have heard of it: though we never were there, yet the map of it has been laid before us in the Bible; and there we have it described both the upper and lower part of it. And in that map, drawn by inspired pens, not capable of erring, the lower part of that world is not more dreadful, than the upper part is pleasant and desirable, John xiv. 2 ; Rev, xxi. The faith of heaven is staying to the heart in some measure.

2cZZj/, Firmly believing the scripture account of the way to heaven ; that Christ is the way to it, John xiv. 6 ; and that by faith we walk in him to it, Col. ii. 6. If we believe not this, our hearts have nothing to stay themselves on, but are left at an utter uncertainty, in our encounter with death. Therefore labour to strengthen your faith of this, that it may not be yea and nay, but yea with you, 2 Cor. i. 19, 20; that " he that believeth, shall be saved."

3c%, Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, for your safe passage to the upper part of the unseen world, Psal. Ixxiii. 24, and xxxi. 5; committing your soul to him, rolling the weight of your through-bearing on him as the Captain of salvation appointed of God to bring many sons to glory. Take hold of him, by his word of promise, by the everlasting covenant, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5 ; and labour to gripe some particular promise for that end, as Is. xliii. 2, " When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the fllame kindle upon

thee." Heb. xiii. 5, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Is. XXXV. 9, 10, " No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there : but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and corae to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads : they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrovy and sigliing shall flee away."

4:tldy, Believing that your Lord Christ is Lord of the unseen world, and that the whole compass of it above and below is under his dominion, Rev. i. 18. It is in bis hand that the disposing of souls to any part of that world is. Neither is he to figlit with the prince of darkness, on that side, about any soul. That fight of his with Satan was in this world. When one comes there, the devil caunot touch him, unless given up to him as an executioner. And he has said it, that none that believe in him shall be damned, Mark xvi. 16. Believe it with application.

bthly, Believing, that as soon as your soul departs out of your body, Grod will receive it into his own hand, Psal. xxxi. 5. compared with Luke xxiii. 46. So David believed, Psal. xxiii. 4, " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." It shall be conducted by angels into Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22. Believe, that the same God who brought thee out of the womb, safe into this world, when thou wast a naked helpless infant, and by his providence preserved thee, will take the same care of thee, when entering into the unseen world. This is the comfort of faith in death; agreeably to what the Psalmist saith, Psal. xxii. 9, 10, " But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me hope, when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's ! elly."

Lastly, That thy God will fit thee both for the place and the company, however unfit thou art for them now, Heb. xii. 23. He will do it in a moment, as appears from parity of reason from 1 Cor. XV. 51, 52, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," &c. Believe that he will fit thee, not only for the sight or knowledge of the spirits there before thee, but for communion with them. And thou mayst confirm thy faith of this, by the experience thou hast had (1.) of his fitting thee for communion with the inhabitants of this world, though thou camest into it an infant knowing nobody there, no not the mother that bare thee; and (2.) of his fitting thee for communion with himself, though thou wast by nature dead in sin.

3. The judgment, Heb, ix. 27. The appearing before a tribunal

is an awful thing. When a guilty creature is lying on a death-bed, drawing his last breath, and considers that in a little he is to be carried before his judge in another world, to be judged, and give account of his deeds done in the body, and to receive his sentence for eternity, in well or woe; no wonder fear and terror seize him. There is no making head against this but by faith,

1st, Receiving and embracing the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his salvation offered to you in the gospel, John i. 12. So in Rev. xxii. 17, the offer of Christ is made, after the warning given of Christ's coming to judgment: for this only is the way how a sinner may stand before him. "While a sinner breathes in this world, he is in the way: and that is the time to agree with the adversary. Christ and all his salvation is offered; that is, pardon, peace, right to glory, sauctification, &c. And it is the work of faith to receive them, held forth in the gospel-promise.

For this cause it is necessary to judge ourselves, and condemn ourselves; to call over all our bypast life, with the sin of our nature: and renouncing all confidence in ourselves, to fly to the horns of the altar, confiding in a crucified Christ, upon the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise of the gospel; John iii. 16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."

2dly, Believing, that the same Jesus who is offered, and whom you have embraced, in the gospel, is the judge whom you are to appear before, John v. 22, " For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." This is a fit means to abate the terror of the judgment-seat to a believer. For thus, by the eye of faith, the soul may see, that it is the very same person who is its head, husband, advocate, and the redeemer, who is its judge. And thus a full fountain of consolation is opened against the terrors of death, arising from the judgment.

ddl^, Believing, that you being in Christ, judgment will not proceed upon you according to the law of works, but according to the law of faith, i. e. the covenant of grace, Rev. xx. 12. The law of works adjudgeth every one that sins in the least to die. Gen. ii. 17; Gal. iii. 10; and according to it shall all unbelievers be judged; but no believer, Rom. vi. 14. The covenant of grace adjudgeth every soul united to Christ by faith, how many soever his sins have been, to live eternally, for the sake of Christ's obedience and death imputed to him, Rom. viii. 1; John iii. 16.

Lasty, Believing, that the covert of Christ's blood is a perfect covert, within which not one drop of revenging wrath can fall here or hereafter, Is. xxxii. 2; and that faith's plea will never

be rejected, for it is established by the covenant betwixt the Father and the Son, and God's faithfulness is impawned for it. Lot tlie believer then, thinking on the tribunal, behold the rainbow about the throne, Rev. iv. 3. compared with Is. liv. 9. and be comforted against the terror of death from this quarter.

Thirdly, With despondency, Lam. iii. 18. This is the most fearful weapon wherewith death attacks a man ; when it goes about to raise a man's hope in Christ, making his heart to sink within him as hopeless, filling him with a fearful expectation of eternal destruction, Job xxxiii. 22. This may be the case of those that are strangers to Christ, whom death seizing after a lifetime spent in profanity and wickedness, their sins, especially their gross heaven-daring abominations staring them in the face while they are death's prisoners, are apt to fill them with despair of mercy. Job xviii. 14. It may also be the case of saints after a careless untender walk, Psal. Ixix. 2, Ixxvii. 7; Matth. xxv. 5. Here is need of faith in a special manner,

\st, Believing with application the infinite efficacy of the blood and Spirit of Christ Jesus, Heb. vii. 25. The soul would behold that blood as the blood of the Son of Grod, 1 John i. 7, and therefore of infinite efficacy to do away the greatest guilt; as the sea, to quench a house on fire, as well as a candle: his Spirit is of infinite efficacy, as able to wipe away the deepest stains of sins, as others, 1 Cor. vi. 11: a water-flood, sweeping away whole dunghills, as well as mole-hills.

2dly, Believing that ye are still within the compass of the gospel ofl^er. Is. Iv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17. Yea, it is directed to you in particular, as Jer. iii. 1, "Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord." Is. i. 18, " Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." God has made no exception of sinners of any size, who will come in; though ordinarily a profane graceless life has a disagreeable end ; they that live gracelessly, for the most part dying hardened, sometimes in sullen despondency: yet the case of the thief on the cross, shews a possibility of its being otherwise.

Lastly, Believing, griping, and hanging by the promise of the gospel, over the belly of all objections. Acts xvi. 21. Though you are in a boisterous sea, where one wave comes after another to sweep you away; yet quit not your gripe, Heb. x. 39; but hope against hope, as Abraham did; for it is pleasing to God, Psal. cxlvii. 11, and will have a good issue, as in the woman of Canaan.

^dly, Consider in what shapes death may attack us. There is one way of coming into the world, but there are many ways of

go\xig out of it. Which of them may be ours, we know not: an<\ therefore it concerns us to be ready to encounter death, and fight the last battle successfully, in whatever shape death come upon us. I will take notice of these four.

1. A violent death, by the hands of men. This the heaviest of deaths, when it is an ill cause; as in the case of malefactors, by the hand of public justice ; and of men falling sacrifices to their own and others rage in their private godless quarrels. All I say to that, is, to advise you to live by faith, that ye may be preserved from such a death, Prov. xxviii. 17; Matth. xxvi. 52. But even in a good cause men may be brought to it, whether more solemnly by process of law, or summarily by the hands of bloody men. Death in that shape must be fought,

1st, Believing that that was the kind of death which Christ died, and so has sanctified it to his own, that they may comfortably venture on it for his sake and cause. And the saints of the highest class have died so, dying martyrs, in numberless multitudes. Our Lord will have all his to lay their accounts with it, Luke xiv. 26, " If any man come to me," says he, " and hate not—his own life, he cannot be my disciple ;" though he does not call them all to it. But many who have been called to it have rejoiced in it as their honour.

2dly, Believing that great truth with application, Matth. xvi. 25. " Whosoever shall save his life, shall loose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." When one's life comes in competition with the honour of Christ and the cause of truth, and they will, for saving themselves, make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience; they lose their souls, to save their bodies for a little time : whereas they to whom Christ's honour is more dear than their own lives, their souls shall be saved eternally, and eternal glory will more than make make up all their losses.

2. A painful death. Death in any shape can hardly want pain ; but death is certainly more painful to some than to others. 0 what piercing pains, gripes, and torments, do some suflTer at their death ! What struggles and wrestlings have some with death, before their souls leave their bodies ! What measure of these pains is allotted to us we do not know; but every one will at length feel his own part of them.

Our business is to bear them Christianly and patiently; and that we will never do to purpose, but by faith,

1st, Cleaving to Christ in them by faith, Job xiii. 15, and believing, that through his grace they shall have a comfortable end in due time, 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8. Faith's view of the eternal rest in heaven, is the best cordial in the pain of death. When the sonl believes, that the last pain is coming up, the last sob; after which

sorrovT and sighing shall for ever fly away ; that will make the man stand the shock of the sharpest pains Christianly and patiently.

2dly, Believing that the body of death and sin, which thou hast had many a battle with in thy life, is by that means to be put to the door. Death came in by sin, and sin must go out by death. Every pain and gripe looseth a pin of the tabernacle ; and according as death makes its progress in the believer's body, sin is the nearer to a removal out of his soul. And when death has perfected its work on the body, the soul shall then be perfected, Heb. xii. 23. A Christian will abide sore thrusts patiently, in the faith of this their thrusting out his worst enemy.

3'%, By the eye of faith discerning death unstinged to thee, by the death of Christ. Our Lord Christ has said it, and done it, Hos. xiii. 14, " I will ransom thee from the power of tlie grave : I will redeem them from death : 0 death I will be thy plagues ; 0 grave, I will be thy destruction ; repentance shall be hid from mine eyes :" and therefore a dying saint should comfort himself in it, and believing sing, as in 1 Cor. xv. 55—57, " 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; and the strength, of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." That whereby the believer's dying body is pained, is not death's sting : he may therefore bear it the better. Death's sting stings the soul and conscience, and leaves the venom of the curse there, which will scorch the man eternally. These pains are but as a bee-sting in comparison of that.

3. A longsome or lingering death. Death makes quick harvest with some, but with others death's work is spun out to a great length; whereby they have many deaths in one, are often looking for the last stroke, but it is long a coming. This is a great trial, and we know not but it may be ours. Therefore we should be prepared for it, and lay up timely for it. We will never manage it well, but by faith,

\st, Believing always that it is coming; but at what hour, we know not. The faith of this will make us keep up our watch, Matth. xxiv. 42. They may watch at first, who may let down their watch when they find the Bridegroom delays his coming; and so they may be surprised, as the foolish virgins when their lamps were out. But the faith of this will put us on Job's resolution, chap. xiv. 14, " All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come."

2dZt/, Believing that therein the Lord has you upon your trials, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7- He is in that case taking a trial of your faith, love, pLitience, and Christian fortitude. And if God opens to any of us a scene of trial of more variety and greater length than that of

others, it is our business to behave well in the trial laid to our hand.

Sdly, By the eye of faith discerning the eternal weight of glory, on the other side of the trial: and if we weigh the one by the other, the most longsome struggle with death will appear both light and momentary, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18, " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal."

4, Lastly, A sudden death. Death sometimes makes a wide step, so that it is upon a man ere he can well perceive it coming. It is what may be our lot; for it is common to good and bad. Good Eli died so, as well as Ananias and Sapphira, who died with a lie in their mouth. And therefore it concerns us to be prepared for it; which we can never be but by believing. And,

\st, Securing ourselves within the true ark, timely, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting him in the offer of the gospel covenant, John i. 12. Then come death when and how it will, we are habitually ready for it: and it shall not be able to loose the marriage-knot cast by faith betwixt Christ and our souls, Rom. viii. 38. &c. If in that case, it come suddenly on us, it shall but waft us over more speedily into Immanuel's land.

2dly, Resolutely renewing the actings of faith on Christ, at death's sudden approach. Is. xlv. 22. What a man has done before, he may the more easily do again on a signal given : and a believer may through grace renew his acting of faith, upon death's short warning. If death be sudden, the act of faith, may bo as sudden, as reaching in a moment from earth to the highest heavens: and therefore compared to a look.

And thus I have gone through the Christian warfare, even to the last battle. May the Lord thus teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight.

END OF VOLUME SIXTH.

PRINTED BY

GROROE AND KOBKBT KING,

28, ST NICHOLAS STREbT, ABERDEEN.

„„celon Theological Se";'"''V?,??j;, t'liri

1 1012 01147 4758