the deadness of his own body. And in this he had an eye unto Jefus Chrift: for this was imputed to him for righteoufnefs; and herein he is held forth as an example to us that beleeve with a juftifying faith, in this chapter. So that where ever there is true, faving, juftifying faith, it carries a man through all difficulties, through all natural difcou ragements. For the cleering whereof, I fall deliver my felf in thefe Four things. First, I will fhew you, That the way to Jefus Chrifi is clog. ged with many difficulties, and natural difcouragements: This as a Rice unto all the reft. Secondly, That true, faving faith, will carry one through all thefe. Thirdly, That nothing else can do it. And Fourthly, What it is in true, faving, justifying Faith, that does it? How this Faith comes to do it? First, The way to Jefus Christ is clogged with many difficulties, er natural difcouragements. No fooner does a man begin to look after Chrift, but difficulties, and natural difcouragements do arife; and they are preft by Satan with violence. When the children of Ifrael began to make out of Egypt, Pharoab doubles their task, and labors to make their way grievous, and troublous. And fo foon as a foul begins to look after Chrift; Satan, and the world labors to make his way troublous. The Devil is the great hunter of Souls: Solong as the Game goes well with the hunter, and he is going into his fnare, he makes no noise; but if once the Hare or the Game begin to decline the fnare and go another way, then he hoops,and hallows, and he makes a noife, that he may fcare it into the fnare again. And fo, as long as men are going into the Devils fnare, he makes no noife; but if once they begin to turn afide from his fnare,then he railes Town and Country, and a great noife is made to fcare the foul in again; He knows that a candle may be easily blown into light, when 'tis new put out. Paul met with no buffetings of Satan, till he had been taken up into the third Heavens Bb 2 and I. 3. and feen the Glory there. So long as Paul went on in his Pharafaical way, he met with no oppofition: and fo long as a man goes on in the way of the world, or in fome Pha rafaical Devotional way, that is not the way of the Gospel, he meets with no oppofition: but when once the Lord takes him (as it were) into the third Heavens, and fhews him the Glory of Chrift, then Satan begins to buffet him. Nature within us,that ftands and faies, Will you go to Chrift?'tis impoffible that ever you fhould get him. And the world without: Will you go to Chrift? you will lofe all your friends: Will you become a fool too? What with the world, and what with the flesh, and what with the Devil, the way to Jefus Chrift is clogged with many difficulties. And this will appear yet further, if you confider the Nature of Faith, and the worth of it. Tis a grace, a Gof pel Grace, a precious Grace, whereby we do come to Chrift. Hay, 'Tis a grace; Nulla Virtus fine lapide. When our Lord Jefus Chrift was crucified, they rold a stone over his Sepul Mark 16 cher, and when the Difciples came, they faid, Who foll roll away the ftone? And as our Lord himself had a ffone rol'd upon him, fo the more of Chrift is in any vertae, the greater ftone, and the greater difficulty is rold upon it; eve ry vertue, and every grace, hath one ftone or other that is rold upon it: but the more of Chrift in any thing,the more, the greater is the ftone that is rold upon it. Faith is an ex 1 Pet.1.7 cellent grace. The try al of your Faith is more precious than gold, faies the Apoftle; what is Faith it felf then? It is the Intelligencer of the Soul, the Directrix or Queen-regent of all the graces, it fits at the Stern, and guides the whol Veffel. 'Tis that grace that gives a Being unto a Chriftian, other graces the Well being. It is that grace that brings Chrift and the Soul together: It is that grace, that covers the defects of Ephef. 6. all other graces; 'Tis called the field; a fhield does not on. 16. cover the Body, but the rest of the Armor; Faith does not only cover the Soul, but the defects of all other graces. There is an Excellency in Grace: excellent things and Jewels they are hard to come by. Therefore by it we come unto Christ. Chrift. He that comes over the River, muft come from! that fide of the water, if he will come to this: And he that comes to Christ, he must come from his old Customs, and his own Engagements, and his own Righteousness: this is a hard thing. I may fay in fome refpects 'tis barder to beleeve, than to keep the ten Commandements, because there is fomthing in nature towards them. Chrift is the way to Heaven, and Faith. is the way to Chrift (understand it rightly) Faith is the way to Chrift; now therfore it being fo hard a work to beleeve, furely, the way to Jefus Chrift muft needs be laid with many difficulties, and natural difcouragements. Bus that is but the rice. 2. Secondly, Though the way to Jefus Chrift be clogged with many difficulties, True, saving, jußifying Faith, will carry us through all difficulties, difcouragements, and natural Impoffibilities to Jefus Chrift. Tis that grace that is oppofed to the finful disa that the Apoftle (peaks of; He being not weak in faith, he confidered not his own body engin heftaggered not; the word you tranflate ftaggering, in other places 'tis tranflated doubting, Nothing doubting; but the fame word is tranflated alfo,difcerning; Not difcerning the Lord's body. 1 Cor. 11. 29. And fo the word will fully bear that fignification, When a man looks upon things with an eye of reason, he makes a difcretion of Dijudication of things: fome things are facile eafie; fome things are hard. But when a man looks by faith upon the power of God, there is not that difcretion there. All things are cafie to the eye of faith, that looks at the Power of God. You fhall obferve therefore, that when our Lord and Savior himself, would bear up the hearts of his Difciples over all difcouragements, he directs them to this work of beleeving with a faving, juftifying faith; you know the place, Let not your hearts be troubled John, 14 ye beleeve in God, beleeve also in me. An Hebraifme, noting 1. a Similitude: The Father works hitherto, and I work. That is,as the Father works,fo I work. So here, ye beleeve in God, believe alfo in me. That is, as ye beleeve in God the Father, fo be leeve alfo in me; ye beleeve that God the Father is able to pro provide for you: beleeve in me, that I am able to fatisfie for you. If you would not have your hearts troubled that I am now to leave you, at the many difcouragements that you are to meet withal; 'tis not enough for you,that you beleeve in God, as God; but you must beleeve in me alfo, as your Mediator, and rest upon me: True, saving, juftifying faith, is the only means to bear up your hearts through all this trouble. And if you look into the 17. of Luke, you fall find,that when our Savior Chrift would teach his Difciples how to do a hard work, he does point them unto this jafti fying faith. And the Lord faid (at the fixt verfe) If ye had faith as a grain of Mustard-feed, you might fay to this Sycamine. tree, Be thou pluck't up by the root, and be thou planted in the Sea, and it should obey you. You will fay, This is a faith of Mira cles, You may be pleafed therefore to obferve, that our Savior Chrift ufes this, and the like expreffion upon three fe veral occafions. Once upon occafion that his Difciples could not caft out the Devil out of fome that were poffeft. One upon occafion that the Fig-tree was dried up and withered. And once here upon occafion that the Difciples faid, Lordencrease our faith: when they thought it was fo hard a thing to forgive a man fo often as Chrift required. Firft, our Savior ufes this and the like expreffion of removing a Sycamine-tree, and the Mountains; upon occa fion that the Difciples could not caft out the Devil. And of that you reade in Mat. 17. 20. and there (indeed) he speaks of the faith of miracles. Why could not we cast him out? (verle 19.) Jefus faid unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily! Jay unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of Mustard, feed, ye shall Say unto this Mountain, remove bence to yonder place, and it fall remove, and nothing ball be unpoffible unto you. Here he fpeaks ofche faith of miracles, becaufe thereby we should be able to caft out the Devil; which plainly speaks a miracle. He ufes again this like expreffion, upon an occafion of the drying up of the Fig-tree. And concerning that you reade in Mark 11.20. As they passed by,they saw the Fig-tree dried up from the roots. Peter calling to remembrance, faith unte him, Behold, the Fig tree which thou curfedft is withered away. But now in Luke 17. there is another occafion, that this expreffion is brought in by our Savior Chrift: he faies unto his Difciples, (at the third verfe) If thy Brother trefpaß a gainst thee, rebuke him; if be repent, forgive him; if be trefpaß against thee feven times in a day, and feven times in a day turn again to thee, faying, I repent, then fhalt forgive him :- And the Apofiles Jaid unto the Lord, encrease our faith: And the Lord faid, if you had faith as a grain of mustard-feed, you might fay unto this Sycamintree, &c. Here is no miracle here, that Gal.2.19 |