And yet for all this ye have not clothed yourselves in sackcloth ? I will not say that this is an undeniable evidence of the total want of the grace of faith, but it doth evidently prove this, that the person who hath come this length, hath lost much of his primitive love and much of that high esteem which he ought to have of matchless Christ: what can you find in this world that maketh you converse so little with heaven? I think that is the noble encouragement of a Christian, when he is going down to his grave, that he hath this wherewith to comfort himself, I am to change my place, but not my company; death to the believing Christian being a blessed transition and transportation to a more immediate and constant uninterrupted enjoyment of God. But I believe, that if all who have the name of believers in this generation, should go to heaven, they might have this to say, I am now not only to change my place, but also my company; for these seventy years I have been conversant with my idols, but now I am to converse with more blessed, divine, and excellent company. O that ye would be persuaded to pursue much after an absent Christ. Were it not a sweet period of our life to breathe out our last breath in his arms, and to be living in the faith of being eternally with him, which might be founded upon his word.

II. There is this second evidence of one that is in the faith : they do endeavour to advance that necessary work of the mortification of their idols, according to that word, 1 John iii. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. Acts xv. 9. Faith purifieth the heart. And concerning this evidence (lest any should mistake it,) I would say these things to you, First, The mortification of a Christian, as long as he is here below, doth more consist in resolutions than attainments of a Christian, in the mortification of his idols, but his resolutions go far above his performances. Secondly, We will say this, that those Christians who never came this length in Christianity, to make that an universal conclusion and full resolution, What have I to do any more with idols ? may suspect themselves, that they are not in the faith; for a Christian that is in Christ, is universal in resolutions, though he be not so in practice, but defective in performances; a Christian may have big resolutions with weak performances: for resolutions will be at the gate of heaven, before practice come from the borders of hell; there being a long distance between resolution and practice; and the one much swifter than the other. And Thirdly, We would likewise say, That ye who never did know what it was to endeavour (by prayer and the exercise of other duties,) the mortification of your lusts and idols; ye may be afraid that ye have not yet the hope of seeing him as he is. And I would say this to many, who are settled upon their lees, and who never did know what it was to spend one hour in secret prayer for mortifying of an idol, that they should beware lest that curse be past in heaven against them-I would have purged you, and ye would not be purged, therefore ye shall not be purged any more till ye die; that iniquity of refusing to commune with Christ in the work of secret mortification, I say that iniquity shall not be purged away. And we would once seriously

desire you, by that dreadful sentence which Christ shall pass against you, and by the love ye have towards your immortal souls, and by the pains of these everlasting torments of hell, that ye would seriously set about the work of spiritual mortification; that so ye may evidence that ye have believed; and that ye have the soulcomforting hope of eternal life. I would only speak this word to you, (and I desire you seriously to ponder it,) What, if within twelve hours hereafter a summons were given you (without continuation of days.) to appear before the solemn and dreadful tribunal of that impartial judge, Jesus Christ ?-what, suppose ye, would be your thoughts? Will ye examine your own conscience, what think ye would be your thoughts, if some summons were given unto you? I am persuaded of this, That your knees should smite one against another, and your face should gather paleness, seeing your conscience would condemn you, That ye had been weighed in the balance, and found light: O think ye that ye can both fight and overcome in one day? Think ye your lusts and unmortified corruptions so weak and faint-hearted an enemy, that upon the first appearance of such imaginary champions (as most of us are in our own eyes) that your idols would lay down arms, and let you trample on them? Believe me mortification is not a work of one day, or one year, but it is a work will serve you all your time, begin as soon as you will; and, therefore, seeing you have spent your days in the works of the flesh, it is time that now ye would begin and pursue after him, whose work is with him, and whose reward shall come before him.

III. Now there is this third evidence by which a Christian may know whether he be in the faith or not, and it is, that Christ is matchless and incomparable unto such a one, according to that word, 1 Pet. ii. 7, To you that believe Christ is precious; and that word that Luke hath in his 7th chapter, at the close, That she to whom much was forgiven, loved much. Now, lest this likewise should prove a discouragement to any, I would only have you take notice of this, that a Christian may be a believer, and yet want the sensible discoveries of this, that Christ is matchlessly precious to him; but this is certain, that they that are in the lively exercise of faith, it is impossible then for them not to esteem Christ matchless. And I would speak this likewise to many who are here; have you not been living these ten years in faith, and I would pose you with this, esteem you not your idols more matchless than Christ, and more of worth than he? It is impossible that there can be any lively exercise of faith, and not esteem Christ matchless. It is not to say with your mouth, and contradict it with your heart, will do the business. For if your heart could speak, it would say, I would sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver. But my idols would I sell at no rate. Are there not many of you who love the world and its pleasures better than the eternity of joy? O know ye not that word (O ye desperately ignorant of the truths of God,) That he who loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him: and yet notwithstanding of the light of the word, ye would sell your immortal souls (with Esau) for a mess of pottage: O but it is a poor bargain when ye have sold the eternity of joy for a passing world, and for

To whom

its transitory delights? I would earnestly know what shall be your thoughts in that day, when ye shall be standing upon the utmost line betwixt time and eternity. O what will be your thoughts at that day? But you are to follow on to an endless pain, (by appear. ance) and then you are to leave your idols. I shall only desire that ye may read that word, Isa. x. 3, What will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from afar? will ye flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? Ye shall then preach mortification to the life, though all the time of mortification shall then be cut off. O but to hear a worldly-minded man, when eternity of pain is looking him in the face, preach out concerning the vanity of this world, might it not persuade you that the world is a fancy, and a dream that shall flee away, and shall leave you in the day of your greatest strait?

IV. And there is this fourth evidence of faith, that a Christian who doth truly believe, is that Christian who entertaineth a divine jealousy and a holy suspicion of himself, whether or no he doth believe. I love not that faith which is void of fear, this was clear in the practice of believing Noah, that though by faith he built the ark, yet he had fear mixed with his faith. I know that there are some who are ignorant concerning this, what it is to doubt concerning eternal peace; and more, it is not every one that doubteth that certainly shall get to heaven; for I think a hypocrite may doubt concerning his eternal salvation; however I think the exercise of a hypocrite under his doubtings, it is more the exercise of his judgment than the exercise of his conscience. And I may say this, that if all the exercise of the law which is preached in these days, were narrowly searched, it would be more the exercise of light than the exercise of conscience. We speak these things as our doubt, which never were our exercise, and we make these things our public exercise, which were never our private chamber exercise. And I think, that if all that a Christian did speak to God in prayer, were his exercise, he would speak less and wonder more. We would be speechless when we go to God; for often if we did speak nothing but our exercise, we would have nothing to say. And certainly it is true that we often fall into that woful sin of desperate lying against the Holy Ghost, by flattering God with our mouth, and lying unto him with our tongue. And I shall only say these two words, there are some who have this for their great design, viz., They would be at peace with their conscience, and also they would be at peace with their idols; they would gladly reconcile conscience and their idols together, that is their great design. And there are some whose design is a little more refined, they study rather to be reconciled with their conscience than to be reconciled with God; the great aim they shoot at, is this, To get their consciences quieted, though they know not what it is to have the soul-comforting peace of God to quiet them.

V. Now there is this last evidence of faith, that justifying faith is a faith which putteth the Christian to be much in the exercise of these duties, by which it may be maintained, for we must keep faith as the apple of our eye! and for that end, I would only give

you these three things by which faith must be kept in exercise, and a real Christian will be endeavouring in some measure to attain unto these.

1. It keepeth faith much in exercise, to be much in marking and taking notice of the divine exercise and proofs of the love of God, wherewith a Christian doth meet; as is clear from that word, Rom. v. 4, Experience worketh hope. I durst be bold to charge the most part that are indeed in Christ with this, that they are too little remarking and taking notice of the experience of his love. Ye should mark the place of your experience itself; as is clear from Scripture, that the very place where Christians did meet with experience, in such an enjoyment of God, they marked it, Ezek. i. Ì, By the river of Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the vision of God; and Gen. xxxii. 30, Jacob called the place Peniel, the place of living, after seeing the face of God; it was so remarkable unto him. And we conceive, that ye would mark these two things mainly in your practice. First, Ye would mark (if ye can possibly) the first day of your closing with Christ and of your coming out of Egypt, and may allude unto the command (if not more than allude unto it), Deut. xvi. 1, Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib, the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And, Secondly, We would have you much in marking those experiences which have increased your faith, and which have strengthened your love, and which have made you mortify your idols: these are experiences especially to be marked.

And this

2. Faith is kept in exercise, and we win to the lively assurance of our interest in God, which we would press upon you, by being much in the exercise of secret prayer. O but many love much to pray when abroad, who never loved to pray when alone. is a desperate sign of hypocrisy, according to that Matth. vi. 5, it is said of hypocrites, They love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they might be seen of men ; but it is never said of these persons, that they love to pray alone, only they loved to pray in the synagogues; but it is secret and retired prayer by which faith must be kept in exercise.

And there is this likewise that we would press upon you, that ye would be much in studying communion and fellowship with God, so that your faith may be kept in life. And O what a blessed life

were it, each day to be taken up to the top of Mount Pisgah, and there to behold that promised land, to get a refreshing sight of the crown every morning, which might make us walk with joy all along that day? The heart of a Christian to be in heaven, his conversation ought to be there, his eyes ought to be there. And I know not what of a Christian ought to be out of heaven, even before his going there, save his lumpish tabernacle of clay, which cannot inherit incorruption, till he be made incorruptible. But I shall say no more but this,-many of us are readier to betray him with a kiss, and crucify him afresh, than to keep communion with him : But woe eternally be to him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed, and that doth crucify Christ afresh; it were better for him that a millstone

were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the depth of the sea. I remember an expression of a man, not two days ago, who (upon his death-bed) being asked of one what he was doing, did most stupidly, though most truly reply, that he was fighting with Christ; and I think that the most part of us (if he prevent us not) shall die fighting with Christ: but know, and be persuaded, that he is too sore a party for us to fight with-He will once tread upon you in the wine-press of his fury, and he shall return with dyed garments from treading such of you as would not embrace him; he shall destroy you with all his heart. Therefore, be instructed, lest his soul be disjoined from you (as that word in Jer. vi. 8), And lest your souls be eternally separated from him: be, I say, instructed to close with him by faith. Now, to him who can make you do so, we desire to give praise.

[In the two Sermons next following, you have the rest of these sweet purposes, which the worthy Author preached upon the same text.]

SERMON V.

1 JOHN iii. 23.- This is his commandment, that ye should believe on the Name of his Son JESUS CHRIST, &c.

THERE are two great rocks upon which a Christian doth ordinarily dash, in his way and motion toward his rest. 1. The rock of pre

sumption and carnal confidence; so that when Christ dandleth them upon his knees, and satisfieth them with the breasts of his consolations, and maketh their cup to overflow, then they cry out, My mountain standeth strong, I shall never be moved. And 2. The rock of misbelief and discouragement: so that, when he hideth his face, and turneth back the face of his throne, then they cry out, Our hope and our strength is perished from the Lord; we know not what it is to bear our enjoyments by humility, nor our crosses by patience and submission. O but misbelief and jealousy are bad interpreters of dark dispensations; they know not what it is to read these mysterious characters of Divine Providence, except they be written in legible letters of sense; misbelief is big with child, of twins, and is travailing, till it bring forth apostacy and security; and no doubt he is a blessed Christian that hath overcome that woful idol of misbelief, and doth walk by that royal law of the word, and not by that changeable rule of dispensations. We conceive that there are three great idols and dagons of a Christian, that hindereth him from putting a blank in Christ's hand concerning his guiding to heaven, there is pride, self-indulgence, and security. Do we not covet to be more excellent than our neighbour? Do we not love to travel to heaven through a valley of riches? and do we not ambitiously desire to walk towards Sion, sleeping, rather than weeping, as we go? Are there not some words that we would have taken out of the Bible? That is sad divinity to flesh and blood, Through