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I Am to Lay down some Considera∣tions or Motives, inducing to get Faith, which shall be derived from the Misery of such that are Faithless; and that in these following Sections.
First, You cannot please God, Heb. 11. 6. And wherefore are you Made,
if not to Please God? This is the End of your Creation and Beings. The Creatour would fain take Com∣placency and Delight in you; but while you are Faithless, he cannot. Unbelievers are not the Objects of God's Desire; because such can give no Credit to the Report in the Gos∣pel. Faith Pleases God, but Unbelief ‖ 1.1 Displeases him.
First, It puts the Lye upon God: It calls in question his Power, Mercy, Truth. 1 Joh. 5. 10.
He that Believeth not, hath made God a Lyar.
Secondly, Unbelief hardens the Heart. Mark 16, 14.
He upbraided them with their Unbe∣lief, and Hardness of Heart. Unbelief and Hardness of Heart are linked to∣gether.
Thirdly, Unbelief is the Root of A∣postacy. Heb. 3. 12.
An Evil Heart of Unbelief, in de∣parting from the Living God.
Unbelief Virtually includes all o∣ther Sins: It is a Big-bellied Sin.
Finally, As Faith is the Chiefest a∣mong Graces, so Unbelief is the Chief∣est among Sins.
Secondly, You cannot Resist one Temptation: Let Satan shoot his Bul∣lets as fast as he can, one after ano∣ther; and for want of True Faith, you shall remain still, as so many Butts for the same. All of the Devil's Temptations shall find Acceptation with thee, be they what they will. If Satan suggesteth to thee, that there is no God, thou wilt with the Fool, say in thy Heart, There is no God: Yea, where Faith is not, the Devil's Temptations in all kind shall be clos'd with. His Temptations to Diffidence, and Distrust in the Pro∣mises will be clos'd with; His Temptations to Lust will be clos'd with; His Temptations to Avarice will be clos'd with; His Temptations to Pride will be clos'd with. What is there not, but a Faithless Soul the Devil may Allure unto? There is not
〈32 pages missing〉〈32 pages missing〉Hereticks never so much; yet our •…•…ith shall remain Firm. Though he may Shake it, yet he shall not Overthrow it: Though he may Darken it, yet he shall not wholly Eclipse it. The Believer all this while shall be Safe, and as Mount Sion, which cannot be Removed.
Again, Let the Devil raise up a Multitude of Persecutors: and though they may Strom us to some purpose by their Threats and Blows; yet our Faith, being Sheltered under the Wing of Christ, supported and held up by the Intercession of Christ, it shall never Totally and Finally fail.
Lastly, Let the Devil raise up Schis∣maticks, and by them breed Schism, Division, Dissension and Discord among the Children of God, (as not long ago in this Nation he did; and in∣deed, I know not any thing, that tends more to the Extirpation of True Zeal and Piety, than the same:) But yet notwithstanding all these Things, the Faith of God's Elect is whole and entire in its Seed still.
There are divers Arguments, where∣by the Saints Perseverance is clearly Evinc'd, and Prov'd against the Op∣posers thereof: but I am only con∣fined to make use of one among them; and therefore to use any of the rest, would be justly deemed a Di∣gression.
What-so-ever our Lord Iesus Christ hath Prayed for, shall certainly * 1.2 come to pass: But he hath Pray∣ed for the Saints Perseverance, or that they may not fall away To∣tally and Finally from Grace.
Ergo, The Saints shall Perse∣vere.
The Major is proved from Iohn 11. 42.
And I know (sayes Christ to the Fa∣ther) that thou hearest me alwayes.
That Christ now doth Pray for Saints Perseverance, is evident from my Text.
But I have Prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail not.
Now the great Thing, that remains in the Agitation of this Blessed Truth, (though much Controverted) is to Illustrate the Potency of our Sa∣viour's Intercession; on which depends the Perseverance of our Faith. Now the Potency of it appears, if we con∣sider these Three Things: 1. The Person that Intercedes. 2. The Inter∣cession it self. 3. The Persons for whom this Intercession is made.
First, If we consider the Person that Intercedes, being the Lord Iesus Christ himself; who is Admirable for his Excellent Qualifications, and Great In∣terest, that he hath in Him, with whom he Intercedes. As to his Qua∣lifications; He is an Advocate, that is Wise, Faithful, Just and Tender∣hearted; and therefore doubtless, will Plead for us after a Perfect, Ex∣quisite and Infallible Manner. As to his Interest in Heaven, it is Great. For God, with whom he Intercedes, is his Father: Now, Who can Speed
better in this Suit, than God's own Son? Iesus Christ is the Son of God Two manner of wayes: 1. By E∣ternal Generation, according to his Godhead; Psal. 2. 7. 2. By Grace of Personal Union, according to his Man∣hood; Luk. 1. 35.
If You who are Earthly Parents, can find in your Hearts, to Give unto your Children when they Ask; How much more then shall God Give un∣to us his Heavenly Children, when we Ask of him? But I shall ascend high∣er.
If God our Heavenly Father can Give unto us his Adopted Children, his Children that are only made so; How much more will God Give unto Iesu•…•… Christ, his Son by Nature and Ge∣neration? If we the Children by Grace, can prevail so much with God the Fa∣ther; How much more then his So•…•… by Generation, betwixt whom there i•…•… an Unity not only of Nature, but Wi•…•… also, Ioh. 10. 32. More-over, see wha•…•… God himself says to Christ: Psal. 2. 8.
Ask of me, and I will Give thee.
Secondly, If we consider the Inter∣cession it self, 1. In its Nature. 2. In its Perpetuity. First, In its Nature; which is a Presenting his Person, Suf∣ferings and Merits unto his Father, for what he desires. Father (sayes Iesus Christ) let such a Soul Perse∣vere. Why so (may the Father Re∣ply?) Because (sayes Christ) I Suf∣fered to this end. So that God the Father, according to his Iustice, which is Unspotted, sayes to his Son; Be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unto thee as thou wilt. So, that Matter of our Saviours Request is but Just and Reasonable: What Christ desires, is not desired Gratis, upon Terms unbecoming the Holiness and •…•…ighteousness of God to grant. Iesus Christ can Plead Merit in his Prayers. •…•…inally, God the Father is under a Co∣•…•…enant, Tye and Bond to do what he •…•…ks. For he Promised us to Christ, (on Condition of his Dying for us) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be his, and Ruled by Him as he pleased: Where-upon Christ Accep∣ted,
and a Body was Prepared for him; and so he became Obedient un∣to Death, even unto the Death of the Cross. So that this Number for whom Christ Dyed, is really his, ac∣cording to the Faederal Transaction between the Father and Him. Ac∣cordingly also the Mercies that Christ Intercedes for, are as due to him, as the Hire of the Labour is, when the Work is Faithfully done.
Secondly, Let us consider our Sa∣viours Intercession, in the Perpetuity o•…•… it:
He ever Liveth, to make Intercessio•…•… for us, Heb. 7. 25.
Our Names are alwayes upon th•…•… Heart and Shoulders of this our Grea•…•… High-Priest before God. † 1.3 Christ's In∣tercession is Importunate and Perpetu∣al. From hence we may draw (sait•…•… ‖ 1.4 Mr. Flavel) abundant Encouragemen•…•… against all Heart-Straitnings, and Dead ness of Spirit in Prayer.
Thou complainest, thy Heart is Dead Wandring and Contracted in Duty: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but remember, Christ's Blood speaks when thou canst not!
Though the Vigour of thy Affe∣ctions may sometimes Decay in Du∣ty; yet know then, even then Christ maketh Intercession: When thy Pray∣er is done, Christ's Prayer is still go∣ing on. His Praying is a Praying with∣out ceasing: Yea, he Incessantly Prays for us.
Christ is a Mediator for Ever; and his Intercession is a Daily Intercession.
It is the Business of Christ now in Heaven, to Intercede for us. Be∣hold, Christ Intercedes for you in Hea∣ven: And therefore question not the Duration of your Faith.
Many things here occur, that hin∣der the Permanency, and the Poten∣cy of our Prayers: But Christ in Hea∣ven meets with nothing, that inter∣rupts his Praying to, and Interceding with the Father on our Behalf. Christ Iesus is now in the Exaltation of his Prophetical, Sacerdotal and Regal Office; and therefore what he Wills, is Gran∣ted.
He (Christ) ever Liveth, to make Intercession for us.
Thirdly, If we consider the Per∣sons for whom Intercession is made, being such whom God the Father has a Kindness for: Did Iesus Christ indeed Intercede for such, that the Father was no Well-wisher unto, it were some∣thing: But now, these for whom Christ Intercedes, are the Friends of God, and the Children of God, and the Brethren of Christ: Therefore these must Persevere. Iesus Christ Prayes not for the World, which is Enmity to God; but for a Select Number, whom God the Father has determin∣ed to bring to Everlasting Life, through this Prevalent and Successful Intercessor in Heaven.
Having Finished the Doctrinal Part, viz. Christ's Intercession, which is an Act of his Priestly Office, is on Grounds of a Believers Perseverance in Faith: I shall only Answer this In∣quiry,
that may be made about the Intercession of Christ.
But why doth Christ Pray now, see∣ing he is in Heaven, and can do all Things.
Answ.
1. Christ could do all Things, when he was upon Earth, and yet he Prayed.
2. Christ Prayeth now in Heaven, because as Man, he Rejoyceth both to be Subject unto God, and to Ac∣knowledge him as the Greater, and the Author of all Good.
As Christ is Man, he ought not to omit those Things, which are proper to Men, viz. Prayer.
For-as-much, as I have only been admitted to make use but of one Ar∣gument, for the Asserting of Believers Perseverance, viz. Christ's Intercession, which the Doctrine only contained: I shall therefore furnish you only
with some Scriptures, that may E∣vince this Truth, now in the Close. For loath I am, to leave such a Com∣fortable Doctrine (as this is) Dark; Although what has been said already about it, might suffice; yet in re∣gard that the Holy Scriptures do a∣bound with Arguments for it, I shall just touch upon them, and that shall be all.
Unbelief is a God-Af∣fronting Sin.
Mr. Dan∣son's Vindi∣cation of himself a∣gainst Ives. Pag. 62.
His In∣tercession is a Permanent Importunity.
Sermen 13. on Heb. 7. 25. Pag. 152.