Abyssus mali, or, The corruption of man's nature briefly handled in some of its principal parts grounded upon Psal. 14: 1, 2, 3 : together with Man's salvation by faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, on Acts 16:31 / by W.G.

CHAP. V.

I come now to the third particular, The Object with the Act; or the Act upon the Object, as in the definition, whereby it apprehends and receives Jesus Christ.

The Object I largely spake to, in the first Pro∣position: Where I shewed you the material Ob∣ject, and the formal Object of saving Faith. I shall only prove here, that this is no nice di∣stinction; and then proceed.

Consider, In other things, That may be the ma∣terial object of an act, which yet as formally and diversly considered, is much another thing. Ex. gr. The body of Man is the material object, both of the Philosopher, and the Physician. The first considers it, according to its nature and properties, as a body: The other considers the same body, but qua medicabile, as exposed to divers Diseases, and how it may be cured. So the School-Di∣vines may consider Conscience, as to its general nature and properties; the Casuist, in relation to such and such particular doubts with which it is perplexed, and how it may be resolved. Thus in our present case, Jesus Christ in his latitude, Faith hath to do with; but this person as work∣ing righteousness, is that peculiarly which Faith hath to eye for Salvation.

Qu. But what is this receiving Christ? or what is this act in relation to this saving object.

Ans. I have shewed you already, that it is the act both of mind and heart: I now come more particularly, to give you an account what it im∣plies. I count there are these four or five things implied, or intimately conjoyned in it.

1. A Beggarly sense. 2. An hungring desire. 3. Some free subjection to the will of God for Salvation. 4. Acceptance of Christ as a donative, or a free gift. 5. Conjugal consent unto him.

1st, A beggarly sense in it self. The Soul finds it self in a poor estate, and perishing condition in it self, and of it self. For 1. Christ is a ne∣cessary good. And 2. Though necessary, yet a spiritual Good, such as the heart will not brook, until, 3. convinced of his necessity. God is fain therefore to make a man poor, and bring him into the dust, that he may be beholding. Luk. 7.22, Ʋnto the poor, the Gospel is preached, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Evangelium audiunt & acci∣piunt, The poor receive the Gospel. He hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, Isa. 61.10. Which signifies the most inward trouble they have, because they are at a loss for Salvation, and Gods favour. Here note: It is not every one that is troubled, though for sin, that is come thus far: For he that can work for his living, and live by the work of his hands, is not an absolute poor man. He that by better ordering, and diet, can cure himself, will not go to the Physician. Men that are troubled for sin, will many times not do as they did, but fall to

duty, mend their manners and carriages, and be a little more observant than they use to be: But that trouble which ceases this way, is not well got off; but will either return again, or leave thee worse than it found thee. That man is poor indeed, or a beggar in spirit, who knows not what shift to make, but must be beholding to others, or he starve; that man is poor indeed, who is beat out of the conceit of his own self-righteous∣ness and self-sufficiency.

Object. But does not God's people complain, that they connot so see into their own vileness, and the shortness of their own righteousness, but that they are apt to trust in themselves?

Answ. Though they grow in more clear, solid, express convictions of their own unrighteousness, and the need of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, yet trust to their own sufficiency is not a reign∣ing sin in them, as no other.

2. It implies an hungering and thirsting desire. For no man receives any thing but what is good; and what is good (especially, if incomparably so), the needy man eagerly desires. Christ is propoun∣ded under the notion of bread, and bread of life, John 6.35, I am the bread of life. Ver. 51, And the bread which I will give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Which implies, men must have an hungering after him. The like is to be said of thirsting, which is the same thing un∣der another allusion. When a person is once come to this pass, he may without all doubt come con∣fidently: If any man thirst, let him come, &c! Joh. 7.37, Ho every one that thirsts, let him come. Isa.

55.1. Such are most apt to question, whether they may come or no: But may I come? Yea, come. 'Tis an answer to as many quaeries as you would make, to encourage and invite you to come con∣fidently. I shall go before I am called, says one: I am afraid, it is too much presumption in me to come; therefore they are invited. Sinners are in∣vited to come, especially lost sinners; but most of all hungring and thirsting sinners. And I may tell you, this hungring and thirsting is the very causa continens fidei, the very seed and root of Faith, the very essence and nature of it: therefore they are pronounced blessed at the present, Mat. 5.6, Bessed are they that hunger and thirst after righte∣ousness. Only here take heed you mistake not the general desires of happiness, for this hunger and thirst: See Chap. 3. verse 31.

3. Receiving implies a ready subjection to the will of God for supply: For he that receives, takes what is offered; and God offers his Son, John 6.40, This is the will of him that sent me, that he that seeth the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. Seeing God hath made this the condition and prerequisite of those that will be sa∣ved, the soul must be brought to Gods terms, for he will not come down to ours: less he will not, though he give this. Submission to this way of Christ, is the hardest way of all. If God had bid us go Pilgrimages, say over never so many Pater-nosters; men would have done it: But this is against nature, yet the soul in believing sub∣mits to it. Faith excludes non-submission, there∣fore receiving doth imply it. Hence Faith in this sense is properly called obedience, as being sub∣mission

to Gods will and way for Salvation (though otherwise, faith and obedience are often distin∣guished, and opposed), Rom. 16.26, Made known amongst all nations for the obedience of Faith, Rom. 10.16, They have not all obeyed the Gospel: For Isaiah saith, Who hath believed our report? They had not all obeyed, they had not all believed. Therefore also it is called a work, and the work of God, John 6.29, This is the work of God, that ye believe, i. e. that which God requires, and hath a primary respect unto. This non-submission to Jesus Christ, cut the Jews off from all priviledg, as is implied, John 1.11, 12.

4. It implies a willingness to take Jesus Christ as a donative or free gift. Christ is the gift of God, John 4.10, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, &c. Isa. 9.6, For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given: If so, then Faith must receive Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, gift∣wise: for God will be honoured in all his gifts, especially his greatest; poor beggarly creatures rea∣dy to perish will take any thing, and I thank you, Rom. 3.24, Being justified freely by his grace, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, It is not only by grace, but freely also: For Joseph found grace in the eyes of Pharoah, but it was because he had that which commended him unto his favour, as P. Martyr ob∣serves: But this is not so, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as well as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And therefore 'tis God hath set it up∣on Faith, that he might have all the glory of it, Rom. 4.16, Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to grace, or for nothing, as the Hebrew word which answers to it, is sometimes rendred, Mal. 1.10, Who amongst

you will shut the doors, or kindle fire upon mine al∣tar: Chimnam, gratis, we render it, for nought. Paul therefore sets all upon the account of mer∣cy, or Gods meer bowels and grace, 1 Tim. 1.16, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I obtained mercy. If we could buy favour of God, or purchase Christ, we would; but we must be beholding as beggars.

5. There is implied a conjugal consent to Je∣sus Christ, or taking him as a woman doth her husband. The Church is therefore called the Bride, John 3.29. Rev. 21.9, Come hither, and I will shew thee the bride, the lambs wife. Eph. 5.31, For this cause shall a man leave father and mo∣ther, and cleave to his wife. This is a great my∣stery; but I speak, concerning Christ and the Church. Which shews, that these expressions are not Hy∣perbole's, but real. The whole Book of the Can∣ticles speaks to this. To make it clear, consider,

1. There is a real union betwixt Christ and a believer, John 17.21, 22, 23. That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us. Verse 22, That they may be one as we are one. Verse 23, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And this you see, is ad similitudinem unionis Dei & Christi. Will any man say this is meer∣ly moral? Moral union is an union of spirits on∣ly, this is of persons: I do not say personal, Col. 1.27, Christ in you the hope of glory.

2. There must therefore be a foundation of this union, and the foundation of a real union, must it self be real: on Christ's part it is so; for he gives himself, Eph. 3.17, That Christ might dwell in your heart by faith. Gal. 2.20. On the souls

part also it must be real, viz. Its consent to Je∣sus Christ, 2 Cor. 8.5, They gave themselves first to the Lord. Rom. 7.4, Ye also are become dead to the Law, by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead. Marriage is not, but by consent, it being the most near strict union that can be in things that is not natural.

Corrolary 1. You see then, receiving Christ, outs a man quite of himself: I mean not of his nature, but as well of his righteous, as his unrighteous or sinful-self. The material object routs man of self-wisdom, and self-will; and the formal object, of his own righteousness; Christ as King, outs a man of his own will; as a Prophet, of his wisdom; as Priest, of his righteousness. I mean not, that it quite rids them of them, but delivers them from them, not from their being, but their being ab∣solute, lord, and chief.

1. Of his own wisdom, Man hath not wisdom to know what is saving, or to know it in a saving manner, 1 Cor. 1.21, When in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God; it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that be∣lieve. In the wisdom of God, i. e. in the wisdom that remains since the fall. Knew not God, i. e. knew him not savingly. Jesus Christ delivers such maxims as will not down with the wisdom of man; and those both speculative and practical, (pardon the distinction, for it is something im∣proper in the case), vers. 23, We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. Man is stumbled, both at the things revealed, and the way of revelation, or

his dealing with men in the Gospel; requiring them to take things upon his word, without natural demonstrations: Intrare in tenebras fidei, as Lu∣ther. Credere ut intelligant, Austin. For the Greeks seek after wisdom, vers. 22, i. e. natural demon∣stration. But God goes not this way to work, but requires Faith to his revelation, and often reveals such things as natural reason cannot fa∣thom, though nothing contrary to right rea∣son. And this is the cause why of all things the Gospel meets with such opposition; though it be the most reasonable thing in the world to believe, that our reason cannot fathom Gods counsel: But he that chooses a master, must take to what lesson he sets him; and so he that owns Christ as a Pro∣phet: therefore verse 24, But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. I might instance here also in practical maxims which the wisdom of the flesh will not down with, as to overcome evil with good, Rom. 12. ult. To condescend to men of low estate, verse 16, Not to be desirous of vain glory, Gal. 5. ult. (To do the best, and glory in nothing) To live in perpetual self-denial, take up the cross, Mat. 16.24. But Christ makes all his Disciples own these to be ways of wisdom. It is one of the greatest priviledges in the world for a man to disown his own, and live upon the wisdom of Jesus Christ.

2. Of his own will. For if a man addict him∣self to the Soveraignty of Jesus Christ, his will must be, to please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier, 2 Tim. 2.4. God wills that he be con∣formable to the image of his own Son, Rom. 8.29.

And what was that, but to accommodate himself to his Fathers will? Heb. 10.9, Lo, I come to do thy will. Men absolutely set upon their own wills and ways, are no true Christians. Servants use not to do their own will: and he that is called in the Lord, though a free-man, is yet Christs ser∣vant, 1 Cor. 7.22. This is the meaning of that Scripture, Luke 7.21, The kingdom of God is with∣in you, i. e. exercises its power and authority in the very heart and consciences of men; wherein Jesus Christ is above all the Kings and Empe∣rours in the world.

3. Of his own righteousness, not the having it, but the trusting in it. Job 9.20, If I justifie my self, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say I am perfect, it also shall prove me perverse. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, says David, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified, Psal. 143.2. Good nor bad: Therefore, Enter not into judg∣ment with thy servant. But what things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ, says Paul, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9, and desires to be found in him, not ha∣ving his own righteousness which is of the Law; but that which is through the faith of Christ: The righ∣teousness which is of God by faith. He means not only the former works of his Pharisaism, but e∣ven his works in the state of grace, as appears by his present assertion, verse 8, Yea doubtless, and I count all things, &c. and by the opposition: but that which is through the faith of Christ. For inherent righteousness is not properly a righteousness by faith, but faith is rather through it, viz. as spring∣ing from the root of grace in the soul. They that trust in themselves, need no such Saviour, as the Gos∣pel

tenders; never sufficiently considered Law or Gospel, themselves or their Mediator.

Corrolary 2. This commends to us both the study of the Law and the Gospel together, and that both to good and bad. Of the Law, be∣cause by it comes the knowledg of sin, Rom. 3.20. We think we transgress not the Law so long as we transgress not in outward act: but the Law un∣derstood in its spirituality, shews us that we are lost. And Christ comes to seek and to save that which is lost, Luke 19.10. The ignorance of this, makes men so stumble at the confessions of Gods servants. 2. Of the Gospel, because this disco∣vers the abundant and super-abundant fulness of Jesus Christ for our supply, Rom. 5.20, Where sin abounded, grace hath much more abounded. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, Col. 1.19. That of his fulness we might all receive, and grace for grace, Joh. 1.16.