Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth by Edward Polhill ...

CHAP. IV.

Of the third and last thing in Faith, an holy thorough dependant Self-resignation to the terms of the Gospel; What it is, to whom and to what it is made, and for what purposes: with the adjuncts and proper∣ties of it.

THE third and last thing in Precious Faith, is a dependant yielding or resignation of the soul unto Jesus Christ the Mediator, and through him unto God, according to his word. This is the vital and essential act of faith, as faith is the con∣dition of the Gospel. Touching it, I shall first ex∣plain what this resignation is; and then offer my reasons, why the vitality and essential nature of Faith doth consist therein.

First, I must explain what this resignation is in general: It is no other then a surrender of the soul to God according to theterms of the Covenant. God hath chalked out in the word a method of salva∣tion, and man resigns up his soul to God in his own way. God says to man, if ever thou art saved

it must be through the Mediator Jesus Christ, his blood must wash out thy sins, his righteousness must answer the Law for thee. Content, saith the soul, I resign up my self to the Mediator, I lean my self upon his blood and righteousness for pardon and acceptance with thee. Among An∣selms interrogatories to be proposed unto men lying, in extremis at the point of death, one which the Minister offers to the sick man is, doest thou believe that thou canst not be saved but by Christs death, unto which when the sick man an∣swers, yea, I so believe, the Minister is appointed to speak to him thus, Age, dum superest in te anima, in hâc solâ morte siduciam tuam constitue, in nullâ aliâ re siduciam babe, buic morti te totum com∣mitte, bâc solâ te totum contege, totum immisee, to∣tum involve; Whilest there is any breath in thee, place all thy considence in his death, and in nothing else, commit thy whole self to it, cover and inter∣mingle, and involve thy whole self in it; this con∣ference I have set down, because it doth empha∣tically express this act of resignation. God says further, my Christ must not, cannot, be divided, if he save thee as a Priest, he must teach thee as a Prophet, and rule over thee as a King, for I have made him all these. Content, saith the soul, his blood is not, cannot be spiritless; I give up my self to his holy spirit to be taught and ruled: I desire to say with Baldassar the German Di∣vine, Veniat, veniat verbum Domini, & submitte∣mus illi, sexcenta si nobis essent colla; Let the word of the Lord Christ come, let it come teaching and ruling, and I desire to submit to it, even six hundred

necks, if he had so many. God says further, my Christ is a crucified one, and you cannot, must not divide him from the cross. No saith the soul, I will take him cross and all. I would fain say as the noble Ignatius, veniant crux, ignis, ossium con∣fractiones, modò Christum habeam, let the cross, and the fire, and the broken bones come, so I may but have Christ, I hope nothing shall separate me from his love. God says again, through this Christ thou must in all thy wants cast thy self upon me for a supply. I cannot (saith the soul) bear up my own weight in this respect, I would fain lay all upon thee; my guilt upon thy mer∣cy, my unworthiness upon thy free-grace, my folly upon thy wisdom, and my weakness upon thy almighty power; if thou doest not help me, the barn-floor and wine-press of the creature cannot do it; if thou fail me, I am confounded and expect to be miserable. Moreover says God, in all thy addresses unto me, thou must look to thy warrant, and see whether Scripture will bear thee out in it or not. The Scripture (saith the soul) is the Great Charter, above sealed by infi∣nite veracity, and below by faith; this, this is the sacred rule I desire to go by in all my resignati∣ons: After some such manner as this doth the believing soul surrender up it self. But for the more clear opening of this resignation, I shall consider three things.

First, Unto whom or what this resignation is made?

Secondly, For what things or purposes it is made?

Thirdly, What are the Adjuncts and proper∣ties thereof?

First, Ʋnto whom or what this resignation is made? I answer, it is made unto Jesus Christ the Mediator, unto God the whole sacred Trinity, and unto the Word: unto Christ as the Mediator and grand medium of salvation; unto God as the Center and ultimate object of Faith; and unto the Word, as the warrant, rule, and way, in, by, and according to which faith must proceed.

First, This resignation is made to Christ as the Mediator and grand medium of salvation. I begin with this first, because Faith cannot go to God immediately, but to the Mediator first, and so to God. Thus the Scripture saith, through him we have access to the Father, Eph. 2.18. by him we come unto God, Heb. 7.25. and which is more ex∣press, by him we believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21. If we will go to our heavenly Father, we must first put on our elder brothers robes, we must cloath our faith and resignation in the resignations of Christ, and so appear before God; we must put our faith into the hand of a Mediator, and from thence it will ascend up before the divine Maje∣sty. Take away the Mediator, and God is a con∣suming sire, no saith, no prayer, can approach unto him: If the cloud of incense do not cover the Mercy-seat, Aaron will dye before it, Lev. 16.13. unless the Mediators merits had been as a cloud of incense about God, the sinner, though in the lowest posture of resignation, must have died be∣fore the Father of mercies. First then, there is a resignation unto Christ as the Mediator and

grand medium of salvation: For the understand∣ing whereof, two things are considerable.

First, That Jesus Christ is by Gods ordination sealed to be a Mediator. There is one Mediator be∣tween God and man, the man Christ Jesus, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.5. Christ, as God-man, stood up between an offended God, and offending man, and acts as a Mediator in all his offices: As a Priest he acts with God to pacifie his wrath, and purchase grace and glory for men; and as a Prophet and a King he acts with men, to declare unto them the Will of God, and rule over them by his spirit and word; Thus the livine days∣man lays his hand upon both, God above, and man below, to bring them together in a mutual reconciliation.

Secondly, That this resignation to Christ as Mediator, is in a way congruous to all his offices: Look as God above sealed him to be a Mediator by his ordination, so man below seals as it were the counter-part by his resignation: The belie∣ver yields up himself to Christ as a Priest, by a re∣cumbency on his merits and sweet-smelling sa∣crifice. This in Scripture is called, saith in his blood, Rom. 3.25. he yields up himself to Christ as a Prophet, by an humble teachableness; this is called, a hearing of the Prophet, Act. 3.22. and he yields up himself to Christ as a King, by an holy subjection; and this is called, receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, Col. 2.6. Thus this resignation, as a key to the wards of the lock, suits and hits Christ in every office. What is merit in Christ, is fiducialness in faith; What is instruction in

Christ, is docibleness in faith; What is roy∣alty in Christ, is obedientialness in faith.

Secondly, This resignation is made unto God, even the whole sacred Trinity, as the center and ulti∣mate object of faith, I say, the whole sacred Trinity. For though Christ, as God-man, the Mediator, be only the grand medium, by and through which faith makes its approaches to God, yet Christ as God is not the ultimate object of faith; I say, the whole sacred Trinity, as the center and ultimate object of faith: For nothing is or can be the formal reason or terminating object of faith, but the Deity or divine nature only; whose infinit excellency and perfection doth naturally merit the same; whose infallible truth, rich mercy, matchless power, and unsearchable wisdom, calls for faith to come and repose in its bosom; there and there only can it ultimately rest and keep Sabbath: this the Scripture expresses emphati∣cally by trusting in Jehovah, the rock of ages, and center of faith. Thus then it is, faith first goes to Christ the Mediator, and then in and through him it advances unto God. The Apostle is ex∣press in it, who by him do believe in God, that rai∣sed him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, 1 Pet. 1.21. Faith in Christs blood, is saith in the way, the new and living way, consecrated through the vail of his flesh; but faith in God, is faith in the ulti∣mate end and center. Moreover, that faith may arrive at him, he comes as it were out of his un∣approachable light, and manifests himself in At∣tributes; he lets down his veracity, grace, wis∣dom,

power, holiness, and soveraignty, as so many beams of his glory for our faith to lean upon, and as it were to climb up by unto himself. They that know thy name will trust in thee, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 9.10. the knowledge of Attributes is a staff to our weak faith in its walk to him.

Thirdly, This resignation is made unto the werd as the warrant, rule, and way, in, by, and according to which faith doth proceed. These things are writ∣ten, that you might believe, Joh. 20.31. As for the choice blessings which faith waits for from God and Christ, the promises are the warrant. As for the obediential subjection to God and Christ, the commands are the rule. As for the teachings of the Spirit, the whole word is the way, in which believers looks for the same. If faith look up, the word is the perspective; if it work, the word is the line and plummet; if it consult, here's the oracle; if it weigh things, here's the ballance: Faith is never warrantless. There is transgressing without cause, but never believing. Faith resigns to the Mediator, and through him to God, but the commission for both is in the word.

Thus far of the first thing, unto whom or what this resignation is made. But to go on.

Secondly, For what things or purposes is it made? I answer, It is made for very great things and ends. In opening of which, I shall to each of them accommodate the former distinction of resignation, as to the Mediator, as to God, and as to the Word. That the nature of this resignation may the more fully appear, the precious things and ends for which it is made, are as follow∣eth.

First, The soul is resigned to be instructed in all the ways of God. And this resignation, that I may keep to the prae-appointed method, is made

First, To Jesus Christ the Mediator, and as to him, first faith Disciples the soul to him, and then yields it up to him to be taught.

First, It Disciples the soul to Christ; before faith a man is as a Wolf or a Lion for brutish untractableness; but after it, a little child may lead him, even the least truth in the word, and he will not break from it: his ear is opened, and his mind in a readiness for instruction. Now this Faith doth two ways.

First, It doth it by revealing the excellency of Christ as a Prophet. Oh! says faith, this is the on∣ly Rabbie, the Angel of Gods face, the wonderful counseliar, lying in his bosome and knowing all his secrets; his mouth is most sweet, he speaks ho∣ny-combs of grace, and breaths beams of light, and utters sparkles of glory; nothing but myste∣ries and rectitudes and words of eternal life ever came from him, and (to make these come home to thee) he is an inward Ecclesiastes, one who can unlock thy secrets, and come into the midst of thee, and there express himself in words of life and power, and all the while his Majesty shall not swallow thee up. He speaks through an hu∣mane nature and vail of flesh, in rare condescen∣sion and compassion towards thy weakness. Whilest faith is in the high praises of this great Prophet, the heart cannot chuse but be upon the wheels ready to run to him, and say, speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.

Secondly, It doth it by humbling and softning the heart. Before faith a man is in the ruff of pride, and there's no speaking to him; his heart is as a stone or Adamant, and beats off holy truths: but after it, the man becomes as a little child, and Christ may say any thing to him, his stony heart is turned into flesh, and so made ready for God to be manifested in it. Faith doth so meeken the heart, that it will sit down at Christs feet, and hear him, even in his hardest Lectures. Let Christ talk of racks, and bloody persecuti∣ons for the Gospel, and the believer will be rea∣dy to get up the cross on his back. Let Christ preach of high and transcendent mysteries, such as reason cannot fathom, and the believer will subscribe in silence, what ever reason mutter a∣gainst it.

Secondly, Faith having discipled the soul, yields it up to Christ to be taught: And because now he doth not teach in person, as once in the days of his flesh, faith yields up the soul to him to be taught by his spirit. The discipled believer loves to stand as Adam, in the wind of the day, in the gales of the holy spirit. And this will appear in two-things.

First, Faith waits upon the Spirit in the Means, and when the spirit comes in holy motions, it welcomes him into the soul. Faith waits upon the Spirit in the Means, there it cries out, as Eli∣sha at Jordan, where is the God of Elijah? here's the mantle, but where's the God? here are the Scriptures, but where's the Spirit that endited them, to make holy impressions and seal divine

truths upon the heart? here are the ordinances, but oh! for the moving of the waters, awake O North wind, and come thou South, blow upon the garden that the spices may flow out. And when the spirit comes in holy motions, faith opens the everlasting doors, and welcoms him in, as Laban did Abrahams servant, come in thou blessed of the Lord; stand not only without in the Scripture-letter, come in, thou that comest in the name of the Lord. Take the throne of my heart, and bid the world go down and sit at thy footstool. Take the keys of the soul, and unlock every faculty, set up thy lamps in every dark corner, and dis∣cover the accursed things there: Speak, O hea∣venly Rabbi, speak in words of life and power, and shew me the path of life and righteous∣ness.

Secondly, Faith is very chary and loth to lose the teaching spirit. Like the Spouse in the Can∣ticles, it holds him and and will not let him go, Cant. 3.4. This is to the believer as the apple of his eye, he would not have a dust of earth fall into to lest it grieve and weep out some of the holy light, and as the fire in the Temple, it must not go out, if there be but a live coal or single spark it must be brown up into a flame. Holy mo∣tions are very precious to the believer, as it were beams of heaven, better in Faiths account then the great Sun which quickens the animal world; and like so many good Angels sent from God to give the soul a visit: rather then these should be violated and abused, faith will offer all its world∣ly comforts, as Lot his daughters, to be defloured.

If the holy spirit depart, faith writes scabbed up∣on all other things, and the believer becomes as a dead man, unable to breath in prayer, or walk in holiness, or live or have a being in the spiritu∣al world. The Sun is down, and it is night with him; the dew is off, and his fleece dry; the gales are wanting, and he is at a stand in his voyage to heaven. Thus faith yields up the soul to be taught by the spirit.

Secondly, In and through Christ the Mediator, faith yields up the soul to God to be taught by the spirit. I say, in and through Christ the Mediator: Without a Mediator God will not speak to a sinful creature, unless out of the fire, in words of wrath, like those at the last day, Go, thou cursed one. If he speak and commune with us in words of peace and salvation, it must be from the mer∣cy-seat, that is, through Christ, who is called Gods 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or propitiatory, Rom. 3.25. Hence Christ is called the wisdom of God, because through him that wisdom doth manifest it self; and as God speaks, so faith hears and resigns, both are in and through the Mediator. I say, in and through the Mediator, faith yields up the soul to God to be taught by the spirit, the very same teaching spirit; as it was procured by the Medi∣ator, so it is given out by God. Therefore faith, for the teaching thereof, resigns up the soul as to the Mediator the procurer, so to God the donor of it: And in this resignation faith climbs up to him by that noble Attribute of his infinite wisdom. Are there transcendent myste∣ries in Scripture? Faith will resign and cry out

with Zophar, Oh! that God would speak and shew me the secrets of wisdom. Whilest the Scripture is in its hands, it sighs and looks up for the key to unlock and shew forth this and that truth in its spiritual glory, or at least in some such beams of it as it is capable of; the Original Languages will not serve its turn, without the Original Au∣thor; nor the Learned Commentators, without the great Interpreter: that only wise God who endited the Scripture, can illustrate the heart; and whilest the believer reads the one, he waits for the other. Is there a practical case dubious and perplexed, like an intricate Labyrinth or way-less wilderness? and when the believer goes about to put all circumstances into the bal∣lance, doth he tremble and demurr like Origen at the Idol-incense, and cannot be satisfied? In such a case Faith runs, and Esra-like hangs upon God for a right way; the All-wise can make a way in the wilderness, and guide thee with his eye, saith Faith: one cast or glance from his wis∣dom will disintricate thy doubts, and make thy way plain before thee. Doth the outward world grow stormy and tempestuous? is the sky of the times overclouded with troubles and dan∣gers? faith stands in the posture of Jehoshaphat, we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee, 2 Chron. 20.12. we know not, but thou knowest how to deliver; there is nothing but confusion below, but all is clear and serene in thy wise counsels; there is no one way or method of de∣liverance in our reason, but there are insinite mil∣lions of ways and methods with thee. Such a

faith as this made Luther in the troubles of the Church cry out, That it was far otherwise conclu∣ded in heaven, then at Norimberg; and in the blackest tempest inspirits the believer to do, as the Mariners in the Acts, cast anchor, and wish for the day, roll himself on the wise God, and wait for the dawning of comfort from him.

Thirdly, Faith yields up the soul for instruction unto the word. And here are three things con∣siderable.

First, Faith resigns to the word, as a warrant for both the former resignations. If you ask a be∣liever why he presumes so far, as to go to Christ and God for the teachings of the spirit, his an∣swer will be this; I find in the word divers pro∣mises, that we shall be taught of God, that the spirit shall lead us into all truth, that there is an holy an∣nointing dropping from Christ, which teacheth all things. And all these promises are very true, the counterpanes of Gods heart, and exactly congru∣ous to the grace there; God speaks in them, and without complement he speaks as he means, therefore I resign up my soul unto Christ and God for instruction; teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commande∣ments, saith David, Psal. 119.66. where by com∣mandements, some Divines understand all the word, including in it Promises as well as Com∣mands: however the believer hath a warrant to pray, teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy promises of instruction.

Secondly, Faith resigns to the word, as a rich mine and treasury of knowledge, there are preti∣ous

ous mysteries, such as have the divine wisdom flowing in them. Them Hungarians have a tradi∣tion, that their golden Crown dropt down from heaven; to be sure the mysteries in Scripture did so, they are pure Revelations, come down from God to be as golden Crowns on the head of Faith. The window of the Ark was (as some Rabbins say) a pretious stone, which gave light to all the creatures; and indeed the Original, which we translate window, Gen. 6.16. imports a splendor or clear light. Understanding is our window, but the Scripture mysteries make it a window of pearl. Humane learning is but pain∣ted glass, but these make windows of agates, such as are in the taught of God, Isa. 54.12, 13. These are riches of understanding, pearls and intelle∣ctual rubies, fit to be laid up in the very middle and Center of the heart. There the holy precepts and precious promises, beauties of holiness and glories of grace lye open to the embraces of Faith. There the invisible God, whose dwelling is in light unapproachable, and whose pure glory our eyes cannot look on, may be seen in the re∣flex, in the Scripture image and condescension. In a word, so rich are the veins of knowledge there, that faith, as a day-labourer, is ever digging therein, to draw out a stock of holy understand∣ing from it.

Thirdly, Faith resigns to the word, as the only way in which a man may be taught of God: All men are ambitïous of so grand a priviledge. The very Gentiles in the puddle of their filthy Ido∣latries, thought themselves taught of God in

their Oracles. The Mahometans think themselves more sure of it in their Alcoran, at which (say they) the devils themselves rejoyced, and turned to God; no question they rejoyed at such a bundle of lies and blasphemies, but that they turned to God is a wild delusion. The Jews boast themselves no less in their Oral Law, which (say they) God delivered over to Moses, and Moses to Joshua, and Joshua to the Elders, and they to the Prophets, and they to the Sanhe∣drim, and they at last to writing in the Talmud; calling it, lux illa magna, that great light, which yet is but a dark labyrinth of errors and horrible falsities. The Papists run to their traditions and unwritten verities as Divine, and so bring in a load of fopperies and vain superstitions. The Enthusiasts cry up the spirit in an extra-scriptu∣ral way, and so turn aside from the main prin∣ciples of Religion. In such false ways do men lose themselves and the Divine teaching, whilest the believer knows where to sind it, even in the Scriptures; in reading them, he sits at Christs feet, and every where looks for Maschil, instructi∣on from God. In them is the Oracle, the Ʋrim and Thummim, by which God answers him; here he opens his heart, and spreads abroad all his sails to take in the gales of the holy spirit, and be filled in all the will of God, Col. 4.12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, filled with it as the sails are with the wind; Whilest the Eunuch was reading the Prophet Esai∣as, the spirit joined Philip to his chariot, Act. 8.29. Whilest the believer hath his being in the Scrip∣tures, the spirit joyns himself to his heart, and

by the infusion of holy light, makes him go on rejoycing in the way of knowledge. Here and only here doth he wait to be taught of God; such is and, since the sealing up of the Canon, ever hath been, the way of knowledge. And what of extraordinary dispensation hath been since, hath either directly turned men to their Bibles, as the voice to St. Austin, tolle, lege, tolle, lege, pointing him to the Scripture; or else hath quoted or ra∣tified some Scripture-truth. Thus when it was objected to Zuinglius, that the word [est] in Scripture-parables may be taken for [significat] but not in verbis coenae, in the Sacramental phra∣ses, and his thoughts were busie about it, an an∣swer was suggested to him in a dream, a moni∣tor 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 telling him, Quin ignare, respon∣des ei, quod in Exodo legitur, est enim phase, hoc est, transitus Domini, in which there is nothing extra-scriptural, but a Scripture-instance given for that which before was a Scripture-truth; the Scripture is the only place where we can look for Divine teaching. To conclude, that of the Father is remarkable, qui sacrâ non utitur Scripturâ, sed ascendit aliunde, non concessâ viâ, fur est, he that goes not into knowledge by Scrip∣ture, is a thief, the believer keeps the divine road.

Thus far of the first thing, resignation for in∣struction in the ways of God.

Secondly, Faith resigns up the soul to be par∣doned and justisied before God; unto justification and pardon there are three things prae-requi∣red.

First, An act of free grace in God. All men are naturally sinners, and as such, Gods holiness cannot but hate them, Gods justice cannot but punish them; wherefore free-grace stepped in and found out a way, how God, who cannot ju∣stifie the ungodliness, might yet justifie the un∣godly, Rom. 4.5. and that in a way of compliance both with his holiness and justice; with his holiness, providing a perfect righteousness; and with his justice, providing a perfect satisfaction for them in a surety: hence the Apostle saith, we are justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3.24. Freely, by his grace; he uses two words, the more plainly and emphatically to decipher out to us the pure fountain of love and grace, out of which pardon and justification issue forth to poor sinners.

Secondly, There must be a perfect righteous∣ness fully answering the holy Law. God cannot deny himself, he cannot deny his holiness, so as to justifie us without a righteousness, therefore there must be one; he cannot deny his truth, so as to account that a righteousness which is none, therefore it must be perfect, fully answering the Law; all-fair without any spot in it, all-pure without any mixture in it, all-perfect without and defect in it, such a thing as is not to be found in any meer man. The Jews (as it seems by Josephus) thought a meer outward righte∣ousness enough; but alass, what is this without a pure heart? The Popish Doctors look upon inherent graces as our very righteousness in ju∣stification: indeed these (because the denomi∣nation

is à meliore parte) denominate men righ∣teous, but they are but inchoate and imperfect, and therefore are short of that perfect and ab∣solute righteousness requisite to justification. They denominate men righteous, but they do it but in their own weak degree, and not in full proportion to the holy Law; a gracious man is not all grace, there is flesh as well as spirit, dross as well as gold, water as well as wine in him; his mind is not all Light his will is not all love, his affections are not all harmony; what of grace he hath is but in part, and if this be his righteousness, he can be justified but in part, or rather not at all. Neither can our good works, no not those which flow from grace, ever be our righteousness in justification. Those are good as they flow from the pure fountain of the spirit, but as they proceed from us (in whom there is much of the old Adara) they smell of the cask and soil in the channel, and contract a great deal of dross from the indwelling sin: Hence they are so far from justifying us, that they themselves need a justification. Hence holy Nehemiah prays that his good works may be remembred, with a spare me O Lord, according to the greatness of thy mercy, Neh, 13.22. Neither will it suffice to justi∣fication, if our good works are more then our evil. The Papists fable that Henry the second Emperour was weighed in the ballance, to see whether he were worthy of heaven or hell; his good works were put into one scale, his evil in∣to the other, and these were like to out weigh and sink him to hell, but that St. Lawrence put

in the Chalice by the Emperour given him, and so made the scale of good works preponderate. O vain tale! nothing weighs with God in the point of justification but a compleat rightcous∣ness, and that can no where be found but in Christ alone; he and he only fulfilled all righ∣teousness, and therefore he is called by the Apo∣stle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the end of the Law for righteous∣ness to the believer, Rom. 10.4. the Law hath its total sum and perfect compleature in him.

Thirdly, There must be an expiation of sin, or else there can be no justification. The very Gen∣tiles themselves, stung with the conscience of sin and vengeance, had their expiatory and lustrato∣ry Sacrifices. The antient lews, being Gods people, had their offerings and sacrifices for sin, to make an Atonement according to the Leviti∣cal Law. The latter Jews, though they reject the sacrifice of the Messiah; yet that they might not be wholly without an expiation, offer a cock for sin, because the word [Gebher] in Hebrew signi∣fies a man, and in the Talmud a cock; hence they say, Gebher, that is, the man sinneth, and Gebher, that is, the cock suffereth. If the Prophet Isaias in the 53. chapter, had used the word (Gebher) the Rabbins (saith a Learned man) would have turned the man into a cock; but there it is not Gebher, but Ish, a man of sorrows: But these ex∣piations not availing, God hath provided an expiation in the death of his son. Without shed∣ding of blood there is no remission, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.22. and because creature-blood could not do it, the blood of God was shed to redeem us

from sin; Jesus Christ, who is God-man, offered up himself through the eternal spirit, to purge our consciences from dead works: he paid the utmost farthing to Divine justice, and hath left nothing at all to pay for the believing finner. The Gen∣tile sacrifices were no expiations at all, being in∣deed sacrifices to devils and not to God; nay, in their own account they did not expiate in all cases. Hence when the Emperor Constantine was haunted with the innocent blood he had shed, the Gentile Flamius could tell him of no expia∣tion. But the blood of Christ is a true and uni∣versal expiation, cleansing from sin and all sin, 1 Joh. 1.7. The Levitical sacrifices, though of Di∣vine Institution, were but types and shadows, making nothing perfect. But a crucified Christ is the sum and substance of them, really atoning what those did but typically. The Rabbinical cock is a strange vanity, in which we may stand and wonder at the Jewish blindness; but what their vain Gebher could not do, that our Ish the man of sorrows, upon whom all our iniquities met, hath done indeed: he was wounded for our iniquities, his soul was an offering for sin, his life a ••••nsom for many, his blood was shed for the remis∣sion of sins, he paid that he never took, he made 〈◊〉〈◊〉 through the blood of his cross; in him God is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and reconciled.

These things being premised, I say the soul by Faith doth resign up it self for par∣don and justification. And, that I may ob∣serve my first method, this resignation is made

First, To Jesus Christ the Mediator. The be∣liever, conscious to his own spiritual poverty, doth as the poor man in the Psalm, commit him∣self, or as the Original is, leave himself on the Lord, Psal. 10.14. In stead of a perfect righteous∣ness, he hath raggs of weakness and imperfecti∣on, but he leaves himself upon the perfect righ∣teousness of Christ, as a thing fully answering every jot and tittle of the Law. Indeed some great Rabbies cry out upon imputative righteous∣ness as a thing impossible, calling it putative, a meer imagination, Luthers spectrum, the pleasing dream of simple Christians; but in sober sad∣ness the dream is on their own side. If imputa∣tive righteousness be impossible, how can we stand before the righteous Law, dooming and cursing the least defect or non-continuance in all things? Imputative righteousness is impos∣siblé, and inherent is imperfect, and how can we stand? if we stand, the righteousness of God must be upon us, Rom. 3.22. Christ must be the end of the Law for righteousness unto us, Rom. 10.4. and how can this be without an imputation? A∣gain, if imputed righteousness be impossible, what is imputed sin? If that be so too, how was Christ made sin, or an offering for it? to what purpose was his blood and sufferings? what becomes of redemption, & all the train of blessings waiting thereon? what to those Ma∣sters of Reason is but a fancy, a spectrum or dream, that to the believer is the very thing he would be found in before God, Phil. 3.9. Apollodorus offer'd Socrates a pretious garment to dye in. Imputed

righteousness is the blessed robe which the belie∣ver would live, and dye, and rise in, unto the judgment-seat at the last day. Upon this he will venture his soul, against all the demands of per∣fect obedience in the Law. Moreover, instead of satisfying Justice for his debts, he hath just no∣thing of his own to pay, but he leaves himself upon the blood and rich merits of Christ; his sins are massie burdens, too weighty for all the Angels in heaven to stand under, but he unloads all upon the Lamb of God, who bore away the sin of the world: his debts to God amount to a vast sum, but he ventures upon the great surety, who paid the utmost farthing, and had a total dis∣charge in his resurrection, and now is in heaven to see the scores crossed in Gods book, and the bonds of guilt cancelled and thrown down into conscience. If the avenging Law pursue him, he slies to Christ as a City of refuge, and there hides himself in the clefts of the rock, in the bleeding wounds of his Redeemer: here is faiths anchor∣hold, here he ventures his soul against all the curses of the Law. Deny himself to be a sinner, that he cannot, for his conscience is a thousand witnesses: oppose the cursing Law, that he dares not, for it is backed by an infinite justice; but he ventures all upon the merit and satisfa∣ction of Christ: though in the night of desertion he may lye in a piteous condition, as the Levites Concubine, forced, and as it were dead with le∣gal terrors; yet still his hand like hers, will be upon the threshold, upon Christ the door of salva∣tion, till free-grace dawn and break in upon him:

without this resignation the soul can have no peace. Gardiner himself, being ready to dye, was willing to hear of a justification in the blood of Christ, nothing else could expiate the guilt of sin.

Secondly, In and through the Mediator, this re∣signation is made unto God; It is God that justi∣fieth. God as supream Law-giver; the believer wraps up himself in the blood and righteous∣ness of Christ, and so yields up himself unto God to be pardoned and justified. And in this resig∣nation, the great attribute he leans on, is Gods grace: God is gracious, nay he hath riches of grace, such as no unworthiness of ours can ex∣haust; he hath glory of grace, such as no sinful∣ness can eclipse; he can abundantly pardon, or as it is in the Original, multiply to pardon, Isa. 55. 7. His grace can multiply pardons, as his power can creatures. Here is the beautiful gate, where the believer lies for an alms of pardoning mer∣cy: here he ventures himself upon God, speak∣ing like Benhadads servants, I hear that the God of heaven is a merciful God, I will put on my ropes and sack-cloth, and away to him, it may be I may catch a word of grace from him, and live for ever; or arguing like the poor Lepers, if I sit here in my sins, I dye eternally; if it go unto the world, there is a famine of gace, let me fall into the arms of a good God, if he kill me, I thall bat dye, but if he save me, I shall live for ever; af∣ter such a manner doth he cast himself upon mercy. This act of faith is very precious, it touches God as it were in his bowels, and sets

them a sounding and melting into distillations of savour. As soon as the prodigal son returned and cast himself on his fathers mercy, his father runs and kisses him; and the ring, and the best robe, and the satted calf, are all little enough for him, Luke 15. And as it is very pretious, so it is very safe. Beliarmtne himself, after many dispu∣tations about justification doth yet conclude, tu∣tiss. mum est, ••••duciam totam in solâ Dei miseri∣cordiâ & benignitate reponere, it is most safe to put all our confidence in the sole mercy and bounty of God.

Thirdly, This resignation is made to the Word, as the warrant for both the former resignations. Ask a believer why he resigns to Jesus Christ for pardon and justification, his answer will be, I find in the word that Christ hath fulsilled all righte∣ousness, hore our iniquities, made an end of sin, and reconciled us to God by his cross, therefore I resign to him. Ask him again, why he resigns to God for it, his answer will be, I find in the word that God is decy phered in blessed titles, as gracious, merciful, abundant in goodness, and ready to for∣give; and that the grace in his heart slows down to us in promises of pardon, blotting out iniqui∣ty, and casting sin behind his back into the depth of the sea, therefore I resign. Parley with him further, and he will tell you, that over and besides Gods infallible word, he hath his oath. As to Christ the atoning Priest, God hath sworn, thou art a Priest for ever, Psal. 110.4. And as to his own grace and favour, he hath sworn, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the

wicked turn from his way and live, Ezek. 33.11. and in swearing, God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 interposes him∣self, as the word is, Heb. 6.17. pawns his life and essence upon it, to make the thing wholly irre∣pealable and immutable, and thereby to raise up strong and invincible consolation in us, and therefore I resign.

Thus far of the second thing, resignation for pardon and justification.

Thirdly, Faith resigns up the soul to be sanctifi∣ed. Sanctification stands in two things, mortifi∣cation of sin, and vivification of the soul, and for both these faith yields up the soul. And to ob∣serve the promised order;

First, This resignation is made to Jesus Christ the Mediator. And first touching Mortification, the believer yields his soul to Christ in a three∣sold respect.

First, He yields up his soul to Christ as the grand samplar of mortification. What Christ suf∣fered in his pure flesh by way of expiation, that must we suffer in our corrupt flesh by way of mortification. His body was nailed to the cross till the soul separated from it; & the body of sin must be so nailed, till the soul, the will, and love, and delight of sin depart. He was free in laying down his life and blood, and so must we be in laying down the life and blood of the old Adam: 'Tis true, the flesh relucts and says, as Christs hu∣mane nature, Oh! let this cup. pass from me, but the spirit is willing, and cries out, Father, thy w••ll be done, even in the death of my darling lusts. Christ died a violent death, and sin must not dy••

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a natural one. If it dye alone or of it self, it is no sacrifice, it must be cropt in the flower, and stabbed at the heart, and dye of its wounds; the violence done to God and Christ and the Spirit must be upon it, till it give up the ghost. Christ died a tormenting death, in pains and a∣gonies, and we must dye so to sin, we must suffer in the flesh, 1 Pet. 4.1. bleeding under sin, and being sorrowful to the death of it. Christ died a lingring death, and so doth sin, it doth not dye all at once, but languishes by little and little; the believer dies daily to sin. The Colossians were dead C••l. 3.3. and yet saith the Apostle, mortisie your members, v. 8. Mortification must be upon mortification, because sin is long a dying: the genius of faith is, to have sin crucified as Christ was, following his steps, as much as may be.

Secondly, He yields up his soul to Christ as the meritorious cause of mortification. Christs death merited sins; hence faith glories in the cross of Christ, as in that whereby the world is crucified to the believer, and he to the world, Gal. 6.14. there it would hang up every lust as an accursed thing. Faith lies at the bleeding wounds of Christ, watching for the breathings of that spirit, which can mortisie the deeds of the body, waiting for that mind of Christ which can make us suf∣fer in the fiesh, that we may cease from sin. Christ was crucified, and the believer would have the old man crucified together, he would dye with him as the graft doth with the stock. There is a Popish fable, that the angry Adriatick Sea

was becalmed by one of the nails of Christs cross cast into it; the moral is true: the trou∣bled sea of lust in our heart cannot be subdued but by the application of Christ death; the winds and waves there obey no other voice but that of Christ crucified, he yields up his soul to Christ as the royal worker of mortification. When he sees his lusts as so many rebels rising up in arrns, he flies to his soveraign Christ for a pow∣er to subdue them: the high things and strong holds appearing in his understanding, make him cry out, Treason, Treason, the Jebusite is in the tower of David; the fleshly wisdom hath got into the understanding, O thou wisdom of God captivate and cast it down. The Pagan lusts and Gentile-wills shewing themselves in the heart, force him to break forth like the Psalmist, O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy temple they have desiled, cast them out O thou mighty Saviour, that my soul may be a sanctuary for thy self. When the battel is set before and behind, corruptions surrounding and encompas∣sing him, his eyes are upon his Lord sitting above at the right hand of power, till his enemies be made his footstool.

And as the believer yields up his foul to Christ for mortification of sin, so also for vivisi∣cation of the soul. And this in the very same respects.

First, He yields up his soul to Christ as the grand pattern of vivisication; the parallel is the Apostles own, 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, Rom. 6.4. Look what was done in the flesh of Christ in his cor∣poreal resurrection, that is done in the spirits of Christians in the spiritual resurrection: there the stone was rolled away from the sepulchre, here from the heart; there the flesh of Christ was raised up by an Almighty power, called by the Apostle, the glory of the Father; here the soul of the believer is raised up by the same power, as appears Eph. 1.19, 20. there after the corporceal resurrection, Christ appeared in humane lineaments; here after the spiritual re∣surrection, the Christian appears in divine gra∣ces: the genius of faith is to assimilate the Chri∣stian to Christ risen.

Secondly, He yields up his soul to Christ as the meritorious cause of vivisication. Christ meri∣ted all graces for us, saith doth not dare to go immediately to God, no not for holiness it self, but it goes and sucks at the breasts of Christs humanity, well knowing that all graces are from the spirit, and the way of the spirit is by the blood, as Tagmon Archbishop of Magdenburg took the last breath of his dying Master Wolf∣gang by applying mouth to mouth; so faith ap∣plies its mouth as it were to the wounds of a dying Christ, from thence to receive the spirit of all grace; that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, as so many rivers of living water, may flow in the heart, to make glad the habitation of God there∣in, that the holy spirit may be as it were the soul of the soul, breathing in the believers pray∣ers,

and shining on his Bible, and melting in his charity, and impowering in his infirmity, and honey-dropping in his converses, and being a Shechinah, a presence and a glory in all his ways.

Thirdly, He yields up his soul to Christ as the Royal Donor of all quickning graces. Christ as a Priest merited all graces, but as a King he gives them out unto us, him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour to give re∣pentance, Act. 5.31. and so to give all other gra∣ces. A melting heart is but a word of power from him at Gods right hand, an heavenly heart but a touch from him sitting in heaven, every piece of holiness is a beam of glory from him; meekness, and mercy, and obedience, and pati∣ence, are as so many pearls dropping from his crown; all the sheddings of the holy spirit slow from him who is exalted above, he ascended up that he might fill all things, Eph. 4.10. that is, all the spiritual world of believers with grace. Faith therefore looks up for the sweet illapses of the spirit, and waits for graces as so many gol∣den apples dropping down from that tree of life which stands in the upper Paradise of God.

Secondly, In and through the Mediator this re∣signation is made unto God, it is God that sancti∣sieth. God as the supream fountain of grace; and in this resignation faith climbs up to him partly by the Attribute of free-grace, cast thy burden upon the Lord, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 55. 22. or as the Original imports, omnia donabilia

tua, all that thou wouldest have given thee, what∣ever thy want be, mortifying grace, or quick∣ning grace, faith hath an art to cast and unload all upon free-grace: there being a famine of grace in lapsed nature, faith brings out the emp∣ty vessel, the soul void of self-worthiness, and sets it under one ordinance or other, waiting up∣on God till he rain down righteousness upon the soul. This is the rain of liberalities, as the Original is, Psal. 68.9. this faith waits for with∣out money or price of its own, because God is love, and grace free, and partly by the Attribute of Almighty power: sin is strong, but not infinite∣ly; the Almighty, who subdues all things to him∣self, can easily subdue it. The heart is a dead womb, and not able to teem out the least parti∣cle of grace, but the Almighty can quicken the dead, and raise up a divine seed therein. The fingers which made an Heaven and an Earth, can make a new heart and a new spirit: Faith takes hold on the power of God, for the work∣ing sanctification in the heart.

Thirdly, This resignation is made to the word, and that upon a double account. It is made to the word as the warrant of both the former resig∣nations, and made to the word as the engine in Gods hand for the working of sanctification; it is made to the word as the warrant of both the former resignations. The word is full of pro∣mises of mortifying and quickning grace, and these promises stream out to us from the pure fountain of free-grace, through the bleeding wounds of the Mediator, and are all Yea and

Amen. Hence faith resigns to God and Christ for all sanctifying grace. It is also made to the word as the engine in Gods hand for the working of sanctification. The word is a mighty weapon, able through Gods power to cast down the heights and strong holds of sin; and an immor∣tal seed, able through Gods grace to quicken the heart, and spring up into the new-creature. Faith therefore resigns to it, that the heart may be sanctified through the truth.

Thus far of the third thing, resignation for sanctification.

Fourthly, Faith resigns up the soul to be ruled as to its actings, I say, as to its actings. That I may clearly distinguish it from the but now mentioned sanctification, which consists in in∣ward principles of grace. And still to press in my old steps.

First, This resignation is made to Jesus Christ the Mediator. Faith translates the soul into the kingdom of Christ, and loves to live no where else; the world in its eyes is but a house of bondage, but it loves to live in Christs domini∣ons. Where holiness is, there's the King of Saints, where meekness and patience, there's the throne of the Lamb; where righteousness, there's his Scepter; where Gods will prevaileth, there he sits in Power and Majesty; at the last day sense will discover this great King Jesus coming in the clouds, in power and glory. But faith sees him here coming in state in every holy command, and riding as it were on the wings of the wind in every motion of the holy spirit. The posture

of faith herein is like that of the Israelies, when the pillar of cloud and fire went before them, then they journied, otherwise they staid in their place; when the spirit and word of Christ goes before the believer, faith follows after, else it will not stir a foot out of its place; it is really in the believers heart, to be ruled by Christ in all things. Take him in holy ordinances, these, saith faith, are the throne of Christ here below, in these he fits at the right hand of power; here the be∣liever waits to see the power and the glory, as the man with the withered hand, in stretching it forth, waited for a power to restore it, and as the blind man in his going and washing in Siloam, waited for a power to recover his sight: so the be∣liever in every ordinance waits for the power of Christ, if he break the rocky heart, & melt it in∣to the divine will, the believer cries out the Lord reigneth; here is the day of power indeed. Take him in the works of his calling, and there he is ruled by Christ; one would think the servant were only toiling and drudging in his servile employments, but if he be a believer, he is serv∣ing the Lord Christ, Col. 3.24. and by a divine praerogative above other mens, his deeds are wrought in God: such was the posture of pious Musculus in the town-ditch, as well as in the Pulpit. Faith is such an engine as brings down the kingdom of Christ (though not of this world) into the meanest trades, the believer acting there∣in, as Peter let down his net, at the command of Christ, and therein, as in his calling, abiding with God, which is more then the unbeliever

doth under divine ordinances: nay, take him even in natural actions, the believer (when him∣self) cats, and drinks, and sees, and hears, and speaks, and sleeps, and wakes, and walks after another rate then other men, doing all under the Law of Christ; that's a knife at his throat, a co∣vering to his eyes, a stopper to his cars, a bridle on his lips, when he sleepeth, that keeps him, when he waketh, that talks with him, when he walketh, that leads him; the kingdom of hea∣ven, which is not meat or drink or any such thing, is by faith brought down into all these. The genius of faith is to be ruled by Christ in all things.

Secondly, This resignation in and through the Mediator, is made to God, I say, in and through the Mediator; because without him, we can expect to be ruled by God in no other way then by the iron rod of his power and justice, dashing us in pieces to all eternity; but in and through him, the believer may and doth yield up himself to God to be ruled. And here he makes use of two Attributes, Gods soveraignty, and Gods holiness; God is the supream Lord, and must be obeyed; he is the holy one, and must be sanctified in each command: the beams of his majesty and holi∣ness sparkle out, and these faith takes in to melt the heart into a compliance with the divine will. Plato being asked by one of his Scholars, how long his precepts were to be obeyed, answered, Donec in terris apparuerit sacratior aliquis, qui sontem veritatis aperiat, the believer desires to be ruled by God, because an higher and holier can∣not come.

Thirdly, This resignation is made to the word. Ask a believer how he knows himself to be where he would be, in the dominions of God and Christ, his answer will be, I know it by the command in the word, and in the command his faith eyes two things, the truth of the command and the soveraignty; his faith eyes the truth of it, the command is true, as coming from God himself, and being the very counterpane of the holiness in his heart; This is the will of God even your sanctification, saith St. Paul, 1 Thess. 4.3. Gods will is in himself, but the command is the coun∣terpane of it, thy word is true from the beginning, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 109.160. or as the Ori∣ginal is, the head of thy word is truth, the body of the command in Scripture answers to the head of it in the holy will of God. Faith looks on the command as issuing out of the very heart of God, and exactly agreeing thereunto, and up∣on this account resign to it, as to the good and acceptable will of God. Again, his faith eyes the soveraignty of it; naturally we would be Gods to our selves, and set up our wills as supream, and therefore we make war upon God and his Law: But when faith comes, God is God, and the Law a royal Law, and all the commands in Power and Majesty, by them (saith David) is thy sorvant warned, or as it is in the Hebrew, illustra∣ted, Psal. 19.11. the command to the believer is, as if a light shone from heaven, and a voice came from the excellent glory, saying, Do this or that. Gods will rides in triumph, and mans falls to the earth, as not able to stand before the Lord:

The voice of a superior, if perceived, puts an awe upon the inferior nature, so doth the voice of man upon beasts, so doth the voice of Angels upon men, and (which is the greatest awe be∣cause from the highest nature) so doth the voice of God upon the believer. After this manner doth faith yield up the soul to the command, and in it to God and Christ.

Thus far of the fourth thing, resignation for a holy government.

Fifthly, Faith resigns up the soul for the gracious, reward of eternal life. And here to keep the old Method.

First, This resignation is made to Jesus Christ the Mediator. Faith cannot be satisfied with earth, that's but the Paradise of sense; no, nor with present graces, these are but the pawns and earnest-pennies of eternal life, faith aspires after heaven. Oh! let me go over, and see the good Land, where the Mountains are all spices, the Rivers pleasures, the Mountains are all spices, the Rivers pleasures, the Air pure holiness, the Eternal light God himself, saith faith, and for a title there∣unto, faith yields up the soul to Christ, who as a Priest hath merited heaven for us, and as a King is able to give it out to us. The Plebeian (saith Epictetus) looks for his gain from things without; the Philosopher looks for it from him∣self; but (which is a strain higher) the Belie∣ver looks for his reward from Christ. Evagrius the Philosopher gave (as the story goes) three hundred pounds to Synesius for the poor, to be repaid him by Christ in another world: the believer doth all at the same rate, hears, and

reads, and prays, and gives alms, and all to be paid in another world. Worldly men wonder at his hot pursuits after grace and holiness, but he knows what these will go for in another world; that's the reason he follows hard after them, but in the pursuit still his eyes are upon Christ as the great purchasor and pay-master.

Secondly, This resignation in and through the Mediator is made to God. It is he that glorifieth, eternal life is Gods gift, our heavenly Fathers meer pleasure; faith therefore yields up the soul to him for it, and herein it climbs up to him by his free-grace, the pure river of life flows out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, Rev. 22.1. out of the regnant grace of God and merit of Christ as out of a fountain, the believer expects no eternal life but what issues out from thence. Thus the Reverend Soknius on his death bed expressed himself, Pendeo totus à Dei miserieor∣diâ, I wholly depend on Gods mercy.

Thirdly, This resignation is made to the Word. There is the promise of eternal life extant, and there the way to eternal life is chalked out, there is the promise of eternal life mapped out, a mercy above all the sphear of nature: Hence the antient believers were as pilgrims here, Heb. 11.13. as if the world were too little for them, they were altogether for the heavenly country, which faith sees at a distance in the promise: There also the way to eternal life is chalked out, the world passes away, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever, 1 Joh. 2.17. Riches and plea∣sures are but the way of time, but holiness and

righteousness are the way everlasting, Psal. 139.24. the good acts may pass, but their record is in heaven; the good men must dye, but the ho∣liness shall never see corruption; the repentant tears which fall to the earth, are bottled with God; the charity which seems lost as bread cast on the waters, will come to hand again. Poly∣crates, when he cast his ring into the sea, little thought to have met it again in his fish; but the believer doing good works, expects to meet them again in another world, sowing to the spi∣rit, he looks for a crop in eternal life. Dorcas may leave her coats and garments behind her, but the charity will follow her into another world; the commandement is eternal life, saith our Saviour, Joh. 12.50. the very way to it. The believer obeying, may in some sense say as dying Pollio, jam ingredior in vitam aeternam, now I am entring into eternal life, into that which will survive the world and live in glory. Faith re∣signs to the word, not only as it is the char∣ter of eternal life in the promise, but as it is the director to it in the command.

Thus far of the second thing, for what things and purposes this resignation is made. But to proceed to the third thing.

Thirdly, What are the Adjuncts and Proper∣ties of this resignation? Ʋnto which I shall an∣swer in the following particulars.

First, This resignation is made in the way of God. Believers wait upon God for very great things: Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither

hath the eye seen, O God, besides these, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him, saith the Prophet, Isa. 64.4. But where do they wait for these great things, where but in Gods own way? Thus it follows, those that remember thee in thy ways, v. 5. Look in what way or method God gives out a mercy, in the same way or me∣thod doth faith wait to receive it. Would a man have a pardon, faith waits for it in Gods way; free-grace as immense a sea as it is in God, doth not flow out every way upon sinners, but through the bleeding wounds of Christ. We are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, saith the Apostle, Rom. 3.24. Mark, free-grace issues out through redem∣ption, and in that way faith waits for it: Thus St. Peter, We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, Act. 15.11. he calls the grace of God the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, as being merited by him. The be∣liever waits for pardoning mercy, but it must be the mercy of David, coming through the Messiah the true David. Whether God might not per po∣tentiam suam absolutam, remit sin without a satis∣faction, is a question may be spared; Gods will is declared, the Scripture is definitive, there is no other name given among men, but the name of Jesus, no other remission but through his blood: the glory of the Lord, that is, his free-grace, comes into the Temple of the Church by the way of the East, Ezek. 43.2. that is, through Je∣sus Christ, who is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the East, Luk. 1.78. towards which the true believer bows down

himself for all grace. The Socinians grace, such as is supposed to issue forth without the satisfa∣ction of Christ, is not indeed the grace of God, but a fancy, an Idol of their own heart, He that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God, saith S. John, 2 Joh. v. 9. therefore such an one must not be received, or saluted with God speed, v. 10. Let the Socinian, who abides not in the doctrine of a redeeming and satisfying Christ, cry up free-grace, and that (as he thinks) in the purest and highest strains, without all money and price, even without that of the Mediator. After all this he hath not God or free-grace in the right notion of it, the true believer dares not entertain such a grace, or say 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to it, lest he should bless an Idol, and rejoyce in a thing of nought; such a grace is a meer stranger to Scri∣pture, and therefore faith, whose skill is only in that Dialect, cannot own it, though humane rea∣son speak never so fair for it. Again, would a believer have mortification? he would have it in Gods way, he seeks it not Macedonius-like, by standing in a ditch all the day, nor as the Pa∣lestine-monks, by lying as dead unburied men on the earth, nor with the Papists, by Pilgrimages and outward pennances, nor with the Flagelian∣tes, in their scourging and bloody whipping their own bodies. No, this is not Gods way, in all this Pageantry of mortification, they are at hostility with nature rather then with sin, and in shooting all their arrows at the body, they miss the mark, the chief seat of sin in the heart: Nesciunt super∣stitiosi (saith a Learned man) Deum amare im∣mutationem

cordium, non dilaniationem corpo∣rum, superstitious men know not that God loves changing of hearts rather then renting of bodies: the true believer seeks mortification in and by Jesus Christ, our old man is crucified with him, Rom. 6.6. As long as we are in the old Adam, sin will be lively, but as soon as we are in Christ the wisdom and power of God, sin, which is the weak∣ness and folly of man, dies in us. The believer seeks after the spirit of Christ, as after that which can lay our lusts a steep in godly sorrow, and nail them to the cross of Christ, and let out their vi∣tal blood, even the inward love thereof. More∣over, a believer would have instruction and teaching, but he would have it in Gods way. The Papists say, that Images are Lay-mens books, and whilest the Bible is to the unlearned a seal∣ed letter, these are Letters Patents, open to all men, he that runs may read God as it were in great Capital letters. Gregory the Great, though he condemned their adoration, yet he allowed their presence in Churches, tanquam essent me∣moracula & rudium literae; but alas! can the dumb Idol speak? or if it could, can a teacher of lies instruct? may that be our memorial which hath made many forget God? Did God ever licence the printing of such Lay-mens books? and if it have not his Imprimatur by an institution, how can we expect his benediction? surely this is none of Gods way; faith saith, the image of God is in the word, and the only crucifix in the Gospel. The Enthusiasts would be taught in an immediate and extraordinary way, but the be∣liever

goes to the word, there is the School where he would be taught of God, there are the gates and door-posts where he would hear wis∣dom speak.

Secondly, This resignation is made to its entice object, and not by piece-meal. As to God the ulti∣mate object, the believer would not pick and chuse among his Attributes, but is for them all, he would not have a God all of grace, but such as he is, an holy one and a just, who will be san∣ctified even in our approaches to touch his gol∣den Scepter. The believer, whilest he casts him∣self upon Gods grace, would be assimulated to his holiness, when he catches hold on mercy, withall he trembles at divine justice, as he waits for the smilings of Gods face, so he walks as in his presence; all places to the believer are Bethels and Peniels, full of God, and too dreadful to sin in. If any man go about by his faith to single out grace from among the other Attributes, and suck that honicomb of infinite sweetness by it self alone, he doth not believe but presume, like those in the Prophet, The heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for money, yet will they lean upon the Lord, Mic. 3.11. O vain presump∣tion! for them standing upon such unholy ground, to lean upon the Lord, is an utter im∣possibility. A traitor who strikes off his Sove∣raigns Crown, or with Hacket stabs at his image, doth not, cannot, at that time cast himself on his Grace or Royal favour: A sinner, whilest by his sinful rebellions he strikes at the Soveraignty or

stabs at the holiness of God, doth not, cannot, lean upon his free-grace. St. John hath deter∣mined the case, If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lye, and do not the truth, 1 Joh. 1.6. Let such an one cry up free-grace, free-grace, never so much, he doth but trust in a lye, there is no such grace as he dreams of, none but what comes from the holy one as the giver of it, none but what teaches the recei∣ver a lesson of holiness. Again, as to Jesus Christ the Mediator, the believer is for All Christ, not only for him as a meriting and atoning Priest, but for him as a teaching Prophet, and ruling Lord also. Whilest he wraps up himself in the pure robes of Christs righteousness, at the same instant his ear is open to discipline, and his heart unfolds the everlasting doors to let in the King of glory; he puts the Crown upon his head, and sets him upon the throne of the heart, singing blessing, honour, power, glory, to the Lamb for e∣ver. That Christ who is in glory in heaven at the right hand of Majesty, comes to be in glory in the heart by the resignations of faith. Thus he him∣self faith, the spirit shall glorifie me, Joh. 16.14. that is, by working faith in the heart, as the Father glorifies him above, so the spirit, and under that faith, glorifie him below. If any man go about by his faith to pick out the merits and righteousness of Christ for salvation, without a respect to his teaching and ruling offices, he mangles and tears in pieces Christ, as much as in him lieth, renting of Jesus from Christ, nay and Jesus in twain, whom he admits only to save him from the

guilt of sin and not from the power and love of it, separating the blood of his Saviour from the water, and his merits from the spirit, which are and ever must be in conjunction; such an half and divided Christ as this is, is not the Christ of God, but a Christ of his own fancy, one that will save him in his sins, and justifie him in his un∣godliness; he that believes in such a Christ, doth at once miserably cheat his own soul, and as much as in him lieth, profanely trample on the blood of Christ, as if it were shed on purpose that sinful men might have the reins laid down on their necks to riot in their cursed lusts with all impunity. Moreover, as to the word of God, the be∣liever is for all of it, he is not only for cordials, and pots of Manna, and distillations of grace in the promises, but for precepts also, his meat and his drink is to do the will of his Father in hea∣ven; whilest his eyes are on the Land of promise, his feet are in the Land of uprightness. Anti∣nomians boast themselves to be above the Law, and as free as if they were in heaven, and that their sins are but seeming sins, sins to sense and to the world outwardly, but no sins to faith and before God who seeth no sin in them. But alass! these are but swelling words of vanity, to be above the Law is Antichrist-like to be above God him∣self, whose Majesty and holiness break forth in it; and if sins be but seeming sins, the Law is but a seeming Law, and God (whose authority and sanctity shine forth in it) is but a seeming God: Promises and Precepts run together in the Scri∣pture, and must be taken together into the heart

by faith. Promises are effluxes out of Gods grace, and faith takes them in by recumbency; Precepts are effluxes out of Gods holiness, and faith takes them in by obediential subjection, both must continue and be owned by faith, as long as there are grace and holiness in God. The true believer neither with the Antinomian picks out the promises from the precepts, nor yet with the Hypocrite doth he pick out only such com∣mands as do not cross his beloved lusts, as the Papists have razed out the second Commande∣ment in some of their Catechisms, because of their outward images, so the Hypocrite razes out the displeasing Commandements in his practice, because of the Idol-lusts in his heart; but the true believer, as David, is for all the wills of God, without any salvoes, because without any indul∣ged lusts.

Thirdly, This resignation is made purely upon a Scriptural warrant. There may be hay and stub∣ble in the believer, but there is none in his faith; which, so far as it is faith, stands only upon holy ground. All faiths assents stand upon Scripture-propositions, all its affiances upon Scripture-promises, and all its obedience upon Scripture-precepts: What Balaam said by an over-ruling providence, that saith the believer by the instinct of faith, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more, Num. 22.18. he would not as to doctrinals be wise above what is written, nor as to worship be religious above what is writ∣ten, nor as to mercies and comforts be an expe∣ctant above what is written. He would not as to

doctrinals be wise above what is written: when the Lutherans and Papists met at Ratisbon, the Papists would first dispute about the Canon of Faith, the Lutherans replyed, that the Scriptures were the only rule, at which the Papists cried out, that it was very unequal to tye them to one kind of weapon only, but faith is content with Scriptural doctrines only. There is one Mediator in Scripture, and faith dares not multiply them; there is one Scripture purgatory in Christs blood, and faith will not invent another; there is one propitiatory sacrifice offered up once for all upon the Cross, and faith will not seek after any more. All the points in Popery are but so many addi∣tions to the word, and upon that account insig∣nificant to faith. The first error in the first sin was an addition to the word, the woman saying, ye shall not touch it, Gen. 3.3. whereas Gods word only was, ye shall not eat of it, Gen. 2.17. and the first and primordial error which hath ushered in all the Romish doctrines into the Church, hath been the very same thing; and because they are additions, faith cannot own them, no not faith in a Papist: opinion may own them, but faith can∣not, for it is but the souls Eccho to the voice of God in Scripture, and where there is no voice, there can be no return; humane doctrines found not at all to faith, Scripture is all. Bishop Fisher a little before his suffering lighting on that one sweet passage, this is life eternal to know thee and Jesus Christ, Joh. 17.3. brake out into these words, here's learning enough for me: the believer, who hath the whole Scripture before him, may

well say, here's doctrine enough for me, faith will not turn vagrant and lye about at humane doors for doctrines, there is enough in the word. A∣gain, the believer would not as to worship be re∣ligious above what is written; that of the Schoolmen, cultus est à naturâ, modus à lege, vir∣tus à gratiâ, worship is from nature, the manner from the Law, the power from grace, is very excel∣lent. The very light of nature saith, God is to be worshipped, but faith goes to the word for the manner, and to free-grace for the power. God in the second Commandement forbids graven Ima∣ges, not as false objects of worship, which are for∣bidden in the first Commadement, but as false means and manner of worship, and under graven Images, as being the chiefest and groffest kind of false worship. God doth forbid all other false worship humanely devised, such as these were: hence true faith looks on all humanely devised worships as so many graven Images, a kind of Teraphim, expressing, though not as they did, an humane shape, yet an humane devise and inven∣tion, things void of God, without institution and without benediction. That of the Prophet, who hath required this at your hand, Isa. 1.12. falls like thunder on all the imagery of humane in∣ventions, dashing them to pieces in a moment. Quintinus the Libertine, being present at a so∣lemn Mass with a Cardinal, boasted that he saw the glory of God. I suppose according to his loose principles of being under no outward Law, he would have said as much if he had been a∣mong Pagans at their Idolatrous worship; but

the true believer looks for that glory only in the Sanctuary of Divine Institutions, there and there only God records his Name, and commands the blessing, even life for evermore. Moreover the be∣liever as to mercies and comforts would not be an expectant above what is written. 'Tis said of Moses that he died according to the word of the Lord, Deut. 38.5. or (as the Original may be read) he died upon the mouth of the Lord; the believer loves to live and dye upon Gods mouth in the promises, there watching for the sweet words of grace dropping from him: he walks among the Promises, as the Physitian among his herbs, and by a divine instinct knows this is good for such a condition, and that for another; and when he comes to that promise, I will be thy God, he saith, this is the universal Medicine, and good for all things, as infinite a sea as Gods grace is, as vast a treasure as Christs merits, the believer can∣not tell how to climb up to these, unless he have somewhat of a promise to set his faith upon; if there be but an half-promise, faith will ascend up by it: when God saith, seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger, Zeph. 2.3. faith will hang upon a may be, but where there is nothing at all of a pro∣mise, faith does not, cannot tell how to approach for the unpromised thing. The Perfectionists fay, that sinless perfection is attainable in this life; Joseph is yet alive, perfection of life, figured by Joseph, may be found, so thinks a Learned Doctor, My yoke is easie, said Christ, and from thence Bellarmine concludes, Legem Dei possibi∣lem

esse renatis imo & facilem observatu; but alass these are but dreams and not acts of faith. Its true, the believer groaning under the burden of sin, wishes nothing more then sinless perfecti∣on, he works, he walks, he prays, he weeps, he runs, he strives, but after all he may not believe sinless perfection attainable here; not but that the grace of God in Christ is sufficient to effect it, but there is no channel for such a grace to run in, no promise in all the word to bottom such a persuasion upon: there is a promise for the sub∣duing of iniquity, but not for the annihilating it, a promise that sin shall not reign in us, but none that it shall not be; therefore the believer would not seek for that in himself, which is only found in Christ, nor for that on earth which is reserved for heaven; that mercy or comfort which is not let down in the promise, faith doth not expect or look for. Trubern a German Divine on his deathbed, seeking comfort, spake thus, textum, textum volo, let me have the text, the text, well knowing that comfort streams out in the pro∣mises; the believer is ever for one promise or other, to give advantage to his faith in its ascension to God for mercy and com∣fort.

Fourthly, This resignation is a voluntary act. It hath been disputed between Romanists and Protestants, where the seat of faith is, whether in the Ʋnderstanding only, or in the Will also; the Apostle clearly determines it, with the heart man believeth, Rom. 10.10. the heart includeth both faculties, ad esse fidei virtutis concurrit actus

rationis simul & voluntatis, quod benè innuit Apostolus in ipsâ notifieatione fidei, cum dicit fidem esse substantiam rerum sperandarum, argu∣mentum non apparentium, tangens quod est in eâ cognitionis, & quod est assectionis, saith Bona∣venture, the assent of faith is in the Understand∣ing, but the resignation is in the Will, credere est consentire, consensio autem volentis est, saith St. Austin. We read in Scripture of faith un∣feigned, and sincerity is in the Will, of the o∣bedience of faith, and obedience is in the Will, of leaning, rolling, resting, casting our selves upon God, and all these are in the Will; all the resignations which the believer makes, are acts of his Will; if he resign to the Promises, and through them to the meriting Mediator, and through him to the free-grace of God, this re∣cumbency or fiducialness is in his Will; if he resign to the commands, and through them to the kingdom of the Mediator, and through him to the holiness of God, this obediential frame is in his Will; if he resign for instruction to the Word, and through it to the great Pro∣phet, and through him to the wisdom of God; this docibleness, this tender holy flesh is in his Will; he would have salvation coming in a way of grace, and grace flowing through the Me∣diator Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ for a teach∣er and ruler as well as for a Saviour, and all this is his choice. 'Tis not a meer velleity or ef∣fluvium of a light desire, like that of Balaam, let me dye the death of the righteous, but an act of his Will; 'tis not a mood or hot sit of

devotion, such as falls on men under warming and awakening ordinances, but a deliberate act, 'tis not a constraint or piece of servility, such as men usually have in sick and dying hours, when they are rolling off from this world, and upon the brink of eternity, with a prospect of heaven and hell before them, but it is a true and a free-will, cordially and freely offering up the soul to the terms and methods of salvation in the Gospel.

Fifthly, This resignation is made in Humility. The believer, like his father Abraham, is called to Gods foot, there to lye in the lowest posture of a sinful creature, in an humble docibleness he lyes at the foot of Gods wisdom, waiting as they that watch for the morning, till the holy irra∣diations make the day dawn, and the day-star arise in the heart; in an obediential frame he lyes at the foot of Gods holiness, crying out like Paul struck down to the earth, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and in a fiducial re∣cumbency he lies at the foot of Gods grace, as a forlorn beggar, full of fores and extremities, waiting if free-grace will take him in, and, like the good Samaritane, bind up his wounds, pouring in the oyl and wine of mercy into his heart. The men among the Israelites could not enter into the Land of promise, but the little ones did so, the mystery is the Christians, though the history be theirs: the men among us, such as can few sig-leaves together and cloath them∣selves, such as can feed themselves at home, and keep house upon their own reason, such

as are Lords of their own actions, coming and going ad placitum, these do not believe, nor enter into the promises of the Gospel, but the little ones, who cannot dress themselves, but as free-grace swadles and wraps them up in Christs righteousness, nor feed themselves, un∣less free-grace pluck out the breast and milk out instruction, nor rule themselves, or go a∣lone, but as free-grace takes them by the hand and leads them in holy ways, these are they that believe and enter into rest: hence our Sa∣viour saith, Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, Mat. 18.3. The proud man will not suffer grace to reign in or over him, but the believer is as a little child ruleable by all the will of God, hum∣bly submitting to all the methods of salvation in the Gospel.

To shut up this discourse about the Adjuncts of faith, I shall only add a caution or two. When I say that all true believers do thus re∣sign, I mean not that all have the same formal notions or expressions, but the same faith and resignation for the substance of it; the root of the matter is in the weakest of them, though not the same verdure of notions or expressions, the substance or holy seed of true resignation may be latent in a bruised reed or smoaking flax, in a poor spirit, or the pulse of a desire, I have read of a Noble person in Spain, who be∣ing, as was supposed, absolutely dead, was diffected, and upon the opening of his breast, they found to their great amazement his heart

beating; some weak believers may seem to∣tally dead, in whom yet before God, to whom all things are naked and open, as in an Anatomy, there is found a vital pulse of faith secretly working. God (saith a Reve∣rend Divine) brings not scales to weigh, but a touch-stone to try our graces. If there be but the least dram of gold, but the least smoke or weik in the socket (as the expression is Matth. 12.20.) God accepts it; neither do I mean that this resignation is acted perpetu∣ally, but with many sad pauses and inter∣ruptions, which happen partly by the blasts of Satans temptations, making the believer walk like Peter upon the water, now a good step, and then ready to sink when the wind grows boisterous, till his faith buoy him up again, with a Lord, save me, partly by the allurements and entanglements of the world, which are to him as the stone and the string were to Anselms bird, now up in ascensi∣ons of soul to God and Christ, and then down again to the earth and earthly things, and partly from the indwelling sin which make him live, as his Saviour did on earth, a meer conflicting life, Christ endured the con∣tradiction of sinners, and he the contradiction of sins; the indwelling corruption makes his soul, like a palsey hand with contrary motions, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, whilest faith moves forward, unbelief draws back; after he hath in a princely manner wrestled with God, he goes off Jacob-like halting in one infirmity or other.

Notes

• Confess. l. 8. c. 12. Melch. A∣dam in vi∣tà Zuing∣lii.
• De Jusi∣f••••••. l. 5. c. 7.
• Melch A∣danum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Vesal••••