and your own advantage, you are not, nor cannot be fo thoughtful of having fo much, as Jefus Chrift hath defigned that unto, and hath given you by his word and promife. Why then brethren, why then is it that you are fo backward to take in what is brought to you, and laid at the dore of you, which is your own? The good fhould move you. But if the good wil not move you, then know that from hence do come trouble,griping,aftonishment, paines of Confcience to you,because you have not beleeved for the Text faith, he upbraided them because of unbeleife, and hardness of heart.

CHAP. XIIL

Helps to attain a readineß in beleeving. 1. Confi der the greatness of the fin of being backward to beleeve. 2. Understand wel the Covenant of Grace. Two things in this Covenant, which being underfood wil make a man apt to beleeve. Firft, The love of God; which is, 1. Free. 2. Bountiful. Secondly, The engagement of God. 3. Get the love of God. 4. Live much the life of Faith. 5. Deny your own reafon and under Standing. 6. Pray for the spirit of Jefus Chrift. The excellency of the spirit of a Chriftian lies in areadineẞ to beleeve. An object answered. A 6, Ufe, The love of God is exceeding great to Beleevers.

It only now remains that I fhould (before I conclude this point and Text) lay down the meanes whereby you should come to fuch a readiness and quickness in beleeving: I fay the meanes whereby you may come to have fuch a faith as may catch

and

A

and lay hold on every promife and comfort, as foon as it is fpoken of by God. Some Chriftians are like to green wood that muft lay much fire to them, and blow hard, and long, before they wil take. God hath much a do with fome to keep them to their work: but most of all to make them lay hold upon, and to keep their hold of the promifes. As we ufe to fay concerning health, that goes away upon the wing, but its long of reco vering. So we fee by experience, that our comforts are gone in a moment: but its a long time, and many months before we grow eftablished and fetled again.

it

Now for the means.

Firf, Confider the greatness of the fin of backwardnefs to beleeve, flowness of Faith, dulnefs of Faith is a very provoking fin, a fin of an high nature. If you do but confider what I have faid, and. what the Chapter, out if which I have taken the Text and the parallel places( of other Evangelifts) to this do fay: you fhal find that our Lord labors: to cure their unbeleefe. This is that which he ap plies to their unbeleefe, he cals them fools and flow. of heart to beleeve, and hard hearts. Luke, 24. 25. As if he fhould fay, if you know the evil in it, and the root from whence it comes, you would prefently have your hearts fet against it. The goodness of God doth more appeare to us in his love to us.. then in his precepts, and commands. And there. fore it is more dishonorable and difpleafing to him that we are not ready to receive his kindness, then. it is that we are not ready, but backward to obey his commands. Oppofition to, or want of confor mity to that wherein the glory of Godlyes, is ac cording to the degree of it, the greateft- fin..

Now

Now theglory of God lyes in this, that he is aboundant in goodness, and in truth and farre more ready to give then we are to receive, that he is as a ful breaft and pained if we do not beleeve and draw them. Do but look into thy felf, and besides what I faid in the opening of the doctrine were the feveral ftirngs of this root; It may be the backwardness to be comforted, or thy backwardness to extend thy faith to all the promises, doth arise from an opinion of felf fufficiency: Thou refusest this kindness because thou feeft no need of it. As Judas faid of the box of ointment, why is al this loft.? It might have been fold and spared. Mat. 26. 9. So we are apt to think that we need not fo great and glorious things as are promised to make us happy. I pray do but confider it. There is felfe fufficiency as wel in not finding a want of the greateft things which the Gofpel holds forth, as there is felf fufficiency in not finding any need at al of Jefus Chrift.

It may be it is the pride of thy heart that makes thee backward to beleeve: Pride in this,that thou loveft not to be beholding: As fome that are poor had rather ftarve then make known their wants. There honor and reputation is more to them a great deal, then their life and al other comforts. And fuch a pride of fprit it is in man which in Luk, 3. 5. is called a rough way opposed to crooked wayes. Crooked ways are the feveral reafonings,and evafions and diftinctions which men have to wind themfelves from the offer of the promise and the grace of it through Jefus Chrift. And rough ways are nothing elfe but an untractablenefs, and ftiffnefs, and unteachablenefs of fpirit, arifing from a kind of bruifh fenflefnefs, or from a proude conceit of our own fufficiency.

It may be thy pride lyes in this, that thou wilt

not

not receive because thou canst not retribute, and make returne unto God answerably. As men wil not receive where they cannot requite, if they can tel how to help ic : because if they receive where they cannot requite, they do not only put the name and fhame of need upon themfelves (for it is an almes given, if that which is given be neceffary, and one cannot be without) or how ever a kindness received makes a man a deb tor and a Servant to him that gives it. Now then if fuch fountains as thefe are,have fed thefe ftreams, if fo be that fuch pride of heart be the cause of this backwardness to beleeve, then it is a very great fin, that is the first thing, the meditation or confideration of the greatnefs of the fin of flowness to beleeve, is a meanes to quicken us to it.

2.

As another meanes, underftand wel and truly the Covenant of Grace. I fay understand wel and truly the covenant of Grace. In Luke. 24. you fhal find that our Lord having chid them in verf.25. For their flowneß of beart to beleeve and at verf. 27. he did begin at Mofes and all the Prophetts, and ex pounded unto them in al the Scripture the things concerning himself in verf. 32. He expounded to them the Scripture. And afterwards in verf. 44. 4.5. he faid unto them, thefe are the words which I Spake unto you while I was here with you,that al things might be fulfilled that was written in that Law of Mofes and Prophets and Pfalmes concerning me and be opened their understanding that they might understand the Scripture. And the reafon why this is a meanes, is because the covenant of Grace is not only the matter and object of our faith, containing al things that are to be beleeved to Salvation and the motive of our faith, (that even as color doth draw the eye, fo the promifes do ftirr up and act beliefe in us)

R

but

but the covenant of Grace is the caufe of Faith. This is that word of Faith faith he, which we preach unto you. Rom. 10. 8. It is the caufe of Faith, for the Gofpel is that feed chat brings it forth. We are begotten by the word faith the Apostle Paul Now mark it, if that which makes faith in the foul to be in one degree, be conveyed to many degrees, faith wil rife in its degrees alfo. Every inftrument works according as the principal caufe works: Faith now being the inftrument of the Covenant of grace, fet on work by it, according as we know or understand the covenant of grace, fo our Faith wil work.

There are two things in the Covenant of Grace, which being understood wil make a man very apt to beleeve.

The firft is the love of God.

The second it is the Ingagement of God.

Firft the love of God. Before our Lord Jefus Chrift was to die and after he was rifen, before he did afcend, you may fee there was nothing that he fpak efo much of to encourage their faith, as that his Father did love them, and that he would also not have them orphans or Fatherleß, that he would send the comforter to them. Al his Sermons I fay are nothing elfe but of the love of God, and of his own love to them, that fo he might make them ful of Faith. The matters of Faith not being evident in themfelves, there has need be a pious affection which fhould move and fet the understanding and helpe it to confent and approve thereof; now the love of God makes us love him, as I fhal fhew you by and by. The more loving any one is to us or the more we are perfwaded of his love, the

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