aly. By this they were put in mind of the Condition wherein they were, when they firft beleeved, but were now fallen from. He that upbraids another, tells him how poor and mean he was, when he firft cook a liking to him; and how he promifed to do any thing in reafon that he thould require of him: So doth our Lord Jefus Chrift: As if he fhould have faid, You were glad to know any thing concerning me, and the time was whenas you hung upon me, and whatever I faid to you was a Law, and whatever I did fpeak of to you was entertained with a great deal of greedinefs: Why is it that you are fo backward now? Are my. Mercies .auy whit the worfe? Or is it not because you are not fo fenfible as you have been heretofore of the need of me to be with you?

4ly. And then Fourthly, In this Reproof of Chrift there is Inftruction. For upbraiding rells him that hath received a kindness, what it is which he expects from him, as well as what it is which he finds in him. And that is the firft thing, Our Lord layes open their fin to them in its felf, and in the caules of it fpecially: In their unkindness: And that they had Apoftatized from that forwardnefs of Faith, and gladness to receive any thing from his hands, which formerly was in them.

2. When Chrift doth upbraid or difgrace a mañ, he puts him among the number of thofe that are guilty, and liable to punishment. Matth. 11:20. He began to upbraid the City, because they had not done according to the works that had been done in them; And what follows? Wo, wo to thee Corazin, and to thee Bethfaida, that hath been lift up to heaven, and now fhall be thrown, down to bell, &c. In this Reproof our Lord fpeaks as it were with fhaking the head, with sparkling eyes, and a frowning face, as one that counted them unworthy of his love,

and

and unfit for kindness, and as one that repents that 1 ever he was fo kind to them. A man that upbraids, fpeaks in this dialect; 1 have done thus and thus to you, but I will know you for time to come, and be -more wary how I bestow my kindness upon you, I ..will with hold my hand, you fhall ask for kindnefs again and again, but I will be fure to fee that you efteem it before I will be fo prodigal to you, feeing you carry your felf thus and thus with me. And thus doth our Lord Jefus Chrift. This is the fense of upbraiding.

3. When Chrift difgraceth, he fhews dislike,and indignation, that his Soul hath no pleasure; nay, that he knows not how to bear, and put it up at ones hand, Heb. 10. 38. The juft fhall live by Faith, but if any man do with draw himself, my Soul hall babe no pleasure in bim. He that upbraids hath his heart alienated, and filled with loathing of him, who hath received kindnesses from him, but dealt unworthily. Oh, faith the Lord, in Ifa. 1, 2, 3. I have nourished and brought up a People, I have been kind to them, and they have been careless of me, they have rebelled against me, you have been worfe to me than Oxen, and Affes, worfe than any of the inhabitants of the earth, O Earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. His upbraiding of them faith thus, What care I for all that ever you do fince you will not beleeve me, nor give credit to the things that I have done for you? What are you tome Better were it for me to fhew my Favours to others who will bring forth fruits worthy of them. Heupbraided them, Therefore, that is, he told them of their fins,and lufts in their hearts from whence this came: He warned them to look to it, as they would avoid his wrath. He did for the prefent carry himself, as one that knew not how to be in their company, or to give them of

?;

those

Fthofe bleflings, which he had brought from heaven to earth, and through his fufferings had merited on their behalf. This is the meaning of it. He upbraided them; He fet their Confciences accuting them, and himself frowned, he held his Judgements over them, and with-held his Love from them.

But, it may be you will fay unto me) Why fhould Chrift do this? Doth not he humfelf bid us that we should be careful what we do beleeve? Is it not the wisdom of a man to be wary how he doth receive any thing, especially in the main matters of Salvation? Try every spirit (faith the text) 1 John 4. 1. and beleeve not every one: men will come in Sheeps garments, that yet notwithstanding are ravening Wolves, Matth.7.15.

But to that I Answer: What Jefus Chrift did foretel before he died, was now told to his Dilciples by the Women that had feen him: So that there was no place for caution, but they were prefently to have looked after the matter.

But befides that, I beseech you confider this one Reafon, for I fhall urge no more at this time) That Unbelief doth anger God exceedingly, becaufe it's the fin that is againft all his Attributes. The not receiving every difcovery which Jefus Christ makes of himself, and of the Father unto the Soul; it faith unto the wrath of God; it doth not much fear it: for by Faith only are we freed from that wrath. It faith to wisdom, It speaks not cleerly: or else unto truth, that what it faith is not to be credited: The things offered by Mercy are fuch as we have no mind to: And we plainly fay it by Unbelief; for, what we are willing to have, that we are apt to beleeve. As a man that defires honour, thinks it coming to him upon every occafion, every nod, every invitation, &c.

And

And let me adde one Reafon more, and that is this; The best way to deal with Unbelief is chiding of it, upbraiding of it. Chraft was a skilful Phy fitian, and therefore he applyed this Remedy to this Difeafe. As when the Winds were boyfterous, it's faid, He rebuked them, and they were calm, Matth.8.26. the Sea mea as a plain: So his rebuking of their Unbelief was the means to caufe it to cease from them. As Nettdes, they fting if they be touched lightly, they hurt not at all if you use them roughly. So Ifay of all corruptions; Make much of them, and they will kill you, and be your death: Reprove your felves for them, and they will die, James 47. Refift the Devil, faich James, and be will flee from you. Refift bim that is, Give no way to him in any kind, if he makes a motion of delay, or denial of Faith, refift him: And he will flee from you, as upon a wing: that is, you fhall be prefently freed from his temptations. Matters of Faith are to be received, not to be queftioned or debated. Set Reafon to work with them, and the more Reafon begin to look on thein, the more it's dazled, and the lefs you fee in them: and therefore the best way is to chide Unbelief. You have an 'adavirable place for this in Rom. 4 19. where Abraham is faid not to confider bis own body, rebich po nove dead, nor the deadneß of Sarahs Womb, and therefore be fraggers not at the promise of God through Unbelief. Too bad

Notto Confider! What should a rational Crea cure do but confider how the means whereby a ching fhould be brought to pafs may be enjoyed? and whether they be likely (if used to serve his end? It's the moft irrational act that can be, for a man to take in things, and not to confider whether they be likely, or unlikely, whether they be probable, or improbable. Byc this now Abraham is

com

commended for: and he would never have been free from his Unbelief, had it not been for this.

6

CHAP. IV.

Application. Let us chids our felves for our Un belief. Several Objections answered.

He Ufe that I fhall make of it

2

‛།་

for I cannot raife and open the Point as I did intends briefly this Did Chrift chide his Difciples for their Unbelief, for want of quickness and clearner's in their Faith, for want of Inatching at, and laying greedy hold on the Comforts that he brought them, through his Refurrection? Chide thou then thy own felf when ever thou findeft any of thefe in thee. When thou canst not beleeve, ask thy Soul the reafon of it. Why are thou fo difquieted? Why art thou to unbelieving If chou canft not find out the Caufe, yet chide and fall out with thy felf, fall upon chy own heart. Chrift did fo now, being newly come to his power, to have all power in his hands both in heaven and earth, he chides: And in this, do you exercife that Kingly power which Jefus Chrift hath given you. As you are Priests to God, and therefore must offer to him what he hath appointed: So you are Kings to God, and Rev. 1. 6. one piece of your Dominion lyes in this, That you chide, and reprove your felves, and not allow, but condemne, and cenfure, and dif allow every evil that is found in you. If you be not very much offended with your felves because of unbelief, youare very muchroblame, becaufe your unbelief is a very great fih. "Christians they

are