Page opened, and proved. 1. God hath pardoned Unbe- Chap. II. The Reasons of the Doctrine. 1. 0- therwife no Flesh can be faved. 2. Unbelief is not the Sin against the Holy Ghoft. 3. God gives even to Unbelievers affurance of Salvation. 4. The par- don of this fin doth in a speciall manner redound to the Glory of God. Application. Be perfwaded Chap. 12. A fifth Reason of the Doctrine: For- giveneß of this fin works most upon the Heart. The former Ufe continued, to perfwade that Unbelief is pardonable. The benefits of believing this truth are many. Pauls example in this cafe propounded to be confidered. Ufe 2. To Glorifie God for the par- don of Unbelief. Ufe 3. Confolation to two forts. 1. Such as bave neglected the offers of Grace and now have none. 2. Such as fear God doth not love OF OF UNBELIEF OR, The want of Readiness to lay hold on the comfort given by Chrift. MARK, 16. 14. Afterwards He appeared unto the Eleven, as they fate at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief, and hardness of heart, becaufe they believed not them which had feen Him after He was rifen. CHAP. I. The Fervency of Chrifts love. The divifion of the and John 20. 24 What Faith is in general. T HE Evangelift John faith of Jefus Chrift, in the 13 Chapter and the I verfe, That having loved bus Difciples, he loved them unto the end: that is, vehemently: or, as much as could be;for fo that phrafe s ria® Kunto the end) is used (proverbi ally) in the Scripture. In Pfal.38.v.6. I am troubled, I I am bowed down greatly, NDTV faith the Hebrew text) which the Greek tranflates Lies TÉAUS ] unto the end. And in Pfal.74.verf.1. O Lord, thou baft caft us off for ever: or altogether, as the word ny bears it. For ever, unto the end, and altogether, are all one. He loved them (therefore) unto the end; that is, as greatly as he could love them; For greater love than this could none fhew, than that be should lay down his life for his friends, Job.15.13. The fervency of the love of Jefus Chrift, appears in this, (which my text relates) That when he was rifen up from the Dead, and his Work was done, he doth not go to Heaven, but ftayes on Earth, (a place not fit for fo glorious a body) and converfeth with his Difciples, and that, not fo much for his own honour, (to prove himself not to be held by the bond of Death) as for the ftrengthning of their Faith. In the day of his Refurrection, he appeared five times, as the ftory faith, like one that could not be out of their company; And though he ever found fomething or other among them, that juftly made him to with-draw himfelf, yet like a tender lover, who, when he is gone, comes back again: and when he hath taken up a refolution, breaks ir again, and returns, and goes through, and knows not how to go away. As Paul, Phil. 1. 23, 24. choferather to be doing of good to the Philipians, than to be in Heaven, which was beft of all. So you fee Chrift here (which example Paul followed) he had rather be with poor Saints, than be with the Angels in the fulness of his glory. He first of all appeared unto fome of his Difciples, which were of an inferiour ranck, meaner Chriftians, Mark 16. 19. And now the text faith, He appeared unto them all: namely,the Apoftles: And And he did it on purpose, principally to this end, That fo his Apoftles might be prepared, by their teftimony, for a more full receiving of the truth of his Refurre&tion, when it fhould be made known unto them. Our Lord principally aimed at the filling of his Apoft les with the Faith of him, whom they were to Preach abroad. But he first of all begins with the revealing of himself to Women, Chriftians of an ordinary ranck, for there is no Member in the Body of Chrift that can fay to another, He hath no need of him: the eye cannot say to the foot, I have no need of thee, 1 Cor. 12. 21. And therefore Paul doth profefs, that even Women were his helpers in the Work of his Apostleship,in Rom. 16.6. As when the Sun doth firft of all ap it feems but little to what it doth at noonpear, day; It comes at first as it were peeping into the World, that afterwards it may fhew its lelf in all its glory: So commonly do great and mighty truths, the great matters of Salvation, they are firft of all revealed to fuch as one would noc think fhould know any thing,or be of the counsel of God, and then afterwards to others. He comes and appears unto his Difciples when as they were together, Ifay, when they were toge ther. They were together the first day, (which now we celebrate as our Sabbath) and five times in that day was Chrift amongst them. That is the Proportion which you are to look at ftill; to have five times as much in one of thefe dayes as in any other day, though you be much in your cloffets and private Addreffes unto God. When the Saints are together, then he comes: because all Grace, and Mercy, and Truth, it comes from the Church to particular perfons, from the Society of Saints to others that yet are not called, though elected of God, was mild a C 2 They They now being met together, Christ comes in. the midst of them, that fo they might be all helpers. to one anothers Faith: And if any of them should fay afterwards, But was it indeed the Lord who was flain? They might fay, Yea, and yea, and yea, until fuch time as their unbelief were cryed down. That is the benefit of an Affembly of Saints or Chriftians meeting together, that they are to be as helps, and witneffes, and confirmers of the Faith of one another. But that I may draw nearer unto the text. He that when he first of all met with them, cryed nothing elfe but Peace, peace, Luk. 24-36. His heart was full of Love, and his lips were full of Grace, (one Evangelift reports that he faies, All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth, Matth. 28. 18. which was as if he should have said in this manner, I was with you in humbleness, and meannels, and in the want of all things: I had not whereon to lay my bead, Matth.8.20. I could do nothing for you: It was the time of my Sufferings: But now I can do what I will, and what I can do, I will do for you) He that came thus fpeaking to them, now the text faith, comes upbraiding. And what is the caufe of it? The text tels you, it was their unbelief, and hardnefs of heart. . You may, if you will, diftribute or break the 1. You have here a Charge, and the Ground of ic.. Unbelief, and The Charge is double,{1. Hardnes of Heart. The Ground of it, is, Because they did not believe them which had feen him after be won rifen. AL |