CHAP. VI.

Application. 1. The former Exhortation continued, viz. To chide our felves for our Unbelief. 2. This fpeaks the happy condition of the Saints; they are never upbraided with what Chrift bath done for them, but when they will not bave more from him. An Objection Answered. total Unbelief is very bad.

NOW

3. Then

"Ow for Application in a word. And I fhall although without any Repetition of what I faid before, take up the Ufe which I ended with the last time.

: USE, I.

If Chrift be angry with Unbelief, then do you chide your felves for it when you find it. This is our conformity unto Chrift as King: our loyalty: that what Malefactors he cenfures, and condemns, we will not harbour, nor give any entertainment unto. It's our miferable condition that we receive the Grace of God in vain that we deal flightly with Mercy, and deal refpectively with fin and unbelief: It lives, and it's bred with all that either fenfe or reafon, or experience is able to fay for it. Men ufe it as though it were a friend, although it comes but in to destroy, and to make an end of them. Many a Soul faith fometimes when it hath wrapt it felf into fears and doubts of the love of God, that now it's in a ftate of Spiritual life, and now God will love it.

This is all you fhall find at the hand of God,That he will fet Jefus Chrift to upbraid you, and to be angry with you. And therefore I beseech you my beloved, having heard how Jefus Chrift is offended, be you in the like manner offended at your unbelief. Let it find no countenance from you, which fhall be fure to be dealt fharply withal by him. If there be a motion made, and fomething injected and caft, that should put you into fears, whether the word of promife be true, and Chrift be fo loving as is reported: Say unto your Souls, O do not that abomiuable thing: you have angred Chrift enough already, provoke him no more: He hath been fo good as to make you look towards his name, and to beleeve upon him: look ftedfaftly, beleeve perfectly; comfort your felf in him throughly. Say to thy own heart, This is Pride, and this is folly, and ignorance, and hardness of heart; this goes not alone: If fotel were not exceedingly over run, and over grown, this could not be, that I should be fo dull, and make fo flight a matter of receiving Mercy, and the tenders of Grace and Mercy. Look, I befeech you, my beloved to the root of your Unbelief, and to what your unbelief will beget and bring forth in the heart of Jefus Chrift concerning you; hard and angry words. If any thing, then this will make him repent that ever he hath been kind to you. No, no, fay to your own Souls, It is not watchfulness, or warinels that makes you thus to fufpect, and to be fearful, but its ignorance of the truth, and in. fenfiblnefs of your needs; and pride, that you will not be beholding to Jefus Chrift.

USE, II.

But in the Second place, which is that that I do more aim at. I beseech you my beloved confider What a happy condition the Saints are in. You are cut off from the Vine that you were branches of, and you are ingrafted into Chrift, and you fhal have never a hard word from Chrift, nor hear of any unkindnefs done by you to Chrift, he will never speak of what he hath done, or that he hath done much, but only when you will not have more from him. He upbraided them, because of their Unbelief, and hardneß of beart: This you shall have at his hands, when you do not come often. Why will you have no more? Hitherto you have asked nothing, Joh.16.24. But do you think that you have enough? And are you glutted with carnal apprehenfions of his Mercy, till fun hath gotten your heart, that you have no need of any further thing to be done by him for you? Then, and not till then fhall you fee a frown in his face. So exceed ing kind and wife is he, that if he can but kill your Unbelief, you fhall live like him: And if he can but take away your Unbelief, you fhall do all things in your meafure like him. Faith fetches pardon of all fin, and fetches Grace to help against all particular corruptions and fins.

Object. But you will fay, So much time is due, and fo much Affections are due from me to the Law of God, that I fhall be fure never to have any thing well taken. A Rod will alwayes be upon my back, if I once give up my felf to his way; I shall not have a day afterward.

a good

Anfo.

Anfm. Can there be a better life than to be alwayes receiving good words from the hands of Chrift? Is not this a happy condition, for him never to be chiding, bur because we will not receive all Mercy at his hands, that we receive not every truth, and the benefit of them? Heupbraids them, because of their Unbelief. That was the

adequate object of his anger and displeasure al gainst them.

USE, III.

There is a Third Ufe of this; and that is, If want of Faith in fonie particular be fo great a fin, and be recompenced with fo great anger, What is the total want of Faith then? If fo be the Medicine, thật which cureth the want of a degree of Faith, be fo harp, what is the pain which Unbelief ( being al together without Faith) bring upon a man? If the word of Chrift, when he rebukes, be fo fharp, what will they be when he condemns? You think you fhall not be called to any other account but for fins which are fcandalous: if you pay all your own, and be not unjust, if you keep out of uncleannefs, and have not common infirmities on you,then you fhall be well enough at the laft day. No be loved, This is condemnation, that you that havé the means, and Chrifts offers, will not take that which he brings: but thou wilt not beleeve that he will be angry for not taking of it, and thou wilt not receive it. And if you think he will not be an gry with you because you take not heaven, and comfort, and glory, look what he doth with his own People. If he doth thus with his own Children, what will he do with his Enemies? if he faith thus to his people in the day that he rose, when

H 2

when he was hot in love to them, Ob fools, Ob bard bearted people, you have a heart of ftone in you, you are fuch as none would ufe, for who can ufé him that is a fool? If he will ftrain his ingenuity (for truly an ingenuous man will rather give much, thanfay what he hath given; and fo will our Lord Jefus Chrift.) If Chrift will reprove, and rebuke, and reproach, and fay what he hath done to his own people, what will he do with thee, who haft altogether rejected him? If to him that hath failed in fome acts, he speaks thus ill, what shalt thou hear that haft no acts at all? If this be done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? Luke, 23.31. If judgment begins at the houfe of God, where fhall the Wicked appear Go quickly,and with all the means thou canft ufe, with the fight of: thy fins, and the Curfe that lies upon thee, get a view of thy own inability to do any thing for the recovery of thy felf; Take all the Promifes of the Gefpel that holds forth Jefus Chrift, and make him lively, and take all the benefits that he faith he wil do for his people, and fee how thou shalt be made by them. Get any means in the world to make thy Soul a beleever: for if thou diest an unbeleever, if thou dieft having the means. and yet wilt not take what Jefus Chrift offers, That which is to the Saints an upbraiding word, will be a killing word to thee: and that which makes them full of shame, will make thee full of indignation.

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