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14,15.
* Nemo ido-

1 Cor. 2. unlesse such in whont the spirit formeth it, as * Calvin observes: and afterward, he draweth an Inference very pertinent: Hence neus erit Chri- (faith he) it comes to passe, that faith is so rare a thing, because nafti Discipulus, turally all man-kind is estranged and averse from Christ. They nifi quem fpi. only believe, who are effectually wrought upon by the spirit of ritus forma God. No marvaile then, that the Pharisees past such a false judgverit. Hinc ment on Christ, confidering that they were carnall: Christ was fit, ut tam ra-spirituall, they were from the earth, Christ from above. Christ do fides. was above the world, a conqueror of the world, they were Calv. in loc. (wallowed up with the love of the world.

rafit in mun

1. A grand Sonne.

Wherefore my Text ingeminates what was before delivered,viz. That they should dye in their finnes. The difference lyes only in this, there it is faid ὀντη ἁμαρτία, in the Singular number: here, ταῖς ἁμερίαις, in the Plurall number: So then the words containe a Grand sinne, and a grand judgment.

1. For the finne: It's faid ἐαν μὴ τις δύσητε, If yee believe not. This great finne of unbeliefe, is the meritorious Cause of the greatest of Judgments. As if the Lord Christ should speak to this effect: You may lay the blame at your own dores, every one may cast the first stone upon himselfe, considering that I have been at so great Deut. 18.15. Paines with you: Although I have been a long time preaching the Gospell unto you, yet you will not believe that I am the Prophet proGen. 49. 10, mised, Shilob, astarre coming out of Jacob, the Messiah, the Savi

our of the world, the Redeemer, unto whom all the Prophets beare Dan. 9. 25. witnesse: because you believe not that I am be, but despise the great Salvation which I tender unto you: You shall dye in your finnes, (i. e.) in your dimpenitency and Infidelity: This I said before and I will repeate now, I said therefore unto you that yee shall dye in your Sinnes, for if ye believe not that I am he, yee shall dye in your finnes.

Doct.

Method.

From the words thus divided and expounded, I shall lay down one only point of Doctrine, for the Foundation of my ensueing Meditations.

That of all finnes, Infidelity especially is a grand-damning finne
against the Gospell.

For the Inlargment of this Doctrine my method shall be,
1. To shew what Infidelity is.

2. To produce Scripture Teftimony for proofe of the Do

&rine.

3. To Confirme the same by Demonstrative Arguments.
4. To inferre some practicall uses and apply them particu-

larly.

My first inquiry is, what Infidelity is, or wherein it chiefly con- 1. What Infifts? For Answer by way of Character I shall endeavour to re-fidelity is. present the nature of Infidelity in these Particulars.

1. Infidelity confists in not knowing of, nor believing that there 1. Infideliis a Christ: This is a Negative ignorance, which is called Igno-ty is the not rantia pure negationis. By beholding of the Sun, Moon, and starres, knowing of even by this naturall light, or book of nature, they may be con- a Christ. vinced that there is one God, Creator and Governour of all things, that this God is the absolute Being, Firfi cause, Being of Beings: But without the Book of Scriptures, we cannot know, nor believe that there is a Christ. This mysterie of Christ incarnate, Chrift crucified, Christs merits, Christs purchases is only revealed in the Gospell, which is hidden unto Infidells, a book sealed unto them, above the ken, apprehenfion, and faith of the most learned Heathens. Wherefore all such opinions that hold, that the Sun, Moon, and Starres are sufficient to teach them Christ, and faith in him are abhominable and cursed opinions. We must fetch our faith out of the Book of Scripture; Faith in Christ is a mysterie, it's of a spirituall cognizance, beyond the capacity of a naturall man, I Cor. 2. 14. And notwithstanding the negative ignorance, and unbeliefe of Heathens, they are not excusable. Tis true that those that sinne against knowledge, shall have a hotter Hell, but all ignorant persons are under a dreadfull curse, Jer. 10. 25.

2. Infidelity confifts, (and this is the height of it) in not be- 2. Infidelilieving Jesus to be the Christ; the Turkes account Chrift as a great ty confifts in Prophet, and will not suffer him to be reviled, and blasphemed, not believbut they account him not a Jesus, a Chrift: for they preferre ing Jesus Mahomet that grand Impostor before Chrift: The Jewes believe to be the that a Meffus thall come; that then shall come that Prophet Mofes Christ. prophefied of, that Shilo that Messias, that Jacob, and Daniel foretold, but as for Christ that they crucified at Jerufalem they reject him altogeather, and account him no better then a deceiver and the veyle to this day is yet upon their hearts, and their eyes are blinded, and God hath given them the spirit of slumber: Some Atheisticall scepticks we have now adaies, that fancy to

s ff ff

them.

themselves a Platonick Christ, a Chimera of their own addle braines, these are better skill'd in the books of Plato, then in the Bookes of holy Scriptore, this is but what Christ long agoe foretold, that there should arise false Christs, Mat. 24. 24. Infomuch (that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect) But there is a comfortable Parenthefis. My foule trembles to think of the blafphemies, herefies, and all forts of abominations that springs from this cursed fountaine of Platonick scepticisme. I shall remind you of these speciall Scriptures, which if the Lord set home upon your hearts, will abundantly throw downe the Devils great fstrong holds of new devised whiusicall opinions, hammerd upon the Anvill of an Atheisticall spirit, Read them deliberately, Ai. 2. 39. Ačt. 4. 12. Job. 17. 3. 1 Tim. 2.5. And this is the very scope of this Text. Where it is said if yee believe not that I am he yee shall dye in your finnes. Is videlicet quem esse me dico verus ille vobis promissus Liberator. So Beza on the place (i. e.) the fame I fay I and the promised Redeemer. Quacunque Scriptura Messie tribuit, Calvin. & ab ipfo fperare jubet, so Calvin. Regula fidei est ut non modo credamus esse Chriftum, sed eum quem scriptura docet verum fc: Θεάν Gualter. θρωπον, so Gualter. We must not only believe that there is a Chrift, but that he is the true Christ God and man, which the scripture teacheth and expresseth to be the only Phyfitian, Saviour, Fountaine of living water, bread of life, our great high Pifcator. Prieft, the Meffiah, the annointed of God, Pifcator gives one short, but pithy note; Eum fc. quem dico me esse videlicet Christum. Now the not believing this Christ here teaching in my Text, (who was afterward crucified at Jerufalem) to be the only Chrift, the only Mediator, the only price of our redemption is a grand damning finne against the Gospell.

Beza.

word.

3. Infideli- 3. Infidelity consists in not believing of the Word of God, Job. ty consists in 5.38. Pfal. 106. 24. Neither believed they his wondrous works, not belie- P.78.22. A strange unbelieving people who neither for the Word, ving Gods nor for the workes of God, would yet believe, Everythreatning and commination in the Word must be believed, yet notwithstanding how many bleffe themselves as Deut. 29. 19. That they shall have peace &c. Every promise must be believed, but what a great que itioning of, and what difputing against promises by unbelievers ? Many profeffe that Jesus is the Chrift, yet when it comes to particulars, they walke not answerably to their profetlion; For inflance stance, do they believe that they must be redeemed from their vaine conversation, that they must be in Christ, and be new creatures, and be pertakers of the divine nature, they must be borne againe, if ever they expect to come to heaven? These things they believe not, these are hard fayings say they who can heare them, yet the Word of God is refolate and peremptory, and not the least tittle thereof shall fall unto the ground: Is this Scripture believed, Ifa. 3. 10. Say yee to the righteous it shall be well with him, and Verf. 11. Woe unto the wicked, for it shall be ill with him. Lid men believe the Word and cleave to it? Did men believe that the Judgments against the wicked, and the promises made to the godly should be fulfilled, they would not lead such lives as they do, living without God in the world? As one said either this is not Gospell, (holding up the Bible in his hands) or you are not Christians: But this is Gospell, that if we believe not, we shall dye in our finnes: therefore we that live in our unbeliefe are not Chriftians.

4.- Infidelity consists in this, when we live by sense and not by 4. Infidelifaith, we believe no more then what we fee: if our sense and our ty is a lireason failes, our faith failes; as in the cafe of Thomas, Joh. 20. 27. ving by But we ought to live by faith and not by sense. Many will be- fenfe. lieve nothing but what they can give a reason for, though the waies of God are most reasonable, and religion is a reasonable λογική λαprofeffion; and a reasonable service is commanded: yet its above τρεια. reason, and transcendeth the capacity of a naturall man. That Rom. 12. 1. person must have his senses exercised, and a spirituall eye that will difcerne the misteries of God, see how the Apostle describes faith, Heb. 11.1. To be the substance of things not seen. And the Patriarches faw the promises a farre off, Heb. 11. 13. What then though sense faile, and reason is nonplussed, yet the promises of God never faile: This sometimes is the fault of Gods own children under desertions, who conclude awry, and say they have no faith because they want feeling: whereas feeling is an after thing, Eph. 1. 13. And faith may be in the Root alive, though the fruit appeare not presently to the sense; There is truth of faith, where there may be want of sense and apprehenfion: In so much as faith and doubting may goe togeather as appeares, Mark. 9. 24. Lord I believe, help my unbeliefc. This living by sense more then faith, is a great peice of Infidelity, hence it came to paffe that Abraham,

and Ifaac both denied their wifes, in them there was sense, and fear joyned togeather, Sarah laughed at the promise, there was sense, as appeares by her answer, Ge. 18.12. Sense acted in David and not faith; when he faid in his heart that he should one day perish by the hand of Saul, 1 Sam.27.1. Wherefore he betook himselfe immediatly unto the Phili, tines, I Sam. 27.1,2. Heres the Triall Sense faith no, Faith faith yea: Sense saith its impossible, Faith faith all things are poffible to the believer; Sense faith its incredible, and unreafonable: Faith faith I believe though incredible and unreasonable: Sense faith, and reason pleads we can dispute and argue no longer, Faith faith leave of disputing and learne to believe; Thus

did Abraham, and he acted upon a principle of faith, R0.4.19,20. 5. Infideli. 5. Infidelity consists in the Non-application of promises upon ty confits in the termes of the Gospell: for to belive Chrift is a Saviour, and the Non ap- not my Saviour, what comfort can I take in it? To believe Chrift plication of dyed for finners, and to exclude my selfe from any benefit by his promises. death; this is a dreadfull condition, Paul applied Chrift to himGal. 2.26. felfe, Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himselfe for me.

Matth. 5.

And fo

did Thomas my Lord and my God. Now heares a great difference between presumptuous finners, and poore weak believers; Presumptuous finners are too hasty to apply too much, and poore weak Christians are too backward, and apply too little; Every presumptuous finner would be blessed, and happy, and will fay Chrift dyed for him, but he is a stranger, and grossely ignorant who they are to whom appertaines blessednesse; It's appropriated to the poore in spirit, to the pure in heart, to those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: but poore weak believers are afraid to lay hold on promises, and question their interest in them; Now to speak to weak Christians, whose faith is true though but little,

2 Pet. 1. 1. let them know that their little faith is ἰσότιμοςπίςις like pretious faith, they would faine have more faith, they pray for more, and they strive for more, it's their griefe, and cause of heavineffe that they have no more: do you not then whatever you are stand in your own light, O therefore tast and fee that God is good, stay upon his promises, and apply your selves unto Christ, the poorer you are in your own spirit, and the more sensible of your unworthineffe, the more fit you are to receive Jesus Christ, and if you dare not apply Christs promises unto you, be sure that you apply your felves unto Chrift, and his promises, relye, stay and leane upon

them

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