CHAP. VII.

The Third Reafon of the Doctrine, viz. Because the cause of a dull Faith is exceeding bad. Unbelief the Iffue of feveral Sins: Arrirft, Folly; and that as oppofite, 1. To Knowledge, in Five Particulars: 2. To Wisdome. Secondly, Slowness of beart; which implyes Three things: 1. Slothfulneß. 2. Backwardneß. 3. Dulines. Thirdly, Hardneß of Heart: The Ex preffions of which in Scripture fignifie Two things: 1, Stubborneß. 2. Senfel:ffneß.

C

REASON, III...

Hrift is fo angry, or doth upbraid Unbelief in his Saints, or Unbeleevers, because it is the Iffue and Birth of fo many Corruptions. As God fbut the Baltards in the time of the Law from the Temple, and would not fuffer them to bear any Office, Deut.23.2. not for any hatred to them, but to fhew his hatred to the Luft out of which they were begotten. The eyes of the Lord are more upon the Root, than upon the Act of Sin. As a wife Phyfitian more confiders the cause of the Disease, than the prefent diftemper wherein the party is; his hot,or his cold Fit is not much, but the ill humors whence they arife. As Jefus Chrift in Comforting doth fpeak to the heart, and waters the root that fo there may be a continual fpringing of Confolation and Refreshment. So in his Reproving too, he Reproves to the heart, and goes to the bottom of every fin.

And

And you fhal find if you look into the Scripture, that this Unbelief doth grow alwayes like fome Flags in fome miry heart.

There are fundry Sins which the Scripture inftanceth in:

As Firft, Folly of heart, Luke 24. 25. O Fools, and flow of heart to beleeve. That I may open that place a little to you: Folly you know is oppolice to,

He is a Fool that wants understanding: and he is no better that hath understanding, and is not wife to order and manage the things that he knows, that he may thereby attain to his end. Unbelief proceeds from Folly in both these interpretati

ons.

1. There is a want of the knowledge of God and of Jefus Chrift, wherever there is a fhinefs, or loofnefs, or unwillingness of heart to beleeve. For they that know thy Name, will truft in thee, Pfal.9.10. And although God gives unto all men as great a Right unto what they have, as if they bought it, (which is the meaning of that place of the Prophet Ifaiah, Buy without money, and money worth, Ifa. 55. 1.) yet they do not beleeve it. Though the thoughts of God are not as our thoughts, nor his wayes as our wayes, but as far above them at the heavens are above the earth, Ifa.5518,9. In Fer.29.11. God cells them that they might beleeve that their watefare fhould be accomplished, that his thoughts were thoughts of peace towards them; I know the thoughts that I have towards you, faith God, they are thoughts of Peace, and not of evil. Did men know the rich

nefs

nefs of Mercy, and the abundance of goodness in God, and the largenefs of Gods intenfions of heart towards finners, that he placeth his glory in being kind to them, and that therefore he can be no lofer, but a gainer in what he gives to them: Did men know Gods faithfulnefs and truth, and that Jefus Chrift was fent by him only to open the door that we had ftopt, and to open those pipes which we had filled with fin, that loving kindness might flow towards us, then men would be ready to beleeve. Why do men fcruple the trufting of men? but because they know them not, or elfe know them not to be able, or juft, in the performance of their promifes. Did we know one who is rich, (to whom thoufands would not be felt, because his eftate is fo large) and one whose ambition was to fupply Wants for nothing, we fhould be ready to think we should be fupplyed by him. This is the firft caufe of Unbelief; Folly; that we know not our best friend. As that Child that knows not his Father to be the best friend it hath; fo it is with us, That we know not the affections and difpofitions that are in God towards us.

2. Befides this, there is this folly alfo in Unbe. lief, That the great things of Jesus Christ are not counted real, but conceits, and words, and exprefficns, and notions, and artifices, only to perfwade and draw men. So you fhall find it was with thefe very Difciples in Luke 24. 37 that when Chrift came to them, they thought he had been a Spirit, or as it is in another place, a Phantafme, a Picture that had been made only by their own conceits. In Rom. 2.20. you have a forme of knowledge spoken of, and the meaning of it is this, That the jewes did know the matters of Religion, not in themselves, but in their Notion, asthey were parts and pieces of that Syfteme of that profeffion of Religion that

was

I was among them. So now do ofc times Beleevers look upon the great things that are reported to be done by Jefus Chrift, to be things that only fill up the ftory. Or that I may exprefs my meaning more fully to you,: As in a parable there are many words, which the scope of the holy Ghost doth not lye in, only those words are put in to make the parable, a compleate emblem, or hieroglyphick, or reprefentation of fome thing that Chrift meant in it: So men think the great promifes and things that are spoken of by Jefus Chrift, that they are but great expreffions, which ferves but the turn of perIwading, but are not to be exhibited forth or accomplithed. As men that come to woe speak great things, and make great promifes, but those great promifes are to be interpreted only as expreflions of great affections, and cords of drawing love again, but all that is spoken, is not to be expected. So do Saints do with the great and precious Promifes, Luke 24. 11. when they told them that Jefus was come again, it was as if they had told them a very tale, the text faith. And the Reasons that the Saints do not look upon the Gofpel as real, are thefe:

Partly from the contrariety that is between the Gospel and our reafon and fenfe. As Sarah laughed, and counted it a ridiculous thing, that she fhould have a Child, the feed of the Promise, in whom all the Nations of the World fhould be bleffed, when she was grown fo old, Gen. 18.12.

Another Reason is, The difproportion that is between the things of the Gospel, and our Condition. Come and tell a Beggar that he fhall have enough to live upon,and you may perfwade him: but come andrell him that he fhall be made an Earl, and to

have thousands, to have fuch an Eftate as never came into his thoughts or defires, and he will think you fpeak things to delude him, and are not to be credited by him. So the Saints fay, What, I put into the bofonie of God, who am a load! What, I fet upon the Throne, who have laboured to put it down! What Jefus Chrift become a Curfe for me, who if I perith) he hath not any lofs at all by Will God pardon my fins after I have abused his grace and mercy! It is too great, and too good,and too much for me. Now this is Folly of Heart. Mark it. As a Fool makes all things that are trivial, real, and puts great weight on them; So its as great folly to make things that are real, to be as if they were not. What a folly is this, for a man to count thofe things which only have fubfiftance, to be imaginary? And to count thofe things which are but tranfitory only, to be fubftantial?

3 There is another Folly of Heart befides that, for which Chrift may be justly angry at in Unbelief and that is, That it is not lutable to the Principles of Faith which God hath ingenerated and infufed into his people. He is a fool you know thar doth not act according to the principles of Reafon. So is he that doth not act according to the grounds and principles of Faith which are nothing in us, but only Gods grace made known by Gods Word: which Word is to be accomplished by his truth that cannot fail. Because he faith he will be good, who can fay that it is not to be accomplished, therefore they are to be beleeved. Now all Unbelief arifeth because a man leaves thefe grounds, and thinks to find a ground in himfelf.

Iam unworthy, faith one, that God fhould do thofe things for me.