THE Subject, I have, by appoint­ment, undertaken to treat of, may peradventure, to some at first proposal, not seem altogether so proper and suitable to our present occasion. Yet when ye well consider the purport of the words I have now read to you, that Faith is the great instrument and advantage of a Christians life; for the just shall live by his faith: and that Justification or forgiveness of sins is the main comfort, any Christian can have at his death; inasmuch as he that be­lieves, shall not die for ever, and though he die, yet shall he live; and over and above, that the Gospel-state affords us Christians that help [Page 6] towards these ends, which the Jewish oecono­my could not do to them: ye must acknow­ledge with me, there cannot be a more effe­ctual Exhortation for us that survive, then that of Faith; nor a fuller Consolation over our deceased Friends, then that of being ju­stified; whereby at our departure hence we have a prospect of ensuing bliss in the other world, by being assured through faith in Christ, of pardon and acceptance, and of escaping the wrath to come. This justifying faith, I say, is the ground of all a Christians present duties here in this life, and of his fu­ture expectations hereafter in the next. This it was made the Apostle say, To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: a Motto which every Christian may bear upon his Scutcheon, and inscribe upon the shield of his faith. For by Christ all that believe are justified from all things, &c.

S. Paul being in a Synagogue of the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia on the Sabbath day, after the reading of the Lessons, out of the Law one, and the other out of the Prophets, as their custom was; being desired by the Rulers of [Page 7] the Synagogue, the chief of the Assembly, to speak, if he had any thing to say for the in­struction of the people, takes occasion, after he had given them a brief historical account of the Israelitish Common-wealth down to David, to preach unto them Jesus, and to assert his Messiaship,

By his lineal descent from that King Da­vid, according to promise, vers. 23.

By the Testimony of John his fore-runner, vers. 25.

By the Completion of Prophecies in his Passion, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial, vers. 27, &c.

And lasty, and most especially, by his mi­raculous Resurrection, whereof there were many witnesses still alive, vers. 30, 31 And that accordingly as David himself had fore­told in his Book of Psalms, particularly in the sixteenth, where he says, Thou shalt not suffer thy holy One to see corruption; which words in the 36. v. he says, as S. Peter had ob­served before in his first Sermon, Acts 2. could not be meant of Davids own person, who having served his generation, died as other [Page 8] men do, and never rose out of that sepulcher he was laid in; his body having long since moulderd into dust, and his monument re­maining still among them till that day. And now from all these Arguments he draws this Conclusion in this and the verse immediately foregoing. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is prea­ched unto you forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe, &c. and then last of all he pursues and drives home this Doctrine with a vehement Application, in the two next verses, forewarning them to take heed of rejecting the Gospel, as we find they did on the next Sabbath-day, vers. 46. when upon the un­toward and unworthy carriage of the Jews, the Apostle disclaims them, and turns to the Gentiles.

Thus have I given you a short Analysis, and Survey of the Apostles whole discourse, the sense and main design whereof lies in the Text, that Jesus Christ was the expected Mes­sias, the Saviour of the world, by whom and by him alone Justification through Faith in him, and forgiveness of sins, which is the [Page 9] proper notion and importance of salvation, is to be obtained.

This Doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ is set down here.

1. Affirmatively, in Thesi, By him all that believe are justified from all things.

2. Negatively, per Antithesin, in oppositi­on to Mosaical observances; from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

In the Affirmative part we have

1. A great Priviledge, or the Benefit it self, wherein Gods favour and mans happi­ness doth mainly consist; and that's Justifi­cation.

2. The Ground of it; Christ. What by his Merit; 'tis in him, for his sake, and through his satisfaction, we are justified. What by his Spirit; 'tis by him, by his vertue and efficacy working in us, that we are justified.

3. The Condition or Qualification, which makes us capable of it, or, as some love ra­ther to term it; the Instrument by which 'tis applied and made ours; and that's faith. They that believe are justified.

4. The Extent of it, and the latitude it bears. And that twofold.

[Page 10]1. As to its Subject, in quo, viz. the per­sons justified; all that believe, or [...], every one that believes is justified.

2. As to its Object, circa quod, to wit, the things from which Justification is to free and release Believers. And that is [...] from all things, from all charge and incumbrance, from all damages and inconveniences, which otherwise might upon strict rules of Justice befal them.

In the Negative part is expressed the weak­ness and insufficience of the Mosaical Dispen­sation for the attaining this Righteousness, which is to be had only by Christ; that we could not be justified from those things by the Law of Moses.

You see then, that I have a large field of discourse before me, were I, which cannot well be expected from me in these straights of time, at large to speak of Justification, of Christs Satisfaction, of Faith in Christ, of the legal Administration, which are so many com­mon places of Divinity, and would each of them require a Volume to be treated of in their full importance. It will be enough that [Page 11] I briefly touch at each particular head seve­rally, and so as may be most agreeable to the purpose of our present meeting, to the Instru­ction and Comfort of the Hearers.

And I shall take this Method, first to shew, what is meant by Justification, or by being justified. Next to prove the insufficience of Moses his Law, and its inability of justifying the observers of it: and then in the last place to make out how we are justified by Christ, and that through Faith in him. For so the words stand in the Greek, in this order I have here set them in; From all things from which ye could not be justified by, or in the Law of Moses, by, or in him, namely, in Christ, every one that believeth is justified.

First then what Justification is. To be justified is to be accounted and lookt upon as righteous and perfectly just in the sight of Good, our Law-giver and our Judge; and thereupon to be absolutely discharged and acquitted according to the tenour of the Law by the Sentence of the Judge from all the penalties that were to be inflicted upon the transgressors of the Law, and for that our [Page 12] Righteousness to be accepted of God in our persons and performances, and in the end to be eternally rewarded. And this all grounded upon the nature and sanction of a Law, which as it proposes Commands and Rules to be observed, so is ratified with Pro­mises on one hand of reward to the obedient, and on the other hand with Threats of pu­nishment to those that shall be found guilty of the breach of it. Now this Justification, had the Covenant of Nature stood, the Law of Moses continued in force; must have been made out by our own personal exact obedi­ence to every tittle of our obligations: for this was the tenour of that Law. Do this and live, and Cursed be every one that continu­eth not in all the words of the Law to do them: and this is that is called legal Righteousness. But in Christ, under the Covenant of Grace, which was substituted in the room and stead of that other, the Law of Faith has altered the terms, thus; He that believes, shall be sa­ved; and He that believeth not, shall be con­demned. So that now faith in Christ and sincerity of obedience, (for there are Com­mands [Page 13] too as well as Promises, and Threats even in this Law of Faith) is that we call Evangelical Righteousness; whereby we are through that satisfaction, Christ as our surety hath by his active and passive obedi­ence wrought for us, which through Faith in him is imputed unto us for Righteousness, ju­stified by him, to the forgiveness of our sins, to the acceptation of our persons, and to the reward of our services. Again this Justifi­cation is indeed attained in this life, being laid hold on by Faith, evidenced by our obedience, and sealed to every particular Believers con­science by the Spirit of Promise: but in the next life will be declared in open Court at the general Assizes of all Mankind at the last day, so that the true Believer lives & dies in peace of conscience, as having an assurance through Faith, that Christ by his death has satisfied for his sins, and purchased for him everlasting life. For so we find Justification explained in this very Chapter, by comparing the 38. and 26. verses with our Text. What he had said there, to you is the word of this salvation sent, repeating it here in other words. Through [Page 14] this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins. So that to be justified is to have our sins forgiven, and our souls saved.

Having thus stated and distinguished Iu­stification, we are now to remove the legal Righteousness, that we may establish the Righteousness by Faith, and to shew that the Law of Moses was unable and insufficient for the justifying of any one. Where first we are to premise an usual Distinction of that Law into Moral, Ceremonial, and Judicial.

The Judicial Law was peculiar to the Jewish Common-wealth, designed only for external polity, and for the quiet and regular administration of the Civil State of that peo­ple, nor has it any obligation upon any other people any further, then, as it was a body of Statutes appointed by God himself for the go­vernment of his own people, it deserves our veneration, and as far as the circumstances and customs of other Countries will admit, an imitation.

The Ceremonial Law was most properly the Law of Moses, wherein were delivered the rules of Gods Worship, which consisted of Pu­rifications [Page 15] and Expiations, and other Leviti­cal Rites. That again obliged none but Jews, and their Proselytes, and was to have an end at the coming of Christ.

The Moral Law was not so much the Law of Moses, as the Law of Adam, that which is written in every mans heart, and was obliga­tory to all mankind before Moses, and will be so to the end of the world; such as are all the Precepts of the Decalogue. For though there be somewhat in them ceremonial, to which none but Jews were obliged, as in the fourth the strictness of the Sabbath-rest, and the very day it self (for had it not been so, it could not have been altered; whatsoever is in its nature purely moral, being of a perpetual as well as universal, and of an indispensable obligation) I say, notwithstanding somewhat of Ceremony intermixt, the things them­selves commanded or forbidden in those pre­cepts are acknowledged and owned by the ve­ry light of Nature; as that God should have a proportion of our time bestowed on his service, which in equity could not be less then a seventh part. Beyond all this, our [Page 16] Saviour himself tells us, he came not to destroy this Law, but to fulfil it in his own person, and heighten its obligations upon us his fol­lowers. And it appears by circumstances here, that the Apostle addressing his speech to the Jews might very likely mean only the Law of Ceremonies, as possibly he does in his Epistle to the Galatians, and other places by works of the Law intend mainly the Circum­cision and other Rites and observances, which some Converts of that Religion, at the first propagation of the Gospel, mainly insisted on, and mixed with their Christianity: a perswasion and practice, which the Doctor of the Gentiles does every where upon all occa­sions as he meets with it, endeavour to con­fute. Yet this Law also having been given by Moses in some sense, as to the promulgation of it, and the accommodating it to the use and interest of his Country-men, I shall take it in too, and make good, that neither the ob­servance of the Ceremonial Law, which obli­ged the Jews, could; nor the performance of the Moral Law, to which all men are obliged can or ever could justifie any man. And [Page 17] this according to that place, The Law was gi­ven by Moses; but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, where as Truth is opposed to Ce­remony, so Grace is to the Law of Nature.

First the Ceremonial Law, besides that it laboured under other disadvantages, as that it was burdensom in its charge, and in its atten­dance; and it was obscure, compared to Gos­pel light, as being but the shadow of good things to come; it was in its very constitution imper­fect and impotent, and that in two respects.

1. It was not commensurate to the necessi­ties of all mankind; that Levitical service having been prescribed only, and appropria­ted to the Jews, as a characteristical mark of distinction betwixt them and other Na­tions.

2. It was not adequate to its end; which was the expiation of guilt, the atonement of wrath, and propitiation for sins. For it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins, as the Apostle argues, Heb. 10.4. Wherefore the Law, as he says there, could not by those Sacrifices, which were fain to be continually repeated, make the co­mers [Page 18] thereunto perfect. For indeed what pro­portion was there betwixt those mean obla­tions and the ransom and price of souls? For the Verdict of the Law was, that the soul that sins shall die. What amends then could the death of a poor beast make for the trans­gression of its owner? or how could those sorry acknowledgments reconcile Divine Ju­stice? Which made the Prophet Micah cry out, VI. 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? No, this would have been no compensation. It cost more to redeem souls then so.

But, you'l say, if it be so, what use was there then of those Ceremonies and Sacrifices? Was no one justified under that Law, no Righteousness to be had by that Dispensati­on? Yes, but 'twas the righteousness of Faith then too, and those that were, were justified by Christ, who was represented and typified in [Page 19] those legal Rites: for it was the immaculate Lamb that virtuated all those Oblations, and the whole Pedagogie of that Law had its effect and consummation in him. Wherefore it was to be but of a temporary date, and as it pointed to him, so it was to end in him.

Nor was the Ceremonial Law only imper­fect, but the Moral is so too, that which has a natural obligation upon all men. The in­ability of this Law, as to Justification, is part­ly from our weakness, partly from its own.

1. We are naturally unable to perform it in an exact obedience: and though some He­reticks are bold to say, that a man may by the strength of Nature satisfie all the demands of that Law we are by nature obliged to; a Do­ctrine which modest Philosophers amongst Heathens disclaim; as appears by the body of death, the blessed Apostle complains of, and other passages in him, taken out of the Wri­tings of Plato. Yet supposing, that there were no original corruption, and that a man could lead a perfect life; which are two things that are not to be supposed; for what man ever was there beside the Son of God, that was [Page 20] either born, or lived without sin? If he could make satisfaction, where would be his merit? Or how could he extend that satisfaction to the benefit of others? But alas! Scripture tells us, no man hath redeemed his own soul; much less is he in a capacity to do it for ano­ther, but must let that alone for ever.

2. As we are unable to go through what the Law requires, so the Law also is unable to help us. It lays Rules indeed before us, and Obligations upon us, and convinces us sufficiently of the Duty we owe; but fur­nishes us with no strength for the perfor­mance of it. I had not known sin, says the Apostle, but for the Law, no, nor practised it neither. For (which shews the pravity as well as weakness of our nature) lust takes advan­tage from the Law, and breaks out with the more violence from under its restraints. Not but that the Law is in it self holy, and just, and perfect, but sin finds occasion from the Law to be exceeding sinful. Wherefore he affirms elsewhere, that as the sting of death is sin, so the strength of sin is the Law; from whence sin hath all its damning power; since [Page 21] without the Law sin could not damn us; for where there's no law, there's no transgression. But what follows? But thanks be to God, says he, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, and that's our third Con­sideration.

That we are justified by Christ alone. What Moses could not do in his Law, Christ has done in his. Grace has supplied the defects of Nature; and what was wanting to Legal Righteousness, is made up by the Evangeli­cal. The Ceremonies, as they were to have their period, so were to have their completion too at the coming of Truth: and the Law of Works is not so much superseded, as 'tis ac­complished in its end, by the Law of Faith, which exserts it self, though not in an exact, as was then required, yet in, that, which is now accepted, a sincere obedience. Now this Justification I told you, is had by Christ two ways.

1. By imputation of his satisfaction and merit.

2. By the influence and efficacy of his Spi­rit. I am sorry to find that some men among [Page 22] us take offence at these terms of imputed Righteousness, and infused Grace, as notions that do not so well square with Right (i. e. they mean their) reason. But as sure as our sins were imputed to Christ, so really is his Righteousness imputed unto us: and as sure as we have no natural ability of our selves to any thing that good is, so certain is it, that we are to be influenced by Gods good Spirit, infusing a principle of grace into us, and accompanying that grace along with his assistances in its particular acts. Otherwise I am to seek which way we are to expect, ei­ther to be justified, or to be sanctified: for I hope they will not say our Justification or Sanctification is from our selves, and so make men to become their own Saviours.

1. We are justified by Christ, per modum meriti, as a meritorious cause; by vertue of that satisfaction he has made for us. For the Father and the Son having in our behalf a­greed upon a mutual Covenant and ingage­ment, that whosoever believes, should through Christ have forgiveness of his sins, and be ac­cepted in the well-beloved; and Christ on his [Page 23] part having in his own person fulfilled the Law, and fully answered all its demands, and satisfied Divine Justice for us; it now re­mains that God, as he is faithful, will forgive our sins, if we be faithful; and that he will in justice justifie us sinners by Faith in his Sons sufferings. For so he that knew no sin was made sin for us, that we through his obedi­ence might be made righteous. To this sa­tisfaction of his, which was of it self plenary, the dignity and excellency of the person that undertook and performed for us, has added that illustrious advantage, that there has ac­crued a large stock of merit, a purchase of life and glory for all Believers, as well as of pardon and grace for true Penitents. Nor is it his merit alone, for which we are justified. But,

2. We are justified by him per modum ef­ficientiae too, as an efficient cause, by the work­ing of his Spirit. And this was to ascertain his purchase and to apply his acquists: and therefore, when he had finished the work of our Redemption he came into this lower world about, he not only ascended himself [Page 24] into Heaven, there to sit at the right hand of the Father, and by continual intercessions to plead and make good his merits; but did also send down the Spirit to keep residence here below, & to perform the office of an Advocate and a Comforter, and made him the great Tru­stee to issue out the revenues of his grace. Besides, all things in him are gathered into one, and there is that strict Vnion and inti­mate Communion betwixt Christ the Head of the Church, and all the lively Members of that his mystical Body, all true Believers, that they and he are one, as the Father and he are one. For he having espoused our nature as well as our quarrel, the vertue of that hyposta­tical Vnion extends it self over all, even to the very dust of the Faithful, that sleep in their graves. From this close Vnion it fol­lows, that all Believers, as being parts of him­self, are animated and acted by his Spirit effe­ctually in several operations; such as these are in the matter of Justification we are now up­on: that by this Spirit of his, the merits of Christ are applied to us, and that our Consci­ences are sprinkled with his blood from dead [Page 25] works, to the purging away of guilt, that the pardon of our sins is assured and sealed to us, that Faith is wrought in our hearts, and that a sufficience of Grace is given in to us, where­by we are inabled to every good work. And all this according to the Covenant, by which he was to purchase not pardon only, but grace also for us, whereby we might be as dischar­ged from the guilt, so released from the sla­very and dominion of sin, if we rightly imploy our victorious Faith: which is the condition, or, if you will, taking the word in a moral sense, the Instrument of Justification.

And this we are now to speak of, and then conclude with the extent of it, that 'tis all Be­lievers are justified, and they are justified from all things. And these two will make up our applicatory part, the condition for our Instruction and Exhortation, and the extent for a word of Comfort.

Seeing then that Justification is so great an advantage and priviledge, such a benefit and blessing, as none is to be compared to it, as that which sanctifies and sweetens all the in­joyments of this life, and ascertains Gods fa­vour [Page 26] and glorious hopes to us in the next: that which renders all conditions comforta­ble, living or dying; whereas without par­don of sins and peace of conscience, let a mans outward fortunes be what they will, the man is an utter stranger to true happiness, whilst he is here, and will be abandoned to a sad miserable estate to all eternity hereafter: and seeing that this Justfication is not to be had but by Christ alone, who took upon him to be our surety, and has done and suffered all that was necessary to be done and suffered for us in order to our salvation, and has by his merit and satisfaction purchased for us pardon and grace whereby we may be saved; and that the merit of his satisfaction can no other way be derived and conveyed to us but by Faith in him, a reliance on his merit, and an obedience to his Gospel; and that without our faith Christ and his Gospel and Salvation it self can stand us in no stead; and all the merits of his obedience and the benefits of his Passion, and the dispensations of his Grace will signifie nothing, be of none effect to us, if we remain still in our unbelief; let us be [Page 27] exhorted to have Faith in the holy Jesus, to have recourse to him as to our Mediator and Advocate, to imbrace him upon his own terms, to nail our sins to his Cross, to cast our burden upon him, who is able to save to the utmost all that put their trust in him, to shelter our selves in the clefts of that Rock the wounds of our dear Saviour, and renouncing all other hopes with a holy confidence roll our selves upon his satisfaction, that we may be cloathed with the robes of his Righteous­ness, and be found in him to the atoning of our offended God, to the pacifying and puri­fying of our troubled and guilty consciences, and to the escaping of indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, and everlasting burn­ings, which attend those that through unbe­lief and impenitence live and die in their sins.

But because Faith is a word of large and doubtful meaning in holy Writ, let me also for your better instruction, that no one may mistake himself, lay before you some of the most ordinary acceptions of the word, which yet do not come home to our purpose nor [Page 28] amount to a justifying Faith.

Sometimes Faith is taken for an acknow­ledgment of Divine Truths revealed in Gods Word. And this though it be enough to de­nominate one Orthodox in his opinions, and sound in his judgment; yet if it be but No­tional, and hath no practical influence upon the heart and life, is no right sound Faith, by which a man shall be justified.

Otherwhere it denotes a firm perswasion of mind, that the thing he is taking in hand is lawful and fit to be done. In which sense the Apostles rule is to be understood, that what­soever is not of faith is sin. And this is very far from being a Faith that will justifie one before God or men. For some out of an er­roneous conscience (which sure is no good con­scence) may having a zeal not according to knowledge (as often has been done) think those things lawful, which are quite contra­ry: such as our Saviour speaks of, that will kill you, and think they do God good service in so doing. And others when they have not a mind to do things that in their own nature are lawful, and the command of a just Au­thority [Page 29] makes necessary to be done, may pre­tend dissatisfaction of conscience for a colour of their disobedience.

Another common acception, to mention no more, of Faith is to take it for a strong as­surance of Gods peculiar love and favour to them in pardoning their sins and designing them for salvation. When perhaps they have no other reason for their so believing, but that they are willing to believe so, and have taken pains with themselves to perswade themselves into such a belief, and make themselves believe they do believe: and this may be, as it too too often proves a dangerous mistake, by putting the name of Faith upon a fond over-weening conceit and a rash unreasonable presumption.

Wherefore that thy Faith may not deceive thee, take along with thee these three or four marks of tryal, to examine it by, whether it be a right well-grounded Faith or no.

1. A true Faith imbraces Christ in all the capacities of his mediatiorial office; as King, Priest, and Prophet.

2. It takes in the whole compass of Gospel-dispensations; commands and threats as well as promises; Sacraments and all other Ordinances alike.

[Page 30]3. It ingages the whole man, the assent of the understanding, the compliance of the will, the regularity of the affections, and the compo­sure of the outward behaviour.

4. It always is accompanied with serious re­pentance for sin, and a frank expression and ex­ercise of charity, according to the sense a man has of the love of God towards himself.

Dost thou find then that by thy Faith thou ownest and acceptest thy Saviour all over in all his three Offices? that thou art as content to submit to him as a Prophet to teach and in­struct thee, as a King to rule and govern thee, as thou art glad to have him thy Priest to sa­tisfie for thee and to bless thee? Art thou willing to be saved his way, and to conform to his Methods, so as to ingage in working out thy own salvation, and art thou convinced thou oughtest to do something for thy own sake, something for his, who has done so much for thine? Has thy Faith an equal im­partial respect to Christs Commands as to his Promises? and dost thou take as much de­light in the obedience of Faith, as thou dost in its assurance? Dost thou consider that though [Page 31] it be a Covenant of Grace, thou standest un­der, yet 'tis a Covenant and tyes thee up to conditions? and that though the Gospel be a Law of Liberty, 'tis a Law still, and that Chri­stian liberty does not give thee a freedom from duty, but from sin, and is not to be used as a cloak of malice and licentiousness? Hast thou an even regard to all the means of grace, and a desire to profit by them all, and not by a wanton preference of one Ordinance to ano­ther, forfeit the benefit of all the rest? Canst thou tell where to find thy Faith, in what part of thee 'tis seated: does it swim as an empty Notion in thy head only, or has it by serious resolutions sunk down into thy heart, and thence flows into all thy outward parts; to the government of thy thoughts and desires, thy words and thy actions? Dost thou use to call thy sins to account, and thinking on them and thy Saviours sufferings togetber, set open the sluces of grief, and mourn over thy wounded conscience and thy crucified Jesus? And lastly, hast thou such a sense of Gods love to thee, in the pardon of thy sins, that thou canst freely forgive all offences done [Page 32] against thee, and for his sake, who for thine has not spared his Son, cheerfully part with all thou hast and resign up all thy concerns into his hands for his uses, when he calls for them; and is thy Faith a Faith working by charity, that puts forth vital acts; and eviden­ces and justifies it self by good works to be a living and a true Faith? For though it be Faith alone that justifies, yet 'tis no true Faith that is alone; and as a man is not justified for his good works, so no man must hope to be justified without them.

If thy Faith be such a Faith, as will abide this tryal, and answer this description, then 'tis a Faith thou mayst trust to, and thou hast reason to believe thy self to be a Believer, and God will improve and build up thy Faith to blessed assurances of pardon and peace, of Grace and Glory.

And then in the last place, what Comfort will it be to be thus assured, when thou canst apply the general Proposition to thy self, which is that All that believe are justified. But believe. Therefore I am justified. If all Belie­vers, then thou, Believer, whoever thou art; [Page 33] of whatsoever condition, be thy worldly estate never so low, thy outward circumstances ne­ver so contemptible, thou hast an equal share and interest in Gods favour, and in the merit of Christ with the best. Whatever thy for­mer life hath been, read with comfort that black list of the foulest sins, 1 Cor. 6. Idola­ters, Adulterers, and the like, and such, the Apostle tells them, were some of you, but now are ye washed, now are ye sanctified, now are ye justified. Reflect with sorrow upon what thou hast been, and with joy give God thanks for what thou art. And then how weak soever thy Faith at present be, canst thou say, Lord, I believe, that he may help thy unbelief, and increase thy faith more and more, till Faith it self shall be swallowed up into vision.

This as to the extent of the subject; nor has that of the object less of Consolation in it, when a Believer considers that by his Faith he is justified and fully discharged from all things, from all suits and evictions, from all troubles and molestations, from all dues and demands, his surety having paid all for him. From the guilt of sin, in that he that knew no sin, [Page 34] was reckoned amongst transgressors, and was made sin for him. From the punishment of sin, Christ having offered up himself in Sa­crifice once for all. As for the chastisements and light afflictions of this life, as they are but momentany, to they are attended with an eter­nal weight of glory. From the demands and sentence and curse of the Law, his Redeemer having fulfilled all Righteousness for him, and nailed the hand-writing of Ordinances, which was against him, to the Cross, and undergone the Curse upon the tree. From the wrath of God, which the Son of God his Mediator has atoned. From the horrors of a guilty conscience, which the Lamb of God has sprinkled with his blood, and his Prince of Peace has spoke peace to. From the terrors of death, which the Captain of his Salvation has conquered by dy­ing. From the accusations of the Devils, whom the King of glory has triumphed over at his descent into Hell in their own Territo­ries: and from everlasting damnation, which his blessed Saviour the holy Jesus by his infi­nite satisfaction has bought off for him. And now what has this happy person to do in this [Page 35] world any longer, having his debts paid, his sins pardoned, his God reconciled, his Consci­ence quieted and assured, his accusers silenced, his enemies vanquished, the Law satisfied, and himself justified, and his Saviour glorified, and a Crown of immortality, and a Robe of Righteousness prepared for him; what has he to do here more, then to get him up to the top of Pisgah, and take a view of his heavenly Ca­naan, to stand upon the confines of eternity, and in the contemplation of those joys and glories despise and slight the vanities and troubles of this sinful and miserable world, and to breathe after his better life, and be preparing himself for his change, when he shall be called off to weigh anchor and hoise sail for another world, where he is to make discoveries of unutterable felicities, and un­conceivable pleasures? O what a happy and blest condition is it to live or to die in the midst of such gracious deliverances and glo­rious assurances; with this fastning considera­tion to boot, that neither life nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any creature is able to separate him from the love of [Page 36] God, which is in Jesus Christ his Lord? Thus to live, is to live in peace; thus to die, is to die with joy: peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. What would not a dying man give to have his eternal state thus secu­red to him, and to insure his soul for his long long voyage, whence there's no returning? O let us earnestly beg of God to give us Faith to be our Guide in this life, and our Pi­lot for the next.

Amidst these raptures, 'tis but time, to speak a word or two of our dear deceased Sister here before us, who has brought us to­gether to do her the last office of Christian Charity. And sure that Charity, as well as Custom, makes it necessary, that where much may be said, something must. Nor need I be lavish in her praises, since to be but just to her memory, and to speak out, but her due commendations, would seem to distrust the Neighbours, her Acquaintance, my Auditors, whose good word and high esteem as she had, when she was living; so she needs no Pulpit-flattery to set her forth being dead. Shall I tell you of her Conjugal affection and [Page 37] her chast Conversation coupled with fear? who, besides the advantages of a great Fortune, brought that to her Husband, which was a more valuable Portion, a lowly mind; paying that constant respect to his person, and that due submission to his pleasure, and that sure friendship to all his Concerns, and demean­ing her self to humbly, as if she had brought him nothing but her Vertues. Shall I mention her indulgent care and motherly love of her Children? whose Duties she earn­ed by her laborious attendance on their in­fant-years, thinking it would look too like an unkindness to be owned as a Mother, where she had not been a Nurse too, and judging it little better than unnatural not to entertain them at her breasts, whom she had carried in her womb. Shall I take notice to you, what good Order and Decorum she kept in her Fa­mily, how she centered all her thoughts and business, like the standing foot of the Com­pass, at home, and how unconcerned she was in the Publick, unless it were to do any office of neighbourly kindness, or when the duties of the Sabbath called her forth? Above [...] [Page 38] humility was remarkable, for she had that, which S. Peter advises grave Matrons to put on, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, and of good men too, of great price: and this she preferred before all the gawdy Attire, which others of her Sex, especially of her Fortune, use to adorn themselves withal. In a word, as she exprest the vertues of the other Sister in her domestick cares, so I doubt not but she minded the one thing necessary too, and with Mary in the Gos­pel, chose that better part which shall not be taken from her. God grant us all to be like-minded, and as he has given us his Son, so may he give us of his Spirit to work Faith and all Grace in us, that so we may be justified and sanctified, and finally as we hope she now is glorified. Now to God the Father, Son, and blessed Spirit be all Praise, Honour, and Glo­ry, now and for ever. Amen.