5. Upon the act of faith consider your privileges, and humbly make your claim. Whenever you have taken Christ u]^on those seasonable offers, consider what a great privilege you enjoy : John v. 24, ' He that believeth in me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condem- nation, but is passed from death to life.' Christians are wanting in their improving their spiritual interest ; they are willing to prize Christ, but do not consider what they have in him. If you cannot feel sen- sible consolation, yet act spiritual reason and discourse. Consider, such an act gives interest in Christ ; why then should I not have Christ, and in Christ righteousness ? Isa. xlv. 24 : The church is brought in, speaking, * Surely shall one say. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength, even to him shall men come.' This is glorying, or rejoicing in hope, Heb. iii. 6 ; that is, a reckoning upon our privilege, what we shall have and enjoy in Christ. Whosoever takes Christ, he puts him on ; then he is interested and invested with all that is Christ's ; Gal. iii. 27, * As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.' By the internal baptism we have an interest not only in his person, but in his righteousness, life, spirit, dignities, and merits;
VeR. 4] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 5
it is good to ampliate our thoughts according to tlie extent oi our privileges.
6. That your claim may be warranted the more, thtre must be a care of holiness. Works are not the condition of justification, yet they are the evidence of it. Faith justifies, and works justify : James ii. 24, * Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.' By the righteousness of faith we are acquitted from sin, and by the righteousness of works we are acquitted from guile and hypocrisy ; therefore this is the evidence that will make all sure : 1 John iii. 21, 22, ' If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments,' &c. This will increase the confidence of faith, when there is a train of graces. Though works have nothing to do in the court of heaven in matter of justification, yet they have a voice and testimony in the court of conscience. Seldom do we receive any solemn assurance but upon the evidence of sanctification. Faith gives us a title to Christ's righteousness, but works give an evidence of it. Our comfort indeed is founded upon Christ's righteousness and his satisfac- tion, but it is found in Christ's way ; therefore consider how the promises are diversified : Mat. xi. 28, ' Come unto me,' saith Christ, 'all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give yon rest' ; but then, ver. 29, ' Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and you shall find rest for your souls.' The act of faith gives us an interest ; but that we may have the comfort of it, we must abide under his discipline. This is God's course ; first he pours in the oil of grace, then the oil of gladness, when our sanctifica- tion is evidenced unto us. The apostle gathereth it out of the type of Melchisedec : Heb. vii. 2, * First being, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem ; that is, king of peace.' First he sanctifieth and disposeth the heart to righteousness, then gives peace of conscience and comfort ; that is the order, he recon- cileth us to God by his own righteousness, and then gives peace in our souls by working our hearts to a holy disposition.
Use 2. To condemn them that seek righteousness in themselves. Nature is prone to this, and none more apt than those that have least reason. Former duties do not discover weakness, and so are more apt to puff" up. Give me leave a little to speak of this ; partly because it is so natural to us, and partly because many decry resting in duties so far, that they decry the very performance of them, and instead of Papists turn Familists. This resting in our own righteousness is sometimes more gross and open, when men make it their plea; sometimes more secret and imperceptible ; we may discover it by observing the disposition of the soul with reference to sins, mercies, duties, and comforts.
1, By observing the frame of the heart with reference to sin. Usually when men rest in duties, they make the performance of them to be the ground of an indulgence to sin, and take the more liberty to sin, out of a hope to make amends by their duties.
[1.] This indulgence is sometimes antedated before the performance, as when men allow themselves in present carnal practices by the pur- pose of an after-repentance. It is as if men shotdd distemper the body by excess, and then think to mend all by giving themselves a vomit ; or contract a sickness by drunkenness, hoping to cure all by physic.
6 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XVIII,