Thirdly, To regulate faith, that you may not deceive yourselves with a vain confidence. It is needful to deny ourselves, our interests, or our lusts. Something is to be for.-?aken. Put cases — Are you come up to God's terms? — AVhat lusts or interests do you stick at? as Christ trieth the young man, Mat. xix. 20, ' If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and ibllow me.'
SERMON XXX.
For he that cometh to God imist helieve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. — Heb. xi. 6.
For he that cometh to God — I opened this in the former verse. Coming to God principally noteth an aim at communion and fellowship with him. It is the same with faith : John vi. 35, ' He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst ; ' where coming and believing are all one ; it is the lowest degree of faith ; the next degree is seeking diligently — it is walking with God here, and living wdth him for ever. The note is this —
Doct. That it is the nature of faith to make a man come towards God, and to get communion with him through Christ.
I shall show —
(1.) What it is to come to God ; (2.) That there is no coming to God but by Christ.
1. What it is to come to God. Coming to God notes three things, for it is a duty always in progress.
[1.] The first address of faith. To come to God is to desire to be in his favour and covenant — to be partakers of his blessings in this life and of salvation in the life to come : Heb. vii. 25, ' He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him,' that is, those that
124 SEEMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXX.
iu and through him desire to enjoy friendship and communion with God.
[2.] Our constant communion with him in holy duties — coming to him ' as to a living stone,' 1 Peter ii. 4. In all exercises of religion we renew our access to Christ, and by Christ to Cod ; in hearing, as a teacher ; in prayer, as an advocate for necessary help and supply ; in the Lord's supper, as the master of the feast : Prov. ix. 2, ' Wisdom hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table;' Mat. xxii. 4, ' I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready.'
[3.] Our entrance into glory : Mat. xxv. 34, * Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' We have not complete communion with Christ till we are raised from the dead, and by him presented to the Father , then do we indeed come to God by him.
2. There is no coming to God but by Christ: John x. 9, ' I am the door ; ' there is no entrance but through him : John xiv. 6, ' I am the way, the truth, and the life ; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.' Now we are said to come to God by Christ in a twofold respect, — (1.) By his merit; (2.) JBy his grace.
[1.] By his merit. As paradise was kept by a flaming sword, so all access to God is fenced and closed up by his justice and wrath; there was no pressing in till Christ opened the way, God became man, drawing near to us by the veil of his flesh: Heb. x. 19, 20, ' Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh ; ' so by his sufferings : 1 Peter iii. 18, 'For Christ also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.' Now, as in all acts of religion Ave are coming to God, so we must still hold on by Christ till we come to our journey's end, and use him as our continual mediator and advocate, carry our petitions in all our addresses, and make our moan to him.
[2.] By his grace. Christ carries us home on his shoulders rejoicing ; as a man when he had found his lost sheep, Luke xv. 5. None can come to the Father but by him : John vi. 44, ' No man can come to me except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him ' — none can come without a divine power.
Use. Admire the privilege, that we may come to God. We of our- selves are inclined to stand off. Peter speaketh what is the disposition of all sinners — ' Depart from me ; ' we cannot endure God's company ; we lost his image and fellowship with him. If we worship, we would be like the Israelites, every man in his tent-door. But now we have free leave to come to the throne of grace : Heb. x. 19, ' Having bold- ness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.' W^hilst on earth we have free trade unto heaven ; we need not change place, but afiec- tions. When thou art dealing with God in prayer, this liberty was purchased for thee by the blood of Jesus. None but the high priest might enter into the scmctum sanctorum ; but this privilege we have, and it will stand, for it was dearly bought: Heb. iv. 16, 'Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' God hath now laid aside the