(1.) Faith worketh in us a serious thoughtfulness about our sinful and cursed estate ; that driveth us to Christ, as the other consideration draweth us, and sweetly allureth us to close with him. The first con- sideration of our sinful and cursed estate driveth us out of ourselves, when we consider how ' all the world is become guilty before God,' Kom. iii, 19 ; and liable to the curse, Gal. iii. 10, ' As many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse ; ' that we are ' children of wrath/ Eph ii, 3 ; that this curse is no slight one ; that it is an eternal separation from God, and being cast out with the devil and his angels into everlasting fire. Now, when this is represented by faith, the sin- ner beginneth to 'fly from the wrath to come,' Mat. iii. 7, whicli otherwise is looked upon but as a fable and vain scarecrow Sense and natural reason cannot judge aright, neither of its own misery,, nor of the way of recovery from it ; but faith, improving the scriptures, shuts up the sinner, that he hath no evasion, nor way of escape : Gal iii. 22, ' The scripture hath concluded all under sin ; ' shut them up as in a prison, as the word signifieth. This is the work of faith. Con- science will tell men of a law, and a law of a judge and a judgment- day, and that he doth not stand upon sound terms with this judge, that he dareth not seriously to think of death and the world to come, without horror and amazement : but faith, working upon scripture, doth make him more distinctly to understand it, and to be most sensibly affected with it : Jonah iii. 5, ' The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.' There is a faith required to believe the threatenings of the law, as well as the promises of the gospel, to con- vince men of their cursed estate by natuie, without which it is not effectual.
(2.) It draweth us to close with Cln-ist by the promises of pardon. It spreadeth before the soul all the melting offers of the word, and his invitations of sinners to return to him ; such as that, Isa. Iv. 7, ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon him.' And he prays us to be reconciled to him : 2 Cor. v, 20, ' Now then we are ambas- sadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.' And shall all this be spoken in vain ? 2 Cor. vi. 1, ' We beseech you receive not the grace of God in vain.' Shall all the sweet offers of grace in the gospel be as dry chips or withered flowers to me ? This makes a poor distressed creature to stir up himself, to believe if this be certain, that God is not
60 THE LIFE OF FAITH
willing that any should perish, but rather that they should repent, and be converted, and healed. And hath lie made such a general ofFer, that I am sure that I am contained under it ? Why shall I hang back and not come to him for pardon, and wait for his grace? I am condemned already, and shall I pull upon myself new woes, by despis- ing Gods mercy so freely offered to sinners ? Shall my unbelieving heart draw back when God inviteth me to come to him ? What did God mean when he said. Acts x. 43, ' To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth on him should receive the remission of sins ' ? Wherefoi-e did Christ send abroad his apostles with the glad tidings of salvation in their mouths ? Luke xxiv. 47, ' And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.' Why hath he said, 1 John ii. 1, 2, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our sins ' ? Surely God did not intend to flatter and delude his creature with a vain hope, nor to entice and court him into a fool's paradise ; certainly he is in earnest in what he saith. I need mercy, and he hath promised to give it ; I thirst after it, and he will give it me, for he is faithful ; therefore let me see what God will do for my poor soul.
(3.) It directeth us to use the means which God hath appointed ; namely, to humble ourselves before God, and to sue out this blessing: Luke xviii. 13, ' Lord, be merciful to me a sinner;' and 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' It is a great part of faith to put God's bonds in suit: Jer. iii. 12, 13, ' I am merciful ; only acknowledge thine iniquity.' This is God's prescribed course, and we must use it in faith ; he cannot be offended with that which himself commandeth, nor deny what he hath promised. Doth not he command thee thus to come into his presence, yea, beseech thee ? and why art thou afraid ? Hath he not said, that if we cast ourselves at his feet with brokenness of heart, confessing our sins, he will forgive them, and cast them into the depths of the sea ? Refusal of means argueth despair ; therefore go and plead the promises with him, and urge him upon his own word.