2. Again, Take heed of decaying in our first love. We see God threateneth the church of Ephesus, for not cherishing and maintaining her first love; that he would remove not only the gospel, but the candlestick,' the church itself. For security in abundance and plenty, and decay in her first love, God threateneth that he will scatter the candlestick, the church itself, into foreign places.

3. Again, A sin against the gospel is unfruitfulness under it. When men shall have the blessed influence of the gospel, the soul-saving truth, the good word to be long among them, and to be as barren under it as if they were pagans; for the gospel to have no more power over our souls than if we had no gospel at all; that there is no difference between us and heathens in regard of our conversations; to go no further then they, nay, not so far in honesty, and justice, and sobriety: let us take heed of these and the like sins against the gospel. And I say, it should be a ground of labouring the conversion of those that be savages, be they never so barbarous, to labour to gain them to Christ. There are indeed some hindrances. There be Jannes and Jambres among them, instruments of the devil, to keep them in blindness and ignorance, and then custom that they are bred in,-which prevails most with the sorriest people,-for ignorant people that have their wits determined to one way they are so strong in it, as they are not to be untaught; as it is hard to teach a beast, because he is taught to go one way, for want of variety of conceptions, being void of reason. Now, people by nature are little better than beasts. Therefore they are so fixed and determined in that way they are brought up in, and are so settled by the devil and those priests among them, and by the tyranny of those that have come among them, the Spaniards, &c., that hath hindered their conversion much, yet, take them as bad as they can be, God hath a time for them. What were we of this nation sixteen hundred years agone? There is a fulness of the Gentiles to come in; and certainly it is not yet come fully. For it is probable, nay, more than probable, that there are some people that never had the gospel; and the fulness of the Gentiles must come in before the other mystery of the calling of the Jews. I speak it to encourage those that have interest that way, not to take violent courses with them. There is nothing so voluntary as faith. It must be wrought by persuasions, not by violence; and there is a ground of encouragement hence, that since the coming of Christ there is a liberty for all nations to come in. Christ must be preached to the Gentiles.'

To conclude this point. Let us consider that we are those Gentiles that have enjoyed this preaching of Christ; and it is the glory of our nation. It is not our strength, or riches, or any ornament above others, that sets us forth, so much as this, that we have the gospel 'preached' among us, that these blessed streams run so plentifully everywhere among us. Let us labour to value this inestimable benefit. Where the gospel is not 'preached,' there the places are salt-pits, despicable places, whatsoever they are else, as it is in Ezekiel.* They are under the kingdom of Satan. It is the glory of a nation to have the truth among them. The glory of Israel' was gone when the ark was taken, 1 Sam. iv. 21. The religion and truth we enjoy it is our ark; our glory is gone if we part with that. Therefore, whatsoever God takes from us, let us desire that he would still continue the gospel of truth, that he would still vouchsafe to dwell among us, and not leave us. What were all things in the world besides, if we had not the blessed truth of God? We must leave all ere long. Therefore let * Query, Zeph. ii. 9? But cf. also Ezek. xlvii. 11.-G. K k

VOL. V.

us labour to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened, to conceive aright of the difference of things, and to value ourselves by this, that Christ is manifested' to us; and thereby we have interest in Christ, more than by any interest and part and portion in the world besides. For then Christ will delight to be with us still, when we make much of him, and esteem, and prize, and value him.

'Believed on in the world.'

After preached to the Gentiles,' he joins 'believed on in the world,' to shew that faith comes by hearing.' Indeed, 'preaching' is the ordinance of God, sanctified for the begetting of faith, for the opening of the understanding, for the drawing of the will and affections to Christ. Faith is the marriage of the soul to Christ. Now in marriage there must not be a mistake and error in the person, for then it is a kind of nullity. Now that the person to whom we are to be married by faith may be known to us, there is an ordinance of preaching set up, to lay open our own beggary and necessity, what we are without him; and to open the riches of our husband, the nobility, and privileges, and whatsoever is glorious in Christ, that the church may know what a kind of husband she is like to have. In Rom. x. 14, seq., you have the scala cæli, the ladder of heaven, as a good old martyr called it; and we must not presume to alter the staves of that ladder (m). 'How can they call upon him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe without a preacher ? and how shall they preach unless they be sent ?' Here is preaching, and believing, and then prayer. There are some that are bitter against this ordinance of preaching, and advance another excellent ordinance of prayer, to the disparagement of this: if they would join them both together, it were well. You see what the apostle saith: How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe without a preacher?' without this ordinance of preaching? shewing that we cannot have the spirit of prayer without faith, nor faith without preaching. And the wise man saith, 'He that turns his ear from hearing the law' (under what pretence soever), 'his prayer shall be abominable,' Prov. xxviii. 9. The prayers of such men that would cry down this ordinance, how are they like to be accepted? They are abominable. We see here the apostle sets them down in this degree, hearing, and believing, and prayer; and here in this place preaching goes before believing.

Therefore the gospel unfolded is called the word of faith,' because it begets faith. God by it works faith; and it is called the 'ministry of reconciliation,' 2 Cor. v. 18, because God by it publisheth reconciliation. As preaching goes before believing, so it is the blessed instrument, by reason of the Spirit accompanying of it, to work faith. In the ministry of the gospel there is not only an unfolding of the excellent things of Christ, but there is grace given by the Spirit to believe. And herein this publication and proclamation differs from all other publications in the world. Men may publish and proclaim what they would have, but they cannot give hearts to believe it. But in the blessed promulgation and publishing of divine truths, there is the Spirit of God accompanying it, to work what it publisheth. It opens the riches of Christ, and offers Christ; and Christ is given to the heart with it. It publisheth what is to be believed and known, and it alters our courses. Together with it there goes a powerthe Spirit clothing the ordinance of preaching-to do all. Therefore it is called 'the ministry of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. iii. 8. Why? Because what is published in the preaching of the word, to those that belong to God, it

hath the Spirit to convey it to the souls of God's people. Therefore he saith here, first preached and then believed.

Therefore, those that are enemies to this ordinance of God, they are enemies of the faith of God's people, and by consequent, enemies of the salvation of God's people. But the more the proud and haughty atheistical heart of man riseth against it, the more we should think there is some divine thing in it. It must needs be excellent, because the proud heart of man stomachs* it so much. We see here it is the means to work faith. Therefore, as we esteem faith and all the good we have by it, let us be stirred up highly to prize and esteem of this ordinance of God. So much for the coherence or connection, 'preached to the Gentiles,' and then 'Believed on in the world.'

For the words themselves, we see here, first, that Christ, as he must be unfolded in preaching, so he must be 'believed on.'

Because the dispensation ministerial is not enough, unless there be an applying grace in the heart; and that is a spirit of faith, whose property is, to make peculiar that that is offered. There is a virtue of application in this grace of faith. Where there is a giving there must be a receiving, or else the gift is ineffectual. Christ is the garment of the soul. He is the foundation and food, &c. As I said before, he is our husband. We must give our consent. Believing' is a spiritual marriage. In marriage there must be a consent. This consent is faith. That makes up the bond between Christ and the believing soul. Therefore of necessity there must be faith; all else, without believing in Christ, is nothing. Faith is the means of making Christ our own, and no other thing whatsoever.

The papists have ridiculous means, that they understand not themselves, nor anybody else. They make the sacrifice of the Mass a means to apply Christ, and other courses; but the ministerial means to apply to Christ is the preaching of the gospel, and faith that is wrought by the ministry of the gospel; and there is no other way of application, by the Mass, or any such thing. Christ without faith doth us no good; in Heb. iv. 2, The word that they heard did not profit them, because it was not mingled with faith.' The word of God, the gospel, it is the power of God to salvation;' but it is to all that believe,' 1 Peter i. 5. Whatsoever good Christ doth to us, he doth it by faith. It is a rule in divinity, and it is to purpose in the deciding some controversies, that a spiritual benefit, not known and applied, is a nullity; because God intends all, whatsoever we have, to be opened to us and applied, that he might have the glory, and we the comfort. We see the excellency and necessary use of this grace of faith. How is Christ to be believed on ?

1. We must rest upon no other thing, either in ourselves or out of ourselves, but Christ only. In popery they have many other things to rest on, and their faith being corrupt, all their obedience likewise is corrupt that springs from it. They dishonour Christ to join anything in the world with him. The apostle is wondrous zealous in this, to have nothing joined with Christ; as in Gal. v. 2, 'If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing;' only Christ must be believed on in matter of salvation.

2. And whole Christ must be received. Believing' is nothing but a taking or receiving of Christ as a Lord and as a Saviour; as a priest, to redeem us by his blood; and Christ as a king, to govern us. We must take whole Christ.

We see what manner of faith is in most men, that snatch out of Christ resents, dislikes.-G.

* That is,

what they list, to serve their own turn. As he died for their sins, so they are glad of him; but as he is a lord and king to rule and govern them, so they will have none of him, but turn the grace of God into wantonness,' Jude 4. But Christ, as we must rest and rely on him only, so we must receive him and believe on him wholly.

Now faith looks upon Christ as the main object of it, as it justifieth. The same faith it looks upon the whole word of God as a divine truth revealed; but for the main work of it, it looks upon Christ. Christ is the jewel that this ring of faith doth enclose; and as the ring hath the value from the jewel, so hath faith from Christ. In the main point of justification and comfort, faith lays hold upon Christ for mercy; for the distressed afflicted soul it looks first of all to comfort, and peace, and reconciliation; therefore it looks first to him that wrought it—that is, Christ. Now, the same faith that doth this, it believes all divine truths, the threatenings, and precepts, &c. Faith chooseth not its object to believe what it lists, but it carries the soul to all divine truths revealed. But when we speak of justifying faith, then Christ, and the promises, and the mercy of God in Christ, is the first thing that the soul looks unto.

Christ is the first object of faith, before any benefit or gift that we have from him; first, we must receive Christ before we have any grace, or favour, or strength, from him. And a sanctified soul looks first to Christ, to the love of Christ, to the person of Christ, and then to his goods and riches. As one that is married, she regards first the person of her husband, and then looks to the enjoyment of his goods, and inheritance, and nobilities, or else it is no better than a harlot's love. So faith looks to the person first. It knits us to Christ, to be in love with, and to embrace Christ, and then it looks to all the good things we have by him. For he never comes alone. There is a world of good things in him: all that tends to grace and glory. Yet it is the person of Christ that the soul of a Christian principally looks to. Other divine truths are the object of faith to direct and sway our lives; yet, notwithstanding, they are not the object of faith; when we look for comfort, for forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with God, then it looks to Christ especially.

Therefore we that are ministers of the gospel of Christ should especially look to unfold the riches of Christ; and those that are God's people should especially desire to have Christ unfolded, and the riches of God's love in Christ. The soul that ever found the sting of sin, the conscience that ever was awakened to feel the wrath of God, it accounts nothing so sweet as evangelical truths, those things that concern his Husband and Saviour. A carnal man loves to hear moral points wittily spoken of, as delightful to his ear; but the soul that understands itself, what it is by nature, that ever felt in any degree the wrath of God for sin, of all points, it desires most to hear of Christ and him crucified. Therefore we may judge ourselves by our ears, of what tempers our souls are; for 'the ear tastes of speeches as the mouth doth meat,' as Job saith, Job xii. 11. 'Believed on in the world.'

By world,' especially here in this place, is meant the world taken out of the world, the world of elect. There is a world in the world, as one saith well in unfolding this point; as we see, man is called a little world in the great world (n). Christ was preached to the world of wicked men, that by preaching, a world might be taken out of the world, which is the world of believers. Hence we may clear our judgments in that point, that when Christ is said to redeem the world, it must not be understood gene

rally of all mankind. We see here, the world is said to believe in Christ. Did all mankind believe in Christ? was there not a world of unbelievers?

6

We see here Christ believed on in the world'-the world that was opposite, that were enemies, that were under Satan. Who shall despair, then? Therefore, let us conceive well of Christ. Why was he 'manifest in the flesh?' and why is there an ordinance of preaching? Wherefore is all this, but that he would have us believe, be our sins what they will? Put the case that there were a world of sin in one man, that one man were a world of naughtiness; as in some sense, St James saith, 'there is a world of wickedness in the tongue,' James iii. 6. If in the tongue, much more in the heart, which is the sink of wickedness. But put the case, there were a world of wickedness in one man, what is this to the satisfaction of God manifest in the flesh,' and to the infinite love of God, now pacified in Christ, looking upon us in the face of his beloved Son? You see here Christ is believed on in the world.' Do but consider what is meant by the world in Scripture, how it is set down to be in an opposite state to Christ, and look to the particular state of the Gentiles, that are said to be the world. What wretched people were the Corinthians before they believed, and the Ephesians, and the rest!

Let no man therefore despair; nor, as I said before, let us not despair of the conversion of those that are savages in other parts. How bad soever they be, they are of the world, and if the gospel be preached to them, Christ will be believed on in the world.' Christ's almighty power goeth with his own ordinance to make it effectual. Since the coming of Christ, the world lies before Christ, as beloved of him, some in all nations. The gospel is like the sea: what it loseth in one place it gaineth in another. So the truth of God, if it lose in one part-if it be not respected-it gets in another, till it have gone over the whole world.

And when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, then comes the conversion of the Jews. Why may we not expect it? They were the people of God. We see Christ believed on in the world.' We may therefore expect that they shall also be called, there being many of them, and keeping their nation distinct from others.

'Great is the mystery of

Now, I shall shew how this is a mystery. godliness, Christ believed on in the world.' This is a great mystery to join these together: 'the world' and 'believing.' It is almost as great a mystery as to join God and man together; a virgin and a mother; to bring an unbelieving rebellious heart, such as is in the world, and believing together. It is a great mystery in divers considerations.

1. First, If we consider what the world was, an opposite and enemy to Christ; and under his enemy, being slaves to Satan, being idolaters, in love with their own inventions, which men naturally doat on; here was the wonder of God's love and mercy, that he should vouchsafe it to such wretches. We may see by St Paul's epistles what kind of people they were before they embraced the gospel. Here was God's wondrous dignation,* that God should shine upon them that sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death,' that were abused by Satan at his will. That the world, that is, all sorts of the world, from the highest to the lowest, should at length stoop to the cross of Christ; that the emperors should lay their crowns at Christ's feet, as Constantine and others-Christ at length subdued the Roman empire itself to the faith; that the philosophers of the world, that * That is, 'deigning, or condescension.'-G.