A57963:183
Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself
Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soul-suffering, his loveliness in his death, and the efficacy thereof in which some cases of soul-trouble in week believers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering, his lovelynesse in his death, and the efficacie thereof in which some cases of soule-trouble in weeke beleevers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ... / by Samuel Rutherford.
London: printed by J.D. for Andrew Crooke, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. Some so cure this, as they prove Physicians of no value to poor souls, I mean, Antinomians: For, say they, This is the disease that you in doubting of your faith, 1because you find not such and such qualifications in you, therefore seek a righteousness in your self, and not in Christ. I should easily grant that man's inherent righteousness is, in his carnal apprehension, ⟨p. 70⟩his very Christ and Redeemer; but in the mean time, These are two carnal and fleshly extremities, and faith walketh in the middle between them. 1. Its a fleshly way to say, that, because I find sin reigning in me, I have killed my brother, saith a Cain;2 I have betrayed the Lord of glory, saith a Judas; yet I am not (saith a Libertine) to question whether I believe or no; for this putteth fleshly and profane men on a conceit, Be not solicitous what you are, 3take you no fear of serving sin and divers lusts, but believe, and never doubt, whether your faith be a dead, or a living faith, though you go on to walk after the flesh; but believe, and doubt not whether you believe or no. The other extremity is of some weak Christians, who because they find that in them, that is in their flesh, dwelleth no good, and they sin daily, find much untowardness and back-drawing in holy duties; therefore (say they) I have no faith, I am none of Christ's: This is a false Conclusion, drawn from a true Antecedent, and springeth from a root of self-seeking, and righteousness which we naturally seek in our selves; for I am not, being once justified, to seek my justification in my sanctification; but being not justified, I may well seek my non-justification in my non-sanctification: as Libertines say, this is the fault of all,4 when it is the fault only of some weak mis-judging souls; so do they take the Saints off from all disquietness and grief of mind for neglect of spiritual duties, as if all godly sorrow and displeasure for our sinful omissions, were nothing but a legal sorrow for want of self-righteousness, and a sinful unbelief: but its formally not any such thing, but lawful and necessary, to make the sinner go with a low sail, and esteem the more highly of Christ; and its only sinful, when abused to such a legal inference, I omit this and this, I sin in this and this, ergo, God is not my Father, nor am I his son.