Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

First, a will, then the deed; and then it is not only I would do such a thing, but I do it: God works not only the will of coming, but the deed of coming; and all his acts are acts of faith, and have a promise; God makes no promise till we be in Christ; till we have faith, we are no heirs of the promise; when a man sets his face towards Jerusalem, and begins to set himself to go to Christ, all he doth then hath the promise; not a tear now that he sheds but is precious, God puts it into his bottle; not a cup of cold water that now he gives but shall have a great reward; this is a blessed thing when every thing we do hath a promise annexed to it, when every step we step hath a promise made to it. Now then the will is the first thing that is wrought in us; this is that which makes the act of faith, that is, I have a will, a resolution to do this: And the Apostle makes it more than the very deed it self, 2 Cor. 8.10. as I may so say, For this is expedient for you, who have begun before not only to do, but to be forward. So we translate it, but look in the Margin, and its rendered, (to be willing) [Greek or Hebrew], as the Greek hath it; as if the will were more than the deed it self; for a man to come unwillingly, 'tis nothing worth; the ground-work is the will, which is a greater matter than the deed. Nothing more separates a man from Christ, than to say, I will not have this man to reign over me; but if thou canst frame thy will that it shall go perpendicularly on the ⟨p. 372⟩object, and accept Christ on the terms offered, that's faith, and that hath the promise. And therefore the Scripture compares it to conjunction with Christ. And as in the Sacrament we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood; the conjunction is between Christ and his Church. And therefore the Scripture compares our conjunction by faith to the mystery of wedlock. What makes a marriage? its consent. Wilt thou have this man to be thy husband? she answers, I will; that expression makes the marriage: The knot is knit by this mutual pledging of troth, all other things are but subsequents of it. So God saith, Wilt thou have my Son? Thou shalt have with him all his wealth, though for a time thou must go bare, and fare hard; yet thou shalt have a Kingdom:

First, a will, then the deed; and then it is not only I would do such a thing, but I do it: God works not only the will of coming, but the deed of coming; and all his acts are acts of faith, and have a promise; God makes no promise till we be in Christ; till we have faith, we are no heires of the promise; when a man sets his face towards Jerusalem, and begins to set himself to go to Christ, all he doth then hath the promise; not a tear now that he sheds but is pretious, God puts it into his bottle; not a cup of cold water that now he gives but shall have a great reward; this is a blessed thing when every thing we do hath a promise annexed to it, when every step we step hath a promise made to it. Now then the will is the first thing that is wrought in us; this is that which makes the act of faith, that is, I have a will, a resolution to do this: And the Apostle makes it more than the very deed it self,