strengthens his confidence Psa 121.2 My help stands in the name of the Lord that hath made heaven and earth as if he had said I will never distrust his power for deliverance or protection who could erect such a stately Fabrick from nothing And there are other historical passages of Scripture also which may be of like use unto us both for encouragement Deut. 8.17 and caution 1 Cor. 10.11 yea and for confirming our Faith in the Messiah John 20.31 that History of the acts and Sermons of Christ being written by John in his old age for the confirming of the Deity of Christ against those which then begun to deny it at the request of the Bishops of Asia which is the reason why he disputes more clearly of the Deity of Christ than any of the other Evangelists and records divers of his miracles which serve for the confirmation thereof that the rest do omit And for those points of Doctrine which Faith assents to and are not otherwise demonstrable by reason they are generally reckoned amongst those Fundamentalls the belief of which is necessary to Salvation But herein the use of Faith in this particular doth further appear when men do not believe such things as these it brings them to flat Atheisme at last for they first question and by degrees deny the Authority of the Scriptures when they see the improbability or rather impossibility as seems to their reason of many things both in the Doctrine and History of it as in Philosophy because some cannot conceive how such a vast body as it is demonstrable that the Sun is should move so many thousand miles in an hour as it is necessary it must if we suppose that it move at all venture rather to deny the received opinion of its motion and entertain that paradox of the motion of the earth Secondly Faith submits to the commands of the Word Heb. 11. we shall finde many eminent acts of Obedience ascribed to Faith as ver 8. By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went It was an hard tryall for as the Proverb is patriae fumus igne alien◠luculentior the smoak of our own Country is as good as the fire of another and he was to go he knew not whither for God only bade him go into a country that he would shew him Gen. 11.33 So that command which was yet more hard of offering up his son he submitted to by faith ver 17. he was to offer up his son which was against nature yea his only begotten son that is of his wife and the son of the promise in whom his seed was to be called So ver 29. By faith they passed through the red sea when it was very unlikely the unruly surges of it should keep their place while they went so many miles ver 30. By faith they compassed the walls of Jericho seven dayes together with ramms hornes a very ridiculous thing in the eyes of men Now Faith doth thus submit to the commands of God because we are thereby brought into covenant with God and consequently subject our selves to his authority as a wife by taking another to be her husband doth oblige her self to those duties which do immediately result from such a relation and to that subjection which is due from a wife to an husband So by taking God to be our God and Christ to be our husband we are ipso jure obliged to submit to all his commands Deut. 26.17 Jer. 31.32 We are indeed obliged to this subjection before we believe but by faith we own our obligation and do actually and professedly make a recognition thereof So that we may say as Salvian de guberunt Dei lib. 3. Fides est fidelis Deo esse hoc est fideliter Dei mandata servare Faith is to be faithful to God that is faithfully to keep his commands yet I am far from thinking with Socinus Defens 108. that fides in Christum ista opera sunt re ipsa idem and that a faith of such a latitude is the matter of our Justification and holds the same place in the Covenant of Grace which perfect obedience should have done in the Covenant of Works these are not Faith formally but only effectivè true Faith necessarily producing these Vide Stresonis meditat de fide sect 34 c. Secondly Faith receives the Word as the Word of God 1 Thes 2.13 in which place we may observe three things 1. The power of the Word it wrought effectually 2. The persons in whom it had this efficacy they were such as did believe 3. The reason of it they received it not as the word of Man but as the Word of God which implies two things First Their receiving it Qua Verbum Dei or under that notion considered as the Word of God or believing it to be so whether it be strictly and properly the object of Faith that the Scriptures are the Word of God I will not stand here to dispute or determine and how the preaching of men may be received as the Word of God you may see in the fore-mentioned Treatise of Mr. Hieron We are to prove all things that we may hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 and that we may do so we are to search the Scriptures to see how that which we hear doth accord therewith Act. 17.11 and what is rightly deduced or inferred from the Word is of the same authority with the Scriptures as Daille and Vedelius have sufficiently proved against the new Methodists in France as they are called who by denying this did undertake quite to overthrow the Doctrine of the Protestants whatever the success of such an undertaking would have been their boasts may serve for a caution to those who decry consequences but I hope men are not so zealous now against them as they sometime were else I should before this time have taught that small Treatise of Daille to speak English wherein he useth his wonted candor and clearness Secondly To receive the Word as the Word of God is to receive it as becomes the Word of God that is as the Word of such a God who is so wise so just and faithful so good so holy that all his commands must needs be holy and just and good Rom. 7.12 and so not to be disputed but obeyed for by Faith we believe the nature of God as well as his beeing Now Faith is in this respect of singular use in the whole course of our lives how oft do men stand and dispute the commands of God till they reason themselves out of their duty in things that are against carnal reason and carnal interest things which are of meer positive institution not of any natural moral right but Faith considers not any thing against a Command as it is said Abraham did not against the Promise Rom. 4.19 If Christ bid
of Faith attend Ordinances treasure up Experiences consult the experiences of others be diligent in secret duties take heed of an evill heart of unbelief Heb. 3.12 This work is to be followed well for we are slow of heart to believe Satan is a great enemy to Faith and there are not in us the seeds of Faith as of obedience Sibbs Souls Conflict Especially let us be diligent in the use and exercise of Faith I have shewed the use of it in actu signato but let us learn the use of it in our dayly practice David in his greatest grief 2 Sam. 1.18 took care to have the Children of Israel taught the use of the Bow it is not having good weapons in the War that will do us any good without the use thereof and Faith in the habit not exercised is but as the Sword in the Scabbard Bellarmine De ascension in Deum propè finem The Apostles had Faith Luk. 8.25 but they had it to seek when they should use it and so were at present as if they had none as he that hath much and doth not enjoy it is as if he possessed it not Whatsoever condition you are in or whatever you are about stir up Faith for it hath some work to do therein Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles 3.11 and this is the season of Faith as Christ said of the poor Joh. 12.8 I may say of some other Graces we shall alwaies have use for them in heaven not of Faith here we live by Faith there by sight FINIS A DISCOURSE OF Right Judgement on JOHN 7.24 Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgement OUr blessed Saviour having healed a man on the Sabbath-day the Jewes were so enraged thereby that they thought to kill him John 5.16 And here he makes his defence shewing how unjustly and partially they dealt with him They do not stick to do those things on the Sabbath day which Moses commanded he having given them the command of Circumcision Levit. 12.3 though he was not the first Institutor of it and if it happened that the Sabbath day was the eighth day after the birth of the childe they circumcised it on that day which would have been a prophanation of the sabbath Mat. 12.3 had not Moses given such a command concerning it Hereupon our Saviour concludes his Apology with a wise and holy admonition which might be of use to them in the whole course of their lives and that was to judg righteous judgment and to that end he warns them of one thing that doth most ordinarily pervert the judgement and that is judging according to appearance or the face and outward shew of things And herein Christ may have respect either to his person or to his action if to his person then it is as if he had said You think the authority of Moses sufficient to dispense with the duties of the Sabbath and never scruple any thing that he enjoynes because you think God spake to him John 9.28 29. but if you would make an impartiall judgement and not suffer your selves to be deceived with the externall apearance of things you might know that though I come in the forme of a servant and not of a King as Moses did Deuter. 33.5 yet I have as sufficient authority from God for what I do as Moses had John 5.36 yea I have the testimony of Moses himself John 5.46 compared with Deut. 18.15 If it have respect to Christs action then his Argument is thus You passe sentence upon actions according to the appearance and first view of them without examining the grounds of them or considerings in what cases the command of God are dispensible when you see according to the command of Moses some things were done on the Sabbath-day which had not been lawfull but for such a particular command concerning them and you do not observe how commands that are but Ritual and of positive right may yield to works of justice and mercy else you would not have condemned the innocent Mat. 12.7 For the right understanding of the words of the Text we must know that both the Verb and the Nown verbal which are ordinarily joyned together in Scripture besides many tropical and improper acceptions which they have are for the most part taken either more largely for an act of the minde whereby we discern or determine of any thing as in those places Luke 12.57 Why of your selves judg ye not what is right Acts 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye 1 Cor. 10.15 I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say The sence of the words in these places is obvious to every one that reads them Or else it is taken more strictly for judging evil or condemning as Mat. 7.1 2. both these significations of the word we have in that elegant Antanaclasis of the Apostle Rom. 14.13 Let us not judge one another but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way that is let us not condemn one another but rather determine this in our own mindes c. here it is evident that our Saviour understands it in the more large and proper sence Now this judgement is either a private judgement of discretion which belongs to every man in this respect thoughts are free so men think aright or else a more publick judgement of Authority which belongs only to those who are appointed thereto of this distinction see Aquin. 12 ◠q. 93. art 2. 3 m. This command of judging righteously was first given in respect to this latter judgement of Authority Deut. 1.16 but it is here by our Saviour applied to the former judgement of discretion it being necessary indeed in all cases that men should judge righteous judgement that is according to truth Rom. 2.2 as the thing is as the matter requires The judgment is the guide of our lives and all our actions and affections are regulated thereby Matth. 6.22 23. The eye enlightens the whole man as a candle doth a room And as the rest of the members would not do their work aright were it not for the eye that guides them so neither can man do any thing aright unless he be guided by a right judgment which will make all that proceeds from him to be full of light as with the light of a candle Luke 11.36 See Mr. Perkins on the former place and on this latter Erasmus Maldonate and Dr. Hammond The will indeed sits as Queen regent in the soul and the chief executive power belongs thereto but as the King doth what he doth with the advice of his Councel so the will followes the directions of the understanding and when the will seems to be refractory refusing to follow the guidance of the judgement it is because the judgement doth not represent to the will the object which it should chuse as omni
THE LIFE OF FAITH Wherein Is shewed the general use of Faith in all the passages of a Christians life Together With a Discourse of right Judgment on Joh. 7.24 By H. Lukin Now the Just shall live by Faith Heb. 10. Do ye judge uprightly O ye Sons of men Psal 58.1 LONDON Printed by J. H. for John Allen as the Rising-Sun in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660. To all that have obtained precious Faith Grace and Peace IT was the wish of a good man That he could be the same to God that his right hand was to himself my goodness extends not unto God but to the Saints that are upon earth and to the excellent in whom is my delight For these would I gladly spend and be spent if I might in any thing be a helper of their Faith and Joy I thank God I am not yet in Zacharies case that I should be fain to write my mind but when either the hand of violence or the clods of the Valley shall stop my mouth I shall be as unable to write as speak It is but little that I can do by speaking my words will reach but to few and where they do reach I may complain with Melancthon that Old Adam is too hard for me And I am willing to try this way also if by any means I may help forward any in the way to Heaven and I hope I shall the more willingly dye if I may leave any thing behind me which may be of the least use to the Church of God when I shall sleep in the dust I confess I have not in the publishing of this smal Treatise done as the Romans were wont in preferring Laws consulted first with the Learned to know whether what I have written be not already contained in somwhat that hath been written before or whether it be not contrary to the Doctrine formerly received or whether it may be useful to the Church but I remember the Counsel of Petrarcha Quia simul omnia vel legere vel audire meminisse non potes utilissimis quidem quando brevitas est amica memoriae brevissimis quoque te fulcias We cannot read or hear every thing therefore I have chosen to treat of those things that are most useful and have handled them very briefly For the manner of handling these things I lie open to the judgment of others he that is afraid of leaves must not go to the wood we say and he that is afraid of mens censures must not write Books else we had enjoyed more of many learned mens labours If in any thing I may not be well understood by ordinary Readers I may answer as the Protestants do to the Papists about the perspicuity of the Scriptures it is not the manner of delivery but the thing delivered that makes it obscure and there are other things plain enough for them to make things obscure which are in themselves plain by great swelling words of vanity besides the sinfulness of it is such an unmanly piece of Padantry as I have alwaies abhorred from yet if at any time I have happened to speak of such things as have been above the reach of ordinary hearers I have not accounted it altogether lost labor to such if they have thereby been delivered from the opinion of their own omnisciency and understood thus much by it that they did not understand all things I fear God who knows with what aim and intention I write and speak every word and I dare not accept of the service of Fancy Pride Vain-glory or any corrupt Passion which are ready enough to mingle themselves with whatever we do in that which I must go to God with in Prayer to commend to his blessing and now at my parting with you I will give you a few words of advice and I beseech you let my counsel be acceptable to you First Learn to understand the nature of the Covenant of Grace that you may know upon what terms God and you are agreed there is no exception therein either against infirmities on your part or against afflictions on Gods part you may break the Commands of God not of right but it may de facto so fall out and God may visit you with a Rod for it and yet not break his Covenant Psal 89.30 c. There is not perfect obedience required on your part that is as absolutely necessary to salvation though perfect obedience is our duty else our moral infirmities were no sins where there is no Law there is no Transgression neither hath God promised worldly happiness Though my house be not so with God saith David yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant in all things ordered and sure c. 2 Sam. 23.5 Though my house be not so with God that is either as ver 3. he had not ruled in the fear of God but had miscarried in the business of Uriah and it is most likely in other things by Absaloms insinuations and the effect of them upon the people 2 Sam. 15.3 c. or it had not been as a morning without clouds c. as ver 4. but its happiness had been eclipsed by the business of Amnon and worse by that of Absolom Yet the Covenant of God was so ordered in all things as it remained sure as to spiritual things which are therefore called the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 If these things were well understood and considered we should not be discouraged by our infirmities though we might be humbled for them as an eminent Saint said on his death bed he had much peace and quietness not so much from a greater measure of Grace than other Christians had or from any immediate witness of the Spirit but because he had a more clear understanding of the Covenant of Grace than many others having studied it and preached it so many years Again we shall neither charge God foolishly in afflictions as if he did us any wrong in not standing to his Covenant nor take him for our enemy as Job 13.24 interpreting them as evidences of his wrath or effects of revenging justice And lastly We shall not flatter our selves with hopes of outward prosperity nor be troubled with disappointment when we faile of it which is an addition to mens misery when as one saies expectation takes more upon trust than enjoyment is able to discharge If we have food and raiment let us be therewith contented 1 Tim. 6.8 We indented with God for no more than Jacob did Gen. 28.20 as to this life Mat. 6.33 compared with 31. 2. Mind your present duty and the work of every day in the day Every day brings trouble enough with it as we say in our Proverb There is much talk of the Turk and the Spaniard and our next neighbour doth us more hurt than both of them we look with dreadful apprehensions upon the evils that are at a distance and mind not our present dangers which we are continually in or the temptations which
be the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that availes Jam. 5.16 for such a man only can pray in the name of Christ If a man should come to desire a favour of you in the name or for the sake of such a friend whom you much respect and whose name will prevail much with you would you not aske him presently What relation he hath to such a man that he useth his name So many come to God in the name of Jesus Christ And God may say to them and Why in the name of Christ What are you to Christ Or What relation have you to him Or suppose in the former case your friend whose name another makes use of should be near you at such a time and you go to him and aske him if he know that man that makes use of his name and he should tell you he is one that he hath nothing to do with one that hath done him much injury and from whom he never received the least respect or civility What answer might such a Petitioner expect So let us suppose our selves to hear God asking Jesus Christ when an Unbeleever comes to pray in his name if he belong to him or have any thing to do with him and Christ answering That he hath nothing to do with him and is one that despises his authority and contemns his grace and reproacheth his name and makes light of him What can we think it would availe such an one to pray in the name of Christ Yet an Unbeleevers incapacity of praying acceptably doth not give him a discharge from his duty for if wicked men were bound to do nothing but what they can do as they ought they should have no sins of omission but however I should in Thesi say it is the duty of an Unbeliever to pray yet in hypothesi if such an one should come to aske mine advice I would deal with him as with one who hath an erring conscience I would not advise him to do any thing against his conscience or to do his duty persisting in his errour but rather to lay aside his errour by rightly informing his conscience that so he might do that which is lawful in a lawful manner So I would not advise such an one to pray persisting in his unbelief but to believe that so he might pray acceptably It is true God doth somtimes out of the exuperance of his bounty hear wicked men 1 Kings 21.29 2 Kings 13.4 But though he bestows common favours on good and bad yet it is upon the righteous who are so by Faith that he bestows them with a special love Psal 146.8 But Secondly Faith qualifieth us actually for prayer 1. As it disposeth us to an holy awe and reverence of God He that will serve God acceptably must serve him with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 God disdains such services as men would be ashamed to offer to their Prince Mal. 1.8 And it is more tolerable to erre by superstition in the Worship of God than on the other hand by rudeness and prophaneness Now Faith sets the soul as under the eye of God sees him who to sense is invisible Heb. 11.27 It being the evidence of things not seen So that by Faith the soul doth as really apprehend God present as if he were incarnat◠or had assumed an humane shape and there is nothing more effectual to beget in the soul a due reverence of God since the presence of Angels in our Assemblies requires such a decorum in the exercises which we there perform 1 Cor. 11.10 2. By Faith we come boldly to God in prayer though Faith prevent rudeness yet it comes with an holy boldness Ephes 3.12 it is by Faith as the Apostle there shews that we have access with confidence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used signifies freedom of speech when a man speaks his whole mind freely when a man can come boldly to God and challenge his Promise urge upon him as Austin saies of his Mother Monica his own hand-writing as David doth Psal 119.49 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope and Psal 143.1 he challenges God in his faithfulness and righteousness to answer him though he dare not deal with God upon terms of strict justice as he shews vers 2. yet he pleads that iustice which is founded upon his mercy and his promise made thereby 3. Faith encourages the soul to perseverance and importunity in Prayer there is an holy impudence to be used in Prayer so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used Luk. 11.8 doth properly import a clear instance of this we have in that woman Mat. 15.22 She comes to Christ and propounds her case to him and at first he gives her no answer Sometimes a Beleever may pray and have no audience Psalm 22.2 yet Christs silence would not make her silent but she cries after him ver 23. It seems the Disciples were weary of her importunity and Austin by comparing this place with Mar. 7.24 observes that she followed Christ from one place to another though he endeavoured to avoid her then Christ doth in effect give her a flat denial signifying to her that she was none of those to whom he was sent for the time of the full calling of the Gentiles was nor yet come So God doth sometimes deny the prayers of his People as he tels them plainly Judg. 10.13 He would deliver them no more yet neither delaies nor denial would beat her off but she still continues her suit then Christ gives her a very rough answer doth in effect call her a dog ver 26. Sometimes God seems to be angry even against the prayer of his People Psal 80.4 The more they pray the more their affliction encreaseth and things seem to grow worse and worse with them but yet she is not discouraged hereby but retorts Christs words upon himself arguing from thence against him If she were a dog yet there was something due to her as a dog the dogs eating of the crumbs which fal◠from their Masters table◠as David seems to retort such an argument upon God Psal 25.11 making that which might seem to make his sin less capable of Pardon an argument to prevail with God for the pardon of them the greater they were the more need he had of pardon and the more glory God would have in the pardon of them this is an excellent point of skill in prayer yea not only in wrestling with God but in wrestling with Satan Now observe Christs answer to this woman O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Here is first Christs testimony concerning her her faith was great he imputes her importunity and perseverance to her faith 2. Here is Christs grant to her even what she would by which Christ shews how pleasing such importunity is to him and what a grateful violence as Tertullian calls it Apol. c. 39. is thereby offered to him
the thing it self therefore he could not be sure of it And a child may comfort himself in hopes of his Fathers estate though he know not but his Father may disinherit him And if any reply that Adam might be taken up with the happiness of his present condition and so not need to look forward for comfort as Believers are fain to do and that Adam had not so much cause to suspect his condition as a believer hath I add a Merchant rejoyceth much in expectation of his Ship coming home richly laden yet he knowes it is subject to great hazards at sea and I desire this may be diligently heeded Faith of recumbency as it is commonly called is the most proper and most noble act of faith though I am farr from thinking that the conclusion is not de fide where both the premises are not so so that assurance is not faith v. Daille la foi fondee c. partie 1. c. 12. For as Christ said to Thomas Joh. 20.29 Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed blessed are they who though they are not assured either by any mediate or immediate testimony of the Spirit yet dare rely strongly strongly strongly as an eminent dying Saint once said upon the Promise of Jesus Christ that he will in no wise cast out those that come to him for as those are commanded to rejoyce that seek the Lord Psa 105.3 though they have not yet found him because he hath not said to any in vain seek ye my face so may those rejoyce that thus cast themselves upon Jesus Christ though he have not yet said to them I am thy Salvation Psal 35.3 and he takes pleasure in those who so hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 Sixthly By Faith we receive strength from Jesus Christ for bearing of affliction I have shewed before how we have Union and Communion with Jesus Christ and through him we are able to do all things Phil. 4.13 he speaks not there of active obedience only as a learned man hath observed Hales Romains 125. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is as much as vales or possum which is as well to suffer as to do and it is clear from the context that he speaks there chiefly of suffering Colos 1.11 There is a gradation strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience with long-suffering and joyfulness The power of God doth not only strengthen us to patience but to all patience we may have patience in some afflictions not in others those may bear losses perhaps that cannot bear affronts or disgrace and not only to patience but long-suffering this respects the length of our sufferings as the other did the weight of theâ— Some can endure a sharp brunt but tire under a long affliction But he goeth further to joyfulness those may endure an heavy affliction and endure it long too which yet go drooping and heavily under it but by Faith in the power of Christ we may bear long and heavy afflictions with joy Thus we are more than conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 we conquer afflictions when they do not conquer us but we are more than conquerors when we can rejoyce in them Lastly Faith looks to the recompence of reward as I before shewed the efficacy of it in this respect to overcome temptations so we shall now see how effectual it is to enable us to bear afflictions Though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.16 Afflictions did abound yet they gained spirituall strength to go on more cheerfully instead of fainting or drawing back and the reason hereof was they looked not on the things which were seen but on the things which were not seen vers 18. which is the work of faith Heb. 11.1 As Columbus when he first went to discover America ventured a tedious and long voyage over the main Ocean upon this confidence that he should there discover another part of the world which had formerly been unknown to us when the Spaniards that went with him were ready to mutiny because they had not so much judgment as to be perswaded of any such fruit of their travel Or as Moses had much adoe to get an unbelieving multitude along with him through the wildernesse but they were oft murmuring rebelling turning back in their hearts unto Egypt So have I seen those who have been unequally yoaked and have had some heavy burden of affliction lying on them the one hath born it cheerfully and comfortably the other hath been an hindrance and no help continually murmuring and complaining In such cases the vertue of faith doth most evidently appear and though there are not many amongst us where the Gospel is preached such infidels as to deny the Recompense of reward yet it is only the exercise of a true and lively Faith which can lift up the soul under affliction that being the very substance of the thing hoped for and the evidence of things not seen For a Conclusion of the whole matter let me borrow the words of a learned man Dr. Arrowsmith Tact. Sacr. l. 2. c. 7. s 13. O quanâ—â—â—â— memorem fides virtutum nobilissima c. How shall I make mention of thee O Faith the most noble of all Vertues What shall I say of thee Thou art the Hinge on which the Gate of heaven turns the Bucket by which we draw the water of life the Wedding Ring whereby the Soul is married to Jesus Christ the Receptacle of the Bloud of Christ the only Condition of the New Covenant and the chief part of the New Creature they that by thee attain to a recumbency are safe they that attain to assurance are joyful Thou art the Eye the Hand the Mouth yea the All of our Souls Yea I may add Faith is in Grace as the Philosophers Stone in Nature as a Catholicon or vniversal soveraign remedy for all diseases It is in the Soul as the Lungs in the Body the Instrument of breathing whereby Vitalis spiritus as Fernelius saith tanquam patulo alitur fovetur we are continually thereby taking in and giving out Either receiving from Jesus Christ or laying out for him Wherefore with all our getting as the Wiseman saith of Wisdome Prov. 4.7 let us get Faith and pray that God will fulfil the work of Faith with power in us 2 Thes 1.11 When Christ teaches his Disciples the exercise of Love they pray for the encrease of Faith Luk. 17.5 Whatever we are called to in this World let us pray Lord encrease our Faith hereby we shall be able to perform our Duties to exercise our Graces to overcome our Temptations to bear our Afflictions to hold up in Desertions yea all things are possible to him that believeth Mark 9.23 Search and examine your selves whether you be in the Faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 No Faith no Life and be diligent in the use of all means for the strengthening