TRIA SUNT OMNIA OR A necessary Narration and distinct Discussion OF FAITH HOPE and LOVE Legible in the Idea of the Book By R. Mayhew M. of the G. Author of that Tract which hath this Title The Death of Christ the Death of Death 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope Love these three but the greatest of these is Love Litera scripta manet non ita verba diu Litera sculpta manet non itā scripta diu LONDON Printed by Thomas Snowden for the Author An. 1680. TO THE SERIOUS and SPIRITUAL READER READER SOlomon the Sage of Israel hath transmitted this Sentiment of his unto posterity Eccl. 12.12 Of making many Books there is no end and much study is a weariness to the flesh But though there may be a weariness in well-doing yet there should not be a weariness of well-doing for as 't is inconsistent with the truth of grace to be weary of well-doing so 't is incumbent upon the truly gracious not to be weary in well-doing Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not There is a possibility a probability yea a certainty of persevering Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall add strength to strength Those that have an imputed and imparted or implanted righteousness shall certainly persevere in their spirituals and morals in their inward and outward way in the way of their Heart and in the way of their Hand The wayes of the Lord are right Hos 14.9 and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Reader may not the Lip and the Pen offend two wayes Negatively by not speaking or writing as well as positively by speaking or writing But this may be objected that I bring Straw into Egypt a Country abounding with Corn Ne plus ultra that I draw a picture after Apelles that I write an Iliad after Homer that I do that which hath long since been done by protestant Heroes Nil dictum quod non prius dictum and that there is nothing spoken which was not before spoken My reply with all humility follows 'T is true I may much more than others apologize for my self being the Benjamin of my Fathers house and say what am I so little to appear in an Essay so great What is a Muscle-shell to empty an Ocean Can my Line sound these Depths Here is Faith which hath the person of Christ for Object here is Hope which hath Heaven for Object here is Love which hath the personal excellency of Christ for Object But though my Line cannot sound this Bottom may I not let it down If I cannot appear as a Cedar in Lebanon may I not appear as a Shrub in the Valley May I not cast a Mite into the Lords Treasury if I have no more to cast May I not bring a little Goats hair that may contribute towards the erection of the Temple if I have nothing better to bring A Book may speak when the Author doth not when the Author dares not when the Author may not when the Author is not It was the saying of an Emperor say little to others Conrade Pauca cum aliis tecum multa but more to thy self It was also the saying of a Monarch Qui nescit tacere nescit loqui Hen. 6. He that knoweth not how to be silent knoweth not how to speak But silence when Truth is wounded is a loud Sin God sent the book of Nature before he sent the book of Scripture God hath two books the book of his Works and the book of his Word the book of the Creatures and the book of the Scriptures The former is a very large Volume or rather containeth many Volumes a whole Library The latter divideth it self into the old and new Testament This is Mans book but there is Gods book the sacred Scripture which is the Book of Books I would not be guilty of that vanity in out-bidding my self and if I be not then I do assert with the greatest confidence and innocence that I would not appear with wisdom of Words and yet I would not appear without words of wisdom that I had much rather with Luther my book should not be read than that Gods book should be left unread yea than that should not be first and last most and best read Reader I begin to be weary of reading those books wherein I find not the NAME OF CHRIST In this Book thou shalt find this name which is a name above every name Phi. 2.9 10. that at this name every knee may bow things in Heaven Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect things on earth Saints and Sinners things under the earth infernal Spirits The Proconsul in Asia in the time of Justin Martyr did forbid the Christians to read any books that spake of a Christ Is this a wonder Peter and John were commanded not to speak at all Act. 4 18. nor teach in the name of Jesus It is said of one that he had a rare felicity in reading of books Perkins he did as it were but turn them over yet would give an account of all that was considerable in them he perused books so speedily that one would have thought he had read nothing and yet so accurately that one would have thought he had read all Erasmus saith that he learned more from one short page of Luthers writing than from all the great Books of Thomas Aquinas Though more may be learned in reading one line of Gods book than in reading all the leaves of Mans book and if thou beest spiritual thou wilt find a vast difference in reading the one and the other yet if Christ be with thee thou mayst learn something in reading the book of man I like thorough grace books under a divine Design that are sent into the world for Truth rather than Triumph and for Verity rather than Victory A pretension to satisfie every Reader would be as ridiculous as his Essay who studied to make a Vestment for the Moon that might suit her under every interchange And as improbable for Success as his Enterprize who with a dish of one Radish would satisfie every pallate Reader if thou beest curious and critical unto an Excess I despair of pleasing thee because thou wilt be finding fault besides the faults that are to be found As therefore I have not been writing in haste so be not thou reading in haste Eternitati pingo Xeuxis but as one painted for an eternity so do thou read for an eternity It hath been said THREE THINGS Tria sunt omnia ARE ALL THINGS The Father purposing the Son purchasing the Spirit perfecting here are three things they are great things they are as it were all things As the hypostatical union or Vnion of natures in Christ is the Wonder of VVonders so a Trinity in
cannot hope This they want and can never have This is the life of Christians and the want hereof maketh Devils There must be living thorough hope upon the Object of Hope Infer 4. The life of Faith is a noble life and so is the life of Hope these two live together and will dye together Lam. 3.24 Jehovah is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him 'T is a mercy to have a portion in the World but 't is a misery to have the World for a Portion Though thou hast no Bags and Barns not an Affluence and Confluence of these lesser and lower things though thou hast not a Palace but a Cottage and livest not at Court but upon a Common though thou farest not deliciously but hast short Commons and hast not Bread for to morrow until to morrow though thou hast not Variety and Rarity but a morsel nor the finest or fat of the Wheat but pulse though thou hast not Superfluity but a handful of Meal in the Barrel and a little Oyl in the Cruse yet if actually Christs thou hast Jehovah for thy Portion therefore hope Those who have the Grace of Hope should have a Life in Print Infer 5. What manner of persons ought they to be in Cogitation and Communication and Conversation who have God or Christ or Heaven for the Object of their Hope Hast a Gospel-hope look then to thy Steps and make strait steps to thy Feet A well led life is the best Monument 'T is highly commendable when the life of a Christian is a Commentary upon the life of a Christ A Congregational-life should be a Christian-life an Evangelical-life should be an Angelical life A Life in Print is a silencing evidence Good works are more evidential unto interest in Christ than good words The Life rather than the Lip is evidential for what Country thou art bound what thy Desires and Delights and Designs are The End of the Conversation is notoriously evidential for or against a Man The Life will speak when the Lip is silent 'T is not the witty Head but the holy heart that shall go to Heaven 1. Jo. 3.3 Every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Every one actually in Christ as to Nation whether Jew or Gentile as to Sex whether Man or Woman as to Age whether a Methuselah or a Josiah as to State whether a Crassus or a Codrus as to Degree whether a person in his Robes or a person in his Rags desireth and endeavoureth thorough Christ to be pure as Christ is pure This as is an as of quality not of equality A Christian should be like the floor of the Temple and the Ark of Noah over-laid with pure Gold within and without Jewel 'T is said of one Diu vixits licet non diu fuit that he lived long in the short scantling of his life 'T is said of Daniel that nothing was found against him unless it was concerning the Law of his God Though perfection be not in the power of a Christian yet it should be in the endeavour of a Christian Those who shall wear Kings Robes in Heaven must wear Saints Robes on Earth Godliness saith one always enricheth the possessor 'T is pity but the life of a Christian should be such as envy it self might not know where to fasten As the Image in the Glass doth resemble the Face or Figure the Feature and Favvur so doth a Christian after his proportion that hath a Gospel-Hope resemble Christ Those actually Christs are to hope to the end Infer 6. As there must be a believing to the end 1 Pet. 1.9 if at the end of our days we would receive the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Souls so there must be a hoping to the end if at the end of our days we would receive the end of our hope and be graciously arrived at that City which is the Object of it the builder and maker whereof is God Heb. 11.10 Hope is a sweet and firm companion of man it is the last thing that leaveth him The Apostle presseth a hoping to the end Gird up the loins of your mind 1 Pet. 1.13 be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ Gird up the loins of your mind The Jews and eastern people tuck up their long garments that they may be more expedite and free to a journey or business thus Christians having a Gospel-Hope must take short their minds from terrene objects and delights in their progress thorough the wilderness unto the Holy Land Be sober in principle in practise And hope to the end and hope perfectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the greek But for what For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ for more grace here and for glory hereafter That a hoping person Infer 7. is a happy person Hast a Gospel-Hope drink then of the brook by the way and lift up thy head for the hoping soul is the happy soul Thou mayst say as Luther did let him be miserable that can be miserable for my part I cannot be miserable for I have a Gospel-Hope Psal 146.5 Happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God Canst thou be miserable so long as God is merciful Canst thou be unhappy when the God of Gods is the Object of thy Hope Hast a Gospel-Hope Then that God who hath eternity for his mansion and eternity for his measure speaketh unto thee from the mercy-seat from Gerizim the mount of blessings not from Ebal the mount of curses for the hoping person Deu. 11.29 is the happy person The Heathens had this Divinity among them that only good men should be happy hereafter When Craesus asked Solon that Athenian-Lawgiver who was more happy than Craesus Solon answered Tellius who though he was a poor man yet he was a good man If there be a person unhappy on this side Hell 't is a person without a Gospel-Hope and if there be a person happy on this side Heaven O terque quaterque beati 't is a person that hath a Gospel-Hope This may be said of Christ and of those who are Christs having him for the Object of their Hope that they are three times Toties quoties four times many times very many times blessed Ah but this is an evil day Objec 1 and like to be worse The People of God have not only the sense of death but also the sentence of death in themselves now There is a Storm impending a Showr impending it may rain and that blood before night before I be gathered unto my Fathers before I go to the grave of silence and have a pillow of dust for my head Be not over concerned Sol. for Christ is the Object
a love to Sin Though Sin had not a Being from God cannot have a Being with God and striketh at the Being of God 2 Tim. 3.4 yet there is a love to Sin Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God The Greek is elegant Paronomasia 't is an Agnomination or Allusion to words when the most differing signification is taken away There is no Sin in the nature of Angels there is nothing but Sin in the nature of Men. Man naturally is a Vessel of Sin and a Vassal unto Satan and yet there is a love to Sin Though God be a hater of Sin Man is a lover of Sin Self As there is a love to Sin so there is a love to Self Self-love is a great Sin for a man is to deny himself not to love himself Mat. 16.24 If any one will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Self-love makes a Man lovely in his own but loathsom in Gods eyes Those that deny not themselves and their own ends for Christ will deny Christ for their own ends and will be denyed by Christ in the end A Man may dye for Christ and yet not dye in Christ Man though the epitomy of the creation is but a peice and patch of the Earth who should rather be out of love than in love with himself The civil rule is so defaced that the most of men are compounds of self let their Neighbour sink or swim it is all one with them Non nobis solum nas cimur that it is become proverbial Every man for himself But if onely for himself 't is a maxim drawn in Hell and ushered into the world by the Prince of Darkness for we are not only born for our selves Blessed Bradford had low thoughts of himself he would often subscribe himself John the Hypocrite and a very painted Sepulchre Terra incognita Let not any Region of thy self be an unknown land to thy self Many are proud of their knowledg yet pride is the Daughter of Ignorance I hate saith one that which I am Aug. and desire that which I am not Though a proud man is said to know himself too much yet he doth not know himself enough yea not at all as he ought to know himself Oh beg beg beg beg of the God of Gods to alienate thee from thy self and annihilate in thee whatsoever opposeth himself Let Antony or Augustus win 't is all one to some by contrary winds they can sail to their own ends A Holy heart loves good thoughts but it loves not thoughts of its own goodness When Titus had taken the City of Jerusalem the Army saluted him Emperor presenting him with Crowns and Garlands which he modestly refused saying I have only lent my Hands and my Help to God and his People Many do as Hind the Robber did who returned some part of the Money he took from others to be the better thought off and the less pursued Abraham though the Father of the faithful and as it were one of Gods Privy Councel had low thoughts of himself and writes himself Dust and Ashes Gen. 18.27 Jacob though sent from the Angel which was Christ with the name of Israel a princely power with God according to the import of the word had low thoughts of himself and writes himself less then the least of Gods mercies Gen 32.10 Agur though one of the holiest and wisest men in his day had low thoughts of himself and writes himself more brutish than any man Prov. 30.2 and not having the understanding of a man Paul though cried up for an earthly Angel had low thoughts of himself Eph. 3.8 and writes himself less than the least of all Saints Nothing can be less than the least but he thought himself so much less than others as that he writes down himself less than indeed he was There is a manifold Self of which take a Tast There is a sinful self Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom 6.1 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein There is a natural-self As the other took in a mans Lusts so this takes in a mans Arts and Parts Gifts and Reason 1 Cor. 12.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But covet earnestly the best gifts Be zealous after the best things so the greek studiously affect them There is a religious-self This takes in a mans Duties and Services whether ordinary or extraordinary Phi. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is thorough the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith There is a moral-self This includes a freedom from gross hainous and enormous wickedness 1 Pet. 4.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as Bishops in anothers Diocess as priers into other mens matters greek There is a relative-self This includes the nearest and dearest Relations in the flesh 1 Cor. 7.29 That they who have wives be as though they had none There is a lawful-self This takes in things indifferent All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me 1 Cor. 6.12 but I will not be brought under the power of any Though the words be general yet they make nothing for Libertines for that rule of the Logicians here holdeth Verba sunt restringenda ad subjectam materiam That words how general soever they seem are to be restrained to the matter treated of Now the matter was concerning the use of things indifferent as meats and drinks c. There is a love to self but a Man should rather hate than love himself If any one cometh unto me Luk. 14.26 and hateth not his Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life he cannot be my disciple Here are not only Relations though the nearest and the dearest but also Life the Top of all If Relations yea if Life stands in competition with Christ these must be hated rather than he should not be loved or these must be loved less than he they must be loved in subordination to him not in coordination with him The World As there is a love to Sin and to Self so to the World Christ is the best Indies It is no sin to be rich but when riches are gotten by sin The Earth is Gods Footstool yet many make that their Throne Heaven is Gods Throne yet many make that their Footstool they tread and trample upon the things of Heaven while they set their hearts upon the things of the Earth 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present World The World was more to him than the Gospel and Christ the Sum of it the World was more to him than the Church and Communion with it Is it not pity that no more are
and of Sodom too Rev. 7.17 The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them to living fountains of water Those actually Christs are under the Conduct of Christ from the Wilderness to Canaan from Earth to Heaven from Grace to Glory Christ leadeth out of a state of Sin into a slate of Grace and thorough a state of Grace into a state of Glory Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psa 73.24 and afterward receive me to glory Christ is excellent in power All power in Heaven is devolved upon Christ He is the Object of the Angels adoration He hath the Angels at his command and can send them forth as an heavenly Host to assist his people Peter Mat. 26.53 saith Christ thinkest thou not that I can now pray to the Father and he shall give me more than 12 legions of Angels And as he hath power over Heaven so over the Earth as he is the Object of the Angels adoration so of the Saints admiration 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that bleieve And as Christ hath power over Heaven and over Earth so over Hell As he is the Object of the Angels adoration and of the Saints admiration so of the Devils consternation Phi. 2.10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow things in Heaven Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect Things on Earth Saints and Sinners Things under the Earth infernal Spirits CHAP. III. Inferences from a Gospel Love THe Lover of Christ Infer 1. hath much in Reversion Though the lover of Christ hath much in possession yet more in reversion The Apostle hath a lovely 1 Cor. 2.9 and a lofty strain Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared But for whom for them that love him Vespatian the Emperor I have read of one that commanded a liberal sum of money should be given to one that fell in love with him The Steward asked under what Item he should put it The Emperor answered Vespatiano adamaco Item to the Woman that loved Vespatian But now Soul when Christ gives he doth not put it under an Item of Money but of Mercy not under an Item of Gold but of Glory Item Heaven with the Sinlessness thereof Heaven with the Sorrowlessness thereof Heaven with the Temptationlessness thereof Heaven with the Timelessness thereof to the Soul that loves me Item the things which are invisible and inaudible and inconceivable to he Man that loves me to the Woman that loves me Art a lover of Christ Drink then of the brook by the way and lift up thy head for man sees not hears not conceives not the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him Art a lover of Christ then though thou didst come unto this work mourning like a Dove and hast been at this work groaning like a Turtle yet go away from this work singing like a Lark for man hath not seen nor heard nor conceived the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him 'T is true every lover of Christ may as one did mourn over his want of love to Christ A Minister weeping at the Table as he sat at meat was asked wherefore he wept who answered I weep because I can love Christ no more Do ye see the tears of repentance stand in mine eyes 'T is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see Tears run down my Cheeks 't is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see my Tears fall upon my Plate 'T is because I can love Christ no more But Soul though to love Christ no more be a ground of Sorrow yet the promise to the lover of Christ is a ground of Joy The promise is made to the lover of Christ Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him But what is this Crown under promise for the lovers of Christ Qu. 1. This word Crown passeth thorough various expressions in the sacred Scripture but all amount unto and meet in one Sol. and the same thing 'T is called an Inheritance Are inheritances nothing Naboth had an inheritance and he valued it Shall I give away the inheritance of my fathers unto thee This was but a vineyard and he might have had a better for it or the worth of it in money but what manner of inheritance is this inheritance To an inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you It is incorruptible not perishing with the things of the world 'T is undefiled not defiled with abuse It fadeth not away with Antiquity And 't is reserved in Heaven 'T is safe 't is sure 't is secure and will be thy security that art a lover of Christ 'T is called the Joy of the Lord. Well done good and faithful servant Mat. 25.21 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. For the joy of the Lord to enter into us is for Heaven to enter into us for us to enter into the joy of the Lord is for us to enter into Heaven On Earth there are Tones of Sorrow with Tunes of Joy but in Heaven there are Tunes of Joy without Tones of Sorrow Heaven is not a Baca a valley of tears not a Bochim a house of mourning but a Shushan a City of joyfulness 'T is called the Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Are not Kingdoms great things with great Men This was the flagitious position of a flagitious Machiavel That breach of faith for Kingdoms is no sin Will not men swim as it were through a Sea of blood to a Kingdom Here is a Kingdom and 't is the Kingdom of Heaven the third Heaven the Heaven of Heavens 'T is called the Crown of Life Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer What none No Rev. 2.10 What not binding and banishing No What not Poverty and Prison No What not Fire and Massacre No What not Rack and Stake No Behold the Devil in his Seconds and Servants shall take some of you not all of you and cast into prison not into Hell and ye shall have tribulation ten days not for ever Be thou faithful unto death there 's the precept and I will give thee a crown of life there 's the promise A Crown represents unto us Dignity plenty and perpetuity A Crown is round as if it had neither beginging nor ending 'T is called a Crown of Righteousness I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith Here are three Metaphors the first is taken from wrestling I have fought a good fight
the start of Jacob and came first into the world so Faith as it appears to me seemeth to get the start of Repentance and is first in the Soul Faith is first in Act but Repentance is first in Sight God hath joined Faith and Repentance together woe to those who put them asunder They who either believe without repenting or repent without believing do neither believe nor repent That there is the Faith of the Gospel is evident May Peter speak he was the great Doctor of the Circumcision and a good Orator That the Gentiles by my mouth might hear the word of the Gospel and believe 'T is true if we look with both eyes upon most men and their Manners we may easily conclude that they are strangers to this Faith yet there is such a thing as the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 May Paul also speak He was the great Doctor of the Uncircumcision who spake with Tongues more than they all and had a great command of Rhetorick Striving together for the Faith of the Gospel The words are metaphorical taken from Wrestlers who strive for the Mastery or for the Crown they did put themselves in hazard for the defence of the Gospel CHAP. II. What this Gospel-Faith is 'T IS connatural unto man Qui benè distinguit benè docet to out-bid himself I would know nothing by my self but my sin yet he that distinguisheth well teacheth well I would not take the wall of those pious and prudent laborious and learned Divines Cedars of Lebanon that have gone before me upon this Subject Prov. 31.31 whose works praise them in the Gates that died in the Lord have rested from their labours Rev. 14.13 and whose works have followed them in a way of mercy though not in a way of merit Nor would I be ambitious were they living to go by their side yet suffer me to cast in my mite for great hath been the Controversie between Protestants and Papists yea between Protestants themselves wherein the Essence of a Gospel-Faith lies As there is an hypocritical or temporal Faith so there is a dogmatical or historical Faith Luk. 8.13 Acts 24.14 as Divines call it There is Faith and there is the Assurance of Faith there is the Faith of Affiance and there is the Faith of Assurance there is the direct and there is the reflect Act of Faith I shall therefore engage as I am more or less indulged the Gales and Gusts of the Spirit the direct Act of Faith the Faith of Affiance the Seed of Grace which is incorruptible and durable may for a time lie under clods and clots There may be Grace where there is no Peace and Faith where there is no Assurance Yea the Tenure of Grace and Peace is not alwaies the same but as to Peace God can and that in a moment if we sin against him turn our Heaven upon Earth into a Hell upon Earth But Quest what then is this direct Act of Faith what then is this Faith of Affiance what then is this Gospel-Faith Gospel-Faith is the Gift of God Sol. and Fruit of the Spirit of God whereby there is upon Gospel-terms a Reception of Christ Jesus the Lord and a Recumbency upon him solely for salvation This Definition of the Faith of Affiance Def. suggesteth a reflection of six things as considerable Remarks and Ingredients indispensably necessary in order to its Constitution its Pedegree its Object its Essence its Act its Rule and its End It s Pedegree Gospel-Faith is the Gift of God and Fruit of the Spirit of God Gospel-Faith is the Gift of God Faith is not a Native but a Donative By grace ye are saved through Faith Eph. 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Here is the mercy and that is Salvation here is the motive and that is Grace here is the medium and that is Faith By grace ye are saved through Faith but this Faith is not of your selves it is the gift of God Though Faith be in us yet it is not of us it is the gift of God Lapsed Man hath lost his Freedom of Will to Good This Man hath no Freedom of Will to that which is truly good but what is wrought by Free-Grace The two Poles will as soon meet as Free-Grace and Free-Will in the Justification of a Sinner before God I could readily Seal the saying of One who laying his hand upon his breast Dr. Hill Firmin's Real Christian p. 26. Non Gratia est ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo said Every true Convert hath something here that will draw an Argument against an Arminian As the Habit of Faith so the Act of Faith is the gift of God Faith is an Out-landish Plant and of a divine Extract Faith is not a slip growing in our own Garden but a heaven-born Grace What is freer than gift Now the Act as well as the Habit of Faith is given It is given yea according to the Greek freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or graciously given unto you in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe Phil. 1.29 but also to suffer for his sake That is 't is given with all freeness imaginable yea with an uninimaginable freeness for 't is Grace no way unless it be free every way 2. Gospel-Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit of God Faith that 's the Fruit Gal. 5.22 the Spirit that 's the Tree The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith Here is variety this that and the other Grace Here is also rarity Here is Faith and Love the top-fruit of the Tree Vices end in themselves but Virtues abound with fruit 'T is called the Fruit of the Spirit because originally from the Spirit as the Fruit is from the Tree As all Light meets in the Sun as all the Creatures met in the Ark as the Members meet in the Body as all the Branches meet in the Tree and as all the Lines meet in the Center so all Power meets in the Spirit and concenters there 'T is therefore called the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 Power is as inseparable an Adjunct of the Spirit as the Light of the Sun and the Heat of the Fire it can no more be severed from it than the Soul from the Body whilst a living Organ 'T is a Faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 'T is the operation of God because wrought by the Spirit of God Yea there is a power exerted in the working of this Faith aequivalent unto and aequipollent with that power which gave a Resurrection unto Christ Jesus To this the Apostle speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one acquainted with the work of Faith in his own Soul And what is the supereminent or sublime magnitude so the Greek of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his
bearing it for a Crest Though God had one Son without Sin yet he never had a Son without Suffering 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Luther saith that he learned more by Christs Cross Qui non est Crucianus non est Christianus than by all the letters in the book He saith also that he is not a Christian that hath not a Cross They who are without chastisement are Bastards and not Sons Now no Bastard can inherit by the Law of God by the Law of Nature by the Law of Nations This hath ever been the poesy of the Church of the first born TO DO GOOD ANDTO SUFFER EVIL Suffering work is noble work the noblest work that Dust and Ashes can be concerned in Saints are inferiour to Angels as to doing but Saints are Superiour to Angels as to Suffering for they are Spirits and so impassible Whom God affects most he many times afflicts most and there is many times the choicest Affection under the chiefest Affliction Great Promises call for a great Faith The Promises of God they are the Churches Stock and a Believers Patrimony The Promises of God are great things so great things that what would not a convinced or a deserted Soul give for a Promise The Promises of God they are greater than the Fears or the Faith of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the wants or the weaknesses of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the Sorrows or the Sins of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the Threatnings of God and as great as the Commands of God When the World was shaken by Adam's sin Gen. 3.15 God secured it by the Promise of his Son All the after Promises were but as so many Commentaries upon this first Promise the SEED OF THE WOMAN God hath many times repealed Punishments but God hath not at any time repealed Promises The Promise is a Ground for Faith as the Precept is a Rule for Obedience The congregating and calling of the Jews together with the drying up of the great river Euphrates in order thereunto are not these great things to believe and do not these call for a great Faith The blasting of Babylon and the blessing of Sion the breaking of Babylon and the Building of Sion the Ruine of Babylon and the Resurrection of Sion are not these great things to believe and do not these great things call for a great Faith A numerical resurrection of the Body Act. 1.10.11 the binding of Satan the personal return of Christ from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the reign of His with Him according to the Greek the thousand years Rev. 20.4 are not these great things to believe and do not these great things call for a great Faith Great Providences call for a great Faith The works of God are distinguished into two sorts of Creation and Providence 'T is bad to out-run Providence and 't is not good to loyter and lag behind it 'T is not good to go before God and 't is as bad to stay long behind him Creatures have a teaching voice they read us Divinity-Lectures of divine Providence There is the general Providence of God Acts. 17.28 which extends it self to the whole world From him we live and move and have our being There 's also the special Providence of God which he sheweth towards his Church Isa 43.2 When thou passest thorough the Waters I will be with thee and prevent thy drowning when thou walkest thorough the fire I will be with thee and prevent thy burning Is not every year a year of Wonder Annus Mirabilis what detections disappointments and defeats have there lately been upon a beastly and bloody brutish and barbarous merciless and murderous generation by a timely interposition of divine providence The Poison and the Antidote come into the Nation together such is the divine Providence of the divine Majesty God now speaks not onely from the Earth but also from Heaven by the great and wonderful works of his Providence Eusebius which one calleth the Sermons of God Now do not these Providences call for a great Faith Great Temptations call for a great Faith Where is the Christian of Christs making that is without Temptation Our whole life saith one is but a Temptation Aug. There was a Tempter in the terrestial Paradise but there shall be no Tempter in the Celestial Paradise That indeed a man is that he is under Temptation To be without Temptation saith one is the greatest Temptation Tillinghast When God puts any of his Servants into Satans hand 's then he keeps Satan in his own hands There is no place in the world that can secure from Temptation or be a Sanctuary from Satanical Assaults It is the folly of Popish Votaries that think to immure themselves within Walls from the Temptations of Satan Cloysters are as open as the open field to Satan but he is confined as to his Temptation to the aereal part and therefore called the Prince of the power of the air Ephes 2.2 When once therefore we are beyond the Earth we are beyond the reach of all Temptations I am saith Luther set upon without by all the world and within by the Devil and his Angels Satan in Tempting hideth the Hook and sheweth onely the Bait. Christ was made like unto Man that he might be Tempted and Man is Tempted that he may be made like unto Christ When Satan doth his worst in Tempting a Christian should do his best in praying Beza One when Tempted made this answer Whatsoever I was Satan I am now in Christ a new creature and 't is that which troubles thee Luther gives one compendious way to withstand all temptation whatsoever If moved any way by Sin Satan or the World answer all with this onely I am a Christian Christianus Sum. I may not yield to any sin for I am a Christian Suspend thy judgment as to those under temptation Christ himself was Tempted in the highest measure that could be That which is written of Spira that he was a Reprobate and a Cast-away because he concluded this of himself was penned very inconsiderately for what did befal him which may not befal a Child of God Christs intercession must be the Souls Anchor in time of temptation He that can say under temptation Ego non sum Ego as that young Convert did I am not what I was nor where I was is happy indeed Oh saith Satan there is at hand a blasting time a breaking time a binding time a bleeding time a burning time curse God and die curse thy King and thy God and look upward Do not great temptations call for great Faith Satan rageth most at last He is always going as a subtle Serpent to delude or as a roaring Lion to devour Satan is the greatest
Stumbling-blocks in the way of others Live then and dye in the Act 1 Thes 4.13 and exercise of Hope What the Apostle saith concerning the resurrection I would not have you sorrow even as others which have no hope is also true concerning other things Do not carry it in the world and before the world as those who have no hope Do not dishonour your master by pangs of pannick and forbidden fear Should it not have been below a David a man after Gods own heart a person of that worth and weight to say I shall one day fall by the hands of this Saul Did not David fear many Philistines and doth he now fear one Saul Did God say that David should outlive Saul and doth David say that he shall dye before Saul I have so mewhere read of a Salutation and a Replication between a Ruffian and a poor man The Ruffian meeting him weeping as he was going saluted him thus what weeping still but what if there be no Heaven to compensate this weeping The poor man replied Ah Sir but what if there be a Hell for those that weep not The Salutation was bad but the Replication was good I beg pardon if I make this Use 't is connatural unto man to run into extreams and excesses but this I preach and press that there may be Tunes of Joy with Tones of Sorrow in those that have Christ for the Object of their Hope that they would be taking a prospect of the bright side and not be altogether poring on the dark side of the Cloud As sorrowful 2 Cor. 6.10 yet always rejoycing He brings in the sorrow of the godly with an AS saith Anselm not that it is sorrow indeed Quasi but as sorrowful as if it were a painted Sorrow not true Sorrow but when he speaks of Joy there is no as but true Joy The Design is this while ye who have Christ for the Object of your Hope are looking downward be also looking upward and while ye are in the reflection of what ye are in your Selves be also in the reflection of what ye are in your Surety for he is the Object of your Hope that ye may not be Stumbling-blocks in the way of others Would ye be secured when the Winds are prodigious and the waves are impetuous Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of hope When the winds rise and the Waves roar the Anchor is cast to secure the Ship The Apostle discoursing and discussing two immutable things the promise of God and the Oath of God in which it was impossible for God to lie Heb. 6.17 18 19. that we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us connecteth and connexeth this which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul A material Anchor is cast downward but a mystical Anchor is cast upward and fastned in Heaven Our Hope must enter into Heaven and fix there The best of the Earth is not ground good enough nor sure enough for our Anchor-hold Whatsoever we make our Hope we make our God and is there any thing on Earth good enough to be our God Creatures from the Instinct of Nature will seek a Refuge upon the approach of a Storm Do the Heavens gather will it rain before night Is there a showr of blood impending Ark then in a Christ and Anchor upon a Christ Act thorough Christ hope upon a Christ who is the Object of a Gospel-Hope Would ye be under a distinguishing and dignifying Character Live then and die in the Act and exercise of Hope As some have been under a debasing Character thus Ahaz was This is that wicked Ahaz Thus Ahab was Ahab sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of God whom Jezebel his Wife stirred up Thus Jeroboam was He did evil above all that were before him Thus Abijam was He walked in all the sins of his Father Persons and places might be multiplied in order to the evincement of this that some have been under a debasing Character but others have been under a dignifying Character Thus Moses was for God himself preacheth his funeral Sermon Moses my servant is dead Thus David was I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after my own heart who shall fulfil all my wills Thus Jacob was He went unto a Duty a Jacob and prayer he went from that Duty an Israel and prevailer Thus Job was his passion is buried under his Patience and his Infirmity under his Grace Ye have heard of the patience of Job Thus Abraham was He is cried up as the Father of the Faithful who against hope Rom. 4.18 believed in hope He believed against hope of Sense and Reason he believed in hope of Gods Word and Power as appeareth by the Antithesis He believed above the hope of man and under the hope of God who calleth things that are not as though they were Would ye sweeten all your Bitters Live then and die in the Act and exercise of hope 'T is very connatural unto professors and possessors of Christ to rack their Thoughts to dig their own Graves to imbitter their Sweets to live like persons in the Tombs to take their Turns in Bochim and to pitch their Tents in the Valley of Baca by an Anticipation of providences Num. 24.23 Who shall live when God doth this saith Balaam Thus Manoah said to his Wife Jud. 13.22 we shall surely die Why Because we have seen God Thus persons are apt to take wrong measures and to misconstrue the providences of God Are not many ready to say how insignificant are all the Detections and Disapointments and Defeats that the God of Gods hath brought upon the People of his Curse We are all like to be concerned in a common calamity But now interposeth a Gospel-Hope with another Dialect and saith meliora spero I hope better things had God determined Destruction he would not have given us these Pledges for future Deliverance by indulging a Nation such Detections and Disappointments and Defeats Will not God distinguish between Goshen and Egypt between Sion and Sodom between Beth-el and Beth-aven between Isralites and Ishmalites between the inward and the outward Court I hope better things Hope in the worst of times looketh for better times Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Though God should make a Thrust at me and this Thrust should be mortal yet He shall be the Object of my Hope Would ye have a formal Plea at the Throne of Grace against enemies without and within too Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of Hope To these distinctly and concisely Would ye have a formal Plea at the Throne of Grace against enemies without Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of Hope Those who have a Gospel-Hope have enemies without open and close It was the common saying of an Emperour Leo Isaurus Inimici occulti
the Objects of this Gospel-love Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee As if the Psalmist had said Lord Jesus not thine but Thee not thine without Thee not thine in compare with Thee not the Token without the Hand not the Stream without the Fountain not the Gift without the Giver Lord Jesus not the Field without the Pearl not the Cabinet without the Jewel not the Shadow without the Substance Lord Jesus not the Pool without the Angel not the Gallery without the King not the mercy of God without the God of the mercy I have been prolix but pardon the prolixity for some may be as long in going one mile as others may be in going two miles and resent the Sentiment that Gospel-Love is a supernatural Grace and expansion of the Soul towards the personal Excellency of Christ as its proper Object CHAP. II. How this personal Excellency of Christ appears that is the proper Object of this Gospel-Love THat Christ is an excellent person an excelling person is evinced to my hand and none will deny that acknowledg his Deity Did any understand Christ better than the Church so well as the Church Now she writes him white and red These are the best Temperature of Man they are the natural and the native Badges of Beauty Can. 5.10 But what follows The Armour-bearer among ten thousand Did Luke write most excellent Theophilus Luke 1.3 certainly then I may write most excellent Jesus Was Felix written by the chief Captain most excellent Governour then Christ may be written the most excellent person Acts 23.26 The great Doctor of the Gentiles was so graciously taken with a Christ that he accounted all things but loss Phi. 3.8 for the excellency of the knowledg of this most excellent person Was it said of Joseph and that by Pharaoh is there such a man as this is Gen. 41.38 in whom the Spirit of God is What may then be said of a Jesus Job 1.8 Was it said of a Job and that by a God that there was none like him in the earth What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said of David Mar. 2 Sam. 18.3 thou art worth or as ten thousand of us what then may be said of a Jesus whose personal Excellency is the proper Object of Gospel-Love certainly he is of more worth than ten thousand Josephs Jobs Davids But wherein doth the personal Excellency of Christ appear Qu. Christ is excellent in Name Some Sol. 1. have a great name but not a good name thus Sennacherib had Isa 36.13 hear ye the words of the great King the King of Assyria Others have a good name but not a great name Jam. 2.5 God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in Faith and heyrs of the kingdom Christ hath both a great and a good name God in paradise lapt up the name of Christ in the seed of the woman Jacob in Shiloh Daniel in a certain one c. That the name of Christ is great is evident His name shall be called wonderful Isa 9.6 Counsellor the mighty God the Father of eternity the prince of peace The name of Christ is great Thou shalt call his name Emmanuel Mat. 1.23 God with us And as the name of Christ is great so the name of Christ is good Jer. 23.6 In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah tsidkenu Jehovah our Righteousness so the Hebrew Christ hath a good as well as a great name Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins A great name with the Earth is better than a good name but a good name with Heaven is better than a great name One name in Heaven is worth ten thousand names on earth Christ excels in name the name of Christ 't is Honey in the Mouth 't is musick to the ear 't is a Jubile to the Heart Had it not been for this name we should not have had a name at least a name not worth the having That must needs be an excellent name when there is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby they can be saved Acts 4.12 'T is still evident Being made so much better than the Angels Heb. 1.4 5 6. as he hath obtained a more excellent name than they Heb. 1.4 5 6. for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son And again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Angels are not to be worshipped for Angels are to worship Christ is excellent in Nature as god never had a son without suffering so god never had but one son without sin now this son was christ who was made the son of man that men might be made the sons of god he was made sin for us who knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 'T is not for want of ignorance of their own hearts that there is in some a pretension unto personal perfection Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20.9 I am pure from my sin When was there a Soul without sin Did not Adam the Emperor of the Universe disobey The woman gave unto me and I did eat Gen. 3.12 Did not Abraham the Father of the faithful and the Friend of God dissemble Say I pray thee thou art my Sister Gen. 12.3 Did not Jacob a prayer and prevailer with Christ supplant his Brother Gen. 27.22 The voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau Had not Moses though a Minister of Righteousness and mediator of the old Covenant his passion Num. 20.10 Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock Had not David though a man after Gods own heart a pang of forbidden fear I shall one day perish 1 Sam. 27.1 or be consumed by the hand of Saul Had not Jonah though his name signifieth a Dove and Doves they say are without a Gall his pettish humour Jon. 4.3 Lord take my life from me for it is better for me to dye than to live Had not Peter though of a Fisherman made a Fisher of Men a plague sore Then began he to curse Mat. 27.74 and to swear saying I know not the man I might multiply instances I shall add but one more Had not Paul though a tall if not the tallest Cedar in Lebanon sin running in his veins Rom. 7.23 I have a law in my members warring against the law of my mind These all these had weeds in
and length and height and depth The Apostle here sets out the love of Christ with Depth and Height with Length and Bredth the four Dimensions of the Cross to indicate intimate and insinuate unto us that upon the extent of the Tree was the most exact love that ever was with all the dimensions in this Kind represented Is it loyal then 't is real True love is not so much set upon what Christ hath as upon what Christ is not so much set upon his as it is set upon him Christ is sweet without any thing but nothing is sweet without Christ. Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee or on earth that I desire besides thee True love desires no wages it is wages enough to it self it pays it self in seeing and serving the beloved In keeping of them there is great reward Psal 19.11 Grace shews us wages in the work God saith one will reward his people according to their work Secundum laborem Bern. The Nurse doth much for the Child so doth the Mother the Nurse doth it for the love of wages but the Mother doth it for the wages of love A wise man may look for his Advantage in the end of his work though he be not to make Advantage the end of his work Though Christians are not mercenary to work as Hirelings for pay yet in the Issue they shall have better than pay for all their works Though Christ will not be served for wages yet Christ will not be served without wages yea such wages as will weigh down all our works and all our woes We can never want pay or reward for that work which is a reward and can pay it self Is it expansive then 't is of the right Stamp If love be true 't is extensive it extends it self to all the Saints Since we heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Col. 1.4 and of the love which ye have to all the Saints Is this text antiquated Opinion must not byass our Affection If love hath the Stamp of a Christ upon it then Mephibosheth is loved for the sake of Jonathan then the Child is loved for the sake of the Father then the Christian is loved for the sake of Christ Are there not some men that cannot love others because they are not altogether so broad and long as themselves Whosoever is right or wrong in point of Opinion I dare write he is wrong that is not right in point of Affection It 's reported of the Primitive Christians Behold how the Christians love Ecce quà m diligunt Christiani Love is called an old commandment and a new commandment but we are now making it no commandment Doth not a difference in Opinion beget a difference in Affection Many men have a good Opinion of their own Opinions though their Opinions be not good 'T is said of Bucer Aliquid Christi and Calvin that they loved all in whom they could espie any thing of Christ. It is not indispensably necessary concerning mens going to Heaven and entring thorough the gates into the city that they are of this judgment or of that perswasion holding the head holding the foundation but their living in love is necessary Divide impera Divide and rule divide and rage divide and ruine is the sophistry of the prince of darkness Division is an unhappy weed and it grows apace 'T is pity that Abraham and Lot should fall out by the way 'T is pity that Man should make Two whom God hath made One 'T is pity that one Christian should now say to another Dic aliquid ut duo simus as one Man formerly spake to another Speak something that we may be Two Division of Tongues hindred the building of Babel division of Hands Heads and Hearts hinders the building of Beth-el Is it expensive then 't is real He that most loves a Christ will most lay out himself for Christ A true lover of Christ is willing to be at cost for Christ. Verbal love is like painted fire and a golden loaf but real love with David will not have that which cost it nothing The woman thought not her ointment though precious too good for Christ Mat. 26.6 7. When Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper there came unto him a woman having an Alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat Is it expressive then it hath the image of a Christ upon it A lover of Christ is not a mute but hath a mouth for Christ Lovers will speak one of another and for another when they cannot speak one with another The Husband is at Sea or beyond Sea but the Wife speaks of him and speaks for him As he is a lover of Christ that delights in seeking a Christ in serving a Christ in suffering for a Christ as well as in seeing a Christ so he is a lover of Christ that delights in speaking of a Christ in speaking for a Christ in speaking to a Christ as well as in speaking with a Christ. A lover of Christ is big with expression must give vent to its Soul it cannot but speak the things which it hath seen and heard A lover of Christ will give his Vote for Christ whatever the danger be and the difficulty be and the death be Thus Peter did Ye denied the holy one Act. 3.14 15. and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the prince of life whom God raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses Is it sociable then 't is right and real My God Dr. Sibbs and I saith one are good company Man is a sociable creature and he loves Company but 't is the Company that he loves Is acquaintance with Christ thy ambition is enjoyment of Christ thy Center is converse with Christ thy Element then thou art a lover of Christ It is said of Ignatius that being opened Ainor meus crucifixus est there was found in his heart written in letters of Gold My Love is crucified One also in a tract of his speaks of a woman Dell. who meditating the torments of Hell together with the hatred of the damned there prayed that though she were damned yet she might love God Was not enjoyment of God and Christ the ambition of the Psalmist My soul thirsteth Psa 63.1 2. my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and weary land without water to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Is it submissive then 't is real Art thou graciously willing to be killed all the day long for a Christ art graciously willing to bleed or burn for a Christ art graciously willing to bear the indignation of the Lord because thou hast sinned against him art graciously willing to dye a Sacrifice for Christ if thou mayst no longer live a Servant of Christ art graciously willing to suffer the loss