away from the hope of the Gospel c. Setled and grounded is a Metaphor taken from Buildings set upon a sure foundation And in the second chapter the seventh verse he perswads them to be well rooted and established in the faith A Metaphor taken from trees that are planted with good and sufficient roots A tree especially at the first planting had better want branches then roots branches will never beget roots but good roots wil soon beget branches And therefore the Apostle perswadeth them to be well rooted and established in the faith Both in the Doctrine of faith and in the Grace of faith And what he holds forth to the people by way of precept that he holds forth also in his own practice 2 Tim. 4 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day Marke he doth not say I am sure of a Crown of righteousnesse because I have received the faith but because I have kept the faith For no man is crowned except he strives lawfully and no man strives lawfully but he who keeps his faith to the end Be sure therefore to keep it when thou hast it Will not an artificer keep his tools and instruments Will not a Scholar keep his books A Traveller his bils of direction A Marriner keep his compass A wise man keep his friend A good houswife keep her keyes Will not a purchaser keep his evidences for house and land The general usefulness of Faith Now all this and much more also is Faith to a gracious soul It is the Instrument he works by the Book he learns by the Letter he is directed by the Compass he sails by the Friend he lives upon the Key that opens all the good treasures of God and the main Evidence he hath to shew both for this life and for that which is to come And therefore keep thy faith as thou wouldst keep thy life For the Just shall live by his Faith Reasons why we should look to the keeping of our Faith Keep thy Faith and thy Faith will keep thee As Solomon speaks Pro. 4.6 Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Keep faith alive and Faith will keep thy life 1. The Benefit of keeping Faith as it is in ver 13. Keep her for she is thy life You know a Souldier so long as he keeps his shield his shield keeps him Ephes 6.16 but if once he lose his shield he may soon lose his life So it is with the shield of Faith keep that and thou keepest thy Life lose that and thou losest all Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee Observe so long as we have Grace and Faith to keep our God Our God by the grace of Faith will keep us Object But you will say Cannot God keep us without Faith I Answer I will not dispute about the absolute power of God it is our duty to look to his revealed will Now the Scripture tels us 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation We are kept indeed by the power of God but the power of God puts forth it self in giving power to our Faith Therefore keep thy Faith as thou wouldst keep thy life 2 Reas Enemies that oppose Faith Remember Secondly Thou hast many enemies that do oppose thy Faith and pull hard to twitch it from thee and therefore thou hadst need be the more careful to keep it and to hold it fast First 1. Corruption if we look into the Corruption of our own Natures there is a world of Unbelief fighting against our Faith we are like men that row against the stream and therefore if we intermit a few strokes if we ply not our Oars we are presently carried down the stream more than we can regain of a long time Secondly 2. Temptation if we look upon the Tentations of Satan this is like a strong wind that goes along with the Tide of our own corruption and all to overturn this poor Vessel 1 Tim. 1.19 that we might make shipwrack of our faith When Satan desires that Peter may fail it is his great desire that his faith may fail Luk 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Thirdly 3. Troubles if we look upon the Troubles and Persecutions of the World here is still stronger opposition against Faith Therefore in the midst of Troubles and Persecutions the Apostle was jealous over the Thessalonians lest Satan should take an advantage to shake their faith at such a time as this 1 Thess 3.5 For this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith lest by some means the Tempter have tempted you and our labour be in vain Therefore as a violent storm does but make a man girt his garment faster about him so should it be in this case The more violently the World and the Devil rageth against our Faith the faster should we girt our Spiritual Armour and labour to keep our faith when we have it Obj. But you will say If once we have justifying faith Faith cannot be lost we shall never lose it and therefore what need you perswade us to keep it Answ 1. I answer First because God works by means and so he is pleased to keep his people sound in the faith by setting before their eyes the danger of Apostacy Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Answ 2. Secondly because however Gods people can never lose Faith totally and finally yet they may lose the comfort of it and the actins of it without a great deal of circumspection and therefore it will be our wisdom not onely to keep faith when we have it but to keep it in its power and vigour that it may not be like those things that are not the better but the worse for keeping Therefore keep thy Faith as thou art charged to keep thy heart Prov. 4.23 with all diligence Or as men keep their Orchards and Gardens with good Fences about them Or so as thou wouldst keep thy dwelling-house wind-tight and water-tight Or so as thou wouldst thy lodging-room or the bed wherein thou sleepest nay the bed wherein Christ and the Church sleepeth Cant. 3.7 Behold the bed which is Solomons guarded with threescore valiant men of Israel Or so as thou wouldst keep thy Treasure under Lock and Key for Faith is a precious Treasure Or so as thou wouldst keep thy bodily health 3 Joh. 2. Beloved I wish above all things that thou maist prosper
and be in health even as thy soul prospereth Or so as thou wouldst keep the Apple of thine Eye from the least mote or mite of offence Or so as thou wouldst keep thy very life for Faith under God is the very life of the Soul Solomon tells us Prov. 13.3 that he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life we may as truly say He that keepeth his Faith keepeth his life for The just shall live by his faith Other things a man may be careful to keep and it may be they will prove of very little use when all is done The time will certainly come when thy best friends cannot help thee thy Meat and Drink cannot nourish thee Physicians cannot cure thee thy large Possessions cannot comfort thee yet even at such a time as this if thou canst but lay hold of a Promise thou maist live upon the Word which God hath spoken when thou canst not live upon thy Revenues nor live upon thy Calling nor live upon thy Friends nor live upon the Creatures of Meat and Drink yet even then maist thou live upon thy Faith when the just man can live upon nothing else he can still live upon his Faith Keep Faith therefore for it is thy life Now skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life If one should deliver a very precious thing into the hand of a Friend with this or the like charge Be sure to keep this about you wheresoever you come and nothing shall be able to hurt you no ill savour or pestilential air shall be able to infect you O how careful would a man be to keep such a Receipt he would keep it as his very life And such a Receipt Faith a spiritual Charm such a Spiritual Charm is Faith he gives this solemn charge Keep your Faith as you would keep your life keep your Faith and nothing shall be able to hurt you Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you As this was true of the Faith of Miracles in those days so it is as true of saving Faith in a sound and saving sense at this day Such as keep their Faith in safety shall keep themselves in safety and shall tread down Satan that old Serpent under their feet and nothing shall be able to offend them And therefore where the Holy Ghost makes mention of the greatest troubles that befel the Church he makes mention also of their guard Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Keep thy Faith therefore and thy Patience as ever thou desirest to be kept in the great hour of Temptation Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth O remember this will be the comfort It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the faith and the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to make a scrutiny either of death or at the general Judgement 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ It is nothing to say Such a man had Faith or Such a man once made a glorious Profession of the Faith but this is the glory of Christians to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to Judgement This was the height of Pauls ambition to be found in Christ when he came to give up his account Phil. 3.8 9. That I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness of God by faith Now he that keeps the Faith and endures stedfast to the end is sure to be found in him and none else Quest But you will say What should I do that I may keep Faith safely and be found in the Faith in the most dangerous times Means of preserving faith 1. Soundness I answer First if thou wouldst be found in the faith be sure to be sound in the faith for unsound things do not use to last long An Apple that is rotten at the Core will soon be gone Apostacy is the usual Catastrophe of Hypocrisie He that would deceive in his Profession is justly deceived of his Salvation That 's the reason the Apostle so often perswades them to be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2 2. Let us build our Faith upon good ground upon Gods Word and so let us build our hearts upon Faith and not build Faith upon our own deceitful hearts Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely he shall be delivered That is the first Rule Be sound in the Faith 2. Trial of it Secondly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith and be sound in it be sure to bring it to the Testimony and examine it to the bottom How do we know things to be sound or unsound but upon their trial Therefore be sure to try thy Faith if thou wouldst have it lasting Faith Some take it for granted their Faith is good and sound whereas if they should but feel the Pulse of it they would finde it very sick and weak It is said of Joseph and Mary Luke 1.41 they went a days journey supposing Jesus Christ to have been in their company but when they came to a through scrutiny they perceived they had lost him and were fain to go back again to seek him It is to be feared many a professed Christian plods on many a days and many a years journey supposing Faith and Christ by Faith to be in their company when if they would make a diligent search they should finde themselves at a loss and such as had need go back again and begin all their work afresh and indeed a man had better begin twenty times than be once mistaken in a matter of that moment Therefore be sure to examine thy Faith at the first as thou desirest to keep thy credit with God or Man A wise Merchant that would keep his credit and keep his estate is often casting up his Books of Accompts but he is like to keep neither of the former that is careless in the latter Be thou therefore this wise Merchant if thou wouldst keep thy Faith to the last be sure to make trial of it at the first How it ought to be tried I shall not now stand to shew you but refer you to that which was said in the particular Use to that purpose Thirdly he that would be kept sound in the Faith 3. Love of the Truth must be sure to love the Truth and to hate every false doctrine for Corruption in
and Duty he owes him to judge this Tract through Gods blessing upon a serious reading and digesting it much conducing to make an able Christian and Divine Indeed it holds forth to us the way that we should walk Jer. 42.3 and the thing that we should do to attain Heaven and Salvation Many Ministers and others did desire the publishing of this Treatise by the Author in his Life but his modesty and other constant labours hindred Now it is come forth we wish it may not finde the like entertainment that the Frier wittily and sharply said his Auditors gave to his Sermons they dealing with them as with his Holy-Water sprinkled on them they called for it eagerly but when he cast it on them they presently wiped it off again Make this Book now published more publick by holding forth the Life and Practise of Faith in thy Life and Station Do not onely once reade it Verba vivenda and cast it aside but carry it in thy heart as the Carpenter his Rule in his hand to square all thy actions by it We shall onely adde some Motives to excite thy Practise and then commit all to the Blessing of God 1. Consider this Life of Faith is a high Mystery Christ believed on in the world is a like Mystery with God manifested in the flesh and received up into glory Faith in the habit or root is not a Plant of Natures Garden The very nourishing of it and causing it to bring forth in our hearts is much more difficult than that of Plants in a strange Country Grace in exercise is difficult Indeed it s in us as fire under dead ashes or in a Flint Exciting quickning cooperating Grace with us must be added to that within us Grace in us lies like some Physick of dead Drugs which works not untill stronger Physick be given Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 saith Christ of his Disciples But especially the living daily in all conditions and actions by the exercise of Faith is much more hard To believe is above Nature but to act Faith in each act of Life is above our very Grace Consider farther the difficulty of this Life and so make use the rather of this Help Other ways of life viz. Trades Multi vident cruces qui non vident unctiones Bernard are called Mysteries but this above all is a Mystery of Mysteries We wonder how some men live who have a secret way of Trading but this is not onely a supernatural Secret but directly opposite to flesh and blood The Carnal and Profane scoff at it as a Fancy Paradox and golden Dream of Melancholy Spirits They count all persons who admire discourse of and practise this Life of Faith but silly Abrahams in the world as Want-wits for managing or getting an Estate Yet who doth or can without this so much despised Faith Esay 53.1 believe our report of these things It grieves our Souls to observe how many professing Christians look upon the Use of Faith as the staff of their Old Age onely or as a strong Cordial onely in fainting Fits or at best to be worn as our Holiday-clothes when we attend on the Word Prayer Sacraments then put it on But this is not to live as becomes Saints in all things and at all times by our Faith as that devout Scotch Divine whom M. Trap relates to have eat drank and slept Eternal Life Dost thou finde it hard to live by thy Labour by thy Lands Learning Friends Wits yet all these ways are far beneath this high Mystery of believing and living by it Bless God then as for Other so for This Master of the Assemblies who designs in this Work to teach thee this Mystery and Trade how to pick a living livelihood out of this Now dead Commodity viZ. Faith 2. Consider what may farther stir thee up to the exercise of this Grace as also to the Reading and Meditating on this heavenly Directory to the Life of Faith We shall not forestall those things which thou maist finde in the Author nor dispute how far some Branches of this Tree of Life viz. Faith may spring out even in Heaven it self Yet take this as Solomons Argument that Wisdom excells because it gives life to him that hath it Eccles 7.12 Vita optimus modus Entis Life is the best and highest manner of Being A living Worm excels the Sun in glory Rational Life exceeds the life of Plants and Beasts So doth Faith Reason as the highest Life man is capable of on earth Seneca and others may write of a blessed Life but Faith onely finds it This Life must come from Heaven which is so far above the Earth and so rare to be found in it He who hath all his Provisions about him of his own must needs keep the best house and have all as we say at the best hand So is it by Faith we have all within our selves from God in Christ The good man is satisfied from himself Antisthenes gained this by Study and Learning that he could walk with himself as not needing to go abroad and be beholding to others for Exercise or Delight O thesauris omnibus opulentior fides O virtutibus corporis omnibus fides fortior O medicis omnibus salutarior Ambros This is much more true of Faith Faith walks with Christ and God on the Mount of glorious Discoveries every day and takes all as out of his hands What Grace more admired by Christ Paul spends a whole Chapter Hebr. 11. as a Chronicle of Faiths Victories and Trophies Its Worthies are there mentioned as Davids elswhere This very Text on which this Tract is built is cited no less than four times Rom. 1. Gal. 3. Heb. 10. Thrice in the New Testament which may convince us of the excellency of it being worthy of a double treble Meditaâ—â—on as the summary of our Christian Faith both Doctrinal and Practical Tarnovius inter opuscula as a learned man hints on the place 3. Consider the seasonableness of this Counsel about living by Faith in these days 1. As they are sickly dying evil Times in respect of Sufferings 2. As the latter Times and so evil in respect of Sinning Quis inter haec trepidus maestus nisi cui spes et fides deest jus est enim mortem timere qui ad Christum nolit ire Ejus est ad Christum nolle ire qui se non credit cum Christo incipere regnaâ—e Scripâ—um est enim justum fide vivere Cyprian de Mort. Cyprian wrote his Book of Mortality in a time of Mortality And this Cordial of Life is now given out in season to teach us how to live and fit us to die A Minister as hath been related being sick and meeting by Providence with Mr. Ball his excellent Book of Faith which then came newly out he took it as a Guide by the hand to lead him through that dark Valley and fit him
for Heaven We wish this Book may be so entertained by thee and all others who meet it as a Pillar and Cloud in this Wilderness as the Rock and Manna to refresh thee as thy Viaticum to Eternal Life and Glory Secondly as these are evil Times in respect of Sin â— Tim. 4. Apostacy falling from the Faith both Doctrinal and Practical and also the latter days of the World wherein Faith shall fail Luk. 18.8 Yea these are the days wherein this Sâ—â—â—â— of Faith by many of the mighty harh been vilely cast away 2 Sam. 1.18 25 27. Faith in Doctrine and Life is forsaken and cast off by many formerly famous for Profession Now to teach the use of this Shield and how to uncover and anoint it is a word in season Credis in Christum fac Christi opera ut vivat fides tua fidem â—uam dilectio animet actio prohet Bernard And sure did men retain the Doctrine of Faith more in their Minds they would better practise Faith in Life And did we live more by it we should know more of it Joh. 7.17 Quest But have not many Divines already written of this Subject how then can this be so seasonâ—ble a Treatise Ans We may say its truth the world abounds with Books and as the waters cover the Sea knowledge aboundeth but never less practise of Faith especially if we consider the means and time of enjoyment Many Captains and Physicians we say may lose the City and spoil the Patient but not when they agree in judgment and practise Divines harmoniously handling the same Subject do more clear and beat out the Truth Who would be offended with any who should invent a neerer way to the Indies or at some Design to advance Trading or an Engine that would draw up Pearls and the Riches out of the Sea that all men might be made more rich and more suddenly so than ever Thus it is here This Servant of the Lord entring on this Subject was desired by some of his Auditors to enlarge it which he coming after many other by the largeness of his own heart and especially by the supply of the Spirit hath done and brought out of his treasure riches enough and more than the whole world can expend And as concerning this Branch of the Life and Practise of Faith we know none hath gone beyond this Treatise So as we may say of it as Solomon of the vertuous Wife Thou excellest them all Prov. 31.29 With respect we mention it to other learned and painful Labours Especially as to the methodical Contexture and copiousness of the matter for which it is highly commendable as the Orators Oration the longest was his best and who can think that can be too much spoken Nunquam satis dicitur quod nunquam satis disoâ—tur which is for our Life here and Eternity hereafter That is never taught too much which is never sufficiently learnt We shall adde no more but a few Directions for the Reading of this Book lest we cloy thy appetite which we desire to sharpen 1. Then to help thee how to read to thy profit Come not with prejudice against the Doctrine it self the Preacher or his manner of handling it A great Scholar and learned in the School of the the Remonstrants reading a piece in Dr. Prestons Works could finde no excellency of it And so Mr. R. Bolton before his Conversion in his first hearing worthy Mr. Perkins had such-like thoughts of him And so Nathaneel in Joh. 1.46 was prejudiced against the place where Christ was educaâ—ed in and it had well-nigh hindred him of the benefit of his Doctrine Expect not here a Garden of gawdy Tulips to please thy fancy or Jewels of â—igh Notions to hang on thy ear but wholesome Herbs and Spiritual Simples for the health and recovery of thy sick-dead Soul and Cordials to comfort thy Heart 2. Be sure to get the grace and habit of a true â—nd lively Faith of Gods Elect ere thou go about to live by it first be possessed of this Shield then â—earn to handle it uncover it anoint it Have the Bowe then learn the use of it seek the Stock and then improve it Esay 38. By these things men live 3. Crucifie in the strength of Christ Sense and Carnal Reason which will obstruct thee in this way and rob thee of thy comfort in this living by Faith We walk by faith not by sight 4. Hold up this Shield against all the fiery darts of Satan who shoots especially against the standard-bearer Faith Luk. 22. Resolve as they of old to return with or die upon this Shield of thy Faith in all thy contendings with the Devil Remember Faith must be had Vnde haec incredula cogitatio quid fà cit in domo fidei perfidum pectus quid qui in Christo omnino non credit appellatur dicitur Christianus Cyprian Ambula perfidem ut pervenias ad spem spes non aedificabit in patria quem fides non consolatur in via August if ever thou be saved and the Life of it maintained if ever thou have comfort in Life and Death 5. Pray much to Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of thy Faith and to and for the Spirit of Faith to direct enlighten Heb. 12. and strengthen thee in the reading understanding believing and obeying what thou readest Go not out in thine own strength To conclude Our Prayers are and shall be through grace continued That this Universally Useful Subject may be crowned with Divine Blessing to the highest improvements of Faith in every Christian Reader Especially in the hearts of our much Honoured and Right Worthy Friends the Magistrates and Inhabitants of Ipswich which the Lord hath long made famous and happy as a Valley of Gospel-Vision Our due and deep respects of Affection are much knit and drawn out to our Christian Friends in that Town so long eminent for Profession of Godliness Our hearty desires are that they may never want able Helpers of their Faith and Joy that their Faith may flourish exceedingly according to all the high dispensations of the Lord towards them that so living and dying in the Faith they together with us may receive the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Souls through Him in whom and for whom we rejoyce to remain Your Soul-Servants John Fuller Samuel Smith London Aug. 26. 1657. THE GENERAL CONTENTS Of the whole TREATISE Yet referring more fully to the Alphabetical Table at the close of the Book wherein are the Special Contents The TEXT HAB. 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith CHAP. I. Contains a Prooeme to the main Treatise setting down a clear opposition 'twixt Believers and Unbelievers as to their Description and Condition The Exposition of the Text with its various Readings Two general Observations both spoken unto and applied briefly Two special Doctrines 1 Gods
the way of believing 3 That Salvation may be on free and sure grounds The general Uses drawn from the Life of Faith 1Vse Information in seven Particulars 1 The happy condition of Believers They have comfort in six respects 2 The misery of unbelievers in six respects 3 The Reason of Satans enmity against Faith 4 The difference 'twixt the Life of Christ and that of a Believer 5 Why so many remain spiritually dead 6 There cannot be any thing of Christ or of Spiritual life in the Creature before Faith As Christ and life so Faith and life come both together 7 What is the choice work of a Minister 2Vse of Reproof to three sorts 1 Such who live upon other things in stead of living by Faith as namely their Sins Pleasures Creatures Riches Friends or upon themselves either sinful Self natural Self artificial Self moral Self religious Self These particulars are inlarge 2 Such who profess Faith but live not by it 3 Such as act not their Whether 1. In Actions 2. Conditions 3. Elections 3Vse of Examination 1 For Trial of persons whether we be just and in a state of spiritual life or no Divers Marks of true Faith from feigned 2 For Trial of all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false Where living by Faith is demonstrated to be the Touchstone of them 4Vse of Thankfulness for Faith Five Grounds or Arguments to provoke Believers to Thankfulness for Faith 1 It is Gods gift 2 It s necessary to the very Being of a Christian 3 Such a gift as none else can give where there are five Wonders of Faith spoken unto 4 Faith is a most precious Gift Three things very precious The preciousness of Faith in four particulars 5 The rarity or scarcity of Faith 5Vse Humiliation for Vnbelief The evil of Unbelief is set forth in 7 Particulars 1 It dishonours God 2 It grives the Holy Spirit 3 It pleases the Devil 4 It is the Mother-Sin The Brood of Unbelief 1 Ignorance 2 Security 3 Worldliness 4 Hypocrisie 5 Heresie 6 Apostacy 7 Atheism 5Vnbelief is a Step-mother to Grace 6Vnbelief is the Nurse of Sin 7 Judgements on Vnbelievers 6Vse of Exhortation wherein four Branches 1 Branch Exhort To get Faith where Faith is proved to be the wisest Purchase and Vnbelief the greatest Self-murther The excellencies of Believing which contains 1 Strength 2 Wisdom 3 Riches 4 Beauty 5 Honor. 6 Faith honors God 7 Dead without Faith 8 Faith makes to prosper Q How shall we get Faith Here are Means Negative and Positive prescribed Negative means to get faith or the removal of the Impediments of faith Means Negative is the removal of the Impediments of Faith which are these 1 Self 2 Satan 3 The World 4 Gods hardning where hardness of heart is treated of and Gods Justice justified in hardning some sinners Relief is prescribed to all four 5 General Impediment contains seven mixt Impediments of Faith viz. 1 False Trust 2 Limiting of God 3 Harbouring some Lust 4 Our own Vnworthiness pleaded against the Promise 5 Laying too much stress on the depth of Humiliation 6 Want of feeling 7 Doubt of Election To all these particular Cures are applied 6 General Impediment of Faith viz. Neglect of the Means which should work Faith or beget it Five Causes of the neglect of Means 1 Prejudice quarrels the Means of Faith 2 Pride contemns the Means 3 Sloth recoils from the Means 4 Presumption postdates the use of Means 5 Despodency quits and casts off the use To all which Cures are applied 7 General Impediment of Faith viz. Supposition of having Faith already when it is nothing so Differences 'twixt Presumption and true Faith 1 In the Conception 2 In the Birth 3 In the Growth 4 In the Fruit. The second Branch of false Supposition is That we have not Faith when we have it This hinders the actings ad increasings of Faith Four Corollaries or Conclusions from the difficulty of Believing 1 The Word of God Positive means for obtaining of Faith Every Word of God is an object of Faith especially the Promise How the Spirit convinces of sin The method of converting Grace Six Reasons why Humiliation must go before Faith Humility appears in all the periods of Grace Direction to humbled sinners how to apply Promises 2 Means of begetting Faith is Prayer Question stated Whether a natural man ought ta pray 3 Means Good Society 4 Means Meditation on Gods Name 5 Means Sight of Treasure in Christ 6 Means Diligence in the use of Means which signifie three things 2 Branch of Exhortation To keep Faith Where is shewed The general usefulness of Faith Reasons why we should look well to the keeping of it 1 Reas The Benefit of keeping Faith 2 Reas The Enemies who opposite it 1 Corruption 2 Temptation 3 Troubles 3 Reas It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith at Christs appearing Means of preserving Faith 1 Soundness 2 Trial of it 3 Love of the Truth 4 A good Conscience 5 A right Bottom 6 Commit it to God 7 Prayer for establishment with Gods free Spirit What the free Spirit of God establishes How the free Spirit of God establishes 3 Branch of Exhortation viz. To act Faith and to live by it Six Motives to act and exercise Faith Divers Helps for the acting of Faith 4 Branch of Exhortation viz. To increase the stock of Faith Six Motives to increase in Faith Five Signs of a weak Faith Seven Means for the increasing of Faith Conclusive Sermons on Dan. 12.3 An Appendix concerning the Converting of others to the Faith Doctrine The Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward Explication twofold 1 It is the most excellent Work Seven Reasons to prove this handled largely 2 It shall have the most excellent Reward USES 1 Information of the Dignity of the Ministry 2 Reproof to four sorts of persons 3 Exhortation to Convert Souls This is directed in general to All but in special to Ministers Eight Motives to quicken converted ones to labour to Convert others Eight Means whereby the Conversion of Souls may be promoted 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way 5 Exhortation to the People 1 To be willing to be wrought upon 2 To attend upon such Means as are proper 6Vse of Thankfulness 1 If we our selves are Converted 2 If any by our Means be Converted Seven Marks of sound Conversion 7Vse of Comfort to the Promoters of others Conversion in the midst of Opposition and Reproach The EPILOGUE Courteous Reader BE pleased before thou readest this Treatise to correct with thy Pen the following mistakes in printing that the sense of the Author may not be misrepresented ERRATA in the Titles of the Pages Page 230. read Bawkers of Impediments Page 417. r. Life of Faith in the midst of Death Page 429. r. Love of Lust Page 510. r.
shall we finde him Does not the Scripture speak expresly Psal 14.2 There is none just no not one And again Rom. 3.10 c. They are all gone out of the way they are all become abominable c. Ans A. The meaning is not as if a man should be just before he come to believe but because his believing makes him and proves him just in applying the justice and righteousness of Christ Isa 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous Servant shall justifie many And therefore Jer. 23.6 he is called The Lord our Righteousness And this is imputed Righteousness the Righteousness of Justification But that is not all He that believes is just also in some measure by inherent Righteousness or that which he doth in his own person by the help of Christs Spirit 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Whereas we are apt to be deceiv'd and to say Faith is sufficient of it self to declare that I am righteous you are deceiv'd saith S. John for ver 3. He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure and here doth righteousness as he is righteous So you see plainly as there is a righteousness of Justification so there is a righteousness of Sanctification and the word of the Text comprehends both The just Yet mark He doth not say The just shall live by his Justice because the righteousness of Sanctification is imperfect and deserves death but by his Faith because that implyes the Righteousness of Justification the righteousness of Christ and that is perfect And this distinction is enough to avoid that evil and slander which is cast upon the Ministers of the Gospel at this day They say we preach Law and Gospel Note Christ and VVorks both rogether in point of Justification But this is a meer Cavil For however we teach That every believer must evidence his Faith or his Righteousness of Justification by his works of Sanctification yet we do not say his Righteousness of Sanctification is his Righteousness of Justification no more then we say His Righteousness of Justification is his Righteousness of Sanctification as some would vainly confound one with the other Though we say He that believes the Gospel must do the things contained in the Law yet we do not say He that doth them shall live in them for that is the voice of the first Covenant the Covenant of the Law but we say He that doth them shall live by his Faith for that 's the voice of the second Covenant the Covenant of the Gospel the Covenant of Free-grace For this tells us There must be a justice in the person that believes not an antecedent but a consequent justice yet he lives not by his justice but by his faith and by his faith as applying the Free-grace of God in Christ The just shall live by his faith And thus for the fourth Question Who it is that lives by his Faith Vse 1 Onely let me now remember you of what I hinted at the first That as every believer is a just person or a justified person so every unbeliever is unjust or unjustified For the just is opposed to unbeliever And therefore to say that a man is just or justified before he believes I beseech you to consider Note how contrary it is to this Text and to the Scripture phrase throughout VVe grant an unbeliever may be predestinated to Justification as he may be predestinated to Faith but to say he is actually justified before he believes is to be wise beyond that which is written For there is no such thing written in the Scripture and therefore such wisdome is forbidden If we may not think much less may we speak above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 We are bound to keep our selves not onely to the patern of wholesome matter but to the patern of wholesome words or sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of found words c Now to say that a believing person is a justified person that is wholesom and sound for the Text warrants it but to say an unbeliever is just or a justified person is unsound and unwarrantable For as he that lives by Faith is just so he that lives not by Faith is unjust Vse 2 See briefly from hence further How much the folly of all those is that boast of Faith and yet live in all manner of unrighteousness and sin These shall not live for Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God whatever they talk of their Faith But so much for the Person who The just shall live QUEST V. By whose Faith shall he live AND the answer is in the Text By his own faith not by another mans faith Therefore in the Confession of Faith every one saith for himself I believe not my Friend not my Father not my Brother believes for me but I my self believe for my self One mans prayer may obtain good for another but one mans faith cannot save another No more than one mans soundness of constitution can give health to another that is sick or one mans soul give life to another that is in a dead or dying condition No the just man shall live by his own faith Mat. 9.22 There Christ speaks to the woman with the bloody issue Thy faith hath made thee whole not the faith of any other that were about him So Luke 7. last And he said to the woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Reasons of living by a mans own faith And why must it necessarily be a mans own Faith Reas 1. Because it is the nature and essence of saving Faith for a man to make particular application of Christ to himself as we heard before Gal. 2.20 that loved me And Thomas when he had any stirrings of spiritual life cryes thus My Lord and my God Yea in the greatest shakings of Faith there is some secret application and appropriation of God to the soul When we seem to put God away with the one hand we pull him to us with the other As it was in the speech of David and Christ too My God my God why hast thou sorsaken me Forsaken me and yet my God still Where there is any life at all there some Faith None can live spiritually none can live eternally but such as have faith of their own It is both the means and the mark of eternal life Mark 16.16 He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned There must be a particular application of Christ to the souls of all that are saved They live by their own Faith Therefore Christ in Scripture is compared to those things that can do a man no good unless they be applyed as to Salve Job 6.53 Gal. 3.27 to the Balm of Gilead to Meat and Drink and Garments What good can Salve c. do me unless it be applyed to my body 'T is not
errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Thus much for Caution by way of Amplification Secondly by way of Restriction and there arise these Considerations Consid 1 1. Though sometimes in temporal respects the faith of one may do good for another yet not alwayes The case may be such as in Ezek. 14.20 Though Noah Daniel and Job were in the land as I live saith the Lord God they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters they shall save onely their own souls by their faith Nay Christ himself though he trusted in God his Father perfectly yet had not faith enough to save some temporally Mark 6.5 And he could there do no mighty work save that he laid his hand upon a few sick folk and healed them Take heed we never so harden our hearts against God as to be rendred uncapable of good by others faith and prayers for us Consid 2 2. Though one mans faith may procure much temporal good for another in many things yet it is not sanctified in any without an act of their own faith exercised in Word or Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 Every creature of God is sanctified to us by the word and prayer Moses had faith enough to obtain many temporal blessings for the people which because they had not faith to use them were turned into curses and judgements Psal 78.30 They were not enstranged from their lust but while the meat was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them Consid 3 3. Though natural Parents and spiritual Parents procure much good to their Children and People by their faith yet not 1. To all their Children and People alwayes Abraham could not do it for Ishmael Gen. 17. v. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee said he Paul could not do it for the Jews Rom. 9 1 2 3. I could wish my self accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelites and therefore carries away a heavy heart v. 2. 2. Not to any so that they shall have any comfort by it till they believe themselves Look as Parents convey a natural life under God to their children but they have no comfort in it till they live themselves till they see with their own eyes and breathe with their own nosthrils c. So it is in spirituall life though they may be means under God of conveying yet for all that the children do not live by their Parents faith nor people by their Ministers faith but children and people and all live by their own faith every man must stand upon his own bottome according to the foundation he rests upon The just shall live by his faith Consid 4 4. Though such as have been instruments of others conversion and faith shall have more joy and glory yet you must understand that onely of such as have faith themselves Onely such can say I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. I will not dispute whether an unbelieving Minister can beget faith in others I suppose it may be so Note else God himself by the mouth of the Apostle would not suppose it 1 Cor. 19 27. lest while I preach to others I my self become a cast-away They may be like the builders of Noahs Ark that made the Ark to save others but were drowned themselves But I suppose very rarely God doth honour them so But suppose it prove so I am perswaded it's little joy to them But as some carnal Parents complain they have so many children so they complain when any of Gods children spring up under their Ministery And surely their Consciences tell them that such must rise up in judgement against them another day Thou that teaehest another and by preaching convertest others teachest thou not thy self Rom. 2. Therefore such have no joy in others faith unless they believe themselves So that in every respect it is true in a sound sense The just shall live by his faith Vse Now for Vse Reproof 1 It reproves the dotage of the Papists that talk much of the Coblers Faith Against the â—aith of Papists who had no faith of his own but by saying he believed as the Church believed drove away the Devil And for my part I believe it may be true that the Devil was willing to be driven away upon these terms that he might confirm the blinde Papists in the Coblers Faith that is cobled up of Pride and Ignorance Pride in their great ones that think they have so much faith and grace to spare and Ignorance in their mean ones that are so silly as to think they may borrow or buy of others for love or money what they want themselves And therefore Mat. 25.9 as the five foolish Virgins they are sent to buy oyl for themselves of them that sell it Some conceive those words Go ye rather and buy to be not an Exhortation but a Derision of foolish people that think they may buy the Oyl of Grace of others As if a true Christian in the day of Judgement should say to an obstinate Papist then when he is glad to lay hold on the skirt of a Christian and say O let me go along with you and appear where you appear No we must look to our selves go your way to your Bishops and Priests and purchase your Pardons and Indulgences from them and see if they can save you from the wrath of the Lamb we cannot help you every man must live by his own faith Ezek. 18. as the soul that sins shall die the death so the soul onely that believes shall live this Spiritual and Eternal Life Repr 2 2. This reproves such carnal Professors as have no other faith Of them that pin their faith on others but what is pinn'd upon other mens sleeves Ask them why they are of his Faith and Religion rather then any other they can give no sound reason from the Word of God but rather from Tradition they received it by Tradition from their Elders their Fathers and Forefathers were of that Religion before them and therefore they will be so too Others it may be are profane and irreligious themselves but they hope God will shew them favour for their friends sake It may be their Father or Mother or some in the family are eminent in the faith and they hope they shall fare the better for their sake and that they shall slip into heaven under their wing or by taking hold on their skirts Certainly there may be a carnal confidence in spiritual friends Zech. 7. therefore the Apostle saith by way of prevention 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Alas it will be little comfort to a man that he hath kinred in Christ after the flesh that he hath been in his company many a time and oft and heard him preach and shewed some respect
this sore giving us peace with God and so enables to bear the outward burthen the inward burthen being removed As for this it casts all the burthen of its cares fears and sorrows upon God and so is quiet And thus much for the Life of Faith in those Adversities which happen in the course of our Life Now see how he lives the Life of Faith in Death II Branch Of Adversity viz. Faith in death A believer lives by faith in Death Faith is a godly mans life at the time of his death as it appears by the living speeches of dying men David Psal 23. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil Simeon Luke 2. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace The Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. All these died in faith v 13. Reasons 1. 1. They died in faith because they believed the accomplishment of promises to be fulfilled after death as in the same place Heb. 11.13 not having received the promises but seeing them afar off and perswaded of them Believers dye in faith 1. For their Posterity as in the examples of Isaac and Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. who because God had promised to be the God of their seed when they were dying applied it to their posterity and blessed them concerning things to come 2. For the Church believing that God will make it a praise in the earth Isa 67.2 3. For Themselves when they go down to the waves of hell and the grave they see land afar off Stephen ready to be stoned Behold sayes he I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.56 Stephen sees heaven opened to receive him And Job chap. 19.25 I know my Redeemer lives and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall sâ—e God Moses likewise in the hazarding of himself in Egypt had respect to the resurrection of his name and body and the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 The Saints like Moses upon the top of Mount Nebo Deut. 34.1 take a view of Canaan by faith and then they are willing to dye See Paul for further instance 2 Cor. 5. from v. 1. to 9. 2. Believers dye in faith because they see it a Conquer'd enemy Death saith the Apostle is swallowed up in victory by Christ Hos 13.13 O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction 'T is part of Christs victory to conquer Death 1. By conquering the devil that had the power of death 2. Our fear of death See Heb. 2.14 15. 3. They see the sting of death pull'd out so conquered as disarmed 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting The sting of death is sin But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 4. They see it not onely a conquered and disarmed enemy but made their servant All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers 1 Cor. 3.21 22. as Paul or Apollo or Cephas are yours so death is yours sayes he As you are under God that is under you 5. Nay they see it as a Friend 1. In freeing them from the miseries of this life 2. In being their Porter or Usher into eternal life There are five Concomitants of this life which make it troublesome and Death befriends the Saints in them all by taking them away from them There is 1. The sinfulness of their Natures which makes them cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver c 2. There is the vanity of the Creature a sore evil For here Omnia vanitas All is vanity 3. The Wickedness of the World that constrains the Saints many times to complain with David Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech c. 4. There are also Gods judgements upon the world In which respect death makes the godly happy for as 't is Isa 57.1 2. they are taken away from the evil to come they rest in their beds c. 5. The last evil Concomitant is the believers distance from Christ 2 Cor. 5.6 while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord therefore we desire sayes he to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 6. Death is not onely chang'd to a believer but faith in death is seen also by altering our judgements concerning death The natural face of death is terrible to Nature and fear'd but faith sees it with desire Paul and Simeon can say I desire to be dissolv'd Christ hath not onely conquered death for his but the fear of death as was said before Heb. 2.14 And this resolves the second part of the Question How long a believer is to live by his faith and that is All his life long till death and then in death Therefore 't is said Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life And Gal. 2.20 I live saith Paul all the while I live by the faith of the Son of God c. Hence the word of the Text is put in the Future tense The just shall live by his faith to signifie the perpetuity of this life of faith As long as we live we must live by faith But no longer And therefore though Faith is excellent in some respect yet Love is more excellent in another viz. in regard of durance 1 Cor. 13.8 to the end 't is said there Love never faileth But knowledge and means of knowledge shall cease and faith shall cease but Charity never And therefore though Faith is * above before Charity in the first apprehension of Christ yet Charity is above Faith in the everlasting enjoyment of Christ and the society of true Christians However Faith is of excellent use all ouâ— life long till we come to a perfect vision we live by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 But no longer for we need it no longer As a man that sends home a friend wiâ—h a candle and lanthorn in a dark night commands the messenger to light him to his own door and then to return again for 't is supposed he hath more light in his own house than the lathorn could afford Such a charge God gives to his Word and to faith the lanthorn-bearer Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths Go give such a man light until he come to Heaven and leave him there Or as God gave Commission to the Angel Acts 12. to awaken Peter and to shake off his chain to clothe him with garments to open the gates to lead him through the first and second Ward and when he had done so forthwith the Angel departed from him Just so Faith is like this Angel it awakens us out of the the sleep of sin shakes off the chains of Satan clothes us with the righteousness of Christ opens the door of the ear and heart leads us through the first and second Ward of
all oppositions and temptations yea through the iron gate of death it self and then it leaves us Or as the Pillar of the Cloud and fire went along with the Israelites alâ—â—â—e way of the Wilderness and a very comfortable companion it was indeed the very Angel of God's presence But when it once came to Canaan then it left them they saw it no more So Faith is a sweet companion to direct us in a right way in the wilderness of this life till we come to the Celestial Canaan that flows with the milk and honey of Gods Beatifical Presence and then it leaves us because then we shall have in possession what before we did hope for and apprehend by faith Thus see how long we live by faith as the Stars give light till the Sun ariseth so Faith till Christ the Sun of Righteousness shines bright in Heaven A man hath no use of a Ship or Boat any longer than he is at Sea when he once comes to the Haven it will carry him no further if he will have it any further he must carry it it will not carry him So faith carries a man upon the waters of this troublesome world till we come to the haven of Eternal Happiness and then there is no further use of it In the mean-while make much of it and take heed above all things that thou make not shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.19 To conclude Faith is a Christians Companion all along it saith to the Soul as Ruth to her Mother Ruth 1.16 17. Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried Now for the Use of this sixth Head of the Life of Faith Vse 1 See from hence the Excellency of Faith as it triumphs over death and all other Adversity Discovery of the excellency of Faith 1. It triumphs over Death It is a Conqueror over Conquerors and therefore makes us more then Conquerors through Jesus Christ that hath loved us Rom. 8.37 Faith is sure of victory before-hand Nay though we are overcome in some respect we overcome those that overcome us in other respects Even those that have power to put us to death we may overcome them by dying Rev. 12.11 And they â—vercame him the Dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 2. Here 's also the Excellency of Faith A Christian lives by it in time of all adversity When all other comforts dye this lives 'T is like the Laurel it flourishes in winter when all other Trees cast their leaves 'T is like Noah's Ark it lifts a man above the floods of many waters when others sink into the gulf of despair And indeed it was not so much the Ark of Noah as the Faith of Noah that bare him above the waters Heb. 11.7 By faith Noah prepared an Ark to the saving of his house c. All other men in the floods of adversity are born up with bladders the windy bladders of some vain confidence in Creature-comforts O they have such a friend such a device c And when these break down they sink But a believer by Faith is born up by the everlasting mercy of God Deut. 33.27 Vnderneath are the everlasting Arms c. And therefore he can never sink so low but faith will raise him up again Psal 32.6 Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Faith therefore is an excellent grace A Christians strong water in fainting-fits Psal 27.13 I had fainted but that I hoped to see the goodness of God Yea 't is his life in Death Vse 2 Secondly Hence make Tryal of your Faith Tryal of faith from adversities both for the Being of it and Degree In Luke 8.13 you reade of some that believe for a while but in time of Temptation fall away These had never true faith if they totally and finally fall There may indeed be shakings of faith in adversity as the Disciples in the storm were full of fears Mat. 8.26 But then it argues the less Faith Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith The more faith the less fear and the more fear the less faith You shall have some men in prosperity O they are marvellous confident as Peter was Mat. 26. Though all men shall be offended because of thee sayes he to Christ yet will I never be offended yet in adversity their hearts sink and they are ready to deny Christ as he Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is but small Every bungler can sail fairly in a calm but it proves a skilful Pilot to govern a Ship well in a storm Every common Professor can believe in health in wealth in prosperity But if thou canst believe in sickness in poverty in adversity of all sorts then bless God for his free grace in Christ with Paul Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Vse 3 Thirdly Hence also see the Necessity of Faith and be stirr'd up to labour for it Shewing the necessiâ—y of faiâ—h in adversities O build on the Rock when the rain descends and the floods come and the winds blow We cannot live comfortably without it one day one hour minute Mat. 7.24 Every time is either prosperous or adverse we need faith in both in every thing we do suffer enjoy We hear by faith we pray by faith buy and sell by faith eat and drink by faith therefore we cannot live without it Non aqua igni magis utimur We use not fire and water more no not the air which we suck into our nostrils We cannot be one moment without it Vse 4 Fourthly Exhortation by faith to get patience in adversity Learn patience in adversity There are many impatient ones like Micah robb'd of his gods Judg 18. or like Rachel Jer. 31. weeping and refusing to be comforted or Cain Gen. 4. that complain of their punishment as greater than can be born But 't is for want of faith strangers in this to the Covenant of Grace If we be in the Covenant then know 1. That there 's living in adversity yea possibly better living than without Never less in prison than when in prison Never less overcome of the world than when I lose all the world as a gracious woman said 2. There 's more exercise of faith in adversity If we lose friends we are put upon seeking friendship with God if we lose goods or silver or gold there 's increase to be made of the golden Grace 1 Pet. 1.7 The tryal of your faith much more precious than gold Therefore be patient faint not Prov. 3 11. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord nor be weary of his correction There are two extremes to be avoided under afflictions the not bearing them or their overbearing us Vse 5 Fifthly Labour then
for much faith and make much of faith To make much of faith as our life in troubles To cherish and nourish it may increase it 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby And we need it all For if the righteous scarcely be saved the just that lives by his faith if he scarcely i.e. quoad nos be saved what shall those do that are without it We should make much of our faith as men make much of that Medicine or that Strong-water that stands them in stead and preserves their life at a dead lift Get good store of that we must live by in adversity Therefore as Sailers provide Tackling fit for a storm so provide we for that storm when this earthly Tabernacle shall crack when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease c. as you have it in that elegant description Eccles 12.3 4 5. That degree of faith which will serve turn in a ship will not serve turn when we come to walk upon the waters with Peter Mat 14.28 29 That degree of faith which will serve turn in a calm will no serve turn in a storm Peter walked till he saw the wind boisterous then he was afraid and began to sink Therefore pray Christ as the Disciples when they had a hard task set them Luke 17.3 4 5. Lord say they increase our faith Vse 6 Sixthly And the main Exhortation is To live by faith in adversity In troubles inward corruption tentations Live by faith in adversity desertion in troubles outward in body goods and actions from friends or from enemies learn to live by faith Motives Motives 1. God is more glorified in our living by faith in adversities Sure God is made known for a good Master when his servants are seen to stick so close to him as Job Chap. 1. â—0 20 21. and Chap. 2.5 c. So Job 13.15 If he slay me I will trust in him 2. The Church and our fellow-Members are hereby edified As many were strengthened through Paul's bands and imprisonment Phil. 1.12 c. And sanguis Martyrum was called semen Ecclesiae 3. Our selves shall be the rather comforted and rewarded Heb. 10.35 Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him 1 Pet. 1.7 The tryal of your faith much more precious than of gold which perisheth shall be found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ Vse 7 Seventhly and lastly or rather indeed to have been the first Use Hence is Reproof to those that live not by faith in adversity Reproof for want of faith in bearing evils As they are justly reproved who live not by faith in prosperity but upon themselves and creatures resolving to repent and believe when they come into straits who keep faith as men keep Bezoar or Aqua-vitae for a dead lift so they are to be reproved who seem to live by faith in prospeâ—ity but nothing so in adversity As if a man should ride with sword and buckler all the way and then cast them away when he meets with the enemy While Prosperity and Profession go hand in hand who but they Though all men deny thee yet will not I deny thee But when they come to the High-Priests Hall then deny and swear and forswear They know not the Man Whilest it is fair weather all Birds sing merrily but few sing in a storm Few Christians sing the praises of God in a storm of adversity Few like the Nightingale sing in the dark night with the thorn of Persecution at their breast Few sing nay few live especially the life of faith Or if they live the life of nature are ready to take the counsel of Job's wife Curse God and dye The reason is Because they are not sound in prosperity If faith shake in affliction 't is weak if wholly lost 't was false There is building on the Sand Mat. 7.24 Therefore be sound in the faith for an hypocrites hope is as the spiders web Job 8.14 yea it is nothing for Job 27.8 What is the hope of the hypocrite If you be such as Peter you will fall shamefully if such as Simon Magus you will fall irrecoverably Not to live by faith in adversiry it argues That such 1. Prize not spiritual Mercies 2. Relye not on a naked Promise without a Pawn 3. Count not on Gods Attributes believe not his Truth Power Willingness Unchangeableness QUEST VII What Life is that the Just lives by his Faith ANd the Answer is very general All kinde of life that may truly be called life For the life of sinners though never so pleasurable is a death rather than a life He or she that liveth in pleasures is dead while she liveth 1 Tim 5.6 yea twice dead Jude v. 12. For the death of the soul is the separation of the soul from God who is the life of the soul as the soul is the life of the body But all kinde of life that is worth the name of life the just lives it by faith Therefore 't is spoken of indefinitely The just shall live c. that it may include all lives As all life comes from that God in whom there is a Trinity of Persons so from this God the just doth enjoy a Trinity of lives 'T is said Gen. 2.7 Jehovah Elohim breathed into mans nostrils the breath of lives viz. either the Vegetative life common with Plants the Sensitive common with Beasts and Rational common with Angels Or else take it of life Natural Spiritual and Eternal All which in some respect the just lives by vertue of his faith First then for Natural Life he lives this by faith I speak not of corrupt Nature I. Natural life lived by faith but of that life which flows from the conjunction of Soul and Body 1. In respect of the act of living Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I 1. In the act of living but Christ liveth in me and the life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me That a justified person is suffered to live and breathe it is by the benefit of faith Obj. Obj. But you will say All enjoy natural life even unbelievers as well as they that do believe Ans Ans Yet upon different grounds It 's true All being sinners in Adam and in our selves we have forfeited our lives yet God takes not the forfeiture on believerâ— no nor on unbelievers But on different grounds To make it plain by a Similitude Suppose two men condemn'd to dye the one is Repriev'd the other Pardon'd by the mediation of a friend at Court The Reprieved man is dead in Law though he live and
the end shall be saved Mat. 10.22 But the Saints shall continue Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth us Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good work will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ The Apostle was confident of it and so may we for what is the ground of this confidence not any thing in our selves we are apt to fall way but the Promise and Faithfulness and power of God He hath begun the work and he hath said it and he will perform it therefore we may be sure of Salvation Vse 3 3 Use We should from hence be Exhorted to labour for Truth of Faith and Truth of Grace To labour for truth of grace above all other things Why because they are so durable In all other things we love Certainties and cannot abide to be at an uncertainty We do not love to be Tenants at will to be turn'd out at an hours warning yea we rather desire to be Freeholders than Tenants upon the best terms Oh how careful are men to make all sure to them and their heirs for ever c. Surely Si isti callidi rerum aestimatores If the crafty esteemers of things do prize Meadows and Lands above other goods because they are not so subject to hurt and casualty how much more should we prize the truth of grace which gives us interest in eternal life and can neither be snatcht away by force nor stoln away by craft it can neither be lost by fire nor water The best of other possessions in the account of Christ are but other mens goods Luke 16.12 because ere long they must go to another and are like a Foot-ball now one man hath the Ball on his foot by and by another takes it from him within the turning of a hand a third catches it from him and so it goes on from one to another So these worldly things turn and are tost up and down they are not our own but another mans goods as well as ours but grace he calls our own Luke 16.12 because we shall never lose it it is durable riches indeed Prov. 8.18 Let us therefore take our Saviours advice Joh. 6 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures unto eternal life and Mat. 6.19 20. Col. 3.3 Vse 4 This also is for Exhortation to us To endevour to persevere and hold out to the end Labour after Perseverance that it may appear that our grace is indeed true grace and that we live by Faith It is said of the Parthians They begin their Battels with as great valour as any people whatsoever but they faint quickly and continue but a while The like may be said of many in their Spiritual Warfare With the Parthians and with the Galatians they begin well but they cannot say with S. Paul they have fought a good fight they have finished their course because like Hymenaeus and Alexander they have faln away from the Doctrine of the Faith and it may be from the Profession of the Faith also But it is the glory of a Christian to persevere to the end Therefore whatever you part with do not part with your grace as Job 2.3 He held fast his integrity Though he lost Goods and Children and Friends and almost life too yet still he held fast his integrity Let it be our resolution that whatever we lose by Gods help we will never let go our grace Let us say of grace as Jacob to the Angel I will not let thee go till I have got the blessing As a man at Sea is willing to part with all so he may but save his life So let us be willing to part with any thing so we may keep Christ and his grace for this is even the life of our lives Moâ—ives to Perseverance That we may be the more effectually stirr'd up to endevour to persevere 1. Consider that God is constant in his love to us 1. Constancy of God in his love Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee therefore we should be constant to him And indeed our constancy to him is a certain fruit of his unchangeable love towards us The Saints will never utterly forsake God because God doth never utterly forsake them And the consideration of his Faithfulness should as an argument prevail with us to be faithful Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised As God hath loved us with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 So let us love him with an everlasting love à parte post though we cannot à parte antè 2. It is the honour of a Christian 2. A Christians honour to persevere against all opposition God himself seems to admire it in Job chap. 2.3 that notwithstanding all his sufferings yet he held fast his integry To hold fast our integrity in trying times is not onely commendable but admirable To continue good while we suffer evil is the very height and crown of Goodness Look as it makes sin out of measure sinful when we hold fast our sins in the midst of Judgements Amos 4.6 c. I have smitten you thus and thus yet you have not returned to me saith the Lord That was the aggravation of their sin So it makes grace out of measure gracious it is the highest commendation and exaltation of grace when we can hold fast our grace in the midst of Tentation and Opposition As God sets a brand of Infamy upon such as trespass more in the day of their distress This is that King Ahaz saith God 2 Chron. 28.22 when his Conscience within was seared as with an hot iron God sets a brand upon his Name without as Malefactors are branded at the Bar that all may know them for Rogues and Thieves So God sets a Mark of Honour and Renown upon such as persevere in evil times This is that Job saith God that holds fast his integrity in the worst of times and therefore deserves to be ranked among the best of men none like him in all the earth Job 1.8 It is the honour of a Christian to hold fast his integrity It is his honour here and it shall be his honour to all Eternity Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life On the other side Oh what a disgrace it is to fall from grace yea if it be but from some degrees of grace We think it a great shame to be degraded and so devested from Titles of Honour he that falls back and proves Apostate he degrades himself he un-Saint himself Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father Rev. 1.6 but he that falls back suffers another to take his Crown Rev. 3 11. Hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown To backslide is a dishonour To backslide a dishonour 1. To the Persons themselves Luk. 14.30
promise And it was a blessing of the first Age of the World where God graciously provided that men should live longer because they were sown thinner Therefore some lived seven hundred years some eight hundred some nine hundred and odde but at last it is said of the best and strongest and longest of the Sons of Men Et mortuus est that he died That is the way of all flesh in regard of natural life But it is not the way of all flesh in regard of Spiritual life Joh. 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die His Soul shall never die though his Body die Fear not those that kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Matth. 10.18 they are not able to kill the Soul no nor are they able to kill the grace of the Soul Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Therefore say with David Oh let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Vse 6 6 Use is of Incouragement against all Discouragement That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance Of incouragement concerning Perseverance That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance and shall persevere in the grace and favour of God Nothing shall separate from the love of Christ There are four main Discouragements incident to a Christian in his earthly Pilgrimage 1. The inconstancy of Creatures towards Creatures 2. The Creatures inconstancy towards God 3. A mans weakness compared with the strength of enemies opposing 4. A mans own sinful Demerits daily forfeiting all his Mercies To which adde 5. The uncertainty of future Events But this Doctrine that the just lives by faith the life of Perseverance is a great Incouragement against all Discouragements First The inconstancy of the Creature 1. In the inconstancy of the Creature in it self Job 6.15 Job complains his friends had forsaken him like a deceitful brook that is full in raining times when there is no want of water and empty and dry in Summer heat or when there is greatest need For a man shall have many friends so long as God rains down showers of blessings from heaven upon him but if God once search him with the fiery trial of some such Judgement as dries up all his substance he shall hardly finde a drop of comfort from such as in time of prosperity did run in a full current of kindness towards him Well suppose it be so yet this is great Incouragement to a poor Believer when he can thus reason Well though my friends leave me upon earth yet Faith assures me Heb. 13. I have a friend in heaven that will not forsake me who doth usually let out most of himself to his people when they have the least of Creature-comforts he delights to visit his people in Egypt in the fiery Furnace His Servant John Baptist in the Isle of Patmos Paul and Silas in the Prison when they had little or no comfort from the Creature And what is Heaven but the Presence God Where there is most absence of the Creature viz. in Heaven where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage neither buying nor selling nor possessing nor rejoycing in the earthly Comforts of this life yet there is joy enough for all that when there is no Creature-comfort at all 1 Cor. 15. God himself shall be all in all And if the Presence of God it self alone shall be enough to make Heaven when all the world shall be left am I not bound to believe Gods Person is enough upon earth if all Creatures should forsake me If I can live by Faith the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from God what if I do not live by Sense the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from Creatures The former is Incouragement enough of it self 2. Creature-inconstancy towards God Secondly The second great Discouragement and indeed greater than the former is this The Creatures inconstancy towards God The Creatures goodness is as the morning dew Hos 6.4 that is soon gone O how quickly are they turned out of the way saith God Judg 2.17 Peter is ready to swear Allegeance to his Master and as ready almost to forswear with the same breath and do not think that thou hast a better heart than Peter had for as in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Prov. 27.19 One face is not more like another represented in water or in glass then one mans heart is naturally like another's All are very fickle and very inconstant in the love and service of God Now this is sometimes a great Discouragement to a gracious Soul Saith such a Soul I have such a base backsliding heart I shall never be able to hold out to the end what will become of me For thy answer Beware of Discouragement though thou art unconstant and unbelieving yet God is faithful and he hath promised to make thee constant and faithful or at least to heal thy unconstancy and unbelief 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself What if we believe not at all that 's not the meaning of it For he gives Faith when he intend Mercy but if there be intermissions and interruptions in our Faith or at least in the activity of our Faith yet God is faithful to heal our back-slidings and to love us freely Hos 14.4 And this is a great Incouragement Gods constancy in Covenant opposed to our fickleness and inconstancy He will so put his fear into our hearts as we shall never utterly depart from him Jerem. 32.40 Thirdly A third Discouragement 3. In our own weakness is our own Weakness as well as our own Inconstancy yea were we never so constant in our resolutions yet how weak are we in our performances We are weak our enemies strong our trials many and great and this is a great Discouragement to a gracious heart that howsoever the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak that should God leave us to ourselves we should fall away from him every day in which respect Christ commands us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation Mat 26.41 Well be it so that a Christian is so weak on the one side and his enemies so strong on the other yet Faith administers this notable incouragement in the sight and sense of all our enemies and greatest infirmities 1 Cor. 10.13 But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape and so the weakest believer if a true believer shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day Fourthly The fourth Discouragement 4. Against sinful distempers is a mans own sinful Distempers daily forfeiting
supporting and chearing the hearts of his People in time of afflictions God comforts his People in this manner that they may comfort others by their own experience Like Birds that having found a heap of Corn never leave their chirping till they have called in their fellows to partake of their Banquet 2 Cor. 1.14 Blessed be God who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble by the self-same comforts whereby we our selves are comforted of God As if God should say to his afflicted fainting Servants Lo here is a Cordial from Heaven drink of it your selves and when you have done write upon it Probatum est and so commend it to your Christian friends Thou being converted and comforted strengthen thy brethren And these be the Reasons why God will have the just live the Life of Consolation 2. Why Consolations come by Faith 2. But then why are they said to live this Life by Faith There are many weighty Reasons of this also as Because Faith the hand that takes hold of this Cup it takes hold of the right object of Consolation or if you will Reas 1 First of all because Faith is a powerful hand to keep off all such things as are comfortable and so to arm us against all discomforts For that must needs be a great comfort that doth arm the Soul against all discomforts and so doth Faith for it is a supporting hand to our burthened Souls Faith is Omnipotent in the strength of God Nothing is impossible to him that believes Mark 9.23 An establishing hand to the wavering Soul it is a protecting hand to the weak Soul 'T is a Supporting Hand to the overburthened Soul 1. Faith is a supporting hand It is Faith that teacheth a man to cast the burthen of his care upon God Psal 37.5 And what a hearts ease and what a comfort is this They must needs have a light heart that are eased of such burthens Faith is like the Cup of Consolation which the Jews gave to the friends of the deceased that they may drink and forsake sorrow Jer. 16.7 Neither shall men give them the Cup of Consolation for their father Prov. 31.6 Give wine to those of heavy hearts 'T is an Establishing Hand to the wavering Soul 2. Faith is an establishing hand It cures the Soul of the Spiritual Palsie when it quakes and quivers up and down is full of fears and doubts and knows not where to fix or stay it self Fix thy self here saith Faith fix thy self upon God fix thy self upon his Word this will stay the wavering Soul as a Ship at Anchor in the midst of the winds and waves of Temptation Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul stedfast and sure which entreth into that within the veile I appeal to such as have been tost at Sea to tell you what a comfort it is to have a sure Anchor in a Storm and such is the comfort of a Christian by the Anchor-hold of his Faith Psal 112.6 7. Surely he shall not be moved for ever he shall not be afraid of evil tidings Why His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established he shall not be afraid So Faith is an establishing hand to a wavering Soul 'T is a Protecting Hand to the weak Soul 3. Faith is a protecting hand It is such a Hand as not onely holds a childe but it is a Shield it self to bear off all blows Now is it not a comfort to have such a Shield and such a Shield is Faith Eph. 6.16 It doth not onely bear off all blows from wicked men Psal 56.4 In God have I put my trust there is the Shield What follows I will not fear what flesh can do unto me but it bears off all blows from wicked Spirits Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one It is a safe guard from all evil Psal 99.9 Because thou hast made the Lord thy refuge even the most High thy habitation there shall no evil befal thee nor any plague come near thy dwelling Yea it bears off all blows from God it hath such a piercing eye it can see a Fathers heart under a seeming Enemies hand Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 And so the shield of Faith is not onely useful all our life but 't is Armour of Proof against the stroke of death And so it is a Protecting Hand to the weak Soul It is every way a powerful hand to arm against all discomforts and so an argument of no small comfort to a true believer Reas 2 The second general Reason why the just lives the Life of Consolation by his Faith Why Consolation comes by Faith is Because Faith is a Powerful Hand to draw into the Soul all necessary Comforts Faith lays hold on the right Object of Consolation it lays hold on that God who is the Fountain of all light and life Psal 36.9 With thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light 1. Faith lays hold on God the Father 1. Faith lays hold on God the Father who is called the Father of Mercies and the God of all comfort and consolation the Beginning of all Divine Operations As all Rivers come from the Sea so all streams of Comfort come from God the Father 2. Faith lays hold on God the Son 2. Faith lays hold on God the Son as the Conduit-pipe or Channel through whom all comfort is derived from God the Father to the Souls of his People For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell that of his fulness we might receive as grace for grace so comfort for comfort for he was anointed with the oyl of gladness as well as with the oyl of grace above his fellows that he might appoint to them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of praises for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.3 And hence it is that Christ is called The Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 because all Gods People receive their comfort from him As all Stars borrow their light from the Sun so all the Saints borrow their light from him who is called The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings But how do they receive this comfort from Christ it is by Faith for Christ dwells in their hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 As he is a comfortable guest so 't is Faith that receives him and bids him welcome when he is come 3. Faith lays hold on God the Holy Ghost Gal. 3.2 3. Faith lays hold on God the Holy Ghost Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith As if he should say
Though an unregenerate man may love Gods People after a sort yet not in a sanctified manner that is to say neither all the People of God nor all their graces at all times First Not all the People of God they hate some as they seem to love others They are guilty of sinful partiality Jam. 2. having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons They seem to love the rich and despise the poor Secondly Not all their graces They may admire their common gifts as Pharaoh admired the wisdom of Joseph and Nebuchadnezzar the wisdom of Daniel but not their saving graces Every one that doth evil hateth the light Joh. 3.20 Even that light of good works Thirdly Not at all times God sometimes indeed over-rules their spirits strongly as he over-ruled the spirits of Lions to preserve Daniel and of the Ravens to feed Elijah but so soon as that over-ruling Providence is over they are as they were before God for a time gave the Israelites favour in the eyes of the Egyptians but before and after they were their utter enemies but he that hath truth of grace he loves 1. All the Saints poor as well as rich Phil. 1.15 and love unto all the Saints 2. All their graces saving as well as common and more than common because the Image of God is most in those 3. At all times because his love springs from an inward principle from likeness of nature and therefore it is unchangeable Now this upon trial is ground of singular comfort and this trial is made by Faith Therefore by Faith the Just lives the Life of Consolation because by Faith a man reflects upon that Sanctity and Sincerity which God hath wrought in the believing Soul Reas 6 6 Reason Because Faith makes a thing absent Why Consola flows in by Faith to be as it were present For joy is properly the delight we take in some present good God who seemed before to be absent is present things promised are present Heaven it self is present He hath made us through faith to sit together in heavenly places Eph. 2 6. As it is said of the destruction of enemies Revel 18.2 Babylon is fallen Now what a comfort is this it is even Heaven opposed to earth What a comfort and content is it to a man when he looks through a Prospective glass and sees a friend coming towards him many Furlongs off It may be he looked before in the glass and either he saw him not at all or else he doubted whether it was his friend or no but the glass draws him so near that it puts all out of doubt he sees the very colour of his clothes of the hair of his face and the proportion of his parts so perfectly as if he were present with him and therefore he smileth to himself and salute him at a distance Oh my dear friend I am glad to see you Faith is such a Prospective glass that looking upon God and Heaven and things promised at a great distance even as far as Heaven is from Earth yet it draws these good things so near and makes them so present so sure to the Soul that it cannot but rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory as Abraham saw Christs day afar off and rejoyced to see it and so the rest of the Patriarchs Heb. 11.18 though they received not the things promised yet having seen them afar off through the glass of Faith they made them so near to their apprehensions Heb. 11.13 that they even fell upon the neck of the Promises and saluted them as dear friends salute and embrace one another at their meeting And in this respect Faith is said to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 It puts a man as it were into a possession of good things to come or at least it makes them as sure as if they were present What comfort is this We say It is good to be sure we do not onely rejoyce in the excellency of a thing promised but in the certainty of it Yea but is this true saith the poor Soul Yea saith Faith thou maist be as sure of it as if thou hadst it already in possession for thou hast the Word of God the Promise of God the Oath of God the Seal of God And why so many ties and engagements one upon another but that by these immutable things Heb. 6.18 in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Faith lays hold upon all these ingagements and so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Vses of the Consolation of the Faithful The first Use of Information Vse 1 TO let us see what is the main cause of that sadness and sorrow of heart Information of the cause of sadness which the Prophet Jeremiah called The curse of God Lam. 3.65 Not as if all were cursed that are sad and sorrowful for God knows how to fish in troubled waters but to shew That of it self it is the greatest of all evils for the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Now let us inquire what is the cause of this wound of this sadness and sorrow of heart certainly it is not the greatness of any outward troubles it is not Imprisonment for the Apostles were so merry they fell a singing in the very Dungeon Act. 16 25. It is not Reproach for Job professeth if his adversary should write a Book against him he would take it Job 31. and binde it as a Crown upon his head And if a man rejoyce not in a Crown what should be the object of his joy It is not Poverty for it is said of the faithful They suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 It is not Persecution for it is said Act. 4. the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus It is not simply Sin Psal 49.5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil when the iniquities of my heels compass me about It is not Dis-respect and ill-will from men Heb. 11.27 By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King Well then if it be not any outward trouble that is the cause of sadness and sorrow of heart what is it then Surely you shall finde upon search it is nothing else but Want of Faith or at least want of acting of Faith in the Promises of God Heb. 11.27 He endured as seeing him who is invisible Had we but Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed and had we skill to act it we should say to Mountains of Sorrow that surrounded us Be ye removed and they should obey For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation in the midst of troubles and therefore in case thou art at any
what he can to hinder their comfort in the mean-time and therefore so far as God will give him leave he will be sure to toss them in the Fan of Temptation and to throw at them many fiery darts of Opposition he will be ready to inject into their minds many hideous thoughts of Atheism and Blasphemy the venom whereof are ready to drink up their Spirits and it is no marvel if they want comfort at such times Sometimes he prevails to tempt them to sin Cast thy self down 1 Chron. 21.1 And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number the people Zech. 3.1 And he shewed me Joshua the High-Priest standing before the Angel of the Angel and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him This springs from God 3. From God who is pleased to dispense himself in much wisdom and faithfulness that one-while his Saints shall have comfort and another-while it shall be eclipsed again And why so 1. To shew that he is the God of all our comforts therefore he doth sometime withdraw our comforts to make us know we are not Free-holders but Tenants at will He turns his People out of their comforts though he never wholly turns them out of their possessions of grace He creates darkness as well as light in the Soul that we may give him the glory of our light and comfort to all Eternity Isa 45.67 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil 2. God doth this VVhy God eclipseth his peoples comforts to fit them and frame them for some special work and service He humbles them and proves them Deu. 8.2 3 16 to do them good and to do much good by them in the latter end Amongst men such as we train up for some special imployment their Parents acquaint them with all conditions they are sent from School to the University from University to the Inns of Court from thence to travel into remote places of the World and indure much hardship So God when he will mould a man for some notable imployment he makes him travel through all conditions he must go through thick and thin heighths and depths and from thence he calls him out to his service 3. God withdraws his comforts for the present to prepare them for the more comforts afterwards The darkness of the night makes the light of the day more sweet and comfortable So the sorrows of Gods People do but prepare them for more fulness of constant joy As contraries opposed makes both to shine the brighter And therefore it is said Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 And why shall godly mourners be comforted Note Because sorrow like the rest of those declining Passions it is not made for it self but for some higher use As hatred for love and fear for confidence so sorrow is made for joy it is subservient to that very end God will have his People sorrow much at one time that they may rejoyce the more at another Those usually have most of heaven upon earth that formerly have met with most of hell upon earth Psa 116.3 The sorrows of death compassed me the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow As Jonas crying out of the belly of Hell But look upon him within two or three verses after and you may see him in an Extasie as if he were in heaven ver 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And these are the causes in which and these are the causes for which God doth sometimes with-hold comforts from his servants Other ways and at other times the onely truly comfortable life is a Religious life the Life of Faith And that 's the third Head of Information The fourth follows to let us see what we should desire and endevour for our best friends yea Inform. 4. What to desire for our best friends for such as are a part of our selves our Children We all desire they may live long according to the Promise of the fifth Commandment and that they may live a comfortable life as well as a long life And if so then it should the chief desire and endevour of Parents that their Children may inherit their Faith as well as their outward Possessions For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Oh then labour to make them partakers of the second Birth Let the same minde be in you that was in the Apostle when he said My little children of whom I travail in birth till Christ be formed in you If Christ be once formed in them by Faith they shall be sure to live comfortably themselves and they will surely be the greatest comfort of their believing Parents Prov. 23.24 25. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoyce and he that begetteth a wise childe shall have joy of him Thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall rejoyce They shall indeed if they be spiritual Parents as well as natural they shall have double and treble joy The Apostle that was but a spiritual Parent onely yet mark how affectionately he writes to Timothy 1 Tim. 1.2 3 4. To Timothy my dearly beloved Son I thank God for thee I greatly desire to see thee that I may be filled with joy As if onely a sight of Timothy would fill his heart full of joy How much more then when Parents are both natural and spiritual Parents both together It must needs be a strong stream where two such Rivers meet together Surely the comforts of the Childrens Faith will have a strong reflection back again upon their Parents Look as the children of wicked Parents that brought them up in Lying and Swearing and Stealing shall rise up and call them Cursed Cursed be the father or mother that lays a stumbling block before the poor childe so the children of believing Parents that have been instruments under God of their new birth shall rise up and call them blessed Prov. 31.28 Her children rise up and call her blessed And blessed be those Parents might Timothy say who instructed me in their Faith and prayed me into that faith wherein I greatly rejoyce even into that faith which dwelt first in my grandmother Lois and now through free grace dwells in me also It is a sweet thing when faith and free grace descends where corruption had first descended when Faith once acts and by degrees draws out corruption both Parents and Children have just cause to rejoyce For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Inform. 5. What happines in the end of the faithful Information to inform us If there be such happiness in the way what happiness then is there at the end of the journey If there be such comfort in believing the thing before it be injoyed what is then in injoying of the things which before were but believed If that saying be true of the Life
Christ arose personally from the Grave he then obtained perfect Victory over Death for himself he died no more Death had no more dominion over him So when Christ Mystical when we that are believers shall arise from the Grave we shall obtain a perfect Victory over Death we shall die no more c. Then even then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written When once this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 And this is the fourth and last Degree of Christs Victory and Triumph over Death after which there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain Rev. 21.4 Well then to bring all home to the present Use Wouldst thou know whether thou livest by Faith in regard of Life Eternal Do but tell me in earnest or rather tell thine own Soul what respect thou bearest to Death Dost thou indeed look at it as a conquered Enemy or rather such an one as of an enemy is now become a friend Is thy judgement altered concerning Death as the nature of Death it self is altered Then well and good For thus 't is with all Gods people in some measure Death and they are made friends they look at Death as a sweet passage to this Everlasting Life that we are speaking of and therefore they bid it welcome What Heir would not be willing to come to his Inheritance and therefore as willing to welcome the Messenger that had Power and Commission to put him into present possession This was the Apostles practice His whole life was a Meditation of Death and a Preparation for Death I profess saith he by our rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus I die daily that is I am every day prepared for death 1 Cor. 15.31 Therefore you may see his judgement was altered concerning the nature of death he looked at it as an enemy before conversion but now he looks at it as a friend He that is reconciled to God and God to him he is reconciled to death and death also to him for death is but the Servant of Jesus Christ and if Christ be yours death is yours also 1 Cor. 3.21 22. Obj. But may not Gods own people be afraid of death and unfit to die About the fear of Death Ans 1. They may be afraid because every Christian man is a double man consisting of Flesh and Spirit and therefore though the Spirit is willing yet the Flesh is weak Mat. 21.46 Therefore so far as he is natural he is afraid and yet so far as he is spiritual he overcomes that fear So that here is the difference between the fear of a wicked man and a godly man A wicked man when God opens his eyes is swallowed up of fear a godly man though he may have many conflicts and combats with the fear of death yet at last he overcomes his fear by the exercise of his Faith so that he is not in bondage to his fear as the other is Heb 2.15 Christ came to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage 2. A godly man is not at all times alike fit to die though he be willing in the main It may be he hath some work to do for God or for his Church that yet is not done It may be he hath weakned himself by some present distemper and hath not strength of Faith sufficient for such a solemn and serious Work as is his passage to Eternity And that was the cause of Davids Prayer Psal 39. last O spare a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more In such like cases as these a godly man may be somewhat unfit and therefore somewhat unwilling to die otherwise I say in the main he looks at death as his friend because God in Christ is his friend and therefore the more he loves God the less he fears death If love were perfect it would cast out all fear In the mean time as the love of God increaseth the fear of death decreaseth from day to day And that is a good evidence the creature lives by Faith in regard of Life Eternal But now if we look at Death as the greatest of Evils of all terrible things the most terrible as if it were the Annihilation of the Creature or the reducing of it into a far worse condition than it was in before So that when a Man dies his Hope dies with him too Job 11. vers the last It is most evident That such a man lives not by Faith in regard of Life Eternal for if he did he would surely welcome that Death which is no other than a passage to that Life Vse 4 Vse 4. Of Exhortation Exhortations Exhortation to live by Faith in respect of life Eternal To live by Faith in regard of Life Eternal This is the most excellent Object of them Therefore as one sayes of Prayer Thou when thou prayest pray for great matters pray not for Riches for these are Snares pray not for Honour 't is but a vain Breath of Fame pray not for Life Temporal 't is but a Bubble But thou when thou prayest pray for great matters pray for Pardon of sin pray for Christ Grace Heaven pray for Eternal Life These things are worth the praying for So say I of Faith Thou when thou believest exercise thy Faith about great matters though 't is not unlawful to believe in God for a seasonable supply of Temporal blessings Yet above all exercise thy faith about Heaven and Eternity be sure to lay hold on Eternal Life for the best of Temporal Blessings at last will give thee the slip And what should be the reason that God mixeth temporal comforts with so many discomforts but to knock off our fingers from laying too fast hold on them As if God should say to his People Arise this is not your rest Get you up to the top of the Mount and by the eye of Faith take a view of your Spiritual Canaan as ever you desire to enter into that Promised Land of your Eternal Rest And if all the Crosses we meet withall in our Christian Pilgrimage are little enough to take off our hearts from the world how should we love it and cleave to it should we meet with no Crosses at all Motives Shall I give you some further Motives why we should by Faith lay hold on Eternal Life Consider Consid 1 1. Without the assurance of this Life we had better never have enjoyed Natural life For if we have a part in natural life onely better it were to live the life of Vermine and Toads than the life of Men For those poor creatures when they die there is an end of them and their Misery for ever But when a Man dies if he hath not laid hold on Eternal Life he is sure
your heart upon them Art thou in a troublous condition and dost not pour out thy Soul to God in Prayer O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Art thou cast into Poverty or dost thou fear straights for want of Maintenance O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word for it Mat 6.25 31. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink c Or if thou saist How if such a Frind should die or such a Bond be lost Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word Heb 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Indeed if thou canst say How if Christ should die or the Covenant fail it were something So 3. in point of Elections there is to be Faith in them 3. Elections Heb. 11.25 Art thou to make choice of the place of thy Habitation and thou with Lot choosest to dwell there where thou maist have many advantages for Worldly riches rather than for Heavenly treasure O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word Psal 27.5 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple And again Psal 84. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness Art thou to choose a Servant is thy main enquiry to know what skill or ability he hath to do thy Work and thou never enquirest how well he is fitted to do the Work and Service of God O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word Psal 101.6 7. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Art thou to choose a Friend and thou enquirest how witty how wealthy how pleasant but never how Religious how faithful Where is thy faith in the mean time Hast thou not a plain Word Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt Such a friend will fail thee when thou dost most stand in need of him The more thou leanest upon him the more he will vex thee Art thou to choose a Yoke-fellow thou enquirest what Portion and what Proportion how rich how beautiful but not how good how gracious how rich heaven-ward Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word 2 Cor. 6.14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unblievers for what fellowship hath Righteousness with Vnrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness Digression upon Election of the Town-Magistrates To come home to the Work of this Day Art thou to chuse a Magistrate or Inferior officer Dost thou enquire whether such a man be thy Friend or thy Kinsman or thy Customer or one that hath bespoke thy Voice and dost thou never enquire How just he is and faithful to men or how Religious in his carriage to God O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word Exod. 18.21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People able men such as fear God men of truth and hating covetousness And hast thou not a gracious Promise Isr 1.26 I will restore thy Judges as at first c. afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness The faithful City O that you would live by Faith in this Word of God in the Work of this Day Do not judge Gods Messengers as busie-bodies in other mens matters whilst they give Magistrates their Charge from God and People their Charge also in the Choice of Magistrates for the Text before-cited will bear us out in both I shall not descend to particulars onely in general Be sure to discharge your Oaths and a good Conscience therein both as Freemen of this Town and as Freemen of Jesus Christ keep to your Charter and you shall not do amiss As I take it you have a Double Charter one from the highest Power upon earth the other from Jesus Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth I suppose the first of your Charters will direct you to chuse honest and just Men in regard of Communicative and Distributive Justice I am sure your second Charter by vertue whereof you are the Freemen of Jesus Christ and of that Jerusalem which is above which is the Mother of us all I am sure this Charter doth charge you as near as you can to chuse men fearing God Religious men such as you apprehend to be really so I know we all profess Religion but all do not walk answerably to their Profession I would there were not some publick Contemners of the Means of grace and such as commonly and ordinarily walk contrary to the Rule of the Gospel You know it is a Gospel-Rule given to us Ministers Preach the Word be instant in season out of season and therefore you might well say Woe be to us if we preach not the Gospel accordingly And surely upon the same ground People are bound to hear in season and out of season in case extraordinary occasions take them not off I need not tell you unless it be in way of acknowledgement the great Charges you are and have been at for a long time in maintaining the Publick Ordinance twice in the Week upon your ordinary days I have heard it hath been one of the most Ancient Lectures in the Kingdom But I fear if you well observe one another in this particular though there are many constant and willing Auditors yet there are some that hear me this day upon this Civil occasion whose faces you saw not here of many days before no I am afraid many a week together For my part I do not see how such as are faithful to their Heavenly Charter and have to do in Election of Officers can shew any countenance to such persons as do usually discountenance and slight the Publick Ordinance If they judge the Ordinance not worthy of their Presence me thinks others should judge them not worthy of Publick Trust I confess for my own particular I have not desired in satifying a curious ear to speak to you in the enticing words of mans wisdome yet I hope I may say with the Apostle I have endevoured to approve my self to every mans conscience in the sight of God I desire to speak nothing but the truth of God in the patern of wholesom words and that word of Faith by which every one of you shall be judged in the latter day And in this case whosoever despiseth the weakest Messenger of Jesus Christ he despiseth Christ himself and whosoever despiseth Christ you know his doom
overtaken with self-confidence to relie upon the Mountain of his created strength or created Grace he is never well till he hath deeply humbled himself for it as David did Psal 30.6 And therefore I say a Believer so far as he is himself does all he doth in the strength of God If he be to preach if he be to pray whatever he be to do he dares venture upon nothing in his own strength lest God should blast his endevours in stead of blessing them 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me yea bear all things in the strength of Christ but nothing in his own strength This is an infallible symptome of the Life of Faith Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee 3. The third and last Evidence hath respect to both 3. In point of both for whether a Believer be to resist that which is evil or to perform that which is good as he goes out in Gods strength so he goes to God by Prayer in both respects for prayer is a calling in of the strength of God and a believing creature is ever a praying creature unless under Tentation and therefore true Prayer is called the Prayer of Faith and indeed Prayer is one of the first evidences of Faith I do not mean the Gift of Prayer whereby we can express our selves in good words But the Spirit of Prayer and Supplications whereby we express our selves in good and child-like affections No sooner hath a man Faith but together with his Faith he receives the Spirit of Adoption whereby he cries Abba Father Rom. 8.15 therefore as the same Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved they are but poor formal Prayers without Faith So we may say on the other side How shall they not call on him on whom they have believed 2 Cor. 4 13. We having the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I believe therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore we speak none of Gods children are born tongue-ty'd I am sure not so hard tyed but there will be inward sighs and groans and wrestlings with God when there are no outward expressions at all The Spirit of Faith is ever attended with a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication And this is the last Evidence by which we may judge of unfeigned Faith from that which is feigned and counterfeit Branch II. Of Examination Living by faith is the touchstone to try all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false And as this serves for the Trial of Persons so also of Doctrines and Religions That Religion which teacheth us to live by Faith and to lay hold on the Righteousness of Christ who was made sin for us that we through him might be made the righteousness of God to life Eternal that is undoubtedly the true Religion But that Religion which slanders the Life of Faith as if it were absurd to be justified by the Righteousness of another That which teacheth we have no Original Sin remaining in us but that all is wash'd away in Baptism contrary to that of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That which teacheth inherent Righteousness necessary to Justification and that it is possible also a man may so fulfil the Law of God as to Merit at Gods hand yea that he is able not onely to do what the Law requires but to over-do even to do so much as to spare of his oyl for others This is a Doctrine and Religion savouring of horrible Pride and Presumption and therefore false But that which teacheth us to go out of our selves and to give the Glory of Salvation to Free-grace and so to live by Faith this is true and there is no unrighteousness in it Now in case we finde upon search That we do believe we have infinite cause to be thankful In case we finde we believe not we have as great cause to be humbled and to seek out for Faith Vse IV. Of Thankfulness Vse 4 The fourth Use is of Thankfulness for them that have obtained Faith and know how to live by it Thankfulness for Faith Thankfulness for our selves for our Friends Yoke-fellows and Children as the Apostle is thankful Ephes 1.15 Phil. 1.3 Col. 1.3 4. What hath God given them Faith he hath given them an excellent livelihood We rejoyce when great Lands and Livings fall to us or our friends but what is all this to Faith which is the very life of our lives our living to Eternity All the blessings of Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life are wrapt up in Faith Indeed there are many quickning Considerations should stir us up to be thankful to God with all our Souls Grounds of our Thankfulness That we should say as David Psal 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless c. First For first of all 1. 'T is Gods gift Faith as the Scripture saith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 If we could obtain Heaven by our own Workmanship or Faith it self as a particular work of our own to fit us for Heaven we might have some cause to boast and so the less cause to be thankful But neither the works which the Law requires in general nor this work which the Gospel requires in particular is of our own working or springs out of the liberty of our own Will but it is the gift of God Look as Christ fulfilled for us all that Righteousness which the Law requires So he bestows upon us that very Faith which the Gospel requires also And Faith is like an empty hand or an empty Beggars Dish and such a Dish as is given together with the Alms it self that all the glory may be given to God and none at all to the Creature And as we are bound to be Thankful to God for the very first Faith he worketh in us So also for all the degrees and increases of our Faith Luke 17.7 The Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith to intimate That all the growth and increase of Faith is from God as well as the first seed of Faith For The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by his faith Rom. 1.17 As God is the first Author so he is the carrier on and Finisher of our Faith Phil. 2.6 Heb. 12.2 And when he begins he will also make an end therefore be thankful for Faith from first to last It is his Gift it is his free Gift without the least desert on our part therefore let him have the praise of it 2. 'T is a gift necessary to our being 1 Thess 5.8 Secondly It is such a Gift as is absolutely
reigning Unbelief when we believe nothing at all when we have not so much as laid hold of any Promise to make peace with God! Partial unbelief deprives us of many Mercies on this side Heaven but total unbelief deprives men of Heaven it self Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned O the misery of that poor Soul that never yet believed one Promise O that we could even with Soul-bleeding tears bewail our unbelief O that God would give to each of us a heart to get into a corner and to weep in secret over our unbelief each man bemoaning himself as Ephraim did Jer. 31.18 O that I should have such a stiff neck such a base hard unbelieving heart O that I should spend so much time to so little purpose for death hath possest all that part of my life wherein I was an unbeliever The heathen man could say O Friends we have lost a day but many of us may say O Friends we have lost many days and many years wherein we have done God little or no service nay a great deal of disservice by our unbelief O that I should be so foolish and slow of heart to believe all that Lord hath spake by his Prophets and Apostles Luke 24.25 O how justly may God upbraid me for my unbelief Mark 16.14 c. that I should be so backward to believe the God of Truth and so forward to believe the Father of Lies Blessed Saviour lay not this great sin this Mother-sin to my charge which is the Mother of Abominations Thus should we pray Consider not how often I have dishonoured thy Majesty and grieved thy holy Spirit by my unbelief But O thou Mirrour of Patience and Pity who didst sometimes mourn over the People because of the hardness of their hearts Mar. 3.5 I beseech thee let that be the object of thy Pity which might be the object of thy Fury O pity and heal mine unbelieving heart Doubtless if we can but thus bemoan and bewail our selves in our unbelief that God who made good that gracious Promise to him that went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and I will heal him Isa 57.18 will much more make it good to such an one as with all his heart and with all his soul bewails his own frowardness and backwardness to believe I will restore comfort to him and his mourners Vse VI. Of Exhortation Vse 6 Of Exhortation The next Use is for Exhortation 1. For our selves 2. For others For our selves 1. To perswade us to labour to get Faith As Solomon saith of Wisdom with all thy getting get wisdom So with all thy getting get Faith for it is thy life 2. To keep it when we have it Non minor est virtus c. It is no less a piece of Spiritual good husbandry to keep our stock of Faith when we have it than to get it at the first 3. To live by it or use it as well as to keep it It s far better to put our Faith to use than our Money to use The Just makes a living of his Faith whilst he puts it to use 4. So to live by it as not to live barely and poorly but so as to increase the stock of our Faith Faith is such an excellent grace we can never have too much of it he that increaseth his Faith increaseth his livelihood For the just shall live by his Faith First therefore labour to get Faith Branch I. To get faith There are many things that men labour to obtain in the world Some are all for their Profits others for their Pleasures others for their Preferment and so every man as his Principle leads him But when all is done nothing is so worthy of our diligence and best endevours as is the getting of Faith Should a man gain all other things and lose this he makes a hard bargain Mat. 16. â—6 For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Should a man lose all the rest and gain this he makes a wise bargain Job 2.4 Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Now Faith is the very life of the Soul For the just shall live by his faith and therefore with all thy getting get Faith it is thy life Should a man hear of such a Medicine as would certainly preserve his life and cure all manner of Diseases whither would he not travel what would he not give to procure such a Medicine And such a Medicine is Faith commended unto us from the hand of our heavenly Physician Be of good comfort saith Christ Luke 7.50 17.19 thy faith hath saved thee and Thy faith hath healed thee Faith is a Remedy against all diseases yea suppose a faithful man dies of his disease yet his Faith is a Remedy against death it self Woe is me saith the natural man there is no friend against death But blessed be God saith the true believer for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain Phil. 1.21 The greatest of evils is turn'd into the greatest good by Faith even death it self is made advantage Who would not labour for such a Grace What should I say to raise the price of Faith in your esteem What do we esteem instead of Faith Certainly the best of men and the best of blessings are but dead things without Faith Faith puts life into a man and into all that a man enjoys Without faith men of high degree are a lie Psal 62.9 and so are all those things which make them so high Honours Profits Pleasures all these promise much O say they we 'll make thee a happy man if thou wilt set thy heart on us But they lie when they say so Jon. 2.8 They that follow after lying vanities forsake their own mercy If thou wouldst not forsake thine own mercies labour for Faith He is merciful to the purpose that is merciful to his own Soul Prov. 11.17 and that man is the most desperate Self-murtherer that is willing to live and die in his unbelief I beseech you I beseech you Friends listen to the voice of your Immortal Souls Me-thinks every man now and then should hear the voice of his precious Soul crying out in this manner Am I not the most excellent piece of Gods Workmanship And did God make me so for nothing Is not my being to continue to everlasting Do I not feel in my self the very spark of Immortality Must I not be either happy or miserable to all Eternity Is there but one means under Heaven to make me happy which is to get Faith and shall I neglect that Is this the great Work that God hath given me in charge that I should believe in him whom he hath sent Joh. 6.29 and shall I do evething else before I do this Is my life but as a day in this world and the night of death coming
on so fast wherein no man can work this great Work of God Joh. 9.4 and shall I trifle away my time and dally with Eternity and be cruel to my self where Charity should begin Shall the blood of this Immortal Soul cry out against me to all Eternity because I would not hear the cry of it in time And I pray you what 's the cry of the Soul when it is most it self O give me Christ saith the enlightned Soul or else I die Give me Faith to apply him or I am undone for ever I beseech you in this case do not stop the mouth of your Souls with Profits and Pleasures and such kinde of Trash which is not fit meat for an Immortal Soul to feed upon but labour to get that which thy Soul cries for that thou maist say Psa 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee That 's without all question there can be no comfortable life in thy Soul till there be Faith in the Soul without Faith thou art but a dead man and all thy works no better than dead works for The just shall live by his faith O consider it friends in time if you get Faith you are made for ever if you live and die without it you have undone your selves to all Eternity The Heathen wondred to see how much one man excell'd another It 's most true in regard of Faith How much doth a Believer excel an Unbeliever When God weighs men in the Balance he weighs their Spirits Prov. 16.2 and when he weighs their Spirits he ponders how much Faith is in their Spirits O woman great is thy faith great is thy Faith in me and so great is my esteem of thee Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15.28 If you can say Such a man is a Believer in sincerity you say all that can be said What is of worth or what is of true price in all the world The excellencies of believing but you may finde it in a true Believer To instance in some Particulars 1. Do we prize Strength If you speak of strength 1. Strength Job 9.19 he is strong indeed as Job saith for he is clothed with the strength of God As a Prince he hath a power with God and with men to prevail in his undertakings Gen. 32.28 The actings of Gods Power towards us are answerable to the actings of our Faith towards him Mat. 9.29 According to your faith be it unto you saith Christ when he was about to open the eyes of the blinde men Faithful men are wonder-working men in the world these are the people that do the great exploits as Daniel speaks Look into Heb. 11. there you shall see a Catalogue of their famous atchievements By Faith Abel and Noah and Abraham and the rest of those renowned Worthies did thus and thus The greatest Exploits of the most daring Heathens are but empty vapours to these O beloved there is a kinde of Omnipotency in Faith Mark 9.23 All things are possible to him that believeth because faith in the promise beleeving the truth of God it also sets the power of God on work in way of providence It engageth God accordinge to his promife to take part with a weake beleeving Creature and so it doth things above created strength in the power of God As that witty childe sometimes said he could rule all Athens for saith he I can rule my Mother and my Mother can rule my Father and my Father can rule Athens So Faith can go as far as the Promises and the Promise can go as far as we can ask or think and farther too and that 's as much as is any ways needful for the good of the Church or of any particular Member thereof in any condition they can be cast into And what can we desire more than to have whatever we desire that may be for Gods glory or our own good And hence it is that Faith is so powerful in Prayers for the obtaining of good and for the removing of evil and for the subduing of enemies Men that are strong in the Faith are mighty in Prayer The Prayer of Faith draws near with holy boldness to the Throne of Grace Ephes 3.12 And it will have no nay Let me go saith God I will not let you go saith Faith except you bless me Gen. 32.26 It is a marvellous large Promise that Christ makes to a believing Prayer Mark 11.24 What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them We reade of Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.15 that he made strong Towers and upon those Towers he planted Engines invented by cunning men to shoot Arrows and great stones upon his enemies And thus the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower Prov. 18.10 Faith is like a mighty Engine planted upon the top of this Tower which laying hold of the Promise of God sends forth such a volley of shot such a volley of Prayers that it fires the power of God against the enemies and discomfits mighty Armies The Devil himself cannot stand before a Prayer of Faith Whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will fly from you And although we have that within us that is worse than the Devil our own corruptions for all the Devils in Hell could not hurt us had they not intelligence from and compliance with our own corrupt and deceitful hearts within us yet even those strong corruptions of ours like the mighty walls of Jericho shall fall down by degrees before the Prayer of Faith Hebrews 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they were compassed about seven days And what if in stead of so many days it proves so many years or so many weeks of years yet down they shall as sure as God hath spoken it if we can but believe it Mic. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities Corruption is not so strong to resist Faith but Faith is stronger for the subduing of Corruption If you speak of strength a true Believer is strong indeed he triumphs over Sin over Satan over the World This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1 Joh. 5 4. In a word Tantum possumus quantum credimus The Christian can do as much as he can believe upon good grounds Rom. 8.37 He is more than a Conqueror through Faith in Christ Jesus Whereas an unbeliever is a poor weak creature Ezek. 16.30 How weak is thy heart saith God to Jerusalem in the state of her Apostacy and Unbelief Unbelief cuts the very sinews of the Soul it enervates the strongest Arm of created strength nay it weakens the Arm of Christ himself It is a strange passage that you reade Mark 6.5 6. He could there do no mighty work because of their unbelief As unbelief binds our hands from doing service to Christ so unbelief binds Christs hands from
these Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Perfect Vision perfect Transformation In the mean time so much as we see of God so much we shall desire to be like him Joh. 15.3 Now are ye clean c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having such Promises Let us cleanse c. 2 In the Birth 2. In the Birth The Birth of Presumption is very easie and speedy Presumptuous persons think it is the easiest matter in the world to Believe they meet with no opposition either from their own hearts or from Satan A sign 't is no good Faith when the Divel is so good a friend to it But the Birth of true Faith is very difficult it meets with many Pangs of unbelief from Satan and from the flesh for even in this as well as in other graces The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 I confesse He is an unwise child that staies long in the place of bringing forth children Hos 13.13 Yet some pain there is in Self-denial Thirdly they may be differenced by their Growth 3. In the growth Presumption is a Monster it is born as big and as tall as ever it will be like Jonah's Gourd it springs up in a night and it withers as soon as the Sun of affliction and persecution beats hot upon it But true Faith grows up by degrees like the grain of Mustard-seed the new Creature is a Babe in faith before he becomes a strong man The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 Some say they are as much assured at the first as ever they shall be their faith is as strong as ever it will be but let them take heed in the mean time they do not presume in stead of believing for true faith is of a growing nature Fourthly 4. In the fruit They may be differenced by their Issue and Fruits It may be said of the Presumptuous as Deut. 32.32 Their vine is the vine of Sodom their clusters are bitter The fruit of Presumption is carelesness in the use of the means of Grace Tush saith the Presumptuous person what need we hear so much and reade so much and pray so much away with Duties The fruit of true Faith is carefulness herein I believed 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore have I spoken therefore have I heard therefore have I read therefore have I prayed c. The fruit of Presumption is Licentious liberty to sin against God Tush saith the Presumptuous person Christ died for sinners what need we care let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Ver. 18. The fruit of true faith is a holy liberty to serve God and a holy fear to sin against God Be not deceived saith Faith neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 And thus you see there is that maketh himself rich in faith when he is poor and this is a great Impediment to the obtaining of faith and therefore we must labour to remove it Impediments of faith in the second branch of false supposition And secondly There is that maketh himself poor when he is rich There may be a supposition that we have not faith when we have it and this will hinder both the actings and increasings of our faith Some are afraid they have no faith at all because they have not the highest degree of faith which is full Assurance or because they want the comfort which others attain to 1 Pet. 1.8 even joy unspeakable and full of glory Cure But for the removing of this Impediment and for the rolling of this stone out of the way we must remember there are several degrees of faith as we have already proved therefore 't is possible thou maist have faith though thou hast not the highest degree of faith and so joy of the Spirit that 's rather a fruit of faith than faith it self It is indeed Note to speak properly rather a living by sense than a living by faith when we are cheered up with continual Cordials Such a life is more like heaven than earth where faith shall cease A stronger faith is required to live upon God without comfort than when God shines in upon our Spirits with abundance of joy It s nothing for the Childe to believe the Mother loveth it whilst she sets it upon the knee kisseth it and feeds it with sweet meats but to see the Mother love through the twigs of the Rod and through all the clouds of her frownings and hidings this argues no small strength of love and of natural affection in the Childe I know your thoughts out-run me in the Application so that there may be strong faith where there is little comfort Therefore let every man prove his faith that he may not be to seek in the acting of it And so much for the several Impediments of Faith and the way to remove them From whence we may deduce these Corollaries or Conclusions Corollaries First there is no Faith without a great deal of opposition Opposition from Self opposition from Satan opposition from World opposition from professed Enemies opposition from Friends A mans enemies shall be those of his own house these shall oppose him these shall judge him not onely for his outward actions of Faith but for the very intentions of his heart in the exercise of Faith as Davids brethren said unto him I know the pride of thy heart this is nothing but a spice of vain glory and ostentation Paul was opposed in the preaching of Faith and in the practice of Faith and no way in the world left to apologize for himself but to appeal to the Searcher of hearts 1 Cor 4.3 With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement c. But thus true faith meets with opposition both from those without and from those within the Church True faith in the saving knowledge of the Son of God is as the very door and entrance into Gods Kingdom but you must look to meet with opposition at the very threshold Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up c. The Lord grant none of us may be found amongst the number of opposers making sad the hearts of those God would not have made sad but rather be found helpers of one anothers faith For all is little enough in regard of the opposition we shall meet withall from without Secondly it is no easie matter to believe all things are easie to him that believeth but it is no easie matter to believe Thirdly The exceeding greatness of Gods power is seen in all them that do believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Eph. 1.19 20. No wonder so few believe 't is a Miracle of Mercy that there are so many Fourthly He that
findes the sweetness of it should desire to communicate this life to others and to endevour that they also may live by it as well as himself If the Life of Faith be such an excellent Life who would not labour to convert others to the Faith Me-thinks I hear God by his Spirit speaking to the Soul of each faithful man Behold thou art converted thy self Hast thou here any besides as the Angel said to Lot Gen. 19 12. Son in law and thy sons and thy daughters that are still in Sodom still in the state of Nature O bring them out of this condition that they may learn to live by Faith also as well as thy self This is indeed the great Work of the Ministers and ought to be the endevour of every private Christian in their private Admonitions and Exhortations to convert others to the Faith Dost thou desire thy Children thy Friends thy Neighbours may live comfortably as well as thy self O labour to convert them to the Faith and labour that they may live by Faith when they are converted There 's no Life under heaven to be compared with this Life But to press home farther and more effectually what I intend in this Point I shall refer most of that I have to say to that notable place in Daniel which I shall adde as an Appendex to this Subject of Faith AN APPENDIX Concerning The Converting of others TO THE FAITH They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever WHere the Prophet Daniel foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People from the beginning of the World which some understand of the great Persecution under Antiochus Epïphanes and others of the last and great Persecution under Antichrist and others understand it of both and indeed the first was a Type of the latter I say the Prophet foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People he foretels also as was needful for their support at such a time the greatest comforts and encouragements that could be First in the very time of their troubles And secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles First in the time of their troubles and that is in the glorious appearance and assistance of the great General of the Field the Lord Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant pleading the Cause and fighting the Battels of his Servants Here 's the comfort though there be no troubles like their troubles yet there is no Saviour like their Saviour ver 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation Secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles As no troubles like their troubles so no deliverance like their deliverance Which is set forth 1. In the glorious Resurrection of all the faithful to life Eternal in these words viz. And at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book and many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life 2. In the special glory that is promised to those that lay forth themselves in a special work viz. in the Conversion of others to the Faith v. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Explication They that be wise Some reade it that make others wise or cause them to understand So They that turn many unto righteousness i. e. they that turn men to the righteousness of faith as Interpreters do expound it they that are instruments of others Conversion they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever As if the Prophet had said 'T is possible the rage of Antichrist in the night of Persecution may burn hottest of all against the Teachers of the Word and such as draw others to the knowledge of Christ because they stand as it were in the fore-front of the Battel yet let them be no whit discouraged for as the stars shine brightest in the darkest night so shall they shine that are called Stars Rev. 1.20 and all such as labour in Conversion of others they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever You may behold in the words 1. The Description and Commendation of the most excellent Work 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward and the latter set down as an encouragement to the former 1. The Description of the most excellent Work They that turn many unto righteousness 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward They shall shine As the Firmament As the Stars for ever and ever Take the result of both in this one Proposition The turning of men unto Righteousness Doctr. or the Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward They that be wise c. I. Branch 'T is an excellent Work 1. The turning of men unto Righteousness the Conversion of Souls to God is the most excellent Work It is an excellent Work indeed by Prayer and other means to heal a sick body Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Yea but it is a far more excellent Work to heal a sick and sinful Soul ver 19. Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins This is an excellent Work indeed and it is that excellent Work that was so much in Davids eye he was marvellous earnest with God to help him in the work of his own Conversion or in the renewal of his Repentance and why so that he might be the better fitted to convert others to God Psal 51.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee This was the great and noble design of David the Conversion of Souls He desired though he could not make God amends yet to take a holy Revenge upon Satan by drawing Subjects from him to God And indeed it appears to be a most excellent Work in many respects For Reas 1 First it is a difficult Work and all excellent things are difficult It is a difficult work It s an easie matter to damn a Soul Facilis descensus averni We go down the hill and so down to Hell fast enough but it 's the hardest matter in the world to save a Soul Psal 22.29 'T is too hard for a man to convert himself No man can keep alive or quicken his own Soul 'T is too hard for a man by his own power to convert another 't is too hard for the Parent
a respect and honour due to all those that labour in the Conversion of Souls as private Christians by their private Admonitions Exhortations Counsels Prayers c. wherein they may be singularly helpful to the Ministers of God But principally this is due to those whose peculiar work and calling it is to convert Souls to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thess 4 8. Vse 2 Vse 2. of Reproof Reproof of Secondly this Reproves many If the Conversion of Souls be such an excellent Work then it Reproves 1 Them that slight this work First Such as slight this Work and make no account of it as if it were not worth the while to Convert Souls 1 Sort. 1. Such as Cloister up themselves in a solitary Monastical life as a state of greater perfection Though they profess the Faith yet they bring forth little fruits of it they are all for Contemplation little for Action all for themselves little for others in the propagation of the Faith Let others sink or swim all 's one to them So they may save their own Souls they care little what becomes of others Gen. 4. But this is not the voice of Faith to say Am I my Brothers keeper 2 Sort. 2. Such are to blame who though they have many opportunities in regard of their frequent converse with men yet they take not those advantages to win Souls They can compass Sea and Land and take all possible advantages to win Proselytes and to win disciples to themselves to win men to their Opinions but not to win them to the Faith to win wealth and to win friends and to win credit and honour but not to win Souls How many of these whilst they seem to lay siege against a sinner make use onely of such carnal weapons of humane Eloquence and fleshly Wisdom whereby they take onely the out-works of mens fancies to win them to themselves but never use such weapons as strike to the heart and conscience and are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.2 to the pulling down of strong holds and to the taking of the Castle of their Hearts to win them to Jesus Christ All that labour is but vain that tends not to the Conversion of Souls Secondly 2. Them that strive not to win Souls by such means as God hath appointed it Reproves such as strive not to win others to the Faith by fair means or by such means as God hath appointed Gen. 9.27 but force them to the Faith by fear and terror Indeed they rather force them from the Faith than to the Faith Fides non cogitur Faith cannot be forced when we have done all we can Fire and Faggot are Arguments from Rome and Argumets from Hell rather than from Heaven To devote Hereticks as They call them to destruction because they believe not is an argument of a strange spirit You read Luk. 9.54 because the Samaritans would not receive Jesus Christ presently the Disciples James and John were fire and towe against them nothing will serve their turn but that fire must immediately come down from heaven to consume them But in stead of incouragement they meet with a check from Christ ver 55. But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Certainly they are of strange spirits that would send men quick to Hell because they will not be perswaded to go in their way to heaven But this is the way to destroy Souls and not to save them 3. Them that neglect this duty Thirdly It Reproves such as do utterly neglect this great duty of winning Souls unto God And surely if they are wise that labour to win Souls they must needs be fools that do wittingly and willingly neglect it And yet many such there are in the world such as never speak a word from one end of the year to another to their Neighbors or to their Friends nay hardly to their Children Servants or Yoke-fellows to draw their Souls to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ O cruel Husbands and cruel Fathers may such Wives and such Children say as Zipporah said to Moses A bloody husband hast thou been to me And surely if he that hath power to save a man from temporal death and doth not is no better than a murtherer Then he that for ought be knows might save a man from Spiritual and Eternal death and doth not use the means in the compass of his Calling he is no better than a Soul-murtherer in the sight of God His blood says God will I require at thy hands thy life shall go for his life and thy soul for his soul Ezek. 33.7 8. 4. Them that pervert from the Faith Fourthly and lastly Much more then are they to be Reproved who are so far from converting others to the Faith that they do what they can to pervert them In stead of drawing others to God they drive them from God and if they draw them any ways they draw them farther into sin Such men as they do the very office of the Devil himself Look as those that win Souls to God are fellow-workers with God so those that destroy Souls are no better than fellow-workers with the Devil they are Tempters under him and act the Devils part Prov. 1.11 Come say they let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without a cause c. Cast in thy lot among us and let us all have one purse Such men as these think it not enough to be Thieves and Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and Contemners of Gods Ordinances themselves but do what they can to draw others to the same sins and to make them sevenfold more the children of Satan than themselves What are your own sins too light that you do thus cry for more weight not to ease your pain but to increase it for such as are partakers of other mens sins shall certainly be partakers of other mens judgements Rev. 18.4 Oh! that there should be such an itch in this Spiritual Plague-sore to infect others to make them as sinful and as miserable as themselves O hear and fear and tremble thou that makest it thy work to tempt others so sin against God For if they shall not escape that have not furthered the Salvation of others where shalt thou appear that hast furthered the damnation of others and sent them post to Hell I say where shalt thou appear unless thou repent and be deeply humbled for this thy superlative wickedness And surely if ever thou dost repent thou wilt be ready to admonish thy fellow-Drunkard or Adulterer or Blasphemer that they may become partners with thee in thy Repentance that have been partners with thee in thy sin The
and also for the opening of the heart by working upon the affections Vse 5 Vse 5. Exhortation to the People To People twofold 1. To be willing to be wrought upon and to be converted 2. To be willing to attend upon such means as is most proper for the effecting of that great Work 1. To be willing to be wrought upon First To be willing to be wrought upon and to be converted For if it be such an excellent thing to be an Instrument of others Conversion then it must needs be excellent to be converted O remember the vast difference betwixt a man in the state of Nature and in the state of Grace betwixt a man converted and unconverted O remember whilst you are unconverted you are in a state of Darkness Enmity Death But when once converted in a state of Light Peace Life Motives 1. When ye are unconverted ye are in a state of Darkness Eph. 5.8 Once darkness c. 1. Darkness of Ignorance Ephes 4.18 Alas they know nothing 1. Of themselves and their miserable condition by nature Rev 3.17 I counsel thee to buy of me eye-salve c. 2. Of Christ in a Soul-saving way Ephes 2.12 Without Christ c. 2. Darkness of Sorrow at least when unconverted persons lie down in the Grave Isa 50. last They shall lie down in sorrow 2. In a state of Enmity Ephes 2.3 Children of wrath as well as others Joh. 3.36 God is an enemy to unbelievers and to be sure they are enemies to God Rom. 8.6 7. The carnal minde is enmity against God c. O what a dangerous condition this is It were better to have all the world enemies to us than God Remember what God saith Ezek. 22.14 Can thy heart endure or thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee 3. In a state of Death Ephes 2.1 Dead in sin and liable to death for sin to a first death and a second death and this of all terribles is the most terrible But secondly when once converted thou art in a state of Light Peace Life Mal. 4.2 1. In a state of Light Ephes 5 8. Ye were once darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. The Sun of righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings Healing the darkness of Ignorance Sorrow True Light and Heat come both together 2. In a state of Peace Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God It is better to have God to be our friend than to have all the world beside 3. In a state of Life Luke 15. last This thy brother was dead and is alive And thus the just lives by his Faith the most excellent life that can be desired Therefore come in and be willing to be wrought upon c. Obj. If you shall say as they in Jeremy There is no hope I am so great a sinner God will never shew mercy to me It were presumption for me to offer to lay hold on the Promise Answ Look to the Pattern of great sinners converted on purpose to incourage others to come in to Christ Did Manasses or Mary Magdalen or Paul presume when they did believe 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer a persecutor injurious c. and v. 16. How be it for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe Onely be humbled for thy sins and accept of Christs Righteousness go not about to establish thine own Rom. 10.3 Remember As no man is accepted for his own Righteousness but Christs So no man is rejected for his own unrighteousness but for his final impenitency and unbelief Therefore be perswaded to come in Accept of mercy while God offers mercy Do not draw back when God is drawing of you I hope you have some good thoughts Act. 26. some good desires in your hearts You are almost perswaded O be not onely almost but altogether Perhaps some of you are even upon the very pangs of the New-birth O let not Spiritual difficulties cause you to draw back as Ephraim did Hos 13.13 O strive O pray The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence O be earnest with God and bemoan your backwardness Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephaim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. Pray God to open the everlasting doors c. Psal 24 ult O yield to God when he perswadeth when he beseecheth When Christ and Satan are Suitors and Competitors do not put off Christ and yield to Satan Be not cruel to your own flesh and enemies to your own Souls Remember how you rejoyce Angels The Churches Christ himself Your own Hearts Therefore be perswaded c. Secondly 2. To be willing to attend upon such means as are proper Be willing to attend upon such means as are most proper for the effecting of that great Work To attend upon a Soul-saving Ministery God complains by the Prophet Jeremy that as the false Prophets did Prophecy smooth things and false things so his People did love to have it so Jer. 5 last That same Athenian itch in the people to hear some new strange thing Act. 17. doth too often draw forth an Athenian scratch from the speaker to tell what they so much desire to hear Act. 17.21 But 't is wisdom in both to be conversant in the pattern of wholesom words To give and receive that Spiritual food which may not so much please the palate as nourish the person to Life Eternal Doubtless he preaches best and he hears best that preaches and hears to the Salvation of the Soul Many thousand Souls in heaven shall bless God for ever for the plain and powerful preaching of the Word And many thousand Souls in hell shall complain to all Eternity that their hurt was soon healed and skinned over with silken language and soft words as the Prophet Jeremy speaks Vse 6 Vse 6. Of Thankfulness Of Thankfulness Of Thankfulness in case 1. We our selves are converted 2. If any by us or by our means be converted 1. If we be converted our selves First if the conversion of Souls be such an excellent Work Be thankful if we our selves be converted 1 Tim. 1.13 17. Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever This shout of Praise follows upon the acknowledgement of Pauls Conversion and it were easie to shew how those Attributes have an influence on Conversion Eternity is little enough to praise God for such a Mercy Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce not in this that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in heaven Psal 33.34 Sing unto him a new song play skilfully with a loud noise for the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth This for
faith For as we must rejoyce in God when we have no Creature-comforts as Hab. chap 3.17 so when we have all manner of Creature-comforts We are by faith to set loose from the world when we have most of it as a passenger that stayes but for a fair wind and then he is willing to let loose from the shore and hoyse up sail into the Main if God give a fair call willing to leave all as Job chap 2. and those Christians Heb. 10.34 that suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods or the faithful Priests and Levites that left their suburbs and possessessions to go to Jerusalem from the Idolatry of Jeroboam 2 Chron. 11.13 14. The natural man when he hath abundance sayes he hath something to trust to Soul eat drink aad be merry thou hast much good laid up for many years c. as the rich fool Luke 12. 'T is dangerous to live upon the creature For Jer. 17.5 Cursed be that man that maketh flesh his arm c. Vse By the way let this Reprove all those that live not by faith in prosperity whether in getting or using or parting with it We think we stand in much need of faith in adversity to live in troubles but never think how we may live by it in prosperity whereas indeed this is the harder of the two There is danger in both supposing our vile and corrupt nature and therefore it was a holy prayer of an holy man Prov. 30. to have neither poverty nor riches But there is most danger in prosperity It hath slain its ten thousands as was said of David in the Song The prosperity of fools slayes them Prov 1. last Whereas adversity sometimes saves them So David Psal 119 It was good for me that I was afflicted Periissem nisi periissem as he said Therefore you have the need of faith in prosperity so pressed Deut. 8.10 11 When thou art full take heed c. Vse 2. It were good also hence to examine our selves whether we live by faith by considering what we do about our prosperity according to the Particulars spoken of in getting using and being willing to part with our Estates But so much for the first Adjunct of Time viz. Prosperity Now let us see how a believer lives by faith in Adversity Things adverse fall out either 1. In time of Life 2. Faith in time of adversity or 2. In Death He lives by Faith in respect to either First in time of Life I Branch In Life And this is principally meant here where this great Oracle of our Faith or living by faith is delivered The people being in great distress by means of Babylon the Prophet upon his Watch-tower expostulates the case with God God answers He will deliver them but not yet The vision is for an appointed time Obj. But how shall they be able to subsist in the mean time A. The Lord by the Prophet answers That the proud person will scorn to to wait upon the Lord so long His soul that is lifted up and withdraws it self to false refuges yea But the just shall live by his faith in these evil times and in the midst of greatest discouragements For the further clearing of this we shall let see 1. That it is so The just does then live by his faith 2. In what things living by faith then consists 3. In what manner he does it 4. By what means and then apply it Quaer 1 First That the just does live by faith in the Adversity which happens in this life we have the example of Paul Gal. 2.20 Though the Apostle was crucified with Christ i.e. partaker of his sufferings Nevertheless I live sayes he he is also partaker of the life of Christ Moses Heb. 11. â—4 25. by faith chose afflictions rather than the pleasure of sin David 1 Sam. 30.6 under heavy affliction and adversity comforted himself in his God See for all Psal 119.50 This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me Quaer 2 Secondly In what things he lives by Faith in Adversity Ans 1. In relation to inward troubles Ans 1. In relation to inward Troubles he lives by faith under Corruptions Tentations Desertions 1. Instance of the life of faith under Corruptions you have in the Church Mic. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea And in Paul Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am c. yet I thank my God through Jesus Christ my Lord. He puts up head from under water as it were 2. For Faith under Temptations see 1 Pet. 5.8 Whom ie Satan resist stedfast in the faith Fairh can resist him Besides faith sees the devil chain'd up 2 Pet. 2.4 that he cannot tempt whom when how far how long he willeth Clear instance in Job's case Chap. 1.10 3. Under Desertions also For though Communion with God may be debarr'd for a time yet Vnion is unchangable Heb. 13.5 6. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper c. And that 1. On Gods part Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Therefore he that sits in darkness and sees no light as it is Isa 50. last hath encouragement to trust in the Name of the Lord. See how David stayes his heart in this case Psal 42.5 Why art thou sad O my soul put thy trust in God I shall yet praise him c. 2. The Union is unchangeable on our parts too For God hath promised Jer. 32.40 to put his fear in our hearts that we shall not depart from him as he will not from us Wherefore the Apostle sayes 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God cannot sin i.e. utterly because the seed of God remaineth in him 3. On the enemies part also as to any thing they can do to break it Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or famine or nakedness or peril or sword c. 2. In relation to outward Troubles 2. In outward troubles he lives the life of faith both in respect of the Troubles themselves and the effects of those troubles The troubles themselves may be considered 1. As in the Body And here are sicknesses and infirmities In these he lives by faith as acknowledging them the effect of his sin Lam 3.39 40 and therefore is stirred up to search and try his wayes and then with David to cry to the Lord for healing Psal 41.4 Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee The touch of faith can heal The prayer of Faith and Hezekiah Isa 38. The prayer of faith saves the sick Jam 5. 2. Or in the Estate and here are losses and crosses and wants Faith in the loss of goods apprehends a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34
In the loss of Friends Faith sayes Yet my God lives if a Husband Yet my Husband Christ lives if a Father Yet the faithful can say Our Father which art Heaven if Children David you see could comfort himself in the loss of his Childe 2 Sam. 12.23 Obj. Obj. Yea and so could I if I were assured of their good estate Ans Ans However thou mayest have comfort by vertue of these general promises Psal 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant And Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to those that fear God 3. In Name and here are reproaches lies slanders c. You have a large instance of faith bearing up against such evils Heb. 10.33 35 36 37 38. 4 In Doubtful actions Here faith hath a promise Psal 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord and he shall bring thy desire to pass 5. Or in Opposition of Enemies whether 1. Wicked men Psal 3.6 Or 2. Satan 1 Pet 5.8 Or 3. The World 1 Joh. 5.4 6. Lastly troubles may arise from the Displeasure of Friends Faith also overcomes these Jacob's faith his Brother Esau's anger Gen. 32. Moses faith the wrath of Pharaoh Heb. 11.27 Daniels faith made him fearless of the Kings Decree Dan. 6.10 So for the Troubles themselves 2. The just lives by faith also in the effects of outward Troubles and that either 1. In themselves whence arises Passion or 2. Towards others whence arises Compassion Faith in Passions First he lives by faith in those disquieting Passions and affections which outward troubles stirre up in the soul which are especially three Fear Sorrow Care Fear is stirred up from the apprehension of imminent evils Sorrow from the feeling of present evils and Care from both viz. to prevent if the evils be imminent to bear or remove if present Now a Christian lives by faith in all these Ans 1. Of Fear 1. In his Fears Fear is a strong Passion it makes sometimes the very life hang in suspense See Deut. 28.66 Peter on the water cryes out for fear Save Master I perish Now What time I am afraid sayes David I will trust in thee Psal 56.3 So Jehosaphats fear drove him to God 2 Chron. 20. He feared and proclaimed a fast and cryed Lord we know not what to do but our eyes are up unto thee Obj. But this may be the case of David and Jehosaphat onely and such eminent Saints No for 't is said of any faithful man Psal 112. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings How so his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Whereas a carnal man sometimes he is killed with the very fear Dan. 5. as Belshazzar his fear strikes him to the very heart at first But a believer presently looks at both Command and Promise Isa 8.12 13. Fear ye not their fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord in your heart let him be your fear and your dread and he shall be for a Sanctuary c. 2. Of Sorrow 2. In Sorrows Though a believer puts not off natural affection yet he does not sorrow as those without faith without hope 1 Thess 4.13 But according to that of the Apostle in another place 2 Cor. 6.10 He is as sorrowful yet alwayes reioycing Rejoycing in hope Rom. 5.2 even before the evil be removed ver 3. We glory in tribulations c. 3. In Cares Whereas a carnal man is eaten up of cares 3. Of Care cares choak the seed of the Word in him Faith teacheth a Christian to cast all his cares upon God 1 Pet. 5.7 viz 1. By looking to the Promise Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. By making his request known Phil 4 6. 3. By doing his duty and leaving the success to God Psal 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord he shall do it What is begun in his strength trust him with the end and issue 4. In making God his portion in want of all things Psal 16.2 O my soul thou hast said to the Lord Thou art my Lord. See there how a believing soul acts faith in the worst hours even when the grave and hell is apprehended ibid. v. 9 10. Yet then O my soul though hast said unto the Lord Thou art my portion My good extends not unto thee yea but thy goodness extends to me Mark my goodness extends not to thee if I had all the world For magis and minus make no difference Yea but thy goodness extends to me if I had nothing in the world There is virtually in God whatsoever is in all Creatures So that God can nourish without meat as well as with it warm without clothes c. Therefore God is a sufficient portion of himself And faith believing this can chearfully embrace Christ and Reproach Christ and a Prison Christ and Poverty Christ and Death Thus the soul lives by faith in adversity as having nothing 2 Cor. 6. and yet possessing all things Secondly Faith in Compassions He lives by faith in the effect of our own trouble towards others and that is Compassion Faith tells us this is one main end of our sufferings that we may pity others 1. In Soul straits One that knows what belongs to a wounded Spirit cannot but pity Pro. 18.14 Other infirmities a mans own Spirit can sustain but a wounded Spirit who can bear 'T is a true saying besides reading meditation and prayer Temptation makes a good Divine Therefore such an one is set out as meetly qualified for a High Priest who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity Heb. 5.2 And also 2. In outward troubles as sickness poverty banishment and the like One that hath been in them knows the better to pity others Exod. 23.9 Ye know the heart of a stranger seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt 2 Cor. 1.4 We are comforted in our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Quest How does the just live by faith in point of Compassion Ans Divers wayes 1. In observing the Precept unto it 1 Pet. 3.8 Have compassion one of another love as brethren be pitiful be courteous 2. In heeding the threatning of judgement without mercy Jam. 2.10 to them that shew no mercy 3. In eying the Promise Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy And Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will repay him again And saith Christ With the same measure that you mete shall it be measured to you again c. Luke 6.38 * And here I cannot but give you of this place thanks for your liberality to the poor the stranger the fatherless and widows for the many bowels refreshed by you c. And