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
up from his dead condition c. Verse the last 2. It puts his Soul into a mourning confessing frame v. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee 3. It subdues his heart to lay down all Opposition and to take any course for his living v. 19. make me as one of thy hired servants Observe he uttered not so much as he intended his Father prevented him with his mercy as Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 4. It fixeth his heart upon his Fathers mercy not upon his own merit Faith tells him Though thou hast forgotten the duty of a Son thy Father hath not forgot the bowels of a Father The word Father runs much in his minde I will go to my Father c. Here now a Spirit of Adoption begins to work whereby he cryes Abba Father O dear Father Father I have sinned against heaven c. But yet thou art my Father This is the last act of justifying Faith by which the Soul is put into a child-like condition and fit to receive a childes portion of God All is of his free grace Jer. 3.19 And I said How shall I put thee among the children Thou shalt call me My Father c. Thus the just lives by Faith in the work of Justification Vid. Cotton p. 14. D. Downame ☜ Faith in the Renewing of justification in the Conscience of the sinner 2. For the Continuance and Renewing of Justification ☞ The just lives by Faith daily as well as at the first day that he believed So Abraham Rom. 4.3 4. He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness which is cited out of Gen. 15.6 and so it appears to be after such time as he was in Covenant with God and in the state of Grace Yet still his Justification is continued by a renewed act of Faith and so David sues out his Justification by a renewed act of Faith and Prayer Psal 51. though he were justified before And therefore Christians are much to blame who after they have once believed in God for Justification do not labour to renew this act from day to day and thence comes flatness in Spirit and deadness in Duties when we see not a daily need of going out of our selves into Christ And surely if Christ applies his own sacrifice daily to us by intercession with his Father Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us Why should not we apply it daily by Faith and Prayer that God for Christs sake may forgive us our daily trespasses as we are taught to pray And this is to live by faith in a continued act of Justification Therefore it is put not in the Present Tense but in the Future it is not here doth but he shall live by his Faith that is as long as he lives Take heed the blood of Christ run not cold in the veins of Faith that you trust not more to grace received than to the fountain of grace and pardon in Christ The truth is our best duties stand in need of pardon and our best graces of quickning and nothing will quicken us more than the assurance of our Justification And therefore though a mans spirit be without guile and he knows nothing by himself he allows himself in no known evil yet even at such a time 1 Cor. 4. he is not thereby justified but then he must fly to Christ for Justification and say Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven c. Psal 32.1 2. Faith in the assurance of being justified 3. For the Assurance of the Act the just lives by Faith 1. In moving a man to desire more Faith 2. In using and embracing such Means by which we come to Assurance 3. In the Tryal of Assurance 4. In Anâ—wering all such Objections and Doubts which do cloud and darken this Assurance 5. In Expectation of Assurance First In moving a man to desire more Faith In Motives to Assurance The reason is 1. Because true Faith if but as a grain of Mustard-seed moves man to desire more Faith Luke 17.5 Lord encrease our faith Mark 9.24 Lord help my unbelief And never rests rising higher and higher till it comes to full Assurance Therefore lazy faith is false faith that saith I cast my self on God and there 's an end I never desire more so I can but rub out c. This is a sign it is not true The just lives by Faith for the encrease till assured and true Faith suggests Motives to perswade us to seeke after full Assurance Quest What are those Motives Ans 1. 1 Motive Gods Commandment which Faith looks at as to believe 1 John 3.23 And this is the Commandment We should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ So to be assured 2 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Both 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God 2. Because it 's the End why the Scriptures were written yea the end of the Seals 1. Publike the Sacraments 2. Privy the Spirit witnessing Therefore saith Faith Receive not the grace of God in vain There are many deceived Micah 3.7 Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Mat. 7. 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 3. A difficili that which would discourage another doth encourage a faithâ—ul man the more because many objections and temptations therefore strive Tu ne cede malis The kingdom of heaven suffers violence c. 4. A possibili Both are objects of Christian fortitude Example Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer lives c. Paul Rom 8. For I am perswaded neither death nor life nor angels c. Steven saw heaven opened Acts 6. 5. A necessario not ad esse but bene esse as health and vigour to the well-being of natural life 3 Joh. 2. I wish thou mayest prosper and be in health as thy soul prospereth Health comprehends life aliquid amplius so Assurance Faith and the joy of Faith Faith may be without Assurance but no true Assurance without Faith 6. Ab utili strong Faith is able to do that which weak Faith cannot as a strong man can work under a burthen though both receive Christ Nothing shall be impossible to you Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Luther said Domine fiat voluntas mea Lord let my will be done Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength 7. A decoro or ab honorifico for 1. This brings more
of my making but of Gods prescribing T is Laetificans-Christi Faith 1. Then Labour for Faith and the increase of it It 's the very Doctrine now in hand The just man lives by Faith the life of Consolation Let us keep our Faith then and it will keep our Joy Let us increase our Faith and it will increase our Joy For Faith as it is the Mother so it s the Nurse also of Joy as it breeds it and brings it forth so it feeds and maintains it till it comes to a perfect age in Christ so that as the Just goes on from Faith to Faith so he goes from Joy to Joy till he comes into heaven it self As his Faith grows stronger so his Joy is sweeter All fruits the nearer to maturity the sweeter they are and so is the fruit of Faith in Spiritual Joy it s sweeter in the ear then in the blade Exercise Faith therefore every Day as thou desirest abiding and increasing Comforts Wouldst thou have the warmth of Spiritual joy abiding in thy heart and that holy fire never to go out Actings of faith for the increasing spiritual joy Be sure then to blow up the Gift of Faith by daily Exercise Qu. But how shall I make use of my Faith to the best Increase of my Joy 1. On the right object Ans 1. Remeber what was said in the Reasons Be sure to lay hold on the right Object of Consolation God himself and the Ordinances of God with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Live the Life of Justification and Sanctification and thou shalt not fail to live the Life of Consolation whereas otherwise there can be comfort no more than fruit upon a Tree without a Root 2. Act thy Faith in Prayer Pray 2. In Prayer that your joy may be full Joh. 16 24. If joy be not worth asking 't is worth nothing No wonder some have so little comfort they pray so little Ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 Thou hast it may be praid for Grace not for Comfort Learn now of David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce as if David had said Lord I have had thy Messenger the Prophet Nathan speaking peace to me for that 's the Title of the Psalm and saying The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die But Oh let me hear thy Spirit say so too or else my heart cannot rejoyce As I have heard therefore a comfortable message from thy Minister let me hear the same also from thy Spirit Make thou me to hear joy and gladness If all the Ministers in the world should preach peace to a penitent Soul as they have cause though it be in a safe yet it cannot be in a comfortable condition till God by his Spirit speak peace also Q. To what purpose then should we attend upon the Ministery of the Word A. Because though the Ministery cannot do it without the Spirit yet the Spirit delights to work in the Ministery of the Word or soon after When the Spouse in the Canticles wanting comfort inquired of the Watchmen it was but a little while ere she found him whom her soul loved Cant. 3.3 4. Q. But why doth not the Soul finde comfort in every Ordinance at all times A. There may be many causes Among the rest this may be one Lest we should ascribe so much to the Ordinance or to the Instrument dispensing it as to neglect looking up by Prayer to the God of the Ordinance whereas when we experience the best Ordinance sometimes empty and the best Instrument without the Spirit a miserable comforter This will quicken us to look above both to God himself saying We will use both but we will lift up our soul to God alone Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 86.4 and elsewhere Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation That 's the second Means to act faith for Comfort in Prayer Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. In crucifying worldly joy 3. Act Faith in the Crucifying of worldly and Carnal joys if you would profess Spiritual and Heavenly For the first of these do exceedingly quench the latter as water doth fire so that as in the strife of fire and water if heavenly joys get not the Mastery Worldly will 'T is true God makes a feast of joy a feast of fat things to his people Isa 25.6 But remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the Table of Devils Now the delights of sin are the several dishes with which the Devils table is furnished and he that is filled with these hath no stomach to the consolations of God nay he abhors them Prov. 27.7 The full stomach loaths the honey-comb He loaths the honey-comb of the Word and Ways of God And what 's the reason He was never yet weaned from the Worlds Brest David indeed could say of Gods Word Oh! it's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And why so Surely because the same David could say of all worldly delights Surely I have behaved my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Psal 131.2 Wean thy Soul therefore from worldly delights and thou shalt be the bettter prepared to delight in the Lord who is both willing and able to give thee thy hearts desire And that 's the third Means 4. 4. 1 Sam. 7.2 In spiritual mourning Act your Faith in case you are in a mournful frame to mourn after the Lord For certainly as worldly joy ever ends in sorrow so godly sorrow ever ends in joy Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God can no more withhold his sweetest comforts from those that mourn after his presence as their chiefest good than the tender Mother can withhold the Brest from the crying childe Oh! every cry goes to her heart and she cannot be quiet her self till she quiet the childe Isa 49.14 15. When Sion sits in the dust like a poor childe lamenting the parents absence saying My God hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me What is Gods answer Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the Palms of my hands As if God should say So long as thou mournest after me I may as soon forget my self as thee for I have graven thee on the palms of my hands If thou desirest comfort then mourn after the Lord not after corn and wine and oil not after the harvest of the Lord but the Lord of the harvest and then doubtless such as thus sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. 5. In raising spiritual affections Act Faith in digesting and
And yet thus it must be if ever we believe He that is wise in his own conceit 1 Cor. 3.18 must become a fool that he may be wise and he that is rich and increased with spiritual goods in his own conceit Rev. 3.17 Mat. 11.5 6. he must become poor that he may be made rich Vnto the poor saith Christ the Gospel is preached and blessed is he that shall not be offended in me 2 Cor. 8.9 O this offends a carnal heart that he must become poor for Christs sake as Christ became poor for his sake that death is become the way to life if ever he mean to live he must believe in a poor despised crucified Saviour Now this a proud perverse unbelieving heart knoweth not how to stoop to and such a heart have all men by nature And this is the first Impediment Well but who shall remove this Impediment how shall we rowl away this stone of an unbelieving heart I answer If we would remove it Cure we must labour to finde it out to confess it to bewail it and to pray against it And thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6. Psa 4. and shut the door Commune with thine own heart and be still Make thy complaint to God in private pour out thy Soul before him and say O thou blessed God of Truth how have I wrong'd thee by my base false and unbelieving heart What a heart have I that can relie upon a great man or a good man if I have his Word or his Bond and yet cannot relie upon the great and the good God who keepeth Mercy and Truth for ever Psa 146. with them that are in Covenant with him and hath bound himself by Promise by Oath by Seal to be good and faithful to such as put their trust in him O that I should have such a base heart to trust more to the Means than to that God who hath ordain'd the Means puts life into the Means And yet such is the baseness of my heart that when I see any visible means for the producing of such an effect I am secure and confident and when the outward means fail though God be ever the same I am as fearful and diffident as if I had no hope at all Is not this to trust to the Means and to trust to the Creature in stead of trusting to God Now when we have thus found out the unbelief of our hearts and bewailed it we should pray to God that he would forgive it and subdue it for us Just as the Parents of the Rebellious Son brought him to the Magistrate so should we bring our Rebellions and unbelieving hearts to God praying him to subdue them for us We should pray him to rowl away this stone even to take away our stony hearts and to give us hearts of flesh that we may believe according to his Promise Ezek. 36.26 and doubtless God will remember his Word for such as put his Promise in suit And so much for the first Impediment and the Means to remove it 2. Impediment of Faith Satan The second Impediment is from Satan He sails with the Wind and Tide of an unbelieving heart and labours if it be possible to keep us still under the power of unbelief he knows well enough they are under his power also When once they begin to believe they are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 And therefore no sooner doth the Soul lay hold of the Promise but Satan is forced to let his hold go and therefore the Devil fights neither against small nor great 2 Chro. 18.30 but against the grace of Faith above all the rest If he can but strike the Sheild out of our hands he 'll soon hit us and wound us where he list Nay if it be possible he 'll prevent the very making and forming of this Shield Either thou shalt have no Minister to preach of Faith as 't was the Policy of the Philistims they might have no Smith in Israel to frame their Weapons of War 1 Sam. 13.19 that they might the better keep them in subjection So 't is the Policy of Satan we should have no Spiritual Smiths in Israel to help to frame this Weapon of War this Shield of Faith Eph. 6. that he may the better keep us under his power Or if thou hast such Ministers as preach of Faith if it be possible he 'll raise up Prejudice in thy heart against them and against the Word which they preach Therefore Acts 13.8 Elymas the Sorcerer who is call'd a childe of the Devil for that very thing he withstood the Apostles in the Work of their Ministery seeking to turn away the Deputy from the faith Mark ye why was the Devil so great an enemy to the Preaching of the Word because he was an enemy to the Faith of the Deputy And this is the second Impediment or Hindrance The Devil he is an enemy to the Faith of Gods People he doth what he can to perswade people to continue in Ignorance and Unbelief 2 Relief But well How should we remove this Impediment How should we rowl away this stone Why Fly to him by Prayer who by death destroyed him that had power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 who is able to cast out the strong man armed and is willing also because he hath promised to tread down Satan under your feet Rom. 16.20 Pray God to rebuke Satan when he casts into thy heart thoughts of Blasphemy or Unbelief and say Lord are not these things grievous to thy Spirit as well as to mine Doth not Satan aim as much at thy dishonour as at my destruction and therefore if not for thy poor Creatures sake who is as a hunted Partridge upon the Mountains yet for thy Names sake and for thy Honours sake rebuke him 1 Sam. 26.20 If thou canst but lift up thy heart to God in this or the like manner doubtless God will answer thee in mercy and he will answer Satan in fury as he doth in the like case Zech. 3.2 And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee Is not this a Brand snatcht out of the fire So will the Lord say Is not this poor Soul that waits upon mine Ordinance as a Brand snatcht out of the fire out of the fire of Hell and the flames of an accusing Conscience Have I forewarn'd it by these Terrors to fly from the wrath to come and to make peace with me by Faith Mat. 3. and art thou so cruel and maâ—â—â—ous to put it into the fire again by holding it under the power of Unbelief The Lord rebuke thee O Satan the Lord rebuke thee Even he that hath chosen the Soul of the poor creature to Life and Salvation rebuke thee And this is the second Impediment of Faith and the
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
is discern'd whether there be faith or unbelief by the pulse Unbelief hath a pulse of pride this beats strong fast and very high Faith hath a pulse of humility that beateth equal and very slow As in the example of the Pharisee and Publican Luk. 18.10 Observation Observe Secondly How his soul that is lifted up is not right 1. Not right in point of Duty It is an unbeleeving soul that withdraws from Gods precepts promises and threatnings From his precepts Jer. 43.2 Thou speakest falsly say they the Lord hath not sent thee Jer. 44.15.16 As for the word thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee c. From his promise and threatnings Jer. 42.7 8. God promises there safety if they tarry in Judea if they go into Egypt he threathens destruction but the proud persons regard neither Thus the proud soul is not right in point of Duty 2. Not right in point of Safety Unbelief makes the heart not right 1. Their hearts are unquiet within Isa 7.2 c. The heart of Ahaz and of his people were moved as the trees of the wood And the Prophet tells them If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established And Isa 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest Reas 1. Because all creature-helps with God are lying vanities Jonah 28. Therefore as the soul is lifted up in trusting to them so it must needs be cast down as much when the creature fails them Nahael is merry and dead Haman proud and dejected Ahitophel crafty and simple 2 Because their counsels vary as the creatures in which they trust vary The fool changes as the moon He grounds his opinion his practice upon correspondence with the creature or upon contingent events therefore is unstable in all his wayes Jam. 1. But the heart of the just is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. 3. Because the conscience smites The Lord saith Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his arm c. I have trusted thinks he in this and that and therefore God is angry His heart as the tossed Sea casts up such mire and dirt Isa 57. 4. Because he wants his anchor to keep him steady which hope we have as an anchor sure and stedfast Heb 6.19 Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer c. and the peace of God shall keep your hearts Phil. 4.6.7 Here is the true anchor-hold but the unbeleever cannot lay hold on it go 2. Unbelief makes their condition not right 2 As their hearts are unquiet so their condition is very unstable and tottering His heart is not right and his estate is not right As a bowing wall and tottering hedge Psal 62.3 His life and lively-hood is very uncertain Therefore a proud man and in particular Nebuchadnezar is compared to a drunkard that reels to and fro He is a drunkard drunk with pride Hab. 2. and God makes him drunk with judgments The builders of Babel had their souls lifted up so high as if they meant to overtop Gods Judgments but they and their Tower together fall into confusion The soul of Pharaoh was lifted up who is the Lord saith he c. but it was not right in him For this cause have I raised thee up c. Exod. 9 16. The soul of Goliah was lifted up he defied the armies of Israel but David coming in the name of the Lord the Captain of Israel slew him with a sling and a stone 1 Sam. 17. The soul of Amaziah was lifted up but to his own destruction 2 Chron. 15.19 The soul of Haman was lifted up Hest 3.6 but he was lifted up as high on the gallowes as before he was in his own conceit cap. 7.10 So the souls of the Israelites Isa 9.9 and 11. of Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4.30 of Belshazar Dan 5.1 of the rich fool Luk. 12. But they were not right you read what befell them Reas 1. Because of God's threatnings Reasons Pride shall have a fall Prov. 18.12 Isa 2.11 Ezech. 31.10 Exod. 18.11 2. Because God hath said in his own strength no man shall be strong 1 Sam. 2.8 Nothing weaker then Pride nothing stronger then Humility Prov. 3.5 6. As the thunder delights to melt the sword and spare the scabbard to rend the heart of Oaks and spare the rinde so God to rent the caul of the heart of proud persons Hos 13.8 Psal 147.3 and to bind up the broken heart Vse 1 This let 's us see how to judge of the firm standing or suddain ruine of persons families and nations Many times we judge by wit wealth friends and allyes but this is a mistake for when any grow proud and contemn God they soon go down Prov. 16.18 2 Chron. 26.15 Prov. 26.12 Vse 2 2 Let it be a warning to beware of 2 things Pride Sinful confidence 1. As we love our selves souls safety beware of Pride whether 1. inward pride of heart Prov. 5.6 The proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. or 2. outward pride of men whose glory is their shame As pride of the eyes Isa 10.15 proud looks The first of seven abominations is a proud look Prov. 6.17 Pride of the tongue Psal 12.3 The Lord shall cut out the tongue that speaketh proud things Psal 17.10 Their tongue speaketh proudly ver 13. Up Lord disappoint him Pride of head and feet and all parts from top to toe Threatned Isa 3.16.17 Pride of gesture and apparel ibid. ver 25. 2. Beware of sinful Confidence the daughter of Pride Whether Confidence 1. in our selves in parts and gifts Ezek. 28.3 Prov. 21.30 No wisdom nor counsel against the Lord or in strength Jer. 9.23 Let no man glory c. or in works and duties Gal. 3 11. Deut. 9.4 Or 2. Confidence in the creature as Riches Psal 40.6 Prov. 11.4 Favour of great men Psal 118 8. Armour and amunition Isa 22.8 c. Prov. 21.31 Psal 33.16 Devil and his instruments 1 Sam. 28.4 Isa 28.19 But the Just shall live by his Faith AS God speaks words of death in the threatnings which go to the hearts of wicked men so he speaketh words of life Hos 6.5 in the promises which go to the hearts of Gods people to revive them But the just c. From the opposition of this proposition to the former might be hinted a twofold observation 1. As every Believer is a just person so every Unbeliever is an unjust person 2. As every Believer is in a state of life so every Unbeliever is in a dead condition But we shall content our selves with two conclusions from the words unto which other things will be reducible in the handling of them D. 1. God's people are in a state of life yea they are in a state of life by way of eminency they are partakers of the best life D. 2. What ever life the just lives in a more excellent manner then other
freedom of breathing hearing seeing and exercising all the senses so great a difference there is betwixt the life of nature and grace as also betwixt the life of grace and glory We do no more know what is reserved for us in Heaven then a child in the womb what is reserved for it when it comes into this wide world Only as there is a natural instinct in the child to go forth of the prison of the womb into a better life so there is a spiritual and supernatural instinct in all Gods children to be made partakers of a better life For as the whole creation groans so we ourselves groan within ourselves c. saith the Apostle Rom 8 22. In the mean time before we come to enjoy the life of glory to the full glorious things in their degree are spoken of the life of grace in regard of the nature Psal principle comforts c. of it as abovesaid To all which we might adde it's excellency in regard of operations viz. the crucifying our corruptions overcoming the world and all opposite powers making us more then conquerours in Christ Therefore 't is an excellent life and thence most desirable Did a beast know the life of a man he would desire it did a natural man know the life of a Christian he would desire that too For it is as farre above the life of a man as his above the life of a beast Hence Christ to the woman Joh. 4. If thou hadst known the gift of God and who 't is asketh of thee c. So I say If thou hadst but known the excellency of this life thou wouldst greatly desire and ask it of Christ Vse 3 3. For Exam. Let us try whether we have this exclellent life or no. Examination There is not much need of giving motives 1. None come to live the life of glory but such as live the life of grace all are Saints on Earth before Saints in Heaven 2. Till we know whether we have this life or no we can neither seek it if we want it nor praise God for it if we have it 3. Besides we have command to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 For Rules of Trial. 1. Did God ever give thee to see thine own deadness 10. Rules of Triall and to bewail it Though thou maist leave sin and perform duty if thou dost this by thy own strength thou art not alive 1. Sight of deadness When such a soul comes to it self neverthelesse it cryes O sick sick give me somthing to comfort me Cant. 2.5 Alas sick of unbelief and a hard heart c. 2. Knowledge of this life Secondly Dost thou understand the Nature of regeneration of this life and this new birth Nichodemus did not before Christ told him Joh. 3. 'T is said 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a new creature New in understanding will affections and conversation 3. Instrumental cause of begetting Thirdly If thou art alive what was the instrumental means of begetting this life under God was it the power of Word preach'd upon thy soul 1 Pet. 1.33 being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God c. Affections stirring without the Word or moral perswasion with the word or corrupt seed beside the Word these are not enough See 1 Thess 1.5 2 Cor. 3.6 4. Cause mainâ—aining Fourthly if alive what is the instrumental means of maintaining this life under God and every creature desires food even the insensible creature the youngest plants thrust their fibra's into the earth to suck nourishment thence And the young Lambs suck the duggs of their damme's upon their bended knees Every life desires food for self-preservation and the nature of the food must be suitable to the nature of the life spiritual life must have spiritual food That which will feed a swine fat Ex iisdem nutâ—rimur c. will starve a sheep What is begotten of the word will be nourished of the word 1 Pet. 2.2 And the more life the more desire after food The healthfull child cryes most eagerly after the breast Such was Davids hunger and thirst after the word Psal 42.1 c. Fifthly If thou art alive thou hast a faculty within to resist and expel whatsoever is an enemy to life 5. Enmity of the contrary 1 Pet. 5.8 Sin is a spiritual poyson and Satan a murderer Dost thou so resist them Or when there is deadness of spirit dost thou rub and chafe thy soul by prayer Quicken me O Lord by thy Word Psal 119. A good sign 6. If thou art alive thou shalt perceive it as by outward sense and motion so by inward quickning and vivification 6. Sense and motion 1. By outward sense and motion Every living creature exercises some sense Examine this by what Breathing faculty thou hast VVhere there is the inspiration of spiritual life there is the expiration of holy speeches Only 't is not wholsom when our expiration exceeds our inspiration 2. Exam. what sight thou hast Ephes 4.18 with 5.8 3. VVhat hearing He that is of God heareth us c. 1 Joh. 4.6 4. VVhat tasting 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be you have tasted how gracious the Lord is 5. VVhat smelling Cant. 1.3 Thy name is an oyntment powred forth 2. By inward quickning and vivification of the heart As the heart is first formed so informed and reformed Primum vivens Rev. 3. And without this there is but a name to live The heart is the first member of the new man Gal. 4.4 If sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart c. All performances without the heart are dead workes God begins at the heart therefore examine the heart 7. Spring of life Seventhly If thou saist thou art alive then what is the spring and principle of thy life and the actions thereof Is it thy own strength and opinion of thy own parts and applause of men Or dost thou in an humble distrust of thy self look up to Christ for strength Quest How is that known Ans If Christ's glory he made the end then the grace of Christ is the principle The stream is never higher then the fountain 2. Besides then this strength comes in a promise 'T is Christ in a promise What promise dost thou lay hold on 8. Growtâ— Eightly If alive where is thy growth where ever there is life there is growth till the creature comes to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.11 Till we all come to the measure of the the stature of Christ Object If this be so may some say then I have no life Answ spiritual growth is not discern'd by every dayes observation but some long time as the shadow on the diall 2. A soul careful to grow and mourning for want of growth I dare pronounce it doth grow though it
perceive it not Trees though they do not grow are fitted for growth in winter 9. Propagation Ninthly If thou art alive know it not only by growth and augmentation but also by a desire of a propagation and conveiance of that life to others The Father delivers the lamp of his life to his son as one candle lights another So 't is in this life of grace it begets the like to it self Examine therefore whether thou art one like Pharaoh that seekest to kill the children of gace in the birth this is to play the tyrant nay the Devill Rev. 12. Or whether thou art like God and godly men that say as the Apostle Gal. 4.19 They desire to see Christ formed in others 10. Delightâ— Tenthly If alive what company delights thee Psal 16.2 my delight is in the Saints and the excellent The living converse with the living and not among Tombes unlesse they be possest as the man in the Gospel Why seek ye the living amongst the dead said the Angel Such are dead company as dead men Vse 4 Fourthly This informs us If the spiritual life be the most excellent life what is the worst murder Information of the worst murder Surely that which takes away the best life And that is the murder of the soul God commands in the sixth commandement Thou shalt do no murder Every man startles at that but many are found guilty of soul-murder See Ezek. 33 8. If the watchman warn not the blood of them that perish in their sins God will require at his hands This made Paul so careful to purge himself Act. 20.26 I am free of the blood of every one of you See also Ezek 13.18 Vse 5 Fifthly Bless God for this life where it is and makes much of it How desirable a thing as Gaius Thankfulness to have our souls prosper 3. Epist Joh 2. And if we find any decay remember the counsel to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.2 Be watchfull and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God But the Just shall live by his Faith DOCTRINE II. Whatsoever life the just man lives in a more excellent manner then other men he lives that life by vertue of his Faith Doct. 2 THE Apostle confesseth this was his life And what is the life of one faithful man as faithful is the life of all Gal. 2 20. The life that I live I live by the faith of the Son of God c. This is a lesson that is often taught and yet very hardly learned For as the life of a Christian is a hidden life so the means of conveyance of it is in a hidden way hidden and dark to a natural man This water of life runs as it were in a conduit-pipe under the ground A natural man perceives it not But the Just shall live by his Faith For the better unfolding of his mysterious and useful trade of living by faith we shall endeavour by God's assistance who is the Author and Finisher of our faith to shew these things Heb. 12.2 viz. First What Faith is Secondly What it is to live by Faith Thirdly Why living is by Faith rather then love c. Fourthly Who it is that lives by Faith Fifthly Whose Faith he lives by viz. his own Sixthly When and how long Seventhly What life it is he lives by Faith Eighthly The Reasons why Lastly What use we are to make of all QUEST I. What Faith is FOR the first You have the definition at least the description set down by the Holy Ghost Heb. 11.1 It is the subsistence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen For example tell a natural man of God's favour and the comforts of his Spirit and the future recompence of reward which is more worth then all the comforts of the world he thinks it a mere notion that there is no reality in it but all feigned But a Christian by faith seeth there is truth reality and subsistence in these things and in whatever God promiseth who calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 To whom all things are possible Mark 9.23 And thereby becomes a kind of omnipotent faith By others it is defined thus In general A believing the Gospel In particular Definition of Faith A gracious habit infused into the heart by the Spirit of God whereby the soul rests or rolls it self upon Christ in a way of promise for all things appertaining to life and godliness for Gods glory and it 's own salvation It is not then 1. a bare disposition but an habit 2. An habit not acquired by frequent acts but infused by the spirit called therefore 1 Cor. 4.17 the spirit of faith 3. Infused not into the head only but the heart Rom. 10.10 with the heart man believeth And therefore it stands more in affection than notion Indeed in faith there is both an Assent of the mind to the truth of the message sent to sinners indefinitely 1 Tim. 1.15 and a consent of heart and will to the goodness of it whereby this or that particular sinner receives it to himself Gal. 2.20 Christ Who loved Me. Joh 21. My Lord and my God which differ as a garment in the cloth and on the back Christ is put on by faith Fourthly We say whereby the soul rests or rolls its self or leans For assurance and full perswasion is not of the being of faith but the well-being There 's faith of Evidence and faith of Reliance Or rather there is a double evidence 1. Of sense 2. Of reliance Faith in Scripture is set out in regard of the latter in such terms as we have given Psal 37.5 Isa 50.10 Mark 9.24 Fifthly Vpon Christ Who is the main object of faith and it is not sufficient to believe in God out of Christ Joh 14.1 Ye believe in the Father believe also in me and otherwhere None cometh to the Father but by me Sixthly In way of a promise No promise no Christ Abraham laid hold on a promise in those extraordinary things as an ordinary mean Rom. 4.20 he staggered not at the promise through unbelief See 2 Pet. 1.3 Eph. 2.12 Covenant of promise c. Seventhly For all things c. First for Christ and then all things with him Rom. 8.32 Wherefore the promises in Christ are called Rich and Precious promises Eighthly For God's glory Rom. 4.20 gave glory to God and our own salvation Heb. 10. last that believe to the saving of the soul QUESTION II. What it is to live by Faith To live by Faith Ans TO live by Faith is not only by laying hold on Christ by faith to receive life by Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life Secondly But also in the use and exercise of faith to receive daily from Christ both the preservation and increase of this life Eph. 4.13 Thirdly Enabling a Christian by vertue
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
discharge of that Calling 1 Kin. 3.7 9. Now O Lord my God thou hast made thy servant King and I am but a little childe I know not how to go out and in Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people c. So the Apostle directs to live by faith in this case as well as other Jam. 1.5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God 3. It stirs a man up in the use of those gifts to seek not his own things but the things of other men Non nobis solum nati sumus No man is born to serve himself but his generation Acts 13.36 David after he had served his generation according to the will of God fell asleep A Christian hath not a private but a publick spirit 4. It stirs him up in serving his generation and in serving men to serve God Eph 6 5. Even servants there in serving their Masters are to serve Christ So again Col. 3.22 Israel is reproved Hos 10 1. because as an empty vine he brings forth fruit unto himself As one end of naturâ—l life is the civil life so the end of both is a religious life to the glory of God 5. It teacheth him to depend upon God in all for good Successe So we are taught Prov. 3.5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Psal 1.3 Whatsoever the righteous doth the Lord shall make it to prosper 6. It teacheth him to make a voluntary humble and bold Resignation of his calling and so of his civil life and natural life also into Gods hands when he shall call for it As in the forementioned example of David Acts 13.36 who fell asleep according to the will of God as soon as he had served his generation So Aaron Numb 20.23 c. by faith put off his Office as willingly as a man puts off his clothes when he goes to bed Such a disposition there was in Paul 2 Tim 4.6 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth a crown of Glory c. As a believers success is from God so into Gods hands he resignes his place with his Spirit And then he may lay down his head he may lay down his life with comfort 5. Good Name for God sayes 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And Psal 17.6 There is a promise that if the righteous trust in the Lord though they were under a night and cloud of reproach yet their name shall break forth as the light 6. Posterity Psal 112.2 He that fears the Lord his Seed is promised to be mighty and his Generation blessed As on the contrary wicked men can entail nothing but a curse on their children Psal 109.9 10 12 13. Onely understand all these Promises to be made in Christ Note and not to Duties abstractly considered out of Christ 7. Single state and Marriage He lives by Faith 1. For the blessings of single life when God calls him thereto especially in troublesome times and troublesome places and in unsetled conditions 1 Cor. 7.8 I say to the unmarried and widows that they abide even as I. Thus then he lives by faith in this condition in the use of means for the upholding him whether 1. Ordinary as moderation of diet exercise civil and religious company Or 2. Extraordinary as fasting and prayer and covenanting with himself as Job 31.1 He charged those Sentinels they should not betray the stronger Fort of his heart into the hands of the weaker vessel So Mat. 19.12 Some have made themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven 2 For the blessing of a Married condition when God calls thereunto especially in times of peace and prosperity He looks at a meet Help as a portion promised from God for the better bearing the manifold incumbrances of this present life Eccles 9.9 Live joyfully with the wife of thy youth all the dayes of thy life c. for that is thy portion in this life and in thy labour which thou takest under the Sun The truth is a good Conscience within and a good Consort without are two of the most comfortable helps under heaven for the better bearing of the greatest burthens upon the face of the earth The poor beast with a great burthen on his back goes cheer'd partly with his Provender partly with the musick of his Bâ—lls A good Conscience is musick within the Biâ—d in the breast A good consort is musick without the Bird in the ear who shall do thee good and not evil all the dayes of her life Prov. 31.12 Lastly The just lives by faith this natural life in respect of the prizing or valuation of his life 7. In thâ— valuaâ—ion of life so as neither to be a Prodigal nor a Niggard of it Faith teaches a man neither to undervalue nor overvalue his life A Christian holds the rein of life by the hand of faith neither too fast nor too loose Reason will teach a man a notional valuation of his life but onely faith will teach a man a practical valuation of it 1. Not to undervalue it Natural Reason tells a man That of all temporal blessings natural life is the greatest but every sinner sets more by his lusts than his life 1. The envious person whiles he envies another mans life pines away himself and destroyes his own He is neither fit to live by others nor enjoy his own life Prov. 14.30 Envy is the rottenness of the bones 2. The lustful and luxurious person he sins against his own body He falls not onely into a consumption of his estate but his flesh also Prov. 5 10 11. And mourn when thy flesh and thy body are consumed 3. The covetous person he loves his goods better then his life If it would save his life he hath not power to eat thereof Eccles 6.2 He punisheth both back and belly and so wastes his life and dies If a man had faith it would rectifie Reason in these particulars or rather fortifie Reason by Scripture Mat. 6.25 Is not life better than raiment c yea the Devil could allege That Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2. 2. Not to overvalue life An unbeliever overvalues his life when he prizeth it above his soul which is the life of his life yea above the Gospel and Christ who is the life of his soul Mat. 19.20 21 22. The young man there would not exchange his possessions for treasure in heaven But faith teacheth better husbandry not onely to lose goods but life also for the Gospels sake Acts 20. Neither count I my life dear so I may finish my course with joy Paul counted his life cheap in comparison of the Gospel and the preaching of it Heb. 11.35 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might
Righteousness in Christ 1. Active 2. Passive For in that we owed a double debt to the Law the one being perfect obedience for the present the other most deserved punishment for our fâ—rmer disobedience It was requisite that Christ beâ—ng our surety should pay whatsoever we owed unto God and that was the double debt of Doing and Suffering whatsoever the Law of God required at our hands 1. Active fulfilling all Righteousness and that for us as he became a Creature and not for himself Matth. 3.15 2. Passive Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Vse Thirst after this Righteousness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness c. Philip. 3.7 8. and that I may be found in him not having my wn righteousness c. Formal Cause 3. The Formal Cause Imputation of Christs righteousness As by imputation of Adams sin we are guilty so by imputation of Christs righteousness we are righteous Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom 4.5 6. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Reas His righteousnesse is onely perfect Heb. 7.26 For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousness Onely his righteousnesse is infinite and everlasting Dan. 9.24 to bring in everlasting righteousness c. The righteousnesse of Angels and Saints is finite as well as tattered and torn the poor weary and heavy laden naked Soul can never lie down with rest in his bed Isa 28 20. for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on 't c. but Christs righteousnesse is so long and so large that it gives a man rest on his sick-bed Psal 41.3 The Lord will strengthen him upon his bed of languishing What is his comfort then but a clear sight of Christs righteousnesse Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him to shew unto man his righteousness c. Rest on the death-bed and afterward in the grave Isa 57.2 They shall lie down in their beds and peace shall be with them c. Rev. 6.11 And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest So that as God saith Psal 134.14 This is my rest for ever so may the Soul Final Cause 4. Final Cause 1. Supreme 1. The Supreme Gods glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself c. This is the end of all especially this work Rev. 5.9 The glory either of 1. Mercy and Love God so loved the world c. Joh. 3.16 Well saith God rather than Souls shall perish I will pour out the blood of my own Son Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 8.32 He spared not his Son c. Or 2. Justice not forgive without satisfaction Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy or merciful in all his works 2. Subordinate 1. Sanctification 2. Subordinate 2. Salvation Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruits unto holiness and the end everlasting life All or most of these causes are set down by the Apostle Rom. 3.20 to 29. 1. The Efficient primary moving Cause internal free grace v. 24. 2. External moving Cause Mans Misery v. 23. Christs Merit v. 24. 3. Instrumental 1. The Word v. 21. 2. Faith v. 22. 4. Final 1. The glory of Gods 1. Severest Justice v. 26. 2 Richest Mercy v. 24. 2. Glorification of Man in Gods Justification and Salvation of Man v. 23 c. Quest How doth the just live by Faith the life of Justification Ans The answer shall extend to the several parts and degrees of Justifications Manifestation For though it be a perfect act of God yet it is a continued act and there are degrees of the manifestation of it To speak therefore 1. Of the Act it self 2. Of the Continuing and Renewing of the Act 3. Of the Assurance of the Act. See how the just lives by Faith in all these 1. For the first Act and work of Justification Faith in the act of justifying First Faith Convinceth a man of sin in a saving manner and so of his need of Christ and of his own impotency to obtain Justification and Salvation without Christ Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit as Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by love so by poverty of spirit Secondly Faith puts persons into a Mourning confessing prayerful frame Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn but no blessedness if not springing from faith Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication c. Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weepings and with supplications will I lead them Acts 2.37 They were pricked at their hearts c. This is the work of Faith though not alwayes so easily discerned to be of Faith by the party himself Thirdly Faith subdues the heart to lay down all Oppositions against God and to be willing to take any course God directs for Justification and Salvation Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek c. Acts 9.5 6. Paul speaks reverently Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God c. He submits obediently they are tame as a lamb Isa 11.6 Fourthly Faith fixeth the heart upon Christ alone and his Righteousness held out in the Promises with renunciation of our own even with indignation in point of Justification The Soul is hungry after Christs Righteousness as most excellent and loaths its own as dung and draught Phil. 3.6 7 8 c. What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness c. See these or most of these Luke 15. in that gracious Convert mentioned Luk. 15. set out as a patern as a picture and as a lively inviter for a poor sinner to look to that desires to partake of the like mercy 1. Faith Convinceth him to be in a perishing condition without his Fathers love ver 17. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I say it was Faith that wrought this same conviction for it was not before he came to himself that is before he raised him
fruit of the lip peace peace c. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. He hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation not revelations without the word Psal 119.81 I hope in thy word that is the object of Faith No Word no Faith 2. Effects of New-birth Love 1. To God begetting this assurance 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2. To the Word by which begotten it 's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Not magnifie the Spirit to slight the Word John 14.26 The Spirit comforts by the Word and brings to remembrance 3. To the godly begotten of God 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten 4. To Holiness the fruit of all true assurance 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself This is no Doctrine of looseness as the Papists say Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt c. Ask doth thy Assurance make thee more holy c 3. By the Manner of working both in the work and after it There 's some difficulty therefore strait is the way strive to enter c. Mat. 7.14 1. In the first work therefore called a Birth John 3.5 When was any birth without pain A spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 I speak not this as if we should indulge our selves in these pangs so and so long I will not say how long hast thou been about it for Ephraim was a foolish son because he stayed so long in the place of breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 However it is difficult 2. After the work still some wrestling against Doubts Fears Reason No grace of the Spirit but it hath something of the Flesh to wrestle against Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit therefore they that never doubt after once they are assured but are alwayes alike have cause to suspect themselves that they are not right Philip. 3.12 Not as though already perfect saith the Apostle They that think they are at the top of the ladder at the first step it is likely they never set a step upon the ladder If you never doubted after believing faith was perfect at first and so no growth c. True faith is of a growing nature Obj. The heart is deceitful therefore fruits are no evidence Ans It 's true of Vnregenerate men not Regenerate such by proving may know Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. John 21 17. Peter could appeal Lord thou knowest that I love thee Salvation is far from the wicked though they may be confident 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God c. Psal 119.155 4. He lives by Faith 4. Objections against Assurance in answering all such Objections that might cloud and hinder his Assurance as the Sun dispels and scatters all clouds and mists that would hinder the light and heat thereof so the Sun of Righteousness by the powerful work of Faith dispels and scatters all such Objections and Doubts by which Satan and our corrupt hearts would hinder and darken the light and heat of our Assurance As for Example Obj. 1 Satan and thy corrupt heart objects Dost thou ever look to be forgiven that art guilty of such sins Thy sin is greater than can be forgiven Jer. 4.13 Ans Faith answers As great sinners as thou art have been forgiven Manasses Solomon Mary Magdalen and many more Though my sins are great sins not Mole-hills but Mountains yet God is a great God and his Mercies are very great he hath a sea of Mercy that is able to drown Mountains as well as Mole-hills The Mariners tell us the Sea is so deep in some places that they can finde no bottom no line will reach so far I am sure such is the Sea of Gods Mercy we cannot finde the bottom but must cry O altitudo O the depth c. Obj. 2 I am afraid I have out-stood my time and opportunity c. Ans Faith answers Eccles 9.4 To him that is joyned to the living there is hope especially if thou seekest God for his own sake because he is lovely in thine eyes Psal 69.32 Your hearts shall live that seek God Obj. 3 I am afraid I am not humbled enough and so God will not give me a good look Isa 66.2 Ans Faith answers The greatest humility in the world cannot deserve the favour of God If God hath but troubled thee so far to desire Christ upon his own terms with his Cross as well as his Crown then come and welcome if thou beest willing to put off the Devils yoke and to put on Christ's Mat. 11.28 29. All ye that are weary and heavy laden take my yoke upon you Obj. 4 But alas I am as a bullock accustomed to the yoke Ans The just not onely lives by faith in the Promises but Commandments Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments Rom. 14. the last Yea every Commandment hath the vertue of a Promise because God worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Ezek 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Obj. 5 But my heart is very hard I cannot repent nor believe as I ought Sermons do me little good Corrections no good I think there 's no body hath such a heart as I have so insensible so incorrigible Ans Faith answers If thou hadst no grace thou wouldst never complain so much for want of grace a man can never desire that he knows not or that he tastes not Jer. 31.18 Ephraim was in a good condition when he bemoaned himself Obj. 6 But me thinks saith Unbelief if I had any faith in my Soul I should have lively feeling and assurance of it Ans Faith answers There 's difference 'twixt believing and seeing betwixt faith and sense Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen There 's a twofold evidence the one of Sense the other of Faith Assurance by the witness and fruits of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Therefore it cryes out to God in stead of answering the doubts of Unbelief Lord I believe help my unbelief It 's a comfort to have a lively feeling but others may have Faith also Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed John 20.29 and that is certain for the conclusion of all That Soul that wrestles against the disease of unbelief hath some life of faith in it it is a justified Soul 5. He lives by Faith in the Expectation of Assurance 5. Expectation of assurance if he hath it not Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loved Isa 8.17 I
will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob. Faith saith as Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous c. Psal 85.8 I will hearken what God the Lord will say for he will speak peace c. Surely God shall command his loving kindness in the day-time True it thinks long Why tarry the wheels of his Chariots Cant. 2.8 9 17. Cant. 4. the last Be as the Chariots of Amminadab Psal 40. the last Make no long tarrying O my God Yet it will wait as Jacob for Rachel yea Faith chides the Soul out of unbelief by propounding the Promise of future Assurance Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul c Psal 27. last Faith gives courage in waiting Psal 31. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart Christ hath his several seasons of manifesting himself * Vide Mr. Reynolds Blessed are all they that wait for him He that believeth maketh not haste Though he tarry wait for him Christ shewed himself first to Mary then to Cephas or Peter then to James then to the twelve then to above five hundred brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 and last of all he was seen of Paul as of an abortive because there is more pain in the birth of such But as in the bodily sight of Christ some saw him sooner and some later so in the spiritual and as he shewed himself soonest to those that stood most in need of comfort as Mary and Peter for what was past and James for what was to come Acts 12. so spiritually Christ shews himself soonest to those have most need c. And as he entred the doors being shut when they were full of fears Job 20.19 so sometimes he comes into the heart when we think the doors most fast shut up Onely wait and then sooner or later he will shew himself to some in their middle age to some in their old age to some at their death to some at the Stake as that gracious Martyr cryed out joyfully to his fellow-sufferer He is come he is come Therefore be sure to wait and he that hath appointed to come will come and will not tarry Blessed are all they that wait for him Rom. 8.25 If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Reason why wait Because true faith can never be lost till it come to full assurance Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed c. This is the life and comfort of a weak Christian A babe shall be a strong man Philip. 1.6 He that hath began this work will perfect it Luke 22.32 Christs Prayer for Peter Vse If the godly live by Faith in regard of the assurance of the Act of Justifying then 1. This Reproves those that wait not Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established c. 2 Chron. 20.20 2. Reproves those that Rest in the first degree of Faith and say I care not if I can but go to heaven at last Other things grow up to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decay again but the faithful grow from strength to strength He is no good natured childe that will say I am sure to have my Fathers inheritance at last and therefore I care not though he frown upon me in the mean time No a good childe prizeth his Fathers love and the light of his countenance above his inheritance even Absalom 2 Sam. 14.31 could say Let me see the Kings face c. 3. Exhortation To live by Faith in waiting for Assurance Motives 1. It 's certain He that hath appointed to come will come Heb. 10.37 2. It 's worth the staying as Jacob stayed for Rachel This is better then life Psal 63.3 3. It 's the sweeter when it comes Olim haec meminisse c. as the Sun rising after a long Winter night half year night Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life 4. It 's the property of Faith not to make haste Isa 28.6 He that believeth maketh not haste 4. See the difference 'twixt just and unjust The just as they expect so they shall be assured though poor in spirit yea because poor Matth. 5.3 Psal 9.18 The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Prov 24.14 Thy expectation shall not be cut off But for the wicked Job 8.13 14. Their hope shall perish and be as a spiders web Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up the ghost Therefore fear God and be righteous For Prov. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness but the expectation of the wicked shall perish Therefore Prov. 23 17 18. Let not thine heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long for surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off 5. Comfort to such as believe but want Assurance He may yet live by Faith in the expectation of it Be not discouraged when thy Soul is ready to faint for the salvation of God Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Be assured where there is any true light it will encrease more and more till the perfect day Prov. 4.18 The state of the Soul is good and Salvation is certain in the mean time Though many complain for want of Assurance yet if they can but trust c. Isa 50.10 He that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God They are sure to be comforted at the last and supported in the mean time Thus you see how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Vse of all in general 1. OF Humiliation Use of the Doctrine of Faith in justification 1. Humiliation If a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Justification in applying the righteousness of another it may be matter of Humiliation A Prisoner that is freed from Condemnation by a Pardon from the King and not by Self-justification hath cause to walk humbly for ever after This is our case c. It was a great sin in Absalom after his Father had pardoned his Murther and received him into favour again and kissed him the next news we hear of him he prepares him Chariots and Horses and Men to run before him that by stealing away the hearts of the people he might step up into his Fathers Throne and thrust him out And surely it is the greatest expression of neglect and unthankfulnesse that can be after God hath pardoned our sins and received us into favour for us to steal away the hearts of his people and to set up our selves in stead of magnifying the Name of God to draw Disciples after our own selves in stead of drawing Disciples after Jesas Christ It is a sin and a temptation which is common to the nature of man even the Regenerate themselves are not out of this Gun-shot Paul was in
danger to be xalted above measure and the great contention among the Disciples themselves was Who should be the greatest If this was the Condemnation of the Devil and after that the Devils Temptation upon our first Parents that they might fall by Pride as he did I see not why any should secure themselves from this Temptation in the state of grace Therefore you that stand take heed lest you fall though you shall never fall finally by this sin yet you may fall fearfully if you look not well about you And surely this is one good means among the rest to keep us from falling to consider We are justified by the Righteousnesse of another We live as pardoned men we live upon mercy we live upon alms A poor creature who like lame Mephibosheth is fed at the Table of another and clothed with the garments of another and hath nothing that he can call his own hath little cause to be proud this is our condition We live at Gods finding for meat drink and clothing not onely for our Bodies but for our Souls also from day to day As God hath put meat into our mouthes so he puts words of prayers into our mouthes first Hos 14 2. Take unto you words and say unto the Lord Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And so our blessed Saviour Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses c. Mark ye here are Petitions put into our mouthes every day as well as the first day of our conversion both concerning giving and forgiving though some are so proud now adayes they know not how to say that Prayer Shall Christ teach them how to pray or shall they teach Christ Is there a greater Soloecism than to be proud Beggar A Beggar and yet proud A Beggar and yet one that scorns to beg One whose wants beg and cry aloud and yet his tongue begs not I know no better means to cure this pride than the consideration of this We live not upon our selves but upon God the very life of our Souls the food of our Souls the clothing of our Souls all is from God Vse 2 2 Use Examination Whether we do live this life of Justification Examination Quest How shall we know Mark 1. Ans 1. It 's a Soul-humbling life if we lay hold on Christs Righteousnesse our hands are our own Psal 134.2 In thy sight shall no man living be justified Unjustified persons are proud of their pride Rev. 5. They cast down their Crowns Luke 18.14 The Publican as he was humble so justified Isa 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Phil. 3. I count all but dross and dung c. 2. A Soul pacifying life Isa 57.19 Mark 2. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace c. Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Obj. But I am troubled Ans 1. Yet thou art supported Cant. 2.6 His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me 2. There is the seed of peace and joy in thee Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Psal 112. 3. A God-glorifying life Rev. 4.10 Mark 3. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory c. 1 In all holy Actions Rom. 6.15 16 c. 2. In humble Passion or Submission i. e. in all Sufferings He that is justified by God will even justifie God in all that befalls him He will not quarrel and say Lord I am a justified person why dost thou punish me but as David Psal 51.4 that thou maist be justified when thou speakest c. or as Ezra 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve c. 4. A Christ-magnifying life 1 Pet. 2.7 If we believe Mark 4. Christ is precious Luke 7. Kiss his very feet wash and wipe c. Vse 3 3 Use This should teach us 1. Instruction To acknowledge this life of Justification in others 2. To imitate God our selves and justifie those that sin against us Branch 1 1. Acknowledge this in others Let us justifie those whom God doth justifie when once it appears to us Receive such as God receives though weak in the faith Rom. 14 1 2 3. One that is made a Freeman of your Town a Member of your Corporation you receive into your Society and Communion upon all occasions Now all justified persons are made free ipso facto and admitted into Communion of Saints Eph 2.12 13. It was Simons sin he would not justifie that gracious woman whom Christ himself had justified and he might see it by the fruits too Luke 7. Luke 7.37 Like those Priests Ezek. 13.22 They condemn whom the Lord justifies and justifie whom the Lord condemns Branch 2 2. Imitate God in justifying or forgiving those that sin against us I mean so far as it concerns us Forbearing one another c. Coloss 3.13 Matth. 18.21 28. Forgive thy brother untill seventy times seven times God forgives more than we can Motive This Confirms the Assurance of our own forgiveness Matth. 6.14 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you c. The one the cause of the other Our forgiving others is a natural effect of Gods forgiving us Obj. By this Rule there should be no need of Courts of Justce among men If Offences must be forgiven no man should accuse one another no man witness no man judge and so as the Anabaptists say No Magistrate c. Of forgiving offences Ans Offences and wrongs must be considered in divers relations 1. As they concern our selves alone here we have power to forgive to hide and conceal them Love covers a multitude of faults Jam. 5. 2. As they are of a publike interest There is a threefold interest Reipublicae of State Ecclesiae of Church Dei of God As in Theft Murther Idolatry all have an interest every one of these is wronged Deut. 13.6 these we must not conceal He that is partner with a thief hates his own soul Prov. 29.24 Here the Accusers Witnesses and Judge must do their parts yea and their Justification and Redemption ties them to this Luke 1.74 that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear c. Else they were abominable He that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.15 So a man who hath his person justified by God may for some particular unjust act be condemned by the Magistrate Luke 23.41 And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds c. Rom. 13 1 7. Onely have a care to do justly in judgement Observe Malach. 3.5 I will be a just witnesse against those that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the
for the Life of Justification is perfect at the first though it be a continued act Therefore do not onely hear the Word but Pray Hearing the Word is the laying the mouth to the breast but Prayer is the drawing of the breast Therefore draw hard New-years-day O thou that createdst the first Heaven and the first Earth of nothing O thou that createst the New Heaven and the New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness when sin had made the creature worse then nothing O thou that createst the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven as a Bride O thou that createst the New Creature the New man fit to be an inhabitant of the New World of the New Jerusalem O thou that hast said Behold I make all things New Create thou in me even in me Psal 51. a clean heart renew a right Spirit in me Plead with God and say Lord thou hast commanded me whilst it is called Heb. 1. To day to hear thy voice and not to harden my heart I beseech thee therefore whilst it is called To day hear my voice and harden not thy heart against me For if thy heart be hardned against my Prayer my heart must needs be hardned at thy Word Say Father let others give what gifts they please to their friends if thou please but to give me grace Eph. 4. grace to put off the Old man with the Old year as the circled Snake casts her skin and to put on the New man Psal 103. as the Eagle renews her bill and her age both together I shall esteem it the best New-years-gift that ever was given And say Father I have fast hold on thee and I will not let thee go Gen. 32. except thou bless me except thou giv'st me this blessing this New-years-gift of a new heart Lord I lay hold of thee in thine own promise Thine everlasting Truth is a cord strong enough strong enough to hold Thee and Lord I must needs make bold to binde thee to thy VVord Hast thou not said Lord A new heart will I give you Lord for whom is this new heart laid up in thy Promise for them that have it or for them that want it c. Therefore I beseech thee of thy faithfulness to answer me and in thy righteousness say unto me Though thy faith be weak Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let there be light Mat. 8. let there be heat let there be a new heart Be thou holy as I am holy that thou maist be happy for ever as I am happy Thus much for the third Question How and by what means this Sanctification is wrought in the Soul 4. Questions follow Quest 4. What Reason of the necessity of Sanctification What is the reason that such a life is necessary in all justified persons Reas 1 1. Reason Because this is one of the great Ends of our freedom by the Death of Christ He died not onely to redeem us from Hell and from Satan and all our Enemies but from our vain conversation also 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Yea he delivered us from the hands of all our enemies that we might serve him in holiness Luke 1.74 Reas 2 2. Because it was one of Gods great designs in the work of our Redemption to make us conformable to the Image of his Son as in suffering Rom. 8.29 so in sanctity that as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we might bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. VVe look upon Christ by the eye of Faith as they look'd upon the brazen Serpent not onely to save us but to transform us and heal us The vision of Christ begets transformation and transformation satisfaction this is partly in this life but perfectly in the life to come Psal 17. ult I shall behold thy face in righteousness when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness In the mean time there are degrees of transformation and satisfaction to the Soul so far as it is able to look upon Christ by the eye of faith in the glass of the Ordinances 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all as with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed c. To be changed into the Image of Christ is a great part of a Christians happiness a great part of this happiness is his holiness without which even heaven it self and the glorified Presence of God would be a hell to him for so long as men are unregenerate and wicked they say unto God Depart from us we will not have the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 Therefore that they may be made like Christ and take comfort in the fellowship of Christ it 's necessary they should live by Faith the life of Sanctification Reas 3 3. Because from the first Adam we stand guilty of a twofold sinfulness 1. Imparted Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so c. 2. Imparted Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Reas 4 4. This is for the honour of Christ Philip 1.27 Onely let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel c. 2 Sam. 10.4 Hanun's abusing Davids Servants was to cut off half their garments Reas 5 5. Because Gods free love in the Life of Justification cannot but stir us up to love God again 1 John 4.19 And love is active and full of inventions to do service for the beloved And so he must necessarily live the Life of Sanctification and so Sanctification is an evidence of Justification How doth Christ prove many sins were forgiven to Mary Luke 7.47 Because she loved much And how doth she prove her love by the fruits her cost and care and pains ver 37 c. If ye love me keep my Commandments sayes Christ Joh. 14.15 Faith works by love Gal. 5.6 As Faith applies Promises for Comfort so commands for Performance of Duty Psal 119 66. And so much for the first Branch in Sanctification viz. Renovation BRANCH II. THE LIFE of FAITH A LIFE OF FRUCTIFICATION SEcondly The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification for we shall speak of the Use of both together in the fruits of New Obedience And this in these particulars How or in what manner faith hath influence into the life of spiritual Fructification 1. Faith makes us good trees 1. In making of us good Trees A man must be a good Tree before he can bring forth good Fruit Mat. 12.33 Now Faith makes us good Trees by grafting us into the Mystical Body of Christ Rom. 11.17 Thou being a wilde Olive-tree wert grafted in and partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive Thou derivest sap and juyce and life of grace in Christ and so thou dost not onely bud and blossom as Aarons Rod Numb 17. by good words and fair
Promises but thou bringst forth fruit of New Obedience to the glory of God Joh. 15.1 2 c. 2. In telling of us or discovering to us 2. Faith discovers what is good Fruit. what is good Fruit. For the Matter Faith tells us what is Gods revealed Will and it layes hold of the Command of God for direction as well as of the Promise of God for consolation Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments and whatsoever is not thus of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult So Faith laying hold of the Word tells me what is my duty as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Master as a Neighbour as a Fellow-Member c. If I do not live by Faith in all these the fruit I bring forth cannot be good Prov. 19.2 That the soul be without knowledge is not good c. 3. In stirring up the Soul to be fruitful 3. Faith stirs up the Soul to be fruitful How First First By guickning Considerations drawn not onely from our duty but from the Promise of God and the glory of God 1. The Promise of God as Moses Heb. 11.26 27. choosing affliction c for he had an eye to the recompence of reward So saith Faith If thou dost this the Promise is thine 2. Glory of God Faith tells the Soul 2 Thess 1. ult Matth. 5.16 Herein is thy heavenly Father glorified if thou bringest forth much fruit Joh. 15.8 Secondly By drawing strength from Christ the Root John 15.4 5. Abide in me c. Nothing without Christ all through Christ Therefore Faith and Prayer sucks strength from Christ Psal 119.4.5 Thou hast commmanded me to keep thy Precepts O that my wayes were so directed c. 4. In timing and seasoning of the Fruit 4 Faith suits all our scruples to a proper season which is a beautiful thing Eccles 3.1 True indeed our whole time is due to God Luke 1.75 Gods Trees are so full of sap that they must bring forth fruit all the year long Yea but yet there are several fruits for several seasons for several moneths Ezek. 47.12 There are several winds which blow upon the Garden of the Heart and cause several fruits to flow out Cant. 4.16 There are gales of the Spirit and gales of Providence Gales of the Spirit Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth so is the Spirit O set up thy sails when thou hast so fair a wind if thou art bound for the Land of Promise Gales of Providence viz. The north-wind of adversity O now bring forth fruit with patience The south-wind of prosperity O now bring forth fruits with joy and thankfulness Besides there are seasons of grace for thy self and for others For thy self see 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the accepted time c. when God calls by his Word or by his Rod whilest the waters are troubled John 5. then is the time of healing For others in gaining them to bring forth fruit to God Some are made Fishers of mâ—n It is excellent to know the season and the bait to cast out the Net at Gods word and his time Faith teacheth this It is good fishing in troubled waters that is the season As it is with a man ready to be drown'd you must take him when he riseth up and holds forth his hand and cries for help c. Beloved there is no Ordinance no Providence but calls for some seasonable duty at our hands As every day hath its proper trouble Mat. 6.34 so every day hath its proper task and service Now 't is Faith onely that can instruct us and enable us to know our time and take our time As he that believes makes not haste Isa 28.16 So he will not be too slow Heb. 6.12 not slothful Natural men and unbelievers know not their times nor the seasons of their visitation Luke 19.42 c. So nor of their Fructification Natural men know natural seasons of Sowing Setting Planting Plowing every Almanack can tell this But onely the true Believer the spiritual man is instructed in the spiritual good husbandry to know the right seed-time and harvest of Grace and to know the season of every fruit of Grace Eccles 8.5 6. A wise man knows time and judgement c. 5. The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification 5. Faith ripens the fruits of new obedience in ripening the fruit Faith is a bright beam of the Sun of Righteousness that ripens the fruit of New Obedience without Faith it is but crude and raw fruit yea dead and withered fruit dead Prayers dead Preaching dead Hearing dead Practice dead Works As Faith without Works is a dead faith Jam. 2.17 So Works without Faith are dead works Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God There are works that are called dead works that have all the outward lineaments of good works onely they want life and we are purged from these by the blood of Christ applied and sprinkled upon the conscience by Faith and so there is life put into them and they are made living works fit to be presented to a living God 6. And so lastly He lives by Faith in Fructification 6. Faith procures acceptation of our fruitfulness through Christ in regard of the Acceptation of this fruit when it is presented to the hands of the great Master of the Vineyard Faith presents it by the hand of a Mediator and so 't is accepted which otherwise would certainly be rejected Look as Whatsoever we ask the Father in Christs Name it is granted so whatsoever we present to God in his Name is accepted Gen 27. Jacob gat the Blessing in the garments of his elder Brother Take the same good works for matter Suppose the one presented by the hands of a faithful man the other by the hands of a proud unbeliever whose heart is lifted up in him and he thinks God is beholding to him for his service the one is accepted the other is rejected The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but to Cain and his offering had he not respect Gen. 4. And what 's the reason of the difference The difference is not in the Offering but the Offerer The one had Faith the other had none By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain God testifying of his gifts Heb. 11.4 The diversity of the persons makes a diversity in the Present They are like the two Baskets of Jeremiah's figs Jer. 24. The one had very good figs like the figs that are first ripe the other had very naughty figs that could not be eaten they were so bad True Faith dares invite God to eat of the fruit of his own Planting and of his own ripening Though it be not full ripe in it self 't is mellow'd in Christ Cant. 4. last Let my beloved come into his garden and eat of his pleasant fruit Thus the just man lives by Faith the Life of Fructification
Temptations Some do tempt the Devil to tempt them by thrusting themselves upon apparent danger of sinning as into evil company and lewd houses whereas the Holy Ghost sayes Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house Prov. 5.8 Vse 5 The last Use A word of Comfort to a Christian Comfort against the vigor and rigor of sin against the vigour and rigour of sin which is like the Egyptian Taskmasters every day imposing new burthens by fleshly lusts ever warring against the soul A great discomfort this is which makes a gracious Soul complain with David Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar or Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Yet here is comfort he lives by faith the Life of Mortification Faith tells him 1. Christ is on his side as Jehu cried Who is on my side who 2. The victory is sure 1 Cor. 15. pen. Let this therefore comfort a Christian that is troubled more for sin Job 36.21 than affliction And it is our duty to strengthen the hearts and hands of such in their spiritual warfare Heb. 12.12 Lift up the hands that hang down Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished c. As the house of Saul grew weaker every day so shall sin Though there be cause to be humbled yet also Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And as the Apostle exhorts Christians not to sorrow as men without hope for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 because they shall live again at the last So say I let not Christians sorrow as men without hope by reason of their living enemies their powerful corruptions for they shall die at the last It may be said to a Christian at his last gasp These Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever The Red-sea of death shall drown them all BRANCH IV. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. VIVIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Vivification When his heart is ready to sink Faith lifts it up again and puts a new Life as it were into it And the very Text seems to drive at this also if we make out the Antithesis or opposition to the full betwixt Unbelief and Faith The Unbeliever lifts up his heart in Creature-strength but the Believer lives by Faith in Gods strength Jehosaphats heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 In the midst of all damps he liv'd by Faith this Life of Vivification which is as it were under God the life of our lives or at least the liveliness of our life as we say Such an one is a lively Christian or a man full of life For I do not here mean by Vivification the first quickning work of the Spirit for that we spoke of before in the Life of Renovation but I mean the quickning and reviving work of the Spirit after some deadness hath seized upon the Soul Two Propositions Therefore two things are to be demonstrated 1. That Gods own Children are subject to be overtaken with spiritual drowziness or deadness of Spirit at some times as the foot may be asleep through obstructions 2. That at such times as these they live by Faith and by Faith recover the quickness and activity of their spiritual life again 1. Gods children subject to deadness The first we premise That the best of Gods Children are subject to deadness Even the five wise Virgins as well as the foolish all slumbred and slept Matth. 25.5 The Spouse complains of her drowziness Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh Christ chargeth the Church of Sardis with this Rev. 3.1 2. Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead What! quite dead No but ready to die as it follows ver 2. And so Mr. Perkins expounds it Experience shews this daily How many Christians full of complaints of their deadness as David Psal 119.25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me c. Quest How comes this to pass or what is the reason and cause of it Ans It is good indeed to know the cause The cause of a disease being found out it is half cured For answer then hereunto we must distinguish of Deadness Causes of this deadness A Christians deadness is either Accidental Sinful Penal or Probational 1. Accidental 1. The cause of Accidental deadness springs sometimes from age sometimes from sickness sometimes from melancholly In which cases a man may have a very good will to do service with life and activity but bodily weakness pulling him down and the natural spirits being low he is just like a Bird that hath her wings clipt who would fain fly but cannot And this unfits to any duties as well natural and civil as religious 2. There is a Sinful deadness 2. Sinful when a man hath little heart or affection to the service of God And if we enquire into the reason of this it springs from sinful causes Which are either Privative as the want of good Food the Word which is animae pabulum Or good Exercise 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self rather unto godliness Or good Company which is quickning one stick of this fire kindles another he that 's all alone soon falls asleep Or good Air I mean a good Ministery Heb. 10.24 25 As the presence of these things in nature makes men active and vigorous and the want of them makes heavy and dead so in Grace Or else they are Positive causes And such are 1. Excessive cares or pleasures which do overcharge the heart Luke 21.34 2. Bad Company Peters heart was deaded in the High-Priests Hall 'T is said of Nero he tied the bodies of living men to those that were dead which was cold comfort and half a death to them Nothing dulls more than the society of dull and dead-hearted men 3. Custom in Sin which makes insensible in sinning Prov. 23.34 35. They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not c. 4. Satan oft rocks the cradle It was more than a natural drowziness that the disciples were so heavy and sleepy when Christ was upon his Passion You may know the disease by the remedy watch and pray says our Savior that ye enter not into temptation Mat. 26.40 41. 3. There is a Penal deadness and God inflicts this as a punishment of former sins Is 6.9 10. Go and tell this people 3. Penal Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears c. The word sometimes makes men worse rather than better as the beams of
Sermon yet they more desire their carnal liberty c. Thirdly it is a good evidence of growth Third sign of growth if thou gettest more strength by thy nourishment When the Gospel comes not in word onely but in power thou gettest more strength Explicated in 3 things 1. To do more 2. To bear more 3. To shake off the yoke of Ceremonies and Indifference with more ease This is an evidence of growth 1. Thou canst do more than formerly 1. Strength to do duties in performance of holy Duties 2. In resisting Temptations 1. In performance of Duties a strong man will do twenty times as much as a childe or a sick man How doth Christ convince the Church of Ephesus that she had lost her first strength of love to God but because she had lost her first works Therefore he saith Rev. 2 5. Remember whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works On the other side how doth he prove the Church of Thyatira to be on the growing hand How doth he prove her grace to be more than formerly but by her works because her works were more Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first If Christians can pray better and hear better and confer better and meditate better and practise better and all this from an inward Principle it argues they are upon the growing hand Therefore they are grown to a strange pass that cast off all care of duties And resist temptations 2. If thou growest thou canst ordinarily do more in resisting Temptations 1 Joh. 2.14 I have written to you young men because ye are strong and have overcome the wicked one How doth he prove they were strong in grace but because they had overcome the evil one On the other side how did it appear that Samsons strength was departed from him but because he could not do as at other times when the Philistines came upon him It argues a Christian is weak and decays in grace when he cannot resist Temptations as formerly Time was when Jerusalem was beautiful and yet could resist Temptations to Spiritual Adultery but when she had once yielded and was overcome by her filthy lovers God saith How weak is thy heart O Jerusalem Ezek. 16.30 He hath most grace who taking to himself the whole armour of God Eph. 6 10. is strongest in the Lord and in the power of his might that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil 2. Strength to bear 2. As he is able to do more so to bear more He is the strongest Christian that can bear the heaviest burthen In 3 things 1. Of Afflictions and Persecutions 2. Of Wrongs and Injuries 3. Of his Brethrens Infirmities 1. Afflictions 1. Of Afflictions or Persecutions It argued a great growth of grace in the Apostles that whereas before Christs Passion they could not so much as endure to hear of it with patience O saith Peter Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Mat. 16.22 Now they themselves can suffer and that not onely with patience but with much rejoycing Acts 5.41 They rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for his Name 2. He is grown stronger 2. Injuries that can bear a greater burthen of Wrongs and Injuries Time was he could bear no thing but was fire and tow like the two Disciples that would have fire come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans but now he is grown so strong he can pity and pray for those that wrong him most as Steven did It is very observable that when Christ commands his Disciples to forgive those that wrong them seven times a day Luke 17.5 they pray Lord increase our faith as much as to say there must be a great strength of faith to enable to forgive injuries 3. He is grown stronger 3. Infirmities of others that can bear a greater burthen of his brethrens Infirmities When he sees they are weak in knowledge weak in love weak in the government of their passions yet he beareth with them he will not presently cast them off and unbrother them Time was when he was weak in grace himself he was very censorious when he saw the failings of others he would say The man hath no grace in him I will have nothing to do with him but now he is grown stronger he can better bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 3. He is stronger 3. Strength to shake off Ceremonies that can shake off the yoke of Ceremonies and things indifferent with more ease not making conscience of them as of things necessary Therefore Rom. 14.7 the Apostle shews they were weak that made a difference of meats and days where God had made none Now they because they would be sure to eat no forbidden meat would live onely upon herbs He that is weak saith he eateth herbs It is the weakness of Christians to be too scrupulous in meats and dayes especially where the Ordinance of man hath onely made the difference This is not their strength but their weakness 4. Though he that hath most grace hath most strength Fourth sign of growth yet he is also on the growing hand that is most sensible of his weakness For the strongest Christian hath much remaining weakness Now it is part of our strength of grace to be sensible of this weakness When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 A weak Christian is ready to think himself strong as Peter did when he was weak as water Lord saith he though all men should deny thee yet will not I. But a strong Christian is most sensible of his weakness for his sight is clearer to see his sin and his will is more sanctified to hate it therefore if thou saist thou art rich it argues thou art poor Rev. 3.17 Thou saist thou art rich and hast need of nothing and knowest not thou art poor and wretched and miserable and if thou saist thou art poor it argues thou art rich Rev. 2.9 I know thy tribulation and poverty but thou art rich And the reason is because the true sense of our own poverty and weakness doth cause us to run to God and like the Conies to make our burroughs in the everlasting Rock of his Name Here is the strength of a feeble people Prov. 30.26 The Conies are a feeble people yet make their houses in the Rock It argues strength of grace when we are so far gone out of our selves out of our graces duties parts performances that we burrough our selves deep in God Fifth sign of growth 5. The more any aim at Gods glory in what they do the more grace they have received from God The Scribes and Pharisees were men of great parts but they did all for their own glory Mat. 6.2 therefore they were but Hypocrites they had no grace but they that
labour to grow by the Means that God may continue them to us and that we may leave them as a Legacy to our Posterity after us Q. But what are those Means in the use whereof we be enabled to grow Râ—sp For understanding whereof however it is true we can do as little by any power of our own for the increasing of our spiritual stature as for the increasing of our natural Mat. 6.27 Which of you by taking care can adde one cubit to his stature Yet as we must not neglect eating and drinking and exercise under pretence that we cannot adde a cubit to our stature so we must not neglect the use of spiritual Means under pretence that we can adde nothing to our spiritual stature Q. What are these means then Means of spiritual growth R. If thou wouldst grow plant thy self in a good soil not onely in Christ but under Christ in the society of the faithful Psal 92.13 They that be plaâ—ted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God With the holy thou wilt still be more holy but with the froward thou wilt learn more frowardness The Tree grows not that is planted in the barren heath but that which is planted in a fruitful orchard 2. Mean Much Prayer 2. Be much in Prayer That God would make thee increase and abound in love 1 Thess 3.12 Paul may plant and Apollo water but God gives the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Pray for wholesome showers fair winds and seasonable Sun-shine that thou maist grow 1. Pray for wholsome showers Isa 5. First for wholesome Showers When God would not bless but blast his Vineyard he commands his clouds that they should rain no more rain upon it What are these clouds but the Ministers of his Word Deut. 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall descend as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass What the Minister draws and exhales out of the deep Fountain of Gods Word is distilled down again by the heat of the Spirit into the hearts of the people and so they grow Secondly pray for fair Winds a good and a wholesome air makes much for growth 2. For fair winds What are those fair Winds but the sweet gales of the Spirit going along with the Word The rain rides along upon the wings of the wind and if the wind of the Spirit do not bring the rain we will never grow so as to be fruitful in Christs Garden Therefore pray with the Church Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind come thou South and blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out Thirdly pray for seasonable Sun-shine It is the Sun 3. For seasonable Sun-shine with the rain that makes fruitful 2 Sam. 23.4 The tender grass springs out of the earth by clear Sun-shine after rain The calidum and humidum in a sweet mixture is the life of every creature What is this Sun-shine but the sense of Gods love in Christ warming our hearts Mal. 4.2 The healing wings of the Sun of Righteousness 3. We must Exercise grace much 3 Mean Much exercise as well as pray much or else we tempt God in prayer Bodily exercise is a special Means of natural growth else the best diet does no good So is Spiritual exercise a Means of Spiritual growth Therefore Paul directs Timothy 1 Tim. 4.7 13 14 15. Exercise thy self unto godliness give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all 4. Let the use of all Means be mixed with Faith 4 Mean Use all means in faith The just lives by faith Therefore pray as Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith without it no Word nor Sacraments nor Prayer nor any Ordinance can be profitable for increase Heb. 4.2 But the Word did not profit them being not mixt with faith in them that heard it As some meats mixt with some ingredients nourish much so do the Ordinances when mixt with faith As Daniels Pulfe mixt with faith made him look better and grow fatter than those that fed on dainty fare So men living under ordinary Means may thrive better mixing the Word with Faith than those that live under higher enjoyments continuing in unbelief 5 Mean A good stomach 5. Get a good Stomach to thy Spiritual diet if thou wouldst grow Though men have never so good meat yet they thrive not if they have no appetite to it So it is also in Spiritual respects Luk 1.53 He filleth the hungry with good things but the rich he sendeth empty away Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied 6 Mean Draw influence from Christ 6. If thou wouldst grow thou must be daily applying thy self to Christ thy Head for constant and renewed influence from him As all life so all increase is from the Head Christ is the Head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increases with the increase of God Col. 2.19 7 Mean Applying the Promises of growth and pleading them 7. Lay hold of the Promise of growth and plead it if thou wouldst grow to purpose That is the best growth when there is a growth to a ripe harvest and that is the best harvest that is both ripened and reaped by laying hold of the Promise as the root of all growth Gen. 8. ult Seed-time and harvest shall not fail says God and so he hath said concerning Spiritual seed-time and harvest Psal 126.5 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtlâ—ss come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Plead this Promise of God when thou perceivest the seed of grace is sown in thy heart but thou mournest for want of growth Lord thou hast promised Seed time and harvest shall not fail c. make this good to my Soul Job 8.7 Thou hast said Though the beginnings of thy people be small yet the latter end shall greatly increase Thou hast said Such as are planted in thy house shall be fat and flourishing Psal 92.13 Thou hast said I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow as the Lilly Hos 14.5 6 7. Thus lay hold upon God and binde him fast in the words of his own Promise and say Gen. 3 2. I will not let thee go except thou bless me with this blessing of growth and then thou shalt certainly finde vertue flowing from Christ in the Conduit-pipe of the Promise By these things do men live Isa 38.16 Mat. 4. 1 Kin. 17.16 even by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God As life comes at the first in a way of Promise so life is increast also thereby from day to day
not say As many as believed were ordained unto life eternal but contrariwise As many as were ordained to eternal life believed To intimate That Faith foreseen 1. From Election was not the cause of Election but Election was the cause of Faith and so the same Election is the cause of Perseverance in Faith or else their Life should not be eternal Therefore that strong conclusion of strong Consolation Rom. 8.35 is fetcht as far as from that everlasting VVell-head of Gods Fore knowledge and Predestination ver 29. For whom he did fore-know he did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Therefore the Apostle is bold to make that brave challenge Who shall charge us Who shall condemn us Who shall separate us As if he should have said Neither Sin nor Affliction nor Men nor Devils shall ever be able to break this Golden Chain of Gods Election till it ends in glory Therefore the just perseveres God hath elected him to no meaner a life than that which is Eternal and therefore he shall certainly have it Rom. 11. the Election must needs obtain it 2 Reas From Gods Love from which 2. Gods love this Election springs in order of working Gods love is an Everlasting love As God is from Everlasting to Everlasting so is his Love for whatsoever is in God is God Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee which I conceive is not to be understood à parte post after we are drawn to believe and obey but even before also à parte antè Gods love here is made the cause of our being drawn to believe and obey and not our obedience a cause of his love Obj. But is it not said Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will manifect my self to him therefore our love of God goeth before Gods love to us Resp. There is a love of Benevolence whereby we bear good will to another and a love of Beneficence whereby we testifie our love in doing good to him Gods love of Benevolence is before our loving of him Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us but Gods love of Beneficence at least in part doth follow our love to him and is the reward of it according to his free grace If Gods love therefore be everlasting this must needs be an everlasting fruit of it even the life of Grace and Glory to all eternity 3. The Covenant 3 Reas From the Covenant of God made with his People which is an everlasting Covenant well ordered and sure 2 Sam. 23.12 Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Whereas the poor Soul might say God indeed saith he will never depart from us so long as we do not depart from him but then he might justly depart from us Therefore Gods Covenant is That we shall not depart from him I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Therefore the just lives not from any stability in himself but from the stability of Gods Covenant 4. Gods Unchangeable nature 4 Reas From the Unchangeable Nature of God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed You are not consumed not because there is no principle of change in you but because there is none in me As if God should have said When I first entred Covenant with you I saw you polluted in your blood and I foresaw full well how ignorant how impotent how unconstant how untoward you would be afterward but I am resolved as I did not choose you at the first for the good I saw to be in you so I will not reject you for the evil that I see in you but will forgive it and heal it for my gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. 5. Reas From the Power of God 5. Power of God If Gods people do not persevere it is either because God will-not preserve them or because he cannot But 1. Not because he will not for it is his own good pleasure moved him to make an everlasting Covenant and his own unchangeable Nature moves him to fulfil it to this day 2. Not because he cannot for nothing limits Gods Power but his Will Psal 135.6 Whatever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and earth c. Therefore if the Lord will preserve his Saints in a state of grace for ever he is able to do it Though we are not able to stand of our selves yet he is able to make us stand Rom. 14. or in case we fall he is able to raise us up again Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth under his hand 6 Reas From the Merit of Christ 6. Merit of Christ c. the Prayer of Christ the Spirit of Christ As Christ hath merited Eternal Righteousness and Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.6 So he applies his Merit eternally by his Intercession and the operation of his Spirit Wherefore Heb. 7.25 Intercession of Christ he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Wherefore we must either deny That God the Father hears the Prayers of his Son which is blasphemous to imagine and contrary to Christs confession 1 Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwayes or else we must need acknowledge That all such as are once in a state of Grace shall persevere and be saved to the utmost Further they that are Christs And Spirit of Christ have the Spirit of Christ and so long as the Spirit doth not depart from them they shall never depart from God for the Spirit leads into all Truth But the Spirit of God doth never depart from them Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth c. Therefore they shall never finally depart from God Thus we have the Reasons Why the just shall persevere 2. Why perseverance through Faith Now see the Reasons Why they live this life by Faith 1. Faith layes hold on the Promise 1. Because Faith lays hold on the Promise of Perseverance 1 Cor. 18. He shall confirm you to the end that you may be blameness in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ Mat 16.18
will cast them and weigh them down but if they be resolved in the ways of God they will not easily be moved or removed Therefore Acts 11.23 the Exhortation is given That with full purpose of heart we should cleave unto the Lord. 3. Be thus resolute in Gods strength not in thine own 3. Resolve in Gods strength Peter at first was resolute but it was in his own strength therefore he fell foully though not finally God let him see his own weakness Therefore if thou wouldst be strong indeed be sure to be strong in God and in the power of his might Eph. 6 10. God is α and ω to shew that as the beginning of Grace is from him so our perseverance in Grace is from him also 4. Good grounding 4. He that would persevere to the end must be sure to make a good beginning He that would have his building stand for ever must be sure to lay a good Foundation he must be sure to be well grounded in the fundamental truths of Religion Col. 1 23. They must be well grounded and setled in the faith that would not be moved from the hope of the Gospel They that would hold close to the Truth must be well grounded in the knowledge of it A little errour in the foundation makes a great errour before you come to the top of the building And who are they that are led aside into so many and great errours in these days but such as were never well catechized So that however some of them presume to be Teachers themselves had need that one should teach them which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5 12. These are soon made a prey to Atheists and Papists When a cunning Jesuitical seducer shall come 1. With some colourable pretence of Scripture 2. Some flourish of Authority from the Ancients 3. Glorious Titles of Apostolical Succession and Antiquity 4. Voluntary Humility of Fasting and Penance Col. 2.23 c. not sparing the body 5. Feigned Miracles 2 Thess 2.9 6. Flattering and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 7. A Roman Fortitude in suffering for their Cause I say when seducing persons shall come in all this deceiveableness how shall a silly unstable Soul that was never grounded in the knowledge of the Fundamentals of Religion withstand these assaults or the like from other seducers How easily are ignorant persons drawn to any novel opinion As a childe is sooner cozened than a man of parts so such as are children and novices in the Doctrine of Faith will easily be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine 5. Christians that would persevere 5. Watching over one another should be careful not onely to watch over themselves in particular but to watch over one another mutually Heb 3.17 Exhort one another daily while it is called To day lest any of you be be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Where we may observe 1. There is none even the strongest in the flock but have need of this mutual help 2. There is none so poor and contemptible but the care of their standing belongs to all even to such Christians as are most eminent 3. Sin hath so many ways and devices whereby it is apt to beguile and seduce us that each particular person had need of more eyes than his own upon him more observers than himself alone therefore he that would stand and persevere let him not slight this Ordinance 6. Take heed of Vnbelief or Misbelief 6. Taking heed of Unbelief strive against it pray against it be humbled for it for as the just lives by his Faith the Apostate departs from the living God by his Vnbelief Heb. 3.12 As Faith unites the Soul to God so Unbelief separates the Soul from God Unbebelief denies to God the honour of his Truth Mercy and Goodness and by consequence robs the Soul of that comfort it might have in the application of these Attributes by Faith 7. 7. Examples of crowned Saints Look to the Examples of all the persevering and crowned Saints Look to the Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who all died in the faith See the excellency of Paul's Spirit Acts 20.24 who was nothing moved with afflictions neither counted his life dear to himself so he might finish his course with joy and see how comfortable you finde him at the end of his race 2 Tim. 4.7 having fought a good fight and finished his course and kept the faith and now expecting his Crown Especially look to Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 This Example the Apostle in a special manner sets before us while he is Exhorting us to run with patience the race that is set before us So that he that would hold out to the end of his race must not so much look upon his discouragements his own Corruption Satans Tentations the Worlds Oppositions as upon his incouragements his eye must be fixed on his Jesus with loving and longing looks he must look upon him as the Author and Finisher of his faith as upon such a Jesus who hath not onely purchased Salvation it self but also the grace of Faith to lay hold on this Salvation and not onely the grace of Faith but Perseverance in this Faith to the end He is the Finisher as well as the Author of our Faith He must look upon him as upon his Patern and Example as one who doth not onely point out the way of Perseverance by his Directions and Commands but even tread and trace it out before us by his Example Such as look upon Jesus as a Patern in the work of Perseverance may safely look upon him as a Patern in the Reward as he had joy set before him so have we and as he for the hope of that joy ran with courage so must we as he ran with the Cross upon his back all the way and in particular with the Cross of Shame or shame of the Cross so must we as Christ made light of all their Reproaches despised their Despisings shamed their very Shame as unworthy to be taken notice of when put into the balance against the glory that is to be revealed so must we as Christ overcame all at length and hath now laid hold on all the joy and glory for which he ran so shall we also in due time If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Because he lives we shall live also Joh. 14.19 Therefore he that would be strengthned and enabled to persevere he should be still looking to Jesus Christ that he may daily be more conformed to him Vse 5 5 Use This should put us upon the Examination of ourselves ExaminatioÌ„ of truth of Faith by its peâ—severing whether we have the true life of Grace and true Faith for then we shall persevere Joh. 8.31 If you continue in my words then are you my Disciples indeed Some indeed fall from the truth but they never were truly
of the Church onely tied to the Body as wooden Legs never living Members 1 Joh. 2.19 They went out from us because they were not of us if they had been of us they would have remained with us Therefore examine whether thou art a true child of God or no a true child of God abides in the house for ever Joh. 8. A true Christian is no changeling no Time-server in matter of Religion his Yea is Yea indeed and his Nay is Nay as 2 Cor. 1.17 18. He knows Christian Religion is not a thing that a man may play fast and loose with say and unsay do and undo as times and company and occasions alter No 't is Religi à Religando of binding a man fast to God and his Principles A man is then a Christian when his confidence in Christ is held stedfast to the end Heb. 3.14 Examine therefore if thou hast such graces as do accompany Salvation such as are not common to hypocrites An hypocrite may go far 1. He may esteem the People of God a blessed People How far an hypocrite may go as Balaam did 2. He may joyn himself to them as Simon Magus did 3 He may reform his outward conversation in many things as Herod did 4. He may in outward appearance be like a wise Virgin have his Lamp and make a shew with it though he want oil 5. He may have much knowledge and excellent gifts of Preaching and Praying Mat. 7.22 6 He may have some sweet taste and joy in the word of Truth such as Philosophers do finde in their studies for the contemplation of every Truth bringeth with it naturally a delight and the more eminent the Truth the greater is the delight Q. But what is wanting then whence is it that such an one comes short of Salvation Where an hypocrite comes short Resp. 1. An hypocrite never come up to delight in the whole Truth in every part of the Truth When it is a piercing and searching word a cutting word to say then Good is the word which the Lord hath spoken Herod did not so Therefore examine thy self how impartial thou art in receiving the whole Truth of God and that in the love of it 2. He does not desire grace as grace but onely out of a natural desire of happiness as Balaam therefore consider how sutable a good is grace to thy Soul Art thou as Isa 55.1 thirsty and is grace as Milk and Wine to the refreshing of thy Soul There is not in hypocrites a Spiritual appetite to feed upon Jesus Christ to eat his flesh and drink his blood 3. If thou wouldst go beyond an hypocrite there must be an unfeigned study not onely to keep from external acts of sin but to mortifie all that is flesh in us with all the affections and lusts of it Gal. 5.24 and to serve God in the Spirit This care is wanting in hypocrites 4. Thou must attend to do what thou dost in obedience to the Word that proved Josiah a good man indeed 2 Chron. 35.26 viz. His goodness according to that which is written in the law of God 5. Thy great study and aim must be in all thou dost to approve thy self to God to please God and not men to serve God and not thy self Gal. 1.10 If I yet please men I should not be the servant of Christ Col 3.22 23. even servants in their meanest imployments in serving their Masters must not do what they do as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God and whatever they do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men 6. All thy Obedience to God must spring from Faith working by love Gal 5.6 If sins be forgiven all duties will spring from Love the Soul loving much having much forgiven Luke 7.47 In all these Particulars hypocrites come short and therefore it is no wonder if they fall short at last but he that in these things is sincere shall never be moved Obj. But what shall we say of David and Peter what difference between these and Saul and Judas Did not these fall away from the grace they had received Resp There may be great intermissions in the actings of grace in a truly regenerate man in time of Tentation or Spiritual Desertion yet he shall not continue in that condition but shall recover his fall by the restoring grace of God Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Vse 6 6 Use In that the just lives by Faith and perseveres by Faith in this life Of Thankfulness this should excite and stir us up to Thankfulness If Adam had cause to be thankful to God for making him in his own Image placing him in Paradise and giving him dominion over all creatures how much more have the Faithful cause to be thankful who are instated in a better condition of happiness than either Adam in Paradise or the Angels in Heaven before their Fall For however it is true their condition was very happy and glorious yet it was mutable they might fall and fall they did and we finde by woful experience to this day the mortal wounds and bruises that cleave to the Sons and Daughters of Adam through his Fall But God I say hath instated the faithful in a better condition that though in themselves they are weak creatures yet through his provision for their security they shall never totally fall from the grace of Regeneration And therefore if we ought to be thankful for outward mercies of health wealth liberty peace and the like which at best are very fading like the flower of the field How soon may a mans health be turned into sickness wealth into poverty liberty into bondage and slavery and peace into war How much more should our hearts be raised up in thankfulness for such mercies as are not onely Spiritual and therefore more excellent in their very nature but are also the sure mercies of David unchangeable But the sure mercies of David are unchangeable and therefore more excellent in their continuance A man would be thankful to a friend that would give him a livelyhood for seven years much more to such a one that would freely settle the perpetuity upon him and his Heirs for ever How thankful then should we be to that God who freely bestows upon us not a livelyhood onely but even life it self And what life not of Nature onely but of Grace also not Temporal but Eternal Psa 21 24. He asked life and thou gavest it him even length of days for ever and ever We prize lives according to their duration some creatures they say are born and die again the same day and are therefore of little account But we prize those most that continue longest The long life is a blessing of that Commandment Eph. 6. which is the first Commandment with
all his Mercies All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 94.6 There is so much earthliness in our Spirits so much vanity in our Conversation so much deadness in our Duties that we do enough every day to deserve that God should strip us of his grace and cast us out of his Presence for ever Well be it so there 's the incouragement Faith assures us though we deserve no better yet Christ deserved better he hath deserved that God should continue his love and favour to us to the end This he hath merited and this he prays for That they may be kept for ever in the Name of his heavenly Father as many as are given him Joh. 17.11 And this Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 5. Uncertainty of future Events 1 Cor. 10. The fifth Discouragement is The uncertainty of future Events True a believer may say There hath hitherto no Temptation taken me but such as is common to man other men have been in as bad a condition as I am in but alas I do not know what may befall me for time to come It may be I may be afflicted and tempted as never man was It may be I may fall into such sins as yet never any of Gods people have faln into and it may be such Judgements may befal me as never yet befel any of Gods people and may I not then forsake God and God forsake me Who can tell what may befâ—l a man for the time to come I can tell what is past but who can tell what is to come Is not this the language of the Scriptures Eccles 11. Eccles 11.2 5. For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with childe even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit that is what is the way of the wind as some interpret it Joh. 3. Thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Or as others interpret it Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit of man that is thou knowest not what are his thoughts what is in his minde God onely is the searcher of the heart the Devil himself cannot know the heart of man but by some external expressions much less then canst thou know the minde of God what God means to do with thee the next year or the next day which is very elegantly set forth by another similitude Thou knowest not how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with childe even so thou knowest not the work of God who maketh all Which is as much as to say If thou dost not know what so nearly concerns thy self thy very natural being and that whereof thou maist be under God either the natural or material cause how much less then canst thou understand that which is more remote and spiritual If thou dost not know what is in the natural womb for that is laid up amongst the Secrets of God Psa 139.15 16. Onely thine eyes saith David did see my substance when I was made in secret How then shalt thou know what is in the Womb of the next year or of the next day for such a phrase you reade of in the Scripture Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Jam. 4.13 Go to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow You know not what shall appear to come forth of the womb of the morning Gods purposes from eternity are the conceptions of all productions of Providences that are as it were the births of several days and years Our purposes oftentimes and that without God are false conceptions they bring forth a lie But Gods purposes are ever true conceptions they never miscarry Prov. 19.21 There are many devices in a mans heart but the counsel of the Lord that shall ever stand But alas how shall I know what is the minde and counsel of God and the way he will go in How shall I know the womb of the morning I little know what birth the next morning may travel with what Sin or what Judgement it may bring forth It may be when I shall say Peace peace then may sudden distress come upon me as travail upon a woman with childe that I shall no way escape True indeed if thou wert an unbeliever it might be so but if thou art a true believer thou hast a Promise for future Events as thou hast Security for what is past and that both in respect of sin and affliction First for Sin Whereas thou saist It 's possible I may fall into such sins as may for ever make a separation between God and my Soul I say No it is impossible let this be spoken to thy comfort 1 Joh. 3.9 Thou shalt never fall into the Unpardonable sin because the seed of God remains in thee thou shalt never sin that sin unto death 1 Joh 3.9 2 Obj. But it may be some sore Affliction may make a separation I know not how it 's possible I should hold out in extremity of Famine or the cruelty of the Sword or some such Persecution as it may be was never yet invented What do I know what is the womb of the morning I answer There is no new thing under the Sun Eccles 1.9 10. What ever falls out thou hast a Promise for thy Security it shall not separate thee from God Rom. 8.35 nay that very Providence is thine and appointed for thy good Things to come are ours as well as present and past 1 Cor. 3.22 Think seriously upon that golden precious Promise more precious than gold that perisheth if thou hast but a hand of Faith to receive it he that can receive it let him receive it Heb. 13.5 I will never fail thee nor forsake thee Come what can come here is a Promise to lean upon Luk. 16.17 Psal 9.10 that will never fail The heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Those that seek God sincerely shall never be forsaken Our own experience and the experience of Gods people all the world over in all places and in all ages will make good this Promise They trusted in God and were helped Psa 22.4 5. Those called upon God and were delivered yea Gods answers have exceeded their desires and prayers Eph. 3.20 and if God will never forsake us we shall not â—â—rsake him Obj. But you will say How is this true Gods people have complained in all ages Why hast thou forsaken
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
of God is grieved by the sins of his own people or else that Exhortation were needless Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And if we grieve the Spirit of God be sure it will grieve our spirits it will make us glad to cry Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Psal 51.12 And if we rejoyce the Spirit of Ged it will rejoyce ours Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me saith Wisdom so I rejoyce them that rejoyce me and what rejoyces Gods Spirit but purity of heart and life Prov. 11.20 The upright in the way are his delight So God dispenses peace to such Psal 85.8 It is God who will speak peace to his Saints to his sanctified ones 'T is true indeed a man cannot be sanctified before he be justified and so soon as he is justified he hath the ground-work of peace But the Word doth strongly infer That no man is justified but he is also sanctified at the same time And God is pleased to speak peace to none but such as he is pleased to sanctifie at the same instant when he first begins to speak peace unto them Well but what shall we say for after times May they then live as they list when God hath once spoken peace to their Souls No as ever they desire to keep it when they have it as they love their peace let them not again return to folly As much as to say If they be so foolish to turn again to their former sins God will turn again to his former displeasure of which he had spoken in the former verses Not that God will hate them or look at them as his enemies but they shall know for all that though God continues to be their Father yet a Father knows how to frown upon his children and how to come with a Rod in his hand if they once wax wanton under the expression of his love and favour Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Well then as ever thou desirest to live the Life of Consolation be sure to live the Life of Sanctification Though God do not dispense comfort for thy Sanctification yet he will never dispense it without Sanctification The water of Consolation must run in a clear channel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God to their comfort Therefore as Faith purifies the heart Act. 15.9 so it comforts the heart And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Quest Yea but how shall I know I am sanctified that I may have the comfort of it Ans I answered to this in that precedent Chapter viz. Life of Faith in Sanctification Vid. supra Reas 5 5 Reason why the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation it is Why Consolation comes by Faith Because by Faith a man reflects upon his own Sanctity and Sincerity he proves it and brings it to the touchstone and when he knows it is right he hath the comfort of it For as Faith purifies the heart and conscience so the conscience thus purified doth the office of a faithful examined Witness and Judge who upon examination gives in this Judgement Thou art sincere saith Conscience to the believing Soul thou art in the Faith Christ is thine and therefore thou hast cause to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundant to you-wards Mark the ground of Paul's rejoycing was the reflect act of Faith in the testimony of his renewed conscience And lest any man should say This was a singular case 't is possible Paul might have ground of rejoycing upon the thorow examination of his own condition but ordinarily Christians cannot have the like Therefore the Apostle makes it a general case to all believers either they do or they ought to do so Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Mark this is the duty of every man that desires comfort of every man that is in the Faith Wouldst thou have comfort Then make use of thy Faith to the proving of thy self and the proving of thy work It may be thou thinkst thy Joy and Consolation must evidence thy good estate but the Word saith The evidence of thy good estate upon Proof and Trial must bring sound comfort if ever thou hast it upon good grounds Thy comfort must not be thy evidence Note but thy evidence must be thy comfort Now this is the proper act and evidence of Faith And so by Faith the just lives the Life of Consolation As for example the Word saith Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Even by this we know we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.4 But saith the conscience renewed by Faith I fear the Lord c. therefore I have cause to rejoyce Obj. Oh but these Marks and Evidences may fail you Ans Heaven and Earth shall pass but not one tittle of the Word shall fall Obj. But you may think you have these when you have them not Ans Therefore they are first to be tried by the Rule for their Principle and Existence Obj. If it be said You may think you have the witness and comfort of the Spirit when you have not Is there not a joy of the stony ground and of an hypocrite as well as the joy of a true Christian And is there not a peace from Satan in the heart as well as the peace of God Luk. 11.21 When the strong man armed keepeth the palace his goods are in peace Ans Oh but he that hath the true peace and joy in the holy Ghost cannot be deceived so he that hath the true fear of God and hunger c. cannot be deceived But of the two Note it is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than in our Graces Therefore the Scripture commands us to try our comforts by our graces but never to try our graces by our comforts as in the place before-alledged Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father It is true the first evidence of a Christians Justification in order of nature is a pure simple act of Faith laying hold on Gods free grace in a Promise indefinite made not to righteous persons but to sinners ungodlly persons and to enemies and to such as are simply so For God will strip a man of all conceits of his own Righteousness before he clothe him with the Righteousness of Christ But then the second evidence of Justification in order of nature though it be at the same instant in order of time
time oppressed with sorrows ask thy Heart and Soul that question which David did in the like case Psal 42.5 twice in one Psalm Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me and certainly the Soul would return answer My distress of sadness springs from my Vnbelief You may know the disease by the cure In the very next words O put thy trust in God hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God All sorrow of heart springs principally from our Vnbelief not from the greatness of other evils I mean destructive sorrow for godly sorrow is a friend to godly joy It is not so much the weight of the burthen as the soreness of the back that troubles the poor Beast So it is not so much the weight of outward evils as the inward soreness of a galled Conscience not purified nor healed by faith that vexeth and troubleth the poor Creature Were all sound and well within a believer might look upon the grimmest visage of outward troubles and laugh in their face Job 5.22 It is a believer he speaks to At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the field O the sweet Security that holy men do finde under the shield of Faith It is not onely a guard from outward evils but it guards the Hearts and Minds of Gods People from the very fear of evils approaching and from the sorrows of present evils This is a Receipt from Christ to keep the Heart in a cheerful frame Carry this about with thee continually and then shalt thou be never overwhelmed with sorrow I dare not say Thou shalt be free from trouble but this I dare say Thou shalt never be overcome of trouble so long as thou canst believe Hear what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed An unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Inform. 2. Unregenerate soul uncomortable soul and so a faithless heart Where there is no shield against sorrow how can there be comfort Where there is nothing but deadness where the Soul is without God without Christ without the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 what ground can there be of Hope It is the presence of the Sun that makes day and the absence of the Sun makes night So the Presence of God maketh a day-light of Comfort and his absence makes a night of Sorrow and darkness Creature-comforts are but Star-light at the best yea without God they are vanity and vexation of Spirit but when God is against a man they take part with God against the possessors of them as Balaams Ass riseth up against her Master when he riseth up against God How can a wicked man have comfort in his Possessions when God once possesses him with the serious thoughts of Death of Hell of Wrath Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Though Josephs brethren had their Sacks full of Corn and their Bags full of Money yet their hearts were full of fear and why They doubted they had not the favour of the Lord of the Countrey and they knew they could not live without him they must to him again when their Corn were spent and they were afraid his displeasure would be their utter undoing So it is with a wicked man though he abound in worldly comforts although he have his Pastures full of flocks his Barns full of corn his Coffers full of silver and gold yet for all that if God be not reconciled in Christ all these are but miserable Comforters he may lie down in sorrow for all that Isa 50. last Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart There is no peace there is no joy to the wicked saith my God Who would rest in such a condition where there is no rest to be found O who would lie down in such a bed of Snakes Inform. 3. Religious life the only comfortable life The onely truly comfortable life is a religious life a Life of Faith Some seek it in Profits some in Honour and some in Pleasures of Sin but when all is done it is no where to be found but in God Faith draws comfort from God when sense can draw none from the Creature There was a time when Davids Mountain of Prosperity was removed so that he could finde no comforts in his Wives nor in his Children nor in his Possessions nor in any thing that was formerly comfortable to him for the Amalekites had swept all away yet even then he could comfort himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 When there is the greatest famine of Comforts upon earth yet Gods People finde bread enough in their Fathers house and it is Faith that opens the Cupboard door when unbelievers perish with hunger Faith opens the Cupboard-door of their heavenly Father The just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation O then learn to take notice of the difference betwixt the godly and the ungodly the believer and the unbeliever in this respect Hear what God says Isa 65.13 14. Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and bowl for vexation of spirit Wicked men indeed may have a counterfeit joy as they have counterfeit grace they may set a good face on it when they have a full sorrowful heart Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness Whereas true joy is the upright mans portion Psa 32. last Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Gal. â—2 But the fruit of the Spirit is in love joy and peace Obj. But wicked men are very merry and cheerful without any such check they are so merry they are the very Musick of the company as Job saith of himself Job 17.6 He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was a tabret What he said as a Patient for they played upon him as men play upon Instruments they may say as Agents We are the Musick of the company where we go Ans I answer They may be so upon a gross mistake of their own condition as a godly man may be sorrowful upon mistake of his condition because he knows not his own happiness So a wicked man may be merry and cheerful because he knows not his own condition Belshazzar was in a miserable condition before he saw the Hand-writing upon the wall but he was merry and jovial before because he knew it not but so soon as he saw that intimation of Gods displeasure his guilty Conscience strook him and he was all a-mort So it is with all wicked men though they rejoyce in sin at the first though it be sweet in their mouths yet at last it
Difference twixt heavenly earthly heirs may be cheated of their Inheritance may have it violently wrested from them as Naboth Ahab was sick for his Vineyard before he had it and as sick of it when he had it Or if none of these happen yet a Father may conceive displeasure against a Son and disinherit him Or there may be so many Sons that all cannot inherit as in Abrahams Family But none of these can befal a Childe of God in respect of his heavenly Inheritance 1. Through Gods free grace he cannot spend it He is kept by the power of God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 2. The Devil shall never cheat him of it as he did our first Parents of the first Paradise The gates of Hell shall not prevail 3. It can never be taken from them by force As they are reserved for that so that is reserved for them in the heavens 4. Their Father will never take up such a displeasure as to disinherit them Gods Covenant is as the Waters of Noah for As I have sworn saith the Lord that the waters of Noah should be no more on the earth so I have sworn that I will be wroth with thee no more nor rebuke thee Isa 54.9 5. And God hath blessings enough for all his children Gen. 27.38 He hath more than One. Thus the more we look into the Scriptures still the Argument appears stronger and stronger If Sons then Heirs Quest But how shall we know that we are Sons Rom. 8.14 15 16 c. Explained Ans First the Apostle resolves it ver 14. of Rom. 8. If ye be led by the Spirit then are ye sons The Spirits Manuduction or leading is an Argument of our Manumission or freedom from under the power of our first Master Sin and Satan It 's a Metaphor taken from blinde or weak persons who are glad when one leads them and supports them in their way Thus Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law and Rom. 6.16 Secondly in the 8 of the Rom. ver 15. Rom. 8.15 But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption c. Spirit of Adoption implies two things Which implies two things 1. The Sons of God have the Nature of children in them As children naturally run to their Parents not to Strangers so do Gods children If you have a Lamb in your arms and seeing a company of Ewes about you would know which is its Dam set it down and you will soon know Nature will teach it to run to its Dam. Dost thou desire to know whether thou art Gods childe or no Observe the Bent of thy Spirit To whom dost thou run on all occasions especially in thy wants Wicked men run to the World consult with Flesh and Blood it may be go to the Devil A childe of God runs to his Father 2. The Sons of God have the Spirit of Prayer Behold he prays Act. 9.11 which is further intimated Rom 8. ver 26 27. Others may have the Gift of Prayer but the Sons of God have the Spirit of Prayer He that hath onely the Gift of Prayer it may be says much but prays nothing such as have the Spirit of Prayer possibly say nothing but pray much as Hannah 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly in the 16 ver The Spirit it self c. Rom. 8.16 The Spirit witnesseth our Sonship by a more immediate work upon our Spirit The Apostle had spoken of the Fruit of the Spirit before in the 15 ver Now he speaks of the Testimony of the Spirit it self which is an inward Testimony of the Spirit it self what secret and unspeakable Work of the Spirit perswading a Believer of Gods special love to him in Christ Even of his love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Obj. But I feel not this Witness though I feel the fruits of the Spirit Ans The Lord will give it at one time or other Wait for it knowing Note that God reserves the choicest comforts for the fittest time When Daniel was in the Lions Den the Three Children in the furnace Paul and Silas in the stocks then had they most of this Witness and Comfort And so doubtless when thou art plunged into distress when persecuted by enemies or forsaken by friends when sickness doth arrest and Death draw near and so hast most need of these comforts then thou shalt have them God who hath an appointed time wherein to come will come and will not tarry Now if by these or any of these we are assured that we are Sons then we may conclude our selves Heirs too Thus Faith assures by arguing from our Sonship 5. From the Chain of salvation 5. Faith argues from the Order and Inseperate Method of that Golden Chain Rom. 8.29 30. Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate c. and whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified But saith a Believer I am effectually called and justified therefore I shall be glorified All the men in the world or Devils in hell cannot break or pull asunder the Chain which God hath thus coupled together 6. From Christs being in Heaven 6. Faith argues from the present Possession of Heaven by our Elder Brother Joh. 14.1 2. The elder Brother sometimes takes Possession of the whole Estate in the right of all the Family 1. As our elder Brother though the rest do not come to possess their part a long while after And this Act is an Assurance to them all as if they had their Estate present Thus is a Believer ascertained by Christs possessing heaven So that as we are said to be Risen again with Christ Col. 3.1 So may we be said to be in a manner Ascended with Christ He hath raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 2.6 The Apostle speaks as if Believers were in heaven already because Christ hath taken Possession of heaven in their behalf and thereby offers strong assurance That they also shall possess it in due time Hence also is Christ called our Fore-runner Heb. 6. last 2. As our Fore-runner In the 19 ver All true Christians are compared to Sea-faring men and Christ comes first to Haven to take possession for all the rest So that the World is as a Sea An elegant Allegory The Church as a Ship out of which there 's no safety Christ is the Pilot All true Believers are Passengers that have a common Adventure The Land it 's bound for is the Kingdome of Heaven the Card or Compass is the Word of God the Wind that drives it along is the Spirit of God For the Materials The Bottom and Ballast of this Ship is made of Humility the Top of open Simplicity the Sides of Patience the Sails and Banner of Love the Cords of Charity the Rudder of Faith and the Anchor of
on the Lords day You cannot have a more lively resemblance of heaven on this side heaven than is a Sabbath sanctified in an heavenly manner It onely differs in degrees of glory and durance for what is heaven but an Eternal Sabbath and what is a Temporal Sabbath but a short a little Heaven Therefore be careful to sanctifie the Sabbath as thou desirest in a lively manner to live by Faith in regard of Life Eternal The great Cloud of Witnesses in Gods manifold blessings temporal and Spiritual upon such as carefully sanctifie the Sabbath and his many remarkable judgements in both kindes upon those that profane it or contemn it doth proclaim a necessity of keeping this Rest as ever we desire by Faith to enter into that other Rest Heb. 4.9 which yet remaineth for the people of God Our delighting to sanctifie Gods Sabbaths on earth gives full assurance to our Faith grounded upon Gods Promise that we shall enter into Gods eternal Rest in Heaven For so runs the Promise Isa 58. last If thou call the Sabbath a delight c. then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth that is in sure and safe places that 's for earthly blessings and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father that is with a heavenly inheritance For what is the heritage of Jacob but Canaan in the Type and Heaven it self in the Antitype Dost thou desire then to be assured of heaven by Faith if God raise up thy heart to delight in the sanctifying his Sabbath upon right grounds I can assure thee from the mouth of God that heaven is thine Thou shalt certainly be fed with the heritage of Jacob for as it follows in the very next words The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And so much for Exhortation Vse 5 Vse 5. Of Comfort Comfort from our heavenly life 5. Here is Comfort and Encouragement against the Evils and Temptations of this present Life As our days are few so full of evil and tentation There are tentations on the right hand as well as on the left I mean Temptations of Prosperity as well as of Adversity The best things of this present life prove the worst without Gods special grace preserving the Soul Now living by Faith in respect of Life Eternal is a singular means to preserve the Soul under Temptations of both kindes Against Adversity First under the Tentations of Adversity which lie so sore and heavy upon the poor creature that if its hope were onely in this life it could not but apprehend it self of all creatures most miserable 1 Cor. 15.20 Hear what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling-place and labour working with our hands being reviled we intreat being persecuted we suffer we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day This is the common Lot of Gods people in this world and therefore if their hope were onely in this life they were of all men most miserable Yea but the assured hope of a better life bears up their heads and hearts from sinking in the midst of all these waves For thus he that lives by Faith in regard of Eteral Life will reason What though I hunger and thirst here and am pinch'd with famine yet I shall come to such a place where I shall hunger and thirst no more Rev. 7.16 Though I be ragged and naked here I shall be clothed with Robes of Righteousness there Though I am buffeted here yet those marks of the Lord Jesus those scars I received for his Names sake shall appear like so many Stars of Glory Though I labour here even unto faintness and failing of spirits yet I shall rest from all my labours when I come there And though I have no certain dwelling-place or if I have I know not how soon I shall be turned out of doors by my earthly Landlord or by my heavenly Landlord yet there I have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Though here I be reviled and though I be defamed here yet there God shall wipe away all reproach from my name as well as all tears from mine eyes for Psa 1 49. Such honour have all his Saints Though I be persecuted here afflicted and tormented yet I know my sufferings for Christ have not so much abounded in this life but my consolation in Christ shall much more abound in the life to come If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Though I be here made the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things yet I know I shall have honour enough there when I shall be glorified in Christ and Christ shall be glorified in me When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thess 1.10 Though I am ignorant here and at the best know but in part yet I shall have fulness of knowledge there and shall know as I my self am known Though here I am imperfect in all my graces and in all my duties so that there is more of sin than of grace in every duty yet there I shall never sin against God any more never grieve his Spirit more dishonour his Name more When that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13.10 that which is imperfect shall be done away Now what a comfort and encouragement is this in the midst of all our Troubles either of sin or of affliction Here we are sure to drink of a bitter cup Ye shall indeed drink of the cup which I drink of saith Christ but the Meditation and Application of Life Eternal by Faith is a Christians Sugar which is fetcht out of the Canaries of Heaven to sweeten this bitter Cup. Here we are sure of a troublesome Pilgrimage we pass through the valley of Tears but the Meditation and Application of Life Eternal by Faith will be like Elijahâ— Chariot or like Jacobs Ladder in his troublesome journey to Padan-Aram When he slept upon the stone he had a hard Pillow but a sweet Dream whilst God made his Bed he dreamed and behold a Ladder c. And what a refreshing was this to Jacob in his troublesome journey As if the Lord had said to him Jacob thou hast a long journey to go thou must not onely go to the remote parts of the earth but thou must travel as far as heaven how will you ever get thither where will you finde a Ladder long enough and strong enough If all the Ladders in the world were tied together can they reach thither Canst thou rear them up or darest thou venture upon them Shouldst thou joyn together all thy good desires all thy good Prayers and all thy good Works
hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you not one thing hath failed thereof And this he speakes to this end that he might perswade them to live by Faith and to trust in the same God for the time to come Therefore Deut. 7.17 To cure the peoples diffidence and distrust God puts them in minde of former experiences If thou shalt say in thine heart These Nations are more than I how can I dispossess them Thou shalt not be afraid of them but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and all Egypt So shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid As if he should say That God who hath made good his promise in his peoples deliverance for the time past he will do it for the time to come also This was Davids gracious Logick both Reason rectified and Grace taught him to argue thus 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim Paul fetches such another Argument from his deliverance out of the paw or mouth of the Lion And what of that 2 Tim. 4. Mark his Argument The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Observe all these holy men of God by their former experience were built up in future confidence and so should we be Obj. If you shall say Where lies the strength of this Reason viz. Because God makes good his Word and Promise at one time to such as trust in him are we therefore sure he will make it good at another Ans I answer We may well be assured of it and that upon these grounds First from the Nature of Gods Covenant and Promise His Covenant is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.40 His Promise is very comprehensive it reacheth to all persons that are heirs of the Promise it belongs to all Saints Eph 3.18 To all places where ere those persons come 1 Kings 20 28. To all times Heb. 13.5 Isa 40.8 The Word of God standeth for ever Therefore whom God once delivers in a way of Covenant-mercy he will for ever deliver Secondly We may argue from the Nature of God For were the Covenant made never so sure like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that it should not be changed yet if God were of a changeable Nature all were as good as nothing As we see in the Covenants of vain and changeable men they snap them asunder as Samson did his cords But God is an Vnchangeable God and this puts life into that unchangeable Covenant Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore you Sons of Jacob are not consumed He is unchangeable in all his Attributes Unchangeable in his Love Jer. 31.3 In his Truth Psal 117.2 In his Power Isa 59.1 2. And therefore by the same reason that we trust in God once we have cause to trust in him for ever Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Thirdly The third and the last Argument is drawn from the Nature of the Price paid by Jesus Christ to his Father for all the good things that he hath promised The price of his own Blood which Blood of his in the Merit and Value of it is ever pleading and speaking better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.25 By vertue of his blood Christ pleads thus for each believing Soul Father bestow this Mercy on such a man for I have paid for that Mercy also And Father bestow such a Deliverance upon him for I have paid the price for that Deliverance also and so for a Thousand Mercies and Deliverances one after another As when the Price oâ— Ransom is paid for one in Prison when one or two doors are opened 't is an assurance to the poor Prisoner that the rest will soon be opened because the price is paid for the opening of all So in this case upon these grounds and experiences of Gods goodness and faithfulness for time past do we and ought we to strengthen Faith for the time to come The second sort of Reasons Second sort of Reasons for living by faith viz. The relation betwixt Christ and a Believer is drawn from that Relation which is betwixt Christ and a Believer 1. Christ is the Fountain and out of his fulness we do all receive grace for grace 2. Christ is our Lord and Master and therefore we are bound to give unto him the honour that is due to his Name But we can do neither the one nor the other without Faith we can neither receive from Christ what we want nor give unto Christ what is his due without Faith Christ is the Fountain of Grace 1. Christ is the Fountain and out of his fulness we all receive grace for grace but without Faith we cannot be united to this Fountain nor draw any thing from him The Water-Cock is in the house but the Spring-Head is in the field So the Water-Cock of Grace is in the Soul but the Spring-Head that feeds this is in Christ I am the life saith Christ Joh. 14.6 Life is radically in Jesus Christ Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life Now then there must be some Conduit-pipe to convey this Water of Life to the Soul and that is Faith Joh. 7.38 He that believeth in me as the Scripture haâ—h said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water And thus a believer lives by a Principle out of himself namely in Jesus Christ Gal 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who hath loved me c. 1 Joh 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and what is it to have the Son but to believe in the Son to be united to him by Faith As the the Water-Cock is united to the Fountain by the Conduit-pipe As the Heads of those Rivers that water the Garden of Paradise were out of Paradise So the Head and Spring of those Streams of Grace that water the Soul are out of the Soul even in Christ the Fountain All my fresh springs are in thee Psal 87.7 Though some understand it of the Church of God it is more eminently true of God himself Therefore a gracious Soul lives by Faith because by Faith he is united to Christ the Fountain of all Grace Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Secondly As Christ is our Lord and Master we are bound to give to him the honour due to his Name Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord and Master where is my fear and honour But we cannot honour him without Faith Faith brings a great deal of Honour to God and Jesus Christ therefore he will have
bread without a word from God how much less the Soul The Creature is vain therefore it is vain to live upon the Creature It 's vain in its nature vain in its strength and efficacy if God withdraws his influence and vain in its duration having in it self a Principle of its own corruption and why should Immortal Souls offer to live upon Mortal Creatures and yet thus do most men in stead of living by Faith upon God they live upon the Creature 1. As Riches 1. Some live upon their Riches though God hath put in a Caveat to the contrary If riches increase set not your heart upon them with a special charge 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God The living God Note is the godly mans living but he is a dead-hearted creature that lives upon creatures as dead as himself It was the speech of a very fool Luk. 12.19 Soul eat drink and be merry thou hast many goods laid up for thee c. 2. Or Friends 2. Others live upon their Friends O they have such a friend that supplies all their wants from year to year or such a friend that hath ingaged both his fidelity and ability for their preferment or for their maintenance he hath made a faithful Promise and they dare take his word and trust to it Alas poor deceived Soul darest thou lean upon the Word and Promise of a Creature of a Mortal Creature a vain and vanishing Creature for every man at his best estate is altogether vanity and darest thou not lean upon the Word and Promise of the All-sufficient Jehovah Out of thy own mouth and out of thy own practice thou shalt be condemned Thou canst live by Faith in the Creature and yet wilt not live by Faith in God and therefore hear thy doom Jer. 17.5 God hath spoken it and the Creature shall finde it Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Mark ye where there is a trust and confidence in the Creature there is always a distrust and diffidence in respect of God And therefore in this case no help or blessing a man can finde among the Creatures can save him from the Curse and Judgement of God 4. Others live upon the Creature within themselves 4. Upon themselves in stead of living upon God by Faith For the Creature is apt to live upon the Creature within it self as well as to live upon the Creature without it self Nay he that scorns to live upon another either God or Man yet he prides himself in this That he can live as he thinks of himself And indeed nothing is more contrary to the Life of Faith than this The Life of Faith is a Life of Self-denial and the setting up of Self is the denying of the Faith and a denying of God Yet most men live upon themselves they set up sinful Self or natural Self or artificial Self or moral Self or religious Self 1. Some set up Sinful Self for their sins are themselves 1. Sinful Self and the forsaking of sin is the forsaking of Self But of this we have spoken already 2. Some set up Natural Self 2. Natural Self in stead of living by their Faith 1. They live by their Wits and Cunning Shifts but this is a poor shift in conclusion for God taketh the wise in their own craftiness Joh. 5.12 2. Some live by their own Reason and will believe no more nor do no more than corrupt Reason gives assent to As for Example Let God command kindness to strangers such as a man never saw before and is never like to see again In this case Natural Self disputes quarrels and reasons the case 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my bread my water and my flesh and give it unto men who I know not whence they be 3. Again suppose God threatens downfal to sinners in the greatest height of Prosperity Natural Self will not believe it so long as it sees no visible means Tush saith Babylon the words of the Prophet are but wind I sit as a Queen and shall never be moved 4. Let God promise deliverance out of the lowest Dungeon of Adversity Natural Reason will never believe it unless it sees visible means of relief If God should make windows in heaven could this thing be Can God prepare a Table in the Wilderness What in the Wilderness where there is neither Corn nor Roots nor Fish nor Fowl nor any beasts that they can lay their hands upon The beasts of the Wilderness may devour them but they can never feed upon the beasts Therefore whatever God promise they will believe nothing unless they see a Reason for it because they set up Natural Self 3. Artificial Self 3. Some live upon Artificial Self A mans Art and Trade is called his living and so it is indeed under God but when we set it above God that 's dangerous When men make a Diana of their Trade because by that craft they get their living this is to thrust out the true God and to make an Idol of their Art and Skill and so to Sacrifice to their Net or to their Plough or to their Pen or to their Trade or to their Merchandize Woe be to such men Habak 1. last Haggai 1.6 They put what they have into a broken bagge a bagge with holes 4. Some live upon Moral Self 4. Moral Self because they are fairer conditioned towards men and have committed as they think no gross enormous actual sin against God O they think all is well they are in the way to life and salvation before they come to understand the breadth of Gods Commandments and the Spiritual meaning of the Law They make no question but they are in the way to life and salvation Rom. 7.9 For I was alive without the Law says the Apostle but when the commandment came sin revived and I died Before the Commandment came home to my Conscience I was alive I thought my self in a good condition sin never troubled me but after it came home to the purpose I saw my self in a dead condition without a Saviour for Rom 3.20 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight 5. Some live upon Religious Self besides Moral Self 5. Religious Self O they have received such and such Graces they perform such and such Duties far beyond an ordinary Moralist Luk. 18.12 The Pharisee was not onely eminent in Moral Duties to men but in Religious Duties yea and extraordinary Religious Duties to God for he fasted no less than twice every week Now this puts life into his heart that he dare plead with God himself for acceptance he made no question but he was in the state of life But he was grosly mistaken Whilst he goes about to establish his own Righteousness he cannot
submit to the Righteousness of God and so he falls short of the Life of Justification For the poor Self-denying Publican went down to his house justified rather than the other Note Whoever sets up Religious self in point of Justification he stands in his own light he sets up himself betwixt Christ and his own Soul For he is the true light who lightens every one that comes into the world And the Just shall live by Faith in him And therefore he that sets up Religious Self in the room of Christ he sins against his own Soul And thus some live upon other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Second sort reproved Such as profess Faith but live not by it Secondly It Reproves such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade So multitudes make a Profession of Faith and say I believe in God the Father Almighty c. and in Jesus Christ c. But when they have made this Profession they live not by this faith which they so solemnly profess Indeed many talk of it but few walk by it Many swear by it few live by it It is a rare thing to finde a man that makes use of his Faith in all his dealing Many make use of their carnal Reason and many make use of Sense but few make use of Faith in those things which are above the grasp of Sense and Reason Our Saviour Christ might well say Luk. 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he finde Faith upon the Earth Look upon the vast Globe of the Earth into what narrow compass they are brought that make any Profession of the Faith Doth not the Turk possess the greatest part of the Eastern World Amongst those that do profess the Faith for Name sake how many do fulfil that sad Prophecy of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Scripture speaketh expresly In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstrain from meats Is not this as lively a description of their Popish Doctrine as if the Apostle had been alive to see what they do and to hear what they speak at this day And doth not this Doctrine over-spread the greatest part of the Western World Besides whole Clouds of Errours and gross Opinions arising daily out of the Bottomless Pit and obscuring for the present the bright Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Is there not in these days a Resurrection of Hymeneus and Philetus or at least a Resurrection of loose Opinions who deny the Resurrection and say it is past already and by this means overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2 17 18. Again amongst those who do profess the true Faith for the Doctrinal part and are well principled in it how few are there that walk up to their Principles and so live by Faith in the practical part of their life That saying is fulfilled which is written Tit. 1 last They profess they know God and so they profess they believe in God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Though they make Profession of Faith look upon them in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and discoursing and in a word in the whole Series of their conversing with men you shall see no more of Faith in them saving the bare Profession than if they were very heathens And these are the second sort to be Reproved such as make Profession of the Faith but they live not by it Thirdly The third sort are such 3. Third sort Reproved Such as duly act not their Faith who not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not they live not by it As a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of improving what he hath So do some men in a Spiritual sense It may be God hath inrich'd them with the grace of Faith and yet at some times and in some cases they live as if they had no faith at all as in difficult duties especially in great and sudden Trials Like a young Fencer Simile when he meets with an unwonted stroke he is put besides his skill and besides his ordinary guard and throws down his weapons So did the Disciples upon the sudden storm Luk. 8.24 Insomuch as Christ says Where is your faith Faith they had indeed but there was none to be seen at that time And therefore in the other Evangelist Mark 4.40 Christ saith upon the same occasion How is it that ye have not faith What had they no faith at all were the Disciples Vnbelievers No certainly there 's no question but they had the habit of Faith but there was no apparent act of Faith and therefore they were justly reproved by their Master And so are all such who having the grace of Faith do not labour upon all occasions to make use of it and to improve it for their own and others best advantage For this is properly to live by Faith But many are too blame in this particular they suffer their Faith to lie asleep And we may say to such as Christ to the Disciples Where is your faith They act not their faith in the Precept or Promise upon all occasions living upon a Word from God as they ought to do and therefore we may say Where is your faith For as Faith is the life of the Soul so the Word is the life of Faith and God is the life of the Word And therefore such as live not by Faith upon a Word from God upon particular emergent occasions we may say Where is your faith To instance a little in some particular in regard of our 1. Actions 2 Passions and 3. Elections Whether in 1. Actions 1. For our Actions Doth God call for Obedience as a necessary fruit of Faith in such plain and known Duties and thou standest with a stiff neck and wilt not bow or buckle to the serious Performance thereof May we not say in this case Where is thy faith Is not the Word plain Faith worketh by love and If ye love me keep my Commandments Again doth God call for Mercy and Almsdeeds with Promise of a large Retribution and thou hardenest thy heart and knittest thy fist and bendest thy brows against the Poor Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Promise to ground thy faith upon Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given 2. Art thou in a prosperous Condition 2. Conditions Psal 62.10 and dost thou trust to thy Mountain of Prosperity O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word If riches increase set not
that it is the Work of a God and not of a Creature All the Ministers in the World cannot do it without the Spirit and therefore it is said Gen. 9.27 God inlarge or God perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. The Jews came of Shem and were the first Church of Japhet came the Gentiles and they were strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel Now it must be the Work of an Almighty God to perswade them to believe and so to dwell in the Tents of Shem. We are all naturally so imprisoned and lockt up under Unbelief that in case our hearts are once set at liberty to imbrace the Promise and Christ in the Promise we may well say as Peter said when he came to himself and found that he was delivered out of Prison Acts 12.11 Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod c. So may a Believer say who is awakened out of his dead sleep as Peter was Now I know of a surety that God hath sent his Spirit and hath deliverd me out of the hand of the spiritual Herod out of the hand of Satan It is he that hath delivered me out of the prison of Sin It is he that hath caused the Iron-gates of my unbelieving heart to fly open of its own accord It is he that by the Power of his Spirit hath loosed and shaken off all the Chains and Bolts of natural Corruptions and sinful Customs what was impossible to me God hath made feasible and easie and therefore to Him be all the praise and glory who hath fulfilled the work of faith with power 2 Thess 1.11 Thus it was with David who naturally being the servant of Sin and perceiving himself redeemed and manu-mitted by the Power of Gods Grace he doth freely in a way of Thankfulness offer up himself to the Service of God as if it were his perfect freedom Psal 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds What follows I will offer to thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving And this is the third Consideration that should move us to be thankful Fourthly It is such a Gift as is very precious 4. Faith is a most precious gift and therefore we should be very thankful for it It is true indeed Christ is very precious he is so in himself whether we believe or no But he is not so to us unless we imbrace him by faith 1 Pet. 2.7 This sets a price upon him to the purpose Therefore we should account that faith precious that makes Christ himself so precious to our Souls Men use to be thankful for precious gifts Now there are three things in Scripture accounted precious Three things very precious First The Pearl it self Secondly The Cabinet that holds it Thirdly The skilful Hand that hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet and lay hold upon it 1. The Pearl it self viz Jesus Christ he is 〈◊〉 precious Mat. 13.45 46. so precious that the Merchant-man is content to sell all that he hath so he may but compass this Pearl Farewel Profits farewel Pleasures farewel Honours farewel Sin so I may but injoy Christ I am willing to part with all 2. The Cabinet that holds the Pearl is precious 2 Pet. 1.4 There are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature One Promise is more worth than all the world How should we know where to finde the Pearl if God had not laid it up in such a precious Cabinet Therefore the Cabinet also is precious 3. The skilful Hand which hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet and lay hold upon the Pearl that is 〈◊〉 precious hand Were the Cabinet and the Pearl never so precious yet if we had no hand to open the Cabinet or lay hold on the Pearl what were we the better But Faith hath skill and power from God to open the Cabinet and to lay hold upon the Pearl and to say This is mine and therefore this Faith must needs be precious Faith The preciousness of Faith in 4 respects 2 Pet. 1.1 It is a precious hand in four respects 1. Because it lays hold upon precious things Precious Christ Precious Promises Precious Righteousness and Precious Holiness For we are justified by Faith and sanctified by Faith as we have already proved at large 2. Because in case it lays hold on things not precious it makes them precious As it makes difficult things easie all things are possible to him that believeth so it makes vile things become precious Rom. 8.28 And this we know saith the Apostle that all things work together for good to them that love God 'T is all one as if he had said To them that believe in God For Faith worketh by love it turneth Iron-fetters into Golden chains There is much talk of the Philosphers Stone what great wonders it would do if it could be found out But this is true of Faith It turneth all that it toucheth into that which is most precious It was fabled of Midas That it was his desire whatever he touch'd might be turned into Gold he had his desire and yet he repented himself when he had done say they Because his very meat was turned into gold that should have preserved his life But whatever a Believer touches by Faith if it be not turned into Gold it is turned into that which is more precious than Gold Suppose he meet with Poverty or with Bonds and Imprisonment I know saith the Apostle that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 And thus Faith is precious for it maketh even vile things become precious 3. Because it lays hold on precious things for it self The Master of a Ship may carry abundance of Treasure for another man But whatever precious things Faith lays hold on it makes them it s own My God and my Lord saith Thomas I live by the faith of the Son of God saith Paul who hath loved me and given himself for me My beloved is mine and I am his My Christ My Promise My Heaven All is mine saith Faith All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.23 4. Because it lays fast hold it lays hold for ever on those precious things If a Believer should lay hold and let go again his Faith were not so precious Nay the more happy a man esteems himself in the enjoyment of a good thing the more miserable he apprehends himself to be in the loss of it But Faith lays hold upon Christ for ever Once thine and for ever thine for The Just lives by Faith the Life of Conservation or Perseverance It may be thou art afraid thou shouldst let thy hold go of Christ But to be sure Christ will never let his hold go
Matthew Chap. 13. First he sets down Gods blinding their eyes and hardning their hearts in the 14 Verse and then he sets down the peoples wilful shutting of their own eyes and hardning of their own hearts in the 15 Verse as the very cause of the former for saith he This peoples heart is waxed gross and their eyes have they closed c. Because they wilfully closed their own eyes and would not see so much as they might have seen by the improvement of the means therefore God gave them up to further blindness because they wilfully hardned their own hearts against Judgements and Mercies therefore God gave them up to further hardness 'T is true indeed we are all naturally blinde and hard-hearted but when unto this natural blindness and hardness of heart we do adde an affected voluntary wilful blindness of mind and hardness of heart Then at the last after the exercise of a great deal of patience and long-suffering for 't is observable this very Prophet was Preaching to them and proffering mercy upon their Repentance above threescore years together I say at the last after the abuse of so many precious Means Mercies and Motions of his Holy Spirit at last when Gods patience is tired out so that he can bear and forbear no longer I am weary with repenting saith God Jer. 15.6 therefore at the last God gives up to judicial blindness of minde and hardness of heart Their affected voluntary and wilful blindness is at the last after so long a time as the Author to the Hebrews speaks it is punished with judicial blindness and hardness of heart and this is the sorest blindness on this side Hell to be given up to this judicial blindness and unbelief As Jacob said of his Vision Gen. 28.17 This is none other but the House of God and this is the gate of Heaven So may we say on the other side of this Judgement of the Prophets Vision This is none other but the very house of the strong man armed and this is the gate of Hell But you will say How then should we remove this Impediment and who shall be found able to rowl away this stone I confess Hic labor hoc opus est This is a work which all the Angels in Heaven and Men upon Earth are not able to do It is possible judicial hardness and unbelief may come to such a height that there is no remedy as God himself saith 2 Chron. 36.16 But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people there was no remedy O who is able to rowl away this stone Note And therefore my advice is rather to prevent this Impediment than to be put to the removing of it for it is far easier to prevent it than to remove it As thou lovest thine own Soul take heed of wilful and obstinate blindness and hardness of heart lest God lay it upon thee so as at the last thy very sin be turned into thy Judgement 4 Relief O take heed of Disputing Quarrelling Cavilling and Mocking when the Word shines bright upon thee For what is this but to shut the door of thine eyes ear and heart lest the light should come in upon thee And in this case God may justly clap a Lock and a Chain and a Bolt upon the Door and say It shall never be opened more Isa 28.22 Be ye not mockers lest your bands be made strong O remember that fiery Thunder-bolt of Gods Threatning and let it be as a Warning-piece to thee Ezek. 24.13 I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee So may God say 1 Pet. 3. Time was when once my long-suffering waited for thee as in the days of Noah Time was when I would have gathered thee as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her wings Mat. 23.37 Time was that I would have pacified thy heart and life by Faith but thou wouldst not believe yea thou hast despised the riches of my goodness Rom. 2.4 5. and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart that cannot repent thou treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God And therefore I say once again as thou lovest thy own Soul take heed of wilful blindness lest God deliever thee up to judicial blindness and to the power of Unbelief Quest But you will say Is there no remedy is there no hope in Israel concerning this thing Ans I answer Though it is possible for a creature to come to that pass there is no remedy as I said before yet for all that I must tell you there is a lower degree of judicial or probational hardness which God sometimes layeth upon his own deer Children as a just Correction of their former negligence and as a means to heal it also and so this may be removed Quest But you will say How shall it be removed how shall we rowl away this stone Ans I answer It is done by Humiliation and Prayer and laying hold of Gods Covenant of Free-grace afresh Take this for thy comfort though thou art troubled with much remaining hardness of heart yet that hardness of heart which is to thy grief shall never be to thy ruine That which works kindly to thy Humiliation shall never be to thy Condemnation as in the case of Ephraim Jer. 31.18 And therefore plead Covenant plead with God in Prayer as his People do in this very case Isa 63.17 Lord why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy fear If we can but thus pray and thus be humbled there is hope in Israel concerning this thing nay there is certain assurance If we judge our selves we shall not be judged The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it 1 Cor. 11.31 Thus much for the fourth Impediment of Faith and the Means to remove it Obj. But against this that hath been spoken concerning this fourth Impediment it may be objected Why should God punish any with judicial hardness and blindness for that which we cannot help Our hearts are so hard they cannot repent or believe Ans As that Reverend Fenner in his Book of Self-murther It is not so much a wicked mans cannot as his will not that condemns him he will not understand repent believe therefore he is justly condemned Obj. There is a fallacy in that for his will not and cannot are both one There 's impotency in his Will as well as in his Understanding and other Faculties his Will is not free to that which is good he cannot will as he ought to do therefore to what end is it either to perswade natural men to will what is good or blame them if they do not For Ans Divers things though that Rom.
would believe must be resolved to break through all Impediments as Davids Worthies brake through the Host of the Philistims Armies of oppositions are against us yet be resolute If God be for us who shall be against us The beginnings of faith will remove all these Mountains that lie in the way by laying hold of the Promises Isa 54.14 Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people See Isa 40.3 and 42.16 and 62.10 But we pass from the Lets and Impediments to the Helps and Furtherances of Faith which are the second sort of Means to be used for the obtaining of this precious Grace of Faith 2. Positive means of Faith We have already removed the Rubbish we come now to such helps as may tend through Gods blessing to the advancing of the Building Onely take it with this Caution Caution Nothing that we can do either by way of preparation or otherwise can be effectual as from any power in our selves either to the begetting or to the increasing of Faith Rom. 9.16 It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy And hence it is sometimes that Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the most opposite gainsayers of his Word and Ways A man comes to the Congregation with all the prejudice that may be both against the Ordinance it self and the dispensers of it Well saith he I 'll go hear what this prating Preacher what this babler can say if it be but to make my self merry or to see if I can entangle him in something that is delivered and yet it may be God meets this man in the full career of his opposition as he met Paul when he was a Saul Acts 9. and tells him 'T is hard for him to kick against the pricks One of Christs arrows shot out from the mouth of the Minister wounds him to the very heart and he cannot be quiet till the same hand that wounded him do heal him again I kill and I give life I wound and make whole saith the Lord which is as true of the Soul as of the Body Deut. 32.39 Now all this plainly sheweth the work is wholly of God and not of our selves nor in the power of second Means But yet for all this I say means are to be used by way of Gods Ordinance though the efficacy of the means depends wholly upon God and not upon our selves And therefore it is very observable in that most miraculous Conversion of the Apostle in the 9th of the Acts when God met him and unhors'd him and astonish'd him and strook him into a trembling Fit and whilst he was breathing out threatnings against the People of God he so tam'd his proud spirit that he is glad to say Lord what wilt thou have me to do yet I say it is very observable that however God begun the work of his Conversion by his own immediate hand yet he would not finish it without second means without the hand of an Instrument And therefore when Paul said What wilt thou have me to do Lord Christ doth not say I would have thee do this or that neither doth he restore his sight to him for the present but he bids him go to the City and there Ananias must be an instrument under Jesus Christ to restore his sight and to give him in charge what God would have him do Much more then in the ordinary way of Gods working are we bound to the use of second means as ever we desire the recovery of our Spiritual sight or the obtaining of this precious grace of faith What are those means then that we must use and attend upon Answ 1. Is the Word of God Means the Preaching of the Word The Scripture is very clear in this 1. Word of God Rom 10.14 How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and ver 17. So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Therefore as Faith is the Life of the Soul under God so the Word is the Life of Faith As the Just lives by Faith so Faith lives upon the Word No Humane Testimony though great respect and reverence is to be had to the Church and Godly writers yet I say No humane Testimony can be the ground of Divine Faith 'T is true indeed the Word cannot work Faith without the Spirit I will not say The Spirit cannot work Faith without the Word But this I say That Ordinarily the Spirit doth not work Faith without the Word Though the Spirit be not absolutely bound to the use of Means yet we are bound to the use of them as ever we expect the Spirit Here will I meet with thee saith the Spirit Therefore it is very observable Where God makes a Promise of the Spirit in the same place also he makes a Promise of the Word to continue with his Church to the end of the World Isa 59. last As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever The Word and the Spirit you see go hand in hand therefore we are not to expect the Spirit without the Word neither are we to expect Fath which is wrought by thy Spirit unlesse it be also wrought by the Word as the Organ or Instrument of the Spirit And hence also the Word of God is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Because Faith in grown persons is wrought by the Word and so the Word is both the Object and the Instrument of Faith It is Verbum quod creditur and Verbum quô creditur the Word that is believed and the Word by which we are moved to believe this or that And how should we then with all care and conscience attend upon the Ministery of the Word as ever we desire faith as ever we desire life Would we live for ever O hear says God and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 Mark that Hear and your soul shall live no hearing no life because no hearing no faith for The just lives by his faith and his faith lives by the Word And therefore such as live above Ordinances and above the Word I know not what to make of them they are such as live not by faith but above faith They must either be in Heaven or nearer to Hell than they are aware for all the true Members of the Church upon earth do live by Faith and that faith upon the Word And therefore such persons as live above Ordinances in that sense so as to be content to live without them are of a strange temper They are like such conceited
lettest me see my own weaknesse and inabâ—lity to believe let me also see thy power in creating this grace of Faith in my heart And this is that other powerful means for the begetting of Faiâ—h Remember Preaching is the First Prayer is the Second Let not Preaching justle out Prayer nor let Prayer justle out Preaching as some would have the Ordinances quarrel one with another whereas all lend their hands and their natural help to give a lift at Faith It is not the Word without the Spirit can do it Therefore do thou pray the Spirit may speak to thy heart while the Minister Preacheth to the ear That is a remarkable passage Act. 11 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them with the Preachers and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Mark that The hand of the Lord was with them We may preach long enough before we convert one soul if the hand of the Lord be not with us till the bellows be burnt Jer. 6.29 Therefore as Ministers should spend time before-hand in praying as well as in studying So should people also in praying for the Minister as well as in hearing of him Before thou goest to the Congregation lift up thy heart to God in this or the like manner Lord let thy powerful hand go along with the Minister this day O let thy hand go along with his tongue that I may have grace to believe what he speaks to my Soul in thy Name whilst he knocks at the door of my heart let thy Spirit unlock it for me as the heart of Lydia was unlocked Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened whilst Paul was preaching to her To conclude Eph. 2.2 Remember Faith is the gift of God and therefore good reason that we should pray God to give us Faith Prayer of a Natural man It is Objected We cannot pray without Faith and therefore how can we pray for Faith before we have it This is to put a natural man upon duty before he be come to Christ and what fruit can we expect from this I Answer 1 God hath no where freed a natural man from his duty though he hath lost his power to perfom it 2. As we tell natural men their duty so we are to let them know from whom they may have power to perform it namely from Christ if they be willing to close with him 3. It is evident natural men are called upon to perform some duties before they do believe As for hearing the case is plain Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing therefore we must hear before we can believe and so for Prayer Act. 8.22 23. Peter cals upon Simon Magus to pray though he was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Object But may not such prayer justly be abominable to God whilst we are strangers to God and Christ If I were a friend indeed then I might hope to speed according to that expression of Christ Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants but friends c. And therefore in the next verse he saith Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name he shall give it you Friends may look to speed but strangers may ask and go without Ans I answer It is true the prayers of such as are strangers to Jesus Christ may justly be abominable But yet if we observe it God gives some incouragement a loof off that such as are strangers may not utterly be discouraged to cry to God for the bread of Life for the Scripture tels us an importunate suiter may be heard though not as a friend yet for his Importunity sake Luke 11.8 Object But where do you find that God hath heard the prayer of a natural man or unconverted Ans I answer 1. The Scripture saith nothing in vain Jam 4 5. But Act. 8.22 Such a one is exhorted to pray to God 2. Though God threatneth wicked men that are resolved to go on in their sins that he will stop his ears to their prayers yet sometimes when they are deeply humbled though not wholly converted God hath heard their prayers that this his goodness might lead them to through repentance He heard the prayer of Abimilech Gen. 20.4 and of the heathenish Mariners Jonah 1.5 14. Of Ahab when he humbled himself 1 Kin. 21. last And of Jehoahaz 2 Kin. 13.3 4. And Jehoahaz besought the Lord and the Lord hearkned unto him c. Yet this is observable Caution that the prayers of the righteous man availeth much more Jam. 5.16 The incouragement of Simon Magus was but if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8.22 And God threatens such as afflict any widow or fatherless child Exod. 22.22 23. If thou afflict them in any wise as if he should say Take heed thou dost not Why If they cry at all unto me I will surely hear their cry Object But these prayers are for temporal mercies and not spiritual Answ If God will hear the prayers of such for temporal mercies then much more for spiritual mercies because those prayers are more agreeable to Gods will to seek the things of his Kingdom When Solomon asked wisdom 1 King 3 6 c. 10. And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Object But a natural man cannot discern nor yet desire the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom 8 7. Answ We must distinguish of natural men 1. Some left wholly to themselves 2. Some are stirred up and enlightned in a great measure though not wholly converted Of such Christ speaks they are not far from the Kingdom of God Mar. 12.34 Though all natural men be infinitely distant by Nature yet God brings some neerer and neerer by degrees till they enter in Although others may be neer and never enter of such also speaks the Author to the Hebrews 6.4 For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance Now though some such fall away yet others in the use of Means come at last to be fully converted and Prayer is one Means among the rest Look upon Manasses 2 Chro 33.12 c. When he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication Look upon Paul Act. 9.11 behold he prayeth Yet his Conversion was not wholly perfected though his conscience was stirred and he was much humbled for as yet he was not instructed by Ananias he had not received his sight a pledge of the cure of his Spiritual blindness he had not
to see Treasures of Wisdom in Christ to make thee wise of Righteousness to cover thy sins of Grace to supply all thy defects of Strength to enable to all holy service and this will quicken thee to believe in him Doubtless vain and ignorant men think they see an emptiness in Christ and the ways of Christ and a fulness in themselves and in the Creature Therefore they leave Christ and embrace the Creature Rev. 3.17 Thou saist I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked But Gods People see an emptiness in themselves and all other creatures but a fulness in Christ In Christ there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-sufficiency All-sufficiency Sole-sufficiency 1. He is Self-sufficiency he is Jehovah he hath a being of himself without any dependance upon any other and therefore onely to be trusted to for that which depends upon another may fall as the greatest of men Psal 146.3 4 5. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Sons of men in whom there is no help His breath goeth forth he turneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the LORD his God 2. All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect All good is to be found in God This or that creature hath but a particular good Meat is good against hunger clothes against nakedness but clothes will not satisfie hunger nor meat cover the nakedness but God is All-sufficient 3. Sole-Sufficiency That is he is only sufficient all without him is but vanity He is God only good as God only wise He fils all in all every wayes able to supply all our wants and therefore a most suitable object of our Faith It was that which drew the Prodigal home to his fathers house Luk. 15.17 viz. A sense of his own wants I perish with hunger and apprehension of his fathers fulness in my fathers house is bread enough What follows upon that A gracious Act of repentance and faith ver 18. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son c. And this is the fifth means labour to see thy own wants and weaknesses on the one side and those infinite treasures that are laid up in Christ on the other side Sixthly and last of all 6 Last Mean Mat. 11.12 Diligence in all Means As we must seek Christ and Faith in the use of Means so we must use the Means with all diligence if we desire to speed 2 Pet. 1.5 10. The Apostle cals upon us Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. And give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Now this Diligence implyes three things 1. A very high Esteem of the Means For a man will never use diligence in that which he values not Psal 119.71 The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me than thousands of gold and silver 2. A great deal of Prayers and Labour in the use of the Means a diligent man is ever laborious in his way Pro. 2.4 5. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God You know what pains they take who labour in silver mines and such pains should they take who seek after Faith 3. This Diligence implyes the use of all Means with Perseverance We do not account him diligent that works but by fits and by starts and when he doth work he will be sure to pick and chuse to take that he likes and leave the rest Neither is that soul diligent in the use of the Means that takes up one ordinance and layes down another or takes it up at one time and layes it down at another though God cals for it at both alike He that wilfully contemns God in one thing contemns him in all Therefore remember to seek God in the use of all Means with Perseverance The blessing and promise is intailed to such Prov. 8 34. There is the blessing Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Wisdom watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Jer. 29.13 There is the promise And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Therefore be sure to use all means with all diligence as ever we desire to find the precious pearl of saving Faith And hitherto of the first Branch of the Exhortation If the Just lives by Faith if Faith be such an excellent Grace labour to get it With all getting get Faith We come now to the Second 2. Branch of Exhortation to keep Faith 2. Labour to keep it when thou hast it It is no lesse piece of Spiritual good husbandry to keep our stock of Faith when we have it then to get it at the first It is not enough that once we have believed and laid hold of the promise but we must keep our Faith and keep our hold as we desire to keep our Grace and to keep our Peace and indeed to keep our God And therefore observe how the Apostle cites this Text Heb. 10.38 Now the just shall live by his Faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him As if he should say It is to little purpose to believe for a time and in the hour of temptation to fall away For as such a soul takes little or no pleasure in God so God takes as little pleasure in him It is the precept of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering to the end Now the profession of our faith and faith it selfe is all one with God and should be all one with us because there ought to be no profession of faith without the Grace of Faith And this we are to hold fast without wavering to the end It was the ordinary practice of the Apostles not only to beget many to the Faith but when they had done they went up and down to visit those places and persons on purpose to establish and confirm them in the Faith Act. 14.22 Confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith c. Act. 16.4 5. It was the Apostles exhortation to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong It is not enough that we have faith but we must endeavour to keep it and to stand fast in it when we have it Therefore he perswadeth the Colossians to be setled and grounded in the faith Col. 1.23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved
judgement will soon weaken our faith 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness An unconstant man that halts between two Opinions will soon prove an unstedfast man Jam. 1.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils 4. A good conscience Fourthly he that would keep his Faith must keep a good Conscience in all things and he keeps a good Conscience that walks up to his light Faith loves to dwell in a sweet lodging 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience The Mystery of Faith is kept in a pure conscience if once the chamber of Conscience be sluttish and nasty farewel Faith To be sure Faith and a good Conscience come and go both together He that makes shipwrack of the one cannot long preserve the other from sinking 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack A good conscience as we told you is available to the holding both the Doctrine of Faith and the Grace of Faith And though these words are primarily meant of the Doctrine of Faith as we shewed you when we spake of living by Faith the Life of Preservation or Conservation in answer to the Arguments of the Papists from this place yet the Argument is good by necessary consequence à fortiori from this Scripture If a good conscience be so available for the keeping of the Doctrine of Faith then much more for keeping the Grace of Faith forasmuch as an evil conscience is more inconsistent with the Grace of Faith than with the Doctrine of Faith For howsoever an evil conscience is a very ready way to bribe and corrupt a mans judgement yet many for a time have taught sound Doctrine who have been very unsound in their practice Mat. 23.3 All therefore that they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not But an habitual corruption of conscience and conversation cannot stand with the soundness of the grace of Faith Joh. 1.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth And 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him Therefore 1 Tim. 1.5 he couples the grace of Faith and a good Conscience together Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Be sure therefore to keep a good conscience as thou wouldst keep thy faith Fifthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 5. Right bottom build it not upon false Promises that is when thou makest a Promise to thy self over and above that Promise which God hath made in his Word Many a man when he first begins to make Profession of the Faith he promiseth to himself a great deal of ease and riches and credit in the world whereas he should expect the contrary a great deal of trouble and Persecution and Poverty and Disgrace c. Now when such a mans End fails him his Faith also will fail him and he is ashamed of the very Profession of it Such low and carnal ends are just like the weights that hang upon a Clock so long as the weights move the Clock moves but when the weights are once at ground the Clock stands still So 't is with such men so long as their carnal ends move them in Religious ways they are moved but when once their ends fail they stand stark still and will move no further Therefore beware of false ends in the Profession of the Faith Promise to thy self no more than God hath promised lest failing of thy expectation thy faith fail thee also He is a wise and sure builder that sits down and counts the cost at the first but he is a fool and his building like to come to nothing that after he hath laid the foundation repents him of his work and saith I never thought it would have cost me half so much Luk. 14.28 Sixthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 6. Commit it to God commit it to Gods keeping whatsoever we commit to his trust is put into a safe hand 2 Tim. 1.12 For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Therefore be sure not onely to commit other things to God by faith but even thy faith it self commit that to his keeping pray him to keep it for thee You know what Christ said to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Now Christs Prayer is as good as a Promise Joh. 11. for we know that his Father heard him always Therefore ground thy Prayer upon his Prayer and say Lord hear me in that Prayer which I have taken out of my Saviours own mouth O let not my Faith fail That which thou hast committed to my trust Lord I desire to re-commit to thy trust for I dare not trust my self Therefore as David saith of his mouth Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep thou the door of my lips So should every true Believer pray in relation to his heart Set a watch O Lord before my heart and keep thou the door of my Faith That as the Lord is the keeper of thy person Psal 121.5 The Lord is thy keeper So he may be the Lord-Keeper of thy faith also And that is the sixth Means Look unto him by Prayer who is the Author and Finisher of thy faith Heb. 12.2 7. The free Spirit Seventhly if thou wouldst be establish'd in faith pray God to give thee his Free Spirit for that is an establishing Spirit Psal 51.12 Establish me with thy free Spirit With thy free Spirit what is that 1. The Spirit of God is not onely a free Spirit in it self for we may say of the Spirit of God as the Apostle speaks of the Word of God 2 Tim. 2.4 It is not bound 2. Yea and it is free in the Donation of it it is most freely bestowed where God giveth it Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whether it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit God is as free in the work of the Spirit as in the work of the Minde All the men in the world cannot command the Wind no nor the Devil himself though he be called Eph. 2. The Prince of the Air he cannot command the Wind without
may have the Habit of Faith and not act it as he ought to do unlesse he be very careful to stir up the grace of God that is in him 2 Tim. 1 Moses had the habit of faith and yet he failed in not acting of it at the waters of Meribah The disciples of Christ had the habit of faith yet they failed in acting of it in the time of danger insomuch that Christ saith Where is your Faith Let us not therefore content our selves that we believe in Christ and we have the habit of faith but let us be sure to reduce this Habit into Act upon all occasions We say all The excellency of an instrument consists in the use That is a good Knife or Spade or Sword or Shield that is good for use So â—t is with the Shield of faith that is the most excellent faith that is good for use Motives to Act Faith Mot. 1 For First It is the most Lively Faith when we Act it so that we live by it As we say an active man is a lively man whereas a sluggard or unactive creature is counted a dead creature one that is all amort So an active Faith is a Lively Faith whereas a fruitlesse and unactive faith is called a dead Faith Jam. 2. and a dead faith is as good as no faith at all We love other things and persons that are Active and Lively O let us love a Lively Faith Mot. 2 Secondly Consider the Acting of our faith when we have it it is that which brings most Honour to God When we trust God with everything we possesse both for the Keeping and the Using of it we take in hand So that we dare do nothing without craving his Advice Blessing This puts a great deal of honour upon God As the natural son honours his natural father by this means So Gods children much more honour their heavenly father when they thus by faith do acknowledge him in all their wayes Prov. 3. Mot. 3 Thirdly This is that which brings no lesse Comfort and Hearts ease to our selves then honour to God therefore faith is called a casting our burden upon the Lord Psal 37.5 Roll thy way upon the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved Oh! what an ease what a comfort is this when we have burdens that are ready to break our backs and our hearts too and we go to God by faith and prayer and so find ease and comfort When the perplexed Soul says O how shall I do to subdue such a Corruption to get such a Grace to conquer such an Enemy to dispatch such a business to hold out to the end In this case faith takes off the burthen of fear and care Take no thought says faith but go to God by Prayer Isa 26. for he hath promised to work all thy works for thee and he will be as good as his word And therefore put thy faith to use in these particulars and you shall finde abundance of ease and comfort Take a man that hath but little business in comparison yet if he hath no faith but relie meerly upon his own wit or strength let this man be never so little crost in his designs he is presently at his wits end it breaks his sleep and he can have no quiet Take another man that hath business of the greatest importance in the world yet suppose this man by faith to have committed the work to God he sleeps as quietly and lives as comfortably as if he had nothing at all to trouble him And is not this a most sweet and comfortable life He that acts his faith upon the Promise may have more troubles than another man without but certainly he hath more peace and quiet within He is just like a candle in a close Lanthorn that burns clear and fair in the midst of a Tempest Mot. 4. Fourthly as this acting of faith doth marvellously comfort and support the Spirit in the mean time so it is that which infallibly brings in the greatest advantage in the latter end When all is done we shall finde living by Faith will bring in the best living to the creature at the last This is a sure Rule Gods outward actings for us are usually proportionable to his inward actings upon our Spirits He first sets our Faith on work and then our Faith sets his Hand on work for us You know the usual expression in the Gospel According to your faith be it unto you according to our faith such and such Promises are made good to us As if God should say I am able to do enough if you are able to believe enough Unbelief shuts the door but faith acted and excited is that which turns the key and opens the door of all the good Treasures of God to be drawn out for our seasonable supply Could we but act faith nothing could make us miserable Suppose we be afflicted and persecuted yet afflictions and persecutions are so far from making us miserable that they are a special gift and love-tokens from God when he is pleased to give faith in the first place Phil. 1.29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Mot. 5. In a word to conclude This is that for which the Saints of God have been commended and left upon Record with an honourable Remembrance to all Posterity not so much for that they had the habit of faith as that they acted their faith in such and such noble Exploits as are eternized to their everlasting praise in the 11th to the Hebrews By Faith Abel and Enoch Noah and Abraham did thus and thus their faith was very active and operative and so should ours be if we desire to obtain the like good report which they obtained for by it by faith yea by the acting of their faith in the several particulars there mentioned the Elders obtained a good report Hebr. 11.2 What a dishonour is it to a faithful man The not acting of faith foils shames a Christian on the other side when his strength goes from him and he becomes weak like another man He is no more able to perform a duty no more able to resist a temptation than another ordinary man O what a shame is this And yet thus it is with a faithful man if he do not act his faith and keep close to his Covenant Obs He is as Samson was when his hair was cut off he becomes weak like another man Insomuch that carnal men uncircumcised Philistims begin to reproach him and say Lo this is one of our Professors this is the man that lives by faith Lo this is the man that trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he will have him c. And thus they reproach and
speak evil of the ways of God when in truth the fault is neither in God nor in the grace of Faith but in our own slothfulness we act not our faith when we have it Quest But you will say What should we do that we may act our faith Helps for the acting of faith Answ I answer First be sure to clear up thy interest in Christ 1. Cleering up interest in Christ Receive Christ on Gospel-terms 1. Wholly 2. Renouncing thy sins Isa 59.20 And the Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgressions in Jacob saith the Lord. 3. Renounce thy own Righteousness Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God 4. Take Christ with his Cross Mat. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me And by thy interest in Christ clear up thy interest in the Covenant of free Grace Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 49.8 And by the Covenant thy interest in all the precious Promises of God For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 Once prove thy self in Christ and thou maist prove thy interest to all the Promises of God for if in Christ then a Son if a Son then an Heir if an Heir then an heir of the promises Heb. 6.17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath This is the first and great thing that is to be done But yet this is not enough for Secondly Help 2. Application of the Promises next to the clearing up of thy interest in Christ and in the promises Thou must give all diligence not only to acquaint thy self with the promises and rich Legacies of thy heavenly father but thou must also endevour seasonably to apply them to thy particular occasions and conditions as also to put the promises in suit by prayers and so make use of them by faith in drawing out vertue from Christ as a rich man makes use of his mony or stock and store when he improves it and imploys it for the supply of his particular wants to feed him to clothe him c. What a shame and a vanity is it as Solomon speaks for a man to have abundance of wealth and yet not to have a heart to make use of it for the supply of his wants And the like shame it is to a Christian to have a stock of Faith and precious promises and yet not to have a heart to make use of them for the supply of his daily wants So that to live by Faith then is to act our Faith in the promise and to go to them upon all occasions as a man goes to his treasury for the supply of all his wants For faith is nothing else but a believing of Gods promise and a trusting to it through Christ for supply in the time of need As for Example First Art thou in doubt or dost thou want wisdom Several cases wherein Faith is to be exercised for the ordering of thy temporal or spiritual affairs then act thy faith in that promise Jam. 1.5 If any lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Secondly Suppose thou art in outward troubles and seest no visible means for thy escape act thy faith in that promise Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Thirdly Art thou in inward trouble of spirit for want of the light of Gods countenance Live by faith in that promise Psal 85.8 He will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints c. Fourthly Suppose thou art afflicted in this Thy corruptions are strong and thy graces weak O live by faith in that promise Mica 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Or that 2 Cor. 9 8. God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work Fifthly Art thou afraid of enemies act thy faith in that promise Isa 54. Last No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper c. Sixthly Art thou afraid of Satan or any in league with him Away with that fear act thy saith in that promise Numb 23.23 Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Seventhly Art thou afraid of the fury of the oppression act thy faith in that promise Psal 9.9 The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble Eighthly Art thou afraid of want in thy estate Act thy faith in that promise Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Ninthly Art thou afraid of disgrace upon thy name act thy faith in that promise Zeph. 3.20 I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth saith the Lord. Tenthly Art thou afraid of bodily sickness or death Act thy faith in such promises where God engageth himself either to prevent sickness or to support thee under it or to make death a passage to a better life Eleventhly Art thou afraid thy labours and endeavours in thy calling will prove fruitless Act thy faith in that promise Psal 1.3 Whatsoevor he doth shall prosper Which is still to be understood with subordination to Gods glory and our own salvation Twelthly Art thou afraid what may become of thy children when thou art dead and gone Trust God with them and act thy faith upon that promise Psal 112.2 The generation of the upright shall be blessed 13. Art thou troubled to see the present differences among Gods people Live by faith in that promise Jer. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them 14. Art thou afraid of unprofitableness under Gods ordinances because thou findest much backwardness to them and much deadness under them apply that promise Isa 12.3 Ye shall with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation And that Isa 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst go 15. If thou be afraid of the hardness of thy bea rt and thy want of love to the Lord act faith in that promise Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed
to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live And thus might we instance in other cases and other promises but these may suffice to give light to the rest Let us thus carefully make use of the talent of our faith in trading with God upon all occasions that our one or two talents may gain more Simile God is the first fountain of all grace and comfort the promises are as several spring-heads our acting faith upon the promises is like the conveiance of waters in pipes to the several rooms in a house for the best service of the inhabitants Let us therefore act our faith that we may live comfortably upon the promises those heavenly wells of salvation And if God answer not presently we must act our faith in tarrying the lords leasure if the vision be for an appointed time the just shall live by his faith And that is the last branch of the exhortation respecting our selves if faith be so excellent a grace even the very life of the soul Then First as we should labour to get it and Secondly to keep it when we have it Thirdly to live by it and act it as well as keep it Branch IV. Of Exhortation So fourthly we should labour to increase the stock of our faith Increase of Faith Faith is such an excellent grace we can never have too much of it He that increaseth his faith increaseth his livelyhood For the just shall live by his faith It was the high commendation of those poor Christians Jam. 2.5 That however they were poor in other things yet they were rich in faith The Thessalonians are commended for this that their faith was on the growing hand their faith grew exceedingly 2 Thes 1.3 Paul gives the like commendable testimony of the Corinthians that they abounded in faith 2 Cor. 8.7 What should I say more this is recorded to the everlasting praise of him that is stiled the father of the faithful that he was strong in the faith Rom. 4.20 Let us all labour therefore that profess the same faith to attain as neer as we can to the same growth that we may be strong in the faith giving glory to God as he did And the rather should we be perswaded to grow because Motives to increase in Faith First there are degrees of faith 1. Faith hath degrees and no man attains to the highest degree at the first faith is like a grain of mustard seed before it comes to be a goodly tree and the faithful are first babes in Christ then young men then strong men 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. The Disciples are oft reproved for their little faith and the good woman is commended for her great faith Mat. 15.28 Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt it seems therefore there is little faith and there is great faith there is weak faith and there is strong faith and yet he that is stronger may grow still Paul was a strong and valiant champion in the faith no whit inferiour to the very chief of the Apostles and yet he speaks of himself as if he had little or nothing in comparison of that which he desired and endeavoured after Psal 3.9 in the third to the Philippians he tells us that he counts all things loss and dung that he may know Christ and the power of his Resurrection Why Did he not know him already and believe in him already doubtless he did but in comparison of what was to come and what he aimed at he accounted that which he had already but very little And therefore says he in the very next words Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus And therefore still he desireth to know more and to believe more he never thought he had faith enough And therefore beloved if such a strong man in the faith as Paul was desires still to be upon the growing hand how much more should such as are new beginners and but weak in the faith desire to grow from strength to strength according to that gracious promise Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger In other things men desire to grow In things natural no child but desires to grow till it be a man In things artificial no scholar apprentice but desires to grow till he become a perfect artist In the things of the world no man of mean estate but desires to grow till he be rich onely in grace men are content to be poor still Where we should be covetous there we are well contented with a little 1 Cor. 12.31 Covet earnestly the best gifts And where we should be content there we are covetous as in outward things Mot. 2. Growth of faith an evidence of its truth And this puts me in mind of a second Motive to quicken our growth in faith None have truth of faith but onely such as desire to grow in faith and therefore when a professor shall presently grow secure and say So now I believe all is well I have as much faith as will carry me to heaven and what need I care for any more it is a shrewd signe such a man hath no true faith at all a painted child grows not but a living child grows taller and taller from year to year For in case a man had had truly tasted how gratious the Lord is by the mouth of faith he must needs say as they did of that bread and water of life Lord evermore give us of this bread evermore give us of this water A man thinks he can never have enough of it True faith is never content to stand at a stay And the reason is because it springs up of immortal seed if the seed of faith could rot and die then it might cease to grow 1 Pet. 1. but because the seed of it is immortal and incorruptible therefore it must needs be up on the grownig hand It may be nipt a little for a time like winter corn but even then it grows in the root and will grow the faster for it afterwards in the blade also What shall we say then of those that are alwayes standing at a stay that are children in the faith for the space of fourty or fifty years together these are monsters in the life of faith It is confessed every thing must have a beginning both in nature and grace but it is a shame to be alwayes beginning and never carrying on a work to be a beginner from first to last is very strange and inconsistent with the grace of faith Thirdly consider the faster our faith grows Mot. 3. Faith makes all graces grow the faster all other graces do grow and the fruits of those graces also in all manner