shall we finde him Does not the Scripture speak expresly Psal 14.2 There is none just no not one And again Rom. 3.10 c. They are all gone out of the way they are all become abominable c. Ans A. The meaning is not as if a man should be just before he come to believe but because his believing makes him and proves him just in applying the justice and righteousness of Christ Isa 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous Servant shall justifie many And therefore Jer. 23.6 he is called The Lord our Righteousness And this is imputed Righteousness the Righteousness of Justification But that is not all He that believes is just also in some measure by inherent Righteousness or that which he doth in his own person by the help of Christs Spirit 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Whereas we are apt to be deceiv'd and to say Faith is sufficient of it self to declare that I am righteous you are deceiv'd saith S. John for ver 3. He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure and here doth righteousness as he is righteous So you see plainly as there is a righteousness of Justification so there is a righteousness of Sanctification and the word of the Text comprehends both The just Yet mark He doth not say The just shall live by his Justice because the righteousness of Sanctification is imperfect and deserves death but by his Faith because that implyes the Righteousness of Justification the righteousness of Christ and that is perfect And this distinction is enough to avoid that evil and slander which is cast upon the Ministers of the Gospel at this day They say we preach Law and Gospel Note Christ and VVorks both rogether in point of Justification But this is a meer Cavil For however we teach That every believer must evidence his Faith or his Righteousness of Justification by his works of Sanctification yet we do not say his Righteousness of Sanctification is his Righteousness of Justification no more then we say His Righteousness of Justification is his Righteousness of Sanctification as some would vainly confound one with the other Though we say He that believes the Gospel must do the things contained in the Law yet we do not say He that doth them shall live in them for that is the voice of the first Covenant the Covenant of the Law but we say He that doth them shall live by his Faith for that 's the voice of the second Covenant the Covenant of the Gospel the Covenant of Free-grace For this tells us There must be a justice in the person that believes not an antecedent but a consequent justice yet he lives not by his justice but by his faith and by his faith as applying the Free-grace of God in Christ The just shall live by his faith And thus for the fourth Question Who it is that lives by his Faith Vse 1 Onely let me now remember you of what I hinted at the first That as every believer is a just person or a justified person so every unbeliever is unjust or unjustified For the just is opposed to unbeliever And therefore to say that a man is just or justified before he believes I beseech you to consider Note how contrary it is to this Text and to the Scripture phrase throughout VVe grant an unbeliever may be predestinated to Justification as he may be predestinated to Faith but to say he is actually justified before he believes is to be wise beyond that which is written For there is no such thing written in the Scripture and therefore such wisdome is forbidden If we may not think much less may we speak above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 We are bound to keep our selves not onely to the patern of wholesome matter but to the patern of wholesome words or sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of found words c Now to say that a believing person is a justified person that is wholesom and sound for the Text warrants it but to say an unbeliever is just or a justified person is unsound and unwarrantable For as he that lives by Faith is just so he that lives not by Faith is unjust Vse 2 See briefly from hence further How much the folly of all those is that boast of Faith and yet live in all manner of unrighteousness and sin These shall not live for Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God whatever they talk of their Faith But so much for the Person who The just shall live QUEST V. By whose Faith shall he live AND the answer is in the Text By his own faith not by another mans faith Therefore in the Confession of Faith every one saith for himself I believe not my Friend not my Father not my Brother believes for me but I my self believe for my self One mans prayer may obtain good for another but one mans faith cannot save another No more than one mans soundness of constitution can give health to another that is sick or one mans soul give life to another that is in a dead or dying condition No the just man shall live by his own faith Mat. 9.22 There Christ speaks to the woman with the bloody issue Thy faith hath made thee whole not the faith of any other that were about him So Luke 7. last And he said to the woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Reasons of living by a mans own faith And why must it necessarily be a mans own Faith Reas 1. Because it is the nature and essence of saving Faith for a man to make particular application of Christ to himself as we heard before Gal. 2.20 that loved me And Thomas when he had any stirrings of spiritual life cryes thus My Lord and my God Yea in the greatest shakings of Faith there is some secret application and appropriation of God to the soul When we seem to put God away with the one hand we pull him to us with the other As it was in the speech of David and Christ too My God my God why hast thou sorsaken me Forsaken me and yet my God still Where there is any life at all there some Faith None can live spiritually none can live eternally but such as have faith of their own It is both the means and the mark of eternal life Mark 16.16 He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned There must be a particular application of Christ to the souls of all that are saved They live by their own Faith Therefore Christ in Scripture is compared to those things that can do a man no good unless they be applyed as to Salve Job 6.53 Gal. 3.27 to the Balm of Gilead to Meat and Drink and Garments What good can Salve c. do me unless it be applyed to my body 'T is not
befel the world in the world from Adam to this day is laid to the charge of sin Faith sayes As where no transgression no curse Rom. 3. so wheresoever there is curse there is transgression Whatever sad stories are reported of 70 years Captivity of Sword of Pestilence and Famine c. yea sayes Faith you may thank sin for all this Was Cain a runnagate Pharaoh drown'd in the Sea Josephs brethren in sad perplexity c Surely they may say We are verily guilty Gen. 42.21 c. Yea Gods people may thank sin for all their affliction Isa 27.9 This is all the fruit to purge away your sin Sin is like a stubborn Tenant or a Thief that will not out unless the house be fired over his head 2. Inward Witness which is the Conscience in stead of a thousand witnesses Rom. 2.15 Their own consciences bearing them witness c. What saist thou Conscience did not sin do thus and thus and is the cause of all this misery c Art 5 Fifthly Faith empannels the Jury of Saints or Believers not as unbelievers that compare themselves with themselves 2 Cor. 10.12 For what part hath he that believeth with an infidel 2 Cor. 6.15 and calls in the Judge For sin must be judged by God and the Bench See Psal 50.5 6. and not by the Countrey of Carnal men For though the Conscience of Carnal men can bear evidence against sin yet they are partial Jury-men they would fain have sin live Let loose Barabbas and crucifie Christ But the Bench of godly men sitting with Christ upon his Throne as they shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. so they judge sin They finde sin guilty and worthy of death and cry out for Justice Justice my Lord upon sin These are the cloud of Witnesses and Jury-men that account sin as the greatest burthen in the world Heb. 12.1 Therefore sayes Faith if asked to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 5.1 I will be judged by all the godly in the World And this Jury ground their Verdict upon Evidence Note Works outwardly Conscience inwardly have brought in this witness against sin 1. 'T is a deadly enemy to God and his Grace Rom. 8.6 't is enmity against God Nothing is contrary to God but sin 2. It gives Laws against God Rom. 8.2 the law of sin and death God sayes This must be done Sin sayes the flat contrary 3. It forceth its Obedience 't is a Tyrant over Gods people makes them cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Luke 19.14 Indeed wicked men are voluntary slaves 4. It is guilty of all the slain that lie in the pit If it be said Who slew all these we may say Sin 2 Kin. 10.9 Though the Devil be a Murtherer John 8. yet he cannot slay one Soul without the assistance of Sin The Soul than sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.5 'T is guilty of Christs blood Sin thou hast crucified the Lord the Life Our sins were the nails in his hands and spear in his side and is not he worthy to die that put Christ to death Art 6 Sixthly Faith calls in the Judge as the importunate widow Luk. 18.3 Avenge me of mine adversary Faith makes God in his VVord to be the Judge viz. the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles Both Whether sin be thus guilty or no Jam. 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God c. Sin would lay the fault upon God but God layes the fault upon sin And secondly What punishment sin is worthy of No less than death saith God Therefore thou must die saith Faith to Sin 1 Cor. 11.31 For this cause many sleep i.e. die Art 7 Seventhly He therefore lives by Faith for the condemnation of Sin God hath condemned sin to die Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you Therefore sayes Faith I have Gad on my side Sin must not reign nay Sin must not live As the soul that sins must die so the Soul than is freed from death is freed from sin both in the guilt and power Art 8 Eighthly He lives by Faith in the Execution of the Sentence upon Sin Heb. 11.17 Offers up the dearly beloved sin And that in respect 1. Of the time presently whilest it is called to day There is no truce no reprival no sparing of sin Life must go for life Sin is never the better for kinde usage Some sinners are won that way but not sin it self God cannot reconcile sin to himself though he reconcile sinners to himself 2. For the Means where there is 1. Arming our selves Eph. 6. Take to you the whole armour of God especially the shield of faith 2. Disarming sin The strength of sin lies either in the Law of God 1 Cor. 15.56 The strength of sin is the law Or in the power and policy of Satan Ephes 2.2 that worketh in the children of disobedience Now Faith disarms Sin 1. It cuts the sinews of the Law Rom. 6.14 We are not under the law but under grace 2. It cuts the sinews of Satan 1 John 3.8 For this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Therefore that Soul that is willing Christ should live in it shall be sure to have sin die in it Lastly Taking sin captive leading this Captivity captive Eph. 4.8 Psal 149.6 and putting it to death by the two-edged sword of the Word in its hand and so executing the judgement written Heb. 4.12 So much for the first Quaere Quest II. Secondly What are the Reasons why Faith will have sin to be mortified Answ Many 1. Reasons of the mortification of sin Because sin is most contrary to the nature of Faith Faith is a most holy Faith Jude v. 20. It is that which purifies the heart Acts 15.9 And sin is loathsome and impure For it defiles 1. The Person Tit. 1.15 To the unbelieving even their minde and conscience is defiled 2. The Actions Hag. 2.12 13. every work of their hands and that which they â—ffer is unclean 3. The Name as Jacob said to Simeon and Levi Gen. 34.30 Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land 4. It defiles others as that incestuous Person 's sin 1 Cor. 5.6 as leaven spreads over the whole lump 5. The Land it self Gen 6 11. The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence So the Lord sayes Num 35.33 The land is polluted and defiled with blood Therefore Faith and Sin are contraries and contraries hate one another to the death Mutuò se expellunt they cannot live together Reas 2 Because they have most contrary Ends and Designes The design of Faith is to bring life to the Soul The just shall live by Faith The design of Sin is to bring death to the Soul Ezek. 18. The soul that sins shall die the death and
overtaken with self-confidence to relie upon the Mountain of his created strength or created Grace he is never well till he hath deeply humbled himself for it as David did Psal 30.6 And therefore I say a Believer so far as he is himself does all he doth in the strength of God If he be to preach if he be to pray whatever he be to do he dares venture upon nothing in his own strength lest God should blast his endevours in stead of blessing them 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me yea bear all things in the strength of Christ but nothing in his own strength This is an infallible symptome of the Life of Faith Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee 3. The third and last Evidence hath respect to both 3. In point of both for whether a Believer be to resist that which is evil or to perform that which is good as he goes out in Gods strength so he goes to God by Prayer in both respects for prayer is a calling in of the strength of God and a believing creature is ever a praying creature unless under Tentation and therefore true Prayer is called the Prayer of Faith and indeed Prayer is one of the first evidences of Faith I do not mean the Gift of Prayer whereby we can express our selves in good words But the Spirit of Prayer and Supplications whereby we express our selves in good and child-like affections No sooner hath a man Faith but together with his Faith he receives the Spirit of Adoption whereby he cries Abba Father Rom. 8.15 therefore as the same Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved they are but poor formal Prayers without Faith So we may say on the other side How shall they not call on him on whom they have believed 2 Cor. 4 13. We having the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I believe therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore we speak none of Gods children are born tongue-ty'd I am sure not so hard tyed but there will be inward sighs and groans and wrestlings with God when there are no outward expressions at all The Spirit of Faith is ever attended with a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication And this is the last Evidence by which we may judge of unfeigned Faith from that which is feigned and counterfeit Branch II. Of Examination Living by faith is the touchstone to try all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false And as this serves for the Trial of Persons so also of Doctrines and Religions That Religion which teacheth us to live by Faith and to lay hold on the Righteousness of Christ who was made sin for us that we through him might be made the righteousness of God to life Eternal that is undoubtedly the true Religion But that Religion which slanders the Life of Faith as if it were absurd to be justified by the Righteousness of another That which teacheth we have no Original Sin remaining in us but that all is wash'd away in Baptism contrary to that of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That which teacheth inherent Righteousness necessary to Justification and that it is possible also a man may so fulfil the Law of God as to Merit at Gods hand yea that he is able not onely to do what the Law requires but to over-do even to do so much as to spare of his oyl for others This is a Doctrine and Religion savouring of horrible Pride and Presumption and therefore false But that which teacheth us to go out of our selves and to give the Glory of Salvation to Free-grace and so to live by Faith this is true and there is no unrighteousness in it Now in case we finde upon search That we do believe we have infinite cause to be thankful In case we finde we believe not we have as great cause to be humbled and to seek out for Faith Vse IV. Of Thankfulness Vse 4 The fourth Use is of Thankfulness for them that have obtained Faith and know how to live by it Thankfulness for Faith Thankfulness for our selves for our Friends Yoke-fellows and Children as the Apostle is thankful Ephes 1.15 Phil. 1.3 Col. 1.3 4. What hath God given them Faith he hath given them an excellent livelihood We rejoyce when great Lands and Livings fall to us or our friends but what is all this to Faith which is the very life of our lives our living to Eternity All the blessings of Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life are wrapt up in Faith Indeed there are many quickning Considerations should stir us up to be thankful to God with all our Souls Grounds of our Thankfulness That we should say as David Psal 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless c. First For first of all 1. 'T is Gods gift Faith as the Scripture saith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 If we could obtain Heaven by our own Workmanship or Faith it self as a particular work of our own to fit us for Heaven we might have some cause to boast and so the less cause to be thankful But neither the works which the Law requires in general nor this work which the Gospel requires in particular is of our own working or springs out of the liberty of our own Will but it is the gift of God Look as Christ fulfilled for us all that Righteousness which the Law requires So he bestows upon us that very Faith which the Gospel requires also And Faith is like an empty hand or an empty Beggars Dish and such a Dish as is given together with the Alms it self that all the glory may be given to God and none at all to the Creature And as we are bound to be Thankful to God for the very first Faith he worketh in us So also for all the degrees and increases of our Faith Luke 17.7 The Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith to intimate That all the growth and increase of Faith is from God as well as the first seed of Faith For The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by his faith Rom. 1.17 As God is the first Author so he is the carrier on and Finisher of our Faith Phil. 2.6 Heb. 12.2 And when he begins he will also make an end therefore be thankful for Faith from first to last It is his Gift it is his free Gift without the least desert on our part therefore let him have the praise of it 2. 'T is a gift necessary to our being 1 Thess 5.8 Secondly It is such a Gift as is absolutely
for so the Apostle applies this Text very frequently to prove that the just man lives a Spiritual life by Faith Obj. Obj. But the Apostle may seem to wrest the words because the Prophet speaks here of a temporal deliverance from the Chaldeans Ans Ans 1. Their deliverance from temporal Babylon was a Type of their Deliverance from Spiritual Babylon 2. However the secondary objects of Faith be divers some Temporal some Spiritual some Eternal yet the prime and principal object of faith is still one and the same and that is Jesus Christ and Gods favour in Christ and before I can embrace the other I must first embrace this Therefore the same faith in Christ that enables me to live in temporal things enables me to live in spirituals also and so the Apostles argument from one to the other holds good Well then the just lives by Faith in respect of Spiritual life which is far more excellent then the other as grace is above nature And this is either the Life of I. Justification whereby the Soul layes hold upon Christ or II. Sanctification whereby the Soul draws vertue from Christ And that is either Renewing and Cleansing vertue the Life of Renovation or Fructifying the Life of Fructification or Mortifying Vertue the Life of Mortification or Vivifying the Life of Quickning and Vivification Confirming Vertue the Life of Conservation that God will not forsake his people Augmenting whereby life is encreased and Comforting Vertue the life of Consolation In the first our spiritual life is purified in the second beautified and in all these the just live by faith THE LIFE of FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION 1. HE lives by faith the Life of Justification and so the Apostle applies this very Text Rom. 1.16 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written And so again Gal. 3.11 where he doth oppose justifying by faith to justification by works of the law But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just c. The just doth not live by his own justice but by faith that is by the application of the justice and righteousness of another That we may the better understand the excellency of this Life of Justification it will not be amiss to adde the definition of it according to the Scriptures seeing whatsoever is truly known is known by the causes thereof Justification therefore is thus defined It is a most gracious and righteous action of God whereby he imputing the righteousness of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heir of eternal life to the praise and glory of his own Mercy and Justice For Explication consider 1. The Act to justifie 2. The Object a sinner and yet a believing sinner and so made righteous 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that 's onely by Faith 1. The Act to justifie Now to justifie signifieth properly to make just as to magnifie to make great though sometimes onely to declare great Now God makes just either By Imputation or Infusion of Righteousness The first is the life of Justification the second of Sanctification the first perfect the latter imperfect 2. The Object is a sinner God doth not justifie those that were just before but such as were unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once offered for sin the just for the unjust There was a time then when we were unjust a time when we were sinners when we were ungodly Rom. 5.6 Christ dyed for the ungodly and While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being justified we shall be saved from wrath through him So that as to heal signifies of a sick man to make sound so to justifie is of a sinner to make righteous and if it were not so where were the excellency of Gods free grace to make us righteous if we never were in a state of sin He that in no consideration looks at himself as a sinner fallen in the first Adam cannot possibly look at himself as a righteous person recovered in the second Adam How can God be said to shew mercy to that man that was never in misery to redeem that man that was never lost Lost I say and that really and not onely in his own conceit and apprehension 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that is by Faith as here in the Text. Though a sinner be justified yet it is onely a believing sinner and so of a sinner is made just Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith c. By Faith how not as the meritorious but onely as the instrumental cause of our justification For the clearer understanding of this we must know according to the former definition there are several causes of our Justification viz. Efficient Material Formal and Final The Efficient cause is either 1. Principal or 2. Instrumental Principal is either 1. Working or 2. Moving to the Work Causes of Justification 1. Principal The 1. Principal working Cause is God himself It 's an action of God Rom. 8.38 it is God that justifieth Isa 43.25 I even I am he c. Vide Rom. 9.16 All other causes are nothing to this though man believeth and man wills and runs on chearfully in the wayes of God yet from whence comes all this but from God that justifieth a poor sinner So that it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth c. but of God of God the Father as the Primary Cause the Son as the Meritorious the Holy Ghost as Applicatory It is God that justifieth who shall condemn c. He that is the Law-giver he justifies from the offences committed against the Law The 2. Principal Cause Moving or promoting to the Work is either 1. Internal Gods Mercy Justice It 's a gracious and a righteous action of God nothing without him the first Mover 2. External 1. Mans Misery moving to pity the Samaritan c. the Infant Ezek. 16. 2. Christs Merit moving to forgive Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins 2. Instrumental Cause 2. Instrumental and that 1. On Gods part the Word Manus offerentis 2 Cor. 5.18 He hath given to us the Ministery of Reconciliation Dan. 12.3 Rom. 4.11 2. On our part Faith Manus accipientis Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Rom. 10.5 c. Therefore faith doth not justifie by merit and dignity of the work for then we should be justified by works though by faith but onely by the Instrumentary application of Christs Righteousness 2. The Material Cause Christs Righteousness Material cause as Jacob gat his blessing in Esau's garment therefore called The Righteousness of God Rom. 1.17 the Righteousness of that Person who is God Now there is a twofold
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
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that measure Time shall be rolled up as a Scroll And though time should last never so long to the world in general yet how soon the Angel may swear concerning thee or me Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 we know not 6. We must not onely account for the means of fruitfulness Isa 5. What could I have done more c but for the time afforded for fruitfulness Luk. 13.7 These three years have I come looking for fruit and behold I finde none Cut it down c. Eccles 11.9 God will take account of the days of thy youth therefore call thy self to account and be fruitful in season 7. Lastly What would the damned in Hell give now for one of these hours to become fruitful If the rich glutton Luke 16.27 would so willingly have a messenger sent to his five brethren What would he have given to have been the messenger himself but could neither So much for the two first Branches in the Life of Sanctification which the just man lives by his Faith Now follows the Third BRANCH III. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. MORTIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification which consisteth in the killing and crucifying of sin and this follows fitly upon the Life of Fructification For sin is the Caterpillar upon the Branch that devours all the fruits Nay it is the Worm at the Root that hinders the fruitfulness of it or else it is the Toad at the Root that poisons the fruit Deut. 32.32 33. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of Asps. The best fruits of natural men where sin lives in the dominion of it are no better than such poisonous fruits Therefore the just man lives by Faith of Mortification He is dead to sin and dead to the law that he may bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 For the more sin dies Faith resemâ—les the expulsive faculty in the natural body the more grace lives and the more sin lives the more grace dies Therefore Faith lives in killing that which is an enemy to its life and is as the expulsive faculty in the body Obj. But is not sin dead as soon as a man believes Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ans Sin indeed hath receiv'd its deadly wound at the first blow but yet it will not be wholly dead till we die Nay it fares with it as with a creature that hath received its deadly wound it struggles and strives more violently than ever before Rom. 7.8 9. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead c. Insomuch that this combat continues till our dying day Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And Satan he takes part with our corruption he is Sins Second in the field Now Faith is a Christians chief weapon by which he defends himself and offends his adversary Eph. 6.16 the shield of faith For the method of proceeding in this Head it shall be to shew 1. How Faith proceeds in Mortification of sin 2. Why Faith will have sin to be mortified 3. The Uses hence Quest I. First How Faith proceeds in mortifying sin I answer It does it as men use to do in the prosecution of a Malefactor As the avenger of blood pursued the Murtherer in a legal way Sin is put to death by the law Rom. 3.22 By what law of works nay but by the law of faith So that as the Jews said of Christ faithful men may say of sin We have a law and by our law he ought to die Art 1 First there is a rising of the heart against the person How faith goes about the mortifying of sin Gal. 5.6 A man will never prosecute him whom he hath no quarrel against So Faith stirs up a Christian to hate his sin as it stirs him up to love God so consequently to hate sin Gods deadly enemy yea he hates it to death Col. 3.1 5. Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil Psal 97.10 Nay sayes Faith to sin I will have thy life nothing shall satisfie me but thy life Thou hast wrong'd my dear God therefore I will be reveng'd of thee True Repentance and true Faith work indignation and revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Yea what indignation what revenge As we cannot love God too much so we cannot hate sin too much Art 2 Secondly There is a diligent enquiry after the Malefactor So faith sends out Hue and Cry VVhere is the Rebel the Traytor It is the voice of Faith that Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes c. Faith knows if we finde not sin out sin will finde us out Num. 32.23 and if it sees us first it slayes us as the Basilisk Faith knows all the haunts of sin as Saul said of David to the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.22 Go I pray you know and see his place where his haunt is It searches the root of all actual sins Psal 51.5 In sin was I shapen c. An unbeliever hides extenuates excuses denies his sin But Faith never leaves till it discover and brings it before the judgement-seat As Rahab entertained the spies Heb. 11 31. So faith entertains the spies of enlightned reason Psal 119.105 and Prayer Psal 139.23 Art 3 Thirdly Faith brings in the Accusers of sin 1. The Law Joh. 5.45 There is one that accuseth you even Moses Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law 2. The Gospel though it saves the sinner it condemns the sin Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we we believers continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 3. The Renewed man converted by the Gospel Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me whereas sin accuseth the godly man to be the troubler of the person family 1 Kin. 18.18 Josh 7.25 state c. Faith sayes to sin Thou art the troubler of Israel therefore thou deservest to be stoned to death Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings amongst you come they not from your lusts Art 4 Fourthly Faith brings in Witness against sin whereas sin pleads for it self and accuseth Holiness and strictness to be the cause of all misery Faith brings in witness to the contrary 1. Outward By faith we understand the world was made c. Heb. 11. and so that the world was destroyed by sin once drown'd again reserved for fire to wash 2 Pet. 3. to burn out the filth of sin All evils that ever
The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last Therefore Faith must kill sin or else not bring its design to pass for Rev. 21. last No unclean thing shall enter into life Even Gods own people shall not enter until they attain perfection of Sanctification Reas 3 Because the mortification of sin is the end of Christs death Rather than sin should not die he would die Rom. 4. ult who was delivered for our transgressions c. O sayes Christ to Sin and Death I will be your death though it cost me my life Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death c. He was crucified that our old man might be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Therefore says Faith as I believe in Christ crucified I must also crucifie sin Rom. 6.11 Wherefore reckon ye your selves dead unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc enim refero ad fidei syllogismum says Beza 'T is the reasoning of Faith Reas 4 Because it is the Commandment of God as God commanded the Avenger of blood Onely 't is in this unlike that there is no City of Refuge for sin Col 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. And Gods command is the object of Faith as well as a Promise Reas 5 Because Promise is also made Alas sayes the Christian I have no power to deal with Sin or Satan O saith God I will help thee I will give thee my word for it if thou wilt take it Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea As Satan is Captain on the one side so is Christ on the other side as was held forth in the Vision to Joshua cap. 5.14 As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come 2 Chro. 20.12 Therefore sayes the faithful Soul I know not what to do though I have no power yet mine eyes are unto thee And so as David against Goliah they go out against sin in the Name of the Lord with this poor Sling of Faith and the Pebble-stone of the Word and so strike this Giant of Corruption in the forehead that it sinks down by degrees and at last they tread upon the neck of their proudest Lusts Vse 1 Information Information from this Branch of the Life of Faith in several particulars 1. From the Object of Mortification sin viz. 1. From the object of mortification That those that are in Christ have sin and sinful affections remaining in them For what must the just that lives by Faith mortifie Surely not his grace It is something that is sinful he must not fight with his own shadow The body of sin must be destroyed Rom. 6.6 The law of sin and death abolish'd Rom. 8.2 God sees something and an enlightned Soul sees something that is to be mortified and fights with some-body Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth c. And lest they should say We have no earthly members the Apostle gives instance fornication uncleanness c. And lest they should say VVe do not live in these sins now the Apostle answers by way of Concession Ver. 7. You do not live in them indeed you do not walk in them but yet a remainder of the seeds of these sins is in you still you may be tempted to them and therefore strive against them Put off all these vile affections c. 2. From the Act. To mortifie is to kill outright 2. From the Act. It 's not enough to abstain from the outward acts of sin but we must subdue the inward desire will and affection to sin VVhy Because abstaining from the outward act is but a restraining or imprisoning of sin But the subduing the inward desire will and affection of Sin is the Mortifying of Sin For the Life of Sin lies in the Will And therefore of the two in evil things it is less dangerous to do that which we will not Rom. 7.19 20. than to will that which we do not Sin is never mortified until inordinate affections be mortified In these lies the heart-blood of sin Mat. 5.27 Whosoever shall look to lust hath committed adultery in his heart 3. From the Instrument 3. From the Instrument If by Faith sin be mortified see the mistake of those that will needs have sin mortified before they believe or else they will not believe O say they The errour of such who will not believe till first made whole if such and such a lust were mortified I could believe but so long as the case stands thus I dare not As much as to say If they were rid of the disease beforehand they would go to the Physician and take Physick Indeed it s required they should be sensible of their disease And though we do not say we must thus prepare our selves yet we may safely say God thus prepares his people for Christ Mat. 9.12 13. They that are whole need not the physician but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now then seeing we cannot be rid of our disease till we come to the Physician and we cannot come without faith therefore we see the errour and mistake of those that will not believe till first made whole Vse 2 Let us Examine if we live by Faith in Christ by this Then we live the Life of Mortification Examination Gal. 5 24. They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hast thou done so Many are mistaken and think some that sin is not mortified when it is others that it is when it is not A poor childe of God cries out Mine enemies my sins live and are mighty c therefore I live not by Faith But a Moral man he can say I was once a Drunkard or Swearer but now I have left all my vain company therefore my sin is mortified and yet it may be he is as covetous now as luxurious as before VVherefore its hard to know whether sin be truly mortified for as in some Grace hath a name to live and is dead so in others Sin hath a name to be dead and is alive Sometimes one sin drives out another while particular ends and aim or light of Nature c. over-rule in this rather than that Therefore Examine But how shall we know if sin be mortified indeed Ans 1. If sin die then we are first sick of sin Marks of true Mortification as commonly before men die Ipsa senectus morbus themselves are weary of themselves As the Soul is sick of love to Christ Cant. 2.5 so it is also sick of sin Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt c. 2. If sin dies aright it dies in all parts 2 Mark Col. 3. Mortifie your members not one member onely
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
Fall for as he was created in a possibility of standing so he was created in a possibility of falling also and fall he did as is manifest to all the world by woful experience Much less then would there be any certainty of this Salvation after the Fall should it depend upon the perfection of his own Righteousness Isa 64.6 for all our Righteousness is as filthy Rags But when nothing else is required of us in point of Justification but the renouncing our own Righteousness and the accepting of that which was performed by Jesus Christ who hath fulfilled all Righteousness to the utmost demand of the Law When once God gives us grace to do this as this is done by the grace of Faith we may be sure the gates of Hell shall never prevail against us Therefore God would have the Just live by Faith that his Salvation might be upon surer grounds General VSES Vse I. Of Information Vse 1 FOr Information If the just lives by Faith First see the happy Condition of Believers Joh. 6.29 Information in 7 things It is comfort against all discomforts What is thy Discomfort What troubles thee The happy condition of believers They have comfort 1. Against self-condemnation Is this thy discomfort when thou lookst into thy Self thou seest nothing but the Sentence of Death and condemnation in regard of thy sinfulness of Nature and Life yet thou maist say though I see nothing but Death it self By Faith I live 1. Doth the Law condemn thee Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them 2. Doth thine own Conscience condemn thee taking part with the Law which is written there Conscience is a Practical Syllogism The Law affords the Major Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Conscience affords the Minor But I have not continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Therefore I am cursed 3. Doth the Devil condemn thee who sails with wind and tide making use of the Law and Conscience As the Devil is called The Accuser of the Brethren 4. Do other Men condemn thee with whom thou hast sinned by counsel consent or incouragement Thou hast been partaker of other mens sins and these come to rise up in Judgement against thee 5. Doth the Gospel it self condemn thee At least for the time that is past Thou hast outstood many thousand sweet proffers of Grace and Mercy therefore thou art afraid that Sentence belongs to thee Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded c. 6. Dost thou fear sometimes condemnation from the Mouth of the Judge who shall judge men according to the things that are written in the Books Rev. 20.12 yet here is thy comfort if thou believest thou art in an estate of Life The Just shall live by Faith Faith unites him to an everlasting Principle of Life And There is no condemnation to them that by faith are implanted into Christ Rom. 8.1 They are freed from condemnation Joh 5.24 1. Of the Law Rom. 7.6 We are delivered from the Law in regard of Exaction Curse and Malediction Rom. 8.2 3. We are not under the Law as a Covenant but onely as a Rule Rom. 10.14 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one who believes 2. Of Conscience Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God This blood is sprinkled by Faith which purifies the heart Act. 15.9 and as it purifies so it pacifies Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 3. Of Satan Rev. 12.10 For the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night His accusations are cast out of the Court like the Accusations of some troublesome Informer or busie Promoter And how are we freed from his Accusations but by Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith Repel his Accusation of God as if he did not love you because he afflicts you For of such an Accusation he there speaks as appears by the Means which there is fitted to that kinde of resistance Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplish'd in your brethren 4. Of Men Rom. 8.33 34. The Apostle challengeth Men and Devils If the Superior Judge will absolve and justifie what hath the Inferior Judge or Witness to say against the party 5. Of the Gospel Indeed if they who believe had stood out to the end the Sentence had belonged to them But because they did by Faith receive the Gospel at the last all their former rejecting of it shall not so much as be mentioned Rev. 3.20 Christ stands at the door and knocks and makes a gracious Promise If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me But alas who hears at the first knock Christ stands there many a day it may be many years before the poor creature opens and believes yet if he opens at last Christ comes in and makes good his Promise 6. Of the Judge for God shall judge the secrets of men according to the Gospel Rom. 2.16 Believers shall hear a Sentence of Absolution Come ye blessed So There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom 8.1 Secondly is this thy Discomfort 2. Comfort against absence from the Lord. Thou art absent from the Lord O when shall I come and appear before God Faith draws God near to the Soul in the Promise and in the Seal of the Promise Thou seest the face of God in a lively picture in a clear glass in the glass of the Word and Sacrament and that 's a great comfort As it is some comfort to have the lively Picture of an absent friend but no picture can draw one friend so near to another as these lively pictures do draw God to the Soul Therefore when we act our Faith we are said to draw near to God Heb. 10.22 3. Against distance of things promised Thirdly is this our Discomfort The distance of the thing promised yet this is our Comfort Faith gives us such Security as if the thing had a present subsistence Heb. 11.1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen 4. Against Temporal and Spiritual wants Fourthly is this thy Discomfort That thy Wants are many in Temporals and Spirituals and thou knowest not how to get them supplied yet this is thy Comfort Christ is a Fountain and the Word a Treasure and as long as there is any thing left in the Word or in Christ in whom all fulness dwells thou canst never want
necessary to our very being in the state of Grace If it were a Gift of less consequence we ought to be thankful for it because a Gift In all things give thanks saith the Apostle But this is such a Gift as is all in all It is absolutely necessary to the very being of a Christian others are necessary to their well-being but this to their very being Therefore we have the more cause to be thankful What saith the Scripture Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God and so Without faith it is impossible to be saved Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith Mark 16.16 He that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned So that Faith in grown persons is absolutely necessary to Salvation you cannot be saved without it you may be Rich and you may be Beautiful and you may be Strong and you may be Nobly descended and you may be Learned without Faith but without Faith you can never be saved Obj. You will say So without Hope and Love and Zeal for Gods Glory we cannot be saved Ans That is true yet there is something more in Faith than in all the rest in tendency to Salvation For Faith in order of working is the very Root of all other Graces Our Hope and Love and Zeal and all the rest do spring from our Faith Rom. 12.3 So far as we believe we hope so far as we believe we love so far as we believe we are zealous for God and so of the rest Therefore Faith is in a special manner necessary to Salvation being the onely instrument of laying hold upon Christ And therefore in a special manner are we bound to be thankful for it Thirdly It is such a Gift 3. Such a gift as none else can give as is impossible for any other to give but God alone Therefore it is called The faith of the operation of God Col 2.12 as if God alone could work it If an Angel from Heaven should perswade you to believe this or that yet if God do not perswade you by his Spirit you cannot believe You reade Luk. 1.20 the Angel tells Zacharias he should be struck dumb because he believed not the words of the Angel If all the Angels in Heaven should preach to us if God himself doth not preach to us by his Spirit we cannot believe And if all the Angels upon Earth I mean all the Ministers for they are called the Angels of the Churches if all these one after another should preach to one particular Soul yet that Soul would not believe unless God open the heart of it as he did the heart of Lydia to believe Obj. You will say But Experience shews such and such have been Converted by such and such Ministers Ans It is granted but it was not the man without God but God in the man that did it else why is one man converted rather than another Why the same man at one time rather than at another and by means more improbable but to shew it is God in the man That as the Apostle saith the faith of Gods people might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 that so he might have all the praise and glory Therefore the Apostle in this respect makes nothing of the Minâ—ster that God may be all in all in all his Ministers 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe And as none can help as to Faith but God alone So we cannot help our selves we cannot work up our own hearts to believe we are not onely like sick men naturally but as dead men in the grave shut up under the grave-stone of Unbelief Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all in unbelief that he may have mercy upon all That is that Gods mercy might be the more magnified in bestowing Faith upon them that were as unable to believe of themselves as a dead man is unable by his own power to arise out of his grave The wonders of Faith All the steps of Faith are wondrous difficult to a poor Creature yet know all things are possible with God As for Example 1. To see and believe what God requires of us in the first Covenant For till we know this we think our selves in a good condition and alive without the Law Rom. 7.9 And we cannot see and believe this till God himself open our eyes 1 Cor. 2.14 2. To see and believe how far we come short of the Law naturally how sinful we are and cursed by sin For we are like the young man that said All these have I kept from my youth upward But till wee see our selves sinners and feel the weight of sin we shall never look out after a Saviour The whole need not a Physician but the sick Mat. 9.12 3. To see and believe that not onely our gross sins but our best Righteousnesses do leave us in a miserable condition without a Saviour This is wondrous difficult for no sooner do we attain to some parts and the performance of some Duties but we are ready to say with the Church of Laodicea I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and perceive not that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked and it is nothing but Eye salve from Jesus Christ that can make us perceive this Rev. 3.17 18. that can make us believe and confess that All our Righteousnesses are as filthy polluted rags Isa 64.6 This is wondrous hard Naturally we are full of Self-love and Self-admiration but a Soul that comes to Christ is full of Self-loathing and Self-detestation Job 42.6 I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 4. To see and believe the perfect Righteousness and surpassing Excellency of Jesus Christ For a Natural eye seeth no beauty in him Isa 53.2 and yet before we can desire him we must see the beauty that is in him 5. To see and believe the Necessity and the Duty of the poor Souls coming to Christ Psal 2 12. Leaning upon him for Righteousness and Salvation and that so doing it shall never be cast out For naturally we are ready to think and to say There is no need of coming to Christ or not need of us and our coming Though God will be merciful to others I am afraid he will not be merciful to me Though he do not cast out others who came to him I am afraid he will cast out me Therefore it is the wonderful Work of the Spirit of Christ to perswade the sin-repenting Soul to come to Christ Joh. 6.44 and when it is come to perswade it that Christ will not cast it out again And so the Spirit fastens the Promise upon the Soul Joh. 6.36 It is the wonderful Work of the Spirit to perswade enemies to become friends to perswade strangers to draw nigh and be acquainted with Christ This is such a difficult Work
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
and be in health even as thy soul prospereth Or so as thou wouldst keep the Apple of thine Eye from the least mote or mite of offence Or so as thou wouldst keep thy very life for Faith under God is the very life of the Soul Solomon tells us Prov. 13.3 that he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life we may as truly say He that keepeth his Faith keepeth his life for The just shall live by his faith Other things a man may be careful to keep and it may be they will prove of very little use when all is done The time will certainly come when thy best friends cannot help thee thy Meat and Drink cannot nourish thee Physicians cannot cure thee thy large Possessions cannot comfort thee yet even at such a time as this if thou canst but lay hold of a Promise thou maist live upon the Word which God hath spoken when thou canst not live upon thy Revenues nor live upon thy Calling nor live upon thy Friends nor live upon the Creatures of Meat and Drink yet even then maist thou live upon thy Faith when the just man can live upon nothing else he can still live upon his Faith Keep Faith therefore for it is thy life Now skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life If one should deliver a very precious thing into the hand of a Friend with this or the like charge Be sure to keep this about you wheresoever you come and nothing shall be able to hurt you no ill savour or pestilential air shall be able to infect you O how careful would a man be to keep such a Receipt he would keep it as his very life And such a Receipt Faith a spiritual Charm such a Spiritual Charm is Faith he gives this solemn charge Keep your Faith as you would keep your life keep your Faith and nothing shall be able to hurt you Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you As this was true of the Faith of Miracles in those days so it is as true of saving Faith in a sound and saving sense at this day Such as keep their Faith in safety shall keep themselves in safety and shall tread down Satan that old Serpent under their feet and nothing shall be able to offend them And therefore where the Holy Ghost makes mention of the greatest troubles that befel the Church he makes mention also of their guard Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Keep thy Faith therefore and thy Patience as ever thou desirest to be kept in the great hour of Temptation Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth O remember this will be the comfort It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the faith and the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to make a scrutiny either of death or at the general Judgement 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ It is nothing to say Such a man had Faith or Such a man once made a glorious Profession of the Faith but this is the glory of Christians to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to Judgement This was the height of Pauls ambition to be found in Christ when he came to give up his account Phil. 3.8 9. That I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness of God by faith Now he that keeps the Faith and endures stedfast to the end is sure to be found in him and none else Quest But you will say What should I do that I may keep Faith safely and be found in the Faith in the most dangerous times Means of preserving faith 1. Soundness I answer First if thou wouldst be found in the faith be sure to be sound in the faith for unsound things do not use to last long An Apple that is rotten at the Core will soon be gone Apostacy is the usual Catastrophe of Hypocrisie He that would deceive in his Profession is justly deceived of his Salvation That 's the reason the Apostle so often perswades them to be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2 2. Let us build our Faith upon good ground upon Gods Word and so let us build our hearts upon Faith and not build Faith upon our own deceitful hearts Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely he shall be delivered That is the first Rule Be sound in the Faith 2. Trial of it Secondly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith and be sound in it be sure to bring it to the Testimony and examine it to the bottom How do we know things to be sound or unsound but upon their trial Therefore be sure to try thy Faith if thou wouldst have it lasting Faith Some take it for granted their Faith is good and sound whereas if they should but feel the Pulse of it they would finde it very sick and weak It is said of Joseph and Mary Luke 1.41 they went a days journey supposing Jesus Christ to have been in their company but when they came to a through scrutiny they perceived they had lost him and were fain to go back again to seek him It is to be feared many a professed Christian plods on many a days and many a years journey supposing Faith and Christ by Faith to be in their company when if they would make a diligent search they should finde themselves at a loss and such as had need go back again and begin all their work afresh and indeed a man had better begin twenty times than be once mistaken in a matter of that moment Therefore be sure to examine thy Faith at the first as thou desirest to keep thy credit with God or Man A wise Merchant that would keep his credit and keep his estate is often casting up his Books of Accompts but he is like to keep neither of the former that is careless in the latter Be thou therefore this wise Merchant if thou wouldst keep thy Faith to the last be sure to make trial of it at the first How it ought to be tried I shall not now stand to shew you but refer you to that which was said in the particular Use to that purpose Thirdly he that would be kept sound in the Faith 3. Love of the Truth must be sure to love the Truth and to hate every false doctrine for Corruption in
a Commission from God as we see in the case of Job so no man can command the Spirit 3. Yea but the Spirit is not onely free in the Nature of it and in the Donation of it But it is also free in the Effects and Operations of it that is to say It makes those free that receive it Joh. 8.36 If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed And how doth he make men free but by his Spirit The Spirit of liberty is opposed to the Spirit of bondage 2 Cor. 3.17 and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And this Spirit is an establishing Spirit Establish me with thy free Spirit If you shall demand Q. What this Free and ingenuous Spirit is and how it doth Establish Ans It is a Spirit Free First Because it Frees us in some measure What the Free Spirit of God sets Believers Free from from that which might occasion Back-sliding and Apostacy from the Faith Secondly In particular it frees a man 1. From the Bondage and Power of his own Lusts that sin reigns not in him 2. It frees him from Bondage and slavery to the Lusts of other men 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men 3. It frees him from the Bondage and slavery of the World The world gets not the victory over him It is a base Spirit that stoops to the worlds lure as Demas did He is not in Bondage to the pleasures or profits of the world Therefore the Spirit of the world and the Spirit of God are opposed 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God c. 4. He is free from the Exaction Curse and Malediction of the Law of the Moral Law and free from the burden of the Ceremonial Law 5. He is free from that which is the fruit of that curse a Slavish and a Servile Fear Either of God or man which makes men weary of their lives and yet extremely affraid to dye The Free Spirit of Christ by degrees doth set his servants at liberty from these fears Heb. 2 15. He came to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind How the Free Spirit of God Establishes Thus you see what this free and ingenious Spirit is and how it doth free us from those things which might occasion apostacy from the Faith and by that means it becomes an establishing spirit to us For in case the Spirit of God do not free men from these fears and burdens the sinful flesh will soon lighten it self it will purchase to it self a carnal liberty by rebellion and apostacy if the Spirit of God do not administer a Spiritual liberty by which the yoke of Christ is made easie and so the poor creature is confirmed in the Faith Therefore pray God to establish thee with his free Spirit We have given many Motives before I shall add but this one and so conclude Motive to pray for the Free Spirit As the right use of Christian liberty is a special means to preserve Faith So Faith also in the right use of it is a special means to preserve Christian Liberty which was purchased by the blood of Christ as one hand helps another and one leg supports another so it is in this case betwixt Faith and Christian liberty Faith Christian Liberty supports each other they do mutually strengthen and support one another There are certain graces that are Custodes libertatis Christianae The Lord give us the thing as well as the name Faith an excellent means to preserve Christian Liberty in many Respects Now Faith is one of these graces and a principal one lose thy Faith and lose thy Liberty keep thy Faith and keep thy Liberty As for Example First Such as believe in Christ are free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Some indeed professing the Faith account it their liberty to sin against God and are never troubled for it But they are men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth of Faith 1 Tim. 6.5 For the liberty that Christ hath purchased is not to be free from his service as in other manumissions of servants but free to his service His service is perfect liberty He hath set us at liberty from other service from the service of sin and satan That we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our daies Luke 1.74 Now I say He that keeps his Faith keeps his Freedom he that loseth his Faith loseth his Charter or at the least the Evidence of his Charter for his Spiritual Freedom Secondly He that is strong in the Faith stands fast in exercise of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free Gal. 6.1 But he that is weak in the Faith is also weak in the use of his Christian liberty Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations viz. in the use of things indifferent And so we may say of other parts of our Freedome from other bondages As First From the Bondage of Sin The stronger is thy Faith the weaker is thy Lust for Faith purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith And Secondly from the bondage of Inordinate Fear The more Faith the less fear and on the other side the lesse Faith the more fear Mat. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Keep thy Faith therefore as thou desirest to keep thy Christian Liberty which is the most excellent Freedom in the world And so much for the second Branch of the Use The First was to exhort to get Faith if it be so excellent a grace The second is to keep it when we have it Now the Third is 3 Branch of Exhortation to Act Faith 3. To act it and to live by it as well as to keep it It is far better to put our Faith to use then our Money to use The just makes a living out of his Faith whilest he puts it to use O lay not up this precious treasure in a Napkin for then it will rust for want of using And we may say of our spiritual treasure as the Apostle James speaks of temporal treasure Jam. 5.2 3. Your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten Your gold and silver is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you O let not our Faith Rust for want of using Object But you will say Is it possible to have Faith and not to use it Ans I answer It is possible at some times and upon some occasions A man
findes the sweetness of it should desire to communicate this life to others and to endevour that they also may live by it as well as himself If the Life of Faith be such an excellent Life who would not labour to convert others to the Faith Me-thinks I hear God by his Spirit speaking to the Soul of each faithful man Behold thou art converted thy self Hast thou here any besides as the Angel said to Lot Gen. 19 12. Son in law and thy sons and thy daughters that are still in Sodom still in the state of Nature O bring them out of this condition that they may learn to live by Faith also as well as thy self This is indeed the great Work of the Ministers and ought to be the endevour of every private Christian in their private Admonitions and Exhortations to convert others to the Faith Dost thou desire thy Children thy Friends thy Neighbours may live comfortably as well as thy self O labour to convert them to the Faith and labour that they may live by Faith when they are converted There 's no Life under heaven to be compared with this Life But to press home farther and more effectually what I intend in this Point I shall refer most of that I have to say to that notable place in Daniel which I shall adde as an Appendex to this Subject of Faith AN APPENDIX Concerning The Converting of others TO THE FAITH They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever WHere the Prophet Daniel foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People from the beginning of the World which some understand of the great Persecution under Antiochus Epïphanes and others of the last and great Persecution under Antichrist and others understand it of both and indeed the first was a Type of the latter I say the Prophet foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People he foretels also as was needful for their support at such a time the greatest comforts and encouragements that could be First in the very time of their troubles And secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles First in the time of their troubles and that is in the glorious appearance and assistance of the great General of the Field the Lord Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant pleading the Cause and fighting the Battels of his Servants Here 's the comfort though there be no troubles like their troubles yet there is no Saviour like their Saviour ver 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation Secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles As no troubles like their troubles so no deliverance like their deliverance Which is set forth 1. In the glorious Resurrection of all the faithful to life Eternal in these words viz. And at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book and many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life 2. In the special glory that is promised to those that lay forth themselves in a special work viz. in the Conversion of others to the Faith v. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Explication They that be wise Some reade it that make others wise or cause them to understand So They that turn many unto righteousness i. e. they that turn men to the righteousness of faith as Interpreters do expound it they that are instruments of others Conversion they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever As if the Prophet had said 'T is possible the rage of Antichrist in the night of Persecution may burn hottest of all against the Teachers of the Word and such as draw others to the knowledge of Christ because they stand as it were in the fore-front of the Battel yet let them be no whit discouraged for as the stars shine brightest in the darkest night so shall they shine that are called Stars Rev. 1.20 and all such as labour in Conversion of others they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever You may behold in the words 1. The Description and Commendation of the most excellent Work 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward and the latter set down as an encouragement to the former 1. The Description of the most excellent Work They that turn many unto righteousness 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward They shall shine As the Firmament As the Stars for ever and ever Take the result of both in this one Proposition The turning of men unto Righteousness Doctr. or the Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward They that be wise c. I. Branch 'T is an excellent Work 1. The turning of men unto Righteousness the Conversion of Souls to God is the most excellent Work It is an excellent Work indeed by Prayer and other means to heal a sick body Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Yea but it is a far more excellent Work to heal a sick and sinful Soul ver 19. Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins This is an excellent Work indeed and it is that excellent Work that was so much in Davids eye he was marvellous earnest with God to help him in the work of his own Conversion or in the renewal of his Repentance and why so that he might be the better fitted to convert others to God Psal 51.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee This was the great and noble design of David the Conversion of Souls He desired though he could not make God amends yet to take a holy Revenge upon Satan by drawing Subjects from him to God And indeed it appears to be a most excellent Work in many respects For Reas 1 First it is a difficult Work and all excellent things are difficult It is a difficult work It s an easie matter to damn a Soul Facilis descensus averni We go down the hill and so down to Hell fast enough but it 's the hardest matter in the world to save a Soul Psal 22.29 'T is too hard for a man to convert himself No man can keep alive or quicken his own Soul 'T is too hard for a man by his own power to convert another 't is too hard for the Parent
acknowledged the moving of the Spirit upon the waters that God hath drawn out the desire of their souls to the remembrance of his name I have great cause to be confident That where God hath begun this good work of Faith amongst you he will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ And therefore grounding upon this good Word of Promise I shall conclude my Preaching of this Subject in that Prayer of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.10 11. Now the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Principal CONTENTS A Abstinence ABstinence from sin is far from Mortification Page 158 Accusation Satan accuses God of envy and severity to hinder reconciliation 'twixt God and Man p 536 537 Acting Activity Activity of faith is the excellency of it 556 The acting of faith most honours God 557 It brings most comfort and hearts-ease to us ibid. Acting of faith brings advantage and advance 558 559 The not acting of faith foils and shames Christians 559 Gods outward actings for us carry proportion to his inward actings upon us 558 Could we but act faith nothing could make us miserable 559 Helps for the acting of faith 560 See living by faith Adoption See Heirship It proves our right to a heavenly Inheritance 344 Adoption in the Civil Law how taken 344 Adoption used in a threefold case ibid. Double act of free-grace in Adoption 345 Difference 'twixt Divine and Humane Adoption ibid. The Spirit of Adoption implies two things 347 The Spirits testimony of our Adoption what it is ibid Adversity The just live by faith in Adversity 49 In relation to inward and outward troubles 50 51 See Troubles Motives to live by faith in Adversity 65 66 Reproof to such who do not so 66 It argues a threefold evil 67 Affliction Faith makes a right use of Afflictions for growth in Sanctification 131 Antipodes The discovery of Antipodes in the new world from 429 to 434 Apostacy See Backsliding Confutation of the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy 241 242 243 See Perseverance Examples of Gods Judgements on Apostates 250 251 Apostacy is the fruit of Vnbelief Hypocrisie Heresie 464 Apostates triumph'd over be damned spirits 491 Arraignment The process of faith in the Arraignment of sin 152 153 154 The Arraignment of Vnbelief 467 Ascension Christs Ascension a pledge of believers glorification 348 Assurance of Justification Faith uses 12 means to attain it from 92 to 97 Four Reasons for the trial of the truth of assurance 97 Three Marks of true assurance 97 98 Faith answers all objections which may cloud assurance 99 100 101 The just live by faith in expectation of assurance 101 102 Five Vses of living by faith in order to assurance 103 104 One in a state of grace may be assured of Salvation 247 How faith assures of heaven from 342 to 351 Motives to get assurance of Eternal life 374 to 379 Want of assurance and joy may consist with strong faith 514 Divine Attributes rightly apprehended and applied breed assurance 96 Atheism Atheist Instances of two grand Atheists 356 363 Living upon Self is a high degree of Atheism 432 Atheism is the fruit of Vnbelief 464 Attributes of God They are special means to beget faith 538 539 Rightly apprehended and applied they breed assurance 96 Augmentation See Growth The just by faith draw increasing vertue from Christ 190 191 Reasons of spiritual Augmentation 192 to 195 Augmentation in grace is by faith 195 to 199 See Growth in grace B Backsliding Difference 'twixt a believer and a hypocrite in this 215 It is a great dishonor to backslide 250 See Apostacy Beauty or Compleatness Believers are the most beautiful persons 479 Believers Their description and condition 1 They lead a super-excellent life in seven particulars 8 9 10 11 They only can have comfort against a sixfold condemnation 417 418 419 Christ is the Principle and End of their duties 447 The believing creature is a praying creature 448 The complicated excellencies of a believer from 471 to 481 Benefit How far one mans faith may benefit another 38 Blessings Seven belong to the natural life for which the Saints live by faith 70 71 72 73 Blindness of minde Gods judicial inflicting of it justified 496 497 Book God hath a threefold Book 395 396 C Carefulness In worldly things a sign of weak faith 572 Carriage See Conversation Care of our carriage in this life is a sign of right to heaven 362 Censure The wicked censure Religion to breed Melancholy 319 320 Certainty True grace is certain and durable above all things 247 248 Charter The believers Charter for Eternal Life 341 342 Chastisement Gods is castigatory probatory Purgatory 504 Christ His Merit Intercession and Spirit is a cause of Perseverance 239 Christ was an Example of Perseverance 256 See Perseverance Overlooking the terms on which Christ is to be had viz. the Cross is a cause of unexpected sadness 314 Difference 'twixt the life of Christ and a believers 425 What it is to receive Christ on Gospel-terms 560 To clear up our interest in Christ is a means to act faith ibid. Church Church of Christ compared to a Ship 349 Circumspection It ought to be seen in our affections meditations speeches actions 362 363 364 Civility See Morality It is dangerous to rest in it and trust to it 119 Difference 'twixt Civility and Sanctification ibid. Combat Differences 'twixt a true and false combat with sin 160 Comfort See Consolation Sound comfort flows from proving our own faith 43 The Comforter abides for ever though not the act of Comfort 272 Communion Christian Communion is a means to increase faith 579 Compassion The Just live by faith in point of Compassion and how 54 Condemnation Believers are set free from a sixfold condemnation 111 112 The intailment of Condemnation on Vnbelievers 417 418 419 421 Confession Resolute confession of Christ is a means of assurance 95 Confidence See Pride Self-confidence hinders growth in grace 231 Sinful confidence how manifold and dangerous 6 Carnal confidence in spiritual friends 41 Conscience Renewed by faith it acquits and quiets 299 The testimony of a renewed Conscience is nothing else but a reflex act of faith 301 Conscience purified makes the believer cheerful 308 A good Conscience is a means to keep faith 550 Consolation Vide Comfort Vide Joy The just live by faith the life of Consolation 278 Consolation is the Saints complete Commencement 279 The suburbs of heaven in the consolations of faith 280 281 Christs best reserve in the Wine of Joy 282 Proofs from Scripture that the just live the life of Consolation 282 The just live the life of Consolation by faith 283 Faiths activity the magazine of Comfort 284 Gods design in promoting the Saints Comfort 284 285 286 287 288 The