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
Discouragements removed by Faith Faiths Triumph over fear of Divine desertion God may forsake his people in five respects yet it is but gradual and momentary not total and final Reasons of Gods forsaking his people 1 For prevention of Evil two ways 2 For Confirmation in Good five ways The Life of Faith in Consolation Two Propositions stated 1 That the Just lives the Life of Consolation 2 That he lives this Life by Faith Four Reasons why the Lord will have the Just live comfortably Six Reasons why Consolation comes by Faith Faith fetches in Comfort from the Trial and Evidence of the Truth of Grace Objections against Assurance of Divine Love inferred from Marks and Signs of true Grace answered It is a preposterous course to judge of our interest in Divine Love by our Comforts before we have tried the sincerity of our Graces Differences of Regenerating Grace from Common Uses of the Life of Consolation in Believers 1Vse Information in five Particulars 1 Of the cause of sadness in the faithful 2Vnregenerate souls are uncomfortable souls 3 Religious Life is the onely comfortable Life Objection against this That the Saints walk sadly answered Where the Rise of the Saints heaviness is discovered in three general Causes The first is taken from themselves in five particulars The second from Satan The third from God himself who eclipses his Peoples Comforts for three Reasons 4 Information what to desire for our best friends 5 Information what great happiness attends the end of Saints in death 2Vse of Reproof 1 Of mis-judging the Life of the faithful 2 Of Papists who rob of Comfort while of Faith 3 Of such who fetch Comfort from Sense 4 Of such who refuse Comfort upon the Promises 5 Of such who go for Comfort to false Prophets 3Vse of Exhortation To live this life of spiritual comfort 1 Three Motives Vnder the third is set forth ten Properties wherein a believers joy excels all natural worldly sinful joy 2 Means to get and maintain spiritual Joy Faith is acted seven ways for the increase of Joy Having seen how the Just live by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life It remains to shew how they live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life The Work of Faith about Eternal Life Faith assures of three things about Eternal Life 1 That there is an Eternal Life This Faith makes good by Scripture and five Reasons flowing by necessary Consequence from Scripture 2 Faith informs a Believer what the happiness of Eternal Life is and wherein it consists viz. In the perfect Vision of God which causes perfect transformation in perfect Knowledge Love Obedience Joy which perfect transformation causes perfect Satisfaction which Satisfaction consists privatively in a fivefold freedom from whatever may annoy or interrupt the Joy of glorified Saints positively in the possessing of whatever good can be desired to make up complete Joy and Satisfaction which consists in a fourfold fulness of the Subject in glory as also in the fulness of the Object viz. The beatifical Vision of God 3 Faith assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in Eternal Life Under which Head is shewn How Faith assures a Believer of his particular interest in Eternal Life This it doth six ways all which are largely handled Five Reasons why Believers are kept out of possession of heaven so long after assurance of their interest in Eternal Life Uses of living by Faith in order to Eternal life 1Vse Confutation of such who deny Eternal Life both in respect of the Soul at present and of the Body after the Resurrection Five proofs of Eternal Life 2Vse Reproof to five sorts of persons 1 To such as complain that Religion is a fruitless Profession 2 To such as despair in stead of acting Faith for Eternal Life 3 To such as exercise their fancy more than faith concerning Eternal Life where vain curiosity in moving Questions about the state of glory rather than a due care to make sure an interest in it is condemned 4 To such who have an interest in Eternal Life but do not act faith to the improvement of that interest 5 To such who minde Earth for a portion more than Eternal Glory 3Vse Examination of Faith in respect of Life Eternal Whether we believe aright that there is such a state and that we have an interest in it 1 Sign By our carriage in Life Whether our Affections Meditations Speeches and Actions be heavenly such as sute such an inheritance 2 Sign By our respect which we bear to Death viz. as a passage to Eternal Life as a conquered Enemy Four Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death for all his Question stated Whether godly persons may not be afraid to die and unfit to die 4Vse Exhortation To live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life Five Motives to get assurance of Eternal Life Four Means to assure of Eternal Life 5Vse Comfort and Encouragement against the evils and temptations of this present life drawn from the nature of our heavenly life where hope or assurance of heaven is demonstrated to bear up the heart under adversity and to preserve the Souls integrity under temptations of Prosperity 6Vse Admiration and Thankfulness for our heavenly life To excite to this the excellency of heaven is set out five ways 1 By the excellent Names or Titles given to it 2 By the excellent Properties of it which are four 3 By the excellent Price given for it 4 By the excellent Causes of it 5 By the excellent Effects of it Thankfulness for Eternal life demonstrated two ways Reasons for living by Faith The Eighth General Head or Quaere concerning the Life of Faith viz. What are the Reasons why God will have the just to live by Faith and why a Christian should be willing thus to live First sort of Reasons taken from a Believers Condition in the flesh This is set out in five particulars 1 Absence from the Lord. 2 Distance of time 'twixt the Promise and Performance 3 The necessity of keeping the Saints humble 4 Saints present state of Imprfection for whose direction and support the Word and the Ministery of it is afforded Question herestated concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Arguments of four sorts to prove it 5 Past Experiences of Gods faithfulness in fulfilling his Promises are given for a firm encouragement to exercise future Faith Three Grounds to expect that God will make good the same Promises for time to come Second sort of Reasons for living by Faith viz. The Relation betwixt Christ and Believers 1 Relation Christ is the Fountain of all Grace of whose fulness we receive onely by Faith 2 Relation Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Faith honours the Grace Faithfulness and Power of God Third sort of Reasons taken from the nature and use of Faith 1 It is our livelyhood with the difference of Faith under both Covenants 2 We first fell away from God by unbelief therefore he will recover his honour in
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
thou judgest Therefore though God forsake his people in some sense yet in the main he never forsakes them and if he never forsake us we shall never forsake him and this is great incouragement against the greatest discouragements we can meet with in our Christian course Thus have you heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Conservation BRANCH VII IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. CONSOLATION VVE come now to the last which is the Life of Consolation which God makes the sweet closure of all the rest and indeed Christ reserves the best wine till last Ioh. 2. The Devil feeds his followers with sweet Comfits at first but he gives them a deadly Pill at last But Christ gives the bitter at first and the sweet at last At the last the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation You have heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification in laying hold on the righteousness of Christ and making it his own You have heard also how he lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification whereby the believing Soul draws vertue from Christ and that either Renewing Fructifying Mortifying Quickning Increasing Confirming Comforting Vertue So he lives the Life of Renovation Fructification Mortification Vivification Augmentation Conservation or Perseverance Consolation So that we are come to the last to the highest Stair on this side Heaven The just goes on so far from strength to strength and from faith to faith and from life to life till at the last with great delight he sits down under the shadow of Jesus Christ and his fruit is sweet unto his taste Cant. 2.2 He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation he is a true Disciple of his heavenly Master he hath taken all his Degrees in the School of Christ his Grace hath past from the Life of Justification to the Life of Sanctification and herein from the Life of Renovation to the Life of Fructification from the Life of Fructification to the Life of Mortification from the Life of Mortification to the Life of Vivification from the Life of Vivification to the Life of Augmentation from the Life of Augmentation to the Life of Conservation from the Life of Conservation to the Life of Consolation and now he is as high as he can go till he enter into Heaven it self Yea the Life of Consolation is a piece of Heaven like the the sheet in Peters Vision let down to the earth and so the just in believing is transformed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. as by the Spirit of our God He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation And indeed this is the proper use and effect of Faith to rejoyce the heart though not always an immediate effect especially to our sense and feeling yet we may safely say The seed of Peace and the seed of Joy is sown in the heart so soon as ever a man believeth Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright in heart though it may be he reaps the full Harvest many a year after There is first the sprouting and then the blade and then the ear and after that the full Corn in the ear Mar. 4.28 And look as it is in the rising of the Sun though there be light at the first in some measure yet there is but a little light and less heat in comparison of that which follows So in the first manifestations of the Sun of Righteousness to the Soul there is some light of knowledge and some heat of comfort at the very first but little in comparison of that which shall be And therefore the just lives by Faith in expectation of a glorious Noon-tide of Peace and joy to follow after and in the mean time the more he increaseth his Faith the more he increaseth his Joy You may easily see it in your selves and others It is possible a person may be both justified and sanctified he may live both these lives and yet for the present he may be much to seek in his comfort in his own sense and apprehension he may be in sad and as it were in a dead condition for want of comfort and therefore in due time by the exercise of Faith God addes to both the former the Life of Consolation which is more properly called Life Indeed it is the very Life of our lives for what is life without comfort but a living death When Adam had tasted of the forbidden fruit he did not die presently if we take it in a strict sense but he was made subject to all diseases and all kinde of miseries which is all one as if he had been dead it is a dying daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Whereas on the other side comfort and joy is called Life in Scripture phrase they are used promiscuously sometimes Life is put for Joy and Joy is put for Life as if they were all one Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning All one as if he had said Life comes in the morning according to the former expression In thy favour is life The Philosophers have a Position Nec voluptas sine vitâ nec vita sine voluptate Pleasure cannot be without life nor life without some kinde of pleasure And it is true in Divinity he onely deserves the name of a living man who injoys some comfort in his life And indeed Eternal Life is nothing else but Eternal Joy For otherwise the wicked shall live eternally if we take the word in the largest sense but their Eternal Life is called Eternal Death because they live not in Joy but Misery So that it 's clear to live most properly is to live comfortably 1 Thess 1.3 Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. We live how is that Did not the Apostle live both the life of Nature and the life of Grace whether the Thessalonians should stand or fall Without all question he did but his meaning is Now we live comfortably if ye stand fast in the Lord which life is onely worth the name of a life So that when it is said The just shall live by Faith the meaning is he shall live a sweet and comfortable life whatever his outward troubles may be he shall not want sweet supports and comforts within he shall even then live by his Faith And that this is the sense of the Text in the latitude of it seems to be clear by the opposite member as the Life of Gods People is opposed to the Life of the Caldeans their enemies and so the Joy of the one to the Joy of the other Their enemies have a kinde of superficial flashing joy arising from the immoderate use or abuse of the Creature and this joy tickles them or puffs them up for the present In which respect the Caldean is compared to a drunken man who you know thinks himself the onely merry man in the world he is merry as Cup and
Cann while the spirit of the Wine is in him and his heart is lifted up he thinks there is none so merry as himself But behold his heart that is thus lifted up is not right in him or as some expound it it is not quiet in him he hath no true peace or solid joy but even as it is with a drunken man it may be the next morning when the spirit of Wine is gone his heart sinks down as Nabals did as heavy and as dead as a stone and therefore his heart that is thus lifted up with carnal joy is not quiet it is not right But the Just shall live by his faith that is to say He shall live comfortably as the strength of the opposition doth necessitate the sense he shall live comfortably in the midst of troubles as the other lives troublesomely in the midst of comforts For as an unbeliever hath inward troubles and unquietness of spirit in the midst of all outward comforts so a believer hath inward comforts in the midst of all outward troubles Be his condition what it will be or what it can be in other respects yet the just shall rejoyce 2 Cor. 6.9 As sorrowing saith the Apostle yet always rejoycing And what resolves this Riddle but the Mystery of Faith For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation For Method we shall first prove it That the just doth live by Faith the Life of Consolation and give Reasons for it Two Propositions First why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation and Secondly why he is said to live this Life by Faith and then we shall endevour to apply it Propos 1. That the just lives the Life of Consolation 1. The just doth live the Life of Consolation Comfort is the proper Portion of Gods People Isa 40. Comfort ye comfort ye me people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem God commands his people to speak comfortably to his own People But he never commands his People to preach comfort to the wicked whilst they remain so Isa 57. ult no There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And God complains of such Ministers as make sad the heart of the righteous and strengthen the hands of the wicked by Preaching Peace and Comfort to them whilst they continue in their sins Ezek 13.22 because with lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked ways by promising him life for True joy is the Portion of the just The just lives the Life of Consolation 2. He lives this Life by Faith Propos 2. The just lives the Life of Consolation by his Faith As his Faith doth Justifie so his Faith doth Comfort him not originally but instrumentally It is the Conduit-pipe of Comfort as well as of Grace The just live by Faith the Life of Consolation God gives faithful men leave to be chearful Psal 5.11 Let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce yea let them shout for joy Nay he commands them to be chearful Luk. 8.48 And he said unto her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Mark he commands her to be of good comfort and why not so much because she was whole as because Faith had healed her and so she had inward peace as well as outward healing Thence it is that Joy and Faith are usually coupled together in Scripture Phil. 1.25 and joy of faith It is called The Joy of faith as if all true Joy did come from Faith 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing saith the Apostle ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Mark when they were full of afflictions and full of temptations as appears by the connexion yet they were full of glorious joy And how came that to pass but by vertue of their Faith In whom believing ye rejoyce c. That 's the reason why the Apostle would pray for the increase of the Peoples joy when he prays for the increase of their Faith Rom. 13.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost As if there were no joy without faith and the more faith the more joy No sooner did the Eunuch believe Act. 8 39. but the Text says he went on his way rejoycing as if he felt not the ground he went upon his joy was a pleasant companion by the way who is as good as a Chariot No sooner did the trembling Jaylor believe but it was said Act. 16.34 He set meat before the Apostles and rejoyced believing in God with all his houshold It was the merriest meals meat that he made in all his life I do not say that all believers have the same degree of joy much less that they have the same joy at the first 't is enough that they have the seed of joy Suppose it were a wet and troublesome Seed-time it may be they sow in tears yet this is sufficient security God hath given us his Word for it in due time thou shalt reap and reap in joy if they faint not Therefore let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce But we come to the Reasons Reasons First Why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation Secondly Why he is said to live this Life by Faith 1. Why God will have the just live comfortably For the first God will have the just live by Faith the Life of Consolation because it makes much for the Glory of God he delights in the service we perform to him when we our selves delight in it also 1. For his honor As God loves a chearful giver so he loves a chearful worshipper Psal 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his Presence with a song The chearfulness of the service commends the Masters service You may well think there is the wine of Consolation in the heart where you see the oyl of Gladness in the countenance Therefore God glads the hearts of his Servants by the grace of Faith that their very countenance and carriage may commend his service to all the world 'T is true indeed the service of Christ is called a burthen Mat. 11. and a yoke and 't is so for our corrupt nature but so far as we are spiritual although the yoke is rough you see nothing at the first but Afflictions and Persecutions and Self-denial yet the inside is smooth and easie 't is tied on with the silken string of Love and stuft with nothing but Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost It 's better to feel than to see for many have boggled at the yoke that have but look'd upon it afar off but never any that took it up and wore it but highly commended it to be the sweetest and easiest
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
because we neglect the Seal of the Word It may be in a Womans Brests if one be dried up the other may be the fuller because that nourishment which should run into two doth now run into one vessel But it is not so here for the neglect of one Ordinance makes the other more unprofitable because God never appointed any Ordinance in vain and will not indure the contempt of any Well then poor Soul dost thou complain for want of comfort thou canst not finde that comfortable assurance of Gods love active or passive thou wert wont to finde It may be there is more estrangedness every way I answer If it be so blame thy self and not God thou dost neglect a comfortable Ordinance thou sufferest one of thy Mothers Brests to be dried up for want of sucking in which thou mightst otherwise finde abundance of comfort You read in 2 Chron. 30.21 26. Gods people kept the Passover with great gladness there was such exceeding great joy in Jerusalem that there had not been the like many years before in those times when the Sacrament was neglected And you know the Sacrament of the Passover and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper are all one for substance And so you read Act 2.46 They continued in breaking of bread from house to house with gladness of heart Well then dost thou want this gladness of heart this Life of Consolation Consider whether this be not the cause thou hast not for a long time laid thy mouth to this Brest No wonder then if thou complainest for want of comfort I would not be mistaken Caution for I speak to none but true children as Christ says of his Bread so I say of his Brest It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to whelps For we must know though this Brest be sweet it is so onely to the believing Soul The unbeliever sucks poison out of it he eats and drinks his own damnation Therefore saith the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And what must he examine Surely his faith above all the rest 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own selves whether ye be in the faith The Word and Sacraments are the two Brests and Faith is the Mouth and so the just by Faith sucking at these two Brests he lives the Life of Consolation And that 's the second Reason Reas 3 3 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Justification VVhy consolation comes by Faith as we have heard at large and therefore by consequence by the same Faith also he lives the Life of Consolation For as sorrow is more properly the consequent of sin than sufferings For suppose suffering without sin and they are more truly the occasions of joy than sorrow So on the other side comfort is more properly the consequence of Righteousness than of all outward Blessings whatsoever Rom. 5.1 2 3. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not onely so but we rejoyce in tribulations And so tribulations cannot hinder the glorious rejoycing of a justified person The golden Chain Order of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Therefore in that Golden Chain Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Observe the order First Righteousness when a a person is justified through the Merits of Christ then Peace when we understand God and we are friends for what strikes terror but this Oh! I have sinned says the Soul and God is mine enemy And what speaks peace but this I am justified from my sins and now God is my friend And then thirdly comes in Joy in the holy Ghost for as nothing wounds the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of an enemy so nothing comforts the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of a friend and reconciled Father Therefore as Peace is the fruit of Righteousness so Joy is the fruit of Peace and then both Joy Peace and Righteousness the fruit of Faith Therefore a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Consolation As you cannot separate the heat of the Sun from the light of it no more can you separate the comfort of Justification from the life and assurance of it and the stronger the assurance the stronger is the comfort Reas 4 4 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Sanctification Why Consolation comes by Faith both in purifying the heart from sinful corruption and in quickning of it to all holy duties as we have already proved Now howsoever it is true Caution the forsaking of sin on the one hand and the practising of holy duties on the other hand doth not deserve the least comfort or incouragement from God and in this sense we do not ground our comfort upon our duties Yet this we say from good Warrant from the Scripture God of his free grace doth usually make holy ways comfortable ways and sinful ways uncomfortable ways even to his own children Hereupon David says on the other side Psal 38. There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin And Solomon says on the other side Pro. 3.17 All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Hear what S. Luke saith Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord they walked also in the comfort of the holy Ghost God deals with his children as we do with ours though we intend not to disinherit them for every fault yet we will discourage them by correction when they do ill and incourage them by rewarding them when they do well It is not all one in point of comfort whether we sin or sin not God is a wise as well as a loving Father he will shew no countenance to his own children if they regard iniquity in their heart Psal 66 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer But blessed are the pure in heart Why they shall see God Mat. 5.8 What of that why here 's the comfort here 's the happiness here 's the very heaven of a Christian to see God 1 Joh 3 2. For Vision of God works Transformation into the Image of God Satisfaction and Satisfaction even abundance of Soul-ravishing Consolation Now this Wisdom Transformation Satisfaction and Consolation God onely disposeth to the pure in heart And yet I do not mean such as are pure in heart from all acts of sin for we sin in our best duties but such as are pure from the approbation and allowance of any sin from the regarding of any iniquity in their heart If a justified person do not act his Faith to the purifying of his heart and life In that sense we speak of God will certainly suspend his comfort for a time The Sun of Righteousness will not shine upon a Dunghil heart but upon the Garden for the Spirit
of God is grieved by the sins of his own people or else that Exhortation were needless Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And if we grieve the Spirit of God be sure it will grieve our spirits it will make us glad to cry Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Psal 51.12 And if we rejoyce the Spirit of Ged it will rejoyce ours Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me saith Wisdom so I rejoyce them that rejoyce me and what rejoyces Gods Spirit but purity of heart and life Prov. 11.20 The upright in the way are his delight So God dispenses peace to such Psal 85.8 It is God who will speak peace to his Saints to his sanctified ones 'T is true indeed a man cannot be sanctified before he be justified and so soon as he is justified he hath the ground-work of peace But the Word doth strongly infer That no man is justified but he is also sanctified at the same time And God is pleased to speak peace to none but such as he is pleased to sanctifie at the same instant when he first begins to speak peace unto them Well but what shall we say for after times May they then live as they list when God hath once spoken peace to their Souls No as ever they desire to keep it when they have it as they love their peace let them not again return to folly As much as to say If they be so foolish to turn again to their former sins God will turn again to his former displeasure of which he had spoken in the former verses Not that God will hate them or look at them as his enemies but they shall know for all that though God continues to be their Father yet a Father knows how to frown upon his children and how to come with a Rod in his hand if they once wax wanton under the expression of his love and favour Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Well then as ever thou desirest to live the Life of Consolation be sure to live the Life of Sanctification Though God do not dispense comfort for thy Sanctification yet he will never dispense it without Sanctification The water of Consolation must run in a clear channel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God to their comfort Therefore as Faith purifies the heart Act. 15.9 so it comforts the heart And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Quest Yea but how shall I know I am sanctified that I may have the comfort of it Ans I answered to this in that precedent Chapter viz. Life of Faith in Sanctification Vid. supra Reas 5 5 Reason why the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation it is Why Consolation comes by Faith Because by Faith a man reflects upon his own Sanctity and Sincerity he proves it and brings it to the touchstone and when he knows it is right he hath the comfort of it For as Faith purifies the heart and conscience so the conscience thus purified doth the office of a faithful examined Witness and Judge who upon examination gives in this Judgement Thou art sincere saith Conscience to the believing Soul thou art in the Faith Christ is thine and therefore thou hast cause to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundant to you-wards Mark the ground of Paul's rejoycing was the reflect act of Faith in the testimony of his renewed conscience And lest any man should say This was a singular case 't is possible Paul might have ground of rejoycing upon the thorow examination of his own condition but ordinarily Christians cannot have the like Therefore the Apostle makes it a general case to all believers either they do or they ought to do so Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Mark this is the duty of every man that desires comfort of every man that is in the Faith Wouldst thou have comfort Then make use of thy Faith to the proving of thy self and the proving of thy work It may be thou thinkst thy Joy and Consolation must evidence thy good estate but the Word saith The evidence of thy good estate upon Proof and Trial must bring sound comfort if ever thou hast it upon good grounds Thy comfort must not be thy evidence Note but thy evidence must be thy comfort Now this is the proper act and evidence of Faith And so by Faith the just lives the Life of Consolation As for example the Word saith Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Even by this we know we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.4 But saith the conscience renewed by Faith I fear the Lord c. therefore I have cause to rejoyce Obj. Oh but these Marks and Evidences may fail you Ans Heaven and Earth shall pass but not one tittle of the Word shall fall Obj. But you may think you have these when you have them not Ans Therefore they are first to be tried by the Rule for their Principle and Existence Obj. If it be said You may think you have the witness and comfort of the Spirit when you have not Is there not a joy of the stony ground and of an hypocrite as well as the joy of a true Christian And is there not a peace from Satan in the heart as well as the peace of God Luk. 11.21 When the strong man armed keepeth the palace his goods are in peace Ans Oh but he that hath the true peace and joy in the holy Ghost cannot be deceived so he that hath the true fear of God and hunger c. cannot be deceived But of the two Note it is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than in our Graces Therefore the Scripture commands us to try our comforts by our graces but never to try our graces by our comforts as in the place before-alledged Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father It is true the first evidence of a Christians Justification in order of nature is a pure simple act of Faith laying hold on Gods free grace in a Promise indefinite made not to righteous persons but to sinners ungodlly persons and to enemies and to such as are simply so For God will strip a man of all conceits of his own Righteousness before he clothe him with the Righteousness of Christ But then the second evidence of Justification in order of nature though it be at the same instant in order of time
Though an unregenerate man may love Gods People after a sort yet not in a sanctified manner that is to say neither all the People of God nor all their graces at all times First Not all the People of God they hate some as they seem to love others They are guilty of sinful partiality Jam. 2. having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons They seem to love the rich and despise the poor Secondly Not all their graces They may admire their common gifts as Pharaoh admired the wisdom of Joseph and Nebuchadnezzar the wisdom of Daniel but not their saving graces Every one that doth evil hateth the light Joh. 3.20 Even that light of good works Thirdly Not at all times God sometimes indeed over-rules their spirits strongly as he over-ruled the spirits of Lions to preserve Daniel and of the Ravens to feed Elijah but so soon as that over-ruling Providence is over they are as they were before God for a time gave the Israelites favour in the eyes of the Egyptians but before and after they were their utter enemies but he that hath truth of grace he loves 1. All the Saints poor as well as rich Phil. 1.15 and love unto all the Saints 2. All their graces saving as well as common and more than common because the Image of God is most in those 3. At all times because his love springs from an inward principle from likeness of nature and therefore it is unchangeable Now this upon trial is ground of singular comfort and this trial is made by Faith Therefore by Faith the Just lives the Life of Consolation because by Faith a man reflects upon that Sanctity and Sincerity which God hath wrought in the believing Soul Reas 6 6 Reason Because Faith makes a thing absent Why Consola flows in by Faith to be as it were present For joy is properly the delight we take in some present good God who seemed before to be absent is present things promised are present Heaven it self is present He hath made us through faith to sit together in heavenly places Eph. 2 6. As it is said of the destruction of enemies Revel 18.2 Babylon is fallen Now what a comfort is this it is even Heaven opposed to earth What a comfort and content is it to a man when he looks through a Prospective glass and sees a friend coming towards him many Furlongs off It may be he looked before in the glass and either he saw him not at all or else he doubted whether it was his friend or no but the glass draws him so near that it puts all out of doubt he sees the very colour of his clothes of the hair of his face and the proportion of his parts so perfectly as if he were present with him and therefore he smileth to himself and salute him at a distance Oh my dear friend I am glad to see you Faith is such a Prospective glass that looking upon God and Heaven and things promised at a great distance even as far as Heaven is from Earth yet it draws these good things so near and makes them so present so sure to the Soul that it cannot but rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory as Abraham saw Christs day afar off and rejoyced to see it and so the rest of the Patriarchs Heb. 11.18 though they received not the things promised yet having seen them afar off through the glass of Faith they made them so near to their apprehensions Heb. 11.13 that they even fell upon the neck of the Promises and saluted them as dear friends salute and embrace one another at their meeting And in this respect Faith is said to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 It puts a man as it were into a possession of good things to come or at least it makes them as sure as if they were present What comfort is this We say It is good to be sure we do not onely rejoyce in the excellency of a thing promised but in the certainty of it Yea but is this true saith the poor Soul Yea saith Faith thou maist be as sure of it as if thou hadst it already in possession for thou hast the Word of God the Promise of God the Oath of God the Seal of God And why so many ties and engagements one upon another but that by these immutable things Heb. 6.18 in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Faith lays hold upon all these ingagements and so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Vses of the Consolation of the Faithful The first Use of Information Vse 1 TO let us see what is the main cause of that sadness and sorrow of heart Information of the cause of sadness which the Prophet Jeremiah called The curse of God Lam. 3.65 Not as if all were cursed that are sad and sorrowful for God knows how to fish in troubled waters but to shew That of it self it is the greatest of all evils for the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Now let us inquire what is the cause of this wound of this sadness and sorrow of heart certainly it is not the greatness of any outward troubles it is not Imprisonment for the Apostles were so merry they fell a singing in the very Dungeon Act. 16 25. It is not Reproach for Job professeth if his adversary should write a Book against him he would take it Job 31. and binde it as a Crown upon his head And if a man rejoyce not in a Crown what should be the object of his joy It is not Poverty for it is said of the faithful They suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 It is not Persecution for it is said Act. 4. the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus It is not simply Sin Psal 49.5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil when the iniquities of my heels compass me about It is not Dis-respect and ill-will from men Heb. 11.27 By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King Well then if it be not any outward trouble that is the cause of sadness and sorrow of heart what is it then Surely you shall finde upon search it is nothing else but Want of Faith or at least want of acting of Faith in the Promises of God Heb. 11.27 He endured as seeing him who is invisible Had we but Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed and had we skill to act it we should say to Mountains of Sorrow that surrounded us Be ye removed and they should obey For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation in the midst of troubles and therefore in case thou art at any
do them What superlative degree of wickedness is this to make that the object of our joy that should be the object of our greatest sorrow Psal 119.136 Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy law 2. They rejoyce in the comforts of the Creatures not that it is unlawful to rejoyce in the Creature but it is then unlawful when it draws the Creature further from God When men so rejoyce in Corn Psal 4. and Wine and Oil c. that the light of Gods countenance and the consolations of God seems small and of no account to them In this case God will either return and take away these comforts from them or else will give them no other portion in this life which is worst of all Repr 4. To such as refuse comfort upon the Promises It Reproves such as refuse to be comforted by a Promise unless they may have present performance These live not by Faith the Life of Consolation though they have Gods Hand and Seal and Oath for it too All is little to their esteem Is it not a shame that a covetous wretch can take so much comfort in his Bonds and Bills though he have little or no Money in his Coffers because he knows those Bonds and Bills will fetch in the Money it self in due time and yet a Believer that hath so strong a Bond from the God of Truth sealed with the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus should be so dejected and onely because he wants the present possession of that which God hath reserved for a better time and for which he hath given all sufficient Security in the mean time The strong Obligations of God should bring in the Souls of Believers strong Consolation Repr 5. To such as go for comfort to false Prophets Such are to be Reproved who in stead of living by Faith which is ever grounded on the word comfort themselves in false Doctrine and false Prophets Ezek. 13.10 17 18. They have seduced my people saying Peace and there was no peace as affirming That God sees no sin and that there needs no sorrow for sin like them 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Such smooth words smother mens Souls in a feather-bed of security Vse 3 For Exhortation Exhortation First to live the Life of Spiritual Consolation c. Secondly To make much of Faith because by the exercise of this grace we live this Life 1. 1. To live this life of Comfort For Exhortation to live this life of Spiritual Consolation One would think one should need no perswasions to this But the truth is Some make as much of their sorrow as some do of their joy They think they do well to be sorrowful as Jonah thought he did well to be angry But let such know it is their duty to labour to live the Life of Consolation Shall I give you some Motives to perswade to this Mot. 1 1. It is Gods Command Son be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee Mat. 9. â— If a creature lives the Life of Justification he is commanded to live the Life of Consolation Q. Why do we exercise the affection of love or hope or fear c A. Because God commands us By the same reason we should exercise the affection of spiritual joy because of Gods command Rejoyce in the Lord evermore and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Mot. 2 2 Motive is from the End and Vse of it Spiritual joy is very useful it is like oyl to the wheels in all duties it makes a Christian strong and active in the work of the Lord Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is our strength Therefore the Apostle puts Rejoyce continually 1 Thess 5.16 17. before Pray continually Mot. 3 The third Motive is drawn from the excellent Properties of this heavenly joy above all natural worldly The joy of a believer excels all natural worldly sinful joy in 10 properties or sinful joy It is more Solid and Substantial more Rational it is more Spiritual it is Greater it is Stronger it lasts Longer it is Pure and it is sure it is Fresher and Wholesomer and therefore more desireable in every respect It is more Solid and Substantial A wicked mans joy is very overly vain and vanishing he sets a good face on it outwardly when he hath a full sorrowful heart Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful But a godly man sets the worst side outward when his outside is full of afflictions and persecutions and infirmities his inside his heart is full of joy Carnal men are Quasi gaudentes they carry themselves so as if they were the merriest men in the world and yet are truly sorrowful But godly men are Quasi dolentes As sorrowful yet alway rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 2. A rational joy A godly mans joy is more Rational A carnal man as he is unreasonable in his rage and persecution 2 Thess 3.2 so he is unreasonable in his joy The mirth of such men as Solomon speaks in his Book of Ecclesiastes is no better than madness Is not he a mad-man that rejoyceth to see his own house on fire and after that to throw fire-brands up and down the Town So it is with every sinner Prov. 26.18 19. As a man-man who casteth fire-brands and arrows and death so is the man that sins against his neighbor and saith Am not I in sport It 's a most irrational and absurd joy But a godly man's joy is a most rational joy his Affection is ruled by his Reason and his Reason is sanctified and therefore regulated by Grace God commands him to rejoyce bids him wâ—lcome to all comforts Temporal Spiritual and Eternal and therefore he hath good reason to rejoyce His joy is Rational 3. A spiritual joy It is most Spiritual The joy of Carnal men must needs be carnal and sensual like themselves they can a little rejoyce in corn Psal 6 7. and wine and oyl in Creature-comforts that affect the senses But a godly man rejoyceth in the light of Gods countenance in the want of all other things which must needs be a more excellent joy as the object is most excellent Spiritual joy is the joy of Angels there 's joy among the Angels in heaven over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15.10 But sensual joy is common with us to the very Beasts they delight in meat drink and sensual pleasures 4. A great joy It 's a Greater joy A Carnal man if he hath any joy at all it is very small it 's like the joy of a man that dreams he is Rich and Honourable and Victorious when indeed he is poor and base and servile which joy as it is a false so 't is a slender joy in comparison of his who is truly rich honourable and victorious God threatens the enemies of his Church Isa 29.8 that it shall be with them as with an hungry
bringing down Heavenly Notions into Holy Affections and Righteous Actions then you will finde them sweet in the taste and swallow It 's not the looking upon Divine Truths by a meer notional act of the Understanding but the chewing and digesting them by Faith and Love that makes them truly comfortable Thy words were found and I did eat them And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 Most persons look upon Divine Truths as people in a Market do on Commodities they pass by them or taste a little and cheapen them they onely have the true comfort of them who buy and eat and are satisfied And such are they who digest their knowledge into practice to such it 's the joy and rejoycing of their heart Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Knowledge to a wicked man is as the morning light to a Thief Job 24.17 it 's as terrible as the shadow of death But to a godly man it 's like the morning light to an honest Traveller or Watchman it 's most desired beforehand and its most welcome when it comes And therefore the saving knowledge of God is compared to such a light Psal 130.3 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Act Faith therefore to the digesting of knowledge into love and the practice of it Study Affections more than Expressions or Notions 6. In true prizing heavenly joy 6. Act Faith to the true prizing of heavenly joy Such as truly prize the joy of the Spirit shall have plenty of it Now it 's onely Faith sets a true estimate upon the joy of Gods people Heb. 11.25 26. The Spirit of God is a Tender and delicate Guest it loves to make its abode and stay longest where 't is most freely welcome But if we check damp resist quench and grieve that Spirit how can we hope that it should rejoyce our spirits But prize it make it heartily welcome and thou shalt have more of its sweet company and communion The truth is we should prize one comfort from the Spirit more than all the world and then we should finde more than a world of Comforts in that single Comforter who is therefore called The Comforter by way of eminency Thou maist have comfort indeed in a Friend a Brother a Childe a Yoke-fellow but what are all these to the comforts of the Spirit The Spirit is able to comfort without these but these are not able to comfort without the Spirit Prize the comforts of the Spirit and be thankful for them and more shall be given The Primitive Saints prized the comforts of the Spirits so high that they would rather chuse to endure any Tortures from men than part with those comforts from God They were stoned Heb. 11.37 were sawn asunder c. Therefore God made them to rejoyce the more even with Joy unspeakable and full of glory which is not the ordinary lot of all Christians but of suffering Christians They were filled with Heaven when they seemed to sense to be in Hell as if Hell and Heaven were met together in the same persons An Hell of Torments from Satan and his Instruments an Heaven of Joys from God even glorious joys as if the God of this World and the God of the World to come did strive whether Torments or Comforts should get the Victory in the Saints But in conclusion Comforts triumph over Torments Love and Joy is stronger than Death while they die they overcome and are more than Conquerors through Christ that hath loved them They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto death Rev. 12.11 Prize the joys of God in life and thou shalt finde such joy as will drown the sorrows of Death That 's the fifth Means 7. Act Faith to make right use of our Joy 7. In right using joy when had Isa 2.11 Luk. 8.15 when we have it Take heed of too much sail and too little ballast lest you overturn all Rejoyce with reverence And bring forth the fruit of joy with patience lest unfruitful joy be nipt in the bud or turned into sorrow God comforts not his servants for nothing Neb. 8.10 but that the Joy of the Lord may strengthen them and encourage them to service and that they may comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 with the same comfort wherewith they have been comforted of God And if we use it not to these ends we may soon suffer an eclipse in our comforts Why does God cause the Sun to shine upon the Moon but that the Moon may bestow that borrowed light on this Inferiour World Why does the Sun of Righteousness shine with beams of comfort upon any Souls but that they may communicate the same comforts to others Are ye then who were once darkness made light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 walk as children of light lest God eclipse your comforts Amos 8.9 and make your Sun to set at noon So long as the Cock runs the Fountain freely empties it self into the pipes We are but the Conduit-pipes of Comfort God is the Fountain The more we empty our selves into others comforting others the more will God empty himself into us comforting us The liberal person shall have plenty and he that scattereth shall have rain Prov. 11.25 'T is true of spiritual as well as corporal Alms both are comfortable And he that comforts others shall have the more himself And that 's the seventh and last Means of acting of Faith so as to live the Life of Consolation Thus the just man lives by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life Now thirdlly He lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life Hab. 2.5 6. The Chaldean lays hold upon this present world ver 5 6. He is all for the body and sins against his Soul ver 10. Hab. 2.10 But Gods people lay hold on that knowledge which shall fill them with glory ver 14. Even the knowledge of the Righteousness of God to Life Eternal For so the Apostle applies this Text to that very degree of Faith Rom. 1.16 17. Not that there is any need of Faith in Heaven or the Means of Faith for these shall cease 1 Cor. 13.8 But because in this life by Faith we lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 we have the seal and assurance of it A carnal man says Seeing is Believing but a spiritual man saith Believing is Seeing Heb. 11.1 The work of faith about eternal life Now Faith grounded on the Word of God assures us of Three things about eternal life 1. That there is an eternal life of the Saints after this is ended 2. What the Happiness of this life is and wherein it consists 3. It assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in this life 1. Then Faith assures a Believer That there is
fall off from God and having begun in the Spirit should at the last end in the flesh and do you earnestly desire to be setled stablish'd and confirm'd that the gates of Hell may not prevail against you Labour then to live by Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Conservation Again Doth sorrow possess and oppress your spirits O you are burthened with such and such afflictions or temptations and you would fain live a comfortable life Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Consolation Again are you troubled when you begin to think of Death O how shall I do to walk through the valley of the shadow of Death Psal 23.4 would you fain be armed against the Terror of it O learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just finds Life in the midst of Death He that lives in Faith shall undoubtedly die in Faith Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith Again Doth the shortness and uncertainty of this life afflict the Spirit and thou wouldst fain be assured of a better life before thou partest with this present life thou wouldst fain know if thou shalt go to heaven when thou diest O learn then to live by Faith for By Faith the just lives in regard of Eternal Life O let the excellency of the Life of Faith move us to seek the grace of Faith with all diligence The life of a faithful man is as far above the Life of a Rational man as the life of a Rational man is above the life of a Sensual Epicure Some men indeed are meerly led by Sense and ever like Swine rooting in the dunghil of Earthly Profits and Pleasures others mount higher into the Middle Region of Reason and Humane Learning but a Believer soars above them all in the Highest Region of Faith Phil. 3.20 and hath his conversation in heaven from whence he expects the Lord Jesus Certainly all the enemies of our Salvation cannot make that man miserable that hath once obtained this precious grace of Faith Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him And therefore what Solomon saith of Wisdom Prov. 3.13 14 15. we may say of Faith Happy is the man that findeth Faith for the merchandize thereof is better than the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof is better than gold she is more precious than pearls and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Obj. But it may be some will be ready to say I am sufficiently perswaded of the excellency of Faith and I would fain get it How to get Faith if I knew how or where to finde it but may we not also say of Faith as Job saith of Wisdom Job 28.12 Where shall it be found and where is the place of it The Depth saith It is not in me and the Sea saith It is not with me neither is it to be found in the Land of the living No creature in Heaven or Earth can bestow Faith upon its fellow-creature O where then is it to be found Ans I answer as Job doth in the the 23 Verse of that Chapter God understandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof And therefore if we be careful to make use of such means as he doth direct we shall undoubtedly finde out this precious Pearl of Faith Means You will say What are those Means that we may use them Negat 1. First of all as Builders use to do God would have us to remove the Rubbish of all the Hindrances of Faith and then to make use of all those Spiritual Helps and Furtherances that God hath appointed for the begetting of Faith that we may lay a sure Foundation The Lets and Hindrances of Faith are many Le ts and hindrances of Faith which we must take notice of and labour to remove out of the way What 's the reason so much is daily spoken of Faith and we are it may be convinced of the necessity and excellency of it and yet very few in comparison attain to it or improve it to any purpose What 's the reason of this O there are many Hindrances of Faith which were never yet removed O beloved we are naturally dead in sins and trespasses and there is many a heavy stone lieth upon the mouth of the Grave and we may say with those good women Mark 16.3 Who shall rowl us away the stone from the door of the Sepulchre All those several Impediments of Faith are as so many great stones upon the mouth of the Grave which must be removed by the mighty power of the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 before we can believe Have you not heard many a poor Creature complain nay do you not hear those complaints in your own bosom Alas alas I have heard of Faith by the hearing of the ear many a time and often how many days and how many years hath the Word of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith sounded and resounded in mine ears and yet alas to this very day I am not able to believe or at least to act and exercise my Faith as I ought to do O that I could meet with some good Messenger from God one of a thousand that could tell me where the stop lies and how I should remove it that would do for me as Jacob did for Rachel Gen. 29.10 Help me to rowl away the stone from the mouth of the Well that my thirsty Soul might drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Come we therefore to the Particular Impediments or Hindrances of Faith and the way to remove them 1 Let. Self The first and the greatest Impediment is thy Self Self is the greatest enemy to Self in point of believing the heaviest stone that lieth upon the mouth of the grave is thy stony heart for a stony heart is an unbelieving heart and an unbelieving heart must needs be the greatest enemy to Faith Darkness is not more opposite to light than an unbelieving heart is opposite to Faith and such hearts are in all the Sons and Daughters of Adam by Nature Adam indeed in the state of Innocency had power to believe whatsoever God spake and to live upon the Word of his Promise but after the Fall both he and his Posterity lost this ability Our very birth in this respect is no better than a death we are born in the very grave of unbelief we are all shut up under the power of it Rom. 11.32 O beloved a hard stout proud heart will not endure to lay down Self Self-wisdom Self-righteousness Self-greatness but Faith is nothing else but a laying down of Self-righteousness with an humble submission to accept of the Righteousness of God in Christ Rom. 10.3 O this goeth against the hair to a natural man He cannot endure to strip himself of Himself and to become a poor empty nothing that he may be fill'd with the fulness of God in Christ
influence of faith into Consolation 288 to 292 Consolation what properly 292 Consolation from the touch of faith 292 293 The Word and Sacraments are the Brests of Consolation 393 394 395 Reasons why Consolation comes by faith 298 299 305 306 We must try our Comforts by our Graces and not our Graces by our Comforts See why 300 to 304 It is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than Graces 301 See Joy Papists rob of Comfort while of faith 321 Comfort from sense and sensual delights ends in sorrow 321 To refuse to be comforted by the Promises dishonors God 322 Comfort in false Doctrine and Prophets dangerous 322 Motives to live by faith the life of Comfort 323 Consolation brings activity of Obedience 323 There may be strong faith where little comfort 514 Constancy See Perseverance Gods constancy in his love a motive to perseverance 249 Conversation See Carriage Vnnecessarily imbraced with wicked ones hinders growth in grace 230 Conversion Vnbelievers rarely Convert others if they do they take no joy in it 39 The method of converting grace how it gradually proceeds from conviction of sin to a closing with Christ 521 522 Its not the Word without the Spirit which can convert 529 Conversion of Souls is a most excellent work for seven Reasons from 585 to 600 Such reproved who slight the converting of others 602 603 604 Exhortation to convert souls 606 Eight Motives to convert others from 607 to 610 Means for the conversion of others from 610 to 612 Exhortation to People to be willing to be converted and to attend on such means as are proper for it 612 613 614 615 616 The misery of such who are not converted 613 The happiness of converted ones 614 Objections of Discouragement answered 614 615 Thankfulness for our own and others Conversion 616 Conviction It is an act of the comforting Spirit though not an act of Comfort 272 The Spirit convinces of sin by opening and applying the Law 520 521 Covenant of Grace This is a cause of the Saints perseverance 238 Creature-inconstancy Faith triumphs over it 261 262 Curiosity Vain curiosity concerning heaven condemned 359 D Deadness of Spirit Gods Children subject to it 172 Causes of spiritual deadness which is fourfold 173 Sinful deadness springs from four privative causes and from four positive causes 173 Penal and probational deadness 174 Saints recover by faith out of deadness 174 175 Reasons why faith recovers out of deadness 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Motives to quicken under deadness 179 180 181 182 183 Means to quicken under deadness 184 185 186 187 Vide Vivification Death Die Faith in death 58 469 Six Reasons why believers die in faith 59 60 No need of faith after death 61 62 Christs death applied by faith a means of Sanctification 126 Greater happiness in the death than life of Believers 318 319 Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death from 368 to 373 Believers conquer Death in rectified opinion of it 370 Reasons why true Believers are loth to die 372 Desertion The just live by faith under desertion 50 Faith triumphs over fear of Divine desertion from 267 to 275 Desertion in appearance only 267 268 269 Desertion in respect of temporals onely 270 Desertion in respect of Spiritual means 271 Desertion in respect of Spiritual comforts 271 272 God deserts his people onely in accessory graces 273 274 Vide Forsaking Despair It is Reproved 358 359 It quits the Vse of the Ordinances 510 Desires Strong desires after Christ are the seeds of faith 533 Diligence It leads to assurance in the use of holy means 95 What it implies and how it breeds faith 541 Discipline Holy discipline and strictness the sphere of Comfort 297 to 300 Discouragement Faiths triumph over five main discouragements 261 Doctrines These are to be judged true or false as they slander or advance the life of faith 448 449 Doubting Frequency of it a sign of weak faith 571 Duration Faith must be acted as long as we live yet love excels it in duration 60 61 Duties Backwardness to holy duties and remissness in them is a sign of a weak faith 572 E Election It is a cause of perseverance 237 Doubting of Election hinders believing 505 Envy It is an Impediment of growth in grace 230 Establishment in Faith Reasons why we should labor to be establisht both in the Doctrine and Grace of faith 544 The benefit of Establishment in the faith ibid. Enemies which oppose the establishment of faith 545 Though faith cannot be lost yet God establishes in the use of means 545 Seven Means of establishing faith 548 to 556 See Keeping of Faith Eternal See Life Examination See Trial. Evidence of grace upon examination brings comfort 300 Examine two things in order to the Sacrament 577 Excellency Faiths excellency in two respects 62 63 The complicated excellencies of a believer 477 Example Examples of crowned Saints a means of perseverance 255 Experiences These called to minde breed assurance 96 They are a firm ground for future faith 409 Reasons for the deduction of faith from experiences 410 They are a means to increase faith 581 F Faith It s definition in eight branches 19 20 What it is to live by faith in five particulars 21 22 Faith Life and Christ come all together yet in order 23 Faith described in seven faculties of spiritual life 23 to 28 Why Saints live by faith rather then any other grace 28 29 30 Why no man can live but by his own faith 33 34 Caution in four particulars amplifying that truth 35 36 37 Restriction of it in four Considerations 38 39 Make much of faith as your life in troubles 64 65 True faith is known by its renewing and fructifying vertue 141 Faith is the root of holiness and fruitfulness 144 Faith resembles the expulsive faculty in the body 150 Faiths triumph over personal weaknesses 263 Its triumph over sinful distempers 264 Faiths triumph over uncertain events 264 265 Its triumph over fear of sinning or suffering 266 267 Its triumph over fear of divine desertion 267 268 See Desertion Faith reflects on Sanctity and Sincerity to comfort 299 Faith produceth comfort as it makes future good things to be as it were present 305 306 Want of acting faith in Gods Word and Works though there be the habit is a great cause of sadness 313 314 Faith is the mother and nurse of spiritual joy 328 Faith to be acted seven wayes for the increase of joy 328 to 334 Faith assures that eternal life is the Believers 341 How faith assures a Believer of heaven 342 to 351 Examination of true faith as it respects eternal life 362 Faith lifts up a man above the troubles of the world 377 382 383 Faiths manly choice or charm against prosperity 385 What are the Reasons why the Just must live by faith 398 to 417 Living by faith a very reasonable duty 399 Faith puts life into the Promises 400 Faith is a Saints security for
stress on the depth of humiliation is a great hindrance of Believing 502 503 Reasons why humiliation must Precede faith 522 523 524 Humility in all the periods or degrees of grace 525 Hypocrisy It is an impediment of spiritual growth 230 How far an Hypocrite may go 257 Wherein an Hypocrite comes short 258 An hypocrite cannot rejoyce in the whole word of God 302 303 Hypocrisy springs from unbelief 463 I Ignorance Vnbelief is the root and parent of it 462 Increase There is a divine and diabolical increase 213 How the increase of the natural man in moral vertues differs from the increase of God in saving graces 213 214 See growth See strength Injoyment Believers have the firmest tenure and sweetest injoyment of earthly blessings 77 78 Interest Interest in Christ clears up interest in the covenant of grace and this an interest to all the promises of which sons in Christ are heirs 560 Joy see Consolation How to discern the joy of a hypocrite from that of a Saint 302 303 The joy of a Believer excells all natural worldly sinful Joy in 10. Properties from 323 to 328 Means to breed Spiritual Joy 328 to 344 Judgment Faith applies the last judgment as a means of sanctification 127 128 Judgments on unbelievers 466 Examples of Gods judgments on apostates 250 251 Just Who are such and why said to live by faith not by their justice 31 None are just or justified till thy believe 32 Justification The life of Faith in justification 80 The definition of it which contains the act object and application of both and its fourfold causality 81 to 85 Faith puts forth a fourfold act upon the conscience heart of a sinner to fit him for pardon 86 87 Faith how it acts in the continuance of justification 88 Faith how it fetches in assurance of justification Faith moves a man to desire more faith in order to assurance of his justification and uses 11 Motives 89 to 92 Vses of the Doctrine of faith in justification 105 Justification by free grace breeds humiliation 105 106 Four Marks of true justification 107 We must not justifie sinners or condemn Saints 108 Motives to seek for the five-fold benefit of justification 110 111 Justification and sanctification are inseparable twins 141 142 The first and second evidence of justification what 301 K Keep See Establish Exhortation to keep faith 543 Reasons why we should look to the keeping of our faith 544 Seven Means whereby to keep faith 548 to 552 See Free Spirit See Perseverance L Libertinisme The root of it is feigned humility and laziness 143 Liberty Faith and Christian Liberty support each other 554 Many account it their liberty to sin 555 See Free Spirit Life Spiritual Gods People are in a state of life by way of eminency 8 The excellency of the Saints Life in seven particulars 8 9 10 11 Saints Life is a hidden life and why 12 Spiritual life proved to be existent in believers 12 Spiritual life very desirable 13 Signes of Spiritual life 14 15 16 Life Natural Five evil and troublesome concomitants of it 60 Believers injoy it by faith upon different grounds from unbelievers 67 68 Saints live a natural life by faith in seven respects 68 to 76 Life Spiritual Is twofold either the life of Justification or Sanctification the just life by faith in both 79 80 Four differences twixt true living Spiritual actions and false 187 188 Spiritual life is alway increasing 199 200 The comliness and pleasantness profit equity safety and necessity of such a life as it increaseth 200 to 226 Vide growth Life Eternal See heaven The work of faith about eternal life 334 It assures that there is an eternal life from scripture and reason with the degrees of it 335 336 What the happiness of eternal life is 336 337 Wherein it consists from 337 to 341 Confutation of those who deny eternal life 353 354 Motives to get assurance of eternal life from 374 to 379 Means to get this assurance The believers homage-penny for eternal life 386 The excellency of eternal life from 388 to 391 Life of unbelievers They live on their lusts pleasures upon Creatures and upon a fivefold undoing self 429 to 434 Limiting of God It is a great impediment of faith how cured 499 500 Logick Faiths holy logick 348 349 Love of God It is a reason why the Saints persevere 237 238 The want of feeling it should not hinder believing 503 Love to God is a means to increase faith 580 Love to the Saints Difference 'twixt that which is true and false 304 305 Lust Love of lust is the life of a sinner 429 Lusts haboured oppose faith with considerations how to abandon them 501 M Marriage How Saints live by faith in it and in single estate 73 Meanes In the conservation of the natural life must be used in faith 68 69 Meditation It is the fruit of holy affection 364 Meditation on Gods Attributes especially mercy is a good means to beget faith 536 Melancholy It is a scandal to Christian profession 319 320 Mercy Gods mercy becomes a suiter to mans misery 537 Ministry See Preaching What the chief work of a Minister is 427 428 The dignity of the Ministry 601 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a soul-saving way 611 612 God usually blesses a setled proper Ministry 42 Merry Merry madnesse 311 Morality Difference 'twixt morality and Sanctification in nine respects 119 120 121 Mortification The influence of faith into the life of mortification 149 The art of faith in mortifying of lusts 151 to 154 Reasons why faith will have sin to be mortified 155 156 Error of such who refuse to believe till sin he mortified 158 Marks of true mortification 159 160 Enemies unto and juglers in mortification reproved 161 Alarm to Mortification 163 Motives to Mortification 164 165 Means of Mortification 166 167 168 169 Murther Soul Murther is the worst kind 17 470 N Natural men They are distingusht into two ranks 532 Necessity Of faith in Adversity 64 New Obedience See Fructification Nourishment Strong desires after Spiritual nourishment are a signe of Growth is Grace with three Cautions in this particular 206 207 208 209 Nursery Spiritual Faith lays hold on Christ in the Ordinances as breasts of Consolation and thence draws strength 293 294 295 O Opposition There is no true faith without Opposition 514 515 He that would believe must break thorow opposition 515 516 Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the greatest opposers of his word and wayes that he may convert them 516 Ordinances See Word Despising of them is an impediment of Spiritual growth 230 Neglect of the ordinances hinders believing 505 Five causes why men neglect the ordinances 505 to 511 Though it be not in the Power of the ordinances to beget or increase faith yet they are to be used 516 517 They who live above that is without ordinances are absurd 518 519 P Papists and carnal Professors These make Sanctification justification
devour each other 141 142 Papists faith is cobled up of pride and ignorance 40 Pardon A pardoned state is a peaceable state 296 Passion How faith moderates and subdues the Passions of Cares fear and sorrows 52 53 477 Patience Faith in adversity teaches and exercises patience 64 Peace Saints live by faith for it in two respects 71 The golden chain and order of righteousness peace and Joy 296 Perfection Conceit of perfection is an impediment of spiritual growth 229 Knowledg Love Obedience and Joy are perfect in Glory 338 339 Perseverance Faith triumphs in the life of Perseverance 233 234 Proofes from scripture that the just doth persevere 235 Perseverance is by vertue of faith 236 Reasons why the just shall persevere 237 to 240 Reasons why perseverance is through faith 240 241 Confutation of the doctrines of falling from grace 241 Five concessions wherein there may be a falling away 242 Exception to 7 particulars which can never be lost 243 244 Objections against perseverance answered 245 246 Motives to perseverance from 249 to 253 Means of perseveranee from 253 to 257 Truth of grace demonstrated by perseverance 257 Thankfulness for perseverance 259 260 Faiths incouragement to persevere amidst all discouragements 261 Vide establishment in faith Posterity Saints live by faith for blessings on posterity 73 Power of God It is a cause of the Saints perseverance 239 Praise It is due from Saints for their spiritual life 11 12 Prayer The exercise of it is a meanes of assurance 94 As also observation how God hears our prayers 94 The prayer of faith is a means of sanctification 131 132 133 Prayer is a means of spiritual growth 226 227 Prayer is a means to increase spiritual Joy 3â—9 Prayer may subdue hereticks when reason cannot 357 Prayer preaching must not justle out each other 529 Prayer a means to beget faith 527 529 Natural men ought to pray though they cannot pray acceptably without faith 530 531 Pray that thou maist believe believe that thou maist pray with acceptation 533 Prayers of others helpful to conversion 533 Whether a natural man ought to pray The question stated affirmatively and all objections answered 530 531 532 Prayer is a good means to preserve faith 551 552 Prayer is a means to increase faith 578 Preaching See Ministry The right Art of successful preaching 427 428 Precious Three things very precious 455 The precious touch of faith in four respects 456 457 Prejudice It quarrels the means of faith its cure 506 507 Presumption It postdates the use of means which should beget faith 509 510 Presumption of having faith already hinders believing together with its cure 510 511 Differences 'twixt presumption and true faith in the conception birth growth issue or fruits 511 512 Presumption is a Monster of pride and security 513 Pride Pride in the reason and will subdued in Sanctification 117 118 It is an hindrance of spiritual growth 231 Pride and unbelief are associates 2 3 Proud persons are neither obedient nor safe 3 Pride how manifold and how dangerous 5 6 Rank pride is the root of Popish Sanctity 143 Pride contemns the meanes of faith 507 508 Profession Multitudes make a profession of faith who live not by it 434 435 Promises Three-sorts of them all tending to assurance 92 93 Apply the promises of growth for growth in grace 228 229 Promises applyed are a believers livelyhood 414 415 Our own unworthyness pleaded against the promises is a main hindrance of believing its Cure 502 Direction in applying of the promises 526 Faith built on false promises of our own will fail 551 Promises to increase faith are a means to increase it 575 Prosperity How the just live by faith in Prosperity 46 47 48 The temptations of prosperity 385 Protestants Their Apology against papists in point of work 144 Purchase The wisest purchase is faith in Christ 468 469 Q Questions Curious vain questions concerning the state of glory busy mens fancies when as their faith should be acted to make sure their interest in that shate 359 R Rainbow How grace is like it as a sign of sparing mercy 301 302 Rarity Faith is the greatest Rarity in the world 458 Receive What it is to receive Christ on Gospel terms 560 Regeneration See Unregeration Love to God his word Saints holiness an effect of it 98 Difficulty of the new birth it is not without doubting 98 We are not born again of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man how this is to be understood See 528 See Sanctification Rejoyce See Joy It is the heigth of wickedness to rejoyce in it 321 To rejoyce in the creature as it draws from God is sinful 321 Relations See Friends Religious Religious life is the only comfortable life 310 311 Religious persons must neither be jovial nor austere 320 Religion no fruitless Profession 358 Renunciation Of self a reliance onely on free grace brings assurance 96 Resurrection Christs Resurrection is a means of Sanctification 126 127 Resurrection of the Body proved 354 355 Riches A Believers Riches are inexhaustible 477 478 Righteousness That of Sanctification is not to be confounded with that of Justification yet they are inseparable 32 33 S Sabbath Rightly sanctified it is a short and little heaven 381 Sacrament Faith applies Christ in the Sacraments for Sanctification 130 A complaint for neglect of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 294 Sacraments are a means to increase faith 576 Sacrament not to be given to dead-hearted unbelievers 577 Complaint for interruption of the Sacrament and the corruption of it as the cause 578 Sadness See Heaviness Vnbelief is the spring of sadness 307 308 309 Why the Lord suffers his Saints to fall into sadness 315 316 See Consolation Sanctification Vide Regeneration The submitting to the Spirit in this Work is a means of assurance 94 The life of faith in Sanctification 113 There is a life of Sanctification in Believers besides that which is inherent in Christ himself proved by four Arguments 114 115 How Sanctification and Justification differ in four respects 116 What Sanctification is and wherein it consists 116 117 It works an holy change on the whole man 118 Difference 'twixt Sanctification and Morality in nine respects 119 120 121 Means whereby Sanctificacation is wrought 122 Faith applies Christ for union as the root of Sanctification 123 Faith applies Christs death for Sanctification and his Resurrection 126 127 Faith applies Christs second appearing and the last Judgement for Sanctification 127 128 Faith applies the Word of Christ for Sanctification 128 129 Faith makes use of the Sacraments for increase of Sanctification 130 Faith rightly uses and applies affliction for Sanctification 131 The Prayer of Faith is a means to sanctifie 131 132 133 Reasons of the necessity of Sanctification five 134 135 Five Motives to the life of Sanctification 145 146 There are degrees in Sanctification 201 202 Vide Growth Sanctification not the meritorious ground of
yoke in the world they have found such comfort in it And this I say makes much for the honour of the Master 2 Reason 2. For their own support God will have the just live the Life of Consolation that the comforts of God may Support their Spirits in the midst of many Troubles Afflictions and Temptations they meet withall in their Christian course You know it is a Statute-Law of Heaven We must through tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14.22 Therefore God in much Wisdom and Faithfulness proportions the comforts of his Servants to their sufferings lest they should faint in their minds and be weary Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul and so the more suffering for Christ the more comfort in Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolations also abound by Christ As Christ himself had greatest comfort in his greatest temptation for then it was that Angels came and ministred unto him Mat. 4.11 so Gods People may expect greatest comforts in their greatest sufferings especially if it be in a good cause 1 Pet. 3.14 and 4.13 If ye suffer for righteousness if ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you So that as it was said of him that knew not how to pray Let him go to Sea so we may say of the Christian that knows not how to rejoyce Let him take up the Cross that lie in the way of his calling let him be willing to go to the Prison or to the Stake if God call him thither Etiam hîc eris mecum bone Jesu said the good Martyr Even here Lord Jesus I finde and I feel thou wilt be present with me So he that would meet God and enjoy most of God on this side heaven let him not look for it in Princes Courts but let him look for it in the Dungeon of Adversity There God met with Joseph and there he met with Jeremiah and there he met with Peter and there he met with Paul and Silas Act. 16.25 They were so full of comfort they could not hold they must needs sing at mid-night Their hearts were never more at liberty than when their feet were fast in the stocks Simile Wicked men like other ordinary Birds can sing in a Sun-shine day of Prosperity but Gods People are Nightingals they sing best in the mid-night of adversity And were it not thus Gods People would not be so ready to suffer in the cause of God they would be ready to say Oh! there is a Lion in the way Pro. 22 13. I shall be slain in the streets But when they remember God can bring Honey out of the Carcase of the Lion he can bring Meat out of the Eater as he did Judg. 14.14 he can bring strength and nourishment to the Soul out of sharp destruction and devouring affliction they are not so much afraid of the Cross And that 's the second Reason why God will have his People live the Life of inward Consolation that they may the better live the Life of outward Affliction 3. To cause longing for heaven 3. God will have them live the Life of Spiritual Consolation in some measure upon earth that they may long the more to be in heaven Indeed the best estate of Gods People here below is but a mixt estate in respect of comfort Here is Night as well as Day Winter as well as Summer but there is Day and no Night Summer and no Winter It is true indeed he gives them some light some first-fruits of comfort here but to what end certainly that they may the more earnestly long for the Harvest When Paul was but a little while caught up into the third heaven he was never well till he came there again Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all God gives his People a taste to set the mouth of their Souls on water after heaven Taste of my Hidden Manna saith God and as you like that take more Now when they have once tasted they long to be at the Kings Banquetting-house where is fulness of joy Cant. 2. Psal 16. and pleasures for evermore The Martyrs had but a taste and they were ready to run through fire and water to get to a full draught And were it not thus did not God sometimes give to his People the first-fruits of his Spirit of heavens joys they would be ready either to be deter'd in their journey to Canaan by the perils of the Wilderness or else to be allured back again by the flesh-pots of Egypt or at best to take up their rest with the two Tribes and a half on this side Jordan Therefore God gives his People something of the very comfort of Heaven whilst they are in the way thither like the Bunch of Grapes that was brought out of Canaan before-hand that they may long to be in Heaven and so to enter into that joy there that doth but enter into them here 4. Here 4. To be able to comfort others God will have his People live the Life of Consolation themselves that they may the better minister comfort to others A Scholar that knows the World by Map can give some direction to a Traveller but nothing so exact as he that hath travelled the same way himself A man that never tasted of Honey may discourse of the sweetness of it but nothing so feelingly as he that hath suck'd the Honey-comb So a man that never tasted of the comfort of the Holy Ghost or peace of Conscience may discourse of it at random to others but nothing so effectually as he that feels the powerful working of it effectually in his own brest he will say Come Psal 34. and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soul Whereas a man that never felt that comfort himself but is a meer stranger to the joy of Gods chosen he is very unfit to comfort others One sorrowful man is a miserable comforter to another Like the sad reflections of some doleful Echo that doubles and trebles the complaint and so one woe returns many Or like the answer of an evil Conscience that always prophecies evil and not good to him that inquires of it But such a one as hath felt the comforts of God himself is able to speak more feelingly to others Now that they may do so God reacheth forth the Cup of Salvation and the Cup of Consolation to some of his children that they may commend it to others upon their own experience that they may say O how sweet is the Cup of Gods Consolation will you not pledge me will you not drink of the same cup O taste and see that the Lord is good O how sweet is he in the forgiveness of sins how sweet in the comforts of his Spirit how sweet in
of my making but of Gods prescribing T is Laetificans-Christi Faith 1. Then Labour for Faith and the increase of it It 's the very Doctrine now in hand The just man lives by Faith the life of Consolation Let us keep our Faith then and it will keep our Joy Let us increase our Faith and it will increase our Joy For Faith as it is the Mother so it s the Nurse also of Joy as it breeds it and brings it forth so it feeds and maintains it till it comes to a perfect age in Christ so that as the Just goes on from Faith to Faith so he goes from Joy to Joy till he comes into heaven it self As his Faith grows stronger so his Joy is sweeter All fruits the nearer to maturity the sweeter they are and so is the fruit of Faith in Spiritual Joy it s sweeter in the ear then in the blade Exercise Faith therefore every Day as thou desirest abiding and increasing Comforts Wouldst thou have the warmth of Spiritual joy abiding in thy heart and that holy fire never to go out Actings of faith for the increasing spiritual joy Be sure then to blow up the Gift of Faith by daily Exercise Qu. But how shall I make use of my Faith to the best Increase of my Joy 1. On the right object Ans 1. Remeber what was said in the Reasons Be sure to lay hold on the right Object of Consolation God himself and the Ordinances of God with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Live the Life of Justification and Sanctification and thou shalt not fail to live the Life of Consolation whereas otherwise there can be comfort no more than fruit upon a Tree without a Root 2. Act thy Faith in Prayer Pray 2. In Prayer that your joy may be full Joh. 16 24. If joy be not worth asking 't is worth nothing No wonder some have so little comfort they pray so little Ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 Thou hast it may be praid for Grace not for Comfort Learn now of David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce as if David had said Lord I have had thy Messenger the Prophet Nathan speaking peace to me for that 's the Title of the Psalm and saying The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die But Oh let me hear thy Spirit say so too or else my heart cannot rejoyce As I have heard therefore a comfortable message from thy Minister let me hear the same also from thy Spirit Make thou me to hear joy and gladness If all the Ministers in the world should preach peace to a penitent Soul as they have cause though it be in a safe yet it cannot be in a comfortable condition till God by his Spirit speak peace also Q. To what purpose then should we attend upon the Ministery of the Word A. Because though the Ministery cannot do it without the Spirit yet the Spirit delights to work in the Ministery of the Word or soon after When the Spouse in the Canticles wanting comfort inquired of the Watchmen it was but a little while ere she found him whom her soul loved Cant. 3.3 4. Q. But why doth not the Soul finde comfort in every Ordinance at all times A. There may be many causes Among the rest this may be one Lest we should ascribe so much to the Ordinance or to the Instrument dispensing it as to neglect looking up by Prayer to the God of the Ordinance whereas when we experience the best Ordinance sometimes empty and the best Instrument without the Spirit a miserable comforter This will quicken us to look above both to God himself saying We will use both but we will lift up our soul to God alone Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 86.4 and elsewhere Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation That 's the second Means to act faith for Comfort in Prayer Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. In crucifying worldly joy 3. Act Faith in the Crucifying of worldly and Carnal joys if you would profess Spiritual and Heavenly For the first of these do exceedingly quench the latter as water doth fire so that as in the strife of fire and water if heavenly joys get not the Mastery Worldly will 'T is true God makes a feast of joy a feast of fat things to his people Isa 25.6 But remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the Table of Devils Now the delights of sin are the several dishes with which the Devils table is furnished and he that is filled with these hath no stomach to the consolations of God nay he abhors them Prov. 27.7 The full stomach loaths the honey-comb He loaths the honey-comb of the Word and Ways of God And what 's the reason He was never yet weaned from the Worlds Brest David indeed could say of Gods Word Oh! it's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And why so Surely because the same David could say of all worldly delights Surely I have behaved my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Psal 131.2 Wean thy Soul therefore from worldly delights and thou shalt be the bettter prepared to delight in the Lord who is both willing and able to give thee thy hearts desire And that 's the third Means 4. 4. 1 Sam. 7.2 In spiritual mourning Act your Faith in case you are in a mournful frame to mourn after the Lord For certainly as worldly joy ever ends in sorrow so godly sorrow ever ends in joy Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God can no more withhold his sweetest comforts from those that mourn after his presence as their chiefest good than the tender Mother can withhold the Brest from the crying childe Oh! every cry goes to her heart and she cannot be quiet her self till she quiet the childe Isa 49.14 15. When Sion sits in the dust like a poor childe lamenting the parents absence saying My God hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me What is Gods answer Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the Palms of my hands As if God should say So long as thou mournest after me I may as soon forget my self as thee for I have graven thee on the palms of my hands If thou desirest comfort then mourn after the Lord not after corn and wine and oil not after the harvest of the Lord but the Lord of the harvest and then doubtless such as thus sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. 5. In raising spiritual affections Act Faith in digesting and
on the Lords day You cannot have a more lively resemblance of heaven on this side heaven than is a Sabbath sanctified in an heavenly manner It onely differs in degrees of glory and durance for what is heaven but an Eternal Sabbath and what is a Temporal Sabbath but a short a little Heaven Therefore be careful to sanctifie the Sabbath as thou desirest in a lively manner to live by Faith in regard of Life Eternal The great Cloud of Witnesses in Gods manifold blessings temporal and Spiritual upon such as carefully sanctifie the Sabbath and his many remarkable judgements in both kindes upon those that profane it or contemn it doth proclaim a necessity of keeping this Rest as ever we desire by Faith to enter into that other Rest Heb. 4.9 which yet remaineth for the people of God Our delighting to sanctifie Gods Sabbaths on earth gives full assurance to our Faith grounded upon Gods Promise that we shall enter into Gods eternal Rest in Heaven For so runs the Promise Isa 58. last If thou call the Sabbath a delight c. then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth that is in sure and safe places that 's for earthly blessings and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father that is with a heavenly inheritance For what is the heritage of Jacob but Canaan in the Type and Heaven it self in the Antitype Dost thou desire then to be assured of heaven by Faith if God raise up thy heart to delight in the sanctifying his Sabbath upon right grounds I can assure thee from the mouth of God that heaven is thine Thou shalt certainly be fed with the heritage of Jacob for as it follows in the very next words The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And so much for Exhortation Vse 5 Vse 5. Of Comfort Comfort from our heavenly life 5. Here is Comfort and Encouragement against the Evils and Temptations of this present Life As our days are few so full of evil and tentation There are tentations on the right hand as well as on the left I mean Temptations of Prosperity as well as of Adversity The best things of this present life prove the worst without Gods special grace preserving the Soul Now living by Faith in respect of Life Eternal is a singular means to preserve the Soul under Temptations of both kindes Against Adversity First under the Tentations of Adversity which lie so sore and heavy upon the poor creature that if its hope were onely in this life it could not but apprehend it self of all creatures most miserable 1 Cor. 15.20 Hear what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling-place and labour working with our hands being reviled we intreat being persecuted we suffer we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day This is the common Lot of Gods people in this world and therefore if their hope were onely in this life they were of all men most miserable Yea but the assured hope of a better life bears up their heads and hearts from sinking in the midst of all these waves For thus he that lives by Faith in regard of Eteral Life will reason What though I hunger and thirst here and am pinch'd with famine yet I shall come to such a place where I shall hunger and thirst no more Rev. 7.16 Though I be ragged and naked here I shall be clothed with Robes of Righteousness there Though I am buffeted here yet those marks of the Lord Jesus those scars I received for his Names sake shall appear like so many Stars of Glory Though I labour here even unto faintness and failing of spirits yet I shall rest from all my labours when I come there And though I have no certain dwelling-place or if I have I know not how soon I shall be turned out of doors by my earthly Landlord or by my heavenly Landlord yet there I have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Though here I be reviled and though I be defamed here yet there God shall wipe away all reproach from my name as well as all tears from mine eyes for Psa 1 49. Such honour have all his Saints Though I be persecuted here afflicted and tormented yet I know my sufferings for Christ have not so much abounded in this life but my consolation in Christ shall much more abound in the life to come If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Though I be here made the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things yet I know I shall have honour enough there when I shall be glorified in Christ and Christ shall be glorified in me When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thess 1.10 Though I am ignorant here and at the best know but in part yet I shall have fulness of knowledge there and shall know as I my self am known Though here I am imperfect in all my graces and in all my duties so that there is more of sin than of grace in every duty yet there I shall never sin against God any more never grieve his Spirit more dishonour his Name more When that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13.10 that which is imperfect shall be done away Now what a comfort and encouragement is this in the midst of all our Troubles either of sin or of affliction Here we are sure to drink of a bitter cup Ye shall indeed drink of the cup which I drink of saith Christ but the Meditation and Application of Life Eternal by Faith is a Christians Sugar which is fetcht out of the Canaries of Heaven to sweeten this bitter Cup. Here we are sure of a troublesome Pilgrimage we pass through the valley of Tears but the Meditation and Application of Life Eternal by Faith will be like Elijahâ— Chariot or like Jacobs Ladder in his troublesome journey to Padan-Aram When he slept upon the stone he had a hard Pillow but a sweet Dream whilst God made his Bed he dreamed and behold a Ladder c. And what a refreshing was this to Jacob in his troublesome journey As if the Lord had said to him Jacob thou hast a long journey to go thou must not onely go to the remote parts of the earth but thou must travel as far as heaven how will you ever get thither where will you finde a Ladder long enough and strong enough If all the Ladders in the world were tied together can they reach thither Canst thou rear them up or darest thou venture upon them Shouldst thou joyn together all thy good desires all thy good Prayers and all thy good Works