and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
and wil no bread down with you but leavened bread sowr bread the bread of mourning wil you thus keep your passover your christian feast some of you have been doubting fearing trembling cast down discouraged many years and is it not yet time to bewail your unbelief to honor free Grace what wil you alwaies grieve the Spirit the Father and Christ alwaies be frustrating of Christs work wil ye alwaies be eating old leaven is it not yet time to say why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in him for I shal yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Quest I know indeed that I have no just and scripture reason for my discouragements but I see there is much reason against it yet I am one of a troubled spirit I would fain have it otherwise that at last I might glorify free Grace what should I do that I may bear up against al discouragements that I may not be discouraged whatever my condition be Answ The onely way which the Psalmist useth here is to hope trust beleeve in God and how we should use our faith in Christ as that we may not be discouraged followes after for the present take these directons First If we would not be discouraged in any condition Then never lay your comforts upon your condition nor be in love with any condition for it self let not your condition it self be the cause or bottom of your incouragements Hang a cloak or garment upon a rotten peg and that wil break and the garment fal down now there is no condition but is a rotten peg every condition is alterable no condition so firm and fast but is exposed to many changes it is a rotten hold God is Pillars his name is Adonai which signifies so much and in Isa 26. we are commanded to trust in the Lord for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength or the rock of ages And saith the Psalmist my flesh faileth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 73.26 and my heart faileth but God is the rock of my heart for ever so the Hebrew Lay your comforts upon your own condition and you do but build on the sand which wil be carryed away with every wind and storm and tempest but if upon Christ himself upon God himself ye build upon the Rock and though the flouds and stormes and winds do rise and beat upon you yet you shal not lose your comforts because they are built upon a rock Secondly Be sure that you think of Christ in a right way and manner Christus titulos â—ibi sumit qui presenti rerum conditioni conveâ—iant unde varium suae gloriae radium in singuliâ— Epistolis ad Ecclesias spargit pro vaâ—ia fortuna qua sunt Ecclesiae quo docet illud immensae divinae majestatis inprimis esse mente contemplandum quod in rem preseniem maxime conducat Brightâ—n in Apocal. 2. P. 43. as he suteth with your condition and as he is held forth in the Gospel We are very apt to have mis-thoughts of Christ as Satan doth transform himself into an Angel of light so he would transform Christ before you into an Angel of darkness But the scripture holds him forth under such Relations as do make him very amiable unto poor sinners Are you accused by Satan world or your own conscience He is called your Advocate Are you ignorant He is called the Prophet Are you guilty of sin He is called A Priest and high Priest Are you afflicted with many enemies inward and outward He is called a King and King of Kings Are you in streights He is called your way Are you hungry or thirsty he is called bread and water of life Are you affraid you shal fal away and be condemned at the last He is our second Adam a publick person in whose death we dyed and in whose satisfaction we satisfyed As there is no Temptation or affliction but some promise or other doth especially sute there withal So there is no condition but some Name some Title some Attribute of Christ doth especially sute with it and as you do not look on Christ but in reference to your condition so you are not to look upon your condition alone but with Christs Attribute sutable thereunto if you look upon Christs Attribute of love without your condition you may presume if on your condition without Christs Attribute of love you may despair think on both together you wil not be discouraged Thirdly If your discouragements begin to arise and press in upon you check your self and say why should I multiply thoughts without knowledg why should I tire out my soul with these thoughts am I able to ad one cubit to my spiritual state am I by al my thoughtfulness able to alter my condition yea doth not my thoughtfulness set me at a farther distance from the mercy desired The truth is the only way to lose the comfort desired is to be sollicitous about it as the only way to have an outward blessing is to be content to go without it So the only way to have a spiritual or outward affliction removed is to be contented that it should be continued if God and Christ wil have it so But you wil have your affliction presently removed and you must presently know that you are in the state of Grace and the child of God or else you wil be discouraged and as the bird in the net the more it strives the more it is intangled so with you also Wherefore do temptations afflictions desertions come and Satan joyn with them and say unto thy soul this wil ever be answer wel but I therefore beleeve the contrary because thou sayest so Satan who art a Lyar yet if God wil have it so I am contented I leave it to him whether I shal ever be in this condition or not is not my question but now O Lord let me serve thee that is al my desire let me see thee as thou pleasest when thou pleasest I have done Lord I have done I have been questioning and questioning my condition these many years I see there is no end of that yea the more I do the more I may I get nothing by it why therefore O my soul should I tear out my self with this kind of thoughtfulness thus check your selves Fourthly When ever you think of any thing which is in it self terrible or matter of discouragement be sure that you mingle the Consideration thereof with those sweet things which God hath given and prescribed to you There is nothing terrible but God hath joyned some comfortable thing with it the Name of God is terrible he is called the great and dreadful God but to sweeten this he is called the God of all Consolations Death is terrible it 's called the King of Terrors but to sweeten this it is called a Sleep The day of Judgment is terrible but to sweeten that our present Advocate shal
whether do you not think that there is many a soul now in heaven that whilst he lived said I am sure to go to hell you know that ordinary Story of the woman that took a glass in her hand and throwing it on the ground said As sure as this Glass breakes I shal be damned and the Glass broak not Wel then thy condition is not alone others of Gods people may be and have been led in this way of temptation and therefore no reason why thou shouldest be cast down or discouraged Object But yet this doth not reach my case or condition For I do not only want the Assurance of Gods love and of mine own Salvation but I have wanted Assurance this two this four this six this eight this ten years and I have continued so long doubting in unbelief and my heart is so hardened with it that I am affraid I shal never be healed or saved O! I have sate under such and such precious Gospel-means and if ever I should have Assurance of Gods love I should have had it before this I have sate under many a comfortable Sermon and under the Gospel preached many years and yet have no Assurance of my Salvation surely if the Lord would ever have bestowed Assurance upon me I should have had it ere this but stil unbeleeving and stil I do want Assurance and my heart hardened under unbelief and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No not yet For our evidence for heaven is in Gods keeping our comforts as wel as our Graces and our evidence for heaven as wel as our heaven and Salvation and he wil bring it forth when we have most need in a due time though not in our time And if you look into Isa 46. you shal see what a Gracious promise the Lord makes unto hard-hearted sinners An invitation and promis together vers 12. and 13. hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousness I bring near my rightousness it shal not be far off and my Salvation it shal not tarry O! but I have no râ—ghteousness to lay my assurance upon wel yet saith the Lord never speak of thy righteousness man I wil bring near my righteousness O! but my heart is dead and hard stout Then hearken unto me ye stout-hearted â—aith God O! but I am far off from righteouâ—ness Be it so yet hearken to me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousness I wil bâ—ing near my righteousness it shal not be far off and my Salvation shal not tarry Answ 2 But that you may have more ful satisfaction in this I shal desire you to consider Three or Four Propositions Prop. 1 First Though it be possible for a man to attain to ful Assurance of Gods love yeâ— he may have saving Faith that hath no Assurance Faith and Assurance differ and therefore sâ—ith the Apostle draw near with ful Assurance of Faith Assurâ—nce of Faith comforts but the â—eliance of faith saves It is poâ—â—â—ble that a man or woman may have such an Assurance as that they never doubted of Gods love Prima pars salutis est nullam sperare salutem Ideo terret nos ira Dei ut ad fiduciam illius nos urgeat Luther but ordinarily a man never had assurance of his Salvation that never doubted of his Salvation The first step to Salvation is to see that there is no Salvation we must go to heaven by hell gates and he that is not troubled sometimes with Satan is possessed by him I say ordinarily a man never had Assurance of his Salvation that never doubted of his Salvation a man may have true saving faith that yet hath no Assurance of his Salvation This is the first Prop. 2 Secondly As a man may have true saving faith and yet no Assurance so a man may have strong Faith and Assurance yet many doubts fears and mistrustings may be left in his soul It is observed to my hand that of al the Churches the Church of the Thessalonians are most commended for their faith and their Graces So that they were examples to al that believed 1 Thes 1.7 yet in Chap. 3. vers 10. The Apostle saith There was something lacking in their faith Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is â—acking in your faith Something was lacking in their faith yet they were examples of faith unto al the Churches Prop. 3 Thirdly As a man may have strong faith with Assurance and yet some doubts and fears may be left in the soul stil so a man may have strong faith and Assurance yet for a long time may be deprived of the feeling of it And therfore whereas the spouse in the Canticles in one place saith I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine in another place she saith I sought him whom my soul loveth and I found him not I opened to my beloved and he was gone and my heart failed I called and he answered not Prop. 4 Fourthly As a man may have strong faith and yet for a great time may be deprived of the feeling of it so it is possible a man may be a Godly Gracious man yet may continue and go on doubting for a long time yea possibly he may dye doubting also The Godly and the wicked are contrary now for the wicked you shal find that a wicked man may think his condition good yet it may be very naught he may have hope and perswasion that he shal goe to heaven and he may die in these perswasions yet he may goe to hell Rev. 3. ye read thus of the Churches of Laodicea at vers 16. So then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I wil spew thee out of my mouth I would thou wert cold or hot vers 15. These were very wicked had these people any thoughts of mercy or did they think their spiritual condition was good Râ—â—d vers 17. Because thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor blind and naked So that I say a wicked man may think his condition good and yet it may be very naught Yea daily experience tels us besides the Parable of the foolish Virgins That he may die in these perswasions So on the contrary a man may think his condition naught and go fearing and trembling a long while yea even die under these fears yet his condition may be very good Consider it rightly I know indeed ordinarily God doth come in with some comfort or other unto a child of God before he dies but I would be loath to say and you wil be loath to think that certainly that man goes to hel that doubteth of his Salvation or that dies doubting of his Salvation No possibly a man may doubt and fear and doubt long even die doubting without a setled assurance of Gods love yet he may
we see nothing of the Mercy promised it 's no presumption then to hold and keep fast the Promise Quest But suppose the Lord hath given me a Promise and now after the Promise given I see nothing of the mercy promised and that all my Comforts are out of sight how shal I be able to bear up my heart against all Discouragements notwithstanding I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised and to the mercy desired Answ Either thou hast assurance of Gods Love or else thou hast not If thou hast assurance of the Love of God then put thy self often to this disjunction O my soul either it is thy Duty to beleeve or it is not If it be not thy Duty to beleeve why dost thou beleeve at al If it be not thy Duty to beleeve and rest on Christ why dost thou rest upon Christ at al And if it be thy Duty to rest on Christ and beleeve why then should st thou not beleeve at al times and trust perfectly unto the Lord And if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance mind your self of your Priviledges and your Interest in Christ then you wil say unto your self what though I have nothing but bad tidings from this world yet notwithstanding I have nothing but good tidings from the other world and from my Father above and if Christ be mine then al is mine Life is mine and Death is mine and what though al my Comforts be dead and are gone and are al out of sight yet Christ is a living Christ Christ is a living Savior and therefore be of good Comfort O my soul But if you do want assurance of the Love of God then yet you must and may look on Christ who is the Brazen Serpent the only Brazen Serpent and your very looking upon him in the time of your Discouragement shal go for Faith Look unto me â—aith he from all the ends of the Earth and be saved Again If you want Assurance you may and must turn your eye and your thoughts from those Objections that do invade your Faith 'T is said of Abraham That he considered not the weakness of his own Body and this was imputed unto him for beleeving that he considered not what might invade his Faith And so this shal be imputed unto you for Faith if when these Objâ—ctions shal come in upon you you turn your Eye from them unto Jesus Christ and do not consider them And if you do want Assurance then set your selves to beleeve that you do beleeve Faith is the Evidence of thâ—n â—s not seen and therefore if your Faith be not seen you must beleeve that you do beleeve thou â—ust beleeve somtimes that thou hast Faith As there is a feeling in Prayer so Faith haâ—h it's feeling too and therefore iâ— you cannot see your Faith you must beleeve that you do beleeve And whether you have Assurance or have not Assurance consider these few things as some Helps to your Faith in this case First That God doth never lead his People unto any great Mercy but first he doth put the Sentence of Dâ—ath upon al the means that do rend unto it Thus it was with Abraham so with Joseph so with David and many others Secondly That it iâ— a great sin to liâ—â—t â—ods Mercy as wel as to limit his Power You say it is a great sin to limit the Power of God the Children of â—â—rael are condeâ—â—ed for this they limited the Holy One of Iâ—rael they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel Now dâ—â—h not a man limit God when he limits his Mercy as wel as when he limits his Power And when you say you shal never have such a mercy granted because I now see the contrary is not this to limit his Mercy Thirdly That when the Lord hath given out a Promise to his People he doth then somtimes try whether they wil trust to his naked Word or no. Christ hath his times to try men and when he gives out a Promise and bringeth the soul into a quite contrary condition this is his trying time And therefore hath the Lord now given out a Promise unto you and do you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Say unto thine own soul O my soul it may be Christ is now trying of me it may be this is my trying time and therefore now wil I wait on God Fourthly That God doth oftentimes fulfil one Promise by denying another Hath the Lord therefore given thee a Promise and doest thou see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Now know and remember That we have by not having God doth give by denying and fulfils some Promises by not fulfilling others Fiftly That when we see nothing but what is contrary unto our help then is Christs time to help I read as I remember but twice in the new Testament that mention is made of Christs Hour once in John 13. And he knowing that his hour was coming and that was the hour of darkness Once in John 2.4 when his Mother came unto him for Wine he said Woman my hour is not yet come But afterwards when their own Wine was done and their pots were fill'd with Water then he turns their Water into Wine then Christs hour was come So now when al our Bottles are dry when there is no Wine of Comfort in our own Bottles then is Christs hour and when the hour of darkness is upon our Condition then is Christs hour And if thou would'st but say so unto thine own soul Soul Christs time and hour is an hour of darkness Christs time is a time when there is no Wine in our own Bottles Now thus it is with me I have no Wine left in my own Bottles my Bottles are al dry and empty and there is an hour of darkness upon my Condition therefore this time is the time for Christ to help me This would cause you to wait on God and exercise Faith in the lowest Condition even when you see nothing but the contrary unto your desires and the Lords Promises Sixtly That either you are under an extraordinary Affliction or an ordinary Either you are under an ordinary Temptation or an extraordinary Either you are under an extraordinary Desertion or an ordinary Either thy streit or stress and trouble is ordinary or else it is extraordinary If it be an ordinary trouble why then are you troubled more thâ—n ordinary why are you discouraged extraordinarily If your Affliction or Misery be extraordinary then either God hath brought you into this condition and hath led you heretofore in a way of extraordinary deliverance or of ordinary deliverance if God have led you heretofore in a way of ordinary deliverance what means those wonderful incomes of Love and supporting Grace that you have had when your soul have been ready to sink and to die within you And if the Lord hath heretofore led you in a way of extraordinary deliverance and
these Verses First they subdued Kingdoms verse 33. who through Faith subdued Kingdoms so the Judges did and so David also And 2. They wrought Righteousness so Samuel did Whose Ox have I taken and so David did When he spared Saul And 3. They obtained Promises Promises that is the thing promised God is so Faithful saith Beza in fulfilling his Promises that the Promise is put for the thing promised they obtained the Promises that is the thing promised Now the Promise they obtained it was not the great Promise of the Messias for so at verse 39. They received not the Promise that is the great Promise of the Messias but the Promises they obtained were particular Promises of deliverance Victories and Kingdoms so they obtained Promises and so Gideon and Barak David and others did And then they stopped the mouths of Lyons so David and Daniel did And they quenched the violence of Fire so the three Children did And escaped the edg or mouth of the Sword so Elijah and Elisha did And out of weakness were made strong so Heâ—ekiah was And they waxed valiant in Fight and turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens so the Judges and David did And Women received their dead raised to Life again so the Woman of Sareptha and the Shunaâ—â—te did So that now here you may see what great things the Beleevers of the old Testament did by Faith And so the Doctrine that I shal pitch upon at this time riseth from al the words and not from any particular Clause or passage but from the whol Doct. That true saving faith will do very great things It is true Faith that the Apostle here speaks of as appears by the whol Chapter and these things that they did as appears to the Reader at first view were great things So that I shal not need to spend any time for cleering of the Doctrine from the words that it doth arise from and al these Verses and words they are witnesses to it they cry out this Doctrine with one Voyce True saving Faith will do very great things For the opening and cleering whereof I shal labor to shew 1. That true saving Faith is a doing working stirring Grace 2. That true saving Faith will do great things And 3. How Faith comes to do such great things First True saving Faith is a doing Grace an active working doing operative Grace the more Spirits any thing hath the more active it is Faith true saving Faith hath the Spirit of the Gospel in it the Gospel is the Ministration of the Spirit and true saving Faith it hath the Spirit of this Spiritful Dispensation and therfore it must needs be a very spiritual and a working Grace It is called a work it self in 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work Faith and in 2 Thes 1.11 The work of Faith with power Our Lord and Savior Christ saith it is the Work of God This is the Work of God that ye beleeve it is in it self a work And Secondly It is a friend to work true saving Faith it is a Work and it is a great Friend to work it is not an idle Houswife What is our Sanctification but our Faith incarnate it works Love and it works by Love and Love is very inventive active and expensive it is a friend to work a work in it self and a friend to work And Thirdly It is also the first worker in the Soul Trust in the Lord and do good not first do good and then trust in the Lord trust in the Lord first trust in the Lord and do good it is the work that sets other works on work the wheel that sets al other wheels a going without which a man is idle though he be at work As a Child may be very busie at his play yet but play and a Servant may be very busie about his own imployment and yet his Master counts it an idleness because he is not about his work appointed him So now a man may be very busie in regard of the world and yet he may be idle God-ward Nisi a Deo agendo nil ages Faith must be the first Worker and if Faith be not the first al other works are as nothing Yea Fourthly As Faith is a Work and a Friend of Work and a first Worker so it is an Universal Work Faith is that Grace that can turn its hand to every Work some can work exactly at one thing but they are bunglers at another but Faith true saving Faith can turn its hand to every business Possibly a man may be sick and he cannot pray himself but yet he may beleeve though Prayer cannot turn its hand to this Condition yet Faith can Possibly a man may be very poor and is not able to help another Liberality cannot turn its hand to this Condition but Faith can work in it Fiftly And not only so but Faith works best when it works alone when it works al alone If Comfort come and sence and feeling come Faith knows how to use these but though a man have no Sence and no Comfort yet Faith can work and Faith works best when it works alone when it workâ— al alone without these auxiliaries Sixtly Yea Faith works best somtimes when it works in the dark as it works best when it works alone so somtimes it works best in the dark Men can work wel in the light but not in the dark but though a mans condition be very dark yet Faith can work then Faith works best when it works in the dark Faith loves to work like Christ and Christs greatest action of Obedience was in the darkest time when he was on the Cross I remember a Speech of that good old man Mr. Dod when a man that was troubled in his mind lay a dying he said to him Sir what wil you say to Christ when he was dying did he not say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And was not Christs highest piece of Obedience upon the Cross in the dark in a dark condition Faith works best somtimes in the dark Seventhly Yet further Faith it works best at the last and the longer it works the better for Faith grows by experience and the longer that Faith works the more experience it gets and the more experience Faith gets the stronger it is and therefore Faith works best at the last Now put al these together Faith is a Work and Faith is a Friend to Work and Faith is the first Worker and Faith is an Universal Worker and Faith works best when it works al alone and Faith works best somtimes in the dark and Faith works best at the last and certainly you have the first namely this That true saving Faith is a doing Grace it is a working Grace But Secondly You wil say What are those great things that Faith will do for we have heard that Faith is a doing Grace that is the Doctrine Faith will do and do great things but what are those great
things This Doctrine lies upon the surface of the words and al the words together speak it but for the further opening and cleering of it First I shal labor to shew you that it is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the Eyes of God may meet with most unworthy things from the hands of men Secondly That faith wil carry through these And Thirdly How and by what means faith wil carry a man through these First It is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the eyes of God may meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men these were hard things and unworthy that these Beleevers suffered yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy You know there is an old enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent a malignant disposition in the men of the world against the Saints and People of God they must work as they are the wicked and men of the world are an unworthy people But because you judg your selves unworthy saith the Text Lo we turn to the Gentiles because ye judg your selves unworthy Go saith our Savior unto his Disciples and preach and if any be worthy stay the men of the world are unworthy an unworthy people Yea they are an unreasonable people absurd men impertinent men that have not Faith They are compared in Scripture unto beasts for their unreasonableness Beware of Dogs saith the Apostle When our Lord and Savior Christ did send out his Disciples to preach the Gospel Beware of men saith he I do not say takâ— heed and beware of Lyons and Bears but beware of men you shal find such unreasonable dealing by men therefore beware of men Now if the men of the world be an unworthy People and unreasonable wil ye wonder that the Saints and People of God meet somtimes with unworthy usage from them It is possible To raise it a little higher possibly the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal The Apostle Paul was a most precious man in his day and Generation and yet what unworthy usage had he It is said in 1 Cor. 4.11 Vnto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labor working with our own hands being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day We are the filth we are made the filth of the world and the off-scouring of al things unto this day Some think that the Apostle here doth relate unto that of one man dying for the People the guilt of al the People being upon him Others that it is a similitude taken from a kind of Tumbrel and Vessel that goes up and down the City that ye throw al the filth into But I rather take the two Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to relate unto that in Lament 3. verse 45. Thou hast made us as the off-scouring and reffuse in the midst of the People In the Hebrew Thou hast made us the off scouring and the filth and reffuse in the midst of the People Thus Paul was made and yet Paul a precious man he labored more abundantly than they al. So that I say it is possible that the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal from men Yea to raise it a little higher It is possible that a man may meet with most unworthy dealings therefore because he is precious in the eyes of God not only in regard of men but in regard of God For God doth somtimes so order things in his Providence that he doth put men to suffer hard things because they are precious in his Eyes Vnto you it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer Suffering somtimes is a Gift it is a great Gift A suffering Gift saith Chrysostom is a greater Gift than the Gift of Miracles for saith he if God do give me a Gift to work Miracles by I am in Gods debt but if God do give me a suffering Gift he is pleased thereby to become my Debtor suffering somtimes becomes as a reward for Doing Ye read of the Heifers that brought home the Ark out of the Philistims Country that when they brought the Ark home the Israelites they take the Heifers and they offer up the Heifers unto God for a Sacrifice why so saith one it is an il requital to the Heifers No the Heifers could not have a higher Honor put upon them this their Suffering is a Reward for their Doing And so what greater Honor can a man have after al his Doing for God than to be called forth to Suffer and to bear witness to the Truth Indeed we do not think thus but you wil say O! surely God doth not love me because he puts such hard suffering work upon me But I pray tel me Suppose that a General should have some great Work or Service to do and he should single and pick some half a dozen Soldiers for to go upon this work would these Soldiers say surely the General doth not prize us he doth not honor us nor love us because he puts us upon this hard Service No but they wil say the contrary surely the General prizeth us loves us and honors us because he puts us upon such a hard Service as this is So here it doth rather argue that the Lord doth honor love and prize you in that he puts you upon a hard work and Service But now if these things be true then surely this first Branch is sufficiently made out That a man may be very precious in the Eyes of God and yet meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men That is the first thing Quest Secondly You wil say How shall a man be able to go through these hard things and Sufferings what will carry him through them Answ True saving Faith wil do it and nothing but this Faith wil do it I had verily fainted in mine affliction saith David but that I beleeved It is Faith and Faith alone that wil keep from fainting under suffering And to make this out a little unto yâ—u First The more assurance of Gods Love any man hath the more able he wil be to encounter with Sufferings and with afflictions the sight of Gâ—ds Love doth cause Love in us to God Amor amoris causa Love is the cause of Love and much Water cannot quench Love it endures al. Now the Assurance of Gods Love grows upon Faith it is the Flower of Faith Faith is the Stalk Assurance is the Flower Assurance is the Cream of Faith Let us draw neer with ful assurance of Faith Secondly The more that any man is â—ble to gather up and to mannage his Experiences the more able he wil be to suffer to encounter with Sufferings Experience is
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
what doth this argue but that they should delight in him as he doth delight in them And lastly Is it not a very great and high expression of his Love and delight in them that he carried al their names upon his heart into the presence of God the Father owning and Interceding for them When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate and with the Blood of the Sacrifice he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times and prayed for them So when our great High Priest went into Heaven he did carry the Names of al those whom he died for sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them and doth yet pray and intercede for such of them as are not in Heaven and as if al this were not enough he did presently send the Comforter another Advocate to intercede within them Rom. 8. that aâ— he took their flesh upon him and was made one with them so they should take of his Spirit and be made one with him Now can â—his and al these things be without great contentment and delight in them Surely the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed is exceeding great and very ful Prov. 8. he saith his delights in the plural Number are in them and Psal 16. he saith all his delight is in them Quest But why and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed Answ He hath travelled for them saith this Doctrine and wil ye ask why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child which she hath had a sore Travel for without doubt this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered But They are his own and men do naturally delight in their own Now they are not his own only as a mans Goods are his own Pâ—oprietas delectationis causa but they are his own as his Wife is his own and his own Body They are given him of the Father a man loves and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend such is the Father and saith Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are related to him with al the Relations of Love they are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. Unumquodque in quantuÌ„ amatur efficitur delectabile Aquin. They are his Children Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me saith he Heb. 2. They are his Spouse Ephes 5. A man loves and delights in him that is related to him but with one single Relation but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love he would be much delighted in Thus it is with the Seed of Christ when they beleeve for so I speak of them now they are related to him with al the Relations of Love If any man saith Christ hear my words and do them he is my Mother and Brother and Sister Yea They are one with him he with them and they with him one with the greatest oneness of mutual In-being I in you and you in me saith Christ And they are very like him too and suitable to him al delight arises from a conjunction of suitables Christ Omnis delectatio oritur ex conjunctione convenientis cum convenienti Aquin. and his beleeving Seed are not only joyned into one but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables Christ suiting with them and they with him again being of the same mind and affection Doth Christ say unto his Spouse Cant. 4.10 Thy Love is better than Wine so doth the Spouse say to him Cant. 1.2 Thy Love is better than Wine Doth he say to his Spouse Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 so doth she say of him He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Doth he contemplate her Beauty Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed even as David exceeded Jonathan yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ and his Seed By them also I mean his beleeving Seed he liveth Da mihi filios quod si non morior ego Gen. 30. motior 1. è memoria mei plane emorietur et onliterabitur dum enim parentes post se relinqunt filios in illis quafi adhuc vivere et superesse viden ur untle vulgo apud Hebraeos jâ—ctata est sententia cui non sunt liberi perinde est ac si mortuus sit et Hebraei dicunt qui non habet filios non est aedificatus sed quasi d ssipatus Paulus Fag in Ch. Paraphr in Gen. 30. Psal 72.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiabitur nomen ejus Ar. Montan. and his Name is continued and born up in the World unto al Generations He shal prolong his daies saith Iâ—aiah 53.10 But how so He shal see his Seed and so shal prolong his daies His Name shall continue for ever saith the Psal 72.17 But how so even by the continual filiation of his Seed and Name Now if he do yet live in them and they only do hear up his Name in the World then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ doth take so much delight contentment and satisfaction in them surely his delight in them is beyond al expression for saith he Cant. 7.6 How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights Secondly As for the Issue of Christ which he travelled for namely The Fruits and Effects of his Death his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof For Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 He shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands and the greater the work is and the more it prospers the more delight he hath and contentment and when doth the Work of God prosper in a mans hands but when it attaineth the ends and due effects thereof Now the work that Christ under took was the greatest work in the world and it was God the Fathers Work insomuch as Christ is called his Servant and saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Whenever therefore he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands and so his heart is at rest Thereby the reproach is rowled away from his Sufferings great was the Scandal of the Cross the greatest scandal that ever was and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren but when she brought forth a Child her reproach was rowled away So when the Cross and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rowled away and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof
be our future Judg yea our best Friend and our dear Husband Now if you abstract the terror of any Object from the sweetness of it no wonder if you be much discouraged It is our Duty to behold things as God presents them and to take things as God doth give them What God hath joyned together no man may put asunder If you consider the sweetness of an Object or Condition without the sowrness of it then you may grow too wanton if you consider the terror of an Object or Condition without the sweetness of it then you may be too fearful But if you think on both together then you will fear and beleeve and beleeve and fear and so be kept from Discouragement Fifthly If you would not be discouraged whatever your condition be Labor more and more to get your self-self-love mortified even Religious self-love All your Dscouragements are from self-love not from the venom of your condition but from the poyson of self-love O but I am discouraged because I have no assurance Well but suppose you had assurance what then then I should have Comfort And is not here Self O but I am discouraged about my everlasting Condition And is not that Self doth not that word Condition sound ones Self I dare boldly say there is no tumult or immoderate Discouragement in the soul but hath Self at the bottom Could I leave my self and my Condition with God and Christ and mind his Service Glory and Honor more God would take care of my Comfort but when I mind my self and my condition so much and his Service Glory and Honor so little no wonder that I am so much discouraged Therefore labor more and more to mortifie self-love and so shall you never be discouraged whatever your condition be Sixtly In case that Temptation press in upon you and urge you to sad Discouragements speak to this purpose unto your own soul Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate There is none of all these doubtings unbeleeving fears and discouragements but you will be ashamed and repent of afterwards You know how it is with the Traveller he thinks the Sun is not yet up and so he loyters and sits down but the Sun creeping up behind the cloud at last breaks out upon his face and is got before him and then he saies O what a fool was I to think the Sun was not up because I saw it not what an unwise man was I thus to loyter and sit down So it will be with you you now lie down upon the Earth and your belly cleaves to the dust by reason of your Discouragements but the Grace of God and the Love of Christ is creeping up behind the dark cloud and it will break out at the last upon you and shine into your face with the Golden beams of mercy it will prevent you and be before you and then you wil say O what a fool was I to be thus discouraged what an unworthy Creature I to doubt thus of Gods Love I have sinned I have sinned by all my unbeleef now the Lord pardon me all my doubtings I am O Lord ashamed of these my doubtings and questionings of thy Love pardon them O Lord unto my soul This is that which you must come to you must at last be ashamed and repent of these your unbeleefs doubtings and fears and therefore when-ever they press in upon thee say at the first unto thy self Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate by yielding unto these Discouragements And for this very reason because that Discouragements are to be repented of Therefore the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged whatever their Condition be And thus have I spoken to this Truth under a more General Consideration through Grace I shall labor to cleer it further to you by Particulars A LIFTING UP In case of GREAT SINS Serm. IV PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 7. 1651. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. THE Doctrine or Observation that now we are pressing from these words is this That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be no just true Scripture Reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be It is cleer by the Words and proved the last day by some General Considerations Now more Particularly to make it out by divers Instances Nine things there are which usually are the Grounds and Occasions of the Discouragements of Gods People 1. Somtimes their Discouragements are drawn from their greater and grosser sins 2. Somtimes they do arise from the weakness of Grace 3. Somtimes they are taken from their failing in and non-acceptance of Duty 4. Somtimes they are drawn from their want of Evidence for Heaven and non-assurance of the Love of God 5. Somtimes they do come from their Temptations 6. Somtimes from their Desertions 7. Somtimes from their Afflictions 8. Somtimes from their Unserviceableness 9. Somtimes from their Condition it self Now if in all these Respects the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged then we may safely conclude That a godly man should not be discouraged whatever his condition be I shall labor therefore through the Grace of Christ to make out this great Truth unto you in all these Respects and begin with the First at this time Somtimes the Discouragements of the Saints and Instance 1 People of God are drawn from their Sins their greater and grosser Sins The Peace and Quiet of the Saints and People of God is many times interrupted by their Sins O saies one I am a man or woman of a rebellious heart I have so sleight a Spirit so unholy and uneven a conversation that when I reflect upon my heart and life I cannot but be discouraged I know indeed it is a great evil for a man to labor under a â—ore temptation or a sad desertion but were my heart good my life good my conversation good I should not be discouraged but as for me I have committed and do commit such and â—uen great sins have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged Answ No For Discouragement it self is a sin another sin a Gospel sin now my sin against the Law is no just cause why I should sin against the Gospel I confess indeed there is much evil in every sin the least sin is worse than the greatest affliction Afflictions Judgments and punishments are but the Claws of this Lyon it is more contrary to God than the Misery of Hell Chrysostom had so great a sence of the evil of it that when the Empress sent him a threatening Message Go tell her said he Nil nisi peccatum metuo I fear nothing but sin And in some respects the sins of the Godly are worse than the sins of others for they grieve the Spirit more they dishonor Christ more they grieve the Saints more they wound the Name
to live by Faith O! therefore labor more and more to live by Faith and when you are in Desertion say Whether saved or not saved whether Hypocrite or not Hypocrite I wil stay I wil wait on God and let him come when he pleaseth If you lay your self at Christs feet he wil take you into his Arms. But what need I say more Is there not enough in the compass of your own Experience to answer unto al your fears in this respect When you have been in Desertion have you not said that Christ is gone and that he wil never come again and yet hath not Christ come again Yea and have you not said in the day of your Desertion If ever Christ do return again I will never make such unbeleeving Conclusions as I have done and hath not Christ returned after this Now then when Satan comes and suggests jealousies of Christs Love unto you why are not you more peremptory Why do you not say to him this I have heard before Satan thou told'st me this before that Christ was gone and would never return again but I have found it false he did return and therefore through Grace I wil never beleeve these false reports of Christ Christ is faithful I have alwaies found him so those whom he loves he loves to the end and I know he loves me Satan for I love him for my love is but the reflection of his love I â—ould not love him if he did not love me first and through Grace I love him I know he loves me because he hath changed me and is every foot sending some tokens of love one Promise or another to uphold my heart yea I know Satan that Christ doth love me because thou tellest me that he hates me and if he hath loved me once he wil love me to the end and therefore though for the present he hides his face from me yet I shal see his face again Thus gather in your Experiences and plead with Satan or your own unbeleeving hearts according unto all these Experiences so shall you be able to live in the time of this Desertion and never be discouraged whatever your desertions be And so much for the Sixt Instance A LIFTING UP In case of AFFLICTION Sermon X. PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney June 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints are drawn Instance 7. From their outward Afflictions and Relations So it was here with David for saith he verse 3. My tears have been my meat day and night Whereupon ver 5 6. My Soul is cast down within me Then ver 7 8. All thy billows are gone over me Ver. 10. As a Sword in my Bones whilst they reproach me dayly Then ver 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me To the like purpose he speaketh in the next Psalm Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy ver 2. Then ver 5 6. Why art thou cast down So that hiâ—â—â—â—ard Discouragements did arise very much from his outward Afflictions And thus it is ordinarily with the People of God for faith one Never was any so Afflicted as I have been and am I confess that National Calamities are very great but besides National Miseries I have many and many personal Afflictions and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged have I not reason for it No. Answ 1 First I grant and confess It is no new thing for Gods own Children to be much afflicted These are they that came out of great Tribulations Rev. 7. And Answ 2 Secondly When Gods People are so afflicted they are and wil be very sensible of their Affliction in some respects more sensible than wicked men for the more apprehensive a man is of Gods displeasure under Affliction the more sensible he must needs be of the burden of it Now the Saints and People of God in the day of their Affliction are more apprehensive of Gods displeasure than wicked men are and so in some respects are more sensible of their Afflictions Yea Answ 3 Thirdly As they are and wil be very sensible of their Afflictions so they are very apt to be much discouraged by reason of them And therefore said the Psalmist Psal 143. Therefore my soul is overwhelmed within me and my heart is desolate Why Read verse 3. and ye shal find the reason Because the Enemy oppressed me And was not Jâ—shua thus exceedingly cast down when a party of his men fel before the men of Ai See how he lies on the ground Chap. 7. and what Language he speaks even the same for substance that murmuring Israel had spoken for they said Would God we had stayed in Egypt And saith he Would God we had stayed on the other side Jordan yet Joshua a most gracious holy blessed Servant of God So that Gods own People are apt to be much discouraged by reason of their Afflictions and outward Sufferings But now I say Let a mans Afflictions be never so great yet if he be In Christ and have made his peace with God he hath no reason to be cast down or discouraged whatever his Afflictions be for saith our Savior In the World you shall have trouble but be of good Comfort I have overcome the world And the more a man is discouraged under his Afflictions the less able he is to bear it So long as a mans hand hath skin upon it he is able to put it into the sharpest Vinegar without smarting but if the skin be off it doth smart exceedingly and he can hardly bear it So long as a mans bones are knit together and in joynt he may stand under a great burden but if the Shoulder-bone be out of Joynt who can bear a burden And what do al our Discouragements but dis-joynt the Soul put the Spirit on the Rack Discouragements make Afflictions to 〈…〉 longer An impatient Patient makes a cruel Physitian And the more the Child cries under the Rod the longer the Rod is continued What reason therefore for our discouragements under Afflictions But this Truth wil appear if you consider 1. What the Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints are 2. Whence they proceed 3. What accompanies them 4. What follows upon them and is wrought by them First As for the Afflictions themselvs 1. They are part of Christs Purchase for you Look upon Pauls Inventory 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come So that Death it self the King of Terrors and Afflictions is here reckoned amongst the Goods and Chattels which Christ hath purchased for you and left unto you and if Death be yours then al Afflictions are yours and who wil be afraid of that which is his own 2. They are the Gift of God To you it is given not only to beleeve but
go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the