Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that measure Time shall be rolled up as a Scroll And though time should last never so long to the world in general yet how soon the Angel may swear concerning thee or me Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 we know not 6. We must not onely account for the means of fruitfulness Isa 5. What could I have done more c but for the time afforded for fruitfulness Luk. 13.7 These three years have I come looking for fruit and behold I finde none Cut it down c. Eccles 11.9 God will take account of the days of thy youth therefore call thy self to account and be fruitful in season 7. Lastly What would the damned in Hell give now for one of these hours to become fruitful If the rich glutton Luke 16.27 would so willingly have a messenger sent to his five brethren What would he have given to have been the messenger himself but could neither So much for the two first Branches in the Life of Sanctification which the just man lives by his Faith Now follows the Third BRANCH III. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. MORTIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification which consisteth in the killing and crucifying of sin and this follows fitly upon the Life of Fructification For sin is the Caterpillar upon the Branch that devours all the fruits Nay it is the Worm at the Root that hinders the fruitfulness of it or else it is the Toad at the Root that poisons the fruit Deut. 32.32 33. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of Asps. The best fruits of natural men where sin lives in the dominion of it are no better than such poisonous fruits Therefore the just man lives by Faith of Mortification He is dead to sin and dead to the law that he may bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 For the more sin dies Faith resemâ—les the expulsive faculty in the natural body the more grace lives and the more sin lives the more grace dies Therefore Faith lives in killing that which is an enemy to its life and is as the expulsive faculty in the body Obj. But is not sin dead as soon as a man believes Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ans Sin indeed hath receiv'd its deadly wound at the first blow but yet it will not be wholly dead till we die Nay it fares with it as with a creature that hath received its deadly wound it struggles and strives more violently than ever before Rom. 7.8 9. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead c. Insomuch that this combat continues till our dying day Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And Satan he takes part with our corruption he is Sins Second in the field Now Faith is a Christians chief weapon by which he defends himself and offends his adversary Eph. 6.16 the shield of faith For the method of proceeding in this Head it shall be to shew 1. How Faith proceeds in Mortification of sin 2. Why Faith will have sin to be mortified 3. The Uses hence Quest I. First How Faith proceeds in mortifying sin I answer It does it as men use to do in the prosecution of a Malefactor As the avenger of blood pursued the Murtherer in a legal way Sin is put to death by the law Rom. 3.22 By what law of works nay but by the law of faith So that as the Jews said of Christ faithful men may say of sin We have a law and by our law he ought to die Art 1 First there is a rising of the heart against the person How faith goes about the mortifying of sin Gal. 5.6 A man will never prosecute him whom he hath no quarrel against So Faith stirs up a Christian to hate his sin as it stirs him up to love God so consequently to hate sin Gods deadly enemy yea he hates it to death Col. 3.1 5. Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil Psal 97.10 Nay sayes Faith to sin I will have thy life nothing shall satisfie me but thy life Thou hast wrong'd my dear God therefore I will be reveng'd of thee True Repentance and true Faith work indignation and revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Yea what indignation what revenge As we cannot love God too much so we cannot hate sin too much Art 2 Secondly There is a diligent enquiry after the Malefactor So faith sends out Hue and Cry VVhere is the Rebel the Traytor It is the voice of Faith that Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes c. Faith knows if we finde not sin out sin will finde us out Num. 32.23 and if it sees us first it slayes us as the Basilisk Faith knows all the haunts of sin as Saul said of David to the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.22 Go I pray you know and see his place where his haunt is It searches the root of all actual sins Psal 51.5 In sin was I shapen c. An unbeliever hides extenuates excuses denies his sin But Faith never leaves till it discover and brings it before the judgement-seat As Rahab entertained the spies Heb. 11 31. So faith entertains the spies of enlightned reason Psal 119.105 and Prayer Psal 139.23 Art 3 Thirdly Faith brings in the Accusers of sin 1. The Law Joh. 5.45 There is one that accuseth you even Moses Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law 2. The Gospel though it saves the sinner it condemns the sin Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we we believers continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 3. The Renewed man converted by the Gospel Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me whereas sin accuseth the godly man to be the troubler of the person family 1 Kin. 18.18 Josh 7.25 state c. Faith sayes to sin Thou art the troubler of Israel therefore thou deservest to be stoned to death Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings amongst you come they not from your lusts Art 4 Fourthly Faith brings in Witness against sin whereas sin pleads for it self and accuseth Holiness and strictness to be the cause of all misery Faith brings in witness to the contrary 1. Outward By faith we understand the world was made c. Heb. 11. and so that the world was destroyed by sin once drown'd again reserved for fire to wash 2 Pet. 3. to burn out the filth of sin All evils that ever
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
unrighteousness 2. We may know it by the End of spiritual actions if it be the glory and honour of Christ and a care to preserve the things of Christ as the Members of the Body have a principal care of adorning and preserving the Head The Arm receives a blow to defend the Head so a living Member of Christ truly united to him as he goes to Christ for strength Phil. 4.13 so he refers all to the honour of Christ in conclusion another adventures himself far for the truth and cause of Christ as Paul Acts 20. Neither is my life dear unto me so I may fulfil the Ministery of Christ c. So in general Faith lives on Christ 2. In particular Or 2. In particular he lives by Faith in the Application Means 1. His Death 1. Of the Death of Christ for though we have benefit by the Birth of Christ Luke 2.10 11. as we shewed this day fortnight yet not so much as by his death and joy in birth onely in relation to his death He is born a Saviour i.e. one that shall die for your sins Rom. 5.10 Heb. 2.14 Through death he destroyed him that had power of death that is the devil Yet there is joy in his Birth as in the approach of a friend that comes to loose as out of Prison if we be in for Debt or Murther We then rejoyce when he comes to the door but onely in reference to paying of the Debt for if he should then turn back it would sad us the more So in this case Must Aarons ear and hand and foot be sanctified it must be done by the application of the Blood of the Covenant Exod 29.20 Thus our hearing thus our words thus our works thus our walking is sanctified in the application of the Blood of Christ Heb. 9 14. the Blood of Christ purge your consciences 'T is all the price of Blood 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us c. Faith sanctifies as by laying hold of the Blood and Death of Christ so of the Resurrection and Life of Christ Means 2. His Resurrection As the Resurrection of Christ is a Birth so he is called The first-born from the dead so the assurance of his Resurrection proved by the powerful government of the Church and of the whole World for the Churches sake in his Session at the Right-hand of his Father this begets a lively hope and so a spiritual new birth in us 1 Pet. 1.3 We are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Faith or Hope makes use of Christs Resurrection and this New birth of faith begets a New life of Sanctification Coloss 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ c. The love of Christ dying for us and rising for us and reigning for us acting all our affairs at the Right-hand of God his Father yea the love of Christ begetting of us to this lively hope by his Death and Resurrection all these constrain us to a holy life 2 Cor. 5. Ver. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that 15. He dyed for all that they which live should not live henceforth unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again Therefore 16. We live no more after the flesh i.e. with carnal and sinful affections And 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature a new man a regenerate person and hath a renewed conversation Therefore Wherefore because he seeing the love of Christ by the eye of Faith in dying for him and rising again this raiseth up his heart to newness of life As if he heard Christ perswading of him like as a tender-hearted mother perswades her childe per viscera by her own bowels If thou art my childe if thou dost own me for thy Mother then obey my commandments and follow my advice so saith the Apostle Col. 3. If ye be risen again with Christ if ye be partakers of a New Birth through the pangs of his Death and the power of his Resurrection if ye be his children if ye acknowledge God for your Father set your affections ow things which are above Phil. 3.20 and let your conversation be in heaven And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Death and Resurrection of Christ 3. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Means 3. His Appearing and Judgment in the application of the Appearing of Christ and the Judgement of Christ 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant c. Look as the warning of an Assize or Sessions makes one careful to provide themselves that their cause may be found good that they may be able to stand in Judgement so in this case The same argument see Tit 2.13 Live soberly righteously c. looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And 1 Cor. 15. last Theâ—efoâ—e my beloved brethren be ye stedfast c. Wherefore for as much as ye know c. i. e knowing by faith or believing your labour one day shall not be in vain in the Lord. A cause of all sins is made not believing the Judgement 2 Pet. 3.3 4. Where is the Promise of his coming c and a cause of holy walking the believing of it ver 11 12. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all hâ—ly conversation and godliness looking for and hasting to the coming c. Therefore it is observable in Scripture where-ever almost there is mention of the last Judgement it speaks of Christs judging men by the fruits of Faith rather then by Faith it self that the believing of the last Judgement may stir us up to a holy life Mat. 25.35 c. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 there the Books are opened the Book of Gods Decree and yet men judged according to their works Think of this you that have to do in Judgement this day * other Books must one day be opened It may make a Felix tremble it may move all to be holy and righteous in all their actions Means 4. His Word 4. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Word of Christ Without Faith the Word profits not neither this nor any other way but being mixed with Faith Heb. 4.2 it is quick and powerful and mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10 4. to the pulling down of strong holds i.e. proud thoughts earthly thoughts unclean thoughts Joh. 15.3 Now are you clean through the word that I have spoken to you Psal 19. The word of the Lord is clean and endures for ever And as it is clean in it self so it is a cleansing word in the effect
for the Life of Justification is perfect at the first though it be a continued act Therefore do not onely hear the Word but Pray Hearing the Word is the laying the mouth to the breast but Prayer is the drawing of the breast Therefore draw hard New-years-day O thou that createdst the first Heaven and the first Earth of nothing O thou that createst the New Heaven and the New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness when sin had made the creature worse then nothing O thou that createst the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven as a Bride O thou that createst the New Creature the New man fit to be an inhabitant of the New World of the New Jerusalem O thou that hast said Behold I make all things New Create thou in me even in me Psal 51. a clean heart renew a right Spirit in me Plead with God and say Lord thou hast commanded me whilst it is called Heb. 1. To day to hear thy voice and not to harden my heart I beseech thee therefore whilst it is called To day hear my voice and harden not thy heart against me For if thy heart be hardned against my Prayer my heart must needs be hardned at thy Word Say Father let others give what gifts they please to their friends if thou please but to give me grace Eph. 4. grace to put off the Old man with the Old year as the circled Snake casts her skin and to put on the New man Psal 103. as the Eagle renews her bill and her age both together I shall esteem it the best New-years-gift that ever was given And say Father I have fast hold on thee and I will not let thee go Gen. 32. except thou bless me except thou giv'st me this blessing this New-years-gift of a new heart Lord I lay hold of thee in thine own promise Thine everlasting Truth is a cord strong enough strong enough to hold Thee and Lord I must needs make bold to binde thee to thy VVord Hast thou not said Lord A new heart will I give you Lord for whom is this new heart laid up in thy Promise for them that have it or for them that want it c. Therefore I beseech thee of thy faithfulness to answer me and in thy righteousness say unto me Though thy faith be weak Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let there be light Mat. 8. let there be heat let there be a new heart Be thou holy as I am holy that thou maist be happy for ever as I am happy Thus much for the third Question How and by what means this Sanctification is wrought in the Soul 4. Questions follow Quest 4. What Reason of the necessity of Sanctification What is the reason that such a life is necessary in all justified persons Reas 1 1. Reason Because this is one of the great Ends of our freedom by the Death of Christ He died not onely to redeem us from Hell and from Satan and all our Enemies but from our vain conversation also 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Yea he delivered us from the hands of all our enemies that we might serve him in holiness Luke 1.74 Reas 2 2. Because it was one of Gods great designs in the work of our Redemption to make us conformable to the Image of his Son as in suffering Rom. 8.29 so in sanctity that as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we might bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. VVe look upon Christ by the eye of Faith as they look'd upon the brazen Serpent not onely to save us but to transform us and heal us The vision of Christ begets transformation and transformation satisfaction this is partly in this life but perfectly in the life to come Psal 17. ult I shall behold thy face in righteousness when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness In the mean time there are degrees of transformation and satisfaction to the Soul so far as it is able to look upon Christ by the eye of faith in the glass of the Ordinances 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all as with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed c. To be changed into the Image of Christ is a great part of a Christians happiness a great part of this happiness is his holiness without which even heaven it self and the glorified Presence of God would be a hell to him for so long as men are unregenerate and wicked they say unto God Depart from us we will not have the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 Therefore that they may be made like Christ and take comfort in the fellowship of Christ it 's necessary they should live by Faith the life of Sanctification Reas 3 3. Because from the first Adam we stand guilty of a twofold sinfulness 1. Imparted Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so c. 2. Imparted Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Reas 4 4. This is for the honour of Christ Philip 1.27 Onely let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel c. 2 Sam. 10.4 Hanun's abusing Davids Servants was to cut off half their garments Reas 5 5. Because Gods free love in the Life of Justification cannot but stir us up to love God again 1 John 4.19 And love is active and full of inventions to do service for the beloved And so he must necessarily live the Life of Sanctification and so Sanctification is an evidence of Justification How doth Christ prove many sins were forgiven to Mary Luke 7.47 Because she loved much And how doth she prove her love by the fruits her cost and care and pains ver 37 c. If ye love me keep my Commandments sayes Christ Joh. 14.15 Faith works by love Gal. 5.6 As Faith applies Promises for Comfort so commands for Performance of Duty Psal 119 66. And so much for the first Branch in Sanctification viz. Renovation BRANCH II. THE LIFE of FAITH A LIFE OF FRUCTIFICATION SEcondly The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification for we shall speak of the Use of both together in the fruits of New Obedience And this in these particulars How or in what manner faith hath influence into the life of spiritual Fructification 1. Faith makes us good trees 1. In making of us good Trees A man must be a good Tree before he can bring forth good Fruit Mat. 12.33 Now Faith makes us good Trees by grafting us into the Mystical Body of Christ Rom. 11.17 Thou being a wilde Olive-tree wert grafted in and partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive Thou derivest sap and juyce and life of grace in Christ and so thou dost not onely bud and blossom as Aarons Rod Numb 17. by good words and fair
not say As many as believed were ordained unto life eternal but contrariwise As many as were ordained to eternal life believed To intimate That Faith foreseen 1. From Election was not the cause of Election but Election was the cause of Faith and so the same Election is the cause of Perseverance in Faith or else their Life should not be eternal Therefore that strong conclusion of strong Consolation Rom. 8.35 is fetcht as far as from that everlasting VVell-head of Gods Fore knowledge and Predestination ver 29. For whom he did fore-know he did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Therefore the Apostle is bold to make that brave challenge Who shall charge us Who shall condemn us Who shall separate us As if he should have said Neither Sin nor Affliction nor Men nor Devils shall ever be able to break this Golden Chain of Gods Election till it ends in glory Therefore the just perseveres God hath elected him to no meaner a life than that which is Eternal and therefore he shall certainly have it Rom. 11. the Election must needs obtain it 2 Reas From Gods Love from which 2. Gods love this Election springs in order of working Gods love is an Everlasting love As God is from Everlasting to Everlasting so is his Love for whatsoever is in God is God Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee which I conceive is not to be understood à parte post after we are drawn to believe and obey but even before also à parte antè Gods love here is made the cause of our being drawn to believe and obey and not our obedience a cause of his love Obj. But is it not said Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will manifect my self to him therefore our love of God goeth before Gods love to us Resp. There is a love of Benevolence whereby we bear good will to another and a love of Beneficence whereby we testifie our love in doing good to him Gods love of Benevolence is before our loving of him Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us but Gods love of Beneficence at least in part doth follow our love to him and is the reward of it according to his free grace If Gods love therefore be everlasting this must needs be an everlasting fruit of it even the life of Grace and Glory to all eternity 3. The Covenant 3 Reas From the Covenant of God made with his People which is an everlasting Covenant well ordered and sure 2 Sam. 23.12 Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Whereas the poor Soul might say God indeed saith he will never depart from us so long as we do not depart from him but then he might justly depart from us Therefore Gods Covenant is That we shall not depart from him I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Therefore the just lives not from any stability in himself but from the stability of Gods Covenant 4. Gods Unchangeable nature 4 Reas From the Unchangeable Nature of God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed You are not consumed not because there is no principle of change in you but because there is none in me As if God should have said When I first entred Covenant with you I saw you polluted in your blood and I foresaw full well how ignorant how impotent how unconstant how untoward you would be afterward but I am resolved as I did not choose you at the first for the good I saw to be in you so I will not reject you for the evil that I see in you but will forgive it and heal it for my gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. 5. Reas From the Power of God 5. Power of God If Gods people do not persevere it is either because God will-not preserve them or because he cannot But 1. Not because he will not for it is his own good pleasure moved him to make an everlasting Covenant and his own unchangeable Nature moves him to fulfil it to this day 2. Not because he cannot for nothing limits Gods Power but his Will Psal 135.6 Whatever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and earth c. Therefore if the Lord will preserve his Saints in a state of grace for ever he is able to do it Though we are not able to stand of our selves yet he is able to make us stand Rom. 14. or in case we fall he is able to raise us up again Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth under his hand 6 Reas From the Merit of Christ 6. Merit of Christ c. the Prayer of Christ the Spirit of Christ As Christ hath merited Eternal Righteousness and Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.6 So he applies his Merit eternally by his Intercession and the operation of his Spirit Wherefore Heb. 7.25 Intercession of Christ he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Wherefore we must either deny That God the Father hears the Prayers of his Son which is blasphemous to imagine and contrary to Christs confession 1 Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwayes or else we must need acknowledge That all such as are once in a state of Grace shall persevere and be saved to the utmost Further they that are Christs And Spirit of Christ have the Spirit of Christ and so long as the Spirit doth not depart from them they shall never depart from God for the Spirit leads into all Truth But the Spirit of God doth never depart from them Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth c. Therefore they shall never finally depart from God Thus we have the Reasons Why the just shall persevere 2. Why perseverance through Faith Now see the Reasons Why they live this life by Faith 1. Faith layes hold on the Promise 1. Because Faith lays hold on the Promise of Perseverance 1 Cor. 18. He shall confirm you to the end that you may be blameness in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ Mat 16.18
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
upon him Faith gathers ground upon God by such like Arguments as these 1. For himself I know God loved me in times past therefore sutely he loves me still Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea with an everlasting love have I loved thee c. He did good to me in time past therefore he will do good to me again Psal 77.5 I have considered the dayes of old Will the Lord cast off for ever I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High Psal 71.5 6 c. Thou art my hope O Lord from my youth c. 2. For the Church Isa 51.9 Awake awake O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old c. As if he had said Thy power is everlasting and thy Covenant is everlasting that 's the same for ever Ergo. Thus faith puts life in the soul by laying hold on time past Though times change Mal. 3 6. yet God changeth not 2. For Time Present Thus Faith lives upon God Time Present 1. In asking daily bread and all other necessaries because God promiseth to be the God of his people at all times and in all places for ever Heb. 13.5 Phil. 4.11 2. In being content with the present condition and believing that present dispensations are for our good Thus 1 Cor. 3. Present things are said to be ours Faith tells a man whatsoever is done in the course of Providence in Heaven or Earth it is ours and for our good Whereas unbelievers are never content with the present but alwayes Wishers and Woulders 3. For Time to Come Time Future All that God will ever do and that is much all shall be for our good come what can come Faith sayes My Father sits at the stern and guides all Unbelievers though well for the present are ever distrustfully careful for the morrow next day next year O what shall become of me and mine But the believer lives by his faith Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Heb. 13. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Thus he lives by faith in the several parts of Time past present and to come And faith in the one strengthens faith in the other 2 Cor. 1.10 Who hath delivered us and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Secondly for the Adjuncts of time Prosperity 2. Adjuncts of Time and Adversity good and evil dayes one or other Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye people God is a refuge for us 1. Faith in time of Prosperity 1. For Prosperity And as touching it we shall observe how the just lives by faith 1. In obtaining 2. In using 3. In parting with a prosperous condition 1. In seeking it 1. He lives by faith in obtaining Prosperity For faith both directs a man in the right order of seeking it viz. By seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousness of it in the first place and then expecting all other things to be added Mat. 6. Mat. 6.33 And they are the best riches that are thus got by way of consequence While the unbeliever hastes to be rich O cives cives c. and hath an evil eye Prov. 28.22 and cries Money money before all And faith also directs a right measure and moderation of Spirit in seeking Prov. 30.8 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me making us willing to be at Gods carving And moreover in the right means as giving understanding out of the Word to hate every false way Psal 119.128 not as the unbeliever who lives by his wits not by his faith First Negatively Faith seeks not Prosperity either by Vsury Prov. â—8 8 or by Cheating 1 Thess 4.6 or by Gaming Prov. 13.11 Which Gaming besides it hath no blessing is also the occasion of many sins as Covetousness Anger Blasphemy c. and believe it such sport will bring down judgement in earnest Secondly Affirmatively Faith directs to seek Prosperity 1. By Diligence in our Calling Prov. 10.4 The hand of the diligent maketh rich 2. By not trusting to our diligence but Gods promise to the diligent Prov. 10 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich Not sacrificing to our own Net but acknowledging with the Psalmist that unless the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it c. Psal 127.1 2. In using it 2. He lives by faith in the using of Prosperity As 1. with an humble diffidence in our selves and the creature lest when we are full of the world full of our selves by pride and security and self-confidence Prov 30 9. we should forget God The Moon at the full is furthest from the Sun and in greatest danger of Eclipse because the earth is then between Wherefore faith applies that Caveat Psal 62.10 When riches increase set not your heart on them 2. With an holy confidence in God when we have most as if still as poor as Job 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge the rich that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God c. Faith applies that charge It then crucifies a man to the world when he is full of the world 3. In not serving himself or his lusts but serving God in his good estate So did Job by the Devils own confession when he said Doth Job serve God for nought Job 1.10 To be rich in good works is made the right use of riches 1 Tim. 6. Honour the Lord with thy substance that 's the Command Prov. 3.9 An unbeliever sayes May I not do what I will with my own c He remembers not that what he hath is Gods and himself but a steward therefore he serves himself and makes provision for the flesh Rom. 13. to satisfie the lusts of pride of drunkenness of uncleanness c. When I fed them to the full they were as fed horses Jer. 5.7 A full-fed horse that lifts up his heel against his Master is unworthy of his provender But ordinarily this poor creature is more loving to his Master then men to God according to that complaint Isa 1.2 Lastly in laying his goods out to spiritual advantages so making friends of enemies for ordinarily no greater enemy to our salvation than these things friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness Luke 16 9. So to lay out is to lay up against a time of need not onely in the world to come but in this world Eccles 11.2 Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be on the earth Contrary to the reasoning of an unbeliever or churlish Nâ—bal 3. As he lives by faith in obtaining and using 3. In parting wiâ—h it so in being willing to part with a prosperous condition He that in prosperity terminates his desire in the creature lives by sense But he that terminates his desire in God lives by
Righteousness in Christ 1. Active 2. Passive For in that we owed a double debt to the Law the one being perfect obedience for the present the other most deserved punishment for our fâ—rmer disobedience It was requisite that Christ beâ—ng our surety should pay whatsoever we owed unto God and that was the double debt of Doing and Suffering whatsoever the Law of God required at our hands 1. Active fulfilling all Righteousness and that for us as he became a Creature and not for himself Matth. 3.15 2. Passive Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Vse Thirst after this Righteousness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness c. Philip. 3.7 8. and that I may be found in him not having my wn righteousness c. Formal Cause 3. The Formal Cause Imputation of Christs righteousness As by imputation of Adams sin we are guilty so by imputation of Christs righteousness we are righteous Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom 4.5 6. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Reas His righteousnesse is onely perfect Heb. 7.26 For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousness Onely his righteousnesse is infinite and everlasting Dan. 9.24 to bring in everlasting righteousness c. The righteousnesse of Angels and Saints is finite as well as tattered and torn the poor weary and heavy laden naked Soul can never lie down with rest in his bed Isa 28 20. for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on 't c. but Christs righteousnesse is so long and so large that it gives a man rest on his sick-bed Psal 41.3 The Lord will strengthen him upon his bed of languishing What is his comfort then but a clear sight of Christs righteousnesse Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him to shew unto man his righteousness c. Rest on the death-bed and afterward in the grave Isa 57.2 They shall lie down in their beds and peace shall be with them c. Rev. 6.11 And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest So that as God saith Psal 134.14 This is my rest for ever so may the Soul Final Cause 4. Final Cause 1. Supreme 1. The Supreme Gods glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself c. This is the end of all especially this work Rev. 5.9 The glory either of 1. Mercy and Love God so loved the world c. Joh. 3.16 Well saith God rather than Souls shall perish I will pour out the blood of my own Son Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 8.32 He spared not his Son c. Or 2. Justice not forgive without satisfaction Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy or merciful in all his works 2. Subordinate 1. Sanctification 2. Subordinate 2. Salvation Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruits unto holiness and the end everlasting life All or most of these causes are set down by the Apostle Rom. 3.20 to 29. 1. The Efficient primary moving Cause internal free grace v. 24. 2. External moving Cause Mans Misery v. 23. Christs Merit v. 24. 3. Instrumental 1. The Word v. 21. 2. Faith v. 22. 4. Final 1. The glory of Gods 1. Severest Justice v. 26. 2 Richest Mercy v. 24. 2. Glorification of Man in Gods Justification and Salvation of Man v. 23 c. Quest How doth the just live by Faith the life of Justification Ans The answer shall extend to the several parts and degrees of Justifications Manifestation For though it be a perfect act of God yet it is a continued act and there are degrees of the manifestation of it To speak therefore 1. Of the Act it self 2. Of the Continuing and Renewing of the Act 3. Of the Assurance of the Act. See how the just lives by Faith in all these 1. For the first Act and work of Justification Faith in the act of justifying First Faith Convinceth a man of sin in a saving manner and so of his need of Christ and of his own impotency to obtain Justification and Salvation without Christ Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit as Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by love so by poverty of spirit Secondly Faith puts persons into a Mourning confessing prayerful frame Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn but no blessedness if not springing from faith Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication c. Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weepings and with supplications will I lead them Acts 2.37 They were pricked at their hearts c. This is the work of Faith though not alwayes so easily discerned to be of Faith by the party himself Thirdly Faith subdues the heart to lay down all Oppositions against God and to be willing to take any course God directs for Justification and Salvation Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek c. Acts 9.5 6. Paul speaks reverently Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God c. He submits obediently they are tame as a lamb Isa 11.6 Fourthly Faith fixeth the heart upon Christ alone and his Righteousness held out in the Promises with renunciation of our own even with indignation in point of Justification The Soul is hungry after Christs Righteousness as most excellent and loaths its own as dung and draught Phil. 3.6 7 8 c. What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness c. See these or most of these Luke 15. in that gracious Convert mentioned Luk. 15. set out as a patern as a picture and as a lively inviter for a poor sinner to look to that desires to partake of the like mercy 1. Faith Convinceth him to be in a perishing condition without his Fathers love ver 17. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I say it was Faith that wrought this same conviction for it was not before he came to himself that is before he raised him
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
fruit of the lip peace peace c. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. He hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation not revelations without the word Psal 119.81 I hope in thy word that is the object of Faith No Word no Faith 2. Effects of New-birth Love 1. To God begetting this assurance 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2. To the Word by which begotten it 's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Not magnifie the Spirit to slight the Word John 14.26 The Spirit comforts by the Word and brings to remembrance 3. To the godly begotten of God 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten 4. To Holiness the fruit of all true assurance 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself This is no Doctrine of looseness as the Papists say Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt c. Ask doth thy Assurance make thee more holy c 3. By the Manner of working both in the work and after it There 's some difficulty therefore strait is the way strive to enter c. Mat. 7.14 1. In the first work therefore called a Birth John 3.5 When was any birth without pain A spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 I speak not this as if we should indulge our selves in these pangs so and so long I will not say how long hast thou been about it for Ephraim was a foolish son because he stayed so long in the place of breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 However it is difficult 2. After the work still some wrestling against Doubts Fears Reason No grace of the Spirit but it hath something of the Flesh to wrestle against Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit therefore they that never doubt after once they are assured but are alwayes alike have cause to suspect themselves that they are not right Philip. 3.12 Not as though already perfect saith the Apostle They that think they are at the top of the ladder at the first step it is likely they never set a step upon the ladder If you never doubted after believing faith was perfect at first and so no growth c. True faith is of a growing nature Obj. The heart is deceitful therefore fruits are no evidence Ans It 's true of Vnregenerate men not Regenerate such by proving may know Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. John 21 17. Peter could appeal Lord thou knowest that I love thee Salvation is far from the wicked though they may be confident 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God c. Psal 119.155 4. He lives by Faith 4. Objections against Assurance in answering all such Objections that might cloud and hinder his Assurance as the Sun dispels and scatters all clouds and mists that would hinder the light and heat thereof so the Sun of Righteousness by the powerful work of Faith dispels and scatters all such Objections and Doubts by which Satan and our corrupt hearts would hinder and darken the light and heat of our Assurance As for Example Obj. 1 Satan and thy corrupt heart objects Dost thou ever look to be forgiven that art guilty of such sins Thy sin is greater than can be forgiven Jer. 4.13 Ans Faith answers As great sinners as thou art have been forgiven Manasses Solomon Mary Magdalen and many more Though my sins are great sins not Mole-hills but Mountains yet God is a great God and his Mercies are very great he hath a sea of Mercy that is able to drown Mountains as well as Mole-hills The Mariners tell us the Sea is so deep in some places that they can finde no bottom no line will reach so far I am sure such is the Sea of Gods Mercy we cannot finde the bottom but must cry O altitudo O the depth c. Obj. 2 I am afraid I have out-stood my time and opportunity c. Ans Faith answers Eccles 9.4 To him that is joyned to the living there is hope especially if thou seekest God for his own sake because he is lovely in thine eyes Psal 69.32 Your hearts shall live that seek God Obj. 3 I am afraid I am not humbled enough and so God will not give me a good look Isa 66.2 Ans Faith answers The greatest humility in the world cannot deserve the favour of God If God hath but troubled thee so far to desire Christ upon his own terms with his Cross as well as his Crown then come and welcome if thou beest willing to put off the Devils yoke and to put on Christ's Mat. 11.28 29. All ye that are weary and heavy laden take my yoke upon you Obj. 4 But alas I am as a bullock accustomed to the yoke Ans The just not onely lives by faith in the Promises but Commandments Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments Rom. 14. the last Yea every Commandment hath the vertue of a Promise because God worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Ezek 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Obj. 5 But my heart is very hard I cannot repent nor believe as I ought Sermons do me little good Corrections no good I think there 's no body hath such a heart as I have so insensible so incorrigible Ans Faith answers If thou hadst no grace thou wouldst never complain so much for want of grace a man can never desire that he knows not or that he tastes not Jer. 31.18 Ephraim was in a good condition when he bemoaned himself Obj. 6 But me thinks saith Unbelief if I had any faith in my Soul I should have lively feeling and assurance of it Ans Faith answers There 's difference 'twixt believing and seeing betwixt faith and sense Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen There 's a twofold evidence the one of Sense the other of Faith Assurance by the witness and fruits of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Therefore it cryes out to God in stead of answering the doubts of Unbelief Lord I believe help my unbelief It 's a comfort to have a lively feeling but others may have Faith also Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed John 20.29 and that is certain for the conclusion of all That Soul that wrestles against the disease of unbelief hath some life of faith in it it is a justified Soul 5. He lives by Faith in the Expectation of Assurance 5. Expectation of assurance if he hath it not Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loved Isa 8.17 I
shall be turned convert thou me and I shall be converted for thou art the Lord my God Jer. 31.8 Thus truth of Grace sanctifies Reason and it sanctifies the Will and so it sanctifies the Affections to love God and by consequence to love that which God loves and to hate the contrary it sanctifies the Conscience to accuse and excuse upon just grounds it sanctifies the Memory to retain good things it sanctifies the Tongue to speak good things or at least it is pain and grief to keep silence Psal 39. it sanctifies the ear to hear good things and shut the door against the contrary it sanctifies the hand to do good things it sanctifies the feet the feet of the Soul to walk in good wayes In a word it sanctifies the whole man to the service of that God who hath redeemed him from death And thus the form of Sanctification consists in the renewing of the Image of God in righteousness and holiness Eph. 4.24 which implies also the defacing of the Image of old Adam and of Satan the pulling down of the old structure of sin before there can be a rearing up of the new structure of Grace a putting off the old man before there can be a putting on the new Thus you see the second Question resolved What this Sanctification is which by the way should teach us to examine whether we live this Life or no. Vse Examine whether we are sanctified Motive The just lives by Faith in the Trial of his Sanctification as well as Justification Psal 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart c. Master is it I 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you c. Is there any more in us then Civility or Morality can produce Is there an inward powerful universal change Quest VVhat difference is there between Morality and Sanctification Aâ—s This is a profitable question because many are deceived in this particular as the young man Mark 10.20 so many at this day rest in Civility c. Obj. Is there any hurt in Civility and Morality why do you Preachers speak so much against it Ans VVe speak not against the things themselves Of Civility but mens trusting to them and resting in them they are good in themselves and lovely dispositions as Christ looked upon the young man and loved him But when men rest in them and cry them up for true Sanctification there 's the danger Though Silver and Gold are the best Metals yet Brass Copper and Tin are good in their kinde but if a man will set the Stamp of good Coyn upon Copper Brass c. and gild it over that he may put it off for Gold c. he deserves to suffer for it So if a man will set the Stamp of true Grace upon Civility or Morality Jer. 6.28 30 Quest VVhat difference Ans A meer Moral mans Obedience is not general As 1. For Extent Difference betwixt Morality and Sanctification The Civil or Moral man his obedience is not general Herod must have his Minion Mark 6.17 Therefore Jam. 2.10 He that offends in one point is guilty of all but a gracious man doth all in purpose of heart Acts 13.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è contra Saul 1 Sam. 15. will pick and choose 2. For Object The Moral mans obedience is more to the Law than the Gospel because the Law is revealed by nature Rom. 2.14 but the Gospel not so it is a mystery 1 Cor. 2.7 8. therefore he slights Christ Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of God sooner than they On the other side Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is powerful to salvation 3. More in duties of the Second Table than the First because these are more known by nature than the first Hence profane ones take Gods Name and Sabbath in vain either in Oaths or ordinary talk as O God! O Lord though Deut 28.58 It is a glorious and fearful Name but Psal 119.228 I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right sayes a Saint 4. For Quality Moral men are onely for the form not the power of godliness they hate that as Vlpian the great Lawyer Galen the great Physician and Porphiry the great Philosopher great enemies to godliness Difficult duties exact walking loving enemies Matth. 5.43 these things they love not to hear of but especially that hard lesson of Self-denial Luke 14.33 as that young man Mark 10.22 5. His obedience is outward not inward so long as he abstains from actual Murther and Adultery Matth. 5.21 But Christ shews there the spiritualness of the Law 2 Cor. 10.5 Casting down imaginations bringing into captivity ever thought c. Rom. 6 17. Ye true believers have obeyed from the heart 6. He makes no bones of small sins as the Scribes and Pharisees Mat 5.19 20. 7. He hates such as are powerfully godly Acts 7 54. as they were out to the heart and gnashed on Steven with their teeth è contra 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren 8. A meer Moral man doth commonly and willingly fail in the Principle End and Manner of Duty 1. Principle He doth all in his own strength but the other in the strength of Christ Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me 2. End His own glory Jehu 2 King 10.16 Come see my zeal c. So he See my gift in prayer Mat. 23.5 to be seen Contrà Psal 115.1 Not to us O Lord not to us c. 3. Manner as well as matter of actions either he rests in the notion Rom. 2.18 And knowest his will approving the things more excellent c. or if he be drawn down to actions yet affection is wanting Heb 9.14 dead works Chearfully Diligently Zealously Rom. 12.11 9. They love not to be touched in their Free-hold they love not discriminating differencing Doctrines according to Jer. 15.19 Separating the precious from the vile c. Luke 4.29 When they heard these things they were filled with wrath and thrust him out of the City But one that hath any grace loves to be tried and that God would send a messenger to search my heart to the bottom Psal 139. Luke 7.23 Blessed is he that is not offended i.e. offended with it or the messenger of it which Christ spake in the same case The poor receive the Gospel men of eminent parts for Civility and Morality are passed by and those men that renounce all these in point of Justification and are poor in spirit these are blessed Thus Faith tries Sanctification 1 Pet. 1.21 And if upon examination we be found guilty take the counsel Rev. 3.17 18. Because thou saist I am rich c. I counsel thee to buy of me gold c. If upon examination we finde we be truly sanctified prize Christ Phil. 3.6 7.8 What things were gain to us we count loss for Christ Be thankful 1 Tim. 1.13 17. who was before a blasphemer c.
The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last Therefore Faith must kill sin or else not bring its design to pass for Rev. 21. last No unclean thing shall enter into life Even Gods own people shall not enter until they attain perfection of Sanctification Reas 3 Because the mortification of sin is the end of Christs death Rather than sin should not die he would die Rom. 4. ult who was delivered for our transgressions c. O sayes Christ to Sin and Death I will be your death though it cost me my life Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death c. He was crucified that our old man might be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Therefore says Faith as I believe in Christ crucified I must also crucifie sin Rom. 6.11 Wherefore reckon ye your selves dead unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc enim refero ad fidei syllogismum says Beza 'T is the reasoning of Faith Reas 4 Because it is the Commandment of God as God commanded the Avenger of blood Onely 't is in this unlike that there is no City of Refuge for sin Col 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. And Gods command is the object of Faith as well as a Promise Reas 5 Because Promise is also made Alas sayes the Christian I have no power to deal with Sin or Satan O saith God I will help thee I will give thee my word for it if thou wilt take it Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea As Satan is Captain on the one side so is Christ on the other side as was held forth in the Vision to Joshua cap. 5.14 As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come 2 Chro. 20.12 Therefore sayes the faithful Soul I know not what to do though I have no power yet mine eyes are unto thee And so as David against Goliah they go out against sin in the Name of the Lord with this poor Sling of Faith and the Pebble-stone of the Word and so strike this Giant of Corruption in the forehead that it sinks down by degrees and at last they tread upon the neck of their proudest Lusts Vse 1 Information Information from this Branch of the Life of Faith in several particulars 1. From the Object of Mortification sin viz. 1. From the object of mortification That those that are in Christ have sin and sinful affections remaining in them For what must the just that lives by Faith mortifie Surely not his grace It is something that is sinful he must not fight with his own shadow The body of sin must be destroyed Rom. 6.6 The law of sin and death abolish'd Rom. 8.2 God sees something and an enlightned Soul sees something that is to be mortified and fights with some-body Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth c. And lest they should say We have no earthly members the Apostle gives instance fornication uncleanness c. And lest they should say VVe do not live in these sins now the Apostle answers by way of Concession Ver. 7. You do not live in them indeed you do not walk in them but yet a remainder of the seeds of these sins is in you still you may be tempted to them and therefore strive against them Put off all these vile affections c. 2. From the Act. To mortifie is to kill outright 2. From the Act. It 's not enough to abstain from the outward acts of sin but we must subdue the inward desire will and affection to sin VVhy Because abstaining from the outward act is but a restraining or imprisoning of sin But the subduing the inward desire will and affection of Sin is the Mortifying of Sin For the Life of Sin lies in the Will And therefore of the two in evil things it is less dangerous to do that which we will not Rom. 7.19 20. than to will that which we do not Sin is never mortified until inordinate affections be mortified In these lies the heart-blood of sin Mat. 5.27 Whosoever shall look to lust hath committed adultery in his heart 3. From the Instrument 3. From the Instrument If by Faith sin be mortified see the mistake of those that will needs have sin mortified before they believe or else they will not believe O say they The errour of such who will not believe till first made whole if such and such a lust were mortified I could believe but so long as the case stands thus I dare not As much as to say If they were rid of the disease beforehand they would go to the Physician and take Physick Indeed it s required they should be sensible of their disease And though we do not say we must thus prepare our selves yet we may safely say God thus prepares his people for Christ Mat. 9.12 13. They that are whole need not the physician but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now then seeing we cannot be rid of our disease till we come to the Physician and we cannot come without faith therefore we see the errour and mistake of those that will not believe till first made whole Vse 2 Let us Examine if we live by Faith in Christ by this Then we live the Life of Mortification Examination Gal. 5 24. They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hast thou done so Many are mistaken and think some that sin is not mortified when it is others that it is when it is not A poor childe of God cries out Mine enemies my sins live and are mighty c therefore I live not by Faith But a Moral man he can say I was once a Drunkard or Swearer but now I have left all my vain company therefore my sin is mortified and yet it may be he is as covetous now as luxurious as before VVherefore its hard to know whether sin be truly mortified for as in some Grace hath a name to live and is dead so in others Sin hath a name to be dead and is alive Sometimes one sin drives out another while particular ends and aim or light of Nature c. over-rule in this rather than that Therefore Examine But how shall we know if sin be mortified indeed Ans 1. If sin die then we are first sick of sin Marks of true Mortification as commonly before men die Ipsa senectus morbus themselves are weary of themselves As the Soul is sick of love to Christ Cant. 2.5 so it is also sick of sin Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt c. 2. If sin dies aright it dies in all parts 2 Mark Col. 3. Mortifie your members not one member onely
a very unskiful Souldier in this warfare Means of mortification Ans The first Means is to look up to God who teacheth thy hands to war and thy fingers to fight Go out in his Name as David did against Goliah Fall down before him as Joshua before the Captain of the Lord host Josh 5.14 Be much in Prayer and adde Fasting to Prayer Some sins cannot be cast out without this Means 2 Secondly Learn to loath and hate sin A man hates to death what he mortifieth and though he cannot kill it outright 1 Job 3. yet as he that hates his Brother is a manslayer so he that hates his sin as sin is a sin-slayer in Gods account For ye are dead sayes the Apostle Col. 3.3 then follows Mortifie therefore your Members c. ver 5. Means 3 Thirdly Get assurance of the Love of Christ and this will constrain to suffering and doing 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us We love our sins naturally as our right eye and therefore are loath to part with them It must be the sense of a greater love that will make us willing to pluck out our right eye He that was next of kin to the person murthered was to be the Avenger of blood because it was to be supposed he loved him best If we consider what enemies our sins are to Christ our best beloved we shall do that part Love Christ much and you will hate sin much and the way to love Christ much is to be assured of Christs love to us 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by our rejoycing we have in Christ Jesus I die daily Means 4 Fourthly Apply the Cross of Christ Rom. 6.6 knowing this that our old man is crucified with him The death of Christ is the death of sin First because it is the meriting Cause meriting the Spirit by which our sins are mortified Secondly the serious Consideration of Christs death doth give sin a deadly wound What did Christ die for my sins O let me crucifie them that crucified him Did Christ love me so well as to be willing to lose a precious life Let me love him so well as to part with a sinful life or the life of sin The death of Christ is the slaying of the Enmity not onely betwixt man and man Eph. 1.16 but between God and Man I am crucified with Christ sayes the Apostle Gal 2.20 Means 5 The fifth Means is set down Eph. 6.11 Put on therefore the whole armour of God c. VVhere you see two things 1. God hath provided for a Christian Complete Armour 2. Every Christian that would stand in the day of battel must put it on But what is the Armour God hath provided Ans See there in the verses after they are the Graces of Gods Spirit all Christian Vertues 1. Truth the Souldiers Belt that knits all other graces all other pieces of the Armour fast together Truth of Doctrine opposed to Errour Truth of Graces and Actions opposed to Hypocrisie Hypocrites are fearful true men are valorous One true man beats two or three thieves Prov. 28.1 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousness Righteousness imputed and Righteousness imparted and this is Murus aheneus Though infirmities may be in many yet this saves the Vitals 3. Shoes of Patience like brazen Greaves whereby the Christian Souldier treads upon Scorpions he treads down Satan under his feet in this Spiritual Combate 4. The Shield of Faith above all or over all For this covers all our Armour all our Graces and strengthens them in the Combate 5. The Helmet of Salvation which is Hope 1 Thess 5.8 Then lastly there is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God of which in the next Means Means 6 Sixthly Hear and apply the Word In Hos 6.5 God hews them by his Prophets and slays them by the Words of his mouth This is a sharp and two-edged sword that pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit Heb. 4.12 And here apply the threatnings as well as the Promises to the mortifying of sin VVhen the Minister reproves such sins as we are guilty of every one should turn the Point to his own breast Suppose it be Lying or Adultery or Idolatry c. out of that place Rev 22.15 If there be an hundred in the Congregation every one should say Surely God meant I should take this to my self Suppose Despising of the VVord out of Prov. 1.25 Suppose partaking of other mens sins out of Psal 50.18 When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst c. VVe should do as Job's friends advised him Job 5.27 Hear it and know it for thy self This was that which prick'd their hearts Acts 2.36 37. when Peter told them they had crucified that same Jesus Means 7 Seventhly Entertain the Spirit for the VVord is but the Sword of the Spirit Rom. 8.11 If ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh This will conquer Corruption For 1. It is of a most contrary nature to it a holy Spirit 2. It is an Almighty Spirit able to cast corruption out 1 Joh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Therefore walk in the guidance and strength of the Spirit Look higher than our selves for new supply of strength as we have new Employments new Trials new Temptations Do not onely desire it and pray for it but use it kindely The Spirit is of a tender and delicate nature very free where it is entertained and acts with freedom If thy Soul welcom the Spirit he will soon thrust out those domineering lusts that have disturb'd his quiet and peaceable possession And hereunto look with an eye of faith unto those great Promises of the Spirit Isa 44.2.3 Ezek 36.25 c. Joel 2.28 The Spirit is promised to be poured out largely under the Gospel as Ezekiel's waters chap. 47. 't is observable the further they run the deeper they grew They took the Jews up to the ankles the Primitive Christians to the knees the Middle Times to the loyns c. Means 8 Eighthly Moderate the use of lawful things Satan gets great advantage in these things Corruption is strengthned by immoderate use of lawful things Luk. 17.27 They eat they drank they married and gave in marriage and the flood came and destroyed them all They were first drown'd in their security and unbelief and then the flood drown'd them Means 9 Ninthly Keep corrupt Nature in compass by Vows As they vow'd the death of Paul Acts 23. so do thou of thy sins Vows are against either things absolutely unlawful and these binde ad semper alwayes as the Vow in Baptism against the World Flesh and Devil or things indifferent but in danger to be abused and these it is best to be made onely ad tempus for a time lest afterwards they become a snare Means 10 Lastly Shun Occasions of
from Gods Altar they do oft inflame the hearts of the hearers Live under such a Ministery if thou wouldst be quickned A lively Ministery makes a lively people a dead Ministery makes a dead-hearted people And therefore it 's observable Rev. 3.1 that the deadness of the Church of Sardis is charged upon the Angel or Minister of the Church Vnto the Angel of the Church of Sardis write c. Therefore pray for your Ministers that themselves being quickned they may quicken you Another quickning Ordinance is Prayer 2. Prayer Psal 119. How oft doth David pray for quickning grace five or six times in one Psalm He begins many a Prayer with an heavy heart and before he hath done he is full of life Therefore pray much because all life is from God and he quickens whom he will Onely let me adde this Caution Caution before I let this pass Be sure thy understanding and affection go along together in every Ordinance and in every part of the Ordinance as thou wouldst have it a quickning Ordinance Many complain they are dead under Ordinances and no wonder They hear and they pray without understanding or without affection It is a Rule Quicquid agit agit per contactum Whatsoever thing acts effectually upon another it is by some kinde of touch or close When our Souls do not close with the duty in Prayer or Hearing no marvel if it put no life into us When we give way to distractions to wandring thoughts to wandring looks c. we do but take Gods Name in vain and the Ordinance is vain to us There is no life in it therefore no wonder if there be no life from it Therefore keep thy head and thy heart close to the duty if possible from first to last and then it will quicken Thirdly make use of Death to quicken Spiritual Life 3. Meditation of Death Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest Think of the shortness of our time of service in comparison of the eternity of the reward Say of service which is most affliction passive service Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Fourthly set before thine eyes 4. Gods Eye the All-piercing Eye of God So was Peter quickned by a look from Christ Rev. 2.18 19. These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like a flame of fire I know thy works and charity and service c. and again Chap. 3.1 I know thy work that thou hast a name to live and art dead q. d. I look upon the inside where the life of the action is This would quicken in Prayer Hearing c. Eye-service indeed in relation to men is not good Eph. 6.6 not with eye-service Partly because men cannot alwayes look upon us and partly because the Conscience hath a superiour tye from an heavenly Master at whose command they are bound to do service to their earthly Masters But Eye-service towards God who looks upon his children with an eye of Love as well as an eye of Observance is very commendable This it was made David so watchful Psal 139.1 2. O Lord thou hast searched me and known me thou knowest my down-sitting c. And it was Gods charge to Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou upright God hath an eye into our brests therefore Faith will make a man take heed how he hears take heed how he prayes take heed what he thinks Psal 16. it will make him keep his heart with all diligence because God searcheth the heart and reins and ponders the spirits Faith setting God at our right hand will keep us from falling 5. Assurance of Gods Love Fifthly get assurance of Gods Love This will make us love him again 1 Joh. 4.19 We love him because he loved us first Love will make us very active Men care not what they do or suffer for those whom they love dearly Jacob served two hard Apprentiships for the love of Rachel he endured the heat of the day and the cold of the night and all was nothing to him Gen 29.20 Love is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 and active as fire Much water cannot quench love There is a constraining power in Love 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth me sayes the Apostle You need not much perswade such a man to be active for God he hath arguments enough in his own bosome That Disciple who lay in Christs bosome how much love doth he express to God and Men Oh how active and passive too was Paul for God! 2 Cor. 11.23 and no marvel for Who shall separate us sayes he from the love of Christ shall tribulation c. Rom. 8 35. 6. Gods Power Lastly look at Gods Almighty power able to quicken the deadest heart Rev. 3.14 Thus saith the Amen the Faithful and True Witness the Beginning of the Works of God Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works c. Therefore David prayes to God Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart renew a right spirit And there is a Promise for Faith Hos 14.7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the corn after winter and grow as the vine c. Vse of Examination Whether we do live by Faith the Life of Vivification Vse 3. Trial of Faith in vivifying And need we have to Examine lest we be deceived Many seem to be very active and yet they do not live By Faith for all that Therefore say to thy self as Isaac did when he thought Esau had brought him venison Gen. 27.21 Art thou my very son Esau sayes he So Art thou that very Life of Vivification Say to this or that particular Duty Art thou the very true Issue and Childe of such a life The DeVil is cunning to deceive us as he raised up a counterfeit Samuel in stead of the true Samuel 1 Sam 28. So he cozens men with a counterfeit Life of Vivification in stead of a true Quest But how shall I know one from the other Ans This is partly delivered before At present they may be known by Examining them 1. In their Principle 2. In their End 3. In their Manner of working 4. In their issue and Event Trial. 1 First in their Principle True living actions spring from a living and inward Principle Though a Clock moves we do not say it is alive because it is moved by the Weights Though an heavy Milstone moves apace we do not say it is alive because it is moved ab extra by the Wind or Water But if we see a little Fly or Ant move we say there is life because it is moved from an inward Principle So he that lives the Life of Vivification his activity proceeds
Psal 72.16 't is compared to a handful of Corn upon the top of the Mountains a barren place which yet by shaking and so growing afresh fills the whole earth with plenty So did the Law which went out from Mount Zion This is that Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands which grew so fast that at last it filled the whole earth Dan. 2.34 And as it is thus with the Kingdom of God in general with the Kingdom of God without us so it is with the Kingdom of God within us with the Kingdom of grace in every particular Christians heart it grows from small beginnings to a great height from a spark to a flame from break of day to high noon Hence grace in Gods people is compared to the morning light Prov. 4.18 to Ezekiel's waters Chap. 47.3 to Elijah's Cloud 1 Kings 18.44 And the reason hereof is because grace is not perfect at the first and theaefore there must be a growing till we come to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because this is not till the end of our life therefore we must be growing all our life long We are never at our full height till we be ready to be cut down by death never at the end of our race till at the end of our life The Apostle himself who had outstript all the rest of the Apostles yet he was growing still and running still and he gives the reason Because he was not yet perfect Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I were already perfect or had obtained c. Every thing you know in nature grows till it comes to its perfection as a childe till he comes to be a man As a man is not born a perfect man in nature for degrees though he be perfect for parts so it is in grace also and a Christian must grow till he comes to perfection We reade 1 Joh 2.12 of little children young men i.e. strong men and old men in Christ onely with this difference In the old age of grace there is no decay of strength of spirits or fruitfulnesss Psal 92.14 They shall bring forth fruit in old age c. We are bound you know to love God with all our hearts even to love him perfectly for degree as well as kinde But so long as we live here as we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. So we love but in part and are gracious but in part and therefore we must ever be upon the growing hand till we come to perfection perfect man in Christ Eph. 4.13 Reas 2 Grace is of a sweet and desirable nature insomuch that he that hath once tasted of the sweetness of it cannot but desire more He that saith he hath enough plainly discovers he never had any at all 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If so he ye have tasted c. He that hath once tasted cannot but thirst for more Though the painful thirst of total indigence be quenched and so he shall never thirst Joh. 4.14 yet the thirst of delight and the thirst of desire for further enjoyment is not removed but increased And blessed are they that thus hunger and thirst after more righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 56. Hence also the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a Treasure Mat. 13.44 in digging up whereof a man doth every day more and more enrich himself Reas 3 This was the End of Christs Commission which he received from his Father at his Mission and the very end of his coming in execution of that Commission not onely to bestow spiritual life upon his people but to increase it also day by day That was the extent of his Commission Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly As a living spring bubbles and boils forth and empties it self that the channel might be fill'd with water and it as it runs along here it meets with one Spring and there with another it may be it meets with an hundred fresh Springs that it may be fill'd more abundantly till it runs out at last into the Ocean it self So Jesus Christ the Fountain of Living Waters empties himself by the work of his Spirit into the believing Soul He that believeth in me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters Joh. 7.38 And as the believer runs along in his Christian course here he meets with one fresh spring of grace and there with another Psal 84. as they that go through the valley of Baca they dig up fountains still it may be they meet with an hundred fresh springs of grace till at the last those sweet streams of grace are swallowed up in the Ocean of glory and then is fulfilled the saying that is written I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly And this is the third Reason why the just lives the Life of Augmentation The End of Christs coming Reas 4 The fourth is taken from Gods Faithfulness Seeing God daily puts Christians upon higher duties as Fasting and Prayer Mat. 9.15 then shall they â—ast and stronger Temptations not having yet resisted to blood Heb 12.4 and new wine not being fit for old bottles Therefore God is so faithful as to give them more grace And Philosophers define the end of natural Augmentation to be Ad edendas actiones proprias convenientes Magir. Phys p. 465. For exercising the proper Functions God will not be wanting here 2 Cor. 12 9. When Paul had a new temptation sayes God My grace is sufficient for thee and so 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. If God command to make more brick he will give more straw yea he will give more strength And so much for the first thing Now follows the second The just lives this Life of Augmentation by his Faith Propos 2. Augmentation is by faith His faith doth increase in it from faith to faith Rom 1.17 As faith increaseth or decreaseth so doth his Lie of grace As Philosophers say of the ebbing and the floving of the Sea The position and disposition of the Moon is the cause of it which is apparent in your Spring iâ—es at the Chance and Full of the Moon as the Moon increaseth the Waters and all moist Bodies do increase and as it decreaseth they decrease again So is iâ— betwixt Faith and other Graces as Faith increaseth Faith under the Sun of Righteousness so they increase Mal. 4. and as Faith decreaseth so they decrease again 2 Thes 1.3 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Mark as their Faith abounded so their Charity abounded and so other Graces abounded also 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace and peace be multiplied
Rev. 3.1 Repr 2 Secondly this is so much the worse when the very judgement is corrupted As the Apostle speaks Tit. 1.15 Their very minde and conscience is defiled If a mans judgement be corrupted how should he get the victory over corruptions As diseases are most dangerous when they take the Brain and the Heart and so seize upon the vital and animal parts So in this case they grow not and they think verily they need not grow Oh sayes one I love God with all my heart I thank God I have a strong Faith sayes another I am as perfect as ever I shall be sayes a third as perfect as Adam in the state of Innocency or the Saints in heaven Indeed if this were so we need not grow if our assurance were as good at first without all doubting as ever it shall be we need not pray Lord increase our faith or Lord increase our other graces But because we are but babes in grace at the first we had need grow and pray that we may grow till we come to be perfect men in Christ Repr 3 Thirdly it Reproves such as grow downward in stead of growing upward they grow lower in stead of growing higher they move earth-ward in stead of moving heaven-ward These are Monsters in grace such as have declined from their first love as Ephesus did Rev. 2.4 It may be time was they had great love to God his Word his Messengers to Family-duties but now they are grown more remiss and luke-warm if not altogether opposite to what they so much loved before Gal. 4.15 Where is then the blessedness you spake of For I bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them me Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Some that profess'd great love now opposite to those persons whom they loved before and opposite to those duties which they loved before they think they are above such duties they fear not to neglect them and so seldom perform them truly fulfilling what was falsly laid upon Job Thou castest off fear Job 15.4 and restrainest prayer before God Repr 4 Fourthly it Reproves such Opposers of growth in piety are the Devils first-born as are so far from growing themselves that they do what they can to hinder the growth of others And doubtless the Spirit of Satan is in such men The Devil if he cannot hinder the Conception of Grace he will do what he can to prevent the Birth if he cannot prevent that he will do what he can to devour it so soon as it is born or at least to hinder the growth And so 't is with men that are acted by that Spirit if they cannot hinder the beginnings of Grace they will do what they can to hinder the growth of it They are as the Plague of Locusts where they live As the Locust and caterpiller devour every green thing Exod. 10.15 no sooner doth a bud or blossom begin to peep out but they devour it so it is with these men no sooner do they perceive some fair puttings forth or blossoms of Grace in any but they will be sure to snub them and to carp at them O say they what need you be so forward you are too hot to hold you cannot be content to do as the rest of your Neighbors do Are you wiser than Goodman such a one or Master such a one And thus many an old weather-beathen sinner is just like some old stinking Alder-tree it grows not it self but cumbers the ground and hinders the growth of all the Plants that are round about it by the unwholesom and malignant droppings of it and is good for nothing but the fire Such as these have much to answer for they must be answerable not onely for all the good they have neglected themselves but for all the good they have hindred in others Methinks when I consider the judgement of these men I seem to hear the voice of that revenging Angel Rev. 8.13 flying through the midst of Heaven saying Wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the earth for this is that very wo and curse which is pronounc'd from the very mouth of Blessing I mean from the mouth of Christ himself Mat. 23.13 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye those that would enter to come in Thus these kindes of men neither grow themselves nor suffer they those that would to be upon the growing hand I say they grow not themselves or if they do grow it is the wrong way as I said before they grow worse and worse till they have filled up the measure of their iniquity Evil men and seducers grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 And believe it these are sins that fill up the measure apace when what they can do is done by taunts and by threatnings or cruel mockings to hinder the growth of others Such as these are far enough from living the life of Faith in Augmentation Repr 5 Lastly therefore it Reproves such as grow in sin instead of growing in grace that exceed the deeds of the wicked while they strive to out-drink out-swear out-vie one another As 't is said of Herod He added this yet above all that he shut up John in the prison There are measures in sin as well as in grace and it shall be more tolerable for some sinners in the day of Judgement than for others Therefore take heed of growing in sin for with the same measure that we mete withall shall it be measured to us again Vse 3. Examination about spiritual growth Next let us examine whether we live by Faith aright for then we live the Life of Augmentation True grace is of a growing nature the true Members of Christ are ever increasing Col. 2.19 The whole body and every part of the body increaseth with the increase of God Therefore 1. Dost thou increase And 2. is that increase the increase of God equal uniform Quest How shall I know whether I grow Ans The first sign of growth in grace First sign of growth is lessening of corruption as one increaseth the other decreaseth as it was with Paul and David And in particular the lessening of sinful self-Self-love The more a man loves God the less he values his own Self-interest the more willingly he parts with it Therefore where Christ bid the young man Go sell all Mat. 19.21 he proves he was not so well grown in grace as he took himself to be Yea such as had truth of saving grace declared their weakness by this Self-interest made Peter and the rest deny Christ but when they had more grace they neglected their liberty and their lives they rejoyced they were counted worthy to suffer for him What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ sayes
the end shall be saved Mat. 10.22 But the Saints shall continue Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth us Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good work will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ The Apostle was confident of it and so may we for what is the ground of this confidence not any thing in our selves we are apt to fall way but the Promise and Faithfulness and power of God He hath begun the work and he hath said it and he will perform it therefore we may be sure of Salvation Vse 3 3 Use We should from hence be Exhorted to labour for Truth of Faith and Truth of Grace To labour for truth of grace above all other things Why because they are so durable In all other things we love Certainties and cannot abide to be at an uncertainty We do not love to be Tenants at will to be turn'd out at an hours warning yea we rather desire to be Freeholders than Tenants upon the best terms Oh how careful are men to make all sure to them and their heirs for ever c. Surely Si isti callidi rerum aestimatores If the crafty esteemers of things do prize Meadows and Lands above other goods because they are not so subject to hurt and casualty how much more should we prize the truth of grace which gives us interest in eternal life and can neither be snatcht away by force nor stoln away by craft it can neither be lost by fire nor water The best of other possessions in the account of Christ are but other mens goods Luke 16.12 because ere long they must go to another and are like a Foot-ball now one man hath the Ball on his foot by and by another takes it from him within the turning of a hand a third catches it from him and so it goes on from one to another So these worldly things turn and are tost up and down they are not our own but another mans goods as well as ours but grace he calls our own Luke 16.12 because we shall never lose it it is durable riches indeed Prov. 8.18 Let us therefore take our Saviours advice Joh. 6 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures unto eternal life and Mat. 6.19 20. Col. 3.3 Vse 4 This also is for Exhortation to us To endevour to persevere and hold out to the end Labour after Perseverance that it may appear that our grace is indeed true grace and that we live by Faith It is said of the Parthians They begin their Battels with as great valour as any people whatsoever but they faint quickly and continue but a while The like may be said of many in their Spiritual Warfare With the Parthians and with the Galatians they begin well but they cannot say with S. Paul they have fought a good fight they have finished their course because like Hymenaeus and Alexander they have faln away from the Doctrine of the Faith and it may be from the Profession of the Faith also But it is the glory of a Christian to persevere to the end Therefore whatever you part with do not part with your grace as Job 2.3 He held fast his integrity Though he lost Goods and Children and Friends and almost life too yet still he held fast his integrity Let it be our resolution that whatever we lose by Gods help we will never let go our grace Let us say of grace as Jacob to the Angel I will not let thee go till I have got the blessing As a man at Sea is willing to part with all so he may but save his life So let us be willing to part with any thing so we may keep Christ and his grace for this is even the life of our lives Moâ—ives to Perseverance That we may be the more effectually stirr'd up to endevour to persevere 1. Consider that God is constant in his love to us 1. Constancy of God in his love Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee therefore we should be constant to him And indeed our constancy to him is a certain fruit of his unchangeable love towards us The Saints will never utterly forsake God because God doth never utterly forsake them And the consideration of his Faithfulness should as an argument prevail with us to be faithful Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised As God hath loved us with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 So let us love him with an everlasting love à parte post though we cannot à parte antè 2. It is the honour of a Christian 2. A Christians honour to persevere against all opposition God himself seems to admire it in Job chap. 2.3 that notwithstanding all his sufferings yet he held fast his integry To hold fast our integrity in trying times is not onely commendable but admirable To continue good while we suffer evil is the very height and crown of Goodness Look as it makes sin out of measure sinful when we hold fast our sins in the midst of Judgements Amos 4.6 c. I have smitten you thus and thus yet you have not returned to me saith the Lord That was the aggravation of their sin So it makes grace out of measure gracious it is the highest commendation and exaltation of grace when we can hold fast our grace in the midst of Tentation and Opposition As God sets a brand of Infamy upon such as trespass more in the day of their distress This is that King Ahaz saith God 2 Chron. 28.22 when his Conscience within was seared as with an hot iron God sets a brand upon his Name without as Malefactors are branded at the Bar that all may know them for Rogues and Thieves So God sets a Mark of Honour and Renown upon such as persevere in evil times This is that Job saith God that holds fast his integrity in the worst of times and therefore deserves to be ranked among the best of men none like him in all the earth Job 1.8 It is the honour of a Christian to hold fast his integrity It is his honour here and it shall be his honour to all Eternity Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life On the other side Oh what a disgrace it is to fall from grace yea if it be but from some degrees of grace We think it a great shame to be degraded and so devested from Titles of Honour he that falls back and proves Apostate he degrades himself he un-Saint himself Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father Rev. 1.6 but he that falls back suffers another to take his Crown Rev. 3 11. Hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown To backslide is a dishonour To backslide a dishonour 1. To the Persons themselves Luk. 14.30
of the Church onely tied to the Body as wooden Legs never living Members 1 Joh. 2.19 They went out from us because they were not of us if they had been of us they would have remained with us Therefore examine whether thou art a true child of God or no a true child of God abides in the house for ever Joh. 8. A true Christian is no changeling no Time-server in matter of Religion his Yea is Yea indeed and his Nay is Nay as 2 Cor. 1.17 18. He knows Christian Religion is not a thing that a man may play fast and loose with say and unsay do and undo as times and company and occasions alter No 't is Religi à Religando of binding a man fast to God and his Principles A man is then a Christian when his confidence in Christ is held stedfast to the end Heb. 3.14 Examine therefore if thou hast such graces as do accompany Salvation such as are not common to hypocrites An hypocrite may go far 1. He may esteem the People of God a blessed People How far an hypocrite may go as Balaam did 2. He may joyn himself to them as Simon Magus did 3 He may reform his outward conversation in many things as Herod did 4. He may in outward appearance be like a wise Virgin have his Lamp and make a shew with it though he want oil 5. He may have much knowledge and excellent gifts of Preaching and Praying Mat. 7.22 6 He may have some sweet taste and joy in the word of Truth such as Philosophers do finde in their studies for the contemplation of every Truth bringeth with it naturally a delight and the more eminent the Truth the greater is the delight Q. But what is wanting then whence is it that such an one comes short of Salvation Where an hypocrite comes short Resp. 1. An hypocrite never come up to delight in the whole Truth in every part of the Truth When it is a piercing and searching word a cutting word to say then Good is the word which the Lord hath spoken Herod did not so Therefore examine thy self how impartial thou art in receiving the whole Truth of God and that in the love of it 2. He does not desire grace as grace but onely out of a natural desire of happiness as Balaam therefore consider how sutable a good is grace to thy Soul Art thou as Isa 55.1 thirsty and is grace as Milk and Wine to the refreshing of thy Soul There is not in hypocrites a Spiritual appetite to feed upon Jesus Christ to eat his flesh and drink his blood 3. If thou wouldst go beyond an hypocrite there must be an unfeigned study not onely to keep from external acts of sin but to mortifie all that is flesh in us with all the affections and lusts of it Gal. 5.24 and to serve God in the Spirit This care is wanting in hypocrites 4. Thou must attend to do what thou dost in obedience to the Word that proved Josiah a good man indeed 2 Chron. 35.26 viz. His goodness according to that which is written in the law of God 5. Thy great study and aim must be in all thou dost to approve thy self to God to please God and not men to serve God and not thy self Gal. 1.10 If I yet please men I should not be the servant of Christ Col 3.22 23. even servants in their meanest imployments in serving their Masters must not do what they do as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God and whatever they do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men 6. All thy Obedience to God must spring from Faith working by love Gal 5.6 If sins be forgiven all duties will spring from Love the Soul loving much having much forgiven Luke 7.47 In all these Particulars hypocrites come short and therefore it is no wonder if they fall short at last but he that in these things is sincere shall never be moved Obj. But what shall we say of David and Peter what difference between these and Saul and Judas Did not these fall away from the grace they had received Resp There may be great intermissions in the actings of grace in a truly regenerate man in time of Tentation or Spiritual Desertion yet he shall not continue in that condition but shall recover his fall by the restoring grace of God Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Vse 6 6 Use In that the just lives by Faith and perseveres by Faith in this life Of Thankfulness this should excite and stir us up to Thankfulness If Adam had cause to be thankful to God for making him in his own Image placing him in Paradise and giving him dominion over all creatures how much more have the Faithful cause to be thankful who are instated in a better condition of happiness than either Adam in Paradise or the Angels in Heaven before their Fall For however it is true their condition was very happy and glorious yet it was mutable they might fall and fall they did and we finde by woful experience to this day the mortal wounds and bruises that cleave to the Sons and Daughters of Adam through his Fall But God I say hath instated the faithful in a better condition that though in themselves they are weak creatures yet through his provision for their security they shall never totally fall from the grace of Regeneration And therefore if we ought to be thankful for outward mercies of health wealth liberty peace and the like which at best are very fading like the flower of the field How soon may a mans health be turned into sickness wealth into poverty liberty into bondage and slavery and peace into war How much more should our hearts be raised up in thankfulness for such mercies as are not onely Spiritual and therefore more excellent in their very nature but are also the sure mercies of David unchangeable But the sure mercies of David are unchangeable and therefore more excellent in their continuance A man would be thankful to a friend that would give him a livelyhood for seven years much more to such a one that would freely settle the perpetuity upon him and his Heirs for ever How thankful then should we be to that God who freely bestows upon us not a livelyhood onely but even life it self And what life not of Nature onely but of Grace also not Temporal but Eternal Psa 21 24. He asked life and thou gavest it him even length of days for ever and ever We prize lives according to their duration some creatures they say are born and die again the same day and are therefore of little account But we prize those most that continue longest The long life is a blessing of that Commandment Eph. 6. which is the first Commandment with
if we could perceive it is a heart renewed and sanctified and in some measure indowed with a love of that God who hath begotten us to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 and with a love of our fellow-brethren who are begotten of the same incorruptible seed and born of the same womb 1 Ioh. 5 2. who hang upon the same Brests and are heirs of the same inheritance with our selves Now when we see these things in our selves by a reflect act of Faith the testimony of a renewed Conscience this evidence must needs bring abundance of comfort to the Soul This reflect act of Faith it is like the Rainbow which is nothing else but the reflection of the Sun in a watry Cloud which though it be no Cause why the earth shall no more be drowned with waters yet it is made a sure Sign thereof by the Ordinance of God Gen. 2.10 11 12. So we say of this reflect act of Faith in the looking upon the work of Love and other sanctified Graces in the Soul though they are no causes why the believing Soul shall be no more overflowed with the deluge of Gods wrath yet they are a sure sign and token thereof by Gods appointment as the Rainbow was And indeed the way of grace in Gods sanctified ones is nothing else but the reflection of the Sun of Righteousness in a watry cloudy Soul warming and melting it into tears because it can love Jesus Christ no more or can get no more assurance of his love Well saith Christ to such a Soul I will establish my Covenant with thee and this shall be the sign of it Isa 54.9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me as sure as the Covenant made with Noah concerning the waters For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be moved but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Therefore examine thy Grace Objections against trial of our comforts by our graces rather than of our graces by our comforts Obj. Oh but he that hath but common graces may go very far so that it is hard to discern the one from the other if we try our selves by our Graces and not by our Comforts Ans As there are common Graces so common Comforts such comforts as are common to Hypocrites as well as true Believers There is the joy of an Hypocrite of the stony ground of Herod who heard John gladly Obj. How then can we discern the one from the other the joy of Gods People from the joy of an Hypocrite Ans Though an Hypocrite may rejoyce in some part of the word as to hear of a Christ of a Saviour of Heaven and Glory yet he cannot indure to hear of Affliction and Self-denial But a true Believer rejoyceth in every part of the Word even in that which holds forth Christ as a King a Commander a Crucifier of the Body of Sin as well as of his own Body for sin Oh how glad is he when the Word strikes at the Master-root of his corruption Oh more of that saith he let the righteous smite me again and again Good is the word which the Lord hath spoken But an Hypocrite is so far from rejoycing in such a Word that he flies in the face of the Reprover as Herod did Note that the same difficulty of trial and proneness to mistake is as incident to that preposterous way of judging our selves by our comforts as by our graces when John came once to touch him to the quick But that is the first answer viz. There are common comforts as there are common graces Ergo The trial of our selves by our graces is as easie as by our comforts 2. We answer when we speak of the Touchstone of Trial from which a Christian receives his comfort our meaning is this That we receive it onely in such graces as accompany Salvation as the true fear of God the true desire after God in hungring and thirsting after his Righteousness and a true love to the People of God Obj. Oh but there may be in an Hypocrite or Unregenerate man all these A fear of God a desire after God a love to his People 1. A fear of God yea such a fear as to depart from evil Jonah 1.16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifices to the Lord and made vows Gen. 26.6 Abimelech was with-holden from Adultery by the light of natural conscience 2. A desire after God and after grace as the five foolish Virgins desired oyl Mat. 25.8 3. A love to Gods People with great respect such as was the respect of the Egyptians to the Israelites that they would lend them not ordinary houshold-stuff onely but that which was most dear and precious to them Jewels of Silver and Gold and this was generally throughout all the Land of Egypt And what favours did Pharaoh shew to Joseph Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel Ahasuerus to Esther and Mordecai Therefore these graces may be in unregenerate men Difference of regenerating grace from common Ans And though there may be a kinde of fear of God and desire after God and love to his People which unregenerate men may have yet not the true and saving fear of God c. Q. But how shall we know the difference Ans Why the Word doth clearly hold forth a difference 1. In the fear of God As for the first An unregenerate man may have such a fear of God as to endevour to depart from some evil but not from all like the Samaritans of whom it is said after the Lord sent Lions amongst them They feared the Lord and yet feared their own gods too and therefore the Lord accounted it as no fear at all 2 King 17.33 34. But he that truly feareth God makes conscience to depart from every evil way Prov 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil if not in action yet in affection and serious endevours 2. In desire of grace 2. An ungenerate man though he may have a kind of desires after grace yet he desires not grace as it is grace First he desires not grace for the love of grace but for the love of happiness As the Virgins desired oyl when they were ready to die not because they loved the oyl or the light but because without that oyl and light they could not go in with Christ but must be shut out to have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for ever But the oyl of grace is truly lovely to a gracious heart They have spiritual sense to smell the sweet favour of the oyntment Cant. 1.2 and they love the light Joh 3.21 He that doth truth cometh to the light 3. In love to Gods people 3.
what a glorious sight would it be In Heaven the Saints shall behold the Sun of Righteousness in the highest firmament and the eye of their Soul shall be strengthned to behold his glory to eternity That 's the first Perfection of knowledge 2. Perfect love Faith assures That in Heaven there shall be a Perfection of Love both to God and one another Indeed this follows from the former Perfect knowledge of God begets Perfect Love The Saints then shall love God beyond all measure who is infinitely lovely Here it 's the grief of a gracious heart that it can love God no more there it shall be the joy of a glorious Soul that it shall love God above all yea above it self and both it self and all other things in God And in this respect the Apostle gives Love the preheminence 1 Cor. 13. above Faith and Hope that when Faith shall be turned into Vision and Hope into Comprehension yet Love abideth or endures to eternity Faith assures That in Heaven 3. Perfect obedience Obedience to the will of God shall be perfect and this follows likewise from the former Perfect Obedience springs from perfect Love If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 The Saints knowing God perfectly shall perfectly love him and perfectly loving God shall perfectly keep his Commandments Rev. 22.3 His servants shall serve him ver 4. And they shall see his face Here we see onely the back parts of God In Heaven we shall see him perfectly and serve him perfectly Faith assures 4. Perfect joy That in Heaven there shall be perfect Peace and Joy The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness peace and joy Rom. 14.17 When our righteousness is perfect then is our Peace too Here indeed imputed Righteousness is perfect but imparted inherent Righteousness is not to be perfected till the life to come and then shall be perfect peace Peace with God with our fellow-Citizens with our own Consciences And perfect joy too At thy right hand is fulness of joy Psal 16. ult A full joy and so a full reward 2 Joh. v. 8. There is a double fulness Of the Object Of the Subject Faith assures the Saints of both First There shall be a fulness of the Subject Fourfold fulness of the subject in glory Every part of Soul and Body shall be filled 1. The Vnderstanding shall be full of light that every question shall then be put out of question 2. The Will so full of subjection to the Will of God that there shall be no reluctancy 3. The Affections so full of harmony there shall be no jarring 4. The Body so full of glory that it shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. ult Fulness of the Object Secondly there shall be a fulness of the Object The Saints in glory shall have whatever may make them happy whatever they can desire Joh. 14.8 They shall see God and so see the Father as that it shall suffice them They shall have Rest 2 Thess 1.8 And that which hath rest hath obtained its perfection to the full In a word 1. We shall be freed from whatever may annoy us 2. We shall enjoy whatever we can desire Fivefold freedom in heaven We shall be freed c. 1. From all the labours of this life Here we are born to labour Job 5.7 as the sparks to fly upwards There is rest 2. From the Necessities of Nature There is no need of Meat 1 Cor. 15.28 Drink Physick Clothing Lodging God shall be all in all 3. From the filth and power of Sin Here the best cry out Oh wretched c. Rom. 7.24 There we shall never sin more 4. From the company of sinners Here is complaining Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Ps 120.5 There shall be a perfect separation without any mixture Wheat with Wheat and Tares with Tares like to like to all eternity 5. From all sorrows and pains Rev. 21.4 The life of the best here is an April-day it hath some gleams of comfort but many showers In Heaven shall be constant Sun-shine for evermore Secondly We shall be possess'd of whatever good can be desired There we shall enjoy the sweet society of God Christ Angels Saints and with all these an eternal Sabbath And thus Faith like Moses on the top of Mount Pisgah discovers the promised Land afar off or like the Spies gathers up some Clusters of Canaan and brings them to a Believer here in the Wilderness Thirdly 3. Faith assures That eternal life is the Believers Faith assures a believer of his peculiar interest in this Life Eternal And indeed this is the very life of this life to know our right to this Tree of Life in Jesus Christ For as 't is nothing so comfortable to a man that beholds another mans Temporal Inheritance adorned with Woods Orchards Gardens Rivers and goodly Buildings as to be able to say with good warrant All these are mine I have good Evidence to shew for them So is it nothing so comfortable to be able to discourse of the happiness of Heaven as by the certainty of Faith to say By the grace of God all this is mine I have good Evidence to shew for it Indeed otherwise it 's a punishment nay it 's a part of Hell it 's poena damni to know that there is such a Glory in Heaven while himself hath neither lot nor part in it This is like Balaam's sight of Heaven or Dives his beholding Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham while there was a great gulf between them This I say is part of the Torment of Hell But this is the Life of a Christians knowledge concerning Life Eternal when he can upon good grounds say This is mine The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage therefore my heart is glad my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope Psal 16.6 9. I know that my Redeemer liveth c. For we know c. 2 Cor. 4.1 Now how is a Christian assured of this his interest in Eternal Life but by Faith For Eternal Life is the End or Ultimate Object of Faith Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 There are indeed many witnesses of it Three in Heaven and three in Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 8 c. And this witness of Faith is one of the Three on Earth The Spirit and Water and Blood The Spirit witnesseth to our Spirits Rom 8.16 By Water is meant the Benefit of our Sanctification By Blood our Justification by Faith in Christ or Expiation by the Blood of Christ applied by Faith and it may here be observed That though Blood alone saves a Christian yet it doth not alone witness his salvation Sanctification goes not into the matter of Salvation as a cause yet it goes into the matter of witness But according to the former Exposition Faith laying
free grace But if a man thinks himself already in Christ and in the high-way to Heaven and yet remains under the power and Dominion of these reigning lusts he is grosly deceived They are the very words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators c. And thus we may know how whether we live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life By our Carriage in Life Mark 2. By the thoughts of Death We may know it by our Respect we bear to Death viz. as a passage to a better life For a faithful man looks at Death as a conquered Enemy Isa 25.8 it 's said He will swallow up Death in victory Now there are Four Degrees of this Victory of Jesus Christ over Death Degrees of Christs victory over Death The first is past and gone the two next are present and the fourth is yet to come 1. In his own death 1. The first was performed by Christ proprio Marte in his own single combat with Death and Hell Christ taking upon him the sins of Gods people all the world over Death sets upon him most furiously and seems at the first Bout to get the better it kills him and lays him in the grave But behold the glorious Victory of Jesus Christ as Samson when he was shut up in the City of Gaza Judg. 16. He arose in the night anâ carried away the gates of the City and bars and all So Christ our Spiritual Samson was shut up in the Grave with a great stone upon the Grave and brake open the brazen gates and iron bars and hath carried them away to the top of the Mountain of Mount Sion that they shall never hurt his people more Acts 2.24 He was raised up by the power of his God-head having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible he should be holden of it Loosed the pains of Death It 's a word used in the birth of Children as if the Grave were pained as a woman in child-birth till it was delivered of him who was the first-begotton from the dead and so had the prerogative of the first-born to be a Conqueror even a Conqueror over Death Therefore it is said Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and Death The Keys What 's that By the Keys is certainly meant the Conquest as when a Town or City is subdued the Keys are presently delivered to the Conqueror as acknowledgments and Ensigns of his Victory So the Keys of Hell and Death are delivered up into the hands of Christ to signifie that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more dominion over him but he for ever hath dominion over Death So that the first and chief part of the victory belongs to Christ in his own person as he was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Grave Rom. 1.4 the other three belong to us The second Degree of Victory over Death is 2. In our Death The altering its nature to all Gods people For no sooner had Death struck Christ like a furious Wasp but it presently lost its Sting For the sting of Death sticks in Sin and therefore Christ having taken upon him the sins of his people Death strikes in her sting so deep that she is forced to leave it behinde her So that now the case is altered to Gods people however they die as well as others yet to them the sting of Death is taken out and so the nature of Death is quite and clean altered as if it were not the same Before it was a passage into prison where the Spirits are now in prison Now it 's made a passage out of Prison Having a desire to be dissolved Phil 1.23 Before it was a curse now a Blessing Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Before it was an Enemy a wicked man might say Hast thou found me 1 Kings 21.20 O mine enemy but now it 's a Friend and does many friendly offices Before it was loss a man lost his friends he lost his possessions he lost his very hopes Eccles 9.4 but now it 's gain Phil. 1.21 To die is gain He gains much access of glory for the present in his Soul in regard of its communion with God and he hath hopes of more when his body shall be raised again from the grave Prov. 14.22 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death And this is the second part of Christs Victory over Death 3. 3. In our judgements of death The third which most concerns the matter in hand is in Altering our Affections Judgements and Apprehensions concerning Death A most excellent Conquest 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Casting down imaginations Prov. 16.32 For suppose the Nature of Death should be altered so that of an enemy it should be made a friend yet if our judgements should not be altered but we should look at it still under the notion of an enemy we could have little comfort in the approach of it And therefore here is both the Mercy and Power of Christ seen in altering the judgement of his people concerning Death that now they can in some measure look at â—t as a Friend and as a Messenger sent from their heavenly Captain the Lord Jesus to take them off from their hard service How glad is the poor Souldier that hath stood Centinel a long cold night when the morning Watch comes Or one that hath been fighting against his Enemies as long as he can well strike or stand how glad is such a one when his Captain sends Relief to take him off and bids him Welcome home with a large Reward for all his dangerous and difficult service Now such and no other is the office of this Messenger Death and therefore Gods people looking upon it under this Notion love the appearing of it and rejoyce in it as the Apostle did 2 Tim. 4 6 7 8. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finish'd my course c. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing Mark it 's the property of a graâ—ious â—oul which Christ comes to it either in the particular or general Judgement to love his Appearing And this is the third Degree of Christs Victory over Death As it 's altered in it self so it s altered in his peoples Apprehensions of it And this is a double Mercy 4. In the general Resurrection The fourth and last Degreee which I shall but name is in the last and general Resurrection Look as when
Christ arose personally from the Grave he then obtained perfect Victory over Death for himself he died no more Death had no more dominion over him So when Christ Mystical when we that are believers shall arise from the Grave we shall obtain a perfect Victory over Death we shall die no more c. Then even then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written When once this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 And this is the fourth and last Degree of Christs Victory and Triumph over Death after which there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain Rev. 21.4 Well then to bring all home to the present Use Wouldst thou know whether thou livest by Faith in regard of Life Eternal Do but tell me in earnest or rather tell thine own Soul what respect thou bearest to Death Dost thou indeed look at it as a conquered Enemy or rather such an one as of an enemy is now become a friend Is thy judgement altered concerning Death as the nature of Death it self is altered Then well and good For thus 't is with all Gods people in some measure Death and they are made friends they look at Death as a sweet passage to this Everlasting Life that we are speaking of and therefore they bid it welcome What Heir would not be willing to come to his Inheritance and therefore as willing to welcome the Messenger that had Power and Commission to put him into present possession This was the Apostles practice His whole life was a Meditation of Death and a Preparation for Death I profess saith he by our rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus I die daily that is I am every day prepared for death 1 Cor. 15.31 Therefore you may see his judgement was altered concerning the nature of death he looked at it as an enemy before conversion but now he looks at it as a friend He that is reconciled to God and God to him he is reconciled to death and death also to him for death is but the Servant of Jesus Christ and if Christ be yours death is yours also 1 Cor. 3.21 22. Obj. But may not Gods own people be afraid of death and unfit to die About the fear of Death Ans 1. They may be afraid because every Christian man is a double man consisting of Flesh and Spirit and therefore though the Spirit is willing yet the Flesh is weak Mat. 21.46 Therefore so far as he is natural he is afraid and yet so far as he is spiritual he overcomes that fear So that here is the difference between the fear of a wicked man and a godly man A wicked man when God opens his eyes is swallowed up of fear a godly man though he may have many conflicts and combats with the fear of death yet at last he overcomes his fear by the exercise of his Faith so that he is not in bondage to his fear as the other is Heb 2.15 Christ came to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage 2. A godly man is not at all times alike fit to die though he be willing in the main It may be he hath some work to do for God or for his Church that yet is not done It may be he hath weakned himself by some present distemper and hath not strength of Faith sufficient for such a solemn and serious Work as is his passage to Eternity And that was the cause of Davids Prayer Psal 39. last O spare a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more In such like cases as these a godly man may be somewhat unfit and therefore somewhat unwilling to die otherwise I say in the main he looks at death as his friend because God in Christ is his friend and therefore the more he loves God the less he fears death If love were perfect it would cast out all fear In the mean time as the love of God increaseth the fear of death decreaseth from day to day And that is a good evidence the creature lives by Faith in regard of Life Eternal But now if we look at Death as the greatest of Evils of all terrible things the most terrible as if it were the Annihilation of the Creature or the reducing of it into a far worse condition than it was in before So that when a Man dies his Hope dies with him too Job 11. vers the last It is most evident That such a man lives not by Faith in regard of Life Eternal for if he did he would surely welcome that Death which is no other than a passage to that Life Vse 4 Vse 4. Of Exhortation Exhortations Exhortation to live by Faith in respect of life Eternal To live by Faith in regard of Life Eternal This is the most excellent Object of them Therefore as one sayes of Prayer Thou when thou prayest pray for great matters pray not for Riches for these are Snares pray not for Honour 't is but a vain Breath of Fame pray not for Life Temporal 't is but a Bubble But thou when thou prayest pray for great matters pray for Pardon of sin pray for Christ Grace Heaven pray for Eternal Life These things are worth the praying for So say I of Faith Thou when thou believest exercise thy Faith about great matters though 't is not unlawful to believe in God for a seasonable supply of Temporal blessings Yet above all exercise thy faith about Heaven and Eternity be sure to lay hold on Eternal Life for the best of Temporal Blessings at last will give thee the slip And what should be the reason that God mixeth temporal comforts with so many discomforts but to knock off our fingers from laying too fast hold on them As if God should say to his People Arise this is not your rest Get you up to the top of the Mount and by the eye of Faith take a view of your Spiritual Canaan as ever you desire to enter into that Promised Land of your Eternal Rest And if all the Crosses we meet withall in our Christian Pilgrimage are little enough to take off our hearts from the world how should we love it and cleave to it should we meet with no Crosses at all Motives Shall I give you some further Motives why we should by Faith lay hold on Eternal Life Consider Consid 1 1. Without the assurance of this Life we had better never have enjoyed Natural life For if we have a part in natural life onely better it were to live the life of Vermine and Toads than the life of Men For those poor creatures when they die there is an end of them and their Misery for ever But when a Man dies if he hath not laid hold on Eternal Life he is sure
Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven
submit to the Righteousness of God and so he falls short of the Life of Justification For the poor Self-denying Publican went down to his house justified rather than the other Note Whoever sets up Religious self in point of Justification he stands in his own light he sets up himself betwixt Christ and his own Soul For he is the true light who lightens every one that comes into the world And the Just shall live by Faith in him And therefore he that sets up Religious Self in the room of Christ he sins against his own Soul And thus some live upon other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Second sort reproved Such as profess Faith but live not by it Secondly It Reproves such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade So multitudes make a Profession of Faith and say I believe in God the Father Almighty c. and in Jesus Christ c. But when they have made this Profession they live not by this faith which they so solemnly profess Indeed many talk of it but few walk by it Many swear by it few live by it It is a rare thing to finde a man that makes use of his Faith in all his dealing Many make use of their carnal Reason and many make use of Sense but few make use of Faith in those things which are above the grasp of Sense and Reason Our Saviour Christ might well say Luk. 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he finde Faith upon the Earth Look upon the vast Globe of the Earth into what narrow compass they are brought that make any Profession of the Faith Doth not the Turk possess the greatest part of the Eastern World Amongst those that do profess the Faith for Name sake how many do fulfil that sad Prophecy of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Scripture speaketh expresly In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstrain from meats Is not this as lively a description of their Popish Doctrine as if the Apostle had been alive to see what they do and to hear what they speak at this day And doth not this Doctrine over-spread the greatest part of the Western World Besides whole Clouds of Errours and gross Opinions arising daily out of the Bottomless Pit and obscuring for the present the bright Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Is there not in these days a Resurrection of Hymeneus and Philetus or at least a Resurrection of loose Opinions who deny the Resurrection and say it is past already and by this means overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2 17 18. Again amongst those who do profess the true Faith for the Doctrinal part and are well principled in it how few are there that walk up to their Principles and so live by Faith in the practical part of their life That saying is fulfilled which is written Tit. 1 last They profess they know God and so they profess they believe in God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Though they make Profession of Faith look upon them in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and discoursing and in a word in the whole Series of their conversing with men you shall see no more of Faith in them saving the bare Profession than if they were very heathens And these are the second sort to be Reproved such as make Profession of the Faith but they live not by it Thirdly The third sort are such 3. Third sort Reproved Such as duly act not their Faith who not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not they live not by it As a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of improving what he hath So do some men in a Spiritual sense It may be God hath inrich'd them with the grace of Faith and yet at some times and in some cases they live as if they had no faith at all as in difficult duties especially in great and sudden Trials Like a young Fencer Simile when he meets with an unwonted stroke he is put besides his skill and besides his ordinary guard and throws down his weapons So did the Disciples upon the sudden storm Luk. 8.24 Insomuch as Christ says Where is your faith Faith they had indeed but there was none to be seen at that time And therefore in the other Evangelist Mark 4.40 Christ saith upon the same occasion How is it that ye have not faith What had they no faith at all were the Disciples Vnbelievers No certainly there 's no question but they had the habit of Faith but there was no apparent act of Faith and therefore they were justly reproved by their Master And so are all such who having the grace of Faith do not labour upon all occasions to make use of it and to improve it for their own and others best advantage For this is properly to live by Faith But many are too blame in this particular they suffer their Faith to lie asleep And we may say to such as Christ to the Disciples Where is your faith They act not their faith in the Precept or Promise upon all occasions living upon a Word from God as they ought to do and therefore we may say Where is your faith For as Faith is the life of the Soul so the Word is the life of Faith and God is the life of the Word And therefore such as live not by Faith upon a Word from God upon particular emergent occasions we may say Where is your faith To instance a little in some particular in regard of our 1. Actions 2 Passions and 3. Elections Whether in 1. Actions 1. For our Actions Doth God call for Obedience as a necessary fruit of Faith in such plain and known Duties and thou standest with a stiff neck and wilt not bow or buckle to the serious Performance thereof May we not say in this case Where is thy faith Is not the Word plain Faith worketh by love and If ye love me keep my Commandments Again doth God call for Mercy and Almsdeeds with Promise of a large Retribution and thou hardenest thy heart and knittest thy fist and bendest thy brows against the Poor Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Promise to ground thy faith upon Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given 2. Art thou in a prosperous Condition 2. Conditions Psal 62.10 and dost thou trust to thy Mountain of Prosperity O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word If riches increase set not
All other things Persons and Performances are vile in comparison Phil. 3.8 An Unbeliever cannot thus prize Christ but says We see no form or comeliness in him that we should desire him Isa 53.2 Effect 3. 3. A high prizing of the Image and likeness of Christ the inseparable Concomitant of Faith The Vision of Christ by Faith works a strong desire of Transformation into the likeness of Christ It is the height of such a Souls ambition to have the Image of the Lord Jesus stampt upon it both in inward impressions of Grace upon the heart to be humble and meek as he was and in outward expressions of Holiness and Righteousness in their conversation Psal 17. last When I awake saith David I shall be satisfied with thy likeness We are now indeed the Sons of God saith S. John but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 As if they should say We esteem this our very Heaven and Happiness to be made like to Christ A formal Professor may desire to be saved by Christ but he doth not seriously desire to be made like to Christ So a real Believer loves Gods Image in others 1 Joh. 5.1 4. Other effects and fruits of Faith You have in the fruits of the Spirit set down Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is love with peace long-suffering c. And though Faith it self be a fruit of the Spirit yet those other Graces coupled with it are also fruits of Faith in order of working As for Example 1. When a Soul is once Reconciled to God by Faith it cannot chuse but love him Faith worketh by Love So far as we have any saving light from the Spirit we do also receive heat from the Spirit He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Why so because the Holy Ghost is like fire comes with heat as well as with light Nay of the two the heat of our love to God is more sensible than the light of our Reconcilement Many a Soul that is much in the dark concerning Justification yet cannot but confess they love God yea should God hide his face from them yet they cannot chuse but love him for his Holiness Truth Goodness Justice and such other Perfections And indeed the soundest way to comfort a weak Believer is First to convince them of their love to God For upon the manifestation of love in due time follows Joy That 's the second fruit of the Spirit and of Faith 2. Joy for the proof of our love to God doth most infallibly prove his love to us 1 Joh. 4.9 We love him because he first loved us And so far as Gods love is cleared to us we must needs rejoyce Luk. 1.47 My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So that our Joy in God is weaker or stronger not as Gods love to us is weaker or stronger but as the Manifestation of it is weaker or stronger And what we say of Joy we may also say of Peace which is the third fruit of the Spirit and of Faith 3. Peace for being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1 But this Joy and Peace doth not always immediately follow upon believing but as the Sun rising follows the dawning of the day some good distance after However so soon as ever we believe we have the ground-work and seed of Peace Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright in heart 4. A fourth fruit is long-suffering not onely in regard of Men but in respect of God himself when God carries himself as if he were an enemy to us yet we will be friends with him we will make the best constructions of Gods Corrections Isa 8.17 and we will wait for the manifestation of his love who hideth his face from the house of Jacob. As Jacob himself waited many a year and endured much hardship for the love which he did bear to Rachel So will a believing Soul be content to wait with long-suffering for the love he bears to Jesus Christ whereas an unbeliever flings away in a chafe and says What should I wait for the Lord any longer seeing this evil is of the Lord 2 King 6.33 More Evidences of true Faith Many other evidences there are to distinguish true faith from that which is counterfeit I will name but three The first is in regard of evil Actions The second in regard of good Actions The third in respect of both 1. In point of sins 1. For evil and sinful Actions Though it is possible a Believer may fall into such through the violence of Temptation yet this is the property of true Faith it never gives quiet possession to sin long together This is part of the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 though it may be foiled by the flesh yet it is never so overcome but there is a rising again and a lusting of the Spirit against the flesh Gal 5.17 David and Peter and other of Gods Saints were miserably foiled for the present but yet they rose again by a renewed act of Repentance and Faith and soon after recovered their former strength Whereas an Unbeliever though he may sometimes have some strivings and struglings in his natural Conscience yet at last he gives quiet possession to Sin and Satan being resolved to put himself to no further trouble Luk. 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace An unbelievers peace is his rest in sin Prov. 4.16 But a believers peace is his rest in Christ Psal 116.11 and not in sin Psal 77.4 19 last Job 8.34 Rom. 6.20 He never gives quiet possession long together he will not do the least evil that good may come of it nor omit the least good for fear evil should come of it 2. In point of good actions 2. For good Actions A believer so far as he is himself he does all he doth in the strength of Christ Therefore the very first act of Faith is called a laying hold on Gods strength Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me An Unbeliever while he sins against God lifts up his strength against God and like a siâ—ly Briar and Thorn he fights against a consuming fire Or if he chance to perform some good Duties yet he doth all in his own strength as he doth all to his own ends All is done in the strength of his own parts and preparation for he perceives not that he is weak and poor and blinde and miserable and naked But a Believer as he lives upon God so he does all he does in the strength of God I say so far as he is himself he does so And if at any time or in any duty he be
necessary to our very being in the state of Grace If it were a Gift of less consequence we ought to be thankful for it because a Gift In all things give thanks saith the Apostle But this is such a Gift as is all in all It is absolutely necessary to the very being of a Christian others are necessary to their well-being but this to their very being Therefore we have the more cause to be thankful What saith the Scripture Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God and so Without faith it is impossible to be saved Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith Mark 16.16 He that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned So that Faith in grown persons is absolutely necessary to Salvation you cannot be saved without it you may be Rich and you may be Beautiful and you may be Strong and you may be Nobly descended and you may be Learned without Faith but without Faith you can never be saved Obj. You will say So without Hope and Love and Zeal for Gods Glory we cannot be saved Ans That is true yet there is something more in Faith than in all the rest in tendency to Salvation For Faith in order of working is the very Root of all other Graces Our Hope and Love and Zeal and all the rest do spring from our Faith Rom. 12.3 So far as we believe we hope so far as we believe we love so far as we believe we are zealous for God and so of the rest Therefore Faith is in a special manner necessary to Salvation being the onely instrument of laying hold upon Christ And therefore in a special manner are we bound to be thankful for it Thirdly It is such a Gift 3. Such a gift as none else can give as is impossible for any other to give but God alone Therefore it is called The faith of the operation of God Col 2.12 as if God alone could work it If an Angel from Heaven should perswade you to believe this or that yet if God do not perswade you by his Spirit you cannot believe You reade Luk. 1.20 the Angel tells Zacharias he should be struck dumb because he believed not the words of the Angel If all the Angels in Heaven should preach to us if God himself doth not preach to us by his Spirit we cannot believe And if all the Angels upon Earth I mean all the Ministers for they are called the Angels of the Churches if all these one after another should preach to one particular Soul yet that Soul would not believe unless God open the heart of it as he did the heart of Lydia to believe Obj. You will say But Experience shews such and such have been Converted by such and such Ministers Ans It is granted but it was not the man without God but God in the man that did it else why is one man converted rather than another Why the same man at one time rather than at another and by means more improbable but to shew it is God in the man That as the Apostle saith the faith of Gods people might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 that so he might have all the praise and glory Therefore the Apostle in this respect makes nothing of the Minâ—ster that God may be all in all in all his Ministers 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe And as none can help as to Faith but God alone So we cannot help our selves we cannot work up our own hearts to believe we are not onely like sick men naturally but as dead men in the grave shut up under the grave-stone of Unbelief Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all in unbelief that he may have mercy upon all That is that Gods mercy might be the more magnified in bestowing Faith upon them that were as unable to believe of themselves as a dead man is unable by his own power to arise out of his grave The wonders of Faith All the steps of Faith are wondrous difficult to a poor Creature yet know all things are possible with God As for Example 1. To see and believe what God requires of us in the first Covenant For till we know this we think our selves in a good condition and alive without the Law Rom. 7.9 And we cannot see and believe this till God himself open our eyes 1 Cor. 2.14 2. To see and believe how far we come short of the Law naturally how sinful we are and cursed by sin For we are like the young man that said All these have I kept from my youth upward But till wee see our selves sinners and feel the weight of sin we shall never look out after a Saviour The whole need not a Physician but the sick Mat. 9.12 3. To see and believe that not onely our gross sins but our best Righteousnesses do leave us in a miserable condition without a Saviour This is wondrous difficult for no sooner do we attain to some parts and the performance of some Duties but we are ready to say with the Church of Laodicea I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and perceive not that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked and it is nothing but Eye salve from Jesus Christ that can make us perceive this Rev. 3.17 18. that can make us believe and confess that All our Righteousnesses are as filthy polluted rags Isa 64.6 This is wondrous hard Naturally we are full of Self-love and Self-admiration but a Soul that comes to Christ is full of Self-loathing and Self-detestation Job 42.6 I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 4. To see and believe the perfect Righteousness and surpassing Excellency of Jesus Christ For a Natural eye seeth no beauty in him Isa 53.2 and yet before we can desire him we must see the beauty that is in him 5. To see and believe the Necessity and the Duty of the poor Souls coming to Christ Psal 2 12. Leaning upon him for Righteousness and Salvation and that so doing it shall never be cast out For naturally we are ready to think and to say There is no need of coming to Christ or not need of us and our coming Though God will be merciful to others I am afraid he will not be merciful to me Though he do not cast out others who came to him I am afraid he will cast out me Therefore it is the wonderful Work of the Spirit of Christ to perswade the sin-repenting Soul to come to Christ Joh. 6.44 and when it is come to perswade it that Christ will not cast it out again And so the Spirit fastens the Promise upon the Soul Joh. 6.36 It is the wonderful Work of the Spirit to perswade enemies to become friends to perswade strangers to draw nigh and be acquainted with Christ This is such a difficult Work
is broken upon the Feather-bed of Gods Mercy One looke from Christ or one look towards Christ by the eye of Faith melts the heart more then a thousand strokes of the hammer Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son Observe nothing melts the heart so kindly as looking upon Christ crucified by the eye of Faith O saith the believing Soul that Christ should deal so kindly with me that have dealt so unkindly with him O that he should overcome my evil with his exceeding goodness O that he should die for me who once did hate him to the very death O these are melting arguments that come from faith Remember thou canst never be throughly humbled till thou beginnest to believe Other Arguments may Batter the heart but Arguments drawn from Faith do only Break it and melt it And therefore let not this consideration keep thee from believing to say I have not yet been humbled enough for by that reason we should never believe as long as the world stands For where is the man that can say He is humbled enough especially before such time as he begins to believe But so much for the fifth particular Impediment and the way to remove it The 6. Is this They want the sense of Gods love nay 6. Want of Feeling they feel the sense of his wrath and displeasure and therefore why should they believe Now to remove this Impediment Cure and to roll this Stone out of the way we must know it is impossible to have the sense and feeling of Gods love till we begin to believe For being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Rom. 5.1 and not before God sometimes carrieth strange to his own children as Joseph to his brethren and Christ to the woman of Canaan Yea whom the Lord loves he corrects and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Heb. 12.6 The father knoweth how to frown and how to strike with the Rod too and yet he is a father still His chastisements are Castigatory Probatory and Purgatory they purge out the remainders of sinful Corruption And if we have but grace to carry towards him as Children under the Rod we may be sure by that that God offers himself to us as a Father Therefore be not discouraged though God seem to frown but say as Job If God should kill me yet will I trust in him I am sure to die if I fly from him Whither shall I fly from thy presence Psal 139. and I can but die if I fly to him nay I am sure I shall not die if I can do so for he hath said it and he will perform it Joh. 6.37 He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out And therefore do not reason against thy self and say Oh God is a terrible and a furious God he will never be at peace with such an one as I am True indeed if thou standest out in opposition against him he is a furious God but if thou layest down thy weapons of War and yieldest up thy strong-holds of Carnal Reason and Self-will into his hands in this case mark what God saith Isa 27.4 Fury is not in me As if he should say Thou thinkst I am a furious God there 's no dealing with me but if thou wilt submit thou shalt finde fury is not in me Indeed if thou settest thy self still in battel against me I will be as a consuming fire unto thee but if thou hast a real desire to submit and to make peace take my Word for it Thou canst not be so forward to make peace with me but I am as forward to make peace with thee And therefore be not afraid for so runs the Promise Fury is not in me who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me O what a gracious Promise is this How should it overcome all the hard thoughts and jealousies we are apt to entertain of God! O but in the seventh place 7. Doubt of Election I am afraid the Promise belongs not unto me for I fear I am not Elected and therefore why should I believe This is another great Impediment and an heavy stone upon the mouth of the Sepulchre and how should this be removed Thus Who tels thee so not God if any body Cure the Divel Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever Election of this or that particular person is a secret thing and cannot be known by any thing à priori that goeth before but à posteriori from the latter it may be known by our Faith and effectual calling we may know we are Elected and not before 2 Thes 1.3 4. But here 's the Divels policy to puzzel mens heads and hearts in Election when they should busie their heads and hearts about Believing in thirsting after Jesus Christ in being willing to make peace with him and wholly to receive him And if God hath given thee such a Will I am sure the Promise belongs to thee Rev. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of Life freely And so much for the seventh particular Impediment and the way to remove it The Sixth Hindrance Sixth General Impediment of Faith viz. Neglect of Means Is a wicked and sinful neglect of the Means which God useth for the begetting of Faith Of which by Gods assistance we are to speak in due time If Christ and Heaven and Faith will drop into their mouth at unawares so it is but under pretence that God doth call in the working of Faith they are resolved to use no means under God but cast off all Ordinances as if they were to no purpose Now so long as a man neglects the means he is never like to attain the end Now of this neglect of the Means there are divers subordinate causes especially these five Prejudice Pride Sloth Five Causes of Neglect of Means Presumption and Despondency of Spirit We shall speak of them particularly and the way to remember them 1. Prejudice Quarrels the Means of Faith The 1. Is a strong and strange Prejudice against the Means of begetting Faith or against the Instruments dispensing the Means Tush saith one this Preaching this foolish preaching t is but a light kind of food as they said of the Manna and how should this do me any good I 'le never believe this foolish Preaching can be a means to save my soul And for these preachers saith the poor deluded soul what are they but a company of infirmous
and be in health even as thy soul prospereth Or so as thou wouldst keep the Apple of thine Eye from the least mote or mite of offence Or so as thou wouldst keep thy very life for Faith under God is the very life of the Soul Solomon tells us Prov. 13.3 that he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life we may as truly say He that keepeth his Faith keepeth his life for The just shall live by his faith Other things a man may be careful to keep and it may be they will prove of very little use when all is done The time will certainly come when thy best friends cannot help thee thy Meat and Drink cannot nourish thee Physicians cannot cure thee thy large Possessions cannot comfort thee yet even at such a time as this if thou canst but lay hold of a Promise thou maist live upon the Word which God hath spoken when thou canst not live upon thy Revenues nor live upon thy Calling nor live upon thy Friends nor live upon the Creatures of Meat and Drink yet even then maist thou live upon thy Faith when the just man can live upon nothing else he can still live upon his Faith Keep Faith therefore for it is thy life Now skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life If one should deliver a very precious thing into the hand of a Friend with this or the like charge Be sure to keep this about you wheresoever you come and nothing shall be able to hurt you no ill savour or pestilential air shall be able to infect you O how careful would a man be to keep such a Receipt he would keep it as his very life And such a Receipt Faith a spiritual Charm such a Spiritual Charm is Faith he gives this solemn charge Keep your Faith as you would keep your life keep your Faith and nothing shall be able to hurt you Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you As this was true of the Faith of Miracles in those days so it is as true of saving Faith in a sound and saving sense at this day Such as keep their Faith in safety shall keep themselves in safety and shall tread down Satan that old Serpent under their feet and nothing shall be able to offend them And therefore where the Holy Ghost makes mention of the greatest troubles that befel the Church he makes mention also of their guard Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Keep thy Faith therefore and thy Patience as ever thou desirest to be kept in the great hour of Temptation Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth O remember this will be the comfort It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the faith and the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to make a scrutiny either of death or at the general Judgement 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ It is nothing to say Such a man had Faith or Such a man once made a glorious Profession of the Faith but this is the glory of Christians to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to Judgement This was the height of Pauls ambition to be found in Christ when he came to give up his account Phil. 3.8 9. That I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness of God by faith Now he that keeps the Faith and endures stedfast to the end is sure to be found in him and none else Quest But you will say What should I do that I may keep Faith safely and be found in the Faith in the most dangerous times Means of preserving faith 1. Soundness I answer First if thou wouldst be found in the faith be sure to be sound in the faith for unsound things do not use to last long An Apple that is rotten at the Core will soon be gone Apostacy is the usual Catastrophe of Hypocrisie He that would deceive in his Profession is justly deceived of his Salvation That 's the reason the Apostle so often perswades them to be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2 2. Let us build our Faith upon good ground upon Gods Word and so let us build our hearts upon Faith and not build Faith upon our own deceitful hearts Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely he shall be delivered That is the first Rule Be sound in the Faith 2. Trial of it Secondly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith and be sound in it be sure to bring it to the Testimony and examine it to the bottom How do we know things to be sound or unsound but upon their trial Therefore be sure to try thy Faith if thou wouldst have it lasting Faith Some take it for granted their Faith is good and sound whereas if they should but feel the Pulse of it they would finde it very sick and weak It is said of Joseph and Mary Luke 1.41 they went a days journey supposing Jesus Christ to have been in their company but when they came to a through scrutiny they perceived they had lost him and were fain to go back again to seek him It is to be feared many a professed Christian plods on many a days and many a years journey supposing Faith and Christ by Faith to be in their company when if they would make a diligent search they should finde themselves at a loss and such as had need go back again and begin all their work afresh and indeed a man had better begin twenty times than be once mistaken in a matter of that moment Therefore be sure to examine thy Faith at the first as thou desirest to keep thy credit with God or Man A wise Merchant that would keep his credit and keep his estate is often casting up his Books of Accompts but he is like to keep neither of the former that is careless in the latter Be thou therefore this wise Merchant if thou wouldst keep thy Faith to the last be sure to make trial of it at the first How it ought to be tried I shall not now stand to shew you but refer you to that which was said in the particular Use to that purpose Thirdly he that would be kept sound in the Faith 3. Love of the Truth must be sure to love the Truth and to hate every false doctrine for Corruption in
a Seal of the same 2. Let him examine his Mouth and his Stomack Joh. 6 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you The best meat in the world can do no good where the creature hath neither Mouth nor stomack to feed upon it Now what is this Mouth but Faiths believing in Christ and feeding upon Christ are both one as he oft explains himself in the same Chapter Therefore let a man examine his Mouth and his Stomack as well as his Meat 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves Not that this excludes the Minister who is bound to know the state of his Flock If this be good at all times surely it is best of all at the Sacrament where the Apostle calls for examination in a special manner Let him examine his Mouth as well as his Meat We do not use to put meat into a dead mans mouth The Councel of Carthage condemned it as an abuse of the Sacrament to give it to a dead Body Sacrament not to be given to dead-hearted unbelievers because Christ saith Take and Eat but a dead Body can neither take nor eat The same reason reacheth to an Unbeliever if we could as easily discern the one as the other who is yet dead in sins and trespasses and therefore hath neither the Mouth of Faith nor a Spiritual Stomack to feed upon Christ but where God of his mercy hath given both this brest of the Church is of singular use to nutse up her children 2 Pet. 3.18 and to make them grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For God hath appointed no Ordinance in vain The greater surely is the want of this Brest in these days and the cause of so much leanness amongst Gods own Children in most places Complaint of the interruption of the Sacrament and the corruption of it as the cause I know not whether I should complain more of the Nurses or of the Children or whether it were not better to turn our Complaints into Compassions and both complaints and compassions into Prayers that God would direct both Ministers and People to seek him in due order and to restore that Ordinance in a better manner than formerly that he may not make any farther breach upon us that children may not fast so long till they lose their stomacks for want of sucking and Nurses may not disuse and withhold the Brest so long till it be dried quite up for want of drawing And this is the third Means which God hath appointed for the increase of Faith The Sacrament 4. Prayer The fourth is Prayer for this puts the Promises in suit and sanctifies both the Word and the Seal of the Word for the increase of Faith The Scriptures tell us That God is both the Author and the Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 If he be the Author we are bound to pray to him for the beginnings of Faith as in any poor measure we are able but if he be the Finisher of our Faith we are much more bound to pray for the increasing of it afterwards because our incouragements and abilities are far greater For 't is impossible a man should pray in Faith for the obtaining of Faith before he hath it but he may pray in faith for the increasing of faith when once he hath received a beginning of it If therefore a Natural man be bound to pray for Faith before he hath it though he be very unable to pray as he ought to pray how much more is a Spiritual man bound to pray for increase of Faith when he hath already tasted how gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 in bestowing that grace upon him and hath in some measure received the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication whereby he is inabled to go to God for the supply of all his wants The man that to his own apprehension had but a little Faith and much Unbelief cries out with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief Mar. 9.24 Yea the Disciples themselves had not so much Faith but still finding the want of more they put up this great Request to the Lord Increase our faith Luk. 17.5 and if such as they had need much more have we to pray to God for the increase of Faith The fifth Mean 5. Christian communion is Christian Communion of Gods people one with another This is a singular Mean to strengthen Faith the very sight of the Brethren doth embolden and encourage in the Faith Act. 28.15 How much more the mutual Instruction and Exhortation one of another Job 4.3 4. Eliphaz says thus to Job Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees You see Christian Communion is a Mean to strengthen in the Faith God in his Wisdom communicates special strength diversly to divers Members of the Body of Christ to some more to some less to that end that the strong may support the weak and comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thess 5.14 1 Cor. 14.26 It is the Rule of the Apostle Let all things be done to edification that is to the building up of one another in the Faith And this is to be aimed at not onely in publick Ordinances but in private converse of Christians one with another 1 Thess 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and exhort one another and edifie one another even as also ye do Stones of the same building do uphold and strengthen one another and so should living and Spiritual stones in the holy Temple of the Church This is a special and powerful means to strengthen in the Faith In this respect Aquila and Priscilla are called fellow-helpers of the Apostle Rom. 16.3 because they confirmed the Faith in those in whom the Apostle had formerly planted it by the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 16.3 And thus all of us should be helpers one of anothers faith and one of anothers joy And indeed it is the main end why God doth convert us at the first and why he doth help us up again when we are fallen that we may convert others and strengthen them also in the Faith when they are converted Luke 22.32 Thou being converted saith Christ to Peter strengthen thy brethren And this is the fifth Means of growth 6. Love to God The sixth Means is to prove our Love to God for this will prove his Love to us 1 Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us and the assurance of Gods love towards us will marvellously strengthen our faith towards God Therefore our faith in him and the manifestation of his love to us are coupled together Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God which hath loved me and given himself for me Now what better way is there to manifest Gods
love to us than by the manifestation of our love to him for our love to him is no other than a reflexion of his love to us Labour therefore to prove thy love to God that if Jesus Christ should ask thee the same question he asked Peter Joh. 21.15 Lovest thou me thou maist answer as he did Yea 2 Cor. 8.8 Lord thou knowest that I love thee And if Jesus Christ should answer again How dost thou prove the sincerity of thy love Thou maist answer again Lord I prove it by my love to thy sheep and by my love to thy lambs though I cannot feed them in every respect as Peter did yet I desire to feed them as I am able I do not love them for my own ends because I would feed upon them and clothe my self with their fleece but that I may clothe them and feed them as their necessities do require And this is that which in the judgement of Jesus Christ himself publish'd in the face of al the world in the last day doth publish the sincerity of our love to him Mat. 25. â—0 Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Prove therefore thy love to God and that will strengthen thy faith in God for as faith works by love Gal 5.6 so the works of love do strengthen faith Faith as the occasion of its exercise and an evidence of its being but faith is not perfected in its essence and nature by Works but by the Promises The seventh and last Mean is 7. Experiences To stir up the manifold Experiences of Gods goodness and faithfulness to us for the time that is past for this is a special Mean to strengthen our faith for the time to come Former Experiences may and ought to build us up in future Confidences If God hath delivered for the time past and doth deliver for the present we are bound the more firmly to believe that he will yet deliver for that which is to come 2 Cor. 1.9 10. For when God fulfils with his hand what he speaks with his mouth 1 King 8.15 such a Providence being a further Seal of his Promise ought to confirm our Faith For why we know God is still the same God and changeth not the Covenant is the same everlasting Covenant the Mediator of the Covenant is the same Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and for ever why should not our faith be the same also and more abundant If a Christian may say God hath delivered and doth deliver and will yet deliver why may he not also say I have trusted in this God and do trust in him and I will trust in him for the time to come Come what can come I am resolved to trust in him Job 13.15 Though he should slay me yet will I trust in him I have ever found him a faithful Master to me and why should not I continue a faithful Servant to him His Word reports him to be a faithful God and his Works also do speak the same I know this may a gracious Soul say by my own experience and therefore they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast never failed them that seek thee Psal 9.10 Be sure therefore to keep a Catalogue of Gods merciful Providences in answer to thy Prayers This was Davids Cordial in a fainting Fit I remember the years that are past Psal 77.5 143.5 It was that which incouraged him against the Philistim when he remembred how God had took his part against the Lion and the Bear 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim And 't is that which may exceedingly strengthen the faith of a poor creature when it is able to say I prayed to God at such a time and he heard me graciously I was in a Soul-straight and he spake peace to my Soul I had such an enemy rose up against me and he changed his heart that he would not hurt me or he withered his hand that he could not hurt me I was in doubt and he made my way plain before me I was in woful perplexity and he said to my heart Fear not yea I never sought him in sincerity but he was ever found of me in mercy And therefore if I should now begin to distrust this God after all this experience he may justly say to me as one faithful friend says to another when he begins to grow jealous or suspicious What will you not take my word did I ever fail you was I ever false to you what iniquity hast thou or thy Fathers found in me that thou shouldst now begin to suspect me O may God say to an experienced Christian of all men in the world thou hast the least cause to stagger at the Promise If thou doubtest of the Word yet at the least thou shouldst believe me for the works sake Joh. 14.11 And thus you see former experience may and ought to build up in future confidence And these are the Means by which a weak Faith may be strengthned And so have we now dispatch'd the first general Branch of the Exhortative part of the Application relating to our selves If Faith be our Life under God then should we labour 1. To get it 2. To keep it when we have it 3. To act it and live by it as well as keep it 4. So to live by it as to increase the stock of our Faith from day to day The poorest Cottager lives as truly as the richest man in the world but not so comfortably nor so fully he is faint to pinch himself both back and belly he goes to bed with many a hungry meal and the like And so it is with him that is weak and poor in the faith he lives indeed by faith but not so fully and comfortably as he that is rich in the faith His Comforts are fewer and his Fears are more All these things should perswade us to increase our faith Second Branch of Exhortation Of Converting others to the Faith But we leave that Branch of Exhortation that concerns our selves and come now to that which relates to others and in concluding this by Gods Assistance we shall conclude the whole subject of Faith For if Faith be such an excellent Grace then as in other good things so also in this the more common it is the better it is It is an excellent thing to be instrumental in the propagating the common Faith Tit. 1.4 Jude 3. and the common Salvation Look as a Father or Governour that lives comfortably upon his outward means himself thinks himself bound in conscience to maintain his Family and to lay up for his Children and so do good to the poor that they may live the better by his means as well as himself So that man that lives by Faith himself and
penitent Thief upon the Cross had but a little time to turn him in and yet a good part of that little Note he spent in labouring to gain the Soul of his fellow-Thief Luk. 23.40 Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation Be assured of this that as the gain of Souls is the best of all gains So the blood of Souls of all other blood will lie the heaviest upon the Conscience of such as are guilty of it Vse 3 Vse 3. Of Exhortation Exhortation to convert Souls The third Use may be for Exhortation 1. To all sorts of Christians in general and then 2. In special to those whose Office and Function calls upon them more importunately to labour in the Conversion of Souls Branch 1. In general to all First To all in general for we must not think it is the Ministers work alone For what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife 1 Cor. 7.16 And what knowest thou O Christian whether thou shalt save thy Neighbor Do what thou canst in a wise way it may be God may second thy endevours thy Reproof or thy Exhortation by his own Spirit The poor Woman of Samaria was an Instrument under God of drawing on her Neighbors to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ Joh. 4. And what dost thou know but God may bless thy endevours with the like success And therefore whilst others spend time in idle discourse for he that is of the earth Joh. 3.31 speaketh of the earth let Christians spend their time in Exhorting and Comforting and Edifying one another as the Apostle speaks 1 Thess 5.11 Branch 2. In particular to Ministers And if all in general then surely Ministers of all others Ministers in a special manner should aim at the Salvation of Souls because the great end of their Commission from God is to take Curam animarum the Care of Souls to turn men from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God Act. 26.18 Note It was an excellent saying of him that was in this place before me and deserved to be so in every respect in his Book of the Loadstone Chap. 8. says he If God would give a Christian his wish especially a Minister of the Gospel and say to him as sometime he said to Solomon when he offered a thousand burnt-offerings at Gibeon Ask what I shall give thee 2 Chron. 1.7 what should he desire either before or more than this viz. than that he might receive a large portion of that Magnetical vertue from God which was bestowed upon Peter and Paul and other Primitive Preachers whereby they drew many thousand Souls to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the world went after him Therefore let all sorts of Christians in their place and sphere especially Ministers of the Gospel labour in the Conversion of Souls Motive 1 Shall I give you some Motives The Reasons may be Motive enough For of all works it is the most excellent The excellency of Converting Souls and men generally delight to be imployed in excellent works Men will do and dare any thing to become great in the world but this is the onely way to become great in the sight of the Lord. Luk. 1.15 He shall be great in the sight of the Lord says the Angel speaking of John the Baptist And why great Mark ver 16. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God Conversion of Souls to God makes men of great account in the sight of the Lord. Motive 2 Secondly consider This is a main end of our Calling The end of the Ministery and of all those Ministerial Gifts we receive from Jesus Christ for the better discharge of our Calling He gave all for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4.12 c. He gave not these Gifts that we might gain profit or applause to our selves but that we might gain Souls to him Motive 3 Thirdly consider The Conversion and Salvation of Souls cost the blood of the dearest Soul that ever was Souls cost the blood of Christ and that is the blood of Jesus Christ Therefore should Ministers take special heed in feeding of their flock and in the Salvation of those Souls which Christ hath purchased with his own blood Act. 20.24 Motive 4 Fourthly If we be negligent herein it will cost us our own blood Else it will cost our blood If we neglect our duty our duty they may die in their iniquity but their blood shall be required at the Ministers hands Ezek. 33.8 9. Motive 5 Fifthly Not onely the Precept but the Example of Jesus Christ Example of Christ doth press us to this duty of Conversion of Souls He was a diligent and constant Preacher himself and it was his very meat and drink to take occasion of converting Souls Joh. 4. He is the good Shepherd that seeks up his lost sheep and when he hath found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoycing and bringeth it home that others also may rejoyce with him Luk. 15. Nay it was the very last work that Christ commended to us by his Example when he took his leave of us and left the world He converted the poor Thief at the last gasp as if Christ had said This work is the very end of my Death that poor sinners might live and be converted And this work I commend upon my death to all my friends if you love me do as I have done in my last farewel Let this be your work to convert Souls to God I have given you an example that you should do as I have done before you Motive 6 Sixthly This is the best and truest Testimony of our unfeigned love to Jesus Christ Best sign of love to Christ Joh. 21.15 16 17. Upon Christs threefold Interrogation Lovest thou me and Peters threefold Profession of his love to Christ you have Christs threefold Injunction Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep Feed my Sheep As if the feeding of Souls the saving of Souls were the truest testimony of our love to Jesus Christ Motive 7 Seventhly This is also the best testimony of our thankfulness to Jesus Christ for our conversion Testimony of our thankfulness to Christ when we endevour the conversion of others It was that which David promised to God in a grateful acknowledgement of Gods mercy in the pardon of his own sins Psal 51.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee As if he should say Lord if thou wilt convert me I will endevour also the conversion of others unto thee Motive 8 Eighthly We should labour the conversion of others because we our selves were once in the same condition with those that are yet aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Remembrance of our own condition
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
speak evil of the ways of God when in truth the fault is neither in God nor in the grace of Faith but in our own slothfulness we act not our faith when we have it Quest But you will say What should we do that we may act our faith Helps for the acting of faith Answ I answer First be sure to clear up thy interest in Christ 1. Cleering up interest in Christ Receive Christ on Gospel-terms 1. Wholly 2. Renouncing thy sins Isa 59.20 And the Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgressions in Jacob saith the Lord. 3. Renounce thy own Righteousness Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God 4. Take Christ with his Cross Mat. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me And by thy interest in Christ clear up thy interest in the Covenant of free Grace Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 49.8 And by the Covenant thy interest in all the precious Promises of God For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 Once prove thy self in Christ and thou maist prove thy interest to all the Promises of God for if in Christ then a Son if a Son then an Heir if an Heir then an heir of the promises Heb. 6.17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath This is the first and great thing that is to be done But yet this is not enough for Secondly Help 2. Application of the Promises next to the clearing up of thy interest in Christ and in the promises Thou must give all diligence not only to acquaint thy self with the promises and rich Legacies of thy heavenly father but thou must also endevour seasonably to apply them to thy particular occasions and conditions as also to put the promises in suit by prayers and so make use of them by faith in drawing out vertue from Christ as a rich man makes use of his mony or stock and store when he improves it and imploys it for the supply of his particular wants to feed him to clothe him c. What a shame and a vanity is it as Solomon speaks for a man to have abundance of wealth and yet not to have a heart to make use of it for the supply of his wants And the like shame it is to a Christian to have a stock of Faith and precious promises and yet not to have a heart to make use of them for the supply of his daily wants So that to live by Faith then is to act our Faith in the promise and to go to them upon all occasions as a man goes to his treasury for the supply of all his wants For faith is nothing else but a believing of Gods promise and a trusting to it through Christ for supply in the time of need As for Example First Art thou in doubt or dost thou want wisdom Several cases wherein Faith is to be exercised for the ordering of thy temporal or spiritual affairs then act thy faith in that promise Jam. 1.5 If any lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Secondly Suppose thou art in outward troubles and seest no visible means for thy escape act thy faith in that promise Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Thirdly Art thou in inward trouble of spirit for want of the light of Gods countenance Live by faith in that promise Psal 85.8 He will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints c. Fourthly Suppose thou art afflicted in this Thy corruptions are strong and thy graces weak O live by faith in that promise Mica 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Or that 2 Cor. 9 8. God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work Fifthly Art thou afraid of enemies act thy faith in that promise Isa 54. Last No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper c. Sixthly Art thou afraid of Satan or any in league with him Away with that fear act thy saith in that promise Numb 23.23 Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Seventhly Art thou afraid of the fury of the oppression act thy faith in that promise Psal 9.9 The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble Eighthly Art thou afraid of want in thy estate Act thy faith in that promise Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Ninthly Art thou afraid of disgrace upon thy name act thy faith in that promise Zeph. 3.20 I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth saith the Lord. Tenthly Art thou afraid of bodily sickness or death Act thy faith in such promises where God engageth himself either to prevent sickness or to support thee under it or to make death a passage to a better life Eleventhly Art thou afraid thy labours and endeavours in thy calling will prove fruitless Act thy faith in that promise Psal 1.3 Whatsoevor he doth shall prosper Which is still to be understood with subordination to Gods glory and our own salvation Twelthly Art thou afraid what may become of thy children when thou art dead and gone Trust God with them and act thy faith upon that promise Psal 112.2 The generation of the upright shall be blessed 13. Art thou troubled to see the present differences among Gods people Live by faith in that promise Jer. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them 14. Art thou afraid of unprofitableness under Gods ordinances because thou findest much backwardness to them and much deadness under them apply that promise Isa 12.3 Ye shall with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation And that Isa 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst go 15. If thou be afraid of the hardness of thy bea rt and thy want of love to the Lord act faith in that promise Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed
to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live And thus might we instance in other cases and other promises but these may suffice to give light to the rest Let us thus carefully make use of the talent of our faith in trading with God upon all occasions that our one or two talents may gain more Simile God is the first fountain of all grace and comfort the promises are as several spring-heads our acting faith upon the promises is like the conveiance of waters in pipes to the several rooms in a house for the best service of the inhabitants Let us therefore act our faith that we may live comfortably upon the promises those heavenly wells of salvation And if God answer not presently we must act our faith in tarrying the lords leasure if the vision be for an appointed time the just shall live by his faith And that is the last branch of the exhortation respecting our selves if faith be so excellent a grace even the very life of the soul Then First as we should labour to get it and Secondly to keep it when we have it Thirdly to live by it and act it as well as keep it Branch IV. Of Exhortation So fourthly we should labour to increase the stock of our faith Increase of Faith Faith is such an excellent grace we can never have too much of it He that increaseth his faith increaseth his livelyhood For the just shall live by his faith It was the high commendation of those poor Christians Jam. 2.5 That however they were poor in other things yet they were rich in faith The Thessalonians are commended for this that their faith was on the growing hand their faith grew exceedingly 2 Thes 1.3 Paul gives the like commendable testimony of the Corinthians that they abounded in faith 2 Cor. 8.7 What should I say more this is recorded to the everlasting praise of him that is stiled the father of the faithful that he was strong in the faith Rom. 4.20 Let us all labour therefore that profess the same faith to attain as neer as we can to the same growth that we may be strong in the faith giving glory to God as he did And the rather should we be perswaded to grow because Motives to increase in Faith First there are degrees of faith 1. Faith hath degrees and no man attains to the highest degree at the first faith is like a grain of mustard seed before it comes to be a goodly tree and the faithful are first babes in Christ then young men then strong men 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. The Disciples are oft reproved for their little faith and the good woman is commended for her great faith Mat. 15.28 Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt it seems therefore there is little faith and there is great faith there is weak faith and there is strong faith and yet he that is stronger may grow still Paul was a strong and valiant champion in the faith no whit inferiour to the very chief of the Apostles and yet he speaks of himself as if he had little or nothing in comparison of that which he desired and endeavoured after Psal 3.9 in the third to the Philippians he tells us that he counts all things loss and dung that he may know Christ and the power of his Resurrection Why Did he not know him already and believe in him already doubtless he did but in comparison of what was to come and what he aimed at he accounted that which he had already but very little And therefore says he in the very next words Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus And therefore still he desireth to know more and to believe more he never thought he had faith enough And therefore beloved if such a strong man in the faith as Paul was desires still to be upon the growing hand how much more should such as are new beginners and but weak in the faith desire to grow from strength to strength according to that gracious promise Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger In other things men desire to grow In things natural no child but desires to grow till it be a man In things artificial no scholar apprentice but desires to grow till he become a perfect artist In the things of the world no man of mean estate but desires to grow till he be rich onely in grace men are content to be poor still Where we should be covetous there we are well contented with a little 1 Cor. 12.31 Covet earnestly the best gifts And where we should be content there we are covetous as in outward things Mot. 2. Growth of faith an evidence of its truth And this puts me in mind of a second Motive to quicken our growth in faith None have truth of faith but onely such as desire to grow in faith and therefore when a professor shall presently grow secure and say So now I believe all is well I have as much faith as will carry me to heaven and what need I care for any more it is a shrewd signe such a man hath no true faith at all a painted child grows not but a living child grows taller and taller from year to year For in case a man had had truly tasted how gratious the Lord is by the mouth of faith he must needs say as they did of that bread and water of life Lord evermore give us of this bread evermore give us of this water A man thinks he can never have enough of it True faith is never content to stand at a stay And the reason is because it springs up of immortal seed if the seed of faith could rot and die then it might cease to grow 1 Pet. 1. but because the seed of it is immortal and incorruptible therefore it must needs be up on the grownig hand It may be nipt a little for a time like winter corn but even then it grows in the root and will grow the faster for it afterwards in the blade also What shall we say then of those that are alwayes standing at a stay that are children in the faith for the space of fourty or fifty years together these are monsters in the life of faith It is confessed every thing must have a beginning both in nature and grace but it is a shame to be alwayes beginning and never carrying on a work to be a beginner from first to last is very strange and inconsistent with the grace of faith Thirdly consider the faster our faith grows Mot. 3. Faith makes all graces grow the faster all other graces do grow and the fruits of those graces also in all manner