some notes to shew you who those are that are delivered from this Egypt by Faith And who those are that seem to be delivered upon other grounds 1. Those that are delivered by Faith are those that are wel grounded in the Doctrinal and maine points of Religion Faith can never work off the soul from the Government and Ceremonies of Antichrist unless it be well grounded in the doctrine and principles of Religion if I see men crie out of Antichrist and of the Government of Antichrist and it appears that they have not a competent measure of knowledg in the grounds of Religion and Principles of Faith they are to be suspected As many come and examine them about Church Government and they wil tell you a great deale not but that Christians should labor to have knowledg in that but come to examine them the Principles of Religion and there they are silly and ignorant if they be not grounded in them it appears it is not a work of Faith 2. If it be a work of Faith it is a work of much Humiliation and Prayer was there a time you were under the power and bondage of Antichrist how came you from under it did God shew you the evil of it and you sought God in much Humiliation and prayer for the taking off your hearts from it and shewing you his good way and did you find your hearts comming off was by that meanes that is a good argument it was of Faith but many their Consciences tell them it was not a work of Humiliation and Prayer that brought off their hearts they are to be feared 3. If it be a work of Faith it alwaies le ts in light as in the point of the government of Christ many cry out against Antichristian government and come and examine them about it and they have no more light no other arguments nor further understanding then before but only a bitterness of spirit against it If a man grow bitter against those things which before he yeilded too he had need have more light but if they grow exceeding bitter against them and have no further light and understanding then before it is an argument it is a distemper of heart rather then any thing else And therefore casting off all at once is very suspitious where it is of Faith God lets in light by degrees It s said of Luther in his reformation First he saw the evil of one thing and then the evil of another and so by degrees saw the evil of all And so those that forsake the bondage of Antichrist By Faith first God makes them suspect their way surely this is not the right way there is some better way and then they fall a praying and humbling of themselves and they fall examining and so they come to see the evil of one thing and then they examine another and so light comes in by degrees and then their hearts rise against them and if according to the measure of Light that you have your hearts do come off that is a good signe 4. If you break from Antichrist by Faith it will make you a Separate from the world aswel as Separate from them Many are Separates from any thing that hath but the least dependancy upon Antichristian government but they conform themselves to the world that there appears no difference between them and the world in their loose courses that man that is a conformist to the world is not a Non-Conformist to Antichrist by Faith 5. If Faith take you off from the bondage under Antichrist it wil take you off from the bondage under any lust That man that hath not the power of Faith to take him off from any Lust That man is not by Faith taken off from the bondage of Antichrist If Faith delivere from the bondage under Antichrist it will deliver from the bondage under Sin and Sathan and therefore though men do crie out of the bondage of Antichrist never so much and yet they go on under the bondage of any Lust it is not of Faith 6. That Soul that is taken from under the power of Antichrist by Faith is subject to the power and goverment of Christ and the Word If Faith takes from the one it puts under the other nothing but the Word can be the ground of Faith and if Faith takes a Soul from under the bondage of Antichrist Such a Soul finds the Word comes with divine power and majesty upon the heart and it laies a trembling heart under the power and majesty of the Word and it dares not goe from it no not in no other thing You plead for the Word in such and such things but there are other things you do not yield to the power of the Word in this is very suspitious Those that by Faith are brought from the power of Antichrist their hearts are put mightily under the power of the Word and they ly with trembling spirits before the majesty and Authority of the word 7. If it be Faith that takes off the Heart such a one is not content that he is taken from under the Antichristian government unless he meetes with Christ in the Ordinances he does not content it self with the bare huskes and to make all his Religion to consist meerly in Church discipline and Church constitution and to think therefore he hath Religion enough because he hath the Ordinances and yet never finds any panting of Heart after union and communion with Christ Jesus in this way of Church Government but goes on from year to year mearly in the outward performances of Religion I do not speak against the thing it self but to shew it is not of Faith if men do not pant after union with Christ if they be not sensible of the want of it and do not labor for the enjoyment of it 8. If it be Faith that brings thee from this way certainly thou wilt grow more Spirituall As thy heart will pant after Christ so there wil be a Spiritualness of thy Soul in the waies of Christ because thou comest neerer to the rule And this is the difference between Actions of Religion and civil Actions civil Actions that are done by civil rule have not alwaies success but a Spirituall Action that is done by the rule that hath a Spirituall success though not an outward success it does make the heart ever more Spirituall But for people though they be come from the yoake of Antichrist yet to be as dead as ever no more Spiritualness in their way then before no more savour of Godliness in their society and company then before those that knew them before can say I knew them a great deale more spirituall and savoury in that which is good then they are now This is a dangerous thing 9. Againe If it be out of Faith such a one will give all the glory unto God for his deliverance and he wil walk humbly in his own eyes and think I was disobedient and wretched and should have gone on in that way but God by his grace and power hath come and hath taken off my heart and it does magnifie the grace of God It doth not perke up it self and contemne others to think I have got more wisdom and understanding then others and so attribute it to his wit and understanding but it gives the glory to God and instead of censuring others he prays for them and saies it is not all the arguments under Heaven can convince them for I had arguments enough but they were all as nothing til it pleased God by his Grace to set them upon my heart and so though they may see arguments as wel as I they will not do Therefore he pitties others and prays for them and he hath a reverent respect to the Grace of others though they be not in the same way that he is in he doth not presently cast them off saying surely there is no Grace and Godliness in them this is a signe of a proud spirit there are none that are gracious but know there was a time when they went on in that way and yet they did not goe against their light but were willing to understand Gods mind and yet til God came in their hearts were not taken off and therefore they learn to have good thoughts of those that are godly though in other waies But especially if it were out of Faith that you were brought from this Antichristian Bondage it will not leave in thee the Spirit of Antichrist many are far from being under Antichristian bondage and yet have an Antichristian Spirit a Spirit of pride a domineering Spirit a Crooked Perverse Spirit and this is a great evil that in the way of Christ there should be manifested an Antichristian Spirit this should be lamented with tears of blood Now so much as an Antichristian spirit does rule in any though they be from under his Goverment so much it is to be suspected it was not the work of Faith but somwhat else that took them off We should have the spirit of Christ the spirit of Love and Humillity and gentleness and peace and as we would make it appear we are taken off from the yoak of Antichrist by Faith let us shew the Spirit of Christ as Faith hath taken us off from Antichristian power so we should exercise Faith to go on in the waies of Christ as beseems those that are delivered from Antichristian power FINIS Eorum certitudo A. Mont. Interliâ—
resist the working of the supream yea it is a great particular of the glory of the supream cause to work above and beyond all inferior causes and faith having to deal with that it is not so much scared with difficulties as others are Seventhly Yet further Faith helps through great difficulties because it doth remove and cure the difficulties that are within the spirits of men and women and if these be taken away external difficulties have little in them we complain of many difficulties in a work without whenas indeed the greatest difficulties are within in our hearts and faith hath a speciall efficacy for removing and curing of them As now unruly passions are great hinderances to any worke that we undertake faith hath a mighty power in curing of them And likewise distracting fears but of that before And the reasoning of flesh and blood have a mighty deal of power to make a work difficult and great care is to be had in curing of them And the lumpish deadness of our spirits And the base sluggishness of our hearts And the base ends that a man hath faith cures them and cleanses the heart of them And so foolish presumptions that people have and their false confidences and resting upon rotten props these and divers others may be named which are inward difficulties that faith helps against and by removing of them doth easily overcome any difficulty that is without therefore when you have any work which is hard look not so much for the removing the difficulties that are without as the difficulties that are within Eighthly The Eighth particular wherein the power of Faith is That Faith makes the work that God sets a Christian about to be suitable to his spirit let the work be what it wil be if it be a work of God any way of Godliness Faith hath a power to work the heart to be suitable to that work that there shal be an agreement between the frame and temper of heart and the work that God sets it to and then a work wil go on If you set one to a work that does but bungle the work does not go off hand because it is a work that is not suitable to his principles but if a man hath a work that is suitable to him he can go to it with singing and it goes off readily as in Nehem. 4.6 The work went on because the people had a mind to work though indeed it was a hard work Ninthly Again Another power of Faith is this Faith hath power to make use of difficulties for the furtherance of the work and therefore much more power for to carry through difficulties Faith can bring water out of the Rock it can make the mountains that lie in the way to be advantages to raise the heart upon We have a notable place for this in Hebr. 11.3 4. where it is said Out of weakness they were made strong not that they were made strong being weak that they were brought out of their weakness and had strength conveyed to them that is not al but it is made a fruit of their Faith that they were made strong out of weakness Faith did make use of their very weakness to strengthen them by so that Faith is not only able to strengthen those that are weak but to take advantage by weakness for to strengthen to turn al hindrances into furtherances for so God having promised all shal turn to good Faith can take hold of that Promise and so turn all hindrances that can be into furtherances Faith hath a Chymical Art those that have that Art wil get Gold cut of Stones or Iron So Faith wil draw Gold out of Iron and stones out of things that seem to be never so cross and contrary it wil draw help Tenthly Faith helps against difficulty because it works by love and that hath a great deal of power to carry through difficulties Much water cannot quench Love it is a speech of Bernard Cant. 8.7 The force of Love is violent Saies the Apostle in 1 Thess 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labor of Love Love is very laborious it will force through difficulty therefore that which makes so much use of Love and inflames that that hath much power against difficulty 11 ly Another thing wherein the power of Faith consists is Before we enter on the work it assures of a certain good success Now when we know the success shal be good and certain before we begin this wil help against any difficulty though the work be never so hard it is want of the hope of the success that deadens the heart But this must not be mistaken Faith doth not alwaies assure of a particular success if we wil assure our selves of a particular success which is more than the Promise wil bear this wil hinder Faith but faith wil assure of success in the general 12 ly Again Faith assures of the reward 2 Chron. 75.7 Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded Faith assuring of this wil make one strong though God cal to never such hard things Marriners in hope of a good reward they wil venture themselves in storms tempests and in dangers on the Sea And so a Soldier if his Captain wil give him a months or two months pay over and above he wil venture his life 13 ly Lastly Faith quickens and stirs up al Graces cals in the help of every Grace Now many hands will do great works and so where al Graces do work together much wil be done And thus much for the explication of the work of faith in carrying through services that have so much difficulty For Use CHAP. 21. Vses of the Doctrine Use First Let none think God an hard Master when he puts them upon service because he affords them a principle to carry them through Use Secondly To Beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things 1. Four considerations against discouragements It is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for 4. Reasons Use Thirdly Shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work because there are hinderances Use Fourthly When you have been carried through difficult services consider what it was which supported you USE 1. First Now then let none think God to be an hard Master in putting his servants upon such difficulties as are hard to do though he do put them upon difficulties yet he gives them a principle to carry them through and then it is al one as if it were easyer Carnal hearts are ready to complaine of the tediousness and hardness of Gods waies and they are ready to complain of God as an hard Master how are they hard and tedious They are hard and tedious to you because you want a principle to do them by but they are not hard to the Christian indeed it was cruelty and hardness to to Pharoah to put the Israelites upon work
THE EXCELLENCY OF HOLY COURAGE IN EVIL TIMES In which besides many other seasonable truths there is shewed 1. That wicked Men in power are very fierce in their wrath 2. That Faith will keep a gracious heart from immoderate fear of Men of Authority and Power 3. Directions in our fear of Authority 4. Directions how to order our selves If Authority enjoyn unlawful things 5. How Faith helpeth against the fear of Man opened in fifteen Particulars 6. Arguments against the fear of Men And wicked men are less to be feared than others 7. Differences between natural boldness and Holy Courage from Faith 8. How far we may lawfully avoid danger by flying Several Cases of conscience concerning flying 9. Objections Answered concerning flying 10. How the heart may be taken off from the fear of Man 11. The Power of Faith to carry Gods people through the most difficult works and services 12. How to know whether Faith wil carry us through difficult works 13. Helps to put on Faith in our undertakings 14. How Faith carries the Soul through the difficult work of forsaking Egypt 15. The wickedness of Sodom and Egypt compared with the wickedness of Antichrist By Jeremiah Burroughs Preacher of the Gospel at Stepney and Criple-Gate London Published by Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye William Bridge John Yates William Adderly London Printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole Printers and Book-sellers at the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1661. A Testimony to the Reader WHAT we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already Published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on Hebrews the 11. Chapter 27. verse We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author and Published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenhil William Bridge Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley Books Printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole Printers and Book-sellers of London at the Exchange Mr. Burroughs WORKS viz. on Matth. 11. 1 Christs call to all those that are Weary and Heavy Laden to come to him for Rest 2 Christ the Great Teacher of Souls that come to him 3 Christ the Humble Teacher of those that come to him 4 The only Basic way to Heaven 5 The Excellency of holy Courage 6 Gospel Reconciliation 7 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment 8 Gospel-Worship 9 Gospel-Conversation 10 A Treatise of Earthly Mindedness 11 Exposition of the Prophesie of Hosea 12 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of Sin 13 Precious Faith 14 Of Hope 15 Of Walking by Faith Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumes Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light 2 Christ in Travel 3 A Lifting up for the cast down 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmity 6 The fals Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holyness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptation 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Naturall Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life and in being of Christ in al Beleevers 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding place c. 19 Christ Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts New Books of Mr. Sydrach Simpson VIZ. 1 Of Unbelief or the want of readiness to lay hold on the comfort given by Christ 2 Not goeing to Christ for Life and Salvation is an exceeding great Sin yet Pardonable 3 Of Faith Or That beleeving is receiving Christ And receiving Christ is beleeving 4 Of Coveteousness Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volumes One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hoooker made in New Edgland Are arrested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer on the seventeenth of John Wherein is shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive all glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Saviour desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful servants 8 That our Union and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven Ten Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God By Thomas Hooker Dr. Hills WORKS The Kings Tryal at the High Court of Justice Wise Virgin Published by Mr. Thomas Weld of New-England Mr. Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Cure Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the loadstone By Samuel Ward of Ipswitch An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there Mr. Brightmen on the Revelation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Loves Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech A Congregational church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England A Treatise of Politick Powers Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians Vox PacifiCa or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament time Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech Woodwards Sacred Ballance Dr. Owen against Mr. Baxter Abrahams Offer Gods Offerings Being a Sernion by Mr. Herle before the Lord Major of London Mr. Spurstows Sermon being a Pattern of Repentance Englands Deliverance By Peter Sterry The Way of God with his People in these Nations By Peter Sterry Mr. Sympson's sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks sermon before the Lord Major The best and
were another matter if you had gone through those fears and yet were bold but a beleeving soul may say yea Lord the gates of death and the shadow of death hath been in some measure made known to me and yet I am bold The Prophet saith in Jer. 17.17 Be not thou a terror to me for thou art my hope in the day of evil Lord let me be delivered from thy terror and all the world shall not terrifie me Those that have been brought up delicately and know not what any danger means if they heare of any commotion and danger they tremble but those that are used to warrs that continually heate the noise of Cannons and see the affrighting objects and desperate things that are there they are not so soon made affraid because they have been where terrors have been and have been delivered from them and so a beleeving soul hath been acquainted with other manner of terrors than the terrors of men and faith delivering from them will deliver from these Fourthly Faith helps against the feare of men and all dangers and evils by implanting the true feare of God in the soul Where faith comes as it brings all grace with it so it brings the grace of the feare of God and the reason of al disorderly feare in the world is for want of the true fear of God I do not meane the fear of his wrath but that reverence that we owe to God as creatures to the Creator that fear of God wherein a great part of Gods worship consisteth if the soul were possessed with that other fears would vanish As in other afflictions True spiritual joy will overcome carnal joy and the best way to cure carnal joy is to have the heart possessed with spiritual joy many take content in the flesh but they never come to have their carnal joy mortified till their souls be filled with spiritual joy And therefore though in the time of sickness They cry out against their carnal joy it is not mortified but they returne to it again because they had only the conviction of conscience that their carnal joy was naught but had not a contrary stream to fil their hearts And so for sorrow There is no way to mortifie carnal sorrow as to sorrow for sin and so for desires no way to mortifie sinful creature desires as to have desires Sanctified for God As in other afflictions so in that of fear no such way to mortifie carnal sinful fear as to have the true fear of God planted in the heart As Moses when the rod was turned into a Serpent the Magicians turned their rods into serpents but the text saith in Exod. 7.12 that Moses Serpent did devour the Magicians Serpents So there is enough in the true feare of God to take up al the soul that it hath no space for the fear of Man As when God is truly worshipped there he is only worshipped so when God is truly feared there he is only feared and all other fears are in subordination to that Where God is truly feared nothing else is feared and indeed nothing else need be feared As where God is not feared no creature can help us so where God is feared no creature can hurt us in Hosea 10.3 Because we feared not the Lord What then should a King do to us so on the contrary because we feare the Lord what then can a King what can all the power in the world do against us Fiftly Faith doth discover unto the soul that it hath more with it than against it You know the Prophets man was affraid when he saw their enemies about them ready to apprehend them the Prophet prayed to the Lord to open his eyes and to let him see in 2. Kings 6.16.17 There were more with him than against him So till a mans eyes are opened by faith he may see many enemies against him to cause fear but when God doth open the eyes of his Soul to see more with him than against him all fears are gone It sees al the Attributes of God all the waies of Gods Providence all Angels all creatures working for the good of it and so it sees more with it then against it If a child or man be alone in danger he is affraid but when he comes into the company of his freinds that hath more with him than against him he is not affraid So by the eye of faith we see more with us than against us and that frees from feare Sixthly Faith keeps from feare by bringing in the spirit of Jesus Christ into the Soul and makes the Soul partaker of the spirit of Christ Now Christ is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Revel 5.5 He was full of courage and did not feare any thing which opposed him in his way now every Christian doth partake of the Lion-like spirit of Christ and hath something of it in him and that puts strength courage into him In Isa 11.2 We read of the spirit of Christ that he was anointed withal the spirit of wisdom and understanding spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledg and the fear of the Lord. Wheresoever the spirit of Christ is there is a spirit of might and strength that will not easily yeeld to feare It is a sign of a poor low spirit to ly down and feare every thing that is never so little feareful but a spirit that is magnanimous and a raised spirit wil not easily feare The spirit of Christ is a magnanimous glorious spirit he hath the same spirit with his Father and so those that are Christs come to have the same spirit of the Son and of the Father with them And therefore saith Saint Paul in 2 Tim. 1.7 We have not received the Spirit of fear but of power The Spirit of Christ hath a great deal of power and strength in it and when faith brings in the spirit of Christ it must needs help against fear Seventhly Faith helps against feare by taking off the heart from the creature and from all the comforts that are in it Why doth a man feare but because he thinks the creature wil take away some comfort from him now if the heart be taken off from the creature and the comforts of it and so from creature evils neither esteeming the one nor accounting much of the other there is not much cause why he should feare now faith takes off the heart from the creature In Revel 12.11 It is spoken of those that overcome Antichrist that they loved not their lives and if they were taken off from the love of life then by consequence they were taken of from the love of any creature It is a notable speech that Chrisostome hath concerning a worldly man None more miserable and more feareful than a man that is fastned to earthly things for saith he he doth continually live the life of care and of trembling but when faith comes it takes off the heart from being fastned to the creature and
when he had done that did God secondly take off thy heart from all creature props creature confidences and dependances After that did God cast in a word and promise into thee and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it and fasten upon it did God draw out a work of Faith to close with this wisdom Faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self nor didst not know what should become of thee wert willing wholly to venture upon God to give up thy self unto him to be at his dispose were thy ends good and right in this work didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation surely there was faith in this and if there were faith in this consider what I have to say to thee First Know that this work is wonderfully acceptable to God God looks upon such works of nature as lovely as the young man that came to Christ Christ loved him in Mark 10.21 But if it be a work of faith God looks upon it and accepts it indeed says the scripture These obtained a good report by faith Heb. 11.39 They obtained a good report indeed not only before men but before God Secondly being a work of Faith thou mayest have abundance of peace and joy in it we never have gone through difficulty but it is pleasant to us if we have gone some voyage and have passed through difficulties through many storms and tempests we prize it the water that David longed for when it was got with so much difficulty he thought it too good to drink but powred it before the Lord. In 2 Sam. 23.16.17 As Jacob saies of the portion he gave to Joseph Gen. 48.22 This I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow So any thing that we get hardly it is the more prized so that when we get through difficulties by our faith that we should prize much and rejoyce in Thirdly If so be that Faith hath carried thee through difficulty Let this encourage thee for ever for time to come certainly there is no difficulty wil stand before thee if difficulties have begun to fal they wil fal and wil not be able to stand before thee You may reason as Hamans friends If thou beginnest to fall before Mordecai thou wilt fall Est 6.13 and therefore thou maist cal this work by the name that David called that place where his enemies began to fal before him Baal-perizem because God had made a breach upon his enemies 2 Sam. 5.20 he took that but as a pledg that God would make al his enemies fal before him And so hath God made some difficulties fal before thee then al difficulties wil fal Fourthly Let God have al the glory neither thy self nor the means those things that we do by Faith God is in them little of our selves or nothing at al Boasting is excluded saies the Apostle Rom. 3.27 By the Law of Faith or by the Law of Works By the Law of Faith and therefore that which is done by faith excludes al boasting from our selves and gives God the glory 1. Because Faith of al Graces hath least rooting in our selves as for Justice and Temperance and Patience and Love they have some assistance in Nature but faith hath nothing at al and therefore God must have the glory of that chiefly 2. Faith of al Graces hath the least influence into that which it doth though it be under the rank of efficient causes it is but an instrumental cause and though an instrument be an efficient it is the least efficiency of al and therefore the glory belongs to God 3. Of al Graces Faith is the most emptying Grace it carries a Creature out of it self unto another and therefore whatsoever we do by Faith we must give God the glory 4. Attribute nothing to means for though thou usest means ye whatsoever was done by Faith was done above means beyond means and might have been done without means 5. Hath God carryed you through any difficult work and was this a principle Labor to prize the word of God upon which thy faith was built to nourish and increase this Joy 6. If you have found your faith hath carried you through great things take heed thy Faith do not fayl thee in less things that will be a shame As a marriner that hath been in great stormes and tempests and hath wrought through them if afterward he should come and perish in the haven or in some ordinary tempest for want of Skill that would grieve him more so for a Souldier that hath been in desperate battels afterwards to be overcome with a little strength he looseth his honor this is possible that a Christian by his faith may be carried through wonderful great things and yet his faith may fail him afterwards in lesser things as many a man may escape great dangers and recover great success and yet afterwards die of a cold and those that God hath carried through great things may faile in lesser but it is an infinite shame take heed to your selves in that As David speaks concerning Saul 2. Sam. 1.21 The shield of the mighty is vilely cast away as though he had not been anointed with Oyl God hath given thee fayth as a shield and it was the shield of the mighty and now it is vilely cast away an ordinary temptation comes and thou failest as if thou hadst not been anointed with oyl when God carried thee through difficult works thou wert anointed with oyl and now you fal as if you had not been anointed with oyl you have been carried through many difficulties in that work of leaving of your country now when you come here your faith will not serve you to order your ordinary business and affaires but it fails fowly in every ordinary dealing with man and in your private dealings in your family what a shameful thing is it that such a one as hath had such power as to look upon the face of his enemies and to testify for the truth before them when he hath to deal with a servant or child or Wife he fails shamefully and when he comes to deal with brethren he knows not how to behave himself as if he were not anointed with oyl as if he never had faith nothing but nature as ful of frowardness and pettishness of spirit and all outward distempers as those that never were acquainted with Faith And so faith hath carried you through great difficulties enabled you to deny your self to get to the ordinances and when you are under them it fails you in assistance to make use of them and to give God the Glory of them but you rather defile them and spoile them what a shameful thing is this Be ashamed and confounded in
them to chew them no marvel then though they spit them out and do not swallow them they should swallow them down and not chew them And so when God gives us any bitter pills we must not alwaies be chewing of them in our thoughts but free the command of God and so go on in our work and labor to swallow difficulties as much as we can we have a notable place for this purpose in Psal 86.4 5. Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto al them that cal upon thee Thus we apply it the cause why many go so drooping in their way and have no joy and comfort in any of their waies is because they look downward in the dark if a man were in the bottom of a deep pit and alwaies looks downward he could never see light if he would see light he must look upward to the Sun so mark the way of David Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul If David had let his heart alwaies fall downward he would never had joy in his way but when he would have joy he lift up his heart so if there be any work that is difficult and your hearts are troubled would you have that which should rejoyce you lift up your soules to God in those incouraging waies that he presents to you For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy Here is a way to get mercy he lifts up his soul and looked upon God as good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy I appeale to you when did you lift up your soules and look up to God as plenteous in mercy you alwaies looked downward in the bottome of the pit and see the blackness of Gods justice ready to seize upon you but you should lift up your soul to God and look to the sun we should not alwaies be poring upon those things that are difficult but see those things that are incouraging 22. Do not make use of difficulties in your way to reason against your work or to make you out of love with your work but to reason against your hearts indeed it is an hard work but it is through my wretched sluggish heart and because I do not make use of the means and abilities that God affords me many that have less means and helps then I can go through harder works then I and so labor to reason against your own hearts and not the work many when they feel the work hard reason against the work the Lord knows I strive and do what I can but I have so many letts and hinderances God does not come in with his Grace to help me and I can do nothing without God How comes it to pass nothing is done because the work is hard or because you do not use what power God gives to do it withall now the safest way is rather to reason against your selves that you have not done what you can but you rather put off al the guilt from your selves and justify your selves and that is all the reason why nothing is done it is because the work is hard and you have so many hinderances and that God hath not given you his power but if you look into your own hearts you will find another reason it is not so much the hardness of the work as the ill disposition of your hearts and that should be your care not to reason against the work because it is difficult but against your hearts And to conclude all this is all I say we should labor to harden our selves by our Faith against all difficulties As unbeleefe is a hardning sin one way So faith is a hardning grace another way unbelief hardens in that which is evil and faith hardens in that which is good Acts 19.9 But when divers were hardned and beleeved not They were hardned because they did not beleeve and faith hath the contrary effect and wil do as much in that which is good as unbelief can do in that which is evil As unbelief wil make a man or woman so hard as to be as Iron to that which is good so Faith wil make a man as Iron to that which is evil and therefore the Prophet Jeremiah is compared to Iron and Steel Jer. 15.12 Shall Iron break the northern Iron and the Steel God hath revealed himself to him gratiously and he was hardned by it now of all graces especially Faith doth make the heart as Iron for God as unbelief doth make the heart as Iron to stand out against God And therefore is the exhortation of the Apostle 2 Peter 1.5 Ad to your Faith vertue the word Virtus comes from strength because every vertue puts forth strength so it is as much as if he should say ad to your faith strength put it forth strongly that it may help you against strong difficulties with a war-like power vertue hath a power to oppose enemies and so ad to your faith vertue And if we do so know it will be a very honorable thing it is an honor to God honor to us for us to go through difficult things it is honor to God as Davids men that endured so much that broke through an host for to get him water it was an honor to him and so for us to do difficult things for God it is an honor to God and it is honorable to us non so honorable as those that have gone through difficult works it will make them honorable to others as some observe from that place in 8. Cant. 3. If shee be a wal we will build upon her a palace of Silver If shee be a wal to stand out against opposition and temptation we wil build upon her a palace of Silver she shal be made honorable and glorious and so every Christian if your heart be as a wall to stand out against opposition and difficulty and hinderances in the way of God you shall have a pallace of Silver built upon you you shal be honorable in the eyes of God and all his Saints And going through difficulty is a mighty strengthening to grace and the more difficulty any go through the more Grace is strengthened As it is a rule of any thing that opposeth another if it do not overcome it it strengthens it as fire and water if you cast so much water into fire as the fire can overcome it the fire gathernig strength to overcome the water that opposes it burns the better So in all oppositions So in sin If that a man comes to be opposed in his sinful way by the word if the word do not overcome his lust his lust grows stronger And so in grace if any lust or sin or temptation or any thing do come and oppose grace or any gracious act and if they do not overcome grace but grace overcome them