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
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
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
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
obtain a better resurrection He that either undervalues or overvalues his life he murthers himself the one directly by loving danger the other indirectly and by consequent exposing himself to the judgement of God for Mat. 10.39 He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Thus the just lives by faith in regard of the good things of this natural or temporal life as well as of eternal life as he hath the promises for this life as well as for that which is to come Look as the same love and care in an earthly parent that moves him to give an inheritance to his Son at the last moves him to maintain him and provide for him in the mean time And the same spirit of filial dependance that moves the childe to depend upon his fathers love and care to provide him an inheritance moves him to depend upon him for maintenance in his minority So 't is in this case the same faith that moves us to depend upon God for eternal life moves us to depend upon him for the good things of this life and the one assures us of the other Luke 12.12 Fear not little flock viz. in regard of temporal provision for it is your heavenly fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome And in truth he that will not trust God for a penny will not trust him for a pound He that will not trust him for temporal life how will he trust him for eternal But so much for the first The believers living by faith in respect of the life which we call natural Some Use of this Branch Vse 1 1. Reproof to those that as they say trust God for eternal life yet trust not in him for temporal that trust him for their souls but not for their bodies for an heavenly inheritance but not for worldly estates Though there is promise for life and estate For estate Mat. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternal life For life Mat. 10.39 He that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Yet many will trust God no further then they can see him That whereas they say they love God above all the world c. indeed they love the world above God and so make a god of the World and are enemies to God according to what is written Jam. 4.4 1 Joh. 2.15 He that loves the world the love of the Father is not in him 2. Exhortation to live by faith in respect of this life and the things of this life And indeed God doth train up his servants to exercise faith for better things by exercising their faith first in things of lesser moment The Church in her infancy was trained up this way God first exercised her faith for earthly Canaan and then for that which is heavenly So 't is with each Christian in his infancy God doth first exercise his faith in things more sensible and then in things more spiritual And if we exercise not faith and faithfulness in these how can we exercise the same in things of higher concernment Luke 16.10 11. If ye have been unfaithful in the unrightâ—ous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches 'T is true all both good and bad possess the same life health wealth c. but some hold these upon better Tenure than others do Look as amongst men there are diversities of Tenures in reference to men some Copy hold some Free-hold and these we prize far above the other So in reference to God some hold by common Providence but some by Promise from God 1 Tim 4.8 Godliness hath the promise of this life c. These are Free-holders indeed John 8. If the Son make you free then you are free indeed as free from other sins so from usurpation of the creatures I do not deny but wicked men have a civil right to the creatures and that by Gods own appointment also but a wholesome and a sanctified use they have not This is proper only to the faithful Others are but Copy-holders at the will of the Lord and therefore forfeited that too but these are Free-holders they hold in Capite from Christ their Head and King 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods This is the best Tenure under heaven this is the sweetest enjoyment of the creatures Simile As Waters are sweetest that are drank out of the Fountain or at least in such a stream as is united to the Fountain Whereas all carnal men drink of the creatures as of Puddle-waters there 's neither that sweetnesse nor that wholesomenesse in the enjoyment of them their very table is made a snare and that which should have been for thâ—ir welfare becomes a gin and a trap Psal 69 22. And so like a company of Flesh-flies or venomous Wasps they are drowned in the very Honey-pot of worldly pleasures Their wealth is their utter undoing the prosperity of fools shall slay them Prov. 1.32 and that because they live not by Faith but by Sense they have no other wisdome in the enjoyment of the creatures but what is either earthly or sensual or devillish Jam 3.15 The unclean Spirit doth possesse them and what they know naturally as brute beasts even in those things they corrupt themselves Jude ver 10. As an unbeliever extracts some evil out of the greatest good upon earth as good creatures good meat and drink the bane of the Soul and the good Word of God 2 Cor. 2. the savour of death to them so a believer extracts some good out of the greatest evil out of the eater comes sweet meat Faith sucks sweet Honey out of the Lions carcase out of wasting and devouring afflictions out of the Rock of Offence that which is made a Rock of Offence to others is made a Rock of Defence and Shelter to them Look as the heavenly Bodies the Sun Moon and Stars have a strong influence upon these inferiour Bodies and make a sweet extraction from the earth from whence we have our Honey-dews that fall down into the Mothers lap in which they were first begotten as Job 38.28 hath the rain a father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew So this heavenly grace of faith which is no other than the arising of the Day-star and the shining of the Sun of Righteousnesse in our hearts hath a sweet influence upon these inferiour things and makes a sweet extraction from common experiments of Gods goodnesse and faithfulnesse in things of a lower nature from whence the Soul gathers many sweet Honey-dews of Gods unchangeable love and favour in Christ By this I know thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Psal 41.11 II. Spiritual life liv'd by faith Secondly In respect of Spiritual life the just lives by Faith
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
have most grace do most seek Gods glory Isa 25.3 The strong people shall glorifie thy Name and the more Job saw of God the more he debased himself Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees thee therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Thus we are to examine whether we do increase or no. And 2. Is that increase the increase of God Exam. 2. What is the increase of God 1. For the Author 2. For the Matter 3. For the Manner 4. For the Measure 1. There is an increase which is but the increase of the Creature a natural increase which a natural man may attain to in the exercise of Moral Vertues the habit whereof is strengthned by frequent acts for Rom. 2.14 They do by nature the things contained in the Law This onely makes the increase of the natural man 2. There is a Diabolical increase when a man is puft up with knowledge with a superstitious observation of a voluntary Humility in meats and drinks and days Col. 2.16 17 18 19. and worshipping of Saints and Angels It is an easie matter to increase in this kinde of devotion the Devil will be a mans Tutor in this School this is but a Diabolical increase It may be truly said of such persons Non crescunt sed turgent They do not grow but swell like some excrescence like a Byle or Wen upon the Body it hath no kindely growth from the Head but unnatural Tumour from some vicious humour Hab. 2.4 His soul which is lifted up or which is swoln is not upright in him But 3. there is an increase which is cald the encrease of God Col. 2.19 First as God is the Author of it not any Creature 1. Author of Divine increase As God begins this life so he carries it on Joh. 1.13 They that believe are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of the will of God And he increaseth it Phil. 1.6 He begins the good work and he will perform or finish it to the day of Christ Secondly for the Matter of it True Humility 2. Matter Self-denial saving Faith which are Graces incommunicable to natural men and hypocrites These are graces which do accompany Salvation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.9 And they are God's for the matter of them under a more special consideration Thirdly for the Manner 3. Manner The increase of God is uniform and proportionable such a man increaseth in all parts alike Head Heart Hands Feet and all he increaseth in the knowledge of the Truth and the love of the Truth proportionably But now the increase of the Hypocrite is very uneven and unequal a monstrous increase like the increase of some Monster Simile that hath a great Head and a little narrow Brest without Hands and Feet such is the increase of an hypocrite he may have a great Head a great deal of superficial knowledge but a narrow Brest no love to the Truth no Hands to practice that which is good no Feet to walk with God This is a monstrous increase 4. Measure Fourthly for the Measure The increase of God is a great increase as in Scripture Trees of God signifie great Trees and Mountains of God great Mountains so the increase of God is a great increase Though the beginnings of such as have the truth of grace be small yet their latter end doth greatly increase Job 8.7 Every gracious person goes beyond an hypocrite he grows beyond the sphere of his activity beyond the sphere of nature or art and so he increaseth not with the increase of a Creature but with the increase of God 2 Coloss 19. Q. But will some say If we must thus judge of our growth then I fear I have no Faith no Grace because I cannot perceive that I grow unless it be downward methinks I grow worse and worse therefore I fear I have no Grace What to judge in sense of want of growth Ans 1. Possibly thou hast none indeed therefore examine whether ever thou wert soundly humbled or no so as to be effectually driven home to Christ and hast received him for thy King and Prophet as well as Priest A. 2. If so yet know it 's possible for a gracious person for want of watchfulness in the use of Means to stand at a stay or to decline and fall back Q. But you will say What then is the difference between the falling back of an Hypocrite and a true Believer Ans 1. The Believer is humbled when he loseth ground Difference of drawing back therefore he cries out as David Psal 119. ult I have gone astray like a lost sheep Lord seek thy servant but so doth not the Hypocrite A. 2. A Believer recovers himself again ere it be long and gets strength by his fall as Peter did but an Hypocrite doth not so but still goes down the stream and will never take the pains to row up again A. 3. Whereas thou saist Thou dost not grow it may be it is with thy Soul as with Trees in Winter though they do not grow above-ground yet they grow under-ground though they do not grow in the branches yet they grow in the root and the growth of the root in the Winter will further the growth of the branches when Summer comes And this is Gods method with his people he makes them first grow in the root before they grow in the branches Isa 37.31 The remnant of the house of Judah shall take root downward and then they shall bring forth fruit upward Now it may be thou dost not grow so much upward for the present which is the grief of thy Soul yet for thy comfort if thou growest more downward in Humility and Self-denial and Self-abhorrency thy condition is good and the Spring of Grace will come upon thy Soul ere long when thou shalt hear that comfortable voice of Jesus Christ Cant. 2.10 11 13. Rise up my love and come away for lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come c. So that even your complaining of your want of growth may be a sign of your growing in the root I had rather hear an humble Soul say Alas I am wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked then to hear a proud Pharisaical Laodicean say God I thank thee I am not as other men I am rich and increast with goods and have need of nothing A. 4. I answer Whereas thou saist thou dost not grow it is not an easie matter to perceive growth very suddenly If a man stands and looks on a Tree never so long he cannot perceive it to grow but if he take the height of it and come again five or six years after he shall easily perceive it is grown And so it is in grace it is not easie for the present
to discern its growth Mar. 4.27 The seed springs and grows we know not how but in time we shall easily perceive it is grown A. 5. Whereas thou saist Thou dost not grow it may be it is true for the present thou dost not grow at all but art like the parched earth yet if thou canst but lay hold of Gods Covenant by Faith that will make thee grow afresh as the Rain and the Sun makes the grass to revive that was even withered and dead before This was Davids comfort though he was like a branch springing out of a dry ground as it is said of Christ Isa 53.2 yet 2 Sam. 23.3 4 5. he was assured God would make him grow again even as the tender grass out of the earth by clear shining after rain Simile Vse 2. Humiliation for small growth The fourth Use is for Humiliation in that upon trial we finde so little growth amongst us We grow more opinionative from day to day but we grow not more active we deserve not the commendation of the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.19 Thy last works are more than thy first but rather the reproof of the Church of Ephesus ver 4 5 Thou art faln from thy first love repent and do thy first works Therefore we have cause to be humbled and repent Christ may say to England as to Ephesus I have this against thee that thou art faln from thy first love We are like forgetful and careless Scholars deserving to be put down into a lower Form Whereas it is the property of such as are admitted into the School of heavenly Wisdom to increase in learning Prov. 1 5. A wise man will hear and increase learning and Prov. 9.9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser It is true indeed our heads are full of disputes but our hearts are so little grown in the love of the Truth that we are but very dwarfs in practical Religion If we compare our selves with the Worthies of God in former generations as the Spies said of the inhabitants of Canaan they may well seem as Giants in our eyes What a deal of heavenly-heartedness what love what humility what faithfulness was to be found among them If Luthers Courage Calvins Painfulness the Martyrs Zeal hotter than the fire which consumed them might be found in our days I should hope we did then begin to grow and to recover our first love But alas while we are so lukewarm that we can bear them that are evil Rev. 2. and bear evils in our selves where is our growth Do not many question whether the Pope be Antichrist and whether the Church of Rome be a true Mother Others though they cannot deny but that the Church of Rome iâ— the Scarlet Whore the Jezabel spoken of in Scripture yet the zeal of some is grown so cool they could finde in their heart they might have a Toleration even for Jezabel her self contrary to manifest Scripture Rev. 2 20. Thou sufferest the woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants Histories tell us That Adrian and Heliogabalus and some other Roman Emperours did command all kinds of Worship in one and the same Temple but it tended to no other purpose than the like device of Julian the Apostate who gave Hereticks freedom amongst right believers not that he cared for one or the other but that by their mutual distractions and dissentions they might destroy both And therefore what those Factors of Satan did invent for the advancing of his Kingdom let it be far from the practice of Saints Let us rather recover our first love to the Truth of God yea let it grow and increase and truly if we grow not how shall we be able to look Christ in the face when he comes to take account of us We are planted in such a soil ordered by such an Husbandman watered by such heavenly showers in the dispensations of Ordinances that we shall be both the wonder and shame of Christians if we grow not Vse 5. Of thankfulness for growth The fifth Use is to stir us up to thankfulness that the just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation especially in such times as these That grace should thus increase either in the Church in general or in any particular Christians heart considering how great opposition it meets withall When ever doth a man in earnest profess himself a Christian but all the Powers of Darkness in Hell and upon the Earth proclaim open wars against him Besides the clog of his own sinful corruptions which hang heavy upon him for the Flesh is ever lusting against the Spirit and yet he grows In spight of Satan the Prince of the Air Eph. 2. who blows forth many a terrible storm to blast the fruit In spight of the World which sends forth many a sharp frost to nip the fruit in the bud In spight of Corruption which lies as a Worm at the Root to eat out the very heart and power of godliness yet he grows for all this And how comes this to pass Surely you will say here is aliquid Dei the finger of God must needs be in it The preservation of Grace in this case is wonderful If you should see a Rush-candle set without doors in the midst of stormy Winds and Rain and yet continue light you would stand and look upon it with admiration and yet thus is the little Candle of Grace preserved Psal 18.28 The Lord my God will light my candle yea he keeps it light when the Prince of the Air and all his instruments joyn all their forces to blow it out God lighted such a Candle by Luthers Doctrine as could never be blown out to this day All the breathings and threats and bellowings of the Romish Bulls all the thunderings of the Popish Canons could never blow it out This is the Lords doing and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes Marvellous indeed that truth and grace should be preserved under such opposition but much more marvellous that it should be increased thereby that it should be like the Camomile the more it is trodden upon the more it grows like a Tree the more it is lopt and topt the more is flourishes and spreads That the Churches should be edified and multiplied when they had rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria it is not so wonderful Acts 9.31 but that they should then grow and increase when there was no rest no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in That the Blood of the Martyrs should be the Seed of the Church That the Church should grow and thrive best under opposition this is the Wonder of Wonders which plainly shews the increase is not of man but of God and therefore he should have all the glory of it The sixth Use is for Exhortation Vse 6. Of Exhortation to growth To labour to live by Faith the Life of Augmentation It is a shame
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
promise And it was a blessing of the first Age of the World where God graciously provided that men should live longer because they were sown thinner Therefore some lived seven hundred years some eight hundred some nine hundred and odde but at last it is said of the best and strongest and longest of the Sons of Men Et mortuus est that he died That is the way of all flesh in regard of natural life But it is not the way of all flesh in regard of Spiritual life Joh. 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die His Soul shall never die though his Body die Fear not those that kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Matth. 10.18 they are not able to kill the Soul no nor are they able to kill the grace of the Soul Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Therefore say with David Oh let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Vse 6 6 Use is of Incouragement against all Discouragement That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance Of incouragement concerning Perseverance That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance and shall persevere in the grace and favour of God Nothing shall separate from the love of Christ There are four main Discouragements incident to a Christian in his earthly Pilgrimage 1. The inconstancy of Creatures towards Creatures 2. The Creatures inconstancy towards God 3. A mans weakness compared with the strength of enemies opposing 4. A mans own sinful Demerits daily forfeiting all his Mercies To which adde 5. The uncertainty of future Events But this Doctrine that the just lives by faith the life of Perseverance is a great Incouragement against all Discouragements First The inconstancy of the Creature 1. In the inconstancy of the Creature in it self Job 6.15 Job complains his friends had forsaken him like a deceitful brook that is full in raining times when there is no want of water and empty and dry in Summer heat or when there is greatest need For a man shall have many friends so long as God rains down showers of blessings from heaven upon him but if God once search him with the fiery trial of some such Judgement as dries up all his substance he shall hardly finde a drop of comfort from such as in time of prosperity did run in a full current of kindness towards him Well suppose it be so yet this is great Incouragement to a poor Believer when he can thus reason Well though my friends leave me upon earth yet Faith assures me Heb. 13. I have a friend in heaven that will not forsake me who doth usually let out most of himself to his people when they have the least of Creature-comforts he delights to visit his people in Egypt in the fiery Furnace His Servant John Baptist in the Isle of Patmos Paul and Silas in the Prison when they had little or no comfort from the Creature And what is Heaven but the Presence God Where there is most absence of the Creature viz. in Heaven where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage neither buying nor selling nor possessing nor rejoycing in the earthly Comforts of this life yet there is joy enough for all that when there is no Creature-comfort at all 1 Cor. 15. God himself shall be all in all And if the Presence of God it self alone shall be enough to make Heaven when all the world shall be left am I not bound to believe Gods Person is enough upon earth if all Creatures should forsake me If I can live by Faith the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from God what if I do not live by Sense the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from Creatures The former is Incouragement enough of it self 2. Creature-inconstancy towards God Secondly The second great Discouragement and indeed greater than the former is this The Creatures inconstancy towards God The Creatures goodness is as the morning dew Hos 6.4 that is soon gone O how quickly are they turned out of the way saith God Judg 2.17 Peter is ready to swear Allegeance to his Master and as ready almost to forswear with the same breath and do not think that thou hast a better heart than Peter had for as in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Prov. 27.19 One face is not more like another represented in water or in glass then one mans heart is naturally like another's All are very fickle and very inconstant in the love and service of God Now this is sometimes a great Discouragement to a gracious Soul Saith such a Soul I have such a base backsliding heart I shall never be able to hold out to the end what will become of me For thy answer Beware of Discouragement though thou art unconstant and unbelieving yet God is faithful and he hath promised to make thee constant and faithful or at least to heal thy unconstancy and unbelief 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself What if we believe not at all that 's not the meaning of it For he gives Faith when he intend Mercy but if there be intermissions and interruptions in our Faith or at least in the activity of our Faith yet God is faithful to heal our back-slidings and to love us freely Hos 14.4 And this is a great Incouragement Gods constancy in Covenant opposed to our fickleness and inconstancy He will so put his fear into our hearts as we shall never utterly depart from him Jerem. 32.40 Thirdly A third Discouragement 3. In our own weakness is our own Weakness as well as our own Inconstancy yea were we never so constant in our resolutions yet how weak are we in our performances We are weak our enemies strong our trials many and great and this is a great Discouragement to a gracious heart that howsoever the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak that should God leave us to ourselves we should fall away from him every day in which respect Christ commands us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation Mat 26.41 Well be it so that a Christian is so weak on the one side and his enemies so strong on the other yet Faith administers this notable incouragement in the sight and sense of all our enemies and greatest infirmities 1 Cor. 10.13 But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape and so the weakest believer if a true believer shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day Fourthly The fourth Discouragement 4. Against sinful distempers is a mans own sinful Distempers daily forfeiting
Surely by the hearing of the Word mixed with Faith Faith receives the Spirit of God which is called The Comforter because it is the special office of the Spirit to comfort the hearts of Gods people and to witness to their Spirits that God is now their reconciled Father in Jesus Christ and so it is called a Seal and this comes after Faith Eph. 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of Promise And this must needs be matter of unspeakable joy for the love of God is better than the love of all Creatures nay it brings along with it the love of all good Creatures and by this love the hatred of evil Creatures shall do us no hurt The love of God Job 5.23 is the life of the Soul as the Soul is the life of the Body nay 't is better than life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life Note Now Faith lays hold on the God of Love and on the love of this God and therefore must needs afford matter of strong Consolation Consolation what properly For what is Consolation to speak properly but a certain Reasoning of the Soul whereby we oppose some certain good to some oppressing evil whereby we mitigate our sorrow and bear the evil with more ease Now the greater and sorer the evil is the greater and surer good is required to weigh against it Now then forasmuch as a Christian seeks comfort against the greatest of all evils which is sin and eternal damnation for sin therefore it is not every good nor indeed any good but onely the Summum Bonum the chiefest good which is God that can be a sufficient remedy and cordial against this the greatest of all evils So then 1. How Faith comforts Faith lays hold upon this God reconciled to us in Jesus Christ forgiving all our sins because of his sufferings and Forgiving them Freely Frankly Fully Affectionately Most Advantagiously and In respect of us For it viz. Faith instrumentally redeems from Sin as a Debt then from the Prison of Hell then from the Jaylor Satan and re-instates in all the good forfeited by sin Believers shall have all things work for their good in this life and of Heaven at last And this is a Plaister broad enough to cover all our sores If God speak peace who can make trouble Job 34.29 Here is an object of unspeakable comfort God reconciled in Christ and this Reconciliation witnessed by the Spirit of Truth Again 2. Second way wherein Faith comforts Faith lays hold on the Ordinances which are as Conduit-pipes from the Brest of Jesus Christ as Christ is a Conduit-pipe from the Father And Faith as the mouth of the Soul lies sucking at this Brest and so draws in abundance of Spiritual strength and comfort Christ hath intrusted his Spouse the Church with these Brests for the nourishing up of all his children Oh how sweet it is to â—ie in the Lap of such a Nurse Isa 60.10 11. Rejoyce with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory For thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream Then shall ye suck and be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem Lo here are the sweet brests of the Church Now the Word is one of these Brests the Seal of the Word is the other First the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 1. The Word is one of Christs Brests As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious There is much sweetness in this Brest Psal 19.10 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart more to be desired are they than gold sweeter are they than the honey and the honey-comb Oh this is a sweet Brest especially the Word of Promise for that is as it were the very Head and Nipple of this Brest Put this into the mouth of the most distressed Soul and it will still it when it cries out by reason of affliction Psa 119.49 50. Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope And that must needs be the Word of Promise For what follows This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me But how doth this Brest quicken and comfort the children of God Surely not unless they draw and suck out this Milk of Consolation by the mouth of Faith Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it The most comfortable Promise in all the Word if it be not applied by Faith it hath no manner of sweetness in it But if thou canst receive it and apply it to thy self in believing Jer. 15.16 it will be the very joy and rejoycing of thy heart Second Brest of Consolation The second Brest of Consolation is the Seal of the Word the Sacrament Oh there is much sweetness in this there is much sweetness indeed in the Word of Promise as you have heard Yea but is this true says the Soul that begins to believe but is weak in Faith Or does all this belong to me Will God give Christ to me and the Spirit to me and Heaven to me Will God indeed love such a vile wretch as I am I am half afraid it is too good to be true O that I had some further assurance of it O that God would set to his Seal that this is true that I might set to my Seal that God is true O that he would set me as a Seal upon his heart that I might set him as a Seal upon my heart I can and will says God to the believing and yet weakly believing Soul Art thou so desirous of assurance I 'll give thee a Seal in the Sacrament Lo that 's a Seal of my love and all the fruits of it As sure as thou receivest the outward elements so sure shalt thou receive what is signified and sealed thereby my Christ my Spirit my Comforter And therefore this must needs be a sweet Brest where God does so sensibly put comfort into the mouth of the Soul Note A great neglect of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And if so surely we have the greatest cause to lay it to heart and to cry to our heavenly Father That one of our Mothers Brests is in a manner dried up or that some of his children do frowardly wean themselves from this Brest and therefore God may justly take away the other also And doubtless we finde the less comfort in the Word
time oppressed with sorrows ask thy Heart and Soul that question which David did in the like case Psal 42.5 twice in one Psalm Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me and certainly the Soul would return answer My distress of sadness springs from my Vnbelief You may know the disease by the cure In the very next words O put thy trust in God hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God All sorrow of heart springs principally from our Vnbelief not from the greatness of other evils I mean destructive sorrow for godly sorrow is a friend to godly joy It is not so much the weight of the burthen as the soreness of the back that troubles the poor Beast So it is not so much the weight of outward evils as the inward soreness of a galled Conscience not purified nor healed by faith that vexeth and troubleth the poor Creature Were all sound and well within a believer might look upon the grimmest visage of outward troubles and laugh in their face Job 5.22 It is a believer he speaks to At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the field O the sweet Security that holy men do finde under the shield of Faith It is not onely a guard from outward evils but it guards the Hearts and Minds of Gods People from the very fear of evils approaching and from the sorrows of present evils This is a Receipt from Christ to keep the Heart in a cheerful frame Carry this about with thee continually and then shalt thou be never overwhelmed with sorrow I dare not say Thou shalt be free from trouble but this I dare say Thou shalt never be overcome of trouble so long as thou canst believe Hear what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed An unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Inform. 2. Unregenerate soul uncomortable soul and so a faithless heart Where there is no shield against sorrow how can there be comfort Where there is nothing but deadness where the Soul is without God without Christ without the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 what ground can there be of Hope It is the presence of the Sun that makes day and the absence of the Sun makes night So the Presence of God maketh a day-light of Comfort and his absence makes a night of Sorrow and darkness Creature-comforts are but Star-light at the best yea without God they are vanity and vexation of Spirit but when God is against a man they take part with God against the possessors of them as Balaams Ass riseth up against her Master when he riseth up against God How can a wicked man have comfort in his Possessions when God once possesses him with the serious thoughts of Death of Hell of Wrath Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Though Josephs brethren had their Sacks full of Corn and their Bags full of Money yet their hearts were full of fear and why They doubted they had not the favour of the Lord of the Countrey and they knew they could not live without him they must to him again when their Corn were spent and they were afraid his displeasure would be their utter undoing So it is with a wicked man though he abound in worldly comforts although he have his Pastures full of flocks his Barns full of corn his Coffers full of silver and gold yet for all that if God be not reconciled in Christ all these are but miserable Comforters he may lie down in sorrow for all that Isa 50. last Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart There is no peace there is no joy to the wicked saith my God Who would rest in such a condition where there is no rest to be found O who would lie down in such a bed of Snakes Inform. 3. Religious life the only comfortable life The onely truly comfortable life is a religious life a Life of Faith Some seek it in Profits some in Honour and some in Pleasures of Sin but when all is done it is no where to be found but in God Faith draws comfort from God when sense can draw none from the Creature There was a time when Davids Mountain of Prosperity was removed so that he could finde no comforts in his Wives nor in his Children nor in his Possessions nor in any thing that was formerly comfortable to him for the Amalekites had swept all away yet even then he could comfort himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 When there is the greatest famine of Comforts upon earth yet Gods People finde bread enough in their Fathers house and it is Faith that opens the Cupboard door when unbelievers perish with hunger Faith opens the Cupboard-door of their heavenly Father The just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation O then learn to take notice of the difference betwixt the godly and the ungodly the believer and the unbeliever in this respect Hear what God says Isa 65.13 14. Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and bowl for vexation of spirit Wicked men indeed may have a counterfeit joy as they have counterfeit grace they may set a good face on it when they have a full sorrowful heart Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness Whereas true joy is the upright mans portion Psa 32. last Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Gal. â—2 But the fruit of the Spirit is in love joy and peace Obj. But wicked men are very merry and cheerful without any such check they are so merry they are the very Musick of the company as Job saith of himself Job 17.6 He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was a tabret What he said as a Patient for they played upon him as men play upon Instruments they may say as Agents We are the Musick of the company where we go Ans I answer They may be so upon a gross mistake of their own condition as a godly man may be sorrowful upon mistake of his condition because he knows not his own happiness So a wicked man may be merry and cheerful because he knows not his own condition Belshazzar was in a miserable condition before he saw the Hand-writing upon the wall but he was merry and jovial before because he knew it not but so soon as he saw that intimation of Gods displeasure his guilty Conscience strook him and he was all a-mort So it is with all wicked men though they rejoyce in sin at the first though it be sweet in their mouths yet at last it
to die an Eternal Death where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched Isa the last and the last Consid 2 2. If we have not Eternal Life here we shall never have it He that believes hath everlasting life Joh. 5.24 He doth not say He shall have it hereafter but he hath it already though not in so full a measure Therefore get it now or never For a man to think to go to heaven when he dies that never cared for heaven all his life is a strong presumption Consid 3 3. It is the property of Gods People to look at heaven and happiness by the eye of Faith Heb. 11.13 And Unbelievers are blinde and cannot see afar off they look on present things 2 Pet. 1.9 But a wise man hath eyes in his head Eccl. 2.14 15. He looks as far as to Eternity he sees that which a natural man cannot see 2 Cor. 4. last Whilst we look not at the things which are seen by the eye of sense but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Consid 4 4. This will make a man of a heavenly conversation whilst he is upon earth To live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life this will bring down heaven to the earth If the creature cannot go to heaven yet a lively Faith will bring heaven to the creature and that both the grace of heaven and the joy of heaven 1. The Grace of heaven It will make a man of a heavenly conversation whilst he lives upon earth to consider what the company of heaven and what the work of heaven is 1. The Company of heaven are God and Christ holy Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect And 2. The Work of heaven is without reluctancy without weariness to praise God for ever and ever The belief of this will bring down much of the grace of heaven into the heart and the creature will reason thus by Faith Shall it be a great part of my happiness in heaven to enjoy perfection of holiness and shall I not then endevour this work upon earth Shall I not endevour to perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 and to do Gods will upon earth Surely if holiness becomes Gods house for ever holiness must needs become his houshold-servants Psal 93.5 so soon as ever they begin to wear his Livery of Christian Profession Do we believe we shall see the face of God without blushing and shall serve him without fainting Seeing we look for such things how diligent should we be that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Yea what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3.11 2 It will bring down much of the joy of Heaven And we might have added this by way of Reason why God will have his Servants live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life viz. That the full assurance of it might be a present Comfort whilst the possession of it is deferred But we will bring it in as a Motive For Christ being willing to cheer up the drooping Spirits of his Servants in the absence of himself and heaven seems to say of Faith as he said of his Spirit or if ye will of the Spirit of Faith Joh. 14. I will not leave you comfortless I will pray to the Father and he shall give you another Comforter What is this Comforter but the Spirit of Faith or the Spirit in the grace of Faith Oh! there is strong consolation in Faith and Hope It is true says Christ I must leave you Joh. 16. I must go to Heaven and whither I go you cannot come as yet but I assure you I go to prepare a place for you and to prepare you for the place and so soon as that is ready for you and you are ready for that Joh. 14. I will come and receive you to my self in due time And in the mean time that I may not leave you comfortless I will give you something of the joy of heaven as a Pawn and a pledge in hand before you come thither And what is that but the Grace of Faith and the Joy of Faith Let not your hearts be troubled says Christ though I go to heaven before you yet you shall be as sure of heaven at the last as if you had it for the present And how assured but by Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 You are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time And what of that why this brings Joy in the mean time For so it follows Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in great heaviness through manifold temptations And speaking of Christ who is gone to heaven within a verse or two after he hath this expression Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory As if he would have said Though you cannot see Christ with your bodily eye with the eye of sense and so you are apt to be troubled as the People were when Paul said Acts 20. they should see his face no more yet you shall see him and do see him by the eye of Faith and rejoyce in that sight as if that heaven it self were come down into your hearts You rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory For what is joy full of Glory but joy full of heaven Like the Vision upon Mount Tabor where God did bow the heavens and came down in glory And that is the fourth Motive that it will be heaven upon earth to live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life Consid 5 5. That to live by Faith in regard of Heaven and Eternal Life will make the poor creature live above the world If it do not draw him quite into heaven it will draw him a great way above the earth That look as a Bladder or a thin shell that is filled up with the pure Dew that comes down from heaven do but lay it in the Sun and the power of the Sun-beams will draw it up from the earth heaven-wards So it is with the Soul that is filled with this heavenly dew of grace let it but look wistly upon the Sun of Righteousness by an eye of Faith and the powerful beams of his Love will draw it so far above the earth and all earthly respects that it shall live above the world above the pleasures of the world the profits and honours of the world and above all the troubles of the world And is not this an admirable is it not a desireable condition If you would be ambitious lawfully ambitious let this be your ambition to be thus exalted by the Grace of Faith 1. It lifts a man up above the
the just to live by his Faith 1. Faith honours the grace of God First it puts a great deal of Honour upon the free grace of God as we shall hear afterwards Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace For the act of Faith doth necessarily exclude Merit It is an act of self denial a holy despair of any thing in our selves and a firm reliance onely upon the Merit and Free-grace of Jesus Christ As a full hand receives nothing but the hand that is empty is fit to receive any thing So Faith is an empty hand laying hold upon Jesus Christ and of his fulness receiving grace for grace Joh. 1.16 Luk. 1.53 He filleth the hungry with good things Secondly it puts honour upon the faithfulness of God 2. Faith honours the faithfulness of God â—uppose God speaks a word of Promise for such or such a thing and we see no likelyhood of its performance in the order of Nature or second Causes yet saith the believing Soul I 'll trust God upon his word upon his naked word though I have nothing in hand I 'll trust him though his Providences cross his Promises I 'll trust him I am sure he is faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 This puts a great deal of Honour upon God Look as it is the greatest dishonour can be done to God when we will not trust him upon his Word as it is a dishonour to a man when he cannot be trusted and much more to the Most High God for He that believes not 1 Joh. 5.10 makes God a liar So on the other side he puts a great deal of Honour upon God that relies upon the truth and faithfulness of God 1 Thess 5.24 Therefore God is of some Credit with his own People Whereas the wicked will trust him no further than they see him A Believer puts honour upon the Faithfulnesse of God Thirdly 3. Faith honours the power of God he puts honour upon the Power and All-sufficiency of God Though we are never so weak and impotent to procure to our selves what God holds out in a Promise yet when by Faith we look at God as a God All-sufficient and Omnipotent to give a Being to his own Word this puts much honour upon God And thus did Abraham glorifie God by his Faith Rom. 4.18 19 20 21. And so do all such as tread in the steps of faithful Abraham they glorifie the free grace and power and faithfulness of God therefore God will have the Just live by his Faith God will put much honour upon that grace that puts so much honour upon God Third sort of Reasons from the nature and use of Faith The third sort of Reasons are drawn from the Nature and Vse of Faith 1. T is our livelihood First therefore a Believer lives by Faith because a Believes layes hold upon the Word of Life as hath been partly shewed already the Word of Promise the Promise of free grace for By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live Matth. 4.4 yet not upon the Word of Promise separated from the thing promised 'T is true once God said Do this and live Now he saith Believe this and live When God said Do this and live suppose man had done what God required yet he had not lived by Merit of his Obedience Rom. 4.7 as Calvin well observes in his Sermon of Abrahams Faith But by vertue of Gods gracious Promise annex'd to his believing If thou believe this saith God which I promise thou shalt live And so by every Word that God speaks Difference of faith in both Covenants doth man live In both Covenants God required Faith but yet with a great deal of difference both in respect of the Object and Principle of Faith First in respect of the Object of Faith The first Covenant required no more but to Believe the Truth of God which promised Do this and thou shalt live but in the latter God requires Faith in Christ and in Christ crucified and in all the Promises of free grace which are Yea and Amen in Christ Secondly they differ in respect of the Principle of Faith For the first kinde of Faith man had by the grace of Creation viz. Power to give credit to God in what he spake But the second kinde of Faith a man hath not but by the grace of Regeneration It is the gift of God to believe in a crucified Saviour and so the Covenant still savoureth of more grace because the just lives by this latter kinde of Faith laying hold upon the Word of Life upon the Promise of free grace For this is the proper act of justifying Faith Now by Promise God makes himself a Debtor though he was none before and Faith puts the Promise in Suit thereupon God pays his Debts and this is the creatures livelyhood And therefore the Just must needs live by his Faith Secondly God will have his People live by Faith 2. We fell by unbelief because we first fell away and departed from God by Unbelief and Distrust Our first Parents would not give credit to God when he said Gen. 3. In the day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt surely die but gave more credit to the Devil when he said Ye shall not die And so they fell I say by Vnbelief and Distrust therefore now God so orders the matter that whosoever will be saved must be saved by Faith God will recover his honour in a way of Faith as he was first dishonoured in the world by Vnbelief Thirdly That their Salvation might be as upon freer That salvation might be on free and sure grounds so upon surer grounds Rom. 4.17 Therefore it is of faith that it might be sure to the seed 1. Upon freer ground upon a ground of free grace for What is Faith but a casting away our own Righteousness and putting on of the Righteousness of Christ As a poor Beggar is content to cast away all his filthy Rags so that he may put on a good Sute that is freely bestowed upon him So the Apostle Phil. 3.8 9. Yea doubtless and I do count all things but loss c. The Righteousness which is of God by Faith that is the Righteousness which Faith receives not the Righteousness which is wrought by Faith For Faith hath a twofold Property the one To act for God the other To receive from God It acts for God while it purifies the heart and the life and worketh by love but so it doth not justifie It receives from God whilst it lays hold on the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ and so it doth justifie Thus the Just lives by his Faith that his Justification and Salvation might be upon the freer grounds 2. That it be upon surer grounds that it might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 Mans life and salvation depending upon his Obedience was not sure before the
to live by Faith in him for direction surely in these times wherein many things are very obscure and the wisest of men are at a stand How doth it concern us at such times as these to improve our Faith in God by Prayer grounded upon his Promises for our direction A believer acting his Faith hath great advantage of an unbeliever an unbeliever is froward and passionate and heady and hasty when he is put to plunge he waits not for the Counsel of God Psal 106.13 He leaps before he looks before he hath eyes to see his way but a believer is quiet and confident and silent and patient and prayerful Psa 113.2 and standing upon his Watch-tower to see what God will answer at such a time Never did the eye of a servant look with more intention to the hand of his Master nor the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her Mistris observing every little cast of their eye every little beck of their finger than the eyes of the faithful look to the hand and eye of God for their direction in difficult times They look to the Promise of God for direction from the Word of God Psa 119.105 This Word is a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their paths and if the Word be dark in any thing they look to the Promise of the Spirit for the right understanding of the word Isa 30 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Now this Promise is made good by Faith Psa 119.98 Ibid. 24. so that a Believer is made wiser than his enemies because Gods Testimonies are his Counsellors He must needs be wise who hath the God of all Wisdom to be his Counsellor And this is the Portion of a true believer If you speak of Wisdom HE is wise Thirdly Do we prize Riches 3. Riches of Faith for I dare not oppose a believer to a rich man as if they were incompatible though I oppose him to such an one as trusts in his riches If we speak of Riches HE is rich indeed As a man lives upon his Riches under God so the Just lives by his Faith Hearken my beloved brethren Jam. 2.5 hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith A man may be a rich man though he be a poor man rich heaven-ward though poor in respect of this world so long as he is rich in Faith that man can want nothing that wants not Faith Faith is the golden Key that openeth the good Treasury of God to his Children upon all occasions they can but ask and have O the preciousness of Faith that is able to procure the most precious things at the hand of God! Worldly men use to say A man well stor'd with Money can want nothing and Solomon hath something to that purpose Eccles 10.19 Money answers all things A man may have most things for money Meat Drink Clothes House Land and what not But a gracious heart can more truly say A man well stor'd with Faith can want nothing Faith answereth all things as Adonijah said to Bathsheba The King cannot say thee nay in any thing 1 King 2.17 So may I say to a faithful man The King of Heaven cannot say thee nay in any thing It is very observable that Abraham when he interceded in the behalf of Sodom did cease to act his Faith in Prayer before God did cease to gratifie Abraham in the thing praid for Praying believers they are or may be the richest beggars in the world As having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 It may seem a strange Paradox and yet 't is good sense Extreme Poverty and sublime Plenty may concur His poverty is but comparative as having nothing but his riches are absolute without a quasi and yet possessing all things All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 A believer is a rich man indeed he is rich in present possession but he is richer in reversion All the Promises of God are entail'd upon believers these are the Saints Legacies none can lay claim to them but such as do believe for All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ they are onely made good to such as do believe in him 2 Cor. 1.20 That man that is a stranger to Christ is also a stranger to the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 and he that hath right in Christ hath right also to the Promises through him There are great riches above-ground but they say there are greater under-ground in the rich Mines of Silver and Gold that lie still within the bowels of the Earth So 't is true the people of God are rich in what they do already enjoy through Faith but they are far richer in those inestimable Treasures that are lockt up within the bowels of so many precious Promises one Promise is more worth than a thousand worlds And Faith is ever digging in these Mines and making new discoveries of the richest Mercies it is ever putting some Promise or other in Suit or God is ever discharging some Bond or other for the enriching of his poor creatures Fourthly Do we prize Beauty and Comeliness 4. Beauty of Faith If you speak of Beauty a true believer is truly Beautiful all external beauty is but deformity without this Like as a Jewel in a Swines snowâ— so is a creature externally beautiful without Grace and without Faith 't is Faith onely that makes the creature beautiful 't is Faith that puts upon the deformed creature the rich and glorious Robes of the Righteousness of Christ 't is Faith that puts upon the creature the very Image and Likeness of Christ and therefore they that do believe in Christ are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.26 27. And they must needs be beautiful and glorious that are clothed with the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Ezek. 16.13 14. Thou wast exceeding beautiful thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I put upon thee saith the Lord. Yea mark those words saith the Lord whose judgement is always according to Truth The blind world can no more judge of Beauties than a blind man can judge of Colours but a believer is beautiful in his sight whose eyes are as a flame of fire and can see when the Kings daughter is all glorious within Psa 48. This is a beauty that takes the eye and ravisheth the heart of Christ himself Cant. 4.1 7. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes there is no spot or blemish in thee The Believer is truly beautiful 5. Honour Fifthly Do we prize Honour If we speak of Honour a believer is honourable indeed We may call believers Right Honourable Psa 149.9 Phil. 3. without flattery as it is written Such Honour have all
to convert the Childe 't is too hard for a gracious man to infuse grace into another There 's no party within to joyn in the carrying on of that work Rom. 8.7 The carnal minde is enmity against God And there is Satan without opposing and withstanding Act. 13.8 Suppose any Soul to be born again certainly it is born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1.13 There is God in the work if ever it be done All the Ministers under heaven cannot convert a Soul without the help of God and therefore it is a difficult work and therefore it is an excellent work also Reas 2 Secondly which follows upon the former it is a Work of great skill and wisdom It is a Work of great skill 1 Cor. 2.4 Col. 4.4 and therefore an excellent Work The most skilful works are accounted the most excellent works But this is a work of the greatest skill and wisdom in the world and therefore it is said They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament And others reade it They that make others wise and it may well be read both ways for they that make others wise are truly wise themselves especially such as are best fitted for the work and therefore Solomon tels you He that winneth souls is wise Prov. 11.30 Or he that catcheth Souls out of the snares of the Devil and its own deceitful heart and fetcheth them within the compass of Gods Net he is a wise fisher of men he is a wise man indeed Every fool can cast away a Soul but he is a wise man that wins a Soul As it was said of Daniel so it may be said of such Excellent wisdom was found in him Dan. 2.12 The world indeed judgeth them fools Note and their preaching foolishness 1 Cor. 4.10 We are fools for Christs sake but the God of wisdom pronounceth them wise and of the two it is far better to be Gods wise man and the worlds fool than to be the worlds wise man and Gods fool For not he whom man but whom the Lord commendeth shall be approved 2 Cor. 10.18 He is wise that winneth Souls and they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament Reas 3 Thirdly it is a Work of the greatest Love and Compassion and therefore an excellent Work 'T is true It is a Work of greatest love the Gift of Miracles and the Gift of Tongues are excellent Gifts but what are these to the Gift of Charity 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding brass and as a tinkling cymbal And of all other Charity that is most excellent that is exercised towards the Souls of poor Creatures 'T is true 't is a good thing to be charitable towards the bodies of the needy to deal out bread to the hungry and to clothe the naked Isa 38.7 But when all is done that 's the most excellent Charity that is bestowed upon the most excellent part the Soul Otherwise a man may give all his goods away to the poor and yet have no Charity for all that 1 Cor. 13.3 And therefore look as God commends his love to us in this that his principal care was for the good of our immortal Souls so should we also in this particular commend our love one to another That 's most certain Soul-friends are the best and truest friends in the world and Soul-compassion is the best compassion that can be shewed Jude ver 22. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire It is an act of the greatest compassion that can be imagined to pull a Soul out of Hell-fire whether it be by fair means or by foul Is not such a Soul as a brand snatch'd out of the fire Zech. 3.2 O blessed for ever blessed be that hand that snatches any such brand out of the flames of eternal fire It is a work of the greatest love and compassion and therefore the most excellent Work Reas 4 Fourthly it is the most excellent Work because it aims at the most excellent End and we know it is the End that crowns the Action It aims at the most excellent End But the winning of Souls to God aims at the most excellent End For 't is such a work as brings most glory to God and most good to the Creature and therefore must needs be a most excellent Work 1. It brings most glory to God 1. It brings most glory to God and this is the great end of all ends Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself or for his own glory Now this blessed End is the main issue of this blessed Work 'T is true God will have glory even in the perdition of ungodly men and therefore it 's added in the same place Yea even the wicked for the day of evil The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil But the Argument is very strong If God have glory even in the destruction of some men how much more hath be glory in the Salvation of others Rom. 9.23 He makes known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy O the admirable riches of Free-grace shining forth in this work of God in the Conversion of Souls It glorifies all Gods Attributes and magnifies every part of his Name It glorifies his Love it discovers the bredth and length It glorifies his Love and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3.18 19. 2. It glorifies his Power The Psalmist says His Power Who knows the power of thy wrath Psal 90.11 But we may say Who knows the power of thy Grace God puts forth as great power in the Conversion of a Soul as in the Raising of a dead body as raising the body of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.19 20. as great a power as in the making the World and therefore the Work of Regeneration is called a Work of Creation Eph. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works 3. It glorifies his Wisdom His Wisdom the manifold Wisdom of God Though we preach Christ to some a stumbling-block and to others foolishness yet unto all such as are called and converted as Christ becomes the Power of God so also the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 23.24 4. It glorifies the Word of his Grace The Word of his Grace Though the Word of the Lord be reproached whilst people slight both the threatnings and the Promises of it as if God would do neither good nor evil yet it is marvellously glorified in the Conversion of Souls whilst the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God in pulling down strong holds of Satan in the unsanctified wit and will of man In this respect we are to pray that the Word
God commands his People to pity strangers because themselves were sometimes strangers in the Land of Egypt So should we not pity such as are strangers to God because we our selves were sometimes so I have heard of many a Drunkard and loose liver who being once converted would ever after pity those in the same condition admonishing of them and visiting them in their sickness and saying Well what do I know but such an one may belong to God as well as I What do I know but God may change his heart as well as mine This is the Apostles Argument Tit. 3.2 3. Shewing all meekness to all men for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. But afterwards the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards us appeared c. As if he should say Let us therefore be pitiful to the Souls of others as God shewed mercy to us who sometimes were as vile and sinful as any others And these are the Motives Quest But some may say What means should I use for the Conversion of Souls Answ I answer First make sure thy own conversion Means for the conversion of others 1. Being converted a mans self Luk. 22.23 And when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Then the Word comes in a lively manner That that comes from the heart is most likely to go to the heart Every life begets like to it self Propagation of kinde is natural to every Creature and so it is in Spiritual Life They that have this new Life desire to beget others to God I will not deny but an unconverted man may convert another but 't is very rare God usually delights to make use of such as are converted themselves and they have as great a delight to do the work Phil. 2.20 Tim thy who will naturally care for your estate And why so because Timothy was his natural son in the faith Mean 2 Make use of the Word for that 's the power of God to salvation Make use of the Word Rom. 1.16 and the incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.17 God delights not to work by other means though men be never so eloquent and therefore say of that as David of the Sword of Golias 1 Sam. 21.9 There 's none like that So may we say of the two-edged Sword of the Word of God that Sword There 's none like that in the cutting down of sin and the stone out of the heart Mean 3 Go out in Gods strength 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God Go in Gods strength to the pulling down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan Therefore be as diligent in Prayer as in Preaching if thou wouldst convert Souls 'T is our duty to labour but when all 's done the success is from God He that planteth is nothing 1 Cor. 3. nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Therefore be as earnest for Spiritual children as Rachel was for the children of her Womb Gen. 30. He onely can help Ministers to teach profitably Eph. 6.19 And for me that utterance may be given me that I may speak c. He onely can help People to hear with profit Psal 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit Mean 4 Look to thy Life as well as to thy Doctrine if thou wouldst convert Souls Teach by Life 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and to thy Doctrine for in so doing c. People observe what a mans hand speaks as well as what his tongue speaks Surely say they if this man were in earnest he would do as he speaks Mean 5 Observe the Disposition of those with whom thou dealest and become all things to all men Observe dispositions 1 Cor. 9.22 so far as thou canst with a good conscience that thou maist win some 1 Cor. 9.19 c. As Fishers bait their hook according to the season and kinde of the fish they are to take For Ministers are called Fishers of men and in that respect had need beg wisdom of God that we may so cast forth the hook and the Net of the Word that we catch men Mean 6 If thou wouldst convert men from their sins Convincing of sin labour first to convince them of sin that 's Christs method Joh. 16.8 that they may be wounded for their sins for the whole have no need of the Physician but the sick Mean 7 Hold forth the Promise of Grace and of Christ In the Promise offering Mercy Hold forth Christ in the Promise with all the freeness and openness of heart that may be to all that are willing to receive him wholly and intirely Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be called the children of God c. Rev. 22.17 Let him that will come and take of the water of life freely What dost thou know but whilst thou art speaking to the ear God may speak to the heart by his Spirit Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Mean 8 Work every part of the Word first upon thy own heart do not onely work it into thy head Work the word on thine own heart but work it into thy heart Ezek. 3.1 Son of Man eat that thou findest eat this roll and go speak c. As Nurses put into their own mouthes first Vse 4. Of Exhortation Vse 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way Exhortation to Ministers to preach in such a way as is most fit to win Souls to preach in a Soul-saving way not to stroke the ear but to strike the heart O thirst for Salvation of Souls Teach in such a way as is most sutable to the opening and unfolding of heavenly Mysteries Christ findes fault with the Scribes and Pharisees that they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men Mat. 23.13 So do they that either preach not at all or preach above the ordinary capacity of ordinary people who have Souls to save as well as other men we shall be no better than Barbarians to them 1 Cor 14. if we preach in a Language they understand not which may be as well in some kinde of English as in Latine or other Language Therefore we should remember the use of Language is just like the use of a Key which is nothing else but aperire quod clausum est to open that which is shut and therefore we do not esteem that the most excellent Key which is made of the most excellent Metal but that which is made of the best and fittest form in reference to the opening of the Lock So we should not esteem that the most excellent preaching that is made up of the finest and bravest stile but that which is fittest for the opening of the understanding by convincing the judgement
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