Cann while the spirit of the Wine is in him and his heart is lifted up he thinks there is none so merry as himself But behold his heart that is thus lifted up is not right in him or as some expound it it is not quiet in him he hath no true peace or solid joy but even as it is with a drunken man it may be the next morning when the spirit of Wine is gone his heart sinks down as Nabals did as heavy and as dead as a stone and therefore his heart that is thus lifted up with carnal joy is not quiet it is not right But the Just shall live by his faith that is to say He shall live comfortably as the strength of the opposition doth necessitate the sense he shall live comfortably in the midst of troubles as the other lives troublesomely in the midst of comforts For as an unbeliever hath inward troubles and unquietness of spirit in the midst of all outward comforts so a believer hath inward comforts in the midst of all outward troubles Be his condition what it will be or what it can be in other respects yet the just shall rejoyce 2 Cor. 6.9 As sorrowing saith the Apostle yet always rejoycing And what resolves this Riddle but the Mystery of Faith For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation For Method we shall first prove it That the just doth live by Faith the Life of Consolation and give Reasons for it Two Propositions First why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation and Secondly why he is said to live this Life by Faith and then we shall endevour to apply it Propos 1. That the just lives the Life of Consolation 1. The just doth live the Life of Consolation Comfort is the proper Portion of Gods People Isa 40. Comfort ye comfort ye me people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem God commands his people to speak comfortably to his own People But he never commands his People to preach comfort to the wicked whilst they remain so Isa 57. ult no There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And God complains of such Ministers as make sad the heart of the righteous and strengthen the hands of the wicked by Preaching Peace and Comfort to them whilst they continue in their sins Ezek 13.22 because with lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked ways by promising him life for True joy is the Portion of the just The just lives the Life of Consolation 2. He lives this Life by Faith Propos 2. The just lives the Life of Consolation by his Faith As his Faith doth Justifie so his Faith doth Comfort him not originally but instrumentally It is the Conduit-pipe of Comfort as well as of Grace The just live by Faith the Life of Consolation God gives faithful men leave to be chearful Psal 5.11 Let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce yea let them shout for joy Nay he commands them to be chearful Luk. 8.48 And he said unto her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Mark he commands her to be of good comfort and why not so much because she was whole as because Faith had healed her and so she had inward peace as well as outward healing Thence it is that Joy and Faith are usually coupled together in Scripture Phil. 1.25 and joy of faith It is called The Joy of faith as if all true Joy did come from Faith 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing saith the Apostle ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Mark when they were full of afflictions and full of temptations as appears by the connexion yet they were full of glorious joy And how came that to pass but by vertue of their Faith In whom believing ye rejoyce c. That 's the reason why the Apostle would pray for the increase of the Peoples joy when he prays for the increase of their Faith Rom. 13.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost As if there were no joy without faith and the more faith the more joy No sooner did the Eunuch believe Act. 8 39. but the Text says he went on his way rejoycing as if he felt not the ground he went upon his joy was a pleasant companion by the way who is as good as a Chariot No sooner did the trembling Jaylor believe but it was said Act. 16.34 He set meat before the Apostles and rejoyced believing in God with all his houshold It was the merriest meals meat that he made in all his life I do not say that all believers have the same degree of joy much less that they have the same joy at the first 't is enough that they have the seed of joy Suppose it were a wet and troublesome Seed-time it may be they sow in tears yet this is sufficient security God hath given us his Word for it in due time thou shalt reap and reap in joy if they faint not Therefore let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce But we come to the Reasons Reasons First Why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation Secondly Why he is said to live this Life by Faith 1. Why God will have the just live comfortably For the first God will have the just live by Faith the Life of Consolation because it makes much for the Glory of God he delights in the service we perform to him when we our selves delight in it also 1. For his honor As God loves a chearful giver so he loves a chearful worshipper Psal 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his Presence with a song The chearfulness of the service commends the Masters service You may well think there is the wine of Consolation in the heart where you see the oyl of Gladness in the countenance Therefore God glads the hearts of his Servants by the grace of Faith that their very countenance and carriage may commend his service to all the world 'T is true indeed the service of Christ is called a burthen Mat. 11. and a yoke and 't is so for our corrupt nature but so far as we are spiritual although the yoke is rough you see nothing at the first but Afflictions and Persecutions and Self-denial yet the inside is smooth and easie 't is tied on with the silken string of Love and stuft with nothing but Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost It 's better to feel than to see for many have boggled at the yoke that have but look'd upon it afar off but never any that took it up and wore it but highly commended it to be the sweetest and easiest
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-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
us Psal 2â— 1 Psal 77.9 O Lord why hast thou forgotten us Were all these deceived was it their sin thus to complain or did this complaint spring from the weakness of their Faith Possibly it might be so in the Saints you say but it could not be so in Christ yet Christ himself complains My God Mat. 27.46 my God why hast thou forsaken me Never did any more seek to God and in that hour when he had most need of help and never did any more complain of Gods forsaking of him And though God hath not forsaken me I know not what he may do for time to come Ans For the clearing of this doubt Of Gods forsaking we shall propound to you several Considerations First of all there may be a forsaking in appearance 1. In appearance onely As there may be a real forsaking so there may be a forsaking in appearance As there may be the real presence of a thing when it is not visible and apparent Many things have a real existence when they give us no manifest evidence of that their existence God may be really present when he seems to be absent For example the Beauty of Christ is real he is altogether lovely the fairest of ten thousand but 't is not manifest to the greatest part of the world Isa 53.2 He hath no form nor comeliness there is no beauty in him say they that we should desire him The Comforts of a Christian are real but not always visible and therefore it is called The hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 The Soul of Man and the Deity are real but not visible It 's one of Gods Properties to be Invisible The Winds have a real existence as we see plainly by their powerful operations we have much ado to bear up our Sails against them sometimes and yet cannot see them The Sun it self is so visible that it makes all things else visible and yet when it is under a Cloud though we then see all other things by the light of it yet we cannot see the Sun it self As in Paul's dangerous voyage neither Sun nor Star appeared for many days together Acts 27 20. The rich Mines of Silver and Gold and the streams of precious Rivers they run sometimes under the earth many miles and no eye takes notice of them How near was Hagars Well of Water Gen 21.19 and yet she saw it not till God had opened her eyes Peter was really delivered out of Prison by the Angel but for a good while together while he looked upon Creatures he thought it had not been true but that he had seen a Vision or Representation of such a matter Acts 12.9 The Mountain where Elisha stood was full of Horses and Chariots but his Servant saw no such matter till he was faint to pray Lord open his eyes that he may see 2 King 6.17 And doubtless it is thus in Spiritual respects There may be many strong influences from God upon the Souls of his Servants which they perceive not many eminent supports in their trials which they take no notice of They take notice of the hand that cast them down but they do not take notice of the hand that holds them up Job took notice of Gods afflicting hand but he did not take so much notice of Gods supporting hand till the affliction was over And so David Psa 31.22 I said I am cut off from before thine eyes He speaks like a man forsaken of God but what follows Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee Observe God was nearer than he was aware of As Jacob said of his solitary journey to Padan-Aram Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28.16 God is nearer to his Servants many times than they are aware of so as they may say with Job Job 9.11 Lo he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not The poor childe crieth after the Mother What shall I do for my Mother Oh my Mother my Mother what shall I do for my Mother And it may be the Mother stands behinde the back of the childe onely she hides herself to try the affection of the childe So the poor Soul cries after God and complains Oh my Father my Father where is my heavenly Father Hath he forgotten to be gracious Psal 77.9 Hath he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure when God is nearer than they think for Zech. 12. Rom. 8. shining upon them in a Spirit of grace and supplications with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered Thus the gracious woman Mary Magdalen she seeks after Christ she enquires she cries after him and weeps My dear Saviour my dear Lord and Master he is taken out of the Sepulchre Ioh. 16.20 and I know not where they have laid him Thus she complains to the Disciples and thus she complains to the Angels when Christ stood at her very back and over-heard all nay when she turned her about and saw him yet at first she did not know him nay when he spake to her and she to him yet she knew him not but thought he had been the Gardiner Joh. 20.11 Thus it is with many a gracious Soul though God speaks home to their hearts in his Word and they speak to him by prayer and they cannot say but the Spirit helps their infirmities yet they complain for want of his Presence as if there were nothing of God in them Obj. But are all such complaints of Gods people meer mistakes Did they not complain upon good ground Psal 44.9 Thou hast cast us off and goest not forth with our Armies Ans Therefore by propounding a second Consideration That there are many times real forsakings by God 2. In temporal respects onely and not imaginary onely but then 't is rather in Temporal than Spiritual respects For look as on the one side Gods influence may be great in Temporals when he dries up the streams of special Mercies men may have fat bodies and fat estates whilst they have lean Souls so on the other side Gods influence may be great in Spirituals when he dries up the streams of Temporal Mercies Gods people may have thriving Souls when they have least estates in the world Jam. 2.5 6. Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Yea but yet sometimes in a temptation they are ready to complain of Gods forsaking of them if he do but forsake them in some outward and temporal respect They are ready to reason as Gideon did Judg. 6.13 when the Angel said The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Ah! saith Gideon if the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Hath not the Lord forsaken us whilst he gives us up into the hands of the Midianites So reason another sort The Lord hath forsaken me or else I should never be so poor Surely the
excellent Effects of it Then surely as we have cause to admire the unparallell'd expressions of Gods goodness to us herein So have we cause to break forth into thankfulness as oft as we think of it and act our Faith for it No sooner did the Apostle Peter think of that heavenly Inheritance but he must needs break forth into blessing of God before he can tell how to speak of it or to utter what he had conceived about it 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible c. Mark he cannot think of the inheritance but he is forced to break forth into blessing What though we have not reaped our full harvest yet you know Gods People were commanded to bring their Oblation of Thanksgiving when they received their first-fruits because the first-fruits were a Pawn and Pledge of the whole Harvest Deut. 26. So we are bound to be thankful to God when we have but received the first-fruits of grace when we have but so much grace as to live by Faith for Life Eternal because the first-fruits of grace do ascertain us of a full Harvest of glory in due time What though we have not yet a perfect victory over all our enemies Sin Satan and Death yet as Moses when God had delivered him and his People from the danger of the Sea and Pharoabs host he sings a Song of Thanksgiving to the Lord Exod. 15.1 though the perils of the Wilderness and other evils were still behinde yet I say he is thankful because these first victories were a Pawn and a Pledge to them of a full and plenary Conquest and that God would never leave them till he had planted them in Canaan it self yea in that Celestial Canaan where God reigns for ever and ever And this was the ground of Moses his thankfulness ver 14. The People shall hear and be afraid c. ver 16 17 18. Fear and dread shall fall upon them by the greatness of thine Arm they shall be as still as a stone till thy people pass over O Lord till thy people pass over which thou hast purchased Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the Mountain of thine Inheritance in the place O Lord which thou hast made for thee to dwell in in the Sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established The Lord shall reign for ever and ever Thus Gods People like Moses are thankful for Victories not onely present and past but future also Though Gods People are yet upon the Sea of this world and not past the Wilderness they have cause to be thankful as Moses was because they have both a Promise and a Pledge of Canaan as he had Therefore it is observable that Gods people under the New Testament standing upon the glassie Sea of this world are said to sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Rev. 15.2 3. And I saw as it were a Sea of glass c. They sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb that is They sing such a Song as Moses did sing both for Mercies past and also in assured hope of Mercies to come And this Song is taught by the Lamb that is by the Lamb of God to all such as are redeemed by him and none can sing this Song but such as are redeemed A man cannot be thankful for that which he hath nothing to shew for he that hath nothing to shew for Heaven how is it possible such a man should be thankful for it And therefore such as have the White Stone and the New Name and the Name of Christ and his Father written in their Foreheads are such as sing this Song of Thankfulness Rev. 14.1 3. And they sing as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that Song but the hundred fourty four thousand which were redeemed from the earth None but holy Men and holy Angels are fit for this work none can give hearty praise to God for victory over Sin Satan and Antichrist or for the Comforts of another World but they that have a part and a lot in that Inheritance As a stranger intermeddles not with the joy of Gods people so neither with that Praise which is onely comely in their mouthes Therefore let the redeemed of the Lord praise him and be thankful to him Quest How should they express and prove their Thankfulness Ans First In the hatred and forsaking of all sin Secondly In the practice of all holy duties and good works First In the hatred and forsaking of all sin at least 1. Thankfulness shew'd by forsaking sin in regard of the Dominion of it And why so Because by Sin 1. A man dishonours the Donor of this great Gift 2. He wrongs his own Soul 1. He dishonours the Donor execedingly Rom. 2.24 Sin dishonors God The Name of God is blasphemed and dishonoured among the Gentiles through you You for such as you who have received so much Light and so much Mercy from God to walk thus O what a shame is it for you thus to dishonour God! God loves you so dearly that he hath kept nothing from you no not heaven it self I say he hath kept nothing from you but his own glory And will you be so unthankful as to rob him of that by your sinful carriage A gracious Soul when he is tempted to sin and thereby to commit Spiritual Adultery against God and to stain his Glory should answer as Joseph did Gen. 39.8 9. My Lord and Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in all the house than I neither hath he kept any thing back from me but thee because thou art dear to him Gods glory is dear to him as the woman who is the glory of the man is dear to him how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God It was a great sin in Absalom 2 Sam. 15. when David had received him into favour after his three months banishment and upwards and he was now declared his Reconciled Childe and Heir Apparent to the Kingdom in due time I say it was a great sin in him in stead of being thankful to his Father that he should presently prepare himself Horses and Chariots and a strong Guard endevouring to steal away the hearts of the men of Israel and his Crown also from his Father both at once And surely it is a great expression of unthankfulness in any after God hath once received them into favour and by Faith assured them of Eternal Life for such to return again to folly and walk crossly and to rob God of the Crown of his Glory by their sins God took it very unkindly at Davids hands that he of all other men
should so dishonour God after he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdom upon him 2 Sam. 12.7 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight As if the Lord should say O David dost thou use me thus Did I ever deserve this at thy hand Is this thy kindness to thy friend And if the Lord took it so unkindly from Davids hands because he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdome upon him how much more unkindely may God take it from your hands whom by the grace of Faith he hath assured of an Eternal Kingdom Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ah foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee c And is it not he that hath bought Heaven it self for thee and wilt thou thus dishonour him by thy sins By Sin a man dishonours the Donor of this great Gift And secondly He wrongs his own Soul for Sin wrongs the Soul he blots the Evidence or Conveyance which God hath given him to assure him of this heavenly Kingdom What sayes Christ Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven or in the Book of Life First that you know this that you have this Evidence God hath a threefold Book 1. Of Providence God hath a threefold Book which is Gods Fore-knowledge and Disposing all things in the world Of this David speaks Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book first in the Book of Providence were all my members written 2 A Book of Mens Works and Ways Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before the Lord and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works The third is the Book of Mens Ends and Rewards which is called The Book of Life Dan. 12.1 At that time thy people shall be saved every one that shall be found written in the Book Now this Book is either in the Original which is Gods Calendar of such as are appointed to Life and Salvation in his own Fore-knowledge and Decree for The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Or else the Counterpane of it in the Hearts and Consciences of such as do believe 1 Joh 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself Now howsoever it is true He that is once written in Gods Book of Life if we take it for Gods Fore-knowledge and Decree can never be blotted out again The foundation of God stands sure yet if we take it for that Witness that is written in the Heart and Conscience it may be much blotted and blurred and obscured by our wilful sinning against God It is true God will speak peace and pardon to his people but let them not turn again to folly For if they do though they lose not their pardon yet they may lose their peace so far that they shall not be able to reade their Pardon or their Assurance for Heaven Therefore such a man as he dishonours the Giver so he sins against his own Soul Therefore let him declare his Thankfulness by the hating and forsaking all sin And Thankfulness to be shewn by performance of all duties Secondly By the Practice of all holy Duties and good Works If God be so abundant in Reward to assure us by Faith of Eternal Life it calls upon us very strongly to be so much the more abundant in our work It is the Apostles Argument 1 Cor. 15. last having discours'd at large of the glorious condition of Gods People after the Resurrection Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. O that we would oft consider there is an Eternity for Reward but a short time for work and when the time of this Life is once past there is not a second opportunity there is no returning back again there is no doing of any thing in the Grave Therefore let us work Joh. 9.4 while we have the light of Life the night of death comes wherein no man can work no man can then believe or repent or bring forth the fruits of repentance There is no repentance in Hell to any purpose and if we repent of any thing in heaven it shall be of this that we did God no more and no better service upon earth And therefore so oft as we cast an eye upon the Eternity of Reward and the short time of our work let us bestir our selves in our places Take the counsel of the Wise man Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do either for God or for the Church of God or for thy own Soul do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor Wisdom in the grave whither thou art going He that thinks seriously of his Eternal condition after death cannot be an unprofitable Servant in his life And so much for the seventh Particular what Manner of Life the Just lives by Faith All that is worth the Name of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life Faith is the Key that opens to us the Kingdom of Heaven So says Calvin in his third Sermon on Gen. 15 6. THE EIGHTH GENERAL HEAD QUEST VIII What are the Reasons for living by Faith WE come now to the Eighth Particular the Reasons why God will have the Just to live by Faith We have given particular Reasons to the particular Branches before as Why the Just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Sanctification Renovation Fructification Mortification and Vivification c. We shall now give the general Reasons which reach to all in general Why God will have the Just to live by Faith It is true God is not bound to give us a Reason or give us an account of any of his Matters Job 33.13 It is the folly of vain man to call Gods Wisdom to the Bar of his shallow Reason But Rom. 9.20 Who art c. Gods Will may well stand for a Reason And yet God is pleased in this particular to give us a Reason of his Will Wicked men in the Scripture are said to be unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 they do a thing because they will do it though they have no good Reason for it But God though he is most Absolute and Independent is pleased in this matter of Faith to give us a Reason of his Will That man might not dispute and wrangle with God and say What Reason have I to live by Faith seeing I have little or nothing in hand
hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you not one thing hath failed thereof And this he speakes to this end that he might perswade them to live by Faith and to trust in the same God for the time to come Therefore Deut. 7.17 To cure the peoples diffidence and distrust God puts them in minde of former experiences If thou shalt say in thine heart These Nations are more than I how can I dispossess them Thou shalt not be afraid of them but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and all Egypt So shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid As if he should say That God who hath made good his promise in his peoples deliverance for the time past he will do it for the time to come also This was Davids gracious Logick both Reason rectified and Grace taught him to argue thus 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim Paul fetches such another Argument from his deliverance out of the paw or mouth of the Lion And what of that 2 Tim. 4. Mark his Argument The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Observe all these holy men of God by their former experience were built up in future confidence and so should we be Obj. If you shall say Where lies the strength of this Reason viz. Because God makes good his Word and Promise at one time to such as trust in him are we therefore sure he will make it good at another Ans I answer We may well be assured of it and that upon these grounds First from the Nature of Gods Covenant and Promise His Covenant is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.40 His Promise is very comprehensive it reacheth to all persons that are heirs of the Promise it belongs to all Saints Eph 3.18 To all places where ere those persons come 1 Kings 20 28. To all times Heb. 13.5 Isa 40.8 The Word of God standeth for ever Therefore whom God once delivers in a way of Covenant-mercy he will for ever deliver Secondly We may argue from the Nature of God For were the Covenant made never so sure like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that it should not be changed yet if God were of a changeable Nature all were as good as nothing As we see in the Covenants of vain and changeable men they snap them asunder as Samson did his cords But God is an Vnchangeable God and this puts life into that unchangeable Covenant Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore you Sons of Jacob are not consumed He is unchangeable in all his Attributes Unchangeable in his Love Jer. 31.3 In his Truth Psal 117.2 In his Power Isa 59.1 2. And therefore by the same reason that we trust in God once we have cause to trust in him for ever Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Thirdly The third and the last Argument is drawn from the Nature of the Price paid by Jesus Christ to his Father for all the good things that he hath promised The price of his own Blood which Blood of his in the Merit and Value of it is ever pleading and speaking better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.25 By vertue of his blood Christ pleads thus for each believing Soul Father bestow this Mercy on such a man for I have paid for that Mercy also And Father bestow such a Deliverance upon him for I have paid the price for that Deliverance also and so for a Thousand Mercies and Deliverances one after another As when the Price oâ— Ransom is paid for one in Prison when one or two doors are opened 't is an assurance to the poor Prisoner that the rest will soon be opened because the price is paid for the opening of all So in this case upon these grounds and experiences of Gods goodness and faithfulness for time past do we and ought we to strengthen Faith for the time to come The second sort of Reasons Second sort of Reasons for living by faith viz. The relation betwixt Christ and a Believer is drawn from that Relation which is betwixt Christ and a Believer 1. Christ is the Fountain and out of his fulness we do all receive grace for grace 2. Christ is our Lord and Master and therefore we are bound to give unto him the honour that is due to his Name But we can do neither the one nor the other without Faith we can neither receive from Christ what we want nor give unto Christ what is his due without Faith Christ is the Fountain of Grace 1. Christ is the Fountain and out of his fulness we all receive grace for grace but without Faith we cannot be united to this Fountain nor draw any thing from him The Water-Cock is in the house but the Spring-Head is in the field So the Water-Cock of Grace is in the Soul but the Spring-Head that feeds this is in Christ I am the life saith Christ Joh. 14.6 Life is radically in Jesus Christ Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life Now then there must be some Conduit-pipe to convey this Water of Life to the Soul and that is Faith Joh. 7.38 He that believeth in me as the Scripture haâ—h said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water And thus a believer lives by a Principle out of himself namely in Jesus Christ Gal 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who hath loved me c. 1 Joh 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and what is it to have the Son but to believe in the Son to be united to him by Faith As the the Water-Cock is united to the Fountain by the Conduit-pipe As the Heads of those Rivers that water the Garden of Paradise were out of Paradise So the Head and Spring of those Streams of Grace that water the Soul are out of the Soul even in Christ the Fountain All my fresh springs are in thee Psal 87.7 Though some understand it of the Church of God it is more eminently true of God himself Therefore a gracious Soul lives by Faith because by Faith he is united to Christ the Fountain of all Grace Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Secondly As Christ is our Lord and Master we are bound to give to him the honour due to his Name Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord and Master where is my fear and honour But we cannot honour him without Faith Faith brings a great deal of Honour to God and Jesus Christ therefore he will have