great and marvellous are thy workes and in the 107. Psalme 8. when the Prophet had shewed the great workes that God had done for his people Israel he saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men This was also a type of our spirituall comming home to Christ wee are all slaves to the Devill and in spirituall bondage under sinne hell and death but faith sets a man upon the shore and brings him home unto Christ as Iohn 5.24 He that doth beleeve is passed from death to life Lord saith the poore soule I confesse I was in the mouth of hell but now I am passed from death to life faith sets a man beyond sinne and death and all therefore the soule should be thankfull and sing a song of praise unto the Lord his God Now there are two bottomes from the former Doctrine which give foot-hold to your comfort First by beleeving all the goodnesse and mercie of God is thine and he cannot nay he will not deny thee therefore thou mayst with boldnesse challenge the good of all that mercie and goodnesse of his When God hath engaged himselfe to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee he cannot take away his mercy from a faithfull soule because hee cannot deny himselfe hee will not denie his truth and his promise therefore the Saints of God cannot but be partakers of all this mercie and goodnesse the Apostle saith Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in our hearts by faith so Coloss 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge now gather up all and the summe is thus much and there you may see how the comfort comes by faith I lay hold upon a Saviour in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and so I lay hold upon these what would you have and what is it that may comfort you thou art beggerly in wisdome and in consolation and in all the graces of Gods Spirit but if thou hast faith thou hast a Christ and in him are all the treasures of wisdome and mercie take your treasure and be inriched for evermore you may doe it it is your owne Secondly all the sinnes that thou standest guilty of and all the temptations of Sathan cannot hinder thee from injoying that light and receiving that good which thou hast need of there is no sinne that hath beene committed can stand betweene thee and eternall life be thy corruptions never so many for number never so vile and strong for nature never so long for continuance in them and all those old bruises and old lusts of youth which make thee say can the Lord pardon me and is it possible for such a wretch as I am to have mercie that have all these corruptions I answer it skils not what thy sinnes be see thy faith and repentance bee sound it matters not what thou hast beene a rebell even against God if now thou canst beleeve and rest upon God and repent thee of thy sinnes Quest But now the point growes on the soule is in some reasonable manner satisfied that if it had faith then it could be satisfied but many seeme to have faith and have it not if my faith were true I could gaine some sound comfort to my selfe that all would goe well with mee but how shall I know that Answ I answer I confesse that the faith of the most men in the world is but a meere delusion as I shall discover in the next use of reproofe but that thou maist be undoubtedly perswaded of the truth of this grace that though thy faith be never so little yet it is saving justifying faith I will therefore lay downe some trials I will not now intrench upon any of the particulars that come afterward but onely lay open such particulars for triall as are in the doctrine I know faith purifies the heart and workes by love c. and faith makes a new creature but these come too farre off I will onely gather somwhat from the point in hand Triall 1 First observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came and this will be an undoubted evidence whether thy faith be good or not therefore when thou dost begin to brag and say I doe beleeve then aske thy heart this question and say how came I by it prove it have I faith make it good then it is not enough to say so but let mee see that it is so didst thou bring it into the world with thee did thy wits contrive it did thy parts and abilities worke it and because thou hast more wit and learning than others and thou thinkest it as easie a matter to beleeve as to understand a hard writing if it bee thus thy faith is a delusion and no faith at all it is true here of faith which Iob speakes of wisdome nature saith it is not in me and eloquence saith it is not in me I know not the way to it all these say I have heard the newes of faith but I am not acquainted with it God onely knowes the way thereof and is the worker of it the text saith Every man than hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me the Father must first teach this lesson or else no man can understand it except the Father give thee a heart to know Jesus Christ there is no power in thee that is able to give this grace to the soule hast thou thy faith from heaven then it is like to bee of the right kinde but it must bee from thence it ariseth not from the earth it comes not from parts and gifts and learning it must come from heaven or else it is not of the right kinde all the coine that is currant is minted in the tower by authoritie of the King if not it is not currant in 1 Pet. 1.7 the Apostle cals it precious faith it must bee stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ by the hand of the Spirit it must come from the tower of Zion or else it is copper faith and not saving justifying faith nor that which will stand in steed in the day of triall here or in the day of judgement hereafter as wee say in nature the Alcumists are growne to that skill that they will make Alcumie appeare to be perfect silver and gold and much of it will beare the touchstone insomuch that a man can hardly discover some of it it is so cunningly made but when the fire and the hammer comes it will beare neither of them but the true gold comes from the gold oare and will endure the fire and hammer the alcumie gold comes not from the right place where the gold is it comes not from the minerals from the golden mines so there is a great deale of this alcumie faith for the world is come to this passe that they have a faith of their owne faining
will overcome all corruptions that mercy that will pardon all our sinnes then saith the will content it shall be so and this makes up the match for now the match commeth to bee made when the will saith Amen to the businesse and this is that great worke of the will the spawn and the seeds of faith went before now faith is come to some perfection now the soule reposeth it selfe upon the Lord and Divines say that here commeth in faith what the minde hath knowne and hope expected and desire longed for and love embraced then commeth in the great wheel the great commander the will which saith I will have it Goe no further it is the best match wee can make you saw the seeds of faith before in the affections but now you shall see the root of faith and the full growth of faith in the will So from hence the point of Doctrine is this Doctrine The will of a poore sinner humbled and enlightned comes to bee effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ that it may bee interested therein and have supply of all Spirituall wants from thence For the better clearing of this Doctrine consider these foure particulars First the worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned Secondly the will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father Thirdly by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the rich grace and free mercy of God in Christ Fourthly the end of it that it may bee interested into all the good that is in the promise For by faith wee come to have a title to all that ever Christ purchased and God hath prepared for his people and as by infidelity wee went from God so now by faith we come again to God Particul in the doctr 1 For the first passage this grace of faith the root whereof is seated in the will it is in an heart humbled and enlightened if either of these two bee wanting it is not possible that ever sound saving faith should be in the soule I doe not now dispute of the measure of these how farre a man must bee humbled and how much enlightened these I have handled before I abate a man of the measure and leave that to the good pleasure of God but the heart must bee truly humbled and soundly enlightened First The heart must be humbled that is loosed from sinne and from selfe if the soule be not thus truly humbled there is no roome for faith for the worke of humiliation cleeres the coast â—nd clenseth the roome for if the soule of a poore sinner be not loosened from sinne and made weaâ—y of it but takes fast hold of it as Ieremie saith Ierem. 8.5 They hold fast to deceit and would not returne so when a man will hold his pride and his corruptions that man is carelesse of Christ and not onely so but also opposit from going to Christ he will not goe to Christ that he may receive power for â—he subduing of his corruptions because he is resolved to keepe his sinne still and therefore know â—hat it is not possible to receive Christ and to â—leave to sinne too Secondly suppose the soule be truly burdened â—nd the heart be surcharged with sinne and the â—eart seeth an absolute necessity of a change and â—e saith if this be certaine then I am a miserable â—an and either I must reforme my way or else perish in my way now when the soule is come to this if the heart will yet shift for it selfe and thinke to recover it selfe seeing it must needâ— change it will change it selfe it will hinder faith for whatsoever it is that keepes a man in himselfe that alwayes hinders the worke of faith for faith ever goes out to another for grace and power to ease him of corruption and for strength to subdue his sinnes if the soule say either I need not change or if I must change I will change my selfe and save my selfe what need have I of a Saviour these hinder faith therefore if ever faith be there the heart must have thiâ— wrought he must see himselfe in a lost condition that is that by all the meanes under heaven heâ— cannot succour himselfe this is the meaning of that phrase Luke 19.10 The Lord Iesus came 〈◊〉 seeke and to save that which was lost a lost man indeed every man is lost under the power of sinne and dominion of Satan but he must see himselfe lost how the guilt of sinne is condemning him and therefore lost in regard of pardon to save him and also how he is polluted and therefore lost in regard of power to subdue corruptions and when he seeth this indeed that nothing can helpe him but a Christ then the soule makes out for a Christ this is the meaning of that place Iohn 1.12 To as many as received him he gave c. so that we must receive a Christ when we are gone oâ—â— of our selves by humiliation then are we fit to goe to God by vocation Quest But may not a man beleeve and is it not lâ—â—full to beleeve unlesse a man be thus humbled Answ It is lawfull at any time if thou canst but I say it is impossible for thee to beleeve untill thou be thus humbled as Iohn 4.44 the Lord Christ comes to the Pharisees and saith I know you will not come to mee that you may beleeve nay in the next place he saith How can ye beleeve that receive honour one of another how canst thou beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ to subdue thy lusts and yet wouldst bee uncleane still and live in thy lusts still how canst thou beleeve in Christ to master thy rebellious heart and yet wouldest be rebellious still it is impossible heaven and earth cannot meet together no more can these two stand together therefore set your hearts at rest a man must be truly humbled and broken hearted â—f ever he beleeve Secondly the soule must be enlightened I â—oyne these two together in this clause for though faith be above reason yet it is with reason it is not that colliers faith of the Papists â—hat put out his owne eyes to see by another mans this is a delusion and an implicite faith â—herefore I say a man must be inlightened to see â—he grace and mercie and freenesse of Gods love â—n Christ as Psal 119.10 They that know thy name â—hall put their trust in thee it is against common sense that the soule of a man that is reasonable â—hould fall upon any thing and rest it selfe there â—nd yet never seeth whether it bee a sufficient helpe or no this is by the way of preparation Particul in the doctr 2 It is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest it selfe c. this I adde in the second place upon the same ground because a man hath no legs of himselfe to bee carried to the Lord Jesus Christ to beleeve in him further
in my lusts still now the heart is going out of the world to the Lord Jesus Christ when there is an overpowering vertue of the sweetnesse of the promise that prevailes with the soule above all and affects the heart with the good thereof more than all the rest this is then to be effectually perswaded Now the will and the heart is gone that way let all the temptation and the darling delights of sinne come in never so fast yet the prevailing power of the promise out bids and goes beyond all these and affects the heart more than all these I would have you retaine those things that ye may trie whose hearts are sound many pretend to have a lingering desire after Christ and to seeme to bee for Christ and yet the worke was never sound they were never perswaded powerfully as I now speake and as there is a strong and effectuall perswading so there is a kinde of hourly and feeble perswading and a slight motion of it the heart may seem to make out toward Christ yet never get â—ut because it was never effectually perswaded â—hese slight motions and hourly perswasions are â—ike the untimely birth of a woman that vanishâ—th away and comes to nothing in the end Many a man hath had his eyes opened and the sweetnesse of the promise revealed and the soule â—ad begun to purpose and to be at a hay now â—ay and then he will goe to Christ and yet sinks â—owne againe and falls back and perisheth everâ—stingly As it is with a waggon that passeth by a â—angerous pit being well loaden which if it passe â—ot by hee is undone he is at a set well they will use their skill they pull with might maine â—nd now it is going and then it is comming it 〈◊〉 ever at a hay now hay at last the traces breake â—nd it falls downe irrecoverably So it is with a â—arnall false hearted Hypocrite that hath had maâ—y of these feeble perswasions to pluck a base â—ile heart from his corruptions the Lord hath â—id some hand upon him by the terrours of the â—aw and let in some intimation of mercy and â—t him see what good he might have if he would â—art from his sinnes and he hath many good reâ—lutions the drunkard will be drunke no more â—e adulterer will bee uncleane no more and the â—roud person will never be proud any more it is â—et at a hay now hay but because hee is not â—fectually perswaded hee falls off from his halfe â—odging with God and is wholly overcome with â—nne never to be recovered more this was the practice of Agrippa Act. 26.27 where Paul shewing his conversation and what God had done for him when Agrippa heard this he was even at a dead lift and said Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian almost holy almost humble and almost to forsake my sinnes I will never be more malicious against God and as the originall word saith Thou hast almost perswaded mee in a few things but hee never came to any good at all This is the guise of many that come to some outward reformation and get some knowledge and some parts and some duties performed so that a man would thinke they were making forward toward Christ and yet they recoyle and fall back againe to their old base courses most fearfully Of this generation was this spoke Heb. 6.4 that had a taste of the Heavenly gift that is saving faith they liked the promise but it was never at the heart roots Oh said they comfort ease and salvation is good to be had but they did not take downe the promise and disgest it and make it good blood they wanted this sound perswasion somewhat was neerer to the heart than the promise and therefore it came to nothing An Hypocrite that is tickled and hath some flashy desires as the stony ground was is a little affected with the Word of God This man may entertaine iâ— some kinde of hourely perswasion somewhat of the promise for some respect the promise is this that God will pardon the iniquity of his poore children and ease them of all their miseries and glorifie them for ever The Hypocrite heares this that there is salvation to be had and grace is now offered Oh it is pretty saith the soule then I hope it is possible for something to come to my share in conclusion hee entertaines the promise to pardon him but the promise and the prevailing power of it goe not deepe enough to loose him from his corruptions and to purge him hee would sip of the promises but make a meale of his lusts But a good heart doth the contrary the promise is the standing dish and the Lord â—esus Christ to be loved and embraced that is his meale onely he may sip now and then at his lusts â—nd corruptions The Hypocrite will have his â—ase haunts and his corruptions still but in the meane time hee could bee content to thinke on Christ to pardon him and that these evils might â—ot befall him Part. 2 Now you see what it is to bee effectually perswaded nothing but God can doe this and in his lies the excellency of faith to rest it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace that it may have â—n interest in the good thereof that is the end â—f faith there lies the marrow of faith that is the â—ertue and spirituall efficacy of faith that as hope â—aited for mercy and desire longed for it and â—â—ve and joy welcomed it and they all bring the â—romise home to the soule so then the will â—ith Amen Lord let it be so I will goe no furâ—her It is in this case as it was with the woman â—f Samaria Iohn 4.29 When Christ had opened â—er eyes and shewed her the vilenes of her heart â—nd also told her that shee had seven Husbands saying thou art an adulterous woman now when she had heard this away shee goes to the Citie and said Behold a man that hath told mee all that ever I did is not he the Christ Just so all the affections come to the will the great commander and plead in this case and thus begin to strive with the heart Oh saith hope I have waited for this goodnesse of the Lord and my eyes have failed with looking for it And desire saith I have longed for this goodnesse and saith love I have received it and joy saith I have felt the sweetnesse of it is not this mercy worth the receiving Then the will saith is it so indeed hast thou waited for it hope and hast thou longed for it desire and hast thou felt the sweetnesse of it joy then we will all goe to that mercy and seeke no further Let base corruptions and lusts doe what they will wee will goe to that mercy Foure things or Acts. and repose our selves therein Now this resting of it selfe discovers a foure-fold act Act 1 First it implyes a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule
burthened Christ will ease you and you that are thus lost Christ will finde you But now if a man will not set to his seale and if the soule doe not take all this to it selfe and enter possession of it in this kinde and seale and deliver as wee use to say it will never prove authenticall but when it is sealed and delivered then it is authenticall So when the soule makes an application of the promises to it selfe then it is authenticall and the soule feeds upon it and refresheth it selfe therewith for ever Secondly faith jogs the hand of God and sets Gods power on worke and makes way for the streame of Gods promise and providence that it may take place I say it makes ay for the worke of the promise that so whatsoever is good may flow in amaine upon the heart and be communicated to it as it is in other courses of providence When God sets up a course of providence in the â—se of means then in the use of those means as â—â—e ordinarily workes Now God will nourish a man if he will eat his meat and use the means appointed for his nourishment and hee that will take up the course that God hath appointed may expect a blessing so faith is the condition that God requires and the means that he hath appointed whereby he will convey all good to the soule and as all grace and mercy is conveyed from God through the promise so if wee will beleeve and lay our hearts to the promise wee are under the power of the promise to convey all grace and mercy to us As it is with a Pump or Well there is water enough in the Well but yet a man must draw and pump it up before hee can have any and when hee drawes then the water doth come So the Fountaine of all grace and goodnesse in Christ and the promise is the pump now faith must jog the promise before any grace can come this I take to be the reason of all those passages in Scripture where the Lord is said to give away himselfe to beleeving soules as Matth. 15.28 Oh woman great is thy faith bee it unto thee as thou wilt Christ gives her leave to goe to the treasure of mercy and grace and to take what she would he doth not say be it unto thee as I will but as thou wilt looke what health thou wilt have for thy daughter and what comfort for thy conscience goe and take it the Lord denies her nothing This is the meaning of that place Math. 9.29 Bee it unto you according to your faith not according to your wit or pride or strength or sturdy spirits as if a man would goe to Heaven and bee proud and stout hearted too no no there is no such matter not according to your parts and gifts but according to your faith Gen. 17.7 God makes a deed of gift to Abraham saying I will be a God to thee and thy seed after thee take all Abraham so that beleeving sets Gods grace a going and puts Gods power and providence forth for the good of the soule Now imagine the Lord did yet deny that soule that mercy which it seekes and begs and doth not answer the desire of the heart and let in that good and sweetnesse the beleeving soule expects from him what will faith doe then This is the third Act of faith in drawing vertue from Christ faith urgeth God with his owne word and presseth Gods promise and challengeth God on his faithfulnesse and truth not to be wanting unto him for the acceptation of his person and the pardon of his sinnes Faith enters into suit with God Psal 143.1 Heare my prayer Lord and in thy faithfulnesse answer me as if he had said I confesse I am base vile and sinfull and deserve â—o mercy therefore not in my worthinesse but in thy faithfulnesse answer me I cannot bee but â—ile and thou canst not bee but faithfull and if thou canst cease to be faithfull I am content to be miserable and so you may for he can as well cease to be faithfull as cease to bee God It is a â—aw-case betweene God and Iacob Gen. 22.10.11 see how he presseth God in a point Oh saith hee I know my brothers maliciousnesse and dogged spirit and I expect hard measure from him O Lord therefore remember thy servant for I feare my brother Esau and thou hast said thou wilt doe good to thy servant c. As a man that hath a good cause at the Assizes or Sessions though hee hath a great enemie one that over-powers him yet being confident that his cause is good will bring it about againe and will not rest till he hath an equall hearing So faith when the Lord frownes upon him yet the heart puts him in suit as it were and doth expostulate the cause with the Lord saying Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious and will he be no more intreated This expostulation of the soule that the heart presseth in upon God withall when it is upon a good ground it argues the pursuit of God that he will not leave till the Lord give that hee hath engaged himselfe to bestow Thus to gather up all faith goes out to the Lord Jesus Christ and layes hold upon him layes all the weight upon him drawes vertue from him as in all the former particulars The fifth and last thing wherein the great worke of resting consists is this faith leaves the soule with the promise and after all desires haply and all denials and all the discouragements of God and yet the soule seeth not the way of God but that God frownes upon him and though God comes not yet faith leaves the heart with God This is marvellous needfull and it must needs be the worke of faith for it is the maine tenour of the worke of the covenant of grace and the covenant of workes in the covenant of workes made with Adam when he said doe and live If Adam had done that hee should have received constant assistance and God would never have denied to helpe him but now in the covenant of grace because it must bee and is free and that a soule may and must know that it is onely the goodnesse of God to us therefore the Lord reserves this prerogative royall to himselfe that howsoever God will bestow what he hath promised yet hee reserves the time to himselfe and what time he will doe it and after what manner and by what means that is onely of Gods free will and hereupon the soule acknowledgeth that it is of Gods free grace as if the Lord should say it is mercy that I give and therefore it is according to my owne minde and I will take my owne time Now in this dead lift the power of faith is this it leaves the soule with the promise it takes up its standing there and saith I will goe to none other and I will seeke no further Esay 28.16 He that beleeves makes not
Gods love and quarrelling with himselfe and his owne comfort and the fault was here hee onely tooke a snatch and away but remember this the same promise that you heard in the publike keepe it and be ever sipping of it I confesse saith he my heart was cheered and when I heard such a Minister preach and such a Christian pray I was exceedingly comforted and had sweet assurance of Gods love but now all is gone the fault is your owne for if you would cleave to the promise it would doe you as much good in the private as in the publike it would comfort you at one time as well as at another many times it thus befals us Ministers when we preach of consolation and when wee pray and conferre wee thinke that wee are beyond all trouble but by and by we are full of feares and troubles and sorrowes because wee take not full contentment in the promise wee drinke not a deepe draught of it therefore take heed of these two things whereby poore Christians are marvellously couzened First take heed of attending to the parlies of temptations and of making a pursuit of every temptation of the Devill if you will listen to his chat he will make you forget all your comfort for the Devill casts in a bone of dissention and we snarle at it and parly with him about it and so lose the comfort of the promise therefore talke not with Satan at all but hold your hearts to the truth of the promise that is revealed to be yours Secondly be not alwayes quarrelling and cavilling with carnall reason but when you have any evidence keepe it and let it not be taken out of your hands for it is certaine that there are many poore Christians that cannot but confesse that they have faith and are wonderfully comforted but when they are gone from the Minister their old carnall reason comes againe and they attend not to the promise but to their carnall reason and from hence the devill gets marvellous ground against a poore soule therefore when you have the promise cleared from the Word heare nothing from Satan against that but from the Scripture but throw away all cursed carnall suggestions hold you close to the truth and if the devill can say any thing against the truth so t is if not then hold to it Now is it so that faith makes the life and soule of a beleever full of comfort and contentment then you faithfull soules take heed of ever repining and murmuring against the Lord and when you finde these distempers rising in your hearts still them and suffer not your hearts to murmure against God nor to bee discontented with his good providence Oh saith one I have no sense nor feeling of his love nor I cannot doe this nor that and would you have a man contented in this condition how now soule why did God never give thee any grace nor stir up thy heart to beleeve yes t is true I have a little faith if it were not for that what should I doe it is all I have I have nothing but that Oh for shame hold your peace nothing but that is it all come to nothing is Christ and Grace and Heaven and mercy and all come to but a so much hath God given thee faith and wilt thou not bee content with it seeme the consolations of God small unto thee is it nothing to thee that Christ and Heaven is thine is it nothing that God hath given you his Sonne and that Christ hath shed his heart-bloud for you and made you able to rest upon him is all this nothing It is as much as if a poore man had a thousand pounds given him and hee were angry with his friend for his kindnesse Oh gâ—e your wayes cheered and comforted and murmure no more but say as good Iacob did I have not this nor that but I have a Ioseph in Egypt my sonne iâ— alive I will goe and see him ere I die He is better to me than friends and means and all so goe your way and take heed how you offend the riches of Gods free grace nothing but a heart to beleeve Oh for shame bite thy tongue when it saith so and say Lord I have not friends nor means nor this nor that but I have a heart to beleeve and to rest upon thee Lord cause mee to rest upon thee more and more it is enough that I have a beleeving heart though I never see a good day besides It is enough that I have seene Christ my Saviour and my Redeemer c. It is a mâ—rvellous folly and shame and trouble we dishonour God and Christ and all and make the wicked peoplâ— say that swearers and drunkards goe on merily laughing and rejoycing and these Christians they goe drooping If this bee grace saith one God blesse me from it there is a strugling a striving to get a little grace assurance and power against corruption and yet for ought I see they have no more comfort than I have Oh walke humbly yet cheerfully and comfortably hast thou any wants faith will supply them hast thou any feare of trouble for the time to come faith will cure all feares art thou weake and unable to doe this or that duty faith will inable thee to every duty required doe but beleeve and rest upon Christ and grace and strength will come and thou shalt bee able to doe all things through Christ that strengthens thee Oh saith one this is a lesson for a Paul and for the great standers the Cedars in grace I answer Paul doth not say hee did it of himselfe but by the power and grace of Christ strengthning him and Christ hath as much strength and grace for thee as hee had for Paul if thou beleeve in him and rest in him therefore goe thou thy way and let us all be comforted thou and I and every poore Saint of God may doe well through the grace of Christ that strengthens us Thus much of the fourth use Vse 5 Hence in the next place wee conclude that as the difficulty is great in getting faith so the benefit of it when it is gotten is every way as great therefore it is a ground of admirable comfort to all the servants of God that through his mercy have received this grace at his Majesties hand they ought to be wonderfully comforted because they have it and so to bee thankfull to him that hath wrought it you see the difficulty of faith and the benefit of it Now hath the Lord wrought this in thy soule then goe thy way comforted for what thou hast and be thankfull to him who hath given it thee The Lord gives one man riches and another man advancements and another hath great parts and another large revenues thou seest all these and thy teeth begin to water at them and thy heart begins to bubble and repine at this and thou saist the Lord hath given riches to this man and honours to that
woman that marries a man for better for worse with all wants and faults and miseries so the Lord Jesus Chiist doth with us he chuseth us with all our miseries and disgraces a poore meane Christian a man of no parts nor place yea howsoever you bee Christ chuseth you with all these and he loves you never the worse for these and if thou chuse Christ aright thou wilt not say as the Jewes Come downe from the crosse and wee will beleeve in thee thou must not thinke to have a Christ and no troubles nor disgraces with him no thou shalt never have a Christ upon these tearmes but thou must chuse Christ wholly and all that comes with him this cuts the throats of many that doe not chuse Christ aright but their honours and ease this is no beleeving but a meer delusion in Heb. 11.25.26 when Moses was there to make his choyce whether hee would bee the son of Pharaohs daughter and have honours and delights in the Court or bee a persecuted Saint of God the text saith Hee chose rather to suffer adversitie with the people of God than to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter hee chose them out of judgement and accounted the reproaches of Christ greater honours than to be so and so He did not chuse an honoured and an advanced Christ and an enriched Christ but he chose afflictions and the like nay hee accounted them greater honours than all the honours of Egypt so wilt thou doe if thy faith be sound and right Secondly as thou wilt chuse all Christ and whatsoever comes with Christ so there must bee nothing on thy part that must hinder the match but thou must forsake it and cast it away and let it rather be taken from thee than thou to be takes from thy Saviour As a man will not chuse his lusts if he were an adulterer before because they will hinder him from receiving the chastity of a Saviour Therefore he that will bestow himselfe upon a Saviour he cannot but refuse that adulterous course which would hinder him from matching with a Christ and the ambitious man will not now chuse his honours but hee will cast away his pride and ambition and advancement because these will hinder him from receiving the humility of a Saviour As a woman will be content to take her husband for better for worse so also she must be content to cast away whatsoever may hinder her from him and shee will forsake friends or honours or any thing that may hinder her from her best beloved so if thou wilt chuse Christ wholly as thou must take a Christ and all that comes with him so thou must cast away whatsoever may hinder thee from receiving him as Ruth said to Naomy Ruth 1.16 Intreat mee nor to leave thee or to returne from following thee for where thou goest I will goe where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God so saith the soule If lust and pleasure or the world or any darling delight come and perswade thee to set up thy selfe in stead of Christ the soule saith I have chosen a Christ and therefore intreat mee not to forsake the humility and chastity and meeknesse of Christ for I will live and die with him hee shall bee my Saviour and Lord for ever The Saints of God first gave away themselves to God and then to the Apostles so faith chuseth all a Christ and bestowes it selfe upon a Christ to be ruled by him and to enjoy whatsoever he hath and to imbrace whatsoever comes with him and to remove whatsoever may hinder the soule from him Triall 3 Thirdly justifying faith beares it selfe upon the promise in all its extremities and is satisfied with it for you know it is called resting as if hee had said here will I rest for ever Oh this grace and mercy I will goe no further it is good to be here to be so holy and so glorious and so sanctified and justified and so I confesse that pride and unbeleefe will have his ranges and sharke up and downe for some comfort and contentment in the world and haply by base means but wheresoever saving faith is when it feels these it opposeth them and breakes through them to come to the promise and saith now I see what you doe rest is not in the world nor in profits nor in honours nor parts nor abilities nor any outward thing but in the promise and the promise is the portion of the soule and that by which it lives and the stock of commoditie which the soule trades withall as a mans trades and his lands are his livings though haply a friend may give him something else sometimes yet hee lives by his owne means So the faithfull soule will take what God gives but it lives by the promise and by the loving kindnesse of the Lord that is the maine life and maintenance of the soule as it is with a woman now married to a man you would account it a strange thing if shee should goe away to another womans husband to aske for her releefe this is an adulterous wretch but the wife goes to her husband and if there be any provision to be made shee goes to her husband to provide it and if any debts be to bee paid her husband must pay them and hee must pay all and doe all she relies her selfe upon her husband So when the heart pretends great matters that it loves Christ and yet will have his backdoores and hee must live by his wits and his shifts this is an adulterous heart It is rather of a harlot to his lusts than of a holy chaste man that is espoused to Christ so it is with a faithfull soule if he hath any wants Christ shall heare of him and if any trouble or distresse faith sends to her husband the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven and layes all the weight upon him if any succour comes in by the way the soule takes it thankfully from God and in the meane time he lives by the promise as in the 1 Sam. 30.6 when Zicklag was burnt the wives and children taken captives the people much grieved and David much distressed yet the text saith that David comforted his heart in God there was faith indeed so the wife haply her father or her mother dies yet shee comforts her selfe in her husband so the soule saith the Lord is better than all outward comforts and all honours and all friends and means under heaven in a word these two passages will bee of great use First if in the want of all these thy soule can be satisfied with a Saviour and with the promise in him And secondly if in the presence of all thy soule stands onely to and rests it selfe upon a Saviour it is an undoubted argument that thy faith is right I doe not deny but that there are pranks and fetches of flesh and flesh will have his bouts yet take away all from a
I was in heaven and yet because I have no faith I am now cast downe to hell it is thus much when the Lord lets in a glimpse of the exelencie of the grace of faith and the glory of heaven and the sweetnesse of the pardon of all the sinnes of the faithfull and the Lord lets in a glimpse of all these which goes home to the top of the affections and will that the Lord by a spirituall kinde of flash suddenly passeth by the will so that he leaves some kinde of dew and some remembrance of those glorious things which are thus let in upon the minde of a poore sinner insomuch that his heart is marvellously tickled and ravished with it I expresse it thus as it is with the water in a standing poole and the water that runneth through a pipe the standing water soakes and goes down-ward and settles inwardly in the earth but the water that passeth by suddenly leaves only a little dew behinde it but soakes not at all so it is with this temporary beleever the streame of the heavenly truths of the Doctrine of Christ passeth by suddenly as namely that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that Christ came to take away the iniquitie of his servant this doth passe by suddenly and leaves a little dew behinde it so that he saith Oh this is good this is sweet I may be saved too may I not Oh I never heard a man speake so comfortably this word bedewes the heart a little but it soakes not downe it goes not to the root of the soule therefore observe it this is a work which the hypocrite may have only observe thus much he sips of grace and salvation and makes a meale of his corruptions but the gracious man onely sips of his corruptions and makes a meale of grace of holines mercy in Christ Looke as it is with seed that is cast into the wombe of a woman the seed is enough to beget some fruit but if the wombe be a miscarrying wombe it comes to nothing so it is betweene the stirring of the Word in the heart of a poore Saint and in the heart of an Hypocrite the Spirit of the Lord workes in the heart of a Hypocrite by the Word and is able to moysten him but the heart miscarries in the worke and resists and gainsayes and never comes to any good hee never comes to bee a faithfull man rightly proportioned whereas the same Spirit of God working rightly upon the heart of a beleever it makes him a very proportionable Christian the other remaining but a confused lumpe Now see what this man may doe when he comes to this let him bee thus bedewed with this taste of the excellency of faith and never have faith strengthned and rooted in him yet hee will bee very eager in the pursuit of the Word and marvellous constant in attending upon the Word because it is his delight and hee will bee marvellous painfull to get the Word for a man will doe any thing to get his delight and he may bee angry with such as would hinder him in the pursuit of the Gospell which is his delight this a man may doe and yet all come to nothing and so may perish everlastingly for looke what joy and delight will doe for a push the same a carnall temporary may doe But that this man will doe all this it is plaine of this kinde was Balaam that wretched man of whom you may see divers passages in the 23. 24. chapters of Numbers hee was a witch as Divines hold and hee was going to curse the people of God but the Lord stopt him and how did he it why he let him see the excellency of the condition of the Saints of God and said Oh thou wretched man loe there and behold the happy condition of my people and see all the good that I have given them and wilt thou curse those that I love so dearly Now see how he was taken up with it Oh that I might die the death of the righteous this was a glimpse of the glory that was let in upon him to stop him and to awe his heart yet hee returned to his old byas againe the third Scripture is in Matthew 25.8 I know Interpreters vary in it but I will be bold to suggest what I thinke the five foolish virgins said give us of your oyle for our lampes are gone out they had lamps but no oyle how could they kindle their lamps except they had oyle they had a little oyle in their lampes but none in their vessels their lampes was their excellent and glorious profession and the oyle which they had was nothing but the taste of the heavenly gift they had so much stirring of the will and affections as might carry them on to professe the truth but they had not oyle in their vessels which might sink downe into their hearts to subdue their corruptions and to quicken up their grace they had not this power to frame their hearts strongly towards the Lord and to feed their profession with constancy and perseverance to the end so that you see what hee can say for himselfe and me thinkes he speakes marvellous probably The Lord bee mercifull to us if a man goe thus farre and come to nothing it is wonderfull he is farre beyond the judicious professor Oh saith he I had a rellish of the sweetnesse of the good Word of God and a taste of the heavenly gift and my heart was ravished with the sight of the glory of it and I could even have gone to Heaven now you see the best of him But now secondly what is the falsenesse of this man and wherein is his failing and why where he falls short of faith and what it is that would make him an honest man Now the second thing is this that notwithstanding the sudden push of this man hee will wither and will turne his backe upon the truth and commonly he is an enemy to that truth to which his love was carried and which was his chiefe delight and this hee doth upon these two grounds commonly First when he seâ—th the bitternesse and misery and affliction and vexation that accompanies the Word hee is weary of the Word rather than he will beare those afflictions that doe accompany the Word he will follow our Saviour no longer than prosperity follow him for he will rather forsake Christ than to forgoe these hee was made a professour all upon a sudden and hee receives the Word suddenly with joy when hee heares of the glorious grace and mercy of God he faith Oh that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven to save sinners and to wait upon poore drunkards and adulterers and vilde wretches Oh sweet and admirable mercy saith hee and so all upon a sudden he turnes Christian and Professour but if afflictions and trouble come for the truth then hee turnes off all Christ and truth and his profession and all Oh saith he
man doth use to say I durst not have thought it nor expected if you had not promised it so the promise of God made to the soule makes the soule to rest upon it to expect faith without a promise is all one as if a man should expect a crop without seed for the promise is the immortall seed of Gods word whereby the Spirit breeds this faith in the hearts of all that are his Iohn 5.25 The houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live it is spoken of raising of a dead man from the grave of sinne First there is the voice of Christ to the soule before there can bee an eccho againe of the soule to Christ so the power of the promise must come to the soule and wee must heare the voice of God in the promise before we can returne an eccho againe to the Lord the Lord saith Come to me and the soule saith I come Lord when thou seest much deadnesse and unfitnesse of heart doe not thou goe away and looke off from the promise and say Thus I am and so it is with mee but rather goe to the promise and say Whatsoever frailties I finde in my selfe yet I will looke to the Lord and to his promise for if I want faith the promise must settle mee more and more therein I must not bring faith to the promise but receive faith from thence and therefore I will wait till the Lord please to worke it Meanes 4 Lastly labour to yeeld to the equall condition of the promise and make no more conditions than God makes now the promise requires no more of a man but that he should come and lay hold on mercie therefore doe thou require no more than God in the promise requires there is enough in the promise to doe thee good therefore expect all good from it and be content to goe to the promise and take of God whatsoever he hath therein offered Esay 55.1 2. Bâ—y without money this is the condition that God offers mercy upon Buy wine and milke that is grace and salvation without money that is without sufficiencie of your owne for wee must not looke for sanctification till we come to the Lord in vocation for this is all the Lord requires of thee to see thy sinnes and be weary of them and be content that the Lord Jesus shall reveale what is amisse and take it away and that the Lord should give thee grace then the Lord will bring thee to himselfe and thou shalt receive mercy from him and then all thy corruptions shall fall to the ground To summe up the point briefly thus First when wee have pluckt away all carnall props there is way made for the promise to come to us Secondly when our hearts are possessed thorowly of the sufficiencie of Gods promise and grace then the promise drawes neere to the soule Thirdly when we expect all from the promise even power to come to the promise then the promise layes hold upon us Fourthly when we are content to yeeld to the equall conditions of the promise then the promise carries us quite away Thus we have seene the hinderances removed and the meanes propounded and now that wee may be moved and perswaded importunately to seeke after this blessed grace of God I le propound three motives Motive 1 The first motive is this because if you once get this grace you get all other graces with it in this you have all the rest attending and you have all the rest overplus it is a ground of comfort to set a man aworke when in the doing of one he may doe many things so it is in the worke of faith men that are wise to provide for themselves and to lay out their money for their best advantage for a purchase if they see it is well wooded and all the stocke goes into the bargaine especially if there be some golden mynes all their mindes will be upon that purchase because if they have that they have all in that so it is here get this grace and get all strengthen this and strengthen all nourish this and nourish all want this and want all once get this and then you need not seeke for wisdome for faith will make you wise it will bring holinesse with it to purge you Ah the golden mynes of mercy and salvation doe all attend upon the purchase of faith it is in this case with faith as it is in a mans body a man hath an especiall care of his stomack and liver because the stomack disgests his meat and the liver makes bloud and bloud is in all and now if all be maintained all is for health so what ever a man lookes to â—et him looke to this for by faith we lay hold on Christ and from Christ wee receive all good whereby our hearts may bee cheared and refreshed faith brings all grace and workes with all grace get faith and get all 2 Corin. 3.18 Wee all with open face behold as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie I have opened the place before to have the glorious grace of God his meâ—knesse and patience that the soule may be transformed and of an impatient man be made meeke and patient and to have the glorious grace of God imprinted upon the soule how will all this come we all by faith looke upon the riches of Gods grace in Jesus Christ Christ is the glasse and the glorious grace of God Christ is compared to the glory of the Lord therefore first we must behold grace before wee can receive it first see humility in Christ and then fetch it and there see courage to put mettall into the heart that is cowardly Secondly as all grace comes by faith for it is faith that closeth with Christ and from Christ receiveth grace for grace as the seale leaves the same impression upon the wax that is upon it selfe so secondly by faith wee are delivered from all and made conquerours over all either enemies that can assault us or miseries that can trouble us wee have many enemies the Devill and the world but especially a vile base and corrupt heart if you know and feele these miseries here is one speciall privilege of faith it will rid all these and make you conquerours over all these enemies this only faith can doe every man labours for mastery and victory this is the white that every man shoots at as it is in a pitched field though it be but for one victory how every sâ—de drawes on the forces and use all the meanes and skill that can be to get the day but if there were an engine or instrument that would overcome all enemies and breake all forts and trenches if there were any such engines no man would sticke at any price or spare any meanes and endevours to get the engine because if they have this
in shew but false in heart p. 279 Here are further to bee discovered foure sorts of Hypocrites 1 There is a whining Hypocrite p. 280 2 The wrangling Hypocrite p. 280 3 The glorious Hypocrite p. 280 4 The presumptuous Hypocrite p. 280 We are now come to the worke of the will p. 283 Doctrine VIII The will of a poore sinner humbled and inlightned comes to be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the freenesse of God in Christ that it may be interested therein p. 284 The opening of this Doctrine consisteth in 4 particulars Particular I. That this worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned p. 285 Particular II. The will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father p. 287 Particular III. By the power of this perswasion it casteth it selfe upon the rich grace free mercy of God in Christ p. 295 Now this resting of the soule upon the rich grace of God in Christ discovereth it selfe in a 5. fold Act. Act I. It doth imply a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule runs and reacheth after a Christ p. 296 Act II. Of resting is this it layeth fast hold upon Christ p. 298 Act III. Of resting is this it flings the weight of all his occasions and troubles upon Christ p. 302 Act IV. Of resting and reposing is this it doth draw vertue and derive power from the Lord Iesus Christ for succour and supply p. 305 Faith doth draw vertue from Christ by a three-fold Act. p. 307 Act I. Is this Faith doth appropriate and apply the promise to it selfe in particular ibid. Act II. Faith doth jog the hand of God and sets Gods power on worke p. 309 Act III. Faith urgeth God with his owne Word and presseth Gods promise and challengeth God on his faithfulnesse and truth not to be wanting unto him for the acceptation of his Person and the pardon of his sinnes p. 311 Act V. Of resting is this it doth leave the soule with the promise p. 312 Particular IV. Is the finall cause why it doth rest that it may be interested into all the good that is in the promise and to have supply of all Spirituall wants from the promise p. 315 The Spirituall wants of the soule which faith doth supply are of 3. sorts p. 316 Sort I. Of Spirituall wants are these that the soule is gone away from God and is estranged to God now faith bringeth the soule againe to God ibid. Want II. Is this the soule being departed from God hence the soule is deprived of all good grace and life now faith doth not onely bring a sinner to God but it doth communicate from God to a sinner p. 320 Want III. Is this the heart is fearfull lest it should lose that grace now faith it is that doth keepe a man grace p. 322 Question How doth the soule come to beleeve Answer There are three things in the promise where by the will of man is drawne to beleeve p. 327 Motive I. Is the All-sufficiencie of the freenesse of Gods love p. 328 Motive II. Is this that this mercy is intended for thee p. 329 Motive III. Is this that God doth earnestly desire thee to come and to take this mercy p. 330 Use I. Of information that saving faith is no part of that holinesse which Adam had nor no part of that Image to which wee are restored by Sanctification p. 335 Use II. â—t is an use of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe p. 349 The fearfulnesse of this sinne of unbeleefe is laid open in foure Particulars p. 352 Particular I. Because unbeleefe it doth keepe off the riches of mercies from the soule that are in Christ that it cannot enjoy them p. 352 Particular II. Vnbeleefe it doth make all meanes to be unprofitable p. 356 Particular III. Vnbeleefe all sinne in the strength and power of it in the heart of a sinner p. 361 Particular IV. Vnbeleefe maketh the soule of a sinner to be in a desperate case and condition p. 366 The danger of unbeleefe doth appeare in these three Particulars p. 369 Particular I. Consider it seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at all p. 369 Particular II. All the good things an unbeleever doth enjoy will prove uncomfortable p. 370 Particular III. Vnbeleefe is the breeder and maintainer of all the rest of the sinnes of an unbeleever p. 371 Use III. It is a collection concerning the difficultie of the worke of faith that the worke of faith is beyond the reach of all created power p. 374 Use IV. It is to shew the benefits that come by faith to the soule p. 390 What these benefits are in particular vid. p. 394. and p. 396 Use V. It is an use of consolation and great comfort to all the servants of God that through his mercy have received this grace p. 416 The knowledge of true saving faith from a false faith appeareth in these three trials p. 423 Triall I. Is this observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came p. 423 Triall II. Observe whether thy faith doth make choice wholly of Christ and doth resolve to match with Christ only p. 428 Triall III. Observe whether thy faith doth beare it selfe upon the promise in all its extremities and is satisfied with it p. 431 Use VI. It is a word of reproofe against all those that never yeâ— were made partakers of the blessed worke of grace p. 434 Most that live in the bosome of the Church want saving faith p. 437 The reasons of it vid. p. 440 There bee foure sorts in particular that have no faith p. 446 Sort I. The ignorant persons p. 447 Sort II. The carnall Gospellers that doe live scandalously and trade in their wickednesse p. 450 Sort III. The meere civilized or judicious professours that beare up themselves much upon their owne wisdome and judgement p. 455 Sort IV. The counterfeit that have a forged kinde of false faith they have their alcumie faith p. 464 Of these counterfeit beleevers there are three sorts p. 465 Sort I. The first sort of counterfeit beleevers are the temporarie beleevers p. 465 Sort II. The second sort of counterfeit beleevers are the sturdy hypocrites p. 483. Sort III. The third sort of counterfeits are the shifting stately hypocrites p. 500 Use VII It is an use of exhortation to desire you to labour to get this grace of faith p. 515 The hinderances of faith are of two sorts some are reall hinderances that doe hinder the soule from Christ others doe not hinder the soules interest in Christ p. 519 The reall hinderances are foure p. 520 The hinderances that doe not hinder the title to a Christ are three in particular p. 538 Sort I. The first kinde of seeming hinderances are those discouragements which oppresse the soule through carnall reasoning p.
runnes and reacheth after a Christ for a man can never rest on a thing before he come to lay hold on it and to deliver all his strength and lay all his weight upon it This is implied necessarily and it is one maine proper act of faith when the soule seeth this that the Lord Jesus is his aid and must ease him and pardon his sinnes then let us goe to that Christ saith he see what our Saviour saith Iohn 6.35 He that commeth to me shall never hunger and hee that beleeveth in mee shall never thirst the phrase of comming and beleeving they are both one Ier. 3.22 there the Prophet makes the answer of the humble sinner the Lord calls upon by his Spirit and sets on his mercy effectually and saith Come to me yee rebellious sinners and I will heale your rebellions Though a poore Minister speake the word yet the Lord from heaven saith come to me ye loose hearted c. Now this voyce comming home to the heart and the prevailing sweetnesse of the call overpowring the heart the soule answers Behold we come for thou art the Lord our God The soule goes out and falls and flings it selfe upon the riches of Gods grace thus setled and revealed Come to mee all yee that are weary saith Christ when the Lord saith come I have mercy though thou hast none and I have comfort though thou hast none nay I not only have it but am ready to bestow it and come to me thou poore burthened sinner I have undertaken for thee and I will ease and helpe thee Now as for you that were never humbled nor brought low God will pull downe your proud hearts and make you stoope but you that have beene burthened and have seene your sinnes and mourned under the loathsome burthen of them to all such the Lord saith Come to mee thou poore broken hearted sinner I will heale thee and I have undertaken for thee we goe then saith the will to that Christ and that promise and that mercy and that grace that will pardon all and subdue all whatsoever is amisse It is with a sinner as it is with a Sea-faring man that is tossed with the windes and driven to a hard set with the tempest hee labours to betake himselfe to a shelter and to land at some Haven This is the nature of beleeving in the Hebrew phrase as Esa 25.4 Thou hast beene a strength to the poor and needy in trouble a refuge against the tempest a shadow against the heat c. Now when a poor sinner is weather-beaten and can see no comfort and finde no evidence for the pardon of his sinnes the Lord is pleased to make knowne the goodnesse of Christ through the promise then the soule shrowds it selfe under that shâ—dow and that goodnesse thus offered and revealed Psal 118.11 Davids soule had gotten away from God and he began to quarrell with Gods providence saying I said in my haste all men are liars see what an hasty spirit is hee hoysed up saile upon the maine Ocean and he had imaginations and conclusions of feare and despaire At last he got the Haven againe and said where art thou Oh my soule thou hast gone from God and from his promise Returne to thy rest O my soule let us goe to the promise and keepe us there to see land and make haste to it and labour to hold the heart close to the Lord Jesus Christ now the soule is come to Christ The next Act of resting is this it layes fast hold upon Christ and when the Lord saith Come my Love my Dove and come away behold I come saith she and when she is come she fastneth upon Christ and saith my Beloved is mine and I am his When she is come to Christ shee will not away againe In the Hebrew phrase to beleeve is nothing else but Amen the Heathen say that the answer of a man is this let it be done which thou hast promised that 's faith So after the soule hath walked a great while in horrour and vexation and the soule sinks in the apprehension of it the Lord lets in the comfort of his promise and saith thou poore burdned heart thy person is accepted thou art unworthy but Christ is worthy thou art sinfull but hee is mercifull Now when the soule heares this voyce it saith even Amen Lord let it be so Lord. This is the hold of the heart hope and desire love and joy have discerned a world of mercy and the will saith so be it let us stay and hold here and goe no further Esay 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy Name neither that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Faith layes hold on the Lord and will not let mercy goe but cleaves unto it it is sweet to see faith in conflict with the Lord. When a man hath it as in Iob see how faith holds its owne God makes him even the Butt of his wrath as it were but Iob saith though he slay mee yet will I trust in him Me thinkes I see how the Lord makes his hand all goare blood and yet faith holds his owne it is able to fasten it selfe upon the promise of God in Christ 1 King 20.32 33. when Ahab was deeply provoked with a drunken Benhadad who said take him alive c. they entred the combat now when the day went against Benhadad for hee had dealt basely with Ahab and hee could not with any face looke for any favour from him yet when hee was driven to a stand his servants being worse than their master came to him and said Wee have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings we pray thee let us put ropes about our neckes and sackcloth on our loynes c. Because the poore servants were like to come into danger as well as their master they went to Ahab and said thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me live and Ahab said is he yet alive he is my brother and the servants catched at that word and said he is yet alive and they went away rejoycing This is a lively picture of a broken hearted sinner after he hath taken up armes against the Almighty saying shall he be at Gods command he will never doe it whilest the world stands but he will have his lusts his profit and ease c. and the Lord and hee are at open warres and now the Lord lets in justice and hee seeth the anger of God bent against him and even frowning upon him and the wrath of the Lord dogging him from day to day saying thou art an enemy to me saith the Lord and I will be an enemy to thee Now the soule seeth that he cannot avoid justice neither can he beare it and therefore the soule reasons thus I have heard that though I am a rebellious sinner yet none but sinners are pardoned he is a gracious God and therefore the soule falls downe at the footstoole of the Lord and saith Oh
me all my care is to leane upon my Saviour and this is my comfort he will looke to me though I cannot doe it for my selfe Act 4 The fourth act of reposing the Spirit which makes it up is this and this indeed is the nature of faith it drawes vertue and derives power from the Lord Jesus Christ for succour and supply here is the especiall life of faith and it is the very words of Scripture or else I durst not speake so much of it but that the Scripture sayes it open in this manner faith findes all in the promise and fetcheth all from the promise that it needs as when a man hath provision of meat and money in his house if any man say to him where shall we have such and such things Oh saith he I will goe fetch them so it is with the nature of faith it goes for mercy and grace and comfort in Christ it knowes t is to bee had from him and therefore fetcheth all from him it drawes and suckes the sweetnesse of the promise as it was with the woman that had the bloudy issue Mat. 9.21 22. Oh saith she could I but touch the hem of his garment I should be whole and so she did and vertue came from him and shee was healed of all her grievances that lay upon her so it is with a faithfull soule that toucheth the Lord Jesus Christ it layes hold but a little on the promise and there is sap and vertue communicated to the beleeving heart whereby it comes to be helped and comforted in the way of God Esay 12.3 it is said With joy ye shall draw water out of the wells of salvation the fountaine of salvation and all the waters of life and grace and mercy are in Christ now it is not enough to let downe the bucket into the well but it must bee drawen out also the waters of life are in Christ now it is not enough to come to and to looke to Christ but wee must draw the water of grace from Christ to our soule as Esay 66.11 They shall sucke and be satisfied with the brests of the consolation that they may milke out and be delighted with the abundance of her glorie the Church is compared to a childe and the brests are the promises of the Gospell now the elect must suck out and be satisfied with it and milke it out the word in the originall is exact upon the promise and oppresse the promise as the oppressoâ—â— grinds the face of a poore man and will have his goods what ever become of his wife and children so a man must wrest the promise for grace and power from the Lord Jesus Christ Ah beloved this is our misery we suffer abundance of milke to be in the promise and we are like wainly children that lye at the brest and will neither sucke nor be quiet so we suffer this to be in the promise and yet imploy not our selves to get it out and to sucke it out therefore brethren suffer not your faith to come to the promise and to lye at it but hale mercy from thence and with aâ— holy kinde of oppression exact upon it and get what good you may from it the Lord allowes it Quest But here it may bee asked how this is done how doth faith draw vertue from Christ Answ I answer It is an heavenly skill and yet marvellous hard and difficult Threefold Act. faith drawes vertue by a threefold act or faith improves the promise three wayes First faith doth appropriate the promise to it selfe and applies all that good and grace that is revealed offered in the Lord Jesus Christ home to it selfe the voices of faith in the Scripture are these my Lord and my God so Paul saith Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe he would be sure to have a share in the mercy as if a man should say I will cut something before the dish goe away Psal 48.14 when the Lord had so much care of his Church and how terrible he was to the enemies and how mercifull to his people c. in the end the Church saith This God is our God and he will be our God even till death she doth appropriate God to her selfe and engrosseth God and saith our God is not as the Heathens god and there David would have God all his owne and saith whatsoever God hath done for any of his people how terrible for them and how mercifull to them the same God hee is to my soule and he will bee my God for ever and hence the Scripture saith Esay 55.1 Come buy and eat c. all these places are nothing else but the act of faith to come is to repaire to the promise and to buy is to take possession of it and to eat is nothing else but to embrace it for our good and comfort it is not enough for mee to goe to the market and stand looking on the commodity there but I must lay downe my money buy it and take possession of it and beare it home so the Lord saith Come to the waters buy wine and milke c. the Lord sets open the shop of grace and salvation every day where the Gospell is preached and therefore not only cheapen but come to the agreement and buy offer like chapmen and stand not hagling but say I will lay downe all my lusts and part with all for Christ and when yee have done thus take mercy and comfort it is yours you have bought it so that now the faithfull soule enters upon the promise as his owne as a man that comes to take possession of house and land as his owne so the faithfull soule reads of all that mercie in pardoning of sinne and all that God effects to save and all that mercy offered to the poore man out of whom the Lord cast seven Devils then the soule saith all that mercie is mine Manasses was an idolater and a monster yet the Lord humbled saved him and all that mercy is mine Paul a persecutour and an oppressour and yet the Lord opened his eyes pardoned his sinne and hee is now a glorified Saint in heaven c. all that mercie is mine hence I take that phrase to be Iohn 3.33 where faith is said to set its seale to the promise He that beleeveth hath set to his seale that God is true now observe that as it is amongst men in their agreements it is not enough that the articles are drawne and made but they must be sealed if they are only made wee use to say they want nothing but sealing now when they are sealed every than takes his owne and the bargaine is thorow Just so it is betweene the Lord and the soule the Articles of agreement whereby God passeth over his promise to a poore sinner are these If wee will part from our selves and our sinnes the Lord Jesus saith all this grace and mercy is yours you that are thus
haste hee makes haste to use the means but he is content to stay till the Lord please because he knowes the Lord onely must doe it and if the heart bee given to murmure and repine saying I pray and the Lord doth not answer I have grapled with my sinne and the Lord subdues it not now faith saith we must goe to God for mercy that hee may order all our occasions and wee must not order Gods grace according to our humours but the Lord seemes to frowne upon the soule and to reject the prayers of a poore sinner and to beat him away from the doore as the Lord Christ did when hee called the woman a dog yet faith will bring on the heart still and it will be sure to lye at the gate and it keepes the soule with the promise what ever befals it as Psal 119. Mine eyes failed for looking up for thy word Oh when wilt thou comfort me his heart and all failed him and yet he would looke towards heaven Oh saith he when will this sinfull soule be humbled and this distressed conscience pacified hee would looke towards heaven till hee had no heart and therefore excellent is that passage Genes 32.36 when the Lord and Iacob were wrestling and the Lord would have beene gone Iacob said I will not let thee goe untill thou hast blessed mee so the faithfull soule layes hold upon the Lord for mercy pardon power and grace and though the Lord seeme to give him up to the torment of sinne and corruption yet the soule saith though my soule goe downe to hell yet I will hold here for mercy till the Lord comfort and pardon and subdue graciously these cursed corruptions which I am not able to master my selfe As it is with a sun-diall the nature of the direction is this the needle is ever moving and a man may jog it another way yet it will never stand still till it come to the north-point so when the Lord leaves off a beleeving heart with frownes and with the expression of displeasure yet the soule turnes to the Lord Christ and will never leave till it goe God-ward and Christ-ward and grace-ward and saith let the Lord doe what he please I will goe no further till hee bee pleased to shew mercy then the issue is this faith goes out to Christ it layes hold upon Christ and layes the weight of all upon Christ and drawes vertue from Christ and it leaves the soule with the promise and this is in every faithfull soule under heaven howsoever the sense is taken away if the soule once come to Christ it will never away but ever cleaves to the promise and is towards God and Christ whatsoever befall it Part of the doctr 4 The fourth and last part of the doctrine is this First as the soule must be humbled and enlightened Secondly as it is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father And thirdly as by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace so in the last place the soule comes to bee furnished with all spirituall wants and the supply thereof and this containes the finall cause and that discovers the good and benefit which comes from faith First to open it in generall and then to come to some particulars In the generall observe thus much a poore sinner having fallen from God and departed from him he goes away from God and all goodnesse at that one stroake he that goes away from God the God of all strength must needs be weake and he that goes from the God of wisdome folly must needs possesse him because God is the God of all wisdome and all wisdome must be from him and hee that goes from God goes from life and happinesse therefore death and cursednesse must needs seize upon â—im now hee that hath gone from God hath gone from all these and therefore he is full of nothing but wants miseries and troubles and vexaâ—ions that are come in upon him and overwhelme him Now faith is appointed as that only meanes whereby the soule may bee succoured and the heart furnished anew and it is faith that doth all these and this is the excellencie of faith and the good of it and the benefit that belongeth to faith in a peculiar manner above all other graces in the world now that yee may see how faith suits a man with all graces take notice that there are three wayes whereby the heart went away from God and the spirituall wants which by this meanes befell the soule 3. Sorts of spir wants are three all which faith supplies to the soule answerably The first and great want of the soule is this it is gone away from God and the Lord is a stranger to it it was made for God and to have communication with God but now it is gone from God and God from it there are now many controversies betweene the Lord and the soule this is the great want and this brings in all the rest now faith supplies succour and answers to these necessities faith bringeth the soule againe to God and the soule to have a nearer union and more inward fellowship with God than ever it had thus the soule being an enemy to God and God an enemy to it and God being a stranger to the soule and the soule being a stranger to the Lord now faith doth this it pitcheth the soule and makes the soule of a poore sinner to fall upon the very Deity and essence of God firstly and upon all the three whole persons as some Divines that are now with the Lord leaving a remembrance behinde them have interpreted it which phrase the Septuagints never used as they are observed for it is one thing to beleeve that there is a God and another thing to beleeve into God faith fasteâ—â— upon the Godhead firstly as 2 Corin. 6.11 where the Apostle saith Hee that joyneth himselfe to an harlot is one body but hee that joyneth himselfe to the Lord is one spirit the Spirit of God sets a frame of soule upon the poore sinner that it flings it selfe upon God that which firstly must be the object of faith that faith must firstly rest upon as that which is able to give that succour which it wants now because God only is infinite he alone is able to succour a man according to his wants therefore faith must first goe to him we need pardon and therefore faith goes to God who only is able to pardon and we need power and faith goes to God who is able to succour us thus it is an infinite God only that must create this power in us and therefore nothing but God must firstly be beleeved in we beleeve in the promise because God is there and because â—n the promise only wee finde a fulnesse of sufficiencie to supply what ever wee want or need therefore why should faith goe to any thing else now nothing can save a man but God infinit and therefore faith goes to
three it strikes three so the soule is thus led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 and then it obeyes God and doth every good duty and loves God above all and his neighbours as himselfe in truth and in uprightnesse so that the soule is stopped in humiliation and is turned in vocation it receives the poise in adoption and renovation in sanctification and it obeyes God in all things then the conclusion is this all these are saving workes and such as doe undoubtedly accompany salvation but all this while one is not another for two of these are wrought upon us that is preparation and vocation and these are by a passive worke the wheele workes because it is moved and in the other three the Lord conveyes his Spirit to us and mercifully workes the power of sanctification in us and makes us able to serve him and obey him Acts 26.18 Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes to turne them from the power of darknesse to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance amongst them that are called and sanctified marke all the passages of it from darknesse and Sathan that is in preparation to God and to light that is in vocation and as Saint Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that yee maâ— receive the forgivenesse of sinnes repent there is preparation and bee converted there is vocation turned from Sathan and the power of the Devill that they may be under the power of the Lord Jesus and lye at his foot-stoole as a souldier is turned from such a captaine when hee is content to be under another so the soule is turned from sinne and is content to take presse money and to become a souldier of Iesus Christ Thirdly that he may receive forgivenesse of sinnes that is in justification and an inheritance among them that are sanctified that 's in sanctification all these are done by faith the scope of the holy Ghost there is to discover the frame of grace in the heart and therefore it is not to be understood of the nature of Sanctification but of the worke of it that a man should receive his sanctification by faith and yet is but sanctified in part these are contraries The fourth is onely the worke of sanctification and lastly from the question thus resolved from hence that question falls to the ground and from hence first a man may see it clearly that sanctification comes after justification and secondly whether repentance is before faith or whether repentance is before justification or justification before faith and repentance and thirdly whether there be any other instrument to beleeve in Christ but faith No there is no other for they all concurre by faith Thus much for the first use a word of confutation and information Vse 2 Secondly if it be so that faith is a resting upon God and a receiving of mercy from God then this is a word of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe they are to see their sinne and misery by sinne their sinne is most hainous and their plagues are intolerable if it bee faith that brings a man to Christ and suits a man with all comforts from Christ then all you unbeleeving sinners let your soules shake in the apprehension of all these plagues of which you are guilty It is the misery that befalls poore creatures they are loth to be knowne to be drunkards or theeves or robbers because shame will come to them but not to beleeve the promise and to despise the Lord Jesus Christ you make nothing of this you draw the harrowes lightly after you you confesse this sinne and the other sinne and you doe welcome it but in the meane time no man lookes to his unbeleeving heart and yet this is the greatest sinne of all other and brings the greatest misery as Heb. 3.12 Take heed why what 's the matter For the Lord Jesus Christ his sake take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God this unbeleefe makes you depart from the Lord God you will take heed of whoring and drunkennesse and you will say you are not so and so but I say thou hast an evill and unfaithfull heart and thou art a dead man and a miserable man and thou art gone from the Lord God the God of all happinesse and therefore thou art but a damned man This is the root and the worst of all take heed of an unbeleeving heart it departs away from the living God this is the nature and misery of this sinne What is the estate of the damned in Hell and this shall bee the sentence that is past against the wicked in that day when the Heavens shall melt and the Goats shall stand on the left hand and the Sheep on the right hand and when ye shall see all the Heavens on a flame and you shall heare that fearfull voyce saying arise you damned unbeleeving wretches stand forth and heare your doome what will bee your greatest misery in that day even this Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting flames this is the upshot of vengeance and the sharpest sentence would you not thinke this terrible if you did heare it Now therefore away thou varlet bee gone to Hell I doubt not but the very proudest wretch in hell would then be content to hang upon mercy before hee went to Hell and hee would beg that he might yet breathe to call after mercy If thou wouldest take heed of this sentence then take heed of an unbeleeving heart for by unbeleefe thou passest the sentence against thy selfe thou needest none other to condemne thee Oh therefore get you home and humble your selves in secret and say thus The Lord hath given mee a heart to see the evill of my heart I blesse the Lord thou hast kept my hand my eye my life but good Lord I never saw the horrible nature of sinne which will be my bane to this day I was never burthened with it Oh that I might now take heed of it what shall I say to mine owne heart depart thou wretch to Hell the Lord forbid Oh strive mightily with God and with your owne soules and rest not till you get some strength from Heaven and say if that voice should come againe Oh woe to mee for ever well my unbeleeving heart doth this and hath past the sentence upon mine owne soule you heare these and if you would but take home these truths they would make you stagger See what our Saviour saith Iohn 5.40 You will not come to mee that yee may have life but I know you that yee have not the love of God in you comming is beleeving is this sinne so heavy the Lord fasten it upon your hearts what shall any man goe away and say I will not beleeve there is such a generation whither will you goe If the world calls yee run if the devill calls ye goe presently but will you not
of God and the powerfull worke thereof may marvellously snub and wound sinne but infidelitie will heale it againe and will restore life to it againe I compare reformation to the retreat of an army when one side is weake and the other side is too strong and they are not able to make their parts good then they make a retreat and goe home againe to their trenches and hee that wisely retreats himselfe though he may lose the day yet he loseth not a man and the Commander saith such a man was wounded and such a man was hurt a little but we came all well home they retreat into the trenches and get more strength and then they levy our their forces againe So it is with outward reformation haply a man lives under a powerfull Minister under a good master and in a good family and all these make sin retreat and hee dares not sweare and he cannot walke in his wicked wayes his master curbs him all this while his sinnes make a retreat but there is none of them gone the life of never a one of them is gone so long as he hath an unbeleeving heart let the unbeleever enjoy never such means and live in never so good a family yet he hath not one sinne killed they are onely retreated and so unbeleefe nurseth them and makes them grow out with greater violence This I take to be the reason why many a man that hath professed the Gospell and hath had much horror of heart and many good resolutions and much care expressed outwardly after many yeers his corruptions breake out againe and get ground and they are armed afresh and they run violently and for any thing a man knowes they goe downe to hell how many professours have turned to be uncleane persons and to be drunkards because their old sinnes were but onely snubbed by good company and the word c. But they never had their hearts throughly broken the root that nursed all was still the same and therefore they breake out notoriously to the dishonour of God the scandall of the Gospell and the confusion of their owne soules if God be not mercifull Fourthly as unbeleefe keepes God from the soule and makes all meanes unprofitable and maintaines all sinne in the strength and life of it So lastly it makes the soule of a poor sinner to be in a desperate estate and a man continuing in this condition is past hope help recovery beleeving is the last covenant that ever God hath exprest a man may be saved and not doe the law but a man cannot be saved if he doe not beleeve that 's the last covenant and condition of all and if hee stick here he is past all recovery without a wonderfull worke from Heaven Heb. 3.18 There the Lord takes a solemne oath that they that would not beleeve should never enter into his rest to whom did he sweare thus to them that beleeved not God never takes an oath that hee that keeps not the law shall not bee saved or that hee that cannot performe to keepe all the Commandements shall not be saved and never see happinesse no but he takes an oath that they that beleeve not shall never see happinesse and when God once sweares the thing is unchangeable God never swore that if Adam did not doe hee should not live but if he had not beleeved in that Christ that was promised hee had never beene saved but though we cannot live by exact doing yet we may live by beleeving and we may goe to another to doe what God requires of us and this is the reason of that peremptory curse which God sealâ—s downe upon the hearts of unbeleevers Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already hee hath one foot in hell but why is it so I answer looke as it is with a man that hath a case to be tried if it be tried in all the courts of England and he cast in them all there is no more trouble to bee made nor no more hope of recovery So it is in this hee that beleeveth not is cast in all Courts in Heaven and earth Law and Gospell both condemne him justice will not save him for it must bee satisfied and mercy will not save him for he is an unbeleever so that there is no trial to be lookt for the sentence is passed upon him in heaven and earth onely there wants a Jaylor to bring him to the gibbit that is death and the devill who is the hangman to turne him off into hell for ever there to plague him nay unbeleefe bindes Gods hand and hinders the power of God as may be said with reverence he may justifie a sinner but he will not justifie an unbeleever in his estate of unbeleefe Marke 6.5 He could doe no miracle there because of their unbeleefe the text doth not say hee did not great workes there So S. Matthew hath it but he could doe no great workes there so the Lord hee can doe mighty workes he can justifie a sinner and comfort the discomforted and cleanse the polluted and save the polluted but he will not save the unbeleever hee cannot worke this mighty worke upon him and therefore doe not trouble thy selfe so much for mercy towards thee if thou bee an unbeleever never dreame of comfort for God cannot save thee will God goe against his owne words then he should not bee truth hee hath sworne that an unbeleever shall not enter into his rest this word and oath shall stand for ever Therefore goe to God that hee may give thee a beleeving heart and then mercy will come and pardon and glory will come to the soule but remaining in unbeleefe hee cannot save thee hee will not deny his Word nor his oath for never an unbeleeving wretch under Heaven Now if you doe conceive the nature of your sinne and your misery thereby then for the Lords sake you that heare the Word this day all you unbeleevers that never had this worke of faith in your soules hie you out of this miserable condition goe your wayes and give no quiet to your soules nor no comfort to your consciences before the Lord shew mercy to you in removing this corruption from your soules and shew mercy to you Now whether you have true faith or no I shall shew afterwards when I shall come to trie every mans evidence and that yee may come out of this unbeleeving condition labour to see the danger of it in three particulars and establish thy heart with these considerations that thou maist never bee in quiet till thou have some power against them and grace to come out of them First know and consider seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at al couldst thou heare with attention and remember sufficiently whatsoever is revealed and pray with abilitie and understanding beseeming a Christian man in that case didst thou reforme
of a Christian most easie if faith makes the life of a Christian so easie then the soule must needs bee contented but the nature of faith is this to cause the soule to rest upon God and his promise and therefore it makes the life easie Secondly it furnisheth the soule with all necessaries and therefore it gives the soule full content First of the former the life of the beleever is the life that hath most ease with it and brings most delight with it there is no life under heaven more free from tediousnesse and hath more ease and liberty than a Christian course let a mans condition bee what it will bee faith makes a mans life most easie I use to compare the conditions of them that want faith to the cart that is from his wheeles they draw heavily and they are in great extremitie and they tug and toile but it will not be drawne with any ease or good successe so unfaithfull soules sinck in their sorrowes upon every occasion and their lives are tedious and wearisome but faith sets the cart upon the wheeles and carries all away easily and comfortably you must know thus much it is the hardest matter in the world to get faith when we want it but it is the most easiest life in all the world and hath the most delight in all the world if wee have but skill to use it wisely when we have it and it gives most ease and quiet to a man in all his conversation and this faith doth two wayes First because faith hath a skill and a kinde of slight to put over all cares to another that whereas the unfaithfull heart beares all the cares in himselfe and so he sinckes under them this is the cunning of faith to put over all to another wee take up the crosse but faith hurls all the care on Christ as Matth. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and you shall finde rest to your soules faith makes a man rest and goe on easily in a Christian course and all his troubles are removed and therefore he may goe on easily in a Christian course all his troubles are removed therefore he may goe on with ease whereas the unfaithfull heart is as Saint Iames speakes Chap. 1. 15. Like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro and Esa 57.20 There is no peace to the wicked but they are as a raging sea which cannot rest faith sets us to the worke but it layes all the weight of the worke upon another it is an easie matter to lye under the burthen when another beares all the weight of it this is the difference betweene a faithfull soule and a man that lives by his wits and shifts looke as it is with two ferry men the one of them hals his boat about the shoare and cannot get off but tugs and puls and never puts her forth to the tide but the other puts his boat upon the streame and sets up his saile and then hee may sit still in his boat the winde will carry him whither he is to goe Just thus it is with a faithfull soule and an unbeleever all the care of the faithfull soule is to put himselfe upon the streame of Gods providence and to set up the saile of faith and to take the gale of Gods mercie and providence and so he goes on cheerfully because it is not he that carries him but the Lord Jesus Christ whereas every unfaithfull soule tugs and puls at the businesse like the ferryman with his boat upon the shoare and can finde neither ease nor cheare nor successe because hee thinkes by his owne wits and power to doe what he would but faith will keepe a man upon the streame of Gods providence and labours for the blessing of God to carrie him along and so he rests himselfe upon the free grace of God this makes the life of faith marvellous easie and free from trouble and makes the soule goe on wonderfull cheerfully though the childe were naked yet if the father would buy cloth and see the garment fitted for him hee only to take it and put it on were not this easie and though the childe were even hungerstarved yet if the father would provide meat and drinke and set it before him hee only to eat it were not this easie when the Lord had made a marriage for his Sonne Luke 14. the text saith He hath killed his fatlings and drawne out his wines all things are ready come therefore to the marriage this is all that God lookes for at our hands all the dainties of life and salvation peace pardon power against corruption whatsoever we can want they are all prepared onely come unto the marriage take this mercie and feed upon these precious comforts that the Lord Jesus Christ offereth unto us if you want grace and if you want wisdome and power and holinesse and patience you may goe to Jesus Christ and take it it is bought and paid for already onely take it and put it on is not this an easie life what would you have brethren nay yet more if more may be added all that the Lord requires in this case is in a manner to stand still and see what the Lord will doe for him as in the 2 Chron. 20.15 to the 20. when Iehoshaphat was in a great straight and knew not what to doe the Lord saith to him The battle is not yours but Gods stand ye still and see the salvation of God it is easie conquering when a man may stand still and overcome by looking on the adversaries then in the 19. verse the Levites the Sonnes of the Kohathites fell to singing and to praising of God when as yet they had not strucke one stroke in the battle but the truth is they had the victorie by faith they beleeved the Prophets of God the Prophets had spoken it and therefore the King did beleeve it that it should be done and it was not only so in that extraordinary case of his wherein the power and life of faith was expressed but it is that which appertaines to all the Saints of God in their spirituall combats and what God did for the King in that case the same hee doth for all the Saints therefore Rom. 8.38 The beleevers are more than conquerers and why so there is no man can conquer before hee come into the field and contend with his enemies but wee overcome before wee fight how through him that loved us if wee looke upon the Lord Jesus Christ and keepe our hearts by a holy bent to the promises of life and salvation we shall overcome our enemies this is the first ground Secondly faith makes the life easie this way because it sweetens all our afflictions even those that are most hard and full of tediousnesse and withall faith apprehends all troubles and afflictions and faith apprehends the faithfulnesse of God ordering all for his good and that 's the reason why all troubles are digested comfortably without any harshnesse at all
looke at Hâ—â—â—â— and Mordecai Haman had the Kings favour and all his desires granted him and the postes were dispatched and yet he was more troubled in plotâ—ing this evill against the Jewes than Mordecai was in bearing it because faith made the life of Mordecai easie and comfortable and therefore â—e saith Salvation will come I see not the way â—or I know not the meanes how it should be but â—alvation will come therefore David in the 119. â—salme 75. verse saith I know that all thy judgeâ—ents are just and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast â—fflicted mee hee drunke nothing but mercy in â—hat bitter cup which God had tempered for â—im when the patient takes bitter pills if they â—ee well sugered they goe downe the easier and â—he bitternesse never troubles him so it is with â—aith it takes away the harshnesse of all inconveâ—iences which are bitter pills in themselves but â—hey are sweetned and sugered over by the â—aithfulnesse of God for the good of the soule â—nd therefore it goes on cheerfully so the issue of the point is this if the burthen of the worke â—e laid upon another and if all cares be put over â—o another and if all the harshnesse of all troubles â—e taken away by faith then faith must needs make the life of a Christian easie and comforâ—able The second thing wherein the excellencie and â—enefit of faith appeares is this it fils the soule of a beleever with full contentment and in truth â—ontentment commeth through beleeving for â—ee that doth partake of the mercie of God in Christ he cannot but partake of all the good that 〈◊〉 therein and so hee cannot but bee contented therewith Oh saith one I would faine have contentment in the world then the life of faith brings full content to the heart of a believer so that he shall say I can desire no more 1 Corin. 3.22 23. when the Apostle would still the divisions that were risen amongst the Corinths for every man was not content with what he had but would have even what hee list hee saith All is yours whether Paul or Apollos or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours and will not all content you would you have the world it is yours would you have things present take them would you have things to come expect them they are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ hath what God hath and the beleever hath what Christ hath nay sinne and hell and death they are but your servants and hee that hath Christ and all good in a Christ hee hath all working for his good therefore hee that hath a Saviour and all good in him he cannot be discontented Now faith workes a mans full content three wayes First faith supplies all wants Secondly it cures all feares Thirdly it inables a man to all duties and more than these cannot be added nor desired For the first faith supplies all wants faith plucks the soule and hales the heart of a poore Christian away from all those secret bosome distempers as pride and such like which breed any discontentment within a man as all curiositie and all pride and unquietnesse for these rack the soule with a restlesse discontent all the inordinate desires and the like these lusts and corruptions ought not to bee quieted nay it cannot bee for spirituall things will not satisfie a corrupt heart and worldly things cannot quiet it Now faith divorceth the soule and withdrawes the heart from under the power of those boysterous distempers and makes the soule resigne up it selfe to the good will of God and when faith hath done these then in the second place faith makes the soule say the good will of the Lord is better than any thing that hee shall deny or than all the good things that an inordinate sinfull heart can crave faith makes the soule apprehend that whatsoever God doth and whatsoever Gods pleasure is is better to him than whatsoever hee can desire though God deny what he desires if God will have a man poore faith sayes it is better than if he had given him riches and if it bee the will of God to lay shame and disgrace upon a man faith sayes it is better that God lay shame upon me than honours because it is his good will and pleasure so to have it and so the heart is quieted and fully contented and the want is supplied because the will of God is better than to have what wee desire The Patient that trusts to the skill and faithfulnesse of the Physitian is better content to take pills from him than all the best Cordials that can be desired Thirdly faith either obtaines what wee need and desire or else procures a farre better thing than what we desire art thou in trouble and misery faith will either fetch from God what thou needest or else bring that which is better from the hands of God by this means the Lord Christ cures all the discontentment that might creep in upon the hearts of his Disciples Matth. 19.29 There is no man which shall lose father or mother or wife or children or friends for my Names sake but he shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternall life whatsoever wee lose for a Christ we shall have a hundred fold recompence for it as if a man for the cause of Christ suffer persecution or imprisonment and loseth peace here thou thou shalt have peace with God and thy soule shall prosper in grace and if friends haply forsake thee and the father is against the sonne and the husband is set against the wife thou shalt have the favour of the Lord God of heaven which is better than the love of all earthly husbands or friends for all these things here below are but as it were the shell but this is the pith and kernell the love of God in Christ and if a man lose liberty for Christ he shall have a thousand times more libertie in the peace of a good conscience and a free heart to serve God and in the 63. Psalme in the beginning of the Psalme David was in the wildernesse of Iudah when Saul had banished him from his house and deprived him of friends and meanes and all yet see how David supplies all in the 3. verse because thy loving kindnesse is better than life my lips shall praise thee and in the 5. verse he saith My soule shall bee filled as with â—â—â—row and fatnesse now marrow and fatnesse is the chiefe of all you know as if he had said Saul hath taken away my meanes but thy loving kindnesse is better than all the world it is that which fully satisfieth me Saul hath taken away my liberty but thy loving kindnesse is better than life it selfe and therefore my soule shall bee fully quieted therein Thus faith brings a supply of all good to the soule In the 73. Psalme 25. and the last verse compare them both together and see
how David makes the conclusion David was almost disquieted and his heart disquieted with the prosperitie of the wicked therefore hee said if this bee so then have I cleansed my hands in innocencie and washed my hands in vaine yet marke how hee recovers himselfe againe saying Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee therefore it is good for me to draw neere to God Let the wicked take the world and their profits and their pleasures yet there is nothing in the world that I desire in comparison of the Lord Jesus Christ and his grace and goodnesse Consider it sadly the wicked have much wealth and friends and means Oh thou beloved faithfull soule thou hast the rich treasury of grace and mercy to inrich thee all this whole world is nothing to that rich treasury of mercy which faith brings in as Salomon saith in Ecclesiastes Money answers all if a man have money he may buy meat to feed him and cloth to apparell him and cover him If money will doe so much what will mercy doe then thou hast not wealth nor friends nor meanes but thou hast mercy from God in Christ and this will answer all it is better than friends and meanes and all therefore if thou hast this let thy heart be contented and know that thou hast a childs part and thy lot is fallen into a marvellous faire ground Secondly as faith takes off all miseries and supplies the want of them so in the second place faith takes away all feares for the time to come alas saith the soule friends and means and wealth are good but they continue not ever What if sicknesse come and if povertie come what shall I doe then and so the heart shakes at the feare of evill Now pray marke how faith cures all feares and takes off the edge of all those inconveniences that may bee brought upon a man as in the 112. Psalme 7. He shall not bee afraid of any evill tidings why for his heart is fixed and he beleeveth in the Lord for although heaven and earth may shake yet God and Christ and the promise will never faile and hee casting his heart there by faith he must needs hold What is it that a man may feare we feare the power and policy and malice of the devill and his wicked instruments now faith outbids these and faith rests upon the precious promises of God in Jesus Christ and faith perswades the heart that they have no power but from God and they cannot use that power further than God gives leave and they cannot have successe further than God goes with them they can goe no further than God gives a Commission Now sayes faith that God which orders the power of all these he is my God hee is the God of Hosts and none of all the armies can either command peace neither can they hinder peace therefore I adde a little more faith levies new forces from heaven against all the sorces of earth are the wicked politique then sayes faith the Lord is much more wise and is able to dash all their enterprises and are the wicked fierce and violent then faith lookes to God where there is more power to defend him than they can have to hurt him doe wee see the wicked maliciously bent and full of spleene to wrong the people of God faith sees mercy and goodnesse in the Lord that is more able to releeve us than all the wicked can bee to hurt us faith sayes if hell gates were open and all the devills were about thy eares they can doe nothing further than God gives them power and gives a Commission to them therefore I may bee quieted because God is more able to keepe me than they are to hurt me Thirdly faith it is that inables a man to all duties for imagine a man had all the power in his owne hands and had no wants present nor feared no wants nor troubles to come if yet hee were not able to doe what God required this would disquiet his heart therefore by faith the Lord inables a man to doe every duty that the Lord commends to him or expects from him It is the ground that Paul contents his heart withall Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through the power of Christ which strengtheneth me I can bee poore and beare it and I can be rich and yet not surfet of the world I can doe all but how through the power of Christ inabling me therefore famous is that of Abraham Rom. 4.18 God had promised Abraham a childe and yet his body was dead and his wife barren and it was even against nature for him to beget a childe or for her to beare any Now how doth God provide for this Abraham under hope beleeved above hope and in the 21. verse because he was fully perswaded that he that had promised it was able to make it good there was no hope in nature that Abraham should beget a child his body being dead and no hope that she should beare any therefore faith goes to God that was able to quicken them hast thou a barren a dead heart as theirs was and therefore thy soule complaines and thou saist I shall never be able to goe through the worke required I know it is the complaint of many poore soules Oh send faith up to Heaven and beleeve in him that is able to succour you and to quicken you to whatsoever he requires content thy heart in this manner and say when thou findest thy heart dead I am ignorant but the Lord is able to inlighten my blinde minde and I have a dead barren heart but the Lord who is the God of power hee is able to quicken me and to releeve a poore dead blockish sinner Hee beleeved in him saith the Text which calleth things that are not as if they were Abraham is not lively and Sarah is not fruitfull but the Lord can make them so and therefore faith goes to God so thou shalt be wise and have thy heart quickned to whatsoever duty concernes Gods prayse and thy owne comfort so then hee that hath what hee will or can desire or stand in need of and he that hath all his feares removed and is inabled to doe all duties commanded nothing more can bee added to this man therefore why should not hee be contented what would you have you poore beleevers Quest Then the question here growes namely if it be so that faith makes a mans life easie and gives him full contentment in every condition then why is it thus as Gedeon said so if faith thus contents the soule then how comes it to passe that those poore silly creatures are so troubled with discouragements and discontentments and none so cast downe with their owne basenesse and vilenesse as they they hang downe their heads and goe drooping all the day long either saith one I have not faith or else if I have faith then why
and it is ready to cousen the touch I meane of able judicious Christians but now this faith never came from the right place for if it were right it must come from the mine of mercie and from God and the worke of his Spirit from thence thou hast it if thy faith bee sound Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing the word faith is not in us it comes to us it is not wrought or purchased by our owne worthinesse or power the word is the conduit to convey it but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is as the fountaine that sends it into the soule so that you must not thinke to have faith here first but hast thou found faith here first then it is not of the right but if the good Spirit of the Lord hath wrought upon thee if it be so then thy faith is right but some will say we heare the word diligently and we doe attend upon God in his ordinances and have wee not faith I answer hearing is the meanes to convey it but it is the Spirit of the Father that conveyes it by the meanes and that Spirit thou must receive by the meanes if ever thou have it there is the pitch of the point Object But how shall we know when the Spirit of God is pleased to worke this in our soules and to put it into our soules by hearing Ans There is all the difficultie and it is worth the while to consider sadly of it for I know the worke of Gods Spirit by the word in the soule by these particulars First the Spirit sheweth to the soule of a poore sinner that hee hath no faith nor no abilities 〈◊〉 worke it of himselfe this the word workes first but we are not yet at the bottome Secondly when the Spirit hath shewed thee that thou art an unfaithfull soule and that thou hast to power to worke it of thy selfe then the Spirit of the Lord by the word breathes upon the soule of a poore sinner and by the sweetnesse thereof overmasters and breakes downe all those secret cursed distempers of heart that brought under the soule and kept him in himselfe every man is brought in bed with his corruptions as Iob speakes namely thus The Spirit of God in the word drives the soule to a restlesse disquiet and makes him see that hâ—e must not stay here but hee must seeke out and goe from hence and seeke for another condition or else hee must perish for ever rest not here saith the Spirit you must bee gone and the soule saith If I rest here I am an undone man therefore hee will out and seeke for another condition Thirdly as the Spirit of God doth overpower those distempers and drives the soule to a restlesse condition till it looke out for a better condition so lastly the Spirit of God shewes that poore soule an impossibilitie of finding mercie but from God and therefore turnes the face and sets the frame of the heart that way to looke God-ward and to be for God and this is the meaning of that place Iohn 16.9 when the Spirit of God comes to bring faith and peace to the conscience the text saith Hee shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him this place implies two things First the Spirit of God sets downe all sinfull carnall pleas and pretences that the heart can make and perswades the heart that he is in a sinfull and most lamentable estate and condition and must change Secondly it convinceth the heart that there is good to be found in another and with that the heart is turned that way to looke towards a Saviour and to wait for him till mercie come from thence and then if thou canst say this to thy soule The truth is Lord I was an unbeleever and an unfaithfull creature and the Lord made mee see it and left me not there but by the power of his Spirit and the ministery of the word he drew me from thence and laid fast hold on me and left some remembrance of his indignation upon my soule and made me restlesse in myselfe and opened mine eyes to see a better way and said thou must goe on in another way and in a better way and so opened to me a glimpse of his mercie and goodnesse so that the foule is now comming on to God where this is it will never end but the Spirit of God will worke faith and faith is now comming home to the soule and the soule will come home to the flood oâ— conversion is nothing else but a setting of the soule for God as it is plaine in all the phrases of the Scripture this is the first triall Triall 2 Secondly if thou wilt judge thy faith whether it is true or noe doe thus faith makes choice wholly of Christ and resolves to match with Christ onely the meaning is this it chuseth Christ wholly for now the match is made up when once the soule comes to beleeve the preparation to the match was before in desire c. but now the match is made up and now the soule makes choice of Christ as he on whom he will bestow himselfe he chuseth Christ wholly and that you shall perceive thus when he is thus cald home by faith whatsoever it is that Christ brings the soule chuseth all of that whatsoever belongs to a Christ and is of Christ and in Christ he chuseth all Christ Christ is not only the Saviour of all his but hee is the God of all grace and hath grace to bestow upon the soules of all those that beleeve in him now faith chuseth the holinesse of a Christ and whatsoever grace is in Christ the soule chuseth that as much if not more than pâ—â—don of sinne and removing the guilt of sinnes there is the authority and rule of Christ and faith chuseth that and had rather to be under the government of Christ than under any other Scâ—pâ— in the world and faith chuseth the life of Christ whatsoever life Christ lives that life faith will chuse the woman is now content to conforme her selfe to the estate and condition of her husband she must not thinke to live as she list and to be in this place and that place and that fashion therefore thinke of it that thou didst never as yeâ— beleeve in a Christ except thou didst chuse the patience and holinesse and meeknesse of a Christ and the rule and life of Christ many Lords have ruled over us saith the text when thy cursed corruptions come and would rule thee if then thou art content to bee ruled by a Christ and to live and converse as he did this is an undoubted argument that thou chusest Christ aright nay thou must chuse the shame and disgraces and the crosse of Christ and the crowne of thornes too that is that whatsoever it is that comes with a Christ thou must make choice of it and say I will have Christ and all that comes with Christ as it is with a
that speech Iohn 16.9 it is the cause why our Saviour Christ doth challenge that sin where hee saith I will send the Comforter to the earth and when he is come he shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him a Minister may haply convince a man of his drunkennesse and the Magistrat may convince him of his swearing but the Lord from heaven by that almightie power of his must set downe the heart and convince it of this sinne or else a man cannot see that he beleeves not nay let a man goe from pole to pole and aske all the drunkards and all the vile rakeshames and tell them thus You are a drunkard a swearer and the like they say I confesse it is true it is my infirmitie and I confesse it but tell them of unbeleefe and they will not acknowledge that but this fine spun wickednesse and this spirituall wickednesse of the soule is a meere turning off from God and so from Christ and the truth and the promise and therefore not easily discerned Reason 2 Secondly as it is hard to see the want of this grace of faith so it is marvellous difficult to see the use and need and benefit and helpe that will come from this grace nay wee are more ready to bee perswaded of the need and benefit of any grace naturally than of this grace of faith as an ignorant man and a weake man when he is asked a question and a point of dispute hee saith Oh that I had learning and were able to dispute the reason is because hee is sensible of his want of knowledge in that kinde and when a poore Christian comes to joyne in prayer and in conference with others it may be his abilities are small and when he heares such a man pray so holily and able to give such wholesome counsell hee saith Oh that I had that gift in prayer and those parts and abilities what a happy man should I be he is sensible that hee wants the power of prayer and abilities to conferre and all this while he saith not a word of his unbeleefe he complains not of that the reason is because all those abilities that carrie a man to his duty towards men we are more sensible of the want of them because that our credit and respect lies upon them because a man thinkes if he want these it is a discredit and hee shall want that respect that he might have therefore because these carry a man to his duty towards man and make for our credit wee are sensible of the need and use of them but faith in the next worke of it is to close with God and to fasten upon him and to rely upon the precious promises all these are beyond the reach of the world â—nd unbeleefe is the withdrawing of it selfe from God and Christ now because unbeleefe doth not so much hinder us in our duties towards man and because faith I meane in the next worke of it for faith doth fit us for duties and the like but because faith in the next worke of it doth not so much furnish us with abilities to carry us outwardly towards man and also because unbeleefe hinders us not in the same therefore wee are not sensible of the need and use of faith nor of the hurt and the danger of the other Reason 3 Thirdly hence it followes undeniably that as a poore sinner is hardly brought to see the want of faith and sees lesse need of faith than of any other grace because hee hath lesse need of it outwardly in the next worke of it therefore a Christian bestowes least care and time about faith and hath small and feeble desires after it and little care to get it but it is plainly proved before that a Christian is hardly convinced that hee wants faith and seeth lesse need of faith naturally than of any other grace and therefore hee hath lesse care to get it for that which a man seeth but little need and use of that he hath least care to get this I desire to make use of and so I desire my fellow brethren and Ministers this is the common course of the world take a sinner whose eyes God hath opened and revealed his sinnes and corruptions to him and let him see his wrath from heaven against him and drives a man to a stand so that hee saith if this be so then I am a damned man and so he is even staggering now in this extremitie marke the behaviour of this poore soule hee will doe any thing but beleeve and seeke for any thing but for faith hee will confesse and crie out of his sinne and resolve amendment and the drunkard loathâ— his old company and the adulterer will not goe after his lusts any more and the covetous mâ—â— in the horrour of conscience will rid his hands of all his ilâ— gotten goods and send for one man and call for another and make restitution and all this while not one word of faith nor of going our of himselfe to a Christ for mercie and succour for him â—ay those that have beene desperat persecutours of God and of his much and grace upon their death-beds they will turne to God and love his people and now those will pray which formerly have scorned prayer and they will doe this and that and yet all this while not one word of this precious faith the reason issues from the â—wo former things because they are not convinâ—ed that they want faith and doe not see the â—eed and use of faith and therefore doe not desire nor looke after it so gather up all and the summe is this if all men by nature are marvellous â—ardly convinced that they want faith and see the â—â—rtle and if all men bestow least care how to get his faith then the case is cleare and it is no marâ—ell though the most men want faith now wee have laid the inditement and it is marvellous â—aire you see and you cannot but confesse it for 〈◊〉 is against reason to deny it as some stuâ—dy hyâ—ocrites doe that will beleeve nothing but what â—hey list and yet they will be beleevers too Now let us come to plead the inditment â—ow mee thinkes every mans heart should tremble within him and â—â—e thinkes your very countenances doe suggest what your hearts doe desire let every man cast his head up and downe and paâ—ly wiâ—â— himselfe in this manner and saâ— Good Lord is it so that many families in the kingdome are unbeleevers and many people in the bosome of the Church want faith then why not my family too if most parents want faith thâ—â— why not my parents too and if many children want faith then why not my children too and if many soules want faith then why not my soule too nay it is ten to one that many that heare the word of God this day and many that liveâ—â— the bosome of the Church want faith mee thinkes I heare some say and am not
Matth. 2.1 2. verses the Scribes and Pharisees could tell you where Christ was to bee borne and bid the wise men goe to Bethlem but they would not goe themselves so these men have wisedome enough to say here is the way to Heaven but their owne hearts are not humbled nor framed to walke in that way and to goe home to Christ nor to receive mercy from him Know therefore you that are weake that beleeving carries two things with it in the phrase of Scripture First the assent of a mans judgement to the truth when a man is so farre convinced that hee sits downe and acknowledgeth that whatsoever the Word hath revealed his judgement saith it is all true and yeelds fully with the whole streame of his minde this is that which the Scripture sometimes calls beleeving and it is nothing but the bare assent to the truth saying it is so Secondly when the will embraceth that good in the promise formerly revealed when the will of a man claimes Gods Statutes and casts his heart and hope upon the goodnesse of the promise Now the judicious professour hath faith in the first sense hee assents to all the truths of the Scriptures and acknowledgeth that they are true the devills in hell have this faith too and all that have no more than this faith shall goe to the devill too as Iames 2.19 in the 14. verse the Apostle saith if a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes will that profit him and in the 19. verse thou beleevest there is one God thou dost well the devils also beleeve and tremble that is they assent to all the truths of Scripture that God reveals and this is the beleeving of this great man which wee have discovered in his fashion when a man can dive deepe into the Scriptures and understand all the texts and unty every knot and dispute all questions and is able to judge of the reasons of them is this thy faith the devill himselfe will outbid this faith If cunning and judgement and knowledge be thy faith the devils have this faith they know the Lord Jesus Christ is the Sonne of the most high God they know that the mercy of the Lord Christ is great and that they shall never taste of it they know that the Lord Jesus shall bee the Judge of all the world and that hee shall condemne them they assent to it and tremble at it Marke 5.8 when our Saviour came amongst the devils they said We know thee who thou art even the holy one of God and Acts 16.17 there was a Devill in a woman which was a Diviner and a Witch and she said These men are the servants of the living God which shew unto us the way of salvation it was the Devill in the woman therefore the Apostle bad him goe out of her because he hindered their worke I wish that the Devils in hell might not rise up in judgement against many of our unbeleevers which will not yeeld to the truth of God this is the bottome which beares up that kinde of boldnesse which many carnall creatures have upon their death-beds which never had the power of grace in their soules Come to a carnall man that knowes nothing savingly and sanctifyingly and he will say I beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart I have admired at it and sought to know the bottome of it and it is this they thinke this is beleeving to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into the world and that they are not infidels they assent unto the truth and yeeld unto it in their judgements they thinke this is faith and that it is sufficient too Oh you poore creatures that have your friends or parents or husbands that thus lay hold upon Christ and are perswaded that this is faith understand what the meaning is they only assent to the truth but never make application to their owne soules What 's that to thee that thou knowest the way to life and salvation and never walkest in it and what 's that to thee to heare that the Lord Christ came to save sinners and to know that there is mercie enough in him and yet never partake of it Thirdly I come to the evidences which make it cleare to us that he hath no more than this and those evidences are two First you shall finde this man past feare and almost carelesse but he is without doubt of the difficultie either of getting or maintaining his faith hee never comes to question whether hee hath faith or no and he accounts them silly Christians that are so daily troubled and disquieted for their estates whereas he carries the matter very confidently and scarcely lookes after it but beares it out with marvellous boldnesse and confidence which in truth is an undoubted argument that this man never knew what this faith was our Saviour saith Strive to enter in at the straight gate for the gate is narrow that leadeth to life and few there are that finde it and so the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.5 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure yet this man makes it a matter of nothing nay when many seeke and labour and take much paines and never attaine it by reason of their former strength of it as Prov. 1.28 They shall call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee yet this man thinks to have it with a wet finger that faith which is wrought by the Spirit of God in the soule and is thereby kept it hath daily opposition in the soule so that every godly man that hath faith he must fight against the Devill and all enemies and oppositions yet this man never comes to blowes the Lord Christ found it thus by experience and thus the Apostles and the Saints of God found it yet this man hath found out a shorter cut and an easier way to heaven and he is not ashamed to confesse it and say If a man were exercised in the word and if men had but his skill and were but trained up in his schoole it were not such a hard matter to get faith and so it is true for they may easily get that faith which thou hast Secondly follow this man home and close with him in his private chamber and attend upon him in his other occasions and there he hath no power of godlinesse in his life he hath practice without any pith and a course without any kernell and hee performes superficiall duties without any strength all his duties are as dry as a chip only he carries all out with this he is wise and learned and judicious and this answers all if hee doe omit or neglect duties and doe them carelesly this comforts him that hee is a judicious man it is certaine this man wants that grace which he seemes to have hee that hath so much faith without wavering must needs have his conversation answerable he that hath so much faith in
of God you that travell up and downe mourne in secret and say Here is every man busie in the world one makes haste this way another that way so many chapmen and clothiers going up and downe every weeke and yet how few goe home to Christ by faith and receive mercy from him in truth I condemne my owne soule because I have not a heart to mourne for them we reprove their sinnes and condemne them for their sinne and wee must doe so but where are the heart bloud petitions that wee put up for them and where are the teares that wee make for the slaine of our people if they will needs goe to hell let us bury them with bitter lamentations and not only should we doe this but also you tender hearted mothers and you that live one with another you tender hearted wives you have husbands and you prize them and love them and some good you have from them consider this when you see your husbands take lewd courses let your hearts breake over them and say Oh woe is mee for that poore husband of mine Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already hee is cast in heaven and in earth both by law and Gospell there is no releefe for him can you sit by a condemned husband and eat and drinke and lye by a condemned husband and never mourne for him haply you follow him from one taphouse to another and still a condemned man doe you love your husbands if they were poore you would mourne for them if they were dead you would mourne for them and say alas I am left a poore widow but he is a condemned husband and hath not a dram of faith and yet you cannot mourne for him mee thinkes the sight of this should make you sinke againe but alas our hearts are flinty and we cannot mourne and the like I may say of you mothers there are many of you whom God hath given children beautifull obedient and wise Oh mourne for them that so many come into the world and so few come home to Christ by faith the Lord be mercifull to us in this last age of the world wee meerly scramble for our owne comfort and regard not our salvation therefore get you home and mourne for them and say Oh these poore children which I have brought up and had much comfort from they are poore condemned children this were enough to sinke us Secondly it should bee a ground to make us search into our selves and thinke that the staffe stands at our doore imagine the hand-writing comes upon every man then let every man take his portion and say No faith no Christ and so consequently no salvation by Christ looke to thy owne soule and say Have I found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if there be not then I can tell my owne doome the sentence is past already shall we thinke of these and yet live quietly lay this under your pillow and say How can I sleep a condemned man and sleep what if God should take away my life ere morning hell is prepared and I fall into it let every man take account of his owne heart and say Have I any faith husband wife childe hast thou any faith It may be saith one I have it as well as another but how doe you prove it and how will you doe if you have it not no ignorant person no carnall Gospeller none of all these hath faith what so many men that have so much knowledge and yet fall short of faith and salvation Lord what shall become of mee is there any faith here make it good then or else yeeld the day and confesse that there is no faith and then there is some hope say I am a thousand miles off from faith I never knew what it was to be thus inlightened and to bee wounded for sinne I can commit sinne and play with sinne but I never knew what it was to be wounded for sinne I never knew what it was to be zealous in a good course there are many strict truths that I have not a heart to receive I confesse I have no faith now if you yeeld this then there is some hope that you may get out therefore take this advice goe to some faithfull humble experienced Christian and to some faithfull Minister and intreat them to advise you how to get faith but doe not goe to a faithlesse heart that hath no savour of grace nor godnesse in him how can he tell that which he never had experience of make privie search whether ever you had grace or no and if not then labour to know the way how to come to it if a mans state did lye at hazzard he would have every mans opinion and hee would inquire of this man and that man whether his evidences were sound and his title good and he would spare for no paines not cost much more should we doe it for the title of eternall life there is much conterfeit faith in the world and thousands perish upon this ground like motes in the sunne and never know where they are till they are in hell therefore goe to the Lord by prayer aske the counsell of some faithfull Minister and never rest till thy heart is perswaded of it Vse last It is of exhortation you that see the way walke in it you that know the way I should set an edge on your desires and endevours labour I say hard for this blessed grace as for you that have beene labourers you are to be encouraged continue your prayers and quicken those endevours every day more and more you that never did yet you are to be provoked to the performance of the dutie and give no sleep unto your eyes nor rest unto your selfe untill you have this and here are two things to be done First you must labour to get it Secondly you must labour to use it when you have it First you must labour to get faith we ought to make it our daily taske and study the aime of a mans desire the maine white and marke that we should shoot at in all our labours I would not have men account this as a matter of course a dutie reserved for a rainy day as sometime I have observed here in the countrie they will delay their base services their lesser necessities for a rainy day when they can do nothing else but O let us count it the most necessary duty and not to reserve faith for a sick bed an old age a crazy body only to get faith to goe unto Christ when weare going out of the world no this is unseasonable this is unreasonable and therefore take this home to you and make it the maine businesse of thy life to get faith I would have a Christian count all the endevours that he did besides his duties and performances to count them all losse wherein he hath not made some step in this glorious grace why alas your hearing your sacrifices will never profit you unlesse
owne comfort and hopes to change himselfe and help himselfe out of misery hee conceives it is in his power to procure his safety and to satisfie all the wrong done to God he now becomes a Saviour of himselfe Where is Christ now he keeps the staffe in his owne hand now and hee will still have it in his owne power to procure his owne happinesse This is that every man is naturally given to since he must alter he will have it in his owne power to alter himselfe and save himselfe This seemes to me to bee the meaning of the young mans speech Matthew 19. when he came to trade for life and happinesse What shall I doe saith he to gaine eternall life Christ saith goe thy way and keepe the Commandements Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steale c. I have kept all these from my youth saith hee what want I yet as who should say if thou have not enough thou shalt have enough before I goe I will pay thee upon the naile I will be aforehand with thee I will not owe thee a farthing token What want I yet as though hee would not bee onely even hand but afore hand with God as who should say he could not misse Heaven if he could doe as he thought he was able to doe To have all a mans good in another to receive all spiritual good from another this is that nature is hardly brought unto and yet this must be done if ever we beleeve To make the matter plaine otu of Scripture this was the maine hindrance that kept the Jewes from imbracing Jesus Christ men thinke they are the bravest Christians in the world because they have this and can doe that because they injoy these abilities nay performe these services not that a man should now not doe these but the resting here and to thinke to helpe a mans selfe by this meanes and the taking up a mans rest in these meanes and the opinion of merit this is the bane of religion Rom. 〈◊〉 2. For I beare them record saith the text that they have zeale for God but not according to knowledge the Iewes had a zeale for God they loved religion and they were Christians and circumcised and doe not these attaine to life and salvation no for saith the text they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God in Christ what is the reason of this because they went about to establish their owne righteousnesse Three things there be in the third verse for our purpose First that a man cannot be saved by his owne righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of God in and through Christ Secondly that it is a point of submission and subjection Oh marke this and it is a great point it is a point of humilitie and submission to take and receive righteousnesse from another It is a great point of submission to have all from Christ and nothing in our selves to have grace from Christ and comfort from Christ this is admirable Now what hinders this submission why thirdly the text saith They went about to establish their owne righteousnesse of their owne workes as if that could doe the deed or nothing thou must count them dung in respect of the righteousnesse of Christ that is the first the whole nation of the Jewes fell short of Christ in this point the second place is Rom. 9.31 32. marke how he reasons the◠What shall we say then as who should say you will thinke we speake strange things and it is a strange thing but it is a true thing that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse have not attained the law of righteousnesse why because they sought it not by faith but by the workes of the law Three things againe here in the text consider First what shall we say is it possible what a Gentile saved and a Jew condemned what a Gentile that knew not God attaine mercie and the Jewes and people of God cast off from mercie what shall wee say then why marke the text a Gentile that never trusted to his owne righteousnesse that is a miserable sinfull creature he seeth himselfe nothing haply a cursed drunkard or an adulterer the Lord opens his eyes discovers his sinnes and makes him see he is a lost man and makes him see that a Christ must save him from the sinnes of his prayers and a Christ must save him from the sinnes of his performances or else he is an undone man for ever Another man now the Jew he sought after the law that is they were strict in the performance of the law they had their circumcision their washing and all services upon all occasions curiously how comes this to passe now that the one is saved and the other damned because the one will be beholding to Christ the other will not therefore the one hath mercie the other hath not Now we will explaine the point and the practice of it will you see how men procure their owne ruine in this kinde take a poore sinner that is fallen into a base course what is the course hee takes to save himselfe hee is informed what to doe and his conscience is awakened therefore he goeth aside and forceth himselfe and labours to force his heart to a melting for and hatred against his corruptions whereby God hath beene displeased now haply God breakes his heart and teares flow abundantly and the man riseth off his knees and here takes up his stand and thinkes all is well and in conclusion thus he lives and is as bad as ever he was before and the next temptation that is offered to him he is taken aside with the same sinne againe the reason is he went away and thought my heart hath beene enlarged I have confessed my sinnes and God hath humbled my soule and therefore I shall be saved and rests upon his humiliation and not upon Christ upon his confession and not upon Christ so that his humiliation and confession is his Saviour he hath made provision at home therefore will not goe to the Lord Jesus Christ another man God opens his eyes and makes him see his ignorance the Minister tels him he must humble his soule and pray in his family now hee findes himselfe marvellous blinde and unable to doe it now he bewailes his ignorance and carelesnesse and waits upon God in his ordinances and gets abilitie to performe those duties so that now he performes holy duties after an excellent manner and there he stayeth and in conclusion returnes to his old fashion againe what is the reason he establisheth his owne righteousnesse he settled upon dutie alone and there was an end he fell short of Christ and rested upon doing of duties and so went no further at all well then wee have the hindrances Then for
doe this though they can doe nothing else they cannot pray they cannot understand they cannot remember they cannot subdue their corruptions but they shall be taken away with company and fall into that sinne but they can beleeve in Christ with all their hearts thus we see that every man thinkes it in his power and within the compasse of his abilitie naturally to rest upon Christ Now marke what followeth why should a man desire that hee hath why should he seeke for that he hath attained why should he labour to be possessed of that which is in his owne power and he is possessed of already if I can beleeve naturally if it be in my power to goe to Christ when I list why shall I use all meanes and receive abilitie to doe that which I can doe by my owne power and this I take to be one maine ground why the endevours of men are taken off from attending and why the labours of Christians are taken off from seeking often this blessed precious grace of faith there are many grounds why men are driven to this kinde of conceit there are many reasons that make way for this conceit As first to beleeve is a spirituall thing betweene God and thy owne soule to pray and reforme belongs to the outward practice but to beleeve is a closure of the heart with an entertaining of the Lord and his truth and the giving way of our soules thereunto now because men cannot see their faith therefore no man will yeeld but he doth beleeve Secondly men conceive that it is an easie matter to take of mercie from Christ and say they is there any man that will not have mercie is it such a hard matter to receive favour offered or to take a gift when it is tendered unto us Thirdly these doe apprehend that the assenting to the Gospell of Christ wherein is revealed the riches of Gods mercie is all that is required in faith when the Lord saith He hath sent his Sonne into the world that he hath prepared salvation in him and wrougt redemption through him they acknowledge and assent to the truth and conceive this is whole to beleeve upon this ground poore creatures thinke it is in their power to beleeve and take grace and helpe from Christ though they cannot helpe themselves therefore they labour not to get grace from God to doe this worke because they thinke they can performe this worke by their owne abilitie and power The cure of this hindrance is this and it lieth specially in these three meditations First see thy selfe and convince thy owne heart how thou art cozened and thy conscience how thou art deceived in common sense when such thoughts creepe into thy minde and reason thus were it in my power alone to beleeve or in any mans power else would any man goe to hell for want of beleeving if it were in my power or any mans power else to get faith would any man perish for want of faith Take a little experience from those that lie on their death beds A riotous wretch that hath run headlong against the Lord and his truth a man that hath lived stubbornly and stoutly under the means of grace and hath taken up armes against God and his grace he lieth gasping and then hee lookes to Heaven and considers what shall become of him The Minister saith he must renounce himselfe and apply Christ and his promises to his soule Oh saith he I cannot beleeve the Lord will save mee and pardon me and comfort me I cannot rest upon the promises of God What I such a sinner and saved what I such a sinner and comforted I cannot beleeve it if all the Angels in Heaven tell it me is it in this mans power to beleeve now when he sees Hell open before him and the devils ready to receive him doe you thinke hee would rush into Hell if hee could beleeve and escape it Secondly looke into the depth of thine owne heart and weigh seriously thine owne weaknesse by the ballance of the Sanctuary and thine owne infirmities by the blessed Word of the Lord and see that thou must not onely have a gift from God to take it God must not onely give a man a gift but power to receive it Ioh. 3.27 No man can receive any thing unlesse it be given him from above therefore judge your owne abilities not according to your owne conceits and overweening imaginations but judge by the Word and judge righteous judgement that a man can receive no good thing unlesse God give him power The gift must come from above and the power must come from above whereby hee must receive it Thirdly consider and settle thine owne heart in this same determination and resolution that there must be a supernaturall power put forth to make thee beleeve or else all the power under Heaven cannot furnish thee with sufficiency thereunto a man is able to doe the condition of the first covenant as to observe the condition of the second covenant he is as well able to keepe the Law as to beleeve the Gospell unlesse there be a power to inable him Iames 1.18 Her hath begotten us according to his owne will by the Word of truth a childe cannot beget himselfe So it is here spiritually as there naturally the Lord doth beget us according to his owne will it is not in our owne will to beget our selves as the Pelagians dreamed it is not in our will to dispose of our hearts to take Christ when we will to let him stand at doore so long as we see fit and take him in when we see fit but it is the Will of the Lord that must beget us and not our will that can beget our selves Therefore that faith that groweth upon the ground of thy owne naturall abilitie it is a fancy it is no sound faith God must come down from heaven to thy soule before thou canst goe up to heaven againe faith must be first wrought in thy soule before thou canst be carried to God by faith there must bee a power in all means above all means there must be a spirit in all endevours above all endevours to helpe us to beleeve or else wee shall never beleeve while the world standeth therefore avoid those proud imaginations of heart when men thinke they may refuse grace take grace when they list shut Christ out of doores over night and take him in the morning it is against sense and there is nothing more crosse and contrary to the power of grace No goe secretly betweene God and thine owne soule and confute it what I Lord and my parts Lord what in my will Lord to beleeve and in my power and so forth no if all men and Angels should conspire together and all the Ministers under Heaven joyne together to work faith in my soule it will never bee the power of Angell Men or Word will never worke it but it must bee the power of the Lord that must worke it
as we may see Ephes 1.18 The same power that brought Christ out of the grave must bring the soule to Christ or else it will never come while the world stands be perswaded of these things they are true chuse whether you will beleeve them but the Lord make you beleeve them that you may receive comfort to your soules We come now in the second place to those second kinde of hinderances which doe not deprive a man of the title to Christ but through our own folly and weaknesse they stop us from comming so readily to Christ wee have interest in a promise but through our owne ignorance and Satans subtilty wee goe not so readily to a promise wee have title to The ground of all these hinderances is one and that is this namely when men out of carnall reason contrive another way to come to Christ than ever God ordained than ever the Word revealed when wee set up a standard by Gods standard when out of the heady haughty imaginations of our mindes wee make other termes and conditions of beleeving than ever God made then ever Christ required we lay bars in the way and lay boults upon our feet and manacles upon our hands and then wee complaine wee cannot goe the fault is your owne and the impediments are many because carnall reason is fruitfull to devise and Satan followes and fires these imaginations I will onely mention three hinderances which are mainly observable by which many a gracious heart is wonderfully damped from comming to and receiving benefit from the Lord Jesus Christ Hinderance 1 The first hinderance is a desperate kinde of despaire and discouragement which sometimes oppresseth the soule of a distressed sinner the distressed soule lookes upon his owne corruptionâ— and worthinesse and sinfullnesse and then hee dares not come to Christ hee viewes the number of his sinnes so many the nature of his abominations so hainous the continuance of them so long the soule of a distressed man sends his thoughts affarre off and viewes all both the abominations of his life and the distempers of his soule and seeth his iniquities mustering up themselves and Satan helps him forward for this is his policy First hee will keepe a sinner if hee can that hee shall not see sinne and then all will be whole and the sinner thinkes there is mercy enough in a Saviour and why should I trouble my selfe but when hee sees the sinner will pore upon his sinnes then hee shall see nothing else but sinne so that he dares not goe to God for mercy this is that I desire to trade in and follow Satan as far as I can Now the sinner that is in this case tell him that mercy is in Christ and redemption offered in a Saviour hee dares not heare of it hee dares not thinke of it what saith he shall I once imagine or thinke that there is any mercy for me that I have any title to or interest in Christ that were strange and the soule is here foyled and fastned upon his owne misery and never goeth to the Physitian he stares in the wound and never goes to a Saviour for a man is as well kept from going to Christ by poring continually upon his distempers by despaire as by resting upon his owne sufficiency by presumption hee that seeth not his sinnes he thinkes he hath sufficiency and therefore will not goe to Christ and when a sinner seeth and feeleth the burden of his iniquities he dares not goe to a Saviour this is the course of Satan and here in hee is marvellous cunning but this should not be any discouragement to our hearts from comming to the Lord Iesus Christ for I beseech you observe it for whom did Christ come into the world for whom did Christ die when he came it was not for the righteous that needed him not but for the sinners that had condemned themselves and hee came to save those that could not save themselves 1 Tim. 1.15 It is a faihfull saying Christ came to save sinners whereof I am the chiefe Zachary 13.1 There is a Fountaine set open for all people to wash in all sorts of sinnes and all sorts of sinners there is a fountaine set open for them bee they what they will be be they what they can be their sins never so great the time never so long and the hainousnesse never so vilde come they that will come come and welcome There was a fiery Serpent in the wildernesse and there was a brasen Serpent to cure them that were stung so if thou beest stung with the fiery Serpent of sinne Christ is the brasen Serpent that will heale thee Esay 43.24 When the Iewes had tyred God with their wickednesse and wearied him with their distempers yet the Lord for his owne Name sake pardoned all their iniquities and remembred their sins no more I say this though our sinnes bee never so hainous never so vile and abominable in themselves if the soule can see these and be burthened with these they doe not hinder the worke of faith and the worke of mercy I would faine have you thinke of that which I now say it is not our sinfulnesse properly I meane our unworthinesse but our haughtinesse that hinders us from comming to a Saviour it is not a mans basenesse and sinne that hinders him but his owne haughtinesse that lets him from comming to a Saviour we would have somewhat in our selves and not all from Christ therefore when we have nothing in our selves we are loth to goe to Christ were your sinnes lesser and your holinesse greater then you would goe then marke what followeth thou goest to Christ not because of the freenesse of his grace but because thou hast something in thy selfe to incourage thee to goe to Christ thou wilt have something before thou wilt goe to Christ and therefore wilt not have all from Christ therefore it is not thy basenesse and thy sinnes that hinder thee from Christ but it is thy haughtinesse and pride Object But Satan suggests and the soule replies I dare not come to Christ not onely because of my sins but because it is the freenesse of the offer of grace that I have rejected Answ Why this will not hinder thee neither provided thou canst be humbled for this though thou hast cast off the kindnesse of the Lord he will not reject thee and cast off thee if thou wilt come unto him Esay 57.18 the text saith for his wickednesse I have smitten him and was angry with him yet he turned after the way of his owne heart by this means Iudah should never be recalled but marke what the Lord addes I will heale him and restore comfort unto him as if he had said poore soule I have striven with him but he scorned me I offered him grace he received it not but went after the stubbornnesse of his owne heart hee seeth not his misery but I see it and I will pardon it Ierem. 3.2 Yet returne to mee saith
they have the victory and although there never was nor never can bee any such engine for temporall deliverances as this is yet certaine it is this saving faith is a spirituall engine and instrument aâ— I may so say that gives victory and conquest over all spirituall enemies 1 Iohn 5.4 They that are borne of God overcome the world and sinne and this is the victorie that overcommeth the world even your faith marke the phrase and it is not for the conquest of some one corruption but for the overthrowing of a world of wickednesse it quencheth all the fiery darts of the Devill be the corruptions never so strong yet faith gives the conquest to a poore sinner it is not hope alone nor love nor zeale they are all good souldiers and they may strive much and lend much helpes to a poore sinner but they will grow weake and feeble and dead except saving faith come in to rescue anâ— bring a supply how often doe we finde that whâ—â— our hope failes and our love growes cold and ouâ— zeale dead then at last faith goes to heaven 〈◊〉 fetches new grace even grace for grace and thâ—â— hope is stirred and desire quickned and zeale enflamed Psal 27.13 I had fainted unlesse I had beloved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the â—â—ving it was saith that did save him at a dead lift it is with the soule as it is with the body take a man that is swounding there is one friend that weeps over him another that comforts him but he that will cure him must goe to the Apothecaries shop and bring some Aqua vitae and that will fetch him againe so it is with a poore sinner being under the pressure of horrour of heart you wicked ones are not acquainted with this but you may be in time I have knowne the stouâ—â—st heart to stoop the poore sinner in his extremity faints and profits and pleasures and friends weepe over him saying Oh that we could have quieted and refreshed you but the poore man is goâ—e till at last faith goes to heaven and brings a pardon to save him and mercy to comfort him and hath supply there and faith brings the water of life even the freenesse of this grace and that cheares comforts and revives the heart thus sinking so that the poore sinner by this time begins to looke up and to come to himselfe againe as David saith Psal 73.1 Yet God is good to Israel hee wâ—â— even sinking but faith over came the temptation Oh saith he the world is naught and men are marvellous wicked and malicious to oppose and â—â—y owne heart is malicious and bad but God is good and he will be good to me and cure this vile hâ—â—rt of mine 1 Pet. 1.5 Wee are kept by the power 〈◊〉 God through faith unto salvation that which gets the victory is faith and next under God in Christ we owe our everlasting salvation unto faith even 〈◊〉 that blessed grace you that are acquainted with troubles and anguish of conscience and with many corruptions would it not doe you good at the heart to see all your deadly enemies laid downe at your feet would it not do you good to have all your strong lusts and masterly corruptions of pride and malice those mighty and Goliah sinnes that you have a deadly envie against and that you have stood so long against would you not see them all mastered and overcome I doubt not but you that feele these and undergoe the burden of these you would account it the best day that ever you did see if the conquest be worth the striving then get faith and then the day is yours and you shall see your lusts bleed your lusts breake and though your pride and other lusts now get ground against you yet then they shall be led captive as the text saith then Christ shall lead captivitie captive faith brings Christ into the field and so the victory is gotten Motive 3 As faith makes us glorious in all graces and gives the conquest over all enemies so in the last place it is faith that brings a blessing to all our blessings and it graces all our abilities and it blesseth us in all our occasions that concerne us the profit of all meanes and the successe of all our labours it is in faith nay there is a good which faith workes upon some and therefore it is wortâ— the striving it is that which blesseth all our blessings and all that doth concerne us meanes mâ—â— bend the worke and operation but all the profâ—â— is in faith as Heb. 4.2 The Gospell was preached unto them as unto us but it did not profit them because it was not mixt with faith in those that heard it hadst thou the greatest parts and abilities under heaven if thou hadst not faith with them they would not profit thee men thinke to goe beyond all with their power wit and policie but I say All will not profit them without faith if thou canst receive the Sacraments with faith it will strengthen thee if thou canst heare the Word with faith the terrours of the law will humble thee and the commands thereof will direct thee and awe thee but otherwise all is nothing though an Angell should come from heaven and preach to you as it is with the meanes of the body if a man eat never so much meat and cannot digest it if the stomack bee clogged with it there is nothing but sicknesse and diseases come from it but if a man take but a little meat and digest it well it will nourish him and doe him much good so it is here that which is the stomack and liver of the soule is faith and that turnes the Word and Sacraments and ordinances into good bloud it is a lowly beleeving heart that gets good by this Secondly all our performances finde acceptance through faith the Scripture saith Without faith it is impossible to please God and I say That without faith it is impossible that thou shouldst please God though thy judgement is weake and thy parts humble and thy ability poore and feeble but yet if thou canst but sigh up to heaven by faith that sigh is accepted in heaven with faith all thy weaknesses are pardoned and all services are accepted whereas without the grace of faith hadst thou the greatest abilities under Heaven and though thou canst please thy great Patron thine owne proud heart yet thou wilt never please the great God he that heareth holy faith and walketh by faith though hee can please none else yet hee shall be sure to please his God This is that which turneth all our sinnes and curses into good to us Oh marke that not that it makes them good in themselves but it brings good out of them The cunning Apothecary and wise Physitian can make the most deadly poyson the most soveraigne cordiall because he corrects the one that is so many degrees could and puts a stronger spirit of heat
into foure of five degrees of it and so fits it to be marvellous cordiall so faith makes a sweet extract out of pride and the venome of sinne and corruption without this is the overpowring worke of faith at Phil. 1.14 For this I know that by the supply of the Spirit of Christ this shall turne to my good and salvation through your prayers To winde up the point let us consider all these motives and consider whether wee can move our hearts to labour for this grace would you not be glorious in all the graces of God as humility meeknesse and patience and have conquest over all your enemies and the basenesse of your owne hearts and would you not have a blessing upon what you enjoy and would you not have all worke for your good if these bee worth the having then get this grace of faith that having this you may have all Hee that hath faith let him goe on in it and hee that hath not faith let him know that hee never had any thing To this purpose it will be very seasonable to call upon our hearts upon all occasions when you finde your hearts hunting to settle upon these things here below and when you begin to view all the contentments of this life and to say this is great Babell and I have gotten friends and meanes c. then put the question to thy soule and say hast thou faith too thou hast friends to stand for thee and means to inrich thee but hast thou faith to save thy soule if thou hast not faith thou art a begger whatsoever thou hast nay often startle your secure and carelesse hearts and put this plea to your hearts and parly with them in this manner and say doe not many and most men want faith and why may not I want it and doe not many secke faith and doe not attaine it and what if I should misse it the Lord forbid it for then thou art an undone man for ever thou hast lost all thy labour Iohn 2.8 Looke to your selves saith the Apostle that you â—â—se not the things that you have wrought thy hearing and thy praying and all thy Sacraments and all means and whatsoever thou hast or dost thou hast lost all and thou art gone downe the streame nay misse of faith and all the means under heaven cannot releeve thee I tell thee if thou missest of faith thou missest of heaven and salvation nay I may speake it with reverence mercy it selfe cannot saye thee Christ will not nay Christ cannot save thee without faith for he hath sworne he shall never enter into his rest continuing without faith therefore call home your hearts and stirre up your soules and looke up to the Lord Jesus and reason in this manner and say as Paul to the Philippians saith To you it is given to beleeve Lord it is given to thy poore servants to beleeve thou gavest Manasses Paul and the Iayler power to beleeve I am a vile stubborne prophane wretch Lord give mee power also to beleeve whether thou wilt give me honour wealth riches or no I leave that to thy selfe but Lord deny not thy servant an humble broken and beleeving heart lest I perish and be undone for ever As Rachel said Give mee children or else I die so say thou Lord give mee faith or else I perish Lord I know all my labour cannot worke faith and all meanes under Heaven cannot give it but it is thou Lord that must doe it and as the text saith Many beleeved through grace Lord therefore through that grace of thine draw this heart to thee and keepe it with thee and make thy poore servant blessed for ever Thus much for the use of exhortation namely that we should get faith Now I come to the second part of exhortation and here wee are to endevour if God bee pleased to goe out with us to perswade the heart of those that be faithfull to live by faith the Lord brought thy unfaithfull heart to beleeve now then labour to husband this grace well and to improve it for thy best good and live by it It is a marvellous great shame to see those that are borne to faire meanes I meane the poore Saints of God that have a right and title to grace and Christ and yet to live at such an under rate I would have you to live above the world though thou hast not a coat to cover thee nor a house to put thy head in yet if thou hast faith thou art a rich man therefore husband thy estate well it is a shame I say to see them that they cannot husband that happy estate which they have they live as if they had it not so full of want so full of care and pride so weake and unable to master their sinnes whereas the fault is not in the power of faith nor the promise nor in the Lord for the Lord doth not grudge his people of comfort but would have them live cheerfully and have strong consolations and mighty assurance of Gods love And therefore the text saith Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce and make your calling and election sure Heb. 6.18 God hath sworne that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie wee might have strong consolations nay the Lord rejoyceth in the prosperity of his servants and therefore he hath provided mercifully and richly for you that you may rejoyce therefore wee doe the Lord and his promises a great deale of wrong and bring an ill report upon that grace and mercy of his when wee open the mouthes of the wicked and make them say Oh these precise people talke of quiet and contentment and joy in the holy Ghost there is great talking of these things but wee could never see it yet Oh brethren it is a great shame are the riches and revenues of faith so great that a christian may live like a man all his dayes Let all the drunkards and malitious wretches against God laugh and bee merry yet they cannot see one of those dayes that a poore Saint canâ— though he should lie in prison all his dayes Matthew 17.20 If a man had but faith as a graine of mustard-seed and should say to this mountaine goe hence it should be done whether this is spoken of justifying faith or no I will not now dispute but this I am sure of if you will resist the Devill he will flee from you and you may trample under all your lusts and corruptions this is the life of faith and this life may wee live and this life wee ought to live If a trades-man have a good estate put into his hand and have a faire stocke and quicke returnes if hee goes downe the winde and begin to decline and decay every man will say he wâ—â— left marvellous well but either he knew nor how to vse it because he wanted skill or else he arâ—â—ded not unto it and was carelesse another man would have lived
towards Zion a cup of poison and a stone of stumbling when he had spoken of all the bulwarks that God had made and all the goodnesse and mercy that he had shewed to his people and the malice and wrath of his enemies he saith This God is our God even for ever as if he had said The Lord did provide for his people in Egypt and overthrew proud Pharaoh that set himselfe up against God and this God is our God when thou art in the wildernesse this God is thy God when thou art in persecution this God is thy God and the God of all thus he stores up while the season lasts And as thou must observe what God doth to others Note this so labour to treasure up thine owne experiences 2 Tim. 4.18 He hath delivered us and hee doth and will deliver us saith the Apostle and the Prophet David saith I remember thy judgements of old O well fare a good old store I remember saith he how thou didst rebuke Abimelech and overthrow Nimrod and Nebuchadnezar and Achitophel Oh it is admirable to consider these things I received comfort saith he God will overthrow every enemy and this is store for thy faith to worke upon Psal 89.49 Where are thy former mercies David is afore hand with God now he is not come to buy food just at the time of famine but it is laid up before hand Rule 2 We must lay it in abundantly lay in promises of all kindes you had better leave than lack How to lay in matter for our faith and it is the wisdome of a man to have somewhat to spare and to have an overplus aforehand that a man may not live feebly and poorely and be at his wits end at every turne and knowes not which way to shift for himselfe and have no bread in his house I meane no provision of promises by him Isay 42.23 Whose is wise let him heare for after times as if hee had said You must not only lay in promises just for the present but store them for afterwards as the chapman saith I shall want this at such a time and so the husbandman saith I shall have occasion for this or that at such a time and therefore they get aforehand O that God would give us these hearts it is good as we may so say to keepe promises in pickle that wee may spend them at leasure 1 Kings 17.6 7 8 9. Iezebel had threatned to kill Eliah but shee mist of her worke for shee was slaine her selfe and he went to heaven and never died at all the text saith Hee went and hid himselfe by the brooke Kerith and when all victuals failed the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and when all that failed too the Lord said unto him Arise get thee to Sareptha I have commanded a widow there to sustaine thee 1 King 18.4 Obadiah hid a hundred of the Prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water and in another place the text saith In the dayes of famine thou shalt have enough these precious promises will be good meat in Lent when haply thou shall sit under an hollow tree and creep among the bushes then three or foure of these promises will give a man a good meale of comfort therefore store them up for they will doe you no harme and when you are driven from house and friends and all and God takes away the Gospell from us which God of his mercy prevent Amen and give us hearts to speake to him that he may prevent it onely your wisdome will be this to get all promises for this and a better life for the getting of grace and the preserving in grace and not only to pray by a promise but to live by a promise and trade by it and to enjoy all that you have by a promise if you will have comfort in it therefore be sure that you sort the promises aright every promise is not for every purpose but each promise suits for each occasion and therefore suit them all imagine a man wants comfort and strength against sinne why then that promise will not fit them wherein the Lord saith Hee will be with them in six troubles and deliver them in seven that for a temporall deliverance he doth not want that but power against his corruptions Againe if a man feare that he shall not hold out in perseverance now that promise doth not sit wherein the Lord saith Hee will pardon all his sinnes and cast them all as a milstone into the bottome of the sea this is not for perseverance in grace if thou seekest for succour there thy hand is in the wrong box but that promise is for this purpose wherein God saith I will knit them to mee with an everlasting love and I will write my lawes in their inward parts that they shall never depart from me any more So there are promises for deliverances in trouble and for comfort in affliction and in a word Gods infinite free grace is scattered in so many promises according to so many necessities and severall occasions that is all healing and saving vertue is in God so he dispenseth it to so many drops and severall promises therefore we must doe with the promises as the Apothecarie doth with his drugs he puts Bezar stone into one and Studdine that if the body be weake and low then your Bezar stone is good for him and so for the rest so that as the Apothecary hath all drugs so he hath sorted them all so deale you with the promise and word have the command of God to owne thee and the promise of God to comfort thee and that thou maist sit thine owne soule let it be a suitable promise suppose thou findest thy heart proud and stubborne then thou maist not looke upon mercy and pardon but looke upon the justice of God and how hee lookes upon the proud afarre off hee gives grace to the humble but resisteth the proud here is studdy for thee to pull downe thy proud heart and when thou findest thy heart full of venome and malice against the Ministers of God now that Bezars stone doth not fit thee therefore apply this Hee that hates his brother in his heart is a man-slayer and no man-slayer shall enter into the kingdome of God and he that hates his brother is a childe of the Devill these are vomits that fit thee Rule 3 Lastly we must lay them up that we may have them at hand To lay up the promises bring your provision home and leave it not in the market it is a folly for a man to say I have as good provision as can bee but I have it not here Colos 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously and richly in all wisdome First observe the plenty of our provision it must not be scantie but richly and wisely and it must dwell in you
that you may but step aside and have it Now you have the matter for your faith to work upon Secondly we are to fit faith for the service that it may succeed with more comfort and better speed for though a man be a beleever yet there is a great deale of dulnesse and bluntnesse comes upon this grace though he have it Luke 24.25 see how our Saviour chides his Disciples saying O fooles slow and dull of heart to beleeve c. so wee ought to whet our faith that it may line and square the promises as it is in the Hebrew that it may pierce through the vale of all the riches of the freenesse of Gods grace and so bring comfort to us It is with the hand of faith as it is with the hand of the body sometimes though the thing be neare one that he may reach it and the hand hath life yet if it bee nummed and stiffe and frozen a man must warme it and rub it before hee can lay hold upon and take the thing and doe the worke in hand so it is with the hand of faith for faith is the hand of the soule it takes hold of that mercy and comfort which God hath prepared for us in Christ Jesus now that faith is nummed and stiffe through carelesnesse and loosenesse therefore it is not enough for a man to have faith but he must supple and oile the finewes of faith that he may catch more speedily at the promise of life and receive comfort from thence Particul 2 Now for the setting of our faith to be limber and quick there are three rules to be observed Rule 1 First wee must maintaine the evidence of this grace of faith once gotten without question How to make faith limber undeniable without controlement I say a faith once gotten marke it I speak not now of those that have not faith it is in vaine to bid a man live by faith who hath no faith but it is for those in whose hearts God hath beene pleased to worke this blessed grace of faith this must be the care of every man that hath gotten faith hee must know the nature of faith in generall and of his faith in particular whither his faith bee of the right stamp and will stand him in stead in the day of accompt and whither it be of that faith which Peter speaks of for there is a great deale of copper faith in the world as that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and the like now when thou hast gained evidence that thou hast faith then fill it up and keep it by thee and labour to have the demonstration of this worke so plaine in thy soule that it may be past deniall What a marvellous folly is it for a man to question when hee should use it the worke must needs be marvellously hindred though he have never so much faith when hee begins to cavill with it and to question whither it bee good or no it is a proverbiall speech hee that doubts of his way â—â—sisseth of his way for while he is doubting hee goes no way in conclusion so hee that doth question whether he hath faith or no and therefore gets little good by it tell a poore sinner of living by faith and he saith it is good newes if I had it it is poore comfort to bid a man to goe warme him when hee hath no fire to warme him by and so it is a poore comfort to bid a man live by faith when hee never had any faith the quarrelling and doubting when a man hath it it wholy hinders the use and benefit of faith that would come to us as it is with a man that hath a faire estate and hath land worth so many hundreds a yeare all the while his lands are in question and controversie hee lives exceeding poore and scarce makes so many scores a yeare whereas if his lands were settled to him hee might so many hundreds so it is here every poore faithfull soule is borne to a faire estate and hath rich promises and while he is yet in the law and makes question of his faith the truth is the promises lye by and hee dares not meddle with them and hee suspects whether hee may venture upon them or no and the reason is hee is quarrelling with and doubting of his faith when hee should live by it Matth. 24.29 30 31. when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea they thought it was a Spirit but Jesus said unto them Be of good comfort it is I now when Peter knew it was our Saviour â—e being somewhat too venterous he said If it be thou Lord bid mee come unto thee on the water and Christ said Come and Peter going the waters beâ—â—â— to be something boâ—sterous his heart began to sâ—ck c. and Christ said unto him O thou of â—it the faith why doest thou doubt as if he had said â—â—t is now no time of doubting but a time of beleeving the Lord bad him to come and hee had ground enough to come and strength of faith to come but when he saw the waves great trouble some he began to doubt whereas he should have improved the promise and not have doubted of it so we doubt and sit afraid quarell with the promise improve not the grace that God bestowes it is with the soule in this case as it is with a gun or peece that is rusty and not well scoured or not well stockt he that goes to use the gun in stead of hitting the marke it recoils and hurts him because that either it was not well stockt or else it was rustie so it is with a poore faithfull soule though the heart doth beleeve and his heart is of a right stamp and is able to lay hold on the promise if that faith grow rusty with our doubting and is unstable or unsettled it recoils againe upon us and wee sit downe dismaied whereas we might have gone to Christ and received mercy from him and therefore our Saviour saith of the wise Virgins Matth. 25.7 They trimmed their lamps and when the Bridegroome came they entred with him into the chamber so it should be with our soules it is not enough for a gracious heart to have true faith and true oile but if there growes any snuffe of doubting that dims the light of our links throw it away and quarrell not and then we shall be fitted to see the way and to enter into eternall happinesse by the power thereof and I beseech you to observe this the very questioning and quarelling against the worke of faith it many times as much dis-inables a man to put forth the power of his faith as if he had no faith at all as some that are melancholy they thinke they cannot speake nor goe this hath made men not to speake for many yeares together though they can and doe speake to this day therefore for the conclusion of this first rule goe
Isaac againe So I would have a poore Saint of God to conclude when thou findest thy comforts like Isaacks in the ashes and thy estate hopelesse and helplesse yet even then set Gods power on worke and wait upon him in the use of the meanes that hee hath appointed and then conclude it and bring patience power and deliverance and so in every kinde according to all thy necessities yet remember this expect no more from the promise than God will give in the promise but say my sinnes shall bee mastered one day and these temptations shall be one day overthrowne that have so long annoyed the soule of thy poore servant I have begged succour against these corruptions within and these temptations without and yet it is not but I know it is done in heaven it wants nothing but the taking out thou wilt bestow upon thy servant what thou seest fit 1 Sam. 1.18 Hannah wept sore and prayed to the Lord and went away and was no more sorrowfull and she said Lord I beleeve that I shall either have a childe or that which is as good or better now the businesse was done but imagine the Lord delayes and doth not suddenly accomplish what hee intends and thou hast used meanes to receive he gives not and grants not and sends not succour according to thy desire and the tenure of the covenant as thou conceivest Direct 4 Then faith must take up his stand and stay till it come as thou resolvest that it will be so stay till it be and stay it out here is much worke to doe we prevent Gods kindnesse when wee goe away before hee bee willing to bestow his kindnesse on us but faith will not doe so hee that beleeveth doth not make haste he makes haste to obey but hee stayes and resolves that it will be the vision is for an appointed time therefore wait for it thou art pestered with thy sinnes and hast laboured by faith to subdue them and thy estate is low and thou hast laboured by faith for deliverance and yet it comes not and freedome from temptations comes not therefore stay till God sees fit and it will come Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant looke to the hands of his master and the eyes of a maiden to her mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercie upon us not till I will and till I see fit and according to my minde but untill the Lord have mercie wee suddenly slide away from the covenant which the Lord makes with us because wee have it not when wee will therefore we goe away 1 Sam. 13.13 when Samuel carried long and the people began to murmur Saul went and offered a burnt-offering unto the Lord and therefore Samuel said unto him Thou hast done foolishly and hast not kept the commandement of thy God which he commanded thee for now would the Lord have established thy kingdome upon Israel for ever If Saul had stayed the Lords time hee would have established the kingdome upon Israel for ever but he prevented the Lords kindnesse and offered sacrifice unseasonably and sinfully so it is many times with a proud pettish rash and distempered heart if we have not what we would and just when we would then wee are all amort and murmur and say Why should wee wait any longer thou hast done foolishly hast thou prayed and looked to the promise thus long and wilt thou now give over the Lord would have comforted thee hadst thou gone on but the Lord hath withdrawn himselfe from thee because thou hast withdrawn thy heart from the promise when the carriage is heavie and the way is dead there are many sore puls and the wagon is at a stand and if a man should then goe away then all his worke were lost therefore stay thou till the Lord shew mercy thus long thou hast called and sought and looked to the promise and waited upon the Lord and attended upon the freenesse of his grace once more would have done it thy heart was almost humbled and thy sinne was almost conquered O thou silly foole why didst not thou hold it out it wil come at last my life for thine now take heed of this if the time seeme tedious and thy heart begins to sink and thy spirit is weary take heed of flying off take heed of shifting for thy owne comfort and looking to base ende and aimes no hold thy minde to and keep thy eye of faith upon the promise and stay it out till God see the time fit and know it is the best time for thee to receive it Acts 27 31. Paul saith Except these abide in the ship you cannot be safe every man was shipping over bord to save himselfe but Paul stayed them a man would have thought otherwise but the Apostle knew it was not so for the Lord had revealed it unto him so I say be thy temptations never so strong and thy sinnes never so many and thou beginnest to complaine and saist I have cryed Lord and sought earnestly and yet my condition is worse and my soule more sinfull and I am lesse able to helpe my selfe there is no more succour to bee expected now take heed of going out of the ship and from the use of the meanes keepe in the ship for in the ship you shall be safe keepe in the promise and still your hearts there you shall have a happie arrivall at heaven though it bee upon a broken board it s no matter stay Gods time Direct 5 Yet haply the Lord seemes sometimes not only to delay his poore servants and to withhold his favour but he seemes to frowne and say he will not heare and hee seemes to be angrie with the prayers of his servants and with their importunitie and he seemes as if he would not succour and supply thus he dealt with Iacob Gen. 32.26 there the Lord saith Let me goe I care not what becomes of thee I leave thee to thy selfe but Iacob layes hold upon him and would not let him goe so the last worke of faith is this In an holy humilitie to labour to contend with God and by strong hand to overcome the Lord for the Lord loves to be overcome thus bee not fancie with the Lord but in the sense of thy owne basenesse as it were catch the Lord Jesus and strive with him leave not till thou hast those comforts which he hath promised and thou hast begged this is the glory and victorie of the â—â—iumph of faith that gives the day to and layes downe the weapons and yeelds himselfe as conquered as it was Iacob when God saw he could not prevaile he said in the 28. verse Thy name shall be no more called Iacob but Israel because thou hast prevailed with God God is ready to give what he hath promised but he will have us trie masterie with him God overcomes himselfe and we by faith in God overcome God as Iam. 2.13 Mercie triumphs over justice Lord saith my
soule why should I not have that mercie supply and succour saith justice thou art a sinfull wretch and thou hast wronged me saith anger thou hast deserved to be plagued and thou shalt rather bee corrected by me Now faith layes hold upon the riches of the freenesse of Gods mercie in Christ and in him justice is satisfied and anger appeased for all and now mercie is purchased and mercie triumpheth over justice and faith layes hold upon and overcomes God himselfe as I may say with an holy humble basenesse of heart You know what the Lord did to the woman of Canaan when shee had striven with him a great while and would take no deniall at last he saith O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt take what thou wilt if thou wilt have life for thy child peace for thine own conscience and joy in the holy Ghost take it for it is all thine he as it were turnes her loose to all her treasury if she had gone away at the first or second deniall she had found no help but because shee held out shee had all her hearts desire God would have us wrastle with his Majestie that hee may be overcome in mercie and goodnes I might here have taken some of the most desperate cases that could be that you might have seen what faith would have done in the midst of the want of all meanes and in the greatest extremity that could have befalne a poore sinner but I will not stand about it now at this time now therefore consider what hath been said lay these things up and have them ever by you and practise them and by often writing learn to write and by often living learn to live many people live poorly and make a poore shift to go to heaven but I would not have a Christian to live so but be the master of his art know and see your way and use the meanes and labour to get good thereby that you may have sap and sweet of the promises and goe singing and rejoycing triumphing up to heaven Now that which I conclude withall is this you see how far the Lord hath brought us how the soule hath beene prepared and cut off from sin and himselfe if fitted for the Lord Jesus by contrition and humiliation and that the soule comes to see that there is no hope in the creatures nor any succour in heaven but the Lord Jesus Christ and so at last the sinner comes and lies at the foot-stoole of the Lord Jesus Christ and knowes that either he must be another man or a damned man now when he sees that prayer and all other meanes will not profit and the power of the meanes yet prevaile not and the power of his corruptions is not yet mastered then he looks up to Christ and is contented that he should doe what he will with him now when the Lord Jesus Christ sees him lie wearied then with his corruptions then the Lord gives speciall notioâ— to his soule that it is his purpose to do him good and there is mercie for that broken heart of him with that hope is stirred and saith is it possible is it credible shall all this wretchednesse of mine he pardoned desire is kindled and longs for that dâ—â—â— O that I might once see the funerall of all my saâ—â— and then love joy are cheared to entertaine this mercie and saith O how is the soule bound to the God that offers free undeserved grace to a 〈◊〉 borne rebellious hearted sinner at last the wilâ— saith Amen to the promise and saith O that mâ—â—cie I will have thus the soule is come home to 〈◊〉 by vocation now the prodigall is come home to his father and the fathers heart leaps within hâ—â— brest when he sees him lie at the doore and as the father rejoyceth so the Angels in heaven reiâ—â—â—â— and all the faithfull should rejoyce and say O my husband O my father or my child is come hoâ—â— againe and my wife that was a sinfull woman 〈◊〉 come home againe to her first and best husband you that have found it thus in your selves be comforted you that know it in others rejoyce the 〈◊〉 have heard how the soul is ingrafted into the sâ—â—â— Christ Now afterward if the Lord lend life and liberty we shall come to shew what the soule â—â—ceives from the stock consider what I have saiâ— and the Lord give you understanding FINIS