yet they would live far more contentedly then greater persons who possess many thousand pounds per annum The tenth and last Duty which I shall Duty 10. As one man we should all drive a trade for heaven name is that we should all as one man drive a trade for heaven that so our love joy hope hearts desire and whole man and whole conversation may be there Let us make it our grand business to mind the great things of eternity The Apostle speaks in his own name and in the name of all true beleevers Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven And he gives an express command Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth And it is the command of our Saviour Matth. 6. 33 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness Wherefore considering that we have an interest in the best inheritance which is the kingdom of heaven why then should we vex and disquiet our selves for the loss of earthly things What matter if we want the shallow waters of a cistern as long as we enjoy waters abundantly flowing from the fountain Christ hath made many promises to his children and every promise is a debt heaven will make performance and give a full discharge of all Christs debts and engagements Heaven will infinitely compensate and satisfie the loss of all earthly things for saith the Apostle I reckon that the sufferings of this present Rom. 8. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat aliquid apud se subductis rationibus quosi collectum firmiter statuere ac proinde non dubiae opinicnis sed firma persuasionis significationem habet Gerrh time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Upon exact computation the Apostle found it so or as Doctour of the Chair he thus determined the question How then comes it to pass that we fret and murmure by reason of afflictions which are incumbent on us It is because our hearts are not above but below we set too high a price on the dross and dung of the world and value not the chiefest price as we ought to do viz. the riches of Christ Wherefore we must copy out St Paul's lesson and learn it throughly Phil. 3. 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. When we can thus set a low price on the world we shall learn to set a higher price on Jesus Christ And when our hearts are fixed on heaven where our treasure is we shall look upon all things under the Sun as below our cognizance and too low for our affections Hence then it will abundantly appear that heavenly-mindedness and a holy conversation will in an especial manner produce contentment and settlement in the mind of Christians and although the things of the world run cross to us and all their motions are excentrick yet the riches of Christ and the consideration of the high calling in him the crown of glory and the inheritance immortal and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us will abundantly content comfort and satisfie our spirits And thus if we can put those ten Duties forementioned into practice we shall through Christ that strengthneth us learn the divine art of contentment and understand that excellent mystery which St Paul learned and commended to our imitation CHAP. VIII Containing an use of Consolation SECT 1. Shewing Causes of Contentment from God and from our selves as God gives it to us I Am now to conclude this Treatise with Vse 5. For consolation a fifth and last Use which I shall mention and that is for abundant consolation unto all such who have learned this divine art of Contentment They reap exceeding great comfort from it and are fitted for all services whether they concern corporal or spiritual affairs In all conditions even as well in adversity as in prosperity they who have learn'd contentment know how to order all their affairs with discretion and know how to manage them to the best advantage True beleevers have great cause of contentment from God and from themselves as God bestows it upon them and from the examples of others 1. True beleevers have great cause of Contentment and above all other causes from God supremely and this will appear in these ensuing particulars 1. God is their Father And this name 1. God is our Father sounds the nearest relation More particularly consider 1. He is a merciful tender-hearted compassionate 1. A merciful Father Father and full of bowels Thus his bowels are express'd Isa 16. 11. Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab and mine inward parts for Kirharesh His bowels yearn towards all his children and are rolled together He is the Father of all mercies and the God of all consolations God is compared to a tender-hearted Father Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 2. As God is a merciful Father full of 2. God is a wise Father bowels and tender-hearted so he is a wise Father of infinite wisdom and knowledge The thoughts of our hearts and our secretest intentions are known to God the darkest corners of our hearts are transparent and visible to God what we have most need of and what is most fit for us God knows and he in wisdom provides for us and supplies all our wants in his own time as he seeth best for us If he give not what we would have he gives us what is better for if we had our wills satisfied we should be undone but Gods will is best and must stand Now seeing God knows what is better for us then we know for our selves let us renounce our own wisdom and yeeld ready obedience to the wise disposing will of God 3. God is a Father of infinite ability 3. God is a Father of infinite ability for he is omnipotent to help and succour us he alone is able to extricate us out of all straights and the most pressing exigencies Though our troubles are in our thoughts insuperable yet God can conquer them all and though they are multiplied yet God can deliver us out of them all That God is infinitely able to help us is a strong argument to perswade us to be contented in all conditions Ofttimes God suffers his people to be brought into great exigencies and into such sad perplexing troubles that they know not what to do then even then in that needful time of trouble God appears for their deliverance so that the glory may redound onely to the name of God and his right hand alone may have the preeminence and it may appear to the world that none less then God himself could work out such a great salvation for them When the people of God are reduced unto the greatest dangers and are in their own account most shiftless and helpless then God
we should upon such deliberate considerations resolve to sit down quietly under various dispensations and cheerfully submit and resigne our wills to the disposing and ordering will of a wise and Omnipotent Lord God but when people yeeld to the temptations of a distrustful murmuring spirit and thereupon presume to call the power and providence of God into question and repine at Gods dealings then they utterly undo themselves and instead of easing themselves of present burdens they add to themselves far greater and weightier burdens too heavy for them to bear If then we would be good proficients in the art of divine Contentment we must beleeve this fundamental truth That God is All-sufficient A second Argument is drawn from the Arg. 2. drawn from the wisdom of God Wisdom of God The wisdom of God continually puts forth it self in the ordering and governing of all the affairs of the universe And questionless the dividend and portion which God allows is the best portion which any man can have and what any enjoy is James 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from God who giveth liberally to all men and upbraideth not What wicked men possess is by common donation and ordinary providence Exlargitate Dei they partake in a great measure of Gods liberality They have their portion in this life and the riches Psal 17. 14. honours and pleasures of this terrestrial world is all the heaven they shall have and if we enter upon deliverate considerations by what means wicked men come by their riches and how they purchase earthly riches with the loss of their heavenly-born-being souls we have no cause to envy the prosperity of ungoldly men How many are there who by oppression cousenage extortion and forgeries compass to themselves great estates they add house to house and call them by their own names and raise their buildings upon the ruines of others even of widows orphans and others unable to defend themselves so that might many times prevails above right But these men verifie an old proverb in being peny wise and pound foolish for by over-busying themselves to heap up transient and perishing riches they lose a durable substance i. e. eternal riches and being over solicitous for riches in this world they lose the riches of heaven in a better world to all eternity David was a while at a stand and stumbled at the prosperity of the wicked Behold saith he these are the ungodly Psal 73. 12 13. who prosper in the world they increase in riches verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency But David corrects himself and goeth into the Sanctuary and there his judgement is set right Until I went into the Sanctuary of Psal 73. 17 18. God then understood I their end Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction The Prophet Jeremiah was much perplexed about the self-same thing He pleads and expostulates the case with God after this manner Righteous Jer. 12. 1 2. art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy righteous judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root they grow yea they bring forth fruit Thou art near in their mouth yet far from their reins But none have cause to envy them if they observe how the Prophet prayeth against them Pull them out like sheep for the Jer 12. v. 3. slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter But though wicked men have a liberal share in worldly riches and they have such a right as no man may rob and defraud them yet godly men enjoy the things of this life by special providence and by covenant-interest and they have all the creatures sanctified to them for they enjoy Christ in the creatures for so saith the Apostle He that spared not his own Son but delivered Rom. 8. 32. him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Gods children have an ample Charter of immunities as the Apostle mentions 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Quest But how are all things the interest of Saints Answ I answer 1. Because they have an interest in Christ and so they hold all in capite in their head Christ and this of all others is the best tenure 2. They have a promise of all They have promises of Christ of his Spirit and of heaven and all the promises are yea and Amen i. e. 2 Cor. 1. 20 they are sure and certain not off and on not fast and loose but firm and sure and stedfast these are precious promises 3. The 2 Pet. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints have all by donation and what can be surer and better title then free gift what can be so sure as the free gift of the omnipotent Lord God Christ hereupon comforts his children and encourageth them against all distrustful cares and fears Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock for it is your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom Here is nothing of merit but all of mercy nothing to be ascribed to mans free will but all must be ascribed to Gods free grace I shall add onely one more apposite Scripture to prove all things to be by Gods free donation and that is an excellent and choice promise Psal 84. 11. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly 4. The saints have possession of all and so all is theirs Joh. 3. 36. He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life All Gods children have the earnest of their inheritance and some first-fruits and fore-tasts of heaven They have heaven inchoative begun in an holy life and conversation in this world and they shall have it perfective in glory and happiness in another world Not a bit of bread which a true beleever eats but he begs Gods blessing upon it and as he prays that God would give him his daily bread and sanctifie the use of it to him so especially he prays that God would give him Christ the Bread of Life Let us then Joh. 6. 35. seriously consider that whatsoever God giveth to one or other he gives in wisdom To one he gives more to another he gives less and yet for most wise ends and purposes God knows what is better for every one of us then we can know for our selves Doth not experience testifie how many being overcome by the temptations of prosperity are utterly undone for that their plenty and riches have become snares to them For they grow wanton and luxurious in the abundance
bid it welcome not onley of necessity I yeeld and submit to Gods providence but I submit with a ready and cheerful spirit because I know and acknowledge all Gods dispensations to be wise and holy and it is my obliged duty to rest satisfied and bow my self in submission to them We must know that it is a point of wisdom to learn contentment as well in an higher as in a lower condition in a great as well as in a mean estate in prosperity and confluence of riches to bear them without pride luxury and insolence is as difficult as to bear a mean estate without murmuring fretting and repining wherefore it concerns us both in prosperity and adversity to learn this excellent lesson of Contentation 1. We must be content in prosperity 1. We must be content in prosperity Object Answ But it will be objected who will not be content with a prosperous estate For answer there are many who notwithstanding they have abundance of riches and honours in this world yet they enjoy not themselves but are very strangers to this lesson of Contentment for the great share they have of outward things they vex and torment themselves more by casting about and projecting how to add to their estates and improve their revenues and advance themselves and their posterity to high promotions so that frequently it comes to pass that a day-labourer who hath not a peny but what he earns and enjoys onely enough to keep him alive from hand to mouth he I say lives more contentedly sleeps more sweetly eats though course diet more heartily then many great personages whose revenues are of several thousands per annum wherefore it is the duty of all such who are in a prosperous condition in the world to be thankful for the mercies they enjoy and to honour God with their substance in doing good and in distributing to â—he necessities of such as are in want and in the height of their riches to labour for a quiet fixed and composed frame of spirit 2. Let us be contented in adversity 2 We must be content in adversity Now is the time of trial amidst varieties of losses crosses poverty and disappointments to bear up the spirit with patience and learn the lesson of contentment An even sedate frame of spirit amidst variety of dispensations will much conduce to the learning of this choice art of Contentment for he that can moderate and bound himself in days of prosperity and not surfet of the sweetness thereof he will be the better inabled to bear the bitterness of adversity A heart fixed trusting in God hath made a good proficiency in this even frame and settled temper of spirit this man fears no bad news for his heart is above them The Psalmist gives him this character Psal 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. It is an observable saying of the Oratour Praeclara est aequabilit as Ciâ— Offic. in omni vita idem semper vultus eadémque frons Many trials we must expect and prepare for because afflictions are the common lot of Gods people and we must through many tribulations enter into Act. 14. 22. the kingdom of God Wherefore the duty incumbent on us is this That no man should 1 Thess 3. 3. be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto How many and manifold are the afflictions that befall mens estates many have sustained great losses by fire being burnt out of house and home many are impoverished by the rot of cattel others are undone by decay of trade others have been undone by perfidious careless servants and many have been great sufferers in times of war being spoiled of their goods by rapine and violence and others have been much losers by high-way robbers so that many of considerable estates before are reduced to poverty and may take up the complaint of Naomi Call me not Naomi call me Marah Ruth 1. 20 21 for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home empty again why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Times of affliction are times of trial and read unto us necessary and serviceable lectures of contentment Many sore afflictions befall our bodies and some are troubled with variety of diseases Every one meets with one disease or other as an alarm to warm him of the frailty and short continuance of his life upon earth When the stone strangury cholick gout tooth-ach feavers and such other like distempers rage in their extremity then patience meekness and contentedness afford great help and assistance to bear those burdens with more facility for hereby the disease is more mitigated and less painful But on the contrary raging fretting and vexing under pains and anguish adds more fuel to the flame and in stead of lessening aggravates the grief more and more But of all griefs and sorrows none are so sad and painful as inward wounds such as are wounds of conscience The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities Prov. 18. 4. but a wounded spirit who can bear Such a time especially when the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in a man and an awakened conscience cries loud against the sinner not excluding other times requires the exercise of faith and patience and setting of the spirit of prayer on working and resigning of our wills to the will of God in every thing The duty incumbent on us is fully express'd Isai 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Although for the present God may respite an answer of peace to his own children yet his deferring is no denial He will speak peace in his own appointed time after he hath prepared and seasoned his people for the reception of so great a mercy he will send it them Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints but let them not turn again to folly Though God may hide his face from his own people for a time and his hiding may cause much grief and trouble to them yet in his good time he will lift up the light of his countenance upon them Our duty then is to watch and pray and act faith on promises and quietly and submissively yeeld up our wills to the will of God Although at present there be no dawning of comfort yet a clear sun-shine will break forth Let us then make particular application of these Scripture cordials â—sal 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart There is some considerable interval of time between seed time and harvest wherefore as the husbandman must wait patiently for the appointed time
contentment and he is a rich man indeed who is content with Godliness It is an excellent observation of Calvin That God is always present Semper adest suis Dominus quantum illorum necessitati sufficit ex sua plenitudine suum cuique demensum erogat Calv. in loc with his people and he gives to every one of them that portion that may suffice for their necessity Whoever therefore makes God his portion and treasure his honour and refuge his shield and buckler he hath the greatest cause to be content for he hath all in God Esau said to Jacob I have enough Gen. 33. 9. But Jacob said I have all for of all seeing God gave him his grace For grace is more worth then a whole world besides Jacob had interest in the Ex benignitate Dei omnia mihi abundè suppetunt Paulus Fagius Covenant of grace and having God his portion he had all David profess'd that the Lord was the portion of his inheritance Psal Benignè largitus est mihi Deus quamplurima omnia mihi suppetunt nullâ re indigeo Vatablus 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot So Psalm 119. 57. he again professeth Thou art my portion O Lord so likewise the Church professeth Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him If then we desire rest and quietness all our hopes love joy and desire Amor est pondus animi quocunque feror amore fertur animus in Deum tanquam in centrum aeternae quietis Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. must centre upon God The dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot till Noah took her into the ark There can be no rest nor acquiescence for any Christian but in God It s frequently observed by learned men that all the letters in Jehovah are quiescent to imply unto us that there is no rest to be had but in God alone Dost thou Oh Christian desire treasures they are to be had in Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Dost thou desire honours they are to be had in Christ for he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the abstract and he puts a great honour upon all his Saints as we may see 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation Rev. 1. 5. a peculiar people Gods children are Kings and Priests unto God Christ saith Col. 3. 11. the Apostle is all and in all Augustine hath a memorable saying viz. Christ alone Ipse unus Christus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia Aug. will be to thee all for in that one good are contained all And in that rare book of his Confessions amongst many choice sayings he propounds from his own experience this excellent one viz. All my plenty if Omnis mihi copia quae Deus meus non est eâ—â—stas est Aug. Confes lib. 3. God be not there is poverty Here then is evidenced wherein consists the experimental knowledge of Contentment That man questionless hath not onely the Theory but the Practice of Contentment who accounts God his riches honours pleasures profits refuge and all While the Epicure continues swallowing and the covetous is scraping and the ambitious continues climbing and the voluptuous man with all eagerness pursues his vain delights and pleasures a true beleever makes his address and application unto God He finds and tasts riches pleasures delights and all comforts whatsoever concentred in his God His God is all and above all and the light of his countenance he prefers before all the treasures in the universe This is that grand request that David prefers to the throne of grace Psalm 4. 6 There are many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us The multitude in general ask after that which is good for good in general is the object of the will as the Philosopher observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. But there are variety of mistakes and many mistake that for good which is not Wherefore the Psalmist determines wherein saving good real and solid consists viz. In the light of Gods gracious countenance Moses the man of God prays O satisfie us early with thy mercy Psal 90. 14. that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Such an one who hath these desires in sincerity and truth is the truly contented man CHAP. III. Wherein the Doctrine is illustrated by Chap. 3. Containing an illustration of the doctrine by Examples several examples and proved by Scripture SECT 1. Wherein the Doctrine is illustrated by Examples 2. IN the second place I shall illustrate 2 Head Wherein the doctrine is illustrated by Examples the truth of the doctrine by Examples I shall make mention of four Scripture Examples as choice patterns for our imitation The first Example of Contentment I 1. Example of Abraham shall instance in is Abraham I before mentioned his Contentedness in refusing the goods of the King of Sodom What I shall now take special notice of shall be concerning his Contentedness in managing and ending the controversie between his herdsmen and Lots herdsmen First Abraham perswades to peace and amicable agreement Gen. 13. 8. And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and me and between thy herd-men and my herdmen for we are brethren Secondly Abraham though the uncle and superiour offers to Lot though his nephew and inferiour the choice of what place he would go to v. 9. Is not the whole land before thee separate thy self I pray thee from me if thou wilt take the left hand then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will go to the left And Lot accordingly took his choice v. 11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan Thus Abraham discovered signal and exemplary humility in yielding to his nephew Lot the choice of a place and as signal and excellent contentedness of spirit in taking Lots leavings A second Example I shall instance in is 2 Example of Jacob. of Jacob Abraham's grand-child who trode exactly in his grandfathers steps Jacob was constrain'd to flie for his life and to be an exile from his fathers family that so he might escape the murder design'd by his incensed brother Esau He came the first night of his travels to Bethel and what lodging Gen. 28. 11. he had there is upon record He had no other canopy then the Expansum of the heavens and no other pillow but hard stones yet there where he lay subdiò exposed to wind and weather God graciously appeared Gen. 28. 13 14 15. in a dream unto him and renewed
he was not troubled for want of his eye-sight yes saith he I am but shall I be troubled for the want of that which even dogs have and shall I not rejoyce and be thankful for that I enjoy which Angels have The application is obvious A Christian man thus expostulates with himself Shall I be discontented and vex my self for want of that which dogs have They have bread and meat and kennels to lodge in and oft times the very dogs of some great Personages are fed with choicer food and lie in better rooms then some good Christians are accommodated withall shall I not then be contented with that which makes Angels themselves glorious For this cause the Apostle is exuberant in praises Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ What then though a child of God hath not promotions in earthly places yet if he have assurance of Gods love in Christ and an interest in heavenly places this consideration should be an especial engagement to contentment A poor beggar lying in a Church-porch read a lecture of contentment to a rich man The rich man being much discontented and tormented went on purpose to discourse with a beggar lying in straw in a Church-porch the rich man wisheth him a good morrow he wondred what-he meant then said he I wish you a good day Why saith the beggar do you wish me either good morrow or good day for I never knew bad morrow nor bad day in all my life nor did I ever meet with one bad night What is the reason said the rich man The poor man answered when I was in a rich estate I prayed always that petition in the Lords Prayer Thy will be done and now being in a poor condition I pray the same prayer Thy will be done so nothing comes amiss to me because I labour to submit my will in all things to the will of God If then we could imitate this man in all conditions to endeavour to bring our wills in obedience and subjection to the will of God we should then be good practitioners in this excellent art of Contentment SECT 3. Containing a sixth motive to Contentment THe sixth Consideration to mention 6. Consid The companions and associats of Contentment no more shall be drawn from the good companions and associats of this choice grace of contentment Diogenes when he was to let his house urged this great argument to get a good tenant because said he my house hath good neighbours round about it I am sure amongst many there are three special associats and bosom companions of contentment whose neighbourhood and acquaintance are much to be desired and prized and they are faith patience and heavenly-mindedness 1. Faith is a companion of contentment 1. Faith is a companion of contentment Faith and dependance on God is a special means to work the heart over to such an excellent temper For faith acting on the promises with a stedfast recumbence on the Word of God doth abundantly stay and quiet the hearts of Christians and support and carry them with cheerfulness through the greatest storms of afflictions A man faln into the water catcheth hold of any twig any cord or any hand to help him out so though a Christian be in a sinking condition yet if he can adhere to the divine promises and act faith upon them he will be held up above water It is unbelief which causeth so many tumultuous and vexatious thoughts in our hearts Could we beleeve God and trust in him on his word that he is faithful in all his promises all-sufficient omnipotent willing and able to relieve and help us and that he is of tender bowels full of compassion a Father of mercies and a God of all consolations such serious meditations as these would stifle all discontented thoughts in the conception nip them in the bud and crush them in their first motions The more faith the more contentedness and the more unbelief the more discontentedness Faith acts upon a ground of experience Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Faith keeps a beleever alive in dying times it keeps the heart from fainting Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Whence arise discontented murmuring speeches but from unbelief For unbelief is that root of bitterness which brings forth nothing but gall and wormwood When men are straitned for outward things they are exceedingly perplexed and troubled in their spirits but when faith interposeth it affords meat drink and clothes for a beleever trusts God with all and he accounts God his life and livelyhood and all How then doth a beleever live the Prophet tells us Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith For the excellency and usefulness of this sentence is so evident as that it is quoted in several places of Scripture and press'd home unto point of practice When troubles Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 20. 3. 11. Hebr. 10. 38. and vexations arise from thwarting passages of providence faith steps in and returns away with Trophies of victory 1 Joh. 5. 4. This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith When multitudes are perplexed and endangered by reason of the methods wiles and variety of Satans temptations then faith is to be made use of as a strong shield to ward off the blows 1. Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith In one word let it be spoken that in all troubles disasters and sufferings faith quiets the mind Faith is like that meal which being cast into the pot the wild gourds did no harm but notwithstanding 2 Kings 4. 42. they were shred in the pot yet as soon as the meal was put in the pottage became wholesom Faith sweetens the sowrest pills of afflictions and becalms the spirit amidst the sharpest sufferings Yet we must with caution express our selves Faith that is genuine and of the right stamp must be a purifying faith and a working Acts 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. faith and however Luther be misunderstood when he saith Cavete à bonis operibus he means that we must beware of trusting in good works so as to plead merit and to expect salvation by them he elsewhere gives this character of faith Fides maxima heroica operatur Faith then is not to be understood as an instrument in working or meriting but as an instrument in receiving and applying of grace and mercy through Christ Faith is our act and it is our duty to beleeve but it is Gods gifts we of our selves are no more able to beleeve then to perform the Commandments The self-same power that raised up Christ from the dead can onely raise us up to beleeve Col. 2. 12. Buried