and how seriously he is devising with himselfe to bring his matters to passe Now if you love the Lord the actions that you doe you will not doe them as those that are his slaves and servants that doe things for other regards And indeede such is the love for the most part that is among us now adayes there is much formality in our actions wee have a forme of godlinesse without the power of it even as in our love towards men there are many complements and much profession of love one to another but wee finde that there is little true love So wee may take up a complaint against men in their love to God there is much formality men are much in outward performances which is well I confesse but alas the power is wanting it is all but complementing with God as it were when you come and do these duties of Gods worship when you keepe the Sabbath and present your selves at prayers and at Sermons it is well you doe so but yet when your hearts are going after your covetousnesse and after your pleasures after this or that particular humour the Lord lookes upon this as upon a formall performance it is another kinde of doing that the Lord requires at your hands It may be you doe duties in secret and private and it is a good propertie that you doe so but yet that is not enough you may doe them as a taske that you are glad when the businesse is done and it is well that is over but when you will doe things out of love you must know that you must doe it in another manner not in this formality If you will serve the Lord out of love it is not the praying to him morning and evening that will content you but it is the working upon your hearts it is the beating upon your affections till you have brought them to a good frame of grace till you have wrought upon your selves a sound and thorow renewing of your repentance you will never give over till your hearts be quickened in prayer till you have found that God hath answered you till you have had experience of his mercy and loving kindnesse towards you So when you come to heare is this all thinke you that God requires of you to sit here and lend us your eares for a little time No my Beloved unlesse you doe it from love unlesse you be mooved to it from an inward principle from an entire and holy affection to God it is nothing You must labour to have the word wrought upon your hearts you must observe how you practise and how you bring forth into action that which you heare for you doe not learne a thing here when you come to heare the word till you practise it till your hearts bee transformed into it Doe not thinke that you have done the worke when you have sate here and heard us when you have gone home and repeated the Sermon and understand it To heare as God would have you heare is another thing it is like your lessons in musicke you say you have never learned them till you be able to practise them so you never have learned the word of God aright till you have an abilitie in you to practise it To shew you what love is and what faith is and what patience is to make you understand and conceive of it it is nothing but to have faith to have patience to have love to have your affections inflamed to the Lord this is the right hearing As it is in physicke the understanding of the Physitians bill is nothing it is the taking and applying of that which is there written that doth good to your bodies so is it with the doctrine that wee preach you may understand it and apprehend it and conceive of it aright but except you bring it forth into your lives and actions you learne it not Therefore this slight and overly performance is not a true testimonie of your loue to the Lord Iesus but the doing of it to purpose so that God who searcheth the heart may accept of it the doing of it thorowly that your hearts may be wrought upon this is a signe that your doing and suffering comes from Love FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last thing that wee did was to shew you what were the properties of true love that by them you might try your selves whether you love the Lord Iesus or no we went through five in the morning we now proceede Another property of love is this it is full of heate therefore in Cant. 8. it is compared to coales of juniper and that phrase is used in Mat. 24.5 Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall waxe colde That antithesis shewes that love is a hot thing hot as fire Therefore if you would know whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider what heat and what fire there is in you Now what are the properties of fire wherein doth love and that agree Fire you know is the most active of all the elements colde benummes a man and is the greatest enemie to action if thou love the Lord Iesus thou shalt finde thy love will have that property of fire to set all on worke on thee it will set thy tongue on fire and thy hands on fire and thy head and heart on fire every thing that is within thee will be working and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wanteth love hee is as a man benummed as a man frozen in his dreggs not apt to any thing the more a thing is like to fire the more aptnesse and the more activenesse so the more love the more aptnesse and readinesse to every good worke where there is no love there men are reprobate to every good worke Besides love as it is very active so it is very quicke as fire is of a quicke nature Therefore we say that love hates nothing so much as delayes and it is in this like to fire which is the quickest of all the elements Consider of this therefore Art thou speedy in thy executions if thou love the Lord thou wilt not deferre and put off from day to day any thing that is to bee done thou wilt not say with thy self I wil change my course of life but not yet no if thou love the Lord thou wilt doe it presently Besides love agrees with fire in this that it is earnest and vehement and indeede I take it that in that regard it is chiefly compared to fire For fire as it is of a quicke so it is of a vehement nature and so is love Looke what a man loves upon that he bestowes the top of all his affections and the maine strength of his intentions run that way Examine by this therefore whether thou love the Lord or no. If thou love the Lord Iesus thou
it loves 3 77 Evill men are not said to doe the good they doe 3 196 Exhortation to doing 3 203 Dominion see Lust. Double Double-minded man who 2 23 Doubting Doubting overcome by faith 1 120 Doubting may be mingled with true faith 2 22 25 Doubting Papists tenent touching it 2 24 Doubting how tryed Ibid. Draw Drawing vvhat it implieth 2 56 Hovv the holy Ghost draweth 2 57 Due-time God delivereth his in â—uâ—-time 2 198 E Easie. Afflictions easie to the Saints 2 211 Effectuall Efficacy Effectual faith onely saveth 2 3 Efficacy of faith vvherein 2 20 Things effectual in 4. respects 2 21 Faith effectual in 4 things 2 29 Effectual faith hovv vvrought 2 47 Why God vvill accept no faith but that vvhich is effectuall 2 58 To try our state by the efficaâ—y of faith 2 64 Effectuall faith 5 signes of it 2 92 Elect. Though Christ be offered to all hee is onely intended to the Elect. 1 11 Elias Spirit of Elias vvhat 2 16 Eloquent Love maketh eloquent 3 77 Emptie Faith empties a man of himselfe â— 70 Things effectuall opposed to empty â— 27 Essence see Faith Eternall Eternal separation from God 3 181 Even An even carriage a signe of love 3 130 Evill Christ delivereth from the least evil 1 46 Evil freedome from it to the Saints vvhence it is Ibid. Evil vve feare not so bad as vvee thinke 2 â—87 Good in the evil vvee suffer 2 189 See humilâ—ation Example Example of others should incourage us 1 112 Exclude No sinne can exclude from the offer of Christ. 1 13.3 146 Excell Excellency All excellency in God 3 34 The excellency of God set forth 3 36 If love be right it is to them that excell in grace 3 102 God must bee loved for his excellencies 3 109 Executed Though the curse be not executed it may be on a man 3 182 Exercise Prayer exerciseth our love 3 50 Extent Faith admits degrees in regard of extent 1 125 Extremity Why God doth not deliver till extremity 2 170 F. Faith Faith vvhat 1 16 48 Faith vvhy God vvill haue men saved by it onely 1 42 Faith in generall vvhat 1 47 Faith iustifying vuhat 1 48 Faith iustifying how it differeth from generall faith Ibid. Faith iustifying a definition of it 1 49 Faith how it taketh Christ. Ibid. Faith the essence of it 1 52 Faith the obiect of it Ibid. Faith the subiect of it 1 55 Faith a twofold consideration of it 1 59 Faith the acts of it three 1 62 Faith a double qâ—ality in it 1 69 Faith to be laboured for above all 1 81 Faith the least degree what 1 121 Faith an exhortation to grow in it 1 134 Faith 6 motiues to grow in it 1 135 Faith of many false 2 4 Faith the proper worke of it what 2 21 Faith we should try it 2 60 84 Faith many say they haue it and haue not 2 65 Faith to doe a thing by it what 2 82 Faith how God workes it 2 86 90 Faith how to know if it bee wrought 2 91 Faith a false definition of it 2 100 Faith makes a man neglect other things 2 144 Faith that puts a man into Christ what 3 2 Faith to be rooted in it 3 171 Faith to contend for it 3 209 Faithfull The Lord is faithfull 3 148 Failing Failings of holy men 3 195 Fancie Fancy the ground of unsound peace 2 110 Father see Offer Favour Favour of God how to grow in it 1 136 Favour of God onely desired by a man sensible of sinne 3 140 Feare Feare the ground why many men take Christ 2 10 Faith that comes from feare holdes not out 2 119 Feares how faith guides in them 2 164 Feare a tryall of our love 3 92 Feeling Feeling may be wanting where faith is 2 61 Fit When we are not fit for mercies God denieth us 2 196 Vnwillingnesse to die in the Saints is that they may be more fit 3 73 We should not be discouraged from comming to God because wee are not fit 3 145 Fire Love compared to fire in foure things 3 84 Flesh. Flesh in the Saints makes them loath to die 3 73 Flesh transports holy men to sinne 3 195 Follow What Christ lookes for of those that follow him Forgive A man may bee perswaded of forgivenes without faith 3 16 None so ready to forgive as God 3 39 Forme Forme must be observed in taking Christ 1 19 Fornication Fornication a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Foundation Foundation of Prophets and Apostles 2 36 Fortitude Fortitude false the cause of it 2 8 Free The will must be free in taking Christ 1 22 One property of love to be free â— 95 Friend Friendship Love of friendship 3 9 God a constant friend 3 37 Friendship with great men what 3 149 G. Garment Wedding garment what 2 5 Gift Righteousnesse by gift for three reasons 1 8 Gift accepted for the giveâ— 2 82 Glasse see Name Glory Glorifie Growing in faith brings glory to God 1 137 Glory of God why Moses desired to see it 3 55 Glorifying of God is the end why wee live 3 207 God God boweth the will 1 57 102 God wee must not be discouraged from comming to him 1 67 God by what way wee come againe to him 3 3 God why we love him 3 10â— God must be loved above all else wee love him not as God 3 165 Godlinesse Godlinesse what 2 83 Good Without humiliation Christ is not accounted the chiefe good 2 16 Afflictions good for us 2 192 A man may doe good and not be good 3 196 To doe good to men is one end why wee live 3 207 In every calling we have occasion to doe good 3 208 Gospell Sinnes against the Gospell aggravated 1 27 Love of GOD wrought by the Gospell 3 13 Curse of the Gospell 3 20 Grace Gracious Righteousnesse of Christ is of grace 1 8 43 Grace GOD tryeth it 2 46 Grace when it is weake what to doe 2 73 GOD is gracious 3 40 Grace sought by Christians as well as mercy 3 68 Grace to be seperate from it a curse 3 177 Great True ioy is great 2 132 Greatnesse of GOD. 3 44 Grieve If we grieve GOD we love him not 3 113 Grounded Faith not well grounded proves false 2 17 Faith ill grounded holds not out 2 119 Our love must be rooted and grounded 3 169 H. Habits Habits 1 41 God rewards not according to our habits 2 140 See act Happy Riches make not happy 2 181 Hardly God deales not hardly with us why 3 175 Harlot see Love Hate Hating Hating of sinne a signe of love 2 126 Naturally we hate God 3 11 Hatred of sinne a property of love 3 97 Three differences betweene hatred and anger 3 98 To returne againe to sinne a signe wee hate it not 3 99 Hating that which God hates is a signe of love 3 120 Foure signes of hating GOD. 3 131 Heare GOD heares some sooner some later 1 90
convinced of sinne if a man know in good earnest throughly what the danger is that he must perish if he haue not this Pardon Now I say if thou haue such a testimony build vpon it For it is true that GOD before hee comes in the soft voice he sends a Wind before that rends the Rockes downe that brings downe the Mountaines there so much as makes the way plaine before hee can come within the soft voice I say if the Mountaines be broken downe after what manner soeuer it be that is enough doe not stand on that Be sure of this that if there come a soft voice thou hast reason to beleeue that whatsoeuer preparations were before which are diuers for GOD workes sometimes after one manner sometimes after another But now what is this soft voice that I may a little further come to explaine that for certainely if he come in the soft voice that is the voice of the Gospel you are sure But what is it I take it to be this One thing is when there is a clearing of the promise for the voice is the very Gospell it selfe Now when wee preach the Gospell to men and open the promises of saluation and of life if God doe not joyne with vs now and cleare them to you by kindling a light within that you see the meaning of them except he I say doe thus joyne with vs you shall not be able to build vpon these promises Therefore that is one thing that God must doe For though it bee true the Word is neere you that you neede not goe vp to heauen nor downe to hell to fetch it for saith Moses the Word is neere you the promises are neere in your mouthes in the midst of you yet except God doe shew them as cleare as they be you cānot see them As when Iesus stood by Mary Magdalene he was neere enough but till her eyes were opened she saw him not So Hagar the Well was neere enough to her but till her eies were opened she could not see it So when wee preach these promises when we lay them open as neere as we can as neere as may be yet it must be the worke of the Spirit to see the promises to see them so as to beleeue them and to rest on them Therefore that is one part of this soft voice to open the Gospell vnto you There is another which is the immediate testimony of the Spirit spoken of in Rom. 8. This Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits when God comes and by a secret testimony of the Spirit worketh such a perswasion in the heart that he is a Father that he is a friend that he is reconciled to vs. But you will say this may be a delusion Therefore you must haue both together know that they are neuer disjoyned GOD neuer giues the secret witnesse of his Spirit he neuer workes such a perswasion such an immediate testimony but it hath alwaies the testimony of the Word going with it bee sure to joyne them be sure thou doe not seuer them one from the other So that if you would know now whether you haue faith or no consider whether euer GOD hath spoken this to you or no whether euer hee hath wrought this worke in you For faith you must know is wrought in this manner The Spirit comes and shewes CHRIST to you and not onely shewes you his merits not only tels you that he will be a Sauiour not only tels you of a Kingdome that you shall haue by him but shewes you the beauty and excellencie of CHRIST it shewes you what grace is and makes you loue it and then hee shewes you mercy Out of this you come to long after CHRIST and to say I would I had him a man comes to loue him as the Spouse loues her Husband Now to this worke hee addes a second CHRIST comes and tels a man I will haue thee he comes and shewes himselfe he discouers himselfe to a man and speakes plainly as in that place wee haue often mentioned Iohn 19. and saith to him I am willing to marry thee When this is done on the Holy Ghosts part and we on our part come to resolue to take him now the match is made betweene vs and this is faith indeede when this worke is done a man may truely say This day is saluation come to mee Now thou art sure that all thy sinnes are forgiuen now faith is wrought in thy heart Therefore if thou wouldest know whether thou haue faith or no looke backe reflect vpon thine owne heart consider what actions haue passed thorow there for that is the next way to know what faith is to looke what actions haue passed thorow a mans heart a man may know what the actions of his soule are for that is the benefit of a reasonable soule that it is able to returne vpon it selfe to see what it hath done which the soule of a beast cannot doe Now let a man consider whether such a thing haue passed or no that is marke it whether on Christs part there hath beene such a cleering of the promise that thou art so built that if an Angell from Heauen should come and preach another Gospell if Paul himselfe should be liuing on the earth and should preach the contrary thou wouldest not beleeue him Dost thou see the Word so cleerely art thou so set vpon the Rocke as it were that thou canst say in good earnest as the Apostle said in Rom. 8. I know that neither principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any thing in the world shall euer seperate me from the loue of God in Christ and that because I haue his sure Word Againe when thou hast such a secret impression of assurance from his Spirit which will not faile thee when thou findest this on GODS part and againe when thou findest this act on thy owne part when thou sayest I haue resolued to take him for a man may know what he hath done I haue resolued to take him for my husband I haue resolued to prefer him before all things in the world to be diuorsed from all things in the world and to cleaue to him This I know these acts haue passed on Gods part and this I haue done on my part when thou findest this wrought in thy selfe be assured there is faith wrought in thee when the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to thee and when CHRIST hath spoken peace and when thou art built vpon him againe consider if this hath beene wrought This is the first meanes to try thy faith but because this may bee an ambiguous meanes a man may be deceiued in it therefore faith doth shew it selfe by many other effects And therefore we will adde to this which is the very thing wherein faith consists other signes and they are fiue in number First a man must know that there
it to clense it And therefore we should learne to make vse of our Faith to set it on worke It is a generall Rule in all things and as true in this If a man haue an estate what is he the better to haue it if he doe not vse it To haue a friend what is a man the better if he doe not vse him Shall a man be a Fauourite of a Prince and get nothing by it Faith makes a man a Fauourite of GOD a friend to GOD and will you make no vse of GOD It is that which he expects at your hands will you haue GOD in vaine Shall hee be your GOD and will you make no vse of his power of his wisdome of his ability to hold you vp to helpe you vpon all occasions You should make vse of him all that is his is yours if you make vse of it by faith Againe shall men haue such priuiledges as we haue by faith and shall not wee comfort our selues by them What is it for a man to haue great estates great Titles of Honor and Houses and Lands if a man doe not thinke vpon them that these considerations may cheere him We should doe so with faith this is the vse of faith Againe if faith be vsed it is able to doe much for vs if it lye still it will doe nothing You know what they did Heb. 11. They hauing faith it made them doe that it was but the vse of their faith So it is with vs Looke how much thou vsest thy faith so much thou shalt be able to doe Therefore Christ saith Be it according to thy faith that is not according to the habit of thy faith that lyes dead as a Talent wrapped vp there but be it vnto thee according to the vse of thy faith If thou set faith on worke it will be able to doe great things it will be able to doe wonders it will be able to ouercome the world it is able to worke righteousnesse it is able to preuaile with GOD and men it is able to goe thorow the greatest matters But you will say How shall I vse it That is the thing indeed which I purposed now to haue shewed how faith must be vsed how we must liue by faith I should haue shewed how you should vse it First in comforting of our selues for that is one vse of Faith thou shouldst set it aworke to fill thy heart with ioy out of the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinne and of the priuiledges which thou hast by CHRIST When a man hath faith and finds his heart no more affected then other mens he findes no reioycing there more then ordinary Now set faith on work learn to beleeue and that throughly First set faith on worke to beleeue to trust perfectly as the Apostle speakes Gal. 3. In the grace reuealed by Iesus Christ trust perfectly that is thou shouldst beleeue the full forgiuenesse of thy sinnes thou must not beleeue it by halues so that there should be a distance as it were betweene GOD and thee some odde scores vnacquitted vncrost but thou shouldest beleeue so that thy joy may be full thou shouldest beleeue throughly that thy sinnes are forgiuen that all are acquitted thou must not limit God in his mercie at all as thou shouldest not limit him in his power Thus a man should set faith on worke that he may be able to say My Beloued is mine and I am his I know there is a Match made betweene vs. For vnlesse you lay this ground a man shall not reioyce This is all therfore now vse thy faith If Satan now come and tell thee of some sinnes and of some circumstances of those sinnes and of some wants in thy repentance and humiliation what serues faith for now What serues all this for that you haue learned heere concerning the Doctrine of Faith but to teach you that these should be no scruples you should beleeue and that perfectly When this is done that you see there is a Match a Couenant made betweene GOD and you now you must know that all that Christ hath is yours whatsoeuer hee hath by Nature you haue it by Grace If hee be a Sonne ye are sonnes If he be an Heire yee are heires and when ye haue done this then consider all the particulars of the wealth of a Christian that all is yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or the world c. These things wee haue often spoken of you should runne through and consider of them If a man will consider that he is a King that the world is his that whatsoeuer is in CHRIST belongs to him and oweth him a good turne and will doe it at one time or other when he considers all the precious promises A man reckons his wealth not onely by his money which he hath lying in his Coffers that he hath present but by Bils and Bonds and Leases c. So how many promises thou hast there is not a promise in the Booke of GOD but it is thine set thy faith on worke to consider this and to reioyce in it set faith on worke so to see them that thou maiest reioyce in them and weyne thee from the things of this world not to regard them for they are small things of no hold Shall a King regard Cottages and trifles No if thou thinke in good earnest that thou art such a man why doest thou regard trifles Thou shouldst doe this when other men reckon their Lands and their Houses and their friends a Christian reckons he hath GOD hee hath many good workes in store hee hath so many precious promises laid vp in the Land of the Liuing Set thy faith on worke thus not onely to reioyce but to bring in a holy magnanimitie answerable to such a condition and let not Faith giue ouer till it haue brought thee to this Certainely a man that beleeues he is a King he will haue another spirit for there is no other reason wherefore it is said Saul had another spirit but that when he came to be a King he had a spirit answerable When thou beleeuest these priuiledges when thou settest thy Faith on worke to beleeue indeed to beleeue them to be reall things and not fancies and notions there will be bred a disposition answerable a carriage and spirit suteable thou wilt not admit of things that are vnfit for such a person thou canst not doe it but as one that is a Prince that hath those hopes actually he cannot admit of thoughts that other men haue no more can a Christian when he is borne from aboue by the immortall seede there is such a disposition wrought in him that if he will set his faith on worke to beleeue these things he shall not be able to admit of those base things which hee did before and which others doe Againe if a man set his Faith aworke to beleeue these things he would be able to vse the World
as if he vsed it not he would not care for losses crosses he would not grieue for them as one that is not able to beare them Thus we should learne to set faith on worke in beleeuing these priuiledges that we may be able to walke with God as Henoch did and as Paul and Moses did to walke with him in the vpper Region aboue the stormes There is much variety of weather when a man is below here now it is faire and then it is foule if a man were aboue these there is a continuall serenity So a man that hath his heart in Heauen a man that walkes with GOD that hath his heart raised aboue others if you would doe this if you would vse Faith if thou wouldest consider this it would set thee aloft aboue these things thou wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle thou wouldest care no more for these things then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes they are trifles thou wouldest ouerlooke them all If we did consider this seriously how would it alter our course It would worke another disposition another affection in vs. A man would consider that if GOD be sure what matter is it if a friend die If I haue GOD what is the losse of any creature And so if a man suffer wrong in his name what is it if he haue praise of GOD If thou beleeue and see GOD in his greatnes to haue praise of such a one as he will make thee to contemne the rest And so for wealth What is pouerty What account did Paul make of it It is nothing to one that hath Treasure in Heauen to one that beleeues indeede to one that seeth hee hath all GODS Treasures opened to him Thou shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest If a man would set this Faith aworke to beleeue it his heart would be fixed hee would bee afraid of no euill tydings hee would say with himselfe if there bee no ill tydings from heauen it is no matter from whence they come on earth If a man would build through faith vpon the promise and consider it really This is the vse of Faith thus a mans heart should be filled with ioy a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report through want and through abundance without being much troubled with either the one would not much puffe him vp nor the other would not deject him but he would goe as a Gyant and march thorow the variety of conditions he would passe through them that neither the one hand nor the other the good successe nor the ill successe should worke vpon him much This is a strong man and this Faith will make thee able to doe if thou vse Faith and set it aworke But I am sorry the time hath cut me off this is but an entrance I giue you but a little taste There are many things wherein Faith stands vs in much stead wherin if wee did vse Faith how much seruice would it doe vs But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith I had thought to haue shut it vp at this time to shew you how to vse it how to make it effectuall how to set it aworke how to walke by it how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your owne But I cannot stand on it So much for this time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fifth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE first thing wherein thou shouldest vse Faith is to comfort thy selfe by it Therefore consider you that doubt of this you that make question I speake to those that haue the work wrought whom the Holy Ghost hath made to desire Christ aboue all things I say remember that God iustifieth the vngodly and that you haue nothing to doe but to take him 2. Remember that CHRIST is made righteousnesse to vs that no flesh might reioyce in his sight but he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. 3. Remember that the pardon is generall Looke to the promises of the Gospell you shall finde them without all exception To vs a Sauiour is borne to take away the sinnes of his people he came to take away sinnes of all sorts Now when GOD hath made no exception why should we make any 4. Consider that wee haue to doe with a GOD who delights to shew mercie it is a thing that he is not weary of it is naturall to him And therefore as the eye is not wearie of seeing nor the eare of hearing because it is naturall to them no more is GOD weary of shewing mercie Nay he delights in it Mic. 7.8 Who is a God like vnto thee taking away iniquities delighting to shew mercie c. Why so Because mercy pleaseth him That is there is no worke that he is so much pleased in as in shewing mercy 5. Consider thou that art in such a case consider that his mercy is as large as any other attribute Euery man thinkes that this is no newes what need you tell vs that GOD is infinite in mercy I say this is a thing that thou dost not consider if thou diddest thou wouldest not sticke vpon it as thou doest If thou diddest beleeue that GOD were as mercifull as he is but we scant GOD according to our measure we square Gods mercy according to our own thoughts Euery man measures Gods mercy according to that which he can conceiue He thinkes with himselfe if a man commit one sinne it might be forgiuen but when his sinnes exceede when they grow out of measure sinfull when they are sinnes so circumstantiated as we say that they are out of measure sinfull here a man stands at a stay What is the reason of this Because we draw a scantling of Gods mercy according to our owne conceits Whereas if we considered that his mercie were as large as any other attribute then we would consider that it hath no limits and if it haue no limits then whatsoeuer thy sinnes are it is all one 6. Dost thou thinke that Christ came from heauen and tooke flesh and suffered death to forgiue small sinnes No it was to forgiue the greatest the worke is large enough to match with the greatest sinnes These and such like reasons thou shouldest labour to bring to heart that thou mayest beleeue perfectly and throughly and giue not ouer till thou haue done it Let not thy faith trust in Christ by halues but trust throughly Thou shouldest come to this disjunction If I bee out of the Couenant why doe I beleeue at all why doe I receiue any comfort If I bee in the Couenant why doe I not beleeue perfectly I say giue not ouer till thou haue brought thy heart to a full assurance Thus a man should doe that yet doubts whether his estate be good whether CHRIST bee his when he is his For when a man is once in the Couenant that the match is made betweene him and thee why doest thou doubt If thou
of God in Christ and when he could name no more he names in generall saith he neither men nor Deuils nor any thing shall doe it Againe it is not so bad I say but it may be best for thee it may doe thee good for our nature is so rebellious and so set vpon things of this world that except God should take this course to worke a wearinesse in the World to mortifie our lusts if GOD should not take such courses our nature would bee ready to rebell therefore GOD dealeth so with men Sometimes he afflicts thee with sicknesse sharpe sicknesse which is irksome to thee but know that if that disease were taken from thee thou knowest not what thy heart would doe Some men bee afflicted with enmity of others thou knowest not if thou wert friends with all men how thou shouldest be Thou art afflicted in the world in thy wife in thy children in thy neighbours in thy name in thy estate and though thou thinke with thy selfe If I were free from this I should be happy I should bee humble I should serue GOD the better I say vnto thee thou knowest not what thou shouldest be A mans minde doth not know what it would be in another estate onely he knows the present If thou haddest such and such circumstances if thou haddest wealth if thou haddest such crosses remoued if all things should goe well with thee Oh then thou wouldest be happy but thou knowest not what thou shouldest be You know what the Prophet said to Hazael saith he Doest thou know what thou shalt be when thou art King of Aram Thou knowest how thou art affected now but thou knowest not how thou shalt be then when thou art a King then thou wilt be answerable to thy state and condition So much for the second Objection Thirdly it will be objected It is true if GOD did heare my prayers or if he did vsually heare the Prayers that the Saints make that it were no more but seeke and haue we would trust in GOD in difficult cases But I finde by experience that I pray and he doth not answer me and it is not my experience onely but it is the experience of others likewise they pray and GOD doth not heare their prayers what should sustaine me therfore now To this I answer It is certaine that GOD alwayes heares thy prayers there is no doubt to be made of that he is a God hearing prayers and hath made a promise that when they come hee will heare them Be assured therefore that he heares But now to answer thee First there are many cases wherein GOD heares not as first it may bee thou askest amisse But thou wilt say My heart is right and therefore I hope I aske not amisse Yes though thy heart be right thou maiest aske amisse out of mistake out of want of iudgement thou must not thinke with thy selfe because thy affection is strong to such a thing therefore it is lawfull for thee and meete for thee to haue it There are many things which a little childe asketh which are not meete for him a wise Father will not second his child in all that he affects and desires thou must thinke that God will not doe it in these cases And therefore learne in such a case when thou comest to GOD for outward things or for the measure of grace or for the present vse of grace as you shall heare hereafter it may be hee answers thee not yet thou must acknowledge GOD to bee onely wise If we could remember that in 1 Tim. 1.19 To the King onely wise be glory and immortality we thinke our selues wise too wee thinke that we haue some part of wisdome but if we did beleeue that he were only wise that is if thou diddest beleeue that none were wise but he thou wouldest be content toresigne thy selfe vnto him let him doe with thee what he will although thou see no reason yet thou wouldest be content Therefore when thou commest to aske at Gods hands thou shouldest be ready to say thus LORD I see no reason why this should not be good and yet I may be deceiued I may be mistaken Therefore I will not aske it absolutely It may be the want of it is better for me then the enioying of it it may be to be crossed in it is better for me then to haue successe in it thou art onely wise I am not able to iudge and therefore when wee come to aske any thing of GOD thus wee should doe Paul when he comes to aske the mortification of his fleshly lusts 2 Cor. 12. one would thinke he might haue asked that absolutely we cannot see how GOD should not heare that prayer and yet in that case Paul was mistaken GOD saw it was best to suffer that lust to continue vpon him and to contend with him thou shalt not be free from this strong temptation for saith he by this I will humble thee thou shalt haue a better grace then thou shouldest haue if that lust were taken away when Paul saw that the continuance of that vpon him it humbled him more that it brought more glory to God that it shewed Gods power in his weaknesse he was content hee saw that he was deceiued before I say in such a case a man may be deceiued much more in outward things You know the Disciples when they came to aske fire to come downe from Heauen they thought it was a zealous request but CHRIST tels them that they were deceiued they knew not from what Spirit that request did come If it had come from GODS Spirit hee would haue heard it but they were deceiued So if thou wouldest haue GOD heare thy prayer know whether they come from Gods Spirit whether thy prayers be the voyce of thine owne spirit or of Gods Spirit if it be the voyce of GODS Spirit he heares it alwaies because it askes according to his will our spirits may aske that which is good but not that which is fit at this time Secondly he will heare thee but it may be thou art not yet fit for the mercie not because he doth not heare thy prayer and tender thee in that case thou art in but thou arâ— not yet fit herein GOD deales with vs as the Physician deales with his Patient The Patient earnestly desires such and such things The Physician wants not will to giue them him but he resolues to giue them as soone as he is fit and therefore he makes him stay till hee haue purged him and made him fit for it till hee be fit for such a Cordiall for such a Medicine that it may not hurt him it may be GOD staies thee So the men of Beniamin they were fitted when they had fasted and prayed three times when they had fasted once and twice they aduentured and preuailed not till the third time So GOD defers long What if thou fast and pray and GOD doe not heare
I have been in a good estate I have broken the covenant with him I continued not in that good estate that out of his mercy he hath put me into To this he answers He is long suffering that is though you provoke him out of measure though you have done it againe and againe he continues patient you cannot wearie him out but his mercy indures for ever you know that if there were an end of his mercy that on your sinning hee should give over to be mercifull his mercy did not indure for ever therefore it is said He is long suffering because though your sinnes be often repeated yet the Lord as often repeates his mercy therefore there is a multitude of mercyes in him as there is a multitude of sinnes in you there is a spring of mercy in him that is renued every day he opens a spring for Iudah Ierusalem to wash in it is not a Cesterne but a Spring that is renewed as much as your sinnes that as you are defiled daily so the Lords mercy is renewed to wash away those sinnes he is long suffering But besides all this he goes yet one step further he is abundant in kindnes and in truth that is if you would know the Lord yet further whereas you may thinke He is a terrible God because of his great Majestie and power and therefore that those disharten you as wheresoever you find terriblenesse that you know puts off it is contrary to love and therefore the Lord to winne us the more tells us that though he be so great a God as he is yet he is abundant in kindnesse that is He is exceeding ready to beare with us that looke what you finde in a kinde Husband in a kinde Father or in a kinde friend that you shall find in the Lord he is exceeding kinde to you he is not harsh he is not stiffe he is not ready to obserue all that you doe amisse if you will aske any thing at his hands if you want it as therein kindnes doth consist he is ready to doe it whatsoever it is he is a God hearing prayer he saith whatsoever you aske at his hands he will doe it can you have a greater kindnesse than this if kindnesse be an attractive to winne love hee is kinde and hee is abundant in it If you will not beleeve this assertion this affirmation this description of himselfe hee tells you he hath promised and he will be as good as his word he is abundant in truth that is as if hee should say I am not onely of such a nature and disposition as I have described my selfe to be but besides this I am engaged to you you have many promises I have made you I have sworne I will doe thus and thus Therefore I will adde this to this disposition I am abundant in truth that is you shall finde me as good as my word and not so onely but I will be better than my word I am abundant in truth that is his performances exceede they runne over whatsoever hee hath said he will surely doe it Consider this consider how many precious promises you have consider what the Lord hath said hee will doe for you how full is the Scripture of promises every where remember this the Lord is abundant in truth he will doe them and overdoe them hee will fulfill every word that hee hath said And that he may give you a proofe of it he addes that he reserves mercy for thousands that shewes hee is abundant in kindnesse and in truth as if hee should say when any of you doe mee service when you are faithfull as Abraham my servant was I am bound no more but to reward your selves but I am abundant in mercy and forgivenesse reserving mercy for thousands The Lord cannot content himselfe to doe good to a mans owne person but to his children to his generation As David when he loved Barzillay and Ionathan it extended to their posterity when his love was abundant so the Lord reserves mercie for thousands Lastly because the objection still comes in when you have such a description of the Lord I but my sinnes are still repeated hee addes in the conclusion he is a God still forgiving iniquitie transgression and sinne Why are those three words put in That you may know that hee forgives sinnes of all sorts for every man is ready to finde some peculiarity in his sinnes hee thinkes such and such sinnes cannot be forgiven sinnes that I have committed thus and thus Nay saith the Lord what sinnes soever they are of what nature soever he forgives iniquity he forgives naturall corruption he forgives lesse infirmities he forgives greater rebellions and he is still doing it for so the word signifieth hee is still and still forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne So we have shewed you what the Lord is that you may learn to know him therfore we wil conclude this first and say to you as the Spouse saith Cant. 5. Such a one is the Lord and such a one is our wellbeloved oh you daughters of Ierusalem that is he is wholly delectable if we were able to shew him to you it must be your labour to consider him that you may learne to know him and to love him Secondly when you know this and consider what the Lord is and what excellency is in him consider in the next place the greatnesse of the Lord and know that this great God is suiter to you for your love that is he that makes towards you If a great King or if your potent neighbour should sue to you for love would not that move you You know the weaker should seeke to the stronger men of meaner condition should seeke to him of higher place when the great God beseecheth us to be reconciled to him when hee desires to be at peace with us and to be friends with us I say the greatnesse of God is a great argument to move us to love him as you have that Deut. 10.17 when the Lord reasons there with the people to perswade them to love him saith hee I am the God of Gods the Lord of Lords mighty and terrible as if he should say this great God hath done all this for you and this he requires at thy hands that thou shouldest love him when he shall desire but this refuse it not If one that we contemne one that is beneath us should seeke our love we are not so ready to returne love againe for we say he is below But when we consider God in his majesty and greatnesse that he should seeke to be reconciled to us that should move us that should win our hearts to him Besides consider what the Lord might have required of you you know you are his creatures you know what a distance there is betweene the Lord and you if he had put you on a harder task you ought to have done it if he had said to us you shall offer your children to me
neeedes be a greater sinne than the neglecting of that Now you see how strictly God layeth a charge upon them that no man should omit the Passeover unlesse sicknesse or a journey hindred him Now consider this you that have beene negligent in comming to this holy Sacrament for it is a great sinne and provokes God to anger when he shall see that this ordinance which himselfe hath instituted and which he hath laid such a charge upon you to doe is neglected Besides doe you thinke it is a sinne to neglect comming to the word and is it not as much to neglect this ordinance Besides doe we not neede all helpes of grace and is not this among the maine helpes Againe as you ought not to omit it so to come negligently to it to come without examination to come without a more solemne and extraordinary renewing of your repentance is to receive the Sacrament unworthily to eate and drinke judgement and damnation to your selves Now there are two sorts that receive the Sacrament unworthily First those that are not yet in Christ. Secondly those that are within the covenant but yet come remissely and negligently and take not that care they should in examining their hearts for though you ought to renew your repentance every day yet in a more especiall manner you ought to doe it upon such an occasion As women doe in scowring their vessells they make them cleane every day but yet there are some certaine times wherein they scowre them more so we should scoure our hearts in a more speciall manner upon this occasion Now because this is the businesse that wee haue to doe this day we will therefore handle that more fully that we touched lightly before which is this examination whether we love the Lord Iesus or no for if you love not the Lord Iesus you are not in him for whatsoever you doe availeth not if you haue not faith and love Therefore if you finde that you have not this love to Christ that you are not rooted and grounded in love you haue nothing to doe with Christ and if you have nothing to doe with him you have nothing to doe with the Sacrament And therefore we will shew you what properties of love we finde in the holy Scriptures This is one property of love set downe in 1 Cor. 13. Love is bountifull and seeketh not its owne things that is it is the nature of love to bestow readily and freely any thing a man hath to the party whom he loveth We see Ioseph that loved Benjamin as his love was more to him than to all the rest of his brethren so he gave him a greater portion than the rest It is the nature of love to be bountifull what a man loveth hee cares not what he parts with to obtaine it Herod cared not to have parted with halfe his kingdome to please that inordinate affection of his The Converts in the Apostles time how bountifull were they laying all their goods at the Apostles feete Zaccheus when hee was converted and his heart was inflamed with love to Christ he would give halfe his goods to the poore But in generall it is a thing that you all know that love is of a bountifull disposition If you would know then whether you have this love to the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you be ready to bestow any thing upon him whether you be ready to part with any thing for his sake David when hee abounded with love to the Lord you see how he expressed it in his provision for the Temple you see how he exceeded in it An hundred thousand shekels of golde and a thousand thousand talents of silver this saith he I have done according to my poverty As if he had said if I had beene able to doe more I would have done more but this was as much as I could reach unto herein hee shewed the greatnesse of his love to God in the greatnes of his bounty Take it in the love which we have one to another where a man loveth he denieth nothing Sampson when he loved the harlot he denied her nothing that she asked of him If you love the Lord Iesus examine your selves by this are you ready to bestow any thing for his advantage are you ready to take all opportunities to doe somewhat for his glory consider how many opportunities you have had and might have had wherein you might have expressed and manifested this love to the Lord Iesus Might you not have done much to the setting of a powerfull Minister here and there have you not had ability to doe it would it not much advantage the glory of Iesus Christ to make bridges as it were for men to goe to heaven by and to make the high way that leadeth thither A greater worke of mercy than these externall workes that appeare so glorious in the eyes of men to have blessed opportunities and not to use them because wee have straight hands and narrow hearts is a signe we want love to Christ. In the passages of your life there is many a case that if you were of a bountifull disposition you might doe much good in You know what Paul saith which was a great testimony of his love Acts 20.24 My life saith he is not deare unto me so I may doe any thing for Iesus Christ so I may fulfill the course of my Ministery So examine your selves whether you can say thus upon any occasion so that I may doe any good so that I may help forward any good cause that may tend to the glory of God my life is not deare unto mee my liberty is not deare my estate is not deare my friends are not deare to me You that have to doe in government many cases there are wherein if you will doe any speciall good you must part with something of your owne God lookes to you and sees what you doe and how your hearts stand affected in all these passages aske your selves now whether these things be not deare to you if there were love in you it will cause you to doe more than you doe It was Davids great wisedome when water was brought to him that was purchased at so deare a rate when so high a price was set upon it hee would not drinke it himselfe but powred it forth to the Lord and therein hee shewed the greatnesse of his love that he was willing to part with that which he so exceedingly longed for which was bought at such a rate The like he did when he bought the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite hee might have had it given him for nothing No saith he I will not offer to the Lord of that which cost me nothing As if hee had said I shall shew no love to the Lord then and if I shew no love to him what is my sacrifice worth For David knew well enough that God observed what hee did hee observed what it cost him The Lord observeth
after an other manner he sees now an other beautie in God than ever he saw before hee sees an other excellencie in him for that knowledge he had of him before bredd not love But when a man is once within the Covenant the Lord will teach him such a knowledge of himselfe as withall will worke the love of him Such a knowledge you must have of the Lord and you may help your selves to love him by reasoning if ever you saw any excellencie in any man or in any creature it did help you to love that creature Thinke with your selves there is more in God that made that creature He that made the eye shall hee not see So he that wrought that excellency shall not he have it in himselfe in a greater measure Besides you may consider how the Lord hath described himselfe that hee is most wise most mercifull and full of kindness and gentlenes and abundant in truth as you know that description in Exod. 34. Go through all the vertues and excellencyes that are amiable if you looke in the Scripture you shall find them to be in the Lord. This serious consideration will help you to increase your knowledge of the Lord and by consequent your love of him So that if you would come to loue a man what is it that causeth you to love him but because by his speech and by his carriage and behaviour you come to have such an apprehension of his disposition he hath a minde thus framed thus qualified thus beautified When you conceiue such an Idea of him you love him So when you apprehend the Lord aright when you observe him as he is described in his word when you observe his doings when you consider his workes and learne from all these together a right apprehension of him I say when you have such an Idea of him such an opinion of him then the will followes the understanding and the affections then followes then you come to love him and to delight in him Therefore learne to know the Lord by his former carriage towardes your selves how kinde he hath beene how exceeding patient how exceeding readie to forgiue how much kindnesse he hath shewed how hath he in mercy remembred you though you have forgotten him how you haue recompenced him evill for good yet hee hath not broaken off the course of his mercie towards you Consider his dealing with you and learne by this to know the Lord and this will be a meanes to encrease in you the love of the Lord. This is not all there is another thing which is the second branch that I tolde you of that is to looke upon God as one sutable to you and to your disposition For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him if he be not agreeable to you you love him not A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent in many respects yet he is not a fit husband for her It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition that causeth us to love him Therefore when you put these two together consider the Lords mercie and see that and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull and looke on your selves as very weake needing that power when you looke on him as the Lord of life and see your selves subject to death and needing that life when you see your owne folly and his wisedome go through all in him and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable as one that is agreeable to you and till you come to this you shall never love him and long after him till the heart namely is thus framed till a man is humbled till he comes to the sight of himselfe for as you must know God so you must know your selves before you can love him I say when a man comes to that hee begins to looke on God as upon one agreeable to him As take a man who is touched with the feare of his sinnes whose heart is broken who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath and of his owne unworthinesse such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world but the assurance of Gods love and his favour As you see in naturall things let a man be very weary the daintiest meate in the world whatsoever you give him will not heale him but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect nothing will helpe him but rest Againe let a man be hungry and faint for want of meate all the musicke the best ayre or whatsoever you can give him will doe him no good it must be meate that must helpe him If a man have a disease it is not sleepe it is not meate and drinke it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease So it is with the heart of man when his heart is so broken so humbled and touched with the sense of his sinnes that hee longs after nothing but remission nothing but the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of his love and kindnesse nothing will satisfie him but that it is so in naturall defects and so it is in the soule when the heart of a man is so fashioned that it lookes upon God as one agreeable to him and there is nothing else sutable but onely the Lord and his favour and his love that is required to breede this love in you towards him What is the reason else that it is said Hosea 5. ult When they are afflicted they will seeke mee diligently But because afflictions teach a man to know himselfe it teacheth him to know his owne weaknesse to see his owne sinne his owne impotency his owne unworthinesse and when he hath done this then he lookes upon God as one who onely is fit for him as one who is onely able to helpe him Affliction doth but discover what was there before For man is a weake and impotent creature made for the Lord he is nothing without the Lord it is the conjunction with God that makes him up onely he knowes not this he understands not this Therefore when God opens a mans eyes either by the immediate worke of his Spirit to teach him to know himselfe or by affliction then he comes to seeke after the Lord when they are afflicted they will seeke me diligently If thou shouldest have such an offer as was made to those Acts 2. Peter tells them there they should have remission of sinnes they should receive the gift of the holy Ghost if this had beene offered to them before they knew themselves before they had beene humbled and pricked at the heart as it is said they were would they have regarded such an offer as this No they would not although they had understood that offer never so well So I say though you know his name and his excellent attributes never so perfectly yet till
Why God heareth not sometimes 2 194 Hearers Hearing Hearers of two sorts 1 28 What hearing of the word God requireth 3 81 Heart Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 26 Christ dwells in the heart how 2 95 How to know whether Christ dwell in the heart 2 96 To take Christ with the whole heart 2 97 Vncircumcision of heart 3 106 A heart after Gods heart is a signe of love 3 119 When wee give our hearts to God hee gives us them againe 3 155 Heaven Heaven how desired by wicked men 3 74 Helpe God can helpe in desperate cases 2 189 Hypocrites Hypocrisie Hypocrisy what 3 19 The Saints hated under the name of hypocrites 3 103 Christ persecuted under the person of an hypocrite 3 121 Holy Ghost How the holy Ghost worketh faith 2 49 Love a peculiar gift of the holy Ghost 3 50 Holinesse Holines wrought by God 1 40 Holines easier loved in the Saints than in God 2 127 Holines required in comming to God 2 199 Hope Hope ill grounded faileth 2 19 Hope distinguisheth the faith of Christians from others 2 127 Hope mingled with feare 2 128 Hope the property of it 2 129 Hold out To hold out what it implyeth 2 118 Howling The prayers of wicked men are howlings 2 107 Humbled Humiliation Humility Humiliation how it is required before we come to Christ. 1 14 None can take Christ till they be humbled 1 24 Want of humiliation causeth faith to bee vaine 2 15 Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest evill 2 16 Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. 2 30 Without sound humiliation men holde not out 2 32 Humility a concomitant of faith 2 136 Humility required in comming to God 2 199 I. Idolatrie Idolatry a cause of the pestilence 3 91 Iehovah Iehovah 3 36 Ignorance Ignorance what breedeth it 3 105 Imployment How faith guides a man in his imployment 2 166 Imperfection Imperfection in every creature 3 35 Impediment Two impediments of love to Christ. 3 104 When the impediment cannot be removed God accepteth the will for the deed 3 201 Implacable Hatred is implacable 3 101 Infinite Gods mercy is infinite 2 150 Infirmitie Love to God makes him beare with many infirmities 3 152 See Covenant Ingage We are ingaged to love the Lord. 3 45 Interest Faith gives us interest in all Gods riches 2 141 Intention A man may pray amisse though his intention be right 2 â—95 Ioy. Ioy increase of faith increaseth it 1 135 Ioy may be in hypocrites 2 93 Ioy a concomitant of â—aith 2 130 Ioy tryalls of it 2 132 Iudge Iudgements What God looks for when he sends Iudgements 3 94 To looke on God as a Iudge a signe of hatred 3 132 The sinnes of Gods children helpe forward Iudgements 3 216 Iustifie Iustification Faith how it iustifieth 1 59 Pharise not iustifyed why 1 72 Iustification difference betweene Papists and us in the doctrine of it 2 67 Iustification double 2 68 Good workes iustify not 2 71 Waiting in iustification 2 122 Workes and faith exclude each other in iustification 3 3 K Kindnesse God abundant in kindnesse 3 41 Kindnesse wherein it consists Ibid. Killing The great sinne of killing Christ. 2 103 Know Knowledge Particular knowledge 2 36 Knowledge of God a meanes to love him 2 108 Afflictions teach a man to know himselfe 3 141 Knowledge of God and our selves must goe together 3 142 Knowledge in wicked meâ— 3 192 L. Law Law how it drives men to Christ. 1 105 Law an efficacy put into it to work faith 2 49 Law breaketh the heart 3 12 Law of the Gospell who breake it 3 19 Liberty Liberty in giving our hearts to God 3 156 Life How to use faith in guiding our life 2 154 Life the end of it 3 207 Limit Love doth not limit it selfe in duty 3 95 Limiting in Gods service shewes want of love 3 96 Longing Longing after Christ whence it is 2 90 Long-suffering Long-suffering in God 3 40 Lose We lose not by ourlove to God 3 1â—3 God loseth when wee employ not our talents 3 162 Lord. Christ must be taken as a Lord. 1 50 Love Love to Christ when wee have taken him 1 23 Men in extremity would have Christ but not out of love 2 11 Love of harlots 2 14 Love of virgins Ibid. Love must make us come to Christ. 2 44 Vneffectuall faith workes no love 2 59 Love cannot be counterfeited by hypocrites 2 72 151 Love a concomitant of faith 2 124 Love tryalls of it 2 125 Love to Saints 2 126 Love to God weakeneth sinne 2 214 Love what 3 6 Definition of love in generall Ibid. Love two effects of it 3 7 Love five kindes of it 3 8 Love to God threefold 3 10 Love of three sorts Ibid. Love to God wrought by two things 3 12 Love to Christ what 3 14 Motives to love Christ. 3 34 Why we love the Lord no more 3 36 Love why it is planted in us 3 45 Love of God to us a motive to love him 3 48. Love to God meanes to beget it 3 49 Love the properties of it 3 60 157 Love the tryalls of it 3 113 Love an exhortation to it 3 150 Love motives to it 3 152 Lust. Thraldome to lusts shewes a desire not to part with them 1 93 Faith conflicts with lust 2 75 Satisfying of lusts cannot stand with faith 2 99 Lusts the best way to mortifie them 2 213 Lusts the mortifying of them a good worke 3 207 See Liberty M. Manna Manna hidden 2 85 Meanes Meanes of the use of them 2 176 Meanes that we use must be Gods 2 178 Meanes particular not to bee pitched on much Ibid. Meanes caution in using them 2 186 Meanes how to know we trust God in using them Ibid. Meaning We must not content our selves only with good meanings 3 191 Melancthon 2 163 Measure Punishment the measure of sinne 3 22 Mercy Mercy of God infinite and therefore should incourage us 1 114 Mercy sought of many and not grace 2 13 Mercy God delights in it 2 150 Mercy of God 3 39 Mercy remembred in the Lords Supper great 3 58 Might Wee must love God with all our might 3 160 Misinformation Misinformation the ground why many take Christ. 2 6 Faitâ— that comes from misinformation lasts not 2 119 Moderation 3 210 Mortifie Vneffectuall faith doth not mortifie sinne 2 59 Motions The affections are the severall motions of the will 3 6 Misery We must see our misery before wee apply the promises 1 59 The consideration of our misery draweth the will 1 104 Misery at the last befalls evill men 2 208 N. Name Good name like a glasse 2 190 Nature Naturall Righteousnesse of the Gospell not in men by nature 1 4 Naâ—urall love why it is planted in us 3 11 Naturalnesse of our love to God 3 130 Good workes come from a new nature 3 190 Neglect Men ought not to neglect the Sacrament 3 59 Not. If wee
2. 2 Cor. 5.21 2. Quest. How we shall come by it Ans. Esay 9.6 Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 5.17 Reasons why it is by gift Rom. 4.5 3. Quest. To whom it is giuen Ans. Mark 16.15 Reu. 22.17 Obiect Ans. 1. Answ. 2. Ans. 3. Ans. 4. Obiect Ans. 4. Quest. Vpon what qualifications it is giuen Ans. 1 Cor. 6.9 1. Obiect Ans. 1. Ans. 2. Simile 5. Quest. Ans. Simile Simile Esay 55.1 What this taking is Ans. Faith what Obiect Answ. 1 Tim. 1.15 Simile Three things must concurre in receiuing Christ. Ioh. 5.44 Ioh. 1.11.12 Three things required in the will in taking Christ. 6. Quest. What is required of vs when we haue it Ans. Mat. 3.2 Tit. 2.14 Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Ioh. 1.12 13. Vse 1. Mar. 16.16 Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 3. Vse 2. Mat. 11.28 29. Three considerations to moue men to take Christ. Doct. 2. Two Couenants 1. Absolute Ier. 31. Ezek. 36. 2. Conditionall Mar. 16. Rom. 4.5 Quest. Ans. Though holinesse be required it is Gods worke Simile Eph. 2.10 Habits Why God will saue men by faith 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 1 Cor. 1.30 Eph 4. Freedome from euill to the Saints whence it is Faith what in generall Assent of three sorts Iustifying faith How it differs from generall faith 1 In the obiect 2 In the act of the will Heb. 11 1â— Definition of iustifying faith How faith taketh Christ. We must not only beleeue but receiue Christ. Ioh. 3. Foure things touching faith 1 The obiect of it 2 Cor. 1. Ioh. 3. True loue lookes first to Christs person Mar. 16. Baptizing what meant by it in Mat. 16. 2 The subiect of faith What required in the vnderstanding 2 Cor. 4. What required of the will Rom. 5.17 Ioh. 1.12 This act of the will wrought by God 3 How faith iustifieth Faith altereth not the nature of sinne Note 4 The acts of faith 1 To reconcile vs. 2 To pacifie the heart Direct and reflect act of faith Difference betweene them 3 To purifie thâ— heart Vse 1. Not to be discouraged to come to God A double quality in faith Quest. Ans. Faith emptieth a man of two things 1 Cor. 1.30 Double complaint in sense of want Vse 2. To reioyce in God Eph. 1.6 Eph. 2. 2 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 6.4 Phil 3. Reu. 7.11 Vse 3. To labour for faith aboue all Gal. 5.5.6 Without faith God regards not morall vertues Difference betweene faith and morall vertues Difference betweene faith and shewes of holinesse Vse 4. To apply the promises with boldnesse Gods free promise should incourage vs to come with boldnesse 1 Ioh 1.9 Luk. 11.6.8 Obiect Answ. Christ requireth but a willingnesse to mortifie our lusts Obiect Answ. 2 Cor. 8.9 Two things in laying hold on the promises 4. Things in the vnderstanding Quest. Ioh. 16. Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 2.3 The will drawne by 3. meanes 1. Meanes 1 Cor. 10. 2. Meanes 3. Meanes Arguments to perswade vs of Christs willingnesse to recâ—iue sinners 1 By expressions in Scripture 2 By Christs practice when he was on Earth 3 Else Christs blood were shed in vaine 4 By the example of others pardoned 5 Else no flesh should be saued 6 By the infinitenesse of Gods mercy Obiect Ans. 2. Obiect Ans. By denying our selues we enioy our selues better Obiect Ans. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Faith admits degrees Two parts in the Doctrine Faith admits of degrees in 4. respects 1 In perswasion Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Wherein faith and opinion differ 2 In respect of difficulties Numb 11. 3 In regard of extent The reflect act of faith admits degrees Vse 1. To comfort Vse 2. For exhortation 2 Pet. 1. 13. Motiues to grow in faith Doct. The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Men are apt to deceiue themselues That many men haue a false faith proued by instances both in the Old and New Testament Ioh. 2.23.24 Ioh. 5.35 Mat. 22.8 9 10 11. opened Mat. 13. Ier. 3.10 opened Deut. 5.25 Verse 29. Simile Three things opened 1 The Causes why the faith of many is vneffectuall which are fiue Cause 1. Taking Christ vpon mis-information Instances 1 The yong man that came to Christ. Luk. 18. 2 The Scribe Mat. 8.20 opened Note Cause 2. Taking Christ out of feare Isa. 58. opened Note Simile Cause 3. Taking Christ for loue of the good things by him and not for loue to his person Note Simile Ioh. 6.26 opened Some men seeke mercy and not grace Cant. 5.12 opened We may looke to our own aduantages by Christ. Cause 4. Want of humiliation Deut. 30.6 opened The Spirit of Elias what Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest euill nor Christ the greatest good Cause 5. Because faith is not grounded aright Eph. 4.10 opened Col. 1.23 opened Hope that is not wel grounded holds not out Deut. 13.1 2 3. opened 2 Pet. 3.17 2 Wherein the efficacy of faith consisteth Three things opened 1 In what sence faith is called effectuall Things are said to be effectuall in 4. respects 1 When they doe their proper office The proper function of faith what Faith may bee effectuall though it bee mingled with doubting Iam. 1.7 8. opened A double-minded man who Papists tenent of doubting What doubting it is that faith excludeth How to try truth of doubting Simile Some men cleaue to Christ for wans of temptations True faith not without doubtings and feares sometimes Simile Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 A thing is effectuall in opposition to that which is vaine and empty Simile Simile Iam. 2.17.20 26. 3 A thing is said to be effectuall when it is operatiue Simile 4 When it goes thorow with the worke in hand 2 wherein the efectualnesse of faith consists in 4. things I When the preparation is good Luk. 9.62 opened Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. Instances 1 In the Israelites 2 In the Prodigall Men hold not without sound humiliation Reu. 2.25 opened Mat. 10. â— opened II When the vnderstanding is cleare When a man is said to be well built 1 When he beleeues the Scriptures in generall 2 The promises in particular Application of the offer of Christ. Eph. 2.19 20. opened Note Ioh. 4.44 Particular knowledge 1 Ioh. 1.19 opened Ioh. 6.68 opened The third thing wherein the efficacie of faith consists to take Christ. Heb. 10.22 opened Vers. 38. Eph. 3.17 Reu. 3 2â— What taking of Christ is effectuall Eph. 5.23 opened Gen. 2.24 We must draw neere out of loue to Christ. 1 Tim. 1.5 4 Thing wherin the efficacy of faith consists The turning of the whole soule Gal. 5. Working in doing and suffering Why the promises are made promiscuously God tryeth mens graces Ioh. 12.42 3 How effectuall faith is wrought It is not in mans power to beleeue Quest. Answ. How the Holy Ghost worketh faith by three things 1 Putting an efficacy in the Law A man cannot see his sins to purpose without the spirit of bondage Act. 16. 2 By shewing the