as they heare of me they shall obey me It is a hard thing to convince a man of a suffering Truth if he hath not a suffering heart Many men will say if they were convinced that such a thing were a Truth that if it were a dutie that God requires of them they would yeeld unto it whatsoever became of them but yet they doe not see it to be so but the deceit of their hearts lies here that they knowing they dare not oppose it if they were convinced and that it will bring upon them much trouble if they be forced to yeeld to it therefore they are unwilling to be convinced they shut their eyes against the light arguments of lesse strength can prevaile to convince them in other things but here strong light will not doe it because they fore-see the haâ—d consequences that will follow but where there is a suffering heart a willingnesse to sacrifice all for the least Truth how soone how easily is such a one convinced of any Truth When the mind of the hearer is good it easily assents to the word of Truth sayes Chrysostome Fourthly a Naturall Conscience does not prize an opportunitie of suffering so as those doe who have a Principle of Faith they goe to it as a great mercie they account it as a great priviledge that God calls them forth unto and gives them opportunitie for the testifying of their love to his Name and the expressing the worke of their Grace for his prayse accounting of it the highest improvement that may be to lay downe all at Gods feet in a way of selfe-denyall the other may suffer the same thing but he lookes upon his sufferings as a great part of his miserie and at the way of Gods providence bringing of him thereunto as a great evill unto him Fifthly a Naturall Conscience rests in the thing done in the very worke of enduring troubles there doth not appeare the Grace of God in the manner of his sufferings in the carriage of his Soule in them there doth not appeare the Glory of God in the enabling of him to goe through them neither is he much sollicitous about that but onely how he may beare them and get thorow them but Faith sets on worke all the Graces of Gods Spirit by which the sufferings of one truly gracious are much beautified his Spirit is exceedingly savourie in them Psal 89. 17. It is said God is the glory of the strength of his servants Thou art the glory of their strength Now this was in a time of great trouble to the Church as appeares Verse 38. and so forward But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant thou hast prophaned his Crowne by casting it to the ground thou hast broken downe all his hedges all that passe by the way spoyle him he is a reproach to his neighbours c. Yet even at this time God gives such strength to his people as that his Glory shines in it Therefore surely it is more then can be by any naturall worke Sixthly a naturall conscience may put a man upon the way of self-denyall but such a one accounts the wayes of God hard wayes because of the troubles he meets withall in them hee is brought out of love with Gods wayes and hee is weary of them he is even sorry that he came into them and could be content to with-draw himselfe from them if hee knew how to doe it but a beleever suffering in the wayes of God hee still likes well of them hee speakes good of them his heart cleaves close unto them Sufferings are esteemed the better because they are in the wayes of God and the wayes of God are not esteemed the worse because they are in the wayes of Suffering his Suffering confirmes him in them a crucified Christ and persecuted godlinesse are very lovely in his eyes Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my beloved unto me hee shall lye all night betweene my brests Myrrh is a bitter thing although Christ bee as Myrrh yet he shall lye between my brests next to my heart as most lovely and delightfull to me where there is true godlinesse such a one whatsoever he meets withall in Gods wayes hee never opens his mouth againe to speake against them Ezek. 16. 63. and Psal 44. 17 18 19 20 c. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. And Psal 89. from the 38. verse to the 52. we read of Ethan making a most lamentable complaint for the miseries of the Church and yet he concludes Blessed be the Lord for evermore and this not formally or slightly but earnestly with much affection and therefore he addes Amen and doubles it Amen Amen as if he should say let the troubles of the Church bee what they will yet God and his wayes shall be for ever blessed in mine eyes in my heart Seventhly where there is onely a naturall conscience such a soule is satisfied rather in its owne peace that it hath by yeelding to that which conscience puts him upon then in any glory that God hath by that which is suffered As he doth not aime at the glory of God but at the quieting of his conscience so he lookes not much after the glory of God that should come in by his sufferings Eighthly naturall conscience may put a man upon denying of the world and suffering hard things yet the heart is never by it crucified unto the world the inward lusts are not mortified there remaines still as much love to the world as ever there was there is yet a drossy uncleane spirit within the corruptions of the heart still remaine in the root howsoever they be kept in for a while by the power of conscience such a one would as gladly enjoy the delight of the world as ever but hee dares not but where Faith is the principle there the inward corruptions of the heart are mottified Faith crucifies the heart unto the world it does not onely enable to deny ones selfe in outward things but it changes the very frame and temper of the heart the inward disposition of the soule is not after any thing in the creature as it was before but it is sanctified it is made heavenly it is raised above any thing that is here below Ninthly where the principle is onely Naturall Conscience there comes in no new supply of strength in the time of suffering but all that is done is by the first strength that put him upon it hee is all the while spending his strength as an Armie that fights without any new succours But Faith brings in new supplies new succours continually strength growes
them as if they were made now to us Compare Joshua 1. 5. with Hebrewes 13. 5. God saith to Ioshua I will be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee now in the Hebrewes Saint Paul applyeth it to the beleevers in his time as if it had beene made to them Be content saith he with such things as ye have for hee hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee They might have answered where hath God said so hee said it indeede to Ioshua but what is that to us yes all one as if he had spoken to you Vpon this one instance whatsoever promise God ever made to any of his people since the beginning of the world for any good if our condition comes to be the same Faith will make it her owne as if God had but now made it to us in particular So for Gods former dealings with our selves when all sense of Gods mercies faile that God seemes to be as an enemy Faith will fetch life from his former mercies as if they were now present as wee see in David Psal 77. 5 6. I have considered the dayes of old the yeeres of ancient time I call to remembrance my song in the night c. And vers 10. I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most High Hee checkes himselfe for doubting of Gods mercies because of his former mercies and hee recovers himselfe by bringing to minde the former dealings of God with them So Psal 143. 45. Davids spirit was even overwhelmed within him and his heart was desolate yet he recovers himselfe by remembring the dayes of old and by meditating upon Gods former workes Now in this worke of Faith what abundance of strength doth it bring in from all the mercies of God to our fore-fathers from all the promises made to any godly men though never so long since from all Gods former dealings in his goodnesse and makes all these as present to us this must needs wonderfully strengthen the heart to any service or suffering As despaire makes all Gods former dealings in his judgements with others and Gods wayes concerning it selfe as present to fetch terror from them so Faith Gods mercies to fetch comfort and strength from them Secondly Faith is a raising grace it carries the soule on high above sense above reason above the world when Faith is working oh how is the soule raised above the feares and favours of men It is said of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 6. His heart was lift up in the wayes of God Faith lifts up the heart in the wayes of God A man raised on high sees all things under him as small Eusebius tells us of a notable speech that Ignatius used when hee was in his enemies hands not long before hee was to suffer which argued a raised spirit to a wonderfull height above the world and above himselfe I care sayes hee for nothing visible or invisible that I might get Christ let fire the crosse the letting out of beasts upon mee breaking of my bones the tearing of my members the grinding of my whole body and the torments of the Devils come upon me so be it I may get Christ Faith puts a holy magnanimity upon the soule to slight and to over-looke with a holy contempt whatsoever the world proffers or threatens All things are under us while wee are above our selves and it is onely Faith that empties us of our selves and raises us above our selves Faith raises the soule to converse with high and glorious things with the deepe and eternall counsels of God with the glorious mysteries of the Gospel with communion with God and Jesus Christ with the great things of the Kingdome of Christ with the great things of Heaven and eternall life Men before Faith comes into their soules have poore low spirits busied about meane and contemptible things and therefore every offer of the world prevailes with them and every little danger of suffering any trouble scares them and makes them yeeld to any thing but when Faith comes there is another manner of spirit in a man Every spirit is not fit for sufferings but a spirit truely raised by Faith a princely spirit so Luther calls it to dare to venture losse of estate and life for the Name of Christ to this a Princely spirit is required When Valens the Emperour sent his Officer to Basilius seeking to turne him from the Faith hee first offered him great preferments but Basil rejected them with scorne Offer these things sayes he to children then he threatens him most grievously Basil contemnes all his threatnings Threaten sayes he your purple Gallants that give themselves to their pleasures And Basil in his Homily in Quadraginta Martyres brings them in answering the offers of worldly preferments Why doe you promise us these small things of the world which you account great when as the whole world is despised by us What great spirits did Faith put into some of these worthies mentioned in this chapter which appeares by the great things that they did by their Faith vers 33. 34. Through Faith they subdued Kingdomes they stopped the mouthes of Lions and this is observable that working righteousnesse and obtaining the promises are put betweene these two as if these were workes of the same ranke fit to bee joyned with such great things as those were Againe by Faith they quenched the violence of the fire of weake they were made strong they waxed valiant in fight they turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Certainely Faith is as glorious a grace now as ever it was and if it be put forth it will enable the soule to doe great things The raising of the soule above reason and sense is as great a thing as any of these The Faith of Abraham was most glorious for which hee is stiled the Father of the faithfull and yet the chief for which this is commended is that hee beleeved against hope Rom. 4. 18. When the soule is in some straight it lookes up for helpe and sense sayes it cannot be reason sayes it will never be wicked men say it shall not be yea it may bee God in the wayes of his providence seemes to goe so crosse as if hee would not have it to be yet if Faith have a word for it it sayes it shall be In great difficulties in sore afflictions when God seemes to be angry and to strike in his wrath when there appeares nothing to sense and reason but wrath yet even then Faith hath hold on Gods heart when his hand strikes If Faith by raising the soule above reason and sense can carry it through even such streights as the sense and apprehension of the wrath of God himselfe if it can enable to beare the strokes of God when they appeare as the strokes of an enemy much more easily can Faith enable to resist the temptations of the world and to carry it through all the
straights that any outward afflictions can bring it to All the strength that the temptations that come from the allurements of the world or the troubles that it threatens have it is from sense and carnall reasonings if the soule bee got above them then it is above the danger of such temptations by that magnanimity that Faith brings into the soule it is prepared to set upon difficult things to endure strong oppositions A beleever is one whom neither poverty nor death nor bonds nor any outward evils can terrifie Thirdly Faith is a purifying and healing grace Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by Faith It purges out base desires after the things of the world and living at ease base joyes and delights in the creature in satisfying the flesh the feares of future evils that may come hereafter Faith feares not hunger saith Tertullian If the heart bee sound it will be strong this purging of it makes it sound 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of feare sayes the Apostle but of power of love and a sound minde the spirit of feare is first purged out and then there is a spirit of power and a sound minde where there is a sound minde there is a spirit of power what weakens the body but the unsoundnesse of it If distempered humours be in the body 't is not able to endure any thing a little cold oh how tedious is it to it but when these humours are purged out then it is strong and able to doe or suffer much more That which ill humours are to the body sinne is to the soule which being purged out the soule growes strong to resist temptations and to endure afflictions But further sinne in the soule is not onely as an ill humour to weaken it but it wounds it too now how little can a man doe or suffer with a wounded member It is Faith that heales our wounds by applying the Bloud of Christ to them and so it strengthens Fourthly Faith is a quickning grace it sets all other graces on worke it puts life and activitie into them all I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God sayes Saint Paul and especially it sets love on worke which is a grace exceedingly powerfull Faith workes by love If a mans faith be up all his graces will be so too and if that be downe all other graces are weake and downe with it Gulielmus Parisiensis reports of a Chrystall that it hath such a vertue as when the vertues of other pretious stones are extinct it will revive them againe Faith is such a Chrystall to revive the vertue of all graces When Davids heart was so downe that he chides himselfe so much Psal 43. 5. Why art thou cast down oh my soule he labors to recover himselfe by his Faith still trust in God hee is the health of my countenance and my God Faith brings life and maintaines life in the soule for it hath the most immediate union with Christ and therefore the livelinesse and activity of our graces depends much upon it now where the graces of Gods Spirit are lively and active the allurements and threats of the World cannot much prevaile Fifthly Faith is a mighty prevailing grace with God and with Jesus Christ as it is said of Jacob Gen. 32. 28. hee prevailed with God as a Prince Luther was a man full of faith and it was said of him Hee could doe what hee would Faith sets all Gods Attributes on worke for the good and reliefe of a beleever it stirres as I may so say the arme of an infinite power it opens the sluce that lets out the streames of an infinite mercie and causes an infinite wisdome to be active to finde out wayes to relieve in time of distresses it brings in all the strength and good of the New Covenant when Faith workes Jesus Christ is working to make good all the gracious promises of the Gospel and hee is the Mighty God wonderfull Counsellour the Prince of peace Faith does not strengthen the soule in a way of suffering by its owne strength but by the strength that it bringeth in from Iesus Christ Rev. 12. 11. The Saints overcame by the Blood of the Lambe Oh how willingly and joyfully does the Protector of Faith fight in such servants of his sayes Cyprian It is one thing to have interest in God and Christ and another thing to have them working for good in a speciall manner in particular causes where wee desire helpe and reliefe although it be true that God and Iesus Christ are alwayes working for the good of beleevers in some kind or other but yet when faith lyes still and is not active although wee doe not lose our interest in God yet we cannot expect such sensible manifestations of the gracious workings of God for us as when we put forth our faith and keepe it active and lively and then though we be never so weake in our selves wee set an infinite strength to worke for us Wee have a notable expression of Gods stirring up his strength and wisdome for those whose hearts are right with him 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth to shew himselfe strong for those whose heart is perfect towards him the words are ad roborandum se to strengthen himselfe God strengthens himselfe hee does as it were stirre up all his strength for such And although wee be in the darke and know not how to order our steps and to discover the subtilties of temptation yet there is an infinite wisdome working for us and although we be never so unworthy and vile yet wee have an infinite mercy whose bowels yerne towards us and will not suffer any evill to befall us yea the more weake and succourlesse wee are in our selves if the sense of it stirres up faith to set God on work for us wee are strong by our weaknesse not onely of weake are made strong but by being weake are made strong It is said of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8. that it had a little strength and yet it kept Gods Word and had not denyed his Name Although we have but a little strength yet if wee have faith to set Gods strength on worke wee shall keep Gods Word and not deny his Name Hence in the sixt place from all these it followes that faith is an overcomming grace this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith saith Saint John Epistle 1 chap. 5. v. 4. In this victorie there are three things First there is a conquering of the assaults of the world so as they can doe us no hurt bnt wee are able to repell the force of them But this is not all there is something further namely the making use of those things of the world for our good that would have undone us that is a full victorie where the enemies doe not onely resist and breake
improved your power onely upon sinfull wayes to satisfie the lusts of your owne hearts when these shall be taken from you or you from them with what confidence can you looke up to God for mercy doth it not come from low thoughts of God and want of the feare of his great and dreadfull Name for you to thinke to spend such great talents upon your lusts which hee hath betrusted you withall for his honour and yet to thinke that you can easily do well enough in this matter between God and you that this holy great and dreadfull God will be pacified by a word or two If you had indeed ventured those things that you did enjoy and so had parted with them in the cause of God you might then after all had beene gone have beene able to looke up to God with much comfort and to have expected with confidence much mercy from him It is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon when a Knight of his had consumed a great patrimony by lust and luxury and besides ran into debt and being to be laid into prison by his creditors his friends petitioned for him to the King the King answered if hee had spent so much money in the service of his Prince or for the good of his Countrey in relieving his kindred I would have hearkned but seeing hee hath spent so much upon his body it is fit his body should smart for it So when you come and looke up to God for mercy in your distresse when the comforts of the creature shall be gone God may justly answer if you had spent that abundance of the creature that I afforded to you in my service for the good of my people I would have heard you but now it is just you should be left in your distresse and that so much pleasure as you have had so much misery should follow Doe not your hearts tremble at that Text 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many rich not many noble it is enough to make a mans heart to tremble when he heares that of men few are saved but when salvation is straightned in a more narrow compasse and God saith of such a sort of men but few this hath more power in it to strike feare as if a company in a Church should heare that but few of them should goe out alive it would strike feare into all but when those who sit in the Chancell shall heare but few of those that sit in the Chancell shall goe out alive this strikes feare into such who sit there As Joshua when search was made for Achan amongst the Tribes he had cause to feare but when the Tribe of Judah was taken of which he was then much more but when the family of the Zarhites then much more So within the straighter compasse God hath said But few shall be saved if you be amongst them you have cause to feare the more and not to take more liberty then others but to be more diligent then others to make your calling and election sure It s a terrible speech that Chrysostome hath in his 34. Sermon upon the Hebr. you would thinke it so if it came from us it may be you will receive it better from him the speech is this I wonder saith hee if any Governour can be saved Howsoever conscience may be quiet and still now yet when it apprehends it selfe neere the giving up account to God it will speake it will sting then It is reported of Philip the third of Spaine although it is said of him that his life was free from grosse evils yea so as he professed he would rather lose all his Kingdomes then offend God knowingly But being in the agonie of death and considering more thorowly of his account hee was to give to God feare struck into him and these words brake from him Oh would to God I had never reigned Oh that those yeeres I have spent in my Kingdome I had lived a private life in the Wildernesse Oh that I had lived a solitarie life with God how much more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God what does all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death This storie Cornelius à Lapide hath upon the second of Hosea In the Bohemian Historie it is reported of one Hermanus a great Courtier who being to dye did most lamentably crie out That he had spent more time in the Palace then in the Temple and that he added to the Riotousnesse and Vices of the Court which he should have sought to have reformed and so dyed to the horror of those that were about him I confesse it is no little matter for you who have so much of the world to denie your selves in those things that give content to the flesh considering the corruption that is in the hearts of the children of men it is a hard thing and seldome hath successe to give rules for the ordering of life to men who are in great prosperitie in this world Hence Laertius reports of Plato who being desired by the Cyrenians that he would write down some Lawes for them and that hee would set the estate of their Common-wealth in some order he refused saying It was a very hard thing to make Lawes to bind men who were in great prosperity But the more hard any dutie is the more honourable is it to yeeld to it as Saint Hieronym writing to Pamachius hath this expression It is not a little thing for a Noble man for a rich man to withdraw himselfe from the companie of great ones to joyne with those that are meane and poore and to be made as a common man but the more low the more mean he is in doing this hee is the more sublime so much the higher in the esteeme of God and his people There are some who have beene in as faire a way of honours and worldly delights as any yet they have denyed themselves and they rejoyce in it and blesse God for it they finde all they were willing to part with made up abundantly to them they live most svveet and joyfull lives God hath made them honorable in his ovvne eyes and in the eyes of his people they are high and precious in the esteeme and hearts of the Saints Doe not feare trust your honours your Dignities and riches vvith God there vvas never any thing lost in a self-denying vvay for Iesus Christ nothing can make you more honorable then the vvaies of Godlinesse and nothing can cast that contempt and shame upon you as the vvaies of sinne doe it being the basest servitude that is both for your selves and all your estates and honours to bee under the povver of your lusts As you vvould account it a greater contempt and shame for you to bee made to serve in the meanest and basest worke that is then if an ordinary man should be forced to
you have them with much wrath mingled with them you may blesse your selves in your way but you are most lamentable objects to behold in the esteeme of all who are gracious and holy and what a dishonourable thing will it both to God and your selves then to come in and seeke God when all outward contentments are gone when you have had your lusts to the full then to come to God to helpe and relieve you in all your straights with what face can you think to finde acceptance from him surely you will curse the time that ever you had such prosperity so much of the creature as you have had if you have thought the comforts and contentments you have enjoyed in a few creatures were too good and too great to part withall for God hee will thinke his mercy too good and too great for you But wee use the comforts wee have onely in lawfull things For answere to this I will onely propound these considerations First doe you feare are you jealous of your selves lest you should let out your hearts too farre in them Doe you seriously consider that there is a snare in them That there may be danger yea very great danger if you take not heed In whatsoever things the world smiles on us for a time there is more ensnarement then ornament sayes Augustine Secondly are your desires as strong in seeking God for grace to use them for his honour as your joyes are in the use of them for satisfying your selves Thirdly doe you oft examine your hearts and wayes for feare God should not have that honour from them that is infinitely due unto him Fourthly what does conscience say when you are in afflictions when you apprehend God is calling you to an account for them does it not tell you that your hearts have beene let out too greedily after them Fifthly Answer as in the presence of God would you prize a lesse estate with more opportunity of service more then a great estate with lesse opportunity of service and are you more troubled when you are crossed in opportunity of service then when you are crossed in your desires and delights in the enjoyment of the creature Lastly if you have a care to use that prosperous estate you have for God either God hath much glory from you in it or else you have much joy in it surely where there are great estates there are great opportunities of glorifying God but hath God great glory from you hath hee more then from others in meane estates or if not whether is it the griefe of your soules that you should enjoy so much from God and God have so little honour from you what strangers are most men to such considerations as these they take all the delight they can in the creatures they have never considering what is Gods end in his bounty towards them or what will be peace to them in their end of the enjoyment of them this is a sore and a grievous evill CHAP. VIII The fulnesse of creatures comforts to be laid downe at Christs feet THE third use is this Let those then that have a fulnesse in all outward contentments bee perswaded in the feare of the Lord to give God the glory of them his owne way if hee please to call for them in any selfe-denying way let him have them The Lord sayes to you concerning them as Christ to Peter Lovest thou mee more then these so lovest thou mee more then all those delightfull things you enjoy how happy you if you can upon due examination of your hearts give in that answer that Peter did Lord thou knowest that I love thee thou knowest that I love thee more then all these things they are good things in themselves but thou art infinitely more to mee thy praise and thy honour is a thousand thousand times more to mee then all these things Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that thus I love thee more then these It may be God gives abundance of these things to try you to see what is in your heart as Salomon sayes of praise it is as the sining pot to the silver so it may be said of all outward prosperity that it is as the fining pot to the silver to discover what drosse there is in it now upon tryall shall it bee found that these things have more of thy heart then God himselfe if you had a heart to deny your selfe in these things now while you may injoy them at the height though it may seeme that much comfort and sweetnesse is lost that might be had yet in truth there is nothing lost no not for the present for in the very exercise of selfe-denyall in them you will finde more sweetnesse then ever was or can be felt in the enjoyment of them There is nothing more pleasant to man then to get victory to get victory in sports to get victory over the creature is full of delight to get victory over our enemies hath more delight in it but to get victory over our selves to bee able to overcome our selves hath the greatest delight of all in it especially when it is for God no such sweetnesse as this is to the spirit of a man Those doe not enjoy most comfort of their lives who are mad upon their owne wills and desires and cannot endure to have their mindes crossed in any thing but those have the greatest comfort who are able to deny themselves most and it may be you may enjoy all the outward comforts you have neverthelesse the more willing you are to deny your selves in them the longer you may enjoy them to have a heart willing to part with them may bee the onely way to keepe them and to be sure while you have them you shall enjoy them in a better manner with more comfort then any other enjoy that that they have whilst your heart in the midst of them is more upon God then upon them they that will lose their lives and so their estates their honours and delights shall save them oh how sweet are all outward blessings when wee have laid them downe at Gods feet and he gives us them againe to enjoy Whereas on the contrary by the greedinesse of your hearts upon them and unwillingnesse to part with them you may have them rent away from you in wrath so that you shall not enjoy the comfort of them and yet you may perish for ever for that distemper of heart in the inordinate setting of it upon them Many perish in their inordinate affections towards outward things and yet have them not others have the comfort and blessing of selfe-denyall and yet enjoy their outward contentments to the full Oh how much better is it that when wee are at the height of our prosperity then to get our hearts to fall and to deny our selves for God then that God should even in our height seize upon us in his wrath as it is Gods
in Iuventinum Maximum two Martyrs brings in this objection of the Persecutors against them and their answer Doe you not see others of your ranke to doe thus They answer For this very reason wee will manfully stand and offer our selves as a Sacrifice for the breach that they have made Wherefore seeing this is that which the Adversaries of the Truth make such use of it hath need of the fuller answer For a more full answer thereunto then First know that the least degree of true Faith will goe further then all the abilities of naturall parts and gifts that ever were in the world and true Faith may be where naturall parts are very weake and where there is little appearance of common gifts and on the other side where these are in the greatest eminencie yet the Soule may be altogether void of Faith You are deceived if you thinke where there are stronger parts and most gifts there must needes be the greatest measure of Faith and where parts are weaker and scarce any common gifts there must needes be the least No God doth not dispense this glorious grace of Faith according to this proportion Not many wise not many learned but God chuseth the poore in this world to be rich in faith When the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel are hid from the wise of the world even then are they revealed to those that are Babes Gods wayes have usually beene to choose weake and contemptible things to honour himselfe by that the glory of his Grace and Power might the more appeare and hath not so ordinarily made use of men of great parts that have beene eminent and glorious in the world because in them the grace of God would not be so much honoured some of the honour would stick to them Consider secondly if the example of these men were the ground of your profession of Religion then their falling off might justly be your discouragement but if you had better grounds if the evidence the beautie the authoritie the power of and love unto the Truth were your grounds then your grounds remaining and the Truth being the same you should not be discouraged but goe on in your way Thirdly if you thinke to hold out by the strength of any degree of excellencie whatsoever that you could see in them then you might justly be discouraged because you have not so much as they had all that you saw in them were gifts and parts and profession If you thinke that these should carry you through sufferings you are utterly mistaken but if you make account that that which should carry you through be another Principle a hidden one that cannot be seene in any then there is no cause of discouragement Fourthly hath not God acquainted you with the infinite deceitfulnesse of the heart of man That it is a bottomlesse depth of evill and desperately wicked beyond that which any is able to know but God himselfe And will you then depend upon man and that in a matter of so great consequence as the cleaving to or the forsaking of the Truth of God Fifthly the falls of those who have beene thus eminent are just judgements of God upon hypocrites and those that are carnall and naught to be a stumbling-blocke to them at which they should fall and breake themselves and never rise againe Now if you should stumble too at this stumbling-blocke it were an ill signe and a heavie judgement of God against you Therefore take heed that it prevailes not too farre with you Sixtly how doe you know but that these men in the midst of all their profession had some secret sinne maintained in their bosomes some secret lusts that lay next their hearts And if so no marvell though all the seeming good they had vanish and come to nothing in the time of tryall Lastly the more glorious they were and failed and the more weake and contemptible either in your owne eyes or in the eyes of others you are the greater is the mercie of God towards you if he gives you a heart to hold out and the greater honour will it be for you both before God and men You shall be brought against them in the Day of Judgement to condemne them CHAP. XIII The difference betweene the heat of mens owne Resolutions and the true heat of the heart by Faith in suffering for Christ IF Faith be the Principle that carryes through sufferings then let men take heed that they trust not to their owne Resolutions as if because now they thinke they would suffer any thing let men doe what they can against them therefore they shall be able to goe through Many have deceived themselves in this The difference betweene the heat of mens Resolutions and the true heat of the heart by Faith is like the difference of the heat of the Fowle breeding over her egges and the heat of the fire the one is a heat of life conveying life but not the other Faith warmes the heart so as it conveyes life but not so our owne Resolutions Wee have had many sad experiences of the falsenesse of mens hearts from time to time in this particular who before the tryall have beene very confident and resolute yet they have most shamefully failed and falne off from the Truth when the tryall came The example of Doctor Pendleton mentioned in the Booke of Martyrs is remarkable in this kind the storie is generally knowne The Doctor was full of confidence and resolution and professed That those fat sides of his should frie in the fire before hee would yeeld and yet how shamefully he forsooke the Cause of God you all know Those who vaunt most have many times the least courage as those creatures who have the greatest hearts of flesh are the most timerous as the Stag the Panther and the Hare It is not enough that men in the profession of their resolutions speake as they thinke and as they are perswaded for the present this is not to be trusted to for he that trusts his owne heart is a foole sayes Solomon Prov. 28. It is good counsell Luther gives a German Minister in an Epistle he writes to him Walk in feare and contempt of your selfe and pray to the Lord that he may doe all things and doe not you think to doe any thing but be you a Sabbath unto Christ so his expression is that is rest your spirit in Christ What resolutions are those that are like to faile and to come to nothing in times of tryall First rash resolutions when men resolve without serious consideration what sufferings meane what they will cost them and how hard they will bee to them when they come they doe not make them as present to them by meditation before they resolve resolution in such things should be the fruit of much meditation there neede bee much musing before this fire breake forth Secondly when there is no brokennesse of spirit joyned