Discouragements removed by Faith Faiths Triumph over fear of Divine desertion God may forsake his people in five respects yet it is but gradual and momentary not total and final Reasons of Gods forsaking his people 1 For prevention of Evil two ways 2 For Confirmation in Good five ways The Life of Faith in Consolation Two Propositions stated 1 That the Just lives the Life of Consolation 2 That he lives this Life by Faith Four Reasons why the Lord will have the Just live comfortably Six Reasons why Consolation comes by Faith Faith fetches in Comfort from the Trial and Evidence of the Truth of Grace Objections against Assurance of Divine Love inferred from Marks and Signs of true Grace answered It is a preposterous course to judge of our interest in Divine Love by our Comforts before we have tried the sincerity of our Graces Differences of Regenerating Grace from Common Uses of the Life of Consolation in Believers 1Vse Information in five Particulars 1 Of the cause of sadness in the faithful 2Vnregenerate souls are uncomfortable souls 3 Religious Life is the onely comfortable Life Objection against this That the Saints walk sadly answered Where the Rise of the Saints heaviness is discovered in three general Causes The first is taken from themselves in five particulars The second from Satan The third from God himself who eclipses his Peoples Comforts for three Reasons 4 Information what to desire for our best friends 5 Information what great happiness attends the end of Saints in death 2Vse of Reproof 1 Of mis-judging the Life of the faithful 2 Of Papists who rob of Comfort while of Faith 3 Of such who fetch Comfort from Sense 4 Of such who refuse Comfort upon the Promises 5 Of such who go for Comfort to false Prophets 3Vse of Exhortation To live this life of spiritual comfort 1 Three Motives Vnder the third is set forth ten Properties wherein a believers joy excels all natural worldly sinful joy 2 Means to get and maintain spiritual Joy Faith is acted seven ways for the increase of Joy Having seen how the Just live by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life It remains to shew how they live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life The Work of Faith about Eternal Life Faith assures of three things about Eternal Life 1 That there is an Eternal Life This Faith makes good by Scripture and five Reasons flowing by necessary Consequence from Scripture 2 Faith informs a Believer what the happiness of Eternal Life is and wherein it consists viz. In the perfect Vision of God which causes perfect transformation in perfect Knowledge Love Obedience Joy which perfect transformation causes perfect Satisfaction which Satisfaction consists privatively in a fivefold freedom from whatever may annoy or interrupt the Joy of glorified Saints positively in the possessing of whatever good can be desired to make up complete Joy and Satisfaction which consists in a fourfold fulness of the Subject in glory as also in the fulness of the Object viz. The beatifical Vision of God 3 Faith assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in Eternal Life Under which Head is shewn How Faith assures a Believer of his particular interest in Eternal Life This it doth six ways all which are largely handled Five Reasons why Believers are kept out of possession of heaven so long after assurance of their interest in Eternal Life Uses of living by Faith in order to Eternal life 1Vse Confutation of such who deny Eternal Life both in respect of the Soul at present and of the Body after the Resurrection Five proofs of Eternal Life 2Vse Reproof to five sorts of persons 1 To such as complain that Religion is a fruitless Profession 2 To such as despair in stead of acting Faith for Eternal Life 3 To such as exercise their fancy more than faith concerning Eternal Life where vain curiosity in moving Questions about the state of glory rather than a due care to make sure an interest in it is condemned 4 To such who have an interest in Eternal Life but do not act faith to the improvement of that interest 5 To such who minde Earth for a portion more than Eternal Glory 3Vse Examination of Faith in respect of Life Eternal Whether we believe aright that there is such a state and that we have an interest in it 1 Sign By our carriage in Life Whether our Affections Meditations Speeches and Actions be heavenly such as sute such an inheritance 2 Sign By our respect which we bear to Death viz. as a passage to Eternal Life as a conquered Enemy Four Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death for all his Question stated Whether godly persons may not be afraid to die and unfit to die 4Vse Exhortation To live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life Five Motives to get assurance of Eternal Life Four Means to assure of Eternal Life 5Vse Comfort and Encouragement against the evils and temptations of this present life drawn from the nature of our heavenly life where hope or assurance of heaven is demonstrated to bear up the heart under adversity and to preserve the Souls integrity under temptations of Prosperity 6Vse Admiration and Thankfulness for our heavenly life To excite to this the excellency of heaven is set out five ways 1 By the excellent Names or Titles given to it 2 By the excellent Properties of it which are four 3 By the excellent Price given for it 4 By the excellent Causes of it 5 By the excellent Effects of it Thankfulness for Eternal life demonstrated two ways Reasons for living by Faith The Eighth General Head or Quaere concerning the Life of Faith viz. What are the Reasons why God will have the just to live by Faith and why a Christian should be willing thus to live First sort of Reasons taken from a Believers Condition in the flesh This is set out in five particulars 1 Absence from the Lord. 2 Distance of time 'twixt the Promise and Performance 3 The necessity of keeping the Saints humble 4 Saints present state of Imprfection for whose direction and support the Word and the Ministery of it is afforded Question herestated concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Arguments of four sorts to prove it 5 Past Experiences of Gods faithfulness in fulfilling his Promises are given for a firm encouragement to exercise future Faith Three Grounds to expect that God will make good the same Promises for time to come Second sort of Reasons for living by Faith viz. The Relation betwixt Christ and Believers 1 Relation Christ is the Fountain of all Grace of whose fulness we receive onely by Faith 2 Relation Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Faith honours the Grace Faithfulness and Power of God Third sort of Reasons taken from the nature and use of Faith 1 It is our livelyhood with the difference of Faith under both Covenants 2 We first fell away from God by unbelief therefore he will recover his honour in
upon him Faith gathers ground upon God by such like Arguments as these 1. For himself I know God loved me in times past therefore sutely he loves me still Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea with an everlasting love have I loved thee c. He did good to me in time past therefore he will do good to me again Psal 77.5 I have considered the dayes of old Will the Lord cast off for ever I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High Psal 71.5 6 c. Thou art my hope O Lord from my youth c. 2. For the Church Isa 51.9 Awake awake O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old c. As if he had said Thy power is everlasting and thy Covenant is everlasting that 's the same for ever Ergo. Thus faith puts life in the soul by laying hold on time past Though times change Mal. 3 6. yet God changeth not 2. For Time Present Thus Faith lives upon God Time Present 1. In asking daily bread and all other necessaries because God promiseth to be the God of his people at all times and in all places for ever Heb. 13.5 Phil. 4.11 2. In being content with the present condition and believing that present dispensations are for our good Thus 1 Cor. 3. Present things are said to be ours Faith tells a man whatsoever is done in the course of Providence in Heaven or Earth it is ours and for our good Whereas unbelievers are never content with the present but alwayes Wishers and Woulders 3. For Time to Come Time Future All that God will ever do and that is much all shall be for our good come what can come Faith sayes My Father sits at the stern and guides all Unbelievers though well for the present are ever distrustfully careful for the morrow next day next year O what shall become of me and mine But the believer lives by his faith Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Heb. 13. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Thus he lives by faith in the several parts of Time past present and to come And faith in the one strengthens faith in the other 2 Cor. 1.10 Who hath delivered us and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Secondly for the Adjuncts of time Prosperity 2. Adjuncts of Time and Adversity good and evil dayes one or other Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye people God is a refuge for us 1. Faith in time of Prosperity 1. For Prosperity And as touching it we shall observe how the just lives by faith 1. In obtaining 2. In using 3. In parting with a prosperous condition 1. In seeking it 1. He lives by faith in obtaining Prosperity For faith both directs a man in the right order of seeking it viz. By seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousness of it in the first place and then expecting all other things to be added Mat. 6. Mat. 6.33 And they are the best riches that are thus got by way of consequence While the unbeliever hastes to be rich O cives cives c. and hath an evil eye Prov. 28.22 and cries Money money before all And faith also directs a right measure and moderation of Spirit in seeking Prov. 30.8 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me making us willing to be at Gods carving And moreover in the right means as giving understanding out of the Word to hate every false way Psal 119.128 not as the unbeliever who lives by his wits not by his faith First Negatively Faith seeks not Prosperity either by Vsury Prov. â—8 8 or by Cheating 1 Thess 4.6 or by Gaming Prov. 13.11 Which Gaming besides it hath no blessing is also the occasion of many sins as Covetousness Anger Blasphemy c. and believe it such sport will bring down judgement in earnest Secondly Affirmatively Faith directs to seek Prosperity 1. By Diligence in our Calling Prov. 10.4 The hand of the diligent maketh rich 2. By not trusting to our diligence but Gods promise to the diligent Prov. 10 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich Not sacrificing to our own Net but acknowledging with the Psalmist that unless the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it c. Psal 127.1 2. In using it 2. He lives by faith in the using of Prosperity As 1. with an humble diffidence in our selves and the creature lest when we are full of the world full of our selves by pride and security and self-confidence Prov 30 9. we should forget God The Moon at the full is furthest from the Sun and in greatest danger of Eclipse because the earth is then between Wherefore faith applies that Caveat Psal 62.10 When riches increase set not your heart on them 2. With an holy confidence in God when we have most as if still as poor as Job 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge the rich that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God c. Faith applies that charge It then crucifies a man to the world when he is full of the world 3. In not serving himself or his lusts but serving God in his good estate So did Job by the Devils own confession when he said Doth Job serve God for nought Job 1.10 To be rich in good works is made the right use of riches 1 Tim. 6. Honour the Lord with thy substance that 's the Command Prov. 3.9 An unbeliever sayes May I not do what I will with my own c He remembers not that what he hath is Gods and himself but a steward therefore he serves himself and makes provision for the flesh Rom. 13. to satisfie the lusts of pride of drunkenness of uncleanness c. When I fed them to the full they were as fed horses Jer. 5.7 A full-fed horse that lifts up his heel against his Master is unworthy of his provender But ordinarily this poor creature is more loving to his Master then men to God according to that complaint Isa 1.2 Lastly in laying his goods out to spiritual advantages so making friends of enemies for ordinarily no greater enemy to our salvation than these things friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness Luke 16 9. So to lay out is to lay up against a time of need not onely in the world to come but in this world Eccles 11.2 Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be on the earth Contrary to the reasoning of an unbeliever or churlish Nâ—bal 3. As he lives by faith in obtaining and using 3. In parting wiâ—h it so in being willing to part with a prosperous condition He that in prosperity terminates his desire in the creature lives by sense But he that terminates his desire in God lives by
promise And it was a blessing of the first Age of the World where God graciously provided that men should live longer because they were sown thinner Therefore some lived seven hundred years some eight hundred some nine hundred and odde but at last it is said of the best and strongest and longest of the Sons of Men Et mortuus est that he died That is the way of all flesh in regard of natural life But it is not the way of all flesh in regard of Spiritual life Joh. 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die His Soul shall never die though his Body die Fear not those that kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Matth. 10.18 they are not able to kill the Soul no nor are they able to kill the grace of the Soul Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Therefore say with David Oh let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Vse 6 6 Use is of Incouragement against all Discouragement That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance Of incouragement concerning Perseverance That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance and shall persevere in the grace and favour of God Nothing shall separate from the love of Christ There are four main Discouragements incident to a Christian in his earthly Pilgrimage 1. The inconstancy of Creatures towards Creatures 2. The Creatures inconstancy towards God 3. A mans weakness compared with the strength of enemies opposing 4. A mans own sinful Demerits daily forfeiting all his Mercies To which adde 5. The uncertainty of future Events But this Doctrine that the just lives by faith the life of Perseverance is a great Incouragement against all Discouragements First The inconstancy of the Creature 1. In the inconstancy of the Creature in it self Job 6.15 Job complains his friends had forsaken him like a deceitful brook that is full in raining times when there is no want of water and empty and dry in Summer heat or when there is greatest need For a man shall have many friends so long as God rains down showers of blessings from heaven upon him but if God once search him with the fiery trial of some such Judgement as dries up all his substance he shall hardly finde a drop of comfort from such as in time of prosperity did run in a full current of kindness towards him Well suppose it be so yet this is great Incouragement to a poor Believer when he can thus reason Well though my friends leave me upon earth yet Faith assures me Heb. 13. I have a friend in heaven that will not forsake me who doth usually let out most of himself to his people when they have the least of Creature-comforts he delights to visit his people in Egypt in the fiery Furnace His Servant John Baptist in the Isle of Patmos Paul and Silas in the Prison when they had little or no comfort from the Creature And what is Heaven but the Presence God Where there is most absence of the Creature viz. in Heaven where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage neither buying nor selling nor possessing nor rejoycing in the earthly Comforts of this life yet there is joy enough for all that when there is no Creature-comfort at all 1 Cor. 15. God himself shall be all in all And if the Presence of God it self alone shall be enough to make Heaven when all the world shall be left am I not bound to believe Gods Person is enough upon earth if all Creatures should forsake me If I can live by Faith the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from God what if I do not live by Sense the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from Creatures The former is Incouragement enough of it self 2. Creature-inconstancy towards God Secondly The second great Discouragement and indeed greater than the former is this The Creatures inconstancy towards God The Creatures goodness is as the morning dew Hos 6.4 that is soon gone O how quickly are they turned out of the way saith God Judg 2.17 Peter is ready to swear Allegeance to his Master and as ready almost to forswear with the same breath and do not think that thou hast a better heart than Peter had for as in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Prov. 27.19 One face is not more like another represented in water or in glass then one mans heart is naturally like another's All are very fickle and very inconstant in the love and service of God Now this is sometimes a great Discouragement to a gracious Soul Saith such a Soul I have such a base backsliding heart I shall never be able to hold out to the end what will become of me For thy answer Beware of Discouragement though thou art unconstant and unbelieving yet God is faithful and he hath promised to make thee constant and faithful or at least to heal thy unconstancy and unbelief 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself What if we believe not at all that 's not the meaning of it For he gives Faith when he intend Mercy but if there be intermissions and interruptions in our Faith or at least in the activity of our Faith yet God is faithful to heal our back-slidings and to love us freely Hos 14.4 And this is a great Incouragement Gods constancy in Covenant opposed to our fickleness and inconstancy He will so put his fear into our hearts as we shall never utterly depart from him Jerem. 32.40 Thirdly A third Discouragement 3. In our own weakness is our own Weakness as well as our own Inconstancy yea were we never so constant in our resolutions yet how weak are we in our performances We are weak our enemies strong our trials many and great and this is a great Discouragement to a gracious heart that howsoever the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak that should God leave us to ourselves we should fall away from him every day in which respect Christ commands us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation Mat 26.41 Well be it so that a Christian is so weak on the one side and his enemies so strong on the other yet Faith administers this notable incouragement in the sight and sense of all our enemies and greatest infirmities 1 Cor. 10.13 But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape and so the weakest believer if a true believer shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day Fourthly The fourth Discouragement 4. Against sinful distempers is a mans own sinful Distempers daily forfeiting
Therefore God tells us There is all the Reason in the world a man should live by Faith Therefore unreasonable men are said to be such as have no faith 2 Thess 3.2 because there is great reason a Christian man should live by Faith So though Faith be above Reason in some sense to wit above carnal corrupt Reason yet it is not above inlightned and rectified Reason There is manifold reason Reasons for living by faith why a Christian should be willing to live by Faith All may be reduced to three Heads 1. From a Believers Condition in the Flesh 2. From the Relation between Christ and a Believer First sort of Reasons 3. From the Nature and Vse of Faith First From a Believers Condition in the Flesh From our condition in the flesh For distance of place between the person that makes the Promise and the person to whom it is made requires the Evidence of Faith to assure of the Performance Now first The Believer is absent from the Lord 1. Absence from the Lord. and from the Presence of Jesus Christ Though he do enjoy in some measure the presence of his Grace yet so long as he lives here below he cannot enjoy the presence of his Glory He that is far distant from him that makes a Promise had need have some good Evidence and Obligation of his faithfulness and ability 2 Cor. 5.6 Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord from our last home What of that therefore saith the Apostle in the next words we walk by faith and not by sight As if he should have said He that hath not the Evidence of Sense had need have the Evidence of Faith from a sure Word of God But Gods People in this life have not the Evidence of Sense or Sight in their highest degree therefore they had need have the Evidence of Faith for their Security Their life is a Life of Faith for Faith is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 And that is the first Reason 2. Distance of time The second Reason is drawn from the great distance of time betwixt Gods Promise and the Performance of the thing promised Sometimes some scores some hundreds some thousands of years therefore Gods People stand in need of some Security in the mean time to assure them that God will make good his Word at the last Now this security is Faith and therefore observe the connexion of the Text to the former verse The just lives by his faith Why so because saith the third verse the Vision is for an appointed time Gods Promise manifested by Vision to the Prophet shall not presently be fulfilled but in its appointed time Therefore in the mean time the just man lives by his Faith he takes Gods bare Word for it he believes it shall be so The Spirit of God working by the Promise assures him it shall be so and this puts life into the Promise and life into him that apprehends the Promise Faith is a Christians Security till God pay in that which he is bound for in the Covenant of Free Grace It is just like the Witness and Seal to the Bond as He that believes sets to his Seal that God is true Joh. 3.30 So God himself by giving Faith sets to his Seal and Witness that he means truly and faithfully to perform his Promise 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself Now I say This Witness and Seal is very needful for the support of poor weak creatures because there is so great a time betwixt the Promise and the Performance It is nothing so much to rejoyce in the things promised when we see them fulfilled by the eye of Sense Luke 2. As old Simeon falls a singing when he saw Christ with his bodily eyes and embraced him in his very Arms he might well say with S. John That which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of life even that declare we unto you and therefore he could not but rejoyce But it was much more in old Father Abraham Ioh. 8. when he did so much rejoyce to see Christ and his day so many thousand years before he came into the world when he could see him no otherways but by the eye of Faith and yet he rejoyced as if he had been in Simeons condition as if Christ had been present with him at that very time because Faith assured him it should be so And in this respect all Believers stand in need of Faith because usually there is some good distance of time betwixt the Promise and the Performance and Faith is their Security in the mean time And that 's the second Reason The third Reason is this 3. Need of Humility To keep us in a continual frame of Humility God will have us to live by Faith as long as we live in this life For the truth is The best of Gods Servants in regard of remaining corruption when they possess much in hand they are apt to to be puft up with pride and self-confidence as Hezekiah was Isa 39. Therefore to that end that no flesh might glory in his presence look as God chooseth the weak and base and despised things of the world in their first conversion so he keeps them in such a manner of condition all their life long that by Faith they might be fain to go to him for every thing they want in Temporals and in Spirituals In Temporals they must live like Beggars they must beg of him their daily Bread and so in Spirituals also Mat. 6. they must go to God for new supplies of Grace and for new strength upon the performance of every new duty The most eminent Christian hath not grace beforehand in the stock for one year or day or hour not enough to perform the next Duty or to resist the next Tentation from Satan or the World 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but all our sufficiency is of God Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me But will Christ strengthen those to do any great matter whom he doth not strengthen to believe No surely According to thy faith be it unto thee Mat. 8.13 9.29 Therefore a Christian lives by Faith every day and in every duty He fetches strength from Christ as well as sight Isa 45.24 Surely c. Sight for the acceptance of my person Strength for the performance of my duty God feeds them and supplies them but onely from hand to mouth lest they should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. And the hand that receives to wit the hand of Faith is an empty hand too It brings nothing to God but it receives all from God but yet it receives not presently but tarries his leisure Nay God gives not onely the Gift it self but the very hand
submit to the Righteousness of God and so he falls short of the Life of Justification For the poor Self-denying Publican went down to his house justified rather than the other Note Whoever sets up Religious self in point of Justification he stands in his own light he sets up himself betwixt Christ and his own Soul For he is the true light who lightens every one that comes into the world And the Just shall live by Faith in him And therefore he that sets up Religious Self in the room of Christ he sins against his own Soul And thus some live upon other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Second sort reproved Such as profess Faith but live not by it Secondly It Reproves such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade So multitudes make a Profession of Faith and say I believe in God the Father Almighty c. and in Jesus Christ c. But when they have made this Profession they live not by this faith which they so solemnly profess Indeed many talk of it but few walk by it Many swear by it few live by it It is a rare thing to finde a man that makes use of his Faith in all his dealing Many make use of their carnal Reason and many make use of Sense but few make use of Faith in those things which are above the grasp of Sense and Reason Our Saviour Christ might well say Luk. 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he finde Faith upon the Earth Look upon the vast Globe of the Earth into what narrow compass they are brought that make any Profession of the Faith Doth not the Turk possess the greatest part of the Eastern World Amongst those that do profess the Faith for Name sake how many do fulfil that sad Prophecy of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Scripture speaketh expresly In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstrain from meats Is not this as lively a description of their Popish Doctrine as if the Apostle had been alive to see what they do and to hear what they speak at this day And doth not this Doctrine over-spread the greatest part of the Western World Besides whole Clouds of Errours and gross Opinions arising daily out of the Bottomless Pit and obscuring for the present the bright Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Is there not in these days a Resurrection of Hymeneus and Philetus or at least a Resurrection of loose Opinions who deny the Resurrection and say it is past already and by this means overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2 17 18. Again amongst those who do profess the true Faith for the Doctrinal part and are well principled in it how few are there that walk up to their Principles and so live by Faith in the practical part of their life That saying is fulfilled which is written Tit. 1 last They profess they know God and so they profess they believe in God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Though they make Profession of Faith look upon them in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and discoursing and in a word in the whole Series of their conversing with men you shall see no more of Faith in them saving the bare Profession than if they were very heathens And these are the second sort to be Reproved such as make Profession of the Faith but they live not by it Thirdly The third sort are such 3. Third sort Reproved Such as duly act not their Faith who not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not they live not by it As a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of improving what he hath So do some men in a Spiritual sense It may be God hath inrich'd them with the grace of Faith and yet at some times and in some cases they live as if they had no faith at all as in difficult duties especially in great and sudden Trials Like a young Fencer Simile when he meets with an unwonted stroke he is put besides his skill and besides his ordinary guard and throws down his weapons So did the Disciples upon the sudden storm Luk. 8.24 Insomuch as Christ says Where is your faith Faith they had indeed but there was none to be seen at that time And therefore in the other Evangelist Mark 4.40 Christ saith upon the same occasion How is it that ye have not faith What had they no faith at all were the Disciples Vnbelievers No certainly there 's no question but they had the habit of Faith but there was no apparent act of Faith and therefore they were justly reproved by their Master And so are all such who having the grace of Faith do not labour upon all occasions to make use of it and to improve it for their own and others best advantage For this is properly to live by Faith But many are too blame in this particular they suffer their Faith to lie asleep And we may say to such as Christ to the Disciples Where is your faith They act not their faith in the Precept or Promise upon all occasions living upon a Word from God as they ought to do and therefore we may say Where is your faith For as Faith is the life of the Soul so the Word is the life of Faith and God is the life of the Word And therefore such as live not by Faith upon a Word from God upon particular emergent occasions we may say Where is your faith To instance a little in some particular in regard of our 1. Actions 2 Passions and 3. Elections Whether in 1. Actions 1. For our Actions Doth God call for Obedience as a necessary fruit of Faith in such plain and known Duties and thou standest with a stiff neck and wilt not bow or buckle to the serious Performance thereof May we not say in this case Where is thy faith Is not the Word plain Faith worketh by love and If ye love me keep my Commandments Again doth God call for Mercy and Almsdeeds with Promise of a large Retribution and thou hardenest thy heart and knittest thy fist and bendest thy brows against the Poor Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Promise to ground thy faith upon Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given 2. Art thou in a prosperous Condition 2. Conditions Psal 62.10 and dost thou trust to thy Mountain of Prosperity O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word If riches increase set not
comfort yet a necessary qualification evidencing our right to comfort 297 298 Satan Satans rage should be a motive to perseverance 252 Satan is a great enemy to the comfort of the Saints 315 Reasons why Satan is such an enemy to faith 424 488 489 Satan presents and applies the Promises in a wrested sense and for licentious ends 511 512 Scriptures They are a staff to believing Pilgrims 403 Arguments to prove their Divine Authority 404 405 Accomplishment of Scripture-Prophecies is a whâ—tstone to sharpen our assent to their Divine Authority 406 407 There is all the reason in the world why we should believe the Scriptures 408 409 Sealing of the Spirit It is a consequent priviledge of believing 93 Security It is the off-spring of the Devil and Vnbelief 462 Security twofold Spiritual and Carnal 246 247 The Saints Security for a sevenfold treasure 243. 244 The best security for the best purchase 380 Seducers Their sleights to beguile unstable Souls 254 Seducers are the Devils Factors 604 Self Shifting self is shiftless folly 433 Self a great Impediment of faith 486 Its Cure 487 Self-love The blessing of it is a sign of growth in grace 205 206 There is a fivefold self contrary to the life of faith 431 432 433 Sense Living by Sense is a great impediment of faith 503 514 Sin It dishonours God and wrongs the Soul forsake it as the highest demonstration of ingratitude 393 395 Sins great defilement in five respects 155 Believers have sin remaining to be mortified 157 Life of sin lies in the will ergo subdue desires 158 Sin may revive where it is mortified 159 Comfort against the vigour and rigour of sin 169 170 Scandalous sins cause great sadness 312 Inordinate aggravation of sin sinks into sadness 312 313 Sincerity The excellency of sincere grace in that 't is durable 247 248 Sloth It recoils from the means of faith It s Cure 508 509 Society Good society is a means of begetting faith 533 534 535 Soul Eternal life of the Soul proved 356 357 See Life Eternal Speech Our speeches either condemn or justifie us 365 Spirit of God What its testimony and witness is 347 The Spirits testimony may be separated from its fruits 347 348 Difference 'twixt the Spirits in dwelling in Believers and common assistance in hypocrites 426 427 The Spirits perswasion out-weighs and quickens all means motives in drawing to Christ 454 455 We must pray for Gods free establishing Spirit 552 What Gods free Spirit is from what he sets believers free and how he establishes 552 553 554 555 See Free Spirit See Establishment Strength A believers strength 471 472 473 Strength to do duties and resist temptations a sign of growth 209 210 Strength to bear afflictions and injuries a sign of growth 210 211 Strength to bear others infirmities as also to shake off Ceremonies a signe of growth 211 Its part of our strength to be sensible of weakness 212 Success This in the improvement of natural life is fetcht in by faith and that in six respects 71 72 Sufficiency All sufficiency Self sufficiency Sole sufficiency in Christ 540 T Temptation The just live by faith in temptation 50 Satan tempts sinners to conceit God to be either all Mercy or all Justice 536 Yielding to temptations is a sign of weak faith 573 Such who tempt others to sin are Satans factors and shall have deep condemnation 604 605 Thankfulness Be thankful for the life of Justification 109 110 The Saints thankfulness for the blossomings of Eternal life 391 392 393 How that thankfulness is exprest 393 to 397 Thankfulness for faith with the grounds of it 449 Time The Just live by faith in respect of all the parts of Time 44 45. Tradition Traditional faith is unsound 40 41 Trial. True faith is tried by undergoing adversity 63 We must try our comforts by our graces and not our graces by our comforts 300 to 304 Triumph The triumph of damned Spirits over unbelievers 491 Troubles These are various yet the Saints live by faith in them 51 Manner of living by faith in troubles nine ways 55 56 Means of living by faith in troubles five ways 57 58 Trust Such reproved who say they trust God with their souls and yet cannot trust him for temporals 75 76 False trust on Creatures or Grace received hinders faith together with its Cure 498 499 V Valuation See Precious A Believer neither over nor under-values his natural life 74 Vision Vision of God fourfold 337 Perfect Vision causes perfect transformation ibid Vivification The liveliness of faith in the cure of spiritual deadness 171 What meant by Vivification 172 Reasons why the Just live by faith the life of Vivification 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Reproof of such who act not faith for Vivification 178 179 Motives to Vivification 179 180 Means to live the life of Vivification 184 185 186 187 Trial of true faith by its vivifying power 187 188 189 Vide Deadness Unbelief Unbelievers Unbelief is a piece of pride 3 It makes the heart and condition not right 4 5 Unbelievers lead a sordid life 8 Unbelief is the spring of sadness 307 308 309 Unbelief was the root of mans first Apostacy 415 Their dead condition 423 Humiliation for Unbelief 459 Unbelief is the Goliah-sin 460 Unbelief grieves the Spirit but pleases the Devil 461 The monstrous brood of Unbelief 462 The Unbeliever is the greatest Time-server 464 Unbelief is a Stepmother to grace 465 Unbelief is the Nurse that maintains life in every sin and which binds it on the Soul 465 466 Unbelief is a merciless Sequestrator 466 The Arraignment of Unbelief 467 Unbelief is the greatest Self-murther 470 The contrariety of presumption and despair unite in the Unbelievers ruine 510 Naturally we have hard unbelieving thoughts of God 536 Unbelief is a going out from God into our selves 539 Unchangeable Gods unchangeable nature is the cause of the Saints perseverance 239 Union Signs of spiritual actions flowing from Union with Christ 124 125 Union with God is unchangeable 50 Unregenerate Their Soul is no fit soil for comfort 309 310 See Regeneration Unsetledness In Gods truth its a sign of weak faith 571 W Watching Watching over one another is a means of perseverance 255 Wealth How the Just shall live by faith for it 70 Wisdom The believer is the onely wise builder 474 The believer is never at a stand because Christ is his Wisdom 475 476 477 Word See Ordinances Faith applies the Word of Christ for Sanctification 128 129 The Word mixt with faith is a means of growth 227 228 The Word is one of Christs Brests 293 How the Word works faith 443 Cavilling and mocking at the Word is the Seal of Vnbelief 494 The Word is the life of faith 517 The Word and Spirit go hand in hand 518 The Word both the object and instrument of faith 518 Living above the Word is living by a deluded fancy and not by faith such are neerer Hell 518 The Word is appointed to work faith not miracles 519 Every divine Word is an object of faith especially the Promise 520 Attendance on the Word a means to increase faith 574 Worldly World Worldly-mindedness reproved 361 362 Worldly-mindedness springs from unbelief 464 The VVorld tries fair means and foul to hinder faith 489 Wordly examples of the multitude not to be follow'd 490 FINIS
Contrariety uniting in the Unbelievers ruine ERRATA in the Body of the Book PAge 4. Line 5. read without God p. 9. l. 31. r. all comforts p. 12. l. 34. r. who give p. 16. l. 30. r. grace p. 17. l. 14. r. make p. 24. l. 26. r. delights p. 40. l. 31. r. this p. 43. l. 18. r. about it p. 44. l. 28. r. us p. 51. l. 11. for And r. Cured p. 57. l. 26. r. sees p. 77. l. 1. r. they have p. 100. r. unaccustomed p. 106. l. 34. r. our hands are taken off from our own righteousness p. 121. l. 22. r. and says O that p. 126. l. 9 r. us l. 11. r. but if p. 134. l. 18. r. glorifying l. 27. r. imputed p. 141. marg r. examination p. 148. l. 5. adde obtain p. 150. l. 4. adde the life of p. 174. l. 25. r. revive p. 198. l. 29. r. against which p. 198. l. 15. r. to exercise their common graces p. 217. l. 18. r. Rome be not l. 19. r. is p. 118. l. 21. r. worm p. 219. l. 7. r. it p. 219. marg r. 2 Peter 3.18 p. 257 l. 12. r. religio p. 264. l. 26. r. beâ—al p. 266 l. 22. r. in the womb p. 272. l. 4. r. place p. 281. l. 13. r. 1 Thess 3.8 p. 288. l. 34. r. uncomfortable p. 292 l. 25. r. and shall be sure of heaven p. 297. l. 13. r. one side p. 300. l. 19. 3. 1 Joh. 3. 14. p. 301. l. 34. r. Gen. 8. p. 301. l. 27. r. act of faith which is the testimony p. 307 l. r. fled for refuge p. 313. l. 7. r. 1 Joh. 1.7 l. 30. r. Gal. 5. p 315. l. 20. r. of the Lord l. 33. r. 6 and 7. p. 316. l. 9. r. all l. 34. r. cases p. 324. l. 13. r. mad man p. 330. l. 14. r. possess p. 333. l. 23. r. Psa 2.11 p. 335. l. last r. Luke 16. ult p. 341. l. 31. r. 2 Cor. 5.1 p. 363. marg 1. Phil. 1. p. 367. marg r. 1 Joh. 3. p. 367. l. last but l. 4. adde is p. 405. l. 26. r. Luke 1.70 p 433. l. 6. r. breadth p. 429. l. 15. r. Job 20.12 p. 448. l. 13. r. heart-tied p. 470 l. 21. r. every p 475. l. 17. r. that he p. 475 l. 25. r replied p. 476. l. 2. r guidance l. 17. r special l. 25. r stand in p. 490. mar r Mat. 7.23 p. 424. l. 34 r purified p. 505. l. 8. r all l. last r. remove p. 505. l. 24. r our p. 510. l. 22. r wait it â—ut to the last Man l. 31. r swarve p. 518. l. 16. r the Spirit p. 521. l. 34. r believe and whatever p. 531. l. 12. r thorow p. 539. l. last r at death p. 357 repeated should be 145 and 544 repeated should be 552 line 31. r wind p. 578. l. 5. r â—â—rse p. 581. l. 11 for saith r both p. 602. l. 8. r the same HABAKKUK 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith IN these words is set down a cleer Antithesis or opposition of two sorts viz. Beleevers and unbeleevers In both which we have their 1. Description 2. Condition 1. Their Description First An Unbleever is a proud man A Beleever is an humble man 2. An Unbeleever lives by sense A Beleever by faith 2. Their condition The one is not right the other is The Unbeleever is not right either in point of duty or in point of safety The Beleever is right in both In the words consider 1. the note of Attention Behold It is a thing worthy our best observation 2. The thing to be attended to His soul is not right in him but the just lives by his faith Exposition The words are diversly read but all to the same sense to make it the more full His soul quae elata est saith one Lifted up as into a Tower Psal 24.4 who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity 2. Others read it quae ebullat that swells like a bubble and so at last breaks in sunder 3. Others quae se subduxerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70 that withdrawes it self And to the Apostle cites it Heb. 10.22 If any man draw back c. 4. quae incredula est saith a 4th The unbeleeving soul is not right So the Chaldee Bible in a paraphrastical manenr expresseth it thus Ecce impii c. Behold the wicked say in their heart these things shall never come to passe But the just shall ba made strong in the truth of God All these readings do not cross but confirm one another For he that is lifted up his soul doth swell like a bubble he is full of aiery and empty conceits he that is thus swoln is a proud man he that is so proud is an unbeleever whoever is an unbeleever he withdraws himself first from God's service then from God's protection and by consequence his soul is not right in him The Apostle Heb. 10. speaks in the person of God My soul shall have no pleasure in him But that is all one too For Gods soul hath no pleasure in him whose soul is not upright in himself So then non est recta His soul is not right Not right in point of Duty For we cannot trust to God and trust to other things too 2. Not right in point of Safety For if God be a rock of confidence then he that makes other things his confidence doth as between two stooles between two rocks he makes shipwrack His soul within his life without is not right i.e. quiet firm and composed as the Hebraisme signifies but is unquiet uneven and unequal As a ship without anchour or ballast for want of faith his life is miserable and inconstant Observation Observe here How Pride and Unbleef Humility and Faith are coupled together A proud soul is ever an unbeleeving soul an humble soul is ever a faithfull soul For here A soul lifted up is opposed to a beleeving soul Psal 73.6 Understand it 1. Of Pride in the Dominion when a man is proud of his pride and weares it as a chain Otherwise it may be where it is as a pair of fetters 2. Of Pride also in the degrees the more pride the lesse faith See Jer. 13.15 Jer. 43.2 and 44.10 Habak 2.5 c. Vse 1 To teach us to judge the better of these sins the one aggravating the other and so to abhorre both We think it a small thing to admire our selves and the creature but in a same act there is a departing from the Lord by unbelief Jer. 17.5 On the other side we think it a small matter not to believe we think it a piece of humility O I am unworthy to believe but indeed it is a piece of pride Behold thy soul is not right Vse 2 2. For the Trial of our faith Questionlesse as the state of the body so the state of the soul
men he lives that life by vertue of his faith Object But it may be objected It is manifest that the Prophet here speaks of temporal deliverance from the Caldeans why then should we carry the words in a spiritual sense of the life of grace Answ There are good reasons for it 1 As the same blood of Christ purchased a sanctified use of temporal mercies as well as of spiritual so the same faith that lays hold on the one layth hold on the other Matth. 6. A man must first seek Gods Kingdome before he can have a sanctified use of temporal mercies He must first lay hold on Christ by faith before he can lay hold on temporal deliverances in him Rom. 8.32 God first gives us his Son and then with him all things The same faith that teacheth us to pray Give us this day our daily bread teacheth us also to pray Forgive us our trespasses 2 Because the holy Ghost who is the best Interpreter of all gives this Interpretation of the text Whereas a man might say 'T is not clear to me that the Prophet Habakkuk did mean any other living by faith than that which is concerning this present and temporal life yes saith the Apostle it is evident the words are to be understood in the largest latitude so as to compreheÌ„d the life of grace also the life of justification Gal. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the works of the Law in the sight of God it is evident and here it is evident Even by this testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk For the just shall live by faith Doct. 1 For the first Doct. then viz. Gods people are in a state of life by way of eminency But the just shall live The Doctrine ariseth cleerly from the opposition But c. q.d. The unbeleever lives not or if he doeth live it is a life of unquietness and full of danger For he is a sentenced man by the judgment of God's mouth and shall ere long be executed by the judgment of his hand And therefore his soul is not right in him but the life of a Beleever is full of safety full of peace and that in the worst times before the vision be fulfilled v. 3. Besides that the one lives but by sense the other by faith the one lives upon his pride and self-confidence but the other upon his humble dependance the one lives upon creatures the other upon God the one a natural the other a spirituâ—l life Therefore it is a more excellent life An unbeleever indeed hath a kind of life but it is not worth the name of life There 's defect in his very soul which should give life to all the rest But the just shall live If you would speak of life to the life 't is here to be found and no where else The unbeleevers's life being like a shadow is but a shadow of life as the Apostle Paul speaks of those wanton widows that live in pleasure they are dead while they live 1 Tim 5.6 They are quasi viventes but verè mortuae as living but dead But the just in the greatest pressures are quasi morientes but verè viventes as dying and behold we live 2 Cor. 6.9 One life is more excellent then another either in the The excellency of the life of Gods people in 7 things 1. Nature and kind of it 2. Fountain and Principle 3. Comforts of it 4 Measure 5 Safety and security 6. Continuance 7. End of it God's people live a more excellent life in all these respects 1. The kind of their life First In regard of the kind of life 'T is spiritual Natural life hath indeed an excellency in it but 't is common The spiritual life of grace is peculiar to God's peculiar people even to such whose names are written in the book of life This life consists in the union to communion of the soul with God 1 Joh. 1.3 And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Called 2 Pet. 1.4 a participation of the Divine nature and Eph. 4.24 conformity to Gods image in righteousness and holiness and is therefore the life of God 'T is a gracious 't is a glorious life and therefore must needs be excellent in the nature of it it is somthing indeed to live if it be but the life of a plant more to live the live of a beast better then that to live the life of a man or angel But best of all to live the life of God Secondly In regard of the fountain and principle of it 2. The principle of their life which is Christ as Mediatour True he is the Light that lightneth every one that comes into the world Joh. 1. But as Mediatour he is the Fountain of life only to his own people Joh. 6 57. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Wherefore Christ is said to be our life Col. 3 4. i. e. the fountain and principle of it An excellent life therefore it must needs be which hath such a spring to feed it Psal 36.9 With thee is the Fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Thirdly In regard of the Comforts of it 3. The Comforts of their life And indeed comfort is the life of life Not to live but to live comfortably is life indeed A life under discomforts is no better then death The Caldean beâ—ots himself The Just shall live comfortably by his faith nay death is better then that and preferred before it The life of a Christian is most comfortable whatsoever the world and devil would whisper into our ears They would perswade a man when once he turns to God Farewell and comforts But no such matter Thou shalt not loose thy delights but only exchange them for the better Mic. 6. Thou rejoycedst before in proserity at the sound of the Harp and the Violl in thy feasts But now thou art able to rejoyce in adversity at the sound of the Drum and noyse of Warre The truth is the worst of a Beleevers life is better then the best of a natural mans life and Moses chose it rather 1 Pet. 4. 2 Cor. 3. Heb. 11. And if his discomforts be such what are his comforts If in sufferings a glory rests on them how must their comforts needs exceed in glory Only none knowes them but they that tast them O tast and see Psal 34.8 A Straenger shall not intermeddle with this joy Prov. 14.10 Therefore 't is an excellent life for the comforts of it And if they want at any time earthly comforts they have a Comforter sent from Heaven instead of all Joh. 14. 4. Measure of it Fourthly In regard of the measure of it A man may live indeed if he have but so much as will keep life and soul together The Caldean shall decay the Just shall live but there is
perceive it not Trees though they do not grow are fitted for growth in winter 9. Propagation Ninthly If thou art alive know it not only by growth and augmentation but also by a desire of a propagation and conveiance of that life to others The Father delivers the lamp of his life to his son as one candle lights another So 't is in this life of grace it begets the like to it self Examine therefore whether thou art one like Pharaoh that seekest to kill the children of gace in the birth this is to play the tyrant nay the Devill Rev. 12. Or whether thou art like God and godly men that say as the Apostle Gal. 4.19 They desire to see Christ formed in others 10. Delightâ— Tenthly If alive what company delights thee Psal 16.2 my delight is in the Saints and the excellent The living converse with the living and not among Tombes unlesse they be possest as the man in the Gospel Why seek ye the living amongst the dead said the Angel Such are dead company as dead men Vse 4 Fourthly This informs us If the spiritual life be the most excellent life what is the worst murder Information of the worst murder Surely that which takes away the best life And that is the murder of the soul God commands in the sixth commandement Thou shalt do no murder Every man startles at that but many are found guilty of soul-murder See Ezek. 33 8. If the watchman warn not the blood of them that perish in their sins God will require at his hands This made Paul so careful to purge himself Act. 20.26 I am free of the blood of every one of you See also Ezek 13.18 Vse 5 Fifthly Bless God for this life where it is and makes much of it How desirable a thing as Gaius Thankfulness to have our souls prosper 3. Epist Joh 2. And if we find any decay remember the counsel to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.2 Be watchfull and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God But the Just shall live by his Faith DOCTRINE II. Whatsoever life the just man lives in a more excellent manner then other men he lives that life by vertue of his Faith Doct. 2 THE Apostle confesseth this was his life And what is the life of one faithful man as faithful is the life of all Gal. 2 20. The life that I live I live by the faith of the Son of God c. This is a lesson that is often taught and yet very hardly learned For as the life of a Christian is a hidden life so the means of conveyance of it is in a hidden way hidden and dark to a natural man This water of life runs as it were in a conduit-pipe under the ground A natural man perceives it not But the Just shall live by his Faith For the better unfolding of his mysterious and useful trade of living by faith we shall endeavour by God's assistance who is the Author and Finisher of our faith to shew these things Heb. 12.2 viz. First What Faith is Secondly What it is to live by Faith Thirdly Why living is by Faith rather then love c. Fourthly Who it is that lives by Faith Fifthly Whose Faith he lives by viz. his own Sixthly When and how long Seventhly What life it is he lives by Faith Eighthly The Reasons why Lastly What use we are to make of all QUEST I. What Faith is FOR the first You have the definition at least the description set down by the Holy Ghost Heb. 11.1 It is the subsistence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen For example tell a natural man of God's favour and the comforts of his Spirit and the future recompence of reward which is more worth then all the comforts of the world he thinks it a mere notion that there is no reality in it but all feigned But a Christian by faith seeth there is truth reality and subsistence in these things and in whatever God promiseth who calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 To whom all things are possible Mark 9.23 And thereby becomes a kind of omnipotent faith By others it is defined thus In general A believing the Gospel In particular Definition of Faith A gracious habit infused into the heart by the Spirit of God whereby the soul rests or rolls it self upon Christ in a way of promise for all things appertaining to life and godliness for Gods glory and it 's own salvation It is not then 1. a bare disposition but an habit 2. An habit not acquired by frequent acts but infused by the spirit called therefore 1 Cor. 4.17 the spirit of faith 3. Infused not into the head only but the heart Rom. 10.10 with the heart man believeth And therefore it stands more in affection than notion Indeed in faith there is both an Assent of the mind to the truth of the message sent to sinners indefinitely 1 Tim. 1.15 and a consent of heart and will to the goodness of it whereby this or that particular sinner receives it to himself Gal. 2.20 Christ Who loved Me. Joh 21. My Lord and my God which differ as a garment in the cloth and on the back Christ is put on by faith Fourthly We say whereby the soul rests or rolls its self or leans For assurance and full perswasion is not of the being of faith but the well-being There 's faith of Evidence and faith of Reliance Or rather there is a double evidence 1. Of sense 2. Of reliance Faith in Scripture is set out in regard of the latter in such terms as we have given Psal 37.5 Isa 50.10 Mark 9.24 Fifthly Vpon Christ Who is the main object of faith and it is not sufficient to believe in God out of Christ Joh 14.1 Ye believe in the Father believe also in me and otherwhere None cometh to the Father but by me Sixthly In way of a promise No promise no Christ Abraham laid hold on a promise in those extraordinary things as an ordinary mean Rom. 4.20 he staggered not at the promise through unbelief See 2 Pet. 1.3 Eph. 2.12 Covenant of promise c. Seventhly For all things c. First for Christ and then all things with him Rom. 8.32 Wherefore the promises in Christ are called Rich and Precious promises Eighthly For God's glory Rom. 4.20 gave glory to God and our own salvation Heb. 10. last that believe to the saving of the soul QUESTION II. What it is to live by Faith To live by Faith Ans TO live by Faith is not only by laying hold on Christ by faith to receive life by Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life Secondly But also in the use and exercise of faith to receive daily from Christ both the preservation and increase of this life Eph. 4.13 Thirdly Enabling a Christian by vertue
in expelling the enemies of spiritual life And so the just lives by his faith Act 15.9 By faith purifying their hearts Unbelief and other corruptions are deadly enemies to spiritual life Faith expels them and purifies the heart from them As the living fountain if dirt be cast into it never leaves working and working until it hath wrought it self cleer again So a beleeving heart if earthly thoughts from Satan like dirt be cast into it never leaves working till it hath wrought it self pure and fit for God's service 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man purge himself from these c. It overcomes and abandons all within and all without resists Satan 1 Pet 5.8 overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5.4 3. Nutritive faculty of faith Thirdly God makes use of faith in the Nutritive facultie or attractive faculty in drawing such things to it self as whereby is life nourished and maintained And so the just lives by his faith Faith like the first-born of graces though indeed they are all twins delight to be in the arms of God's mercy where it first receives life and there it lyes at the brest of the word at the nipple of the promises drawing virtue and strength and nourishment from them tasting every day how sweet and gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 Psal 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him q.d. by trusting in God we live upon God and taste how good he is For else we tempt God It were a miracle to live without meat But the more strength the more food 4. Digestive faculty of faith Fourthly God maketh use of faith in the Retentive and Digestive faculty turning the word into wholsome blood And so the just lives by his faith Whereas an unbeliever hearing the word receiving the food of his soul is like a man of a weak bad stomack no sooner is the meat down but it mixeth with some base humor up it comes again it will hold nothing to do it good So it is with an unbeliever not mixing the word with faith but being mixed with some base humour of pride or passion up it comes again with violence though it be in the very face of the Physician Prov. 9.2 He that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot But where the word is mixed with faith it meets with a good stomack and there it turnes into good nourishment the party grows and thrives and comes on in grace and so lives by faith as a man lives by a good stomack See Psal 36.7 8. They that put their trust under the shadow of Gods wings are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house c. Good meat doth well a good stomack is better Gods blessing upon both is the best of all and so it is in the life of Grace Fifthly God makes use of Faith in the Motive faculty 5. Motive faculty of Faith And so the just lives by his Faith For as bodily exercise profits much for bodily health when the Apostle sayes It profiteth little his meaning is in ordine ad spiritualia 1 Tim. 4. for doubtless as to bodily health it profiteth much it is instar omnium in stead of all Physick and without this the best diet in the world will be defective It is so with the soul Be the diet the means of grace never so good yet without exercise of grace and godliness all comes to nothing Now it is Faith and onely true Faith which puts a man upon profitable exercise Faith will not suffer a man to be idle in his calling It will not onely move his tongue though it will move that too Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak 2 Cor. 4.13 I believed therefore spake For he is a very dead-hearted Christian that hath the dead palsey in his tongue that cannot speak a word for God But it will move his hands also and his whole man to be active for God Jam. 2. Shew me thy faith by thy works Christians full of faith are full of action and so full of life See Acts 6.3 6 8 10 Whereas unbelievers are like sluggards with hand in bosome or like Idols of the Heathen Psal 115. having eyes and yet see not ears and hear not feet and walk not neither speak they through their throat and so prove dead for want of this exercise 6. Breathing faculty of Faith Sixthly God makes use of Faith in the Breathing faculty And so the just lives by his faith Breath is the Chariot of life called therefore The breath of life This breathing is twofold 1. Inspiration 2. Expiration these maintain life And both these in a spiritual sense do spring from Faith 1. Inspiration First for the act of Inspiration For howsoever every first inspiration of the Spirit gives life yet Faith draws more and more of this heavenly air from day to day for the maintaining and increasing of this life A man can no more live a spiritual life without the continual breathing of Gods Spirit into his soul than he can live a natural life without the continual sucking in of fresh air into his body And therefore it is observable Our blessed Saviour chose to convey the Holy Ghost under that similitude Joh. 20.22 He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost q. d. Ye can no more live the life of grace without my Spirit than you can live the life of nature without the breath of your nosthrils We are all by nature like Ezekiels dried bones Now it is the voice of Faith that cryes out Ezek. 37.9 O Breath breathe upon these slain that they may live And again when a man hath life and begins to exercise himself in the way of Gods Commandments he knows he cannot exercise to purpose unless it be in this fresh air of the Spirit Therefore Davids Faith put him upon this practice I opened my mouth saith he and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Psa 119.131 He took in fresh gales of the Spirit from day to day to uphold the vitals of the New man Secondly 2. Expiration There is another act of the Spirit in spiritual life and that is Expiration an holy breathing out of holy speeches and holy prayers And usually in proportion to our inspiration will be our expiration As in Nature 't is unwholesome to breathe out more then we suck in when the expence of spirits is beyond our receipts so also in grace when our expiration of holy speeches doth exceed our inspiration of the holy Spirit But when these go hand in hand all springs from Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of faith as it is written I believed therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak Faith will put a Christian upon it Faith is as it were the very breath of his nostrils Seventhly God makes use of Faith in the Augmentative or growing faculty And so the just lives by his Faith
7. Augmentative faculty of Faith As Faith grows for Rom. 1.17 the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith so other graces grow with it See 2 Thess 1.3 having mentioned the growing of their faith then follows And the charity of every one of you aboundeth So 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue c. all follow Faith Again 2 Pet. 3. last Grow in grace how and in the knowledge or faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. Not onely the truth but the measure of our Faith is seen by our works And so much for the second general Question What it is to live by Faith Onely now it were good to examine our selves upon all this Whether we do thus live by Faith making our particular application of our souls to each of the particulars fore-mentioned But I pass to the third Question QUESTION III. Why a Christian is said to live by Faith rather than any other Grace Reas 1 WHy not by Love or Thankefulness or Patience c The reason is in a word for what is said already may give light hereunto First because Faith is not onely the grace which receives Christ Joh. 1. 12. who is our Life but it is also the grace that receives all other grace from Christ Therefore Faith is the first link of all that Chain of Graces 2 Pet. 1.5 c. at least in order to their working Otherwise indeed we know all graces are infused simul semel in respect of their being and existence See Joh. 7.38 He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water The graces of the Spirit run into the Soul and out again in the issues of life and all through the conduit-pipe of Faith Indeed a Christian hath great use of other graces but Faith onely layes hold on Christ for all Sanctified knowledge saith There is an infinite fulness in Christ the fulness of a Fountain Faith saith This is all for me for he is my Husband then Prayer saiâ—h If all this be thine I will go and fetch it for thee and Thankefulness sayes I will return praise to God for it and that 's better than the receiving of mercies Psal 63.5 My soul shall be filled with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips It is plain therefore however spiritual life is much exercised in other graces as well as in Faith as in Prayer and Patience and Love and Thankfulness yet because Faith acts and exercises and puts life into all therefore a Christian is said rather to live by his Faith As may be seen Heb. 11. through the whole Chapter For Prayer is no prayer unless it be a prayer of Faith Jam 5. and Patience is no patience unless joyned with Faith Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Rev. 13. and so of all the rest Reas 2 Secondly Because Faith layes hold upon that Word by which man lives For man lives by the word of God Mat 4.4 Other graces are begotten by the Word but do not lay hold on the Word So as no word no means can profit us without Faith Reas 3 Thirdly Because when other graces and comforts to our sense lie dead and useless even then Faith lives and acts its part It is like the Cork that swims aloft when the Leads and all the Net is under water It is like the Card or Compass when Heaven and Earth fail no sight of Earth or Heaven or comfort from either when 't is a day of darkness and gloominess as that described Zeph. 1.15 or when 't is with us as it was in Pauls voyage Acts 27.13 to 26. neither sun nor star appearing for many dayes or a time as that Isa 50.10 wherein we sit in darkness and see no light yet then saith can trust in the Name of the Lord. It is as an Anchor in a storm so long as the Anchor holds there is hope but if that break there is no more governance of the Ship So Faith is compared Heb. 6.19 It is as the Widows Oyl when all other provision failed she lives upon that because she had a word from God So when all fail Faith shall not totally nor finally fail because there is a word from God which was spoken to Peter in person of all the faithful Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Or like the heart in the body though other parts be dead yet so long as the heart lives the man is alive Psa 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Thus David lived by Faith when all failed and by it thus speaks himself Psal 42.5 Why art thou disquieted O my soul still trust in God for I shall yet praise him When graces fail performances fail so that we abhor our selves and duties yet Faith sayes We are a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.5 by Jesus Christ When Paul cryed out Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am c. yet by Faith he can thank God through Jesus Christ When the Church is under water yet she can speak thus in Faith Mic. 7.8 Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy though I fall I shall rise again When Job considers his body turned to dust and worms Job 19.19 25. yet by Faith he sees my Redeemer lives c. Even when Patience failed in Job yet Faith failed not Though God kill all other graces and comforts and my soul too yet he shall not kill my Faith sayes he If he separate my soul from my body yet not Faith from my Soul If he kill me he shall not kill my Faith And therefore the just lives by Faith rather then other graces because when all is gone yet Faith remains and Faith remains because the Promise remains For ever O Lord thy word is setled in the heavens Psal 119.89 And this is the proper and principal meaning of this place Reas 4 Fourthly Because even then when neither graces nor comforts do fail yet then the just lives principally by his Faith 1. Because there is yet more to be believ'd then we already enjoy for we walk not yet by sight and therefore by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 2. Because Faith is surâ—r then any sense or feeling in the world When the Apostle had spoken of the glorious Vision and their being eye-witnesses 2 Pet. 1.19 yet sayes he We have a more sure word of prophecy c. Now 't is the property of Faith to live upon the word Vse 1 Therefore 1. Esteem of Faith as precious Faith precious above all other graces Vse 2 And learn That Faith serves not onely for manifestation that we are alive but to live by and maintain the life of all other graces QUESTION IV. Who it is that lives by his Faith Quest THe Text sayes The just Ob. But where
errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Thus much for Caution by way of Amplification Secondly by way of Restriction and there arise these Considerations Consid 1 1. Though sometimes in temporal respects the faith of one may do good for another yet not alwayes The case may be such as in Ezek. 14.20 Though Noah Daniel and Job were in the land as I live saith the Lord God they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters they shall save onely their own souls by their faith Nay Christ himself though he trusted in God his Father perfectly yet had not faith enough to save some temporally Mark 6.5 And he could there do no mighty work save that he laid his hand upon a few sick folk and healed them Take heed we never so harden our hearts against God as to be rendred uncapable of good by others faith and prayers for us Consid 2 2. Though one mans faith may procure much temporal good for another in many things yet it is not sanctified in any without an act of their own faith exercised in Word or Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 Every creature of God is sanctified to us by the word and prayer Moses had faith enough to obtain many temporal blessings for the people which because they had not faith to use them were turned into curses and judgements Psal 78.30 They were not enstranged from their lust but while the meat was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them Consid 3 3. Though natural Parents and spiritual Parents procure much good to their Children and People by their faith yet not 1. To all their Children and People alwayes Abraham could not do it for Ishmael Gen. 17. v. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee said he Paul could not do it for the Jews Rom. 9 1 2 3. I could wish my self accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelites and therefore carries away a heavy heart v. 2. 2. Not to any so that they shall have any comfort by it till they believe themselves Look as Parents convey a natural life under God to their children but they have no comfort in it till they live themselves till they see with their own eyes and breathe with their own nosthrils c. So it is in spirituall life though they may be means under God of conveying yet for all that the children do not live by their Parents faith nor people by their Ministers faith but children and people and all live by their own faith every man must stand upon his own bottome according to the foundation he rests upon The just shall live by his faith Consid 4 4. Though such as have been instruments of others conversion and faith shall have more joy and glory yet you must understand that onely of such as have faith themselves Onely such can say I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. I will not dispute whether an unbelieving Minister can beget faith in others I suppose it may be so Note else God himself by the mouth of the Apostle would not suppose it 1 Cor. 19 27. lest while I preach to others I my self become a cast-away They may be like the builders of Noahs Ark that made the Ark to save others but were drowned themselves But I suppose very rarely God doth honour them so But suppose it prove so I am perswaded it's little joy to them But as some carnal Parents complain they have so many children so they complain when any of Gods children spring up under their Ministery And surely their Consciences tell them that such must rise up in judgement against them another day Thou that teaehest another and by preaching convertest others teachest thou not thy self Rom. 2. Therefore such have no joy in others faith unless they believe themselves So that in every respect it is true in a sound sense The just shall live by his faith Vse Now for Vse Reproof 1 It reproves the dotage of the Papists that talk much of the Coblers Faith Against the â—aith of Papists who had no faith of his own but by saying he believed as the Church believed drove away the Devil And for my part I believe it may be true that the Devil was willing to be driven away upon these terms that he might confirm the blinde Papists in the Coblers Faith that is cobled up of Pride and Ignorance Pride in their great ones that think they have so much faith and grace to spare and Ignorance in their mean ones that are so silly as to think they may borrow or buy of others for love or money what they want themselves And therefore Mat. 25.9 as the five foolish Virgins they are sent to buy oyl for themselves of them that sell it Some conceive those words Go ye rather and buy to be not an Exhortation but a Derision of foolish people that think they may buy the Oyl of Grace of others As if a true Christian in the day of Judgement should say to an obstinate Papist then when he is glad to lay hold on the skirt of a Christian and say O let me go along with you and appear where you appear No we must look to our selves go your way to your Bishops and Priests and purchase your Pardons and Indulgences from them and see if they can save you from the wrath of the Lamb we cannot help you every man must live by his own faith Ezek. 18. as the soul that sins shall die the death so the soul onely that believes shall live this Spiritual and Eternal Life Repr 2 2. This reproves such carnal Professors as have no other faith Of them that pin their faith on others but what is pinn'd upon other mens sleeves Ask them why they are of his Faith and Religion rather then any other they can give no sound reason from the Word of God but rather from Tradition they received it by Tradition from their Elders their Fathers and Forefathers were of that Religion before them and therefore they will be so too Others it may be are profane and irreligious themselves but they hope God will shew them favour for their friends sake It may be their Father or Mother or some in the family are eminent in the faith and they hope they shall fare the better for their sake and that they shall slip into heaven under their wing or by taking hold on their skirts Certainly there may be a carnal confidence in spiritual friends Zech. 7. therefore the Apostle saith by way of prevention 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Alas it will be little comfort to a man that he hath kinred in Christ after the flesh that he hath been in his company many a time and oft and heard him preach and shewed some respect
obtain a better resurrection He that either undervalues or overvalues his life he murthers himself the one directly by loving danger the other indirectly and by consequent exposing himself to the judgement of God for Mat. 10.39 He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Thus the just lives by faith in regard of the good things of this natural or temporal life as well as of eternal life as he hath the promises for this life as well as for that which is to come Look as the same love and care in an earthly parent that moves him to give an inheritance to his Son at the last moves him to maintain him and provide for him in the mean time And the same spirit of filial dependance that moves the childe to depend upon his fathers love and care to provide him an inheritance moves him to depend upon him for maintenance in his minority So 't is in this case the same faith that moves us to depend upon God for eternal life moves us to depend upon him for the good things of this life and the one assures us of the other Luke 12.12 Fear not little flock viz. in regard of temporal provision for it is your heavenly fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome And in truth he that will not trust God for a penny will not trust him for a pound He that will not trust him for temporal life how will he trust him for eternal But so much for the first The believers living by faith in respect of the life which we call natural Some Use of this Branch Vse 1 1. Reproof to those that as they say trust God for eternal life yet trust not in him for temporal that trust him for their souls but not for their bodies for an heavenly inheritance but not for worldly estates Though there is promise for life and estate For estate Mat. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternal life For life Mat. 10.39 He that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Yet many will trust God no further then they can see him That whereas they say they love God above all the world c. indeed they love the world above God and so make a god of the World and are enemies to God according to what is written Jam. 4.4 1 Joh. 2.15 He that loves the world the love of the Father is not in him 2. Exhortation to live by faith in respect of this life and the things of this life And indeed God doth train up his servants to exercise faith for better things by exercising their faith first in things of lesser moment The Church in her infancy was trained up this way God first exercised her faith for earthly Canaan and then for that which is heavenly So 't is with each Christian in his infancy God doth first exercise his faith in things more sensible and then in things more spiritual And if we exercise not faith and faithfulness in these how can we exercise the same in things of higher concernment Luke 16.10 11. If ye have been unfaithful in the unrightâ—ous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches 'T is true all both good and bad possess the same life health wealth c. but some hold these upon better Tenure than others do Look as amongst men there are diversities of Tenures in reference to men some Copy hold some Free-hold and these we prize far above the other So in reference to God some hold by common Providence but some by Promise from God 1 Tim 4.8 Godliness hath the promise of this life c. These are Free-holders indeed John 8. If the Son make you free then you are free indeed as free from other sins so from usurpation of the creatures I do not deny but wicked men have a civil right to the creatures and that by Gods own appointment also but a wholesome and a sanctified use they have not This is proper only to the faithful Others are but Copy-holders at the will of the Lord and therefore forfeited that too but these are Free-holders they hold in Capite from Christ their Head and King 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods This is the best Tenure under heaven this is the sweetest enjoyment of the creatures Simile As Waters are sweetest that are drank out of the Fountain or at least in such a stream as is united to the Fountain Whereas all carnal men drink of the creatures as of Puddle-waters there 's neither that sweetnesse nor that wholesomenesse in the enjoyment of them their very table is made a snare and that which should have been for thâ—ir welfare becomes a gin and a trap Psal 69 22. And so like a company of Flesh-flies or venomous Wasps they are drowned in the very Honey-pot of worldly pleasures Their wealth is their utter undoing the prosperity of fools shall slay them Prov. 1.32 and that because they live not by Faith but by Sense they have no other wisdome in the enjoyment of the creatures but what is either earthly or sensual or devillish Jam 3.15 The unclean Spirit doth possesse them and what they know naturally as brute beasts even in those things they corrupt themselves Jude ver 10. As an unbeliever extracts some evil out of the greatest good upon earth as good creatures good meat and drink the bane of the Soul and the good Word of God 2 Cor. 2. the savour of death to them so a believer extracts some good out of the greatest evil out of the eater comes sweet meat Faith sucks sweet Honey out of the Lions carcase out of wasting and devouring afflictions out of the Rock of Offence that which is made a Rock of Offence to others is made a Rock of Defence and Shelter to them Look as the heavenly Bodies the Sun Moon and Stars have a strong influence upon these inferiour Bodies and make a sweet extraction from the earth from whence we have our Honey-dews that fall down into the Mothers lap in which they were first begotten as Job 38.28 hath the rain a father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew So this heavenly grace of faith which is no other than the arising of the Day-star and the shining of the Sun of Righteousnesse in our hearts hath a sweet influence upon these inferiour things and makes a sweet extraction from common experiments of Gods goodnesse and faithfulnesse in things of a lower nature from whence the Soul gathers many sweet Honey-dews of Gods unchangeable love and favour in Christ By this I know thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Psal 41.11 II. Spiritual life liv'd by faith Secondly In respect of Spiritual life the just lives by Faith
fruit of the lip peace peace c. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. He hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation not revelations without the word Psal 119.81 I hope in thy word that is the object of Faith No Word no Faith 2. Effects of New-birth Love 1. To God begetting this assurance 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2. To the Word by which begotten it 's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Not magnifie the Spirit to slight the Word John 14.26 The Spirit comforts by the Word and brings to remembrance 3. To the godly begotten of God 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten 4. To Holiness the fruit of all true assurance 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself This is no Doctrine of looseness as the Papists say Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt c. Ask doth thy Assurance make thee more holy c 3. By the Manner of working both in the work and after it There 's some difficulty therefore strait is the way strive to enter c. Mat. 7.14 1. In the first work therefore called a Birth John 3.5 When was any birth without pain A spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 I speak not this as if we should indulge our selves in these pangs so and so long I will not say how long hast thou been about it for Ephraim was a foolish son because he stayed so long in the place of breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 However it is difficult 2. After the work still some wrestling against Doubts Fears Reason No grace of the Spirit but it hath something of the Flesh to wrestle against Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit therefore they that never doubt after once they are assured but are alwayes alike have cause to suspect themselves that they are not right Philip. 3.12 Not as though already perfect saith the Apostle They that think they are at the top of the ladder at the first step it is likely they never set a step upon the ladder If you never doubted after believing faith was perfect at first and so no growth c. True faith is of a growing nature Obj. The heart is deceitful therefore fruits are no evidence Ans It 's true of Vnregenerate men not Regenerate such by proving may know Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. John 21 17. Peter could appeal Lord thou knowest that I love thee Salvation is far from the wicked though they may be confident 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God c. Psal 119.155 4. He lives by Faith 4. Objections against Assurance in answering all such Objections that might cloud and hinder his Assurance as the Sun dispels and scatters all clouds and mists that would hinder the light and heat thereof so the Sun of Righteousness by the powerful work of Faith dispels and scatters all such Objections and Doubts by which Satan and our corrupt hearts would hinder and darken the light and heat of our Assurance As for Example Obj. 1 Satan and thy corrupt heart objects Dost thou ever look to be forgiven that art guilty of such sins Thy sin is greater than can be forgiven Jer. 4.13 Ans Faith answers As great sinners as thou art have been forgiven Manasses Solomon Mary Magdalen and many more Though my sins are great sins not Mole-hills but Mountains yet God is a great God and his Mercies are very great he hath a sea of Mercy that is able to drown Mountains as well as Mole-hills The Mariners tell us the Sea is so deep in some places that they can finde no bottom no line will reach so far I am sure such is the Sea of Gods Mercy we cannot finde the bottom but must cry O altitudo O the depth c. Obj. 2 I am afraid I have out-stood my time and opportunity c. Ans Faith answers Eccles 9.4 To him that is joyned to the living there is hope especially if thou seekest God for his own sake because he is lovely in thine eyes Psal 69.32 Your hearts shall live that seek God Obj. 3 I am afraid I am not humbled enough and so God will not give me a good look Isa 66.2 Ans Faith answers The greatest humility in the world cannot deserve the favour of God If God hath but troubled thee so far to desire Christ upon his own terms with his Cross as well as his Crown then come and welcome if thou beest willing to put off the Devils yoke and to put on Christ's Mat. 11.28 29. All ye that are weary and heavy laden take my yoke upon you Obj. 4 But alas I am as a bullock accustomed to the yoke Ans The just not onely lives by faith in the Promises but Commandments Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments Rom. 14. the last Yea every Commandment hath the vertue of a Promise because God worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Ezek 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Obj. 5 But my heart is very hard I cannot repent nor believe as I ought Sermons do me little good Corrections no good I think there 's no body hath such a heart as I have so insensible so incorrigible Ans Faith answers If thou hadst no grace thou wouldst never complain so much for want of grace a man can never desire that he knows not or that he tastes not Jer. 31.18 Ephraim was in a good condition when he bemoaned himself Obj. 6 But me thinks saith Unbelief if I had any faith in my Soul I should have lively feeling and assurance of it Ans Faith answers There 's difference 'twixt believing and seeing betwixt faith and sense Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen There 's a twofold evidence the one of Sense the other of Faith Assurance by the witness and fruits of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Therefore it cryes out to God in stead of answering the doubts of Unbelief Lord I believe help my unbelief It 's a comfort to have a lively feeling but others may have Faith also Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed John 20.29 and that is certain for the conclusion of all That Soul that wrestles against the disease of unbelief hath some life of faith in it it is a justified Soul 5. He lives by Faith in the Expectation of Assurance 5. Expectation of assurance if he hath it not Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loved Isa 8.17 I
both the Life of Renovation and the Life of Fructification Now for the Use of both together Vse of all in general FIrst Let us hence Examine the truth of our Faith Vse 1. Example of Faith by its â—enoâ—â—â—ing â—ructifying If it be right then we live by it the Life of Sanctification in Renovation c. as well as of Justification Many say They live by Faith the Life of Justification but we see nothing in them of Sanctification Therefore their Faith is not true True Faith is full of Vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 adde to your faith vertue True Faith is an active grace As it is wrought powerfully Eph. 1.19 according to the working of his mighty power So it works powerfully Col. 2.12 it is called Faith of the operation of God Faith puts a Christian not onely upon all holy speeches Prayer Preaching and Conference are the breathings of Faith as 2 Cor. 4.13 I believed therefore have I spâ—ken Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the thing which we have seen and heard But also upon all holy actions and duties There is the work of faith twice mentioned 1 Thess 1.3 2 Thess 1.11 An idle Faith is vain Jam. 2. a dead faith and a dead Faith is as good as no Faith at all The Wisdom that is from above is full of good fruits Jam. 3.17 It is as impossible for a Christâ—an to live the Life of Justification without Sanctification as for a man to have life without breath Secondly It Reproves two sorts of people Vse 2. Reproof to Papists and carnal Professors Papists on the one side and carnal Professors on the other side who separate these two precious Lives which God hath inseparably joined together Justification and Sanctification Being Twins or Sisters of the same Womb and ever born and brought forth together in the Christian Soul Other Twins may die at least one of them but these live and die together yea they live and never die As Jacob took hold of the heel of his brother so the Life of Sanctification follows the Life of Justification close at the heels 1 Cor 6 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified As you cannot separate the light of the fire from the heat thereof no more can you separate the light of Faith in Justification from the heat of Faith in Sanctification Mat 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire And yet I say Papists on the one side and Carnal Professors on the other side seperate these two precious Lives or at least they would cause one of these Sister-Twins to devour the other The Papists make Sanctification to devour Justification and the Carnal Professor makes Justification to devour Sanctification First the Papists make Sanctification to devour Justification For they say in effect Our Sanctification is our Justification For they say to justifie is onely to make just by inherent Righteousness Again they make Remission of sin not to be the Pardon of sin but the utter deletion or expulsion of sin by infusion of Righteousness as darkness is expell'd by light and cold by heat Thus they make Justification wholly to consist in the parts of Sanctification For whereas Sanctification is partly Privative which we call Mortification and partly Positive which we call Vivification which is either Habitual Vide Down p. 50. Papists make sanctification to devour justification Carnal Professors è contr consisting in the habits of grace or Outward and Actual consisting in the exercise of that grace in the fruit of good works All this and onely this they make the matter of their Justification And so they make Sanctification to devour Justification On the other side Carnal Professors they make Justification to devour Sanctification O say they our Justification is our Sanctification we have no holiness in our selves And thus the Devil drives men to extremes and like a cunning Wrestler he twitches on both sides For the first of these Opinions proceeds from Pride and Presumption The other from false and feigned Humility joyned with Despondency and with a kinde of spiritual sloth and laziness of Spirit O sayes the Papist we have no righteousness in Christ onely Christ hath merited that we should merit And Rank Pride is the root of this Opinion O Rank Pride the root of Pâ—pish sanctity sayes the Carnal Professor we have no righteousness nor holiness in our selves Alas what can we do 't is all one whether we do any thing or nothing we have no Righteousness or Sanctification but in Christ And thus as with a wet finger he shakes off all the duties of godliness and this springs as I said from false or feigned Humility Feigned humility and â—â—ziness of spirit the root of Libertinism and laziness of Spirit This is the sluggards hinge upon which he turns himself about to no purpose As good never a whit saith he as never the better When you press him to duty he holds up this as Ajax his Shield to bear off all blows Tell him of his Omissions and Commissions O sayes he Christ is my Righteousness and Sanctification as if he might sin that grace might abound or that grace had abounded that he might sin But you see this Errour confuted There is a Sanctification in Gods people inherent besides that which is in Christ The just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Therefore justly are reprov'd such Christians as bury themselves above ground As Cato said of Idleness it is vivi hominis sepultura Such indeed are dead whilest they live 1 Tim. 5 6. As good be out of the world as do no good in the world meer cumber-grounds Luke 13. Third Use may be a just Apologie for true Christians Vse 3. Protestants apologie against Papists who say we deny the use of good works against the unjust Cavil of Antichristian and Popish Spirits who say That because we teach a man is justified by Faith alone therefore he is justified by such Faith as is alone But there is a great deal of difference betwixt these two Assertions Though they differ not much in words yet they differ much in sense There is difference betwixt Fide Solâ and Fide Solitariâ Faith alone and Faith that is alone To make it plain by Similitude Suppose Esther attended with her Maids goes in to the King to beg the life of her people Esther alone obtains their life but not Esther when she was alone for she was attended by her Maids and they were witnesses of the fact So Faith alone through Christ obtains the life of Justification but not Faith as alone in the person for it is ever attended with good works that are witnesses of that life Or as a man that is guided in his way by the benefit of a Torch he is onely guided by the light of the fire but that is never alone for it is accompanied with heat So a Christian man he is guided in his way to
have most grace do most seek Gods glory Isa 25.3 The strong people shall glorifie thy Name and the more Job saw of God the more he debased himself Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees thee therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Thus we are to examine whether we do increase or no. And 2. Is that increase the increase of God Exam. 2. What is the increase of God 1. For the Author 2. For the Matter 3. For the Manner 4. For the Measure 1. There is an increase which is but the increase of the Creature a natural increase which a natural man may attain to in the exercise of Moral Vertues the habit whereof is strengthned by frequent acts for Rom. 2.14 They do by nature the things contained in the Law This onely makes the increase of the natural man 2. There is a Diabolical increase when a man is puft up with knowledge with a superstitious observation of a voluntary Humility in meats and drinks and days Col. 2.16 17 18 19. and worshipping of Saints and Angels It is an easie matter to increase in this kinde of devotion the Devil will be a mans Tutor in this School this is but a Diabolical increase It may be truly said of such persons Non crescunt sed turgent They do not grow but swell like some excrescence like a Byle or Wen upon the Body it hath no kindely growth from the Head but unnatural Tumour from some vicious humour Hab. 2.4 His soul which is lifted up or which is swoln is not upright in him But 3. there is an increase which is cald the encrease of God Col. 2.19 First as God is the Author of it not any Creature 1. Author of Divine increase As God begins this life so he carries it on Joh. 1.13 They that believe are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of the will of God And he increaseth it Phil. 1.6 He begins the good work and he will perform or finish it to the day of Christ Secondly for the Matter of it True Humility 2. Matter Self-denial saving Faith which are Graces incommunicable to natural men and hypocrites These are graces which do accompany Salvation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.9 And they are God's for the matter of them under a more special consideration Thirdly for the Manner 3. Manner The increase of God is uniform and proportionable such a man increaseth in all parts alike Head Heart Hands Feet and all he increaseth in the knowledge of the Truth and the love of the Truth proportionably But now the increase of the Hypocrite is very uneven and unequal a monstrous increase like the increase of some Monster Simile that hath a great Head and a little narrow Brest without Hands and Feet such is the increase of an hypocrite he may have a great Head a great deal of superficial knowledge but a narrow Brest no love to the Truth no Hands to practice that which is good no Feet to walk with God This is a monstrous increase 4. Measure Fourthly for the Measure The increase of God is a great increase as in Scripture Trees of God signifie great Trees and Mountains of God great Mountains so the increase of God is a great increase Though the beginnings of such as have the truth of grace be small yet their latter end doth greatly increase Job 8.7 Every gracious person goes beyond an hypocrite he grows beyond the sphere of his activity beyond the sphere of nature or art and so he increaseth not with the increase of a Creature but with the increase of God 2 Coloss 19. Q. But will some say If we must thus judge of our growth then I fear I have no Faith no Grace because I cannot perceive that I grow unless it be downward methinks I grow worse and worse therefore I fear I have no Grace What to judge in sense of want of growth Ans 1. Possibly thou hast none indeed therefore examine whether ever thou wert soundly humbled or no so as to be effectually driven home to Christ and hast received him for thy King and Prophet as well as Priest A. 2. If so yet know it 's possible for a gracious person for want of watchfulness in the use of Means to stand at a stay or to decline and fall back Q. But you will say What then is the difference between the falling back of an Hypocrite and a true Believer Ans 1. The Believer is humbled when he loseth ground Difference of drawing back therefore he cries out as David Psal 119. ult I have gone astray like a lost sheep Lord seek thy servant but so doth not the Hypocrite A. 2. A Believer recovers himself again ere it be long and gets strength by his fall as Peter did but an Hypocrite doth not so but still goes down the stream and will never take the pains to row up again A. 3. Whereas thou saist Thou dost not grow it may be it is with thy Soul as with Trees in Winter though they do not grow above-ground yet they grow under-ground though they do not grow in the branches yet they grow in the root and the growth of the root in the Winter will further the growth of the branches when Summer comes And this is Gods method with his people he makes them first grow in the root before they grow in the branches Isa 37.31 The remnant of the house of Judah shall take root downward and then they shall bring forth fruit upward Now it may be thou dost not grow so much upward for the present which is the grief of thy Soul yet for thy comfort if thou growest more downward in Humility and Self-denial and Self-abhorrency thy condition is good and the Spring of Grace will come upon thy Soul ere long when thou shalt hear that comfortable voice of Jesus Christ Cant. 2.10 11 13. Rise up my love and come away for lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come c. So that even your complaining of your want of growth may be a sign of your growing in the root I had rather hear an humble Soul say Alas I am wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked then to hear a proud Pharisaical Laodicean say God I thank thee I am not as other men I am rich and increast with goods and have need of nothing A. 4. I answer Whereas thou saist thou dost not grow it is not an easie matter to perceive growth very suddenly If a man stands and looks on a Tree never so long he cannot perceive it to grow but if he take the height of it and come again five or six years after he shall easily perceive it is grown And so it is in grace it is not easie for the present
IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. PERSEVERANCE THe just man lives by Faith in reference to the Conservation of life or Perseverance He draws from Christ confirming vertue and this doth fitly follow the former yea it is that which sets a crown upon all the rest For otherwise should a Christian grow never so rich in grace if it might be said of his Spiritual riches as the Prophet Jeremy speaks of the Temporal riches of the wicked Jer. 17 11. He shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a fool what were he the better for all his growth Now this is the very crown of Augmentation and Fructification that as he lives by Faith for the present so his Faith carries him on still to be faithful unto death that he may receive from God a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And that this is also the meaning of the Text you may see by the words themselves and by the application of them by the Apostle 1. By the words themselves for it is not said The just doth live by his Faith but The just shall live vivet therefore saith Calvin upon the place Futurum tempus vitae perpetuitatem designat The Future Tense points out the perpetuity of this life He begins that life by Faith which shall never have an end 2. This is clear by the Apostles Application and Interpretation of the Text Heb. 10.37 where the Apostle perswading to patient continuance in well-doing he brings this very Scripture for an encouragment The just shall live by faith he shall so live as to go on and persevere in his Christian course And that this is the very sense doth plainly appear by its opposite member But if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Where we see clearly drawing back or falling off is directly opposed to living by Faith So that to live by Faith in the sense of the Text and in the sense of the Apostle who best knew the meaning of the Text it is to live by Faith the Life of Conservatior He draws from Christ conserving vertue and so lives by Faith in reference to Conservation and Perseverance Two things therefore we are to shew Two Propopositions First That the just doth Persevere Secondly That he lives this Life of Perseverance by Faith 1. The just doth Persevere 1. That the just doth so live as that he shall persevere and hold out to the end Solomon tells us That the righteous is an everlasting foundation Prov. 19.25 a foundation that never shall decay Our Saviour Christ compares him Mat. 7.24 to a building founded on a Rock that out-stands all winds and weather David compares him to a Mountain a Mountain that cannot be removed Psal 125 1. The Prophet Isaiah gives him a Name An Everlasting Name that shall not be cut off Isa 56.5 S. Peter compares his beginning to Seed Immortal seed that shall never die 1 Pet. 1.23 The Psalmist compares him to a Tree a Tree planted by the rivers of waters that shall never wither Psal 1.3 Our Saviour himself calls the gift of saving grace The good part or portion that shall never be taken away Luke 10.42 and therefore it is fitly compared to fire to that holy fire which came down from heaven that never went out Levit. 6.12 13. If once that holy fire of grace be kindled in a believers heart it shall never go out Mat. 12.20 He shall not quench the smoking flax till he send forth judgement into victory Poor weak Christian is thy judgement right for God onely thy grace is so weak there is as much smoke of corruption as there is fire of good affection yet let this support thee He shall not quench the smoking flax Obj. But though Christ do not quench it or put it out himself yet something else may blow it out or pluck it from us Corruption and Satan and the World are very strong Ans As Christ will not quench it himself so he will not suffer it to be quenched by any opposite power whatsoever Job 10.28 No man shall pluck them out of my hands The Apostle was confident of this Rom. 8.35 c. Who shall separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ c. Shall tribulation or distress or famine or nakedness The Apostle is not onely assured against these but against all that Life or Death or Angels or Powers c. can do to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ The just then shall persevere 2. Perseverance is by vertue of Faith 2. He perseveres by vertue of his faith He lives by Faith the Life of Conservation 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation Which words are are set down as an argument of strong consolation to Gods people against that great Temptation of Backsliding by reason of their own weakness and their enemies power For whereas it was said in the former verse there was an incorruptible inheritance reserved for them in Heaven they might object But alas we fear our grace is not incorruptible though the Kingdom of Heaven fades not away yet our grace may fade away and so we may fall short of that Kingdom For their comfort he tells them as the Kingdom is kept for them so they are kept for the Kingdom and how kept through Faith Who are kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation Hence Faith is compared to a Shield not an ordinary one but to such a Shield as enables the Souldier to fight it out to see the last enemy slain to persevere to the end of the Battel Rom. 8. yea to be more than Conquerors even to conquer Principalities and Powers c. therefore saith the Apostle Take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand Eph. 6.13 Mark that Christian Souldier onely withstands his enemy as he should that in the right use of his Spiritual Armour is able to stand it out unto the last And I pray what is the principal part of this Spiritual Armour Is it not Faith ver 16. Above all taking the Shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one As if he should have said Faith is all in all and without this all the other parts of the Armour as good as nothing By this we withstand all our enemies and having done all are able to stand it out to the last So that a Christians life is conserved by Faith Come we now to the Reason 1. Why the just man perseveres 2. Why by Faith 1. Why the just perseveres Reasons 1. Why the just shall persevere 1 Rat. is drawn from Gods Everlasting Purpose of Election What did God Elect his people unto No less than to Eternal Life Act 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed He doth
thou judgest Therefore though God forsake his people in some sense yet in the main he never forsakes them and if he never forsake us we shall never forsake him and this is great incouragement against the greatest discouragements we can meet with in our Christian course Thus have you heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Conservation BRANCH VII IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. CONSOLATION VVE come now to the last which is the Life of Consolation which God makes the sweet closure of all the rest and indeed Christ reserves the best wine till last Ioh. 2. The Devil feeds his followers with sweet Comfits at first but he gives them a deadly Pill at last But Christ gives the bitter at first and the sweet at last At the last the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation You have heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification in laying hold on the righteousness of Christ and making it his own You have heard also how he lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification whereby the believing Soul draws vertue from Christ and that either Renewing Fructifying Mortifying Quickning Increasing Confirming Comforting Vertue So he lives the Life of Renovation Fructification Mortification Vivification Augmentation Conservation or Perseverance Consolation So that we are come to the last to the highest Stair on this side Heaven The just goes on so far from strength to strength and from faith to faith and from life to life till at the last with great delight he sits down under the shadow of Jesus Christ and his fruit is sweet unto his taste Cant. 2.2 He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation he is a true Disciple of his heavenly Master he hath taken all his Degrees in the School of Christ his Grace hath past from the Life of Justification to the Life of Sanctification and herein from the Life of Renovation to the Life of Fructification from the Life of Fructification to the Life of Mortification from the Life of Mortification to the Life of Vivification from the Life of Vivification to the Life of Augmentation from the Life of Augmentation to the Life of Conservation from the Life of Conservation to the Life of Consolation and now he is as high as he can go till he enter into Heaven it self Yea the Life of Consolation is a piece of Heaven like the the sheet in Peters Vision let down to the earth and so the just in believing is transformed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. as by the Spirit of our God He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation And indeed this is the proper use and effect of Faith to rejoyce the heart though not always an immediate effect especially to our sense and feeling yet we may safely say The seed of Peace and the seed of Joy is sown in the heart so soon as ever a man believeth Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright in heart though it may be he reaps the full Harvest many a year after There is first the sprouting and then the blade and then the ear and after that the full Corn in the ear Mar. 4.28 And look as it is in the rising of the Sun though there be light at the first in some measure yet there is but a little light and less heat in comparison of that which follows So in the first manifestations of the Sun of Righteousness to the Soul there is some light of knowledge and some heat of comfort at the very first but little in comparison of that which shall be And therefore the just lives by Faith in expectation of a glorious Noon-tide of Peace and joy to follow after and in the mean time the more he increaseth his Faith the more he increaseth his Joy You may easily see it in your selves and others It is possible a person may be both justified and sanctified he may live both these lives and yet for the present he may be much to seek in his comfort in his own sense and apprehension he may be in sad and as it were in a dead condition for want of comfort and therefore in due time by the exercise of Faith God addes to both the former the Life of Consolation which is more properly called Life Indeed it is the very Life of our lives for what is life without comfort but a living death When Adam had tasted of the forbidden fruit he did not die presently if we take it in a strict sense but he was made subject to all diseases and all kinde of miseries which is all one as if he had been dead it is a dying daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Whereas on the other side comfort and joy is called Life in Scripture phrase they are used promiscuously sometimes Life is put for Joy and Joy is put for Life as if they were all one Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning All one as if he had said Life comes in the morning according to the former expression In thy favour is life The Philosophers have a Position Nec voluptas sine vitâ nec vita sine voluptate Pleasure cannot be without life nor life without some kinde of pleasure And it is true in Divinity he onely deserves the name of a living man who injoys some comfort in his life And indeed Eternal Life is nothing else but Eternal Joy For otherwise the wicked shall live eternally if we take the word in the largest sense but their Eternal Life is called Eternal Death because they live not in Joy but Misery So that it 's clear to live most properly is to live comfortably 1 Thess 1.3 Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. We live how is that Did not the Apostle live both the life of Nature and the life of Grace whether the Thessalonians should stand or fall Without all question he did but his meaning is Now we live comfortably if ye stand fast in the Lord which life is onely worth the name of a life So that when it is said The just shall live by Faith the meaning is he shall live a sweet and comfortable life whatever his outward troubles may be he shall not want sweet supports and comforts within he shall even then live by his Faith And that this is the sense of the Text in the latitude of it seems to be clear by the opposite member as the Life of Gods People is opposed to the Life of the Caldeans their enemies and so the Joy of the one to the Joy of the other Their enemies have a kinde of superficial flashing joy arising from the immoderate use or abuse of the Creature and this joy tickles them or puffs them up for the present In which respect the Caldean is compared to a drunken man who you know thinks himself the onely merry man in the world he is merry as Cup and
Cann while the spirit of the Wine is in him and his heart is lifted up he thinks there is none so merry as himself But behold his heart that is thus lifted up is not right in him or as some expound it it is not quiet in him he hath no true peace or solid joy but even as it is with a drunken man it may be the next morning when the spirit of Wine is gone his heart sinks down as Nabals did as heavy and as dead as a stone and therefore his heart that is thus lifted up with carnal joy is not quiet it is not right But the Just shall live by his faith that is to say He shall live comfortably as the strength of the opposition doth necessitate the sense he shall live comfortably in the midst of troubles as the other lives troublesomely in the midst of comforts For as an unbeliever hath inward troubles and unquietness of spirit in the midst of all outward comforts so a believer hath inward comforts in the midst of all outward troubles Be his condition what it will be or what it can be in other respects yet the just shall rejoyce 2 Cor. 6.9 As sorrowing saith the Apostle yet always rejoycing And what resolves this Riddle but the Mystery of Faith For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation For Method we shall first prove it That the just doth live by Faith the Life of Consolation and give Reasons for it Two Propositions First why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation and Secondly why he is said to live this Life by Faith and then we shall endevour to apply it Propos 1. That the just lives the Life of Consolation 1. The just doth live the Life of Consolation Comfort is the proper Portion of Gods People Isa 40. Comfort ye comfort ye me people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem God commands his people to speak comfortably to his own People But he never commands his People to preach comfort to the wicked whilst they remain so Isa 57. ult no There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And God complains of such Ministers as make sad the heart of the righteous and strengthen the hands of the wicked by Preaching Peace and Comfort to them whilst they continue in their sins Ezek 13.22 because with lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked ways by promising him life for True joy is the Portion of the just The just lives the Life of Consolation 2. He lives this Life by Faith Propos 2. The just lives the Life of Consolation by his Faith As his Faith doth Justifie so his Faith doth Comfort him not originally but instrumentally It is the Conduit-pipe of Comfort as well as of Grace The just live by Faith the Life of Consolation God gives faithful men leave to be chearful Psal 5.11 Let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce yea let them shout for joy Nay he commands them to be chearful Luk. 8.48 And he said unto her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Mark he commands her to be of good comfort and why not so much because she was whole as because Faith had healed her and so she had inward peace as well as outward healing Thence it is that Joy and Faith are usually coupled together in Scripture Phil. 1.25 and joy of faith It is called The Joy of faith as if all true Joy did come from Faith 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing saith the Apostle ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Mark when they were full of afflictions and full of temptations as appears by the connexion yet they were full of glorious joy And how came that to pass but by vertue of their Faith In whom believing ye rejoyce c. That 's the reason why the Apostle would pray for the increase of the Peoples joy when he prays for the increase of their Faith Rom. 13.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost As if there were no joy without faith and the more faith the more joy No sooner did the Eunuch believe Act. 8 39. but the Text says he went on his way rejoycing as if he felt not the ground he went upon his joy was a pleasant companion by the way who is as good as a Chariot No sooner did the trembling Jaylor believe but it was said Act. 16.34 He set meat before the Apostles and rejoyced believing in God with all his houshold It was the merriest meals meat that he made in all his life I do not say that all believers have the same degree of joy much less that they have the same joy at the first 't is enough that they have the seed of joy Suppose it were a wet and troublesome Seed-time it may be they sow in tears yet this is sufficient security God hath given us his Word for it in due time thou shalt reap and reap in joy if they faint not Therefore let all those that put their trust in God rejoyce But we come to the Reasons Reasons First Why God will have the just to live the Life of Consolation Secondly Why he is said to live this Life by Faith 1. Why God will have the just live comfortably For the first God will have the just live by Faith the Life of Consolation because it makes much for the Glory of God he delights in the service we perform to him when we our selves delight in it also 1. For his honor As God loves a chearful giver so he loves a chearful worshipper Psal 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his Presence with a song The chearfulness of the service commends the Masters service You may well think there is the wine of Consolation in the heart where you see the oyl of Gladness in the countenance Therefore God glads the hearts of his Servants by the grace of Faith that their very countenance and carriage may commend his service to all the world 'T is true indeed the service of Christ is called a burthen Mat. 11. and a yoke and 't is so for our corrupt nature but so far as we are spiritual although the yoke is rough you see nothing at the first but Afflictions and Persecutions and Self-denial yet the inside is smooth and easie 't is tied on with the silken string of Love and stuft with nothing but Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost It 's better to feel than to see for many have boggled at the yoke that have but look'd upon it afar off but never any that took it up and wore it but highly commended it to be the sweetest and easiest
because we neglect the Seal of the Word It may be in a Womans Brests if one be dried up the other may be the fuller because that nourishment which should run into two doth now run into one vessel But it is not so here for the neglect of one Ordinance makes the other more unprofitable because God never appointed any Ordinance in vain and will not indure the contempt of any Well then poor Soul dost thou complain for want of comfort thou canst not finde that comfortable assurance of Gods love active or passive thou wert wont to finde It may be there is more estrangedness every way I answer If it be so blame thy self and not God thou dost neglect a comfortable Ordinance thou sufferest one of thy Mothers Brests to be dried up for want of sucking in which thou mightst otherwise finde abundance of comfort You read in 2 Chron. 30.21 26. Gods people kept the Passover with great gladness there was such exceeding great joy in Jerusalem that there had not been the like many years before in those times when the Sacrament was neglected And you know the Sacrament of the Passover and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper are all one for substance And so you read Act 2.46 They continued in breaking of bread from house to house with gladness of heart Well then dost thou want this gladness of heart this Life of Consolation Consider whether this be not the cause thou hast not for a long time laid thy mouth to this Brest No wonder then if thou complainest for want of comfort I would not be mistaken Caution for I speak to none but true children as Christ says of his Bread so I say of his Brest It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to whelps For we must know though this Brest be sweet it is so onely to the believing Soul The unbeliever sucks poison out of it he eats and drinks his own damnation Therefore saith the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And what must he examine Surely his faith above all the rest 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own selves whether ye be in the faith The Word and Sacraments are the two Brests and Faith is the Mouth and so the just by Faith sucking at these two Brests he lives the Life of Consolation And that 's the second Reason Reas 3 3 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Justification VVhy consolation comes by Faith as we have heard at large and therefore by consequence by the same Faith also he lives the Life of Consolation For as sorrow is more properly the consequent of sin than sufferings For suppose suffering without sin and they are more truly the occasions of joy than sorrow So on the other side comfort is more properly the consequence of Righteousness than of all outward Blessings whatsoever Rom. 5.1 2 3. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not onely so but we rejoyce in tribulations And so tribulations cannot hinder the glorious rejoycing of a justified person The golden Chain Order of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Therefore in that Golden Chain Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Observe the order First Righteousness when a a person is justified through the Merits of Christ then Peace when we understand God and we are friends for what strikes terror but this Oh! I have sinned says the Soul and God is mine enemy And what speaks peace but this I am justified from my sins and now God is my friend And then thirdly comes in Joy in the holy Ghost for as nothing wounds the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of an enemy so nothing comforts the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of a friend and reconciled Father Therefore as Peace is the fruit of Righteousness so Joy is the fruit of Peace and then both Joy Peace and Righteousness the fruit of Faith Therefore a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Consolation As you cannot separate the heat of the Sun from the light of it no more can you separate the comfort of Justification from the life and assurance of it and the stronger the assurance the stronger is the comfort Reas 4 4 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Sanctification Why Consolation comes by Faith both in purifying the heart from sinful corruption and in quickning of it to all holy duties as we have already proved Now howsoever it is true Caution the forsaking of sin on the one hand and the practising of holy duties on the other hand doth not deserve the least comfort or incouragement from God and in this sense we do not ground our comfort upon our duties Yet this we say from good Warrant from the Scripture God of his free grace doth usually make holy ways comfortable ways and sinful ways uncomfortable ways even to his own children Hereupon David says on the other side Psal 38. There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin And Solomon says on the other side Pro. 3.17 All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Hear what S. Luke saith Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord they walked also in the comfort of the holy Ghost God deals with his children as we do with ours though we intend not to disinherit them for every fault yet we will discourage them by correction when they do ill and incourage them by rewarding them when they do well It is not all one in point of comfort whether we sin or sin not God is a wise as well as a loving Father he will shew no countenance to his own children if they regard iniquity in their heart Psal 66 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer But blessed are the pure in heart Why they shall see God Mat. 5.8 What of that why here 's the comfort here 's the happiness here 's the very heaven of a Christian to see God 1 Joh 3 2. For Vision of God works Transformation into the Image of God Satisfaction and Satisfaction even abundance of Soul-ravishing Consolation Now this Wisdom Transformation Satisfaction and Consolation God onely disposeth to the pure in heart And yet I do not mean such as are pure in heart from all acts of sin for we sin in our best duties but such as are pure from the approbation and allowance of any sin from the regarding of any iniquity in their heart If a justified person do not act his Faith to the purifying of his heart and life In that sense we speak of God will certainly suspend his comfort for a time The Sun of Righteousness will not shine upon a Dunghil heart but upon the Garden for the Spirit
time oppressed with sorrows ask thy Heart and Soul that question which David did in the like case Psal 42.5 twice in one Psalm Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me and certainly the Soul would return answer My distress of sadness springs from my Vnbelief You may know the disease by the cure In the very next words O put thy trust in God hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God All sorrow of heart springs principally from our Vnbelief not from the greatness of other evils I mean destructive sorrow for godly sorrow is a friend to godly joy It is not so much the weight of the burthen as the soreness of the back that troubles the poor Beast So it is not so much the weight of outward evils as the inward soreness of a galled Conscience not purified nor healed by faith that vexeth and troubleth the poor Creature Were all sound and well within a believer might look upon the grimmest visage of outward troubles and laugh in their face Job 5.22 It is a believer he speaks to At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the field O the sweet Security that holy men do finde under the shield of Faith It is not onely a guard from outward evils but it guards the Hearts and Minds of Gods People from the very fear of evils approaching and from the sorrows of present evils This is a Receipt from Christ to keep the Heart in a cheerful frame Carry this about with thee continually and then shalt thou be never overwhelmed with sorrow I dare not say Thou shalt be free from trouble but this I dare say Thou shalt never be overcome of trouble so long as thou canst believe Hear what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed An unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Inform. 2. Unregenerate soul uncomortable soul and so a faithless heart Where there is no shield against sorrow how can there be comfort Where there is nothing but deadness where the Soul is without God without Christ without the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 what ground can there be of Hope It is the presence of the Sun that makes day and the absence of the Sun makes night So the Presence of God maketh a day-light of Comfort and his absence makes a night of Sorrow and darkness Creature-comforts are but Star-light at the best yea without God they are vanity and vexation of Spirit but when God is against a man they take part with God against the possessors of them as Balaams Ass riseth up against her Master when he riseth up against God How can a wicked man have comfort in his Possessions when God once possesses him with the serious thoughts of Death of Hell of Wrath Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart Though Josephs brethren had their Sacks full of Corn and their Bags full of Money yet their hearts were full of fear and why They doubted they had not the favour of the Lord of the Countrey and they knew they could not live without him they must to him again when their Corn were spent and they were afraid his displeasure would be their utter undoing So it is with a wicked man though he abound in worldly comforts although he have his Pastures full of flocks his Barns full of corn his Coffers full of silver and gold yet for all that if God be not reconciled in Christ all these are but miserable Comforters he may lie down in sorrow for all that Isa 50. last Therefore an unregenerate heart is a comfortless heart There is no peace there is no joy to the wicked saith my God Who would rest in such a condition where there is no rest to be found O who would lie down in such a bed of Snakes Inform. 3. Religious life the only comfortable life The onely truly comfortable life is a religious life a Life of Faith Some seek it in Profits some in Honour and some in Pleasures of Sin but when all is done it is no where to be found but in God Faith draws comfort from God when sense can draw none from the Creature There was a time when Davids Mountain of Prosperity was removed so that he could finde no comforts in his Wives nor in his Children nor in his Possessions nor in any thing that was formerly comfortable to him for the Amalekites had swept all away yet even then he could comfort himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 When there is the greatest famine of Comforts upon earth yet Gods People finde bread enough in their Fathers house and it is Faith that opens the Cupboard door when unbelievers perish with hunger Faith opens the Cupboard-door of their heavenly Father The just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation O then learn to take notice of the difference betwixt the godly and the ungodly the believer and the unbeliever in this respect Hear what God says Isa 65.13 14. Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and bowl for vexation of spirit Wicked men indeed may have a counterfeit joy as they have counterfeit grace they may set a good face on it when they have a full sorrowful heart Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness Whereas true joy is the upright mans portion Psa 32. last Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Gal. â—2 But the fruit of the Spirit is in love joy and peace Obj. But wicked men are very merry and cheerful without any such check they are so merry they are the very Musick of the company as Job saith of himself Job 17.6 He hath made me also a by-word of the people and aforetime I was a tabret What he said as a Patient for they played upon him as men play upon Instruments they may say as Agents We are the Musick of the company where we go Ans I answer They may be so upon a gross mistake of their own condition as a godly man may be sorrowful upon mistake of his condition because he knows not his own happiness So a wicked man may be merry and cheerful because he knows not his own condition Belshazzar was in a miserable condition before he saw the Hand-writing upon the wall but he was merry and jovial before because he knew it not but so soon as he saw that intimation of Gods displeasure his guilty Conscience strook him and he was all a-mort So it is with all wicked men though they rejoyce in sin at the first though it be sweet in their mouths yet at last it
of Faith in the state of grace Eye hath not seen nor ear heard what god hath prepared for them that love him how much more shall it be verified of the state of glory when Faith shall be turned into Fruition and Hope into present Possession When we shall have cause to say with the Queen of Sheba The one half hath not been told us No doubt that Queen was much affected to hear of the Wisdom of Solomon she was much taken with it or else would she never have taken so long a journey But how much joy more was she affected with and admiration when she saw with her own eyes the glory of his house and heard with her own ears the rare expressions of his unparallell'd wisdom Before she saw with other mens eyes and heard with other mens ears but now she heard with her own and therefore she was affected with much more delight and wonder insomuch as there was no more spirit left in her which intimates the surpassing greatness of the joy and comfort she took in it For great affections let loose do even drink up the spirit she was fuller of affection than she could well hold But in heaven there shall be an inlargement of the vessel as well as the liquor of heavenly joy and therefore how great shall that joy be If there be such joy in believing and that weakly too What joy shall there be in a plenary comprehension If it revived the spirit of old Jacob to hear that Joseph was alive and to receive his tokens at such a distance Gen. 45.27 how much more do you think was the good old man revived when he came to see and to imbrace his Son So if it do revive the heart of a Christian so much to understand by Faith that Jesus Christ who was dead is alive and behold he lives for evermore and is ascended to give gifts unto men how much more shall their spirits be revived when they come to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1.23 If the Sealing of the Conveyance be so comfortable what is the taking of the Possession and what the injoyment of all to all eternity If the Espousals be so full of joy what are the Nuptial Rites or Solemnities upon the Marriage day What Soul is there thaa is truly betrothed to Jesus Christ by Faith and Love that would not make the Conclusion of the Book of the Canticles it s own importunate and summary Love-shout Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a yong Hart upon the Mountains of spices Vse 2 The next general Use is for just Reproof of such as look at the life of Religious persons Reproof of mis-judging the life of the faithful as the most sad melancholly life in the world yea some are so deluded by Satan as to think Religion is nothing but the fruit and effect of a melancholick disposition And therefore by the way Note let Religious persons take heed how they carry themselves and how they walk towards them that are without that they be neither so light and jocund in their carriage as thereby to confirm carnal men in their unlawful liberties Nor on the other side so full of sadness and austerity as to give them occasion to imagine there is no manner of joy in the ways of God But the truth is if there be comfort to be found in any way under heaven certainly it is to be found in the way of Faith Faith being so powerful a hand to keep off such things as are any ways uncomfortable and to draw in also all such things as are truly comfortable to the Soul David was a religious man and yet a comfortable man yes therefore cheerful because religious The sweet singer was usually as comfortable as a Bird in May. Belshazzar was extremely sad in the midst of his Cups and therefore sad because wicked he looked as pale when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall as if there had been death in the last Cup he drank It is true wicked men may be outwardly merry as Gods People may be sometimes sad but look as in a wicked mans joy there is always the seed of sorrow so in a godly mans sorrow there is always the seed of joy Therefore saith Christ to his Disciples Luk. 6.21 Blessed are ye that weep now for ye shall laugh but he threatens the contrary to such as be of a contrary spirit ver 25. Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep He is a wise man that will sorrow for a moment that he may rejoyce for ever But he is a mad man that will purchase his joy at so dear a rate as to rejoyce for a moment although he pay for it in sorrow to all eternity It is the wise mans judgement of the fools mirth Eccles 2.2 I said of laughter It is madness and of mirth What dost thou A wise man may give his judgement of a fools joy but a fool is no competent judge of a wise mans joy Prov. 14.10 A stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy And therefore when a wicked man speaks evil of the ways of God he speaks evil of the things he knows not For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation The second Use Reproves the Papists Repr 2. Papists rob of comfort while they rob of faith who rob people of their Comfort whilst by their comfort they rob them of their Faith or at least of any hope of full assurance of their faith For that is certainly proportionable to the assurance of a Christian Where there can be no assurance of the things promised there can be no sound comfort But the Doctrine of Papists is There can be no such assurance therefore no sound comfort Their Doctrine therefore is an uncomfortable Doctrine Note Therefore they that have received the Mark of the Beast have no rest day nor night Revelat. 14.11 They sting the Consciences of men like Scorpions Revelat. 9.5 They can never be quiet in their mindes whilst they hang in suspense they know not whether they are in the way to Salvation or Damnation This serves to Reprove such as live not the Life of Consolation by Faith but by Sense Repr 3. To such as fetch comfort from sense They are all for sensual delights such as warm themselves not at Gods fire but their own They compass themselves with their own sparks and therefore this they shall have at Gods hands when they go to their graves they shall lie down in sorrow Isai 50. last Such as these rejoyce either in the comforts of Sin or in the comforts of the Creatures 1. In the comforts of sin When thou dost evil then thou rejoycest Jer. 11.15 It is a dangerous thing to do evil but it is the height of wickedness to rejoyce in wickedness Rom. 1. ult They not onely do the same things but take pleasure in them that
Discourse or a bare speculation of Heaven which will bring a man thither no more then the Reading of the History of such a Countrey or the Beholding of it in a Map which will transport a man to the place it self But there must be a sound and full Conveyance of it to the Soul And so the just must live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life 4. Reproof of not improving Eternal Life 4. It Reproves such who though they have somewhat to shew for their Inheritance Because they are Believers yet they live besides their Means because they do not act their Faith at least so much as they should in respect of Life eternal We say of many a worldly man because he doth not enjoy or improve his estate He lives besides his Means It 's one of the vanities that Solomon discovered under the Sun Eccl. 6.1 2. A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat hereof This is vanity saith he and an evil disease And is it not a greater vanity when God hath given a man heavenly riches and honour and yet he lives not by Faith upon it improves it not to the best advantage Such an one lives beside his means How is it that Gods people are so cast down in Troubles Wants weaknesses in Reproaches in Persecutions Did they but act their Faith to believe that they shall one day as surely possess heaven as they possess the very house they dwell in upon earth how would the Apprehension of future joys drown and swallow up the sense of present miseries Why should the Kings Son be so lean from day to day Who hath such an Inheritance at the last and such a Father to provide for him in the mean time Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 5. This Reproves such as are Earthly-minded 5. Reproof of Earthly-mindedness for such live not by Faith in respect of Heaven or Eternal Life They live as if they were Terrae filii Sons of the earth as if that curse of God were fallen upon them Jer. 17.13 All that forsake thee shall be written in the dust The Church of the first-born are said to be written in heaven Hebrews 12.23 But these men as if they had nothing to shew but onely for the earth are said to be written in the earth as if God should say Go thy way thou art an Earth-worm and therefore Earth shall be all thy Portion It may be thou hast many writings to shew for a piece of the earth but nothing for heaven and therefore says God write him down An Earthly-minded man and An Earthly-portion'd man Psal 17.14 They are called Men of this world which have their portion in this life Give them but a fat portion in this life on this side Jordan take Canaan take Heaven who will for them The Devil casts so much dust in their eyes they cannot see to live by Faith in respect of Heaven Obj. But it may be these men will say We are too uncharitable for they are profess'd Christians and they well remember the two last Articles of their Creed Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting Answer shall be made to this in a third Use Vse 3 Vse 3. Of Examination Examination of Faith in respect of life Eternal 3. This is of use for Examination to examine whether we believe as we profess when we say We believe the Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting And we may know this 1. By our carriage in Life 2. By the respect we bear to Death By our carriage in Life 1. By our Carriage in life and that in respect of our 1. Affections 2. Meditations 3. Speeches And 4. Conversation 1. Our Affections 1. By our Affections A man that is far distant from his Native Country and dear friends he mingles many a Meal with his tears when he thinks of the distance of the place But how doth he rejoyce when he is once upon his return Especially when he comes within sight of land his very heart leaps within him and he cannot hold from saluting the place Oh my dear Country Blessed be God that I have lived once again to see thee and am so near to enjoy my surest friends within thee Just thus is it with a man that is bound for heaven that lives by Faith in regard of Life Eternal When he well remembers his great distance from God and Christ the Saints departed for whilst we are here at home in the body we are absent from the Lord I say when he remembers this it fetcheth many a sigh and tear and groan from his heart Psal 137.1 By the waters of Babylon we sate down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion See how they hang their heads and they hang their harps by the water-side as if they neither took delight in themselves nor any thing else whilst they are so far from their Native Country So 't is with a creature that is Heaven-born and Heaven-bound he cries and sighs and groans while he is so far from home 2 Cor. 5.4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burthened c. And how glad are such when they come near their journeys end See how Paul skips in his desires like the Iron to the Load-stone I desire saith he to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 8. which is best of all And old Simeon falls a singing as if his Deaths-day were his Birth-day Lord now littest thou thy servant depart in peace c. Therefore Examine thy self well what are thy chief Sorrows and what are thy chief Joys Dost thou sorrow most of all for thy distance from Christ and thy heavenly Country Dost thou rejoyce when thou thinkest of drawing near thy journeys end This is a good evidence that thou hast something to shew for Heaven But on the other side if all thy delight is in the World in the flesh-pots of Egypt and the remembrance of thy latter end is bitter to thee and thou art ready to say as an Atheist once I know what I have here Grand Atheist but I know not what I shall have hereafter That 's a shrewd sign thou hast onely thy portion in this life and no faith at all for the Life to come 2. Our Meditations 2 We may know by our Meditations For if we would flatter up our selves that we have heavenly Affections and yet want heavenly Meditations we do but deceive our own hearts and bring our selves into a Fools-Paradise for that 's most certain look where our Affections are there will our Meditations also be we cannot keep our thoughts off from what we love and prize dearly Where our treasure is Mat. 6. there will our heart be also there will our minde be Vbi amat non ubi animat where it
should so dishonour God after he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdom upon him 2 Sam. 12.7 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight As if the Lord should say O David dost thou use me thus Did I ever deserve this at thy hand Is this thy kindness to thy friend And if the Lord took it so unkindly from Davids hands because he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdome upon him how much more unkindely may God take it from your hands whom by the grace of Faith he hath assured of an Eternal Kingdom Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ah foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee c And is it not he that hath bought Heaven it self for thee and wilt thou thus dishonour him by thy sins By Sin a man dishonours the Donor of this great Gift And secondly He wrongs his own Soul for Sin wrongs the Soul he blots the Evidence or Conveyance which God hath given him to assure him of this heavenly Kingdom What sayes Christ Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven or in the Book of Life First that you know this that you have this Evidence God hath a threefold Book 1. Of Providence God hath a threefold Book which is Gods Fore-knowledge and Disposing all things in the world Of this David speaks Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book first in the Book of Providence were all my members written 2 A Book of Mens Works and Ways Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before the Lord and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works The third is the Book of Mens Ends and Rewards which is called The Book of Life Dan. 12.1 At that time thy people shall be saved every one that shall be found written in the Book Now this Book is either in the Original which is Gods Calendar of such as are appointed to Life and Salvation in his own Fore-knowledge and Decree for The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Or else the Counterpane of it in the Hearts and Consciences of such as do believe 1 Joh 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself Now howsoever it is true He that is once written in Gods Book of Life if we take it for Gods Fore-knowledge and Decree can never be blotted out again The foundation of God stands sure yet if we take it for that Witness that is written in the Heart and Conscience it may be much blotted and blurred and obscured by our wilful sinning against God It is true God will speak peace and pardon to his people but let them not turn again to folly For if they do though they lose not their pardon yet they may lose their peace so far that they shall not be able to reade their Pardon or their Assurance for Heaven Therefore such a man as he dishonours the Giver so he sins against his own Soul Therefore let him declare his Thankfulness by the hating and forsaking all sin And Thankfulness to be shewn by performance of all duties Secondly By the Practice of all holy Duties and good Works If God be so abundant in Reward to assure us by Faith of Eternal Life it calls upon us very strongly to be so much the more abundant in our work It is the Apostles Argument 1 Cor. 15. last having discours'd at large of the glorious condition of Gods People after the Resurrection Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. O that we would oft consider there is an Eternity for Reward but a short time for work and when the time of this Life is once past there is not a second opportunity there is no returning back again there is no doing of any thing in the Grave Therefore let us work Joh. 9.4 while we have the light of Life the night of death comes wherein no man can work no man can then believe or repent or bring forth the fruits of repentance There is no repentance in Hell to any purpose and if we repent of any thing in heaven it shall be of this that we did God no more and no better service upon earth And therefore so oft as we cast an eye upon the Eternity of Reward and the short time of our work let us bestir our selves in our places Take the counsel of the Wise man Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do either for God or for the Church of God or for thy own Soul do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor Wisdom in the grave whither thou art going He that thinks seriously of his Eternal condition after death cannot be an unprofitable Servant in his life And so much for the seventh Particular what Manner of Life the Just lives by Faith All that is worth the Name of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life Faith is the Key that opens to us the Kingdom of Heaven So says Calvin in his third Sermon on Gen. 15 6. THE EIGHTH GENERAL HEAD QUEST VIII What are the Reasons for living by Faith WE come now to the Eighth Particular the Reasons why God will have the Just to live by Faith We have given particular Reasons to the particular Branches before as Why the Just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Sanctification Renovation Fructification Mortification and Vivification c. We shall now give the general Reasons which reach to all in general Why God will have the Just to live by Faith It is true God is not bound to give us a Reason or give us an account of any of his Matters Job 33.13 It is the folly of vain man to call Gods Wisdom to the Bar of his shallow Reason But Rom. 9.20 Who art c. Gods Will may well stand for a Reason And yet God is pleased in this particular to give us a Reason of his Will Wicked men in the Scripture are said to be unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 they do a thing because they will do it though they have no good Reason for it But God though he is most Absolute and Independent is pleased in this matter of Faith to give us a Reason of his Will That man might not dispute and wrangle with God and say What Reason have I to live by Faith seeing I have little or nothing in hand
they may have a Name to live yet in truth they are but dead dead in their persons and dead in their works for without Faith there is no true life either in this man or in any thing that comes from him For the Just lives by his Faith Inform. 6 Sixthly This shews the unsoundness of their opinion who say there may be life in a creature No life until Faith and Christ in a creature before there be Faith in the creature as if Faith did onely give Evidence of that life which was in the Soul before Faith But the Text is plain The just lives by his faith Therefore as Christ and Life so Faith and Life come both together and Faith is an Instrument of applying Christ for the maintaining and acting of Spiritual Life So that Faith is not onely an evidence to shew that we are alive but it is an Instrument under Jesus Christ of Spiritual Life Therefore look as when it is said By faith the walls of Jericho fell down it is not onely meant that by Faith they saw when they were down for they could see that with the eye of sense but the meaning is Faith was the Instrument or Engine laying hold of the Vertue Truth and Power of Christ who stood upon the top of the wall and bid them compass the City six days and blow with Rams-horns and give a shout the seventh day and the walls of Jericho should fall down Now they doing this in Faith and believing God would make good his Promise It is said By faith the walls of Jericho fell down their faith was an Instrument of their falling and not onely an evidence that they were fallen So I say Faith is an Instrument of Spiritual Life and not onely an evidence that the Creature doth live The Just shall live by his Faith Inform. 7 Seventhly This shews us what the Ministers of God are principally bound to preach The Ministers chief work and what people principally should desire to hear and that is the Word of Faith because this is indeed the Word of Life The Just shall live by his Faith and therefore we make bold to be the longer upon this subject It is true indeed we are bound to preach of Good Works also and of Duties to God and Men but these are to be set in their due place and order to be brought in as fruits and effects of Faith and Repentance and not as the causes Simile To speak altogether of Good Works and Good Duties without Faith is all one as if one should make Roof of a House without any Walls or Foundation To speak altogether of Faith without the fruits of it in Good Works is all one as if one should lay a Foundation and build the Walls but never set on the Roof The one of these ought to be done and the other not to be left undone Howsoever the chief of these is Faith In order to the Foundation it lays hold upon Christ He is the onely sure Foundation of all our building and therefore the Word we preach is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.18 As if Faith should be the principal subject of our Preaching as indeed it should For the end of all Preaching The End of all Preaching is either to beget Spiritual Life or else to maintain it and increase it where it is begotten and this is done in a way of Faith For the Just shall live by his Faith Vse 2 Vse II. Of Reproof Reproof to 3 sorts To Reprove divers sorts of men 1. Such as live by other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes Profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade 3. Such as not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not They live not by it like a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of making use of that which God hath bestowed upon him First It Reproves such as live upon other things First sort Reproved in stead of living by Faith And the world swarms with such kind of men It is hard to name the several sorts of them every man hath something or other to live upon but few live by Faith For 1. Some live upon their very sins 1. Such as live upon their sins they account that their life which is no better indeed than their Death How many make a living of Theft of Deceit in Bargaining of Oppression or of keeping such Houses of Filthiness as are no better than Lark-Nets to catch the simple fool as Solomon faith The truth is there is no sinner under the power of sin but he loves his sin as his very life he had as lieve part with his life as with his lust O he hugs it and makes much of it he keeps it as a sweet bit under his Tongue Joh. 20.12 Though he hath poisoned himself with the Devils Sweet-meats as he spoke within a verse or two His meat within him is turned into the gall and poison of Asps. Some Poisons do not work in many days or years after they are received and such are the Devils Poison you shall not it may be perceive the deadly operation of them in many years after you have taken them and yet at the last they will certainly prove the bane of your Souls without Repentance O do not live upon that which will certainly prove your Death 2. Some live upon their Pleasures and Recreations 2. Upon pleasures O they account them the very life of their life they spend more time in Hunting and Gaming and Sporting than in the lawful works of their Calling Such a life as this deserves the name of death rather than life They are dead whilst they live who live in pleasures 1 Tim. 5.6 There is nothing more opposite to the Life of Faith which chooseth rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Such as live upon Pleasures Simile are just like foolish Children or Women that are taken with the Green Sickness who feed upon dust and ashes and such like trash in stead of wholesome food till they are again ready to be turned into dust and ashes themselves So do those who feed upon Pleasures Isa 44.20 They do but feed upon ashes because a deceitful heart hath turned them aside How well might they live if they would live by Faith but how poorly do they live who live upon Pleasures They do but live upon ashes they lay out their money for that which is not bread Isa 55. 3. Upon creatures 3. Others live upon the Creatures without them in stead of living upon God by Faith They put those things in their hearts and upon their head which God by Creation and Ordination hath placed under their feet The body of man lives not by
to live by Faith in him for direction surely in these times wherein many things are very obscure and the wisest of men are at a stand How doth it concern us at such times as these to improve our Faith in God by Prayer grounded upon his Promises for our direction A believer acting his Faith hath great advantage of an unbeliever an unbeliever is froward and passionate and heady and hasty when he is put to plunge he waits not for the Counsel of God Psal 106.13 He leaps before he looks before he hath eyes to see his way but a believer is quiet and confident and silent and patient and prayerful Psa 113.2 and standing upon his Watch-tower to see what God will answer at such a time Never did the eye of a servant look with more intention to the hand of his Master nor the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her Mistris observing every little cast of their eye every little beck of their finger than the eyes of the faithful look to the hand and eye of God for their direction in difficult times They look to the Promise of God for direction from the Word of God Psa 119.105 This Word is a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their paths and if the Word be dark in any thing they look to the Promise of the Spirit for the right understanding of the word Isa 30 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Now this Promise is made good by Faith Psa 119.98 Ibid. 24. so that a Believer is made wiser than his enemies because Gods Testimonies are his Counsellors He must needs be wise who hath the God of all Wisdom to be his Counsellor And this is the Portion of a true believer If you speak of Wisdom HE is wise Thirdly Do we prize Riches 3. Riches of Faith for I dare not oppose a believer to a rich man as if they were incompatible though I oppose him to such an one as trusts in his riches If we speak of Riches HE is rich indeed As a man lives upon his Riches under God so the Just lives by his Faith Hearken my beloved brethren Jam. 2.5 hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith A man may be a rich man though he be a poor man rich heaven-ward though poor in respect of this world so long as he is rich in Faith that man can want nothing that wants not Faith Faith is the golden Key that openeth the good Treasury of God to his Children upon all occasions they can but ask and have O the preciousness of Faith that is able to procure the most precious things at the hand of God! Worldly men use to say A man well stor'd with Money can want nothing and Solomon hath something to that purpose Eccles 10.19 Money answers all things A man may have most things for money Meat Drink Clothes House Land and what not But a gracious heart can more truly say A man well stor'd with Faith can want nothing Faith answereth all things as Adonijah said to Bathsheba The King cannot say thee nay in any thing 1 King 2.17 So may I say to a faithful man The King of Heaven cannot say thee nay in any thing It is very observable that Abraham when he interceded in the behalf of Sodom did cease to act his Faith in Prayer before God did cease to gratifie Abraham in the thing praid for Praying believers they are or may be the richest beggars in the world As having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 It may seem a strange Paradox and yet 't is good sense Extreme Poverty and sublime Plenty may concur His poverty is but comparative as having nothing but his riches are absolute without a quasi and yet possessing all things All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 A believer is a rich man indeed he is rich in present possession but he is richer in reversion All the Promises of God are entail'd upon believers these are the Saints Legacies none can lay claim to them but such as do believe for All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ they are onely made good to such as do believe in him 2 Cor. 1.20 That man that is a stranger to Christ is also a stranger to the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 and he that hath right in Christ hath right also to the Promises through him There are great riches above-ground but they say there are greater under-ground in the rich Mines of Silver and Gold that lie still within the bowels of the Earth So 't is true the people of God are rich in what they do already enjoy through Faith but they are far richer in those inestimable Treasures that are lockt up within the bowels of so many precious Promises one Promise is more worth than a thousand worlds And Faith is ever digging in these Mines and making new discoveries of the richest Mercies it is ever putting some Promise or other in Suit or God is ever discharging some Bond or other for the enriching of his poor creatures Fourthly Do we prize Beauty and Comeliness 4. Beauty of Faith If you speak of Beauty a true believer is truly Beautiful all external beauty is but deformity without this Like as a Jewel in a Swines snowâ— so is a creature externally beautiful without Grace and without Faith 't is Faith onely that makes the creature beautiful 't is Faith that puts upon the deformed creature the rich and glorious Robes of the Righteousness of Christ 't is Faith that puts upon the creature the very Image and Likeness of Christ and therefore they that do believe in Christ are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.26 27. And they must needs be beautiful and glorious that are clothed with the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Ezek. 16.13 14. Thou wast exceeding beautiful thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I put upon thee saith the Lord. Yea mark those words saith the Lord whose judgement is always according to Truth The blind world can no more judge of Beauties than a blind man can judge of Colours but a believer is beautiful in his sight whose eyes are as a flame of fire and can see when the Kings daughter is all glorious within Psa 48. This is a beauty that takes the eye and ravisheth the heart of Christ himself Cant. 4.1 7. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes there is no spot or blemish in thee The Believer is truly beautiful 5. Honour Fifthly Do we prize Honour If we speak of Honour a believer is honourable indeed We may call believers Right Honourable Psa 149.9 Phil. 3. without flattery as it is written Such Honour have all
fall off from God and having begun in the Spirit should at the last end in the flesh and do you earnestly desire to be setled stablish'd and confirm'd that the gates of Hell may not prevail against you Labour then to live by Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Conservation Again Doth sorrow possess and oppress your spirits O you are burthened with such and such afflictions or temptations and you would fain live a comfortable life Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Consolation Again are you troubled when you begin to think of Death O how shall I do to walk through the valley of the shadow of Death Psal 23.4 would you fain be armed against the Terror of it O learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just finds Life in the midst of Death He that lives in Faith shall undoubtedly die in Faith Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith Again Doth the shortness and uncertainty of this life afflict the Spirit and thou wouldst fain be assured of a better life before thou partest with this present life thou wouldst fain know if thou shalt go to heaven when thou diest O learn then to live by Faith for By Faith the just lives in regard of Eternal Life O let the excellency of the Life of Faith move us to seek the grace of Faith with all diligence The life of a faithful man is as far above the Life of a Rational man as the life of a Rational man is above the life of a Sensual Epicure Some men indeed are meerly led by Sense and ever like Swine rooting in the dunghil of Earthly Profits and Pleasures others mount higher into the Middle Region of Reason and Humane Learning but a Believer soars above them all in the Highest Region of Faith Phil. 3.20 and hath his conversation in heaven from whence he expects the Lord Jesus Certainly all the enemies of our Salvation cannot make that man miserable that hath once obtained this precious grace of Faith Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him And therefore what Solomon saith of Wisdom Prov. 3.13 14 15. we may say of Faith Happy is the man that findeth Faith for the merchandize thereof is better than the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof is better than gold she is more precious than pearls and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Obj. But it may be some will be ready to say I am sufficiently perswaded of the excellency of Faith and I would fain get it How to get Faith if I knew how or where to finde it but may we not also say of Faith as Job saith of Wisdom Job 28.12 Where shall it be found and where is the place of it The Depth saith It is not in me and the Sea saith It is not with me neither is it to be found in the Land of the living No creature in Heaven or Earth can bestow Faith upon its fellow-creature O where then is it to be found Ans I answer as Job doth in the the 23 Verse of that Chapter God understandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof And therefore if we be careful to make use of such means as he doth direct we shall undoubtedly finde out this precious Pearl of Faith Means You will say What are those Means that we may use them Negat 1. First of all as Builders use to do God would have us to remove the Rubbish of all the Hindrances of Faith and then to make use of all those Spiritual Helps and Furtherances that God hath appointed for the begetting of Faith that we may lay a sure Foundation The Lets and Hindrances of Faith are many Le ts and hindrances of Faith which we must take notice of and labour to remove out of the way What 's the reason so much is daily spoken of Faith and we are it may be convinced of the necessity and excellency of it and yet very few in comparison attain to it or improve it to any purpose What 's the reason of this O there are many Hindrances of Faith which were never yet removed O beloved we are naturally dead in sins and trespasses and there is many a heavy stone lieth upon the mouth of the Grave and we may say with those good women Mark 16.3 Who shall rowl us away the stone from the door of the Sepulchre All those several Impediments of Faith are as so many great stones upon the mouth of the Grave which must be removed by the mighty power of the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 before we can believe Have you not heard many a poor Creature complain nay do you not hear those complaints in your own bosom Alas alas I have heard of Faith by the hearing of the ear many a time and often how many days and how many years hath the Word of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith sounded and resounded in mine ears and yet alas to this very day I am not able to believe or at least to act and exercise my Faith as I ought to do O that I could meet with some good Messenger from God one of a thousand that could tell me where the stop lies and how I should remove it that would do for me as Jacob did for Rachel Gen. 29.10 Help me to rowl away the stone from the mouth of the Well that my thirsty Soul might drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Come we therefore to the Particular Impediments or Hindrances of Faith and the way to remove them 1 Let. Self The first and the greatest Impediment is thy Self Self is the greatest enemy to Self in point of believing the heaviest stone that lieth upon the mouth of the grave is thy stony heart for a stony heart is an unbelieving heart and an unbelieving heart must needs be the greatest enemy to Faith Darkness is not more opposite to light than an unbelieving heart is opposite to Faith and such hearts are in all the Sons and Daughters of Adam by Nature Adam indeed in the state of Innocency had power to believe whatsoever God spake and to live upon the Word of his Promise but after the Fall both he and his Posterity lost this ability Our very birth in this respect is no better than a death we are born in the very grave of unbelief we are all shut up under the power of it Rom. 11.32 O beloved a hard stout proud heart will not endure to lay down Self Self-wisdom Self-righteousness Self-greatness but Faith is nothing else but a laying down of Self-righteousness with an humble submission to accept of the Righteousness of God in Christ Rom. 10.3 O this goeth against the hair to a natural man He cannot endure to strip himself of Himself and to become a poor empty nothing that he may be fill'd with the fulness of God in Christ
these Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Perfect Vision perfect Transformation In the mean time so much as we see of God so much we shall desire to be like him Joh. 15.3 Now are ye clean c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having such Promises Let us cleanse c. 2 In the Birth 2. In the Birth The Birth of Presumption is very easie and speedy Presumptuous persons think it is the easiest matter in the world to Believe they meet with no opposition either from their own hearts or from Satan A sign 't is no good Faith when the Divel is so good a friend to it But the Birth of true Faith is very difficult it meets with many Pangs of unbelief from Satan and from the flesh for even in this as well as in other graces The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 I confesse He is an unwise child that staies long in the place of bringing forth children Hos 13.13 Yet some pain there is in Self-denial Thirdly they may be differenced by their Growth 3. In the growth Presumption is a Monster it is born as big and as tall as ever it will be like Jonah's Gourd it springs up in a night and it withers as soon as the Sun of affliction and persecution beats hot upon it But true Faith grows up by degrees like the grain of Mustard-seed the new Creature is a Babe in faith before he becomes a strong man The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 Some say they are as much assured at the first as ever they shall be their faith is as strong as ever it will be but let them take heed in the mean time they do not presume in stead of believing for true faith is of a growing nature Fourthly 4. In the fruit They may be differenced by their Issue and Fruits It may be said of the Presumptuous as Deut. 32.32 Their vine is the vine of Sodom their clusters are bitter The fruit of Presumption is carelesness in the use of the means of Grace Tush saith the Presumptuous person what need we hear so much and reade so much and pray so much away with Duties The fruit of true Faith is carefulness herein I believed 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore have I spoken therefore have I heard therefore have I read therefore have I prayed c. The fruit of Presumption is Licentious liberty to sin against God Tush saith the Presumptuous person Christ died for sinners what need we care let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Ver. 18. The fruit of true faith is a holy liberty to serve God and a holy fear to sin against God Be not deceived saith Faith neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 And thus you see there is that maketh himself rich in faith when he is poor and this is a great Impediment to the obtaining of faith and therefore we must labour to remove it Impediments of faith in the second branch of false supposition And secondly There is that maketh himself poor when he is rich There may be a supposition that we have not faith when we have it and this will hinder both the actings and increasings of our faith Some are afraid they have no faith at all because they have not the highest degree of faith which is full Assurance or because they want the comfort which others attain to 1 Pet. 1.8 even joy unspeakable and full of glory Cure But for the removing of this Impediment and for the rolling of this stone out of the way we must remember there are several degrees of faith as we have already proved therefore 't is possible thou maist have faith though thou hast not the highest degree of faith and so joy of the Spirit that 's rather a fruit of faith than faith it self It is indeed Note to speak properly rather a living by sense than a living by faith when we are cheered up with continual Cordials Such a life is more like heaven than earth where faith shall cease A stronger faith is required to live upon God without comfort than when God shines in upon our Spirits with abundance of joy It s nothing for the Childe to believe the Mother loveth it whilst she sets it upon the knee kisseth it and feeds it with sweet meats but to see the Mother love through the twigs of the Rod and through all the clouds of her frownings and hidings this argues no small strength of love and of natural affection in the Childe I know your thoughts out-run me in the Application so that there may be strong faith where there is little comfort Therefore let every man prove his faith that he may not be to seek in the acting of it And so much for the several Impediments of Faith and the way to remove them From whence we may deduce these Corollaries or Conclusions Corollaries First there is no Faith without a great deal of opposition Opposition from Self opposition from Satan opposition from World opposition from professed Enemies opposition from Friends A mans enemies shall be those of his own house these shall oppose him these shall judge him not onely for his outward actions of Faith but for the very intentions of his heart in the exercise of Faith as Davids brethren said unto him I know the pride of thy heart this is nothing but a spice of vain glory and ostentation Paul was opposed in the preaching of Faith and in the practice of Faith and no way in the world left to apologize for himself but to appeal to the Searcher of hearts 1 Cor 4.3 With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement c. But thus true faith meets with opposition both from those without and from those within the Church True faith in the saving knowledge of the Son of God is as the very door and entrance into Gods Kingdom but you must look to meet with opposition at the very threshold Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up c. The Lord grant none of us may be found amongst the number of opposers making sad the hearts of those God would not have made sad but rather be found helpers of one anothers faith For all is little enough in regard of the opposition we shall meet withall from without Secondly it is no easie matter to believe all things are easie to him that believeth but it is no easie matter to believe Thirdly The exceeding greatness of Gods power is seen in all them that do believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Eph. 1.19 20. No wonder so few believe 't is a Miracle of Mercy that there are so many Fourthly He that
would believe must be resolved to break through all Impediments as Davids Worthies brake through the Host of the Philistims Armies of oppositions are against us yet be resolute If God be for us who shall be against us The beginnings of faith will remove all these Mountains that lie in the way by laying hold of the Promises Isa 54.14 Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people See Isa 40.3 and 42.16 and 62.10 But we pass from the Lets and Impediments to the Helps and Furtherances of Faith which are the second sort of Means to be used for the obtaining of this precious Grace of Faith 2. Positive means of Faith We have already removed the Rubbish we come now to such helps as may tend through Gods blessing to the advancing of the Building Onely take it with this Caution Caution Nothing that we can do either by way of preparation or otherwise can be effectual as from any power in our selves either to the begetting or to the increasing of Faith Rom. 9.16 It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy And hence it is sometimes that Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the most opposite gainsayers of his Word and Ways A man comes to the Congregation with all the prejudice that may be both against the Ordinance it self and the dispensers of it Well saith he I 'll go hear what this prating Preacher what this babler can say if it be but to make my self merry or to see if I can entangle him in something that is delivered and yet it may be God meets this man in the full career of his opposition as he met Paul when he was a Saul Acts 9. and tells him 'T is hard for him to kick against the pricks One of Christs arrows shot out from the mouth of the Minister wounds him to the very heart and he cannot be quiet till the same hand that wounded him do heal him again I kill and I give life I wound and make whole saith the Lord which is as true of the Soul as of the Body Deut. 32.39 Now all this plainly sheweth the work is wholly of God and not of our selves nor in the power of second Means But yet for all this I say means are to be used by way of Gods Ordinance though the efficacy of the means depends wholly upon God and not upon our selves And therefore it is very observable in that most miraculous Conversion of the Apostle in the 9th of the Acts when God met him and unhors'd him and astonish'd him and strook him into a trembling Fit and whilst he was breathing out threatnings against the People of God he so tam'd his proud spirit that he is glad to say Lord what wilt thou have me to do yet I say it is very observable that however God begun the work of his Conversion by his own immediate hand yet he would not finish it without second means without the hand of an Instrument And therefore when Paul said What wilt thou have me to do Lord Christ doth not say I would have thee do this or that neither doth he restore his sight to him for the present but he bids him go to the City and there Ananias must be an instrument under Jesus Christ to restore his sight and to give him in charge what God would have him do Much more then in the ordinary way of Gods working are we bound to the use of second means as ever we desire the recovery of our Spiritual sight or the obtaining of this precious grace of faith What are those means then that we must use and attend upon Answ 1. Is the Word of God Means the Preaching of the Word The Scripture is very clear in this 1. Word of God Rom 10.14 How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and ver 17. So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Therefore as Faith is the Life of the Soul under God so the Word is the Life of Faith As the Just lives by Faith so Faith lives upon the Word No Humane Testimony though great respect and reverence is to be had to the Church and Godly writers yet I say No humane Testimony can be the ground of Divine Faith 'T is true indeed the Word cannot work Faith without the Spirit I will not say The Spirit cannot work Faith without the Word But this I say That Ordinarily the Spirit doth not work Faith without the Word Though the Spirit be not absolutely bound to the use of Means yet we are bound to the use of them as ever we expect the Spirit Here will I meet with thee saith the Spirit Therefore it is very observable Where God makes a Promise of the Spirit in the same place also he makes a Promise of the Word to continue with his Church to the end of the World Isa 59. last As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever The Word and the Spirit you see go hand in hand therefore we are not to expect the Spirit without the Word neither are we to expect Fath which is wrought by thy Spirit unlesse it be also wrought by the Word as the Organ or Instrument of the Spirit And hence also the Word of God is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Because Faith in grown persons is wrought by the Word and so the Word is both the Object and the Instrument of Faith It is Verbum quod creditur and Verbum quô creditur the Word that is believed and the Word by which we are moved to believe this or that And how should we then with all care and conscience attend upon the Ministery of the Word as ever we desire faith as ever we desire life Would we live for ever O hear says God and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 Mark that Hear and your soul shall live no hearing no life because no hearing no faith for The just lives by his faith and his faith lives by the Word And therefore such as live above Ordinances and above the Word I know not what to make of them they are such as live not by faith but above faith They must either be in Heaven or nearer to Hell than they are aware for all the true Members of the Church upon earth do live by Faith and that faith upon the Word And therefore such persons as live above Ordinances in that sense so as to be content to live without them are of a strange temper They are like such conceited
to see Treasures of Wisdom in Christ to make thee wise of Righteousness to cover thy sins of Grace to supply all thy defects of Strength to enable to all holy service and this will quicken thee to believe in him Doubtless vain and ignorant men think they see an emptiness in Christ and the ways of Christ and a fulness in themselves and in the Creature Therefore they leave Christ and embrace the Creature Rev. 3.17 Thou saist I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked But Gods People see an emptiness in themselves and all other creatures but a fulness in Christ In Christ there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-sufficiency All-sufficiency Sole-sufficiency 1. He is Self-sufficiency he is Jehovah he hath a being of himself without any dependance upon any other and therefore onely to be trusted to for that which depends upon another may fall as the greatest of men Psal 146.3 4 5. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Sons of men in whom there is no help His breath goeth forth he turneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the LORD his God 2. All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect All good is to be found in God This or that creature hath but a particular good Meat is good against hunger clothes against nakedness but clothes will not satisfie hunger nor meat cover the nakedness but God is All-sufficient 3. Sole-Sufficiency That is he is only sufficient all without him is but vanity He is God only good as God only wise He fils all in all every wayes able to supply all our wants and therefore a most suitable object of our Faith It was that which drew the Prodigal home to his fathers house Luk. 15.17 viz. A sense of his own wants I perish with hunger and apprehension of his fathers fulness in my fathers house is bread enough What follows upon that A gracious Act of repentance and faith ver 18. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son c. And this is the fifth means labour to see thy own wants and weaknesses on the one side and those infinite treasures that are laid up in Christ on the other side Sixthly and last of all 6 Last Mean Mat. 11.12 Diligence in all Means As we must seek Christ and Faith in the use of Means so we must use the Means with all diligence if we desire to speed 2 Pet. 1.5 10. The Apostle cals upon us Giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. And give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Now this Diligence implyes three things 1. A very high Esteem of the Means For a man will never use diligence in that which he values not Psal 119.71 The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me than thousands of gold and silver 2. A great deal of Prayers and Labour in the use of the Means a diligent man is ever laborious in his way Pro. 2.4 5. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God You know what pains they take who labour in silver mines and such pains should they take who seek after Faith 3. This Diligence implyes the use of all Means with Perseverance We do not account him diligent that works but by fits and by starts and when he doth work he will be sure to pick and chuse to take that he likes and leave the rest Neither is that soul diligent in the use of the Means that takes up one ordinance and layes down another or takes it up at one time and layes it down at another though God cals for it at both alike He that wilfully contemns God in one thing contemns him in all Therefore remember to seek God in the use of all Means with Perseverance The blessing and promise is intailed to such Prov. 8 34. There is the blessing Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Wisdom watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Jer. 29.13 There is the promise And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Therefore be sure to use all means with all diligence as ever we desire to find the precious pearl of saving Faith And hitherto of the first Branch of the Exhortation If the Just lives by Faith if Faith be such an excellent Grace labour to get it With all getting get Faith We come now to the Second 2. Branch of Exhortation to keep Faith 2. Labour to keep it when thou hast it It is no lesse piece of Spiritual good husbandry to keep our stock of Faith when we have it then to get it at the first It is not enough that once we have believed and laid hold of the promise but we must keep our Faith and keep our hold as we desire to keep our Grace and to keep our Peace and indeed to keep our God And therefore observe how the Apostle cites this Text Heb. 10.38 Now the just shall live by his Faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him As if he should say It is to little purpose to believe for a time and in the hour of temptation to fall away For as such a soul takes little or no pleasure in God so God takes as little pleasure in him It is the precept of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering to the end Now the profession of our faith and faith it selfe is all one with God and should be all one with us because there ought to be no profession of faith without the Grace of Faith And this we are to hold fast without wavering to the end It was the ordinary practice of the Apostles not only to beget many to the Faith but when they had done they went up and down to visit those places and persons on purpose to establish and confirm them in the Faith Act. 14.22 Confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith c. Act. 16.4 5. It was the Apostles exhortation to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong It is not enough that we have faith but we must endeavour to keep it and to stand fast in it when we have it Therefore he perswadeth the Colossians to be setled and grounded in the faith Col. 1.23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved
and be in health even as thy soul prospereth Or so as thou wouldst keep the Apple of thine Eye from the least mote or mite of offence Or so as thou wouldst keep thy very life for Faith under God is the very life of the Soul Solomon tells us Prov. 13.3 that he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life we may as truly say He that keepeth his Faith keepeth his life for The just shall live by his faith Other things a man may be careful to keep and it may be they will prove of very little use when all is done The time will certainly come when thy best friends cannot help thee thy Meat and Drink cannot nourish thee Physicians cannot cure thee thy large Possessions cannot comfort thee yet even at such a time as this if thou canst but lay hold of a Promise thou maist live upon the Word which God hath spoken when thou canst not live upon thy Revenues nor live upon thy Calling nor live upon thy Friends nor live upon the Creatures of Meat and Drink yet even then maist thou live upon thy Faith when the just man can live upon nothing else he can still live upon his Faith Keep Faith therefore for it is thy life Now skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life If one should deliver a very precious thing into the hand of a Friend with this or the like charge Be sure to keep this about you wheresoever you come and nothing shall be able to hurt you no ill savour or pestilential air shall be able to infect you O how careful would a man be to keep such a Receipt he would keep it as his very life And such a Receipt Faith a spiritual Charm such a Spiritual Charm is Faith he gives this solemn charge Keep your Faith as you would keep your life keep your Faith and nothing shall be able to hurt you Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you As this was true of the Faith of Miracles in those days so it is as true of saving Faith in a sound and saving sense at this day Such as keep their Faith in safety shall keep themselves in safety and shall tread down Satan that old Serpent under their feet and nothing shall be able to offend them And therefore where the Holy Ghost makes mention of the greatest troubles that befel the Church he makes mention also of their guard Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 and 14.12 Keep thy Faith therefore and thy Patience as ever thou desirest to be kept in the great hour of Temptation Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth O remember this will be the comfort It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the faith and the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to make a scrutiny either of death or at the general Judgement 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ It is nothing to say Such a man had Faith or Such a man once made a glorious Profession of the Faith but this is the glory of Christians to be found in the Faith when Christ comes to Judgement This was the height of Pauls ambition to be found in Christ when he came to give up his account Phil. 3.8 9. That I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness of God by faith Now he that keeps the Faith and endures stedfast to the end is sure to be found in him and none else Quest But you will say What should I do that I may keep Faith safely and be found in the Faith in the most dangerous times Means of preserving faith 1. Soundness I answer First if thou wouldst be found in the faith be sure to be sound in the faith for unsound things do not use to last long An Apple that is rotten at the Core will soon be gone Apostacy is the usual Catastrophe of Hypocrisie He that would deceive in his Profession is justly deceived of his Salvation That 's the reason the Apostle so often perswades them to be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2 2. Let us build our Faith upon good ground upon Gods Word and so let us build our hearts upon Faith and not build Faith upon our own deceitful hearts Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely he shall be delivered That is the first Rule Be sound in the Faith 2. Trial of it Secondly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith and be sound in it be sure to bring it to the Testimony and examine it to the bottom How do we know things to be sound or unsound but upon their trial Therefore be sure to try thy Faith if thou wouldst have it lasting Faith Some take it for granted their Faith is good and sound whereas if they should but feel the Pulse of it they would finde it very sick and weak It is said of Joseph and Mary Luke 1.41 they went a days journey supposing Jesus Christ to have been in their company but when they came to a through scrutiny they perceived they had lost him and were fain to go back again to seek him It is to be feared many a professed Christian plods on many a days and many a years journey supposing Faith and Christ by Faith to be in their company when if they would make a diligent search they should finde themselves at a loss and such as had need go back again and begin all their work afresh and indeed a man had better begin twenty times than be once mistaken in a matter of that moment Therefore be sure to examine thy Faith at the first as thou desirest to keep thy credit with God or Man A wise Merchant that would keep his credit and keep his estate is often casting up his Books of Accompts but he is like to keep neither of the former that is careless in the latter Be thou therefore this wise Merchant if thou wouldst keep thy Faith to the last be sure to make trial of it at the first How it ought to be tried I shall not now stand to shew you but refer you to that which was said in the particular Use to that purpose Thirdly he that would be kept sound in the Faith 3. Love of the Truth must be sure to love the Truth and to hate every false doctrine for Corruption in
of the Lord may run and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 Thus God glorifies his Word His Kingdom 5. God glorifies his Kingdom for what 's the honour of a King but the multitude of his Subjects Prov. 14.28 Now the Conversion of Souls is nothing else but the addition of so many Souls to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and this makes much for the honour of it Thy Kingdom come is the next Petition to Hallowed be thy Name to signifie that Gods Name is then most hallowed when his Kingdom is most enlarged David we know took not a little content in numbring of his People and surely the sin lay not so much in the bare numbring of them as in his carnal confidence in them We are sure Jesus Christ takes a great deal of content in the numbring of his Subjects he keeps a List and Roll of their Names No sooner is a Soul converted but presently his Name must be entred into the Church-book in the best sense Psal 87.4 5 6. This man was born there and of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall stablish her her Charter is sealed by the King of Heaven The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah Thus God glorifies his Kingdom The Conversion of Souls is such a Work as brings most glory to God 2. It brings most good to the Creature Secondly it is such a Work as brings most good to the Creature and that not onely to the creature converted but to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their conversion 1. To the converted 1. To the Creature converted His Conversion is a means of his Salvation and that not of his Body onely but of his precious Soul also He that knows not how to prize a Soul let him weigh the price of a Soul in the Blood of Jesus Christ let him look upon Christ crying sweating bleeding dying and all to save Souls Now he that converts a sinner saves a soul saith S. James and he saves it from death from the first Death and from the second Death also Jam. Chap. 5. ver 20. Nay he restores such a Soul to life to a better life than ever the Creature enjoyed before and therefore it is said Prov. 11.30 The fruit of the righteous is as the Tree of Life and he that winneth Souls is wise Comparing such a man as makes it his work to convert Souls to the Tree of Life planted in the Garden of Paradise and that in many Particulars 1. Because it was Gods planting and grew not out of the Earth of its own accord So is a righteous man a piece of Gods special husbandry for true Grace grows not up in any by natural Propagation but is of Gods particular Plantation 2. Because it was more excellent than other Trees and therefore placed in the midst of the Garden So is the righteous more excellent than his neighhour Prov 12.26 whatever the world accounts of him 3. In regard of the fruit of it For 1. As that one Tree bare divers kinds of Fruits and bare those Fruits at all times of the year Rev. 22.2 So doth a righteous man he bears divers kinds of Fruits and that at all times Psal 106.3 2. As the Fruit of that Tree was a special means to preserve the life of those that took it therefore called The Tree of Life So is a righteous man a special means under God to preserve the Life of others and therefore also called a Tree of Life Vt supra The fruit of the Righteous is as the Tree of Life Nay in some respect it is more excellent than the Tree of Life in Paradise for that did but preserve a man from death so long as he continued in his uprightness but this hath power in the strength of Christ to raise up a sinner from the dead The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5.25 They shall live the most excellent life they shall so live as never to taste of the second death and therefore it is such a Work as brings most good to the creature converted Yea and Conversion brings good to others that see the Conversion It rejoyces 1. The Minister Secondly it brings good to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their Conversion As 1. How doth it rejoyce him that under God is made an instrument of that happy work Solomon tells us no less than three or four times in the Proverbs that a wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 10.1 15.20 23.24 25. And if this be true in some sense of natural Parents and natural Wisdom how much more is it true of Spiritual Parents and Spiritual Wisdom If the natural Parent so soon forgetteth all her sorrow Joh. 16.21 for joy that a man-childe is born into the world how much more do Spiritual Parents whom God makes Instruments of the New-birth forget all their sorrow whilst they were labouring and wrestling with God by Prayers and Tears many years together for the Conversion of such a poor Soul I say how much more doth such an one forget all his sorrow and rejoyce with exceeding great gladness for joy that a Spiritual childe is born and brought forth into the Kingdom of God How doth the Apostle rejoyce to call Timothy his natural Son in the faith and to call the converted Philippians his dearly beloved and longed for his joy and crown of rejoycing in the Lord Phil. 4.1 Never did natural Parents rejoyce more in their natural children than Spiritual Parents do rejoyce in their Spiritual children And if God would please so to bless my Labours this day as to make me a poor Instrument of begetting one Soul to Jesus Christ I should think it an hour well spent I should have cause to bless God to all Eternity for this days work O remember I beseech you remember whilst you stout it and stand it out against God as you grieve the Spirit of God so you grieve the Spirits of your Ministers that desire to be faithful you compel them to give up their accounts with grief and not with joy Heb. 13.17 But when you come in and believe and obey they can say with S. John in Ep. 3. v. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the Truth to hear that such an one that was awhile ago an enemy to God and all goodness is now made a friend a favourite a childe For indeed Conversion brings a great blessing to the instrument this is such a work as brings a great Blessing along with it And that 1. From God Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God and surely if they that make peace betwixt man and man much more they that make peace betwixt God and man betwixt God and the
conversion of souls 1 Cor. 3.5 6. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the ministers bâ—y whom ye believe Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God along that giveth the increase If God therefore be the strength of his servants in the conversion of souls there is good reason he should be their Praise we have cause to bless God if any rise up and call us blessed we might have been so far left to partake in other mens sins that others might have risen up and called us cursed Vse 7 Therefore let God have all the glory if any of us have been made instruments of the conversion of any Thus Paul 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath inabled me for that he hath counted me faithful putting me into the ministry Of comforts to them that are Instruments of others Conversion Vse 7. Of Comfort Comfort to those that are instruments of others conversion in the midst of all discomforts they meet withall from the world for to that end as we told you in the beginning is this argument brought Be it so that those that perform this Spiritual piece of service for God and the Church in the conversion of Souls do meet with more than ordinary opposition and contempt from the world yet let this be their comfort their reward and encouragement from God is more than ordinary What if stones fly about Stevens ears upon earth so long as heaven is opened to him and he can see the glory of God Acts 7.56 and Jesus standing at the right hand of God this makes amends for all And truly this Text is as the opening of Heaven to those that labour in the conversion of Souls It may be the lot of such to be made with the Apostles the very filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 But what of that the more they suffer the more they shall be glorified The adversaries Reproaches shall be turned into Crowns of Glory and therefore they may say with Job 31.31 If mine adversary should write a book against me yet would I take it and binde it as a Crown upon my head This therefore I say may be matter of comfort against all that discomfort which the Ministers of God meet withall I plead not for all that are called by that Name who wear a garment or a name to deceive who prophecy of wine and strong drink who seek themselves and seek the fleece more than the good of the flock Let such bear their own burthen But I speak of such as are faithful and seek the things of Jesus Christ Let wicked men spit out their gall and spleen against Gods faithful Messengers Let them rail and revile and cast dirt upon their faces c. God himself shall undertake to wipe away all reproaches and all their tears when shame everlasting shame shall cover their adversaries Then they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever THE EPILOGUE OR A Pathetical Conclusion of the whole Work THus you see how such as live by Faith themselves should labour to convert others to the Faith And thus have we done through Gods grace assisting with this whole Subject of Faith I have now but two Requests to make unto you by way of Conclusion the one is that I may obtain the help of your Prayers that I may be enabled from God to hold forth by Pattern what I have so long held forth by Precept in the Life of Faith whatever Trials should come And the other is That you would be perswaded to follow after in walking according to the Rule that hath been set before you That what hath been spoken may be prest and imprinted upon your hearts by the Spirit of the living God You have heard much of Faith in my Reverend Predecessors time as appeareth by what is left upon Record and God hath directed me to strike upon the same Nail I may say as many years together as I intended days at the first But he that multiplied the barley loaves and the broken meat was pleased in the dividing and distributing of this Subject of Faith to multiply my Meditations far beyond my first intentions I heartily desire this 〈◊〉 be the fruit of my poor labours That when I have done preaching of this Subject you may so begin and continue to practise what hath been taught that your life may be a living by Faith and a perpetual Commentary upon the Text. And Oh that I could perswade you to live this Life of Faith before you lay down this Life of Nature or else you die and die for ever And do not say thus within your selves I 'll do it the next Year Moneth Day How many Scores yea hundreds have been cut off by Death since we began to speak of this Life of Faith And it may be many of them thought themselves as likely to live as any of us and it may be they were so indeed in the course of Nature But remember our Times are in Gods hands and not in our own And therefore let us put our hearts into his hands also that he may fit us for our times how long or how short soever our lives may prove Some have said I have been too long upon this matter of Faith but I confess they were some such as heard me not and therefore I do the less respect what they say because they speak evil of the things they heard not and therefore of the things they know not It hath been some encouragement and an Argument of Blessing that such as were usual hearers have not been tired out as hath appeared by these days assemblies compared with the other Lecture-day But I beseech you be you Believers and doers of this word and not hearers onely deceiving your own selves Jam. 1. Else I shall have cause to complain I have not stood long enough upon this Subject For that is never sufficiently taught that is not sufficiently learnt and put in practise My hearts desire and Prayer to God for Ipswich is That as they have heard much of Faith so they might live by it as much that whilst our Neighbors look upon us and mark our steps they may not see in this Town here a company living by Sense and there another living by Wits Shifts and Projects and a third living upon their Lusts and a fourth upon their unrighteous Mammon and a fifth upon their Self-righteousness and so the rest But we might so generally live by Faith through the grace of God that I might have cause to glory of you as the Apostle doth of the Romans Chap. 1.8 I thank my God through Jesus Christ that your Faith is spoken of in all places However in the mean time I bless God that I have found some fruits of my weak endevours in helping any to set their faces Sion-ward who have
influence of faith into Consolation 288 to 292 Consolation what properly 292 Consolation from the touch of faith 292 293 The Word and Sacraments are the Brests of Consolation 393 394 395 Reasons why Consolation comes by faith 298 299 305 306 We must try our Comforts by our Graces and not our Graces by our Comforts See why 300 to 304 It is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than Graces 301 See Joy Papists rob of Comfort while of faith 321 Comfort from sense and sensual delights ends in sorrow 321 To refuse to be comforted by the Promises dishonors God 322 Comfort in false Doctrine and Prophets dangerous 322 Motives to live by faith the life of Comfort 323 Consolation brings activity of Obedience 323 There may be strong faith where little comfort 514 Constancy See Perseverance Gods constancy in his love a motive to perseverance 249 Conversation See Carriage Vnnecessarily imbraced with wicked ones hinders growth in grace 230 Conversion Vnbelievers rarely Convert others if they do they take no joy in it 39 The method of converting grace how it gradually proceeds from conviction of sin to a closing with Christ 521 522 Its not the Word without the Spirit which can convert 529 Conversion of Souls is a most excellent work for seven Reasons from 585 to 600 Such reproved who slight the converting of others 602 603 604 Exhortation to convert souls 606 Eight Motives to convert others from 607 to 610 Means for the conversion of others from 610 to 612 Exhortation to People to be willing to be converted and to attend on such means as are proper for it 612 613 614 615 616 The misery of such who are not converted 613 The happiness of converted ones 614 Objections of Discouragement answered 614 615 Thankfulness for our own and others Conversion 616 Conviction It is an act of the comforting Spirit though not an act of Comfort 272 The Spirit convinces of sin by opening and applying the Law 520 521 Covenant of Grace This is a cause of the Saints perseverance 238 Creature-inconstancy Faith triumphs over it 261 262 Curiosity Vain curiosity concerning heaven condemned 359 D Deadness of Spirit Gods Children subject to it 172 Causes of spiritual deadness which is fourfold 173 Sinful deadness springs from four privative causes and from four positive causes 173 Penal and probational deadness 174 Saints recover by faith out of deadness 174 175 Reasons why faith recovers out of deadness 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Motives to quicken under deadness 179 180 181 182 183 Means to quicken under deadness 184 185 186 187 Vide Vivification Death Die Faith in death 58 469 Six Reasons why believers die in faith 59 60 No need of faith after death 61 62 Christs death applied by faith a means of Sanctification 126 Greater happiness in the death than life of Believers 318 319 Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death from 368 to 373 Believers conquer Death in rectified opinion of it 370 Reasons why true Believers are loth to die 372 Desertion The just live by faith under desertion 50 Faith triumphs over fear of Divine desertion from 267 to 275 Desertion in appearance only 267 268 269 Desertion in respect of temporals onely 270 Desertion in respect of Spiritual means 271 Desertion in respect of Spiritual comforts 271 272 God deserts his people onely in accessory graces 273 274 Vide Forsaking Despair It is Reproved 358 359 It quits the Vse of the Ordinances 510 Desires Strong desires after Christ are the seeds of faith 533 Diligence It leads to assurance in the use of holy means 95 What it implies and how it breeds faith 541 Discipline Holy discipline and strictness the sphere of Comfort 297 to 300 Discouragement Faiths triumph over five main discouragements 261 Doctrines These are to be judged true or false as they slander or advance the life of faith 448 449 Doubting Frequency of it a sign of weak faith 571 Duration Faith must be acted as long as we live yet love excels it in duration 60 61 Duties Backwardness to holy duties and remissness in them is a sign of a weak faith 572 E Election It is a cause of perseverance 237 Doubting of Election hinders believing 505 Envy It is an Impediment of growth in grace 230 Establishment in Faith Reasons why we should labor to be establisht both in the Doctrine and Grace of faith 544 The benefit of Establishment in the faith ibid. Enemies which oppose the establishment of faith 545 Though faith cannot be lost yet God establishes in the use of means 545 Seven Means of establishing faith 548 to 556 See Keeping of Faith Eternal See Life Examination See Trial. Evidence of grace upon examination brings comfort 300 Examine two things in order to the Sacrament 577 Excellency Faiths excellency in two respects 62 63 The complicated excellencies of a believer 477 Example Examples of crowned Saints a means of perseverance 255 Experiences These called to minde breed assurance 96 They are a firm ground for future faith 409 Reasons for the deduction of faith from experiences 410 They are a means to increase faith 581 F Faith It s definition in eight branches 19 20 What it is to live by faith in five particulars 21 22 Faith Life and Christ come all together yet in order 23 Faith described in seven faculties of spiritual life 23 to 28 Why Saints live by faith rather then any other grace 28 29 30 Why no man can live but by his own faith 33 34 Caution in four particulars amplifying that truth 35 36 37 Restriction of it in four Considerations 38 39 Make much of faith as your life in troubles 64 65 True faith is known by its renewing and fructifying vertue 141 Faith is the root of holiness and fruitfulness 144 Faith resembles the expulsive faculty in the body 150 Faiths triumph over personal weaknesses 263 Its triumph over sinful distempers 264 Faiths triumph over uncertain events 264 265 Its triumph over fear of sinning or suffering 266 267 Its triumph over fear of divine desertion 267 268 See Desertion Faith reflects on Sanctity and Sincerity to comfort 299 Faith produceth comfort as it makes future good things to be as it were present 305 306 Want of acting faith in Gods Word and Works though there be the habit is a great cause of sadness 313 314 Faith is the mother and nurse of spiritual joy 328 Faith to be acted seven wayes for the increase of joy 328 to 334 Faith assures that eternal life is the Believers 341 How faith assures a Believer of heaven 342 to 351 Examination of true faith as it respects eternal life 362 Faith lifts up a man above the troubles of the world 377 382 383 Faiths manly choice or charm against prosperity 385 What are the Reasons why the Just must live by faith 398 to 417 Living by faith a very reasonable duty 399 Faith puts life into the Promises 400 Faith is a Saints security for