Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
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A21054
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The righteous mans tovver. Or, The way to be safe in a case of danger. Published by Ier. Dike, minister of Epping in Essex
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Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.
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1639
(1639)
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STC 7422; ESTC S100142
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133,735
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372
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it is a Dead Charity So is the case with faith This is laid downe verse 15. 16. 17. The second is taken from the impossibility of the manifestation of faith without the fruites of it Faith where ever it is may bee and will be manifested It is with faith as it was with Christ He could not be hid A Faith that can keep house and skulk and lye close is not a right bred Faith vers 18. The third is taken from an Absurdity It were an absurd thing that a Christian should have no better a faith then the devils in Hell have And such a faith may they have vers 19. The fourth is taken from an Adjunct of Privation Because such a faith as is without workes is a Dead Faith How can hee bee a living Christian whose Faith is Dead That is laid downe vers 20. How can a Dead Faith bring a man to life The fifth is taken from a comparison from the lesse Because such a faith cannot Iustifie If not Iustifie then not save If not the lesse then not the greater And this argument he illustrates by two examples of Abraham and Rahab In the example of Abraham there be these things considerable First He layes downe his proposition That Abraham was justified by a working faith vers 21. For that is the meaning of those words and the Apostle by workes understands faith which hath workes as appeares by that vers 18. Thou hast faith it is a naked and empty faith without workes I have workes that is faith which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in workes when therefore the Apostle saies that Abraham was Iustified by workes he meanes that his faith by which hee was justified was not a naked faith empty of workes That hand of faith by which hee laid hold on Christ as it was an apprehending and an applying hand so was it an acting and a working hand Secondly he proves that Abrahams faith by which he was justified was not a faith which did not worke by the offering of his sonne vers 21. Thirdly Hee cals such vaine boasters to a serious consideration of what hee had said Seest thou not how faith c. And two things hee would have them consider 1. That Abrahams faith did worke together with his workes That his workes did flow from the principle of faith and that his faith did concurre unto his workes that they might bee right and pleasing to God for without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrewes 11. 6. 2. That his faith was made perfect by his workes That is by these workes of his it was clearely manifested that his faith was a lively true and perfect faith vers 22. Fourthly Hee concludes that which he had laid downe at first That Abraham was justified not by an idle but by a lively working faith And this conclusion he proves by a testimony of Scripture vers 23. The testimony is taken from Gen. 15. 6. for by the workes of Abraham it appeares that faith of which Moses there spake was not a sloathfull but a working faith And that faith of Abrahams hee sets forth by another consequent that followed upon it besides that which is specified in the Testimony of Scripture for take the words together and Abrahams faith is set forth by two speciall things that followed upon it The first was his Iustification Abraham beleeved and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse The second was the favour and friendship of God And hee was called the friend of God Hee was called that is hee was and became the friend of God So Matthew 5. 9. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall bee called the sonnes of God that is they shall be the sons of God From the words then wee may learne this point The great Honour and Happinesse of the Doct. faithfull The Honour of the people of God They have the Honour and the Happinesse to bee Gods friends Abraham was the father of the faithfull and hee is three severall times honoured in Scripture with the Title of Gods friend once here in this Text. Another time 2 Chron. 20. 7. And gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever A third time Isay 41. 8. and that by God himselfe And thou Israel art my servant the seed of Abraham my friend And therefore so often given to Abraham the father of the faithfull that it might haereditarily descend upon all the children of faithfull Abraham That as amongst the German Nobility every sonne beares the title of his fathers Honour so in this case all that are his children are also Heires of his Honourable Title All the children as their father friends of God Therefore not peculiar to Abraham alone but given to others in Scripture also It is given to Moses Exod. 33. 11. And the Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend It is given to the disciples Ioh. 15. 14. 15. Yee are my friends Henceforth I call you friends I have called you friends Not onely I will call you friends but I have called you friends as implying it was usually his manner of compellation to call them by that Name when hee spake to them of which wee have an example Luke 12. 4. And Isay unto you my friends fear not There is an intimate intire and mutuall friendship betweene Christ and the faithfull Hee is their friend They are his friends Hee cheeres them up by that name Cant. 5. 1. Eate O friends Drinke yea drinke aboundantly O beloved They are therefore friends and not onely friends ordinary and common friends but Beloved friends This is not every ones portion to have a share in such Honour and favour Look upon men in their naturall condition and they are strangers to God and God a stranger to them there is no acquaintance betweene God and them They are strangers as from the Life of God Ephes 4. 18. so strangers from the covenants of promise Ephes 2. 12. and strangers to God himselfe for both goe there together strangers from the covenants of promise and without God in the world They are born strangers Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the wombe And so they live strangers there is no more familiarity and acquaintance betweene God and them then is betweene strangers that never saw or heard each of other God is such a stranger to them that if hee doe offer them any manner of acquaintance they shake him off as a stranger Iob. 20. 14. 15. They say unto God Depart from us for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the Almighty They use him as a stranger they wish him to bee gone they care not for nor desire his acquaintance they desire to bee ridde of him And therefore God carries himselfe as a very stranger to them And as men are not well pleased when strangers are brought into their houses whom they know not who nor what nor whence they are so is God highly displeased when such