in Jesus Christ which is preached to poor sinners in this this righteousness is contained here you may lay hold of it by holding of this thou must keep it thou needest not poor Sinner if thou wouldest have all thy sins pardoned be a justified soul and blessed for ever climbe up to heaven by thy own good works and righteousness for it nor run down to hell in despair thinking thou mayest as soon finde it there as any where else no no poor soul what saith it The word is nâ—gh thee Heaven is nigh Justification Salvation is nigh thee it is in Gods word of faith which thou hearest preached that free promise which brings thee tidings of an everlasting righteousness lay hold of this thou art blessed for ever keep hold of this and thou shalt see thy self a justified person and an Heir of Heaven for ever And who mee thinks hearing this would not have thoughts of a Heaven thou poor soul sittest all the week long at thy Cups and with thy Queans and art scared from having any thoughts of Heaven or obtaining of Jesus Christ and life eternal through him because thou thinkest if ever thou doest it thou must make a Ladder of good works and climbe up to Heaven and thus thou knowest not how to do but it is a Hell to thee to have thoughts of it or if not so yet thou thinkest thou must run mad for a while at least the thoughts whereof terrifie thee as much on the other side whereas poor soul thou art mistaken the righteousness of Christ by which souls are righteousness of Christ by which souls are justified and saved needs neither of these for the obtaining of it thou needest not go up to Heaven nor down to Hel to get it thou needest not stand howling and crying and moping a moneth together to get a Heaven no but come to the Promise and all is thine but I tell thee not that when this is done thou shalt swagger and swear and be drunk and roar as before thou didst no but a new nature shall be put into thee and God whom now thou art affraid of as a Judge to hang thee thou shalt come running unto and throw thy self into his arms as into the arms of a loving Father and that work as prayer hearing which thou art now in prison whilst thou art about thou shalt account this glorious liberty 4 Faith it begets and keeps up a secret perswasion in that soul which lives thereby that either the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is declared in the promise already for certain is or if not may bee mine As faith leads the soul out unto and holds it close to the promise where Christs righteousnesse is held forth so there is something which faith in its acting doth to bring the soul unto and constantly to hold it to the promise for it is not an easie thing to bring a poor soul which sees nothingness and emptiness in it self and all its own righteousnesse to close with the promise of Christs righteousnesse and to hold the soul to the same in such sort as it shall not swerve or start aside stagger or reel from that promise in this great business of its Justification Now that which faith doth for the bringing of the soul unto and holding it close to the promise is the begetting and maintaining in the soul a certain secret and inward perswasion which is twofold Either 1 Such as hath an assuring act of faith joyned with it and may bee called Faith of assurance which though it bee not that wherein the life of faith doth properly consist yet it oftentimes accompanyeth living by faith and is more constantly found in that soul which lives by faith than it is in another which doth not live by faith which is a perswasion that that righteousnesse of Christ which is revealed in the promise for the justification of sinners is certainly mine applied to mee and that through the same I am already justified and shall never come into condemnation and therefore I come and take hold of the promise and keep to it as that which is my continual evidence against sin and Satan that I am justified and shall never come into condemnation so that the soul comes to the promise and saith This promise is mine the treasure in it is mine the Jewel of Christs righteousnesse that it brings is mine and in this confidence it triumphs over death hell sin the devil and all the enemies of its Justification and Salvation This perswasion wee finde in the Apostle Paul upon which hee grounds his glorious triumph Rom. 8. vers 33. to the end Daring all his enemies and all the enemies of the Elect of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword All comes from this perswasion vers 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And as I said before though this perswasion that I am certainly just and righteous before God in the righteousnesse of Christ bee not that proper act whereby I live by faith yet the more I attain to of this life of faith the greater and more constant will this perswasion bee for the stronger faith grows in any soul the more full assurance doth it bring though yet that assurance is not the act whereby it lives by faith but a fruit thereof yea in those souls who have attained to a higher degree of the life of faith as Paul and others in those times had the actings of faith do more appear in the act of Assurance and less in the acts of bare Adherence so that such doe not so much say the Righteousnesse of Christ it may bee mine and therefore I cleave to the promise which brings the same as thus it is certainly mine I am certainly justified and therefore I hold to the promise and that which is the ground of this my assurance and my evidence to prove the same against all the charges of the Law Sin Satan or any of the enemies of my Salvation Or 2 Such a perswasion as hath an adhering act of faith joyned with it and may be called faith of adherence which is a perswasion of this that the righteousnesse of Christ which the promise declares for the justificotion of sinners though I cannot for the present certainly say it is mine yet it may bee mine and I may bee justified and therefore I go to the promise and hold to the promise where this is to bee had this perswasion is properly the life of Faith considered in it self the other is the life of Faith
conditional they do all run in Christ or are made to us in Christ p. 5 1 That it is so p. 6 2 Six Reasons Why it is so from p. 8. to 14 3 The Vse 1 That the first work of the soul is to come to Christ ibid. 2 How miserable is the condition of all those that stand off from the Lord Jesus Christ this shewed in several particulars from p. 15 to 20 3 Then how blessed is their condition who are married to the Lord Jesus Christ ibid. 4 Of Examination in several particulars p. 23 5 Of Exhortation p. 24 Quest How may a soul know that its evidence is true Answered in three particulars p. 24 25 6 Use To those that are without Christ to come to Christ p. 26 to 30 Twelve Objections answered from p. 30 to 41. Pro. 2 That all the Promises of God made to sinners in Jesus Christ shall certainly and assuredly bee fulfilled and accomplished p. 41 The Proposition proved from the great Obligations lying upon God the Father and Jesus Christ to see to it that the Promises bee fulfilled Five Engagements that lye upon Jesus Christ to see them fulfilled from p. 42 to 44 Seven Engagements lying upon God the Father to see the Promises fulfilled from p. 44 to 46 Four other particulars to prove the certainty of fulfilling the Promise p. 47 Nine Objections answered from p. 48 to 54 Quest How may I come to know when the Promise is near fulfilling answered p. 54 Quest What doth the consideration hereof afford us as matter of comfort answered ibid. Quest What may wee learn hence as our duty answered in six particulars p. 55 to 58 2 Absolute Promises made to sinners as sinners from Isaiah 57.17 18 19 verses Doct. THat the Promises of Grace or the free Promises of the Gospel are made to sinners or to persons as sinners under the notion of sinners p. 59 The Doctrin explained and opened p. 60 to 63 The truth of the Doctrin proved p. 63 Four Reasons of the point from p. 64 to 69 Five Objections answered from p. 69 to 77 Vse 1 Hence wee may see the mistake of many persons who look upon the Gospel and all the Promises thereof as made to Saints whereas they are to sinners p. 77 Vse 2 Then here is ground of incouragement to the vilest of sinners to come to the Promise p. 79 Vse 3 Then how exceedingly just and great will the condemnation of those sinners bee who reject these Promises of grace p. 81 Four Aggravations of such sinners sins p. 83 to 85 Use 4 Of comfort to poor souls p. 85 Sixteen Objections answered p. 86 to 89 3 The life of Faith from 2 Cor. 5.7 THe Text opened p. 89 Doct. That the life of Faith is the proper life of Saints in this world The Doctrin proved p. 90 to 92 Quest 1 What it is to live by Faith answer that it is for a soul constantly quietly and orderly to rest upon the Promise and Power of God for the obtaining of all good expected or hoped for the removing or turning to good all evil present or feared This description is branched out into these particulars 1 The Act it self with the manner of acting p. 93 to 99 2 The ground of Faith p. 100 to 107 3 The extent of this living by Faith p. 108 109 Quest 2 What are the pincipal differences betwixt the life of Faith and the life of sense answered in eight particulars p. 110 to 121 Quest 3 Wherein is the life of Faith to bee exercised Answered p. 122 Quest 4 What are the things themselves whereabout Faith is to bee exercised Answered p. 121 to 125 Quest How doth Faith act as touching any of those things p. 125 to 127 Quest How doth Faith act in Justification Answered in six particulars p. 128 to 144 Quest Wherein doth lie the advantage of the soul that liveth by Faith in Justification above another that concludeth his Justification from sense from what hee seeth or feeleth Answered p. 145 to 152 Quest What is it that hindereth a soul from living by Faith in Justification Answered p. 153 to 155 2 That a Christians Sanctification is to bee carryed on in a way of Faith or believing p. 156 Quest 1 Wherein is Faith to bee exercised in our Sanctification Answered p. 157 Quest 2 How doth Faith act or put forth it self in this businesse of Sanctification Answered 1 As to our Mortification p. 158 to 160 2 As to our Vivification p. 161 Quest 3 Why is a Christian to live by Faith for Sanctification Answered p. 162 163 Quest What is the difference between that Sanctification which ariseth from an enlightened conscience and that which ariseth from Faith or beleeving Answered in five particulars p. 164 to 169 3 The life of Faith in Expectation p. 170 1 What those things are that Christians waits for or expects by Faith 1 The fulfilling of the Promises p. 171 2 The return of his Prayers p. 172 3 The return of Gods Countenance p. 173 4 The Churches Deliverance p. 174 5 The ruine of Gods enemies p. 175 6 The Lords second comming ibid. 2 How the life of Faith acts in this businesse of a Christians expectation p. 176 to 180 3 The Reasons why a soul is to expect mercy in away of Faith p. 181 4 What waiting is that which comes from Faith Answered in several particulars p. 182 183 Several considerations to move us to wait upon God in Faith p. 184 to 191 Quest But when is the set time then I could wait for it if I knew but that Answered p. 192 Quest How shall I come to wait upon God in a way of Faith Answered p. 193 to 195 4 The Saints Anchor rightly cast from Hebrews 6.10 The coherence p 197 198 The Text divided p. 199 1 A Description of a Christians hope What this hope is It is a patient and an assured expectation of the accomplishment of the Promises of God this is opened and proved p. 199 to 203 How hope is resembled to an Anchor in four particulars p. 204 205 The Excellency of this Anchor above other ibid. 2 The Properties of this hope sure and stedfast and that in these respects p. 205 206 3 The place where this Anchor is cast that is within the vail ibid. 1 What it the meaning of this phrase within the vail p. 206 207 2 What is that within the vail that a Christians hope can found upon this is answered in several particulars p. 208 to 213 3 Why Christians hope must bee sixed within the vail ibid. Vse This truth doth call upon many souls to remove their Anchors 1 Such as rest in Morality ibid. 2 Such as cast their Anchor in the outward Court of Profession p. 214 3 Such as cast their Anchor in the Sanctuary in the outward visible Church ibid. Several things by way of Motives to provoke and encourage souls to cast their Anchor of Hope within the vail p. 218 to 226 5
shall live by faith The great scope of the eleven first Chapters is to prove Justification by faith in Christ against those that did hold Justification by works of the Law he layeth down his position in this cause and bringeth in this The just shall live by faith And hee doth oppose Justification by Faith to Justification by the Law Gal. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by faith 2. As it relates to a Christians Sanctification Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved mee and gave himself for mee Though the main argument here is Justification yet this living by faith is in respect of Sanctification chiefly at least which I think the scope of the place yeelds for Paul having vers 19. laid down this as an argument why a beleever cannot be justified by the Law because hee is dead to it that hee might give a reason of this likewise why a beleever is dead to the Law or must needs be so he glides off from the main argument of Justification into this of Sanctification as by the by that I might live to God What is that Why perform obedience now to God or bring forth fruit to God as Rom. 7. v. 4 5 6. Wherefore my Brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that yee should bee married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that wee should bring forth fruit unto God Which argument being now digressed into hee prosecutes in the next verse wherein as is clear hee goes on to speak of Sanctification for hee speaks of Christs living in him which is not our Justification that is by Christ without us and so his living by faith is to bee understood in respect of that viz. Sanctification which in the former verse and beginning of this hee was speaking of 3 As it relates to a Christians Expectation or waiting So Habak 2.4 For the Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speake and not lye Though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him But the just shall live by his faith Speaking of the Vision delayed hee saith The just shall live by faith i.e. expect the coming thereof and wait for it in a way of beleeving 4 As it relates to a Christians perseverance So Heb. 10.38 Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Which words if you compare them with the foregoing verse seem to bee of the same sense with them in Habakkuk to bee spoken of a life of expectation vers 37. For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by Faith But compared with the following words in this and the next verse they concern perseverance because in this verse drawing back is set in opposition to living by faith and again vers 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul Beleeving is set in opposition to drawing back In these places we have a four-fold life 1 Of Justification 2 Of Sanctification 3 Expectation 4 Perseverance In every of which we are to live by faith or we are to live by faith for these four things in an especial manner viz. Justification Sanctification Expectation and Perseverance Quest 2. How doth faith act or what is it that faith doth in those persons which live by faith as touching either of these things Answ In order to which I shall premise this word That I shall not go about to prescribe any one way or order that the Spirit of God while it enables a soul to live by faith in either of these walks in or works in so as to tye up all Saints to that way or manner of working which experience teacheth to be dangerous and to administer matter of stumbling to poore souls for as the Wisdome of God in his VVord is manifold so the workings of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the faithful through which they are enabled to live by faith are manifold and various though in the substance all agreeing As in our Justification so in all the rest one is enabled to live by faith herein from such a principle another from such a principle yea the same person looking upon himself at sundry times shall finde that one while his faith springs from one principle or consideration another while from another As for example perhaps to day I beleeve my Justification and go on beleeving it for a week or a moneth together from such a consideration as this viz. God hath made a Covenant with me in his Son and this is unchangeable as not made upon condition of my obedience so noâ— broken by my disobedience and hence I beleeve I am justified Another while perhaps this principle is not so lively and vigorous as to keep up my faith but then another doth it as this God justifies the ungodly now saith the soul though I cannot say I am a Saint yet this I can say I am an ungodly one well God justifies the ungodly this is a precious truth I own it I cleave to it I am an ungodly one a Sinner I beleeve God justifies me VVhen this hath kept up faith a while then it may be the life and vigour of this goes off the heart too and then come another as this The righteousness of Jesus Christ by which poor sinners are justified is a perfect compleat righteousness this righteousness is given to those that beleeve to such he becomes the Lord their righteousness I am a poore Sinner of my own I have no righteousness this I do I cleave to his righteousness which is persect and able fully to justifie my poor soul and I do in some measure beleeve that I have a share in this righteousness it is mine and that I am thereby justified in the sight of God These Principles with many others though diverse in themselves yet do they sweetly agree in the maine all leading the soul to something without for justification And truly this premisal is very necessary and material for how ordinary is it with poor souls if so be their faith hath been carried out from such a principle and they hear another in relating his experience hath been carried out from another to question the truth of their own at least to have some jealousies about it yea some poor souls are sometimes ready to stagger when they look upon themselves and consider the last moneth or the last year I had much strength and ability to beleeve from such a
consideration now do I not finde that at all inabling me but the faith I had is from another how comes this to pass VVhy am I so inconstant in my faith true or not for my brethren we are prone and ready to think when from any one principle or consideration our faith is kept up that that should do it ever which is our weakness and ignorance to shew us which may be one reason why God deals in this way with us as another to make us see his manifold workings in every of which hee is glorious and therefore in none to be despised and also to make us have a higher esteem of every truth not to slight any jot of the Gospel and lastly which is the thing premised to teach us that we should not tye up God to any one way or manner of working saying here he goes in this way he works and in no other This being premised I come to the question to shew how faith acts in such as live by faith or what it doth in either of these The life of Faith in Justification Quest 1. How doth Faith act in Justification or what doth faith in that business in those persons who live by it Ans 1. Faith in all those persons who live by it it gives the soul a clear and convincing sight of the emptiness and nothingness of all its own righteousness in this great business of our Justification faith whensoever it makes after Justification it presently sets up such a light in the soul that the poor soul is made to see that all its own righteousness whither inherent or of works contribute nothing at all to its Justification so that if it have not some other righteousness to justifie it must go for ever unjustified notwithstanding all this though whilst it did not live by faith for justification it was prone to eye much its own righteousness and attribute a great deal even in the matter of justification to it so much as that when it saw it it would straight-way conclude its justification and when not the contrary yet now having obtained to live by faith there is wrought in the soul such a wonderful convincement of the nothingness of this which once it made such an account of as that it sees though it could be as righteous as ever man in the world was yea as Adam in the state of innocency was though it should have all the righteousness of the old Adam yet would not this make it righteous as to justification unless also it hath another and better righteousness It sees that the righteousness of Abraham David Paul and Peter and all the righteous men that ever were in the world though all were its own would not make it one whit more righteous or just before God than the vilest sinner in the world but that it must perish and go to Hell for ever with all this righteousness if it hath no other so that whilst it makes after Justification it goes wholly upon another score saying Lord if there bee not some other way found out to make this poor miserable soul eternally blessed than the way of its own righteousness it is undone for ever and must unavoydably lye under Divine wrath and the stroke of Justice for ever Lord had I all the working righteousness of men and Angels yet were it not for another righteousness I should not dare with all this to come unto thee or to have a thought that because of this thou shouldest justifie me for though this in it self be good yet now I am clearly convinced that its all nothing as to the obtaining of my Justification thus wonderfully doth the life of faith unrobe a man of his own righteousness so as that he never dares go into the presence of God for Justification until he hath put this garment off but as the Priest when hee was to go into the Holy of Holies did lay aside those Garments which hee usually wore and put on other so this soul whensoever it comes into the presence of God it lays aside every garment of its own righteousness which it wears in this world and puts on the royal robe of Christs Righteousness This we may see in the holy man David Psal 16.2 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee No sooner doth hee act faith in God as his God but presently saith he My goodness extendeth not to thee as to say Lord thou art my God thou hast justified me and this my soul saith yea I beleeve it O but saith he this is not for my goodness it comes not at all into this business farre bee it from me that I should think so my goodness extendeth not to thee I see Lord saith David my goodness is nothing as to thee true it may bee useful to the Saints on earth O but it brings thee nothing neither is that it which hath brought this thing about that thou art my God So likewise Gods Church Isa 64.6 8. when she is going to put forth an act of faith in God as her God she lays by all her own righteousness looking on it as nothing worse than nothing vers 6. We are all an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and vers 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father As to say Thou O Lord hast loved me justified me this I beleeve for thou art my Father but this my Justification or this love of thine towards me is not for my righteousness no that is all an uncleane thing and filthy raggs and instead of Justification I can expect nothing but Damnation from the same 2 Faith it ever presents the soul with a perfect compleat and all-sufficient righteousness which is to be had in anoâ—her for its Justification Faith unrobes the soul of its own righteousness and then it saith O thou poor naked soul which walkest without a Garment and hast no righteousness of thy own to cover thy nakedness come thou hither for I have glad tidings to tell thee behold a perfect and everlasting righteousness the Son of God Jesus Christ casting the spotless mantle of his righteousness over thee thou art naked but O my soul behold a robe an everlasting robe of perfect righteousness put it on go boldly to thy Father with it though thou art black yet this will make thee comely though thou art poor yet this will make thee rich though thou art deformed this will make thee beautiful all fair there shall be no spot in thee Now as faith unrobes the soul of its own righteousness so doth it bring down this to the soul of the poor Sinner which being brought down and the soul cloathed therewith it takes it in its hand and goes up to the Father with it and says the soul Lord a time there was that I was unrighteous and then I was affraid to come unto thee and good reason I had to fear but now I come
justification 2 The constant holding our Justification in our sight maketh the soul take all the dealings of God in good part put a good construction upon all Gods dealings whereas another who is dark in justification he can take no dealing in good part at the hand of God A soul that beholdeth his justification can as long as that is clear behold the love of God in Christ towards it it can put a good construction upon all Let God give a mercy he will say that it is out of love let God take away a mercy he will say that is out of love Let God smile he seeth his love let God frown through his frown he beleeveth his love Let God put him into a prosperous condition he seeth love let him put him into an afflicted adverse condition he can beleeve God is his God But take a poor soul that is dark in that let him give a mercy he saith O I am affraid it is in Judgement let him take away a mercy this is in judgement I have abused it Let God smile he is affraid to own it lest hee be deceived let God put him into prosperity he thinks that will ruine him into affliction he thinketh that is to destroy him 3 The constant beholding our Justification doth carry out a soul with a sweet Son-like frame of Spirit in all its actings towards God Take a soul that is dark in its justification there will not bee childe-like actings but slavish actings a spirit of bondage servile actings But take a soul that hath his justification in his eye and there will bee sweet Son-like actings when hee goeth to duty hee goeth with the spirit of a Son I see Hell is gone Heaven is given and doth not perform duty to avoid the one or procure the other but doth all as to a Father because God hath taken Hell away and given Heaven and is my Father therefore I go about the work of God When it mourneth for sin it doth not mourn for fear it should bee Damned but because it hath sinned against a Father I do not say it is so with a Saint at all times but when a soul beholdeth its justification so it is 4 This constant beholding our justification doth dis-inamour and wean the heart from worldly things our hearts are never so weaned from the Creature as when wee see through justification our interest in the Creator When the poor soul cometh to see the great God of Heaven and Earth is my Father and I have a glorious inheritance provided above in Heaven for me then it saith Why should I dote upon Creatures As a Princes Son is estranged from the company of other Children why I am the Princes Son they are companions below me this maketh him leave other Boys and not play with them so a Princes Son wil not go and hoard up Counters why I am a Princes Son so a poor soul when it beholdeth its justification is estranged from the world upon this consideration I am a Son of God a Childe of God have an interest in Heaven a glorious inheritance there and this weaneth the heart from the world The beholding our actual justification begets such actuall considerations as these 5 It armeth us against all Satans temptations it puts the soul into such a condition as it can grapple with Satan when he cometh to assault it with his fiery darts let the Devil shoot never so many fiery darts yet so he hath his justification in his eye it will keep off all and therefore it is called a Shield They used a Shield to repel Arrows from the party Faith is our shield to repel the darts of Satan and beat them back again so this is another advantage 3 That soul that liveth by faith in justification is delivered from the great evil other souls run into of adding to or detracting from his justification it is a great evil incident to the Saints they look upon themselves as more or less justified accordingly as they are more or less holy and their works more or less spiritual I do not say but that we should endeavour after holiness and spirituality to the utmost but not to make our justification less or more as these things are lesse or more 1 Because it puts our justification as a stock into our own hands that by our care and diligence wee might augment or by carelesness and negligence might diminish it whereas our justification is a stock the Saints have but it is in the hands of their Suerty which though they are and ought to use all Christian care and diligence yet by all their care and diligence there is not one dram added to their justification Though they are to take heed of all carelesness and remisness and avoyd them yet though they should fail there is not one whit not one dram taken away from their justification by all Justification is as the Childes Portion in the Executors hands the Childe hath some spending-money but his Portion is in the hands of the Executor So is our justification that is a stock in the hands of our Executor the Saints have something in themselves and they spend much of that but they would spend their justification too if the stock were in their own hand but it is in the hands of their Suerty Executor and they cannot spend that he will not let them have that so that that cannot be spent Now when we look upon our justification as that which may be added to or detracted from we do not look upon it as in the hands of our Suerty but in our own hands and that is a great evil 2 It is a great evil because it maketh our Justification like our Sanctification in part for that which is perfect can have nothing added to it or taken from it if any thing could be added to it then it was not perfect before perfection doth neither admit of addition or diminution Now our Justification is perfect by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 them the Father hath set apart he hath perfected for ever Now if I should be more justified at one time than at another then Justification were not perfect 3 It maketh justifying grace to depend upon Creature actings for if I am more justified when I do more and less when I do less then my actings have influence into my justification and so justification depends upon Creature actings and so if of works then it is no more of grace 4 It is a great evil because it doth much dishonour Christ it speaketh the righteousness of Christ insufficient for our justification if the righteousness of Christ be sufficient to justification then all I can do cannot help it forward If it need any thing of ours then it is not sufficient of it self I speak this to shew the great evil of adding to or detracting from justification which how usual it is to look upon our selves more justified at one time
c. And if this were duly considered souls would never in their lowest saddest and most deserted conditions bee shy of beleeving for who can question at any time whether they may thus let out their hearts to Christ or no and yet the doing this is beleeving yea the properest act of Faith consiseth therein and if at any time a soul bee inabled by grace to this then it hath a sweet injoyment of God and Christ in the Promise though sensible quickenings c. bee wanting for no act of Faith can bee without an injoyment of God If thou bee'st inabled with thy whole heart to take hold of Gods Wisdome and Power c. in a Promise thou dest as really injoy God so long as thy soul sticketh close to him there whilest the sensible improvements of those divine Artributes ars denyed thee as thou dost afterward when these are granted And the same may bee said for any promised Mercy if the heart bee throughly drawn out Christ-ward in the way of the Promise for it in its proper season as when that mercy is sutable to the present condition c. there is as real an injoyment of God in such a waiting for it as in the after fruition of it for there is the life of Faith before it is afforded and Faith cannot be without a fruition of God The Proper time of Abrahams acting Faith for Isaac was before Isaac was given Rom. 4.19 And being nor weak in Faith he considered not his own body now dead vers 20. Hee staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in Faith So that injoyments of God by Faith may be as well before as when a promised mercy is afforded I do not speak against looking for sensible feelings of Christs presence within in enlargements and quickenings c. but against judging these the only injoyments of God and against looking more for these than for out-goings of heart to Christ by Faith whereas the best way to attain more of these is to act Faith on the Christ of God who is without us in the way of a Promise for them The Lord would take care of Christians comforts if they were more careful to own his faithfulnesse in his Promise And if you would bee successful in any of your dealings with the Promises then bee sure that your souls do clasp hold of Christ therewith for all the Promises in him are yea and in him Amen And seeing the faithfulnesse of God is ingaged for the accomplishment of all Promises Oh what sweet incouragement doth this afford to exercise hope on him for all those mercies which are promised and which wee are yet without Christians are exceedingly backward to the exercise of this grace of Hope which might bee of admirable use to them and most averse to exercise it about eternal life which is the highest and chiefest object of it Some hope not only for temporal but also for spiritual mercies necessary in some conditions they are exercised in as under deadness of heart they hope for quickenings under streightnings they hope for inlargements under witherings they hope for flourishings of grace but where is the soul that is hoping for the glory of God Rom. 5.2 A hoping for Heaven and the life to come it is the casting hope within the vail that rendreth it of use as a Soul-anchor that secureth against the storms of affliction and temptation which are met withall in this World A great reason of the sinking of many under these is because they cast away their anchor the hope of eternal life when the tempest riseth highest and when they have most need of it It is very sad to observe that carnal men are so high in their Hopes for heaven who have no grounds for hoping and on the other hand that Christians are so low in their hopes who have such firm grounds for them There is 1 A hope of desire 2 A hope of Assurance or Confidence Christians you may sometimes bee under such doubts and questionings about your conditions as you may not be able to conclude with a hope of confidence and Assurance that you shall injoy God to all eternity But a Hope of Desire after the injoyment of God as the chiefest good as reckoning nothing such a matter of Hope as a full fruition of him and Jesus Christ to all eternity this Hope of Desire under the saddest desertion you may keep up and sinne if you do not Cant 3. v. 1 2. Cant. 5.6 The Spouse sought her beloved when hee had withdrawn himself As under the hidings of Christs face the saints may have a Hope of Desire to see his face again on earth so as well may they then long to see him face to face in heaven The Saints should say when will the bridge-groom of our souls come when shall wee have full fellowship with him when shall wee have full imbraces in his armes when shall wee injoy the Promised everlasting rest when shall we have a full freedome from all sinne and suffering thus Paul had a Hope of Desire to bee dissolved that hee might be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and Rom. 8.23 wee groan within our selves that implyeth a weariness of the present Condition but the inducement was the hope of Glory waiting for the adoption the redemption of our body but where is the soul that is under a wearinesse of its present Condition not barely to be freed from burdens and afflictions but out of a want of heavenly glory and a full communion with Jesus Christ O Christians you can never want a ground thus to hope and therefore put on your Helmet the Hope of Salvation cast forth the Anchor and that within the Vail that your Lord may finde you looking for the blessed Hope of his coming We shall add no more but this that the Lord graciously granted us the priviledge to be ear witnesses that diverse of the Sermons in these Treatises for the substance of them giving allowance to such defects of the Emanuensis which cannot but bee expected ordinarily were Preached by that Servant of Christ Mr. Tillinghast and others are as they were found in his own hand-writing Some Sermons are wanting but could not be gained yet these being so useful we were unwilling the World should be without them so desiring that the blessing of Christ may accompany these labors We remain 10 Month 24th day 1656. Thy Servants for Jesus sake Samuel Petto John Manning The Contents The Promises made and fulfilled in Christ from 2 Cor. 1.20 The Text opened from page 1. to page 3. Doct. That all the Promises of God made to sinners in Jesus Christ shall most certainly bee fulfilled and accomplished ibid. That all the Promises of God run in Christ or are made to us in Christ ibid. The Promises distinguished into absolute and conditional 1 Absolute Promises p. 4 2 Conditional Promises ibid. Pro. 1 That all the Promises of God whether those that are absolute or such as are
up in Types and shadows then much more is it in the New wherein the Covenant of Grace is clearly revealed and Gospel Truths unvayled Hence in the New Testament we have three times for Habbakkuks once that golden sentence The just shall live by faith as Rom. 1.17 Galat. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 And Paul whose example take for all the rest to shew what every one should do verifies this in his life and practice Gal. 2.20 And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God In the carrying on of which I shall shew 1 What it is to live by faith 2 What are the principal differences betwixt the life of faith and the life of sense or a souls living by faith and by sense 3 Wherein this life of faith is to bee exercised 4 The preciousness and excellency of this life of faith Quest 1. What is it to live by faith Ans I shall only describe it to you and that with shunning of curiosity as much as may bee and so it is For a soul constantly quietly and orderly to rest upon the Promise and Power of God for the obtaining of all good expected or hoped for the removing or turning to good all evil present or feared In which description are these things considerable 1 Here is the act it self with the manner of acting which the soul that lives by faith puts forth it is an act of rest and reliance and that constantly quietly and orderly For the act it self the nature of it it is not an act of assurance but an act of reliance recumbence dependence or adherence the act of assurance is not so properly faith as sense for when my soul is assured I do see and behold the love of God and my own salvation and I do feel the same within me and this is sense Indeed I grant it that the soul which lives by faith hath oftentimes assurance and more constantly than another he puts forth more acts of assurance than a weaker beleever doth which lives by sense yet are not these the differencing acts which do discover him to live by faith rather than another Thomas put forth an act of assurance when Joh. 20.28 hee cryes out My Lord and my God yet by our Saviours own testimony vers 29. he lives by sense Because thou hast seen thou hast beleeved as if hee should say Thomas thou art such a beleever as dost live more by sense than by faith thou beleevest but it is because thou seest thy faith can go no further than thy sight but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved As to say A Christian life there is whereby a soul though hee see nothing feel nothing yet beleeves and this is the blessed life and those the most blessed which live this kinde of life Christ here puts beleevers into two ranks the first are those who though they beleeve yet live by sense grounding their faith upon something seen the second are those who beleeve and live by faith grounding faith upon things not seen Thomas is a beleever of the first rank who lived by sense and yet had assurance so that the act of assurance is not the distinguishing act betwixt that soul which lives by sense and hee which lives by faith Yea more a weak beleever or a beleever at first conversion may and it is usual for such to have acts of assurance God coming in sometimes in a word or an ordinance perswading and covincing their souls of it that hee is their Father and Heaven is theirs yet do not such live by faith for so soon as this fit or rapture is over though whilst it was upon them they would have affirmed it against all the Devils in Hell they call into question and begin to unsay whatsoever before they said Yea further as I said before these acts of assurance though it bee by beleeving I come up to them yet are they more properly sense than faith for when I have assurance I cannot so well bee said to hope for beleeve c. as I may in some sort to see injoy and possess and therefore though the soul oft puts forth such acts which lives by faith yet are not these they whereby it lives by faith nay more properly hee lives by faith when these are wanting for then and onely then I put forth pure acts of faith when I have no sense at all The act of assurance which goes along with that of adherence is not the act whereby the soul lives by faith but rather a fruit or consequence of its living by faith it lives by faith in adhering to the promise which is the first act of faith and then from this its adherence as a fruit thereof there is an assurance of Gods love maintained in the soul So that it is clear that the act it self which is put forth in our living by faith is not an act of assurance whereby I am assured of the love of God c. but an act of adherence or reliance whereby though I see or feel nothing at all in mee why I should conclude God loves mee yet finding that God hath made promises to sinners such as I am and knowing no just or sufficient ground why I should exclude my self I adhere to the word and promise of God Now for the manner of acting it is 1 Constantly The soul which lives by faith doth not for a fit and away rest and relye on the promise but constantly By constantly I do not mean that hee doth so rest upon the promise and adhere thereto as that hee never at no time or in no case starts aside Abraham himself did not so cleave to the promise but once or twice hee did a little step aside so a soul which hath attained the life of faith and lives the same may at some times and in some particular case step aside and act too much in a way of sense But by constantly I mean thus That in the general course of his life and actions he is carried on by faith and acts in a way of faith setting aside now and then some particular acts and the whole of his life and actions is guided by faith Or if you please you may restrain it to the morer part though sometimes and oft hee acts sense yet mostly hee is in beleeving and so takes this denomination of living by faith from the greater part because hee doth more live by faith than by sense So that by constantly I do not understand every particular individual act but the general course of a mans life when once hee comes to live this life or the morer part of his actings are in a way of faith Now hereby hee is distinguished from all such as rest and relye upon the promise for a fit onely and away Some there are who will adhere to the promise for a fit whilst they finde themselves so and so qualified or have such and such experiences
to see these to day or in one duty and to have them out of sight to morrow or in another It may bee to day I have a sweet heavenly spiritual frame of heart but if I ground my faith upon this perhaps to morrow I shall bee as cold and carnal as now I am spiritual and where then will my faith bee to day my heart is humble to morrow as proud as now humble to day I can love my brother let him do what hee will with me or against me I can forget all and pass by all to morrow I cannot do thus but my heart will be full of wrath grudging and revenge against him if I ground my faith on these things where will it be when these are wanting yea when instead of finding them I finde the contrary These things may encourage faith whilst it is acting but I must make none of these neither Duties Affections or Graces nor any thing within me or done by mee the ground thereof Quest What is the ground of faith in living by faith Answ Two things are laid down in Scripture as the ground of our faith viz. The promise of God and Gods power to perform the same both which together make up a full and compleat ground for the faith of the beleeving soul 1 The promise of God the word of promise is the word of faith or that which our faith first pitcheth upon in living by faith Faith must have a word or it is not able to keep up Now the word or promise that faith pitcheth upon in inabling of the soul to live by faith is 1 The naked or bare promise or to speak better the Promise nakedly considered without any thing of ours joyned with it If I would live by faith I must do thus whensoever I would act faith set by all my duties affections graces and go to the naked Promise as though I had never performed duty in my life had not any affection to any thing good nor one dram of grace in mee As Abraham as Luther saith when he went up the Mount left the Servants and Asses at the foot and carried onely Isaac the Son of the Promise with him So when any would go up to God by faith we must leave all our righteousness beneath and carry onely the promise up with us for whilst I joyn any thing of my own with the promise making the promise as it hath this of my own joyned with it the ground of my faith so soon as ever I find a want of these things and have them not to carry I faulter in beleeving Therefore in living by faith it ought to bee the special care of every Christian to keep to the bare and naked promise looking to it that hee do not joyn any thing with the promise which to do as it is a great evill in it self so hath it this evill attending of it it throws down faith and hinders the soul from living by faith 2 The free or unconditional promise There are in the Book of God two sorts of Promises 1 Some Absolute and without condition made to the worst of sinners as such 2 Some Conditional made to the Saints duties and the graces of the Spirit in them Now in living by faith I am not to make these latter sort of promises the ground of faith because the conditions required in them being in mee but weak and imperfect and at sometimes only discernable faith cannot take hold of them at all times as it ought to do to the end I might live thereby The former sort of promises then viz. those which are Absolute and without condition such as are all the promises of the New Covenant to us are the promises which I must make the ground of faith in living by faith I mean those promises which are made to sinners as such these are they I must ground my faith upon for these faith may alwayes take hold of but of the other but sometimes only because onely sometimes the conditions and qualifications required in them are discernable in the soul though there be alwayes sufficient ground for my faith in the promise made to sinners yet not in that which is made to Saints I can see and acknowledge my selfe a sinner alwayes and under that notion come to the promise but so I cannot a Saint 2 The power of God to perform the same is another part of the ground of faith If any ask why I joyn this viz. The power or ability of God together with the promise in the ground of faith I answer 1 Because the Saints in former ages in acting faith and living by it have alwayes had a special eye unto and been much upheld by the power of God Wee have two notable acts of Abrahams faith mentioned by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament the first is that wee spake of before Rom. 4. which was an act of faith Abraham put forth in reference to a Son which God had promised him hee should have by his wife Sarah in his and Sarahs old age when now in reason they were past hope of having any his own body being dead and Sarahs womb dead and this was before or about the time of the conception of Isaac Gen. 17.15 16 17. The other was an act of faith Abraham put sorth in reference to Gods fulfilling of this his promise in Isaac at that time when the promise seemed to bee dying God commanding Abraham to offer up Isaac the Son of the promise which wee have recorded Gen. 22. and repeaâ—ed Heb. 11.17 18 19. Now in either of these wee finde Abrahams faith did ground not onely on the promise but power of God also Rom. 4.21 And being fully perswâ—ded that what he had promised hee was able also to perform Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead So Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And the three Children Dan. 3.17 Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace 2 Because I finde not onely Saints grounding their faith on the power of God but the Holy Ghost oftentimes laying down the power of God as a great ground of the faith and comfort of Gods people as Eph. 3.20 when the Apostle had put up many spiritual petitions in the behalf of the Ephesians he concludes Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Pitching their faith for the obtaining of these things on the ability of God So Heb. 7.25 Hee is able to save the ability of Christ to save is laid down as a ground for our faith in coming to him the last words of the verse Hee ever liveth to make intercession are but the reason of the ability Jude v. 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling Saints are comforted against
fear of falling away because God is able to keep from falling and Rom. 14.4 assured that they shall stand because God is able to make them stand and Rom. 11.23 The Apostle speaking of the conversion of the Jews layes down this as a ground for us to beleeve they shall bee grafted in again because God is able to graft them in again 3 Because I finde distrust of the ability of God is in Scripture branded for unbeleef and that of the highest nature Psal 78. v. 19 20 21 22. They said Can God furnish a table in the wilderness Can hee give bread also Can hee provide flesh for his people Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth vers 22. Because they beleeved not in God and trusted not in his salvation 4 Because the promise alone without a consideration of the power of God to perform the same is not a sufficient ground for faith If a man should promise me a thousand pound I must consider his ability as well as his promise before I can upon good ground beleeve that ever I shall have so much of him for if he be not able hee cannot give it and so his promise is nothing So though I have a promise for such and such a mercy yet if I do not consider Gods ability to perform this promise as well as the promise there will not bee a ground sufficient to make mee beleeve For what if the heart object as once Israel did True here is a promise but can God perform what he promiseth if the soul say Yea he is able then the power of God presently comes into consideration and I have that as well as the promise for the ground of my faith if the soul cannot beleeve this That God is able then the promise alone will not perswade it neither indeed can it and so it is not ground sufficient to cause it to beleeve for the mercy So that both these viz. the promise of God and Gods power to perform the same must go together to make up the ground of faith When I would act faith I must first go to the promise and there behold and consider what God hath freely promised to such a poor miserable creature as I am and work this upon my heart that this word of God is a truth when I have done so I am to endeavour to bring up my heart to beleeve the power of God viz. That God is able and All-sufficient to fulfill this promise whatsoever seems to bee in the way or to hinder the same Now although we are ready to think that this is a very casie thing to beleeve the power of God and that wee have no doubt at all thereabouts yet assuredly it is a most hard and difficult thing and I am perswaded that the greatest part of our unbeleef springs from hence a distrust or questioning of the power of God I have known one as confident as another that hee did beleeve the power of God and could not think otherwise who yet when hee came to follow up his doubts to the first head found it far otherwise that the greater part of them did arise hence I have many times thought the question hath been onely thus Will God do this for mee change this heart kill this corruption c and could I bee satisfied in this I have thought all my doubts would bee over but when I have endeavoured to search to the bottome I have found the state of the question to bee much altered and heard a secret whispering there Can God do such a thing Can this cursed heart of mine be changed Is it possible that such and such corruptions that I have been so long contending with and used all means against and are yet as strong and lively as ever should ever bee subdued Hence comes our unbeleef for a great part of it therefore would we live by faith as wee must keep to the true ground which is the promise of God and his power to perform it so likewise to the full ground i.e. we must act faith in both viz. the promise and power of God And me thinks when I ponder upon this that the power of God as well as the promise is the ground of our faith I do not at all wonder why there is so much unbeleef and so little of the life of faith in most of us because there is an opinion in all our hearts that it is a very easie thing to beleeve the power of God as if we had such abundance of faith that that which ever hath been and was from Abrahams time to Pauls the highest and most noble act of faith as if wee read Scripture wee shall finde this of beleeving the power of God ever was and hath been were easiest to us as if that which declared Abraham strong in faith were now a thing common and from taking it for granted wee do the thing wee take no pains with our hearts hereabouts And therefore it is no wonder wee lye in unbeleef so much as wee doe whilst wee sleightly pass over and carelesly neglect one of the principall grounds of faith 3 The third thing in our description of living by faith is the extent of this living by faith it extends it self to all good expected or hoped for to all evils present or feared whether relating to the life present or that which is to come The natural way for the obtaining of mercies preventing of judgements it s to run to our own righteousness our amending and doing but now the Christians way is the exercise of this life of faith I obtain all good by faith I prevent or remove all evill by faith Rom. 9.31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law The Jews found a want of righteousness the Law that the Lord gave them by Moses convinced them of much sin and unrighteousness they see themselves sinners the Law terrifies them conscience gripes them what now do they do Why see v. 32. presently they run to the Law that bids them amend their wayes do thus and thus this they do and yet as far from obtaining what they want or removing their fears as ever because they sought not in a way of faith The Gentiles likewise they have the same wants and ground of fear the Jews had What do they Why this they do They hear a message a glorious message of one Jesus Christ which was crucified at Jerusalem through whose death poor sinners beleeving in him should obtain righteousness and salvation hereupon they presently disclaiming any worthiness in themselves or any thing they could do flye to Jesus Christ by faith and so obtain righteousness vers 30. The Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith They get their great want supplied their conscience truly pacified
and all this by faith Thus much of this third thing in the general in the particulars it falls to be handled in that question wherein the life of faith is to bee exercised Quest 2. What are the principal differences betwixt the life of Faith and the life of Sense There is a great deal of difference between these two lives though both of them bee found in the Saints And what differences wee speak of are not for the discovery of a mans condition whether he be gracious or ungracious but onely the thing in hand is to discover whether wee live by faith or sense Both these lives are incident to Saints therefore if thou findest thou dost not live by faith do not conclude thou art a reprobate a hypocrite thou mayest bee a gracious soule and yet live by sense Ans 1. The life of faith doth ever ground on something without the life of sense doth ever ground on something within either his own desires or affections or some other thing but the life of faith is begotten and nourished by something without as the word of God the promise of God Look what Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples that is the continual language of faith Jesus Christ said Joh. 14 19. Because I live yee shall live also Not because you have good desires good affections but because Christ liveth this is the language of faith because the word of God liveth the Covenant of God liveth therefore I shall live also Not because something in mee lives not because my affections lives not because my obedience lives but because Jesus Christ liveth the Word of God the Promises of God live therefore I shall live also Sense ever draweth conclusions from something within it looketh at these two things either the actings of the regenerate or unregenerate part from the acting of the one concludeth the condition good from the acting of the other concludeth the condition bad Faith observeth the acting of these as well as sense but draweth conclusions from neither The Apostle Rom. 7. setteth forth the acting of the regenerate and unregenerate part What I do I allow not what I hate that do I. Hee setteth before him the actings of both the old and new man the one willeth to do good and hateth to do evill the one delighteth in the Law of God consenteth to the Law of God that it is good yea serveth the Law of God the other serveth the Law of sin that carrieth captive makes him cry O wretched man that I am that is being captived by the body of death but Paul when he commeth to draw Conclusions of his condition doth not fixe his eye upon any of these doth not say Blessed be God though corruption be in mee I have a will to do good though sin be in me yet blessed bee God I hate it though I cannot obey the Law of God as I should yet my minde consents therefore there is no condemnation he doth not say so neither doth hee say though there bee some good desires in me That good I would I do not and that evil I would not that do I I am carnal sold under sin therefore I am a reprobate therefore there is condemnation No but the Aposte Paul when he cometh to make up the Conclusion hee taketh his eye off both and pitcht it upon something without i.e. Jesus Christ v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Pitching his eye upon Christ he can conclude Rom. 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ He saw the actings of the Old and New man but taketh his eye off both and fixeth it upon Christ and then concludeth So faith ever groundeth upon something without 2 Cor. 12.17 Where he speaketh of his buffeting by the Messenger of Satan and his praying against it and a gracious answer hee received from God even in that thing here was good and bad here was bad a thorn in the flesh troubling Paul here was good Paul praying against it yea Paul receiving a special remarkable answer from God in prayer Observe Paul concludes neither from the one nor the other he doth not say I have a thorne in the flesh I am a wretched man there is no hope of such a one as I buffeted with such a corruption He doth not say though sin rage I have a praying heart yea I have received a gracious answer therefore I comfort my self I am the Childe of God No Paul when he cometh to conclude he doth not conclude from his praying hard nor the bare giving in of the answer but the substance of the answer given in that was that which carried Paul out of himself to lay hold upon the grace of God and strength of Christ most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me He doth not say I will glory that I have a praying heart an answer from God no in the power of God His faith pitcheth upon something without whereas those that live by sense go quite contrary Differ 2. The life of sense doth look much to means for the obtaining every Mercy the life of faith looketh above and beyond means When God told Moses that he would feed the people of Israel with flesh not for a day but for a whole moneth Moses though he lived by faith yet in that particular acting too much by sense said What Lord shall all the Flocks and Herds be slaine Numb 11.21 the people are six hundred thousand foot-men and thou hast said I will give them flesh Moses looks upon means how shall they be fed shall wee kill all the Flocks have all the Fishes of the Sea gathered together Moses eye was upon means Gods was not so So when Jesus Christ told his Disciples hee would feed the multitude they presently query Where shall we have bread what five thousand souls and we have but five Loaves where shall we have bread they look presently at means So a soul that is living by sense is looking at means if he hath means he can beleeve if not he cannot O had I my liberty as once I had opportunity as once I could beleeve if not hee cannot beleeve The life of sense grounds much upon means but the life of faith beleeveth above means Abraham it is said he beleeved when his body was dead and Sarahs wombe dead the means dead Habakkuk speaking of faith speaketh of beleeving when the vision is hidden when there is nothing to be seen of means nothing in the eye of sense Hab. 2. chap. 3.17 18. Although the Figtree blossome not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Here is the life of faith joy in God in the want of means yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Differ 3. Thirdly the life of faith the more opposition it meeteth with the stronger it groweth but the life of sense the more opposition it meeteth with the weaker it groweth The VVoman of Canaan cometh to Christ and
comes in the room thereof whereby the soul possesseth abundance of inward peace passing all understanding O saith the soul I never knew what a calm was till now that I had the righteousnesse of Christ set up in my conscience I have been oftentimes tossed too and fro and my soul neer upon shipwrack but now thanks bee to God I injoy a blessed calme I never knew what a calme of conscience was till now Therefore my heart rejoyceth my tongue is glad c. 3 By keeping a constant guard at the gates of conscience that so these enemies being cast out may not re-enter Faith knowing of how great concernment it is keeps a guard day and night at the gate of conscience so as that when any of the ejected enemies would re-enter presently they are under examination Who is here Who are yee Who are you for Why I am such a one Then stand Stand off come not here this is the Garrison Christs righteousnesse and here is strict command no such must enter Act. 24.16 Paul makes it his exercise to keep conscience clear though hee could not but faile in his duty towards God and man both yet hee exerciseth himself to keep his conscience clear to keep it void of offence that though offences were committed yet that the guilt of them might not get in there And thus much for the first thing how Faith acts or what it doth in persons living thereby in our Justification Quest 2. Wherein doth lye the advantage of that soul that liveth by faith in Justification above another that concludeth his Justification from sense from what he seeth and feeleth Ans 1. He hath an advantage in respect of the ground upon which he holdeth his Justification when wee hold a thing upon good ground if of worth the greater advantage we have The soule that liveth by sense holdeth his Justification upon a ground within him it is experience sensible workings that is his ground But a soul that liveth by faith holdeth his Justification upon a ground without him the Promise and Covenant of God this is a better ground 1 In regard of the clearness of the ground it is such a ground as doth more clearly represent the thing than any other thing can I may more clearly see and behold my justification in the Promise than in any experience whatever That soule that grounds upon sense there is a veile many times upon his justification because there is a veile many times upon his experience upon Moses face there was a veile So when the ground of our justification runs in a legal way upon sense there will be a veile upon the Justification for the face of Moses is veiled A man that hath a veil upon his face you see his face but darkly if you see it at all you see it with a great deal of uncertain knowledge but now that soul that grounds his Justification upon the promise that man seeth his Justification as a man seeth another face to face i. e. hee seeth clearly and speedily Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day and saw it he saw it clearly now how did Abraham see the day of Christ He had many experiences he did not see the day of Christ through these but through the Promise for saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousness he saw through the promise 2 It is a sure ground it is good to be upon sure ground even in smaller things than this upon which a mans eternal Salvation doth hang. As a mans Justification is a thing of such moment therefore we had need to bee upon sure ground Now that soul which holds his Justification from any thing within doth not hold it upon a sure ground it may be hee hath experience to day and it s gone the next day sometimes it is present sometimes absent but the promise is a sure ground Why because that remaineth The soul that holdeth its Justification upon any thing within will at one time or other let go his hold of Justification but that soul that holds it upon the promise without will hold it when the other lets it go 3 It is a ground more easily come by our experiences it is hard to keep them when we have them so hard to regain them when lost Hard to get an humble frame of heart but harder to regain when lost but the promise is more easie though it have no experience for the present yet a poor soul may take his Bible and go to the promise of God and lay hold of that Obj. But you will say it is as hard to lay hold of the promise as to get up experiences Ans We grant it is so but the promise is the ground it is not our laying hold 4 It s a ground that hath a great deal less deceit in it when a man grounds upon any thing within there is a great deal of deceit as the Spirit of God hath his true Gold so the Devil hath his gilded Counters therefore possibly I may miss and take the Devils gilded Counters for the Spirits gold but in the promise there is not that deceit that is a ground that a soul shall not be deceived by So there is advantage in respect of the ground 2 That soul that liveth by faith in Justification hath an advantage in this respect in that the soul hath its justification more constantly in its sight than another hath another sees it now and then but he beholds it more constantly And 1 By having our justification more constantly in our sight we are free from abundance of those doubts and fears that other poor souls are continually hurried about withall about their justification take a poor soul that liveth by sense and hee is in continual fears about this Justification continually tossed too and fro one while hee thinketh surely I am not that justified person if I were there would not be so many sins stirring another thinks surely I am not justified for I have rejected Christ so many time before and had so many heart-warmings in his Word and all gone so that he is continually in a Labyrinth of fears and doubts that hee cannot wind himself out of about his Justification But a poor soul that hath his Justification in his sight is freed from abundance of these fears is not tossed too and fro but beholdeth his justification grounded on the rock without him Though hee findeth not that within that hee hath found and breathes after yet saith the poor soul my Justification is by a righteousness without though I prize the workings of the Spirit of God within above any thing this world can afford and though I finde a want of these yet I will not conclude I am not justified because justification is all without I may be justified yea I beleeve I am though I finde not these workings so lively and stirring as time hath been they have so he is free from fears in the business of his
3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness the mortification of the outward man And in vers 8. Put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy There is the mortification of the inward man 2 For Vivification that likewise lieth in two things There is the vivifying of our Graces and the quickning of our Duties or our hearts to obedience The last comes from the former Our Graces bring forth our Duties and our Duties are but the actings of our Graces So that the things wee are to live by faith in in our Sanctification are the mortification of all sin whether in the outward or inward man the vivification or quickning of all Graces and of our hearts to every duty Quest 2. How doth faith act or put forth it self in this business of Sanctification Answ Here according to the two parts wee shall proceed and shew how faith acts in the business of Mortification and Vivification Quest 1. How doth faith act in the business of Mortification Ans 1. Faith doth discover to the soul that the old man the unregenerate and unmortified part that is in every one of us was carried up by the Lord Jesus upon the Cross and there did receive a deadly wound And that Jesus Christ our Redeemer and second Adam did take upon him that nature in which the first Adam fell and so did give a mortall blow to the body of sin and death by suffering in that nature Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh Christ took the likeness of sinfull flesh and by death condemned sin in the flesh that is did give a blow to sin in the flesh in the humane nature that hee took upon him therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 6.6 That our old man is crucified with him Christ took it up upon the Cross with him and gave it a mortall wound Now faith doth discover this to the soule when the soule findeth sin strugling and striving within then saith Faith this sin striving is a part of that body of death that is in the Saints now O my soul look up upon the Cross and see that body of death dying therefore O my soul go out against it and so faith encourageth the soul to go out against sin 2 As Faith shews the soule sin crucified with Christ so it shews the soul that the design of the Lord Jesus in giving a mortal blow to the old man and body of death upon the Cross it was this the weakning of the power of sin and the subduing of it in the Saints that sin might bee so dispowred that it might not reign nor rule in the Saints but bee continually in a declining languishing condition therefore it is said Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed hee doth not say It is destroyed presently Christ took it up upon the Cross gave it a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed in order to the destruction that having the power broken the Saints might the more easily get power over it As an enemy that is already wounded though a Gyant is easily overcome So though sin bee strong as a Gyant Jesus Christ hath wounded sinne therefore his strength being taken away is the more easily subdued Faith shews the soul Christ saith Faith What did Christ give sin a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed O then let not sin live O then sin shall not live in mee 3 Faith shews the soule that there is a continual streaming forth of vertue and efficacy from the Lord Jesus Christ for the killing and subduing sin within Faith doth as it were set open the Fountaine of the Bloud of Jesus Christ streaming out towards and upon it for the healing of the Leprosie of Sin and this is that which faith layeth hold upon when it strugleth with sin Paul when hee was contending with this Old man when he cryeth out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 presently he casts his eye upon Jesus Christ and saith I thank God Faith sheweth the soul the efficacy and vertue that is in the Bloud of Jesus Christ for the killing sin 4 Faith is much in calling out the soul to the promises of mortification we have a promise of mortification Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace The soul that lives by faith when it findeth sin strong it taketh hold of the promise and goeth to Christ and saith Lord thou hast said sin shall not have dominion over me behold here is such and such a corruption too hard for me Lord behold here is thy promise look upon thy promise remember thy promise subdue my corruption it first goeth to the promise and armeth it self with strength in the promise and then cometh and fighteth against sin and that is the matter wee are so often foyled with sin because we try to combate with sin before we go to the promise When a soul lives by faith for the subduing of sin there is first a going to the promise and then it encounters with sin with success 5 Lastly Faith doth beget and maintaine in the soul a secret perswasion though for the present it is compassed about with a weight of infirmities yet God will support it under all and in Gods time it shall be a conquerour over all Though I be for the present molested with sin yet a day will be I shall be a Conquerour and all these my enemies shall be under my feet I shall set my feet upon the necks of all my sins one day and this carries the soul couragioussy out to fight against sin for the present Quest 2. How doth faith act in the business of vivification Ans 1. Faith eyeth much the Resurrection of Christ and maketh the soul labour much after knowing Jesus Christ in his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death Here are the two great things we are speaking of for hee is pressing after perfection of Grace which consists in these two to have fellowship with Christ in his death for mortification and to know Christ in his Resurrection for vivification and quickning As mortification comes by a dying Christ so vivification cometh by a living Christ 2 Faith that sheweth the soul how that in the Resurrection of Christ he was raised up and quickned with Jesus Christ Faith sheweth the soul that in Jesus Christ it is quickned already as its common person therefore the Apostle Paul speaking of Jesus Christ as this common person saith Ephes 2.5 6. Yoâ— who were dead in trespasses and sins he hath quickned with Christ and made to sit together with him in heavenly places Faith shews the soul how that in
vers 37. Hee that shall come will come and will not tarry So in Chap. 9. vers 28. To them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation What a looking waiting and expectation for Christs second coming in the Spirit Rev. the last Chap. v. 17. The Spirit and the Bride saith come here is coming waiting longing the Spirit cries come and the Bride cryes come the Spirit in the hearts of the people of God cryes come waiting for Christs coming yea this is made a character of a Christian and a great work of the Gospel to wait for Christs coming 1 Thess 1.9 10. They themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you And to wait for his Son from heaven It is the character given of the Thessalonians a waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ and a great Gospel-work to wait for Christs coming Thus what it is that Christians wait and expect for Secondly How the life of faith acts or how faith is helpful to a soul in this business of a Christians Expectation and waiting First Faith or the life of faith it ever seeks out some promise upon which it may ground an Expectation of that mercy that it waits for I say the life of faith it ever looks out some Promise upon which it may ground an expectation of that mercy it waits for Faith it must have its word and therefore the soul that doth by faith expect and wait for any mercy it ever looks out for a word and promise goes ever to the word to see what ground it hath to stand upon and to wait for such a mercy the life of faith does turn over the Bible and looks out the promise findes out the promise of that mercy never rests till it have a promise and then it pitches its standard upon the promise and there it stands and looks up to heaven waiting for the accomplishment of that promise When Daniel did expect the Deliverance of the people of Israel out of the Babylonish Captivity he did ground it upon a promise The Prophet Jeremy had foretold it should continue seventy years now Daniel goes to the promise and when they were expired prayes unto God for the deliverance and upon this word of promise seeks God and beleeves it indeed and expects it from the promise Secondly As Faith doth cause a soul to seek out a promise so having found the promise does not limit God to any time or way for the fulfilling of this promise Another soul that doth not live by faith if so bee that hee doth wait upon God at all yet hee will limit God and tye up God to his own time and way Israel limited the holy One Psal 78.41 and hee that expects much in the way of faith that soul will not limit God to his time and way if I have it not to day I can wait no longer no that soul will wait upon God Gods time as David sayes Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand So sayes a soul Times and seasons of mercy are in thy hands if I should have it now to day I should bee glad and rejoyce and bless the Lord for it if thou dost withhold it My times are in thy hands yet I desire to wait no reason that I should speak against the Lord and entertain hard thoughts of God if thou withhold the mercy yet I will wait for it Take thy own time O Lord. Then it doth not limit God to any way of performance A soul that expects mercy in way of faith it doth not limit God to any way so far as concerns Expectation it is not the way of faith to limit God to any way An ungodly man will many times tye God to wayes But a soul that doth by faith expect a mercy that soul leaves God to his own way We read of Moses once or twice tying God up to his own way When the people were in great streights Exod. 14 at the red Sea 14 15. vers The Lord shall sight for you and yet shall hold your peace And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Moses at the 13. verse goes and layes out a way and that was to stand still and God would destroy their enemies and that was not Gods way hee goes to God and cryes unto him that hee would come with some immediate hand and destroy them from heaven this was Moses way and now Gods way was that they should go forward and pass through the Sea at the 16 vers But lift up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the Sea and divide it and the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea Now Moses bid them to stand still but God bids them to go for ward and so they did did not ty up God to his own way And so at another time wee finde Moses limiting of God Numb 11. for want of flesh the Children of Israel murmured well sayes the Lord Therefore the Lord will give you flesh and yee shall eat yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes nor twenty dayes but even a whole month 18 19 20 vers And Moses said at the 21. vers The people amongst whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat an whole month shall the flicks and herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them Moses thought of no way unless their flocks were killed or the fish of the sea to bee gathered together and Moses thought this the way and so prescribes God a way So a soul so far as it is waiting upon God and not in faith it will prescribe God a way but a soul that doth expect in faith for a mercy it will not bee prescribing God a way So Abraham hee leaves God to his own way God bids him offer up his Son hee doth not say Why my Son why how will thy promise bee accomplished and made good art not thou faithfull Abraham leaves God to his own way and beleeved that God could finde a way for the fulfilling of the promise and did not limit God to any way a soul that lives by faith waits upon God for the fulfilling of the promise and doth not limit the Lord to any time or way of his own Thirdly The life of faith in our Expectation as it doth cause the soul to look out to the promise and having the promise doth not tye or limit the Lord to his own time or way for the accomplishment of it so it doth perswade the soul though it know not the time when yet a time there is wherein the promise shall be fulfilled and that mercy I wait for shal be given in It doth perswade the soul that there is a
time it shall bee given in the Lord hath his set time in which hee doth fulfill his promise and in which hee doth give in his mercy to his people a set time for the fulfilling of that promise to Abraham that his seed should inherit Canaan Gen. 15.16 When the iniquity of the Amorites should bee full in the fourth Generation So God had a set time when hee would deliver the people out of the house of bondage the land of Egypt at the set time it was at the end of the four hundred and thirty years Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the hoasts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt so God had a set time wherein hee sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world that time is called The fulness of time Gal. 4.4 But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law A set time for that And so likewise there was a set time when Christ suffered God hath a set time even for an hour Joh. 13.1 Now before the feast of the Passeover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that hee should depart out of this world unto the Father a set time even to an hour that God appointed Christ to dye and therefore hee said that they could not lay hands on him because his hour was not come and so a set time to build up Sion and to build up the Church Psalm 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come So God hath a set time to perform what ever he hath promised to his people Now sayes a soul that lives by faith when that set time is come I shall have the mercy and though the promise bee delayed to day to morrow c. yet it perswades it self that when the set time is come it shall have the mercy Fourthly The life of faith it causeth the soule quietly to wait upon God without murmuring till the time the set time doth come It makes the soul quiet and patient till the set time doth come Job saith All the time of my appointed time I will wait until my change come an appointed time there was an appointed time and hee waits upon God till the time come So of the Church in the Canticles it s very clear for this in Chap. 3. vers 5. I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stir not up nor awake my love untill hee please There is a time wherein it pleaseth Christ to come a set time before which hee will not come Stir not up my love untill hee please till the time is when hee will come no stirring up by impatience and the like till hee please So much for the second thing How faith doth put forth it self or helps the soul to wait upon God 3 Why a soul is to expect mercy in the way of faith or is to live beleeving in his Expectation 1 One reason is because our expectation of mercy it must alwayes be grounded upon a promise or otherwise our expectation is nothing In vain do wee expect that which God hath not promised to give if it must bee grounded upon a promise alwayes then I must live by faith even in my Expectation because without faith there is no taking hold of the promise neither can hee close with the promise and in his expectation hee must take hold on the promise or else it is in vain Secondly Hee must live by faith in his expectation or else hee will never bee able to hold out long in his expectation Where there is not an acting of faith there the soul dyes that soule that doth not wait upon God in a way of faith that soul dyes and cannot hold out long and so tâ—res and cannot wait long waiting is a long and hard work faith is our strength and if we have no faith wee shall never bee able to go through this hard work a Horse that wants mettle will never bee able to hold out put him to hard service hee will not hold out Faith is the mettle of the soul if wee have no faith wee cannot hold out in our waiting upon God 3 Again we must live by faith in our expectation because otherwise though the mercy should come in which we wait for yet if it do come in and not in a way of faith it will not bee so sweet and comfortable to a soul If it doth not come in in a way of faith it s otherwise Mercies beleeved for are the sweetest Mercies that I have waited for in a way of faith are the sweetest mercies which I have beleeved for Quest 4. What waiting is that which comes from faith Ans 1. That waiting is a patient waiting opposed to murmuring and repining I waited patiently for the Lord Psal 40.1 and Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him 2 It is an humble waiting hee is made humble by his waiting it is onely an humble soul that will wait upon the Lord that beleevingly will wait for God therefore it is said in Zach. 11. the poor of the flock waited upon God at the 11. vers The poor of the flock that waited upon me It must bee poor souls that will wait upon God a soul that is rich and proud and conceited that he hath something will not wait upon God indeed it is an humble waiting that a soule waits upon God in 3 Again It is a diligent and industrious waiting not a careless waiting but a diligent waiting in his own way and means and Ordinances that God walks in and works in where a soul will wait diligently upon God at the post of his doors Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Prov. 8.34 And then it is a Regular waiting as diligent in waiting in observing the wayes and Ordinances of God so it is a regular waiting and therefore called a sitting still Isa 30.7 Their strength is to sit still speaking concerning those that would go down to Egypt for help to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt and have not asked at the mouth of God The strength of Pharaoh shall be a shame to them and their trust in the shadow of Egypt their confusion but your strength is to sit still that is in respect of using other wayes concerning your going down to Egypt Your strength is to sit still for in waiting upon God you are to bee active but to sit still in respect of all those wayes that are not of Gods appointing concerning this our waiting it is to bee orderly in an orderly way or else help will bee in vain and to no purpose 5 Again A waiting with an earnest
Now this sobriety what is it but patience It is patience joyned with hope Heb. 10.36 Receiving the promise is the thing hope looks at Now faith the Apostle yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of Ged yee might receive the promise Hope looks to receiving the promise all the time of a Christians life is a time wherein hee is or should bee doing the will of God the end is the time of receiving the promises Now because a Christians desire is much carried out to receiving the promise and that is a great way off as wee look upon them therefore saith the Apostle You have need of patience that so your eager desires of receiving the promise do not so over-set you that you cannot go on cheerfully doing the will of God that time God will have you So it is many times the desires of a Christian after heaven and eternal life they are so carried out O when shall I receive the promise come to rest in the bosome of the Father That a Christian finds it a difficult thing to keep his heart in order so as to go quietly on doing the will of God between this and that and to stay and be contented to do that work God would have him do between this and heaven therefore you have need of patience that so when hope is in expectation of the promise our hope may not so vehemently carry us out after receiving the promise that you may not bee discontented at the time our Father will have us be here So that is one thing in Christian hope it is a patient Expectation It is an assured Expectation such an Expectation as hath some measure of assurance going with it not a bare conjecture but such as ariseth from faith a divine faith therefore there is confidence going along with a Christian hope look how much faith apprehends the promise so much doth hope expect the fulfilling of it Therefore it is said in Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for Faith by imbracing the promise it holds in his hand the substance of all those good things wee expect hereafter Now because faith hath not actuall possession of them therefore they are hoped for hope expects them but faith is the substance therefore this hope is grounded upon faith though it hath them not it doth in a manner injoy them by imbracing the promise therefore hope springing from faith must bee such a hope as our faith is faith is not a bare groundless conjecture but a certainty so must our hope Heb. 5.6 it is called the rejoycing of hope Now rejoycing doth not arise from a bare fancie and conjecture but from some measure of certainty for a man to fancie he shall in joy a Kingdome this doth not beget rejoycing so it hath assurance joyned with it as it is Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end which argues it is not a bare probability but there is something of certainty in Christian hope yet this certainty of hope is according to the certainty of faith if the certainty of faith bee grounded upon a general promise and cannot be brought to a particular promise such is the certainty of hope but if faith bee grounded upon a particular promise such is the certainty of hope I come now to the next thing to shew how hope is resembled to an Anchor First Hope layes hold out of sight cast an Anchor it fastens at the bottome of the Sea out of our sight so doth hope it fastens within the vail there is the place where a Christians hope pitcheth beyond sight within the vail Secondly an Anchor though it fastens out of sight yet it fastens on the rock cast an Anchor if there be a rock it fastens upon the rock so a Christians hope fastens upon the Rock Jesus Christ a Christians hope is fastned upon the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly an Anchor by fastening upon the rock fixes the ship so that though the waves swell and beat yet the ship is fixed so it is with a Christians hope fastening upon the Lord Jesus Christ it fastens the soul Let temptations and corruptions swell if a poor soul have hope in Christ as his Christ that soul is fixed immoveable that hope it hath of injoying Christ the promise of heaven one day this hope it is that fixes the soul that it is not turned this way and that not driven this way and that as another that hath no hope Let a tempest arise within or without yet if it have an Anchor of hope cast within the vail that it comes but to have some hope can say Jesus Christ is mine it is fixed immoveable Lastly An Anchor by fastening upon the rock fixing the ship the ship is preserved from shipwrack so is the soul Another poor soul that hath no Christian hope the storm arises there is but a little blustering and its split upon the rock if he ride it out one storm another will come and split him but that soul that hath cast Anchor upon Jesus Christ shall bee for ever preserved Quest You will say Wherein is the Excellency of this Anchor of hope above others Answ One wee have in the Text All other Anchors they are cast downward this is cast upward for it enters in to that within the vail it goes upward it is cast within the vaile There is the place where this Anchor of hope is cast 2 Consider the properties which are in the Text of this Anchor It is a sure and a stedfast Anchor A sure that is a safe Anchor and the Anchor of hope when it rests upon this rock it never deceives Hope makes not ashamed And then it is A stedfast Anchor It holds the soul steady unmoveable and both these in these three respects First In respect of the strength of the Anchor it is a strong Anchor another may bee broken and many times is but the Anchor of hope is such an Anchor as can never bee broken a Christians hope is maintained by his faith and his faith and hope by Christ though actings of faith and hope may cease for a while yet his hope can never bee broken there is faith and hope still at the bottome in a Christian 2 In respect of the firmness of the Anchor-ground For it is cast upon a rock therefore it is sure will never break never deceive 3 In respect of the fastness of the Anchors hold Another Anchor though never so strong and good a hold-fast may let go his hold but hope is such an Anchor as never lets go its hold who would not labour to have such an Anchor When the poor soul shall come into a tempest of temptations to have such an Anchor as will never deceive it The third thing is the thing I shall speak to at this time that is The place were this Anchor is cast and that is within the vail the Anchor-ground
come down unto you having great wrath So I may say when Offences arise Wo Wo to the men of the world for the Devil is come down among them the Devil hands abroad Offences hee makes wonderfull improvement of them they are his weapons and poysoned arrows c. 4 But why do Offences fall as a reall and heavy judgement upon the world Reason 1. Because God would powre out his wrath upon the obstinate sinners of the world all manner of wayes He makes the word a viall of wrath to them their mercies a vial of wrath to them their afflictions a vial of wrath to them their own sins a vial of wrath to them and that the wrath of God might come upon them to the uttermost and bee powred upon them all manner of wayes even the sins of his people a vial of wrath to them Reason 2. Because by these they might fill up the measure of their iniquity God hath a measure of wrath filled up running over to bee powred upon the ungodly of the world one day and they have a measure of iniquity which they go on filling up here and by how much this measure of iniquity is filled up by so much doth the measure of wrath grow greater Now because sinners delight to be filling up this measure therefore they shall not want occasion but even God himself that so the measure of his wrath may bee filled to the brim will lay occasion before them by leaving his people and permitting them to fall that so the sinners of the world thereby may be blinded hardned made more notoriously vile and so have the measure of their iniquity filled up And therefore it is observable Psalm 11.6 that God rains snares first upon the wicked then fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest God hath fire Aye but first God will rain snares the Drunkard Adulterer Swearer shall have such a thing laid as a snare before him to harden him make him more vile notorious incorrigible in his sin O sinners sinners take heed that now whilst God is raining snares you bee not taken in them lest Gods fire and brimstone and horrible tempest fall upon your heads Reason 3. Because it is a matter of wonderful justice and equity that when Offences do arise they should fall as a real and heavy judgement upon the world Why why because the world without any respect to the dishonour that God suffers by them or the reproach of his Name and Cause Watch for Offences wish for them desire them rejoyce in them publish and spread them and therefore it is a most just thing with God that when they come they should fall as a judgement upon them rather than any This is that they would have and therefore let them take them and the Wo of them Drunkard Swearer formal Professor thou wouldest have Offences arise they are meat and drink to thee Lo saith God here they are take them and the Wo of them for it is thine thou hast longed to see them here they are thou shalt have thy belly full of them in the end Reason 4. Because God as in all other things so also in the very rise and issue of Offences would put a manifest difference betwixt his own children and the men of the world Offences come to both but not to both alike Offences to the godly they are as the rod of a Father for correction to the world as the rod of an Enemy for destruction To the godly they bring honey in the tayl of them to the world a poysonous deadly sting a manifest difference To the one they are seeming judgements but real mercies to the other they are seeming approbations of their wayes and courses but real judgements upon their persons soul and body for ever if God prevent not 5 But if such a Woe come upon the world by Offences How may I come to know that so it may bee prevented when the world is justly offended and so offended as thereby in danger of this dreadful Wo Answ 1. The world is justly offended when Professors by principles which they hold or maintain do put out the light of Nature for the light of Nature is a light that the Heathens have Rom. 2. and possibly a meer natural man that hath no work of grace upon his heart nor savour of spiritual things as spiritual may see those things that this light directs too as clearly as Christians For though wicked men are blinde in spiritual things and it may be do not do what natural light teacheth yet are they not so blinde but they can see this they should do Now when Professors maintain principles contrary to this light the world who have the light and see by it and so far as they see you must give them leave to know are justly offended and can tell them to their teeth their principles are a lye and themselves a company of liars and deceivers As to instance Suppose a Professor hath such a principle that there is no God but onely that God that is within him A wicked man by the light of Nature will tell such a loose Professor such an Atheist I should say that his principle is a lye and hee is a liar for when hee beholds the creatures and things that are made the light of Nature dictates to him that hee could never make it and that therefore there must bee an Almighty power by which these things were made are ordered and governed c. Again If a Professor maintain such a principle that there is no need of prayer c. worshipping God in such a way the light of Nature will tell him that it is a lye for the light of Nature teacheth this That God is to bee worshipped served called upon Again if a man a professing man one that seems to hold such a principle that I need make no conscience of any sin or action whatsoever I may bee drunk or murther my neighbour lye with his wife the light of Nature will teach such a one that this principle is a damnable lye and he is a liar for the light of Nature discovers these horrid works of darkness and abominates these Now when men by their principles extinguish and blot out the light of Nature then is the world justly offended Secondly When Professors in their practices swerve from the rules of morality The moral Law was written in the heart of Adam before his fall and therefore it is written in the nature of every man So that by this men of the world are able to pass a judgement upon moral acts whether they be good or bad though wicked men cannot judge of the faith of the godly nor of his works as they are the fruit of his faith yet they can judge of his morality and of his acts as they are moral acts Now when men of the world see Professors break the pales and bonds of morality and transgress these rules they are justly offended and know that they do evill
through that offence that I received from such an one O my heart was hardned against the Word and all means of grace whilst I lived and I am now in Hell and I dye I dye for ever through that offence which my heart took up through the walking of such a one Q. But you will say what shall I doe how shall I walk that I may not fall and offend the world Ans 1. Be oft in blessing God that hath kept thee from such falls unto this day 2 Censure and judge thy self when thou seest another fall say Lord I might have fallen I have as justly deserved to bee left of thee to my self as ever any such a one is fallen but Lord why not I why was not I the man why was not I the woman how comes it that I stand what hath kept me all this while 3 Deal gently and tenderly with thy Brothers wound doe not cruelly and mercilesly rake in it lest God make a wound in thy sides in thy conversation for others to rake in Gal. 6.1 4 Hearken to the voyce of offended conscience an enlightned man ever first offends himself If thy right hand offend thee cut it off Conscience is first offended and if men did but hearken to the voyce of conscience when that is offended and labour to nip the offending monster in the head it would never grow to that height as to be seen of others and to offend them 5 Walk with fear and trembling be not high minded but fear is a needful word in this case he that creeps on the ground gets no falls but he that will soar in the air let him look to himself You know what the Wise man saith A haughty minde goes before a fall when Peter had ceast fear and had most pride and carnal confidence then was his fall 6 Act faith much in the promises of perseverance as I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jerem 32.40 and renew the actings of faith in such promises so oft as thou seest others fall 7 Nourish no Dalilah in thy bosome Sampson played with his Dalilah in private a while but at last his Dalilah brought him upon the open stage So 8 Do not while thou bearest thy self upon the grace of God allow thy self in the practise of any known evil God will bear with much in his Children rather than he will shame them before the world but hee will never bear with that that I should make his Grace the Patron of my Sin because he is free and will pardon me and never damn me therefore I should bee more ventrous to wound Christ grieve his Spirit dishonour his Name shame his ways and people than otherwise I durst be 9 And lastly Play not upon the borders of any sin The fly that plaies about the Candle is at last burnt in it the Childe that wil be ever playing upon the pit side at last drops into it It is a dangerous thing and that man or woman is not far from some shameful fall whose heart is come to that that they will goe as near to sin as they can The wise man knows the further he keeps out of the Lions reach the safer he is and none but children and fools will play with his paws Obj. But put case I have fallen and offended the world what shall I doe Is there now no hopes for me no remedy for such a disease Ans Yes all things are possible to him that beleeveth though this sin be a mountain faith will remove it But wouldest thou know what to doe First Humble thy self before God for this thy sin labour to clear thy self before him that so though wicked men in Hell should accuse thee hereafter yet God may have cleared thee before they accuse thee Secondly Labour to make the fence strongest where the gap has been broken if pride has cast thee down begge above all things humility if earthly-mindedness above all things heavenli-mindedness if extravagancy in words above all things keep a watch Thirdly Pray to God that others may bee kept Thou hast been lavish of Gods honour and it is now too late to remedy that labour now to fetch God in honour by endeavouring to prevent others from the like Fourthly Take all well and thankfully whatever shame or loss God casts upon thee for it Fifthly Let thy words as well as thy deeds be a warning to others Sixthly Labour now by all ways to doe all the good thou canst to poor sinners thou hast done them a mischief it is too late to help that only thou art to mourn for it and leave the issue with God labour to make it up by doing others good Matth. 11.6 And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me THe words naturally hold forth these two things to us 1 That there is an aptness and proneness even in good men to be offended 2 That it is a blessed thing for a man or woman to get over this evil Either of these will afford us many necessary Questions but I shall not strictly tye up my self to either but I have fixed upon this Scripture to speak somewhat to the subject of Offences more in general as it is a case of Conscience OFFENCE is two-fold either offence given or offence taken Offence given is when by somewhat trans-acted done or spoken an occasion of stumbling and being offended is laid before others An offence taken is when at the occasion of the offence the other is offended Of either of these there is an offence good and bad 1 There is a GOOD offence given and a BAD offence given 1 A GOOD offence given is that offence which hath no evil in it in respect of the Giver though yet it proves an offence to some and this is 1 When by instructing of the weak in things necessary to be known I doe offend the superstitious Thus Christ offended the Pharisees Matth. 15.10 11 12. Hear and understand not that which goeth into the mouth defileth the man but that which cometh out of the mouth this defileth a man Then came his Disciples and said unto him knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying 2 When by maintaining of my Christian liberty against those who would infringe it I doe offend the obstinate Thus Paul Gal. 2. the beginning 3 When by the light of Christian Doctrine and conversation I doe offend the world by discovering and destroying their deeds of darkness thus the Apostles when they went forth with the Gospel did in all places offend 4 VVhen by following of God in somewhat which I am really convinced is my duty yet dark to another I do offend that other Thus Peter by going unto Cornelius's house 2 A BAD offence given is when an offence hath evil in it in respect of the Giver which is 1 VVhen by compliance with some that are Superstitious I do endanger the faith of such who are free from superstition