put upon the serious consideration of their dying day and having a dissolution made between soul and body Whence is this but either from the total want or a very great weakness that is in their Faith either their want that they have none at all and then no marvel that the thoughts of Death be terrible to them why they are under the guilt of sin and they must go to Hell when they dye O it 's a sad thing and I would there might be a fixedness of heart upon this it is a sad thing to think of it that there should be nothing but a little breath between a poor creature and eternal destruction and if that be but with-held for a quarter of an hour the soul goes down to eternity if God take away their breath they dye and return to dust and when they dye they dye in a state of guilt and so damn to eternity Now no marvel that such persons cannot indure to meditate such terror And then others that are weak in their Faith and are not comfortably setled in their confidence concerning the Grace of Christ in them and their reconciled state No marvel if they be shaken and perplexed about it when they come to have the thoughts of death Now Faith improved to a good degree will inable a soul to meditate this terror to think of it I with a holy rejoycing and content to think that a day will come that will make a dissolution between the soul and body that so upon that dissolution there may be a more full injoyment of the Lord Jesus according to what the Apostle speaks in Phil. 1. having a desire I desire to depart when a mans Faith will inable the soul to this to look upon death as a thing to be desired not only as that which there is a necessity lying upon the creature to undergo not only so there is a necessity lies upon me it being enacted so that a soul dies out of a necessity he cannot help it if he could help it he would be glad with all his heart to keep off the stroke of death but he dyes out of choice this is the Faith that we should press after and this is that that Faith well improved will inable to meditate this terror and to bear up under the apprehensions of it reckoning upon this That as to live is Christ so to dye it will be gain as the Apostle speaks and therefore he professeth that he has a desire rather to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And then again there is a terribleness in judgement so it is called in 2 Car. 5. The terror of the Lord the day which is appointed wherein God will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained even the Lord Jesus And all the Sons and Daughters of Adam that ever were from the beginning of the Creation to the time of that appearing of his shall all be convented and made to stand before his Judgement-seat and we that are here this morning shall all stand before this Judgement and shall give an account to God of our preaching and bearing and how we have carried our selves in the Assemblies and under the dispensations of the Ordinances when there shall be an appearing before the great Judge of all the World Truly this day is a terrible thing and it is called as I said The terror of the Lord. Now I say this is a terror that a Faith-less soul will not be able to meditate he is not able to bear up under the thoughts of it and therefore doth all that it can to drive them away black melancholy thoughts thoughts of death and of judgement Such thoughts as these cannot be indured to set a foot over the threshold nor to come under the roof of the house no we will have nothing to do with such black thoughts And then those that are weak in Faith they are ready to be startled at the apprehensions of this It 's a terror to them to think of a day of Judgement I but I say that a well-improved Faith a Faith that is of a good growth it will inable to meditate this terror and to bring the soul to the free usage and possession of this blessed priviledge that belongs unto Beleevers A person of a well-grown Faith will be able to think of this with joy and gladness be glad to think of the day wherein the Lord Jesus shall appear in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ A man of a well-grown Faith will be able to meditate this terror and to rejoyce at the thoughts of it It is the day of his gladness therefore to this purpose our Saviour saith when these and these things shall come do you lift up your â—…eads When mens hearts shall fail them with looking after those things that shall come upon the earth and when others shall cry out with Balaam Alas who shall live what will become of us now It is an amazing thing to think when the Heavens shall be raised and the Lord shall appear with his mighty Angels to think what startling there will be and running this way and that way O! what a dreadful day is this I am not able to stand before this Judge of all the World O it 's an amazing thing to think what skreeking and crying there will be on the part of ungodly sinners that are strangers to Christ and Grace But a poor soul that is well improved in Faith and Grace he will be able to bear up with boldness and our Saviour speaks to that purpose when mens hearts shall fail them and grow dead as a stone within them and they shall be fall of astonishment upon the appearing of the Lord Jesus Then lift up your heads with joy the day of your Redemption draweth nigh So that this is another thing that a well-grown Faith will inable to To meditate terror the terror of God The terror of the Law The terror of Death The terror of Judgement O beloved this is the Faith that we should press to and this growth in Faith that you may be inabled to have the free usage of this blessed priviledge and that when others shall be over-whelmed in their spirits you may be able to bear up with comfort You hear of this as that wherein we are to evidence a growth in Faith when we are able to meditate Terror Lastly This I would only say such a Faith we should press to such a growth in Faith and that we may be aâ—… not only to look for but to long after the serious appearing of Christ which follows upon the former O it is not every Faith that will inable to this to be in holy longings after the coming of the Lord Jesus Yâ—…u come behind saith the Apostle in no gift waiting for that coming of Christ waiting for it and hastening to it It is that
strength of his Faith duly improved he may cry Victoria even while they are in the fight yet Victory Victory In all these things more than Conquerors This is the Victory so is a well improved Faith and such should the Faith of a Believer be and of such a growth that it should be his Victory I am hampred with lusts corruptions temptations and heavily prest with them and miserably yoked and the poor soul cryes out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am what a tedious wearysome life have I of it I cannot be quiet not a day to an end and yet triumph and say I thank God through Jesus Christ and so sing Victoria this is the Faith These things may seem to be somewhat hard things for Faith and alas poor creatures we are apt to startle at such kind of measures and statures when they are propounded to us thus to press after But this is the account that there is such an improvement to be made of it and such an improvement we should endeavour after and such a growth as we may come to this to have Faith to be our Victory my Faith is my Victory and I see my Victory in every stroke I strike and this is the growth that we should propound to our selves Shall I tell you yet further I am signifying to you that our Faith should be of such a growth as that it may be the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen that it may be the Victory that overcomes the World while the World seems to trample us down under feet with the scorns and reproaches and hard usages of it yet a Believer can say I thank God I have the World more under feet a thousand times than I am under it it seems to trample upon me but I trample upon it The Apostle speaks to that purpose I Glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which saith he I am crucified to the World I and the World is as much crucified unto me as I am to it for its heart and I can set as light by it as it sets by me I can scorn the scorns and despise the despisings of the World and this our Faith will come to and if we be not a-wanting to our selves I would say this to the weakest Beleever in the Congregation his Faith will and shall come to this To be the evidence of things not seen To be the Victory that overcometh the World Yet further I add this This is the report and testimony that 's given to the Faith of a Beleever By Faith there hath been the subduing of Kingdoms working righteousness obtaining promises quenching violence of fire growing strong out of weakness turning to flight the Armyes of aliens opening of heaven binding up of heaven what not O the mighty things that are testified to be within the power of Faith to be obtained This is the testimony that 's given of Faith Now our Faith should be of such a growth and so improved that we may be able to justifie these testimonies in our own experience By Faith they subdued Kingdoms so the Apostle speaks in Heb. 11. What Kingdoms did Moses and Joshua subdue by Faith A Beleevers Faith should be of such a growth as that it may subdue Kingdoms Truly he that can subdue a kingdom of the Devil within him may be able to subdue all the Kingdoms of the World in a spiritual way Subdue Kingdoms and vanquish Armies saith David Though 10000 should encamp against me in this will I be confident Such a Faith as that it will do wonders work miracles such a Faith as hath a kind of omnipotency in it and can do all things through God in Christ my Faith in Christ is that whereby I am able to do all things Now such a Faith we should labour to grow to as may have such a mighty arm and power as it is able to carry all before it That 's the second thing 3. The Faith of a Beleever it should be of such a growth as that there may be an answering in a practical way unto those eminent examples of persons that have been of a well-grown Faith Consider what patterns there are Abraham he was a man of Faith and what was his Faith what was his pitch and stature and proportion I gave you something of account before but shall further express it Abraham he was a man of such a Faith as that God testified concerning him O Abraham he beleeved God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness When he had all the difficulties and discouragements that could be from resting upon the promise that God had made yet saith the Text He beleeved God God promiseth to him that he should have a son though his body was dead and Sarahs body was dead and according to nature there was no possibility that things should be brought to pass yet Abraham he considers neither one thing nor another but he doth eye the promise hath God said it It shall be done I shall have a son because God hath promised me a son and though I am 100 years old and Sarah 90 years old yet God hath said it there 's death in the body but there 's life in the promise and I rest upon it It 's the promise of a faithful God I will trust his word Abraham beleeved God and staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God and he becomes the friend of God he would believe any thing that God speaks and he would perform any thing that God did require and so discovered himself in the way of his Faith to be the friend of God Now I say such a Faith was Abrahams and what should hinder but that we should be of such a Faith Surely Brethren this is our duty to be as good as Abraham was what should hinder why have not we as good Gospel as good Ordinances as precious means as ever Abraham had And what should hinder but that we should be of as good a Faith as Abraham was Such a Beleever was he as you heard of startled at nothing that God had promised but he would beleeve him and take him at his word Such a Beleever was Moses that as I told you he could stand up for God and bear up with a holy confidence concerning his Salvation when there was nothing but destruction before his eyes Fear not saith he fear not why there 's nothing but matter of fear before us Stand still why if we stand still our enemies will be upon the back of us and confound us The Egyptians are come out and are pursuing us with all the spight and rage that may be And see the Salvation of God why we can see nothing but destruction before us I but saith Moses Salvation is before your eyes and you may by Faith see and behold it Here was a well-improved Faith and to this pitch should we grow O What a Faith
them as you can use as strict discipline upon your lusts and corruptions as you can O 't is this that doth do us a great deal of mischief and doth very much prejudice the soul that there is not a more through repenting and breaking off our corruptions and lusts Amnon's lustful love to his Sister Thamar it made him look lean from day to day I allude to it O saith he to him why do'st thou being the Kings Son look lean from day to day O saith he I love my Sister Thamar Why are Christians that are the Kings Sons and Daughters lean from day to day O! there 's something amiss something lyes within some lust and corruption that is not fully subdued This is that that causeth leanness in their faces And then thirdly have not you been directed to this That you would take heed of entertaining conceits of your own perfection that you would take heed of swelling thoughts of what you have already attained so as to fancy to your selves a perfection Keep your hearts in this apprehension as Paul doth I have not yet attained I am not yet perfect I am not so good as I should be and I am not so good as I am resolved to be and thereupon you will by Grace come to this resolve as Paul did I have not yet attain'd I am not yet perfect why then I will forget what is behind and I will reach to that which is before Your duty is to take knowledge of whatsoever Grace you have already received I but so take notice of it to be thankful as that you do not rest in it and say it is enough and I will look after no more But so bless God for what is already bestowed upon you that you still be pressing on for a larger supply and that you may come to be more and more improved in the Grace that is begun Fourthly I would add this in order to your growth that you may do according to your duty you and I that we may grow in Grace Will you but seriously propound this to your selves make it your business and resolve upon it that you will do your utmost to grow in Grace and to be every day better and better Natural growth that comes on whether we mind it or no. The child that 's conceived in the womb it minds not its growth when it s born and in its infancy it minds not its growth I but yet there is a growth and nature carries it on I but it is not so in Grace Growth in Grace must be minded and it must be attained and we must propound it to our selves that we may grow And truly I am perswaded if so be that Christians would but go to work like rational creatures like men that understood themselves in a religiously rational way if so be that they would but go to work as those that do with religious reason weigh and consider that this is their duty to grow and propound it and make it their design and resolve upon it to make a business of it that they may grow in Grace I am very consident of it that there would be better growth You know whether this be propounded by you that you may be better in your Faith and Love and Holyness that you may have more of God and of Christ more of the Kingdom of God more of the power of the Gospel be more in expressing these things Your Consciences can tell you whether you propound these things to your selves whether you can say Truly I am not so good as I would be I would be better and by the Grace of God I will be better I will endeavour to better my condition and to express more of the in-dwelling of Christ in me Undoubtedly if you would but resolve to make it a business it would be better with you than it is 5. If you desire to grow in Grace do but study what Grace is and if you have it what it is in you why is it not a lovely thing Do you know what Grace is a dramn of it is worth a 10000 Worlds O a little Faith a little Love a little of the Grace of God it is more precious than all the pâ—…arls and jewels in the whole World there 's nothing comparable to it Now if you have a little of this precious commodity why should not your hearts be set to this that you may have more of it And truly this would be a good conducement to the raising up of your hearts to an endeavour this way why this Grace is a precious thing a little I have gotten of it and it is so precious that I will not be contented with this little but I will labour to have as much of it as I can more love O more love never never never too much of that Sixthly If you would grow in Grace look to your union with Christ He is the head and you are the members if you are Beleevers Now the body grows by influence from the head Truly our growth it springs up from union with Christ If you abide in me and my words abide in you then it shall be well if so be that you hold the head 'T is an excellent expression you have in 2 Collos. the Apostle useth that expression of holding the head by vertue of which holding the head there comes to be an increasing with all the increase of God When thou art well skilled in this mysterie of holding the head in a dependance upon Christ drawing every day from the Lord Jesus not contenting himself with what he hath received but is still drawing and sucking from Christ the breasts of Christ. He is in the proper way of proficiency and improvement in Grace These are not empty notions no they are the things of the spirit of God the spirit of Wisdom doth suggest them to you and therefore let them be accordingly regarded and heeded by you Seventhly your duty is to grow and to grow in Grace In order to that I will tell you what will be a a good conducement labour to make it sure that you have Grace in the truth of it and be very much in that inquiry into your selves so as that you may be clear in this that you have the true Grace of God in you that it is the true Grace of God wherein you stand This is a good conducement to proficiency and growth in Grace when you come to know that there is a work begun For mark you if so be that a man be about a building and do question whether the foundation be well laid yea or no truly he can never go on so clearly and so dexterously in the carrying on of the building But if so be that he be well perswaded sufficiently satisfied concerning this that the foundation is well laid this will strengthen his hands for to go on in the work If so be that a man be upon a journey and question whether he be in the right