if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him verse 1 2 3. As the Scripture is the Word of the Son so it is the only Rule of our Lives Now that which is the only Rule of our Lives Scriptura est luserna pedibus à qua non deflectendum Ecclesiae sapientia cognitionis forma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujus testimoniis omnia consumanda ex qua â—riâ—ntur demonstâ—ationes Cui quae câ—nsentiunt admittenda et quae non consentiunt rejicienda Ergo est vitae fidelque Regula Chamiâ—rus 1. Tom. de cano fidei Lib. 1. Cap. 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11. we are in special manner to take heed unto But the Scripture and the Word of God written is the only Rule of our Lives for it is a Light unto our feet and a Lanthorn to our paths Psal 119. It is the Wisdom of the Church and People of God Deut. 4. It is that which we may not turn aside from either to the right hand or to the left Deut. 28. It is that whereby Doctrines are to be rejected or admitted Acts 17. It is that which nothing must be added to or taken from Deut. 4. Rev. 22. It is that which we are all to have recourse unto for Comfort and Direction Es 8. To the Law and to the Testimony if men say not so it is because there is no Light in them Now if the Scripture and the Word of God written be a Light unto our paths the wisdom of the Church and People of God if it be that whereby Doctrines are to be admitted or rejected if that from which we may not turn either to the right or to the left from which nothing may be taken and to which nothing may be added and if it be that which we are to resort continually unto for comfort and direction then it is the Rule and only Rule of our Lives But so it is as al these fore-mentioned Scriptures do plainly prove and therefore it is the Rule and the only Rule of our Lives As the Scripture and the Word of God written is the only Rule so it is that Salt which doth season all your Enjoyments Omne quod extra Dei verbum est est Idolatria omne quod fit in verbo est verus cultus sicut omne quod fit sine fide est peccatum et omne quod fit in fide est bonum opus quod inter verbum et fidem est conjugium indissolubile Luther It 's the Rule and Measure of your Worship for if you do not worship according to the Appointments of God in his written Word your Worship is but Idolatry and Superstition Superstitio est quicquid est supra Statutum It 's the great relief of your Souls in time of Temptation Hereby Christ answered to all his Temptations It is written and again it 's written and again it 's written and Christs Practice must be your Rule It 's that which Sanctifieth al your outward Comforts even amongst the Creatures for saies the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.4 Every Creature of God is good if it be received with thanks-giving Anima omnibus rebus carere potest excepto verbo Dei ego quidem sine verbo ne in Paradiso optarim vivere at cum verbo etiam in Inferno facile est vivere Est verbum talis thesaurus qui tractando crescit et distribuendo servando autem petir Luther Scriptura est Communis animarum officina Basil Omnipotentis Epistola ad homines missa Gregor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nutrimentum et cibus animae Athanas for it is sanctified by the Word and Prayer I profess saies Luther I cannot live without the written Word of God I can want any thing but the Scripture or the written Word of God If I were in Hell I could live with a Promise and though I were in Paradice yet if I had not the Word with me I could not live there O! saith he the Word is so great and deep a Treasure that it doth encrease by distributing yea it is even Genus generalissimum omnium bonorum that general good thing under God and Christ that hath Influence into al good things And shal the Word of God written be such a blessed Treasure and shal we not take heed thereunto As it is the Salt of al your Comforts so it is land shal be your Judg at the great day Christ is the only Judg then but this Book of the Scripture and the Word of God written is that whereby he wil Judg you and me and the World for at the last and great Day when men come to be tried for their Eternal Lives the Books shal be brought out not one Book but Books Revel 20.12 And I saw the dead both smal and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened It seems then that three Books shal be opened at the great Day one Book is the Book of Life two other there are the Book of Gods Records for a Book of Remembrance is written upon all our Actions Mal. 3. and the Book of the Scripture or the Word of God for saith our Savior John 12.48 The Word that I have spoken the same shall judg him in the last day Now this Word that Christ hath spoken is written and therefore men shal be judged thereby but if the Scripture and the Word of God written be that Book whereby men shal be judged at the last then surely it is our Duty in special manner to take heed thereunto As the Scripture is that Book whereby we shal al be judged so it shal be established upon us if we be not established by it for saies the Apostle Heb. 2. If the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by his Son What then Therefore we ought to give the more heed to the things we have heard lest we let them slip Why For if we be unstedfast yet the Word of God is stedfast The Word that God spake by Moses was stedfast and established upon them that disobeyed So now much more saies he if you be not stedfast and established by the Word it shal be established upon you unto your Destruction O! what infinite reason is there then that we should take heed thereunto Object But the Text saith That we shal do wel to take heed thereunto til the day dawn and Day-star arise in our hearts but the day hath dawned on me and the day-star hath arisen in my heart and therefore now what need I take heed to the Scripture or the written Word any longer Answ Yea Stil you have need to do it for did not the day dawn and the day-star arise on the hearts of the Apostles and Christians in
do watch for your Souls If you stand fast we live say they and your constancy is our rejoycing You have been constant in seeking â—arthly things which are in their own Nature unconstant Multos annos laborant homines et constantes sunt pro rebus mundi inconstantibus et fugitivis quia inconstantes sumus pro aeterna et constanti gloria and wil ye be constant in seeking unconstant things and not constant in seeking those things that are most constant and durable Riches If you be not constant in good you wil be constant in what is evil if not setled in the Truth you wil be tenacious of Error which is the greatest evil renacity in Error or instability in Truth I say not but seldom any are uâ—stable in good but they are most tenacious in what is evil And the more unsetled you are the more you make the way to Heaven difficult and uneasie you think and say O! Difficile putabis perseverare at difficilius est iterum incipere multo molestius inceptare sepius equi minorem vim faciunt cum continuant iter trahentes currum quam cum repetere volunt postquam steterunt non fugiunt difficultatem qui cessant ab opere nam perseverando facillius â—â—et si potuisti incipere quod difficilius est poteris continuare facilius Euseb Nierem de adorat Lib. 3. Cap. 7. this Work of God is exceeding hard and very difficult and therefore you leave it off then you come to it again and then you leave it off again but by your leaving it off you do make it difficult If an Horse be â—â—dden with an even hand he wil go wel al the day but if somtimes you ride him upon the Spir and then he stand a while and then ride him on the Spir again and then he stand and take cold again he wil sooner tire And what is the reason that many men are so often jaded tire and give in but because they do not keep an even pace in good Now therefore as you do desire that the way to Heaven may be 〈◊〉 easie to you that you may not be tenacious in what is evil that you may not grieve the Ministers of the Gospel Instruments of your Good and Conversion that you may not lie open unto sad and new Temptations and that you may not be a scandal to the good Name of God for what hurt hath the precious Name of God done to you labor to be more setled fixed and established which that you may be think and think much on these Motives And lastly Go to God by Prayer for this Fixation and Establishment of Soul he is apt and ready to pardon your former unevenness and want of Establishment Psal 78.37 it 's said of the Israelites that they were not stedfast in the Covenant Yet God being merciful forgave their Iniquity verse 38. and he it is alone who hangeth weights on the wings of the wind and therefore though your Spirits have been as light as the wind it self yet he wil hang weights upon them therefore go to him For be is the God of all Grace Who having called you to his Eternal Glory after you have suffered a while wil restore strengthen stablish and settle you FINIS TWO SERMONS I. The great Things Faith can Do. II. The great Things Faith can Suffer Preached by VVilliam Bridge somtimes Fellow of Emmanuel Colledg in Cambridg and now Pastor of the Church of Christ in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk 1216. LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader ALthough some of the Notions in these two Sermons may be already published in some former Works of this Author yet the Subject being both useful and seasonable for these times which are calling upon the Saints to Do and Suffer great Things and the publishing of them being much desired by many who heard them I have perus'd them and look upon them as conducing much to thy spiritual good And that the blessing of the Lord may go along with and make them very advantagious to thy soul both in doing and suffering for Christ is the prayer of Thy true Friend William Greenhil June 13. 1656. Reader THe Contents of these twenty five Sermons are now collected by the Printer for thy ease and Benefit THE GREAT THINGS Faith can do Hebrews 11.32 Preached at the Charter-House Decemb. 23. 1655. And what shall I say more for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Sampson and of Jeptha of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edg of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens women received their dead raised to life again c. IN this Eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews you have a little Book of Chronicles wherein the Beleevers of the old Testament do stand upon Record for their great Work of Faith In the former part of the Chapter the Apostle doth instance in several Beleevers at large In the latter part he is more compendious and draws up the Instances into a narrower Room for saith he The time would fail me to â—â—l of Gideon of Barak and of Sampson and of Jeptha c. Now these Beleevers that he doth instance in in the latter part of the Chapter are of two sorts some famous and of good reports for their actions and some for their sufferings some did great things and some suffered great things and both by their Faith Those that suffered great things are mentioned in the following words Others were tortured not accepting of deliverance Those that did great things by their Faith in these Verses their Persons are mentioned and the fruits and effects of their Faith for which they are mentioned in these Verses Their Persons are mentioned in Verse 32. ye have their Names there their State Condition and their Order their Names Gideon and Barak and Sampson and Jeptha and David their State and Condition some were Kings some were Judges some were Prophets Faith runs through al Conditions and Ranks of Men Faith and true Grace is able to make a Plantation upon every Condition of men And as for their order here Gideon is before Barak and Sampson is before Jeptha yet if you look into the Story in the Judges you shal find Barak is before Gideon and Jeptha before Sampson and here Gideon set first and Sampson first why because they excelled in Faith and those are most excellent in Gods eyes who are most eminent in Faith those are most excellent in Gods Eyes who most excel in Faith But now as for the Fruits and Effects of their Faith they are many here are no less than ten mentioned in
who heard them Preached raised them from that Death Mine own Notes were not legible enough for the Press In answer therefore to their desires I have corrected these some things I have altered some things added and some Repetitions fit enough for the Pulpit I have filed off what is wanting let thy goodness supply I have also joyned with them some other Sermons of more doctrinal concernment these being mostly practical that so thy mind and Heart may be at once exercised wherein I have rather applyed my self to the Jnstructive part of Preaching than to Scholastical disputation For I know the Universities have able and faithful Men more fit for that work Neither have I undertaken any English Adversary and if I have troaden upon any Mans Toes I hope he wil excuse me for I can say truly Sir I saw you not And if any Man shal say to me as Davids Brother Eliab spake to him 1 Sam. 17.29 I know thy pride and Malice of thine heart that thou art come down to see the battle I might answer as David did Is there not a Cause When strange Opinions and Errors are dayly Published is there not a Cause that every man who loves the truth should bear his Testimony for it In performance therefore of mine own Duty and for thine Establishment I have spoaken somthing to many truths which are now questioned Hold fast what thou hast lest another take thy Crown And the Lord Jesus Christ and our God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace Comfort thine heart and Stablish thee in every word and good work Thine in the Service of the Gospel WILLIAM BRIDGE The Names of several Books Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Corn-hil neer the Exchange Nineteen several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowing of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts 13 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7 Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1.19 14 Christ in Travel Wherein 1 The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. And His satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in three Sermons on Esay 53.11 15 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Dissertion Unserviceableness 9. Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 16 Sin against the Holy Ghost 17 Sins of Infirmities 18 The False Apostle tried and Discovered 19 The Good and means of Establishment Eleven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel Conversation on Phil. 1.17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 4 A Treatise of Earthly Mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly mindedness is 2 The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. Verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly Mindedness and Walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3.20 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 8 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin on Job 36.21 9 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 10 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 11 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Ten several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and Several Sorts of Signs Together wtth the Cure of all Diseases in the Body of Man Being chiefly a Translation of The Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius Now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been Sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though all the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the Cure of them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 2 The Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 3 A Translation of the New Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galen 's Method of Physick 4 The English Physitian Enlarged being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering all Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping al manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 5 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and Illustrated with
of the Moon when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon then the Moon is eclipsed because the Earth keeps the light of the Sun from it So if the Earth and the World come between you and the Truth there wil be an eclipse and darkness upon al your Soul Then shall ye know saith our Savior of my Doctrine whether it be of God if ye do what I command you Those that wil not do what they know shal not know what to do Thirdly Study your Condition by the Scripture and the Scripture by your Condition Condition gives understanding In case you be under a Temptation Conditio dâ—â— Intellectum study those Scriptures that do concern such Temptation if you be in an Affliction study those Scriptures that do concern such Afflictions if you be in a Desertion study those Scripâ—ures which do concern such Desertions and whatever your Condition be study those Scriptures which do concern your Condition and this wil help you to understand rhe Scriptures Yet Fourthly Take heed that you be not too indulgent to your own Condition Optimus Scripturae interpres hic est qui sensum è Scriptura potins retulerit quam attulerit Hilar. Disposition or Opinion It 's a good speech of Hilary He is the best Interpreter of Scripture that doth rather bring his Sense from the Scripture than carry his Sense to the Scripture We are very apt to interpret Scripture according to our own opinion or disposition Interpretation ordinarily follows disposition or opinion As when there was a great Controversie in the Popish Church betwixt the two Liturgies of Ambrose and Gregory by common consent of both Parties it was agreed that both the Mass Books should be laid on the Altar expecting the decision of the matter by Revelation and the doors being opened the next morning Gregories Mass-Book was rent and torn in many pieces and scattered abroad in the place but Ambroses lay whol and open upon the Altar which some thought signified thus much That Gregories Mass-Book should be cancelled others as the Pope himself said nay but this renting and scattering of the Leaves signified the dispersing of it over al the Christian World Thus men interpret things according to their own Dispositions and Opinions even when they come to Scripture also Would you therefore see cleerly into the mind of God in the Scripture then as when you come to Christ for Righteousness ye come with naked shoulders so when you come to the Truth of Christ take heed of your own Disposition and Opinion you must come to Christ as a Prophet as wel as to Christ as a Priest with naked shoulders Fiftly If you do desire so to understand the Scripture as it may be a Light to al your paths then be sure that you put nothing else in Commission with it for your Rule 'T is with the Scripture in this respect as with God Christ and the Spirit If you come to God for help yet if you joyn another God in Commission with him he wil not give down his help so if you joyn any thing with Christ in the matter of Mediation though you come to him he wil not give in the comfort of his Mediation to you so for the Spirit though you come unto him for comfort being the Comforter yet if you joyn any thing else in Commission with the Spirit it wil not give down his Comfort And so here though you come and tend and wait upon God in the Scripture yet if there be any thing else which you do make your Joynt-Rule with the Scripture any Light within you or Precept of Man without you it wil not give down its Light to you but you wil be left in the dark Do you desire therefore to understand and know the true sense and meaning of the Scripture then take heed that you joyn no other thing in Commission with it as to the matter of your Rule And thus I have done with the first thing that we must do in taking heed to the Scripture we must take heed to know and understand the same If you would so take heed unto the Scripture as it may be indeed a Light unto you in a dark place then you must keep it for though the Meat be never so good yet if the Stomach throw it up presently and do not keep it it doth the man no good So in regard of the Scripture therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 2.1 We ought to take the more earnest heed unto the things that we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip or run out We must keep what we have we must keep what we know else we do not take heed to the Word Now that you may keep and not forsake the Word First Observe what those things are whereby men have been led off and carried away from the Scripture and above al things take heed of them Now those are three especially Somtimes this evil doth arise from the corruption of a mans Nature boyled up to a secret unperceived malice against the Word and Scripture As in case two Professors be at varyance and a third person stand by and saith Do you see these Professors what proud wrangling people these are they are al such doth not this argue that this third man hath an aking tooth at Profession So when men shal observe some variations in Scripture and they shal say do ye see what Contradictions there are they are al so What doth this argue but that these men have an aking tooth and secret malice at the good Word of God oâ— the Scripture You know how it was with Moses when he saw two men fighting one an Egyptian and another an Israelite he killed the Egyptian but when he saw two Hebrews fighting now saith he wil I go and â—â—concile them for they are Brethren why so but because he wâ—s a good man and gracious So also 't is with a gracious hea t when he sees the Scripture fighting with an Egyptian an Heathen Author or Apocryphal he comes and kils â—he Heathen he kils the Egyptian or the Apocripha but when he sees two Scriptures at varyance in view though in truth not O saith he these are Brethren and they may be reconciled I 'le labor al I can to reconcile them but when a man shal take every advantage of â—eeming difference in Scripture to say Do ye see what Contradictions there are in this Boâ—k and not labor to reconcile them what doth this argue but that the corruption of a maâ—s Nature is boyled up to an unknown malice against the Word of the Lord take heed therefore of that Somtimes this evil of denying and forsaking the Scripture Donatistae jactantes veram Ecclesiâ—m penes se solos esse qui habitabant regionem meridionalem ad id confirmandum adducebant illud Canticorum 1. v. 6. Judica mihi quem diligit anima mea ubi pascâ—s ubi cubes in Meridiâ— ne vagaâ—i incipiâ—m
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used