unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. See here the Apostle prayes for the multiplication of grace but how should it be multipled he tells you through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord What is meant by the knowledge of Jesus our Lord but Faith in Jesus our Lord as Joh. 17 3. This is eternal life to know thee i.e. to believe in thee and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ So that then all grace is multiplied in the increase and multiplication of Faith Reas 1 The Reason is Because Faith is a Radical grace it 's like the Root of a Tree in relation to the Branches They which had no depth of root in the Parable of the Seed Luk. 8.13 are such as had no depth of faith Col. 2.7 we are said to be rooted and stablished in Christ by faith Now then you know as the root grows so the branches grow as the root decayes so the branches decay if the root once rot within the ground though you see not that yet you shall soon see the branches rot above ground So however you cannot easily see how a mans faith decayes because that is as the root yet you shall soon perceive a decay in the exercise of other graces because they are as he branches And on the other side as the root of faith prospers so other graces thrive and bring forth fruit in the branches 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde therefore unto your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. See here how Faith is made the root of all Vertue and Knowledge and Temperance and Patience c. all grow upon Faith as upon â—heir root As the increase of the root increaseth the branches so the increase of faith increaseth other graces Caution Yet we aâ—â— to understand this warily We must not so take it as if faith were a Root exclusivè excluding Christ himself for Christ is the Master-root and Faith but a spurn or a sucker from him Therefore in the place fore named Col. 2.7 we are said to be rooted in him when we are established in the faith And this mindes us of a second Reason why the just lives by faith the Life of Augmentation Reas 2 Because Faith is an uniting Grace It unites the Soul to Christ as the Cien is united to the Stock as the Members in the body are united to the Head not originally or as the principal Efficient for that is the work of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 but instrumentally as Sinews and Nerves unite the Members to the Head and so are the instrumental cause of the growth of them not that they can give any nourishment of themselves but onely as they convey it from the Head as Organical means So Faith doth nourish other graces not of it self but as it sucks and draws and so conveys nourishment from Christ who is the Head of the Church to every Member as appears from Ephes 4.15 16. compared with vers 13. Reas 3 The third Reason why a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation is Because he liveth by Faith the Life of Fructification and Vivification For that which doth act grace and put it to the use doth necessarily increase grace also Not onely in a rational way in a way of sound Reason in that frequent acts do strengthen each habit with Gods ordinary concurrence as a Scholar that is diligent in his way by often hearing and reading and writing and speaking and disputation and meditation and studying becomes rich in learning that his very lips feed many hungry Souls But also in a way of grace or in a way of Covenant-mercy by vertue of Gods Promise which he hath made to the diligent hand The diligent hand saith God maketh rich Prov. 10.4 As rich to the world so rich Heaven-ward Use grace and have grace saith God Mat. 25.24 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have more abundantly but from every one that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath To every one that hath What 's that that hath made good use of Talents formerly receiv'd as appears by the context that man shall increase he shall have more abundantly This is that honest and honorable Vsury by which we may lawfully put out not Money but the Grace of God to Use till we grow rich towards God in all utterance and in all knowledge as it was said of the Corinthians so that we come behinde in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Being like those fruitful Trees planted in the Courts of the Lord they are not onely fruitful Psal 92. but they increase in fruitfulness Whereas on the other side men of excellent parts for want of Faith to exercise their grace they are blasted and wither away and come to nothing they are as trees without fruit twice dead and plucked up by the roots Jude v. 12. Reas 4 The fourth and last Reason Because faith removes or at least helps us against the hindrances of Spiritual growth it is Causa removens as well as promovens As 1. The Commonness of the ground when 't is like the High-way without hedge or wall a very road for the Devil to pass up and down in and spoil all But now Faith sets a fence about the heart and guards it against such temptations as might render it unfruitful 1 Pet. 5.8 whom resist stedfast in the faith 2. The Stonyness of the ground that hindred the growth of the Seed in the Parable for which Faith layes hold on that Promise Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of Stone and I will give you an heart of Flesh 2. The Thornyness of the ground which also hinders growth And these thorns are expounded by the Maker of the Parable to be the Cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches But faith removes this hindrance 1. Joh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Faith will tell us All things are but loss and dross in comparison of Christ 4. The Worm of sinful corruption this at the root hinders growth But the just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification and therefore of Augmentation 5. Evil Winds that blast the fruit hinder growth These winds are Errors and false Doctrines but Faith removes this hindrance They that are well stored with Faith will not be like children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.13 14. Hence then we may receive Information in divers Particulars Vse 1 First see the Difference between this life and all other lives Other lives as they have their increase Information about spiritual growth so they have their decrease also Like the Sun when it once comes to the high Noon it declines again and at last goes down and leaves the world in darkness There must come a time when the Sun of our life
for so the Apostle applies this Text very frequently to prove that the just man lives a Spiritual life by Faith Obj. Obj. But the Apostle may seem to wrest the words because the Prophet speaks here of a temporal deliverance from the Chaldeans Ans Ans 1. Their deliverance from temporal Babylon was a Type of their Deliverance from Spiritual Babylon 2. However the secondary objects of Faith be divers some Temporal some Spiritual some Eternal yet the prime and principal object of faith is still one and the same and that is Jesus Christ and Gods favour in Christ and before I can embrace the other I must first embrace this Therefore the same faith in Christ that enables me to live in temporal things enables me to live in spirituals also and so the Apostles argument from one to the other holds good Well then the just lives by Faith in respect of Spiritual life which is far more excellent then the other as grace is above nature And this is either the Life of I. Justification whereby the Soul layes hold upon Christ or II. Sanctification whereby the Soul draws vertue from Christ And that is either Renewing and Cleansing vertue the Life of Renovation or Fructifying the Life of Fructification or Mortifying Vertue the Life of Mortification or Vivifying the Life of Quickning and Vivification Confirming Vertue the Life of Conservation that God will not forsake his people Augmenting whereby life is encreased and Comforting Vertue the life of Consolation In the first our spiritual life is purified in the second beautified and in all these the just live by faith THE LIFE of FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION 1. HE lives by faith the Life of Justification and so the Apostle applies this very Text Rom. 1.16 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written And so again Gal. 3.11 where he doth oppose justifying by faith to justification by works of the law But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just c. The just doth not live by his own justice but by faith that is by the application of the justice and righteousness of another That we may the better understand the excellency of this Life of Justification it will not be amiss to adde the definition of it according to the Scriptures seeing whatsoever is truly known is known by the causes thereof Justification therefore is thus defined It is a most gracious and righteous action of God whereby he imputing the righteousness of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heir of eternal life to the praise and glory of his own Mercy and Justice For Explication consider 1. The Act to justifie 2. The Object a sinner and yet a believing sinner and so made righteous 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that 's onely by Faith 1. The Act to justifie Now to justifie signifieth properly to make just as to magnifie to make great though sometimes onely to declare great Now God makes just either By Imputation or Infusion of Righteousness The first is the life of Justification the second of Sanctification the first perfect the latter imperfect 2. The Object is a sinner God doth not justifie those that were just before but such as were unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once offered for sin the just for the unjust There was a time then when we were unjust a time when we were sinners when we were ungodly Rom. 5.6 Christ dyed for the ungodly and While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being justified we shall be saved from wrath through him So that as to heal signifies of a sick man to make sound so to justifie is of a sinner to make righteous and if it were not so where were the excellency of Gods free grace to make us righteous if we never were in a state of sin He that in no consideration looks at himself as a sinner fallen in the first Adam cannot possibly look at himself as a righteous person recovered in the second Adam How can God be said to shew mercy to that man that was never in misery to redeem that man that was never lost Lost I say and that really and not onely in his own conceit and apprehension 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that is by Faith as here in the Text. Though a sinner be justified yet it is onely a believing sinner and so of a sinner is made just Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith c. By Faith how not as the meritorious but onely as the instrumental cause of our justification For the clearer understanding of this we must know according to the former definition there are several causes of our Justification viz. Efficient Material Formal and Final The Efficient cause is either 1. Principal or 2. Instrumental Principal is either 1. Working or 2. Moving to the Work Causes of Justification 1. Principal The 1. Principal working Cause is God himself It 's an action of God Rom. 8.38 it is God that justifieth Isa 43.25 I even I am he c. Vide Rom. 9.16 All other causes are nothing to this though man believeth and man wills and runs on chearfully in the wayes of God yet from whence comes all this but from God that justifieth a poor sinner So that it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth c. but of God of God the Father as the Primary Cause the Son as the Meritorious the Holy Ghost as Applicatory It is God that justifieth who shall condemn c. He that is the Law-giver he justifies from the offences committed against the Law The 2. Principal Cause Moving or promoting to the Work is either 1. Internal Gods Mercy Justice It 's a gracious and a righteous action of God nothing without him the first Mover 2. External 1. Mans Misery moving to pity the Samaritan c. the Infant Ezek. 16. 2. Christs Merit moving to forgive Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins 2. Instrumental Cause 2. Instrumental and that 1. On Gods part the Word Manus offerentis 2 Cor. 5.18 He hath given to us the Ministery of Reconciliation Dan. 12.3 Rom. 4.11 2. On our part Faith Manus accipientis Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Rom. 10.5 c. Therefore faith doth not justifie by merit and dignity of the work for then we should be justified by works though by faith but onely by the Instrumentary application of Christs Righteousness 2. The Material Cause Christs Righteousness Material cause as Jacob gat his blessing in Esau's garment therefore called The Righteousness of God Rom. 1.17 the Righteousness of that Person who is God Now there is a twofold
befel the world in the world from Adam to this day is laid to the charge of sin Faith sayes As where no transgression no curse Rom. 3. so wheresoever there is curse there is transgression Whatever sad stories are reported of 70 years Captivity of Sword of Pestilence and Famine c. yea sayes Faith you may thank sin for all this Was Cain a runnagate Pharaoh drown'd in the Sea Josephs brethren in sad perplexity c Surely they may say We are verily guilty Gen. 42.21 c. Yea Gods people may thank sin for all their affliction Isa 27.9 This is all the fruit to purge away your sin Sin is like a stubborn Tenant or a Thief that will not out unless the house be fired over his head 2. Inward Witness which is the Conscience in stead of a thousand witnesses Rom. 2.15 Their own consciences bearing them witness c. What saist thou Conscience did not sin do thus and thus and is the cause of all this misery c Art 5 Fifthly Faith empannels the Jury of Saints or Believers not as unbelievers that compare themselves with themselves 2 Cor. 10.12 For what part hath he that believeth with an infidel 2 Cor. 6.15 and calls in the Judge For sin must be judged by God and the Bench See Psal 50.5 6. and not by the Countrey of Carnal men For though the Conscience of Carnal men can bear evidence against sin yet they are partial Jury-men they would fain have sin live Let loose Barabbas and crucifie Christ But the Bench of godly men sitting with Christ upon his Throne as they shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. so they judge sin They finde sin guilty and worthy of death and cry out for Justice Justice my Lord upon sin These are the cloud of Witnesses and Jury-men that account sin as the greatest burthen in the world Heb. 12.1 Therefore sayes Faith if asked to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 5.1 I will be judged by all the godly in the World And this Jury ground their Verdict upon Evidence Note Works outwardly Conscience inwardly have brought in this witness against sin 1. 'T is a deadly enemy to God and his Grace Rom. 8.6 't is enmity against God Nothing is contrary to God but sin 2. It gives Laws against God Rom. 8.2 the law of sin and death God sayes This must be done Sin sayes the flat contrary 3. It forceth its Obedience 't is a Tyrant over Gods people makes them cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Luke 19.14 Indeed wicked men are voluntary slaves 4. It is guilty of all the slain that lie in the pit If it be said Who slew all these we may say Sin 2 Kin. 10.9 Though the Devil be a Murtherer John 8. yet he cannot slay one Soul without the assistance of Sin The Soul than sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.5 'T is guilty of Christs blood Sin thou hast crucified the Lord the Life Our sins were the nails in his hands and spear in his side and is not he worthy to die that put Christ to death Art 6 Sixthly Faith calls in the Judge as the importunate widow Luk. 18.3 Avenge me of mine adversary Faith makes God in his VVord to be the Judge viz. the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles Both Whether sin be thus guilty or no Jam. 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God c. Sin would lay the fault upon God but God layes the fault upon sin And secondly What punishment sin is worthy of No less than death saith God Therefore thou must die saith Faith to Sin 1 Cor. 11.31 For this cause many sleep i.e. die Art 7 Seventhly He therefore lives by Faith for the condemnation of Sin God hath condemned sin to die Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you Therefore sayes Faith I have Gad on my side Sin must not reign nay Sin must not live As the soul that sins must die so the Soul than is freed from death is freed from sin both in the guilt and power Art 8 Eighthly He lives by Faith in the Execution of the Sentence upon Sin Heb. 11.17 Offers up the dearly beloved sin And that in respect 1. Of the time presently whilest it is called to day There is no truce no reprival no sparing of sin Life must go for life Sin is never the better for kinde usage Some sinners are won that way but not sin it self God cannot reconcile sin to himself though he reconcile sinners to himself 2. For the Means where there is 1. Arming our selves Eph. 6. Take to you the whole armour of God especially the shield of faith 2. Disarming sin The strength of sin lies either in the Law of God 1 Cor. 15.56 The strength of sin is the law Or in the power and policy of Satan Ephes 2.2 that worketh in the children of disobedience Now Faith disarms Sin 1. It cuts the sinews of the Law Rom. 6.14 We are not under the law but under grace 2. It cuts the sinews of Satan 1 John 3.8 For this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Therefore that Soul that is willing Christ should live in it shall be sure to have sin die in it Lastly Taking sin captive leading this Captivity captive Eph. 4.8 Psal 149.6 and putting it to death by the two-edged sword of the Word in its hand and so executing the judgement written Heb. 4.12 So much for the first Quaere Quest II. Secondly What are the Reasons why Faith will have sin to be mortified Answ Many 1. Reasons of the mortification of sin Because sin is most contrary to the nature of Faith Faith is a most holy Faith Jude v. 20. It is that which purifies the heart Acts 15.9 And sin is loathsome and impure For it defiles 1. The Person Tit. 1.15 To the unbelieving even their minde and conscience is defiled 2. The Actions Hag. 2.12 13. every work of their hands and that which they â—ffer is unclean 3. The Name as Jacob said to Simeon and Levi Gen. 34.30 Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land 4. It defiles others as that incestuous Person 's sin 1 Cor. 5.6 as leaven spreads over the whole lump 5. The Land it self Gen 6 11. The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence So the Lord sayes Num 35.33 The land is polluted and defiled with blood Therefore Faith and Sin are contraries and contraries hate one another to the death Mutuò se expellunt they cannot live together Reas 2 Because they have most contrary Ends and Designes The design of Faith is to bring life to the Soul The just shall live by Faith The design of Sin is to bring death to the Soul Ezek. 18. The soul that sins shall die the death and
will cast them and weigh them down but if they be resolved in the ways of God they will not easily be moved or removed Therefore Acts 11.23 the Exhortation is given That with full purpose of heart we should cleave unto the Lord. 3. Be thus resolute in Gods strength not in thine own 3. Resolve in Gods strength Peter at first was resolute but it was in his own strength therefore he fell foully though not finally God let him see his own weakness Therefore if thou wouldst be strong indeed be sure to be strong in God and in the power of his might Eph. 6 10. God is α and ω to shew that as the beginning of Grace is from him so our perseverance in Grace is from him also 4. Good grounding 4. He that would persevere to the end must be sure to make a good beginning He that would have his building stand for ever must be sure to lay a good Foundation he must be sure to be well grounded in the fundamental truths of Religion Col. 1 23. They must be well grounded and setled in the faith that would not be moved from the hope of the Gospel They that would hold close to the Truth must be well grounded in the knowledge of it A little errour in the foundation makes a great errour before you come to the top of the building And who are they that are led aside into so many and great errours in these days but such as were never well catechized So that however some of them presume to be Teachers themselves had need that one should teach them which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5 12. These are soon made a prey to Atheists and Papists When a cunning Jesuitical seducer shall come 1. With some colourable pretence of Scripture 2. Some flourish of Authority from the Ancients 3. Glorious Titles of Apostolical Succession and Antiquity 4. Voluntary Humility of Fasting and Penance Col. 2.23 c. not sparing the body 5. Feigned Miracles 2 Thess 2.9 6. Flattering and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 7. A Roman Fortitude in suffering for their Cause I say when seducing persons shall come in all this deceiveableness how shall a silly unstable Soul that was never grounded in the knowledge of the Fundamentals of Religion withstand these assaults or the like from other seducers How easily are ignorant persons drawn to any novel opinion As a childe is sooner cozened than a man of parts so such as are children and novices in the Doctrine of Faith will easily be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine 5. Christians that would persevere 5. Watching over one another should be careful not onely to watch over themselves in particular but to watch over one another mutually Heb 3.17 Exhort one another daily while it is called To day lest any of you be be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Where we may observe 1. There is none even the strongest in the flock but have need of this mutual help 2. There is none so poor and contemptible but the care of their standing belongs to all even to such Christians as are most eminent 3. Sin hath so many ways and devices whereby it is apt to beguile and seduce us that each particular person had need of more eyes than his own upon him more observers than himself alone therefore he that would stand and persevere let him not slight this Ordinance 6. Take heed of Vnbelief or Misbelief 6. Taking heed of Unbelief strive against it pray against it be humbled for it for as the just lives by his Faith the Apostate departs from the living God by his Vnbelief Heb. 3.12 As Faith unites the Soul to God so Unbelief separates the Soul from God Unbebelief denies to God the honour of his Truth Mercy and Goodness and by consequence robs the Soul of that comfort it might have in the application of these Attributes by Faith 7. 7. Examples of crowned Saints Look to the Examples of all the persevering and crowned Saints Look to the Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who all died in the faith See the excellency of Paul's Spirit Acts 20.24 who was nothing moved with afflictions neither counted his life dear to himself so he might finish his course with joy and see how comfortable you finde him at the end of his race 2 Tim. 4.7 having fought a good fight and finished his course and kept the faith and now expecting his Crown Especially look to Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 This Example the Apostle in a special manner sets before us while he is Exhorting us to run with patience the race that is set before us So that he that would hold out to the end of his race must not so much look upon his discouragements his own Corruption Satans Tentations the Worlds Oppositions as upon his incouragements his eye must be fixed on his Jesus with loving and longing looks he must look upon him as the Author and Finisher of his faith as upon such a Jesus who hath not onely purchased Salvation it self but also the grace of Faith to lay hold on this Salvation and not onely the grace of Faith but Perseverance in this Faith to the end He is the Finisher as well as the Author of our Faith He must look upon him as upon his Patern and Example as one who doth not onely point out the way of Perseverance by his Directions and Commands but even tread and trace it out before us by his Example Such as look upon Jesus as a Patern in the work of Perseverance may safely look upon him as a Patern in the Reward as he had joy set before him so have we and as he for the hope of that joy ran with courage so must we as he ran with the Cross upon his back all the way and in particular with the Cross of Shame or shame of the Cross so must we as Christ made light of all their Reproaches despised their Despisings shamed their very Shame as unworthy to be taken notice of when put into the balance against the glory that is to be revealed so must we as Christ overcame all at length and hath now laid hold on all the joy and glory for which he ran so shall we also in due time If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Because he lives we shall live also Joh. 14.19 Therefore he that would be strengthned and enabled to persevere he should be still looking to Jesus Christ that he may daily be more conformed to him Vse 5 5 Use This should put us upon the Examination of ourselves ExaminatioÌ„ of truth of Faith by its peâ—severing whether we have the true life of Grace and true Faith for then we shall persevere Joh. 8.31 If you continue in my words then are you my Disciples indeed Some indeed fall from the truth but they never were truly
Lord hath forsaken me saith another or else I should never be thus bowed down with continual sickness Surely the Lord hath forsaken me saith another or else I should never be so friendless Lovers and friends hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness And this was Jobs argument he confesses God was sometimes gracious to him but now he looks at him as an enemy And why so because he was under his afflicting hand he had stript him of outward Mercies Job 13.24 And this was Naomi's argument Ruth 1.20 she said to her Neighbors Call me not Naomi but call me Mara for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me I went out full but the Lord hath brought me home again empty But what though she came home empty of temporal blessings so long as she came home full of spiritual grace she had little cause to complain of hard dealing on Gods part But I say Gods people are apt to complain in cause of Temptation if God do but withdraw himself in some particular and temporal respects they are ready to say out God hath wholly and utterly forsaken them in all respects Obj. But will God onely forsake his people in temporal good things and not in spirituals also May not the Ordinances be taken from them or they from the Ordinances as doubtless many of Gods faithful ones were when they were banished into Babylon Ans I answer therefore 3. Gods forsaking in spirituals viz. Means God sometimes forsakes his people in spiritual good things but then it is rather in outward spiritual good things than in those that are inward 'T is true God took his Ordinances from his people when he removed them into Babylon but he did not take away his Spiritual nor his gracious Presence from such as were faithful It is a Promise God makes to such as were banished from the Sanctuary Ezek. 11.16 Although I have cast them far off amongst the heathen and although I have scattered them amongst the countries yet will I be to them a little Sanctuary in the countries where they shall come As if God should have said Though they want the ordinary Sanctuary and the ordinary means of Teaching yet I will be a Sanctuary to them my self and teach them by my Spirit they shall not want inward Spiritual Mercies though they want the outward Means of Grace Obj. But doth God forsake his people in outward Spiritual Mercies 4. Forsaking in spiritual comforts not grace and doth he not forsake them in those that are inward also Why else do they so much complain of their Souls and Spirits Psal 77.3 I complained and my Spirit was overwhelmed Ans Therefore he may also forsake in regard of inward Spiritual Mercies but then it is more in their inward Spiritual Comforts than in Spiritual Graces Some Christians indeed have more Comforts but less Graces as in the day of their first espousals to Jesus Christ for that is a time of love and rejoycing Jer. 2.2 I remember saith God the love of thine espousals But some Christians have more Graces and less Comfort as strong grown Christians Heb. 2. whom the Captain of their Salvation puts upon hard services for the trial of their Christian fortitude Psal 44.17 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in the Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps turned from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Indeed the face of Dragons and the face of Death was very terrible but yet the hiding of Gods lovely face was much more terrible ver 24. But yet for all that though God did with-hold their Spiritual Comforts yet he did not with-hold their Spiritual Graces for they had never more strength of grace than when they were able to grapple with Dragons and with Death it self Obj. But doth God forsake his people in respect of Spiritual Comforts Is it not said That such as have the Comforter once he shall abide with them for ever Joh. 14.16 If that be so why then should any believer be dejected Therefore I fear I never had true comfort Simile Answ That 's true the Comforter abides for ever but not in the Act of Comforting John 16.7 8. I will send the Comforter to you saith Christ What then Must they expect nothing but comfort so soon as ever the Spirit is come No there is an act of Conviction from the Spirit in the first place Note When he is come he will convince the world of sin The office of the Spirit is to empty us of our selves to humble us and to convince us as well as comfort us All these are acts of the Comforting Spirit though not acts of Comfort They are all such acts as tend to comfort and are conducible to that end As searching the Wound by the Chirurgeon and stirring the humours by the Physician are conducible to the act of healing though they are troublesome and painful for the present Neither doth God always forsake his people at such times as he doth withdraw their Spiritual comforts Note Did God forsake Christ upon the Cross or doth he forsake Christians in their mourning condition No surely he is most in them oftentimes by the graces of his Spirit when he is least in them by the comforts of it Obj. But doth not God forsake his people in their Graces as well as in their Comforts and do not Gods people complain for want of grace as well as for want of comfort Doth not David pray Psal 51. Take not thy holy Spirit from me as well as Restore to me the joy of thy Salvation The resolving of this doubt is needful for the better clearing of the Life of Perseverance and for the better incouragement against all discouragements of this nature concerning Gods forsaking of us or our forsaking of him Ans I answer therefore 5. Forsaking in graces not absolutely necessary God may withdraw from his people such graces as are called accessory graces but not such graces as are absolutely necessary We call such graces necessary as tend to the very being of a Christian and without which he is no Christian at all as Faith in Jesus Christ and so Justification and the Spirit of Adoption In these God will never forsake his people 1 Joh 3.9 Now accessory graces we call such as are added to these for the well-being of a Christian without which he cannot so well act his part as otherwise he might do As for example Though a Christian have Faith and the Spirit of Adoption in some measure yet he cannot so well discharge his duty unless he be zealous in believing zealous in praying zealous in preaching But now in these sometimes God doth forsake his people when his people for sake him by falling from their first love and from their first degree of zeal Gal. 4.15 But God doth
Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven