may be in any condition however others may through ignorance judge them miserable de Gubernatione Dei lib. 1. Finally Brethren be of good comfort if the world will contribute nothing to your joy but adde to your affliction you have a joy which they cannot intermeddle with Prov. 14.10 you need not to be beholding to them to make you happy or entreat them to spare your joy which they cannot take from you John 16.22 And if your afflictions encrease though the world and carnal professors may look upon you with scorn because you are black by the sun looking upon you Cant. 1.6 with Obad. 12. and Micah 4.11 yet God hath those comforts in store for you against such a day which you it may be never tasted of yet 2 Cor. 1.4 5. as the experience of many of the Martyrs hath abundantly testified Love as brethren if the world hate you Have peace among your selves if you cannot have peace with the world And speak oft one to another to comfort encourage and provoke each other and there will come a time when you shall discorn betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt him that serves God and him that serveth him not I will conclude with the words of Polycarp Leyserus Ep. ded part secund Loc. Theolog. Chemnitiis That when we shall see cause to take up his complaint we may also make use of his counsel Orbatur partim Ecclesia viris praestantissimis optime de ea meritis partim hostiliter multis in locis fideles Pastores per impios lupos ex statione sua exturbantur partim Epicureus sani Evangelii contemptus cum proterva 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in populo passim invalescit ad quae mala accedunt mille injuriae quibus vigor alacritas in fidelibus verbi Praeconibus retunditur odia item infectationes eorum qui pro defensione veritatis in acie non fuerunt postremi idque ab iis qui impigri vigilantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unà nobiscum esse debebant Haec certè mala Ecclesiam eversura videntur Humani verò praesidiis hic vel nihil vel parum omnino superest Quaeramus itaque aliquid solatii in mutua animorum conjunctione piis exhortationibus nos mutuò erigamus confirmemus donec omnibus periculis insani maris nobis emetiendi superatis portum aeternae patriae laeâ—i servati attingamus Deum simul piis assiduis precibus fatigantes ut magnus ille fortissimus Michael pro populo suo pugnet naviculam suam contra adversitatum procellas defectionum voragines tueatur quo tandem ea subducta ovantes in aeternam patriam ingrediamur BOOKS sold by John Allen at the Sun-rising in Pauls Church-yard CAryl on Job Volum 5. quarto Volum 7. quarto Volum 9. quarto Beza Novum Testamentum folio Allen's Scripture Chronology quart Baxter's Call to the Unconverted 12o. Lukine's Practice of Godlinesss qu. Burges of Orignal sin folio Davenport and Hook of New england their Catechisme Gataker against that wicked Cheat Judicial Astrology proving it to be the Abomination of the Heathens and that it ought not to be tolerated in a Christian Commonwealth Isa 47.12 Jer. 10.2 The Faith and Order practised in the Congregational Churches in England agreed and consented unto by their Elders and Messengers at their Meeting in the Savoy October 12. 1658. Cotton on the Covenant Octavo The heart of New-England rent at the Blasphemies of the present Generation Or A brief Tractâ—re concerning the Doctrine of the Quakers demonstrating the destructive nature thereof to Religion the Churches and the State with consideration of the Remedy against it occasional satisfaction to Objections and confirmation of the contrary Truth by John Norton Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in New-England The Quakers folly made manifest to all men in a publick dispute at Sandwich in Kent between three Quakers and Mr. T. Danson Minister to which is added a Narrative of their wicked abominable practises by the same Author Ministers Maintenance by Tithes Infant Baptism Humane Learning and the Sword of the Magistrate clearly maintained by the Word of God by Immanuel Bourne Minister of Gods Word at Waltham in Leicester-shire with a sober Answer to Anthony Piersons great Case of â—ythes Judicial Astrology totally routed and their pretence to Scripture Reason and Experience answered by J. A. Published for publick good THE Life of Faith CHAP. I. The worth or excellency of every thing is according to its usefulness Hab. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 considered and their meaning enquired into how places of the Old Testament are cited in the new The Life of every true Believer is an everlasting life what living by Faith doth import THe nature of Faith I have already endeavoured to explain in a small Treatise formerly published I have now taken in hand to shew the use of it for it is this wherein every thing attains its perfection and as habits are said to be perfected in their acts for which they are so faith may in a good sense be said to be perfected in works because of the universal influence that it hath into the whole course of our lives and for this cause it is called Pretious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 the value of every thing being answerable to the usefulness of it For divers Ages before the time of Socrates most men were led by Fancy rather than Reason As a Learned man hath observed Casaubon of Enthusiasme p. 4. and the only happiness of those Ages was to be exempted from Controversies for there must needs be a good agreement where no reason is used to examine or disprove bâ—â— Socrates taught them the use of reason by organizing as one expresseâ— it and as it were ensouling the body of Philosophy reducing the Principles thereof to such order as they might be useful and practicable for which he was judged by the Oracle to be the wisest of men but here is a point of higher wisdome the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures hath taught us the use of Faith whereby we live a life as far excelling the life of Reason as the life of Reason excels the life of Sense and how much faith doth conduce to this life we shall understand by a due weighing those places of Scripture where the Just are said to live by Faith And the several cases wherein the Holy Ghost uses this expression We first meet with it Hab. 4.2 where some refer Faith to the subject reading the words The Just by Faith shall live others to the predicate according to the ordinary reading and this indeed seems more genuine however if we should take the first reading the sence will not differ There had been little question made about the meaning of this place but that the Apostle Rom. 1.17 and Gal. 3.11 seems to apply it to another end than was intended by the Prophet making use thereof to prove justification by Faith without the Works of
the preheminence thereof above them But to come to the particular parts of this armour As First Truth if we take it with reference to the mind or judgment and thereby understand soundness of Doctrine which indeed is necessary for keeping together the rest of our spiritual armour this is evidently a fruit of Faith as appears by what hath before been spoken of Faiths assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Apostle Acts 24.14 shews why he kept close to the Truth though it was branded with the name of Heresie and particularly to the Doctrine of the Resurrection which was accounted such a Paradox by the Philosophers of Athens Act. 17.18 He believed God with an implicite faith in whatsoever was written in the Scriptures Or if we take Truth as it respects the heart or for sincerity which indeed adds worth to all other Graces they being as Diamonds exceeding precious if true good for little if false and this is the fruit of Faith as Faith purifies the heart and as by faith we set God before us Heb. 11.27 there being no greater motive to sincerity than a sence of the presence of God Gen. 17.1 So for Righteousness if we understand it of the imputed righteousness of Christ for Justification this is a Brest-plate â—ensing the heart and conscience against the darts of Satan Rom. 8.33 though we have many wounds in other parts of the body if the heart be found we may recover but a stab there kills So if the conscience be untouched we may be able to sustain other infirmities Prov. 18.14 And this I have before proved to be the fruit of Faith and shewed how Faith improves it in urging the Promises if we hereby understand inherent righteousness this is also a Brest-plate Ps 25.20 Pro. 13.6 2 Cor. 1.12 Nil conscire sibi c. is as a brazen wall to a man Hor. Epist So Job cap. 31. having made a large profession of his own integrity ver 35. faith if his Adversary should write a book against him he would bind it to him as a Crown and he would go boldly to him and not be afraid to declare to him the number of his steps that is to give him a particular account of his whole life And this I have also proved to be a fruit of Faith And whatever is meant by the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel if it be such furniture as the Gospel prepares this is of no use to us without Faith as I have before shewed Chap. 5. where I have also said enough to prove that it is by Faith that we weild the Sword of the Spirit which our Saviour made so much use of in his encounter with Satan Mat. 4. That by the Helmet of Salvation is meant hope is plain from 1 Thes 5.8 and whether it be called an Helmet because it chiefly preserves the head securing us against errour as one thinks Templer on Jude 3. p. 11. Or take it in a larger sence I have before shewed that Hope necessarily supposes Faith the work of Hope being to expect the accomplishment of the Promise which Faith believes And Prayer which the Apostle commends as a general means for the use of our spiritual armour cannot be rightly performed without Faith so that our spirituall combate may well be called The fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 seeing it is by Faith that it is wholly managed CHAP. X. The evil effects of sore afflictions where Faith doth not help to bear them Faith looks to the Author cause ends of affliction Good thoughts of God a great help to bear affliction Three ends thereof Deut. 8.16 Why outward troubles are oft accompanied with inward Faith sees all in God in affliction Assurance not necessary to comfort Believers more then Conquerours in affliction Col. 1.11 opened Recumbency the most noble Act of Faith The advantage of Believers above others in affliction The Conclusion ALthough afflictions are in a proper sence called temptations yet it will be requisite to consider them by themselves and to shew the use of Faith therein both for bearing them and improving them Afflictions if they be sore and heavy are as I have beforesaid a shadow of death by reason whereof a Christian is many times ready to faint Heb. 12.5 yea to charge God foolishly as if he would at last cast us off 1 Sam. 27.1 yea as if he had already cast us off Psal 31.32 Isa 49.14 yea as if he took pleasure or it did him good to grieve and afflict his own children Job 10.3 and which is more sad when they press hard our feet are ready somtimes to slip we almost repent of our repentance and think we have cleansed our hearts in vain Psal 73.2 13. So that God is fain to take off his rod lest we should be tempted to put forth our hand to iniquity Psal 125.3 But though we be as dying yet by Faith behold we live 2 Cor. 6.9 First Faith looks to the Author of our affliction seeth the invisible hand which inflicts and moderates them Heb. 11.27 while Sence looks only at the Instrument thereof Now this doth much quiet the soul under affliction as Eli said 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And Job though the Chaldeans and Sabeans had spoyled him and taken away his goods ascribes it to God as the righteous permitter and wise orderer of it Job 1.21 When Attila King of the Hunns came into France Lupus Bishop of Troyes met him and asked him who he was that so spoyled and made such devastations in the earth He answered Dei se esse flagellum He was the Scourge of God Whereupon Lupus commanded the City Gates to be opened to him and welcomed him with these words Fauste ingrediatur flagellum Dei Magdeburg Cent. 5. cap. 10. While the rod is in Gods hand there is no danger he is a wise God and cannot be overseen a strong mighty God who can rule the rod in his own hand Isa 10.15 A righteous God and can do us no wrong Jer. 12.1 and will not give man advantage against him so as to enter in o judgement with him Job 34.22 He is a good God who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3.33 and so will be sure to lay on no more than need requires 1 Pet. 1.6 Secondly Faith looks to the cause of our affliction Sence is ready to quarrel with God as if he took pleasure to afflict Job 10.3 as if he took us for his enemies and set us up for his mark to spend all the Arrows of his displeasure upon us Job 13.24 Chap. 16.12 but by Faith we may see through these clouds Isa 8.17 and stay our selves on God though we walk in darkness and see no light Isa 50.10 Job when he had recovered himself and had found his faith would not let his hold go of God though he should kill him Job 13.15 Yea Faith can see love and
5.4 God leads us by his good spirit Psal 143.10 not by dictating to us as to Philip Acts 8.29 though I will not deny but the Spirit may sometimes powerfully determine a man to some particular act We read in the life of Mr. Dod that he was strongly inclined one night to go to his neighbours house and knew not why but God thereby saved a mans life So we read of one Aventroot who in very old age against the perswasion of his friends went from Utrect in the Low-Countreys to Madrid in Spain to tell the King of Spain that the Pope was Antichrist and to perswade him to destroy him for which he was burnt These are extraordinary cases and do not favour the ordinary pretences of Enthusiasme especially in things contrary to the Word of God see Voetites de probationibus spirituum p. 2 ap 1124. where you have the forementioned Story and what we are to judge in such cases Ordinarily the Spirit directs Christians by filling them with the knowledg of Gods will in all wisdome and spiritual understanding though it may sometimes awaken conscience to be as a voice behinde us saying this is the way walk in it when we turn to the right hand or to the left Isa 30.21 or direct us to such places of Scripture as may be for our turn or best serve our purpose as Austin to Rom. 13.13 Junius to John 1. see Austine's Confessions l. 8. c. 11. and Junius his life written by himself He that desires to read more concerning divine impulses or the voyce of Providence may consult Geo. Wither's cordial Confection p. 12. and Edw. Gee of the Right and Original of Magistrates cap. 3. to whom I had rather referre than determine any thing in so nice a point 3. Let us here also labour for an honest sincere heart otherwise it is as hard to judge of Actions as of Opinions Corrupt affections will blinde the judgement and turn desire into opinion so as a man shall believe that to be true which he desires to be true Hence it is that every mans way is right in his own eyes Prov. 16.2 Passions and Lusts endeavour to draw the judgement on their own side that so they may not be controled or interrupted thereby Reynolds on the Passions cap. 8. And for this cause some Philosophers have not thought young men especially such as were addicted to youthfull lusts to be fit for the study of Ethicks Wendelini Philosoph Moral l. 1.0.1 But further when men come to enquire of God with their idols in their hearts he will answer them according to their Idols Ezek. 14.4 7. that is When men like young people who ask their friends consent in marriage but are resolved beforehand what to do whether their friends will consent or no pretend to inquire the mind of God and have beforehand fixed their desires if not their resolutions God will answer such to their cost The Jews pretended a desire and willingness to know the minde of God and to be ruled thereby but they had before resolved to go down into Egypt and he tells them what should befall them if they went thither the sword and famine which they fled from should follow close after them Jerem. 42. read that Chapter throughout So Ahab had a minde to go to Ramoth Gilead yet he would enquire of God whether he should go God suffers the Devil by his Prophets to seduce him to go thither to his ruine 1 Kings 22. If we enquire of God it must be with an honest heart and sincere Resolution to follow his Counsel God will not be mocked we must seek to God an licet not ut liceat whether a thing be lawfull or no not that it may be lawfull 4. Let us take heed of rashnesse and precipitancy With the well advised is wisdome Proverb 13.10 We must ponder the paths of our feet Prov. 4.26 We are not of such present and comprehensive understandings as to make sudden Resolutions We see how oft we are put to change our Resolutions and make them give place to second wiser thoughts Gods immutability is an Argument of his perfection and is founded in his omnisciency his perfect understanding of all things by one single view directing him to such purposes as are not capable of any perfective alteration only consideration must not take up the time that should be spent in execution 5. Let us consult with those who are wholly unconcerned in what we would judge of such are like to make the best judgment How doth David pass sentence on himself when a case was represented to him only in thesi not as his own 2 Sam. 12.5 6. So the Jews Matth. 21.41 but change the persons and they are of Ploydon's minde That the case is alterred fo doth Interest corrupt mens mindes We see dayly proof of this hence the common saying That a good Arbitrator must displease both parties because interest makes them both think their own case right when a third person sees that both must yield Hence so many complaints of Oppression Interest makes both Plaintiffe and Defendant think himself wronged Hence is it so hard to finde a good Historian if he stand in the croud affection to causes or parties swayes him if he stand too farre off he cannot see well what is done Finally Hence it comes to pass that the present age seldome judges right but the succeeding age must judge of the actions of the age going before most men being some way concerned in publick affairs Matth. 23.30 Thirdly We must judge aright concerning persons I shall not here speak of judging our selves having elsewhere said something of it Now I shall speak only of our judgement concerning others we are not indeed rashly to condemn others this is the judgement which Christ forbids Mat. 7.1 Neither are we to usurp a peremptory judgment concerning mens final estate yet there is a private judgement of Prudence that we may yea must pass upon men 1. That we may know how to carry our selves towards them to some we owe only a common charity to others brotherly kindness or a more entire affection 2 Pet. 1.7 1 Pet. 2.17 Some are to be carefully avoided Rom. 16.17 Some there are of whom we may hope well yet are to carry our selves towards them as if we had a suspition of them 2 Thes 3.14 15. 2. That we may beware of men Mat. 10.17 Paul amongst other dangers that he was in reckons up false brethren 2 Cor. 11.26 Gal. 2.4 These indeed are the most wretched sort of men and an abhorring to all flesh Perditissimi hominis est illum fallere qui nou deceptus esset nisi credidisset Abundance of instances I could easily give of those who have very much suffered by their credulity and putting themselves too much into their power who have proved perfidious to them Christ would not trust all that trusted him Joh. 2.24 And some think it was Alexander that was like to lose his life