as a little sum multiplied is great that they cloud the face of God wound conscience grieve the spirit rejoyce Satan and make work for Repentance c. An humble soule knows that little sins suppose them so are very dangerous a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump a little staffe may kill one a little poyson may poyson one a little leak in a ship sinkes it a little Flye in the box of Ointment spoyles it a little flaw in a good cause marres it So a little sin may at once barre the door of Heaven and open the gates of Hell and therefore an humble soule smites and strikes it selfe for the least as well as the greatest Though a head of Garlike be little yet it will poyson the Leopard though he be great Though a Mouse is but little yet it will kill an Elephant if he gets up into his Trunk Though the Scorpion be little yet it will sting a Lyon to death and so will the least sin if not pardoned by the death of Christ A proud heart counts great sins small and small sins no sins and so disarmes Conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power but at death or in Hell conscience will take up an iron rod with which it will lash the sinner for ever and then though too late the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious c. The tenth Property of an humble soule is this It will quietly 10 Property Psal 39. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Alam which signifies to be mute or tongue-tied Lev. 10. 1 2 3 Vaiidem from Clam am which signifies the quietnesse of the mind the troubled affections being allayed 1 Sam. 3. 11-19 2 Sam. 16. 5-14 Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the exceeding patience of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spoke evill of them bear burdens and patiently take blowes and knocks and make no noise An humble soule sees God through man he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men I was dumb saith the Prophet I opened not my mouth because thou didst it An humble soule looks through secondary causes and sees the hand of God and then layes his owne hand upon his mouth An humble soule is a mute soule a tongue-tied soule when he looks through secondary causes to the supream cause So Aaron when he saw his Sons suddenly surprised by a dreadfull and dolefull death he held his peace he bridled his passions he sits silent under a terrible stroke of Divine Justice because the fire that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever c. It is the Lord sayes Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Eli humbly and patiently layes his neck upon the block it is the Lord let him strike let him kill c. sayes Eli. So David when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly malice and madnesse in raving and raging at him in cursing and reproaching of him sayes he Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God sayes he will by his wise providence turne his cursing into blessing I see the Justice of God in his cursing therefore let him alone let him curse sayes David Cassianus reports that when a certaine Christian was held Captive by the Infidels and tormented by divers paines and ignominious taunts being demanded by way of scorne and reproach Tell us what Christ has done for you answered He Acts Mon. fol. 811. hath done what you see that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me So that blessed Martyr Gyles of Brussells when the Fryers By long soo thingour own wills we have forsaken as Cassian saith the very shadow of patience sent to reduce him did at any time miscall him he ever held his peace insomuch that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him Full Vessels will bear many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise So Christians that are full of Christ that are full of the Spirit will bare many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise An humble soule may groan under afflictions but he will not grumble in calmes Proud hearts discourse of patience but in stormes humble hearts exercise patience Philosophers have much commended it but in the houre of darknesse 't is onely the humble Christian that acts it I am afflicted sayes the humble soule but 't is mercy I am not destroyed I am fallen into the pit 't is free-grace I am not fallen into Hell God is too just to wrong me and too gratious to harme me and therefore I will be still and quiet let him doe what he will Isa 58. 1 2 3. with me sayes the humble soule But proud soules resist when they are resisted they strike when they are stricken Who is Non sic deos coluimus aut sic viximus ut ille nos vinceret said the Emperour An onius Philosophus the Lord sayes lofty Pharoah that I should obey him and Cain cryes out My punishment is greater then I am able to beare Well remember this though it be not easie in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace yet 't is very advantagious which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that those that doe prudently and humbly conceale their sorrowes and anxieties by patience shall attaine comfort and refreshment The eleventh Property of an humble soule is this In all 11 Property John 14. 13. Ch. 15. 16. 16. 23 26. The name of Jesus hath a thousandtreasures of joy comfort in it saith Chrysostome And is therefore us'd by Paul five hundred times as some have reckoned Religious duties and services he trades with God upon the credit of Christ Lord sayes the humble soule I need power against such and such sins give it me upon the credit of Christs blood I need strength to such and such services give it me upon the credit of Christs word I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening and strengthening of me give them into my bosome upon the credit of Christs intercession As a poore man lives and deales upon the credites of others so does an humble soule live and deale with God for the strengthening of every grace and for the supply of every mercy upon the credit of the Lord Jesus An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in Innocency God will trust him no more he will take his word no more and therefore when he goes to God for mercy he brings his Benjamin his Jesus in his armes and pleads for mercy upon
example of Christs Humility till your hearts be made humble like the heart of Christ Oh that that sweet word of Christ Mat. 11. 29. might stick upon all your hearts Take my yoke upon you and learne of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest to your soules Bonaventure Engraved this sweet saying of our Lord Learne of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart in his Study It was a good Law that the Ephesians made that men should propound to themselves â—he bâ—st parterns and ever bear in mind some eminent man And oh that this saying was Engraven upon all your foreheads upon all your hearts Oh that it was Engraven upon the dishes you eat in the cups you drink in the seats you sit on the Beds you lye on c. Jerome having read the Religious life and death of Hilaron folding up the Book said Well Hilaron shall be the Champion whom I will imitate Oh when you look upon this glorious example of Christ say The Lord Jesus his example shall be that that my soule shall imitate Sixthly Consider Humility will free a man from perturbations and distempers 6 Motive When there are never such great stormes without humility will cause a calme within There are a great many stormes abroad and there 's nothing will put the soule into a quiet condition but Humility An humble soule saith who am I that I may not be despised Who am I that I may not be reproached abused slighted neglected That which will break a proud mans heart will not so much as break an humble mans sleep In the midst of a storme an humble soule is still in a calme When proud hearts are at their wits ends stamping swearing and swaggering at God and man and providence an humble soule is quiet and still like a ship in a Harbour 2 Sam. 16. 6. to 13. Shimei comes rayling and cursing of David and calls him a bloudy man and a man of Belial that is a Runnagado one who being desperately wicked had shaken off the yoke of Government and would be under no Law So the Hebrew word Jagnal signifies men without yoke or lawlesse Therefore the Septuagint commonly Translate it Paranomos altogether irregular It signifies most flagitious men and notorious and desperately wicked stigmatized Villaines even incarnate Devis and yet David holds his peace though provoked by his mighty men to revenge himselfe Oh! how would this cursing and railing have madded and broken many a proud mans heart and yet it stirres not David Fulgentius after he was extreamly persecuted he had â—n Plura pro 〈…〉 â—ole advantage to seek revenge but he would not for saith 〈◊〉 We must suffer more for Christ then so What though I am thus and thus wronged What though I have an opportunity for revenge yet I must suffer more then so for Christ sayes the humble soule An humble soule when wrongs are offered him is like a man with a sword in one hand and salve in another he could kill but will cure One wondring at the patience and humble carriage of Socrates towards one that reviled him Socrates said If we should meet one whose body were more unsound then ours should we be angry with him and not rather pitty him Why then should we not doe the like to him whose soule is more diseased then ours An humble soule when he meets with this and that wrong from men he knowes that their soules are diseased and that rather moves him to pity then to revenge wrongs offered A proud heart swells and growes bigge when in the least wronged and is ready to call for fire from Heaven and to take any opportunity for revenge of wrongs offered No man so abused as I no man thus stiled as I sayes the proud soule O but an humble soule in patience possesses himselfe in all trialls and stormes Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the patience and Willet on Ex. 28. Qu. 51. humble carriage of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spake evill of them they would have them subject to no punishment for they said If it come from lightnesse of spirit it is to be contemned if from madnesse 't is worthy of pity if from injury it is to be forgiven for injuries and wrongs are to be pardoned And this is the true temper of an humble foule and by this he enjoyes peace and quiet in the midst of all earth-quakes and heart-quakes The seventh Consideration is this Consider Humility 7 Motive exalteth He that is most humble is and shall be most exalted and most honoured No way to be high like this of being low Moses was the meekest man on Earth and God made him the honourablest calling of him up unto himselfe into the Mount making knowne his glory to him and making of him the Leader of his people Israel Gideon was very little in his owne eyes he was the least of his Fathers house in his owne apprehension and God exalts him making him the Deliverer of his Israel It was a good saying of one Wilt thou be great begin from below As the Roots of the Tree descend so the Branches ascend The lower any man is in this sence the higher shall that man be raised Mat. 23. 12. And whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted God that 's wisedome it selfe hath said it and he will make it good though thou seest no wayes how it should be made good The lowest valleyes have the blessing of fruitfulnesse while the high Mountaines are barren Prov. 18. 12. Before destruction the heart of man is lofty and before honour is humility David came not to the Kingdome till he could truly say Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lifted up Psal 131. 1 2. Abigall was not made Davids wife till she thought it honour enough to wash the feet of the meanest of Davids servants 1 Sam. 25. Moses must be forty years a stranger in Midian before he become King in Jeshurun He must be struck sick to death in the Inn before he goes to Pharoah on that Noble Ambassage It was a sweet Observation of Luther That for the most part when God set him upon any speciall service for the good of the Church he was brought low by some fit of sicknesse or other Surely as the lower the ebb the higher the tide So the lower any descend in Humility the higher they shall ascend in honour and glory The lower this foundation of Humility is laid the higher shall the roofe of honour be over-laid If you would turne spirituall purchasers of honour or of whatsoever else is good no way like this of Humility We live in times wherein men labour to purchase honour some by their money others by their friends others by making themselves slaves to the lâ—sts of men others by being prodigall of their blood and many by giving themselves up to all manner of
the poor man had and will not our God whose very nature is goodnesse kindnesse and sweetnesse c. doe much more surely he will reward the least good done by the weakest Saint Therefore be not discouraged weak Christians though you should meet with hard measure from the world though they should reward your weak services with reproaches c. for the Lord will reward you he will not despise the day of small things What though O pretious soule thy language be clipt and broken what though thou canst but chatter like a Crane what though thou canst not talk so fluently and eloquently for Christ as others what though thy hand be weak that thou can'st not doe so much for Christ as others nor doe so well for Christ as others yet the Lord seeing thy heart sincere will reward thee Thou shalt have an everlasting rest for a little labour and a great reward for a little work The ninth Support is this 9 Support When Latimer was at the stake ready to be burned he breathed out those sweet wordâ— Fidelis est Deus c. God is faithfull c. Acts Mon. â—ol 1579. That as your Graces are weaker then others so your Temptations shall be fewer and your Afflictions lighter then others God in much wisedome and love will sute your burdens to yoar backs he will sute all your temptations and afflictions to your strength your burdens shall not be great if your strength be bur little as you may see 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will will the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The Lord Oh weak Christian will sute thy burden to thy back and his strokes to thy strength This is most evident in Scripture That the strongest in Grace have alwayes been most tempted afflicted and distressed If Abraham excell others in Faith God will try the Gen. 22. strength of Abrahams faith to the uttermost and put him to that that he never put man to before If Moses excell all Num. 12. 3. Exod. 16. 7 8. Numb â—4 27. 36. Chap. 16. 11. Ex. 15. 24. â—ames 5. 11. Read the 1 〈◊〉 7 Chapters of Iob. 〈◊〉 Cor. 12. 1. to 11. others in meeknesse the Lord will try the strength of that grace and Moses shall have to doe with as proud and as murmuring a Generation as ever man had to doe with If Job carry the day from all others in point of Patience he shall be exercised with such strange and unheard of afflictions as shall try not onely the truth but also the strength of his patience to the uttermost If Paul have more glorious Revelations then the rest of the Apostles Paul shall be more buffetted and exercised with Temptations then the rest of the Apostles And thus you see it clear by all these Instances That the best and choycest Saints have alwayes met with the worst and greatest Temptations and afflictions So when the Disciples were in the lowest forme when they were weak in grace the Lord Jesus exercises them but with light afflictions but when they had a greater measure of the Spirit poured upon them then their troubles were encreased and multiplied and their former troubles in comparison of the later were but Acts 2. 1. to 21. as scratches of pins to stabs at the heart When the Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon them then they were afflicted opposed and persecuted with a witnesse When they had a greater measure of the Spirit to inable them to bear the hatred frownes stroaks and blowes of the enraged world then all of them had the honour to suffer a violent death for Christ as Histories doe evidence That 's a very remarkable Scripture Luke 24. 49. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye be indued with power from on high The Lord Jesus would not have them goe from Jerusalem till they were indued with power from on high By the promise of the father is meant the gifts and graces of the Spirit that 's promised in Isa 44. 3. Joel 2. 28. John 14. 16. 15. 26. Tarry ye here sayes Christ at Jerusalem till ye be compleatly armed and fitted for all incounters till ye be indued with power Or as the Greek carries it Till ye be cloathed They were as naked persons they had but a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit so that they were not compleat they were not cloathed with the Spirit till after the Ascension of Christ Now saith Christ Tarry untill such time as ye are cloathed with the Spirit The Lord Jesus knew well enough that they should meet with bitter opposition terrible Afflictions and dreadfull persecutions for his and the Gospel sake therefore tarry saith he untill ye be cloathed with the holy Ghost That so nothing may daunt ye nor sink ye The tenth Support is this That your persons stand not before God in your 〈◊〉 righteousnesse 10 Support but in the perfect spotlesse and matchlesse righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus Weak hearts are apt to sit downe troubled and discouraged when they look upon that body of sin that is in them and those imperfections that attend their chiefest services they are ready to say we shall one day perish by the strength of our lusts or by the defects of our services Oh but weak soules should remember this to strengthen them against all discouragements that their persons stand before God cloathed The costly Cloak of 〈◊〉 which Dâ—oninisius sould to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents was a meane and beggerly ragge to that embroydered mantle that Christ does put upon the weakest Saints with the righteousnesse of their Saviour and so God ownes them and looks upon them as persons wrapt up in his Royall Robe Hence 't is that he is called Jer. 23. 6. Jehovah Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousnesse And so in 1 Cor. 1. 30. he is of God made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Though weak Saints have nothing of their owne yet in Christ they have all for in him is all fullnesse Col. 1. 19. both repletive and diffusive both of abundance and of redundance both of plenty and of bounty He is made to weak Saints Wisedome by his Propheticall Office and he is made to weak Saints Righteousnesse and Sanctification by his Priestly Office and he is made to weak Saints Redemption by his Kingly Office So in Col. 2. 10. And ye are compleat in him which is the head of all Principallity and Power Varro reports of 288 severall Opinions that was among the Philosophers about the compleat happinesse of man but they were out in them all One judging his happinesse lay in this and another in that they caught at the shadow
yet I can truly say I dearly love the people of Christ for the Image of Christ that I see stampt upon them 'T is true I dare not say Christ is mine and heaven is mine I cannot say with such and such The Lord is my Portion yet I can say that I dearly love those that have the Lord for their portion I can truly say that the poorest and the most neglected and the most despised Saint in the world is more pretious in my eye and more deare to my soule then the greatest and the richest sinner in the world Psalme 16. 3. Well is this all O weake Saint that thou hast to say No Sir I have one thing more What 's that Why that 's this Though I dare not say that I have an interest in Christ or that I love Christ yet I dare say That my soule weeps and mournes in secret for the dishonour that is done to Christ both by my selfe and by others also I can look the Lord in the face were I now to dye and say Lord thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou doest know that mine eyes run downe with Rivers of teares because men keepe not thy Law Well is this all No Sir I crave your patience to heare me in one thing more What 's that O weake Christian Why that is this That I prize persons and things according to the spiritualnesse and holinesse that is in them and the more spirituall and holy any man or thing is the more is that man and thing prized by my soule I have often thought of that sweet word Psal 119. 104. Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy Much in the word is wrapt up in a little 't is more to be admired then to have Homers I liads comprized in a nut-shel The word is like the stone Garamantides that hath dâ—ops within it selfe enriching of the gracious soul servant love it Other men love it because of the profit they get by it or because of a name or this or that but I love it for the purity for the holinesse and the cleannesse of it No preaching saith the weak Saint nor no praying nor no talking nor no society that likes me and is sweet to me but that that 's most spirituall most holy It is not an Exercise trick'd and trim'd up with wit learning and eloquence 't is not the hanging of truths ears with counterfet Pearles that takes me but the more plainnesse spirituallnesse and holinesse I see in an Exercise the more is my heart raised to prize it and love it And therefore saith the weak Saint because Christ is perfectly and infinitely holy above all others I prize Christ above all Ordinances are sweet O but Christ is more sweet to my soule Saints are precious but Christ is far more precious Heaven is glorious but Christ is infinitely more glorious The first thing that I would ask if I might have it saith the weak Saint is Christ And the next thing that I would ask if I might have it is more of Christ And the last None but Christ none but Christ â—â—id the Martyr thing that I would ask if I might have it is that I might be saâ—iated and filled with the fullnesse of Christ Let the Ambition man take the honours of the world so I may but have Christ Let the Voluptuous man swim in all the pleasures of the world so I may have Christ And let the covetous man tumble up and downe in all the gold and silver of the world so I may have Christ and it shall be enough to my soule Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I find the same Conflict in my soule that Paul found in IX The best Saints in this world are lâ—ke the Tribe of Manasses halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the holyland And tho to be kept from sinne brings most comfâ—rt to a poore soule yet for a poore souâ—e to oppose sin and God to pardon sinne that brings most glory to God 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. X. Sozonem râ—lates of one who was as circumspect to be seen as to be A gracious soule is as carefull that he does not indanger another by a bad life as he is carefull to save his own life his soule after he was converted neere upon 14 years after he was taken up into as clear and choyce injoyments of God as any soule that ever I read of The Conflict that is mentioned Rom. 7. I find in my soule the whole frame of my soule understanding will and affections are set against sin I find that I hate the evill that I doe and I find That the good that I would doe I doe not and the evill that I would not doe that doe I. I find a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my mind and leading of me Captive to the Law of sin And this makes me often to cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Therefore I sometime hope that those sins that are now my burden shall never hereafter be my bane Well and is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I can truly say when the Lord gives me any strength against sin and any power to serve him and to walk close with him in his wayes it is a greater joy and comfort to my soule then all the blessings of this life Though I have not yet seen that he ha's set me as a seale upon his heart as a seale upon his arme Though I have not yet the clear assurance of his love Though his Spirit hath not yet set up such a light in my soule whereby I might run and read my right and title to himselfe and heaven yet when he doth give me but a little light through a crevis when he does but begin to cause his love to dawne upon me when he gives me but a little strength against sin and a little power to walk close with himselfe c. O this doth administer more abiding joy and more sweet peace and more sollid comfort to my soule then all the riches honours friends and favours of this world Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why that is this Though my interest in Christ be not cleer to me yet I can XI Psal 101. 3. Psal 139. 21 22. Psal 120. 6. truly say I would not change my condition with the men of this world for a thousand worlds 'T is true I cannot say that I have the seale and witnesse of the Spirit that many talk and boast of though I fear but a few injoy yet I can really say That I would not change my estate with men meerly civill nor with the
31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judca and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied The more their graces were increased the more their comforts were augmented If one drop of the joy of the Holy Ghost should fall into hell it would swallow up all the torments of hell saith Austin Oh! who would not then labour to increase in grace that he may abound in joy c. The Promise lyes most fair before their eyes that are rich in grace their interest in it is most clear and rarely that they goe without it unlesse it is by taking part sometimes with Satan against their interest in Christ or somtimes through the power of unbelief which indeed cuts off all the comfort of the soule or by looking after other lovers or by not hearkning to the voyce of the Comforter c. Christians you often complaine of the want of joy and comfort oh doe but abound in grace and you won't complaine of the want of comfort Without delight the soule cannot live saith one take away all delight and the soul dyes Let this that ha's been spoken provoke every Christian to labour to be rich in grace c. But secondly Consider this You have singular opportunities and choyce advantages to be rich in grace There is a price put into your hands but where are your hearts In former times God gave out grace by drops but now by Flaggons Opportunities if not improved will as Cant. 2. 5. that sword that Hector gave Ajax be turned into your owne bowels This will be a sword in thy bowels that there hath been soule-inriching opportunities and thou hast neglected them and turned thy back upon them The thoughts of this will one day be the Scorpions that will vex thee the rod that will lash thee the thornes that will prick thee and the worm that will gnaw thee The Storke saith the Prophet knowes Jer. 8. 7. his appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. The Market for your soules is open slip not your season least with the foolish Virgins you Mat. 25. goe to buy when 't is too late The Merchant will not slip his opportunity of buying nor the Saylor his of sailing nor the Husbandman his of sowing and why should you slip yours of growing rich in grace Many men loose their soules as Saul lost his Kingdome by not discerning their time to be spiritually rich Tamarlen at first hung out a white flagge but if they slipt Such â—here have been who by giving a glasse of water opportunely have obtain'd a Kingdome as you may see in the story of Thâ—umâ—stus and King Agrippa c. that opportunity then a red and so death and destruction followed c. The Lord Jesus hangs out the white flagge of mercy in these dayes to intice soules to come in and to share with him in his glorious and unsearchable riches in the riches of his grace and mercy but if you stand out Christ hath a red flagge and if that be once put out you are lost for ever Thrice happy are those that take the first opportunity of closing with Christ and of subjecting themselves to Christ Plutarch writes of Hanniball That when he could have taken Rome he would not but when he would have taken Rome he could not When many men may have mercy they won't and when they would have mercy they shan't Mercy and Prov. 1. 24 â—l Rev. 3. 20. grace is sometimes upon the bare knee Christ stands knocking at sinners doores he is willing to come in and make sinners rich and happy for ever he calls upon soules to open to him Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Prov. 24. 7 8 c. doores and the King of glory shall come in who is the King of glory The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battell The King of glory comes not vacuis manibus empty-handed no he comes with his hands and heart full of rich and royal Presents and blest and enricht for ever are those that open to this King of glory c. Thirdly Consider this Soules rich in grace shall have their names immortall Every man naturally would have if it were possible his name immortal now there 's no way in the world to have your names immortal like this of growing rich in grace A man that 's spiritually rich shall live and his name shall live when he is dead In Nehem. 7. 2. 't is said of Hannaniah that he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Or He feared God above multitudes as the Hebrew hath it His Merâ—bbim from Rabâ—b name lives though his body for many hundred years hath been turn'd to dust So in Acts 7. 55. Stephen was a man full of the Holy Ghost Though Stephen were stoned yet his name lives his memoriall is precious among the Saints to this very day So in Heb. 11. 38. They were such of whom this world was not worthy And in the third Epistle of John the six first Verses compared with vers 12. Gaius and Demetrius Ego si bonam faâ—ram servassâ— sat dives ero If I may but keep a good name I have wealth enough said Plaâ—t who were rich in grace have Crownes of honour set upon their heads their names live and are a sweet savour to this very day c. So in Psal 112. 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance but the name of the wicked shall rot The great mans name and the rich mans name shall rot saith he but the name of the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance The Persians use to write their Kings names in golden Characters so the Lord writes the names of soules rich in grace in golden Characters Their names are alwayes Heires to their lives believe it there 's no such way in the world to have immortall names like this of growing rich in grace One man thinks to make his name immortall by making himself great another by heaping up silver and gold as the dust of the A good name yields a fragrant smell over Towne Country it puts a shining lustre upon the countenance it fitteth to any publick employment in Ministry or Magistracy it stops many a foul mouth and it makes men live when they are dead earth or the stones of the street and another by doing some strange exploites c. But for all this the Lord will make good his word The name of the wicked shall rot if God be God his name must rot but the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance they leave their Names behind for a blessing Isa 65. 15. 'T is sad to consider what many poor carnall Creatures have done and suffered to make their names immortall
this and be rich in all be weak in this and be weak in all Faith hath an influence upon all other graces it is like a silver threed that runs through a Chaine of Pearles it puts strength and vivacity into all other graces You never knew a man rich in any grace that ha's not been rich in faith Every mans hope joy feare love humility patience c. is as his faith is In Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for Or as the Greek ha's it The subsistance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hoped for All other graces live upon faiths cost and charge Look what the breast is to the Child wings to the bird Oyle to the wheeles and the soule to the body that is faith to all other graces in the soule of man It is reported of the Christall that it hath such a virtue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustr◠and a beauty upon them I am sure 't is true of faith there is such a Divine virtue and power in faith that it will quicken and cast a lustre and a beauty upon all other graces in the soule of man and therefore you should labour as for life to be rich in this particular grace of faith Thirdly Consider this Of all Graces that be in the soule of man faith is the most usefull grace and therefore you should above all labour to be rich in faith 'T is a Christians right eye without which he cannot see for Christ 't is his right hand without which he cannot doe for Christ 't is his tongue without which he cannot speak for Christ 't is his very vitall spirits without which he cannot act for Christ Some say that King Midas had obtained of the Gods that whatsoever he touch'd should be turn'd into gold I am sure that whatever faith toucheth it turnes into gold that is into our good If our faith touches the Promises it turns them into our good whatsoever faith layes its hand upon it appropriates to it selfe and turnes it into the soules good If Psal 63. 1. Psal 89. 26. John 20 28. faith looks upon God it saith This God is my God for ever and ever and he shall be my guide unto death When it looks upon Christ it saith with Thomas My Lord and my God When it looks upon the Crowne of righteousnesse it saith This Crowne is laid up for me c. Faith is bread to nourish us and wine to cheere us and a Cordiall to strengthen us Faith is a sword to defend us a guide to direct us a staffe to support us a plaister to heale us a friend to comfort us and a golden key to open heaven unto us Faith of all graces is the most usefull grace to the soule of man Without faith it is impossible Heb. 11. 6. to please God All those services are lost wherein faith hath not a hand You may write losse upon all the prayers Heb. 4. 2. you make and upon all the Sermons you hear and upon all the teares you shed and upon all the almes you give if all be not managed by a hand of faith Fourthly You should labour above all to be rich in faith because faith is that Princely Grace that Christ is most taken with Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes that is with that piercing eye of faith that looks up to my Mercy-seat with one Chaine of thy neck There are two things that with open mouth speake out Christ to be most taken with the faith of his people And the first is His uncrowning himselfe to Crowne his peoples faith Christ doth often take the Crowne off his owne head and puts it upon the head of faith witnesse such passages as these which are frequent in Scripture Thy faith hath healed thee Thy faith hath saved thee Thy faith hath made thee whole c. Christ takes the Crowne off his owne head and puts it upon the head of faith and no wonder for of all graces faith takes the Crowne off a mans owne head and puts it upon the head of Christ Man naturally is apt to Crowne any thing but Christ he is apt to Crowne his prayers and Crowne his desires and Crowne his indeavours c. Oh but now faith acts like a King of Kings and uncrownes all and sets the Crowne upon the head of Christ And then a second thing that speaks out Christ to be most taken with the grace of faith is this That he overlooks all other graces in comparison of faith as you may see in the Canaanite woman Mat. 15. 21-29 The poore woman shewes a great deale of compassion a great deale of wisedome a great deale of humility a great deale of love and a great deale of self-deniall but in the close saith Christ O woman greae is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt He doth not say O woman great is thy love nor O woman great is thy wisedome nor O woman great is thy humility and self-deniall nor O woman great is thy patience c. but O woman great is thy faith He overlooks as it were all other graces and sets the Crowne upon the head of faith O woman great is thy faith So in Mark 5. the woman that had a bloody issue twelve yeares comes to Christ for cure and in the close of the story saith Christ to her Woman thy faith hath made thee whole He doth not say Woman thy pressing hard to come to me hath made thee whole but Thy faith hath made thee whole He doth not say Woman thy earnest desires and indeavours to be made whole ha's made thee whole but Thy faith hath made thee whole He doth not say Woman thy feare and trembling hath made thee whole but Thy faith hath made thee whole c. So in Luke 7. ult Thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace Though she wept much and loved much yet Christ doth not say Thy teares have saved thee thy sorrow hath saved thee He doth not say Thy humility thy charity hath saved thee but O woman thy faith hath saved thee Christ overlooks all other graces as it were and casts a lovely eye upon the grace of saith c. And then againe in the fifth place You should above all labour to be rich in faith because of all graces in the soule of man faith makes him most lively and active There 's no grace I say no grace in the soule of man that makes him so full of life and action as the grace of faith Faith is the Primum Mobile the first pin the first wheele True faith puts forth it self into vitall operations Ferdinands of Arragon believed the story told him by Columbus and therefore he furnished him with ships got the West-Indies by his faith in the undertaker But Henry the