free grace But if a man thinks himself already in Christ and in the high-way to Heaven and yet remains under the power and Dominion of these reigning lusts he is grosly deceived They are the very words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators c. And thus we may know how whether we live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life By our Carriage in Life Mark 2. By the thoughts of Death We may know it by our Respect we bear to Death viz. as a passage to a better life For a faithful man looks at Death as a conquered Enemy Isa 25.8 it 's said He will swallow up Death in victory Now there are Four Degrees of this Victory of Jesus Christ over Death Degrees of Christs victory over Death The first is past and gone the two next are present and the fourth is yet to come 1. In his own death 1. The first was performed by Christ proprio Marte in his own single combat with Death and Hell Christ taking upon him the sins of Gods people all the world over Death sets upon him most furiously and seems at the first Bout to get the better it kills him and lays him in the grave But behold the glorious Victory of Jesus Christ as Samson when he was shut up in the City of Gaza Judg. 16. He arose in the night anâ carried away the gates of the City and bars and all So Christ our Spiritual Samson was shut up in the Grave with a great stone upon the Grave and brake open the brazen gates and iron bars and hath carried them away to the top of the Mountain of Mount Sion that they shall never hurt his people more Acts 2.24 He was raised up by the power of his God-head having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible he should be holden of it Loosed the pains of Death It 's a word used in the birth of Children as if the Grave were pained as a woman in child-birth till it was delivered of him who was the first-begotton from the dead and so had the prerogative of the first-born to be a Conqueror even a Conqueror over Death Therefore it is said Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and Death The Keys What 's that By the Keys is certainly meant the Conquest as when a Town or City is subdued the Keys are presently delivered to the Conqueror as acknowledgments and Ensigns of his Victory So the Keys of Hell and Death are delivered up into the hands of Christ to signifie that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more dominion over him but he for ever hath dominion over Death So that the first and chief part of the victory belongs to Christ in his own person as he was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Grave Rom. 1.4 the other three belong to us The second Degree of Victory over Death is 2. In our Death The altering its nature to all Gods people For no sooner had Death struck Christ like a furious Wasp but it presently lost its Sting For the sting of Death sticks in Sin and therefore Christ having taken upon him the sins of his people Death strikes in her sting so deep that she is forced to leave it behinde her So that now the case is altered to Gods people however they die as well as others yet to them the sting of Death is taken out and so the nature of Death is quite and clean altered as if it were not the same Before it was a passage into prison where the Spirits are now in prison Now it 's made a passage out of Prison Having a desire to be dissolved Phil 1.23 Before it was a curse now a Blessing Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Before it was an Enemy a wicked man might say Hast thou found me 1 Kings 21.20 O mine enemy but now it 's a Friend and does many friendly offices Before it was loss a man lost his friends he lost his possessions he lost his very hopes Eccles 9.4 but now it 's gain Phil. 1.21 To die is gain He gains much access of glory for the present in his Soul in regard of its communion with God and he hath hopes of more when his body shall be raised again from the grave Prov. 14.22 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death And this is the second part of Christs Victory over Death 3. 3. In our judgements of death The third which most concerns the matter in hand is in Altering our Affections Judgements and Apprehensions concerning Death A most excellent Conquest 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Casting down imaginations Prov. 16.32 For suppose the Nature of Death should be altered so that of an enemy it should be made a friend yet if our judgements should not be altered but we should look at it still under the notion of an enemy we could have little comfort in the approach of it And therefore here is both the Mercy and Power of Christ seen in altering the judgement of his people concerning Death that now they can in some measure look at â—t as a Friend and as a Messenger sent from their heavenly Captain the Lord Jesus to take them off from their hard service How glad is the poor Souldier that hath stood Centinel a long cold night when the morning Watch comes Or one that hath been fighting against his Enemies as long as he can well strike or stand how glad is such a one when his Captain sends Relief to take him off and bids him Welcome home with a large Reward for all his dangerous and difficult service Now such and no other is the office of this Messenger Death and therefore Gods people looking upon it under this Notion love the appearing of it and rejoyce in it as the Apostle did 2 Tim. 4 6 7 8. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finish'd my course c. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing Mark it 's the property of a graâ—ious â—oul which Christ comes to it either in the particular or general Judgement to love his Appearing And this is the third Degree of Christs Victory over Death As it 's altered in it self so it s altered in his peoples Apprehensions of it And this is a double Mercy 4. In the general Resurrection The fourth and last Degreee which I shall but name is in the last and general Resurrection Look as when
this sore giving us peace with God and so enables to bear the outward burthen the inward burthen being removed As for this it casts all the burthen of its cares fears and sorrows upon God and so is quiet And thus much for the Life of Faith in those Adversities which happen in the course of our Life Now see how he lives the Life of Faith in Death II Branch Of Adversity viz. Faith in death A believer lives by faith in Death Faith is a godly mans life at the time of his death as it appears by the living speeches of dying men David Psal 23. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil Simeon Luke 2. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace The Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. All these died in faith v 13. Reasons 1. 1. They died in faith because they believed the accomplishment of promises to be fulfilled after death as in the same place Heb. 11.13 not having received the promises but seeing them afar off and perswaded of them Believers dye in faith 1. For their Posterity as in the examples of Isaac and Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. who because God had promised to be the God of their seed when they were dying applied it to their posterity and blessed them concerning things to come 2. For the Church believing that God will make it a praise in the earth Isa 67.2 3. For Themselves when they go down to the waves of hell and the grave they see land afar off Stephen ready to be stoned Behold sayes he I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.56 Stephen sees heaven opened to receive him And Job chap. 19.25 I know my Redeemer lives and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall sâ—e God Moses likewise in the hazarding of himself in Egypt had respect to the resurrection of his name and body and the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 The Saints like Moses upon the top of Mount Nebo Deut. 34.1 take a view of Canaan by faith and then they are willing to dye See Paul for further instance 2 Cor. 5. from v. 1. to 9. 2. Believers dye in faith because they see it a Conquer'd enemy Death saith the Apostle is swallowed up in victory by Christ Hos 13.13 O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction 'T is part of Christs victory to conquer Death 1. By conquering the devil that had the power of death 2. Our fear of death See Heb. 2.14 15. 3. They see the sting of death pull'd out so conquered as disarmed 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting The sting of death is sin But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 4. They see it not onely a conquered and disarmed enemy but made their servant All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers 1 Cor. 3.21 22. as Paul or Apollo or Cephas are yours so death is yours sayes he As you are under God that is under you 5. Nay they see it as a Friend 1. In freeing them from the miseries of this life 2. In being their Porter or Usher into eternal life There are five Concomitants of this life which make it troublesome and Death befriends the Saints in them all by taking them away from them There is 1. The sinfulness of their Natures which makes them cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver c 2. There is the vanity of the Creature a sore evil For here Omnia vanitas All is vanity 3. The Wickedness of the World that constrains the Saints many times to complain with David Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech c. 4. There are also Gods judgements upon the world In which respect death makes the godly happy for as 't is Isa 57.1 2. they are taken away from the evil to come they rest in their beds c. 5. The last evil Concomitant is the believers distance from Christ 2 Cor. 5.6 while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord therefore we desire sayes he to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 6. Death is not onely chang'd to a believer but faith in death is seen also by altering our judgements concerning death The natural face of death is terrible to Nature and fear'd but faith sees it with desire Paul and Simeon can say I desire to be dissolv'd Christ hath not onely conquered death for his but the fear of death as was said before Heb. 2.14 And this resolves the second part of the Question How long a believer is to live by his faith and that is All his life long till death and then in death Therefore 't is said Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life And Gal. 2.20 I live saith Paul all the while I live by the faith of the Son of God c. Hence the word of the Text is put in the Future tense The just shall live by his faith to signifie the perpetuity of this life of faith As long as we live we must live by faith But no longer And therefore though Faith is excellent in some respect yet Love is more excellent in another viz. in regard of durance 1 Cor. 13.8 to the end 't is said there Love never faileth But knowledge and means of knowledge shall cease and faith shall cease but Charity never And therefore though Faith is * above before Charity in the first apprehension of Christ yet Charity is above Faith in the everlasting enjoyment of Christ and the society of true Christians However Faith is of excellent use all ouâ— life long till we come to a perfect vision we live by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 But no longer for we need it no longer As a man that sends home a friend wiâ—h a candle and lanthorn in a dark night commands the messenger to light him to his own door and then to return again for 't is supposed he hath more light in his own house than the lathorn could afford Such a charge God gives to his Word and to faith the lanthorn-bearer Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths Go give such a man light until he come to Heaven and leave him there Or as God gave Commission to the Angel Acts 12. to awaken Peter and to shake off his chain to clothe him with garments to open the gates to lead him through the first and second Ward and when he had done so forthwith the Angel departed from him Just so Faith is like this Angel it awakens us out of the the sleep of sin shakes off the chains of Satan clothes us with the righteousness of Christ opens the door of the ear and heart leads us through the first and second Ward of
As a natural death seizeth on all parts heart and all so true Mortification extends it self to all parts of the old man even to the best beloved sin and that which lies next the heart 3. Then there is no more delight in sin 3 Mark Rom. 6. If sin be dead in us we are dead to sin Bury my dead out of my sight said Abraham of his beloved Sarah when she was once dead Gen. 23.4 4. Further let us see 4 Mark if we have proceeded against sin as the avenger of blood in those eight Particulars above-mentioned viz. Is there 1. A rising of the heart against sin 2. A diligent enquiry after it 3. An accusation of it c. Obj. But my sin revives in me rather than is mortified Ans I answer as before VVhen a beast is struck it struggles Besides as Christ died a lingring death so doth a believers sin that is crucified with him There is a long Combate between the flesh and Spirit as there was between the houses of Saul and David Gal. 5.17 2 Sam. 3. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. Obj. Yea but there is a combate in the Conscience of Natural men against sin as there is in the Regenerate of the Spirit against the flesh And I am afraid mine is no more how shall I know it Marks of the combate of flesh against Spirit Ans Know it thus 1. By the Cause What is the Cause of this Combate or Trouble of Conscience Is it onely some gross sin or great judgement That may proceed from the horror of natural Conscience But if thy very corrupt frame of Nature troubles thee and its putting forth in the least sins in sinful thoughts in sinful looks c. This combate proceeds from a Nature renew'd by the Spirit of God Rom. 7.23 24. I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde O wretched man that I am c Second Mark of the difference 'twixt a true and false combate 2. By the Aim The aim of a natural man in his combate or wrestling is onely to give sin a foil or at most a fall and he is willing to let it rise again so it will be quiet and not bring him to shame by giving him a fall in the place of lookers-on But the aim of a spiritual man in his combate is not onely to give sin a fall but to kill it and crucifie it He lives the Life of Mortification he desires that all that natural enmity which is in his heart against God Eph. 2.16 may be utterly slain 3 Mark 3. In the Effects and Issue For 1. the combate of a Natural man drives him to false succours When the evil Spirit troubles Saul he runs now to his Musick now to the Witch of Endor Cain to his building of Cities But a spiritual man runs to Christ Rom. 7.25 Who shall deliver me from the body of death I thank God sayes he through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. The combate of a Natural man endeth usually either in Despair or Dissoluteness The flesh gets the better hand and at last his troubled conscience comes to be drown'd or sear'd But the combate of Spiritual men ends in Victory his conscience is more tender and smites him for the lap of a garment or any small thing and so he gets more power against sin from day to day Though he halts for it yet he gets the victory Vse 3 Thirdly It Reproves all that live not by Faith the Life of Mortification Conviction Reproof to 7 sort of persons 1. Such as rather make peace with sin than fight against it Though the Lord hath sworn that he will have war with this Amalek from generation to generation Exod. 17.16 What is this but to make a Covenant with Death and to be at an Agreement with Hell Isa 28.15 2. Such as in stead of fighting against sin fight for it See also Jer. 44.16 As the Sodomites for theirs Gen. 19. or the Benjamites in defence of theirs Judg. 20. or the Ephesians for their Diana Acts 19. Such take the Devils part and fight against Christ as the Dragon against Michael Rev. 12.7 3. Such as nourish and cherish their Sin as the countryman did the Snake till it sting them to death What Solomon sayes of one Sin may be said of all Prov. 23.32 At last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder These are such as make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it Rom. 13. last 4. Such as seem Neuters in this Christian Warfare Though none are so indeed for all are either with Christ or against him But some seem Neuters as Laodicea Rev. 3.16 that is neither hot nor cold Double-minded men that are unstable in all their wayes Jam. 1.8 Such as the Lord will spew out of his mouth Why halt ye between two said Elijah 1 Kings 18.21 if Baal be God follow him if God be God follow him 5. Such as will chide and rate their Sins and themselves for their Sins as Saul did before David My Son I have done very foolishly and Pharaoh before Moses 1 Sam. 14.16 Exod 9.27 The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked and Judas did before the High-Priest I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood and yet for all that they spare the life of them They had rather kill themselves than kill their Sins as Saul did and Judas also 6. Such as will restrain Sin or imprison it or binde it to its good-behavior or cast it so bound into a pit as Joseph was cast by his Brethren that the world may not see their wickedness Gen. 27.21 but they are resolved they will never kill it outright No but they plead for the life of it as Reuben pleaded for the life of his Brother Let us not kill him 2 Sam. 18.5 c. Or as David for Absolom Deal gently with the young man Just so men deal with their Sins they are kinde-hearted to their Sins but cruel to their Souls 7. Such as will whip and scourge their Sins and themselves for their Sins but spare the life of it As Papists do by their Fastings Pilgrimages and Scourgings and then presently give a new Indulgence to Sin As the worshippers of Baal cut themselves with knives and lancers 1 Kings 18. So these mortifie the outward man but the inward man is never pricked at the heart Alas it's easier to endure all outward torments than to mortifie one lust The sinner will endure any pain Job 2. so his sin may live Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Now Sin is the very life of a sinner in his own apprehension dearer than his right hand or his right eye 8. Such as deal with their Sins as those Cutters in the 10 of Luke dealt with the Traveller between Jerusalem and Jericho wound them sore and leave
man believe not what he professeth to be true he will be soon ready either to lay down or to take up Opinions as he may best serve the present time for his own interest In this respect an Unbeliever is a Time-server 1 Tim. 4.2 He speaks lies in hypocrisie If any new Doctrine may but swell the man up in his own Name or in his Estate he makes no bones of it to speak lies in hypocrisie 6. Apostacy Sixthly another dangerous sin the fruit of Unbelief and of Heresie is Apostacy or falling off from the Truth For by the same reason that an Unbeliever may fall from one Article of his professed Faith he may come in time to fall from all For if his Religion be no more but a State-Profession then in case the State changeth Religion where he lives his Religion is changed also And such is the Religion of all such People as are either extremely simple or extremely wise I mean worldly wise they know no other Religion than the State owns and that 's as good as no Religion at all because the State owns it it is vain to him For though that be supposed to be true which the State owns yet when a man owns it not because it is true but because the State owns it Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 it is vain to him In vain saith God do they worship me whilst their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men 7. Atheism The seventh and the last dangerous sin is down-right Atheism when men grow to that height of Profaneness to deny God and his Word Lo here 's descensus Averni those slippery and dangerous stairs of Unbelief Prov. 5.5 by which men depart from the living God and go down to Hell Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God And thus you see this sin of Unbelief it s a Mother sin it s exceeding prolifical in a dangerous brood of Vipers that without Repentance will sting the sinner to death And further as Unbelief is a fertile Mother to all sin so 't is a cruel Stepmother to all Grace Unbelief a Step-mother to Grace An Unbeliever cannot love God because he cannot cast himself upon the love of God Joh. 5.42 Christ saith to the unbelieving Jews But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you An Unbeliever cannot submit with patience to the afflicting hand of God and therefore Vnbelief and Murmuring against God are ever joined together An Unbeliever cannot pray for what he wants Prayer is the daughter of Faith How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed Rom. 10. An Unbeliever cannot be thankful for any mercy received unless by Faith a man sees his interest in the Giver he can never be thankful for the Gift Psal 118.28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee As if he should have said Lord thou hast bestowed thy self as well as thy Benefits upon me and therefore I have found in my heart to praise thy Name In a word an unbeliever cannot perform any acceptable service to God you must make the tree good before the fruit can be good Mat. 7 18. and we are onely made good trees by Faith For by Faith we are grafted or planted into Christ without whose powerful influence we can bring forth no acceptable fruit to God Joh. 15.3 Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me We may indeed bring forth wilde grapes and sowre grapes of our selves but the sweet grapes of New Obedience and such as may be pleasant to Gods own palate we can never bring forth till we are planted into Christ by Faith For without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Adde to this in the sixth place 6. Unbelief the Nurse of sin That as unbelief is the Mother of all sins so it is the Nurse that maintains and keeps life in every sin it binds every sin upon the Soul both in the guilt and power of it Where there is no Faith there can be no true evidence of forgiveness of sins for Men receive forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ Acts 26.18 7. Judgments on unbelievers Seventhly and lastly consider the Judgement that hangs over the heads of unbelievers if it be but partial unbelief I mean the distrusting of God in any particular Promise though we have Faith in the main to believe the reconcilement of our persons to God yet even that partial unbelief may deprive us of many sweet mercies on this side heaven Isa 30.15 In quietness and confidence shall be your strength A man of an unquiet and unbelieving Spirit may create much trouble to himself in this present life Moses was a man in the state of Grace yea and in so great favour with God that the Scripture gives this testimony of him Deut. 34.10 There arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Yet this Moses for a particular passage of unbelief in speaking hastily to the people Num. 20.8 11.12 when he should have spoke to the Rock and in striking the Rock when he should but onely have spoke to it I say for this particular passage of unbelief he was shut out of the Land of Canaan though he was not shut out of Heaven yea though he had a strong desire to enter in and exprest this desire by an earnest Prayer Deut. 3.25 c. I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly Mountain and Lebanon Lo this was his last and great request to God yea but for all that he must not go over for so it followed in the Text But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me and the Lord said unto me Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter thou shalt not go over this Jordan And Moses may thank his unbelief for all this Numb 20.12 The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I have given them And thus you see that even partial unbelief may deprive us of many sweet mercies on this side Heaven How many thousands as well as Moses and Aaron were cut short of Canaan for their unbelief and murmuring against God And the Lord forgive the sin of this present Generation in this respect who are even ready to run back into Egypt because God hath brought them into the Wilderness in the present Dispensations of Providence O the danger of unbelief though it be but in some particular Promise O how dangerous then is that total and universally
what he can to hinder their comfort in the mean-time and therefore so far as God will give him leave he will be sure to toss them in the Fan of Temptation and to throw at them many fiery darts of Opposition he will be ready to inject into their minds many hideous thoughts of Atheism and Blasphemy the venom whereof are ready to drink up their Spirits and it is no marvel if they want comfort at such times Sometimes he prevails to tempt them to sin Cast thy self down 1 Chron. 21.1 And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number the people Zech. 3.1 And he shewed me Joshua the High-Priest standing before the Angel of the Angel and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him This springs from God 3. From God who is pleased to dispense himself in much wisdom and faithfulness that one-while his Saints shall have comfort and another-while it shall be eclipsed again And why so 1. To shew that he is the God of all our comforts therefore he doth sometime withdraw our comforts to make us know we are not Free-holders but Tenants at will He turns his People out of their comforts though he never wholly turns them out of their possessions of grace He creates darkness as well as light in the Soul that we may give him the glory of our light and comfort to all Eternity Isa 45.67 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil 2. God doth this VVhy God eclipseth his peoples comforts to fit them and frame them for some special work and service He humbles them and proves them Deu. 8.2 3 16 to do them good and to do much good by them in the latter end Amongst men such as we train up for some special imployment their Parents acquaint them with all conditions they are sent from School to the University from University to the Inns of Court from thence to travel into remote places of the World and indure much hardship So God when he will mould a man for some notable imployment he makes him travel through all conditions he must go through thick and thin heighths and depths and from thence he calls him out to his service 3. God withdraws his comforts for the present to prepare them for the more comforts afterwards The darkness of the night makes the light of the day more sweet and comfortable So the sorrows of Gods People do but prepare them for more fulness of constant joy As contraries opposed makes both to shine the brighter And therefore it is said Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 And why shall godly mourners be comforted Note Because sorrow like the rest of those declining Passions it is not made for it self but for some higher use As hatred for love and fear for confidence so sorrow is made for joy it is subservient to that very end God will have his People sorrow much at one time that they may rejoyce the more at another Those usually have most of heaven upon earth that formerly have met with most of hell upon earth Psa 116.3 The sorrows of death compassed me the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow As Jonas crying out of the belly of Hell But look upon him within two or three verses after and you may see him in an Extasie as if he were in heaven ver 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And these are the causes in which and these are the causes for which God doth sometimes with-hold comforts from his servants Other ways and at other times the onely truly comfortable life is a Religious life the Life of Faith And that 's the third Head of Information The fourth follows to let us see what we should desire and endevour for our best friends yea Inform. 4. What to desire for our best friends for such as are a part of our selves our Children We all desire they may live long according to the Promise of the fifth Commandment and that they may live a comfortable life as well as a long life And if so then it should the chief desire and endevour of Parents that their Children may inherit their Faith as well as their outward Possessions For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Oh then labour to make them partakers of the second Birth Let the same minde be in you that was in the Apostle when he said My little children of whom I travail in birth till Christ be formed in you If Christ be once formed in them by Faith they shall be sure to live comfortably themselves and they will surely be the greatest comfort of their believing Parents Prov. 23.24 25. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoyce and he that begetteth a wise childe shall have joy of him Thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall rejoyce They shall indeed if they be spiritual Parents as well as natural they shall have double and treble joy The Apostle that was but a spiritual Parent onely yet mark how affectionately he writes to Timothy 1 Tim. 1.2 3 4. To Timothy my dearly beloved Son I thank God for thee I greatly desire to see thee that I may be filled with joy As if onely a sight of Timothy would fill his heart full of joy How much more then when Parents are both natural and spiritual Parents both together It must needs be a strong stream where two such Rivers meet together Surely the comforts of the Childrens Faith will have a strong reflection back again upon their Parents Look as the children of wicked Parents that brought them up in Lying and Swearing and Stealing shall rise up and call them Cursed Cursed be the father or mother that lays a stumbling block before the poor childe so the children of believing Parents that have been instruments under God of their new birth shall rise up and call them blessed Prov. 31.28 Her children rise up and call her blessed And blessed be those Parents might Timothy say who instructed me in their Faith and prayed me into that faith wherein I greatly rejoyce even into that faith which dwelt first in my grandmother Lois and now through free grace dwells in me also It is a sweet thing when faith and free grace descends where corruption had first descended when Faith once acts and by degrees draws out corruption both Parents and Children have just cause to rejoyce For the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Inform. 5. What happines in the end of the faithful Information to inform us If there be such happiness in the way what happiness then is there at the end of the journey If there be such comfort in believing the thing before it be injoyed what is then in injoying of the things which before were but believed If that saying be true of the Life
Lazarus of the Theef upon the Cross and the Souls under the Altar do declare That Opinion to be no better than a Dream For Num. 24.3 23.10 The man that had his eyes open could say Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Balaam was perswaded of that truth Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours and their works follow them Their Souls are in a blessed condition as soon as they are separated from the body Indeed there shall be an addition to their glory in the last Day when Body and Soul shall be glorified both together But they are in a blessed condition in the mean time I shall say no more in Confutation of such persons as deny Eternal Life but onely refer to what was said in proof of the Point in the second Particular Where it was proved That there is such an Eternal Life 1. By plain Testimonies of Scripture out of the Old and New Testament 2. By necessary Consequence and Deduction As 1. Five proofs of Eternal Life From the Fruit and End of Mans Creation and Redemption 2. From the Kingdom and Headship of Christ 3. From the Prayer of Christ 4. From the Nature of the Soul and the Devils desire to gain Souls in Reversion 5. From the Absurdity that would follow if there were no Eternal Life then were Gods people of all other most miserable which were most absurd to imagine All which Arguments are strong enough to convince gain-sayers and to stop the mouth of Cavillers unless they be such as the Apostle speaks of 2 Thess 3.1 2. that will hear no Argument because they are absurd and unreasonable men and then Prayer is the best weapon to deal with such If you cannot subdue them by Reason yet you may subdue them by Prayer Finally brethren pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith And so much for the first Use Vse 2. Reproof of divers sorts Vse 2 1. Of such as complain of Religion as if it were a fruitless Profession Reproof But certainly the Profession is not fruitless unless the Professors be fruitless Hos 10.1 Without controversie Religion no fruitless Profession as Great is the mystery of godliness so Great is the gain of godliness He that casts any seed upon the waters for Christs sake shall finde it shall receive an hundred-fold in this life but greater is the gain in the world to come even Life everlasting Joys that cannot be numbred that cannot be measured that are above our Comprehension above our Apprehension And therefore if men do highly prize an Earthly Inheritance though it be but in Reversion when there is but one Life between them and the Inheritance How should we prize the Reversion of this Heavenly Inheritance of this Heavenly Kingdom where there is but one poor short frail life betwixt us and it Doubtless the Reversion of an Heavenly Kingdom is better than the present Possession of all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them 2. Reproof of Despair 2. It Reproves such as in stead of exercising their Faith for Life Eternal give way to Distrust and Despair of Mercy as if nothing but Hell were their Portion It 's true Naturally we are children of wrath and can claim nothing but Hell as our inheritance But in Christ through the free grace of God Eternal life is held forth as the gift of God to every one that believeth Therefore exercise thy Faith for Life Eternal Obj. But alas I cannot believe that God should give Eternal Life to such a vile wretch as I am that have deserved nothing but Eternal Death Ans 1. And such were all they to whom God gives Eternal Life There is not one Saint now in Heaven but deserved to have been in Hell 2. If thou canst not believe pray that thou maist believe Cry out with tears Lord help my Vnbelief Obj. But to what purpose is it for me to pray when I finde the very flashes of Hell upon my Conscience already Will God or can God hear such a one Ans Yes God may hear such a one Psal 116.3 4 5 6 7. The sorrows of death compassed me The pains of hell gat hold upon me c. Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul But what follows Gracious is the Lord c. Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Therefore they are much to blame that give way to despair and do not exercise their Faith in Prayer for Eternal Life 3. 3. Against vain curiosity It Reproves such as exercise their Fancy more than their Faith about Eternal Life such as busie their heads about curious Questions concerning Heaven in stead of busying their hearts in making of it sure to themselves by Faith Enquiring 1. Whether the Glory of the Saints shall be Equal in Heaven 2. Whether there shall be any difference between Learned and Vnlearned men when they come in Heaven 3. Whether the Saints shall know one another in Heaven or not Though for my part I think this a Question out of question For how can it be supposed that we should have less knowledge of one another when we are made perfect than we have here in a state of imperfection 4. Whether there shall be any use of speech there or if there be What that language shall be 5. Concerning the place where this Life Eternal shall be 6. Whether Paradise Abrahams Bosom and Heaven be all one 7. What are the Diversity of Mansions in Heaven 8. Whether the Saints shall have liberty to come down on Earth or Whether Earth it self shall not be turned into Heaven or made as glorious as Heaven because God saith I create New Heavens and a New Earth Isa 65. 66. And thus men busie their heads with these and the like Questions concerning the Place and yet all this while hardly ask their own hearts this serious question But art thou in the way thither O my Soul Art thou in the way to Heaven Hast thou any thing to shew for it that Heaven is thine Dost thou live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life There may be some profit in this question but little in the other In all labour there is profit but the talk of the lips tendeth onely to penury Prov. 14.23 'T is not Talking of Heaven but Walking in the way taking hold upon Christ that must bring a man thither Simile Look as it is not a curious Paper of Verses or an Eloquent Oration made in the praise and Encomium of such a Mannor or Lordship that will give a man a good Title to it but a sound and plain Evidence in Law from him that had power to make a good Conveyance of it So it 's not a curious
Thou maist go to the Spring-head upon all occasions Psa 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want 5. Against Spiritual pride Fifthly is this thy Discomfort Thou art afraid thou shalt be exalted above measure yea but here is thy Comfort Faith will keep thee humble Faith tells thee Thou livest upon Alms upon a Principle without thy self 6. Against fear of not honouring God Sixthly is this thy Discomfort Thou art afraid thou shalt not honour God as thou art bound yet this is thy Comfort Faith will help thee to honour his Free-grace Faithfulness and All-sufficiency As Abraham by believing gave glory to God Rom. 4 20. Inform. 2 2 Information See the Misery of all Unbelievers they are no better then dead men Misery of Unbelievers in fix respects or condemned men Joh. 3. last He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lion as the messengers of death Prov. 16.14 19.12 O what is the wrath of the King of kings Who is able to stand under the burthen of it Who among us is able to dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. O remember the dangerous condition of all Unbelievers who are 1. Not purified Tit. 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled 2. Unbelievers are not pacified Isa 57.19 20.21 I create the fruit of the lips Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him But the wicked are like the troubled Sea they cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked They are no better than condemned men Respect 1. First they are condemned by the first Covenant viz. by the Law of Works Gal 3.10 And the Gospel helps none against the first Covenant but such as receive the Gospel by Faith Resp 2. Secondly they are condemned by their own Conscience not being purged by Faith An Unbeliever commonly hath either a dead Conscience or a raging furious Conscience that like Zimri slays his own Master and yet hath never the more peace after it An Unbelievers Conscience is his own Accuser Witness Judge Condemner and Executioner it is that that puts a man into Hell upon Earth Resp. 3. Thirdly he is condemned by Satan the great Accuser first a Tempter then a Tormentor yea he is under the power of this Jaylor who as he binds Luk. 13.16 Act. 26.18 so blinds the minds of them that believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 As the poor Prisoner is blindfold a little before his Execution Psal 109.6 7. Resp. 4. Fourthly he is condemned by men not onely good men shall rise up in Judgement against him such as repented and believed at the Preaching of the Prophets but even wicked men shall rise up in Judgement one against another Though they were never such good-fellows in sin together yet when once God calls them to account as the man laid the blame upon the woman and the woman upon the Serpent though they were all in fault So shall one sinner accuse and condemn another and say Woe worth the time that ever I saw thy face if it had not been for thee I had never committed such a sin if thou hadst not made the motion I had never yielded And the other shall say If thou hadst not yielded the motion had never been put in execution Indeed where there is Faith the Accusation is easily answered we can send the Accuser to our Surety but the Unbeliever sinks under the weight of the Accusation and must bear it off by head and shoulders both his own and his other mens sins Resp 5. Fifthly he is a dead man by the Sentence of the Gospel for though the Gospel be the Power of God unto salvation yet it is onely to the Salvation of them that believe Rom. 1.16 The Gospel condemns the unbeliever as much as the Law and more too Joh. 3.18 19. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Joh. 3. and This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds swere evil There is no condemnation like this This is the condemnation by way of eminency As the sharpest Vinegar is made of the sweetest Wine So the sharpest Judgements spring from the abuse of the sweetest Mercies And who are they that abuse sweet Gospel-mercies but Unbelievers Resp 6. Sixthly he shall be condemned from the mouth of the Judge himself for if the Gospel do condemn him Mercy himself cannot save him for God is onely merciful in a Gospel-way if the Gospel do condemn him the Judge must needs condemn him for As many as have sinned under the Gospel shall be judged by the Gospel as those that have sinned under the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. 2.12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law Therefore all unbelievers shall hear the Sentence of Condemnation Go ye cursed c. This is the Gospel Rule the standing Rule of the everlasting Gospel He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 As the Just lives by Faith so the Unbeliever dies by his Unbelief He is subject to the first death in the most terrible manner the sting was never yet pulled out by such a man and he is subject to the second death viz. Death of the Body and Soul to all eternity where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched O who would continue in such a condition Why do we not cry out of our unbelief to God! Why do we not mourn and weep under the burthen of it We can weep over our dying friends O that we could weep over our own and friends dead Hearts and Souls For he that hath no Faith hath no Christ he that hath no Christ hath no Life The Unbeliever is in a dead condition he dies by his Unbelief as the Just lives by his Faith Secondly see the misery of all Unbelievers 2. Their dead condition they are in a dead condition If the Just lives by Faith they must needs be dead who have no Faith and that because they want that which should unite them to him who is the Principle of Life 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Alas poor creature he is dead while he seems to live he is dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 He is active indeed to that which is evil and that is his misery but he is dead to all that is good As Faith works by love and so sets
Means to remove it The third is from the World 3. Impediment The World The World and Faith are opposites and either Faith must overcome the World or the World will overcome Faith The World hath profits pleasures preferments honours on the one side to allure thee and reproaches racks faggots fire on the other side to terrifie thee The World trieth both fair means and soul means to draw thee or to drive thee from the Faith Besides if either the Multitude or the Pomp and Magnificence of such as reject the Faith may prevail with thee the World will be sure to propound both as a scotch in the Wheel and a clog to thy Faith Joh. 7.48 Have any of the Rulers or the Pharisees believed on him As if they should say Are you so mad to believe on him and to go in a singular way Look about you in the world and you shall see there are not many men at least not many great and learned men that are so forward Me-thinks you should be willing to do as the most do and then you shall be sure the fewest will blame you Why should you be so foolish to expose your self to the shame and hatred of the multitude And this is the third Discouragement and Hindrance of Faith the World Well but how should we remove this Impediment how should we do to rowl away this stone 3 Relief I answer The best way to remove this stone and Rock of Offence is To remember that the Church of God is but a little Flock Mat. 6. and that the greatest number of men run headlong in the broad way that leadeth to destruction The multitude of offenders doth no whit lessen but rather aggravate the offence Remember the solemn charge of God Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 He that sins with the multitude â—ust look to suffer with the multitude He that sins after the example of great men shall be greatly tormented It s a sad thing to go to Hell for company It s a doleful Welcom when Hell from beneath is moved for thee for thee I say that didst sin after the example of the most of men or the greatest of men Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming saith the Prophet Isa 14.9 It stirreth up the dead for thee even all the chief ones or great men of the earth All they shall speak and say unto thee Are you also become weak as we are you become like unto us or as one of us Mark ye if there be any triumph among damned Spirits it is this Even to insult over those that at last prove as miserable as themselves You shall sometimes see such a hellish disposition in wicked men whilst they live upon earth if they can but do their Neighbors a mischief they care not to do twice as much to themselves O how they triumph if they can but drink and swagger others into the like shame with themselves and rail and revile others into the same passion and play and game others into the same poverty O what is this wicked practice but even Hell above-ground For this is the language of Hell Art thou become like one of us c especially when they can draw a Professor into sin and by sin into judgement Oh! how they triumph at such a prize What art thou become as one of us Thou that didst walk like a Saint upon earth thou that didst shine like Lucifer the bright Morning-Star thou that wert eminent in the Profession and it may be in the preaching of the Faith how art thou fallen from thy heavenly condition How art thou fallen from thy professed Faith into Unbelief and by Unbelief into the Bottom of Hell Lo this is the triumph of the damned Spirits Look as there is Joy in Heaven among the blessed Angels over one sinner that râ—penteth more than over ninety and nine just persons Luke 15. which need no amendment of life So there is triumph in Hell amongst Apostate Angels over one eminent Professor that falleth from the Faith into the condemnation of Unbelievers more than over ninety and nine wicked persons that never made any such hopeful Profession O remember how Hell it self will laugh thee to scorn if thou shalt follow a multitude to do evil This is the shameful welcome those Infernal Spirits shall give to their new guests when a poor deluded Soul following the steps of the multitude goes down into the Chambers of Eternal Death This is that scornful language Art thou also become like one of us Didst thou follow us in Sin and Unbelief and now dost thou follow us into Torments If thou wouldst not be the shame of Devils and damned Spirits let not the example of the World perswade thee to continue in Unbelief And this is the third Impediment of Faith and the Means to remove it 4. Impediment of Faith Gods hardning The fourth is from God That 's a most observable passage which you reade Joh. 12.39 40. Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah had said again He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him As if he should say These are such things as did not onely concern the Prophets own time and the men of his generation but they are such things as are to be fulfilled under the Gospel in the Kingdom of Christ for the Prophet foretold them when he saw the glory of Christ and did Prophecy his Kingdom Now both the Vision and the particular Prophecy you have in the 6. of Isaiah Obj. But you 'll say This is wonderful How can these things be How is it possible that the same God which commands all men every where to repent and believe Acts 17. where the Gospel comes should nevertheless blinde the eyes and harden the hearts of some lest they should repent and believe Alas you 'll say What can the poor creature do if God shut their eyes who can open them if God harden the heart who can soften it Ans I answer Therefore you are carefully to look to the meaning of the Prophecy which is nothing else but a denunciation of Spiritual Judgement against the people for their former contempt of his Word and Means of grace As if God should say Are you so obstinate will nothing work upon you notwithstanding so many gracious proffers of Mercy will nothing move you to believe Then you shall not believe Will nothing move you to repent Then you shall not repent Will nothing move you to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit Then you shall not be cleansed He that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 22. And that this is the very meaning of the words you may see by the same Prophecy cited by S.