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
Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that measure Time shall be rolled up as a Scroll And though time should last never so long to the world in general yet how soon the Angel may swear concerning thee or me Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 we know not 6. We must not onely account for the means of fruitfulness Isa 5. What could I have done more c but for the time afforded for fruitfulness Luk. 13.7 These three years have I come looking for fruit and behold I finde none Cut it down c. Eccles 11.9 God will take account of the days of thy youth therefore call thy self to account and be fruitful in season 7. Lastly What would the damned in Hell give now for one of these hours to become fruitful If the rich glutton Luke 16.27 would so willingly have a messenger sent to his five brethren What would he have given to have been the messenger himself but could neither So much for the two first Branches in the Life of Sanctification which the just man lives by his Faith Now follows the Third BRANCH III. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. MORTIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification which consisteth in the killing and crucifying of sin and this follows fitly upon the Life of Fructification For sin is the Caterpillar upon the Branch that devours all the fruits Nay it is the Worm at the Root that hinders the fruitfulness of it or else it is the Toad at the Root that poisons the fruit Deut. 32.32 33. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of Asps. The best fruits of natural men where sin lives in the dominion of it are no better than such poisonous fruits Therefore the just man lives by Faith of Mortification He is dead to sin and dead to the law that he may bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 For the more sin dies Faith resemâ—les the expulsive faculty in the natural body the more grace lives and the more sin lives the more grace dies Therefore Faith lives in killing that which is an enemy to its life and is as the expulsive faculty in the body Obj. But is not sin dead as soon as a man believes Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ans Sin indeed hath receiv'd its deadly wound at the first blow but yet it will not be wholly dead till we die Nay it fares with it as with a creature that hath received its deadly wound it struggles and strives more violently than ever before Rom. 7.8 9. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead c. Insomuch that this combat continues till our dying day Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And Satan he takes part with our corruption he is Sins Second in the field Now Faith is a Christians chief weapon by which he defends himself and offends his adversary Eph. 6.16 the shield of faith For the method of proceeding in this Head it shall be to shew 1. How Faith proceeds in Mortification of sin 2. Why Faith will have sin to be mortified 3. The Uses hence Quest I. First How Faith proceeds in mortifying sin I answer It does it as men use to do in the prosecution of a Malefactor As the avenger of blood pursued the Murtherer in a legal way Sin is put to death by the law Rom. 3.22 By what law of works nay but by the law of faith So that as the Jews said of Christ faithful men may say of sin We have a law and by our law he ought to die Art 1 First there is a rising of the heart against the person How faith goes about the mortifying of sin Gal. 5.6 A man will never prosecute him whom he hath no quarrel against So Faith stirs up a Christian to hate his sin as it stirs him up to love God so consequently to hate sin Gods deadly enemy yea he hates it to death Col. 3.1 5. Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil Psal 97.10 Nay sayes Faith to sin I will have thy life nothing shall satisfie me but thy life Thou hast wrong'd my dear God therefore I will be reveng'd of thee True Repentance and true Faith work indignation and revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Yea what indignation what revenge As we cannot love God too much so we cannot hate sin too much Art 2 Secondly There is a diligent enquiry after the Malefactor So faith sends out Hue and Cry VVhere is the Rebel the Traytor It is the voice of Faith that Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes c. Faith knows if we finde not sin out sin will finde us out Num. 32.23 and if it sees us first it slayes us as the Basilisk Faith knows all the haunts of sin as Saul said of David to the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.22 Go I pray you know and see his place where his haunt is It searches the root of all actual sins Psal 51.5 In sin was I shapen c. An unbeliever hides extenuates excuses denies his sin But Faith never leaves till it discover and brings it before the judgement-seat As Rahab entertained the spies Heb. 11 31. So faith entertains the spies of enlightned reason Psal 119.105 and Prayer Psal 139.23 Art 3 Thirdly Faith brings in the Accusers of sin 1. The Law Joh. 5.45 There is one that accuseth you even Moses Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law 2. The Gospel though it saves the sinner it condemns the sin Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we we believers continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 3. The Renewed man converted by the Gospel Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me whereas sin accuseth the godly man to be the troubler of the person family 1 Kin. 18.18 Josh 7.25 state c. Faith sayes to sin Thou art the troubler of Israel therefore thou deservest to be stoned to death Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings amongst you come they not from your lusts Art 4 Fourthly Faith brings in Witness against sin whereas sin pleads for it self and accuseth Holiness and strictness to be the cause of all misery Faith brings in witness to the contrary 1. Outward By faith we understand the world was made c. Heb. 11. and so that the world was destroyed by sin once drown'd again reserved for fire to wash 2 Pet. 3. to burn out the filth of sin All evils that ever
befel the world in the world from Adam to this day is laid to the charge of sin Faith sayes As where no transgression no curse Rom. 3. so wheresoever there is curse there is transgression Whatever sad stories are reported of 70 years Captivity of Sword of Pestilence and Famine c. yea sayes Faith you may thank sin for all this Was Cain a runnagate Pharaoh drown'd in the Sea Josephs brethren in sad perplexity c Surely they may say We are verily guilty Gen. 42.21 c. Yea Gods people may thank sin for all their affliction Isa 27.9 This is all the fruit to purge away your sin Sin is like a stubborn Tenant or a Thief that will not out unless the house be fired over his head 2. Inward Witness which is the Conscience in stead of a thousand witnesses Rom. 2.15 Their own consciences bearing them witness c. What saist thou Conscience did not sin do thus and thus and is the cause of all this misery c Art 5 Fifthly Faith empannels the Jury of Saints or Believers not as unbelievers that compare themselves with themselves 2 Cor. 10.12 For what part hath he that believeth with an infidel 2 Cor. 6.15 and calls in the Judge For sin must be judged by God and the Bench See Psal 50.5 6. and not by the Countrey of Carnal men For though the Conscience of Carnal men can bear evidence against sin yet they are partial Jury-men they would fain have sin live Let loose Barabbas and crucifie Christ But the Bench of godly men sitting with Christ upon his Throne as they shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. so they judge sin They finde sin guilty and worthy of death and cry out for Justice Justice my Lord upon sin These are the cloud of Witnesses and Jury-men that account sin as the greatest burthen in the world Heb. 12.1 Therefore sayes Faith if asked to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 5.1 I will be judged by all the godly in the World And this Jury ground their Verdict upon Evidence Note Works outwardly Conscience inwardly have brought in this witness against sin 1. 'T is a deadly enemy to God and his Grace Rom. 8.6 't is enmity against God Nothing is contrary to God but sin 2. It gives Laws against God Rom. 8.2 the law of sin and death God sayes This must be done Sin sayes the flat contrary 3. It forceth its Obedience 't is a Tyrant over Gods people makes them cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Luke 19.14 Indeed wicked men are voluntary slaves 4. It is guilty of all the slain that lie in the pit If it be said Who slew all these we may say Sin 2 Kin. 10.9 Though the Devil be a Murtherer John 8. yet he cannot slay one Soul without the assistance of Sin The Soul than sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.5 'T is guilty of Christs blood Sin thou hast crucified the Lord the Life Our sins were the nails in his hands and spear in his side and is not he worthy to die that put Christ to death Art 6 Sixthly Faith calls in the Judge as the importunate widow Luk. 18.3 Avenge me of mine adversary Faith makes God in his VVord to be the Judge viz. the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles Both Whether sin be thus guilty or no Jam. 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God c. Sin would lay the fault upon God but God layes the fault upon sin And secondly What punishment sin is worthy of No less than death saith God Therefore thou must die saith Faith to Sin 1 Cor. 11.31 For this cause many sleep i.e. die Art 7 Seventhly He therefore lives by Faith for the condemnation of Sin God hath condemned sin to die Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you Therefore sayes Faith I have Gad on my side Sin must not reign nay Sin must not live As the soul that sins must die so the Soul than is freed from death is freed from sin both in the guilt and power Art 8 Eighthly He lives by Faith in the Execution of the Sentence upon Sin Heb. 11.17 Offers up the dearly beloved sin And that in respect 1. Of the time presently whilest it is called to day There is no truce no reprival no sparing of sin Life must go for life Sin is never the better for kinde usage Some sinners are won that way but not sin it self God cannot reconcile sin to himself though he reconcile sinners to himself 2. For the Means where there is 1. Arming our selves Eph. 6. Take to you the whole armour of God especially the shield of faith 2. Disarming sin The strength of sin lies either in the Law of God 1 Cor. 15.56 The strength of sin is the law Or in the power and policy of Satan Ephes 2.2 that worketh in the children of disobedience Now Faith disarms Sin 1. It cuts the sinews of the Law Rom. 6.14 We are not under the law but under grace 2. It cuts the sinews of Satan 1 John 3.8 For this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Therefore that Soul that is willing Christ should live in it shall be sure to have sin die in it Lastly Taking sin captive leading this Captivity captive Eph. 4.8 Psal 149.6 and putting it to death by the two-edged sword of the Word in its hand and so executing the judgement written Heb. 4.12 So much for the first Quaere Quest II. Secondly What are the Reasons why Faith will have sin to be mortified Answ Many 1. Reasons of the mortification of sin Because sin is most contrary to the nature of Faith Faith is a most holy Faith Jude v. 20. It is that which purifies the heart Acts 15.9 And sin is loathsome and impure For it defiles 1. The Person Tit. 1.15 To the unbelieving even their minde and conscience is defiled 2. The Actions Hag. 2.12 13. every work of their hands and that which they â—ffer is unclean 3. The Name as Jacob said to Simeon and Levi Gen. 34.30 Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land 4. It defiles others as that incestuous Person 's sin 1 Cor. 5.6 as leaven spreads over the whole lump 5. The Land it self Gen 6 11. The earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence So the Lord sayes Num 35.33 The land is polluted and defiled with blood Therefore Faith and Sin are contraries and contraries hate one another to the death Mutuò se expellunt they cannot live together Reas 2 Because they have most contrary Ends and Designes The design of Faith is to bring life to the Soul The just shall live by Faith The design of Sin is to bring death to the Soul Ezek. 18. The soul that sins shall die the death and
The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last Therefore Faith must kill sin or else not bring its design to pass for Rev. 21. last No unclean thing shall enter into life Even Gods own people shall not enter until they attain perfection of Sanctification Reas 3 Because the mortification of sin is the end of Christs death Rather than sin should not die he would die Rom. 4. ult who was delivered for our transgressions c. O sayes Christ to Sin and Death I will be your death though it cost me my life Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death c. He was crucified that our old man might be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Therefore says Faith as I believe in Christ crucified I must also crucifie sin Rom. 6.11 Wherefore reckon ye your selves dead unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc enim refero ad fidei syllogismum says Beza 'T is the reasoning of Faith Reas 4 Because it is the Commandment of God as God commanded the Avenger of blood Onely 't is in this unlike that there is no City of Refuge for sin Col 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. And Gods command is the object of Faith as well as a Promise Reas 5 Because Promise is also made Alas sayes the Christian I have no power to deal with Sin or Satan O saith God I will help thee I will give thee my word for it if thou wilt take it Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea As Satan is Captain on the one side so is Christ on the other side as was held forth in the Vision to Joshua cap. 5.14 As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come 2 Chro. 20.12 Therefore sayes the faithful Soul I know not what to do though I have no power yet mine eyes are unto thee And so as David against Goliah they go out against sin in the Name of the Lord with this poor Sling of Faith and the Pebble-stone of the Word and so strike this Giant of Corruption in the forehead that it sinks down by degrees and at last they tread upon the neck of their proudest Lusts Vse 1 Information Information from this Branch of the Life of Faith in several particulars 1. From the Object of Mortification sin viz. 1. From the object of mortification That those that are in Christ have sin and sinful affections remaining in them For what must the just that lives by Faith mortifie Surely not his grace It is something that is sinful he must not fight with his own shadow The body of sin must be destroyed Rom. 6.6 The law of sin and death abolish'd Rom. 8.2 God sees something and an enlightned Soul sees something that is to be mortified and fights with some-body Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth c. And lest they should say We have no earthly members the Apostle gives instance fornication uncleanness c. And lest they should say VVe do not live in these sins now the Apostle answers by way of Concession Ver. 7. You do not live in them indeed you do not walk in them but yet a remainder of the seeds of these sins is in you still you may be tempted to them and therefore strive against them Put off all these vile affections c. 2. From the Act. To mortifie is to kill outright 2. From the Act. It 's not enough to abstain from the outward acts of sin but we must subdue the inward desire will and affection to sin VVhy Because abstaining from the outward act is but a restraining or imprisoning of sin But the subduing the inward desire will and affection of Sin is the Mortifying of Sin For the Life of Sin lies in the Will And therefore of the two in evil things it is less dangerous to do that which we will not Rom. 7.19 20. than to will that which we do not Sin is never mortified until inordinate affections be mortified In these lies the heart-blood of sin Mat. 5.27 Whosoever shall look to lust hath committed adultery in his heart 3. From the Instrument 3. From the Instrument If by Faith sin be mortified see the mistake of those that will needs have sin mortified before they believe or else they will not believe O say they The errour of such who will not believe till first made whole if such and such a lust were mortified I could believe but so long as the case stands thus I dare not As much as to say If they were rid of the disease beforehand they would go to the Physician and take Physick Indeed it s required they should be sensible of their disease And though we do not say we must thus prepare our selves yet we may safely say God thus prepares his people for Christ Mat. 9.12 13. They that are whole need not the physician but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now then seeing we cannot be rid of our disease till we come to the Physician and we cannot come without faith therefore we see the errour and mistake of those that will not believe till first made whole Vse 2 Let us Examine if we live by Faith in Christ by this Then we live the Life of Mortification Examination Gal. 5 24. They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hast thou done so Many are mistaken and think some that sin is not mortified when it is others that it is when it is not A poor childe of God cries out Mine enemies my sins live and are mighty c therefore I live not by Faith But a Moral man he can say I was once a Drunkard or Swearer but now I have left all my vain company therefore my sin is mortified and yet it may be he is as covetous now as luxurious as before VVherefore its hard to know whether sin be truly mortified for as in some Grace hath a name to live and is dead so in others Sin hath a name to be dead and is alive Sometimes one sin drives out another while particular ends and aim or light of Nature c. over-rule in this rather than that Therefore Examine But how shall we know if sin be mortified indeed Ans 1. If sin die then we are first sick of sin Marks of true Mortification as commonly before men die Ipsa senectus morbus themselves are weary of themselves As the Soul is sick of love to Christ Cant. 2.5 so it is also sick of sin Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt c. 2. If sin dies aright it dies in all parts 2 Mark Col. 3. Mortifie your members not one member onely
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
a Commission from God as we see in the case of Job so no man can command the Spirit 3. Yea but the Spirit is not onely free in the Nature of it and in the Donation of it But it is also free in the Effects and Operations of it that is to say It makes those free that receive it Joh. 8.36 If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed And how doth he make men free but by his Spirit The Spirit of liberty is opposed to the Spirit of bondage 2 Cor. 3.17 and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And this Spirit is an establishing Spirit Establish me with thy free Spirit If you shall demand Q. What this Free and ingenuous Spirit is and how it doth Establish Ans It is a Spirit Free First Because it Frees us in some measure What the Free Spirit of God sets Believers Free from from that which might occasion Back-sliding and Apostacy from the Faith Secondly In particular it frees a man 1. From the Bondage and Power of his own Lusts that sin reigns not in him 2. It frees him from Bondage and slavery to the Lusts of other men 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men 3. It frees him from the Bondage and slavery of the World The world gets not the victory over him It is a base Spirit that stoops to the worlds lure as Demas did He is not in Bondage to the pleasures or profits of the world Therefore the Spirit of the world and the Spirit of God are opposed 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God c. 4. He is free from the Exaction Curse and Malediction of the Law of the Moral Law and free from the burden of the Ceremonial Law 5. He is free from that which is the fruit of that curse a Slavish and a Servile Fear Either of God or man which makes men weary of their lives and yet extremely affraid to dye The Free Spirit of Christ by degrees doth set his servants at liberty from these fears Heb. 2 15. He came to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind How the Free Spirit of God Establishes Thus you see what this free and ingenious Spirit is and how it doth free us from those things which might occasion apostacy from the Faith and by that means it becomes an establishing spirit to us For in case the Spirit of God do not free men from these fears and burdens the sinful flesh will soon lighten it self it will purchase to it self a carnal liberty by rebellion and apostacy if the Spirit of God do not administer a Spiritual liberty by which the yoke of Christ is made easie and so the poor creature is confirmed in the Faith Therefore pray God to establish thee with his free Spirit We have given many Motives before I shall add but this one and so conclude Motive to pray for the Free Spirit As the right use of Christian liberty is a special means to preserve Faith So Faith also in the right use of it is a special means to preserve Christian Liberty which was purchased by the blood of Christ as one hand helps another and one leg supports another so it is in this case betwixt Faith and Christian liberty Faith Christian Liberty supports each other they do mutually strengthen and support one another There are certain graces that are Custodes libertatis Christianae The Lord give us the thing as well as the name Faith an excellent means to preserve Christian Liberty in many Respects Now Faith is one of these graces and a principal one lose thy Faith and lose thy Liberty keep thy Faith and keep thy Liberty As for Example First Such as believe in Christ are free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Some indeed professing the Faith account it their liberty to sin against God and are never troubled for it But they are men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth of Faith 1 Tim. 6.5 For the liberty that Christ hath purchased is not to be free from his service as in other manumissions of servants but free to his service His service is perfect liberty He hath set us at liberty from other service from the service of sin and satan That we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our daies Luke 1.74 Now I say He that keeps his Faith keeps his Freedom he that loseth his Faith loseth his Charter or at the least the Evidence of his Charter for his Spiritual Freedom Secondly He that is strong in the Faith stands fast in exercise of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free Gal. 6.1 But he that is weak in the Faith is also weak in the use of his Christian liberty Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations viz. in the use of things indifferent And so we may say of other parts of our Freedome from other bondages As First From the Bondage of Sin The stronger is thy Faith the weaker is thy Lust for Faith purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith And Secondly from the bondage of Inordinate Fear The more Faith the less fear and on the other side the lesse Faith the more fear Mat. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Keep thy Faith therefore as thou desirest to keep thy Christian Liberty which is the most excellent Freedom in the world And so much for the second Branch of the Use The First was to exhort to get Faith if it be so excellent a grace The second is to keep it when we have it Now the Third is 3 Branch of Exhortation to Act Faith 3. To act it and to live by it as well as to keep it It is far better to put our Faith to use then our Money to use The just makes a living out of his Faith whilest he puts it to use O lay not up this precious treasure in a Napkin for then it will rust for want of using And we may say of our spiritual treasure as the Apostle James speaks of temporal treasure Jam. 5.2 3. Your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten Your gold and silver is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you O let not our Faith Rust for want of using Object But you will say Is it possible to have Faith and not to use it Ans I answer It is possible at some times and upon some occasions A man
hold on the Blood of Christ witnesseth to a Christian his salvation So it 's explained further 1 Joh. 5. ver 10. He that believâ—th on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself The Witness of what Of Eternal life ver 10 11. This is the record that God hath given to us Eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and be that hath not the Son hath not life And what is it to Have or Receive the Son But to believe on him Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him c. Even to as many as believe in his Name To Receive Christ and to Believe in his Name are both one And those who believe on Christ are Sons He gave them power to become the Sons of God and so Heirs of Eternal life through Christ So that Faith assures a Believer of his interest in life Eternal How Faith works assurance of heaven Q. How doth Faith assure a Believer of his particular interest in life Eternal Ans 1. By laying hold on the Promise of the faithful and unchangeable God 1. From the Promise In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised Tit. 1.2 So Joh. 10.18 And I give to them Eternal life Aye may a Christian say If I were one of Christs sheep I might be assured The 26 ver answers Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep Such as believe then are sheep and to them Christ gives Eternal life 2. By arguing from the effect to the cause 2. From the effects Faith is an infallible effect of Gods ordaining a person to life Eternal Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal life believed But I believe saith a gracious Soul therefore I know I am ordained to life Obj. But it 's impossible for a man to know that he believes Ans Not so for then 1. The Apostle would not have said I know whom I have believed c. 2 Tim. 1.12 2. The Apostle would not exhort men to try whether they were in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 3. By arguing from the first-fruits to the Harvest 3. From the earnest from the beginning to the perfection from the seal and earnest to the full possession 1. Faith assures Gods people That they have the first-fruits of heaven upon earth Rom 8.23 We our selves which have the first-fruits of the Spirit wait for the Adoption By the first-fruits Deut. 26.1 the whole crop was sanctified and assured Believers then having the first-fruits by Christ Faith tells them That they shall have the harvest Dost thou remember what admirable joy thou hast found in Prayer Hearing Conference in a Promise at a Sacrament so that thy heart did burn That was a glimpse of Heaven and an assurance of it 2. Faith assures a believer That he hath the beginnings of life Eternal Joh. 5.24 and Joh. 6 54. He that eats the flesh and drinks the blood of Christ hath Eternal life This eating and drinking is believing Now this beginning doth assure a Christian by Faith of Perfection 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this that he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Obj. May not God repent and change his minde Ans No The gifts and callings of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 3. Faith assures a Believer That having the Seal and Earnest 2 Cor. 1.22 Eph. 1.13 he shall have the full possession Ephes 1.13 14. And Faith assures this upon a double ground 1. Because the beginnings of saving grace are special Love-tokens and the love of God is unchangeable Jer. 31.3 2. God is able and willing to make good what he hath thus sealed Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Obj. This were indeed good assurance if I had saving grace but how shall I know that Ans We may know whether Grace be saving 1. By the Root of it JESVS CHRIST Gal. 2.20 2. By the Extent of it the New man 3. By its Manner of working True grace works love to all that is good because pleasing to God and batred of all evil because displeasing to God Psal 119.6 4. From Sonship 4. Faith assures a Believer of his interest in Life by an argument drawn from the Filiation of all Believers They who have the first-fruits Seal and Earnest of Heaven as before are made the children of God Rom. 8.24 And what of that If children then heirs v. Right of Sonship proves the Right of Inheritance By nature we are not the children of God but of Wrath Eph 2.3 But Believers are the children of God by Adoption v 15.16 Adoption as it 's used in the Civil Law is the free and voluntary act of a man Adoption in the Civil Law how taken whereby he doth chuse any one that was a stranger before to stand up in the place of a Son Used in a threefold case This Adoption was wont to be 1. In case of Barenness 2. Of Death of Children 3. Of Degeneration and Wickedness of Children And in this last case we being all degenerate by the fall of our first Parents and so fallen from God God chuseth some of his free grace to be his children in Christ Jer. 3.19 Obj. But God chuseth as bad as those that are fallen from him yea the very same Ans It 's most true But yet he leaves them not in the same condition he found them in Double act of free grace in Adoption for there 's a double Act of Gods free grace in Adoption 1. The one is Acceptation in Christ whereby he is pleased to call those his Chosen People which were not his Chosen and those Beloved which were not beloved 2. And the other is Regeneration whereby they are born of God and so not onely called Children but made the Children of God partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And herein lies the great difference between Gods adopting a Childe and Man's Difference twixt divine and humane Adoption One man adopting another mans childe may accept him for his own give him the priviledge of a Son in his Inheritance and so in all Outward respects but when all this is done he cannot give him the priviledges of a natural Son in Inward respects that is he cannot communicate his own Qualities and Nature to him But God addes both in Adoption God gives the inheritance the nature of children he both gives the Inheritance of Children and the Nature of Children he fits them for their Inheritance as he fits the Inheritance for them Thanks be to God who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance c. Col. 1.12 The Argument therefore is strong If Sons then Heirs There is no power in Heaven that will hinder it none in Earth or Hell that can hinder it Other Heirs may spend all
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