the way of believing 3 That Salvation may be on free and sure grounds The general Uses drawn from the Life of Faith 1Vse Information in seven Particulars 1 The happy condition of Believers They have comfort in six respects 2 The misery of unbelievers in six respects 3 The Reason of Satans enmity against Faith 4 The difference 'twixt the Life of Christ and that of a Believer 5 Why so many remain spiritually dead 6 There cannot be any thing of Christ or of Spiritual life in the Creature before Faith As Christ and life so Faith and life come both together 7 What is the choice work of a Minister 2Vse of Reproof to three sorts 1 Such who live upon other things in stead of living by Faith as namely their Sins Pleasures Creatures Riches Friends or upon themselves either sinful Self natural Self artificial Self moral Self religious Self These particulars are inlarge 2 Such who profess Faith but live not by it 3 Such as act not their Whether 1. In Actions 2. Conditions 3. Elections 3Vse of Examination 1 For Trial of persons whether we be just and in a state of spiritual life or no Divers Marks of true Faith from feigned 2 For Trial of all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false Where living by Faith is demonstrated to be the Touchstone of them 4Vse of Thankfulness for Faith Five Grounds or Arguments to provoke Believers to Thankfulness for Faith 1 It is Gods gift 2 It s necessary to the very Being of a Christian 3 Such a gift as none else can give where there are five Wonders of Faith spoken unto 4 Faith is a most precious Gift Three things very precious The preciousness of Faith in four particulars 5 The rarity or scarcity of Faith 5Vse Humiliation for Vnbelief The evil of Unbelief is set forth in 7 Particulars 1 It dishonours God 2 It grives the Holy Spirit 3 It pleases the Devil 4 It is the Mother-Sin The Brood of Unbelief 1 Ignorance 2 Security 3 Worldliness 4 Hypocrisie 5 Heresie 6 Apostacy 7 Atheism 5Vnbelief is a Step-mother to Grace 6Vnbelief is the Nurse of Sin 7 Judgements on Vnbelievers 6Vse of Exhortation wherein four Branches 1 Branch Exhort To get Faith where Faith is proved to be the wisest Purchase and Vnbelief the greatest Self-murther The excellencies of Believing which contains 1 Strength 2 Wisdom 3 Riches 4 Beauty 5 Honor. 6 Faith honors God 7 Dead without Faith 8 Faith makes to prosper Q How shall we get Faith Here are Means Negative and Positive prescribed Negative means to get faith or the removal of the Impediments of faith Means Negative is the removal of the Impediments of Faith which are these 1 Self 2 Satan 3 The World 4 Gods hardning where hardness of heart is treated of and Gods Justice justified in hardning some sinners Relief is prescribed to all four 5 General Impediment contains seven mixt Impediments of Faith viz. 1 False Trust 2 Limiting of God 3 Harbouring some Lust 4 Our own Vnworthiness pleaded against the Promise 5 Laying too much stress on the depth of Humiliation 6 Want of feeling 7 Doubt of Election To all these particular Cures are applied 6 General Impediment of Faith viz. Neglect of the Means which should work Faith or beget it Five Causes of the neglect of Means 1 Prejudice quarrels the Means of Faith 2 Pride contemns the Means 3 Sloth recoils from the Means 4 Presumption postdates the use of Means 5 Despodency quits and casts off the use To all which Cures are applied 7 General Impediment of Faith viz. Supposition of having Faith already when it is nothing so Differences 'twixt Presumption and true Faith 1 In the Conception 2 In the Birth 3 In the Growth 4 In the Fruit. The second Branch of false Supposition is That we have not Faith when we have it This hinders the actings ad increasings of Faith Four Corollaries or Conclusions from the difficulty of Believing 1 The Word of God Positive means for obtaining of Faith Every Word of God is an object of Faith especially the Promise How the Spirit convinces of sin The method of converting Grace Six Reasons why Humiliation must go before Faith Humility appears in all the periods of Grace Direction to humbled sinners how to apply Promises 2 Means of begetting Faith is Prayer Question stated Whether a natural man ought ta pray 3 Means Good Society 4 Means Meditation on Gods Name 5 Means Sight of Treasure in Christ 6 Means Diligence in the use of Means which signifie three things 2 Branch of Exhortation To keep Faith Where is shewed The general usefulness of Faith Reasons why we should look well to the keeping of it 1 Reas The Benefit of keeping Faith 2 Reas The Enemies who opposite it 1 Corruption 2 Temptation 3 Troubles 3 Reas It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith at Christs appearing Means of preserving Faith 1 Soundness 2 Trial of it 3 Love of the Truth 4 A good Conscience 5 A right Bottom 6 Commit it to God 7 Prayer for establishment with Gods free Spirit What the free Spirit of God establishes How the free Spirit of God establishes 3 Branch of Exhortation viz. To act Faith and to live by it Six Motives to act and exercise Faith Divers Helps for the acting of Faith 4 Branch of Exhortation viz. To increase the stock of Faith Six Motives to increase in Faith Five Signs of a weak Faith Seven Means for the increasing of Faith Conclusive Sermons on Dan. 12.3 An Appendix concerning the Converting of others to the Faith Doctrine The Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward Explication twofold 1 It is the most excellent Work Seven Reasons to prove this handled largely 2 It shall have the most excellent Reward USES 1 Information of the Dignity of the Ministry 2 Reproof to four sorts of persons 3 Exhortation to Convert Souls This is directed in general to All but in special to Ministers Eight Motives to quicken converted ones to labour to Convert others Eight Means whereby the Conversion of Souls may be promoted 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way 5 Exhortation to the People 1 To be willing to be wrought upon 2 To attend upon such Means as are proper 6Vse of Thankfulness 1 If we our selves are Converted 2 If any by our Means be Converted Seven Marks of sound Conversion 7Vse of Comfort to the Promoters of others Conversion in the midst of Opposition and Reproach The EPILOGUE Courteous Reader BE pleased before thou readest this Treatise to correct with thy Pen the following mistakes in printing that the sense of the Author may not be misrepresented ERRATA in the Titles of the Pages Page 230. read Bawkers of Impediments Page 417. r. Life of Faith in the midst of Death Page 429. r. Love of Lust Page 510. r.
will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob. Faith saith as Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous c. Psal 85.8 I will hearken what God the Lord will say for he will speak peace c. Surely God shall command his loving kindness in the day-time True it thinks long Why tarry the wheels of his Chariots Cant. 2.8 9 17. Cant. 4. the last Be as the Chariots of Amminadab Psal 40. the last Make no long tarrying O my God Yet it will wait as Jacob for Rachel yea Faith chides the Soul out of unbelief by propounding the Promise of future Assurance Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul c Psal 27. last Faith gives courage in waiting Psal 31. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart Christ hath his several seasons of manifesting himself * Vide Mr. Reynolds Blessed are all they that wait for him He that believeth maketh not haste Though he tarry wait for him Christ shewed himself first to Mary then to Cephas or Peter then to James then to the twelve then to above five hundred brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 and last of all he was seen of Paul as of an abortive because there is more pain in the birth of such But as in the bodily sight of Christ some saw him sooner and some later so in the spiritual and as he shewed himself soonest to those that stood most in need of comfort as Mary and Peter for what was past and James for what was to come Acts 12. so spiritually Christ shews himself soonest to those have most need c. And as he entred the doors being shut when they were full of fears Job 20.19 so sometimes he comes into the heart when we think the doors most fast shut up Onely wait and then sooner or later he will shew himself to some in their middle age to some in their old age to some at their death to some at the Stake as that gracious Martyr cryed out joyfully to his fellow-sufferer He is come he is come Therefore be sure to wait and he that hath appointed to come will come and will not tarry Blessed are all they that wait for him Rom. 8.25 If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Reason why wait Because true faith can never be lost till it come to full assurance Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed c. This is the life and comfort of a weak Christian A babe shall be a strong man Philip. 1.6 He that hath began this work will perfect it Luke 22.32 Christs Prayer for Peter Vse If the godly live by Faith in regard of the assurance of the Act of Justifying then 1. This Reproves those that wait not Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established c. 2 Chron. 20.20 2. Reproves those that Rest in the first degree of Faith and say I care not if I can but go to heaven at last Other things grow up to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decay again but the faithful grow from strength to strength He is no good natured childe that will say I am sure to have my Fathers inheritance at last and therefore I care not though he frown upon me in the mean time No a good childe prizeth his Fathers love and the light of his countenance above his inheritance even Absalom 2 Sam. 14.31 could say Let me see the Kings face c. 3. Exhortation To live by Faith in waiting for Assurance Motives 1. It 's certain He that hath appointed to come will come Heb. 10.37 2. It 's worth the staying as Jacob stayed for Rachel This is better then life Psal 63.3 3. It 's the sweeter when it comes Olim haec meminisse c. as the Sun rising after a long Winter night half year night Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life 4. It 's the property of Faith not to make haste Isa 28.6 He that believeth maketh not haste 4. See the difference 'twixt just and unjust The just as they expect so they shall be assured though poor in spirit yea because poor Matth. 5.3 Psal 9.18 The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Prov 24.14 Thy expectation shall not be cut off But for the wicked Job 8.13 14. Their hope shall perish and be as a spiders web Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up the ghost Therefore fear God and be righteous For Prov. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness but the expectation of the wicked shall perish Therefore Prov. 23 17 18. Let not thine heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long for surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off 5. Comfort to such as believe but want Assurance He may yet live by Faith in the expectation of it Be not discouraged when thy Soul is ready to faint for the salvation of God Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Be assured where there is any true light it will encrease more and more till the perfect day Prov. 4.18 The state of the Soul is good and Salvation is certain in the mean time Though many complain for want of Assurance yet if they can but trust c. Isa 50.10 He that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God They are sure to be comforted at the last and supported in the mean time Thus you see how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Vse of all in general 1. OF Humiliation Use of the Doctrine of Faith in justification 1. Humiliation If a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Justification in applying the righteousness of another it may be matter of Humiliation A Prisoner that is freed from Condemnation by a Pardon from the King and not by Self-justification hath cause to walk humbly for ever after This is our case c. It was a great sin in Absalom after his Father had pardoned his Murther and received him into favour again and kissed him the next news we hear of him he prepares him Chariots and Horses and Men to run before him that by stealing away the hearts of the people he might step up into his Fathers Throne and thrust him out And surely it is the greatest expression of neglect and unthankfulnesse that can be after God hath pardoned our sins and received us into favour for us to steal away the hearts of his people and to set up our selves in stead of magnifying the Name of God to draw Disciples after our own selves in stead of drawing Disciples after Jesas Christ It is a sin and a temptation which is common to the nature of man even the Regenerate themselves are not out of this Gun-shot Paul was in
promise And it was a blessing of the first Age of the World where God graciously provided that men should live longer because they were sown thinner Therefore some lived seven hundred years some eight hundred some nine hundred and odde but at last it is said of the best and strongest and longest of the Sons of Men Et mortuus est that he died That is the way of all flesh in regard of natural life But it is not the way of all flesh in regard of Spiritual life Joh. 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die His Soul shall never die though his Body die Fear not those that kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Matth. 10.18 they are not able to kill the Soul no nor are they able to kill the grace of the Soul Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Therefore say with David Oh let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Vse 6 6 Use is of Incouragement against all Discouragement That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance Of incouragement concerning Perseverance That the just live by Faith the life of Perseverance and shall persevere in the grace and favour of God Nothing shall separate from the love of Christ There are four main Discouragements incident to a Christian in his earthly Pilgrimage 1. The inconstancy of Creatures towards Creatures 2. The Creatures inconstancy towards God 3. A mans weakness compared with the strength of enemies opposing 4. A mans own sinful Demerits daily forfeiting all his Mercies To which adde 5. The uncertainty of future Events But this Doctrine that the just lives by faith the life of Perseverance is a great Incouragement against all Discouragements First The inconstancy of the Creature 1. In the inconstancy of the Creature in it self Job 6.15 Job complains his friends had forsaken him like a deceitful brook that is full in raining times when there is no want of water and empty and dry in Summer heat or when there is greatest need For a man shall have many friends so long as God rains down showers of blessings from heaven upon him but if God once search him with the fiery trial of some such Judgement as dries up all his substance he shall hardly finde a drop of comfort from such as in time of prosperity did run in a full current of kindness towards him Well suppose it be so yet this is great Incouragement to a poor Believer when he can thus reason Well though my friends leave me upon earth yet Faith assures me Heb. 13. I have a friend in heaven that will not forsake me who doth usually let out most of himself to his people when they have the least of Creature-comforts he delights to visit his people in Egypt in the fiery Furnace His Servant John Baptist in the Isle of Patmos Paul and Silas in the Prison when they had little or no comfort from the Creature And what is Heaven but the Presence God Where there is most absence of the Creature viz. in Heaven where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage neither buying nor selling nor possessing nor rejoycing in the earthly Comforts of this life yet there is joy enough for all that when there is no Creature-comfort at all 1 Cor. 15. God himself shall be all in all And if the Presence of God it self alone shall be enough to make Heaven when all the world shall be left am I not bound to believe Gods Person is enough upon earth if all Creatures should forsake me If I can live by Faith the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from God what if I do not live by Sense the Life of Perseverance in respect of influence from Creatures The former is Incouragement enough of it self 2. Creature-inconstancy towards God Secondly The second great Discouragement and indeed greater than the former is this The Creatures inconstancy towards God The Creatures goodness is as the morning dew Hos 6.4 that is soon gone O how quickly are they turned out of the way saith God Judg 2.17 Peter is ready to swear Allegeance to his Master and as ready almost to forswear with the same breath and do not think that thou hast a better heart than Peter had for as in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Prov. 27.19 One face is not more like another represented in water or in glass then one mans heart is naturally like another's All are very fickle and very inconstant in the love and service of God Now this is sometimes a great Discouragement to a gracious Soul Saith such a Soul I have such a base backsliding heart I shall never be able to hold out to the end what will become of me For thy answer Beware of Discouragement though thou art unconstant and unbelieving yet God is faithful and he hath promised to make thee constant and faithful or at least to heal thy unconstancy and unbelief 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself What if we believe not at all that 's not the meaning of it For he gives Faith when he intend Mercy but if there be intermissions and interruptions in our Faith or at least in the activity of our Faith yet God is faithful to heal our back-slidings and to love us freely Hos 14.4 And this is a great Incouragement Gods constancy in Covenant opposed to our fickleness and inconstancy He will so put his fear into our hearts as we shall never utterly depart from him Jerem. 32.40 Thirdly A third Discouragement 3. In our own weakness is our own Weakness as well as our own Inconstancy yea were we never so constant in our resolutions yet how weak are we in our performances We are weak our enemies strong our trials many and great and this is a great Discouragement to a gracious heart that howsoever the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak that should God leave us to ourselves we should fall away from him every day in which respect Christ commands us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation Mat 26.41 Well be it so that a Christian is so weak on the one side and his enemies so strong on the other yet Faith administers this notable incouragement in the sight and sense of all our enemies and greatest infirmities 1 Cor. 10.13 But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape and so the weakest believer if a true believer shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day Fourthly The fourth Discouragement 4. Against sinful distempers is a mans own sinful Distempers daily forfeiting
judgement will soon weaken our faith 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness An unconstant man that halts between two Opinions will soon prove an unstedfast man Jam. 1.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils 4. A good conscience Fourthly he that would keep his Faith must keep a good Conscience in all things and he keeps a good Conscience that walks up to his light Faith loves to dwell in a sweet lodging 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience The Mystery of Faith is kept in a pure conscience if once the chamber of Conscience be sluttish and nasty farewel Faith To be sure Faith and a good Conscience come and go both together He that makes shipwrack of the one cannot long preserve the other from sinking 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack A good conscience as we told you is available to the holding both the Doctrine of Faith and the Grace of Faith And though these words are primarily meant of the Doctrine of Faith as we shewed you when we spake of living by Faith the Life of Preservation or Conservation in answer to the Arguments of the Papists from this place yet the Argument is good by necessary consequence à fortiori from this Scripture If a good conscience be so available for the keeping of the Doctrine of Faith then much more for keeping the Grace of Faith forasmuch as an evil conscience is more inconsistent with the Grace of Faith than with the Doctrine of Faith For howsoever an evil conscience is a very ready way to bribe and corrupt a mans judgement yet many for a time have taught sound Doctrine who have been very unsound in their practice Mat. 23.3 All therefore that they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not But an habitual corruption of conscience and conversation cannot stand with the soundness of the grace of Faith Joh. 1.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth And 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him Therefore 1 Tim. 1.5 he couples the grace of Faith and a good Conscience together Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Be sure therefore to keep a good conscience as thou wouldst keep thy faith Fifthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 5. Right bottom build it not upon false Promises that is when thou makest a Promise to thy self over and above that Promise which God hath made in his Word Many a man when he first begins to make Profession of the Faith he promiseth to himself a great deal of ease and riches and credit in the world whereas he should expect the contrary a great deal of trouble and Persecution and Poverty and Disgrace c. Now when such a mans End fails him his Faith also will fail him and he is ashamed of the very Profession of it Such low and carnal ends are just like the weights that hang upon a Clock so long as the weights move the Clock moves but when the weights are once at ground the Clock stands still So 't is with such men so long as their carnal ends move them in Religious ways they are moved but when once their ends fail they stand stark still and will move no further Therefore beware of false ends in the Profession of the Faith Promise to thy self no more than God hath promised lest failing of thy expectation thy faith fail thee also He is a wise and sure builder that sits down and counts the cost at the first but he is a fool and his building like to come to nothing that after he hath laid the foundation repents him of his work and saith I never thought it would have cost me half so much Luk. 14.28 Sixthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 6. Commit it to God commit it to Gods keeping whatsoever we commit to his trust is put into a safe hand 2 Tim. 1.12 For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Therefore be sure not onely to commit other things to God by faith but even thy faith it self commit that to his keeping pray him to keep it for thee You know what Christ said to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Now Christs Prayer is as good as a Promise Joh. 11. for we know that his Father heard him always Therefore ground thy Prayer upon his Prayer and say Lord hear me in that Prayer which I have taken out of my Saviours own mouth O let not my Faith fail That which thou hast committed to my trust Lord I desire to re-commit to thy trust for I dare not trust my self Therefore as David saith of his mouth Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep thou the door of my lips So should every true Believer pray in relation to his heart Set a watch O Lord before my heart and keep thou the door of my Faith That as the Lord is the keeper of thy person Psal 121.5 The Lord is thy keeper So he may be the Lord-Keeper of thy faith also And that is the sixth Means Look unto him by Prayer who is the Author and Finisher of thy faith Heb. 12.2 7. The free Spirit Seventhly if thou wouldst be establish'd in faith pray God to give thee his Free Spirit for that is an establishing Spirit Psal 51.12 Establish me with thy free Spirit With thy free Spirit what is that 1. The Spirit of God is not onely a free Spirit in it self for we may say of the Spirit of God as the Apostle speaks of the Word of God 2 Tim. 2.4 It is not bound 2. Yea and it is free in the Donation of it it is most freely bestowed where God giveth it Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whether it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit God is as free in the work of the Spirit as in the work of the Minde All the men in the world cannot command the Wind no nor the Devil himself though he be called Eph. 2. The Prince of the Air he cannot command the Wind without
stress on the depth of humiliation is a great hindrance of Believing 502 503 Reasons why humiliation must Precede faith 522 523 524 Humility in all the periods or degrees of grace 525 Hypocrisy It is an impediment of spiritual growth 230 How far an Hypocrite may go 257 Wherein an Hypocrite comes short 258 An hypocrite cannot rejoyce in the whole word of God 302 303 Hypocrisy springs from unbelief 463 I Ignorance Vnbelief is the root and parent of it 462 Increase There is a divine and diabolical increase 213 How the increase of the natural man in moral vertues differs from the increase of God in saving graces 213 214 See growth See strength Injoyment Believers have the firmest tenure and sweetest injoyment of earthly blessings 77 78 Interest Interest in Christ clears up interest in the covenant of grace and this an interest to all the promises of which sons in Christ are heirs 560 Joy see Consolation How to discern the joy of a hypocrite from that of a Saint 302 303 The joy of a Believer excells all natural worldly sinful Joy in 10. Properties from 323 to 328 Means to breed Spiritual Joy 328 to 344 Judgment Faith applies the last judgment as a means of sanctification 127 128 Judgments on unbelievers 466 Examples of Gods judgments on apostates 250 251 Just Who are such and why said to live by faith not by their justice 31 None are just or justified till thy believe 32 Justification The life of Faith in justification 80 The definition of it which contains the act object and application of both and its fourfold causality 81 to 85 Faith puts forth a fourfold act upon the conscience heart of a sinner to fit him for pardon 86 87 Faith how it acts in the continuance of justification 88 Faith how it fetches in assurance of justification Faith moves a man to desire more faith in order to assurance of his justification and uses 11 Motives 89 to 92 Vses of the Doctrine of faith in justification 105 Justification by free grace breeds humiliation 105 106 Four Marks of true justification 107 We must not justifie sinners or condemn Saints 108 Motives to seek for the five-fold benefit of justification 110 111 Justification and sanctification are inseparable twins 141 142 The first and second evidence of justification what 301 K Keep See Establish Exhortation to keep faith 543 Reasons why we should look to the keeping of our faith 544 Seven Means whereby to keep faith 548 to 552 See Free Spirit See Perseverance L Libertinisme The root of it is feigned humility and laziness 143 Liberty Faith and Christian Liberty support each other 554 Many account it their liberty to sin 555 See Free Spirit Life Spiritual Gods People are in a state of life by way of eminency 8 The excellency of the Saints Life in seven particulars 8 9 10 11 Saints Life is a hidden life and why 12 Spiritual life proved to be existent in believers 12 Spiritual life very desirable 13 Signes of Spiritual life 14 15 16 Life Natural Five evil and troublesome concomitants of it 60 Believers injoy it by faith upon different grounds from unbelievers 67 68 Saints live a natural life by faith in seven respects 68 to 76 Life Spiritual Is twofold either the life of Justification or Sanctification the just life by faith in both 79 80 Four differences twixt true living Spiritual actions and false 187 188 Spiritual life is alway increasing 199 200 The comliness and pleasantness profit equity safety and necessity of such a life as it increaseth 200 to 226 Vide growth Life Eternal See heaven The work of faith about eternal life 334 It assures that there is an eternal life from scripture and reason with the degrees of it 335 336 What the happiness of eternal life is 336 337 Wherein it consists from 337 to 341 Confutation of those who deny eternal life 353 354 Motives to get assurance of eternal life from 374 to 379 Means to get this assurance The believers homage-penny for eternal life 386 The excellency of eternal life from 388 to 391 Life of unbelievers They live on their lusts pleasures upon Creatures and upon a fivefold undoing self 429 to 434 Limiting of God It is a great impediment of faith how cured 499 500 Logick Faiths holy logick 348 349 Love of God It is a reason why the Saints persevere 237 238 The want of feeling it should not hinder believing 503 Love to God is a means to increase faith 580 Love to the Saints Difference 'twixt that which is true and false 304 305 Lust Love of lust is the life of a sinner 429 Lusts haboured oppose faith with considerations how to abandon them 501 M Marriage How Saints live by faith in it and in single estate 73 Meanes In the conservation of the natural life must be used in faith 68 69 Meditation It is the fruit of holy affection 364 Meditation on Gods Attributes especially mercy is a good means to beget faith 536 Melancholy It is a scandal to Christian profession 319 320 Mercy Gods mercy becomes a suiter to mans misery 537 Ministry See Preaching What the chief work of a Minister is 427 428 The dignity of the Ministry 601 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a soul-saving way 611 612 God usually blesses a setled proper Ministry 42 Merry Merry madnesse 311 Morality Difference 'twixt morality and Sanctification in nine respects 119 120 121 Mortification The influence of faith into the life of mortification 149 The art of faith in mortifying of lusts 151 to 154 Reasons why faith will have sin to be mortified 155 156 Error of such who refuse to believe till sin he mortified 158 Marks of true mortification 159 160 Enemies unto and juglers in mortification reproved 161 Alarm to Mortification 163 Motives to Mortification 164 165 Means of Mortification 166 167 168 169 Murther Soul Murther is the worst kind 17 470 N Natural men They are distingusht into two ranks 532 Necessity Of faith in Adversity 64 New Obedience See Fructification Nourishment Strong desires after Spiritual nourishment are a signe of Growth is Grace with three Cautions in this particular 206 207 208 209 Nursery Spiritual Faith lays hold on Christ in the Ordinances as breasts of Consolation and thence draws strength 293 294 295 O Opposition There is no true faith without Opposition 514 515 He that would believe must break thorow opposition 515 516 Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the greatest opposers of his word and wayes that he may convert them 516 Ordinances See Word Despising of them is an impediment of Spiritual growth 230 Neglect of the ordinances hinders believing 505 Five causes why men neglect the ordinances 505 to 511 Though it be not in the Power of the ordinances to beget or increase faith yet they are to be used 516 517 They who live above that is without ordinances are absurd 518 519 P Papists and carnal Professors These make Sanctification justification