c. And if this were duly considered souls would never in their lowest saddest and most deserted conditions bee shy of beleeving for who can question at any time whether they may thus let out their hearts to Christ or no and yet the doing this is beleeving yea the properest act of Faith consiseth therein and if at any time a soul bee inabled by grace to this then it hath a sweet injoyment of God and Christ in the Promise though sensible quickenings c. bee wanting for no act of Faith can bee without an injoyment of God If thou bee'st inabled with thy whole heart to take hold of Gods Wisdome and Power c. in a Promise thou dest as really injoy God so long as thy soul sticketh close to him there whilest the sensible improvements of those divine Artributes ars denyed thee as thou dost afterward when these are granted And the same may bee said for any promised Mercy if the heart bee throughly drawn out Christ-ward in the way of the Promise for it in its proper season as when that mercy is sutable to the present condition c. there is as real an injoyment of God in such a waiting for it as in the after fruition of it for there is the life of Faith before it is afforded and Faith cannot be without a fruition of God The Proper time of Abrahams acting Faith for Isaac was before Isaac was given Rom. 4.19 And being nor weak in Faith he considered not his own body now dead vers 20. Hee staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in Faith So that injoyments of God by Faith may be as well before as when a promised mercy is afforded I do not speak against looking for sensible feelings of Christs presence within in enlargements and quickenings c. but against judging these the only injoyments of God and against looking more for these than for out-goings of heart to Christ by Faith whereas the best way to attain more of these is to act Faith on the Christ of God who is without us in the way of a Promise for them The Lord would take care of Christians comforts if they were more careful to own his faithfulnesse in his Promise And if you would bee successful in any of your dealings with the Promises then bee sure that your souls do clasp hold of Christ therewith for all the Promises in him are yea and in him Amen And seeing the faithfulnesse of God is ingaged for the accomplishment of all Promises Oh what sweet incouragement doth this afford to exercise hope on him for all those mercies which are promised and which wee are yet without Christians are exceedingly backward to the exercise of this grace of Hope which might bee of admirable use to them and most averse to exercise it about eternal life which is the highest and chiefest object of it Some hope not only for temporal but also for spiritual mercies necessary in some conditions they are exercised in as under deadness of heart they hope for quickenings under streightnings they hope for inlargements under witherings they hope for flourishings of grace but where is the soul that is hoping for the glory of God Rom. 5.2 A hoping for Heaven and the life to come it is the casting hope within the vail that rendreth it of use as a Soul-anchor that secureth against the storms of affliction and temptation which are met withall in this World A great reason of the sinking of many under these is because they cast away their anchor the hope of eternal life when the tempest riseth highest and when they have most need of it It is very sad to observe that carnal men are so high in their Hopes for heaven who have no grounds for hoping and on the other hand that Christians are so low in their hopes who have such firm grounds for them There is 1 A hope of desire 2 A hope of Assurance or Confidence Christians you may sometimes bee under such doubts and questionings about your conditions as you may not be able to conclude with a hope of confidence and Assurance that you shall injoy God to all eternity But a Hope of Desire after the injoyment of God as the chiefest good as reckoning nothing such a matter of Hope as a full fruition of him and Jesus Christ to all eternity this Hope of Desire under the saddest desertion you may keep up and sinne if you do not Cant 3. v. 1 2. Cant. 5.6 The Spouse sought her beloved when hee had withdrawn himself As under the hidings of Christs face the saints may have a Hope of Desire to see his face again on earth so as well may they then long to see him face to face in heaven The Saints should say when will the bridge-groom of our souls come when shall wee have full fellowship with him when shall wee have full imbraces in his armes when shall wee injoy the Promised everlasting rest when shall we have a full freedome from all sinne and suffering thus Paul had a Hope of Desire to bee dissolved that hee might be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and Rom. 8.23 wee groan within our selves that implyeth a weariness of the present Condition but the inducement was the hope of Glory waiting for the adoption the redemption of our body but where is the soul that is under a wearinesse of its present Condition not barely to be freed from burdens and afflictions but out of a want of heavenly glory and a full communion with Jesus Christ O Christians you can never want a ground thus to hope and therefore put on your Helmet the Hope of Salvation cast forth the Anchor and that within the Vail that your Lord may finde you looking for the blessed Hope of his coming We shall add no more but this that the Lord graciously granted us the priviledge to be ear witnesses that diverse of the Sermons in these Treatises for the substance of them giving allowance to such defects of the Emanuensis which cannot but bee expected ordinarily were Preached by that Servant of Christ Mr. Tillinghast and others are as they were found in his own hand-writing Some Sermons are wanting but could not be gained yet these being so useful we were unwilling the World should be without them so desiring that the blessing of Christ may accompany these labors We remain 10 Month 24th day 1656. Thy Servants for Jesus sake Samuel Petto John Manning The Contents The Promises made and fulfilled in Christ from 2 Cor. 1.20 The Text opened from page 1. to page 3. Doct. That all the Promises of God made to sinners in Jesus Christ shall most certainly bee fulfilled and accomplished ibid. That all the Promises of God run in Christ or are made to us in Christ ibid. The Promises distinguished into absolute and conditional 1 Absolute Promises p. 4 2 Conditional Promises ibid. Pro. 1 That all the Promises of God whether those that are absolute or such as are
or half that time Object 6. But I finde much unbeleef in my heart about it I cannot beleeve the fulfilling of the promise and therefore undoubtedly though God could fulfil it yet my unbeleef will hinder Ans 1. Can thy unbeleef hinder what God would do then is thy sin greater than the power of God 2 Hast thou such a promise made to thee then assure thy self thy unbeleef shall never hinder it 2 Tim. 2.12 13. If we beleeve not yet hee abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Rome 3.3 What if some did not beleeve shall their unbeleef make the faith of God without effect God forbid Was there not much unbeleef in David concerning the promise God had made to him touching the Kingdome when hee said I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Yet God made it good So in Zacharias Luke 1. when hee said Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years v. 18 19. yet God fulfilled it 3 Put case thou canst not beleeve God will perform it beleeve but thus much God is able and it shall bee fulfilled So Abraham did in two as difficult cases as thine and by this faith in the power of God obtained the promise in both Rom. 4.21 And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to perform Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him i.e. Isaac up even from the dead Object 7. But God doth seem apparently to cast me off Answ God cast off the Jews and yet he calls them again upon this very account of his love and promise Rom. 11.27 For this is my Covenant unto them whâ—â— I shall take away their sins Object 8. But I have broken covenant and promise with God and therefore God hee will break his with me Answ The good things God hath promised do not come upon the account of our Covenant Ezek. 16.61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thine elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant Object 9. But some soul will say I do not question whether God will fulfill his promise or no but here is my doubt I question whether hee will fulfill it to me such a one as I am Answ 1. Thou oughtest not to make such a question 1 Because such a question tends directly to keep thee off from beleeving which is that God commands 2 Because God hath no where said It doth not belong to thee and where God doth not exclude thou oughtest not to exclude thy self 3 Because such a question is first started in thee by the Devil whom thou oughtest not to hearken unto for it cannot bee of God because he every where calls souls to beleeving and therefore doth not put in questions to keep men from it 4 Because it is such a question as thou canst no way bee satisfied in but onely by ceasing to make it and closing with the promise 5 Because wee no where finde in Scripture that ever any of the Saints made such questions or if by reason of any distemper at any time did speak somewhat like it yet they are afterwards either blamed or do blame themselves for it Answ 2. Thy very beleeving of it makes it thine Gal. 3.22 That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Hene Heb. 11.33 Saints are said by faith to have obtained promises Quest How may I come to know when the Promise is near fulfilling Answ 1. Extraordinary pressures lying upon thee is a sign the promise is near Exod. 2.24 And God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respect unto them When the pressures of Israel were so great that they sigh and groan under their burden then God remembers his Covenant So Chap. 6.5 2 Extraordinary deadness is also a sign the promise is near Then was the promise nearest fulfilling to Abraham when in a natural way his body was dead and Sarahs womb dead 3 Extraordinary growth Act. 7.17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt Quest what doth the consideration hereof afford us as matter of comfort Answ There is comfort in this That our beleeving the promâ—â—e shall not bee in vain Thou shall not be ashamed of thy faith thy hoping trusting staying upon God Acts 13.23.32 And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children Q. What may we learn hence as our duty A. 1. Learn not to charge God foolishly my meaning is not to charge God with breaking of promise There is a proneness or aptness in the Saints themselves to charge God with breach of promise Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore And to do it is a very great and provoking evil Numb 14.34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the Land even forty days each day for a year shall yee bear your iniquities even forty years and yee shall know my breach of promise Q. But when do we charge God with breach of promise Ans 1. When because the promise tarries a great while we therefore conclude it will never come Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore 2 When consulting with carnal reason wee come to question whether the thing can be or how it can be Numb 11. vers 18. to 21. You have wept in the ears of the Lord saying who shall give us flesh to eat for it was well with us in Aegypt therefore the Lord will give you flesh and you shal eat even a whole moneth until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that yee have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Aegypt 3 When the lying of great difficulties before us make us to fly back and run from the Promise Numb 14. vers 2 3 4. the Children of Israel had the Promise going with them to Canaan but hearing of the strength of the men and Cities of that Land c. they will back again into Aegypt and so indeed do run from the Promise and this vers 34. God calls a charging him with breach of Promise 2 Wait for the fulfilling of the promise Acts 1.4 Wait for the promise of the Father which saith Christ yee have heard of me and that with patience Heb. 6.15 After he had patiently endured he obtained the promise 3 Take notice of Gods fulfilling of his promises when he doth fulfill them So Solomon did 1 King 8. vers 15. And he said blessed be the Lord God of Israel which spake with his mouth unto David my Father and hath with his
call him Father yet I will come to him as a Sinner who may in time call him Father Object 11. But thou hast made many vows and promises and resolutions and broken them all Ans This O Satan is true yet but a sinner and promises are made to sinners Object 12. But thou hast had many motions from the Spirit of God to forsake thy sins and come to God which thou hast sleighted Ans Yet but a sinner and promises are made to such Object 13. But thou hast been an open opposer of the wayes and people of God thou hast been a and jâ—erer a scoffeâ— at goodness Ans Yet I am but a sinner though my opposings were never so great for which I ever desire to bee humbled and to lye low before God that I should be such a wretch yet can they made me but a sinner and the promises are made to such Object 14. But thou hast sinned presumptuously Ans Yet but a sinner still and the promises are made to sinners Indeed were I to come to God as the least of Saints I should not dare to come but however I can come to God as a sinner and though as the greatest yet but a sinner still Object 15. But thou hast been a great neglecter of good as well as a committer of evil Ans Yet but a sinner and promises are made to sinners Object 16. But thou art an Hypocrite Ans This Satan is worst of all if true yet however I am but a sinner for an hypocrite is but a sinner and the promises are made to such I will therefore come to the promise that now I may be sincere Thus by holding this principle thou shalt more easily speedily effectually anâ—wer Satan than any other way The Life of Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 For wee walk by Faith not by Sight THe Text although included in a Parenthesis yet hath it relation to the foregoing verse being a reason of the latter part thereof Knowing this c. As if the Apostle should say This is the reason why we beleeve that whilst we are here at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord because the present life that now wee live is a life of Faith Now this wee know and are sure of that were wee present with the Lord wee should live by sight see him as hee is in the beauty and perfection of his glory but this being wanted here we conclude That whilst we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. The words are a brief description of a Christians life here and hereafter here by Faith hereafter by Sight WE WALK the terme of walking in this Text is of equal extent with that of living Rom. 1.17 The just shall live by faith Gal. 2.20 And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God I grant indeed in strict propriety of speech it is of larger extent because a man may live which doth not walk walking denotes not onely life but life in exercise but when these termes are applied to Faith as walking by faith living by faith they are of equal extent because the life of faith consists in exercise which is a mans walking by faith If a man do not walk by faith i.e. carry faith along with him throughout all that hee does or suffers doing and suffering by faith hee doth not live by faith for thus to do is properly to live by faith and take this away you take away the life of faith though a man may have the habit of faith in him yet doth hee not live by faith unless faith be active carrying him out either in doing or suffering for God which when it doth as he lives so likewise he walks by faith Doct. 1. The life of Faith is the proper life of Saints in this world 2 The proper life of Saints in the world to come is a life of Sight Of the first viz. Doctr. That the life of faith is the proper life of Saints in this world It was even in the times of the Old Testament Abraham lived by Faith See that notable place Rom. 4.17 to 22. who against hope beleeved in hope that hee might become the Father of many Nations vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when hee was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb vers 20. Hee staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in faith giving glory to God vers 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Here the Holy Ghost makes a Divine Comment upon the famous story of Abrahams beleeving and sets forth that life of faith which was in that holy man who against hope when nothing was left for Abraham to build hope upon in a way of sense but all things were at that pass that they made against his hope and endeavoured to destroy it yet then Abraham beleeved God comes to Abraham when that he was now about a hundred years old and his Wife Sarah near as many and promiseth him a Son by his wife Sarah and that in his seed should all Nations be blessed well might Abraham now say God hath promised me a Son and that in my seed shall all Nations be blessed How shall this word ever be I am now a hundred years old my body is dead to the begetting of Children my wife Sarah near as many her wombe is dead to the conceiving of Children how shall this promise be brought about But saith the Text Abraham considered not these things here was the life of faith hee did not suffer his minde to run on these things hee did not ponder them in a way of reason and sense but against hope beleeved in hope kept up his hope in a way of pure beleeving when all things to sense seemed to destroy his hope and so was strong in faith giving glory to God Hebr. 11. the Apostle reckons up throughout the Chapter many of the Worthies of the Old Testament Abel Enoch Noah c. recording their good Works and attributing all to their faith by faith they did thus and thus Abel offered Enoch was translated c. the Old Testament mentions only the bare work in many of these the Spirit of God in the New looks further into the nature of them not only the matter done but the manner of doing it records they were Gospel work and done from faith though wrought in Old Testament times so that the Saints of the Old Testament did live by faith yea Habbakkuk Chap. 2.4 saith expresly that the life of Saints or justified persons it is a life of faith so that this was the proper life of Saints in Old Testament times Come to the New we shall see still it is if in the Old when the Covenant of Grace by which this life of faith is begotten cherished was more dark and lay wrapped
up in Types and shadows then much more is it in the New wherein the Covenant of Grace is clearly revealed and Gospel Truths unvayled Hence in the New Testament we have three times for Habbakkuks once that golden sentence The just shall live by faith as Rom. 1.17 Galat. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 And Paul whose example take for all the rest to shew what every one should do verifies this in his life and practice Gal. 2.20 And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God In the carrying on of which I shall shew 1 What it is to live by faith 2 What are the principal differences betwixt the life of faith and the life of sense or a souls living by faith and by sense 3 Wherein this life of faith is to bee exercised 4 The preciousness and excellency of this life of faith Quest 1. What is it to live by faith Ans I shall only describe it to you and that with shunning of curiosity as much as may bee and so it is For a soul constantly quietly and orderly to rest upon the Promise and Power of God for the obtaining of all good expected or hoped for the removing or turning to good all evil present or feared In which description are these things considerable 1 Here is the act it self with the manner of acting which the soul that lives by faith puts forth it is an act of rest and reliance and that constantly quietly and orderly For the act it self the nature of it it is not an act of assurance but an act of reliance recumbence dependence or adherence the act of assurance is not so properly faith as sense for when my soul is assured I do see and behold the love of God and my own salvation and I do feel the same within me and this is sense Indeed I grant it that the soul which lives by faith hath oftentimes assurance and more constantly than another he puts forth more acts of assurance than a weaker beleever doth which lives by sense yet are not these the differencing acts which do discover him to live by faith rather than another Thomas put forth an act of assurance when Joh. 20.28 hee cryes out My Lord and my God yet by our Saviours own testimony vers 29. he lives by sense Because thou hast seen thou hast beleeved as if hee should say Thomas thou art such a beleever as dost live more by sense than by faith thou beleevest but it is because thou seest thy faith can go no further than thy sight but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved As to say A Christian life there is whereby a soul though hee see nothing feel nothing yet beleeves and this is the blessed life and those the most blessed which live this kinde of life Christ here puts beleevers into two ranks the first are those who though they beleeve yet live by sense grounding their faith upon something seen the second are those who beleeve and live by faith grounding faith upon things not seen Thomas is a beleever of the first rank who lived by sense and yet had assurance so that the act of assurance is not the distinguishing act betwixt that soul which lives by sense and hee which lives by faith Yea more a weak beleever or a beleever at first conversion may and it is usual for such to have acts of assurance God coming in sometimes in a word or an ordinance perswading and covincing their souls of it that hee is their Father and Heaven is theirs yet do not such live by faith for so soon as this fit or rapture is over though whilst it was upon them they would have affirmed it against all the Devils in Hell they call into question and begin to unsay whatsoever before they said Yea further as I said before these acts of assurance though it bee by beleeving I come up to them yet are they more properly sense than faith for when I have assurance I cannot so well bee said to hope for beleeve c. as I may in some sort to see injoy and possess and therefore though the soul oft puts forth such acts which lives by faith yet are not these they whereby it lives by faith nay more properly hee lives by faith when these are wanting for then and onely then I put forth pure acts of faith when I have no sense at all The act of assurance which goes along with that of adherence is not the act whereby the soul lives by faith but rather a fruit or consequence of its living by faith it lives by faith in adhering to the promise which is the first act of faith and then from this its adherence as a fruit thereof there is an assurance of Gods love maintained in the soul So that it is clear that the act it self which is put forth in our living by faith is not an act of assurance whereby I am assured of the love of God c. but an act of adherence or reliance whereby though I see or feel nothing at all in mee why I should conclude God loves mee yet finding that God hath made promises to sinners such as I am and knowing no just or sufficient ground why I should exclude my self I adhere to the word and promise of God Now for the manner of acting it is 1 Constantly The soul which lives by faith doth not for a fit and away rest and relye on the promise but constantly By constantly I do not mean that hee doth so rest upon the promise and adhere thereto as that hee never at no time or in no case starts aside Abraham himself did not so cleave to the promise but once or twice hee did a little step aside so a soul which hath attained the life of faith and lives the same may at some times and in some particular case step aside and act too much in a way of sense But by constantly I mean thus That in the general course of his life and actions he is carried on by faith and acts in a way of faith setting aside now and then some particular acts and the whole of his life and actions is guided by faith Or if you please you may restrain it to the morer part though sometimes and oft hee acts sense yet mostly hee is in beleeving and so takes this denomination of living by faith from the greater part because hee doth more live by faith than by sense So that by constantly I do not understand every particular individual act but the general course of a mans life when once hee comes to live this life or the morer part of his actings are in a way of faith Now hereby hee is distinguished from all such as rest and relye upon the promise for a fit onely and away Some there are who will adhere to the promise for a fit whilst they finde themselves so and so qualified or have such and such experiences
to see these to day or in one duty and to have them out of sight to morrow or in another It may bee to day I have a sweet heavenly spiritual frame of heart but if I ground my faith upon this perhaps to morrow I shall bee as cold and carnal as now I am spiritual and where then will my faith bee to day my heart is humble to morrow as proud as now humble to day I can love my brother let him do what hee will with me or against me I can forget all and pass by all to morrow I cannot do thus but my heart will be full of wrath grudging and revenge against him if I ground my faith on these things where will it be when these are wanting yea when instead of finding them I finde the contrary These things may encourage faith whilst it is acting but I must make none of these neither Duties Affections or Graces nor any thing within me or done by mee the ground thereof Quest What is the ground of faith in living by faith Answ Two things are laid down in Scripture as the ground of our faith viz. The promise of God and Gods power to perform the same both which together make up a full and compleat ground for the faith of the beleeving soul 1 The promise of God the word of promise is the word of faith or that which our faith first pitcheth upon in living by faith Faith must have a word or it is not able to keep up Now the word or promise that faith pitcheth upon in inabling of the soul to live by faith is 1 The naked or bare promise or to speak better the Promise nakedly considered without any thing of ours joyned with it If I would live by faith I must do thus whensoever I would act faith set by all my duties affections graces and go to the naked Promise as though I had never performed duty in my life had not any affection to any thing good nor one dram of grace in mee As Abraham as Luther saith when he went up the Mount left the Servants and Asses at the foot and carried onely Isaac the Son of the Promise with him So when any would go up to God by faith we must leave all our righteousness beneath and carry onely the promise up with us for whilst I joyn any thing of my own with the promise making the promise as it hath this of my own joyned with it the ground of my faith so soon as ever I find a want of these things and have them not to carry I faulter in beleeving Therefore in living by faith it ought to bee the special care of every Christian to keep to the bare and naked promise looking to it that hee do not joyn any thing with the promise which to do as it is a great evill in it self so hath it this evill attending of it it throws down faith and hinders the soul from living by faith 2 The free or unconditional promise There are in the Book of God two sorts of Promises 1 Some Absolute and without condition made to the worst of sinners as such 2 Some Conditional made to the Saints duties and the graces of the Spirit in them Now in living by faith I am not to make these latter sort of promises the ground of faith because the conditions required in them being in mee but weak and imperfect and at sometimes only discernable faith cannot take hold of them at all times as it ought to do to the end I might live thereby The former sort of promises then viz. those which are Absolute and without condition such as are all the promises of the New Covenant to us are the promises which I must make the ground of faith in living by faith I mean those promises which are made to sinners as such these are they I must ground my faith upon for these faith may alwayes take hold of but of the other but sometimes only because onely sometimes the conditions and qualifications required in them are discernable in the soul though there be alwayes sufficient ground for my faith in the promise made to sinners yet not in that which is made to Saints I can see and acknowledge my selfe a sinner alwayes and under that notion come to the promise but so I cannot a Saint 2 The power of God to perform the same is another part of the ground of faith If any ask why I joyn this viz. The power or ability of God together with the promise in the ground of faith I answer 1 Because the Saints in former ages in acting faith and living by it have alwayes had a special eye unto and been much upheld by the power of God Wee have two notable acts of Abrahams faith mentioned by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament the first is that wee spake of before Rom. 4. which was an act of faith Abraham put forth in reference to a Son which God had promised him hee should have by his wife Sarah in his and Sarahs old age when now in reason they were past hope of having any his own body being dead and Sarahs womb dead and this was before or about the time of the conception of Isaac Gen. 17.15 16 17. The other was an act of faith Abraham put sorth in reference to Gods fulfilling of this his promise in Isaac at that time when the promise seemed to bee dying God commanding Abraham to offer up Isaac the Son of the promise which wee have recorded Gen. 22. and repeaâ—ed Heb. 11.17 18 19. Now in either of these wee finde Abrahams faith did ground not onely on the promise but power of God also Rom. 4.21 And being fully perswâ—ded that what he had promised hee was able also to perform Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead So Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And the three Children Dan. 3.17 Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace 2 Because I finde not onely Saints grounding their faith on the power of God but the Holy Ghost oftentimes laying down the power of God as a great ground of the faith and comfort of Gods people as Eph. 3.20 when the Apostle had put up many spiritual petitions in the behalf of the Ephesians he concludes Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Pitching their faith for the obtaining of these things on the ability of God So Heb. 7.25 Hee is able to save the ability of Christ to save is laid down as a ground for our faith in coming to him the last words of the verse Hee ever liveth to make intercession are but the reason of the ability Jude v. 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling Saints are comforted against
the grace of God in me and so hee saith in nothing hee came behinde the chiefest Apostles yet saith I am nothing So concerning uprightness of conversation hee walked before God in all good conscience knew nothing by himself yet how humble yet hereby am I not justified and not that I can do any thing of my self yea hee saith hee was the chiefest of sinners hee seeth it is not wrought by his own proper industry but by the grace of God therefore he giveth him all the glory 3 That Sanctification which is wrought by natural conscience is grievous and irksome because it is against the will it is a forced holiness hee is constrained to it It is his will to sin but conscience will not suffer him his will is to do nothing at all in the service of God if hee might go to heaven but his conscience puts him in hell if hee doth nothing and so it is grievous to him But that Sanctification which is though faith that is pleasant to the soul That that is natural is pleasant God puts the New nature within and then it is in some measure natural to bee holy to avoid sin to do the will of God Therefore see how differenly wicked men and godly men speak of the wayes of God Job 21.14 Sec the language of wicked men they say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Here is the language of wicked men they cannot help it for their lives but they shall have some knowledge of the wayes of God the Law of Nature teacheth something of Gods wayes and they have his word and that tells something more O say they Depart we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes we are troubled at the knowledge of such things it torments us this is the language of wicked men Then again Jer. 23. v. 33. we read of a generation of men that heard the word of God but it was so tedious that they call it a Burden they come to the Prophet and ask What it the burden of the Lord It was grown into a Proverb the wayes of God were so tedious and irksome But now do but see how Godly men speak of the wayes of God See what David saith Psal 19.7 8 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart vers 9 10. The judgements of the Lord are righteous altogether more to be desired than gold than much fine gold sweeter than the honey and honey comb They do not cry Depart we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes they do not call them a burden So Psal 119. vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver vers 130. How sweet are thy words to my taste sweeter than honey See how David speaketh of the will of God the wise man telleth us Prov. 13.19 It is an abomination to fools to depart from evill It is an abomination to depart from sin it is that hee hates The fool that is the wicked man It may bee hee doth depart from some sins his conscience makes him depart from some sin fear of Hell the terrors of the Law but it is an abomination hee may depart from it but hee hates it with his very life not sin but the departing from sin that hee must part with his drunkenness the Drunkard would fain have his cups and the Adulterer his Quean but his conscience so terrifieth him that he dares not have them but departs from them but hee hateth the departing from them But see a godly man it is his delight to part from them Psal 119. vers 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold upon me but thy Commandements are my delight vers 47. I delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved A hundred and twenty times in this Psalm the Psalmist useth such phrases as express his affection unto the wayes of God I delight in thy Law I love thy testimonies 4 That Sanctification that ariseth from natural conscâ—ence that is most when conscience is most unquâ—et Wee read that Ahab humbled himself but never but when his conscience was troubled But that Sanctification which ariseth from faith is then most when the soul is most quiet If at any time the soul is least in duties of Sanctification it is when the conscience is most unquiet 5 Lastly That Sanctification that ariseth from natural conscience makes a man an enemy to all these that are truly and spiritually sanctified Ishmael the son of the Bond-woman persecuteth the son of the Free-woman So all the stock of Ishmael they that are sanctified with an outward Sanctification will persecute those that are truly sanctified Therefore there were none such great enemies to Christ as the Scribes and Pharisees that had outward Sanctification they were they that stirred up persecution they were the great and worst enemies to true Sanctification But that poor soul that is truly spiritually sanctified is a friend to all those that are truly sanctified they love them the more the move Sanctification they can see in them the more of the Image of God they can see upon any souls the more they love them The life of Faith in expectation 1 Cor. 5.7 For wee walk by faith and not by sight THe observation that we are upon is this That the life of Faith is the proper life of Saints in this world We are speaking to this question What those things are which a Christian is to live by faith in I have told you that the phrase of living by faith is taken in Scripture in respect of Justification Sanctification Expectation and Perseverance we have spoken of the two former now of the third the life of Faith relating to a Christians Expectation a Christian is to live upon God in way of expectation to wait upon God he is to expect much in way of faith That wee are to live by faith in this respect is clear from that testimony of Habakkuk in the second Chapter and the third vers For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak at the fourth vers But the just shall live by his faith by his faith the time whilst the Vision is delayed he lives by his faith expecting much while much is delayed expecting the fulfilling of the Promises while it is delayed all the time that much is delayed all that time of a Christian he is to live by faith the Scripture tells us that Abraham beleeved God he had a promise and it was delayed year after year hee looks for the promise and for the performance thereof and yet delayed Abraham looked for the mercy in way of faith and the fulfilling of the promise was made to him but hee must first wait for it In the handling of these things wee shall shew you 1 What those things are that a Christian waits for
vers 37. Hee that shall come will come and will not tarry So in Chap. 9. vers 28. To them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation What a looking waiting and expectation for Christs second coming in the Spirit Rev. the last Chap. v. 17. The Spirit and the Bride saith come here is coming waiting longing the Spirit cries come and the Bride cryes come the Spirit in the hearts of the people of God cryes come waiting for Christs coming yea this is made a character of a Christian and a great work of the Gospel to wait for Christs coming 1 Thess 1.9 10. They themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you And to wait for his Son from heaven It is the character given of the Thessalonians a waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ and a great Gospel-work to wait for Christs coming Thus what it is that Christians wait and expect for Secondly How the life of faith acts or how faith is helpful to a soul in this business of a Christians Expectation and waiting First Faith or the life of faith it ever seeks out some promise upon which it may ground an Expectation of that mercy that it waits for I say the life of faith it ever looks out some Promise upon which it may ground an expectation of that mercy it waits for Faith it must have its word and therefore the soul that doth by faith expect and wait for any mercy it ever looks out for a word and promise goes ever to the word to see what ground it hath to stand upon and to wait for such a mercy the life of faith does turn over the Bible and looks out the promise findes out the promise of that mercy never rests till it have a promise and then it pitches its standard upon the promise and there it stands and looks up to heaven waiting for the accomplishment of that promise When Daniel did expect the Deliverance of the people of Israel out of the Babylonish Captivity he did ground it upon a promise The Prophet Jeremy had foretold it should continue seventy years now Daniel goes to the promise and when they were expired prayes unto God for the deliverance and upon this word of promise seeks God and beleeves it indeed and expects it from the promise Secondly As Faith doth cause a soul to seek out a promise so having found the promise does not limit God to any time or way for the fulfilling of this promise Another soul that doth not live by faith if so bee that hee doth wait upon God at all yet hee will limit God and tye up God to his own time and way Israel limited the holy One Psal 78.41 and hee that expects much in the way of faith that soul will not limit God to his time and way if I have it not to day I can wait no longer no that soul will wait upon God Gods time as David sayes Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand So sayes a soul Times and seasons of mercy are in thy hands if I should have it now to day I should bee glad and rejoyce and bless the Lord for it if thou dost withhold it My times are in thy hands yet I desire to wait no reason that I should speak against the Lord and entertain hard thoughts of God if thou withhold the mercy yet I will wait for it Take thy own time O Lord. Then it doth not limit God to any way of performance A soul that expects mercy in way of faith it doth not limit God to any way so far as concerns Expectation it is not the way of faith to limit God to any way An ungodly man will many times tye God to wayes But a soul that doth by faith expect a mercy that soul leaves God to his own way We read of Moses once or twice tying God up to his own way When the people were in great streights Exod. 14 at the red Sea 14 15. vers The Lord shall sight for you and yet shall hold your peace And the Lord said unto Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward Moses at the 13. verse goes and layes out a way and that was to stand still and God would destroy their enemies and that was not Gods way hee goes to God and cryes unto him that hee would come with some immediate hand and destroy them from heaven this was Moses way and now Gods way was that they should go forward and pass through the Sea at the 16 vers But lift up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the Sea and divide it and the Children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea Now Moses bid them to stand still but God bids them to go for ward and so they did did not ty up God to his own way And so at another time wee finde Moses limiting of God Numb 11. for want of flesh the Children of Israel murmured well sayes the Lord Therefore the Lord will give you flesh and yee shall eat yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes nor twenty dayes but even a whole month 18 19 20 vers And Moses said at the 21. vers The people amongst whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat an whole month shall the flicks and herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them Moses thought of no way unless their flocks were killed or the fish of the sea to bee gathered together and Moses thought this the way and so prescribes God a way So a soul so far as it is waiting upon God and not in faith it will prescribe God a way but a soul that doth expect in faith for a mercy it will not bee prescribing God a way So Abraham hee leaves God to his own way God bids him offer up his Son hee doth not say Why my Son why how will thy promise bee accomplished and made good art not thou faithfull Abraham leaves God to his own way and beleeved that God could finde a way for the fulfilling of the promise and did not limit God to any way a soul that lives by faith waits upon God for the fulfilling of the promise and doth not limit the Lord to any time or way of his own Thirdly The life of faith in our Expectation as it doth cause the soul to look out to the promise and having the promise doth not tye or limit the Lord to his own time or way for the accomplishment of it so it doth perswade the soul though it know not the time when yet a time there is wherein the promise shall be fulfilled and that mercy I wait for shal be given in It doth perswade the soul that there is a
fear of falling away because God is able to keep from falling and Rom. 14.4 assured that they shall stand because God is able to make them stand and Rom. 11.23 The Apostle speaking of the conversion of the Jews layes down this as a ground for us to beleeve they shall bee grafted in again because God is able to graft them in again 3 Because I finde distrust of the ability of God is in Scripture branded for unbeleef and that of the highest nature Psal 78. v. 19 20 21 22. They said Can God furnish a table in the wilderness Can hee give bread also Can hee provide flesh for his people Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth vers 22. Because they beleeved not in God and trusted not in his salvation 4 Because the promise alone without a consideration of the power of God to perform the same is not a sufficient ground for faith If a man should promise me a thousand pound I must consider his ability as well as his promise before I can upon good ground beleeve that ever I shall have so much of him for if he be not able hee cannot give it and so his promise is nothing So though I have a promise for such and such a mercy yet if I do not consider Gods ability to perform this promise as well as the promise there will not bee a ground sufficient to make mee beleeve For what if the heart object as once Israel did True here is a promise but can God perform what he promiseth if the soul say Yea he is able then the power of God presently comes into consideration and I have that as well as the promise for the ground of my faith if the soul cannot beleeve this That God is able then the promise alone will not perswade it neither indeed can it and so it is not ground sufficient to cause it to beleeve for the mercy So that both these viz. the promise of God and Gods power to perform the same must go together to make up the ground of faith When I would act faith I must first go to the promise and there behold and consider what God hath freely promised to such a poor miserable creature as I am and work this upon my heart that this word of God is a truth when I have done so I am to endeavour to bring up my heart to beleeve the power of God viz. That God is able and All-sufficient to fulfill this promise whatsoever seems to bee in the way or to hinder the same Now although we are ready to think that this is a very casie thing to beleeve the power of God and that wee have no doubt at all thereabouts yet assuredly it is a most hard and difficult thing and I am perswaded that the greatest part of our unbeleef springs from hence a distrust or questioning of the power of God I have known one as confident as another that hee did beleeve the power of God and could not think otherwise who yet when hee came to follow up his doubts to the first head found it far otherwise that the greater part of them did arise hence I have many times thought the question hath been onely thus Will God do this for mee change this heart kill this corruption c and could I bee satisfied in this I have thought all my doubts would bee over but when I have endeavoured to search to the bottome I have found the state of the question to bee much altered and heard a secret whispering there Can God do such a thing Can this cursed heart of mine be changed Is it possible that such and such corruptions that I have been so long contending with and used all means against and are yet as strong and lively as ever should ever bee subdued Hence comes our unbeleef for a great part of it therefore would we live by faith as wee must keep to the true ground which is the promise of God and his power to perform it so likewise to the full ground i.e. we must act faith in both viz. the promise and power of God And me thinks when I ponder upon this that the power of God as well as the promise is the ground of our faith I do not at all wonder why there is so much unbeleef and so little of the life of faith in most of us because there is an opinion in all our hearts that it is a very easie thing to beleeve the power of God as if we had such abundance of faith that that which ever hath been and was from Abrahams time to Pauls the highest and most noble act of faith as if wee read Scripture wee shall finde this of beleeving the power of God ever was and hath been were easiest to us as if that which declared Abraham strong in faith were now a thing common and from taking it for granted wee do the thing wee take no pains with our hearts hereabouts And therefore it is no wonder wee lye in unbeleef so much as wee doe whilst wee sleightly pass over and carelesly neglect one of the principall grounds of faith 3 The third thing in our description of living by faith is the extent of this living by faith it extends it self to all good expected or hoped for to all evils present or feared whether relating to the life present or that which is to come The natural way for the obtaining of mercies preventing of judgements it s to run to our own righteousness our amending and doing but now the Christians way is the exercise of this life of faith I obtain all good by faith I prevent or remove all evill by faith Rom. 9.31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law The Jews found a want of righteousness the Law that the Lord gave them by Moses convinced them of much sin and unrighteousness they see themselves sinners the Law terrifies them conscience gripes them what now do they do Why see v. 32. presently they run to the Law that bids them amend their wayes do thus and thus this they do and yet as far from obtaining what they want or removing their fears as ever because they sought not in a way of faith The Gentiles likewise they have the same wants and ground of fear the Jews had What do they Why this they do They hear a message a glorious message of one Jesus Christ which was crucified at Jerusalem through whose death poor sinners beleeving in him should obtain righteousness and salvation hereupon they presently disclaiming any worthiness in themselves or any thing they could do flye to Jesus Christ by faith and so obtain righteousness vers 30. The Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith They get their great want supplied their conscience truly pacified
and all this by faith Thus much of this third thing in the general in the particulars it falls to be handled in that question wherein the life of faith is to bee exercised Quest 2. What are the principal differences betwixt the life of Faith and the life of Sense There is a great deal of difference between these two lives though both of them bee found in the Saints And what differences wee speak of are not for the discovery of a mans condition whether he be gracious or ungracious but onely the thing in hand is to discover whether wee live by faith or sense Both these lives are incident to Saints therefore if thou findest thou dost not live by faith do not conclude thou art a reprobate a hypocrite thou mayest bee a gracious soule and yet live by sense Ans 1. The life of faith doth ever ground on something without the life of sense doth ever ground on something within either his own desires or affections or some other thing but the life of faith is begotten and nourished by something without as the word of God the promise of God Look what Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples that is the continual language of faith Jesus Christ said Joh. 14 19. Because I live yee shall live also Not because you have good desires good affections but because Christ liveth this is the language of faith because the word of God liveth the Covenant of God liveth therefore I shall live also Not because something in mee lives not because my affections lives not because my obedience lives but because Jesus Christ liveth the Word of God the Promises of God live therefore I shall live also Sense ever draweth conclusions from something within it looketh at these two things either the actings of the regenerate or unregenerate part from the acting of the one concludeth the condition good from the acting of the other concludeth the condition bad Faith observeth the acting of these as well as sense but draweth conclusions from neither The Apostle Rom. 7. setteth forth the acting of the regenerate and unregenerate part What I do I allow not what I hate that do I. Hee setteth before him the actings of both the old and new man the one willeth to do good and hateth to do evill the one delighteth in the Law of God consenteth to the Law of God that it is good yea serveth the Law of God the other serveth the Law of sin that carrieth captive makes him cry O wretched man that I am that is being captived by the body of death but Paul when he commeth to draw Conclusions of his condition doth not fixe his eye upon any of these doth not say Blessed be God though corruption be in mee I have a will to do good though sin be in me yet blessed bee God I hate it though I cannot obey the Law of God as I should yet my minde consents therefore there is no condemnation he doth not say so neither doth hee say though there bee some good desires in me That good I would I do not and that evil I would not that do I I am carnal sold under sin therefore I am a reprobate therefore there is condemnation No but the Aposte Paul when he cometh to make up the Conclusion hee taketh his eye off both and pitcht it upon something without i.e. Jesus Christ v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Pitching his eye upon Christ he can conclude Rom. 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ He saw the actings of the Old and New man but taketh his eye off both and fixeth it upon Christ and then concludeth So faith ever groundeth upon something without 2 Cor. 12.17 Where he speaketh of his buffeting by the Messenger of Satan and his praying against it and a gracious answer hee received from God even in that thing here was good and bad here was bad a thorn in the flesh troubling Paul here was good Paul praying against it yea Paul receiving a special remarkable answer from God in prayer Observe Paul concludes neither from the one nor the other he doth not say I have a thorne in the flesh I am a wretched man there is no hope of such a one as I buffeted with such a corruption He doth not say though sin rage I have a praying heart yea I have received a gracious answer therefore I comfort my self I am the Childe of God No Paul when he cometh to conclude he doth not conclude from his praying hard nor the bare giving in of the answer but the substance of the answer given in that was that which carried Paul out of himself to lay hold upon the grace of God and strength of Christ most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me He doth not say I will glory that I have a praying heart an answer from God no in the power of God His faith pitcheth upon something without whereas those that live by sense go quite contrary Differ 2. The life of sense doth look much to means for the obtaining every Mercy the life of faith looketh above and beyond means When God told Moses that he would feed the people of Israel with flesh not for a day but for a whole moneth Moses though he lived by faith yet in that particular acting too much by sense said What Lord shall all the Flocks and Herds be slaine Numb 11.21 the people are six hundred thousand foot-men and thou hast said I will give them flesh Moses looks upon means how shall they be fed shall wee kill all the Flocks have all the Fishes of the Sea gathered together Moses eye was upon means Gods was not so So when Jesus Christ told his Disciples hee would feed the multitude they presently query Where shall we have bread what five thousand souls and we have but five Loaves where shall we have bread they look presently at means So a soul that is living by sense is looking at means if he hath means he can beleeve if not he cannot O had I my liberty as once I had opportunity as once I could beleeve if not hee cannot beleeve The life of sense grounds much upon means but the life of faith beleeveth above means Abraham it is said he beleeved when his body was dead and Sarahs wombe dead the means dead Habakkuk speaking of faith speaketh of beleeving when the vision is hidden when there is nothing to be seen of means nothing in the eye of sense Hab. 2. chap. 3.17 18. Although the Figtree blossome not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Here is the life of faith joy in God in the want of means yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Differ 3. Thirdly the life of faith the more opposition it meeteth with the stronger it groweth but the life of sense the more opposition it meeteth with the weaker it groweth The VVoman of Canaan cometh to Christ and
certain ground to conclude thou art none of them why shouldest thou refuse Reason saith Why not thou But now a soul that liveth by faith that liveth above reason when it can see nothing in reason to beleeve What was there in reason for Abraham to ground his faith upon when hee was an hundred years old that hee should have a childe And the three Children when going to the fiery furnace to say Our God will deliver us Faith out-mounts Reason Faith will apprehend safety and deliverance where reason can apprehend nothing but ruine A soul that liveth by faith beleeveth himself to be a Son of God and justified when many times if one cometh to him and asketh why hee beleeveth He is able to give no other reason but this because hee doth beleeve because God hath inabled him to beleeve the promise is to him and saith the soul I finde in some measure through the grace of God I am able to beleeve to hang upon it Differen 7. The life of faith reasoneth it self in all its reasonings to God the life of sense reasoneth it self from God There is no greater difference between a man that liveth by faith and sense than in the reasonings Take a soul that liveth by faith lay what premises you will before him yet he will draw up arguments to draw himself to God Tell him his sins are great O then mercy will bee great in pardoning them Pardon my sins for they are great Psal 25.11 Tell him afflictions are upon him for his sins if so then God is a Father I do not say Every one that is afflicted God is a Father to but I tell you how one that liveth by faith will reason himself to God by it and turn the Devils weapons upon himself If corrected then a childe so the Apostle reasoneth If you endure chastisement God dealeth with you as with Sons Heb. 12.7 Hee maketh it an argument to reason himself to God Whatever you can set before him hee will reason himself to God by it Tell it that it hath no righteousness of its own O then I have the more need to go to Christ But a soul that liveth by sense lay never such comforts precious truths before him that anothers soul would reason himself Heaven-ward from yet hee will reason himself Hell-ward by them Lay never so much of the unsearchable riches of Christ before him yet hee will from all reason himself from God Differen 8. The life of sense maketh a man principally industrious in the matters of his own comfort and salvation but the life of faith principally in Gods glory Take a soul that liveth by sense the great Query is What shall I do to bee saved to attain Jesus Christ pardon of sin assurance of pardon They are good Questions I wish all had them But such a soul doth not finde much time for acting for God because all his time is taken up in acting for himself how shall I do for pardon to get the love of God This is usual in new beginners and others so long as they live by sense as Peters Converts and the Gaoler But a soul that liveth by faith is chiefly industrious for Gods glory this we may see in the Apostle Paul though hee was not careless of his salvation yet hee doth seem to overlook it set it by 2 Tim. 1 11 12. Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle and a Teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day As if hee had said I am so taken up with the work of God of conversion and building up poor souls that I run all hazards suffer all things for the Elects sake O but will some say Paul what will you do for your self for your own soul Will you leave that at sixe and sevens O no I would no have you think so this I do I commit that to God I say Lord do thou take the care of the salvation of a poor creature Lord I commit that to thee and trust that with thee I desire to do thy work Rom. 9. v. 1 2 c. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing mee witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh How exceedingly is hee carried out after the conversion of the Jews it wil be a glorious time Paul was so desirous of it that God might have much glory that he seemeth to forget himself If the Jews be called the whole world shall bee filled with the glory of God and I did not care what became of me though I were accursed And that the Apostle meaneth as he said that hee did prefer the glory of God which hee saw should have much advantage by the conversion of the Jews before his own salvation the Apostle averreth it with many circumstances I say the truth and lye not my conscience bearing mee witness Surely hee cometh to utter some strange thing that few will credit therefore hee saith I speak the truth which clearly argueth that the Apostle was to speak some strange thing that they that should read or hear would hardly beleeve it was true So a soul that liveth by faith is principally industrious about the glory of God I do not speak it as that I have attained but that the Saints as Paul had attained I come now to the next Question Quest 3. Wherein is this life of Faith to bee exercised Answ In handling of this I shall shew 1 The things themselves whereabouts faith is to bee exercised 2 How faith in those persons that live by faith acts or what faith doth in either of these Quest 1. What are the things themselves whereabouts faith is to be exercised Ans Concerning this I told you in general that this living by faith extends it self as far and wide as our necessities wants fears or doubts stretch themselves to all good expected and hoped for to all evil present or feared for the procuring of the one and the averting or removing of the other in so large a field should I gather up all particulars I might tire my selfe and you I shall therefore draw things into as narrow a compass as conveniently I can This phrase of living by faith I do not finde in all the Scripture to bee used but five times once in the Old Testament as Han. 2.4 and four times in the New viz. Rom. 1.17 Gal. 2.20 Chap. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 Now in these five places it is taken as it seems to me four several wayes 1 As it relates to a Christians Justification Rom. 1.17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just
what those things are that a Christian expects by faith 2 How Faith acts the soul in this business of expectation 3 Why we must live by faith in this respect 4 What manner of waiting that is that comes in beleeving And so apply it First Those things that a Christian waits for and expects are many but a Christian doth by saith wait for something more especially that he doth expect and wait for in a special manner as 1 The fulfilling of Promises if the Lord hath made a promise to the soul or it the soul hath been made to wait upon a word of promise now he waits upon God beleevingly to see the accomplishment of this promise David had a word of promise from the Lord and waits upon the Lord for the accomplishment of it Psal 119.49 ver Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope hee had a word and grounds his hope upon it waits upon God for the fulfilling of it So we read of Simeon that just and holy man spoken of in the second of Luke vers 26. he had a word that he should not dye until he saw Jesus Christ in the Flesh and he waited for the consolation of Israel he had a word and waited for it at the 25. and 26. verses A word was given in to him and it was revealed to him by the Spirit that he should see Christ and hee waited for the accomplishment of it so a poor soul when it hath any promise given in by the Lord or is enabled to take hold on any promise and meets with a promise sutable to its condition a soul that lives by faith waits upon God for the fulfilling of this promise 2 Again another thing that a soul waits for is the return of his prayers Prayers are the great ventures of a Christian according as a soul speeds or not speeds in these so he is either rich or poor these being a Christians great ventures he is waiting for their return to see what comes home and who comes richly loaden or not this in Psalm 85.4 5. ver the Psalmist having been earnestly praying to God Turn us O God of our salvation wilt thou be angry with us for ever shew us thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation the Psalmist having been praying hard he waits upon God for an answer at the eighth vers I will hear what God the Lord will speak he had been praying and looks up now for an answer I will attend now for an answer for he will speak peace to his people and to his Saints I am sure I shall have an answer of peace and I will hear I will stand waiting for an answer And so the Prophet Habbak 1.2 How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy one c. all the chapter is prayer now in the beginning of the second Chap. Habakkuk stands upon the Watch Tower to see if any answer cometh at the first vers I will stand upon my watch and will watch to see what hee will say unto me hee had been praying and now hee would stand upon his watch tower The watch towers are places in Cities where some stand to discry an enemies coming so in the Kings Jehu's coming was discryed by a Watchman in 2 King 9.17 And there stood a Watch man on the tower of Jezerel and he spied the company of Jehu as he came so Habakkuk here hee had been at prayer and hee went up to his Watch-tower to discry the coming of an answer and waits for the return of his prayer A poor soul that is another thing he waits for for the returns of prayer such a soul says I have prayed and I will wait for it as a wise Merchant sends out a Venture takes care of it and hearkens out for it and when it comes home hee looks for his gains c. So a Christian when he trafficks for Heaven he does not let it go and never mindes it but inquires after it and looks for his gaine and returns and thus he does wait for the return of his prayer that is the second thing 3 Again another thing a soul waits for is the return of Gods countenance it is not always Sun-shine here below sometimes Clouds doth interpose to hinder the Sun beams and cause darkness and obscurity so it is not always Sun-shine with a poor soul sometimes Clouds get in between the countenance of God and a poor soul and hinders the comfort of a poor soul and sometimes when it is so and it is not as it hath been formerly the soul waits then for the return of his countenance Psal 130.5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning he waits and he waits and waits more for God than they that watch for the morning Where was he why hee was in the depths as in a dungeon and could not see the light of Gods countenance in a dark condition and there waits and O when shall I see God again and so likewise at another time when the countenance of God was hidden from him and much dejected in Psal 42.5 6 7. O my soul why art thou disquieted within me trust in God who is the help of thy countenance and thy God and he puts his soul in waiting upon God for I shall yet praise him and behold him who is the help of my countenance and my God 4 Again as for the return of Gods countenance so he waits likewâ—se for the Churches deliverance that is another thing when the Church is under any trial or affliction in captivity he waits for the deliverance of the Church thus in Habakkuk The just shall live by his faith when the people were in Babilonish Captivity they lived by saith for the return of their Captivity so Gods people are called Watchmen in Isaiah Isa 62.6 I have set Watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem What do they watch for for the deliverance of Zion they wait for the prosperity of Gods people and the deliverance of the Church of God 5 Another thing is The ruine of Gods enemies as they wait for the prosperity of the Church of God so for the ruine of Gods enemies Zeph. 3.8 Therefore wait yee upon me saith the Lord that I may assemble the Nations the Kingdomes to pour upon them my indignation anger jealousie God hath a design to gather together his enemies to their ruine and destruction Wait upon mee untill I gather them together and till they bee destroyed 6 Again one more The soul waits for the Lords second coming that 's a thing the soul may wait for Heb. 10.38 The just shall live by faith Now look in the former words and hee shall live by faith in the expectation of Christs second coming