seeth that hee doth much of the second Table and little of the first and the hypocrite againe doth much of the first and little of the second let them consider that faith enableth a man to haue respect to all Gods Commandements it workes a generall change And as this is true for the substance so it is also for degrees for if God accepts onely effectuall faith then so much efficacie and so much working as you finde in any man so much faith there is If there be no workes there is no faith if the workes be few the faith is a languishing faith if the workes be many the faith is great and strong That is the second Vse wee should make to learne to judge aright of our selues and others Thirdly if it be onely an effectuall faith which GOD accepteth then this justifieth our Doctrine against the Papists that say we teach that onely faith justifieth and require no good workes I say we teach that not a naked but an effectuall faith doth it So that all the difference betweene them and vs is this we agree both in this that workes are necessarily required to saluation that no man shall see GOD without them without purenesse of heart and integrity of life We say Except men mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit they shall dye and there is no condemnation to them that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit That is there is a necessity put vpon men to walke after the Spirit in this we agree but here is the difference They say that faith and workes both are required to justifie we say that nothing is required but faith and that workes follow faith wee say faith indeed is working and produceth â—uch effects so that whereas they say faith and workes we say faith only but it must be an effectuall faith a working faith If they object that place of Iames wee are not justified by faith but by workes I answer that there is a double justification there is a justification of the person so was Abraham justified by faith as Paul expresseth it Rom. 4. But then there is a second justification a justification of the faith that Abraham had he justified his faith by his works he shewed that hee had not a dead faith a liuelesse faith a faith without workes but that he had a liuely effectuall faith for he added workes to his faith his workes wrought together with his faith So that if the question be Whether Abraham was an hypocrite his workes justified him that hee was none If the question be Whether Abraham was a sinner his faith justifieth him and shewes that he was made righteous through faith So there is a justification of the person and a justification of the faith of the person as when a man is said to justifie such an action or such a cause the meaning is not that he will make that just which was vnjust before but he will make it appeare to be just so Abraham was declared to haue a justifying faith by that power and efficacie it wrought in him in offering vp his sonne Againe it is objected out of that place that by workes faith is made perfect therefore it seemes that faith is nothing alone if workes bee not joyned with it I answer that when it is said that faith is made perfect by workes the meaning is that faith is made good by workes the perfection of faith is declared by workes As one that professeth that he hath an Art and that he is able to doe this and that if he doe the worke wherein his Art is shewed if he make any artificiall worke by that he maketh good his Art Or as when we say these Trees are good because they haue sappe in them they are not dead Trees Now the Tree is made perfect by the fruit so faith by workes is made perfect Not that workes put life into faith the sap must first be in the Tree and then it bringeth forth fruit so there must first be a life in faith and then it bringeth forth workes So that when we say that faith is made perfect by workes the meaning is that workes declare faith to be right as the fruit doth declare the Tree to haue sap Againe if it be objected as it is by them that workes and loue c. are to faith as the soule is to the body for as the body without the soule is dead so faith without workes is dead Hence they gather that faith is as the body and that loue and workes are as the soule therefore faith justifieth not but workes To this I answer They take the comparison amisse For the scope of it is this as a soulelesse body is nothing worth it is dead and no man regardeth it so is a workelesse faith The meaning is not that workes are as the soule and faith as the body but as a man when he lookes vpon a carkasse and seeth no life in it no pulse no motion no sence such a body is nothing worth so when we see a faith without motion that hath no pulses that hath no expression of life in it such a faith is of no worth But you will say if we be not justified by workes to what end are good workes required I answer there is end enough there are motiues enow Is not loue a ground strong enough to bring forth good workes When this objection was made to Paul Rom. 6. If Grace abound why may wee not sinne the more for Grace aboundeth as sinne aboundeth he might easily haue answered Except you doe good workes you cannot be saued but he saith How can we that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein That is when a man is once in CHRIST there will be such a change wrought in him that hee shall finde CHRIST killing sinne in him and hee shall be raised againe to newnesse of life insomuch that he must of necessity doe it there will be loue in his heart that will set him aworke that will constraine him therefore saith he are you not baptized into Christs death That is when a man is in CHRIST he is dead to sinne as CHRIST dyed for him so that though there be no such motiue as for a man to get Heauen by his workes yet vpon the taking of Christ there is a loue planted in the heart there is a change wrought in the heart so that there is an aptnesse in it to doe good workes so that now a man delighteth in the Law of God concerning his inward man he desires nothing more then to be employed in it it is his meate and drinke to doe the will of GOD. Is not this enough to moue vs Againe though good workes be not required for justification yet this may be a motiue GOD rewards vs he chastens and afflicts vs according to our workes 1 Pet. 1.15
what sincerity hath appeared in our life and if we finde that weake we commonly conclude that our faith is weake also and so the weaknesse of our sanctification weakneth our assurance but wee should goe another way to worke When we finde a weaknesse we should go to the promises and strengthen our assurance for there be two wayes to increase assurance One is by the promises the sure Word on which faith is built The second is by the fruites of sanctification in our selues Now when we finde these languishing we should goe to the first and the other will be increased by it Faith worketh in you sanctification and maketh you to beleeue the promise as exercise begets health and we are made fit by health for exercise or as acts beget habits and habits are meanes to exercise those acts So assurance grounded vpon the promise it enableth and enlargeth and increaseth sanctification and sanctification increaseth assurance but first see faith and then the other as fruites of it If you finde a weaknesse in sanctification labour to strengthen your faith and that will increase it for that is the ground of all FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The third Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. IN the fifth place If nothing please GOD if he accepts of nothing but what comes from effectuall faith then we should learne hence to iudge aright of our workes for what workes soeuer wee doe they please GOD no further then hee seeth and findeth some faith in them The Vse before shewed vs how to iudge aright of our faith this teacheth you how to iudge aright of all the workes you doe that you doe not mistake in them For men are very apt to iudge amisse of what they doe in this case There be many workes that haue a specious and faire shew in the view of men and perhaps in your owne opinion But if there be not faith in those workes GOD regards them not as Iames 2.22 when Abraham did that great worke in offering his sonne which was the greatest worke that euer hee did and the greatest worke that is recorded in all the Booke of GOD yet saith the Apostle there Do ye not obserue how faith wrought with his workes That is to say If faith had not set him on worke to doe this if faith had not beene the Spring to set this wheele on going GOD had not accepted this So doe whatsoeuer you will further then faith works with you in all that you doe GOD regards it not Therefore you shall obserue in Christs answer to the Woman of Canaan in her earnest prayer in her comming to Christ her fighting and striuing against the Diuell her tendernesse to her Daughter her holding out so long as she did all this Christ lookes ouer But when he comes to giue his censure of her worke of her carriage Oh Woman great is thy faith saith he That was it that set a great price vpon her worke Matth. 15.26 27. So take the most excellent the greatest worke that can be performed GOD sets them at no higher a price then hee findes faith in them he weighes them by that so much faith as is in them so farre he accepts them so farre he regards them Looke in Heb. 11. you shall finde many glorious workes set downe All the great workes that Sampson did all the workes that Dauid did the works that Gedeon did the workes that Baruc did the workes that Moses did and so along you shall see there that there was nothing in all these workes that was regarded but their faith all is imputed to faith And therefore when you goe about any thing labour to see faith set you aworke and know that as much faith as there is in any worke so much GOD regards it and no further Iacob had done many good things that pleased GOD yet GOD when he would put a marke of his fauour vpon him when he would call him Israel when he would change his name it was for that great worke of faith when he prayed all night when hee would not giue ouer when he would not let him goe when hee preuailed with God by faith now saith God thy name shall be called Israel As if he should say Now I will put a name of honour vpon thee Why so Not because there was more in that worke simply considered as it was a worke but because there was more faith in it And it must needes be so for GOD doth not as men doe who accept the giuer for the gift If a man come to you with a great gift you will accept his person for it But GOD accepts the gift for the giuers sake though the gift be neuer so small if the giuer be such as beleeues in him if his affections be right if he doe it out of a right ground that is if he doe it out of a ground of faith he is accepted whatsoeuer it be Indeed otherwise whatsoeuer we doe we may call it by our owne name we may say he is a patient man or he is a temperate man or these are workes of Justice or workes of temperance But we can neuer call it godlinesse except it rise from faith except it come from this ground because indeed it is not done to God Marke it I say further then a man doth a thing out of faith hee doth it not to GOD. For to doe a thing out of faith is nothing else but when out of perswasion of GODS loue to me I doe this thing meerely for his sake whom I haue chosen to whom I giue my selfe one that I know loues mee and therefore though there were no reward for it I would serue him This is a worke of faith Now I say this is properly godlines And therfore in 2 Pet. 1. when the Apostle had named Patience and Temperance lest wee should mistake as if hee should say There be many Vertues of this nature amongst men that belong not to GOD. Therefore saith he Adde Godlinesse that is Let it be such as becomes a godly man to doe Godlinesse is that which is done to GOD such things and such qualities as haue an eye and respect to him such things please him What if a man should doe neuer so much if it please not GOD it is lost labour It is said Heb. 11.6 that Henoch pleased God Marke how the Apostle reasons saith hee without faith it is impossible to please God therefore in that he is said to please GOD it must needes be through faith You know it is said Rom. 13. whatsoeuer a man doth if it be not of faith and loue GOD lookes not to it you know there can be no loue without faith Consider but how it is with your selues If a man should doe any thing for you you know hee may haue many other ends hee may doe you many a great good turne yet if you be perswaded this comes not out of
should be offered to them and nothing be required but receiuing of it this will not sinke into the hearts of men by nature they thinke they must doe something precedently or else this righteousnesse is not offered them But my beloued we must learne to belieue this and know that it is the worke of GOD to sanctifie vs after hee hath iustified vs. I confesse it is not so in other things there is still some action of our owne required to gaine this or that habit or ability as you see in naturall things there are some kinde of habits that we get by some precedent actions of our owne as the learning of Arts and Sciences to learne to write well c. here there is some action of our owne required to fit vs for it and then we get the ability to doe it But besides these there are other habits that are planted by nature in vs as an ability to heare to see to taste c. Now for these we neede not any action of our owne for the attaining of them because they are planted in vs by nature So it is in these things that belong to saluation It is true indeede we may get habits of morall Vertues by labour and paines of our owne there are actions of our owne required to them and in that the Philosopher said right that we learne to be temperate and sober and chaste c. But now for the Graces of the Spirit there it is not so those habits that nature hath planted in vs we exercise them naturally without doing any action of our owne to attaine them as we doe not by seeing oft learne to see but it is a faculty naturally planted in vs so it is in all the workes that we must doe which are the way to saluation GOD workes them in vs he infuseth those habits into vs. Therefore this conclusion is good that it is faith alone by which this righteousnesse is made ours to saluation This is euident by the Apostle Gal. 2. vlt. Saith he it is not by the Law If righteousnesse had beene by the workes of the Law then Christ had dyed without a cause As if he should haue said saluation must needes be by one of these two Either by something that we doe our selues some actions that we our selues haue wrought or else it must be meerely by faith Now if it had beene attainable by any worke of our owne CHRIST dyed without a cause as if he should say CHRIST could haue giuen you ability to doe those workes without his dying but for this very cause Christ came into the World and dyed that he might worke righteousnesse and make satisfaction to God so that you haue nothing to doe for the first attaining of it but to receiue it by faith And if you would know the reason why GOD that might haue found out many other wayes to leade men to saluation yet hath chosen this way aboue all others to saue men only by faith receiuing the righteousnesse of CHRIST which he hath wrought for vs you shall finde these foure reasons for it in the Scriptures Two of them are set downe Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace Marke it This is one reason why GOD will haue it by faith that it might be of grace For if any thing had beene wrought by vs as hee saith in the beginning of the Chapter it must haue beene giuen as wages and so it had beene receiued by debt and not by fauour but this was Gods end in it to make knowne the exceeding length and breadth of his loue and how vnsearchable the riches of Christ are his end was to haue his Grace magnified Now if there had beene any action of ours required but meerely the receiuing of it by faith it had not bin meerely of grace for faith empties a man it takes a man quite off his owne bottome faith commeth as an empty hand and receiueth all from GOD and giues all to GOD. Now that it might be acknowledged to be free and to be altogether of grace for this cause GOD would haue salvation propounded to men to be receiued by faith onely Secondly as it is by faith that it might come by grace so also that it might be sure that the promise might be sure if it had been any other way it had neuer beene sure Put the case that GOD had put vs vpon the condition of obedience and had giuen vs grace and ability as he did to Adam yet the Law is strict and the least fayling would haue bred feares and doubts and would haue caused death But now when the righteousnesse that saueth vs is wrought already by GOD and offered to vs by him and offered freely and that the ground of this offer is the sure Word of GOD and it is not a conjecturall thing now we may build infallibly vpon it for vnlesse faith haue footing on the Word wee cannot say it is sure all things else are mutable and subject to change therefore when GOD hath once said it we may firmely rest in it and it is sure And this is the second reason why it is onely by faith Thirdly it is by faith that it might bee to all the seede not onely to those that are of the Law but also to them which were strangers to the Law If it had beene by the Law then saluation had beene shut vp within the compasse of the Iewes for the Gentiles were strangers to the Law of GOD they were vncleane men shut out from the Common-wealth of Israel but when it is now freely propounded in the Gospell and nothing is required but onely faith to lay hold vpon it when there is no more looked for but beleeuing and receiuing hence it comes to be to all the seede for Abraham himselfe before he was circumcised he was as a common man the vaile was not then set vp yet euen then his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse The last reason why it is of faith is that no man might boast that no flesh might reioyce in it selfe for if it had beene by any other means by any thing done in our selues we had had cause to reioyce in our selues but for this cause saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. As if he had said if GOD had giuen vs a wisedome of our owne wee had had cause to haue reioyced in our selues but we are darknesse Eph. 4. there is nothing but foolishnesse and weaknesse in vs to the end that no flesh might reioyce in his presence Againe if we had had grace put into our selues though it had beene but little for which GOD might haue accepted vs the flesh would haue boasted therefore his righteousnesse is made ours But when this is done yet if after iustification it had beene in our power and ability
the giuing vp of a mans selfe to CHRIST and making a publike testimony of it although there bee somthing more meant generally by baptizing but heere it is meant a iustification to all the world that we haue taken CHRIST Now euery one that will beleeue and be baptized that is euery one that will doe this shall bee saued so that a man must first take CHRIST himselfe and then he may doe as the Wife after she hath her Husband she may thinke of all the benefits she hath by him and may take them and vse them as her owne This is the first thing The second thing that I promised was to shew you the subiect of faith and that is the whole heart of man that is to say to name it distinctly both the minde and the will Now to shew you that both these are the subject of faith you must know that these two things are required First on the part of the vnderstanding it is required that it beleeue that is that it conceiue and apprehend what GOD hath reuealed in the Scriptures and here an act of GOD must come in putting a light into the vnderstanding for my beloued Faith is but an addition of a new light to reason that whereas reason is purblinde faith comes and giues a new light and makes vs see the things reuealed by GOD which reason cannot doe by faith we apprehend these great and glorious Mysteries which otherwise wee could not apprehend as we see it expressed in 2 Cor. 4. The god of this World hath blinded their eyes that the light should not shine into their hearts by which they should beleeue this glorious Gospell So then there must be a light put into the minde that a man may be able by that to eleuate and raise his reason to beleeue this that is to conceiue and to apprehend the things that are offered and tendered in the Gospell But this is not all there is an act also of the will required which is to take and receiue Christ for this taking is an act of the will therefore there must be a consent as well as an assent Now it is the act of the vnderstanding to assent to the truth which is contained in the promises wherein Christ is offered but that is not all there is also an act of will requisite to consent vnto them that is to embrace them to take them and to lay hold vpon them and to apply them to a mans selfe This I will the rather cleere because it is a thing controuerted I say there is a double act an act of the mind and an act of the will to this purpose consider that in Rom. 5 17. For if by the offence of one death raigned by one much more they which receiue abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ. Marke it you may see what faith is in those words Those that receiue the gift of righteousnesse righteousnesse is giuen and offered by God and those that receiue that gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life so that taking and receiuing being an act of the will it must needs be that the will must come in to this worke as well as the vnderstanding Like vnto this is that 1 Ioh. 12. To as many as receiued him c. That is to as many as beleeued in his Name for so the words afterwards expresse that is when wee are willing to take Christ which is nothing else but the consent of the will when the will is resolued to take him being so apprehended as he hath beene described as a Lord and as a Sauiour this is faith this I say is an act of the will because it is an act of receiuing Ioâ— 5.44 it is euident How can yâ— beleeue which receiue honour one of another c If beleeuing in Christ were only an act of the mind as the Papists affirme and some others besides it beleeuing were nothing else but an assenting to the truth of GOD which is an act of the vnderstanding how could the praise of men be opposite to beleeuing But the meaning is How can you beleeue take me for your Husband and yet seeke praise of men too for that will come in competition with me and then you will forsake me I say this makes it euident that iustiâ—ying faith is not onely an act of the mind but an act of the will also because otherwise the seeking praise with men could be no impediment to the act of beleeuing Now this also aswell as the former must be wrought by God and God puts a new light into the vnderstanding he raiseth it vp to see and beleeue these truths so there is another act which GOD also workes on the will and vnlesse he worke it it is not done for come to any man that is in the state of nature and aske him Will you be content to take Christ that is to say to receiue him in that manner as he hath beene described His answer would bee No. Beloued the liues of men expresse it though they speake it not in so many words Therefore till GOD come and drawe a man and change his will the worke is not done If you take a Bough and offer it to a Swine or a Wolfe they will refuse it and trample it vnder their feete but offer it to a Sheepe and the Sheepe receiues it and followes it so when Christ is offered to men vpon these conditions that we haue named men refuse him they reject him and slight him but when GOD takes away these woluish and swinish hearts of ours and turne our wils another way which is the drawing the Scripture speakes of then we are willing to take Christ. If you take other metall then Iron the Loadstone will not stirre it but turne the metall into Iron and it will follow the Load-stone So let the hearts of men continue in that condition wherein they are by nature and they will neuer take CHRIST they will neuer accept him but when GOD puts into them such a strong and impetuous instigation and disposition as that of the Spouze in the Canticles that had no rest till she had found her Beloued then they will take CHRIST vpon his owne conditions So the we see this Faith is an action both of the minde and the will wrought by GOD enlightning the mind and changing the will which is that which our Sauiour Christ cals drawing none comes to me vnlesse the Father draw him that is except his will be set on worke vnlesse GOD change him and put such a disposition and instigation into him that he can finde no rest till hee come to Christ. Thirdly the thing wee are to speake of is How this Faith iustifieth Now for this know that this faith is considered two wayes eyther As it workes or As it receiues Either as a quality or as an instrument As a quality it workes and in this
when there is more things reuealed to them and I take it this place will carry that the righteousnesse of GOD is reuealed from faith to faith that is the righteousnesse of CHRIST was reuealed in the time of the Law and the Prophets it was reuealed obscurely and there was a little saith among them to beleeue it was enough to saue them but when the time drew neerer there were greater reuelations as we know in the time of the Prophets their faith was great as there were more reuelations so there was more faith So I say it admits degrees in regard of the extent of reuelation as the Apostles when CHRIST was vpon the earth they had a degree of faith but when Christ ascended then there was more reuelations then they grew from faith to faith because they grew from reuelation to reuelation then the Spirit of God was sent into their hearts to reueale all things and to leade them into all truth you know they had abundance of reuelations afterwards So in this regard in regard of the extent faith receiues degrees not because the habit is increased but because the reuelations and objects are more And therefore that is the comfort of poore Christians those that are yet ignorant they may haue a true habit and as true a grace in the heart and though a man bee more conuersant in Scripture and knowes more then they he hath more reuelations and in that sense though he haue a greater faith then the other yet the other hath a like precious faith with him in regard of that grace So wee see how faith receiues degrees in these three respects Now last of all that faith that giues assurance that pacifieth and comforteth the heart which is nothing but a reflect act by which we know and are perswaded that wee haue taken CHRIST and that our sinnes are forgiuen this admits of degrees of proofe And here as the euidences of sanctification are more so is the assurance as the Apostle saith the Spirit witnesseth to our spirit he discouers good things to vs wee had neede of the light of the Spirit to iudge aright of the sincerity of the graces that wee haue we shall goe amisse else we shall not be able except wee haue the Spirit to helpe and assist vs and so wee grow from assurance to assurance Now for the second part that wee must grow in all these First as faith admits of degrees so we must labour to grow in all these degrees First labour to grow to a more full and firme assent by that meanes we shall draw neerer to CHRIST and receiue him in a greater measure Marke this very act of taking CHRIST that immediately iustifies but it is fed with assurance in the vnderstanding it is that which doth increase and strengthen and supply this action of the will in taking CHRIST So that the more strong assent the minde and vnderstanding of a man giues to those truths which concerne iustification deliuered in the Scripture the stronger his will is in taking Christ As in the Act of marriage a Woman takes such a one to bee her husband but yet there are degrees in the will one may take him with greater greedinesse with a more full perswasion that it is best for her with more loue and with more resolution So the stronger the assent is that we giue to the promises of GOD wherein he assures vs of the pardon of our sinnes wherein CHRIST is offered freely vnto vs the more we take CHRIST and so the vnion is greater betweene vs wee are linkt and knit together and married as it were in a greater degree Secondly in regard of difficulty which is the second thing wherein faith admits degrees when we beleeue hard things or easie things propounded with slender arguments Labour to grow in this for this is very profitable for you I will giue you but these two instances You know what Moses lost and what Abraham got Moses lost Canaan he lost the honour of carrying in the people he lost the honour of concluding his worke when hee had taken so much paines and all because he did not beleeue when he strooke the Rocke for want of faith Abraham now that beleeued things that were of a high of a difficult nature you see what hee got by it for this cause saith the LORD I will doe thus and thus because thou hast not spared thine onely Sonne which is repeated Rom. 4. Abraham being strong in faith gaue glory to GOD. And therefore you see Abraham is set aboue all men he is the Father of all the faithfull he is the head the top of those to whom GOD shewed mercie he shewed mercie to all for Abrahams sake Abraham Isaac and Iacob Abraham is first this did Abraham get for euer because he beleeued in God in so great a matter this you shall gaine if you will beleeue it will bring a great reward yea it will not onely bring a reward such as Abraham had but it will bring increase of the same faith God will reueale more to you and giue you more of his Spirit as he did to Nathaniel Beleeuest thou for this saith Christ thou shalt see greater things then these If we beleeue in difficult cases GOD will make vs with facility to beleeue them another time Thirdly for the multitude of reuelations for the extent of faith that way we should labour to be filled full of faith as Barnabas is said to be full of faith And how is that By studying the Word much for therein will GOD reueale this this is it that Paul magnifies so much in 2 Cor. 12. that which he gloried in he doth not name it in his owne person but saith I knew a man in CHRIST had such a reuelation he glories not in this that he had wealth or honour but in the multitude of reuelations that of all other might haue exalted Paul but he was wise he knew what he did when he was so apt to be exalted in that it seemes there was some extraordinary excellency in it Lastly labour to get full assurance the more assurance you haue the more loue Againe you shall doe the more worke when once we are assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as 1 Cor. 15. vlt. it will make vs abound in the workes of the Lord. Againe it stablisheth a man in well doing he shall neuer hold out and be constant till he come to haue assurance that he shall not lose his reward I cannot stand on this point I will name the Vses that so I may not leaue the point vnfinished The first is a Vse of much comfort if there be such degrees in faith then let vs not be discouraged though we come not to the highest if we haue but a little yet since there are degrees this is enough to make vs partakers of the righteousnesse of CHRIST and of saluation The end of this is to comfort those which are apt to be
therein this efficacie lyeth when the heart is knit to him as the soule of Ionathan was to Dauid and when CHRIST shall be knit to vs againe that we shall be content to leaue Father and Mother and to become one spirit with him as it is Eph. 5.23 It is a similitude expressing the vnion betwixt Christ and the Church A man shall forsake Father and Mother and shall cleaue to his Wife The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to glew if there bee any conjunction that is neerer then other it is signified in that word there is not a word in all the Greeke Language that signifieth a neerer conjunction then the word there vsed for cleauing or glewing When a man shall forsake all euen Father and Mother the dearest things in the world and shall cleaue to Christ it is a repetition of what is said Gen. 2.24 concerning Adam and Eue when faith hath done this worke it is an effectuall faith But yet adde this againe a man may take Christ and seeme to draw neere to him when it may be it is done out of feare it may bee out of loue to his and not out of loue to him it may be done out of mis-information and mistake but when wee draw neere to GOD and doe it out of loue put these two together that we so take Christ as that there is an vnion made betweene vs and him and when it is done out of loue as that condition is put in in 1 Tim 1.5 The end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned As if hee should say There is a double kinde of faith a false faith and a faith that is not hypocriticall that is the word vsed in the Originall Now saith hee the end of the Commandement is loue c. That is all that God lookes for is such a loue as comes from a faith that is vnfeigned that is not counterfeit Herein is faith seene not to be counterfeit if it beget loue and out of that loue we cleaue to Christ. So that this is the third thing that makes faith effectuall Fourthly faith is then said to be effectuall when it hath not onely done all this when there is not onely a good preparation made for it when it is well built in the vnderstanding and when the will hath thus taken Christ but there must bee a further act and that is the turning of the whole soule and a seconding of it in our whole liues practice a seconding of it in our executions and doing the things that Christ commands as in Gal. 5. In Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by loue Such a faith as workes that is effectuall faith As if he should haue said Many will be ready to beleeue in CHRIST but will doe nothing for him they will not worke Now working is in doing or in suffering for in suffering there is a worke as well as in doing onely it is a worke with more difficulty a worke with more impediments Againe if they will doe any thing for Christ it is not out of loue but for other respects perhaps out of some flash or good moode or some other respects out to doe it as being rooted grounded in loue if faith haue this worke it is effectuall faith and therfore when faith hath once taken Christ it must shoot it selfe into all the affections for when they are all set on worke endeuour will follow If the will bee so set on worke indeed the rest will follow after it Loue will follow Desire after Christ will follow Feare to offend him will follow Repētance and turning from Satan will follow bringing forth fruits worthy amendment of life and obedience c. will follow Therefore you shall finde that the promises are made promiscuously sometimes to one thing sometimes to another sometimes he that repenteth shall be saued sometimes he that beleeueth shall be saued somtimes he that obeyeth shall be saued you shall finde them promiscuously because that when faith is effectuall it hath all these with it it purifieth the heart and bringeth forth fruit worthy amendment of life Therefore this must be added to shew the efficacie of faith and if this be wanting faith is not effectuall not that it can be disjoyned from the other but that it is that wherein it consisteth with the rest And therefore it is GODS vsuall manner when men seeme to take CHRIST and to beleeue in him he puts them to the tryall to see what they will doe whether their faith will worke or no. Thus he did with Abraham when hee would proue him hee was a faithfull man before God had experience of him before but yet he would proue Abraham by offering his sonne and when he saw he did it he concluded that he had faith indeede it was a strong faith for it endured the tryall I say GOD will put men to it So likewise those in Ioh. 12.42 Many of the chiefe Rulers beleeued in him but they durst not confesse him for feare of the Iewes lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue There was a faith in them a taking of Christ but when it came to the tryall it held not out they durst not confesse him because they feared to bee cast out of the Synagogue that is when they came to suffer a little for Christs sake when they came to such an action as confessing his Name when they came to endure but such a thing as to bee cast out of the Synagogue they forsooke him which shewed that their beliefe was ineffectuall So that let a man seeme to haue all the other three yet when the praise of men shall come in competition with any command of GOD when God shall put him to doe any thing to part with any thing that is deare to him as he did Abraham if his faith worke not if his faith hold not out in the tryall but start aside like a broken Bow it is not effectuall faith So you see the things wherein the efficacie of faith consisteth First in the soundnesse of the preparation Secondly when the mind apprehends the promises and sees good ground to pitch vpon them Thirdly when the will so takes Christ as to bring Christ into the heart so that Christ liues in vs and that out of loue And fourthly when faith worketh and that in the time of tryall when God shall put vs to it I say when you finde these foure things you may conclude that your faith is effectuall The last thing I propounded is to shew how this is wrought how our faith is made effectuall It is made effectuall by the Spirit of God it is not in our owne power we are not able to beleeue nay wee are so farre from it that wee striue against it the spirit in vs resists it so that if GOD
will bee minding other matters some about their profits and some their pleasures c. but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things that is when he presents them to vs that draweth the heart from minding other things to seeke after CHRIST to long after him and not to content your selues till you be vnited to him But besides this there is a third act of the Holy Ghost by which hee workes it and maketh this faith effectuall and that is the testimonie that the Spirit giues to our spirits telling vs that these things are ours when the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed vnto vs that wee prize them and long after them yet there must bee a third thing that is to take them to our selues to beleeue that they be ours and there needeth a worke of the Spirit for this too for though the promises be neuer so cleere yet hauing nothing but the promises you will finde that you will neuer be able to apply them to your selues but when the Holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine and these things belong to thee and GOD is thy Father when the Spirit shall beare witnesse with our spirits by an immediate work of his owne then we shall beleeue This is necessarily required and without this wee shall not beleeue It is true the holiest man doth it two wayes One is by cleering of the promises shining into our hearts by such a light as makes vs able to discerne them and to beleeue them and to assent to them But besides that hee doth it by an immediate voice by which he speaketh immediately to our spirits that wee can say as they said Ioh. 16. Now thou speakest plainly and speakest no parable we vnderstand thee fully so till the Holy Ghost speake to vs we are in a Cloud GOD is hid from vs wee cannot see him cleerely but when we haue this Spirit of Adoption to giue vs this witnesse then wee beleeue plainely indeed Therefore in Isay 57.19 saith the Lord I create the fruit of the lips Peace c. That is the Ministers may speake peace to you but vnlesse I goe and ioyne with the Minister except I adde a power of mine owne that is such an almighty power as I vsed in the Creation it shall neuer bring peace to you I create the fruit of the lips that is the words of the Minister to be peace otherwise they would be ineffectuall Therefore I say there must bee a worke of the Spirit to perswade a man in such a case And you shall finde by experience let a Minister come to them that are in despaire they will not apprehend the promises though we vse neuer so cleere reasons though we argue with them neuer so long and neuer so strongly we shall finde that all will doe nothing it will be but labour spent in vaine till GOD himselfe open the Clouds till hee will smile on a man and send his Spirit into the heart to giue a secret witnesse to him till there be a worke of his owne joyning with the promises we finde by experience that our labour is lost It is true we ought to doe this and euery man is bound to looke to the Word for faith commeth by hearing and to hearken to the Ministery for it is Gods ordinance to breed faith in the heart but yet till there be a worke of the Spirit a man shall neuer be so perswaded as to haue any sure and sound comfort by it Now all this is done by the Spirit it is the wonderfull worke of GOD for when CHRIST is propounded to men when he is offered as we haue often offered him to you we haue shewed you what accesse you haue to him that no man is excluded that he is offered to euery creature vnder heauen we haue shewed you the generality of the promise that it takes in all that you are contained vnder it that you may apply it to your selues I say when all this is done yet when a man comes to performe this to apply it to himselfe he is no more able to doe it then a dead man is able to stirre himselfe Therefore the same power that raised CHRIST from the dead is required to worke faith in our hearts as it is in Eph. 1.19 According to his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead So that it is as great a worke to moue a mans heart to CHRIST as to put life into a dead man we are as vnapt and backward to it as a dead man is to receiue life For what else is the reason that when we preach CHRIST to you when hee is offered to you that there bee so few that are affected with him that there be so few that take him doth it not shew that you are dead yea so dead that vnlesse GOD call you and that there be a mighty worke of the Spirit the hearts of men will neuer answer vnto vs. Therefore that is required as a condition in all them who will come Act. 2. So many as the LORD our GOD shall call That is when wee preach except there bee a secret voyce of the Spirit of CHRIST speaking to your hearts as wee doe to your eares and saying Come and take CHRIST no man will come We see CHRIST said to his Apostles Follow mee and presently they followed him for it was not the outward voice that did it there was a secret voice within so when GOD shall call men to take CHRIST then they doe it but not before That word that is vsed Luk. 14.23 Goe and COMPELL them to come in that my House may be full it intimates a great backwardnesse in vs. When men are compelled it shewes that not onely the arguments are strong and forcible but that there is a great backwardnesse in men that they must as it were be constrained that they must be put on it by force and against their will such is the vnaptnesse that is in men So saith CHRIST no man comes to me except the Father draw him That phrase of the Holy Ghost shewes that there is an extreme backwardnesse that if they be not forced to come as it were they will not doe it not but that when a man is once wrought vpon by the Holy Ghost hee commeth of himself but that phrase is vsed only to shew that backwardnesse that is in man by nature For when the Holy Ghost hath wrought vpon the will and hath turned that then a man commeth vpon his owne legs and is moued from an inward principle of his owne therefore men are so drawne that withall they runne after him as it is Cant. 1. but it shewes this thing for which I haue vsed it that there is a wondrous backwardnesse in all of vs by nature and that this must be done by a great worke of the Spirit Therefore the Apostle
transgression and sinne yet it is added he will not hold the wicked innocent So when we haue said so much of faith and that faith saueth yet know that it must be a working faith that saueth vs It must be such a faith as purifieth the heart it must be such a faith that may shew it selfe in fruits worthy amendment of life And therefore Saint Iames taketh so much paines in this case as you shall finde in his first Chapter and the beginning of the second hee layeth downe rules and tels them that if they keepe the whole Law and yet faile in one point they are guilty of the whole Now hauing dealt so strictly some might be ready to object GOD is mercifull and I shall be saued through faith It is true saith hee if you haue a right faith you shall be saued by it but yet know this that vnlesse your faith be such a faith as enableth you to doe what I say it is a faith that will doe you no good it will not saue you for though faith saueth you yet it must be such a faith as worketh And that he proueth by many arguments it is a place worth the considering and fit for this purpose I say hee vseth some arguments to proue that that faith which is not effectuall will not saue vs. As first Saith he if a man should say to one Be warmed or Be filled as this is but vaine liberality when as yet a man doth nothing so for a man to professe that he beleeueth in CHRIST and yet doth nothing for him it is a vaine faith Secondly Some man might say Thou hast faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith by thy workes That is if a man haue faith hee will shew it by his workes As if hee should haue said If the Sunne be the greatest light let it giue the greatest splendor If the Loadstone be of such a vertue let it shew it by attracting the Iron to it So if thy faith be effectuall shew it by thy workes that is if thy faith be a true faith it must bee a working faith or else it is nothing GOD will not accept it Thirdly vnlesse it be a working faith an effectuall faith the Diuels haue the same thou beleeuest that there is one God the Diuels doe the same and tremble Fourthly If any man could be justified by faith without workes Abraham might haue beene so justified but Abraham was justified by his workes that is by such a faith as had workes joyned with it And not Abraham onely but Rahab that is another example for it might be objected Abraham indeed beleeued and was justified by workes but Rahab had no workes shee was a wicked woman and therefore was justified by faith To this therfore he answereth that she had workes or else she could not haue beene saued vnlesse she had such a worke as that in sending away the Messengers her faith could not haue justified her Indeede that was a great worke for she aduentured her life in it And lastly saith he as the body without the soule is a dead body a stinking carrion there is no preciousnesse nor no excellency in it so faith without workes is dead Therefore looke to your faith doe not thinke that a faith that meerely taketh Christ and beleeueth in him that it is a faith that shall justifie you Let all these arguments perswade you that if it bee not a working faith it shall doe you no good Therefore let this be the first Vse to consider your faith whether it be effectuall or no by the working of it The second Vse that we may make of it is this Hence we should learne to iudge of our estates and conditions by the efficacie of our faith for if no faith be receiued but that which is effectuall then it behooues vs to looke to the working of our faith Againe if GOD accept no faith but that which is effectuall hence we may learne also not to beleeue all that say they haue faith nor to beleeue all those that say they haue none As for those that say they haue no faith yet if we see the fruites of faith in them that they haue those things that faith brings forth If you see a man that complaineth he beleeueth not yet if he loue the Saints if he endeuour to keepe GODS Commandements if he continue not in any knowne sinne if hee doe not dare to omit holy duties nor to sleight them certainely this man hath faith for we finde the effects of it there although he haue lost one act of his faith which is the comfortable assurance of a good estate yet if the first act by which he resteth vpon Christ and by which he taketh Christ to himselfe be there we may conclude there is faith When we see smoke and feele heate we say there is fire though we see no flame so when we see these fruits in a man we may boldly say he hath faith though he hath not such a reflect act as to know in himselfe that he hath it and so to haue a comfortable assurance of his condition On the other side if a man saith he knoweth and is perswaded that his sinnes are forgiuen his conscience is at rest and yet for all this we finde no workes I say this man hath not faith for there wants the efficacie of it So that as the two sonnes in the Gospell one said he would goe into the Vineyard and did not the other said he would not goe yet afterwards he repented and went so it is with these two the one saith he hath not faith and yet for all that we see he doth the things that faith requireth we see the efficacy of faith in him Againe the other saith hee hath faith and yet doth not bring forth the fruites of faith he doth not shew the efficacy of faith in his life the one shall be justified the other shall be condemned As when we take two Drugges or two Pearles c. the one hath lost his colour seemeth withered and dead so that to the outward view it hath lost all yet it hath its efficacie still that such a thing should haue the other looks very faire and hath a right colour and smell but it hath no efficacie in it wee say one is a liuely Drug and a good one and the other a counterfeit so when one man complaines that he hath no grace that he is an hypocrite and yet hee brings forth fruite worthy amendment of life and wee see the working of his faith I say this is true faith On the other side hee that makes a shew of faith and yet wants the efficacie of it he hath no faith Wee should learne thus to iudge when men professe they haue faith and wee finde it not by their workes It should teach both ciuill men and hypocrites to know their estates for it discouereth both For when the ciuill man commeth and
loue to me nor of true respect to me you regard it not whatsoeuer it bee If it bee but a small thing if it be done out of loue you respect it So it is with GOD workes that come from faith and loue for those I reckon to be all one those he respects wondrously Therefore we should learne to iudge aright of our workes it will helpe vs against that position of the Papists and also against the common opinion of men Euery man thinkes that Almes-deeds doing good to the poore and doing glorious things c. that these are good workes when as common actions they exclude as if they were not good workes But it is not so we may doe the greatest workes of this nature and yet they may haue no excellency in them at all Againe the very ordinary workes of our Calling ordinary things to men ordinary seruice from day to day if it come from faith if it be done as to the Lord he accepts them and they are good workes indeed This vse we ought to make of it If GOD regard not any thing but faith we should not be deceiued in our workes which we doe Againe if faith be such a thing that no workes are accepted without it that no branch will grow except it come from this roote if there be no saluation without it if it be a thing that is most profitable for vs If thou sayest now How may I know whether I haue faith or no I may be deceiued in it When we hang so much vpon this peg we had neede be sure that it be strong and that it will hold vs. I will therefore make this present Vse in shewing what the signes of this faith and what the characters of it are that you may learne to iudge aright whether that faith that sets all the price vpon your workes be a right faith or no You may know it by this Where there is a true faith there is a secret perswasion wrought in the heart whereby GOD assures you that he is yours and you are his as you haue it Reu. 2.17 To him that ouercommeth will I giue that hidden Mannah and a white stone with a new name written in it that hee onely knowes that receiues it That is That is one thing by which ye shall know whether you haue true faith or no Haue you euer had any of that hidden Mannah that is Haue you had such a secret perswasion which hath beene as sweet as Mannah to you which you haue fed on as they fed on Mannah which giues you life as Mannah gaue life to them Onely hee sayes it is a hidden Mannah it lyes not abroad others see it not but it is Mannah that your hearts secretly feede on So that wouldst thou know whether thou haue faith Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with a new name written in it that is the stone of absolution As the manner was among the Athenians among the old Grecians that the sentence of absolution was giuen by white stones as the sentence of condemnation was blacke stones So saith he GOD will giue him such a secret testimony that he is acquitted that when he is called in question as they were that they knew not whether they should dye or liue in that case if they had the white stone such a man was absolued So I say Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with thy name vpon it Hath he giuen you such a stone as you know in the secret of your heart such as none knowes but God and your selfe that is Hath hee euer opened the clouds hath hee euer shewed himselfe to you hath he cast a good looke vpon you hath he made your hearts glad with the light of his countenance in his Beloued for such a secret worke there is of the Spirit by which GOD cheereth and comforteth the heart of a man that is his manner in working faith After the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to a man after there hath beene such an inditement that he hath beene brought in question of his life when there hath beene a great storme then he comes into the heart as hee did into the Ship and all is quiet I say that is his manner he comes into the heart after such a manner and speakes peace to a man Haue you euer found this worke in your selues that after much trouble and disquiet within GOD hath spoken peace to you that he hath said to your soules I am thy saluation Not that that is absolutely required that there should be such a trouble going before For although it be true that he neuer speaks peace but when there hath gone some trouble but when there hath gone some conuincing of the spirit before which conuinceth a man of sinne yet this you must know that still the promise is made to the comming and not to the preparation And therefore if a man be at his journies end it is no matter how he came there If a man finde that he be in CHRIST and hath had such a testimonie from his Spirit though he haue not had such a worke of humiliation as perhaps he expects yet know that the promise is made to that And if you haue that which the promise is made vnto is not that sufficient It is true as I said you must haue it really you must haue it in good earnest there must goe alwayes a worke of humiliation before the testimony of the Spirit But mistake not that turbulent sorrow that violent disquiet of the minde goes not alwaies before For example Take two men the one is arrested and condemned brought to the poynt of death he makes account of nothing else A pardon comes to this man and hee is saued there was great trouble went before and hee was wondrously affected when the pardon came But now there is another man that is guilty of the same offence and hee knowes certainly that he shall be called in question and hee is sure to lose his life vnlesse his peace be made Now before this be acted before that indeed he be put in prison before that indeed he be condemned and before his head be brought to the blocke he is certified that a Pardon is come out for him This man knowes his estate as well as the other and he knowes that he had perished without a Pardon as well as the other and he makes as much account of his Pardon as the other and will not let it goe for his life as well as the other Now both these are pardoned both are sure of life but there is a different manner of doing it The one man was affected and much stirred before he was put into a wondrous afright before The other man is convinced of the danger he is in as well as he although he be not put to that extremity of sorrow though he be not brought to so neere an exigent as the other So if a man be
convinced of sinne if a man know in good earnest throughly what the danger is that he must perish if he haue not this Pardon Now I say if thou haue such a testimony build vpon it For it is true that GOD before hee comes in the soft voice he sends a Wind before that rends the Rockes downe that brings downe the Mountaines there so much as makes the way plaine before hee can come within the soft voice I say if the Mountaines be broken downe after what manner soeuer it be that is enough doe not stand on that Be sure of this that if there come a soft voice thou hast reason to beleeue that whatsoeuer preparations were before which are diuers for GOD workes sometimes after one manner sometimes after another But now what is this soft voice that I may a little further come to explaine that for certainely if he come in the soft voice that is the voice of the Gospel you are sure But what is it I take it to be this One thing is when there is a clearing of the promise for the voice is the very Gospell it selfe Now when wee preach the Gospell to men and open the promises of saluation and of life if God doe not joyne with vs now and cleare them to you by kindling a light within that you see the meaning of them except he I say doe thus joyne with vs you shall not be able to build vpon these promises Therefore that is one thing that God must doe For though it bee true the Word is neere you that you neede not goe vp to heauen nor downe to hell to fetch it for saith Moses the Word is neere you the promises are neere in your mouthes in the midst of you yet except God doe shew them as cleare as they be you cānot see them As when Iesus stood by Mary Magdalene he was neere enough but till her eyes were opened she saw him not So Hagar the Well was neere enough to her but till her eies were opened she could not see it So when wee preach these promises when we lay them open as neere as we can as neere as may be yet it must be the worke of the Spirit to see the promises to see them so as to beleeue them and to rest on them Therefore that is one part of this soft voice to open the Gospell vnto you There is another which is the immediate testimony of the Spirit spoken of in Rom. 8. This Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits when God comes and by a secret testimony of the Spirit worketh such a perswasion in the heart that he is a Father that he is a friend that he is reconciled to vs. But you will say this may be a delusion Therefore you must haue both together know that they are neuer disjoyned GOD neuer giues the secret witnesse of his Spirit he neuer workes such a perswasion such an immediate testimony but it hath alwaies the testimony of the Word going with it bee sure to joyne them be sure thou doe not seuer them one from the other So that if you would know now whether you haue faith or no consider whether euer GOD hath spoken this to you or no whether euer hee hath wrought this worke in you For faith you must know is wrought in this manner The Spirit comes and shewes CHRIST to you and not onely shewes you his merits not only tels you that he will be a Sauiour not only tels you of a Kingdome that you shall haue by him but shewes you the beauty and excellencie of CHRIST it shewes you what grace is and makes you loue it and then hee shewes you mercy Out of this you come to long after CHRIST and to say I would I had him a man comes to loue him as the Spouse loues her Husband Now to this worke hee addes a second CHRIST comes and tels a man I will haue thee he comes and shewes himselfe he discouers himselfe to a man and speakes plainly as in that place wee haue often mentioned Iohn 19. and saith to him I am willing to marry thee When this is done on the Holy Ghosts part and we on our part come to resolue to take him now the match is made betweene vs and this is faith indeede when this worke is done a man may truely say This day is saluation come to mee Now thou art sure that all thy sinnes are forgiuen now faith is wrought in thy heart Therefore if thou wouldest know whether thou haue faith or no looke backe reflect vpon thine owne heart consider what actions haue passed thorow there for that is the next way to know what faith is to looke what actions haue passed thorow a mans heart a man may know what the actions of his soule are for that is the benefit of a reasonable soule that it is able to returne vpon it selfe to see what it hath done which the soule of a beast cannot doe Now let a man consider whether such a thing haue passed or no that is marke it whether on Christs part there hath beene such a cleering of the promise that thou art so built that if an Angell from Heauen should come and preach another Gospell if Paul himselfe should be liuing on the earth and should preach the contrary thou wouldest not beleeue him Dost thou see the Word so cleerely art thou so set vpon the Rocke as it were that thou canst say in good earnest as the Apostle said in Rom. 8. I know that neither principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any thing in the world shall euer seperate me from the loue of God in Christ and that because I haue his sure Word Againe when thou hast such a secret impression of assurance from his Spirit which will not faile thee when thou findest this on GODS part and againe when thou findest this act on thy owne part when thou sayest I haue resolued to take him for a man may know what he hath done I haue resolued to take him for my husband I haue resolued to prefer him before all things in the world to be diuorsed from all things in the world and to cleaue to him This I know these acts haue passed on Gods part and this I haue done on my part when thou findest this wrought in thy selfe be assured there is faith wrought in thee when the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to thee and when CHRIST hath spoken peace and when thou art built vpon him againe consider if this hath beene wrought This is the first meanes to try thy faith but because this may bee an ambiguous meanes a man may be deceiued in it therefore faith doth shew it selfe by many other effects And therefore we will adde to this which is the very thing wherein faith consists other signes and they are fiue in number First a man must know that there
may be many delusions in this kinde many Hypocrites may haue great raptures they may haue great ioy as if they were lift vp into the third heauen they may haue a great and strong perswasion that their estate is good Satan is very apt to delude vs in this kinde to put a counterfeit vpon vs in stead of true faith Therefore wee will not content our selues with this but giue other markes that will not deceiue At this time you are to consider you that come to the Sacrament Is it not a maine thing to consider whether you haue faith or no What do you here else you haue nothing to doe with Christ you haue no interest in him and if you haue no interest in him what doe you with the Elements which represent his body and his blood And therefore you haue cause to attend to it First therfore if thou find such a worke in thy heart for if thou conclude that there is no such worke thou needest not examine further thou maist be sure that thou hast not faith but if thou haue such a worke if thou wouldst know whether it be really and truly or whether it be a fancie or delusion consider First if it be true it purifies the heart in Acts 15.9 saith the Apostle Peter there God hath put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith hee had purified their hearts So in Acts 26.18 And thou shalt preach forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that are sanctified by faith So that this you must take as a sure rule If thy faith bee true it purifies thy heart it sanctifies thee And therefore you see faith and repentance are alwaies put together Repent and beleeue for they are neuer disjoyned If thou find the worke of repentāce be not wrought throughly soundly in thee if thou finde thy heart not purified if thou be not sanctified if there be not a sanctified disposition in thee be sure it is a delusion it is not faith or if faith be as you heard heretofore a taking of CHRIST not as a Sauiour onely but as a Priest and not as a Priest onely but as a King too it must needes be that there must be reall obedience or else it is not faith thou hast not taken him If there be nothing but a meere assent as the Papists affirme in another case For faith is a taking of Christ and a giuing of our selues to him againe so that there is a match there is a bargaine a Couenant betweene vs as hee saith in Heb. 8.8 I will make a New Couenant with them Now a Couenant hath two parts If GOD doe this for you you must doe somewhat on your part you must loue him and obey him As in a Marriage the Husband doth not onely take the Wife but the Wife also takes the Husband If faith bee such a thing as this there must needes be a generall reformation of the life or else it is certaine thou hast not taken him Therefore know that as there is a liuely hope so there is a liuely faith And when it is said to be a liuely faith it intimates that there is another that is a dead faith that is There is a kinde of beleeuing a kinde of taking Christ a kinde of giuing a mans selfe to him but yet marke it saith he it is such a one as breeds no life in thee Marke if thy faith be such a faith as hath brought Christ to dwell in thy heart so as the soule dwels in the body if it be such a dwelling in thy heart that there be life in thee for Christ when he dwels in vs he acts the soule as the soule acts the body As the body now when the soule is there is able to moue is able to stirre is able to doe any thing So the soule of a man it fals to the duties of godlinesse and new obedience to all good workes it is ready as the Apostle saith to euery good worke it is nimble and ready to goe about them you are aliue to righteousnesse Hath faith so brought Christ into thy heart that he liues in thee as he did in Paul that thou canst finde and say truely I am dead to sinne and liue to righteousnesse That thou hast mortified the deedes of the body by the Spirit that thou findest another life working in thee except thou canst finde this it is not true faith for true faith is such as brings Christ to dwell in thy heart and he dwels there when he reviues thy spirit as it is Isay 57.13.14 I dwell in the high Heauens and with him also that is of a contrite spirit to reviue the Spirit of the humble that is he neuer dwels but he giues life And if thou finde not such a life in thy selfe conclude that thy faith is not good And this you ought the more to marke because many thousands seeme to take CHRIST and to doe much and yet for all this they haue not life all the while Take two grafts it may be there is incision made in both both may be planted as you often see in Plants after they bee planted if you would know whether the grafting bee true or no if you come a while after and see one of the grafts dead and withered you say this grafting was not good or the stocke was not good somewhat was amisse and if you finde it to bud and that there be life in it then you say it was grafted indeed the grafting was good and right So when a man comes and takes CHRIST if thou see thou be grafted if thou find thy life to be the same if thou finde thou art no more able to pray nor no more able to doe any duty then thou wast before that thou liuest in thy lusts as much as euer thou didst thou hast not that new heart that new spirit and that new affection which the Scriptures speake of bee sure then that thou art not grafted for if thou wert grafted aright by faith for it is that which grafteth there would bee life When as the graft is taken out of the former Tree it beares no more that fruit but it liues and beares another fruite Therefore consider if this be so or no and that is the reason of that answer of Philip to the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts Vers. 37. The Eunuch professed to beleeue and would haue beene baptized Saith Philip thou mayest if thou beleeue with all thine heart Thou mayest thinke it is nothing but it is a resoluing from time to time to giue vp thy selfe to be Christs seruant to take his yoake to weare his Liuery and his Badge Now Baptisme is but a seale to confirme and testifie this to thy selfe and to the World that thou hast giuen thy selfe to CHRIST saith Philip take heede to thy selfe if it bee a false taking thou maist not haue him but if thou
as if he vsed it not he would not care for losses crosses he would not grieue for them as one that is not able to beare them Thus we should learne to set faith on worke in beleeuing these priuiledges that we may be able to walke with God as Henoch did and as Paul and Moses did to walke with him in the vpper Region aboue the stormes There is much variety of weather when a man is below here now it is faire and then it is foule if a man were aboue these there is a continuall serenity So a man that hath his heart in Heauen a man that walkes with GOD that hath his heart raised aboue others if you would doe this if you would vse Faith if thou wouldest consider this it would set thee aloft aboue these things thou wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle thou wouldest care no more for these things then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes they are trifles thou wouldest ouerlooke them all If we did consider this seriously how would it alter our course It would worke another disposition another affection in vs. A man would consider that if GOD be sure what matter is it if a friend die If I haue GOD what is the losse of any creature And so if a man suffer wrong in his name what is it if he haue praise of GOD If thou beleeue and see GOD in his greatnes to haue praise of such a one as he will make thee to contemne the rest And so for wealth What is pouerty What account did Paul make of it It is nothing to one that hath Treasure in Heauen to one that beleeues indeede to one that seeth hee hath all GODS Treasures opened to him Thou shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest If a man would set this Faith aworke to beleeue it his heart would be fixed hee would bee afraid of no euill tydings hee would say with himselfe if there bee no ill tydings from heauen it is no matter from whence they come on earth If a man would build through faith vpon the promise and consider it really This is the vse of Faith thus a mans heart should be filled with ioy a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report through want and through abundance without being much troubled with either the one would not much puffe him vp nor the other would not deject him but he would goe as a Gyant and march thorow the variety of conditions he would passe through them that neither the one hand nor the other the good successe nor the ill successe should worke vpon him much This is a strong man and this Faith will make thee able to doe if thou vse Faith and set it aworke But I am sorry the time hath cut me off this is but an entrance I giue you but a little taste There are many things wherein Faith stands vs in much stead wherin if wee did vse Faith how much seruice would it doe vs But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith I had thought to haue shut it vp at this time to shew you how to vse it how to make it effectuall how to set it aworke how to walke by it how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your owne But I cannot stand on it So much for this time FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The fifth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. THE first thing wherein thou shouldest vse Faith is to comfort thy selfe by it Therefore consider you that doubt of this you that make question I speake to those that haue the work wrought whom the Holy Ghost hath made to desire Christ aboue all things I say remember that God iustifieth the vngodly and that you haue nothing to doe but to take him 2. Remember that CHRIST is made righteousnesse to vs that no flesh might reioyce in his sight but he that reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. 3. Remember that the pardon is generall Looke to the promises of the Gospell you shall finde them without all exception To vs a Sauiour is borne to take away the sinnes of his people he came to take away sinnes of all sorts Now when GOD hath made no exception why should we make any 4. Consider that wee haue to doe with a GOD who delights to shew mercie it is a thing that he is not weary of it is naturall to him And therefore as the eye is not wearie of seeing nor the eare of hearing because it is naturall to them no more is GOD weary of shewing mercie Nay he delights in it Mic. 7.8 Who is a God like vnto thee taking away iniquities delighting to shew mercie c. Why so Because mercy pleaseth him That is there is no worke that he is so much pleased in as in shewing mercy 5. Consider thou that art in such a case consider that his mercy is as large as any other attribute Euery man thinkes that this is no newes what need you tell vs that GOD is infinite in mercy I say this is a thing that thou dost not consider if thou diddest thou wouldest not sticke vpon it as thou doest If thou diddest beleeue that GOD were as mercifull as he is but we scant GOD according to our measure we square Gods mercy according to our own thoughts Euery man measures Gods mercy according to that which he can conceiue He thinkes with himselfe if a man commit one sinne it might be forgiuen but when his sinnes exceede when they grow out of measure sinfull when they are sinnes so circumstantiated as we say that they are out of measure sinfull here a man stands at a stay What is the reason of this Because we draw a scantling of Gods mercy according to our owne conceits Whereas if we considered that his mercie were as large as any other attribute then we would consider that it hath no limits and if it haue no limits then whatsoeuer thy sinnes are it is all one 6. Dost thou thinke that Christ came from heauen and tooke flesh and suffered death to forgiue small sinnes No it was to forgiue the greatest the worke is large enough to match with the greatest sinnes These and such like reasons thou shouldest labour to bring to heart that thou mayest beleeue perfectly and throughly and giue not ouer till thou haue done it Let not thy faith trust in Christ by halues but trust throughly Thou shouldest come to this disjunction If I bee out of the Couenant why doe I beleeue at all why doe I receiue any comfort If I bee in the Couenant why doe I not beleeue perfectly I say giue not ouer till thou haue brought thy heart to a full assurance Thus a man should doe that yet doubts whether his estate be good whether CHRIST bee his when he is his For when a man is once in the Couenant that the match is made betweene him and thee why doest thou doubt If thou
them And so when men can make their recreations to serue their turnes for better purposes when a man not onely ouercomes them gets the victory of them but makes them seruiceable so a man make aduantage of the World Againe when thou wouldest haue thy sanctification increased increase thy faith The more thou beleeuest the more the Spirit of Christ is conueyed into thy heart The stronger thy faith is the more the winde of grace the sappe shall flow from CHRIST into thy heart As old Adams corruption it is with the grace of CHRIST when thou commest neere thou art ingraft into the similitude of his death that is there comes a gift from him he sends his Spirit into thy heart that doth make thee ioy in him that causeth thee to dye to sin and to liue to righteousnesse This I thought to haue opened But so much shal serue for this time and for this Text. FINIS OF LOVE THE FIRST SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love IN the fourth verse of this chapter the Apostle affirmes that there is no justification by the law for saith hee If you be justified by the law you are fallen from grace that is you cannot be partakers of that justification which is by grace Because for to have it by the law and to have it by grace are opposite And he gives a reason for it because saith he Through the Spirit we waite for the hope of that righteousnes which is by faith and not by the law When he had expressed himselfe so farre which is the righteousnesse received by faith that is that righteousnesse which is freely given by God offered to us wrought by Christ but taken by faith on our parts Thus saith he you must be justified Now to confirme this he gives a reason in this verse that I have read for saith he In Christ Iesus that is to put a man into Christ Iesus or to make him acceptable to God through Christ Iesus to doe this neither circumcision availeth any thing or uncircumcision That is neither the keeping of any part of the ceremoniall law or the omission of it nor the keeping of the morall law or the breaking of it will helpe to ingraffe a man into Christ or to make him acceptable to God through Christ What will doe it then nothing saith hee but onely faith Now lest we should be mistaken in this as if he should require nothing at their hands but an empty idle faith hee addeth further it must be such a faith as is effectuall as is working And that is not enough but it must be such a faith as workes by love So that you have two parts in this Text One is a removall or a negation of that which doth not ingraffe us into Christ or that makes us not acceptable to God through Christ it is not being circumcised or uncircumcised or any thing of that nature The other is the affirmative part What is it that doth it that makes us in a glorious condition that makes us sonnes of God saith he it is onely faith and love it is such a faith as is accompanied with love and good workes so that you see hee removes all workes of ours all workes of the ceremoniall law circumcision is nothing it is as good as if you were not circumcised it is all one And by the same reason that circumcision is excluded all other is And not onely workes of the ceremoniall law but all the workes of the morall law also considered as the meanes of justification because they are opposite to faith they exclude faith and faith excludes them so as they are as well to be shut out as the workes of the ceremoniall law None of these saith the Apostle will doe it For you must know the way to salvation is contrary to that of damnation Looke how you lost the kingdome of God so you must get it looke what gate you went out at by the same gate as it were you must come in at What was it that lost all mankind the kingdome of heaven You know it was not our particular breaches of the morall law but it was the fall of Adam and when the root was dead you know all the branches died with it Well what way is there then to regaine this losse We must goe in againe into Paradise by the same way that wee went out that is by being borne of the second Adam and by being made partakers of his righteousnesse By being borne of him or ingrafted into him As you communicate of the sinne of the other because you are his children so you must partake of his righteousnesse Againe saith the Apostle it is the Lords pleasure that you should be saved after this manner because he would have it to be of grace If you should have beene saved by any workes of your owne you would have imputed it to your selves and to your owne strength But the Lord would have it to be of grace of his free will and therefore hee will have it meerely of faith by taking the righteousnesse of the second Adam which he hath wrought for you Againe he would have it sure to all your seede if it had beene by workes it would never have beene sure unto you you could never have kept the law so exactly But since Christ hath wrought righteousnesse and you have no more to doe but to take it now it is sure or else it would never have beene sure Againe if it had beene by workes the flesh had had wherein to rejoyce it might have something to boast of But the Lord will have no man to rejoyce in the flesh but let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in the Lord. Now if it had been by works if it had beene by any inherent righteousnesse by any ornament of grace that the Lord had beautified us with we had had rejoycing in our selves but now that it is by the second Adam by comming home to him by taking him by applying his righteousnesse Now no flesh can rejoyce in it selfe but now whosoever rejoyceth rejoyceth in the Lord. Therefore saith the Apostle you must know this truth you can never be saved by doing these actions no nor you shall not lose salvation by omitting them for this is not the way that the Lord hath appointed mankinde to be saved by But the way by which mankinde must be saved is by receiving Iesus Christ and his righteousnes But you must remember that you must take him so as to love him And it must be such a love as is fruitfull in good workes and not an emptie and idle love that is a love in shew onely but it must be a love in deede and in truth Now in the handling of these words we will begin with the affirmative part because though the other be put first yet the affirmatiō you know in order of nature is before the negation therfore I wil begin with
it loves 3 77 Evill men are not said to doe the good they doe 3 196 Exhortation to doing 3 203 Dominion see Lust. Double Double-minded man who 2 23 Doubting Doubting overcome by faith 1 120 Doubting may be mingled with true faith 2 22 25 Doubting Papists tenent touching it 2 24 Doubting how tryed Ibid. Draw Drawing vvhat it implieth 2 56 Hovv the holy Ghost draweth 2 57 Due-time God delivereth his in â—uâ—-time 2 198 E Easie. Afflictions easie to the Saints 2 211 Effectuall Efficacy Effectual faith onely saveth 2 3 Efficacy of faith vvherein 2 20 Things effectual in 4. respects 2 21 Faith effectual in 4 things 2 29 Effectual faith hovv vvrought 2 47 Why God vvill accept no faith but that vvhich is effectuall 2 58 To try our state by the efficaâ—y of faith 2 64 Effectuall faith 5 signes of it 2 92 Elect. Though Christ be offered to all hee is onely intended to the Elect. 1 11 Elias Spirit of Elias vvhat 2 16 Eloquent Love maketh eloquent 3 77 Emptie Faith empties a man of himselfe â— 70 Things effectuall opposed to empty â— 27 Essence see Faith Eternall Eternal separation from God 3 181 Even An even carriage a signe of love 3 130 Evill Christ delivereth from the least evil 1 46 Evil freedome from it to the Saints vvhence it is Ibid. Evil vve feare not so bad as vvee thinke 2 â—87 Good in the evil vvee suffer 2 189 See humilâ—ation Example Example of others should incourage us 1 112 Exclude No sinne can exclude from the offer of Christ. 1 13.3 146 Excell Excellency All excellency in God 3 34 The excellency of God set forth 3 36 If love be right it is to them that excell in grace 3 102 God must bee loved for his excellencies 3 109 Executed Though the curse be not executed it may be on a man 3 182 Exercise Prayer exerciseth our love 3 50 Extent Faith admits degrees in regard of extent 1 125 Extremity Why God doth not deliver till extremity 2 170 F. Faith Faith vvhat 1 16 48 Faith vvhy God vvill haue men saved by it onely 1 42 Faith in generall vvhat 1 47 Faith iustifying vuhat 1 48 Faith iustifying how it differeth from generall faith Ibid. Faith iustifying a definition of it 1 49 Faith how it taketh Christ. Ibid. Faith the essence of it 1 52 Faith the obiect of it Ibid. Faith the subiect of it 1 55 Faith a twofold consideration of it 1 59 Faith the acts of it three 1 62 Faith a double qâ—ality in it 1 69 Faith to be laboured for above all 1 81 Faith the least degree what 1 121 Faith an exhortation to grow in it 1 134 Faith 6 motiues to grow in it 1 135 Faith of many false 2 4 Faith the proper worke of it what 2 21 Faith we should try it 2 60 84 Faith many say they haue it and haue not 2 65 Faith to doe a thing by it what 2 82 Faith how God workes it 2 86 90 Faith how to know if it bee wrought 2 91 Faith a false definition of it 2 100 Faith makes a man neglect other things 2 144 Faith that puts a man into Christ what 3 2 Faith to be rooted in it 3 171 Faith to contend for it 3 209 Faithfull The Lord is faithfull 3 148 Failing Failings of holy men 3 195 Fancie Fancy the ground of unsound peace 2 110 Father see Offer Favour Favour of God how to grow in it 1 136 Favour of God onely desired by a man sensible of sinne 3 140 Feare Feare the ground why many men take Christ 2 10 Faith that comes from feare holdes not out 2 119 Feares how faith guides in them 2 164 Feare a tryall of our love 3 92 Feeling Feeling may be wanting where faith is 2 61 Fit When we are not fit for mercies God denieth us 2 196 Vnwillingnesse to die in the Saints is that they may be more fit 3 73 We should not be discouraged from comming to God because wee are not fit 3 145 Fire Love compared to fire in foure things 3 84 Flesh. Flesh in the Saints makes them loath to die 3 73 Flesh transports holy men to sinne 3 195 Follow What Christ lookes for of those that follow him Forgive A man may bee perswaded of forgivenes without faith 3 16 None so ready to forgive as God 3 39 Forme Forme must be observed in taking Christ 1 19 Fornication Fornication a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Foundation Foundation of Prophets and Apostles 2 36 Fortitude Fortitude false the cause of it 2 8 Free The will must be free in taking Christ 1 22 One property of love to be free â— 95 Friend Friendship Love of friendship 3 9 God a constant friend 3 37 Friendship with great men what 3 149 G. Garment Wedding garment what 2 5 Gift Righteousnesse by gift for three reasons 1 8 Gift accepted for the giveâ— 2 82 Glasse see Name Glory Glorifie Growing in faith brings glory to God 1 137 Glory of God why Moses desired to see it 3 55 Glorifying of God is the end why wee live 3 207 God God boweth the will 1 57 102 God wee must not be discouraged from comming to him 1 67 God by what way wee come againe to him 3 3 God why we love him 3 10â— God must be loved above all else wee love him not as God 3 165 Godlinesse Godlinesse what 2 83 Good Without humiliation Christ is not accounted the chiefe good 2 16 Afflictions good for us 2 192 A man may doe good and not be good 3 196 To doe good to men is one end why wee live 3 207 In every calling we have occasion to doe good 3 208 Gospell Sinnes against the Gospell aggravated 1 27 Love of GOD wrought by the Gospell 3 13 Curse of the Gospell 3 20 Grace Gracious Righteousnesse of Christ is of grace 1 8 43 Grace GOD tryeth it 2 46 Grace when it is weake what to doe 2 73 GOD is gracious 3 40 Grace sought by Christians as well as mercy 3 68 Grace to be seperate from it a curse 3 177 Great True ioy is great 2 132 Greatnesse of GOD. 3 44 Grieve If we grieve GOD we love him not 3 113 Grounded Faith not well grounded proves false 2 17 Faith ill grounded holds not out 2 119 Our love must be rooted and grounded 3 169 H. Habits Habits 1 41 God rewards not according to our habits 2 140 See act Happy Riches make not happy 2 181 Hardly God deales not hardly with us why 3 175 Harlot see Love Hate Hating Hating of sinne a signe of love 2 126 Naturally we hate God 3 11 Hatred of sinne a property of love 3 97 Three differences betweene hatred and anger 3 98 To returne againe to sinne a signe wee hate it not 3 99 Hating that which God hates is a signe of love 3 120 Foure signes of hating GOD. 3 131 Heare GOD heares some sooner some later 1 90
his children to waite in it 2 122 Sanctification we must set faith on worke to increase it 2 212 How faith sanctifyeth the heart 2 213 Saved If Christ should not receive sinners none should be saved 1 113 Scriptures Scriptures beleeved in generall 2 34 Science Science 1 47 Sciences of two sorts 3 200 Seale Seale double 2 153 Security Security a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Security double Ibid. Seed How salvation is sure to all the seed 1 44 Season Season our workes must sute with it 3 209 Season what duties befit us in it Ibid. Selfe Self-crossing a signe of love to God 3 64 Why we must love God above our selves 3 166 Service Service to God and men different 3 154 Shew Difference betweene faith and a shew of holinesse 1 85 In prayer God sheweth himselfe to us 3 50 Gods shewing himselfe begets love 3 54 Shepheard Magistrates shepheards 3 78 Signe Signe in what cases God will give it 1 124 Sin Sinfull Sin the greatnesse of it 1 26 Sin the nature of it not altered by faith 1 59 Sin the efficacy of it taken away by faith 1 60 Sins most hainous Christ came to pardon 2 151 Sinfull love 3 10 Sin the consideration of it makes us love God 3 52 Sin delight in it and love of GOD cannot stand together 3 159 See Exelude Slippery Slippery places wicked men stand in 2 210 Sonne Sonne of GOD offereth his love to us 3 144 Soule Soule turned to GOD by faith 2 44 Soule needeth refreshing 3 114. Soule the adorning of it 3 173 Sound Sound heart hath good workes 3 193 Sorrow Sorrow for offending God a signe of love 3 116 Sorrow the want of it worse than the sin it selfe 3 117 Speake Love delights to speake of the party loved 3 75 Spirit Spirituall Spirit given more largely now than before 1 4 Spirit makes us love Christ. 2 50 Spirits testimony wrought two wayes 2 53 Spirit all arguments without it prevaile not 2 54 Spirits of men not alike troubled in conversion 2 86 Spirits immediate testimonie 2 89 Spirits testimony how to know it 2 90 Spirituall ioy 2 133 Spirit sound will beare affliction 2 191 Spirit the more we beleeve the more wee have of it 2 215 Spirituall love 3 11 Spirit is strong 3 187 Stranger Strangenesse Wicked men come to God as a stranger 2 106 Strangenes dissolveth love 3 105 Strength Faith takes away opinion of our owne strength 1 72 We daily want new strength 1 135 Strengthening of faith usefull 2 73. Study Study of a Christian. 3 142 Stone White stone what it signifieth 2 85 Successe Successe promised to good causes 2 163 Sudden Miseries come suddenly on the wicked 2 210 How things are said to be suddaine Ibid. Holy men may be suddainely transported to sinne 3 195 Sure How righteousnesse becomes sure 1 8 43 Sutable Looking on GOD as sutable to us breedes love 3 139 Suffering Suffering for Christ. 1 24 Suffering a fruite of love 3 77 Suffering a kinde of doing 3 77 Suffering a good worke 3 209 T. Taking Taking of Christ what 1 16 When we come to take Christ. 1 96 The efficacy of faith in taking Christ 2 41 What taking of Christ is effectuall 2 43 Taking Christ deceitfully 2 97 Taking Christ the way to salvation 3 5 Taught A Christian better taught than learned men wanting grace 3 197 Teaching Teaching of GOD what 2 12 Temptation Some cleave to Christ â—or want of temptations 2 25 Every man hath some particular temptation 2 65 Testimonie see Spirit Time Our time in GODS hands 2 182 GOD meetes with evill men in the worst time 2 211 Time a precious talent 3 113 Triall GOD puts men to tryall that they may holde out 1 9â— GOD gives no grace but hee hath tryalls for it 2 121 Trouble True ioy holds out in trouble 2 132 Trust. Trusting GOD. 2 116 Trusting GOD instances of it 2 117 Trusting in GOD what 2 168 When we are said to trust in GOD 2 171 Trusting GOD ingageth him to helpe us 2 17â— See Meanes Truth GOD abundant in truth 3 42 Turne Turning To turne to GOD what 2 99 How to use faith in the turnings of our life 2 156 V. Vaine Faith without workes is vaine 2 63 Vehement Love vehement as fire 3 89 Vertues Morall vertues GOD regards not without faith 1 82 Difference betweene faith and morall vertues 1 83 Virgins see Love Vnderstanding Faith wrought in the understanding 1 16 Vnderstanding what required in it touching faith 1 55 Vnderstanding 4 things in it touching the promise 1 95 Vnderstanding cleare makes faith effectuall 2 â—3 Vnderstanding what in it hinders love 3 108 Vneffectuall 5. Causes why faith is uneffectuall 2 6. Vngodly God iustifieth the ungodâ—y 2 149 Vnworthily To receive the Sacrament unworthily what 1 87 Two sorts receive the Sacrament unworthily 3 59 Voice Voice immediate 2 53 Voice soft what 2 88 Voice of the Spirit in us 2 105 Voice of Gods Spirit how to know it 2 106 Vprightnes Gods blessing according to our uprightnes 2 181 Vse Those that have faith are able to use it 2 139 How to use faith 2 142 Vse of grace increaseth it 3 204 Vile When a man is vile in his owne eyes 2 136 W. Wages Love desireth no wages 3 27 Walke To walke with GOD what 3 25 Warre True peace comes after warre 2 109 Way When wee looke on Gods wayes as contrary to us we hate him 3 132 See Good workes see Taking Waite True faith is content to waite 2 121 Instances of waiting 2 122 Weake Faith is weake for want of using 2 140 Love to God weakeneth sinne 2 214 Weake grace is grace 3 148 Will Willing Will faith wrought in it 1 16 Will must take Christ. 1 21 Will three things in it in taking Christ. 1 22 Those that are willing to take Christ how they are affected 1 32 Iustifying faith differeth from generall faith in the act of the will 1 49 Will what required in it touching faith 1 56 We must be willing to kill our lusts 1 92 Will the drawing of it to take the promises 1 101 Will how drawne 1 103 Will drawne by three meanes 1 104 Will what in it hinders love 3 108 Will taken for the deed when 3 201 Wee must be willing to suffer for Christ. 3 99 Wisedome Wisedome in three things 2 199 Property of wisedome 3 206 Wonders Wonders wrought now though no miracles 2 177 Worth Worthy To be worthy of Christ what 1.29 75 Faith take from a man all opinion of worth 1 71 Christ worthy of our love 3 34 Worship If Christ were not ready to pardon hee should not be worshipped 1 113 Worke Working Faith and opinion differ in their working 1 120 Working shewes a thing to bee effectuall 2 27 Working in doing and suffering 2 45 Good works the way to salvation 2 60 Worke-lesse faith five arguments against it 2 62 True
faith is working 2 63 Workes without them none iustified Ibid. Doctrine of good workes iustified 2 67 Works why required 2 70 Good workes their different rise in Papists and us 2 72 Workes to iudge aright of them 2 79 Workes how accepted 2 80 Workes of our calling good workes 2 84 Faith must be set on worke 2 138 Motives to set faith on worke 2 139 Faith inableth us to worke 2 141 We shall be iudged by our workes 3 186 A good heart and good workes goe together 3 189 Motives to working 3 203 A beauty in good workes 3 205 World World overcome by faith 2 215 World the love of God and it cannot be together 3 121 World tryalls of love to it 3 122 World how minded by Saints 3 126 Word As great a sinne to neglect the Lords Supper as to neglect the Word 3 59 Wrastling Wrastling with God 1 89 Y. Yoake Yoake of Satan easie to many that weare it 2 31 Z. Zeale is where there is love 3 95 FINIS CHristian Reader the Booke being divided into three parts being upon three severall Texts and each part beginning with Fol. 1. know that alway the first figure in the Table sheweth the part the other the page as will easilie appeare by the beginning of the Table ERRATA Part. 1. Page 31 line 10 for If say reade I say page 55 line 4 for iustification reade testification p 59 l. 12 for the thing r. the next thing p. 75 l. 27 for yeranes r yearnes p. 76 l. 6 for the use r. that use p. 109 l. 25 for hearâ— of in r. heard in p. 113 l. 23 for to serve r to serve him p 113 l 26 for have no hope r they have no hope p 125 l 8 for beleeve this r beleeve for this p 130 l 25 for best bud r least bud p 136 l. 20 for eyther thy soule r either for thy soule Part 2. Page 23 line ult blot out his p. 25 l. 7 blot out for p. 49 l. 9 for worke r. worker p 72 l 28. for 3 use r. 4 use p. 76. in the margine blot out Vse 4. p. 85 l. 22 for was r. was by p â—6 l. 1 for selfe r. selves p. 88 l. 18. for within r. in p. 132 9 for faith r. ioy p. 144 l 8 for so r see p. 158 l 25 for thing r use p 160 l 30 blot out that p 165 l 20 for conclusions r turnings p 197 l 2 3 r God stayes thee for this end p 197 l 9 blot out not p. 198 l 10 for weakneâ— r. weaned p 198 l 31 for induldeâ—s r indulgentâ— p 199 l 14 for except r expect p â—02 l 10 for thy r their p 208 l 19 for certainly r. captivity p 212 l 11 for saith will r saith he will Part 3. Page 74 l 15 for they would r they would not p 99 l 4 blot out any p 99 l 12 for beauty r bent p 140 l 9 for feare r sense p 149 l 12 for nearely r warily A briefe Collection of the principall heads in the ensuing Treatises PART 1. DOCTRINE That righteousnesse by which alone wee are saved is revealed in the Gospell pag. 3 Sixe Questions about this righteousnesse 5 Vse To see the justice of God in condemning men who neglect this righteousnesse 26 Vse 2. Not to deferre the taking of Christ. 31 Doct. 2. Faith is that whereby the righteousnes of God is made ours to salvation 37 Reasons 1. That it might be of grace 43 2. That it might be sure Ibid. 3. That it might be to all the seede 44 4. That no flesh should rejoyce in it selfe 45 Definition of justifying faith 49 The object of faith 52 The subject of it 55 How faith justifieth 59 The acts of faith 62 Vse 1. Not to be discouraged from comming to God 67 Vse 2. To rejoyce in God 76 Vse 3. To labour for faith 81 Vse 4. To apply the promises with boldnesse 86 Foure things in the understanding touching the promises 95 Three meanes to draw the will 104 Seven arguments to perswade us of Christs willingnesse to receive us 110 Doct. 3. Faith admits degrees and wee ought to grow from degree to degree 117 Faith admits degrees in foure respects Ibid. Vse 1. To comfort those that have faith though in a lesse degree 130 Vse 2. An exhortation to grow in faith 134 Sixe motives to grow in faith 135 PART 2. DOCTRINE That faith that saveth us must be effectuall pag. 3 Five causes of ineffectuall faith 6 Three things wherin the efficacy of faith consisteth 20 How effectuall faith is wrought 47 Sixe reasons why God will accept no other faith 58 Vses First To try our faith whether it be sound 60 Secondly To judge our conditions by the efficacy of our faith 64 Thirdly To justifie the doctrine of good workes against the Papists 67 Fourthly To labour to grow in faith and assurance 72 Fifthly To learne to judge aright of our workes 79 Sixthly To try if we have faith 84 Five signes of effectuall faith 92 The concomitants of faith 124 Vse 7. To set faith on worke 138 Three wayes how to use faith 142 Sixe considerations to helpe faith to comfort us 149 Eight instances wherein faith should guide us 158 Concerning using meanes 176 Concerning evills feared 187 Concerning God hearing our prayers 193 Concerning the prosperity of the wicked and affliction of the Saints 201 PART 3. DOCTRINE HEE that loves not is not in Christ. page 5 Five kindes of love 8 How the love of God is wrought in us 12 Reasons First If a man love not there is a curse on him 18 Secondly He breakes the Evangelicall law 19 Thirdly it is adultery 20 Fourthly he slights Gods offer 21 Vses First To examine if we love Christ. 21 Sixe tryalls of our love to Christ. 24 Seven motives to love Christ. 34 Meanes to enable us to love God 49.106.138 Ten properties of love 60 Two impediments of our love to Christ. 106 Five tryalls whether we love God or no. 115 Foure signes of hatred of God 133 Meanes whereby wee may be assured of Gods love to us 146 Five things requisite in our love to God 159 The danger of not loving the Lord. 178 â—oure things in the curse of God 179 Doct. 2. We are to be judged not onely by our faith but by our workes 188 Reasons First Because every Christian hath the Spirit 189 Secondly Inward rectitude is never disjoyned from good workes 191 Thirdly Because every Christian hath a new nature 192 Vses First Not to content our selves with good meanings onely 193 Secondly Christians are better taught than learned men without grace 199 Thirdly An exhortation to doing 205 Three duties suting the season 211 1 Cor. 16.13 1 Thes. 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. Eph. 1 1â— 6. Questions about this righteousnes 1. Quest. How it saueth Ans. 1. Rom. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.45 Answ.
and redemption that no flesh should reioyce in it selfe Now if that be GODS end if that be his aime why he will haue vs saued by faith let not vs disappoint him of his aime let vs not take from him the glory of his grace but let vs glory in the Lord. This point we should especially looke to not to reioyce in our selues but in GOD For my beloued wee are all naturally exceeding apt to reioyce in our selues wee would faine finde some excellencie in our selues euery man is apt to reflect vpon himselfe and hee would faine see some worth there that hee might reioyce in and if he be no body at all there it is contrary to his nature to thinke that he shall be accepted there is nothing in the world that we are so backward to as this It was Adams fault in Paradise whereas hee should haue trusted GOD and haue beene wholly dependant vpon him for all he would needes know good and euill he would haue something of his owne and this was it that lost him all and brought the curse vpon him because hee would not bee dependant Now in the Gospell GOD comes by a second meanes of sauing men and in this the LORD would haue the creature to haue nothing in himselfe to glory in but man is hardly brought to this but exalts and lifts vp himselfe and would faine haue some worth and excellencie of his owne but as long as wee doe thus wee cannot bee saued that is the argument that is vsed Rom. 6.4 why Abraham was iustified by faith if there had beene any other way Abraham had had wherein to reioyce in himselfe but faith excludes this reioycing and onely faith wee should I say learne to do this in good earnest to see that there is no worth in our selues to haue CHRIST to be to vs all in all Col. 3.11 is an excellent place to this purpose saith the Apostle there in the matter of saluation There is neither Iew nor Gentile bond nor free but Christ is all in all That is when we come to be iustified before GOD when wee come to the matter of saluation God lookes at nothing in a man he lookes at no difference betweene man and man one man is vertuous another man is wicked one man is a Iew and hath all those priuiledges another man is a Gentile an alien from the Common-wealth of Israel one man is circumcised another man is vncircumcised but all this is nothing Why For CHRIST is all in all Marke it First he is all that is there is nothing else required to iustifie Indeede if wee were something and he were not all we might then looke at something besides but he is all Againe he is all in all that is goe thorow all things that you may thinke will helpe you to saluation in all those things CHRIST is onely to be respected and nothing but Christ whatsoeuer is done without Christ GOD regards it not If you will doe any worke of your owne to helpe your selues in saluation if you will rest vpon any priuiledges Christ is not all in all but Christ must be all in all in euery thing and if onely Christ be all then we must come onely with faith for it is faith onely that layes hold vpon Christ. Now a naturall man hee will not haue Christ to bee all but himselfe will bee something or if Christ be all in some things he will not haue Christ to be all in euery thing to haue Christ to be his wisdome his righteousnesse his sanctification to doe nothing but by Christ to haue Christ to be his redemption not to be able to helpe himselfe without Christ but that Christ must helpe him out of euery trouble and bestowe vpon him euery comfort this I say is contrary to the nature of man therefore we must bee thorowly emptyed of our selues in this matter of reioycing aswell as in the matter of taking for in what measure any man sets any price vpon himselfe so farre as he hath any opinion of himselfe that he is something iust so farre he detracts from Christ but when a man boasts not of himselfe at all such a man reioyceth in GOD altogether such a man will stand amazed at the height and breadth and length and depth of the loue of GOD such a man will be able to see that there are vnsearchable riches in Christ such a man will be able to say with Paul that he cares for nothing he reckons all things dung Phil. 3. I haue all the priuiledges saith he that other men haue I am a Jew I am a Pharise but I reckon all these things as dung that is I care for none of them if I had an hundred more It is true I haue beene as strict as any man yea I went beyond others for I was zealous in that course wherein I was yet I haue beene taught thus much that all these things are nothing for GOD regards them not he regards nothing but Christ and his righteousnes therefore I looke not after these things but that I may be found in him not hauing mine own righteousnesse but that righteousnesse that GOD accepteth which is through faith in him Therefore my brethren learne thus to reioyce in CHRIST and in GOD and not in your selues this is the most excellent worke that we can performe it is the worke of the Saints and Angels in Heauen wee should learne to come as neere them now as we can In Reu. 7.11 they cryed with a loud voyce saying Saluation commeth by our God that sitteth vpon the Throne and by the Lambe and therefore praise and wisdome and glory be giuen to God for euermore because saluation is from the Lord and from the Lambe and not from our selues at all hence it is that they fell downe and worshipped him and for this cause they all cry wisdome and glory and praise be to our GOD for euermore If saluation had beene from our selues if wee had done any thing to helpe our selues therein there had not been ground of giuing all praise and glory to GOD and if this bee the worke of the Saints Angels we should labour to performe it as abundantly as we can now and let vs doe it in good earnest for if men could be brought to this to reioyce in GOD alone their mouthes would bee filled with praise exceedingly they would regard nothing else and in the course of their liues they would make it euident to the world that they were such as made no account of the World so they might haue CHRIST they would be content with any condition for Christ is all in all to them Thirdly if it be by faith onely by which we are made partakers of the righteousnesse by which we are saued then it should teach vs to let other things goe and principally to minde this matter to labour to get faith whatsoeuer become of other things for it is that by which we haue saluation The
of full assent As wee say of a Wall that is a little white it is white because it tends to full whitenesse and as we say water is hot that is a little hot so faith that is but in a little degree yet it may be true firme and substantiall But what is the least degree of faith the least assent the least beliefe of the promises without which it cannot bee said to bee faith I answer the least degree of faith is that which brings vs to CHRIST which makes vs willing to take him Marke this point for it will be of much vse to you when the promises of GOD are preached to you and made knowne vnto you when the arguments that moue you to come to CHRIST are declared and made manifest Now if a man stands and knowes not whether he were best to take him or no this is not faith such a man acteth nothing hee is such a one as is spoken of in Iam. 1. for that I take to be the meaning of that place a man that knowes not whether he should come to CHRIST or no that stands in a doubt and sometimes hee will goe and sometimes he will not hee is off and on to and fro such a man hath not faith such a one CHRIST rejects but now when there is so much waight as will cast the Ballance the right way though there be something left in the other end of the Ballance that is though there be some doubting some feare yet if I so farre beleeue the promises and the Word of GOD as that I am willing to take CHRIST for my Husband I am willing to rest on him to pitch on him to bestow my selfe vpon him this is faith though it come not to the full degree As for example if one be a spokesman for a Suitor he comes and tels the Spouse to whom he is a Suitor that such a man is of such parentage hath such honour and such wealth and is thus qualified now if she be but so farre perswaded as that she is willing to take him for her husband that is enough to bring her to make the match that perswasion will bring her to doe it afterward shee may come to know the thing more fully and to be better perswaded but that addes to the degrees So if there be but so much assent so much firmenesse of perswasion to bring vs to CHRIST to make vs willing to come to take him for our Sauiour and for our LORD that is the least degree of faith and though there be doubting left and though there bee some feares yet if there be but so much as will produce that it is faith Let mee exemplifie it in some other thing Take Hester when she was to come to the King she knew not what successe she should haue shee was fearefull as we may see by the manner of going about the businesse yet seeing there was so much as drew her to the action she comes and sayes If I perish I perish as if she had doubted she might haue perished yet she resolued to doe it this may be said to be an act of faith that put her on the worke Take a Martyr that comes to suffer hee hath many doubts and feares and yet if there be but so much perswasion as will produce the act in him as that hee is moued to doe the thing hee may properly bee said to doe it out of faith And so of all other actions The three Children GOD can deliuer vs if he will say they if hee doe not wee will not worship that Image that thou hast set vp There might be some doubting in them and yet because there was so much trust in GOD as to bring them to doe the thing here was faith enough to make them acceptable in the sight of GOD. So I say if there be so much faith as will bring vs to GOD and to CHRIST that is the least degree other degrees there are that may be added afterwards but this is thy comfort if thou haue but so much as will produce such an effect thou maist be sure that thou hast faith Secondly Faith admits degrees in regard of the difficulty and hardnesse of the things that are to be beleeued As for example Martha and Mary both beleeued in CHRIST when hee feasted with them but when Lazarus was dead and had beene in the graue foure dayes that put them to a stand Now if they had beene able to beleeue this there had beene a greater degree of faith And that was it that magnified Abrahams faith so that when there was so great difficulty that he must goe and offer his sonne the sonne in whom GOD had promised that his seede should be blessed who was called the sonne of the promise Now here was a great degree of faith because there was great difficulty Moses we see when he came to beleeue the promise of God in Numbers 11. that so many euen sixe hundred thousand should be fed with flesh and that they should be so fed a whole moneth together it set Moses at a stand he knew not what to say Not one day saith he not tenne dayes not twenty dayes but a whole moneth together and sixe hundred thousand people If all the Flockes and Heards should be killed and all the Fishes in the Sea should be gathered together how should this be done This was a great thing to beleeue and therefore GOD pittyed Moses GOD seeth when things are hard to be beleeued and pitties man GOD beares with Moses in that case because the thing was difficult and high there are some things which are aboue hope and in such cases GOD is willing that his people should aske him a signe he knowes their strength they had neede of something to confirme them And therefore in such a case when GOD comes in such manner if they aske him a signe GOD is willing to giue them a signe Indeede when men will aske a signe to tempt GOD an adulterous generation askes a signe that is for tryall or temptation not for loue of CHRIST and to be perswaded he is fit for them but an adulterous generation they did it not out of loue but I say when eyther the thing is high or else when the means of perswasion is weake and slender As we know CHRIST said vnto Nathaniel Doest thou beleeue this as if he should say This shewes thy faith is great that for so small a thing as this thou beleeuest I said no more but I saw thee vnder the Fig-tree And this shewed the weaknesse of Thomas his faith that hee would not beleeue vnlesse hee might put his finger into the print of CHRIST'S wounds and his hand into his side so that when a man beleeues by slender meanes or when he beleeues things of a higher nature which is more aboue hope when there is great difficulty in this sense faith admits degrees Thirdly Faith admits degrees in regard of the extent of it
what nature soeuer to thinke otherwise is to limit the holy one of Israel trust perfectly therefore It is not a little that will serue the turne as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3. vlt. grow in grace there is neede of it you shall finde that as you wade further in the profession of Christianity so you shall haue neede of more strength you shall haue greater imployment therefore you haue more neede of growth to goe forward and perseuere Againe you shall meet with greater temptations and assaults if you bee not more strong then at the first you are not able to resist Againe If you grow in faith you shall growe likewise in Joy and that is a thing which wee haue continuall vse of that is of onely vse to comfort and strengthen vs to make vs abound in the workes of the LORD that helpes vs to goe thorow all variety of conditions that enables vs to abound and to want to passe thorow good report and euill report to suffer and endure persecution now the more you grow in faith the more you grow in joy as the Apostle saith Rom. 15.13 The God of peace fulfill you with all ioy by beleeuing So that the more wee beleeue the more ioy the more consolation wee haue Againe the more you grow in faith the more you shall gaine the fauour of GOD the more you shall winne his loue there is nothing in the World doth so much winne the fauour of GOD as a great degree of faith and therefore though thou mayest be saued with a lesse degree yet that thou mayest be in a greater degree of fauour seeke more faith and this though it be reckoned a small matter to haue a great degree of GODS fauour yet it is the greatest dignity in the world Looke vpon all the difference of men it is their difference in the fauour of God that makes them so Why was Moses a man aboue all the rest saith GOD I will haue compassion vpon whom I will haue compassion and I will shew mercie to whom I will shew mercie I haue chosen Moses looke to what difference of men you will looke into what estate what condition thou wouldest haue either thy soule or thy body whatsoeuer it be it is by the grace and fauour of GOD in CHRIST IEsus that all thy comfort and consolation increaseth What shall make me grow in the fauour of GOD I answer there is nothing that causeth God to set so much by vs as faith the woman of Canaan see what cause Christ had to giue her such a great commendation great is thy faith and because her faith was great therefore hee set her at so high a rate So the Centurion saith CHRIST I haue not found so great faith in Israel and that is the thing that he set so great a price vpon So Iacob when hee got the name of Israel when he preuailed with GOD certainely it was the greatest blessing that euer he had Why was that Because hee shewed the greatest faith that euer he did it was a strong faith that preuailed with GOD And what set him at so high a rate in GODS Booke It was the faith he had in GOD therfore he is remembred in the whole Booke of GOD for his faith Therefore the more faith you haue the more GOD prizeth you it is it that winnes his loue I cannot stand vpon the arguments why we should grow in faith they are many The more faith we haue the more powerfull are our prayers in preuailing with GOD for faith giues strength to them Againe the more faith you haue the more you bring glory to GOD if there bee much faith there will bee much fruite it is the roote of all grace as Iohn 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit Get much faith then if you will haue much fruit that you may bring glory to GOD as if he should say If a man haue but some faith he brings forth fruit yet there shall be something wanting but when a man is eminent when he is conspicuous when he is as a great light that euery man turnes his eye to when he is as a Tree that brings forth much fruite which turnes the eyes of the beholders to it So it is with Christians herein saith Christ is my Father glorified c. A Christian hath no such motiue as this he shall glorifie GOD exceedingly if he haue abundance of faith he shall haue abundance of euery Grace he shall grow rich in good workes this is that which we should all labour for I cannot stand to presse it further So much for this time and for this Text. FINIS A TREATISE OF EFFECTVALL FAITH Deliuered in sixe Sermons vpon 1 Thes. 1.3 By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESVS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Diuinity Chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiestie Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne The iust shall line by faith Hab. 2.4 Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained promises c. Heb. 11.33 34. LONDON Printed for Nicholas Bourne 1630. OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The first Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. IN the former Verses the Apostle setteth down this generall Wee giue thankes alwaies for you making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing First hee tels them that hee prayes for them and then hee tels them more particularly that his prayer was a thanksgiuing And this giuing of thanks for them hee expresseth by the continuance of it he did it constantly without ceasing not by fits making mention of you in my prayers Then he names the particulars for which he giues thankes namely these three For their Effectuall Faith Diligent Loue Patient hope Now these three Graces he describeth and setteth forth three wayes First from a certaine property or character which distinguisheth the true faith from the false faith the true loue from the false loue the true hope from false hope I giue not thankes for euery faith but for such a faith as is effectuall that is the property or character by which the truth of faith is discerned Againe not for euery loue but for such a loue as is laborious for so the word signifieth Thirdly not for euery hope but for such a hope as makes you patient that is the character by which to know hope And this is the first way whereby he describeth these Graces Secondly he describeth them from the object vpon which these Graces are pitched and that is Iesus Christ our Lord that is to say I giue thankes for the faith you haue in Christ for the loue you haue towards him for the hope you haue of what he will doe for you I giue thankes for that faith for that loue for that hope that hath Christ for the object of it Thirdly he describeth these graces from the sincerity of them I giue thankes for all these graces that you haue in the sight of God
then faith proues effectuall that is a man holds out hee goes thorow with the worke he cleaues so to Christ as that he will not part with him but for want of this because mens hearts are not circumcised because way is not made because the Mountaines are not brought downe because the Ministrie is not sharpe enough to prepare them hence it is that their faith is vaine and comes to nothing Fiftly and lastly the faith of men proues ineffectuall because it is not well grounded they take to themselues a perswasion of the remission of their sinnes vpon an vncertaine ground they are not built vpon the Rocke they take CHRIST but they are not well bottomed for there is a certaine false perswasion which is nothing else but a strong fancie which makes a man to thinke that his sinnes are forgiuen and that hee is in a good estate but when it comes to examination hee can giue no sound reason for it When men take CHRIST on this manner when they are perswaded their sinnes are remitted and yet haue no good ground for this perswasion and peace it holds not out it continues not Therefore to such as these Saint Paul speakes Eph. 4.10 Bee not children saith hee in vnderstanding to bee carried about with euery winde of doctrine As if hee had said Indeed you are such as haue embraced CHRIST but you must not doe as children doe that beeing not able to vse their owne judgement they see what other men doe and they heare what they say but saith hee you must learne to be men that you may vse your owne vnderstanding that you may see with your owne eyes or else you will bee like a Ship tossed and carried about with euery wind That is to say it was a false perswasion that draue you to CHRIST and another winde will driue you from him therefore bee not children in vnderstanding So I say when you haue a perswasion of the remission of your sinnes of beleeuing in Christ be not children in vnderstanding see that it bee soundly grounded That is a condition required by the Apostle Colos. 1.23 CHRIST hath reconciled vs to GOD the Father to be blamelesse and without fault But saith hee I must put in this condition If you continue grounded and stablished in the faith that you bee not moued from the hope of the Gospell As if he should haue said There is a certaine faith by which you may take Christ and so you may bee perswaded of reconciliation but saith he that will not doe vnlesse you bee grounded and stablished in the faith The word in the Originall signifieth Except you bee so built as a house is built vpon a sure foundation as a Tree that is soundly rooted when you are so pitched vpon Christ that when new objects come new temptations come things that you neuer thought on yet nothing can moue you from the hope of the Gospell If you be not grounded you may take a hope to your selues of reconciliation and of being without fault in the sight of GOD but it will neuer hold out vnlesse it be soundly grounded Hence you see therefore that if a man bee not well rooted if hee be not built vpon the Rocke if this perswasion of the remission of his sinnes bee not well bottomed that causeth him not to hold out but to fall off againe Whereas it is required of vs that we keepe so close to God in such a case our faith should be built on so sure a ground that nothing in the World should moue vs no not the most probable arguments that may bee brought in as wee see Deut. 13. saith Moses If a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames come and give you signes and wonders and the thing that he foretold come to passe that you could not answer any thing you can see no reason but that he should be a true Prophet saith he God will put you to such trials to proue you to see if you be soundly grounded All that are saued hee will haue them so fixed hee will haue them take their saluation vpon so good a ground vpon such infallibility that whatsoeuer shall bee brought against them they shall keepe them close to GOD. This is that that wee should labour for and for want of this when men haue a confused perswasion that their sinnes are forgiuen and thinke it enough if their hearts bee quiet if they haue rest in their consciences that they be not troubled and neuer examine what the grounds are I say for want of this it is that in temptation they fall away when other men come and preach other doctrines then they are plucked away with the errour of the wicked as Peter saith 2 Pet. 3.17 Bee not plucked away with the errour of the wicked but grow in knowledge As if hee should haue said If you haue but some perswasion but some good opinion that Christ is yours and that it is best for you to cleaue to him this will not hold you will bee plucked away with those errours that other men are plucked away with This is the first thing which wee haue done with to shew the causes of the ineffectualnesse of faith In the next place I am to declare vnto you what it is that maketh faith effectuall wherein the effectualnesse of faith consists In this we will shew you 3. things First in what sence it is called effectuall faith for the very opening of this word which the Apostle vseth will open a Window to vs it will open a creuice of light to see into the nature of the thing it selfe Secondly we will shew you particularly and distinctly wherein this effectualnesse of faith consists Thirdly wee will shew you how it is wrought how this faith is made effectuall in vs and when wee haue done these three you will fully vnderstand what effectuall faith is First for the opening of this very appellation this name effectuall faith you shall finde that a thing is said to bee effectuall in 4. respects First we say a thing is effectuall when it doth its office when it exerciseth that proper function that belongs to that quality or that grace or that gift or that creature whatsoeuer it is and when it doth not that then we say it is ineffectuall when it doth not the thing that we looke for from it In this sence faith is said to be effectuall when it doth the thing for which faith is when it doth the thing that God expects of faith that is the proper function of faith and what that is you heard before namely to take Christ If faith take Christ it is effectuall faith Now for the opening of this a little further to you to shew you what this proper function of faith is It is when a man is so far peswaded of the truth of the Scriptures of the truth of the promises and doth so far appropriate them to himselfe that hee is willing
Paul in Eph. 1. in all the former part of the Chapter to the 18. Verse hauing declared the great Mysterie of saluation he takes himselfe vpon the sudden and beginnes to thinke with himselfe though I shew you all this it is to no purpose if GOD send not the Spirit of reuelation c. Therefore hee lifts vp his heart to GOD beseeching him to giue them the Spirit of revelation to open the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might see the hope of their Calling and the riches of their inheritance with the Saints So should Ministers learne to doe to pray for the people that GOD would infuse and send his Spirit into their hearts that they may be able to perceiue these things effectually with a right apprehension to see the secrets of GOD in them you also should goe to GOD and beseech him to helpe you with his Spirit that so you may be able to apprehend these things and that they may be powerfull to worke the same thing for which we deliuer them to you and so wee haue shewed you these three things First what effectuall faith is namely in shewing you why it is called effectuall faith Secondly wherein the efficacie of faith consists and Thirdly how it is wrought Now last of all wee are to shew you the reason why GOD accepts no faith but that which is effectuall And there is good reason why no faith should be accepted of GOD but that which is effectuall First because otherwise it is not faith at all if it be not effectuall and if it be not faith it is no wonder that he doth not accept of it I say it is no more faith then a dead man is said to be a man you giue the name of a man to him yet he is not a man no more is faith that is not effectuall any faith it hath only the name of faith and there is no more in it but as dead Drugges which haue no efficacie in them or as dead Plants or dead Wine which is turned to Vinegar it ceaseth to be Wine it is no longer Wine but Vinegar so it may be said of ineffectuall faith it is not faith it hath the name and the shaddow of faith onely and therefore God accepts it not Againe GOD will saue none vnlesse they be reconciled to him and be such as loue him for that condition is euery where put in All things shall worke together for good to them that loue him and he hath prepared a Crowne for them that loue him Now if faith be not effectuall there will be no loue and if loue be necessarily required GOD cannot accept that faith that is ineffectuall Againe if GOD should accept of a faith that is ineffectuall the Deuils haue such a faith by which they apprehend the Word and a faith that brings forth effects for they feare and tremble but this is not the faith that purifieth the heart it is not an effectuall it is not a purging liuely faith Againe CHRIST receiues none but them that deny themselues and are willing to take vp their crosse and to follow him that mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit Now an ineffectuall faith doth none of these and therefore that faith that saueth must bee a working faith or else these things should not be necessarily required Againe it was Christs end in comming into the world that he might destroy the workes of the Deuill and for this end hath the grace of God appeared that men should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and for this end did hee giue himselfe to purifie to himselfe a people zealous of good workes He comes to be a King as well as a Sauiour to rule among his people to haue men obey him which could not be if faith were not effectuall if it did not purifie the heart and enable men to deny all worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world And last of all good workes are required of necessity as the way to saluation Eph. 2.10 We are Gods workmanship created in Iesus Christ vnto good workes which he hath ordained that we should walke in them Good workes are required of necessity GOD judgeth vs according to our workes Rom. 2. and at the last day the reward is pronounced according to that which men haue done When I was in prison you visited me when I was naked you cloathed me c. And if they be required of necessity then it is not a dead liuelesse workelesse faith but a powerfull energeticall faith a faith that is stirring and actiue a faith that is effectuall which GOD requires without which we cannot be saued We come now to make some Vse of what hath beene said First If GOD accept no faith but that which is effectuall it should teach vs not to be deceiued in a matter of so great moment It should teach vs to looke to our faith to consider whether it be a right faith or no. If a man haue Euidences vpon which his lands and whole estate dependeth if one should come and tell him that they were false Euidences it would affect him he would at the least be ready to looke and to examine them and yet these are matters of lesse moment If one be told that his Corne is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his money is counterfeit a man would looke euen to these things a man would haue that which he hath to be sound and not counterfeit and shall not we then looke to the faith that we haue vpon which the saluation of our soules depends seeing God accepteth none vnlesse it be â—ound and seeing there is so much counterfeit faith in the world It should teach vs to looke about vs and consider what our faith is For as Iames saith faith without workes cannot saue vs. What auaileth it my Brethren if a man say he hath faith and hath not workes can his faith saue him So I say to euery man in such a case thou that thinkest thou hast faith if there be not workes too if it be not effectuall if it be not a liuely faith will such a faith saue thee If a man should come and say to one that brags of the Balsome or Drugges which he hath that are dead and haue lost their efficacie Will such a Balsome heale thee If a man haue a guilded Target made of paper a man may say to him Will that Target defend thee And so I say when a man hath a counterfeit faith Will such a faith as this saue thee It will not saue you you may please your selues in it as a man is pleased with a false dreame but when you are awaked you will finde that you are deceiued Learne therefore to consider of your faith to see if it be effectuall When the LORD proclaimed himselfe to be a mercifull God forgiuing iniquity
yet I had a good meaning I intended it at that time well that is not enough If thou hadst faith thou wouldest doe it indeed doe not say I had a good meaning for if thou hadst faith it would not onely worke a good meaning in thee but it would worke power in thee to doe this that thou wouldest be able to mortifie these affections it would worke a reall and an effectuall change in thee Consider how faith doth it faith takes CHRIST when you haue taken CHRIST as soone as euer you haue him he sends his Spirit into your hearts and the Spirit is able to doe all this and doth as Saint Paul saith when hee had CHRIST once I am able to doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee So certainely when thou hast CHRIST as thou commest to take the elements of Bread and Wine if thou hadst taken him indeed thou wouldst be strengthned to doe all things thou wouldst finde thy heart able to doe this thou shouldest finde a change in thy heart that thou wouldst doe it without difficulty thou wouldest finde thy selfe turned and changed thou wouldst haue new affections and a new life And if thou doe not finde this know that thou hast nothing to doe with the Sacrament know it before-hand and know that thou hast had warning giuen thee that thou receiuest vnworthily and art guilty of the body and blood of CHRIST that is thou committest such a sinne as those did that killed CHRIST What was their sinne that killed him They despised him they mocked him they knew him not to be CHRIST they made no account of him their greatest worke in killing him was they despised him they mocked him So thou commest and art bold with him here it is a despising of CHRIST If thou didst reuerence him if thou didst feare him if thou didst tremble at him if thou didst know him to be such a one as he is thou wouldst not be bold to doe it And therfore if thou wilt venture vpon small grounds to goe on in sinne and yet come and receiue the Sacrament the Apostle saith thou art guilty of the body and blood of Christ that is thou committest a sinne of that nature and therefore looke to it Secondly if thou wouldst know whether thy faith be true or no consider whether thou hast this consequent of it the Spirit of Prayer for wheresoeuer there is a Spirit of faith there is also a Spirit of prayer that is marke it and you shall see the reason why I deliuer this to be a signe of faith Faith you know is wrought in vs by the Spirit of Adoption Now what is the Spirit of Adoption but the Spirit that tels you that ye are sonnes as in Gal. 4.6 So many as are sonnes receiue the Spirit of sonnes Now whensoeuer the Spirit tels a man he is a sonne that is workes faith in his heart the second thing that the Spirit doth it teacheth him to pray and therefore those words are added that you cry Abba Father that is the Spirit neuer doth the one but it doth the other if it be the testimony of the Spirit And therefore this is the second signe If thou haue such a perswasion that the Spirit haue spoken to thee if thou wouldest know whether this be a delusion or no thou shalt know it by this If thou haue the Spirit it will make thee able to cry Abba Father it will make thee able to doe two things First it will make thee able to cry that they shall be earnest prayers which thou makest thy prayers shall be feruent they were cold before thou camest to performe lip-labour thou camest to doe the duty to performe it perhaps euery day but alas what prayer was it This shall make thee cry But againe which is the maine not onely so but thou shalt speake to him as to a Father that is thou shalt goe to GOD and looke vpon him as one doth vpon a Father as one lookes vpon one whose loue he is sure of of whose fauour he doubts not one that hee knowes is readie to heare his requests It may bee thou hast prayed before but not to him as to a Father all the while that is the worke of the Spirit if it euer giue thee testimony of thy sonneship it will make thee pray feruently and it will make thee pray to God as to a Father that is to be made able to pray But you will say euery body can pray Is that such a signe is that such a distinguishing marke and character to bee able to pray My brethren be not deceiued in it you must know that prayer is not a worke of the memory or a worke of the wit A man that hath a good wit or a ready invention or a voluble tongue may make an excellent praier in his owne esteeme and in the esteeme of others but this is not to pray Prayer is the worke of a sanctified heart it it the worke of GODS Spirit There is a double prayer Rom. 8. there is one praier which is the voice of our owne spirit there is a second praier which is the voice of Gods Spirit in vs that is when the Holy Ghost hath so sanctified the heart when hee hath put it into such a whole-frame of grace that the heart comes to speake as it is quickned as it is acted and moued from GODS Spirit Now saith the Text there God knows the voice of his own Spirit for that makes requests according to his will he heares that prayer But now the prayers which are made by the voice of our owne spirit he knowes not the meaning of them that is he heares them not he hearkens not to them Consider whether thy prayer be such or no consider whether thy prayer bee the voyce of Gods Spirit in thee But thou wilt say How should I know that Thou shalt know it by this as I said before Dost thou come to him as to a Father Another man prayes to GOD it may be all his life but hee comes to him as to a stranger yea sometimes he may be very earnest when it is no prayer but when he is put to an exigent he may be earnest as a Thiefe is earnest with the Judge to spare him there may be much earnestnesse although this may bee farre off from prayer But canst thou come to GOD as to a friend Canst thou come to him as to one whose fauour thou art assured of Canst thou come to him as to a Father Except thou canst doe this know that he regardeth not thy prayers And this me thinkes now when we consider we should not deferre our repentance and thinke with our selues I will repent when I am sicke I will goe to GOD in the time of extremity Well it may be thou maist doe it but alas canst thou come to speake to God now as to a friend when
faith and hold thy strength that thou be not drawne to sinne against GOD by such a condition In all the turnings of a mans life to be kept straight a man must set his faith on worke It may be GOD will giue thee peace for a time take heed thou sit not downe now and forget thy iourney As thou must not turne to the left hand so thou must not turne to the right hand but passe through all that thou mayest approue thy selfe the seruant of CHRIST in straites in necessity in tribulation by the Armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left through honour and dishonour by ill report and good report That is set Faith on worke in all the variety of conditions to keepe thee in the right way that thou turne not out of it It is faith that must doe it For example put the case thou commest to Hesters condition there was a turning of her minde she had peace before but when it comes to that that she must venter her life for the Church here she had vse of faith And so for Abraham God bade him offer his sonne he was at rest a great while before but now GOD tryes him what hee will doe here is a turning of his life here was an Exigent here was vse for his faith he did it faith turned him this way Another man would haue turned another way that hath not faith So when GOD cals Moses hee was quiet before in Pharoahs Court now he must goe to suffer affliction with the people of GOD then what must he doe in such a case The Text saith he did it by faith by faith he forsooke the glory of Pharoahs Court and chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of GOD then to enioy the pleasure of sin for a season There be many hundreds of such cases that befall continually I say thou shouldst vse thy faith now that it should lead thee in the right way in all these difficult cases for this is the vse of faith See now another man that hath not faith take a false-hearted man and say what you will to him when any such exigent comes you shall neuer draw him from his wealth from his friends from his worldly credit because he makes that his maine his heart secretly trusts in that hee thinkes if that be gone he is as vndone that is his God therefore you shall neuer draw him from that for he wants faith to make God his God Come to another man let him come into such an exigent and you shall not pull him from God hee is his trust he is his hope and if he loseth Gods fauour he loseth life and all and therefore that is the difference in all the passages of things in their conuersation This then is the second thing we should make of faith to guide and direct vs in our liues But because this is generall it may be it will not bee enough I will come a little to Instances Suppose a man come to such a turning as those in Iohn 12.12 Many of the chiefe Rulers beleeued in him but they durst not confesse him lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue Put the case that thou be in such a case as that thou art brought now to such a tryall Now if thy faith be such a faith as they had that is a signe that thou wantest faith indeede Take two men the one will be content to be cast out he will confesse Christ come what wil of it Another man when it comes to such a competition that either he must be cast out of the Synagogue or deny Christ he will rather leaue that then the other he will rather part with Christ he will rather forsake him the confession of him then indure such trouble So again come to a matter of praise of men to a matter of credit whē a man sees that this is his condition in the place he liues in and considers If I serue GOD indeede if I goe through in my profession I see I must be contemned I must be despised I must be trampled vpon I see I must be hated of all men as our Sauiour Christ saith for to be hated of some men a man might beare it well enough but to haue all mens hands against him to be excluded of all good company as they say such a thing a man shall haue much adoe to beare to lose all his worldly credit all his friends but when it comes to such a case one man is willing to beare these because he trusts in GOD I know whom I haue trusted saith Paul Therefore he was willing to vndergoe all shame to indure imprisonment to do any thing another man doth not trust in God and therefore he will not indure hee will leaue Religion he will not doe the things that may breed this trouble hee will mince the matter he will leaue that that he may secure himselfe and keepe his credit that he hath amongst men So againe come to matter of commodity Let matters of profit or aduantage in the World for a mans estate be offered see the different condition now of a man that hath faith and of a man that wants faith See Saul when he saw the fat Cattell he tooke them his faith was nothing but a notion If he had beleeued in GOD he would not haue thought that the fat Cattell would haue made him more happy but because he saw them and thought they would be aduantage to him he saw them present that was the thing he felt hee beleeued not the other therefore he did that And so for Balaam when the case comes that eyther he must curse the people or else forsake the wages of vnrighteousnesse surely he wil haue respect to the wages of vnrighteousnesse that is though Balaam made a faire shew he would doe any thing rather then to goe against Gods Commandements and yet he had an eye to the other all the while and GOD saw that he secretly looked to himselfe So that it may be thou makest profession thou makest a faire shew thou wilt do much Remember this it may be it is but a high flying The Eagle though she flye high yet she hath an eye to the prey below all the while So many men although they doe much yet they haue a secret eye to the prey that is they want faith and therefore they regard these things too much And when the time comes that they must stoope to it the time of tryall when a man wants faith to magnifie other things he ouervalueth those things hauing nothing better to trust vnto In such a case Iudas his 30. pence was a great matter Gehezi's change of rayment and Achans wedge of Gold I neede name no more examples But take a man that hath faith and this is no difficulty to him hee will not only let goe that wealth which he hath inordinately gotten as Zacheus but he will suffer the
wee are and to conceive from thence the kindnesse of the Lord you know how it affected Saul when hee came into the hands of David that he had power to kill him he considered what he had done to Dauid how he had used himselfe to him and he saw Dauids kindnesse againe to him but unexpected and undeserved it was it melted his heart it dissolved him into teares So the love of the Lord when we consider how we have behaved our selves to him and yet he hath offered us peace and yet he saith Returne and I will forgive you I say this would worke on the hardest heart And therefore consider your sinnes it is not enough to say I am a sinner perhaps you are ready to doe so But come to particular sinnes consider wherein you have offended the Lord say you have done thus and thus as Paul reasons with himselfe I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter an oppressour and yet the Lord had mercy on mee so be ready to say I have committed such and such sinnes it may be uncleannesse it may be Sabbath-breaking and swearing c. yet the Lord hath beene mercifull or willing to receive me to mercy as that place Ier. 3.1 If a mans wife play the harlot will hee returne to her No he will put her away and give her a Bill of Divorcement but you have done it and done it oft and with many lovers and yet returne againe to mee saith the Lord So I say when Christ shall come to you when you have committed such and such sinnes and the Lord shall say to you though you have done this though you have done it often yet returne again to me and I will receive you to mercie I say this should melt our hearts and cause us to love the Lord. I should come to the third that is to beseech the Lord to shew his owne selfe to you for indeede wee shall never come to love him till the Lord shew himselfe to us It is one thing when we preach him to you and it is another when the Lord shewes himselfe For as the Sunne is not seene but by his owne light there is no way in the world to see the Sunne all the candles all the torches cannot doe it except the Sunne shew it selfe So I say of the Lord all the Preachers in the world though they should speake with the tongues of Angels they were not able to shew the Lord Christ Iesus what hee is but if the Lord shew his owne selfe to you if he open the cloud and shew you his glory and the light of his countenance then you shall know the Lord after another manner than we can shew him to you with another knowledge more effectually And when you have seene him thus you shall love him without this you shall not love him And therefore pray the Lord to shew himselfe to you as it was Moses prayer Exod. 33 Shew me thy glory What is that That is Lord shew me thy excellency which is exceeding glorious You must thinke Moses asked not this in vaine it was for some purpose hee asked not meerely to satisfie his fancie for the Lord would not then have heard him But what did he aske it for Surely that he might love the Lord the more by knowing him better And when Moses came to aske it at the hands of the Lord he did assent he proclaimed that is hee revealed himselfe more than ever he did before So I say to every one of you if you be earnest with the Lord desire him to shew you his excellencie that you might love him more serve him more and feare him more he could deny you no more than he did Moses for you must thinke that this is no extraordinary thing for the Lord to shew himselfe That which hee did miraculously to Stephen when he opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to the outward view that hee doth ordinarily to the Saints hee shewes himselfe to their mindes and inward affections When wee preach at any time except the Lord shew himselfe to you at that time then our preaching is in vaine for the word that we speake is but a dead letter it will worke no more upon you than a dead thing that hath no efficacy But when the Spirit goes with the word and hee openeth to you the thing that we speake then it is effectuall Therefore Paul to the Ephesians when he had opened those great mysteries hee concludes with this The Lord give you the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know what the hope of your calling is and what is the glorious inheritance of the Saints c. As if he should say when I have said all this it is nothing it will not doe it but he beseecheth the Lord to give them the Spirit of revelation and then it is done And so to conclude all when we have said all we can to move you to love the Lord it is all nothing except the Lord give you that Spirit of wisedome and revelation to open your eyes to see what is the exceeding greatnesse and excellency of his power FINIS THE THIRD SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love OVT of these words we have formerly delivered this point to you that Whâ— soever loveth not is not in Christ. The last thing in the prosecution of this point was the meanes whereby this love is wrought in our hearts which we did not then finish notwithstanding we will not proceed in it at this time but rather alâ—â—r the matter and doe that which I did not then intend because there are many this day that are to receive the Sacrament and you know when we come to receive the Sacrament our chiefe businesse is to examine our selves Let every man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. We have often pressed to you the necessitie of these two things First that you may not omit the Sacrament when it is administred in the Congregation whereof you are members for if they were to be cut off from the people that neglected the Passeover why should not this be accounted a greater sinne and to deserve a greater punishment to neglect the receiving of the Lords Supper which is come in the place of the Passeover and is farre beyond it First because it is more cleare and it is more cleare because the doctrine is more cleare for it doth more lively represent Christ now exhibited in the flesh than that which onely represented Christ which was then to come And secondly because the mercie that you are now to remember is your redemption from sinne and from hell a greater mercie than that which they were to remember in the Passeover which was their deliverance out of Egypt though that was not all therefore the neglecting of this must
banishment where hee lived well enough and enjoyed all things hee wanted nothing but had as much as hee could desire yet saith he what doth all this availe me so long as I may not see the Kings face It was but his craftinesse Yet thus much we may observe out of it that this is the property of love that till a man see the face of God that is till he enjoy a neare and close communion with God untill he can have the love of God witnessed to his soule hee cares for nothing in the world besides As you have it in 2 Chron. 7.14 you have that condition put in If my people saith he when they are in distresse shall humble themselves and seeke my face then I will doe thus and thus As if he should say it may be they may seeke libertie when they are in captivitie it may be they may seeke health when they are in sicknesse it may be they may seeke deliverance from enemies under whom they are enthralled but that is not the condition that I put them upon but if they humble themselves and seeke my face then I will heare in heaven c. So I say now if you will trie whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider whether you seeke his face that is whether you seeke grace or no whether nothing in the world can content you but his favour For it is the property of one that is truly sanctified mercie alone will not content him but hee will have grace as well as mercy Another man that loveth not the Lord it is true it may be hee is pinched with the sense of his sinnes but let him have mercy it is enough hee thinkes but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God except he have grace it contents him not for that is the property and nature of true love that it careth for no wages all that it desires is the love of the party that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted and there is a great difference in that You know a nurse doth much unto the childe as well as the mother and it may be more but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired but the mother doth it for nothing and she doth it more abundantly because she doth it out of love and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it because shee loves her childe So I say if you love the Lord Iesus it is not wages that you seeke but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you if you may have his favour if you may have opportunitie to doe him service in your place it is enough for you you care not for the present wages nor for future Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love the rightnesse and ingenuity of it if it be so that all that you doe is out of love to the Lord and if you can content your selves with love againe from God it is a signe that you love the Lord Iesus Againe to proceed if you love the Lord Iesus you will also love his appearance as you have it in 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse is laid up for me and as many as love the appearance of Iesus Christ and in Heb. 9. ult Hee was offered for the sinnes of many and shall appeare the second time to such as looke for him c. For whom was he offered and to whom shall he appeare To as many as looke for his comming againe So in 2 Pet. 3.13 What manner of men saith the Apostle ought we to be in all godlinesse holy conversation looking for and hasting to the appearance of Christ c. So that it is certaine every man that loveth the Lord Iesus hee loves his appearance hee hasteneth to the comming of the Lord he lookes for his comming againe and it must needes be so in reason For if you love any you know you must needes love their presence will you professe that you are louing to any that when you heare of their comming towards you there is no newes more unacceptable to you If a woman had a husband in the East Indies and report of his comming home should be the worst newes that shee could heare shall wee thinke that such a woman loues her husband So if you did loue the Lord Iesus you would be glad to haue his appearance And Beloved seeing the Apostle hath chosen out this note why should not we presse it in our examination of our selues whereby wee may know whether wee loue the Lord Iesus or no whether wee desire to be with the Lord whether we can say as the Apostle Paul Wee desire to be at home and to be with the Lord If we examine the loue of men by this rule wee shall finde that there is exceeding little loue to the Lord Iesus men are so exceeding backward in desiring to be at home and to be with him and we may know that by our backwardnesse to be in the Lords presence upon earth Shall wee thinke that men are desirous to be in his presence in heauen and yet are so unwilling to draw neare to him upon earth But you will object Many of those that loue the Lord that are men truly sanctified yet are afraid of death and the newes of death is terrible to them and therefore surely this is a rare signe euen in those that haue faith and loue to desire the appearance of Iesus Christ I answer it is true there may be a backwardnesse even in the Saints but you must know upon what ground it is A spouse that is to marrie a husband no question but shee would be glad to be handsome and to be prepared for his comming and though shee may desire his companie exceedingly yet because things are not so readie as she would have them or for feare that he may finde that which may divert and turne away his eyes from delighting in her perhaps shee desires not his comming at that time There is a certaine negligence and unpreparednesse in mens hearts which breedes an unwillingnesse in them sometimes and makes them afraid of seeing the Lord and yet there may be a true and inward love after him Besides you know there is flesh as well as spirit and the spirituall part desires as Paul did to be at home and to be with the Lord and to enjoy his presence but that flesh that is in us is alwayes backward to it Therefore in Revel 14.13 Blessed are those that die in the Lord so saith the Spirit but so saith not the flesh the voice of the flesh is contrary to it but it is the voice of the spirit and the regenerate part that is in us So that this I may boldly say to you that every man that hath this faith and love wrought in him by the Spirit of God hee hath that in him which doth earnestly desire communion with
Why God heareth not sometimes 2 194 Hearers Hearing Hearers of two sorts 1 28 What hearing of the word God requireth 3 81 Heart Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 26 Christ dwells in the heart how 2 95 How to know whether Christ dwell in the heart 2 96 To take Christ with the whole heart 2 97 Vncircumcision of heart 3 106 A heart after Gods heart is a signe of love 3 119 When wee give our hearts to God hee gives us them againe 3 155 Heaven Heaven how desired by wicked men 3 74 Helpe God can helpe in desperate cases 2 189 Hypocrites Hypocrisie Hypocrisy what 3 19 The Saints hated under the name of hypocrites 3 103 Christ persecuted under the person of an hypocrite 3 121 Holy Ghost How the holy Ghost worketh faith 2 49 Love a peculiar gift of the holy Ghost 3 50 Holinesse Holines wrought by God 1 40 Holines easier loved in the Saints than in God 2 127 Holines required in comming to God 2 199 Hope Hope ill grounded faileth 2 19 Hope distinguisheth the faith of Christians from others 2 127 Hope mingled with feare 2 128 Hope the property of it 2 129 Hold out To hold out what it implyeth 2 118 Howling The prayers of wicked men are howlings 2 107 Humbled Humiliation Humility Humiliation how it is required before we come to Christ. 1 14 None can take Christ till they be humbled 1 24 Want of humiliation causeth faith to bee vaine 2 15 Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest evill 2 16 Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. 2 30 Without sound humiliation men holde not out 2 32 Humility a concomitant of faith 2 136 Humility required in comming to God 2 199 I. Idolatrie Idolatry a cause of the pestilence 3 91 Iehovah Iehovah 3 36 Ignorance Ignorance what breedeth it 3 105 Imployment How faith guides a man in his imployment 2 166 Imperfection Imperfection in every creature 3 35 Impediment Two impediments of love to Christ. 3 104 When the impediment cannot be removed God accepteth the will for the deed 3 201 Implacable Hatred is implacable 3 101 Infinite Gods mercy is infinite 2 150 Infirmitie Love to God makes him beare with many infirmities 3 152 See Covenant Ingage We are ingaged to love the Lord. 3 45 Interest Faith gives us interest in all Gods riches 2 141 Intention A man may pray amisse though his intention be right 2 â—95 Ioy. Ioy increase of faith increaseth it 1 135 Ioy may be in hypocrites 2 93 Ioy a concomitant of â—aith 2 130 Ioy tryalls of it 2 132 Iudge Iudgements What God looks for when he sends Iudgements 3 94 To looke on God as a Iudge a signe of hatred 3 132 The sinnes of Gods children helpe forward Iudgements 3 216 Iustifie Iustification Faith how it iustifieth 1 59 Pharise not iustifyed why 1 72 Iustification difference betweene Papists and us in the doctrine of it 2 67 Iustification double 2 68 Good workes iustify not 2 71 Waiting in iustification 2 122 Workes and faith exclude each other in iustification 3 3 K Kindnesse God abundant in kindnesse 3 41 Kindnesse wherein it consists Ibid. Killing The great sinne of killing Christ. 2 103 Know Knowledge Particular knowledge 2 36 Knowledge of God a meanes to love him 2 108 Afflictions teach a man to know himselfe 3 141 Knowledge of God and our selves must goe together 3 142 Knowledge in wicked meâ— 3 192 L. Law Law how it drives men to Christ. 1 105 Law an efficacy put into it to work faith 2 49 Law breaketh the heart 3 12 Law of the Gospell who breake it 3 19 Liberty Liberty in giving our hearts to God 3 156 Life How to use faith in guiding our life 2 154 Life the end of it 3 207 Limit Love doth not limit it selfe in duty 3 95 Limiting in Gods service shewes want of love 3 96 Longing Longing after Christ whence it is 2 90 Long-suffering Long-suffering in God 3 40 Lose We lose not by ourlove to God 3 1â—3 God loseth when wee employ not our talents 3 162 Lord. Christ must be taken as a Lord. 1 50 Love Love to Christ when wee have taken him 1 23 Men in extremity would have Christ but not out of love 2 11 Love of harlots 2 14 Love of virgins Ibid. Love must make us come to Christ. 2 44 Vneffectuall faith workes no love 2 59 Love cannot be counterfeited by hypocrites 2 72 151 Love a concomitant of faith 2 124 Love tryalls of it 2 125 Love to Saints 2 126 Love to God weakeneth sinne 2 214 Love what 3 6 Definition of love in generall Ibid. Love two effects of it 3 7 Love five kindes of it 3 8 Love to God threefold 3 10 Love of three sorts Ibid. Love to God wrought by two things 3 12 Love to Christ what 3 14 Motives to love Christ. 3 34 Why we love the Lord no more 3 36 Love why it is planted in us 3 45 Love of God to us a motive to love him 3 48. Love to God meanes to beget it 3 49 Love the properties of it 3 60 157 Love the tryalls of it 3 113 Love an exhortation to it 3 150 Love motives to it 3 152 Lust. Thraldome to lusts shewes a desire not to part with them 1 93 Faith conflicts with lust 2 75 Satisfying of lusts cannot stand with faith 2 99 Lusts the best way to mortifie them 2 213 Lusts the mortifying of them a good worke 3 207 See Liberty M. Manna Manna hidden 2 85 Meanes Meanes of the use of them 2 176 Meanes that we use must be Gods 2 178 Meanes particular not to bee pitched on much Ibid. Meanes caution in using them 2 186 Meanes how to know we trust God in using them Ibid. Meaning We must not content our selves only with good meanings 3 191 Melancthon 2 163 Measure Punishment the measure of sinne 3 22 Mercy Mercy of God infinite and therefore should incourage us 1 114 Mercy sought of many and not grace 2 13 Mercy God delights in it 2 150 Mercy of God 3 39 Mercy remembred in the Lords Supper great 3 58 Might Wee must love God with all our might 3 160 Misinformation Misinformation the ground why many take Christ. 2 6 Faitâ— that comes from misinformation lasts not 2 119 Moderation 3 210 Mortifie Vneffectuall faith doth not mortifie sinne 2 59 Motions The affections are the severall motions of the will 3 6 Misery We must see our misery before wee apply the promises 1 59 The consideration of our misery draweth the will 1 104 Misery at the last befalls evill men 2 208 N. Name Good name like a glasse 2 190 Nature Naturall Righteousnesse of the Gospell not in men by nature 1 4 Naâ—urall love why it is planted in us 3 11 Naturalnesse of our love to God 3 130 Good workes come from a new nature 3 190 Neglect Men ought not to neglect the Sacrament 3 59 Not. If wee
2. 2 Cor. 5.21 2. Quest. How we shall come by it Ans. Esay 9.6 Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 5.17 Reasons why it is by gift Rom. 4.5 3. Quest. To whom it is giuen Ans. Mark 16.15 Reu. 22.17 Obiect Ans. 1. Answ. 2. Ans. 3. Ans. 4. Obiect Ans. 4. Quest. Vpon what qualifications it is giuen Ans. 1 Cor. 6.9 1. Obiect Ans. 1. Ans. 2. Simile 5. Quest. Ans. Simile Simile Esay 55.1 What this taking is Ans. Faith what Obiect Answ. 1 Tim. 1.15 Simile Three things must concurre in receiuing Christ. Ioh. 5.44 Ioh. 1.11.12 Three things required in the will in taking Christ. 6. Quest. What is required of vs when we haue it Ans. Mat. 3.2 Tit. 2.14 Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Ioh. 1.12 13. Vse 1. Mar. 16.16 Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 3. Vse 2. Mat. 11.28 29. Three considerations to moue men to take Christ. Doct. 2. Two Couenants 1. Absolute Ier. 31. Ezek. 36. 2. Conditionall Mar. 16. Rom. 4.5 Quest. Ans. Though holinesse be required it is Gods worke Simile Eph. 2.10 Habits Why God will saue men by faith 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 1 Cor. 1.30 Eph 4. Freedome from euill to the Saints whence it is Faith what in generall Assent of three sorts Iustifying faith How it differs from generall faith 1 In the obiect 2 In the act of the will Heb. 11 1â— Definition of iustifying faith How faith taketh Christ. We must not only beleeue but receiue Christ. Ioh. 3. Foure things touching faith 1 The obiect of it 2 Cor. 1. Ioh. 3. True loue lookes first to Christs person Mar. 16. Baptizing what meant by it in Mat. 16. 2 The subiect of faith What required in the vnderstanding 2 Cor. 4. What required of the will Rom. 5.17 Ioh. 1.12 This act of the will wrought by God 3 How faith iustifieth Faith altereth not the nature of sinne Note 4 The acts of faith 1 To reconcile vs. 2 To pacifie the heart Direct and reflect act of faith Difference betweene them 3 To purifie thâ— heart Vse 1. Not to be discouraged to come to God A double quality in faith Quest. Ans. Faith emptieth a man of two things 1 Cor. 1.30 Double complaint in sense of want Vse 2. To reioyce in God Eph. 1.6 Eph. 2. 2 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 6.4 Phil 3. Reu. 7.11 Vse 3. To labour for faith aboue all Gal. 5.5.6 Without faith God regards not morall vertues Difference betweene faith and morall vertues Difference betweene faith and shewes of holinesse Vse 4. To apply the promises with boldnesse Gods free promise should incourage vs to come with boldnesse 1 Ioh 1.9 Luk. 11.6.8 Obiect Answ. Christ requireth but a willingnesse to mortifie our lusts Obiect Answ. 2 Cor. 8.9 Two things in laying hold on the promises 4. Things in the vnderstanding Quest. Ioh. 16. Ioh. 6.44 Cant. 2.3 The will drawne by 3. meanes 1. Meanes 1 Cor. 10. 2. Meanes 3. Meanes Arguments to perswade vs of Christs willingnesse to recâ—iue sinners 1 By expressions in Scripture 2 By Christs practice when he was on Earth 3 Else Christs blood were shed in vaine 4 By the example of others pardoned 5 Else no flesh should be saued 6 By the infinitenesse of Gods mercy Obiect Ans. 2. Obiect Ans. By denying our selues we enioy our selues better Obiect Ans. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Faith admits degrees Two parts in the Doctrine Faith admits of degrees in 4. respects 1 In perswasion Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Wherein faith and opinion differ 2 In respect of difficulties Numb 11. 3 In regard of extent The reflect act of faith admits degrees Vse 1. To comfort Vse 2. For exhortation 2 Pet. 1. 13. Motiues to grow in faith Doct. The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Men are apt to deceiue themselues That many men haue a false faith proued by instances both in the Old and New Testament Ioh. 2.23.24 Ioh. 5.35 Mat. 22.8 9 10 11. opened Mat. 13. Ier. 3.10 opened Deut. 5.25 Verse 29. Simile Three things opened 1 The Causes why the faith of many is vneffectuall which are fiue Cause 1. Taking Christ vpon mis-information Instances 1 The yong man that came to Christ. Luk. 18. 2 The Scribe Mat. 8.20 opened Note Cause 2. Taking Christ out of feare Isa. 58. opened Note Simile Cause 3. Taking Christ for loue of the good things by him and not for loue to his person Note Simile Ioh. 6.26 opened Some men seeke mercy and not grace Cant. 5.12 opened We may looke to our own aduantages by Christ. Cause 4. Want of humiliation Deut. 30.6 opened The Spirit of Elias what Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest euill nor Christ the greatest good Cause 5. Because faith is not grounded aright Eph. 4.10 opened Col. 1.23 opened Hope that is not wel grounded holds not out Deut. 13.1 2 3. opened 2 Pet. 3.17 2 Wherein the efficacy of faith consisteth Three things opened 1 In what sence faith is called effectuall Things are said to be effectuall in 4. respects 1 When they doe their proper office The proper function of faith what Faith may bee effectuall though it bee mingled with doubting Iam. 1.7 8. opened A double-minded man who Papists tenent of doubting What doubting it is that faith excludeth How to try truth of doubting Simile Some men cleaue to Christ for wans of temptations True faith not without doubtings and feares sometimes Simile Doubting a signe of a good heart 2 A thing is effectuall in opposition to that which is vaine and empty Simile Simile Iam. 2.17.20 26. 3 A thing is said to be effectuall when it is operatiue Simile 4 When it goes thorow with the worke in hand 2 wherein the efectualnesse of faith consists in 4. things I When the preparation is good Luk. 9.62 opened Sound humiliation fits men for Christ. Instances 1 In the Israelites 2 In the Prodigall Men hold not without sound humiliation Reu. 2.25 opened Mat. 10. â— opened II When the vnderstanding is cleare When a man is said to be well built 1 When he beleeues the Scriptures in generall 2 The promises in particular Application of the offer of Christ. Eph. 2.19 20. opened Note Ioh. 4.44 Particular knowledge 1 Ioh. 1.19 opened Ioh. 6.68 opened The third thing wherein the efficacie of faith consists to take Christ. Heb. 10.22 opened Vers. 38. Eph. 3.17 Reu. 3 2â— What taking of Christ is effectuall Eph. 5.23 opened Gen. 2.24 We must draw neere out of loue to Christ. 1 Tim. 1.5 4 Thing wherin the efficacy of faith consists The turning of the whole soule Gal. 5. Working in doing and suffering Why the promises are made promiscuously God tryeth mens graces Ioh. 12.42 3 How effectuall faith is wrought It is not in mans power to beleeue Quest. Answ. How the Holy Ghost worketh faith by three things 1 Putting an efficacy in the Law A man cannot see his sins to purpose without the spirit of bondage Act. 16. 2 By shewing the
excellency and the riches of Christ. Eph. 1.18.19 opened Obiect Ans. No man can so see the riches of Christ as to be affected with them withâ—ut the helpe of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 opened Ioh. 14.21 opened Ier. 31 33. opened 3 By assuring vs that these things are ours This also must be wrought by the Spirit The testimony of the Spirit wrought two waies 1 By clearing the promises 2 By an immediate voice Ioh. 16.29 Isa. 57.19 opened All arguments without the Spirit preuaile not Eph. 1.19 opened Act. 2.39 Luk. 14.23 opened That men are compelled to come in what it implies What is implyed by drawing Ioh. 6.44 opened How the Holy Ghost draweth Cant. 1.4 Eph. 1.18 4 Why God will accept no faith but that which is effectuall 1 Because else it is not faith because it is dead Similes 2 Because such faith hath no loue Rom. 8.28 3 Because the Deuils haue such a faith 4 Because it workes no mortification 5 Because else Christ should lose the end of his comming into the world 6 Good workes are the way to saluation Eph. 2.10 Rom. 2.6 Mat. 26.35 39. Vse 1. To try our faith whether it be sound Simile Iam. 2.14 Simile Exod. 34.6.7 Obiect Ans. Fiue arguments of Saint Iames against worklesse faith Note Vse 2. To judge our conditions by the efficacy of our faith Not to beleeue all that say they haue faith nor all that say they haue none Act of faith double Simile A man may haue faith though he want feeling Of those that say they haue faith but haue not Simile Psal. 119.7 Vse 3. To iustifie the Doctrine of good workes against the Papists slanders Difference betweene vs and Papists in the Doctrine of iustification Obiect Ans. Iustification double Rom. 4. Note Simile Answ. Faith made perfect by works what Simile 3 Obiect Ans. What meant by these words Faith without workes is dead 4 Obiect Ans. Why good works are required seeing they iustifie not Rom. 6.1 2. 1 They euidence our right in Christ. 2 God rewards according to our works 1 Pet. 1.15 3 Good workes necessary though not to iustification Different rise of good works in Papists and vs. An hypocrite cannot doe things out of loue to God 2 Cor. 13.2 Vse 3. To labour to grow in faith and assurance What course to take in weaknesse of grace Simile Labouring to strengthen faith of much vse 1 In getting assurance of pardon after sin is committed 2 In conflict with strong lusts 3 In want of graces How Ministers should build Simile Simile Vse 4. To looke to faith in our search Two wayes to increase assurance Simile Vse 5. To learne to iudge aright of our workes Iames 2.22 God accepts our workes no further then he findes faith in them Mat. 15.26 27. Heb. 11. God accepts the gift for the giuer To doe a thing by faith what Godlinesse what Heb. 11.6 Rom. 13. We must reckon common actions in our callings to be good workes Vse 6. To try if we haue faith 1 Triall A secret perswasion of the Spirit Reu. 2 17. Hidden Mannah White stone what it signifieth Gods manner of working faith Alike trouble of Spirit in conuersion not necessary to all and why Simile Soft voice what 1 Part of the soft voice a clearing of the promise Though the promises are neere vnlesse God cleere them we see them not Luk. 24. 2 Part of the soft voice the immediate testimony of Gods Spirit Rom. 8. Obiect Ans. How to know the testimony of the Spirit from a delusion How faith is wrought Whence longing after Christ comes Ioh. 19. How to know whether faith be wrought in vs. A beast cannot reflect vpon his actions as a man can How to know that the promise is cleared to vs. Rom. 8. The match betweene Christ and the soule reciprocall Fiue signes of effectuall faith 1. Signe True faith purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 Acts 26.18 Faith and repentance put together in the Scripture why True faith hath repentance Faith what it is Obedience Heb. 8.8 A Couenant what Generall reformation Christ dwels in the heart as the soule in the body Gal. 2.20 Isay 57.13.18 opened Simile How to know if Christ dwell in the heart Acts 8.37 opened Baptisme what Taking Christ deceitfully To take Christ with the whole heart what Act. 2â— 17 18. To turne to God what Faith and the desire of satisfying lusts cannot stand together Ier. 3. Men deceiued in the definition of faith Try faith as we doe other things Similes Digression for application to the Sacrament Rules of examination before and after the Sacrament Where Christ dwels indeed he giues power against sinne Phil. 4.12 To be guilty of the body blood of Christ what Quest. Answ. 2 Signe A Spirit of Prayer Spirit of adoption what Gal. 4.6 The Spirit of adoption maketh vs 1 Earnest in Prayer 2 Bold and confident Obiect Ans. True Prayer what Rom. 8. Prayer double The voice of Gods Spirit in vs what Quest. Ans. How to know the voyce of Gods Spirit in our prayers Wicked men come to God as a stranger the Saints as to a friend Hosea 7.14 opened Eph 3.7 3. Signe of faith Peace Rom. 5.1 Obiect Ans. Exod. 14. Psal. 3. 2 A twofold peace The third marke of faith it brings peace Phil. 4.6 opened Mat. 6. Ioh. 3.12 Gen. 24.7 4. Signe of effectual faith To hold out in cleauing to Christ. To hold out implyeth 3. things 1 To cleaue constantly to Christ. which noâ—e can doe that take Christ 1 Out of mis-information 2 Out of feare 3 Out of loue to his and not to him 4 Out of slender and slight grounds 2 To take no denyall 3 To be content to waite Hab. 2. Iam. 1. 5. Signe of effectuall faith the concomitants of it which are 4. 1 Loue. 2 Pet. 1.8 Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 13. Obiect Ans. Quest. Ans. Tryals of loue 2 Hope 3 Ioy. Rom. 15.13 1 Pet. 1.8 Obiect Heb. 6. Ans. Tryals of ioy Rom. 5.3 1 Pet. 1.8 Simile Heb. 6. opened 4 Humility Isay. 6. Vse To act and exercise Faith or to set it on Worke. Obiect Ans. Simile Simile Rom. 2. Heb. 11. Quest. Ans. How to vse Faith 1 In comforting our selues Gal. 3. opened Ioh. 16. Simile Considerations to helpe Faith in comforting the Soule Micha 7.8 Psal. 41.7 Quest. Ans. Eph. 4. 2 Tim. 2.19 2 Pet. 1.13 2 Vse of faith to guide and order our liues Simile Instances of faith guiding a man in difficult cases 1 Instance Ioh. 12.12 2 Instance 3 Instance 4 Instance Ier. 42. Ier. 42. 43. Obiect Ans. Ier. 26. 5 Instance Acts 6. 6 Instance Quest. Ans. 7 Instance 8 Instance Quest. Ans. 1 Tim. 4.10 Quest. Ans. To trust in GOD what Quest. 2 Cor. 1.10 opened Answ. Zeph. 3.12 Quest. Answ. 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Chro. 14.11 Quest. Ans. Obiect Answ. 2 Kings 5. Hester 6. Obiect Answ. 1. Isay 7. Isay 9. Answ. 2. Consisting of 3. parts Obiect Ans.
Obiect Answ. Psal. 31. Ier. 10. 1 Tim. 1.6 2 Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. 2 Cor. 11. Simile Rom. 8. 3 Obiect Concerning Gods hearing our prayers Ans. Why God heares not sometimes Obiect Ans. When we aske amisse 2 Cor. 12. 2 When we are not fitted for mercies 1 Pet. 5.6 Prou. 22.4 3 To make vs pray feruently Iam. 5. 4 When it crosseth Gods prouidence otherwise 4 Obiect About the prosperity of wicked men and the Saints afflictions Psal. 37. Ier. 12.1 Eccles. 8.14 Eccles. 7.14 We must not iudge by Gods outward proceedings Obiect Answ. We haue need of long and strong afflictictions Dan. 11.7 Psal 37. Quest. Answ. Ier. 24. Difference betweene the Saints and others in the same afflictions Prou. 1.27 Afflictions easie to the godly Psal. 21.34 Simile Faith must be improued to increase sanctification Quest. Ans. How Faith sanctifies the heart Doct. Love what Five kindes of love Three sorts of Love Love of God how wrought in the heart The loue of Christ what Reas. 1 Hypocrisie vvhat Reas. 2. Reas. 3 Reas. 4 1 Vse 1 Cor. 16.22 1 Tryall of love by the affections 1 By griese 2 By ioy 2 Tryall by walking with the Lord. To walke with God what 3 Tryall by the diligence of love 1 Thess. 1.4 4 Tryall desire of present enioyment of the thing beloved 5 Tryall of loye it is its owne wages 6 Tryal of love by its constraining us to please God 2 Cor 5. Object Answ. Motives to love Christ. 2 Mot. 3 Mot. 4 Mot. 5 Mot. Iosh. 24. Deut. 32.13 6 Mot. Ier 2. 2 Sam. 12.7 7 Mot. Gal. 2.10 Obiect Answ. Meanes to enable us to love God Prayer Object Answ. Obiect Answ. Prayer workes love 4 wayes Object Answ. 2 Thess. 4. 2 meanes to consider our sinnes Object Answ. Ier. 3.1 3 Meanes to beseech the Lord to shew himselfe to us Exod. 33. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is not to be omitted Reasons The Lords Supper beyond the Passeover in two respects 2 Men ought not to come negligently to it Two sorts receive the Sacramentunâ— worthily Properties of love 1 It is bountifull 1 Cor. 13. Acts 20.24 Revel 2. Object Answ. 2 It is content with nothing but love again Psal. 51. 2 Chron. 7.14 3 It desires the second comming of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 9. ult 2 Pet. 3.13 Object Answ. 1. Revel 14.13 Simile 4 It delighteth to speake of the party beloved Psal. 105. 2 Chron. 15. 5 It will doe much and suffer much for the party beloved 2 Sam. 6.21 Heb. 10. Object Answ. 1 Iohn 5 3. opened 6 Property of love it is like fire in 4 things Cant 8. Mat 24 5. 7 Property of love it commandeth the affections especially anger and feare 1 Sam. 4.3 Ier. 36.24 Act. 17. These sermons were preached in the time of the great pestilence 1625. Quest. Answ. Causes of the plague Numb 25. Numb 25. Quest. Answ. Isay 22. 8 Property of love it doth things freely 9 Property of love hatred of sinne Object Answ. Rev. 2. Answ. Three differences betweene hatred and anger 10 Property it loveth the Saints 1 Iohn 4.20 opened 4 Tryalls of our love to holy men Object Answ. 2 Cor. 6. Two impediments of the love of Christ. 1 Strangenes Quest. Answ. 2 Vncircumcision of heart Deut. 30.6 1 Iohn 2. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. When love to the creature is adulterous Note Knowledge of God especiall helpe to make us love him Vse Examination 1. Tryall Object Answ. Ier. 3.4 2. Tryall Cant 1. Psal. 63.3 Zach. 12. Levit 16.29 23.27 3. Tryall Acts 13.22 Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Obiect 2 Answ. 4. Tryall 1 Iohn 2.15 Quest. Answ. Three tryalls of our love to the world Ioh. 12.42 Heb. 11. Iohn 8. Object Answ. Rom. 13. 5 Tryall Quest. Answ. Naturalnesse of love to the Lord is known by two things Object Answ. Rom. 1. Quest. Answ. Foure signes of hatred of God 1 Iohn 4. Mat. 6. The last helpe of the love of God consisting of three branches The knowledg of God A looking upon God as one sutable to us 3 Assurance of the Lords love to us Object Answ. Meanes whereby men may be assured of Gods love to them 1 Such as are without Isay. 9.6 Obiect 1. Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. 2 Such as are within the Covenant Object Answ. 2 Answ. 3 Answ. 4 Mot. 2 Mot. Isa. 48.17 Deut. 5.19 Object Answ. Two Requisites in the love of God 1 It must be with all the heart Object Answ. Hosea 3.3 Simile 2 Requisite in love it must be with all your night Object Answ. 3 Requisite to love him above all Else wee love him not as God Else we should not love him constantly Simile Why wee must love the Lord above all Object Answ. Why we must love God above our selves Not to love pleasures more than God what Quest. Answ. Deut. 30.6 Object Answ. 4 Requisite to be rooted and grounded in love Eph. 3.17 Iam 1.12 Our love to God not alwayes in the same degree How to bee rooted in love 1 To be rooted in faith 2 Pitch your love on his person 5 Requisite it must be diligent 1 Thess. 1.3 Wherein our love should be diligent 1 In preparing for Christs comming 2 In adorning the soule 3 In keeping his commandements God dealeth not hardly with us in requiring love because 1 It is that which every one may give 2 Hee that requires this might have required harder things 3 It is for our owne benefit The danger of not loving the Lord. 1 Cor. 16.22 To be cursed what The curse of God in foure things 1 Separate from grace 2 Separation from the presence of God Gen. 4. 3 A curse on the outward estate Object Answ. A man may be cursed in outward things in the midst of plentie 4 The eternall curse at the day of iudgement Eccles. 1.7 Psal. 78.38 Men may be cursed though the curse be not executed Doct. Wee are to be iudged not only by our faith and love but by our workes Mat. 7. Acts 14.22 Mat. 23.26 Prov. 10.20 Reas. 1 Because every Christian hath the spirit and that is strong 2 Tim. 1.6 Gal. 5.25 2 Tim 2.1 Isay 31.3 Reas. 2. Inward rectitude and good workes alway goe together Mat 13.5 Reas. 3. Because there is a new nature Vse 1. Not to be content onely with good meanings Good purposes whenee they arise 1 Knowledge 2 Approbation of that which is good Though there may bee good workes where the heart is unsound yet wherever the heart is sound there is good workes Simile Isay 1. Object Answ Holy men have failings 1 When they are suddenly transported Simile 2 Holy men have flesh in them as well as spirit Object Answ. The good that evill men doe it cannot bee said that they doe it Rom. 7. A man may do good and not be good Vse 2. Christians better taught than great learned men without grace Wisedome in three things Religion an art of holymen not of learned men Sciences of two sorts Object Answ. The will taken for the deed 1 When the impediment cannot be removed 2 When a man is ignorant of somethings and yet his desires are right No man hath a great measure of grace without paines Vse 3. An exhortation to doing Motives to be workers 1 Thess. 5.6 7 8. The use of grace increaseth it A goodly sight when mens lives abound with good workes A true property of wisedome Simile Pleasure and contentment is in action The end of our life 1 To glorifie God 2 To doe good to men Phil. 4.17 Object Answ. In every calling men have occasion of dong good Good actions what Good workes In suffering In sicknesse In mastering our lusts Quest. Answ. Our workes must be sutable to the season Quest. Answ. Duties suting the present times 1 Contend for the faith Discretion Moderation The faith once delivered Common faith Errour in opinion worse then errours in practise These sermons were preached in the Parliament time in 1625. where diverse of the Parliament were present Opportunities not to be slipped Rom. 15.20 2 Duty Fast and pray 3 Duty Renew our Covenants 2 Chron. 16. The sinnes of Gods children helpe to bring iudgements
his scholler that is every way towardly so the father loves his sonne as one in whom hee is well pleased Fourthly there is a love of friendshippe that goes beyond this love of complacency because in the love of friendship there is a reciprocation of affections when a man both loves and is beloved againe So a man loves his friend and is loved againe by his friend Lastly there is a loue of dependance when one loues one upon whom all his good depends so we are said to loue God wee loue him as one upon whom all our good and happinesse all our comfort and hope depends Now as you shall see after with these three last loues we are said to loue the Lord wee loue him with the loue of complacence because he is a full adequate object to the soule we loue him with a loue of friendship because there is a mutuall loue he loues us and we loue him as the spouse saith My Beloved is mine and I am his Againe we loue him with a love of dependance for we hang and rely upon him for all our happinesse and comfort Now this loue wherewith we loue any object that is sutable to us it hath degrees and that loue is stronger as the object of that loue is more adequate and full Againe as it is more free from mixture for all things that we loue in this world we know there is some mixture of evill in them and therefore our loue is lesse Againe as the thing we loue is more high and supernaturall as wee hang and depend upon it more so we loue it more and these you shall finde in God Now lay these generall principles and we will make use of it afterwards Onely this obserue more before I passe frō the general description of it That there is a naturall loue that God hath placed in the heart of every man and that loue wherewith every man loues himselfe such a loue as every man hath to his children such a loue as wherewith a man loues his wealth or any thing by nature that is good to him Now this naturall loue hath two other loues hanging on both sides of it One is a vicious and sinfull loue that carries it the wrong way to loue sinfull things The second is a spirituall loue which sets limits to this naturall loue that sets bankes as it were to the streame of naturall affection that suffers it not to runne over and not so onely but gives a higher rise to this naturall loue and pitcheth it on higher ends it elevates naturall loue and makes it an holy loue So that all naturall loue is to be subordinate to this otherwise it is not good for naturall loue is but given us to help us to goe that way that spirituall loue should carry us even as the winde helpes the ship whereas otherwise it should haue beene driven with oares And therefore the Lord to helpe us to loue our selues and to loue our children and to loue those things that are sutable and convenient to us hee hath in mercie and for a helpe to us put a naturall affection into our hearts which yet is to be guided by spirituall loue that we are now to speake of So the next thing is to shew what is this spirituall loue this loue of God this loue of Christ Iesus And first we will shew how it is wrought and withall what it is For you must know that every man by nature hates God by reason of that opposition and contrariety which is betweene God and every man by nature for all loue comes from similitude and agreeablenesse And therefore where there are two of a contrary disposition there must needs be hatred Now the pure nature of God is contrary to us and therefore every man by nature hates God And therefore that love may be wrought in the heart of man towards God this sinfull nature of ours must bee broken in peeces and subdued And againe it must be new molded and framed before that can ever be fit to loue God Therefore if you would know how this loue of God is wrought in us it is done by these two things First by breaking our nature in peeces as it were that is by humiliation and by the law Againe by moulding it anew which is done by faith and by the Gospell For when we come and propound Christ to men to be taken and to be received and loved by them what is the answer wee have from them Most men either minde him not or regard not at all this invitation to come to Christ but they deale with us as those that were invited to the marriage saith the Text they made light of it they cared not for the invitation it was a thing they looked not after or againe if they doe yet they minde them uot enough because they doe not prize Christ enough Therefore the first thing the Lord doth to prepare mens hearts to loue him is to send the law to humble them to discover to men what neede they are in to make an impression on their hearts of that bond of damnation that they are subject unto when the law is broken that mens eyes may be opened to see their sins then a man begins to looke toward Christ to looke on him as the captiue lookes on his Redeemer as a condemned man lookes on him that brings him a pardon as a widdow that is miserable and poore indebted and undone lookes upon her husband that will make her rich and honourable that will pay all her debts I say when a mans heart is thus humbled and broken by the law by sound humiliation then he begins to looke towards Iesus Christ. But I say men doe faile partly that they haue no sense of their sinnes or else they haue a sense of their sinnes but not enough to bring them home to Christ for that was the fault of the second and third ground there was impression made in them that they prized Christ but there was not so deepe a preparation as to loue Christ indeede so as to preferre him aboue all things so as to cleaue to him so as they will let him goe for nothing And therefore this is required that our natures be broken all in peeces that is that the humiliation be deepe enough not a little light impression a little hanging down of the head a little sense of sinne but so farre as it may be to purpose that he lookes to Christ as to the greatest good in the world that he will rather undergoe any thing than misse of him that hee will rather part with all his pleasure than hee will goe without him That is the first thing that must be done to prepare our hearts for this loue our hearts must be humbled by the law Now when this is done they must be made up againe as I tolde you they must be moulded anew and that is done by the Gospell and by faith For when the heart is
thus prepared now let the Gospell come and welcome Now a mans heart is fit to be wrought on Why what doeth the Gospell The Gospell comes and tells you that the Lord Iesus is willing to be your Redeemer is willing to be your Lord he is content to be yours If you will take him you shall have him and all his Now when a mans heart is broken you cannot bring him better newes Indeede till then you may goe and preach the Gospell long enough you may propound Christ to men they will not take him But when we propound him thus to a heart prepared thus to him that is poore in spirit to him that hath his heart wounded in the sense of his sinnes and of Gods wrath now I I say hee is willing to come in hee is willing to take Christ as a Lord as a husband when that is done that Christ hath discovered his will to take them and they resolve to take him then there ariseth a holy a constant conjugall loue wherein they are rooted and grounded This is the love we are now to speake of So that to prepare us to love Christ wee must come to looke on him as upon that which is sutable and agreeable to us And againe as one that is willing to receiue us And that you must marke diligently Therefore wee will give you this definition of loue out of that which hath been said It is an holy disposition of the heart rising from faith whereby wee cleave to the Lord with a purpose of heart to serve him and to please him in all things When these two things are joyned that a man is humbled and lookes on Christ as one that is now fit for him And secondly hee is perswaded that Christ is willing to take him when this is done a man receiues Christ by faith And from this faith this loue issues Whence this is specially to be marked and it is a matter of much moment That to loue the Lord it is not onely required that you be perswaded that he is well affected to you that he is willing to receive you for that men may haue which say that Christ is mercifull and ready to forgiue and so they think but yet they loue him not Therefore I say it is not onely required that you looke on Christ as upon one that is well affected and propitious to you but also that you looke on him as one that is sutable and agreeable to you for both these must concurre to incline your hearts to loue him you must I say both looke on him as one that is fit for you as a good that is agreeable to you And also you must be perswaded that he is willing to receiue you Now the first indeed is the maine This second that Christ is willing to forgiue you and to receiue you though it be weake it may be such as is a true faith and may beget loue when a man lookes on any other men that he loues if he see so much excellency in them as that he longs after them and desires them though he thinks there be a backwardnes in them to love him yet if there be some probability that they are likely to loue him he may come so farre as to embrace them in his affections and haue a desire to them though it be true as that perswasion is stronger so their loue is more neere for faith and love grow together Indeede if there were an utter aversnesse if there were enmity as it were impossible to remoue it then we could not loue but hate even as Cain and Iudas did But I say that is a thing you must especially marke that faith doth not consist in being perswaded that Christ or God through Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes or to receiue you to mercy but in this your judgement must be rectified that is to know that you are to looke on Christ as one that is sutable and agreeable to you as one to whom you haue an inward inclination as one that is fit for you This is the maine thing the other easily followes to be perswaded that he is willing to forgiue us and that he is willing to loue us therefore whereas it may be you haue thought that to beleeue that God is willing to forgiue you your sinnes is faith I dare be bold to say it is not full faith you may haue it and yet not savingly beleeue you may haue it and yet not be true beleevers This I make cleare by this argument That which begets no loue is not faith But you may be perswaded that Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes and yet not love him as a prisoner may be perswaded that the Iudge is willing to pardon him and yet for all this hee may not love the Iudge for loue as I tolde you comes from some sutablenesse some agreablenesse betweene the party that loues and the party that is loved Againe you shall finde this by experience A man may be perswaded that he is in a good estate that he shall be saved and that his sinnes are forgiven him and yet for all this he may be an unregenerate man he may be a man that hath no life of grace in him I say we see oft in experience many men applaud themselves in their good persuasion and they die peaceably and quietly and all is well they thinke God hath forgiven them and yet we finde there is no loue in them nor no fruite of loue Againe on the other side a man that hath his heart broken with the sense of his sinnes may hunger after righteousnesse and after Christ he may long after the Lord himselfe that he desires him more than any thing in the world and yet there is but a weake perswasion that the Lord will receiue him and forgiue him his sins I say this man may be a true beleever though he be not yet so fully perswaded that Christ will forgiue him when the other is no true beleever as I said to you before As when one loues another man or woman if hee looke on him as one that is sutable to him if hee thinke it be but by good probability and likelihood I shall obtaine their loue though I haue not yet a full assurance of it I say there may be an affection of loue And thence I confirme that which I said to you that faith that hath beene joyned with it is true and that faith that is disjoyned from loue is not true So I say such a disposition of heart as lookes on Christ as one whom he longs after he lookes on him as on a husband as one whom he is willing to match with that he can say truely This is the best husband for me in all the world though yet I have not wooed him though yet I have not a full assurance of his affection to mee as I would have I say this will certifie your judgement and withall it will comfort you