be a Sauiour to none but those to whom he is a Master His seruants you are to whom you obey saith the Apostle If you will obey him and be subiect vnto him in all things if you make him your Lord that he may haue the command ouer you and that you will be subiect to him in euery thing if you take him vpon these conditions you shall haue him as a Sauiour also For as hee is a Priest so you must know that he is a King that sits vpon the Throne of Dauid and rules those that are to be saued by him Therefore I say you must not onely take him as a Priest to intercede for you to petition for you but to be your King also you must suffer him to rule you in all things you must be content to obey all his Commandements It is not enough to take CHRIST as a head onely to receiue influence and comfort from him but you must take him also as a head to be ruled by him as the members are ruled by the head you must not take one benefit alone of the members to receiue influence from the head but you must be content also to bee guided by him in all things else you take him in vaine Againe this must be marked that I say you must take or receiue him you must not onely beleeue that he is the Messias and that he is offered but there is a taking and receiuing that is necessary to make you partakers of that that is offered those words Iohn 3. make it plaine God so loued the World that he GAVE his onely begotten Sonne c. Giuing is but a Relatiue it implyes that there is a receiuing or taking required For when CHRIST is giuen vnlesse he be taken by vs he doth vs no good he is not made ours If a man be willing to giue another any thing vnlesse he take it it is not his It is true indeede there is a sufficiency in CHRIST to saue all men and hee is that great Physician that heales the soules of men there is righteousnesse enough in him to iustifie all the World But my beloued vnlesse we take him and apply him to our selues we can haue no part in that righteousnesse this is plainely expressed in Matth. 22. where it is said the King sent foorth his seruants to bid men to the Marriage of his Sonne And so in Eth. 5. the same similitude and comparison is vsed by the Apostle where he setteth foorth the vnion that is betweene Christ and the Church by that vnion there is betweene the Husband and the Wife put the case that a Husband should offer himselfe to a woman to marry her and she shouâ—d beleeue it yet vnlesse there be a taking of him on her part the match is not made and so it is â—ere and in this thing the essence of faith consists when CHRIST offereth himselfe vnto you you must beleeue that there is such a thing and that God intendeth it really but it is the taking that consummates the marriage and when the Wife hath taken the Husband then all that is his is hers she hath an interest in all his goods so also it is here there must be a beleeuing that Christ is offered that hee is the Messias and that there is a righteousnes in him to saue vs but that is not enough we must also take him and when that is done wee are iustified then we are at peace with GOD. But that you may more fully vnderstand what this faith is I will adde these 4. things more First I will shew you the obiect of this faith Secondly the subject or place where it is Thirdly the manner how it iustifieth vs. Fourthly the actions of it I say that you may more fully vnderstand what this faith is consider first the object of it and that is CHRIST as I told you before and herein this is to be marked that a man must first take Christ himselfe and after the priuiledges that come by him And this point I could wish were more prest by our Diuines and that our hearers would more intend it I say first remember that you must first take CHRIST himselfe and then other things that we haue by him as the Apostle saith Rom 8. If God haue giuen vs him that is Christ he wilâ— with him giue vs all things else but first haue CHRIST himselfe and then all things with him And so 2 Cor. 1. All the promises IN HIM are Yea and Amen That is first we must haue CHRIST and then looke to the promises this must be still remembred that we must first take his person we must haue our eyes fixed vpon that And so that place before-named Ioh. 3. God so loued the World that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne hee giues his Sonne as a Father giues his Sonne in marriage the Father giues the Sonne and the Sonne himselfe must bee taken So that we must first take CHRIST wee must fixe our eyes vpon him For faith doth not leape ouer CHRIST and pitch vpon the promises of Justification and Adoption but it first takes CHRIST The distinct and cleere vnderstandâ—ning of this will helpe vs much in apprehending and vnderstanding aright what iustifying faith is wee must remember to take CHRIST himselfe for it is an adulterous affection for a Wife not to thinke of the person of her Husband but to thinke onely what commodity she shall haue by him what honours what riches what conueniences as if that made the match to be content onely to take those will this thinke you make a match amongst men Surely no there must be a fixing of the eyes vpon the person that must doe it Doe you loue him are you content to forsake all that you may enioy him It is true indeed you shall haue all this into the bargaine but first you must haue the person of your Husband therefore remember to fixe your eyes vpon Christ take him for your Husband consider his beauty and his excellencies which indeede are motiues to vs as a Woman that takes a Husband is encouraged by the benefits that shee shall haue by him but still remember that he himselfe must bee taken As it is in other things if you would haue light you must first haue the Sunne if you would haue strength you must first take meate and drinke before you can haue that benefit by it so you must first haue Christ himselfe before you can partake of those benefits by him and that I take to be the meaning of that in Mar. 16. Go preach the Gospell to euery creature vnder heauen he that beleeues and is baptized shall be saued that is he that will beleeue that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh and that hee is offered to mankinde for a Sauiour and will be baptized that will giue vp himselfe to him that will take his marke vpon him for in that place by baptizing is meant nothing else but
sense it hath nothing to doe with Justification It iustifieth vs as it is an instrument and that not by altering the nature of sinne that is by making sinne to be no sinne but by taking away the efficacy of sinne As for example when a man hath committed sinnes Faith doth not make his sinnes to be no sinnes indeede it scattereth them as a Cloud You may consider it after this manner First it cannot be that that sinne that is once committed should be made to be no sinne for what is once done it cannot be vndone GOD himselfe cannot doe that because it is a thing that cannot be for when the sinnes are committed they doe remaine so and therefore I say it cannot be that that which is sinne should be made to be no sinne we cannot make Adultery to be no adultery for the nature and essence of the thing must remaine Well now what doth faith It doth this though the sin be the same that it was yet it takes away the sting and the guilt of sinne by which it puts vs into the state of condemnation and by which it bindes vs ouer to punishment As the Lions to which Daniel was cast they were the same as they were before they had the same propensenesse and disposition to deuoure as they had before they had the ordinary nature of Lions but at that time GOD tooke away from them that fiercenesse that was in them so that they did not deuoure him though they were there still so it is with sinne the nature of sinne is to condemne vs but now when GOD shall take away this efficacie from it it doth not condemne and this is that that faith doth Euen as the Viper that was vpon Pauls hand though the nature of it was to kill presently yet when GOD had charmed it you see it hurt him not so it is with sinne though it be in vs and though it hang vpon vs yet the venome of it is taken away it hurts vs not it condemnes vs not thus faith by taking away the efficacie and power of sinne it iustifies vs as an instrument as a hand that takes the Pardon The King when he pardoneth a Traytor he doth not make his Treason to be no Treason for the act of the Treason remaines still but the taking of the Pardon makes the Traytor not to be vnder condemnation So my beloâ—ed faith is that act that takes the Pardon from GOD so that though the sinne remaine the same and of its owne nature is of power to binde vs ouer to death yet by this faith taking the Pardon from GOD it comes to passe that it hurts vs not wee are not condemned for it You know debts in a mans booke the writing remaines still the lines are not blotted out yet when they are once crossed the creditour cannot come and aske his debt any more because it is crossed So it is in this our sinnes are the same after we are iustified as they were before but faith is that that crosseth the booke faith I say by apprehending the Pardon and taking the acquittance at Gods hands that he offers Iâ— a man haue anacquittance although the debt remaine the same in the Booke yet there can no more be required at the hands of him that hath taken the acquittance Thus I say faith iustifies vs as an instrument by accepting receiuing and taking the acquittance that GOD hath giuen to vs through Christ. Let mee adde one word more of the next thing which is What are the acts of this faith They are these three First To reconcile or to iustifie Secondly To pacifie the heart Thirdly To purifie or sanctifie The first thing that Faith doth is to reconcile That is as I said before by faith wee are pitched vpon CHRIST wee take him first and then wee take the priuiledges they all follow vpon it forgiuenesse and adoption this is the first act of Faith to reconcile vs to CHRIST himselfe and vpon this wee haue boldnesse to goe to CHRIST for forgiuenesse to goe to CHRIST to make vs heyres of all things For after this manner faith doth it All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo c. And why Because you are CHRIST'S Marke it you must first bee CHRIST'S that is euen as the Wife is the Husband 's so you must be knit and vnited to CHRIST and then all things are yours so that Faith first makes vs Christ's it reconciles vs to him and makes vs one with him and in him one with GOD the Father and then all things are giuen vnto vs and made ours The second act of faith is to quiet and pacifie the heart to comfort vs in assuring vs that our sinnes and transgressions are forgiuen and this is different from the former There are two acts of faith The one is the direct act by which we apprehend and take CHRIST and the righteousnesse that is offered through him by which we take forgiuenesse And the second is the reflect act by which we know that wee haue taken CHRIST and haue taken out our pardon and this act is very different from the former we may haue the former without this Wee commonly thinke that wee are not iustified by CHRIST vnlesse we haue assurance of it and when we looke for that and finde it not presently all our hopes are gone but it should not be so It is one act of Faith to take CHRIST and another act of faith to comfort and pacifie the heart and that these are two distinct things consider but this in a word The first act is constant when a man hath once taken and accepted of CHRIST hee is alwaies his after wee once haue CHRIST there is no diuorse But the other act of assurance whereby we know that wee haue taken him that is a thing that may faile and deceiue a man Againe the first act admits of no degrees for when a man is once in CHRIST hee is alwaies CHRIST'S when he is once married to him Marriage you know admits of no degrees so Justification is equall to euery man it admits of no degrees it is alwaies the same we are not now lesse iustified and then more but we are alway alike iustified being once iustified but the other act of faith whereby I am assured that I haue taken CHRIST that admits of degrees a man may haue sometimes more comfort sometimes lesse and therefore righteousnes is said heere to be reuealed from faith to faith Lastly the first act of faith whereby we take CHRIST and those priuiledges by him as the Wife takes the Husband that is founded vpon the sure Word of GOD GOD hath tendered it to vs vpon his Word and promise and he must performe it it cannot be altered nor changed he that builds vpon it builds vpon the corner-stone that will not faile him But now the second act whereby I come to know that I haue done this that is grounded vpon experience Indeede we are
that is to say not in the sight of man onely as if he should haue said many make a profession of faith and goe for beleeuers in GOD and for louers of GOD and men iudge them so but you haue it in the sight of God that is not only in the sight of men not only in your owne fancie apprehension and opinion but indeed in good earnest in sincerity Lastly In the sight of God our Father hee describes GOD by this property hee is a Father I need not say more for the opening of the words We will come to that point for which wee haue chosen them which is the first thing for which hee giues thankes Remembering your effectuall Faith This point wee will deliuer to you out of them that The Faith that saues vs must be effectuall This Doctrine wee haue neede to adde to that which we formerly deliuered for hauing said so much of faith that faith is that that saueth men and that there is no more required of you but to take the gift of righteousnesse onely that you receiue CHRIST onely that you beleeue in God that iustifieth the vngodly that is that you onely accept oâ— that iustification that God is ready to giue to euery man be hee neuer so vngodly Now when we heare so much of faith and that there is nothing at all required of vs but a meere taking left any man should bee deceiued and run away with a false opinion that if he haue but a naked apprehension and no more he shall doe well enough I haue chosen this Text that you may know what kinde of faith it is that is required of vs namely effâ—ctuall faith The faith that saues vs must be effectuall Now Saint Paul adding this word to it remembering your effectuall faith he giues vs this intimation that there is a faith which is not effectuall there is a faith in the world that goes for true faith which if it be examined is not a faith that saues We see through the Scriptures much mention made of a certaine faith which men had which yet was not a sauing faith we see many came and beleeued in our Sauiour but he would not commit himselfe to them for he knew what was in their hearts Here was a faith to beleeue in him nay further it was such a faith as had some effect too for it made them come to him and yet for all this it was not such a faith as God accepts it was not an effectuall faith So when Iohn Baptist came before Christ there were many hundreds that came to him and reioyced in his light but it was not effectuall but a counterfeit faith that they had notwithstanding all that So there came many that were invited to the Wedding so that the house was full but yet euery man had not a Wedding garment There was a certaine faith which brought them to the House but they had not true faith they had not the Wedding garment that is they had not such a faith as could produce and bring forth in them a conjugall affection which is the Wedding garment So two of the foure grounds had faith they brought foorth some fruite that faith strengthned and enabled them to doe so much as they did but yet it was not true faith it was not the faith which the fourth ground had And not onely in the New Testament but in the Old Testament also there is often mention made of such a faith and of such a trust in GOD as enabled men to doe much but it was not an vnfained trust it was not effectuall but as it is Ieremie 3.10 Treacherous Iudah hath not turned to mee with her whole heart but feignedly saith the LORD Therefore certainely saith the LORD their turne of euill and misery shall come they trusted in GOD but not with their whole heart So likewise Deut. 5.25 the people there desire Moses to goe and receiue the Commandements from God for them and whatsoeuer God should say to them that they would doe here was a faire profession it is likely themselues thought it to bee sound and good yet Moses tels them they were deceiued in it Oh saith hee that this people had a heart to doe this indeed So we see there is a faith that is not effectuall and therefore wee haue the more need to looke to it because there is so much false faith in the World As when you that are Tradesmen doe heare that there are so many counterfeit Drugges or so many counterfeit Colours or whatsoeuer you deale in you will looke the more to it so we should looke the better to our faith in this regard Therefore to open this point a little wee will doe these three things First I will shew the cause why there is so much vneffectuall faith why there is so much faith that is not sound and substantiall Secondly I will shew wherein the efficacy of faith consists what it is for faith to be effectuall Thirdly I will shew the reasons why God will accept no other faith at our hands why wee cannot bee saued vnlesse we haue such a faith For the first namely the causes of vneffectuall faith the reasons why the faith of many is vneffectuall that it workes not powerfully that it is not substantiall you shall finde them to be these fiue First the vanity or vneffectualnesse of faith ariseth vpon our taking of CHRIST vpon mis-information when wee know not who it is that we take when there is an errour in the person we take when wee vnderstand not aright what wee doe Many doe as the yong man that came running to CHRIST he came hastily he made account to bee his follower but CHRIST tels him that hee might mistake him and therefore he lets him know what it was to follow him what a Master he had betaken himselfe vnto saith hee if thou wilt be my seruant goe sell all that thou hast As if he should haue said Mistake me not if thou wilt be mine thou must be mine altogether thou must take vp thy Crosse thou must part with any thing Now if the yong man had gone away with this mistake that he had not vnderstood CHRIST he had become a Disciple of CHRIST as well as others but it had beene vpon a mistake And so likewise that Scribe to whom CHRIST said The Sonne of Man hath not whereon to lay his head As if hee should haue said It may be thou lookest for ease for Bed and Boord with me thou lookest for a pleasant life but it will not be so I leade not a pleasant life my selfe I haue not whereon to lay my head I am not in so good a condition as many Fowles are as many Beasts are I haue not a nest I haue not a denne that is I haue not that which should bee in steade of these to me and therefore know what thou doest
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
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
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.
THE BREAST-PLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE A Treatise Wherein the ground and exercise of FAITH and LOVE as they are set upon Christ their Object and as they are expressed in Good Workes is explained Delivered In 18. Sermons upon three severall Texts By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of Faith and Love 1 Thes 5.8 What will it profit my Brethren if a man say he have faith and hath not workes Can faith save him Iames 2.14 LONDON Printed by W. I. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be solde at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1630 ILLVSTRISSIMO NOBILISSIMOQVE VIRO ROBERTO COMITI WARVVICENCI IOHANNIS PRESTONI S. T. D. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS Q. MAGISTRI CVIVS TVTELAE DVM IN VIVIS ESSET PRIMOGENITVM SVVM IN DISCIPLINAM ET LITERIS EXPOLIENDVM TRADIDIT POSTHVMORVM TRACTATVVM PARTEM DE NATVRA FIDEI EIVSQVE EFFICACIA DEQVE AMORE ET OPERIBVS BONIS DEVOTISSIMI TAM AVTHORIS DVM VIVERET QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM M. D. D. D. RICHARDVS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT To the Christian Reader Christian Reader INnumerable are the sleights of Satan to hinder a Christian in his course towards Heaven by exciting the corruption of his own heart to disturbe him when he is about to doe any good or by discouraging him with inward terrours when he would solace himselfe with heavenly comforts or by disheartening him under the feares of sufferings when hee should be resolute in a good cause A type whereof were the Israelites whose servitude was redoubled when they turned themselves to forsake Aegypt Wherefore we have much neede of Christian fortitude according to that direction Watch ye stand fast quit your selves like men especially since Satan like a Serpentine Crocodile pursued is by resistance put to flight But as in warres which the Philistines knew well in putting their hope in Goliah the chiefe strength of the Souldiers lyeth in their Captaine so in spirituall conflicts all a Christians strength is in Christ and from him For before our conversion we were of no strength since our conversion we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought And to worke out from the Saints all selfe-confidence God by their falls teacheth them To rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and to have no confidence in the flesh Whatsoever Christ hath for us is made ours by Faith which is the hand of the soule enriching it by receiving Christ who is the treasure hid in the field and with him those unsearchable riches of grace which are revealed and offered in the Gospell Yea it is part of our spirituall armour That which was fabulously spoken of the race of Gyants is truly said of a Christian hee is borne with his armour upon him as soone as hee is regenerate hee is armed It s called a Breast-plate because it preserves the heart a long large shield as the word signifieth which is usefull to defend the whole man from all sorts of assaults Which part of spirituall armor and how it is to be managed is declared in the former part of the ensuing Treatise in ten Sermons Now as all rivers returne into the sea whence they came so the beleeving soule having received all from Christ returneth all to Christ. For thus the beleever reasoneth Was Gods undeserved unexpected love such to me that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gave him to die for mee It s but aequall that I should live to him die for him bring in my strength time gifts liberty all that I have all that I am in his service to his glory That affection whence these resolutions arise is called Love which so inclineth the soule that it moveth in a direct line towards that obiect wherein it expecteth contentment The soule is miserably deluded in pursuing the winde and in taking ayme at a flying fowle whilest it seekes happinesse in any creature which appeares in the restlesnesse of those irregular agitations and endlesse motions of the mindes of ambitious voluptuous and covetous persons whose frame of spirit is like the lower part of the elementary region the seate of windes tempests and earthquakes full of unquietnesse whilest the beleevers soule like that part towards heaven which is alwayes peaceable and still enioyeth true rest and ioy And indeed the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in union with the chiefe of spirits which communicateth his goodnesse to the creature according to its capacity This affection of Love as it reflecteth upon Christ being a fruit and effect of his love to us apprehended by faith is the subiect of the second part of the following Treatise in 7. Sermons The iudicious Authour out of a piercing insight into the methods of the Tempter knowing upon what rockes the faith of many suffers shipwracke that neither the weak Christian might lose the comfort of his faith through want of evidences nor the presumptuous rest upon a fancy in stead of faith nor the adversaries be emboldened to cast upon us by reason of this doctrine of Iustification by faith onely their wonted nicknames of Soli-fidians and Nulli-fidians throughout the whole Treatise and more especially in the last Sermon he discourseth of good Workes as they arise from faith and love This is the summe of the faithfull and fruitfull labours of this Reverend learned and godly Minister of the Gospell who whilest he lived was an example of the life of faith and love and of good workes to so many as were acquainted with his aequall and even walking in the wayes of God in the severall turnings and occasions of his life But it will be too much iniury to the godly Reader to be detained longer in the porch Wee now dismisse thee to the reading of this profitable worke beseeching God to increase faith and to perfect love in thy heart that thou maist be fruitfull in good workes Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ RICHARD SIBS IOHN DAVENPORT OF FAITH The first Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith IN the words I haue read vnto you Paul tels them that he is not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST For it was a shame to him partly because the very substance of the Gospell was then persecution and partly because he was plaine in speech hee came not with excellency of words or mans wisedome and therefore you may obserue what adoe he had to defend himselfe in his Epistles to the Corinthians a wise people who partly hated and partly despised his manner of deliuery but saith hee I am not ashamed of it for it is the power of God to saluation it is that which being receiued will bring men to heauen being rejected
Publican for he was in outward performances better then he but because he had an opinion of his owne righteousnesse he was conceited of a worthinesse in himselfe therefore he went home not iustified What was it that excluded the Iewes was it not an opinion of something they had of their owne The Laodiceans they thought they were rich and increased and wanted nothing therefore they neuer came to buy of CHRIST That which a man thinkes he hath already of his owne hee will neuer bee at the cost to buy therefore that is the first thing that a man must doe hee must thinke himselfe of no worth at all he must be empty of all opinion and conceit of his owne excellency But this is not all although a man be perswaded of this that he hath no worthinesse in himselfe yet if he thinke hee is able to helpe himselfe and can stand alone without GOD he will not come to take CHRIST and therfore this further is required that a man see that he hath no ability to helpe himselfe that all his redemption must come from CHRIST for if you aske many men whether they haue any opinion of worth in themselues they will be ready to answer No. What then is the reason that they come not to CHRIST It is because they are in health and prosperity and they can doe it soone enough hereafter they can yet for the present subsist without Christ but when GOD shall shew a mans heart to himselfe when GOD shewes a man his danger and shewes it him as a present and how vnable he is to helpe himselfe out of danger then a man will haue no rest till he haue Christ. Therefore you shall see both these required 1 Cor. 1.30 CHRIST must be to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption too First if a man thinke that there is any thing in him either wisdome righteousnesse or sanctification that excludes him for he will reioyce in himselfe and that concernes the first condition required to be empty of all opinion of worth But yet if a man thinke that hee is able to stand safe and secure for a time that hee is able to be a Buckler to himselfe that hee hath somewhat wherevnto he may leane and doth not see that CHRIST must be his redemption also he will not come at CHRIST That which kept the Prodigall sonne away it was not an opinion of any worth in himselfe but because he thought hee could liue without his father hee had his portion in his owne hands and at his owne disposing and he would not come home to his Father till he could liue of himselfe no longer so that though wee haue an opinion of no worth in our selues yet if wee conceiue or thinke that we can liue without CHRIST wee will not care for him This was the fault of those that were inuited to the marriage they refused to come not because they thought that themselues were of worth but they were perswaded that they needed not those things to which they were inuited Therefore I say these two things must be done a man must be emptied of all opinion of worth in himselfe And secondly of all ability in himselfe to helpe himselfe and when faith hath done both these then it brings a man to CHRIST when a man seeth that there is nothing in him why GOD should regard him and that he cannot stand longer nor be in safety longer then CHRIST helps him and speakes peace to him now a man is fit to take hold vpon CHRIST and therefore we must learne to come to CHRIST with an empty heart Many men complaine that they would beleeue but they want that sorrow that they should haue they want that repentance that they would haue they thinke they are not yet fit therefore they dare not apply the promises To these we say now that there is a double kinde of complaint One is when a man lookes vpon these things as vpon things that make him fit which if he haue he thinkes GOD will respect him and if he haue not he thinkes that GOD will not looke after him If thy complaint be thus it is sinfull for in this thou seekest something in thy selfe But if a mans complaint be this that he is not yet awaked enough that he is not yet sensible enough of his sinnes the doctrine of the remission of his sinnes and free Justification doth not affect him as it should Indeed here is iust cause of complaint for these things are necessary before you can come to take CHRIST Therefore that place in Mat. 10.11 will explaine this and answer an objection that may be made against it when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospell when they came to any house they were bidden to Enquire who were worthy If any man be worthy saith CHRIST your peace shall come vpon him but if he be not worthy shake off the dust c. A man would thinke by this that there were some worthinesse required in the partie that comes to CHRIST and that before hee can apply the first promise of Justification To this we answer the worthinesse that is required here is nothing else but an ability to prize CHRIST to set him at a high rate to long after him to hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse your peace shall come vpon such a man That is if there bee a broken-hearted man that lookes after CHRIST whose heart yeranes after him that he is able to prize him aright he shall be accepted but if they bee such men as will not receiue you such as will not set meat before you such as will giue you no respect shake off the dust of your feete c. So that I say such a complaint we may make If we finde a want of desire after CHRIST for that is required but if we looke vpon any thing as a qualification in our selues such a worthinesse is not required we must be driuen out of all conceit of it or else we cannot take Christ. So much for the Vse that seeing it is onely faith whereby wee lay hold of Christs righteousnesse that then we haue no reason to be discouraged in respect of any want nay we must finde a want of all things before wee can be made partakers of this righteousnesse Againe secondly if it bee by faith onely by which we are made partakers of this righteousnesse and by which we are saued then we should learne hence to reioyce onely in GOD and not to reioyce in our selues for this is the very end why GOD hath appointed this way of saluation Eph. 1.6 For he hath chosen vs to the praise of the glory of his grace in his Beloued That is that he might haue the praise of the glory of his grace as it is in Ephes. 2. Therefore it is of faith and not by workes that no man should boast of himselfe 1 Cor. 1.30 Therefore CHRIST is made to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification
Papists they teach that workes are the maine and many things they prescribe that men must doe our Doctrine is you see that faith onely is required Indeede many things follow vpon faith but faith is that you must onely labour for and then the rest will follow vpon it This Doctrine of ours you shall finde that it is deliuered cleerely in Gal. 5.5 6. We waite through the Spirit for the hope of righteousnesse which is through faith That is we looke for nothing from the Law we regard no workes at all in the matter of iustification that which we looke for is onely that righteousnes which is taken by faith and why doe wee so For saith he in Christ Iesus neither circumcision is any thing nor vncircumcision but faith c. As if he should say there is good reason why we should expect saluation onely by faith because nothing else will helpe vs in that worke circumcision is nothing nor vncircumcision is nothing by those two hee meanes all other things that is the hauing of all the priuiledges in the world the doing of all the workes that can be done faith is all in all but it must be such a faith as workes by loue though it be by faith onely yet it is not an idle faith therefore you are especially to labour for faith There are many other excellencies that we are capable of many morall vertues such as Aristotle and Socrates haue described but without faith GOD regards none of these take one that is a wicked man and take another let him be neuer so vertuous as Socrates and Seneca that were the strictest in morality of all the Heathen nay take any man that liues in the Church that liues the most strict and exact life and yet is not iustified by faith God makes no difference betweene these men the one is as neere to heauen as the other GOD lookes vpon them both with the same eye for he regards nothing without faith He that is the most prophane and vngodly if he come with faith he shall obtaine Christ the other that hath all other morall Vertues in the most exact manner without faith they shall doe him no good therefore we are to seeke for nothing in the matter of iustification but how we may be enabled to beleeue we are principally to study this matter of faith Take such a one as Socrates and such a one as Saint Paul it may be Socrates might bee outwardly as temperate and as patient and be indued with as many excellencies hee might appeare in his carriage as strict as Saint Paul but here is the great difference The one doth what hee doth of himselfe and through himselfe and for himselfe the other doth what hee doth of CHRIST and through CHRIST and for CHRIST therefore faith mainely is requisite If we had all other excellencies yet we shall finde this in them that they doe alway giue something to the creature Againe if you goe neuer so farre in them yet you shall finde that there is some imperfection in them But faith it emptieth the creature of all things it leaueth nothing in a man it makes him leane and rest only vpon CHRIST and vpon his righteousnesse for saluation Againe faith worketh in vs a loue to GOD for we hauing nothing in our selues but all that we haue being from him we cannot but loue him againe Againe faith presenteth to God a perfect righteousnes and therfore God only accepts it for God must be iust and nothing can satisfie the Justice of GOD but a righteousnes that is perfect nothing can attaine a righteousnesse that is perfect but onely faith labour therefore to beleeue this and to turne all your study and care how to get faith My beloued this is a thing that we are bound to preach to you this is the summe of that Doctrine that CHRIST so often preached when he was vpon the Earth Beleeue for the Kingdome of God is at hand this is the summe of all the Doctrine of the Apostles it was all they had to doe to perswade men to beleeue What was the summe of all Pauls Doctrine We goe vp and downe saith he from place to place witnessing both to Iewes and Gentiles c. So it is our part when we come to preach to you when we come to dispense to you that which is for the nourishment of your soules we must doe as those Stewards that set bread and salt vpon the Table whatsoeuer other dish there is so we should alway preach Christ and perswade you to beleeue in him and stir you vp to turne the streame of your endeuours after the obtaining of that faith that taketh this righteousnesse the principall thing we are to look vnto is to see from what Fountaine that that we haue comes if a man haue neuer so many vertues in him if they arise not from this fountaine if they spring not from this roote they are nothing GOD lookes vpon them without acceptance or delight Againe this is that that you are to doe in hearing that which you are chiefly to looke after is how to get faith and therfore if men will employ their strength and their endeuours and busie themselues to attaine such and such vertues it is but as the watering of the branches and to let the roote alone faith is the roote that is it is that that makes all acceptable to GOD for what is the difference betweene Christianity and Morality and without this what is our preaching Wee may gather welneere as good instructions to resist vice ouf of Plutarch and out of Seneca as out of Pauls Epistles but this differenceth it that we preach CHRIST and from Christ wee deriue ability and strength to doe all things else and that makes all else to be acceptable so that this is it that you must looke after to haue CHRIST to receiue all from him to doe all for him for these are reciprocall vnlesse you thinke you haue all from CHRIST you will neuer doe all for him when wee thinke CHRIST is alsufficient we will be perfect with him againe But by the way in this you see not onely the difference betweene morall vertues and those in a true Christian which is godlinesse that they come from different fountaines and looke to different ends but you see also the difference betweene those shewes of strictnesse that are among the Papists and that sincerity of life that wee preach vnto you which is an effect of this faith for if you marke it you shall find that all that they doe either is without Christ or addes to Christ they thinke they shall bee saued for doing such and such things which prepare and fit them for saluation they looke mainely to the workes of humbling the body and doing many actions of mortification but still Christ onely is not sought after in all this But now looke to the Doctrine that we haue deliuered it is CHRIST that we preach it is faith that we
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
We call him Father that judgeth euery one according to his workes That is if our workes be good he is ready to reward vs if wee faile he is ready to chastise vs as a Father doth his children therefore let vs passe the time of our dwelling here with feare So that the Saints after they are in the state of grace they may contract a kinde of guiltinesse vnto them so that they may make their Father angry they may feele many effects of his displeasure though they shall not lose his fauour for euer and the more our good works are the greater is our reward Againe wee require good workes of necessity as well as the Papists wee say you must haue good workes or else you cannot be saued so that except you haue repented except you haue loue as well as faith except there be a change of heart Christ is not in you We require good workes with the same necessity onely they haue a different rise they rise from different grounds When the Papists are asked what should moue a man to doe good workes They say it is by way of merit to get heauen and that is it that maketh all their workes to be of no worth For take any naturall man he that hath the most impure heart may not he to escape Hell and to get Heauen doe all the workes the Papists require and for the same end that they require them May he not giue Almes c. But to doe it out of loue that is a thing that no Hypocrite is able to reach vnto And therefore we say that the meanest worke euen the giuing of a Cuppe of cold water is a good worke if it proceed from loue whereas take the fairest worke that hath the greatest glory and splendour though it be Martyrdome if it come not from loue if it be not a fruit of faith if a man giue his body to be burned and giue all that hee hath to feede the poore if it come not from loue GOD accepts it not So much for the second Vse The third Vse that wee should make of it is this If nothing be accepted but that faith that is effectuall we should learne hence that if we will grow in ability to worke if we will grow in obedience wee must grow in faith for all efficacie must come from faith for it is onely the effectualnesse of faith that GOD requires That is if there be any effectualnesse in man that comes not from faith GOD requires it not for it is the efficacie of faith which GOD requires Therefore if wee will bee enabled to doe the duties of new obedience labour to grow in faith that must inable vs to doe what wee doe if wee haue not the ground all that we doe is in vaine Therefore when we finde any coldnesse any weaknesse in the Graces wee haue any languishing increase faith and all other Graces will grow If you finde you cannot pray when you find your hands weake and your knees feeble that you cannot runne the wayes of Gods Commandements strengthen your faith labour to increase your assurance When the branches are weake and withering we vse to dung the root so in this case labour to strengthen your faith for that will inable you to doe much it is all in all This will be of much vse to vs in many cases When a sinne is committed we should labour now to recouer our selues out of that relapse What is the way By labouring to get assurance of the forgiuenesse of it Goe to GOD to strengthen thy faith that is the way to get out of sinne If there be a strong lust that thou art to grapple withall and which thou canst not get the victory ouer the way is to goe and increase faith to increase assurance for the more faith is increased the more loue the more the heart is inclined to GOD for faith turnes the bent of the heart from pleasures and profits from a desire of the praise of men to GOD so that the more faith the more ability there is to striue against the corruption that is in you Againe if a man finde hee wants patience he wants thankfulnesse the way is not to looke on the Vertues to reade morall Writers but goe and strengthen thy faith and that shall enable thee to doe wonders otherwise we water the branches and let the roote alone Thus should wee Ministers doe lay this maine foundation to build vp our hearers in this and the rest will follow This Paul did that was the great Master-builder hee layes downe in all his Epistles the foundation of faith in his Epistles to the Romanes to the Ephesians to the Colossians to the Galatians and after that hee deduceth particulars and buildeth on it so your maine businesse is to consider whether you haue faith to get assurance of that and when you haue that then striue against particular vices and adorne your selues with particular graces For because you labour not to haue this maine grace this roote and foundation of all the rest I say this is the reason why those good motions that you haue put into you by the Holy Ghost those motions that you haue in the hearing of the Word and the good purposes that you take to your selues come to nothing because they haue not faith for their ground That generall of Faith must goe before these particulars Though the Plants bee good yet if the ground bee not good and connaturall where they are planted they will not grow Therefore we finde it ordinarily that when men haue resolutions to giue ouer such and such sinnes to leaue such and such vices their wicked company drinking gaming and the like it may be it holds for a day or two yet this comes to nothing because the maine foundation is not laid they goe to worke without faith when the ground is flesh and the worke spirituall how can it liue for euery thing liues in its owne element and these motions in them are as the Fish is out of the water and as the fire when it is out of its place dyes and is extinguished so these good purposes when they are not particulars that arise from that generall of faith they are in the heart as a thing out of its owne element and therefore they perish Therefore when you haue these purposes know that they will come to nothing if you take not the right course Therefore labour to beleeue the promises to bee assured of saluation that you are translated from death to life by an effectuall faith when this is done you shall finde that your purposes will hold and till then they are in vaine And so againe this should teach vs seeing all depends vpon faith when wee come to search to consider what assurance wee haue that so we may goe the right way to worke For commonly when wee consider our estates we looke what fruites wee haue
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
speake peace vnto thee he will not giue thee a good looke but yet he giues thee a secret strength that thou shalt waite thou shalt not giue ouer thou shalt stay till hee speake peâ—ce that is till 〈…〉 comfortable assurance till thou haue the full testimony of the Spirit as thou hast a secret testimony at the first working of faith And so for matter of sanctification It may be GOD will suffer some strong lust to wrestle with thee to contend with thee as hee suffered in Paul he will put thee to waite before he will giue thee victory ouer it If thy faith bee good now thou wilt consider that hee hath sworne hee hath made an absolute promise that he will giue the Holy Ghost to those that are in Christ that no sinne shall ouercome them or haue dominion ouer them If once thou come vnder grace if thou haue faith thou wilt neuer giue ouer but wilt be content to waite and to continue still striuing and wrestling with it thou wilt neuer lay downe the wasters as a man that is ouercome as a man that is discouraged as a man that is wearie of the fight And so for matter of deliuerance perhaps GOD will let a crosse lye longer vpon thee if thou haue faith thou wilt not make haste thou wilt be content to waite Habac. 2. The vision is for an appointed time it will not lye Therefore saith he waite it will come it will not stay That is there is a certaine time that GOD hath appointed for thy deliuerance before he will giue thee such a particular mercy consider whether thou be able to wait in such a case for if there be faith marke it a man will be sure to waite and not to giue ouer as in Iam. 1. it is giuen there as a signe that faith is vnsound they had so much faith as to come to Christ but that was a signe that their faith was faulty and vnsound faith that it was not able to waite to the end but gaue ouer If a man were sure now that such a man were in the house that he must speake withall hee will waite till he come out if hee be sure he be there If thou be sure of GOD if thy faith be sound though he doe not answer thee presently in many particulars yet thou wilt be content to waite vpon him Therefore this will shew that many a mans faith is vnsound slight and vneffectuall that they haue so soone done that they are ready to doe much in flashes in some good moodes on a Sacrament day it may be or in the time of sicknesse or when they are affected with some Sermon or vpon such an occasion but if thy faith were right it would hold out it would cleaue to CHRIST it would goe thorow with all tryals thou wouldest receiue no denyall it would continue waiting vpon him This is the fourth signe Last of all you shall know faith by the concomitants of it and they are foure Loue Hope Joy and Humility If there bee Faith if thy Faith be good it will alwaies haue Loue joyned with it as the Apostle Peter saith in 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom though you have not seene yet you loue him And you know the place in Galath 5. Faith which worketh by loue That is Faith which begets Loue and such a Loue as sets a man on worke But it is a thing that needeth no prouing you cannot deny it you know how they are joyned together in the first to the Corinthians chap. 13. Faith Hope and Loue. And it must needes be so that if thy faith be good it will haue Loue joyned with it For if thy faith bee right thou lookest on GOD as vpon a friend as vpon a Father now thou lookest vpon CHRIST as on one that is married to thee thou lookest on him as vpon one that loues thee and hath giuen himselfe for thee Now if thou see this and art perswaded of this indeede if thou thinke and art perswaded indeede that he loues thee loue will beget loue as fire begets fire Therefore if thou wouldst know whether thou hast taken Christ indeede consider whether thou loue him or no. But you will say you loue CHRIST I hope there is no great question of that Salomon saith Euery man will make shew for fashions sake of goodnesse but where can you finde a faithfull man So may I say of Loue Euery man saith hee loues but where shall one finde one that doth loue indeede Therefore consider doest thou loue in good earnest You will say How shall I know it It is not a place now to stand to giue notes of Loue we will only shew now that Loue is a sure companion of Faith and that Faith is not good if Loue be not there But yet I say if thou loue him thou shalt find that in thine owne heart thou needest not goe far for a tryall of that Loue is the most sensible the most quicke and most active affection of all others Consider if thou loue any creature or any thing any man or woman doest thou not feele thy affection stirring in thee doest thou not find thy heart thus longing after them whom thou affectest thou delightest to be in their company in their presence thou desireth to be with them So that if a strangenesse growe between you at any time thy heart is not at ease till all be right againe betweene you So doest thou loue the Lord Iesus Doest thou keepe his Commandements Doth a man professe to loue GOD and cares not to vexe him and anger him Againe Doest thou hate sinne Doest thou thinke to loue GOD and not to hate that which he hateth If a man loue GOD he is holy and pure and there is no man that loues the one contrary but he must needes hate the other There is no man that loues light but he must hate darknesse If thou loue GOD in his person in his purity in his holinesse thou must hate sinne and this hatred is generall thou wilt hate all sinne if thou hate any and hatred will breede the destruction of a thing Againe Doest thou loue GOD art thou willing to doe any thing for his sake Doest thou reckon matters of greatest difficulty easie to doe as Iacob did make it a matter of ease because of loue Againe Doest thou loue the Saints those that are like him those that are of such a disposition as God is of Shall a man say hee loues the purity and the holinesse of GOD which hee hath not seene which is hidden from his eyes when he doth not loue the holinesse and the purity that hee sees in his Saints For there it is taught in a visible manner in the creature where you may see it more proportionable to you It is a hundred times more easie to loue godlinesse in the Saints then in GOD himselfe because hee is remote farre from vs and they are amongst
vs and are visibly seene Therefore except thou loue the Saints which thou seest holinesse in except thou seest thy heart inwardly to loue them with a naturall affection as it were that thou louest them whether thou wilt or no thou doest but pretend Againe Doest thou loue CHRIST Art thou willing to part with any thing for his sake Loue is bountifull Thou sayest thou louest GOD What if he will haue some of thy wealth What if he will haue thy credit What if he will haue thy liberty for his sake If thou loue him thou wilt be content to doe it Therefore consider if faith haue begotten such a loue in thee so that thou canst truly say though thou hast not seene him yet thou louest him The second concomitant of Faith is Hope If thou hast Faith thou hast Hope And this distinguisheth a Christians faith from the faith of Reprobates from the faith of Deuils from the temporary faith that others are capable of you know the Deuils beleeue and tremble He saith not The Deuils beleeue and hope for that they doe not Hope is a property of Faith where there is Faith there is Hope Now you must know that a man hath neuer faith to beleeue but hee hath hope which makes him expect what he beleeues If a man haue a promise of so much money which he needes he hopes for the performance of it and quiets himselfe when he casts his thoughts vpon it hee is at rest when a man beleeues it hee hopes for it Take an Heyre that hath such possessions which is yet a Ward and is yong he hath not the Land in possession but marke what hope he hath it is not a vaine hope but such a hope as puts other conceits in him then other men haue puts another fashion vpon his actions it makes him neglect many good things he would doe he will not be of such a calling he will not be diligent for hee hopes he makes account of it See how such things worke vpon a man which he is not to haue in 7 or 8 yeeres after perhaps So thou hopest for Heauen it is not a vaine hope but it is a hope that will maâ—e thee carry thy selfe after another fashion it will make thee so minded that thou wilt haue an eye to it and euery man that lookes on â—hee may see that thou hast an eye to it So that faith is accompanied by Hope But now you must not say that if a man hope therefore there is no feare mingled with it for you must know that a man may haue Hope that is true and good and yet may haue feare mingled with it For this you must know that if there be nothing but hope it is a signe that that Hope is not good And therefore thou hast so little reason to be discouraged because thou hast some feare mingled with thy hope that thou hast the more cause to hope and to thinke that thy hope is good because there is feare mingled with it for know that there is a certaine sort of men that haue neither faith hope nor feare as Atheists that haue some hope but no feare as Deuils and desperate men that haue some feare but no hope as presumptuous men which haue but a shaddow of faith But those that haue hope and feare mingled with it that is those may rather hope that that hope which they haue they may be so much the more confirmed in it because they haue some feare mingled with it Therefore consider whether thou haue hope or no Consider in what manner it is joyned with faith When thou beleeuest that CHRIST is thine that Heauen is thine that thy sinnes are forgiuen and that thou art a sonne of GOD but these things thou hast not yet thou art as any other man there is no difference betweene thee and them thou hast no more in possession then other men that walke with thee now comes in Hope and that expecteth that which is to come that holds vp thy head as it were that though you haue nothing at all for the present yet that Hope will comfort you that though you haue troubles and crosses and a thousand things more to obscure and blot your faith and the waues goe ouer your head that you are ready to be drowned this hope holds you aboue the water and makes you expect with comfort that which is to come and not so onely but I say it is a liuely hope a hope that sets a man aworke a hope that purgeth him For you know that that a man hopes for he will endeuour to bring it to passe it is such a hope as will not faile you but will continue as well as Faith it selfe Thirdly the third concomitant of Faith is Joy Romanes 15.13 The GOD of hope fill you with joy through beleeuing If you haue beleeued you haue Joy So in the first of Peter chap. 1. vers 8. In whom you haue beleeued saith hee Whom though you haue not seene yet you beleeue in him and ioy with ioy vnspeakable and glorious As if hee should say If you beleeue in him you shall know it by this Whether doe you reioyce in him or no Consider that where there is Faith there is Joy And it must needes be so As you know he that had the Pearle went away reioycing and the Kingdome of GOD consisteth in Joy and Peace and Righteousnesse And therefore where there is Faith there certainely is Joy And therefore consider and examine thine owne case Hast thou this reioycing in CHRIST this reioycing in the Doctrine of Justification and forgiuenesse of sins If we should examine mens faith by this we should finde that there is but a little Faith in the World Examine your selues you that now heare mee that heare this Doctrine of Faith it may bee it hath been burthensome vnto you it may be it is a thing you care not for To heare of Iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes they are things at the least that it may be you take no great paines for you doe not study them you doe not prize them much but if you were forgiuen indeed you would prefer it before all other ioy it would comfort you aboue any thing If you would say what you would heare aboue all things else you would heare of matter of forgiuenesse A man now that hath knowne the bitternesse of sinne and afterwards comes to the assurance of forgiuenesse that is to haue Faith indeed I say he will reioyce in it aboue all things else all worldly ioy would be nothing to it Therefore consider whether thou haue such a Faith or no if thou haue not certainely thou hast not Faith and it is a sure signe that will not deceiue you There is no man that hath it that hath not Faith and wheresoeuer there is Faith indeede there is extraordinary great reioycing in CHRIST But you will say Many a man may haue Ioy the second ground receiued the Word with
then other men they are forwarder then others in any thing they thinke other men are not like them And therefore they are ready to be more bold and venterous in any thing they are ready to take vp opinions they are ready to strike out this way or that way But now a true Christian is humbled with it because when Christ comes into the heart he makes a man to see his vilenesse As you know when GOD drew neere to Iob when he came neere him indeed then he abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes then hee saw what a one he was he saw not before he thought the contrary but when GOD drew neere indeed that made him manifest So it was with Isay when he saw GOD vpon his Throne and the Angels about him when he saw his holinesse then Woe is me I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lips He was so before but when he drew neere to GOD he saw it So Peter said depart from me I am a sinfull man when he saw Christ when Christ came neere him when he manifested himselfe in his Diuinity that he saw GOD in him for so he did by that Miracle that amazed Peter and cast him downe and made him see what hee was So Dauid when GOD drew neere to him and promised to build him an House to giue him a House that should be eternall to giue him the Messiah whose Kingdome should neuer end for that is included in the giuing him a Kingdome for euer and a House that should haue no end when God vouchsafed him so great a fauour we see Dauid was neuer so cast downe as then in the sight of his owne vilenes he was neuer so little in his own eyes he neuer said so much as he said then Now saith he what is Dauid What am I or what is my Fathers house that thou shouldst regard me thus that thou shouldst bring me hitherto This is Gods manner when he comes into a mans heart when he speakes peace indeed when Faith is a right Faith that brings CHRIST to dwell there I say it makes a man exceeding humble Therfore the spirit of Christians is a meeke spirit they are humble and gentle they are little in their owne eyes Consider whether thou hast such a disposition bred in thee or no it is a signe thy faith is good if there be if there be not it is a signe thy faith is not true So much for the signes of faith I make haste because I haue one Vse more to adde If nothing be regarded of GOD but effectuall faith that is if that be the vertue of faith to be effectuall or else it is nothing worth then we should learne hence not to let that be wanting to our faith which is the excellencie of it which is the vertue of it which is the proper quality of it As if it be the vertue of a Horse to goe well If it be the vertue of a Knife to cut well If it be the vertue of a Souldier to fight well or whatsoeuer you will instance in whatsoeuer vertue it be or whatsoeuer thing you labour to find that in it whatsoeuer be wanting for euery thing hath some proper excellency some speciall vertue wherein the thing consists Now to be effectuall to be working to be operatiue If this be the vertue of Faith as it were if this be the character and excellency of faith Let not this therefore be wanting in faith What is that then thou shouldst doe Vse thy faith set faith aworke liue by it You will say This is more then I can doe this is Gods action he must set faith aworke and worke this in me I say thou art able to doe this of thy selfe when thou hast faith once I speake to those that haue it and this exhortation is to you If you haue faith vse it many haue it that doe not vse it This is a thing that you are able to doe For though God worke in you all the worke of faith as it is receiued yet know he doth not worke in you onely but by you he makes you instruments you are not as dead instruments but as liuing instrumēts to moue of your selues It is true that before you haue faith you are able to doe nothing but when you haue it once then you are able to vse it Before a man hath life he is not able to stir but when he hath life once then he is able to moue and stir himselfe for there is life there when the Lampe is once lighted you know you may feede it with Oyle and if you put more Oyle to it you shall haue the greater flame There is light and you may increase it indeed the difficulty is to light it and that is Gods worke he kindles the first fire hee workes faith in the heart But now when thou hast it learne to vse it Dost thou thinke a necessity lyes vpon vs to vse other Talents that GOD hath put into our hands and will he not require that thou shouldst vse the Talent of Faith Wilt thou wrap that in a Napkin and let it lye dead by thee Will not he call thee to an accompt for it What folly is it my brethren you haue faith which is so excellent a Grace able to doe so great things as it is and yet you will not vse it There are many Christians that haue Faith indeed and yet will not set it on worke How great things would it doe what a reward would it bring As Aristotle saith of habits That if a man haue no more but a habit and vse it not there is no difference betweene the wisest man and a foole for what are habits for but for action what is the Tree for but for fruit The habit serues but for the act and this is according to the iudgement of Scripture in Rom. 2. God rewards not men according to the habits they haue but according to their workes Therefore thinke not that thou shalt be rewarded according to thy habits of Faith which thou hast though it be true that that sanctifies thee but GOD doth reward vs according to the vse of our faith according to the workes that our Faith doth bring forth according to the efficacie of our faith It is true the taking of Christ is one worke of Faith thou shouldst set it aworke to doe that and besides that all the workes of sanctification are all workes of Faith all thy life long euery houre thou hast somewhat for Faith to doe Set thy faith aworke and thy reward shall be accordingly And againe if thou vse not Faith thou shalt haue little enough of it the vsing of it is that which strengthens Faith It is Gods vsuall manner when he giues Faith to a man to giue him exercise to keepe his Faith breathing as it were hee will be sure to haue somewhat wherein hee will put him to it some tribulation he will put fire to
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
desire God were not wee hate him 3 131 O. Oathes Wherein lesser oathes exceed greater 3 114 Obedience 2 94 Object Iustifying faith differeth from generall faith in the obiect 1 48 Obiect of faith 1 52 Faith and opinion differ in the obiect 1 120 Offer Errours touching the generall offer of Christ. 1 11 Who sleight Gods offer 3 21 God offers his love to us 3 144 Office Things are effectuall when they doe their proper office 2 21 Onely Christ must be taken only 1 19 Opinion Opinion 1 47 Opinion variable 1 98 Opinion wherein it differeth from faith 1 120 Errours in opinion the worst errours 3 210 Opportunities Opportunities neglected shew want of love 3 62 Opportunities not to be slipped 3 211 Outward Outward things whence it is that wee overvalue them 2 161 In outward things God dealeth promiscuously 2 204 Not to iudge by Gods outward dealing 2 205 Gods curse in outward estate 3 180 P. Pacifie To pacify the heart an act of faith 1 62 Pardon Wee should labour for assurance of pardon 2 73 Pardon propounded generally 2 150 Passeover The Lords Supper beyond the Passeover in two respects 2 58 Paines Measure of grace not gotten without paines 3 203 Peace Peace a signe of faith 2 108 Peace wicked men may live and die in it and why 2 209 Peace twofold 2 112 Peace unsound a great iudgement 2 114 Person We must take heede of errour concerning Christs Person 1 18 True love lookes to the Person 1 53 Many take Christ but love not his Person 2.12 Love must be pitched on Christs Person 3 171 Perfect Faith made perfect by workes what 2 69 Perswasion Perswasion of forgivenesse on what ground to build it 1 99 Perswasion degrees in it 1 118 Perswasion to grow in it 1 127 Perswasion false what 2 17 Perswasion secret of the Spirit 2 84 Perswasion may be in men that beleeve not 3 16 Perswasion may be weake in a true beleever 3 17 Persecute They that persecute Christians persecute Christ. 3 121 Pitty A love of pitty 3 8 Plague Plague causes of it 3 91 Plague how to remove it 3 94 Pleasures Pleasures how faith guides in them 2 164 Pleasures of sinne forsâ—ken of good men why 2 165 Pleasures to love them more than God is to hate him 3.133 Pleasures not to love them more than God what 3 107 Plenty Plenty a man may be cursed in it 3.181 Poore We cannot love Christ till we be spiritually poore 3 52 Posterity How faith guides a mans care for posterity 2 165 Power Power to receive Christ is of God 1 11 Power given by God when wee resolve to take Christ. 1 26 Power against sinne where Christ dwelleth 2 102 Powers of the world to come what meant by tasting them 2 134 Love powerfull as fire 3 87 Prayse Praysing God the ground of it 1 80 Prayse with men 2 159 Practise Practise of Christ when hee was on earth 1 111 Prayer Prayer how to prevaile in it 1 13â— Spirit of prayer a signe of faith 2 103 Prayer what maketh earnest and bolde in it 2 104 Prayer what 2 105 Prayer double Ibid Prayer a meanes to love God 3 â—9 Prayer workes love 4 wayes Ibid. What kinde of prayer comes from love 3 81 Prayer needfull in times of iudgement 3 212 Preaching Preaching of Christ and his Apostles the summe of it 1 84 Presence Presence of Christ desired according to the measure of faith 3 74 Presence of God separation from it a curse 3 179 Preparation Good preparation makes faith effectuall 2 29 Pride Pride a cause of the pestilence 3 92 Priviledges Priviledges spirituall why they affect us not 1 108 Prize That we may prize blessings GOD defers the giving them 2 199 Love sets a price on all we doe 3 151 Private Private duties performed without love 3 8â— Profit How faith guides in case of profit 2 160 Promise Promises the certainty of them 1 34 Promises two things in laying holde of them 1 94 Promises made in sicknessâ— seldome performed 2 11 Promises the beleeving of them in particular 2 34 Promises made promiscuously 2 4â— Promises the application of them wrought by the Spirit 2 53 Promises cleared 2 88 Promises not seen without the Spirit 2 89 Promises how to know they are cleared 2 91 Promises how to try our faith in them 2 114 Prosperitie Prosperity of wicked men 2 200 Prosperity hurts wicked men 2 205 Prosperity in sinne a miserable condition 2 206 Providence Providence of God crossed by our prayers 2 200 Purposes Purposes of good why they come to nothing in many 2 74 Purposes good whence they arise 3 192 Purifie To purify the heart an act of faith 1 165 True faith purifieth the heart 2 93 Q. Qualification Vpon what qualification Christs righteousnesse is given 1 12 See Exclude Qualitie see Faith Quicke Love of a quick nature 2 125 Love quick like fire 3 85 R. Reason Faith a new addition to the light of reason â— 55 Received Receiving Righteouâ—nesse of Christ must be received as well as offered 1 15 In receiving of Christ 3 things must concurre 1 28 Wee must not onely beleeâ—e in but receive Christ. 1 51 None have benefit by Christ but thâ—se that receive him Ibid. Reconcile To reconcile us to God an act of faith 1 62 Reciprocall Reciprocall match betweene Christ and us 2 92 Reflect Reflect act of faith admits degrees 1 126 A beast cannot reflect on his actions 2 91 Rejoyce Reioyce we should in GOD. 1 76 Reioyce in our selves wee are prone to it 1 77 Religion Religion hated under other notions 3 104 Religion what 3 199 Remedie The curse of the Gospell without remedy 3 23 Repentance Repentance required when wee have taken Christ. 1 23 Repentance ioyned with faith 2 94 Repentance not to be deferred 2 106 Repentance removes a plague 3 94 Revealed Why Christs righteousnesse is said to be revealed 1 4 Wee should labour to have more truthes revealed 1 129 Respect GODS respect to Christians in affliction 2 209 Reward Reward according to our workes 2 71 182 Reward we may use motives from it 3 80 Reward love bargaines not for it 3 96 Riches see Happie Righteousnesse Righteousnesse why revealed in the Gospell 1 2 Righteousnesse in the Gospell commended 1 3 Righteousnesse 6 questions about it 1 5 Righteousnesse of Christ how wee come by it 1 7 Righteousnesse to whom it is given 1 9 Righteousnesse what required of us when we have it 1 23 Christ our righteousnesse 2 150 Rob. If we love not GOD we rob him 3 46 Rooted How to be rooted in love 3 171 S. Sacrament Sacraments preach faith 1 87 Sacrament rules of examination touching it 2 202 Sacrament not to be omitted why 3 58 Sacrament unworthily received a cause of the plague 3 92 Saints Saints love to them a signe we love God 3 100 120 Saints foure tryalls of our love to them 3 101 Sanctification Sanctification God puts
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