People are in a state of life by way of eminency They are partakers of the best life This is set out in seven Particulars viz. In the 1 Nature and Kinde of it 2 Fountain and Principle 3 Comforts of it 4 Measure of it 5 Safety and Security 6 Continuance 7 End of it Together with the Reasons of the Doctrine and five Uses viz. 1 of Conviction that there is such a Life 2 Perswasion to desire this Life 3 Examination whether we have this excellent Life Where are 10 Rules of Trial. 4 Information of the worst kinde of Murther 5 Thankfulness for this Life Second Doctrine mainly intended Whatever Life the Just man lives in a more excellent manner than other men He lives that Life by vertue of his Faith Eight general Questions for the better unfolding of the Doctrine Quest I. What Faith is It is a gracious habit infused into the heart by the Spirit of God whereby the Soul rests or rowls it self upon Christ in a way of Promise for all things pertaining to life and godliness for Gods glory and its own Salvation Where the several parts of the Definition are explained Quest II. What it is to live by Faith It implies five things 1 A Right in Christ 2 A clearing our way in point of Duty 3 A clearing our Right to the Promise 4 A searching the Scripture for Legacies bequeathed to us in the Promises 5 A remembring them and a seasonable applying them to particular cases and occasions The order or Series which is taken by the Lord to cause a Christian to live by Faith A fivefold step to this Life The Lord makes use of Faith all along from first to last in the order of working Spiritual Life and that in all parts and faculties of it which are seven 1 Quickning faculty of Faith 2 Expulsive faculty 3 Nutritive faculty 4 Digestive faculty 5 Motive faculty 6 Breathing faculty 7 Augmentative faculty In all these respects the Just lives by his Faith Quest III. Why a Christian is said to live by Faith rather than any other Grace Where four Reasons are assigned and two Uses Quest IU Who it is that lives by his Faith Answ The just or Righteous person Where is shewn that there is a double Righteousness viz. Twofold Righteousness Of Justification Of Sanctification The Text comprehends both in the term Just Yet he doth not say The Just shall live by his Justice because the Righteousness of Sanctification is imperfect and deserves death but By his Faith that is that perfect Righteousness of Christ which Faith lays hold on and applies This is that Righteousness whereby believers are reputed Just and accepted with God to Life Eternal Hence it follows That though an unbeliever may be predestinated to Justification and Faith yet he is not actually Just or justified till he believe For the just onely shall live hy Faith Quest V. By whose Faith shall the Just live Answ By his own not by another mans Two Reasons why it must necessarily be a mans own Faith by which only he can live For the right understanding of this observe four Particulars by way of Caution in the amplification of this Assertion 1 It is not so a mans own Faith but that still God is the Author 2 In Temporal respects one mans Faith may benefit another 3 In Spiritual respects the Parents faith acted by vertue of Gods Covenant including the posterity of the just may benefit the children of such parents 4 Such just ones who convert others instrumentally may and shall have much more comfort and glory by the faith of their Converts than otherwise they should have had Four Considerations by way of Restriction as unto this Truth That one mans Faith may procure some benefit unto another 1 It holds not alway in Temporal respects 2 When anothers faith procures Temporals yet such temporals are not sanctified to any without an act of their own faith exercised in the Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 Psal 78.30 3 Though natural parents by birth and spiritual parents by office supposing both to be Spiritually renewed themselves may procure much good to their children and people by their faith Yet not 1 To all the children and people always Gen. 17.18 Rom. 9.1 2 3. 2 To any so as to have comfort by such good procured till such children and people believe themselves in their own right 4 Those who have heen Instruments of others Conversion and Faith shall have more joy and glory supposing such to have faith themselves Hereunto is annexed a Quaere Whether an unbelieving Minister may beget faith in others Answ Very rarely when they do they cannot rejoyce in anothers faith sincerely having none themselves See this more largely handled in the Treatise it self Uses of the Just mans living by his own Faith not anothers 1 Reproof of the Papists whose faith is cobled up of Pride and Ignorance it being a blinde assent and implicite obedience to the Canons and Dotages of that Apostatical Church 2 Reproof of such carnal Professors who have no other faith but onely what is pinned on other mens sleeves who put carnal confidence in their Spiritual Relations 2Vse of Instruction If every one must have a faith of his own then every one must have a Minister of their own 3Vse of Exhortation To prove our own selves and so to prove our own faith Quest VI. When and how long the just lives by faith Answ No time is specified to include All time The just lives by his faith All his life and in every part of his life The Question is double When respects the season How long the continuance The season of living by Faith hath respect either 1 To the parts of Time Which are three Time Past Present and to Come In all which the just lives by faith 2 To the Adjuncts of Time These are especially two Prosperity and Adversity Good and evil days First For Prosperity the Just lives by Faith 1 In seeking or obtaining of it wherein Faith directs 1 In the right order and seeking of it 2 In the right measure 3 In the right means Which are two 1 Diligence in a lawful Calling 2 Not trusting to our own Diligence but Gods Promise to the diligent 2 In using Prosperity aright wherein Faith works 1 In causing a holy Diffidence in our selves and the Creature lest we should by Pride and Security deny God or forget him 2 It raises a holy humble confidence in God so that a Believer lives upon him when he most abounds in the Creature 3 It causes the Believer not to serve himself or his lusts but the Donor with his full estate 4 Faith lays out earthly treasure so Spiritual advantages Luk. 16.9 3 In being willing to part with a prosperous state 1Vse Reproves those who live not by Faith in prosperity in which estate we are most beset with Temptations 2Vse Examine whether you live by faith in prosperity Secondly In Adversary the just lives by Faith
Where you have these four particulars 1 That it is so 2 In what things living by faith then consists 3 In what manner he doth so live 4 By what Means Then follows Application Next to the Conquering of those Adversities which happen to Believers in the course of their life That they live the Life of Faith in Death comes now to be treated of The Life of Faith in Death Wherein you have these particulars handled 1 That Faith is a godly mans life at the time of his death as appears by the living speeches of dying men 2 Six Reasons why Believers do all of them die in faith Heb. 11.13 3 Seven Vses drawn from the perpetual usefulness of faith in all estates especially that the just live by it in Adversity and Death Quest VII What Life is that which the Just lives by his Faith Answ All kind of Life which may truly be called Life First Natural Life a Saint lives this by Faith 1 In the very act of living where is shewed the different grounds upon which believers and unbelievers injoy this Natural Life 2 In the Conservation of Life They use not the same means in the same manner for maintaining of Natural Life 3 In the Preservation of Life from such things as are destructive 4 In the Prolongation of Life the Just live by Faith 5 In ordering aright all the natural and civil actions of life 6 In respect of the Comforts and Blessings of a Natural Life Instances of particulars for the obtaining of which and in the managing of which a Saint lives by Faith 1 Wealth 2 Health 3 Peace 4 Good success 5 Good Name 6 Posterity 7 Single Estate and Marriage 7 In the valuation of Natural Life Faith teaches Neither to under-value Life Faith teaches Nor to over-value Life USES 1 Reproof to those who say they trust God for Eternal Life and yet cannot trust in him for this Temporal Life and the things of it 2Vse of Exhortation to live by faith in respect of this Life Natural seeing believers hold these things not onely by common Providence but by Promise also from God so far as is needful for them This is twofold Spiritual Life lived by Faith Either the Life of Justification Or the Life of Sanctification Life of Faith in Justification Wherein these Particulars are opened 1 Wherein the Nature of Justification consists 2 How doth the Just live by Faith the Life of Justification This is declared in three respects 1 They live by Faith for the first act of God in justifying a sinner or which is all one for their being put into a justified state which flows from their immediate union with Christ Four ways Faith disposes the Soul for this state 2 How Faith acts for the continuance of Justification and renewing of pardon 3 The Just lives by faith for the assurance of being justified Faith is acted five ways in order to such an assurance 1 In moving a man to desire more faith 2 In using and embracing such means which may assure 3 In the trial of assurance it self whether sound or false 4 In answering all Objections and Doubts which cloud assurance 5 In expectation that assurance shall be given upon the diligent and humble sincere use of means All these Particulars are largely insisted on together with divers Uses drawn from this Life of Faith in Justification especially Examination whether we be in a justified state Signs thereof As also Motives to labour for this blessed estate and the assurance of it Means how to get assurance that we are justified and how we may live by Faith till we obtain such assurance The Life of Faith in Sanctification or Renovation Resolution of four Quaeres 1 Whether there be any such life in a Christian distinct from the Sanctification which is in Christ himself asserted 2 What it is and wherein it consists Difference 'twixt Morality and Sanctification 3 How and by what means it is wrought in the Soul Acts of faith in it When Spiritual actions flow from Faith in Christ 4 Why Sanctification is necessary in all justified persons Means which Faith Vses to promote Sanctification The Life of Faith in Fructification How faith hath influence into Fructification six ways The Uses of Faiths influence into Renovation and Fructification 1 Examination of the Truth of Faith 2 Reproof of Carnal Professors 3 Apologie against Papists 4 Exhortation to Faith as the root of Sanctity and fruitfulness Motives to live by Faith the Life of Sanctification Motives to act Faith for fruitfulness in season The Life of Faith in Mortification 1 How Faith proceeds in the Mortification of Sin 2 Why Faith will have Sin to be mortified 1Vse of Information in three Particulars 2 Marks of true Mortification Some Objections answered and a Case stated 3Vse of Conviction and Reproof to seven sorts 4Vse of Exhortation to mortifie Sin Motives and Means 5Vse of Comfort against the vigour and rigour of Sin The Life of Faith in Vivification Wherein two things demonstrated by way of Explication 1 Gods Children are subject to deadness What are the Causes Kinds and Degrees of it 2 Saints recover by Faith out of deadness Four Reasons of it and how Faith acts in such recovery Four Arguments of Faith to quicken under deadness Use of the Life of Vivification 1 of Reproof 2 of Exhortation Eight Motives to Vivification Six Means of Quickning 3 Trial of true Faith in Vivifying Four Signs of inlivening living Acts. The Life of Faith in Augmentation Two Propositions 1 The Just live the Life of Augmentation Four Reasons of Spiritual growth 2 Augmentation is by Faith Four Reasons why Faith hath an influence into it USES 1 Information about spiritual growth in four respects 2 Reproof of five sorts of men 3 Examination Five signs of spiritual growth What is the increase of God Col. 2.18 19. â—ig four things Cases of Conscience stated about growth 4 Humiliation for small growth 5 Thankfulness for growth 6 Exhortation to growth Six Motives to growth Nine Means of growth Seven Impediments of growth 7 Comfort at small beginnings in Grace 8 Direction how strong grown Christians should behave themselves towards the weak The Life of Faith in Perseverance Two Proposositions 1 The Just doth persevere 2 Perseverance is by vertue of Faith Six Reasons why the Just shall persevere Three Reasons why Perseverance is by Faith USES 1 Confutation of the Doctrine of falling from Grace Five respects in which there may be falling away Seven things from which the Elect can never fall Seven Objections against Perseverance answered 2 Vse Information about assurance of Salvation 3 Vse Labour for persevere 4 Vse Labour for Perseverance Six Motives to Perseverance Seven Means of Perseverance 5 Vse Examination of the Truth of Faith by its persevering How far a hypocrite may go in six respects Six Particulars wherein hypocrites come short 6 Vse of Thankfulness for Perseverance 7 Vse of Encouragement to persevere amidst all discouragements Five main
shall we finde him Does not the Scripture speak expresly Psal 14.2 There is none just no not one And again Rom. 3.10 c. They are all gone out of the way they are all become abominable c. Ans A. The meaning is not as if a man should be just before he come to believe but because his believing makes him and proves him just in applying the justice and righteousness of Christ Isa 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous Servant shall justifie many And therefore Jer. 23.6 he is called The Lord our Righteousness And this is imputed Righteousness the Righteousness of Justification But that is not all He that believes is just also in some measure by inherent Righteousness or that which he doth in his own person by the help of Christs Spirit 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Whereas we are apt to be deceiv'd and to say Faith is sufficient of it self to declare that I am righteous you are deceiv'd saith S. John for ver 3. He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure and here doth righteousness as he is righteous So you see plainly as there is a righteousness of Justification so there is a righteousness of Sanctification and the word of the Text comprehends both The just Yet mark He doth not say The just shall live by his Justice because the righteousness of Sanctification is imperfect and deserves death but by his Faith because that implyes the Righteousness of Justification the righteousness of Christ and that is perfect And this distinction is enough to avoid that evil and slander which is cast upon the Ministers of the Gospel at this day They say we preach Law and Gospel Note Christ and VVorks both rogether in point of Justification But this is a meer Cavil For however we teach That every believer must evidence his Faith or his Righteousness of Justification by his works of Sanctification yet we do not say his Righteousness of Sanctification is his Righteousness of Justification no more then we say His Righteousness of Justification is his Righteousness of Sanctification as some would vainly confound one with the other Though we say He that believes the Gospel must do the things contained in the Law yet we do not say He that doth them shall live in them for that is the voice of the first Covenant the Covenant of the Law but we say He that doth them shall live by his Faith for that 's the voice of the second Covenant the Covenant of the Gospel the Covenant of Free-grace For this tells us There must be a justice in the person that believes not an antecedent but a consequent justice yet he lives not by his justice but by his faith and by his faith as applying the Free-grace of God in Christ The just shall live by his faith And thus for the fourth Question Who it is that lives by his Faith Vse 1 Onely let me now remember you of what I hinted at the first That as every believer is a just person or a justified person so every unbeliever is unjust or unjustified For the just is opposed to unbeliever And therefore to say that a man is just or justified before he believes I beseech you to consider Note how contrary it is to this Text and to the Scripture phrase throughout VVe grant an unbeliever may be predestinated to Justification as he may be predestinated to Faith but to say he is actually justified before he believes is to be wise beyond that which is written For there is no such thing written in the Scripture and therefore such wisdome is forbidden If we may not think much less may we speak above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 We are bound to keep our selves not onely to the patern of wholesome matter but to the patern of wholesome words or sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of found words c Now to say that a believing person is a justified person that is wholesom and sound for the Text warrants it but to say an unbeliever is just or a justified person is unsound and unwarrantable For as he that lives by Faith is just so he that lives not by Faith is unjust Vse 2 See briefly from hence further How much the folly of all those is that boast of Faith and yet live in all manner of unrighteousness and sin These shall not live for Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God whatever they talk of their Faith But so much for the Person who The just shall live QUEST V. By whose Faith shall he live AND the answer is in the Text By his own faith not by another mans faith Therefore in the Confession of Faith every one saith for himself I believe not my Friend not my Father not my Brother believes for me but I my self believe for my self One mans prayer may obtain good for another but one mans faith cannot save another No more than one mans soundness of constitution can give health to another that is sick or one mans soul give life to another that is in a dead or dying condition No the just man shall live by his own faith Mat. 9.22 There Christ speaks to the woman with the bloody issue Thy faith hath made thee whole not the faith of any other that were about him So Luke 7. last And he said to the woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Reasons of living by a mans own faith And why must it necessarily be a mans own Faith Reas 1. Because it is the nature and essence of saving Faith for a man to make particular application of Christ to himself as we heard before Gal. 2.20 that loved me And Thomas when he had any stirrings of spiritual life cryes thus My Lord and my God Yea in the greatest shakings of Faith there is some secret application and appropriation of God to the soul When we seem to put God away with the one hand we pull him to us with the other As it was in the speech of David and Christ too My God my God why hast thou sorsaken me Forsaken me and yet my God still Where there is any life at all there some Faith None can live spiritually none can live eternally but such as have faith of their own It is both the means and the mark of eternal life Mark 16.16 He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned There must be a particular application of Christ to the souls of all that are saved They live by their own Faith Therefore Christ in Scripture is compared to those things that can do a man no good unless they be applyed as to Salve Job 6.53 Gal. 3.27 to the Balm of Gilead to Meat and Drink and Garments What good can Salve c. do me unless it be applyed to my body 'T is not
for so the Apostle applies this Text very frequently to prove that the just man lives a Spiritual life by Faith Obj. Obj. But the Apostle may seem to wrest the words because the Prophet speaks here of a temporal deliverance from the Chaldeans Ans Ans 1. Their deliverance from temporal Babylon was a Type of their Deliverance from Spiritual Babylon 2. However the secondary objects of Faith be divers some Temporal some Spiritual some Eternal yet the prime and principal object of faith is still one and the same and that is Jesus Christ and Gods favour in Christ and before I can embrace the other I must first embrace this Therefore the same faith in Christ that enables me to live in temporal things enables me to live in spirituals also and so the Apostles argument from one to the other holds good Well then the just lives by Faith in respect of Spiritual life which is far more excellent then the other as grace is above nature And this is either the Life of I. Justification whereby the Soul layes hold upon Christ or II. Sanctification whereby the Soul draws vertue from Christ And that is either Renewing and Cleansing vertue the Life of Renovation or Fructifying the Life of Fructification or Mortifying Vertue the Life of Mortification or Vivifying the Life of Quickning and Vivification Confirming Vertue the Life of Conservation that God will not forsake his people Augmenting whereby life is encreased and Comforting Vertue the life of Consolation In the first our spiritual life is purified in the second beautified and in all these the just live by faith THE LIFE of FAITH IN JUSTIFICATION 1. HE lives by faith the Life of Justification and so the Apostle applies this very Text Rom. 1.16 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written And so again Gal. 3.11 where he doth oppose justifying by faith to justification by works of the law But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just c. The just doth not live by his own justice but by faith that is by the application of the justice and righteousness of another That we may the better understand the excellency of this Life of Justification it will not be amiss to adde the definition of it according to the Scriptures seeing whatsoever is truly known is known by the causes thereof Justification therefore is thus defined It is a most gracious and righteous action of God whereby he imputing the righteousness of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heir of eternal life to the praise and glory of his own Mercy and Justice For Explication consider 1. The Act to justifie 2. The Object a sinner and yet a believing sinner and so made righteous 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that 's onely by Faith 1. The Act to justifie Now to justifie signifieth properly to make just as to magnifie to make great though sometimes onely to declare great Now God makes just either By Imputation or Infusion of Righteousness The first is the life of Justification the second of Sanctification the first perfect the latter imperfect 2. The Object is a sinner God doth not justifie those that were just before but such as were unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once offered for sin the just for the unjust There was a time then when we were unjust a time when we were sinners when we were ungodly Rom. 5.6 Christ dyed for the ungodly and While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being justified we shall be saved from wrath through him So that as to heal signifies of a sick man to make sound so to justifie is of a sinner to make righteous and if it were not so where were the excellency of Gods free grace to make us righteous if we never were in a state of sin He that in no consideration looks at himself as a sinner fallen in the first Adam cannot possibly look at himself as a righteous person recovered in the second Adam How can God be said to shew mercy to that man that was never in misery to redeem that man that was never lost Lost I say and that really and not onely in his own conceit and apprehension 3. The Application of the Act to the Object and that is by Faith as here in the Text. Though a sinner be justified yet it is onely a believing sinner and so of a sinner is made just Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith c. By Faith how not as the meritorious but onely as the instrumental cause of our justification For the clearer understanding of this we must know according to the former definition there are several causes of our Justification viz. Efficient Material Formal and Final The Efficient cause is either 1. Principal or 2. Instrumental Principal is either 1. Working or 2. Moving to the Work Causes of Justification 1. Principal The 1. Principal working Cause is God himself It 's an action of God Rom. 8.38 it is God that justifieth Isa 43.25 I even I am he c. Vide Rom. 9.16 All other causes are nothing to this though man believeth and man wills and runs on chearfully in the wayes of God yet from whence comes all this but from God that justifieth a poor sinner So that it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth c. but of God of God the Father as the Primary Cause the Son as the Meritorious the Holy Ghost as Applicatory It is God that justifieth who shall condemn c. He that is the Law-giver he justifies from the offences committed against the Law The 2. Principal Cause Moving or promoting to the Work is either 1. Internal Gods Mercy Justice It 's a gracious and a righteous action of God nothing without him the first Mover 2. External 1. Mans Misery moving to pity the Samaritan c. the Infant Ezek. 16. 2. Christs Merit moving to forgive Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins 2. Instrumental Cause 2. Instrumental and that 1. On Gods part the Word Manus offerentis 2 Cor. 5.18 He hath given to us the Ministery of Reconciliation Dan. 12.3 Rom. 4.11 2. On our part Faith Manus accipientis Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Rom. 10.5 c. Therefore faith doth not justifie by merit and dignity of the work for then we should be justified by works though by faith but onely by the Instrumentary application of Christs Righteousness 2. The Material Cause Christs Righteousness Material cause as Jacob gat his blessing in Esau's garment therefore called The Righteousness of God Rom. 1.17 the Righteousness of that Person who is God Now there is a twofold
both the Life of Renovation and the Life of Fructification Now for the Use of both together Vse of all in general FIrst Let us hence Examine the truth of our Faith Vse 1. Example of Faith by its â—enoâ—â—â—ing â—ructifying If it be right then we live by it the Life of Sanctification in Renovation c. as well as of Justification Many say They live by Faith the Life of Justification but we see nothing in them of Sanctification Therefore their Faith is not true True Faith is full of Vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 adde to your faith vertue True Faith is an active grace As it is wrought powerfully Eph. 1.19 according to the working of his mighty power So it works powerfully Col. 2.12 it is called Faith of the operation of God Faith puts a Christian not onely upon all holy speeches Prayer Preaching and Conference are the breathings of Faith as 2 Cor. 4.13 I believed therefore have I spâ—ken Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the thing which we have seen and heard But also upon all holy actions and duties There is the work of faith twice mentioned 1 Thess 1.3 2 Thess 1.11 An idle Faith is vain Jam. 2. a dead faith and a dead Faith is as good as no Faith at all The Wisdom that is from above is full of good fruits Jam. 3.17 It is as impossible for a Christâ—an to live the Life of Justification without Sanctification as for a man to have life without breath Secondly It Reproves two sorts of people Vse 2. Reproof to Papists and carnal Professors Papists on the one side and carnal Professors on the other side who separate these two precious Lives which God hath inseparably joined together Justification and Sanctification Being Twins or Sisters of the same Womb and ever born and brought forth together in the Christian Soul Other Twins may die at least one of them but these live and die together yea they live and never die As Jacob took hold of the heel of his brother so the Life of Sanctification follows the Life of Justification close at the heels 1 Cor 6 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified As you cannot separate the light of the fire from the heat thereof no more can you separate the light of Faith in Justification from the heat of Faith in Sanctification Mat 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire And yet I say Papists on the one side and Carnal Professors on the other side seperate these two precious Lives or at least they would cause one of these Sister-Twins to devour the other The Papists make Sanctification to devour Justification and the Carnal Professor makes Justification to devour Sanctification First the Papists make Sanctification to devour Justification For they say in effect Our Sanctification is our Justification For they say to justifie is onely to make just by inherent Righteousness Again they make Remission of sin not to be the Pardon of sin but the utter deletion or expulsion of sin by infusion of Righteousness as darkness is expell'd by light and cold by heat Thus they make Justification wholly to consist in the parts of Sanctification For whereas Sanctification is partly Privative which we call Mortification and partly Positive which we call Vivification which is either Habitual Vide Down p. 50. Papists make sanctification to devour justification Carnal Professors è contr consisting in the habits of grace or Outward and Actual consisting in the exercise of that grace in the fruit of good works All this and onely this they make the matter of their Justification And so they make Sanctification to devour Justification On the other side Carnal Professors they make Justification to devour Sanctification O say they our Justification is our Sanctification we have no holiness in our selves And thus the Devil drives men to extremes and like a cunning Wrestler he twitches on both sides For the first of these Opinions proceeds from Pride and Presumption The other from false and feigned Humility joyned with Despondency and with a kinde of spiritual sloth and laziness of Spirit O sayes the Papist we have no righteousness in Christ onely Christ hath merited that we should merit And Rank Pride is the root of this Opinion O Rank Pride the root of Pâ—pish sanctity sayes the Carnal Professor we have no righteousness nor holiness in our selves Alas what can we do 't is all one whether we do any thing or nothing we have no Righteousness or Sanctification but in Christ And thus as with a wet finger he shakes off all the duties of godliness and this springs as I said from false or feigned Humility Feigned humility and â—â—ziness of spirit the root of Libertinism and laziness of Spirit This is the sluggards hinge upon which he turns himself about to no purpose As good never a whit saith he as never the better When you press him to duty he holds up this as Ajax his Shield to bear off all blows Tell him of his Omissions and Commissions O sayes he Christ is my Righteousness and Sanctification as if he might sin that grace might abound or that grace had abounded that he might sin But you see this Errour confuted There is a Sanctification in Gods people inherent besides that which is in Christ The just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Therefore justly are reprov'd such Christians as bury themselves above ground As Cato said of Idleness it is vivi hominis sepultura Such indeed are dead whilest they live 1 Tim. 5 6. As good be out of the world as do no good in the world meer cumber-grounds Luke 13. Third Use may be a just Apologie for true Christians Vse 3. Protestants apologie against Papists who say we deny the use of good works against the unjust Cavil of Antichristian and Popish Spirits who say That because we teach a man is justified by Faith alone therefore he is justified by such Faith as is alone But there is a great deal of difference betwixt these two Assertions Though they differ not much in words yet they differ much in sense There is difference betwixt Fide Solâ and Fide Solitariâ Faith alone and Faith that is alone To make it plain by Similitude Suppose Esther attended with her Maids goes in to the King to beg the life of her people Esther alone obtains their life but not Esther when she was alone for she was attended by her Maids and they were witnesses of the fact So Faith alone through Christ obtains the life of Justification but not Faith as alone in the person for it is ever attended with good works that are witnesses of that life Or as a man that is guided in his way by the benefit of a Torch he is onely guided by the light of the fire but that is never alone for it is accompanied with heat So a Christian man he is guided in his way to
stress on the depth of humiliation is a great hindrance of Believing 502 503 Reasons why humiliation must Precede faith 522 523 524 Humility in all the periods or degrees of grace 525 Hypocrisy It is an impediment of spiritual growth 230 How far an Hypocrite may go 257 Wherein an Hypocrite comes short 258 An hypocrite cannot rejoyce in the whole word of God 302 303 Hypocrisy springs from unbelief 463 I Ignorance Vnbelief is the root and parent of it 462 Increase There is a divine and diabolical increase 213 How the increase of the natural man in moral vertues differs from the increase of God in saving graces 213 214 See growth See strength Injoyment Believers have the firmest tenure and sweetest injoyment of earthly blessings 77 78 Interest Interest in Christ clears up interest in the covenant of grace and this an interest to all the promises of which sons in Christ are heirs 560 Joy see Consolation How to discern the joy of a hypocrite from that of a Saint 302 303 The joy of a Believer excells all natural worldly sinful Joy in 10. Properties from 323 to 328 Means to breed Spiritual Joy 328 to 344 Judgment Faith applies the last judgment as a means of sanctification 127 128 Judgments on unbelievers 466 Examples of Gods judgments on apostates 250 251 Just Who are such and why said to live by faith not by their justice 31 None are just or justified till thy believe 32 Justification The life of Faith in justification 80 The definition of it which contains the act object and application of both and its fourfold causality 81 to 85 Faith puts forth a fourfold act upon the conscience heart of a sinner to fit him for pardon 86 87 Faith how it acts in the continuance of justification 88 Faith how it fetches in assurance of justification Faith moves a man to desire more faith in order to assurance of his justification and uses 11 Motives 89 to 92 Vses of the Doctrine of faith in justification 105 Justification by free grace breeds humiliation 105 106 Four Marks of true justification 107 We must not justifie sinners or condemn Saints 108 Motives to seek for the five-fold benefit of justification 110 111 Justification and sanctification are inseparable twins 141 142 The first and second evidence of justification what 301 K Keep See Establish Exhortation to keep faith 543 Reasons why we should look to the keeping of our faith 544 Seven Means whereby to keep faith 548 to 552 See Free Spirit See Perseverance L Libertinisme The root of it is feigned humility and laziness 143 Liberty Faith and Christian Liberty support each other 554 Many account it their liberty to sin 555 See Free Spirit Life Spiritual Gods People are in a state of life by way of eminency 8 The excellency of the Saints Life in seven particulars 8 9 10 11 Saints Life is a hidden life and why 12 Spiritual life proved to be existent in believers 12 Spiritual life very desirable 13 Signes of Spiritual life 14 15 16 Life Natural Five evil and troublesome concomitants of it 60 Believers injoy it by faith upon different grounds from unbelievers 67 68 Saints live a natural life by faith in seven respects 68 to 76 Life Spiritual Is twofold either the life of Justification or Sanctification the just life by faith in both 79 80 Four differences twixt true living Spiritual actions and false 187 188 Spiritual life is alway increasing 199 200 The comliness and pleasantness profit equity safety and necessity of such a life as it increaseth 200 to 226 Vide growth Life Eternal See heaven The work of faith about eternal life 334 It assures that there is an eternal life from scripture and reason with the degrees of it 335 336 What the happiness of eternal life is 336 337 Wherein it consists from 337 to 341 Confutation of those who deny eternal life 353 354 Motives to get assurance of eternal life from 374 to 379 Means to get this assurance The believers homage-penny for eternal life 386 The excellency of eternal life from 388 to 391 Life of unbelievers They live on their lusts pleasures upon Creatures and upon a fivefold undoing self 429 to 434 Limiting of God It is a great impediment of faith how cured 499 500 Logick Faiths holy logick 348 349 Love of God It is a reason why the Saints persevere 237 238 The want of feeling it should not hinder believing 503 Love to God is a means to increase faith 580 Love to the Saints Difference 'twixt that which is true and false 304 305 Lust Love of lust is the life of a sinner 429 Lusts haboured oppose faith with considerations how to abandon them 501 M Marriage How Saints live by faith in it and in single estate 73 Meanes In the conservation of the natural life must be used in faith 68 69 Meditation It is the fruit of holy affection 364 Meditation on Gods Attributes especially mercy is a good means to beget faith 536 Melancholy It is a scandal to Christian profession 319 320 Mercy Gods mercy becomes a suiter to mans misery 537 Ministry See Preaching What the chief work of a Minister is 427 428 The dignity of the Ministry 601 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a soul-saving way 611 612 God usually blesses a setled proper Ministry 42 Merry Merry madnesse 311 Morality Difference 'twixt morality and Sanctification in nine respects 119 120 121 Mortification The influence of faith into the life of mortification 149 The art of faith in mortifying of lusts 151 to 154 Reasons why faith will have sin to be mortified 155 156 Error of such who refuse to believe till sin he mortified 158 Marks of true mortification 159 160 Enemies unto and juglers in mortification reproved 161 Alarm to Mortification 163 Motives to Mortification 164 165 Means of Mortification 166 167 168 169 Murther Soul Murther is the worst kind 17 470 N Natural men They are distingusht into two ranks 532 Necessity Of faith in Adversity 64 New Obedience See Fructification Nourishment Strong desires after Spiritual nourishment are a signe of Growth is Grace with three Cautions in this particular 206 207 208 209 Nursery Spiritual Faith lays hold on Christ in the Ordinances as breasts of Consolation and thence draws strength 293 294 295 O Opposition There is no true faith without Opposition 514 515 He that would believe must break thorow opposition 515 516 Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the greatest opposers of his word and wayes that he may convert them 516 Ordinances See Word Despising of them is an impediment of Spiritual growth 230 Neglect of the ordinances hinders believing 505 Five causes why men neglect the ordinances 505 to 511 Though it be not in the Power of the ordinances to beget or increase faith yet they are to be used 516 517 They who live above that is without ordinances are absurd 518 519 P Papists and carnal Professors These make Sanctification justification
men he lives that life by vertue of his faith Object But it may be objected It is manifest that the Prophet here speaks of temporal deliverance from the Caldeans why then should we carry the words in a spiritual sense of the life of grace Answ There are good reasons for it 1 As the same blood of Christ purchased a sanctified use of temporal mercies as well as of spiritual so the same faith that lays hold on the one layth hold on the other Matth. 6. A man must first seek Gods Kingdome before he can have a sanctified use of temporal mercies He must first lay hold on Christ by faith before he can lay hold on temporal deliverances in him Rom. 8.32 God first gives us his Son and then with him all things The same faith that teacheth us to pray Give us this day our daily bread teacheth us also to pray Forgive us our trespasses 2 Because the holy Ghost who is the best Interpreter of all gives this Interpretation of the text Whereas a man might say 'T is not clear to me that the Prophet Habakkuk did mean any other living by faith than that which is concerning this present and temporal life yes saith the Apostle it is evident the words are to be understood in the largest latitude so as to compreheÌ„d the life of grace also the life of justification Gal. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the works of the Law in the sight of God it is evident and here it is evident Even by this testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk For the just shall live by faith Doct. 1 For the first Doct. then viz. Gods people are in a state of life by way of eminency But the just shall live The Doctrine ariseth cleerly from the opposition But c. q.d. The unbeleever lives not or if he doeth live it is a life of unquietness and full of danger For he is a sentenced man by the judgment of God's mouth and shall ere long be executed by the judgment of his hand And therefore his soul is not right in him but the life of a Beleever is full of safety full of peace and that in the worst times before the vision be fulfilled v. 3. Besides that the one lives but by sense the other by faith the one lives upon his pride and self-confidence but the other upon his humble dependance the one lives upon creatures the other upon God the one a natural the other a spirituâ—l life Therefore it is a more excellent life An unbeleever indeed hath a kind of life but it is not worth the name of life There 's defect in his very soul which should give life to all the rest But the just shall live If you would speak of life to the life 't is here to be found and no where else The unbeleevers's life being like a shadow is but a shadow of life as the Apostle Paul speaks of those wanton widows that live in pleasure they are dead while they live 1 Tim 5.6 They are quasi viventes but verè mortuae as living but dead But the just in the greatest pressures are quasi morientes but verè viventes as dying and behold we live 2 Cor. 6.9 One life is more excellent then another either in the The excellency of the life of Gods people in 7 things 1. Nature and kind of it 2. Fountain and Principle 3. Comforts of it 4 Measure 5 Safety and security 6. Continuance 7. End of it God's people live a more excellent life in all these respects 1. The kind of their life First In regard of the kind of life 'T is spiritual Natural life hath indeed an excellency in it but 't is common The spiritual life of grace is peculiar to God's peculiar people even to such whose names are written in the book of life This life consists in the union to communion of the soul with God 1 Joh. 1.3 And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Called 2 Pet. 1.4 a participation of the Divine nature and Eph. 4.24 conformity to Gods image in righteousness and holiness and is therefore the life of God 'T is a gracious 't is a glorious life and therefore must needs be excellent in the nature of it it is somthing indeed to live if it be but the life of a plant more to live the live of a beast better then that to live the life of a man or angel But best of all to live the life of God Secondly In regard of the fountain and principle of it 2. The principle of their life which is Christ as Mediatour True he is the Light that lightneth every one that comes into the world Joh. 1. But as Mediatour he is the Fountain of life only to his own people Joh. 6 57. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Wherefore Christ is said to be our life Col. 3 4. i. e. the fountain and principle of it An excellent life therefore it must needs be which hath such a spring to feed it Psal 36.9 With thee is the Fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Thirdly In regard of the Comforts of it 3. The Comforts of their life And indeed comfort is the life of life Not to live but to live comfortably is life indeed A life under discomforts is no better then death The Caldean beâ—ots himself The Just shall live comfortably by his faith nay death is better then that and preferred before it The life of a Christian is most comfortable whatsoever the world and devil would whisper into our ears They would perswade a man when once he turns to God Farewell and comforts But no such matter Thou shalt not loose thy delights but only exchange them for the better Mic. 6. Thou rejoycedst before in proserity at the sound of the Harp and the Violl in thy feasts But now thou art able to rejoyce in adversity at the sound of the Drum and noyse of Warre The truth is the worst of a Beleevers life is better then the best of a natural mans life and Moses chose it rather 1 Pet. 4. 2 Cor. 3. Heb. 11. And if his discomforts be such what are his comforts If in sufferings a glory rests on them how must their comforts needs exceed in glory Only none knowes them but they that tast them O tast and see Psal 34.8 A Straenger shall not intermeddle with this joy Prov. 14.10 Therefore 't is an excellent life for the comforts of it And if they want at any time earthly comforts they have a Comforter sent from Heaven instead of all Joh. 14. 4. Measure of it Fourthly In regard of the measure of it A man may live indeed if he have but so much as will keep life and soul together The Caldean shall decay the Just shall live but there is
Righteousness in Christ 1. Active 2. Passive For in that we owed a double debt to the Law the one being perfect obedience for the present the other most deserved punishment for our fâ—rmer disobedience It was requisite that Christ beâ—ng our surety should pay whatsoever we owed unto God and that was the double debt of Doing and Suffering whatsoever the Law of God required at our hands 1. Active fulfilling all Righteousness and that for us as he became a Creature and not for himself Matth. 3.15 2. Passive Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Vse Thirst after this Righteousness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness c. Philip. 3.7 8. and that I may be found in him not having my wn righteousness c. Formal Cause 3. The Formal Cause Imputation of Christs righteousness As by imputation of Adams sin we are guilty so by imputation of Christs righteousness we are righteous Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom 4.5 6. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Reas His righteousnesse is onely perfect Heb. 7.26 For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousness Onely his righteousnesse is infinite and everlasting Dan. 9.24 to bring in everlasting righteousness c. The righteousnesse of Angels and Saints is finite as well as tattered and torn the poor weary and heavy laden naked Soul can never lie down with rest in his bed Isa 28 20. for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on 't c. but Christs righteousnesse is so long and so large that it gives a man rest on his sick-bed Psal 41.3 The Lord will strengthen him upon his bed of languishing What is his comfort then but a clear sight of Christs righteousnesse Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him to shew unto man his righteousness c. Rest on the death-bed and afterward in the grave Isa 57.2 They shall lie down in their beds and peace shall be with them c. Rev. 6.11 And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest So that as God saith Psal 134.14 This is my rest for ever so may the Soul Final Cause 4. Final Cause 1. Supreme 1. The Supreme Gods glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself c. This is the end of all especially this work Rev. 5.9 The glory either of 1. Mercy and Love God so loved the world c. Joh. 3.16 Well saith God rather than Souls shall perish I will pour out the blood of my own Son Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 8.32 He spared not his Son c. Or 2. Justice not forgive without satisfaction Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy or merciful in all his works 2. Subordinate 1. Sanctification 2. Subordinate 2. Salvation Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruits unto holiness and the end everlasting life All or most of these causes are set down by the Apostle Rom. 3.20 to 29. 1. The Efficient primary moving Cause internal free grace v. 24. 2. External moving Cause Mans Misery v. 23. Christs Merit v. 24. 3. Instrumental 1. The Word v. 21. 2. Faith v. 22. 4. Final 1. The glory of Gods 1. Severest Justice v. 26. 2 Richest Mercy v. 24. 2. Glorification of Man in Gods Justification and Salvation of Man v. 23 c. Quest How doth the just live by Faith the life of Justification Ans The answer shall extend to the several parts and degrees of Justifications Manifestation For though it be a perfect act of God yet it is a continued act and there are degrees of the manifestation of it To speak therefore 1. Of the Act it self 2. Of the Continuing and Renewing of the Act 3. Of the Assurance of the Act. See how the just lives by Faith in all these 1. For the first Act and work of Justification Faith in the act of justifying First Faith Convinceth a man of sin in a saving manner and so of his need of Christ and of his own impotency to obtain Justification and Salvation without Christ Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit as Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by love so by poverty of spirit Secondly Faith puts persons into a Mourning confessing prayerful frame Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn but no blessedness if not springing from faith Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication c. Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weepings and with supplications will I lead them Acts 2.37 They were pricked at their hearts c. This is the work of Faith though not alwayes so easily discerned to be of Faith by the party himself Thirdly Faith subdues the heart to lay down all Oppositions against God and to be willing to take any course God directs for Justification and Salvation Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek c. Acts 9.5 6. Paul speaks reverently Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God c. He submits obediently they are tame as a lamb Isa 11.6 Fourthly Faith fixeth the heart upon Christ alone and his Righteousness held out in the Promises with renunciation of our own even with indignation in point of Justification The Soul is hungry after Christs Righteousness as most excellent and loaths its own as dung and draught Phil. 3.6 7 8 c. What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness c. See these or most of these Luke 15. in that gracious Convert mentioned Luk. 15. set out as a patern as a picture and as a lively inviter for a poor sinner to look to that desires to partake of the like mercy 1. Faith Convinceth him to be in a perishing condition without his Fathers love ver 17. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I say it was Faith that wrought this same conviction for it was not before he came to himself that is before he raised him
up from his dead condition c. Verse the last 2. It puts his Soul into a mourning confessing frame v. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee 3. It subdues his heart to lay down all Opposition and to take any course for his living v. 19. make me as one of thy hired servants Observe he uttered not so much as he intended his Father prevented him with his mercy as Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 4. It fixeth his heart upon his Fathers mercy not upon his own merit Faith tells him Though thou hast forgotten the duty of a Son thy Father hath not forgot the bowels of a Father The word Father runs much in his minde I will go to my Father c. Here now a Spirit of Adoption begins to work whereby he cryes Abba Father O dear Father Father I have sinned against heaven c. But yet thou art my Father This is the last act of justifying Faith by which the Soul is put into a child-like condition and fit to receive a childes portion of God All is of his free grace Jer. 3.19 And I said How shall I put thee among the children Thou shalt call me My Father c. Thus the just lives by Faith in the work of Justification Vid. Cotton p. 14. D. Downame ☜ Faith in the Renewing of justification in the Conscience of the sinner 2. For the Continuance and Renewing of Justification ☞ The just lives by Faith daily as well as at the first day that he believed So Abraham Rom. 4.3 4. He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness which is cited out of Gen. 15.6 and so it appears to be after such time as he was in Covenant with God and in the state of Grace Yet still his Justification is continued by a renewed act of Faith and so David sues out his Justification by a renewed act of Faith and Prayer Psal 51. though he were justified before And therefore Christians are much to blame who after they have once believed in God for Justification do not labour to renew this act from day to day and thence comes flatness in Spirit and deadness in Duties when we see not a daily need of going out of our selves into Christ And surely if Christ applies his own sacrifice daily to us by intercession with his Father Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us Why should not we apply it daily by Faith and Prayer that God for Christs sake may forgive us our daily trespasses as we are taught to pray And this is to live by faith in a continued act of Justification Therefore it is put not in the Present Tense but in the Future it is not here doth but he shall live by his Faith that is as long as he lives Take heed the blood of Christ run not cold in the veins of Faith that you trust not more to grace received than to the fountain of grace and pardon in Christ The truth is our best duties stand in need of pardon and our best graces of quickning and nothing will quicken us more than the assurance of our Justification And therefore though a mans spirit be without guile and he knows nothing by himself he allows himself in no known evil yet even at such a time 1 Cor. 4. he is not thereby justified but then he must fly to Christ for Justification and say Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven c. Psal 32.1 2. Faith in the assurance of being justified 3. For the Assurance of the Act the just lives by Faith 1. In moving a man to desire more Faith 2. In using and embracing such Means by which we come to Assurance 3. In the Tryal of Assurance 4. In Anâ—wering all such Objections and Doubts which do cloud and darken this Assurance 5. In Expectation of Assurance First In moving a man to desire more Faith In Motives to Assurance The reason is 1. Because true Faith if but as a grain of Mustard-seed moves man to desire more Faith Luke 17.5 Lord encrease our faith Mark 9.24 Lord help my unbelief And never rests rising higher and higher till it comes to full Assurance Therefore lazy faith is false faith that saith I cast my self on God and there 's an end I never desire more so I can but rub out c. This is a sign it is not true The just lives by Faith for the encrease till assured and true Faith suggests Motives to perswade us to seeke after full Assurance Quest What are those Motives Ans 1. 1 Motive Gods Commandment which Faith looks at as to believe 1 John 3.23 And this is the Commandment We should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ So to be assured 2 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Both 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God 2. Because it 's the End why the Scriptures were written yea the end of the Seals 1. Publike the Sacraments 2. Privy the Spirit witnessing Therefore saith Faith Receive not the grace of God in vain There are many deceived Micah 3.7 Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Mat. 7. 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 3. A difficili that which would discourage another doth encourage a faithâ—ul man the more because many objections and temptations therefore strive Tu ne cede malis The kingdom of heaven suffers violence c. 4. A possibili Both are objects of Christian fortitude Example Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer lives c. Paul Rom 8. For I am perswaded neither death nor life nor angels c. Steven saw heaven opened Acts 6. 5. A necessario not ad esse but bene esse as health and vigour to the well-being of natural life 3 Joh. 2. I wish thou mayest prosper and be in health as thy soul prospereth Health comprehends life aliquid amplius so Assurance Faith and the joy of Faith Faith may be without Assurance but no true Assurance without Faith 6. Ab utili strong Faith is able to do that which weak Faith cannot as a strong man can work under a burthen though both receive Christ Nothing shall be impossible to you Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Luther said Domine fiat voluntas mea Lord let my will be done Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength 7. A decoro or ab honorifico for 1. This brings more
danger to be xalted above measure and the great contention among the Disciples themselves was Who should be the greatest If this was the Condemnation of the Devil and after that the Devils Temptation upon our first Parents that they might fall by Pride as he did I see not why any should secure themselves from this Temptation in the state of grace Therefore you that stand take heed lest you fall though you shall never fall finally by this sin yet you may fall fearfully if you look not well about you And surely this is one good means among the rest to keep us from falling to consider We are justified by the Righteousnesse of another We live as pardoned men we live upon mercy we live upon alms A poor creature who like lame Mephibosheth is fed at the Table of another and clothed with the garments of another and hath nothing that he can call his own hath little cause to be proud this is our condition We live at Gods finding for meat drink and clothing not onely for our Bodies but for our Souls also from day to day As God hath put meat into our mouthes so he puts words of prayers into our mouthes first Hos 14 2. Take unto you words and say unto the Lord Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And so our blessed Saviour Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses c. Mark ye here are Petitions put into our mouthes every day as well as the first day of our conversion both concerning giving and forgiving though some are so proud now adayes they know not how to say that Prayer Shall Christ teach them how to pray or shall they teach Christ Is there a greater Soloecism than to be proud Beggar A Beggar and yet proud A Beggar and yet one that scorns to beg One whose wants beg and cry aloud and yet his tongue begs not I know no better means to cure this pride than the consideration of this We live not upon our selves but upon God the very life of our Souls the food of our Souls the clothing of our Souls all is from God Vse 2 2 Use Examination Whether we do live this life of Justification Examination Quest How shall we know Mark 1. Ans 1. It 's a Soul-humbling life if we lay hold on Christs Righteousnesse our hands are our own Psal 134.2 In thy sight shall no man living be justified Unjustified persons are proud of their pride Rev. 5. They cast down their Crowns Luke 18.14 The Publican as he was humble so justified Isa 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Phil. 3. I count all but dross and dung c. 2. A Soul pacifying life Isa 57.19 Mark 2. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace c. Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Obj. But I am troubled Ans 1. Yet thou art supported Cant. 2.6 His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me 2. There is the seed of peace and joy in thee Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Psal 112. 3. A God-glorifying life Rev. 4.10 Mark 3. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory c. 1 In all holy Actions Rom. 6.15 16 c. 2. In humble Passion or Submission i. e. in all Sufferings He that is justified by God will even justifie God in all that befalls him He will not quarrel and say Lord I am a justified person why dost thou punish me but as David Psal 51.4 that thou maist be justified when thou speakest c. or as Ezra 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve c. 4. A Christ-magnifying life 1 Pet. 2.7 If we believe Mark 4. Christ is precious Luke 7. Kiss his very feet wash and wipe c. Vse 3 3 Use This should teach us 1. Instruction To acknowledge this life of Justification in others 2. To imitate God our selves and justifie those that sin against us Branch 1 1. Acknowledge this in others Let us justifie those whom God doth justifie when once it appears to us Receive such as God receives though weak in the faith Rom. 14 1 2 3. One that is made a Freeman of your Town a Member of your Corporation you receive into your Society and Communion upon all occasions Now all justified persons are made free ipso facto and admitted into Communion of Saints Eph 2.12 13. It was Simons sin he would not justifie that gracious woman whom Christ himself had justified and he might see it by the fruits too Luke 7. Luke 7.37 Like those Priests Ezek. 13.22 They condemn whom the Lord justifies and justifie whom the Lord condemns Branch 2 2. Imitate God in justifying or forgiving those that sin against us I mean so far as it concerns us Forbearing one another c. Coloss 3.13 Matth. 18.21 28. Forgive thy brother untill seventy times seven times God forgives more than we can Motive This Confirms the Assurance of our own forgiveness Matth. 6.14 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you c. The one the cause of the other Our forgiving others is a natural effect of Gods forgiving us Obj. By this Rule there should be no need of Courts of Justce among men If Offences must be forgiven no man should accuse one another no man witness no man judge and so as the Anabaptists say No Magistrate c. Of forgiving offences Ans Offences and wrongs must be considered in divers relations 1. As they concern our selves alone here we have power to forgive to hide and conceal them Love covers a multitude of faults Jam. 5. 2. As they are of a publike interest There is a threefold interest Reipublicae of State Ecclesiae of Church Dei of God As in Theft Murther Idolatry all have an interest every one of these is wronged Deut. 13.6 these we must not conceal He that is partner with a thief hates his own soul Prov. 29.24 Here the Accusers Witnesses and Judge must do their parts yea and their Justification and Redemption ties them to this Luke 1.74 that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear c. Else they were abominable He that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.15 So a man who hath his person justified by God may for some particular unjust act be condemned by the Magistrate Luke 23.41 And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds c. Rom. 13 1 7. Onely have a care to do justly in judgement Observe Malach. 3.5 I will be a just witnesse against those that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the
fatherlesse c. Vse 4 4 Use Bless God for this Life of Justification Thankfulness Psal 103.1 2 3. Blesse the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases As the Philosopher who blest God That his Life was Rational That he was a Man Born in such a Countrey and City That he was a Philosopher This is Gods end Ephes 1.6 12. To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved c. Suppose 1. A poor man in Debt and the Creditor cross the Book O happy man Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven And Psal 51.1 2. according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions c. 2. If a poor naked man lying in the mire ready to perish with cold should be clothed with warm and rich Apparel O how thankful would he be Not like the Snake that when the Husbandman brought it to the fire and it was well warmed spit in his face but as Jobs poor Hospital-men Their very loins whom he had clothed did bless him We were such naked polluted creatures Ezek. 16.6 Therefore let us bless his Name so much the more as clothing the Soul is better than the Body c. 3. Suppose an Imprisoned man set at liberty c. 4. Suppose a Condemned man absolved O how thankful would he be Christ hath procured our absolution In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins Col 1.14 Vse 5 5 Use Exhortation to seek after this Life of Justification Exhortation this is not a vain thing as Deut 32.47 Pray for it Isa 43.26 declare that thou maist be justified and say what thou canst But Job 9.14 15. How shall I answer him and choose out words to reason with him Every one would be glad to be accounted just before men How much better is it to be so in the sight of God who out of Christ is a consuming fire Let us not rest in our own or others Righteousness Angels or Saints Obj. We lived this Life from eternity onely now we are to labour for the sense of it Ans 1. Then what is the meaning of those places Luke 15. the last vers It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found And Ephes 2.1 3 c. You hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life c. 2. We could not live before we had a being nor be justified before we were Motives 1. A poor weary and heavy laden Soul can never lye down with rest in the bed of his own Righteousness c. 2. Hereby our persons are pleasing to God This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Cant. 1.15 16. Thou art all fair my love c. 3. Then duties are accepted Gen. 4. Abel and his offering First the tree good and then the fruit good Our duties cannot be accepted out of Christ because imperfect 4. Hereby we are encouraged and strong to duty Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8.10 5. Hereby freed from Condemnation Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It 's he that justifieth who shall condemn Whereas all unjustified persons are liable to Condemnation From 1. The Law Gal. 3.10 As many as are under the works of the Law are under the curse 2. Conscience Rom. 2.15 their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts the mean-while accusing or excusing one another Tit. 3.11 He that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself 3. Satan Psal 109.6 Let Satan stand at his right hand 4 Men as they tempt one another so accuse one another as Adam layes the fault on Eve she on the Serpent 5. The Gospel John 3.19 This is the condemnation 6. The mouth of the Judge Matth. 25.19 Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me c. But all believers and justified persons are free from condemnation Rom. 8.1 There 's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Of 1. The Law Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law c. Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Rom. 7.6 But now we are delivered from the Law c. 2. Conscience Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Heb 9.14 3. Satan Rev. 12.10 The accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night Zech. 3.2 The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee 4. Men Num. 12.8 Gen 4.6 Luke 7.39 c. 5. The Gospel Rom. 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel 6. The mouth of the Judge Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed c. 6. The Righteous are bold Prov. 28.1 as a Lion fear not enemies Mic. 7.8 9 10 16 17 18. Psal 91.5 6 7. II. THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION THE second Part of Spiritual Life is the Life of Sanctification 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature And thus the just lives by Faith also As Faith layes hold upon Christ for Justification so it draws vertue from Christ for Sanctification and that either Renewing and Cleansing or Fructifying Mortifying and Vivifying c. ut supra So then the just live by Faith the life of Sanctification for as Faith works by Love so by Humility Patience and other Christian Graces and so the Apostle applies this very Text Heb. 10. where he perswades them to possess their souls in patience Yea but how shall they get patience Why get Faith and they shall be sure to get Patience and all other needful Graces Ver. 36 38. For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise Now the just shall live by Faith sayes he Branch 1. Renovation And first for the Life of Faith in Sanctification it self or the Renovation of the Soul For the better prosecution of this Point it will not be amiss to give you in brief the Resolution of these Questions Quest 1. Whether there be any such Life of Sanctification in a Christian besides the Sanctification that is in Christ himself Quest 2. If there be so then what it is and wherein it doth consist Quest 3. How and by what means it is wrought in the Soul Quest 4. What 's the reason that such a Life is necessary in all justified persons Quest 1. Whether there be a life of Sanctification in believers 1. For the first it may seem a Question out
shall be turned convert thou me and I shall be converted for thou art the Lord my God Jer. 31.8 Thus truth of Grace sanctifies Reason and it sanctifies the Will and so it sanctifies the Affections to love God and by consequence to love that which God loves and to hate the contrary it sanctifies the Conscience to accuse and excuse upon just grounds it sanctifies the Memory to retain good things it sanctifies the Tongue to speak good things or at least it is pain and grief to keep silence Psal 39. it sanctifies the ear to hear good things and shut the door against the contrary it sanctifies the hand to do good things it sanctifies the feet the feet of the Soul to walk in good wayes In a word it sanctifies the whole man to the service of that God who hath redeemed him from death And thus the form of Sanctification consists in the renewing of the Image of God in righteousness and holiness Eph. 4.24 which implies also the defacing of the Image of old Adam and of Satan the pulling down of the old structure of sin before there can be a rearing up of the new structure of Grace a putting off the old man before there can be a putting on the new Thus you see the second Question resolved What this Sanctification is which by the way should teach us to examine whether we live this Life or no. Vse Examine whether we are sanctified Motive The just lives by Faith in the Trial of his Sanctification as well as Justification Psal 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart c. Master is it I 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you c. Is there any more in us then Civility or Morality can produce Is there an inward powerful universal change Quest VVhat difference is there between Morality and Sanctification Aâ—s This is a profitable question because many are deceived in this particular as the young man Mark 10.20 so many at this day rest in Civility c. Obj. Is there any hurt in Civility and Morality why do you Preachers speak so much against it Ans VVe speak not against the things themselves Of Civility but mens trusting to them and resting in them they are good in themselves and lovely dispositions as Christ looked upon the young man and loved him But when men rest in them and cry them up for true Sanctification there 's the danger Though Silver and Gold are the best Metals yet Brass Copper and Tin are good in their kinde but if a man will set the Stamp of good Coyn upon Copper Brass c. and gild it over that he may put it off for Gold c. he deserves to suffer for it So if a man will set the Stamp of true Grace upon Civility or Morality Jer. 6.28 30 Quest VVhat difference Ans A meer Moral mans Obedience is not general As 1. For Extent Difference betwixt Morality and Sanctification The Civil or Moral man his obedience is not general Herod must have his Minion Mark 6.17 Therefore Jam. 2.10 He that offends in one point is guilty of all but a gracious man doth all in purpose of heart Acts 13.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è contra Saul 1 Sam. 15. will pick and choose 2. For Object The Moral mans obedience is more to the Law than the Gospel because the Law is revealed by nature Rom. 2.14 but the Gospel not so it is a mystery 1 Cor. 2.7 8. therefore he slights Christ Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of God sooner than they On the other side Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is powerful to salvation 3. More in duties of the Second Table than the First because these are more known by nature than the first Hence profane ones take Gods Name and Sabbath in vain either in Oaths or ordinary talk as O God! O Lord though Deut 28.58 It is a glorious and fearful Name but Psal 119.228 I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right sayes a Saint 4. For Quality Moral men are onely for the form not the power of godliness they hate that as Vlpian the great Lawyer Galen the great Physician and Porphiry the great Philosopher great enemies to godliness Difficult duties exact walking loving enemies Matth. 5.43 these things they love not to hear of but especially that hard lesson of Self-denial Luke 14.33 as that young man Mark 10.22 5. His obedience is outward not inward so long as he abstains from actual Murther and Adultery Matth. 5.21 But Christ shews there the spiritualness of the Law 2 Cor. 10.5 Casting down imaginations bringing into captivity ever thought c. Rom. 6 17. Ye true believers have obeyed from the heart 6. He makes no bones of small sins as the Scribes and Pharisees Mat 5.19 20. 7. He hates such as are powerfully godly Acts 7 54. as they were out to the heart and gnashed on Steven with their teeth è contra 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren 8. A meer Moral man doth commonly and willingly fail in the Principle End and Manner of Duty 1. Principle He doth all in his own strength but the other in the strength of Christ Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me 2. End His own glory Jehu 2 King 10.16 Come see my zeal c. So he See my gift in prayer Mat. 23.5 to be seen Contrà Psal 115.1 Not to us O Lord not to us c. 3. Manner as well as matter of actions either he rests in the notion Rom. 2.18 And knowest his will approving the things more excellent c. or if he be drawn down to actions yet affection is wanting Heb 9.14 dead works Chearfully Diligently Zealously Rom. 12.11 9. They love not to be touched in their Free-hold they love not discriminating differencing Doctrines according to Jer. 15.19 Separating the precious from the vile c. Luke 4.29 When they heard these things they were filled with wrath and thrust him out of the City But one that hath any grace loves to be tried and that God would send a messenger to search my heart to the bottom Psal 139. Luke 7.23 Blessed is he that is not offended i.e. offended with it or the messenger of it which Christ spake in the same case The poor receive the Gospel men of eminent parts for Civility and Morality are passed by and those men that renounce all these in point of Justification and are poor in spirit these are blessed Thus Faith tries Sanctification 1 Pet. 1.21 And if upon examination we be found guilty take the counsel Rev. 3.17 18. Because thou saist I am rich c. I counsel thee to buy of me gold c. If upon examination we finde we be truly sanctified prize Christ Phil. 3.6 7.8 What things were gain to us we count loss for Christ Be thankful 1 Tim. 1.13 17. who was before a blasphemer c.
but I obtained mercy so c. Quest 3 Quest How shall we do to live this Life of Sanctification Ans The answer to the third Question will resolve this viz. By what means Sanctification is wrought How and by what means this Sanctification is wrought in the Soul Ans 1 The truth is the main Original Cause is God He is the Author as of the first so of the second Creation Eph. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works God the Father as the Efficient Cause Jude ver 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father God the Son as the Meritorious Cause Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one God the Holy Ghost working this 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God It springs not from our selves nor from our parents no though they be holy it springs not from them Sow the purest Wheat you can get yet it springs up with chaff again when it brings forth another Crop So the best parents bring forth children with the chaff of natural corruption cleaving to them Grace comes not from Nature but from God Joh. 1.13 Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God God therefore is the Original and principal Cause Vse Go to God for Sanctification for our selves or others 1 Thess 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Mat. 8.2 And behold a leper came and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Psal 51.7 10. Create in me a clean heart c. Ans 2 But now Faith is the Intrumental Cause of the Life of Sanctification in the order of working and so the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Acts 15.9 Faith purifies the heart and ch 26.18 it purifies the life of the whole man that they may receive inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Quest And how doth Faith purifie or how doth the just live by Faith the Life of Sanctification Ans 1. Acts of faith in sanctifying 1. Applying Christ either 1. In general As laying hold on Christ the principal object of Faith especially on the blood of Christ the meritorious Cause of cleansing I say in general laying hold upon Christ the principal object of Faith not as if Faith had this life or this power to give life in it self no more can it give the life of Sanctification than of Justification but as by it we are united to Christ our Head and Fountain of Life Faith comes from Christ and returns to Christ again like the Flower call'd The Wonder of the World it grows out from the stem or stalk and turns round to it again So Faith comes from Christ and turns round to him again to draw still more vertue from him As our Communion with Christ in grace flows from our Vnion with him so also all spiritual Operations or living acts of spiritual life Look as in the natural body the life of all the Members is from the Head and that Life conveyed by certain nerves and sinews to every part so the Life of Sanctification in all the Members is derived from Christ the Head and that by the sinews and nerves of Faith conveyed to all the elect in due time by which they live and more and more encrease from day to day Vide Ephes 4.15 16. Coloss 2.19 Quest But how shall I know that my spiritual actions and operations suppose Prayer Preaching the Word practising of that we hear in any particular do spring from my Union with Christ Ans This is a profitable and necessary Question When spiritual actions spring from faith in Christ because a man may do many good things and yet these actions not flow from our Union with Jesus Christ A man may have excellent common graces nay and he may counterfeit saving graces too and yet these not spring from Union with Christ Nay a man may be strengthened by Christ to do work and service for Christ and yet that strength and those services not flow from Union Isa 45.1 c. Concerning Cyrus his doing friendly offices for the Church and this prophecied of him about 200 years before he was born Isa 1O 3 O Assyrian the rod of mine anger c. correcting and afflicting the Church and they had their strength from God a staff in his hand and yet they did not know this nor acknowledge it themselves v. 7. Howbeit he meaneth not so c. A man may have excellent common graces as Judas had and those Matth. 7.22 Lord have we not prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name i e. in thy power cast out devils c. A man may counterfeit saving graces even to the life that he may deceive others Rev. 3.1 Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Though God is not mocked Quest The Question then is How shall I know whether my holy actions motions and operations do spring from Union with Christ or no Ans 1. To follow the Metaphor of Head and Members If thy holy actions proceed from inward principles 1 Cor. 6.17 Being made one spirit and not outward principles onely As a living hand or foot is moved from invisible nerves and sinews within but a wooden hand or foot is moved onely by outward ligatures by which it is bound to the body So a man may pray and preach and be onely moved by outward ligatures of profit credit envy c. Philip. 1.15 Some preach Christ of envy and strife and some of good will So Mat. 6.1 2 3 4 5. They gave alms and prayed in the streets to be seen of men but he that doth it by vertue of Union is moved by an inward principle of the Spirit of Christ Obj. But may there not be a common gift of the Spirit to move a wicked man as 2 Chron. Ezra 1.1 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia c. Ans Yes but then it proceeds not from the inhabiting Spirit of God whereof the Elect are the Temple 1 Cor. 6.19 but onely from a present common and transient work of the Spirit as in Baalam so sometimes good and evil spirits have had power to enter into bodies and carry them up and down but yet not to inform them as the Soul informs the Body nor to dwell there c. So the Spirit of God c. Quest How shall I know my Spiritual actions proceed from the inhabiting Spirit Ans By savouring and minding the things of the Spirit Rom. 8 5. They that are of the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit Though Gods Spirit spake in and by Baalam yet he had no through relish of what he spake for he still loved the wages of
for the Life of Justification is perfect at the first though it be a continued act Therefore do not onely hear the Word but Pray Hearing the Word is the laying the mouth to the breast but Prayer is the drawing of the breast Therefore draw hard New-years-day O thou that createdst the first Heaven and the first Earth of nothing O thou that createst the New Heaven and the New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness when sin had made the creature worse then nothing O thou that createst the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven as a Bride O thou that createst the New Creature the New man fit to be an inhabitant of the New World of the New Jerusalem O thou that hast said Behold I make all things New Create thou in me even in me Psal 51. a clean heart renew a right Spirit in me Plead with God and say Lord thou hast commanded me whilst it is called Heb. 1. To day to hear thy voice and not to harden my heart I beseech thee therefore whilst it is called To day hear my voice and harden not thy heart against me For if thy heart be hardned against my Prayer my heart must needs be hardned at thy Word Say Father let others give what gifts they please to their friends if thou please but to give me grace Eph. 4. grace to put off the Old man with the Old year as the circled Snake casts her skin and to put on the New man Psal 103. as the Eagle renews her bill and her age both together I shall esteem it the best New-years-gift that ever was given And say Father I have fast hold on thee and I will not let thee go Gen. 32. except thou bless me except thou giv'st me this blessing this New-years-gift of a new heart Lord I lay hold of thee in thine own promise Thine everlasting Truth is a cord strong enough strong enough to hold Thee and Lord I must needs make bold to binde thee to thy VVord Hast thou not said Lord A new heart will I give you Lord for whom is this new heart laid up in thy Promise for them that have it or for them that want it c. Therefore I beseech thee of thy faithfulness to answer me and in thy righteousness say unto me Though thy faith be weak Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let there be light Mat. 8. let there be heat let there be a new heart Be thou holy as I am holy that thou maist be happy for ever as I am happy Thus much for the third Question How and by what means this Sanctification is wrought in the Soul 4. Questions follow Quest 4. What Reason of the necessity of Sanctification What is the reason that such a life is necessary in all justified persons Reas 1 1. Reason Because this is one of the great Ends of our freedom by the Death of Christ He died not onely to redeem us from Hell and from Satan and all our Enemies but from our vain conversation also 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Yea he delivered us from the hands of all our enemies that we might serve him in holiness Luke 1.74 Reas 2 2. Because it was one of Gods great designs in the work of our Redemption to make us conformable to the Image of his Son as in suffering Rom. 8.29 so in sanctity that as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we might bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. VVe look upon Christ by the eye of Faith as they look'd upon the brazen Serpent not onely to save us but to transform us and heal us The vision of Christ begets transformation and transformation satisfaction this is partly in this life but perfectly in the life to come Psal 17. ult I shall behold thy face in righteousness when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness In the mean time there are degrees of transformation and satisfaction to the Soul so far as it is able to look upon Christ by the eye of faith in the glass of the Ordinances 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all as with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed c. To be changed into the Image of Christ is a great part of a Christians happiness a great part of this happiness is his holiness without which even heaven it self and the glorified Presence of God would be a hell to him for so long as men are unregenerate and wicked they say unto God Depart from us we will not have the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 Therefore that they may be made like Christ and take comfort in the fellowship of Christ it 's necessary they should live by Faith the life of Sanctification Reas 3 3. Because from the first Adam we stand guilty of a twofold sinfulness 1. Imparted Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so c. 2. Imparted Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Reas 4 4. This is for the honour of Christ Philip 1.27 Onely let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel c. 2 Sam. 10.4 Hanun's abusing Davids Servants was to cut off half their garments Reas 5 5. Because Gods free love in the Life of Justification cannot but stir us up to love God again 1 John 4.19 And love is active and full of inventions to do service for the beloved And so he must necessarily live the Life of Sanctification and so Sanctification is an evidence of Justification How doth Christ prove many sins were forgiven to Mary Luke 7.47 Because she loved much And how doth she prove her love by the fruits her cost and care and pains ver 37 c. If ye love me keep my Commandments sayes Christ Joh. 14.15 Faith works by love Gal. 5.6 As Faith applies Promises for Comfort so commands for Performance of Duty Psal 119 66. And so much for the first Branch in Sanctification viz. Renovation BRANCH II. THE LIFE of FAITH A LIFE OF FRUCTIFICATION SEcondly The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification for we shall speak of the Use of both together in the fruits of New Obedience And this in these particulars How or in what manner faith hath influence into the life of spiritual Fructification 1. Faith makes us good trees 1. In making of us good Trees A man must be a good Tree before he can bring forth good Fruit Mat. 12.33 Now Faith makes us good Trees by grafting us into the Mystical Body of Christ Rom. 11.17 Thou being a wilde Olive-tree wert grafted in and partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive Thou derivest sap and juyce and life of grace in Christ and so thou dost not onely bud and blossom as Aarons Rod Numb 17. by good words and fair
heaven by the light of the knowledge of Christ through Faith but the light is never alone for it is ever accompanied with the heat of love Gal. 5.6 Faith works by love Therefore they slander when they affirm we teach the contrary For we teach That a Christian lives the life of Sanctification and Fructification in many powerful and quickning Considerations Wherefore let us by well-doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish and malicious men 1 Pet. 2.15 Vse 4. Exh. to faith c. as the root of conveying all godliness fruitfulness Fourthly for Exhortation and Quickning in three Branches 1. To labour for Faith and encrease in it Why because Faith is the Root of Holiness and Fruitfulness or the foundation as it is Col 2.7 Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith c. A man that would have a goodly and a fruitful Orchard will be sure to plant Trees with a good Root Otherwise have they never so goodly Tops they will but the sooner wither away and come to nothing So those that would be fruitful and flourishing Trees in Gods Orchard should be sure to look to the Root of Faith the root of all Holiness and Fruitfulness otherwise be the Top and Branches and Leaves of our Profession never so great all will soon wither and come to nothing Such will be as trees twice dead and plucked up by the roots Jude v. 12. 2. To live by Faith this Life of Sanctification 2 Exhort 1. Motives to live by faith the life of Sanctification Motive 1. Else we shall never manifest we live the Life of Justification for they are Twins as hath been said 2. This is the most excellent Life makes us like God and is therefore called The life of God How do men aspire to imitate great men in their speeches gestures 2. Eph. 4.18 actions O that we could aspire and desire to imitate the great and good God to be like him and live the life of Holiness It is something to live if but the lowest life but the life of grace is above all lives for this is to live the Life of God Holiness is the highest Attribute of Honour 3. Without holiness none shall see the Lord Heb. 12 14. Our happiness consists in the Beatifical Vision 1 Joh. 3.2 3. and He that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure 4. This Life of Sanctification is the onely Life of Thankfulness A justified person should say What shall I render to the Lord Psal 116. And as David Psal 103. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Nor is that enough but surely all that is without us too should bless him our Tongues our Hands and all our Members All our very bones Psal 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee c. All our actions and so our Bodie as well as our Souls It is the Apostles argument Rom. 12.1 I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God c. Let us therefore live unto him by whom we enjoy our lives Let us live to him the Life of Sanctification from whom we receive the Life of Justification Let us live to him the Life of Fructification from whom we receive the Life of Faith 5. This is The way to glorifie God Psal 50. last Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright c. God the Father is glorified Joh. 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit God the Son or Jesus Christ for hereby it appears Heb. 7. he is able to save to the uttermost how by saving from sin as well as from hell Mat. 1.21 The Spirit is glorified for the fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long-suffering goodness c. Gal. 5.22 'T is the way to glorifie and adorn our Profession Tit. 2.10 Servants are commanded to be faithful Why That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things To glorifie Free grace Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God hath appeared Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly c. Otherwise it is the greatest dishonor to the grace of God when we turn it into wantonness Jude v. 4. yea 't is to deny God Tit. 1.16 in works deny him Exhort 3. Resolve to be fruitful but take the present time 3. To do it timely Not onely resolve to be fruitful but take the Time Time is one of the most precious things God hath committed to the sons of men Redeem time Eph. 5. viz. at any rate How hath God laid out the glory of his wisdome and power in making so many glorious Bodies to measure out Time to us that we might learn to take notice of the preciousness of it and do all our works in time yet we squander it away as if we knew not how to spend it fast enough And we put off to the future what belongs to the present We hardly return brazen Performances for golden Opportunities Remember 1. 'T is excellent to know and take the time It was the commendation of the men of Issachar 1 Chr. 1.32 As on the contrary nothing more unpleasant than doing things out of time Pro. 10.26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes so is the sluggard to them that send him 2. It is very difficult to know and take time The foolish Virgins lost their tide the wise had much ado to gain it Mat. 25. Jacob said Surely God was in this place Gen. 28.16 and I was not aware So may we say In this Time in this Providence and yet I was not aware of it In Cant. 5.3 c. The Church was but a minute too slow and she paid dear for it 3. It makes every duty easie if we do take it in time or else it is difficult 'T is easie to enter if the gates of a Castle be open and the Governour invites but if there be stay till it is shut and the Portcullis let down it may cost much blood 'T is easie to lift a great weight whiles many lift together but if each asunder most hard So while God sayes Hear now c. it is easie to move in grace or duties but if we go about it after we may move as Pharaoh's Chariots Exod. 14. with the wheels taken off And late fruit we know is kill'd with Winters frost 4. If we do not take it Opportunity may be irrecoverable A tree may be fruitful next year if not this if it stand but it may be the Ax may cut it down So it may be we may never have the like opportunity as now Time and Tide stay for no man We may happen on a day after the Fair. 5. We know not how soon the folding-doors of time shall be folded up together when the Heavens 1
thou judgest Therefore though God forsake his people in some sense yet in the main he never forsakes them and if he never forsake us we shall never forsake him and this is great incouragement against the greatest discouragements we can meet with in our Christian course Thus have you heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Conservation BRANCH VII IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. CONSOLATION VVE come now to the last which is the Life of Consolation which God makes the sweet closure of all the rest and indeed Christ reserves the best wine till last Ioh. 2. The Devil feeds his followers with sweet Comfits at first but he gives them a deadly Pill at last But Christ gives the bitter at first and the sweet at last At the last the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation You have heard how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification in laying hold on the righteousness of Christ and making it his own You have heard also how he lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification whereby the believing Soul draws vertue from Christ and that either Renewing Fructifying Mortifying Quickning Increasing Confirming Comforting Vertue So he lives the Life of Renovation Fructification Mortification Vivification Augmentation Conservation or Perseverance Consolation So that we are come to the last to the highest Stair on this side Heaven The just goes on so far from strength to strength and from faith to faith and from life to life till at the last with great delight he sits down under the shadow of Jesus Christ and his fruit is sweet unto his taste Cant. 2.2 He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation he is a true Disciple of his heavenly Master he hath taken all his Degrees in the School of Christ his Grace hath past from the Life of Justification to the Life of Sanctification and herein from the Life of Renovation to the Life of Fructification from the Life of Fructification to the Life of Mortification from the Life of Mortification to the Life of Vivification from the Life of Vivification to the Life of Augmentation from the Life of Augmentation to the Life of Conservation from the Life of Conservation to the Life of Consolation and now he is as high as he can go till he enter into Heaven it self Yea the Life of Consolation is a piece of Heaven like the the sheet in Peters Vision let down to the earth and so the just in believing is transformed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. as by the Spirit of our God He lives by Faith the Life of Consolation And indeed this is the proper use and effect of Faith to rejoyce the heart though not always an immediate effect especially to our sense and feeling yet we may safely say The seed of Peace and the seed of Joy is sown in the heart so soon as ever a man believeth Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright in heart though it may be he reaps the full Harvest many a year after There is first the sprouting and then the blade and then the ear and after that the full Corn in the ear Mar. 4.28 And look as it is in the rising of the Sun though there be light at the first in some measure yet there is but a little light and less heat in comparison of that which follows So in the first manifestations of the Sun of Righteousness to the Soul there is some light of knowledge and some heat of comfort at the very first but little in comparison of that which shall be And therefore the just lives by Faith in expectation of a glorious Noon-tide of Peace and joy to follow after and in the mean time the more he increaseth his Faith the more he increaseth his Joy You may easily see it in your selves and others It is possible a person may be both justified and sanctified he may live both these lives and yet for the present he may be much to seek in his comfort in his own sense and apprehension he may be in sad and as it were in a dead condition for want of comfort and therefore in due time by the exercise of Faith God addes to both the former the Life of Consolation which is more properly called Life Indeed it is the very Life of our lives for what is life without comfort but a living death When Adam had tasted of the forbidden fruit he did not die presently if we take it in a strict sense but he was made subject to all diseases and all kinde of miseries which is all one as if he had been dead it is a dying daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Whereas on the other side comfort and joy is called Life in Scripture phrase they are used promiscuously sometimes Life is put for Joy and Joy is put for Life as if they were all one Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning All one as if he had said Life comes in the morning according to the former expression In thy favour is life The Philosophers have a Position Nec voluptas sine vitâ nec vita sine voluptate Pleasure cannot be without life nor life without some kinde of pleasure And it is true in Divinity he onely deserves the name of a living man who injoys some comfort in his life And indeed Eternal Life is nothing else but Eternal Joy For otherwise the wicked shall live eternally if we take the word in the largest sense but their Eternal Life is called Eternal Death because they live not in Joy but Misery So that it 's clear to live most properly is to live comfortably 1 Thess 1.3 Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. We live how is that Did not the Apostle live both the life of Nature and the life of Grace whether the Thessalonians should stand or fall Without all question he did but his meaning is Now we live comfortably if ye stand fast in the Lord which life is onely worth the name of a life So that when it is said The just shall live by Faith the meaning is he shall live a sweet and comfortable life whatever his outward troubles may be he shall not want sweet supports and comforts within he shall even then live by his Faith And that this is the sense of the Text in the latitude of it seems to be clear by the opposite member as the Life of Gods People is opposed to the Life of the Caldeans their enemies and so the Joy of the one to the Joy of the other Their enemies have a kinde of superficial flashing joy arising from the immoderate use or abuse of the Creature and this joy tickles them or puffs them up for the present In which respect the Caldean is compared to a drunken man who you know thinks himself the onely merry man in the world he is merry as Cup and
because we neglect the Seal of the Word It may be in a Womans Brests if one be dried up the other may be the fuller because that nourishment which should run into two doth now run into one vessel But it is not so here for the neglect of one Ordinance makes the other more unprofitable because God never appointed any Ordinance in vain and will not indure the contempt of any Well then poor Soul dost thou complain for want of comfort thou canst not finde that comfortable assurance of Gods love active or passive thou wert wont to finde It may be there is more estrangedness every way I answer If it be so blame thy self and not God thou dost neglect a comfortable Ordinance thou sufferest one of thy Mothers Brests to be dried up for want of sucking in which thou mightst otherwise finde abundance of comfort You read in 2 Chron. 30.21 26. Gods people kept the Passover with great gladness there was such exceeding great joy in Jerusalem that there had not been the like many years before in those times when the Sacrament was neglected And you know the Sacrament of the Passover and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper are all one for substance And so you read Act 2.46 They continued in breaking of bread from house to house with gladness of heart Well then dost thou want this gladness of heart this Life of Consolation Consider whether this be not the cause thou hast not for a long time laid thy mouth to this Brest No wonder then if thou complainest for want of comfort I would not be mistaken Caution for I speak to none but true children as Christ says of his Bread so I say of his Brest It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to whelps For we must know though this Brest be sweet it is so onely to the believing Soul The unbeliever sucks poison out of it he eats and drinks his own damnation Therefore saith the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And what must he examine Surely his faith above all the rest 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own selves whether ye be in the faith The Word and Sacraments are the two Brests and Faith is the Mouth and so the just by Faith sucking at these two Brests he lives the Life of Consolation And that 's the second Reason Reas 3 3 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Justification VVhy consolation comes by Faith as we have heard at large and therefore by consequence by the same Faith also he lives the Life of Consolation For as sorrow is more properly the consequent of sin than sufferings For suppose suffering without sin and they are more truly the occasions of joy than sorrow So on the other side comfort is more properly the consequence of Righteousness than of all outward Blessings whatsoever Rom. 5.1 2 3. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not onely so but we rejoyce in tribulations And so tribulations cannot hinder the glorious rejoycing of a justified person The golden Chain Order of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Therefore in that Golden Chain Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Observe the order First Righteousness when a a person is justified through the Merits of Christ then Peace when we understand God and we are friends for what strikes terror but this Oh! I have sinned says the Soul and God is mine enemy And what speaks peace but this I am justified from my sins and now God is my friend And then thirdly comes in Joy in the holy Ghost for as nothing wounds the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of an enemy so nothing comforts the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of a friend and reconciled Father Therefore as Peace is the fruit of Righteousness so Joy is the fruit of Peace and then both Joy Peace and Righteousness the fruit of Faith Therefore a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Consolation As you cannot separate the heat of the Sun from the light of it no more can you separate the comfort of Justification from the life and assurance of it and the stronger the assurance the stronger is the comfort Reas 4 4 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Sanctification Why Consolation comes by Faith both in purifying the heart from sinful corruption and in quickning of it to all holy duties as we have already proved Now howsoever it is true Caution the forsaking of sin on the one hand and the practising of holy duties on the other hand doth not deserve the least comfort or incouragement from God and in this sense we do not ground our comfort upon our duties Yet this we say from good Warrant from the Scripture God of his free grace doth usually make holy ways comfortable ways and sinful ways uncomfortable ways even to his own children Hereupon David says on the other side Psal 38. There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin And Solomon says on the other side Pro. 3.17 All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Hear what S. Luke saith Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord they walked also in the comfort of the holy Ghost God deals with his children as we do with ours though we intend not to disinherit them for every fault yet we will discourage them by correction when they do ill and incourage them by rewarding them when they do well It is not all one in point of comfort whether we sin or sin not God is a wise as well as a loving Father he will shew no countenance to his own children if they regard iniquity in their heart Psal 66 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer But blessed are the pure in heart Why they shall see God Mat. 5.8 What of that why here 's the comfort here 's the happiness here 's the very heaven of a Christian to see God 1 Joh 3 2. For Vision of God works Transformation into the Image of God Satisfaction and Satisfaction even abundance of Soul-ravishing Consolation Now this Wisdom Transformation Satisfaction and Consolation God onely disposeth to the pure in heart And yet I do not mean such as are pure in heart from all acts of sin for we sin in our best duties but such as are pure from the approbation and allowance of any sin from the regarding of any iniquity in their heart If a justified person do not act his Faith to the purifying of his heart and life In that sense we speak of God will certainly suspend his comfort for a time The Sun of Righteousness will not shine upon a Dunghil heart but upon the Garden for the Spirit
of God is grieved by the sins of his own people or else that Exhortation were needless Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And if we grieve the Spirit of God be sure it will grieve our spirits it will make us glad to cry Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Psal 51.12 And if we rejoyce the Spirit of Ged it will rejoyce ours Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me saith Wisdom so I rejoyce them that rejoyce me and what rejoyces Gods Spirit but purity of heart and life Prov. 11.20 The upright in the way are his delight So God dispenses peace to such Psal 85.8 It is God who will speak peace to his Saints to his sanctified ones 'T is true indeed a man cannot be sanctified before he be justified and so soon as he is justified he hath the ground-work of peace But the Word doth strongly infer That no man is justified but he is also sanctified at the same time And God is pleased to speak peace to none but such as he is pleased to sanctifie at the same instant when he first begins to speak peace unto them Well but what shall we say for after times May they then live as they list when God hath once spoken peace to their Souls No as ever they desire to keep it when they have it as they love their peace let them not again return to folly As much as to say If they be so foolish to turn again to their former sins God will turn again to his former displeasure of which he had spoken in the former verses Not that God will hate them or look at them as his enemies but they shall know for all that though God continues to be their Father yet a Father knows how to frown upon his children and how to come with a Rod in his hand if they once wax wanton under the expression of his love and favour Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Well then as ever thou desirest to live the Life of Consolation be sure to live the Life of Sanctification Though God do not dispense comfort for thy Sanctification yet he will never dispense it without Sanctification The water of Consolation must run in a clear channel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God to their comfort Therefore as Faith purifies the heart Act. 15.9 so it comforts the heart And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Quest Yea but how shall I know I am sanctified that I may have the comfort of it Ans I answered to this in that precedent Chapter viz. Life of Faith in Sanctification Vid. supra Reas 5 5 Reason why the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation it is Why Consolation comes by Faith Because by Faith a man reflects upon his own Sanctity and Sincerity he proves it and brings it to the touchstone and when he knows it is right he hath the comfort of it For as Faith purifies the heart and conscience so the conscience thus purified doth the office of a faithful examined Witness and Judge who upon examination gives in this Judgement Thou art sincere saith Conscience to the believing Soul thou art in the Faith Christ is thine and therefore thou hast cause to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundant to you-wards Mark the ground of Paul's rejoycing was the reflect act of Faith in the testimony of his renewed conscience And lest any man should say This was a singular case 't is possible Paul might have ground of rejoycing upon the thorow examination of his own condition but ordinarily Christians cannot have the like Therefore the Apostle makes it a general case to all believers either they do or they ought to do so Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Mark this is the duty of every man that desires comfort of every man that is in the Faith Wouldst thou have comfort Then make use of thy Faith to the proving of thy self and the proving of thy work It may be thou thinkst thy Joy and Consolation must evidence thy good estate but the Word saith The evidence of thy good estate upon Proof and Trial must bring sound comfort if ever thou hast it upon good grounds Thy comfort must not be thy evidence Note but thy evidence must be thy comfort Now this is the proper act and evidence of Faith And so by Faith the just lives the Life of Consolation As for example the Word saith Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Even by this we know we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.4 But saith the conscience renewed by Faith I fear the Lord c. therefore I have cause to rejoyce Obj. Oh but these Marks and Evidences may fail you Ans Heaven and Earth shall pass but not one tittle of the Word shall fall Obj. But you may think you have these when you have them not Ans Therefore they are first to be tried by the Rule for their Principle and Existence Obj. If it be said You may think you have the witness and comfort of the Spirit when you have not Is there not a joy of the stony ground and of an hypocrite as well as the joy of a true Christian And is there not a peace from Satan in the heart as well as the peace of God Luk. 11.21 When the strong man armed keepeth the palace his goods are in peace Ans Oh but he that hath the true peace and joy in the holy Ghost cannot be deceived so he that hath the true fear of God and hunger c. cannot be deceived But of the two Note it is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than in our Graces Therefore the Scripture commands us to try our comforts by our graces but never to try our graces by our comforts as in the place before-alledged Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father It is true the first evidence of a Christians Justification in order of nature is a pure simple act of Faith laying hold on Gods free grace in a Promise indefinite made not to righteous persons but to sinners ungodlly persons and to enemies and to such as are simply so For God will strip a man of all conceits of his own Righteousness before he clothe him with the Righteousness of Christ But then the second evidence of Justification in order of nature though it be at the same instant in order of time
what a glorious sight would it be In Heaven the Saints shall behold the Sun of Righteousness in the highest firmament and the eye of their Soul shall be strengthned to behold his glory to eternity That 's the first Perfection of knowledge 2. Perfect love Faith assures That in Heaven there shall be a Perfection of Love both to God and one another Indeed this follows from the former Perfect knowledge of God begets Perfect Love The Saints then shall love God beyond all measure who is infinitely lovely Here it 's the grief of a gracious heart that it can love God no more there it shall be the joy of a glorious Soul that it shall love God above all yea above it self and both it self and all other things in God And in this respect the Apostle gives Love the preheminence 1 Cor. 13. above Faith and Hope that when Faith shall be turned into Vision and Hope into Comprehension yet Love abideth or endures to eternity Faith assures That in Heaven 3. Perfect obedience Obedience to the will of God shall be perfect and this follows likewise from the former Perfect Obedience springs from perfect Love If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 The Saints knowing God perfectly shall perfectly love him and perfectly loving God shall perfectly keep his Commandments Rev. 22.3 His servants shall serve him ver 4. And they shall see his face Here we see onely the back parts of God In Heaven we shall see him perfectly and serve him perfectly Faith assures 4. Perfect joy That in Heaven there shall be perfect Peace and Joy The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness peace and joy Rom. 14.17 When our righteousness is perfect then is our Peace too Here indeed imputed Righteousness is perfect but imparted inherent Righteousness is not to be perfected till the life to come and then shall be perfect peace Peace with God with our fellow-Citizens with our own Consciences And perfect joy too At thy right hand is fulness of joy Psal 16. ult A full joy and so a full reward 2 Joh. v. 8. There is a double fulness Of the Object Of the Subject Faith assures the Saints of both First There shall be a fulness of the Subject Fourfold fulness of the subject in glory Every part of Soul and Body shall be filled 1. The Vnderstanding shall be full of light that every question shall then be put out of question 2. The Will so full of subjection to the Will of God that there shall be no reluctancy 3. The Affections so full of harmony there shall be no jarring 4. The Body so full of glory that it shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. ult Fulness of the Object Secondly there shall be a fulness of the Object The Saints in glory shall have whatever may make them happy whatever they can desire Joh. 14.8 They shall see God and so see the Father as that it shall suffice them They shall have Rest 2 Thess 1.8 And that which hath rest hath obtained its perfection to the full In a word 1. We shall be freed from whatever may annoy us 2. We shall enjoy whatever we can desire Fivefold freedom in heaven We shall be freed c. 1. From all the labours of this life Here we are born to labour Job 5.7 as the sparks to fly upwards There is rest 2. From the Necessities of Nature There is no need of Meat 1 Cor. 15.28 Drink Physick Clothing Lodging God shall be all in all 3. From the filth and power of Sin Here the best cry out Oh wretched c. Rom. 7.24 There we shall never sin more 4. From the company of sinners Here is complaining Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Ps 120.5 There shall be a perfect separation without any mixture Wheat with Wheat and Tares with Tares like to like to all eternity 5. From all sorrows and pains Rev. 21.4 The life of the best here is an April-day it hath some gleams of comfort but many showers In Heaven shall be constant Sun-shine for evermore Secondly We shall be possess'd of whatever good can be desired There we shall enjoy the sweet society of God Christ Angels Saints and with all these an eternal Sabbath And thus Faith like Moses on the top of Mount Pisgah discovers the promised Land afar off or like the Spies gathers up some Clusters of Canaan and brings them to a Believer here in the Wilderness Thirdly 3. Faith assures That eternal life is the Believers Faith assures a believer of his peculiar interest in this Life Eternal And indeed this is the very life of this life to know our right to this Tree of Life in Jesus Christ For as 't is nothing so comfortable to a man that beholds another mans Temporal Inheritance adorned with Woods Orchards Gardens Rivers and goodly Buildings as to be able to say with good warrant All these are mine I have good Evidence to shew for them So is it nothing so comfortable to be able to discourse of the happiness of Heaven as by the certainty of Faith to say By the grace of God all this is mine I have good Evidence to shew for it Indeed otherwise it 's a punishment nay it 's a part of Hell it 's poena damni to know that there is such a Glory in Heaven while himself hath neither lot nor part in it This is like Balaam's sight of Heaven or Dives his beholding Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham while there was a great gulf between them This I say is part of the Torment of Hell But this is the Life of a Christians knowledge concerning Life Eternal when he can upon good grounds say This is mine The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage therefore my heart is glad my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope Psal 16.6 9. I know that my Redeemer liveth c. For we know c. 2 Cor. 4.1 Now how is a Christian assured of this his interest in Eternal Life but by Faith For Eternal Life is the End or Ultimate Object of Faith Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 There are indeed many witnesses of it Three in Heaven and three in Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 8 c. And this witness of Faith is one of the Three on Earth The Spirit and Water and Blood The Spirit witnesseth to our Spirits Rom 8.16 By Water is meant the Benefit of our Sanctification By Blood our Justification by Faith in Christ or Expiation by the Blood of Christ applied by Faith and it may here be observed That though Blood alone saves a Christian yet it doth not alone witness his salvation Sanctification goes not into the matter of Salvation as a cause yet it goes into the matter of witness But according to the former Exposition Faith laying
should so dishonour God after he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdom upon him 2 Sam. 12.7 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight As if the Lord should say O David dost thou use me thus Did I ever deserve this at thy hand Is this thy kindness to thy friend And if the Lord took it so unkindly from Davids hands because he had bestowed a Temporal Kingdome upon him how much more unkindely may God take it from your hands whom by the grace of Faith he hath assured of an Eternal Kingdom Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ah foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee c And is it not he that hath bought Heaven it self for thee and wilt thou thus dishonour him by thy sins By Sin a man dishonours the Donor of this great Gift And secondly He wrongs his own Soul for Sin wrongs the Soul he blots the Evidence or Conveyance which God hath given him to assure him of this heavenly Kingdom What sayes Christ Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven or in the Book of Life First that you know this that you have this Evidence God hath a threefold Book 1. Of Providence God hath a threefold Book which is Gods Fore-knowledge and Disposing all things in the world Of this David speaks Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book first in the Book of Providence were all my members written 2 A Book of Mens Works and Ways Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before the Lord and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works The third is the Book of Mens Ends and Rewards which is called The Book of Life Dan. 12.1 At that time thy people shall be saved every one that shall be found written in the Book Now this Book is either in the Original which is Gods Calendar of such as are appointed to Life and Salvation in his own Fore-knowledge and Decree for The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Or else the Counterpane of it in the Hearts and Consciences of such as do believe 1 Joh 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself Now howsoever it is true He that is once written in Gods Book of Life if we take it for Gods Fore-knowledge and Decree can never be blotted out again The foundation of God stands sure yet if we take it for that Witness that is written in the Heart and Conscience it may be much blotted and blurred and obscured by our wilful sinning against God It is true God will speak peace and pardon to his people but let them not turn again to folly For if they do though they lose not their pardon yet they may lose their peace so far that they shall not be able to reade their Pardon or their Assurance for Heaven Therefore such a man as he dishonours the Giver so he sins against his own Soul Therefore let him declare his Thankfulness by the hating and forsaking all sin And Thankfulness to be shewn by performance of all duties Secondly By the Practice of all holy Duties and good Works If God be so abundant in Reward to assure us by Faith of Eternal Life it calls upon us very strongly to be so much the more abundant in our work It is the Apostles Argument 1 Cor. 15. last having discours'd at large of the glorious condition of Gods People after the Resurrection Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. O that we would oft consider there is an Eternity for Reward but a short time for work and when the time of this Life is once past there is not a second opportunity there is no returning back again there is no doing of any thing in the Grave Therefore let us work Joh. 9.4 while we have the light of Life the night of death comes wherein no man can work no man can then believe or repent or bring forth the fruits of repentance There is no repentance in Hell to any purpose and if we repent of any thing in heaven it shall be of this that we did God no more and no better service upon earth And therefore so oft as we cast an eye upon the Eternity of Reward and the short time of our work let us bestir our selves in our places Take the counsel of the Wise man Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do either for God or for the Church of God or for thy own Soul do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor Wisdom in the grave whither thou art going He that thinks seriously of his Eternal condition after death cannot be an unprofitable Servant in his life And so much for the seventh Particular what Manner of Life the Just lives by Faith All that is worth the Name of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life Faith is the Key that opens to us the Kingdom of Heaven So says Calvin in his third Sermon on Gen. 15 6. THE EIGHTH GENERAL HEAD QUEST VIII What are the Reasons for living by Faith WE come now to the Eighth Particular the Reasons why God will have the Just to live by Faith We have given particular Reasons to the particular Branches before as Why the Just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Sanctification Renovation Fructification Mortification and Vivification c. We shall now give the general Reasons which reach to all in general Why God will have the Just to live by Faith It is true God is not bound to give us a Reason or give us an account of any of his Matters Job 33.13 It is the folly of vain man to call Gods Wisdom to the Bar of his shallow Reason But Rom. 9.20 Who art c. Gods Will may well stand for a Reason And yet God is pleased in this particular to give us a Reason of his Will Wicked men in the Scripture are said to be unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 they do a thing because they will do it though they have no good Reason for it But God though he is most Absolute and Independent is pleased in this matter of Faith to give us a Reason of his Will That man might not dispute and wrangle with God and say What Reason have I to live by Faith seeing I have little or nothing in hand
submit to the Righteousness of God and so he falls short of the Life of Justification For the poor Self-denying Publican went down to his house justified rather than the other Note Whoever sets up Religious self in point of Justification he stands in his own light he sets up himself betwixt Christ and his own Soul For he is the true light who lightens every one that comes into the world And the Just shall live by Faith in him And therefore he that sets up Religious Self in the room of Christ he sins against his own Soul And thus some live upon other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Second sort reproved Such as profess Faith but live not by it Secondly It Reproves such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade So multitudes make a Profession of Faith and say I believe in God the Father Almighty c. and in Jesus Christ c. But when they have made this Profession they live not by this faith which they so solemnly profess Indeed many talk of it but few walk by it Many swear by it few live by it It is a rare thing to finde a man that makes use of his Faith in all his dealing Many make use of their carnal Reason and many make use of Sense but few make use of Faith in those things which are above the grasp of Sense and Reason Our Saviour Christ might well say Luk. 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he finde Faith upon the Earth Look upon the vast Globe of the Earth into what narrow compass they are brought that make any Profession of the Faith Doth not the Turk possess the greatest part of the Eastern World Amongst those that do profess the Faith for Name sake how many do fulfil that sad Prophecy of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Scripture speaketh expresly In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstrain from meats Is not this as lively a description of their Popish Doctrine as if the Apostle had been alive to see what they do and to hear what they speak at this day And doth not this Doctrine over-spread the greatest part of the Western World Besides whole Clouds of Errours and gross Opinions arising daily out of the Bottomless Pit and obscuring for the present the bright Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Is there not in these days a Resurrection of Hymeneus and Philetus or at least a Resurrection of loose Opinions who deny the Resurrection and say it is past already and by this means overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2 17 18. Again amongst those who do profess the true Faith for the Doctrinal part and are well principled in it how few are there that walk up to their Principles and so live by Faith in the practical part of their life That saying is fulfilled which is written Tit. 1 last They profess they know God and so they profess they believe in God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Though they make Profession of Faith look upon them in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and discoursing and in a word in the whole Series of their conversing with men you shall see no more of Faith in them saving the bare Profession than if they were very heathens And these are the second sort to be Reproved such as make Profession of the Faith but they live not by it Thirdly The third sort are such 3. Third sort Reproved Such as duly act not their Faith who not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not they live not by it As a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of improving what he hath So do some men in a Spiritual sense It may be God hath inrich'd them with the grace of Faith and yet at some times and in some cases they live as if they had no faith at all as in difficult duties especially in great and sudden Trials Like a young Fencer Simile when he meets with an unwonted stroke he is put besides his skill and besides his ordinary guard and throws down his weapons So did the Disciples upon the sudden storm Luk. 8.24 Insomuch as Christ says Where is your faith Faith they had indeed but there was none to be seen at that time And therefore in the other Evangelist Mark 4.40 Christ saith upon the same occasion How is it that ye have not faith What had they no faith at all were the Disciples Vnbelievers No certainly there 's no question but they had the habit of Faith but there was no apparent act of Faith and therefore they were justly reproved by their Master And so are all such who having the grace of Faith do not labour upon all occasions to make use of it and to improve it for their own and others best advantage For this is properly to live by Faith But many are too blame in this particular they suffer their Faith to lie asleep And we may say to such as Christ to the Disciples Where is your faith They act not their faith in the Precept or Promise upon all occasions living upon a Word from God as they ought to do and therefore we may say Where is your faith For as Faith is the life of the Soul so the Word is the life of Faith and God is the life of the Word And therefore such as live not by Faith upon a Word from God upon particular emergent occasions we may say Where is your faith To instance a little in some particular in regard of our 1. Actions 2 Passions and 3. Elections Whether in 1. Actions 1. For our Actions Doth God call for Obedience as a necessary fruit of Faith in such plain and known Duties and thou standest with a stiff neck and wilt not bow or buckle to the serious Performance thereof May we not say in this case Where is thy faith Is not the Word plain Faith worketh by love and If ye love me keep my Commandments Again doth God call for Mercy and Almsdeeds with Promise of a large Retribution and thou hardenest thy heart and knittest thy fist and bendest thy brows against the Poor Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Promise to ground thy faith upon Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given 2. Art thou in a prosperous Condition 2. Conditions Psal 62.10 and dost thou trust to thy Mountain of Prosperity O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word If riches increase set not
the Saints The glory of others many times proves their shame but that which may seem to be the shame of a Christian Faith turns it into glory Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you And if there be so much glory in the very sufferings and reproach of a believer what is the glory then which they shall receive after their sufferings and in a gracious recompence of their sufferings for If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified together with him Rom. 8.17 O the glory of a true believer Where ever there is Christ in a creature there is glory in a creature Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and not onely the hope but by the vision of Faith there is a present Transformation from glory to glory as by the Spirit of our God 2 Cor. 3.18 Thus a believer is truly honourable Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable 6. Faith honours God Sixthly Dost thou desire to honour God in thy Place and Calling for a gracious heart is not so careful of his own glory as of the glory of God O that I could but honour God in my Place saith a gracious heart I should then be the less careful in other things Why this is the onely way to put honour upon God upon the Truth upon the Power upon the All-sufficiency of God He that is strong in the faith gives much glory to God Rom. 4.18 And this is that which the Saints prefer before their own Salvation Joh. 12.28 Whatever become of us they say as Christ said Father glorifie thy Name 'T is true Faith is highly to be prized because it is an instrument of our Salvation Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith but it is much more to be esteemed as being such a special instrument of the glory of God Joh. 11.40 Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God They that believe as they bring more glory to God than other men do so they see more of Gods glory than others can see And that 's a sixth Consideration that should move us to labour for Faith it brings abundance of glory to God Many other Considerations might be added Seventhly Without this we are but dead men 7. Dead without Faith Faith and Life come into the Soul both at once All other Life will soon decay our very natural Life is but a continued drawing on to Death but our spiritual Life the longer it continues the stronger it grows Eighthly 8. Faith makes to prosper This is the onely way to prosper in all we possess and in all we take in hand 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper 'T is true wicked men and unbelievers may prosper after a sort they may prosper as fatted Beasts in the stall prosper against the day of slaughter The prosperity of fools shall slay them Prov. 1.32 They are cursed in their very Blessings But a true believer doth prosper in Soul Joh. Ep. 3. as well as in his Body or Estate his Prosperity is sanctified and all that he possesseth is pure and clean to him but to the defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their meat and drink yea even their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 If a believer be cast into straits Faith is that which brings submission to the Will of God and a sweet contentation with the present condition Phil. 4.11 it was the speech of a believer I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Faith lets the believer see the present condition is best for him and therefore he is the better content with it On the other side where there is want of Faith there are perpetual discontents every little thing troubleth such a creature A gall'd back is soon hurt Num. 14.11 How long will it be ere this people believe me saith God of the murmuring Israelites in the Wilderness An unbelieving heart is evermore an unquiet a discontented heart He that doth not enjoy God by Faith how is it possible he should be satisfied with Creature-enjoyments especially in the midst of Creature-discontents Faith is that which sweetens our very Natural Life how much more then that which is Spiritual and Supernatural Wouldst thou be assured that Christ is thine Faith in due time will give thee this assurance for Christ dwells in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 Wouldst thou be assured thou art a Childe of God and maist come in for a Childs Portion Faith will give thee this assurance also Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be the Sons of God even to as many as believe on his Name Wouldst thou receive more abundance of the Spirit of Christ Jesus Faith is a Conduit-pipe in which this heavenly water delights to run Joh. 7.38 He that believeth on me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Certainly the Life of Faith is the most excellent Life that any Creature can live upon the face of the Earth Note In a word Remember what you have heard in many Sermons Do you desire to be presented Just and Righteous before the Throne of God you must labour to get Faith then for by Faith a Creature lives the Life of Justification Do you desire to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit you must learn then to get Faith without doubt the more Faith the more Holiness for The Just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Do you desire to be more abundant in Good Works than ever you have been Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Fructification Do you desire to have your Corruptions subdued and your sinful lusts that fight against the Soul mortified Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Mortification Do you complain of the Dulness and Deadness of your hearts in holy Duties and do you desire above all things to be more quick and lively in the Service of God Learn then to live by Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Vivification The more Faith the more Life in all holy Duties Do you bewail your Leanness and Vnprofitableness and Unthriving disposition under the plentiful means of Grace and is it the desire of your Souls to increase and grow up as the Calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Augmentation Gal. 3.3 Are you afraid lest you should
acknowledged the moving of the Spirit upon the waters that God hath drawn out the desire of their souls to the remembrance of his name I have great cause to be confident That where God hath begun this good work of Faith amongst you he will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ And therefore grounding upon this good Word of Promise I shall conclude my Preaching of this Subject in that Prayer of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.10 11. Now the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Principal CONTENTS A Abstinence ABstinence from sin is far from Mortification Page 158 Accusation Satan accuses God of envy and severity to hinder reconciliation 'twixt God and Man p 536 537 Acting Activity Activity of faith is the excellency of it 556 The acting of faith most honours God 557 It brings most comfort and hearts-ease to us ibid. Acting of faith brings advantage and advance 558 559 The not acting of faith foils and shames Christians 559 Gods outward actings for us carry proportion to his inward actings upon us 558 Could we but act faith nothing could make us miserable 559 Helps for the acting of faith 560 See living by faith Adoption See Heirship It proves our right to a heavenly Inheritance 344 Adoption in the Civil Law how taken 344 Adoption used in a threefold case ibid. Double act of free-grace in Adoption 345 Difference 'twixt Divine and Humane Adoption ibid. The Spirit of Adoption implies two things 347 The Spirits testimony of our Adoption what it is ibid Adversity The just live by faith in Adversity 49 In relation to inward and outward troubles 50 51 See Troubles Motives to live by faith in Adversity 65 66 Reproof to such who do not so 66 It argues a threefold evil 67 Affliction Faith makes a right use of Afflictions for growth in Sanctification 131 Antipodes The discovery of Antipodes in the new world from 429 to 434 Apostacy See Backsliding Confutation of the Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy 241 242 243 See Perseverance Examples of Gods Judgements on Apostates 250 251 Apostacy is the fruit of Vnbelief Hypocrisie Heresie 464 Apostates triumph'd over be damned spirits 491 Arraignment The process of faith in the Arraignment of sin 152 153 154 The Arraignment of Vnbelief 467 Ascension Christs Ascension a pledge of believers glorification 348 Assurance of Justification Faith uses 12 means to attain it from 92 to 97 Four Reasons for the trial of the truth of assurance 97 Three Marks of true assurance 97 98 Faith answers all objections which may cloud assurance 99 100 101 The just live by faith in expectation of assurance 101 102 Five Vses of living by faith in order to assurance 103 104 One in a state of grace may be assured of Salvation 247 How faith assures of heaven from 342 to 351 Motives to get assurance of Eternal life 374 to 379 Want of assurance and joy may consist with strong faith 514 Divine Attributes rightly apprehended and applied breed assurance 96 Atheism Atheist Instances of two grand Atheists 356 363 Living upon Self is a high degree of Atheism 432 Atheism is the fruit of Vnbelief 464 Attributes of God They are special means to beget faith 538 539 Rightly apprehended and applied they breed assurance 96 Augmentation See Growth The just by faith draw increasing vertue from Christ 190 191 Reasons of spiritual Augmentation 192 to 195 Augmentation in grace is by faith 195 to 199 See Growth in grace B Backsliding Difference 'twixt a believer and a hypocrite in this 215 It is a great dishonor to backslide 250 See Apostacy Beauty or Compleatness Believers are the most beautiful persons 479 Believers Their description and condition 1 They lead a super-excellent life in seven particulars 8 9 10 11 They only can have comfort against a sixfold condemnation 417 418 419 Christ is the Principle and End of their duties 447 The believing creature is a praying creature 448 The complicated excellencies of a believer from 471 to 481 Benefit How far one mans faith may benefit another 38 Blessings Seven belong to the natural life for which the Saints live by faith 70 71 72 73 Blindness of minde Gods judicial inflicting of it justified 496 497 Book God hath a threefold Book 395 396 C Carefulness In worldly things a sign of weak faith 572 Carriage See Conversation Care of our carriage in this life is a sign of right to heaven 362 Censure The wicked censure Religion to breed Melancholy 319 320 Certainty True grace is certain and durable above all things 247 248 Charter The believers Charter for Eternal Life 341 342 Chastisement Gods is castigatory probatory Purgatory 504 Christ His Merit Intercession and Spirit is a cause of Perseverance 239 Christ was an Example of Perseverance 256 See Perseverance Overlooking the terms on which Christ is to be had viz. the Cross is a cause of unexpected sadness 314 Difference 'twixt the life of Christ and a believers 425 What it is to receive Christ on Gospel-terms 560 To clear up our interest in Christ is a means to act faith ibid. Church Church of Christ compared to a Ship 349 Circumspection It ought to be seen in our affections meditations speeches actions 362 363 364 Civility See Morality It is dangerous to rest in it and trust to it 119 Difference 'twixt Civility and Sanctification ibid. Combat Differences 'twixt a true and false combat with sin 160 Comfort See Consolation Sound comfort flows from proving our own faith 43 The Comforter abides for ever though not the act of Comfort 272 Communion Christian Communion is a means to increase faith 579 Compassion The Just live by faith in point of Compassion and how 54 Condemnation Believers are set free from a sixfold condemnation 111 112 The intailment of Condemnation on Vnbelievers 417 418 419 421 Confession Resolute confession of Christ is a means of assurance 95 Confidence See Pride Self-confidence hinders growth in grace 231 Sinful confidence how manifold and dangerous 6 Carnal confidence in spiritual friends 41 Conscience Renewed by faith it acquits and quiets 299 The testimony of a renewed Conscience is nothing else but a reflex act of faith 301 Conscience purified makes the believer cheerful 308 A good Conscience is a means to keep faith 550 Consolation Vide Comfort Vide Joy The just live by faith the life of Consolation 278 Consolation is the Saints complete Commencement 279 The suburbs of heaven in the consolations of faith 280 281 Christs best reserve in the Wine of Joy 282 Proofs from Scripture that the just live the life of Consolation 282 The just live the life of Consolation by faith 283 Faiths activity the magazine of Comfort 284 Gods design in promoting the Saints Comfort 284 285 286 287 288 The
devour each other 141 142 Papists faith is cobled up of pride and ignorance 40 Pardon A pardoned state is a peaceable state 296 Passion How faith moderates and subdues the Passions of Cares fear and sorrows 52 53 477 Patience Faith in adversity teaches and exercises patience 64 Peace Saints live by faith for it in two respects 71 The golden chain and order of righteousness peace and Joy 296 Perfection Conceit of perfection is an impediment of spiritual growth 229 Knowledg Love Obedience and Joy are perfect in Glory 338 339 Perseverance Faith triumphs in the life of Perseverance 233 234 Proofes from scripture that the just doth persevere 235 Perseverance is by vertue of faith 236 Reasons why the just shall persevere 237 to 240 Reasons why perseverance is through faith 240 241 Confutation of the doctrines of falling from grace 241 Five concessions wherein there may be a falling away 242 Exception to 7 particulars which can never be lost 243 244 Objections against perseverance answered 245 246 Motives to perseverance from 249 to 253 Means of perseveranee from 253 to 257 Truth of grace demonstrated by perseverance 257 Thankfulness for perseverance 259 260 Faiths incouragement to persevere amidst all discouragements 261 Vide establishment in faith Posterity Saints live by faith for blessings on posterity 73 Power of God It is a cause of the Saints perseverance 239 Praise It is due from Saints for their spiritual life 11 12 Prayer The exercise of it is a meanes of assurance 94 As also observation how God hears our prayers 94 The prayer of faith is a means of sanctification 131 132 133 Prayer is a means of spiritual growth 226 227 Prayer is a means to increase spiritual Joy 3â—9 Prayer may subdue hereticks when reason cannot 357 Prayer preaching must not justle out each other 529 Prayer a means to beget faith 527 529 Natural men ought to pray though they cannot pray acceptably without faith 530 531 Pray that thou maist believe believe that thou maist pray with acceptation 533 Prayers of others helpful to conversion 533 Whether a natural man ought to pray The question stated affirmatively and all objections answered 530 531 532 Prayer is a good means to preserve faith 551 552 Prayer is a means to increase faith 578 Preaching See Ministry The right Art of successful preaching 427 428 Precious Three things very precious 455 The precious touch of faith in four respects 456 457 Prejudice It quarrels the means of faith its cure 506 507 Presumption It postdates the use of means which should beget faith 509 510 Presumption of having faith already hinders believing together with its cure 510 511 Differences 'twixt presumption and true faith in the conception birth growth issue or fruits 511 512 Presumption is a Monster of pride and security 513 Pride Pride in the reason and will subdued in Sanctification 117 118 It is an hindrance of spiritual growth 231 Pride and unbelief are associates 2 3 Proud persons are neither obedient nor safe 3 Pride how manifold and how dangerous 5 6 Rank pride is the root of Popish Sanctity 143 Pride contemns the meanes of faith 507 508 Profession Multitudes make a profession of faith who live not by it 434 435 Promises Three-sorts of them all tending to assurance 92 93 Apply the promises of growth for growth in grace 228 229 Promises applyed are a believers livelyhood 414 415 Our own unworthyness pleaded against the promises is a main hindrance of believing its Cure 502 Direction in applying of the promises 526 Faith built on false promises of our own will fail 551 Promises to increase faith are a means to increase it 575 Prosperity How the just live by faith in Prosperity 46 47 48 The temptations of prosperity 385 Protestants Their Apology against papists in point of work 144 Purchase The wisest purchase is faith in Christ 468 469 Q Questions Curious vain questions concerning the state of glory busy mens fancies when as their faith should be acted to make sure their interest in that shate 359 R Rainbow How grace is like it as a sign of sparing mercy 301 302 Rarity Faith is the greatest Rarity in the world 458 Receive What it is to receive Christ on Gospel terms 560 Regeneration See Unregeration Love to God his word Saints holiness an effect of it 98 Difficulty of the new birth it is not without doubting 98 We are not born again of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man how this is to be understood See 528 See Sanctification Rejoyce See Joy It is the heigth of wickedness to rejoyce in it 321 To rejoyce in the creature as it draws from God is sinful 321 Relations See Friends Religious Religious life is the only comfortable life 310 311 Religious persons must neither be jovial nor austere 320 Religion no fruitless Profession 358 Renunciation Of self a reliance onely on free grace brings assurance 96 Resurrection Christs Resurrection is a means of Sanctification 126 127 Resurrection of the Body proved 354 355 Riches A Believers Riches are inexhaustible 477 478 Righteousness That of Sanctification is not to be confounded with that of Justification yet they are inseparable 32 33 S Sabbath Rightly sanctified it is a short and little heaven 381 Sacrament Faith applies Christ in the Sacraments for Sanctification 130 A complaint for neglect of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 294 Sacraments are a means to increase faith 576 Sacrament not to be given to dead-hearted unbelievers 577 Complaint for interruption of the Sacrament and the corruption of it as the cause 578 Sadness See Heaviness Vnbelief is the spring of sadness 307 308 309 Why the Lord suffers his Saints to fall into sadness 315 316 See Consolation Sanctification Vide Regeneration The submitting to the Spirit in this Work is a means of assurance 94 The life of faith in Sanctification 113 There is a life of Sanctification in Believers besides that which is inherent in Christ himself proved by four Arguments 114 115 How Sanctification and Justification differ in four respects 116 What Sanctification is and wherein it consists 116 117 It works an holy change on the whole man 118 Difference 'twixt Sanctification and Morality in nine respects 119 120 121 Means whereby Sanctificacation is wrought 122 Faith applies Christ for union as the root of Sanctification 123 Faith applies Christs death for Sanctification and his Resurrection 126 127 Faith applies Christs second appearing and the last Judgement for Sanctification 127 128 Faith applies the Word of Christ for Sanctification 128 129 Faith makes use of the Sacraments for increase of Sanctification 130 Faith rightly uses and applies affliction for Sanctification 131 The Prayer of Faith is a means to sanctifie 131 132 133 Reasons of the necessity of Sanctification five 134 135 Five Motives to the life of Sanctification 145 146 There are degrees in Sanctification 201 202 Vide Growth Sanctification not the meritorious ground of
comfort yet a necessary qualification evidencing our right to comfort 297 298 Satan Satans rage should be a motive to perseverance 252 Satan is a great enemy to the comfort of the Saints 315 Reasons why Satan is such an enemy to faith 424 488 489 Satan presents and applies the Promises in a wrested sense and for licentious ends 511 512 Scriptures They are a staff to believing Pilgrims 403 Arguments to prove their Divine Authority 404 405 Accomplishment of Scripture-Prophecies is a whâ—tstone to sharpen our assent to their Divine Authority 406 407 There is all the reason in the world why we should believe the Scriptures 408 409 Sealing of the Spirit It is a consequent priviledge of believing 93 Security It is the off-spring of the Devil and Vnbelief 462 Security twofold Spiritual and Carnal 246 247 The Saints Security for a sevenfold treasure 243. 244 The best security for the best purchase 380 Seducers Their sleights to beguile unstable Souls 254 Seducers are the Devils Factors 604 Self Shifting self is shiftless folly 433 Self a great Impediment of faith 486 Its Cure 487 Self-love The blessing of it is a sign of growth in grace 205 206 There is a fivefold self contrary to the life of faith 431 432 433 Sense Living by Sense is a great impediment of faith 503 514 Sin It dishonours God and wrongs the Soul forsake it as the highest demonstration of ingratitude 393 395 Sins great defilement in five respects 155 Believers have sin remaining to be mortified 157 Life of sin lies in the will ergo subdue desires 158 Sin may revive where it is mortified 159 Comfort against the vigour and rigour of sin 169 170 Scandalous sins cause great sadness 312 Inordinate aggravation of sin sinks into sadness 312 313 Sincerity The excellency of sincere grace in that 't is durable 247 248 Sloth It recoils from the means of faith It s Cure 508 509 Society Good society is a means of begetting faith 533 534 535 Soul Eternal life of the Soul proved 356 357 See Life Eternal Speech Our speeches either condemn or justifie us 365 Spirit of God What its testimony and witness is 347 The Spirits testimony may be separated from its fruits 347 348 Difference 'twixt the Spirits in dwelling in Believers and common assistance in hypocrites 426 427 The Spirits perswasion out-weighs and quickens all means motives in drawing to Christ 454 455 We must pray for Gods free establishing Spirit 552 What Gods free Spirit is from what he sets believers free and how he establishes 552 553 554 555 See Free Spirit See Establishment Strength A believers strength 471 472 473 Strength to do duties and resist temptations a sign of growth 209 210 Strength to bear afflictions and injuries a sign of growth 210 211 Strength to bear others infirmities as also to shake off Ceremonies a signe of growth 211 Its part of our strength to be sensible of weakness 212 Success This in the improvement of natural life is fetcht in by faith and that in six respects 71 72 Sufficiency All sufficiency Self sufficiency Sole sufficiency in Christ 540 T Temptation The just live by faith in temptation 50 Satan tempts sinners to conceit God to be either all Mercy or all Justice 536 Yielding to temptations is a sign of weak faith 573 Such who tempt others to sin are Satans factors and shall have deep condemnation 604 605 Thankfulness Be thankful for the life of Justification 109 110 The Saints thankfulness for the blossomings of Eternal life 391 392 393 How that thankfulness is exprest 393 to 397 Thankfulness for faith with the grounds of it 449 Time The Just live by faith in respect of all the parts of Time 44 45. Tradition Traditional faith is unsound 40 41 Trial. True faith is tried by undergoing adversity 63 We must try our comforts by our graces and not our graces by our comforts 300 to 304 Triumph The triumph of damned Spirits over unbelievers 491 Troubles These are various yet the Saints live by faith in them 51 Manner of living by faith in troubles nine ways 55 56 Means of living by faith in troubles five ways 57 58 Trust Such reproved who say they trust God with their souls and yet cannot trust him for temporals 75 76 False trust on Creatures or Grace received hinders faith together with its Cure 498 499 V Valuation See Precious A Believer neither over nor under-values his natural life 74 Vision Vision of God fourfold 337 Perfect Vision causes perfect transformation ibid Vivification The liveliness of faith in the cure of spiritual deadness 171 What meant by Vivification 172 Reasons why the Just live by faith the life of Vivification 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Reproof of such who act not faith for Vivification 178 179 Motives to Vivification 179 180 Means to live the life of Vivification 184 185 186 187 Trial of true faith by its vivifying power 187 188 189 Vide Deadness Unbelief Unbelievers Unbelief is a piece of pride 3 It makes the heart and condition not right 4 5 Unbelievers lead a sordid life 8 Unbelief is the spring of sadness 307 308 309 Unbelief was the root of mans first Apostacy 415 Their dead condition 423 Humiliation for Unbelief 459 Unbelief is the Goliah-sin 460 Unbelief grieves the Spirit but pleases the Devil 461 The monstrous brood of Unbelief 462 The Unbeliever is the greatest Time-server 464 Unbelief is a Stepmother to grace 465 Unbelief is the Nurse that maintains life in every sin and which binds it on the Soul 465 466 Unbelief is a merciless Sequestrator 466 The Arraignment of Unbelief 467 Unbelief is the greatest Self-murther 470 The contrariety of presumption and despair unite in the Unbelievers ruine 510 Naturally we have hard unbelieving thoughts of God 536 Unbelief is a going out from God into our selves 539 Unchangeable Gods unchangeable nature is the cause of the Saints perseverance 239 Union Signs of spiritual actions flowing from Union with Christ 124 125 Union with God is unchangeable 50 Unregenerate Their Soul is no fit soil for comfort 309 310 See Regeneration Unsetledness In Gods truth its a sign of weak faith 571 W Watching Watching over one another is a means of perseverance 255 Wealth How the Just shall live by faith for it 70 Wisdom The believer is the onely wise builder 474 The believer is never at a stand because Christ is his Wisdom 475 476 477 Word See Ordinances Faith applies the Word of Christ for Sanctification 128 129 The Word mixt with faith is a means of growth 227 228 The Word is one of Christs Brests 293 How the Word works faith 443 Cavilling and mocking at the Word is the Seal of Vnbelief 494 The Word is the life of faith 517 The Word and Spirit go hand in hand 518 The Word both the object and instrument of faith 518 Living above the Word is living by a deluded fancy and not by faith such are neerer Hell 518 The Word is appointed to work faith not miracles 519 Every divine Word is an object of faith especially the Promise 520 Attendance on the Word a means to increase faith 574 Worldly World Worldly-mindedness reproved 361 362 Worldly-mindedness springs from unbelief 464 The VVorld tries fair means and foul to hinder faith 489 Wordly examples of the multitude not to be follow'd 490 FINIS
of Gods grace to perform all duties of thankfulness 1 Stirring him up to duty Gal. 5.6 Faith works by love and Jam. 2. Faith without works is dead 2. Directing what to do Psal 119.66 Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have beleeved thy Commandments 3. Strengthning to do it Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ strengthning me 4. Finding acceptance in doing Heb. 11.4 whereby he received witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts Fourthly Assuring him of all needful encouragement of blessing by vertue of God's promise 1. In beleeving the promise of reward Matth. 4.4 Man lives not by bread alone but by every Word of God 2. In suing out the promise by prayer Psal 119.49 Remember the word to thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope 3. In praising God for it Heb. 13.15 Let us offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually giving thanks to his Name So that to live by faith is to rest satisfied with God's command though we see no reason of it Heb. 11.8 9. and with God's promise though we have no present performance yea even then when providences crosse promises as to beleeve we shall come to the Haven in the greatest storm in case we have a promise as Paul Act. 27.22 c. As a wordly man in his way lives comfortably that hath good store of bonds in his coffers though all his money be out of doors and in other mens hands how much more do believers live comfortably that have bond and seal and oath from the God of truth though they have nothing in hand for present Thus the Just lives by faith Caution Not as if there were any natural or moral worth or efficacy in faith to beget this life or to make us righteous But only as an instrument of the spirit applying Christ our life and righteousness And indeed it is he begets faith in us For it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Christ is the root faith is the instrument of this life Thus living by faith implyes these 4 or 5 things 1. Right in Christ Gal. 2. 2. A cleering our way in point of duty Rom. 14. What is not of faith is sin 3. a cleering our right to the promise Heb. 11.17 He that had received the promises 4. a constant searching of the Scripture for the legacyes bequeathd to us Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life The heir cannot sue for his legacyes or inheritance unlesse he know what it is Act. 20.25 Luk. 22.19 5. A remembring them Psal 119.52 And a seasonable applying of them to particular cases and occasions What can a plaister do if it be only kept in the pocket and not laid upon the soare Which implyes it is not enough to have the habit of faith to possesse it but the act also is required that we may comfortably live by it We must put it to use Therfore Act. 13.39 faith is set forth by the act of beleeving By him all that beleeve in him are justified For howsoever it is true He that possesseth the habit of faith shall never totally and finally fall away yet for want of acting of it as he sins against God so he looseth the comfort of his life Luk. 24.25 Matth. 8.26 and in his own apprehension is like a dead man or at least exceeding dull heartlesse and fearful Usually in proportion to the acting of the life of Justification will be the strength of the life of Sanctification for faith works by love the more faith the more love Whence is Paul's exhortation to blow up the gift of God in him As a man lives by exercise 2 Tim. 1. and grows diseased for want of it So it is in spirituals To shew then how a Christian lives by faith this is the summe of what hath been spoken He lives by faith as a mean or instrument not as the efficient cause or author of this life But this is the order or series First God predestinates or determines this life to such Eph. 5.5 Having predestinated us c. Secondly He gives Christ his Son to death for the purchasing this life because by nature every man is in a state of death dead in sins and trespasses Col. 3.4 1 Joh. 5.12 Thirdly He makes known and holds forth this life in a promise to poor sinners Rev. 22.17 Fourthly He requires faith in the promise of all such as would have the benefit of this life that so they may glorifie God's truth and goodness and power in beleeving that he will and can make his word good So he calls men to beleeving in the preaching of the Gospel Joh. 3.16 Fifthly He bestowes faith upon the soul of his free grace because by nature we are shut up under unbeleef Rom. 11.32 Eph. 2.8 it is the gift of God So he calls men inwardly by his Spirit So that faith and life and Christ come all together Only he works this life in a way of believing and makes us sensible of it by the act of faith So that a Christian hath his life from God in Christ from Christ in the promise Col. 3 3 from the promise apprehended by faith from faith working by love and other graces which is the exercise of this life All graces are enlivened by faith faith receives life from the promise the promise from Christ Christ as mediatour from God the Father Joh. 6.57 God in Christ is the fountain of spiritual life the promises are so many Conduit-pipes that convey it faith is the hand that turns the Cock or the mouth to receive the water of life So that however God in Christ is the sole author and finisher of spiritual life yet he makes use of faith all along from first to last in the order of working and that in all parts and faculties of spiritual life viz. in the quickning expulsive nutritive retentive motive and breathing faculties First God makes use of faith in the Quickning faculty 1. Quickning faculty of faith or first infusion of life So the just lives by his faith Eph 2.5 with 8 Even when we were dead in sins he hath quickned us together with Christ for by grace ye are saved through faith The heart is primum vivens in grace as well as in nature and the heart is enlivened by Christ in a way of faith Eph. 3.16 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith So that whereas there is great dispute among men whether Christ or faith or righteousness of life comes first to the soul all is answered in one word They come all together not any one before or after another Christ brings all along together with himself So soon as ever a soul is quickned it doth believe and so soon as ever it believes it is quickned Yet faith is most perceptible in the act of Adherence 2. Expulsive faculty of faith Secondly God makes use of faith in the Expulsive facultie
will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob. Faith saith as Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous c. Psal 85.8 I will hearken what God the Lord will say for he will speak peace c. Surely God shall command his loving kindness in the day-time True it thinks long Why tarry the wheels of his Chariots Cant. 2.8 9 17. Cant. 4. the last Be as the Chariots of Amminadab Psal 40. the last Make no long tarrying O my God Yet it will wait as Jacob for Rachel yea Faith chides the Soul out of unbelief by propounding the Promise of future Assurance Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul c Psal 27. last Faith gives courage in waiting Psal 31. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart Christ hath his several seasons of manifesting himself * Vide Mr. Reynolds Blessed are all they that wait for him He that believeth maketh not haste Though he tarry wait for him Christ shewed himself first to Mary then to Cephas or Peter then to James then to the twelve then to above five hundred brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 and last of all he was seen of Paul as of an abortive because there is more pain in the birth of such But as in the bodily sight of Christ some saw him sooner and some later so in the spiritual and as he shewed himself soonest to those that stood most in need of comfort as Mary and Peter for what was past and James for what was to come Acts 12. so spiritually Christ shews himself soonest to those have most need c. And as he entred the doors being shut when they were full of fears Job 20.19 so sometimes he comes into the heart when we think the doors most fast shut up Onely wait and then sooner or later he will shew himself to some in their middle age to some in their old age to some at their death to some at the Stake as that gracious Martyr cryed out joyfully to his fellow-sufferer He is come he is come Therefore be sure to wait and he that hath appointed to come will come and will not tarry Blessed are all they that wait for him Rom. 8.25 If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Reason why wait Because true faith can never be lost till it come to full assurance Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed c. This is the life and comfort of a weak Christian A babe shall be a strong man Philip. 1.6 He that hath began this work will perfect it Luke 22.32 Christs Prayer for Peter Vse If the godly live by Faith in regard of the assurance of the Act of Justifying then 1. This Reproves those that wait not Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established c. 2 Chron. 20.20 2. Reproves those that Rest in the first degree of Faith and say I care not if I can but go to heaven at last Other things grow up to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decay again but the faithful grow from strength to strength He is no good natured childe that will say I am sure to have my Fathers inheritance at last and therefore I care not though he frown upon me in the mean time No a good childe prizeth his Fathers love and the light of his countenance above his inheritance even Absalom 2 Sam. 14.31 could say Let me see the Kings face c. 3. Exhortation To live by Faith in waiting for Assurance Motives 1. It 's certain He that hath appointed to come will come Heb. 10.37 2. It 's worth the staying as Jacob stayed for Rachel This is better then life Psal 63.3 3. It 's the sweeter when it comes Olim haec meminisse c. as the Sun rising after a long Winter night half year night Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life 4. It 's the property of Faith not to make haste Isa 28.6 He that believeth maketh not haste 4. See the difference 'twixt just and unjust The just as they expect so they shall be assured though poor in spirit yea because poor Matth. 5.3 Psal 9.18 The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Prov 24.14 Thy expectation shall not be cut off But for the wicked Job 8.13 14. Their hope shall perish and be as a spiders web Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up the ghost Therefore fear God and be righteous For Prov. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness but the expectation of the wicked shall perish Therefore Prov. 23 17 18. Let not thine heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long for surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off 5. Comfort to such as believe but want Assurance He may yet live by Faith in the expectation of it Be not discouraged when thy Soul is ready to faint for the salvation of God Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Be assured where there is any true light it will encrease more and more till the perfect day Prov. 4.18 The state of the Soul is good and Salvation is certain in the mean time Though many complain for want of Assurance yet if they can but trust c. Isa 50.10 He that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God They are sure to be comforted at the last and supported in the mean time Thus you see how the just lives by Faith the Life of Justification Vse of all in general 1. OF Humiliation Use of the Doctrine of Faith in justification 1. Humiliation If a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Justification in applying the righteousness of another it may be matter of Humiliation A Prisoner that is freed from Condemnation by a Pardon from the King and not by Self-justification hath cause to walk humbly for ever after This is our case c. It was a great sin in Absalom after his Father had pardoned his Murther and received him into favour again and kissed him the next news we hear of him he prepares him Chariots and Horses and Men to run before him that by stealing away the hearts of the people he might step up into his Fathers Throne and thrust him out And surely it is the greatest expression of neglect and unthankfulnesse that can be after God hath pardoned our sins and received us into favour for us to steal away the hearts of his people and to set up our selves in stead of magnifying the Name of God to draw Disciples after our own selves in stead of drawing Disciples after Jesas Christ It is a sin and a temptation which is common to the nature of man even the Regenerate themselves are not out of this Gun-shot Paul was in
of question but that the vanity and petulancy of mens fancies and opinions begins to call all into question in these dayes and so this That which starts the Question is the wresting of certain Scriptures which they pervert as they do many others as 1 Corinth 1.30 He is made to us amongst other things Sanctification Therefore say they there 's no other Heb. 10.14 He hath by one offering for ever perfected those that are sanctified Therefore say they Christ is our Sanctification and it can be no other because it is perfect Before we Answer these Scriptures we shall shew the contrary by the full evidence of other Scriptures which will give us the clearer light in answering those former alleged places Solut. There is therefore a Life of Sanctification inherent in every true Christian besides that which is inherent in the person of Christ himself Which is proved by these Arguments 1. Because there is a Sanctification of the whole person in parts and faculties by the Spirit of Grace 1 Thess 5.23 And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless c. Every believer is thus sanctified as Water is warmed or the Air enlightened all at once 2. There is a Sanctification of the Conversation 1 Thess 4.3 For this is the will of God your Sanctification 1 Pet 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 3. This is part of the New Covenant Ezek. 36.25 26 27. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon them and they shall be clean c. 4. Argument is drawn from an absurdity If there were no Sanctification in a Christian besides that in Christ then there should be a confusion of these two great Benefits of Justification and Sanctification but the Apostle doth every where distinguish these as in the forementioned place 1 Cor 1.30 Righteousness Sanctification c. So 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justifiâ—d And indeed there is a great deal of difference for 1. Justification is imputed Sanctification is imparted John 16. Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace 2. Justification is without a man Sanctification is within him 3. Justification absolves a man from all his sins Sanctification does not so Who can say I am clean from my iniquity 4. Justification is perfect and compleat Acts 13.39 Being justified from all things Sanctification is imperfect so saith the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Not as though I were already perfect Christ hath laid hold upon me that I may lay hold upon him to draw still further vertue from him therefore it is not perfect at the first But what then shall we say to that place of Scripture Heb. 10.14 He hath by one offering c. Ans 1. The words import no more but this as appears by the context That what is wanting in our own works and duties and so in our Sanctification Christ hath perfected by the benefit of our Justification or 2. By that offering of his he hath sanctified and set us apart to be his own peculiar people For sometimes to sanctifie signifies no more than to set apart from a common use to some special service So Times Things Persons are said to be sanctified Then whereas it is said 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made to us sanctification c. The meaning is no more but this That he is the Author and Finisher of our Holiness as well as of our Faith as we shall see in the resolution of the third Question In the mean time let us come to the second Question Quest 2. What Sanctification is Sol. 2. What this Sanctification is and wherein it doth consist And it may be thus described It is an inward and powerful change of a person justified whereby the image of God is renewed in him by the work of the spirit It is a change and a powerful change to distinguish it from that work that may be in a civil man whereby his corrupt nature is suppressed and restrained though his corruption be not mortified 2. An inward change to distinguish it from outward reformation such as was in Herod who heard John gladly and reformed many things and yet his heart was not changed but true grace doth ever begin at the fountain it purifies that in the first place and then the streams which flow from thence Mat. 23.25 Psal 51.10 3. It is the change of a justified person to shew that however Justification be not Sanctification nor Sanctification Justification yet Sanctification is a necessary fruit and an inseparable companion of Justification That person that is once justified is also sanctified as in the place before-named 1 Cor. 6.10 4. The form of Sanctification consists in the Renewing of Gods Image in which Image Man was created at the first having not onely a spiritual substance a Soul and spiritual faculties of that Soul Reason and Will but spiritual and divine Properties of those Faculties Light in his Reason to know the Truth a sweet flexibility in his Will to obey the Truth according to the Will of God Now after the Fall though man have the same Soul and the same Faculties yet he hath not the same divine Properties of those Faculties for as he fell by the Devils temptation so he fell into the Devils sin and condemnation The Devil fell by Pride he would needs be above God or as God so he tempted our first Parents to fall by the same kinde of Pride and ever since man in the state of corruption would be some-body in those two main Faculties of his Soul Reason and Will and therefore we are all naturally Papists and Arminians in this Point his Reason he would lift up above the Word of God as they do their Traditions and his VVill above the VVill of God whereby it come to pass that his Pride makes him very wilful in sinning against God Jer. 44.16 or else presuming upon a false supposed liberty of converting himself to God at his own pleasure whereas the Apostle saith flatly It is not in him that willeth c. Rom. 9. But this is the condition of Man in the state of corruption the Image of God is thus fearfully defaced Now when grace comes in the work of Sanctification there is presently a change wrought not in the very substance and faculties of the Soul but onely in the properties of them presently the lofty looks of man are humbled and the haughtiness of men is bowed down and the Lord alone exalted in that day Isa 2.11 There 's no more My Reason but Thy Word Lord shall be my guide then no more My Will but Thy Will be done Let it be done in earth as it is done in heaven then no more I will do this or that by my own strength I will repent when I am old I can convert my self to God when I list No but as poor Ephraim cries out Turn thou me and I
unrighteousness 2. We may know it by the End of spiritual actions if it be the glory and honour of Christ and a care to preserve the things of Christ as the Members of the Body have a principal care of adorning and preserving the Head The Arm receives a blow to defend the Head so a living Member of Christ truly united to him as he goes to Christ for strength Phil. 4.13 so he refers all to the honour of Christ in conclusion another adventures himself far for the truth and cause of Christ as Paul Acts 20. Neither is my life dear unto me so I may fulfil the Ministery of Christ c. So in general Faith lives on Christ 2. In particular Or 2. In particular he lives by Faith in the Application Means 1. His Death 1. Of the Death of Christ for though we have benefit by the Birth of Christ Luke 2.10 11. as we shewed this day fortnight yet not so much as by his death and joy in birth onely in relation to his death He is born a Saviour i.e. one that shall die for your sins Rom. 5.10 Heb. 2.14 Through death he destroyed him that had power of death that is the devil Yet there is joy in his Birth as in the approach of a friend that comes to loose as out of Prison if we be in for Debt or Murther We then rejoyce when he comes to the door but onely in reference to paying of the Debt for if he should then turn back it would sad us the more So in this case Must Aarons ear and hand and foot be sanctified it must be done by the application of the Blood of the Covenant Exod 29.20 Thus our hearing thus our words thus our works thus our walking is sanctified in the application of the Blood of Christ Heb. 9 14. the Blood of Christ purge your consciences 'T is all the price of Blood 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us c. Faith sanctifies as by laying hold of the Blood and Death of Christ so of the Resurrection and Life of Christ Means 2. His Resurrection As the Resurrection of Christ is a Birth so he is called The first-born from the dead so the assurance of his Resurrection proved by the powerful government of the Church and of the whole World for the Churches sake in his Session at the Right-hand of his Father this begets a lively hope and so a spiritual new birth in us 1 Pet. 1.3 We are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Faith or Hope makes use of Christs Resurrection and this New birth of faith begets a New life of Sanctification Coloss 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ c. The love of Christ dying for us and rising for us and reigning for us acting all our affairs at the Right-hand of God his Father yea the love of Christ begetting of us to this lively hope by his Death and Resurrection all these constrain us to a holy life 2 Cor. 5. Ver. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that 15. He dyed for all that they which live should not live henceforth unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again Therefore 16. We live no more after the flesh i.e. with carnal and sinful affections And 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature a new man a regenerate person and hath a renewed conversation Therefore Wherefore because he seeing the love of Christ by the eye of Faith in dying for him and rising again this raiseth up his heart to newness of life As if he heard Christ perswading of him like as a tender-hearted mother perswades her childe per viscera by her own bowels If thou art my childe if thou dost own me for thy Mother then obey my commandments and follow my advice so saith the Apostle Col. 3. If ye be risen again with Christ if ye be partakers of a New Birth through the pangs of his Death and the power of his Resurrection if ye be his children if ye acknowledge God for your Father set your affections ow things which are above Phil. 3.20 and let your conversation be in heaven And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Death and Resurrection of Christ 3. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Means 3. His Appearing and Judgment in the application of the Appearing of Christ and the Judgement of Christ 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant c. Look as the warning of an Assize or Sessions makes one careful to provide themselves that their cause may be found good that they may be able to stand in Judgement so in this case The same argument see Tit 2.13 Live soberly righteously c. looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And 1 Cor. 15. last Theâ—efoâ—e my beloved brethren be ye stedfast c. Wherefore for as much as ye know c. i. e knowing by faith or believing your labour one day shall not be in vain in the Lord. A cause of all sins is made not believing the Judgement 2 Pet. 3.3 4. Where is the Promise of his coming c and a cause of holy walking the believing of it ver 11 12. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all hâ—ly conversation and godliness looking for and hasting to the coming c. Therefore it is observable in Scripture where-ever almost there is mention of the last Judgement it speaks of Christs judging men by the fruits of Faith rather then by Faith it self that the believing of the last Judgement may stir us up to a holy life Mat. 25.35 c. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 there the Books are opened the Book of Gods Decree and yet men judged according to their works Think of this you that have to do in Judgement this day * other Books must one day be opened It may make a Felix tremble it may move all to be holy and righteous in all their actions Means 4. His Word 4. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Word of Christ Without Faith the Word profits not neither this nor any other way but being mixed with Faith Heb. 4.2 it is quick and powerful and mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10 4. to the pulling down of strong holds i.e. proud thoughts earthly thoughts unclean thoughts Joh. 15.3 Now are you clean through the word that I have spoken to you Psal 19. The word of the Lord is clean and endures for ever And as it is clean in it self so it is a cleansing word in the effect
Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Not as if the Word had power to sanctifie without the Spirit but the Spirit doth it by the Word the Word is an instrument of cleansing in the hand of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 Ye have purified your souls on obeying i. e. in believing the truth through the spirit As the Spirit makes use of the Word of Precept and Threatning Psal 17.4 By the word of thy lips have I kept me from the paths of the destroyer so of the word of Promise also 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves What hath God promised to be a Father to me as it is in the words before and that I should be a son or a daughter to him this Lord God Almighty upon condition that I will separate my self and touch no unclean thing and shall not I be willing so to do Nay hath God promised to perform the condition for me namely to sprinkle clean water upon me that I might be clean Ezek. 36.25 and to subdue my iniquities and sanctifie me throughout in Soul Body and Spirit and shall not I make use of these his Promises Hath God shewed so much love to me in making the Promise and shall not I shew love to him in obeying his Precept And thus by laying hold upon the Word both of Promise and Precept the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification therefore Faith is called Most holy Faith Jude n. 20. namely from the effect because it works holiness in him that hath it Most holy Faith it is not said Most holy Love Joy or Peace but most holy Faith not Subjective sed Effectivê All lean on this building as the Foundation Christ is the foundation of Merit Faith of Order Christ is the Foundation which Faith findes and tries as the Workman c. Faith is like a strong purge that never leaves working so long as there 's any corruption in the body So Faith never leaves working so long as there is any corruption in the Soul and that is as long as we live Onely as Faith grows stronger corruption grows weaker from day to day but it is not wholly purged out till our daying day and therefore there is use of Faith as long as we live but because when we die our corruption shall die with us also there shall be no use of Faith any longer Means 5. Sacraments 5. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Sacramental Signs These are means of our Sanctification Eph. 5.26 Christ is said to give himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word And Tit. 3.5 He saved us by the washing of Regeneration But this washing is by Faith Philip said to the Eunuch Act. 8.37 If thou believest with all thine heart thou maaist be baptized Obj. Then Infants are not to be baptized because they cannot believe Ans God looks at Infants in their Parents faith Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed So far as want of faith might hinder circumcision so far it may hinder Baptism For 1. The Covenant is the same Rom 14.11 and the Seals are the same for substance 1 Cor. 10 1 2. 2. The Grace of God is the same yea more abundant Tit. 2. ver 12. The grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath shined forth Opposed to the shadows of the Old Testament And did God shine upon Infants in those times and shall we put them under a cloud now VVant of faith did not hinder them then and why now It hindred heathens then and so now No Proselytes were admitted but such as made profession of the Faith of Abraham So c. Means 6. Afflictions 6. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the right use and application of Afflictions Afflictions sanctified are a means of sanctifying us That may be one reason why they are called a Baptism Mat. 20.23 Christ said to the two Disciples Ye shall indeed be baptiz'd with the baptism that I am baptized with Meaning a portion of his Afflictions If Christ learn obedience by the things which he suffered much more may we Heb. 5.8 Afflictions sanctified work the quiet fruit of righteousness Heb. 12.11 Afflictions are like the Red-sea they drown some but they save and purge others And what is the reason of the difference Some have faith to pass through them but some have none They drown those that have no faith but they purge and preserve those that have Faith Heb. 11.29 By faith they passed through the Red-sea which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned And this was not onely a Baptism of Affliction but of Purgation and Sanctification 1 Cor. 10.2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea Thus the just lives by Faith in time of Adversity not onely as preserved therein which was handled before but as washed and sanctified thereby Revel 7.14 These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes c. Lastly The Prayer of Faith is a mean to sanctifie Means 7. Prayer and the just lives by Faith in the exercise of Prayer carrying the Soul to the Fountain of Life Joh. 4.10 Therefore if God be the Author and Effector of this Life of Sanctification go to God for it Dost thou feel the want of Sanctification of Spiritual Life Dost thou feel thou art dead in sins and trespasses It argues the beginnings of Life but go to God for more Life pray him to sprinkle and apply the Blood of Christ Psal 51.7 pray him to apply the Word to speak to thy heart in that voice behinde thee pray him that is Jehovah Isa 30.21 to give a being to his Promise pray him to make Sacraments effectual and to Baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with fire Ma◠3. pray him to open thine ear to hear Discipline and seal thy Instruction that when thou art corrected Job 33.16 thou maist be sure to be instructed In a word pray him who is the Author of Sanctification to cause thee to live by Faith through all means the Life of Sanctification Go to God by Prayer by the prayer of faith For the just shall live by Faith in this respect Jam. 1.5 What S. James sayes of one saving grace Wisdom we may say of all If any man lack any grace or all grace let him ask of God c. But let him ask in faith Faith lives the Life of Sanctification in drawing holiness from the Fountain in the Conduit-pipe of Prayer Isa 12.3 With joy draw ye the waters out of the wells of Salvation Lye at the breast of the Promise if thou hast any life at all and draw out of the sincere milk of the word that thou maist grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 which must needs be meant of the Life of Sanctification
Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that measure Time shall be rolled up as a Scroll And though time should last never so long to the world in general yet how soon the Angel may swear concerning thee or me Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 we know not 6. We must not onely account for the means of fruitfulness Isa 5. What could I have done more c but for the time afforded for fruitfulness Luk. 13.7 These three years have I come looking for fruit and behold I finde none Cut it down c. Eccles 11.9 God will take account of the days of thy youth therefore call thy self to account and be fruitful in season 7. Lastly What would the damned in Hell give now for one of these hours to become fruitful If the rich glutton Luke 16.27 would so willingly have a messenger sent to his five brethren What would he have given to have been the messenger himself but could neither So much for the two first Branches in the Life of Sanctification which the just man lives by his Faith Now follows the Third BRANCH III. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. MORTIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification which consisteth in the killing and crucifying of sin and this follows fitly upon the Life of Fructification For sin is the Caterpillar upon the Branch that devours all the fruits Nay it is the Worm at the Root that hinders the fruitfulness of it or else it is the Toad at the Root that poisons the fruit Deut. 32.32 33. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of Asps. The best fruits of natural men where sin lives in the dominion of it are no better than such poisonous fruits Therefore the just man lives by Faith of Mortification He is dead to sin and dead to the law that he may bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 For the more sin dies Faith resemâ—les the expulsive faculty in the natural body the more grace lives and the more sin lives the more grace dies Therefore Faith lives in killing that which is an enemy to its life and is as the expulsive faculty in the body Obj. But is not sin dead as soon as a man believes Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ans Sin indeed hath receiv'd its deadly wound at the first blow but yet it will not be wholly dead till we die Nay it fares with it as with a creature that hath received its deadly wound it struggles and strives more violently than ever before Rom. 7.8 9. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead c. Insomuch that this combat continues till our dying day Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And Satan he takes part with our corruption he is Sins Second in the field Now Faith is a Christians chief weapon by which he defends himself and offends his adversary Eph. 6.16 the shield of faith For the method of proceeding in this Head it shall be to shew 1. How Faith proceeds in Mortification of sin 2. Why Faith will have sin to be mortified 3. The Uses hence Quest I. First How Faith proceeds in mortifying sin I answer It does it as men use to do in the prosecution of a Malefactor As the avenger of blood pursued the Murtherer in a legal way Sin is put to death by the law Rom. 3.22 By what law of works nay but by the law of faith So that as the Jews said of Christ faithful men may say of sin We have a law and by our law he ought to die Art 1 First there is a rising of the heart against the person How faith goes about the mortifying of sin Gal. 5.6 A man will never prosecute him whom he hath no quarrel against So Faith stirs up a Christian to hate his sin as it stirs him up to love God so consequently to hate sin Gods deadly enemy yea he hates it to death Col. 3.1 5. Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil Psal 97.10 Nay sayes Faith to sin I will have thy life nothing shall satisfie me but thy life Thou hast wrong'd my dear God therefore I will be reveng'd of thee True Repentance and true Faith work indignation and revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Yea what indignation what revenge As we cannot love God too much so we cannot hate sin too much Art 2 Secondly There is a diligent enquiry after the Malefactor So faith sends out Hue and Cry VVhere is the Rebel the Traytor It is the voice of Faith that Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes c. Faith knows if we finde not sin out sin will finde us out Num. 32.23 and if it sees us first it slayes us as the Basilisk Faith knows all the haunts of sin as Saul said of David to the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.22 Go I pray you know and see his place where his haunt is It searches the root of all actual sins Psal 51.5 In sin was I shapen c. An unbeliever hides extenuates excuses denies his sin But Faith never leaves till it discover and brings it before the judgement-seat As Rahab entertained the spies Heb. 11 31. So faith entertains the spies of enlightned reason Psal 119.105 and Prayer Psal 139.23 Art 3 Thirdly Faith brings in the Accusers of sin 1. The Law Joh. 5.45 There is one that accuseth you even Moses Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law 2. The Gospel though it saves the sinner it condemns the sin Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we we believers continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 3. The Renewed man converted by the Gospel Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me whereas sin accuseth the godly man to be the troubler of the person family 1 Kin. 18.18 Josh 7.25 state c. Faith sayes to sin Thou art the troubler of Israel therefore thou deservest to be stoned to death Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings amongst you come they not from your lusts Art 4 Fourthly Faith brings in Witness against sin whereas sin pleads for it self and accuseth Holiness and strictness to be the cause of all misery Faith brings in witness to the contrary 1. Outward By faith we understand the world was made c. Heb. 11. and so that the world was destroyed by sin once drown'd again reserved for fire to wash 2 Pet. 3. to burn out the filth of sin All evils that ever
The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last Therefore Faith must kill sin or else not bring its design to pass for Rev. 21. last No unclean thing shall enter into life Even Gods own people shall not enter until they attain perfection of Sanctification Reas 3 Because the mortification of sin is the end of Christs death Rather than sin should not die he would die Rom. 4. ult who was delivered for our transgressions c. O sayes Christ to Sin and Death I will be your death though it cost me my life Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death c. He was crucified that our old man might be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Therefore says Faith as I believe in Christ crucified I must also crucifie sin Rom. 6.11 Wherefore reckon ye your selves dead unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc enim refero ad fidei syllogismum says Beza 'T is the reasoning of Faith Reas 4 Because it is the Commandment of God as God commanded the Avenger of blood Onely 't is in this unlike that there is no City of Refuge for sin Col 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. And Gods command is the object of Faith as well as a Promise Reas 5 Because Promise is also made Alas sayes the Christian I have no power to deal with Sin or Satan O saith God I will help thee I will give thee my word for it if thou wilt take it Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea As Satan is Captain on the one side so is Christ on the other side as was held forth in the Vision to Joshua cap. 5.14 As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come 2 Chro. 20.12 Therefore sayes the faithful Soul I know not what to do though I have no power yet mine eyes are unto thee And so as David against Goliah they go out against sin in the Name of the Lord with this poor Sling of Faith and the Pebble-stone of the Word and so strike this Giant of Corruption in the forehead that it sinks down by degrees and at last they tread upon the neck of their proudest Lusts Vse 1 Information Information from this Branch of the Life of Faith in several particulars 1. From the Object of Mortification sin viz. 1. From the object of mortification That those that are in Christ have sin and sinful affections remaining in them For what must the just that lives by Faith mortifie Surely not his grace It is something that is sinful he must not fight with his own shadow The body of sin must be destroyed Rom. 6.6 The law of sin and death abolish'd Rom. 8.2 God sees something and an enlightned Soul sees something that is to be mortified and fights with some-body Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth c. And lest they should say We have no earthly members the Apostle gives instance fornication uncleanness c. And lest they should say VVe do not live in these sins now the Apostle answers by way of Concession Ver. 7. You do not live in them indeed you do not walk in them but yet a remainder of the seeds of these sins is in you still you may be tempted to them and therefore strive against them Put off all these vile affections c. 2. From the Act. To mortifie is to kill outright 2. From the Act. It 's not enough to abstain from the outward acts of sin but we must subdue the inward desire will and affection to sin VVhy Because abstaining from the outward act is but a restraining or imprisoning of sin But the subduing the inward desire will and affection of Sin is the Mortifying of Sin For the Life of Sin lies in the Will And therefore of the two in evil things it is less dangerous to do that which we will not Rom. 7.19 20. than to will that which we do not Sin is never mortified until inordinate affections be mortified In these lies the heart-blood of sin Mat. 5.27 Whosoever shall look to lust hath committed adultery in his heart 3. From the Instrument 3. From the Instrument If by Faith sin be mortified see the mistake of those that will needs have sin mortified before they believe or else they will not believe O say they The errour of such who will not believe till first made whole if such and such a lust were mortified I could believe but so long as the case stands thus I dare not As much as to say If they were rid of the disease beforehand they would go to the Physician and take Physick Indeed it s required they should be sensible of their disease And though we do not say we must thus prepare our selves yet we may safely say God thus prepares his people for Christ Mat. 9.12 13. They that are whole need not the physician but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now then seeing we cannot be rid of our disease till we come to the Physician and we cannot come without faith therefore we see the errour and mistake of those that will not believe till first made whole Vse 2 Let us Examine if we live by Faith in Christ by this Then we live the Life of Mortification Examination Gal. 5 24. They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hast thou done so Many are mistaken and think some that sin is not mortified when it is others that it is when it is not A poor childe of God cries out Mine enemies my sins live and are mighty c therefore I live not by Faith But a Moral man he can say I was once a Drunkard or Swearer but now I have left all my vain company therefore my sin is mortified and yet it may be he is as covetous now as luxurious as before VVherefore its hard to know whether sin be truly mortified for as in some Grace hath a name to live and is dead so in others Sin hath a name to be dead and is alive Sometimes one sin drives out another while particular ends and aim or light of Nature c. over-rule in this rather than that Therefore Examine But how shall we know if sin be mortified indeed Ans 1. If sin die then we are first sick of sin Marks of true Mortification as commonly before men die Ipsa senectus morbus themselves are weary of themselves As the Soul is sick of love to Christ Cant. 2.5 so it is also sick of sin Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt c. 2. If sin dies aright it dies in all parts 2 Mark Col. 3. Mortifie your members not one member onely
Temptations Some do tempt the Devil to tempt them by thrusting themselves upon apparent danger of sinning as into evil company and lewd houses whereas the Holy Ghost sayes Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house Prov. 5.8 Vse 5 The last Use A word of Comfort to a Christian Comfort against the vigor and rigor of sin against the vigour and rigour of sin which is like the Egyptian Taskmasters every day imposing new burthens by fleshly lusts ever warring against the soul A great discomfort this is which makes a gracious Soul complain with David Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar or Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Yet here is comfort he lives by faith the Life of Mortification Faith tells him 1. Christ is on his side as Jehu cried Who is on my side who 2. The victory is sure 1 Cor. 15. pen. Let this therefore comfort a Christian that is troubled more for sin Job 36.21 than affliction And it is our duty to strengthen the hearts and hands of such in their spiritual warfare Heb. 12.12 Lift up the hands that hang down Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished c. As the house of Saul grew weaker every day so shall sin Though there be cause to be humbled yet also Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And as the Apostle exhorts Christians not to sorrow as men without hope for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 because they shall live again at the last So say I let not Christians sorrow as men without hope by reason of their living enemies their powerful corruptions for they shall die at the last It may be said to a Christian at his last gasp These Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever The Red-sea of death shall drown them all BRANCH IV. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. VIVIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Vivification When his heart is ready to sink Faith lifts it up again and puts a new Life as it were into it And the very Text seems to drive at this also if we make out the Antithesis or opposition to the full betwixt Unbelief and Faith The Unbeliever lifts up his heart in Creature-strength but the Believer lives by Faith in Gods strength Jehosaphats heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 In the midst of all damps he liv'd by Faith this Life of Vivification which is as it were under God the life of our lives or at least the liveliness of our life as we say Such an one is a lively Christian or a man full of life For I do not here mean by Vivification the first quickning work of the Spirit for that we spoke of before in the Life of Renovation but I mean the quickning and reviving work of the Spirit after some deadness hath seized upon the Soul Two Propositions Therefore two things are to be demonstrated 1. That Gods own Children are subject to be overtaken with spiritual drowziness or deadness of Spirit at some times as the foot may be asleep through obstructions 2. That at such times as these they live by Faith and by Faith recover the quickness and activity of their spiritual life again 1. Gods children subject to deadness The first we premise That the best of Gods Children are subject to deadness Even the five wise Virgins as well as the foolish all slumbred and slept Matth. 25.5 The Spouse complains of her drowziness Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh Christ chargeth the Church of Sardis with this Rev. 3.1 2. Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead What! quite dead No but ready to die as it follows ver 2. And so Mr. Perkins expounds it Experience shews this daily How many Christians full of complaints of their deadness as David Psal 119.25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me c. Quest How comes this to pass or what is the reason and cause of it Ans It is good indeed to know the cause The cause of a disease being found out it is half cured For answer then hereunto we must distinguish of Deadness Causes of this deadness A Christians deadness is either Accidental Sinful Penal or Probational 1. Accidental 1. The cause of Accidental deadness springs sometimes from age sometimes from sickness sometimes from melancholly In which cases a man may have a very good will to do service with life and activity but bodily weakness pulling him down and the natural spirits being low he is just like a Bird that hath her wings clipt who would fain fly but cannot And this unfits to any duties as well natural and civil as religious 2. There is a Sinful deadness 2. Sinful when a man hath little heart or affection to the service of God And if we enquire into the reason of this it springs from sinful causes Which are either Privative as the want of good Food the Word which is animae pabulum Or good Exercise 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self rather unto godliness Or good Company which is quickning one stick of this fire kindles another he that 's all alone soon falls asleep Or good Air I mean a good Ministery Heb. 10.24 25 As the presence of these things in nature makes men active and vigorous and the want of them makes heavy and dead so in Grace Or else they are Positive causes And such are 1. Excessive cares or pleasures which do overcharge the heart Luke 21.34 2. Bad Company Peters heart was deaded in the High-Priests Hall 'T is said of Nero he tied the bodies of living men to those that were dead which was cold comfort and half a death to them Nothing dulls more than the society of dull and dead-hearted men 3. Custom in Sin which makes insensible in sinning Prov. 23.34 35. They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not c. 4. Satan oft rocks the cradle It was more than a natural drowziness that the disciples were so heavy and sleepy when Christ was upon his Passion You may know the disease by the remedy watch and pray says our Savior that ye enter not into temptation Mat. 26.40 41. 3. There is a Penal deadness and God inflicts this as a punishment of former sins Is 6.9 10. Go and tell this people 3. Penal Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears c. The word sometimes makes men worse rather than better as the beams of
from an inward principle of life And how is that discerned Ans His actions spring 1. From Faith both in the Precept Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me and in the Promise whether of Assistance or Acceptance or Reward as we see in Moses Heb. 11.25 26. 2. From Love 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth me A natural man or hypocrite is not moved by any such Principle Trial. 2 Secondly they differ in their End A true Christian aims at Gods glory Elias is zealous for the Lord of hosts 1 King 19. Whether he eats or drinks he does all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And others Salvation ver 33 Even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit sayes Paul but the profit of many that they may be saved An Hypocrite though zealous and he sayes 't is for God yet 't is for himself that he may be seen of men Matth. 6.6 So Jehu 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my zeal for the Lord This is his end and this is his Principle For Finis movet agentem That which is last in Execution is first in Intention Hence also his most lively actions spring from envy and sinful emulation they scorn any should go beyond them Some preach Christ of envy sayes Paul Philip. 1.15 But a gracious heart is glad when others are active and exceed Trial. 3 Thirdly in their Manner of working where there is true Vivification 1. It strives against Coldness and meets with opposition swims against the stream An hypocrite may be as active as he will he findes nothing to let him 2. He that is truly active desires to approve himself to God and had rather God should approve him than all the world commend him 1 Cor. 4.3 4. It is a very small thing I should be judg'd of mans judgment but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Nay 2 Cor. 10. last Not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth See Psal 139. Iohn 21.17 Trial. 4 Lastly in their Issue and success The true Life of Vivification increaseth strength and spirits Prov. 24.5 A man of knowledge increaseth strength The counterfeit life of Vivification decreaseth strength and spirit like the blazing Comet that wastes it self or as unnatural predatory heat devours the spirits and strength whereas natural heat increaseth both False zeal is like Nebuchadnezzars Image Dan. 2.32 the head of gold but downward worse and worse BRANCH V. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. AUGMENTATION NOw next the Just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation he draweth increasing Vertue from Christ Christ is to the Church what the Head is to the Natural Body not onely a principle of life and motion but of increase also Col 2.19 Not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Now what are these joynts and bands but the Spirit and Faith uniting each Member to the Head So that by Faith the Soul draws both quickning and increasing Vertue from Christ the Head The just lives the Life of Augmentation in Spiritual Respects however he fares in Temporal to apply it to the occasion of the Text. Whereas it might be objected The Caldeans will so crush the people of God that they will make them even weary of their lives as Jethro said to Moses Exod. 18.18 Thou wilt surely wear away both thou and this people The Text answers Now the just shall live by his Faith though the outward man decays by affliction yet the inward man in all true Believers is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 i.e. Gods people are quickned strengthned and enlarged in their Spiritual Life one day after another And to this increase of Spiritual Life the Prophet alludes in the very Context of this Chapter ver 14. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Which words howsoever some do refer to the manifestation of Gods glory in the destruction of the Caldeans which is true also yet others extend them further even to the abundant pouring forth of the Spirit of grace as a fruit of their affliction So the very same words are used isa 11.9 where he shews how such men as have been Wolves and Leopards shall be made of a Lamb-like disposition And how so For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord c. So that these words do necessarily refer to the abundant increase of grace and so the just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation in the Winter of Affliction As the unbeliever swells at first ebullat but vanishes to nothing afterwards So the believer is small at first but increaseth exceedingly What John Baptist said I must decrease but he must increase so may the unbeliever say See ver 5 6 7.8 We are then to insist upon two things 1. That the just lives the Life of Augmention 2. That he lives this Life by Faith Propos 1. Just live the life of Augmentation First the just lives the Life of Augmentation It is his duty property and practice to grow and to increase 2 Pet. 2. last But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 4.1 abound more and more ver 10. increase more and more Col. 1.10 increasing in the knowledge of God They that travel heaven ward they go from strength to strength Psal 84.7 Nicodemus was weak in grace at first and so was Joseph of Arimathea for they both came by stealth to Christ at the beginning of their Conversion for fear of the Jews But afterward they grew so strong in grace that though Christ was crucified they came boldly and begg'd his body of the Governor Joh. 19. and committed it to the grave with an honorable Burial Peter was so weak at the first that the breath of the Damsels voice makes him fall back but afterwards he grew so strong that he stands like an unmovable Rock at all the Thunder-claps and terrible threats and stripes of the High-Priests Acts 4. and Rulers of the people Thus it was with the rest of the Disciples and so it is with all Gods people And the Reason is drawn Reasons of spiritual growth 1. First From the nature of true Grace It is of a growing nature Thus it is with the Kingdom of God or Church in general it increaseth from very small beginnings to a great bigness like Gideons Barley-cake or like a Snow-ball it rowls up and down the world and grows bigger and bigger and subdues all before it Therefore 't is compared to a grain of Mustard-seed Mat. 13.31 which being the least of seeds when 't is sown yet the greatest of herbs when 't is grown Besides Mustard-seed you know sows it self after the first year and so 't is in the growth of Gods Kingdom Therefore
must set Though it may be morning yet with some and high-noon with others yet the night of death comes when no man can work The times come on apace when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and they that look out of their windows be darkned c. Eccles 12. The strongest life in nature must yield to death but this Spiritual life of the Soul is always on the increasing hand and never declines The just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation to his dying day even till he comes to the state of perfection and in that state he stands for ever How excellent therefore is this life above all other lives yea above all other things in the world All flesh is grass Isa 40 of a withering nature but the word of the Lord and that life which is begotten by that Word endureth for ever it is ever upon the growing hand Some love to give in their Coat of Arms a young Branch or the Moon increasing with this Motto Pluâ—Vltra But alas if they look at Temporal things they do but speak as they would have it not as they shall have it 'T is but a dream not a reality They think their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling-places to all generations but alas they do but think so for man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish Psal 49 They shall be sure to perish and their houses too The greatest Persons the greatest Families the greatest Kingdoms have their periods they have their declensions old age and death as well as their youth and manhood Grey hairs are here and there upon Ephraim Hos 7.9 though he know it not But true grace is ever in the Spring there is no fall of the leaf in this Region Psal 1.3 A Christians Arms are indeed like Joseph's A fruitful Bough even a fruitful Bough by a well whose branches run over the wall Gen. 49.22 Some fruitfulness indeed doth hinder the growth of trees but a Christians fruitfulness doth increase his growth though he be fruitful yet his branches run over the wall His life of Fructification doth help forward his life of Augmentation The just lives by Faith the life of Augmentation Inform. 2 A second Point of Information is To let us see the difference betwixt a Believer and Unbeliever or a true Believer and an Hypocrite True Believers are like the Moon in her increase Hypocrites like the Moon in her wane ever less and less till it altogether disappears They are like the grass upon the house top Psal 129. which withereth afore it groweth up to its full height But true Faith is ever upon the growing hand Inform. 3 Thirdly it informs us That there are Degrees in Sanctification because there is a growth in Sanctification and therefore Sanctification is not perfect at the first For where any thing is perfect there can be no addition or diminution But in Sanctification there is a daily addition and augmentation They that are truly gracious grow in grace 2 Pet. 3. and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And therefore it shews the Mistake of those who conceive Sanctification to be perfect at first and so make no difference betwixt Sanctification and Justification whereas the Scripture makes a wide difference for Justification is imputed Sanctification is imparted and inherent Justification is perfect Sanctification is imperfect in this life in the best of Saints even in the Apostle himself Phil. 3.12 I count not my self perfect Therefore there are degrees in Sanctification it is not perfect at the first Though all Saints are justified alike they have an equal measure in that grace yet all are not sanctified alike each hath his measure Eph. 4.7 some have two talents some five c. Mat. 25. Inform. 4 Yet fourthly observe No man should content himself with a small measure of grace He that hath Faith lives the Life of Augmentation So that it is not enough to walk according to the Rule in some things but our endevour must be to walk up to the utmost extent even to the height and breadth of the Rule which is to walk accurately Eph. 5.15 And till we come up to the Rule we must ever be on the increasing hand getting ground of corruption and coveting earnestly the best gifts For this is the man that lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation And if we do not grow and go forward we are sure to go backward as it is with the Mariner that is rowing against the stream if he do but intermit a stroke or two he loses of his course and as it is in our vital heat Vid Ames cas consc l. 2. c. 12. it never stands in one state if it increases not it decays It also serves for Reproof Vse 2 First to those that grow not at all Reproof for want of due growth They are like Trees or Beasts that are hide-bound they stand at a stay they thrive not they come not forward May be they had as much knowledge love to God c. seven years ago as now and so when for the time they ought to be teachers they had need one teach them which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 Like those silly women spoken of by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Have these the true life of grace Remember the grounds before laid down That 1. Grace is of a growing nature 2. Of a sweet and desireable nature 3. That the End of Christs coming is frustrate in respect of them Again have these any Faith For 1. as Faith increaseth so other graces Where is the Root when there is no growth in the Branches 2. How are such united to the Head that grow not O what a dishonour to their Head as if he had no vertue to communicate to his Members 3. How do such remove the impediments of Spiritual growth How can such as these have any good assurance that they are planted in the Courts of the Lord You would wonder in case you had purchased a piece of ground in a good soil planted a yong Orchard appointed a skilful Gardiner took notice of the height of your Trees if you should come ten or twenty years after and finde them no higher You would say I never saw the like in all my life these Trees were just as high when I planted them as now I could reach the tops of them then and so I can now it 's the strangest thing that ever I saw surely they are dead And yet do but change the name and thou art such a Tree thou wert planted in Godâ— Orchard twenty years ago thou hadst then as much love to God and zeal for God as now it is to be feared thou art dead though thou hast a name to live
IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. PERSEVERANCE THe just man lives by Faith in reference to the Conservation of life or Perseverance He draws from Christ confirming vertue and this doth fitly follow the former yea it is that which sets a crown upon all the rest For otherwise should a Christian grow never so rich in grace if it might be said of his Spiritual riches as the Prophet Jeremy speaks of the Temporal riches of the wicked Jer. 17 11. He shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a fool what were he the better for all his growth Now this is the very crown of Augmentation and Fructification that as he lives by Faith for the present so his Faith carries him on still to be faithful unto death that he may receive from God a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And that this is also the meaning of the Text you may see by the words themselves and by the application of them by the Apostle 1. By the words themselves for it is not said The just doth live by his Faith but The just shall live vivet therefore saith Calvin upon the place Futurum tempus vitae perpetuitatem designat The Future Tense points out the perpetuity of this life He begins that life by Faith which shall never have an end 2. This is clear by the Apostles Application and Interpretation of the Text Heb. 10.37 where the Apostle perswading to patient continuance in well-doing he brings this very Scripture for an encouragment The just shall live by faith he shall so live as to go on and persevere in his Christian course And that this is the very sense doth plainly appear by its opposite member But if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Where we see clearly drawing back or falling off is directly opposed to living by Faith So that to live by Faith in the sense of the Text and in the sense of the Apostle who best knew the meaning of the Text it is to live by Faith the Life of Conservatior He draws from Christ conserving vertue and so lives by Faith in reference to Conservation and Perseverance Two things therefore we are to shew Two Propopositions First That the just doth Persevere Secondly That he lives this Life of Perseverance by Faith 1. The just doth Persevere 1. That the just doth so live as that he shall persevere and hold out to the end Solomon tells us That the righteous is an everlasting foundation Prov. 19.25 a foundation that never shall decay Our Saviour Christ compares him Mat. 7.24 to a building founded on a Rock that out-stands all winds and weather David compares him to a Mountain a Mountain that cannot be removed Psal 125 1. The Prophet Isaiah gives him a Name An Everlasting Name that shall not be cut off Isa 56.5 S. Peter compares his beginning to Seed Immortal seed that shall never die 1 Pet. 1.23 The Psalmist compares him to a Tree a Tree planted by the rivers of waters that shall never wither Psal 1.3 Our Saviour himself calls the gift of saving grace The good part or portion that shall never be taken away Luke 10.42 and therefore it is fitly compared to fire to that holy fire which came down from heaven that never went out Levit. 6.12 13. If once that holy fire of grace be kindled in a believers heart it shall never go out Mat. 12.20 He shall not quench the smoking flax till he send forth judgement into victory Poor weak Christian is thy judgement right for God onely thy grace is so weak there is as much smoke of corruption as there is fire of good affection yet let this support thee He shall not quench the smoking flax Obj. But though Christ do not quench it or put it out himself yet something else may blow it out or pluck it from us Corruption and Satan and the World are very strong Ans As Christ will not quench it himself so he will not suffer it to be quenched by any opposite power whatsoever Job 10.28 No man shall pluck them out of my hands The Apostle was confident of this Rom. 8.35 c. Who shall separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ c. Shall tribulation or distress or famine or nakedness The Apostle is not onely assured against these but against all that Life or Death or Angels or Powers c. can do to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ The just then shall persevere 2. Perseverance is by vertue of Faith 2. He perseveres by vertue of his faith He lives by Faith the Life of Conservation 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation Which words are are set down as an argument of strong consolation to Gods people against that great Temptation of Backsliding by reason of their own weakness and their enemies power For whereas it was said in the former verse there was an incorruptible inheritance reserved for them in Heaven they might object But alas we fear our grace is not incorruptible though the Kingdom of Heaven fades not away yet our grace may fade away and so we may fall short of that Kingdom For their comfort he tells them as the Kingdom is kept for them so they are kept for the Kingdom and how kept through Faith Who are kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation Hence Faith is compared to a Shield not an ordinary one but to such a Shield as enables the Souldier to fight it out to see the last enemy slain to persevere to the end of the Battel Rom. 8. yea to be more than Conquerors even to conquer Principalities and Powers c. therefore saith the Apostle Take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand Eph. 6.13 Mark that Christian Souldier onely withstands his enemy as he should that in the right use of his Spiritual Armour is able to stand it out unto the last And I pray what is the principal part of this Spiritual Armour Is it not Faith ver 16. Above all taking the Shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one As if he should have said Faith is all in all and without this all the other parts of the Armour as good as nothing By this we withstand all our enemies and having done all are able to stand it out to the last So that a Christians life is conserved by Faith Come we now to the Reason 1. Why the just man perseveres 2. Why by Faith 1. Why the just perseveres Reasons 1. Why the just shall persevere 1 Rat. is drawn from Gods Everlasting Purpose of Election What did God Elect his people unto No less than to Eternal Life Act 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed He doth
of my making but of Gods prescribing T is Laetificans-Christi Faith 1. Then Labour for Faith and the increase of it It 's the very Doctrine now in hand The just man lives by Faith the life of Consolation Let us keep our Faith then and it will keep our Joy Let us increase our Faith and it will increase our Joy For Faith as it is the Mother so it s the Nurse also of Joy as it breeds it and brings it forth so it feeds and maintains it till it comes to a perfect age in Christ so that as the Just goes on from Faith to Faith so he goes from Joy to Joy till he comes into heaven it self As his Faith grows stronger so his Joy is sweeter All fruits the nearer to maturity the sweeter they are and so is the fruit of Faith in Spiritual Joy it s sweeter in the ear then in the blade Exercise Faith therefore every Day as thou desirest abiding and increasing Comforts Wouldst thou have the warmth of Spiritual joy abiding in thy heart and that holy fire never to go out Actings of faith for the increasing spiritual joy Be sure then to blow up the Gift of Faith by daily Exercise Qu. But how shall I make use of my Faith to the best Increase of my Joy 1. On the right object Ans 1. Remeber what was said in the Reasons Be sure to lay hold on the right Object of Consolation God himself and the Ordinances of God with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Live the Life of Justification and Sanctification and thou shalt not fail to live the Life of Consolation whereas otherwise there can be comfort no more than fruit upon a Tree without a Root 2. Act thy Faith in Prayer Pray 2. In Prayer that your joy may be full Joh. 16 24. If joy be not worth asking 't is worth nothing No wonder some have so little comfort they pray so little Ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 Thou hast it may be praid for Grace not for Comfort Learn now of David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce as if David had said Lord I have had thy Messenger the Prophet Nathan speaking peace to me for that 's the Title of the Psalm and saying The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die But Oh let me hear thy Spirit say so too or else my heart cannot rejoyce As I have heard therefore a comfortable message from thy Minister let me hear the same also from thy Spirit Make thou me to hear joy and gladness If all the Ministers in the world should preach peace to a penitent Soul as they have cause though it be in a safe yet it cannot be in a comfortable condition till God by his Spirit speak peace also Q. To what purpose then should we attend upon the Ministery of the Word A. Because though the Ministery cannot do it without the Spirit yet the Spirit delights to work in the Ministery of the Word or soon after When the Spouse in the Canticles wanting comfort inquired of the Watchmen it was but a little while ere she found him whom her soul loved Cant. 3.3 4. Q. But why doth not the Soul finde comfort in every Ordinance at all times A. There may be many causes Among the rest this may be one Lest we should ascribe so much to the Ordinance or to the Instrument dispensing it as to neglect looking up by Prayer to the God of the Ordinance whereas when we experience the best Ordinance sometimes empty and the best Instrument without the Spirit a miserable comforter This will quicken us to look above both to God himself saying We will use both but we will lift up our soul to God alone Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 86.4 and elsewhere Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation That 's the second Means to act faith for Comfort in Prayer Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. In crucifying worldly joy 3. Act Faith in the Crucifying of worldly and Carnal joys if you would profess Spiritual and Heavenly For the first of these do exceedingly quench the latter as water doth fire so that as in the strife of fire and water if heavenly joys get not the Mastery Worldly will 'T is true God makes a feast of joy a feast of fat things to his people Isa 25.6 But remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the Table of Devils Now the delights of sin are the several dishes with which the Devils table is furnished and he that is filled with these hath no stomach to the consolations of God nay he abhors them Prov. 27.7 The full stomach loaths the honey-comb He loaths the honey-comb of the Word and Ways of God And what 's the reason He was never yet weaned from the Worlds Brest David indeed could say of Gods Word Oh! it's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And why so Surely because the same David could say of all worldly delights Surely I have behaved my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Psal 131.2 Wean thy Soul therefore from worldly delights and thou shalt be the bettter prepared to delight in the Lord who is both willing and able to give thee thy hearts desire And that 's the third Means 4. 4. 1 Sam. 7.2 In spiritual mourning Act your Faith in case you are in a mournful frame to mourn after the Lord For certainly as worldly joy ever ends in sorrow so godly sorrow ever ends in joy Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God can no more withhold his sweetest comforts from those that mourn after his presence as their chiefest good than the tender Mother can withhold the Brest from the crying childe Oh! every cry goes to her heart and she cannot be quiet her self till she quiet the childe Isa 49.14 15. When Sion sits in the dust like a poor childe lamenting the parents absence saying My God hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me What is Gods answer Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the Palms of my hands As if God should say So long as thou mournest after me I may as soon forget my self as thee for I have graven thee on the palms of my hands If thou desirest comfort then mourn after the Lord not after corn and wine and oil not after the harvest of the Lord but the Lord of the harvest and then doubtless such as thus sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. 5. In raising spiritual affections Act Faith in digesting and
Fall for as he was created in a possibility of standing so he was created in a possibility of falling also and fall he did as is manifest to all the world by woful experience Much less then would there be any certainty of this Salvation after the Fall should it depend upon the perfection of his own Righteousness Isa 64.6 for all our Righteousness is as filthy Rags But when nothing else is required of us in point of Justification but the renouncing our own Righteousness and the accepting of that which was performed by Jesus Christ who hath fulfilled all Righteousness to the utmost demand of the Law When once God gives us grace to do this as this is done by the grace of Faith we may be sure the gates of Hell shall never prevail against us Therefore God would have the Just live by Faith that his Salvation might be upon surer grounds General VSES Vse I. Of Information Vse 1 FOr Information If the just lives by Faith First see the happy Condition of Believers Joh. 6.29 Information in 7 things It is comfort against all discomforts What is thy Discomfort What troubles thee The happy condition of believers They have comfort 1. Against self-condemnation Is this thy discomfort when thou lookst into thy Self thou seest nothing but the Sentence of Death and condemnation in regard of thy sinfulness of Nature and Life yet thou maist say though I see nothing but Death it self By Faith I live 1. Doth the Law condemn thee Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them 2. Doth thine own Conscience condemn thee taking part with the Law which is written there Conscience is a Practical Syllogism The Law affords the Major Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Conscience affords the Minor But I have not continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Therefore I am cursed 3. Doth the Devil condemn thee who sails with wind and tide making use of the Law and Conscience As the Devil is called The Accuser of the Brethren 4. Do other Men condemn thee with whom thou hast sinned by counsel consent or incouragement Thou hast been partaker of other mens sins and these come to rise up in Judgement against thee 5. Doth the Gospel it self condemn thee At least for the time that is past Thou hast outstood many thousand sweet proffers of Grace and Mercy therefore thou art afraid that Sentence belongs to thee Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded c. 6. Dost thou fear sometimes condemnation from the Mouth of the Judge who shall judge men according to the things that are written in the Books Rev. 20.12 yet here is thy comfort if thou believest thou art in an estate of Life The Just shall live by Faith Faith unites him to an everlasting Principle of Life And There is no condemnation to them that by faith are implanted into Christ Rom. 8.1 They are freed from condemnation Joh 5.24 1. Of the Law Rom. 7.6 We are delivered from the Law in regard of Exaction Curse and Malediction Rom. 8.2 3. We are not under the Law as a Covenant but onely as a Rule Rom. 10.14 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one who believes 2. Of Conscience Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God This blood is sprinkled by Faith which purifies the heart Act. 15.9 and as it purifies so it pacifies Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 3. Of Satan Rev. 12.10 For the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night His accusations are cast out of the Court like the Accusations of some troublesome Informer or busie Promoter And how are we freed from his Accusations but by Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith Repel his Accusation of God as if he did not love you because he afflicts you For of such an Accusation he there speaks as appears by the Means which there is fitted to that kinde of resistance Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplish'd in your brethren 4. Of Men Rom. 8.33 34. The Apostle challengeth Men and Devils If the Superior Judge will absolve and justifie what hath the Inferior Judge or Witness to say against the party 5. Of the Gospel Indeed if they who believe had stood out to the end the Sentence had belonged to them But because they did by Faith receive the Gospel at the last all their former rejecting of it shall not so much as be mentioned Rev. 3.20 Christ stands at the door and knocks and makes a gracious Promise If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me But alas who hears at the first knock Christ stands there many a day it may be many years before the poor creature opens and believes yet if he opens at last Christ comes in and makes good his Promise 6. Of the Judge for God shall judge the secrets of men according to the Gospel Rom. 2.16 Believers shall hear a Sentence of Absolution Come ye blessed So There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom 8.1 Secondly is this thy Discomfort 2. Comfort against absence from the Lord. Thou art absent from the Lord O when shall I come and appear before God Faith draws God near to the Soul in the Promise and in the Seal of the Promise Thou seest the face of God in a lively picture in a clear glass in the glass of the Word and Sacrament and that 's a great comfort As it is some comfort to have the lively Picture of an absent friend but no picture can draw one friend so near to another as these lively pictures do draw God to the Soul Therefore when we act our Faith we are said to draw near to God Heb. 10.22 3. Against distance of things promised Thirdly is this our Discomfort The distance of the thing promised yet this is our Comfort Faith gives us such Security as if the thing had a present subsistence Heb. 11.1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen 4. Against Temporal and Spiritual wants Fourthly is this thy Discomfort That thy Wants are many in Temporals and Spirituals and thou knowest not how to get them supplied yet this is thy Comfort Christ is a Fountain and the Word a Treasure and as long as there is any thing left in the Word or in Christ in whom all fulness dwells thou canst never want
influence of faith into Consolation 288 to 292 Consolation what properly 292 Consolation from the touch of faith 292 293 The Word and Sacraments are the Brests of Consolation 393 394 395 Reasons why Consolation comes by faith 298 299 305 306 We must try our Comforts by our Graces and not our Graces by our Comforts See why 300 to 304 It is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than Graces 301 See Joy Papists rob of Comfort while of faith 321 Comfort from sense and sensual delights ends in sorrow 321 To refuse to be comforted by the Promises dishonors God 322 Comfort in false Doctrine and Prophets dangerous 322 Motives to live by faith the life of Comfort 323 Consolation brings activity of Obedience 323 There may be strong faith where little comfort 514 Constancy See Perseverance Gods constancy in his love a motive to perseverance 249 Conversation See Carriage Vnnecessarily imbraced with wicked ones hinders growth in grace 230 Conversion Vnbelievers rarely Convert others if they do they take no joy in it 39 The method of converting grace how it gradually proceeds from conviction of sin to a closing with Christ 521 522 Its not the Word without the Spirit which can convert 529 Conversion of Souls is a most excellent work for seven Reasons from 585 to 600 Such reproved who slight the converting of others 602 603 604 Exhortation to convert souls 606 Eight Motives to convert others from 607 to 610 Means for the conversion of others from 610 to 612 Exhortation to People to be willing to be converted and to attend on such means as are proper for it 612 613 614 615 616 The misery of such who are not converted 613 The happiness of converted ones 614 Objections of Discouragement answered 614 615 Thankfulness for our own and others Conversion 616 Conviction It is an act of the comforting Spirit though not an act of Comfort 272 The Spirit convinces of sin by opening and applying the Law 520 521 Covenant of Grace This is a cause of the Saints perseverance 238 Creature-inconstancy Faith triumphs over it 261 262 Curiosity Vain curiosity concerning heaven condemned 359 D Deadness of Spirit Gods Children subject to it 172 Causes of spiritual deadness which is fourfold 173 Sinful deadness springs from four privative causes and from four positive causes 173 Penal and probational deadness 174 Saints recover by faith out of deadness 174 175 Reasons why faith recovers out of deadness 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Motives to quicken under deadness 179 180 181 182 183 Means to quicken under deadness 184 185 186 187 Vide Vivification Death Die Faith in death 58 469 Six Reasons why believers die in faith 59 60 No need of faith after death 61 62 Christs death applied by faith a means of Sanctification 126 Greater happiness in the death than life of Believers 318 319 Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death from 368 to 373 Believers conquer Death in rectified opinion of it 370 Reasons why true Believers are loth to die 372 Desertion The just live by faith under desertion 50 Faith triumphs over fear of Divine desertion from 267 to 275 Desertion in appearance only 267 268 269 Desertion in respect of temporals onely 270 Desertion in respect of Spiritual means 271 Desertion in respect of Spiritual comforts 271 272 God deserts his people onely in accessory graces 273 274 Vide Forsaking Despair It is Reproved 358 359 It quits the Vse of the Ordinances 510 Desires Strong desires after Christ are the seeds of faith 533 Diligence It leads to assurance in the use of holy means 95 What it implies and how it breeds faith 541 Discipline Holy discipline and strictness the sphere of Comfort 297 to 300 Discouragement Faiths triumph over five main discouragements 261 Doctrines These are to be judged true or false as they slander or advance the life of faith 448 449 Doubting Frequency of it a sign of weak faith 571 Duration Faith must be acted as long as we live yet love excels it in duration 60 61 Duties Backwardness to holy duties and remissness in them is a sign of a weak faith 572 E Election It is a cause of perseverance 237 Doubting of Election hinders believing 505 Envy It is an Impediment of growth in grace 230 Establishment in Faith Reasons why we should labor to be establisht both in the Doctrine and Grace of faith 544 The benefit of Establishment in the faith ibid. Enemies which oppose the establishment of faith 545 Though faith cannot be lost yet God establishes in the use of means 545 Seven Means of establishing faith 548 to 556 See Keeping of Faith Eternal See Life Examination See Trial. Evidence of grace upon examination brings comfort 300 Examine two things in order to the Sacrament 577 Excellency Faiths excellency in two respects 62 63 The complicated excellencies of a believer 477 Example Examples of crowned Saints a means of perseverance 255 Experiences These called to minde breed assurance 96 They are a firm ground for future faith 409 Reasons for the deduction of faith from experiences 410 They are a means to increase faith 581 F Faith It s definition in eight branches 19 20 What it is to live by faith in five particulars 21 22 Faith Life and Christ come all together yet in order 23 Faith described in seven faculties of spiritual life 23 to 28 Why Saints live by faith rather then any other grace 28 29 30 Why no man can live but by his own faith 33 34 Caution in four particulars amplifying that truth 35 36 37 Restriction of it in four Considerations 38 39 Make much of faith as your life in troubles 64 65 True faith is known by its renewing and fructifying vertue 141 Faith is the root of holiness and fruitfulness 144 Faith resembles the expulsive faculty in the body 150 Faiths triumph over personal weaknesses 263 Its triumph over sinful distempers 264 Faiths triumph over uncertain events 264 265 Its triumph over fear of sinning or suffering 266 267 Its triumph over fear of divine desertion 267 268 See Desertion Faith reflects on Sanctity and Sincerity to comfort 299 Faith produceth comfort as it makes future good things to be as it were present 305 306 Want of acting faith in Gods Word and Works though there be the habit is a great cause of sadness 313 314 Faith is the mother and nurse of spiritual joy 328 Faith to be acted seven wayes for the increase of joy 328 to 334 Faith assures that eternal life is the Believers 341 How faith assures a Believer of heaven 342 to 351 Examination of true faith as it respects eternal life 362 Faith lifts up a man above the troubles of the world 377 382 383 Faiths manly choice or charm against prosperity 385 What are the Reasons why the Just must live by faith 398 to 417 Living by faith a very reasonable duty 399 Faith puts life into the Promises 400 Faith is a Saints security for
And thus by Faith laying hold on the Promise the just live the life of Augmentation their life as the VVidows Oil increasing by the Word of the Lord. 8. Labour to take Delight in the ways of God 8 Mean Delight in Gods ways to finde what is promised Job 22.26 Thou shalt have delight in the Almighty VVhat children delight in they prove excellent in that way they grow up to perfection in it If we could delight our selves in the law of the Lord then we should be as Trees planted by the rivers of water that bring forth their fruit in season Psa 1.2 3. 9. Be careful to remove Impediments of growth First root up the Weeds of sinful Corruption 9 Mean Remove all Impediments which choak the good corn Cast out those noisom Humours out of the stomach of the Soul which sowre the good Milk of the VVord and make it unprofitable 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speaking as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby Secondly Take heed of a conceit of perfection 2 Imp. that we are grown enough already VVhat made the Church of Laodicea so lazy and lukewarm Rev. 3.17 but because she said she was rich and full VVhat made Paul so active for God but because he was very sensible of his imperfection Phil. 3.12 He look'd upon himself as not come up to his full attainments not yet perfect therefore he was still pressing forward Imp. 3 Thirdly Take heed of Envy and Contention 1 Cor. 3.1 2. The Corinthians were but babes in Christ why so they were full of contentions The Body of Christ edifies it self in love Eph. 4.16 Therefore it consumes it self by fretfulness and envy Imp. 4 Fourthly Take heed of Hypocrisie and Vnfruitfulness I put them both together because they are never asunder Those that have nothing but leaves without fruit like the barren Fig-tree are neâ—r unto cursing and blasting Such are so far from growing that they wither away and are good for nothing but the fire becoming trees twice dead and plucked up by the roots Jude 12. Imp. 5 Fifthly Take heed of Despising Ordinances they are given to advance growth Eph. 4 11. He gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the Body of Christ c. Therefore where these are despised there must needs be a decay therefore 1 Thess 5.19 20. Quench not the Spirit and Despise not Prophecying are put together to shew That despising Prophecy is the way to quench the Spirit Imp. 6 Sixthly Take heed of unnecessary Conversation with wicked men This is a hindrance of growth this cools your zeal and gives a check to your speed in your Christian Race therefore David Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God As if he could not possibly go on and grow in grace so long as the wicked stood in his way Imp. 7 Spiritual pride and self-confidence Seventhly We must know That Gods withdrawing the influence of his grace from the Soul may cause a stop or a decay for a time which God usually does either to prevent or else to cure Spiritual Pride and Self-confidence When Peter was confident of his own strength Christ tells him Before the Cock crew he should deny him and it was Christs looking back upon Peter that quickned him again therefore I suppose it was not so much the strength of the tentation as Peters weakness in resisting and that weakness proceeding from Gods withdrawing himself that was the cause of Peters fall For his tentation was as strong afterwards when he was threatned by the same Authority yet answered so couragiously Acts 4.19 But now God assisted before he did withdraw Therefore take heed of Spiritual Pride and trusting to the Mountains of Grace received Psal 30.6 for then God turns away his face and we are troubled he withdraws the influence of his grace and then we decay it is fall of the leaf with us as with the Trees in Autumn and we cannot grow again till the Sun of Righteousness make a new spring Vse 7 The seventh Use is for Comfort to those that are apt to be discouraged at the small beginnings of grace Comfort at small beginnings of grace as the old men wept when they saw the Foundation of the second House how far it came short of the Glory of the first Ezr. 3.12 So many when they consider the first fabrick how God made Man after his own Image in perfect Righteousness and Holiness and then look on the second in the work of Regeneration how far it comes short they lament Alas alas are these Bodies and these Souls the Temples of the Holy Ghost To such I would say as Zech. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things Though the second Temple at the beginning be far short yet in conclusion it shall exceed the former Hag 2.9 This Temple is made of living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 nay of growing stones Eph 2.21 We wrong a mans work if we judge it before it be finisht so we wrong Gods work and our selves if we judge it before it be finisht The just should live by Faith the Life of Augmentation to encourage him against all discouragements 2 Cor. 4.16 Therefore we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen It was such an encouragement to Elijah when he discerned but a cloud about the bigness of a hand that he could from thence foretel abundance of Rain 1 King 18. So it may be an encouragement to us if we can but discern the least beginnings of grace for then it will certainly increase till it be perfected to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 Vse 8. Direction of behaviour towards the weak The eighth Use is for Direction how to carry our selves towards the weak not in a way of morosity to despise them or discourage them but in a way of lenity and equanimity to be tender over them and encourage them As Christ is far from breaking a bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax that he strengthens the one and blows up the other so should we do and by this means it may come to pass that many that are last may be first they may out-grow many that went before them VVe do not expect that from new-born babes that we expect from grown men but because they are so little and tender we are very indulgent towards them we nourish and cherish them and so they grow on to maturity Thus they that are grown Christians should carry themselves towards them that yet are but babes in Christ Thus we have seen that the just lives by Faith in reference to the Augmentation or increase of his life with the uses of it BRANCH VI.