unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. See here the Apostle prayes for the multiplication of grace but how should it be multipled he tells you through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord What is meant by the knowledge of Jesus our Lord but Faith in Jesus our Lord as Joh. 17 3. This is eternal life to know thee i.e. to believe in thee and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ So that then all grace is multiplied in the increase and multiplication of Faith Reas 1 The Reason is Because Faith is a Radical grace it 's like the Root of a Tree in relation to the Branches They which had no depth of root in the Parable of the Seed Luk. 8.13 are such as had no depth of faith Col. 2.7 we are said to be rooted and stablished in Christ by faith Now then you know as the root grows so the branches grow as the root decayes so the branches decay if the root once rot within the ground though you see not that yet you shall soon see the branches rot above ground So however you cannot easily see how a mans faith decayes because that is as the root yet you shall soon perceive a decay in the exercise of other graces because they are as he branches And on the other side as the root of faith prospers so other graces thrive and bring forth fruit in the branches 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde therefore unto your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. See here how Faith is made the root of all Vertue and Knowledge and Temperance and Patience c. all grow upon Faith as upon â—heir root As the increase of the root increaseth the branches so the increase of faith increaseth other graces Caution Yet we aâ—â— to understand this warily We must not so take it as if faith were a Root exclusivè excluding Christ himself for Christ is the Master-root and Faith but a spurn or a sucker from him Therefore in the place fore named Col. 2.7 we are said to be rooted in him when we are established in the faith And this mindes us of a second Reason why the just lives by faith the Life of Augmentation Reas 2 Because Faith is an uniting Grace It unites the Soul to Christ as the Cien is united to the Stock as the Members in the body are united to the Head not originally or as the principal Efficient for that is the work of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 but instrumentally as Sinews and Nerves unite the Members to the Head and so are the instrumental cause of the growth of them not that they can give any nourishment of themselves but onely as they convey it from the Head as Organical means So Faith doth nourish other graces not of it self but as it sucks and draws and so conveys nourishment from Christ who is the Head of the Church to every Member as appears from Ephes 4.15 16. compared with vers 13. Reas 3 The third Reason why a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation is Because he liveth by Faith the Life of Fructification and Vivification For that which doth act grace and put it to the use doth necessarily increase grace also Not onely in a rational way in a way of sound Reason in that frequent acts do strengthen each habit with Gods ordinary concurrence as a Scholar that is diligent in his way by often hearing and reading and writing and speaking and disputation and meditation and studying becomes rich in learning that his very lips feed many hungry Souls But also in a way of grace or in a way of Covenant-mercy by vertue of Gods Promise which he hath made to the diligent hand The diligent hand saith God maketh rich Prov. 10.4 As rich to the world so rich Heaven-ward Use grace and have grace saith God Mat. 25.24 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have more abundantly but from every one that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath To every one that hath What 's that that hath made good use of Talents formerly receiv'd as appears by the context that man shall increase he shall have more abundantly This is that honest and honorable Vsury by which we may lawfully put out not Money but the Grace of God to Use till we grow rich towards God in all utterance and in all knowledge as it was said of the Corinthians so that we come behinde in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Being like those fruitful Trees planted in the Courts of the Lord they are not onely fruitful Psal 92. but they increase in fruitfulness Whereas on the other side men of excellent parts for want of Faith to exercise their grace they are blasted and wither away and come to nothing they are as trees without fruit twice dead and plucked up by the roots Jude v. 12. Reas 4 The fourth and last Reason Because faith removes or at least helps us against the hindrances of Spiritual growth it is Causa removens as well as promovens As 1. The Commonness of the ground when 't is like the High-way without hedge or wall a very road for the Devil to pass up and down in and spoil all But now Faith sets a fence about the heart and guards it against such temptations as might render it unfruitful 1 Pet. 5.8 whom resist stedfast in the faith 2. The Stonyness of the ground that hindred the growth of the Seed in the Parable for which Faith layes hold on that Promise Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of Stone and I will give you an heart of Flesh 2. The Thornyness of the ground which also hinders growth And these thorns are expounded by the Maker of the Parable to be the Cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches But faith removes this hindrance 1. Joh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Faith will tell us All things are but loss and dross in comparison of Christ 4. The Worm of sinful corruption this at the root hinders growth But the just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification and therefore of Augmentation 5. Evil Winds that blast the fruit hinder growth These winds are Errors and false Doctrines but Faith removes this hindrance They that are well stored with Faith will not be like children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.13 14. Hence then we may receive Information in divers Particulars Vse 1 First see the Difference between this life and all other lives Other lives as they have their increase Information about spiritual growth so they have their decrease also Like the Sun when it once comes to the high Noon it declines again and at last goes down and leaves the world in darkness There must come a time when the Sun of our life
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
Discouragements removed by Faith Faiths Triumph over fear of Divine desertion God may forsake his people in five respects yet it is but gradual and momentary not total and final Reasons of Gods forsaking his people 1 For prevention of Evil two ways 2 For Confirmation in Good five ways The Life of Faith in Consolation Two Propositions stated 1 That the Just lives the Life of Consolation 2 That he lives this Life by Faith Four Reasons why the Lord will have the Just live comfortably Six Reasons why Consolation comes by Faith Faith fetches in Comfort from the Trial and Evidence of the Truth of Grace Objections against Assurance of Divine Love inferred from Marks and Signs of true Grace answered It is a preposterous course to judge of our interest in Divine Love by our Comforts before we have tried the sincerity of our Graces Differences of Regenerating Grace from Common Uses of the Life of Consolation in Believers 1Vse Information in five Particulars 1 Of the cause of sadness in the faithful 2Vnregenerate souls are uncomfortable souls 3 Religious Life is the onely comfortable Life Objection against this That the Saints walk sadly answered Where the Rise of the Saints heaviness is discovered in three general Causes The first is taken from themselves in five particulars The second from Satan The third from God himself who eclipses his Peoples Comforts for three Reasons 4 Information what to desire for our best friends 5 Information what great happiness attends the end of Saints in death 2Vse of Reproof 1 Of mis-judging the Life of the faithful 2 Of Papists who rob of Comfort while of Faith 3 Of such who fetch Comfort from Sense 4 Of such who refuse Comfort upon the Promises 5 Of such who go for Comfort to false Prophets 3Vse of Exhortation To live this life of spiritual comfort 1 Three Motives Vnder the third is set forth ten Properties wherein a believers joy excels all natural worldly sinful joy 2 Means to get and maintain spiritual Joy Faith is acted seven ways for the increase of Joy Having seen how the Just live by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life It remains to shew how they live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life The Work of Faith about Eternal Life Faith assures of three things about Eternal Life 1 That there is an Eternal Life This Faith makes good by Scripture and five Reasons flowing by necessary Consequence from Scripture 2 Faith informs a Believer what the happiness of Eternal Life is and wherein it consists viz. In the perfect Vision of God which causes perfect transformation in perfect Knowledge Love Obedience Joy which perfect transformation causes perfect Satisfaction which Satisfaction consists privatively in a fivefold freedom from whatever may annoy or interrupt the Joy of glorified Saints positively in the possessing of whatever good can be desired to make up complete Joy and Satisfaction which consists in a fourfold fulness of the Subject in glory as also in the fulness of the Object viz. The beatifical Vision of God 3 Faith assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in Eternal Life Under which Head is shewn How Faith assures a Believer of his particular interest in Eternal Life This it doth six ways all which are largely handled Five Reasons why Believers are kept out of possession of heaven so long after assurance of their interest in Eternal Life Uses of living by Faith in order to Eternal life 1Vse Confutation of such who deny Eternal Life both in respect of the Soul at present and of the Body after the Resurrection Five proofs of Eternal Life 2Vse Reproof to five sorts of persons 1 To such as complain that Religion is a fruitless Profession 2 To such as despair in stead of acting Faith for Eternal Life 3 To such as exercise their fancy more than faith concerning Eternal Life where vain curiosity in moving Questions about the state of glory rather than a due care to make sure an interest in it is condemned 4 To such who have an interest in Eternal Life but do not act faith to the improvement of that interest 5 To such who minde Earth for a portion more than Eternal Glory 3Vse Examination of Faith in respect of Life Eternal Whether we believe aright that there is such a state and that we have an interest in it 1 Sign By our carriage in Life Whether our Affections Meditations Speeches and Actions be heavenly such as sute such an inheritance 2 Sign By our respect which we bear to Death viz. as a passage to Eternal Life as a conquered Enemy Four Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death for all his Question stated Whether godly persons may not be afraid to die and unfit to die 4Vse Exhortation To live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life Five Motives to get assurance of Eternal Life Four Means to assure of Eternal Life 5Vse Comfort and Encouragement against the evils and temptations of this present life drawn from the nature of our heavenly life where hope or assurance of heaven is demonstrated to bear up the heart under adversity and to preserve the Souls integrity under temptations of Prosperity 6Vse Admiration and Thankfulness for our heavenly life To excite to this the excellency of heaven is set out five ways 1 By the excellent Names or Titles given to it 2 By the excellent Properties of it which are four 3 By the excellent Price given for it 4 By the excellent Causes of it 5 By the excellent Effects of it Thankfulness for Eternal life demonstrated two ways Reasons for living by Faith The Eighth General Head or Quaere concerning the Life of Faith viz. What are the Reasons why God will have the just to live by Faith and why a Christian should be willing thus to live First sort of Reasons taken from a Believers Condition in the flesh This is set out in five particulars 1 Absence from the Lord. 2 Distance of time 'twixt the Promise and Performance 3 The necessity of keeping the Saints humble 4 Saints present state of Imprfection for whose direction and support the Word and the Ministery of it is afforded Question herestated concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Arguments of four sorts to prove it 5 Past Experiences of Gods faithfulness in fulfilling his Promises are given for a firm encouragement to exercise future Faith Three Grounds to expect that God will make good the same Promises for time to come Second sort of Reasons for living by Faith viz. The Relation betwixt Christ and Believers 1 Relation Christ is the Fountain of all Grace of whose fulness we receive onely by Faith 2 Relation Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Faith honours the Grace Faithfulness and Power of God Third sort of Reasons taken from the nature and use of Faith 1 It is our livelyhood with the difference of Faith under both Covenants 2 We first fell away from God by unbelief therefore he will recover his honour in
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
7. Augmentative faculty of Faith As Faith grows for Rom. 1.17 the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith so other graces grow with it See 2 Thess 1.3 having mentioned the growing of their faith then follows And the charity of every one of you aboundeth So 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue c. all follow Faith Again 2 Pet. 3. last Grow in grace how and in the knowledge or faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. Not onely the truth but the measure of our Faith is seen by our works And so much for the second general Question What it is to live by Faith Onely now it were good to examine our selves upon all this Whether we do thus live by Faith making our particular application of our souls to each of the particulars fore-mentioned But I pass to the third Question QUESTION III. Why a Christian is said to live by Faith rather than any other Grace Reas 1 WHy not by Love or Thankefulness or Patience c The reason is in a word for what is said already may give light hereunto First because Faith is not onely the grace which receives Christ Joh. 1. 12. who is our Life but it is also the grace that receives all other grace from Christ Therefore Faith is the first link of all that Chain of Graces 2 Pet. 1.5 c. at least in order to their working Otherwise indeed we know all graces are infused simul semel in respect of their being and existence See Joh. 7.38 He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water The graces of the Spirit run into the Soul and out again in the issues of life and all through the conduit-pipe of Faith Indeed a Christian hath great use of other graces but Faith onely layes hold on Christ for all Sanctified knowledge saith There is an infinite fulness in Christ the fulness of a Fountain Faith saith This is all for me for he is my Husband then Prayer saiâ—h If all this be thine I will go and fetch it for thee and Thankefulness sayes I will return praise to God for it and that 's better than the receiving of mercies Psal 63.5 My soul shall be filled with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips It is plain therefore however spiritual life is much exercised in other graces as well as in Faith as in Prayer and Patience and Love and Thankfulness yet because Faith acts and exercises and puts life into all therefore a Christian is said rather to live by his Faith As may be seen Heb. 11. through the whole Chapter For Prayer is no prayer unless it be a prayer of Faith Jam 5. and Patience is no patience unless joyned with Faith Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Rev. 13. and so of all the rest Reas 2 Secondly Because Faith layes hold upon that Word by which man lives For man lives by the word of God Mat 4.4 Other graces are begotten by the Word but do not lay hold on the Word So as no word no means can profit us without Faith Reas 3 Thirdly Because when other graces and comforts to our sense lie dead and useless even then Faith lives and acts its part It is like the Cork that swims aloft when the Leads and all the Net is under water It is like the Card or Compass when Heaven and Earth fail no sight of Earth or Heaven or comfort from either when 't is a day of darkness and gloominess as that described Zeph. 1.15 or when 't is with us as it was in Pauls voyage Acts 27.13 to 26. neither sun nor star appearing for many dayes or a time as that Isa 50.10 wherein we sit in darkness and see no light yet then saith can trust in the Name of the Lord. It is as an Anchor in a storm so long as the Anchor holds there is hope but if that break there is no more governance of the Ship So Faith is compared Heb. 6.19 It is as the Widows Oyl when all other provision failed she lives upon that because she had a word from God So when all fail Faith shall not totally nor finally fail because there is a word from God which was spoken to Peter in person of all the faithful Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Or like the heart in the body though other parts be dead yet so long as the heart lives the man is alive Psa 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Thus David lived by Faith when all failed and by it thus speaks himself Psal 42.5 Why art thou disquieted O my soul still trust in God for I shall yet praise him When graces fail performances fail so that we abhor our selves and duties yet Faith sayes We are a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.5 by Jesus Christ When Paul cryed out Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am c. yet by Faith he can thank God through Jesus Christ When the Church is under water yet she can speak thus in Faith Mic. 7.8 Rejoyce not over me O mine enemy though I fall I shall rise again When Job considers his body turned to dust and worms Job 19.19 25. yet by Faith he sees my Redeemer lives c. Even when Patience failed in Job yet Faith failed not Though God kill all other graces and comforts and my soul too yet he shall not kill my Faith sayes he If he separate my soul from my body yet not Faith from my Soul If he kill me he shall not kill my Faith And therefore the just lives by Faith rather then other graces because when all is gone yet Faith remains and Faith remains because the Promise remains For ever O Lord thy word is setled in the heavens Psal 119.89 And this is the proper and principal meaning of this place Reas 4 Fourthly Because even then when neither graces nor comforts do fail yet then the just lives principally by his Faith 1. Because there is yet more to be believ'd then we already enjoy for we walk not yet by sight and therefore by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 2. Because Faith is surâ—r then any sense or feeling in the world When the Apostle had spoken of the glorious Vision and their being eye-witnesses 2 Pet. 1.19 yet sayes he We have a more sure word of prophecy c. Now 't is the property of Faith to live upon the word Vse 1 Therefore 1. Esteem of Faith as precious Faith precious above all other graces Vse 2 And learn That Faith serves not onely for manifestation that we are alive but to live by and maintain the life of all other graces QUESTION IV. Who it is that lives by his Faith Quest THe Text sayes The just Ob. But where
this sore giving us peace with God and so enables to bear the outward burthen the inward burthen being removed As for this it casts all the burthen of its cares fears and sorrows upon God and so is quiet And thus much for the Life of Faith in those Adversities which happen in the course of our Life Now see how he lives the Life of Faith in Death II Branch Of Adversity viz. Faith in death A believer lives by faith in Death Faith is a godly mans life at the time of his death as it appears by the living speeches of dying men David Psal 23. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil Simeon Luke 2. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace The Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. All these died in faith v 13. Reasons 1. 1. They died in faith because they believed the accomplishment of promises to be fulfilled after death as in the same place Heb. 11.13 not having received the promises but seeing them afar off and perswaded of them Believers dye in faith 1. For their Posterity as in the examples of Isaac and Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. who because God had promised to be the God of their seed when they were dying applied it to their posterity and blessed them concerning things to come 2. For the Church believing that God will make it a praise in the earth Isa 67.2 3. For Themselves when they go down to the waves of hell and the grave they see land afar off Stephen ready to be stoned Behold sayes he I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.56 Stephen sees heaven opened to receive him And Job chap. 19.25 I know my Redeemer lives and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall sâ—e God Moses likewise in the hazarding of himself in Egypt had respect to the resurrection of his name and body and the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 The Saints like Moses upon the top of Mount Nebo Deut. 34.1 take a view of Canaan by faith and then they are willing to dye See Paul for further instance 2 Cor. 5. from v. 1. to 9. 2. Believers dye in faith because they see it a Conquer'd enemy Death saith the Apostle is swallowed up in victory by Christ Hos 13.13 O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction 'T is part of Christs victory to conquer Death 1. By conquering the devil that had the power of death 2. Our fear of death See Heb. 2.14 15. 3. They see the sting of death pull'd out so conquered as disarmed 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting The sting of death is sin But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 4. They see it not onely a conquered and disarmed enemy but made their servant All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers 1 Cor. 3.21 22. as Paul or Apollo or Cephas are yours so death is yours sayes he As you are under God that is under you 5. Nay they see it as a Friend 1. In freeing them from the miseries of this life 2. In being their Porter or Usher into eternal life There are five Concomitants of this life which make it troublesome and Death befriends the Saints in them all by taking them away from them There is 1. The sinfulness of their Natures which makes them cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver c 2. There is the vanity of the Creature a sore evil For here Omnia vanitas All is vanity 3. The Wickedness of the World that constrains the Saints many times to complain with David Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech c. 4. There are also Gods judgements upon the world In which respect death makes the godly happy for as 't is Isa 57.1 2. they are taken away from the evil to come they rest in their beds c. 5. The last evil Concomitant is the believers distance from Christ 2 Cor. 5.6 while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord therefore we desire sayes he to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 6. Death is not onely chang'd to a believer but faith in death is seen also by altering our judgements concerning death The natural face of death is terrible to Nature and fear'd but faith sees it with desire Paul and Simeon can say I desire to be dissolv'd Christ hath not onely conquered death for his but the fear of death as was said before Heb. 2.14 And this resolves the second part of the Question How long a believer is to live by his faith and that is All his life long till death and then in death Therefore 't is said Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life And Gal. 2.20 I live saith Paul all the while I live by the faith of the Son of God c. Hence the word of the Text is put in the Future tense The just shall live by his faith to signifie the perpetuity of this life of faith As long as we live we must live by faith But no longer And therefore though Faith is excellent in some respect yet Love is more excellent in another viz. in regard of durance 1 Cor. 13.8 to the end 't is said there Love never faileth But knowledge and means of knowledge shall cease and faith shall cease but Charity never And therefore though Faith is * above before Charity in the first apprehension of Christ yet Charity is above Faith in the everlasting enjoyment of Christ and the society of true Christians However Faith is of excellent use all ouâ— life long till we come to a perfect vision we live by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 But no longer for we need it no longer As a man that sends home a friend wiâ—h a candle and lanthorn in a dark night commands the messenger to light him to his own door and then to return again for 't is supposed he hath more light in his own house than the lathorn could afford Such a charge God gives to his Word and to faith the lanthorn-bearer Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths Go give such a man light until he come to Heaven and leave him there Or as God gave Commission to the Angel Acts 12. to awaken Peter and to shake off his chain to clothe him with garments to open the gates to lead him through the first and second Ward and when he had done so forthwith the Angel departed from him Just so Faith is like this Angel it awakens us out of the the sleep of sin shakes off the chains of Satan clothes us with the righteousness of Christ opens the door of the ear and heart leads us through the first and second Ward of
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
Promises but thou bringst forth fruit of New Obedience to the glory of God Joh. 15.1 2 c. 2. In telling of us or discovering to us 2. Faith discovers what is good Fruit. what is good Fruit. For the Matter Faith tells us what is Gods revealed Will and it layes hold of the Command of God for direction as well as of the Promise of God for consolation Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments and whatsoever is not thus of faith is sin Rom. 14. ult So Faith laying hold of the Word tells me what is my duty as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Master as a Neighbour as a Fellow-Member c. If I do not live by Faith in all these the fruit I bring forth cannot be good Prov. 19.2 That the soul be without knowledge is not good c. 3. In stirring up the Soul to be fruitful 3. Faith stirs up the Soul to be fruitful How First First By guickning Considerations drawn not onely from our duty but from the Promise of God and the glory of God 1. The Promise of God as Moses Heb. 11.26 27. choosing affliction c for he had an eye to the recompence of reward So saith Faith If thou dost this the Promise is thine 2. Glory of God Faith tells the Soul 2 Thess 1. ult Matth. 5.16 Herein is thy heavenly Father glorified if thou bringest forth much fruit Joh. 15.8 Secondly By drawing strength from Christ the Root John 15.4 5. Abide in me c. Nothing without Christ all through Christ Therefore Faith and Prayer sucks strength from Christ Psal 119.4.5 Thou hast commmanded me to keep thy Precepts O that my wayes were so directed c. 4. In timing and seasoning of the Fruit 4 Faith suits all our scruples to a proper season which is a beautiful thing Eccles 3.1 True indeed our whole time is due to God Luke 1.75 Gods Trees are so full of sap that they must bring forth fruit all the year long Yea but yet there are several fruits for several seasons for several moneths Ezek. 47.12 There are several winds which blow upon the Garden of the Heart and cause several fruits to flow out Cant. 4.16 There are gales of the Spirit and gales of Providence Gales of the Spirit Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth so is the Spirit O set up thy sails when thou hast so fair a wind if thou art bound for the Land of Promise Gales of Providence viz. The north-wind of adversity O now bring forth fruit with patience The south-wind of prosperity O now bring forth fruits with joy and thankfulness Besides there are seasons of grace for thy self and for others For thy self see 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the accepted time c. when God calls by his Word or by his Rod whilest the waters are troubled John 5. then is the time of healing For others in gaining them to bring forth fruit to God Some are made Fishers of mâ—n It is excellent to know the season and the bait to cast out the Net at Gods word and his time Faith teacheth this It is good fishing in troubled waters that is the season As it is with a man ready to be drown'd you must take him when he riseth up and holds forth his hand and cries for help c. Beloved there is no Ordinance no Providence but calls for some seasonable duty at our hands As every day hath its proper trouble Mat. 6.34 so every day hath its proper task and service Now 't is Faith onely that can instruct us and enable us to know our time and take our time As he that believes makes not haste Isa 28.16 So he will not be too slow Heb. 6.12 not slothful Natural men and unbelievers know not their times nor the seasons of their visitation Luke 19.42 c. So nor of their Fructification Natural men know natural seasons of Sowing Setting Planting Plowing every Almanack can tell this But onely the true Believer the spiritual man is instructed in the spiritual good husbandry to know the right seed-time and harvest of Grace and to know the season of every fruit of Grace Eccles 8.5 6. A wise man knows time and judgement c. 5. The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification 5. Faith ripens the fruits of new obedience in ripening the fruit Faith is a bright beam of the Sun of Righteousness that ripens the fruit of New Obedience without Faith it is but crude and raw fruit yea dead and withered fruit dead Prayers dead Preaching dead Hearing dead Practice dead Works As Faith without Works is a dead faith Jam. 2.17 So Works without Faith are dead works Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God There are works that are called dead works that have all the outward lineaments of good works onely they want life and we are purged from these by the blood of Christ applied and sprinkled upon the conscience by Faith and so there is life put into them and they are made living works fit to be presented to a living God 6. And so lastly He lives by Faith in Fructification 6. Faith procures acceptation of our fruitfulness through Christ in regard of the Acceptation of this fruit when it is presented to the hands of the great Master of the Vineyard Faith presents it by the hand of a Mediator and so 't is accepted which otherwise would certainly be rejected Look as Whatsoever we ask the Father in Christs Name it is granted so whatsoever we present to God in his Name is accepted Gen 27. Jacob gat the Blessing in the garments of his elder Brother Take the same good works for matter Suppose the one presented by the hands of a faithful man the other by the hands of a proud unbeliever whose heart is lifted up in him and he thinks God is beholding to him for his service the one is accepted the other is rejected The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but to Cain and his offering had he not respect Gen. 4. And what 's the reason of the difference The difference is not in the Offering but the Offerer The one had Faith the other had none By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain God testifying of his gifts Heb. 11.4 The diversity of the persons makes a diversity in the Present They are like the two Baskets of Jeremiah's figs Jer. 24. The one had very good figs like the figs that are first ripe the other had very naughty figs that could not be eaten they were so bad True Faith dares invite God to eat of the fruit of his own Planting and of his own ripening Though it be not full ripe in it self 't is mellow'd in Christ Cant. 4. last Let my beloved come into his garden and eat of his pleasant fruit Thus the just man lives by Faith the Life of Fructification
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
Sermon yet they more desire their carnal liberty c. Thirdly it is a good evidence of growth Third sign of growth if thou gettest more strength by thy nourishment When the Gospel comes not in word onely but in power thou gettest more strength Explicated in 3 things 1. To do more 2. To bear more 3. To shake off the yoke of Ceremonies and Indifference with more ease This is an evidence of growth 1. Thou canst do more than formerly 1. Strength to do duties in performance of holy Duties 2. In resisting Temptations 1. In performance of Duties a strong man will do twenty times as much as a childe or a sick man How doth Christ convince the Church of Ephesus that she had lost her first strength of love to God but because she had lost her first works Therefore he saith Rev. 2 5. Remember whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works On the other side how doth he prove the Church of Thyatira to be on the growing hand How doth he prove her grace to be more than formerly but by her works because her works were more Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first If Christians can pray better and hear better and confer better and meditate better and practise better and all this from an inward Principle it argues they are upon the growing hand Therefore they are grown to a strange pass that cast off all care of duties And resist temptations 2. If thou growest thou canst ordinarily do more in resisting Temptations 1 Joh. 2.14 I have written to you young men because ye are strong and have overcome the wicked one How doth he prove they were strong in grace but because they had overcome the evil one On the other side how did it appear that Samsons strength was departed from him but because he could not do as at other times when the Philistines came upon him It argues a Christian is weak and decays in grace when he cannot resist Temptations as formerly Time was when Jerusalem was beautiful and yet could resist Temptations to Spiritual Adultery but when she had once yielded and was overcome by her filthy lovers God saith How weak is thy heart O Jerusalem Ezek. 16.30 He hath most grace who taking to himself the whole armour of God Eph. 6 10. is strongest in the Lord and in the power of his might that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil 2. Strength to bear 2. As he is able to do more so to bear more He is the strongest Christian that can bear the heaviest burthen In 3 things 1. Of Afflictions and Persecutions 2. Of Wrongs and Injuries 3. Of his Brethrens Infirmities 1. Afflictions 1. Of Afflictions or Persecutions It argued a great growth of grace in the Apostles that whereas before Christs Passion they could not so much as endure to hear of it with patience O saith Peter Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Mat. 16.22 Now they themselves can suffer and that not onely with patience but with much rejoycing Acts 5.41 They rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for his Name 2. He is grown stronger 2. Injuries that can bear a greater burthen of Wrongs and Injuries Time was he could bear no thing but was fire and tow like the two Disciples that would have fire come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans but now he is grown so strong he can pity and pray for those that wrong him most as Steven did It is very observable that when Christ commands his Disciples to forgive those that wrong them seven times a day Luke 17.5 they pray Lord increase our faith as much as to say there must be a great strength of faith to enable to forgive injuries 3. He is grown stronger 3. Infirmities of others that can bear a greater burthen of his brethrens Infirmities When he sees they are weak in knowledge weak in love weak in the government of their passions yet he beareth with them he will not presently cast them off and unbrother them Time was when he was weak in grace himself he was very censorious when he saw the failings of others he would say The man hath no grace in him I will have nothing to do with him but now he is grown stronger he can better bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 3. He is stronger 3. Strength to shake off Ceremonies that can shake off the yoke of Ceremonies and things indifferent with more ease not making conscience of them as of things necessary Therefore Rom. 14.7 the Apostle shews they were weak that made a difference of meats and days where God had made none Now they because they would be sure to eat no forbidden meat would live onely upon herbs He that is weak saith he eateth herbs It is the weakness of Christians to be too scrupulous in meats and dayes especially where the Ordinance of man hath onely made the difference This is not their strength but their weakness 4. Though he that hath most grace hath most strength Fourth sign of growth yet he is also on the growing hand that is most sensible of his weakness For the strongest Christian hath much remaining weakness Now it is part of our strength of grace to be sensible of this weakness When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 A weak Christian is ready to think himself strong as Peter did when he was weak as water Lord saith he though all men should deny thee yet will not I. But a strong Christian is most sensible of his weakness for his sight is clearer to see his sin and his will is more sanctified to hate it therefore if thou saist thou art rich it argues thou art poor Rev. 3.17 Thou saist thou art rich and hast need of nothing and knowest not thou art poor and wretched and miserable and if thou saist thou art poor it argues thou art rich Rev. 2.9 I know thy tribulation and poverty but thou art rich And the reason is because the true sense of our own poverty and weakness doth cause us to run to God and like the Conies to make our burroughs in the everlasting Rock of his Name Here is the strength of a feeble people Prov. 30.26 The Conies are a feeble people yet make their houses in the Rock It argues strength of grace when we are so far gone out of our selves out of our graces duties parts performances that we burrough our selves deep in God Fifth sign of growth 5. The more any aim at Gods glory in what they do the more grace they have received from God The Scribes and Pharisees were men of great parts but they did all for their own glory Mat. 6.2 therefore they were but Hypocrites they had no grace but they that
not say As many as believed were ordained unto life eternal but contrariwise As many as were ordained to eternal life believed To intimate That Faith foreseen 1. From Election was not the cause of Election but Election was the cause of Faith and so the same Election is the cause of Perseverance in Faith or else their Life should not be eternal Therefore that strong conclusion of strong Consolation Rom. 8.35 is fetcht as far as from that everlasting VVell-head of Gods Fore knowledge and Predestination ver 29. For whom he did fore-know he did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Therefore the Apostle is bold to make that brave challenge Who shall charge us Who shall condemn us Who shall separate us As if he should have said Neither Sin nor Affliction nor Men nor Devils shall ever be able to break this Golden Chain of Gods Election till it ends in glory Therefore the just perseveres God hath elected him to no meaner a life than that which is Eternal and therefore he shall certainly have it Rom. 11. the Election must needs obtain it 2 Reas From Gods Love from which 2. Gods love this Election springs in order of working Gods love is an Everlasting love As God is from Everlasting to Everlasting so is his Love for whatsoever is in God is God Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee which I conceive is not to be understood à parte post after we are drawn to believe and obey but even before also à parte antè Gods love here is made the cause of our being drawn to believe and obey and not our obedience a cause of his love Obj. But is it not said Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will manifect my self to him therefore our love of God goeth before Gods love to us Resp. There is a love of Benevolence whereby we bear good will to another and a love of Beneficence whereby we testifie our love in doing good to him Gods love of Benevolence is before our loving of him Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us but Gods love of Beneficence at least in part doth follow our love to him and is the reward of it according to his free grace If Gods love therefore be everlasting this must needs be an everlasting fruit of it even the life of Grace and Glory to all eternity 3. The Covenant 3 Reas From the Covenant of God made with his People which is an everlasting Covenant well ordered and sure 2 Sam. 23.12 Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Whereas the poor Soul might say God indeed saith he will never depart from us so long as we do not depart from him but then he might justly depart from us Therefore Gods Covenant is That we shall not depart from him I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Therefore the just lives not from any stability in himself but from the stability of Gods Covenant 4. Gods Unchangeable nature 4 Reas From the Unchangeable Nature of God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed You are not consumed not because there is no principle of change in you but because there is none in me As if God should have said When I first entred Covenant with you I saw you polluted in your blood and I foresaw full well how ignorant how impotent how unconstant how untoward you would be afterward but I am resolved as I did not choose you at the first for the good I saw to be in you so I will not reject you for the evil that I see in you but will forgive it and heal it for my gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. 5. Reas From the Power of God 5. Power of God If Gods people do not persevere it is either because God will-not preserve them or because he cannot But 1. Not because he will not for it is his own good pleasure moved him to make an everlasting Covenant and his own unchangeable Nature moves him to fulfil it to this day 2. Not because he cannot for nothing limits Gods Power but his Will Psal 135.6 Whatever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and earth c. Therefore if the Lord will preserve his Saints in a state of grace for ever he is able to do it Though we are not able to stand of our selves yet he is able to make us stand Rom. 14. or in case we fall he is able to raise us up again Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth under his hand 6 Reas From the Merit of Christ 6. Merit of Christ c. the Prayer of Christ the Spirit of Christ As Christ hath merited Eternal Righteousness and Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.6 So he applies his Merit eternally by his Intercession and the operation of his Spirit Wherefore Heb. 7.25 Intercession of Christ he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Wherefore we must either deny That God the Father hears the Prayers of his Son which is blasphemous to imagine and contrary to Christs confession 1 Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwayes or else we must need acknowledge That all such as are once in a state of Grace shall persevere and be saved to the utmost Further they that are Christs And Spirit of Christ have the Spirit of Christ and so long as the Spirit doth not depart from them they shall never depart from God for the Spirit leads into all Truth But the Spirit of God doth never depart from them Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth c. Therefore they shall never finally depart from God Thus we have the Reasons Why the just shall persevere 2. Why perseverance through Faith Now see the Reasons Why they live this life by Faith 1. Faith layes hold on the Promise 1. Because Faith lays hold on the Promise of Perseverance 1 Cor. 18. He shall confirm you to the end that you may be blameness in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ Mat 16.18
The gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Now Faith layes hold on these Promises as the pursued person laid hold on the Horns of the Altar 1 Kings 1.50 51. And so the just lives by Faith for Perseverance 2. On Gods power and faithfulness 2. Because Faith layes hold on the Faithfulness and Power of God in the fulfilling of these Promises Therefore 1 Pet 1.5 We are said to be kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation Because Faith layes hold on the Power of God Faith hath no power to save us of it self but as it layes hold on the Power of God to Salvation Thus the Apostle lived by Faith in the worst times 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him till that day He laid hold upon the Word of God and the Power of God in fulfilling that Word and therefore he suffered and was not ashamed 3. Faith never fails 3. Because true Faith never fails therefore true Grace never fails Luke 22 31 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Obj. But this Prayer was made for Peter or for the rest of the Apostles eminent persons as Peter was and what is this to such as we are Resp. What Christ prays for Peter and the rest of the Apostles he prays for the rest of the faithful to the worlds end Joh. 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe in me through their word And if Faith fails not then other graces fail not not onely upon this reason That he that hath one grace hath all but also upon this ground Because Faith hath a special influence on other graces to quicken and strengthen them 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Where observe That knowledge is put for faith in God and Christ as Isa 53.11 Joh. 17.3 Vse 1 Vse 1. This may serve for Confutation of Arminians and Papists who hold falling away from Grace Confutation of the doctrine of falling from Grace and many in these days who cannot abide the Name of Antichristian and therefore fasten it upon others yet embrace the thing embrace Antichristian Doctrines as those of Universal Redemption Free-will and Falling from Grace For my part I had rather suffer in the Name whilst I hate the Thing than embrace the Thing while I seem to hate the Name Obj. Obj. 1. But is there no danger of Gods peoples falling away Doth not the Scripture often admonish them as Heb 3.12 13. Take heed lest there be in any of you an heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Ans 1 Resp. 1. We answer by way of Concession That 1. Moral gifts and endowments By way of concession as 1. To Moral Gifts though they have a great resemblance to the truth of grace may be lost Men may go far by the improvement of Natural Principles Rom. 2.14 They do by nature the things contained in the law yet these men when they know God yet glorifie him not as God neither are thankful God may give them up to unnatural and monstrous lusts Moral endowments may be lost these are but flesh they spring from flesh they are not the fruits of the Spirit and all flesh is grass and grass will wither come to nothing Isa 40.6 2. Common grace 2. Common graces of the Spirit may be lost which are given as an advancement to those natural excellencies and many times given for the good of others rather than of the party himself which doth possess them These I say may be lost So Saul had both the Spirit of Government and of Prophecy and both departed from him 1 Sam. 16.14 3. Some taste 3. Such as have a Taste onely of the Heavenly Gift may possibly fall away Heb. 6.4 When a man goes to buy a thing he may taste of it and yet go his way and so he may never eat and drink of it to the full There are many common Professors many chapmen for Christ who seem to bid fair and take a taste and yet never go through with the bargain and that their attainments were but as a taste and short of saving grace is clear by comparing ver 9 10. with ver 5 6 for there he speaks of better things than these and such as accompany Salvation 4. True grace as to 1. Degrees 4. He that hath truth of saving grace may lose it 1. In the Degrees both extensively in regard of the muchness of it and intensively in regard of the quickness of it 2. Sense 2. The Sense and Feeling of it wholly to his apprehension of it may be lost as Cant. 4.1 the Church thought she had lost Christ and could not tell where to finde him 3. Operations 3. He may lose the present Operations of it He may be like fire raked up in the embers or like a man in a swoon who lies as if he were quite gone as it was with Peter in the High-Priests Hall 5. As to the doctrine of faith 5. He may lose the doctrine of Faith in some part or branches of it as some of those Churches in the Revelations did Ans 2 Secondly We answer by way of Exception or Restriction By way of exception There are seven things from which the Elect can never fall 1. They can never lose Eternal Life Joh. 10.28 Seven things never lost Christ saith of his Sheep I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands and therefore it is said Joh. 5.24 He that believeth hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life He that believes hath eternal life already as he that believes not is condemned already Joh. 3.19 2. They shall never lose Confirming Grace In some degree they may but not as to the securing of their Spiritual state and station in Christ 1 Cor 1.8 Who also shall confirm you to the end Psal 94.14 The Lord will not cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance 3. They shall never lose Forgiveness of sins past and repented of Jer. 31.34 For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more 4. They shall never lose the Seed of Grace 1 Joh. 3.9 His seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin for he is born of God He doth not lose that but it still remaineth in him It is noted of Job Chap. 2 3. when he had lost all his Cattel his Servants his Children all his Temporal goods yet he kept his Spirituals in spight of Satan
will cast them and weigh them down but if they be resolved in the ways of God they will not easily be moved or removed Therefore Acts 11.23 the Exhortation is given That with full purpose of heart we should cleave unto the Lord. 3. Be thus resolute in Gods strength not in thine own 3. Resolve in Gods strength Peter at first was resolute but it was in his own strength therefore he fell foully though not finally God let him see his own weakness Therefore if thou wouldst be strong indeed be sure to be strong in God and in the power of his might Eph. 6 10. God is α and ω to shew that as the beginning of Grace is from him so our perseverance in Grace is from him also 4. Good grounding 4. He that would persevere to the end must be sure to make a good beginning He that would have his building stand for ever must be sure to lay a good Foundation he must be sure to be well grounded in the fundamental truths of Religion Col. 1 23. They must be well grounded and setled in the faith that would not be moved from the hope of the Gospel They that would hold close to the Truth must be well grounded in the knowledge of it A little errour in the foundation makes a great errour before you come to the top of the building And who are they that are led aside into so many and great errours in these days but such as were never well catechized So that however some of them presume to be Teachers themselves had need that one should teach them which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5 12. These are soon made a prey to Atheists and Papists When a cunning Jesuitical seducer shall come 1. With some colourable pretence of Scripture 2. Some flourish of Authority from the Ancients 3. Glorious Titles of Apostolical Succession and Antiquity 4. Voluntary Humility of Fasting and Penance Col. 2.23 c. not sparing the body 5. Feigned Miracles 2 Thess 2.9 6. Flattering and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 7. A Roman Fortitude in suffering for their Cause I say when seducing persons shall come in all this deceiveableness how shall a silly unstable Soul that was never grounded in the knowledge of the Fundamentals of Religion withstand these assaults or the like from other seducers How easily are ignorant persons drawn to any novel opinion As a childe is sooner cozened than a man of parts so such as are children and novices in the Doctrine of Faith will easily be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine 5. Christians that would persevere 5. Watching over one another should be careful not onely to watch over themselves in particular but to watch over one another mutually Heb 3.17 Exhort one another daily while it is called To day lest any of you be be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Where we may observe 1. There is none even the strongest in the flock but have need of this mutual help 2. There is none so poor and contemptible but the care of their standing belongs to all even to such Christians as are most eminent 3. Sin hath so many ways and devices whereby it is apt to beguile and seduce us that each particular person had need of more eyes than his own upon him more observers than himself alone therefore he that would stand and persevere let him not slight this Ordinance 6. Take heed of Vnbelief or Misbelief 6. Taking heed of Unbelief strive against it pray against it be humbled for it for as the just lives by his Faith the Apostate departs from the living God by his Vnbelief Heb. 3.12 As Faith unites the Soul to God so Unbelief separates the Soul from God Unbebelief denies to God the honour of his Truth Mercy and Goodness and by consequence robs the Soul of that comfort it might have in the application of these Attributes by Faith 7. 7. Examples of crowned Saints Look to the Examples of all the persevering and crowned Saints Look to the Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who all died in the faith See the excellency of Paul's Spirit Acts 20.24 who was nothing moved with afflictions neither counted his life dear to himself so he might finish his course with joy and see how comfortable you finde him at the end of his race 2 Tim. 4.7 having fought a good fight and finished his course and kept the faith and now expecting his Crown Especially look to Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 This Example the Apostle in a special manner sets before us while he is Exhorting us to run with patience the race that is set before us So that he that would hold out to the end of his race must not so much look upon his discouragements his own Corruption Satans Tentations the Worlds Oppositions as upon his incouragements his eye must be fixed on his Jesus with loving and longing looks he must look upon him as the Author and Finisher of his faith as upon such a Jesus who hath not onely purchased Salvation it self but also the grace of Faith to lay hold on this Salvation and not onely the grace of Faith but Perseverance in this Faith to the end He is the Finisher as well as the Author of our Faith He must look upon him as upon his Patern and Example as one who doth not onely point out the way of Perseverance by his Directions and Commands but even tread and trace it out before us by his Example Such as look upon Jesus as a Patern in the work of Perseverance may safely look upon him as a Patern in the Reward as he had joy set before him so have we and as he for the hope of that joy ran with courage so must we as he ran with the Cross upon his back all the way and in particular with the Cross of Shame or shame of the Cross so must we as Christ made light of all their Reproaches despised their Despisings shamed their very Shame as unworthy to be taken notice of when put into the balance against the glory that is to be revealed so must we as Christ overcame all at length and hath now laid hold on all the joy and glory for which he ran so shall we also in due time If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Because he lives we shall live also Joh. 14.19 Therefore he that would be strengthned and enabled to persevere he should be still looking to Jesus Christ that he may daily be more conformed to him Vse 5 5 Use This should put us upon the Examination of ourselves ExaminatioÌ„ of truth of Faith by its peâ—severing whether we have the true life of Grace and true Faith for then we shall persevere Joh. 8.31 If you continue in my words then are you my Disciples indeed Some indeed fall from the truth but they never were truly
bringing down Heavenly Notions into Holy Affections and Righteous Actions then you will finde them sweet in the taste and swallow It 's not the looking upon Divine Truths by a meer notional act of the Understanding but the chewing and digesting them by Faith and Love that makes them truly comfortable Thy words were found and I did eat them And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 Most persons look upon Divine Truths as people in a Market do on Commodities they pass by them or taste a little and cheapen them they onely have the true comfort of them who buy and eat and are satisfied And such are they who digest their knowledge into practice to such it 's the joy and rejoycing of their heart Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Knowledge to a wicked man is as the morning light to a Thief Job 24.17 it 's as terrible as the shadow of death But to a godly man it 's like the morning light to an honest Traveller or Watchman it 's most desired beforehand and its most welcome when it comes And therefore the saving knowledge of God is compared to such a light Psal 130.3 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Act Faith therefore to the digesting of knowledge into love and the practice of it Study Affections more than Expressions or Notions 6. In true prizing heavenly joy 6. Act Faith to the true prizing of heavenly joy Such as truly prize the joy of the Spirit shall have plenty of it Now it 's onely Faith sets a true estimate upon the joy of Gods people Heb. 11.25 26. The Spirit of God is a Tender and delicate Guest it loves to make its abode and stay longest where 't is most freely welcome But if we check damp resist quench and grieve that Spirit how can we hope that it should rejoyce our spirits But prize it make it heartily welcome and thou shalt have more of its sweet company and communion The truth is we should prize one comfort from the Spirit more than all the world and then we should finde more than a world of Comforts in that single Comforter who is therefore called The Comforter by way of eminency Thou maist have comfort indeed in a Friend a Brother a Childe a Yoke-fellow but what are all these to the comforts of the Spirit The Spirit is able to comfort without these but these are not able to comfort without the Spirit Prize the comforts of the Spirit and be thankful for them and more shall be given The Primitive Saints prized the comforts of the Spirits so high that they would rather chuse to endure any Tortures from men than part with those comforts from God They were stoned Heb. 11.37 were sawn asunder c. Therefore God made them to rejoyce the more even with Joy unspeakable and full of glory which is not the ordinary lot of all Christians but of suffering Christians They were filled with Heaven when they seemed to sense to be in Hell as if Hell and Heaven were met together in the same persons An Hell of Torments from Satan and his Instruments an Heaven of Joys from God even glorious joys as if the God of this World and the God of the World to come did strive whether Torments or Comforts should get the Victory in the Saints But in conclusion Comforts triumph over Torments Love and Joy is stronger than Death while they die they overcome and are more than Conquerors through Christ that hath loved them They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto death Rev. 12.11 Prize the joys of God in life and thou shalt finde such joy as will drown the sorrows of Death That 's the fifth Means 7. Act Faith to make right use of our Joy 7. In right using joy when had Isa 2.11 Luk. 8.15 when we have it Take heed of too much sail and too little ballast lest you overturn all Rejoyce with reverence And bring forth the fruit of joy with patience lest unfruitful joy be nipt in the bud or turned into sorrow God comforts not his servants for nothing Neb. 8.10 but that the Joy of the Lord may strengthen them and encourage them to service and that they may comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 with the same comfort wherewith they have been comforted of God And if we use it not to these ends we may soon suffer an eclipse in our comforts Why does God cause the Sun to shine upon the Moon but that the Moon may bestow that borrowed light on this Inferiour World Why does the Sun of Righteousness shine with beams of comfort upon any Souls but that they may communicate the same comforts to others Are ye then who were once darkness made light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 walk as children of light lest God eclipse your comforts Amos 8.9 and make your Sun to set at noon So long as the Cock runs the Fountain freely empties it self into the pipes We are but the Conduit-pipes of Comfort God is the Fountain The more we empty our selves into others comforting others the more will God empty himself into us comforting us The liberal person shall have plenty and he that scattereth shall have rain Prov. 11.25 'T is true of spiritual as well as corporal Alms both are comfortable And he that comforts others shall have the more himself And that 's the seventh and last Means of acting of Faith so as to live the Life of Consolation Thus the just man lives by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life Now thirdlly He lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life Hab. 2.5 6. The Chaldean lays hold upon this present world ver 5 6. He is all for the body and sins against his Soul ver 10. Hab. 2.10 But Gods people lay hold on that knowledge which shall fill them with glory ver 14. Even the knowledge of the Righteousness of God to Life Eternal For so the Apostle applies this Text to that very degree of Faith Rom. 1.16 17. Not that there is any need of Faith in Heaven or the Means of Faith for these shall cease 1 Cor. 13.8 But because in this life by Faith we lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 we have the seal and assurance of it A carnal man says Seeing is Believing but a spiritual man saith Believing is Seeing Heb. 11.1 The work of faith about eternal life Now Faith grounded on the Word of God assures us of Three things about eternal life 1. That there is an eternal life of the Saints after this is ended 2. What the Happiness of this life is and wherein it consists 3. It assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in this life 1. Then Faith assures a Believer That there is
an eternal life Three degrees of it That there is an eternal life There are divers degrees of this Life The first degree is here below in this world Joh. 5.24 Eternal life is begun here 2. The second degree of it is in the end of this life when the body of a Saint rests in the Bed of the Grave and the soul is with God in Paradise Luk. 23.43 3. The third degree of it is After the day of general Judgement when body and soul being reunited the whole person shall be wholly glorified to all eternity 2 Thess 1.10 Now that there is such a life Faith makes good 1. By plain Testimonies of Scripture 2. By necessary Consequence and deduction from Scripture 1. By evident Testimony of Scripture Scripture In the Old Testament Psal 16.11 At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleep shall awake some to Everlasting life In the New Testament Mat. 25. ult And the righteous into life eternal Joh. 3.16 That whoever believeth should not perish but have Everlasting life 2. By necessary Consequence from the Scriptures As Reas 1 1. From the act and End of mans Creation and Redemption Man was made after Gods Image Gen. 1.26 27. And renewed after it Eph. 4.24 that he might have perpetual Communion with God 1 Joh. 1.3 As God therefore lives for ever so shall those who are redeemed by Christ live ever too Joh. 14.19 Reas 2 2. From the Kingdom and Headship of Christ which are both eternal Of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1.33 If Christ be a King for ever he must have Subjects throughout that Eternity If Christ be an Head for ever his Members must needs live for ever otherwise Christ must be a King without Subjects an Head without Members both which are Vnreasonable and Dishonorable to Christ Reas 3 3. From Christs Prayer That all his may be with him for ever to behold his glory Joh. 17.24 Now the Father hears the Son alway Joh. 11.42 Reas 4 4. From the Nature of the Soul It 's immortal Mat. 10.28 yea it hath in it sparks and desires of Immortality Now Natura nihil dedit frustra which have appeared not onely in the life but at the death of Saints in which God hath been pleased to give his people a sight of Heaven and glorious apprehensions of the life to come Steven sees the heavens opened Act. 7.56 59. To which may be added the Devils design to gather Souls in Reversion as in the stories of Witches Reas 5 5. Ab absurdo If there were no life after this Christians would be of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Here wicked men many times fare best and Gods people are chastened every morning and have sorest Temptations on their Death-beds So that it would be exceedingly derogatory from the Wisdom Holiness and Justice of God if there were not another life wherein every man shall rejoyce according to his ways Luk. 16.25 2 Thess 1.6.7 Thus Faith gathers Arguments from the Word That there is an eternal Life 2. What the happiness of eternal life is 2. Faith informs a believer much of the Happiness of this life and wherein it consists in the main For however it be true that none of the Saints departed which are gone to heaven as Enoch Elias c. have Commission to come down and tell us what the joys of heaven are yet we have Moses and the Prophets Luk. 17. ult Nay though there were a man once caught up into heaven and let down again to the earth yet it was not lawful for him to utter what he had heard and seen 2 Cor. 12. yet for all that Faith looks into heaven per transennam through the lattice Cant. 2.9 and findes so much comfort therein that from thence it makes a strong Collection That certainly the Happiness of the Creature must needs consist in the perfect Vision of God which is to be had in heaven Vision of God fourfold and not before for there 's a fourfold Vision of God 1. Natural in things created For the invisible things of God are cleerly seen from the Creation c. Rom. 1.20 2. Specular or Symbolical In the Word and in the Signs of Gods love we see God For these were appointed to be lively remembrances and representations of Christ to the Soul Gal. 3.1 3. There 's the Vision of Faith which looking through the Word and Sacraments as through a Perspective-glass draws God neerer to the Soul 4. But fourthly There 's the Vision of Glory in the World to come Here we see God darkly as in a glass 2 Cor. 3. but there face to face Now Faith doth further assure us Perfect Vision of God causes perfect transformation That this perfect Vision of God shall perfectly transform us into the likeness of God so far as Creatures can be like God For Faith argues thus If the Specular Vision of God works some measure of this gracious Transformation as it 's said 2 Cor. 3. ult How much more shall the Perfect Vision of God in glory work a perfect change of a believer into the likeness of God And so indeed saith the Apostle We shall be like him For we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 And this was Davids comfort in his saddest hours When I awake that is out of the bed of the grave I shall be satisfied with thy likeness Psal 17. last Perfect Vision of God shall work perfect Transformation and this perfect Transformation shall work perfect Satisfaction Q. But wherein doth this perfect Transformation consist A. Doubtless in the Perfection of all graces So Faith assures that 1. Perfect knowledge There shall be a Perfection of the Knowledge of God Here the best Scholar that learns most from Books Sermons Conference Observation or from the Spirit it self yet knows but in part But when that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away 1 Cor. 13.12 Then shall nothing be hid from us which we can desire to know Now we know God in the knowledge of other things Then we shall know other things in the knowledge of God and therefore we shall know one another Mat. 17.4 Here we know things either by Sense or by Reason and Argumentation or by Faith In Heaven there will be no need of these there the clearness of the object shall put All past all dispute Here things seen or known are far distant the Medium dim the Organ weak But then God shall be present and open-faced as it were and the eye of the Soul shall be fortified to behold the King in his glory Isa 33.17 Eccl. 11.7 Solomon tells us that the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is to behold the Sun And yet as pleasant as it is sometime the eye is offended by looking on the Sun Could the eye look stedfastly and strongly on the Sun without offence to it
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
state of imperfection strength after a state of weakness establishment after a state of shaking and glory in heaven after a state of baseness and suffering in this world A Mole upon the face sets forth the beauty of the face So the blackish Mole of the Saints infirmities and sufferings on earth sets forth the beauty of the Church and the glorious Holiness and Happiness of Heaven And this is one Reason why they are afflicted here before they are made happy hereafter Therefore the Just lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life Vse 1. Of Confutation Vse 1 1. Confutation of those that deny Eternal Life There are a number of such in the world Confutation of those that deny Eternal life As the knowledge of the chief Good is much obscured by the Fall of Adam so is the desire of it also weakned and so much the more as men are taken captives by Sin and Satan That men may sin with the more liberty Satan perswades them there is no Eternal Death and if no Eternal Death then they must believe withall that there is no Eternal Life and if he can but perswade them that there is no Reward or Punishment after this life he knows he may win them to sin with more freedom When Elisha had blinded the eyes of the Aramites he might lead them to Samaria in stead of Dâ—than so when the Prince of Darkness hath so blinded the eyes of men that they cannot see at least not see afar off not see so far as to an Eternity after this life he may easily tempt them to commit all iniquity with greediness and to run into all excess of riot He that saith There is no Eternal Life doth in effect say There is no God for God saith that there is an Eternal Life and he that denies the Truth of God denies God himself Now when once the fool is perswaded to say in his heart There is no God What follows Corrupt are they and become abominable there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14.1 Therefore the Devil tempts some to deny the Eternal Life of the Soul And some that hold this yet deny it to the Body Either of both these Opinions are very Dangerous and Destructive and open a gap to all licentiousness If there be no Resurrection saith the Apostle let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Yea but saith Paul certainly there is a Resurrection of the Body therefore let 's take heed we be not deceived by such evil words which do necessarily corrupt good manners Now what hath been said in the Doctrinal part may confute both these Rotten Opinions Rotten in their Root and Rotten in their Fruit also 1. Of the Body 1. Therefore it confutes such as hold there is no Eternal Life of the Body For if we deny the Article of the Resurrection of the Body how can we believe the next Article of Life Everlasting especially in respect of the whole man But the Scripture is as clear in this as if the truth of it were written with the Sun-beams Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live as my dead body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast forth her dead Which words are propounded by the Prophet as a strong consolation against the strength and violence of the Churches affliction for in the former verse the Church is brought in as a painful travelling Woman that is in hope of a joyful deliverance but when all comes to all she travels with the wind or brings forth a dead childe Thus may the Church complain Not many of her Members are dead but all Some die in the Prison some upon the Rack c. Well admit all this saith Jesus Christ yet they are not out of my reach I can deliver them not onely from the greatest Dangers in this life but from the very power of the Grave Thy dead men shall live as my dead body shall they arise As if Christ should have said As sure as I raise my own body I 'll raise theirs yea I look at theirs as my own I do not look at my self or my Mystical Body as perfect so long as any particular Members do lie in the Grave Therefore as my dead body shall they arise If they shall say How can this be seeing they are withered and dead Christ answers My Almighty Power shall fall upon them and revive them as the dew from Heaven falling upon the withered and dead grass doth revive and quicken it afresh again And that is added in the latter part of the verse For thy dew c. So that here you have a strong Argument both from the Scriptures and the Power of God to prove the Resurrection What 's the Reason that either the Old or New Sadduces deny the Resurrection but for want of Faith in one of these two Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures or the Power of God Mat. 22.29 For thus doth Faith reason Why may not that great God who made all things of nothing make this something being once corrupted that which it was before He that with a Word of his Mouth gave a Being to all Creatures and with the Breath of his Nostrils can bring them to nought again what shall be impossible for this great God to effect Shall not He that made the glorious Heavens bedecked and bespangled with such an innumerable company of Glorious Bodies that made this Mass of the Earth that we tread upon hanging like a Ball in the midst of the Air and yet so fast that it cannot be moved at any time that commands the Waters and they will not drown the Fire and it will not burn That shuts up the mouth of Lions that they may not hurt his Servants and opens the mouth of Ravens that they may feed them I say Why may not this great God that can thus miraculously invert and turn upside-down the whole course of Nature why may not he Turn man to destruction and yet say Return again O ye children of men Psal 90.3 This therefore confutes such as hold there is no Eternal Life of the Body 2. Of the Soul 2. It confutes such as hold That there is no Eternal Life of the Soul or at least doubt of it as that Wicked Pope Paul III. at the time of his death said He should now be resolved of three Questions Note that he had doubted of all his life 1. Whether the Soul were Immortal 2. Whether there were a Hell or no 3. Whether there were a God or no Indeed he was like to be resolved to his Cost But it 's better to be resolved beforehand that we may prepare for the eternal good of our Souls Some think The Soul dies with the Body and is raised again at the Day of Judgement or that it is in a kinde of sleeping condition in the mean time But the case of
Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven
My hearts desire and prayer to God is for the contrary I hope I may say with Job My Record is in heaven that my principal aim is the good of your Souls and next to that the Publick good of this Town which is not likely to be advanced by such as despise and undervalue the Ordinances of Christ Such as render not unto God the things that are Gods are not likely to render unto Men the things that are theirs And therefore I beseech you exercise Faith in matter of your Election not onely of your Chief Magistrates amongst you for I hope there will be no scruple in that but of Inferior Officers Simile A man that would have a good Orchard hath the greatest care of his first Plantation and so I hope will you I must needs say your last years Work and some other passages of Providence do give grounds of hope that God intends yet further good to this Town For the present do that which is your Duty and leave the Success to God I shall forbear to speak further for this time desiring to second that by Prayer that hath been said already The end of this Sermon Vse III. Of Examination Vse 3 Examination Use of Examination and Trial First Of Persons Secondly Of Doctrines and Religions 1. Of Persons whether we are Just 1. For trial of Persons and in a state of Life of Spiritual Life or no for then we have Faith For the Just lives by his Faith There is no other Life there is no other Righteousness to be attained unto but that which is by Faith Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth the Righteousness of Faith without Works Rom. 4 6. Well then that we may know whether we have Life or no or whether we have Righteousness or no the main Quaere will be Whether we have Faith or no And this is worthy the enquiring after and worth the trying The more precious any thing is in the true nature and quality of it the more exact we use to be in the trial of it lest we should be cozened with that which is false and counterfeit in stead of that which is right and good We do not use to be so exact in the trial of things of lesser moment but marvellous exact and accurate in the trial of Gold and Precious Stones and that which makes us so accurate in the trial of them is because they are so precious Now Faith in the Scripture is called precious Faith Now for what is it precious but for the rarity and excellency of it and so the trial of Faith is called Precious Trial whether it be tried by the Word of God or whether it be tried by the Works of God in the Furnace of affliction it is a precious trial 1 Pet 1.7 At this time we shall endevour to try it by the Word of God which is the Touchstone of Faith And this Trial if well applied may be very precious to us and of singular use For in case upon trial we finde through Mercy we have true Faith we shall have great cause to be thankful to rejoyce in the God of our Salvation But in case we finde we have not Faith as we shall have great cause to be humbled so as great cause to seek God in the use of means for this excellent grace of Faith for it is our very Life The Just shall live by his Faith Marks of true Faith from feigned But how shall we know whether we have Faith or no For as there is Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 so there is feigned and counterfeit Faith also Quest How shall we know the one from the other It loves to be cried Ans 1. First to be sure this is one remarkable note of Distinction That Faith which is true loves to be tried that which is false cannot endure to come to the Trial. In this case it is just as it is betwixt a True man and a Thief The true man if he chance to be suspected he loves to come to the Trial that he may clear himself but the Thief declines it all that he may because he knows himself guilty A man that hath false and counterfeit Faith he loves to take all for granted that he doth believe he cannot endure to put himself to further trouble he doth not like these Uses of Trial and Examination Like a man that is false upon his Accounts he cannot endure his Books should be examined but he that hath true faith he desires nothing more than the through Trial of his faith O he would not for all the world be mistaken in a matter of so great concernment and therefore he likes that Ministery best that is most searching And when the Ministery hath done all it can do such a Soul goes to God by Prayer and saith Lord give me grace impartially to apply the searching Word I have heard this day nay do thou thy self search me O Lord examine me and prove me try my reins and my heart Psal 26.2 And that 's the first Discovery of true Faith and true Grace It loves to be tried But how shall it be tried 2. It is tried both by the Cause and by the Effect 2. It is known by the Cause which are the best means to come to the knowledge of any thing First by the cause Instrumental It is wrought by the Word Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing Though other means may help to Faith The conversation of the Wife 1 Pet. 3.1 And the Samaritans believ'd because of the Woman Joh. 4.42 Yet the Word of God is the onely ground of Faith And this Word works in the whole man 1. It works in the Vnderstanding a clear sight of our Misery by Nature and of the Remedy in Christ dying for sinners 2. It works in the Affection a godly sorrow to Repentance and a longing desire after Christ Act. 2.37 They were pricked in their hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved 3. It works upon the Will a closing with the Promise and Christ in the Promise suppose 1 Pet. 2.6 or Joh. 1.12 c. grounding upon his willingness to receive all such as come to him upon his ability also and faithfulness to make his Word good It receives whole Christ Prophet Priest and King into the whole man Secondly it is tried by the Fruits and Effects And by the Effects which are 1. A high prizing of the Word which is the Instrument of Faith 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious An Unbeliever doth not so prize the Word he can set a humane Testimony Cheek by Jaw with the Word of God 2. A high prizing of Christ who is the Object of Faith 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you that believe he is precious especially the Righteousness of Christ is very precious
of thee yea he will establish and confirm thy hold of him Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform or finish it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me This is the fourth respect wherein Faith is such a precious Gift viz. Faith lays hold on Christ and consequently on whatsoever is precious so as never to let go its hold which Consideration ought to excite our Thankfulness for so rich a Jewel as Faith which everlastingly entails all the Priviledges of the Covenant 5. and lastly We should be Thankful for Faith 5. Faith is rare because it is so rare and scarce to be found This Flower grows not in every Garden We should indeed be Thankful for good things though they are common but I know not how it comes to pass we take little notice of such Mercies Among outward things what more precious than the Sun the Air and the Water and yet because they are common how few are affected with Gods goodness in these things as they ought to be But what is scarce and hard to be found we are usually much taken with such a thing and can prize the Donor of it Now such a thing is true Faith it s very hard to be found When the Son of Man cometh Luke 18.8 shall he finde Faith upon the earth Doubtless many may be found that have the Profession of Faith in their mouths but few that have the Grace of Faith in their hearts or the Fruit of Faith in their lives As there are few that shall be saved so there are few that do truly believe for He that believeth shall be saved Mark 16.16 Now of those few there are very few wise and mighty and noble upon whom God bestows this precious Gift of Faith A poor despicable creature that hath obtain'd Faith at Gods hands may say Blessed be God though I have but little in the world yet God hath given me that which he hath denied to many wise and mighty and noble men in the world Therefore such a man hath great cause to be thankful to be thankful I say even to admiration Joh. 14.22 Lord how is it that thou dost manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world This is that for which Jesus Christ himself is so thankful to his heavenly Father Mat. 11.25 At that timt Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father because it seemed good in thy sight Here is something very remarkable in the speech of Christ which we shall take notice of in the Resolution of two questions Quest 1. Why it is said At that time Jesus answered when we reade not any body said any thing to him before Ans I answer S. Luke will resolve this question Luk. 10.21 In that hour Jesus rejoyced in the Spirit and said I thank thee c. Observe God spake joy to his Soul inwardly though nothing was spoken outwardly even such joy as makes men exult or leap for joy as the word signifies And in answer to this inward work of joy Jesus answered and said I thank thee c. Quest 2. But then secondly it may be questioned Why an inward answer of Thankfulness might not serve the turn to an inward voice of joy Ans For this we must know Christ doth return his answer in an audible voice for their sakes that stood by as he said in another case Joh. 11.42 viz. To stir up the Disciples and all Gods People to be the more thankful for such a choice and singular Mercy He sets before us a pattern of Thankfulness he tells us what we should be thankful for above all other things namely That God hath revealed to us the great Mystery of Salvation And how is this revealed but by Faith and why should we be so thankful for the revelation of this Mystery by Faith even because there are so few that do believe it is a Mystery that is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to a few babes that have no more knowledge of heavenly things by nature than if they were babes It is kept secret from the wisest part of the world and from the greatest part of the world And therefore if Faith be so rare and scarce as well as precious we have the greater cause to be thankful Each true Believer may stand and wonder and say Lord who am I that whilst so many Millions go in the broad way that leads to destruction who am I that I should be one of those few that do believe to the saving of the soul Heb. 10.39 Vse V. Of Humiliation Vse 5 The fifth Use is for Humiliation in case upon Trial we finde we believe not Humiliation for Unbelief we have great cause to be humbled for our Unbelief for as the just lives by his Faith so the Unbeliever dies by his Unbelief as we have heard We should look at Unbelief as the most deadly and dangerous of all other sins and therefore be humbled for it When Christ saith His Spirit should convince the world of sin Joh. 16.9 he says no more but thus It shall convince the world because they believe not on me as if Unbelief were the greatest of all other sins O that we could conceive it so We startle at Murther Adultery Theft c. and good reason we should do so in the mean time it may be we are little troubled that we do not believe nay it may be we think we do well to doubt of the Promise as Jonah thought he did well to be angry The evil of Unbelief And yet this sin of Unbelief exceeds all other sins in some respect For 1. It dishonours God First it is a sin that doth exceedingly dishonour God Indeed it calls the Divinity it self in question for if God be not a God of Unchangeable Truth and of Infinite Power he is as good as no God But Unbelief questions the Truth of God God saith He that trusts in him shall not be confounded But saith the Soul Though I should cast my self upon his Promise I question whether it should be made good to me Thus 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a liar So Unbelief another while questions the Power of God Can God prepare a Table in the Wilderness and the like Can God forgive or can God subdue such sins Now what a dishonout is this to God 2. It grieves the Spirit of God Secondly it 's a sin that doth exceedingly grieve the Spirit of God When King Ahaz
men whose bodily presence is weak and their speech contemptible men that shew much passion but little learning or discretion and therefore why should I give any heed to them or believe what they say Cure of Prejudice Now to remove this Impediment and to roll away this Stone Let all be granted though it is a thousand to one the Divel is a lier in most that is suggested yet let all be granted you must not expect a Minister without infirmities What say the Apostles themselves Acts 14.15 We also are men of like passions with you As if they should say Lift us not up too high nor put us not down too low but bless God for us and pray for us for we also are men of like passions with you And for our Preaching God would not have us come in the Excellency of words or of mans Wisdom but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That our Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.4.5 What though the world account plain preaching foolishness yet it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching 1 Cor. 1 to save them that believe Therefore take heed thou dost not Wit thy self into hell Caution take heed thy sinful prejudice against the plain preaching of the Word cost thee not the life of thy soul O say not as Naaman the Syrian because he was a noble Captain and a brave Courtier when the Prophet directed him for the cure of his Leprosie to wash seven times in the common and plain water of Jordan Are not Abana and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them and be clean 2 Kin. 5.1 2 Are not the excellent and elegant expressions of many Moralists and humane Authors better then the Scriptures and the plain preaching of them for the rectifying of my judgment and reforming of my manners O be better advised as Naaman was at the length be sure to wash in the poor despised Fountain of the Scriptures even those holy and healing waters that run from under the Threshold of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.1 That Christ may say unto thy Soul purified by Faith Now art thou clean through the Word that I have spoken unto thee Joh. 15.3 And this is the First Subordinate cause of the neglect of the Means and the way to remove it The 2. Is Pride Pride I say which is the mother of sinful Shamefastnesse as sometimes t is the Mother of sinful boldness 2. Pride Contems the Means of Faith It may be thou art ignorant of the Scriptures and as ignorant of the state of thine own Soul as little read in the one as in the other And what shouldst thou do in this case but enquire at the Ministers lips which should preserve knowledge Yea but it may be thou art as much asham'd to beg as thou art unable to dig in those heavenly mines asham'd to beg Counsel and Direction Thou art asham'd to say Acts 8 I pray you of whom speaketh the Prophet this or that of himself or of some other man I pray you shew me the meaning of this or that place of Scripture I pray you shew me the state and condition of my Soul that I may know upon what termes I stand with God O this we think will argue ignorance it will bewray our weaknesse What saith the poor creature shall I that have gone for somebody in the world and might have been a teacher of others at least within the compass of my own family Shall I shew what need I have to be taught my self which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5 Shall I be instructed and Catechized like a child I le never stoop so low to shame my self in this fashion Prov. 15 12. The scorner will not go unto the wise Now then to remove this Impediment and to roll away this Stone Cure It 's good to remember it 's better to shame our selves now before two or three then to shame our selves before men and Angels in the last day and to have our folly proclaimed to all the world when Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God 2 Thes 1.8 Do not say it is a foolish and a childish thing for a man to discover his own weakness in Knowledg or Faith Remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.18 Humility the Cure of Pride If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise Remember what our Saviour saith Mat. 18.3 Except ye become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That is Humble Teacheable and Tractable as children are And this is the second Subordinate cause of the neglect of the Means and the way to remove it 3. Sloth Recoyls from the Means of Faith The 3. Is Sloth and Laziness Though a man be convinc't in his conscience of the Necessity and Excellency of the Means of Grace yet when he considers what a deal of pains it must cost him in Hearing and Praying and Practising and Denying of himself he is even scar'd at the sight of the work and starts back again What saith he Must the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and must the violent take it by force Then take it whosoever will for me saith the lazy person I had as live be as I am as take such a deal of pains Just like a Sluggard when he lyeth in bed and seeth a great deal of work before him and the weather is cold and he puts out his hands and by and by puls them in again 't is death to arise to a lazy person And so 't is to a lazy professor when God calls upon him to awake and to arise out of the bed of security and to be diligent in the use of Means as ever he desires Faith and the comfort of it Joh. 6. O this is a hard saying and he cannot bear it if God will save him without his own endeavours well and good but he is resolved to go to his journeys end in a Feather-bed if ever he come there Now then to remove this Impediment Cure and to roll away this Stone Remember the danger of Spiritual sloth and security Prov. 21.25 The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour If a man did but know the house were on fire over his head it would startle the arrantest Sluggard in a Country Gods Ministers are commanded to cry Fire fire Hell-fire as the portion of all slothful persons Mat. 25.30 Cast ye the slothful and unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth O think of this before-hand that ye may be awakened Jude 23. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire O do not talk like a Sluggard Yet a little sleep a little
these Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Perfect Vision perfect Transformation In the mean time so much as we see of God so much we shall desire to be like him Joh. 15.3 Now are ye clean c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having such Promises Let us cleanse c. 2 In the Birth 2. In the Birth The Birth of Presumption is very easie and speedy Presumptuous persons think it is the easiest matter in the world to Believe they meet with no opposition either from their own hearts or from Satan A sign 't is no good Faith when the Divel is so good a friend to it But the Birth of true Faith is very difficult it meets with many Pangs of unbelief from Satan and from the flesh for even in this as well as in other graces The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 I confesse He is an unwise child that staies long in the place of bringing forth children Hos 13.13 Yet some pain there is in Self-denial Thirdly they may be differenced by their Growth 3. In the growth Presumption is a Monster it is born as big and as tall as ever it will be like Jonah's Gourd it springs up in a night and it withers as soon as the Sun of affliction and persecution beats hot upon it But true Faith grows up by degrees like the grain of Mustard-seed the new Creature is a Babe in faith before he becomes a strong man The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 Some say they are as much assured at the first as ever they shall be their faith is as strong as ever it will be but let them take heed in the mean time they do not presume in stead of believing for true faith is of a growing nature Fourthly 4. In the fruit They may be differenced by their Issue and Fruits It may be said of the Presumptuous as Deut. 32.32 Their vine is the vine of Sodom their clusters are bitter The fruit of Presumption is carelesness in the use of the means of Grace Tush saith the Presumptuous person what need we hear so much and reade so much and pray so much away with Duties The fruit of true Faith is carefulness herein I believed 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore have I spoken therefore have I heard therefore have I read therefore have I prayed c. The fruit of Presumption is Licentious liberty to sin against God Tush saith the Presumptuous person Christ died for sinners what need we care let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Ver. 18. The fruit of true faith is a holy liberty to serve God and a holy fear to sin against God Be not deceived saith Faith neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 And thus you see there is that maketh himself rich in faith when he is poor and this is a great Impediment to the obtaining of faith and therefore we must labour to remove it Impediments of faith in the second branch of false supposition And secondly There is that maketh himself poor when he is rich There may be a supposition that we have not faith when we have it and this will hinder both the actings and increasings of our faith Some are afraid they have no faith at all because they have not the highest degree of faith which is full Assurance or because they want the comfort which others attain to 1 Pet. 1.8 even joy unspeakable and full of glory Cure But for the removing of this Impediment and for the rolling of this stone out of the way we must remember there are several degrees of faith as we have already proved therefore 't is possible thou maist have faith though thou hast not the highest degree of faith and so joy of the Spirit that 's rather a fruit of faith than faith it self It is indeed Note to speak properly rather a living by sense than a living by faith when we are cheered up with continual Cordials Such a life is more like heaven than earth where faith shall cease A stronger faith is required to live upon God without comfort than when God shines in upon our Spirits with abundance of joy It s nothing for the Childe to believe the Mother loveth it whilst she sets it upon the knee kisseth it and feeds it with sweet meats but to see the Mother love through the twigs of the Rod and through all the clouds of her frownings and hidings this argues no small strength of love and of natural affection in the Childe I know your thoughts out-run me in the Application so that there may be strong faith where there is little comfort Therefore let every man prove his faith that he may not be to seek in the acting of it And so much for the several Impediments of Faith and the way to remove them From whence we may deduce these Corollaries or Conclusions Corollaries First there is no Faith without a great deal of opposition Opposition from Self opposition from Satan opposition from World opposition from professed Enemies opposition from Friends A mans enemies shall be those of his own house these shall oppose him these shall judge him not onely for his outward actions of Faith but for the very intentions of his heart in the exercise of Faith as Davids brethren said unto him I know the pride of thy heart this is nothing but a spice of vain glory and ostentation Paul was opposed in the preaching of Faith and in the practice of Faith and no way in the world left to apologize for himself but to appeal to the Searcher of hearts 1 Cor 4.3 With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement c. But thus true faith meets with opposition both from those without and from those within the Church True faith in the saving knowledge of the Son of God is as the very door and entrance into Gods Kingdom but you must look to meet with opposition at the very threshold Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up c. The Lord grant none of us may be found amongst the number of opposers making sad the hearts of those God would not have made sad but rather be found helpers of one anothers faith For all is little enough in regard of the opposition we shall meet withall from without Secondly it is no easie matter to believe all things are easie to him that believeth but it is no easie matter to believe Thirdly The exceeding greatness of Gods power is seen in all them that do believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Eph. 1.19 20. No wonder so few believe 't is a Miracle of Mercy that there are so many Fourthly He that
persons who in a distemper of melancholly do think they can live without meat and indeed as well may the body live its natural life without meat as the Soul live its Spiritual and Supernatural life without the Word Job 23.12 I have desired the words of his mouth moâ—e than my appointed food the Word of God is the food of the Soul Faith is both begotten and encreased by the Word by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live Mat. 4.4 The Word of God is like blood in the natural Body Vehiculum Spiritûs The Word The Word the ordinary mean of Faith is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 This is the main end of that great Ordinance of the Ministery which was given for the begetting and for the encreasing faith till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 And therefore I say attend upon this Ordinance as ever thou desirest Faith make use of these despicable Rams-horns as ever thou desirest the mighty walls of Jericho should fall down for the weapons of the Ministery are mighty through God to the pulling down of all the strong holds of sin and Satan all the Opposites and Impediments of Faith Wait at the Pool of Bethesda Joh. 5.2 5. as ever thou desirest to be cured of thy Spiritual Maladies A Miracle yea a Million of Miracles will not beget faith in thee if that Word do not beget it which was at the first confirmed by Miracles If ordinary and living Preachers do thee no good neither wouldst thou believe if an extraordinary and miraculous Messengers should arise from the dead and preach to thee Luke 16.31 Therefore such as look for faith by Revelation without and beyond the Word certainly this perswasion cometh not of him that calleth Gal. 5.8 Such a perswasion and such a revelation is of Satan and not from God For God saith To the Word and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 Therefore as ever thou desirest true Light and true Faith attend upon the ministry of the Word Object But you will say What part of the Word should we attend upon that we may attain this Promise of Grace Every Word an Object of Faith Answ I Answer in general Every part of the Word of God both Precept and Promise where ever God hath a tongue to speak we should be sure to have an ear to hear Especially the Promise Gal. 3.24 Especially we are bound to attend upon the Promise of the Gospel As for the Ceremonial Law it is abolished it was our School-master unto Christ but no longer As for the Moral Law though it be abolished as a Covenant Do this and thou shalt live Rom. 10.5 if thou do it not thou shalt die so it is abolisht Yet the Apostle tels us in Romans 7. there is still even under the Gospel this use of the Law To convince us of sin and so to shew us our need of Christ Object If it be Objected The Spirit of Christ doth this John 16.8 and therefore what need of the Law How the Spirit Convinceth of sin Ans I Answer The Spirit doth it indeed but by opening and applying the Rule of the Law for so saith the Apostle who himself was guided by the Spirit when he uttered those words Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet Thus the Spirit convinceth by the Law and that so powerfully and effectually when God is pleased to set it home upon any particular soul that he apprehends the Minister speaks so as if he knew his very heart or so as if the Minister spoke to none but him in all the Congregation Now the word thus apprehended doth usually work some measure of humiliation with fear and terrour in some more in some lesse for we prescribe not a certain measure to any Now this though it be but a common work in it self yet where God is pleased to sanctifie it and to set it home it is a means to drive the Soul nearer to Jesus Christ and that by reasoning in this manner O that I should be such a vile wretch to transgress a law so Holy so Just so Good I confesse if God should look upon me in the first Covenant he might justly set open all the Flood-gates of his wrath he might even rain down Hell out of Heaven upon such a vile wretch as I am But What Is there no remedy sayes the perplexed Soul Is there no Balm in Gilead Jer. 8.22 Is there no Physician there that is able to cure a sick and a sinful Soul O yes sayes Christ I am that Physician of greatest value The whole need not the Physitian but the sick Mat. 19.2 for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The Spirit of God is upon me Luk. 4.18 because he hath anointed me on purpose to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted c. and therefore fear not poor soul I am sent to thee in a special manner my errand is to thee and therefore do not thou run from me but come to me Mat. 11.28 O come to me thou that art weary and heavy laden and I will give rest unto thee What to me sayes the poor dejected soul Is it possible God should intend any mercy to such a dead dog as I am Yes even to thee sayes Christ do but come to me and thou shalt be welcome I have paid all thy debt pacified Gods wrath for all that are willing to receive me and believer in me whateve their sins have been O this now melts the heart of a sinner and now he can mourn for sin as it is sin that ever he should offend such a gracious God Hereupon he comes to be meekly content to use any means that God shall prescribe for his Souls good To wait in hope To hunger and thirst after Christ To sell all that he hath though his all is worth nothing at all yet highly prized by him but this he is well content to part withall even with all his lusts and darlings yea all his best works and self-righteousness Phil. 3.7 8 so he may win Christ and be found in him he is willing to part with all and to count it as dross and dung Now when God of his Free Grace hath brought the Soul to this passe then after that he is pleased to reveal himself in a gracious manner Gen. 45.3 as Joseph revealed himself to his brethren I am Joseph your brother So sayes God Jer. 31.3 I am thy God and Father Lo I have loved thee with
a Seal of the same 2. Let him examine his Mouth and his Stomack Joh. 6 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you The best meat in the world can do no good where the creature hath neither Mouth nor stomack to feed upon it Now what is this Mouth but Faiths believing in Christ and feeding upon Christ are both one as he oft explains himself in the same Chapter Therefore let a man examine his Mouth and his Stomack as well as his Meat 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves Not that this excludes the Minister who is bound to know the state of his Flock If this be good at all times surely it is best of all at the Sacrament where the Apostle calls for examination in a special manner Let him examine his Mouth as well as his Meat We do not use to put meat into a dead mans mouth The Councel of Carthage condemned it as an abuse of the Sacrament to give it to a dead Body Sacrament not to be given to dead-hearted unbelievers because Christ saith Take and Eat but a dead Body can neither take nor eat The same reason reacheth to an Unbeliever if we could as easily discern the one as the other who is yet dead in sins and trespasses and therefore hath neither the Mouth of Faith nor a Spiritual Stomack to feed upon Christ but where God of his mercy hath given both this brest of the Church is of singular use to nutse up her children 2 Pet. 3.18 and to make them grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For God hath appointed no Ordinance in vain The greater surely is the want of this Brest in these days and the cause of so much leanness amongst Gods own Children in most places Complaint of the interruption of the Sacrament and the corruption of it as the cause I know not whether I should complain more of the Nurses or of the Children or whether it were not better to turn our Complaints into Compassions and both complaints and compassions into Prayers that God would direct both Ministers and People to seek him in due order and to restore that Ordinance in a better manner than formerly that he may not make any farther breach upon us that children may not fast so long till they lose their stomacks for want of sucking and Nurses may not disuse and withhold the Brest so long till it be dried quite up for want of drawing And this is the third Means which God hath appointed for the increase of Faith The Sacrament 4. Prayer The fourth is Prayer for this puts the Promises in suit and sanctifies both the Word and the Seal of the Word for the increase of Faith The Scriptures tell us That God is both the Author and the Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 If he be the Author we are bound to pray to him for the beginnings of Faith as in any poor measure we are able but if he be the Finisher of our Faith we are much more bound to pray for the increasing of it afterwards because our incouragements and abilities are far greater For 't is impossible a man should pray in Faith for the obtaining of Faith before he hath it but he may pray in faith for the increasing of faith when once he hath received a beginning of it If therefore a Natural man be bound to pray for Faith before he hath it though he be very unable to pray as he ought to pray how much more is a Spiritual man bound to pray for increase of Faith when he hath already tasted how gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 in bestowing that grace upon him and hath in some measure received the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication whereby he is inabled to go to God for the supply of all his wants The man that to his own apprehension had but a little Faith and much Unbelief cries out with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief Mar. 9.24 Yea the Disciples themselves had not so much Faith but still finding the want of more they put up this great Request to the Lord Increase our faith Luk. 17.5 and if such as they had need much more have we to pray to God for the increase of Faith The fifth Mean 5. Christian communion is Christian Communion of Gods people one with another This is a singular Mean to strengthen Faith the very sight of the Brethren doth embolden and encourage in the Faith Act. 28.15 How much more the mutual Instruction and Exhortation one of another Job 4.3 4. Eliphaz says thus to Job Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees You see Christian Communion is a Mean to strengthen in the Faith God in his Wisdom communicates special strength diversly to divers Members of the Body of Christ to some more to some less to that end that the strong may support the weak and comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thess 5.14 1 Cor. 14.26 It is the Rule of the Apostle Let all things be done to edification that is to the building up of one another in the Faith And this is to be aimed at not onely in publick Ordinances but in private converse of Christians one with another 1 Thess 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and exhort one another and edifie one another even as also ye do Stones of the same building do uphold and strengthen one another and so should living and Spiritual stones in the holy Temple of the Church This is a special and powerful means to strengthen in the Faith In this respect Aquila and Priscilla are called fellow-helpers of the Apostle Rom. 16.3 because they confirmed the Faith in those in whom the Apostle had formerly planted it by the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 16.3 And thus all of us should be helpers one of anothers faith and one of anothers joy And indeed it is the main end why God doth convert us at the first and why he doth help us up again when we are fallen that we may convert others and strengthen them also in the Faith when they are converted Luke 22.32 Thou being converted saith Christ to Peter strengthen thy brethren And this is the fifth Means of growth 6. Love to God The sixth Means is to prove our Love to God for this will prove his Love to us 1 Joh. 4.19 We love him because he first loved us and the assurance of Gods love towards us will marvellously strengthen our faith towards God Therefore our faith in him and the manifestation of his love to us are coupled together Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God which hath loved me and given himself for me Now what better way is there to manifest Gods
Psal 72.16 't is compared to a handful of Corn upon the top of the Mountains a barren place which yet by shaking and so growing afresh fills the whole earth with plenty So did the Law which went out from Mount Zion This is that Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands which grew so fast that at last it filled the whole earth Dan. 2.34 And as it is thus with the Kingdom of God in general with the Kingdom of God without us so it is with the Kingdom of God within us with the Kingdom of grace in every particular Christians heart it grows from small beginnings to a great height from a spark to a flame from break of day to high noon Hence grace in Gods people is compared to the morning light Prov. 4.18 to Ezekiel's waters Chap. 47.3 to Elijah's Cloud 1 Kings 18.44 And the reason hereof is because grace is not perfect at the first and theaefore there must be a growing till we come to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because this is not till the end of our life therefore we must be growing all our life long We are never at our full height till we be ready to be cut down by death never at the end of our race till at the end of our life The Apostle himself who had outstript all the rest of the Apostles yet he was growing still and running still and he gives the reason Because he was not yet perfect Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I were already perfect or had obtained c. Every thing you know in nature grows till it comes to its perfection as a childe till he comes to be a man As a man is not born a perfect man in nature for degrees though he be perfect for parts so it is in grace also and a Christian must grow till he comes to perfection We reade 1 Joh 2.12 of little children young men i.e. strong men and old men in Christ onely with this difference In the old age of grace there is no decay of strength of spirits or fruitfulnesss Psal 92.14 They shall bring forth fruit in old age c. We are bound you know to love God with all our hearts even to love him perfectly for degree as well as kinde But so long as we live here as we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. So we love but in part and are gracious but in part and therefore we must ever be upon the growing hand till we come to perfection perfect man in Christ Eph. 4.13 Reas 2 Grace is of a sweet and desirable nature insomuch that he that hath once tasted of the sweetness of it cannot but desire more He that saith he hath enough plainly discovers he never had any at all 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If so he ye have tasted c. He that hath once tasted cannot but thirst for more Though the painful thirst of total indigence be quenched and so he shall never thirst Joh. 4.14 yet the thirst of delight and the thirst of desire for further enjoyment is not removed but increased And blessed are they that thus hunger and thirst after more righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 56. Hence also the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a Treasure Mat. 13.44 in digging up whereof a man doth every day more and more enrich himself Reas 3 This was the End of Christs Commission which he received from his Father at his Mission and the very end of his coming in execution of that Commission not onely to bestow spiritual life upon his people but to increase it also day by day That was the extent of his Commission Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly As a living spring bubbles and boils forth and empties it self that the channel might be fill'd with water and it as it runs along here it meets with one Spring and there with another it may be it meets with an hundred fresh Springs that it may be fill'd more abundantly till it runs out at last into the Ocean it self So Jesus Christ the Fountain of Living Waters empties himself by the work of his Spirit into the believing Soul He that believeth in me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters Joh. 7.38 And as the believer runs along in his Christian course here he meets with one fresh spring of grace and there with another Psal 84. as they that go through the valley of Baca they dig up fountains still it may be they meet with an hundred fresh springs of grace till at the last those sweet streams of grace are swallowed up in the Ocean of glory and then is fulfilled the saying that is written I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly And this is the third Reason why the just lives the Life of Augmentation The End of Christs coming Reas 4 The fourth is taken from Gods Faithfulness Seeing God daily puts Christians upon higher duties as Fasting and Prayer Mat. 9.15 then shall they â—ast and stronger Temptations not having yet resisted to blood Heb 12.4 and new wine not being fit for old bottles Therefore God is so faithful as to give them more grace And Philosophers define the end of natural Augmentation to be Ad edendas actiones proprias convenientes Magir. Phys p. 465. For exercising the proper Functions God will not be wanting here 2 Cor. 12 9. When Paul had a new temptation sayes God My grace is sufficient for thee and so 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. If God command to make more brick he will give more straw yea he will give more strength And so much for the first thing Now follows the second The just lives this Life of Augmentation by his Faith Propos 2. Augmentation is by faith His faith doth increase in it from faith to faith Rom 1.17 As faith increaseth or decreaseth so doth his Lie of grace As Philosophers say of the ebbing and the floving of the Sea The position and disposition of the Moon is the cause of it which is apparent in your Spring iâ—es at the Chance and Full of the Moon as the Moon increaseth the Waters and all moist Bodies do increase and as it decreaseth they decrease again So is iâ— betwixt Faith and other Graces as Faith increaseth Faith under the Sun of Righteousness so they increase Mal. 4. and as Faith decreaseth so they decrease again 2 Thes 1.3 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Mark as their Faith abounded so their Charity abounded and so other Graces abounded also 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace and peace be multiplied