faith is working 2 63 Workes without them none iustified Ibid. Doctrine of good workes iustified 2 67 Works why required 2 70 Good workes their different rise in Papists and us 2 72 Workes to iudge aright of them 2 79 Workes how accepted 2 80 Workes of our calling good workes 2 84 Faith must be set on worke 2 138 Motives to set faith on worke 2 139 Faith inableth us to worke 2 141 We shall be iudged by our workes 3 186 A good heart and good workes goe together 3 189 Motives to working 3 203 A beauty in good workes 3 205 World World overcome by faith 2 215 World the love of God and it cannot be together 3 121 World tryalls of love to it 3 122 World how minded by Saints 3 126 Word As great a sinne to neglect the Lords Supper as to neglect the Word 3 59 Wrastling Wrastling with God 1 89 Y. Yoake Yoake of Satan easie to many that weare it 2 31 Z. Zeale is where there is love 3 95 FINIS CHristian Reader the Booke being divided into three parts being upon three severall Texts and each part beginning with Fol. 1. know that alway the first figure in the Table sheweth the part the other the page as will easilie appeare by the beginning of the Table ERRATA Part. 1. Page 31 line 10 for If say reade I say page 55 line 4 for iustification reade testification p 59 l. 12 for the thing r. the next thing p. 75 l. 27 for yeranes r yearnes p. 76 l. 6 for the use r. that use p. 109 l. 25 for hearâ— of in r. heard in p. 113 l. 23 for to serve r to serve him p 113 l 26 for have no hope r they have no hope p 125 l 8 for beleeve this r beleeve for this p 130 l 25 for best bud r least bud p 136 l. 20 for eyther thy soule r either for thy soule Part 2. Page 23 line ult blot out his p. 25 l. 7 blot out for p. 49 l. 9 for worke r. worker p 72 l 28. for 3 use r. 4 use p. 76. in the margine blot out Vse 4. p. 85 l. 22 for was r. was by p â—6 l. 1 for selfe r. selves p. 88 l. 18. for within r. in p. 132 9 for faith r. ioy p. 144 l 8 for so r see p. 158 l 25 for thing r use p 160 l 30 blot out that p 165 l 20 for conclusions r turnings p 197 l 2 3 r God stayes thee for this end p 197 l 9 blot out not p. 198 l 10 for weakneâ— r. weaned p 198 l 31 for induldeâ—s r indulgentâ— p 199 l 14 for except r expect p â—02 l 10 for thy r their p 208 l 19 for certainly r. captivity p 212 l 11 for saith will r saith he will Part 3. Page 74 l 15 for they would r they would not p 99 l 4 blot out any p 99 l 12 for beauty r bent p 140 l 9 for feare r sense p 149 l 12 for nearely r warily A briefe Collection of the principall heads in the ensuing Treatises PART 1. DOCTRINE That righteousnesse by which alone wee are saved is revealed in the Gospell pag. 3 Sixe Questions about this righteousnesse 5 Vse To see the justice of God in condemning men who neglect this righteousnesse 26 Vse 2. Not to deferre the taking of Christ. 31 Doct. 2. Faith is that whereby the righteousnes of God is made ours to salvation 37 Reasons 1. That it might be of grace 43 2. That it might be sure Ibid. 3. That it might be to all the seede 44 4. That no flesh should rejoyce in it selfe 45 Definition of justifying faith 49 The object of faith 52 The subject of it 55 How faith justifieth 59 The acts of faith 62 Vse 1. Not to be discouraged from comming to God 67 Vse 2. To rejoyce in God 76 Vse 3. To labour for faith 81 Vse 4. To apply the promises with boldnesse 86 Foure things in the understanding touching the promises 95 Three meanes to draw the will 104 Seven arguments to perswade us of Christs willingnesse to receive us 110 Doct. 3. Faith admits degrees and wee ought to grow from degree to degree 117 Faith admits degrees in foure respects Ibid. Vse 1. To comfort those that have faith though in a lesse degree 130 Vse 2. An exhortation to grow in faith 134 Sixe motives to grow in faith 135 PART 2. DOCTRINE That faith that saveth us must be effectuall pag. 3 Five causes of ineffectuall faith 6 Three things wherin the efficacy of faith consisteth 20 How effectuall faith is wrought 47 Sixe reasons why God will accept no other faith 58 Vses First To try our faith whether it be sound 60 Secondly To judge our conditions by the efficacy of our faith 64 Thirdly To justifie the doctrine of good workes against the Papists 67 Fourthly To labour to grow in faith and assurance 72 Fifthly To learne to judge aright of our workes 79 Sixthly To try if we have faith 84 Five signes of effectuall faith 92 The concomitants of faith 124 Vse 7. To set faith on worke 138 Three wayes how to use faith 142 Sixe considerations to helpe faith to comfort us 149 Eight instances wherein faith should guide us 158 Concerning using meanes 176 Concerning evills feared 187 Concerning God hearing our prayers 193 Concerning the prosperity of the wicked and affliction of the Saints 201 PART 3. DOCTRINE HEE that loves not is not in Christ. page 5 Five kindes of love 8 How the love of God is wrought in us 12 Reasons First If a man love not there is a curse on him 18 Secondly He breakes the Evangelicall law 19 Thirdly it is adultery 20 Fourthly he slights Gods offer 21 Vses First To examine if we love Christ. 21 Sixe tryalls of our love to Christ. 24 Seven motives to love Christ. 34 Meanes to enable us to love God 49.106.138 Ten properties of love 60 Two impediments of our love to Christ. 106 Five tryalls whether we love God or no. 115 Foure signes of hatred of God 133 Meanes whereby wee may be assured of Gods love to us 146 Five things requisite in our love to God 159 The danger of not loving the Lord. 178 â—oure things in the curse of God 179 Doct. 2. We are to be judged not onely by our faith but by our workes 188 Reasons First Because every Christian hath the Spirit 189 Secondly Inward rectitude is never disjoyned from good workes 191 Thirdly Because every Christian hath a new nature 192 Vses First Not to content our selves with good meanings onely 193 Secondly Christians are better taught than learned men without grace 199 Thirdly An exhortation to doing 205 Three duties suting the season 211 1 Cor. 16.13 1 Thes. 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. Eph. 1 1â— 6. Questions about this righteousnes 1. Quest. How it saueth Ans. 1. Rom. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.45 Answ.
desire long enough but how shall we be able to doe it I will tell you in a word and so conclude First you must pray for it it is a lovely suite when we come to the Lord and tell him that we desire to love him that we would faine doe it if we could and beseech him not to deny us that request that we know is according to his will doe you thinke that the Lord will refuse you in that case especially if you begge it importunately at his hands For if you object and say we have prayed and have not obtained it know that to love the Lord is a precious thing and therefore the Apostle reckons it so You will say How doth this prayer doe it I say that it doth it partly by obtaining at Gods hands for when you crie earnestly hee cannot denie you But as he did with the lame and the blinde when they were importunate hee never neglected any but healed them When you crie to the Lord and say I would faine love thee but I cannot will hee not be as willing to heale thy soule to give thee legges to runne after him and eyes to see him as he was to heale the lame and the blinde certainly he will not denie thee But besides that prayer doth it because it brings us to converse and to have communion with him by prayer wee are familiar with God by that meanes love growes betweene us as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love Againe prayer doth it because when wee are much in calling upon God the Lord delights to shew himselfe to such a man yea at such a time for the most part as hee shewed himselfe to Christ when he was praying as he did to Moses and to Cornelius and others And againe prayer it exerciseth this love it blowes up the sparke of this love and makes a flame of it therefore much prayer begets much love If you would be abundant in love be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer pray much and you shall finde this effect of it it will beget love in you You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love The reason is because love in an especiall manner is a gift of the Spirit a fruite of the holie Ghost and it is true it must be a peculiar worke of the Spirit to beget love It is true faith comes by hearing and hearing begets faith it is done likewise by the Spirit but love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the holie Ghost And therefore 2 Thess. 4. saith the Apostle You are taught of God to love one another That is it is such a thing as God teacheth or else our teaching will never doe it that which he saith of love to the brethren we may say of the love of God the Lord hath put love into man man loves many times and knowes not why many times he hath reason that he should love and yet he cannot because it is a peculiar gift of God That naturall affection for a man to love his children all the world cannot doe it all the arguments in the world cannot perswade a man for if arguments could doe it we might perswade others to doe so but none can love so as the father doth his childe and why but because the Lord workes that in men So the love of God is a peculiar worke of the holy Ghost none are able to love Iesus but hee in whom the Lord hath wrought it in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost to goe to him and say Lord I am not able to doe it this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevaile Besides you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature that except the holy Ghost worke more than nature we shall never be brought together in agreeablenesse and sutablenesse wee are no more able to love the Lord than colde water is able to heate it selfe there must be somewhat to breede heate in that water so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us it must be kindled from heaven or else we shall never have it Secondly another speciall meanes to enable you to love the Lord is to consider your owne condition to consider your sinnes what you are what hearts you have and what lives you have lead You will say how doth this beget love Yes this is a great meanes Mary loved much because much was forgiven her that is Mary Magdalen had great sense of her sinnes the Lord had opened her eyes to see what a one shee had beene what sinnes she had committed And because she had that sense of her sinnes her eyes were open to see her owne vilenesse thence it is saith he she loved much For when we are humble and poore in spirit when we are little in our owne eyes then the Lord will come and shew mercy on us when a man shall see his sinne and shall thinke with himselfe I am worthy to be destroyed I can expect nothing but death then the Lord shall come sodainly as it were and shall tell us you shall live and shall reconcile himselfe to us this will command love We shall never receive the Gospell as to love Christ till we come to poverty of spirit till we be thus humbled as in the first of Luke it is the speech of Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and why because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaiden When she was little in her owne eyes and made no account of her selfe and thought not her selfe worthy to be looked after the Lord comes and takes her and vouchsafes her such an honour as to cause his owne Sonne to be borne of her now she could not holde but that was it that enflamed her heart with love to the Lord my soule doth magnifie the Lord because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaid So wee see in David you never finde a greater expression of love in David than at that time when hee was most humbled when the Prophet came to him and tolde him what the Lord would doe for him that he would build him and house David begins to consider what he was what is David saith he What am I or what is my fathers house That is I am but a poore miserable man I am but thus borne what have I done that the Lord should respect me so farre If David had not beene so little and so vile in his owne eyes those great mercies had never so wrought on his heart And therefore I say the way to make us abundant in love is to consider our sinnes to be humbled to consider what
and how seriously he is devising with himselfe to bring his matters to passe Now if you love the Lord the actions that you doe you will not doe them as those that are his slaves and servants that doe things for other regards And indeede such is the love for the most part that is among us now adayes there is much formality in our actions wee have a forme of godlinesse without the power of it even as in our love towards men there are many complements and much profession of love one to another but wee finde that there is little true love So wee may take up a complaint against men in their love to God there is much formality men are much in outward performances which is well I confesse but alas the power is wanting it is all but complementing with God as it were when you come and do these duties of Gods worship when you keepe the Sabbath and present your selves at prayers and at Sermons it is well you doe so but yet when your hearts are going after your covetousnesse and after your pleasures after this or that particular humour the Lord lookes upon this as upon a formall performance it is another kinde of doing that the Lord requires at your hands It may be you doe duties in secret and private and it is a good propertie that you doe so but yet that is not enough you may doe them as a taske that you are glad when the businesse is done and it is well that is over but when you will doe things out of love you must know that you must doe it in another manner not in this formality If you will serve the Lord out of love it is not the praying to him morning and evening that will content you but it is the working upon your hearts it is the beating upon your affections till you have brought them to a good frame of grace till you have wrought upon your selves a sound and thorow renewing of your repentance you will never give over till your hearts be quickened in prayer till you have found that God hath answered you till you have had experience of his mercy and loving kindnesse towards you So when you come to heare is this all thinke you that God requires of you to sit here and lend us your eares for a little time No my Beloved unlesse you doe it from love unlesse you be mooved to it from an inward principle from an entire and holy affection to God it is nothing You must labour to have the word wrought upon your hearts you must observe how you practise and how you bring forth into action that which you heare for you doe not learne a thing here when you come to heare the word till you practise it till your hearts bee transformed into it Doe not thinke that you have done the worke when you have sate here and heard us when you have gone home and repeated the Sermon and understand it To heare as God would have you heare is another thing it is like your lessons in musicke you say you have never learned them till you be able to practise them so you never have learned the word of God aright till you have an abilitie in you to practise it To shew you what love is and what faith is and what patience is to make you understand and conceive of it it is nothing but to have faith to have patience to have love to have your affections inflamed to the Lord this is the right hearing As it is in physicke the understanding of the Physitians bill is nothing it is the taking and applying of that which is there written that doth good to your bodies so is it with the doctrine that wee preach you may understand it and apprehend it and conceive of it aright but except you bring it forth into your lives and actions you learne it not Therefore this slight and overly performance is not a true testimonie of your loue to the Lord Iesus but the doing of it to purpose so that God who searcheth the heart may accept of it the doing of it thorowly that your hearts may be wrought upon this is a signe that your doing and suffering comes from Love FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last thing that wee did was to shew you what were the properties of true love that by them you might try your selves whether you love the Lord Iesus or no we went through five in the morning we now proceede Another property of love is this it is full of heate therefore in Cant. 8. it is compared to coales of juniper and that phrase is used in Mat. 24.5 Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall waxe colde That antithesis shewes that love is a hot thing hot as fire Therefore if you would know whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider what heat and what fire there is in you Now what are the properties of fire wherein doth love and that agree Fire you know is the most active of all the elements colde benummes a man and is the greatest enemie to action if thou love the Lord Iesus thou shalt finde thy love will have that property of fire to set all on worke on thee it will set thy tongue on fire and thy hands on fire and thy head and heart on fire every thing that is within thee will be working and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wanteth love hee is as a man benummed as a man frozen in his dreggs not apt to any thing the more a thing is like to fire the more aptnesse and the more activenesse so the more love the more aptnesse and readinesse to every good worke where there is no love there men are reprobate to every good worke Besides love as it is very active so it is very quicke as fire is of a quicke nature Therefore we say that love hates nothing so much as delayes and it is in this like to fire which is the quickest of all the elements Consider of this therefore Art thou speedy in thy executions if thou love the Lord thou wilt not deferre and put off from day to day any thing that is to bee done thou wilt not say with thy self I wil change my course of life but not yet no if thou love the Lord thou wilt doe it presently Besides love agrees with fire in this that it is earnest and vehement and indeede I take it that in that regard it is chiefly compared to fire For fire as it is of a quicke so it is of a vehement nature and so is love Looke what a man loves upon that he bestowes the top of all his affections and the maine strength of his intentions run that way Examine by this therefore whether thou love the Lord or no. If thou love the Lord Iesus thou
another much he is much affected with what he doth Now when the Lord shall shew some tokens of his wrath those that love him and esteeme of him those that prize him cannot but be affected Shall the Lyon roare and shall not the beasts of the field tremble Consider how you are affected therefore when the Lord shall discover any expression of his wrath and what doth hee else in this stroake which is now vpon this place is there not wrath gone out from the Lord You know the plague is more particularly Gods hand then any other affliction Therefore David saith when he chose the plague that he would choose to fall into the hands of God intimating that in that buysinesse God was in a more peculiar manner the doer of it As the thunder is sayd to be the voyce of the Lord so the plague may properly be sayd to be the stroake of the Lord more peculiarly than any other affliction Consider therfore what your affections are in this case for my beloved let it not be in vayne to you that the Lord stretcheth forth his hand as hee doth now at this time among vs. It is but yet in the beginning and what is the Lords meaning in it Is it not as a messenger sent vpon an errand If it had its answer if that were done for which the Lord had sent it would he not remoue it againe Would he not bid the destroying Angell to put up his sword into his sheath Doubtlesse he would if you would doe that at the beginning of this sicknesse that must be done before the Lord will remoove it from you You will say what shall we doe then I beseech you consider what commonly is the cause of a plague among vs. Consider what hath ben the cause of the plague in former times You shal finde in Numb 25. two causes of the plague One was the superstition and Idolatrie of the people they begann to be yokt with Idolatrie They joyned themselues to Baal Peor I confesse that sinne was not yet growne to any great height it was but yet in the beginning in the seedes and yet you know how the Lord was offended with them And the second was fornication the sinne of vncleanes that was coÌ„mitted It is not likely that all the people fell into that sinne of Idolatry or into the sinne of Fornication but yet the Lord was offended with the whole Congregation for those that did it as the manner is to be So here you see two causes of a plague Idolatry which was but beginning and the very admitting it into the Campe and the Fornication of the people Another cause of the plague you shall find in Davids numbring the people it was their securitie and pride and trusting to themselves and the creatures for surely it was not Davids sinne only who had somewhat forgotten God and trusted to his mountaine thought that that was strong enough but it was the sinne of the people It is good my beloved to be secure out of confidence vpon God and therein the more securitie the better but to be secure for any outward help either in the number of men or ships or strength or policie or because we are compassed about with the walls of the Sea or whatsoeever it is wherein wee thinke our safetie consisteth the more confidence in this the worse The Lord smott the people for this security in Dauids time Another cause is the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament Many are sicke among you saith the Apostle and many are dead because you receive the Sacrament unworthily The Lord is pleased to punish that particular sinne of receiving the Sacrament unworthily with some sicknesse or other whether the plague or no we cannot say but this we may be sure of that this was the cause why so many were sicke and dead You know that passage in the booke of Chronicles concerning Ezekias when the people had not prepared themselves aright as they ought hee prayed to the Lord and it is said The Lord healed the people we cannot say what the Lord healed them of but yet it makes it evident that the Lord had some way smitten theÌ„ Moses for the omission of the Sacrament the Lord would have slaine him that is he would have sent something upon him whether some disease as is most probable or some other thing which should have taken away his life in the end The omission and negligent receiving of the Sacrament I put together which mooveth God to anger and to inflict plagues upon a people I will name yet one more besides these and that is the coldnesse and deadnesse of their hearts who belong to the Lord from whom he expects better things and more zeale which I gather hence What was the reason that the zeale of Phineas stayed the plague Numb 25. Because his love was hot and his anger was kindled in a holy manner against that Israelitish man and the Midâ—anitish woman that had committed fornication among the people If the zeale of Phineas was the cause of staying that plague and of withholding the Lords hands then surely the coldnes of those from whom the Lord lookes for much heate for much fervency of spirit whom God expects should stand in the gappe I say that is the cause that the Lord goes on in punishing But what should we doe now to remove it Amend the things that are amisse repent and amend and he will turne from his fierce wrath which he not onely intendeth against us but is also already upon us Labour to cleanse your hands from idolatry and superstition and cleanse the land from the crying sinne of uncleannesse and fornication and every man labour to cleanse his owne heart And againe to turne to the Lord to take heede of security which is a forerunner of a ruine as a great calme is a forerunner of an earthquake Againe take heed of receiving the Sacrament unworthily many of you this day have received therefore I should speake something particularly to them but in truth this concernes all among us but chiefly let me speake to those a little that are able to pray that have some fire in them that have had the worke of grace in their hearts wrought by the Spirit of God that have some sparkes if they were blowne up that are men fit to stand in the gap It belongs to you my brethren to doe something that the Lord may stay his hand and remember that when the Lord begins to send forth tokens of his wrath and displeasure against a Nation it is a time wherein he expects and lookes for humiliation and repentance Therefore take heede of neglecting that in Isay 22. In that day saith the Lord when I called for humiliation beholde killing of fatlings and oxen c. Therefore know what your dutie is and learne now to see what belongs to you to doe shew your love to the Lord in trembling at his judgements
in being zealous for his Names sake as indeed where there is abundance of love there is alwayes exceeding much zeale So it was with Paul so it was with Elias so it was with Moses so it hath beene with all the Saints And so much for this Another property of love is this that it doth not play the huckster with the Lord as wee say it doth not bring things to an exact account but when a man loveth hee is willling to doe what offices of love and friendship he can and he doth not stand to looke for an exact recompence for that is to play the huckster to make a bargaine with God but the nature of love and true friendship wheresoever it is found is this to be free in doing that it doth and not to stand to examine how much they shall doe and how much they shall receive for doing of it but to doe it with liberty and with freedome And so it will be if your love be right to the Lord you will not stand halfepeny-worthing you will not stand considering what you are bound to doe of necessitie whether you are bound to pray in your families or no whether you are bound to keepe the Sabboth so exactly and precisely as is commanded whether you are bound from giving so much liberty to your selves in vaine speeches c. but love will rather say what shall I doe to recompence the Lord It will be devising what to doe it will be glad of any occasion of doing any thing that may be acceptable to God When you set limits to your selves and are afraid of going too farre and doing too much it is a signe that what you doe commeth not from love to the Lord but from some naturall principle it comes from your selves and not from the spirit For if you love the Lord Iesus aright why doe you not labour to exceed in the duties of obedience why doe you blame those that goe further than your selves are willing to doe why doe you quarrell with that exactnesse and precisenesse and strictnesse which is required in walking in the wayes of God Love is abundant in the worke it doth and if you love the Lord you will not set limits to your selves you will not have such thoughts as these I will doe as much as may bring mee to heaven and no more I will take so much paines as that I may not be damned but to exceede and doe more than needes this I hope may be spared and I may goe to heaven notwithstanding well enough though I goe not so fast as other men No Beloved if there be love in you you will strive to doe the utmost of your power it is the nature of love so to doe Againe you will not be so exact nor indent with the Lord what hee will doe to you but though the Lord be slow and slacke in rewarding you though he stay long and suffer you to goe on without taking any notice of you as it were nay perhaps hee gives you many afflictions and persecutions poverty trouble sicknesse c. though the Lord doth not doe what you expect yet your love will be free it will goe on you will be ready to say as Paul did I know whom I have trusted that is he was resolved to serve the Lord to doe his utmost though the Lord did reserve himselfe and the recompence of reward to a further time yet he was content Such a disposition will be found in those that love the Lord Iesus Again you may judge of your love to the Lord Iesus by another property of love which is a hatred of sinne by your hatred of that which is contrary to him for love is not better knowne by any thing than by hatred for all hatred is properly rooted in love for you hate nothing but because you love the contrary therefore if you love the Lord Iesus you will hate sinne Examine your selves by this for it is a sure rule if you love the Lord you will hate that which is evill You will say I hope I doe that It is well if you doe but let us consider that it may be you may be angry with sinne but doe you hate sinne That was the commendations that the Lord gives the Church in Rev. 2. Thou hatest the works of the Nicholaitans which I also hate Therefore if you would know whether you love the Lord Iesus try it by this doe you hate sin You will say How shall wee know whether we hate it or no In these three things you shall finde wherein hatred differs from anger and thereby you may examine your selves First hatred is more of generalls a man hates all drunkards if he hate drunkennesse hee hates all toads and all serpents if hee hate poyson A man is angry with this or that particular but hatred is of all I would aske thee doest thou hate all sinne every thing that is called sinne all that belongs to sinne If it be this or that sinne that you make against you are but angry with sinne you doe not hate sin for hatred fals alwaies upon the generall Examine therefore if you finde this disposition in your hearts that you hate every sinne that your hearts rise against every thing that is sinfull whatsoever is contrary to the Lord whatsoever you apprehend under the notion of sin that you hate and resist and strive against this is a signe that you love the Lord. Secondly hatred desires the utter destruction of the thing it hates anger doth not so anger desires but a revenge proportionable to the injurie therefore we say there is a kinde of justice in anger it would not have the party that it is angry with to be destroyed but it would have him sensible of its displeasure it would have something done that might answer the injurie that is offered but hatred desires the destruction of a thing utterly Now doe you doe so with your sinnes doe you desire to have them wholly extirpate and rooted out of you to have your lusts thorowly and perfectly mortified are you willing to have sinne so cleane taken away that you may have any no libertie to have dalliance with it in any kind do you hate it so as that you cannot endure to come neere it nor to have it within your sight It is a signe you hate it indeed Lastly hatred differeth from anger in this that it is implacable hatred comes from judgement and it continues and therefore hatred is not a passion but we call it an affection it is a beautie and disposition and frame of the will anger is a passion that dies and flittes away after a time but hatred continues Is your disposition such to your sinnes examine your selves nothing is more frequent my brethren than to be humbled for some sinne which amazeth you for the present but doth your hatred continue If not you doe but fall out with your sinnes onely and grow friends with
THE BREAST-PLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE A Treatise Wherein the ground and exercise of FAITH and LOVE as they are set upon Christ their Object and as they are expressed in Good Workes is explained Delivered In 18. Sermons upon three severall Texts By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of Faith and Love 1 Thes 5.8 What will it profit my Brethren if a man say he have faith and hath not workes Can faith save him Iames 2.14 LONDON Printed by W. I. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be solde at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1630 ILLVSTRISSIMO NOBILISSIMOQVE VIRO ROBERTO COMITI WARVVICENCI IOHANNIS PRESTONI S. T. D. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS Q. MAGISTRI CVIVS TVTELAE DVM IN VIVIS ESSET PRIMOGENITVM SVVM IN DISCIPLINAM ET LITERIS EXPOLIENDVM TRADIDIT POSTHVMORVM TRACTATVVM PARTEM DE NATVRA FIDEI EIVSQVE EFFICACIA DEQVE AMORE ET OPERIBVS BONIS DEVOTISSIMI TAM AVTHORIS DVM VIVERET QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM M. D. D. D. RICHARDVS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT To the Christian Reader Christian Reader INnumerable are the sleights of Satan to hinder a Christian in his course towards Heaven by exciting the corruption of his own heart to disturbe him when he is about to doe any good or by discouraging him with inward terrours when he would solace himselfe with heavenly comforts or by disheartening him under the feares of sufferings when hee should be resolute in a good cause A type whereof were the Israelites whose servitude was redoubled when they turned themselves to forsake Aegypt Wherefore we have much neede of Christian fortitude according to that direction Watch ye stand fast quit your selves like men especially since Satan like a Serpentine Crocodile pursued is by resistance put to flight But as in warres which the Philistines knew well in putting their hope in Goliah the chiefe strength of the Souldiers lyeth in their Captaine so in spirituall conflicts all a Christians strength is in Christ and from him For before our conversion we were of no strength since our conversion we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought And to worke out from the Saints all selfe-confidence God by their falls teacheth them To rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and to have no confidence in the flesh Whatsoever Christ hath for us is made ours by Faith which is the hand of the soule enriching it by receiving Christ who is the treasure hid in the field and with him those unsearchable riches of grace which are revealed and offered in the Gospell Yea it is part of our spirituall armour That which was fabulously spoken of the race of Gyants is truly said of a Christian hee is borne with his armour upon him as soone as hee is regenerate hee is armed It s called a Breast-plate because it preserves the heart a long large shield as the word signifieth which is usefull to defend the whole man from all sorts of assaults Which part of spirituall armor and how it is to be managed is declared in the former part of the ensuing Treatise in ten Sermons Now as all rivers returne into the sea whence they came so the beleeving soule having received all from Christ returneth all to Christ. For thus the beleever reasoneth Was Gods undeserved unexpected love such to me that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gave him to die for mee It s but aequall that I should live to him die for him bring in my strength time gifts liberty all that I have all that I am in his service to his glory That affection whence these resolutions arise is called Love which so inclineth the soule that it moveth in a direct line towards that obiect wherein it expecteth contentment The soule is miserably deluded in pursuing the winde and in taking ayme at a flying fowle whilest it seekes happinesse in any creature which appeares in the restlesnesse of those irregular agitations and endlesse motions of the mindes of ambitious voluptuous and covetous persons whose frame of spirit is like the lower part of the elementary region the seate of windes tempests and earthquakes full of unquietnesse whilest the beleevers soule like that part towards heaven which is alwayes peaceable and still enioyeth true rest and ioy And indeed the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in union with the chiefe of spirits which communicateth his goodnesse to the creature according to its capacity This affection of Love as it reflecteth upon Christ being a fruit and effect of his love to us apprehended by faith is the subiect of the second part of the following Treatise in 7. Sermons The iudicious Authour out of a piercing insight into the methods of the Tempter knowing upon what rockes the faith of many suffers shipwracke that neither the weak Christian might lose the comfort of his faith through want of evidences nor the presumptuous rest upon a fancy in stead of faith nor the adversaries be emboldened to cast upon us by reason of this doctrine of Iustification by faith onely their wonted nicknames of Soli-fidians and Nulli-fidians throughout the whole Treatise and more especially in the last Sermon he discourseth of good Workes as they arise from faith and love This is the summe of the faithfull and fruitfull labours of this Reverend learned and godly Minister of the Gospell who whilest he lived was an example of the life of faith and love and of good workes to so many as were acquainted with his aequall and even walking in the wayes of God in the severall turnings and occasions of his life But it will be too much iniury to the godly Reader to be detained longer in the porch Wee now dismisse thee to the reading of this profitable worke beseeching God to increase faith and to perfect love in thy heart that thou maist be fruitfull in good workes Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ RICHARD SIBS IOHN DAVENPORT OF FAITH The first Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith IN the words I haue read vnto you Paul tels them that he is not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST For it was a shame to him partly because the very substance of the Gospell was then persecution and partly because he was plaine in speech hee came not with excellency of words or mans wisedome and therefore you may obserue what adoe he had to defend himselfe in his Epistles to the Corinthians a wise people who partly hated and partly despised his manner of deliuery but saith hee I am not ashamed of it for it is the power of God to saluation it is that which being receiued will bring men to heauen being rejected
when there is more things reuealed to them and I take it this place will carry that the righteousnesse of GOD is reuealed from faith to faith that is the righteousnesse of CHRIST was reuealed in the time of the Law and the Prophets it was reuealed obscurely and there was a little saith among them to beleeue it was enough to saue them but when the time drew neerer there were greater reuelations as we know in the time of the Prophets their faith was great as there were more reuelations so there was more faith So I say it admits degrees in regard of the extent of reuelation as the Apostles when CHRIST was vpon the earth they had a degree of faith but when Christ ascended then there was more reuelations then they grew from faith to faith because they grew from reuelation to reuelation then the Spirit of God was sent into their hearts to reueale all things and to leade them into all truth you know they had abundance of reuelations afterwards So in this regard in regard of the extent faith receiues degrees not because the habit is increased but because the reuelations and objects are more And therefore that is the comfort of poore Christians those that are yet ignorant they may haue a true habit and as true a grace in the heart and though a man bee more conuersant in Scripture and knowes more then they he hath more reuelations and in that sense though he haue a greater faith then the other yet the other hath a like precious faith with him in regard of that grace So wee see how faith receiues degrees in these three respects Now last of all that faith that giues assurance that pacifieth and comforteth the heart which is nothing but a reflect act by which we know and are perswaded that wee haue taken CHRIST and that our sinnes are forgiuen this admits of degrees of proofe And here as the euidences of sanctification are more so is the assurance as the Apostle saith the Spirit witnesseth to our spirit he discouers good things to vs wee had neede of the light of the Spirit to iudge aright of the sincerity of the graces that wee haue we shall goe amisse else we shall not be able except wee haue the Spirit to helpe and assist vs and so wee grow from assurance to assurance Now for the second part that wee must grow in all these First as faith admits of degrees so we must labour to grow in all these degrees First labour to grow to a more full and firme assent by that meanes we shall draw neerer to CHRIST and receiue him in a greater measure Marke this very act of taking CHRIST that immediately iustifies but it is fed with assurance in the vnderstanding it is that which doth increase and strengthen and supply this action of the will in taking CHRIST So that the more strong assent the minde and vnderstanding of a man giues to those truths which concerne iustification deliuered in the Scripture the stronger his will is in taking Christ As in the Act of marriage a Woman takes such a one to bee her husband but yet there are degrees in the will one may take him with greater greedinesse with a more full perswasion that it is best for her with more loue and with more resolution So the stronger the assent is that we giue to the promises of GOD wherein he assures vs of the pardon of our sinnes wherein CHRIST is offered freely vnto vs the more we take CHRIST and so the vnion is greater betweene vs wee are linkt and knit together and married as it were in a greater degree Secondly in regard of difficulty which is the second thing wherein faith admits degrees when we beleeue hard things or easie things propounded with slender arguments Labour to grow in this for this is very profitable for you I will giue you but these two instances You know what Moses lost and what Abraham got Moses lost Canaan he lost the honour of carrying in the people he lost the honour of concluding his worke when hee had taken so much paines and all because he did not beleeue when he strooke the Rocke for want of faith Abraham now that beleeued things that were of a high of a difficult nature you see what hee got by it for this cause saith the LORD I will doe thus and thus because thou hast not spared thine onely Sonne which is repeated Rom. 4. Abraham being strong in faith gaue glory to GOD. And therefore you see Abraham is set aboue all men he is the Father of all the faithfull he is the head the top of those to whom GOD shewed mercie he shewed mercie to all for Abrahams sake Abraham Isaac and Iacob Abraham is first this did Abraham get for euer because he beleeued in God in so great a matter this you shall gaine if you will beleeue it will bring a great reward yea it will not onely bring a reward such as Abraham had but it will bring increase of the same faith God will reueale more to you and giue you more of his Spirit as he did to Nathaniel Beleeuest thou for this saith Christ thou shalt see greater things then these If we beleeue in difficult cases GOD will make vs with facility to beleeue them another time Thirdly for the multitude of reuelations for the extent of faith that way we should labour to be filled full of faith as Barnabas is said to be full of faith And how is that By studying the Word much for therein will GOD reueale this this is it that Paul magnifies so much in 2 Cor. 12. that which he gloried in he doth not name it in his owne person but saith I knew a man in CHRIST had such a reuelation he glories not in this that he had wealth or honour but in the multitude of reuelations that of all other might haue exalted Paul but he was wise he knew what he did when he was so apt to be exalted in that it seemes there was some extraordinary excellency in it Lastly labour to get full assurance the more assurance you haue the more loue Againe you shall doe the more worke when once we are assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as 1 Cor. 15. vlt. it will make vs abound in the workes of the Lord. Againe it stablisheth a man in well doing he shall neuer hold out and be constant till he come to haue assurance that he shall not lose his reward I cannot stand on this point I will name the Vses that so I may not leaue the point vnfinished The first is a Vse of much comfort if there be such degrees in faith then let vs not be discouraged though we come not to the highest if we haue but a little yet since there are degrees this is enough to make vs partakers of the righteousnesse of CHRIST and of saluation The end of this is to comfort those which are apt to be
what nature soeuer to thinke otherwise is to limit the holy one of Israel trust perfectly therefore It is not a little that will serue the turne as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3. vlt. grow in grace there is neede of it you shall finde that as you wade further in the profession of Christianity so you shall haue neede of more strength you shall haue greater imployment therefore you haue more neede of growth to goe forward and perseuere Againe you shall meet with greater temptations and assaults if you bee not more strong then at the first you are not able to resist Againe If you grow in faith you shall growe likewise in Joy and that is a thing which wee haue continuall vse of that is of onely vse to comfort and strengthen vs to make vs abound in the workes of the LORD that helpes vs to goe thorow all variety of conditions that enables vs to abound and to want to passe thorow good report and euill report to suffer and endure persecution now the more you grow in faith the more you grow in joy as the Apostle saith Rom. 15.13 The God of peace fulfill you with all ioy by beleeuing So that the more wee beleeue the more ioy the more consolation wee haue Againe the more you grow in faith the more you shall gaine the fauour of GOD the more you shall winne his loue there is nothing in the World doth so much winne the fauour of GOD as a great degree of faith and therefore though thou mayest be saued with a lesse degree yet that thou mayest be in a greater degree of fauour seeke more faith and this though it be reckoned a small matter to haue a great degree of GODS fauour yet it is the greatest dignity in the world Looke vpon all the difference of men it is their difference in the fauour of God that makes them so Why was Moses a man aboue all the rest saith GOD I will haue compassion vpon whom I will haue compassion and I will shew mercie to whom I will shew mercie I haue chosen Moses looke to what difference of men you will looke into what estate what condition thou wouldest haue either thy soule or thy body whatsoeuer it be it is by the grace and fauour of GOD in CHRIST IEsus that all thy comfort and consolation increaseth What shall make me grow in the fauour of GOD I answer there is nothing that causeth God to set so much by vs as faith the woman of Canaan see what cause Christ had to giue her such a great commendation great is thy faith and because her faith was great therefore hee set her at so high a rate So the Centurion saith CHRIST I haue not found so great faith in Israel and that is the thing that he set so great a price vpon So Iacob when hee got the name of Israel when he preuailed with GOD certainely it was the greatest blessing that euer he had Why was that Because hee shewed the greatest faith that euer he did it was a strong faith that preuailed with GOD And what set him at so high a rate in GODS Booke It was the faith he had in GOD therfore he is remembred in the whole Booke of GOD for his faith Therefore the more faith you haue the more GOD prizeth you it is it that winnes his loue I cannot stand vpon the arguments why we should grow in faith they are many The more faith we haue the more powerfull are our prayers in preuailing with GOD for faith giues strength to them Againe the more faith you haue the more you bring glory to GOD if there bee much faith there will bee much fruite it is the roote of all grace as Iohn 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit Get much faith then if you will haue much fruit that you may bring glory to GOD as if he should say If a man haue but some faith he brings forth fruit yet there shall be something wanting but when a man is eminent when he is conspicuous when he is as a great light that euery man turnes his eye to when he is as a Tree that brings forth much fruite which turnes the eyes of the beholders to it So it is with Christians herein saith Christ is my Father glorified c. A Christian hath no such motiue as this he shall glorifie GOD exceedingly if he haue abundance of faith he shall haue abundance of euery Grace he shall grow rich in good workes this is that which we should all labour for I cannot stand to presse it further So much for this time and for this Text. FINIS A TREATISE OF EFFECTVALL FAITH Deliuered in sixe Sermons vpon 1 Thes. 1.3 By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESVS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Diuinity Chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiestie Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne The iust shall line by faith Hab. 2.4 Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained promises c. Heb. 11.33 34. LONDON Printed for Nicholas Bourne 1630. OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The first Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. IN the former Verses the Apostle setteth down this generall Wee giue thankes alwaies for you making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing First hee tels them that hee prayes for them and then hee tels them more particularly that his prayer was a thanksgiuing And this giuing of thanks for them hee expresseth by the continuance of it he did it constantly without ceasing not by fits making mention of you in my prayers Then he names the particulars for which he giues thankes namely these three For their Effectuall Faith Diligent Loue Patient hope Now these three Graces he describeth and setteth forth three wayes First from a certaine property or character which distinguisheth the true faith from the false faith the true loue from the false loue the true hope from false hope I giue not thankes for euery faith but for such a faith as is effectuall that is the property or character by which the truth of faith is discerned Againe not for euery loue but for such a loue as is laborious for so the word signifieth Thirdly not for euery hope but for such a hope as makes you patient that is the character by which to know hope And this is the first way whereby he describeth these Graces Secondly he describeth them from the object vpon which these Graces are pitched and that is Iesus Christ our Lord that is to say I giue thankes for the faith you haue in Christ for the loue you haue towards him for the hope you haue of what he will doe for you I giue thankes for that faith for that loue for that hope that hath Christ for the object of it Thirdly he describeth these graces from the sincerity of them I giue thankes for all these graces that you haue in the sight of God
will bee minding other matters some about their profits and some their pleasures c. but when the Holy Ghost shall shew you these things that is when he presents them to vs that draweth the heart from minding other things to seeke after CHRIST to long after him and not to content your selues till you be vnited to him But besides this there is a third act of the Holy Ghost by which hee workes it and maketh this faith effectuall and that is the testimonie that the Spirit giues to our spirits telling vs that these things are ours when the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed vnto vs that wee prize them and long after them yet there must bee a third thing that is to take them to our selues to beleeue that they be ours and there needeth a worke of the Spirit for this too for though the promises be neuer so cleere yet hauing nothing but the promises you will finde that you will neuer be able to apply them to your selues but when the Holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine and these things belong to thee and GOD is thy Father when the Spirit shall beare witnesse with our spirits by an immediate work of his owne then we shall beleeue This is necessarily required and without this wee shall not beleeue It is true the holiest man doth it two wayes One is by cleering of the promises shining into our hearts by such a light as makes vs able to discerne them and to beleeue them and to assent to them But besides that hee doth it by an immediate voice by which he speaketh immediately to our spirits that wee can say as they said Ioh. 16. Now thou speakest plainly and speakest no parable we vnderstand thee fully so till the Holy Ghost speake to vs we are in a Cloud GOD is hid from vs wee cannot see him cleerely but when we haue this Spirit of Adoption to giue vs this witnesse then wee beleeue plainely indeed Therefore in Isay 57.19 saith the Lord I create the fruit of the lips Peace c. That is the Ministers may speake peace to you but vnlesse I goe and ioyne with the Minister except I adde a power of mine owne that is such an almighty power as I vsed in the Creation it shall neuer bring peace to you I create the fruit of the lips that is the words of the Minister to be peace otherwise they would be ineffectuall Therefore I say there must bee a worke of the Spirit to perswade a man in such a case And you shall finde by experience let a Minister come to them that are in despaire they will not apprehend the promises though we vse neuer so cleere reasons though we argue with them neuer so long and neuer so strongly we shall finde that all will doe nothing it will be but labour spent in vaine till GOD himselfe open the Clouds till hee will smile on a man and send his Spirit into the heart to giue a secret witnesse to him till there be a worke of his owne joyning with the promises we finde by experience that our labour is lost It is true we ought to doe this and euery man is bound to looke to the Word for faith commeth by hearing and to hearken to the Ministery for it is Gods ordinance to breed faith in the heart but yet till there be a worke of the Spirit a man shall neuer be so perswaded as to haue any sure and sound comfort by it Now all this is done by the Spirit it is the wonderfull worke of GOD for when CHRIST is propounded to men when he is offered as we haue often offered him to you we haue shewed you what accesse you haue to him that no man is excluded that he is offered to euery creature vnder heauen we haue shewed you the generality of the promise that it takes in all that you are contained vnder it that you may apply it to your selues I say when all this is done yet when a man comes to performe this to apply it to himselfe he is no more able to doe it then a dead man is able to stirre himselfe Therefore the same power that raised CHRIST from the dead is required to worke faith in our hearts as it is in Eph. 1.19 According to his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead So that it is as great a worke to moue a mans heart to CHRIST as to put life into a dead man we are as vnapt and backward to it as a dead man is to receiue life For what else is the reason that when we preach CHRIST to you when hee is offered to you that there bee so few that are affected with him that there be so few that take him doth it not shew that you are dead yea so dead that vnlesse GOD call you and that there be a mighty worke of the Spirit the hearts of men will neuer answer vnto vs. Therefore that is required as a condition in all them who will come Act. 2. So many as the LORD our GOD shall call That is when wee preach except there bee a secret voyce of the Spirit of CHRIST speaking to your hearts as wee doe to your eares and saying Come and take CHRIST no man will come We see CHRIST said to his Apostles Follow mee and presently they followed him for it was not the outward voice that did it there was a secret voice within so when GOD shall call men to take CHRIST then they doe it but not before That word that is vsed Luk. 14.23 Goe and COMPELL them to come in that my House may be full it intimates a great backwardnesse in vs. When men are compelled it shewes that not onely the arguments are strong and forcible but that there is a great backwardnesse in men that they must as it were be constrained that they must be put on it by force and against their will such is the vnaptnesse that is in men So saith CHRIST no man comes to me except the Father draw him That phrase of the Holy Ghost shewes that there is an extreme backwardnesse that if they be not forced to come as it were they will not doe it not but that when a man is once wrought vpon by the Holy Ghost hee commeth of himself but that phrase is vsed only to shew that backwardnesse that is in man by nature For when the Holy Ghost hath wrought vpon the will and hath turned that then a man commeth vpon his owne legs and is moued from an inward principle of his owne therefore men are so drawne that withall they runne after him as it is Cant. 1. but it shewes this thing for which I haue vsed it that there is a wondrous backwardnesse in all of vs by nature and that this must be done by a great worke of the Spirit Therefore the Apostle
loue to me nor of true respect to me you regard it not whatsoeuer it bee If it bee but a small thing if it be done out of loue you respect it So it is with GOD workes that come from faith and loue for those I reckon to be all one those he respects wondrously Therefore we should learne to iudge aright of our workes it will helpe vs against that position of the Papists and also against the common opinion of men Euery man thinkes that Almes-deeds doing good to the poore and doing glorious things c. that these are good workes when as common actions they exclude as if they were not good workes But it is not so we may doe the greatest workes of this nature and yet they may haue no excellency in them at all Againe the very ordinary workes of our Calling ordinary things to men ordinary seruice from day to day if it come from faith if it be done as to the Lord he accepts them and they are good workes indeed This vse we ought to make of it If GOD regard not any thing but faith we should not be deceiued in our workes which we doe Againe if faith be such a thing that no workes are accepted without it that no branch will grow except it come from this roote if there be no saluation without it if it be a thing that is most profitable for vs If thou sayest now How may I know whether I haue faith or no I may be deceiued in it When we hang so much vpon this peg we had neede be sure that it be strong and that it will hold vs. I will therefore make this present Vse in shewing what the signes of this faith and what the characters of it are that you may learne to iudge aright whether that faith that sets all the price vpon your workes be a right faith or no You may know it by this Where there is a true faith there is a secret perswasion wrought in the heart whereby GOD assures you that he is yours and you are his as you haue it Reu. 2.17 To him that ouercommeth will I giue that hidden Mannah and a white stone with a new name written in it that hee onely knowes that receiues it That is That is one thing by which ye shall know whether you haue true faith or no Haue you euer had any of that hidden Mannah that is Haue you had such a secret perswasion which hath beene as sweet as Mannah to you which you haue fed on as they fed on Mannah which giues you life as Mannah gaue life to them Onely hee sayes it is a hidden Mannah it lyes not abroad others see it not but it is Mannah that your hearts secretly feede on So that wouldst thou know whether thou haue faith Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with a new name written in it that is the stone of absolution As the manner was among the Athenians among the old Grecians that the sentence of absolution was giuen by white stones as the sentence of condemnation was blacke stones So saith he GOD will giue him such a secret testimony that he is acquitted that when he is called in question as they were that they knew not whether they should dye or liue in that case if they had the white stone such a man was absolued So I say Hath GOD giuen thee such a stone with thy name vpon it Hath he giuen you such a stone as you know in the secret of your heart such as none knowes but God and your selfe that is Hath hee euer opened the clouds hath hee euer shewed himselfe to you hath he cast a good looke vpon you hath he made your hearts glad with the light of his countenance in his Beloued for such a secret worke there is of the Spirit by which GOD cheereth and comforteth the heart of a man that is his manner in working faith After the Law hath beene a Schoolemaster to a man after there hath beene such an inditement that he hath beene brought in question of his life when there hath beene a great storme then he comes into the heart as hee did into the Ship and all is quiet I say that is his manner he comes into the heart after such a manner and speakes peace to a man Haue you euer found this worke in your selues that after much trouble and disquiet within GOD hath spoken peace to you that he hath said to your soules I am thy saluation Not that that is absolutely required that there should be such a trouble going before For although it be true that he neuer speaks peace but when there hath gone some trouble but when there hath gone some conuincing of the spirit before which conuinceth a man of sinne yet this you must know that still the promise is made to the comming and not to the preparation And therefore if a man be at his journies end it is no matter how he came there If a man finde that he be in CHRIST and hath had such a testimonie from his Spirit though he haue not had such a worke of humiliation as perhaps he expects yet know that the promise is made to that And if you haue that which the promise is made vnto is not that sufficient It is true as I said you must haue it really you must haue it in good earnest there must goe alwayes a worke of humiliation before the testimony of the Spirit But mistake not that turbulent sorrow that violent disquiet of the minde goes not alwaies before For example Take two men the one is arrested and condemned brought to the poynt of death he makes account of nothing else A pardon comes to this man and hee is saued there was great trouble went before and hee was wondrously affected when the pardon came But now there is another man that is guilty of the same offence and hee knowes certainly that he shall be called in question and hee is sure to lose his life vnlesse his peace be made Now before this be acted before that indeed he be put in prison before that indeed he be condemned and before his head be brought to the blocke he is certified that a Pardon is come out for him This man knowes his estate as well as the other and he knowes that he had perished without a Pardon as well as the other and he makes as much account of his Pardon as the other and will not let it goe for his life as well as the other Now both these are pardoned both are sure of life but there is a different manner of doing it The one man was affected and much stirred before he was put into a wondrous afright before The other man is convinced of the danger he is in as well as he although he be not put to that extremity of sorrow though he be not brought to so neere an exigent as the other So if a man be
case It was concluded that hee and all the Jewes should bee slaine The Decree was gone out there was nothing in the World for ought hee saw that could hinder it the very night before Hester was to come to the King to make her request if it had beene but a night longer perhaps it had failed but that there might be a concurrence of all this it is said in Hester 6. The King hee could not sleepe that night and when hee could not sleepe he might haue called for another Booke then the Booke of the Chronicles and when hee had the Booke brought he might haue falne vpon another place and not vpon that where Mordecai's act was recordâ—d but that there should bee a concurrence of all this in that very time Is not GOD the same GOD why should not wee bee ready to trust in him still Doe wee not see the same daily If his Workes were recorded and obserued in our remembrance certainely we should trust in GOD. But you will object The LORD doth euery thing by meanes hee doth not worke Wonders hee workes not Miracles now a dayes And when I see no meanes I hope you will not haue mee to expect Miracles at GODS hands to tempt him You must remember Ahaz his case when GOD came to Ahaz and told him by the Prophet Esay Isai. chap. 7. That Aram and Remaliah's sonne those two smoking Fire-brands should not haue their wils should bee disappointed that he would fight for him against them Saith the Prophet to him Aske a signe of the Lord in the Heauen aboue or in the Deepe below No saith hee Ahaz will not tempt GOD. What is the meaning of that That is I will prouide for my selfe I will not trust to his Word I will looke vnto my selfe I will prouide an Armie I will not tempt GOD That is I will not goe about it without meanes I will looke about mee And for such a signe as resting on that promise If I should doe this I should tempt GOD. See heere is a faire excuse Take heede of such excuses say not I shall tempt GOD. And know that though there be not Miracles yet GOD he workes wonders now a dayes as well as then his hand is not shortned now he is the same GOD he is as powerfull as hee was It is true now as it was in Dauids time that wonderfull are thy workes And CHRIST now in the time of the Gospell his Name is wonderfull In Isai. 9. The gouernment is vpon his shoulders and his Name shall bee called wonderfull that is in the gouernment of his Church hee doth wonderfull things that is when a thing seemes to bee neuer so strong and well built when the strength of the Enemy seemes to be neuer so great and inuincible hee is wonderfull to disappoint them Againe when the strength of the Church seemes to be little he can make that effectuall to doe great matters it shall doe wonders and therefore I say GOD is able to doe wonderfull things now Now those very things which seeme wonders to men are not Miracles though they may be great workes That Wonder that Elisha said that the next day things should bee so cheape you see that was reckoned so great a matter yet it was done after an ordinary manner There was but a false feare scattered in the Armie and it was done Therefore he that workes wonders he can doe the same now That deliuerance which the Iewes had it was a thing that may be done now So those wonders those great acts which God did when men trusted in him they are things which he doth daily now Therefore to answer punctually because men doe deceiue themselues in that when we exhort them to trust in GOD they say still we must vse the meanes I will giue a threefold answer to it It is true that GOD vseth meanes but they are meanes of his owne prouiding and not the meanes many times that thou pitchest vpon For thus farre it is true GOD doth it not but by meanes that is he doth things by second causes hee doth them not by an immediate hand of his owne though hee be able to doe it But now what those causes are thou knowest not Therefore this set downe that GOD doth it by meanes of his owne and not by those meanes thou seest It may bee thou pitchest vpon some particular meanes and thinkest surely it must be done by this and because thou seest no other thou thinkest if that fayle all is spoiled But it is not so GOD will not doe it by these but GOD is so farre from doing it that his vsuall course is when men haue pitched vpon particular meanes and thinke surely the businesse must bee brought to passe by this or else all will faile GOD many times vseth not that but a meanes which thou neuer thoughtest of In such a case it fares with vs as it did with Naaman the Assyrian when he comes to the Prophet of GOD hee thought before-hand that the Prophet would haue spoken some words and haue healed him but he bids him goe and wash which was a thing that hee neuer thought of So thou many times thinkest of these meanes thou preconceiuest things in thine owne heart thou thinkest thou art right thou thinkest it must needes be done this way thou seest no other meanes but it may be GOD will not doe it this way but he will doe it a way that thou thinkest not of So Ioseph when hee was in fauour with Pharoah his Steward one would thinke that this should haue beene the meanes of Iosephs aduancement and of bringing to passe that promise but this was not the meanes that GOD vsed Againe when that Pharoah his chiefe Butler was deliuered one would thinke that that should haue beene the meanes to haue wrought his exaltation but yet these were not there fell a meanes that Ioseph thought not on and so GOD doth daily Many times the thing that we most trust vnto and put most confidence in doth faile and deceiue vs GOD dasheth in pieces such meanes and vseth other meanes to helpe that neuer came into our hearts to thinke of Doe we not see it oftentimes Againe that meanes which wee thinke will not doe oftentimes doth it Therefore say not I trust in GOD that he will doe it by meanes for GOD delighteth to doe it by meanes Men are ready to say Oh if had such a Physician or if I had such ayre or such meanes I should doe well enough How doest thou know that It may be GOD will not vse that So those that are in distresse Oh if I had such a man to comfort me Why thou knowest not whether that be the meanes that GOD will vse or no. Therefore say not because I see not meanes therefore I will not trust in GOD. I say GOD will doe it by meanes but he vseth meanes of his owne prouiding and not of thy seeking This is the first answer
to it The second answer If thou say that GOD doth it by meanes yet remember that it is his blessing or his curse which makes those meanes on which thou art fixed effectuall or ineffectuall The greatest meanes the fairest the most specious and most probable to bring things to passe remember that if GOD doe but say to that meanes prosper not for that is the curse when hee bids a thing wither thou shalt not doe it Againe If it be weaker if GOD say to such a thing goe and doe this businesse it shall be able to bring it to passe this is his blessing and his curse you should learne to haue these words not onely in your mouthes but to know the meaning of them and not onely so but to come to the practice to say with your selues when things are faire and probable Except GOD bid this doe it it shall not be effectuall if he curse it it shall wither Thirdly remember this That his blessing is dispensed not according to thy meanes but according to the vprightnesse of thy heart according to thy workes One would thinke when he hath riches then he should bring it to passe but saith the Prophet Psal. 62. Riches belong to the Lord they come neither from the North nor from the South And when riches increase set not your heart vpon them Saith he it is not riches that makes men happy for that Objection will come in If I had riches I should be able to doe this or that they are the meanes to make a man happy though happinesse consists not in them No saith he when riches increase set not your hearts vpon them As if he should say If wealth would doe you good I would giue you leaue to set your hearts vpon it but it is not in wealth or riches to make a man poore or rich but that comes of the Lord. But now comes in the Objection Yea but GOD doth it by meanes the Lord doth it by riches No GOD rewards men according to their workes not according to their wealth So that when thou trustest to the meanes know that GOD blesseth thee according to thy workes not according to the outward condition thou art in Thus we should learne to doe when we say GOD doth things by meanes when a man sees the fairest meanes yet if thou find that thou hast not prayed thou hast not sought to GOD thou hast no secret assurance of his blessing thinke not that such a businesse will be done Againe when the meanes are low meane and weake yet if thou haue sought him earnestly if thou hast had a secret assurance of him that he will be with thee let not thy heart be discouraged doe in this case as Dauid did Psal. 31. saith he I heard the speaking against of great men they sate and conspired against me but I trusted in thee I said my times are in thy hands Marke When Dauid saw the greatest meanes vsed against him as might be They were great men set against him and many of them they ioyned together they tooke councell against him he was not discouraged but saith my times are in thy hands If my times were in their hands they might make me miserable I had reason to bee discouraged at that but my times are in thy hands See if thou canst say this on both sides When great men ioyne for thy wealth say not now I shall bee made a great man in the World but say My time is in Gods hand it is not in their power to doe it Againe when great men seeke and consult against thee say not now I shall be miserable but consider thy times are in GODS hands it is not in their hands to doe it FINIS OF EFFECTVALL FAITH The sixth Sermon 1. THESS 1.3 Remembring your effectuall Faith c. WEe haue already answered one Objection that God workes by meanes we shewed after what manner Well if this be so before we leaue the point take heede you deceiue not your selues you commonly say GOD workes things by meanes The saying is true if thy heart be not false for it is true hee workes things by meanes but if such meanes come in competition as GOD hath not appointed that which is vnlawfull for thee to doe if it come in competition with that which GOD hath set apart in such a case thou must let such meanes goe else thou mayest vse that meanes but it is the meanes alone thou shalt haue no encouragement in the vse of them If thou hast meanes encourage not thy selfe so much because of them but because thou hast GOD for thy friend Let not the rich man reioyce in his riches nor the strong man glory in his strength or the wise man ioy in his wisedome Ier. 10. but let him that glorieth and reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. If they could doe a man good we might reioyce in them The Lord requires nothing but that which is reasonable I dare be bold to declare it that if the confidence in the strength of a man were able to doe him good he might reioyce in it Therefore we see in that place hee saith it comes of the Lord. As if he should say We see by experience when GOD will vse them as instruments it is otherwise then they doe that which of themselues they cannot they doe it no farther then GOD blesseth them for else they hurt and doe no good to a man Take heede therefore thy heart bee not false and deceiue not thy selfe that thou mingle by-respects in the businesse but vse the meanes and depend and trust in God for the bringing it to passe which thou shalt know by this if thou draw neere to God for that is a tryall Ier. 17. Cursed is he that maketh flesh his arme This drawes the heart from GOD you shall finde that noted in 1 Tim. 1.6 The Widdow that trusts in God prayeth day and night Therefore when thou hast the best meanes if thou be not slacke in prayer it argues thy trust in GOD when thou goest to GOD and striuest with him by prayer and seekest not to the creature to say thy wealth or riches or the like shall helpe thee So much for the answer to the first Objection Another thing that we are ready to object is But what if such a thing should come to passe what if the euill that I feare should fall vpon me what if the businesse I goe about proceed not which is of that moment I am vndone if it be not done Herein the heart of a man must be quiet First It may be thou art too hasty in this kinde many times thou thinkest in such cases that thou art without helpe and without hope when it is not so Know therfore that a man may be vnder water and rise againe he may sinke twice or thrice before he be drowned thou mayest receiue many foiles many blowes and yet not lose the victory The best Saints haue beene
ready to say It is true I would trust in God if he did alway shew mercie for my sake If I saw the Saints alwaies bring their enterprizes to passe If I did see it still well with them that trust in him but I finde it contrary for the most part It is ill with them that trust in the Lord and euill men prosper and therefore what encouragement haue I to trust in GOD in this manner as you exhort me to doe when I am brought to such an exigent to such a case that my life or my goods are in hazard or my name it is not my best way so to doe I see by experience that those that are wise men politique men and those that haue the greatest meanes they prosper when as other men that feare GOD doe not bring thy deuices to passe I will answer this and so will haue done with the point First I answer it is true that ill men oft-times doe prosper and that good men many times doe not succeede I say we will not deny it for wee see the Scripture is plentifull Psal. 37. Feare not the man that bringeth his enterprizes to passe where it is supposed that they doe so In Ier. 12.1 Why doe the wicked prosper where the Prophet sets out in particular how they prosper he saith they grow and take roote they spring and bring forth fruit And you know what Salomon saith who was a wise man and looked through many euents that fall out vnder the Sunne Eccles. 8.14 I haue seene this venity saith he that where should haue beene Iustice there hath beene wickednesse and it hath come vnto the iust as vnto the wicked I haue seene the Battell hath not beene to the strong nor bread to the wise And so he goes along as you know well He sets out in that Booke plentifully that euill men may prosper long and may exceedingly bring their enterprizes to passe Againe on the other side the Saints may not prosper and that in those things which they doe according to Gods will When Christ sent his Disciples ouer the Water and bade them goe to the other side yet they rowed all night there wâ—s a great storme that they could doe no good so that they were in great jeopardy and danger and yet it was his owne appointment So I say thou mayest goe about a businesse and yet finde such stormes such contrary windes and waues such streames running against thee that thou mayest be exceedingly hazarded though GOD himselfe set thee on worke When Paul went to Macedonia you see GOD called him from another place and bade him goe thither you shall not finde that Paul was the better vsed nay you shall finde that for the time he seemed to doe lesse good there of any place there were few that beleeued in GOD. And Peter when hee came to CHRIST on the water he had a warrant for it he did that which was a fruit of his faith yet for all that he sunke he beganne to sinke till CHRIST put forth his hand and was saine to helpe him Therefore I say you may goe about Gods businesse and yet it may not prosper Therefore wee must set downe that conclusion it is a great light to know that it is so The Wiseman giues the reason of it Eccles. 7.14 Saith hee Thou shalt finde great variety thou shalt finde some times good times and in the day of wealth when thou hast it reioyce Againe another time afflictions will come know that GOD hath done this for some purpose He hath made this contrary to that that thou shouldst finde nothing after him That is that all the world may see that his wayes and his actions are past finding out If God should deale alwayes after this manner you might know where to haue him in his wayes If he should alwayes giue affliction to sinners a man might say surely GOD will doe this but it is not so hee hath made this contrary to the other that is he takes different courses with men he hath made this contrary to that that men should not finde the print of his footsteps to say that GOD will certainely doe this another time Therefore hee addeth those words which doe immediately follow that none might finde out any thing after him I haue seene the iust perish in his Iustice and I haue seene a wicked man goe on long in his malice This God hath done that men might know to feare before him that men might learne to cry out with Paul Oh the depth of his wisdome and vnderstanding and his wayes are past finding out that men might tremble before GOD and acknowledge his wisdome But I come now to a particular answer for it is a point worthy the answering it is a point that will stand vs in much stead when wee meete with many such objections as mans heart will haue in that case Therefore I answer particularly and briefely First though GOD doe so yet remember that thou must not iudge any thing till thou see he haue finished the worke thou wilt not iudge a mans worke till hee haue done it If a man goe about to build iudge not his worke till it bee done because thou seest not for what end many things are framed and made wilt thou therefore say that hee is an vnskilfull builder it were folly to doe so but stay till hee haue finished worke and then see how one part answers with another and in what proportion So in all the workes of GOD if thou see it goe well with those that are ill and those that are good are afflicted stay till thou see GOD haue finished his worke And therefore I say to thee in this case as Saint Iames saith Know ye not what end the Lord made with Iob So marke what end the Lord makes as with Iob so with all the Saints know what is their ends And otherwise take all the euill men as Ieroboam and Saul and see what end the LORD made with them their prosperity was as a pleasant Dreame which was soone gone as the flower of the grasse vpon the house top which withereth Looke to the end of things I cannot stand on it Secondly though the wicked prosper yet their prosperity hurts them as much as affliction and aduersity doth good to the godly their prosperity slayeth them whereas the afflictions of the other benefits them if thou finde this to be thy case that thou prosper and that thou seest thou goest on in sinne thou hast no cause to reioyce in this or if thou seest other men prosper thinke them not happy for this it is out of mistake It is the miserablest condition in the world you know what GOD did to Hophni and Phineas he did not afflict them he let them goe long he sent them no disease hee interrupted not their course What was the reason Hee had a purpose to destroy them So againe when thou dost not succeede in thy matters but art
them And so when men can make their recreations to serue their turnes for better purposes when a man not onely ouercomes them gets the victory of them but makes them seruiceable so a man make aduantage of the World Againe when thou wouldest haue thy sanctification increased increase thy faith The more thou beleeuest the more the Spirit of Christ is conueyed into thy heart The stronger thy faith is the more the winde of grace the sappe shall flow from CHRIST into thy heart As old Adams corruption it is with the grace of CHRIST when thou commest neere thou art ingraft into the similitude of his death that is there comes a gift from him he sends his Spirit into thy heart that doth make thee ioy in him that causeth thee to dye to sin and to liue to righteousnesse This I thought to haue opened But so much shal serue for this time and for this Text. FINIS OF LOVE THE FIRST SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love IN the fourth verse of this chapter the Apostle affirmes that there is no justification by the law for saith hee If you be justified by the law you are fallen from grace that is you cannot be partakers of that justification which is by grace Because for to have it by the law and to have it by grace are opposite And he gives a reason for it because saith he Through the Spirit we waite for the hope of that righteousnes which is by faith and not by the law When he had expressed himselfe so farre which is the righteousnesse received by faith that is that righteousnesse which is freely given by God offered to us wrought by Christ but taken by faith on our parts Thus saith he you must be justified Now to confirme this he gives a reason in this verse that I have read for saith he In Christ Iesus that is to put a man into Christ Iesus or to make him acceptable to God through Christ Iesus to doe this neither circumcision availeth any thing or uncircumcision That is neither the keeping of any part of the ceremoniall law or the omission of it nor the keeping of the morall law or the breaking of it will helpe to ingraffe a man into Christ or to make him acceptable to God through Christ What will doe it then nothing saith hee but onely faith Now lest we should be mistaken in this as if he should require nothing at their hands but an empty idle faith hee addeth further it must be such a faith as is effectuall as is working And that is not enough but it must be such a faith as workes by love So that you have two parts in this Text One is a removall or a negation of that which doth not ingraffe us into Christ or that makes us not acceptable to God through Christ it is not being circumcised or uncircumcised or any thing of that nature The other is the affirmative part What is it that doth it that makes us in a glorious condition that makes us sonnes of God saith he it is onely faith and love it is such a faith as is accompanied with love and good workes so that you see hee removes all workes of ours all workes of the ceremoniall law circumcision is nothing it is as good as if you were not circumcised it is all one And by the same reason that circumcision is excluded all other is And not onely workes of the ceremoniall law but all the workes of the morall law also considered as the meanes of justification because they are opposite to faith they exclude faith and faith excludes them so as they are as well to be shut out as the workes of the ceremoniall law None of these saith the Apostle will doe it For you must know the way to salvation is contrary to that of damnation Looke how you lost the kingdome of God so you must get it looke what gate you went out at by the same gate as it were you must come in at What was it that lost all mankind the kingdome of heaven You know it was not our particular breaches of the morall law but it was the fall of Adam and when the root was dead you know all the branches died with it Well what way is there then to regaine this losse We must goe in againe into Paradise by the same way that wee went out that is by being borne of the second Adam and by being made partakers of his righteousnesse By being borne of him or ingrafted into him As you communicate of the sinne of the other because you are his children so you must partake of his righteousnesse Againe saith the Apostle it is the Lords pleasure that you should be saved after this manner because he would have it to be of grace If you should have beene saved by any workes of your owne you would have imputed it to your selves and to your owne strength But the Lord would have it to be of grace of his free will and therefore hee will have it meerely of faith by taking the righteousnesse of the second Adam which he hath wrought for you Againe he would have it sure to all your seede if it had beene by workes it would never have beene sure unto you you could never have kept the law so exactly But since Christ hath wrought righteousnesse and you have no more to doe but to take it now it is sure or else it would never have beene sure Againe if it had beene by workes the flesh had had wherein to rejoyce it might have something to boast of But the Lord will have no man to rejoyce in the flesh but let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in the Lord. Now if it had been by works if it had beene by any inherent righteousnesse by any ornament of grace that the Lord had beautified us with we had had rejoycing in our selves but now that it is by the second Adam by comming home to him by taking him by applying his righteousnesse Now no flesh can rejoyce in it selfe but now whosoever rejoyceth rejoyceth in the Lord. Therefore saith the Apostle you must know this truth you can never be saved by doing these actions no nor you shall not lose salvation by omitting them for this is not the way that the Lord hath appointed mankinde to be saved by But the way by which mankinde must be saved is by receiving Iesus Christ and his righteousnes But you must remember that you must take him so as to love him And it must be such a love as is fruitfull in good workes and not an emptie and idle love that is a love in shew onely but it must be a love in deede and in truth Now in the handling of these words we will begin with the affirmative part because though the other be put first yet the affirmatiō you know in order of nature is before the negation therfore I wil begin with
that loves not let him bee accursed let him bee had in execration to the death I should prosecute it further and shew the reasons why wee should loue the Lord as there is great reason But that I must deferre till the afternoone FINIS THE SECOND SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last tryall of our love to Christ was its constraining vertue love will constraine you to serve him you cannot choose but doe it it so constraines a man as the weight of a stone compelleth it to goe to the center as the lightnesse of the fire compells it to ascend up for such a thing is love a strong inclination of the heart when the soule puts it selfe on any thing from an inward principle from a bottome of its owne when it is carried on with no other motive but the amiablenes of the object Now to conclude this wee must beseech you to consider your owne condition and examine your selves by these rules that you may be able to say as Peter said Lord thou knowest I love thee that is to have such an assurance that your hearts may be well affected towards Christ Iesus that you may love him that you may be able to say to God who knowes our hearts searcheth our reines that knowes all the windings and turnings of your soules Lord thou knowest that I love thee Since it is a matter of such moment wee should be carefull to examine if we finde that we have not yet this love for we must know that all that we have all that we doe it will nothing availe us but faith which worketh by love And if you object why doe ye preach damnation to us doe you tell us we are in an evill condition for want of this love I answere it is profitable for you while you are in such a condition to have it preached it is good for you to speake this damnation to your selves that while yet there is hope you may seek to be healed that you may be translated into another condition that you may not perish in the evill day when there shal be neither hope nor helpe for you For you must know that when wee deliver you these signes of examining your selves our end is not to grieue you this doctrine tends not to destruction but to discover to you your owne hearts that you may know your owne condition that if you want it you may seek after it If therefore you finde a want of this love that we will doe next shall be to shew you what reason you have to love the Lord Iesus for there is no better way to get it in you than to describe him to you to shew you what cause there is of loving him if wee were able to present him to you as he is we should effect this thing but that must be the worke of the holy Ghost notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such reasons as we finde used in the Scriptures And first let this moue you to loue him that he is worthy to be beloved as David speakes Psal. 18.3 The Lord is worthy to be praised so wee may say the Lord is worthy to be loved for what is it that makes any thing worthy of loue it is the excellency that we finde there Now in the Lord there is all kinde of excellency whatsoever there is that is amiable under the Sunne all that you shall finde in him more abundantly If ever you see any thing in any creature any thing amiable in man if ever you saw any beauty any vertue any excellency all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures And therefore if you haue a loue as there is no man without some loue or other some creature seemes beautifull to you thinke with your selues this is more in the Lord. If ever you see excellency in any man if ever you see any noblenesse any holinesse any excellency of disposition know that it is more abundant in the Lord Iesus Let these rivers leade you to that Ocean to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you loue any creature let it be with a little loue let your affection be proportionable to the object as it exceedes in the Lord so let your loue exceede towards him to loue him with all your soule and all your strength And know this that hee hath not onely that in an omnipotent manner that is but sprinkled among the creatures they haue but a sparke but a drop of it but also there is this in the Lord that there is nothing in him but that which is amiable every creature hath some imperfection in it there is somewhat in it may cause aversation in you there is no man but hath some weaknesse but hath some infirmity there is no creature but it hath some want some defect in it but in the Lord there is no want there is nothing to put you off but as the Church saith Cant. 5. He is wholly delectable that is there is nothing in him but that which is amiable That would be a very profitable thing for us in this case often to thinke on the Lord Iesus to present him to our selues in our thoughts as the Spouse doth Cant. 5. shee considers her wellbeloved is the fairest of ten thousand so wee should beholde the person of our husband You know it is but a harlottry loue to consider what wee haue by our husband to consider what riches he brings what honour and not often to contemplate upon his person and upon his vertue and excellency wee should learne to doe this with the Lord that wee may loue him Therefore that wee may helpe you a little in this contemplation wee will shew you how the Lord hath described himselfe Exod. 34.4 when the Lord describes himselfe to Moses thus he declares his owne name The Lord Iehovah strong mercifull gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and in truth reserving mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne c. Wee will a little open to you this description that the Lord giues us of himselfe that so you may learne to know what hee is for the way to loue the Lord is to know him and indeed therefore we loue him not because we know him not there is no other reason why in heaven when we shall come to be present with him wee shall loue him so abundantly but because wee shall know him face to face that is the reason the Angels and the Saints loue most And of every man amongst the Saints hee that knowes most loues most Therefore it should be your labour to know the Lord. But to open as I say this description unto you First he is Iehovah that is hee is a constant friend to whomsoever he is a friend he is alway the same for that is another name by which the Lord describes himselfe to Moses when he sends him
all that you doe Beloved he knoweth your hearts and seeth what motions you have and prizeth your actions accordingly If you doe any action for him that costs you something he observeth that likewise In Rev. 2. I know thy workes and thy patience so doth the Lord say of every man I know what such a service cost thee I know what losse thou sufferedst when thou didst part with such a thing for my sake Therefore if you would shew your love to the Lord and would have a testimonie in your hearts that you have this love wrought in you be not backward to bestow any thing upon Christ. The woman that brake the boxe of precious oyntment you see how the Lord accepted that worke of hers so much that he puts it down that it should never be forgotten For love wheresoever it is will open the heart and open the hand and bestow any thing upon Iesus Christ that is in our power Now if we examine whether love be amongst men by this signe wee shall finde but little love and we may justly take up the complaint of the Apostle Every man seekes his owne things and not the things of Iesus Christ that is when any thing is to be done men are ready to enquire thus it is the secret inquisition of their hearts What is this to mee what profit will it bring mee wherein will it be to mine advantage And if they finde it is a thing that will cost them something and a thing that they shall get nothing by how colde and backward are men to doe it It is from this that men seeke their owne things But here every man will be ready to professe and say that he is not so strait handed but hee is readie to doe manie things for Christ that hee is bountifull and seekes not his owne things My Beloved let us trie this now a little thou thinkest thou art so bountifull for the Lord I would aske thee this Doest thou doe it purely for the Lord in such a case when there is no profit nor praise with men nor advantage redounding to thy selfe art thou as forward then as when there are all those respects art thou as abundant in it as diligent and as ready to doe it This discovers the falshood of mens hearts for the most part And besides take it in the case of selfe-love consider what thou doest when thine owne selfe-love shall come in competition with this love to the Lord for in that we shall know our love to the Lord when wee denie our selves when wee crosse our selfe-love and reject and refuse it for otherwise it is no thanke to us when there is no inward crossing in us no contrary affections drawing us another way Therfore if you would know whether you love the Lord or no trie what you doe in the things that are dearest to you consider what you doe in those things that of all others you are most unwilling to part with for indeed herein is the tryall as the Lord said to Abraham when hee would have offered up his sonne Now Abraham I know that thou lovest mee As if he had said this is a sure testimony that thou lovest me because thy sonne is not deare to thee So I say when you are to part with something that is deare to you consider what you doe in such a case consider whether you can say generally I account all things but as losse and dung for Christ. It may be thou art willing to part with something that thou carest not much for but this is nothing Some man will not lose his credit that is deare to him Examine thy selfe now if thy credit be deare to thee art thou content to lose the praise of men for Christ when thou art put to a hazard art thou content to suffer the losse of thy estate Every man hath some particular temptation young men for the most part are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God and olde men are lovers of their owne wealth more than of God Therefore consider what you will doe now in your severall cases Christ you know requires this at every mans hands that his wife and children that his father and mother and whatsoever is dearest to him that hee should neglect it all for his sake and herein a mans love is seene And when you have done all this I will adde that further though you doe bring your hearts to doe it yet are you willing to doe it doe you doe it chearfully and readily for why doth the Lord require that as a necessarie condition that whatsoever is done to him might be done chearfully and willingly For no other reason than this but because hee regards nothing but that which commeth from love and if it come from love we know we doe it cheerefully Therefore consider whether thou art willing to doe this chearfully and with a full hand not nigardly and pinchingly and by this you shall know whether you have this love to the Lord Iesus or no whether you be bountifull whether you seeke the things of the Lord and not your owne things In the second place you shall finde this to be one propertie of love by which you may trie your selves it will be content with nothing but with love againe from the party whom wee love If one love another let him doe never so much let him be never so kinde in his actions towards him let him be never so bountifull to him yet except he have love againe hee is content with nothing Indeede when we doe not love a man we can be content to receive profit from him and it is no matter though his heart goe another way so we enjoy it but it is the nature of true love to desire to be paid in its owne coyne Now if thou love the Lord Iesus if thou mightest haue all the blessings that he could bestow upon thee if hee should open his hand wide and compasse thee about with abundance yet if thou louest the Lord thou wouldest not be content with this but thou wouldest have assurance of his love thy heart would be at no rest else And this you may see in David Psal. 51. David you know was well enough hee had health and wealth and abundance of all things yet you see how miserably he complained because he wanted that joy that hee was wont to have because he was not in those termes with the Lord that he was wont to be and till hee had that his bones were broken with sorrow and hee tooke it so to heart that nothing in the world could content him till he was assured of Gods favour And it is certaine that if thou love the Lord nothing will satisfie thy soule but the assurance of his loving countenance to thee againe Therefore that which Absolom did we may make use of upon this occasion hee had that wit to make a right pretence whatsoever his intent was when hee was called from
Christ to live with him for ever to be in his presence continually although there may be some reluctancie by reason of the flesh that is there Take a man that hath sore eyes you ynow to the eye the light is exceeding pleasant but look how much sorenesse and defect there is in the eye so much the light is burdensome to it but so farre as the eye is right so farre as it is perfect so farre is the light pleasing and delightfull to it so it is with the heart of the regenerate man looke how much faith looke how much spirit there is so much desire there is of the presence of Christ and it is most pleasing and acceptable to him as the light of the Sunne is to the eye but looke how much sorenesse that is looke how much flesh there is in him so much reluctancie so much unwillingnes there is in him and that hee must strive against But still the rule holdeth good that wheresoever the heart is right there is alwayes an earnest desire and longing to be with Christ. And indeede this is only found in the Saints for evil meÌ„ if they knew what heaven were they would never desire it for they desire heaven in another notion they would be well they would be freed from misery and discontent which they mette with in the world they would have whatsoever the flesh desireth and that is it they looke after but to desire heaven as it is that is to desire an excellency in grace to be alway praising God to be continually in his presence to be freed from the practise of sinne this is a thing that if men aske their owne hearts they doe not desire in this manner for they desire it not here upon earth when they are in the communion of Saints When they are in places where there are holy speeches and holy exercises it is burthensome to them they are out of their element they are as men that are not upon their proper center these men desire to be in heaven but they desire another kinde of happinesse than there is in heaven the felicity there is presented unto them under another Idea they desire no more than the flesh desires but to desire heaven indeed as it is heaven to desire God there in his purenesse and holinesse to desire it so as thereby to be sequestred from all worldly carnall and sensuall delights this a carnall man desires not Therefore this is a distinguishing note and signe that he that loves the Lord will love his appearance Fourthly you shall finde this to be the property of love hee that loveth is very readie to speake of the party loved love is full of loquacitie it is readie to fall into the praises of the party beloved and to keepe no measure in it to abound in it that is the disposition of every man that loveth So is it in this love to the Lord Iesus You may see it in David as he abounded in love to the Lord so hee could never satisfie himselfe in praising the Lord in Psal. 105. which is repeated 2 Chron. 15. you shall finde that hee hath never done with it but is alwayes singing praises to the Lord Sing praise to the Lord and be alway talking of his wondrous workes And againe Remember his marvaâ—lous workes that hee hath done of olde and all the wonders c. As if he should say if you love the Lord shew it in praising of him Doe you professe to love the Lord and yet never delight to speake of him nor delight to heare others speake of him My Beloved this backwardnesse that is amongst us to holie and gracious speech to speeches that tend to the setting forth of the Lords praise shewes that love to the Lord Iesus is wanting among us You know it is naturall for every man to abound in the speeches of the things they love of what nature soever they be Mariners are delighted to talke of their voyages and souldiers of their battells and huntsmen of their games If you delight in the Lord certainly your tongues will be much in speaking of him you will be ready to doe it upon all occasions Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and if love to the Lord doe abound in your hearts this love will be expressed in your tongues upon all occasions and therefore at the least you may judge of the measure of your love by this Hee that speakes much of loving God and yet hath his speeches empty vaine and unprofitable surely we may guesse that he loves him not at all and this is a marke that will not deceive us And now what will you say for your selves that you speake no more upon those severall occasions that you meete withall in the world is it because you are ashamed because you are bashfull and fearefull to expresse your selves and to make an open profession of that holinesse that is in your hearts Certainly it is a signe that you love not the Lord Iesus for hee that loveth is never ashamed because whom a man loveth he magnifieth hee prizeth much hee hath a high esteeme of and therefore that bashfulnesse and fearfulnesse that you object will not keepe you backe if you did love the Lord in truth and sincerity Or else why is it that you speake of him no more is it because you cannot speake is it because your understandings are weake and dull because you are not able to doe it as well as others and therefore you are loath to expresse your selves You know when you love any that love will teach you to speake it will quicken the dullest wit and invention love sharpeneth and maketh the rudest tongue eloquent It is the nature of love to set the heart on worke and when the heart is set on worke the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer You know how the Apostle setts it forth Our heart is enlarged to you love openeth the heart wide and the heart openeth the tongue wide therefore if you love the Lord much you will bee much in speaking of him Consider therefore what your speeches are concerning God whether you your selues are ready to speak much and to delight to heare others speake also whether you be glad of any occasion as those that love are glad to heare those that they love to be spoken of Fifthly love will doe much and suffer much for the party loved Paul as he was abundant in love so he was abundant in labour likewise whosoever aboundeth in love will abound in workes also Therefore see what you doe for the Lord Iesus see what you suffer for his sake When Christ came to Peter and asked him that question Peter lâ—vest thou me hee puts him upon the tryâ—ll by this fruit of his love Feede my Lambes As if he should say Peter if thou wilt shew that thou lovest me expresse it in doing something for my sake Feede my Lambes herein thy love
shall be discerned doe not say thou lovest mee and yet art negligent in doing for mee Feede my Lambes We shall not need to presse this much in this Congregation because it belongs to the Ministery Although you haue somewhat to doe in it for the Magistracie also whereby they may expresse their love to the Lord Iesus to helpe the feeding of Christ Lambes It is true wee are as the vines that bring forth the grapes but you are as the elmes that holde up those vines the Magistrates feede the people as well as the Ministers therefore that phrase is applied to David hee was a Shepheard Therefore in your severall occasions when you meete with that which may tend to the feeding of the people of God when you shall labour so farre as may lie within your compasse that the Gospell may have a free passage that there may be more faithfull and laborious Ministers set up in the severall places of the kingdome the more you doe this the more you feede Christs lambes And if you will shew that love you have to the Lord shew it by feeding his people that is by doing that which lyes in your power tending to that end by doing of it zealously with all your might And as that was the worke that Christ put Peter upon for the tryall of his love so I may say to every one of you If you will shew that you love the Lord Iesus doe the worke that belongs to your particular place for every calling hath a particular worke in it if you love the Lord be diligent in that way in that calling which Christ hath given you to doe him service in and herein you shall shew your love as it was Christs owne speech I have glorified thy Name that is in that particular worke in that charge which thou gavest me to performe so you must shew your love to God in doing the actions of your particular callings diligently You know when that womans heart abounded in love to Christ how it found out a way wherein it would shew it selfe presently in breaking the boxe of oyntment c. As it is said of faith It is dead without workes so love is dead without workes the Lord regards it not it is a dead carkasse without motion Wee know it is the nature of love to be diligent if you doe love Christ it will make you diligent And as you will be ready to doe much so you will be ready to suffer much also these two I put together because suffering is a kinde of doing onely it is a doing of things when there is difficultie and hardnesse Now if you love the Lord Iesus see what you will suffer for his sake those that we love wee are exceeding readie to suffer for A husband that loves his spouse is exceeding readie to suffer any thing to enjoy her love he is willing to suffer any displeasure of parents of friends to suffer the losse of his estate he cares not for discredit in the world hee is ready to breake through thicke and thinne and to doe any thing so he may obtaine her love at the last So if you love the Lord Iesus you will suffer any thing for his sake It was an excellent testimony of Davids love in 2 Sam. 6.21 when David there dancing before the Arke was scoffed at by Michal his wife see what an answere hee gives her It is saith he before the Lord as if hee should say I am willing to beare this at thy hands for it is to the Lord who hath chosen me rather than thy father and all his house As if he should say seeing it is the Lord for whose sake I endure this rebuke at thy hands I care not for it I am willing to doe it yea I will doe it more and be more vile in mine owne eyes and expose my selfe yet to more scorne and derision since it is to the Lord who hath chosen mee rather than thy fathers house so I say when any thing comes to be suffered for any good action for any good cause as indeede commonly such actions have sufferings joyned with them if you love the Lord you will be ready to goe through it and that with cheerfulnesse because it is to the Lord who hath chosen you and passed by so many thousands And therefore it was the commendation of those in Heb. 10. it was an argument of their sincerity that they suffered the spoylâ—ng of their goods with joy Whence came this but from their love to the Lord they were so farre from being backward to suffer as that they were glad to have the opportunitie to suffer somewhat for his sake But you will say I am readie to doe much for the Lord and I hope I am not backward to suffer for him It is well if it be so but let mee adde this to all that I have said In what manner doest thou doe that thou doest You know the caution that the Apostle puts in in 1 Iohn 5.3 Herein is love manifested that we keepe his commandements and his commandements are not grievous Indeed herein is the reality of love seene that we keepe the commandements of God It is true a man may doe much for Christ and yet not love him an hypocrite may goe farre in performances and yet though he doth much hee may not love much therefore you must examine your selves by that in what manner you doe that which you doe Therefore it is added if wee keepe his commandements and they be not grievous as if he should say the manner of your doing is all in all you must both doe much and suffer much but they must both be done willingly You know the wife and the servant they both serve the husband and doe much for him both are alike diligent yet notwithstandiâ—g there is this difference the wife doth it out of love shee doth it in another manner proceeding from another affection aiming at another end than the servant doth So two men may be diligent in keeping the same commandement of the Lord the one doth it as one that loves the Lord earnestly being desirous to please him as one that delights in the Lord nothing doth more content him that when he is in an opportunity wherein he may expresse his love to the Lord all his commandements are not grievous to him it is not respect to the reward it is not an eye to the punishment that mooves him A man indeed may doe much for the Lord when it is the respects that he hath to hell and to judgement to heaven and the reward that moves him Not but that these may be motives but yet you must remember this that if these be the principall and if these onely moove you you doe it not out of love you take but an aime from your selves When a man hath a businesse of his owne to doe you know how carefull he is in it and with what diligence hee doth it how often
wilt look upon other things as things that thou regardest not much thou wilt grieve for them as if thou grievedst not and rejoyce as if thou rejoycedst not thou wilt use the world as if thou usedst it not thy heart will be taken up about Christ and about the things that belong to the kingdome of God thy intentions will be set upon the things that belong to the service of God and thy owne salvation This is a thing by which you may plainly discerne the truth of your love examine therefore what it is upon which you bestow the maine and the top of your intentions Indeed my brethren the greatest things that the world hath are not worthy of the toppe and strength of our affections for they are but trifles Therefore if you love the Lord Iesus if you prize him aright and be righâ—ly affected towards him you will esteeme nothing great but the enjoying of his favour and nothing of worse consequent than the losse of it nothing will be of any great moment to you but onely sinne and grace sinne that displeaseth him and grace that brings you into favour with him as for other things you will looke upon them as trifles you will not put the strength of your mindes to any thing else this is the nature of love it is vehement toward the thing that it loveth Moreover it hath also this property of fire that it is still aspiring it is still enlarging it selfe still growing on assimulating and turning every thing into its owne nature it is overcomming and is not ready to be overcome Which propertie of fire is noted in that place I spake of in the morning Much water cannot quench it it is as strong as death Now death you know overcomes all so will love it will breake through all impediments Consider whether you finde this disposition in your selves that your hearts are still drawing nearer and nearer the Lord that they are still aspiring up towards heaven that you are still going onward and thriving in the worke of grace But that which of all other things will manifest most to us this affection of love it is those affections which depend on it you shall know it I say by the affections that hang upon it It is true that all the affections depend upon love but for this time I will instance but in two namely Anger and Feare Looke whatsoever it is that a man loveth where he findes any impediment in the prosecution of it hee is angry hee desires with as much earnestnesse to remoove that impediment as hee loves the thing Take any man even of the mildest disposition if in any thing that hee loveth much and intendeth much there be an intercurrent impediment that shall interrupt him he is angry though otherwise he be of a most meeke disposition For anger is but earnestnesse to remove the thing out of the way that hinders us whatsoever a man loveth hee is angry with the impediments that hinder him in it Come now and examine your love to the Lord by your anger that anger that proceedes from love to the Lord we call zeale will you professe that you love the Lord and yet your hearts are not moved when he is dishonoured Thinke with thy selfe when thou art wronged in thy name or some body miscalleth thee misreports of thee and prosecutes thee with evill speeches and revilings is not thy wrath kindled in thee against such a one Well if thou love the Lord Iesus as thy selfe as thou oughtest to love him above thy selfe why are not thy affections stirred in thee when thou hearest him dishonoured when thou knowest that his Name is ill spoken of If a man should take from thee thy wealth or any thing that is deare to thee if a man should come and violate thee with ill tearmes thou wouldest be angry with him and be ready to flie in the face of such an one If you be thus affected to the Lord and to his glory why doe you not doe the like for him You know David did the same Mine eyes gush out saith he with rivers of water because men keepe not thy Law Therefore know that if you finde not your hearts affected with the things that belong to God that there is no anger stirred up it is a sure argument that you love him not It is observable that is said of olde Ely 1 Sam. 4.3 when newes was brought him that the Israelites were fled that moved him not so much when it was tolde him morever that there was a great slaughter among the people that stirred him not neither when it was tolde him yet that his two sonnes Hophni and Phineas were slaine yet this did not so much affect him but when it was tolde him that the Arke of the Lord was taken the text noteth something more than ordinary that hee was so stirred with it that he fell from his seate it cost him his life Can you find this affection in your selves that you are not moved with the death of childreÌ„ so much or for the losse of your goods or for your owne particular discontents as when you shall heare that the glory is departed from Israel that religion suffers any eclipse in any place that the Gospell of Iesus Christ is hindred This is a thing that will try your love to the Lord. If you finde that you can heare of the desolation of the Churches and of the increase and growing of Poperie and yet you doe not take it to heart to be affected with it you doe not grieve for it it is a signe that you want love to the Lord. You know what is noted of them in Ierem. 36.24 when the King had done an abominable action that hee had cut the roll insunder that Ieremiah gave him and cast it into the fire that was upon the hearth before him it is sayd that those that were about him did not rent their clothes nor petition to him c. As if hee should say in this they discovered a wonderfull want of love to the Lord and to his cause that they were not moved with this dishonour that was offered to God and to his servant and to the cause of Religion at that time You know what disposition Paul had in this case Act. 17. He observed that the place where he was was given to Idolatry the text saith His spirit was stirred in him his zeale and his anger was kindled in his breast Therefore consider what your affections to the Lord are by this holy anger that is in you Moses you know was the meekest man vpon the earth and yet you know how he was mooved how his zeale was kindled in his breast when he saw the idolatry of the people In the next place consider your feare For if you love the Lord it will cause you to feare and tremble at his word and at his judgements for whom a man loves much he regards much and when a man regards
learne to know the Lord for the more you know him the more you will love him What is the reason that the Angels in heaven so love him Because they know him What is the reason that we shall love him more in heaven than wee doe now but because we shall know him more Therefore when you reade the Scriptures and observe the works of Gods providence in every particular learne by this to know God as you know a man by his actions and carriage learne to have such an Idea of God as he hath described himselfe in his word that hee is true of his word that hee is full of goodnesse that he is abundant in long-suffering and patience that hee is exceeding mercifull beyond measure c. labour to see his wisdome his goodnesse and his mercie labour to know God for when you come to know him aright by that we come to love him Why doe wee love one man more than another but because wee conceive him under such a notion wee conceive his heart to be of such and such a frame wee thinke him to be a man of such and such a condition when we thus conceive the Lord it will teach us to love him more Therefore this you must know that for you onely to looke upon things that are beneficiall to you as forgivenesse of sins and adoption and an inheritance in heaven that is not love to the Lord. It is true you should doe all this but that which you are principally to doe is to looke to the essence of God to see such excellencies in him that thereby you may be led home to him and therefore that you may know him the better you must be taught of him Againe you must not onely know him but you must likewise have assurance of his love to you for when you know the excellencies of the Lord unlesse you have assurance of his love to you it is not sufficient Take a man of the highest place and of the most excellent quality if thou conceive that he hath a hollow heart towards thee thou canst not possibly love him thou must be perswaded of the love of the Lord to thee Therefore in the Text it is said to be faith which worketh by love The increase of the assurance of Gods love therefore is the meanes to increase thy love to him So much for this time FINIS THE FIFTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last thing wee did was to give you the properties of love to the Lord Iesus Now that which remaines to doe at this time is to apply that which hath beene said that is to bring your hearts and the rule together and to exhort you that what you have heard in this it may not passe like airy notions and never be brought home to your particular practise For my beloved the word that we deliuer to you should be like nailes driven home to the head fastened by the masters of the assemblie as the Wiseman speakes that they may sticke and abide in the soule as forked arrowes doe in the bodie that they may not easily fall out againe Therefore the maine businesse that wee have to doe in preaching the word is to fasten these words thus upon your hearts That which we will doe therefore at this time shall be to exhort you to question your owne hearts and to examine them upon your beds whether these characters and properties of love which have beene delivered doe agree to you or no. For as the Apostle saith Vnlesse you be in Christ that is unlesse you be knit to Christ in love you are reprobates it concernes every man therefore that heares me at this time to examine this strictly with himselfe We will expostulate the matter a while with you at this time and you must expostulate the matter betweene God and your owne consciences whether this love be in you or no. And although indeede this needeth not any distinct dividing into branches yet that wee may helpe your memories wee will put it into a number And first we will make this expostulation you that professe you love the Lord as who will not be ready to doe that to say he loveth Christ but yet as the Apostle Iohn speaketh of love to the brethren that men love them in shew and not in truth so it is with most men they love the Lord in word and in profession but they love him not in deed and in truth therefore first let me aske you this You that professe you love the Lord doe you not grieve him and vexe him from day to day and provoke him by your words and by your workes If this be your case it is certaine you love him not indeede Some there are that professe much love to the Lord Iesus but yet spend their time idly are diligent in no calling but waste their precious opportunities in sports in idle visitations in gaming in doing nothing that is profitable either to themselves or others but eate and drinke and rise up to play It is the case of many of our young Gentlemen a shamefull thing before men and abominable in the sight of God that men should live like beasts make their soules like the soules of swine serving for nothing but to keepe their bodies from putrifaction doing so much the lesse worke because they have the more wages burying so many precious talents whereof their time is the chiefe because it helpeth to improove all the rest of which they shall give an exact account at that day When God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to our Gospell Doe you professe that you love the Lord Iesus and doe you neglect him thus Besides this mocking of the Lord and dissembling with him you deale most foolishly with your selves for all the comfort that you shall ever finde in this life it will be from working from being serviceable to God and profitable to men empty lives cause but empty joy Therefore if any man shall finde this to be his case examine it it is but a false profession of love And as I speake to those that are young that spend their time Nihil agendo so I may say the same to those that are of more yeares that waste their lives in doing something indeede but it is not that which they should doe or in doing it in another manner than they ought those that are so drowned in businesse so overwhelmed with imployment so occupied with outward things abroad that they have no vacancie to feede their soules within to cloathe them with graces For you must know my brethren that your soules have neede to be trimmed every morning as well as the body they have neede of breakfast and dinner and exercise as well as the body and as you faile in giving this due respect to the soule daily so you shall finde that proportionably in that degree the
after an other manner he sees now an other beautie in God than ever he saw before hee sees an other excellencie in him for that knowledge he had of him before bredd not love But when a man is once within the Covenant the Lord will teach him such a knowledge of himselfe as withall will worke the love of him Such a knowledge you must have of the Lord and you may help your selves to love him by reasoning if ever you saw any excellencie in any man or in any creature it did help you to love that creature Thinke with your selves there is more in God that made that creature He that made the eye shall hee not see So he that wrought that excellency shall not he have it in himselfe in a greater measure Besides you may consider how the Lord hath described himselfe that hee is most wise most mercifull and full of kindness and gentlenes and abundant in truth as you know that description in Exod. 34. Go through all the vertues and excellencyes that are amiable if you looke in the Scripture you shall find them to be in the Lord. This serious consideration will help you to increase your knowledge of the Lord and by consequent your love of him So that if you would come to loue a man what is it that causeth you to love him but because by his speech and by his carriage and behaviour you come to have such an apprehension of his disposition he hath a minde thus framed thus qualified thus beautified When you conceiue such an Idea of him you love him So when you apprehend the Lord aright when you observe him as he is described in his word when you observe his doings when you consider his workes and learne from all these together a right apprehension of him I say when you have such an Idea of him such an opinion of him then the will followes the understanding and the affections then followes then you come to love him and to delight in him Therefore learne to know the Lord by his former carriage towardes your selves how kinde he hath beene how exceeding patient how exceeding readie to forgiue how much kindnesse he hath shewed how hath he in mercy remembred you though you have forgotten him how you haue recompenced him evill for good yet hee hath not broaken off the course of his mercie towards you Consider his dealing with you and learne by this to know the Lord and this will be a meanes to encrease in you the love of the Lord. This is not all there is another thing which is the second branch that I tolde you of that is to looke upon God as one sutable to you and to your disposition For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him if he be not agreeable to you you love him not A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent in many respects yet he is not a fit husband for her It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition that causeth us to love him Therefore when you put these two together consider the Lords mercie and see that and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull and looke on your selves as very weake needing that power when you looke on him as the Lord of life and see your selves subject to death and needing that life when you see your owne folly and his wisedome go through all in him and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable as one that is agreeable to you and till you come to this you shall never love him and long after him till the heart namely is thus framed till a man is humbled till he comes to the sight of himselfe for as you must know God so you must know your selves before you can love him I say when a man comes to that hee begins to looke on God as upon one agreeable to him As take a man who is touched with the feare of his sinnes whose heart is broken who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath and of his owne unworthinesse such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world but the assurance of Gods love and his favour As you see in naturall things let a man be very weary the daintiest meate in the world whatsoever you give him will not heale him but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect nothing will helpe him but rest Againe let a man be hungry and faint for want of meate all the musicke the best ayre or whatsoever you can give him will doe him no good it must be meate that must helpe him If a man have a disease it is not sleepe it is not meate and drinke it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease So it is with the heart of man when his heart is so broken so humbled and touched with the sense of his sinnes that hee longs after nothing but remission nothing but the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of his love and kindnesse nothing will satisfie him but that it is so in naturall defects and so it is in the soule when the heart of a man is so fashioned that it lookes upon God as one agreeable to him and there is nothing else sutable but onely the Lord and his favour and his love that is required to breede this love in you towards him What is the reason else that it is said Hosea 5. ult When they are afflicted they will seeke mee diligently But because afflictions teach a man to know himselfe it teacheth him to know his owne weaknesse to see his owne sinne his owne impotency his owne unworthinesse and when he hath done this then he lookes upon God as one who onely is fit for him as one who is onely able to helpe him Affliction doth but discover what was there before For man is a weake and impotent creature made for the Lord he is nothing without the Lord it is the conjunction with God that makes him up onely he knowes not this he understands not this Therefore when God opens a mans eyes either by the immediate worke of his Spirit to teach him to know himselfe or by affliction then he comes to seeke after the Lord when they are afflicted they will seeke me diligently If thou shouldest have such an offer as was made to those Acts 2. Peter tells them there they should have remission of sinnes they should receive the gift of the holy Ghost if this had beene offered to them before they knew themselves before they had beene humbled and pricked at the heart as it is said they were would they have regarded such an offer as this No they would not although they had understood that offer never so well So I say though you know his name and his excellent attributes never so perfectly yet till
sett a worke to serve the Lord when he looks to the Lord when he inclines towards the Lord that is when the minde is set on worke to thinke on him to remember his glorious workes to have a right knowledge and opinion of him againe when the memory is set on worke to remember him and not to forget his benefits his statutes and his ordinances and so the rest of his faculties And therefore if we love the Lord wee will not doe this with our selves to thinke I love him and yet I will suffer my minde in the meane time to be exercised in contemplating of fornication not to thinke I loue the Lord and yet will suffer my memorie in the meane time to be recollecting injuries and breeding of them and recalling my pleasant sinnes that are formerly past that I should abhorre thou canst not loue him and doe this Againe thou must not say I love him and yet let thy affections runne after this and that but thy whole heart must be bestowed on him Thou must not thinke to loue him and to reserue thy affections for this or that particular thing that thou lovest inordinately but thou must bestow all these on the Lord. The second thing required in this love wherewith I will end is this that you love the Lord with all your might You will say what is the meaning of that to love the Lord with all my might and with all my strength For the understanding of this you must know that God hath given different might and different strength to men as a rich man hath more might than another for he can rule more and sway more and command more than a poore man can Againe a Magistrate he can restraine by his power and encourage men by his authority and winne them yea compell them by his example Againe a learned man that is of great parts that is of a stronger wit than another hee hath more might than another he is able to doe more than a man of weaker parts Now to love the Lord with all our might is to improve all the meanes we have all the strength all the ability that wee have above others to improve it so that we may serve the Lord with it more than others that even as thou exceedest any in these abilities so thou maist goe beyond them in serving the Lord This is to love the Lord with all thy might that is to love him so much more than a poore man to bestow more on him to doe more for him as thy riches make thee more able and more strong than another For thee to love him now as another man doth that hath lesse might the Lord will not take this love at thy hands but will say to thee as Landlords say to their Tenants when they bring them lesse rent than they should lesse than is due they will receive none for they say so much is due The Lord will require this that you love him with all your might If thou be a rich man if thou be a Magistrate if thou be a man of such and such opportunities to serve the Lord and doe but a little hee will not accept it at all thou must love the Lord with all thy might for God requires this at thy hands hee leaves it not arbitrary He saith To whom much is given of him much shall be required Hee saith not I leave it to him to doe more or lesse but I require it that is I will exact it according to the measure he hath received Therefore consider with thy selfe what meanes thou hast what power God hath put into thy hands what ability thou hast more than others When you send a servant to market as you give him a greater price as you put more money into his hands so you expect hee should bring home more than another that hath a lesse price put into his hands So the Lord doth with men hee sends men into the world as men are sent to a market hee gives a larger price to some to some hee gives five talents to some three to some two the Lord expects that they should bring home according to the price they have in their hands that is according to the might according to the strength and opportunity he hath given them For you must know that the Lord observes an exact difference betweene man and man It may be thou livest under better meanes than another thou hast had better education than another thou hast more knowledge in the wayes of God than another the Lord hath helped thee more by the inward suggestions of his Spirit than another he lookes that thou shouldest bring forth more fruite than another And so againe for all other abilities and advantages the Lord expects at our hands that we love him with all our might otherwise saith he you might have given my money to the exchangers and they would have made use of it Marke that in the Parable of the Talents for a man will be ready to say if I bestow some love on the Lord why should he exact require the utmost why doth he require so much at my hands Yes saith he if another had this might if another had this strength and this opportunity that thou hast hee would have done as exchangers doe hee would have brought it in with profit so if that ability were given to another he would make use of it And therefore thinke not much if he require it at thy hands for there is losse if he should not Therefore know that the Lord requires this at thy hands it may be thou art more composed and more disposed than another it is nothing for thee to abstaine from drinking to abstaine from swearing because thou art framed this way by naturall ingenuity and naturall temper that God hath given thee it is not that the Lord requires no more but that thou live soberly free from grosse sinnes No God lookes for more he requires of every man according to his strength and ability As you know a childe may runne and another man may walke the childe takes more paines the man lesse it the reward were to be given according to the endeavour the child should have it though he that walkes come to the goale before him A man that is weake may not doe so much as another that is strong and able to doe ten times as much worke as another man that is weake though thou doe more worke than he this is not accepted because hee lookes that every man should doe his utmost he requires that you should love him and serve him and set your selves to improve all your ability according to the might according to the Talent according to the price hee hath distributed and measured to you So much for this time FINIS THE SEVENTH SERMON GALAT. 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last thing that wee entred upon was
heate so every good action proceedeth from grace and good actions intend grace and therefore be still acting and judge of your selves by that for what is grace what is that you call Christianity else but to doe that which another man cannot doe Therefore if there be such a difference betweene you and others as you professe there is shew it by doing that which another man cannot doe by exposing your selves to that danger to those losses for any good cause which another would not doe by spending more time in prayer by taking more paines with your hearts from day to day than others doe by keeping the sabbath better than others doe by being more exact in looking to your wayes that you may be holy in all manner of conversation that other men will not doe I say shew your grace shew your regeneration by being new creatures by doing more than others this is that which wil make the world beleeve that you are Christians in good earnest and not in shew onely that your profession is in deed and in truth and truely there is no other way this doing is that which makes a man excellent You heare men complaine of the barrennesse of their grounds many times wee may likewise justly take up the complaint against the barrennesse of the lives of men How goodly a sight is it when a man looks into the husbandry to see the vine full of clusters to see the furrowes full of corne to see the trees laden with fruite when we looke upon men it is the goodliest sight we can behold in Gods husbandry to see men full of actions and good workes I beseech you consider of it seriously and now set upon the doing of it while there is sand in the houre-glasse your life will not last long the day doth not continue alwayes the night will come when no man can worke When a candle is put out you may kindle it againe when the Sunne is set it riseth againe but when our life is past when the glasse is runne it ariseth no more it is turned no more It is appointed to all men once to die if ye might die twice or thrice it were another case but now it is your wisedome therefore while it is time while this short day lasts to doe that you have to doe concerning your salvation with all your might because the time is short There is nothing that is a truer property of wisedome than for a man to take holde of opportunities not to lose the day nay not an houre in the day for time is most precious it is like golde of which every shred is worth somewhat it is your wisedome therefore to be oft sowing seede to the spirit there is none of those good workes not the least of them but will doe you good in the latter end for alas what are your lives but your actions so much as you doe so much you live your lives are short of themselves why doe you make them shorter by doing nothing for as wee have said heretofore one man may live more in a day than another in twenty because hee doth more you live more as you act more Besides what is it a man serves for in all his labour under the Sunne what is it that hee desires but pleasure comfort and contentment Now my brethren this consists in doing in working for all pleasure followeth upon operation and further than there is working there is no delight Therefore it was a wise saying in that Philosopher that the happinesse and comfort that a man hath in this life consists not in abundance of wealth in swimming in delights but it consists in doing the actions of a living man which is the greatest comfort you can finde here in this life Doe the exercises and actions of holinesse and the more yee doe the more comfort yee shall have for even as light followeth the flame so pleasure and contentment followeth action And besides my brethren what doe you live for is it not to glorifie God You professe so much and how is it done Not by your desires or good meanings but by your actions those are the things that men see and feele and glorifie your heavenly Father for when your actions shine before men Herein is my Father glorified saith Christ that ye bring forth much fruite the doing of much is that which brings glory to God the more you doe this the more glory you bring to him Againe another end of your life is to doe good to mankinde shall they be able to fare the better for your purposes for your good resolutions no they fare the better onely for that you doe for them and to them it is your actions that benefit men Lastly for your selves what is it that helpeth you and doth you good onely your good deeds and your actions it is that which furthers your reckoning and account That place is much to this purpose Phil. 4.17 I care not for a gift but I desire fruite because it will further your account marke the phrase the meaning is this every good worke that a holy man doth from the time of his regeneration for till then no actions are spiritually good it is put upon his score it stands upon his reckoning there is not a penny nor a halfe penny lost that is the least good worke is not done to no purpose but the Lord will repay him againe euery pennie and farthing this saith hee will further your account And when will the Lord pay Not onely in the day of judgement then indeede you shall be paid to the uttermost but you shall be paid even in this life marke that too You shall have an hundredfold here saith Christ They that forsake father or mother or wife or children shall have an hundredfold in this life Therefore brethren if there bee any wisedome in the world this is the onely wisedome to be still doing to be much in actions Why doe you trifle out your time therefore to no purpose Why sit ye idle here why doe you not rise up and bestirre your selves why doe you not fill your lives with many actions You have good purposes in you why doe you not stirre them up It is true indeede we are becalmed many times because the Spirit doth not blow upon us but yet notwithstanding if we would pray for the Spirit the Lord would quicken us But you will say alas what shall wee doe it may be our callings give us no opportunity to doe that which other mens callings doe if we might be Preachers and have such and such businesse wherein wee might onely minde the things that belong to salvation then it were easie My brethren you must know that you shall finde continuall occasions of doing good actions every day whatsoever your callings are It is an errour among the Papists to thinke that to give almes to crucifie the flesh and to use that hardly to fast and
the like that these are the onely and the most glorious actions they are exceeding wide good actions are nothing else but to doe the will of the Lord and to bring forth fruite the fruite of every tree in the orchard is but as the actions of every man and then are the trees good to the husbandman when they are full of fruite Every action that you doe is that fruite which God lookes for now that fruite is good workes that is pleasing to the gardener to the husbandman Therefore to doe the Lords will is to doe a good worke Now by this you may see what a large field you have for good workes in what calling soever you are set though it be never so meane a place you have To suffer imprisonment and disgraces for good causes this is a good worke for it is a great worke to suffer and in that you doe the will of the Lord. When a man is sicke and lieth in his chamber upon his bedde sicke of a consumption or a feaver that he is not able to stirre yet to doe this with obedience to submit then to the will of the Lord is a good worke for to beare a burden is a worke to beare sicknesse and calamity after this manner is a worke to thinke the Lord hath put me into this condition he might have given mee strength to goe abroad as others doe but he hath laid sicknesse upon mee I say the right bearing this burden is a good worke Againe to take paines with our hearts to master our unruly lusts and affections is a good worke Doe not you reckon it a worke to breake horses to master coltes It is the trade of some men to doe so and is it not a good worke for you to get victory over your lusts to tame your unbridled natures to curbe your unruly hearts and affections in all the variety of occasions that ye passe through It is a worke to behave our selves as becomes Christians decently and comely and holily in poverty in riches in honour and disgraces to behave our selves under these things in a right manner to carry our selves patiently and holily through them as becomes good Christians this is a good worke and this belongs to every one though his calling be never so meane When Paul stood at the barre and Festus reviled him and said he was a mad fellow the suffering of this was a worke in Paul Marke his manner of carriage in it I am not mad most noble Festus there was a work in that So I may instance in the things wherein you may seeme to doe the least the standing still in some cases is a worke the Apostle makes among the great workes that are to be done by Christians this to be the chiefe To keep our selues pure and unspotted of the world to passe through all occasions to be never the worse for them to go through all defilements of this present life not be tainted and if this be a worke how much more is it then to be still doing to be in act and operation alwaies Therfore doe not say you want when you shall alwayes have occasion enough of that But you will say these generalls are good to exhort us to be doing but yet in particular what would you have us to doe now I will instance in some few things there are certaine times of working as husbandmen some times they have times of harvest and some times they have seed times wherein it is requyred that they worke more then at other times so the Church of God hath times and seasons and the common wealth hath some seasons and times when men should be set aworke to doe more then ordinary to doe more then at other times and you all know this is such a season wherein there should be working of every one in their severall places I say it is time now for men to bee working more then ordinarie But you will say what is it you would have us to doe My brethren Contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints marke it the worke must be to contend for it you must be men of contention let the world say what they will of you it is a dutie that lies on you it is that which the Spirit calls for from you that ye be men that should contend you must not doe it coldly and remissely but earnestly to strive for it let not pretence of indiscretion hinder you for discretioÌ„ when it is right teacheth a man not to doe lesse but more and better then an other man discretion we say doth not take mettall from Horses but guides those horses and puts them in a righter way discâ—etion makes no man lesse actiue but it giues his actions a better tincture So againe let us not say we must be moderate for what is that moderation Indeed the moderation that keepeth from actions wherein is excesse is good but if you meane by moderation to goe a slow and easie pace in the wayes of God that is coldnes idlenesse carelesnesse there is no excesse in any good way Therefore that is your worke now to contend for the Faith that is for all the points of faith for every jott of that is precious saith the Apostle Iude it is but once delivered to the Saints as if he should say it is too precious a treasure oft to bee despenced it was but once delivered to the world if Christ did meane to come againe and renewe the Articles of our faith we might be more remisse and negligent for if we did loose them he might restore them againe but they are but once delivered therefore your care must be to keepe them the better Besides it is the common faith therefore every man hath interest in it do not say therefore what haue I to doe it belongs to these and these men to looke after it it is the common faith and every man hath part in it and should contend according to his place and power and within his spheere and remember it is a matter of much moment for every part of the fath or little matter of faith I speake now of the whole doctrine of faith that you should be exceeding exact in keeping of it that it receive no detriment especially in matter of opinion For my brethren you must know that it were better there should bee great offences committed in the land great and notorious crimes then that there should be any losse in the matter of faith because where the opinions of men are sett wrong that is a principle that carries them still on Great finnes come from great passions and men are able to see them and when the passion is gone over they are easily recalled againe but errours in opinion are matters of great moment therefore it belongs to every one to looke to it to us that are Preachers in our places to Magistrates