a high esteem upon this grace to look upon it as the most glorious Stone in the Ring The rest have their luster this is both resplendent and medicinal heals broken souls It is no wonder if St. Jude give it the preheminence since it is both the leading grace and brings the first glad tidings of salvation and also the Mother grace whence all others have their birth and original Without this what are all our works and duties but as we say of the vertues of Heathens Splendida peccata Where faith is not layd as the foundation all our devotions acts of piety charity observance of Sabbaths Ordinances nay that great performance of Prayer are but like that structure built on the sand Mat. 7.26 Without this we can no more appear before the Tribunal of Gods justice then stubble before a consuming fire In the word it is faith that must make us profitable in obedience it is faith that must make us cheerful in prayer it is faith that makes us successfull and in all performances it is faith that makes us acceptable This is that wisedome Job 28.16 17 18 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.8 the price whereof is above Rubies the Topaze of Ethiopia cannot equal it it cannot be valued with pure Gold This will give comfort joy and peace under all distractions make the soul skip like a Lambe leap and dance for joy Other divine qualifications may make you confident but it is faith only that must give you your assurance There cannot be such an abasement where faith will not lift up the head and render you victorious Justice gives every man his own temperance will restrain lusts magnanimity will bear and go through any hardship prudence is an excellent guide to our actions but it is faith that overcometh the world in this Paul insults and triumphs over men and Angels Heaven and Earth Rom. 8.38 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am confident or perswaded That neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You will have a better heart both to the price and the esteem of it if you seriously advise with these considerations The Author The Offices and the Effects of it First Look upon it as Gods gift from whom every good and perfect gift cometh as a fruit of his Spirit Gal. 5.22 This will make it excellent and lovely Let us a little view it in that great interest of our souls the high act of justification we shall there finde it to justifie Infundendo creat creando infundit not as mans faith but as the work of God in in the soul It is an excellent place Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God faith may be in us but it is not of us that is not from any power of our own but it is a meer gift of God both in the habit and in the act of it Justification is is a free Act of and from eternity without any condition on our parts and that Evangelical righteousness by which we are justified is without us in Christ It is the finger of God that works faith in the soul and having wrought it puts it upon acting thereby to evidence justification to the soul As a father having layd up for his son a great Treasure in some secret place tells him of it and bestows it freely upon him but wanting the possession and enjoyment of it the son is no richer for it till the father lights a Torch guides his son to the hidden Treasure and puts him into the actual possession of it Thus is Faith Gods Instrument by which he discovers to our souls the unvaluable riches of Christ which in the minds and purpose of the Donor was ours from Eternity and evidenceth us to be freely justified lending us that light of faith whereby we apprehend enjoy and apply Christ to our souls It is called the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Whose evidence Gods evidence given us by which he declareth and manifesteth to our consciences those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invisible things of our justification and salvation and when given it is our evidence also by which we possess Christ and pleads our actual justification against all the accusations of the Law sin and Satan then we have the witnesse in our selves 1 Joh. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods witness so it is sometimes read witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God we are justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there answering to the Hebrew Chinnam excluding all both hope of advantage on Gods part and preceding desert in man upon any account whether of faith or works excluding as well merit as rewards hereby intimating that all our works are the works of God in us yea faith it self in that great and high Act of justifying is Gods gift I have here made a little digression to acquaint you with the excellency of this grace that you may set a higher value upon it not only because it is Gods gift but so high and precious a gift of his right hand whereby he gives us an interest to Christ and all his promises and evidenceth eternal life to our souls 2. Consider the Offices of faith which besides union to and communion with Christ formerly named are these two First acceptance wherby we are made willing to receive Christ upon Christs own terms what his terms are he himself tells you Luke 9.23 If any man will come after me he must deny himself and take up his Crosse daily and follow me This is the receiving act of faith and is therfore called the hand of the Soul not for its working quality purifying the heart reviving the dead spirit working by love carrying the Soul through all discouragements these are indeed the works of faith but for its receiving and accepting quality accepting righteousnesse in Christ receiving him as a gift of his fathers love imbracing the promises afar off and laying hold on eternal life The working righteousnesse is Christs the Office or act of faith is accepting applying receiving yeelding consent to that righteousnesse The other Office or Act of Faith is resignation whereby we give our selves wholly up to Christ spirit soul and body to be guided and byassed by him this is that spiritual marriage Eph. 5.17 betwixt Christ and the Soul by which as the soul hath a propriety and right to the body name goods table possessions and purchase of Christ so she doth reciprocally become all his by an unconstrained resignation of her will ways and desires unto his guidance and government we become the servants of Christ to be ruled as well as to be aided and protected by him then doth Christ own us and he stands ingaged to watch over and care for us Then
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat 8.26 carnally fearfull so the word signifies if you look Revel 21.8 and why because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were of little faith and this fear is directly sinfull when we fear the creature more then the Creator blessed for ever This is that fear the Lord speaks of Isa 8.12 Fear not their fear and our blessed Saviour Luke 12.4 5. Fear not them that kill the body c. And though this fear may have and frequently hath natural weaknes for its foundation yet it is only then sinfull where nature outvies grace and self interests are more valued then the glory of God I deny not but there is a fear due to man upon Gods account Rom. 13.6 Fear to whom fear c. there is a reverence due to the persons and a regard to be had to the Laws of men But God being alone the proper object of our fear makes that fear which is due to man due to him only in and for the Lord whose image he beareth in a more high and eminent manner by vertue of some Authority or dignity derived to him from God who is the Fountain of honour and whose sole propriety it is to ordain powers the words implying both invention and ratification Rom. 13.1 the Powers that be are ordained of God 3. There is a spiritual fear and that is a filial reverential fear of God arising partly from a sense of want in our selves which fear commonly supposeth and partly from the apprehension of Gods excellency not in his greatnesse only but also in its goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that fear which keeps the whole man in a religious respect a holy dreadfulnesse a sweet dependance upon God that commands him to walk as in the presence of God that his whole conversation seems one undiscontinued holy and religious adoration take that one example of Joseph Gen. 30. This is that we call the grace of fear the affection of fear is in all men naturally but the grace of the fear of God is a part of Sanctification and is not found but in the elect natural and carnal fear betray the succours of the soul but this strengthens and confirms it I call it spiritual first from the Object which is God second from the efficient or working cause of this fear which is the Spirit of God called therefore the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Isay 11.2 Thirdly from the Subject the inward or spiritual man hence is the fear of God inward and spiritual the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections all hereby carried out to God Fourthly From that spiritual work or effect it hath upon the soul spiritualizing and sanctifying both our selves and our sacrifices changing the whole man from a carnal worldly sensual selfish interest to a holy heavenly spiritual frame of heart Now this spiritual fear may either be taken generally and so it includes all graces and gracious dispositions of spirit As faith includes all Evangelical graces in the New-Testament so doth the fear of God in the Old compare Prov. 13.14 with Prov. 14.27 Or else more particularly for that single grace whereby the Soul is over-awed with the excellencies of God the greatnesse of God working the fear of him as a Judge and the goodnesse of God working the same fear as a father It would be a task too large for the small time I have to spend to run through all the branches properties and effects of this fear I shall now speak only to a few of them and those the most useful for you in reference to the present times and your present wants there are no words like those in due season Pro. 25.11 or upon their wheels you shall have them without nicenesse or affectation the common itch of the Pulpit according to my wonted manner with all plainnesse plain instructions best beseem a dying father and are the best remembred by his children I shall now wave all other accounts and present it to you as a New-years gift a rich Ring set with precious stones which I shall desire may be continually worn and carried about with you And first to fear God is to have faith in him a precious stone this is called by St. Peter precious faith without this we can neither fear him nor please him 2 Pet. 1.1 What the Apostle saies Rom. 10.14 how shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved the like we may say of other graces how can we either love or serve or fear or glorifie God except we believe in him it was faith that made Enoch's work acceptable and was the ground of the translating there spoken of whether the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.5 mean exemption from death as Elias is said to have been under the Moral Law or some other deliverance it matters not certainly it was through faith the Embleme of the Gospel it is sometimes called the mouth and the ear Crede mandu casti August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but most properly the eye of the Soul hereby we see through the things of this world and above them we meet with an object worth our loving and looking on we see Christ and God in Christ and in him mercy peace salvation we look out of our selves Heb. 12.2 and meet with Gospel truth righteousnesse in another a Surety a Mediator we see the brazen Serpent that cures out wounded souls John 3.14 therefore the words here used for fear is by the LXX in the seventh verse of this Chapter rendred to see noting that to fear God and have faith in him is to see God and beyond reason to have an in-sight into those Mysteries which were denyed to the Angels 2 Pet. 1.12 As the eye in the body is the Organ by which we see things visible so is faith in the soul to see the things of God hereby we peep through the Curtains of earth and mortality and take a view of Heavens Treasures Hence come our great priviledges union with Christ Eph. 3.17 and consequently an intimate and familiar communion with him in his promises Sonship Victories Intercessions Faith is that spiritual Ligament that makes us one with Christ Other graces as Love Patience Meekness c may be the grounds of a moral Union and make a man like Christ but it is faith only that is the foundation of a mystical Union and makes a Beleever one with Christ I do not intend to insist upon the Nature Properties and Effects of Faith I have heretofore made them out to you My present Task relates to the present times and your-both present and future benefit There is not any grace more disesteemed and misesteemed slighted and mis-judged then this branch of Divine fear Let me therefore commend to you two main Remembrances to be treasured up by you when your eyes shall be deprived of your Teacher And First I would advise you ever to set
ways of his Ordinances in hearing the word attending at the Gates of Wisdome in the honour and use of the Sacrament in prayer and other Divine Institutions This is the way Christ hath prescribed and in all ages wonderfully blessed to his Church I have experimentally found it in my self and to my great comfort have had the acknowledgment of it from many of you by and under my Ministry These are the Channels of grace the Conduit-pipes by which God conveys himself and the waters of life to his people here will your souls meet with God and finde the enjoyment of him and the due observation of them is a strong Test of your obedience I know that after my departure you will meet with Foxes and Wolves some crying down all Ordinances as things carnal and below a spiritual and raised estate they will tell you they are weak and low administrations no more then walking by Moon light they will tell you that Seraphical men are above and beyond all Ordinances and their Enthusiasms of greater concernment then the Ordinances of Christ you will meet on the other hand with those who so far cry up Ordinances that they make Idols of them slighting him who is the substance men of Pharisaical Spirits and Interests who while they should preach Christ and him crucified will preach themselves their own parts passions and interests whereby you may probably be made weary both of them and their preaching My ever dear people let none of these things drive you from the Church of God or deter or discourage you from following Christ in those ways he hath prescribed let it be your care to wait on him I have known some who taking offence at these things wo in the mean time to him by whom the offence cometh have in these times declined either to Popery or Atheism I beseech God blesse you I hope better things of you and should be heartily grieved to see such sad failings in any of you I have two things to commend to you in this Point for your better satisfaction First Rest not in a bare formal attendance upon the Ordinance The Harlot can say I have made my peace offerings to day the Ordinance is but the means the end is Communion with Christ and fruition of him The Jews promised themselves much from the naked presence of the Temple Ier. 7.4 though they had but small honour for the Lord of it Iudges 17.13 Micah promised himself mountains when he had got a Levite to be his Priest though he still retained his Idols The Pharisees boasted they were the seed of Abraham when they did the works of the Devil Ioh. 8.33.44 How many poor souls have thus turned the means of salvation into the means of destruction feeds upon busks instead of the true bread nay turned their food into porson not finding Christ in the Ordinances nor being led home to Christ by them My good people think it not enough that you havâ— Geheza with his masters staff that you have Christs Minister and Christs word but as that Shunamite 2 King 4.30 lay hold on Christ himself where every faithful soul sees casts receives enjoys in these Ordinances Secondly when thou hast done thy best and purest service and met with Christ in the Ordinances rest not in the work done loath yourselves with a sincere acknowledgment of your ownunworthinesse and the unprofitablenesse imperfections and iniquities of your most holy things ever resting upon free-grace Be so careful of duty as if there were no grace to justifie you and so rest upon grace as if no work were to be done by you And then secondly wait upon God in the ways of his providence and dispensations this is that excellent grace a fruit of the sanctifying spirit of God whereby the soul freely submits not to the will only but to the wisdom of God in all the crosse acts of Providence we meet with in this life enabling us to bear our own burthens without inordinate sorrow or fretting discontent As by faith we injoy God and by love we injoy our neighbour so through humble waiting and submission to the wisedom of God we possesse our own souls This is an excellent lesson but hard for flesh and blood to learn to beleeve that God can chuse best for us better then we our selves Are not Abanah and Parphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the Waters of Israel 2 Râ—g 5.12 Kinds of age a few fatherly kisses and imbraces a portion in my hand this nature cries out for and would be well pleas'd with but the soul that fears God hath learned with Paul to be content in every condition of life hath learned that sublime Phylosophy of subscribing to Gods wisedom not to his will only that he will force us to and he is a kind of mad Atheist that should deny it but to his wisedom to acknowledge God the best chuser for us the stripes he sends more suitable to us then all the blessings we pray for his denying our demands the most divine way of granting them resolving whatever he imposes upon us is best for us his thoughts are not like our thoughts Heaven and Earth are not alwaies of one opinion Good is the Word of the Lord says good Hezekiah when destruction was denounced to his whole family It is the Lord Iet him do what seemeth him good says old Eli when besides the losse of both his children in one day God tells him there should not be an old man in his house for ever All things saith Paul work together for good to them that love God This submission to the Wisdom of God and the consequent of it Rejoycing in Tribulation is that waiting upon God which I would now instruct you in that better days may teach you humblenesse which is a part of this fear Prov. 22.4 and worser days may teach you that Christian patience whereby you shall be inabled to undergo the hands of heaven to look after deliverance in the ways and accept it upon the terms of God My dear people you are my glory and crown of rejoycing let me commend the serious remembrance of this to your Spirit It was never of more use then in these times of the Churches persecution You shall see men strangely and severally wrestling and tugging under Gods Dispensations In one man a supine stupidity in another the relieving his melancholy thoughts in a cup of Lethe a sleeping Pill of good fellowship like Sauls sending to the Minstrel when the evil spirit came upon him or his second address to the Witch to charm the judgment that was ready to invade him you shall see a third multiplying his sins as fast as God his judgments like the Elephants in the Maccabees whom the blood of the Mulberies more enraged hardning like Pharaoh under the rod like Ahab and Ahaz growing worse under the judgment you will meet with more plausible effects then these in one a contempt of the world his