of his heart to the well-pleasing of God are all conveighed and communicated to the soule by the Sacrament and to bee received therein 2. You must understand how this is communicated to the soule in the Sacrament Quest How is pardon and power conveighed unto mee by the Sacrament Ans I answer This comes from a right discerning of the body and bloud of Christ when I can see beyond the outward elements and see the spirit of Christ undoubtedly communicating the spirituall good as I see the outward elements communicating the temporall good when I can see something beyond bread and something beyond wine and something beyond breaking something beyond pouring out something beyond taking and see as certainly the Spirit of God communicating the spirituall comfort unto my soule as the outward elements would do to my body in this case the Spirit of God doth as certainly communicate assurance of Gods favour power against corruption and to walke with God as the bread doth food to my stomack and the wine sweetnesse to my taste and refreshment to my nature I say the Spirit of the Lord doth as undoubtedly give Christ and his merits the fruit and benefit of them in the forgivenesse of sin and strength against corruption as drynesse goes with the bread and moysture with the wine III. The Character of a sound Christian in seventeen markes Mark I. IF thou canst mourn daily for thy owne corruptions and failings committed yet so as to bee thankfull for the grace received Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Ver. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord c. So then with the minde I my selfe serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne Mar. II. If thou art grieved for the sinnes of the times and places where thou livest Ezek 9.4 And the Lord said unto him goe through the midst of the Citie through the midst of Jerusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that bee done in the midst thereof Psalm 119.136 Rivers of water runne downe mine eyes because men keep not thy Law 2 Pet. 2.8 For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unlawfull deeds Mar. III. If when thou mournest for the sinnes of the times thou take heed that thou art not infected with them Phil. 2.15 That yee may bee blamelesse and harmelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom yee shine as lights in the world Act. 20.40 And with many other words did hee testifie and exhort saying Save your selves from this untoward generation Jam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widow in their affliction and to keep himselfe unspotted from the world 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to same excesse of riot speaking evill of you Mar. IV. If thou endeavourest to get victory over thy corruptions art daily more circumspect over thy waies and more fearfull to fall in time to come 1 Cor. 9 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my waies that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked are before me Job 40.5 Once have I spoken but I will not answer thee yea twice but I will proceede no further Phil. 2.12 Wherefore my beloved as ye have alwaies obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in mine absence worke out your owne salvation with fear and trembling Pro. 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth alway Mar. V. If thou canst chide thy owne heart for the coldnesse and dulness of it to good duties and use all holy means for quickning it up afterward Ps 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance my God Ps 57.8 Awake my glory awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early Isa 64.7 And there is none that calleth on thy name that stirreth up themselves to take hold of thee Judg. 5.12 Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song arise Barak and lead thy captivity captive thou son of Abinoam Mar. VI. If thou canst be patient under afflictions and better for afflictions Heb. 12.5 And yee have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them that are exercised thereby Ps 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy words Jer. 5.3 O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to returne Mar. VII If thy conversation bee in heaven that is if thy thoughts and the course of thy life be heaven-wards Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth Heb. 11.15 And truly if they had been mindefull of that countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned Mar. VIII If thou delight to speak with God in thy praiers and that God should speak to thee in his Word Rom. 8. 26. Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what wee should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Joh. 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Mar. IX If thou art as well content to submit thy heart and life to Gods Word in all things even when it crosses thee in thy profits and pleasures as thou art content to come and hear it Isa 2.3 And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths Ezek. 33.32 And lo thou art to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they heare thy words but they doe them not Mar. X. If thou canst relie constantly by faith on the
house depending upon Gods direction and blessing in the land unto which hee would bring him and where hee had engaged himselfe to blesse him and yet he was not perswaded of that speciall branch of the Covenant that he would give him a childe out of his loynes which should bee an heire to him as the text plainely testifieth Gen. 15.3 Now both these acts of faith are here required and the last is principally intended so that the full sense of the Doctrine seems to be this He that will speed in prayer must put forth the vertue of faith to beleeve in particular the obtaining of that he prayes for Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick He saith not The prayer of a faithfull man but the prayer of faith as though the Apostle had spoken thus It 's not the man so much that must pray as faith in the man that must frame and follow those petitions which we put up if ever wee speed Mar. 11.33 Whatsoever yee aske praying beleeve you shal receive it that is the very particular which you beg for shall bee given you For the clearing of the Point we will enquire 1. What it is to pray in faith 2. The Reasons why hee that doth begge in faith shall receive To pray in faith according to the sense of the Doctrine implyes 3. things 1. Faith sees and settles upon the fulnesse of the sufficiency and the freenesse of the riches of grace in Christ which is able every way to supply it and to satisfie abundantly all the necessities which can befall the soule and this gives ground and encouragement unto faith to go to God because there is enough to be-had and therefore it 's likely it shall speed of that it would have Thus Abraham Rom. 4.20 Hee beleeved that God who had promised was able to give a childe though his body were not able to beget one being now dead Sarahs wombe was not able to conceive one being now barren therefore he counted it bootlesse to consider of them but being fully assured that God was able was encouraged to go to him to rely upon him by faith This al sufficiency gives footing or foote-hold to our faith 2. As the riches of goodnesse encourageth faith for to pray so in the second place it closeth with the spirit in the promises sets that on worke and fetches vertue from thence whereby it may bee enabled for to pray for it is not faith that of it self puts forth prayer by its owne power immediately but that that closeth w th sets the spirit of Christ in the promise on worke by the lively efficacie whereof the heart comes to bee quickned on and carried forth comfortably to this dutie Hence the Apostle We know not what to aske as wee ought but the Spirit helps our infirmities and it makes request A man must not fetch his prayer from his parts as will memory understanding or abilitie but from the Spirit who is the prayer-maker Jude 18. praying in the holy Ghost 3. Faith by the riches of Gods grace being encouraged and by the spirit enabled and set on worke to prayer carries the heart unto God and holds it with God untill it hath mercy Gen. 32.26 I will not let thee go until thou bless me For 1. Faith puts wings to a mans desires or if you will Faith closing with the Spirit that puts fire to our petitions lifts up our prayers and causeth them to come in unto the Lord and lay hold upon him hope expects and desire longs and the will rests and makes choyce of God and then holds there and so all lie at God dayly that is the first 2. It will not leave God untill it see his power and wisedome faithfulnesse and mercy goe forth to the accomplishment of that that hath been desired faith followes the blow home and rests not untill it see the wisdome of God contriving and his faithfulnesse and power effecting the thing craved jogs the everlasting arme of Gods power and providence and mercy to worke forth good of such whose necessities are pitied jogs the everlasting displeasure and just indignation of the Lord and followes it home to the heads and hearts of the enemies of Christ whose ruine is desired Faith goes not to meanes first but goes to God that he may worke with meanes without means above means against means Faith will not neglect means but faith goes to God to provide means and to goe out with them and to give a blessing to them It befalleth a faithfull man in this case as it doth sometimes a poore tenant oppressed by the injury and cruelty of the steward he repaires to the Nobleman himselfe intreats so much favour from him that he would injoyne his steward to deale equaly and justly with him the honourable personage easily grants so equall a request and therefore bids him tell his steward It is his minde that he should deale fauourably with him the poore man replyes Alas Sir he will not passe for my speech nor respect my words I beseech you let mee have but two words in writing or a token from you and then I am perswaded hee will not dare but do your command and when that is obtained hee knowes his desire will be effected so faith gets a Letter under Gods hand the Lord sends a token of his displeasure and indignation a token of vengeance and terrour by the prayer of faith as by a Post or Pursuivant unto the hearts of the wicked to chide Laban over night to calme the heart of cruell and fierce Esau and then it 's certaine all shall goe well Thus Jacob strove with God and would not away from the promise before hee had it under Gods own hand Thou hast said thou wilt deale well with thy servant and I will not leave thee till thou sendest this message to the heart of Esau that hee may know it is thy minde at last the Lord granted and then all the mischiefe was stopped Thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with man Reason 1. Unbeliefe binds Gods hands as it were that he cannot give and stops the current of Gods kindnesse that he cannot conveigh that mercy wee beg and need for as God hath decreed to give a blessing for any thing so hee hath appointed and decreed faith to bee the means to conveigh it If therefore we will not beleeve we cannot expect what wee desire God cannot give it because hee cannot deny himselfe nor crosse his decree nor alter the word the oath that is gone out of his mouth for marke Hee could doe no great thing because of their unbeliefe Reason 2. Unbeliefe intercepts the blessing upon the meanes that those meanes which God hath appointed for our good God neither goes out with them nor workes by them but the streame of providence is turned another way Asa trusted to the Physician therefore the phisick could not help him Conceive a streame able to carry and conveigh a
alone when they were assaulted by troubles but when they were oppressed with them too not when they met with miseries but when they fell into them now when hee falls into a pit that he is over head and eares in it he falls into the snare so that hee is intangled in it and yet then he must count it joy and further not when they fall into some temptations out of which there were some hope to get out with some speed but when they fall into many and yet more to make the matter wonderfull he wils them not alone to count it some joy but all joy When their miseries were so great that more could not be endured yet there their joy must bee so great that more could not be expressed A duty wonderfull hard and wonderfull heavenly and therefore in verse 4. he adds marvellous sweet and pithie reasons to perswade to so heavenly a taske and they be taken from the incomparable profit that would come thereby a man should be a gainer by all his losses and a getter by all his extremities The triall of their faith would bring forth patience and let patience have her perfect worke and then they shall be perfect and intire and want nothing For they that have no want may have all joy if any in the world may But because the feeble heart might here haply reply How shall a poor sinner who wants both wisedome and strength bee skilfull to know how to carry himselfe in such extremities or yet bee able to undergoe such pressures passing strength To this the Apostle answers in the 5. verse If any man want wisdome let him aske it of God who gives abundantly and upbraids no man and it shall be given him By wisedome is meant not the grace of spirituall understanding in the generall but that speciall point of wisedome which might sute with the present occasion and make a man cunning to carry the crosse And the Apostle so propounds the direction that it might answer and point to all the carnall pleas that a corrupt and distressed heart might cast in the way and therefore you shall observe each circumstance is worth observancie If any of you bee banished and persecuted not only such as are able Christians of great graces and large abilities of glorious parts and performances and therefore might hope to speed best no if any the weakest the feeblest and the meanest Oh but I want a world of wisedome so much that it 's not like to finde a sufficient supply a little will not serve the turn Why behold the Lord gives abundantly richly if thou beest a beggar in knowledge he hath riches of knowledge and he can supply thee Oh but I have abused his mercy and help in this kinde which he hath given mee and therefore I feare hee will give mee no more He will not upbraid the sinner for what hee did abuse the text adds hee upbraids no man but will give him what he needs and askes Oh but what 's that to mee that God hath enough to bestow on whom he will if hee will give none to mee Behold this also is answered for the words say If any man aske it shall bee given him Now this may seem strange and to be too good to be true to a distressed spirit and a distrustfull soule Why is it possible that God should give wisedome to mee who am so ignorant succour and supply to mee who am so weake and unbeleeving I cannot imagine it I cannot think it much lesse can I expect it at the hands of God therfore the Apostle in the words rehearsed gives us a caution to his former direction Let him aske in faith What a man askes it shall be given him but take this with you alwaies provided hee aske in faith otherwise if a man doubt he shall be disappointed of his hopes So that the scope of the words are to teach us how to pray that wee may bee sure to obtaine what wee pray for In the words two things are to be considered 1. The duty required Pray in faith 2. The hinderance to be avoyded which may let the duty Nothing wavering and this wavering is further amplified by a double argument against it 1. A distressed distrustfull staggering heart needs nothing to vexe trouble it because it wil be racked and tormented in it selfe in restlesse disquiet for such a man is like unto the sea waves whirling now this way tossing againe that way Feares and hopes are the hangmen of the heart Hope sayes It may bee and Feare sayes I suspect it will not be thus a man becomes like a wave 2. This doubting doth debarre a man of that he should have Let not that man think to have any thing at the hands of God Thus the Apostle cuts off the soule from any expectation of good Let not that man as though hee had said Let none such plead any priviledge for neither shall be accepted that unbeleever nor that party nor any that staggers and wavers doubting of the performance of Gods promise Againe hee saith not thus He shall not receive any great favour but he shall receive nothing from the Lord. To put it past peradventure hee adds peremptorily Let not such a man cozen himselfe with vaine hopes and groundlesse expectations that yet the Lord will pity and supply him Hee affirmes expressely Let him not think it I would not have him so much as imagine such a matter for it will never be We purpose only to trade in the maine dutie which will be our taske at this present so that the Doctrine will be Doct. Hee that purposes to prevaile in prayer must bee sure to aske in faith For the sense of the Doctrine it is here to be conceived that it is presumed in the text that a man hath faith and hee that is to pray is supposed to bee a beleever for how can he pray in faith that hath no faith But that is not all nor sufficient to expresse the sense of the point That he that prayes should bee a beleever but that hee should put forth the power and vertue of his faith in prayer Nay further it is not alone here required that hee should put forth the work of faith in generall touching the Covenant as that God is reconciled to him but that hee should exercise the work of his faith touching that particular which he is to begge and which hee now begs at the hands of God and this especially is to bee attended For these two works are farre differing one from another and may be one without another Each faithfull man doth beleeve the covenant of grace touching the pardon of his sinne and the attainment of eternall life through Christ and yet may stagger on the promise touching some particular which God hath promised and hee stands in need of Thus Abraham was ruled by God Gen. 12. and cast himselfe upon the call command and promise of the Lord departing from his kindred and fathers