thy precepts and turned my feet to thy Commandments saith David Psal 119. 59. he that forgets Gods Testimonies will soon be drawn aside from the way of obedience but he that carefully remembers these will walk holily David gives this as the reason why the godly man doth not walk in the way of the ungodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of scorners because his delight is in the word of God and therein he meditates day and night Psal 1. 2 3. 2 Cor. 8. 18. 7 Study carefully the great and many priviledges which are instated upon you in and by the Covenant of Grace The end of all the Dignities confer'd by God upon men is in respect of them that they should walk in newness of life Election is for this end Eph. 1. 4. God hath chosen men in Christ before the foundation of the world not because they were holy but that they should be holy and without blame before him in love The end of Redemption is holiness of life Luk. 1. 75. Christ came as much to redeem the people from iniquity as from hell Tit. 2. 14. The end of Adoption is that we should be harmless and blameless the Sons of God without rebuke that we should live as Gods children and walk as Children of the Light The end of our Justification is Sanctification of Life many leud and ignorant Christians argue from priviledges to laziness they continue in sinne because grace abounds But the Scripture argues from great priviledges to purity of life vid. Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore Brethren c. The particular mercy he had spoken to is the great mercy of a sinners justification by faith Of this he had been disputing in the former Chapter In the 12. Chapter he comes to make the main Use of it which is an Exhortation to Holiness And from the same Doctrine Ephes 4. 1. he draws the very same inference I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you c. The end of all the Promises is holiness of life 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these Promises c. The Apostle Peter from many other rare priviledges drawes the same conclusion 1 Pet. 2. 9 10 11 12. Dishonesty of Conversation doth not onely convince a Christian of unthankfulness for his priviledges but it is a shame to his priviledges 8. Meditate much on the unrighteousness of your former conversation when ye knew not God It is the mind of God that Christians after their effectual conversion should remember their unregenerate condition Ephes 2. 11 12. There are many good uses which a Christian may make of such meditations it makes him thankful c. Amongst others this is one it will be a good help to promote his holy walking after Conversion Such meditations will bring to his mind 1. The filthiness of sinne which will set his heart against it And 2. they will let him see how much time he wasted in sinne which will be a great help to make him more careful for the future over his wayes This is laid down in many places of Scripture as a help to holy walking vid 1 Pet. 4. 3. the Apostle in the second verse exhorts them to cease from sinne and his Argument is because that was their practice in the days of their vanity when they walked after the course of the world And we have the same Argument 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance This is one Reason why such as have been most notoriously wicked before Conversion are sometimes more then ordinarily holy after Conversion When sinne hath abounded before Regeneration Grace hath much more abounded in them after Conversion Mary Magdalen one of the most noted sinners of her age our Saviour cast 7 Devils out of her and after her Calling one of the most exact Christians of her time You read very much of her forwardness and zeal and holiness she is usually put in the first place whereas she is spoken of vid. Matth. 27. 55 56. Matth. 28. 1. In the end of the Sabbath came Mary Magdalen c. Joh. 20. 18. Mary Magdalen came and told the Disciples c. One ground of this is because they reflect upon their former Conversation and because they find that exceeding vile therefore they are so very careful now to walk with all exactness As those that have been most prodigal when they are reclaimed are ordinarily very frugal c. 9 Meditate on the many engagements which lie upon you for holy walking You all lie under Sacramental Bonds when you were baptized then you entred into an Engagement Oath of Allegeance that you would give up your selves in obedience unto God The Apostle upon this ground argues with the Romanes Rom. 6. 2 3 4 5 6. Baptism is a holy Bond which though it be but once entred into yet the obligation of it remains for ever upon the soul And what that obligation is you have Mat. 28. 19 20. Teuching you to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded This Baptismal Vow you have renewed at the Lords Table many a time on your sick beds or in the day of other troubles Looking often upon these will be very helpful The thoughtfull remembrance of Engagements were very vsefull to David for this purpose I have sworn it and I will perform it to keep thy righteous judgments Psal 119. 106. violating of holy Vows breaking of religious Covenants though the matter of them be but civil is a sinne of a high nature Ezek. 17. per totum especially ver 18 19 20 21. So Ezek. 34. 17 18 19. 10 Get much of the holy reverential fear of God into your spirits Fearing of God and eschewing of sinne are frequently joyned together in Scripture so are fearing of God and keeping of his Commandements Job 1. 1. Eccles 12. 13. The Apostle makes the want of Gods fear to be the in-let of all unrighteousness and dissolute practices Rom. 3. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. And the Apostle makes this fear of God to be the means of purifying the life 2 Cor. 7. 1. If the heart grow Fearless the life will grow Profane Prov. 28. 14. 11 Study and think well upon the Doctrine of Death and of Judgment Look upon Death as neer at hand let the sound of the Passing-Bell and the sight of the Grave be continually in your Senses and let the sound of the last trumpet be in your ears Awake ye dead and come to judgment Forgetfulness of Death and Judgment is the cause of so much licentiousness and the remembrance of these are of great force to keep the life holy see 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. and ver 10 11. Seeing all these things must be dissolved c. 12 Consider the unloveliness of unholy practices in other men Behold the Drunkard in his vomit and the Adulterer in his uncleanness c. This will work in your Soules hatred against sin and zeal for
there is a fourfold kind of faith Historical Temporary The faith of Miracles Justifying â—reden Deo faith 1. Historical faith is the knowledge and beleef of the truth of divine Revelations upon the testimony of God himself Of this the Apostle speaketh Jam. 2. 19. This faith was in Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. 2. The faith of Miracles is a special gift of bringing to pass some extraordinary work or foretelling some certain event by devine revelation 1 Cor. 13. 2. Mat. 17. 20. 3. Temporary faith is an assent unto the Doctrine of the Scriptures accompanied with the external profession thereof and some kind of joy in the knowledge thereof for a time vide Mat. 13. 20 21. Of this faith the Apostle speaks when he saith that Hymeneus and Philetus have overthrown the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 18. 4. Justifying and saving faith of which the text speaks the great effect of it doth clearly evince it to be a faith of the best kind for no other faith besides justifying can quench the fiery darts of Satan Now in opening the nature of this grace I shall do two things 1. I shall give you a discription of it 2. I shall shew the several steps or degrees of it 1. For the Discription of it I shall give it thus Saving faith is a supernatural special gift of grace wrought in the heart of an elect person by the spirit of God through the preaching of the word of the Gospel whereby he is enabled to beleeve that Jesus Christ is not onely the Saviour of the World but his Saviour and thereupon cast himself upon him for life and salvation according to the promise I shall open this Discription 1. T is a a gift of grace Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Acts 18. 27. He helped them much who had beleeved through grace 1. The first preparing of the heart to it 2. The first plantation of it the infusing of the habit 3. The means whereby it is wrought 4. The preservation and continuance of it all these are of grace Faith is a part of the new Creature the great and chief part of it and the new Creature is meerly of garce T is called indeed a mans own faith subjective but effective originaliter t is meerly of grace Col. 2. 12. The faith of the operation of God 2. T is a special supernatural gift This doth distinguish it from all other kinds of faith and all other common gifts which are bestowed promiscuously upon men by the Lord Heb. 6. 4. T is an evtraordinary gift afforded unto none but special favourites 3. T is wrought in the heart of an elect person T is bestowed onely upon the elect Here the Apostle calls it the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my Sheep John 10. 26. And then t is wrought in the heart the Scripture makes the herrt or will to be the seat of faith Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness The will rather than the understanding is the subject of faith because faith is an act of Election whereby the soul chuseth Christ Now election is more than an act of the understanding 4. T is wrought by the spirit of God through the preaching of the Gospel This sets out both the efficient cause and the instrumental cause The efficient cause is the Holy Ghost not excluding the Father and the Son for Opera Tunilatis ad extra sunt indivisa but the Holy Ghost is the immediate worker of it the Father and Son work this and all other graces by the Spirit and therefore he is called The spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. And the Spirit works it powerfully not only inciting and stirring up the soul to believe by a moral perswasion only but by an Almighty strength creating such an habit in the heart The Apostle therfore mentions the same power for the working of faith which raised up Jesus Christ from the dead Eph. 1. 19. And then the ministry of the Gospel that 's the instrumental cause Rom 10. 17. called therefore the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Faith is therefore called the fruit of the lips Isa 57. 19. And we shall do well to take notice of this that the Apostle makes it to be the word preached by a lawful instituted Ministry Rom. 10. 15. It s not the preaching of men that run upon their own account but of such as are lawfully sent to preach the Gospel 5. Whereby he is perswaded that Jusus Christ is not onely the Saviour of the World but his Saviour also Faith must have not only have a general beleef but a particular application also The just shall live by his faith Who loved me and gave himself for me 6. And thereupon casts himself upon Christ for life and salvation according to the promise This shews the very nature of faith T is Recumbency upon Christ T is cleaving to God with full purpose of heart Acts 11. 23. T is the casting of our burden upon Christ T is coming to Christ as to a living Stone Faith is nothing else but the souls venturing it self upon Christ according to the promise This I ad according to the promise to distinguish true faith from false presumption 2. The several steps or degrees of this grace I shall give you that in six particulars 1. Knowledge T is impossible that there should be faith in Christ or in any thing propounded by God till there be the Knowledge of it T is true knowledge is not faith they are two several distinct habits yet it necessarily preceeds faith Faith is the sight of the mind now sight presupposeth a visible object The Apostle makes it impossible to beleeve where knowledge is not Ro. 10. 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard there is a knowledge indeed which followes faith 1 John 4. 16. We have known and beleeved the love that God hath to us Faith is called knowledge Isa 53. 11. Faith is an Cognovenius credendo Calvin advised grace it will not rush headlong into unknown paths when Christ asks the man when he had restored to his sight whether he did beleeve on the Son of God he answered that question with another Who is he Lord that I might beleeve on him John 9. 35 36 37 38. and when he knew the person then he both beleeved and worshiped him 2. Assent After the knowledge of the thing propounded is wrought in the understanding then followeth the Act of the Will giving an assent unto that which is known John 3. 33. This setting to of the seal is nothing else but the firm assent of the soul unto the truth revealed that Gods Testimony is true in every thing to which it gives witness This is that which is recorded of Abraham Gen. 15. 6. He beleeved in the Lord i. e. he did freely yeild his assent to the truth firmness stability of all that which God had delivered to him
speaks there of Christs coming in this life to avenge and deliver his elect the earth shall be so low and deliverance shall be so improfitable that the report of it will not be beleeved as the people of God in former time had not faith to beleeve their deliverance from Captivity Isa 63. 1. 2. So shall it be saith our Saviour when Christ comes to avenge his afflicted people under the Gospel that cry unto him And if there be so few that can beleeve a temporal deliverance how few are there that can beleeve for the saving of their souls No wonder then if Satan overcome so many 3. How needful it is for the Minister of the Gospell to be often preaching about the Doctrine of faith Those weapons and postures which are of greatest use to the Souldier the Captain ought to be most diligent in instructing the Souldier in them The Ministers of the Gospel are the Captains of the Lords Host they are to train and exercise all the spiritual Souldiers of Christ they are to teach them the use of their Arms and all their postures that they may be deetrous in the day of battel If any Souldier be wounded for want of arms or of skil to use them through their default God wil require it at their hands Now of all the pieces of spirituall Armour the shield of faith is the most necessary and therefore the Doctrine of faith should be most frequently preached 4. This shewes what necessarily lies upon the sons of men to prove and examine the truth of their faith If the shield of faith be rotten or counterfeit the soul is undone in the day of Temptation if the shield of faith be sound and armour of proof the strongest assaults of Satan will be repelled with comfort Prove your selves whether you be in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. T is necessary to try 1. Because there is not a man in the world which hath heard of Jesus Christ but thinks he beleeves in him To be accounted an Infidell or unbeleever is a matter of such reproach and infamy as that no man is willing to lye under it 2. Because the heart is very deceitful and in nothing more subject to be mistaken than in this case There is a false presumption and foolish fancy which would gladly be called by the name of faith John 2. 23. 24. When Jesus was at Jerusalem many beleeved in his name when they sawthe miracles wch he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men They did presume that they beleeved in Christ but Jesus Christ knew their faith was nothing else but a meer fancy and groundless presumption 3. Because the Devil useth all the skill he can to deceive the sinner and to make him confident that he doth beleive as he endeavours to perswade the true Beleiver that his fruit is rotten so he endeavours to perswade the unbeleiver that his presumption is faith That I may help them in this inquiry I shall do two things 1. Discover some mistaken grounds which men go upon thinking that to be an evidence of saving faith which is not so 2. Lay down some positive evidences of true faith 1. There are two great mistakes about faith by which many are deceived Viz. 1. Some are deceived in regard of knowledge and assent They think they have true justifying faith because they have the doctrine of the Gospel and give as they think a right assent to the same for the removal of this mistake I shall first shew that both these may be without saving faith Secondly I shall shew how the knowledge of an unbeleiver and his assent differ from the knowledge and assent of true faith 1. That Knowledge and Assent is not faith T is granted that there is no faith truely wrought without Knowledge and Assent but that there may be Knowledge and some Assent where saving faith is not appears by these two reasons 1. The most wicked and prophane persons in the world may have and many times do attain unto a more exact knowledge of the Doctrine of the Scriptures than many a true Beleiver And they may also assent unto those truths The Apostle speaks of some by way of supposition that may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and yet want saving faith 1 Cor. 13. 2. All this is but an historical faith Judas had the knowledge of the Scriptures and gave assent to them he preached the Gospel to others and yet wanted faith John 6. 64. There are some of you that beleive not you know what will be the plea of many in the latter day Math. 7. 22. and yet had not one drachm of saving faith I shall desire you to peruse but that one Scripture well Rom. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. and then you will conclude that neither the knowledge of nor the assenting to the doctrine of the Scriptures is saving faith but are ordinarily without it 2. The very Devils themselves are beyond the most intelligent Christians in all matters of knowledge They know the history of the Bible more exactly than we Satan was not ignorant of Scripture when he set upon our Saviour Math. 4. 6. And the Devil also gives assent to the truth of the Scriptures Jam 2. 19. He acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God Math. 8. 29. What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God as full a confession for the matter and substance of it as that which Peter made Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Now that which is fained in the worst of men and in the very Devils can neither be true faith nor an evidence of it 2. If we come to examine that knowledge and assent which is in wicked men with that which is in a true beleiver we shall find a vast difference for 1. concerning their knowledge there are three differences 1. The knowledge of a true Beleiver is an experimentall knowledge but the knowledge of an unbeleiver is meerly notional and speculative A Beleiver hath in his heart a lively sense and feeling of all those truths which he hath the knowledge of in his understanding They are truths in his heart as well as in his head That promise of God Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts is made good to every true Beleiver and to him alone His heart is an Index or Commentary by which through the Spirit of God he can understand divine truths 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of the heart This is the meaning of that of our Saviour John 7. 16 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 2. The knowledge of faith is
a practical transforming knowledge His knowledge is diffused into every step of his life into every action his life is reformed by his knowledge and conformed to the truths of God whereas the knowledge of an unbeleiver neither changeth his heart nor life except it be from evill to worse his knowledge puffeth him up 1 Cor. 8. 1. it makes him more proud and more sensual It s said of the Heathen that they retained nor God in their knowledge Rom. 1. 28. but became vain in their imaginations the one hath onely the form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. the other hath not onely the form but the power and the life also 3. The knowledge of faith is a knowledge which raises the heart nearer to God The knowledge of a Beleiver crucifieth the world unto him and him unto the world Gal. 6. 14. vide Phil. 3. 8. 10. whereas the knowledge of an unbeleiver bows down his soul nearer the earth 2. Concerning the assent of an unbeleiver it differs from the assent of true faith thus 1. The assent of faith is a chearful assent It s free But the assent of an unbeleiver is without joy Jam. 2. 19. The devils beleive and tremble so do the unbeleiver at least concerning some truths 2. The assent of faith is universal So is not the assent of an unbeleiver at least his chearful assent There are some truths in the Scripture which threaten ruine and destruction to all in his condition these he cannot assent to at least joyfully There are some truths which call him to the practise of such things which he hath no affection to the crucifying of sin the mortifying of corruptions cutting off the right hand c. he had rather these were not truths than real truths he hath secret wishes that these truths were either raced out or else that they had been propounded with a greater latitude 2. Mistake is about Application He that can truly apply Christ to himself hath true faith in Christ for this is the Ratio formalis the special act of faith Now many an unbeleiver thinks he can apply Christ as well as any other Those in Luk. 13. 25 26 come to Christ with much seeming confidence as if they had been of intimate acquaintance with him Lord Lord open to us and yet never had saving faith in him I shall here shew a threefold difference between the Application of a Beleiver and an unbeleiver 1. The Application of saving faith is from something of Christ wrought savingly within him He finds the Image of Christ in him he hath well grounded hopes of it and therefore applies Christ to him As Thomas in another case sees the print of the nails and then saith My Lord and my God So a true Beleiver sees upon his soul the print of the nails the dyings of the Lord Jesus the Characters of his death burial resurrection and therefore applies him to himself Whereas the application of Christ made by an unbeleiver is meerly from that discovery which is made of Christ in the Scripture and not from any intrinsecal worth which he finds upon his own heart vide Galat. 2 20. there you have Pauls application I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. What ground can you shew within you why Christ is yours 2. The Application of saving faith is alwayes agreeable to the tenor of the Promise and Covenant wherein Christ is held forth Vide Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. Faith applies the grace of Christ as well as the merit of Christ applies Christ for sanctification as well as for justification applies the water as well as the bloud the application which an unbeleiver makes is onely or chiefly of the comforts and of the purchase of Christ c. he applies the Merit of Christ not the Spirit of Christ the Promises not the Commands c. whereas true faith applies him universally his Kingly and Prophetical Office as well as his Priestly vide Phil. 3. 9 10. 3. The Application of faith is alwayes accompanied with self-Resignation The true Beleiver doth as chearfully surrender himself to Christ as applies Christ to himself So did the Apostle Phil. 3. 12. he would not onely apprehend but be apprehended And so the Church Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his He doth not onely apply the sin offering but he offers also the burnt Offering The Apostle Rom. 12. 1. would have Christians to yeeld themselves to God c. The unbeleiver he onely applies Christ to himself he doth not voluntarily yeeld himself to Christ he doth not dedicate himself to Christ by holiness and obedience 2. I shall now give some positive evidences of true faith I shall ground them upon several places of Scripture 1. That of the Apostle Acts 15. 9. Purifying your hearts by faith Heart purity is a necessary concomitant and consequence of saving faith Jesus Christ saith the Apostle is made unto us of God wisdom righteousness sanctification c. 1 Cor. 1. 30. If by faith thou hast Christ for thy righteousness he is also thy sanctification He whose heart is unpurified is destitute of the grace of faith Now the purification of the heart may be known by these five evidences 1. A purified heart is a heart that truly bewails all pollutions and impurities The most clean heart hath some pollution unmortified but he hath no defilement unlamented his stains and sores and spots are his greatest burthen his heaviest sorrow Pauls body of death put him to more grief than all the troubles which befel him in his whole life Rom. 7. 23 24. Is it so with thee Dost thou bewail the uncleanness of thy heart cordially sadly secretly Thou wouldest gladly be delivered from it Thou canst neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly with it The impurity of thy heart turns thy sweetnesses into bitternesse This is certainly an effect of true faith Vide Zech. 12. 10. Looking upon Christ is beleiving in him this beleiving is expressed by sorrowing And if thou wouldest in truth be rid of thy corruptions thou wilt then diligently make use of all meanes be they never so painfull never so costly that may cleanse them away 2. A purified heart will kindly accept of brotherly reproof for his impurity or any advice that may make him clean He will love a person better all his life for any faithful rebuke or counsel Psalm 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness c. David shews the purity of his heart by his accepting the rebukes of Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. A heart that is purified is best pleased with that Sermon that comes closest to his conscience he would have all his heart discovered to himself Hide nothing from me said Eli to Samuel 1 Sam. 3. 17. Yea he begs that God would search his heart for him Psalm 139. 23 24. Whereas a heart that is unclean cares not to have any spot discovered he either openly flies in the face or else secretly hates
Mercy This was that which strengthned the faith of Moses Heb. 11. 27. These are strong props which will keep faith from sinking when its ready to dye This is the first branch of the Exhortation which concerns Beleevers 2. That which I would say to unbeleevers is this That they would labour for this grace of justifying and saving faith There are many things which may be as motives to press you to it 1. All the promises of grace are to you of none effect They all run upon the condition of beleeving The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 2. All the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ is of none effect to an unbeleever T is faith that gives the soul an interest in Christs blood 3. All their holy duties and religious actions without faith are displeasing unto God Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God Sacrafices without faith is no better than the cutting off a dogs neck Incence without faith is no better than the blessing of an Idol killing of an Oxe is no better than the killing of a Man offering of Oblation is no better than the offering of Swines blood c. Isa 66. 3. But I shall only urge it upon this ground you can never do any good against Satan in the day of temptation if you want this shield As it happened to the accusers of Daniel when they were cast into the Lions den so it wil happen to you in the day of temptation if you want this shield It s said the Lions had the mastery over them and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came to the bottom of the den Dan. 6. 24. So it will be with you the roaring Lion will have the mastery over you and break you into pieces if you want this shield But you will say what course should we take to get this grace 1. Study the mischief of an unbeleeving heart The Apostle calls it an evil heart of unbeleef Heb. 3. 12. 1. It s sinfully evil Hard dark dead impenitent filthy deceitful and false deceiving others and it self also 2. It s penally evil 1. It makes all the Ordinances ineffectual Heb. 4. 2. 2. It binds all a mans sins upon his own back It seals up all our sins because it keeps us from that which is the onely remedy against sin 3. It defiles every thing to a man To the clean all things are clean but to the unbeleevers and them that are defiled is nothing clean but even their Consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. 4. It brings certain condemnation As salvation is the end of our faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. So is damnation the end of unbeleef John 3. 36. He that beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him 2. Study the Insufficiency of Self Look upon the rottenness and nothingness of all Moral Civill righteousness Too high thoughts of Civill righteousness is that which hinders thousands from beleeving Remember that of the Apostle Phil. 3. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamine an Hebrew of the Hebrews c. Concerning the righteousness which is in the Law blameless c. But what were gain to me those I counted loss c. Yea doubtless I account all things but loss c. 3. Study thorowly the All-sufficient fulness of Jesus Christ who is the object of faith He is not a broken reed he is not an house of sand but a rock a corner stone upon whom whosoever beleeveth shall never be ashamed The ignorance of Jesus Christ is that which hinders many from beleeving in him Isa 53. init Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men c. Study him well therefore in Point of Merit in point of grace Study him in all his Offices of King Priest Prophet and then you will say as the Daughters of Jerusalem did Cant. 6. 1. Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest c. 4. Study the deep guilt of Adam in the polution of thy own Nature Those that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick Conviction of our guilt and misery is a necessary preparative to saving faith Now the Scripture doth clearly affirme that all men have sinned and are come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. And Rom. 5. 12. And then take in this consideration that neither your selves nor any other Creature is able to free you from that guilt that there is no other way of salvation but onely by hanging upon Jesus Christ alone He it is which God hath sanctified and set apart for the satisfying of his own Justice and reconciling the World to himself 5. Consider the willingness of Jesus Christ to ease and save and take of burthens Though the disease be never so desperate and the Physitian never so able yet if his willingness be not known little encouragement will be to any to go to him but Jesus Christ is as willing as able 1. He was sanctified for that work Vide Isa 61. 1. 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me for he hath annointed me to preach good tydings to the meek c. The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost 2. Read and peruse all the solemn invitations which are given unto men to beleeve in him Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me c. Isa 55. 1. 2. And Christ is not in jest but very reall in making these tenders 3. Read and peruse seriously all the Asseverations which are used to assure men that if they will come they shall not be refused Vide John 6. 37. Verily verily I say unto you he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Never any was cast out never any will be cast out that comes to him after a right manner 4. Read and consider all the Lamentations and sad Complaints made by Jesus Christ of the backwardness and unwillingness of men to lay hold upon him Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life John 5. 40. And that in Luke 13. 34. of Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem c. How often would I have gathered thy Children together as an Hen doth her brood c. and ye would not 6. Wait constantly upon the publick Ministry which God hath appointed to be the ordinary means of working faith in the heart He that neglects this means and doth not conscionably attend upon it will
dye either presuming or dispairing And you will be encouraged to this if you consider how many thousands have been brought out of themselves unto faith in Christ by the power of Gods Spirit working in and by this meanes Hereby Lydia was brought out of unbeleef Hereby the Jewes who crucified Christ were brought to beleeve in Jesus Christ for the saving of their souls Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart c. There is still the same Institution and the same effectual Power of the holy Spirit in this Ordinance for the working of the same disposition in thy heart Thus much for the fourth piece of this spirituall Armour the shield of Faith The next is the Helmet of Salvation of which in the next verse EPHES. 6. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And take the Helmet of Salvation IN these words we have the fifth Lect. 27. Feb. 21. 1649. piece of the spiritual Armour which is recommended to a Christian for his safe standing in the day of spiritual encounters viz. The Helmet of Salvation It is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it doth totum caput circumqua que munire The Helmet is that defensive Armour wherewith the Souldier doth protect his head and face from danger in the day of battel That which is meant by this Helmet is the grace of the hope of salvation so it is interpreted by this Apostle in 1 Thess 5. 8. Let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation The hope of salvation is called Salvation by a metonymy because it doth expect salvation and because where it is true it doth produce and bring forth salvation As salvation is the end of faith so it is also the end of hope Col. 1. 5. And therefore the Holy Ghost gives to it the name of salvation We read in Scripture of a twofold salvation A Temporal and an Eternal Salvation Of the temporal Salvation we read Exod. 14. 13. 1. The outward deliverance of the Lord Psal 37. 39. c. Of eternal Salvation we read Luke 19. 9. Though hope be exercised about temporal Salvation c. Yet here eternal Salvation is meant In the words we may for method sake observe tow things 1. The thing enjoined The hope of Salvation 2. The manner of the injunction Take The lesson from the whole is this Viz. He that would withstand and overcome Satan in the day of Temptation must be very careful to Doctrine take and keep the well grounded Hope of eternal Salvation as an Helmet upon his head In the handling of which Doctrine I shall open these three things 1. I shall open the nature of this grace of Hope shew how it agrees with and how it differs from the former grace of Faith 2. I shall shew you wherein the grace of Hope is like a Helmet 3 Wherein its useful to resist and overcome Temptations 1. Hope is a saving grace of Gods holy spirit wrought in a regenerate person whereby he doth firmly and patiently expect the certain accomplishment of all future good which God hath promised and faith beleeves In the opening of this Description we shall see both wherein it agreeth and wherein it differs from faith There is such an Affinity between faith an hope that they can hardly be differenced they cannot be separated one from another they have respect one to another as the two Cherubins on the mercy seat Exod. 25. 20. And yet they are really distinguished in the Scripture they are several things Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. The Scripture makes them three several things The agreement and difference of them will be manifested by the unfolding of the former Description 1. Hope is a saving grace of Gods Spirit I say a saving grace to difference it from that natural Hope which is not saving we read of a hope that is as a spiders web Job 8. 14. Of a hope that shall be cut off Job 8. 14. Of a hope that shall be as the giving up of the ghost Job 11. 20. And then I say of Gods Spirit to shew the pedigree and the original of it The Scripture makes it to be a fruit and work of Gods Spirit Now herein faith and hope agree they are both in regard of their nature saving graces and they are both from the spirit of God as the fountain and efficient cause 2. Wrought in a regenerate person This is the subject of it Neither the profane person nor the hypocrite hath this glorious flower of hope growing in them that natural hope is found both in wicked persons and hypocrites but this saving hope hath abiding only in the hearts of such as are truly converted Now here also it agrees with faith As both of them proceed from the same root so both of them have the same general subject they differ in the particular subject Luther ut supra faith is in the understanding hope in the Will 3. Whereby he doth expect This word notes the nature of this grace Expectation or waiting is the proper work of hope Thus the Scripture doth express it Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him Psal 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope Psal 123. 2. As the eyes of servants c. so our eyes waite upon the Lord untill that he have mercy upon us Nor is it a slight careless expectation but a very vehement intention both of body in expecting and waiting when a man doth stretch out his spirit and mind to look for a thing so the word Karah signifies Isa 8. 17. I will wait upon the Magná intentione corporis erectione expectare Lord that hideth his face c. and I will look for him The Apostle sets it out by a greek word of the same signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 19. The earnest expectation of the Creature c. It signifies to look with a stretched out neck as a condemned prisoner for a hope for pardon Now herein it differs from faith faith is not in expectation but in making things evident hope is in expectation and waiting for things evidenced by faith 4. It expects firmly and patiently These two properties of hope we have in Scripture 1. It expects firmly or certainly The Apostle mentions the full Assurance of hope Heb. 6. 11. Hope is never without assuâ—ance saith Mr. Pemble though not of the thing yet of perswasion for the firmness and stedfastness of it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast 2. It expects with patience 2 Thess 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ Faith is our Logick saith Luther to conceive what we must beleeve Hope
is our Rhetorick to perswade us in tribulation unto patience Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Psal 37. 7. and Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord c. 5. The accomplishment of future good This shews the object of Hope generally that which is good particularly or specially future good Herein it differs from faith The object of faith is not onely good things but evill things also Faith beleeves the threatnings as well as the promises Faith doth beleeve there is an Hell as well as an Heaven but Hope onely looks at good things Evill things are the proper object of fear and hatred not of hope And then this differs in the spiritual object Hope onely looks at good things to come what a man sees why Rom. 8. 24. doth he yet hope for it hope that is seen is not hope That 's the difference between hope and vision But now faith looks not onely at things that are to come but also at things that are past and at things that are present It looks to things past We beleeve that the World was created that Adam fell that the old world was drowned that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered that he dyed c. We beleeve also things that are present We beleeve that Christ is at the right hand of God that he makes present intercession And we also beleeve things that are to come We beleeve that Antichrist shall fall that Christ shall come to judge the World that our dead bodies shall be raised c. 6. Which God hath promised Herein faith and hope agree they have both the same Basis or foundation viz. The word of promise The Scripture asserts the promise to be the foundation of hope Tit. 1. 2. There could be no reason of expectation unless the thing expected were bottomed upon a divine promise It s loose fancy not well grounded waiting which is not erected upon a promise 7. And Faith beleeveth This holds out another difference between Faith and Hope They differ in their order Faith goes before Hope followes the stedfastness of hope is from the certainty of faith faith beleeves the truth of the thing and hope waits for the accomplishment of it The Apostle tells us that faith is the substance or ground of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Mother of hope and hope is the Daughter of faith faith discovers the treasure and hope gathers it and layes it up Faith is the fire of hope and hope is the flame of faith 2. Wherein the Resemblance between Hope and a Helmet Consider that in four things 1. The Helmet doth defend the head from violence offered either by sword pistoll c. The grace of Hope doth safeguard the soul from the violence of Satan 2. The Helmet is the highest of al the Souldieres Armour The grace of Hope is that which looks still upwards t is the highest of the graces it hath its eye fixed upon the things which are in Heaven 3. The Helmet doth make the Souldier of dreadful appearance to his adversary Polybius tels us that the Romane Souldiers had upon their Helmets garlands sticking upon spikes so high that they seemed of a double height and did appear very formidable to the enemy Men of low stature seemed exceeding high by reason of their Helmets and that dress which they wore upon them The Grace of Hope upon the head makes the Christian Souldier very formidable to Satan it doth lift him up even to Heaven Little David with his Helmet of Hope appeared of a greater height then Goliah though he had a Helmet of Brass Hope sets the Soul upon a Rock which is higher then all his Adversaries 4. The Helmet doth give warmth and heat to the head it hath a refreshing as well as a defending virtue in it The Grace of Hope warms and refreshes the Heart III. Wherein this Grace is usefull to a Christian in the time of Temptation 1. The Grace of Hope helps Christian Courage It sharpens the edge of Christian Valour faintness and fearfulness of Spirit gives a very great advantage to the enemy That was a good Martial Law which God gave his people Deut. 20. 8. If the heart once sink through cowardice and pusillanimity the hands grow weak Now the grace of Hope keeps the heart from sinking yea it adds courage to the heart We have a Proverb But for Hope the heart would break I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Psal 27. 13. Upon this he gives an Exhortation to others to hope in God with a promise of strength v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage c. The exercise of this grace kept the Apostles from sinking 2 Cor. 14. 16 18. For this cause we faint not c. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2. The Grace of Hope doth strengthen Faith Though Faith breed Hope yet doth Hope strengthen Faith It is as a staff to her aged mother as one well observes Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Faith makes things that are not seen evident and then the grace of Hope helps the Evidence of Faith 3. The Grace of Hope helps the Soul to persevere Victory is promised onely to such as hold out unto the end Be thou faithful unto the death c. Rev. 2. 10. Now without Hope there can be no perseverance He that hath lost his hope will either yield or run or make some unworthy composition but now Hope will carry on the Soul in its opposition There are two things which Hope doth to help us to persevere First It fastens the Eye upon the sight of the Crown it layes that at the foot of the Soul and encourageth it to continue Secondly It fetches in help from heaven it fastens the Eye upon Jesus Christ and lets it see that He is fighting for them while they are fighting for themselves It shewes the Soul Recruits marching from Heaven for its Relief and assistance Information 1. This lets us see the benefit and excellency of the Grace of Hope The Scripture speakes very much in the commendation of it It 's the second of those three choice Graces Faith Hope Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. It 's that which brings heaven down to the Soul or raises the Soul to heaven even when the Soul is here on earth It 's the Soul's Comforter in all the troubles afflictions and evils which it sustains in this life It 's that by which we overcome Satan in the day of Temptations It 's the Soul's Anchor by which it rides safely in the tempestuous Sea of Temptations Of all the Graces it is that which promises least but there is no Grace that is of more use then this It 's well compared by one to an Egge that hath more in it then is seen An Egge hath nothing to be seen
oft put in minde of them There are some sins which are predominant in every Age these the Ministers of Christ must be often beating down and reproving There are some duties to which men are very averse these must be often urged Hypocrisie was a raigning sin amongst the Jews therefore our Saviour at every turn was beating down that sin Apostacy from the truth of the Gospel by hearkening to seducers was the great sin of the Churches of the Gospel therefore all the Apostles who writ to those Churches did urge and press a care about that more then once or twice c. Onely the Ministers of God must be carefull of these three things in reference to this business 1. That they do it not because of sluggishnes or sloathfulness of spirit Idleness is a very great sin in any Calling much more in the Ministry their Calling being of greater importance then any other If the Lord of the Vineyard come and finde them sleeping and snorting by reason of negligence he will cut them asunder and give them their portion with the Hypocrites Matth. 24. 48 49 50 51. God hath given them a large taske they have a broad field to walk in they are to preach the whole Counsel of God and therefore they must not insist upon the same things out of a spirit of laziness but meerly out of respect to and compassion of the necessity of the people And then 2. That they be as careful in studying the same Doctrines as if they had never made any mention of them before That if it fall into their way to speak about the same Duty or about the same sin concerning which they have formerly spoken they may have fresh Arguments to recommend the same duty and fresh considerations to manifest and make evident the vileness of the same sin c. They must still dive further into the Scriptures and meditate more earnestly that they may speak more convincingly then before to the Consciences of such as hear them 3. That they seek earnestly to God by prayer in the behalf of the people that their hearts may so readily practise the Duty enjoyned avoid the sin reproved that they may have no further occasion to remember them any more of the same things Let the people of God be willing when necessity Vse 2. requires to hear of the same duty and of the same sinne over and over Many men cannot endure to hear of a Duty twice though they can be content to omit it when the Minister hath done all he is able nor are they patient to hear the same sin twice reproved though they can be content to commit it an hundred times over it may be in one week It is no advantage to the Minister but it 's a great benefit to you It 's safe for you Phil. 3. 1. It 's an Argument of love and care in the Ministers of God over your souls They are afraid you should miss the way to Heaven and therefore they give you your direction over again They are afraid the Sore should not be well healed and therefore they apply another Plaister to it that the Cure may be perfect They would present every man perfect to Christ Col. 1. 28. therefore they inculcate things If you would hear no more of the same Duty do you practise it carefully If you would not hear of the same sin again cease from it break it off by repentance and then you shall hear no more of it And indeed this is one great use which all Christians should make of these Repetitions 1. To be convinced of the badness of their own hearts And 2. to learn more diligently to practise what is frequently commended and to avoid what is so often forbidden Otherwise know this that such Rehearsals will be very sad Aggravations of sin another day When Conscience shall bring in testimony that such a Duty was preached over and over and yet you would never practise it such a sinne was forbidden you many a time yet you would not leave it You heard it pressed upon you more then perhaps a hundred times that you should believe repent pray in your Families and instruct your Children and read the Scriptures c. but you could never get up your hearts to the Duty You heard more then once perhaps a thousand times that you should not swear nor lie nor abuse the Creatures to excess nor break the Sabbath c. yet you would go on c. These often Repeatings of your duties will be high aggravations and so many Witnesses of your contempt And indeed this is one End why they are used in the Scriptures and commanded to be used in the Ministry That those that do not obey after all these inculcations may be left without excuse and condemned by so many Witnesses The Apostle useth such an Argument as this to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13. This is the third time I am He alludes to the Law Deut. 17. 3. coming to you At the mouth of 2 or 3 Witnesses shall every word be established He had sent them three Warnings that he would come to use against the stubborn in spirit Authority Christ had given him for the punishing of their sin and if they did not repent before his coming this three-fold Warning would be as a three-fold Testimony to prove them incorrigible So will all the Repeatings of the same Duties both in the Scripture and in the mouth of Gods Ministers be in stead of so many clear Testimonies of your incorrigibleness when Christ comes to judge and punish the disobedience of the World And look how often your Admonitions and Rebukes have been repeated so often shall the stripes of Gods hand be repeated also He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. We find in the Gospel that our Saviour makes this a sharp and clear conviction of the Jews stubborness that they would not submit to his yoke and be brought into obedience though they were often required and urged thereunto O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. how often would I have gathered thy Children together as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Lukc 13. 34. behold your house is lest unto you desolate It 's damnable to refuse any Duty though but once commanded and to run into any act of sinne though but once forbidden but not to hearken after a thousand Admonitions will be a proof of stubbornness by a thousand Witnesses And the torment of the Conscience in Hell will rise in extremity answerable to the number of the Warnings you have had to have kept you out of Hell All Admonitions sleighted in this life will be remembred in Hell and not one of them forgotren and every Admonition will be a new flame to afflict and torment the never-dying soul Consider these things and be no longer rebellious Let not this Admonition be added as
That it is an exceeding great mercy that the written Word of God is in our hands It might have been written and yet kept hid from us as it is yet from the greatest part of the world amongst whom this Light hath never shined This is a priviledge which is as the Crown of glory upon the people of the Jewes that to them are committed these Oracles of GOD Rom. 3. 2. By this they were advanced above other Nations Deut. 33. 2. Psal 147. 20. It 's our happiness that we enjoy this Sword The misery of the people of Israel is set out by this that in the dayes of war when they had many enemies against them there was neither Sword nor Spear in the hands of any of the people but in the hands of Saul and Jonathan only 1 Sam. 13. 22. This would have bin our sad condition if God had not transmitted the Bible to our hand We see how often Satan prevails over us now we have the Scriptures but if we had wanted this Sword it would have been altogether impossible to have made resistance 3. This is an Apology for the care and dilâ—gence of the servants of God in studying the Scriptures Profane men look upon the practice of the godly in this respect as preciseness and unnecessary care What needs all this c. They know the word of God is their sword they are never safe if this sword be not girt upon their thighs They know if either they want this sword or be unskilfull in the use of it they must needs perish in the day of battel VVho blames a souldier for wearing his sword about him especially when enemies are pursuing his life It is not onely his honour but his safety so to do The servants of God know that if they leave off this spiritual sword but for a day they shall be surely overcome by Satan and it 's better to be reproached by men for wearing it then to be destroyed by Satan by leaving it off The word of God they know is not onely their Sword to defend them in battel but their Sun to give them light This Sword hath this advantage of all other Swords that by it they see the lurking places where the enemy lies hid and they see also the refuges where themselves may be secured It is also that food by which they are revived and strengthned to hold out in battel It is their Cordial as well as their Sword It is their honey that opens their eyes when they grow faint with fighting it puts spirits into their spirits when they are decayed This Sword teacheth them how to fight Other Swords onely help the souldier how to use his skill they do not give him any skill but this Sword teacheth skill It should not be accounted a fault but a vertue in the souldiers of Christ that they are so much in the study of the word of God 4. No wonder to see the Devil so victorious where the word of God is wanting VVhat strange abominations do the Gentiles that want the VVord fall into by the temptations of Satan VVhat Idolatries are there in those places 'T is not to be wondred at They want the Sword of the Spirit by which they should defend themselves against temptations and because they want this they cannot stand they are unarmed men 5. That they are Satans friends and enemies both to themselves and others who lay aside the Scriptures of God There are many in our sinfull and wanton Age who deny the authority of the Scriptures affirming that they are not from God Others that caâ—t them off as useless things that depend upon Revelations c. These that deny the Scriptures they are in this worse then Satan their Father He believes that the Scriptures are of God Matth. 4. 6. It is written saith Satan that he will give his Angels charge over thee c. There is thus much Divinity and Faith in Hell the History of the Bible is believed there though it be questioned and denied on earth These men are certainly in pay in the Devils service they disarm themselves and they endeavour to disarm others And it 's no wonder to see them so desperately overcome as they are running out to profaneness in life to heresies and blasphemies in Opinion Satan hath not greater Champions in the world then these are they fight against God they fight for Satan as visibly and directly as ever men did Such also as though they think the Scriptures be of God yet they cast them aside and create another Sword instead of this unwritten Revelations Dreams and Enthusiasms of their own head God hath made the written VVord to be the Touch-stone of all Revelations Isa 8. 20. To the Law and Testimony 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 18 19. we have a more sure word of prophecy c. Gal. 1. 8. If we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel c. 'T is the imputing of imperfection to the Divine Canon 'T is the symbolizing with Papists in their unwritten Traditions alwayes condemned by the Protestant Divines unwritten Revelations and unwritten Traditions are not much different There is indeed a Revelation which all the Saints are to desire VVe read of it Ephes 1. 17. VVhen God opens the Understanding savingly to embrace the written VVord but Revelations above or against or contrary to or beside or without the Word are but the fancies of men The Devill will not much be afraid of such a Sword as this is in the day of Temptations this is not a spiritual sword but a carnal sword this is not the sword of the Lord but the sword of Saul which will never hurt this great Goliah in the day of battel Our Saviour if ever any might have trusted to the Sword of Revelation but ye see he draws out the sword of the written word and with that puts Satan to flight Mat. 4. 4 6 c. 6. The benefit and necessity of the Translations of Scripture That the VVord of God should be translated into that language which is known and familiar to every Nation is not onely beneficial but necessary God wrote the Law in that Tongue which the Jewes to whom it was given understood so did the Prophets write and so did they preach The gift of Tongues is given for this purpose The Apostles quoting some places of the Old Testament and the New use the very words of the Septuagint which was a Translation God would have all things in the Church to Edification 1 Cor. 14. 26. This Sword of the Spirit would have been unuseful to most in our Church and to most in all the Churches of Christ had not the VVord been translated It would have been as a Sword fastened in the sheath or locked up in the Armory had it not been translated into our own Language we should never have known how to have handled it c. if it had not been transmitted to us in a known Tongue 'T is true in all
not the King no not in thy thought Eccles 10. 20. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. God saw that every imagination of the heart of man was evil Gen. 6. 5. He that lookes upon a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his heart Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. We have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine c. Rom. 6. 17. 7. The heavenliness of the Doctrine It lifts up men above all earthly things it calls on men to mortifie their earthly members to set their affections on things above not on things below c. 8. The blessings and rewards punishments and threatnings propounded in the Scripture are not temporal onely but spiritual and eternal Giving men up to vile Affections Rom. 1. 24. Seeing ye shall see and not perceive c. Esa 6. latter end I will not punish their daughters when they commit Adultery Hos 4. 14. If any hear and open I will come in and sup with him c. Revel 3. 20. If any man keep my Commandements I will love him and my Father will love him and communicate himself to him c. Joh. 14. 23. 9. The scope and chief aim of it is to debase all Creatures and to advance and set up God alone Whether ye eat or drink c. do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 3. Fear God and keep his Commandements Eccles 12 Let God be true and every man a Lyar c. III. From the rare effects of the Scriptures They have a power to terrifie to comfort to quicken to pull down strong Holds 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. To open blind eyes to convert dead soules c. Quale causatum talis causa Such illustrious divine effects must needs have a divine cause 4. From the testimony and witness of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of men It is the work of the Holy Ghost to subdue the heart to believe and submit to the Word 1 Joh. 2. 20. Ye have an unction from that Holy One c. John 14. 26. When the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost is come he shall teach you all things and whatsoever I have said to you he shall bring to your remembrance This perswasion must either be from Sathan or from a mans own fancy or else from God It cannot be from Satan for the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures overthrows him and his Kingdom and Design It cannot be from our own fancy the Doctrine of the Scripture is supra captum nostrum ergo I could give other Arguments Ex absurdo Ex consensu Ecclesiae Ex Amanuensibus c. but these may suffice Secondly Why the Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit Consider four things for this 1. 'T is from the Spirit Originally He is the Composer and Framer of this blessed Book 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Herein it differs from that material Sword That is made and fashioned by man This by the Spirit 2. All the efficacy of it depends upon the Spirit He it is that makes it powerfull for the working of those effects which are done by it upon men It would be but a woodden sword without either edge or point if the Spirit of God did not give virtue to it This the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 10. 4. We see it by experience the same word is a dead letter upon some and a convincing and converting word to others the reason is because the word is set on by the Spirit in one and not in the other 3. It hath an effectual influence upon the Spirits of men It doth not onely reach to the body and outward man but even to the Spirit and Conscience also This the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Herein it differs from all material Swords They onely pierce the body they cannot either wound or defend the Conscience but this Sword hath a power through the Spirit both to afflict and quiet to settle and unsettle the very Spirit and Soul of man 4. The manner of the operation of this Sword is onely Spiritual It workes not as the materiall Sword by bloudy piercings and woundings but by Spiritual Arguments onely There is nothing visible to the eye of the body in the working of this Sword it doth all for which it is appointed in a spiritual way by spirituall Convictions and Spiritual Comforts and Spiritual Reproofs c. III. Wherein this is usefull to help us against Temptations 1. The Word of God helps a Christian to answer all Satans objections Whatsoever sinne he tempts you to commit whatsoever Duty he perswades you to cast off whatsoever medium he useth to press his temptation the Word of God will be able to put full and pertinent answers into your mouthes against the same When I opened the 13. verse I shewed you there were eight evill dayes in which Satan did violently set upon the soul The Day of Personal outward Affliction The Day of Church-calamity especially when Hereticks and Seducers are risen up in the Church The Day of sinful miscarriage and failing The Day of Spiritual Desertion and obscurity The Day of extraordinary Soul-enlargment by Divine Manifestations and Incoms from Heaven The Day of Temporal deliverance and advancement The Day of the success of wicked men The Day of Death I shewed you what temptations are most peculiar to such a day Now the Word of God will furnish you with sufficient Arguments to antidote your Soules against the infection of every one of those Temptations If Satan tempt to pride of heart the Scripture will arm you against that sinne by shewing you the mischief of Pride God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. If Satan tempt you to Covetousness the Scripture will shew you the danger of that sinne It will tell you that The love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. And that a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of what he enjoyeth Luke 12. 15. If Satan tempt you to unrighteousness and oppression the Scripture will arm you against that sinne Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. If Satan tempt you to Perjury and Covenant-breaking the Scripture will shew you the sad effects which have followed upon that sinne Zedekiah for this sinne had his eyes put out and was a Captive all his dayes Ezek. 17. 18. If Satan tempt you to be heretical or erroneous the Scripture will shew the miserable fruits of Heresie Because they did not receive the truth in the love of it God gave them up to delusions to believe a Lie that they might all be
damned c. 2 Thes 2. 11 12. If Satan tempt you to apostatize from the truth for fear of suffering the Scripture will tell you that if any withdraw Gods soul will have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. ult and he that putteth his hands to the Plough and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdome of Heaven Luke 9. ult If Satan tempt you to be hypocritical the Word of God will tell you that Hell is prepared for Hypocrites If Satan tempt you to cast off Duties as Prayer Hearing the Word of God will tell you the sad consequences of such neglect c. And our Saviour teacheth us this use of the Scripture in the day of Temptation by his own practice Satan tempts him to work a miracle at his command by turning stones into bread in the time of hunger Mat. 4. He answers that temptation by shewing him out of the Scripture That man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God ver 4. Satan tempts him again to cast him self down from the pinacle upon a perswasion of the protection of God Our Saviour answers that from the Scripture ver 7. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Satan sets upon him with a third Argument to fall down and worship him Our Saviour answers that by a Testimony from Scripture shewing him that Divine Adoration was due to God onely ver 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serve 2. The Word of God strengthens and teacheth a Christian how to use aright all the other parts of the Spiritual Armour First For the Girdle of Truth if you understand it of the Doctrine of Truth the Word helpes you in that hereby we know what is Truth what is Falshood Take away the Word of God and there is no standard to measure Truth withall If you understand it of the Grace of Truth Sincerity and Uprightness of heart the Word of God is the Preserver of it I was upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity for all his judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me Psal 18. 22 23. The Word of God as the Sun exhales all the vapours of hypocrisie out of our hearts Secondly For the Breast-plate of Righteousness The Word of God strengthens and preserves that if we understand it of the righteousness of our persons the Word of God teacheth where it lies and how to put it on and to use it Rom. 1. 17. This righteousness is revealed in the Word If you understand it of the righteousness of our course and conversation the Word of God directs us for this also Psal 119. 9. The Word is the measure of righteousness he hath shewed thee O man what is good Mic. 6. 8. 3. For the Shooes of the preparation of the Gospel It is the Word of God that helpes us to take up and enables us to persevere in these resolutions of going through with the profession of the Gospel against all difficulties and inconveniences and disadvantages the Word whets the edge of these resolutions when they grow dull and blunt 4. For the Shield of Faith The Word is both the Seed which breeds it and the Nurse which feeds it and gives it suck It 's called the Word of Faith not onely because it is the Object of Faith that which is to be believed but also because it is the Seed of Faith and the Food of Faith Faith must have a written word to lean upon else it dies 5. For the Helmet of Hope The Word of God to the grace of Hope is as the light to the eye of the body it is the Cable of the Anchor of Hope the Word layes the promise down upon which Hope is grounded the Word shewes Gods faithfulness whereby Hope is cherished the Word is the fewel that keeps it burning I have hoped in thy Word 6. For Prayer and Supplication We can neither tell what to pray for nor how to pray aright without the direction of the Word of God By the Word of God we come to know what we want By the Word of God we come to know what God hath promised The word of God heats the affections to pray with zeal strengthens the heart to pray in confidence enables the Spirit to pray with perseverance Take away the Fewel of the Word and the fire of Prayer will be abated if not quenched LECT XXIV March 20. 1649. VSE I. Information 1. That it 's a marvellous great mercy that God hath been pleased to commit his Mind to writing VVEE might else have been to seek for this Sword when we should have had occasion to use it The Church of God for about 2500. yeares wanted this blessing The Doctrine of God was preserved by the Tradition of a lively voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1. 1. Somtimes by the immediate voyce of God himself by the Ministry of Angels Heb. 2. 2. By Dreams by Visions by Vrim and Thummim but never in writing till the time of Moses Then God was pleased to commit it to writing for many causes First That by this means it might be kept more pure and incorrupt We read how much soyl the Truth of God contracted by passing through the hands of men while it was by Tradition transmitted from Parents to Children Gen. 35. 2. We read that even in Jacobs Family there were Idols found And so Josh 24. 14. And the Idols of Egypt were amongst the Israel of God Though they were Holy and religious yet was there much pollution cleaving to the Worship of God in those dayes Secondly for the help of mans weak memory many of Divine Truths might in continuance of time have slipt out of the leaking Vessel of mans memory and so the Church of God should have suffered much loss Thirdly for the greater stability and firmness of the Doctrine of Truth against all those who should either deny it or corrupt it or infirm it vid. Luk. 1. 3 4. By the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth secretly innuere propter corruptelas quorundam qui vivâ voce aliena ab Evangelicâ veritate tradiderunt opus fuisse accurato scripto rem prout gesta fuit usque ad finem exponente The Church of God by this meanes hath a greater certainty against the fraud and deceit of Seducers of the truth of God 4. For the more facile propagation and spreading of the Doctrine of Truth while it was delivered by Tradition it was onely consined among the Jewes and there was no probability that ever it should spread any further than their Coasts but by the writing of it it is divulged throughout the world 'T is a mercy to be acknowledged Had not the Word been written this Sword would have been as a Sword in the Scabbard or Armory but by the writing of it it is drawn out of the sheath and made of much more use to us in the day of battel 2.