justified to Salvation it is not Gods fault but our own because we do not believe God hath graciously promised but man hath ungraciously refused and rejected Gods kindness and man hath nothing to say for himself Let God be true but let every man be a Lye Our destruction is from our selves but in God is our help 2 Cor. 4.4 But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of men which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them FINIS 2 COR. 5.7 For we walk by Faith not by sight INTRODUCTION FAith that is the evidence of things not seen abstracts the Soul from sense Therefore as that Faith that is so abstracted from sense is counted to us for Righteousness or doth justifie us to Eternal life So the same Faith kept by works upholds us in our Justification and makes us to walk before God in the Practise of a spiritual life abstracted from all carnal and sensual wayes which is our Sanctification For as the end is Spiritual that we aime at and not Carnal So the means whereby we attain to this End are Spiritual and not Carnal that is Faith and the life of Faith not of Sight For the Just man lives by his Faith and not by his sight or sense and does not make hast but waits patiently for the Hope of Glory that shall be revealed Still looking beyond this life and forgetting these things which are here behind reacheth out and presseth hard to the mark of the High Calling which is laid up for him in Christ Jesus Rom. 1.17 Rom. 8.24 25. For we are saved by Hope but hope that is seen is not Hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for but if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen When I was a Child I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child but when I became a man I put away childish things 1 Co◠13.10 11. For we now see through a glass darkly but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall know even as also I am known The Subject is Walking or Living The Parts are Faith Sight or a Spiritual and a Carnal Life The Doctrine Chap. 1. Life A Christians Life is Spiritual Life is 1. Of Nature Pure Harmless as of other living Creatures 2. Of sense irregular sinful brutish irrational Earthly 3. Moral by practise of Virtue 4. Civil in Society Justice under Laws 5. Spiritual Self-denying above Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians by their Spiritual lives Gal. 2.19 come up higher then the Laws Wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of Transgressions 'till the seed should come to whom the Promise was made 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man judgeth all things but he himself is judged of no man The Law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim. 8 9 10 11. Knowing this that the Law is not made for a Righteous man but for the Lawless and Disobedient for the ungodly and sinners for wholy and profane for murderers of fathers and murderes of mothers for man-slayers for whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for liars for perjured persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to my trust This life Sanctifies and spiritualizeth Nature Sense Manners and Laws For though we walk after the flesh 1 Cor. 10.3 c. we do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth its self against the knowledg of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ We are delivered from the Law Rom. 7.6 that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies Rom. 6.12.13 that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof Neither yeild ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves to God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God for sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Knowing this Rom. 6.6 that our old man is Crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that from henceforth we should not serve sin I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh Gal. 2.10 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me So that this life is High 1. Above all natural sensual pleasures profits Honors Arts Powers Glories Liberties Beauties Friends Health Strength Peace Orders c. 2. Above all natural sensual Pains Wants Shames Ignorances Weaknesses Disgraces Deformities Enemies Diseases Warres Slaveries Confusions c. So that I value the Pleasures of God and the profit of Eternal Life and the honour of being the child of God and the knowledge of Christ Jesus and the Power of God and the Glory of Heaven and the Liberty of the Gospel and the Beauty of Grace and the Friendship of God and of Saints and Angels and the Health and Peace of my Soul infinitely above all the Pleasures Profits Honors Arts Powers Glories and all the Pains and Wants the Shames Ignorances and weaknesses and all the miseries of this life I glory in tribulations and chuse rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of sin which are but for a season For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 5. and this is the victory that overcometh the World even our Faith who is he that overcometh the World but he hath believeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 3. This life regulates all Passions Love Hatred Joy Grief Hope Despair Boldness Fear Anger Revenge c. and raises them to Coelestial Objects 4. This Life sublimates all Faculties Understanding Will Memory Conscience 5. This Life attains to true Wisdome and Tranquility of Spirit By Exemption from vulgar Errors Chap. 2. Vulgar Errors Vices and Passions Lata est ad mortem via Alienis perimus exemplis Odi profanum vulgus arceo Broad is the way that leadeth to Death We perish if we follow
laid up for those that fear Him Chap. 13. Of Assurance Evidence and Assurance Faith and the Spirit of God are both these to our Spirits In the exercise of my Priestly office I have oft heard the sad complaints of poor devout Souls for want of Assurance and that they had not interest in Christ no faith no comfort they could not pray nor do any good and God had forsaken them And alas what should they do Chap. 14. Miserable Comforters To this unskilful men Physitians of no value miserable comforters such as preach Christ out of no good will but envy eternal happiness to others and would engross it wholly to themselves make many sad answers Their Eye is evil because Gods is good niggardly Stewards to a Bountiful Master Whereas they ought freely to give as they have freely received and dispense the misteries of Salvation with a most bountiful hand Hard Fathers that had rather give a Stone then an Egge and a Scorpion rather then a Fish of Soure Sullen Ghostly Saturnine Aspect to some driving them into despair calling them Reprobates such as have no share in Gods Promises These men are farre from our Saviours Temper who came to seek and to save that which was lost to call sinners to Repentance to Preach the Gospel to the poor Deliverance to the Captives Recovery of sight to the blind and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The smoking Flaxe he did not quench and the bruised Reed he did not break and of those that came unto him he rejected none but invited all that were heavy laden with the burden of their sins that they might find rest to their Souls They have forgotten the Precept of the Apostle Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus On the contrary they are fair frolike boon buxome and debonair to themselves and to such as are of their own Pharisaical Sect. They can sow pillowes under every such Elbow and dawb with untempered morter and Preach pleasing things to such as fill their Purses These can make a great gain of Godliness can make it the fashion to move scruples and create doubts and fears in the tender consciences of poor Creatures teach them to whine and cry as a Woman in her pangs and call this the spiritual Throwes of the New-birth but they must come to them to be their Midwives and to resolve all their doubts and be delivered from all their fears and thereout suck they no small advantage They have set up an Assurance-office and to them these Adventurers must come to secure them for their prosperous voyage to Heaven They can make a Fair and Market for Pardons as well as the Papists by their Indulgences 'T is the same trick under a diverse and more cleanly conveyance The same thing is done by their assurances as is done by the Popish pardons They cause poor Souls to pin their salvation upon their sleeves to hang their hopes upon their Teachers Girdles and make the Disciples live or dye by the Breath of their mouths stand or fall thrive or be undone by their smile or frown In a word have absolute dependance from them This is to Lord indeed over mens soules and yet these men shall be admired and humbly sought unto by Rich Presents and glad they can get a glance or nod from the man of God Thus they lead along multitudes carrying them like Pitchers by the Eares in as much ignorance and security as the subtilest Jesuits or any other Orders can do Those of their select flock shall be the elect and never fail Slips and frailties may be in the Babes of Grace but come to them and all shall be made up again God sees no sin in them and they are in Heaven already As for others they shall be Reprobates and Castawayes such as have the Mark of the Beast no signes of Grace nor Evidences for heaven at all Let the World take heed of these men both amongst us and the Church of Rome Chap. 15. Of reso ving of Doubts But they that are the True Interpreters of Gods Word few among thousands that are able to speak a word of comfort in due season to weary soules These can shew unto man his Righteousness by Faith and save a soule alive plucking them out of the Jaws of despair and to find a Ransome for them What heart so merciless that will not having power draw a poor Captive out of the Dungeon To such soules as these that are thus fearful I would say as Christ did fear not be of good cheer thy Faith hath saved thee Why do ye doubt O ye of little faith To these I say they have Faith and have an Interest in Christ because they desire it and do their utmost endeavour to please God And what if they feel no comfort nor can find these marks men talk of and can not pray eloquently nor preach is this for want of Grace You know what the Scripture saith Lord have we not taught in the streets and in thy name cast out Devils and done many mighty works yet for all this Depart from me for I know you not ye workers of Iniquity Nay their spirits do pray though their tongues want utterance and the Spirit helpeth their infirmities with sighes and groans which they cannot utter And surely if they be asked if they would part with the hopes that they have in Christ they would not do it for ten thousand Worlds This is their Case and Condition They have lowly dispositions of mind the best of all and they have melancholy tempers of Body the worst of all This is the true cause of their speaking after this manner from their sense and reason not from their Faith And as for Assurance what Assurance would these men have Would they look into Gods Book and see their names written in the kingdome of Heaven or is there any such Book or if there were Do they look for a special Revelation This is an unreasonable request wherefore serves Faith but to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen If they yet urge and say they feel no comfort I answer Let them be content to want the sense of Comfort Faith is all in all to supply all our Wants and there is joy and comfort enough in Believing For I believe what I feel not what I understand not I live by Faith and not by sense I believe against hope and above hope and contrary to hope I cannot define what Faith is but this I can tell that I do believe and I know in whom I trust and though I know not how the grace of God comes into my heart nor when yet I believe that I have it and though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him Chap. 16. Faith about sense Remember Abraham The Promise was made to him that he should have a Son though he was old and Sarah was past Child-bearing
Satan under every one of your feet Be not troubled for want of Assurance This is your Assurance That you believe in the Son of God I demonstrate comfort Thus 1. God is Faithful that hath Promised he can never fail 2. Christ is faithful in whom and to whom the Promises are made and he can never fail for the Promise is sure to all the Seed 3. The Holy Ghost is faithful that Seals the Promises of God to our Souls and he can never fail The Spirit of promise to all the Seed 4. Therefore the faithful that receive and rely upon these Promises shall never fail for they are in Christ the Promised Seed As for flesh and blood though that be weak and afflictions very grievous to it yet let the spirit be but honest and willing and then fear nothing For to him that hath though never so little true faith shall be given full measure pressed down and running over shall God give into his bosome To him that is never wanting to himself God will never be wanting Do but desire and God will help do but seek and thou shalt find ask and have knock and it shall be opened unto thee If we that are evil know how to give good things to our Children how much more shall our heavenly father give good things to them that ask him And hath he not promised that whatsoever we shall ask of him in the Name of his Son he will give it us and having given us Christ how shall he not with him also give us all things that he in his wisdome and goodness knows to be necessary for us And having our Portion let us therewith be content Look therefore Sin Misery and Death in the face and Trust in God still Look only upon Sin and Misery and Death and Hell with the Eye of Sense and dye for fear and despair but look with the Eye of Faith beyond all these at the glory that shall be revealed and live for evermore Consult not with flesh and blood for if you do you will droop and fall but consult with the Spirit by Faith in Gods Promises and he shall strengthen thine heart I have nothing to comfort and satisfy me and assure me in life or Death but my honest and faithful desires If I be a Hypocrite I can have no comfort but if I be true and upright to God to the World and to my own soul and do all I can to please God and to keep my Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men though I am clothed with innumerable frailties and imperfections yet I am sure God will pardon all for Christ his sake only let me be valiant and of a good courage And though I see no comfort coming to me in this life or very little let me not be disheartened for this nor judge of Gods favour by what I see or feel but by what I believe and hope for for the things which are seen or felt are but Temporal but the things which are not seen nor felt here are Eternal And what I see not and enjoy not now by sense I do see and enjoy by Faith and shall see and enjoy by sight And till then I content my self with the sight and fruition which I have which is to me an Evidence and full Assurance of what I shall have Therefore Deerly beloved Brethren be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall never be in vain in the Lord for faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Amen GAL. 3.6 Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness EXPLICATION THis Apostle saith Righteousness cometh not of the Law Gal. 2.21 Gal. 3.18 And the Inheritance is not of the Law but by Promise and faith in that Promise Both these sayings carry the same sense that is The right of an Inheritance which is the best Right cometh not of the Law but of Faith And both these sayings carry the same Reason because they argue the same Conclusion viz. That a man is not Justified by the Law but by Faith For if a man be Justified by the Law or if his Right of Inheritance be by the Law Ro◠4.14 then Faith is made void and the Promise void But being justified by his Grace Tit. 3.7 we are made heirs to the hope of Eternal Life So that to be justified by Faith and to be made an heir of God are all one in effect or the latter is but the property or consequent of the former In like manner to be counted Righteous or as in the Text for Faith to be counted for Righteousness is all one as to be justified For St. Paul alledgeth these words to prove the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and to have Right accounted to any person is to justify that Person Rom. 4.6 Gal. 2.16 Therefore this great saying That Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness is to this effect That Abraham was justified by his Faith The Subject is Justification The Points 1. God 2. Account 3. Thing 4. End God the Cause of Justification Chap. 1. God justifi s. Rom. 8.33 Gen. 15.6 It is God that justifieth so the Hebrew Text Abraham believed in God and he imputed it to him for Righteousness God was the Agent that imputed Faith to Abraham for Righteousness St. Paul follows the Septuagint but the sense is all one For if actually God imputed Abrahams Faith unto him for Righteousness then it must needs follow passively that Abrahams Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness 2. The Account Cap. 2. Accounting The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred reasoning concluding numbring reckoning imputing The great Arts of counting are Logick and Logistick 1. Logick is the counting of Sayings according to their rations or reasons as they are composed into their Conclusions and resolved into their Principles 2. Logistick is the counting of Numbers according to their rations or rates as they are composed into their Powers and resolved into their Roots And as in Logick the Conclusion is the effect of two Sayings rightly figured when one of those Sayings is the cause of that effect and the other Saying is the reason or mean between the Cause and the Effect So in Logistick The Power is the Product of two Numbers rightly multiplyed when one of those two Numbers is the Root of that Power and the other is the Rate between the Root and the Power Both these Countings or Reckonings or Reasonings do manifest the ration or Rate of a Saying to a Saying and of a Number to a Number So that to Account is to conclude by Reasoning or Numbring by arguing to find the Conclusion by addition to find the Total by Multiplication the Product by Division the Quotient The Word is used thus in several places Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves to be
cannot or will not shew unto man his Righteousness nor save a Soul from the Pit They are of such evil Natures and so full of spiritual Pride and Malice that they will neither enter into Heaven themselves nor suffer others that would by their good will Such whose Eye is evil because Gods is good and would fain have others to be in no better condition then themselves 4. Some make a true accompt and are able to prove it being strong in the Faith Chap. 17. Demonstration nothing doubting They Demonstrate their Assurance thus 1. The Cause of Salvation is Gods Promise 2. The Effect is Salvation its self 3. The means that makes the Cause to produce this effect is their own Faith So in Logick The Conclusion is the effect of two Propositions rightly figured whereof one is the Cause and the other is the Medium or Mean between the Cause and the effect The major Term in the major Proposition is the Cause The minor Term in the minor Proposition is the Effect And the Medium or middle Term in both major and minor Proposition is the Means that produceth the Effect in the Conclusion As thus A living Creature is Sensible A man is a living Creature Therefore A man is Sensible This last Proposition is the Effect of the two former in which Sensibility which is the Major Term is the Cause and a man is the Effect And a Living Creature is the Means whereby this Cause produceth this Effect For Because man is a Living Creature Therefore he is Sensible So in Logistick The Power or Product is the Effect of two Numbers rightly multiplyed when one of those two is the root of that Power and the other is the Rate between the Root and the Power As 6 is the Cause of 12 12 is the Effect and the Multiplication of the Root 2 is the Means between the Cause and the Effect So Promises are the Cause of Blessedness is the Effect and Faith is the Means between the Cause and the Effect The ground of both these Reasonings and Reckonings is this 1. Those things that agree in one Third do agree among themselves as in Logick As the Major and Minor agree in the Medium therefore they agree among themselves So in Logistick The Multiplicand and the Product agree in the Root by the means of the Multiplication by that Root As 6 and 12 agree together in the Root 2. by the means of the Rate or Multiplication by the Root 2. And into which they are resolved So Gods Promises and our Salvation do agree in Faith 2. Whatsoever is affirmed of the Genus is affirmed also of the Species and all that are under it As whatsoever is affirmed of Abraham the Father of the Faithful is affirmed of all the Faithful the children of Abraham Blessedness is affirmed of Abraham Gal. 3.9 Therefore Blessedness is affirmed of all the Children of faithfull Abraham So then All that believe are Blessed with faithful Abraham This is all the assurance that can be had and this is enough by all Reason to a reasonable Creature from a Reasonable God that reasons with us according to our capacities as reasonable Creatures As for Revelations and Inspirations we may not expect them For God will have us to live here by Faith and not by Sight or Sense that must be hereafter Therefore though I see or feel no comfort Chap. 18. Faith above Hope yet I have Faith and live thereby Though I be in the Dark and lie low in the Dungeon and stick fast in the Mire and Clay and the Waters flow over me and the weeds of Despair are wrapped about my head being gone down to the bottoms of the Mountains and the Earth with her Barrs are round about me for ever so that I say in the Judgment of my weak flesh I am lost I have no hopes Yea though besides all this to keep me down the more that I may be sure never to rise into any hopeful or comfortable condition I see nothing but misery about me and feel it in my own person and hear nothing but Scorns Reproaches and Condemnations yet I believe still I hold my own My house is built upon a Rock I keep me close unto my God I strengthen my self in him I see all and hear all and bear all and say nothing I am prompted often to renounce all hope and to curse God and die in detestation of the failings of his Promises because he hath mocked me And that I might not be altogether miserable here I am bidden to Eat and Drink for to morrow I shall Die To enjoy the good things that are present and speedily use the Creatures as in Youth To fill my self with costly Wine and Ointments Wisd 2.6 and let no Flowr of the Spring pass by me To crown my self with Rose-buds before they be withered not to go without my part of voluptuousness but to leave tokens of joyfulness in every place for this is my Portion and Lot For our Time is a very shadow that passeth away and after our end there in no returning for it is fast sealed that no man cometh again We are all but of yesterday and to morrow we shall not be All this I hear but give no consent I am content to lie still in silence though it be without comfort and wait upon my God and resolve that though he kill me yet I will put my trust in him And this is Faith to believe above Hope and contrary to Hope I speak nothing all this while to Hypocrites for their hope shall perish Hypocrisy cannot consist with faithfulness it makes shipwrack of Faith and of a good Conscience The Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone is the portion of Hypocrites even the same that was provided for the Devil and his Angels and for all them that make and love lies I speak nothing to profane Persons Atheists for these have condemned themselves But I speak to the plain True-hearted Believers That between God and their own Consciences they should fear nothing if their cause be good This takes off all Disputes about the Church Chap. 19. Disputes about Baptisme the Lords Supper Faith Justification Merits Infallibility c. We may all comply very well if we hold the same Faith in the prime necessary Principles which are but few There needs no hatred or strangeness to condemn or divide about Circumstances and Superstructures so long as we do all agree in Fundamentals And as for Ceremonies and Forms of outward worship the Law is a Rule to every mans Conscience and this is the safest way to fulfil all Righteousness But it is not safe to Divide or Rebel either in the Church or State for that overthrows the unity of the Faith and the bond of Peace This takes off all blame in God Chap. 20. Excuses and all excuses from our selves and puts every man into a hopeful capacity of Salvation For if we be not
pleased He intended farre higher Duties unto which he led them by the hand if they had had the wit to observe it according as the Prophets did often hint unto them But they rested in the Letter and in the worke-daies and would not understand what God farther intended no not when they were sorely slasht in the Babilonish Captivity nor in the time of the Maccabees nor under the sore Yoke of Antiochus nor yet of the Romans when the Gospel began to dawn nor yet in the dayes of Christ himself and his Apostles when the cleer day-spring from an high did visit them and that God did fully reveal what worship he meant should continue for ever and that all their rude and beggarly elements should be laid aside as being added only because of Transgressions till the Promised Seed should come It was therefore necessary that the Patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these Heb. 9.23 but the heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices then these But still they stumbled at the Old stumbling-stone of a Temporal Covenant established upon Temporal Promises and commanding Temporal Services And from hence many Christians first taken from the Nation of the Jews and afterwards from all the Heathen Countries have erred exceedingly Partly by mixing Judaisme and partly by mixing Paganisme with Christianity which both of them are not out of us unto this very day although the Apostles made it their business as they had then too much occasion to overthrow these two maine errors from whence all other Heresies have been derived and that Christ himself did so much speak against the continuance of the Jewish way and the Introduction of Heathenish customs by Preaching a more Spiritual Law and declaring Eternal Promises All though God hath winked at the Nonage of the Jews and the Ignorance of the Gentiles Chap. 9. Châ—iâ—â—â—anisme yet now God will have all men every where to aspire to perfection and learn better things commanded in a better Covenant that is established upon better Promises especially in the dayes of Adversity when we are pinched with long and sore Warrs with plagues of Fire and Water and sundry kinds of Death It is high time now for the World to grow wiser to come off from the Vanities and Pomps of this Life and walk highly with God in the Spiritual Exercise of Faith and Repentance Away then with this Loose and Carnal way of Living This will not do The Gospel calls for higher things 1. This Loose and Carnal Life will never satisfy the Conscience nor please God 2. This formal and outward Worship will not serve the Turne You must come up to the pure Gospel-way to the life of Faith and to the worship of the spirit or you can never please God Be honest and just in your words and Actions Be dutiful and obedient to the Laws Be decent and orderly in Gods Worship But still I shew you a more excellent way This is to be done and you are not to leave the other undone For thus it becometh us after Christs own Example To fulfil all Rigteousness To offend none but to give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods APPLICATION I have set before you two wayes Faith and Sight Spirit and Flesh choose therefore the better part that shall never be taken away from you 1. Cherish the life of Nature by Temperance Sobriety and Chastity 2. Regulate the life of sense by Reason Prudence and Moderation 3. Order the Moral life by Virtue Justice Obedience and Honesty 4. Maintain the Civil Life by dutiful submission to Rulers and their Laws for the publike Good 5. Keep the Spiritual Life above all by Faith 1. Which may Sanctify Nature Sense Morality and Laws 2. Which may transcend all carnal Profits Pleasures Honours Arts Powers Glories Liberties Beauties Friends Health Peace Orders c. 3. Which may overcome all Carnal Pains Wants Shames Ignorances Weaknesses Disgraces Deformities Enemies Diseases Warrs Bondage Confusions c. 4. Which may regulate all Passions of Love Hatred Hope Despair Joy Grief c. 5. Which may sublimate all Faculties Understanding Will Memory Conscience 6. Which may arrive at the height of true Wisdome Peace and Tranquility of Minde 1. By exemption from vulgar Errors Vices and Passions 2. By aiming at Universal Liberty in Judgment and Will still submitting to Faith 3. By learning true essential simple honesty and plainness of Spirit 4. By Practicing true Piety 1. Free from Jewish worship 2. Free from Heathenish Idolatry This is the high and noble way of the New Testament of Jesus Christ which is of the spirit that giveth life not of the Letter that killeth Thus we overcome sin from ruling in our mortal Bodies that we should be obedient unto the lusts thereof Thus we overcome the Temptations and miseries of the World Thus we overcome the Devil and bruise Satan under every one of our Feet and through Jesus Christ are more then Conquerors And thanks be to God which giveth us this victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Look therefore on things Spiritual and not on things Carnal Chap. â—0 Faith on things Eternal and not on things Temporal For the things that are seen are temporal and carnal but the things which are not seen but believed are Spiritual and Eternal Believe your sins are blotted out of Gods Book for so they are when forsaken Though you cannot see your Pardon sealed by Gods spirit by your sense yet by your Faith you may see it Believe the Peace of God of your own Consciences though the sense discern it not yet your faith may Believe the Judgments of God are escaped and shall not hurt you though you feel present pain in the Flesh as is needful for you Believe the Devil is overcome though he sift you as the wheat is sifted yet Christ hath prayed for you that your Faith shall not fail you and his Grace shall be sufficient for you Believe you shall live though you die and see corruption for you shall die in Faith This is Faith to believe above sense above hope and contrary to hope the judgment of flesh and bloud This is Faith To be present with God in the Spirit though you be absent from him in the Flesh This is Faith to rejoice in Misery to glory in Tribulations to be ravished with Spiritual comforts during the enjoyment of Temporal To find Rest in God in the midst of Trouble to rest upon Gods Promises of Pardon and Blessedness in the midst of Sins and Miseries I will believe though I see not nor feel not any comfor This shall be my joy comfort in believing I will believe though I can give no Definition nor Reason for my Faith I will live in the Spirit though I live in the Flesh for I do not live after the Flesh I will worship God in the Spirit though I use a Forme and outward Ceremony I will Eat
all Sin is in my Flesh 2. How all misery is in my Flesh And that this is but my outward Man the old Man That decayes and dies which I am daily putting off 3. How all Grace is in my Spirit 4. How all Glory is in my Spirit And that this is the Inward Man The new Man That quickens and lives which I am daily putting on And that therefore by my Faith I live above sin and above Misery and beyond them both while in my flesh I am perplexed with them both What then is all this Mourning by reason of Sin and for Afflictions here below Is not this the way to Heaven though it be thus Rugged and Thorny Is not this the Sea and are not these the Waves and Storms and Rocks and Quicksands that are therein But is not Christ my Pilot and am I not safe under him Have I not a sure Guide that will bring me into a safe Harbour Can I not then have a little Patience T is but to have a little Patience Dabit Deus his quoque finem 'T is but standing still a while and I shall see the Salvation of God Wherefore then all this a do Wherefore do ye trouble my Spirit I am ready not only to suffer but to dye There is no strang thing happened unto me but such as is common to all the faithfull and such as happened to Christ himself What though I am Tempted Afflicted Oppressed I live still The just shall live by his Faith My Vessel is covered with Waves yet she bears up against them My House is beaten and shaken with winds and waves yet it stands still because it is founded upon a Rock I am fearful naturally I do confess yet by the Grace of God I can look Sin Misery and Death in the face and trust in God still If I look only upon Sin and Misery and Death and Hell alas I dye for fear But if I look upon God and Christ I live for evermore If I consult with flesh and bloud I mourn and die but if I consult with the Spirit I rejoyce and live They that live after the Flesh shall die but they that by the spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh shall live Qu. Do we then live by Faith or by Sense Spiritually or Carnally Ans If we say we live by Faith and by the Spirit I say then what means this lowing and bleating of the Beasts that I hear Vnde Luctus Planctus Where is all this howling and Lamentation Why all this Despairing and Doubting O we of little Faith A voice in Ramah is heard bitter Lamentation Rachel mourning for her children and refuseth to be comforted because they are not But is Christs Church a Widdow hath she not a Husband is she an Orphan and hath she not a Father Is she a stranger and hath she not a Protector Surely she is the Spouse and Daughter of Christ and no stranger therefore God will take care and charge of her and do for her abundantly above all that she is able to aske or think Doth God take care for Oxen and for the Birds of the Air and for the Lillies of the Field and shall he not much more take care for us O we of little Faith Let me alone therefore and trouble me no more from henceforth with idle Questions or direful Curses I have a God to trust to I have nothing to do with you O ye subtil O ye uncharitable ones O my Soul strengthen thou thy self in thy God alone it is good for me to wait upon my God and to keep my self close to the Rock of my Salvation Why Have I not found his Goodness all along and should I doubt now Have I served so good a Master and now should I leave him Why how and by whom have I lived all this while under all sorrows And how do I live still And how do I hope to live hereafter And how do I hope to live for evermore but by my Faith in Gods Promises I am not exactly Righteous therefore I cannot live by my works but I am willing to work Righteousness and by the Grace of God I shall be accepted and live by Faith CONCLUSION The Doctrine of Faith is sufficiently known that thereby we are Justified Regenerated Adopted Incorporated into Christs Church Elected Sanctified Assured and shall be raised up from the dead and live in glory everlastingly But who are the true Believers is not so sufficiently known and it is hard to know All will profess their Faith but how do they prove it All will reckon upon Salvation but how do they prove their Reckoning Here lies the main Point that men should not deceive themselves Professors enough Teachers many but how true God knows 2 Cor. 13.5 and they themselves do not know for want of Trial of themselves Well therefore said the Apostle Examine your selves whither ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates I take great care upon This. I find high Pretenders to Faith and to the Spirit Chap. 17 Pretenders and mighty zealots in all duties of Devotion but I find also that they are not honest but Lyars Cheaters Malicious Proud Boasters Rebellious Sacrilegious Extortioners Lovers of themselves Luxurious Covetous and the greatest Troublers of the World I do not say Swearers nor open Drunkards c. I wish these men to examine themselves better and know themselves to be Hypocrites For God and the World know them so to be for they daily rob God in Tithes and offerings and his Priests of honor and respect They rob the King of Tributes and Customes and of Honour and Obedience They do cheat and forswear to the ruin of their neighbours none more Now shall such a Faith save them It must be no other then a dead Faith Because they are Hypocrites and do no good works therefore they have made shipwrack of a true Faith and of a good Conscience 2. I find ordinary Professors of Faith formal enough Customary hearers and Worshippers and just men But they are not zealous but they are not sober and temperate but they are cursers and swearers I do not say they are Lyars I wish heartily these men would examine themselves better They are in a good way and are almost but not all together good Christians They are too luke-warm and formal They must stir up themselves more or else they will come short of true Faith 3. I find some that are close and private and make little open shew of any Religion to the World Being no comers to Church no Readers nor Prayers at home regard no Laws nor Magistrates nor Ministers But keep to their shops and employments greedily groveling upon the World and minding no divine Deity I wish these men would examine themselves better and awaken out of their sottish condition For they can have no grounds to build any solid
as present and visible then she believes and hopes For hope that is seen is not hope Rom. 8.24 25. for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it A great Argument to Patience by having an Eye to the Recompence of the Reward and to the Price of the high Calling which is layd up for us in Christ which causeth us to endure the Crosse and despise the Shame A great Argument to live by Faith as if the Things were sensibly present and seen yea by Faith they are made present and seen for Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of Things not seen Where therefore these Two Principles and Arguments are they do necessarily inferre true Faith and they do shew the excellency thereof by the great effects of Patience and Courage which were wrought in the hearts of those famous Worthies whereby they obtained so good a Report from God who highly favoured them and rewarded them for all their sufferings The several Instances are very remarkable Chap. 2. of Examples of Faith Ver. 3. The World framed by Gods Word Things seen made of Things that do not appear but are understood by Faith By the Things now seen we have a sight of things unseen done long before our times The Scripture makes Faith of it Let there be light Gen. 1.3 Ps 33.6 and there was light c. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made c. He spake the word and it was done We now see Trees of Trees Living Creatures from Living Creatures Men from Men but these first Trees Creatures and Men had not their beginning from these we now see Wisd 11.17 but from the Chaos or Deep without Form Ver. 4. Abel offered a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain by Faith he leaves out Adam for his Sin Abels Sacrifice was not more valuable than Cains but more acceptable for his Faith The other was the Sacrifice of a Fool i.e. a sinner this of a wise man i. e. just Vers 5. Enoch was translated by Faith Gen. 5.21 for he walked with God and so pleased God how but by Faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God Vers 7. Noah prepared an Arke by Faith i. e. in hope of Gods promises He had a sight of Things unseen i.e. of the Floud yet to come a Subsistence of Things hoped for i. e. safely from the Universal Deluge Vers 8. Abraham sojourned and looked for a City to come by Faith Vers 27. and offered up Isaac the Child of Faith in the Promise not Nature Vers 11. Sarah by Faith conceived in her old Age above the strength of Nature Vers 20. Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come in the Promised Land Vers 21. Jacob dying in Faith and worshipping blessed his Sons to the Promised Land Vers 22. Joseph by Faith gave Commandement concerning his bones to be buried in Canaan Vers 23. Moses by Faith was saved from drowning and refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasure of sin for a season Vers 30. The Walls of Jericho fell down by Faith Vers 31. Rahab by Faith perished not with the Unbelievers So Gideon Barak Sampson Jephthah and David Samuel and the Prophets who by Faith subdued Kingdoms and wrought Righteousness obtained the Promises endured tortures stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the violence of Fire waxed valiant in fight 2 Mace women received their dead raised to life again c. Heb. 11.35 All this Faith arose not from any cleer Promise of a Resurrection Chap. 3. Acts of Faith but hoping in Gods Power and Goodness beyond this Life they endured all things here patiently Much more may we that have a full and open Promise and Example of the Resurrection by him that first brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel and is the first born from the Dead and the first fruits of them that slept Thus the Things that are absent from us and do subsist in themselves are made to subsist to us by our Faith As Christs Birth Life Miracles Suffering Death Resurrection Ascension Glory all real in themselves subsisting though before our times yet are made present by Faith So our Resurrection Ascension and Glory Eternal not yet come nor seen but are made present and visible by Faith anticipating their being to us before they be For we live by Faith here and not by Sense And blessed are those that have seen Christ in the Flesh and the works that he did and heard his words yea but much rather blessed are they that have never seen nor heard him or his Works or Doctrine and yet have believed And this is truly to know Christ and by this knowledg of Faith Christ is in us and we in Christ For we know not Christ now after the Flesh but after the Spirit i.e. as he is spiritually present with us by Faith and will be eternally present with us by sight For although we had lived in his time and known him after the flesh or been his Natural Mother Sisters or Brethren yet from henceforth by our Faith we should have known him no more in that state of weakness and Mortality of Flesh but in a farre better state of Eternal Glory and Power in the Spirit And in the Union and Communion with him by Faith And so we do know him and by the hearing and believing of his Word we are made one with him and he with us are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone are his spiritual Mother Sisters and Brethren Having fellowship already with the Father and with the Son by the Spirit of the Father and the Son and are already in heavenly places in Christ Jesus For Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Doctrine 1. The Subject of this Text is Faith 2. The Circumstances are two 1. The Substance of things hoped for 2. Chap. 4. Of the fruits of Faith The Evidence of things not seen 3. The Reason is Because Faith obtains a present Right to a future Blessing and an earnest and assutance thereof and an Expectation of the full Possession 4. The Reason of this Reason is from the Nature of Faith which is not only an Assent to the Truth of Gods Promises with a Reliance and Dependency upon God for the performance of them but an acceptation and embracing them upon the condition of Holiness that they are offered unto us which Faith is therefore accounted unto us for Righteousness That is whereby we have a true Right Interest Title and Claim to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven which is the Thing promised unto us This Description of Faith is thus illustrated unto us Chap.
for Right the same is expressed in the other by the special word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best kind of Rights Also to have Right by the Law Rom. 4.14 or to have the Inheritance by the Law is the same in sense And then the Promise is frustrate For if they which be of the Law be heirs Faith is made voyd and the Promise made of no Effect Chap. 5. Right The word Righteousness is taken in this last sense jurally for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jus or Right supposed in all Acts of Justice Equity and Righteousness opposed to Injustice Iniquity and Unrighteousness For whensoever any of these Acts are done to any person that person is supposed to have some Jus or Right otherwise we can do him no Injustice Injury or Wrong For as where there is no Law there is no Sin so to him that hath no Right there can be done no wrong as to Slaves Reas 1 Because Right signifies the effect of Gods Promise God promised a Right of Alliance Issue Inheritance and therefore Abraham had a Right Title and Interest to all these else the promise had been unjust and of no effect Reas 2 Because the New Testament so expresseth it But to him that worketh not Rom. 45.6 but believâ—th in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the Blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works So also in the 10 11 12 13 22 23 24 verses of this Chapter Reas 3 Because the Old Testament so expresseth it Ps 106.30 31. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment and so the Plague ceased And this was counted to him for Righteousness to all generations for evermore This gave him a Right to the Fee-simple of the Priesthood to him and to his Heirs for ever for so the Charter runs Num. 25.10 11 12. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous among them that I consumed not the Children of Israel in my jealousy Wherefore behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his seed after him even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the Children of Israel He had a Right to the Priesthood before by Reas 4 his Birth but this was a Corroboration for ever Because all Rights consist in accounting which is their Essence As that the use fruit or propriety of such a thing is accounted or reckoned to such a person as belonging to him and not to another Thus God by his promise accounted to Abraham a Seed to be multiplied into the higher Powers of Numbers As into Squares Cubes Squares of Squares Squares of Cubes and Cubes of Squares i.e. into Tens Hundreds Thousands and hundred Thousands and thousand Thousands till they were numberless as the Starres of Heaven And the Root unto all these Powers was but the Binary of Abraham and Sarah old dry and dead in Body but young and lively in Faith Illustration Thus the working servant hath Right to his wage by the meanes of his work The Son that worketh not hath right to his maintenance by his Birth The first born Son hath right to his Inheritance by his Majority or Primogeniture The Believer hath no Right by Birth nor by Works but by Faith only of Grace not of Debt This Faith is but a personal Act Rom. 4 4. but the right thereby is a real permanent and hereditary Benefit Thus Right to Blessedness was the effect whereof Gods Promise was the Cause and Abrahams Faith the means whereby that Cause wrought this effect The summe is God by his Promise counted to Abraham a Right and accounted his Faith for a means to obtain that Right So his Faith was accounted for his Right and his Right was accounted to him for his Faith Abrahams Rights were Issue Inheritance and chiefly Alliance with God Chap. 6. Blessedness therefore God is called the God of Abraham which is blessedness in the Abstract i. e. Heavenly blessedness not expresly so mentioned but contained in the Promise which wise Abraham in his reasoning well understood though a farre off Heb. 11.19 and made a right reckoning of it accounting that God was able to raise from the Dead And that God was bountiful so to do to be his exceeding great reward every way for Issue for Inheritance but especially for Eternal Life Heb. 11.10 For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.16 And he desired a better Country then the Land of Canaan was even a heavenly and a better life then this For God is not a Benefactor to the Dead while they are dead He is not the God of the Dead but of the Living And therefore that he may again become to them a God he raises them from the Dead unto Eternal Life Because that is the great Blessing which they want and he only can gives and it is fitting only for his children to receive and therefore he hath prepared for them a City even Jerusalem which is above which is the Mother of us all Luc. 20.35 36. Christ reasoneth just so They which shall be counted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in marriage Neither can they die any more but are equal unto the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the Resurrection Now that the Dead are raised even Moses shewed in the Bush when he calleth the Lord The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob For he is not a God of the Dead but of the Living for all live unto him Now the Title that Abraham had to all these Rights was not his generous Birth nor his Righteous works but his acceptation of Faith Jus Fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.11 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.30 Faith-right opposed to Birth-right and Work-right Reas 5 Because accounting is the common Genus to both Justifying and Condemning for Accounting is a Word larger then Justifying or Condemning and therefore is the common Genus to them both being acts of accounting To Justify is to acquit as just to some reward To condemn is to adjudg as sinful to some Punishment For I will not justify the Wicked Eâ— 23.7 The Lord will not leave him in his hand Ps 37.33 nor condemn him when he is judged Rom. 4.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Reas 6 Because Abrahams Tenure to hold this Right was the obedience of the Faith by which he had that Right Therefore he was accounted Righteous only by his Faith but he kept his Righteousness by his Love and