of my making but of Gods prescribing T is Laetificans-Christi Faith 1. Then Labour for Faith and the increase of it It 's the very Doctrine now in hand The just man lives by Faith the life of Consolation Let us keep our Faith then and it will keep our Joy Let us increase our Faith and it will increase our Joy For Faith as it is the Mother so it s the Nurse also of Joy as it breeds it and brings it forth so it feeds and maintains it till it comes to a perfect age in Christ so that as the Just goes on from Faith to Faith so he goes from Joy to Joy till he comes into heaven it self As his Faith grows stronger so his Joy is sweeter All fruits the nearer to maturity the sweeter they are and so is the fruit of Faith in Spiritual Joy it s sweeter in the ear then in the blade Exercise Faith therefore every Day as thou desirest abiding and increasing Comforts Wouldst thou have the warmth of Spiritual joy abiding in thy heart and that holy fire never to go out Actings of faith for the increasing spiritual joy Be sure then to blow up the Gift of Faith by daily Exercise Qu. But how shall I make use of my Faith to the best Increase of my Joy 1. On the right object Ans 1. Remeber what was said in the Reasons Be sure to lay hold on the right Object of Consolation God himself and the Ordinances of God with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Live the Life of Justification and Sanctification and thou shalt not fail to live the Life of Consolation whereas otherwise there can be comfort no more than fruit upon a Tree without a Root 2. Act thy Faith in Prayer Pray 2. In Prayer that your joy may be full Joh. 16 24. If joy be not worth asking 't is worth nothing No wonder some have so little comfort they pray so little Ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 Thou hast it may be praid for Grace not for Comfort Learn now of David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce as if David had said Lord I have had thy Messenger the Prophet Nathan speaking peace to me for that 's the Title of the Psalm and saying The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die But Oh let me hear thy Spirit say so too or else my heart cannot rejoyce As I have heard therefore a comfortable message from thy Minister let me hear the same also from thy Spirit Make thou me to hear joy and gladness If all the Ministers in the world should preach peace to a penitent Soul as they have cause though it be in a safe yet it cannot be in a comfortable condition till God by his Spirit speak peace also Q. To what purpose then should we attend upon the Ministery of the Word A. Because though the Ministery cannot do it without the Spirit yet the Spirit delights to work in the Ministery of the Word or soon after When the Spouse in the Canticles wanting comfort inquired of the Watchmen it was but a little while ere she found him whom her soul loved Cant. 3.3 4. Q. But why doth not the Soul finde comfort in every Ordinance at all times A. There may be many causes Among the rest this may be one Lest we should ascribe so much to the Ordinance or to the Instrument dispensing it as to neglect looking up by Prayer to the God of the Ordinance whereas when we experience the best Ordinance sometimes empty and the best Instrument without the Spirit a miserable comforter This will quicken us to look above both to God himself saying We will use both but we will lift up our soul to God alone Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 86.4 and elsewhere Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation That 's the second Means to act faith for Comfort in Prayer Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. In crucifying worldly joy 3. Act Faith in the Crucifying of worldly and Carnal joys if you would profess Spiritual and Heavenly For the first of these do exceedingly quench the latter as water doth fire so that as in the strife of fire and water if heavenly joys get not the Mastery Worldly will 'T is true God makes a feast of joy a feast of fat things to his people Isa 25.6 But remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the Table of Devils Now the delights of sin are the several dishes with which the Devils table is furnished and he that is filled with these hath no stomach to the consolations of God nay he abhors them Prov. 27.7 The full stomach loaths the honey-comb He loaths the honey-comb of the Word and Ways of God And what 's the reason He was never yet weaned from the Worlds Brest David indeed could say of Gods Word Oh! it's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And why so Surely because the same David could say of all worldly delights Surely I have behaved my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Psal 131.2 Wean thy Soul therefore from worldly delights and thou shalt be the bettter prepared to delight in the Lord who is both willing and able to give thee thy hearts desire And that 's the third Means 4. 4. 1 Sam. 7.2 In spiritual mourning Act your Faith in case you are in a mournful frame to mourn after the Lord For certainly as worldly joy ever ends in sorrow so godly sorrow ever ends in joy Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God can no more withhold his sweetest comforts from those that mourn after his presence as their chiefest good than the tender Mother can withhold the Brest from the crying childe Oh! every cry goes to her heart and she cannot be quiet her self till she quiet the childe Isa 49.14 15. When Sion sits in the dust like a poor childe lamenting the parents absence saying My God hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me What is Gods answer Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the Palms of my hands As if God should say So long as thou mournest after me I may as soon forget my self as thee for I have graven thee on the palms of my hands If thou desirest comfort then mourn after the Lord not after corn and wine and oil not after the harvest of the Lord but the Lord of the harvest and then doubtless such as thus sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. 5. In raising spiritual affections Act Faith in digesting and
must dye shamefully at last But the other lives so as not to be questioned again and when he dies he dies with honour and respect Just so an unbeliever lives as a man Repriev'd Joh. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already A believer lives as a man pardon'd absolv'd by the merit mediation of his friend in the Highest Court of Heaven and though he die his death is honourable 't is but a change for a better life Thus we reade of David pardoned in respect of his temporal life 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die 2. In the conservation of life 2. In respect of the Conservation of life in the use of means For however a believer and unbeliever use both of them the same means for the maintaining of life yet not in the same manner They use both the same ayre the same exercise the same bread but the unbeliever useth these means as a beast and rests in the means and never looks higher Luke 12.19 Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry The believer by faith looks above the means he knows man liveth not by bread alone Mat. 4. but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of God he knows except the Lord build the house Psal 127. they labour in vain that build it c. Indeed faith teacheth him to use the means else he should tempt God But faith teacheth him not to relie upon the means for then he should slighâ— God 3. In respect of the Preservation of life from such things as are destructive as sicknesses enemies 3. In the Preservation of life and the like Therefore faith is called a Shield Eph. 6.16 Thus Daniel lives by faith in the Lions den the three Children in the fiery Furnace Hezekiah in his mortal sickness and is recovered to his perfect strength again Paul in his shipwrack Acts 27.25 Obj. But these had particular Promises for their faith to rest on Ans It is true yet we have all that general ground of the Psalmist Psal 31.15 My times are in thine hand deliver me c. But of this before in the sixth Question 4. In respect of the Prolongation of life As a just man prolongs his Parents life so God prolongs his 4. In the Pâ—olongation of life Compare Prov. 15.20 Gen. 27. last Thus a childe dutiful to the natural Father layes hold on the fifth Commandment which is the first with promise and so hath life prolonged Eph 6. Heb. 12. Thus also a childe dutiful to the Father of Spirits layes hold on that promise Prov. 3.16 Length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left riches and honour See before v. 2. Or that Isa 40.30 31. Even the youths shall faint c. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength c. 5. In ordering the Actions of life as eating 5. In the Actions of life and drinking and even recreation labour and rest Eccles 10 16. Wâ—e to thee O Land when thy Princes eat in the morning Happy art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness And Rom. 14. last Whatsoever is not of faith is sin if it be not a particular for these things yet it is a general Rule 6. He lives by faith 6. In the Blessings of life in respect of the Comforts and Blessings of a natural life In general 1 Pet 3.10 He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil c. More particularly in respect of 1. Wealth Prov. 3.16 Wisdom there hath both hands full of blessings if thou hast but a hand of faith to receive them And Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it whereas the riches of an unbeliever will not suffer him to sleep Eccles 5.12 The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep viz. Through his care of getting or keeping or losing Obj. But many believers are poor Ans Temporal blessings are promised onely so far as needful for our frame of Spirit and present condition See 1 Pet. 1.6 Now if need be ye are in manfold temptations and so if need be ye shall be crowned with many blessings 2. Health Prov. 3.8 Wisdome in which faith is included shall be health to thy navil and marrow to thy bones Davids experience that depended on God by faith Ps 103.3 who healeth all thy diseases and v 5. maketh thee young The love of God strengthneth the Creature Obj. By this rule they should never die who alway live by faith on God for health Ans Temporal promises are made onely pro tempore and to be applyed so long as they shall be meet and expedient for us as was said of the former and no longer Now so long as God by faith raiseth up the heart to lay hold on them it is a sure sign he means to fulfil them But when he means to withdraw them he layes the keyes of Faith and Prayer out of the way 3 Peace The just live by faith for peace 1. By looking at the promise of it Prov. 16.7 When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him 'T is a promise on condition yet of free grace 2 At the Precept as a means to peace Rom. 14.19 Let us follow after the things which make for peace c. We must follow the temper of love described 1 Cor. 13.5 7. Charity doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked c. It beareth all things believeth all thâ—ngs hopeth all things endureth all things viz. unless the actions or Doctrines of men be appâ—rently evil for then the contrary is required 2 Epist Joh. v 10. If there câ—me any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not inâ—o your house nor bid him God speed Rev. 2 20. The Church there is reproved for suffering the woman Jezebel to teach and seduce Christs servants and commit fornication c So we must not suffer if any teach Antinomianism for Christ sayes expresly Mat. 5 17. I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 4. Good success in the improvement of a mans natural life not onely for his own good but for the publick good And this implies many particulars For Faith teacheth a man 1. To improve his Natural life in undertaking some place of imployment in a civil life It will not suffer a man to live without a Calling So 1. Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called which is meant of a particular Calling and supposes every Christian must have such a Calling for he mentions it as a charge under that general of keeping the Commands of God ver 19. 2. It stirs a man up to look to God for gifts for the
The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last Therefore Faith must kill sin or else not bring its design to pass for Rev. 21. last No unclean thing shall enter into life Even Gods own people shall not enter until they attain perfection of Sanctification Reas 3 Because the mortification of sin is the end of Christs death Rather than sin should not die he would die Rom. 4. ult who was delivered for our transgressions c. O sayes Christ to Sin and Death I will be your death though it cost me my life Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy death c. He was crucified that our old man might be crucified with him Rom. 6.6 Therefore says Faith as I believe in Christ crucified I must also crucifie sin Rom. 6.11 Wherefore reckon ye your selves dead unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc enim refero ad fidei syllogismum says Beza 'T is the reasoning of Faith Reas 4 Because it is the Commandment of God as God commanded the Avenger of blood Onely 't is in this unlike that there is no City of Refuge for sin Col 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members on earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. And Gods command is the object of Faith as well as a Promise Reas 5 Because Promise is also made Alas sayes the Christian I have no power to deal with Sin or Satan O saith God I will help thee I will give thee my word for it if thou wilt take it Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea As Satan is Captain on the one side so is Christ on the other side as was held forth in the Vision to Joshua cap. 5.14 As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come 2 Chro. 20.12 Therefore sayes the faithful Soul I know not what to do though I have no power yet mine eyes are unto thee And so as David against Goliah they go out against sin in the Name of the Lord with this poor Sling of Faith and the Pebble-stone of the Word and so strike this Giant of Corruption in the forehead that it sinks down by degrees and at last they tread upon the neck of their proudest Lusts Vse 1 Information Information from this Branch of the Life of Faith in several particulars 1. From the Object of Mortification sin viz. 1. From the object of mortification That those that are in Christ have sin and sinful affections remaining in them For what must the just that lives by Faith mortifie Surely not his grace It is something that is sinful he must not fight with his own shadow The body of sin must be destroyed Rom. 6.6 The law of sin and death abolish'd Rom. 8.2 God sees something and an enlightned Soul sees something that is to be mortified and fights with some-body Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are on the earth c. And lest they should say We have no earthly members the Apostle gives instance fornication uncleanness c. And lest they should say VVe do not live in these sins now the Apostle answers by way of Concession Ver. 7. You do not live in them indeed you do not walk in them but yet a remainder of the seeds of these sins is in you still you may be tempted to them and therefore strive against them Put off all these vile affections c. 2. From the Act. To mortifie is to kill outright 2. From the Act. It 's not enough to abstain from the outward acts of sin but we must subdue the inward desire will and affection to sin VVhy Because abstaining from the outward act is but a restraining or imprisoning of sin But the subduing the inward desire will and affection of Sin is the Mortifying of Sin For the Life of Sin lies in the Will And therefore of the two in evil things it is less dangerous to do that which we will not Rom. 7.19 20. than to will that which we do not Sin is never mortified until inordinate affections be mortified In these lies the heart-blood of sin Mat. 5.27 Whosoever shall look to lust hath committed adultery in his heart 3. From the Instrument 3. From the Instrument If by Faith sin be mortified see the mistake of those that will needs have sin mortified before they believe or else they will not believe O say they The errour of such who will not believe till first made whole if such and such a lust were mortified I could believe but so long as the case stands thus I dare not As much as to say If they were rid of the disease beforehand they would go to the Physician and take Physick Indeed it s required they should be sensible of their disease And though we do not say we must thus prepare our selves yet we may safely say God thus prepares his people for Christ Mat. 9.12 13. They that are whole need not the physician but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Now then seeing we cannot be rid of our disease till we come to the Physician and we cannot come without faith therefore we see the errour and mistake of those that will not believe till first made whole Vse 2 Let us Examine if we live by Faith in Christ by this Then we live the Life of Mortification Examination Gal. 5 24. They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hast thou done so Many are mistaken and think some that sin is not mortified when it is others that it is when it is not A poor childe of God cries out Mine enemies my sins live and are mighty c therefore I live not by Faith But a Moral man he can say I was once a Drunkard or Swearer but now I have left all my vain company therefore my sin is mortified and yet it may be he is as covetous now as luxurious as before VVherefore its hard to know whether sin be truly mortified for as in some Grace hath a name to live and is dead so in others Sin hath a name to be dead and is alive Sometimes one sin drives out another while particular ends and aim or light of Nature c. over-rule in this rather than that Therefore Examine But how shall we know if sin be mortified indeed Ans 1. If sin die then we are first sick of sin Marks of true Mortification as commonly before men die Ipsa senectus morbus themselves are weary of themselves As the Soul is sick of love to Christ Cant. 2.5 so it is also sick of sin Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt c. 2. If sin dies aright it dies in all parts 2 Mark Col. 3. Mortifie your members not one member onely
a very unskiful Souldier in this warfare Means of mortification Ans The first Means is to look up to God who teacheth thy hands to war and thy fingers to fight Go out in his Name as David did against Goliah Fall down before him as Joshua before the Captain of the Lord host Josh 5.14 Be much in Prayer and adde Fasting to Prayer Some sins cannot be cast out without this Means 2 Secondly Learn to loath and hate sin A man hates to death what he mortifieth and though he cannot kill it outright 1 Job 3. yet as he that hates his Brother is a manslayer so he that hates his sin as sin is a sin-slayer in Gods account For ye are dead sayes the Apostle Col. 3.3 then follows Mortifie therefore your Members c. ver 5. Means 3 Thirdly Get assurance of the Love of Christ and this will constrain to suffering and doing 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us We love our sins naturally as our right eye and therefore are loath to part with them It must be the sense of a greater love that will make us willing to pluck out our right eye He that was next of kin to the person murthered was to be the Avenger of blood because it was to be supposed he loved him best If we consider what enemies our sins are to Christ our best beloved we shall do that part Love Christ much and you will hate sin much and the way to love Christ much is to be assured of Christs love to us 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by our rejoycing we have in Christ Jesus I die daily Means 4 Fourthly Apply the Cross of Christ Rom. 6.6 knowing this that our old man is crucified with him The death of Christ is the death of sin First because it is the meriting Cause meriting the Spirit by which our sins are mortified Secondly the serious Consideration of Christs death doth give sin a deadly wound What did Christ die for my sins O let me crucifie them that crucified him Did Christ love me so well as to be willing to lose a precious life Let me love him so well as to part with a sinful life or the life of sin The death of Christ is the slaying of the Enmity not onely betwixt man and man Eph. 1.16 but between God and Man I am crucified with Christ sayes the Apostle Gal 2.20 Means 5 The fifth Means is set down Eph. 6.11 Put on therefore the whole armour of God c. VVhere you see two things 1. God hath provided for a Christian Complete Armour 2. Every Christian that would stand in the day of battel must put it on But what is the Armour God hath provided Ans See there in the verses after they are the Graces of Gods Spirit all Christian Vertues 1. Truth the Souldiers Belt that knits all other graces all other pieces of the Armour fast together Truth of Doctrine opposed to Errour Truth of Graces and Actions opposed to Hypocrisie Hypocrites are fearful true men are valorous One true man beats two or three thieves Prov. 28.1 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousness Righteousness imputed and Righteousness imparted and this is Murus aheneus Though infirmities may be in many yet this saves the Vitals 3. Shoes of Patience like brazen Greaves whereby the Christian Souldier treads upon Scorpions he treads down Satan under his feet in this Spiritual Combate 4. The Shield of Faith above all or over all For this covers all our Armour all our Graces and strengthens them in the Combate 5. The Helmet of Salvation which is Hope 1 Thess 5.8 Then lastly there is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God of which in the next Means Means 6 Sixthly Hear and apply the Word In Hos 6.5 God hews them by his Prophets and slays them by the Words of his mouth This is a sharp and two-edged sword that pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit Heb. 4.12 And here apply the threatnings as well as the Promises to the mortifying of sin VVhen the Minister reproves such sins as we are guilty of every one should turn the Point to his own breast Suppose it be Lying or Adultery or Idolatry c. out of that place Rev 22.15 If there be an hundred in the Congregation every one should say Surely God meant I should take this to my self Suppose Despising of the VVord out of Prov. 1.25 Suppose partaking of other mens sins out of Psal 50.18 When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst c. VVe should do as Job's friends advised him Job 5.27 Hear it and know it for thy self This was that which prick'd their hearts Acts 2.36 37. when Peter told them they had crucified that same Jesus Means 7 Seventhly Entertain the Spirit for the VVord is but the Sword of the Spirit Rom. 8.11 If ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh This will conquer Corruption For 1. It is of a most contrary nature to it a holy Spirit 2. It is an Almighty Spirit able to cast corruption out 1 Joh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Therefore walk in the guidance and strength of the Spirit Look higher than our selves for new supply of strength as we have new Employments new Trials new Temptations Do not onely desire it and pray for it but use it kindely The Spirit is of a tender and delicate nature very free where it is entertained and acts with freedom If thy Soul welcom the Spirit he will soon thrust out those domineering lusts that have disturb'd his quiet and peaceable possession And hereunto look with an eye of faith unto those great Promises of the Spirit Isa 44.2.3 Ezek 36.25 c. Joel 2.28 The Spirit is promised to be poured out largely under the Gospel as Ezekiel's waters chap. 47. 't is observable the further they run the deeper they grew They took the Jews up to the ankles the Primitive Christians to the knees the Middle Times to the loyns c. Means 8 Eighthly Moderate the use of lawful things Satan gets great advantage in these things Corruption is strengthned by immoderate use of lawful things Luk. 17.27 They eat they drank they married and gave in marriage and the flood came and destroyed them all They were first drown'd in their security and unbelief and then the flood drown'd them Means 9 Ninthly Keep corrupt Nature in compass by Vows As they vow'd the death of Paul Acts 23. so do thou of thy sins Vows are against either things absolutely unlawful and these binde ad semper alwayes as the Vow in Baptism against the World Flesh and Devil or things indifferent but in danger to be abused and these it is best to be made onely ad tempus for a time lest afterwards they become a snare Means 10 Lastly Shun Occasions of
to the humble in the perfection of it which is attained in glory Therefore it is said of the Heavenly Courtiers Rev. 4.10 11. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Mark ye as dejection in the bottom of the nethermost Pit cannot strip the devil and wicked men of their Pride for they wil blaspheme the name of God they may be humbled Rev. 16.11 but they will not be truly humble to all Eternity So on the other side exaltation to the highest degree of glory does no ways devest the Saints of God of their former humility Nay the more glorious the more gracious and therefore the more humble Thus God gives grace to the humble in the Inchoation Augmentation Conservation and Perfection Therefore there is no Soul brought home to Christ but must needs be humbled Thus you see Gods manner of working Faith by the Word and why God doth usually humble men more or less and stir up in them strong desires after Christ before they come so fully and clearly to lay hold of the Promise or at least in their very first apprehension and laying hold of it It is impossible to suppose Faith in a Soul that was never humbled Thus I say you see the ground of Gods method and the matter of humiliation as the fore-runner of Peace and Consolation I shall onely adde this before I have done with the first Means of begetting Faith Direction in applying the Promises If thou wouldst believe apply to thy self in particular what Promises God makes in general and indefinitely As for Example in the Scripture when Christ saith Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Apply this to thy self Therefore if I come to Christ by vertue of this Word I am sure he will not cast me out So when the Scripture saith Joh. 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name to as many as receive him he giveth the power or priviledge to become the Sons of God Apply this to thy self Therefore since God hath made me willing to receive him for my King and Saviour I am sure I have this priviledge 2 Cor. 6.18 to be the Son or Daughter of the Lord God Almighty So when the Scripture saith in that notable Proclamation of Christ in the great day of the Feast Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Apply this to thy self Therefore since God hath given me grace to hunger and thirst after the Righteousness of Christ I am sure I have as good warrant to take of the water of life as any other in the world Rev. 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Therefore saith the thirsty Soul 'T is as free for me as for any other in the world And thus is Faith begotten in the Soul by a particular application of a general Promise And so much for the first Means of begetting Faith and that is the Word The second is Prayer Second Mean of begetting Faith by prayer Pray that God would bless the Word and all other Means For the Word hath no Power to beget Faith of it self without the powerful concurrence of the Spirit by which the Word was breathed forth at the first Neither have we power in our own will to make the Word effectual Those that talk so much of Free will it is a shame then they believe no more and do no more if they had that freedom they boast of but indeed the very practice of such men is enough to confute their Opinions I 'll never believe a man would be willing to lie in a nasty Dungeon all his life if he had liberty and power to go out at his own pleasure O be much in Prayer to God therefore that he would set thy imprisoned Soul at liberty that thou maist have power to believe Thus did David Psal 142.7 Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name c. As if he should say O Lord I confesse I am a poor prisoner to sin and Satan I would fain be set at liberty to believe thy Word and to do thy will but alas I cannot I find many a door fast shut upon me in this prison and many a lock upon the doors many lets and impediments which I am never able to remove and therefore gracious Lord do that for me which neither I my self nor all the friends I can make are ever able to do for me pay the debts of thy poor prisoner in my blessed surety and set open the prison doors O bring my soul out of prison O Lord that I may praise thy name Thus should we pray for Faith as ever we desire the Word should be made effectual for our good Col. 4.3 1 Cor. 16.9 The Ministers should beg the prayers of the people as Paul did that he may have a door of utterance and the people should beg the prayers of the Minister that they may have a door of entrance that the immortal seed may be made an instrument of spiritual life and the Just may live by Faith If ever we have Faith if ever we be born again the power of the Holy Ghost must overshadow our souls John 3.18 Expounded and put life into the seed of the Word Joh. 1.13 Gods people are born not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God First Not of bloods What 's that You know a man that comes of such a parent is said to come of such a blood Now then put all the parents in the world together and you shall find grace runs not in any blood they are not born of Bloods Secondly Not of the Will of the flesh What 's that A fleshly carnal man cannot convert himself he cannot keep alive his own soul Psal 22.29 Thirdly Not of the Will of man What is that Take a Regenerate man the best man in the world yet he hath not power to convert another unlesse God be with him in the work and so the truth is clear Gods people are born not of Bloods nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of man but of God Remember what Christ saith Joh. 6 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And therefore the Church prayes Cant. 1 4. Draw me we will run after thee Plead thus with God and say Lord thou commandest to believe but I find I am shut up under unbelief O thou that
freedom of breathing hearing seeing and exercising all the senses so great a difference there is betwixt the life of nature and grace as also betwixt the life of grace and glory We do no more know what is reserved for us in Heaven then a child in the womb what is reserved for it when it comes into this wide world Only as there is a natural instinct in the child to go forth of the prison of the womb into a better life so there is a spiritual and supernatural instinct in all Gods children to be made partakers of a better life For as the whole creation groans so we ourselves groan within ourselves c. saith the Apostle Rom 8 22. In the mean time before we come to enjoy the life of glory to the full glorious things in their degree are spoken of the life of grace in regard of the nature Psal principle comforts c. of it as abovesaid To all which we might adde it's excellency in regard of operations viz. the crucifying our corruptions overcoming the world and all opposite powers making us more then conquerours in Christ Therefore 't is an excellent life and thence most desirable Did a beast know the life of a man he would desire it did a natural man know the life of a Christian he would desire that too For it is as farre above the life of a man as his above the life of a beast Hence Christ to the woman Joh. 4. If thou hadst known the gift of God and who 't is asketh of thee c. So I say If thou hadst but known the excellency of this life thou wouldst greatly desire and ask it of Christ Vse 3 3. For Exam. Let us try whether we have this exclellent life or no. Examination There is not much need of giving motives 1. None come to live the life of glory but such as live the life of grace all are Saints on Earth before Saints in Heaven 2. Till we know whether we have this life or no we can neither seek it if we want it nor praise God for it if we have it 3. Besides we have command to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 For Rules of Trial. 1. Did God ever give thee to see thine own deadness 10. Rules of Triall and to bewail it Though thou maist leave sin and perform duty if thou dost this by thy own strength thou art not alive 1. Sight of deadness When such a soul comes to it self neverthelesse it cryes O sick sick give me somthing to comfort me Cant. 2.5 Alas sick of unbelief and a hard heart c. 2. Knowledge of this life Secondly Dost thou understand the Nature of regeneration of this life and this new birth Nichodemus did not before Christ told him Joh. 3. 'T is said 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a new creature New in understanding will affections and conversation 3. Instrumental cause of begetting Thirdly If thou art alive what was the instrumental means of begetting this life under God was it the power of Word preach'd upon thy soul 1 Pet. 1.33 being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God c. Affections stirring without the Word or moral perswasion with the word or corrupt seed beside the Word these are not enough See 1 Thess 1.5 2 Cor. 3.6 4. Cause mainâ—aining Fourthly if alive what is the instrumental means of maintaining this life under God and every creature desires food even the insensible creature the youngest plants thrust their fibra's into the earth to suck nourishment thence And the young Lambs suck the duggs of their damme's upon their bended knees Every life desires food for self-preservation and the nature of the food must be suitable to the nature of the life spiritual life must have spiritual food That which will feed a swine fat Ex iisdem nutâ—rimur c. will starve a sheep What is begotten of the word will be nourished of the word 1 Pet. 2.2 And the more life the more desire after food The healthfull child cryes most eagerly after the breast Such was Davids hunger and thirst after the word Psal 42.1 c. Fifthly If thou art alive thou hast a faculty within to resist and expel whatsoever is an enemy to life 5. Enmity of the contrary 1 Pet. 5.8 Sin is a spiritual poyson and Satan a murderer Dost thou so resist them Or when there is deadness of spirit dost thou rub and chafe thy soul by prayer Quicken me O Lord by thy Word Psal 119. A good sign 6. If thou art alive thou shalt perceive it as by outward sense and motion so by inward quickning and vivification 6. Sense and motion 1. By outward sense and motion Every living creature exercises some sense Examine this by what Breathing faculty thou hast VVhere there is the inspiration of spiritual life there is the expiration of holy speeches Only 't is not wholsom when our expiration exceeds our inspiration 2. Exam. what sight thou hast Ephes 4.18 with 5.8 3. VVhat hearing He that is of God heareth us c. 1 Joh. 4.6 4. VVhat tasting 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be you have tasted how gracious the Lord is 5. VVhat smelling Cant. 1.3 Thy name is an oyntment powred forth 2. By inward quickning and vivification of the heart As the heart is first formed so informed and reformed Primum vivens Rev. 3. And without this there is but a name to live The heart is the first member of the new man Gal. 4.4 If sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart c. All performances without the heart are dead workes God begins at the heart therefore examine the heart 7. Spring of life Seventhly If thou saist thou art alive then what is the spring and principle of thy life and the actions thereof Is it thy own strength and opinion of thy own parts and applause of men Or dost thou in an humble distrust of thy self look up to Christ for strength Quest How is that known Ans If Christ's glory he made the end then the grace of Christ is the principle The stream is never higher then the fountain 2. Besides then this strength comes in a promise 'T is Christ in a promise What promise dost thou lay hold on 8. Growtâ— Eightly If alive where is thy growth where ever there is life there is growth till the creature comes to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.11 Till we all come to the measure of the the stature of Christ Object If this be so may some say then I have no life Answ spiritual growth is not discern'd by every dayes observation but some long time as the shadow on the diall 2. A soul careful to grow and mourning for want of growth I dare pronounce it doth grow though it
Cor. 7. 2 Pet. 3. that measure Time shall be rolled up as a Scroll And though time should last never so long to the world in general yet how soon the Angel may swear concerning thee or me Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 we know not 6. We must not onely account for the means of fruitfulness Isa 5. What could I have done more c but for the time afforded for fruitfulness Luk. 13.7 These three years have I come looking for fruit and behold I finde none Cut it down c. Eccles 11.9 God will take account of the days of thy youth therefore call thy self to account and be fruitful in season 7. Lastly What would the damned in Hell give now for one of these hours to become fruitful If the rich glutton Luke 16.27 would so willingly have a messenger sent to his five brethren What would he have given to have been the messenger himself but could neither So much for the two first Branches in the Life of Sanctification which the just man lives by his Faith Now follows the Third BRANCH III. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. MORTIFICATION THE just lives by Faith the Life of Mortification which consisteth in the killing and crucifying of sin and this follows fitly upon the Life of Fructification For sin is the Caterpillar upon the Branch that devours all the fruits Nay it is the Worm at the Root that hinders the fruitfulness of it or else it is the Toad at the Root that poisons the fruit Deut. 32.32 33. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of Asps. The best fruits of natural men where sin lives in the dominion of it are no better than such poisonous fruits Therefore the just man lives by Faith of Mortification He is dead to sin and dead to the law that he may bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 For the more sin dies Faith resemâ—les the expulsive faculty in the natural body the more grace lives and the more sin lives the more grace dies Therefore Faith lives in killing that which is an enemy to its life and is as the expulsive faculty in the body Obj. But is not sin dead as soon as a man believes Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ans Sin indeed hath receiv'd its deadly wound at the first blow but yet it will not be wholly dead till we die Nay it fares with it as with a creature that hath received its deadly wound it struggles and strives more violently than ever before Rom. 7.8 9. Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead c. Insomuch that this combat continues till our dying day Gal. 5 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And Satan he takes part with our corruption he is Sins Second in the field Now Faith is a Christians chief weapon by which he defends himself and offends his adversary Eph. 6.16 the shield of faith For the method of proceeding in this Head it shall be to shew 1. How Faith proceeds in Mortification of sin 2. Why Faith will have sin to be mortified 3. The Uses hence Quest I. First How Faith proceeds in mortifying sin I answer It does it as men use to do in the prosecution of a Malefactor As the avenger of blood pursued the Murtherer in a legal way Sin is put to death by the law Rom. 3.22 By what law of works nay but by the law of faith So that as the Jews said of Christ faithful men may say of sin We have a law and by our law he ought to die Art 1 First there is a rising of the heart against the person How faith goes about the mortifying of sin Gal. 5.6 A man will never prosecute him whom he hath no quarrel against So Faith stirs up a Christian to hate his sin as it stirs him up to love God so consequently to hate sin Gods deadly enemy yea he hates it to death Col. 3.1 5. Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil Psal 97.10 Nay sayes Faith to sin I will have thy life nothing shall satisfie me but thy life Thou hast wrong'd my dear God therefore I will be reveng'd of thee True Repentance and true Faith work indignation and revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Yea what indignation what revenge As we cannot love God too much so we cannot hate sin too much Art 2 Secondly There is a diligent enquiry after the Malefactor So faith sends out Hue and Cry VVhere is the Rebel the Traytor It is the voice of Faith that Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes c. Faith knows if we finde not sin out sin will finde us out Num. 32.23 and if it sees us first it slayes us as the Basilisk Faith knows all the haunts of sin as Saul said of David to the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23.22 Go I pray you know and see his place where his haunt is It searches the root of all actual sins Psal 51.5 In sin was I shapen c. An unbeliever hides extenuates excuses denies his sin But Faith never leaves till it discover and brings it before the judgement-seat As Rahab entertained the spies Heb. 11 31. So faith entertains the spies of enlightned reason Psal 119.105 and Prayer Psal 139.23 Art 3 Thirdly Faith brings in the Accusers of sin 1. The Law Joh. 5.45 There is one that accuseth you even Moses Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law 2. The Gospel though it saves the sinner it condemns the sin Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we we believers continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 3. The Renewed man converted by the Gospel Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me whereas sin accuseth the godly man to be the troubler of the person family 1 Kin. 18.18 Josh 7.25 state c. Faith sayes to sin Thou art the troubler of Israel therefore thou deservest to be stoned to death Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings amongst you come they not from your lusts Art 4 Fourthly Faith brings in Witness against sin whereas sin pleads for it self and accuseth Holiness and strictness to be the cause of all misery Faith brings in witness to the contrary 1. Outward By faith we understand the world was made c. Heb. 11. and so that the world was destroyed by sin once drown'd again reserved for fire to wash 2 Pet. 3. to burn out the filth of sin All evils that ever
As a natural death seizeth on all parts heart and all so true Mortification extends it self to all parts of the old man even to the best beloved sin and that which lies next the heart 3. Then there is no more delight in sin 3 Mark Rom. 6. If sin be dead in us we are dead to sin Bury my dead out of my sight said Abraham of his beloved Sarah when she was once dead Gen. 23.4 4. Further let us see 4 Mark if we have proceeded against sin as the avenger of blood in those eight Particulars above-mentioned viz. Is there 1. A rising of the heart against sin 2. A diligent enquiry after it 3. An accusation of it c. Obj. But my sin revives in me rather than is mortified Ans I answer as before VVhen a beast is struck it struggles Besides as Christ died a lingring death so doth a believers sin that is crucified with him There is a long Combate between the flesh and Spirit as there was between the houses of Saul and David Gal. 5.17 2 Sam. 3. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. Obj. Yea but there is a combate in the Conscience of Natural men against sin as there is in the Regenerate of the Spirit against the flesh And I am afraid mine is no more how shall I know it Marks of the combate of flesh against Spirit Ans Know it thus 1. By the Cause What is the Cause of this Combate or Trouble of Conscience Is it onely some gross sin or great judgement That may proceed from the horror of natural Conscience But if thy very corrupt frame of Nature troubles thee and its putting forth in the least sins in sinful thoughts in sinful looks c. This combate proceeds from a Nature renew'd by the Spirit of God Rom. 7.23 24. I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde O wretched man that I am c Second Mark of the difference 'twixt a true and false combate 2. By the Aim The aim of a natural man in his combate or wrestling is onely to give sin a foil or at most a fall and he is willing to let it rise again so it will be quiet and not bring him to shame by giving him a fall in the place of lookers-on But the aim of a spiritual man in his combate is not onely to give sin a fall but to kill it and crucifie it He lives the Life of Mortification he desires that all that natural enmity which is in his heart against God Eph. 2.16 may be utterly slain 3 Mark 3. In the Effects and Issue For 1. the combate of a Natural man drives him to false succours When the evil Spirit troubles Saul he runs now to his Musick now to the Witch of Endor Cain to his building of Cities But a spiritual man runs to Christ Rom. 7.25 Who shall deliver me from the body of death I thank God sayes he through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. The combate of a Natural man endeth usually either in Despair or Dissoluteness The flesh gets the better hand and at last his troubled conscience comes to be drown'd or sear'd But the combate of Spiritual men ends in Victory his conscience is more tender and smites him for the lap of a garment or any small thing and so he gets more power against sin from day to day Though he halts for it yet he gets the victory Vse 3 Thirdly It Reproves all that live not by Faith the Life of Mortification Conviction Reproof to 7 sort of persons 1. Such as rather make peace with sin than fight against it Though the Lord hath sworn that he will have war with this Amalek from generation to generation Exod. 17.16 What is this but to make a Covenant with Death and to be at an Agreement with Hell Isa 28.15 2. Such as in stead of fighting against sin fight for it See also Jer. 44.16 As the Sodomites for theirs Gen. 19. or the Benjamites in defence of theirs Judg. 20. or the Ephesians for their Diana Acts 19. Such take the Devils part and fight against Christ as the Dragon against Michael Rev. 12.7 3. Such as nourish and cherish their Sin as the countryman did the Snake till it sting them to death What Solomon sayes of one Sin may be said of all Prov. 23.32 At last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder These are such as make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it Rom. 13. last 4. Such as seem Neuters in this Christian Warfare Though none are so indeed for all are either with Christ or against him But some seem Neuters as Laodicea Rev. 3.16 that is neither hot nor cold Double-minded men that are unstable in all their wayes Jam. 1.8 Such as the Lord will spew out of his mouth Why halt ye between two said Elijah 1 Kings 18.21 if Baal be God follow him if God be God follow him 5. Such as will chide and rate their Sins and themselves for their Sins as Saul did before David My Son I have done very foolishly and Pharaoh before Moses 1 Sam. 14.16 Exod 9.27 The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked and Judas did before the High-Priest I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood and yet for all that they spare the life of them They had rather kill themselves than kill their Sins as Saul did and Judas also 6. Such as will restrain Sin or imprison it or binde it to its good-behavior or cast it so bound into a pit as Joseph was cast by his Brethren that the world may not see their wickedness Gen. 27.21 but they are resolved they will never kill it outright No but they plead for the life of it as Reuben pleaded for the life of his Brother Let us not kill him 2 Sam. 18.5 c. Or as David for Absolom Deal gently with the young man Just so men deal with their Sins they are kinde-hearted to their Sins but cruel to their Souls 7. Such as will whip and scourge their Sins and themselves for their Sins but spare the life of it As Papists do by their Fastings Pilgrimages and Scourgings and then presently give a new Indulgence to Sin As the worshippers of Baal cut themselves with knives and lancers 1 Kings 18. So these mortifie the outward man but the inward man is never pricked at the heart Alas it's easier to endure all outward torments than to mortifie one lust The sinner will endure any pain Job 2. so his sin may live Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Now Sin is the very life of a sinner in his own apprehension dearer than his right hand or his right eye 8. Such as deal with their Sins as those Cutters in the 10 of Luke dealt with the Traveller between Jerusalem and Jericho wound them sore and leave
From the Danger of Spiritual drowziness First from the Judgement threatned Revel 2.5 Repent and do thy first works or I will remove thy Candlestick Amos 8.10 11 Such as sleep by candle-light are in danger of burning the house over their heads or of their Masters removing the candlestick Secondly from the Judgement felt Psal 32. David was in a dead condition of Soul he made no confession of his sins but God quickned him by his afflicting Rod ver 3 4. Thy hand was heavy upon me c. And as Faith will feel the Rod so it is that Heavenly Wisdome will teach us to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Micah 6.9 An unbeliever is not stirr'd Jer. 2.30 5.3 Vse of all in general Use of the Life of Vivification 1 Reproof FIrst this then Reproves the want of living by Faith this Life of Vivification Simile Divers men though they are dead and dull and can sometimes complain of it in Prayer in Hearing in Practice O weary of themselves yet labour not to blow up the fire to stir up the gift Gen. 49.14 but like Issachar bow under their burthens They are like such as are troubled with the Green-sickness or some such lazy disease Though motion be the onely way of cure they had as lieve die as stir they will not act their Faith O say they God must do all I can do nothing and under this pretence they give themselves up to Spiritual sloth That look as some turn the grace of God into wantonness who under pretence that Christ died for sinners take occasion to run into all excess of riot So others turn the grace of God into slothfulness who under pretence that God must do all wil do nothing at all themselves But the Scriptures reason the contrary way God our heavenly Master works all the works of his poor Servants Phil. 2. in them and for them therefore we should be encouraged to work As when the Master is willing to hold and guide the hand of the Scholar he should be encouraged to write That is the Argument Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Thus as the Father said Agimus acti when God helps us in the action we should be willing to act the grace receiv'd and employ the talent bestow'd The slothful Servant and the wicked Servant are put both together Mat. 25.26 Therefore they are justly Reproved who live not by Faith this Life of Vivification but give themselves up to spiritual sloth and laziness Such are in danger of a sudden blow from God if they smite not on their own hearts to quicken themselves The warning that Christ gives to the Church of Sardis is proper to such Rev. 3.1 2 3. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die c. Else he threatens to come as a Thief upon such drowzy Souls A Thief comes suddenly and terribly and so will Christ Though he may save their Souls at last yet it may cost them a scouring in the mean-while Obj. But what can I do Ans 1. Thou maist come to the place of hearing 2. Thou maist frequent good Company 3. Thou maist complain of thy deadness to God This I do but I am not quickned I confess my deadness is a burthen to me O that I might meet a Messenger one of a thousand Job 33. to deliver my Soul out of this pit of deadness In answer to this therefore We shall propound a Second Use viz. Of Exhortation To perswade us to live by Faith the Life of Vivification Vse 2. Exhortation In prosecution whereof I shall first propound some Motives to make willing and secondly some Means to make thee more able Motive 1. We should be active stirring lively Christians because as God is a pure Act so he is active for us 1. Motives to Vivification Joh. 5 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work says Christ and therefore of him 't is said Acts 10.38 He went about doing good and healing all for God was with him Wherefore we should be alwayes working for him 1 Cor. 15. Alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Mot. 2 God loves active and lively Servants as he is a living God And as the God of Spirits he loves to be served in the Spirit not onely as 't is opposed to falseness and dissimulation but as 't is opposed to sloth and negligence God would not have an Ass to be offered up in Sacrifice Exod. 13.13 because that was a dull and slow creature He maketh his Angels his Messengers because they are all Spirit And God would have us as Angels not onely in our Intellectuals but in our Practicals that his Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven and that is with life and vigour However in Scripture Christians are compared to Stones 't is not for their coldness or deadness but onely for their firmness and then they are called too Living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 Therefore as their faith is a living faith * Joh. 11.26 their hope a living hope †1 Pet. 1.4 so their prayers should be lively and fervent prayers ascending up as Incense their works living works The first Lesson the very A B C of a Christian is Repentance from dead works Heb. 6.1 In a word himself should be a living Sacrifice if acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 In the 3 of Rev. 20. after Christ had reproved them for lukewarmness and exhorted to be zealous he then invites them to Supper where we may observe a lukewarm temper to be the worst temper and a zealous temper the best temper the first is a Dish for the Devil but the latter is a Dish fit for Christs own palate Now where there is zeal there is heat and where there is heat there is activity as fire mounts Heaven-ward Therefore God would never have the fire go out upon his Altar to signifie there should be heat in all our spiritual Sacrifices of Prayer of Preaching of Hearing of Meditation Wisd 4.13 and Practice In all these we must live by Faith the Life of Spiritual Fervor Mot. 3 An active Christian lives long in a little time as others live but a little in a long time For we live no longer to any purpose than we fulfil the end of our life which is to do God service Ioh. 20.4 Herein active Christians do like that Disciple that out-ran Peter and came first to the Sepulcher And indeed they are fittest for the Sepulcher in another sense that are swiftest in their Christian race It is the highest commendation of a Christian on earth and will be their Crown in Heaven through Free-grace to have been active for God Their Commendation on Earth The honorable salutation of active Christians stands upon Record that all that are gracious may call them Blessed Rom. 16.12 Salute Triphena and Triphosa
because we neglect the Seal of the Word It may be in a Womans Brests if one be dried up the other may be the fuller because that nourishment which should run into two doth now run into one vessel But it is not so here for the neglect of one Ordinance makes the other more unprofitable because God never appointed any Ordinance in vain and will not indure the contempt of any Well then poor Soul dost thou complain for want of comfort thou canst not finde that comfortable assurance of Gods love active or passive thou wert wont to finde It may be there is more estrangedness every way I answer If it be so blame thy self and not God thou dost neglect a comfortable Ordinance thou sufferest one of thy Mothers Brests to be dried up for want of sucking in which thou mightst otherwise finde abundance of comfort You read in 2 Chron. 30.21 26. Gods people kept the Passover with great gladness there was such exceeding great joy in Jerusalem that there had not been the like many years before in those times when the Sacrament was neglected And you know the Sacrament of the Passover and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper are all one for substance And so you read Act 2.46 They continued in breaking of bread from house to house with gladness of heart Well then dost thou want this gladness of heart this Life of Consolation Consider whether this be not the cause thou hast not for a long time laid thy mouth to this Brest No wonder then if thou complainest for want of comfort I would not be mistaken Caution for I speak to none but true children as Christ says of his Bread so I say of his Brest It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to whelps For we must know though this Brest be sweet it is so onely to the believing Soul The unbeliever sucks poison out of it he eats and drinks his own damnation Therefore saith the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And what must he examine Surely his faith above all the rest 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own selves whether ye be in the faith The Word and Sacraments are the two Brests and Faith is the Mouth and so the just by Faith sucking at these two Brests he lives the Life of Consolation And that 's the second Reason Reas 3 3 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Justification VVhy consolation comes by Faith as we have heard at large and therefore by consequence by the same Faith also he lives the Life of Consolation For as sorrow is more properly the consequent of sin than sufferings For suppose suffering without sin and they are more truly the occasions of joy than sorrow So on the other side comfort is more properly the consequence of Righteousness than of all outward Blessings whatsoever Rom. 5.1 2 3. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not onely so but we rejoyce in tribulations And so tribulations cannot hinder the glorious rejoycing of a justified person The golden Chain Order of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Therefore in that Golden Chain Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Observe the order First Righteousness when a a person is justified through the Merits of Christ then Peace when we understand God and we are friends for what strikes terror but this Oh! I have sinned says the Soul and God is mine enemy And what speaks peace but this I am justified from my sins and now God is my friend And then thirdly comes in Joy in the holy Ghost for as nothing wounds the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of an enemy so nothing comforts the Soul more than to look at God under the notion of a friend and reconciled Father Therefore as Peace is the fruit of Righteousness so Joy is the fruit of Peace and then both Joy Peace and Righteousness the fruit of Faith Therefore a Christian lives by Faith the Life of Consolation As you cannot separate the heat of the Sun from the light of it no more can you separate the comfort of Justification from the life and assurance of it and the stronger the assurance the stronger is the comfort Reas 4 4 Reason Because by Faith a Christian lives the Life of Sanctification Why Consolation comes by Faith both in purifying the heart from sinful corruption and in quickning of it to all holy duties as we have already proved Now howsoever it is true Caution the forsaking of sin on the one hand and the practising of holy duties on the other hand doth not deserve the least comfort or incouragement from God and in this sense we do not ground our comfort upon our duties Yet this we say from good Warrant from the Scripture God of his free grace doth usually make holy ways comfortable ways and sinful ways uncomfortable ways even to his own children Hereupon David says on the other side Psal 38. There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin And Solomon says on the other side Pro. 3.17 All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Hear what S. Luke saith Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord they walked also in the comfort of the holy Ghost God deals with his children as we do with ours though we intend not to disinherit them for every fault yet we will discourage them by correction when they do ill and incourage them by rewarding them when they do well It is not all one in point of comfort whether we sin or sin not God is a wise as well as a loving Father he will shew no countenance to his own children if they regard iniquity in their heart Psal 66 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer But blessed are the pure in heart Why they shall see God Mat. 5.8 What of that why here 's the comfort here 's the happiness here 's the very heaven of a Christian to see God 1 Joh 3 2. For Vision of God works Transformation into the Image of God Satisfaction and Satisfaction even abundance of Soul-ravishing Consolation Now this Wisdom Transformation Satisfaction and Consolation God onely disposeth to the pure in heart And yet I do not mean such as are pure in heart from all acts of sin for we sin in our best duties but such as are pure from the approbation and allowance of any sin from the regarding of any iniquity in their heart If a justified person do not act his Faith to the purifying of his heart and life In that sense we speak of God will certainly suspend his comfort for a time The Sun of Righteousness will not shine upon a Dunghil heart but upon the Garden for the Spirit
excellent Effects of it Then surely as we have cause to admire the unparallell'd expressions of Gods goodness to us herein So have we cause to break forth into thankfulness as oft as we think of it and act our Faith for it No sooner did the Apostle Peter think of that heavenly Inheritance but he must needs break forth into blessing of God before he can tell how to speak of it or to utter what he had conceived about it 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible c. Mark he cannot think of the inheritance but he is forced to break forth into blessing What though we have not reaped our full harvest yet you know Gods People were commanded to bring their Oblation of Thanksgiving when they received their first-fruits because the first-fruits were a Pawn and Pledge of the whole Harvest Deut. 26. So we are bound to be thankful to God when we have but received the first-fruits of grace when we have but so much grace as to live by Faith for Life Eternal because the first-fruits of grace do ascertain us of a full Harvest of glory in due time What though we have not yet a perfect victory over all our enemies Sin Satan and Death yet as Moses when God had delivered him and his People from the danger of the Sea and Pharoabs host he sings a Song of Thanksgiving to the Lord Exod. 15.1 though the perils of the Wilderness and other evils were still behinde yet I say he is thankful because these first victories were a Pawn and a Pledge to them of a full and plenary Conquest and that God would never leave them till he had planted them in Canaan it self yea in that Celestial Canaan where God reigns for ever and ever And this was the ground of Moses his thankfulness ver 14. The People shall hear and be afraid c. ver 16 17 18. Fear and dread shall fall upon them by the greatness of thine Arm they shall be as still as a stone till thy people pass over O Lord till thy people pass over which thou hast purchased Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the Mountain of thine Inheritance in the place O Lord which thou hast made for thee to dwell in in the Sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established The Lord shall reign for ever and ever Thus Gods People like Moses are thankful for Victories not onely present and past but future also Though Gods People are yet upon the Sea of this world and not past the Wilderness they have cause to be thankful as Moses was because they have both a Promise and a Pledge of Canaan as he had Therefore it is observable that Gods people under the New Testament standing upon the glassie Sea of this world are said to sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Rev. 15.2 3. And I saw as it were a Sea of glass c. They sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb that is They sing such a Song as Moses did sing both for Mercies past and also in assured hope of Mercies to come And this Song is taught by the Lamb that is by the Lamb of God to all such as are redeemed by him and none can sing this Song but such as are redeemed A man cannot be thankful for that which he hath nothing to shew for he that hath nothing to shew for Heaven how is it possible such a man should be thankful for it And therefore such as have the White Stone and the New Name and the Name of Christ and his Father written in their Foreheads are such as sing this Song of Thankfulness Rev. 14.1 3. And they sing as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that Song but the hundred fourty four thousand which were redeemed from the earth None but holy Men and holy Angels are fit for this work none can give hearty praise to God for victory over Sin Satan and Antichrist or for the Comforts of another World but they that have a part and a lot in that Inheritance As a stranger intermeddles not with the joy of Gods people so neither with that Praise which is onely comely in their mouthes Therefore let the redeemed of the Lord praise him and be thankful to him Quest How should they express and prove their Thankfulness Ans First In the hatred and forsaking of all sin Secondly In the practice of all holy duties and good works First In the hatred and forsaking of all sin at least 1. Thankfulness shew'd by forsaking sin in regard of the Dominion of it And why so Because by Sin 1. A man dishonours the Donor of this great Gift 2. He wrongs his own Soul 1. He dishonours the Donor execedingly Rom. 2.24 Sin dishonors God The Name of God is blasphemed and dishonoured among the Gentiles through you You for such as you who have received so much Light and so much Mercy from God to walk thus O what a shame is it for you thus to dishonour God! God loves you so dearly that he hath kept nothing from you no not heaven it self I say he hath kept nothing from you but his own glory And will you be so unthankful as to rob him of that by your sinful carriage A gracious Soul when he is tempted to sin and thereby to commit Spiritual Adultery against God and to stain his Glory should answer as Joseph did Gen. 39.8 9. My Lord and Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in all the house than I neither hath he kept any thing back from me but thee because thou art dear to him Gods glory is dear to him as the woman who is the glory of the man is dear to him how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God It was a great sin in Absalom 2 Sam. 15. when David had received him into favour after his three months banishment and upwards and he was now declared his Reconciled Childe and Heir Apparent to the Kingdom in due time I say it was a great sin in him in stead of being thankful to his Father that he should presently prepare himself Horses and Chariots and a strong Guard endevouring to steal away the hearts of the men of Israel and his Crown also from his Father both at once And surely it is a great expression of unthankfulness in any after God hath once received them into favour and by Faith assured them of Eternal Life for such to return again to folly and walk crossly and to rob God of the Crown of his Glory by their sins God took it very unkindly at Davids hands that he of all other men
that it is the Work of a God and not of a Creature All the Ministers in the World cannot do it without the Spirit and therefore it is said Gen. 9.27 God inlarge or God perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. The Jews came of Shem and were the first Church of Japhet came the Gentiles and they were strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel Now it must be the Work of an Almighty God to perswade them to believe and so to dwell in the Tents of Shem. We are all naturally so imprisoned and lockt up under Unbelief that in case our hearts are once set at liberty to imbrace the Promise and Christ in the Promise we may well say as Peter said when he came to himself and found that he was delivered out of Prison Acts 12.11 Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod c. So may a Believer say who is awakened out of his dead sleep as Peter was Now I know of a surety that God hath sent his Spirit and hath deliverd me out of the hand of the spiritual Herod out of the hand of Satan It is he that hath delivered me out of the prison of Sin It is he that hath caused the Iron-gates of my unbelieving heart to fly open of its own accord It is he that by the Power of his Spirit hath loosed and shaken off all the Chains and Bolts of natural Corruptions and sinful Customs what was impossible to me God hath made feasible and easie and therefore to Him be all the praise and glory who hath fulfilled the work of faith with power 2 Thess 1.11 Thus it was with David who naturally being the servant of Sin and perceiving himself redeemed and manu-mitted by the Power of Gods Grace he doth freely in a way of Thankfulness offer up himself to the Service of God as if it were his perfect freedom Psal 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds What follows I will offer to thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving And this is the third Consideration that should move us to be thankful Fourthly It is such a Gift as is very precious 4. Faith is a most precious gift and therefore we should be very thankful for it It is true indeed Christ is very precious he is so in himself whether we believe or no But he is not so to us unless we imbrace him by faith 1 Pet. 2.7 This sets a price upon him to the purpose Therefore we should account that faith precious that makes Christ himself so precious to our Souls Men use to be thankful for precious gifts Now there are three things in Scripture accounted precious Three things very precious First The Pearl it self Secondly The Cabinet that holds it Thirdly The skilful Hand that hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet and lay hold upon it 1. The Pearl it self viz Jesus Christ he is 〈◊〉 precious Mat. 13.45 46. so precious that the Merchant-man is content to sell all that he hath so he may but compass this Pearl Farewel Profits farewel Pleasures farewel Honours farewel Sin so I may but injoy Christ I am willing to part with all 2. The Cabinet that holds the Pearl is precious 2 Pet. 1.4 There are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature One Promise is more worth than all the world How should we know where to finde the Pearl if God had not laid it up in such a precious Cabinet Therefore the Cabinet also is precious 3. The skilful Hand which hath Right and Power to open the Cabinet and lay hold upon the Pearl that is 〈◊〉 precious hand Were the Cabinet and the Pearl never so precious yet if we had no hand to open the Cabinet or lay hold on the Pearl what were we the better But Faith hath skill and power from God to open the Cabinet and to lay hold upon the Pearl and to say This is mine and therefore this Faith must needs be precious Faith The preciousness of Faith in 4 respects 2 Pet. 1.1 It is a precious hand in four respects 1. Because it lays hold upon precious things Precious Christ Precious Promises Precious Righteousness and Precious Holiness For we are justified by Faith and sanctified by Faith as we have already proved at large 2. Because in case it lays hold on things not precious it makes them precious As it makes difficult things easie all things are possible to him that believeth so it makes vile things become precious Rom. 8.28 And this we know saith the Apostle that all things work together for good to them that love God 'T is all one as if he had said To them that believe in God For Faith worketh by love it turneth Iron-fetters into Golden chains There is much talk of the Philosphers Stone what great wonders it would do if it could be found out But this is true of Faith It turneth all that it toucheth into that which is most precious It was fabled of Midas That it was his desire whatever he touch'd might be turned into Gold he had his desire and yet he repented himself when he had done say they Because his very meat was turned into gold that should have preserved his life But whatever a Believer touches by Faith if it be not turned into Gold it is turned into that which is more precious than Gold Suppose he meet with Poverty or with Bonds and Imprisonment I know saith the Apostle that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 And thus Faith is precious for it maketh even vile things become precious 3. Because it lays hold on precious things for it self The Master of a Ship may carry abundance of Treasure for another man But whatever precious things Faith lays hold on it makes them it s own My God and my Lord saith Thomas I live by the faith of the Son of God saith Paul who hath loved me and given himself for me My beloved is mine and I am his My Christ My Promise My Heaven All is mine saith Faith All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.23 4. Because it lays fast hold it lays hold for ever on those precious things If a Believer should lay hold and let go again his Faith were not so precious Nay the more happy a man esteems himself in the enjoyment of a good thing the more miserable he apprehends himself to be in the loss of it But Faith lays hold upon Christ for ever Once thine and for ever thine for The Just lives by Faith the Life of Conservation or Perseverance It may be thou art afraid thou shouldst let thy hold go of Christ But to be sure Christ will never let his hold go
of the Lord may run and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 Thus God glorifies his Word His Kingdom 5. God glorifies his Kingdom for what 's the honour of a King but the multitude of his Subjects Prov. 14.28 Now the Conversion of Souls is nothing else but the addition of so many Souls to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and this makes much for the honour of it Thy Kingdom come is the next Petition to Hallowed be thy Name to signifie that Gods Name is then most hallowed when his Kingdom is most enlarged David we know took not a little content in numbring of his People and surely the sin lay not so much in the bare numbring of them as in his carnal confidence in them We are sure Jesus Christ takes a great deal of content in the numbring of his Subjects he keeps a List and Roll of their Names No sooner is a Soul converted but presently his Name must be entred into the Church-book in the best sense Psal 87.4 5 6. This man was born there and of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall stablish her her Charter is sealed by the King of Heaven The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah Thus God glorifies his Kingdom The Conversion of Souls is such a Work as brings most glory to God 2. It brings most good to the Creature Secondly it is such a Work as brings most good to the Creature and that not onely to the creature converted but to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their conversion 1. To the converted 1. To the Creature converted His Conversion is a means of his Salvation and that not of his Body onely but of his precious Soul also He that knows not how to prize a Soul let him weigh the price of a Soul in the Blood of Jesus Christ let him look upon Christ crying sweating bleeding dying and all to save Souls Now he that converts a sinner saves a soul saith S. James and he saves it from death from the first Death and from the second Death also Jam. Chap. 5. ver 20. Nay he restores such a Soul to life to a better life than ever the Creature enjoyed before and therefore it is said Prov. 11.30 The fruit of the righteous is as the Tree of Life and he that winneth Souls is wise Comparing such a man as makes it his work to convert Souls to the Tree of Life planted in the Garden of Paradise and that in many Particulars 1. Because it was Gods planting and grew not out of the Earth of its own accord So is a righteous man a piece of Gods special husbandry for true Grace grows not up in any by natural Propagation but is of Gods particular Plantation 2. Because it was more excellent than other Trees and therefore placed in the midst of the Garden So is the righteous more excellent than his neighhour Prov 12.26 whatever the world accounts of him 3. In regard of the fruit of it For 1. As that one Tree bare divers kinds of Fruits and bare those Fruits at all times of the year Rev. 22.2 So doth a righteous man he bears divers kinds of Fruits and that at all times Psal 106.3 2. As the Fruit of that Tree was a special means to preserve the life of those that took it therefore called The Tree of Life So is a righteous man a special means under God to preserve the Life of others and therefore also called a Tree of Life Vt supra The fruit of the Righteous is as the Tree of Life Nay in some respect it is more excellent than the Tree of Life in Paradise for that did but preserve a man from death so long as he continued in his uprightness but this hath power in the strength of Christ to raise up a sinner from the dead The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5.25 They shall live the most excellent life they shall so live as never to taste of the second death and therefore it is such a Work as brings most good to the creature converted Yea and Conversion brings good to others that see the Conversion It rejoyces 1. The Minister Secondly it brings good to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their Conversion As 1. How doth it rejoyce him that under God is made an instrument of that happy work Solomon tells us no less than three or four times in the Proverbs that a wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 10.1 15.20 23.24 25. And if this be true in some sense of natural Parents and natural Wisdom how much more is it true of Spiritual Parents and Spiritual Wisdom If the natural Parent so soon forgetteth all her sorrow Joh. 16.21 for joy that a man-childe is born into the world how much more do Spiritual Parents whom God makes Instruments of the New-birth forget all their sorrow whilst they were labouring and wrestling with God by Prayers and Tears many years together for the Conversion of such a poor Soul I say how much more doth such an one forget all his sorrow and rejoyce with exceeding great gladness for joy that a Spiritual childe is born and brought forth into the Kingdom of God How doth the Apostle rejoyce to call Timothy his natural Son in the faith and to call the converted Philippians his dearly beloved and longed for his joy and crown of rejoycing in the Lord Phil. 4.1 Never did natural Parents rejoyce more in their natural children than Spiritual Parents do rejoyce in their Spiritual children And if God would please so to bless my Labours this day as to make me a poor Instrument of begetting one Soul to Jesus Christ I should think it an hour well spent I should have cause to bless God to all Eternity for this days work O remember I beseech you remember whilst you stout it and stand it out against God as you grieve the Spirit of God so you grieve the Spirits of your Ministers that desire to be faithful you compel them to give up their accounts with grief and not with joy Heb. 13.17 But when you come in and believe and obey they can say with S. John in Ep. 3. v. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the Truth to hear that such an one that was awhile ago an enemy to God and all goodness is now made a friend a favourite a childe For indeed Conversion brings a great blessing to the instrument this is such a work as brings a great Blessing along with it And that 1. From God Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God and surely if they that make peace betwixt man and man much more they that make peace betwixt God and man betwixt God and the
penitent Thief upon the Cross had but a little time to turn him in and yet a good part of that little Note he spent in labouring to gain the Soul of his fellow-Thief Luk. 23.40 Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation Be assured of this that as the gain of Souls is the best of all gains So the blood of Souls of all other blood will lie the heaviest upon the Conscience of such as are guilty of it Vse 3 Vse 3. Of Exhortation Exhortation to convert Souls The third Use may be for Exhortation 1. To all sorts of Christians in general and then 2. In special to those whose Office and Function calls upon them more importunately to labour in the Conversion of Souls Branch 1. In general to all First To all in general for we must not think it is the Ministers work alone For what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife 1 Cor. 7.16 And what knowest thou O Christian whether thou shalt save thy Neighbor Do what thou canst in a wise way it may be God may second thy endevours thy Reproof or thy Exhortation by his own Spirit The poor Woman of Samaria was an Instrument under God of drawing on her Neighbors to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ Joh. 4. And what dost thou know but God may bless thy endevours with the like success And therefore whilst others spend time in idle discourse for he that is of the earth Joh. 3.31 speaketh of the earth let Christians spend their time in Exhorting and Comforting and Edifying one another as the Apostle speaks 1 Thess 5.11 Branch 2. In particular to Ministers And if all in general then surely Ministers of all others Ministers in a special manner should aim at the Salvation of Souls because the great end of their Commission from God is to take Curam animarum the Care of Souls to turn men from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God Act. 26.18 Note It was an excellent saying of him that was in this place before me and deserved to be so in every respect in his Book of the Loadstone Chap. 8. says he If God would give a Christian his wish especially a Minister of the Gospel and say to him as sometime he said to Solomon when he offered a thousand burnt-offerings at Gibeon Ask what I shall give thee 2 Chron. 1.7 what should he desire either before or more than this viz. than that he might receive a large portion of that Magnetical vertue from God which was bestowed upon Peter and Paul and other Primitive Preachers whereby they drew many thousand Souls to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the world went after him Therefore let all sorts of Christians in their place and sphere especially Ministers of the Gospel labour in the Conversion of Souls Motive 1 Shall I give you some Motives The Reasons may be Motive enough For of all works it is the most excellent The excellency of Converting Souls and men generally delight to be imployed in excellent works Men will do and dare any thing to become great in the world but this is the onely way to become great in the sight of the Lord. Luk. 1.15 He shall be great in the sight of the Lord says the Angel speaking of John the Baptist And why great Mark ver 16. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God Conversion of Souls to God makes men of great account in the sight of the Lord. Motive 2 Secondly consider This is a main end of our Calling The end of the Ministery and of all those Ministerial Gifts we receive from Jesus Christ for the better discharge of our Calling He gave all for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4.12 c. He gave not these Gifts that we might gain profit or applause to our selves but that we might gain Souls to him Motive 3 Thirdly consider The Conversion and Salvation of Souls cost the blood of the dearest Soul that ever was Souls cost the blood of Christ and that is the blood of Jesus Christ Therefore should Ministers take special heed in feeding of their flock and in the Salvation of those Souls which Christ hath purchased with his own blood Act. 20.24 Motive 4 Fourthly If we be negligent herein it will cost us our own blood Else it will cost our blood If we neglect our duty our duty they may die in their iniquity but their blood shall be required at the Ministers hands Ezek. 33.8 9. Motive 5 Fifthly Not onely the Precept but the Example of Jesus Christ Example of Christ doth press us to this duty of Conversion of Souls He was a diligent and constant Preacher himself and it was his very meat and drink to take occasion of converting Souls Joh. 4. He is the good Shepherd that seeks up his lost sheep and when he hath found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoycing and bringeth it home that others also may rejoyce with him Luk. 15. Nay it was the very last work that Christ commended to us by his Example when he took his leave of us and left the world He converted the poor Thief at the last gasp as if Christ had said This work is the very end of my Death that poor sinners might live and be converted And this work I commend upon my death to all my friends if you love me do as I have done in my last farewel Let this be your work to convert Souls to God I have given you an example that you should do as I have done before you Motive 6 Sixthly This is the best and truest Testimony of our unfeigned love to Jesus Christ Best sign of love to Christ Joh. 21.15 16 17. Upon Christs threefold Interrogation Lovest thou me and Peters threefold Profession of his love to Christ you have Christs threefold Injunction Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep Feed my Sheep As if the feeding of Souls the saving of Souls were the truest testimony of our love to Jesus Christ Motive 7 Seventhly This is also the best testimony of our thankfulness to Jesus Christ for our conversion Testimony of our thankfulness to Christ when we endevour the conversion of others It was that which David promised to God in a grateful acknowledgement of Gods mercy in the pardon of his own sins Psal 51.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee As if he should say Lord if thou wilt convert me I will endevour also the conversion of others unto thee Motive 8 Eighthly We should labour the conversion of others because we our selves were once in the same condition with those that are yet aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Remembrance of our own condition
God commands his People to pity strangers because themselves were sometimes strangers in the Land of Egypt So should we not pity such as are strangers to God because we our selves were sometimes so I have heard of many a Drunkard and loose liver who being once converted would ever after pity those in the same condition admonishing of them and visiting them in their sickness and saying Well what do I know but such an one may belong to God as well as I What do I know but God may change his heart as well as mine This is the Apostles Argument Tit. 3.2 3. Shewing all meekness to all men for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. But afterwards the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards us appeared c. As if he should say Let us therefore be pitiful to the Souls of others as God shewed mercy to us who sometimes were as vile and sinful as any others And these are the Motives Quest But some may say What means should I use for the Conversion of Souls Answ I answer First make sure thy own conversion Means for the conversion of others 1. Being converted a mans self Luk. 22.23 And when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Then the Word comes in a lively manner That that comes from the heart is most likely to go to the heart Every life begets like to it self Propagation of kinde is natural to every Creature and so it is in Spiritual Life They that have this new Life desire to beget others to God I will not deny but an unconverted man may convert another but 't is very rare God usually delights to make use of such as are converted themselves and they have as great a delight to do the work Phil. 2.20 Tim thy who will naturally care for your estate And why so because Timothy was his natural son in the faith Mean 2 Make use of the Word for that 's the power of God to salvation Make use of the Word Rom. 1.16 and the incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.17 God delights not to work by other means though men be never so eloquent and therefore say of that as David of the Sword of Golias 1 Sam. 21.9 There 's none like that So may we say of the two-edged Sword of the Word of God that Sword There 's none like that in the cutting down of sin and the stone out of the heart Mean 3 Go out in Gods strength 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God Go in Gods strength to the pulling down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan Therefore be as diligent in Prayer as in Preaching if thou wouldst convert Souls 'T is our duty to labour but when all 's done the success is from God He that planteth is nothing 1 Cor. 3. nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Therefore be as earnest for Spiritual children as Rachel was for the children of her Womb Gen. 30. He onely can help Ministers to teach profitably Eph. 6.19 And for me that utterance may be given me that I may speak c. He onely can help People to hear with profit Psal 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit Mean 4 Look to thy Life as well as to thy Doctrine if thou wouldst convert Souls Teach by Life 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and to thy Doctrine for in so doing c. People observe what a mans hand speaks as well as what his tongue speaks Surely say they if this man were in earnest he would do as he speaks Mean 5 Observe the Disposition of those with whom thou dealest and become all things to all men Observe dispositions 1 Cor. 9.22 so far as thou canst with a good conscience that thou maist win some 1 Cor. 9.19 c. As Fishers bait their hook according to the season and kinde of the fish they are to take For Ministers are called Fishers of men and in that respect had need beg wisdom of God that we may so cast forth the hook and the Net of the Word that we catch men Mean 6 If thou wouldst convert men from their sins Convincing of sin labour first to convince them of sin that 's Christs method Joh. 16.8 that they may be wounded for their sins for the whole have no need of the Physician but the sick Mean 7 Hold forth the Promise of Grace and of Christ In the Promise offering Mercy Hold forth Christ in the Promise with all the freeness and openness of heart that may be to all that are willing to receive him wholly and intirely Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be called the children of God c. Rev. 22.17 Let him that will come and take of the water of life freely What dost thou know but whilst thou art speaking to the ear God may speak to the heart by his Spirit Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Mean 8 Work every part of the Word first upon thy own heart do not onely work it into thy head Work the word on thine own heart but work it into thy heart Ezek. 3.1 Son of Man eat that thou findest eat this roll and go speak c. As Nurses put into their own mouthes first Vse 4. Of Exhortation Vse 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way Exhortation to Ministers to preach in such a way as is most fit to win Souls to preach in a Soul-saving way not to stroke the ear but to strike the heart O thirst for Salvation of Souls Teach in such a way as is most sutable to the opening and unfolding of heavenly Mysteries Christ findes fault with the Scribes and Pharisees that they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men Mat. 23.13 So do they that either preach not at all or preach above the ordinary capacity of ordinary people who have Souls to save as well as other men we shall be no better than Barbarians to them 1 Cor 14. if we preach in a Language they understand not which may be as well in some kinde of English as in Latine or other Language Therefore we should remember the use of Language is just like the use of a Key which is nothing else but aperire quod clausum est to open that which is shut and therefore we do not esteem that the most excellent Key which is made of the most excellent Metal but that which is made of the best and fittest form in reference to the opening of the Lock So we should not esteem that the most excellent preaching that is made up of the finest and bravest stile but that which is fittest for the opening of the understanding by convincing the judgement