3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness the mortification of the outward man And in vers 8. Put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy There is the mortification of the inward man 2 For Vivification that likewise lieth in two things There is the vivifying of our Graces and the quickning of our Duties or our hearts to obedience The last comes from the former Our Graces bring forth our Duties and our Duties are but the actings of our Graces So that the things wee are to live by faith in in our Sanctification are the mortification of all sin whether in the outward or inward man the vivification or quickning of all Graces and of our hearts to every duty Quest 2. How doth faith act or put forth it self in this business of Sanctification Answ Here according to the two parts wee shall proceed and shew how faith acts in the business of Mortification and Vivification Quest 1. How doth faith act in the business of Mortification Ans 1. Faith doth discover to the soul that the old man the unregenerate and unmortified part that is in every one of us was carried up by the Lord Jesus upon the Cross and there did receive a deadly wound And that Jesus Christ our Redeemer and second Adam did take upon him that nature in which the first Adam fell and so did give a mortall blow to the body of sin and death by suffering in that nature Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh Christ took the likeness of sinfull flesh and by death condemned sin in the flesh that is did give a blow to sin in the flesh in the humane nature that hee took upon him therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 6.6 That our old man is crucified with him Christ took it up upon the Cross with him and gave it a mortall wound Now faith doth discover this to the soule when the soule findeth sin strugling and striving within then saith Faith this sin striving is a part of that body of death that is in the Saints now O my soul look up upon the Cross and see that body of death dying therefore O my soul go out against it and so faith encourageth the soul to go out against sin 2 As Faith shews the soule sin crucified with Christ so it shews the soul that the design of the Lord Jesus in giving a mortal blow to the old man and body of death upon the Cross it was this the weakning of the power of sin and the subduing of it in the Saints that sin might bee so dispowred that it might not reign nor rule in the Saints but bee continually in a declining languishing condition therefore it is said Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed hee doth not say It is destroyed presently Christ took it up upon the Cross gave it a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed in order to the destruction that having the power broken the Saints might the more easily get power over it As an enemy that is already wounded though a Gyant is easily overcome So though sin bee strong as a Gyant Jesus Christ hath wounded sinne therefore his strength being taken away is the more easily subdued Faith shews the soul Christ saith Faith What did Christ give sin a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed O then let not sin live O then sin shall not live in mee 3 Faith shews the soule that there is a continual streaming forth of vertue and efficacy from the Lord Jesus Christ for the killing and subduing sin within Faith doth as it were set open the Fountaine of the Bloud of Jesus Christ streaming out towards and upon it for the healing of the Leprosie of Sin and this is that which faith layeth hold upon when it strugleth with sin Paul when hee was contending with this Old man when he cryeth out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 presently he casts his eye upon Jesus Christ and saith I thank God Faith sheweth the soul the efficacy and vertue that is in the Bloud of Jesus Christ for the killing sin 4 Faith is much in calling out the soul to the promises of mortification we have a promise of mortification Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace The soul that lives by faith when it findeth sin strong it taketh hold of the promise and goeth to Christ and saith Lord thou hast said sin shall not have dominion over me behold here is such and such a corruption too hard for me Lord behold here is thy promise look upon thy promise remember thy promise subdue my corruption it first goeth to the promise and armeth it self with strength in the promise and then cometh and fighteth against sin and that is the matter wee are so often foyled with sin because we try to combate with sin before we go to the promise When a soul lives by faith for the subduing of sin there is first a going to the promise and then it encounters with sin with success 5 Lastly Faith doth beget and maintaine in the soul a secret perswasion though for the present it is compassed about with a weight of infirmities yet God will support it under all and in Gods time it shall be a conquerour over all Though I be for the present molested with sin yet a day will be I shall be a Conquerour and all these my enemies shall be under my feet I shall set my feet upon the necks of all my sins one day and this carries the soul couragioussy out to fight against sin for the present Quest 2. How doth faith act in the business of vivification Ans 1. Faith eyeth much the Resurrection of Christ and maketh the soul labour much after knowing Jesus Christ in his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death Here are the two great things we are speaking of for hee is pressing after perfection of Grace which consists in these two to have fellowship with Christ in his death for mortification and to know Christ in his Resurrection for vivification and quickning As mortification comes by a dying Christ so vivification cometh by a living Christ 2 Faith that sheweth the soul how that in the Resurrection of Christ he was raised up and quickned with Jesus Christ Faith sheweth the soul that in Jesus Christ it is quickned already as its common person therefore the Apostle Paul speaking of Jesus Christ as this common person saith Ephes 2.5 6. Yoâ— who were dead in trespasses and sins he hath quickned with Christ and made to sit together with him in heavenly places Faith shews the soul how that in
Six Severall TREATISES 1 The Promises made and fulfilled in Christ 2 Absolute Promises made to sinners as sinners 3 The Life of Faith and in particular In Justification Sanctification and Expectation 4 The Saints Anchor rightly cast 5 Christs New Command 6 Of Offences By the late worthy and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ John Tillinghast Published by his own Notes LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1657. To the Reader IT is a matter of Lamentation to those who are left behinde that so many Sons of Sion are transplanted to eternity whose Counsels Praiers Experiences might have been very useful if the Lord had seen it good to continue them on earth towards the directing helping and comforting may weak doubting and despondent souls in their journey towards Heaven And amongst others in our day the death of that gracious and sweet-spirited man Mr. Tillinghast deserveth much to bee lamented But there it matter of rejoycing in the midst of our mourning for the Saints in that death bringeth them to the possession of those Promises which before they were but heirs under age unto As Christ said to his Disciples John 14.28 If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I. So if wee rightly loved the Saints wee would rejoice when they go unto the Father for then they receive the End of their Faith and then they injoy the chiefest object of their hope even eternal life And it is our great mercy who still remain that although the Author of the ensuing Treatises was plucked away like a blossome in the prime yet hee hath left us so many useful Instructions about the Promises the life of Faith and hope c. that it may bee said of him by these hee being dead yet speaketh Wee forfeited all our mercies in the first Adam by sin and could never have attained unto grounded hopes of grace or glory if the Lord had not vouchsafed to enter into Covenant with us in and for the sake of Christ the second Adam But now there are given unto all that are in Christ 2 Pet. 1.4 exceeding great and precious promises that by these they might bee partakers of the Divine nature Promises are divine Engagements wherein as with reverence wee may speak it the Lord doth pawn his own faithfulnesse for a security to our saith and hope Oh what matter of admiration is here that the God of glory should condescend so far as to come under Engagements to poor sinful and unworthy creatures and still there is more matter of astonishment if it bee considered what glorious things are put under Promise to the Saints even God himself Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minde and write them in their hearts and I will bee to them a God c. Christian what wouldest thou have more is not God thy all in all is there not enough in God to answer all thy desires to satisfy all thy longings to supply all thy wants behold thou hast him in the Promise hee hath made over himself to thee in the way of a Covenant hee hath engaged himself to bee thy God If the Lord had promised only earthly injoyments health wealth though it had been in great abundance and mountains of gold and heaps of Pearls c. yet it had been nothing in comparison of this to say I will bee thy God Thou art rich indeed who art in Christ all the Promises are thine and so God thine and therefore all thine Thou mayest in all straits exigencies and necessities go to God in the way of the Promise for the improvement of any of his Attributes that thou standest really in need of the use of for they are all engaged for thy advantage When Satan useth his policy against thee then thou mayest say Lord thou hast promised to bee my God and so thy Wisdome is engaged for mee O! let mee finde that improved for the defeating my subtil enemy in his enterprizes When thou art assaulted with strong temptations which thou art no way able to withstand or haste some great difficulty in the way to hinder thee in comming up to any duty or to obstruct thee in the exercise of any grace as faith patience humility c. Then thou mayest say Lord thou hast promised to bee my God and so thy Power is mine O now let it bee improved for my help and assistance against these difficulties which are too strong for mee to overcome and so for all other Attributes of God thou mayest in all times of need claim an interest in and by the Promise plead a laying of them out for thy good I am perswaded that many of the fears doubts disquiets c. of many Christians about their eternal conditions and their great distances from assurance take their rise hence because they do not clearly understand or are not throughly perswaded that the way of Gods making over himself unto souls is the way of a Promise that a Covenant is that whereby the Lord giveth us hold of himself in this life and whereby hee giveth us assurance of all the blessings which are to bee injoyed in another and a better life Were they heartily and explicitly convinced that the injoyments of God which they are to look for here must bee by Faith and so through the glasse of a Promise then they might finde that they have had many such injoyments of God which they have overlooked The great temptation of this age is to look more to a life of sense and feeling than to a life of Faith to look more to a Christ within than in the way of a Promise to a Christ without Many will own none as injoyments of God but inward feeling of supports quickenings enlargements consolations c. It is no longer than they injoy these that they think they injoy God whereas they ought to let out their hearts in the way of a Promise to God through Christ for such mercies when they are under the deepest sense of the want of them and there are as real injoyments of God in such out-goings of the heart to God as in those sensible incommings of joy and comfort c. For the life of Faith consisteth in such an out-going of the whole heart in the way of a Promise Christ-ward hence Faith is called a comming to Christ John 6.35 Hee that commeth to mee shall never hunger this is expressed by beleeving in the latter end of the verse hee that beleeveth on mee shall never thirst So that Faith is the motion of the whole heart Christ-ward Faith doth not consist so properly in beleeving that Christ is thine or that thy sin is pardoned as in the letting out thy heart to Christ in the way of the New Covenant for his righteousness and the remission of thy sin
or half that time Object 6. But I finde much unbeleef in my heart about it I cannot beleeve the fulfilling of the promise and therefore undoubtedly though God could fulfil it yet my unbeleef will hinder Ans 1. Can thy unbeleef hinder what God would do then is thy sin greater than the power of God 2 Hast thou such a promise made to thee then assure thy self thy unbeleef shall never hinder it 2 Tim. 2.12 13. If we beleeve not yet hee abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Rome 3.3 What if some did not beleeve shall their unbeleef make the faith of God without effect God forbid Was there not much unbeleef in David concerning the promise God had made to him touching the Kingdome when hee said I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Yet God made it good So in Zacharias Luke 1. when hee said Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years v. 18 19. yet God fulfilled it 3 Put case thou canst not beleeve God will perform it beleeve but thus much God is able and it shall bee fulfilled So Abraham did in two as difficult cases as thine and by this faith in the power of God obtained the promise in both Rom. 4.21 And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to perform Heb. 11.19 Accounting that God was able to raise him i.e. Isaac up even from the dead Object 7. But God doth seem apparently to cast me off Answ God cast off the Jews and yet he calls them again upon this very account of his love and promise Rom. 11.27 For this is my Covenant unto them whâ—â— I shall take away their sins Object 8. But I have broken covenant and promise with God and therefore God hee will break his with me Answ The good things God hath promised do not come upon the account of our Covenant Ezek. 16.61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thine elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant Object 9. But some soul will say I do not question whether God will fulfill his promise or no but here is my doubt I question whether hee will fulfill it to me such a one as I am Answ 1. Thou oughtest not to make such a question 1 Because such a question tends directly to keep thee off from beleeving which is that God commands 2 Because God hath no where said It doth not belong to thee and where God doth not exclude thou oughtest not to exclude thy self 3 Because such a question is first started in thee by the Devil whom thou oughtest not to hearken unto for it cannot bee of God because he every where calls souls to beleeving and therefore doth not put in questions to keep men from it 4 Because it is such a question as thou canst no way bee satisfied in but onely by ceasing to make it and closing with the promise 5 Because wee no where finde in Scripture that ever any of the Saints made such questions or if by reason of any distemper at any time did speak somewhat like it yet they are afterwards either blamed or do blame themselves for it Answ 2. Thy very beleeving of it makes it thine Gal. 3.22 That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Hene Heb. 11.33 Saints are said by faith to have obtained promises Quest How may I come to know when the Promise is near fulfilling Answ 1. Extraordinary pressures lying upon thee is a sign the promise is near Exod. 2.24 And God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respect unto them When the pressures of Israel were so great that they sigh and groan under their burden then God remembers his Covenant So Chap. 6.5 2 Extraordinary deadness is also a sign the promise is near Then was the promise nearest fulfilling to Abraham when in a natural way his body was dead and Sarahs womb dead 3 Extraordinary growth Act. 7.17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt Quest what doth the consideration hereof afford us as matter of comfort Answ There is comfort in this That our beleeving the promâ—â—e shall not bee in vain Thou shall not be ashamed of thy faith thy hoping trusting staying upon God Acts 13.23.32 And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children Q. What may we learn hence as our duty A. 1. Learn not to charge God foolishly my meaning is not to charge God with breaking of promise There is a proneness or aptness in the Saints themselves to charge God with breach of promise Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore And to do it is a very great and provoking evil Numb 14.34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the Land even forty days each day for a year shall yee bear your iniquities even forty years and yee shall know my breach of promise Q. But when do we charge God with breach of promise Ans 1. When because the promise tarries a great while we therefore conclude it will never come Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore 2 When consulting with carnal reason wee come to question whether the thing can be or how it can be Numb 11. vers 18. to 21. You have wept in the ears of the Lord saying who shall give us flesh to eat for it was well with us in Aegypt therefore the Lord will give you flesh and you shal eat even a whole moneth until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that yee have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Aegypt 3 When the lying of great difficulties before us make us to fly back and run from the Promise Numb 14. vers 2 3 4. the Children of Israel had the Promise going with them to Canaan but hearing of the strength of the men and Cities of that Land c. they will back again into Aegypt and so indeed do run from the Promise and this vers 34. God calls a charging him with breach of Promise 2 Wait for the fulfilling of the promise Acts 1.4 Wait for the promise of the Father which saith Christ yee have heard of me and that with patience Heb. 6.15 After he had patiently endured he obtained the promise 3 Take notice of Gods fulfilling of his promises when he doth fulfill them So Solomon did 1 King 8. vers 15. And he said blessed be the Lord God of Israel which spake with his mouth unto David my Father and hath with his
and its fruit both in the soul together and though every soul which lives by faith hath not the other i.e. a perswasion that Christs righteousnesse is certainly its own yet every soul which lives by faith so far as it lives by faith hath this that possibly it may bee mine so far at least as that it dares not conclude the contrary as the Ninevites Jona 3. v. 8 9. Repent from such a consideration Who can tell if God will turn and repent And as Job offered sacrifice for this children from an It may bee my Sons have sinned And the four Lepers ventured into the host of Assyria from an It may bee they will save us alive So a poor soul which lives by faith goes to the promise and takes hold thereof and though it cannot say this is certainly mine or shall certainly be mine yet it saith It may bee mine however I will not conclude the contrary 5 Faith in the point of Justification causeth the soul that lives by it to shun all disputes either with the Devil or a mans own carnal reason as to the question whether it bee justified or no Satan comes and layes heavy charges upon the soul thou art such a sinner hast so often been proud unbeleeving worldly minded so many sins thou hast committed against the love and free grace of God against thy own light and conscience so many duties thou hast neglected so many been formal hypocritical in and therefore thou art not justified Carnal reason that comes in and sayes its Amen to the Devils arguments saith Carnal reason the Promises are true I know them to bee so and therefore surely the conclusion must bee thus I am no childe of God I am an unjustified person Faith now that comes forth and encounters the furious charge of both these raging Lions who would at once swallow up the peace and happiness of the poor soul and saith Faith you enemies Satan and my own reason if from all your charges you had concluded against my Sanctification reason would that I should bear with you but if the question bee about my Justification I will bee no disputer in that matter because it is not for mee to meddle with that business or to take the work out of anothers hands who is intrusted with it I grant I am as vile as you have made mee and viler too yet were I ten times viler than I am yet would not all this touch my Justification because that is wholly without mee and in the hands of another so as that no good or evill within mee or done by mee comes at that Yea O yee my enemies saith the soule you are much beside the question which fain you would affirm and prove when from these charges you would assaile my Justification for Sanctification and Justification are two things and all you charge mee with in your premises is some defect in the matter of Sanctification and in the conclusion you run into Justification which is to raise another question and therefore saith the soul had you concluded thus thou art not sanctified I would freely without dispute have concluded with you for this I do acknowledge that I am a poor sinner a wretched man in my self often captivated with a body of death I am not indeed so sanctified as I should bee but I see something in my self which I desire to mourn for and to walk humbly underâ—â— and which I see daily need to go to my Father about which also I do beseeching him and waiting upon him for the healing this filthy puddle of my nature but because of this that I am not justified that I will not conclude neither are you my enemies untill you have proved that there is a defect or want of righteousnesse in Christ as in mee till you have proved that there is not righteousnesse enough in Christ upon whom my justification lyes as it is my duty I shall still desire notwithstanding all my weaknesses and imperfections to beleeve my Justification Sixtly and lastly Faith looks strictly and narrowly to the conscience Conscience is the strong hold and castle of the soul whilst that is quiet free from tumults the whole man is at peace let there be a tumult there and the whole man is at war and put into distraction therefore faith in the business of Justification makes the soul to use all diligence of secure that hold out of the hands of the enemy by securing which the whole man injoyes peace and truly this looking too and securing of conscience is a business of greatest concernment in living by faith for justification For the Devill and Sin do the soul more mischief when these get into conscience than they do or can do any where else Now there are three wayes by which Faith secures Conscience 1 By putting a strong garrison into Conscience and keeping it there This strong Garrison is the Righteousnesse of Christ which faith brings into conscience and keeps there Faith knows that nothing else can defend conscience when Sin and Satan storm it but Christ Righteousnesse Hence 1 Pet. 3.21 wee are said to have the answer of a good conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the Resurrection being the time wherein Christ did appear in all his Righteousnesse and shew forth himself as one that had now fulfilled all Righteousnesse and upon the very same account was now risen from the dead when hee had been acting the last part of that sad Tragedy as to himself but glorious work of Righteousnesse as to us is put for the whole Righteousnesse of Christ both active and passive and so it is as if the Apostle should say The Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ being put into our Consciences is that whereby they are secured and kept peaceable so that instead of tumults and insurrections in conscience our consciences are in peace instead of accusing us wee have the answer of a good conscience towards God 2 By clearing the conscience of all those enemies who formerly have done or do disturb the peace thereof As faith brings a strong garrison into conscience so it ejects all malignants or disturbers of consciences peace these are those dead works Heb 9.14 which creep into conscience i. e. the guilt of all sin whether of omission or commission which get into conscience and disturb its peace Now faith garrisoning conscience with Christs righteousnesse ejects all these the first thing this garrison doth being entred is the clensing of the place where it is from all such as are enemies to the peace of it Whatsoever guilt of sin past or present which lyes in the conscience and wrangles all is cast out the Righteousnesse of Christ being made governor of conscience and the conscience injoyes abundance of peace whereas before it had not quiet an hour in a day many times for a month together now it is full of peace Sin which before lay gnawing and tormenting it is now cast out and everlasting righteousnesse