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
Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven
and Duty he owes him to judge this Tract through Gods blessing upon a serious reading and digesting it much conducing to make an able Christian and Divine Indeed it holds forth to us the way that we should walk Jer. 42.3 and the thing that we should do to attain Heaven and Salvation Many Ministers and others did desire the publishing of this Treatise by the Author in his Life but his modesty and other constant labours hindred Now it is come forth we wish it may not finde the like entertainment that the Frier wittily and sharply said his Auditors gave to his Sermons they dealing with them as with his Holy-Water sprinkled on them they called for it eagerly but when he cast it on them they presently wiped it off again Make this Book now published more publick by holding forth the Life and Practise of Faith in thy Life and Station Do not onely once reade it Verba vivenda and cast it aside but carry it in thy heart as the Carpenter his Rule in his hand to square all thy actions by it We shall onely adde some Motives to excite thy Practise and then commit all to the Blessing of God 1. Consider this Life of Faith is a high Mystery Christ believed on in the world is a like Mystery with God manifested in the flesh and received up into glory Faith in the habit or root is not a Plant of Natures Garden The very nourishing of it and causing it to bring forth in our hearts is much more difficult than that of Plants in a strange Country Grace in exercise is difficult Indeed it s in us as fire under dead ashes or in a Flint Exciting quickning cooperating Grace with us must be added to that within us Grace in us lies like some Physick of dead Drugs which works not untill stronger Physick be given Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 saith Christ of his Disciples But especially the living daily in all conditions and actions by the exercise of Faith is much more hard To believe is above Nature but to act Faith in each act of Life is above our very Grace Consider farther the difficulty of this Life and so make use the rather of this Help Other ways of life viz. Trades Multi vident cruces qui non vident unctiones Bernard are called Mysteries but this above all is a Mystery of Mysteries We wonder how some men live who have a secret way of Trading but this is not onely a supernatural Secret but directly opposite to flesh and blood The Carnal and Profane scoff at it as a Fancy Paradox and golden Dream of Melancholy Spirits They count all persons who admire discourse of and practise this Life of Faith but silly Abrahams in the world as Want-wits for managing or getting an Estate Yet who doth or can without this so much despised Faith Esay 53.1 believe our report of these things It grieves our Souls to observe how many professing Christians look upon the Use of Faith as the staff of their Old Age onely or as a strong Cordial onely in fainting Fits or at best to be worn as our Holiday-clothes when we attend on the Word Prayer Sacraments then put it on But this is not to live as becomes Saints in all things and at all times by our Faith as that devout Scotch Divine whom M. Trap relates to have eat drank and slept Eternal Life Dost thou finde it hard to live by thy Labour by thy Lands Learning Friends Wits yet all these ways are far beneath this high Mystery of believing and living by it Bless God then as for Other so for This Master of the Assemblies who designs in this Work to teach thee this Mystery and Trade how to pick a living livelihood out of this Now dead Commodity viZ. Faith 2. Consider what may farther stir thee up to the exercise of this Grace as also to the Reading and Meditating on this heavenly Directory to the Life of Faith We shall not forestall those things which thou maist finde in the Author nor dispute how far some Branches of this Tree of Life viz. Faith may spring out even in Heaven it self Yet take this as Solomons Argument that Wisdom excells because it gives life to him that hath it Eccles 7.12 Vita optimus modus Entis Life is the best and highest manner of Being A living Worm excels the Sun in glory Rational Life exceeds the life of Plants and Beasts So doth Faith Reason as the highest Life man is capable of on earth Seneca and others may write of a blessed Life but Faith onely finds it This Life must come from Heaven which is so far above the Earth and so rare to be found in it He who hath all his Provisions about him of his own must needs keep the best house and have all as we say at the best hand So is it by Faith we have all within our selves from God in Christ The good man is satisfied from himself Antisthenes gained this by Study and Learning that he could walk with himself as not needing to go abroad and be beholding to others for Exercise or Delight O thesauris omnibus opulentior fides O virtutibus corporis omnibus fides fortior O medicis omnibus salutarior Ambros This is much more true of Faith Faith walks with Christ and God on the Mount of glorious Discoveries every day and takes all as out of his hands What Grace more admired by Christ Paul spends a whole Chapter Hebr. 11. as a Chronicle of Faiths Victories and Trophies Its Worthies are there mentioned as Davids elswhere This very Text on which this Tract is built is cited no less than four times Rom. 1. Gal. 3. Heb. 10. Thrice in the New Testament which may convince us of the excellency of it being worthy of a double treble Meditaâ—â—on as the summary of our Christian Faith both Doctrinal and Practical Tarnovius inter opuscula as a learned man hints on the place 3. Consider the seasonableness of this Counsel about living by Faith in these days 1. As they are sickly dying evil Times in respect of Sufferings 2. As the latter Times and so evil in respect of Sinning Quis inter haec trepidus maestus nisi cui spes et fides deest jus est enim mortem timere qui ad Christum nolit ire Ejus est ad Christum nolle ire qui se non credit cum Christo incipere regnaâ—e Scripâ—um est enim justum fide vivere Cyprian de Mort. Cyprian wrote his Book of Mortality in a time of Mortality And this Cordial of Life is now given out in season to teach us how to live and fit us to die A Minister as hath been related being sick and meeting by Providence with Mr. Ball his excellent Book of Faith which then came newly out he took it as a Guide by the hand to lead him through that dark Valley and fit him
in expelling the enemies of spiritual life And so the just lives by his faith Act 15.9 By faith purifying their hearts Unbelief and other corruptions are deadly enemies to spiritual life Faith expels them and purifies the heart from them As the living fountain if dirt be cast into it never leaves working and working until it hath wrought it self cleer again So a beleeving heart if earthly thoughts from Satan like dirt be cast into it never leaves working till it hath wrought it self pure and fit for God's service 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man purge himself from these c. It overcomes and abandons all within and all without resists Satan 1 Pet 5.8 overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5.4 3. Nutritive faculty of faith Thirdly God makes use of faith in the Nutritive facultie or attractive faculty in drawing such things to it self as whereby is life nourished and maintained And so the just lives by his faith Faith like the first-born of graces though indeed they are all twins delight to be in the arms of God's mercy where it first receives life and there it lyes at the brest of the word at the nipple of the promises drawing virtue and strength and nourishment from them tasting every day how sweet and gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 Psal 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him q.d. by trusting in God we live upon God and taste how good he is For else we tempt God It were a miracle to live without meat But the more strength the more food 4. Digestive faculty of faith Fourthly God maketh use of faith in the Retentive and Digestive faculty turning the word into wholsome blood And so the just lives by his faith Whereas an unbeliever hearing the word receiving the food of his soul is like a man of a weak bad stomack no sooner is the meat down but it mixeth with some base humor up it comes again it will hold nothing to do it good So it is with an unbeliever not mixing the word with faith but being mixed with some base humour of pride or passion up it comes again with violence though it be in the very face of the Physician Prov. 9.2 He that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot But where the word is mixed with faith it meets with a good stomack and there it turnes into good nourishment the party grows and thrives and comes on in grace and so lives by faith as a man lives by a good stomack See Psal 36.7 8. They that put their trust under the shadow of Gods wings are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house c. Good meat doth well a good stomack is better Gods blessing upon both is the best of all and so it is in the life of Grace Fifthly God makes use of Faith in the Motive faculty 5. Motive faculty of Faith And so the just lives by his Faith For as bodily exercise profits much for bodily health when the Apostle sayes It profiteth little his meaning is in ordine ad spiritualia 1 Tim. 4. for doubtless as to bodily health it profiteth much it is instar omnium in stead of all Physick and without this the best diet in the world will be defective It is so with the soul Be the diet the means of grace never so good yet without exercise of grace and godliness all comes to nothing Now it is Faith and onely true Faith which puts a man upon profitable exercise Faith will not suffer a man to be idle in his calling It will not onely move his tongue though it will move that too Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak 2 Cor. 4.13 I believed therefore spake For he is a very dead-hearted Christian that hath the dead palsey in his tongue that cannot speak a word for God But it will move his hands also and his whole man to be active for God Jam. 2. Shew me thy faith by thy works Christians full of faith are full of action and so full of life See Acts 6.3 6 8 10 Whereas unbelievers are like sluggards with hand in bosome or like Idols of the Heathen Psal 115. having eyes and yet see not ears and hear not feet and walk not neither speak they through their throat and so prove dead for want of this exercise 6. Breathing faculty of Faith Sixthly God makes use of Faith in the Breathing faculty And so the just lives by his faith Breath is the Chariot of life called therefore The breath of life This breathing is twofold 1. Inspiration 2. Expiration these maintain life And both these in a spiritual sense do spring from Faith 1. Inspiration First for the act of Inspiration For howsoever every first inspiration of the Spirit gives life yet Faith draws more and more of this heavenly air from day to day for the maintaining and increasing of this life A man can no more live a spiritual life without the continual breathing of Gods Spirit into his soul than he can live a natural life without the continual sucking in of fresh air into his body And therefore it is observable Our blessed Saviour chose to convey the Holy Ghost under that similitude Joh. 20.22 He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost q. d. Ye can no more live the life of grace without my Spirit than you can live the life of nature without the breath of your nosthrils We are all by nature like Ezekiels dried bones Now it is the voice of Faith that cryes out Ezek. 37.9 O Breath breathe upon these slain that they may live And again when a man hath life and begins to exercise himself in the way of Gods Commandments he knows he cannot exercise to purpose unless it be in this fresh air of the Spirit Therefore Davids Faith put him upon this practice I opened my mouth saith he and panted for I longed for thy Commandments Psa 119.131 He took in fresh gales of the Spirit from day to day to uphold the vitals of the New man Secondly 2. Expiration There is another act of the Spirit in spiritual life and that is Expiration an holy breathing out of holy speeches and holy prayers And usually in proportion to our inspiration will be our expiration As in Nature 't is unwholesome to breathe out more then we suck in when the expence of spirits is beyond our receipts so also in grace when our expiration of holy speeches doth exceed our inspiration of the holy Spirit But when these go hand in hand all springs from Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of faith as it is written I believed therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak Faith will put a Christian upon it Faith is as it were the very breath of his nostrils Seventhly God makes use of Faith in the Augmentative or growing faculty And so the just lives by his Faith
Righteousness in Christ 1. Active 2. Passive For in that we owed a double debt to the Law the one being perfect obedience for the present the other most deserved punishment for our fâ—rmer disobedience It was requisite that Christ beâ—ng our surety should pay whatsoever we owed unto God and that was the double debt of Doing and Suffering whatsoever the Law of God required at our hands 1. Active fulfilling all Righteousness and that for us as he became a Creature and not for himself Matth. 3.15 2. Passive Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Vse Thirst after this Righteousness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness c. Philip. 3.7 8. and that I may be found in him not having my wn righteousness c. Formal Cause 3. The Formal Cause Imputation of Christs righteousness As by imputation of Adams sin we are guilty so by imputation of Christs righteousness we are righteous Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom 4.5 6. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Reas His righteousnesse is onely perfect Heb. 7.26 For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Jer. 23.6 He is the Lord our righteousness Onely his righteousnesse is infinite and everlasting Dan. 9.24 to bring in everlasting righteousness c. The righteousnesse of Angels and Saints is finite as well as tattered and torn the poor weary and heavy laden naked Soul can never lie down with rest in his bed Isa 28 20. for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on 't c. but Christs righteousnesse is so long and so large that it gives a man rest on his sick-bed Psal 41.3 The Lord will strengthen him upon his bed of languishing What is his comfort then but a clear sight of Christs righteousnesse Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him to shew unto man his righteousness c. Rest on the death-bed and afterward in the grave Isa 57.2 They shall lie down in their beds and peace shall be with them c. Rev. 6.11 And white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest So that as God saith Psal 134.14 This is my rest for ever so may the Soul Final Cause 4. Final Cause 1. Supreme 1. The Supreme Gods glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself c. This is the end of all especially this work Rev. 5.9 The glory either of 1. Mercy and Love God so loved the world c. Joh. 3.16 Well saith God rather than Souls shall perish I will pour out the blood of my own Son Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 8.32 He spared not his Son c. Or 2. Justice not forgive without satisfaction Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy or merciful in all his works 2. Subordinate 1. Sanctification 2. Subordinate 2. Salvation Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruits unto holiness and the end everlasting life All or most of these causes are set down by the Apostle Rom. 3.20 to 29. 1. The Efficient primary moving Cause internal free grace v. 24. 2. External moving Cause Mans Misery v. 23. Christs Merit v. 24. 3. Instrumental 1. The Word v. 21. 2. Faith v. 22. 4. Final 1. The glory of Gods 1. Severest Justice v. 26. 2 Richest Mercy v. 24. 2. Glorification of Man in Gods Justification and Salvation of Man v. 23 c. Quest How doth the just live by Faith the life of Justification Ans The answer shall extend to the several parts and degrees of Justifications Manifestation For though it be a perfect act of God yet it is a continued act and there are degrees of the manifestation of it To speak therefore 1. Of the Act it self 2. Of the Continuing and Renewing of the Act 3. Of the Assurance of the Act. See how the just lives by Faith in all these 1. For the first Act and work of Justification Faith in the act of justifying First Faith Convinceth a man of sin in a saving manner and so of his need of Christ and of his own impotency to obtain Justification and Salvation without Christ Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit as Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by love so by poverty of spirit Secondly Faith puts persons into a Mourning confessing prayerful frame Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn but no blessedness if not springing from faith Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication c. Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weepings and with supplications will I lead them Acts 2.37 They were pricked at their hearts c. This is the work of Faith though not alwayes so easily discerned to be of Faith by the party himself Thirdly Faith subdues the heart to lay down all Oppositions against God and to be willing to take any course God directs for Justification and Salvation Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek c. Acts 9.5 6. Paul speaks reverently Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God c. He submits obediently they are tame as a lamb Isa 11.6 Fourthly Faith fixeth the heart upon Christ alone and his Righteousness held out in the Promises with renunciation of our own even with indignation in point of Justification The Soul is hungry after Christs Righteousness as most excellent and loaths its own as dung and draught Phil. 3.6 7 8 c. What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness c. See these or most of these Luke 15. in that gracious Convert mentioned Luk. 15. set out as a patern as a picture and as a lively inviter for a poor sinner to look to that desires to partake of the like mercy 1. Faith Convinceth him to be in a perishing condition without his Fathers love ver 17. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I say it was Faith that wrought this same conviction for it was not before he came to himself that is before he raised him
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
for a Christian not to grow A Christian should out-grow others as much as the Palm-tree exceeds ordinary Plants Psal 92.12 13.14 15. therefore labour to grow 1. In * Prov. 2.7 10.14 15.7 Isa 11.9 Col. 1.10 Pro. 2.3 18 2.1 5 8 9. Phil. 1.9.10 Knowledge Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you Col. 3.16 2. In Faith to be rich in faith though poor in the world Jam. 2 5. Col. 2.7 3. In Charity and in good Works Phil. 1.9 The poor Macedonians were rich in their liberality 2 Cor. 8.2 The abundance of their joy and deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality It is the best riches of rich men to be rich in good work◠1 Tim. 6.18 Let not rich men give poorly while poor men give richly let not a poor Widow cast in more than all the rich men into Gods Treasury However we grow in wealth let us labour to grow in Grace 1 Motive to incite us to it may be à decoro Motives from the comeliness of it It is the sweetest sight that can be 1. Comeliness to see a Christian flourishing as the Palm-tree and growing like the Cedar in Lebanon as Psal 92.12 Such are indeed the excellent of the earth as Psal 16.2 We say of tall persons they are proper persons Oh what comely persons should we be if we were tall in grace without this the best of natural perfections are but as so many Jewels in a Swines snout Prov. 11.22 Let us therefore labour to grow in grace as we desire to be comely in the eyes of Jesus Christ Cant. 7.6 7. Christ saith of his Church How fair and how pleasant art thou O love for delights thy stature is like a Palm-tree O let us not be as low shrubs but as tall Palm-trees if we desire to be comely in his eyes Simile 2. Pleasantness 2. A jucundo from the pleasantness of it Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasure and all her paths peace So that the further you go the more pleasure still you meet with the deeper you drink in this cup the sweeter still the more you grow in grace in ordinary course of dispensation the more you grow in comfort Rom. 14 17. The Kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost The more righteousness the more you increase your peace and joy till you come to enter into the joy of your Lord such as grow in grace get nearer heaven from day to day For grace and glory do onely differ in degrees Therefore as that sweet Bird of the morning the Lark sings and mounts upward raising her Body and her Note both together rising still higher and higher nearer heaven and further from earth So a Christian raised up upon the wing of heavenly Affections Meditations Prayers holy Actions whilst he thus grows in grace through the strength of Christ he gets nearer heaven and further off from the earth Col. 3. Phil. 3. He sets his affections on things above and not on things on the earth His conversation and City and Trade is in heaven and thus he riseth higher and higher and is translated from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of our God and is not this a pleasant life and what is it but to begin heaven upon earth even to sit with Christ in heavenly places 3. Ab utili from the profit of it 3. Profit Though we could earn nothing but damnation by all our obedience as of our selves yet God is so merciful that he rewards every man according to his works Psa 62.12 Also to thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his works So that if we yield our praise and increase to God the earth shall yield her increase to us Psal 67.6 Then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our God shall bless us when the people praise him But if we withdraw our service from God the creatures shall withdraw their service from us Hos 2.9 I will take away my corn in the time thereof c. But if we yield our increase to God then heaven and earth and all creatures yield their increase to us ver 21. I will hear the heavens saith the Lord and they shall hear the earth c. Some are of opinion that we shall not onely have more blessing upon earth but more glory in heaven conceiving that there shall be degrees of glory according to our degrees of grace There are Arguments on both sides Some conceiving glory shall be equal because the Merit of Christ is equal Therefore in the Parable of the Vineyard he that laboured most received no more than he that laboured the shortest time every man receives his penny Mat. 20. But the Parable cannot be meant of eternal life for there are no murmurers in heaven such as you finde in the Parable that murmured because they had no more But that other Parable in the 19 of Luke doth rather set forth the state of glory upon the return of the Nobleman where he that gained most received most reward he that gained ten talents was made ruler over ten Cities and he that gained five was made ruler over five Yet this doth not infer merit of Works neither but a gracious disposition in God to encourage his servants in a way of well-doing It is the Apostles argument to quicken up Christians to be upon the growing hand 1 Cor. 15. ult Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. However suppose it were in vain in respect of our glory yet we are sure it is not in vain in respect of Gods glory You know what Christ saith Joh. 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit Now we should prefer Gods glory before our own Salvation therefore we should be upon the growing hand 4. Equity 4. Ab aequo from the justice and equity of it for God affords us as great means for our increase in these Gospel-times as ever he did he puts us into fat pastures and well watered Psal 23. therefore it is a shame for Gods people not to grow not to bring forth twins as Cant. 6.6 They should grow twice as fast bring forth twice as many Lambs twice as much Wooll twice as much Milk as those that go upon bare Commons All the world may cry shame on such a man that is high fed and often fed with fat and sweet Ordinances if he be still like Pharaohs lean Kine as lean and ill-favoured as ever he was before Certainly fat Ordinances and lean Souls do not well agree We are to look upon it as the greatest of Judgements to have as Psal 106.15 leanness sent into our souls while we are fed with Manna We look on it as an affliction to have an over-lean Body but it 's a far sadder condition
us Psal 2â— 1 Psal 77.9 O Lord why hast thou forgotten us Were all these deceived was it their sin thus to complain or did this complaint spring from the weakness of their Faith Possibly it might be so in the Saints you say but it could not be so in Christ yet Christ himself complains My God Mat. 27.46 my God why hast thou forsaken me Never did any more seek to God and in that hour when he had most need of help and never did any more complain of Gods forsaking of him And though God hath not forsaken me I know not what he may do for time to come Ans For the clearing of this doubt Of Gods forsaking we shall propound to you several Considerations First of all there may be a forsaking in appearance 1. In appearance onely As there may be a real forsaking so there may be a forsaking in appearance As there may be the real presence of a thing when it is not visible and apparent Many things have a real existence when they give us no manifest evidence of that their existence God may be really present when he seems to be absent For example the Beauty of Christ is real he is altogether lovely the fairest of ten thousand but 't is not manifest to the greatest part of the world Isa 53.2 He hath no form nor comeliness there is no beauty in him say they that we should desire him The Comforts of a Christian are real but not always visible and therefore it is called The hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 The Soul of Man and the Deity are real but not visible It 's one of Gods Properties to be Invisible The Winds have a real existence as we see plainly by their powerful operations we have much ado to bear up our Sails against them sometimes and yet cannot see them The Sun it self is so visible that it makes all things else visible and yet when it is under a Cloud though we then see all other things by the light of it yet we cannot see the Sun it self As in Paul's dangerous voyage neither Sun nor Star appeared for many days together Acts 27 20. The rich Mines of Silver and Gold and the streams of precious Rivers they run sometimes under the earth many miles and no eye takes notice of them How near was Hagars Well of Water Gen 21.19 and yet she saw it not till God had opened her eyes Peter was really delivered out of Prison by the Angel but for a good while together while he looked upon Creatures he thought it had not been true but that he had seen a Vision or Representation of such a matter Acts 12.9 The Mountain where Elisha stood was full of Horses and Chariots but his Servant saw no such matter till he was faint to pray Lord open his eyes that he may see 2 King 6.17 And doubtless it is thus in Spiritual respects There may be many strong influences from God upon the Souls of his Servants which they perceive not many eminent supports in their trials which they take no notice of They take notice of the hand that cast them down but they do not take notice of the hand that holds them up Job took notice of Gods afflicting hand but he did not take so much notice of Gods supporting hand till the affliction was over And so David Psa 31.22 I said I am cut off from before thine eyes He speaks like a man forsaken of God but what follows Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee Observe God was nearer than he was aware of As Jacob said of his solitary journey to Padan-Aram Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28.16 God is nearer to his Servants many times than they are aware of so as they may say with Job Job 9.11 Lo he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not The poor childe crieth after the Mother What shall I do for my Mother Oh my Mother my Mother what shall I do for my Mother And it may be the Mother stands behinde the back of the childe onely she hides herself to try the affection of the childe So the poor Soul cries after God and complains Oh my Father my Father where is my heavenly Father Hath he forgotten to be gracious Psal 77.9 Hath he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure when God is nearer than they think for Zech. 12. Rom. 8. shining upon them in a Spirit of grace and supplications with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered Thus the gracious woman Mary Magdalen she seeks after Christ she enquires she cries after him and weeps My dear Saviour my dear Lord and Master he is taken out of the Sepulchre Ioh. 16.20 and I know not where they have laid him Thus she complains to the Disciples and thus she complains to the Angels when Christ stood at her very back and over-heard all nay when she turned her about and saw him yet at first she did not know him nay when he spake to her and she to him yet she knew him not but thought he had been the Gardiner Joh. 20.11 Thus it is with many a gracious Soul though God speaks home to their hearts in his Word and they speak to him by prayer and they cannot say but the Spirit helps their infirmities yet they complain for want of his Presence as if there were nothing of God in them Obj. But are all such complaints of Gods people meer mistakes Did they not complain upon good ground Psal 44.9 Thou hast cast us off and goest not forth with our Armies Ans Therefore by propounding a second Consideration That there are many times real forsakings by God 2. In temporal respects onely and not imaginary onely but then 't is rather in Temporal than Spiritual respects For look as on the one side Gods influence may be great in Temporals when he dries up the streams of special Mercies men may have fat bodies and fat estates whilst they have lean Souls so on the other side Gods influence may be great in Spirituals when he dries up the streams of Temporal Mercies Gods people may have thriving Souls when they have least estates in the world Jam. 2.5 6. Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Yea but yet sometimes in a temptation they are ready to complain of Gods forsaking of them if he do but forsake them in some outward and temporal respect They are ready to reason as Gideon did Judg. 6.13 when the Angel said The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Ah! saith Gideon if the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Hath not the Lord forsaken us whilst he gives us up into the hands of the Midianites So reason another sort The Lord hath forsaken me or else I should never be so poor Surely the
bringing down Heavenly Notions into Holy Affections and Righteous Actions then you will finde them sweet in the taste and swallow It 's not the looking upon Divine Truths by a meer notional act of the Understanding but the chewing and digesting them by Faith and Love that makes them truly comfortable Thy words were found and I did eat them And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 Most persons look upon Divine Truths as people in a Market do on Commodities they pass by them or taste a little and cheapen them they onely have the true comfort of them who buy and eat and are satisfied And such are they who digest their knowledge into practice to such it 's the joy and rejoycing of their heart Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Knowledge to a wicked man is as the morning light to a Thief Job 24.17 it 's as terrible as the shadow of death But to a godly man it 's like the morning light to an honest Traveller or Watchman it 's most desired beforehand and its most welcome when it comes And therefore the saving knowledge of God is compared to such a light Psal 130.3 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Act Faith therefore to the digesting of knowledge into love and the practice of it Study Affections more than Expressions or Notions 6. In true prizing heavenly joy 6. Act Faith to the true prizing of heavenly joy Such as truly prize the joy of the Spirit shall have plenty of it Now it 's onely Faith sets a true estimate upon the joy of Gods people Heb. 11.25 26. The Spirit of God is a Tender and delicate Guest it loves to make its abode and stay longest where 't is most freely welcome But if we check damp resist quench and grieve that Spirit how can we hope that it should rejoyce our spirits But prize it make it heartily welcome and thou shalt have more of its sweet company and communion The truth is we should prize one comfort from the Spirit more than all the world and then we should finde more than a world of Comforts in that single Comforter who is therefore called The Comforter by way of eminency Thou maist have comfort indeed in a Friend a Brother a Childe a Yoke-fellow but what are all these to the comforts of the Spirit The Spirit is able to comfort without these but these are not able to comfort without the Spirit Prize the comforts of the Spirit and be thankful for them and more shall be given The Primitive Saints prized the comforts of the Spirits so high that they would rather chuse to endure any Tortures from men than part with those comforts from God They were stoned Heb. 11.37 were sawn asunder c. Therefore God made them to rejoyce the more even with Joy unspeakable and full of glory which is not the ordinary lot of all Christians but of suffering Christians They were filled with Heaven when they seemed to sense to be in Hell as if Hell and Heaven were met together in the same persons An Hell of Torments from Satan and his Instruments an Heaven of Joys from God even glorious joys as if the God of this World and the God of the World to come did strive whether Torments or Comforts should get the Victory in the Saints But in conclusion Comforts triumph over Torments Love and Joy is stronger than Death while they die they overcome and are more than Conquerors through Christ that hath loved them They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto death Rev. 12.11 Prize the joys of God in life and thou shalt finde such joy as will drown the sorrows of Death That 's the fifth Means 7. Act Faith to make right use of our Joy 7. In right using joy when had Isa 2.11 Luk. 8.15 when we have it Take heed of too much sail and too little ballast lest you overturn all Rejoyce with reverence And bring forth the fruit of joy with patience lest unfruitful joy be nipt in the bud or turned into sorrow God comforts not his servants for nothing Neb. 8.10 but that the Joy of the Lord may strengthen them and encourage them to service and that they may comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 with the same comfort wherewith they have been comforted of God And if we use it not to these ends we may soon suffer an eclipse in our comforts Why does God cause the Sun to shine upon the Moon but that the Moon may bestow that borrowed light on this Inferiour World Why does the Sun of Righteousness shine with beams of comfort upon any Souls but that they may communicate the same comforts to others Are ye then who were once darkness made light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 walk as children of light lest God eclipse your comforts Amos 8.9 and make your Sun to set at noon So long as the Cock runs the Fountain freely empties it self into the pipes We are but the Conduit-pipes of Comfort God is the Fountain The more we empty our selves into others comforting others the more will God empty himself into us comforting us The liberal person shall have plenty and he that scattereth shall have rain Prov. 11.25 'T is true of spiritual as well as corporal Alms both are comfortable And he that comforts others shall have the more himself And that 's the seventh and last Means of acting of Faith so as to live the Life of Consolation Thus the just man lives by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life Now thirdlly He lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life Hab. 2.5 6. The Chaldean lays hold upon this present world ver 5 6. He is all for the body and sins against his Soul ver 10. Hab. 2.10 But Gods people lay hold on that knowledge which shall fill them with glory ver 14. Even the knowledge of the Righteousness of God to Life Eternal For so the Apostle applies this Text to that very degree of Faith Rom. 1.16 17. Not that there is any need of Faith in Heaven or the Means of Faith for these shall cease 1 Cor. 13.8 But because in this life by Faith we lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 we have the seal and assurance of it A carnal man says Seeing is Believing but a spiritual man saith Believing is Seeing Heb. 11.1 The work of faith about eternal life Now Faith grounded on the Word of God assures us of Three things about eternal life 1. That there is an eternal life of the Saints after this is ended 2. What the Happiness of this life is and wherein it consists 3. It assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in this life 1. Then Faith assures a Believer That there is
an eternal life Three degrees of it That there is an eternal life There are divers degrees of this Life The first degree is here below in this world Joh. 5.24 Eternal life is begun here 2. The second degree of it is in the end of this life when the body of a Saint rests in the Bed of the Grave and the soul is with God in Paradise Luk. 23.43 3. The third degree of it is After the day of general Judgement when body and soul being reunited the whole person shall be wholly glorified to all eternity 2 Thess 1.10 Now that there is such a life Faith makes good 1. By plain Testimonies of Scripture 2. By necessary Consequence and deduction from Scripture 1. By evident Testimony of Scripture Scripture In the Old Testament Psal 16.11 At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleep shall awake some to Everlasting life In the New Testament Mat. 25. ult And the righteous into life eternal Joh. 3.16 That whoever believeth should not perish but have Everlasting life 2. By necessary Consequence from the Scriptures As Reas 1 1. From the act and End of mans Creation and Redemption Man was made after Gods Image Gen. 1.26 27. And renewed after it Eph. 4.24 that he might have perpetual Communion with God 1 Joh. 1.3 As God therefore lives for ever so shall those who are redeemed by Christ live ever too Joh. 14.19 Reas 2 2. From the Kingdom and Headship of Christ which are both eternal Of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1.33 If Christ be a King for ever he must have Subjects throughout that Eternity If Christ be an Head for ever his Members must needs live for ever otherwise Christ must be a King without Subjects an Head without Members both which are Vnreasonable and Dishonorable to Christ Reas 3 3. From Christs Prayer That all his may be with him for ever to behold his glory Joh. 17.24 Now the Father hears the Son alway Joh. 11.42 Reas 4 4. From the Nature of the Soul It 's immortal Mat. 10.28 yea it hath in it sparks and desires of Immortality Now Natura nihil dedit frustra which have appeared not onely in the life but at the death of Saints in which God hath been pleased to give his people a sight of Heaven and glorious apprehensions of the life to come Steven sees the heavens opened Act. 7.56 59. To which may be added the Devils design to gather Souls in Reversion as in the stories of Witches Reas 5 5. Ab absurdo If there were no life after this Christians would be of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Here wicked men many times fare best and Gods people are chastened every morning and have sorest Temptations on their Death-beds So that it would be exceedingly derogatory from the Wisdom Holiness and Justice of God if there were not another life wherein every man shall rejoyce according to his ways Luk. 16.25 2 Thess 1.6.7 Thus Faith gathers Arguments from the Word That there is an eternal Life 2. What the happiness of eternal life is 2. Faith informs a believer much of the Happiness of this life and wherein it consists in the main For however it be true that none of the Saints departed which are gone to heaven as Enoch Elias c. have Commission to come down and tell us what the joys of heaven are yet we have Moses and the Prophets Luk. 17. ult Nay though there were a man once caught up into heaven and let down again to the earth yet it was not lawful for him to utter what he had heard and seen 2 Cor. 12. yet for all that Faith looks into heaven per transennam through the lattice Cant. 2.9 and findes so much comfort therein that from thence it makes a strong Collection That certainly the Happiness of the Creature must needs consist in the perfect Vision of God which is to be had in heaven Vision of God fourfold and not before for there 's a fourfold Vision of God 1. Natural in things created For the invisible things of God are cleerly seen from the Creation c. Rom. 1.20 2. Specular or Symbolical In the Word and in the Signs of Gods love we see God For these were appointed to be lively remembrances and representations of Christ to the Soul Gal. 3.1 3. There 's the Vision of Faith which looking through the Word and Sacraments as through a Perspective-glass draws God neerer to the Soul 4. But fourthly There 's the Vision of Glory in the World to come Here we see God darkly as in a glass 2 Cor. 3. but there face to face Now Faith doth further assure us Perfect Vision of God causes perfect transformation That this perfect Vision of God shall perfectly transform us into the likeness of God so far as Creatures can be like God For Faith argues thus If the Specular Vision of God works some measure of this gracious Transformation as it 's said 2 Cor. 3. ult How much more shall the Perfect Vision of God in glory work a perfect change of a believer into the likeness of God And so indeed saith the Apostle We shall be like him For we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 And this was Davids comfort in his saddest hours When I awake that is out of the bed of the grave I shall be satisfied with thy likeness Psal 17. last Perfect Vision of God shall work perfect Transformation and this perfect Transformation shall work perfect Satisfaction Q. But wherein doth this perfect Transformation consist A. Doubtless in the Perfection of all graces So Faith assures that 1. Perfect knowledge There shall be a Perfection of the Knowledge of God Here the best Scholar that learns most from Books Sermons Conference Observation or from the Spirit it self yet knows but in part But when that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away 1 Cor. 13.12 Then shall nothing be hid from us which we can desire to know Now we know God in the knowledge of other things Then we shall know other things in the knowledge of God and therefore we shall know one another Mat. 17.4 Here we know things either by Sense or by Reason and Argumentation or by Faith In Heaven there will be no need of these there the clearness of the object shall put All past all dispute Here things seen or known are far distant the Medium dim the Organ weak But then God shall be present and open-faced as it were and the eye of the Soul shall be fortified to behold the King in his glory Isa 33.17 Eccl. 11.7 Solomon tells us that the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is to behold the Sun And yet as pleasant as it is sometime the eye is offended by looking on the Sun Could the eye look stedfastly and strongly on the Sun without offence to it
of thy Servants glory and happiness for a great while to come even as far as to Eternity And is this the manner of man O Lord God Can any man in the world or all the men in the world if they would lay their heads and hearts and hands together to exalt a poor Creature can they do this Can they redeem their brothers Soul from Hell Ps 49.6 7 8 9. or can they make him happy to Eternity No no they must let this work alone for a God to perform all the world can never do it And therefore admire this unparallell'd expression of Gods goodness to a poor Creature And Secondly be Thankful for it If we be bound to be thankful for the least mercy for the least mercy of this present life how should we be thankful for the greatest gift the gift of Eternal Life Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Therefore be thankful for it And indeed the excellency of it the excellency of Life Eternal should raise up our hearts to thankfulness The excellency of Heaven set out Which excellency appears 1. By the excellent Names and Epithetes that are given to it 2. By the excellent Properties of it 3. By the excellent Price given for it 4. By the excellent Causes of it 5. By the excellent Effects of it 1. By its Names First By the excellent Names and Epithets given to it It is called An Everlasting Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven A House The Fathers House not made with hands A Mansion The Presence Chamber of God Abrahams Bosom where Gods people are safe as children in their Parents bosom Paradise Luk. 23.24 in comparison of which the Garden of Eden was but a dunghil Lords Joy Matth. 25.21 The New Jerusalem Rev. 21.10 and Gal. 4.16 Jerusalem which is above All the glory of the Old Jerusalem in Solomons Temple was but a Type of this The Immortal Inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 The glory of God Rest 2 Thess 1.7 Refreshing Acts 3.19 Peace Isa 57.2 And what is more desireable than these things Therefore be thankful for it Secondly 2. By its Properties the excellency appears by the excellent Properties of it For 1. of all the happiness of heaven is most pure Rev. 22 1. It is called A pure river of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. All earthly Pleasures have their admixtures of the mud of Sin and Misery but this is pure 2. It is most sure and secure because out of the reach of Satan and all enemies Rev. 20.10 The devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever In this world the greatest comforts are upon a very uncertain tenure but there all is sure and secure 3. It is most Satisfactory The River of Life must needs quench your thirst Rev. 7.16 They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more there shall be no want of any thing their Souls can desire Psal 17. last 4. All this shall be Eternal When thou hast lived so many thousand years as there are little sands on the shore piles of grass on the ground stars in the Sky thy happiness shall be as new to begin as at thy very first entrance As long as there is a God and a Christ thy life shall last O then be thankful for it Thirdly the excellency appears 3. By its Price by the excellent Price given for it We judge the worth of things by the value Would you not be thankful if one should give you an Inheritance should cost so many hundred thousand pounds but heaven is such an Inheritance that cannot be bought with all the Silver and Gold in the world For neither we nor our inheritance were redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ as of a Lamb undefiled and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. That must needs be a precious Inheritance that cost such a precious price Therefore be thankful for it 4. By its Causes Fourthly the excellency of it appears from the excellent Causes of it As 1. The primary Efficient Cause is God the Father and his free love from all Eternity 2. The Meritorious Cause is Christ his Son 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the Witness that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son 3. The Instrumental Cause offering and holding forth Eternal Life is the Everlasting Gospel Rom. 1.16 17. The Instrumental Cause receiving is The precious grace of Faith Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God 4. The Sealing Cause is The Holy Ghost Eph. 1.13 14. In whom c. 5. The Final Cause is Gods Glory and our Glory Gods Glory in glorifying his Servants his Servants Glory in the glorifying of God Whilst they do behold the glory of God they glorifie God to all eternity and are glorified by God Joh. 17.24 Behold my glory and so glorifie God and receive glory from God For in beholding Gods glory we are transformed 2 Cor. 3.18 Therefore Rev. 5.13 Blessing and honour are to him O who would not praise God for such a life Why do you not begin your Heaven upon Earth which will be strong assurance to you that you shall go to Heaven when you die As wicked men begin Hell upon Earth whilst they curse God and blaspheme God and dishonour God by their wicked words and actions So do you begin your Heaven upon Earth in praising God for your living by Faith in regard of Life Eternal 5. By Effects Fifthly the excellency of Life Eternal appears as from the Causes so from the Effects also which are admirable and glorious viz. Man's being made like to the very Angels Matth. 22.30 yea as like to Christ himself as may be As we have been like him in sufferings so like him also in glory He that is willing to conform to Christ in the former shall be made conformable to Christ in the latter Phil. 3. last He shall change our vile bodie that it might be made like his glorious bodie c. And as in Body so in Soul also in the whole man Was Christ a King Priest and Prophet so are they that are Christs Revel 1.6 He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father What follows Therefore to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen If all Gods Saints have such honour how should they honour Him who thus honours them of his free grace and will honour them to all Eternity If Eternal Life be so excellent a gift as appears by the Epithetes that are given to it by the excellent Properties of it by the excellent Price given for it by the excellent Causes of it and by the
bread without a word from God how much less the Soul The Creature is vain therefore it is vain to live upon the Creature It 's vain in its nature vain in its strength and efficacy if God withdraws his influence and vain in its duration having in it self a Principle of its own corruption and why should Immortal Souls offer to live upon Mortal Creatures and yet thus do most men in stead of living by Faith upon God they live upon the Creature 1. As Riches 1. Some live upon their Riches though God hath put in a Caveat to the contrary If riches increase set not your heart upon them with a special charge 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God The living God Note is the godly mans living but he is a dead-hearted creature that lives upon creatures as dead as himself It was the speech of a very fool Luk. 12.19 Soul eat drink and be merry thou hast many goods laid up for thee c. 2. Or Friends 2. Others live upon their Friends O they have such a friend that supplies all their wants from year to year or such a friend that hath ingaged both his fidelity and ability for their preferment or for their maintenance he hath made a faithful Promise and they dare take his word and trust to it Alas poor deceived Soul darest thou lean upon the Word and Promise of a Creature of a Mortal Creature a vain and vanishing Creature for every man at his best estate is altogether vanity and darest thou not lean upon the Word and Promise of the All-sufficient Jehovah Out of thy own mouth and out of thy own practice thou shalt be condemned Thou canst live by Faith in the Creature and yet wilt not live by Faith in God and therefore hear thy doom Jer. 17.5 God hath spoken it and the Creature shall finde it Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Mark ye where there is a trust and confidence in the Creature there is always a distrust and diffidence in respect of God And therefore in this case no help or blessing a man can finde among the Creatures can save him from the Curse and Judgement of God 4. Others live upon the Creature within themselves 4. Upon themselves in stead of living upon God by Faith For the Creature is apt to live upon the Creature within it self as well as to live upon the Creature without it self Nay he that scorns to live upon another either God or Man yet he prides himself in this That he can live as he thinks of himself And indeed nothing is more contrary to the Life of Faith than this The Life of Faith is a Life of Self-denial and the setting up of Self is the denying of the Faith and a denying of God Yet most men live upon themselves they set up sinful Self or natural Self or artificial Self or moral Self or religious Self 1. Some set up Sinful Self for their sins are themselves 1. Sinful Self and the forsaking of sin is the forsaking of Self But of this we have spoken already 2. Some set up Natural Self 2. Natural Self in stead of living by their Faith 1. They live by their Wits and Cunning Shifts but this is a poor shift in conclusion for God taketh the wise in their own craftiness Joh. 5.12 2. Some live by their own Reason and will believe no more nor do no more than corrupt Reason gives assent to As for Example Let God command kindness to strangers such as a man never saw before and is never like to see again In this case Natural Self disputes quarrels and reasons the case 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my bread my water and my flesh and give it unto men who I know not whence they be 3. Again suppose God threatens downfal to sinners in the greatest height of Prosperity Natural Self will not believe it so long as it sees no visible means Tush saith Babylon the words of the Prophet are but wind I sit as a Queen and shall never be moved 4. Let God promise deliverance out of the lowest Dungeon of Adversity Natural Reason will never believe it unless it sees visible means of relief If God should make windows in heaven could this thing be Can God prepare a Table in the Wilderness What in the Wilderness where there is neither Corn nor Roots nor Fish nor Fowl nor any beasts that they can lay their hands upon The beasts of the Wilderness may devour them but they can never feed upon the beasts Therefore whatever God promise they will believe nothing unless they see a Reason for it because they set up Natural Self 3. Artificial Self 3. Some live upon Artificial Self A mans Art and Trade is called his living and so it is indeed under God but when we set it above God that 's dangerous When men make a Diana of their Trade because by that craft they get their living this is to thrust out the true God and to make an Idol of their Art and Skill and so to Sacrifice to their Net or to their Plough or to their Pen or to their Trade or to their Merchandize Woe be to such men Habak 1. last Haggai 1.6 They put what they have into a broken bagge a bagge with holes 4. Some live upon Moral Self 4. Moral Self because they are fairer conditioned towards men and have committed as they think no gross enormous actual sin against God O they think all is well they are in the way to life and salvation before they come to understand the breadth of Gods Commandments and the Spiritual meaning of the Law They make no question but they are in the way to life and salvation Rom. 7.9 For I was alive without the Law says the Apostle but when the commandment came sin revived and I died Before the Commandment came home to my Conscience I was alive I thought my self in a good condition sin never troubled me but after it came home to the purpose I saw my self in a dead condition without a Saviour for Rom 3.20 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight 5. Some live upon Religious Self besides Moral Self 5. Religious Self O they have received such and such Graces they perform such and such Duties far beyond an ordinary Moralist Luk. 18.12 The Pharisee was not onely eminent in Moral Duties to men but in Religious Duties yea and extraordinary Religious Duties to God for he fasted no less than twice every week Now this puts life into his heart that he dare plead with God himself for acceptance he made no question but he was in the state of life But he was grosly mistaken Whilst he goes about to establish his own Righteousness he cannot
submit to the Righteousness of God and so he falls short of the Life of Justification For the poor Self-denying Publican went down to his house justified rather than the other Note Whoever sets up Religious self in point of Justification he stands in his own light he sets up himself betwixt Christ and his own Soul For he is the true light who lightens every one that comes into the world And the Just shall live by Faith in him And therefore he that sets up Religious Self in the room of Christ he sins against his own Soul And thus some live upon other things in stead of living by Faith 2. Second sort reproved Such as profess Faith but live not by it Secondly It Reproves such as profess Faith but live not by it like a man that makes profession of such a Calling but never works upon his Trade So multitudes make a Profession of Faith and say I believe in God the Father Almighty c. and in Jesus Christ c. But when they have made this Profession they live not by this faith which they so solemnly profess Indeed many talk of it but few walk by it Many swear by it few live by it It is a rare thing to finde a man that makes use of his Faith in all his dealing Many make use of their carnal Reason and many make use of Sense but few make use of Faith in those things which are above the grasp of Sense and Reason Our Saviour Christ might well say Luk. 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he finde Faith upon the Earth Look upon the vast Globe of the Earth into what narrow compass they are brought that make any Profession of the Faith Doth not the Turk possess the greatest part of the Eastern World Amongst those that do profess the Faith for Name sake how many do fulfil that sad Prophecy of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Scripture speaketh expresly In the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstrain from meats Is not this as lively a description of their Popish Doctrine as if the Apostle had been alive to see what they do and to hear what they speak at this day And doth not this Doctrine over-spread the greatest part of the Western World Besides whole Clouds of Errours and gross Opinions arising daily out of the Bottomless Pit and obscuring for the present the bright Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Is there not in these days a Resurrection of Hymeneus and Philetus or at least a Resurrection of loose Opinions who deny the Resurrection and say it is past already and by this means overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2 17 18. Again amongst those who do profess the true Faith for the Doctrinal part and are well principled in it how few are there that walk up to their Principles and so live by Faith in the practical part of their life That saying is fulfilled which is written Tit. 1 last They profess they know God and so they profess they believe in God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Though they make Profession of Faith look upon them in their eating and drinking and buying and selling and discoursing and in a word in the whole Series of their conversing with men you shall see no more of Faith in them saving the bare Profession than if they were very heathens And these are the second sort to be Reproved such as make Profession of the Faith but they live not by it Thirdly The third sort are such 3. Third sort Reproved Such as duly act not their Faith who not onely profess Faith but have the habit of it and yet act it not they live not by it As a rich man that hath wealth enough and yet is ready to starve himself for want of improving what he hath So do some men in a Spiritual sense It may be God hath inrich'd them with the grace of Faith and yet at some times and in some cases they live as if they had no faith at all as in difficult duties especially in great and sudden Trials Like a young Fencer Simile when he meets with an unwonted stroke he is put besides his skill and besides his ordinary guard and throws down his weapons So did the Disciples upon the sudden storm Luk. 8.24 Insomuch as Christ says Where is your faith Faith they had indeed but there was none to be seen at that time And therefore in the other Evangelist Mark 4.40 Christ saith upon the same occasion How is it that ye have not faith What had they no faith at all were the Disciples Vnbelievers No certainly there 's no question but they had the habit of Faith but there was no apparent act of Faith and therefore they were justly reproved by their Master And so are all such who having the grace of Faith do not labour upon all occasions to make use of it and to improve it for their own and others best advantage For this is properly to live by Faith But many are too blame in this particular they suffer their Faith to lie asleep And we may say to such as Christ to the Disciples Where is your faith They act not their faith in the Precept or Promise upon all occasions living upon a Word from God as they ought to do and therefore we may say Where is your faith For as Faith is the life of the Soul so the Word is the life of Faith and God is the life of the Word And therefore such as live not by Faith upon a Word from God upon particular emergent occasions we may say Where is your faith To instance a little in some particular in regard of our 1. Actions 2 Passions and 3. Elections Whether in 1. Actions 1. For our Actions Doth God call for Obedience as a necessary fruit of Faith in such plain and known Duties and thou standest with a stiff neck and wilt not bow or buckle to the serious Performance thereof May we not say in this case Where is thy faith Is not the Word plain Faith worketh by love and If ye love me keep my Commandments Again doth God call for Mercy and Almsdeeds with Promise of a large Retribution and thou hardenest thy heart and knittest thy fist and bendest thy brows against the Poor Where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Promise to ground thy faith upon Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given 2. Art thou in a prosperous Condition 2. Conditions Psal 62.10 and dost thou trust to thy Mountain of Prosperity O where is thy faith Hast thou not a plain Word If riches increase set not
My hearts desire and prayer to God is for the contrary I hope I may say with Job My Record is in heaven that my principal aim is the good of your Souls and next to that the Publick good of this Town which is not likely to be advanced by such as despise and undervalue the Ordinances of Christ Such as render not unto God the things that are Gods are not likely to render unto Men the things that are theirs And therefore I beseech you exercise Faith in matter of your Election not onely of your Chief Magistrates amongst you for I hope there will be no scruple in that but of Inferior Officers Simile A man that would have a good Orchard hath the greatest care of his first Plantation and so I hope will you I must needs say your last years Work and some other passages of Providence do give grounds of hope that God intends yet further good to this Town For the present do that which is your Duty and leave the Success to God I shall forbear to speak further for this time desiring to second that by Prayer that hath been said already The end of this Sermon Vse III. Of Examination Vse 3 Examination Use of Examination and Trial First Of Persons Secondly Of Doctrines and Religions 1. Of Persons whether we are Just 1. For trial of Persons and in a state of Life of Spiritual Life or no for then we have Faith For the Just lives by his Faith There is no other Life there is no other Righteousness to be attained unto but that which is by Faith Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth the Righteousness of Faith without Works Rom. 4 6. Well then that we may know whether we have Life or no or whether we have Righteousness or no the main Quaere will be Whether we have Faith or no And this is worthy the enquiring after and worth the trying The more precious any thing is in the true nature and quality of it the more exact we use to be in the trial of it lest we should be cozened with that which is false and counterfeit in stead of that which is right and good We do not use to be so exact in the trial of things of lesser moment but marvellous exact and accurate in the trial of Gold and Precious Stones and that which makes us so accurate in the trial of them is because they are so precious Now Faith in the Scripture is called precious Faith Now for what is it precious but for the rarity and excellency of it and so the trial of Faith is called Precious Trial whether it be tried by the Word of God or whether it be tried by the Works of God in the Furnace of affliction it is a precious trial 1 Pet 1.7 At this time we shall endevour to try it by the Word of God which is the Touchstone of Faith And this Trial if well applied may be very precious to us and of singular use For in case upon trial we finde through Mercy we have true Faith we shall have great cause to be thankful to rejoyce in the God of our Salvation But in case we finde we have not Faith as we shall have great cause to be humbled so as great cause to seek God in the use of means for this excellent grace of Faith for it is our very Life The Just shall live by his Faith Marks of true Faith from feigned But how shall we know whether we have Faith or no For as there is Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 so there is feigned and counterfeit Faith also Quest How shall we know the one from the other It loves to be cried Ans 1. First to be sure this is one remarkable note of Distinction That Faith which is true loves to be tried that which is false cannot endure to come to the Trial. In this case it is just as it is betwixt a True man and a Thief The true man if he chance to be suspected he loves to come to the Trial that he may clear himself but the Thief declines it all that he may because he knows himself guilty A man that hath false and counterfeit Faith he loves to take all for granted that he doth believe he cannot endure to put himself to further trouble he doth not like these Uses of Trial and Examination Like a man that is false upon his Accounts he cannot endure his Books should be examined but he that hath true faith he desires nothing more than the through Trial of his faith O he would not for all the world be mistaken in a matter of so great concernment and therefore he likes that Ministery best that is most searching And when the Ministery hath done all it can do such a Soul goes to God by Prayer and saith Lord give me grace impartially to apply the searching Word I have heard this day nay do thou thy self search me O Lord examine me and prove me try my reins and my heart Psal 26.2 And that 's the first Discovery of true Faith and true Grace It loves to be tried But how shall it be tried 2. It is tried both by the Cause and by the Effect 2. It is known by the Cause which are the best means to come to the knowledge of any thing First by the cause Instrumental It is wrought by the Word Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing Though other means may help to Faith The conversation of the Wife 1 Pet. 3.1 And the Samaritans believ'd because of the Woman Joh. 4.42 Yet the Word of God is the onely ground of Faith And this Word works in the whole man 1. It works in the Vnderstanding a clear sight of our Misery by Nature and of the Remedy in Christ dying for sinners 2. It works in the Affection a godly sorrow to Repentance and a longing desire after Christ Act. 2.37 They were pricked in their hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved 3. It works upon the Will a closing with the Promise and Christ in the Promise suppose 1 Pet. 2.6 or Joh. 1.12 c. grounding upon his willingness to receive all such as come to him upon his ability also and faithfulness to make his Word good It receives whole Christ Prophet Priest and King into the whole man Secondly it is tried by the Fruits and Effects And by the Effects which are 1. A high prizing of the Word which is the Instrument of Faith 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious An Unbeliever doth not so prize the Word he can set a humane Testimony Cheek by Jaw with the Word of God 2. A high prizing of Christ who is the Object of Faith 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you that believe he is precious especially the Righteousness of Christ is very precious
would not believe the comfortable Promise that was brought to him from God by the Prophet Isaiah what saith the Scripture Isa 7.13 Is it a small thing for you to weary or grieve men but ye will weary my God also And with whom was God grieved fourty years in the Wilderness was it not with them that sinned through Vnbelief Heb. 3.17 Suppose a rich man should freely invite all the Poor of such a Town to a feast with Promise of kind and hearty welcome if they will but come c. Upon the Invitation first one and then another should begin to make exceptions against themselves and say Surely he did not intend that I should come c. If I do I 'll be sure to eat nothing I cannot think he should bid me welcome or if he do that he means as he says I am so unworthy I have nothing to pay for my entertainment Would not this grieve the Master of the Feast and displease him Might not his displeasure turn into wrath Luk. 14.21 24. The Master of the house was angry and said None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Doth God say Whosoever will let him eat of the bread and drink freely of the water of life Isa 55 1. Rev. 22.17 and shall any of us say Though I hunger and thirst also I cannot believe the Promise belongs to me How do we quench and grieve the Spirit of God by our Unbelief Thirdly 3. It pleases the Devil it 's a sin that doth exceedingly please the Devil It was the very first sin he tempted our first Parents to and 't is the main of all his Temptations to this day Let the Word be preach'd never so powerfully yea But is this true saith the Devil The Devil doth what he can to bring God out of credit with his People Luke 8.12 These by the high-way are they that hear then cometh the Devil and taketh the Word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved Mark the Devil knows that without Faith there is no Salvation therefore he that is an enemy to the Salvation of People is as great an enemy to Faith Thou canst not do a greater pleasure to the Devil than to say I question whether this be true or no or whether God will make this Promise good to me though I should cast my self upon the Word of his Free-grace O Christians think of this think seriously of this how you rejoyce that wicked Spirit The Father of Lies and how you grieve and vex the holy Spirit of God The Spirit of Truth by your Unbelief Fourthly consider the sin of Unbelief 't is a Mother Sin As the Devil is the Father so Unbelief is the Mother of all other sins The brood of Unbelief Unbelief was first the Devils Bastard and then he makes it his Concubine and by his incubation upon an unbelieving heart he begets a world of other sins As 1. Ignorance First of all Wilful and affected Ignorance For if the Devil can but perswade a Soul either that the Word is not of God or that it belongs not to it self in particular then the next Temptation is To what purpose shouldst thou labour for the knowledge of such a Word that concerns thee not And therefore Unbelief and Ignorance are coupled together and both proceeding from the Devil 2 Cor. 4.3 4. But if c. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Whereby it comes to pass that so many are ignorant in the midst of so much light 2. Security Secondly another dangerous sin the off-spring of the Devil and of Unbelief is Sinful Security The Devil begets this sin upon an Unbelievers heart and when he hath done he rocks the Cradle When God threatens and the awakened Conscience begins to cry then Peace peace Gen. 3.1 saith the Devil Yea hath God said Ye shall die if ye eat of the forbidden fruit I say Ye shall not die The words of the Prophets are but wind Jer. 5.13 what need ye regard or fear the threatning Indeed God hath said The Drunkard shall be clothed with rags Prov. 33.21 Isa 33.1 The spoiler shall be spoiled and The flying Roll of Gods curse shall enter into the house of the Thief and of him that sweareth falsly by the Name of God Zech. 5.4 But do you not see threatned folk live long saith the Devil Doth not many a Drunkard Oppressor Thief and Swearer live many a fair day And thus the poor Soul is presently rock'd asleep again in its Unbelief and becomes resolute in an evil way Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil They are secure in the midst of danger they fall asleep upon the top of the Mast Thirdly 3. Worldliness another dangerous sin springing from Unbelief is Worldly-mindedness for if we believe not what is promised concerning Heaven or what is threatned in regard of Hell why then saith Demas let us embrace this present world Let Noah preach of Judgement to the old World and righteous Lot to the Sodomites so long as their words seem to them as idle tales there 's no care to prevent the imminent Judgement but all their care is how they shall live another day when it may be they have not a day to live They ate they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded they were all for the world even to the very day that those dreadful Waters upon the one and that terrible Fire upon the other came down from the Lord out of Heaven And all this because of their Unbelief Fourthly 4. Hypocrisie another dangerous sin the fruit of such a cursed Parent is Gross Hypocrisie Counterfeit Faith ever springs from real Unbelief for durst a man make shew of Religion to serve his own turn and to serve his own lusts as many men do if he did believe that God was a God searching the heart and the reins and such an one as would smite all painted walls and whited sepulchres he durst as well eat fire as do such a thing O saith many a vile wretch I carried my self like a Saint whilst I was in their company and yet it may be the same man at another time and in another company carries himself more like a Devil incarnate than a Saint And why so from whence springs this gross Hypocrisie but from gross Unbelief For had he but Faith to believe the Omnipresence of God he would labour to be the same at all times and in all companies Fifthly 5. Heresie another dangerous sin the Daughter both of Unbelief and Hypocrisie is Heresie a departing from the Faith in some Points of Religion for a mans own outward advantage For if a
reigning Unbelief when we believe nothing at all when we have not so much as laid hold of any Promise to make peace with God! Partial unbelief deprives us of many Mercies on this side Heaven but total unbelief deprives men of Heaven it self Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned O the misery of that poor Soul that never yet believed one Promise O that we could even with Soul-bleeding tears bewail our unbelief O that God would give to each of us a heart to get into a corner and to weep in secret over our unbelief each man bemoaning himself as Ephraim did Jer. 31.18 O that I should have such a stiff neck such a base hard unbelieving heart O that I should spend so much time to so little purpose for death hath possest all that part of my life wherein I was an unbeliever The heathen man could say O Friends we have lost a day but many of us may say O Friends we have lost many days and many years wherein we have done God little or no service nay a great deal of disservice by our unbelief O that I should be so foolish and slow of heart to believe all that Lord hath spake by his Prophets and Apostles Luke 24.25 O how justly may God upbraid me for my unbelief Mark 16.14 c. that I should be so backward to believe the God of Truth and so forward to believe the Father of Lies Blessed Saviour lay not this great sin this Mother-sin to my charge which is the Mother of Abominations Thus should we pray Consider not how often I have dishonoured thy Majesty and grieved thy holy Spirit by my unbelief But O thou Mirrour of Patience and Pity who didst sometimes mourn over the People because of the hardness of their hearts Mar. 3.5 I beseech thee let that be the object of thy Pity which might be the object of thy Fury O pity and heal mine unbelieving heart Doubtless if we can but thus bemoan and bewail our selves in our unbelief that God who made good that gracious Promise to him that went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and I will heal him Isa 57.18 will much more make it good to such an one as with all his heart and with all his soul bewails his own frowardness and backwardness to believe I will restore comfort to him and his mourners Vse VI. Of Exhortation Vse 6 Of Exhortation The next Use is for Exhortation 1. For our selves 2. For others For our selves 1. To perswade us to labour to get Faith As Solomon saith of Wisdom with all thy getting get wisdom So with all thy getting get Faith for it is thy life 2. To keep it when we have it Non minor est virtus c. It is no less a piece of Spiritual good husbandry to keep our stock of Faith when we have it than to get it at the first 3. To live by it or use it as well as to keep it It s far better to put our Faith to use than our Money to use The Just makes a living of his Faith whilst he puts it to use 4. So to live by it as not to live barely and poorly but so as to increase the stock of our Faith Faith is such an excellent grace we can never have too much of it he that increaseth his Faith increaseth his livelihood For the just shall live by his Faith First therefore labour to get Faith Branch I. To get faith There are many things that men labour to obtain in the world Some are all for their Profits others for their Pleasures others for their Preferment and so every man as his Principle leads him But when all is done nothing is so worthy of our diligence and best endevours as is the getting of Faith Should a man gain all other things and lose this he makes a hard bargain Mat. 16. â—6 For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Should a man lose all the rest and gain this he makes a wise bargain Job 2.4 Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Now Faith is the very life of the Soul For the just shall live by his faith and therefore with all thy getting get Faith it is thy life Should a man hear of such a Medicine as would certainly preserve his life and cure all manner of Diseases whither would he not travel what would he not give to procure such a Medicine And such a Medicine is Faith commended unto us from the hand of our heavenly Physician Be of good comfort saith Christ Luke 7.50 17.19 thy faith hath saved thee and Thy faith hath healed thee Faith is a Remedy against all diseases yea suppose a faithful man dies of his disease yet his Faith is a Remedy against death it self Woe is me saith the natural man there is no friend against death But blessed be God saith the true believer for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain Phil. 1.21 The greatest of evils is turn'd into the greatest good by Faith even death it self is made advantage Who would not labour for such a Grace What should I say to raise the price of Faith in your esteem What do we esteem instead of Faith Certainly the best of men and the best of blessings are but dead things without Faith Faith puts life into a man and into all that a man enjoys Without faith men of high degree are a lie Psal 62.9 and so are all those things which make them so high Honours Profits Pleasures all these promise much O say they we 'll make thee a happy man if thou wilt set thy heart on us But they lie when they say so Jon. 2.8 They that follow after lying vanities forsake their own mercy If thou wouldst not forsake thine own mercies labour for Faith He is merciful to the purpose that is merciful to his own Soul Prov. 11.17 and that man is the most desperate Self-murtherer that is willing to live and die in his unbelief I beseech you I beseech you Friends listen to the voice of your Immortal Souls Me-thinks every man now and then should hear the voice of his precious Soul crying out in this manner Am I not the most excellent piece of Gods Workmanship And did God make me so for nothing Is not my being to continue to everlasting Do I not feel in my self the very spark of Immortality Must I not be either happy or miserable to all Eternity Is there but one means under Heaven to make me happy which is to get Faith and shall I neglect that Is this the great Work that God hath given me in charge that I should believe in him whom he hath sent Joh. 6.29 and shall I do evething else before I do this Is my life but as a day in this world and the night of death coming
Means to remove it The third is from the World 3. Impediment The World The World and Faith are opposites and either Faith must overcome the World or the World will overcome Faith The World hath profits pleasures preferments honours on the one side to allure thee and reproaches racks faggots fire on the other side to terrifie thee The World trieth both fair means and soul means to draw thee or to drive thee from the Faith Besides if either the Multitude or the Pomp and Magnificence of such as reject the Faith may prevail with thee the World will be sure to propound both as a scotch in the Wheel and a clog to thy Faith Joh. 7.48 Have any of the Rulers or the Pharisees believed on him As if they should say Are you so mad to believe on him and to go in a singular way Look about you in the world and you shall see there are not many men at least not many great and learned men that are so forward Me-thinks you should be willing to do as the most do and then you shall be sure the fewest will blame you Why should you be so foolish to expose your self to the shame and hatred of the multitude And this is the third Discouragement and Hindrance of Faith the World Well but how should we remove this Impediment how should we do to rowl away this stone 3 Relief I answer The best way to remove this stone and Rock of Offence is To remember that the Church of God is but a little Flock Mat. 6. and that the greatest number of men run headlong in the broad way that leadeth to destruction The multitude of offenders doth no whit lessen but rather aggravate the offence Remember the solemn charge of God Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 He that sins with the multitude â—ust look to suffer with the multitude He that sins after the example of great men shall be greatly tormented It s a sad thing to go to Hell for company It s a doleful Welcom when Hell from beneath is moved for thee for thee I say that didst sin after the example of the most of men or the greatest of men Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming saith the Prophet Isa 14.9 It stirreth up the dead for thee even all the chief ones or great men of the earth All they shall speak and say unto thee Are you also become weak as we are you become like unto us or as one of us Mark ye if there be any triumph among damned Spirits it is this Even to insult over those that at last prove as miserable as themselves You shall sometimes see such a hellish disposition in wicked men whilst they live upon earth if they can but do their Neighbors a mischief they care not to do twice as much to themselves O how they triumph if they can but drink and swagger others into the like shame with themselves and rail and revile others into the same passion and play and game others into the same poverty O what is this wicked practice but even Hell above-ground For this is the language of Hell Art thou become like one of us c especially when they can draw a Professor into sin and by sin into judgement Oh! how they triumph at such a prize What art thou become as one of us Thou that didst walk like a Saint upon earth thou that didst shine like Lucifer the bright Morning-Star thou that wert eminent in the Profession and it may be in the preaching of the Faith how art thou fallen from thy heavenly condition How art thou fallen from thy professed Faith into Unbelief and by Unbelief into the Bottom of Hell Lo this is the triumph of the damned Spirits Look as there is Joy in Heaven among the blessed Angels over one sinner that râ—penteth more than over ninety and nine just persons Luke 15. which need no amendment of life So there is triumph in Hell amongst Apostate Angels over one eminent Professor that falleth from the Faith into the condemnation of Unbelievers more than over ninety and nine wicked persons that never made any such hopeful Profession O remember how Hell it self will laugh thee to scorn if thou shalt follow a multitude to do evil This is the shameful welcome those Infernal Spirits shall give to their new guests when a poor deluded Soul following the steps of the multitude goes down into the Chambers of Eternal Death This is that scornful language Art thou also become like one of us Didst thou follow us in Sin and Unbelief and now dost thou follow us into Torments If thou wouldst not be the shame of Devils and damned Spirits let not the example of the World perswade thee to continue in Unbelief And this is the third Impediment of Faith and the Means to remove it 4. Impediment of Faith Gods hardning The fourth is from God That 's a most observable passage which you reade Joh. 12.39 40. Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah had said again He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him As if he should say These are such things as did not onely concern the Prophets own time and the men of his generation but they are such things as are to be fulfilled under the Gospel in the Kingdom of Christ for the Prophet foretold them when he saw the glory of Christ and did Prophecy his Kingdom Now both the Vision and the particular Prophecy you have in the 6. of Isaiah Obj. But you 'll say This is wonderful How can these things be How is it possible that the same God which commands all men every where to repent and believe Acts 17. where the Gospel comes should nevertheless blinde the eyes and harden the hearts of some lest they should repent and believe Alas you 'll say What can the poor creature do if God shut their eyes who can open them if God harden the heart who can soften it Ans I answer Therefore you are carefully to look to the meaning of the Prophecy which is nothing else but a denunciation of Spiritual Judgement against the people for their former contempt of his Word and Means of grace As if God should say Are you so obstinate will nothing work upon you notwithstanding so many gracious proffers of Mercy will nothing move you to believe Then you shall not believe Will nothing move you to repent Then you shall not repent Will nothing move you to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit Then you shall not be cleansed He that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 22. And that this is the very meaning of the words you may see by the same Prophecy cited by S.
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
findes the sweetness of it should desire to communicate this life to others and to endevour that they also may live by it as well as himself If the Life of Faith be such an excellent Life who would not labour to convert others to the Faith Me-thinks I hear God by his Spirit speaking to the Soul of each faithful man Behold thou art converted thy self Hast thou here any besides as the Angel said to Lot Gen. 19 12. Son in law and thy sons and thy daughters that are still in Sodom still in the state of Nature O bring them out of this condition that they may learn to live by Faith also as well as thy self This is indeed the great Work of the Ministers and ought to be the endevour of every private Christian in their private Admonitions and Exhortations to convert others to the Faith Dost thou desire thy Children thy Friends thy Neighbours may live comfortably as well as thy self O labour to convert them to the Faith and labour that they may live by Faith when they are converted There 's no Life under heaven to be compared with this Life But to press home farther and more effectually what I intend in this Point I shall refer most of that I have to say to that notable place in Daniel which I shall adde as an Appendex to this Subject of Faith AN APPENDIX Concerning The Converting of others TO THE FAITH They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever WHere the Prophet Daniel foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People from the beginning of the World which some understand of the great Persecution under Antiochus Epïphanes and others of the last and great Persecution under Antichrist and others understand it of both and indeed the first was a Type of the latter I say the Prophet foretelling the greatest troubles that ever befel Gods People he foretels also as was needful for their support at such a time the greatest comforts and encouragements that could be First in the very time of their troubles And secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles First in the time of their troubles and that is in the glorious appearance and assistance of the great General of the Field the Lord Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant pleading the Cause and fighting the Battels of his Servants Here 's the comfort though there be no troubles like their troubles yet there is no Saviour like their Saviour ver 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation Secondly in the issue and fruit of their troubles As no troubles like their troubles so no deliverance like their deliverance Which is set forth 1. In the glorious Resurrection of all the faithful to life Eternal in these words viz. And at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book and many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life 2. In the special glory that is promised to those that lay forth themselves in a special work viz. in the Conversion of others to the Faith v. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Explication They that be wise Some reade it that make others wise or cause them to understand So They that turn many unto righteousness i. e. they that turn men to the righteousness of faith as Interpreters do expound it they that are instruments of others Conversion they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever As if the Prophet had said 'T is possible the rage of Antichrist in the night of Persecution may burn hottest of all against the Teachers of the Word and such as draw others to the knowledge of Christ because they stand as it were in the fore-front of the Battel yet let them be no whit discouraged for as the stars shine brightest in the darkest night so shall they shine that are called Stars Rev. 1.20 and all such as labour in Conversion of others they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever You may behold in the words 1. The Description and Commendation of the most excellent Work 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward and the latter set down as an encouragement to the former 1. The Description of the most excellent Work They that turn many unto righteousness 2. The Intimation or Proposal of the most excellent Reward They shall shine As the Firmament As the Stars for ever and ever Take the result of both in this one Proposition The turning of men unto Righteousness Doctr. or the Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward They that be wise c. I. Branch 'T is an excellent Work 1. The turning of men unto Righteousness the Conversion of Souls to God is the most excellent Work It is an excellent Work indeed by Prayer and other means to heal a sick body Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Yea but it is a far more excellent Work to heal a sick and sinful Soul ver 19. Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins This is an excellent Work indeed and it is that excellent Work that was so much in Davids eye he was marvellous earnest with God to help him in the work of his own Conversion or in the renewal of his Repentance and why so that he might be the better fitted to convert others to God Psal 51.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee This was the great and noble design of David the Conversion of Souls He desired though he could not make God amends yet to take a holy Revenge upon Satan by drawing Subjects from him to God And indeed it appears to be a most excellent Work in many respects For Reas 1 First it is a difficult Work and all excellent things are difficult It is a difficult work It s an easie matter to damn a Soul Facilis descensus averni We go down the hill and so down to Hell fast enough but it 's the hardest matter in the world to save a Soul Psal 22.29 'T is too hard for a man to convert himself No man can keep alive or quicken his own Soul 'T is too hard for a man by his own power to convert another 't is too hard for the Parent
to convert the Childe 't is too hard for a gracious man to infuse grace into another There 's no party within to joyn in the carrying on of that work Rom. 8.7 The carnal minde is enmity against God And there is Satan without opposing and withstanding Act. 13.8 Suppose any Soul to be born again certainly it is born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1.13 There is God in the work if ever it be done All the Ministers under heaven cannot convert a Soul without the help of God and therefore it is a difficult work and therefore it is an excellent work also Reas 2 Secondly which follows upon the former it is a Work of great skill and wisdom It is a Work of great skill 1 Cor. 2.4 Col. 4.4 and therefore an excellent Work The most skilful works are accounted the most excellent works But this is a work of the greatest skill and wisdom in the world and therefore it is said They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament And others reade it They that make others wise and it may well be read both ways for they that make others wise are truly wise themselves especially such as are best fitted for the work and therefore Solomon tels you He that winneth souls is wise Prov. 11.30 Or he that catcheth Souls out of the snares of the Devil and its own deceitful heart and fetcheth them within the compass of Gods Net he is a wise fisher of men he is a wise man indeed Every fool can cast away a Soul but he is a wise man that wins a Soul As it was said of Daniel so it may be said of such Excellent wisdom was found in him Dan. 2.12 The world indeed judgeth them fools Note and their preaching foolishness 1 Cor. 4.10 We are fools for Christs sake but the God of wisdom pronounceth them wise and of the two it is far better to be Gods wise man and the worlds fool than to be the worlds wise man and Gods fool For not he whom man but whom the Lord commendeth shall be approved 2 Cor. 10.18 He is wise that winneth Souls and they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament Reas 3 Thirdly it is a Work of the greatest Love and Compassion and therefore an excellent Work 'T is true It is a Work of greatest love the Gift of Miracles and the Gift of Tongues are excellent Gifts but what are these to the Gift of Charity 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding brass and as a tinkling cymbal And of all other Charity that is most excellent that is exercised towards the Souls of poor Creatures 'T is true 't is a good thing to be charitable towards the bodies of the needy to deal out bread to the hungry and to clothe the naked Isa 38.7 But when all is done that 's the most excellent Charity that is bestowed upon the most excellent part the Soul Otherwise a man may give all his goods away to the poor and yet have no Charity for all that 1 Cor. 13.3 And therefore look as God commends his love to us in this that his principal care was for the good of our immortal Souls so should we also in this particular commend our love one to another That 's most certain Soul-friends are the best and truest friends in the world and Soul-compassion is the best compassion that can be shewed Jude ver 22. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire It is an act of the greatest compassion that can be imagined to pull a Soul out of Hell-fire whether it be by fair means or by foul Is not such a Soul as a brand snatch'd out of the fire Zech. 3.2 O blessed for ever blessed be that hand that snatches any such brand out of the flames of eternal fire It is a work of the greatest love and compassion and therefore the most excellent Work Reas 4 Fourthly it is the most excellent Work because it aims at the most excellent End and we know it is the End that crowns the Action It aims at the most excellent End But the winning of Souls to God aims at the most excellent End For 't is such a work as brings most glory to God and most good to the Creature and therefore must needs be a most excellent Work 1. It brings most glory to God 1. It brings most glory to God and this is the great end of all ends Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself or for his own glory Now this blessed End is the main issue of this blessed Work 'T is true God will have glory even in the perdition of ungodly men and therefore it 's added in the same place Yea even the wicked for the day of evil The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil But the Argument is very strong If God have glory even in the destruction of some men how much more hath be glory in the Salvation of others Rom. 9.23 He makes known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy O the admirable riches of Free-grace shining forth in this work of God in the Conversion of Souls It glorifies all Gods Attributes and magnifies every part of his Name It glorifies his Love it discovers the bredth and length It glorifies his Love and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3.18 19. 2. It glorifies his Power The Psalmist says His Power Who knows the power of thy wrath Psal 90.11 But we may say Who knows the power of thy Grace God puts forth as great power in the Conversion of a Soul as in the Raising of a dead body as raising the body of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.19 20. as great a power as in the making the World and therefore the Work of Regeneration is called a Work of Creation Eph. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works 3. It glorifies his Wisdom His Wisdom the manifold Wisdom of God Though we preach Christ to some a stumbling-block and to others foolishness yet unto all such as are called and converted as Christ becomes the Power of God so also the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 23.24 4. It glorifies the Word of his Grace The Word of his Grace Though the Word of the Lord be reproached whilst people slight both the threatnings and the Promises of it as if God would do neither good nor evil yet it is marvellously glorified in the Conversion of Souls whilst the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God in pulling down strong holds of Satan in the unsanctified wit and will of man In this respect we are to pray that the Word
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
Souls of poor sinners may well be accounted and called Blessed 2. There 's a blessing also from Man If the children of natural Parents how much more shall the children of Spiritual Parents rise up and call them blessed Prov. 31.28 O blessed be God says a poor Soul that ever I heard such a man preach and dispense the Word of Life I was before in the very gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity but blessed be God for such an Instrument that under Jesus Christ was a means to work upon my heart and to draw me out of that wretched condition And thus the blessing of him that was ready to perish comes upon the Spiritual Parent as Job speaks and therefore it is great ground of joy Job 29.13 Secondly 2. The Church of God This is that which doth exceedingly rejoyce the Church of God in general for whoever be the particular Father under God of any mans Conversion that 's most certain the Church of God is the true Mother Zion is daily travailing in pain for the bringing forth of Gods elected ones And never had any Mother in the world more joy in the birth of a childe than the Church of God Jerusalem which is above and is free and is the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 hath joy in the happy birth of new converted Souls Oh! how she hugs them in her arms and dandles them upon her knees suckles them at her brests as the Lord speaks Isa 66.11 12. Then shall ye suck and be satisfied with the brests of her Consolation ye shall suck ye shall be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem 'T is a comfort to the children 't is a comfort to the Mother no doubt 't is a great joy to both 3. The particuâ—ar Society 3. 'T is joy to the particular Society and place where they live if they understand themselves the Family the Town the City the Kingdom where they live fares the better for such 'T is most true impenitent sinners are very evil Instruments in any Society whereever they come They are the Jonas's the Achan's the Ahab's the troublers of Israel whereever they live they bring plagues and judgements upon others as well as upon themselves One sinner destroys much good Eccl. 9.18 But it is as true on the other side an humble gracious converted Soul brings a blessing with him whereever he comes Laban is blest for Jacobs sake Potiphar is blest for Josephs sake and Zoar is spared for Lots sake and Sodom had been spared too for ten righteous persons if they had been found there The poor godly wise man delivers the City Eccl. 9.15 The innocent deliver the island and it is delivered by the pureness of his hands Job 22.30 and therefore 't is joy to the particular society and place where they live 4. The Angels 4. 'T is joy to the blessed Angels of Heaven As 't is joy to the Terrestrial Angels the Ministers of the Churches so 't is joy to the Coelestial Angels those blessed ministring Spirits who are sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. last Those glorious creatures as they delight to pry into the Mystery of Christ and to preach the Gospel for the first Sermon that was ever preached after the birth of Christ was preach'd by an Angel Luk. 20.10 So they do no less delight in the conversion of Souls by that Ordinance Luk. 15.7 So likewise I say unto you there is joy in heaven in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Wouldst thou rejoyce Heaven and Earth at once Oh be converted thy self and travail in the Conversion of others Look as those damned Spirits the Angels of Darkness rejoyce in the destruction of Souls Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet 5.8 O how Hell it self is moved and enlargeth her self at the approach of such new-comers as these Isa 5.14 14.9 So those blessed Angels of Light do no less rejoyce in the Conversion of Souls 5. Nay Fifthly 5. Inferiour Creatures 't is that which after a sort doth rejoyce the very inferiour Creatures they do far more readily and cheerfully serve the godly than the wicked For however they do indeed serve the lusts of wicked men yet it is but a kinde of ravishment and forced service They are made subject to vanity in it Rom. 8.20 because impropriated from their first institution in the state of Integrity For they were appointed at first to serve the Sons of God by Creation Note and therefore in this kinde they do rejoyce to serve the Sons of God by Regeneration yea they do even groan to be made partakers of that liberty that being delivered out of the former bondage of serving the lusts of sinful men they might serve no other but the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 And thus we see it is a most excellent Work because it aims at the most excellent End Reas 5 Fifthly 'T is the most excellent Work because it is a Work that is most pleasing to Jesus Christ and surely It is most pleasing to Jesus Christ that is the most excellent Work that is most excellent in the account of Jesus Christ And I pray why was Christ content to be born in a Stable among the Beasts and to live as a servant and a slave and to die amongst the most notorious Malefactors Nay why did he rise again from the Grave and ascend on High but that he might give gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery for the Conversion of Souls for the perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.12 And when Christ once sees this Work going forward it does him good at the very heart O now says Christ I have enough now that I see of my Spiritual seed now that I see of the travail of my Soul I am satisfied Isa 53.11 O now I judge all my pains and cost well bestowed I do not repent me of one drop of my Blood that was shed for the Redemption of my dearest People For why did Christ neglect his own Body and Soul but to save the Bodies and Souls of others Simile Writers report of the Pellican that she sprinkles of her own blood upon her young ones when they are dead whereby they revive and recover their former life Whether this be true or no I know not But this I am sure of He that compares himself to the Pellican Psal 102.6 he doth so he revives his people by his own blood by the blood of sprinkling and when they are thus revived O this life of theirs is as it were the life of Christ himself Now I live saith Christ if ye live if ye stand fast in the Life of Faith Reas 6 Sixthly 'T is the most excellent Work because it is the most
Honourable Work It is the most honourable Work and it is the most Honourable Work 1. Because in this Work a man hath the most honourable fellow-labourers not onely the Angels of Heaven as we heard before but the God of Heaven Jesus Christ himself was a Minister and Preacher as well as a Purchaser of the New-Covenant Hence we are said in this great Work to be fellow-labourers and fellow-workmen together with God himself 1 Cor. 3.9 2. 'T is an honourable Work because 't is conversant about the most excellent Object The Souls of men one Soul being more worth than all the world They that are imployed in securing the Estates of men as Lawyers and Magistrates or in preserving the Bodies of men as Physicians are or in preserving the Honours of men as Heralds and Historians are I dare not say but they have a lawful and an excellent Calling yea but not so excellent as those that are specially imployed in the conversion and salvation of the Souls of men Look as those men that were imployed in the Tabernacle in all cunning work of Silk and Purple and fine-twined Linen of Silver and Gold and Precious Stones they had a more honourable service than such as were imployed in Goats-hair in Rams-skins and Badgers-skins So such as are imployed for the good of Souls have a more honourable service than such as are imployed for the good of mens Estates Bodies or Names That 's the most excellent Work that is imployed about the most excellent Object What is the Body or what is the outward Estate of a man in comparison of his Soul Nay what are all the goods in the world to be laid in the Balance with the Soul the whole Globe of the Earth with all the glory of it in comparison of this is lighter than vanity He that well knew the worth of both hath said it What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Mat. 16.26 And if the loss of a Soul be so great a loss then the gain of a Soul must needs be as great a gain Doubtless the Salvation of Souls is the most excellent Work because it hath the most excellent Object 3. It is the most excellent Work because it works the most excellent Changes converting from sin to righteousness from hell to heaven Act. 26.18 II. Branch It hath the most honourable Reward Reas 7 And lastly It is the most excellent Work because it hath the most excellent Reward and this brings in the second part of the Doctrine It hath the most excellent Reward The Doctrine was this The turning of men unto Righteousness or The Conversion of Souls as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward And what 's the Reward To shine as the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever And this proves it to be the most excellent Work for God shall reward men according to their works though not according to the merit of their work yet of his Free-grace according to the nature of their works Such is Gods method of Retribution that as you may reade mens sins in their punishment so you may behold the excellency of the work in the glory of their Reward As works of darkness shall be punished in the place of utter darkness so such as have been as John Baptist was burning and shining lights in the work of the Ministery they shall shine as the glorious lights of Heaven for ever and ever They did shine as stars here Rev. 1.20 12.1 therefore they shall shine as stars hereafter O how should the consideration of this great Reward quicken us up in the performance of the VVork for to that end doubtless it is spoken 'T is true we should labour in the Conversion of Souls were there no reward at all how much more then when it brings so great advantage every ways not onely to the person converted but to him also that is the Instrument of his Conversion They shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever O what a garland of Glory is put upon the Head of these Conquerours Beloved such as conquer but a Kingdom or two they think they gain much and sometimes they are so lifted up they know not what ground they stand upon though the VVord tells us they are set in slippery places But how do you think they would glory if they should conquer all the world And yet for my own part if I could but conquer one Soul and bring it home to Jesus Christ I should think I had cause in the strength of God to out-glory all such men one single Soul as we heard being more worth than all the world When all is done Soul-Converters are the greatest Conquerors under Heaven Thanks be to God which always and in every place causeth us to triumph in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 He is the best Conqueror indeed that brings the most Subjects unto Jesus Christ and he shall have the best Reward His head shall be compass'd with a Crown of Glory And thus have we seen the Truth of this Doctrine The turning of men c. Vse 1. Of Information Vse 1 The first Use Information of the dignity of the Ministery is to Inform us of the Dignity of that Calling whose proper work it is to convert Souls I mean the Calling of the Ministery If the Life of Faith be such an excellent Life then that Calling whose special work is to convert others to the Faith must needs be an excellent and honourable Calling I confess I could willingly have spared this Use wherein Ministers may seem to seek themselves were not God himself despised in the contempt of his Servants And Oh that we could bewail it with tears of blood Note that even some of those that cannot deny if they have any grace at all but that God wrought upon their hearts by the Ministery of the Word should now go about to disclaim their Parents contemning both the Ministery of the Word and the word of those Ministers whom sometimes they received as Angels of God yea even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.14 living above Ordinances contemning the Word and Messengers of God under pretence of magnifying the Spirit of God But this is no new thing It was just thus in the Apostles time he was fain to use this very Argument 1 Cor. 9.2 If I be not an Apostle to others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. As if he should say If you be true Converts I am a true Minister for you had no other Conversion but by the Ministery of that Word which I preached to you I will therefore press this Use with that solemn Charge of same the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God I confess there is
a respect and honour due to all those that labour in the Conversion of Souls as private Christians by their private Admonitions Exhortations Counsels Prayers c. wherein they may be singularly helpful to the Ministers of God But principally this is due to those whose peculiar work and calling it is to convert Souls to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thess 4 8. Vse 2 Vse 2. of Reproof Reproof of Secondly this Reproves many If the Conversion of Souls be such an excellent Work then it Reproves 1 Them that slight this work First Such as slight this Work and make no account of it as if it were not worth the while to Convert Souls 1 Sort. 1. Such as Cloister up themselves in a solitary Monastical life as a state of greater perfection Though they profess the Faith yet they bring forth little fruits of it they are all for Contemplation little for Action all for themselves little for others in the propagation of the Faith Let others sink or swim all 's one to them So they may save their own Souls they care little what becomes of others Gen. 4. But this is not the voice of Faith to say Am I my Brothers keeper 2 Sort. 2. Such are to blame who though they have many opportunities in regard of their frequent converse with men yet they take not those advantages to win Souls They can compass Sea and Land and take all possible advantages to win Proselytes and to win disciples to themselves to win men to their Opinions but not to win them to the Faith to win wealth and to win friends and to win credit and honour but not to win Souls How many of these whilst they seem to lay siege against a sinner make use onely of such carnal weapons of humane Eloquence and fleshly Wisdom whereby they take onely the out-works of mens fancies to win them to themselves but never use such weapons as strike to the heart and conscience and are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.2 to the pulling down of strong holds and to the taking of the Castle of their Hearts to win them to Jesus Christ All that labour is but vain that tends not to the Conversion of Souls Secondly 2. Them that strive not to win Souls by such means as God hath appointed it Reproves such as strive not to win others to the Faith by fair means or by such means as God hath appointed Gen. 9.27 but force them to the Faith by fear and terror Indeed they rather force them from the Faith than to the Faith Fides non cogitur Faith cannot be forced when we have done all we can Fire and Faggot are Arguments from Rome and Argumets from Hell rather than from Heaven To devote Hereticks as They call them to destruction because they believe not is an argument of a strange spirit You read Luk. 9.54 because the Samaritans would not receive Jesus Christ presently the Disciples James and John were fire and towe against them nothing will serve their turn but that fire must immediately come down from heaven to consume them But in stead of incouragement they meet with a check from Christ ver 55. But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Certainly they are of strange spirits that would send men quick to Hell because they will not be perswaded to go in their way to heaven But this is the way to destroy Souls and not to save them 3. Them that neglect this duty Thirdly It Reproves such as do utterly neglect this great duty of winning Souls unto God And surely if they are wise that labour to win Souls they must needs be fools that do wittingly and willingly neglect it And yet many such there are in the world such as never speak a word from one end of the year to another to their Neighbors or to their Friends nay hardly to their Children Servants or Yoke-fellows to draw their Souls to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ O cruel Husbands and cruel Fathers may such Wives and such Children say as Zipporah said to Moses A bloody husband hast thou been to me And surely if he that hath power to save a man from temporal death and doth not is no better than a murtherer Then he that for ought be knows might save a man from Spiritual and Eternal death and doth not use the means in the compass of his Calling he is no better than a Soul-murtherer in the sight of God His blood says God will I require at thy hands thy life shall go for his life and thy soul for his soul Ezek. 33.7 8. 4. Them that pervert from the Faith Fourthly and lastly Much more then are they to be Reproved who are so far from converting others to the Faith that they do what they can to pervert them In stead of drawing others to God they drive them from God and if they draw them any ways they draw them farther into sin Such men as they do the very office of the Devil himself Look as those that win Souls to God are fellow-workers with God so those that destroy Souls are no better than fellow-workers with the Devil they are Tempters under him and act the Devils part Prov. 1.11 Come say they let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without a cause c. Cast in thy lot among us and let us all have one purse Such men as these think it not enough to be Thieves and Drunkards and Adulterers and Blasphemers and Contemners of Gods Ordinances themselves but do what they can to draw others to the same sins and to make them sevenfold more the children of Satan than themselves What are your own sins too light that you do thus cry for more weight not to ease your pain but to increase it for such as are partakers of other mens sins shall certainly be partakers of other mens judgements Rev. 18.4 Oh! that there should be such an itch in this Spiritual Plague-sore to infect others to make them as sinful and as miserable as themselves O hear and fear and tremble thou that makest it thy work to tempt others so sin against God For if they shall not escape that have not furthered the Salvation of others where shalt thou appear that hast furthered the damnation of others and sent them post to Hell I say where shalt thou appear unless thou repent and be deeply humbled for this thy superlative wickedness And surely if ever thou dost repent thou wilt be ready to admonish thy fellow-Drunkard or Adulterer or Blasphemer that they may become partners with thee in thy Repentance that have been partners with thee in thy sin 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
conversion of souls 1 Cor. 3.5 6. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the ministers bâ—y whom ye believe Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God along that giveth the increase If God therefore be the strength of his servants in the conversion of souls there is good reason he should be their Praise we have cause to bless God if any rise up and call us blessed we might have been so far left to partake in other mens sins that others might have risen up and called us cursed Vse 7 Therefore let God have all the glory if any of us have been made instruments of the conversion of any Thus Paul 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath inabled me for that he hath counted me faithful putting me into the ministry Of comforts to them that are Instruments of others Conversion Vse 7. Of Comfort Comfort to those that are instruments of others conversion in the midst of all discomforts they meet withall from the world for to that end as we told you in the beginning is this argument brought Be it so that those that perform this Spiritual piece of service for God and the Church in the conversion of Souls do meet with more than ordinary opposition and contempt from the world yet let this be their comfort their reward and encouragement from God is more than ordinary What if stones fly about Stevens ears upon earth so long as heaven is opened to him and he can see the glory of God Acts 7.56 and Jesus standing at the right hand of God this makes amends for all And truly this Text is as the opening of Heaven to those that labour in the conversion of Souls It may be the lot of such to be made with the Apostles the very filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 But what of that the more they suffer the more they shall be glorified The adversaries Reproaches shall be turned into Crowns of Glory and therefore they may say with Job 31.31 If mine adversary should write a book against me yet would I take it and binde it as a Crown upon my head This therefore I say may be matter of comfort against all that discomfort which the Ministers of God meet withall I plead not for all that are called by that Name who wear a garment or a name to deceive who prophecy of wine and strong drink who seek themselves and seek the fleece more than the good of the flock Let such bear their own burthen But I speak of such as are faithful and seek the things of Jesus Christ Let wicked men spit out their gall and spleen against Gods faithful Messengers Let them rail and revile and cast dirt upon their faces c. God himself shall undertake to wipe away all reproaches and all their tears when shame everlasting shame shall cover their adversaries Then they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever THE EPILOGUE OR A Pathetical Conclusion of the whole Work THus you see how such as live by Faith themselves should labour to convert others to the Faith And thus have we done through Gods grace assisting with this whole Subject of Faith I have now but two Requests to make unto you by way of Conclusion the one is that I may obtain the help of your Prayers that I may be enabled from God to hold forth by Pattern what I have so long held forth by Precept in the Life of Faith whatever Trials should come And the other is That you would be perswaded to follow after in walking according to the Rule that hath been set before you That what hath been spoken may be prest and imprinted upon your hearts by the Spirit of the living God You have heard much of Faith in my Reverend Predecessors time as appeareth by what is left upon Record and God hath directed me to strike upon the same Nail I may say as many years together as I intended days at the first But he that multiplied the barley loaves and the broken meat was pleased in the dividing and distributing of this Subject of Faith to multiply my Meditations far beyond my first intentions I heartily desire this 〈◊〉 be the fruit of my poor labours That when I have done preaching of this Subject you may so begin and continue to practise what hath been taught that your life may be a living by Faith and a perpetual Commentary upon the Text. And Oh that I could perswade you to live this Life of Faith before you lay down this Life of Nature or else you die and die for ever And do not say thus within your selves I 'll do it the next Year Moneth Day How many Scores yea hundreds have been cut off by Death since we began to speak of this Life of Faith And it may be many of them thought themselves as likely to live as any of us and it may be they were so indeed in the course of Nature But remember our Times are in Gods hands and not in our own And therefore let us put our hearts into his hands also that he may fit us for our times how long or how short soever our lives may prove Some have said I have been too long upon this matter of Faith but I confess they were some such as heard me not and therefore I do the less respect what they say because they speak evil of the things they heard not and therefore of the things they know not It hath been some encouragement and an Argument of Blessing that such as were usual hearers have not been tired out as hath appeared by these days assemblies compared with the other Lecture-day But I beseech you be you Believers and doers of this word and not hearers onely deceiving your own selves Jam. 1. Else I shall have cause to complain I have not stood long enough upon this Subject For that is never sufficiently taught that is not sufficiently learnt and put in practise My hearts desire and Prayer to God for Ipswich is That as they have heard much of Faith so they might live by it as much that whilst our Neighbors look upon us and mark our steps they may not see in this Town here a company living by Sense and there another living by Wits Shifts and Projects and a third living upon their Lusts and a fourth upon their unrighteous Mammon and a fifth upon their Self-righteousness and so the rest But we might so generally live by Faith through the grace of God that I might have cause to glory of you as the Apostle doth of the Romans Chap. 1.8 I thank my God through Jesus Christ that your Faith is spoken of in all places However in the mean time I bless God that I have found some fruits of my weak endevours in helping any to set their faces Sion-ward who have
on so fast wherein no man can work this great Work of God Joh. 9.4 and shall I trifle away my time and dally with Eternity and be cruel to my self where Charity should begin Shall the blood of this Immortal Soul cry out against me to all Eternity because I would not hear the cry of it in time And I pray you what 's the cry of the Soul when it is most it self O give me Christ saith the enlightned Soul or else I die Give me Faith to apply him or I am undone for ever I beseech you in this case do not stop the mouth of your Souls with Profits and Pleasures and such kinde of Trash which is not fit meat for an Immortal Soul to feed upon but labour to get that which thy Soul cries for that thou maist say Psa 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee That 's without all question there can be no comfortable life in thy Soul till there be Faith in the Soul without Faith thou art but a dead man and all thy works no better than dead works for The just shall live by his faith O consider it friends in time if you get Faith you are made for ever if you live and die without it you have undone your selves to all Eternity The Heathen wondred to see how much one man excell'd another It 's most true in regard of Faith How much doth a Believer excel an Unbeliever When God weighs men in the Balance he weighs their Spirits Prov. 16.2 and when he weighs their Spirits he ponders how much Faith is in their Spirits O woman great is thy faith great is thy Faith in me and so great is my esteem of thee Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15.28 If you can say Such a man is a Believer in sincerity you say all that can be said What is of worth or what is of true price in all the world The excellencies of believing but you may finde it in a true Believer To instance in some Particulars 1. Do we prize Strength If you speak of strength 1. Strength Job 9.19 he is strong indeed as Job saith for he is clothed with the strength of God As a Prince he hath a power with God and with men to prevail in his undertakings Gen. 32.28 The actings of Gods Power towards us are answerable to the actings of our Faith towards him Mat. 9.29 According to your faith be it unto you saith Christ when he was about to open the eyes of the blinde men Faithful men are wonder-working men in the world these are the people that do the great exploits as Daniel speaks Look into Heb. 11. there you shall see a Catalogue of their famous atchievements By Faith Abel and Noah and Abraham and the rest of those renowned Worthies did thus and thus The greatest Exploits of the most daring Heathens are but empty vapours to these O beloved there is a kinde of Omnipotency in Faith Mark 9.23 All things are possible to him that believeth because faith in the promise beleeving the truth of God it also sets the power of God on work in way of providence It engageth God accordinge to his promife to take part with a weake beleeving Creature and so it doth things above created strength in the power of God As that witty childe sometimes said he could rule all Athens for saith he I can rule my Mother and my Mother can rule my Father and my Father can rule Athens So Faith can go as far as the Promises and the Promise can go as far as we can ask or think and farther too and that 's as much as is any ways needful for the good of the Church or of any particular Member thereof in any condition they can be cast into And what can we desire more than to have whatever we desire that may be for Gods glory or our own good And hence it is that Faith is so powerful in Prayers for the obtaining of good and for the removing of evil and for the subduing of enemies Men that are strong in the Faith are mighty in Prayer The Prayer of Faith draws near with holy boldness to the Throne of Grace Ephes 3.12 And it will have no nay Let me go saith God I will not let you go saith Faith except you bless me Gen. 32.26 It is a marvellous large Promise that Christ makes to a believing Prayer Mark 11.24 What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them We reade of Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.15 that he made strong Towers and upon those Towers he planted Engines invented by cunning men to shoot Arrows and great stones upon his enemies And thus the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower Prov. 18.10 Faith is like a mighty Engine planted upon the top of this Tower which laying hold of the Promise of God sends forth such a volley of shot such a volley of Prayers that it fires the power of God against the enemies and discomfits mighty Armies The Devil himself cannot stand before a Prayer of Faith Whom resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5.9 Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will fly from you And although we have that within us that is worse than the Devil our own corruptions for all the Devils in Hell could not hurt us had they not intelligence from and compliance with our own corrupt and deceitful hearts within us yet even those strong corruptions of ours like the mighty walls of Jericho shall fall down by degrees before the Prayer of Faith Hebrews 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they were compassed about seven days And what if in stead of so many days it proves so many years or so many weeks of years yet down they shall as sure as God hath spoken it if we can but believe it Mic. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities Corruption is not so strong to resist Faith but Faith is stronger for the subduing of Corruption If you speak of strength a true Believer is strong indeed he triumphs over Sin over Satan over the World This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1 Joh. 5 4. In a word Tantum possumus quantum credimus The Christian can do as much as he can believe upon good grounds Rom. 8.37 He is more than a Conqueror through Faith in Christ Jesus Whereas an unbeliever is a poor weak creature Ezek. 16.30 How weak is thy heart saith God to Jerusalem in the state of her Apostacy and Unbelief Unbelief cuts the very sinews of the Soul it enervates the strongest Arm of created strength nay it weakens the Arm of Christ himself It is a strange passage that you reade Mark 6.5 6. He could there do no mighty work because of their unbelief As unbelief binds our hands from doing service to Christ so unbelief binds Christs hands from