to him from whom they have received it as the gift of God 2. To let nothing be wanting for the nourishing and for the strengthening of it by the Application of former experiences of Gods goodness also to be careful that they wound not not weaken their Faith by running themselves into those streights and exâ—gâ—ncies which they have not a clear and special call unto either upon a civil or religious account but I must pass by those things because my time is already passed by and conclude with one Use of Exhortation or rather of invitation to those which are yet out of Christ and oh that God would be pleased to put some word into my mouth which might beget in thee an earnest desire and panting after an interest in Jesus Christ the glorious object of our faith oh that I could hear some of you crying our with the poor Goaler what shall I do to be sav'd in the time of sickness who will not cry out what shall I do to be restored to my health the want of outward mercies are quickly felt but how few are sensible of their want in spirituals beware likewise that the Devil ensnare you into desparation by perswading tâ—ee that thou hast no faith and therefore art a reprobate for there is not a Saint on earth nor an Angel in Heaven to whom Gods final reprobation is revealed touching any particular person yet in this life who hath not sinned the sin against he Holy Ghost be not therefore by these wiles of Sathan discouraged from waiting on the Ordinances or make thee say I have no hope I have loved strangers and after them I will go but remember this that as great sinners as thou have attained to this Faith and are now in glory with the Lord but on the other hand let not presumption ceise your heart for of these two snares of the Devil I may justly say what was said of Saul and David in another case Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands so I may likewise say that dispair hath slain his thousands but presumption hath ten thousands oh my Friends take heed of presumptions prôcrastination in the great concerns of your pretious souls 't is the present time that God calls for 't is to day if you will hear his voyce harden not your heart Psal 95. acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Job 22.21 you that are in the prime strength and flower of your years forget not that momento to remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Eccles 12.1 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him Mat. 5.25 Now is the accepâ—ed time and now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.3 On poor soul whilst thou flatterest thy self with future Repentance thou wouldest do well to consider both the shortness and uncertainty of thy life thou mayst resolve to repent tomorrow and before tomorrow thou mayst be in Hell therefore poor soul I do beseech thee as if God did beseech thee by me slip no present opportunity of thy hearing the word preached where it is preached in the power and purity of it for there mayst thou expect the presence of God with it and his blessing upon it and though thou shouldest come there with the Devil of unbelief in thy heart thou knowest not but there God may cast him out and if it shall be thus with thee in thy waiting on Gods Ordinances that there shall be any stirrings on thy heart and the word feâ— home upon thee Take heed the pleasures or cares of the world do not choak it but follow home with serious meditation and beg of God to confirm it with his power and thou knowest not how soon God may be pleased to set it home with such power as may make thee cry out what shall I do to be saved and though the work may be somwhat strange to thy corrupt nature yet if God be pleased to undertake the work it shall prevail and then what reason hast thou poor soul to bless the Lord for his unspeakable mercy to thee-wards to bring thee from darkness unto light from the power of Sathan unto God and it will not be long e're thou shalt be for ever adoreing the riches of Gods free grace towards thee in Jesus Christ to whom with the Father the highest and ultimate object of our Faith and the holy spirit be all honour and glory and praise Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 29. line 18. for he 'l suffer read he have suffered p. 48. l. â— 10. for make the ears thin and empty r. make thin the ears of thy holy Conversation p. 11. l. 4 5. are misplaced p. 111. l. 19. for living read loving l. 20. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 21. l. 21. for Lamasebachthani read Lama-gnazabtanie p. 13. l. 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 21. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
A Spiritual LOOKING-GLASS Wherein Is briefly discoursed the Excellency and the necessity of saving FAITH AND Likewise how it may be known whether we have this FAITH or no. BEING The Substance of two Sermons Published in London July the 23. 1671. By Sam. Pack Preacher of the Gospel Printed in the Year 1671. A Spiritual Looking-glass Acts 16. V. 31. And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved IN this Chapter we have a conspicuous manifestation of that enmity that is in the Devil that evil one against God the fountain of goodness We see in this Chapter that no sooner had the Lord Jesus Christ that Prince of peace sent Paul and Silas those Sons of Peace to Preach unto the World the Gospel of peace in order to the bringing in of poor Souls to the God of peace but presently the Devil shewed his enmity against mod by endeavouring to stop the course of the mospel and thereby to hinder Souls from coming to Jesus Christ The Prince of Darkness that rules in the hearts of the Children of darkness did no sooner see that ouâ— Lord Jesus Christ had by his Servant Paul cast the Devil of sooth-saying out of a Maid but presently be shews his enmity in filling the heart of her Master with a persecuting spirit being ushered in by an inordinate love to the World and this we see in the 19. vers And when her Masters saw the hope of their gains was gone that caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the Market place unto the Rulers This poor Maids Masters instead of being thankful to God that bad gained the Soul of a poor Maid thâ—t did practice unlawful arts he was inraged because that their temporal earthly gain was gone I do verily thâ—nk that t is one of the surest peices of Armour that the Devil hath even this inordinate love to the World for the defence of his own Kingdom when the Devil sees that no course will serve to keep souls at a distance from Christ then he betakes himself to this wâ—apon the inordinate love to the world and that doth seldom or never fail him and this we may see in Demus Demus he made a large profession of Christ as you may see in the Epistle to Philemon 24. v and yet you see the Devil overcame him with this approved peice of armour inordâ—nate love the world ancl did thereby bring him to Apostacy 2. Tim. 4.10 well we see how far the Devil did prevail not only to set this poor Maids Masters in a rage but also to set the Rulers in a rage likewise nay he prevailed so far that they were scourged and they were thrown into Prison and cast into very great afflictions and had their feet made fast in the stocks new one would have thouâ—ht that it was high time for the Devil to get into his Chariot of Tryumph now one would have thought that the enemy having such advantage and those servants of God such disacvantage as they had that now the Gospel would have been stopped in that place and that the Devil should have lost no more of his Subjects for my Friends if you look in 1 he beginning of the Chapter you shall see in the 9th vers there appeared to Paul a Vision for to go over to Macedonia without question this Vision which Paul saw was a great encouragement to him to go to Mâ—â—edonia and now when he was come there as soon as ever he had cast a Devil out of one Maid presently they must be cast inro Prison without question had not God come in with fresh supplies of comfort these poor men would have been at a great loss they would have been much disheartned in their work and this the Devid knew would be a very great discouragement to them Ezek. 1.16 but now my Friends behold a wheel within a wheel all this while the providence of God doth seem to go upon the wheels as if he had not cared what became of his Servants nor what became of his own glory and of these poor souls that he had commanded these men to come into Macedonia to convert but now my Friends here is a wheel within a wneel here is the over-ruling and the infinite wisdom of God appearing in the very nick of time catching the crafty in his own device Job 5.12.13 and carrying the counsel of the wicked and a crafty Devil that having vented his malice and his rage against the servants of mod thought himself now sure enough of the day and that his Kingdom should not be molested in that place but we see that though the Devil is called an old Serpent yet the Antient of days did out-wit him Rev. 20.2 Dan. 7.22 1 Pet. 5.8 and though the Devil is called a Lyon for his strength and power and a a roaring Lyon for his fury yet the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah was too many for him our Lord Christ did make this very â—ages of Sathan this discovery of his malice a means to throw down the Devils Kingdom and to exalt and propagate hâ—s own for we see that when Paul and Silas was brought into the Prison instead of being discouraged they sung Psalms instead of lying there until the Irons had entred into their souls every Prisoners bands was unloosned well what follows the Goaler he comes in and he finds the doors open he thought his prisoners had been fled and now what course doth he take he draws out his sword to murder himself he had been doing what lay in him to murther his soul all the days of his life before and now he was about by one act to murther both soul and body together Now without question the Devil that had encoutaged him in the exasperating of his cruelty on these worthy servants of God he was now as ready to rejoyce in the downfall of this poor Creature My Friends by the way I pray excuse this digression O let it be a means to make us have very low contemptible thoughts of this ill conditioned Master the Devil that when his servants have done him the utmost seâ—vice they can he is so far from having ever the better thoughts of them and from loving of them the better that he doth wait his opportunity and doth prompt them on in those actions that he may bring inevitable ruine and and destruction upon them I do verily believe this that when the Devil saw the poor mans sword drawn and the point of it ready to be set again his breast that he did rejoyce to see the poor man ready to tumble headlong into everlasting flames but now this wise God Rom. 16.27 Rev. 1.14 whose head is as white as wool did frustrate the expectation of this subtile serpent he did catch the crafty in his own devices you need not question but the Devil did endeavour to help forward this cruty which this Goaler did exercise towards these seâ—vants of God and you
is set all in a flame with love to God Friends observe this that proportionable to the apprehensions we have of the love of God to us in Jesus Christ such is the manifestation of our love to God what is the reason the Martyrs have embraced the flames with such courage which at other times it may be a few days before they were ready to sink at the apprehensions of the bitter cup they were to drink but the clear sence they had of the love of God to their souls We know this my Friends that the greater and clearer evidences we have of that good which at present we do receive from a Friend oâ— hopes to receive from them for the future it doth abundantly stir up our affections and inflame our love towards them if we look into the Corinthians we may see that God hath put Faith and Love together and what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity Gal 5 6. Neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Friends how do you find it what love have you to the worship of God to the Ordinances of God and to the people of God do your souls bear you witness that you can say of the word of God as David did that 't is sweeter than the honey or the honey-comb in the 3d. place Try it by your hope likewise a true faith doth always accompany a true hope 'T is true Friends we had need be criticol about these things for go and ask an unbeliever whether he loves God and he will answer you 't is pitty he should live else and again ask them whether they hope to have Salvation by Christ alone yes say they who do you think we should have it from besides 1 Joh. 3.3 But what saith the Apostle of this hope and every man that hath this hope he purifies himself as he is pure My Friends all the difference that is between faith and hope is this Faith doth respect the cetainty of the promise and hope doth respect the goodness of the thing promised and where one of these are there they are both for they both go together but now you may say what is the meaning of this purifying himself as he is pure can aâ—y one be so pure as God is My Friends 't is altogether impossible that the Creature should attain to that degree of perfection and purity that is in God pure signifies to be without mixture a person may be said to be purely evil as God is purely good he purifies himself as he is pure that is he hath not a heart for God another for the world he is really such as he seems to be he is without hypocrisie 4thly Again would'st thou know the soundness of thy Faith then try iâ— by thy constant implacable hatred of sin this we may see laid down as a true mark of Faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith Faith doth present the soul with a Crucified Jesus as Crucified for it in particular the formal Professor pleaseth himself with this that Christ dyed for sinners and â—e are all sinners My Friends there is nothing that gives such a mortal wound to sin in the soul of believers as when they do apprehend that Christ did suffer such grievous things for its self in particular 5thly Wouldest thou know whether thy faith be right then see if thou hast a high esteem of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore that believe he is precious or he is a honour a true believer he looks upon it as his honour that he is a member of Christs mistical body that he is a branch in that blessed Vine he looks upon it as his honour that Christ will look upon him as his Servant as the Emperor Theodosius said he looked upon it to be more honour to him that he was a Servant of Jesus Christ then that he was Emperour of the World But I have seen such Christians that would be very forward to own the people of God and Messengers of Christ in times of prosperity but when the ways of God hath been persecuted the Ordinances of Christ hath been trampled under feet then they would look upon them as if they had never seen them before My Friends this is a bad sign of a true Faith and of a good Christian to you that believe he is an honour my Friends is Christ precious to you in all his Offices as King Priest and Prophet thou that art a believer I can tell how 't is with thee as well as thy self thou dost never more rejoyce then when thou canst experience the power of Christ in thy Soul in subduing of thy Corruptions and bringing under the Old man and is he pretious to thee in all his attributes a wicked man God is precious to him in his mercies but as for the power of God and the Justice of God they cannot indure to hear of let a Minister go and tell them of the terrors of God they will presently cry Oh there is a Legal Preacher indeed enough to make one run mad in a word to a true believer Christ is precious to him in all his Offices and attributes and in all his providential dispensations and in all his promises and in his threatnings he is precious to every true believer Again sixthly wouldest thou know whether thou art indeed a true believer then see whether thou hast the witness of it in thy self 1 John 5.6 He that believeth hath the Witness in himself Oh but me-thinks I hear some poor soul ready to say Oh if it must be so I am in a worse condition then I was aware of I thought I could experienced some of the other Tryals but I have so little of the spirits witness in me that I question whether I have any true faith Now the Devil is very subtile as he will perswade a wicked man that he hath the marks of a true believer so he will perswade a true believer that he hath them not when he hath them as for example suppose a person is in great trouble for fear they don't love God they come into the Congregation and there it may be God hath directed his Minister to such a subject where he hath been treating on such a truth of Gods love to us and of our love to him if God hath loved thee then he hath subdued thy Corruptions these little Foxes he hath taken and destroyed now it may be the spirit of God hath set home this word on the soul and that he can say this hath been my condition Now Friends there was the witness that we are speaking of Rom. 8.16 The Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are the Children â—f God Now my Friends you that are so ready to say that you have not the witness of God in you wouldest thou part with that little glimmeâ—ing hope thou hast of true Faith
for the greatest Estate that a Wicked man hath in the world to saith the soul I would not and that is a sign that thou hast the witness in thee though the spirit of God hath not cleared it up so to thee as thou desiâ—est but be thankful to God for it and take heed thou dost not provoke the Lord to take away that little comfort thou hast Eighthly If thou art one that hath true faith thou mayest know it by this it doth so realize the glory that is to be reveaâ—ed to thy soul that it makes thee earnest in the prosecution of the means that God hath appointed in order to the attainment of glory this we shall make to appear by comparing two Scriptures together in the 11th of Hebrews you may see that Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for now if you do but look all along in this Chapter he comes to show what lorious effects Faith doth produce in those that it doth realize the glory that iâ— to come unto them he telleth us 't is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen that is not seen with an eye of eason Luk. 13.23 24. then said one to him Lord are there few that he saved now see Châ—ist doth not answer him according to his Question but doth propose to him an exhortation to stir him up to a weighty duty strive to enter in at the strate gate as if Christ had said what needest thou to trouble thy self whether many or few shall be saved if thou art one that strives like a man in an Agony for so it may be rendered to thrust in at the straight gate that will be an evidence unto thee that thou art one that shall be saved Friends how doth the hope of glory spur you on to duty doth thy Faith realize the things of another world to you that it makes you run in the paths of Gods commandments But if on the contrary if thou dost pretend to have Faith and yet notwithstanding go on in a formal lazy profession of Religion 't is a sign thou never had the things of another world realized to thee such as are our evidences for the attainment of future good such will be our endeavours in the means whereby we are to attain it if thou hast a well-grounded hope for salvation in the world to come it will make thee earnest in thy endeavours for the attainment of it In the next place another sign of true Faith is this if thou art a true believer then thy faith doth enable thee to overcome the world this we may see in the 12 Rev. and there appeared a great wonder in Heaven a Woman â—loathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet By the Women we understand the whole Church of God and every perticular member thereof and by the Moon we understand the World And as the Moon is very unstable in her morâ—ons and always increasing and decreasing so there is no certainty at all in Creature injoyments And the Sun is never eclipsed but when the Moon comes between us and the Sun and so my Friends the Moon this wo ld is that which doth make an interposition between God and his people how doth the joys of this world eat out the comforts which we should have enjoyed My Friends 't is a hard thing to keep the world under our feet for 't is a round thing and I will tell you how true believers do come to get the world under their Feet You that have once injoyed the glorious beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining into your souls the pittiful things of this Wo ld would seem as nothing Now my Friends see how it is with you which is greater in your eye the Sun or the Moon which if it were put to your choyce would you take to live in the midst of prosperity without God or in the midst of adversity with God Again in the next place try thy Faith by thy Repentance I know there is much dispute concerning this some hold that Faith is wrought before Repentance and some on the contrary but truly my Friends I am of neither of their judgments for my judgment is that all graces are wrought in the soul at one and the same â—ime though Repentance is made manifest in the soul before Faith Mark 1.15 Repent you and believe the Gospel Friends what Repentance have you got I thank God say you I have Repented long agoe though I cannot talk as some can and make so many words I cannot commit any sin but my heart smites me for it Oh my Friends there is many sorts of Repentance that a sinner may have and yet may go without a true Repentance there is an over-lay and slight repentance and such a repentance had Ahab and then there is dispairing repentance and such a repentance bad Judas but for this Evangelical repentance 't is such a grace that few attain to it not scarce one among twenty and without this Evangelical repentance there is no true grace in the soul and I shall endeavour to show that Faith and Repentance is wrought together for repentance without faith will end in desparation and faith without repentance will end in presumption In the last place if thou art one that hath indeed true faith thou art made willing to suffer whatsoever God should be pleased to inflict on thee this saith the Apostle where he speaks there concerning persecution Phil. 2.29 For unto you 't is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake this true Faith it makes the soul willâ—ng to suffer for God whatsoever the wicked adversaries of the people of God shall be pleased to lay on them O saiâ—h the soul shall I be unwilling to indure a little suffering for his sake that was exposed to such suffering for me O saith the soul shall not I be willing to suffer a little affliction from God whether poverty wants or sickness or the like seeing the Lord Jesus Christ was contented for my sake to a be man of sorrow and acquainted with grief for to suffer both hunger and thurst and shall not we be willing to suffer for God whatsoever he is pleased to call us to seeing he hath pleased to do so much for us as he hath done And so much for this Use of Examination I should have proceeded to a Use of Consolation on to true believers for this Doctrine affoards a spring of comfort unto such which I should only hint at first by way of privation showing from what they are delivered econdly by way of provision what unexpressable unconceivable glory God hath laid up in store for them which I would have willingly inlarged upon There was likewise on my spirit a Use of Exhortation in which I would have moved those who have been participaters of this pretâ—ous Faith 1. To be thankful for it