backe but he brings the conquered into bondage so as now he is able to use the adversary to serve his owne turne so in this conquest of faith there is not onely an overcomming of the temptations of the pleasures of the world but abilitie to use them for God and the furtherance of our owne good And so in riches and honours Conquerours doe not use to put to the sword and destroy all they conquer but they bring them into bondage to be serviceable to them Some thinke there is no other victory over the world but to throw all away presently as wee reade of Crates the Philosopher hee cast his goods into the sea with this speech Get you gone into the deepes I will drowne you lest I bee drowned of you But this is not the way of God wee are to stay till God call us to leave that we doe enjoy untill that time you may enjoy your honours your riches and your moderate lawfull pleasures but to be able to use these for God this is a great victory The Devill often makes use of many of Gods good blessings which he gives us for our furtherance in his wayes to be a meanes to hinder us so faith makes use of all his oppositions in those waies which hee intends hinderances to bee meanes of great furtherance in them In former times men thought it a good piece of skill to keepe wilde beasts from doing hurt but after they got that skil not onely to keepe them from that mischiefe they did but to make use of them for their benefit to make use of theis skinnes and their intralls and divers other waies this is the skill of Faith in overcomming the world to make use of those things of the world that heretofore have done them so much hurt But yet further there is a third thing in victory which is triumph a beleever can triumph over the world over all his allurements and threats As Christ did not onely prevaile against his and our enemies but triumphed over them likewise as Col. 2. 15. having spoyled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them so Christ makes us to triumph as 2 Cor. 2. 14. Now thankes bee to God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ And yet further there is something more then all this in Faiths overcomming the world which is beyond our expressions By Faith we are more then conquerours Rom. 8. 37. In all these things wee are more then conquerers in what things in tribulation in persecution in famine in nakednesse and perill of sword while we are killed all the day long and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter in all these things But how more then conquerours wee gather strength by our opposition wee conquer in being conquered Persecutors are tyred more in inflicting then we in suffering Eusebius reports of the tormentors of Blandina who tormented her by turnes from morning to night that they fainted for wearinesse confessing themselves overcome And Gregory Nazianzen tells of one of the nobles of Iulian who at the tormenting of Marcus Bishop of Arethusa said unto him wee are ashamed O Emperour the Christians laugh at your cruelty and grow the more resolute Rev. 12. 11. It is said of the Saints they loved not their lives to the death and yet they overcame they overcame in being killed and this is to be more then a conquerour CHAP. XI Most men are strangers to this precious Faith The Tryall thereof discovered IF this be the work of Faith if these be the glorious effects of it then hence the faith of the most men in the world is discovered not to be right not to be precious faith that faith that is the faith of Gods elect because it is altogether void of this vertue and efficacie you thinke you have faith what can you doe with your faith what power what efficacie hath it can it draw your hearts off from all creatures here below can it raise your spirits above all the delights honours profits of the world can it satisfie your soules with God alone as an infinite all-sufficient good Surely a precious faith that is the Faith of Gods Elect doth this First Faith hath a mighty power of God put forth for the working of it in the soule It is the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power the same that raised Jesus Christ from the dead that workes faith wheresoever ir is and God does not use to put forth his Almighty power in any extraordinary manner for the wotking of an ordinary thing therefore faith must needes bee some extraordinary thing and have some extraordinary vertue in it wheresoever it is true to doe great things Secondly Faith hath the great honour above all other graces to be the condition of the second Covenant therefore surely it is some great matter that faith enables to doe whatsoever keeps covenant with God brings strength though it selfe be never so weake As Sampsons Haire what is weaker then a little haire yet because the keeping that was keeping covenant with God therefore even a little Haire was so great strength to Sampson Faith then that is the condition of the covenant in which all grace and mercy is contained if it be kept it will cause strength indeed to doe great things Thirdly Faith hath high and glorious things for its object it is God himselfe his electing redeeming love the Lord Iesus Christ in his natures and offices the glorious mysteries of redemption c. that it exercises it selfe upon It could not have to deale with these things if it were not a most excellent grace full of admirable vertue and efficacie Fourthly Faith hath high and glorious acts that it performes that are essentiall to it Fifthly it hath many glorious effects it is that which must carry the soule through all hazards difficulties and oppositions to eternall life Surely then this grace hath exceeding great things in it certainely the world is mistaken in this grace It is something else that they have taken up for faith all this while for there is nothing more dull flat and dead then that which they take for Faith their hope in God and trusting in God what empty heartlesse livelesse things are they No marvell though they thinke it an easie thing to beleeve It is easie indeed to beleeve with such a kind of beliefe as theirs is Truly wee had need looke to it that wee be not mistaken in our Faith for it is of infinite consequence upon which all depends if we be mistaken in this all the mercy in God all the blood of Christ all the good in the promises can doe nothing for us Consider therefore againe surely that cannot be right faith that cannot doe that which the light of nature can doe that meere civility and morality can doe Suppose it did as much as they can doe yet if it can doe no more it is not right it is not
you could not goe on so quietly and securely in the enjoyment of your contentments in the world as now you doe when you put off all thoughts of suffering any trouble But let such know that resolution afore-hand may stand with brokennesse of heart from the sight and sense of our owne inability and when it is a resolution of faith it ariseth from the sense of our owne weakenesse and dependence upon God for strength none are more sensible of their owne weaknesse then they who are most resolved whose resolutions are raised by their faith for Faith is an emptying grace whereby the soule goes out of it selfe for all strength and supply of all good from another and for such resotions which have such a principle wee ought all to labour For first it brings much ease and comfort to a gracious heart when it is freed from feares and doubts and is come into a setled and resolved way Secondly it helpes against many temptations the soule will not bee listening to the reasonings of flesh and blood and to the suggestings of Satan as formerly it did neither will Satan now so annoy and pester the soule with temptations as hee was wont to doe when it was in an unresolved way Thirdly God accepts of this resolution as the will for the deed though a man be never called to suffer yet hee shall have the crowne of sufferings because he had the resolution of Faith for sufferings Fourthly this is a strong engagement when sufferings come to strengthen the soule against them therefore there may be resolutions afore-hand yea they are exceeding profitable of great use but they must be resolutions of Faith not our owne trusted unto What are those resolutions that doe come from Faith First when knowing our hearts what principles of Apostasie wee have in them we seeke helpe in Christ and in the promise Secondly when our resolutions purifie our hearts Thirdly when they cause us to endeavour to get in all spirituall strength that the Word reveales CHAP. XIV How to know the root or principle from whence all that wee doe or suffer comes EXamine therefore whether Faith be that which carries us on in our sufferings for it is possible that a man may suffer the losse of much and endure hard things upon other principles as from naturall stoutnesse of spirit from naturall courage or from pride or from naturall conscience from these there may be resisting oppositions and suffering much trouble but not in that gracious way as to bee a sweet savour unto the Lord. Where Faith is the roote and principle of selfe-denyall there is another kinde of self-denyall then that which ariseth from any other principle Now this is to be examined it concernes us much to know the root and principle from whence all that we doe or suffer comes God looks most at that there may be beautifull flowers grow out of a stinking Root glorious actions may proceed from Naturall Principles Wherefore for tryall let us examine the differences that there are betweene one that is carryed through sufferings by naturall stoutnesse of spirit and another that is carryed through by Faith Secondly the differences betweene Pride and Faith in this worke Thirdly the differences betweene Faith and the strength of Naturall Conscience For the first take these Notes First where selfe-denyall is from Naturall Principles it is but particular not universall In some eminent thing a naturall spirit may denie it selfe but upon examination it may appeare that in other things it makes selfe its end even in things where God requires selfe-denyall as much as in the other whereas if it came from Faith it would not be partiall but appeare in one thing as well as in another so farre as God calls thereunto that which workes by rule workes evenly impartially constantly But there is none but in some things may at sometimes seeke themselves There is nothing wherein a gracious spirit gives libertie to its selfe so to doe If there be true Faith the Soule sets it selfe in the bent frame and endeavour of it against all self-seeking in every thing proportionably according as the rule requires if selfe prevailes at any time it is beyond the scope intent frame resolution and true endeavour of the Soule and when that wherein selfe hath prevailed is taken notice of it takes revenge upon it selfe in that thing rather then any other Secondly where suffering troubles come from a Naturall Root the Soule is not conscious to its selfe of its owne weakenesse it knowes not the power of corruption in the heart it understands not how selfe may be sought in denying ones selfe such a one is not acquainted with the secret distempers those inward windings and turnings of his owne heart those depths those wiles those devices of Satan and of his owne spirit he seeth not need of a higher Principle to enable him to any gracious manner of selfe-denyall he lookes at it but as a thing within his owne reach he is not fearefull and jealous of himselfe But it is otherwise where selfe-denyall comes from Faith the businesse and worke of Faith is the getting up on high and fetching strength from on high knowing that the Soule in its selfe hath nothing but corruption and weakenesse Thirdly when it comes from Naturall Principles there may be some appearance of selfe-denyall in outward actions and willingnesse to suffer but there is little care of mortifying inward Lusts Lusts within are suffered to swell to rankle and fester Naturall Principles doe not strike at the root of evill there may be a restraint of some evill but the root of bitternesse still remaines in the strength of it but Faith begins within it workes to the bottome and strikes at the root of evill at all the corrupt Principles that are in the inwards of the Soule it empties out selfe from the most secret inward holds that it had it will not suffer selfe to lye in any secret corner Fourthly when bearing sufferings arise from Naturall Stoutnesse and Courage such a one does neither begin nor strengthens himselfe afterwards upon divine grounds and arguments so as the Beleever doth his willingnesse to suffer does not proceed out of love to God for his infinite excellencie as infinitely worthy that whatsoever the creature is hath or can doe or suffer should be at his dispose the Lord hath dealt infinitely bountifully with me he hath beene mercifull to me and set his love upon me Now these beames of Gods love warming and enlarging and quickening the heart of a Beleever sets him even on fire to doe or suffer any thing for God But those who are carryed on upon Naturall Principles feele no such thing neither doe they make use of spirituall weapons or spirituall arguments to strengthen them as Faith does Fifthly where naturall Stoutnesse and Courage is the Principle there the Soule is not raysed higher in its courage for
them as if they were made now to us Compare Joshua 1. 5. with Hebrewes 13. 5. God saith to Ioshua I will be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee now in the Hebrewes Saint Paul applyeth it to the beleevers in his time as if it had beene made to them Be content saith he with such things as ye have for hee hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee They might have answered where hath God said so hee said it indeede to Ioshua but what is that to us yes all one as if he had spoken to you Vpon this one instance whatsoever promise God ever made to any of his people since the beginning of the world for any good if our condition comes to be the same Faith will make it her owne as if God had but now made it to us in particular So for Gods former dealings with our selves when all sense of Gods mercies faile that God seemes to be as an enemy Faith will fetch life from his former mercies as if they were now present as wee see in David Psal 77. 5 6. I have considered the dayes of old the yeeres of ancient time I call to remembrance my song in the night c. And vers 10. I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most High Hee checkes himselfe for doubting of Gods mercies because of his former mercies and hee recovers himselfe by bringing to minde the former dealings of God with them So Psal 143. 45. Davids spirit was even overwhelmed within him and his heart was desolate yet he recovers himselfe by remembring the dayes of old and by meditating upon Gods former workes Now in this worke of Faith what abundance of strength doth it bring in from all the mercies of God to our fore-fathers from all the promises made to any godly men though never so long since from all Gods former dealings in his goodnesse and makes all these as present to us this must needs wonderfully strengthen the heart to any service or suffering As despaire makes all Gods former dealings in his judgements with others and Gods wayes concerning it selfe as present to fetch terror from them so Faith Gods mercies to fetch comfort and strength from them Secondly Faith is a raising grace it carries the soule on high above sense above reason above the world when Faith is working oh how is the soule raised above the feares and favours of men It is said of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 6. His heart was lift up in the wayes of God Faith lifts up the heart in the wayes of God A man raised on high sees all things under him as small Eusebius tells us of a notable speech that Ignatius used when hee was in his enemies hands not long before hee was to suffer which argued a raised spirit to a wonderfull height above the world and above himselfe I care sayes hee for nothing visible or invisible that I might get Christ let fire the crosse the letting out of beasts upon mee breaking of my bones the tearing of my members the grinding of my whole body and the torments of the Devils come upon me so be it I may get Christ Faith puts a holy magnanimity upon the soule to slight and to over-looke with a holy contempt whatsoever the world proffers or threatens All things are under us while wee are above our selves and it is onely Faith that empties us of our selves and raises us above our selves Faith raises the soule to converse with high and glorious things with the deepe and eternall counsels of God with the glorious mysteries of the Gospel with communion with God and Jesus Christ with the great things of the Kingdome of Christ with the great things of Heaven and eternall life Men before Faith comes into their soules have poore low spirits busied about meane and contemptible things and therefore every offer of the world prevailes with them and every little danger of suffering any trouble scares them and makes them yeeld to any thing but when Faith comes there is another manner of spirit in a man Every spirit is not fit for sufferings but a spirit truely raised by Faith a princely spirit so Luther calls it to dare to venture losse of estate and life for the Name of Christ to this a Princely spirit is required When Valens the Emperour sent his Officer to Basilius seeking to turne him from the Faith hee first offered him great preferments but Basil rejected them with scorne Offer these things sayes he to children then he threatens him most grievously Basil contemnes all his threatnings Threaten sayes he your purple Gallants that give themselves to their pleasures And Basil in his Homily in Quadraginta Martyres brings them in answering the offers of worldly preferments Why doe you promise us these small things of the world which you account great when as the whole world is despised by us What great spirits did Faith put into some of these worthies mentioned in this chapter which appeares by the great things that they did by their Faith vers 33. 34. Through Faith they subdued Kingdomes they stopped the mouthes of Lions and this is observable that working righteousnesse and obtaining the promises are put betweene these two as if these were workes of the same ranke fit to bee joyned with such great things as those were Againe by Faith they quenched the violence of the fire of weake they were made strong they waxed valiant in fight they turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Certainely Faith is as glorious a grace now as ever it was and if it be put forth it will enable the soule to doe great things The raising of the soule above reason and sense is as great a thing as any of these The Faith of Abraham was most glorious for which hee is stiled the Father of the faithfull and yet the chief for which this is commended is that hee beleeved against hope Rom. 4. 18. When the soule is in some straight it lookes up for helpe and sense sayes it cannot be reason sayes it will never be wicked men say it shall not be yea it may bee God in the wayes of his providence seemes to goe so crosse as if hee would not have it to be yet if Faith have a word for it it sayes it shall be In great difficulties in sore afflictions when God seemes to be angry and to strike in his wrath when there appeares nothing to sense and reason but wrath yet even then Faith hath hold on Gods heart when his hand strikes If Faith by raising the soule above reason and sense can carry it through even such streights as the sense and apprehension of the wrath of God himselfe if it can enable to beare the strokes of God when they appeare as the strokes of an enemy much more easily can Faith enable to resist the temptations of the world and to carry it through all the
is much difference betweene that suffering that a man is carryed through by Faith and that which a man is carried through by pride as First if pride be the principle a man is ready to put forth himselfe though he be not called It is true that in some extraordinary causes a man may have an inward calling by some extraordinary motion of Gods Spirit as some of the Martyrs had but in an ordinary way a gracious heart feares it selfe and dares not venture untill God calls depending more upon Gods call then any strength it hath to carry it through Faith ever lookes at a word It puts on to nothing but according to the word where there is not a word to warrant there we may conclude that faith is not the principle that acts but selfe True Christian fortitude leades into dangers onely by divine providence or precept when God bids a man undertake dangers or bids dangers overtake him Secondly where pride is the principle such a one cares not much how the cause of God goeth on any further then he is interested in it if God will use others to honour his Name by and further his cause except hee may some way come in he regards it not hee is not more sollicitous how the cause of God in other things that concerne not his sufferings prospers howsoever therefore he may speak much of Gods glory in that cause for which hee suffers yet if he be not affected with the glory of God in any other cause that concernes not his particular it is an argument that it is his owne glory rather then Gods that is aimed at 3. Thirdly a proud heart does not strengthen it selfe so much in sufferings with the consolations of God the sweet of the promises as it doth with its owne-selfe-proud thoughts the heart is not taken up so much with the glorious reward of God in Heaven that spirituall and supernaturall glory there as with some present selfe-good here whereas Faith is altogether for spirituall and supernaturall good it carries the soule beyond present things that are onely sutable to nature Fourthly where pride is the principle there is no good got by sufferings the soule doth not thrive under them it doth not grow in grace by them it growes not to a further insight in Gods wayes it growes not more holy more heavenly more savoury in all the wayes of it the lustre and beauty of godlinesse does not encrease upon such a one hee is not more spirituall hee doth not cleave closer to God hee is not more frequent with God in secret he doth not enjoy more inward communion with God then formerly whereas when our principle is right in suffering there is never such thriving in grace as then then the Spirit of God and glory useth to rest upon Gods servants a godly mans service prepares him for suffering and his suffering prepares him for service The Church did never shine more bright in holinesse then when it was under the greatest persecution Fifthly where pride is the principle there is not that calmenesse meeknesse quietnesse sweetnesse of spirit in the carriage of the soule in sufferings as where Faith is the principle Pride causes the heart to swell and belke to be boisterous and disquiet to bee fierce and vexing because it is crossed but Faith brings in the Spirit of Jesus Christ and that was a quiet and meeke spirit in sufferings as the sheep before the shearer when he was reviled he reviled not againe where there is reviling and giving ill language surely there pride is stirring in that heart Cyprian speaking of the Martyrs contemning death and yet were gentle and meek sayes Wee see not that humble loftinesse or that lofty humility in any but in the Martyrs of Christ A Christian doth never tread downe Satan so gloriously as when hee suffers in a right manner for the truth But it is the God of peace that does it in him God as the God of peace treads Satan under our feet but where there is nothing but boisterous tumultuousnesse bitternesse vexation there God does not rule as the God of peace in that heart Sixthly a proud heart is not sensible of its owne unworthinesse that God should use him in suffering or help him through it in any measure wondering at the mercy of God and blessing his Name that whereas he might have suffered from his wrath for sinne in Hell for ever that yet God will rather call him to suffer for his Names sake where it is from a spirituall principle this will be Seventhly if from vaine-glory then in such kinde of sufferings that will bee reproachfull to him and where there are none to honour him in them there he failes if God call him to som kinde of sufferings wherein he should be laid by as a vile and contemptible thing and nobody regarding of him or taking notice of him these sufferings would be very tedious to him or if he lives in such a place where none will joyne with him to encourage him but every man scornes him in them this will be hard to him yea so hard that he cannot beare it But Faith will carry through these if it be the cause of God it is enough to faith it is able to rejoyce in the midst of all reproaches and all scorne and contempt and filth that the world can cast upon it if that which bee done be acceptable to god a gracious heart thinkes there is glory enough put upon it That place 1. Pet. 2. 20. is very observable What glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your fault yee take it patiently but if when you doe well and suffer ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Mark the opposition If it had beene direct it would have beene thus What glory is it if when yee are buffeted yee take it patiently but if you doe well and suffer patiently this is glorious there is no glory in the other but in this is glory that is the meaning of the Apostle but hee does not say this is glory but this is acceptable to God and in that hee sayes as much for that is the greatest glory to a gracious heart that any thing that he does or suffers may be acceptable to God let it appeare outwardly never so meane and base Eighthly if it be vaine-glory then greater respect and honour in some other thing will take him off If the honour in another thing be greater then that he hath by his sufferings hee will quickly grow weary of his sufferings and will finde out some distinction or other to winde himselfe out of them Many who have beene taken off this way have suffered much a while but finding it heavie and seeing another way wherein they thinke they might better provide for themselves they have by degrees falne off to it and proved base time-servers to the dishonour of God and their owne everlasting shame Demas suffered a
is that it hath made betweene God and it selfe when the Soule is truly burdened with it when it hath the sight of Gods infinite holinesse and knowes what the consequence of an eternall estate meanes and yet for me to venture all so as I am lost for ever if I miscarrie here and that when I have nothing to commend me to God when he can see no good in me nothing but that which his Soule loathes and abhorres surely now to venture upon the free Grace of God is a most glorious worke of Faith And that Faith that can doe this we need not feare but it will carry through all outward troubles Secondly if your Faith can keepe you in love to holy duties although you find nothing come in by them you pray you heare you reade you receive Sacraments and yet you finde your hearts as hard and your corruptions as strong as ever yet if still you can continue not onely the practice of holy duties but love unto them this is a great worke of Faith The three latter are Luthers three difficulties of Faith namely first To beleeve things impossible to reason secondly To hope for things that are deferred and thirdly To love God when he shewes himselfe to be an enemie If Faith can doe these things there is no feare but it will overcome all outward difficulties that possibly can befall CHAP. XVI The meanes to maintaine and strengthen our Faith LAstly if Faith be the Grace that carryes through all then it is our wisedome to labour what wee can to maintaine and strengthen our Faith Let us looke especially to that wherein our chiefe strength lyes let not a Dalilah let not any carnall content get away no nor in the least degree abate our strength let us be sure we looke to our Shield that that be safe and sound As that Heathen Epaminondas being dangerously wounded with a Speare so that hee sunke downe as one dead but after comming to himselfe hee asked if his Target were safe his chiefe care was about that so should ours be about the Shield of our Faith The Devill labours above all things against us in this hee cares not what men doe so be it their Faith be neglected Especially therefore labour to strengthen your Faith in these three things The first is the principall and ground of all namely The assurance of your interest in the Covenant of Grace that you are received by God into that free rich glorious Covenant of life in Christ That now you are not to stand or fall by what is in your selves or what comes from you but by the perfect righteousnesse of that blessed Mediator who hath undertaken your Cause with God doubts and fears about this doe much weaken the spirits of men when troubles come upon them Secondly in the assurance of Gods fatherly love unto and care over you in the sorest and hardest afflictions that can befall you As it is an argument of much ignorance to perswade ones selfe that God loves one because of present prosperitie so it is exceeding weakenesse to call Gods love in question upon the feeling the smart of affliction to thinke that none of Gods people are afflicted in such a kinde as I am If it were in some other kind it were not so much but being thus I am afraid that God never loved mee and that he hath now quite forsaken mee Thirdly in the assurance of the blessed issue of all that all will be peace and comfort at the last if Faith be strong in these it will be able to encounter with all assaults whatsoever this strengthening of our Faith must be First by much meditation in the covenant of grace the rich promises and glorious manifestations of Gods goodnesse in his Word that so the soule may be acquainted with the promises and have alwayes a word at hand to relieve it selfe withall Secondly by keeping conscience cleare that it may speake peace and encourage us that it may not upbraid us that it may not cast feares into us that it may not cast camps of spirit within us Thirdly take heed of listening to the reasonings of flesh and blood venture we our selves wholly upon the word if wee have that never argue the cause any further Wee read of Saint Paul Gal. 1. 16. that he dared not to consult with flesh and blood after Christ was once revealed in him if he had he had never beene able to deny himselfe as hee did carnall reasonings are great enemies to Faith they are the strong holds of Satan which must be battered downe Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and leave not unto thine owne understanding There we see that leaning to ones owne understanding and trusting in God are opposed one to another Fourthly keepe Faith in continuall exercise upon all occasions looke up to God in the strength of a promise for assistance in all things for sanctifying for blessing every thing unto you live by Faith in whatsoever you undertake or doe that so when greater tryalls come faith may be in a readinesse being alwayes kept active and stirring Fifthly labour much to keepe up your converse with God in his ordinances in all holy duties that you may be exercised in them with life and power that there being a holy sweet familiarity between God and the soule it may be more able freely and cheerfully and confidently to repaire unto him in times of trouble and exercise its Faith upon him as that God betweene whom and the soule there is daily a sweet intercourse God letting himselfe out daily in his love and mercie to the soule and the soules working up its selfe and inlarging it selfe in love and delight and praise to God againe And when sufferings come then stir up and put forth the grace of Faith in the exercise of it looke up to God for strength and assistance commit your selfe and cause wholly to him plead the promise plead your call that hee hath called you to this plead the cause that it is his Master Tindall in a Letter of his to Master Frith who was then in prison hath foure expressions of the worke of Faith in time of suffering If you give your selfe cast your selfe yield your selfe commit your selfe wholly and onely to your loving Father then shall his power bee in you and make you strong hee shall set out his truth by you wonderfully and work for you above all your heart can imagine And observe this rule labour to strengthen and exercise your Faith before your heart bee too deepely affected with your affliction Wee usually have our first and chiefest thoughts upon our Troubles and spend the strength of our spirits in poring upon them and tyre our selves in the workings of our unbeleeving discontented spirits giving libertie to the reasonings of our hearts so that wee are sunke before any promise can come to us wee are not able to
MOSES HIS SELF-DENYALL Delivered In a Treatise upon Hebrewes 11. the 24. verse BY IEREMY BURROUGHS LUKE 9. 24. Hee that loseth his life for my sake shall save it Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 5. Non magnanimitatis est magnos petere honores sed contemnere LONDON Printed by T. Paine and are to be sold by H. Overton and T. Nichols at their Shops in Popes-head Alley 1641. HONORATISSIMO DOMINO EDVARDO DOMINO MANDEVILL VICE-COMITI HEROI SVMMI CANDORIS PIETATIS AC LITERARUM FAUTORI LIBELLVM HVNC IN PERPETUAE OBSERVANTIAE TESTIMONIUM D.D.D. JER BURROUGHS TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THe corruption of Nature is exceeding great it appeares sundry wayes in none more then in selvishnesse hee which at first was made altogether for God is now altogether for himselfe The disease is Catholike and spreads to the ends of the earth Phil. 2. 21. All seeke their owne The people flocked after Christ by Sea and Land here was great seeming selfe-denyall Christ they must see Christ they must heare a Christ they must have but this Christ-seeking was altogether selfe-seeking Christ tells them that it was not himselfe his Doctrine or Miracles that drew them it was the loaves they found more vertue in that bread then in the bread of life It was selvishnesse that made Laban change Iacobs wages ten times and become a deceiver This made Naball churlishly deny reliefe to David and his in their distresse This made Gehezi run after Naaman and take talents of silver and change of garments Elishaes excellencie appear'd in his selfe-denyall and Gehezies basenesse in his selfe-seeking This humour is in all and predominant in most parties Some great pretenders of holinesse are polluted and poysoned with this venome You may see it in the Jesuites Maximes practise They say there is not a mixture in every congregation their Society is without spot or wrinkle they have all living and no dead members And againe their Society exceedes all others in this that they have Antidotes and Spices which will preserve them from corruption so that there is no danger of their degenerating after some Centuries of yeares as other orders have done Happy men if their sayings and Societies were the same When they deale with Princes and Potentates they tell them not of their faults but those opinions Qua liberiorem faciunt conscientiam Thus they doe to advance themselves and their cause that they may be thought the Non-suches of the world they boast of their grace and say the Monkes come short of them they can dally with the fairest women without danger Paul himselfe was not so perfect in that kinde as they are Here is selfe-seeking with a witnesse they throw downe an Apostle to lift up themselves they care not who fall so they may rise they blast all others to beautifie themselves But God in justice hath made them odious even among Papists as well as Protestants Great selfe-seekers in a Church or State ever gaine great hatred If men will pollute Gods worship with their devices hee will make their names to stinke Nothing makes us more honourable in the eyes of God and man then the advancing of his worship and preserving it unmixt If temporalls come in place of eternalls and that which is mans instead of that which is Gods God will make the Authours of such evill contemptible before all the people Mal. 2. 8 9. It is not unknowne how divine providence proceeded against the Danish Prelates Had they denyed themselves maintained the pure Worship of God sought the publike good of Prince and people they might have stood to this day but because they were shamefully wicked and sought themselves too much they were wholly cast out by Prince and people in the yeare 1537 Self-seeking is self-undoing Absolom and Adoniah whilest they sought themselves they lost their lives The argument of this Book is selfe-denyall a hard yet a safe lesson it is no other then Christ taught and practised If any man will bee my Disciple let him deny himselfe and follow me Matth. 16. 24. there 's the doctrine see his practise Ioh. 6. 15. when they would make him a King hee withdrawes the greatnesse and glory that was in royall Majesty could nothing prevaile with his spirit Hee did not his owne will but the will of his Father It liked not him to have his workes blowne abroad his whole life death was an absolute self-denyall This way would he have all his to goe and it is a way wherein is no death Hee that doth most deny himselfe he lives most free from sinne Take a true selfe-denying man and passion is a stranger to him he sinnes not with anger because he rejoyces in his wrongs hee swells not with pride because hee is content to bee contemned hee frets not at afflictions because he deemes himselfe worthy of all punishments Selfe-denyall breeds great joy and brings great ease It unburthens a man of himselfe his sinfull selfe What joy what ease was it to Joseph to bee rid of his inticing Mistresse he let goe his coat and saved his innocencie And let a Christian rid himselfe of his sinfull selfe and his joy and ease will exceed Josephs if he let goe his Flesh hee shall advance his Spirit Would it not be another Heaven to be rid of our sinfull opinions sinfull wills and affections deny thy selfe and this Heaven is thine A selfe-seeker onely makes himselfe miserable hee is an absolute Tyrant his selfe-love turnes charity out of doores eates up all the love that God man should have neither others good nor Gods glory are deare to him hee is a clod of the earth that sucks the sap of his soule onely to himselfe It is the selfe-denying man that is the man for God and publike good Such a one was Moses Heaven and Earth have beene honoured by him such a one will venture even where danger difficultie is selfe shall not hinder publike good A selfe-denying man will stand by Gods cause and people when others shrinke for feare and shame One Dowglas a Scottish Knight having heard Master Whiscart preach said I know the Governour and Cardinall shall heare of it but say unto them I will avow it and not onely maintaine the Doctrine but also the person of the teacher to the uttermost of my power Had hee minded his credit with great ones his estate or libertie he would not have appeared for a persecuted truth and man selfe-denyall had stript him of private respects Antoninus Pius when hee undertooke the Title of Emperour said he did then forgoe the propertie and interest of a private person and when we take the name of Christ upon us wee should then forgoe all selvish and domestick respects It is the honour of a Christian to be like unto his Master Christ hee denyed himselfe throughly and was acted altogether by the Father let us doe the like and be acted wholly by Christ I live not sayes
riches so it may bee said trust not in uncertaine honours nor in uncertaine pleasures Hence it was that Solon when hee saw Croesus puft up with his great riches and outward glory thinking himselfe the happiest man that lived hee said unto him none was to bee counted happie before death intending hereby to admonish him of the uncertainty of those riches in which hee blest himselfe so much and would have him consider that before the end of his daies there might bee a great change in his condition but he while hee enjoyed his outward prosperity minded not at all what Solon had said unto him untill he came by his miserable experience to finde the uncertainty of his riches and all that worldly glory that hee had and then hee could remember Solons speech unto him for when hee was taken by King Cyrus and condemned to be burnt and saw the fire preparing for him then hee cryed out O Solon Solon Cyrus asking him the cause of that outcry hee answered that now hee remembred what Solon had told him in his prosperity that none was to bee accounted happie before death Thus wee have many who heare much of the uncertainty and vanity of their outward honours sensuall pleasures greate estates and riches they have in the world but while they enjoy the sweet of them they little minde what is said till they come upon their sicke beds and death beds and then they cry out most lamentably of the vanity of all worldly things then they can remember what hath beene said unto them heretofore concerning the vanity and short continuance of all those things they tooke so much delight in All things then wisely and duely considered these honours pleasures and riches are not such great things that we should be so hardly brought to deny our selves in them a wise understanding heart would quickly cast dirt in the face of them all a true noble great spirit would trample them as dirt under feete when once they come in competition with Iesus Christ It is an excellent speech of Saint Augustine It is not an argument of a great minde to seeke for great honours but rather to contemne them and indeede considering all at least in the cause of religion they are to bee accounted as contemptible and vile things They are like a candle which while it is light it hath some lustre and hath no ill savour but when it is out it stinkes so all outward excellencies while they are as it were enlightned with grace added to them and a holy use of them they have some lustre and are desirable but take this away howsoever they may appeare to a carnall eye yet they are indeede but as a contemptible snuffe unsavory themselves and making those who have them unsavory in the nostrils of God And consider yet further what Iesus Christ hath denied for us if ever we be saved by him Hee came from the bosome of his Father and from that infinite glory he had with him before the world was for so he prayes Joh. 17. that the Father would glorifie him with that glory he had with him before the world was Hee left the riches and pleasures of heaven and that honour which hee might have had from Angels and men and all to save poore wretched sinfull creatures And lastly God hath greater preferments for us then all these things here below can afford if we have hearts to denie these for him we neede take no care for dignities delights and riches or whatsoever may make us happie and glorious there are infinite treasures of all with the Lord and hee delights in the communication of them to the children of men Heathens accounted the honour that learning put upon men as great a glory as that which came by places of dignity as Seneca saies of Socrates Patricius Socrates non fuit Socrates he was not of the race of the Senators and yet honorable Cleanthes drew water Philosophy did not finde but made Plato Noble What shall they account learning to put honour enough upon men to satisfie them and shall not Christians thinke that godlinesse and the honour which that brings is sufficient to make them glorious Surely wee know not that nearenesse that godlinesse hath to God himselfe that infinite glorious first being from whom the lustre of all true glorie proceedes surely wee know not how high and great the thoughts of God are towards his people what honour he hath what hee will put upon them everlastingly if this be not enough to satisfie our hearts for ever CHAP. III. How Honours Riches and all delights whatsoever are to be denied for Christ. VVE are to deny these for Christ First by going on in the waies of godlinesse in the strictnesse and power of them though all these be hazarded keepe we on our way and passe not for them trust God with them if wee doe still enjoy them so it is but if not yet maintaine a constant strong resolution of keeping on in the waies of Gods feare Thus did Daniel when the Princes and Nobles watched him in the matter of the Lord his God yet hee abated not one whit hee went on in his course notwithstanding all the hazard he was in the constant course of godlinesse in communion with his God was more sweet and precious to him a thousand fould then all his Court preferments and pleasures that hee did or might further enjoy How resolutely did Nehemiah goe on in the worke of the Lord notwithstanding that opposition he had such conspirings against him such complaints such letters sent to informe against him And David professeth Psal 119. 23. That he did meditate in Gods Law though Princes spake against him Secondly appeare for God and his cause his truth and his people though the issue may seeme to bee dangerous when none else will As Ester did with that brave resolution of hers If I perish I perish And Nehemiah who though he was something afraid at first to speake to that Heathenish King in the behalfe of his Religion and his people yet having lift up his heart to God he spake freely unto him Let not a publike good cause be dashed and blasted and none have a heart to appeare for it for feare of the losse of their own pompe and carnall delights and profits know that the venturing for a publike good is a greater honour then the enjoyment of any private Camerarius in his Historicall Meditations hath a famous story of the chiefe Courtiers in the time of Lewis the eleventh whom when they saw to intend to establish unjust Edicts they understanding his drift went all to him in red Gownes the King asked them what they would The President La-Vacqueri answers We are come with a full purpose to lose our lives every one of us rather then by our connivencie any unjust ordinance should take place The King being amazed at this answer and at the constancie and resolution of these Peeres gave them gracious
entertainment and commanded that all the former Edicts should be cancelled in his presence There is a notable relation that wee finde in Josephus concerning Agrippa that upon a time he invited Caius the Emperour to a supper and gave the Emperour great content in his entertainement whereupon the Emperour said unto him let mee gratifie thee by giving thee what thou wilt Agrippa asked although it were with the venture of the losse of all hee had as followeth Dread Prince since it is your good pleasure to thinke mee worthy to be honoured by your presence I beseech you to give commandement that the Statue which you have charged Petronius to erect in the Temple of the Jewes may never be advanced there this hee did although hee knew it was as much as his life was worth to aske any thing of Caius that was not answerable to his humour Many Christians would hardly goe so farre in venturing themselves either for Church or countrey as hee here did for the Jewes Theodoret likewise tells us of a Noble Spirit in one Terentius a Captaine of the Emperour Valens who being returned out of Armenia with a great victory the Emperour bad him aske a reward he asked onely that hee would be pleased to grant to those of the Orthodox Religion one publike Church in Antioch and although the Emperour were angry and tore his Petition and bade him aske something else yet hee persisted in this and refused any other reward for all the service hee had done And Eusebius relates a Noble example of a great Noble man Vetius Epagathus appearing in the cause of the Christians not being able to beare the unjust dealings hee saw against the Christians hee demanded that hee might be heard in defence of the Brethren but all that sate at the Tribunall being against it because hee was a Noble man the President asking him if hee were a Christian hee plainely and publikely confest it and so was taken in amongst the Martyrs being afterwards called The Advocate of Christians Where have wee Noble men now of such free and disingaged spirits to venture themselves in any publike cause for God and their people who should bee free to speake if not you Gallasius upon Exod. 22. 28. sayes of Augustus that he was wont to say that in a free Citie Tongues ought to be free Where should tongues or hearts be free if not in your honourable Assemblies If you would shew your Noble mindes shew the liberty of your spirits sayes Saint Chrysostome Liberty I say the same that that blessed Saint John had from whom Herod heard againe and againe It is not lawfull for you to take your brother Philips wife That liberty also that before him he had that said to Ahab It is not I but you and your Fathers house that troubles Israel Wherefore seeke to get that Nobility of minde which the Prophets had and Apostles had which such as serve riches cannot have for nothing takes away the liberty of the spirit so much as the desire of worldly things thus Chrysostome It is beneath true Noblenesse of spirit to aime at no higher pitch in your desires and endeavours then to provide for your owne ease and safety when publike causes for God and his people call you out to venture your selves Seneca in one of his Epistles speaking of a true raised excellent spirit describes it to be such a one as seekes where it may live most honestly and not most safely Nature hath brought us forth magnanimous sayes hee it hath given us a glorious and lofty spirit what is that seeking where it may live best not where it may be most secure What though you should suffer something it will bee your honour that while you suffer the Church and your Country prospers It was the honour of the Fabii and the Fabritii that they being poore themselves they made the Common-wealth rich Venture you your selves for God and his people and trust God with your honors estates and posterities doe not say you are alone you know not how many you may have to cleave to you if you have a heart to appeare howsoever desolate righteousnesse saith Jerome loseth not her comfort which hath God to be with it that is more then all It was a brave resolution of Luther which we finde in one of his Epistles to Staupitius wherein hee professeth that he had rather be accounted any thing then be accused of wicked silence in Gods cause Let mee be accounted sayes he proud covetous yea a murderer yea guilty of all vices so I bee not proved to be guilty of wicked silence while the Lord and his cause doe suffer And know that the more dishonoured and trampled upon any cause of God is the more he expects that you should appeare for it I have read that among the Persians the left hand is accounted the more honorable place Xenophon reports of Cyrus that those whō he honoured most he placed at his left hand upon this ground because it was most subject to danger hee would have those who were most honourable to stand by him there where he was most weake and lyable to danger Thus where the cause of God is most opposed and most like to suffer there God would have the most noble spirits to stand and to appeare in that and to doe this is truely honourable indeed Who knowes whether you bee raised for such a time as this who knowes whether you have beene preserved from such and such dangers that you have beene in that you might bee reserved as a publike blessing for the Church of God and your Countrey I have read of Philip King of Spaine going from the Low-countries into Spaine by Sea there fell a grievous storme in which almost all the Fleete was wracked many men lost and himselfe hardly escaped he said he was delivered by the singular providence of God that he might live to roote out Lutheranisme which hee presently began to doe this evill use hee made of his great deliverance Some of you have been delivered from great dangers but for a better purpose that you might now be of use to roote out profanenesse Atheisme and superstition and happy are you and happy shall we be in you if it may appeare that you are reserved for this worke of the Lord. Thirdly let all goe rather then bee brought to commit any sinne we had better have all the world cast shame in our faces and upbraid us then that our consciences should cast dirt in them It is better to endure all the frownes and anger of the greatest of the earth then to have an angry conscience within our brest it is better to want all the pleasures that earth can afford then to lose the delights that a good conscience will bring in Oh let the bird in the brest alwayes be kept singing whatsoever we suffer for it it is better to lose all we have then to make ship-wracke of a
reade Luke 16. 14. when Christ had preached against covetousnesse those who were rich and covetous derided him The word is in the originall they blowed their nose at him manifesting their scorning at what hee said as if they should have said hee may talke what he vvill but if he had riches himselfe I vvarrant you hee vvould delight in them as vvell as any if hee savv hovv to come by them hee vvould bee as greedy as any after them And thus certainely doe men who are in honour thinke of all that speake lightly of their honours and so those that enjoy the svveet of pleasures As on the one side those vvho are in afflictions and have their spirits sinke under them they thinke vvithin themselves let men talke vvhat they vvill if they felt vvhat I doe their spirits vvould sinke as much as mine so on the other side they vvho enjoy the svveet of prosperity they thinke let men say vvhat they vvill if they had vvhat vvee have they vvould prize it and delight in it as much as vve Here then is the true and reall honour when a man is in the height and top of all prosperity yet then hee can be above all then he can trample upou all It was thus with Moses it was thus with Daniel it hath beene thus in many worthies of the Lord. Vincentius reports of one Eustochius whom Trajane had sent against the Barbarians and he having got the victory returned home the Emperour being joyfull goes to meete him and brings him in gloriously to the citie now was a time for Eustochius to enjoy the favour of the Emperour and what hee could desire but at this time this very day refusing to sacrifice with the Emperour unto Apollo he suffers the martyrdome of himselfe his wife and children even now denyes all his present pompe and glory for Christ God hath still choise spirits in the world that can doe this and certainely there is a great deale of glory in it CHAP. V. It is a speciall argument of sincerity that when the profession of Religion proves costly to us yet we continue in it FIrst this argues great sincerity now the truth of grace appeares indeed to be religious when religion must cost us something this is an argument of truth of grace to be religious when by religion we may get the comforts of the world this is no argument of sincerity Hence Iewish writers tell us that in Solomons time when the Iewes prospered in all worldly felicity then they were carefull how they entertained Proselytes because many would be comming then upon worldly respects to joyne with them but to professe religion when it requires the losse of all outward comforts and that at those times when the sweetnesse of them is most enjoyed this is some thing like to professe the truth while we may live upō it this argues no truth but to professe it when it must live upon us upon our honours upon our profits and pleasures and earthly contentments this is a strong argument of truth as to see the beauty of religiō through troubles through all outward disrespects this is something for to see the evill of sinne through all outward glory respect and contentment in this world when it may bee enjoyed to the full this is much surely here is truth here is a piercing eye that is inlightned and quickned by the spirit of God It was a true signe that those nobles of Israel wee reade of in the 2 King 9. 33. were of Iehues side when they cast downe Jezabel who had painted her face so when the world comes with her painted face in her pompe and glory yet when God saies who is on my side then to throw downe this painted Jezabel to the ground to the doggs to licke up her blood here is a true argument that we are on Gods side David shewed his true thankefulnesse when hee would not offer unto God that which cost him nothing but would have the testimony of his thankefulnesse costly to him so when the profession of religion proves costly to us and yet we continue in it this is a good argument of truth In times of affliction every hypocrite all tag and ragge will be ready to come in to God in an outward profession but usually this submission to God at this time is not out of truth Hence that place in the 66. Psalme 3. v. where it is said through the greatnesse of thy power shall thy enemies submit unto thee in the originall it is they shall lye unto thee and so it is translated by Arian Montanus and some others noting hereby that a forced submission to God is seldome in truth Secondly it argues the excellency of grace that it raises and greatens mens spirits it lifts them up above the highest of all these things and so high above them as the things of the world when at the highest are looded on us under things and appeared small and contemptible in the eyes of such a raised soule many poore spirited men are below them and looke up to them as great matters and thinke oh how happie should they bee if they could attaine to them they blesse them who have got up to them but grace is of an elevating nature and it manifests it selfe to bee from on high even from heaven from the God of heaven who is infinitely above the heavens and it raiseth the soule to God himselfe so that not onely the things of the earth but even heaven it selfe would appeare but a poore low meane thing beneath the dignity of a soule made partaker of the divine nature were it not that the glorious presence of God were there As it argues the exceeding greatnes of the heavens that all the earth is but as a point to them all the huge great mountaines and vast circumference of the earth is as nothing in comparison of them so when all the honours delights and riches of the earth which are esteemed such huge and mighty things by the men of the world yet to a gracious spirit though enjoyed to the full are accounted as nothing this argues a glorious worke of grace enlarging the heart of a man God brings it himselfe as an argument of his owne greatnesse Isai chap. 40. that all the Nations of the earth are as a drop of a Bucket and as a dust of the hallance to him So when all the braveries and delights of the world are to a soule but as a little dust looked at as having but a drop of comfort in them farre from affording any good draught of comfort to quench the thirst of it no it must have the ocean of all comfort to drinke on even God himselfe no lesse then an infinite ocean of blessednesse will serve the turne for it to be satisfied withall and this argues a spirit great indeed and the truth is let men think what they will yet it is most certaine there are no men in the world of
services for the honour of his name as Saul collected from the spirit of David when he saw how he was able to deny himselfe in not taking that advantage he had of him when he might have had his will upon him to the full blessed bee thou my sonne David sayes Saul thou shalt both doe great things and shalt also still prevaile 1 Sam. 26. 25. So when a man may have his will to the full and yet can deny himselfe it is a signe that God intends to use selfe-denying spirits in his service none to them and this selfe-deniall is of the highest kind Thirdly this is the highest improvement of all outward mercies that may bee this changes poore meane things into most excellent glorious things it is impossible to make so much advantage of any thing in the world any other way as in this way here is a spirituall divine improvement of naturall of vaine drossie things here is a turning of stubble and dirt into gold and pearles for great and precious and glorious are the mercies that God uses to recompence this selfe-deniall withall Fourthly this selfe-deniall is highly acceptable to God God glories in such Daniel kept close to God and denyed himselfe much in his great prosperity and hee is called a man greatly beloved Cap. 10. 11. vir desideriorum a man of desires so the words are as when a man is compassed with temptation to despaire a little breathing of faith is acceptable so when hee is compassed with temptation of satisfying the flesh of security of presumption then a little much more eminent selfe-deniall oh how acceptable is it Fifthly if you in the fulnesse of all your earthly contentments shall acknowledge Iesus Christ and bee willing to lay downe all for him when he shall come in the fulnesse of his glory hee will acknowledge you and will put glory upon you when hee shall come with his mighty Angels full of majestie to be admired of his Saints then he shall owne you and make you partakers of his owne glory hee will then remember every cup of cold water given for his names sake much more then the giving him the praise and honour of so much in the things of the world as you have enjoyed The being made partaker of the fulnesse of Christs honour in that day will then a thousand times recompence the emptying of your selves of any fulnesse of outward contentments in the creature you have had here Sixthly if ever you should live to come to come to any adversity in this world surely it will bee much sweetned to you if you bee willing to give God the honour of the sweet of prosperity though adversity may come yet God will keepe the bitternesse of it from you if you so know God in prosperity as to deny the comforts of it for him hee will so know you in adversity as to take off the gall and bitternesse of it from you in all your seeking of God in the time of trouble you may have a holy boldnesse and freedom of spirit having assurance that it is not out of selfe-love that you seeke him that it is not out of constraint because driven to him by afflictions but it is out of love to that God to whom your soule flowes as to a God in whō you have an especiall interest that God who was so deare to you in the midst of the enjoyment of the abundance of the creature so that now in the want of all things you shall bee freed from those checkes of spirit that others have damping their hearts when they are about seeking after the Lord in the time of their trouble Seventhly it is so much the more honorable and may bee so much the more comfortable to you by how much the more rare it is God hath but few selfe-denying spirits in the world there are a word of people that will be crying to him in the times of affliction but a few peculiar ones who have hearts to seeke his face and honour his name in the height of their prosperity few that are then humble and selfe-denying to be set on high and yet to have the heart kept downe is hard and unusuall saies Bernard but the more unusuall the more glorious CHAP. VII Reproofe of those who greedily pursue sensuall delights THe second use is for Reproofe to those who greedily give up their hearts to the enjoyment of all the carnall and sensuall delight that they can take in the abundance of the outward mercies that God hath given them knowing no higher good of them then to take their fill of cannall delight from them blessing themselves in them little thinking of God or any service that God calls for at their hands in the use of them They know not how to rejoyce and not to let out themselves to the full beyond all bounds of moderation They know not how to make any conjunction betweene rejoycing and moderation they thinke there is such a distance betweene these two that they can never be joyned in one but marke how wide these are from the minde of the Holy Ghost Phil. 4. 4 5. Rejoyce alwaies and againe I say rejoyce what followes then let us let out our hearts to the full let us satisfie our selves to the utmost way but let your moderation be knowne to all men many who care not how they neglect full oportunities for the service of God or receiving spirituall blessings from God yet will bee sure to take to the full all the advantage they can of all their outward prosperitie to fatten their hearts in all manner of carnall jollity and brutish sensuality they let out their hearts to the utmost to this making the bounty of God but as fuell to their lusts and meanes to fatt up their hearts to destruction and to make them the more bold and impudent in sinning against him Doe you thinke in your consciences that this is the end why God hath given you an abundance of these outward things more then others what did God aime at no higher end then this is there no other way whereby God may bee more glorified by that you have will it rejoyce your hearts hereafter to remember what you have done how many are there who have their hearts so glued to the comforts of the creature that they enjoy that they had rather venture to part with God and conscience and those blessed things they heare of Christ and of eternity then venture the losse of these present delights that they see before them as that prophane Duke of Burbon in France said he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise what more apparent argument can there be that you have these things as your portion you are the man who have your portion in this life you are never like to have any other good from God Yea a certaine argument it is that all these things are for the present cursed to you
manifestly discerned It is a notable expression of Jerome God would have such stability of faith in us that the things which we beleeve should be more certaine to us then the things wee suffer and the things hoped for should be in more reality with us then things sensible to us these things are now apprehended as reall and certaine things although they bee such things as the Apostle saith Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have they entered into the heart of man to conceive yet God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit even that Spirit that searcheth the deepe things of God now there must be something in us to take this revelation of the spirit and that is faith The Spirit reveales them not as notions not as uncertain things and so faith takes them The Spirit of God sayes Luther does not write opinions but assertions in our hearts more certaine then life it selfe and all experiences whatsoever Faith can see into those things that no naturall eye ever saw it can apprehend that which never entred into the heart of man to conceive Saint Paul in the 2 Cor. 4. 18. sayes that the things that are eternall are things not seene and yet sayes that wee looke at things that are not seene though they be things that are not seene yet Saint Paul and other beleevers by the eye of faith could see them as certaine and reall things The things of Christ of grace of Heaven what poore empty notions were they to the soule what uncertaine things before faith came in but faith makes them to bee glorious things faith discovers such reall certaine excellencie in them and is so sure that it is not deceived that it will venture soule and body the losse of all that it will beare any hardship yea it will venture the infinite losse of eternity upon them faith discovers such reality and certainty in these things that now the things of the World that were before onely reall sure excellencies in the eyes of a man now are as fancies and shadowes empty imaginary contentments that have no being no foundation no certainty in them as formerly hath beene shewed Fourthly faith gives the soule an interest in God in Christ in all those glorious things in the Gospel and in the things of eternall life Faith is an appropriating an applying and uniting grace It is a blessed thing to have the sight of God there is much power in it but to see God in his glory as my God to see all the Majesty greatnesse and goodnesse of God as those things that my soule hath an interest in to see how the eternall Counsels of God wrought for mee to make mee happy to see Christ in whom all fulnesse dwels in whom the treasures of all Gods riches are and all those are mine to see Christ comming from the Father for mee to be my Redeemer all this is the worke of faith by the union of it with God in Jesus Christ Faith unites the soule to Christ after another manner then any other grace Love causeth a morall and spirituall union but this causeth a mysticall union other graces cause us to be like to Christ but this makes us be one with Christ and so have interest in what Christ hath interest in What is all the world now to such a soule where is all the bravery of it or the malice and opposition of it The losse of outward things or the enduring of afflictions are great evills to those who have not interest in better but to such as have interest in higher things there is no great matter though they lose lower Fifthly faith discharges the soule of the guilt of sinne and that dreadfull evill that followes upon it It gets a generall acquittance from God a pardon of all sinne and remission of all punishment thereof sealed in the blood of his Sonne The soule being made just by faith is able to live in the middest of many troubles The just by faith shall live so it is to be read not the just shall live by faith but being made just by faith so as to stand just and righteous in the Court of Heaven it now is able to live Faith cleares all betweene God and the soule it may bee there was long humiliation before many prayers made in seeking of this many teares shed many duties performed yet all this could not doe but the guilt lay on still but as soon as faith comes then all is gone and the soule stands righteous in the presence of God and all the breach betweene God and it is made up Being justified by faith wee have peace with God sayes Saint Paul Rom. 5. 1. Now the breach being made up and peace made marke what followes a little after in that Scripture there is not onely ability to beare trouble but to rejoyce in tribulations yea not onely to rejoyce but to glory in tribulations Strike Lord strike sayes Luther for I am absolved from my sinnes Now the soule hath got a greater good then the world can afford and is freed from greater evils then the world can inflict A man that hath beene with the King and gotten his pardon for his life is not troubled though hee lose his glove or handkerchiefe as hee comes out nor though it should prove a rainy day as he returnes home truely the losse of all things in the world to such a soule if it hath faith acting is but as the one and the enduring of all evils is but as the other And besides by this the soule sees it selfe so infinitely engaged to God as it is willing to doe or suffer whatsoever God will have it How readily doth Isaiah offer himselfe to God in service to which much suffering was annexed after God had taken away his sinne When God asked whom hee shall send hee presently answers Here am I Lord send mee It is enough that my sinne is pardoned my soule is saved let mee bee cast into any condition in the World let mee bee imployed in any service I have mercie and happinesse enough CHAP. X. Sixe more particulars wherein the power of faith is seene in taking the heart off from the world and carrying it through all afflictions FIrst Faith makes the future good of spirituall and eternall things to be as present to the soule to worke upon the soule as if they were present and makes use likewise of things past as if they were present and in these operations of faith there is much power to carry on the soule with comfort through sufferings for present things are apprehended by the minde more fully work more strongly upō the will and affections then things past or to come if I view a thing afarre off it appeares small to mee and little of what the thing is is conceived by me but if it be brought neere to me I see it to the full bignesse and am better able to judge of the nature
of the thing as it is And againe it workes more strongly upon my heart if I see a toade a great way off my heart stirrs not but if I see it neere as Pharaoh saw the froggs crawling upon his bed then my heart rises with loathing of it If wee could but see things now as God hath told us they shall appeare to us hereafter how mightily would they worke upon the soule howsoever there are many things that shall be seene hereafter that yet were never revealed and those things faith cannot make as present but such things as God hath revealed in his word that they shall hereafter come to passe faith may and whē it is active doth make them as present to the soule workes them upon the heart as if they did now appeare The want of this worke of faith is the cause almost of all the evill in the world and the acting of faith in this her worke in the lively and constant worke of it would produce fruites even to admiration The reason why those threates of God did not worke upon the people to whom Ezekiel preached God himselfe gives in the 12. chap. Sonne of man they say thou prophesiest of things a farre off And so for the mercies of God and the things of eternall life because the choyce of them are things to come the world with her present delights prevailes against them If you could see that glory of God in Christ and those glorious treasures of mercies that shall bee communicated and are now revealed and those dreadful evills that are now threatned and shall then be fulfilled I say if you could see them with the same eyes that now is manifested you shall see them with hereafter they would draw the hardest heart that is and bring downe the stoutest spirit that lives If you had faith you would bee able to see them so and the reason is because faith sees things as the word makes them knowne it pitches upon the word in that way that it revealeth the mind of God now the word speakes of mercies that are to come as present things and of evills that God intends to bring herafter as if God were now in the execution of them as will appeare in these scriptures Isa 52. 9. 10. Breake forth into joy sing together yee waste places of Ierusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Ierusalem the Lord hath made bare his holy arme in the eyes of all the nations thus the Prophet speakes of the deliverance of the Church from captivity as a thing done already which was not fulfilled many yeares after And David Psal 57. 2. even then when he fled from Saul in the cave hee lookes upon God as having performed all things for him the word is he hath perfected all things and that is observable that David uses the same expression of praising God here when hee was in the cave hiding himselfe to save his life as hee did when hee triumphed over his enemies Psal 6. and Psal 108. And 2 Chron. 20. from the 17. verse to the 22. as soone as Jehosaphat had received the promise he falls on praysing the Lord as if the mercy were already enjoyed praise ye the Lord for his mercy endures for ever Christ saith of Abraham John 8. 56. that he saw his day and rejoyced and was glad Christs day was unto him as if it had beene then And in the 13. verse of this chapter it is said of the godly who lived in former ages that though they saw the promises that were afarre off to be fulfilled yet the text sayes they imbraced them the word in the originall signifies they saluted them now salutations are not but betweene friends when they meet together To faith a thousand yeares are but as one day faith takes hold upon eternall life 1 Tim. 6. 19. It takes present possession of the glorious things of the kingdome of God it makes the soule to be in heaven conversing with God Christ his Saints and Angels already That which is promised faith accounts it given Gen. 35. 12. And the land which I gave to Abraham to thee will I give it it was onely promised to Abraham but Abrahams faith made it to him as given So for judgements and threatnings Esay 13. 6. Howle ye for the day of the Lord is at hand this is spoken of the destruction of Babylon which was a hundred and fifty yeares after but the word speakes of it as if it were now and so faith apprehends it the like wee may instance in many Scriptures you know it is ordinary and you who know the worke of faith you know it is as ordinary for it to looke at that which God saies as if it were now done things seene so work strongly What difference is there between mens thoughts and judgements of spirituall and eternall things in times of health in times of their sicknesse in the apprehension of death Aske them now what they thinke of grace of a good conscience of the pardon of sin of walking strictly with God Aske them now what their judgement is of Gods Saints Aske them what they thinke of eternal separation from God and the infinite wrath of a Deity for evermore now you shall finde their judgements otherwise then formerly and what is the reason of all but that things are judged now as present As despaire brings hell into the soule and puts the soule as it were into hell for the present the soule apprehends as if it were already there many in the horrour of their spirits have cryed out that they were in hell Francis Spira in the despaire of his soule cryed out verily desperation is hell it selfe So on the contrary faith brings heaven into the soule puts it as it were into heaven so that many of Gods people upon their sick beds when they have beene put in minde of heaven they have joyfully answered that they were in heaven already Faith likewise makes use of things past as if they were present as the ancient mercies of God shewed to our forefathers and Gods former dealings with our selves As Hosea 12. 4. the mercy of God to Iacob when he wrestled with him and prevailed the Church makes use of it as if it were a present mercy to themselves for so saith the text he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him hee found him in Bethel and there hee spake with us not onely with Iacob but with us whatsoever mercy God shewed to him we make it ours as if God were speaking with us and Psal 66. 6. Hee turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in them the comfort of the mercies of God for many yeares past to their forefathers they make as theirs there did wee rejoyce So all the promises that God hath made to any of his people though never so long agoe faith fetches out the comfort of
straights that any outward afflictions can bring it to All the strength that the temptations that come from the allurements of the world or the troubles that it threatens have it is from sense and carnall reasonings if the soule bee got above them then it is above the danger of such temptations by that magnanimity that Faith brings into the soule it is prepared to set upon difficult things to endure strong oppositions A beleever is one whom neither poverty nor death nor bonds nor any outward evils can terrifie Thirdly Faith is a purifying and healing grace Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by Faith It purges out base desires after the things of the world and living at ease base joyes and delights in the creature in satisfying the flesh the feares of future evils that may come hereafter Faith feares not hunger saith Tertullian If the heart bee sound it will be strong this purging of it makes it sound 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of feare sayes the Apostle but of power of love and a sound minde the spirit of feare is first purged out and then there is a spirit of power and a sound minde where there is a sound minde there is a spirit of power what weakens the body but the unsoundnesse of it If distempered humours be in the body 't is not able to endure any thing a little cold oh how tedious is it to it but when these humours are purged out then it is strong and able to doe or suffer much more That which ill humours are to the body sinne is to the soule which being purged out the soule growes strong to resist temptations and to endure afflictions But further sinne in the soule is not onely as an ill humour to weaken it but it wounds it too now how little can a man doe or suffer with a wounded member It is Faith that heales our wounds by applying the Bloud of Christ to them and so it strengthens Fourthly Faith is a quickning grace it sets all other graces on worke it puts life and activitie into them all I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God sayes Saint Paul and especially it sets love on worke which is a grace exceedingly powerfull Faith workes by love If a mans faith be up all his graces will be so too and if that be downe all other graces are weake and downe with it Gulielmus Parisiensis reports of a Chrystall that it hath such a vertue as when the vertues of other pretious stones are extinct it will revive them againe Faith is such a Chrystall to revive the vertue of all graces When Davids heart was so downe that he chides himselfe so much Psal 43. 5. Why art thou cast down oh my soule he labors to recover himselfe by his Faith still trust in God hee is the health of my countenance and my God Faith brings life and maintaines life in the soule for it hath the most immediate union with Christ and therefore the livelinesse and activity of our graces depends much upon it now where the graces of Gods Spirit are lively and active the allurements and threats of the World cannot much prevaile Fifthly Faith is a mighty prevailing grace with God and with Jesus Christ as it is said of Jacob Gen. 32. 28. hee prevailed with God as a Prince Luther was a man full of faith and it was said of him Hee could doe what hee would Faith sets all Gods Attributes on worke for the good and reliefe of a beleever it stirres as I may so say the arme of an infinite power it opens the sluce that lets out the streames of an infinite mercie and causes an infinite wisdome to be active to finde out wayes to relieve in time of distresses it brings in all the strength and good of the New Covenant when Faith workes Jesus Christ is working to make good all the gracious promises of the Gospel and hee is the Mighty God wonderfull Counsellour the Prince of peace Faith does not strengthen the soule in a way of suffering by its owne strength but by the strength that it bringeth in from Iesus Christ Rev. 12. 11. The Saints overcame by the Blood of the Lambe Oh how willingly and joyfully does the Protector of Faith fight in such servants of his sayes Cyprian It is one thing to have interest in God and Christ and another thing to have them working for good in a speciall manner in particular causes where wee desire helpe and reliefe although it be true that God and Iesus Christ are alwayes working for the good of beleevers in some kind or other but yet when faith lyes still and is not active although wee doe not lose our interest in God yet we cannot expect such sensible manifestations of the gracious workings of God for us as when we put forth our faith and keepe it active and lively and then though we be never so weake in our selves wee set an infinite strength to worke for us Wee have a notable expression of Gods stirring up his strength and wisdome for those whose hearts are right with him 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth to shew himselfe strong for those whose heart is perfect towards him the words are ad roborandum se to strengthen himselfe God strengthens himselfe hee does as it were stirre up all his strength for such And although wee be in the darke and know not how to order our steps and to discover the subtilties of temptation yet there is an infinite wisdome working for us and although we be never so unworthy and vile yet wee have an infinite mercy whose bowels yerne towards us and will not suffer any evill to befall us yea the more weake and succourlesse wee are in our selves if the sense of it stirres up faith to set God on work for us wee are strong by our weaknesse not onely of weake are made strong but by being weake are made strong It is said of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8. that it had a little strength and yet it kept Gods Word and had not denyed his Name Although we have but a little strength yet if wee have faith to set Gods strength on worke wee shall keep Gods Word and not deny his Name Hence in the sixt place from all these it followes that faith is an overcomming grace this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith saith Saint John Epistle 1 chap. 5. v. 4. In this victorie there are three things First there is a conquering of the assaults of the world so as they can doe us no hurt bnt wee are able to repell the force of them But this is not all there is something further namely the making use of those things of the world for our good that would have undone us that is a full victorie where the enemies doe not onely resist and breake
while with Paul but at last he for sooke him and embraced this present world Ninthly when a man is acted by his pride there is joyned with his sufferings a desire of revenge hee would if he could return evill for evill and doth as farre as hee dares The heart is enraged against those from whom they doe suffer but those who have Faith to be their principle they commit their cause to God though men curse they blesse they can heartily pray for their persecuters as Christ and Stephen did for theirs The Banner over a gracious heart in all the troubles that befall it is Love and therefore whatsoever the wrongs be that are offered to such there is still a Spirit of Love preserved in it Tenthly if vaine-glory be the principle hee loves to make his sufferings knowne and in the making of them knowne he will aggravate them with all the circumstances he can to make them appeare the more grievous that so hee in the suffering of them may appeare the more glorious It is a good observation that Master Brightman hath upon that expression of Saint John Rev. 1. 9. I was in the I le that is called Patmos he does not say I was banished into the I le by the wicked cruelty and malice of mine enemies No onely thus I was in the I le The humble man rather desires that his sufferings might make God knowne then that himselfe or any others should make his sufferings knowne he desires no further notice should bee taken of them then whereby God may bee glorified in them Lastly a proud man makes his boast of himselfe what he did and how hee answered and what successe hee had whereas the other makes his boast onely of God The boasting in our selves in regard of our services or sufferings makes both us and all that we doe or suffer to be vile and base in the eyes of God and man It is a notable witty expression of Luther by mens boasting of what they have done sayes he haec ego feci haec ego feci I have done this and I have done this they become nothing else but Feces that is dregges Thirdly a man may suffer much likewise from a Naturall conscience where there is no principle of Faith yet this is the best principle of all others next to that of Faith but it may be where there is true sanctifying and saving grace many of the Heathens suffered much in their way of Religion out of the principle of a naturall conscience As Socrates was condemned to be poisoned for opposing the multiplicity of Gods teaching that there was but one God In a way of justice the Naturall Conscience of Fabritius set him so strong against any opposition that it was said of him That you might sooner turne the course of the Sunne then Fabritius from the course of justice Now Naturall Conscience may put a man upon a way of suffering First by the strength of that conviction it hath of some Truths of God of the Equitie of them of that Divine Authoritie that there is in them of the dependance they have upon the prima veritas the first Truth which is God himselfe Secondly Naturall Conscience may be convinced of a greater good that there is in the enjoyment of the peace and quiet of the mind then in the enjoyment of all outward comforts whatsoever and a greater evill in the torment of spirit and miserie that will follow if any thing be done against that light it hath then there is in all evils that the world can inflict Thirdly Naturall Conscience may so urge Truths upon the Soule it may so follow it with importunitie casting feares and terrors into the heart that it will never suffer the Soule to be at quiet in a way of selfe-seeking in any way of providing for the flesh contrarie to that light that God hath set up in it Wherefore although there be not much naturall courage in a man nor seeking vaine-glory from men yet the losse of many comforts and many evils may be suffered out of the power of the light that there is in a Naturall Conscience But there is much difference betweene this kind of suffering and that which comes from a Principle of Faith as thus First where it is onely from a Naturall Conscience the Soule is urged and put on by force of a command but it is not encouraged by it receives not strength from it is not sweetened with the Promise it findes no Promise of the second Covenant at least no abilitie to close with any Promise from whence it receives helpe in the sufferings but where there is a Principle of Faith the Soule findes three sorts of Promises in the Gospel with which it closeth from which it findes much helpe As first the Promises of assistance secondly the Promises of acceptance thirdly the Promises of reward both here and eternally hereafter These Naturall Conscience hath no skill in it puts on a man to suffer but it gives no strength he goeth to it in his owne strength Conscience urgeth the Soule so as it dares not doe otherwise but it doth not assure it that God accepts either of person or performance it lookes to present quiet having nothing to perswade it that it shall at length attaine unto the glorious reward that God hath promised unto those who suffer out of faith for his Name sake Secondly Naturall Conscience doth not make a man glad of that light it hath and the power and activenesse that there is in it that it will not suffer him to be at quiet unlesse he doe denie himselfe in that which is deare unto him if he had not that light which he hath he might enjoy himselfe in his owne way without that trouble and vexation of spirit that now he feeles he therefore opposeth and seekes to extinguish his light rather then to use any meanes to maintaine and cherish it but where there is a Principle of Faith that Soule loves that light it hath and blesseth God for it accounting of it a great mercie and therefore seekes by all meanes to maintaine and encrease it and joynes side with it all he can Thirdly where there is onely a Naturall Conscience such a one is very hardly brought to suffer any thing he seekes to put off the Truth as much as he can that he might not be convinced by it there must be wonderfull cleare evidence that he can by no meanes shift off or else he will never be convinced he will part with nothing unlesse it be wrung from him with great strength of undeniable evidence of the Truth it must so shine upon his face as that he cannot shut his eyes against it but where there is a Principle of Faith it is not so the Soule being willing and readie to yeeld up all it is or hath to God it is as willing to entertaine suffering Truths as any other Psal 18. 44. As soone
as they heare of me they shall obey me It is a hard thing to convince a man of a suffering Truth if he hath not a suffering heart Many men will say if they were convinced that such a thing were a Truth that if it were a dutie that God requires of them they would yeeld unto it whatsoever became of them but yet they doe not see it to be so but the deceit of their hearts lies here that they knowing they dare not oppose it if they were convinced and that it will bring upon them much trouble if they be forced to yeeld to it therefore they are unwilling to be convinced they shut their eyes against the light arguments of lesse strength can prevaile to convince them in other things but here strong light will not doe it because they fore-see the haâ—d consequences that will follow but where there is a suffering heart a willingnesse to sacrifice all for the least Truth how soone how easily is such a one convinced of any Truth When the mind of the hearer is good it easily assents to the word of Truth sayes Chrysostome Fourthly a Naturall Conscience does not prize an opportunitie of suffering so as those doe who have a Principle of Faith they goe to it as a great mercie they account it as a great priviledge that God calls them forth unto and gives them opportunitie for the testifying of their love to his Name and the expressing the worke of their Grace for his prayse accounting of it the highest improvement that may be to lay downe all at Gods feet in a way of selfe-denyall the other may suffer the same thing but he lookes upon his sufferings as a great part of his miserie and at the way of Gods providence bringing of him thereunto as a great evill unto him Fifthly a Naturall Conscience rests in the thing done in the very worke of enduring troubles there doth not appeare the Grace of God in the manner of his sufferings in the carriage of his Soule in them there doth not appeare the Glory of God in the enabling of him to goe through them neither is he much sollicitous about that but onely how he may beare them and get thorow them but Faith sets on worke all the Graces of Gods Spirit by which the sufferings of one truly gracious are much beautified his Spirit is exceedingly savourie in them Psal 89. 17. It is said God is the glory of the strength of his servants Thou art the glory of their strength Now this was in a time of great trouble to the Church as appeares Verse 38. and so forward But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant thou hast prophaned his Crowne by casting it to the ground thou hast broken downe all his hedges all that passe by the way spoyle him he is a reproach to his neighbours c. Yet even at this time God gives such strength to his people as that his Glory shines in it Therefore surely it is more then can be by any naturall worke Sixthly a naturall conscience may put a man upon the way of self-denyall but such a one accounts the wayes of God hard wayes because of the troubles he meets withall in them hee is brought out of love with Gods wayes and hee is weary of them he is even sorry that he came into them and could be content to with-draw himselfe from them if hee knew how to doe it but a beleever suffering in the wayes of God hee still likes well of them hee speakes good of them his heart cleaves close unto them Sufferings are esteemed the better because they are in the wayes of God and the wayes of God are not esteemed the worse because they are in the wayes of Suffering his Suffering confirmes him in them a crucified Christ and persecuted godlinesse are very lovely in his eyes Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my beloved unto me hee shall lye all night betweene my brests Myrrh is a bitter thing although Christ bee as Myrrh yet he shall lye between my brests next to my heart as most lovely and delightfull to me where there is true godlinesse such a one whatsoever he meets withall in Gods wayes hee never opens his mouth againe to speake against them Ezek. 16. 63. and Psal 44. 17 18 19 20 c. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. And Psal 89. from the 38. verse to the 52. we read of Ethan making a most lamentable complaint for the miseries of the Church and yet he concludes Blessed be the Lord for evermore and this not formally or slightly but earnestly with much affection and therefore he addes Amen and doubles it Amen Amen as if he should say let the troubles of the Church bee what they will yet God and his wayes shall be for ever blessed in mine eyes in my heart Seventhly where there is onely a naturall conscience such a soule is satisfied rather in its owne peace that it hath by yeelding to that which conscience puts him upon then in any glory that God hath by that which is suffered As he doth not aime at the glory of God but at the quieting of his conscience so he lookes not much after the glory of God that should come in by his sufferings Eighthly naturall conscience may put a man upon denying of the world and suffering hard things yet the heart is never by it crucified unto the world the inward lusts are not mortified there remaines still as much love to the world as ever there was there is yet a drossy uncleane spirit within the corruptions of the heart still remaine in the root howsoever they be kept in for a while by the power of conscience such a one would as gladly enjoy the delight of the world as ever but hee dares not but where Faith is the principle there the inward corruptions of the heart are mottified Faith crucifies the heart unto the world it does not onely enable to deny ones selfe in outward things but it changes the very frame and temper of the heart the inward disposition of the soule is not after any thing in the creature as it was before but it is sanctified it is made heavenly it is raised above any thing that is here below Ninthly where the principle is onely Naturall Conscience there comes in no new supply of strength in the time of suffering but all that is done is by the first strength that put him upon it hee is all the while spending his strength as an Armie that fights without any new succours But Faith brings in new supplies new succours continually strength growes
raise up our selves to looke at a promise But our way should be whatsoever our condition is first to endeavour to strengthen our Faith and then to make our moane to God Thus did Ethan Psal 89. This Ethan 1 King 4. is mentioned as one of the wisest men upon the earth and hee shewes his wisedome much in this that in a time of the great affliction of the Church hee being sensible of it and about to make his complaint to God of it yet hee begins with raising his and the Churches Faith in the mercy and faithfulnesse and power of God before hee will make any mention of their calamities hee doth not begin to make his moane for the miseries of the Church till the thirty eighth verse but all before is nothing but Arguments to raise and strengthen Faith and to put that forth in the exercise of it Thus Moses Psalme 90. being about to complaine of the miseries of Gods people that they were consumed by his anger and troubled by his wrath yet begins with the acknowledging of Gods goodnesse with Arguments to strengthen Faith Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations from everlasting to everlasting thou art God And thus David Psalme 37. 1. before hee beginnes his complaint hee layes downe this conclusion Truely God is good to Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart FINIS A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS B. BIrth of the greatest defiled with sinne page 15. God hath honoured us with a higher birth then what we have by bloud from our Ancestors 25. C. Lord Cobham his selfe-denyall 35. E. Examples of great men are very powerfull 85. Eminencie of parts and gifts not sufficient to carry through a godly course 200. F. Forsake all rather then offend God 77. Faith makes honourable all a Christians sufferings 148. Wherein lyes the power of Faith to take off the heart from the World 152. Tryall of our Faith 187. No Faith no perseverance 196. Comfort to those who have true Faith 249. Meanes to maintaine and strengthen Faith 255. G. Marcus Galeacius his selfe-denyall 32. Grace raises men spirits 112. H. Haters of God have beene Nobly borne 13. Hormisda his self-denyall 31. Honours to be denyed for Christ 50. Vncertainty of worldly honours 65. In the height of our enjoyment of earthly comforts we are to deny our selves 108. L. Luthers resolution 77. A testimony of deare Love to Christ to deny ones selfe for his sake 117. How to discerne Gods love in the things we doe enjoy 127. M. Moses his parts and breeding 4 Mixture of much evill in the best worldly good 60. N. Nobility of birth to bee denyed for Christ. 11. It a very poore and meane thing 16. God is infinitely worthy that it should be laid downe for his honour 20. No such way to adde glory to our Nobility as to be willing to use it or deny it for God 22. Wherein Nobility of birth is to bee denyed 27. P. Godly Parentage to bee honoured 38. Pleasures to be denyed for Christ 54. God hath greater preferments for his then the things beloved 69. Persist in godlinesse though other things be hazarded 71. In the prime of our youth and strength we are to deny our selves 104 It argues Power of grace to resist powerfull temptations R. Riches to be denyed for Christ 57. Not many Rich saved 96. Religion to be practized though it cost us deare 110. Godly resolutions how discerned 205. Good Resolutions not sufficient to carry godly sufferings 208. Resolution for Christ necessary and how attained 212. S. Service of God no disgrace to Nobilitie 46. Self-denyall ever holds out 122. Sufferings out of naturall stoutnesse how discerned 216. Sufferings out of Pride how discerned 225. Sufferings out of a Naturall Conscience how discerned 235. V. The best victory is to overcome our selves 140 Victory of Faith wherein it appeares most 183. W. Worldly blessings not to be over-joyed in 133. FINIS Christian Reader by reason of the Authors absence divers faults have escaped the Presse which thou art intreated favourably to interpret PAge 37. for besse read blesse p. 53. f. higer r. higher p. 65. f. thogh r. though p. 82. f. need r. needed p. 124. f. impsosible r. impossible p. 127. f. spirituall r. speciall p. 134. line 5. adde no. p. 145. f. greateh r. greatest p. 248. f. give r. gives Imprimatur Tho. Wykes Septemb. 1. 1640. Gen. 11. 7. 2 King 5. Augustini Ardingelli paradoxa Jesuitica Secreta instructio societatis Jesu Chryteus Chron. Saxon History of Church of Scots 2 Chron. 20. 26. Zach. 8. 19. The sense and meaning of the words cleared Doctrines raised Lib. 9. de praepar Evan. c. ult Stromat lib. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph lib. 2. cap. 5. 3. Josph lib. 4. cap. ult 4. Ioseph lib. 2 cap. 5. Gualmyn de vita Mosis p. 1. 2. 10. 11. 1. Doct. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. 3. Doct. Point 1. Mihi Deorum immortalium munus primum videtur maximum in lucem statim faelicem venire Panegyr Const 1. Reas 1. Ioseph de belle Iudaico lib. 7. cap. 22. Reas 2. De parentibus illis venio qui ante me fecerunt damnataÌ„ quam natum Bern. in Medit. cap. 2. Reas 3. Tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum Melchior Adam in vita ejus Dic quaeso quid genus est nihil aliud certe quam verbi sonitus ab omni re destitutus quod in extremo illo die probe scietis Chrys in Mat. 18. Hom. 59. Dic quaeso quid genus est nihil aliud certe quaÌ„ verbi sonitus ab omni re destitutus quod in extremo illo die probè scietis Chry. in Mat. 18 Hom. 59. 4. Nam genus proavos et quae non secimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco Nemiuem regem non ex servis esse oriundum neminem servii non ex regibuâ— omnia ista longa varietas miscuit sursum deorsum fortuna versavit Sen. Epist 44. Alius patrem inquit habeo Martyrem Alij suae familie viros obijciunt frigida sunt ista verba Nihil nobis aliorum virtus prodesse valet Aristippus Tres vomi caâ— carcinomata utinam coelebs vixissem aut orbâ—s perissem 2. 3. * Longelateque dilatata est magnificentia vestra supraterram sed audite consilium studete quod in vobis est hanc gloriam ad illum referre à quo est si non vultis eam perdere aut certè perdi ab ea Ber. Epist. 207. Gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis Tertull. Apol. advers gentes c. 34. Non praedicabo illustrem familiam alti sanguinis decus stemmata per Proconsules et praefectos decurrentia nihil in illa laudabo nisi quod proprium est eò nobilius quòd opibus nobilitate contempta facta est paupertate humilitate nobilior Epist ad Principiam virginem Mircellae Epitaph Quid magis indignum