Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven
slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep lest thy spiritual poverty come as a traveller and thy want as an armed man Pro. 24.33 34. Besides Christ can make difficult things easie Mat. 11.30 My yoke is easie Isa 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in us Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh to will and to do And this is the third Subordinate cause of the neglect of the Means and the way to remove it The 4. Is Presumption 4. Presumption Post dates the use of Means Cure Presuming we may use the Means soon enough many daies or years after They think they may repent and believe when they list But to remove this Impediment and to roll away this Stone It is good to remember that not so much as our natural life is in our own power Eccl. 8 8. Much less that which is Spiritual and Supernaturul it 's possible we may have but a little space of time to live and it may be lesse space of time to repent Rev. 2 21. I gave her a space to repent of her fornicateon and she repented not saith God of Jezabel God giveth a space of time to particular Persons Cities and Nations which is called the Accepted Time and the Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 and if we come not in the space of this Time the Door may be Shut and we may Knock too late Mat. 25 10. Whilst the foolish Virgins went to buy oil the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut And this is the fourth Subordinate cause of neglect of the Means and the way to remove it 5. Despondency quits the use of Means The 5. Is Despondency of Spirit Through an extreme fear that the time of Grace is past It may be we have us'd the Means of Grace long and we conceive we are never the better and therefore we fear it is to no purpose to attend upon the Means for the time to come Cure Now to remove this Impediment to roll this Stone out of the way Let us remember It is not for us to know the Times and the Seasons which the Father hath placed in his own power Acts 1.7 Let us continue to do our duty in seeking and we may be sure God will be found at the last though he hide himself very long to our apprehension Isa 38.18 Blessed are all they that wait for him Hast thou waited twenty or thirty years for Grace or Comfort resolve to wait still Joh. 5.5 There was an impotent man who had waited thirty eight years for healing and yet by a word of Free Grace from Christ himself he was healed at the last There 's no time past but God may heal thee for all this though thou hast waited many a year And therefore resolve to stand it out to the last man He that continueth to the end shall be saved Mat. 24.13 And thus have we spoken of the sixth grand Impediment which is a sinful neglect of the Means of Grace and also of the way to remove it 7. Supposition of having Faith already The Seventh Impediment Is a vain Supposition that we have Faith when we have it not or else a supposition that we have it not when we have it the one hinders the obtaining of Faith and the other hinders the actings of it and we are apt to swear on both sides Pro. 37.7 There is that maketh himself rich and yet he is poor and there is that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches First There is that maketh himself Rich when he is poor there is a supposition that a man hath Faith when he hath it not Now hear's the mischief of this Conceit He that presumes he hath a thing when he hath it not it takes off all endeavours for the obtaining of it So he that presumes he hath Faith when he hath it not it takes him off from the use of Means for the obtaining of it Now for the removing of this Impediment Cure and for the rolling away of this Stone There 's no better way then to bring our Faith to the Test or Touch-stone that we do not bless our selves in giving entertainment to a bold-fac'd presumption in stead of a true Faith Quest How shall I be able to distinguish between Presumption and true Faith For as the Harlot laid her dead child in the room of the true mothers living child 1 Kin. 3.20 So the Divel pops men off with a dead Faith which is no better then presumption in stead of a true and Living Faith How therefore shall we know the one from the other the dead child from the other I Answer Differences of Presumption and Faith Besides what hath been said already in the use of tryal You may know Presumption from true Faith by its Conception Birth Growth and Issue or fruits 1. By its Conception 1 In the Conception Presumption is nothing but our own Conceit the Brat of our own brain a strong imagination without any real Foundation upon the Word of God whereas true Faith is ever grounded upon the Promise it is Begotten by the incorruptible seed of the Word 1 Pet. 1 23. Only let me add this by way of Caution Caution There may be a false application of a promise as well as a true and saving a promise may be presented to the Soul by Satan as well as by the Holy Spirit of God Quest How shall we know the difference Answ That when ever Satan presents a promise to the Soul he presents it in a Wrested sense or he presents it for a Wrong end as Mat. 4.6 It 's written He shall keep thee c. This promise is presented in a Wrested Sense so as the meaning of it could not stand with that other Scripture Thou shalt not tempt c. God doth promise to protect in such dangers as his providence casts us into in the way of our calling but not in such dangers as our own folly and presumption casts us into when we forsake our way And therefore the Divel cunningly and wickedly leaves out that part of the Word In all thy wayes Psa 91.11 12. 2. It is presented for a Wrong End To separate Justification from Sanctification and so to make us bold to sin against God as here see Jude 4. Turning the grace of God i. e. Gracious promises of Mercy into wantonness But now when the Promise of God is presented and applyed by the Spirit of God it is presented in a true sense such as may well stand with all other parts of holy Scripture for the Spirit doth never contradict it self And it is presented for a Right and Good End Even for the furtherance of our Sanctification as well as of our Justification and so the promise is made a Transforming Promise 2 Cor. 3.18 And a Cleansing Promise so as to make the Soul willing to be purged from every sin Consider seriously of
an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee And thus God seals him by his Spirit and lets him see his right to the promise of his Free Grace and so the soul layes hold upon Christ in the Promise and rests upon him for Righteousnesse and Salvation Quest If you shall say Why doth God usually thus humble men more or lesse and stir up in them strong desires after Christ before they come so fully and so clearly to lay hold of the Promise This question is needful to clear up the manner of the working of the Word or at least of the laying hold of it Reasons why Humiliation must go before Faith Answ I answer First Because there must be a renouncing of our own righteousness wrought in us by the Spirit of God before there can be a submitting to the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God Now it is impossible to suppose a man to be brought to that pass to renounce his own righteousnesse but he must be humbled 2 Chr. 12.6 Whereupon the Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves and they said The Lord is righteous Luk. 18.10 c. to 15. See the example Reas 2 Secondly Because God hath joyned Repentance and Faith together in the Gospel Mark 1.15 Repent ye and believe the Gospel Now it is impossible to suppose true repentance without some measure of humility and godly sorrow for sin as the Apostle describes it 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. v. 9. Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner v. 11. For behold the self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal ye what revenge In all things ye have approved your selves to be clear in this matter Reas 3 Thirdly God doth humble them that they may hear and receive the message of the Gospel with the more meeknesse and readinesse Jer. 13.15 Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken And in this Text tell a proud unhumbled sinner of Mercy of Faith and of a Saviour What need of a Saviour or Mercy sayes he unlesse I were in misery But when God hath taken him down a peg lower Psa 141.6 and he is overthrown as it were in stony places O then he will hear the words of reconciliation for they are sweet O then if a Messenger or an Interpreter Job 33.23 one of a thousand shall shew to this man his righteousness that it is in Christ and not in himself he is very willing to hear on that ear it is the sweetest message that ever came to his ears And that is the third reason why God humbles men more or lesse before they come so fully to apprehend his love in Christ Reas 4 A Fourth reason is That they may be more thankful afterwards Prov. 27.7 The full soul loatheth the honey-comb but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet This is Gods usual method he is wont to hunger-bite the Soul and then to fill it Luke 1.53 He filleth the hungry soul with good things Why so Because a hungry beggar will be thankful for every crust and crum and so will a hungry Soul Psal 66.16 O come saith such a one I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soul I will tell you something but I cannot tell you all what is wanting in expression shall be made up in admiration of the goodness of God to all eternity Reas 5 Fifthly because a true sight of God and of a mans self doth humble the creature Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes and that not onely a sight of Gods Power and Justice but even the least glimpse of his Mercy in Christ Believing in Christ is said to be looking upon Christ by faith Joh. 3.14 15. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Now this look doth break the heart and humble the heart above all other means whatsoever Zech. 12.10 And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look on me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born See this in that great Convert Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same little because she loved much she mourned much Reas 6 Sixthly because God hath said he will give grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Likewise ye yonger submit your selves unto the elder yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Grace in the 1. Inchoation 2. Augmentation 3. Conservation 4. Perfection 1. Grace in the Inchoation Humility in all the periods of grace not as if a man could be truly humble before he hath grace but to intimate he hath no grace till he be humble for he that hath one grace hath all graces and therefore he that hath faith hath also humility The new man hath all his parts and members so soon as ever there is a new birth in the Soul He hath therefore humility as well as other graces Yea poverty of Spirit is made the beginning of all grace Mat 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Thus in the inchoation or beginning of grace 2. In the Augmentation or increase of grace Jam. 4.6 But he giveth more grace wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble He giveth more grace to the humble As a Tree the deeper it roots the more it spreadeth in its branches and increaseth in its fruits so the deeper the creature is rooted in humility the more abundant it is in the fruits of Piety the high Mountains are barren when the lowly Valleys are very fruitful 3. In the Conservation or establishing of Grace received he gâ—ves to such the grace of Perseverance Spiritual Pride will certainly have a fall but he that stands low in his own apprehension he stands sure When we are weak that is sensible of our own weakness then are we strong 2 Cor. 12.10 Such are like to stand when others are offended and fall away 4. God gives grace
judgement will soon weaken our faith 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness An unconstant man that halts between two Opinions will soon prove an unstedfast man Jam. 1.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils 4. A good conscience Fourthly he that would keep his Faith must keep a good Conscience in all things and he keeps a good Conscience that walks up to his light Faith loves to dwell in a sweet lodging 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience The Mystery of Faith is kept in a pure conscience if once the chamber of Conscience be sluttish and nasty farewel Faith To be sure Faith and a good Conscience come and go both together He that makes shipwrack of the one cannot long preserve the other from sinking 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack A good conscience as we told you is available to the holding both the Doctrine of Faith and the Grace of Faith And though these words are primarily meant of the Doctrine of Faith as we shewed you when we spake of living by Faith the Life of Preservation or Conservation in answer to the Arguments of the Papists from this place yet the Argument is good by necessary consequence à fortiori from this Scripture If a good conscience be so available for the keeping of the Doctrine of Faith then much more for keeping the Grace of Faith forasmuch as an evil conscience is more inconsistent with the Grace of Faith than with the Doctrine of Faith For howsoever an evil conscience is a very ready way to bribe and corrupt a mans judgement yet many for a time have taught sound Doctrine who have been very unsound in their practice Mat. 23.3 All therefore that they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not But an habitual corruption of conscience and conversation cannot stand with the soundness of the grace of Faith Joh. 1.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth And 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him Therefore 1 Tim. 1.5 he couples the grace of Faith and a good Conscience together Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Be sure therefore to keep a good conscience as thou wouldst keep thy faith Fifthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 5. Right bottom build it not upon false Promises that is when thou makest a Promise to thy self over and above that Promise which God hath made in his Word Many a man when he first begins to make Profession of the Faith he promiseth to himself a great deal of ease and riches and credit in the world whereas he should expect the contrary a great deal of trouble and Persecution and Poverty and Disgrace c. Now when such a mans End fails him his Faith also will fail him and he is ashamed of the very Profession of it Such low and carnal ends are just like the weights that hang upon a Clock so long as the weights move the Clock moves but when the weights are once at ground the Clock stands still So 't is with such men so long as their carnal ends move them in Religious ways they are moved but when once their ends fail they stand stark still and will move no further Therefore beware of false ends in the Profession of the Faith Promise to thy self no more than God hath promised lest failing of thy expectation thy faith fail thee also He is a wise and sure builder that sits down and counts the cost at the first but he is a fool and his building like to come to nothing that after he hath laid the foundation repents him of his work and saith I never thought it would have cost me half so much Luk. 14.28 Sixthly if thou wouldst keep thy Faith 6. Commit it to God commit it to Gods keeping whatsoever we commit to his trust is put into a safe hand 2 Tim. 1.12 For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Therefore be sure not onely to commit other things to God by faith but even thy faith it self commit that to his keeping pray him to keep it for thee You know what Christ said to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Now Christs Prayer is as good as a Promise Joh. 11. for we know that his Father heard him always Therefore ground thy Prayer upon his Prayer and say Lord hear me in that Prayer which I have taken out of my Saviours own mouth O let not my Faith fail That which thou hast committed to my trust Lord I desire to re-commit to thy trust for I dare not trust my self Therefore as David saith of his mouth Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep thou the door of my lips So should every true Believer pray in relation to his heart Set a watch O Lord before my heart and keep thou the door of my Faith That as the Lord is the keeper of thy person Psal 121.5 The Lord is thy keeper So he may be the Lord-Keeper of thy faith also And that is the sixth Means Look unto him by Prayer who is the Author and Finisher of thy faith Heb. 12.2 7. The free Spirit Seventhly if thou wouldst be establish'd in faith pray God to give thee his Free Spirit for that is an establishing Spirit Psal 51.12 Establish me with thy free Spirit With thy free Spirit what is that 1. The Spirit of God is not onely a free Spirit in it self for we may say of the Spirit of God as the Apostle speaks of the Word of God 2 Tim. 2.4 It is not bound 2. Yea and it is free in the Donation of it it is most freely bestowed where God giveth it Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whether it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit God is as free in the work of the Spirit as in the work of the Minde All the men in the world cannot command the Wind no nor the Devil himself though he be called Eph. 2. The Prince of the Air he cannot command the Wind without
the way of believing 3 That Salvation may be on free and sure grounds The general Uses drawn from the Life of Faith 1Vse Information in seven Particulars 1 The happy condition of Believers They have comfort in six respects 2 The misery of unbelievers in six respects 3 The Reason of Satans enmity against Faith 4 The difference 'twixt the Life of Christ and that of a Believer 5 Why so many remain spiritually dead 6 There cannot be any thing of Christ or of Spiritual life in the Creature before Faith As Christ and life so Faith and life come both together 7 What is the choice work of a Minister 2Vse of Reproof to three sorts 1 Such who live upon other things in stead of living by Faith as namely their Sins Pleasures Creatures Riches Friends or upon themselves either sinful Self natural Self artificial Self moral Self religious Self These particulars are inlarge 2 Such who profess Faith but live not by it 3 Such as act not their Whether 1. In Actions 2. Conditions 3. Elections 3Vse of Examination 1 For Trial of persons whether we be just and in a state of spiritual life or no Divers Marks of true Faith from feigned 2 For Trial of all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false Where living by Faith is demonstrated to be the Touchstone of them 4Vse of Thankfulness for Faith Five Grounds or Arguments to provoke Believers to Thankfulness for Faith 1 It is Gods gift 2 It s necessary to the very Being of a Christian 3 Such a gift as none else can give where there are five Wonders of Faith spoken unto 4 Faith is a most precious Gift Three things very precious The preciousness of Faith in four particulars 5 The rarity or scarcity of Faith 5Vse Humiliation for Vnbelief The evil of Unbelief is set forth in 7 Particulars 1 It dishonours God 2 It grives the Holy Spirit 3 It pleases the Devil 4 It is the Mother-Sin The Brood of Unbelief 1 Ignorance 2 Security 3 Worldliness 4 Hypocrisie 5 Heresie 6 Apostacy 7 Atheism 5Vnbelief is a Step-mother to Grace 6Vnbelief is the Nurse of Sin 7 Judgements on Vnbelievers 6Vse of Exhortation wherein four Branches 1 Branch Exhort To get Faith where Faith is proved to be the wisest Purchase and Vnbelief the greatest Self-murther The excellencies of Believing which contains 1 Strength 2 Wisdom 3 Riches 4 Beauty 5 Honor. 6 Faith honors God 7 Dead without Faith 8 Faith makes to prosper Q How shall we get Faith Here are Means Negative and Positive prescribed Negative means to get faith or the removal of the Impediments of faith Means Negative is the removal of the Impediments of Faith which are these 1 Self 2 Satan 3 The World 4 Gods hardning where hardness of heart is treated of and Gods Justice justified in hardning some sinners Relief is prescribed to all four 5 General Impediment contains seven mixt Impediments of Faith viz. 1 False Trust 2 Limiting of God 3 Harbouring some Lust 4 Our own Vnworthiness pleaded against the Promise 5 Laying too much stress on the depth of Humiliation 6 Want of feeling 7 Doubt of Election To all these particular Cures are applied 6 General Impediment of Faith viz. Neglect of the Means which should work Faith or beget it Five Causes of the neglect of Means 1 Prejudice quarrels the Means of Faith 2 Pride contemns the Means 3 Sloth recoils from the Means 4 Presumption postdates the use of Means 5 Despodency quits and casts off the use To all which Cures are applied 7 General Impediment of Faith viz. Supposition of having Faith already when it is nothing so Differences 'twixt Presumption and true Faith 1 In the Conception 2 In the Birth 3 In the Growth 4 In the Fruit. The second Branch of false Supposition is That we have not Faith when we have it This hinders the actings ad increasings of Faith Four Corollaries or Conclusions from the difficulty of Believing 1 The Word of God Positive means for obtaining of Faith Every Word of God is an object of Faith especially the Promise How the Spirit convinces of sin The method of converting Grace Six Reasons why Humiliation must go before Faith Humility appears in all the periods of Grace Direction to humbled sinners how to apply Promises 2 Means of begetting Faith is Prayer Question stated Whether a natural man ought ta pray 3 Means Good Society 4 Means Meditation on Gods Name 5 Means Sight of Treasure in Christ 6 Means Diligence in the use of Means which signifie three things 2 Branch of Exhortation To keep Faith Where is shewed The general usefulness of Faith Reasons why we should look well to the keeping of it 1 Reas The Benefit of keeping Faith 2 Reas The Enemies who opposite it 1 Corruption 2 Temptation 3 Troubles 3 Reas It is the glory of a Christian to be found in the Faith at Christs appearing Means of preserving Faith 1 Soundness 2 Trial of it 3 Love of the Truth 4 A good Conscience 5 A right Bottom 6 Commit it to God 7 Prayer for establishment with Gods free Spirit What the free Spirit of God establishes How the free Spirit of God establishes 3 Branch of Exhortation viz. To act Faith and to live by it Six Motives to act and exercise Faith Divers Helps for the acting of Faith 4 Branch of Exhortation viz. To increase the stock of Faith Six Motives to increase in Faith Five Signs of a weak Faith Seven Means for the increasing of Faith Conclusive Sermons on Dan. 12.3 An Appendix concerning the Converting of others to the Faith Doctrine The Conversion of Souls to the Faith as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward Explication twofold 1 It is the most excellent Work Seven Reasons to prove this handled largely 2 It shall have the most excellent Reward USES 1 Information of the Dignity of the Ministry 2 Reproof to four sorts of persons 3 Exhortation to Convert Souls This is directed in general to All but in special to Ministers Eight Motives to quicken converted ones to labour to Convert others Eight Means whereby the Conversion of Souls may be promoted 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way 5 Exhortation to the People 1 To be willing to be wrought upon 2 To attend upon such Means as are proper 6Vse of Thankfulness 1 If we our selves are Converted 2 If any by our Means be Converted Seven Marks of sound Conversion 7Vse of Comfort to the Promoters of others Conversion in the midst of Opposition and Reproach The EPILOGUE Courteous Reader BE pleased before thou readest this Treatise to correct with thy Pen the following mistakes in printing that the sense of the Author may not be misrepresented ERRATA in the Titles of the Pages Page 230. read Bawkers of Impediments Page 417. r. Life of Faith in the midst of Death Page 429. r. Love of Lust Page 510. r.
little comfort in that We account that an excellent life when a man is full of spirit as we say and full of life such a one is a alive and alive's like Yet this life will decay the most spiritful man in the world his heart will fail him the â—out-hearted must sleep their sleep But herein is the excellency of the life Prov. 4.18 we have from Christ it is ever on the increasing hand The Sun of righteousness the Fountain of their life is ever rising upon them higher and higher but never setting He came to give life and that more abundantly as it is Joh. 10.10 Contrary to the nature of other life they have more vigour and spirit and consequently bring forth more fruit in old age Psal 92.14 5. Safety of it Fifthly In regard of the safety and security of it Hazard takes away the comfort of life otherwise excellent That which God threateÌ„s Deut. 28.66 Thy life shal hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night c. But the life of a Christian is sure Col. 3.3 The Caldean dream's of long Empire ver 5. but he shall dye ver 8. because it is hid 't is laid up with Christ in God If the life of Christ may fail then the life of a Christian But because I live ye shall live also Joh. 14.19 Besides their life is in God's keeping Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hands The Caldean threatens he will spoil and kill but God sayes his people shall live Continuance of it Sixtly It is an excellent life for Continuance This is implyd in the words The Gospel is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 17. as it is written The Chaldean may threat destruction yet the just shall live The just shall live by his faith The life of God's people then is an eternal life and therefore excellent Every life is accounted so much more excellent as it is of longer continuance the life of an oak that continues many yeers then the life of the grasse that grows upon the house-top that withers before it be plucked up Therefore as life is a blessing so long life Psal is a great blessing What account then should we make of an eternal life that knows no end 1 Pet. 1. springing from an incorruptible seed the Word of God and maintaind by a never dying principle the Spirit of God He that lives the longest life of nature must die at last Gen. 5. but he that lives the life of grace shall never die 1. His grace shall never die 2. Though he die he is out of the reach of the second death Joh. 11.25 26. The just shall live Seventhly Lastly 't is excellent in regard of the End 7. The end of it The Caldean imputes his power to his God c. 1.11 but the just c. 'T is the end crownes the action God is in a more special manner glorified by this life The strong people shall glorifie thee Isa 43. Now as Gods glory is the ultimate end of all his works Prov. 16.4 so that life must needs be most excellent that comes neerest that end Gods glory and the creatures happiness are wrapt up together in the same end 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour Therefore this life is excellent And this leads us to the reason of it Reason from Gods praise why God's people receive a more excellent life from him God doth it to the praise of his free grace Eph. 1.6 To the praise of his grace both in the cause for none could deserve this life before they had it Rom. 9.23 and in the effect of it viz. that they might walk worthy of it As God had life in himself and did enjoy himself before there was any creature so the reason why he made any or gave life to any was his own praise And therefore as any creature hath a more excellent life then other 't is therefore that God may have more praise then from other From the Saints therefore God expects that his high praises should be in your mouths Psal 149.6 Even the high praises of the most high God All thy works praise thee and thy Saints give thanks unto thee saith the Psalmist Psal 145.13 The Saints in a special manner They praise God for themselves and they praise God for the rest of the creatures being as it were the tongue of all the rest whilest they blazon forth the wisdom and power and goodness of the Creator in the wonderful fabrick and orderly government of the creatures Vse 1 1. Let us be convinced that there is such a life For these things seem ordinarily as the message of the women to the disciples Conviction that there is such a life Luk. 24.11 idle tales and men beleeve them not And so if we never beleeve this life we shall never seek it and if we never seek it we shall never be saved Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born again and so have a new life he shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven It is true This life is a hidden life which arises 1. In regard of the inward and secret nature of it The Kingdom of God is within you 2. From the mean outside of it for God chooseth weak and foolish things things that are not 3. From the infirmities of those that live it which much blemish it as David Peter c. 3. From misreports of it Slanderously reported of Rom. 3. And 5. from the work of Satan blinding the eyes of them that beleeve not 2 Corinth 4 3. Yet there is such an excellent life and that is proved and plainly made manifest First because it carryes men to actions beyond the power of nature It enables some men to forsake the pleasures of natural life for the sake of spiritual life and this work of self-denial proves it Yea it makes willing to lay down natural life if need be therefore such must have a better that gives as skin for skin so life for life Secondly because when natural life is weakest the acts of spiritual life many times appear strongest Therefore there is a life besides that of nature 2 Cor. 4.10 There the dying of the Lord Jesus in Pauls body makes manifest the life of Jesus in the same body Vse 2 2. To perswade us to desire this life Life of all things is most sweet Perswasion to desire this life And therefore the tree of life was plac'd in the midst of Paradise as if it were the perfection of all other comforts How sweet is then the sweetest life In comparison whereof all other life is but death Luk. 15. last Thy brother was dead and is alive O that we had eyes to see hearts to consider the excellency of this life Look how much difference there is betwixt the life of a child in the womb and the life thereof when 't is come abroad into the world where it hath
enough that my nearest or dearest friend applyes these to himself that will not heal me nor feed me nor cover my nakedness Every man lives by his own eating and drinking is covered and kept warm by his own garments so the just lives by his own Faith Reas 2. Because he that hath the most Faith hath none to spare for another man and therefore every man must live by his own Faith They are guilty of pride and folly proud Fools that think they have faith enough and grace enough both for themselves and others 't is the Prerogative Royal of the King of Saints to justifie others by his Righteousness And though they may seem to be humble that would be beholding to another for such a favour yet they are but humble fools Mat. 25.8 the foolish Virgins said to the wise Give us of your oyl of your faith and grace For the wise answered Not so lest there be not enough for us and you They had enough for themseves they had none to spare for others He is a foolish Souldier that being to go into the field with a wise and vigilant Commander thinks to borrow Arms of his fellow-Souldier if his fellow-Souldier would part with them his Commander will never suffer it Every Souldier must appear at the general Muster with his own Arms Every Christian Souldier I am sure must else there is no looking Christ in the face who is the great Lord General of the Field and the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2. Every Souldier must appear compleatly armed Eph. 6.11 Put on the whole armour of God and ver 13. Take unto you the whole armour of God Mark first every Souldier must have it 2. Put it on 3. He must put on all 4. Above all the shield of Faith ver 16. So that every Christian Souldier must be armed with his own shield of faith he must either stand or fall to his own Master viz as he appears in this posture or otherwise Now shall we come to the Use Rules about living by a mans own faith But before to speak something by way of Caution 1. In the Amplification 2. In the Restriction of this Truth Part. 1 First for Amplification for the right understanding of it here observe these Particulars First Not so a mans faith but still it is Gods he is both the Author and the Finisher of our faith 'T is the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 Hence God will have us see our own backwardness both first and last what ado to believe at first what ado to keep it when we have it how oft at such a loss that if the mighty power of God should not revive our dead faith we and our faith should both dye together VVe are kept through faith but it is by the power of God to salvation 1 Pet 1.5 So that if at any time we glorifie God by believing we may say as David 1 Chron. 29.14 Of thine own have we given thee we live indeed by our own faith but so our own that it is Gods more then ours Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that is the gift of God Part. 2 Secondly A man doth not so live by his own faith but in temporal respects the faith of another man may do him good Masters by their faith obtained healing for their Servants Parents for their Children Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith Mat. 9.2 Jesus seeing their faith healed the sick of the Palsey Gods people for the town or place where they live The innocent i. e. the faithful doer shall deliver the Island Job 22. ver last Gen 18.32 If ten righteoous persons shall be found there I will not destroy it for ten sake Especially in Magistrates Moses Numb 14. Hezekiah Isaiah 37. put up prayers and God saved the people and places they praid for Then Phineas executed judgement appeased God by faith and so the plague was stayed Psal 106.30 Part. 3 Thirdly In spiritual respects also another mans faith may do good in the exercise of it Parents faith may do much for the spiritual good of their children By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come and By faith Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph Heb. 11.20 21. They plead a kinde of hereditary right by the grand Charter As the Devils Covenant runs much in a blood many times where there is a curse upon a family so Gods Covenant where there is a blessing Gen. 17.7 I will bless thee and thy seed after thee And so Rom 11. They are beloved for the fathers sake i.e. for Gods promise of Free-grace made unto the Fathers and pleaded and sued out by the faithful Parents have God upon the hip to speak with reverence when they wrestle with him in Prayer for their children So you reade of an hereditary faith as of hereditary temporal possessions and 't is a strong hold if the Livery be sued out I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith which is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.5 'T is a strong pair of bellows to blow up the grace of God to a great flame So in the Ministery who are spiritual Parents faith may do much good exercised in Preaching and Prayer to beget the like faith in others as one Candle lights another or one Natural Life begets another so one Spiritual Life begets another by the immortal seed of the Word warm'd and inlivened by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet not many fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Hence the Apostle writing both to Timothy and Titus useth great boldness of speech 1 Tim. 12. To Timothy my own son in the faith 1 Tit. 4. To Titus my own son after the common faith sayes he That faith which was in Paul did beget the like faith in Timothy and Titus Part. Fourthly A man may have much more comfort and glory also by the faith of other men than otherwise he should have when he under God hath been an instrument of it 1 Thess 3.7 8. Brethren we were comforted over you in all our afflictions and distress by your faith for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. See the Apostle did even live by their faith i.e. far more comfortably than otherwise he should have done Phil. 4.1 My brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved The Apostle calls the believing Philippians his joy yea his crown of rejoycing his Crown not onely here but hereafter to all eternity Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever O how should this quicken us to the duty Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do erre from the faith and one convert him let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the
these are the things which the just lives by faith in concerning adversity Quaer 3 Thirdly We come to enquire in what manner he lives by faith in troubles or in what particular passages of Providence And here are these things observable Ans Manner of living by faith in troubles 1. That he does it 1. In preventing the storm So 2 Kings 19.6 upon Hezekiahs prayer of faith the storm of Sennacheribs invasion was driven back And Jon. 3. the Ninevites believing God drave back that storm threatned by Jonah Nor Devils nor Witches have any power over a man if he believes therefore Christ to Peter Luk. 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may winnow you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not as if he had said So long as Faith holds out Satan hath no power whom therefore resist stedfast in the faith 1 Pet. 5. 2. In looking at God Ordaining all troubles sc 1. That every man must look for some Rom 8.29 where speaking of sufferings he sayes We were predestinate to be conformable to the image of his Son 2. What and how many every man shall have Faith sees the Cup in a Fathers hand Thou couldst have no power unless it were givon thee from above said Christ to Pilate 3. In looking at God Ordering and Disposing all things in middest of Confusion Joseph his selling imprisoning and exalting again all was by Gods disposing though the instruments knew it not Phil. 1.12 Paul tells them that the things which happened to him seemingly as a stoppage in truth made for a furtherance of the Gospel And Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God 4. In seeing God Bounding and Limiting troubles as in Jobs case Chap. 2. When affliction breaks in as the sea Faith hears God say Huc usque Hitherto and no further shall thy proud waves come Isa 10 22. The consumption determined shall overflow in righteousness And so again Isa 27.7 8. In measure thou wilt debate with it He will stay his rough wind in the day of the east wind 5. In seeing Gods Protection that however the storm comes to fall upon us yet he is so merciful as to hold his holy hand of protection over us Yea Psal 91.4 He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler 6. In Supporting or seeing Gods Support that however the storm comes and falls upon us without any shelter yet God is merciful in giving sufficient strength to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear It is many times a wonder nay a Miracle to see how God supports his people when they cannot get off the trouble yet making them hear My grace is sufficient for thee viz. my grace applied by faith 7. In Sanctifying troubles Rev. 7.17 There they that came out of great tribulations washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. There is a malignity in all afflictions but faith in Christ crucified takes away that malignity and venomous sting Isa 27 9. This is all the fruit of those troubles To purge away their sin 8. In Saving and Delivering or fitting the soul for deliverance that howsoever troubles lie on a great while the Lord will send help in due time Therefore God is styled A present help in time of trouble Psal 46. And although many be the troubles of the righteous yet the Lord delivers them out of all as it is Psal 34.19 Wherefore it is noted that it was by faith that Israel was delivered out of Egypt when they passed through the Red sea Heb. 11.29 9. In Sanctifying Deliverance Luke 1.74 75. Who hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our lives Quaer 4 Now further By what means does the just live by faith in the troubles of this life Ans Means of living by faith in troubles Ans First in weighing spiritual mercies against temporal evils 1 Sam. 30.6 David ready to be stoned comforted himself in the Lord his God The Lord himself propounds a spiritual mercy against a temporal evil to sustain his people under it Isa 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of affliction and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner The Apostle make use of such a support 2 Cor. 4.16 17. For this cause we faint not for though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day 2. In making the soul to rest upon the naked Word of God though it be against ordinary reason So Abraham Rom. 4.17 Believed in hope against hope according to what was spoken so shall thy seed be In hope of Faith against hope of Reason Thus by faith we believe the Creation of the World by the bare Word of God without precedent matter Heb. 11.3 Faith looks up to the promise Isa 43.1 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt c. 3. In enabling the soul to relye on Gods Attributes which make good his Word and Promise As 1. His Power Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect 2. His Truth and this binds him as Power enables him to help Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commit my Spirit O Lord God of Truth Heb. 11.11 Sarah believed him faithful who had promised 3. His Love to help and even to prevent as the Prodigal's father ran to meet his son afar off Isa 65.24 Yea before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear See Psal 32.5 4 His Vnchangeableness Jam. 1.17 with whom there is no shadow of change 4. In making the absent good to be present Faith looks beyond the clouds and skies and seek all clear above Moses Heb. 11.25 c. looks through the affliction and reproach of Christ and sees the recompence of reward We rejoyce now saith the Apostle in hope of glory Rom. 5.2 So faith sees the after-good of the Church as present Revel 18.2 Babylon as good as fallen above a thousand years before 5. In strengthning Patience Therefore Faith and Patience are joyned together So Heb. 10.35 36 37. Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For you have need of patience that when you have done the will of God you may inherit the promise Now by patience we possess our souls through it all is calm within while storms are without A wounded conscience within is worse then the outward burthen like a sore back to the horse But faith heals
up from his dead condition c. Verse the last 2. It puts his Soul into a mourning confessing frame v. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee 3. It subdues his heart to lay down all Opposition and to take any course for his living v. 19. make me as one of thy hired servants Observe he uttered not so much as he intended his Father prevented him with his mercy as Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 4. It fixeth his heart upon his Fathers mercy not upon his own merit Faith tells him Though thou hast forgotten the duty of a Son thy Father hath not forgot the bowels of a Father The word Father runs much in his minde I will go to my Father c. Here now a Spirit of Adoption begins to work whereby he cryes Abba Father O dear Father Father I have sinned against heaven c. But yet thou art my Father This is the last act of justifying Faith by which the Soul is put into a child-like condition and fit to receive a childes portion of God All is of his free grace Jer. 3.19 And I said How shall I put thee among the children Thou shalt call me My Father c. Thus the just lives by Faith in the work of Justification Vid. Cotton p. 14. D. Downame ☜ Faith in the Renewing of justification in the Conscience of the sinner 2. For the Continuance and Renewing of Justification ☞ The just lives by Faith daily as well as at the first day that he believed So Abraham Rom. 4.3 4. He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness which is cited out of Gen. 15.6 and so it appears to be after such time as he was in Covenant with God and in the state of Grace Yet still his Justification is continued by a renewed act of Faith and so David sues out his Justification by a renewed act of Faith and Prayer Psal 51. though he were justified before And therefore Christians are much to blame who after they have once believed in God for Justification do not labour to renew this act from day to day and thence comes flatness in Spirit and deadness in Duties when we see not a daily need of going out of our selves into Christ And surely if Christ applies his own sacrifice daily to us by intercession with his Father Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us Why should not we apply it daily by Faith and Prayer that God for Christs sake may forgive us our daily trespasses as we are taught to pray And this is to live by faith in a continued act of Justification Therefore it is put not in the Present Tense but in the Future it is not here doth but he shall live by his Faith that is as long as he lives Take heed the blood of Christ run not cold in the veins of Faith that you trust not more to grace received than to the fountain of grace and pardon in Christ The truth is our best duties stand in need of pardon and our best graces of quickning and nothing will quicken us more than the assurance of our Justification And therefore though a mans spirit be without guile and he knows nothing by himself he allows himself in no known evil yet even at such a time 1 Cor. 4. he is not thereby justified but then he must fly to Christ for Justification and say Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven c. Psal 32.1 2. Faith in the assurance of being justified 3. For the Assurance of the Act the just lives by Faith 1. In moving a man to desire more Faith 2. In using and embracing such Means by which we come to Assurance 3. In the Tryal of Assurance 4. In Anâ—wering all such Objections and Doubts which do cloud and darken this Assurance 5. In Expectation of Assurance First In moving a man to desire more Faith In Motives to Assurance The reason is 1. Because true Faith if but as a grain of Mustard-seed moves man to desire more Faith Luke 17.5 Lord encrease our faith Mark 9.24 Lord help my unbelief And never rests rising higher and higher till it comes to full Assurance Therefore lazy faith is false faith that saith I cast my self on God and there 's an end I never desire more so I can but rub out c. This is a sign it is not true The just lives by Faith for the encrease till assured and true Faith suggests Motives to perswade us to seeke after full Assurance Quest What are those Motives Ans 1. 1 Motive Gods Commandment which Faith looks at as to believe 1 John 3.23 And this is the Commandment We should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ So to be assured 2 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Both 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God 2. Because it 's the End why the Scriptures were written yea the end of the Seals 1. Publike the Sacraments 2. Privy the Spirit witnessing Therefore saith Faith Receive not the grace of God in vain There are many deceived Micah 3.7 Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Mat. 7. 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 3. A difficili that which would discourage another doth encourage a faithâ—ul man the more because many objections and temptations therefore strive Tu ne cede malis The kingdom of heaven suffers violence c. 4. A possibili Both are objects of Christian fortitude Example Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer lives c. Paul Rom 8. For I am perswaded neither death nor life nor angels c. Steven saw heaven opened Acts 6. 5. A necessario not ad esse but bene esse as health and vigour to the well-being of natural life 3 Joh. 2. I wish thou mayest prosper and be in health as thy soul prospereth Health comprehends life aliquid amplius so Assurance Faith and the joy of Faith Faith may be without Assurance but no true Assurance without Faith 6. Ab utili strong Faith is able to do that which weak Faith cannot as a strong man can work under a burthen though both receive Christ Nothing shall be impossible to you Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Luther said Domine fiat voluntas mea Lord let my will be done Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength 7. A decoro or ab honorifico for 1. This brings more
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
fruit of the lip peace peace c. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. He hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation not revelations without the word Psal 119.81 I hope in thy word that is the object of Faith No Word no Faith 2. Effects of New-birth Love 1. To God begetting this assurance 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2. To the Word by which begotten it 's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Not magnifie the Spirit to slight the Word John 14.26 The Spirit comforts by the Word and brings to remembrance 3. To the godly begotten of God 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten 4. To Holiness the fruit of all true assurance 1 John 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself This is no Doctrine of looseness as the Papists say Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt c. Ask doth thy Assurance make thee more holy c 3. By the Manner of working both in the work and after it There 's some difficulty therefore strait is the way strive to enter c. Mat. 7.14 1. In the first work therefore called a Birth John 3.5 When was any birth without pain A spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 I speak not this as if we should indulge our selves in these pangs so and so long I will not say how long hast thou been about it for Ephraim was a foolish son because he stayed so long in the place of breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 However it is difficult 2. After the work still some wrestling against Doubts Fears Reason No grace of the Spirit but it hath something of the Flesh to wrestle against Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit therefore they that never doubt after once they are assured but are alwayes alike have cause to suspect themselves that they are not right Philip. 3.12 Not as though already perfect saith the Apostle They that think they are at the top of the ladder at the first step it is likely they never set a step upon the ladder If you never doubted after believing faith was perfect at first and so no growth c. True faith is of a growing nature Obj. The heart is deceitful therefore fruits are no evidence Ans It 's true of Vnregenerate men not Regenerate such by proving may know Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. John 21 17. Peter could appeal Lord thou knowest that I love thee Salvation is far from the wicked though they may be confident 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God c. Psal 119.155 4. He lives by Faith 4. Objections against Assurance in answering all such Objections that might cloud and hinder his Assurance as the Sun dispels and scatters all clouds and mists that would hinder the light and heat thereof so the Sun of Righteousness by the powerful work of Faith dispels and scatters all such Objections and Doubts by which Satan and our corrupt hearts would hinder and darken the light and heat of our Assurance As for Example Obj. 1 Satan and thy corrupt heart objects Dost thou ever look to be forgiven that art guilty of such sins Thy sin is greater than can be forgiven Jer. 4.13 Ans Faith answers As great sinners as thou art have been forgiven Manasses Solomon Mary Magdalen and many more Though my sins are great sins not Mole-hills but Mountains yet God is a great God and his Mercies are very great he hath a sea of Mercy that is able to drown Mountains as well as Mole-hills The Mariners tell us the Sea is so deep in some places that they can finde no bottom no line will reach so far I am sure such is the Sea of Gods Mercy we cannot finde the bottom but must cry O altitudo O the depth c. Obj. 2 I am afraid I have out-stood my time and opportunity c. Ans Faith answers Eccles 9.4 To him that is joyned to the living there is hope especially if thou seekest God for his own sake because he is lovely in thine eyes Psal 69.32 Your hearts shall live that seek God Obj. 3 I am afraid I am not humbled enough and so God will not give me a good look Isa 66.2 Ans Faith answers The greatest humility in the world cannot deserve the favour of God If God hath but troubled thee so far to desire Christ upon his own terms with his Cross as well as his Crown then come and welcome if thou beest willing to put off the Devils yoke and to put on Christ's Mat. 11.28 29. All ye that are weary and heavy laden take my yoke upon you Obj. 4 But alas I am as a bullock accustomed to the yoke Ans The just not onely lives by faith in the Promises but Commandments Psal 119.66 I have believed thy Commandments Rom. 14. the last Yea every Commandment hath the vertue of a Promise because God worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Ezek 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Obj. 5 But my heart is very hard I cannot repent nor believe as I ought Sermons do me little good Corrections no good I think there 's no body hath such a heart as I have so insensible so incorrigible Ans Faith answers If thou hadst no grace thou wouldst never complain so much for want of grace a man can never desire that he knows not or that he tastes not Jer. 31.18 Ephraim was in a good condition when he bemoaned himself Obj. 6 But me thinks saith Unbelief if I had any faith in my Soul I should have lively feeling and assurance of it Ans Faith answers There 's difference 'twixt believing and seeing betwixt faith and sense Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen There 's a twofold evidence the one of Sense the other of Faith Assurance by the witness and fruits of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Therefore it cryes out to God in stead of answering the doubts of Unbelief Lord I believe help my unbelief It 's a comfort to have a lively feeling but others may have Faith also Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed John 20.29 and that is certain for the conclusion of all That Soul that wrestles against the disease of unbelief hath some life of faith in it it is a justified Soul 5. He lives by Faith in the Expectation of Assurance 5. Expectation of assurance if he hath it not Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loved Isa 8.17 I
Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Not as if the Word had power to sanctifie without the Spirit but the Spirit doth it by the Word the Word is an instrument of cleansing in the hand of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 Ye have purified your souls on obeying i. e. in believing the truth through the spirit As the Spirit makes use of the Word of Precept and Threatning Psal 17.4 By the word of thy lips have I kept me from the paths of the destroyer so of the word of Promise also 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves What hath God promised to be a Father to me as it is in the words before and that I should be a son or a daughter to him this Lord God Almighty upon condition that I will separate my self and touch no unclean thing and shall not I be willing so to do Nay hath God promised to perform the condition for me namely to sprinkle clean water upon me that I might be clean Ezek. 36.25 and to subdue my iniquities and sanctifie me throughout in Soul Body and Spirit and shall not I make use of these his Promises Hath God shewed so much love to me in making the Promise and shall not I shew love to him in obeying his Precept And thus by laying hold upon the Word both of Promise and Precept the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification therefore Faith is called Most holy Faith Jude n. 20. namely from the effect because it works holiness in him that hath it Most holy Faith it is not said Most holy Love Joy or Peace but most holy Faith not Subjective sed Effectivê All lean on this building as the Foundation Christ is the foundation of Merit Faith of Order Christ is the Foundation which Faith findes and tries as the Workman c. Faith is like a strong purge that never leaves working so long as there 's any corruption in the body So Faith never leaves working so long as there is any corruption in the Soul and that is as long as we live Onely as Faith grows stronger corruption grows weaker from day to day but it is not wholly purged out till our daying day and therefore there is use of Faith as long as we live but because when we die our corruption shall die with us also there shall be no use of Faith any longer Means 5. Sacraments 5. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Sacramental Signs These are means of our Sanctification Eph. 5.26 Christ is said to give himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word And Tit. 3.5 He saved us by the washing of Regeneration But this washing is by Faith Philip said to the Eunuch Act. 8.37 If thou believest with all thine heart thou maaist be baptized Obj. Then Infants are not to be baptized because they cannot believe Ans God looks at Infants in their Parents faith Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed So far as want of faith might hinder circumcision so far it may hinder Baptism For 1. The Covenant is the same Rom 14.11 and the Seals are the same for substance 1 Cor. 10 1 2. 2. The Grace of God is the same yea more abundant Tit. 2. ver 12. The grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath shined forth Opposed to the shadows of the Old Testament And did God shine upon Infants in those times and shall we put them under a cloud now VVant of faith did not hinder them then and why now It hindred heathens then and so now No Proselytes were admitted but such as made profession of the Faith of Abraham So c. Means 6. Afflictions 6. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the right use and application of Afflictions Afflictions sanctified are a means of sanctifying us That may be one reason why they are called a Baptism Mat. 20.23 Christ said to the two Disciples Ye shall indeed be baptiz'd with the baptism that I am baptized with Meaning a portion of his Afflictions If Christ learn obedience by the things which he suffered much more may we Heb. 5.8 Afflictions sanctified work the quiet fruit of righteousness Heb. 12.11 Afflictions are like the Red-sea they drown some but they save and purge others And what is the reason of the difference Some have faith to pass through them but some have none They drown those that have no faith but they purge and preserve those that have Faith Heb. 11.29 By faith they passed through the Red-sea which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned And this was not onely a Baptism of Affliction but of Purgation and Sanctification 1 Cor. 10.2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea Thus the just lives by Faith in time of Adversity not onely as preserved therein which was handled before but as washed and sanctified thereby Revel 7.14 These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes c. Lastly The Prayer of Faith is a mean to sanctifie Means 7. Prayer and the just lives by Faith in the exercise of Prayer carrying the Soul to the Fountain of Life Joh. 4.10 Therefore if God be the Author and Effector of this Life of Sanctification go to God for it Dost thou feel the want of Sanctification of Spiritual Life Dost thou feel thou art dead in sins and trespasses It argues the beginnings of Life but go to God for more Life pray him to sprinkle and apply the Blood of Christ Psal 51.7 pray him to apply the Word to speak to thy heart in that voice behinde thee pray him that is Jehovah Isa 30.21 to give a being to his Promise pray him to make Sacraments effectual and to Baptize thee with the Holy Ghost and with fire Ma◠3. pray him to open thine ear to hear Discipline and seal thy Instruction that when thou art corrected Job 33.16 thou maist be sure to be instructed In a word pray him who is the Author of Sanctification to cause thee to live by Faith through all means the Life of Sanctification Go to God by Prayer by the prayer of faith For the just shall live by Faith in this respect Jam. 1.5 What S. James sayes of one saving grace Wisdom we may say of all If any man lack any grace or all grace let him ask of God c. But let him ask in faith Faith lives the Life of Sanctification in drawing holiness from the Fountain in the Conduit-pipe of Prayer Isa 12.3 With joy draw ye the waters out of the wells of Salvation Lye at the breast of the Promise if thou hast any life at all and draw out of the sincere milk of the word that thou maist grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 which must needs be meant of the Life of Sanctification
a very unskiful Souldier in this warfare Means of mortification Ans The first Means is to look up to God who teacheth thy hands to war and thy fingers to fight Go out in his Name as David did against Goliah Fall down before him as Joshua before the Captain of the Lord host Josh 5.14 Be much in Prayer and adde Fasting to Prayer Some sins cannot be cast out without this Means 2 Secondly Learn to loath and hate sin A man hates to death what he mortifieth and though he cannot kill it outright 1 Job 3. yet as he that hates his Brother is a manslayer so he that hates his sin as sin is a sin-slayer in Gods account For ye are dead sayes the Apostle Col. 3.3 then follows Mortifie therefore your Members c. ver 5. Means 3 Thirdly Get assurance of the Love of Christ and this will constrain to suffering and doing 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us We love our sins naturally as our right eye and therefore are loath to part with them It must be the sense of a greater love that will make us willing to pluck out our right eye He that was next of kin to the person murthered was to be the Avenger of blood because it was to be supposed he loved him best If we consider what enemies our sins are to Christ our best beloved we shall do that part Love Christ much and you will hate sin much and the way to love Christ much is to be assured of Christs love to us 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by our rejoycing we have in Christ Jesus I die daily Means 4 Fourthly Apply the Cross of Christ Rom. 6.6 knowing this that our old man is crucified with him The death of Christ is the death of sin First because it is the meriting Cause meriting the Spirit by which our sins are mortified Secondly the serious Consideration of Christs death doth give sin a deadly wound What did Christ die for my sins O let me crucifie them that crucified him Did Christ love me so well as to be willing to lose a precious life Let me love him so well as to part with a sinful life or the life of sin The death of Christ is the slaying of the Enmity not onely betwixt man and man Eph. 1.16 but between God and Man I am crucified with Christ sayes the Apostle Gal 2.20 Means 5 The fifth Means is set down Eph. 6.11 Put on therefore the whole armour of God c. VVhere you see two things 1. God hath provided for a Christian Complete Armour 2. Every Christian that would stand in the day of battel must put it on But what is the Armour God hath provided Ans See there in the verses after they are the Graces of Gods Spirit all Christian Vertues 1. Truth the Souldiers Belt that knits all other graces all other pieces of the Armour fast together Truth of Doctrine opposed to Errour Truth of Graces and Actions opposed to Hypocrisie Hypocrites are fearful true men are valorous One true man beats two or three thieves Prov. 28.1 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousness Righteousness imputed and Righteousness imparted and this is Murus aheneus Though infirmities may be in many yet this saves the Vitals 3. Shoes of Patience like brazen Greaves whereby the Christian Souldier treads upon Scorpions he treads down Satan under his feet in this Spiritual Combate 4. The Shield of Faith above all or over all For this covers all our Armour all our Graces and strengthens them in the Combate 5. The Helmet of Salvation which is Hope 1 Thess 5.8 Then lastly there is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God of which in the next Means Means 6 Sixthly Hear and apply the Word In Hos 6.5 God hews them by his Prophets and slays them by the Words of his mouth This is a sharp and two-edged sword that pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit Heb. 4.12 And here apply the threatnings as well as the Promises to the mortifying of sin VVhen the Minister reproves such sins as we are guilty of every one should turn the Point to his own breast Suppose it be Lying or Adultery or Idolatry c. out of that place Rev 22.15 If there be an hundred in the Congregation every one should say Surely God meant I should take this to my self Suppose Despising of the VVord out of Prov. 1.25 Suppose partaking of other mens sins out of Psal 50.18 When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst c. VVe should do as Job's friends advised him Job 5.27 Hear it and know it for thy self This was that which prick'd their hearts Acts 2.36 37. when Peter told them they had crucified that same Jesus Means 7 Seventhly Entertain the Spirit for the VVord is but the Sword of the Spirit Rom. 8.11 If ye by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh This will conquer Corruption For 1. It is of a most contrary nature to it a holy Spirit 2. It is an Almighty Spirit able to cast corruption out 1 Joh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Therefore walk in the guidance and strength of the Spirit Look higher than our selves for new supply of strength as we have new Employments new Trials new Temptations Do not onely desire it and pray for it but use it kindely The Spirit is of a tender and delicate nature very free where it is entertained and acts with freedom If thy Soul welcom the Spirit he will soon thrust out those domineering lusts that have disturb'd his quiet and peaceable possession And hereunto look with an eye of faith unto those great Promises of the Spirit Isa 44.2.3 Ezek 36.25 c. Joel 2.28 The Spirit is promised to be poured out largely under the Gospel as Ezekiel's waters chap. 47. 't is observable the further they run the deeper they grew They took the Jews up to the ankles the Primitive Christians to the knees the Middle Times to the loyns c. Means 8 Eighthly Moderate the use of lawful things Satan gets great advantage in these things Corruption is strengthned by immoderate use of lawful things Luk. 17.27 They eat they drank they married and gave in marriage and the flood came and destroyed them all They were first drown'd in their security and unbelief and then the flood drown'd them Means 9 Ninthly Keep corrupt Nature in compass by Vows As they vow'd the death of Paul Acts 23. so do thou of thy sins Vows are against either things absolutely unlawful and these binde ad semper alwayes as the Vow in Baptism against the World Flesh and Devil or things indifferent but in danger to be abused and these it is best to be made onely ad tempus for a time lest afterwards they become a snare Means 10 Lastly Shun Occasions of
the Sun harden the Clay and soften the Wax withers the grass upon the house-top and makes the grass in the meadows flourish comforts sound eyes and offends sore eyes 4. Probational 4. There is a Probational deadness which God dispenseth or permitteth for the trial of his Servants graces This was in Peter for a time to let us see what we are when God leaves us to our selves Summer were not so comfortable if we had not a Winter Look as it is in natural life Psal 104.29 30. Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to the dust Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created c. So in spiritual life whence there is so much difference betwixt one man and another yea in the same man at one time and at another Propos 2. Saints recover by faith out of deadness But it is better to know how to come out of this estate than how we come into it though both be needful Therefore I come to the second Proposition That at such times as these the just lives by faith and by Faith recovers the quickness and activity of his spiritual life again In the 2 of Tim. 1.6 the Apostle perswades Timothy to stir up the gift of God that was in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thrive or rekindle it to blow it up as a spark into a flame Now Faith is as the bellows to blow it up The breath of the Lord indeed is the wind that breathes upon dead bones so upon dead Souls But Faith is as the bellows that draws this wind and blows it forth again And therefore if you observe it the Apostles Exhortation to stir up or blow up the gift is grounded upon the former verse viz. I call to minde the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois c. As if he should have said Thou that hast faith art too blame if thou dost not stir up the gift that is in thee Ministerial gifts especially by the exercise of thy faith This is the Aqua-vitae of a Christian in fainting fits and dead fits when Qualms of sorrow and spiritual sickness come over the heart Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me still trust in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God There was the cure his Faith did revive him and were it not for this we should quite sink away Psal 27.14 I had fainted but that I hoped to see the Lord the Lord in the land of the living So then the just lives by Faith the Life of Vivification And the Reasons of it are Reas 1 1. Because Faith doth assure us in present deadness that a time of quickning shall come I shall yet praise him as before Psal 138.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me and thy right hand shall save me The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me c. Reas 2 2. Because Faith is a Mean of quickning an active grace that works and sets all a work like the Spring in the Watch. If Faith lies dead in a Christian all is dead If you winde up the Spring of Faith if you act your Faith it moves every Wheel it quickens all your Humility your Patience Love Zeal and the stronger Faith the quicker the motion Should we speak for God As strong wine must have a vent so strong Faith This made the Apostles speak so freely Acts 2. when others thought they were fill'd with new wine Thus Elihu Job 32.18 I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Or do much for God Act 6.8 Steven full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people This suffers us not to be slothful Heb. 6.12 Reas 3 3. Because it puts the Soul upon quickning Means As 1. It layes hold on a quickning Word Psal 119 50. Thy word hath quickned me Heb. 4.12 The word of God is quick and powerful c. and Faith layes hold on that Word Especially the quickning Promises Heb. 9.14 12.11 12. Hos 14.5 6 7. Isa 40.3 last verses Jer. 29 10 11 12. Prov. 12.25 Heaviness saith Solomon in the heart of a man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad that is a word of Promise 2. On a quickning Saviour 1 Tim. 6.13 God who quickneth all things How in and by Christ 1 Cor. 15. Iohn 6. The second Adam is a quickning Spirit that hath life in himself and gives it to all others As the root quickneth the branches so Christ Joh. 15.5 The life of the branch in winter is hid in the root so is our life hid with Christ Col. 3.3 And 3. Faith receives a quickning Spirit Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 and where there is liberty there is activity Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart The Spirit is compared to water Joh. 7.38 not to standing water but to running or living water because it is alwayes in motion Psal 45. Cor meum ebullit c. my heart bubleth up as a spring Hence also it is compared to fire Mat. 3. Fire is an active element it 's alwayes mounting upwards and it warms those that come near it Dead and frozen members are made useful and active by the heat of the fire so are dead and benummed Souls by the warmth of the Spirit Reas 4 4. Because Faith puts the Soul upon quickning Meditations or Arguments Whilest I was musing says David the fire kindled Psal 39.3 Whether we meditate on good or evil Meditation will blow up the fire The faithful man is described to be a man full of Meditation Psal 1.2 he meditates day and night and Psal 119.147 148. I prevented the dawning of the morning Mine eyes prevent the night-watches that I might meditate on thy Word Quest But what Meditations or Arguments does Faith put the Soul upon to quicken it Answer Such as are drawn 1. From former Experience Arguments of faith to quicken the soul under deadness that God who once quickned the Soul will quicken it again Psal 77.3 5 6. I remembred God I have considered the dayes of old I call to remembrance my song in the night Will the Lord cast off for ever c Arg. 2 2. From Gods Attributes of Mercy and Faithfulness Psal 77.8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his faithfulness fail for evermore Of his Perfection His works are perfect Deut. 32.4 A perfect God will perfect his works Arg. 3 3. From Gods Glory An active Christian brings him in more glory in one day than another in a thousand Psal 80.18 Quicken us and we will call upon thy Name Psal 119.175 Let my soul live and it shall praise thee c. Arg. 4 4
from an inward principle of life And how is that discerned Ans His actions spring 1. From Faith both in the Precept Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me and in the Promise whether of Assistance or Acceptance or Reward as we see in Moses Heb. 11.25 26. 2. From Love 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth me A natural man or hypocrite is not moved by any such Principle Trial. 2 Secondly they differ in their End A true Christian aims at Gods glory Elias is zealous for the Lord of hosts 1 King 19. Whether he eats or drinks he does all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And others Salvation ver 33 Even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit sayes Paul but the profit of many that they may be saved An Hypocrite though zealous and he sayes 't is for God yet 't is for himself that he may be seen of men Matth. 6.6 So Jehu 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my zeal for the Lord This is his end and this is his Principle For Finis movet agentem That which is last in Execution is first in Intention Hence also his most lively actions spring from envy and sinful emulation they scorn any should go beyond them Some preach Christ of envy sayes Paul Philip. 1.15 But a gracious heart is glad when others are active and exceed Trial. 3 Thirdly in their Manner of working where there is true Vivification 1. It strives against Coldness and meets with opposition swims against the stream An hypocrite may be as active as he will he findes nothing to let him 2. He that is truly active desires to approve himself to God and had rather God should approve him than all the world commend him 1 Cor. 4.3 4. It is a very small thing I should be judg'd of mans judgment but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Nay 2 Cor. 10. last Not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth See Psal 139. Iohn 21.17 Trial. 4 Lastly in their Issue and success The true Life of Vivification increaseth strength and spirits Prov. 24.5 A man of knowledge increaseth strength The counterfeit life of Vivification decreaseth strength and spirit like the blazing Comet that wastes it self or as unnatural predatory heat devours the spirits and strength whereas natural heat increaseth both False zeal is like Nebuchadnezzars Image Dan. 2.32 the head of gold but downward worse and worse BRANCH V. IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. AUGMENTATION NOw next the Just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation he draweth increasing Vertue from Christ Christ is to the Church what the Head is to the Natural Body not onely a principle of life and motion but of increase also Col 2.19 Not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Now what are these joynts and bands but the Spirit and Faith uniting each Member to the Head So that by Faith the Soul draws both quickning and increasing Vertue from Christ the Head The just lives the Life of Augmentation in Spiritual Respects however he fares in Temporal to apply it to the occasion of the Text. Whereas it might be objected The Caldeans will so crush the people of God that they will make them even weary of their lives as Jethro said to Moses Exod. 18.18 Thou wilt surely wear away both thou and this people The Text answers Now the just shall live by his Faith though the outward man decays by affliction yet the inward man in all true Believers is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 i.e. Gods people are quickned strengthned and enlarged in their Spiritual Life one day after another And to this increase of Spiritual Life the Prophet alludes in the very Context of this Chapter ver 14. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Which words howsoever some do refer to the manifestation of Gods glory in the destruction of the Caldeans which is true also yet others extend them further even to the abundant pouring forth of the Spirit of grace as a fruit of their affliction So the very same words are used isa 11.9 where he shews how such men as have been Wolves and Leopards shall be made of a Lamb-like disposition And how so For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord c. So that these words do necessarily refer to the abundant increase of grace and so the just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation in the Winter of Affliction As the unbeliever swells at first ebullat but vanishes to nothing afterwards So the believer is small at first but increaseth exceedingly What John Baptist said I must decrease but he must increase so may the unbeliever say See ver 5 6 7.8 We are then to insist upon two things 1. That the just lives the Life of Augmention 2. That he lives this Life by Faith Propos 1. Just live the life of Augmentation First the just lives the Life of Augmentation It is his duty property and practice to grow and to increase 2 Pet. 2. last But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 4.1 abound more and more ver 10. increase more and more Col. 1.10 increasing in the knowledge of God They that travel heaven ward they go from strength to strength Psal 84.7 Nicodemus was weak in grace at first and so was Joseph of Arimathea for they both came by stealth to Christ at the beginning of their Conversion for fear of the Jews But afterward they grew so strong in grace that though Christ was crucified they came boldly and begg'd his body of the Governor Joh. 19. and committed it to the grave with an honorable Burial Peter was so weak at the first that the breath of the Damsels voice makes him fall back but afterwards he grew so strong that he stands like an unmovable Rock at all the Thunder-claps and terrible threats and stripes of the High-Priests Acts 4. and Rulers of the people Thus it was with the rest of the Disciples and so it is with all Gods people And the Reason is drawn Reasons of spiritual growth 1. First From the nature of true Grace It is of a growing nature Thus it is with the Kingdom of God or Church in general it increaseth from very small beginnings to a great bigness like Gideons Barley-cake or like a Snow-ball it rowls up and down the world and grows bigger and bigger and subdues all before it Therefore 't is compared to a grain of Mustard-seed Mat. 13.31 which being the least of seeds when 't is sown yet the greatest of herbs when 't is grown Besides Mustard-seed you know sows it self after the first year and so 't is in the growth of Gods Kingdom Therefore
labour to grow by the Means that God may continue them to us and that we may leave them as a Legacy to our Posterity after us Q. But what are those Means in the use whereof we be enabled to grow Râ—sp For understanding whereof however it is true we can do as little by any power of our own for the increasing of our spiritual stature as for the increasing of our natural Mat. 6.27 Which of you by taking care can adde one cubit to his stature Yet as we must not neglect eating and drinking and exercise under pretence that we cannot adde a cubit to our stature so we must not neglect the use of spiritual Means under pretence that we can adde nothing to our spiritual stature Q. What are these means then Means of spiritual growth R. If thou wouldst grow plant thy self in a good soil not onely in Christ but under Christ in the society of the faithful Psal 92.13 They that be plaâ—ted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God With the holy thou wilt still be more holy but with the froward thou wilt learn more frowardness The Tree grows not that is planted in the barren heath but that which is planted in a fruitful orchard 2. Mean Much Prayer 2. Be much in Prayer That God would make thee increase and abound in love 1 Thess 3.12 Paul may plant and Apollo water but God gives the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Pray for wholesome showers fair winds and seasonable Sun-shine that thou maist grow 1. Pray for wholsome showers Isa 5. First for wholesome Showers When God would not bless but blast his Vineyard he commands his clouds that they should rain no more rain upon it What are these clouds but the Ministers of his Word Deut. 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall descend as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass What the Minister draws and exhales out of the deep Fountain of Gods Word is distilled down again by the heat of the Spirit into the hearts of the people and so they grow Secondly pray for fair Winds a good and a wholesome air makes much for growth 2. For fair winds What are those fair Winds but the sweet gales of the Spirit going along with the Word The rain rides along upon the wings of the wind and if the wind of the Spirit do not bring the rain we will never grow so as to be fruitful in Christs Garden Therefore pray with the Church Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind come thou South and blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out Thirdly pray for seasonable Sun-shine It is the Sun 3. For seasonable Sun-shine with the rain that makes fruitful 2 Sam. 23.4 The tender grass springs out of the earth by clear Sun-shine after rain The calidum and humidum in a sweet mixture is the life of every creature What is this Sun-shine but the sense of Gods love in Christ warming our hearts Mal. 4.2 The healing wings of the Sun of Righteousness 3. We must Exercise grace much 3 Mean Much exercise as well as pray much or else we tempt God in prayer Bodily exercise is a special Means of natural growth else the best diet does no good So is Spiritual exercise a Means of Spiritual growth Therefore Paul directs Timothy 1 Tim. 4.7 13 14 15. Exercise thy self unto godliness give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all 4. Let the use of all Means be mixed with Faith 4 Mean Use all means in faith The just lives by faith Therefore pray as Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith without it no Word nor Sacraments nor Prayer nor any Ordinance can be profitable for increase Heb. 4.2 But the Word did not profit them being not mixt with faith in them that heard it As some meats mixt with some ingredients nourish much so do the Ordinances when mixt with faith As Daniels Pulfe mixt with faith made him look better and grow fatter than those that fed on dainty fare So men living under ordinary Means may thrive better mixing the Word with Faith than those that live under higher enjoyments continuing in unbelief 5 Mean A good stomach 5. Get a good Stomach to thy Spiritual diet if thou wouldst grow Though men have never so good meat yet they thrive not if they have no appetite to it So it is also in Spiritual respects Luk 1.53 He filleth the hungry with good things but the rich he sendeth empty away Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied 6 Mean Draw influence from Christ 6. If thou wouldst grow thou must be daily applying thy self to Christ thy Head for constant and renewed influence from him As all life so all increase is from the Head Christ is the Head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increases with the increase of God Col. 2.19 7 Mean Applying the Promises of growth and pleading them 7. Lay hold of the Promise of growth and plead it if thou wouldst grow to purpose That is the best growth when there is a growth to a ripe harvest and that is the best harvest that is both ripened and reaped by laying hold of the Promise as the root of all growth Gen. 8. ult Seed-time and harvest shall not fail says God and so he hath said concerning Spiritual seed-time and harvest Psal 126.5 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtlâ—ss come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Plead this Promise of God when thou perceivest the seed of grace is sown in thy heart but thou mournest for want of growth Lord thou hast promised Seed time and harvest shall not fail c. make this good to my Soul Job 8.7 Thou hast said Though the beginnings of thy people be small yet the latter end shall greatly increase Thou hast said Such as are planted in thy house shall be fat and flourishing Psal 92.13 Thou hast said I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow as the Lilly Hos 14.5 6 7. Thus lay hold upon God and binde him fast in the words of his own Promise and say Gen. 3 2. I will not let thee go except thou bless me with this blessing of growth and then thou shalt certainly finde vertue flowing from Christ in the Conduit-pipe of the Promise By these things do men live Isa 38.16 Mat. 4. 1 Kin. 17.16 even by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God As life comes at the first in a way of Promise so life is increast also thereby from day to day
us Psal 2â— 1 Psal 77.9 O Lord why hast thou forgotten us Were all these deceived was it their sin thus to complain or did this complaint spring from the weakness of their Faith Possibly it might be so in the Saints you say but it could not be so in Christ yet Christ himself complains My God Mat. 27.46 my God why hast thou forsaken me Never did any more seek to God and in that hour when he had most need of help and never did any more complain of Gods forsaking of him And though God hath not forsaken me I know not what he may do for time to come Ans For the clearing of this doubt Of Gods forsaking we shall propound to you several Considerations First of all there may be a forsaking in appearance 1. In appearance onely As there may be a real forsaking so there may be a forsaking in appearance As there may be the real presence of a thing when it is not visible and apparent Many things have a real existence when they give us no manifest evidence of that their existence God may be really present when he seems to be absent For example the Beauty of Christ is real he is altogether lovely the fairest of ten thousand but 't is not manifest to the greatest part of the world Isa 53.2 He hath no form nor comeliness there is no beauty in him say they that we should desire him The Comforts of a Christian are real but not always visible and therefore it is called The hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 The Soul of Man and the Deity are real but not visible It 's one of Gods Properties to be Invisible The Winds have a real existence as we see plainly by their powerful operations we have much ado to bear up our Sails against them sometimes and yet cannot see them The Sun it self is so visible that it makes all things else visible and yet when it is under a Cloud though we then see all other things by the light of it yet we cannot see the Sun it self As in Paul's dangerous voyage neither Sun nor Star appeared for many days together Acts 27 20. The rich Mines of Silver and Gold and the streams of precious Rivers they run sometimes under the earth many miles and no eye takes notice of them How near was Hagars Well of Water Gen 21.19 and yet she saw it not till God had opened her eyes Peter was really delivered out of Prison by the Angel but for a good while together while he looked upon Creatures he thought it had not been true but that he had seen a Vision or Representation of such a matter Acts 12.9 The Mountain where Elisha stood was full of Horses and Chariots but his Servant saw no such matter till he was faint to pray Lord open his eyes that he may see 2 King 6.17 And doubtless it is thus in Spiritual respects There may be many strong influences from God upon the Souls of his Servants which they perceive not many eminent supports in their trials which they take no notice of They take notice of the hand that cast them down but they do not take notice of the hand that holds them up Job took notice of Gods afflicting hand but he did not take so much notice of Gods supporting hand till the affliction was over And so David Psa 31.22 I said I am cut off from before thine eyes He speaks like a man forsaken of God but what follows Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee Observe God was nearer than he was aware of As Jacob said of his solitary journey to Padan-Aram Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28.16 God is nearer to his Servants many times than they are aware of so as they may say with Job Job 9.11 Lo he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not The poor childe crieth after the Mother What shall I do for my Mother Oh my Mother my Mother what shall I do for my Mother And it may be the Mother stands behinde the back of the childe onely she hides herself to try the affection of the childe So the poor Soul cries after God and complains Oh my Father my Father where is my heavenly Father Hath he forgotten to be gracious Psal 77.9 Hath he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure when God is nearer than they think for Zech. 12. Rom. 8. shining upon them in a Spirit of grace and supplications with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered Thus the gracious woman Mary Magdalen she seeks after Christ she enquires she cries after him and weeps My dear Saviour my dear Lord and Master he is taken out of the Sepulchre Ioh. 16.20 and I know not where they have laid him Thus she complains to the Disciples and thus she complains to the Angels when Christ stood at her very back and over-heard all nay when she turned her about and saw him yet at first she did not know him nay when he spake to her and she to him yet she knew him not but thought he had been the Gardiner Joh. 20.11 Thus it is with many a gracious Soul though God speaks home to their hearts in his Word and they speak to him by prayer and they cannot say but the Spirit helps their infirmities yet they complain for want of his Presence as if there were nothing of God in them Obj. But are all such complaints of Gods people meer mistakes Did they not complain upon good ground Psal 44.9 Thou hast cast us off and goest not forth with our Armies Ans Therefore by propounding a second Consideration That there are many times real forsakings by God 2. In temporal respects onely and not imaginary onely but then 't is rather in Temporal than Spiritual respects For look as on the one side Gods influence may be great in Temporals when he dries up the streams of special Mercies men may have fat bodies and fat estates whilst they have lean Souls so on the other side Gods influence may be great in Spirituals when he dries up the streams of Temporal Mercies Gods people may have thriving Souls when they have least estates in the world Jam. 2.5 6. Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Yea but yet sometimes in a temptation they are ready to complain of Gods forsaking of them if he do but forsake them in some outward and temporal respect They are ready to reason as Gideon did Judg. 6.13 when the Angel said The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Ah! saith Gideon if the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Hath not the Lord forsaken us whilst he gives us up into the hands of the Midianites So reason another sort The Lord hath forsaken me or else I should never be so poor Surely the
Surely by the hearing of the Word mixed with Faith Faith receives the Spirit of God which is called The Comforter because it is the special office of the Spirit to comfort the hearts of Gods people and to witness to their Spirits that God is now their reconciled Father in Jesus Christ and so it is called a Seal and this comes after Faith Eph. 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of Promise And this must needs be matter of unspeakable joy for the love of God is better than the love of all Creatures nay it brings along with it the love of all good Creatures and by this love the hatred of evil Creatures shall do us no hurt The love of God Job 5.23 is the life of the Soul as the Soul is the life of the Body nay 't is better than life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life Note Now Faith lays hold on the God of Love and on the love of this God and therefore must needs afford matter of strong Consolation Consolation what properly For what is Consolation to speak properly but a certain Reasoning of the Soul whereby we oppose some certain good to some oppressing evil whereby we mitigate our sorrow and bear the evil with more ease Now the greater and sorer the evil is the greater and surer good is required to weigh against it Now then forasmuch as a Christian seeks comfort against the greatest of all evils which is sin and eternal damnation for sin therefore it is not every good nor indeed any good but onely the Summum Bonum the chiefest good which is God that can be a sufficient remedy and cordial against this the greatest of all evils So then 1. How Faith comforts Faith lays hold upon this God reconciled to us in Jesus Christ forgiving all our sins because of his sufferings and Forgiving them Freely Frankly Fully Affectionately Most Advantagiously and In respect of us For it viz. Faith instrumentally redeems from Sin as a Debt then from the Prison of Hell then from the Jaylor Satan and re-instates in all the good forfeited by sin Believers shall have all things work for their good in this life and of Heaven at last And this is a Plaister broad enough to cover all our sores If God speak peace who can make trouble Job 34.29 Here is an object of unspeakable comfort God reconciled in Christ and this Reconciliation witnessed by the Spirit of Truth Again 2. Second way wherein Faith comforts Faith lays hold on the Ordinances which are as Conduit-pipes from the Brest of Jesus Christ as Christ is a Conduit-pipe from the Father And Faith as the mouth of the Soul lies sucking at this Brest and so draws in abundance of Spiritual strength and comfort Christ hath intrusted his Spouse the Church with these Brests for the nourishing up of all his children Oh how sweet it is to â—ie in the Lap of such a Nurse Isa 60.10 11. Rejoyce with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory For thus saith the Lord I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream Then shall ye suck and be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem Lo here are the sweet brests of the Church Now the Word is one of these Brests the Seal of the Word is the other First the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 1. The Word is one of Christs Brests As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious There is much sweetness in this Brest Psal 19.10 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart more to be desired are they than gold sweeter are they than the honey and the honey-comb Oh this is a sweet Brest especially the Word of Promise for that is as it were the very Head and Nipple of this Brest Put this into the mouth of the most distressed Soul and it will still it when it cries out by reason of affliction Psa 119.49 50. Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope And that must needs be the Word of Promise For what follows This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me But how doth this Brest quicken and comfort the children of God Surely not unless they draw and suck out this Milk of Consolation by the mouth of Faith Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it The most comfortable Promise in all the Word if it be not applied by Faith it hath no manner of sweetness in it But if thou canst receive it and apply it to thy self in believing Jer. 15.16 it will be the very joy and rejoycing of thy heart Second Brest of Consolation The second Brest of Consolation is the Seal of the Word the Sacrament Oh there is much sweetness in this there is much sweetness indeed in the Word of Promise as you have heard Yea but is this true says the Soul that begins to believe but is weak in Faith Or does all this belong to me Will God give Christ to me and the Spirit to me and Heaven to me Will God indeed love such a vile wretch as I am I am half afraid it is too good to be true O that I had some further assurance of it O that God would set to his Seal that this is true that I might set to my Seal that God is true O that he would set me as a Seal upon his heart that I might set him as a Seal upon my heart I can and will says God to the believing and yet weakly believing Soul Art thou so desirous of assurance I 'll give thee a Seal in the Sacrament Lo that 's a Seal of my love and all the fruits of it As sure as thou receivest the outward elements so sure shalt thou receive what is signified and sealed thereby my Christ my Spirit my Comforter And therefore this must needs be a sweet Brest where God does so sensibly put comfort into the mouth of the Soul Note A great neglect of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And if so surely we have the greatest cause to lay it to heart and to cry to our heavenly Father That one of our Mothers Brests is in a manner dried up or that some of his children do frowardly wean themselves from this Brest and therefore God may justly take away the other also And doubtless we finde the less comfort in the Word
of God is grieved by the sins of his own people or else that Exhortation were needless Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And if we grieve the Spirit of God be sure it will grieve our spirits it will make us glad to cry Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Psal 51.12 And if we rejoyce the Spirit of Ged it will rejoyce ours Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me saith Wisdom so I rejoyce them that rejoyce me and what rejoyces Gods Spirit but purity of heart and life Prov. 11.20 The upright in the way are his delight So God dispenses peace to such Psal 85.8 It is God who will speak peace to his Saints to his sanctified ones 'T is true indeed a man cannot be sanctified before he be justified and so soon as he is justified he hath the ground-work of peace But the Word doth strongly infer That no man is justified but he is also sanctified at the same time And God is pleased to speak peace to none but such as he is pleased to sanctifie at the same instant when he first begins to speak peace unto them Well but what shall we say for after times May they then live as they list when God hath once spoken peace to their Souls No as ever they desire to keep it when they have it as they love their peace let them not again return to folly As much as to say If they be so foolish to turn again to their former sins God will turn again to his former displeasure of which he had spoken in the former verses Not that God will hate them or look at them as his enemies but they shall know for all that though God continues to be their Father yet a Father knows how to frown upon his children and how to come with a Rod in his hand if they once wax wanton under the expression of his love and favour Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Well then as ever thou desirest to live the Life of Consolation be sure to live the Life of Sanctification Though God do not dispense comfort for thy Sanctification yet he will never dispense it without Sanctification The water of Consolation must run in a clear channel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God to their comfort Therefore as Faith purifies the heart Act. 15.9 so it comforts the heart And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation Quest Yea but how shall I know I am sanctified that I may have the comfort of it Ans I answered to this in that precedent Chapter viz. Life of Faith in Sanctification Vid. supra Reas 5 5 Reason why the just lives by Faith the Life of Consolation it is Why Consolation comes by Faith Because by Faith a man reflects upon his own Sanctity and Sincerity he proves it and brings it to the touchstone and when he knows it is right he hath the comfort of it For as Faith purifies the heart and conscience so the conscience thus purified doth the office of a faithful examined Witness and Judge who upon examination gives in this Judgement Thou art sincere saith Conscience to the believing Soul thou art in the Faith Christ is thine and therefore thou hast cause to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundant to you-wards Mark the ground of Paul's rejoycing was the reflect act of Faith in the testimony of his renewed conscience And lest any man should say This was a singular case 't is possible Paul might have ground of rejoycing upon the thorow examination of his own condition but ordinarily Christians cannot have the like Therefore the Apostle makes it a general case to all believers either they do or they ought to do so Gal. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Mark this is the duty of every man that desires comfort of every man that is in the Faith Wouldst thou have comfort Then make use of thy Faith to the proving of thy self and the proving of thy work It may be thou thinkst thy Joy and Consolation must evidence thy good estate but the Word saith The evidence of thy good estate upon Proof and Trial must bring sound comfort if ever thou hast it upon good grounds Thy comfort must not be thy evidence Note but thy evidence must be thy comfort Now this is the proper act and evidence of Faith And so by Faith the just lives the Life of Consolation As for example the Word saith Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Even by this we know we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.4 But saith the conscience renewed by Faith I fear the Lord c. therefore I have cause to rejoyce Obj. Oh but these Marks and Evidences may fail you Ans Heaven and Earth shall pass but not one tittle of the Word shall fall Obj. But you may think you have these when you have them not Ans Therefore they are first to be tried by the Rule for their Principle and Existence Obj. If it be said You may think you have the witness and comfort of the Spirit when you have not Is there not a joy of the stony ground and of an hypocrite as well as the joy of a true Christian And is there not a peace from Satan in the heart as well as the peace of God Luk. 11.21 When the strong man armed keepeth the palace his goods are in peace Ans Oh but he that hath the true peace and joy in the holy Ghost cannot be deceived so he that hath the true fear of God and hunger c. cannot be deceived But of the two Note it is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than in our Graces Therefore the Scripture commands us to try our comforts by our graces but never to try our graces by our comforts as in the place before-alledged Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father It is true the first evidence of a Christians Justification in order of nature is a pure simple act of Faith laying hold on Gods free grace in a Promise indefinite made not to righteous persons but to sinners ungodlly persons and to enemies and to such as are simply so For God will strip a man of all conceits of his own Righteousness before he clothe him with the Righteousness of Christ But then the second evidence of Justification in order of nature though it be at the same instant in order of time
of my making but of Gods prescribing T is Laetificans-Christi Faith 1. Then Labour for Faith and the increase of it It 's the very Doctrine now in hand The just man lives by Faith the life of Consolation Let us keep our Faith then and it will keep our Joy Let us increase our Faith and it will increase our Joy For Faith as it is the Mother so it s the Nurse also of Joy as it breeds it and brings it forth so it feeds and maintains it till it comes to a perfect age in Christ so that as the Just goes on from Faith to Faith so he goes from Joy to Joy till he comes into heaven it self As his Faith grows stronger so his Joy is sweeter All fruits the nearer to maturity the sweeter they are and so is the fruit of Faith in Spiritual Joy it s sweeter in the ear then in the blade Exercise Faith therefore every Day as thou desirest abiding and increasing Comforts Wouldst thou have the warmth of Spiritual joy abiding in thy heart and that holy fire never to go out Actings of faith for the increasing spiritual joy Be sure then to blow up the Gift of Faith by daily Exercise Qu. But how shall I make use of my Faith to the best Increase of my Joy 1. On the right object Ans 1. Remeber what was said in the Reasons Be sure to lay hold on the right Object of Consolation God himself and the Ordinances of God with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Live the Life of Justification and Sanctification and thou shalt not fail to live the Life of Consolation whereas otherwise there can be comfort no more than fruit upon a Tree without a Root 2. Act thy Faith in Prayer Pray 2. In Prayer that your joy may be full Joh. 16 24. If joy be not worth asking 't is worth nothing No wonder some have so little comfort they pray so little Ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 Thou hast it may be praid for Grace not for Comfort Learn now of David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce as if David had said Lord I have had thy Messenger the Prophet Nathan speaking peace to me for that 's the Title of the Psalm and saying The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die But Oh let me hear thy Spirit say so too or else my heart cannot rejoyce As I have heard therefore a comfortable message from thy Minister let me hear the same also from thy Spirit Make thou me to hear joy and gladness If all the Ministers in the world should preach peace to a penitent Soul as they have cause though it be in a safe yet it cannot be in a comfortable condition till God by his Spirit speak peace also Q. To what purpose then should we attend upon the Ministery of the Word A. Because though the Ministery cannot do it without the Spirit yet the Spirit delights to work in the Ministery of the Word or soon after When the Spouse in the Canticles wanting comfort inquired of the Watchmen it was but a little while ere she found him whom her soul loved Cant. 3.3 4. Q. But why doth not the Soul finde comfort in every Ordinance at all times A. There may be many causes Among the rest this may be one Lest we should ascribe so much to the Ordinance or to the Instrument dispensing it as to neglect looking up by Prayer to the God of the Ordinance whereas when we experience the best Ordinance sometimes empty and the best Instrument without the Spirit a miserable comforter This will quicken us to look above both to God himself saying We will use both but we will lift up our soul to God alone Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 86.4 and elsewhere Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation That 's the second Means to act faith for Comfort in Prayer Pray that your joy may be full Joh. 16.24 3. In crucifying worldly joy 3. Act Faith in the Crucifying of worldly and Carnal joys if you would profess Spiritual and Heavenly For the first of these do exceedingly quench the latter as water doth fire so that as in the strife of fire and water if heavenly joys get not the Mastery Worldly will 'T is true God makes a feast of joy a feast of fat things to his people Isa 25.6 But remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the Table of Devils Now the delights of sin are the several dishes with which the Devils table is furnished and he that is filled with these hath no stomach to the consolations of God nay he abhors them Prov. 27.7 The full stomach loaths the honey-comb He loaths the honey-comb of the Word and Ways of God And what 's the reason He was never yet weaned from the Worlds Brest David indeed could say of Gods Word Oh! it's sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 And why so Surely because the same David could say of all worldly delights Surely I have behaved my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Psal 131.2 Wean thy Soul therefore from worldly delights and thou shalt be the bettter prepared to delight in the Lord who is both willing and able to give thee thy hearts desire And that 's the third Means 4. 4. 1 Sam. 7.2 In spiritual mourning Act your Faith in case you are in a mournful frame to mourn after the Lord For certainly as worldly joy ever ends in sorrow so godly sorrow ever ends in joy Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God can no more withhold his sweetest comforts from those that mourn after his presence as their chiefest good than the tender Mother can withhold the Brest from the crying childe Oh! every cry goes to her heart and she cannot be quiet her self till she quiet the childe Isa 49.14 15. When Sion sits in the dust like a poor childe lamenting the parents absence saying My God hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me What is Gods answer Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the Palms of my hands As if God should say So long as thou mournest after me I may as soon forget my self as thee for I have graven thee on the palms of my hands If thou desirest comfort then mourn after the Lord not after corn and wine and oil not after the harvest of the Lord but the Lord of the harvest and then doubtless such as thus sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. 5. In raising spiritual affections Act Faith in digesting and
Difference twixt heavenly earthly heirs may be cheated of their Inheritance may have it violently wrested from them as Naboth Ahab was sick for his Vineyard before he had it and as sick of it when he had it Or if none of these happen yet a Father may conceive displeasure against a Son and disinherit him Or there may be so many Sons that all cannot inherit as in Abrahams Family But none of these can befal a Childe of God in respect of his heavenly Inheritance 1. Through Gods free grace he cannot spend it He is kept by the power of God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 2. The Devil shall never cheat him of it as he did our first Parents of the first Paradise The gates of Hell shall not prevail 3. It can never be taken from them by force As they are reserved for that so that is reserved for them in the heavens 4. Their Father will never take up such a displeasure as to disinherit them Gods Covenant is as the Waters of Noah for As I have sworn saith the Lord that the waters of Noah should be no more on the earth so I have sworn that I will be wroth with thee no more nor rebuke thee Isa 54.9 5. And God hath blessings enough for all his children Gen. 27.38 He hath more than One. Thus the more we look into the Scriptures still the Argument appears stronger and stronger If Sons then Heirs Quest But how shall we know that we are Sons Rom. 8.14 15 16 c. Explained Ans First the Apostle resolves it ver 14. of Rom. 8. If ye be led by the Spirit then are ye sons The Spirits Manuduction or leading is an Argument of our Manumission or freedom from under the power of our first Master Sin and Satan It 's a Metaphor taken from blinde or weak persons who are glad when one leads them and supports them in their way Thus Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law and Rom. 6.16 Secondly in the 8 of the Rom. ver 15. Rom. 8.15 But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption c. Spirit of Adoption implies two things Which implies two things 1. The Sons of God have the Nature of children in them As children naturally run to their Parents not to Strangers so do Gods children If you have a Lamb in your arms and seeing a company of Ewes about you would know which is its Dam set it down and you will soon know Nature will teach it to run to its Dam. Dost thou desire to know whether thou art Gods childe or no Observe the Bent of thy Spirit To whom dost thou run on all occasions especially in thy wants Wicked men run to the World consult with Flesh and Blood it may be go to the Devil A childe of God runs to his Father 2. The Sons of God have the Spirit of Prayer Behold he prays Act. 9.11 which is further intimated Rom 8. ver 26 27. Others may have the Gift of Prayer but the Sons of God have the Spirit of Prayer He that hath onely the Gift of Prayer it may be says much but prays nothing such as have the Spirit of Prayer possibly say nothing but pray much as Hannah 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly in the 16 ver The Spirit it self c. Rom. 8.16 The Spirit witnesseth our Sonship by a more immediate work upon our Spirit The Apostle had spoken of the Fruit of the Spirit before in the 15 ver Now he speaks of the Testimony of the Spirit it self which is an inward Testimony of the Spirit it self what secret and unspeakable Work of the Spirit perswading a Believer of Gods special love to him in Christ Even of his love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Obj. But I feel not this Witness though I feel the fruits of the Spirit Ans The Lord will give it at one time or other Wait for it knowing Note that God reserves the choicest comforts for the fittest time When Daniel was in the Lions Den the Three Children in the furnace Paul and Silas in the stocks then had they most of this Witness and Comfort And so doubtless when thou art plunged into distress when persecuted by enemies or forsaken by friends when sickness doth arrest and Death draw near and so hast most need of these comforts then thou shalt have them God who hath an appointed time wherein to come will come and will not tarry Now if by these or any of these we are assured that we are Sons then we may conclude our selves Heirs too Thus Faith assures by arguing from our Sonship 5. From the Chain of salvation 5. Faith argues from the Order and Inseperate Method of that Golden Chain Rom. 8.29 30. Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate c. and whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified But saith a Believer I am effectually called and justified therefore I shall be glorified All the men in the world or Devils in hell cannot break or pull asunder the Chain which God hath thus coupled together 6. From Christs being in Heaven 6. Faith argues from the present Possession of Heaven by our Elder Brother Joh. 14.1 2. The elder Brother sometimes takes Possession of the whole Estate in the right of all the Family 1. As our elder Brother though the rest do not come to possess their part a long while after And this Act is an Assurance to them all as if they had their Estate present Thus is a Believer ascertained by Christs possessing heaven So that as we are said to be Risen again with Christ Col. 3.1 So may we be said to be in a manner Ascended with Christ He hath raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 2.6 The Apostle speaks as if Believers were in heaven already because Christ hath taken Possession of heaven in their behalf and thereby offers strong assurance That they also shall possess it in due time Hence also is Christ called our Fore-runner Heb. 6. last 2. As our Fore-runner In the 19 ver All true Christians are compared to Sea-faring men and Christ comes first to Haven to take possession for all the rest So that the World is as a Sea An elegant Allegory The Church as a Ship out of which there 's no safety Christ is the Pilot All true Believers are Passengers that have a common Adventure The Land it 's bound for is the Kingdome of Heaven the Card or Compass is the Word of God the Wind that drives it along is the Spirit of God For the Materials The Bottom and Ballast of this Ship is made of Humility the Top of open Simplicity the Sides of Patience the Sails and Banner of Love the Cords of Charity the Rudder of Faith and the Anchor of
Therefore God tells us There is all the Reason in the world a man should live by Faith Therefore unreasonable men are said to be such as have no faith 2 Thess 3.2 because there is great reason a Christian man should live by Faith So though Faith be above Reason in some sense to wit above carnal corrupt Reason yet it is not above inlightned and rectified Reason There is manifold reason Reasons for living by faith why a Christian should be willing to live by Faith All may be reduced to three Heads 1. From a Believers Condition in the Flesh 2. From the Relation between Christ and a Believer First sort of Reasons 3. From the Nature and Vse of Faith First From a Believers Condition in the Flesh From our condition in the flesh For distance of place between the person that makes the Promise and the person to whom it is made requires the Evidence of Faith to assure of the Performance Now first The Believer is absent from the Lord 1. Absence from the Lord. and from the Presence of Jesus Christ Though he do enjoy in some measure the presence of his Grace yet so long as he lives here below he cannot enjoy the presence of his Glory He that is far distant from him that makes a Promise had need have some good Evidence and Obligation of his faithfulness and ability 2 Cor. 5.6 Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord from our last home What of that therefore saith the Apostle in the next words we walk by faith and not by sight As if he should have said He that hath not the Evidence of Sense had need have the Evidence of Faith from a sure Word of God But Gods People in this life have not the Evidence of Sense or Sight in their highest degree therefore they had need have the Evidence of Faith for their Security Their life is a Life of Faith for Faith is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 And that is the first Reason 2. Distance of time The second Reason is drawn from the great distance of time betwixt Gods Promise and the Performance of the thing promised Sometimes some scores some hundreds some thousands of years therefore Gods People stand in need of some Security in the mean time to assure them that God will make good his Word at the last Now this security is Faith and therefore observe the connexion of the Text to the former verse The just lives by his faith Why so because saith the third verse the Vision is for an appointed time Gods Promise manifested by Vision to the Prophet shall not presently be fulfilled but in its appointed time Therefore in the mean time the just man lives by his Faith he takes Gods bare Word for it he believes it shall be so The Spirit of God working by the Promise assures him it shall be so and this puts life into the Promise and life into him that apprehends the Promise Faith is a Christians Security till God pay in that which he is bound for in the Covenant of Free Grace It is just like the Witness and Seal to the Bond as He that believes sets to his Seal that God is true Joh. 3.30 So God himself by giving Faith sets to his Seal and Witness that he means truly and faithfully to perform his Promise 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself Now I say This Witness and Seal is very needful for the support of poor weak creatures because there is so great a time betwixt the Promise and the Performance It is nothing so much to rejoyce in the things promised when we see them fulfilled by the eye of Sense Luke 2. As old Simeon falls a singing when he saw Christ with his bodily eyes and embraced him in his very Arms he might well say with S. John That which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of life even that declare we unto you and therefore he could not but rejoyce But it was much more in old Father Abraham Ioh. 8. when he did so much rejoyce to see Christ and his day so many thousand years before he came into the world when he could see him no otherways but by the eye of Faith and yet he rejoyced as if he had been in Simeons condition as if Christ had been present with him at that very time because Faith assured him it should be so And in this respect all Believers stand in need of Faith because usually there is some good distance of time betwixt the Promise and the Performance and Faith is their Security in the mean time And that 's the second Reason The third Reason is this 3. Need of Humility To keep us in a continual frame of Humility God will have us to live by Faith as long as we live in this life For the truth is The best of Gods Servants in regard of remaining corruption when they possess much in hand they are apt to to be puft up with pride and self-confidence as Hezekiah was Isa 39. Therefore to that end that no flesh might glory in his presence look as God chooseth the weak and base and despised things of the world in their first conversion so he keeps them in such a manner of condition all their life long that by Faith they might be fain to go to him for every thing they want in Temporals and in Spirituals In Temporals they must live like Beggars they must beg of him their daily Bread and so in Spirituals also Mat. 6. they must go to God for new supplies of Grace and for new strength upon the performance of every new duty The most eminent Christian hath not grace beforehand in the stock for one year or day or hour not enough to perform the next Duty or to resist the next Tentation from Satan or the World 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but all our sufficiency is of God Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me But will Christ strengthen those to do any great matter whom he doth not strengthen to believe No surely According to thy faith be it unto thee Mat. 8.13 9.29 Therefore a Christian lives by Faith every day and in every duty He fetches strength from Christ as well as sight Isa 45.24 Surely c. Sight for the acceptance of my person Strength for the performance of my duty God feeds them and supplies them but onely from hand to mouth lest they should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. And the hand that receives to wit the hand of Faith is an empty hand too It brings nothing to God but it receives all from God but yet it receives not presently but tarries his leisure Nay God gives not onely the Gift it self but the very hand
overtaken with self-confidence to relie upon the Mountain of his created strength or created Grace he is never well till he hath deeply humbled himself for it as David did Psal 30.6 And therefore I say a Believer so far as he is himself does all he doth in the strength of God If he be to preach if he be to pray whatever he be to do he dares venture upon nothing in his own strength lest God should blast his endevours in stead of blessing them 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me yea bear all things in the strength of Christ but nothing in his own strength This is an infallible symptome of the Life of Faith Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee 3. The third and last Evidence hath respect to both 3. In point of both for whether a Believer be to resist that which is evil or to perform that which is good as he goes out in Gods strength so he goes to God by Prayer in both respects for prayer is a calling in of the strength of God and a believing creature is ever a praying creature unless under Tentation and therefore true Prayer is called the Prayer of Faith and indeed Prayer is one of the first evidences of Faith I do not mean the Gift of Prayer whereby we can express our selves in good words But the Spirit of Prayer and Supplications whereby we express our selves in good and child-like affections No sooner hath a man Faith but together with his Faith he receives the Spirit of Adoption whereby he cries Abba Father Rom. 8.15 therefore as the same Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved they are but poor formal Prayers without Faith So we may say on the other side How shall they not call on him on whom they have believed 2 Cor. 4 13. We having the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I believe therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore we speak none of Gods children are born tongue-ty'd I am sure not so hard tyed but there will be inward sighs and groans and wrestlings with God when there are no outward expressions at all The Spirit of Faith is ever attended with a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication And this is the last Evidence by which we may judge of unfeigned Faith from that which is feigned and counterfeit Branch II. Of Examination Living by faith is the touchstone to try all Doctrines and Religions whether they be true or false And as this serves for the Trial of Persons so also of Doctrines and Religions That Religion which teacheth us to live by Faith and to lay hold on the Righteousness of Christ who was made sin for us that we through him might be made the righteousness of God to life Eternal that is undoubtedly the true Religion But that Religion which slanders the Life of Faith as if it were absurd to be justified by the Righteousness of another That which teacheth we have no Original Sin remaining in us but that all is wash'd away in Baptism contrary to that of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That which teacheth inherent Righteousness necessary to Justification and that it is possible also a man may so fulfil the Law of God as to Merit at Gods hand yea that he is able not onely to do what the Law requires but to over-do even to do so much as to spare of his oyl for others This is a Doctrine and Religion savouring of horrible Pride and Presumption and therefore false But that which teacheth us to go out of our selves and to give the Glory of Salvation to Free-grace and so to live by Faith this is true and there is no unrighteousness in it Now in case we finde upon search That we do believe we have infinite cause to be thankful In case we finde we believe not we have as great cause to be humbled and to seek out for Faith Vse IV. Of Thankfulness Vse 4 The fourth Use is of Thankfulness for them that have obtained Faith and know how to live by it Thankfulness for Faith Thankfulness for our selves for our Friends Yoke-fellows and Children as the Apostle is thankful Ephes 1.15 Phil. 1.3 Col. 1.3 4. What hath God given them Faith he hath given them an excellent livelihood We rejoyce when great Lands and Livings fall to us or our friends but what is all this to Faith which is the very life of our lives our living to Eternity All the blessings of Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life are wrapt up in Faith Indeed there are many quickning Considerations should stir us up to be thankful to God with all our Souls Grounds of our Thankfulness That we should say as David Psal 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless c. First For first of all 1. 'T is Gods gift Faith as the Scripture saith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 If we could obtain Heaven by our own Workmanship or Faith it self as a particular work of our own to fit us for Heaven we might have some cause to boast and so the less cause to be thankful But neither the works which the Law requires in general nor this work which the Gospel requires in particular is of our own working or springs out of the liberty of our own Will but it is the gift of God Look as Christ fulfilled for us all that Righteousness which the Law requires So he bestows upon us that very Faith which the Gospel requires also And Faith is like an empty hand or an empty Beggars Dish and such a Dish as is given together with the Alms it self that all the glory may be given to God and none at all to the Creature And as we are bound to be Thankful to God for the very first Faith he worketh in us So also for all the degrees and increases of our Faith Luke 17.7 The Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith to intimate That all the growth and increase of Faith is from God as well as the first seed of Faith For The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by his faith Rom. 1.17 As God is the first Author so he is the carrier on and Finisher of our Faith Phil. 2.6 Heb. 12.2 And when he begins he will also make an end therefore be thankful for Faith from first to last It is his Gift it is his free Gift without the least desert on our part therefore let him have the praise of it 2. 'T is a gift necessary to our being 1 Thess 5.8 Secondly It is such a Gift as is absolutely
necessary to our very being in the state of Grace If it were a Gift of less consequence we ought to be thankful for it because a Gift In all things give thanks saith the Apostle But this is such a Gift as is all in all It is absolutely necessary to the very being of a Christian others are necessary to their well-being but this to their very being Therefore we have the more cause to be thankful What saith the Scripture Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God and so Without faith it is impossible to be saved Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith Mark 16.16 He that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be damned So that Faith in grown persons is absolutely necessary to Salvation you cannot be saved without it you may be Rich and you may be Beautiful and you may be Strong and you may be Nobly descended and you may be Learned without Faith but without Faith you can never be saved Obj. You will say So without Hope and Love and Zeal for Gods Glory we cannot be saved Ans That is true yet there is something more in Faith than in all the rest in tendency to Salvation For Faith in order of working is the very Root of all other Graces Our Hope and Love and Zeal and all the rest do spring from our Faith Rom. 12.3 So far as we believe we hope so far as we believe we love so far as we believe we are zealous for God and so of the rest Therefore Faith is in a special manner necessary to Salvation being the onely instrument of laying hold upon Christ And therefore in a special manner are we bound to be thankful for it Thirdly It is such a Gift 3. Such a gift as none else can give as is impossible for any other to give but God alone Therefore it is called The faith of the operation of God Col 2.12 as if God alone could work it If an Angel from Heaven should perswade you to believe this or that yet if God do not perswade you by his Spirit you cannot believe You reade Luk. 1.20 the Angel tells Zacharias he should be struck dumb because he believed not the words of the Angel If all the Angels in Heaven should preach to us if God himself doth not preach to us by his Spirit we cannot believe And if all the Angels upon Earth I mean all the Ministers for they are called the Angels of the Churches if all these one after another should preach to one particular Soul yet that Soul would not believe unless God open the heart of it as he did the heart of Lydia to believe Obj. You will say But Experience shews such and such have been Converted by such and such Ministers Ans It is granted but it was not the man without God but God in the man that did it else why is one man converted rather than another Why the same man at one time rather than at another and by means more improbable but to shew it is God in the man That as the Apostle saith the faith of Gods people might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 that so he might have all the praise and glory Therefore the Apostle in this respect makes nothing of the Minâ—ster that God may be all in all in all his Ministers 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe And as none can help as to Faith but God alone So we cannot help our selves we cannot work up our own hearts to believe we are not onely like sick men naturally but as dead men in the grave shut up under the grave-stone of Unbelief Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all in unbelief that he may have mercy upon all That is that Gods mercy might be the more magnified in bestowing Faith upon them that were as unable to believe of themselves as a dead man is unable by his own power to arise out of his grave The wonders of Faith All the steps of Faith are wondrous difficult to a poor Creature yet know all things are possible with God As for Example 1. To see and believe what God requires of us in the first Covenant For till we know this we think our selves in a good condition and alive without the Law Rom. 7.9 And we cannot see and believe this till God himself open our eyes 1 Cor. 2.14 2. To see and believe how far we come short of the Law naturally how sinful we are and cursed by sin For we are like the young man that said All these have I kept from my youth upward But till wee see our selves sinners and feel the weight of sin we shall never look out after a Saviour The whole need not a Physician but the sick Mat. 9.12 3. To see and believe that not onely our gross sins but our best Righteousnesses do leave us in a miserable condition without a Saviour This is wondrous difficult for no sooner do we attain to some parts and the performance of some Duties but we are ready to say with the Church of Laodicea I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and perceive not that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked and it is nothing but Eye salve from Jesus Christ that can make us perceive this Rev. 3.17 18. that can make us believe and confess that All our Righteousnesses are as filthy polluted rags Isa 64.6 This is wondrous hard Naturally we are full of Self-love and Self-admiration but a Soul that comes to Christ is full of Self-loathing and Self-detestation Job 42.6 I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 4. To see and believe the perfect Righteousness and surpassing Excellency of Jesus Christ For a Natural eye seeth no beauty in him Isa 53.2 and yet before we can desire him we must see the beauty that is in him 5. To see and believe the Necessity and the Duty of the poor Souls coming to Christ Psal 2 12. Leaning upon him for Righteousness and Salvation and that so doing it shall never be cast out For naturally we are ready to think and to say There is no need of coming to Christ or not need of us and our coming Though God will be merciful to others I am afraid he will not be merciful to me Though he do not cast out others who came to him I am afraid he will cast out me Therefore it is the wonderful Work of the Spirit of Christ to perswade the sin-repenting Soul to come to Christ Joh. 6.44 and when it is come to perswade it that Christ will not cast it out again And so the Spirit fastens the Promise upon the Soul Joh. 6.36 It is the wonderful Work of the Spirit to perswade enemies to become friends to perswade strangers to draw nigh and be acquainted with Christ This is such a difficult Work
would not believe the comfortable Promise that was brought to him from God by the Prophet Isaiah what saith the Scripture Isa 7.13 Is it a small thing for you to weary or grieve men but ye will weary my God also And with whom was God grieved fourty years in the Wilderness was it not with them that sinned through Vnbelief Heb. 3.17 Suppose a rich man should freely invite all the Poor of such a Town to a feast with Promise of kind and hearty welcome if they will but come c. Upon the Invitation first one and then another should begin to make exceptions against themselves and say Surely he did not intend that I should come c. If I do I 'll be sure to eat nothing I cannot think he should bid me welcome or if he do that he means as he says I am so unworthy I have nothing to pay for my entertainment Would not this grieve the Master of the Feast and displease him Might not his displeasure turn into wrath Luk. 14.21 24. The Master of the house was angry and said None of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Doth God say Whosoever will let him eat of the bread and drink freely of the water of life Isa 55 1. Rev. 22.17 and shall any of us say Though I hunger and thirst also I cannot believe the Promise belongs to me How do we quench and grieve the Spirit of God by our Unbelief Thirdly 3. It pleases the Devil it 's a sin that doth exceedingly please the Devil It was the very first sin he tempted our first Parents to and 't is the main of all his Temptations to this day Let the Word be preach'd never so powerfully yea But is this true saith the Devil The Devil doth what he can to bring God out of credit with his People Luke 8.12 These by the high-way are they that hear then cometh the Devil and taketh the Word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved Mark the Devil knows that without Faith there is no Salvation therefore he that is an enemy to the Salvation of People is as great an enemy to Faith Thou canst not do a greater pleasure to the Devil than to say I question whether this be true or no or whether God will make this Promise good to me though I should cast my self upon the Word of his Free-grace O Christians think of this think seriously of this how you rejoyce that wicked Spirit The Father of Lies and how you grieve and vex the holy Spirit of God The Spirit of Truth by your Unbelief Fourthly consider the sin of Unbelief 't is a Mother Sin As the Devil is the Father so Unbelief is the Mother of all other sins The brood of Unbelief Unbelief was first the Devils Bastard and then he makes it his Concubine and by his incubation upon an unbelieving heart he begets a world of other sins As 1. Ignorance First of all Wilful and affected Ignorance For if the Devil can but perswade a Soul either that the Word is not of God or that it belongs not to it self in particular then the next Temptation is To what purpose shouldst thou labour for the knowledge of such a Word that concerns thee not And therefore Unbelief and Ignorance are coupled together and both proceeding from the Devil 2 Cor. 4.3 4. But if c. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Whereby it comes to pass that so many are ignorant in the midst of so much light 2. Security Secondly another dangerous sin the off-spring of the Devil and of Unbelief is Sinful Security The Devil begets this sin upon an Unbelievers heart and when he hath done he rocks the Cradle When God threatens and the awakened Conscience begins to cry then Peace peace Gen. 3.1 saith the Devil Yea hath God said Ye shall die if ye eat of the forbidden fruit I say Ye shall not die The words of the Prophets are but wind Jer. 5.13 what need ye regard or fear the threatning Indeed God hath said The Drunkard shall be clothed with rags Prov. 33.21 Isa 33.1 The spoiler shall be spoiled and The flying Roll of Gods curse shall enter into the house of the Thief and of him that sweareth falsly by the Name of God Zech. 5.4 But do you not see threatned folk live long saith the Devil Doth not many a Drunkard Oppressor Thief and Swearer live many a fair day And thus the poor Soul is presently rock'd asleep again in its Unbelief and becomes resolute in an evil way Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil They are secure in the midst of danger they fall asleep upon the top of the Mast Thirdly 3. Worldliness another dangerous sin springing from Unbelief is Worldly-mindedness for if we believe not what is promised concerning Heaven or what is threatned in regard of Hell why then saith Demas let us embrace this present world Let Noah preach of Judgement to the old World and righteous Lot to the Sodomites so long as their words seem to them as idle tales there 's no care to prevent the imminent Judgement but all their care is how they shall live another day when it may be they have not a day to live They ate they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded they were all for the world even to the very day that those dreadful Waters upon the one and that terrible Fire upon the other came down from the Lord out of Heaven And all this because of their Unbelief Fourthly 4. Hypocrisie another dangerous sin the fruit of such a cursed Parent is Gross Hypocrisie Counterfeit Faith ever springs from real Unbelief for durst a man make shew of Religion to serve his own turn and to serve his own lusts as many men do if he did believe that God was a God searching the heart and the reins and such an one as would smite all painted walls and whited sepulchres he durst as well eat fire as do such a thing O saith many a vile wretch I carried my self like a Saint whilst I was in their company and yet it may be the same man at another time and in another company carries himself more like a Devil incarnate than a Saint And why so from whence springs this gross Hypocrisie but from gross Unbelief For had he but Faith to believe the Omnipresence of God he would labour to be the same at all times and in all companies Fifthly 5. Heresie another dangerous sin the Daughter both of Unbelief and Hypocrisie is Heresie a departing from the Faith in some Points of Religion for a mans own outward advantage For if a
to live by Faith in him for direction surely in these times wherein many things are very obscure and the wisest of men are at a stand How doth it concern us at such times as these to improve our Faith in God by Prayer grounded upon his Promises for our direction A believer acting his Faith hath great advantage of an unbeliever an unbeliever is froward and passionate and heady and hasty when he is put to plunge he waits not for the Counsel of God Psal 106.13 He leaps before he looks before he hath eyes to see his way but a believer is quiet and confident and silent and patient and prayerful Psa 113.2 and standing upon his Watch-tower to see what God will answer at such a time Never did the eye of a servant look with more intention to the hand of his Master nor the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her Mistris observing every little cast of their eye every little beck of their finger than the eyes of the faithful look to the hand and eye of God for their direction in difficult times They look to the Promise of God for direction from the Word of God Psa 119.105 This Word is a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their paths and if the Word be dark in any thing they look to the Promise of the Spirit for the right understanding of the word Isa 30 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Now this Promise is made good by Faith Psa 119.98 Ibid. 24. so that a Believer is made wiser than his enemies because Gods Testimonies are his Counsellors He must needs be wise who hath the God of all Wisdom to be his Counsellor And this is the Portion of a true believer If you speak of Wisdom HE is wise Thirdly Do we prize Riches 3. Riches of Faith for I dare not oppose a believer to a rich man as if they were incompatible though I oppose him to such an one as trusts in his riches If we speak of Riches HE is rich indeed As a man lives upon his Riches under God so the Just lives by his Faith Hearken my beloved brethren Jam. 2.5 hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith A man may be a rich man though he be a poor man rich heaven-ward though poor in respect of this world so long as he is rich in Faith that man can want nothing that wants not Faith Faith is the golden Key that openeth the good Treasury of God to his Children upon all occasions they can but ask and have O the preciousness of Faith that is able to procure the most precious things at the hand of God! Worldly men use to say A man well stor'd with Money can want nothing and Solomon hath something to that purpose Eccles 10.19 Money answers all things A man may have most things for money Meat Drink Clothes House Land and what not But a gracious heart can more truly say A man well stor'd with Faith can want nothing Faith answereth all things as Adonijah said to Bathsheba The King cannot say thee nay in any thing 1 King 2.17 So may I say to a faithful man The King of Heaven cannot say thee nay in any thing It is very observable that Abraham when he interceded in the behalf of Sodom did cease to act his Faith in Prayer before God did cease to gratifie Abraham in the thing praid for Praying believers they are or may be the richest beggars in the world As having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 It may seem a strange Paradox and yet 't is good sense Extreme Poverty and sublime Plenty may concur His poverty is but comparative as having nothing but his riches are absolute without a quasi and yet possessing all things All things are yours saith the Apostle to believers and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 A believer is a rich man indeed he is rich in present possession but he is richer in reversion All the Promises of God are entail'd upon believers these are the Saints Legacies none can lay claim to them but such as do believe for All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ they are onely made good to such as do believe in him 2 Cor. 1.20 That man that is a stranger to Christ is also a stranger to the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 and he that hath right in Christ hath right also to the Promises through him There are great riches above-ground but they say there are greater under-ground in the rich Mines of Silver and Gold that lie still within the bowels of the Earth So 't is true the people of God are rich in what they do already enjoy through Faith but they are far richer in those inestimable Treasures that are lockt up within the bowels of so many precious Promises one Promise is more worth than a thousand worlds And Faith is ever digging in these Mines and making new discoveries of the richest Mercies it is ever putting some Promise or other in Suit or God is ever discharging some Bond or other for the enriching of his poor creatures Fourthly Do we prize Beauty and Comeliness 4. Beauty of Faith If you speak of Beauty a true believer is truly Beautiful all external beauty is but deformity without this Like as a Jewel in a Swines snowâ— so is a creature externally beautiful without Grace and without Faith 't is Faith onely that makes the creature beautiful 't is Faith that puts upon the deformed creature the rich and glorious Robes of the Righteousness of Christ 't is Faith that puts upon the creature the very Image and Likeness of Christ and therefore they that do believe in Christ are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.26 27. And they must needs be beautiful and glorious that are clothed with the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Ezek. 16.13 14. Thou wast exceeding beautiful thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness which I put upon thee saith the Lord. Yea mark those words saith the Lord whose judgement is always according to Truth The blind world can no more judge of Beauties than a blind man can judge of Colours but a believer is beautiful in his sight whose eyes are as a flame of fire and can see when the Kings daughter is all glorious within Psa 48. This is a beauty that takes the eye and ravisheth the heart of Christ himself Cant. 4.1 7. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes there is no spot or blemish in thee The Believer is truly beautiful 5. Honour Fifthly Do we prize Honour If we speak of Honour a believer is honourable indeed We may call believers Right Honourable Psa 149.9 Phil. 3. without flattery as it is written Such Honour have all
the Saints The glory of others many times proves their shame but that which may seem to be the shame of a Christian Faith turns it into glory Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you And if there be so much glory in the very sufferings and reproach of a believer what is the glory then which they shall receive after their sufferings and in a gracious recompence of their sufferings for If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified together with him Rom. 8.17 O the glory of a true believer Where ever there is Christ in a creature there is glory in a creature Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and not onely the hope but by the vision of Faith there is a present Transformation from glory to glory as by the Spirit of our God 2 Cor. 3.18 Thus a believer is truly honourable Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable 6. Faith honours God Sixthly Dost thou desire to honour God in thy Place and Calling for a gracious heart is not so careful of his own glory as of the glory of God O that I could but honour God in my Place saith a gracious heart I should then be the less careful in other things Why this is the onely way to put honour upon God upon the Truth upon the Power upon the All-sufficiency of God He that is strong in the faith gives much glory to God Rom. 4.18 And this is that which the Saints prefer before their own Salvation Joh. 12.28 Whatever become of us they say as Christ said Father glorifie thy Name 'T is true Faith is highly to be prized because it is an instrument of our Salvation Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith but it is much more to be esteemed as being such a special instrument of the glory of God Joh. 11.40 Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God They that believe as they bring more glory to God than other men do so they see more of Gods glory than others can see And that 's a sixth Consideration that should move us to labour for Faith it brings abundance of glory to God Many other Considerations might be added Seventhly Without this we are but dead men 7. Dead without Faith Faith and Life come into the Soul both at once All other Life will soon decay our very natural Life is but a continued drawing on to Death but our spiritual Life the longer it continues the stronger it grows Eighthly 8. Faith makes to prosper This is the onely way to prosper in all we possess and in all we take in hand 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper 'T is true wicked men and unbelievers may prosper after a sort they may prosper as fatted Beasts in the stall prosper against the day of slaughter The prosperity of fools shall slay them Prov. 1.32 They are cursed in their very Blessings But a true believer doth prosper in Soul Joh. Ep. 3. as well as in his Body or Estate his Prosperity is sanctified and all that he possesseth is pure and clean to him but to the defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their meat and drink yea even their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 If a believer be cast into straits Faith is that which brings submission to the Will of God and a sweet contentation with the present condition Phil. 4.11 it was the speech of a believer I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Faith lets the believer see the present condition is best for him and therefore he is the better content with it On the other side where there is want of Faith there are perpetual discontents every little thing troubleth such a creature A gall'd back is soon hurt Num. 14.11 How long will it be ere this people believe me saith God of the murmuring Israelites in the Wilderness An unbelieving heart is evermore an unquiet a discontented heart He that doth not enjoy God by Faith how is it possible he should be satisfied with Creature-enjoyments especially in the midst of Creature-discontents Faith is that which sweetens our very Natural Life how much more then that which is Spiritual and Supernatural Wouldst thou be assured that Christ is thine Faith in due time will give thee this assurance for Christ dwells in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 Wouldst thou be assured thou art a Childe of God and maist come in for a Childs Portion Faith will give thee this assurance also Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be the Sons of God even to as many as believe on his Name Wouldst thou receive more abundance of the Spirit of Christ Jesus Faith is a Conduit-pipe in which this heavenly water delights to run Joh. 7.38 He that believeth on me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Certainly the Life of Faith is the most excellent Life that any Creature can live upon the face of the Earth Note In a word Remember what you have heard in many Sermons Do you desire to be presented Just and Righteous before the Throne of God you must labour to get Faith then for by Faith a Creature lives the Life of Justification Do you desire to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit you must learn then to get Faith without doubt the more Faith the more Holiness for The Just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Do you desire to be more abundant in Good Works than ever you have been Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Fructification Do you desire to have your Corruptions subdued and your sinful lusts that fight against the Soul mortified Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Mortification Do you complain of the Dulness and Deadness of your hearts in holy Duties and do you desire above all things to be more quick and lively in the Service of God Learn then to live by Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Vivification The more Faith the more Life in all holy Duties Do you bewail your Leanness and Vnprofitableness and Unthriving disposition under the plentiful means of Grace and is it the desire of your Souls to increase and grow up as the Calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Augmentation Gal. 3.3 Are you afraid lest you should
9.18 might satisfie 1. Gods hardning cleer'd 1. If God had never given us ability it were something but he gave ability in Adam to obey him in all his Commandments to believe him in all his words Therefore when thou sayest By Nature our hearts are so hard c. I answer Not by our first Nature Naturâ integrâ but corrupt nature Therefore thank our Selves our Parents blame not God Simile Suppose a Master command his Servant to go a Journey of ten miles he by Drunkenness and quarrelling spends so much of his time and strength that he cannot finish his Journey in such a space whose fault is this Hath the Master lost his Power to command because the Servant hath lost his Power to obey Ans 2. I say a natural man doth not so much as he might do therefore God may justly strike him with judicial blindness If he would do that great hopes God would help him to do more Simile If a Father or a Master should say to his Servant Take up all these burthens some lighter and some heavier and when you cannot lift them your self I will help you and the Childe or Servant should say I 'll take up none at all because I am sure there are some I cannot stir Might not the Father or Master justly punish such a slothful and wilful Childe or Servant So God commands all men every where where the Gospel comes to attend upon the Means of Grace to Repent and Believe Now though they cannot Repent and Believe these are beyond their power yet they may attend upon the Means Why may they not go to a Sermon as well as to a Tavern or sit at home Why may they not reade the Scriptures as well as a Play-book or an idle Pamphlet Why may they not pray as they are able as well as smother the very work of their natural Conscience Acts 8.22 Pray God if perhaps c. Indeed to put natural men to duties and not to preach Christ to them withall were harsh but the Apostle doth both As if he should say Simon thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity do not sit still and despair but use the means for all that and it may be God will shew mercy to thee What if thou canst not do so much as thou shouldst yet do as much as thou canst and God will help thee to do the rest otherwise this destruction is of thy self and who will pity thee Ans 3. I answer This hardness of heart falls not onely upon the Children of Perdition but upon Gods own People Therefore when we speak to a promiscuous multitude we know not which of them God may be pleased to heal and cure however the rest shall be left without excuse Ans 4. Perswasions from the Word to that which is good to Repent and Believe are not in vain because it is the triumphing Chariot in which the Spirit of God delights to ride along conquering and to conquer 2 Cor. 2.14 Do not say Alas what do you speak to us to repent and believe and take heed of hardning our hearts you had as good speak to a company of dead men Within the compass of these walls are many dead men under ground and there possibly are many dead men above ground I answer What do we know but the Spirit of God may joyn with the Word whilst we are speaking of it or soon after Acts 10.44 Whilst Peter yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Obj. We have often preached in vain no Repentance no Faith c. Ans Yes in some possibly in many And for others wait proving if God at any time shall give repentance c. There is a time an hour wherein the Word shall be powerful Joh. 5.25 The dead shall hear c. Not as if we could cause this Psa 119.32 but When God shall enlarge the heart they shall run the ways of his Commandments What do we know but this may be the day and hour and so I beseech you in the Name of Christ Heb. 3. To day if you will hear his voice harden not c Lest God give you up to this fourth Impediment of Faith Judicial blindeness of heart Fifth general Impediment contains seven mixt Impediments of faith Fifthly Thrre are other Impediments which are of a mixt nature and do spring partly from our own corrupt Hearts and partly from Satan and partly from the World 1. False trust 1. Our trusting to the Mountain of some created strength our living upon our own stock in stead of living upon God whether it be in Temporal things Health Wealth Friends or in Spirituals when we trust to the Grace we have received already O we think we have so much knowledge and so much love to God and so much zeal for his Glory that we are confident though all men should deny Christ we 'll never deny him we trust to grace received and so we live not by Faith on God but we live upon our own stock But how shall we remove this Impediment how shall we rowl away this stone Cure of false Trust I answer 1. By considering the greatness of the Sin For Blessings received and Graces received are but Creatures and so to trust to them what is it but flat Idolatry To give that Worship and Service to the Creature which is due to the Creator who is blessed for ever Rom. 1.25 2. By considering the greatness of the Punishment it is that which causeth God to hide his face and to withdraw the manifestation of his favour from his dearest Servants Psal 30.6 7. And in my prosperity I said I shall never be removed Lord by thy favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong But what follows Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled O remember Friends how by trusting to the Mountain of any created strength either in Temporal or Spiritual things we wrong God we wrong our Selves we weaken our Faith and we cause God to withdraw his wonted influence 3. Pray God to deliver thee from trusting in any thing else as God hath directed his People to pray in the like case Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us c. 2. A second particular Impediment of Faith is this 2. Limiting of God Our measuring of God by our selves by our own strength or by our own Reason or Understanding Suppose God promise this or that and we presently consulting with Flesh and Blood cry out It is impossible or at least improbable and so we 'll never believe it Thus it was with Nicodemus at the first when Christ spake to him of a second birth Joh. 3. How can these things be saith he How can a man be born when he is old Can he enter a second time into his Mothers womb and be born And it was so with Mary the Mother of our Lord when the Angel told her she should conceive the Saviour of
men whose bodily presence is weak and their speech contemptible men that shew much passion but little learning or discretion and therefore why should I give any heed to them or believe what they say Cure of Prejudice Now to remove this Impediment and to roll away this Stone Let all be granted though it is a thousand to one the Divel is a lier in most that is suggested yet let all be granted you must not expect a Minister without infirmities What say the Apostles themselves Acts 14.15 We also are men of like passions with you As if they should say Lift us not up too high nor put us not down too low but bless God for us and pray for us for we also are men of like passions with you And for our Preaching God would not have us come in the Excellency of words or of mans Wisdom but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That our Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.4.5 What though the world account plain preaching foolishness yet it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching 1 Cor. 1 to save them that believe Therefore take heed thou dost not Wit thy self into hell Caution take heed thy sinful prejudice against the plain preaching of the Word cost thee not the life of thy soul O say not as Naaman the Syrian because he was a noble Captain and a brave Courtier when the Prophet directed him for the cure of his Leprosie to wash seven times in the common and plain water of Jordan Are not Abana and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them and be clean 2 Kin. 5.1 2 Are not the excellent and elegant expressions of many Moralists and humane Authors better then the Scriptures and the plain preaching of them for the rectifying of my judgment and reforming of my manners O be better advised as Naaman was at the length be sure to wash in the poor despised Fountain of the Scriptures even those holy and healing waters that run from under the Threshold of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.1 That Christ may say unto thy Soul purified by Faith Now art thou clean through the Word that I have spoken unto thee Joh. 15.3 And this is the First Subordinate cause of the neglect of the Means and the way to remove it The 2. Is Pride Pride I say which is the mother of sinful Shamefastnesse as sometimes t is the Mother of sinful boldness 2. Pride Contems the Means of Faith It may be thou art ignorant of the Scriptures and as ignorant of the state of thine own Soul as little read in the one as in the other And what shouldst thou do in this case but enquire at the Ministers lips which should preserve knowledge Yea but it may be thou art as much asham'd to beg as thou art unable to dig in those heavenly mines asham'd to beg Counsel and Direction Thou art asham'd to say Acts 8 I pray you of whom speaketh the Prophet this or that of himself or of some other man I pray you shew me the meaning of this or that place of Scripture I pray you shew me the state and condition of my Soul that I may know upon what termes I stand with God O this we think will argue ignorance it will bewray our weaknesse What saith the poor creature shall I that have gone for somebody in the world and might have been a teacher of others at least within the compass of my own family Shall I shew what need I have to be taught my self which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5 Shall I be instructed and Catechized like a child I le never stoop so low to shame my self in this fashion Prov. 15 12. The scorner will not go unto the wise Now then to remove this Impediment and to roll away this Stone Cure It 's good to remember it 's better to shame our selves now before two or three then to shame our selves before men and Angels in the last day and to have our folly proclaimed to all the world when Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God 2 Thes 1.8 Do not say it is a foolish and a childish thing for a man to discover his own weakness in Knowledg or Faith Remember what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.18 Humility the Cure of Pride If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise Remember what our Saviour saith Mat. 18.3 Except ye become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That is Humble Teacheable and Tractable as children are And this is the second Subordinate cause of the neglect of the Means and the way to remove it 3. Sloth Recoyls from the Means of Faith The 3. Is Sloth and Laziness Though a man be convinc't in his conscience of the Necessity and Excellency of the Means of Grace yet when he considers what a deal of pains it must cost him in Hearing and Praying and Practising and Denying of himself he is even scar'd at the sight of the work and starts back again What saith he Must the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and must the violent take it by force Then take it whosoever will for me saith the lazy person I had as live be as I am as take such a deal of pains Just like a Sluggard when he lyeth in bed and seeth a great deal of work before him and the weather is cold and he puts out his hands and by and by puls them in again 't is death to arise to a lazy person And so 't is to a lazy professor when God calls upon him to awake and to arise out of the bed of security and to be diligent in the use of Means as ever he desires Faith and the comfort of it Joh. 6. O this is a hard saying and he cannot bear it if God will save him without his own endeavours well and good but he is resolved to go to his journeys end in a Feather-bed if ever he come there Now then to remove this Impediment Cure and to roll away this Stone Remember the danger of Spiritual sloth and security Prov. 21.25 The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour If a man did but know the house were on fire over his head it would startle the arrantest Sluggard in a Country Gods Ministers are commanded to cry Fire fire Hell-fire as the portion of all slothful persons Mat. 25.30 Cast ye the slothful and unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth O think of this before-hand that ye may be awakened Jude 23. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire O do not talk like a Sluggard Yet a little sleep a little
would believe must be resolved to break through all Impediments as Davids Worthies brake through the Host of the Philistims Armies of oppositions are against us yet be resolute If God be for us who shall be against us The beginnings of faith will remove all these Mountains that lie in the way by laying hold of the Promises Isa 54.14 Cast ye up cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people See Isa 40.3 and 42.16 and 62.10 But we pass from the Lets and Impediments to the Helps and Furtherances of Faith which are the second sort of Means to be used for the obtaining of this precious Grace of Faith 2. Positive means of Faith We have already removed the Rubbish we come now to such helps as may tend through Gods blessing to the advancing of the Building Onely take it with this Caution Caution Nothing that we can do either by way of preparation or otherwise can be effectual as from any power in our selves either to the begetting or to the increasing of Faith Rom. 9.16 It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy And hence it is sometimes that Gods Spirit delights to grapple with the most opposite gainsayers of his Word and Ways A man comes to the Congregation with all the prejudice that may be both against the Ordinance it self and the dispensers of it Well saith he I 'll go hear what this prating Preacher what this babler can say if it be but to make my self merry or to see if I can entangle him in something that is delivered and yet it may be God meets this man in the full career of his opposition as he met Paul when he was a Saul Acts 9. and tells him 'T is hard for him to kick against the pricks One of Christs arrows shot out from the mouth of the Minister wounds him to the very heart and he cannot be quiet till the same hand that wounded him do heal him again I kill and I give life I wound and make whole saith the Lord which is as true of the Soul as of the Body Deut. 32.39 Now all this plainly sheweth the work is wholly of God and not of our selves nor in the power of second Means But yet for all this I say means are to be used by way of Gods Ordinance though the efficacy of the means depends wholly upon God and not upon our selves And therefore it is very observable in that most miraculous Conversion of the Apostle in the 9th of the Acts when God met him and unhors'd him and astonish'd him and strook him into a trembling Fit and whilst he was breathing out threatnings against the People of God he so tam'd his proud spirit that he is glad to say Lord what wilt thou have me to do yet I say it is very observable that however God begun the work of his Conversion by his own immediate hand yet he would not finish it without second means without the hand of an Instrument And therefore when Paul said What wilt thou have me to do Lord Christ doth not say I would have thee do this or that neither doth he restore his sight to him for the present but he bids him go to the City and there Ananias must be an instrument under Jesus Christ to restore his sight and to give him in charge what God would have him do Much more then in the ordinary way of Gods working are we bound to the use of second means as ever we desire the recovery of our Spiritual sight or the obtaining of this precious grace of faith What are those means then that we must use and attend upon Answ 1. Is the Word of God Means the Preaching of the Word The Scripture is very clear in this 1. Word of God Rom 10.14 How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and ver 17. So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Therefore as Faith is the Life of the Soul under God so the Word is the Life of Faith As the Just lives by Faith so Faith lives upon the Word No Humane Testimony though great respect and reverence is to be had to the Church and Godly writers yet I say No humane Testimony can be the ground of Divine Faith 'T is true indeed the Word cannot work Faith without the Spirit I will not say The Spirit cannot work Faith without the Word But this I say That Ordinarily the Spirit doth not work Faith without the Word Though the Spirit be not absolutely bound to the use of Means yet we are bound to the use of them as ever we expect the Spirit Here will I meet with thee saith the Spirit Therefore it is very observable Where God makes a Promise of the Spirit in the same place also he makes a Promise of the Word to continue with his Church to the end of the World Isa 59. last As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever The Word and the Spirit you see go hand in hand therefore we are not to expect the Spirit without the Word neither are we to expect Fath which is wrought by thy Spirit unlesse it be also wrought by the Word as the Organ or Instrument of the Spirit And hence also the Word of God is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Because Faith in grown persons is wrought by the Word and so the Word is both the Object and the Instrument of Faith It is Verbum quod creditur and Verbum quô creditur the Word that is believed and the Word by which we are moved to believe this or that And how should we then with all care and conscience attend upon the Ministery of the Word as ever we desire faith as ever we desire life Would we live for ever O hear says God and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 Mark that Hear and your soul shall live no hearing no life because no hearing no faith for The just lives by his faith and his faith lives by the Word And therefore such as live above Ordinances and above the Word I know not what to make of them they are such as live not by faith but above faith They must either be in Heaven or nearer to Hell than they are aware for all the true Members of the Church upon earth do live by Faith and that faith upon the Word And therefore such persons as live above Ordinances in that sense so as to be content to live without them are of a strange temper They are like such conceited
persons who in a distemper of melancholly do think they can live without meat and indeed as well may the body live its natural life without meat as the Soul live its Spiritual and Supernatural life without the Word Job 23.12 I have desired the words of his mouth moâ—e than my appointed food the Word of God is the food of the Soul Faith is both begotten and encreased by the Word by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live Mat. 4.4 The Word of God is like blood in the natural Body Vehiculum Spiritûs The Word The Word the ordinary mean of Faith is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 This is the main end of that great Ordinance of the Ministery which was given for the begetting and for the encreasing faith till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 And therefore I say attend upon this Ordinance as ever thou desirest Faith make use of these despicable Rams-horns as ever thou desirest the mighty walls of Jericho should fall down for the weapons of the Ministery are mighty through God to the pulling down of all the strong holds of sin and Satan all the Opposites and Impediments of Faith Wait at the Pool of Bethesda Joh. 5.2 5. as ever thou desirest to be cured of thy Spiritual Maladies A Miracle yea a Million of Miracles will not beget faith in thee if that Word do not beget it which was at the first confirmed by Miracles If ordinary and living Preachers do thee no good neither wouldst thou believe if an extraordinary and miraculous Messengers should arise from the dead and preach to thee Luke 16.31 Therefore such as look for faith by Revelation without and beyond the Word certainly this perswasion cometh not of him that calleth Gal. 5.8 Such a perswasion and such a revelation is of Satan and not from God For God saith To the Word and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 Therefore as ever thou desirest true Light and true Faith attend upon the ministry of the Word Object But you will say What part of the Word should we attend upon that we may attain this Promise of Grace Every Word an Object of Faith Answ I Answer in general Every part of the Word of God both Precept and Promise where ever God hath a tongue to speak we should be sure to have an ear to hear Especially the Promise Gal. 3.24 Especially we are bound to attend upon the Promise of the Gospel As for the Ceremonial Law it is abolished it was our School-master unto Christ but no longer As for the Moral Law though it be abolished as a Covenant Do this and thou shalt live Rom. 10.5 if thou do it not thou shalt die so it is abolisht Yet the Apostle tels us in Romans 7. there is still even under the Gospel this use of the Law To convince us of sin and so to shew us our need of Christ Object If it be Objected The Spirit of Christ doth this John 16.8 and therefore what need of the Law How the Spirit Convinceth of sin Ans I Answer The Spirit doth it indeed but by opening and applying the Rule of the Law for so saith the Apostle who himself was guided by the Spirit when he uttered those words Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet Thus the Spirit convinceth by the Law and that so powerfully and effectually when God is pleased to set it home upon any particular soul that he apprehends the Minister speaks so as if he knew his very heart or so as if the Minister spoke to none but him in all the Congregation Now the word thus apprehended doth usually work some measure of humiliation with fear and terrour in some more in some lesse for we prescribe not a certain measure to any Now this though it be but a common work in it self yet where God is pleased to sanctifie it and to set it home it is a means to drive the Soul nearer to Jesus Christ and that by reasoning in this manner O that I should be such a vile wretch to transgress a law so Holy so Just so Good I confesse if God should look upon me in the first Covenant he might justly set open all the Flood-gates of his wrath he might even rain down Hell out of Heaven upon such a vile wretch as I am But What Is there no remedy sayes the perplexed Soul Is there no Balm in Gilead Jer. 8.22 Is there no Physician there that is able to cure a sick and a sinful Soul O yes sayes Christ I am that Physician of greatest value The whole need not the Physitian but the sick Mat. 19.2 for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The Spirit of God is upon me Luk. 4.18 because he hath anointed me on purpose to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted c. and therefore fear not poor soul I am sent to thee in a special manner my errand is to thee and therefore do not thou run from me but come to me Mat. 11.28 O come to me thou that art weary and heavy laden and I will give rest unto thee What to me sayes the poor dejected soul Is it possible God should intend any mercy to such a dead dog as I am Yes even to thee sayes Christ do but come to me and thou shalt be welcome I have paid all thy debt pacified Gods wrath for all that are willing to receive me and believer in me whateve their sins have been O this now melts the heart of a sinner and now he can mourn for sin as it is sin that ever he should offend such a gracious God Hereupon he comes to be meekly content to use any means that God shall prescribe for his Souls good To wait in hope To hunger and thirst after Christ To sell all that he hath though his all is worth nothing at all yet highly prized by him but this he is well content to part withall even with all his lusts and darlings yea all his best works and self-righteousness Phil. 3.7 8 so he may win Christ and be found in him he is willing to part with all and to count it as dross and dung Now when God of his Free Grace hath brought the Soul to this passe then after that he is pleased to reveal himself in a gracious manner Gen. 45.3 as Joseph revealed himself to his brethren I am Joseph your brother So sayes God Jer. 31.3 I am thy God and Father Lo I have loved thee with
to the humble in the perfection of it which is attained in glory Therefore it is said of the Heavenly Courtiers Rev. 4.10 11. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Mark ye as dejection in the bottom of the nethermost Pit cannot strip the devil and wicked men of their Pride for they wil blaspheme the name of God they may be humbled Rev. 16.11 but they will not be truly humble to all Eternity So on the other side exaltation to the highest degree of glory does no ways devest the Saints of God of their former humility Nay the more glorious the more gracious and therefore the more humble Thus God gives grace to the humble in the Inchoation Augmentation Conservation and Perfection Therefore there is no Soul brought home to Christ but must needs be humbled Thus you see Gods manner of working Faith by the Word and why God doth usually humble men more or less and stir up in them strong desires after Christ before they come so fully and clearly to lay hold of the Promise or at least in their very first apprehension and laying hold of it It is impossible to suppose Faith in a Soul that was never humbled Thus I say you see the ground of Gods method and the matter of humiliation as the fore-runner of Peace and Consolation I shall onely adde this before I have done with the first Means of begetting Faith Direction in applying the Promises If thou wouldst believe apply to thy self in particular what Promises God makes in general and indefinitely As for Example in the Scripture when Christ saith Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Apply this to thy self Therefore if I come to Christ by vertue of this Word I am sure he will not cast me out So when the Scripture saith Joh. 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name to as many as receive him he giveth the power or priviledge to become the Sons of God Apply this to thy self Therefore since God hath made me willing to receive him for my King and Saviour I am sure I have this priviledge 2 Cor. 6.18 to be the Son or Daughter of the Lord God Almighty So when the Scripture saith in that notable Proclamation of Christ in the great day of the Feast Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Apply this to thy self Therefore since God hath given me grace to hunger and thirst after the Righteousness of Christ I am sure I have as good warrant to take of the water of life as any other in the world Rev. 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Therefore saith the thirsty Soul 'T is as free for me as for any other in the world And thus is Faith begotten in the Soul by a particular application of a general Promise And so much for the first Means of begetting Faith and that is the Word The second is Prayer Second Mean of begetting Faith by prayer Pray that God would bless the Word and all other Means For the Word hath no Power to beget Faith of it self without the powerful concurrence of the Spirit by which the Word was breathed forth at the first Neither have we power in our own will to make the Word effectual Those that talk so much of Free will it is a shame then they believe no more and do no more if they had that freedom they boast of but indeed the very practice of such men is enough to confute their Opinions I 'll never believe a man would be willing to lie in a nasty Dungeon all his life if he had liberty and power to go out at his own pleasure O be much in Prayer to God therefore that he would set thy imprisoned Soul at liberty that thou maist have power to believe Thus did David Psal 142.7 Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name c. As if he should say O Lord I confesse I am a poor prisoner to sin and Satan I would fain be set at liberty to believe thy Word and to do thy will but alas I cannot I find many a door fast shut upon me in this prison and many a lock upon the doors many lets and impediments which I am never able to remove and therefore gracious Lord do that for me which neither I my self nor all the friends I can make are ever able to do for me pay the debts of thy poor prisoner in my blessed surety and set open the prison doors O bring my soul out of prison O Lord that I may praise thy name Thus should we pray for Faith as ever we desire the Word should be made effectual for our good Col. 4.3 1 Cor. 16.9 The Ministers should beg the prayers of the people as Paul did that he may have a door of utterance and the people should beg the prayers of the Minister that they may have a door of entrance that the immortal seed may be made an instrument of spiritual life and the Just may live by Faith If ever we have Faith if ever we be born again the power of the Holy Ghost must overshadow our souls John 3.18 Expounded and put life into the seed of the Word Joh. 1.13 Gods people are born not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God First Not of bloods What 's that You know a man that comes of such a parent is said to come of such a blood Now then put all the parents in the world together and you shall find grace runs not in any blood they are not born of Bloods Secondly Not of the Will of the flesh What 's that A fleshly carnal man cannot convert himself he cannot keep alive his own soul Psal 22.29 Thirdly Not of the Will of man What is that Take a Regenerate man the best man in the world yet he hath not power to convert another unlesse God be with him in the work and so the truth is clear Gods people are born not of Bloods nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of man but of God Remember what Christ saith Joh. 6 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And therefore the Church prayes Cant. 1 4. Draw me we will run after thee Plead thus with God and say Lord thou commandest to believe but I find I am shut up under unbelief O thou that
lettest me see my own weaknesse and inabâ—lity to believe let me also see thy power in creating this grace of Faith in my heart And this is that other powerful means for the begetting of Faiâ—h Remember Preaching is the First Prayer is the Second Let not Preaching justle out Prayer nor let Prayer justle out Preaching as some would have the Ordinances quarrel one with another whereas all lend their hands and their natural help to give a lift at Faith It is not the Word without the Spirit can do it Therefore do thou pray the Spirit may speak to thy heart while the Minister Preacheth to the ear That is a remarkable passage Act. 11 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them with the Preachers and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Mark that The hand of the Lord was with them We may preach long enough before we convert one soul if the hand of the Lord be not with us till the bellows be burnt Jer. 6.29 Therefore as Ministers should spend time before-hand in praying as well as in studying So should people also in praying for the Minister as well as in hearing of him Before thou goest to the Congregation lift up thy heart to God in this or the like manner Lord let thy powerful hand go along with the Minister this day O let thy hand go along with his tongue that I may have grace to believe what he speaks to my Soul in thy Name whilst he knocks at the door of my heart let thy Spirit unlock it for me as the heart of Lydia was unlocked Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened whilst Paul was preaching to her To conclude Eph. 2.2 Remember Faith is the gift of God and therefore good reason that we should pray God to give us Faith Prayer of a Natural man It is Objected We cannot pray without Faith and therefore how can we pray for Faith before we have it This is to put a natural man upon duty before he be come to Christ and what fruit can we expect from this I Answer 1 God hath no where freed a natural man from his duty though he hath lost his power to perfom it 2. As we tell natural men their duty so we are to let them know from whom they may have power to perform it namely from Christ if they be willing to close with him 3. It is evident natural men are called upon to perform some duties before they do believe As for hearing the case is plain Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing therefore we must hear before we can believe and so for Prayer Act. 8.22 23. Peter cals upon Simon Magus to pray though he was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Object But may not such prayer justly be abominable to God whilst we are strangers to God and Christ If I were a friend indeed then I might hope to speed according to that expression of Christ Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants but friends c. And therefore in the next verse he saith Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name he shall give it you Friends may look to speed but strangers may ask and go without Ans I answer It is true the prayers of such as are strangers to Jesus Christ may justly be abominable But yet if we observe it God gives some incouragement a loof off that such as are strangers may not utterly be discouraged to cry to God for the bread of Life for the Scripture tels us an importunate suiter may be heard though not as a friend yet for his Importunity sake Luke 11.8 Object But where do you find that God hath heard the prayer of a natural man or unconverted Ans I answer 1. The Scripture saith nothing in vain Jam 4 5. But Act. 8.22 Such a one is exhorted to pray to God 2. Though God threatneth wicked men that are resolved to go on in their sins that he will stop his ears to their prayers yet sometimes when they are deeply humbled though not wholly converted God hath heard their prayers that this his goodness might lead them to through repentance He heard the prayer of Abimilech Gen. 20.4 and of the heathenish Mariners Jonah 1.5 14. Of Ahab when he humbled himself 1 Kin. 21. last And of Jehoahaz 2 Kin. 13.3 4. And Jehoahaz besought the Lord and the Lord hearkned unto him c. Yet this is observable Caution that the prayers of the righteous man availeth much more Jam. 5.16 The incouragement of Simon Magus was but if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8.22 And God threatens such as afflict any widow or fatherless child Exod. 22.22 23. If thou afflict them in any wise as if he should say Take heed thou dost not Why If they cry at all unto me I will surely hear their cry Object But these prayers are for temporal mercies and not spiritual Answ If God will hear the prayers of such for temporal mercies then much more for spiritual mercies because those prayers are more agreeable to Gods will to seek the things of his Kingdom When Solomon asked wisdom 1 King 3 6 c. 10. And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Object But a natural man cannot discern nor yet desire the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom 8 7. Answ We must distinguish of natural men 1. Some left wholly to themselves 2. Some are stirred up and enlightned in a great measure though not wholly converted Of such Christ speaks they are not far from the Kingdom of God Mar. 12.34 Though all natural men be infinitely distant by Nature yet God brings some neerer and neerer by degrees till they enter in Although others may be neer and never enter of such also speaks the Author to the Hebrews 6.4 For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance Now though some such fall away yet others in the use of Means come at last to be fully converted and Prayer is one Means among the rest Look upon Manasses 2 Chro 33.12 c. When he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication Look upon Paul Act. 9.11 behold he prayeth Yet his Conversion was not wholly perfected though his conscience was stirred and he was much humbled for as yet he was not instructed by Ananias he had not received his sight a pledge of the cure of his Spiritual blindness he had not
Abraham Gen. 22. And the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.28 Both were patterns of strong faith in two very eminent tryals By these therefore and the like rules we may examine our faith whether it be upon the growing or decaying hand Quest But some will say Suppose my faith be weak and feeble what means should I use that I may increase it Means for the increase of Faith Answ The first is by an assiduous and diligent attendance upon the Word of God which in general is called the word of Faith 1. Attendance on the Word not onely because it begets faith at first but because it doth nourish it afterwards till a believer comes to his full growth Ex eisdem nutrimur ex quibus constamus We are nourished by the same means by which we are begotten at the first The Word is the immortal seed to beget our faith 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever And the Word is the heavenly Milk to nourish it 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby It is observed Thomas was but once absent and he lost much of the confirmation of his faith Joh. 20.24 25. Remember the charge 2 Tim. 4.2 Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine And the Promise Prov. 8.34 35. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Therefore the Apostle professeth what great desire he had to see the Thessalonians and to preach to them to that end that he might perfect that which was lacking in their faith 1 Thess 3.10 And it was his last farewel to the Ephesians when he told them they should see his face no more Acts 20.32 And now brethren saith he I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified As if he had said Look as by the preaching of the Word of God I laid the first foundation of Faith amongst you so now I commend you in my prayers to the same God and to the guidance of the same Word which God and which Word or which God by his Word is able to build you up in the Faith till you come to your journeys end even till you come to enter upon the possession of your heavenly inheritance among all them that are sanctified And this is the first Means The second is the Promise 2. Promises of the increase of faith an especial part of the Word for Faith lives by the Promise as the just man lives by Faith Obj. Some say Where have you any Promise that Gods People shall believe Or if they do believe where is any Promise that they shall grow and increase in the Faith Ans To satisfie these men they may look upon both in one Promise Rom. 1.17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by his faith The Apostle in these words affirms two things 1. That Gods People are made righteousness in the sight of God not by any inherent righteousness of their own but by the righteousness of God supernaturally revealed by the Word and Spirit of God and applied by Faith 2. He affirms That this Faith is ever upon the growing hand And so God will shew himself righteous in making good his Promise for the increase of faith The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith that is in causing Gods People to grow from one degree of faith to another The like phrase is used Psal 84.7 They all go from strength to strength that is from one degree of strength to another So 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into the same image from glory to glory that is from one degree of glory to another Note God is righteous in causing his People to grow in faith according to his Promise It is true that by faith we are first grafted and planted into Christ as the Gospel speaks And it is as true that the Psalmist speaks They that are once planted in the house of the Lord shall grow and flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92.13 14. And why so what is the Reason of this growth in Faith and Grace It follows in the very next words ver 15. To shew that the Lord is upright and that there is no unrighteousness in him The very same in effect with that expression of Paul The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 and therefore the next way to increase faith is to act faith in these and the like Promises which God hath purposely made for the increase thereof 3. The Sacrament The third Means is the Sacrament especially the Sacrament of the Lords Supper This is the Sacrament of Confirmation for the Word begets Faith and the Sacrament is the Seal of the Word and the Seal of the Covenant or the visible Word Rom. 4.11 and so it confirms Faith Men do not use to set a Seal to a Writing or to a Covenant before the Parties be agreed or to make them agree but to stand as a sure Testimony of their former agreement or stipulation each to other and that they may the better trust one another for the real performance of the Covenant on both sides So God doth not ordain this Seal to be set to a blank before there be any Covenant made for what is that but to mock God and to tell a real lie to seal to a Covenant when there is no such matter betwixt God and the Soul but God ordained it to confirm our Faith in the Covenant already made And we may say of Gods Seal what the Scriptures speak of Gods Oath it is for Confirmation Heb. 6.18 19. Wouldst thou have thy Faith confirmed and strengthned O come in faith If God ordain Rams-horns for the pulling down the Walls of Jericho Josh 6.5 Lamps for the overthrow of the Midianites Judg. 7.20 Jordan for the curing of Naamans Leprosie 2 King 5.10 Pulse for the nourishing of the three young men Dan. 1.12 These means shall be effectual and so shall the Sacrament Onely let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Examine you 'll say What should he examine Examine two things in order to the Sacrament Let him examine his Meat and let him examine his Mouth and his Stomack 1. Let him examine his Meat whether he can see and discern the Lords body under those Elements or no for he that doth not so 1 Cor. 11. stands guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ in profaning that holy Ordinance which is
Honourable Work It is the most honourable Work and it is the most Honourable Work 1. Because in this Work a man hath the most honourable fellow-labourers not onely the Angels of Heaven as we heard before but the God of Heaven Jesus Christ himself was a Minister and Preacher as well as a Purchaser of the New-Covenant Hence we are said in this great Work to be fellow-labourers and fellow-workmen together with God himself 1 Cor. 3.9 2. 'T is an honourable Work because 't is conversant about the most excellent Object The Souls of men one Soul being more worth than all the world They that are imployed in securing the Estates of men as Lawyers and Magistrates or in preserving the Bodies of men as Physicians are or in preserving the Honours of men as Heralds and Historians are I dare not say but they have a lawful and an excellent Calling yea but not so excellent as those that are specially imployed in the conversion and salvation of the Souls of men Look as those men that were imployed in the Tabernacle in all cunning work of Silk and Purple and fine-twined Linen of Silver and Gold and Precious Stones they had a more honourable service than such as were imployed in Goats-hair in Rams-skins and Badgers-skins So such as are imployed for the good of Souls have a more honourable service than such as are imployed for the good of mens Estates Bodies or Names That 's the most excellent Work that is imployed about the most excellent Object What is the Body or what is the outward Estate of a man in comparison of his Soul Nay what are all the goods in the world to be laid in the Balance with the Soul the whole Globe of the Earth with all the glory of it in comparison of this is lighter than vanity He that well knew the worth of both hath said it What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Mat. 16.26 And if the loss of a Soul be so great a loss then the gain of a Soul must needs be as great a gain Doubtless the Salvation of Souls is the most excellent Work because it hath the most excellent Object 3. It is the most excellent Work because it works the most excellent Changes converting from sin to righteousness from hell to heaven Act. 26.18 II. Branch It hath the most honourable Reward Reas 7 And lastly It is the most excellent Work because it hath the most excellent Reward and this brings in the second part of the Doctrine It hath the most excellent Reward The Doctrine was this The turning of men unto Righteousness or The Conversion of Souls as it is the most excellent Work so it shall certainly be crowned with the most excellent Reward And what 's the Reward To shine as the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever And this proves it to be the most excellent Work for God shall reward men according to their works though not according to the merit of their work yet of his Free-grace according to the nature of their works Such is Gods method of Retribution that as you may reade mens sins in their punishment so you may behold the excellency of the work in the glory of their Reward As works of darkness shall be punished in the place of utter darkness so such as have been as John Baptist was burning and shining lights in the work of the Ministery they shall shine as the glorious lights of Heaven for ever and ever They did shine as stars here Rev. 1.20 12.1 therefore they shall shine as stars hereafter O how should the consideration of this great Reward quicken us up in the performance of the VVork for to that end doubtless it is spoken 'T is true we should labour in the Conversion of Souls were there no reward at all how much more then when it brings so great advantage every ways not onely to the person converted but to him also that is the Instrument of his Conversion They shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever O what a garland of Glory is put upon the Head of these Conquerours Beloved such as conquer but a Kingdom or two they think they gain much and sometimes they are so lifted up they know not what ground they stand upon though the VVord tells us they are set in slippery places But how do you think they would glory if they should conquer all the world And yet for my own part if I could but conquer one Soul and bring it home to Jesus Christ I should think I had cause in the strength of God to out-glory all such men one single Soul as we heard being more worth than all the world When all is done Soul-Converters are the greatest Conquerors under Heaven Thanks be to God which always and in every place causeth us to triumph in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 He is the best Conqueror indeed that brings the most Subjects unto Jesus Christ and he shall have the best Reward His head shall be compass'd with a Crown of Glory And thus have we seen the Truth of this Doctrine The turning of men c. Vse 1. Of Information Vse 1 The first Use Information of the dignity of the Ministery is to Inform us of the Dignity of that Calling whose proper work it is to convert Souls I mean the Calling of the Ministery If the Life of Faith be such an excellent Life then that Calling whose special work is to convert others to the Faith must needs be an excellent and honourable Calling I confess I could willingly have spared this Use wherein Ministers may seem to seek themselves were not God himself despised in the contempt of his Servants And Oh that we could bewail it with tears of blood Note that even some of those that cannot deny if they have any grace at all but that God wrought upon their hearts by the Ministery of the Word should now go about to disclaim their Parents contemning both the Ministery of the Word and the word of those Ministers whom sometimes they received as Angels of God yea even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.14 living above Ordinances contemning the Word and Messengers of God under pretence of magnifying the Spirit of God But this is no new thing It was just thus in the Apostles time he was fain to use this very Argument 1 Cor. 9.2 If I be not an Apostle to others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. As if he should say If you be true Converts I am a true Minister for you had no other Conversion but by the Ministery of that Word which I preached to you I will therefore press this Use with that solemn Charge of same the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God I confess there is
God commands his People to pity strangers because themselves were sometimes strangers in the Land of Egypt So should we not pity such as are strangers to God because we our selves were sometimes so I have heard of many a Drunkard and loose liver who being once converted would ever after pity those in the same condition admonishing of them and visiting them in their sickness and saying Well what do I know but such an one may belong to God as well as I What do I know but God may change his heart as well as mine This is the Apostles Argument Tit. 3.2 3. Shewing all meekness to all men for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. But afterwards the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards us appeared c. As if he should say Let us therefore be pitiful to the Souls of others as God shewed mercy to us who sometimes were as vile and sinful as any others And these are the Motives Quest But some may say What means should I use for the Conversion of Souls Answ I answer First make sure thy own conversion Means for the conversion of others 1. Being converted a mans self Luk. 22.23 And when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Then the Word comes in a lively manner That that comes from the heart is most likely to go to the heart Every life begets like to it self Propagation of kinde is natural to every Creature and so it is in Spiritual Life They that have this new Life desire to beget others to God I will not deny but an unconverted man may convert another but 't is very rare God usually delights to make use of such as are converted themselves and they have as great a delight to do the work Phil. 2.20 Tim thy who will naturally care for your estate And why so because Timothy was his natural son in the faith Mean 2 Make use of the Word for that 's the power of God to salvation Make use of the Word Rom. 1.16 and the incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.17 God delights not to work by other means though men be never so eloquent and therefore say of that as David of the Sword of Golias 1 Sam. 21.9 There 's none like that So may we say of the two-edged Sword of the Word of God that Sword There 's none like that in the cutting down of sin and the stone out of the heart Mean 3 Go out in Gods strength 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God Go in Gods strength to the pulling down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan Therefore be as diligent in Prayer as in Preaching if thou wouldst convert Souls 'T is our duty to labour but when all 's done the success is from God He that planteth is nothing 1 Cor. 3. nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Therefore be as earnest for Spiritual children as Rachel was for the children of her Womb Gen. 30. He onely can help Ministers to teach profitably Eph. 6.19 And for me that utterance may be given me that I may speak c. He onely can help People to hear with profit Psal 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit Mean 4 Look to thy Life as well as to thy Doctrine if thou wouldst convert Souls Teach by Life 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and to thy Doctrine for in so doing c. People observe what a mans hand speaks as well as what his tongue speaks Surely say they if this man were in earnest he would do as he speaks Mean 5 Observe the Disposition of those with whom thou dealest and become all things to all men Observe dispositions 1 Cor. 9.22 so far as thou canst with a good conscience that thou maist win some 1 Cor. 9.19 c. As Fishers bait their hook according to the season and kinde of the fish they are to take For Ministers are called Fishers of men and in that respect had need beg wisdom of God that we may so cast forth the hook and the Net of the Word that we catch men Mean 6 If thou wouldst convert men from their sins Convincing of sin labour first to convince them of sin that 's Christs method Joh. 16.8 that they may be wounded for their sins for the whole have no need of the Physician but the sick Mean 7 Hold forth the Promise of Grace and of Christ In the Promise offering Mercy Hold forth Christ in the Promise with all the freeness and openness of heart that may be to all that are willing to receive him wholly and intirely Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be called the children of God c. Rev. 22.17 Let him that will come and take of the water of life freely What dost thou know but whilst thou art speaking to the ear God may speak to the heart by his Spirit Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Mean 8 Work every part of the Word first upon thy own heart do not onely work it into thy head Work the word on thine own heart but work it into thy heart Ezek. 3.1 Son of Man eat that thou findest eat this roll and go speak c. As Nurses put into their own mouthes first Vse 4. Of Exhortation Vse 4 Exhortation to Ministers to preach in a Soul-saving way Exhortation to Ministers to preach in such a way as is most fit to win Souls to preach in a Soul-saving way not to stroke the ear but to strike the heart O thirst for Salvation of Souls Teach in such a way as is most sutable to the opening and unfolding of heavenly Mysteries Christ findes fault with the Scribes and Pharisees that they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men Mat. 23.13 So do they that either preach not at all or preach above the ordinary capacity of ordinary people who have Souls to save as well as other men we shall be no better than Barbarians to them 1 Cor 14. if we preach in a Language they understand not which may be as well in some kinde of English as in Latine or other Language Therefore we should remember the use of Language is just like the use of a Key which is nothing else but aperire quod clausum est to open that which is shut and therefore we do not esteem that the most excellent Key which is made of the most excellent Metal but that which is made of the best and fittest form in reference to the opening of the Lock So we should not esteem that the most excellent preaching that is made up of the finest and bravest stile but that which is fittest for the opening of the understanding by convincing the judgement
influence of faith into Consolation 288 to 292 Consolation what properly 292 Consolation from the touch of faith 292 293 The Word and Sacraments are the Brests of Consolation 393 394 395 Reasons why Consolation comes by faith 298 299 305 306 We must try our Comforts by our Graces and not our Graces by our Comforts See why 300 to 304 It is easier to be deceived in our Comforts than Graces 301 See Joy Papists rob of Comfort while of faith 321 Comfort from sense and sensual delights ends in sorrow 321 To refuse to be comforted by the Promises dishonors God 322 Comfort in false Doctrine and Prophets dangerous 322 Motives to live by faith the life of Comfort 323 Consolation brings activity of Obedience 323 There may be strong faith where little comfort 514 Constancy See Perseverance Gods constancy in his love a motive to perseverance 249 Conversation See Carriage Vnnecessarily imbraced with wicked ones hinders growth in grace 230 Conversion Vnbelievers rarely Convert others if they do they take no joy in it 39 The method of converting grace how it gradually proceeds from conviction of sin to a closing with Christ 521 522 Its not the Word without the Spirit which can convert 529 Conversion of Souls is a most excellent work for seven Reasons from 585 to 600 Such reproved who slight the converting of others 602 603 604 Exhortation to convert souls 606 Eight Motives to convert others from 607 to 610 Means for the conversion of others from 610 to 612 Exhortation to People to be willing to be converted and to attend on such means as are proper for it 612 613 614 615 616 The misery of such who are not converted 613 The happiness of converted ones 614 Objections of Discouragement answered 614 615 Thankfulness for our own and others Conversion 616 Conviction It is an act of the comforting Spirit though not an act of Comfort 272 The Spirit convinces of sin by opening and applying the Law 520 521 Covenant of Grace This is a cause of the Saints perseverance 238 Creature-inconstancy Faith triumphs over it 261 262 Curiosity Vain curiosity concerning heaven condemned 359 D Deadness of Spirit Gods Children subject to it 172 Causes of spiritual deadness which is fourfold 173 Sinful deadness springs from four privative causes and from four positive causes 173 Penal and probational deadness 174 Saints recover by faith out of deadness 174 175 Reasons why faith recovers out of deadness 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Motives to quicken under deadness 179 180 181 182 183 Means to quicken under deadness 184 185 186 187 Vide Vivification Death Die Faith in death 58 469 Six Reasons why believers die in faith 59 60 No need of faith after death 61 62 Christs death applied by faith a means of Sanctification 126 Greater happiness in the death than life of Believers 318 319 Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death from 368 to 373 Believers conquer Death in rectified opinion of it 370 Reasons why true Believers are loth to die 372 Desertion The just live by faith under desertion 50 Faith triumphs over fear of Divine desertion from 267 to 275 Desertion in appearance only 267 268 269 Desertion in respect of temporals onely 270 Desertion in respect of Spiritual means 271 Desertion in respect of Spiritual comforts 271 272 God deserts his people onely in accessory graces 273 274 Vide Forsaking Despair It is Reproved 358 359 It quits the Vse of the Ordinances 510 Desires Strong desires after Christ are the seeds of faith 533 Diligence It leads to assurance in the use of holy means 95 What it implies and how it breeds faith 541 Discipline Holy discipline and strictness the sphere of Comfort 297 to 300 Discouragement Faiths triumph over five main discouragements 261 Doctrines These are to be judged true or false as they slander or advance the life of faith 448 449 Doubting Frequency of it a sign of weak faith 571 Duration Faith must be acted as long as we live yet love excels it in duration 60 61 Duties Backwardness to holy duties and remissness in them is a sign of a weak faith 572 E Election It is a cause of perseverance 237 Doubting of Election hinders believing 505 Envy It is an Impediment of growth in grace 230 Establishment in Faith Reasons why we should labor to be establisht both in the Doctrine and Grace of faith 544 The benefit of Establishment in the faith ibid. Enemies which oppose the establishment of faith 545 Though faith cannot be lost yet God establishes in the use of means 545 Seven Means of establishing faith 548 to 556 See Keeping of Faith Eternal See Life Examination See Trial. Evidence of grace upon examination brings comfort 300 Examine two things in order to the Sacrament 577 Excellency Faiths excellency in two respects 62 63 The complicated excellencies of a believer 477 Example Examples of crowned Saints a means of perseverance 255 Experiences These called to minde breed assurance 96 They are a firm ground for future faith 409 Reasons for the deduction of faith from experiences 410 They are a means to increase faith 581 F Faith It s definition in eight branches 19 20 What it is to live by faith in five particulars 21 22 Faith Life and Christ come all together yet in order 23 Faith described in seven faculties of spiritual life 23 to 28 Why Saints live by faith rather then any other grace 28 29 30 Why no man can live but by his own faith 33 34 Caution in four particulars amplifying that truth 35 36 37 Restriction of it in four Considerations 38 39 Make much of faith as your life in troubles 64 65 True faith is known by its renewing and fructifying vertue 141 Faith is the root of holiness and fruitfulness 144 Faith resembles the expulsive faculty in the body 150 Faiths triumph over personal weaknesses 263 Its triumph over sinful distempers 264 Faiths triumph over uncertain events 264 265 Its triumph over fear of sinning or suffering 266 267 Its triumph over fear of divine desertion 267 268 See Desertion Faith reflects on Sanctity and Sincerity to comfort 299 Faith produceth comfort as it makes future good things to be as it were present 305 306 Want of acting faith in Gods Word and Works though there be the habit is a great cause of sadness 313 314 Faith is the mother and nurse of spiritual joy 328 Faith to be acted seven wayes for the increase of joy 328 to 334 Faith assures that eternal life is the Believers 341 How faith assures a Believer of heaven 342 to 351 Examination of true faith as it respects eternal life 362 Faith lifts up a man above the troubles of the world 377 382 383 Faiths manly choice or charm against prosperity 385 What are the Reasons why the Just must live by faith 398 to 417 Living by faith a very reasonable duty 399 Faith puts life into the Promises 400 Faith is a Saints security for
comfort yet a necessary qualification evidencing our right to comfort 297 298 Satan Satans rage should be a motive to perseverance 252 Satan is a great enemy to the comfort of the Saints 315 Reasons why Satan is such an enemy to faith 424 488 489 Satan presents and applies the Promises in a wrested sense and for licentious ends 511 512 Scriptures They are a staff to believing Pilgrims 403 Arguments to prove their Divine Authority 404 405 Accomplishment of Scripture-Prophecies is a whâ—tstone to sharpen our assent to their Divine Authority 406 407 There is all the reason in the world why we should believe the Scriptures 408 409 Sealing of the Spirit It is a consequent priviledge of believing 93 Security It is the off-spring of the Devil and Vnbelief 462 Security twofold Spiritual and Carnal 246 247 The Saints Security for a sevenfold treasure 243. 244 The best security for the best purchase 380 Seducers Their sleights to beguile unstable Souls 254 Seducers are the Devils Factors 604 Self Shifting self is shiftless folly 433 Self a great Impediment of faith 486 Its Cure 487 Self-love The blessing of it is a sign of growth in grace 205 206 There is a fivefold self contrary to the life of faith 431 432 433 Sense Living by Sense is a great impediment of faith 503 514 Sin It dishonours God and wrongs the Soul forsake it as the highest demonstration of ingratitude 393 395 Sins great defilement in five respects 155 Believers have sin remaining to be mortified 157 Life of sin lies in the will ergo subdue desires 158 Sin may revive where it is mortified 159 Comfort against the vigour and rigour of sin 169 170 Scandalous sins cause great sadness 312 Inordinate aggravation of sin sinks into sadness 312 313 Sincerity The excellency of sincere grace in that 't is durable 247 248 Sloth It recoils from the means of faith It s Cure 508 509 Society Good society is a means of begetting faith 533 534 535 Soul Eternal life of the Soul proved 356 357 See Life Eternal Speech Our speeches either condemn or justifie us 365 Spirit of God What its testimony and witness is 347 The Spirits testimony may be separated from its fruits 347 348 Difference 'twixt the Spirits in dwelling in Believers and common assistance in hypocrites 426 427 The Spirits perswasion out-weighs and quickens all means motives in drawing to Christ 454 455 We must pray for Gods free establishing Spirit 552 What Gods free Spirit is from what he sets believers free and how he establishes 552 553 554 555 See Free Spirit See Establishment Strength A believers strength 471 472 473 Strength to do duties and resist temptations a sign of growth 209 210 Strength to bear afflictions and injuries a sign of growth 210 211 Strength to bear others infirmities as also to shake off Ceremonies a signe of growth 211 Its part of our strength to be sensible of weakness 212 Success This in the improvement of natural life is fetcht in by faith and that in six respects 71 72 Sufficiency All sufficiency Self sufficiency Sole sufficiency in Christ 540 T Temptation The just live by faith in temptation 50 Satan tempts sinners to conceit God to be either all Mercy or all Justice 536 Yielding to temptations is a sign of weak faith 573 Such who tempt others to sin are Satans factors and shall have deep condemnation 604 605 Thankfulness Be thankful for the life of Justification 109 110 The Saints thankfulness for the blossomings of Eternal life 391 392 393 How that thankfulness is exprest 393 to 397 Thankfulness for faith with the grounds of it 449 Time The Just live by faith in respect of all the parts of Time 44 45. Tradition Traditional faith is unsound 40 41 Trial. True faith is tried by undergoing adversity 63 We must try our comforts by our graces and not our graces by our comforts 300 to 304 Triumph The triumph of damned Spirits over unbelievers 491 Troubles These are various yet the Saints live by faith in them 51 Manner of living by faith in troubles nine ways 55 56 Means of living by faith in troubles five ways 57 58 Trust Such reproved who say they trust God with their souls and yet cannot trust him for temporals 75 76 False trust on Creatures or Grace received hinders faith together with its Cure 498 499 V Valuation See Precious A Believer neither over nor under-values his natural life 74 Vision Vision of God fourfold 337 Perfect Vision causes perfect transformation ibid Vivification The liveliness of faith in the cure of spiritual deadness 171 What meant by Vivification 172 Reasons why the Just live by faith the life of Vivification 175 176 Four Arguments or Meditations whereby faith quickens 177 Reproof of such who act not faith for Vivification 178 179 Motives to Vivification 179 180 Means to live the life of Vivification 184 185 186 187 Trial of true faith by its vivifying power 187 188 189 Vide Deadness Unbelief Unbelievers Unbelief is a piece of pride 3 It makes the heart and condition not right 4 5 Unbelievers lead a sordid life 8 Unbelief is the spring of sadness 307 308 309 Unbelief was the root of mans first Apostacy 415 Their dead condition 423 Humiliation for Unbelief 459 Unbelief is the Goliah-sin 460 Unbelief grieves the Spirit but pleases the Devil 461 The monstrous brood of Unbelief 462 The Unbeliever is the greatest Time-server 464 Unbelief is a Stepmother to grace 465 Unbelief is the Nurse that maintains life in every sin and which binds it on the Soul 465 466 Unbelief is a merciless Sequestrator 466 The Arraignment of Unbelief 467 Unbelief is the greatest Self-murther 470 The contrariety of presumption and despair unite in the Unbelievers ruine 510 Naturally we have hard unbelieving thoughts of God 536 Unbelief is a going out from God into our selves 539 Unchangeable Gods unchangeable nature is the cause of the Saints perseverance 239 Union Signs of spiritual actions flowing from Union with Christ 124 125 Union with God is unchangeable 50 Unregenerate Their Soul is no fit soil for comfort 309 310 See Regeneration Unsetledness In Gods truth its a sign of weak faith 571 W Watching Watching over one another is a means of perseverance 255 Wealth How the Just shall live by faith for it 70 Wisdom The believer is the onely wise builder 474 The believer is never at a stand because Christ is his Wisdom 475 476 477 Word See Ordinances Faith applies the Word of Christ for Sanctification 128 129 The Word mixt with faith is a means of growth 227 228 The Word is one of Christs Brests 293 How the Word works faith 443 Cavilling and mocking at the Word is the Seal of Vnbelief 494 The Word is the life of faith 517 The Word and Spirit go hand in hand 518 The Word both the object and instrument of faith 518 Living above the Word is living by a deluded fancy and not by faith such are neerer Hell 518 The Word is appointed to work faith not miracles 519 Every divine Word is an object of faith especially the Promise 520 Attendance on the Word a means to increase faith 574 Worldly World Worldly-mindedness reproved 361 362 Worldly-mindedness springs from unbelief 464 The VVorld tries fair means and foul to hinder faith 489 Wordly examples of the multitude not to be follow'd 490 FINIS
unrighteousness 2. We may know it by the End of spiritual actions if it be the glory and honour of Christ and a care to preserve the things of Christ as the Members of the Body have a principal care of adorning and preserving the Head The Arm receives a blow to defend the Head so a living Member of Christ truly united to him as he goes to Christ for strength Phil. 4.13 so he refers all to the honour of Christ in conclusion another adventures himself far for the truth and cause of Christ as Paul Acts 20. Neither is my life dear unto me so I may fulfil the Ministery of Christ c. So in general Faith lives on Christ 2. In particular Or 2. In particular he lives by Faith in the Application Means 1. His Death 1. Of the Death of Christ for though we have benefit by the Birth of Christ Luke 2.10 11. as we shewed this day fortnight yet not so much as by his death and joy in birth onely in relation to his death He is born a Saviour i.e. one that shall die for your sins Rom. 5.10 Heb. 2.14 Through death he destroyed him that had power of death that is the devil Yet there is joy in his Birth as in the approach of a friend that comes to loose as out of Prison if we be in for Debt or Murther We then rejoyce when he comes to the door but onely in reference to paying of the Debt for if he should then turn back it would sad us the more So in this case Must Aarons ear and hand and foot be sanctified it must be done by the application of the Blood of the Covenant Exod 29.20 Thus our hearing thus our words thus our works thus our walking is sanctified in the application of the Blood of Christ Heb. 9 14. the Blood of Christ purge your consciences 'T is all the price of Blood 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us c. Faith sanctifies as by laying hold of the Blood and Death of Christ so of the Resurrection and Life of Christ Means 2. His Resurrection As the Resurrection of Christ is a Birth so he is called The first-born from the dead so the assurance of his Resurrection proved by the powerful government of the Church and of the whole World for the Churches sake in his Session at the Right-hand of his Father this begets a lively hope and so a spiritual new birth in us 1 Pet. 1.3 We are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Faith or Hope makes use of Christs Resurrection and this New birth of faith begets a New life of Sanctification Coloss 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ c. The love of Christ dying for us and rising for us and reigning for us acting all our affairs at the Right-hand of God his Father yea the love of Christ begetting of us to this lively hope by his Death and Resurrection all these constrain us to a holy life 2 Cor. 5. Ver. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that 15. He dyed for all that they which live should not live henceforth unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again Therefore 16. We live no more after the flesh i.e. with carnal and sinful affections And 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature a new man a regenerate person and hath a renewed conversation Therefore Wherefore because he seeing the love of Christ by the eye of Faith in dying for him and rising again this raiseth up his heart to newness of life As if he heard Christ perswading of him like as a tender-hearted mother perswades her childe per viscera by her own bowels If thou art my childe if thou dost own me for thy Mother then obey my commandments and follow my advice so saith the Apostle Col. 3. If ye be risen again with Christ if ye be partakers of a New Birth through the pangs of his Death and the power of his Resurrection if ye be his children if ye acknowledge God for your Father set your affections ow things which are above Phil. 3.20 and let your conversation be in heaven And so the just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Death and Resurrection of Christ 3. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Means 3. His Appearing and Judgment in the application of the Appearing of Christ and the Judgement of Christ 2 Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant c. Look as the warning of an Assize or Sessions makes one careful to provide themselves that their cause may be found good that they may be able to stand in Judgement so in this case The same argument see Tit 2.13 Live soberly righteously c. looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ And 1 Cor. 15. last Theâ—efoâ—e my beloved brethren be ye stedfast c. Wherefore for as much as ye know c. i. e knowing by faith or believing your labour one day shall not be in vain in the Lord. A cause of all sins is made not believing the Judgement 2 Pet. 3.3 4. Where is the Promise of his coming c and a cause of holy walking the believing of it ver 11 12. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all hâ—ly conversation and godliness looking for and hasting to the coming c. Therefore it is observable in Scripture where-ever almost there is mention of the last Judgement it speaks of Christs judging men by the fruits of Faith rather then by Faith it self that the believing of the last Judgement may stir us up to a holy life Mat. 25.35 c. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 there the Books are opened the Book of Gods Decree and yet men judged according to their works Think of this you that have to do in Judgement this day * other Books must one day be opened It may make a Felix tremble it may move all to be holy and righteous in all their actions Means 4. His Word 4. He lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification in the application of the Word of Christ Without Faith the Word profits not neither this nor any other way but being mixed with Faith Heb. 4.2 it is quick and powerful and mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10 4. to the pulling down of strong holds i.e. proud thoughts earthly thoughts unclean thoughts Joh. 15.3 Now are you clean through the word that I have spoken to you Psal 19. The word of the Lord is clean and endures for ever And as it is clean in it self so it is a cleansing word in the effect
supporting and chearing the hearts of his People in time of afflictions God comforts his People in this manner that they may comfort others by their own experience Like Birds that having found a heap of Corn never leave their chirping till they have called in their fellows to partake of their Banquet 2 Cor. 1.14 Blessed be God who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble by the self-same comforts whereby we our selves are comforted of God As if God should say to his afflicted fainting Servants Lo here is a Cordial from Heaven drink of it your selves and when you have done write upon it Probatum est and so commend it to your Christian friends Thou being converted and comforted strengthen thy brethren And these be the Reasons why God will have the just live the Life of Consolation 2. Why Consolations come by Faith 2. But then why are they said to live this Life by Faith There are many weighty Reasons of this also as Because Faith the hand that takes hold of this Cup it takes hold of the right object of Consolation or if you will Reas 1 First of all because Faith is a powerful hand to keep off all such things as are comfortable and so to arm us against all discomforts For that must needs be a great comfort that doth arm the Soul against all discomforts and so doth Faith for it is a supporting hand to our burthened Souls Faith is Omnipotent in the strength of God Nothing is impossible to him that believes Mark 9.23 An establishing hand to the wavering Soul it is a protecting hand to the weak Soul 'T is a Supporting Hand to the overburthened Soul 1. Faith is a supporting hand It is Faith that teacheth a man to cast the burthen of his care upon God Psal 37.5 And what a hearts ease and what a comfort is this They must needs have a light heart that are eased of such burthens Faith is like the Cup of Consolation which the Jews gave to the friends of the deceased that they may drink and forsake sorrow Jer. 16.7 Neither shall men give them the Cup of Consolation for their father Prov. 31.6 Give wine to those of heavy hearts 'T is an Establishing Hand to the wavering Soul 2. Faith is an establishing hand It cures the Soul of the Spiritual Palsie when it quakes and quivers up and down is full of fears and doubts and knows not where to fix or stay it self Fix thy self here saith Faith fix thy self upon God fix thy self upon his Word this will stay the wavering Soul as a Ship at Anchor in the midst of the winds and waves of Temptation Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul stedfast and sure which entreth into that within the veile I appeal to such as have been tost at Sea to tell you what a comfort it is to have a sure Anchor in a Storm and such is the comfort of a Christian by the Anchor-hold of his Faith Psal 112.6 7. Surely he shall not be moved for ever he shall not be afraid of evil tidings Why His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established he shall not be afraid So Faith is an establishing hand to a wavering Soul 'T is a Protecting Hand to the weak Soul 3. Faith is a protecting hand It is such a Hand as not onely holds a childe but it is a Shield it self to bear off all blows Now is it not a comfort to have such a Shield and such a Shield is Faith Eph. 6.16 It doth not onely bear off all blows from wicked men Psal 56.4 In God have I put my trust there is the Shield What follows I will not fear what flesh can do unto me but it bears off all blows from wicked Spirits Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one It is a safe guard from all evil Psal 99.9 Because thou hast made the Lord thy refuge even the most High thy habitation there shall no evil befal thee nor any plague come near thy dwelling Yea it bears off all blows from God it hath such a piercing eye it can see a Fathers heart under a seeming Enemies hand Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 And so the shield of Faith is not onely useful all our life but 't is Armour of Proof against the stroke of death And so it is a Protecting Hand to the weak Soul It is every way a powerful hand to arm against all discomforts and so an argument of no small comfort to a true believer Reas 2 The second general Reason why the just lives the Life of Consolation by his Faith Why Consolation comes by Faith is Because Faith is a Powerful Hand to draw into the Soul all necessary Comforts Faith lays hold on the right Object of Consolation it lays hold on that God who is the Fountain of all light and life Psal 36.9 With thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light 1. Faith lays hold on God the Father 1. Faith lays hold on God the Father who is called the Father of Mercies and the God of all comfort and consolation the Beginning of all Divine Operations As all Rivers come from the Sea so all streams of Comfort come from God the Father 2. Faith lays hold on God the Son 2. Faith lays hold on God the Son as the Conduit-pipe or Channel through whom all comfort is derived from God the Father to the Souls of his People For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell that of his fulness we might receive as grace for grace so comfort for comfort for he was anointed with the oyl of gladness as well as with the oyl of grace above his fellows that he might appoint to them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of praises for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.3 And hence it is that Christ is called The Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 because all Gods People receive their comfort from him As all Stars borrow their light from the Sun so all the Saints borrow their light from him who is called The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings But how do they receive this comfort from Christ it is by Faith for Christ dwells in their hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 As he is a comfortable guest so 't is Faith that receives him and bids him welcome when he is come 3. Faith lays hold on God the Holy Ghost Gal. 3.2 3. Faith lays hold on God the Holy Ghost Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith As if he should say