spirit in those that have true Grace To that I Answer First There may be a difference discerned by that which hath been said there is somthing is constant Whether is that which lay at the root of grace in you still there If you do not find those two things constant viz. An approving of the life and power and strictness of godliness and a savor of that which is spiritual either in Ordinances or in Gods People all your good moods in the world though your hearts be never so up wil not discover the truth of grace Secondly Those that have only some good moods at some time and no bottom of any true grace they in their good moods are not humbled for that which was failing in them before their hearts indeed are somtimes up and they bless themselves in that but now this doth not make them look back how it was heretofore with them and to be ashamed and humbled for the wretchedness and distempers of their hearts formerly but where the heart is up for God in those that have truth of grace when their hearts are most up then they make use of this to be abased and humbled in their own thoughts for the deadness and distemper that was in their hearts before the good moods of others rather puff them up than further any work of humiliation for any evil that was in them before they think these good moods now and being in a good temper shall satisfie God for their evil distempers that were in them before But it is not so with a gracious heart a gracious heart when it does get up it makes use of this work of God upon it to be ashamed and confounded in its self for those evil distempers that were in it before The more the heart is up the more discovery it hath of its own baseness and vileness and wretchedness which others when their hearts are up have not Thirdly Gods People when their hearts are up that doth bring gracious discoveries of God unto them and of those things that do wonderfully spirituallize their hearts others though they have their hearts up they only have some affections but in those good moods of theirs they have not those Heavenly discoveries of God so as to purge their hearts and spirituallize their hearts and make their hearts to be more heavenly as it doth the godly Fourthly Those that have only good moods and no truth of grace when they have their good moods they are not by them carried out of themselves to a principle beyond themselves but they rest in the workings that they feel in their hearts whereas a gracious heart when God raiseth his heart and puts it into a better frame this carries it out of it self to a principle beyond it self and it dare not rest in those stirrings and workings it finds for the present to think now I am safe and well because of them but by these it is carried beyond it self Fiftly Where there are only good moods and not the truth of the work of grace they do not work so seasonably and orderly as the breathings of Gods spirit in his servants do but the breathings of a gracious heart coming from the spirit of God it works seasonably and orderly in their hearts when there is a spiritual use of them in that hour shall it be given to you saies Christ the spirit shal come upon you when you have most use whereas in others their good moods work only according to outward occasions and as means come in but now at those times when they have most use of them they are furthest from them Sixtly Where the heart is right and truly godly and God comes and breaths in it more than formerly such a one wil watch over it self and wil not be secure after this but the other grow less watchful and more secure upon such moods Seventhly Those that are truly gracious though they do not find their hearts up alwaies alike yet when they find their hearts down they count it their sickness and their disease and it is the disquiet and trouble of their spirits whereas others that have only some moods they are not sensible of their hearts being down as their sickness and disease and the burden and trouble of their souls Lastly In those that have grace when their hearts are up at any time it is but a preparation for some further service others having but moods their hearts being up this is the period of all their godliness in which they rest but the godly when their hearts are up at some time more than at others it is but a preparation for further Service 1 Chron. 29.18 The hearts of the people were up and David blest God for it and saies he prepare their hearts unto thee unsound hearts would say now our hearts are up and we have offered thus freely are we but in a preparation Yet David praies to God to prepare their hearts as if all their heart and affection at that time was but a preparation to further duty and this is the difference between the good moods of the greatest Hypocrite that come to the highest pitch and the difference between the breathings of Gods Spirit and by these means only presented to you it may be some help to discern the difference between good moods at some time and the different breathing of Gods Spirit in his people CHAP. 17. Containing the Third Vse of Direction branched into four particulars 1 If couragious and fit for service give God the praise Four Reasons for it 2. Learn to rebuke unbelief 3. Labor to keep your hearts up The manner how that may be done in eight particulars 4. Improve this gracious working of God USE 3. THirdly If there be such difference between the hearts of Gods People at some times and at other times This is an Use of Direction to all the people of God that are acquainted with this difference of Gods breathing upon their hearts in these Four Particulars First When you find your hearts up more at some times than at other times give God the glory Secondly Learn to rebuke your Unbelief Thirdly Labor to keep your hearts up Fourthly Improve this great working of God First If so be you find your hearts more up at one time than at another as Gods People do find much difference and can say somtime let my Beloved come into his Garden give God the glory and praise of it for it is a great mercy For 1. It doth prevent and deliver you from abundance of danger you were in when your hearts were down if a temptation had come what abundance of danger had you been in now God hath prevented that danger 2. If your hearts were right when they were down then you powred out your complaints to God of the deadness of your hearts now if God be come in it is a fruit of your seeking God and of your humiliation before the Lord now that which comes in as a fruit of
some notes to shew you who those are that are delivered from this Egypt by Faith And who those are that seem to be delivered upon other grounds 1. Those that are delivered by Faith are those that are wel grounded in the Doctrinal and maine points of Religion Faith can never work off the soul from the Government and Ceremonies of Antichrist unless it be well grounded in the doctrine and principles of Religion if I see men crie out of Antichrist and of the Government of Antichrist and it appears that they have not a competent measure of knowledg in the grounds of Religion and Principles of Faith they are to be suspected As many come and examine them about Church Government and they wil tell you a great deale not but that Christians should labor to have knowledg in that but come to examine them the Principles of Religion and there they are silly and ignorant if they be not grounded in them it appears it is not a work of Faith 2. If it be a work of Faith it is a work of much Humiliation and Prayer was there a time you were under the power and bondage of Antichrist how came you from under it did God shew you the evil of it and you sought God in much Humiliation and prayer for the taking off your hearts from it and shewing you his good way and did you find your hearts comming off was by that meanes that is a good argument it was of Faith but many their Consciences tell them it was not a work of Humiliation and Prayer that brought off their hearts they are to be feared 3. If it be a work of Faith it alwaies le ts in light as in the point of the government of Christ many cry out against Antichristian government and come and examine them about it and they have no more light no other arguments nor further understanding then before but only a bitterness of spirit against it If a man grow bitter against those things which before he yeilded too he had need have more light but if they grow exceeding bitter against them and have no further light and understanding then before it is an argument it is a distemper of heart rather then any thing else And therefore casting off all at once is very suspitious where it is of Faith God lets in light by degrees It s said of Luther in his reformation First he saw the evil of one thing and then the evil of another and so by degrees saw the evil of all And so those that forsake the bondage of Antichrist By Faith first God makes them suspect their way surely this is not the right way there is some better way and then they fall a praying and humbling of themselves and they fall examining and so they come to see the evil of one thing and then they examine another and so light comes in by degrees and then their hearts rise against them and if according to the measure of Light that you have your hearts do come off that is a good signe 4. If you break from Antichrist by Faith it will make you a Separate from the world aswel as Separate from them Many are Separates from any thing that hath but the least dependancy upon Antichristian government but they conform themselves to the world that there appears no difference between them and the world in their loose courses that man that is a conformist to the world is not a Non-Conformist to Antichrist by Faith 5. If Faith take you off from the bondage under Antichrist it wil take you off from the bondage under any lust That man that hath not the power of Faith to take him off from any Lust That man is not by Faith taken off from the bondage of Antichrist If Faith delivere from the bondage under Antichrist it will deliver from the bondage under Sin and Sathan and therefore though men do crie out of the bondage of Antichrist never so much and yet they go on under the bondage of any Lust it is not of Faith 6. That Soul that is taken from under the power of Antichrist by Faith is subject to the power and goverment of Christ and the Word If Faith takes from the one it puts under the other nothing but the Word can be the ground of Faith and if Faith takes a Soul from under the bondage of Antichrist Such a Soul finds the Word comes with divine power and majesty upon the heart and it laies a trembling heart under the power and majesty of the Word and it dares not goe from it no not in no other thing You plead for the Word in such and such things but there are other things you do not yield to the power of the Word in this is very suspitious Those that by Faith are brought from the power of Antichrist their hearts are put mightily under the power of the Word and they ly with trembling spirits before the majesty and Authority of the word 7. If it be Faith that takes off the Heart such a one is not content that he is taken from under the Antichristian government unless he meetes with Christ in the Ordinances he does not content it self with the bare huskes and to make all his Religion to consist meerly in Church discipline and Church constitution and to think therefore he hath Religion enough because he hath the Ordinances and yet never finds any panting of Heart after union and communion with Christ Jesus in this way of Church Government but goes on from year to year mearly in the outward performances of Religion I do not speak against the thing it self but to shew it is not of Faith if men do not pant after union with Christ if they be not sensible of the want of it and do not labor for the enjoyment of it 8. If it be Faith that brings thee from this way certainly thou wilt grow more Spirituall As thy heart will pant after Christ so there wil be a Spiritualness of thy Soul in the waies of Christ because thou comest neerer to the rule And this is the difference between Actions of Religion and civil Actions civil Actions that are done by civil rule have not alwaies success but a Spirituall Action that is done by the rule that hath a Spirituall success though not an outward success it does make the heart ever more Spirituall But for people though they be come from the yoake of Antichrist yet to be as dead as ever no more Spiritualness in their way then before no more savour of Godliness in their society and company then before those that knew them before can say I knew them a great deale more spirituall and savoury in that which is good then they are now This is a dangerous thing 9. Againe If it be out of Faith such a one will give all the glory unto God for his deliverance and he wil walk humbly in his own eyes and think I was disobedient and wretched and should have gone on in that way but God by his grace and power hath come and hath taken off my heart and it does magnifie the grace of God It doth not perke up it self and contemne others to think I have got more wisdom and understanding then others and so attribute it to his wit and understanding but it gives the glory to God and instead of censuring others he prays for them and saies it is not all the arguments under Heaven can convince them for I had arguments enough but they were all as nothing til it pleased God by his Grace to set them upon my heart and so though they may see arguments as wel as I they will not do Therefore he pitties others and prays for them and he hath a reverent respect to the Grace of others though they be not in the same way that he is in he doth not presently cast them off saying surely there is no Grace and Godliness in them this is a signe of a proud spirit there are none that are gracious but know there was a time when they went on in that way and yet they did not goe against their light but were willing to understand Gods mind and yet til God came in their hearts were not taken off and therefore they learn to have good thoughts of those that are godly though in other waies But especially if it were out of Faith that you were brought from this Antichristian Bondage it will not leave in thee the Spirit of Antichrist many are far from being under Antichristian bondage and yet have an Antichristian Spirit a Spirit of pride a domineering Spirit a Crooked Perverse Spirit and this is a great evil that in the way of Christ there should be manifested an Antichristian Spirit this should be lamented with tears of blood Now so much as an Antichristian spirit does rule in any though they be from under his Goverment so much it is to be suspected it was not the work of Faith but somwhat else that took them off We should have the spirit of Christ the spirit of Love and Humillity and gentleness and peace and as we would make it appear we are taken off from the yoak of Antichrist by Faith let us shew the Spirit of Christ as Faith hath taken us off from Antichristian power so we should exercise Faith to go on in the waies of Christ as beseems those that are delivered from Antichristian power FINIS Eorum certitudo A. Mont. Interliâ—
were another matter if you had gone through those fears and yet were bold but a beleeving soul may say yea Lord the gates of death and the shadow of death hath been in some measure made known to me and yet I am bold The Prophet saith in Jer. 17.17 Be not thou a terror to me for thou art my hope in the day of evil Lord let me be delivered from thy terror and all the world shall not terrifie me Those that have been brought up delicately and know not what any danger means if they heare of any commotion and danger they tremble but those that are used to warrs that continually heate the noise of Cannons and see the affrighting objects and desperate things that are there they are not so soon made affraid because they have been where terrors have been and have been delivered from them and so a beleeving soul hath been acquainted with other manner of terrors than the terrors of men and faith delivering from them will deliver from these Fourthly Faith helps against the feare of men and all dangers and evils by implanting the true feare of God in the soul Where faith comes as it brings all grace with it so it brings the grace of the feare of God and the reason of al disorderly feare in the world is for want of the true fear of God I do not meane the fear of his wrath but that reverence that we owe to God as creatures to the Creator that fear of God wherein a great part of Gods worship consisteth if the soul were possessed with that other fears would vanish As in other afflictions True spiritual joy will overcome carnal joy and the best way to cure carnal joy is to have the heart possessed with spiritual joy many take content in the flesh but they never come to have their carnal joy mortified till their souls be filled with spiritual joy And therefore though in the time of sickness They cry out against their carnal joy it is not mortified but they returne to it again because they had only the conviction of conscience that their carnal joy was naught but had not a contrary stream to fil their hearts And so for sorrow There is no way to mortifie carnal sorrow as to sorrow for sin and so for desires no way to mortifie sinful creature desires as to have desires Sanctified for God As in other afflictions so in that of fear no such way to mortifie carnal sinful fear as to have the true fear of God planted in the heart As Moses when the rod was turned into a Serpent the Magicians turned their rods into serpents but the text saith in Exod. 7.12 that Moses Serpent did devour the Magicians Serpents So there is enough in the true feare of God to take up al the soul that it hath no space for the fear of Man As when God is truly worshipped there he is only worshipped so when God is truly feared there he is only feared and all other fears are in subordination to that Where God is truly feared nothing else is feared and indeed nothing else need be feared As where God is not feared no creature can help us so where God is feared no creature can hurt us in Hosea 10.3 Because we feared not the Lord What then should a King do to us so on the contrary because we feare the Lord what then can a King what can all the power in the world do against us Fiftly Faith doth discover unto the soul that it hath more with it than against it You know the Prophets man was affraid when he saw their enemies about them ready to apprehend them the Prophet prayed to the Lord to open his eyes and to let him see in 2. Kings 6.16.17 There were more with him than against him So till a mans eyes are opened by faith he may see many enemies against him to cause fear but when God doth open the eyes of his Soul to see more with him than against him all fears are gone It sees al the Attributes of God all the waies of Gods Providence all Angels all creatures working for the good of it and so it sees more with it then against it If a child or man be alone in danger he is affraid but when he comes into the company of his freinds that hath more with him than against him he is not affraid So by the eye of faith we see more with us than against us and that frees from feare Sixthly Faith keeps from feare by bringing in the spirit of Jesus Christ into the Soul and makes the Soul partaker of the spirit of Christ Now Christ is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Revel 5.5 He was full of courage and did not feare any thing which opposed him in his way now every Christian doth partake of the Lion-like spirit of Christ and hath something of it in him and that puts strength courage into him In Isa 11.2 We read of the spirit of Christ that he was anointed withal the spirit of wisdom and understanding spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledg and the fear of the Lord. Wheresoever the spirit of Christ is there is a spirit of might and strength that will not easily yeeld to feare It is a sign of a poor low spirit to ly down and feare every thing that is never so little feareful but a spirit that is magnanimous and a raised spirit wil not easily feare The spirit of Christ is a magnanimous glorious spirit he hath the same spirit with his Father and so those that are Christs come to have the same spirit of the Son and of the Father with them And therefore saith Saint Paul in 2 Tim. 1.7 We have not received the Spirit of fear but of power The Spirit of Christ hath a great deal of power and strength in it and when faith brings in the spirit of Christ it must needs help against fear Seventhly Faith helps against feare by taking off the heart from the creature and from all the comforts that are in it Why doth a man feare but because he thinks the creature wil take away some comfort from him now if the heart be taken off from the creature and the comforts of it and so from creature evils neither esteeming the one nor accounting much of the other there is not much cause why he should feare now faith takes off the heart from the creature In Revel 12.11 It is spoken of those that overcome Antichrist that they loved not their lives and if they were taken off from the love of life then by consequence they were taken of from the love of any creature It is a notable speech that Chrisostome hath concerning a worldly man None more miserable and more feareful than a man that is fastned to earthly things for saith he he doth continually live the life of care and of trembling but when faith comes it takes off the heart from being fastned to the creature and
therefore they do not feare Tenthly Where audaciousness is but natural it appears more outward then it is inward but by faith men are less feareful inwardly then it appears outwardly faith doth more cure fear within then it is able to express courage and boldness without but your natural audacious people know though they speak great words and make proud braggs yet within their hearts do tremble but it is not so where there is true faith There is an aspersion cast upon Gods people because they are forward in Gods cause They are bold impudent fellows and those that are bold and impudent they go away as the men that have the only courage now the scope of that I say is to shew that Gods people are not impudently bold but hold by the grace of God that comes from his spirit and is maintained by faith and others though they be bold in many things yet they are far from this excellent spirit that Gods people have CHAP. 10. Sheweth How far we may lawfully avoid danger without fear of men 1. Religion doth not teach men to be foolish or desperate 2 The care of a Christian ought to be to do his duty rather then to avoid danger which may fal out in his duty 3 When God brings his people into danger he intends more to exercise their graces then to try their discretion 4 Though danger may be avoided yet it is more honorable for a Christian to be called to exercise Faith Courage Patience and in a way of suffering then his prudence in avoiding it 5. Take Care of mistaking discretion which is not wont to abate the vigor of Gods Graces but to improve and increase them 6. A Christians greatest endeavor should be to get his will to submit to God THe last thing that is to be opened in the explication of the point is this Faith helps against the feare of danger and the feare of man Object But some may say that which you have said hitherto may seem to embolden men to rush into dangers this is the plea of many that bring themselves into dangers and rush upon their ruine we must not be affraid of men Answer To that I answer Religion doth not teach men to be foolish or to be desperate it is too much boldness for any man to think God should give him assistance in foolish desperate rash ways It is a speech of Cyprian God would rather have us stay to manifest our faith til we are called by him and see him go before us then that we should go upon our own heads Faith as it hath the word evermore for its ground and bottom in that great act of it interesting the soul in the Covevenant of Grace so it hath the word for the ground of it in every action it puts the soul upon We have a notable text for this in Prov. 10.8 The wise in heart wil receive Commandements but a prating fool shal fal the wise in heart those that are truly gracious receive commandements before they rush into danger they wil stay for the commandement for the word but a prating fool shal fall one that will boldly venture himself in danger in speaking before he is called unto it he shal fal in it he must not expect the assistance of God in it Quest But if we must not feare man may we not flee from danger may we not labor to deliver our selves from it when it comes we must not rush into danger but suppose we see danger before us may we not flee from it and avoid it before it comes if we must not feare the creature must we deliver our selves from it Answ First I shall give some general answers unto it and then I will come more closely to answer to that case of conscience concerning fleeing from danger For a general answer unto this consider these five things Your question is whether a Christian may not flee danger I answer First That the greatest care of a Christian ought to be to do his duty rather then to avoid danger that may fal out in his duty we should be more affraid of our own base earthly cowardly unbeleeving hearts then we should be affraid of any evil that the malice and power of al the men in the world and Devills in hell can being upon us No Christian is in so much danger of evil from the malice and power of al the men in the world and Devils in hell as he is in danger of mischeif from his own heart and that man that doth not feare himself and his own vile heart more then he doth al the power and malice of the men of the world and the Devils in Hell he doth not yet know his heart It is a greater judgment to be delivered up to a mans own heart then to be delivered up to the malice of al the enemies we have in the world yea it is a greater judgment to be delivered up to ones own heart then to be delivered up to the Devil himself Those that are so sollicitous to deliver themselves from the danger and evil of the power of men let them first labor that the strength of their Sollicitousness be to deliver themselves from the danger and evil of their own hearts Secondly You ask this question whether you may not flee danger I answer when God doth so dispose of things as to bring his people into danger usually God intends more to exercise faith and courage and patience then to exercise discretion though it call for both and that which is Gods usual cheif intent should be our chief care when as the care of most Christians in the time of Danger is more to exercise their discretion for their safety Then to exercise faith courage and patience that God calls most for Thirdly Grant that the danger may be avoided yet a Christian should count it a more honorable thing to be called to exercise faith courage and patience in a way of suffering then to be called forth to exercise his discretion in avoiding of suffering Indeed God doth not cal at all times to that which is the most honorable service yet a Christian should account that more honorable and not bless himself that his condition is better then others because God calls others to suffer and there gives them an opportunity to exercise faith and courage and patience and that he gives him liberty to avoid suffering wherein he gives me an opportunity to exercise my discretion and wisdom I am to count them the most honorable Christians that do suffer Fourthly When God doth call for the exercise of discretion in avoiding suffering there must be a great care in Christians not to mistake their discretion to think that the work of Christian wisdom and discretion is to abate the vigor and activity and strength of any grace of Gods spirit But the work of it doth consist in the managing improving and increasing of al the graces of Gods spirit There is a great mistake
flee either you find in your hearts you shall deny the truth of God or you have done it or you know not whether you shal or no if you find in your hearts you shal deny the truth you have done it already but if you know not whether you shal or no says he it is in your own power or in Gods power to uphold you if it be in your owne power why should you not rather think you should stand for the truth of God if it be in Gods power why do you not depend upon God But I bring this to shew that if you already think you cannot stand for the truth you have declined already 4. A fourth miscarriage is this when people in their fleeing look at their own safety but do not take care to fit themselves for further future service for God or for suffering afterwards if God shal at any other time cal them to it never minding to make their chamber of hiding to be a place of provision for suffering afterward when God shal cal to it 5. Know a man may flee out of cowardlyness and a man may flee out of faith Moses by faith forsooke Egypt Quest But how shal a man know when he flees that it is of faith and not of cowardliness Answ First That which is by faith it is not in a violent rash and heady way in the hurrying and confusion of a mans spirit in his Flight he doth not run as one scared by common fire or by the enemies coming upon them no but his Fleeing to avoid danger being from faith it is in a quiet setledness of spirit and for that take these two scriptures The first is that which before was named in Psal 3.5 I laid me down and slept He did not Flee as a man agasted but he was in the way that God opened to him and his spirit was very quiet he laid him down and slept And again that which is observed by one in 1 Kings 19.8 Concerning Elijah Fleeing he arose and went he did not run eagerly but he went on in the strength of that meate in the way that God would have him the phrase denotes a quietness and sedateness of spirit so those that Flee by faith do it with much quietness of spirit being contented with the hand of God and not with bitterness and vexation of spirit as many wil do because conscience wil urge them they must Flee or suffer and they dare not go against the dictate of Conscience but will Flee but they wil do it with abundance of bitterness of spirit A man thinks with himself There was a time I lived and had al outward accommodations a house and estate and trading and meanes coming in and all my freinds about me what a comfortable condition is this and now I must break off all and go into a strange land among strange people and I know not what shall become of me this is far from that contentedness of spirit that should be in leaving al for the cause of God whereas Christians should not only go on in a way of contentedness but with joyfulness because Fleeing is suffering 2. Again where Fleeing is a work of faith such a man or woman that Flees from danger wil Flee with such a disposition of spirit as he is willing to returne again to witness for Gods truth if God calls him though now he doth not see his call clear Chrisostome speaking upon this text of Moses Fleeing seems to take it for his first Fleeing when he had slaine the Egyptian and when it came to be known he Fled from Egypt but says he the scripture saith Moses was affraid and here it says he was not affraid to that he answers thus The Scripture says he was affraid but now it is not attributed to feare because though when he was affraid yet he had a heart willing to returne when God should cal him he did feare because he did not see his call cleare yet he went away with such a disposition of heart willing to witness in Gods cause when he called him to it therefore the Scripture says he was not affraid 3. It is an argument I Flee out of Faith when I do but make that receptacle a chamber to fit me for suffering and make use of al the liberty I have to get such a heart to returne when God shal cal this is a Fleeing that is rather to be attributed to faith then to fear Seventhly For the case of those that are in publick office in Magistracy and Ministry great care is to be had in their Fleeing they above al men should most venture themselves yet in some cases Magistrates and Ministers may Flee and avoid danger As the people would not suffer in 2 Sam. 21.17 David to go out to warr Least the light of Israel should be put out It is a notable expression Augustine hath upon that in his epistle to Honorius says he he would have gone he would not of himself have abstained from the danger least others should have been imitators of his sluggishness but it was their work to keep him from it But now to speak especially of the case of a Minister whose tye is most to stand out against danger in dangerous times he is not very readily to Flee especially when the persecution is general and Saint Augustine hath notable expressions about this in his epistle that he writ to Honorius in answer to this question being against it He that is weake shal perish by that knowledg saith the Apostle in Cor. 1. S. 11. no he that is weak shal perish by thy ignorance rather Again says he There is more cause to feare that the living Stones of Christs building should be demolished we fleeing then that the stones of the buildings of our earthly houses should be set on fire we being present Againe saies he Let us rather feare that the members of the body of Christ being destitute of their spiritual food should be hurt then that the members of our bodies by the violence of our enemies should be tormented and never so afflicted But if it be so then consider this First You that are the people you must not lightly forsake a Minister neither if Ministers are so tyed to you in time of danger as they must venture themselves for your good surely people are not at liberty to depart from their Ministers for the tye is a mutual tye You wil say there is a difference between the Minister and another member it is true in regard of use but if you come to the tye the tye of another member is as real and strong as the tye of a minister As in the body the eye is of more use then the hand yet somtimes the hand may preserve life more then the eye and though it be of more use the hand is as strongly and as truly tyed to the body as the eye yea take al the members conjunctive and there is a greater tye upon them
stay to suffer and the bottome is because they are loath to suffer so much presently as the departing from their country and shops and estates is Peter Martyr in a treatise of his about fleeing from persecution gives a notable answer to those people and hath a pretty expression to set out the temper and humour of those people It is like to many that are diseased and the disease is such as there must be the cutting off of a Limbe or the induring some great extremity to cure it one that is delicate and loath to endure hardship if he can but get any one to plead his cause that this is not the way to cure this disease to put the patient to such pain it may be cured by more gentle means and it were better for to venture with more gentle meanes then to cut off a Limb now some through their loathness to indure some present certain paine wil venture to have it cured with more gentle meanes though at length it cost them their lives So some because they are loath to indure so much certain present trouble as to part from their Countries and Estates they rather venture with more gentle meanes when as many times they grow to deny the truth and to defile their consciences with superstitious things and shamefully to subject them unto others But why do not they stay to suffer may be their time is not come as Christ saies in another case if they had seen their time come they should have been as willing to stay as others Againe if they should stay they should shew themselves unthankfull for the providence of God in opening to them a doore to injoy the ordinances otherwhere Againe they dare not stay because they should tempt God and trust in their own strength if they should stay and have not Gods call they could not expect Gods strength and they know their own weakness Objection 3. But is not God Alsufficient and able to help in the greatest dangers Answ 1. Certainly if it were compared who trusts in Gods power most I beleeve it may be found that those that do fly to avoid danger have more exercise of their faith in trusting in Gods power then many that stay and plead in that manner as if so be we had not much need of the power of God for to support us and releeve us and the trusting in Gods power for that is as much as an ordinary Yea a strong faith is able to do 2. Again we must take heed of stretching Gods power to work according to our minds God hath power enough for the releife of his people and he will put it forth for the defence of his people but if we wil think to bring Gods power to work for our wills it is not beleeving but presumption if God will put forth his power in the upholding that way that he is in Who art thou man or Woman to think God should put forth his power in the upholding thy way Besides God will put forth his power in the use of meanes Object 4. But then we leave to give Testimony to the truth and is not the giving Testimony to the truth of God more worth than our estates Answ 1. Fleeing is giving witness and those that plead against it are loath to give so much witness for a man to leave his estate and Country for a truth is not that witness 2. Besides being absent they may by their writing or by their practice give witness they may be reserved to give witness further Object 5. But many of Gods deare servants as the Martyrs had power to flie and they would not Answ 1. To that I answer first may be there were many engagements upon them God did not loose al the tyes they had 2. Besides secondly much doth depend on circumstances which a Christian that is faithful by compareing one thing with another may see in which most of Gods glory is 3. It may be they felt some extraordinary work of Gods spirit in them in away of assistance and comfort and emboldning of them so as their example cannot be drawn into a general rule Object 6. But what shal become of those that are left behind if others that have abilities forsake them Answ 1. To that I answer first by the example of those that fly what to do if God open a door But if it be said they cannot Flee To those I answer 2. Secondly though they cannot Fly they may be confirmed in a truth by others that do depart and are willing to suffer so much for the truth in their departures and that more perhaps than they would have been by many exhortations 3. And Lastly I answer if God shut the door against them that they cannot flie and open the doors to others though their parts and graces be weak if they be faithful they may comfortably expect that God wil provide for them and come in with more blessings and more assistance than those that have strong parts and strong graces could have expected if they had not taken the way that God opened for them Object 7. But if men would stay a while the clouds may blow over but they are fearful and cannot stay Answ To that I answer we should be glad of that that those that abide may enjoy so much as we do and bless God for it and shall not enjoy them at all but though this should be yet it is not enjoyed for the present And if it be the enjoyment of the ordinances one year we should account it more than should countervail the loss of our estates all our lives And thus we have finished the eight particular in answering this case of conscience but that we may further direct christians in this there are divers notes for the ordering of our selves when we do Fly When we are put into fear by man and caused to Flie we must shew it as a work of faith and therefore let us learne so to order our selves in our Fleeing and when we are Fled from danger as it may appeare it was a work of Faith as 2. When any are put to Flee danger let them be careful they leave as little guilt behind them in that place they Flee from as possibly they can let them labor to purge out the guilt they brought on that place as much as they can for there are none that have not only brought guilt upon their own consciences but upon the place where they lived and consider whether that were your care to remove the guilt from the place and if it were not our care now we are gone let us mourn for our sins so as they may not bring judgment upon the place Again in the place into which we are Fled let us labor so to carry our selves as the name of God may not suffer among us that they should have occasion to say these are the men that Flee for religion do they live as such but let us labor so to
the lock we think may be there is some ward in the lock that is a little bent if that were mended it would do or the key is bent and rather then we wil throw it away we wil mend that may be I have bent some ward and a man wil reason al he can before he wil throw away the lock So when you have to deal with others that are of another opinion do not throw them away reason this way that way because there is much in ordering mens spirits in the communication of a truth unto them it is not alwaies the evidence of a truth that is sufficient to convince but the manner of presenting of the truth and that is the second reason of the difference of mens spirits Reason 3. The third reason is because that somtime the graces of men do not burne out so clearly and purely as they do at other times As in fire when you kindle a fire first there is a great deal of smoke and we see little brightness in the fire stay but a while and the smoak wil be consumed and the fire burne bright So in the graces of men and women sometime there is a great deal of corruption when grace is kindled at first a great deal of smother but grace continues and workes out that corruption and it burns more clearly So in the sun when it riseth in the morning it may be a great mist but when the sun is up a little while it consumes the mist and shines clearly So Children when they are young may be they have many il humors afterwards their natural strength consumes their humors and so they are more active and stirring so though the Godly have not that disposition of heart to do that for God they should yet when grace comes to burne more clearly they can do it Reason 4. Fourthly As grace is mixt at first so somtimes it is weak the parts and members not being consolidated and strengthened when an infant comes first into the world if you expose it to the cold it is not able to endure it which afterward it wil do when the Joynts are set and so young plants cannot endure that frost which they wil do afterwards And so Christians at first are as children carryed away with every wind of doctrine til afterward they come to be more strong and then they are fit for service As Christ would not have his disciples called to fasting and praying they were hard duties while they were weak he hath this expression no man puts new wine into old bottles nor sow a new peice of cloath into an old Garment for the bottles wil break and the garment wil rend in Math 9.16.17 The meaning is do not bring unsureable duties to mens spirits fasting and prayer is a duty but they are not strong enough for it yet noting when people grow strong they shal be fitter for duty service or suffering Reason 5. The fifth Reason is because somtimes our hearts are filled with more heavenly consolation then at other times that does refresh the souls of Gods people as with new wine that they can go forth as a Giant cal them to any duty and they can go through fire and water As for sin when a mans heart is warmed with sin and they have had delight and satisfaction in their sin come and speak what you wil against it and they can easily cast it off and so for duty when Gods people have been warmed by duty and their spirits are refreshed in Gods way with what resolution do they go and as that martyr Mr. Saunders sayd that which made the difference in him was because God was pleased to come in with such refreshments to his spirit that he felt the consolation of God not only upon his soul but flow into his body and that put a great deal of courage in him And in the stories that I have read of Scotland Mr. Knox reports of a young man of eighteen years of age that suffered martirdome under the Bishop of Glasgow and when he came to suffer he was mightily affraid and thought to have recanted and it pleased God that his spirit came in mightily to him at that time and he fell down on his knees and blest God Blessed Lord said he great is thy mercy to man kind and to me poor wretch that was like to forsake Christ my saviour and put my self into eternal damnation and now thou hast come with the consolation of Heaven and hast filled my heart and now I am freed from those fears that suppressed my soul let men do what they can I am ready And to God somtimes comes to fill the hearts of his people with mighty consolations and that makes a mighty difference Reason 6. The Sixth Reason is because sometimes the breathings of Gods spirit not only in consolation but in assistance comes more fully then at other times The spirit of God bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth John 3.8 Sometimes more fully somtimes more scantly Saies Christ in Math. 10.19 In that houre shal it be given you as Mr. Glover When he was in his dumps before yet when he was at the stake he cryed to his friend Austin he is come he is come And so it was with Sampson sometimes the miraculous work of Gods spirit came upon him and then he was strong and so in a spiritual way the spirit of God comes upon his people and then they are strong though they were weak before Isa 59.19 When the enemy shal come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shal lift up a standard against him So when there comes a strong temptation like a flood that would bear him down then the spirit of the Lord shal lift up a standard and come in with abundance of assistance Reason 7. The seventh Reason is because somtimes a man sees his call to dutie to suffering a great deal more clear then at other times and that puts a great deal more strength As Moses now saw a further call to stand out against Pharoah and all his enemies and here is a great deal of deceit in the hearts of men when a man is loath to put himself to trouble he cannot be convinced of his call let us take heed of the deceit in this Question What shall we doe to take heed of the deceit in this Answer 1. When there is any work to doe either in doing or suffering hard things If you say I do not see the Lord call me Put it to your hearts againe and say deal truly and really with me doe you not see the Lords call Secondly observe this rule if so be you have put off service or suffering upon this ground do but examine whether you find upon this that your hearts be as stiring and lively in all other services as before Usually if men from sluggishness because they are loath to endure hardships shall put off the call of God their hearts wil fal more dead
humiliation and much seeking of God surely that should be the matter of our praises 3. This is a gracious visitation of God God comes in with this and here is the presence of God and therfore there is much cause of praise 4. It is an argument that God hath some especial service for you to do now those that are godly count this a great mercy for God to have any employment for them now that they have received an evidence to their souls that God intend to imploy them this is a great mercy Secondly Learn to check your Unbelief when your hearts were down you were ready to say it would never be otherwise now check your hearts and bring your hearts to this conclusion I will never think it in vain to seek God though I do not find him come in presently and I will learn though I may judg my self worthy that God should leave me yet I will never determine that God will not come in because I see Gods waies are not as my waies and Gods thoughts are not as my thoughts Oh take heed of judging the waies and thoughts of God according to your waies and thoughts Thirdly Is God come in and do you find that you have a spirit of courage and boldness more than before now you find God sweetly breathing upon you to put life into that dead and to raise that heavy heart of yours do you find God sweetly and comfortably enlivening your souls and putting the spirit of confidence in that unbeleeving heart of yours Labor to keep your hearts thus There is a great deal of difficulty when a thing is fallen down to get it up but when a thing is up if one be careful it is not difficult to keep it up It is a notable expression that David had when he found the hearts of the people got up in their willing Offering 1 Chron. 29.18 O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee So let it be thy prayer and it is my prayer for thee Is thy heart up more than before Pray O God of Abraham Isaac and Israel keep this in the thoughts of the heart of this man or woman for ever be careful now to keep your hearts up so when you are well or otherwise if you should lose this through this negligence 1 It wil make you cal into question the truth of these gracious breathings yea you wil think it was but a meer flash such as Hypocrites may have yea not cal this into question only but to cal the truth of al into question this is that which makes men take the foundation of al because their hearts somtimes are raised and they through their negligence let them fall and lose that spiritual life and courage once they had and so bring abundance of sadness upon their hearts now as you would have an evidence of the truth of Gods work upon you and the truth of grace labor to keep up your hearts 2 Labor to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fal off again the waies of God wil come to be very tedious to you As a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his leggs or the unevenness of the way he is quickly tired and so if a Christians way be up and down and there be not an evenness in his way he is quickly discouraged and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in Gods waies is to go on in an even course 3 If so be you lose this you lose the beauty of your profession the beauty of the waies of Godliness consists much in the constancy and if your way be up and down there is no beauty in your conversation it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation if others saw your hearts up and saw a constant evenness in your way this would mightily convince them that it is a work of Gods Spirit upon your hearts but somtimes your hearts are up and down again somtime you are patient and meek at other times you are passionate and fretting this doth not convince them that it is the work of Gods Spirit but only the stirring of a natural spirit 4 By this means you wil cause God to walk differently with you if you keep not up your hearts when God hath raised them though God be in a way of mercy you wil cause him to walk in a way of displeasure against you 5 Again When your hearts are up that is the thing that the Devil doth most watch to give you a trip in As when Daniel walked so strictly in al the matters of the Kingdom as they could find no fault in him they accused him in the matter of his God of his Religion so saies the Devil if I should tempt him to such and such sins I cannot prevail but there is such a way I may prevail and the Devil doth labor there most to trip you As he did with Christ in another case when you are on the top of the pinacle then he labors to throw you down It is true it is the work of God that hath brought you up to the pinacle but there the Devil doth labor to throw you down Quest You wil say How shall we come to keep up our hearts whenas our hearts are in a better frame than at some other times Answ First When your hearts are up labor to make use of that grace that raised your hearts improve it so as to make your hearts more holy and more upright A Tree if it sprout upward only and do not run down in the root proportionably it wil wither and die and so if grace do work only upward in abilities and performances of duties and joy and such things and do not proportionably work downward in the root it is like it will come to little and you will soon lose all Secondly Work that grace you find in your inward as wel as outward man Do not think it enough that you have stirrings of Grace to enable you to do duties but improve this grace for the working out of corruption consider the corruptions of your heart and now take the advantage to work them out Thirdly be sure you take nothing that is Gods due at this time that is if God have raised your hearts though the peace and joy of it be yours the Glory of it is Gods do not be fingering of that take heed of lifting up of your hearts in a way of pride it is enough your heart is lifted up in a way of grace and you must be content with that but many when God gives them a lift in a way of Grace they cannot be content with their part the peace and the joy but they lift up themselves in a way of pride and would have some of Gods part of the Glory and that spoils all Fourthly When you
to be his but the glorious strength of God the chief of Gods strength to speak after the manner of men if there be any thing more glorious in the strength of God than other Faith doth fetch in that for the strengthening of the soul in the service of God For that we have two or three notable Scriptures Ephes 1.19 which doth not only speak of the power of God in working of Faith but of the power of God in the sould after Faith is wrought First It is the Power of God Secondly It is the mighty Power of God Thirdly The working of his mighty Power Fourthly The greatness of the working of his mighty Power Fifthly The exceeding greatness of the working of his mighty Power Sixthly The same Power that raised Christ from the dead This is in be getting Faith in the soul Now it is that Power which a Beleever being once a Beleever hath the use of afterwards Another Text which is remarkable for this purpose is Eph. 3.16 That he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that which the Apostle praies for is that which a Beleever by Faith may fetch in and make his own First There is strength in the inner man and that is more than in the outward Secondly It is strength by the Spirit now Spirit is a word that is used to express strength and that by Gods Spirit Thirdly It is strength by the Spirit with might one would think it were enough if he had said Strengthened by the Spirit of God that doth bring in might but it is with might by the Spirit in the inner man Fourthly This is according to his Glory it is such a strength such a might of Gods Spirit as God is glorious in it it is the glory of the might of the Spirit of God in the inner man And yet there is one higher expression Fifthly It is according to the Riches of his Glory Whose Glory The Riches of the Glory of the Might of the Spirit of God Of what God That God that is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whol Family of Heaven and Earth is named Surely this strength must enable to do mighty things and this strength is a Beleevers own to work for him and assist him in any service What a shameful thing is it for any Christian to complain of the want of strength in the performance of Duty when such a strength as this is made over to him and he by Faith may fetch it in imploy it and make use of it as his own Another place to shew what strength it is that Faith doth bring in it is that in Col. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Now if in your lives you would shew that which is proper to a Christian you must do that which must manifest a glorious power of God Now what is it that you do or have done in all your lives that doth manifest a glorious power of God This shews the glory of a Christian that al that see him may say the power of Nature could not do this the power of Grace could not do this and the power of all Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not do this yea it is more than an ordinary power of God it is a glorious power of God that must enable him to do this But though the power of God be glorious it is not alwaies put forth in enabling men to do duties but it is somtimes put forth in enabling of them with patience to undergo that which is laid upon them as wel as to do great things may be you do not find the glorious power of God for to enable you to do great works God would somtimes have his glorious power work to make you patient therefore you must not only be patient as an ordinary man or woman but be so patient as to shew you have a glorious power of God to make you patient Somtimes you have been crost and have had afflictions upon you that have been sore afflictions and have been long upon you and may be you have been patient but you must be so patient as to manifest the glorious power of God in your patience and therefore though I have been somwhat patient yet have I been so patient as to manifest the glorious power of God in it and have I been so long suffering towards those that have crost me as to manifest the glorious power of God in it Faith doth fetch in strength to enable to do that And that is the second thing that Faith doth to carry through difficult services it doth fetch in the greatest strength Thirdly That which Faith doth in enabling the soul to any difficult work is the assisting of the soul with the highest encouragements that possibly can be the encouraging Promises of God and the encouraging Expressions that are in the Word that might put life into the deadest spirit in the world the encouragements that are in the Scripture lay as it were dead to the heart no but that there is life in them but because of the deadness of the heart now Faith comes and puts life into them In this 11. chapter of the Hebrews Faith iâ— commended by raising dead to life here is as great a commendation of Faith when Faith shal raise a dead Promise and dead encouragement and put life into it We read a Promise or an encouragement may be twenty times before but it was as dead but now Faith doth come and put life into it and the soul can come and lay face upon its face and mouth upon its mouth and eyes upon its eyes and it comes to be a mighty quickning thing to enable it to any service Fourthly Faith carries the soul through works that God cals to because faith in it self besides that it brings in is a mighty strong principle it is the most glorious work that ever creature was enabled to do in this world the Angels in Heaven were never able to put forth a more glorious work for the kind of it than a beleeving soul doth put forth in the proper essential work of Faith and if Faith in the proper essential act of it be the most glorious difficult work that ever creature in Heaven or Earth did then surely it must have a mighty deal of power to enable the soul to do the most difficult and glorious Services Quest You wil say What is that proper essential work of faith that is the most glorious difficult work that ever was performed Answ For a Creature that doth apprehend it self by Nature an enemy to God a poor wretched defiled creature by sin standing guilty in the presence of God having the wrath of God incensed against it the Justice of God crying for satisfaction and the Law of God pronouncing an eternal Curse upon it for a soul to
resist the working of the supream yea it is a great particular of the glory of the supream cause to work above and beyond all inferior causes and faith having to deal with that it is not so much scared with difficulties as others are Seventhly Yet further Faith helps through great difficulties because it doth remove and cure the difficulties that are within the spirits of men and women and if these be taken away external difficulties have little in them we complain of many difficulties in a work without whenas indeed the greatest difficulties are within in our hearts and faith hath a speciall efficacy for removing and curing of them As now unruly passions are great hinderances to any worke that we undertake faith hath a mighty power in curing of them And likewise distracting fears but of that before And the reasoning of flesh and blood have a mighty deal of power to make a work difficult and great care is to be had in curing of them And the lumpish deadness of our spirits And the base sluggishness of our hearts And the base ends that a man hath faith cures them and cleanses the heart of them And so foolish presumptions that people have and their false confidences and resting upon rotten props these and divers others may be named which are inward difficulties that faith helps against and by removing of them doth easily overcome any difficulty that is without therefore when you have any work which is hard look not so much for the removing the difficulties that are without as the difficulties that are within Eighthly The Eighth particular wherein the power of Faith is That Faith makes the work that God sets a Christian about to be suitable to his spirit let the work be what it wil be if it be a work of God any way of Godliness Faith hath a power to work the heart to be suitable to that work that there shal be an agreement between the frame and temper of heart and the work that God sets it to and then a work wil go on If you set one to a work that does but bungle the work does not go off hand because it is a work that is not suitable to his principles but if a man hath a work that is suitable to him he can go to it with singing and it goes off readily as in Nehem. 4.6 The work went on because the people had a mind to work though indeed it was a hard work Ninthly Again Another power of Faith is this Faith hath power to make use of difficulties for the furtherance of the work and therefore much more power for to carry through difficulties Faith can bring water out of the Rock it can make the mountains that lie in the way to be advantages to raise the heart upon We have a notable place for this in Hebr. 11.3 4. where it is said Out of weakness they were made strong not that they were made strong being weak that they were brought out of their weakness and had strength conveyed to them that is not al but it is made a fruit of their Faith that they were made strong out of weakness Faith did make use of their very weakness to strengthen them by so that Faith is not only able to strengthen those that are weak but to take advantage by weakness for to strengthen to turn al hindrances into furtherances for so God having promised all shal turn to good Faith can take hold of that Promise and so turn all hindrances that can be into furtherances Faith hath a Chymical Art those that have that Art wil get Gold cut of Stones or Iron So Faith wil draw Gold out of Iron and stones out of things that seem to be never so cross and contrary it wil draw help Tenthly Faith helps against difficulty because it works by love and that hath a great deal of power to carry through difficulties Much water cannot quench Love it is a speech of Bernard Cant. 8.7 The force of Love is violent Saies the Apostle in 1 Thess 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labor of Love Love is very laborious it will force through difficulty therefore that which makes so much use of Love and inflames that that hath much power against difficulty 11 ly Another thing wherein the power of Faith consists is Before we enter on the work it assures of a certain good success Now when we know the success shal be good and certain before we begin this wil help against any difficulty though the work be never so hard it is want of the hope of the success that deadens the heart But this must not be mistaken Faith doth not alwaies assure of a particular success if we wil assure our selves of a particular success which is more than the Promise wil bear this wil hinder Faith but faith wil assure of success in the general 12 ly Again Faith assures of the reward 2 Chron. 75.7 Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded Faith assuring of this wil make one strong though God cal to never such hard things Marriners in hope of a good reward they wil venture themselves in storms tempests and in dangers on the Sea And so a Soldier if his Captain wil give him a months or two months pay over and above he wil venture his life 13 ly Lastly Faith quickens and stirs up al Graces cals in the help of every Grace Now many hands will do great works and so where al Graces do work together much wil be done And thus much for the explication of the work of faith in carrying through services that have so much difficulty For Use CHAP. 21. Vses of the Doctrine Use First Let none think God an hard Master when he puts them upon service because he affords them a principle to carry them through Use Secondly To Beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things 1. Four considerations against discouragements It is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for 4. Reasons Use Thirdly Shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work because there are hinderances Use Fourthly When you have been carried through difficult services consider what it was which supported you USE 1. First Now then let none think God to be an hard Master in putting his servants upon such difficulties as are hard to do though he do put them upon difficulties yet he gives them a principle to carry them through and then it is al one as if it were easyer Carnal hearts are ready to complaine of the tediousness and hardness of Gods waies and they are ready to complain of God as an hard Master how are they hard and tedious They are hard and tedious to you because you want a principle to do them by but they are not hard to the Christian indeed it was cruelty and hardness to to Pharoah to put the Israelites upon work
in his Father in the hearts of his people that they might be carried through the difficult works they have to do 2. When any difficult work is to be done labor to make preparation for the work of Faith by humiliation before you undertake the work and according to the nature of any difficult services there must be a proportionable measure of humiliation before you undertake that work therefore when God hath called to extraordinary works usually Gods people have made preparation for their faith by extraordinary humiliation as Nehemiah Ezra and Esther that were to undertake great works which they were to be carried through by faith they made preparation by extraordinary humiliation before hand It is in the putting forth of a new act of faith as it was in the first act of Faith as especially humiliation was a preparation for faith at first so especially humiliation is a preparation for the putting forth of a new act of Faith after we have it 3. When any difficult service comes to be performed let there be oft renewing of Faith in the great covenant of Grace and do not only think to exercise faith in this particular work but let your care be about renewing Faith in the great covenant let the great Charter be renewed and inferiour grants wil come in Thus God dealt with Abraham when any thing befell Abraham that he was in a great straight then God renewed his Covenant with him I am God Alsufficient God thought this a special meanes to carry him through If you have renewed the covenant in which all the promises are included this is a great help to Faith Shall not God who hath given us his Son with him also give us al things else the soul may reason strongly thus 4. Faith must be set on work when any difficult service is to be done for the purifying of the heart though you beleeve God will be with you and strengthen you in the work yet unless you make use of Faith to purifie the heart as well as beleeve you may miscarry in the work if there be any lust that lies next the heart you wil never be able for to do great things for sin as it is of a defiling nature so it is of a weakning nature If you would have a spirit of power you must have a sound mind In Nehemiah 13.3 When they were about a great work they separated the mixt company when you are about any great work Exercise Faith to purge your hearts from corruption Saies David Psal 18.32 It is God that girdeth me with strength and makes my way perfect The girding of him with strength and making his way perfect went together therefore labor that the way with God in your own hearts may be perfect and clean and then God will gird you with strength 5. In difficulties labor to exercise faith to get you off from all shifting waies and creature dependances It is observable of those that have to deal with mettals when they are working of Gold that they might have it work the easier they will mixe other mettals with it and upon the mixing of Lead and tinne with Gold it works the easier but it is a great deal worse it were better they would take more pains in the working of it it would be purer Just so do many Christians that are ill workemen in the waies of God when they are working of good actions and they find them difficult and go somwhat hard off they will be mixing their own carnall pollicy and shifting courses and to that end the work may go off easier but though it be easier to be done yet it is a worse peece of work after it be done then it would have been if it had been done with more paines Labor to exercise Faith to get you off from al creature dependances if the heart by Faith be given up to God alone it will do mighty things but if so be we would have two strings to our bow that if such a means do faile we may have some other to rest upon we shall never do any great thing And therefore when God would use any of his people to do great things he first took them off from al creature helps they had before as I have met with an observation that one hath from Moses about this In Acts 17 22. It is said Moses was an Eloquent man a man of mighty words Yet if you read the Story in Exod. 4.10 you shall hear Moses complaine that he was slow of speech and not eloquent This is answered Moses was a man of mighty words but when God was about this work and a little before God took away his excellency in words that he might have further dependance upon God then before he had whether there be any reality in this or no I know not yet certainly it is the way of God when men have any creature helps God doth take them off from them that they might have a sheere work of Faith for when the creature is used it doth usually rob God of a great part of his honor Therfore when Gideon had so many thousand God said it was too great a multitude for him to deliver his people by 6. Faith must take us off from our own ends too and ingage God in the business as much as we can let God be seen in the work though we be not seen let God have the glory though it be not known who did that difficult work great things will be done when God is ingaged in the business And it is a special work of Faith to take us off our own ends when you come to a great work you think to exercise faith and not being taken off from your own ends Faith looseth its vertue and power 7. When we come to any work that is difficult let us labor to exercise Faith to cast our selves upon the word to find out some promise and to roule upon it to venture our selves and the might of our work upon that word as namely thus Suppose it be a work for the subduing of any sin that word in Rom. 6.14 Sin shal not have dominion over you look at the word and make more account of it then of all your endeavors against sin whatsoever if it be laboring to get from under that difficulty the guilt of Conscience and delivering your selves from the terror of it That word in Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus If it be for the doing of any work that we are called to that word that hath vertually a promise in it he worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 If it be to stand against any opposition that word which God gave to Joshua Joshua 1.5 I will be with thee and will not leave thee Exercise Faith to get a word and to rest your souls upon it 8. Take this word and plead it with God in prayer when you enter on any difficulty do as it
were shew unto God his bond though God binds him self yet he wil not come in and help till the creature come and shew his bond and upon the sight and pleading of the bond with God God is pleased to come in with help God is much taken and delighted with this when any of his servants in difficulty shall come and plead his promises The turning of promises into praier and as it were the distilling of faith into prayer is a thing mighty prevailing with God As there are some Physicall things that have great operations but unless they be distilled or taken in such and such things they will not work but then they will work So Faith when it is distilled and turned in praier and mingled with praier and taken down in that then it works If a Physitian should come and say how did you take such a thing and you say I swallowed it down he wil say you should have taken it in such and such a thing and then it would have wrought so you beleeve God will help you but have you distilled your Faith into praier and taken it therein pleading with God to fulfill his word that is a great means to do great things 9. Faith must refuse no means if there be any means that God doth lay in your way take them thankefully use them faithfully diligently carefully as if there were nothing but means and when you have used them depend upon God above means as if there were no other means Idleness and presumption are quite contrary to faith and therefore be faithful in the use of means As it is observed God saies he brought the people into Canaan by his mighty power and outstretched Arme yet there was a great many valiant Souldiers and a mighty power of the people so that notwithstanding all means Faith knows how to give God the glory of his outstretched arme knowing that all second causes work by the power of the First 10. Let us take heed that what we undertake to do we do it not with a slavish spirit meerly haled unto it but look upon every duty as a work of the Gospel that that people do meerly in a compulsive way out of a slavish spirit they will never go through it but by Faith we are to look upon all duties as works of the Gospel not as works of the Covenant of works but as works of the Covenant of grace therefore that is observable concerning Zerubbabel In Zach 4. Where God saies mountains shall be made plaine before Zerubbabel difficulties shall be taken away how at vers 7. At the laying of the corner stones they shall crie Grace Grace magnifying the Grace of God looking higher at the Garace of God then at all the strength that Zerubbabel had and so being carried on in a spiritual way crying Grace Grace that was a means to carry them through difficulties and to make them as plains for when you go about any great work when you lay the first stone in that work crie Grace Grace this is a work that I must expect the free Grace of God in for assistance for acceptance and for blessing and for the carrying me through all the more you magnify the grace of God in any work the more you will be enabled to go through that work Eleventhly You must not be discouraged by miscarriages that have been before You have set upon a work and you have carried your selfe so in it as you have miscarried and you think I have so miscarried and sinned against God as I must never expect Gods help If I had never miscarried in that work I might have had hope but now having so miscarried in that work there is little hope do not reason by former miscarriages If we now set our hearts right to the work and come and ask wisdom to be carried through it though we have miscarried twenty times before God will not upbraid us nor say what doe you come to ask wisdom to do that work when as you have set upon that work before and have spoiled it through the pride and sluggishness of your hearts therefore now away be humbled for miscarriages before but be not discouraged by any miscarriages in that work or in any other yea though we have begun the work and miscarried at first yet be not discouraged many works have miscarried at first and yet have come to a glorious issue at last especially if miscarriages be through weakness as Jacob though he was strook lame and the sinew of his thigh shrunk in wrastling with the Angel yet he prevailed so though there may be failings that our sinews may be shrunk up and we be lame in our work yet there may be a prevailing at last and therefore do not hinder your Faith by being discouraged with former miscarriages 12. Againe take heed of the disturbance of passion in the performance of your work that which is done in a way of passion and frowardness and anger is seldom well done if you have a servant that will allwaies be busie and doing of somewhat but do it in an anger you had better he should do nothing they are the quiet and meek spirits that can carry a work sweetly and prosperously on So in any work that God sets us about let us go about it with quiet spirits your strength shall be to sit stil Isa 50.7 Saies the Lord so the great strength of our hearts in the performance of any work is to stand still and be quiet Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord Exod. 14.13 Not the stillness that is opposed to endeavor but that stilness that is opposed to disquietness and tumultuousness of our unruly affections you would faine have the salvation of the Lord and help in such and such a work why did you not stand stil you are not in case to have the salvation of the Lord so long as you are in such a disturbance many miscarry in a work this way as many foolishly ignorant people that are in a boat when the boat tosses they run up and down in the boat and will not be quiet and so are drowned whereas if there be any skilful in the boat they say do but sit still and you are safe enough but they think they cannot be too hasty to help themselves and so run up and down and turne the boat over them so are unruly passions of men in their hearts when they are in any work and apprehend any danger their passions are up and they think there is a necessity for them to be stirring and it is in an unruly way and so they overturne themselves I beseech you observe it in Moses Moses he was to do the great work in carrying the people from Egypt and he was of a very quiet spirit a great way but he was to go on in the work and though he was the weakest man upon the earth yet the very thing that did over throw Moses in the work at last that made him
working of your heart about that work The disorderly work of the heart may be discovered in two or three partâ—culars First To look at the success it looks at the duty principally for one to look at the success more then at duty this is a miscarriage and a hinderance to the work of faith Secondly If you do look at the success yet do not look at the particular success though Faith do assure of the general success it doth not alwaies assure of the particular success Thirdly take heed you do not judg of the final success by some hinderances in the work at first as many because they have not success at the beginning they judg of the final issue by that Fourthly Above all take heed of determining before hand that you shall have no success I may go about the work but it will never go on it will never thrive As a servant that is froward will say well I may go about the work but there will never come no good of it so many will go about the work God sets them to do but they determine before hand nothing will come of it This is a sinful boldness who art thou man or woman shal you be so bold with God may you determine what Gods way shall be you may say I deserve that nothing should come of that I do but when it comes to determination it is boldness and sinfulness against God what should not I determine I that am thus and thus vild will God succeed any work in my hand you may say I that am thus and thus vild deserve that God should blast all that I do but do not determine that I shall never overcome this hard heart of mine and I shal never get a patient spirit This is that which the prophet speaks against Hosea 7.13 Though I have redeemed them yet they speak lies against me So though God have redeemed men and hath given them mercy yet they speak lies against God that they shall never have such and such a mercy that they labor for or when God is in a way of redeeming of you and stirring your hearts for you to say there shal never be no success nor help this is to speak lies against God be humbled for that you have been guilty of before and take heed of determining of the success for time to come for assuredly whatsoever unworthinss you see in your selves yet know it is a temptation of the Devil and a provoking sin 17. Againe it must be our care together with our faith to put on that we do with resolution and courage As the Psalmist saith in Psal 310.24 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart So when you go to any difficult work put on your faith with all the resolution you can natural resolution helps much against difficulty It is a notable speech of Seneca the mind of man gets whatsoever it commands it self if it will lay a command and charge upon it self it may obtaine it That he saies concerning naural resolution natural resolution is a mighty help to overcome difficulty a man shall be able to do more then he thought he could have done but if this be added with faith that we can make use of our Faith and then lay a necessity on the work it must be done whatsoever I hear it is the command of God this is a mighty thing to help forward the work 18. Another rule is in all services that God calls you to look upon your selves as Gods instruments in Gods hand and look upon the work as Gods work enjoined by him and done for him and not your own I am nothing what is an instrument an axe to the building of an house the work is hard and difficult it is not mine but Gods I am not the principal efficient but the instrument and not in mine own hand but in Gods and such a weak instrument in the hand of a skillful workman in his own work may do great things 19. Again whatsoever work God calls you to do go aâ—out iâ— continuing in it though you find nothing come of it expect God to come in while you are working and do not say if God did come in I could have incouragment to work work expecting God to come in while you are working and though you have been working these many years and found nothing yet if God do come in it will be while you are working As David said to Solomon his Son up and be doing and the Lord be with you 1. Chron. 22.16 So say I to you do not say what shall I be doing without the Lord be doing and the Lord wil come in But I have been doing and the Lord hath not come in Yet whensoever the time comes that God wil come in comfortably it wil be while you are working therefore be doing and the Lord will be with you 20. Again let us take heed we do not increase the difficulty by our disorderly carriage this we are many times guilty of that when God sets us about any work and there be some hardness in it we make it abundantly more hard by our untoward carriages As a man that is fettered by pulling and haling he pulls the skin off his legs and by that means makes it harder to beare his fetters then before the people of Israel that went out of Egypt and went to Canaan through the wilderness it was a hard iourney but they made it abundantly harder by their carriage From Egypt unto the borders of Palestine was but seventy miles and to Jerusalem but a hundred miles and yet by their ill carriage they made it a businese of fourty yeares so though indeed we are to go through a wilderness a difficult work yet through our ill carriage we make it more difficult Let us take heed we do not make it more difficult really by our complaints of it we complaine things are difficult when indeed they are not so in themselves but because of the sluggishness of mens spirits in making complaints of the difficulty of the work 21. Againe be not all poring upon the difficulty and looking at those things that are hard and may discourage you in the work that God set you about but look at those things that may encourage you also if there be any hardness in a work men are alwaies looking upon that and they never look upon any sweet that may incourage them it is never like that they shall goe on Children if they have a sore upon the body the finger usually will be touching of that though it makes the sore to be worse and causeth it to be more and more angry and keeps it from healing So many if they have any thing that is hard in their work their thoughts will be upon that Difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills that God gives us to take down But what a childish thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter for
it is the stronger and therefore let us go on in the way of God whatsoever difficulties come of it CHAP. 25. Containing a Second consideration of the Text to wit an Allegoricall interpretation of Moses forsaking Egypt by Faith Warrant for Allegoricall interpretations Forsaking this world renouncing our natural estate a difficult work Fourteen reasons of it NOw having finished the point in the Literal sense the going through that hard work which Moses was set upon by God Let us speak a little concerning the Allegorical Sense Though that be not the thing which is especially intended yet we know many times the Holy Ghost makes use of Scripture in an Allegorical way And before I enter upon it I will name two or three scriptures to shew a warrant for what I do in handling this scripture in a way of Allegory The Holy Ghost doth make use of Scripture not only according to the primary sense but according to the Metaphorical and Allegorical sense as in Psal 19.34 There is no Speech nor Language where their voice is not heard their line is gone through all the Earth and their word is to the end of the world This is apparently spoken of the Sun and the going forth of the Sun in the Heavens The Heavens and the motions in the Heavens and the great testification of Gods power therein are compared to a Language and a voice And the instruments that are to be drawn from them are gone through the whol Earth But marke how the Apostle makes use of this in a far different sense Rom. 10.18 But I say have they not heard yes verily their sound went into all the Earth and their words into the end of the world Having reference to this place he doth not go according to the direct primary sense but he applies it to the preaching of the Gospel And the going forth of the Apostles And again in Math. 2.15 When Christ was carried into Egypt that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my Son It hath reference to that Prophesie in Hos 11.1 Which is meant of the calling his people out of Egypt And there it is applyed to Christ and in that the Holy Ghost doth not only apply Scripture according to the primary sense but Allegorically and Tipically we have liberty also to do so And now we shal speak of this Text in an Allegorical sense two waies And that 1. In regard of the bondage we are in by nature under sin and Sathan as the Israelites were in Egypt under Pharoah And as Moses by faith forsook Egypt so we must be delivered out of this spiritual Egypt from this spiritual bondage that we are in by nature under sin and Satan by Faith 2. The Scripture compares the power of Antichrist the bondage that men are in under Antichrist to Egypt Rom. 11.8 There it is called spiritual Sodom and spiritual Egypt And as the Israelites by Faith were delivered from the Bondage they were in in Egypt So faith does deliver people from the bondage of Antichrist I. Then for the forsaking of Egypt we are al by nature bondslaves to Sin and Satan as the Israelites were to the Egyptians And Canaan was a Tipe of Heaven and the promise of God unto them to bring them unto Canaan was to set out the condition of Gods people how they should be brought to heaven All Gods waies towards the Israelites in this work were Tipical to set out further things that were to be afterward Therefore by faith this Egypt is forsaken and the souls of Gods people are carried on to Canaan through the Wilderness of this world to heaven by faith as they were through that Wilderness to Canaan It must be Faith that must carry through this difficult work This is the difficult work of all works the Bondage is the greatest bondage And therefore the work is the most difficult work that may be If we consider 1. The carnal reasonings that are in mens hearts against the work of God in bringing them out of their natural estate 2. If we consider the self confidences that are in men being confident of their estate and no way sensible of their Bondage 3. If we consider the vaine hopes that are in the hearts of people concerning Gods mercy 4. If we consider the dangerous mistakes that are in people mistaking the way of God and the way of life thinking they are in the way of life when they are in the way of Death 5. If we consider the cursed prejudice that men have against the way of God naturally 6. If we consider the strong ingagements that men have to keep them from returning 7. If we consider the many lusts that are in the heart that can never be overpowered but by an Almighty power 8. If we consider the strong accusations and Terrors that are in the consciences of men and Women when they come to be awakned 9. If we consider the woful Temptations of Satan following and daunting the Soul when it would go from this Egypt as Pharoah followed the Israelites 10. If we consider the wonderful discouragements that people have in their own thoughts when they look into themselves and see their Disability to do any thing that is good any Unability to resist any thing that 's Evil. 11. If we consider the perswasions of the world from without when they begin to forsake this spiritual Egypt 12. If we consider how often times God himself seems to walk contrary to them when they are forsaking Egypt 13. If we consider the difficulty of the waies of Religion at this first entrance and the long time that the Soul must have to go in through this wilderness before they come to Canaan 14. If we consider the great venture that the Soul must make to venture its eternal estate and all its good upon the way of God that is revealed to it These things and Many others might be named and inlarged that make this a difficult Work CHAP. 26. How Faith carries the Soul through the difficult Work of forsaking Egypt Their Works of Faith 1. The discovering work in two Particulars 2. The relying Work 3. The Surrendring Work Question Resolved concerning the force of Natural Conscience in three Particulars shewing the great difference between the actings of Faith and Natural Conscience Application 1. Hence see the ground of Miscarriages 2. A Rule of Direction Incouragements to Faith and Beleeving 3. Let delivered Persons see what delivered them Faith which acts by a power without us Twelve Considerable and useful Directions in this matter BUt though it be a difficult work yet Faith carries the Soul through and brings it from this spiritual Egypt and it is only Faith that doth this the Law may do somwhat to shew men their bondages and the spirit of bondage may make them sensible of their bondage but this doth not deliver them as the Children of Israel when they were in bondage they Cryed
more precious in the exercise you should prize one exercise of Grace more excellent then the whol world People prize grace in the habits Oh that God would bestow Grace upon them but they do not set a price upon every gratious act but come to this to set a high price upon every act of Grace as wel as the habit and you will not complain of difficult works 3. The more difficult services you are called to the more opportunitie you have to honor God you have don but a litle all this while and the most part of your time hath been to little purpose if God will give you an opportunitie to doe a great deale in a little time will you murmure at it and count it your affliction 4. Difficult works are for the improvement of your graces If a man have a stock and he have had some improvement for it but not full he hath some mony ly dead by him or is not improved for that advantage it might if he shal find a way to improve every penny of his stock to the utmost advantage will he count this an affliction he counts it an advantage who grow rich but those that have the full improvement of their stock Men count it a misery to have their stockly by them and not improved why do not you count it a misery to have gracely by you and not exercised Would you count it a happiness that God should shew you a way to improve your outward stock to the full and would you not count it a happiness that God should shew you a way to improve your grace to the full USE 3. The third use is this If Faith enables to carry through difficult works then it can be no concluding argument against a work because there fall out many hinderances in the worke for faith carries through nothing but that which is the work of God and if it be to carry through hinderances then hinderances and blocks in the way can be no concluding argument that this is not the work of God this is our weakness we set upon many works and before we begin we consider whether it be the work of God and we have considered and consulted with God and his people and we find it is Gods work and we begin to set upon it and we would go on and alwaies think it Gods work if things went on wel but as soone as we find any let that stops us we begin to cal in question whether it were Gods work or no. It is true when we find any hinderances in our work it should make us reflect our thoughts upon our cal to it and see that be right and further it should make us humble our selves before God to take away whatsoever hinderance God should lay in our way out of any displeasure for though God somtimes do lay hinderances as an honor to improve our graces yet somtimes hinderances may be as chastizements to us and therefore it is useful for to humble our soules before God that we may have more assurance nothing is between God and us and that our hinderances do not come as a fruit of his displeasure and the hinderances we meet withall should make us keep more close to the rule because Faith will beare us out in nothing but according as we goe to the rule and so we should improve hinderances to stir up our Faith But to make hinderances and hard things that fall out to be an argument to think it is not the work of God that is a great evil And for that I only speak this one thing that is the way of God towards Jacob in that work of his when God called him to goe from Laban into his own country You may read the story at your leisure God from Heaven calls Jacob to goe to that Journey It was the work of God Jacob might think it being Gods work I shall meet with no hardship but if you read the story you shall find it was one of the most hard Journeys that ever he undertook in his life as it appeares by these six things First After he went Laban followed him with an intent to mischeife him but that God stopt him and there was some danger that Jacob was in God freed him from that Secondly His wise's nurse dyed that was a great help to his wife God took away even a right hand to his wife Thirdly His wife dyed in that Journey this was a mighty cross he might think God comes mightily to crosse me Fourthly After this His Daughter Dinah goes out and shee is defloured Fiftly After this His two Sons Symeon and Levi goe and commit that wofull outrage and murdered so many innocent people Sixtly His Brother Esaw came with rage and fury against him intending to destroy him and he was mightily affraid of his Brother Esaw Now this may quiet many that are to goe any Journy first let them see the call of God and then go on in it whatsoever fals out take it rather as a tryall of your Faith then any stop of God in your way And so you that are weake that have friends that undertake hard works and hard voyages you think they may doe it before danger come but if danger come you are ready to think that it is not the right way if you have no other argument but that know it comes from weakness and you are to lay downe that weakness and not to disturbe your selves and your friends by your weakness to think it is not the way of God because of those hinderances and that is the third use USE 4. Fourthly if Faith be the principle that carries through such difficult works Hence who ever have been carried through difficult works look back to what God hath carried you through reflect upon it and see what it was that did it such and such works God called you to may be as he did Moses to forsake your owne country which you have done not out of any outward necessity but in bare obedience to God now may be you may meet with many hinderances and inconveniences you might have stayed and lived comfortable and full handed enough if you could have dispensed with those things that others did some hardship you had in leaving of those things and then the example of others might come and make the work difficult But through Gods mercy the work was undertaken and gone through now what is it that carried you through was it your own naturall resolutions the strength of your own purposes was it any assistance you hade from any friends or any help that we can imagine from any creature upon the reviewing of it cannot you say as in the presence of God I know not what in the world carried me through but Gods giving me an heart to depend upon him in it After what manner did God work upon thy heart did he first prepare thy heart by a work of humiliation to seek him and make up thy peace with him
when he had done that did God secondly take off thy heart from all creature props creature confidences and dependances After that did God cast in a word and promise into thee and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it and fasten upon it did God draw out a work of Faith to close with this wisdom Faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self nor didst not know what should become of thee wert willing wholly to venture upon God to give up thy self unto him to be at his dispose were thy ends good and right in this work didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation surely there was faith in this and if there were faith in this consider what I have to say to thee First Know that this work is wonderfully acceptable to God God looks upon such works of nature as lovely as the young man that came to Christ Christ loved him in Mark 10.21 But if it be a work of faith God looks upon it and accepts it indeed says the scripture These obtained a good report by faith Heb. 11.39 They obtained a good report indeed not only before men but before God Secondly being a work of Faith thou mayest have abundance of peace and joy in it we never have gone through difficulty but it is pleasant to us if we have gone some voyage and have passed through difficulties through many storms and tempests we prize it the water that David longed for when it was got with so much difficulty he thought it too good to drink but powred it before the Lord. In 2 Sam. 23.16.17 As Jacob saies of the portion he gave to Joseph Gen. 48.22 This I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow So any thing that we get hardly it is the more prized so that when we get through difficulties by our faith that we should prize much and rejoyce in Thirdly If so be that Faith hath carried thee through difficulty Let this encourage thee for ever for time to come certainly there is no difficulty wil stand before thee if difficulties have begun to fal they wil fal and wil not be able to stand before thee You may reason as Hamans friends If thou beginnest to fall before Mordecai thou wilt fall Est 6.13 and therefore thou maist cal this work by the name that David called that place where his enemies began to fal before him Baal-perizem because God had made a breach upon his enemies 2 Sam. 5.20 he took that but as a pledg that God would make al his enemies fal before him And so hath God made some difficulties fal before thee then al difficulties wil fal Fourthly Let God have al the glory neither thy self nor the means those things that we do by Faith God is in them little of our selves or nothing at al Boasting is excluded saies the Apostle Rom. 3.27 By the Law of Faith or by the Law of Works By the Law of Faith and therefore that which is done by faith excludes al boasting from our selves and gives God the glory 1. Because Faith of al Graces hath least rooting in our selves as for Justice and Temperance and Patience and Love they have some assistance in Nature but faith hath nothing at al and therefore God must have the glory of that chiefly 2. Faith of al Graces hath the least influence into that which it doth though it be under the rank of efficient causes it is but an instrumental cause and though an instrument be an efficient it is the least efficiency of al and therefore the glory belongs to God 3. Of al Graces Faith is the most emptying Grace it carries a Creature out of it self unto another and therefore whatsoever we do by Faith we must give God the glory 4. Attribute nothing to means for though thou usest means ye whatsoever was done by Faith was done above means beyond means and might have been done without means 5. Hath God carryed you through any difficult work and was this a principle Labor to prize the word of God upon which thy faith was built to nourish and increase this Joy 6. If you have found your faith hath carried you through great things take heed thy Faith do not fayl thee in less things that will be a shame As a marriner that hath been in great stormes and tempests and hath wrought through them if afterward he should come and perish in the haven or in some ordinary tempest for want of Skill that would grieve him more so for a Souldier that hath been in desperate battels afterwards to be overcome with a little strength he looseth his honor this is possible that a Christian by his faith may be carried through wonderful great things and yet his faith may fail him afterwards in lesser things as many a man may escape great dangers and recover great success and yet afterwards die of a cold and those that God hath carried through great things may faile in lesser but it is an infinite shame take heed to your selves in that As David speaks concerning Saul 2. Sam. 1.21 The shield of the mighty is vilely cast away as though he had not been anointed with Oyl God hath given thee fayth as a shield and it was the shield of the mighty and now it is vilely cast away an ordinary temptation comes and thou failest as if thou hadst not been anointed with oyl when God carried thee through difficult works thou wert anointed with oyl and now you fal as if you had not been anointed with oyl you have been carried through many difficulties in that work of leaving of your country now when you come here your faith will not serve you to order your ordinary business and affaires but it fails fowly in every ordinary dealing with man and in your private dealings in your family what a shameful thing is it that such a one as hath had such power as to look upon the face of his enemies and to testify for the truth before them when he hath to deal with a servant or child or Wife he fails shamefully and when he comes to deal with brethren he knows not how to behave himself as if he were not anointed with oyl as if he never had faith nothing but nature as ful of frowardness and pettishness of spirit and all outward distempers as those that never were acquainted with Faith And so faith hath carried you through great difficulties enabled you to deny your self to get to the ordinances and when you are under them it fails you in assistance to make use of them and to give God the Glory of them but you rather defile them and spoile them what a shameful thing is this Be ashamed and confounded in