Phil. 1.23 Though the other be a lawfull desire but chiefly his desire is that he might see Christ whom from his first conversion he hath most loved and in whom he hath lived all his life and now to be wholly possessed of him and wholly acted and swayed by him not that he might have his heart filled with joy but that he might be with Christ not only as chiefest of ten thousand persons but as the chiefest of ten thousands benefits of God that should God give us pardon of sinne his Word and Sacrament and victory over all our lusts strength of every grace of God and everlasting life and therewith fellowship with all the blessed Saints and Angels yet to us Christ is the chiefest of them all none greater then the gift of Christ and this is the sincerity of a Christians soule he desires more any benefit for Christs sake then Christ for any of his benefits sake for he whose heart is set upon Christ more then upon the pardon of sinne or salvation that soule hath Christ and life in him he that hath Christ in his eye and heart above all blessings he indeed is a true Christian and hath Christ Reas Christ must so be had and we must so receive him as God gives him now God gives us first Christ in all his Ordinances and then in Christ all other things all benefits in and through Christ Act. 8.35 We preach to you Jesus we offer you him all lusts layed aside all sinfull corruptions put away whatever separates between God and us that being done away We now offer you Christ and in Christ plentious redemption but if we be without Christ we are without true life As in the Sacrament first you have the body and blood of Christ set before you Matth. 26.26 and then sealed up and confirmed to you in the Sacrament and together with that justification and further degrees of the sanctifying spirit and further pledges of everlasting life and glory No benefit but it s conveyed through him Christ first and then the benefit It is true Herod received joy but Foelix trembling and Jehu zeale but none of these received Christ they received the huske but wanted Christ they had the shell but not the marrow and kernell within they received the benefit but Christ they did not receive and for want of him they had no life at all Simon Magus hee beleeved Acts 8.13 but he had no lively faith because he would receive the benefit but Christ he minded not to receive Unlesse the heart be knit to Christ and the soule more seek Christ then pardon of sinne or subduing of lusts he hath no life in truth he that hath the Son he hath life not so he that hath the gifts and benefits of the son But Christ first and in having Christ we have all Christ must be received as God gives him we must acknowledge there is no life in any grace but in Christ Hos 14.8 On me is your fruit found and without me can you do nothing John 15.5 Now then carry this truth home with you and gather from hence a true estimate of your own estates whether you may judge of your selves as living or dead Christians Upon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having of life How will you know whether you have life or no you say you have Christ how know you that Whether is your hearts more set upon Christ then the gifts of Christ Whether do you labour more for gifts or for Christ himselfe And if you finde this that in the truth of your hearts you come not to the Ordinances but to find your beloved there not out of unclean and wanton spirits but to seeke him whom your soule most desires whose favour and countenance you would rather behold then to hear the voyce of a pleasant singer and you are not satisfied with any thing unlesse you find him then shal you find life in so coming to the Ordinances Can. 3.1 2 3. By night in my bed I sought him whom my soule loved c. The bed was the Temple wherein God did reveale himselfe in his Ordinances and disperse himselfe to his people in the bed of his love Shee came to the Temple not to seek any of the Preists and Levites there She goes indeed to the Watch-men and makes her moane and complaint to them that she could not finde Christ in his Ordinances and she durst not rest upon their opinions but saith have you not seen him whom my soul loveth can you tel me any newes or give me any intelligence of my beloved Saviour Thus she inquires of the Watch-men And from them she goes to the Daughters of Jerusalem to her Christian friends and chargeth them to tell him that she is sick of love Now if thus to desire him is to find Christ then there is no more to be doubted of in such a case as this But the heart thus seeking him in his Ordinances and the affections gon after him there more then after any of his benefits then in truth we have the Sonne he could not have our hearts if we first had not him And therefore it is a strong evidence we have him because our hearts are set upon him We search for nothing so much as for him This is part of the meaning of that place in Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee or in earth in comparison of thee he desires nothing more then him neither peace of conscience nor joy in the Holy ghost nor any thing so cheifly and principally as God but if wee have a longing affection after pardon of sinne and peace of conscience and assurance of salvation after subduing of lusts and growth in grace these be blessed desires and usually upright and sincere but there may be hypocrisie even in these very desires and in using the meanes to attaine these for sometimes by this meanes we seek Christ and him in his Ordinances not so much for himself as for the benefits we have by him which is a spirit of harlotry As in a woman that it may bee hath a strong affection to match with such a man but it is but that hee might pay her debts and that she might be well provided for for the world and that he might be availe and a protector to her these be lawfull ends to aime at but if it be only and cheifly for these ends it is not true conjugal affection for if another man could do this for her as well as he she could make choyce of another as well as of him and she desires him not for his but for her own ends And just so it is alike in this case If a man desire the Lord Jesus Christ to this end that he may have his sinne pardoned and be furnished with grace though these be spirituall ends yet so much as wee prize the benefit above Christ so much are we halting in the truth of our affection to him If
of knowledge Was there ever any soul so desperately ignorant think you as to take the place of a Minister and not have skil to read no but these had no knowledge to teach the people the meaning of the Law of God whose lips should preserve knowledge and at whose mouth the people should seek the Law Mal. 2.7 8. Vse 3. To teach all that beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ diligently to be conversant in the Writings of Iohn and of the Apostles Shall the Holy Ghost have a Pen to write unto us and shall not we have a hand to receive these Writings and by faith to behold and beleeve them Shall he take care to write us Letters from Heaven from the Lord Jesus Christ indicted by the blessed Spirit and written by the hands of faithfull Scribes who were carried to all truth and shall they write them to us to continue to the end of the world and shall not we attend to them These be written to every soule that beleeves in Christ for if written to them that beleeve in Christ then every beleever may say These writings are written to me to thee and to me and therefore let us carefully read and attend to them And therefore doe not neglect a Letter written by such precious Scribes and from the hand of a gracious God that directed them to us but if written to us and for our instruction and learning let us heare and read and obey and looke at them as the chiefest blessings and ornaments of God vouchsafed to us Among all the meanes of grace put up these writings as the Oracles of God for our instruction Rom. 15.4 Whatever was written aforetime was written for our instruction and edification as well as for them that lived in ancient times how much are the Church of Rome to blame that lock up these Epistles from the common people in strange Languages and if they understand not Latine they must not read unlesse with license or in a strange Tongue heavie will the curse of God fall upon them they may as well read a Fable to them as the Scripture yea many times the Priests themselves understood not the Latine that they read it was given to them as a clasped booke they were not able to expound it but say that ignorance in the people is the Mother of Devotion and therefore both fall into the ditch together Quest Vse 4. Serves to be some direction to every carnall man you say if these Scriptures be written but to beleevers will you not allow ignorant carnall men to read this part of the Word of God Ans Even they have thus much benefit by the Word first Carnall men have benefit by the Word whatever is expounded to them from this Word may be effectuall to bring them on to salvation but faith comes by hearing Secondly These Scriptures when they are read they are a profitable and helpfull meanes to get knowledge though that knowledge I beleeve reach not to salvation Thirdly it is a meanes to put people in remembrance of what they know though it be not to salvation And lastly it kindles in them some desires to know these things that they might understand them though that be rare I dare not reckon the Eunuch among the ignorant and unbeleevers Act. 8.30 31. and that were a blessed use if men shall read the Scripture and complaine for that they cannot understand them and shall be stirred up to desire a Guide to help them to see and understand what they before understood not and so be brought on to some knowledge it were a blessed use of the Scriptures And besides they are of this use they are of singular benefit to discover to people what sinne is and open to men what morall and common vertues be and so are a meanes to preserve people in a forme of godlinesse whereby they know that Magistrates are to be obeyed Ministers reverenced Parents honoured Murder not to be committed the Sabbath not to be prophained God only to be worshipped the body of these things they see are to be done and these evils eschewed they are a meanes to keep people in good order and to prepare them to a better understanding of the Ministery of the Gospell that shall at any time be blessed to them so that some profit there is hence to them that want faith but the principall thing the Apostle aymes at is this I write unto you that beleeve on the name of the Son of God But further I say to you that are not yet brought on to beleeve let this be your instruction diligently to attend to what you heare from these words for you may say and truly you may read every day a Chapter or two and read them over againe and againe and spend many houres about them and in prayer too and yet no nearer salvation then at the first I say not not nearer salvation for you are stirred up to many duties but when you see you have read much and prayed much and yet get little hold of the saving grace of Christ how should this provoke all that live without meanes of grace to give diligent heed to that Ordinance of God in which faith to salvation is wont to be conveyed and that is an use that may be of notable efficacy to stirre them up to heare diligently those who are destitute of the knowledge of God let them be the more diligent to seeke after more meanes in the Ordinances of God Vse last It is an use to all those that do indeed beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus to be not only carefull to read but to read these Scriptures in hope of finding those very blessings for which these Scriptures were written and sent us Were they written that you might be taught truly you make an il use of reading if you know no more at last then at the first you may wel say you are unprofitable if you doe not observe something from your reading and if they were written to stir us up to be doing good you make an il use of reading if it bring not forth some profitable fruits yea if by reading these Epistles you might beleeve and be humbled comforted and your joy might be full in reading then truly you should not rest till by reading you finde some measure of faith strengthened in you to an holy feare of God in whose presence you stand and whose word you take in hand and finde your hearts take comfort from what you doe read since they were writen for your sakes that beleeve and for your sakes onely if you shall be negligent to read them shall you not take this blessed Ordinance of God in vaine and therefore read them and read them diligently and profitably for the blessed ends for which God hath written them that you may finde the blessed fruites of them Now we come to speake of the end for which he wrote them that you might beleeve on the name
a man may pray and never observe what answer God makes to his prayers all the day long but God requires that you should get knowledge by reading and that not of small matters but of your possession of everlasting life and therefore you read to purpose when you thereby come to know that you have eternall life and your joy is increased and you are brought on to beleeve and trust in the name of Christ more and more and unlesse you so read you have taken this blessed Ordinance of God in vaine and therefore be diligent and conversant in reading these Epistles and as you would search for treasure so be diligent and laborious herein that you may know you have eternall life SERMON XIII 1 JOHN 5.13 That you may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God NOw we come to speak of the other end of the Apostles writing of these Epistles and that is that you may beleeve on the name of the Son of God Doct. It is an holy end of the holy scriptures that beleevers may beleeve John when he writes the Gospel he speakes as wel to beleevers as to others but cheifly to beleevers John 20.31 These things are written that you may beleeve Say not what is this but to make the worke that is already wrought for though faith and beleeving bee wrought in the hearts of Gods people yet such as doe beleeve had need to be helped to beleeve more and better Rom. 1.17 It is not onely the power of God to worke faith in such as beleeve but to lead them on from faith to faith from one measure of faith to another and the Gospel is revealed from heaven for that end that such as beleeve not might be brought on to beleeve And such as do beleeve may be carried an end in beleeving such as are faithful had need be yet more faithful you read also Phil. 1.25 I shall abide with you for your furtherance and joy of faith such a furtherance as is for the increasing and augmentation of your faith so that there is not only faith but increase and growth of faith too as furthered by the Gospel 1 Thess 3.10 That I might supply the defects of your faith to supply what is wanting in your faith there is not any of the servants of God no not those that receive the word with much joy in the holy ghost in much affliction and tribulation no not those that give good pledges and evidences of their grace as 1 Thess 1.4 5 6 7. yet there is something wanting or lacking in your faith not any no not the most exemplary Christians v. 7. but there is something wanting in their faith and therefore to this end he desires to come to them Note this as vers 10. he is pressed exceedingly night and day stirred up unto that duty with much vehemency and in earnestnesse of spirit desires exceedingly to see your faith and to perfect what is wanting in it A marvellous thing that the best Christians should yet have something wanting in their faith so that this is not a needlesse work he undertakes in writing to them that beleeve on Christ that yet they may beleeve better Quest Now what is that which they had need grow unto Answ First they had need to grow unto the beleife of some further principles of Gods truth some further Articles of faith which yet they know not Some have need to grow in the object of their faith to beleeve more then they yet doe beleeve Some of the Apostles did not beleeve the resurrection of Christ Thomas said he would not beleeve unlesse he might see and feele John 20.25 he was wanting in the beleefe of one Article of faith the resurrection of the dead and 1. Cor. 15. the whole Church was wanting in this and in many other Articles of their Christian faith they doubted not but that their bodies should rise but they wanted that before And the Thessalonians they wanted this in their faith they could not tell what to make of the long delay of the second comming of Christ they did expect a suddaine comming and therefore many of them were troubled in their minds so as that they neglected their callings and minded not their outward businesse in the world expecting a suddaine dissolution of all And therefore the Apostle supplies what was wanting in their faith by acquainting them further of the councel of God That Christ must not come to Judgement till Antichrist have first come with all deceiveablenesse and lying wonders and till the Church have made an Apostacy and the Galathians they were ignorant of the Doctrine of Justification for supply of which and satisfying them therein that whole Epistle is spent so in all other Churches the Apostles labours to supply what was wanting in the object of their faith Secondly there is something wanting in their approvednesse of the habit of faith something wanting in the gift and grace of faith The Apostle prayes for the Colossians That as they have received Christ they would so walke and that they might be rooted and established in him Many of them were not so rooted and established in Christ as they stood in need to be not able to exclude and banish those doubts and feares and cares of spirit that sometimes accompany beleevers even those that beleeve already on the name of Christ yet there is something wanting in the root of their faith for looke as you see it is with a Plant that is grafted into a Stock it doth not forthwith take root but a little matter will soone unsettle it so is it in this case a man may in some measure be implanted into Christ and yet for a time be marvellously unsetled and farre off from that rootednesse which God lookes our faith should grow unto and so in a building it at the first framing may be so greene as that yet it is not setled upon the foundation but it would have a time to be dryed and withered that it may stand the firmer on the foundation without shrinking and be more fit for a mans dwelling so is it sometimes with the faith of a Christian man he may be knit to Christ and may have a place in Christ but his morter may yet be green and may be easily shaken with wind and weather of temptation and not be yet rooted and established there may want such holy confidence and assured perswasion of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we had need to be lifted up unto a further increase of faith which this Epistle and such other Doctrines as these be are wont to work in them Thirdly It may be increased in the comfort of it in the sence and feeling of it for it may so fall out that many a good soule may come to a large measure of a lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as that they may cleave to him and seeke him early and doe and suffer any thing for the name of Christ and yet
sometimes doubt whether their faith be sound hearted or no in such a case he doubts whether his faith be true or no he wants the sence of his faith for he beleeves not that he hath faith now this faith of his had need to be increased in the sence and feeling of it that he may plainly see the faith he hath is no fancy or presumption or delusion as he hath very much suspected but that he may see the faith he hath is the faith of Gods Elect he had need be built up in his faith more and more Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeleefe Mark 9.40 He could not tell whether he might call his faith faith or unbeleefe he could not tell what to call it he was willing to beleeve but it was with so much difficulty and so much impotency of faith that he prayes for the removall of his unbeleefe so that in regard of the doubts that a man hath many times of his own faith he had need grow up in faith that he may beleeve that he doth beleeve and this is that you read Phil. 1.25 For the joy of your faith This was something in which they were to be furthered it was the joy and comfort of their faith so to rise up in beleeving as that they might have comfort in it for so farre as a man beleeves and yet is doubtfull of it he hath little comfort and joy in his faith and therefore the Apostle would have them furthered in their joy that their faith might be a joyfull faith such as where in they might have comfort and might be joyfull for that they had received faith And fourthly faith had need be increased in respect of the acts the proper acts of faith which are chiefly perswasion and trust upon the name of Christ and those heavenly truths in which the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed and graciously dispenced unto the hearts of his people even these also had need to be marvellously inlarged in Christian men above what at the first they doe arise unto see them both put together Peter when he walked upon the water he was fully perswaded and did trust upon Christ for protection in a very doubtfull and dangerous case he did trust upon him Matth. 14.30 31. but when the wind began to blow and the storme to arise then Peters faith began to shrinke and his body to sinke and then he cryes out O Master save me else I perish O thou of little faith saith our Saviour to shew you that a mans faith had need be further increased for you see our Saviour rebukes him for his little faith not only weake in the habit of it but little in the proper act of it He begins to shrinke in his perswasion and in his trust and that was thought the littlenesse of his faith and so the two Disciples that went to Emaius they looked sadly to thinke of the death of Christ and complaine of it to Jesus and when he asked them why they looked so sadly they tel him the cause concerning the death of Christ and say they we trusted this had been he that should have delivered Israel O fooles and slow of heart vers 21 22. 24. ought not Christ to have suffered these things to shew you that there is even in Gods owne servants that are true beleevers something to be supplyed in the acts of their faith their perswasion and trust is many times very much overwhelmed so as that many times they call in question the maine principles and foundations of their faith We trusted this was he but we are doubtfull whether we be not deceived or no God knowes whether it was he or no but we have just occasion of doubting for they thought the Messiah should have lived forever and now this is the third day since he was crucified and we trusted this was he but now he is dead and hath laine so long in the grave and we are therefore doubtfull whether this was he or no and therefore in this regard faith had need be increased Fifthly Faith had need to grow even that faith which accompanies salvation by which we beleeve on the name of Christ not only thus farre as hath been said but had need to grow in the fruits of it for many times though faith may have some strength and comfort and put forth it selfe in some acts yet notwithstanding it may sometimes fall out and often doth that even the faith of Gods people is much intercepted from putting forth it selfe in those lively fruits of faith which redound to the praise and glory of God Gal. 5.6 Faith workes by love now you know what you have heard of the love of Gods people that they may depart from their first Love yea so farre depart from it as that he may fall short of the performance of his first workes of his faith and love together Revel 2.4 5. Faith at the first was more abundantly fruitfull then now it is and so their first love was more abundantly fruitfull unto good workes then now they are able to reach unto but Chap. 2.19 it is said of the Thyatirans their workes was more at the last then they were at the first It is a signe their faith was as much growing in fruitfulnesse as the other was decayed so that something may be supplyed to the faith of Gods people their faith and love and the fruits thereof had need to be increased so that this is not a vaine end of Iohns writing to them that beleeve on his name that they may beleeve though they now beleeve yet they had need to beleeve yet more though it may seeme to be a Tautologie yet it is an evident truth Now then for further opening of this point first to shew you that all which at this time hath been said may be one reason of the point why Iohn writes thus to them which is taken from the defects that are found in the faith of all Beleevers which it were meet and necessary should be supplyed Reas 2. It is taken from the marvellous power that is in this Epistle and so in other Scriptures to supply these defects that are thus wanting in our faith whether in the object of it or in whatever else there is a marvellous power in the holy Scriptures to supply it all and indeed the Scriptures are so carved out and so dispensed and when dispenced aright there is a mighty power in them to supply faith and the defects of it in every Beleever The Scriptures are mighty through God whether preached or read or heard or conferred upon or meditated upon for to my remembrance the Scriptures are sanctified of God to none other use but to one of these five the Word of God is mighty and mighty to this end that beleeving in the Word whether preached or heard or read or examining what you have heard or meditating or conferring upon it there is a mighty power in the holy Scriptures to supply the faith of
Gods people Mighty power in the Scriptures preached First For Preaching there is a mighty power in the Scriptures preached for he writes these things that they may be preached and to be read and to make use of them in conference and meditation and in them all there is a mighty power But first for preaching Rom. 1.16 17. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation for therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith By the Gospel of God preached the Righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith to lead on beleevers to beleeve and not to rest growing in beleeving til they reach unto salvation it is the mighty power of God to salvation to every one that beleeves such an one while he lives shall be of the thriving hand in faith And when the Apostle prayed so earnestly night and day to come againe to the Thessalonians Doth hee not therein imply though there may be a mighty power in the word read to increase faith where it is already wrought yet his personal presence would helpe it much more whether by conference or by preaching and therefore he prayes much to see them again An evident argument though the word read may be of much use to establish us yet much more the personal persence and conference and preaching of the Gospel of Christ else that prayer of his had been something impertinent Conference And so secondly for conferring of the Scriptures you know when the two Disciples were doubtful whether that was the Christ or no Luke 24.21 our Savior doth not only reprove them for that doubtfulnesse but he begins at Moses and opened to them the things written in the Prophets till in the end their hearts glowed and burned within them and that was a furtherance of their faith for then they presently ran to Jerusalem and then they do not say we trusted this was he but they say the Lord is risen indeed In very truth without any further dissention never distrusted it more he is risen indeed so that there is a mighty power in the word confered upon in private conference and therefore they doubt no more of it So that the word opened by way of conference made their hearts to burn within them they do not call it preaching but rather a private conference an applying the Scripture to this point they stood need to be instructed in and they go away with ful resolution the Lord is risen indeed And you know the mighty power and use of the conference of Phillip with the Eunuch upon that conference the Eunuch beleeved and was baptized Acts 8.37 So that take the word preached and there is a mighty power of God in it to lead a Christian man from faith to faith And take the Gospell of God and conferre about it and it is a mighty power to increase faith that beleevers may beleeve Reading the word Thirdly And so it is for the word read another kind of dispensing this word that is a special end of it that by reading you might beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that is the next use of the Scripture they which do read shal by reading finde their hearts confirmed and established in the faith John 20.30 31. There is a mighty power of God that accompanies the word of God read to strengthen men in the faith that such as beleeve already may beleeve more and bee established in their perswasion of the truth of God Fourthly If you shal examine the things that you have heard Examination of things heard that is another use of the Scriptures an examination of what you heare goe home and consider whether the things that have been taught were true or no whether agreeable to the holy Scriptures or no for a Preacher speaks not the expresse words of the Scripture but comments and explications of the Scriptures and therefore examine whether that which is delivered be agreeable to the Scriptures which are alledged for to prove the doctrine We must make use of the Scripture as a rule to measure all the Sermon by we heare whether it be of just length and breadth of Gods word or no as the ballance of the Sanctuary the two testaments be and when you weigh what is said then you are confirmed and established in it Now this kind of making use of the Scriptures to examine what you hear it is of special use to helpe forward the faith of such as do beleeve yea and which is more it may bring on men to beleeve which it may be never did beleeve before mightily stirred before but beleeved not til they goe home and searched the Scriptures seeing that which is spoken to be fully agreeable to the word of God they have been brought on wonderfully to beleeve famous is that of the Bereans Acts 17.11 12. they heard the word and what he spake they received it gladly they thought he spoke well but they searched daily to see whether those things which were spoken were so or no therefore see the blessing of God upon it vers 12. many of them beleeved they received the word with reverence and did not cavell at it but heard it patiently and when they came at home conferred about it and when upon examination they saw it was according to the Scriptures of the holy Prophets when they saw that what Paul preached was suitable to Moses and the Prophets the blessing of God was great upon them for the number of them that beleeved was not a few to shew you that a man that hath heard the word and hath been stirred with what he heard if he shal go home and consider and weigh well and see how one thing bears witnesse to another Note this so as that the word preached opens the word written and the word written confirmes the word preached then though before he was doubtfull as sometimes a godly mans heart may faile him in applying the word to himselfe as Jacobs heart failed and he beleeved not yet when he considered it and saw what tokens of love was sent him and laid circumstances together then his spirit revived So a man heares much and some thing pertinent to him yet his heart may faile him and may have much adoe to gather any comfort out of it but when he considers things more privately and searches the Scriptures upon examination Repetition of the word blessed many a man beleeves the word which before he was doubtful of Repetition and examination of the word is marvellously blessed by God to this end to helpe forward our faith it is of good use both to beginne and to increase faith sometimes to worke it where it was heretofore wanting much more to increase it where it was begun before and therefore as we were begotten by the immortall Word of God so no Word of God being dispensed in any Ordinance of God none of them but are of mighty use for the supplying our defects of faith
and to make us beleeve more 5. Meditation on the Word Fifthly the Word also meditated upon when a man hath heard it and searched it and beleeved it read and conferred about it or say none of these for the present but whether these have gone before or no for the present the very meditation of Gods Word which a man now takes into his minde as he is riding or working there is a mighty power in the Word pondering upon it and chewing of it to make a man more rooted in it more fruitfull and more comfortable in beleeving This truth you see in Psal 1.1 2 3. when a man meditates upon the Law of God day and night he growes to more delight in it one of these helps another and what will be the fruit of it He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters planted and rooted and well watered there and he brings forth his fruit in due season and whatsoever he doth shall prosper not as planted in a dry Wildernesse but by the rivers of water and that makes him not only well rooted and growne tall but it inables him to bring forth fruit in due season and as for his leafe it withers not neither Summers heat nor Winters Frosts makes it to fall but he still holds his greennesse and his fruitfulnesse and he growes in all the graces of God which tend to the praise and glory of his grace and this is by reason of his delighting and meditating in the Word of God and thus you see the point opened Vse 1. First then you may from hence gather a signe of tryall of your owne faith for if this be the Spirit of a godly Teacher to draw on those that are beleevers to beleeve it is a good signe as of a faithfull Minister so of a faithfull Hearer when he desires to supply the defects of his owne and others faith you see Iohn a faithfull Minister to those Christians to whom he writes he when he had brought them on to beleeve and found faith wrought in their hearts it was his care not there to leave them he doth not say as some would well there is now truth of grace in them and truth of faith such faith as accompanies salvation and now he that begun this worke in them will finish it and so leave them and you say now you need take no further care about them but now they will doe well enough no this is not the spirit of a faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ and it will be but uncomfortable to such Ministers as thinke now they may be left to the wide world Property of a faithfull Minister they wil shift any where but where we see any seeds of faith begun we must be desirous to increase it in our selves and ours the Apostles themselves pray Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 and so they desire to increase other mens faith wee had need grow fast this way if we would have a true signe of a lively faith true and lively faith always desires to grow in it selfe and it would cause the like faith also to grow in others and therefore as you see faithfull Ministers are thus desirous to grow themselves and to cause others to grow as Paul prayes exceedingly night and day to come to those whom he had taken pains withall that he might make a supply of what was wanting in their faith and as faithfull Ministers must cloathe themselves with this earnest desire to be calling yet more and more upon beleevers that such as doe beleeve may beleeve yet more and grow from faith to faith Truly so godly Christians looke as Ministers are desirous to grow in their owne faith and to helpe on others so in Christians it is a true signe of faith not to content our selves in truth of faith but to desire earnestly after growth in faith had not they cause to pray that Paul might come among them againe and helpe them And therefore doubtlesse this is that which every true beleever hath respect unto every faithfull Christian prayes for himselfe Lord increase my faith Lord helpe my unbeleefe this is the prayer of every soule that comes to Christ that though we have some measure of faith already yet mixed with so much unfruitfulnesse and unsetlednesse and so many defects that every Christian hath cause to pray Lord helpe my unbeleefe sometimes a man is hindred with offences and they are to be avoyded in which a man will not be able to put forth love unlesse hee have a strong faith and that was the reason why the Apostles prayed so earnestly Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.5 for it was upon this occasion our Saviour had been exhorting them how to carry themselves in respect of offences if thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him c. Now they apprehended it was a great work they saw it was a great worke to rebuke him he had need have much faith before he can do that but suppose upon that a man doe humble himselfe and repent then for a man to forgive him Note this it requires a great faith to forgive a wrong or an injury offered to us but what if he come and offend me againe and againe seventy times seven times why if he doe and say it repents me thou shalt forgive him Now when they heare this that a man must bee so free-hearted in forgiving wrongs and injuries done to themselves they had need have a strong love and strong love stands in need of a strong faith to shew you that a man that shal have occasion to trade with his faith and to live and walke by his faith he shall have much need of the growth and increase of it if it be but for the healing of offences many occasions and temptations may meet with us in the world temptations from Satan as well as from the world 1 John 2.14 And if a man have strong enemies he will stand in need of a strong faith to cut asunder all the fiery darts of the Devill Ephes 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith There is no man willing to go to the field with weak armour he would if he could have armour of proofe such as might repulse a weapon or a dart cast against him so a Christian he hath to fight against many enemies And a sheild covers his whole body and so differs from a buckler that covers but one part but a shield covers the whole man stands upon the ground and covers him all over and now faith being such a sheild it is of mighty force and is able to repulse all the fiery darts of the Devill and all the rest of the enemies of their salvation so that the servants of God that know what use they have of their faith they know they have need of the growth and increase of it And so againe in regard of their daily imployments the just man lives by his faith Rom.
1.17 Gal. 2.20 A man doth nothing Christianly and spiritually but by his faith Faith profitable to all things now when faith must be the instrument to helpe us to work all our workes spiritually we had need to grow to some life and fruitfulnesse in faith and if our faith be not fruitfull we shall make but hard work of our daily imployments how shall we depend upon God and do all in the name of Christ and doe all in obedience to a commandement and live by a promise for Gods presence and blessing in it how shall a man do this if he have not faith yea if he have not some dexterity of faith A weake faith will then slug it when a man stands in most need to use it and therefore that a man may be ready to shew his faith upon every occasion in prayer in conference in every thing both concerning this life and another A man had need of a great deal of faith and therefore this is an evident signe that a mans faith is well wrought a sound and a lively faith if it be a growing faith But if you heare men saying they thanke God they have a strong faith and they alwayes beleeved on Christ and fie upon them that doe not let me say this is a presumption of faith but is no faith yea it is the badge of the want of faith when therefore you see the Apostle writes to them that beleeve that they may beleeve more certainly and more strongly that is a true faith and it will grow Vse 2 It serves to reprove the most sacrilegious and uncharitable faith of the Papists that take away these writings from the people John writes this Epistle to the intent that beleevers may beleeve you heard that the word dispensed in any ordinance is of mighty power to increase faith where it is begun and to beget it where it is wanting Take away reading of the Scriptures and conference about them Infidell practise of Papists and you take away all And therefore an infidell practise to go about to take away the faith of Gods Elect. God sent us the Scriptues to the end that we might beleeve and if this be the nature of faith to desire that themselvs and others might grow in faith what are they but Infidells in truth who as much as in them lyes lock up the Scriptures in a strange tongue that the people may not understand what is read unto them and as much as in them lyes drives the Bibles out of their houses And it is heretical presumption for such and such men to use the Scriptures this is infidelity and most sacrilegious to God And it is likewise uncharitable and injurious to the faith of Gods people An evident argument of infidelity how can you charge the wisdome of God of more folly and lightnesse God sends his word to his servants that they might be reading and hearing and conferring of it and that by beleeving they might beleeve These men to cast an imputation of folly upon God they are afraid that God did not consider the danger of it if beleevers should fall a reading and poore tradesmen a conferring about the Scriptures they are afaid they will be distempered with heresie and so trouble the whole Church do not they by so doing set the wisdom of God at naught and shew themselves sacrilegious against the truth of God Vse 3. It may serve to exhort us all since the holy ghost did write these things to the intent that you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God might beleeve First to you that beleeve and then to you that beleeve not You that have been diligent in hearing and reading the word be diligent in it stil and make it a point of your Christian practise not to faile to read some part of it every day unlesse you be necessarily hindred or if you have been necessarily hindred by busines from reading yet be sure nothing hinder you from meditating upon it the blessed man meditates on Gods word every night and every day though he takes the shorter time to it yet he must have some time for meditation upon the word upon something he heard this day or something hee hath sometimes read and you shall finde a mighty power in it to fructifie as if you were planted by the Rivers of waters Mighty power in meditating upon the word for the spirit of God breaathing in the word and your hearts sucking it up and by meditating upon it you grow in more knowledge in the object of your faith in the rootednesse in the sence and in the acts and fruites of your faith and this by hearing and reading and meditating read therefore the King himselfe must doe it daily Kings must read the Word of God daily who hath more businesse then any man Deut. 17.19 And if he doe so God will learne him the feare of his name now if God will not excuse Kings much lesse private men who have lesse affaires then Kings have and therefore be reading every day and when you cannot read be sure you meditate upon some part of Gods Word every day and every night As ever you desire to beleeve use the meanes that you may beleeve this being sanctified of God to that end then be not you wanting to use it and doe not only so but heare it likewise and conferre upon it and search it daily whether it be true or no use the meanes that God hath sanctified his Word to be dispensed in and by which he will blesse it to his people and then you shall finde this In beleeving you shall beleeve you shall grow from faith to faith and from sence to sence and in the fruits of faith till you be perfect in Christ Jesus be diligent in hearing Gods Word for it is the mighty power of God unto salvation and conferre of it there is a mighty power in the Word being conferred upon take heed ye neglect not occasions in this kinde and search the Scriptures and examine what you heare and you will finde a mighty power in it to increase faith Since therefore God hath given you his Word and shed abroad the water of his Spirit to run through every line of the Scriptures Note this so that the more you shall read and heare conferre and meditate and search the Scripture the more you shall finde the life of faith increased in you and therefore you must not wonder if you see Christian men that neglect these duties complaine of the deadnesse of their hearts Doest thou doubt in thy perswasion is thy confidence mixed with much diffidence then aske thy heart this question Whether hast thou used the Scriptures for those ends God hath appointed them and hast thou been diligent in conferring about them and searching of them whether what is delivered be suitable to them or no and meditated of them and brought them home to thy house and compared them together and meditated
for it was at the same feast that Nehemiah speakes chap. 8. last It is said chap 8.4 to 8. there was a Pulpit of Wood and in vers 8. it is said They did read distinctly in the Law and caused the people to understand the meaning of it so that it was not a meere outward and bare reading of the letter but an opening of the sence and such a kinde of applying it to the hearts of the people that the people went away much rejoycing because they understood the Law that was read unto them and many of them could not but joy and rejoyce in it as you see from vers 8. to the end of the 12th and when they had so done the people went away rejoycing and he said to them Goe your way home eate the fat and drinke the sweet c. vers 10. So that this you shall finde to be true that God hath either never so farre forth blessed the reading of the Word as to bring on unbeleevers to Christ either never or if he have it is at some solemne extraordinary feast once in seven or once in fifty yeares which was their great Jubilee to make knowne to his Church what in after times it should be when they knew Christ Vse It may serve first to let us see a reason why so many Writings of godly men to so good purpose and by such holy men and so effectually by many have so little prevailed against the Papists and Hereticks in any kinde a man would wonder to read so many Writings of so many holy men and to see so few of the Church of God brought on to God by this meanes Why what 's the reason surely it is no wonder the Apostles themselves though they should never prosper in writing to men that beleeved not but to such as beleeved that they might have joy in beleeving they knew reading would not prevaile It is true it may be some meanes of conviction and leaving men without excuse and their Writings have not been in vaine to establish them in the truth that beleeved it before and for satisfying the judgements of them that are studious in the truth to seeke out the truth of Gods will but for men that are unbeleevers and setled in the dreggs thereof never any Writer in England France or Germany did any good some have come over that have pretended that this and that mans learned Writings hath been of much help to them but those who have professed such conviction have been but meer counterfeits and deluders of the State and did it only to provide for their honour and credit here in this Country and as little hath been done by the Writings of godly men against the adversaries in this kinde So in very deed The bane of congregations that have no meanes of preaching if you shall looke at all the good that hath been done by reading in poore Congregations that have had no meanes of preaching the people are as ignorant as those that never heard of the name of Christ as empty of faith and of the knowledge of Christ and of every grace of his as those that never heard of them Object But you say This is marvellous uncharitable to say that they who have but reading fall short of faith in Christ and of the fruits of faith that accompany salvation Ans Whether is it more uncharitablenesse to let such as live under such meanes know their danger that they might come to salvation then to flatter them with a false opinion of their owne safety to speake peace to them and yet they to live without God in the world Gods people are in an unsafe condition without God while they are without a teaching Priest 2 Chron. 15.3 A long time they had been without God why had they not the Word of God read in their Synagogues Doe you thinke Ieroboams Priests did not read the Law Was there no mention of the Law of God among them Had they not so much forme of godlinesse as to read the writings of the Law Yes sure their Civill Law in which their civill Government stood and by which they executed Justice was the Law of Moses and did they not then understand the letter of the Law doubtlesse these bookes being their Law they were knowne among the body of the people and what did the Priests if they did not read the bookes of the Law were they only to offer sacrifice to the Calves I doubt not the people did not doe it neither was it usuall to offer any of their Oblations in their Synagogues but at Dan and Bethel only and therefore they were not wanting to heare the Prophets read and yet notwithstanding all that reading it is said Israel hath a long time been without God they had a Priest to read but not a Priest to teach and so were without God and without the Law that is the sentence God gives of the people at that time and thinke not that God was uncharitable in so speaking of them for God expresseth his love in shewing the people their dangerous estate Ioh. 15.14 15. Quest But is it not said Act. 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day and is not then the reading of him preaching Answ It implyes that when he is read he is preached for every Sabbath day when they read the Law they gave the sence and meaning of it that shewes what diligence the Priests did use when they did read they gave the sence and wisely applyed it to the edification of the people and not that reading was all the preaching they had or that this was any preaching that they only read the Word of God for if they had but Moses read and not preached they were then without the Law and without God in the world And you know what God himselfe threatens Amos 8.11 12 13. That he would send a famine of hearing the Word never was there a famine of reading the Word since there was any face of a Church at all but a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord that men should goe farre from sea to sea and from place to place to heare it but should not heare it And by that meanes the young men and the faire virgines should perish for thirst and none to satisfie them with the Word and those who were able to stirre would goe farre and neare to heare the Word and yet should not finde it and so shall perish for want of that knowledge of it which doth accompany salvation so then marvaile not that the Holy Ghost saith these things I write unto you that beleeve to Beleevers only was this written Note the Miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading Wonder not then if so little good be done among the Papists or in any other Churches where there is only bare reading make account of it as the Lord saith My people are then destroyed for want