liberall things Isa 32.8 And yet these are not the words of men but the Promises of the God of truth more firme then the earth it self The Apostle tels us that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Now seeing wee are so greedy of gaine why doe we not follow after this gainfull way of godlinesse which brings so large and lasting a reward assured by the word of God himself Nay why upon the same assurance doewe not lay hold of Eternall life What doe we grasping after the world when we have assurance of heaven a Kingdome that cannot be moved by the firmest of all Gods promises in which it is impossible for him to lye Consider I beseech you and let us weigh well what we doe and take notice First of the great wrong and dishonour wee offer to God himself Secondly of the evils that we bring and that deservedly upon our own soules We dishonour God 1. In that we receive not his Testimony for what we beleeve not that in effect we deny and by consequence make him a lyar 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar as he that beleeves on the contrary sets to his seale that God is true Ioh. 13.33 Herein we doe in effect crosse the maine end for which we came into the world and for which God hath indued us with wisdome and understanding above the beasts of the field that being true of every man which our Saviour affirmes of himself for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the Truth Ioh. 18.36 Men will indeed beapt to beguile themselves and others too in professing that they receive Gods testimony in all that he speakes but the Apostle tels us that there is a deniall in Workes as well as in Words Tit. 1.16 And to speake truth deniall in Deeds is the strongest deniall and manifests our affirming in words to be meere Hypocrisie as the Psalmist justifies it against the Israelites in the Wildernesse that though they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their Redeemer yet they flattered him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongue Psal 78.35 36. and proves by their workes because they still went on in tempting and provoking God and limiting the Holy one of Israel ver 40.41 2. It is the greater wrong and dishonour to God not to receive his Testimony First because God hath so farre condescended to our weaknesse as to engage himselfe unto us so many wayes being notwithstanding debtor to no man bestowing whatsoever he gives freely out of meere Grace We accompt it a wrong to a friend to require a bond of him for the assuring of a free gift But God hath bin content to abase himselfe so farre to us as to engage himselfe unto us by his Word to confirme his Word by an Oath and to ratify both by the seales of his Covenant That after the manifesting of so much tender respect to us and condiscending so farre to our weakenesse and affording such firme footing for our Faith God should not have so much credit with us as to bee beleeved upon his Word his Oath his Seale is such a dishonour to the God of Truth as we would be ashamed to offer to a mortall man Especially if we consider in the next place that God hath never given us cause to distrust him he never failed us in any one Promise wherein he hath ingaged himselfe unto us Thirdly it is yet the greater wrong to God if we consider by whom it is offered Nothing so farre kindled Gods wrath as the provoking of his sonnes and daughters Deut. 32.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What thou my sonne said Iulius Cesar to Brutus when he saw him amongst the rest of the conspirators come to stabbe him There cannot be a greater wrong to a master then not to be trusted by his owne servants much greater is the injury when a Father can have no credit from his owne children How is it possible then that God should beare it at the hands of those that call him Father and desire to be known by the name of his children that great dishonour of slighting his Promises and in their lives and conversations declaring to the world that they make more accompt of mens assurance then they doe of them Secondly as the Lord for whose glory we are created is wronged by our unbeliefe in not resting upon his Promises so it fals out as usually it doth in all like cases that we infinitely thereby prejudice our selves many wayes 1. By this meanes we deprive our selves of all true grounds of comfort which might support us in time of tryall It was Gods Word which quickened David in time of his affliction Psal 119.50 It was Gods Word on which he depended Psal 130.5 When he powred out his complaint before God out of the depths that is in floods of distresses that overwhelmed him For as for any other meanes to establish our hearts and beare up our spirits in times of inward distresses or outward afflictions wee shall find our selves forced to take up Davids complaint I looked for comforters but J found none Psal 69.20 and Psal 142.4 I looked on my right hand and there was no man would know me refuge failed me And as for Gods promises whence only the ground of true comfort ariseth with what cold hearts must we needs either apply them to our own soules or urge them and presse them upon God in our prayers when our own consciences tell us that these are the truths of God which we have cast by as matters of which we never made any great accompt Surely God can returne us no other answer to such suits then he gives his people Iudg. 10.14 Go cry unto the gods whom you have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Cry to your Lands to your Treasures to your Friends in whom you have confided what have you to doe with my promises which you never beleeved nor regarded This is and will be a sad condition into which our unbelief will cast us when it will be too late to help it 2. ly This want of staying on Gods promises wonderfully deads our hearts unto all duties of Gods service unto which we are in an especiall manner encouraged because we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 And the Psalmist professeth the hope of Salvation from God was it that encouraged him to doe Gods commandments Psal 119.166 As on the other-side those that exported nothing from God desire to have nothing to doe with his service Iob 21.15 3. ly The want of this Faith by which we embrace Gods promises utterly cuts off all hope of eternall life which nothing but Faith in Gods promises can lay hold off And to be shut of that hope leaves unto a man nothing but a certaine looking for of judgement and fiery indignation
which shall devoure the adversaries Heb. 10.27 4. Lastly in the meane time this want of Faith in the promises leaves the heart of a man full of distractions and unquietnesse thereby so that one becomes uneven in all his wayes unsettled in all his thoughts raised up and cast down with contrary hopes and feares as the outward things of this life subject to continuall changes ebbe and flow from day to day whereof we have too many evidences in these times of trouble wherein men fall on and off as their vaine hopes and feares carry them on to one party or drive to the other to the shipwrack of their owne consciences and as much as in them lyes the betraying of the cause of Christ and of his Church and to their shame discovering to the world that they were never yet setled upon any firme foundation whereas one that hath built his Faith upon Gods promise is like a Ship moared by her anchors in a safe harbour from whence the ebbs and flouds of the sea cannot remove her 2. Vse Let me therefore earnestly beseech you right honourable and beloved by the mercies of God to labour above all things to strengthen Faith having such a firme foundation to build it on not cunningly devised fables as the Apostle cals them 2 Pet. 12.16 not the word of men who may deceive and be deceived but a faithfull word Tit. 1.29 A sure word 2. Pet. 1.29 The word of the God of truth who cannot lye a word more firme then the foundation of the earth setled for ever in heaven Psal 119.89 We have great reason to be earnest and serious in labouring with all our power to attain to this firmnesse of Faith not only because otherwise we despise this great mercy and compassion of God towards us in condescending to our weaknesse and abasing himselfe to be ingaged to us by his word his oath and his seales but more especially upon these sore weighty and important considerations 1. Of all other graces Faith is most necessary and usefull unto us every way 1. We thereby bring unto God the greatest glory by it setting to our seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 As Abraham is said to give glory to God when he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith Rom. 4.20 Indeed there is no more mentioned in that place but that he beleeved and thereby Sealed to the power of God being fully perswaded that he which had promised was able to doe it ver 21. But without beleeving his faithfulnesse and truth with all neither had hee any sound comfort nor God his due honour by beleeving wherefore it expresly testified of Sarah that she beleeved that he was faithfull that had promised Heb. 11.11 2. ly To us is Faith of such necessity that without it wee were dead spiritually it is that which unites us unto Christ the fountaine of life in whom we live as the Apostle testifieth of himself I live saith he yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by Faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 So that without Faith we are without Christ who is our life Col. 3.4 Again it is Faith that quickens all our endeavours and sweetens all our labours in Gods service knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not Gal 6.9 Thirdly it is Faith by which both our persons and services are accepted By Faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous Heb. 12.4 Fourthly it is Faith that holds up our spirits in afflictions I had fainted saith David unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living Psal 27.13 Whence he professeth that Gods word the ground of our Faith was all the comfort which he had in his afflictions Psal 119.50 Fifthly Faith only enables us to withstand all terrours By Faith Moses his parents feared not the Kings commandement Heb. 11.23 And by the same power of Faith the three Children feared neither King Nebuchadnezzars angry countenance nor his threatning words nor his preparations of the flames of fire to torment them no not so farre as to take time to consider what to answer in so dangerous a case Dan. 3.17 Lastly it is Faith that supplies us with strong consolations Heb. 6.18 So that the Apostle tels us that being justified by Faith as we have peace with God so we not only bear tribulations patiently but in the midst of them rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.3 Secondly as Faith of all Graces is most necessary and usefull so is it of all others the hardest to be obtained and that in divers respects For first there is nothing in Nature that can help us to the attaining of Faith Sense cannot help us for the objects of Faith are things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 That is things that are above Sense things that are in the nature of them spirituall 2. Cor. 4.18 Whereas Sense apprehends only things that are grosse and earthly and things whereof many have no present being but are in hope and expectation only Much lesse can Reason help Faith seeing that takes all her grounds from Sense Wherefore Abraham that he might waxe strong in Faith silenced Reason which would have furnished him with arguments against the promise of having a sonne by Sarah for the Apostle tels us that he considered not that is did not so much admit into debate reasons drawn from the deadnesse of his own body and of Sarah's wombe Rom. 4.19 No Sense and Reason are so farre from helping Faith that they are the most dangerous of all other meares to hinder it or overthrow it where it is When David judged by Sense of Gods wayes and dispensations which represented unto him the prosperous condition of the wicked and his owne afflictions every morning it so shooke his Faith that he had almost slipt and was upon the point of condemning his owne wayes and the state of the Godly too as himself acknowledgeth Psal 73.2.13.15 And when Sarah began by Reason to examine the promise of having a Child at 90. yeers old she was so farre from beleeving it that she laughed at it Gen. 18.11 And as long as Moses makes use of his reason to weigh Gods promise of feeding six hundred thousand men besides women and children with flesh in the Wildernesse for a moneth together we see how hardly he is brought to beleeve it Num. 11.21 22 23. It must therefore be concluded that seeing neither Sense nor Reason nor consequently any thing in Nature can bring any help to Faith nay rather are the strongest meanes to oppose and hinder it it must needs be a difficult worke as being both above and contrary to Nature to obtain it A second difficulty in obtaining Faith is the consideration of those great and wonderfull things which it apprehends and beleeves
watch for our halting as that wee may farther interest God in our Protection and lastly if wee suffer may have the comfort that wee suffer for well-doing 1 Pet. 3.17 Againe it unites the godly more in love and communion and fellowship one with another as the Shepheards Dog drives the scattered sheep together When the bands of the wicked had robbed David in the next verse save one he joyns to the company of those that feared God Psal 119.61.63 It awakens faith quickens to Prayer Psal 116.3 4. exerciseth patience and raiseth up our hearts to look after those things that are spirituall and eternall 2 Cor. 14.16 17. A fourth benefit which the troubles accompanying the Churches reformation bring unto the godly is the testimony of their conscience that they cleave to Christ in sincerity and truth and submit to him for no outward respects As it proved Jobs sincerity when he professed his resolution to depend on God though he should kill him Job 13.15 and comforts himself with the hope of a glorious resurrection wherein he should see the face of God with joy whatsoever became of him and his outward condition at present Chap. 19.26 27. The very light of nature taught Heathen men that the services which they performed to their gods with perill and hazard to themselves were best accepted of them The Family of the Fabii had a solemn universary sacrifice to be offered by one of that Family on the hill called Quirinalis Now when the Gauls sacked and burnt Rome and besieged the Capitol so that there was no coming to that hill but by marching through the enemies campe one Caius Fabius Dorso attired as a Priest with his sacrifice and other necessaries in his hand marcheth through the midst of the enemies astonished at his resolution offers the sacrifice and returns in safety satis sperans saith the Historian propitios esse deos quorum cultum ne mortis quidem metuprohibitus intermisisset That which he hoped upon uncertain and false grounds we have reason to believe upon undoubted evidence of the word of truth whence the Church urgeth this before God as an undoubted evidence of the sincerity of their hearts towards him that they had not forsaken him though he had broken them in the place of dragons and covered them with the shadow of death Ps 44.18 19. A fifth benefit which the Church receives by these troubles in the Churches reformation is the strengthening of their faith which though it be grounded on Gods Word which assures them that he will be their hiding place and their shield Psal 119.114 yet is wonderfully supported by experiments which beget hope Rom. 5.4 whereof the godly make speciall use upon all occasions as Psal 44.1 and 77.11 12. Now there can be no greater experiment of Gods Almighty power and readinesse to support his Church then the erecting of Christs Kingdome in the middest of his enemies Psal 110.2 yea in the midst of their tumultuous and violent oppositions Psal 21.2 Questionlesse if all Satans power cannot hinder the erecting of Christs Kingdom much lesse shall it overthrow it when it is established as our Saviour hath promised that the gates of hell that is all the power of the Prince of darknesse shall not prevail against it Mat. 16.18 A sixth benefit that accrues to the Church by these troubles in the reformation thereof is the doubling of their comfort after the victory which is much sweetned by the difficulty in obtaining it When the Saints under the conduct of Michael which is Christ and by his power had driven the Dragon out of heaven see what joy there is after that glorious conquest Rev. 12.10 Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God c. Lastly the more brunts we endure for Christ and the service of his Church the greater is our reward hereafter these light afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Wherefore all those glorious promises made to the Churches Rev. 2.7.11.17.26 and 3.5.12.21 are made under the condition of overcoming These reasons only weighed are sufficient to settle the heart of any godly man when it appears that though the Churches troubles are raised by Satans malice and his instruments yet they are so ordered by the wisdome and goodnesse of God that he hath much honour and the Church so many large benefits thereby The consideration of these wayes of Gods providence in ordering the affaires of his Church is of singular use sundry wayes Vse 1 First it is a means to silence all our complaints and murmurings against the afflicted condition of the Church when it appears that those troubles are not so much the effects of the malice of Satan and his instruments as the acts and decrees of the Lord himself to whom who dare say What doest thon Dan. 4.35 So DAVID was dumb and opened not his mouth because he did it Psal 39.9 And withall it is the decree of that God who as he made the heavens by wisdome so he orders his wayes towards men in wisdome as the Heathen Poet acknowledgeth Et projucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt Dii who in his wisdome gives not so much pleasant as fit things that may rather do us good then delight us yea of that good God who is good and doeth good Psal 119.68 who loves us better then we love our selves as the same Poet acknowledgeth Charior est ipsis homo quam sibi How apt are men to quarrell at their estates when they suit not with their carnall humours The Prophet David gives himself for instance acknowledging that when he saw himself plagued every morning Psal 73.14 his heart was full of envie at wicked mens prosperity by which he gained nothing but the grieving of his heart and pricking of his reines vers 21. and the shaming of himself for his folly and ignorance vers 22. Indeed by these murmurings of ours we both disquiet our hearts in vain and wrong God himself as if there wanted wisdome or compassion or faithfulnesse in his dispensations towards his people Vse 2 Secondly such meditations help us from condemning of the cause in which we stand When David looked upon his chastisements he was ready to condemn his own way Ps 73.13 and when the Barbarians saw the Viper upon Pauls hand they judged him a murtherer Acts 28.4 but when they found he had no harm by it they took him for a god v. 6. Three things should move us to think well of the Churches cause notwithstanding the troubles incident thereunto First that those troubles are ordered by God not out of hatred but out of love and faithfulnesse for the Churches good faithfull are the wounds of a Lover Prov. 27.6 And David findes Gods faithfulnesse in his afflictions Psal 119.75 Secondly it hath been the Churches portion in all ages the lot of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles yea of Christ himself whom we should condemn in condemning the cause in which they