spiritual dangers as the tal Cedars to strongest blasts Satan hath many more advantages against them than meaner persons they are most subject to be poisoned with pleasures puffed up with pride surfet of prosperity let loose the reigns to all injustice violence cruelty in a word to break the bonds of all discipline promise to themselves impunity and become incorrigible while they powre out themselves to all licentiousness because few dare freely reprove them hence no doubt sprung that Dutch Proverb which must be taken with a corn of salt Princes in Heaven are as scarce as Venison in poor mens Kitchins therefore they have need to be extraordinary careful of their salvation and guarded with double diligence watchfulness zeal in all religious duties Lastly their lives are very exemplary obvious to publick inspection and imitation many eyes are fixed upon them their actions are powerful to command effectual to corrupt inferiours who are too ready to follow and conform to their courses and think if great men live wickedly they may do the same by authority Satanknoweth that by their exorbitances they not only lose their own souls but draw much company with them to perdition Examples even of greatest Princes Kings Emperours further confirming this point are not wanting David though entangled in many wars besides other incumbrances and employments not a few spent no small time in communing with God and his own heart as appears by this that 140 of the Psalms in probability are of his penning and composing King Josiah in the eigth year not of his life as some mistake but of his reign that is in the sixteenth of his life began to seek after the God of David his father that is to give himself to the private study of piety to reading prayer and such like exercises Who more devout than Daniel and Nehemiah two great Courtiers and Governours Constantine the Great besides reading and praying with his family did every day at set times shut himself in his closet and there converse with God by solitary Prayer Alfred King of England spent eight hours the third part of every natural day in prayer study and writing These things I have thus discoursed that your Lordship may see and others acknowledge I do not without cause offer to your hands and eyes a Treatise wherein the two main parts of religion faith and good life are explained and urged It pleased your Noble Father while yet he dwelt in the land of the living to vouchsafe me the meanest of Gods messengers that gracious respect which I could never have expected from so honourable a personage and your Honour also in those times to take notice of me The remembrance of those things hath emboldened me to this Dedication which otherwise I should never have presumed to attempt Wherein the Searcher of hearts knoweth I seek and aim at nothing else but the honouring of his memory who now sleepeth in the Lord and stirring up your tender mind to the imitation of his vertues What honest heart ever knew him and did not lament his departure as a publick loss or say this world which now wants him was unworthy of him He was a professed enemy of Popery and Prophaneness a true friend and favourer of all godly and painful teachers without exception or partiality receiving their persons and doctrine with such gladness and singular reverence as I must needs say to me was vvonderful and in persons of his ranck is rarely seen ready at all times by his authority speech letter to help and encourage them in their holy function What shall I say of his supported life in the slippery time of youth his religious care of constant frequenting Gods house not only twice on the Lords day but ordinarily on Lecture days and preparing himself for the use of the Lords Supper his sincere affection to the holy ways of the Lord and all that walk in the same which to any observant eye appeared by many not obscure signs and testimonies I shall comprehend all if I do but say by profane great ones who openly reverenced him he was secretly twitted for Preciseness and Puritanism And could the Epilogue of such a life be any other but a blessed death Though his sickness was violent yet how sweetly he comforted himself in the Lord and having foretold the day of his death rejoyced in spirit from assurance of being with Christ after his dissolution how graciously feelingly powerfully he powred out his heart in supplication before the Lord those that were present can witness and will never forget and amongst the rest I remember one an ancient and reverend Minister who professed to me that himself was exceedingly affected and refreshed by his prayer and that he hath seldom heard any Preacher pray more excellently more divinely Novv my Lord vvhy hath the Divine Providence which doth nothing in vain sent set before you such a domestical precedent Surely for your admonition and instruction that you might be warned thereby to tread in the same steps and learn the path of life by example as well as precept Suffer therefore I beseech your Honor the word of exhortation As God hath made you heir of your fathers greatness so labour to shew forth an express image of his graces and godly conversation and think often you hear his voice thus sounding in your ears for by his life being dead he yet speaketh to you My son know the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind Macte nova virtute puer sic itur ad astra By the grace of God I have led you the way walk as I have walked that we may meet and enjoy one another in Heaven Repel with infinite loathing the whisperings of those witches who go about to perswade that though it s not amiss for Nobles to have a form of godliness yet forwardness in Religion is a stain and blemish to Noble bloud Such things are suggested by the father of lies to rob you of true comfort in this life and a Crown of glory after death For I assure your Lordship in the word of truth as true piety is able to accommodate Noblemen with the best Musick peace of Conscience the best Counsellor the wisdom which is from above the fairest and strongest house Gods protection the best weapons defensive offensive faith and the spirit of prayer the best attendants Gods holy Angels so it will wonderfully adorn and beautifie all other excellencies purchase them more true honour than an external accomplishment even the honour that cometh from God only a place and a Name better than of Dukes Earles Lords an everlasting name that shall never be cut off and at last put them into the possession of immortality and eternal life The father of mercies inrich with all blessings of heaven and earth the noble and vertuous Lady Philadelphia your mother keep your Honour from every evil now and ever season and govern your young years by his holy spirit that
Totum Hominis OR THE VVHOLE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN Consisting in Faith and good Life Abridged in certain Sermons expounding PAUL'S Prayer for the Thessalonians Epist 2. Chap. 1. Vers 11 12. By SAMUEL WALES Minister of the Gospel at Morley in York-shire EPHES. 6.16 Above all take the Shield of Faith 2 PET. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 16. cap. 1. They that glory in the Christian Name and yet live wickedly are like unto Cham for they shew forth Christs death by Profession and dishonour it by lewd Conversation LONDON Printed by T.B. For Benjamin Alsop at the George at the lower end of Cornhill over against the 〈…〉 Stâ—â—kâ—-Market 168â— THe Reader is to take notice of the Providence by which the ensuing Treatise and the Epistle before it came to be reprinted so many years after the first Impression and the Reason thereof which was as followeth The Lord Wharton in Sept. 1674 being at Leedes and looking on the Pictures in the room where he dined among the rest there was one of Mr. Wales the Author of both A Gentleman there present spoke highly in his commendation he having been a neighbouring Minister in those parts of great worth and esteem and said he he dedicated a Book to your Lordship which I think I have in my Closet my Lord not remembring any thing of the said Book or Epistle was desirous 〈…〉 so honourable a character of his Lordships Father he begged the said book Afterwards finding also the Treatise it self so useful he communicated the same to his onely Brother Sir Thomas Wharton who both of them thought fit to cause the said Treatise and Epistle to be reprinted both in respect of the memory of their ever honoured Father and for the usefulness of the Treatise it self and they also thought fit to add a few lines of their own to their Children collecting from that word in the Epistle of the worthy and reverend Author That the Domestical Precedent of such a Father was for Admonition and Instruction of the said Lord Wharton that surely it was and they hope and pray it may be no less admonishing and instructive to all those who come out of the loines of the same holy and worthy Progenitor PHILIP Lord WHARTON and Sir THOMAS WHARTON his only Brother wish Grace and Peace unto their Children and their Childrens Children from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ through the Sanctification of the Holy Ghost Dear Children YOU have been acquainted with the Original of the ensuing Discourse and the occasion of its Revival at this time Your especial concernment in it is from the Character and Account given of the Life and Death of your Grand-Father our Father in the Epistle Dedicatory prefixed unto it and although we had not the advantage of knowing him our selves so as then to have had a sense of the things spoken of him he being taken away in our tender Age yet we have a full assurance of the Truth of the Testimony given in the Epistle following unto his Zeal Wisdome and Piety The known Reputation and Integrity of the Reverend Author of that Epistle with the time of his Writing of it being after the Death of our Father and its Direction to one of us then a Child from whom he could expect no Countenance nor Reward do exempt his Testimony from the common Condition of such Epistles and Dedications even when Written by other good men On this Account we do in the first place commend the Treatise it self unto your dillgent perusal and do leave it as a pledge of our concernment for you in the things contained therein For being not designed nor contrived by us nor the Author for any such end the Tender of it being made unto you from that hand of Providence whereof ye have heard it ought to be had of you in especial regard It is a Treasure in and unto a Family to have such a Person as your Grand-father is here truly represented to have been on the Roll of its Progenitors And we have been taught that where Soveraign Grace hath made an entrance into any Family especially in a principal Root of it it doth not utterly forsake that Family at least in some of its branches unless the Covenant whereby it is administred be generally neglected or refused On this Occasion it is not improper for us to add what we each of us know and can with much comfort Witness of the holy and exemplary Lives and Conversations of our dear Mother and of each of our Wives from whom ye have respectively issued on which Account as the Apostle said of Timothy that be called to remembrance the unfeigned Faith that dwelt in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice we can truly say the like of your Grand-mother and respective Mothers and we should rejoyce in nothing more than with the like Confidence to add with the same Apostle concerning you all that we are perswaded the same Faith dwells in you also as we hope we can say of some of you It becomes not us to speak any thing unto you of our selves nor of our endeavours to transmit this Priviledge unforfeited unto you It is sufficient for us which we must abide by that we have not been wanting in any means of Instruction which we thought might conduce unto your good and advantage You that are our own Children immediately are most of you in that State for Age and understanding as wherein you must answer for your selves We therefore leave it in charge with you that there be not an Intercision of the Administration of the priviledge and grace of Gods Covenant in and towards our Family by your Default Your Lot is fallen into Times of great Advantage on the account of the Light of the Knowledge of the Gospel and of great Disadvantage from the abounding of various Temptations in them it requires more then ordinary Diligence so to deport your selves that you neither suffer for abused mercies nor fall into a Course of sin upon urgent opportunities Remember also in point of Honour and Interest that no Families are more contemptible in the World than those who degenerate from pious Ancestors for in that case it is which God himself hath given that express Rule They that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed It is but a little while that we shall be present with you neither have we much more to do for your advantage than we have done Our principal Design now is to leave an abiding sense with you of this our present Advice We are not altogether ignorant of what hath been said by others and of what yet may be said in the way of Advice to Children by Parents who have a Care of their Temporal and Eternal good The substance of all that can be spoken in this Case is comprized in the last words of David to Solomon his Son And
quest it shall not be amiss for further explication of the point to answer one question how do Christians honour or dishonour their calling Sundry waies answ but these are the principal 1. They honour it by growing up to an holy dexterity and skilfulness in the trade of Christianity when they so receiue the word as they encrease in knowledge and holiness labour still more and more to abound and excell in spiritual understanding maturity of judgement power and ability to subdue evil and do good Contrariwise they disgrace Christianity by non-proficiency when after much teaching they continue silly punies babish ignorant sticking and stumbling in the very grounds and easiest points of religion ever learning and never attaining to any solid distinct orderly knowledge of Diuinity 2. They honour it by stedfast persisting in the holy doctrine they have received against all contrary blasts of vain mouths when they are so rooted and grounded in the truth that they are able to stand firme and unmoveable against the enticing words of corrupt Teachers yea to trie their spirits discover and avoid them On the contrary they dishonour it by being reeds and weathercocks in religion when they hearken unto and suffer themselves to be seduced by the subtilties of impostors and glorious shews of counterfeit Angels of light vomit up again the wholesom doctrine they have taken down and drink in the lying words of deceitful workmen 3. They honour it by an unspotted conversation when like Zachary and Elizabeth They walk in all the commandments of the Lord blameless and are as the Philippians are exhorted to be unblameable sincere harmless without rebuke shining as lights in the world that is so frame their lives as they cannot justly be accused of any open and gross sin after their calling They dishonour it by falling into reproachful and scandalous evils 4. They honour it by abounding in fruits of righteousness when they labour to be full of good works holy just profitable actions ever to be speaking and doing that which is agreeable to the word of grace and may honour God edesie the inward or help the outward man in themselves or others ever to be exercised in one good work or other in a word when they endeavour seriously that their practise may answer their teaching and profession They dishonour it by barrenness fruitlesness careless neglect of good works when they place religion only or principally in knowing or talking profess piety but express it not in their practise or do not constantly shew forth mercy and equity in all their actions so that the very wicked can tax them for the want of these things 5. They honour it by bridling and moderating affections manifesting Christian meekness when occasions of being provoked are offered equanimity confidence and joy in God when he takes away good things or brings evil upon them They dishonour it by suffering passions now stirred by some adverse and ingratesul occurrences to overflow the banks and break out into unseemly excess when they can keep no mean or measure in their anger are fearful above measure altogether heartless at the approaching of danger grieve immoderately for losses and crosses For worldlings seeing the children of God so impotent impatient timorous dejected think within themselves surely there is no such joy in these mens religion no such power in faith as Preachers would perswade us 6. They honour it by union and harmony of hearts and tongues when they sweetly conspire and are knit together in judgement and affection as the boards and curtains of the Sanctuary by rings and tenons minding speaking the same thing walking by the same rule They blemish it by mutual jars vvars dissentions especially in matters of Religion 7. Lastly they honour it by constancy in religion vvhen they are called to suffer great things for it holding on in the way of life when showres of persecution falling threaten to drown them willing and chearful forgoing the dearest things for the Gospel They dishonour it by spiritual cowardise and apostasie starting back from the truth because of the Cross shrinking away from the love profession practice of godliness left they should be troubled and persecuted This makes men think Religion is worth nothing for which they that know and have professed it will lose nothing this makes men say these love the world and the things of the world as well as others for they will yield to any thing rather than part with living liberty life This instruction thus confirmed and opened ferveth first to reprove many that desire to be counted and called Christians but answer not their stile Some notwithstanding all our preaching are unexpert in the word of righteousness in the art of godliness grow not in knowledge but stand at a stay like dwarfes and dwel perpetualiy upon that a. b. c. of Religion which they learned long ago Some of good age and long standing have begun to totter and turn after seducing spirits which promise to open unto them a new way that they may find rest and peace to their souls wherein they may walk without a Conscience Some for fear of worldly troubles let good causes fall to the ground But above all others this point thunders against those who by their disordered lives bring shame not only upon themselves but upon Christianity in general It s to be lamented that some by idleness in their callings pride unthriftiness undutifulness to Governours unfaithfulness in dealings slipperiness in promises rigor in standing upon and prosecuting their own right to the utmost discords and such like gross faults appearing in their lives give the wicked occasion of condemning our whole brotherhood 1 Pet. 2.17 and make Religion ashamed that ever she knew them yea blush and hide her face if they do but look at her or challenge any acquaintance with her And do we serve our Religion thus Beloved in which we hope to be saved Do we look she should comfort us plead for us lead us to heavenly glory and yet we deal with her as Judas did with Jesus that is daily deliver her up to be mocked scourged crucified pierced by the spears and arrows of ungodly mens venomous tongues Do we not fear lest if we continue to be a shame to our fathers house exposing it to infamy and obloquie in the world we be cast out at length as bastards and bond slaves lest if we be a shame to the Gospel the Author of the Gospel be ashamed of us in that great day Secondly Vse 2 all that call upon the Name of Christ and are called after his Name must hence be spurred and stirred up to answer their calling especially by an holy and unblameable life Brethren let us study every man in his place to be an ornament and credit to Religion Whatsoever things tend to the honouring of our holy profession let us think on them and do them embrace and follow after them whatsoever things we know or justly suspect will disparage and
death be turned into a stone like Nabals which is much to be feared you shall curse your selves in the dark dungeon of hell and say Fie upon us idiots more brutish than the beasts of the field we never lived the life of men or reasonable creatures before God because in so many years we never began to mind or do what we were born to mind and do above all things In the mean time I wish you to consider that he cannot be Gods child who contents himself with Gods basest blessings Did you see one in a Gentlemans kitchin feeding upon scraps or the coursest food in the house you would not doubt to conclude this is none of the children but some scullion or one that belongs not to the family apply this to your selves and you shall find just cause to fear that you are but vessels of dishonour slaves that must not abide in the house for ever 2. Prophane Protestants are here to be taxed Ezek. 9.9 who are or strive to be full of wickedness and perverseness like Jerusalem of mischief and subtilty Act. 13.10 Matth. 23.28 Rom. 1.29 Act. 13.45 c. like Elimas of hypocrisie and iniquity as the Pharisees af all unrighteousness as the Gentiles of envy and wrath as the unbelieving Jews have mouths full of cursing and deceit eyes of adultery tongues of deadly poyson who in a word take the high way to be filled with the spirit of Satan As Abner said to Joab so I to these Know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end When for every sugred morsel of sin which now goes down so pleasantly you shall receive a double portion of the sowre sauce of vengeance The more you fill your selves with the liquor of hell the more will the Lord fill you with the dregs of the wine of his indignation and dash you like bottles one against another the more pains you take to fulfil the lusts of the flesh the more you fill up the measure of your sins and take heed lest God accomplish his fury and fulfil the good pleasure of his justice in your condemnation 3. Many of better proficiency are to be censured who finding in themselves some seeds and elementary rudiments of godliness let fall the sails of their desires and sit down well contented I wish this Corinthian and Laodicean-like fulness be not a sickness too common among Christians but I fear too many not of the worst sort of our hearers if once they have but thus far profited in Christianity that they can thank God they are much reformed in mind and life or perswaded of the truth of their conversion think themselves rich enough they have gotten grace sufficient to save their souls and now they are well-satisfied they will not trouble themselves to labour for any more This is to manifest our own consciences being witnesses we have no questions we feel no poverty of spirit we complain of no wants our secret sighs and fervent longings for grace are dried up and withered the temper of our spirits is cold and dead as the winter season our affections are grown flat and frozen we please our selves in a conceit or self-sufficiency and that more holiness than we have already attained is superfluous But brethren if we be so easily so quickly satisfied and glutted with Gods dainties which make true believers more hungry I testifie unto you we may justly fear that we never rightly tasted at least never kindly digested them but have all this while dreamed and been deluded by Satan and consequently doubt of our conversion Assure your selves when God shall call us to an account such a time will come and how soon we know not we shall have small comfort in looking back and recounting what a long rich spiritual seed-time and harvest we have enjoyed wherein manifold means and opportunities of getting a fair stock of grace have been plentifully afforded and we in the mean time like loitering sons of shame dallying with Gods bounty and neglecting to redeem the season have gathered little Secondly Vse 2 if the godly must desire it followeth that in the use of all sanctified means they must labour for the accomplishment of all Gods gracious pleasure in themselves all gifts accompanying salvation We must not rest in any measure of holiness but press after persection of every grace and never rest till we see yea feel powred upon our heads all the goodness that God hath promised to shew his children in this life Truly as the heathen King is reported to have wept when he heard a Philosopher speak of more worlds than one because himself had not yet conquered one so it s a thing much to be lamented that whereas God hath provided for his children even in this world such a liberal portion of grace as might make their lives an heaven upon earth the most of us enjoy and receive so little the reason whereof is because we are not covetous enough we beg not in good earnest or else second not our prayers with suitable endeanours we aim not at a great measure Alas that we should be so poor and have a father so able so willing to enrich us I beseech you therefore if there be any consolation in Christ if ever you have tasted how good the Lord is stick not in begiunings call upon your selves to strive and endeavour after the highest degree of mortification and power to resist and conquer remnants of corruptions the highest degree of all positive graces knowledge faith love joy fear c. the highest degree of chearful and constant obedience of lively and fruitful walking before the Lord the highest degree of peace and comfort of strength stedsastness boldness The means in which we must strive are 1. A constant attending upon publick ordinances especially the Word preached and the Lords Supper which God hath sanctified for perfecting the Saints and by which he is wont more and more to convey his graces into the souls of those who use them with pure and prepared hearts 2. Feeding much upon Christ by application of he promises drawing and keeping near him in our spirits taking all occasions of looking up and speaking to him often bringing and baring your hearts before him as husbandmen do the roots of their trees before the Sun the reason is because he is not onely the fountain of goodness who makes the spirits of those that delight in approaching to him and walking with him watered gardens but also that Sun of righteousness whose sweet and quickening heat doth enliven regenerate renew impregnate with spiritual graces and fruits the invisible world of believing souls and advance the same to perfection spiritually as this visible Sun doth creatures in this visible world naturally the more communion any one hath with this fountain this Sun the more grace he shall be sure to have 3. Plying God with fervent prayers springing from spiritual hunger and deep sense of our own beggery intreating him by the wind
of his Spirit To blow upon the garden of our hearts that the spices thereof may flow forth 4. Improving Song 4.16 and blowing up grace by spiritual exercises of reading singing meditation conference private communication of gifts 5. Evacuation purging out by renewed repentance such matter as might cause an oppilation of those passages in which grace should flow unto us for Christ to whom we are joyned as members if we be believers is an head full of the holy Ghost full of grace truth if we defire to receive abundantly of his fulness we must take heed the nerve of faith and pipes of Gods ordinances be not stopped or made ineffectual in us by our worldliness deadness of spirit lusts or some known corruption too indulgently handled 6. Laying our hearts low before the Lord in humiliation and humility For the low valleys because they receive most dew and rain into their bosoms are most fruitful so the humble heart the broken spirit is of all others a subject most capable of the spirit and shall be most plentifully watered with the showres of grace because the God of all grace and goodness hath promised to dwell in such a spirit Do you now see the way Walk in it that you may find rest to your souls Do you know these things Blessed are you if you do them And therefore still suffer the word of exhortation in the use of these means propound this mark to your selves To be filled with the holy Ghost with wisdom and understanding with all riches of full assurance with all might patience and long sufferance with joy and peace in believing to be full of good works of mercy and good fruits of thankfulness and Gods praiset all the day Oh spare no pains for storing up abundance of grace as David said of his children the fruit of the womb happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them so may I much more truly say of the fruits of the spirit happy is the man that hath his heart full of this treasure here only covetousness yea violence is lawful and holy Say not within your selves this is an hard doctrine and impossible What we cannot be perfect here such thoughts are prompted by Satan to make you lazie and rob you of your crown The Apostle Paul was not ignorant of this yet He forgat the things that were behind and stretched himself unto the things before yea laboured if it were possible to attain to the resurrection of the dead So that though we cannot reach an entire and compleat perfection yet we may and must grow still more and more perfect and though our attainments shall never in this life overtake and equal our desires yet as he that shoots at the noon-Sun though he be sure he shall never hit the mark is sure to shoot higher than he that aims at a bush so if we desire and aim at the highest pitch of grace vve shall be sure to outstrip our fellows and attain such a measure as shall make our profession both comfortable to our own souls exemplary to our brethren and glorious in the eyes of strangers And thus much touching this branch of Pauls prayer for though I perceive there is one point more couched in it which have not been handled yet for brevity I will refer and reserve it to be wrapt up as well it may in the conclusion of the next member which now remaineth to be opened wherein a second thing is craved by the Apostle as a necessary and more special means of making them worthy their calling The words are and the work of faith with power where consider 1. The blessing asked which is fulfilling the work of faith By work of faith may either be meant the exercise operations fruits of faith faith stirring acting labouring producing such works as are proper to her or faith as it is Gods work in man the grace or habit of faith wrought by God in our hearts I take this latter sense the difference is not great and this includes the other 2. The efficient cause of it Gods power For so I understand those last words with power that is by his own Almighty power joyning them to the word fulfil rather than to faith which worketh powerfully in believers The meaning then is as if the Apostle had said But above all other graces we make suit unto God for the perfecting of that blessed and singular work of faith which his grace hath begun in you and that by the strength of his own right hand who is omnipotent and all-sufficient The instructions to be gathered from these words follow whereof the first is this The best faith hath wants doct 1 Understand it of faith in the sons of men in this world It s plain in our text The Apostle witnesseth in his former Epistle that this people received the word with much assurance that their faith to Godward was spread abroad in other places In this very Chapter he hath given thanks to God that their faith grew exceedingly yet here he tels us they have need to be prayed for that God would perfect their faith A cloud of witnesses doth further confirm it Abrahams faith did â—imp and halt a little when he hearkned â—o the counsel of Sarah in going in to Hagar for he consented to the use of unlawful means for bringing about Gods purpose likewise when through fear he sained Sarah to be his sister weakness appeared in Sarahs faith when she laughed at the promise of a son in Jacobs vvhen tidings of Esaus coming did so affright and distress him though he had a promise of Gods presence and protection in that journey in Davids when in his haste and fear he said I am câ—st out of thy sight all men are liars when he fained himself mad in Peters when being afraid of his skin in the high Priests hall he denied his Master And no marvel for first if knowledge be imperfect in all Christians confidence cannot be perfect in any How can the heart desire or cleave unto this or that further than the mind apprehends it as true and good I cannot rest upon a man believing he will do this or that for me further than I know him The measure of faith in the will depends upon and sollows the measure of light in the understanding 〈◊〉 mean in respect of latitude not intension or in intrinsecal vigour for otherwise I know there may be great faith where there is but small knowledge as in many Martyrs A man may know more than he believes so do many wicked men in the Church but he cannot believe more than he knows Now its certain that we know but in part for neither do we apprehend the whole object of knowledge that is the whole body of divine truth my meaning is vve know not all things to be known vve are still ignorant of many things neither do we see those things which now we know so fully clearly distinctly as vve should and
application by keeping in memory and revolving the experience they have had of Gods Faithfulness and Mercy by fellowship with strong and experienced Christians exercising Faith in all occurrents and such like holy meanes labor I say that the small grain of Faith which God hath sown in the soil of their Souls may grow up to a tall Tree whose height reacheth unto Heaven full of fair leaves and savoury Fruits yielding shade and shelter to many Blessed is he that heareth and keepeth for he provideth well for his Soul he shall sing when others sorrow stand when others stagger or fall the Lord shall reveal to him the abundance of peace and truth The Lord give us understanding in all things and perswade our hearts to the things which belong to our peace Thirdly I gather hence Vse 3 that Gods word doth warrant Christians to prize prefer respect Faith before all other Gifts which I note to let you see a difference betwixt Apostolical and Apostatical doctrine the spirit of Paul and the spirit of Papists for they depress the dignity of faith and extol charity and the works of charity far above 〈◊〉 They teach that the Scripture when it hath to deal with men faithful and regenerate calls not for faith any longer but urgeth good workes they reach that true righteousness consisteth principally in charity that charity onely is the forme and Queen of vertues even of faith as if one should say the form of justice is temperance an habit distinct from it or motion the form of the spirits in our bodies profound learning indeed by some of their own men disliked they teach that faith doth but only dispose us unto justification make us meet to receive grace and obtain Christs merits but charity alone sufficeth unto justification charity will purge away sin and deliver from the guilt of death eternal Who can endure to see the Daughter lift up above the Mother to hear the hand honoured above the heart But that such Divinity should come from Papists we shall think it less strange if we do but remember two things 1. That the Roman Synagogue is just such a Church as a Carcase is a Man and therefore it was meet she should neglect that grace which is the spring and soul of all piety justice charity What 's fitter for a dead Church maintaining a dead Christ a dead Cross a dead Word dead Sacraments dead Prayer a dead Ministery than a dead justice 2. That the Popish Faith is nothing else but an assent to all such things as the Church propoundeth out of the word written or unwritten which themselves being witnesses many Catholicks have who are notorious Sinners Murtherers Fornicators Thieves Drunkards such a faith I am sure may be in the Devil and therefore good reason they should commend any thing before it If it be objected object that our Apostle expresly affirmeth love to be greater than faith or hope I answer answ his meaning is that love is more excellent not simply and absolutely but in some respectonly that is in regard of the manner of working extent and use towards others for the work of Faith is secret in the heart invisible the work of love manifests to others sensible Faith respects God onely Love stretcheth her Armes both to God and Man Faith is profitable only to him that hath it but Loue studys the Edification of the Church and spurs forward to labor the good of the Members thereof both in Soul and Body which seems by the Context to be the very thing the Apostle intends unless you will expound it thus as some have done that in the life to come there shall be far more frequent constant and illustrious use and exercise of Love because the glorified Saints shall not be troubled in Heaven about holding Faith and Hope as they are in this World but wholly taken up with loving God hauing no other work and imployment during all eternity but to solace and delight themselves in the fruition of his glorious Presence and the society of the blessed Angels We come now to the last instruction which is this The perfecting of faith and all other Gifts in the Elect doct 3 is a work of Gods Almighty power The Power of God accomplisheth the Belief as every other grace of the Godly I join together the general and special from both the clauses which might be handled distinctly Hence is that of the Apostle Ro. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.3 So elsewhere His divine power giveth us all things pertaining to godliness The truth is God himself must either do it by his own strong hand and mighty arm or it will never be done For First Reas 1 There is no other cause able to produce this effect the means without Gods blessing and spirit breathing in them are but a dead sound and can do nothing both the Ministers labours and the success of them are from Gods efficacy Man himself though indued with faith cannot believe when and so much as he pleaseth it s not in his own power to rest so firmly and stedfastly upon Gods promises as he desireth and therefore cannot perfect his own saith Alas how should he when he cannot make one hair white or black command one ounce of bodily health at his pleasure or add one cubit to his stature Secondly Reas 2 The enemies which oppose the growth of faith and holiness are such as cannot be vanquished but by the power of the Omnipotent Creator natural ignorance and infidelity degrees of spiritual death cannot be expelled but by the Author of life those potent and subtil spiritual Wickednesses cannot be mastered but by him that is strongest able to tread down Satan under our feet First Vse 1 Then it follows hence that much more the beginning and first working of Faith is from Gods powerful efficacy or effectual power For its a greater work to give than to conserve life to kindle or produce fire where none was than to keep it burning when it is kindled If that which is less viz. the consummating of faith much more that which is greater the begetting or infusing of faith must be attributed to the power of God which meets with the Arminians teaching that God doth not by his Almighty Power bring men to believe but only allure perswade excite leaving it still in their power whether they will believe or no. But the Prophet Esay makes the revelation of Gods Arm to be the efficient cause of the belief of the Gospel and our Apostle ascribes the believing of the Ephesians to the same mighty power of God by which he raised Christ Jesus from the dead It were well therefore they would change their minds or correct their Bibles Secondly Vse 2 It is may comfort believers against fear of losing or falling from faith The great God who is strong in power who created all