for the Life of Justification is perfect at the first though it be a continued act Therefore do not onely hear the Word but Pray Hearing the Word is the laying the mouth to the breast but Prayer is the drawing of the breast Therefore draw hard New-years-day O thou that createdst the first Heaven and the first Earth of nothing O thou that createst the New Heaven and the New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness when sin had made the creature worse then nothing O thou that createst the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven as a Bride O thou that createst the New Creature the New man fit to be an inhabitant of the New World of the New Jerusalem O thou that hast said Behold I make all things New Create thou in me even in me Psal 51. a clean heart renew a right Spirit in me Plead with God and say Lord thou hast commanded me whilst it is called Heb. 1. To day to hear thy voice and not to harden my heart I beseech thee therefore whilst it is called To day hear my voice and harden not thy heart against me For if thy heart be hardned against my Prayer my heart must needs be hardned at thy Word Say Father let others give what gifts they please to their friends if thou please but to give me grace Eph. 4. grace to put off the Old man with the Old year as the circled Snake casts her skin and to put on the New man Psal 103. as the Eagle renews her bill and her age both together I shall esteem it the best New-years-gift that ever was given And say Father I have fast hold on thee and I will not let thee go Gen. 32. except thou bless me except thou giv'st me this blessing this New-years-gift of a new heart Lord I lay hold of thee in thine own promise Thine everlasting Truth is a cord strong enough strong enough to hold Thee and Lord I must needs make bold to binde thee to thy VVord Hast thou not said Lord A new heart will I give you Lord for whom is this new heart laid up in thy Promise for them that have it or for them that want it c. Therefore I beseech thee of thy faithfulness to answer me and in thy righteousness say unto me Though thy faith be weak Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let there be light Mat. 8. let there be heat let there be a new heart Be thou holy as I am holy that thou maist be happy for ever as I am happy Thus much for the third Question How and by what means this Sanctification is wrought in the Soul 4. Questions follow Quest 4. What Reason of the necessity of Sanctification What is the reason that such a life is necessary in all justified persons Reas 1 1. Reason Because this is one of the great Ends of our freedom by the Death of Christ He died not onely to redeem us from Hell and from Satan and all our Enemies but from our vain conversation also 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Yea he delivered us from the hands of all our enemies that we might serve him in holiness Luke 1.74 Reas 2 2. Because it was one of Gods great designs in the work of our Redemption to make us conformable to the Image of his Son as in suffering Rom. 8.29 so in sanctity that as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we might bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. VVe look upon Christ by the eye of Faith as they look'd upon the brazen Serpent not onely to save us but to transform us and heal us The vision of Christ begets transformation and transformation satisfaction this is partly in this life but perfectly in the life to come Psal 17. ult I shall behold thy face in righteousness when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness In the mean time there are degrees of transformation and satisfaction to the Soul so far as it is able to look upon Christ by the eye of faith in the glass of the Ordinances 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all as with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed c. To be changed into the Image of Christ is a great part of a Christians happiness a great part of this happiness is his holiness without which even heaven it self and the glorified Presence of God would be a hell to him for so long as men are unregenerate and wicked they say unto God Depart from us we will not have the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 Therefore that they may be made like Christ and take comfort in the fellowship of Christ it 's necessary they should live by Faith the life of Sanctification Reas 3 3. Because from the first Adam we stand guilty of a twofold sinfulness 1. Imparted Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so c. 2. Imparted Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Reas 4 4. This is for the honour of Christ Philip 1.27 Onely let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel c. 2 Sam. 10.4 Hanun's abusing Davids Servants was to cut off half their garments Reas 5 5. Because Gods free love in the Life of Justification cannot but stir us up to love God again 1 John 4.19 And love is active and full of inventions to do service for the beloved And so he must necessarily live the Life of Sanctification and so Sanctification is an evidence of Justification How doth Christ prove many sins were forgiven to Mary Luke 7.47 Because she loved much And how doth she prove her love by the fruits her cost and care and pains ver 37 c. If ye love me keep my Commandments sayes Christ Joh. 14.15 Faith works by love Gal. 5.6 As Faith applies Promises for Comfort so commands for Performance of Duty Psal 119 66. And so much for the first Branch in Sanctification viz. Renovation BRANCH II. THE LIFE of FAITH A LIFE OF FRUCTIFICATION SEcondly The just lives by Faith the Life of Fructification for we shall speak of the Use of both together in the fruits of New Obedience And this in these particulars How or in what manner faith hath influence into the life of spiritual Fructification 1. Faith makes us good trees 1. In making of us good Trees A man must be a good Tree before he can bring forth good Fruit Mat. 12.33 Now Faith makes us good Trees by grafting us into the Mystical Body of Christ Rom. 11.17 Thou being a wilde Olive-tree wert grafted in and partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive Thou derivest sap and juyce and life of grace in Christ and so thou dost not onely bud and blossom as Aarons Rod Numb 17. by good words and fair
reigning Unbelief when we believe nothing at all when we have not so much as laid hold of any Promise to make peace with God! Partial unbelief deprives us of many Mercies on this side Heaven but total unbelief deprives men of Heaven it self Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned O the misery of that poor Soul that never yet believed one Promise O that we could even with Soul-bleeding tears bewail our unbelief O that God would give to each of us a heart to get into a corner and to weep in secret over our unbelief each man bemoaning himself as Ephraim did Jer. 31.18 O that I should have such a stiff neck such a base hard unbelieving heart O that I should spend so much time to so little purpose for death hath possest all that part of my life wherein I was an unbeliever The heathen man could say O Friends we have lost a day but many of us may say O Friends we have lost many days and many years wherein we have done God little or no service nay a great deal of disservice by our unbelief O that I should be so foolish and slow of heart to believe all that Lord hath spake by his Prophets and Apostles Luke 24.25 O how justly may God upbraid me for my unbelief Mark 16.14 c. that I should be so backward to believe the God of Truth and so forward to believe the Father of Lies Blessed Saviour lay not this great sin this Mother-sin to my charge which is the Mother of Abominations Thus should we pray Consider not how often I have dishonoured thy Majesty and grieved thy holy Spirit by my unbelief But O thou Mirrour of Patience and Pity who didst sometimes mourn over the People because of the hardness of their hearts Mar. 3.5 I beseech thee let that be the object of thy Pity which might be the object of thy Fury O pity and heal mine unbelieving heart Doubtless if we can but thus bemoan and bewail our selves in our unbelief that God who made good that gracious Promise to him that went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and I will heal him Isa 57.18 will much more make it good to such an one as with all his heart and with all his soul bewails his own frowardness and backwardness to believe I will restore comfort to him and his mourners Vse VI. Of Exhortation Vse 6 Of Exhortation The next Use is for Exhortation 1. For our selves 2. For others For our selves 1. To perswade us to labour to get Faith As Solomon saith of Wisdom with all thy getting get wisdom So with all thy getting get Faith for it is thy life 2. To keep it when we have it Non minor est virtus c. It is no less a piece of Spiritual good husbandry to keep our stock of Faith when we have it than to get it at the first 3. To live by it or use it as well as to keep it It s far better to put our Faith to use than our Money to use The Just makes a living of his Faith whilst he puts it to use 4. So to live by it as not to live barely and poorly but so as to increase the stock of our Faith Faith is such an excellent grace we can never have too much of it he that increaseth his Faith increaseth his livelihood For the just shall live by his Faith First therefore labour to get Faith Branch I. To get faith There are many things that men labour to obtain in the world Some are all for their Profits others for their Pleasures others for their Preferment and so every man as his Principle leads him But when all is done nothing is so worthy of our diligence and best endevours as is the getting of Faith Should a man gain all other things and lose this he makes a hard bargain Mat. 16. â—6 For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Should a man lose all the rest and gain this he makes a wise bargain Job 2.4 Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Now Faith is the very life of the Soul For the just shall live by his faith and therefore with all thy getting get Faith it is thy life Should a man hear of such a Medicine as would certainly preserve his life and cure all manner of Diseases whither would he not travel what would he not give to procure such a Medicine And such a Medicine is Faith commended unto us from the hand of our heavenly Physician Be of good comfort saith Christ Luke 7.50 17.19 thy faith hath saved thee and Thy faith hath healed thee Faith is a Remedy against all diseases yea suppose a faithful man dies of his disease yet his Faith is a Remedy against death it self Woe is me saith the natural man there is no friend against death But blessed be God saith the true believer for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain Phil. 1.21 The greatest of evils is turn'd into the greatest good by Faith even death it self is made advantage Who would not labour for such a Grace What should I say to raise the price of Faith in your esteem What do we esteem instead of Faith Certainly the best of men and the best of blessings are but dead things without Faith Faith puts life into a man and into all that a man enjoys Without faith men of high degree are a lie Psal 62.9 and so are all those things which make them so high Honours Profits Pleasures all these promise much O say they we 'll make thee a happy man if thou wilt set thy heart on us But they lie when they say so Jon. 2.8 They that follow after lying vanities forsake their own mercy If thou wouldst not forsake thine own mercies labour for Faith He is merciful to the purpose that is merciful to his own Soul Prov. 11.17 and that man is the most desperate Self-murtherer that is willing to live and die in his unbelief I beseech you I beseech you Friends listen to the voice of your Immortal Souls Me-thinks every man now and then should hear the voice of his precious Soul crying out in this manner Am I not the most excellent piece of Gods Workmanship And did God make me so for nothing Is not my being to continue to everlasting Do I not feel in my self the very spark of Immortality Must I not be either happy or miserable to all Eternity Is there but one means under Heaven to make me happy which is to get Faith and shall I neglect that Is this the great Work that God hath given me in charge that I should believe in him whom he hath sent Joh. 6.29 and shall I do evething else before I do this Is my life but as a day in this world and the night of death coming
Discouragements removed by Faith Faiths Triumph over fear of Divine desertion God may forsake his people in five respects yet it is but gradual and momentary not total and final Reasons of Gods forsaking his people 1 For prevention of Evil two ways 2 For Confirmation in Good five ways The Life of Faith in Consolation Two Propositions stated 1 That the Just lives the Life of Consolation 2 That he lives this Life by Faith Four Reasons why the Lord will have the Just live comfortably Six Reasons why Consolation comes by Faith Faith fetches in Comfort from the Trial and Evidence of the Truth of Grace Objections against Assurance of Divine Love inferred from Marks and Signs of true Grace answered It is a preposterous course to judge of our interest in Divine Love by our Comforts before we have tried the sincerity of our Graces Differences of Regenerating Grace from Common Uses of the Life of Consolation in Believers 1Vse Information in five Particulars 1 Of the cause of sadness in the faithful 2Vnregenerate souls are uncomfortable souls 3 Religious Life is the onely comfortable Life Objection against this That the Saints walk sadly answered Where the Rise of the Saints heaviness is discovered in three general Causes The first is taken from themselves in five particulars The second from Satan The third from God himself who eclipses his Peoples Comforts for three Reasons 4 Information what to desire for our best friends 5 Information what great happiness attends the end of Saints in death 2Vse of Reproof 1 Of mis-judging the Life of the faithful 2 Of Papists who rob of Comfort while of Faith 3 Of such who fetch Comfort from Sense 4 Of such who refuse Comfort upon the Promises 5 Of such who go for Comfort to false Prophets 3Vse of Exhortation To live this life of spiritual comfort 1 Three Motives Vnder the third is set forth ten Properties wherein a believers joy excels all natural worldly sinful joy 2 Means to get and maintain spiritual Joy Faith is acted seven ways for the increase of Joy Having seen how the Just live by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life It remains to shew how they live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life The Work of Faith about Eternal Life Faith assures of three things about Eternal Life 1 That there is an Eternal Life This Faith makes good by Scripture and five Reasons flowing by necessary Consequence from Scripture 2 Faith informs a Believer what the happiness of Eternal Life is and wherein it consists viz. In the perfect Vision of God which causes perfect transformation in perfect Knowledge Love Obedience Joy which perfect transformation causes perfect Satisfaction which Satisfaction consists privatively in a fivefold freedom from whatever may annoy or interrupt the Joy of glorified Saints positively in the possessing of whatever good can be desired to make up complete Joy and Satisfaction which consists in a fourfold fulness of the Subject in glory as also in the fulness of the Object viz. The beatifical Vision of God 3 Faith assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in Eternal Life Under which Head is shewn How Faith assures a Believer of his particular interest in Eternal Life This it doth six ways all which are largely handled Five Reasons why Believers are kept out of possession of heaven so long after assurance of their interest in Eternal Life Uses of living by Faith in order to Eternal life 1Vse Confutation of such who deny Eternal Life both in respect of the Soul at present and of the Body after the Resurrection Five proofs of Eternal Life 2Vse Reproof to five sorts of persons 1 To such as complain that Religion is a fruitless Profession 2 To such as despair in stead of acting Faith for Eternal Life 3 To such as exercise their fancy more than faith concerning Eternal Life where vain curiosity in moving Questions about the state of glory rather than a due care to make sure an interest in it is condemned 4 To such who have an interest in Eternal Life but do not act faith to the improvement of that interest 5 To such who minde Earth for a portion more than Eternal Glory 3Vse Examination of Faith in respect of Life Eternal Whether we believe aright that there is such a state and that we have an interest in it 1 Sign By our carriage in Life Whether our Affections Meditations Speeches and Actions be heavenly such as sute such an inheritance 2 Sign By our respect which we bear to Death viz. as a passage to Eternal Life as a conquered Enemy Four Degrees of Christs Conquest over Death for all his Question stated Whether godly persons may not be afraid to die and unfit to die 4Vse Exhortation To live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life Five Motives to get assurance of Eternal Life Four Means to assure of Eternal Life 5Vse Comfort and Encouragement against the evils and temptations of this present life drawn from the nature of our heavenly life where hope or assurance of heaven is demonstrated to bear up the heart under adversity and to preserve the Souls integrity under temptations of Prosperity 6Vse Admiration and Thankfulness for our heavenly life To excite to this the excellency of heaven is set out five ways 1 By the excellent Names or Titles given to it 2 By the excellent Properties of it which are four 3 By the excellent Price given for it 4 By the excellent Causes of it 5 By the excellent Effects of it Thankfulness for Eternal life demonstrated two ways Reasons for living by Faith The Eighth General Head or Quaere concerning the Life of Faith viz. What are the Reasons why God will have the just to live by Faith and why a Christian should be willing thus to live First sort of Reasons taken from a Believers Condition in the flesh This is set out in five particulars 1 Absence from the Lord. 2 Distance of time 'twixt the Promise and Performance 3 The necessity of keeping the Saints humble 4 Saints present state of Imprfection for whose direction and support the Word and the Ministery of it is afforded Question herestated concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Arguments of four sorts to prove it 5 Past Experiences of Gods faithfulness in fulfilling his Promises are given for a firm encouragement to exercise future Faith Three Grounds to expect that God will make good the same Promises for time to come Second sort of Reasons for living by Faith viz. The Relation betwixt Christ and Believers 1 Relation Christ is the Fountain of all Grace of whose fulness we receive onely by Faith 2 Relation Christ is our Lord and we cannot honour him without Faith Faith honours the Grace Faithfulness and Power of God Third sort of Reasons taken from the nature and use of Faith 1 It is our livelyhood with the difference of Faith under both Covenants 2 We first fell away from God by unbelief therefore he will recover his honour in
Contrariety uniting in the Unbelievers ruine ERRATA in the Body of the Book PAge 4. Line 5. read without God p. 9. l. 31. r. all comforts p. 12. l. 34. r. who give p. 16. l. 30. r. grace p. 17. l. 14. r. make p. 24. l. 26. r. delights p. 40. l. 31. r. this p. 43. l. 18. r. about it p. 44. l. 28. r. us p. 51. l. 11. for And r. Cured p. 57. l. 26. r. sees p. 77. l. 1. r. they have p. 100. r. unaccustomed p. 106. l. 34. r. our hands are taken off from our own righteousness p. 121. l. 22. r. and says O that p. 126. l. 9 r. us l. 11. r. but if p. 134. l. 18. r. glorifying l. 27. r. imputed p. 141. marg r. examination p. 148. l. 5. adde obtain p. 150. l. 4. adde the life of p. 174. l. 25. r. revive p. 198. l. 29. r. against which p. 198. l. 15. r. to exercise their common graces p. 217. l. 18. r. Rome be not l. 19. r. is p. 118. l. 21. r. worm p. 219. l. 7. r. it p. 219. marg r. 2 Peter 3.18 p. 257 l. 12. r. religio p. 264. l. 26. r. beâ—al p. 266 l. 22. r. in the womb p. 272. l. 4. r. place p. 281. l. 13. r. 1 Thess 3.8 p. 288. l. 34. r. uncomfortable p. 292 l. 25. r. and shall be sure of heaven p. 297. l. 13. r. one side p. 300. l. 19. 3. 1 Joh. 3. 14. p. 301. l. 34. r. Gen. 8. p. 301. l. 27. r. act of faith which is the testimony p. 307 l. r. fled for refuge p. 313. l. 7. r. 1 Joh. 1.7 l. 30. r. Gal. 5. p 315. l. 20. r. of the Lord l. 33. r. 6 and 7. p. 316. l. 9. r. all l. 34. r. cases p. 324. l. 13. r. mad man p. 330. l. 14. r. possess p. 333. l. 23. r. Psa 2.11 p. 335. l. last r. Luke 16. ult p. 341. l. 31. r. 2 Cor. 5.1 p. 363. marg 1. Phil. 1. p. 367. marg r. 1 Joh. 3. p. 367. l. last but l. 4. adde is p. 405. l. 26. r. Luke 1.70 p 433. l. 6. r. breadth p. 429. l. 15. r. Job 20.12 p. 448. l. 13. r. heart-tied p. 470 l. 21. r. every p 475. l. 17. r. that he p. 475 l. 25. r replied p. 476. l. 2. r guidance l. 17. r special l. 25. r stand in p. 490. mar r Mat. 7.23 p. 424. l. 34 r purified p. 505. l. 8. r all l. last r. remove p. 505. l. 24. r our p. 510. l. 22. r wait it â—ut to the last Man l. 31. r swarve p. 518. l. 16. r the Spirit p. 521. l. 34. r believe and whatever p. 531. l. 12. r thorow p. 539. l. last r at death p. 357 repeated should be 145 and 544 repeated should be 552 line 31. r wind p. 578. l. 5. r â—â—rse p. 581. l. 11 for saith r both p. 602. l. 8. r the same HABAKKUK 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith IN these words is set down a cleer Antithesis or opposition of two sorts viz. Beleevers and unbeleevers In both which we have their 1. Description 2. Condition 1. Their Description First An Unbleever is a proud man A Beleever is an humble man 2. An Unbeleever lives by sense A Beleever by faith 2. Their condition The one is not right the other is The Unbeleever is not right either in point of duty or in point of safety The Beleever is right in both In the words consider 1. the note of Attention Behold It is a thing worthy our best observation 2. The thing to be attended to His soul is not right in him but the just lives by his faith Exposition The words are diversly read but all to the same sense to make it the more full His soul quae elata est saith one Lifted up as into a Tower Psal 24.4 who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity 2. Others read it quae ebullat that swells like a bubble and so at last breaks in sunder 3. Others quae se subduxerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70 that withdrawes it self And to the Apostle cites it Heb. 10.22 If any man draw back c. 4. quae incredula est saith a 4th The unbeleeving soul is not right So the Chaldee Bible in a paraphrastical manenr expresseth it thus Ecce impii c. Behold the wicked say in their heart these things shall never come to passe But the just shall ba made strong in the truth of God All these readings do not cross but confirm one another For he that is lifted up his soul doth swell like a bubble he is full of aiery and empty conceits he that is thus swoln is a proud man he that is so proud is an unbeleever whoever is an unbeleever he withdraws himself first from God's service then from God's protection and by consequence his soul is not right in him The Apostle Heb. 10. speaks in the person of God My soul shall have no pleasure in him But that is all one too For Gods soul hath no pleasure in him whose soul is not upright in himself So then non est recta His soul is not right Not right in point of Duty For we cannot trust to God and trust to other things too 2. Not right in point of Safety For if God be a rock of confidence then he that makes other things his confidence doth as between two stooles between two rocks he makes shipwrack His soul within his life without is not right i.e. quiet firm and composed as the Hebraisme signifies but is unquiet uneven and unequal As a ship without anchour or ballast for want of faith his life is miserable and inconstant Observation Observe here How Pride and Unbleef Humility and Faith are coupled together A proud soul is ever an unbeleeving soul an humble soul is ever a faithfull soul For here A soul lifted up is opposed to a beleeving soul Psal 73.6 Understand it 1. Of Pride in the Dominion when a man is proud of his pride and weares it as a chain Otherwise it may be where it is as a pair of fetters 2. Of Pride also in the degrees the more pride the lesse faith See Jer. 13.15 Jer. 43.2 and 44.10 Habak 2.5 c. Vse 1 To teach us to judge the better of these sins the one aggravating the other and so to abhorre both We think it a small thing to admire our selves and the creature but in a same act there is a departing from the Lord by unbelief Jer. 17.5 On the other side we think it a small matter not to believe we think it a piece of humility O I am unworthy to believe but indeed it is a piece of pride Behold thy soul is not right Vse 2 2. For the Trial of our faith Questionlesse as the state of the body so the state of the soul
perceive it not Trees though they do not grow are fitted for growth in winter 9. Propagation Ninthly If thou art alive know it not only by growth and augmentation but also by a desire of a propagation and conveiance of that life to others The Father delivers the lamp of his life to his son as one candle lights another So 't is in this life of grace it begets the like to it self Examine therefore whether thou art one like Pharaoh that seekest to kill the children of gace in the birth this is to play the tyrant nay the Devill Rev. 12. Or whether thou art like God and godly men that say as the Apostle Gal. 4.19 They desire to see Christ formed in others 10. Delightâ— Tenthly If alive what company delights thee Psal 16.2 my delight is in the Saints and the excellent The living converse with the living and not among Tombes unlesse they be possest as the man in the Gospel Why seek ye the living amongst the dead said the Angel Such are dead company as dead men Vse 4 Fourthly This informs us If the spiritual life be the most excellent life what is the worst murder Information of the worst murder Surely that which takes away the best life And that is the murder of the soul God commands in the sixth commandement Thou shalt do no murder Every man startles at that but many are found guilty of soul-murder See Ezek. 33 8. If the watchman warn not the blood of them that perish in their sins God will require at his hands This made Paul so careful to purge himself Act. 20.26 I am free of the blood of every one of you See also Ezek 13.18 Vse 5 Fifthly Bless God for this life where it is and makes much of it How desirable a thing as Gaius Thankfulness to have our souls prosper 3. Epist Joh 2. And if we find any decay remember the counsel to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.2 Be watchfull and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God But the Just shall live by his Faith DOCTRINE II. Whatsoever life the just man lives in a more excellent manner then other men he lives that life by vertue of his Faith Doct. 2 THE Apostle confesseth this was his life And what is the life of one faithful man as faithful is the life of all Gal. 2 20. The life that I live I live by the faith of the Son of God c. This is a lesson that is often taught and yet very hardly learned For as the life of a Christian is a hidden life so the means of conveyance of it is in a hidden way hidden and dark to a natural man This water of life runs as it were in a conduit-pipe under the ground A natural man perceives it not But the Just shall live by his Faith For the better unfolding of his mysterious and useful trade of living by faith we shall endeavour by God's assistance who is the Author and Finisher of our faith to shew these things Heb. 12.2 viz. First What Faith is Secondly What it is to live by Faith Thirdly Why living is by Faith rather then love c. Fourthly Who it is that lives by Faith Fifthly Whose Faith he lives by viz. his own Sixthly When and how long Seventhly What life it is he lives by Faith Eighthly The Reasons why Lastly What use we are to make of all QUEST I. What Faith is FOR the first You have the definition at least the description set down by the Holy Ghost Heb. 11.1 It is the subsistence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen For example tell a natural man of God's favour and the comforts of his Spirit and the future recompence of reward which is more worth then all the comforts of the world he thinks it a mere notion that there is no reality in it but all feigned But a Christian by faith seeth there is truth reality and subsistence in these things and in whatever God promiseth who calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 To whom all things are possible Mark 9.23 And thereby becomes a kind of omnipotent faith By others it is defined thus In general A believing the Gospel In particular Definition of Faith A gracious habit infused into the heart by the Spirit of God whereby the soul rests or rolls it self upon Christ in a way of promise for all things appertaining to life and godliness for Gods glory and it 's own salvation It is not then 1. a bare disposition but an habit 2. An habit not acquired by frequent acts but infused by the spirit called therefore 1 Cor. 4.17 the spirit of faith 3. Infused not into the head only but the heart Rom. 10.10 with the heart man believeth And therefore it stands more in affection than notion Indeed in faith there is both an Assent of the mind to the truth of the message sent to sinners indefinitely 1 Tim. 1.15 and a consent of heart and will to the goodness of it whereby this or that particular sinner receives it to himself Gal. 2.20 Christ Who loved Me. Joh 21. My Lord and my God which differ as a garment in the cloth and on the back Christ is put on by faith Fourthly We say whereby the soul rests or rolls its self or leans For assurance and full perswasion is not of the being of faith but the well-being There 's faith of Evidence and faith of Reliance Or rather there is a double evidence 1. Of sense 2. Of reliance Faith in Scripture is set out in regard of the latter in such terms as we have given Psal 37.5 Isa 50.10 Mark 9.24 Fifthly Vpon Christ Who is the main object of faith and it is not sufficient to believe in God out of Christ Joh 14.1 Ye believe in the Father believe also in me and otherwhere None cometh to the Father but by me Sixthly In way of a promise No promise no Christ Abraham laid hold on a promise in those extraordinary things as an ordinary mean Rom. 4.20 he staggered not at the promise through unbelief See 2 Pet. 1.3 Eph. 2.12 Covenant of promise c. Seventhly For all things c. First for Christ and then all things with him Rom. 8.32 Wherefore the promises in Christ are called Rich and Precious promises Eighthly For God's glory Rom. 4.20 gave glory to God and our own salvation Heb. 10. last that believe to the saving of the soul QUESTION II. What it is to live by Faith To live by Faith Ans TO live by Faith is not only by laying hold on Christ by faith to receive life by Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life Secondly But also in the use and exercise of faith to receive daily from Christ both the preservation and increase of this life Eph. 4.13 Thirdly Enabling a Christian by vertue
Prayer John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Dan. 9.23 the 10 11 19 verses Faith puts the soul upon prayer the more faithful the more prayerful I have believed therefore have I spoken therefore Prayer is called The Prayer of faith Jam. 5.14 è contra Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Hearing of Prayers 4. By stirring us up to observe how God hears our Prayers for this assures us both of Gods love to us and of our loves back again to him Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things c. 5. By receiving the Spirit in the sanctifying work of it 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to 12. 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Cant. 6.4 But let every man prove his own work and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 6. By making a bold and resolute Confession of Christ Christ useth to confess such and acknowledge and own them Matth. 16.16 17 18. after Peter had confessed Christ Christ confesseth him calls him by name tells him his privilege and that which flesh and blood had not revealed to him Rev 3.8 9. Thou hast not denied my name behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee There 's a new Name legible to him that overcomes 7. By getting and using an humble Spirit the proud God beholds afar off but comes near to the humble to them will he look to revive them Isa 66 2. 57.15 See 1. Pet. 5.5 Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan calls her self a dog and so hath a special expression of love from him 8. By attending diligently upon the use of all Means for the further knowledge of God in Christ private and publike hearing asking Questions c. Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. It may be thou hast used some but not all and therefore wantest assurance 9. By labouring to be eminent in the filial reverential fear of the Lord such God more and more assures of his love Mat 4.2 To you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise c. Acts 9.31 The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost are coupled together Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Prov. 14.26 In the fear of the Lord is strength and confidence Parents do not use to shew much countetenance to such children as they know will grow wanton under the expression of their favours So he but for such as grow more awful and regardful of their commandments the more kindeness they receive they care not how much love they shew to such c. And Faith begets fear Heb 11. Noah moved with fear c. 10. By calling to minde experiences Psal 77.3 7. c. there 's great reason to do this for his love is everlasting 11. When all is done or when all fail in renouncing all in thy self and relye on the free grace of God in Christ it may be the reason why thou art not assured thou leanest too much on thy own Graces Duties or Works as the meritorious cause of Assurance not as meerly instrumental as being the effects of free grace Oh! thou despairest because thou art a great sinner if less there were hope But relye onely on Christ for 1. God loves freely 2. Invites such as have no worth Isa 55.1 3. There is Mercy promised to him that cannot work but believe Rom. 4.5 Caution If true Assurance then presently it will change the heart 12. By a right apprehension of God in his Nature and Attributes very Truth Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye Power Rom. 4.20 21. what he promiseth he is able to perform 3. Tryal of Assurance 3. He lives by Faith in the Tryal of his Assurance for bold presumption is most blinde and yet most confident Hos 8.1 2 3. Israel cryes My God we know thee yet set thy trumpet to thy mouth he shall come as an Eagle c. Some love not to be tryed Joh. 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But true men love to be put upon their tryal Jacob Genes 31.32 With whomsoever thou findest thy goods let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me A fool is confident and he rageth if you question his tenure as a man in a fine dream rageth if awaked O I was in the finest dream I dreamt heaven was mine and Christ was mine that I was supping with him and feeding upon him but as Isa 29.8 he is empty still so c. Be not deceived with such dreams Jer. 29 8. Let not the prophets and diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you c. I had rather awaken you now than that the last Trump should awake you But as true Faith saith to God Lord prove me and search my heart Psal 26.2 139.23 So to men Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth c. as men go to Lawyers to ask counsel in their Conveyances and Assurances c. So to its own Soul 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves whether you be in the faith 1. There 's great reason to try Assurance Reason of Tryal All is not gold that glisters 1. One may have a great name in the world to live and yet be dead as Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. Men may be confident and bold yet blinde Bayards Hos 8.1 2. 3. There 's an assurance and peace in the Soul from Satan Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 4. An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 So c. Quest How shall we know true Assurance from false Ans By the inward witness of the Spirit It 's true those that have received this cannot be deceived but because those that have not received it may be deceived and think they have it Ergo Try as Doctrines so Assurances 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit c. Quest But how shall we know true Assurance Ans From the Cause instrumental the Word Tryal it self The Spirit works by the Word Isa 57. ult I create the
have most grace do most seek Gods glory Isa 25.3 The strong people shall glorifie thy Name and the more Job saw of God the more he debased himself Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees thee therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Thus we are to examine whether we do increase or no. And 2. Is that increase the increase of God Exam. 2. What is the increase of God 1. For the Author 2. For the Matter 3. For the Manner 4. For the Measure 1. There is an increase which is but the increase of the Creature a natural increase which a natural man may attain to in the exercise of Moral Vertues the habit whereof is strengthned by frequent acts for Rom. 2.14 They do by nature the things contained in the Law This onely makes the increase of the natural man 2. There is a Diabolical increase when a man is puft up with knowledge with a superstitious observation of a voluntary Humility in meats and drinks and days Col. 2.16 17 18 19. and worshipping of Saints and Angels It is an easie matter to increase in this kinde of devotion the Devil will be a mans Tutor in this School this is but a Diabolical increase It may be truly said of such persons Non crescunt sed turgent They do not grow but swell like some excrescence like a Byle or Wen upon the Body it hath no kindely growth from the Head but unnatural Tumour from some vicious humour Hab. 2.4 His soul which is lifted up or which is swoln is not upright in him But 3. there is an increase which is cald the encrease of God Col. 2.19 First as God is the Author of it not any Creature 1. Author of Divine increase As God begins this life so he carries it on Joh. 1.13 They that believe are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of the will of God And he increaseth it Phil. 1.6 He begins the good work and he will perform or finish it to the day of Christ Secondly for the Matter of it True Humility 2. Matter Self-denial saving Faith which are Graces incommunicable to natural men and hypocrites These are graces which do accompany Salvation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.9 And they are God's for the matter of them under a more special consideration Thirdly for the Manner 3. Manner The increase of God is uniform and proportionable such a man increaseth in all parts alike Head Heart Hands Feet and all he increaseth in the knowledge of the Truth and the love of the Truth proportionably But now the increase of the Hypocrite is very uneven and unequal a monstrous increase like the increase of some Monster Simile that hath a great Head and a little narrow Brest without Hands and Feet such is the increase of an hypocrite he may have a great Head a great deal of superficial knowledge but a narrow Brest no love to the Truth no Hands to practice that which is good no Feet to walk with God This is a monstrous increase 4. Measure Fourthly for the Measure The increase of God is a great increase as in Scripture Trees of God signifie great Trees and Mountains of God great Mountains so the increase of God is a great increase Though the beginnings of such as have the truth of grace be small yet their latter end doth greatly increase Job 8.7 Every gracious person goes beyond an hypocrite he grows beyond the sphere of his activity beyond the sphere of nature or art and so he increaseth not with the increase of a Creature but with the increase of God 2 Coloss 19. Q. But will some say If we must thus judge of our growth then I fear I have no Faith no Grace because I cannot perceive that I grow unless it be downward methinks I grow worse and worse therefore I fear I have no Grace What to judge in sense of want of growth Ans 1. Possibly thou hast none indeed therefore examine whether ever thou wert soundly humbled or no so as to be effectually driven home to Christ and hast received him for thy King and Prophet as well as Priest A. 2. If so yet know it 's possible for a gracious person for want of watchfulness in the use of Means to stand at a stay or to decline and fall back Q. But you will say What then is the difference between the falling back of an Hypocrite and a true Believer Ans 1. The Believer is humbled when he loseth ground Difference of drawing back therefore he cries out as David Psal 119. ult I have gone astray like a lost sheep Lord seek thy servant but so doth not the Hypocrite A. 2. A Believer recovers himself again ere it be long and gets strength by his fall as Peter did but an Hypocrite doth not so but still goes down the stream and will never take the pains to row up again A. 3. Whereas thou saist Thou dost not grow it may be it is with thy Soul as with Trees in Winter though they do not grow above-ground yet they grow under-ground though they do not grow in the branches yet they grow in the root and the growth of the root in the Winter will further the growth of the branches when Summer comes And this is Gods method with his people he makes them first grow in the root before they grow in the branches Isa 37.31 The remnant of the house of Judah shall take root downward and then they shall bring forth fruit upward Now it may be thou dost not grow so much upward for the present which is the grief of thy Soul yet for thy comfort if thou growest more downward in Humility and Self-denial and Self-abhorrency thy condition is good and the Spring of Grace will come upon thy Soul ere long when thou shalt hear that comfortable voice of Jesus Christ Cant. 2.10 11 13. Rise up my love and come away for lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come c. So that even your complaining of your want of growth may be a sign of your growing in the root I had rather hear an humble Soul say Alas I am wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked then to hear a proud Pharisaical Laodicean say God I thank thee I am not as other men I am rich and increast with goods and have need of nothing A. 4. I answer Whereas thou saist thou dost not grow it is not an easie matter to perceive growth very suddenly If a man stands and looks on a Tree never so long he cannot perceive it to grow but if he take the height of it and come again five or six years after he shall easily perceive it is grown And so it is in grace it is not easie for the present
to discern its growth Mar. 4.27 The seed springs and grows we know not how but in time we shall easily perceive it is grown A. 5. Whereas thou saist Thou dost not grow it may be it is true for the present thou dost not grow at all but art like the parched earth yet if thou canst but lay hold of Gods Covenant by Faith that will make thee grow afresh as the Rain and the Sun makes the grass to revive that was even withered and dead before This was Davids comfort though he was like a branch springing out of a dry ground as it is said of Christ Isa 53.2 yet 2 Sam. 23.3 4 5. he was assured God would make him grow again even as the tender grass out of the earth by clear shining after rain Simile Vse 2. Humiliation for small growth The fourth Use is for Humiliation in that upon trial we finde so little growth amongst us We grow more opinionative from day to day but we grow not more active we deserve not the commendation of the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.19 Thy last works are more than thy first but rather the reproof of the Church of Ephesus ver 4 5 Thou art faln from thy first love repent and do thy first works Therefore we have cause to be humbled and repent Christ may say to England as to Ephesus I have this against thee that thou art faln from thy first love We are like forgetful and careless Scholars deserving to be put down into a lower Form Whereas it is the property of such as are admitted into the School of heavenly Wisdom to increase in learning Prov. 1 5. A wise man will hear and increase learning and Prov. 9.9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser It is true indeed our heads are full of disputes but our hearts are so little grown in the love of the Truth that we are but very dwarfs in practical Religion If we compare our selves with the Worthies of God in former generations as the Spies said of the inhabitants of Canaan they may well seem as Giants in our eyes What a deal of heavenly-heartedness what love what humility what faithfulness was to be found among them If Luthers Courage Calvins Painfulness the Martyrs Zeal hotter than the fire which consumed them might be found in our days I should hope we did then begin to grow and to recover our first love But alas while we are so lukewarm that we can bear them that are evil Rev. 2. and bear evils in our selves where is our growth Do not many question whether the Pope be Antichrist and whether the Church of Rome be a true Mother Others though they cannot deny but that the Church of Rome iâ— the Scarlet Whore the Jezabel spoken of in Scripture yet the zeal of some is grown so cool they could finde in their heart they might have a Toleration even for Jezabel her self contrary to manifest Scripture Rev. 2 20. Thou sufferest the woman Jezabel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants Histories tell us That Adrian and Heliogabalus and some other Roman Emperours did command all kinds of Worship in one and the same Temple but it tended to no other purpose than the like device of Julian the Apostate who gave Hereticks freedom amongst right believers not that he cared for one or the other but that by their mutual distractions and dissentions they might destroy both And therefore what those Factors of Satan did invent for the advancing of his Kingdom let it be far from the practice of Saints Let us rather recover our first love to the Truth of God yea let it grow and increase and truly if we grow not how shall we be able to look Christ in the face when he comes to take account of us We are planted in such a soil ordered by such an Husbandman watered by such heavenly showers in the dispensations of Ordinances that we shall be both the wonder and shame of Christians if we grow not Vse 5. Of thankfulness for growth The fifth Use is to stir us up to thankfulness that the just lives by Faith the Life of Augmentation especially in such times as these That grace should thus increase either in the Church in general or in any particular Christians heart considering how great opposition it meets withall When ever doth a man in earnest profess himself a Christian but all the Powers of Darkness in Hell and upon the Earth proclaim open wars against him Besides the clog of his own sinful corruptions which hang heavy upon him for the Flesh is ever lusting against the Spirit and yet he grows In spight of Satan the Prince of the Air Eph. 2. who blows forth many a terrible storm to blast the fruit In spight of the World which sends forth many a sharp frost to nip the fruit in the bud In spight of Corruption which lies as a Worm at the Root to eat out the very heart and power of godliness yet he grows for all this And how comes this to pass Surely you will say here is aliquid Dei the finger of God must needs be in it The preservation of Grace in this case is wonderful If you should see a Rush-candle set without doors in the midst of stormy Winds and Rain and yet continue light you would stand and look upon it with admiration and yet thus is the little Candle of Grace preserved Psal 18.28 The Lord my God will light my candle yea he keeps it light when the Prince of the Air and all his instruments joyn all their forces to blow it out God lighted such a Candle by Luthers Doctrine as could never be blown out to this day All the breathings and threats and bellowings of the Romish Bulls all the thunderings of the Popish Canons could never blow it out This is the Lords doing and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes Marvellous indeed that truth and grace should be preserved under such opposition but much more marvellous that it should be increased thereby that it should be like the Camomile the more it is trodden upon the more it grows like a Tree the more it is lopt and topt the more is flourishes and spreads That the Churches should be edified and multiplied when they had rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria it is not so wonderful Acts 9.31 but that they should then grow and increase when there was no rest no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in That the Blood of the Martyrs should be the Seed of the Church That the Church should grow and thrive best under opposition this is the Wonder of Wonders which plainly shews the increase is not of man but of God and therefore he should have all the glory of it The sixth Use is for Exhortation Vse 6. Of Exhortation to growth To labour to live by Faith the Life of Augmentation It is a shame
if we could perceive it is a heart renewed and sanctified and in some measure indowed with a love of that God who hath begotten us to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 and with a love of our fellow-brethren who are begotten of the same incorruptible seed and born of the same womb 1 Ioh. 5 2. who hang upon the same Brests and are heirs of the same inheritance with our selves Now when we see these things in our selves by a reflect act of Faith the testimony of a renewed Conscience this evidence must needs bring abundance of comfort to the Soul This reflect act of Faith it is like the Rainbow which is nothing else but the reflection of the Sun in a watry Cloud which though it be no Cause why the earth shall no more be drowned with waters yet it is made a sure Sign thereof by the Ordinance of God Gen. 2.10 11 12. So we say of this reflect act of Faith in the looking upon the work of Love and other sanctified Graces in the Soul though they are no causes why the believing Soul shall be no more overflowed with the deluge of Gods wrath yet they are a sure sign and token thereof by Gods appointment as the Rainbow was And indeed the way of grace in Gods sanctified ones is nothing else but the reflection of the Sun of Righteousness in a watry cloudy Soul warming and melting it into tears because it can love Jesus Christ no more or can get no more assurance of his love Well saith Christ to such a Soul I will establish my Covenant with thee and this shall be the sign of it Isa 54.9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me as sure as the Covenant made with Noah concerning the waters For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be moved but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Therefore examine thy Grace Objections against trial of our comforts by our graces rather than of our graces by our comforts Obj. Oh but he that hath but common graces may go very far so that it is hard to discern the one from the other if we try our selves by our Graces and not by our Comforts Ans As there are common Graces so common Comforts such comforts as are common to Hypocrites as well as true Believers There is the joy of an Hypocrite of the stony ground of Herod who heard John gladly Obj. How then can we discern the one from the other the joy of Gods People from the joy of an Hypocrite Ans Though an Hypocrite may rejoyce in some part of the word as to hear of a Christ of a Saviour of Heaven and Glory yet he cannot indure to hear of Affliction and Self-denial But a true Believer rejoyceth in every part of the Word even in that which holds forth Christ as a King a Commander a Crucifier of the Body of Sin as well as of his own Body for sin Oh how glad is he when the Word strikes at the Master-root of his corruption Oh more of that saith he let the righteous smite me again and again Good is the word which the Lord hath spoken But an Hypocrite is so far from rejoycing in such a Word that he flies in the face of the Reprover as Herod did Note that the same difficulty of trial and proneness to mistake is as incident to that preposterous way of judging our selves by our comforts as by our graces when John came once to touch him to the quick But that is the first answer viz. There are common comforts as there are common graces Ergo The trial of our selves by our graces is as easie as by our comforts 2. We answer when we speak of the Touchstone of Trial from which a Christian receives his comfort our meaning is this That we receive it onely in such graces as accompany Salvation as the true fear of God the true desire after God in hungring and thirsting after his Righteousness and a true love to the People of God Obj. Oh but there may be in an Hypocrite or Unregenerate man all these A fear of God a desire after God a love to his People 1. A fear of God yea such a fear as to depart from evil Jonah 1.16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifices to the Lord and made vows Gen. 26.6 Abimelech was with-holden from Adultery by the light of natural conscience 2. A desire after God and after grace as the five foolish Virgins desired oyl Mat. 25.8 3. A love to Gods People with great respect such as was the respect of the Egyptians to the Israelites that they would lend them not ordinary houshold-stuff onely but that which was most dear and precious to them Jewels of Silver and Gold and this was generally throughout all the Land of Egypt And what favours did Pharaoh shew to Joseph Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel Ahasuerus to Esther and Mordecai Therefore these graces may be in unregenerate men Difference of regenerating grace from common Ans And though there may be a kinde of fear of God and desire after God and love to his People which unregenerate men may have yet not the true and saving fear of God c. Q. But how shall we know the difference Ans Why the Word doth clearly hold forth a difference 1. In the fear of God As for the first An unregenerate man may have such a fear of God as to endevour to depart from some evil but not from all like the Samaritans of whom it is said after the Lord sent Lions amongst them They feared the Lord and yet feared their own gods too and therefore the Lord accounted it as no fear at all 2 King 17.33 34. But he that truly feareth God makes conscience to depart from every evil way Prov 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil if not in action yet in affection and serious endevours 2. In desire of grace 2. An ungenerate man though he may have a kind of desires after grace yet he desires not grace as it is grace First he desires not grace for the love of grace but for the love of happiness As the Virgins desired oyl when they were ready to die not because they loved the oyl or the light but because without that oyl and light they could not go in with Christ but must be shut out to have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for ever But the oyl of grace is truly lovely to a gracious heart They have spiritual sense to smell the sweet favour of the oyntment Cant. 1.2 and they love the light Joh 3.21 He that doth truth cometh to the light 3. In love to Gods people 3.
man who dreams he is eating but when he awaketh his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but when he awaketh he is faint and his appetite is not satisfied So is the joy of all Carnal men it s a faint and unsatisfactory joy But the joy of Gods people is full and satisfying and therefore though it cannot be set out to the full by any outward resemblance yet 't is compared to those things in which men use most of all to rejoyce as to the joy of harvest Isa 9.3 To the joy of a marriage feast Rev. 19. To the joy of a new discovered treasure Mat. 13.44 So 't is a great joy Behold say the Angels we bring you tidings of great joy Luk. 2.10 It a stronger joy i.e. stronger in regard of its effects 5. A strong joy The joy of Carnal men is but weak because it 's not able to hold out in a storm The terrors of God can easily drown the greatest of worldly comforts as we see in Belshazzar Dan. 5. But the terrors of the world cannot drown the comforts of God as we see in the noble Army of Martyrs singing in the Prison triumphing at the Stake So that we may say of True Joy as Solomon says of True Love It 's strong as death the coals thereof are as coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench it neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.6 7. This joy of Gods people is therefore called strong Coonsolation Heb. 6.17 And indeed the word ordinarily used intimates as much Consolatio quasi Consolidatio q. d. a making one strong and solid against all opposite evils which onely the comforts of God can do And therefore they should not seem small to us Job 15.11 For the comforts of God are his peoples strength Job 16.5 It 's a more Durable joy as it 's stronger 6. A durable joy so it lasts longer The joy of Carnal men is like Jonah's gourd it 's born and dies again within the compass of a day or two The joy of an hypocrite is but for a moment Job 20.5 it 's but for a flash like the crackling of thorns under a pot though it makes a great noise it 's soon gone But of all flashes it 's most like a flash of Lightning it continues but a while and it sends after it a Thunder-clap of Judgment and extreme Misery But the joy of Gods people springing from an Immortal seed abides for ever it continues with them all their life long nay it out-lives life and is a comfort in death They that have it shall never lose it Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads Isa 35.10 7. A pure joy It 's a Purer joy The joy of Carnal men is like a Pit of Puddle-water They dig unto themselves broken Cisterns Jer. 2.13 Their comforts are not lasting nor cleer but puddle-water full of many sinful admixtures of gross and unmortified corruptions which make them like a pot of honey full of stings But the joys of Gods people are pure they drink out of the fountain Psa 36.8 There is no mud in the bottom no after-stings of a defiled and accusing Conscience they are sweet serene and pure joys 8. A sure joy It 's a Surer joy A Carnal man hath his joy upon very uncertain Tenure He is not sure of it before-hand and when he hath it he is not sure he shall hold it it depends upon many If 's and And 's If I have my health if such a business succeeds well if such a friend be as good as his word I shall then rejoyce saith a Curnal man therefore his joy rises and falls as outward Providences do ebbe and flow whereas he that lives by Faith upon a word of God hath sure comfort so long as the word holds his joy holds If for the present he have it not he is sure of it afterwards as sure as that Harvest follows Seed-time They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126.6 And when he hath it he is sure to hold it though there may be some intermissions of the lively feeling of it Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you saith our Saviour to his Discples John 16.22 It 's a Fresher joy 9. A fresh joy All other joys have but their Honey-Moons and though they do not presently sowre yet they grow flat and dull within a while if they die not altogether yet ever and anon they come to the fall of the leaf But the joys of Gods people are as fresh and flourishing at the last as at the first His leaf also shall not wither Psal 1. The Bed of Jesus Christ is always green Cant. 1.16 The Poets fancy of a Continual Spring in the Golden Age of the World is here a Reality The joys of Gods people are ever springing and budding forth new comforts It 's a more Wholesome and Safe joy 10. A safe joy The joy of Carnal men 't is a destructive joy Destructive to Spiritual good How hardly is that man reclaimed who makes sin the object of his joy And 't is destructive even to Natural good There 's danger in excesses of joy as well as sorrow And what the Apostle saith of worldly sorrow may be said of worldly joy It worketh death How many men have lost their Wits nay their Lives in excessive joys Such heights of joy have set the door of the heart so wide open that the Spirits have run out of a sudden and returned no more This is sometime a fruit of Carnal joy But Spiritual joy is safe and wholesome wholesome for the Soul It 's a good means to concoct our knowledge To love the Truth and rejoyce in what we know while otherwise the sweetest Truths will lie raw and indigested upon the stomach of the Soul And it 's wholesome for the Body A cheerful spirit expels superfluities helps concoction quickens the understanding cheers the countenance and in a word Prov. 17.22 A merry heart doth good like a Medicine And now who would not be perswaded to savour these Spiritual Comforts and to live in them which have such excellent properties that worldly joyes are not worthy to be named the same day with them they are not meeet to be put into the scales with these which are so Solid so Rational so Pure c. as ye have heard Qu. But you will say What Means may we use to possesse more of this Joy of which I have given you but a little tast And yet as little as it is methinks every soul that hath heard me should cry out with the woman of Samaria Joh. 4. Lord evermore give me of this water that I thirst not neither go to the worlds pits to draw any more comfort thence Means of joy Ans I answer Therefore learn the Composition of this best Cordial better then ever the World could make t is not
bringing down Heavenly Notions into Holy Affections and Righteous Actions then you will finde them sweet in the taste and swallow It 's not the looking upon Divine Truths by a meer notional act of the Understanding but the chewing and digesting them by Faith and Love that makes them truly comfortable Thy words were found and I did eat them And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart Jer. 15.16 Most persons look upon Divine Truths as people in a Market do on Commodities they pass by them or taste a little and cheapen them they onely have the true comfort of them who buy and eat and are satisfied And such are they who digest their knowledge into practice to such it 's the joy and rejoycing of their heart Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Knowledge to a wicked man is as the morning light to a Thief Job 24.17 it 's as terrible as the shadow of death But to a godly man it 's like the morning light to an honest Traveller or Watchman it 's most desired beforehand and its most welcome when it comes And therefore the saving knowledge of God is compared to such a light Psal 130.3 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Act Faith therefore to the digesting of knowledge into love and the practice of it Study Affections more than Expressions or Notions 6. In true prizing heavenly joy 6. Act Faith to the true prizing of heavenly joy Such as truly prize the joy of the Spirit shall have plenty of it Now it 's onely Faith sets a true estimate upon the joy of Gods people Heb. 11.25 26. The Spirit of God is a Tender and delicate Guest it loves to make its abode and stay longest where 't is most freely welcome But if we check damp resist quench and grieve that Spirit how can we hope that it should rejoyce our spirits But prize it make it heartily welcome and thou shalt have more of its sweet company and communion The truth is we should prize one comfort from the Spirit more than all the world and then we should finde more than a world of Comforts in that single Comforter who is therefore called The Comforter by way of eminency Thou maist have comfort indeed in a Friend a Brother a Childe a Yoke-fellow but what are all these to the comforts of the Spirit The Spirit is able to comfort without these but these are not able to comfort without the Spirit Prize the comforts of the Spirit and be thankful for them and more shall be given The Primitive Saints prized the comforts of the Spirits so high that they would rather chuse to endure any Tortures from men than part with those comforts from God They were stoned Heb. 11.37 were sawn asunder c. Therefore God made them to rejoyce the more even with Joy unspeakable and full of glory which is not the ordinary lot of all Christians but of suffering Christians They were filled with Heaven when they seemed to sense to be in Hell as if Hell and Heaven were met together in the same persons An Hell of Torments from Satan and his Instruments an Heaven of Joys from God even glorious joys as if the God of this World and the God of the World to come did strive whether Torments or Comforts should get the Victory in the Saints But in conclusion Comforts triumph over Torments Love and Joy is stronger than Death while they die they overcome and are more than Conquerors through Christ that hath loved them They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto death Rev. 12.11 Prize the joys of God in life and thou shalt finde such joy as will drown the sorrows of Death That 's the fifth Means 7. Act Faith to make right use of our Joy 7. In right using joy when had Isa 2.11 Luk. 8.15 when we have it Take heed of too much sail and too little ballast lest you overturn all Rejoyce with reverence And bring forth the fruit of joy with patience lest unfruitful joy be nipt in the bud or turned into sorrow God comforts not his servants for nothing Neb. 8.10 but that the Joy of the Lord may strengthen them and encourage them to service and that they may comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 with the same comfort wherewith they have been comforted of God And if we use it not to these ends we may soon suffer an eclipse in our comforts Why does God cause the Sun to shine upon the Moon but that the Moon may bestow that borrowed light on this Inferiour World Why does the Sun of Righteousness shine with beams of comfort upon any Souls but that they may communicate the same comforts to others Are ye then who were once darkness made light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 walk as children of light lest God eclipse your comforts Amos 8.9 and make your Sun to set at noon So long as the Cock runs the Fountain freely empties it self into the pipes We are but the Conduit-pipes of Comfort God is the Fountain The more we empty our selves into others comforting others the more will God empty himself into us comforting us The liberal person shall have plenty and he that scattereth shall have rain Prov. 11.25 'T is true of spiritual as well as corporal Alms both are comfortable And he that comforts others shall have the more himself And that 's the seventh and last Means of acting of Faith so as to live the Life of Consolation Thus the just man lives by Faith in regard of Spiritual Life Now thirdlly He lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life Hab. 2.5 6. The Chaldean lays hold upon this present world ver 5 6. He is all for the body and sins against his Soul ver 10. Hab. 2.10 But Gods people lay hold on that knowledge which shall fill them with glory ver 14. Even the knowledge of the Righteousness of God to Life Eternal For so the Apostle applies this Text to that very degree of Faith Rom. 1.16 17. Not that there is any need of Faith in Heaven or the Means of Faith for these shall cease 1 Cor. 13.8 But because in this life by Faith we lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 we have the seal and assurance of it A carnal man says Seeing is Believing but a spiritual man saith Believing is Seeing Heb. 11.1 The work of faith about eternal life Now Faith grounded on the Word of God assures us of Three things about eternal life 1. That there is an eternal life of the Saints after this is ended 2. What the Happiness of this life is and wherein it consists 3. It assures a Believer of his peculiar interest in this life 1. Then Faith assures a Believer That there is
the Saints The glory of others many times proves their shame but that which may seem to be the shame of a Christian Faith turns it into glory Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you And if there be so much glory in the very sufferings and reproach of a believer what is the glory then which they shall receive after their sufferings and in a gracious recompence of their sufferings for If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified together with him Rom. 8.17 O the glory of a true believer Where ever there is Christ in a creature there is glory in a creature Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and not onely the hope but by the vision of Faith there is a present Transformation from glory to glory as by the Spirit of our God 2 Cor. 3.18 Thus a believer is truly honourable Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable 6. Faith honours God Sixthly Dost thou desire to honour God in thy Place and Calling for a gracious heart is not so careful of his own glory as of the glory of God O that I could but honour God in my Place saith a gracious heart I should then be the less careful in other things Why this is the onely way to put honour upon God upon the Truth upon the Power upon the All-sufficiency of God He that is strong in the faith gives much glory to God Rom. 4.18 And this is that which the Saints prefer before their own Salvation Joh. 12.28 Whatever become of us they say as Christ said Father glorifie thy Name 'T is true Faith is highly to be prized because it is an instrument of our Salvation Eph. 2.8 Ye are saved by faith but it is much more to be esteemed as being such a special instrument of the glory of God Joh. 11.40 Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God They that believe as they bring more glory to God than other men do so they see more of Gods glory than others can see And that 's a sixth Consideration that should move us to labour for Faith it brings abundance of glory to God Many other Considerations might be added Seventhly Without this we are but dead men 7. Dead without Faith Faith and Life come into the Soul both at once All other Life will soon decay our very natural Life is but a continued drawing on to Death but our spiritual Life the longer it continues the stronger it grows Eighthly 8. Faith makes to prosper This is the onely way to prosper in all we possess and in all we take in hand 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper 'T is true wicked men and unbelievers may prosper after a sort they may prosper as fatted Beasts in the stall prosper against the day of slaughter The prosperity of fools shall slay them Prov. 1.32 They are cursed in their very Blessings But a true believer doth prosper in Soul Joh. Ep. 3. as well as in his Body or Estate his Prosperity is sanctified and all that he possesseth is pure and clean to him but to the defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their meat and drink yea even their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 If a believer be cast into straits Faith is that which brings submission to the Will of God and a sweet contentation with the present condition Phil. 4.11 it was the speech of a believer I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Faith lets the believer see the present condition is best for him and therefore he is the better content with it On the other side where there is want of Faith there are perpetual discontents every little thing troubleth such a creature A gall'd back is soon hurt Num. 14.11 How long will it be ere this people believe me saith God of the murmuring Israelites in the Wilderness An unbelieving heart is evermore an unquiet a discontented heart He that doth not enjoy God by Faith how is it possible he should be satisfied with Creature-enjoyments especially in the midst of Creature-discontents Faith is that which sweetens our very Natural Life how much more then that which is Spiritual and Supernatural Wouldst thou be assured that Christ is thine Faith in due time will give thee this assurance for Christ dwells in the heart by faith Eph. 3.17 Wouldst thou be assured thou art a Childe of God and maist come in for a Childs Portion Faith will give thee this assurance also Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to be the Sons of God even to as many as believe on his Name Wouldst thou receive more abundance of the Spirit of Christ Jesus Faith is a Conduit-pipe in which this heavenly water delights to run Joh. 7.38 He that believeth on me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Certainly the Life of Faith is the most excellent Life that any Creature can live upon the face of the Earth Note In a word Remember what you have heard in many Sermons Do you desire to be presented Just and Righteous before the Throne of God you must labour to get Faith then for by Faith a Creature lives the Life of Justification Do you desire to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit you must learn then to get Faith without doubt the more Faith the more Holiness for The Just lives by Faith the Life of Sanctification Do you desire to be more abundant in Good Works than ever you have been Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Fructification Do you desire to have your Corruptions subdued and your sinful lusts that fight against the Soul mortified Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Mortification Do you complain of the Dulness and Deadness of your hearts in holy Duties and do you desire above all things to be more quick and lively in the Service of God Learn then to live by Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Vivification The more Faith the more Life in all holy Duties Do you bewail your Leanness and Vnprofitableness and Unthriving disposition under the plentiful means of Grace and is it the desire of your Souls to increase and grow up as the Calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 Learn then to get Faith for By Faith the Just lives the Life of Augmentation Gal. 3.3 Are you afraid lest you should
And yet thus it must be if ever we believe He that is wise in his own conceit 1 Cor. 3.18 must become a fool that he may be wise and he that is rich and increased with spiritual goods in his own conceit Rev. 3.17 Mat. 11.5 6. he must become poor that he may be made rich Vnto the poor saith Christ the Gospel is preached and blessed is he that shall not be offended in me 2 Cor. 8.9 O this offends a carnal heart that he must become poor for Christs sake as Christ became poor for his sake that death is become the way to life if ever he mean to live he must believe in a poor despised crucified Saviour Now this a proud perverse unbelieving heart knoweth not how to stoop to and such a heart have all men by nature And this is the first Impediment Well but who shall remove this Impediment how shall we rowl away this stone of an unbelieving heart I answer If we would remove it Cure we must labour to finde it out to confess it to bewail it and to pray against it And thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6. Psa 4. and shut the door Commune with thine own heart and be still Make thy complaint to God in private pour out thy Soul before him and say O thou blessed God of Truth how have I wrong'd thee by my base false and unbelieving heart What a heart have I that can relie upon a great man or a good man if I have his Word or his Bond and yet cannot relie upon the great and the good God who keepeth Mercy and Truth for ever Psa 146. with them that are in Covenant with him and hath bound himself by Promise by Oath by Seal to be good and faithful to such as put their trust in him O that I should have such a base heart to trust more to the Means than to that God who hath ordain'd the Means puts life into the Means And yet such is the baseness of my heart that when I see any visible means for the producing of such an effect I am secure and confident and when the outward means fail though God be ever the same I am as fearful and diffident as if I had no hope at all Is not this to trust to the Means and to trust to the Creature in stead of trusting to God Now when we have thus found out the unbelief of our hearts and bewailed it we should pray to God that he would forgive it and subdue it for us Just as the Parents of the Rebellious Son brought him to the Magistrate so should we bring our Rebellions and unbelieving hearts to God praying him to subdue them for us We should pray him to rowl away this stone even to take away our stony hearts and to give us hearts of flesh that we may believe according to his Promise Ezek. 36.26 and doubtless God will remember his Word for such as put his Promise in suit And so much for the first Impediment and the Means to remove it 2. Impediment of Faith Satan The second Impediment is from Satan He sails with the Wind and Tide of an unbelieving heart and labours if it be possible to keep us still under the power of unbelief he knows well enough they are under his power also When once they begin to believe they are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 And therefore no sooner doth the Soul lay hold of the Promise but Satan is forced to let his hold go and therefore the Devil fights neither against small nor great 2 Chro. 18.30 but against the grace of Faith above all the rest If he can but strike the Sheild out of our hands he 'll soon hit us and wound us where he list Nay if it be possible he 'll prevent the very making and forming of this Shield Either thou shalt have no Minister to preach of Faith as 't was the Policy of the Philistims they might have no Smith in Israel to frame their Weapons of War 1 Sam. 13.19 that they might the better keep them in subjection So 't is the Policy of Satan we should have no Spiritual Smiths in Israel to help to frame this Weapon of War this Shield of Faith Eph. 6. that he may the better keep us under his power Or if thou hast such Ministers as preach of Faith if it be possible he 'll raise up Prejudice in thy heart against them and against the Word which they preach Therefore Acts 13.8 Elymas the Sorcerer who is call'd a childe of the Devil for that very thing he withstood the Apostles in the Work of their Ministery seeking to turn away the Deputy from the faith Mark ye why was the Devil so great an enemy to the Preaching of the Word because he was an enemy to the Faith of the Deputy And this is the second Impediment or Hindrance The Devil he is an enemy to the Faith of Gods People he doth what he can to perswade people to continue in Ignorance and Unbelief 2 Relief But well How should we remove this Impediment How should we rowl away this stone Why Fly to him by Prayer who by death destroyed him that had power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 who is able to cast out the strong man armed and is willing also because he hath promised to tread down Satan under your feet Rom. 16.20 Pray God to rebuke Satan when he casts into thy heart thoughts of Blasphemy or Unbelief and say Lord are not these things grievous to thy Spirit as well as to mine Doth not Satan aim as much at thy dishonour as at my destruction and therefore if not for thy poor Creatures sake who is as a hunted Partridge upon the Mountains yet for thy Names sake and for thy Honours sake rebuke him 1 Sam. 26.20 If thou canst but lift up thy heart to God in this or the like manner doubtless God will answer thee in mercy and he will answer Satan in fury as he doth in the like case Zech. 3.2 And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee Is not this a Brand snatcht out of the fire So will the Lord say Is not this poor Soul that waits upon mine Ordinance as a Brand snatcht out of the fire out of the fire of Hell and the flames of an accusing Conscience Have I forewarn'd it by these Terrors to fly from the wrath to come and to make peace with me by Faith Mat. 3. and art thou so cruel and maâ—â—â—ous to put it into the fire again by holding it under the power of Unbelief The Lord rebuke thee O Satan the Lord rebuke thee Even he that hath chosen the Soul of the poor creature to Life and Salvation rebuke thee And this is the second Impediment of Faith and the