the instrument of justification as it is taken in a passive sense the ground of this conclusioÌ„ is this because it is impossible that any actioÌ„ in man can be an instrument of any action in God and therefore that phrase that you have so ordinarily spoken of that faith justifieth it is thus to be resolved that we are justified by faith 3. There is this that we would have you knowing that betwixt a Christians clossing by Faith with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ the justification of a sinner I say there is no natural indispensible connexion between these two but only there is a connexion of divine appointment of free grace though we once conceive there is a naâ—ural aptitude in the grace of Faith to lay hold on the righteousness of Christ more then there is in any other grace of the Spirit as ye may see there is a more natural aptitude and fitness in the hand to receive then in any other organ of the body 4. There is this also that we would have you knowing that a Christian in his first closing with Christ Christ considered as crucified is the immediate object of his Faith and not Christ considered in his personal excellencies Hence it is often in Scripture that Christ as crucified is holden forth as the immediate object of justâ—…ying Faith as is clear Rom 3.5.24 25. And the ground of this assertion is this because that it is the formal object of justifying Faith which doth formerly justify the sinners and on which Faith doth immediatly lay hold as a ransome to satisfy Justice and as a righteousness in which the soul dare venture to be found when it shall stand before the Judgement Seat of God and certainly this is Christ as obedient to the death of the cross And it is likewise clear that the thing which doth engage the foul to Christ is not only because he is good in himself but because he is good to us 5. And there is this lastly that we would have you knowing that though Faith doth alone justifie yet Faith doth not justify being alone Hence is that which we have often in Schools Fides justificat solum licet non solitariè that Faith justifieth alone though not being alone as James doth speak Faith without works is dead and is of no effect Now that which secondly we shal speak to shal be this to point out to you some differences betwixt justifying Faith which is in a real believer and temporary Faith which is in an hypocrite and one that is destitute of that everlasting hope though he do pretend to have it And first that there is such a thing as temporary Faith as is clear from Luke 8.13 it is said there of some that they believed for a season yea in Acts 1.13 it is said of Simon Magus who was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity he believed And those in John 2.23 When they did behold the miracles they believed on Jesus Christ and yet we conceive that their Faith was not sincere and so this was not saving faith And indeed ye may see a difference betwixt these two in the very name temporary for this is such a faith as doth not continue long with him that hath it but doth evanish and pass away for as this is certain that an hypocrite will not alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 so that is also certain that an hypocrite will not always believe in God I tell you that the longest time an hypocrite doth keep his faith Job hath set down in his 18. chapter vers 14. Their hope saith he shall bring them to the King of terrors and then it shall be rooted out of them and their tabernacle their faith will bring them no further then the gates of death and then their faith will flee away as a dream and evanish as a vision of the night II. There is this difference likewise betwixt them that temporary faith it closeth with Christ as a Savior and for righteousness but it closeth not with Christ as a Prince and for sanctification but justifying faith taketh Christ as well for a Prince as it taketh him for a Savior and if Solomon did discern who was the true mother of the child by that that she who would have had the child divided was not the mother of the child so we may say that they who would divide Christ in his Offices it is an evidence that they are not amongst those who are actually made partakers of the adoption of children there is some what of this pointed at in John 6.66 where that which made many who were his Disciples and did once believe desert him was because of the hardness of his command This is an hard saying who can hear it And it is certain that it is a greater difficulty for a Christian to take Christ as a Prince then as a Savior for by that he must make an absolute resignation of himself over to Christ never to be reduced O! when saw you such a sight of Christ that ye were constrained to cry out without a complement to him Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant O! were ye never ravished with one of his eyes nor overtaken with one chain of his neck Believe me they who see him thus do believe that his commands are grievous III. There is this difference that temporary faith is attained unto without the exercise of the Law but justifying faith is not attained to without some measure of the exercise of the Law this is clear Mark 4.5 where speaking of these temporary believers it is said of them That the fruit did imediately spring up c. Are there not some iâ— may be here who think they do believe and yet were never in any measure trembling under the discovering condemning power of the Law Is not that a mystery that one should bâ—ing forth without travelling And is not this a mystery in Christianity that one should believe before he hath found the pangs of the New birth I am afraid of this that many of us have taken up our Religion at our foot for there are many who take up Religion before ReligioÌ„ take them up But would you know the properties of a Christians Faith It is a begotten faith 1 Pet. 1.2 and not a Faith that is taken up at our pleasure And I would only say these two things to you be perswaded of this that hypocrisie may be soon with a very smal threed so that the most discerning Christian cannot take up that desperate enmity that is in them How long did Judas lurk under the name of a Saint even with those that were most discerning And there is this that we would say that amongst all these that shal be eternally excoÌ„municate from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power hypocrites in Zion shal have the bitterest cup of divine indignation presented unto them Hence it is that Christ when he
taketh hold not only on the faithfulness of God that he is a God of truth that in him there is no lie but likewise it taketh hold on the Omnipotency of God that he is one to whom nothing is too hard and on the infinite mercy love of God that he is one who doth delight to magnify this attribute above all his works and these are the three great pillars of justifying Faith From the first it answers all the objections of sense which doth ordinarily cry forth Doth all his promise fail for evermore And that with his one word If he hath once purposed it he will also do it and if he hath once spoken it he will also make it come to pass From the second it answereth all these objections that may arise from carnal reason and probability which tendeth to the weakning of his confidence And these do oftentimes cry out How can these things be But Faith laying hold upon the Omnipotency of God it staggers not at the promise but is strōg in the faith giving glory to God And it is the noble and divine exercise of this heroick grace of Faith that these objections of reason and probability which it cannot answer it will lay them aside and yet close with the promise which was the practice of believing Abraham who considereth not his own body being weak nor the barrenness of Sarahs womb As likewise it was the commendable practise of that woman Matth. 15. who not being able to answer the second trial of her faith from reason yet notwithstāding Faith made her cry out Have mercy on me O Son of David And from the last a Christian doth answer all the arguments of misbelief which doth arise from the convictions of our unworthiness and sinfulness which makes us oftentimes imbrace that Divinity of Peters Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man But Faith taking hold on the infinite mercy and love of Christ it answereth all with this He walks not with us according to that rule of merit but according to that precious and golden rule of love and boundless compassion But before we shal speak any thing unto you of these things we would a little point out some few things to be known as previous to these we shal not dwell long in pointing out the nature of justifying Faith It is that grace whereby a Christian being convinced of his lost estate of an utter impossibility to save himself he doth flee to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and unto him who is that precious City of refuge and there doth abide till our High Priest shal die which shal not be for ever Or if ye will it is a sweet travelling of the immortal soul betwixt infinite mercy and infinite love betwixt an utter impossibility to save our selves and a compleat ability in him to save to the uttermost betwixt abounding sin superabounding mercy hence Faith is often holden forth to us in Scripture under that notion of coming Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him And we may say by the way that if once a sinner could be brought to this to count all his own righteousness but filthy rags and to believe that a man is as really justified before God by imputed righteousness as if it were by inherent holiness surely such an one were not far from the Kingdom of God Neither shal we stand long to point out this unto you that it is your duty to believe for it is clear not only from this place but likewise from Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the Earth Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest John 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come buy without money and without price But oh it is a great misery of many and that which may be a subject of a perpetual lamentation that we can neither be subject to the Law as commanding to obey it or as threatning to believe it Nor to the Gospel as promising to embrace it and sweetly to receive it O but that primative temptation and delusion whereby Satan did deceive our first father is that whereby he yet seeks to catch and delude many souls viz. That though we eat of the forbidden fruit walk in the vain imaginations of our own hearts yet he doth suggest this to us that we shal not die but shal once be as God this is Satans great and deluding Divinity And therefore to inforce this great and precious command a little further we shal propose these considerations First that the Gospel hath laid no obstruction in our way of closing with Christ and partaking of the effects of the Gospel but on the contrary showeth that the great impediment is our want of willingness which we lay in our own way as is clear from John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye may get life as likewise from Revel 22.27 where the Gates of the Gospel are cast open and whosoever will are commanded to enter in So that although you may father your misbelief upon your inability or that your spot is not the spot of his people yet know that the rise and original of it is want of willingness But to make this more clear we would have you knowing this that all the qualification annexed to this commandment of Faith as that i◠Math. 11.28 speaketh out the qualifications rather of these that will come then of all these that ought to come Or he inviteth these that through the Spirit of discouragement and misbelief have the greatest reluctancy to come and may not that cardinal and soul-refreshing promise John 6.37 stop the mouth of misbelief so that it should have nothing to say He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out ye may reduce your misbelief rather to the sinfulness of your will then to the sinfulness of your walk and if once ye could come to the length of willingness to embrace Jesus Christ all other objections and knots should be sweetly loosed and dissolved Secondly consider that though we should pray the one half of our time and weep the other yet if we want this noble grace of Faith the wrath of God shal abide on us VVhat are all the works of these hypocrits those glistering acts of Law-sanctification but a plunging of our selves in the ditch Until our own cloaths abhor us Therefore it is that after the Prophet Zachary hath made mention in the twelfth Chapter of this Prophesie of making bitter lamentation for him whom we have pierced as for an only Son yet in the beginning of the 13. Chapter he
a kind of Omnipotency as is clear that all things are possible to them that believe but it hath a kind of Omnisciency and all knowledge that it can take up and comprehend all the greatest mysteries of Heaven according to that word Prov. 28.5 He that seeketh the Lord shal understand all things As if he had said there is nothing dark to a believing Christian as there is nothing impossible to a believing Christian As likewise Faith is that grace that must take aside the vail that is spread over the face of a crucified Christ and Faith is that precious Spy thatgoeth forth and taketh up these wonderful excellencies that are in him The grace of Love as it were is born blind and it hath nothing wherewith to solace it self but that which is presented unto it by this noble and excellent grace of Faith Now before we shal speak any thing to these things that we did propose to speak of at last occasion we shal yet speak a little unto some things which are necessary to be known for the distinct uptaking of the nature of justifying Faith which is the great commandment of this everlasting Gospel and that which we would first speak to shall be this What is the reason and ground that the Gospel conveyance of righteousness and life and of the excellent things of this everlasting Covenant should be thorow the exercise of the grace of Faith for it is not said in the Scripture that Repentance justifieth that Love justifieth or that Mortification justifieth but it is Faith only that justifieth and it is Faith by which a Christian inheriteth the promises So that is clear that Faith is that conduit-pipe thorow which are conveyed to us the great blessings of this everlasting Covenant I. And the first ground of it is this it is thorow Faith that all our blessing may be known to be by love and by free and unsearchable grace as is clear Rom. 4.16 while the Apostle is giving a reason why the inheritance is conveyed to a Christian through Faith It is of Faith saith he that it might be of grace for if the inheritance were conveyed to a Christian thorow a covenant of works then these spotlesse draughts of infinite love and of unsearchable grace should not be written on our inheritance as it is clear Rom. 4.25 And it is that gâ—eat design of Christ to make his grace conspicious in conveying salvation to us through Faith II. There is this second ground likewise of it that all the promises and blessings of this everlasting Covenant might be sure and stedfast to us therefore they are conveyed to us through the exercise of the grace of Faith as is clear Rom 4. â—6 They are of Faith saith he that they might be sure or as the word is that they might be setled When the promises of life and of eternal salvation were conveyed to us through mans obedience were they not then most uncertain and unstable But is not Heaven your everlasting crown now stedfast unto you seeing ye have that golden pillar of Christs everlasting righteousness to be the foundation of your Faith and the strength of your confidence in the day of need III. There is this third ground why the promises excellent things of this Gospel are conveyed to a Christian through the exercise of Faith that all boasting and gloriation might be excluded according to that word Rom. 3.27 By what law is boasting excluded Not by the law of works but by the law of faith And certainly seeing Chirstians have all the great things of heaven conveyed to them through the exercise of Faith think ye not that this shal be your first song when ye shal be within the gates of that new Jerusalem Not unto us not unto us but unto thee doth belong the glory of our salvation O what a precious dignity were it but for an half hour to be admitted to hear those spotless soÌ„gs that are sung by those thousaÌ„d times ten thousand thousands of thousands of holy angels that are round about this throne Doth not David that sweet singer of Israel now sing more sweetly then he did while he was here below Doth not deserted Haman now chant forth the praises and everlasting songs of him that sitteth upon the Throne And doth not afflicted Job now sing sweetly after his captivity is reduced and he entered within that Land where the voice of joy and gladness is continually heard Would ye have a description of heaven I could give it no term so sutable as this Heaven is a rest without a rest for though there remain a rest for the righteous yet Rev. 4.8 These four beasts that stand before the Throne they rest not night nor day crying Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty yet there is much divine quietness in that holy unquietness that is above IV. There is this last ground why the blessings of the Gospel and life and righteousness are conveyed to us through the exercise of Faith that the way to attain to these things might be pleasant and easie We aâ—e certainly perswaded that the way of winning to heaven by a covenant of works was much more unâ—leasant and difficult but it is not an easie way of entring into the Holy of Holies to win unto it through the exercise of Faith Are not all wisdoms wayes pleasantness And are not all her paths peace Was not that just self-denial in one that said he would not take up a Crown though it were lying at his foot But oh that cursed self-denial doth possess the breasts of many so that though that Crown of immortal glory and eternal blessedness be lying at your feet yet ye will not imbrace it nor take it up Is not the hatred of many to Christ covered with deceit And therefore your iniquity shal be declared before the Congregation Now that what we have spoken upon this might be more clear and that the nature of justifying Faith be not mistaken we would have you take notice of these things 1. That the grace of Faith doth not justifie a Christian as it is a work or because of any inherent excellency and dignity that is in this grace above any other graces of the Spirit but faith doth alone justifie a Christian instrumentally and objectively that is it is that by which a Christian is just by laying hold on the precious object of it the righteousness of Christ And to clear this we would only have you knowing this that saith doth justifie as it closeth with Christ but not because it closes with Christ which some vainly are bold to assert because there is not any dignity or worth in the act of Faith inclosing with Christ that can be the foundation of our justification else it were to confound that precious degree of free grace 2. There is this that we would have you all knowing that faith is not the instrument of justification as justification is taken in an active sense though it is
and is crying out that word in Isai 65.1 Behold me behold me O may we not summon Angels and those twenty four elders about the Throne to help us to wonder that ever such a command as this came forth that we should believe on the name of the Son of God after that we had broken that first and Primitive command That we should not eat of the forbidden tree VVas not this indeed to make mercy rejoice over judgement And O may we not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant whereâ—…y he hath sworn that he delighteth not in the death of sinners What suppose ye were poor Adams thoughts when at first the doctrine of free-grace and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Savior was preached unto him in Paradise What a divine surprisal was this that Heaven should have preached peace to earth after that earth had proclaimed war against Heaven Was not this a low step of condescendency to behold an offended God preaching peace and good-will to a guilty sinner What could self-destroying AdaÌ„ think of these morning first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant Christ as it were in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love which was resting in his bosome precious heart before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid We know not whether the infiniteness of his love the eternity of his love or the freedom of it maketh up the greatest wonder but sure these three joyned together maketh up a matculess and everlasting wonder Would any of you ask that question what is Christ worth We could give 〈◊〉 answer so sutable as this It is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth to calculate his worth all men here must be put to a divine non plus This was Jobs divinity Job 28.13 Man knoweth not the price of wisdom and must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of faith and wisdom of the Faither be a supereminent excellent One who hath that name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords not only engraven on his vesture which pointeth out the conspicuousness of his Majesty but even also upon his thigh to point out that in all his goings motioâ—s he proveth himself to be higher than the Kings of the earth And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his beauty and Majesty and to be satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory then certainly we should find a blessed necessity laid upon us of closing with him for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious mouth by which he doth subject subjugat his own to himself as well as he hath a sword girded upon his thigh by which he judgeth and maketh war with his enemies We confess it is not only hard but simply impossible to commit an hyperbole in commending of him his worth being always so far above our expressions our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth therefore we may be put to propose that desire unto him Exalt thy self O Lord above the Heavens But now to our purpose being at this time to 〈…〉 discourse upon that radical and precious grace of Faith we intend to speak of it under this twofold notion consideration First we shal speak of it as it is justifying or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousness of a crucified Savior making application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace which we call justifying Faith And in the second place we shal speak a little unto Faith as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength for advancing the work of mortification and doth discover the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ by which we advance in the work of Holiness and divine conformity with God which we call sanctifying Faith However it is not to be supposed that these are different habits of Faith but different acts flowing from the same saving habit laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ indifferent respects and for diverse ends Now to speak upon the first we have made choise of these words The Apostle John in the former verse had been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of ObedieÌ„ce of keeping of his CoÌ„mands that such an one hath as it were an arbitrary power with God doth receive many precious returns of prayer As likewise that one who is exercised in the grace of Repentance is Gods delight which is included in this that he doth those things that are well pleasing in his sight And now in these words he doth as it were answer an objection that might be proposed about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages seeing his commands were so large and that hardly could they be remembred This he doth sweetly answer by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law Gospel viz. That we should love one another which is the compend of the Law and that we should believe on the Name of his Son which is the compend of the Gospel by this he showeth the Christian that there are not many things required of him for attaining these excellent advantages but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments he shall find favor both with God and man And as concerning this precious grace of Faith we have 1. The advantages of it implyed in the words clear also from the scope as no doubt all the coÌ„mands have infinite advantages infolded in their bosom which redouÌ„ds to a believer by his practising of them And 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words in that it is called his command as if he had no other command but this And the Greek particle is here prefixed which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it and this is his Commandment But 3. there is this also the absolute necessity of this grace holden forth here in this word his Commandment as if he had said by proposing of this command I do set life and death before you and that you would not conceive that it is an arbitrary indifferent thing for you to believe or not but be perswaded of this that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment And lastly ye have the precious object upon which Faith which is justifying doth exercise it self and that is upon the name of the Son of God and no doubt faith is that excellent grace which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet inseparable union with Christ and is that golden precious knot that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious image on our hearts by love doth accomplish and perfect them No Faith
and infinite love unto eternity after must make Faith to fall in a sea of wondering raiseth the thoughts to the highest pitch of desire and estimation Fourthly we may likewise add that the impression of the preciousness of Christ which sense maketh upon the soul is not so constant nor so single as that which Faith doth make O but the grace of Faith giveth the Christian a broad look of Christ and letteth him see Christ cloathed with ornaments of glory and divine Majesty Sense followeth Christ rather that it may see his miracles and love that it may be fed with loaves but Faith follows Christ for himself above all II. The second consideration to speak the advantage of it is that the grace of Faith it hath as it were an arbitrary power with God so that whatsoever a Christian shall seek in Faith he shall receive it It was the noble gift that was once given to Faith that it never should seek any thing and be denied according to that word in Matt. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive it And that word in John 15.7 Abide in me that is believe and the promise is annexed to this Whatsoever ye shall ask ye shall receive And it is clear likewise from the preceeding verse to our Text that if we obey this command of Faith Whatsoever we shal ask of God we shal receive it And I would speak these two things to you from this First that oftentimes Christ putteth a blank in a Christians hand who is much in the exercise of Faith according to that in Matth 20.32 Is there not an ample blank put into that mans hand What wilt thou that I should do unto thee Christ desireth him to fill up the blank with what he would And secondly there is this which is one of the greatest steps of Christs matchless condescendency that oftentimes when his own have sought in their presumption a blank to be put in their hand Christ condescendeth to give it according to that strange passage in Mark 10.35.36 the two Disciples who present this desire to Christ We desire say they that whatsoever we ask thou shouldest give it unto us And presently that is answered What will ye that I shal do for you Christ hath an infinit good will to satisfie the desires of his own and that which yet more speaketh out Christs boundless good will to satisfie the desires of all that belong to him it may be decared in that word John 16.24 where he chargeth his Disciples with this Hither to saith he have ye asked me nothing ye must not suppose that Peter James and John never sought a suite of Christâ— but the meaning of that expression is this Ye sought nothing in comparison of that which I was willing to give and which your necessity did call for at my hands which ye should have sought III. There is this third consideration to poinâ— out the advantage of Faith it is that grace thaâ— keepeth all the graces of the Spirit in life exercise Faith is that higher wheel at the motion oâ— which all the lower wheels do move if so we may speak Faith is that Primum mobile that first moves and turns about all these lower graces of the Spirit according to that 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith vertue and to your vertue patience and to your patience brotherly kindness First the grace of Faith keepeth in exrcise the grace of love as is clear Eph. 3.17 where these two graces are conjoined As likewise from Rom. 5.1 compared with verse 5. Being justified by faith Then this leffect followeth upon it the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts And so it is certain that Faith keepeth love in life Faith being the spy of the soul and that intelligencer and precious messenger it goeth out and bringeth in objects unto love Faith draweth and bringeth in objects unto love Faith draweth aside the vail and love sitteth down and solaceth it self in the discoveries of Faith Secondly the grace of Faith likewise it keepeth the grace of mortification in exercise as is clear not only from Eph. 6.9 but from 1 John 5.4 This is our victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith And it is certain that Faith keepeth mortification in exercise and advanceth holiness not only because of this that Faith is that grace that presenteth to a Christian the absolute purity and spotless holiness of Jesus Christ but also because it maketh them esteem their idols taste less as the white of an egg and they become unto them as their sorrowful meat The best principle of mortification is this the discoveries of the invisible vertues of Jesus Christ that mortification which ariseth from the lovely discoveries of the excellency of Jesus Christ is most real and abiding as those waters which rise from the highest springs are not only constant but likewise most deep and excellent Thirdly Faith likewise hath influence upon mortification as it doth take hold of that infinite strength that is in Christ by which a Christian is inabled to mortifie his coruptions Fourthly Faith likewise maketh application of the blood of sprinkling by which we are purified from dead works Fifthly likewise the grace of Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Humility as is clear Rom. 3.27 By what law saith he is boasting excluded It is not by the law of works but by the law of faith Sixthly Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of joy as is clear Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing So that ye see the proper fruit of Faith is joy in the holy Ghost And certainly did we believe more we should rejoice more Seventhly and lastly Faith keepeth in exercise the grace of Hope for it is impossible for hope to be in lively exercises except Faith once be exercised which may be a shame unto you for how can we hope to attain the thing that is promised except our Faith first close with the promise So there is this difference betwixt the grace of Faith and the grace of Hope the grace of Faith closeth with the promises but the grace of Hope it closeâ— with the thing that is promised IV. There is this fourth consideration thâ—… may speak out the excellency of the grace 〈◊〉 Faith It is that grace by which a Christian doth attain to most divine fellowship and constant correspondency with heaven Would yâ— have that question resolved and determined What is the best way not to stir up our Beloved nor awake him until he please It is this be much in the grace of Faith this is clear from Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwel in our hearts by faith By the exercise of all other graces Christ is buâ— a sojourner that turneth aside to tarry but for 〈◊〉 night but by the exercise of this grace he cometh to take up house with us I will tell you what Faith is it is a
most lamentable crosses that ever he had as is clear Psal 13.3 Lighten mine eyes said David that is let me behold and be satisfied with thy face and the motive that he backeth it with is this Lest I sleep the sleep of death David thought himself a dead man if Christ did withdraw his presence from him also it is clear Cant. 3.1 compared with the following verses where absence from Christ and want of communion with him was the greatest crosse the Spouse had and it is clear from John 20.11.12.13 where Mary had a holy disdain of all things in respect and comparison of Christ But I will tell you what an hypocrite doth most lament and that is the want of reputation amongst the Saints that is the great god and Idol amongst hypocrites and thee which when not enjoyed hypocrites and Atheists lament most the world and the lust of their eyes when they want these then they cry out They have taken away my gods and what have I more They think heaven can never make up he losse of earth And certainly if many of us would examine our selves by this we should find our selves most defective I would pose all you who are here who have taken on a name to be followers of Christ whether or not ye have been content to walk thirty days in absence from Christ and yet never to lament it Hath not Christ been thirty dayes and more in heaven without a visite from you And yet for all this you have not cloathed your selves with sackcloath I will not say that this is an undeniable evidence of the totall want of the grace of faith but it doth eminently prove this that the person who hath come this length hath lost much of his primitive love and much of that high esteem which he ought to have of matchlesse Christ what can you find in this world that maketh you converse so little with heaven I think that it is the noble encouragement of a Christian when he is going down to his grave that he hath this where with to comfort himself I am to change my place but not my company Death to the believing Christian being a blessed transition and transportation to a more immediat constant and uninterrupted enjoyment of God But I believe that if all who have the name of Believers in this generation should go to heaven they might have this to say I am now not only to change my place but also my company For these seventy years I have been conversant with my Idols but now I am to converse with more blessed divine and excellent company O that ye might be perswaded to pursue much after an absent Christ Were it not a sweet period of our life to breath out our last breath in his arms and to be living in the faith of being eternally with him which might be founded upon his Word II. There is this second evidence of one that is in the Faith They do endeavor to advance that necessary work of the mortification of their Idols according to that word 1 John 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Acts 15.9 Faith it purifieth the heart And concerning this evidence least any should mistake it I would say these things to you First the mortification of a Christian as long as he is here below it doth more consist in resolutions than in attainments it is certain that there are high attainments of a Christian in the mortification of his Idols but his resolutions go far above his performances Secondly we would say this That those Christians who never came this length in Christianity to make that an universal conclusion and full resolution What have I to do any more with Idols They may suspect themselves that they are not in the Faith For a Chrâ—stian that is in Christ he is universal in resolutions though he be not so in practice but defective in performances A Christian may have big resolutions with weak performances for resolutions will be at the gate of heaven before practice come from the border of hell there being a long distance betwixt resolution and practice and the one much swifter then the other And thirdly We would likewise say that ye who never did know what it was to endeavour by prayer and the exercises of other duties the mortification of your lusts and Idols ye may be afraid that ye have not yet the hope of seeing him as he is And I would say this to many who are setled upon their lees and who never did know what it was to spend one hour in secret prayer for mortifying an Idol that they would beware lest that curse be past in heaven against them I would have purged you and ye would not be purged therefore ye shall not be purged any more till ye die That iniquity of refusing to commune with Christ in the work of â— ecret mortification I say that iniquity shall not be purged away And we would once seriously desire you by that dreadfull sentence that Christ shall passe against you and by the love you have to your immortal souls and by the pains of those everlasting torments in hell that ye would seriously set about the work of spiritual mortification that so ye may evidence that ye have believed and that ye have the soul-comforting hope of eternal life I would only speak this one word to you and desire you seriously to ponder it What if within twelve hours hereafter a summons were given to you without continuation of dayes to compear before the solemn and dreadful Tribunal of that impartial Judge Jesus Christ what suppose ye would be your thoughts Will you examine your own conscience what you think would be your thoughts if such summons were given unto you I am perswaded of this That your knees would smite one against another and your faces would gather paleness seeing your conscience would condemn you That you had been weighed in the ballance and found light O think ye that ye can both fight and triumph in one day Think ye that ye can fight and overcome in one day Think ye your lusts and unmortified corruptions so weak and faint-hearted an enemy that upon the first appearance of such imaginary champions as most part of us are in our own eyes that your idols would lay down arms and let you trample on them Believe me mortification is not a work of one day or one year but it is a work will serve you all your time begin as soon as you will and therefore seeing you have spent your dayes in the works of the flesh it is time that now you would begin and pursue after him whose work is with him and whose reward shall come before him III. Now there is this third evidence by which a Christian may know whether he be in the faith or not it is that Christ is matchless and incomparable unto such an one according to that word 1. Pet. 1.7
them all if we make conscience seriously to obey this command of Faith which is indeed the sweet compend of the Gospel all these things doth most clearly appear iâ— that believing here is called His Commandment by way of excellency as if this were his only commandment But that we may yet a little more particularly point out the absolute necessity of Faith there are these things that speaketh it forth to the full 1. That though rivers of tears should run down our eyes because we keep not his Law though we should never rise off our knees from prayerâ— and should all our lifetime speak to God with the tongue of Angels and though we should constantly obey his commands yet without faith we should never escape that eternal sentence of excommunication from the presence of the Lord there being no action that doth proceed from 〈◊〉 which can please the Majesty of the Lord unless it hath its rise from this principle of faith as iâ— clear from Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God And though we should offer â—nto him ten thousand rivers of oyl and thousands of rams and should offer up in a burnt sacrifice all the beasts that are upon the mountains and the trees that are upon many hills this should â—e the answer that God should return to us Who â—…th required these things at your hands I take no cleasure in these solemn sacrifices because there is no way of attaining peace with God but through â—he exercise of faith making use of the spotless â—ighteousness of Jesus Christ 2. Let us do our â—tmost by all the inventions we can to bring â—own our body and let us separate our selves from â—ll the pleasures of the flesh yet all our Idols shal â—eign without much contradiction except we do â—nce attain unto this grace of faith which is that â—ictory whereby we must overcome the world and the hand that maketh use of infinite strength for â—bduing of coruptions making the Christian â—weetly to take up that song Stronger is he that is with us then he that is in the world Form all this that we have said both of the sweetness of Faith and the necessity thereof we would propose these few considerations to two or three sorts of persons 1. There are some who live in that vain imaginary delusion of attaining to heaven through a â—ovenant of works and do neglect to seek salvation by Faith in the righteousness of Christ and â—o those who build upon this sandy foundation I â—hal say but these two words First how long shal â—e labor in the fire for very vanity Do ye ever think to put on the cap-stone Know you 〈◊〉 that the day is approching when your house shal fall about your ears your confidence shal be rejected and your hope shal evanish as a dream and flee away as a vision in the night Secondly what a monstruous blindness and what an unspeakable act of folly must it be to say that Christ was crucified in vain which yet ye do practically assert when ye go about to purchase a righteousness through the works of the Law 2. There are some who are secure in their own thoughts concerning their faith they never questioned the reality of it they never examined it O ye whose faith is as old as your selves ye say yâ— never knew what it was to dispute and I may say ye never knew what it was to believe Thou profane hypocrite let me tell thee a strong faith and yet strong idols must needs be a strong delusion Thou wilt not obey the Lord Thou wilt noâ— pray thou wilt not believe a threatning in all the word Thou wilt count all Religion madness and foolishness and yet thou wilt perswade thy self thou believest in Christ Oh! be not deceived God is not mocked and why will ye mock your selves 〈◊〉 Shal I tell you that reprobats have a sad Religion One day they must believe and obey and pray and give a testimony to godliness but alace too late and little to their advantage Shal noâ— he whom all the Ministers on earth could scarce ever perswade to believe so much as a Heaven oâ— Hell or one threatning in all the Book of God at last be forced to believe their own sense when they shal see the Ancient of dayes upon the Throne and shal hear the cryes of so many thouâ—and living witnesses come out both from Heaven and Hell bearing testimony to the truth of threatnings and promises that not one jot of them â—s fallen to the ground and he would never be â—erswaded to bow a knee to God in earnest all his â—…fe Shal he not then pray with greatest fervenâ—y That hills and mountains might fall upon him â—o cover him from the face of the Lamb And he that would never submit to a command of God must he not at last obey that dreadful command Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting torments c. Yea he who was the greatest mocker â—n the world shal then confess that they are blest who put their trust in the Lord as they are excellently brought in though in an Apocryphal â—ook Wisd chap. 5.4 crying out with great terâ—or while they behold that unexpected sight of â—he glorious condition of the godly O here is the men say they whom we mocked whose life we accounted madness and their end dishonorable Be wise therefore in time and do that willingly which ye must do by constraint and do that with sweetness and advantage that ye must do at last with loss and sorrow Thirdly there are some who certainly have some hope of eternal life but content themselves with a smal measure of assurance these I would befeech that ye would be more endeavoring to make your calling and election sure and would be endeavoring to see your names written in the ancient Records of heaven And this we shal press upon you by several arguments 1. Those strong and subtilâ— and soul-destroying delusions that are amongst many who conceive they do believe as we were saying and are pure in their own eyes who yet are not purged from their iniquities O are there not many of us that are in a golden dream that suppose we are eating but when we awake our soul is empty whose faith is a Metaphysick notion that hath no foundation but mans apprehension And this shall never beare us through the gates of death nor convey us in unto eternity of joy 2. May not this press you to follow after assurance that it is the compendious way to sweeten all your crosses as is clear from Hab. 3.17.18 where the conviction of this made Habakkuk to rejoyice in the God of his salvation though the fig tree did not bear fruit and the labor of the olive did fail and there were no sweetness to be found in the vine And from Heb. 10.34 when they take joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing within themselves that they had a better and an enduring substance This is
can have no other foundation it will build it self upon humility and a Christian will grow proud in this that he is growing humble Thirdly it is a difficulty for a Christian to examine his growing in grace and not to be puffed up It is certain a Christian ought to examine his growth in grace humbly according to that Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me He doth not only take notice of this that his soul did follow after God but of the measure of that pursuit my soul followeth hard after thee and yet sweetly acknowledgeth it was not his own feet which carried him nor his own hand that kept him from falling 3. Ye are not to build your faith upon your works and upon the righteousness of the Law I need not stand long to refute that practical Popery that is amongst us that thinketh we can go to heaven through a covenant of works I told you not long since what your going to heaven through a covenant of works speaketh even this horrible blasphemy that it was an act of monstruous folly to send Christ to die for sinners for if you can go to heaven without him was not then Christ crucified in vain And I would tell you now that this speaketh out your damnable ignorance of the weakness and deceitfulness of your own hearts O ye that are so great defenders of Salvation by the covenant of works I beseech you what is the reason that ye break the covenant of works oftener then any For there is none that thinketh they will go to heaven this way but those that are the greatest breakers of the covenant of works And is not that inconsistent and contradictory Divinity your faith contradicting your practice and your practice telling you that your faith is a lie 4. We must not mix our own righteousness with Christs as the object of our believing This is indeed an evil that often lodgeth in the bosom of the most refined hypocrite when Satan cannot prevail to exclude Christ altogether then he is content with that whorish Woman to divide the child and let the object of our Faith be half of Christ and half of self And the truth is many of these poor unwise sons who stay long in the place of breaking forth of children do willingly hearken to this overture for fear it be presumption for such poor wretches to meddle too boldly with the riches of Christ but it were good such weak ones would consider that word Rom. â— 2 where the holy Gost calleth the making 〈◊〉 of his righteousness an act of submission they 〈◊〉 not submitted saith he unto the righteousness of Christ O will ye not lay this to heart that our Lord will take your believing or your putting on his righteousness for an act of great humility and will take your misbelief as a marvelous act of the highest pride and presumption 5. We are not to make providence the object of our faith I know there are some that ask the ground of their right of heaven they will tell us that God hath been kind to them all their dayes I would only say to such He may be feeding you unto the day of slaughter and no man knoweth love or hatred by any thing that is before him Thus much of the object of Faith negatively And now to speak to it positively we see the Text holdeth out Christ himself as that excellent and compleat object of Faith This is his Commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son And thus Faith closeth with Christ under a fourfold consideration First it closeth with God in Christ not with God immediatly and nakedly for he dwelleth in light inaccessible that no man can approach unto He is higher than the Heaven what can we do and deeper than hell what can we know Job 11. Therefore we must approach unto him thorow a vail even the vail of Christ his flesh Heb. 10. God is a consuming fire and of purer eyes then that he can behold iniquity aâ—… therefore we must first cast our eyes upon thaâ— blessed Dayes-man that laid his hands upon us both and look unto God as in Christ reconciling 〈◊〉 world to himself and so draw near unto hiâ—… through a Mediator who is the first and the last and he that liveth and was dead and is alive foâ— evermore able to save to the uttermost all thâ—… come unto God by him seeing he liveth for ever to make intercession for them Secondly Faith closeth with Christ as tendered freely in a covenant of promise we would have had nothing to do with Christ if he had not been given of the Father and offered himself in a free covenant of promise but he being thus holden forth upon terms of free Love which doth utterly abominate hire and so noble a proclamation issued forth under the great seal of Heaven That whosoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely Upon this the poor creature draweth near by vertue of a right and stretching out the armâ— of most enlarged affections doth run upon him with that joyful shout My Lord my God and then maketh an absolute resignation of it self to him which is holden out in the Scripture by that sweet expression of kissing of the Son And there are three parts of Christs blessed body that the Christian must endeavor to kiss and embrace the mouth of Christ the hand of Christ and the feet of Christ The kissing of his feet importeth the exercise of love the kissing of his hands the exercise of subjection and the kissing of his mouth the exercise of communion and fellowship with him Thirdly Faith closeth with Christ as the purchaser and meritorious cause of all the good we receive He is the person that hath purchased all these things unto us and there is not one blink of love there is nor the smallest enjoyment that a Christian meeteth with but it is the price of the blood of Christ Christs precious blood was laid down for it Fourthly Faith closeth with Christ as the efficient and worker of all our mercies all our enjoyments are from him as the efficient cause that is he is the worker of all things in us it is his preciouss fingers that must accomplish that blessed work of grace and they are from Christ as the dispenser of these things Christ is the great steward of heaven that doth communicate unto believers all the treasures of the higher House For him hath God the Father sealed O! but that word that Christ once spake is much verified by himself It is more blessed to give then to receive Christ is that fountain and treasure in whom all our gifts and graces are â—reasured up for before the blessing come to believers they come to Christ as the head according to that word 2 Tim. 1.9 Which grace was given to us in him before the foundations of the world were laid It was given to Christ before the world was made and
for that end that it might be communicated unto all his members and so out of his fulness we shal receive and grace for grace But secondly the Text holdeth more partâ—cularly this excellent object of Faith to be tâ—… Name of his Son That ye believe in the Name 〈◊〉 his Son And here indeed we may be at a stand It is long since Agar did non plus all the woâ—… with that question What is his Name and whâ—… is his Sons Name if thou canst tell O how little a thing can be known of him And O how brutish is this generation that knoweth so much lesse then might be known of him in such a day of the Gospel But that we may speak a little according to our weak measure of Faith as closing with the Name of Christ His Name is his glorious attributes by which he revealeth so much of himself in the Scriptures as poor mortals can take up We did show you before that there was three of these that were the main pillars 〈◊〉 justifying Faith Faithfulness Omnipotency aâ—… his infinite Love and Mercy And how from theâ—… may be answered all the objections of sense oâ— carnal reason and of misbelief arising from convictions of unworthiness And certain it is thaâ— faith in all its conflicts maketh much use of thâ— Names of Christ And there is not an object thaâ— a poor tempted soul can make but faith can framâ— an answer to it out of some of these excelleâ—… Names of God or of his Son Christ It woulâ— be a more long-some work than I intend to leâ— you see this in all But I shall only instance thaâ— in One glorious Name of God by which he proclaimeth his glory Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for â—…usands forgiving iniquity transgression and 〈◊〉 and that will by no means clear the guilty c. think there are seven ordinary objections which â—ay be answered from that place First it is an â—dinary objection which misbelievers do make â—hat they are under the strength of their corrupâ—ion that they are black as the Tents of Kedar and not beautiful as the Curtains of Solomon And doth not the first letter of that Name anâ—ner this that he is a merciful Lord the one imâ—orting his ability to save and to bring down every high imagination The other importing is infinite delight to help those that have no rength and are under the power of their adverâ—ries the power of God being of no larger exâ—nt then this love There is that second obâ—ection of misbelief that we have nothing to comâ—end us to Christ but all that we have to boast of are infirmities and imperfections and this â—s abundantly answered from that second letter 〈◊〉 his name that he is Gracious which imporâ—…th the freedom of the dispensations of his love â—hat he walketh not with us according to that â—…le of merit but according to that golden and exâ—ellent rule of love It is a great dispute whether Mercy or Grace be the greatest wonder whether â—he love of Christ or the freedom of it be the â—reatest mystery sure both these put together â—ake up a matchless wonder Thirdly misbelief will object that we have forsaken him dayes without number and that we cannot trace bâ—… our apostacy unto the first day of its rise and not that abundantly answered from that letter 〈◊〉 his Name that he is long-suffering This beâ—… that glorious attribute in God the glory of whâ—… he defireth to magnifie above all his Name Fourthly misbelief doth ordinarily propose this objection that we have multiplied our transgression and have committed whoordome under every grâ—… tree and have given gifts to our lovers even â—…ring our idols so that we may take up that 〈◊〉 mentation Is not our sin great and our transgresion infinite And is not this also answered 〈◊〉 that letter of his Name that he is abundant goodness That though sin abound in us yâ— grace doth much more superabound in him Wâ— confess indeed that there are some that may wâ—… under that condition that if they had no othâ—… exercise throughout eternity but to make confession they might confess and never maâ—… any needless repetition And truly in some 〈◊〉 spect it is a mercy that we are mysteries unto 〈◊〉 selves for if we did know compleatly the sevâ— abominations of our hearts and these mysteriâ—… actings of the body of death we would be in 〈◊〉 zard to choose strangling and death rather 〈◊〉 life Yet may not one glimpse of that abundaâ— goodness satisfie us and calm the storm Fiftâ—ty saith misbelief we know that we have brokâ— our vowes and covenants with God and that 〈◊〉 these things that we have taken on have beâ—… but as flax before the fire of temptation so tâ—… â—e have no hope that he will have mercy upon â—hose that have broken wedlock and have not seen stedfast in his covenant But is not that â—undantly answered from that letter of his Name That he is abundant in truth which speaâ—eth that That though we deny our selves yet he abideth faithful and doth not alter the words that hath gone out of his mouth It is the infiniâ—e blessedness of man that though he be changeable yet they have to do with one that is an unchangeable being Sixthly there is that objection That notwithstanding all these things are matters of encouragement to some yet they know â—ot whether or not the lot of everlasting love hath fallen upon them and whether their names â—e in the ancient records of heaven But this is answered from that letter of his Name He keeâ—eth mercy for thousands which showeth us that great number of those upon whom the lot of everâ—asting love shal fall And if there were no other â—entence in all the Scripture this might be a sufâ—icient matter of a song and might make us cry â—ut Who is like unto him whose compassions have â—o end And who desires to magnifie his mercy â—…ove all his works And lastly misbelief maketh his objection They have sinned not only against â—ight not only against vows not only after much â—njoyment of God but even after the application 〈◊〉 threatnings so that they conceive that their â—aker will not have mercy upon such Yet this is â—ally answered likewise from that letter of his Name He forgiveth transgression iniquity and sin which three words do abundantly speak forth that there is no transgression which he will noâ— pardon there being but one particular amongâ—… all that innumerable number of sins which loâ—geth in the heart of fallen men that he declared unpardonable and there is none of our disease 〈◊〉 that is above the infinite art of love and concerning which we can take up that complaint There is no balm in Gilead and there is no I hysician there And though providence may muster up many impossibilities yet let Faith take the promise in the one hand and impossibilities in the
there are these seven advantages which attend those who live within the continual sight of this truth that they must dye First the faith of approaching death will make a soul exceeding diligent in duty This was our blessed Lords Divinity John 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day the night â—meth when no man can work That iâ— death is approaching therefore I must work It is clear also 2 Pet. 1.12 compared with verse 14. In the 12. verse Peter is exceeding diligent in his duty and the ground of his diligence is in the 14. verse Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. Yea it is even the Epicures argument Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shal dye And should not the Christian much more cry out Let me watch and pray for to morrow I may dye I say if the Epicures did make use of that notion to make them vigorous in the pursuit of their pleasures O how much more should a Christian improve it for making him vigorous in the pursuit of his duty Therefore I say unto you all O! be diligent for your night is drawing near O Christians and expectants of heaven are you not afraid lest you be nighted before you have walked the half of your journey For if you be nighted on your journey to Heaven before you come to the end of your race there is no retiring place whereunto you may turn aside to lodge therefore O work work work while it is day for behold death is approaching and then shal we all be called to an account 2. The faith of approaching death will make a Christian exceeding active in his duty he will not only be diligent but also exceeding serious and zealous in the exercise of his duty This is clear from that notable exhortation Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might and the reason is for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Wherefore O be active while you are alive for you shal never work any more after you are dead and if ye leave but one work undone there is no doing of it after death There is no work saith Solomon in the grave therefore O be active 3. The faith of this truth that we must all dye will help a Christian to be exceeding mortified to the things of a present World Oh covetous men and women would you shake hands with cold Death but once every morning I should defie you to pursue the World so much as you do Paul was much in the meditation of his change which made him 2 Cor. 4.18 to overlook those things that are temporary VVhile we look not saith he to the things that are seen which are temporal but to the things which are not seen which are eternal Therefore chap. 5.1 Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens therefore in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven What aileth you Paul might one have laid may you not take a look of the World No saith he for I know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved I have a house with God not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens That is I know that ere long the pins of my Tabernacle will be loosed and it will fall down about my ears therefore I must look for another dwelling house And 1 Cor. 7.24 The fashion of this world passeth away therefore saith he verse 32. I would have you without carefulness caring to please the Lord. And Phil. 4.2 Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand As if he had said death is approaching and at hand therefore I intreat you be sober But I think many of us will be found like Saul hid amongst the stuff that is we will be lying amongst the midst of the pleasures of this passing World But I say to thee who art such an one that death will break the strings of thy harp and thy musick will quickly cease O! but death will make thee have a low esteem of the World O! blessed is the person who hath those thoughts of the World all along his way which he shal have of it at his death Have not the most cursed wretches been forced to cry out Oh! I would give ten thousand worlds for Christ Have not some persons who have had the Moon upon their head and that have made their belly their God being forced to cry forth at death O cursed person that I am that ever I made the world my God! Alace that I contented my self with the World Therefore I say unto thee who art such an one O! stay thy pursuit after the World for death is approaching that will cause all thy worldly comforts to evanish 4. When a Christian believeth this truth that he must dye it will be an exceeding great restraint to keep him from sinning as is clear Job 31.13 compared with verse 14. where Job reckoning over many good deeds done by himself saith What then shal I do when God riseth up And when he visiteth what shal I answer him As if he had said Sirs mistake me not I am not boasting much of my self for I could not have done otherwise else what should I do when God riseth up How could I answer to God if I had done otherwise I think it were a notable practise for each of you when temptations begin to assault you to say O temptation what shal I answer to God when he riseth up to reprove me if I should yeeld unto thee Likewise Eccles 11.9 where Solomon disswading young men to pursue after vanity bringeth this as a reason Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Therefore I say unto thee who art often tempted to sin let death and reckoning with God be still in thy sight and I defie thee then to embrace half so many temptations as now thou dost I intreat you to answer all your temptations with that one word What shal I do when he riseth up And what shal I answer when he visiteth me 5. When a Christian liveth within the sight of this truth that he shal once see death it shal make him exceeding patient under every cross wherewith he meets Such a Christian will hardly meet with a cross but he will quiet himself with this Death will put me beyond this cross This is but a cloud that will quickly pass away And for this cause did David so composedly put up that desire Psalm 39.4 Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days He was sure that the knowledge of his end would put him in a sober and patient frame The sixth advantage is this The faith of approaching death will teach the person that hath