The Souls Vocation, Part 3 · Dialogue
How the ſoule being tempted, may anſwer Satans accuſations.
Satan, when a man hath got a little advantage, he will begin to play the lawyer:
Satan.
What, doſt thou not yet ſee what wants thou haſt, and how many failings, how unfit for ſervice, and how weak in ſervice?
Poore ſoule.
Anſwer. It is true, but it is written, Prov. 28.13. He that confeſſeth, and forſaketh his ſinnes, ſhall finde merciemercy; though I be weake, and feeble, and unfit, yet I confeſſe and forſake my ſinnes, therefore I ſhall finde merciemercy.
Satan.
Aye, ſaith Satan, that you doe indeed, doeſt thou not apprehend, and doth not thy conſcience witneſſe, that thy heart is averſe, and untoward to dutie, unwilling to come thereunto, wearie therein, and deſirous to be free there-from?
Keep ſtill to the point, and anſwer;
Poore ſoule
I have may ſinnes and many failings, it is true, but yet it is as true, hee that confeſſeth, and &c. but I confeſſe, and forſake, therefore I ſhall finde merciemercy.
Satan.
Aye, but ſaith Satan, are you tampering with Gods privie counſell? doe you know to whom merciemercy belongs? ſecret things belong to God, he muſt give his merciemercy to whom he pleaſe, and his goodneſſe to whom he ſees fit.
Keepe ſtill to the point, and ſay,
Poore ſoule.
I know not what Gods ſecret will is, but I know what the word ſaith, and what the Lord ſaith, and what conſcience ſaith: I know, I confeſſe, and forſake, therefore I, &c.
But Satan replies;
Satan.
Many couzen themſelves, merciemercy is a rare gift, few have it, and many dreame of it, that ſhall never ſhare therein, nor partake thereof, and why may not you be one of thoſe?
Keep ſtill to the point, and anſwer;
Poore ſoule.
It is true, I may couzen my ſelfe, and my heart may be deceived; but the Lord will not couzen me, and the Word cannot deceive mee, and the Lord and the Word ſay, He that confeſſeth, &c. but I confeſſe, &c.
Satan.
How doe you know that you doe apply the Word aright? may you not be deceived in that? the Word is true and certaine: but how doe you know that you doe fitly apply this Word?
Anſwer.
Poore ſoule.
I know it not but by the Word, and I repaire thither, that I may know it, and the Lord knowes all, and the Word informes mee, that whoſoever conf…ſſeth and forſaketh his ſinnes, ſhall have merciemercy; and my conſcience knowes, that I doe confeſſe and forſake, therefore I, &c. and Satan, if you will ſhew mee any other text contrarie to this, I will yeeld but otherwiſe I will never yeeld while the world ſtands.
Thus you ſee, how you may hold Satan to the Word, and keepe him there; but if hee lead you into wilderneſſes, and by-paths, and take you to feares and ſuſpitions, you are gone; Pſal. 119.98. By thy commandements thou haſt made me wiſer that mine enemies; but what is the reaſon of it? they are ever with me; ſo Satan is wiſe, and carnall reaſon, and the world, and temptations are ſubtill; but bleſſed be our God, that makes every poore ignorant creature, that beleeves in him, and reſts upon him, wiſer than all his enemies, wiſer than the cunning ſerpent, wiſer than the ſubtill pleas of carnall reaſon, wiſer than the cunning of all temptations: let the Word be continually with you, from day to day, and that will make you diſcover all the ſleights and ſtratagems, and all the cunning tricks of Satan, and not only ſhew you what is amiſſe, but thereby you ſhall get ground to your ſoules, to anſwer all Satans pleas: Satan deales with the ſoule of a proud ſinner in this caſe, as enemies in the warre; as Ioſuah 8. you know when Ioſuah went to defeat the men of Ai, hee towled them out of the Citie, his armie fled before them as formerly, and they all fallied out of the Citie upon them, and when he had them out of the Citie, the men in ambuſh circumvented them, and then they that fled, turned back upon them before, and the reſt burnt the Citie; had the men of Ai kept within the Citie, it is true, God could have overthrowne it, but yet they might have put it to the venture, they might have tried it out; but when they had left the Citie, there was no hope: ſo Satan deales with the ſoule, our caſtle or trenches are the promiſes of God, Gods Word and ordinances, eſpecially the promiſes, are the trenches, whereby the ſoules of Gods ſervants are fortified; now if Satan can but get you out of your trenches, and towle you out of your caſtle, he hath what he would have; if you will liſten to every carnall reaſon, and to every temptation, and talke and parly with it, then Satan hath you in ambuſh, and will ſurpriſe you; if he can make you loſe ground in the promiſe, he damps your ſpirits, and will intangle you in temptations, and hinder the comfort of your ſoules; the advice I give you in this caſe, is that of Iohn, 1 Iohn 2.28. Little children, if yee abide in Gods commandements, yee abide in God; if we abide in Gods counſels, and ordinances, and promiſes, wee abide in him: he ſpeaks to the weake, as if hee had ſaid, you are weake and feeble, I know the blindneſſe of your mindes, how unable you are to foreſee temptations, and weake and unable to beare temptations, and I know, that Satan goes about like a roaring lion, ſeeking whom hee may devoure; and you are little lambs, weake, and feeble, and unable to withſtand him: but little children abide in God, keep home, keep home, and then you are ſure to be ſafe. Whenſoever dangers are abroad, or any danger in the ſtreets, we keepe the doore ſhut, to keepe little ones within, that they may catch no harme abroad; and if they get out, and get a knock, and come crying, we ſay, why did you not keep within then, who bade you goe out then? ſo you that are little ones in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, when Satan and all the armies of hell are combining againſt you, keepe within your trenches, dwell in God, and abide in him; you will goe out now and then, and tamper with carnall reaſons, and Satans cavill, and come home with a broken heart, and troubled ſpirit, and comfort is gone, and aſſurance is gone, and all is gone; keepe home then I charge you, what have you to doe abroad? therefore intrench your ſelves in the promiſes of God, and keepe your ſelves within the Caſtle of Gods Ordinances and Commandements, and then be ſafe and ſure. The iſſue then is this, judge thy ſoule by the Word, and looke upon the ſincere part, and doe not take thy ſoule on the worſt hand, and what thou ſo judgeſt to be in, labour to convince thy conſcience thereof, and to have conſcience ſpeake for thee: what reaſon is informed, and conſcience convinced of, labour to make thy heart ſubject, and ſubmit and yeeld thereunto without any gain-ſaying; what reaſon allowes, and conſcience witneſſeth, let thy ſoule entertaine, and not a word more; and what thy heart ſubmits unto, hold to that and maintaine it for ever, and never let it goe: this is the meanes whereby a ſoule diſtreſſed may repaire to God in the uſe of Gods ordinances, and may receive joy and eſtabliſhed comfort to thy dying day, and may goe ſinging to thy grave; let Satan tempt, let the world allure, let corruption ſtirre, and the heart quarrell, keepe within doores, keepe within your trenches, and remaine ſafe from danger. Looke as it is with a man that hath his houſe well prepared, and his foundations firmly built, when the windes blow, and the ſtormes beat upon his houſe, hee ſleeps moſt quietly, becauſe hee is in a houſe where he is ſafe, and free from danger; the windes blow not in him, the water pierces not through; you that have title to Chriſt and grace, and to the promiſes, they are they that will keep you, and defend you againſt winde and weather; though the windes roare from Eaſt to Weſt, though the ſtormes beat, though Satan be never ſo ſubtill, and corruptions never ſo violent; nay though hell gates were open, and all the devils in hell rored upon thy ſoule, and all the fierceneſſe of temptations aſſault you from day to day, lie cloſe and bring your hearts to faſten to the promiſes of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, keepe within doores, keep within your caſtles: ſit ſtill and repoſe your ſoules upon the promiſes of God, and upon the riches of Gods free grace, and you ſhall ſee that the ſtorme will over, and Satan will bee defeated: and you ſhall have comfort, and you may goe ſinging to your graves, though you have many weakneſſes and failings, and diſtempers: yet ſtay here, and nothing can doe you harme.
Now wee come to the means, that here may uſefully be conſidered for the bringing on of the heart to beleeve: but you will ſay, what bee the means that a man may uſe through Gods bleſſing and grace, to attaine this grace of faith, and the uſe thereof; for this is certaine wee muſt uſe the means, but there is no means under Heaven, alone will doe it; yet you muſt wait upon God in the uſe of the means: for it is not the meanes alone, that will worke faith, but the Spirit of God in the uſe of the means; and therefore the text ſaith, to you it is given to beleeve; for faith is the free gift of God, it is God that muſt doe it, and yet he will not doe it without us, becauſe we are reaſonable men and women, the Lord affords us means, and therefore we are to wait upon him in the uſe of thoſe means, let the Lord doe what he will, and let us doe what wee ſhould, uſe the means which God hath appointed: and thoſe are theſe foure.
Means. 1 Firſt, wee muſt as much as in us lies, labour to plucke away all thoſe props that the ſoule leans upon, and all thoſe outward ſuccours, and whatſoever outward contentment it is which a poore ſinner doth repaire and betake himſelfe to for releefe and helpe, that when all theſe are taken from us, wee may bee forced to goe for ſuccour there where it is to be had. Marke 5.26.27. when the poore woman in the Goſpell had ſpent all her goods upon the Phyſitians, and if ſhe had had but a little means left, yea, but one farthing token, for any thing I know, ſhee would never have gone to Chriſt; but when all theſe failed, then ſhee was forced to ſeeke to Chriſt, that was ready and willing to doe any thing for her diſtreſſed nature: ſo our ſoules muſt have ſomething to ſupport themſelves upon, for they cannot live without ſome ſupport. Now therefore when all our carnall hopes are taken away, wee muſt needs ſtay upon the promiſe, becauſe we have nothing elſe; yet I ſay, it is not requiſite that a man ſhould caſt away thoſe outward comforts that God affords him, but take them when God gives them, but onelyonly this, that though you have all, yet labour to get your hearts to ſee the vanitie, and acknowledge the emptineſſe of all theſe, and let not the heart ſeeke too much content in them, for theſe are all but lying vanities, and broken ſtaves which will not onelyonly cozen a man, but pierce him too. Now when the ſoule ſeeth theſe things cannot ſuccour him but lay him in the duſt, then he will be content to have his heart ſevered from them. It is with the ſoule as it was with Noahs Dove; When the Arke began to reſt upon the mountaine Arraret, Noah ſent out the Dove, but the Dove found no reſt for the ſole of her foot: no queſtion there were many dead darkaſſes, but the Dove found no reſt till ſhee came to the Arke againe: So when a man findes no reſt in any thing the creature affords, and can get no footing for the ſoule to to ſtay it ſelfe upon them, then it betakes it ſelfe to Chriſt, and goes home to the promiſe, and reſts there, and expects from thence what is needfull: as in the Art of ſwimming, hee that will ſwimme, muſt plucke his feet from the bottome, and commit himſelfe to the ſtreame to beare him up, ſo we muſt plucke our hearts from theſe things here below, and them from us; and though wee have honour and preferments, yet wee muſt not put any confidence in them, but learne by our beleeving to commit our ſelves wholly to the power of the promiſe, and receive comfort from thence onelyonly: as Rabſhakeh ſaid ſinfully; Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad, &c. Rely not upon them, for the gods cannot helpe you: ſo ſhould wee reaſon, when wee finde our hearts hankering after honour, riches, pleaſure, &c. why ſay, let not the gods of this world, honour, and profit, and pleaſure deceive thee; did the pride of Pharaohs heart deliver him? did the riches of Dives ſave him? did Herods applauſe that he had deliver him? did theſe gods ſecure them? nay, have they not left them in the lurch? therefore let us take our hearts off from theſe things, and have a baſe eſteeme of them, and ſee a vanitie, and emptineſſe, and inſufficiency in them, that wee may bee forced to ſeeke to Chriſt, and ſay as David ſaid, Helpe Lord, for vaine is the helpe of man, vaine is the helpe of all other things.
Means. 2 Now when this is done, there is a little way made that the promiſe may come to the ſoule: and therefore labour in the ſecond place to have your hearts poſſeſſed throughly, and perſwaded effectually of the fulneſſe of that good which is in the promiſe, and of that ſatiſfactory mercy and freeneſſe of the grace of God in Chriſt, that ſo the ſoule may bee eſtabliſht with that full content which is to bee had in the riches of the promiſe: but marke what I ſay, perſwade your hearts of it, and content not your ſelves; that you are able to ſpeake of it, and talke and diſpute ſomewhat fully of the excellency of the promiſe, and of the riches of Gods free grace: what is this to the purpoſe that the heart knowes this, and yet is ſore-ſtalled that it comes not to the promiſe; therefore leave not thy heart till it come to make that account of the promiſe, as the word ſaith it is worth; I ſay, leave not thy heart till thou ſee the promiſe of grace moſt beautifull in thy eye, and that thy heart may gain ſome earneſt touching of the goodneſſe of God, and the riches of his grace towards thee; and bring thy heart to know and ſee that the promiſe is better than all the riches and honours that thou canſt have, or the world can beſtow. David ſaith Pſalme 9.10. They that know thee will truſt in thee, for thou Lord, haſt never failed them that ſeeke thee: this kinde of knowledge ever breeds confidence and reſolution, and perſwades the heart. Wee dare truſt a friend whoſe faithfullneſſe wee have tried; and reſt upon that which we know by experience; the promiſes are of a tried truth, ſeeke from one end of the Heavens to the other, turne all the Bible over, and ſee if ever any man leaned on the promiſe, and the Lord did not performe that which he had promiſed for the good of his ſoule: Pſal. 119.92. Except the Lord had beene my delight, I ſhould have periſhed in my troubles: Pſalme 73.26. David ſaith, my fleſh faileth me, and my heart alſo; but thou art the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever: againe, I had periſhed in my affliction, but that thy Word vpheld me; the promiſes are worth truſting to, & leaning upon: though David in the midſt of his affliction was ready to ſinke, yet then the promiſe upheld him: Eſay 26.4. Truſt in God, for in Iehovah is everlaſting ſtrength: now there is not ſtrength in theſe things below, or not everlaſting ſtrength, but in Chriſt: in the promiſes is everlaſting ſtrength, here lies a great weight, and it is a worke of marvellous difficulty, and great neceſſity; and therefore that thy heart may ſit downe ſatisfied in the ſufficiency of the promiſe, I will propound three rules how you may improve the promiſe for your uttermoſt benefit.
Rule. 1 Firſt, labour dayly to preſent to thy ſoule a greater good in the promiſe, than thou canſt ſee any where elſe; it is a mans skill, and it ſhould be his endevour daily to watch his heart, and to look what it is that the heart deſires moſt, and preſent a greater good to thy ſoule therein, than in al things thou canſt have elſewhere: doe honours or riches, or the applauſe of men, or any earthly pleaſures offer thee content and ſatisfaction, then perſwade thy heart there is a greater worth and excellency in the promiſe, than can be had in all the world; outbid the world, and tell thy heart and ſay, heart wouldſt thou have honour and glory? why here is an exceeding weight of glory: hee that hath the promiſe ſhall bee made a king, and ſhall have glory that will never vaniſh: doth thy heart hanker after earthly joy and mirth? thou ſhalt finde a greater mirth in the promiſe, than in the crackling of theſe thorns. In the promiſe there i… joy unſpeakable and indurable; my joy I give unto you, and none ſhall take it away: here are rivers of pleaſures (and ſo I may ſay of any thing elſe) doth thy heart hanker after riches? tell thy heart that there be unſearchable riches in Chriſt, and through him we have title to all the promiſes of this life and a better; we know he that offers moſt for the bargaine carries it away; therefore wee ſhould obſerve the goings out of our hearts, and what offers it ſelfe to give us moſt content, and preſent our ſoules with a greater good in God, in Chriſt, in the promiſe, than in all things elſe: looke as it is in marrying, if parts give content, then the wiſeſt prevaile; if they would have riches, then the wealthy obtaine: why now wooe thy ſoule, and looke what will pleaſe it beſt, and make it appeare to thy ſoule, there is a greater good in the promiſe: honours and riches have ſpokes-maſters, and ſeeke commendations: had I but ſuch honour, oh, it were admirable; had I but ſo much wealth, oh, it were excellent; all this while the promiſe is ſhut out, and it cannot come to the ſpeech of the ſoule; labour therefore to have acceſſe to the promiſe with thy ſoule, and ſpeake a good word for it, and ſay, ſtand by world, ſtand by riches, profits, and pleaſures, and preferments, roome for the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and put a wonderfull price upon the promiſe, whatſoever the ſoule doth account as beſt, that it will chuſe, and leave all others for it: doe as Dalilah did, ſhee beſieged the heart of Sampſon, and would not leave him, till he powred out his heart to her; ſo let the promiſe have ingreſſe and regreſſe, let the promiſes beſiege thy heart, that thy heart may give up it ſelfe to it, Hoſea 2.7. I will returne to my firſt husband, for then it was better with mee than now: ſo when the heart comes to ſee and know that there is better riches, eaſe, pleaſures, profits, preferments in Chriſt in the promiſe, than in all the world, then it will returne thither: I would have the ſoule outbid the world, and labour to out-ſhoot the Devill in his owne bow, and thoſe things which the Devill caſts in thy way, for hindering thy ſoule from comming to the promiſe, let thoſe things bee as meanes to uſher in the promiſe, as thus, when thou ſeeſt thy heart looke after friends, let thoſe friends uſher the way to thinke on the infinite love and favour of God in Chriſt; and when thy heart would faine hunt after wealth, let this uſher a way to the promiſe, and ſay, if the heart finde ſuch content in riches, what would it finde in the riches of Gods grace in Chriſt; thus preſent a greater good in the promiſe, than in any thing elſe.
Rule. 2 The ſecond rule is: labour to convince thy heart of this, that all the things in the world without the promiſe are not good; and hadſt thou all that the earth can afford without a promiſe, they were rather a curſe to thee than a bleſſing; Heb. 11.1. Faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for; it gives a kinde of being and ſubſtance to all; there is no ſubſtance in honour and riches, if they bee not in faith, they are clogs and ſnares to a man, except faith give a bleſſing therewith, all our prayers have no ſubſtance in them, but are poore and empty words without faith in the promiſe, to have what we pray for: the moſt broken and meane prayer, if it bee mingled with faith, it is a very powerfull prayer; and the ſubſtance of all your hearing and my preaching, lyes chiefly in faith, otherwiſe they are but loſt labour; for faith is it that gives a kinde of being, to whatſoever we ſpeake or doe.
Rule. 3 The third rule in this ſecond meanes is this, labour to acquaint thy heart with the goodneſſe of the promiſe, before carnall reaſon comes and poſſeſſes thy heart, how that the promiſe is moſt ſure, and will come when it is moſt ſeaſonable, and is beſt for thee, and when God ſees it moſt fit, we ſhall certainly have it; David ſaith, Thy Word is ſure in heaven: and Heb. 4.16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive comfort and merciemercy in time of need; not when I ſee it ſit, but when God ſees it fit; this is it which carries away many poore ſinfull hearts from reſting upon the promiſe of God, ſometimes the heart is a little affected with the excellencie of the riches of Gods grace, and ſeeth what great things the Lord hath done for his ſoule; and ſaith, Oh that I were ſuch a one, and let mee dye the death of the righteous, but when it comes to paſſe, that hee hath not preſent eaſe and comfort, then hee caſts away the good promiſe of the Lord, and the Devill prevailes wonderfully with thoſe poore creatures, therefore ſaith the Prophet, Heb. 3.17. When the fig tree ſhall not bloſſome, neither ſhall the fruit be on the vines, when the labour of the olive ſhall faile, and yeeld no fruit, then will I rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of my ſalvation: let the promiſe ſo ſurpri…e thy heart, that it may be poſſeſſed with the all-ſufficiencie of it: and therefore perſwade thy heart, the good of the promiſe will come, when it is moſt ſeaſonable; let riches ſatisfie when death comes, then call for your cordiall: I tell you, the promiſe will help when all faile.
Meanes. 3 In the third place ſee that thou expecteſt all the good which thou needeſt and canſt deſire from that ſufficiencie of the promiſe: goe to the promiſe for all good, there are all the cords of merciemercy that muſt draw thee, and there is the all-ſufficiencie that can ſupply all thy wants, looke for all from thence, and expect power from the promiſe to inable thee, to doe whatſoever thou wouldeſt: in the promiſe is authority to rule thee, expect power from the promiſe to make thee able to beleeve the promiſe.
Object. It is a weake plea for a man to ſay, I dare not looke to the promiſe, I cannot beleeve; if I could beleeve, then I might expect ſome good.
Anſw. Thou ſhalt never beleeve upon theſe termes, thou muſt not firſt have faith, and then goe to the promiſe, but thou muſt firſt goe to the promiſe, and from thence receive power to make thee able to beleeve the promiſe: Pſal. 119.49. O Lord, remember thy word to thy ſervant, wherein thou haſt cauſed me to truſt: when men are inlarged in love to a man, and make faire promiſes, this perſwades the heart to truſt to them, and to rely upon them for good; therefore a man doth uſe to ſay, I durſt not have thought it, nor expected, if you had not promiſed it: ſo the promiſe of God made to the ſoule, makes the ſoule to reſt upon it: to expect faith without a promiſe is all one, as if a man ſhould expect a crop without ſeed, for the promiſe is the immortall ſeed of Gods word, whereby the Spirit breeds this faith in the hearts of all that are his: Iohn 5.25. The houre is comming, and now is, when the dead ſhall heare the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it ſhall live; it is ſpoken of raiſing of a dead man from the grave of ſinne: Firſt, there is the voice of Chriſt to the ſoule, before there can bee an eccho againe of the ſoule to Chriſt; ſo the power of the promiſe muſt come to the ſoule, and wee muſt heare the voice of God in the promiſe, before we can returne an eccho againe to the Lord: the Lord ſaith, Come to me; and the ſoule ſaith, I come Lord: when thou ſeeſt much deadneſſe and unfitneſſe of heart, doe not thou goe away, and looke off from the promiſe, and ſay, Thus I am, and ſo it is with mee; but rather goe to the promiſe, and ſay, Whatſoever frailties I finde in my ſelfe, yet I will looke to the Lord, and to his promiſe; for if I want faith, the promiſe muſt ſettle mee more and more therein; I muſt not bring faith to the promiſe, but receive faith from thence, and therefore I will wait till the Lord pleaſe to worke it.
Meanes. 4 Laſtly, labour to yeeld to the equall condition of the promiſe, and make no more conditions than God makes; now the promiſe requires no more of a man, but that he ſhould come and lay hold on merciemercy, therefore doe thou require no more, than God in the promiſe requires; there is enough in the promiſe to doe thee good, therefore expect all good from it, and be content to goe to the promiſe, and take of God whatſoever he hath therein offered: Eſay 55.1, 2. B…y without money, this is the condition, that God offers mercy upon; Buy wine and milke, that is, grace and ſalvation, without money, that is, without ſufficiencie of your owne; for wee muſt not looke for ſanctification, till we come to the Lord in vocation: for this is all the Lord requires of thee, to ſee thy ſinnes, and be weary of them, and be content that the Lord Jeſus ſhall reveale what is amiſſe, and take it away, and that the Lord ſhould give thee grace, then the Lord will bring thee to himſelfe, and thou ſhalt receive mercy from him, and then all thy corruptions ſhall fall to the ground. To ſumme up the point briefly thus:
Firſt, when wee have pluckt away all carnall props, there is way made for the promiſe to come to us.
Secondly, when our hearts are poſſeſſed thorowly of the ſufficiencie of Gods promiſe and grace, then the promiſe drawes neere to the ſoule.
Thirdly, when we expect all from the promiſe, even power to come to the promiſe, then the promiſe layes hold upon us.
Fourthly, when we are content to yeeld to the equall conditions of the promiſe, then the promiſe carries us quite away.
Thus we have ſeene the hinderances removed, and the meanes propounded, and now that wee may be moved and perſwaded importunately to ſeeke after this bleſſed grace of God: Ile propound three motives:
Motive. 1 The firſt motive is this: becauſe if you once get this grace, you get all other graces with it; in this you have all the reſt attending, and you have all the reſt overplus: it is a ground of comfort to ſet a man aworke, when in the doing of one, he may doe many things; ſo it is in the worke of faith: men that are wiſe to provide for themſelves, and to lay out their money for their beſt advantage; for a purchaſe, if they ſee it is well wooded, and all the ſtocke goes into the bargaine; eſpecially if there be ſome golden mynes, all their mindes will be upon that purchaſe; becauſe if they have that, they have all in that: ſo it is here, get this grace, and get all; ſtrengthen this, and ſtrengthen all; nouriſh this, and nouriſh all; want this, and want all: once get this, and then you need not ſeeke for wiſdome, for faith will make you wiſe, it will bring holineſſe with it to purge you: Ah the golden mynes of mercy and ſalvation, doe all attend upon the purchaſe of faith: it is in this caſe with faith, as it is in a mans body, a man hath an eſpeciall care of his ſtomack and liver, becauſe the ſtomack diſgeſts his meat, and the liver makes bloud, and bloud is in all; and now if all be maintained, all is for health: ſo, what ever a man lookes to, …et him looke to this; for by faith we lay hold on Chriſt, and from Chriſt wee receive all good, whereby our hearts may bee cheared and refreſhed; faith brings all grace, and workes with all grace; get faith, and get all: 2 Corin. 3.18. Wee all with open face behold, as in a glaſſe, the glorie of the Lord, and are changed into the ſame image from glorie to glorie; I have opened the place before, to have the glorious grace of God, his me…kneſſe and patience, that the ſoule may be transformed, and of an impatient man, be made meeke and patient, and to have the glorious grace of God imprinted upon the ſoule: how will all this come? we all by faith looke upon the riches of Gods grace in Jeſus Chriſt; Chriſt is the glaſſe, and the glorious grace of God; Chriſt is compared to the glory of the Lord; therefore firſt we muſt behold grace, before wee can receive it; firſt ſee humility in Chriſt, and then fetch it; and there ſee courage, to put mettall into the heart that is cowardly.
Secondly, as all grace comes by faith, for it is faith that cloſeth with Chriſt, and from Chriſt receiveth grace for grace; as the ſeale leaves the ſame impreſſion upon the wax, that is upon it ſelfe, ſo ſecondly by faith wee are delivered from all, and made conquerours over all: either enemies that can aſſault us, or miſeries that can trouble us: wee have many enemies, the Devill and the world, but eſpecially a vile, baſe, and corrupt heart, if you know and feele theſe miſeries; here is one ſpeciall privilege of faith, it will rid all theſe, and make you conquerours over all theſe enemies; this only faith can doe: every man labours for maſtery and victory; this is the white that every man ſhoots at, as it is in a pitched field, though it be but for one victory, how every ſ…de drawes on the forces, and uſe all the meanes and skill that can be, to get the day: but if there were an engine or inſtrument that would overcome all enemies, and breake all forts and trenches, if there were any ſuch engines, no man would ſticke at any price, or ſpare any meanes and endevours to get the engine, becauſe if they have this, they have the victory; and although there never was, nor never can bee any ſuch engine for temporall deliverances as this is; yet certaine it is, this ſaving faith is a ſpirituall engine and inſtrument, a… I may ſo ſay, that gives victory and conqueſt over all ſpirituall enemies: 1 Iohn 5.4. They that are borne of God overcome the world, and ſinne, and this is the victorie that overcommeth the world, even your faith; marke the phraſe, and it is not for the conqueſt of ſome one corruption, but for the overthrowing of a world of wickedneſſe, it quencheth all the fiery darts of the Devill, be the corruptions never ſo ſtrong, yet faith gives the conqueſt to a poore ſinner, it is not hope alone, nor love, nor zeale, they are all good ſouldiers, and they may ſtrive much, and lend much helpes to a poore ſinner, but they will grow weake, and feeble, and dead, except ſaving faith come in to reſcue an… bring a ſupply; how often doe we finde, that wh… our hope failes, and our love growes cold, and ou… zeale dead, then at laſt, faith goes to heaven, … fetches new grace, even grace for grace and th… hope is ſtirred, and deſire quickned, and zeale enflamed: Pſal. 27.13. I had fainted, unleſſe I had beloved to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the land of the … ving; it was ſaith that did ſave him at a dead lift: it is with the ſoule, as it is with the body, take a man that is ſwounding, there is one friend that weeps over him, another that comforts him, but he that will cure him, muſt goe to the Apothecaries ſhop, and bring ſome Aqua vitae, and that will fetch him againe: ſo it is with a poore ſinner, being under the preſſure of horrour of heart, (you wicked ones are not acquainted with this, but you may be in time, I have knowne the ſtou…ſt heart to ſtoop) the poore ſinner in his extremity faints, and profits, and pleaſures, and friends weepe over him, ſaying, Oh that we could have quieted and refreſhed you, but the poore man is go…e, till at laſt, faith goes to heaven, and brings a pardon to ſave him, and mercy to comfort him, and hath ſupply there, and faith brings the water of life, even the freeneſſe of this grace, and that cheares, comforts, and revives the heart thus ſinking, ſo that the poore ſinner by this time begins to looke up, and to come to himſelfe againe, as David ſaith, Pſal. 73.1. Yet God is good to Iſrael, hee w… even ſinking, but faith over came the temptation: Oh, ſaith he, the world is naught, and men are marvellous wicked, and malicious to oppoſe, and …y owne heart is malicious and bad, but God is good, and he will be good to me, and cure this vile h…rt of mine: 1 Pet. 1.5. Wee are kept by the power … God through faith unto ſalvation; that which gets the victory is faith, and next under God in Chriſt; we owe our everlaſting ſalvation unto faith, even … that bleſſed grace; you that are acquainted with troubles, and anguiſh of conſcience, and with many corruptions, would it not doe you good at the heart, to ſee all your deadly enemies laid downe at your feet? would it not do you good, to have all your ſtrong luſts and maſterly corruptions of pride and malice, thoſe mighty and Goliah ſinnes, that you have a deadly envie againſt, and that you have ſtood ſo long againſt? would you not ſee them all maſtered and overcome? I doubt not, but you that feele theſe and undergoe the burden of theſe, you would account it the beſt day that ever you did ſee: if the conqueſt be worth the ſtriving, then get faith, and then the day is yours, and you ſhall ſee your luſts bleed, your luſts breake; and though your pride and other luſts now get ground againſt you, yet then they ſhall be led captive, as the text ſaith, then Chriſt ſhall lead captivitie captive; faith brings Chriſt into the field, and ſo the victory is gotten.
Motive. 3 As faith makes us glorious in all graces, and gives the conqueſt over all enemies, ſo in the laſt place it is faith that brings a bleſſing to all our bleſſings, and it graces all our abilities, and it bleſſeth us in all our occaſions that concerne us; the profit of all meanes, and the ſucceſſe of all our labours, it is in faith: nay, there is a good, which faith workes upon ſome, and therefore it is wort… the ſtriving: it is that which bleſſeth all our bleſſings, and all that doth concerne us: meanes m… bend the worke and operation, but all the prof… is in faith: as Heb. 4.2. The Goſpell was preached unto them, as unto us, but it did not profit them, becauſe it was not mixt with faith in thoſe that heard it: hadſt thou the greateſt parts and abilities under heaven, if thou hadſt not faith with them, they would not profit thee; men thinke to goe beyond all with their power, wit, and policie, but I ſay, All will not profit them without faith; if thou canſt receive the Sacraments with faith, it will ſtrengthen thee; if thou canſt heare the Word with faith, the terrours of the law will humble thee, and the commands thereof will direct thee, and awe thee, but otherwiſe all is nothing, though an Angell ſhould come from heaven, and preach to you: as it is with the meanes of the body, if a man eat never ſo much meat, and cannot digeſt it, if the ſtomack bee clogged with it, there is nothing but ſickneſſe and diſeaſes come from it, but if a man take but a little meat, and digeſt it well, it will nouriſh him, and doe him much good: ſo it is here, that which is the ſtomack and liver of the ſoule, is faith, and that turnes the Word, and Sacraments, and ordinances into good bloud; it is a lowly beleeving heart, that gets good by this.
Secondly, all our performances finde acceptance through faith; the Scripture ſaith, Without faith, it is impoſſible to pleaſe God; and I ſay, That without faith it is impoſſible that thou ſhouldſt pleaſe God, though thy judgement is weake, and thy parts humble, and thy ability poore and feeble; but yet if thou canſt but ſigh up to heaven by faith, that ſigh is accepted in heaven with faith, all thy weakneſſes are pardoned, and all ſervices are accepted, whereas without the grace of faith, hadſt thou the greateſt abilities under Heaven; and though thou canſt pleaſe thy great Patron, thine owne proud heart, yet thou wilt never pleaſe the great God: he that heareth holy faith, and walketh by faith, though hee can pleaſe none elſe, yet hee ſhall be ſure to pleaſe his God.
This is that which turneth all our ſinnes and curſes into good to us: (Oh marke that) not that it makes them good in themſelves, but it brings good out of them. The cunning Apothecary, and wiſe Phyſitian can make the moſt deadly poyſon, the moſt ſoveraigne cordiall, becauſe he corrects the one, that is ſo many degrees could, and puts a ſtronger ſpirit of heat into foure of five degrees of it, and ſo fits it to be marvellous cordiall; ſo faith makes a ſweet extract out of pride, and the venome of ſinne and corruption, without this is, the overpowring worke of faith, at Phil. 1.14. For this I know that by the ſupply of the Spirit of Chriſt, this ſhall turne to my good and ſalvation through your prayers.
To winde up the point, let us conſider all theſe motives, and conſider whether wee can move our hearts to labour for this grace; would you not be glorious in all the graces of God, as humility, meekneſſe and patience, and have conqueſt over all your enemies, and the baſeneſſe of your owne hearts, and would you not have a bleſſing upon what you enjoy, and would you not have all worke for your good, if theſe bee worth the having, then get this grace of faith, that having this you may have all. Hee that hath faith, let him goe on in it; and hee that hath not faith, let him know that hee never had any thing. To this purpoſe it will be very ſeaſonable, to call upon our hearts upon all occaſions, when you finde your hearts hunting to ſettle upon theſe things here below, and when you begin to view all the contentments of this life, and to ſay, this is great Babell, and I have gotten friends and meanes, &c. then put the queſtion to thy ſoule and ſay, haſt thou faith too? thou haſt friends to ſtand for thee, and means to inrich thee, but haſt thou faith to ſave thy ſoule? if thou haſt not faith, thou art a begger whatſoever thou haſt, nay often ſtartle your ſecure and careleſſe hearts, and put this plea to your hearts; and parly with them, in this manner and ſay, doe not many and moſt men want faith, and why may not I want it? and doe not many ſecke faith and doe not attaine it, and what if I ſhould miſſe it? the Lord forbid it, for then thou art an undone man for ever thou haſt loſt all thy labour. Iohn 2.8. Looke to your ſelves ſaith the Apoſtle, that you …ſe not the things that you have wrought, thy hearing, and thy praying, and all thy Sacraments, and all means, and whatſoever thou haſt or doſt, thou haſt loſt all, and thou art gone downe the ſtreame, nay miſſe of faith, and all the means under heaven cannot releeve thee; I tell thee if thou miſſeſt of faith, thou miſſeſt of heaven and ſalvation; nay, I may ſpeake it with reverence, mercy it ſelfe cannot ſaye thee; Chriſt will not, nay Chriſt cannot ſave thee without faith, for he hath ſworne he ſhall never enter into his reſt, continuing without faith: therefore call home your hearts, and ſtirre up your ſoules, and looke up to the Lord Jeſus, and reaſon in this manner, and ſay, as Paul to the Philippians ſaith, To you it is given to beleeve, Lord it is given to thy poore ſervants to beleeve, thou gaveſt Manaſſes, Paul, and the Iayler power to beleeve, I am a vile ſtubborne prophane wretch, Lord give mee power alſo to beleeve; whether thou wilt give me honour; wealth, riches, or no, I leave that to thy ſelfe; but Lord deny not thy ſervant an humble broken and beleeving heart, leſt I periſh, and be undone for ever. As Rachel ſaid, Give mee children, or elſe I die, ſo ſay thou, Lord give mee faith, or elſe I periſh: Lord I know all my labour cannot worke faith, and all meanes under Heaven cannot give it, but it is thou, Lord, that muſt doe it, and as the text ſaith, Many beleeved through grace: Lord therefore through that grace of thine, draw this heart to thee, and keepe it with thee, and make thy poore ſervant bleſſed for ever. Thus much for the uſe of exhortation, namely, that we ſhould get faith.
Now I come to the ſecond part of exhortation, and here wee are to endevour if God bee pleaſed to goe out with us, to perſwade the heart of thoſe that be faithfull to live by faith: the Lord brought thy unfaithfull heart to beleeve; now then labour to husband this grace well, and to improve it for thy beſt good, and live by it. It is a marvellous great ſhame to ſee thoſe that are borne to faire meanes, I meane the poore Saints of God, that have a right and title to grace and Chriſt, and yet to live at ſuch an under rate: I would have you to live above the world, though thou haſt not a coat to cover thee, nor a houſe to put thy head in, yet if thou haſt faith, thou art a rich man: therefore husband thy eſtate well, it is a ſhame, I ſay, to ſee them, that they cannot huſband that happy eſtate which they have, they live as if they had it not, ſo full of want, ſo full of care and pride, ſo weake, and unable to maſter their ſinnes, whereas the fault is not in the power of faith, nor the promiſe, nor in the Lord, for the Lord doth not grudge his people of comfort, but would have them live cheerfully, and have ſtrong conſolations, and mighty aſſurance of Gods love. And therefore the text ſaith, Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes, and againe I ſay rejoyce, and make your calling and election ſure: Heb. 6.18. God hath ſworne that by two immutable things, wherein it is impoſſible that God ſhould lie, wee might have ſtrong conſolations; nay, the Lord rejoyceth in the proſperity of his ſervants, and therefore he hath provided mercifully and richly for you, that you may rejoyce; therefore wee doe the Lord and his promiſes a great deale of wrong, and bring an ill report upon that grace and mercy of his, when wee open the mouthes of the wicked, and make them ſay, Oh, theſe preciſe people talke of quiet, and contentment, and joy in the holy Ghoſt, there is great talking of theſe things, but wee could never ſee it yet: Oh brethren it is a great ſhame; are the riches and revenues of faith ſo great, that a chriſtian may live like a man all his dayes? Let all the drunkards and malitious wretches againſt God, laugh and bee merry, yet they cannot ſee one of thoſe dayes that a poore Saint can… though he ſhould lie in priſon all his dayes: Matthew 17.20. If a man had but faith as a graine of mustard-ſeed, and ſhould ſay to this mountaine goe hence, it ſhould be done; whether this is ſpoken of juſtifying faith or no, I will not now diſpute, but this I am ſure of, if you will reſiſt the Devill, he will flee from you, and you may trample under all your luſts and corruptions, this is the life of faith, and this life may wee live, and this life wee ought to live. If a tradeſ-man have a good eſtate put into his hand, and have a faire ſtocke and quicke returnes, if hee goes downe the winde, and begin to decline and decay, every man will ſay, he w… left marvellous well, but either he knew nor how to vſe it, becauſe he wanted skill, or elſe he ar… ded not unto it, and was careleſſe, another man would have lived bravely upon halfe of that means which he had. So there is never a poore Chriſtian, Note this.which trades in a Chriſtian courſe, but hee hath a faire eſtate, and may live like a man. One promiſe is enough to make a man live comfortably all his dayes, though hee were in never ſo much want; but if hee bee caſt behinde hand, and goes downe the winde with comfort and joy, and ſinks becauſe of his pride, and diſtempers, and vexation, the fault is not in the eſtate, for the Lord left him very well, he had a childes portion, hee had an heart to feare God, and love God, as David ſaith, O be mercifull unto me as thou uſeſt to … to thoſe that love and feare thy Name: the fault was not in the promiſes that they could not, nor in his faith that it would not helpe him, but he let the promiſes lie by, they came into the table, but he never caſt them up, neither did hee husband then aright: hee had a world of comforts and conſolations that would have given a man liberty in priſon, and honour in ſhame and diſgrace, and comfort in the time of diſtreſſe, but hee did not husband them. Therefore be adviſed to doe as the trades-man doth, hee will not ſpend of his ſtocke, but live of his trading. So I would have every Chriſtian to make a living of his faith, whatever ſtrength thou needſt, fetch it from grace in Chriſt, and what ever comfort thou wanteſt, fetch it from Chriſt, but live by faith, and make a good living of it too, and then thou doſt improve the promiſe aright: bring but an empty beleeving heart with thee, and the oyle will never faile, and the meale in the barrell will never decay, but continually ſupply thee as it did that poore widow: So goe with an humble heart to the promiſes, and husband it well, and thou maiſt draw life and grace from the promiſes till doomes day. And thus in generall.
Queſt. But how ſhall a man be trained up that he may get this skill of living by faith? Anſw. Every man hath his owne ſhifts and trickes, and lives by his owne devices, and the devill hath enough of them in the world that lives this life, but the beſt life of all is little looked after.
Note.Now for the anſwer know thus much, that there are three particulars neceſſary for the training up of the heart to learne this skill of living by faith.
How to live by faith.Firſt, wee muſt labour to get matter for our faith to worke upon.
Secondly, wee muſt labour to fit faith for the worke.
Thirdly, wee muſt labour to order our faith aright in the worke.
Particul. 1 Firſt, we muſt provide matter for our faith to worke upon; for this wee ſee ordinarily, if a workman want matter to worke upon, (either a Carpenter or the like) hee muſt needs ceaſe his worke, and he can goe no further, and if a mans worke failes, how can hee provide for his family? This is the complaint of poore people now adayes, that they have no worke. So it is in a Chriſtian courſe, many poore Chriſtians that are newly ſet up, and are not afore-hand in the world, they want even matter for their faith: I meane ſome are ignorant and cannot read, and ſome have not meanes and a preaching Miniſter, and others have but ſmall parts and cannot heare, and little doe they retaine of what they doe heare: Now becauſe they want the promiſes of God underſtood and remembred, and rightly applied, therefore they live marvellouſly poore, though they might live marvellouſly comfortable in the world: and now they have a word of comfort, and ſometimes the advice of a friend, and they have faith, but they want matter for their faith to worke upon, and therefore they are ſcarcely able to uphold their ſoules in trouble.
Now the matter of our faith is in the whole Word of God, Where the matter of faith is.as it is with the Bee in gathering hony, as the ſpider gathers poiſon out of every flower, ſo the Bee gathers hony out of the ſame flower, and out of the ſweeteſt flower there ſhee ſuckes moſt hony: and the Word of God; the ſharpeſt courſe, and the fearfulleſt plagues denounced, a gracious heart will gather ſome good by it, and a man hath need of theſe; but above all, the ſweet of the promiſes of the Goſpell, and the ſap and ſweet therein, and the bloud of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt that is communicated thereby; Oh the faithfull ſoule ſucks moſt there.
Now that wee may provide matter for our faith, three rules are to bee obſerved, which are commonly obſerved in all proviſions:
Rule. 1 Firſt, they provide and lay in in ſeaſon, timely, as ſoone as they can: When to provide matter for our faith.this is the practice of him that would husband his eſtate wiſely, his care is to buy at the beſt hand.
So I would have a good Chriſtian to ſtore up all the good promiſes of God, Remember this firſt.in all the good Word of God ſeaſonably; I meane when all thy parts and abilities are ſtrong, and nature is able to fight it out, & while the Faire day of Gods favour laſteth, and while the Word and Sacraments are diſpenſed: this is the beſt time to lay in the promiſes of God, that we may not want them, when wee have uſe of them: it is a marvellous weake, nay, a prepoſterous courſe, when a man is weake, his eyes dim, and his heart and ſtrength faileth, and he is ready to give up the ghoſt, then to lay in grace and proviſion of mercy, and then for him that hath hated a Miniſter, and loathed the meanes of grace, and abuſed the patience and long ſuffering of God; Oh then to have a Miniſter come to him, and have a promiſe in the day of perſecution, then for a man to bethink himſelfe of the comforts and promiſes of the Goſpell, and when a man ſhould ſpend on the promiſes, then to get it; this is but ill husbandry: the better way is this, now to be buying at every turne; and this is the reaſon why our Saviour ſaith, Oh if thou hadſt knowne in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace; while the Word, and thy life, and the Sabbaths, and the ordinances laſt, this is thy day; we know not how ſoone God may take all from us. Oh the eſtate of the poore Palatinates, (if it be true that we heare of them) they have loſt all the meanes of grace, and they have idolatry now amongſt them, and there the enemies force them to goe to maſſe againſt their conſciences, and they cannot ſee a good Miniſter, nor a good Chriſtian, but they weepe to conſider the times that once they had: therefore let us labour to be wiſe in the Lord, now while the Faire is, and conſider how God deales with his children; Pſal. 48.9. Wee have thought of thy name, O Lord, in the midſt of the table, It is ſpoken there of the goodneſſe of God towards Zion: a cup of poiſon, and a ſtone of ſtumbling: when he had ſpoken of all the bulwarks that God had made, and all the goodneſſe and mercy that he had ſhewed to his people, and the malice and wrath of his enemies, he ſaith, This God is our God, even for ever; as if he had ſaid, The Lord did provide for his people in Egypt, and overthrew proud Pharaoh, that ſet himſelfe up againſt God; and this God is our God: when thou art in the wilderneſſe, this God is thy God; when thou art in perſecution, this God is thy God, and the God of all: thus he ſtores up while the ſeaſon laſts.
And as thou muſt obſerve what God doth to others, Note this.ſo labour to treaſure up thine owne experiences: 2 Tim. 4.18. He hath delivered us, and hee doth, and will deliver us, ſaith the Apoſtle: and the Prophet David ſaith, I remember thy judgements of old; O well fare a good old ſtore: I remember, ſaith he, how thou didſt rebuke Abimelech, and overthrow Nimrod, and Nebuchadnezar, and Achitophel; Oh it is admirable to conſider theſe things: I received comfort, ſaith he, God will overthrow every enemy; and this is ſtore for thy faith, to worke upon: Pſal. 89.49. Where are thy former mercies? David is afore hand with God now; he is not come to buy food juſt at the time of famine, but it is laid up before hand.
Rule. 2 We muſt lay it in abundantly, lay in promiſes of all kindes; you had better leave than lack: How to lay in matter for our faith.and it is the wiſdome of a man to have ſomewhat to ſpare, and to have an overplus aforehand, that a man may not live feebly and poorely, and be at his wits end at every turne, and knowes not which way to ſhift for himſelfe, and have no bread in his houſe, I meane no proviſion of promiſes by him: Iſay 42.23. Whoſe is wiſe, let him heare for after times; as if hee had ſaid, You muſt not only lay in promiſes juſt for the preſent, but ſtore them for afterwards: as the chapman ſaith, I ſhall want this at ſuch a time: and ſo the huſbandman ſaith, I ſhall have occaſion for this or that at ſuch a time, and therefore they get aforehand: O that God would give us theſe hearts, it is good (as we may ſo ſay) to keepe promiſes in pickle, that wee may ſpend them at leaſure: 1 Kings 17.6, 7, 8, 9. Iezebel had threatned to kill Eliah, but ſhee miſt of her worke, for ſhee was ſlaine her ſelfe, and he went to heaven, and never died at all: the text ſaith, Hee went and hid himſelfe by the brooke Kerith, and when all victuals failed, the ravens brought him bread and fleſh in the morning, and bread and fleſh in the evening; and when all that failed too, the Lord ſaid unto him, Ariſe, get thee to Sareptha, I have commanded a widow there to ſuſtaine thee: 1 King. 18.4. Obadiah hid a hundred of the Prophets of the Lord, by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water: and in another place the text ſaith, In the dayes of famine thou ſhalt have enough: theſe precious promiſes will be good meat in Lent, when haply thou ſhall ſit under an hollow tree, and creep among the buſhes, then three or foure of theſe promiſes will give a man a good meale of comfort, therefore ſtore them up, for they will doe you no harme; and when you are driven from houſe, and friends, and all, and God takes away the Goſpell from us, (which God of his mercy prevent, Amen.and give us hearts to ſpeake to him, that he may prevent it) onelyonly your wiſdome will be this, to get all promiſes for this and a better life; for the getting of grace, and the preſerving in grace, and not only to pray by a promiſe, but to live by a promiſe, and trade by it, and to enjoy all that you have by a promiſe, if you will have comfort in it, therefore be ſure that you ſort the promiſes aright; every promiſe is not for every purpoſe, but each promiſe ſuits for each occaſion, and therefore ſuit them all: imagine a man wants comfort and ſtrength againſt ſinne, why, then that promiſe will not fit them, wherein the Lord ſaith, Hee will be with them in ſix troubles, and deliver them in ſeven; that for a temporall deliverance, he doth not want that, but power againſt his corruptions. Againe, if a man feare that he ſhall not hold out in perſeverance; now that promiſe doth not ſit, wherein the Lord ſaith, Hee will pardon all his ſinnes, and caſt them all as a milſtone into the bottome of the ſea; this is not for perſeverance in grace, if thou ſeekeſt for ſuccour there, thy hand is in the wrong box; but that promiſe is for this purpoſe, wherein God ſaith, I will knit them to mee with an everlaſting love; and I will write my lawes in their inward parts, that they ſhall never depart from me any more. So there are promiſes for deliverances in trouble, and for comfort in affliction, and in a word, Gods infinite free grace is ſcattered in ſo many promiſes, according to ſo many neceſſities and ſeverall occaſions, that is, all healing and ſaving vertue is in God, ſo he diſpenſeth it to ſo many drops and ſeverall promiſes; therefore we muſt doe with the promiſes, as the Apothecarie doth with his drugs, he puts Bezar ſtone into one, and Studdine, that if the body be weake and low, then your Bezar ſtone is good for him, and ſo for the reſt; ſo that as the Apothecary hath all drugs, ſo he hath ſorted them all: ſo deale you with the promiſe and word, have the command of God to owne thee, and the promiſe of God to comfort thee; and that thou maiſt ſit thine owne ſoule, let it be a ſuitable promiſe: ſuppoſe thou findeſt thy heart proud and ſtubborne, then thou maiſt not looke upon mercy and pardon, but looke upon the juſtice of God; and how hee lookes upon the proud afarre off, hee gives grace to the humble, but reſiſteth the proud; here is ſtuddy for thee, to pull downe thy proud heart; and when thou findeſt thy heart full of venome and malice againſt the Miniſters of God, now that Bezars ſtone doth not fit thee, therefore apply this, Hee that hates his brother in his heart, is a man-ſlayer, and no man-ſlayer ſhall enter into the kingdome of God: and he that hates his brother is a childe of the Devill: theſe are vomits that fit thee.
Rule. 3 Laſtly, we muſt lay them up, that we may have them at hand, To lay up the promiſes.bring your proviſion home, and leave it not in the market; it is a folly for a man to ſay, I have as good proviſion as can bee, but I have it not here: Coloſ. 3.16. Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteouſly, and richly in all wiſdome; Firſt, obſerve the plenty of our proviſion, it muſt not be ſcantie, but richly and wiſely, and it muſt dwell in you, that you may but ſtep aſide, and have it. Now you have the matter for your faith to work upon. Secondly, we are to fit faith for the ſervice that it may ſucceed with more comfort and better ſpeed, for though a man be a beleever, yet there is a great deale of dulneſſe and bluntneſſe comes upon this grace, though he have it; Luke 24.25. ſee how our Saviour chides his Diſciples, ſaying, O fooles, ſlow and dull of heart to beleeve, &c. ſo wee ought to whet our faith, that it may line and ſquare the promiſes (as it is in the Hebrew) that it may pierce through the vale of all the riches of the freeneſſe of Gods grace, and ſo bring comfort to us. It is with the hand of faith, as it is with the hand of the body; ſometimes though the thing be neare one, that he may reach it, and the hand hath life, yet if it bee nummed, and ſtiffe, and frozen, a man muſt warme it and rub it, before hee can lay hold upon, and take the thing, and doe the worke in hand: ſo it is with the hand of faith, for faith is the hand of the ſoule, it takes hold of that mercy and comfort, which God hath prepared for us in Chriſt Jeſus; now that faith is nummed and ſtiffe through careleſneſſe and looſeneſſe: therefore it is not enough for a man to have faith, but he muſt ſupple and oile the finewes of faith, that he may catch more ſpeedily at the promiſe of life, and receive comfort from thence.
Particul. 2 Now for the ſetting of our faith, to be limber and quick, there are three rules to be obſerved:
Rule. 1 Firſt, wee muſt maintaine the evidence of this grace of faith once gotten without queſtion, How to make faith limber.undeniable, without controlement: I ſay, a faith once gotten, (marke it, I ſpeak not now of thoſe that have not faith, it is in vaine to bid a man live by faith who hath no faith, but it is for thoſe, in whoſe hearts God hath beene pleaſed to worke this bleſſed grace of faith) this muſt be the care of every man that hath gotten faith, hee muſt know the nature of faith in generall, and of his faith in particular, whither his faith bee of the right ſtamp, and will ſtand him in ſtead in the day of accompt, and whither it be of that faith, which Peter ſpeaks of, (for there is a great deale of copper faith in the world) as, that Ieſus Christ came into the world to ſave ſinners, and the like: now when thou haſt gained evidence, that thou haſt faith, then fill it up, and keep it by thee, and labour to have the demonſtration of this worke ſo plaine in thy ſoule, that it may be paſt deniall: What a marvellous folly is it, for a man to queſtion, when hee ſhould uſe it? the worke muſt needs be marvellouſly hindred, though he have never ſo much faith, when hee begins to cavill with it, and to queſtion whither it bee good or no; it is a proverbiall ſpeech, hee that doubts of his way, …ſiſſeth of his way, for while he is doubting; hee goes no way in concluſion: ſo hee that doth queſtion, whether he hath faith or no, and therefore gets little good by it: tell a poore ſinner of living by faith, and he ſaith, it is good newes, if I had it: it is poore comfort to bid a man to goe warme him, when hee hath no fire to warme him by; and ſo it is a poore comfort, to bid a man live by faith, when hee never had any faith: the quarrelling and doubting, when a man hath it, it wholy hinders the uſe and benefit of faith, that would come to us: as it is with a man that hath a faire eſtate, and hath land worth ſo many hundreds a yeare, all the while his lands are in queſtion and controverſie, hee lives exceeding poore, and ſcarce makes ſo many ſcores a yeare; whereas if his lands were ſettled to him, hee might ſo many hundreds: ſo it is here, every poore faithfull ſoule is borne to a faire eſtate, and hath rich promiſes, and while he is yet in the law, and makes queſtion of his faith, the truth is, the promiſes lye by, and hee dares not meddle with them, and hee ſuſpects, whether hee may venture upon them or no, and the reaſon is, hee is quarrelling with, and doubting of his faith, when hee ſhould live by it: Matth. 24.29, 30, 31. when the Diſciples ſaw Jeſus walking on the ſea, they thought it was a Spirit, but Jeſus ſaid unto them, Be of good comfort, it is I; now when Peter knew it was our Saviour, …e being ſomewhat too venterous, he ſaid, If it be thou Lord, bid mee come unto thee on the water; and Chriſt ſaid, Come; and Peter going, the waters be… to be ſomething bo…ſterous, his heart began to ſ…ck, &c. and Chriſt ſaid unto him, O thou of …it the faith, why doeſt thou doubt? as if he had ſaid, …t is now no time of doubting, but a time of beleeving, the Lord bad him to come, and hee had ground enough to come, and ſtrength of faith to come, but when he ſaw the waves great & trouble ſome, he began to doubt, whereas he ſhould have improved the promiſe, and not have doubted of it: ſo we doubt, and ſit afraid, & quarell with the promiſe, & improve not the grace that God beſtowes: it is with the ſoule in this caſe, as it is with a gun or peece, that is ruſty and not well ſcoured, or not well ſtockt; he that goes to uſe the gun, in ſtead of hitting the marke, it recoils and hurts him, becauſe that either it was not well ſtockt, or elſe it was ruſtie; ſo it is with a poore faithfull ſoule, though the heart doth beleeve, and his heart is of a right ſtamp, and is able to lay hold on the promiſe, if that faith grow ruſty with our doubting, and is unſtable or unſettled, it recoils againe upon us, and wee ſit downe diſmaied, whereas we might have gone to Chriſt, and received mercy from him: and therefore our Saviour ſaith of the wiſe Virgins, Matth. 25.7. They trimmed their lamps, and when the Bridegroome came, they entred with him into the chamber; ſo it ſhould be with our ſoules: it is not enough for a gracious heart to have true faith and true oile, but if there growes any ſnuffe of doubting that dims the light of our links, throw it away, and quarrell not, and then we ſhall be fitted to ſee the way, and to enter into eternall happineſſe by the power thereof: and I beſeech you to obſerve this, the very queſtioning and quarelling againſt the worke of faith, it many times as much diſ-inables a man, to put forth the power of his faith, as if he had no faith at all: as ſome that are melancholy, they thinke they cannot ſpeake nor goe; this hath made men not to ſpeake for many yeares together, though they can and doe ſpeake to this day: therefore for the concluſion of this firſt rule, goe then to God, and to his Word, and to thine owne heart, and to the Miniſters of his Word, and adviſe wiſely and judiciouſly of thine eſtate, and labour to ſee ſound evidences of the worke of grace in thy ſoule, and ſee them every day, and read them every morning, noone, and evening, and get them by thee, and learne them by faith, that when thou commeſt to improve thy faith, thou maiſt not queſtion whether thou haſt it or not; and if thou wilt not be perſwaded, yet looke to the promiſe; but if thy doubting comes ſtill upon thee, and controverſie ſtill oppreſſeth thee, and is ſet on foot againſt thee, then reaſon thus with thine owne ſoule, If I have not faith nor grace, I am ſure I ſhall never get it by looking upon mine owne corruptions and diſtempers: where muſt I have it, if I want it? the promiſe only muſt doe it, therefore looke you to that: It is with a doubting man, as with a man that is melancholy, if he would but ſet upon the worke, he ſhould ſee his owne folly; and by going, he would be able to goe; and by ſpeaking, he would be able to ſpeak: ſo this vaine diſmaiedneſſe of heart, and theſe diſcouragements of a doubting ſoule, doth more hinder the worke of faith, than any diſtemper elſe; therefore when thy feares and diſcouragements come in upon thee, goe thou to the promiſe, and in going thou wilt be able to goe. Now faith is whetted, the ſhield of faith ſcoured, and it is fitted, that a man may improve it in ſome meaſure to his good.
Rule. 2 Secondly, when thou haſt thus maintained the clearneſſe of the worke of grace before gained, How to carry our hearts for the keeping of faith.then labour to bring thy heart to a marvellous ſtilneſſe and calmneſſe from time to time, that you may give way to faith, and that faith may have its full ſcope to frame thy heart; it is a point of great experience that wee have had, as the chaſing away of doubting, ſcoures the worke of faith; ſo a ſtaidneſſe and ſtilneſſe of ſoule, frames the heart to hold the ſhield ſteedily: a man muſt not only ſcoure and furbuſe the ſhield, but hold it ſo as he may defend himſelfe: ſo then firſt the maintenance of the evidence of faith, and the calmneſſe and ſtaidneſſe of heart, makes a man hold the ſhield ſtedily, and beare the blow comfortably, when it comes: thoſe boiſterous affections, thoſe crowds and troops of troubleſome imaginations, as feare, and jealouſie, and ſuperſtition, theſe doe unranke the frame of the ſoule, that the ſoule is not at the command of faith: as it is in an armie, when it is unranked, though the commander bee never ſo wiſe and skilfull, yet no man can march on: ſo though wee had never ſuch ſo victorious a faith, yet if the ſoule were hurried up and downe with thoſe boiſterous diſtempers, the ſoule could not command faith: Luke 24.41. when it was told the Diſciples that Chriſt was riſen from the dead, and had manifeſted himſelfe to them, the text ſaith, They beleeved not, and wondred; they would not beleeve for the while, and it was through the violence of their joy, which made them, that they had no leaſure to beleeve: as it is true of immoderate affection, ſo it is true of ſtrange feare, and care, and diſtemper, becauſe theſe hurrie the ſoule ſo violently, and tranſport the ſoule of a man, that hee cannot beleeve: as it is in a crowd or tumult, the travellour is fitted to goe on his journed, but the crowd is ſo ſtrong, that they croſſe him, and oppoſe him in the way, and overturne him, and over power him, and ſo make him goe another way; the fault was not, becauſe hee would not, or was not able to goe, but becauſe they did oppoſe him, and hinder him: juſt ſo it is with a ſoule thus troubled with tumultuous thoughts, eſpecially melancholly, and thoſe enemies of vaine imaginations of feares, and ſorrow, and diſtempered thoughts and cares, that though the heart is willing and able to beleeve, yet thoſe ſtirrings of boiſterous affections, they croſſe faith in the way, and beare downe faith, that it cannot goe on in the way of the promiſe towards God, nor receive helpe from him: Pſal. 43.5. there David chides his owne heart, and rockes it aſleep, and would bring it quiet, ſaying, Why art thou ſo diſquieted, Oh my ſoule? and why art thou diſquieted within me? this ſignifies, to lay a man flat upon his back; againe, why art thou ſo tumultuouſly troubled? this is taken from a wave in the ſea, that is carried up and downe: there are three things in this text fitting for our purpoſe:
Firſt, that a tumultuous diſtemper of heart, makes a man lye flat upon his back, and ſinke into a ſwound.
Secondly, it hinders the worke of faith; marke what followes, Still truſt in God; as if he had ſaid, leave thoſe diſtempers of heart, and reſt upon the freeneſſe of Gods grace.
Thirdly, David chides his owne heart, and brings it into a calmneſſe and ſtilneſſe, he rocks his heart, and quiets it; as if he ſaid, ſtill looke up to God, and wait upon him for merciemercy, for he is yet my God. The vertue of this rule we finde in experience, eſpecially in melancholy perſons, when they have ſwarmes of thoughts buzzing in their mindes, ſometimes reſtleſſe feares that doe chaſe their hearts, as the hound doth the Deere in the forreſt, and after this comes another affection, and after that another, and ſo at laſt they come altogether: ſometimes the horrour of a mans conſcience makes hue and cry after him, and makes him ſay, Oh how my heart ſmites me! me thought, I ſaw hell gaping for me, and the Devils even ſtanding at my elbow, ready to hurry mee downe to everlaſting deſtruction, this makes his ſoule to have ſuch an amazement, and gaſternes of ſpirit, that he cannot reach the promiſe of God, becauſe of thoſe diſtempers: therefore labour for that which the Lord himſelfe adviſeth by his Prophet, Feare you not but ſtand ſtill, and behold the ſalvation of the Lord; that is, lay aſide thoſe reſtleſſe imaginations, and thoſe crowds of fooliſh conceits, and thoſe needles feares; ſtand ſtill and be quiet, that is, with the eye of faith behold the ſalvation of God, and looke upon his promiſes.
Rule. 3 That your faith may bee fitted for the worke take notice of this, How faith may be fitted for the worke.in the want of any means doe not firſt ſeeke for them, and in the preſence of any means God affords; looke not firſt to them for ſuccour and ſupply, but firſt goe to the promiſe, that the promiſe may ſupply what you need, and that the promiſe may bleſſe what means you have. It is an uncomfortable and diſorderly courſe for a man barely and firſtly to looke at thoſe things which are within the compaſſe of ſenſe, and ſo range up and downe for comfort in the uſe of the means, and the promiſe, and Chriſt, are the laſt things thought of in our hearts; we onelyonly looke to bring in this, or that for our comfort and releefe; as for inſtance that every man may take his portion in the time of poverty, how doth the ſoule behave it ſelfe, and unfit it ſelfe for the promiſe? When a man ſees that his eſtate is low, and he is like to come to miſery, he ſaith, I have ſome good friends that will not ſee mee want, and I have ſo much means yet left, and I have my health and ſtrength, and I hope I ſhall get a poore living, and there is not one word of the promiſe all this while; but haply death takes away all friends, and ſickneſſe takes away thy health and ſtrength, and the fire or theeves takes away all thy goods: whither wilt thou goe now? then at a dead lift he is faine to goe to that mercy which endureth for ever; hee might have gone thither firſt: Therefore now reaſon thus, I am like to be poore, and my friends may die, and the theeves may rob me of all my goods, but the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever. Againe, the Miniſter that is faithfull deſires to preach fruitfully, and to benefit the congregation, and then wee catch at the helps that are neere at hand, and goe to our books and ſtudies, our wit and pains, and thinke that theſe will doe the deed; we doe well in thus doing, but the fault is in the order of them: haply God knocks off mans wheeles, and a man is not able to come to the bottome of the point, and if he be able to compaſſe the truth in ſome meaſure, yet God blaſts all that hee doth, and there is no good comes to the ſoules of his people; at laſt he is faine to goe to the promiſe, and then the poore Miniſter ſaith, Lord, thou haſt ſaid thou wilt bee with thy faithfull Miniſters to the end of the world, little ſtrength is in us, but be thou with us Lord; now the worke goes on againe, the tradesman is honeſt, and painfull, and he hopes to compaſſe a good eſtate by his calling, his ſtocke is good and great, and his skill is ſufficient, and his penny worth ſhall be as reaſonable as any others, and his acquaintance are many; then God blaſteth all theſe, and at laſt, hee comes home to the promiſe, and ſaith, as it is in Pſal. 1.3. Whatſoever the righteous doth, it ſhall proſper: hold here and ſay, I expect all from the promiſe, goe firſt to the promiſe and expect mercy and ſuccour from the promiſe. This was the courſe that Iacob tooke, Gen. 32.9. Firſt hee wreſtled with God, and overcame him, and then he wreſtled with his brother Eſau, and ſaith, O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Iſacke; Lord which ſaidſt unto me, returne unto thy Countrie, and I will doe thee good, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, Lord deliver me from the hand of my brother Eſau, for I feare him: Thus he wreſtled with the Lord, and by vertue of a promiſe overcame him, and then overcame Eſau, Heb. 13.45. Marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers, and adulterers, God will judge; let your converſation be without covetouſneſſe, & be content with thoſe things you have.
But how will you have helpe againſt this covetouſneſſe? a man would have ſaid thus: you have gotten a good portion, and but little charge, and many friends; but this courſe God takes, for he hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee: He doth not ſay thou haſt much means, and many friends, but I ſay, I will not leave thee, nor forſake thee. Now faith is fitted for the worke, when I have chaſed away doubting, then faith is ready, and the ſhield is ſcoured.
Secondly, when my heart is calme and quiet then faith may goe on, there is a free paſſage.
Particular. 3 Thirdly, when the ſoule lookes out firſt to the promiſe, and then to the means, this is the right way that faith ſhould goe: now you may ſet on your journey, faith is cleered, and that is the right and beſt way to everlaſting happineſſe.
Now I come to ſhew how wee muſt come to order faith in the worke, How to order faith in the worke.and here two things are to be attended unto.
Firſt, how the ſoule ſhould get to the promiſes?
Secondly, how the ſoule ſhould take, receive, and improve this ſufficiency and excellency of God, that is in the promiſe?
For the firſt, how to get the ſoule to the promiſe, you ſee all is ready, and the way open, and faith is fitted. Now there are three rules to bee obſerved, to ſhew how the ſoule may get to the promiſe; or there are acts of the ſoule wherein this truth may bee diſcovered, that the ſoule which doth beleeve, may have the ready way to goe to the promiſe.
Rule. 1 Renounce all power and ability in thy ſelfe, for to beleeve and goe unto God, it is a point of marvellous uſe, though a man would not imagine it; thou maiſt not expect faith in thy ſelfe, or of thy ſelfe, or from thy ſelfe, any ability to goe to the promiſe, though thou haſt faith as it is: Gal. 2.20. Nevertheleſſe I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me. It is not I that lives by any power of my ſelfe, but Chriſt liveth in me. It was Chriſt quickning, and reviving, and inabling him, though he had faith, Ier. 10.23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himſelfe, neither is it in a man to direct his owne ſteps: ſo doe thou ſay if ever thou wouldſt have thy heart fitted to goe to the promiſe, it is not here Lord, it is not in this vaine minde, it is not in the power of this dead heart, or any paſſage that ever I received, whereby I am able to beleeve in thee; I meane the principall of life is not here, the root of faith is in the promiſe, and from thence it comes into the ſoule. As it is with a mariner when the ſhip is upon the ground in the ebbe and low water, hee doth not expect to tugge his ſhip to the ſhore by any power of himſelfe; it is not in my wiſedome that can direct mee, and it is not in my weapon that can defend mee; it is not this humility that can bring my ſoule downe, it is not here, it is not I Lord, that can reſt, or goe to a promiſe; even all our abillities are at an ebbe, all that we have or can doe is to empty our ſelves, and fit our ſelves, and to get up the maine maſt, that is, let the ſoule bee ready for the promiſe by vertue of that to be carried heaven ward, and Chriſt ward; take notice of this in your owne ſoules, that the heart would begin at home; if a temptation come, the heart of it ſelfe would overcome it; and if a duty to be done, the heart of it ſelfe would performe it; and if oppoſition come, the heart of it ſelfe would reſiſt it: O remember that it is I a man offers an injury againſt, reaſon, ſenſe, and religion, and all. Now thy faith begins to wraſtle with him, and his dealings and conſcience checks and thou wilt teare thine owne heart out of thine owne boſome; brethren, this will not doe it. When a ſhip of a hundred tuns is upon ground, the mariners may pull and tug their hearts out before they can get it goe: O goe then and ſay, it is not I that can be patient, and put up a wrong, be quiet and expect it not from hence; let the heart lie ſtill till the winde and tide, and promiſe come and that will carry thee.
Rule. 2 Bring the promiſe home to thy heart, that the promiſe may bring thy heart to it: I meane thus; I told you before, that the heart renounceth all abilities of it ſelfe, as the firſt principle, and ſaith, it is in an impatient heart, it is not here, Lord; downe, be quiet and ſtill, goe thou to the promiſe, and bring that firſt to thy ſoule, and when the promiſe comes, it will bring thy heart home to it: I will tell you how, you muſt goe to the promiſe, and ſay thus, It is not in mine owne power to quicken my ſelfe, yet Lord, this I know, that there is ſufficiencie in the promiſe to ſupply all my wants, and there is authoritie in the promiſe to rule and order mee in all my courſes: therefore take the promiſe, and reaſon thus, I conclude that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by the power of his Spirit, is in the promiſe undeniably, and undoubtedly, and unſpeakably, accompanying in his manner as hee ſhall ſee fit. This I ſay, that the almighty Spirit of Chriſt doth really and continually accompany the promiſe, for the good of his, hence it is called the ſpirit of promiſe, for there is an Almighty creating worke goes along with the promiſe, and I reaſon thus: that word that diſcernes the thoughts of the hearts of men, that word muſt needs have the Almighty worke of Gods Spirit accompanying of it, ſo far as God hath promiſed it, not haply when thou ſeeſt fit, but when God ſees fit. Hee doth it as a voluntary workman, therefore thou conſidereſt that there is an Almighty power, and a fulneſſe in the promiſe: then lay that promiſe upon thine heart and know it, and conclude it, and looke for vertue from thence, to draw thy ſoule to it again. I have ſeverall paſſages to expreſſe my ſelfe by it, you may underſtand it: Iacob would not beleeve that Ioſeph was alive, or if he were alive, he had but little means, & was poore, Gen. 45.26, 27, 28, 29. but when he ſaw the Chariots that Ioſeph had ſent him, then he beleeved, and ſaid I have enough, Ioſeph my ſon liveth; the Chariots ſent from Ioſeph to Iacob, brought Iacob to Ioſeph: ſo every beleeving ſoule, is poore and feeble, and diſ-nabled to goe to God, and to beleeve in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; therefore looke thou unto the Chariots of Iſrael firſt, and that will convey thee to the promiſe. As it is with the miller, firſt he pares the mill fitly, and orders all the occaſions thereof; and when the ſtones are fit and laid to goe, yet it will not goe, till the ſluce be pulled up, and the water runs that drives the mill: ſo the ſoule is humbled, and lies levell with the Lord and his truth, and is content to yeeld to his conditions, but the ſoule of it ſelfe in it ſelfe cannot goe, It hath not the principle of going; but let downe the ſluce of the promiſe, and let that come to thy heart, and it will bring thy ſoule home to the Lord. The promiſe muſt come to thee, and make thee come to it: It is not here Lord, but in the promiſe, bring that promiſe, and ſet open the ſluce, and let the wind, blow, and it will convey thee comfortably; as Luke 19.9. This day ſalvation is come to thy houſe, not to the wals of thy houſe, but to the men that are in the houſe: they did not come to ſalvation, but ſalvation came to them: the Lord ſent ſalvation to ſalute the houſe of Zacheus, and that brought him to ſalvation: this is the foiling of many poore beleevers; O, ſay they, if I could beleeve, then the promiſe did belong unto me, but I dare not venture upon it: but I ſay unto thee, whomſoever thou art, thou ſhalt never live by faith upon theſe termes, thou muſt firſt let the promiſe come to thee, and then it will carry thee unto it.
Rule. 3 When the promiſe is thus come home, and thou ſeeſt the ſufficiency and authority of it: then all thou haſt to doe is this, in the ſtreame of that promiſe be carried, and in the vertue thereof be conveyed home to the Father; Luke 15.4. The Prodigall is ſaid to be like a loſt ſheepe; marke this, for it concerneth you poore creatures. The poore ſheepe is wildered up and downe, now in the mouth of the Lion, and then in the briars, and ſometimes in the pit. The text ſaith, He leaveth the ninety nine to ſeeke that; that is in compariſon of what care he expreſſeth to the loſt ſheepe; hee leaveth a man regenerate, not careleſly, but hee will not expreſſe ſo great love, as to a poore loſt man: and though thou canſt not find the way to Heaven, yet hee will finde thee; lie thou upon the ſhoulders of Chriſt, as in the 5. verſe of this Chapter, when thou findeſt thy heart feeble and weake, and thy ſelfe unable to beleeve, then the Lord Jeſus Chriſt brings the ſpirit of grace, and that comes to ſeeke, and Jeſus Chriſt will lay that ſoule of thine upon his ſhoulders, that is, upon the riches of the freeneſſe of his grace: therefore let thy heart bee tranſported by the power of that grace, and by the vertue of that merciemercy, that God hath made knowne unto thee for thy everlaſting good; when the chariots are come, get thee up into them, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is gone up to heaven, and hee hath ſent his chariots for thee; therefore get thee up, and ſay, Lord take mee up with thee, let the Lord convey thee by the power of his grace: when the mariner hath ſea roome enough, hee cares for no more, if hee can but obſerve the channell, hee lookes not ſo much at his oare, or any thing, ſo he can obſerve the channell, this channell is the full tide of the promiſe: therefore lay thy ſelfe upon the promiſe, and ſay, Lord in the vertue of that grace, and in the power of that Spirit carry mee, and in the riches of that merciemercy of thine; Lord, convey the heart of this poore ſinner, and make mee happy with thy ſelfe for ever.
Paſſage. 2 It is preſumed, that thy faith now is come to the promiſe: now the skill is, how hee may take and improve the good of the promiſe, and receive all the incomes thereof.
There are two things eſpecially obſervable.
Firſt, labour to husband the promiſes, and to mannage them wiſely when wee have them for our beſt advantage.
Secondly, labour to live by the ſweetneſſe of the promiſes ſo mannaged: as it is with a man that hath a faire eſtate, and is left marvellous well, if he would have the benefit of his eſtate, firſt hee muſt mannage it, ſecondly, hee muſt maintaine him and his out of the gaine of it ſo mannaged.
Particular. 1 Firſt, the Lord hath left you well, and you have wherewithall to live like men, and like Chriſtian men too, yea, an happie life, that you may go ſinging to your graves, and goe rejoycing up to heaven, and you have faith too, only you want ſome skill to uſe it, for it is not conceived that you are well ſtockt and ſtored, but it is required that you ſhould husband the promiſes well, and injoy them as your owne, and live by the comfort of the promiſes, the promiſes are ours, and we have them in hand, if wee can but bring our hearts to approve them aright.
Now that wee muſt mannage the promiſes aright, two things are mainly obſervable; though there are many others ready at hand, yet I will inſiſt upon thoſe that are moſt uſefull for the benefit of the worke.
Rule. 1 Take poſſeſſion of the promiſes, and value that good in the promiſe as thine, nay, further make it preſent and ſubſtantiall to thy ſoule, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 11.1. not only that good which the promiſe will yeeld for the preſent, but eternall and everlaſting good, which every promiſe will make thy ſoule aſſured of, if thou haſt a heart to improve it aright, and care to beſtow thy ſelfe thereupon. The only way for a man to thrive in his eſtate, is this, hee muſt dwell upon his owne meanes, and have it all in his owne occupying: for as we uſe to ſay, If a man leaſe it out, why may not he get ſomething by keeping of it, as another by hiring of it? If he would doe thus (ſay we) he muſt needs get more than hee doth now: ſo it ought to be in our ſpirituall eſtate, and ſo faith will enable us that wee may doe, not only to take the preſent benefit that the promiſe will afford in this life, but the promiſe is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not ſeene: all that glory and happineſſe in heaven, not yet ſeene, and not yet in fruition, faith will make all that happineſſe within view, and puts us into poſſeſſion of them, and makes them have a being to our ſoules: faith it is that brings Chriſt, and makes Chriſt preſent, and in Chriſt all preſented, all glorie is in Chriſt, who is the Authour of it; and faith makes all that glory preſent, all happineſſe in Chriſt, who is the worker of it; and faith makes all that happineſſe to be preſent; ſo that by faith laying hold on thy Saviour, not only to take comfort, but to make all that happineſſe and good, that is eternally to be preſent; as Luke 12.32. Feare not little flock; but might they not ſay, How ſhall we chuſe but feare, ſeeing there is nothing but ſinnes within that deſerve puniſhment, and enemies without that breath forth threatnings? O but a Saviour ſaith, Feare not little flock; why? it is your Fathers pleaſure to give you a kingdome; you are not in the kingdome as yet, yet you are in the way to it; and though you are now in the wilderneſſe leading to Canaan, yet you ſhall come to Canaan, and ſo you ſhall have a kingdome; remember that, and ſo you ſhall be comforted and refreſhed, live upon this: when you looke only to the preſent benefit of the promiſe (it is true) this is more than wee can conceive, yet wee let the better part of our ſtock and eſtate lye by us, for there are two parts of the promiſe, the preſent good and peace, and the eternall and everlaſting good and comfort of it; now when we looke only to the preſent good of it, this is ill husbandry, for wee let the better part of the ſtocke lye dead by us, and doe not trade with it, as it is in the world for temporall meanes, ſo it is for our ſpirituall eſtates: for ſpirituall ſuccour and ſupply, though a man have little for the preſent, yet if hee have ſome old reverſions to come, this beares up his heart in the time of poverty and miſery; and he ſaith, if he can but make a ſcrambling ſhift for ſo long time, then hee hopes to live as well as any man in the Country. So that there is not ſome of the promiſe that we have in poſſeſſion, but there is the reverſion of old rents, as old rents of farmes, that were let long agoe, when the leaſes come out, they are worth treble the rent they were let at the firſt: So there are the old rents of comfort and merciemercy, as, Come yee bleſſed of my Father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you: then no more teares, no more trouble, no more ſorrow, no more ſinne, get thoſe into your hands, and have them in uſe, and ſay, The day will come, when wee ſhall have happineſſe, bliſſe and joy, beyond all that the tongue of man can expreſſe, or the heart of man conceive, though we are buffeted with many temptations, and wearied with a world of corruptions, yet we ſhall bee ſaved, ſaith faith. Thus a man may make a pretty good ſhift to live upon theſe termes, though we have nothing elſe to live upon in the world: therefore remember what now I ſpeake, Labour to faſten this truth upon thy heart, that there is not onelyonly preſent good in thy ſelfe, but in another, and reſerved by another for thy comfort; and be thou content that it ſhould be ſo, not only to looke what thou haſt, but conſider, that the greateſt part of thy glory, is in the glory of a Chriſt, and the greateſt part of thy wiſdome, is in the wiſdome of a Chriſt; and thy liberty, in the liberty of a Chriſt; and thy riches, in the riches of a Chriſt; and know, that whatſoever is in Chriſt, thou haſt it all as thine: Iohn 3.12. Behold what love the Father hath ſhewed to us, that we are now the Sonnes of God; I tell you brethren, this is a marvellous privilege, and if you had no more but this, you had a childes portion: but it appeares not what we ſhall have, we have but a glimſe now, what will the harveſt be? and now we have only ſome ſips of it, what ſhall then the full cup be, when we ſhall ſee Chriſt as he is? thus Moſes did improve his eſtate, Heb. 11.26. he bare all afflictions comfortably, yea, he eſteemed the rebukes of Chriſt greater riches than the treaſures of Egypt; why? becauſe he had an eye to the recompence of the reward; we account of a mans eſtate, for what he hath for preſent poſſeſſion; but what is like to befall him, and what hee is borne unto, what Moſes did, doe thou, that thou maiſt account the miſery and diſgrace of a Chriſt, greater riches than all the pleaſures of the world: have all thy eſtate in thy owne hand, if thou wilt be a good husband: as it is with a husbandman, though he have no money in his houſe, and little proviſion, yet if his ground be well ſtockt, and he hath a good crop, this ſupports the heart of a poore husbandman, there is that upon the ground that will pay all his debt, and hee ſhall have wherewithall to live like a man too: ſo it ought to be with theſe proviſions, promiſes of life, and ſalvation: though thou findeſt many wants and corruptions, and many diſgraces caſt upon thee, and thou art caſt behind hand for comfort; yet remember this, that though there is little ſtrength, and little grace here, yet there is enough in the promiſe and in heaven, which the promiſe will bring to thee, and that will pay for all; though thou art now in diſhonour, yet there is honour enough in heaven to take away all thy diſhonour; though now in perſecution and miſery, yet there is comfort enough, and liberty in Chriſt: let thy ſoule therefore bee carefull to make all theſe preſent with thee for thy good: this is our folly, wee live meerely by ſenſe, and lay out the leaſt part of the promiſes, whereas if we could live comfortably, we ſhould improve all.
Rule. 2 Expect nothing from the promiſe, but that which is ſutable and agreeable to the nature of the promiſe; lay out all, and lay it out to thy beſt advantage, and have thy whole ſtocke a going, and ſo expect nothing from the promiſe, but that which is ſutable to it: ſay not with thy ſelfe then, had I that power, and that honour, and thoſe abilities to doe duties, and thoſe meanes outward for my comfort, which others have in ſuperfluitie; and if God would but give ſuch a place, what honour might I bring to God, and what comfort might I have to my ſoule too; this is more than the promiſe will give thee, and this is to wrong the promiſe, and to ſay, as it were in effect, were God ſo wiſe as I, then things would goe with farre better ſucceſſe: nay, but know that the Lord will not give thy heart content in the promiſe, but what hee ſeeth fit, and what may be beſt for thy good and his glorie, and to looke for that in the promiſe, which is not there to bee had, is all one to throw the promiſe downe the ſtreame, thou doeſt abuſe the promiſe, and pervert it; for that which is in the promiſe, is this; That which God ſeeth moſt fit and neceſſarie for thee, that God will give, and that thou maiſt expect, and nothing elſe: it is in this condition ſpirituall, as it is in a mans eſtate temporall; hee that will husband a peece of land well and wiſely, that is falne to him by free gift, or by an inheritance, his courſe is this, he will obſerve what beſt befits every ſoile, and what each peece of ground will beare, one peece of ground for meadow, another for grazing, another for plowing; if a man ſhould goe and plow up his meadowes, and mow his fallowes, we would thinke this man very ignorant in mannaging his buſineſſe: ſo it is with the precious promiſes of God, thou muſt not thinke to have what thou wouldeſt in the promiſe, but thinke what will beſt grow there, and what is the intent and aime of God, in making of the promiſe and what comfort it will yeeld; ſo improve it, and expect good thereby; the want of this wiſedome is that which brings a great deale of miſery, and caſteth men behind hand, and makes them live poore, and ſcantly in a good courſe: O, ſaith one, had I a title and an intereſt in the promiſe, it could not bee ſo with me as it is; it were not poſſible, that an ignorant heart ſhould ſtill poſſeſſe me, and that theſe diſtempers ſhould ſtill crowd in, and hinder mee; you thinke you are good husbands all this while; but the truth is, you loſe the promiſes, and make a ſpoile of them; and it is no wonder that you live poorely and beggarly, and undoe your ſelves; for I know not any one promiſe, from the beginning of Geneſis, to the end of the Revelation, that ever ſheweth any ſuch thing as this, That the man which hath grace, ſhould never finde the plague of a naughtie heart, and never be peſtered with corruptions within, and ſorrowes without; there is not one place which promiſeth thus much, you improve not the promiſe the right way: I confeſſe that this is true, that all they that are in Chriſt, there is no condemnation to them, and they live not after the fleſh, and they are not at the command of their corruptions, and ſinne ſhall not be King and Ruler over them; this the word doth promiſe, but that he may not be ſometimes overcome of, and captived by his corruptions, I know no ſuch promiſe; the Apoſtle Paul found it otherwiſe, Rom. 7.23. I finde a law in my members, warring againſt the law of my minde; It is a deſperate part of ill husbandry, for a man to lay out his money ſo, that hee ſhall not onelyonly not ſee his owne, but loſe all that he layes out; it is the only way to undoe him utterly: ſo you doe not onelyonly loſe the good of the promiſe, and not ſee your owne, but you ſpill the promiſe, becauſe you have a conceit to reap that by the promiſe, which God never intends, neither will he ever beſtow.
Queſt. Some may ſay, how may a man expect that from the promiſe which God intends, and will undeniably beſtow?
Anſw. For anſwer hereunto, I will ſhew what thou maiſt expect, and what God will undoubtedly beſtow; if thou doeſt beleeve, heaven and ſalvation is certainly thine, and perſeverance unto the end, and that manner and meaſure of aſſiſtance, that may make thee fit for perſeverance: theſe three things grow here, and the promiſe will heare; but for temporall bleſſings, which we deſire, and the meaſure of ſpirituall bleſſings, which we muſt have, ſo much grace, and ſo much aſſurance and aſſiſtance, and ſo much abilities to doe duties, God doth not engage himſelfe to beſtow theſe: but that which God engageth himſelfe to beſtow, both for temporall and ſpirituall bleſſings, it may be diſcovered in three particulars; ſo much grace and aſſurance of Gods love; and ſo much comfort in grace, as he ſeeth fit after his owne order, and in his owne time; I will open them all, becauſe many doe here bungle wonderfully.
Rule. 1 Firſt, he will beſtow theſe in his owne order, not in thy order; firſt, he will make thee fit, and make thee good, that thou maiſt bee able to digeſt them, and then he will beſtow them on thee; haply a poore man is driven to a deſperate hazzard, and is brought miſerably under, and therefore the heart cries earneſtly for ſome more ſupply, and he cals, and God anſwers not, and he labours to looke up to the promiſe, where God ſaith, nothing ſhall be wanting to his, and yet it commeth not, God will give theſe in his owne order; firſt, he will make thee fit for this eſtate, and then give it; I never knew a good man deſperately poore, but his heart was deſperately proud; therefore the Lord will make him good, and make his proud heart yeeld, and then beſtow theſe things; looke for that firſt, and not for the other: againe, another Chriſtian labours much for the aſſurance of Gods love, and cannot attaine it; and ſeekes to God in the uſe of the promiſes, and yet he cannot finde it ſetled; God will give thee comfort and conſolation, but in his owne order; and know this, that commonly the Lord never debars the ſoule of comfort, but he ſees that the heart is not fit for it; thy heart would bee proud and careleſſe, and God ſhould heare no more of thee, and thy ſaile would overturne the boat: therefore when God hath abaſed thy heart, and made thee content to want what he ſhall deny, then hee will give thee aſſurance, but it muſt be in his order; and this is the reaſon, why the moſt ſmoak out their dayes in diſcontent, the reaſon is, there is a proud heart, and a ſturdy diſpoſition of ſpirit, that will not come unto Gods termes: as it is with a Phyſitian, he will not give a cordiall to his patient when hee will, for if he were in a burning fever, it were the next way to ſend him going; firſt he purgeth and makes him fit, and then gives him a cordiall: ſo it is in theſe things which thou craveſt, the Lord will then give thee thē, when thou ſhalt not ſurfet of comfort, and aſſurance, and proſperity; & when thy heart is emptied and purged, and able to digeſt theſe things, then the Lord will give them.
Rule. 2 Secondly, the Lord will give temporall bleſſings, and that meaſure of ſpirituall in his owne due time: not when thou and I would, but when he ſees moſt fit: As Iohn 2.3, 4. The mother of Ieſus comes to our Saviour, they have no wine, ſaith ſhee; ſhe thought ſhee had Chriſt at command, but hee anſwers her, Woman what have I to doe with thee? my houre is not yet come: So it is with our ſoules, wee want comfort and ſtrength againſt corruptions, and aſſurance and aſſiſtance: What have I to doe with that proud heart of thine, ſaith our Saviour? My time is not yet come; you would have it now as they ſaid, Wilt thou now restore the Kingdome to Iſrael? God will doe it in his owne time, and wee muſt wait his leiſure. This is one thing that doth neceſſarily accompany the covenant of grace (as I have ſhewed before) that the Lord ſhould diſpence of his Kingdome when he pleaſeth, and not when we will, when the Lord ſeeth theſe bleſſings of ſpirituall mercies and temporall favours are ripe, and moſt ſeaſonable to thy neceſſities, then thou ſhalt have them, but the time is in Gods hand.
Rule. 3 The Lord doth not promiſe in ſuch a manner and meaſure, and ſuch a peculiar thing, to give that temporall bleſſing, and that ſpirituall aſſiſtance that we deſire; but the Lord will doe that which he knoweth is moſt fit. And the text ſaith, Feed me with food convenient for me, there was faith; he refers himſelfe to God. When a man comes to the taylers to have a garment made, hee doth not cut out the garment himſelfe, but refers it to the judgement of the workman; ſo we muſt doe, refer our ſelves to God, and know God promiſeth nothing, but as he ſeeth it fit for thy good: It may bee thou ſhalt not have this bleſſing, or that grace: As it is with a Potter, hee is minded to make ſo many veſſels of honour, but it is reſerved in the minde of the Potter, how big he will make every veſſell of honour: ſo if the Lord make thee a veſſell of honour, goe away contented, whether thou haſt ſo much proſperity, and ſo much good and grace or no, it skils not, it is enough that thou art elected to eternall happineſſe: Now you ſee how to mannage and improve the promiſe aright for your beſt advantage, and to expect from the promiſe that which it will yeeld.
The ſecond particular in this third rule of living by faith is this; how to take, and how to enjoy the ſap and ſweet of the promiſe, and to live by it: when the Husbandman hath ſowen his ground, and his fruit is ripe, and he hath reaped it, then he muſt gather in his come, that hee may live upon it: So let us gather in the promiſes, when we ſee the beſt advantage, now let us take the gaine, and live by it, and that comfortably too in the proofe of Gods goodneſſe therein. For this end, let me ſuggeſt theſe five rules or directions.
Direction 1 Firſt, thou ſeeſt what God is in the promiſe, and thou expecteſt no more, than God is there then; eye that particular good in the promiſe, which thou ſtandeſt in moſt need of, eye that good in Chriſt, and in the promiſe, and then ſet Gods power and faithfulneſſe aworke to bring that good, and his wiſedome to contrive it. As for inſtance, I am in perſecution, and either I would have deliverance and ſafety that I might not be impriſoned, or elſe comfort and refreſhment, if the Lord carry me thither; therefore I would ſee all this in the promiſe, ſtill reſerving the conditions before mentioned: If thou art in priſon, eye liberty, and preſervation in Chriſt, he that is the great deliverer of his people, and carrieth his people in his hands, and then ſet Gods power and faithfulneſſe aworke that can doe it, and his wiſedome that can contrive it for thy good, that which thou ſeeſt and needeſt in the promiſe, that the power & wiſedome of God may comunicate to thy ſoule: this is the meaning of that place, Pſalme 37.5. Commit thy wayes unto the Lord, truſt in him, and he ſhall bring it to paſſe; root thy ſelfe, and lay all thy weight of all thy occaſions upon the Lord. Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Pet. 5.7. Hurle your care upon the Lord, for hee careth for you. It is Gods proper office and worke, He careth for thy ſoule, therefore lay it all upon him, and put over all thy care into his hands, and ſet his power and faithfulneſſe a worke; only this is here a little to be ſcanned. I ſpeake not this, that we ſhould take no care at all; but I ſay, hang all thy weight and burthen of thy care upon the Lord. The Brewer he tumbles the barrell of beere and roules it, but the earth that bears it; ſo whatſoever trouble is in thy eare, roule it upon the Lord: That is thus, the weight of a mans occaſions, lies eſpecially in three things, which a man muſt hurle off himſelfe, and lay upon the Lord: either a man ſhall not bee able to know what hee ſhall doe, or what hee is commanded, or elſe ſecondly, he ſhall not be able to doe what God commands, and he knowes; or elſe thirdly, he ſhall not finde ſucceſſe in what he doth. It is not a trouble to doe what we can, or to imploy our ſelves as we are able, but this is the trouble, when the heart ſaith, I ſhall not know what Gods minde is, or I ſhall not doe what I know, or it will not ſucceed, or no it is not in my power. Now we leave all theſe with God, and meddle not with them, but put them over to the Lord, and meddle with thy owne duty and worke, and let God alone with his; and ſay thou unto the Lord, In truth Lord it is not in my power, it is not in my parts or worke either to compaſſe that wiſedome that is able to direct my ſelfe, or to have any power to doe all that is commanded, much leſſe to give good ſucceſſe; Lord, I will not meddle with that, but leave it to thy Majeſtie; if thou in thy power canſt not, nor in thy faithfulneſſe and goodneſſe careſt not for thy poore helpleſſe creature, then I am content, and if thou wilt not be faithfull, then I am content to bee miſerable, and ſo thou maiſt ſuppoſe a man that hath promiſed to undertake ſome buſineſſe for a friend, and then in the end it proves ſomewhat troubleſome, and therefore he wiſheth his friend to take it againe into his owne hands, for it is very troubleſome: but a man will leave it unto him and ſay, he hath ingaged himſelfe to doe it, and hee will not looke after it, I will not meddle with it any more: ſo what end it is that is in Gods royall prerogative, leave it with God, and doe not meddle with it; let God looke to it, leave it to Gods faithfulneſſe and power to accompliſh it. So did Abraham, Rom. 14.18, 19, 20, & 21. verſes, Abraham above hope, beleeved under hope, that he ſhould be the Father of many Nations; Sarahs wombe was barren, and his body dead, and yet he muſt have a ſonne; and therefore he ſets Gods power on worke, and ſaith in the 21. verſe; Lord this body is dead, and Sarah is barren, there is no helpe here, but thou art able, and thou haſt ingaged thy ſelfe to doe it: he ſets Gods power to worke, and puts over all the right and burthen of the care upon the Lord. Hester 4.14. Therefore Mordecay ſaith, If thou hold thy peace at this time, comfort and deliverance ſhall come from ſome other place; hee was reſolved that God had deliverance for his Church, and would not deny his owne truth, ſalvation will come, ſaith the text, he knowes not the place, or by what means, but he knowes that ſalvation will come. So ſet thou Gods power and faithfulneſſe to worke, and not thy owne care, commit it to the Lord, and hurle thy care upon him ſo far as concernes the burthen of it.
Direction 2 Secondly, by faith goe to the promiſe againe for helpe and power to wait upon God in that way, and to looke towards God in the uſe of thoſe means that hee hath appointed for the attaining of that good which his power will work for thee: God will worke it, and ſo thou muſt meet God in the courſe of his providence, in the improvement of the means he hath appointed for thy good.
Obſerve thou his providence, and doe thou what God requires, for otherwiſe we live not by faith, but tempt God, and throw away the promiſe and all, and deprive our ſelves of that good which God would beſtow, unleſſe wee walke in that way which he hath appointed, Luke 24.49. When our Saviour was to goe to Heaven, he ſaid, Behold I ſend the promiſe of my Father amongst you, but tarry you in the cittie of Ieruſalem, untill you bee indued with power from above: Chriſt would endue them with the Spirit, but they muſt tarry at Jeruſalem and wait for it. So I ſay, wouldſt thou have grace and the ſpirit from above, and the wealth of the world? then walke in that way which God hath appointed, ſtay at Jeruſalem, and bee in the way, and meet God in his providence, and then receive from his power and faithfulneſſe what thou needeſt. Thou wouldſt have God bleſſe thee in thy eſtate, and yet thou wouldſt bee idle and careleſſe: but this will not doe the deed; God would give thee a bleſſing, but thou art not there to take it; this is the excellency of the promiſes of God, as they require conditions before they beſtow mercies, ſo they make us able to be partakers of the conditions, and give the conditions as for example, Ezech. 36. The Lord in the former part of the Chapter promiſeth to give many things to them, but how? It muſt bee by prayer, and humbling themſelves before him, hee will give a bleſſing in thy family by prayer in it, and a bleſſing in private, by praying in private, and ſtrength againſt ſinne, and power againſt corruption; but I will bee ſought unto for all theſe, ſaith the Lord, and the text ſaith, Bleſſed is the man that walketh in his integritie, and his children after him; therefore walke thou in the integrity, that is the condition of a Chriſtian in generall, or as a husband, or as a wife, or as a ſervant in the particular, this the promiſe requires: but marke this now, the ſame promiſe that requires the condition, will help us to performe the conditions, and the ſame Lord that ſaith, I will bee intreated and ſought to, for all theſe, the ſame Lord ſaith, Pſal. 10.17. Hee prepareth their hearts to pray; goe thou therefore to God, to help thee to pray, that he may beſtow his bleſſing upon thee, which he hath promiſed: Ezech. 26.27. He will firſt give them a new heart, and then teach them to walke in his wayes; ſo if thou wilt walk in Gods wayes, thou ſhalt have his bleſſings: therefore go thou by the power of faith to the promiſe of God for ſtrength and grace, and that thou muſt uſe the means appointed, and then expect a bleſſing from it in the courſe of his providence: now is Gods power and faithfulneſſe ſet a worke.
Direct. 3 Thirdly, we muſt ſet it downe and conclude it, that God will doe, and wee ſhall receive in the wayes of his providence, whatſoever he hath promiſed to give: thats the worke of faith, and that is to draw ſap and vertue from the promiſe, Iohn 3.33. There by leaning, is called ſealing to the promiſe: this is the nature of ſealing, when a man hath drawen the articles of agreement, and when they have ſealed, all is done: ſo faith muſt make the promiſe authenticall, and put a ſeale to it, that is true, and ſaith, it is done in heaven, and I am fully reſolved, and ſetledly perſwaded thereof, that I ſhall have whatſoever I have beleeved, and thou haſt promiſed, and I have uſed meanes, for in the way of thy providence, famous is that of Abraham, Gen. 22.5. the Lord had bidden him ſacrifice his ſonne, and yet hee ſaid, that hee ſhould live: and therefore when hee came to the place, he ſaid to his ſervants, Abide you herewith the aſſes, for I and the childe will goe yonder and ſacrifice, and will come againe to you; he thought to ſacrifice him, and yet by faith he beleeved, that he ſhould bring Iſaac againe. So I would have a poore Saint of God to conclude, when thou findeſt thy comforts like Iſaacks, in the aſhes, and thy eſtate hopeleſſe and helpleſſe; yet even then ſet Gods power on worke, and wait upon him in the uſe of the meanes, that hee hath appointed, and then conclude it, and bring patience, power, and deliverance, and ſo in every kinde, according to all thy neceſſities: yet remember this, expect no more from the promiſe, than God will give in the promiſe, but ſay, my ſinnes ſhall bee maſtered one day, and theſe temptations ſhall be one day overthrowne, that have ſo long annoyed the ſoule of thy poore ſervant, I have begged ſuccour againſt theſe corruptions within, and theſe temptations without, and yet it is not; but I know it is done in heaven, it wants nothing but the taking out, thou wilt beſtow upon thy ſervant what thou ſeeſt fit: 1 Sam. 1.18. Hannah wept ſore, and prayed to the Lord, and went away, and was no more ſorrowfull, and ſhe ſaid, Lord, I beleeve that I ſhall either have a childe, or that which is as good, or better; now the buſineſſe was done, but imagine the Lord delayes, and doth not ſuddenly accompliſh what hee intends, and thou haſt uſed meanes to receive, he gives not, and grants not, and ſends not ſuccour according to thy deſire, and the tenure of the covenant, as thou conceiveſt.
Direct. 4 Then faith muſt take up his ſtand, and ſtay till it come, as thou reſolveſt that it will be ſo, ſtay till it be, and ſtay it out, here is much worke to doe, we prevent Gods kindneſſe, when wee goe away before hee bee willing to beſtow his kindneſſe on us: but faith will not doe ſo, hee that beleeveth, doth not make haſte; he makes haſte to obey, but hee ſtayes and reſolves that it will be: the viſion is for an appointed time, therefore wait for it: thou art peſtered with thy ſinnes, and haſt laboured by faith to ſubdue them, and thy eſtate is low, and thou haſt laboured by faith for deliverance, and yet it comes not, and freedome from temptations comes not; therefore ſtay till God ſees fit, and it will come: Pſal. 123.2. As the eyes of a ſervant looke to the hands of his maſter, and the eyes of a maiden to her miſtreſſe, ſo our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, untill he have merciemercy upon us; not till I will, and till I ſee fit, and according to my minde, but untill the Lord have merciemercy: wee ſuddenly ſlide away from the covenant which the Lord makes with us, becauſe wee have it not when wee will, therefore we goe away: 1 Sam. 13.13. when Samuel carried long, and the people began to murmur, Saul went and offered a burnt-offering unto the Lord, and therefore Samuel ſaid unto him, Thou haſt done fooliſhly, and haſt not kept the commandement of thy God, which he commanded thee, for now would the Lord have eſtabliſhed thy kingdome upon Iſrael for ever; If Saul had ſtayed the Lords time, hee would have eſtabliſhed the kingdome upon Iſrael for ever; but he prevented the Lords kindneſſe, and offered ſacrifice unſeaſonably and ſinfully: ſo it is many times with a proud, pettiſh, raſh, and diſtempered heart, if we have not what we would, and juſt when we would, then wee are all amort, and murmur, and ſay, Why ſhould wee wait any longer? thou haſt done fooliſhly, haſt thou prayed and looked to the promiſe thus long, and wilt thou now give over? the Lord would have comforted thee, hadſt thou gone on; but the Lord hath withdrawn himſelfe from thee, becauſe thou haſt withdrawn thy heart from the promiſe: when the carriage is heavie, and the way is dead, there are many ſore puls, and the wagon is at a ſtand, and if a man ſhould then goe away, then all his worke were loſt; therefore ſtay thou till the Lord ſhew mercy; thus long thou haſt called, and ſought, and looked to the promiſe, and waited upon the Lord, and attended upon the freeneſſe of his grace, once more would have done it, thy heart was almoſt humbled, and thy ſinne was almoſt conquered; O thou ſilly foole, why didſt not thou hold it out? it wil come at laſt, my life for thine: now take heed of this, if the time ſeeme tedious, and thy heart begins to ſink, and thy ſpirit is weary, take heed of flying off, take heed of ſhifting for thy owne comfort, and looking to baſe ende and aimes: no, hold thy minde to, and keep thy eye of faith upon the promiſe, and ſtay it out, till God ſee the time fit, and know it is the beſt time for thee to receive it: Acts 27 31. Paul ſaith, Except theſe abide in the ſhip, you cannot be ſafe; every man was ſhipping over bord to ſave himſelfe, but Paul ſtayed them; a man would have thought otherwiſe, but the Apoſtle knew it was not ſo, for the Lord had revealed it unto him: ſo I ſay, be thy temptations never ſo ſtrong, and thy ſinnes never ſo many, and thou beginneſt to complaine, and ſaiſt, I have cryed, Lord, and ſought earneſtly, and yet my condition is worſe, and my ſoule more ſinfull, and I am leſſe able to helpe my ſelfe, there is no more ſuccour to bee expected: now take heed of going out of the ſhip, and from the uſe of the meanes, keepe in the ſhip, for in the ſhip you ſhall be ſafe; keepe in the promiſe, and ſtill your hearts there, you ſhall have a happie arrivall at heaven; though it bee upon a broken board, its no matter, ſtay Gods time.
Direct. 5 Yet haply the Lord ſeemes ſometimes not only to delay his poore ſervants, and to withhold his favour; but he ſeemes to frowne, and ſay, he will not heare; and hee ſeemes to be angrie with the prayers of his ſervants, and with their importunitie, and he ſeemes, as if he would not ſuccour and ſupply: thus he dealt with Iacob, Gen. 32.26. there the Lord ſaith, Let me goe; I care not what becomes of thee, I leave thee to thy ſelfe; but Iacob layes hold upon him, and would not let him goe: ſo the laſt worke of faith is this; In an holy humilitie to labour to contend with God, and by ſtrong hand to overcome the Lord, for the Lord loves to be overcome thus: bee not fancie with the Lord, but in the ſenſe of thy owne baſeneſſe, as it were: catch the Lord Jeſus, and ſtrive with him, leave not till thou haſt thoſe comforts which he hath promiſed, and thou haſt begged: this is the glory and victorie of the …iumph of faith, that gives the day to, and layes downe the weapons, and yeelds himſelfe as conquered: as it was Iacob, when God ſaw he could not prevaile, he ſaid in the 28. verſe, Thy name ſhall be no more called Iacob, but Iſrael, becauſe thou haſt prevailed with God; God is ready to give what he hath promiſed, but he will have us trie maſterie with him; God overcomes himſelfe, and we by faith in God overcome God; as Iam. 2.13. MercieMercy triumphs over juſtice: Lord, ſaith my ſoule, why ſhould I not have that merciemercy, ſupply, and ſuccour? ſaith juſtice; thou art a ſinfull wretch, and thou haſt wronged me; ſaith anger, thou haſt deſerved to be plagued, and thou ſhalt rather bee corrected by me. Now faith layes hold upon the riches of the freeneſſe of Gods merciemercy in Chriſt, and in him juſtice is ſatisfied, and anger appeaſed for all, and now merciemercy is purchaſed, and merciemercy triumpheth over juſtice, and faith layes hold upon, and overcomes God himſelfe (as I may ſay) with an holy, humble baſeneſſe of heart. You know what the Lord did to the woman of Canaan, when ſhee had ſtriven with him a great while, and would take no deniall, at laſt he ſaith, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, take what thou wilt, if thou wilt have life for thy child, & peace for thine own conſcience, and joy in the holy Ghoſt, take it, for it is all thine: he (as it were) turnes her looſe to all her treaſury; if ſhe had gone away at the firſt or ſecond deniall, ſhe had found no help; but becauſe ſhee held out, ſhee had all her hearts deſire: God would have us wraſtle with his Majeſtie, that hee may be overcome in merciemercy and goodnes. I might here have taken ſome of the moſt deſperate caſes that could be, that you might have ſeen what faith would have done in the midſt of the want of all meanes, and in the greateſt extremity that could have befalne a poore ſinner, but I will not ſtand about it now at this time: now therefore conſider what hath been ſaid, lay theſe things up, and have them ever by you, and practiſe them, and by often writing learn to write, and by often living learn to live: many people live poorly, and make a poore ſhift to go to heaven; but I would not have a Chriſtian to live ſo, but be the maſter of his art; know and ſee your way, and uſe the meanes, and labour to get good thereby, that you may have ſap and ſweet of the promiſes, and goe ſinging, and rejoycing, & triumphing up to heaven. Now that which I conclude withall, is this; you ſee how far the Lord hath brought us, how the ſoule hath beene prepared, and cut off from ſin and himſelfe, if fitted for the Lord Jeſus by contrition and humiliation, and that the ſoule comes to ſee, that there is no hope in the creatures, nor any ſuccour in heaven, but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo at laſt the ſinner comes, and lies at the foot-ſtoole of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and knowes that either he muſt be another man, or a damned man: now when he ſees that prayer, and all other meanes will not profit, and the power of the meanes yet prevaile not, and the power of his corruptions is not yet maſtered, then he looks up to Chriſt, and is contented, that he ſhould doe what he will with him: now when the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſees him lie wearied then with his corruptions, then the Lord gives ſpeciall notio… to his ſoule, that it is his purpoſe to do him good, and there is merciemercy for that broken heart of him, with that hope is ſtirred, and ſaith, is it poſſible? is it credible? ſhall all this wretchedneſſe of mine he pardoned? deſire is kindled, and longs for that d…, O that I might once ſee the funerall of all my ſa… and then love & joy are cheared to entertaine this merciemercy, and ſaith, O how is the ſoule bound to the God that offers free & undeſerved grace to a … borne rebellious hearted ſinner; at laſt the wil… ſaith Amen to the promiſe, and ſaith, O that m… cie I will have, thus the ſoule is come home to … by vocation; now the prodigall is come home to his father, and the fathers heart leaps within h… breſt, when he ſees him lie at the doore: and as the father rejoyceth, ſo the Angels in heaven rei… and all the faithfull ſhould rejoyce, and ſay, O my husband, O my father, or my child is come ho… againe; and my wife that was a ſinfull woman, … come home againe to her firſt and beſt husband, you that have found it thus in your ſelves, be comforted; you that know it in others, rejoyce; the … have heard, how the ſoul is ingrafted into the ſ… Chriſt. Now afterward if the Lord lend life and liberty, we ſhall come to ſhew what the ſoule … ceives from the ſtock: conſider what I have ſai… and the Lord give you underſtanding.
FINIS.