Three Treatises, Treatise 3 · Part

Three Treatises · Treatise 3 · Part

p. 473THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

PHILIP. 3. 10.

That I may know Him, and the Power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.

THe purpose of the Apostle in this place is to arme the church of the Philippians against those false Iudaizing Teachers that Confounded Christ and Moses, Circumcision and the Gospell together. This he doth by Arguments Personall from men, and by arguments reall from the matter it selfe. Arguments Personall are first from the disposition, quality, End of those false teachers, whom he describes ver. 3. They are evill trees, and therefore no great heed to be given to the fruits they beare, to the doctrines they obtrude. They are Dogs, uncleane beasts, that barke onelyonly for their bellies, and doe not onelyonly barke, but watch their times to bite too. They are Euill workers; though they come like fellow workers with Christ, pretending much strictnes in the edification of the Church, yet indeed their businesse is only to pull downe and to pervert. They are the Concision, where the Apostle by an I…onicall paranomasia shewes the end of their doctrines, They p. 474preach indeed Circumcision, but their businesse is schisme and Concision; In the Law it was Circumcision, Gods ordinance, but now being by Christ abolished it is nothing at all but a bare Concision or cutting of the flesh, and will in the Event prove a rent and schisme in the Church. The Second personall Argument is taken from the Apostles owne condition, who neither by nature nor Education was an enemie to legall Ceremonies, who in all points had as great reason to vindicate the Law, and to boast in fleshly priuiledges as any of those False Teachers. ver. 4. He was by nature an Israelite of the whole bloud as well as they; by Education, of the strictest sect of all, a pharise; by custome and practice a persecutor of the Church, under that very name because the law he had been bred under was engdanger'd by that new way; and in his course of life altogether unblameable in regard of legall Obedience and observations: and lastly in his opinions touching them, he counted them gainfull things, and rested upon them for his salvation, till the Lord opened his eyes, to see the light of the Glorious Gospell of God in the face of Iesus Christ. The arguments from the matter are first from the Substance of which Circumcision was the shadow. Wee are the Circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and reioyce in Christ Iesus, &c. Vers. 3. They boast in the flesh, they have a Concision, but we are the Circumcision, because we have the fruite and Truth of Circumcision, the spirituall worship of God, which is opposite to externall Ceremonies. Ioh. 4. 23. Secondly from the plenitude and all sufficiencie of Christ, which stands not in neede of any legall accession to peece it out, and this the Apostle shewes by his owne practise and experience. What things were … to me those I counted losse for Christ, because they were things that kept him from Christ before, and he repeats the same words Confidently againe, that he might not to be thought to have spoken them unaduisedly p. 475or in a heate, yea doubtles and I count all things but losse for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the losse of all things, As a merchant in a tempest is contented to Suffer the losse of all his goods to redeeme his life, or rather as a man will be content to part with all his owne beggerly furniture for a Iewell of greate value, Math. 13. 44. OnelyOnly here wee are to note that the Apostle did not suffer the losse of them quoad Substantiam, in regard of the Substance of the duties, but quoad qualitatem et officium Iustificandi, in regard of that dependance, and Expectation of happines which he had from them before. Neither did he onelyonly Suffer the losse of them (as a man may doe of things which are excellent in themselves and use, as a merchant throwes his wares out of the ship, when yet he dearly loves the, and delights in thē) but he shews what estimation he had of them, I count them dung, that I may win Christ, I Count them then filthy carrion: so the word signifies; foreign, quasi foreign, garbage and filth that is thrown out to dogs, things which dogs (such as he describes these false teachers to be) may delight in; but the spirit of God in a sincere hart cannot relish nor sauor in comparison of Christ. And may be found in him, when I shall appeare before the face of God, or may finde in him All that I loose for him, that is a most plentifull recompence for any legall commodities which I part from for his sake, not Having mine owne righteousnesse, &c. Here the Apostle distinguisheth of a twofold Righteousnesse; Legall, which is a mans owne, because a man must come by it by working himselfe, Rom. 10. 5. And Evangelicall, which is not a mans owne, but the righteousnes of God Rom. 3. 21. 22. Freely given to us by grace through Christ. That I may know Him, &c. That I may have the Experience of his Grace and mercy in Iustifying me frely by faith through the vertue of his suffrings and resurrection.

p. 476Here then we have these two things set down, first, the Pretiousnesse, secondly the nature of Saving Faith. The Pretiousnesse is in the whole scope of the place, for the words are a comparative speech, where faith is preferd before all legall or morall performances. The nature is open'd by the Act of it Knowledge, and the Obiect, the vertue of Christs Resurrection, and the fellowship of his Sufferings.

Touching the former of these two, the scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew, that faith is the most pretious and excellent gift of God to a Christian man. So it is Expresly called by Saint Peter, a pretious faith. 2. Pet. 1. 1. For understanding of which point mee must note that faith may be Consider'd in a double respect. Either as it is a Qualitie inherent in the Soule, or as an Instrument whereby the Soule apprehendeth some other thing. Now in the same thing there is much difference betwene it selfe as a Qualitie, and as an Instrument. Heate as a Qualitie, can only produce the like quality againe, but as an Instrument of the Sunne it can produce life and sense, things of more excellency then the Quality it selfe. Faith as a Quality is noe better then other graces of the spirit, but as an Instrument so it hath a Quickning quality which noe other Grace hath. The iust shall live by Faith. Heb. 10. 38.

This pretiousnesse of Faith is seene chiefely in two respects. First, in regard of the Obiects, and secondly, in regard of the Offices of it. First Faith hath the most pretitious and excellent object of any other, Christ and his Truth, and promises. Herein, saith the Apostle, God commended His Love, in that when we were sinners Christ died, Rom. 5. 8. This was the soveraigne and most excellent love token and testification of divine favor that ever was sent from Heaven to men. God so loved the world, so superlatively, so beyond all measure or apprehension, that He gave His Sonne, Ioh. 3 16. There is such a compasse p. 477of all dimensions in Gods love manifested through Christ, such a heigth and length, and breadth, and depth, as makes it exceede all knowledge, Eph. 3. 18, 19. It is exceeding & unsearchable riches. In one word that whichEph. 2. 7. Eph. 3. 8.Eph 2:7Eph 3:8 faith lookes upon in Christ is the price, the purchase, and the promises which we have by Him. The price which made satisfaction unto God; the purchase which procured Salvation for us; and the promises which comfort and secure us in the certaintie of both; and all these are pretious things, The blood of Christ, pretious blood: 1. Pet. 1. 18. The promises of Christ, pretious promises: 2. Pet. 1. 4. And the purchase of Christ, a very exceeding and aboundant weight of Glorie. 2. Cor. 4. 17. But it may be objected, Have not other Graces the same object as well as Faith? Doe we not love Christ, and feare Him, and hope in Him, and desire Him, as well as Beleeve inforeign. Clem. Alex. strom. lib. 2. Him? True indeede, but heerein is the excellencie of Faith, that it is the first grace which lookes towards Christ.

Now the Scripture useth to commend things by their order & precedencie. As the women are commended for comming first to the Sepulcher; the messenger which brings the first tidings of good things is ever most welcome; the servant who is neerest his masters person is esteemed the best man in that order: so Faith being the first grace that brings tidings of Salvation, the neerest Grace to Christs Person, is therefore the most excellent in regard of the obiect.

Secondly, Faith is the most pretious Grace in regard of the offices of it. Though in its inherent and habituall qualification it be no more noble then other graces, yer in the offices which it executeth, it is farre more excellent then any. Two pieces of parchment and waxe are in themselves of little or no difference in value, but in their offices which they beare as instruments or patents one may as farre exceede the other as a mans life exceedes p. 478his lands; for one may bee a pardon of life, the other a lease of a Cottage. One man in a Citie may in his personall estate be much inferiour to another, yet as an Officer in the Citie hee may have a great precedence and distance above him. Compare a piece of gold with a seale of silver or brasse, and it may have farre more worth in it selfe; yet the seale hath an Office or Relative power to ratifie covenants of far more worth then the piece of gold: so is it betweene Faith and other Graces; Consider Faith in its inherent properties, so it is not more noble then the rest: but consider it as an instrument, by God appointed for the most noble offices, so is it the most superlative and excellent grace. These offices which are to it peculiar, I take it, are principally these three. The first to unite to Christ, and give possession of Him. The Apostle prayes for the Ephesians, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by Faith. Eph▪ 3. 17. Wealth in the Mine doth no good at all till it be sever'd and appropriated to persons and uses: Water in the Fountaine is of no service unto me, till it be conveyed thence to mine owne Cisterne; the light of the Sunne brings no comfort to him who hath no eyes to injoy it: So though Christ be a Mine full of excellent and unsearchable riches, a Fountaine full of comforts and refreshments, a Sunne of righteousnesse, a Captaine and Prince of Life and Salvation, yet till Hee is made ours, till there bee some bond and communion betweene Him and us, we remaine as poore and miserable as if this Fountaine had never beene opened, no… this Mine discovered.

Now this Vnion to and Communion with Christ is on our part the worke of Faith, which is as it were the spirituall joynt and ligament by which Christ and a Christian are coupled. In one place wee are said to live by Christ, Because I live, saith he, you shall live also. Ioh. 14. 19. In another, by Faith, The Iust shall live by Faith. Heb. 10. 38. How by both? By Christ, as the Fountaine; By p. 479Faith, as the pipe conveying water to us from the fountaine; By Christ, as the Foundation; By Faith, as the Cement knitting us to the foundation; By Christ, as the Treasure; By Faith, as the clue which directs; as the Keye which opens, and let us in to that Treasure. This the Apostle explaines in the former place, where he shewes by what meanes Faith makes us liue, namely by giving us an enterance and approach to Christ; for he opposeth Faith to drawing backe, vers. 19. 30. Noting that the proper worke of Faith, is to carry us unto Christ, as our Saviour Himselfe expoundeth beleeving in Him, by comming unto Him, Ioh. 6. 64. 65. Therefore the Apostle puts both together, not I, but Christ liveth in mee, and the life which I live, I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God. Gal. 2. 20. Faith is compared to eating and drinking, Ioh. 6. and we know there is no sense requires such an intimate and secret union to its object as that of tasting, no sense that is the instrument of so neere a union as that. So then as the motion of the mouth in eating is not in the nature of a motion any whit more excellent then the motion of the eye or foote, or of it selfe in speaking; yet in the instrumentall office of life and nourishment it is farre more necessarie: So though Faith in the substance of it as it is an inherent qualitie hath no singular excellencie above other graces; yet as it is an instrument of conveying Christ our spirituall Bread unto our soules, and so of assimilating and incorporating us into Him, which no other Grace can doe, no more then the motion of the eye or foote can nourish the body; so it is the most pretious and usefull of all others. It may be objected, doe not other graces joyne a man unto Christ, as well as Faith? Vnion is the proper effect of Love; therefore wee are one with Christ as well by loving Him, as by beleeving in Him.

To this I answere, that Love makes onelyonly a morall union in affections, but Faith makes a mysticall union, a p. 480more close and intimate fellowship in nature betweene us and Christ. Besides, Faith is the immediate tie betweene Christ and a Christian, but love a secondary union following upon, and grounded on the former. By nature we are all enemies to Christ and His Kingdome, of the Iewes minde, wee will not have this man to raigne over us: therefore till by Faith wee are throughly perswaded of Christs Love to us, we can never repay Love to Him againe. Herein is Love, saith the Apostle, not that wee loved God, but that Hee loved us, and sent His Sonne. 1. Ioh. 4 10. Now betweene Gods Love and ours comes Faith to make us One with Christ▪ we have knowne and beleeved the Love that God hath to us. ver. 16. And hence it followes that because by Faith as Hee is so are wee in this world, therefore Our love to Him is made perfect, and so wee love Him because Hee first loved us, vers. 19. So that we see the union we have with Christ by Love presupposeth the Vnitie wee have in Him by Faith; so Faith still hath the preeminence.

The second office wherein consists the excellencie of Faith is a consequent of the former, namely to justifie a man: for there is no man righteous in the sight of God any further then he is taken into the unitie of Christ, and into the fellowship of His Merits. God is alone well pleased in Christ, and till a man be a member of His Bodie, a part of His fulnesse, hee cannot appeare in Gods presence. This was the reason why Christ would have none of His bones broken, or taken of from the Communion of His naturall body, Ioh. 19. 36. to note the indissoluble union which was to bee betweene Him and His mysticall Members. So that now as in a naturall bodie the member is certainely fast to the whole so long as the bones are firme and sound: so in the mysticall, where the body is, there must every member be too, because the bones must not be broken asunder. If then Christ goe to Heaven, if Hee stand unblameable before p. 481Gods justice, we al shal in him appeare so too; because his bones cannot be broken. That which thus puts us into the Vnitie of Christ, must needs Iustifie our persons, and set us right in the presence of God: and this is our Faith. The Apostle gives two excellent reasons why our Iustification should be of Faith rather then of any other grace. The first on Gods part, that it might bee of Grace: The second on the part of the promise, that the promise might be sure to all the seede. Rom. 4. 16. First, Iustification that is by Faith is of meere Grace and favour, no way of worke or merit. For the Act whereby Faith Iustifies, is an act of humility, and selfe-dereliction, a holy despaire of any thing in our selves, and a going to Christ, a receiving, a looking towards Him and His Al-sufficiencie; so that as Marie said of her selfe, so we may say of Faith; The Lord hath respect unto the lowlynes of his grace, which is so farre from looking inward for matter of Iustification, that it selfe as it is a worke of the heart, foreign credere, doth not justifie, but onelyonly as it is an apprehension or taking hold of Christ. For as the hand in the very receiving of a thing must needs first make it selfe emptie (If it bee full before, it must let all that goe ere it can take hold on any other thing:) So Faith being a receiving of Christ, Ioh. 1. 12. must needes suppose an emptinesse in the soule before.

Faith hath two properties (as a Hand) To worke and to receive; when Faith purifies the heart, supports the droaping spirits, worketh by love, carries a man through afflictions and the like, these are the workes of Faith: when Faith Accepts of righteousnesse in Christ, and receives Him as the gift of His Fathers Love, when it embraceth the promises a farre of, Heb. 11. 13. and layes hold on Eternall Life, 1. Tim. 6. 12. This is the receiving act of Faith. Now Faith justifies not by working (lest the effect should not bee wholly of Grace, but partly of Grace, and partly of worke, Ephesians, 2. p. 4828, 9.) but by bare receiving, and accepting or yeelding consent to that righteousnesse, which in regard of working was the righteousnesse of Christ, Rom. 5. 18. and in regard of disposing, imputing, appropriating unto us, was the righteousnesse of God, Rom. 3. 21. 1. Cor. 1, 30. Phil, 3. 9. To make the point of Iustification by the receiving and not the working of Faith plaine, let us consider it by a familiar similitude.

Suppose a Chirurgian should perfectly cure the hand of a poore man from some desperate wound which utterly disabled him for any worke: when he hath so done, should at one time freely bestow some good almes upon the man, to the receiving whereof he was enabled by the former cure; and at another time should set the man about some worke, unto the which likewise the former cure had enabled him; and the worke being done, should give him a reward proportionable to his labour: I demaund which of these two gifts are arguments of greater grace in the man, either the recompensing of that labour which was wrought by the strength hee restored, or the free bestowing of an equall gift, unto the receiving whereof likewise he himselfe gave abilitie? Any man will easily answere that the gift was a worke of more free grace then the reward, though unto both way was made by His owne mercifull cure; for all the mercy which was shewed in the cure was not able to nullifie the intrinsecall proportion which afterwards did arise betweene the worke and the reward. Now this is the plaine difference betweene our doctrine and the doctrine of our adversaries in the point of Iustification. They say we are justified by Grace, and yet by workes, because grace enables us to worke: we say we are justified freely, not by the workes of grace, but by the grace which bestowes our Iustification, and therewith our strength of working unto us. For surely Gods free grace is more magnified in giving us undeservedly both righteousnesse p. 483and workes; then in giving us workes to deserve our righteousnesse.

Secondly, Iustification by Faith doth make the promise sure to all the seede. If unto a begger should bee proposed some excellent benefit upon condition to performe some acceptable and perfect service unto the personne that offers it; whom yet it would bee impossible to please by working, without some exact abilitie for the dutie required; the man might easily doubt of the certaintie of the benefit, because his performance of the condition requir'd is uncertaine: but if the same benefit should bee proposed upon no other act on his part requir'd, then onelyonly the acknowledgement of his owne want, and the willing acceptance of the thing offered, a man could not bee unsure of it: So if the Lord should propose righteousnesse o… salvation to a man upon condition of his morall obedience, mans corruptions are so many, and his abilities so weake, his enemies so potent, and his heart so treacherous to comply with them, that the promise cannot bee made sure to him upon the concurrence of his owne workes. But when there is nothing required of a man but to cleave to Christ, nothing but to relinquish his owne endeavours, and to accept the helpe of a sure Saviour, and to rely upon the sure mercies of David, this must needes make our righteousnesse and salvation to be as certaine as is the value of the merits, or fidelitie of the promise, on which we rely. If there bee nothing requisite to the firmenesse and consistencie of a house, but onelyonly to be put upon the foundation, then the house must needs be as sure as the foundation; if there bee nothing requisite to the safenesse of a mans money or writings, but to put them in a closet or boxe, the things must needes be as safe as the place into which they are put: so since nothing else is required to make our salvation sure but onelyonly to rest upon Christ, who is a safe foundation to his Church, Math. 16. 18. p. 484and a certaine Treasure, Col. 3. 3. Faith which alone puts us into him, doth therewithall make our Salvation sure unto us. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone, elect and pretious, (there is both our foundation and our Treasure) now the safety which Faith brings from hence is this, He that beleeveth shall not be confounded, or put to shame; in the Prophet it is, shall not make hast, 1. Pet. 2. 6. both words expresse safetie. For a man to rely upon another for any good thing, and at last to faile in his expectation, this must needes shame him in the disappointment of his hopes; but when the hopes of a man are grounded upon the unsearchable riches, and the unfaileable promise, and the immutable truth, power, and goodnesse of God; impossible it is that the faith of such a man should shame or deceive him. When a man is secure and certaine of any good thing, he is contented to waite the season of it; David by Gods promise, and unction was certaine of the kingdome, and therefore he would not take away the life of Saul when it was in his power, but waited till the time of his death by God appointed should come, 1. Sam. 26. 9, 10, 11. but when a man is unconsident of a thing, hee is ready to snatch at every probabilitie, to make use of every occasion that happens to further his desires. If I should see two men going towards the Court in competition for some office or preferment, and should observe the one to ride night and day in full speede, to deny himselfe the comforts of the way, and to expresse much impatiencie and indignation at every stoppage that met him; the other to take time and leisure, to rely upon the former promises of the prince, or the prevalencie of some honourable friends, and to laugh at the gredinesse of his competitor, I should easily conclude that the hopes of that man were greater, whose hast as lesse: for when a man hath a thing already in promise, and that from the hands of a man of whose power and fidelitie he hath infallible assurance, he p. 485is not over vehement for performance, but willingly attends the times and good pleasure of his friend. NowHabet …ides oculos su…s quibus quodammodo videt verum esse quod nondum videt. Aug. Ep. 222. foreign. Clem. Alex. strom. lib. 2. Anticipatio & praecomprehensio Ibid. foreign. Ibid lib. 5. this is the businesse of faith to give a being to the things we hope for, and though in themselves they bee a farre of, and out of sight, yet to make them subsistent and at hand in the promise, even within the reach and embracement of Faith, Heb. 11. 1, 13. So that Faith doth therefore keep a man from greedinesse and precipitancie in his pursuite, and from confusion and shame in his hopes of good, because it sees them as safe, & certain in the power and promises of Christ, as if they were already made good unto him. So then to conclude this point, Faith being the onelyonly Grace wherein is magnified the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods favour, and wherein is secured his promise to all the seede; It must needes bee the fittest grace for a mercifull Iustification.

The third office of Faith, is having put us into Christ, and Iustified us by him, to give us together with Him all other things, which is the conviction that the Apostle makes, Rom. 8. 32. If Hee have given us Christ, how shall He not with Him freely also giuegive us all things? These All Things, are of two sorts. First, All graces: Secondly, All secular good things. Saint Peter puts them together, and shewes how they runne from Christ to us, through Faith as the pipe; His divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertaine to Life and Godlynesse, and that through the knowledge (that is, the Faith) of him that hath called us to glorie and vertue. 2. Pet. 1. 3.

First all Graces: Faith is the first Grace in a Christian Soule, and the spring of the rest. This is the maine businesse of that excellent chapter, Heb. 11. to shew how Faith was the master wheele in the lives and actions of those holy men whose renowne is there upon record. The Apostle tels us that Faith worketh by Love, Gal. 5. 6. where by Love we may understand either generally the universall habit of all other operative graces, and then p. 486the sense is, that Faith doth as it were actuate and animate all other habits of grace, and apply them to theirforeign. Clem. Alex. strom lib. 2. severall workes: Or rather particularly, that Love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; and then the method and meaning of the place is this. First, Faith shewes us the great Love of God in Christ, The life that I live, saith the Apostle, I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me, and gave Himselfe for me. Gal. 2. 20. where we see the principall discovery that Faith makes in Christ, and that it fixeth upon is His love to us; and this is a most soveraigne and superlative love: Herein saith the Apostle God commended, God heaped together His Love toward us, in that while wee were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5. 8.

Secondly, Faith having thus revealed to our hearts the Love of God in Christ, doth kindle in them a reciprocall Love towards Christ againe, working in us the same minde that is in Christ, Phil. 2. 5. and enflaming our spirits to a retribution of Love for Love. We have beleeved the Love that God hath to us, saith the Apostle, and therefore, saith he, we love Him because He loved us first. 1. Ioh. 4. 16, 19. Thus Faith worketh Love.

But now thirdly there is a further power in Faith, for it doth not onelyonly work Love, but it worketh by Love as the text speakes: that is, it maketh use of that Love which it hath thus kindled, as of a goad and incentive to further obedience; for that Love which we repay unto Christ againe, stirreth us unto an intimate and Heavenly communion with Him, unto an entire and spirituall conformitie unto Him. And the reason is, because it is a conjugall Love, and therefore a fruitefull love, for the end of marriage is fructification. Yee are become dead to the Law, saith the Apostle, by the body of Christ, that yee should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, and the end of this spirituall marriage is added, That we should bring forth fruite unto God, which p. 487is presently after expounded, That wee should serve in newnesse of Spirit, Rom. 7 4 6. If a man Love mee, saith our saviour, he will keepe my Words: and this obedience is the childe of Faith as it is set downe in the same place, yee shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you; and immediately upon this Faith it followes, He that bath my Commandements and keepeth them, hee it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my selfe unto Him, Ioh. 14. 20. 21, 22, 23. In which place there are these things of excellent observation. First the noble objects that Faith doth contemplate, even the excellencie of Gods Love unto us in Christ. You shall know that I am in my Father; in His bosome, in His bowels, in His dearest affection: One with Him in merciemercy, in counsell, in power. That He and I both goe one way; have both one decree and resolution of Grace and compassion towards sinners: And that you are in mee, your nature in me, your infirmities in me, the punishment of your sinnes upon me, that I am bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh, that you are in my heart, and in my tenderest affections, that you were crucifi…a together with me, Rom. 6. 6. 8. Eph. 2. 6.Rom 6:6Rom 6:8Eph 2:6that you live tog…ther with …, that you sit together with mee in Heavenly places; that … died your death, that you rose my resurrection, that I pray your prayers, that you were my righteousnesse, and that I am in you, by my merits to justifie you, by my Grace and Spirit to renew and purifie you, by my Power to keep you, by my wisedome to leade you, by my Communion and Compassion to share with you in all your troubles; these are the mysteries of the Love of the Father and the Sonne to us.

Now this Love kindleth a Love in us againe, and that Love sheweth it selfe in two things. First in having the Commandements of Christ; that is in accepting of them, in giving audience unto them, in opening our eyes to see, and our hearts to entertaine the wonders of the p. 488Law. And secondly in keeping of them, in putting to the strength of our Love (for Love is as strong as Death; it will make a man neglectfull of his owne life, to serve and please the person whom he loves) that so wee may performe the duties which so good a Saviour requires of us. And now as our Love was not the first mover (we loved Him, because He loved us first) So neither shall it be the last; as the Father and the Son did by their first Love provoke ours, so will they by their second Love reward ours. And therefore it sollowes; He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him. This is not ment of a new Love, but of a further declaration of their former Love, namely in a more close and familiar communion, and Heavenly cohabitation with them; wee will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him, we will shew Him our face, we will make all our goodnesse to passe before Him, wee will converse and commune with His Spirit, we will Suppe with Him, we will provide Him a feast of fatted things, and of refined wine, wee will open the breasts of consolation, and delight Him with the aboundance of Glory. Excellent to the purpose of the present point is that place of the Apostle, 2. Cor. 5. 14, 15. The Love of Christ, saith he, constraineth us, that is, either Christs Love to us by Faith apprehended, or our Love to Christ by the apprehension of His Love wrought in us, doth by a kinde of sweete and lovely violence winne, and overrule our hearts; not to live henceforth unto our selves, but unto Him that died for us and rose againe: and the roote of this strong perswasion is adjoyned, namely because wee thus …udge, because we know and beleeve, that if one died for all, then all are dead to the guilt, and to the power of sinne, and ought to live a new life conformable to the resurrection of Christ againe. Therefore in two paralell places the Apostle useth promiscuously Faith and a new Creature. In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, p. 489nor uncircumcision, but **Gal. 5. 6.Gal 5:6Faith which worketh by Love, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, but a **Gal. 6. 15.Gal 6:15new creature. The reason of which promiscuous acceptation the Apostle renders the inseparable union between faith and renovation. **2. Cor. 5. 17.2 Cor 5:17If any man be in Christ, he is a new Creature.

Secondly, Faith gives us all good things requisite to our condition. Adam was created Lord of his fellow inferiour Creatures, invested with proprietie to them all. In his fall hee made a forfeiture of every good thing which God gave him: In the second Covenant a reconciliation being procur'd, Faith entitling a man to the Covenant doth likewise re-invest him with the Creatures againe. All things, saith the Apostle, are yours, and hee opens the title and conveyance of them, you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. 1. Cor. 3. 23. So elsewhere hee saith that the living God giveth us all things richly to enjoy, that is, not onelyonly the possession but the use of the things, 1. Tim. 6. 17. where by all things wee may understand, first the libertie and enlargement of Christians, as it stands in opposition to the pedagogie and discipline of Moses Law, which distinguished the Creatures into cleane and uncleane, and so by consequence into usefull and unusefull; so that now by any immediate tie of conscience we are not prohibited the free enjoyment of any Creature of God. Secondly by all things we understand not all simply, but all requisites; All that in regard of our state and course are necessary to life and godlinesse. O woman, saith our Saviour, great is thy Faith, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt, Math. 15. 28. This is a large grant to aske what we will and to have promise of obtaining it; but hee who promiseth to beleevers what they will, doth likewise regulate and confine their wills to desire nothing but with subordination to His Will;Tantum habet quantum vult, qui nihil vult nisi quod habet. Sen. nothing but their owne portion, that which is food convenient for them. The heathen man could say, That man hath as much as hee desires, who desires nothing but p. 490what he hath. So we may say of a Christian, hee hath indeede whatsoever hee will, because God gives him a heart to desire nothing but that which is Gods promise and his owne necessitie.

Now all these things Faith gives us, first because it gives us the Fountaine, and secondly the Promises of them all. First Faith carries us to the Fountaine, that is, to God. With thee, saith the Prophet David, there is the Fountaine of Life. Psal. 36. 9. And we are of God in Christ Iesus, saith the Apostle, 1. Cor. 1. 30. Now wee know there is a kinde of All-sufficiencie in a Fountaine, what ever water a man wants, hee may have his supply at the Fountaine; whereas Cisternes and broken pits will bee presently exhausted. Wee may observe in many fountaines that to the eye they seeme to have far lesse water in them for the time, then some greater torrent or winter flood which over…unnes whole valleyes, and carries away woods and stones before it: yet Iob tell's us that a Torrent will make men ashamed in summer, when they turne aside for water to refresh them, and can finde none, Iob. 6. 19. 20. But hee that comes to a Fountaine for refreshment shall never be ashamed, because it is living and growing water, and so makes a perpetuall supply. So the Faithfull oftentimes have lesse wealth and aboundance of earthly things then other men: yet notwithstanding they have therewith all the Fountaine, and so by consequence they have more certainty, and more sweetnesse. First more certaintie for Fountaine water is Living water, and so it multiplies; whereas other men have their water in Cisterns that are broken, full of holes and chinkes to let it out at againe: so the Prophets tels us of some that drudge and labour, but it is in the fire, their worke perisheth as fast as it growes; and of others that eatne wages, but put it in a bagge with holes, it falles out as fast as it is put in. What are these holes, this fire that melts, and lets out the p. 491estates of wicked men; they are principally these two. First, the lusts of their owne harts, Te aske and receive not, because yee spend it upon your lusts, saith the Apostle; and as lust keepes it away, so lust lets it out when wee have it. How many great estates have Wine and women, Hawkes and Hounds, fashions and complements, pride and vaine-glory, humours and projects, quarrels and dissentions, the backe, the belly, the eye, the eare, the tongue, the many inventions of an idle head, the many exorbitancies of a wandring heart, melted away, and reduced to nothing. Every member of the body, every appetite of the soule, so many chinkes to let out an estate. But now the faithfull have their lusts abated, their hearts ordered, the dropsie and intemperancie of their affections removed, and so all the holes at which Gods blessings might soke away are stopped up. Secondly, the cisternes of wicked men are broken, and their bagges full of holes by the secret iudgement and curse of God punishing their sinfull lusts in their sinfull gaine, blasting and withering their fruitlesse estates, as Christ did the barren fig-tree. We see how the Lord threatens to curse the people for their sinnes in their going out and comming in, in their basket and in their store: to breake the staffe of their bread, to take away their cup from their mouth, to take his Wine and his Oyle to himselfe againe, to consume their palaces with fire, to remove their bankers, to discover their treasures, and to seeke out their hidden things, to heare the cry of the beame, and of the stone out of the wall, and to pull them out of their nests, even from among the Starres, with infinite other the like expressions, in which the Lord useth to shew unto us the power and vigilancie of his Iustice in the administration of the World: Wheras the faithfull have the Bread and the Word, the Creatures and the blessings of God together, and so have more certaintie in these things. The Womans Oyle and p. 492Meale was not much, yet it encreased, and went along with her occasions, there was a Spring in the Cruse and in the Barrell, it was living Oyle, and living Meale, that grew, and held out in the famine. As a mans occasions are, so the Fountaine supplies him. If he want a Cup, a Bucket, a Cisterne full, there is in the Fountaine answerable to all his wants: so whatever necessitie the Lord brings the faithfull unto, he gives them an eye to see, a heart to rest in, and to expect in the use of honest meanes a supply proportionable to each of them. And as they have more certaintie, so have they more sweetnesse in the waters which they fetch from the Fountaine. Water in pits and cisternes rots, and growes muddy and unfavorie; so doe the Creatures of God to wicked men. Cares, feares, jealousies, desires, hopes, ends, infinite commixtures and disturbances deprive the Creatures of their native rellish and purenesse. The sweetest wine to an aguish palate tastes of that bitter humour which it there finds. So lusts and curses interweaving themselves with the Creatures in a wicked mans hands, must needs take away the sense of their simple goodnesse, turne their table to a snare, and the things which should have been for their good into an occasion of falling. Whereas the faithfull by the Word and Prayer have the Creature sanctified, seasoned, and perfumed unto their use againe, have the curse of God removed, and their owne lusts corrected, and with-held from mingling with them. Thus faith gives us all things in the Fountaine, more certaine, and more sweet, by stopping the holes which did let them out, and by removing the lusts and curses which did before embitter them.

Secondly, Faith gives us all things by giving us the Promises. Godlinesse hath the promises of this life, and that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4. 8. Wicked men hauehave good things onelyonly by Gods generall providence, which maketh his Sunne to shine as well on them as on the p. 493just by a common bounty. But this manner of tenure is liable to many forfeitures, curses, taxations; many inrodes and devastations, by wolvish and wasting lusts; and by consequence is not able to settle and secure the heart in the enioyment of them. But now by Faith in the promises the godly have their hold altered, have their estate setled in a better and surer tenure, delivered from those many encumbrances and intanglements vntounto the which before they were obnoxious; so that now a mans heart is secured beyond all doubts or humane feares. A poore man may object; I am not wise enough to order my affaires, I am disabled by sicknesse and weaknesse to attend my Calling, my charge encreaseth vponupon mee, and my probabilities of providing for them waxe smaller then before. But yet Faith is able to answer these and all other the like objections, by proposing the promise. Dost thou live by thine owne strength? Dost thou prosper by thine owne wisedome and industry, or by the blessing and truth of God in his promises? and is Gods Truth an Accepter of persons? Is not his fidelitie as firme towards weake and poore, as towards rich beleevers? Is there any want or weakenesse, any poverty or deficiency in heaven? Doe the promises of God stand in need of mans wisedome or strength to bring them to passe? Can thy encrease of charge or occasions, exhaust the Treasures, or drie vp the Fountaines and truth of God? If an honourable and wealthy person have occasions to enlarge his retinue, and live at a higher pitch then before, yet because hee hath abundance, he doth not repine at this necessitie. All the faithfull are of the houshold and family of God, who is no whit the poorer in his state and power by maintaining many or few. He gives to all men, & yet he gives liberally, Iam 1. 5. which no rich man in the World is able to do▪ because as he gives to others, himself decreaseth. But God gives out of a Fountaine, as the Sunne gives light, p. 494which whether it shine to one, or to thousands, retaines still equall light in it selfe, neither can the eyes of men exhaust or draw out the light of the Sunne. All the Creatures are mine, saith God, upon a thousand hills. If a thousand hills can beare corne enough, or feed Cattel enough for any poore mans reliefe, he need not doubt or feare; for God hath still thousands of mountaines, as it were so many granaries or store-houses, in his truth and promises, for the faithfull in any straits to have recourse unto. And thus faith gives us all things by entituling us to the Promises.

Against all this which hath been spoken touching the excellency of Faith, may be objected that determination of the Apostle; Now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charitie, these three; but the greatest of these is Charitie, 1. Cor. 13. 13. By which comparison this point touching the precedency of faith seemes to be impaired. To which I answer; That the Apostle speakes of a greatnesse extensivè, in regard of duration, Charitie being an everlasting Grace, but faith pertaining onelyonly to this life, as being requisite to the present qualitie and states of the Church: (for faith and fruition are oppos'd, 2. Cor. 5. 7. Faith looketh upon things in their promises, fruition in their reall existence) but now consider faith as an instrument to lay hold on Christ, and the precious promises of life and grace in him, and consider it as a Roote, a living principle to put the heart in worke, to purifie the conscience, to enflame the heart to spirituall obedience, and a retribution of holy love to God for all his love to us in his Sonne; and thus Faith exceeds Charitie as the motion of the mouth in eating, which is an act that tends immediately to life, doth the motion of the mouth in speaking, which tendeth not to an end so important, nor absolutely necessary.

Another objection may be this. Other Graces make a man like Christ, which Faith cannot do, because Christ p. 495could not beleeve unto justification, or life, having the Fountaine of both aboundantly in himselfe, whereas the proper and primitive worke of Faith is to carry a man out of himselfe, and to make him see all his sufficiency in another. To which I answer two wayes. First, Christ had faith, though not to such purposes as wee: Faith in the common nature of it, as it imports assent to all divine truth, and adherence, or reliance of the soule to the benefit and goodnesse which the same brings with it (for ratio veritatis and ratio commodi are the two objects of a right faith, or rather severall qualifications of the same object) thus it is a Legall thing, comming under the compasse of those duties of the Law, unto which Christ made himselfe subject. But faith as a Condition, an Officer, an Instrument of justification, so it could not stand with Christ, who was not to be righteous by beleeving, but to bee himselfe the righteousnesse of those that beleeve. But in other respects when the Apostle saith, hee was heard in that which he feared, when hee saith himselfe, My God, my God; it is manifest, that though he had not faith for righteousnesse, yet he had it for deliverance, that though he were not saved by beleeving, yet hee was obedient in beleeving. Secondly, it is more to be one with Christ, then to be like him; more to bee a part of him, then a picture: now faith makes a unitie with Christ, other graces onelyonly a resemblance; faith makes a man a member, others onelyonly a follower of him; and so in that respect still Faith hath the prehemiuence.

Now then from the great necessitie and pretiousnesse of this duty we may first inferre the greatnesse of their sin, who neglect it, who live with no sense of the want, and little sorrow for the weaknesse of it, to lie, sweare, revell, cozen, to live in the practice of any notorious outrage, and morall enormitie, many men esteeme hainous and vnworthie; But to live in infidelitie, without the p. 496knowledge or fellowship of Christ, in an utter unacquaintance with their owne unworthinesse, and unexperience of their everlasting insufficiencies to compasse or contrive their owne saluation, are things seldome or never seriouslie thought on by them. And yet infidelity is indeed the edge, and sting of all other sinnes, that which bindes them and their guilt everlastingly upon the soule, and locketh them like shackles to the conscience, which otherwise by the helpe of Christ might easily shake them of. He that beleeveth, saith Christ, is not condemned, he that beleeveth not is condemned already, and Ioh. 3. 18. 36. Votat Constantiam & penitissimam rei adhaesionem. Camer.John 3:18John 3:36the wrath of God abideth on him. There is a displeasure which is but for a moment, a wrath which doth only sing, and blow vponupon the soule, and then away; such the faithfull themselues after some bold adventure into the waies of sinne, may hauehave experience of. And there is a wrath which is constant, permanent, intimately and euerlastinglie adherent vntounto the Soule, which will seize onelyonly vponupon vnbeleeuers. The spirit shall convince the World of Esai 54. 7, 8.Isa 54:7Isa 54:8Sinne because they beleeve not, saith Christ. Sinne there stands in opposition to righteousnesse, and Iudgement, orIoh. 16. 8.John 16:8 holinesse; so that the meaning is, The spirit shall convince men that they are unrighteous and unholie men, held under by the guilt, condemnation, and power of sinne; shut vp in fast chaines unto the wrath and iudgement of the great Day; unauoidably cast and condemned in the Court of Law, because they fled not by faith unto that office of merciemercy and reconciliation which the Father hath erected in his beloved Sonne. All sinnes do of themselues deserve damnation, but none doe de facto inferre damnation without infidelitie. This was that great provocation in the Wildernesse which kept the people out of the Land of Promise, and for which God is said to have beene grieved fortie yeeres together. How long will this people provoke mee? How long will it bee ere they beleeve in me? they despised the holy Land, they beleeved p. 497not his word; they drew backward, and turned againe in Heb. 10 39. Act. 7. 39.Heb 10:39Acts 7:39their hearts into Egypt. The Apostle summes vp all their murmurings and provocations, for which they were excluded that type of heauen, in this one word, They entred Heb. 3. 19.Heb 3:19not in foreign, because of their vnbeliefe. If there bee but one onelyonly medicine against a deadly disease, and when that is offered to the sicke person he refuse it, and throw it vnderunder his feete, the state of that man is infallibly desperate and remedilesse. There is but one name, but oneAct. 4. 12. Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 9. 13. 14. Heb. 2. 3.Acts 4:12Heb 10:14Heb 9:13Heb 9:14Heb 2:3 sacrifice, but one blood, by which we can be saved, perfected, and purged for ever, and without which God can have no pleasure in us: how can wee then escape if we neglect so great salvation, and trample under foote the blood of the Covenant? It is a fruitlesse labour and an endlesse folly for men to use any other courses (be they in appearance never so specious, probable, rigorous, mortified, Pharisaicall, nay angelicall) for extricating themselues out of the maze of sinne, or exonerating their consciences of the guilt or power thereof without faith. Though a man could scourge out of his owne bodie rivers of blood, and in a neglect of himselfe could outfast Moses or Elias; though he could weare out his knees with prayer, and had his eyes nail'd vntounto heaven; though he could build hospitals for all the poore on the earth, and exhaust the Mines of India into almes; though hee could walke like an Angell of light, and with the glittering of an outward holinesse dazle the eyes of all beholders; nay (if it were possible to be conceiv'd) though he should live for a thousand yeeres in a perfect and perpetuall observation of the whole Law of God, his originall corruption, or any one, though the least digression and deviation from that Law, alone excepted: yet such a man as this could no more appeare before the tribunall of Gods Iustice, then stubble before a consuming fire. It is onelyonly Christ in the bush that can keepe the fire from burning; It is onelyonly Christ in the heart that can keepe sinne p. 498from condemning. foreign, without mee, that is, separatedIoh. 15. 5.John 15:5 from mee, yee can doe nothing towards the iustification of your persons, or salvation of your soules, or sanctification of your lives or natures. No burden can a man shake off, no obstacle can hee breake through, no temptation can hee overcome without faith; shake off every thing Heb. 12. 1. 2.Heb 12:1Heb 12:2that presseth downe, and the sinne which hangeth so fast on, and runne with patience (namely through all oppositions and contradictions,) the race that is set before you, saith the Apostle. But how shall we do such unfeasible works? Hee shewes that in the next words, foreign, looking of from our selves unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith. When a man lookes inward upon his owne strength, hee may as justly despaire of moving sinne from his soule, as of casting downe Mountaines with one of his fingers: but he who is able to give vsus faith, is by that able to make all things possible unto vsus. The world tempts with promises, wages, pleasures of sinne, with frownes, threats, and persecutions for righteousnesse: If a man have not faith to see in Christ more pretious promises, more sure mercies, more full rewards, more aboundant and everlasting pleasures: to see in the frownes of God more terror, in the wrath of God more bitternes, in the threats of God more certainty, in the Law of God more curses, then all the world can load him withall; impossible it is that he should stand under such assaults; for this is the victory which overcommeth the world, even our faith. Satan dischargeth his fierie darts upon the soule,1. Ioh 5. 4. Eph. 6. 16.1 John 5:4Eph 6:16 darts pointed and poysoned with the venome of Serpents, which set the heart on fire from one lust unto another: if a man have not put on Christ, do not make use of the shield of faith, to hold up his heart with the promises of victory, to hold out the triumph of Christ over the powers of death and darkenesse; to see himselfe under the protection of him who hath already throwne downe the Dragon from Heaven, who hath Satan in a chaine, p. 499and the keyes of the bottomlesse Pit in his owne command; to say unto him, The Lord rebuke thee Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee; impossible it is to quench any of his temptations, or to stand before the rage and fury of so roaring a Lion. Whom resist, saith S. Peter, stedfast in the faith. Our corruptions1. Pet. 5. 9.1 Pet 5:9 set upon us with our own strength, with high imaginations, with strong reasonings, with lustfull dalliances, with treacherous solicitations, with plausible pretences, with violent importunities, with deceitfull promises, with fearefull prejudices, with profound & unsearchable points and traines; on all sides lust stirs & workes within us like sparkles in a dried leafe, & sets every faculty against it self. The mind tempts it self unto vanity, the understanding tempts it selfe unto error and curiosity; the will tempts it selfe unto frowardnesse and contuinacie; the heart tempts it selfe unto hardnesse and security. If a man have not faith, impossibleAct. 15. 9. Mic. 7. 1….Acts 15:9Mic 7:1 it is either to make any requests to God against himselfe, or to denie the requests of sinne which himselfe maketh. It is faith alone which must purifie the heart, and trust his power and fidelity who is both willing and able to subdue corruptions. In vaine it is to strive, except a man strive lawfully. In aaIam 1. 6. 7.Jas 1:6Jas 1:7prayer, it is faith which must make us successefull: in the bbHeb. 4. 2.Heb 4:2word, it is faith which must make us profitable: In cc1. Cor. 15. 58.1 Cor 15:58obedience, it is faith which must make us cheerefull: in ddHeb. 10. 36. 38.Heb 10:36Heb 10:38afflictions; it is faith which must make vsus patient: in eeHeb. 11. 33. 36.Heb 11:33Heb 11:36trials, it is faith which must make vsus resolute: in ffEsay 50. 10. Ionah 2. 4.Isa 50:10Jonah 2:4desertions it is faith which must make us comfortable: in ggHeb. 10. 38.Heb 10:38life it is faith which must make vsus fruitfull: and in hhRom. 9. 37. 38.Rom 9:37Rom 9:38death, it is faith which must make us victorious. So that as he said of water, foreign, so may I of faith, It is of all things the most soveraigne and pretious, because it is of universall use in the life of man. Therefore the Apostle calleth men without faith ii2. Thes. 3. 2.2 Thess 3:2Absurd men, because it is an unreasonable and sottish thing for a workman to be without his chiefe instrument, and that which is universally p. 500requisite to eueryevery one of his works. A Husbandman without a plow, or a builder without a rule, a preacher without a bible, a Christian without faith, are things equally absurd and unreasonable. And yet thus unreasonable are men usually. By faith Moses repell'd and fled from the solicitations of his adulterous mistresse; and have they then faith that run upon temptations of lust, let their hearts wallow in the speculations, and their bodies in the beds of uncleanenesse? Faith made David looke to God when Shimei reviled him; and have they faith that dart out othes, stabs, and execrations at once against their enemie and against God? Faith made Noah when he was warned of God to feare, and Iosiah to tremble at his word; and have they faith who mocke the messengers, and despise the Word, and misuse the Prophets, and reject the remedies, and sleight the times of their peace and visitation which God gives them? Faith made Abraham put a sword to the throat of his beloved son, the Sonne of blessing, and the Sonne of promise; and have they then faith who will not sacrifice a stinking lust, nor part from a prodigious vanitie when God requires it? O what a world of sweetnes & closenes is there in sin to our nature, when men love a lust, a rag, a fashion, an excrement, better then Abraham did his Sonne Isaak. Faith made Moses suffer rather the reproaches of Christ then the riches of Egypt; and have they faith, who had rather be without Christ then their profits and pleasures; who subordinate the blood, the spirit, the will, the waies, the glory of Christ to their earthlie designes and base resolutions? By faith he feared not the wrath of a King; and have they faith who feare the breath of fooles, and would faine be religious, if it did not discredit them, and crush their arts of compliance, plausibilitie, and ambition? Thus eueryevery sinne wilfully committed is back'd and strengthened with infidelity. If men did by faith see him that is invisible, an unapproachable light, and a consuming p. 501fire; see the sword in his left hand to revenge iniquitie, and the Crowne in his right hand to reward holinesse; looke upon his judgements as present in his power, and upon his glorie as present in his promises; It could not be that they should goe on in such outrages against him and his Law. Know you not, saith the Apostle, that neither 1. Cor. 6. 9. 101 Cor 6:91 Cor 6:10fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, &c. nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor theeves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdome of God? Nothing but faith can unbinde and unlocke the sinnes from the soule, and by faith not onelyonly their guilt, but their power and dominion is removed and subdued.

A second use and inference from this Doctrine is to enflame the heart to seeke for faith as for a pretious Iewell, or a hidden treasure. Men are never satisfied withIam. 5. 3. 1. Tim. 6. 19.Jas 5:31 Tim 6:19 earthly treasures, though oftentimes they heape them up for the last day: How much more carefull should they be to lay up a good foundation for the time to come, that they may obtaine eternall life? Great encouragement we may have hereunto upon these considerations.

First, the more faith a man hath, the more comfort he may take in all the good things which he doth enjoy. He may looke upon them as the witnesses of Gods truth and promises, as the tokens of his love, as the accessionsMatth. 6 32.Matt 6:32 and supernumerary accruments unto his Kingdome, as the supplies and daily provisions of a Father which careth for us.

Secondly, the more faith a man hath, the more securitie he hath against all evils, he may undergoe them with patience, with aaRom. 5. 3. 4.Rom 5:3Rom 5:4hope, with bbIam. 1. 2. 3.Jas 1:2Jas 1:3joy, with ccRom. 8. 37. 38. 1 Cor. 15 55.Rom 8:37Rom 8:381 Cor 15:55triumph, with ddEsai. 27. 8. 9.Isa 27:8Isa 27:9profit. He may looke upon them as ee1. Pet. 1. 6.1 Pet 1:6needfull things, as ff1. Pet. 1. 7.1 Pet 1:7pretious things, as gg1. Pet. 4. 13.1 Pet 4:13conformities unto Christ his Head, as the hhDeut. 8. 16. Heb. 12. 11.Deut 8:16Heb 12:11seeds of peace, righteousnesse and praises; As raine though it make the way foule, yet it makes the Land fruitfull.

p. 502Thirdly, the more faith a man hath, the more certaine and victorious will his conquests be against his enemies: that which by faith wee relie upon, and put on, will bee impregnable munition, and impenetrable armour to secure us. The love, the blood, the compassions, the temptations of Christ, iiHeb. 12. 32, 33.Heb 12:32Heb 12:33these by faith apprehended have pulled downe walles, subdued kingdomes, stopped the mouthes of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, and turned to flight the armies of the Aliens.

Fourthly, the more faith a man hath, the more insight hee hath into Christ, and those mysteries of salvation which the kk1. Pet. 1. 12.1 Pet 1:12Angels desire to looke into. llforeign Theodor. de Cur. gr…c. affect. …erm. 1.Faith is the eye, and mouth, mm…rede & Manducasti. Aug.and nnforeign ▪ …. Alex. Strom. l. 5.eare of the soule, by which wee peepe through the curtaines of mortalitie, and take a view and foretaste of heavenly things, wherby we have a more secret and intimate communion with God in his Covenants, promises, precepts; in his will guiding vsus by counsell; and in his face, comforting us with his favour.

Fifthly, the more faith a man hath, the more tranquillitie and establishment of heart shall he find in the midst of all spirituall desertions, distractions and difficulties. When a mans wits are non▪plusd, his reason pos'd, his contrivances and counsels disappointed, his heart clouded with sorrow, and feare; when he walketh in darknesse, and hath no light; O then to have a sanctuary, an Altar to flie unto; to have a God to role himselfe upon, to leane upon his wisedome, to lay hold upon his Covenant, to ooLam. 3. 26, 31.Lam 3:26Lam 3:31waite quietly upon the salvation of that God, who doth not cast off for ever; but though hee cause griefe, yet will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies; ppPsal. 37. 5.Ps 37:5to commit his way to him who is able to bring it to passe, and to doe abundantly above the thoughts, desires, expectations, or petitions of men: what peace and serenity must this bee to the …oule p. 503which is otherwise without light and peace?

Lastly, the more faith a man hath, the more joy and glory he hath in spirituall, the more contentment and quietnesse in earthly things. Being iustified by faith, wee Rom. 5. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 8. Heb. 13. 5, 6.Rom 5:11 Pet 1:8Heb 13:5Heb 13:6have peace with God; in whom beleeving, we reioyce with ioy unspeakeable, and full of glory. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse, and bee content with such things as you have, for he hath said, I will not faile thee, nor forsake thee. Earthly-mindednesse and worldly cares grow out of want of faith. In these and a world the like respects should we be moov'd to seeke for this grace: and that so much the more carefully, because the heart is of it selfe barren, and therefore very unfit to have a forraigne plant grow in it; very apt to over-top it with lusts and vanities. We must therefore bee diligent to make our assurance full and certaine; diligent in the Word of faith, and2. Pet. 1. 10. Rom. 10. 8. 2. Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 6. 12.2 Pet 1:10Rom 10:82 Cor 4:13Heb 6:12 with the spirit of faith. Beeyee not slothfull, saith the Apostle, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promises.

Lastly, we must doe with faith, as men doe with pretious things, Try it, and put it to the touchstone, that wee may prove whether it be truly valuable and unfeigned; because there is much counterfeite faith, as there is false money, and deceitfull jewels, and wilde herbes in the field, which very neerely resemble those that are right and pure. This is an argument which hath been much travail'd in by men of more learning and spirit; and therefore I will but touch upon it, by considering foure principall effects of this Grace.

The first is a love and liking of those spirituall truths which by faith the heart assenteth unto: for according as is the evidence and pretiousnesse of the thing beleeved, such is the measure of our love unto it. For saving faith is an assent with adherence and delight, contrary to that of Divels, which is with trembling and horror; and that delight is nothing else but a kind of rellish and experience p. 504of the goodnesse of that truth which we assentforeign. Iust. Mar…. Qu. Orthodox. 98. unto. Whereupon it necessarily followes even from the dictate of nature (which instructeth a man to love that which worketh in him comfort and delight) that from this assent must arise a love of those truths whence such sweetnesse doth issue. By the first act of faith we apprehend God a reconcileable God; by the second a reconciled God; for faith shewes us aaEph. 5. 25 Rom. 5. 5. 8. 1. Ioh. 4. 16. Cant. 5. 10. 16.Eph 5:25Rom 5:5Rom 5:81 John 4:16Song 5:10Song 5:16Gods love to us in Christ, proposeth him as altogether lovely, the chiefest of ten thousand, and thereby beget…eth in us a love unto Christ againe: and this love is a sincere, uncorrupted, immortallb 1. Ioh. …. 19. 5. 1. love; a conjugall and superlative love; nothing must be loved in competition with Christ; every thing must be rejected and cast away, either as a snare when heeddRom. 7. 4. Math. 0 37. L…k. 14. 26.Rom 7:4 hates it, or as a Sacrifice when he calles for it. Therefore ccEph 6. 24.Eph 6:24God required the neerest of a mans blood in some casesccDeut. 13 6. 9.Deut 13:6Deut 13:9 to throw the first stone at an Idolater; to shew, that no relations should preponderate, or over-sway our hearts from his love. Christ and earthly things often come into competition in the life of a man. In every un just gaine, Christ and a bribe, or Christ and cruelty; in every oth or execration, Christ and a blasphemy; in every sinfull fashion, Christ and a ragge, or Christ and an excrement; in every vaine-glorious affectation, Christ and a blast; in every intemperancy, Christ and a vomit, a stagger, a shame, a disease. O where is that faith in men which should overcome the world, and the things of the world? Why should men delight in any thing while they live, which when they …e on their death▪beds (a time speedily approching) they shall never bee able to reflect on with comfort, nor to recount without amazement and horror? Certainely he that fosters any Dalila or darling lust against the will and command of Christ, well may hee delude himselfe with foolish conceits that hee loves the Lord Iesus; but let him be assured, that though he may be deceived, yet God will not bee mocked; p. 505not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, shall bee accounted the friends of Christ, but they who keepe his Commandements.

The second effect of faith is Assiance and Hope, confidently for the present relying on the goodnesse, and for the future waiting on the power of God, which shall to the full in due time performe, what in his word hee hath promised. I hauehave set life and death before you, saith Moses to the people, That thou maist love the Lord thy God, Deut 30. 20. 2. Cor. 5. 6.Deut 30:202 Cor 5:6and that thou maist obey his voice, and that thou maist cleave unto him, &c. Wee are confident, saith the Apostle, knowing that whilst wee are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. When once the minde of a man is wrought so to assent unto divine promises made in Christ as to acknowledge an interest, claime, and propriety unto them, and that to be at last actually performed, not by a man, who may be subject both to unfaithfulnesse in keeping, and disability in performing his promises, but by Almighty God, who the better to confirme our faith in him, hath both by word and oath engaged his fidelity, and is altogether omnipotent to do… what hee hath purposed or promised: Impossible it is but from such an assent grounded on the veracity and all sufficiency of God, there should result in the minde of a faithfull man, a confident dependance on such Promises: renouncing in the meane time all selfe-concurrencie, as in it selfe utterly impotent, and to the fullfilling of such a worke, as is to be by Gods owne omnipotencie eff…cted, altogether irrequisite: and resolving in the midst of temptations to relie on him, to hold fast his mercy and the profession of his faith without wavering, having an eye to the recompence of reward, and being assured that hee who hath promised will certainly bring it to passe.

A third effect of faith is ioy and peace of Conscience: Rom. 15-13.Rom 15Being justified by faith wee hauehave peace with God. The God of peace fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeuing. The p. 506mind is by the rellish and experience of sweetnesse in Gods Promises, composed unto a setled calmenesse and serenity. I doe not meane a Dead peace, which is onelyonly an immobility and sleepinesse of Conscience, like the rest of a dreaming man on the top of a mast, but such a peace as a man may by afyllogisme of the practicall judgement, upon right examination of his owne interest unto Christ, safely inferre unto himselfe. The wicked often hauehave an appearance of peace as well as the faithfull, but there is a great difference. For there is but a dore betweene a wicked man and his sinne, which will certainely one day open, and then sinne at the doore will fly upon the Soule: but betweene a faithfull man and his sin there is a wall of fire, and an immoveable & impregnable fort, even the merits of Christ: the wicked mans peace growes out of Ignorance of God, the Law, himselfe: but a righteous mans peace growes out of the knowledge of God, and Christ. So that there are two things in it, Tranquillity, it is a quiet thing, and serenitie, it is a cleare and distinct thing. However, if a faithfull man have not present peace (because peace is an effect not of the first and direct, but of the second and reflexive act of faith) yet there is ever with all faith the seed of peace, and a resolution to seeke and to sue it out.

The last effect of faith which I shall now speake of is fructification; faith worketh by love. And it worketh first, Repentance, whereby we are not only to understand griefe for sinne, or a sense of the weight and guilt of it, which is onelyonly a legall thing (if it proceed no farther) and may goe before faith; but hatred of sinne, as a thing contrary to that new spirit of holinesse and grace, which in Christ wee hauehave receiued. For as sense of sin as a cursed thing (which is legall humiliation) doth arise from that faith whereby wee beleeve and assent to the truth of God in all his threatnings (which is a legall faith): so the Abominating of sinne as an uncleane thing and contrary p. 507to the image and holinesse of God (which is evangelicall repentance) doth arise from evangelicall faith, whereby we look upon God as most mercifull, most holie, and therefore most worthie to bee imitated and served. Secondly, Renovation, and that two fold. First, inward in the constitution of the heart which is by faith purified. Secondly, outward in the conversation and practice, when a man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and as he hath received the Lord Iesus so walketh in him. Now in all our obedience wee must observe these three Rules. First, that binding power which is in the law, doth solely depend upon the authority of the Lawgiver who is God. Hee that customarilie, and without care of obedience, or feare of displeasure, or antipathy of spirit, breaks any one Commandement, ventures to violate that authority which by one and the same ordination made the whole law equally binding, & by consequence is habitually, & in praeparatione Iam. 2. 10.Jas 2:10animi a transgressor of the whole Law. And therefore Obedience must not bee partiall but vniversall, as proceeding from that faith which hath respect equally to all Gods will, and lookes upon him as most true and most holy in all his commands. Secondly, As God, so his Law is a spirituall and a perfect Law, and therefore requires an inward universality of the subject, as well as that other of the Precepts which wee walke by. I meane such a spiritual and sincere obedience of the hart, as may, without any mercenary or reserv'd respects, uniformely sway our whole man unto the same way and end. Thirdly, In every Law all matter Homogeneall and of the same kind with the particular named, every sprig, seede, originall of the Dutie is included, as all the branches of a tree belong unto the same stock. And by these rules wee are to examine the truth of our obedience.

Before I draw downe these premises to a particular▪ Assumption and Applycation, I must for Caution sake p. 508premise that faith may be in the heart either habitually, as an actus primus, a forme or seede, or principle of working, or else actually as an actus secundus, a particular Operation; and that in the former sense it doth but remotely dispose and order the soule to these properties; but in the later it doth more visibly and distinctly produce them. So then according as the heart is deaded in the exercise of Faith, so doe these properties thereof more dimly appeare, and more remisly worke.

Secondly, we must note that according as faith hath severall workings, so Satan hath severall wayes to assault and weaken it. There are two maine workes of Faith, Obedience, and Comfort, to purifie and to pacifie the heart: and according unto these, so Satan tempts. His maine end is to wrong and dishonour God, and therefore chiefly hee labours to disable the former vertue of Faith, and tempts to sinne against God. But when hee cannot proceede so farre, hee labours to discomfort and crush the spirits of men: when hee prevailes in the former, he weakens all the properties of Faith: when in the later onelyonly, he doth not then weaken all, but onelyonly intercept and darken a Christians peace.

For understanding this point, we must note that there are many acts of faith. Some direct, that looke outward towards Christ, others reflexive, that looke inward upon themselves. The first act of faith is that whereby a man having beene formerly reduced unto extremities and impossibilities within himselfe, lookes upon God as Omnipotent, and so able to save; as mercifull, and in Christ reconcileable, and so likely to save if he be sought unto.

Hereupon growes a second act, namely a kinde of exclusive resolution, to be thinke himselfe of no new wayes; to trust no inferiour causes for salvation, or righteousnes, to sell all, to count them all dung, not to consult any more with flesh or blood, but to prepare the heart to p. 509seeke the Lord: To resolve as the Lepers in the famineGal. 1. 16. 2. Chron. 30. 19 2. King. 7. 3. 4.Gal 1:162 Chr 30:192 Kgs 7:32 Kgs 7:4 at Samaria, not to continue in the state he is in, nor yet to returne to the Citie, to his wonted haunts and wayes, where he shall be sure to perish: and from this resolution a man cannot by any discomforts bee removed, or made to bethinke himselfe of any other new way, but onelyonly that which hee sees is possible and probable, and where he knowes, if he finde acceptance, hee shall have supplyes and life enough: and this act may consist with much feare, doubt, and trembling. The Syrians had food, and Samaria had none, therefore the Lepers resolve to venture abroad. Yet this they cannot doe without much doubting and distrust, because the Syrians whom they should meete with were their enemies. However this resolution over-rul'd them, because in their present estate, they were sure to perish, in the other there was roome for hope, and possibilitie of living; and that carried them co Esters resolution; If we perish, we perish: such is the Act of Faith in this present case. It is well assured that in the case a man is in, there is nothing but death to bee expected; therefore it makes him resolve to relinquish that. It lookes upon God as plenteous in power and merciemercy, and so likely to save, and yet it sees him too as arm'd with Iustice against sinne, as justly provoked and wearied in his patience; and therefore may feare to bee rejected, and not saved alive. Yet because in the former state there is a certainty to perish, & in the later a possibility not to perish, therefore from hence ariseth a third act, a conclusive and positive purpose to trust Christ. I will not onelyonly deny all other wayes, but I will resolve to trie this way, to set about it, to go to him that hath plenty of redemption and Life. If I must perish, yet He shall reject me; I will not reject my selfe▪ I will goe unto Him. And this act or resolution of faith is built upon these grounds.

First, because Gods Love and free Grace is the first p. 510originall mover in our salvation. If God did beginne His worke upon prevision of any thing in and from our selves, we should never dare to come vntounto Him, because wee should never finde any thing in our selves to ground His merciemercy towards us upon. But now the Love of God is so absolute and independant, that it doth not only require nothing in us to excite and to cal it out, but it is not so much as grounded upon Christ himselfe. I speake of His first Love and Grace: Christ was not the impulsive cause of Gods first Love to mankinde, but was Himselfe the great gift which God sent to men therein to testifie that Hee did freely love them before. God so loved the Iohn. 3. 16. 1. Iohn. 4. 10.John 3:161 John 4:10World, that He gave His Son. Herein is Love, not that we loved Him, but that Hee loved us and sent His Son. The love must needs go before the gift, because the gift is an effect, a token, a testimonie of the Love. Christ first aaEphes. 5. 25.Eph 5:25loved the Church, before He gave Himselfe for it. Now then if the first Love of God to man was not procured, merited, or excited by Christ Himselfe as Mediator; but was altogether absolute: bbRom. 9. 11.Rom 9:11much lesse doth the Love of God ground it selfe upon any thing in us. The whole series of our Salvation is made up without respect to any thing of ours, or from us. cc1. Iohn. 4. 19. Hos. 14. 4.1 John 4:19Hos 14:4He Loved us without cause or ground in our selves. For we Love Him, because He first loved us. He elected us of meere grace, without cause or ground from our selves. ddRom. 11. 5. 6.Rom 11:5Rom 11:6There is a remnant, saith the Apostle, according to the Election of grace; and if of grace, then is it no more of workes, otherwise grace is no more grace. Hee called us without Intuition of any thing in our selves, ee1. Tim. 1. 9.1 Tim 1:9foreign, saith the Apostle, not according to our owne workes, but according to His purpose and grace He called us with an Holy calling. He Iustified us without any ground in or from our selves, ffRom. 3. 14. 4. 5. 5. 10.Rom 3:14Rom 3:4Rom 3:5Rom 3:10frely by his grace, when we were enemies and ungodly persons. He saveth us without any ground in and from our selv's. ggEph. 2. 8. 9.Eph 2:8Eph 2:9By grace ye are sav'd through faith, & that not of your selvs'. p. 511There is nothing in us of which wee may boast in the matter of Salvation, and therefore there is nothing in us which should make us despaire or flie from God: for all the gradations and progresses of our Salvation are alone from His Grace.

Secondly, because there is an All-sufficiencie in the righteousnesse and merits of Christ, hh1. Ioh. 1. 7.1 John 1:7To cleanse all sin, iiHeb. 7. 25.Heb 7:25To consummate all our saluation, to subdue all our enemies, kkRom. 8. 31. 32.Rom 8:31Rom 8:32To answere all our objections, to silence all challenges and charges that are laid against us.

Thirdly, because of the manifold experiences which many other grievous sinners have found of the same love, and All-sufficiencie. When Faith lookes upon a converted Manasse, upon a thiefe translated into paradise, upon a persecutor turned into an Apostle; and when it considers that God llMal. 2. 15.Mal 2:15hath a residue of spirit still, that the blood of Christ is an inexhausted fountaine, and that these spectacles of Gods compassion are in the Scriptures exhibited, that mmRom. 15. 4.Rom 15:4wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, and that God in nn1. Tim. 1. 16.1 Tim 1:16them did shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to those who should after beleeue in Him: It then makes a man reflect inward upon himselfe, and resolve to trie that gate, at which they have entered before.

Fourthly, because there is a generalitie and unlimitednesse in the Invitation unto Christ. ooMath. 11. 28.Matt 11:28Come unto mee all that are wearie. ppRev. 22. 17.Rev 22:17Let every one that will come. There is in Christ erected an Office of Salvation, a Heavenly Chancerie of equitie and merciemercy, not onelyonly to moderate the rigor, but to reverse and revoke the very acts of the Law. Christ is qqRom. 3. 25. Act. 1…. 47. …sal. 2 6.Rom 3:25Acts 1:47set foorth or proposed openly as rrEsai. 8. 14.Isa 8:14a Sanctuarie, and ssEsai. 18. 3.Isa 18:3ensigne for the natious to flie unto; and He hath sent His ttMark. 16. 15.Mark 16:15Ambassadors abroad to warne, and to invite every man. As a Fountaine is open for any man to drinke, and a schoole for any man to learne, and the Gate of a Citie for any man to enter, and a Court of p. 512Equitie for any man to relieve himselfe: so Christ is publikely2. Cor. …. 20. and universally set forth as a generall refuge from the wrath to come, upon no other condition then such a will as is nor onelyonly desirous to enjoy His merciemercy, but to submit to His Kingdome, and glorifie the power of His Spirit and Grace in new obedience.

Fifthly, because God Himselfe workes the worke and the will in us. For in the new Covenant God workes first. In the first Covenant man was able by his created and naturall strength to worke his owne condition, and so to expect Gods performance: But in the New, as there is difference in the things covenanted, then only righteousnesse and Salvation, now uuIer. 31. 34.Jer 31:34remission of sinnes and adoption; in the xxIer. 33. 21.Jer 33:21meanes or intermediate causes, which are now yyIer. 32. 4. … 33. 20.Jer 32:4Jer 32:33Jer 32:20Christ and His righteousnesse and Spirit; in the zzIer. 31. 33. 32. 39. Ex…k. 11. 19. 20. 36. 26. 27.Jer 31:33Jer 31:32Jer 31:39stability, that a perishable, this an eternall and finall Covenant, that can never be changed; in the conditions, there legall obedience, heere only faith, and the certaine consequent thereof repentance: So likewise is there difference in the manner of performing these conditions; for now God Himselfe beginnes first to worke upon us, and in us, before we move or stirre towards Him. Hee doth not onelyonly commaund us, and leave us to our created strength to obey the Command, but He furnisheth us with His owne Grace and Spirit to fulfill the Commaund, and when He bids us come unto Him, He doth likewise draw us unto Him. In this Covenant the first Treatie is betweene God and Christ. For though the Covenant be betweene God and us; yet the negotiation and transaction of it is betweene God and Christ, who was aaHeb. 7. 22. 8. 6.Heb 7:22Heb 7:8Heb 7:6a suretie of the Covenant for us. For first God in His decree of Love bestowed us upon Christ. bbIoh. 17. 2.John 17:2(Thine they were, and thou gavest them unto me) we were ccEphe. 1. 4.Eph 1:4chosen in Him: wee to be members in Him, and He to be a Head and Fountaine unto us of all grace and glorie. For ddIoh. 10. 18. Ioh. 14. 14.John 10:18John 14:14God had committed unto Him p. 513an Office of power to redeeme His Church, and He received a Commandement from His Father to finish the worke of mediation.

Secondly, being thus made Christs, partly by the gift of Gods eternall Love, partly by Christs owne voluntarie susception of that Office whereby He was to be a Head and Captaine of Salvation to His Members; God in due time reveales Himselfe, His Name, Power, and Covenant unto us: eeIoh. 17. 6.John 17:6I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest mee, and this is the tender of the Covenant, and beginning of a Treaty with us. And here God beginnes to worke in us: for though the Covenant be proposed under a condition; yet God gives us as well the condition as the Covenant. Our Faith is ffCol. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 2. 5.Col 2:121 Cor 2:5the operation of God, and the work of his Power: ggGratias ago tibi clementissime Domine quia quod quaer is â me prius ipse donasti. Cyprian.that which he requires of us, He doth bestow upon us; and here the first worke of God is hhEsai. 54. 9. 13.Isa 54:9Isa 54:13spiritual and heavenly teaching. The second, is the terminus, or product of that teaching iiEph. 4. 20. Qui Credunt pradicatore forinsecus insonante, intus à patre audiunt at que discunt: qui autem non credunt foris audiunt, intus …on audiunt. Aug. de praedest. Sanct. cap. 8.Eph 4:20our learning which I call Gods worke, not as if we did nothing when we are said to learne, and to come unto Christ; but because all that we doe is by the strength and grace which from Him we receive: wee come unto Christ as a childe may be said to come unto his mother, or nurse, who holds him at a distance from her selfe, and drawes him neerer and neerer when she cals him. Thus as we were made Christs by donation, Thou gavest them me; so after likewise by incorporation, and unitie of natures with him in his spirit, and having this Spirit of Christ, He thereby worketh in us the will and the deed, and thus kkIoh. 3 33.John 3:33our seal… is put unto Gods covenant, and wee have a constat of it in our selves in some measure; whereas ll1. Ioh. 3. 10.1 John 3:10jnfidelitie makes God a lyer, by saying either I looke for life some other way, or I have nothing to doe to depend on Christ for it, though God have proposed Him as an all-sufficient Saviour. Now then when man hath experience of Gods working this will in him, when he p. 514findes his heart opened to attend, and his will ready to obey the call: when hee is made desirous to feare Gods Name, and prepared to seeke His face, ready to subscribe and beare witnesse to all Gods wayes and methodes of saving; That Hee is righteous in His Iudgements, if He should condemne; wonderfull in His patience, when He doth forbeare; mighty in His power, wisedome, and merciemercy, when Hee doth convert; unsearchable in the riches and treasures of Christ, when he doth Iustifie; most holy, pure and good in all His commands; the soveraigne Lord of our persons and lives, to order and dispose them at His will; on the sense and experience of these workes doth grow that conclusion and resolution to cleave to Christ.

Lastly, because this act of Faith is our dutie to God: As we may come to Christ because we are called, so wee must come, because wee are commanded. For as Christ was eeIoh. 10. 18.John 10:18commanded to save us, so we are ff1. Ioh. 3. 24.1 John 3:24commanded to beleeve in Him. From these and the like considerations ariseth a purpose to rely on Christ. But yet still this purpose at first by the mixture of sinne, the pragmaticalnesse and importunitie of Satan in tempting, the unexperience of the heart in trials, the tendernesse of the spirit, and fresh sight and reflexion on the state of sinne, is very weake, and consisteth with much feare, doubts, trepidation, shrinking, mistrust of it selfe. And therefore though all other effects flow in great measure from it, yet that of comfort, and calmenesse of spirit, more weakly; because the heart being most busied in sprituall debatements, prayers, groanes, conflicts, struglings of heart, languishing and sighing importunities of spirit, is not at leisure to reflect on its own translated condition, or in the seeds time of teares to reape a harvest of Ioy. As a tree new planted is apt to be bended at every touch or blast of winde, or children new borne to crie at every turne and noyse, so men in their first conversion are usually p. 515more retentive of fearefull, then of more comfortable impressions.

The last act then of Faith is that reflexive act, whereby a man knoweth his owne Faith and Knowledge of Christ, which is the assurance of faith upon which the joy and peace of a Christian doth principally depend; and hath its severall differences and degrees according to the evidence and cleerenesse of that reflection. As beautie is more distinctly rendered in a cleere, then in a dimme and disturbed glasse; so is comfort more distinct and evident according to the proportions of evidence and assurance in faith. So then to conclude with this generall rule; according as the habits of faith are more firme and radicated; the acts more strong, constant and evident; the conquests and experiences more frequent and successefull; so are the properties more evident and conspicuous. For the measure and magnitude of a proper passion and effect, doth ever follow the perfection of the nature and cause whence it proceedes: And therefore every man as he tenders either the love and obedience he owes to God, or the comfort he desires in himselfe to enjoy, must labour to attaine the highest pitch of Faith, and still with Saint Paul to grow in the knowledge of him and his resurrection and sufferings. So then upon these premises the heart is to examine it selfe touching the truth of faith in it. Doe I love all divine truth, not because it is proportionable to my desires, but conformable unto God who is the Author of it? Can I in all estates without murmuring, impatiencie, or rebellion, cast my selfe upon Gods merciemercy, and trust in Him though He should kill me? Doe I wholly renounce all selfe confidence and dependance, all worthinesse or concurrence of my selfe to righteousnesse? Can I willingly, and in the truth and sinceritie of my heart, owne all shame and condemnation, and acquit God as most righteous and holy if He should reject me? Doe I not build either my p. 516hopes or feares upon the faces of men, nor make either them or my selfe the rule or end of my desires? Doe I yeeld and seriously endeavour an universall obedience unto all. Gods law, and that in the whole extent and latitude thereof, without any allowance, exception, or reservation? Is not my obedience mercenarie, but sincere? Do I not dispense with my selfe for the least sprigges of sinne, for irregular thoughts, for occasions of offence, for appearances of evill, for motions of concupiscence, for idle words, and vaine conversation, for any thing that carries with it the face of sinne? And when in any of these I am overtaken, doe I bewaile my weaknesse, and renew my resolutions against it? In a word, when I have impartially and uprightly measured mine owne heart by the rule, doth it not condemne mee of selfe-deceite, of hypocrisie, of halting and dissembling, of halfing and prevaricating in Gods service? I may then comfortably conclude, that my Faith is in some measure operative and effectuall in mee: Which yet I may further trie by the nature of it, as it is further expressed by the Apostle in the Text; That I may know him.

Here we see the nature of faith is expressed by an act of knowledge, and that act (respectively to justification) limited to Christ; This is eternall Life to know thee, and him whom thou hast sent: where by knowledge I understand a certaine and evident assent. Now such assents are of two sorts; some grounded upon the evidence of the object, and that light which the thing assented unto doth carrie and present to the understanding; as I assent to this truth, that the Sunne is light by the evidence of the thing it selfe: and this kinde of assent the Apostle contradistinguisheth from faith by the name of sight. Others are grounded upon the authoritie or authenticalnesse of a narrator, upon whose report while wee rely without any evidence of the thing it selfe, the assent which we produce is an assent of faith or credence. Now p. 517that Faith is a certaine ass…nt, and that even above theAquin. 2. 2…. …. art. 8. Greg. val. Tom. 3. Disp. 1. …. 4 punct 8. …. 2. … ▪ q. 1 art. 4. certaintie of meere naturall conclusions, is on all hands I thinke confessed: because, how ever in regard of our weaknesse and distrust, wee are often subject to stagger, yet in the thing it selfe, it dependeth upon the infallibilitie of Gods owne Word, who hath said it, and is by consequence neerer unto him who is the fountaine o… all truth, and therefore must needes more share in the properties of truth, which are certainty and evid…nce, then any proved by meere naturall reasons: and the assent produced by it is differenced from suspition, hesita…cie, …ubitation in the opinion of school…men themselves. Now then in as much as we are bound to yeeld an evident assent unto divine truths, necessary hereunto it is that the und…rstanding bee convinc'd of these two things. First, that God is of infallible authoritie, and cannot lye nor deceive (which thing is a principle by the light of nature evident and unquestioned.) Secondly, that this authoritie which in faith I rely upon is indeede and infallibly Gods owne authoritie.

The meanes whereby I come to know that may bee either extraordinary, as revelation, such as was made by the Prophets concerning future events; or else ordinary and common to the faithfull. This the Papists say is the authoritie of the Church. Against which if one would dispute much might bee said. Briefly (granting first unto the Church a ministeriall, introductory, perswasive, and conducting concurrence in this worke, pointing unto the starre, which yet it selfe shineth by its owne light, reaching forth and exhibiting the light, whichAug de doctrin. Chr…st. lib. 1. … proaem. though in it selfe visible, could not bee so ordinarily to mee, u…lesse thus presented; explaning the evidence of those truths unto which I assent for their owne intrinsecall certain…y:) I doe here demaund how it is that each man comes to beleeve? The Colliar will quickly make a wise answere, as the Church beleeves. But now how p. 518or why doth the Church beleeve these or these truths to bee divine? Surely not because the Church hath so determined; our Saviour Himselfe would not be so beleeved. If I beare record of my selfe, my record is not true. Ioh. 5. 31. Eph. 1. 23.John 5:31Eph 1:23Well then, the Church must needes beleeve by the spirit which leads it into all truth. And what is the Church, but the Bodie of Christ, the congregrtion of the faithfull, consisting of divers members? And what worke is that whereby the Spirit doth illuminate and raise the understanding to perceive aright divine truth, but onelyonly that1. Ioh. 2. 27. Ioh. 10. 4.1 John 2:27John 10:4 Oyntment which dwelleth in you, saith the Apostle, whereby Christs sheepe are enabled to heare His voyce, in matters of more Heavenly and fundamentall consequence, and to distinguish the same from the voyce of strangers?

Now, have not all the faithfull of this unction? Doth it not runne downe from the head to the skirts of the garment? Are wee not all a royall Priesthood? and in1. Per. 2. 9. both these respects annointed by the Spirit? And having all the Spirit, (though in different measures and degrees) is it not in congruitie probable that we have with Him received those vivificall and illightning operations which come along with him? Capable is the poorest member in Christs Church, being growne to maturitie of yeeres, of information in the faith. Strange therefore it is, that the Spirit, not leaving mee destitute of other quickning graces, should in this onelyonly leave my poore soule to travell as farre as Rome, to see that by a candle, or rather by an ignis fatuus, which himselfe might more evidently make knowne unto me. For the Spirit doth beget knowledge. We have received the spirit which is of 1. Cor. 2. 12.1 Cor 2:12God, that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God. And againe, Hereby we know that wee dwell 1. Ioh. 4. 13. 1. Ioh. 3. 24.1 John 4:131 John 3:24in Him and Hee in us, because Hee hath given us of His Spirit. And againe, Hereby we know that Hee abideth in us, by the Spirit which Hee hath given us: Especially p. 519since wee must take even the determinations of the Church and Pope, (though they were infallible in themselves) at second hand as they passe through the mouth of a Priest, whose authoritie, being not infallible, nor apostolicall, but humane, impossible it is not but that he may misreport His holy Father, and by that meanes misguide and delude an unsetled soule.

Againe I demaund, How doth it appeare unto mee, that the Iudgment of the Church is infallible, when it alone is the warrant of my Faith? That this is it selfe no principle, nor to the light of naturall reason primo intuit… manifest ex evidentia terminorum, is most certaine. For that this company of men should not erre, when other companies of men may erre, cannot possibly be immediate…y and por se evident, since there must first needs apriori be discovered some internall difference betweene those men, from whence, as from an antecedent principle, this difference of erring or not erring must needes grow.

Now then I demand, what is that whereby I doe assent unto this proposition (in case it were true) That the Church cannot erre? The Church it selfe it cannot be, since nothing beares record of it selfe, and if it should, the proofe would be more ridiculous then the opinion, being but idem peridem, and petitio quaestionis. Above the Church a Priori there is not any light but the scriptures and the spirit. Therefore needs by these must I assent unto that one proposition at least. And if unto that by these, why then by the same light may I not assent unto all other divine truths, since evident it is, that the same light which enables me rightly to apprehend one object, is sufficient also to any other, for which a lesser light then that is presumed to suffice? So then a true faith hath its evidence and certainty grounded upon the Authoritie of the word, as the instrument, and of the spirit of God raising and quickning the soule to attend, and acknowledge p. 520the things therein revealed, and to set to its owne seale unto the truth and goodnesse of them. But how doe I know either this word to be Gods Word, or this spirit to bee Gods spirit, since there are sundry false and lying spirits? I answer, first, ad Hominem, there are many particular Churches, and Bishops, which take themselves to be equally with Rome members, and Bishops of the universall Church. How shall it invincibly appeare to my Conscience that other Churches and Bishops all, save this onelyonly, doe or may erre? and that this, which will have me to beleeve her infallibility, is not her selfe an hereticall and revolted Church? This is a question controuerted. By what autority shall it be decided, or into what principles á priori resolved? and how shall the evidence of those principles appeare to the Conscience? That the Popes are successors of Peter in his see of Rome, that they are doctrinall as wel as personall successours, that Peter did there sit as moderator of the Catholike Church, that his infallibility should not stick to his chaire at Antioch, as well as to that at Rome; that Christ gave him a principality, jurisdiction, and Apostleship to have to himselfe over all others, and to leave to his successors; who though otherwise privat men, and not any of the pen-men of the holy Ghost, should yet have after him a power over those Apostles who survivd Peter (as it is manifest Iohn did.) That the scripture doth say any title of all this, that the traditions which do say it are a divine word, are al controversed points: and though there be sorceries more then enough in the Church of Rome, yet I doubt whether they have yet enough to conjure themselves out of that circle, which the agitation of these questions doe carry them in. But secondly, there are sundry lights, there is light in the Sunne, and there is light in a blazing or falling starre. How shall I difference these lights will you say? surely I know not otherwise then by the lights themselves; undoubtedlie the spirit brings a p. 521proper, distinctive, uncommunicable Majesty and luster into the soule, which cannot be by any false spirit counterfeited: and this spirit doth open first the eie, and then the Word, and doth in that discover not as insit as veritatis those markes of truth and certainty there, which are as apparant as the light, which is without any other medium, by it selfe discerned.

Thus then we see in the general, That saving faith is an assent created by the word & spirit. We must note further that this knowledge is two fold, first, Generall, mentall, sp…culative, and this is simply necessary, not as a part of saving faith, but as a medium, degree, & passage thereunto.Rom. 10. 14, 15.Rom 10:14Rom 10:15 For how can men beleeve without a teacher? Secondly, particular, practicall, Applicative, which carries the soule to Christ and there …ixeth it. …o whom shall wee go? Ioh. 6. 68, 69.John 6:68John 6:69thou hast the words of eternall life; wee beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ. I know that my Redeemer Iob 19. 25. Eph. 4. 13. 3. 17, 18.Job 19:25Eph 4:13Eph 4:3Eph 4:17Eph 4:18liveth. That yee being rooted and grounded in Love, may be able to comprehend, and to know the Love of Christ. I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me, and gave Gal. 2. 20.Gal 2:20himselfe for me. By his knowledge shall my righteous Esay 53. 11.Isa 53:11servant iustifie many. This saving knowledge must b…e commensurate to the object knowne, and to the ends for which it is instituted, which are Christ to be made ours for righteousnesse and salvation. Now Christ is not proposed as an object of bare and naked truth to bee assented unto, but as a Soveraigne and saving truth to do good unto men. He is proposed, as the Desire of all flesh. It isHag. 2. 7. Rom. 10. 10.Hag 2:7Rom 10:10 the heart which beleeves; With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse, and Christ dwelleth by faith in theEph. 3. 17.Eph 3:17 heart; If thou beleevest with all thine heart thou maist be Act. 8. 37.Acts 8:37bap…ized. And the h…art doth not onelyonly looke for truth but for goodnesse in the objects which it desireth, for an allsufficiencie and adequate ground of full satisfaction to the appetites of the soule; such a compasse of goodnesse as upon which the whole man may test, and relie, and p. 522unto the which he may have a personall propriety, holdfast, and possession. So then in one word, faith is a particular assent unto the truth and goodnes of God in Christ, his sufferings and resurrection, as an allsufficient and open treasurie of righteousnesse and salvation to every one which comes unto them; and thereupon a resolution of the heart there to fixe and fasten for those things, and to looke no further.

Now this faith is called knowledge. First, in regard of the principles of it, The aaRom. 10. 14. 2. Cor. 4. 13.Rom 10:142 Cor 4:13word and spirit: both which produce faith by a way of bb1. Cor. 14. 24. Ioh. 16. 8.1 Cor 14:24John 16:8conviction, and manifestation. Secondly, in regard of the ground of beleeving, which is the knowledge of Gods will revealed: for none must dare demand or take any thing from God, till hee have revealed his will of giving it; ccRom. 10. 14. Heb. 13. 5. 1. Cron. 17. 25.Rom 10:14Heb 13:5Heb 13:1He hath said, must be the ground of our faith.. Thirdly, in regard of the certainty and undoubtednesse which there is in the assent of faith. ddRom. 4. 21.Rom 4:21Abraham was fully perswaded of Gods pow'r and promise; now there is a twofold certainty: a certainty of the thing beleeved, because of the power and promise of him that hath said it; and a certainty of the minde beleeving. The former is as full and sure to one beleever as to any other, as an Almes is as certainly and fully given to one poore man who yet receives it with a shaking and Palsie hand, as it is to another that receives it with more strength. But the mind of one man may bee more certaine and assured then another, or then it selfe at some other time: sometimes it may have a certainty of evidence, assurance, and full perswasion of Gods goodnesse; sometimes a certainty onelyonly of Adherence, in the midst of the buffets of Satan, and some strong temptations, whereby it resolveth to cleave unto God in Christ, though it walke in darkenesse, and have no light. Fourthly, and lastly, in regard of the last Reflexive Act ee1. Ioh. 2. 3. 2. Tim. 1. 12.1 John 2:32 Tim 1:12Whereby we know that we know him, and ffRom. 1. 17. 2. Pet. 3. 18.Rom 1:172 Pet 3:18beleeve in him. And yet both this and all the rest are capable of p. 523grow'th, as the Apostle here intimates; we know heere but in part, and therefore our knowledge of Him may still increase. The heart may have more plentifull experience of Gods merciemercy in comfotting, guiding, defending, illightning, sanctifying it, which the Scripture cals the ggEph. 4. 20. Phil. 4. 11.Eph 4:20Phil 4:11learning of Christ, and thereupon cannot but desire to have more knowledge of Him, and Communion with Him: especially in those two great benefits, His Resurrection and sufferings.

And the power of His resurrection.] The Apostles desire in these words is double. First, that he may finde the workings of that power in his soule, which was shewed in the resurrection of Christ from the Dead, that is, the Power of the Spirit of Holynesse, which is the mighty principle of Faith in the heart. That Spirit hhRom. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 11. 1. Pet. 3 18. EPhe. 1▪ 19. C…. 12.Rom 1:4Rom 8:111 Pet 3:18Eph 1:19of Holynesse which quickned Christ from the Dead, doth by the same glorious power beget Faith and other graces in the Soule. It is as great a worke of the Spirit to forme Christ in the heart of a sinner, as it was to fashion Him in the wombe of a virgin.

Secondly, that He may feele the resurrection of Christ to have a Power in Him. Now Christs resurrection hath a twofold Power upon us or towards us. First, to apply all His merits unto us, to accomplish the worke of His satisfaction, to declare his conquest over death, and to propose himselfe as an All-sufficient Saviour to the faithfull. As the stampe addes no vertue nor matter of reall value to a piece of gould, but onelyonly makes that value which before it had, actually applyable and currant: So the resurrection of Christ, though it was no part of the price or satisfaction which Christ made, yet it was that which made them all of force to His members. Therefore the Apostle saith that Christ was Iustified in 1. Tim. 3. 16.1 Tim 3:16Spirit. In His Death Hee suffered as a malefactor, and did undertake the guilt of our sinnes (so farre as it denotes an obligation unto punishment, though not a meritoriousnesse p. 524of punishment;) but by that Spirit which raised Him from the Dead Hee was Iustified Himselfe, that is, He declared to the world that Hee had shaken of all that guilt from Himselfe, and as it were left it in His Grave with His Grave clothes. For as Christs righteousnesse is compared to a robe of triumph, so may our guilt to a garment of Death, which Christ in His Resurrection shooke all of, to note that Death had no holdfast at all of Him. When Lazarus was raised, It is said that HeeIoh. 11. 44.John 11:44 came forth bound hand and foote with Grave cloathes, to note that Hee came not out as a victor over Death, unto which He was to returne againe: but when Christ rose Hee left them behinde, because death was to haveIoh. 20. 6, 7.John 20:6John 20:7 no more power over Him. Thus by His resurrection He was declared to have gone through the whole punishmentRevel. 1. 18.Rev 1:18 which Hee was to suffer for sinne, and being thus justified himselfe, that hee was able also to justifie others that beleeved in him. This is the reason why the Apostle useth these words to prove the resurrection of Christ, I will give you▪ the aaAct. 13. 34.Acts 13:34sure mercies of David, for none of Gods mercies had been sure to us if Christ had been held under by death; bb1. Cor. 15. 17.1 Cor 15:17Our faith had been vaine, we had been yet in our sinnes. But his worke being fully finished, the mercy which thereupon depended was made certaine, and as the Apostle speakes, ccRom. 4. 16.Rom 4:16sure unto all the …. Thus as the Day wherein Redemption is victorious and consummate is cald the ddEph 4. 30. Rom 8. …3.Eph 4:30Rom 8:3day of Redemption: so the worke wherein the merits of Christ were declar'd victorious is said to eeRom. 4 25.Rom 4:25have been for our justification, because they were thereby made appliable unto that purpose.

The second worke of the Power of Christs Resurrection is to overcome all death in vsus, and restore vsus to life againe. Therfore he is cald ffRom. 14. 9.Rom 14:9the Lord of the living, and ggAct. 3. 15.Acts 3:15the Prince of life, to note that his life is operative unto others. wee are by his Resurrection secur'd first against the death and Law, which wee were held under; for eueryevery sinne… is p. 525condemn'd already. Now when Christ was condemned for sinne, hee thereby deliver'd us from the death of the Law, which is the curse: so that though some of the grave cloathes may not be quite shaken off, but that wee may be subject to the workings & feares of the Law upon some occasions, yet the malediction thereof is for ever removed. Secondly, we are secured against the death in sinne, hh1. Pet. 1. 3. Rom. …. 11. Rom. 6. 4.1 Pet 1:3Rom 6:4regenerated, quickned, renued, fashioned by the power of godlinesse, which tameth our rebellions, subdueth our corruptions, and turneth all our affections another way. Thirdly, against iiIoh. 6. 39, 40. 1. Cor. 1…. …2, 23 Revel. 1. 5.John 6:39John 6:401 Cor 1:21 Cor 1:23Rev 1:5the hold-fast and conquest of death in the grave, from whence wee shall bee kkHeb. 5. 9. Heb. 4. 9, 10. 1. Thes. 4. 16, 17Heb 5:9Heb 4:9Heb 4:101 Thess 4:161 Thess 4:17translated unto glory: a specimen and resemblance of this was shewed at the resurrection of Christ, llMat. 27. 52. 53.Matt 27:52Matt 27:53when the graves were opened, and many dead bodies of the Saints arose, and entred into the Citie. As a Prince in his inauguration or sosemne state openeth prisons, and unlooseth many which there were bound, to honour his solemnitie: so did Christ do to those Saints at his resurrection, and in them gave assurance to all his of their conquest over the last Enemy.

What a fearefull condition then are all men out of Christ in, who shall have no interest in His resurrection? Rise indeed they shall, but barely by his power as their mmAct. 17. 31. Luk. 20. …6. Luk. 14. 14.Acts 17:31Luke 20:6Luke 14:14Iudge, not by fellowship with him as the first fruites and first borne of the dead; and therefore theirs shall not be properly, or at least comfortably a Resurrection, no more than a condemn'd persons going from the prison to his execution may be cald an enlargement. Pharaoh… Butler and Baker went both out of prison, but they were not both delivered; so the righteous and the wicked shall all appeare before Christ, and bee gathered out of their graves, but they shall not all bee Children of the Resurrection, for that belongs onelyonly to the just. The wicked shall be dead everlastingly to all the pleasures and wayes of sin, which here they wallowed in. As p. 526there remaines nothing to a drunkard or adulterer after all his youthfull excesses but crudities, rottennesse, diseases, and the worme of Conscience; so the wicked shall carry no worlds nor satisfactions of lust to hell with them, their aaPsal. 49. 17.Ps 49:17glorie shall not descend after them. These things are truths written with a sunne beame in the booke of God: First, That bb1. Thes. 4. 16, 18. Matth. 25. 46.1 Thess 4:161 Thess 4:18Matt 25:46none out of Christ shall rise unto Glorie. Secondly, That ccIoh. 15. 2. Mal. 3. 3. Tit. 2. 14. Psal. 110 3.John 15:2Mal 3:3Titus 2:14Ps 110:3all who are in him are purged from the Love and power of sinne, are made a people willingly obedient unto his scepter and the government of his grace and spirit; and have eyes given them to see no beauty but in his kingdome. Thirdly, Hereupon it is manifest ddHeb. 12. 14. Revel. 22. 15.Heb 12:14Rev 22:15that no uncleane thing shall rise unto glory. A prince in the day of his state, or any roiall solemnitie, wil not admit beggers, or base companions into his presence. eeHabak. 1. 13.Hab 1:13Hee is of purer eyes then to behold, much lesse to communicate with uncleane persons. ffMatth. 5. 8. 2. Tim. 2. 21.Matt 5:82 Tim 2:21None but the pure in heart shal see God. Fourthly, that every gg2. Tim. 3. 13. Revel. 22. 11.2 Tim 3:13Rev 22:11wicked man waxeth worse and worse, that hee who is filthy growes more filthy, hhHeb. 3. 12, 13.Heb 3:12Heb 3:13that sinne hardneth the heart, and iiHeb. 10. 39.Heb 10:39infidelitie hasteneth perdition. Whence the conclusion is evident, That every impenitent sinner, who without any inward hatred & purposes of revenge against sinne, without godly sorrow forepast, and spirituall renovation for after-times, allowes himselfe to continue in any course of uncleannesse, spends all his time and strength to no other purpose, then kkRom. 2. 5. Iam. 5. 3. Deut. 32. 34. 35. Esai. 30. 33.Rom 2:5Jas 5:3Deut 32:34Deut 32:35Isa 30:33onelyonly to heape up coales of Iuniper against his owne soule, and to gather together a treasure of sins and wrath, like an infinite pile of wood to burne himselfe in.

Again, this power of Christs resurrection is a ground of solid and invincible comfort to the faithfull in any pressures or calamities though never so desperate, because God hath power and promises to raise them up againe. This is a sufficient supportance, first, Against any either publike, or privat afflictions. However the Church may p. 527seeme to be reduc'd to as low and uncureable an estate llEzek. 37. 11. Lam. 3. 6.Ezek 37:11Lam 3:6as dried bones in a grave, or the brands of wood in a fire, yet it shall be but like mmPsal. Hos. 6. 2. 3. Mic. 7. 8. Zach. 3. 2.Hos 6:2Hos 6:3Mic 7:8Zech 3:2the darknesse of a night, after two daies he will revive againe, His goings forth in the defence of his Church are prepared as the morning. When nnIob. 19. 25. 27.Job 19:25Job 19:27Iob was upon a dunghill, and his reines were consumed within him; When ooIoh. 2. 2. 7.John 2:2John 2:7Ionah was at the bottome of the Mountaines, and the weedes wrapped about his head, and the great billowes and waves went over him, so that he seemed as cast out of Gods sight; When ppPsal. 138. 7.Ps 138:7David was in the midst of troubles, and qqEsai. 38. 17.Isa 38:17Ezekiah in great bitternesse, this power of God to raise unto life againe was the onelyonly refuge and comfort they had. Secondly, against all temptations and discomforts: Satans traines and policies come too late after once Christ is risen from the dead; for rrRom. 8. 33, 34. Heb. 7. 14, 25.Rom 8:33Rom 8:34Heb 7:14Heb 7:25in his resurrection the Church is discharged and set at large. Thirdly, against Death it selfe; because wee shall come out of our graves as gold out of the fire, or miners out of their pits, laden with gold and glory at the last.

Lastly, wee must from hence learne ssCol. 3. 1.Col 3:1to seeke those things that are above whither Christ is gone. ttIoh. 18. 36.John 18:36Christs Kingdome is not here, and therefore our hearts should not be here. uuEph. 4. 8.Eph 4:8Hee is ascended on high, and hath given gifts unto Men, as absent lovers send tokens to each other, to attract the affections, and call thither the thoughts. If Christ would have had our hearts rest on the earth, He would have continued with us here, xxIoh. 17. 24.John 17:24but it is his Will that we be where He is: and therefore we must make it the maine businesse of our life to move towards him. Things of a nature encline to one another even to their prejudice. A stone will fall to his center, though there be so many rubbes in the way, that it is sure to bee broken all to peeces in the motion. The same should be a Christians resolution. Christ is his Center, and Heaven is his Country, and therefore thither hee must conclude p. 528to goe, notwithstanding he must be broken in the way with manifold temptations, and afflictions. Saint yy2 Cor. 5. 4.2 Cor 5:4Paul desired, if it had been possible, to be clothed upon, and to have his mortalitie swallowed up of life, and to get whole to Heaven. But if he may not have it upon so good termes, hee will not onelyonly zzIbib. ver. 8.confidently endure, but **Phil. 1. 23. 1 Mercatura est quaedam amittere vt maiora lu creris. Tertul.Phil 1:23Phil 1:1desire to be dissolved and broken in pieces, that by any meanes he may come to Christ, because that, being best of all, will be an aboundant recompence for any intercurrent damage. It is not a losse, but a marriage and honour for a woman to forsake her owne kindred, and house, to go to a husband: neither is it a losse but a preferment for the soule, to relinquish for a time the bodie, that it may goe to Christ, who hath married it unto himselfe for ever.

And the fellowship of his sufferings] This fellowship notes two things: First, A participation in the benefits of his Sufferings; Secondly, A Conformity of ours to his. First, His aaRom. 6. 6. Col. 2. 12.Rom 6:6Col 2:12Sufferings are Ours; we were buried and Crucified with him, and that againe notes two things. First, we communicate in the Price of Christs Death, covering the guilt of sinne, satisfying the wrath of God, and being an Expiation and propitiation for us. Secondly, in the bbHeb. 9. 14. Col. 3. 5. Gal. 5. 24. Ioh. 16. 11. Luk. 11. 21. 1. Ioh. 3. ….Heb 9:14Col 3:5Gal 5:24John 16:11Luke 11:211 John 3Power of his Death, cleansing our Consciences from dead workes, mortifying our earthly members, crucifying our old man, subduing our iniquities and corruptions, pulling downe the throne of Satan, spoiling him of all his armor, and destroying the workes of the Divell. And this power worketh, first, by the propheticall office of Christ, Revealing; secondly, by his Regall office, applying and reaching forth the power of his bloud to subdue sinne, as it had before triumphed over death and Satan.

But here the maine point and question will be, what this mighty power of the Death of Christ is thus to kill sinne in us, and wherein the Causality thereof Consisteth? p. 529To this I answere that Christs Death is a threefold Cause of the death of sinne in his members.

First, It is Causa meritoria, A meritorious Cause. For Christs death was so great aprice that it did deserve at Gods hand to have our sinnes subdued. All power and Iudgement was given unto him by his father, and that power was given him to purchase his Church withall. And this was amongst other of the covenants, that their sinnes should be Crucified. He gave himselfe untoEph. 5. 25, 26.Eph 5:25Eph 5:26 Gods Iustice for his Church; and that which by that gift he purchased, was the sanctification & cleansing of it. Now as a price is said to doe that which a man doth by the power which that price purchased: so the bloud of Christ is said to cleanse us, because the office or power whereby he purifieth us, was Conferd upon him Sub intuitu pretij, under the condition of suffring. For it wasHeb. 9. 22. 23.Heb 9:22Heb 9:23 necessarie that remission and purification should be by bloud.

Secondly, it is Causa exemplaris, The death of Christ was the Exemplar pattern, and Idea of our Death to sin.1. Pet. 2. 24.1 Pet 2:24 He did beare our sinnes in his Body on the tree, to shew that as his Body did naturally, so sinne did by analogie and legally dye. Therefore the Apostle saith that he was made sinne for us; to note that not onelyonly our persons2. Cor. 5. 21.2 Cor 5:21 were in Gods accompt Crucified with him unto Iustification; but that sinne it selfe did hang upon his Crosse with him unto monification and holinesse. In which respect Saint Paul saith, That he condemned sinne in the flesh, Rom. 8. 3.Rom 8:3because he died as sinne in Abstracto. And in this regard of mor…ification wee are said to be planted in the likenesse of Christs Death; because as when an Ambassador doth solemnize the marriage of his king with a forraine princesse, that is truely effected betweene the parties themselves, which is transacted by the agent, and representative person to that purpose and service autho…: so Christ being made sinne for us (as the Sacrifice p. 530had the sinnes of the people emptied upon him) and in that relation, Dying; sinne it selfe likewise dieth in us. And there is a proportion betweene the Death of the Crosse which Christ died, and the Dying of sinne in us. Christ died as a Servant, to note that sinne should not rule, but be brought into slaverie and bondage: He died a Curse, to note that wee should loke upon sinne as an accursed and devoted thing, and therefore should not with Achan hide, or reserve any: He Dranke vinegar on his Crosse, to note that wee should make sinne feele the sharpnesse of Gods displeasure aginst it▪ he was fast naild unto the Crosse, to note that wee should put sinne out of ease, and leave noe lust or Corruption at large, but crucifie the whole body thereof. Lastly though he did not presently die, yet there he did hang till he died; to note that wee should never give over subduing sinne while it hath any life or working in us. Thus the Death of Christ is the patterne of the death of sinne.

Thirdly, It is Causa Obiectiva, an Impelling or moving cause as Obiects are. For Obiects have an Attractive Ioh. 7. 21. 2 Sam. 11. 2. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. 15. 16.John 7:212 Sam 11:22 Sam 11:31 John 2:151 John 2:16Power. Acha… saw the wedge of gold, and then Coveted it. David saw Bathsh…ba, and then desired her. Therefore the apostle mentions Lusts of the Eye, which are kindled by the Things of the world. As the strength of imagination fixing upon a blackemoo…e on the wall made the woman bring forth a blacke child: so there is … kinde of spirituall Imaginative power in faith to crucifie sinne by looking upon Christ Crucified. As the Brasen Serpent did heale those who had been bitten by the fierieNumb. 21. 9.Num 21:9 serpents … obiectum fides, meerly by being looked upon: so Christ Crucified doth heale sin by being looked upon with the ey… of faith. Now faith lookes upon Christ crucified, and bleeding, First, as the gift of his fathers love, as a token and spectacle of more unsearchable and transcendent merciemercy, then the comprehension of the whole hoast of Angels can reach unto. And herebyRom. 5. 8.Rom 5:8 p. 531the heart is ravished with love againe, and with a gratefull desire of returning all our time, parts, powers, services unto him, who spared not the sonne of his owne love for us. Secondly, It looketh on him As a sacrifice Heb. 9. …6.Heb 9:6for Sinne, and Expiation thereof to Gods Iustice; and hereby the heart is framed to an humble feare of reproaching, voiding, nullifying unto it selfe the Death of Christ, or by Continuance in sinne of crucifying the Lord Iesus againe. It is made more distinctly, in the sufferings of Christ, to know that infinite guilt, and hellish filthinesse which is in sinne, which brought so great a punishment upon so great a person; And hereupon groweth to a more serious Hatred thereof, and carefulness… against it, as being a greater enemie unto his Iesus, then Iudas that betraid, or the Pharisees that accu…ed, or the souldiers that Crucified him; as being more sharpe to the soule of Christ then the nailes or speares that pierced his sacred body. How shall I dare (thinkes the faithfull soule) to live in those sinnes by which I may as truely be denominated a betrayer and Crucifier of him that saved mee, as Iudas, or Pilate, were? Thirdly It lookes on him as Our Forerunnerinto Glorie. whitherHeb. 6. 20. Luk. 24. 26. 1. Pe…. 1. 11.Heb 6:20Luke 24:26Luke 24:1 he E…tred not but by away of bloud. From whence the heart easily concludes, if Christ Entred not into his own glory but by suffering, how shall I enter into that glory which is none of mine, if I shed not the bloud of my lusts, and take order to Crucifie all them before I goe?

So then none can Conclude that Christ died for him, who findes not himselfe Set against the life of sinne within him, in whom the body of Corruption is not so lesned, as that it doth no more …ule to wast his conscience or enrage his heart. If a man grow worse and worse, his heart more hard, his Conscience more senselesse, his resolutions more desperate, his …are more dead, his courses more car…all and worldly then before; certainely the p. 532fellowship and vertue of the bloud of Christ hath hitherto done little good to such a man. And what a wofull thing is it for a man to live and die in an estate much more miserable then if there never had beene any Iesus given unto men? For that man who hath heard of Christ, at whose heart he hath knocked, unto whoseMath. 11. 21, 24 Heb. 10, 28. 29.Matt 11:21Matt 11:24Heb 10:28Heb 10:29 Conscience he hath beene revealed, and yet never beleeveth in him unto righteousnesse, or sanctification, but lives and dies in his filthinesse, shall be punished with a farre sorer Condemnation, then those of Tyre, Sydon, or Sodome, that knew nothing of him. O then let us labour to shew forth the power of Christs Death, and that he died not in vaine unto us. Though wee cannot yet totally kill, yet let us crucifie our corruptions, weaken their vigor, abate their rage, dispossesse them of the throne in our hearts, put them unto shame: and in as much as Christ hath Suffered for sinne, let us cease from sinne, and live the rest of our time not to the will of the1. Pet. 1. 2. 3.1 Pet 1:21 Pet 1:3 flesh, nor to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The second part of our fellowship in sufferings with Christ is the conformitie of ours to His. In all our afflictionsEsai. 63. 9. Col. 1. 24.Isa 63:9Col 1:24 he is afflicted; and Saint Paul cals His sufferings the filling up of that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ. Not as if Christs sufferings were imperfect (for By one offering He… hath perfected for ever them that are Heb. 10. 14.Heb 10:14sanctified.) But as Christ hath Personall sufferings i… corpore proprio, in His humane Body, as Mediator, which once for ever He finished: So He hath generall sufferings in corp…re mystico, in His Church, as a member with the rest.

Now of these sufferings of the Church we must note that they have no conformitie with Christs in these two things. First, not in Officio, in the office of Christs sufferings; for His were meritorious a…d satisfactorie; Ours onelyonly mini…teriall, and for edification. Secondly, not in … & …, not in the weight and measure of p. 533them; not so bitter, heavie, and wofull as Christs were▪ For the sufferings of Christ, vponupon any other Creature, would have crushed him as low as Hell, and swallowed him up for ever. In other respects there is a conformitie of our sufferings to Christs; so that He esteemeth them His.

Our sufferings are: First, such as wee draw upon our selves by our owne folly; and even in these afflictions which Christ as the King …ver His people inflic…eth upon them, yet as their Head and fellow member Hee compassionateth and as it were smarteth with them. For Christ is so full of tendernesse, and so acquainted withHeb. 4. 15.Heb 4:15 sorrowes, that wee may justly conceive Him touched with the feeling of those paines, which yet He Himselfe seeth needefull for them. Secondly, ▪such as are by GodIam. 1. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 7.Jas 1:31 Pet 1:7 imposed for triall and exercise of those graces which himselfe gives; and in these we have a twofold Communion and conformitie to Christ: First, By association; Christ:1. Pet. 4. 14.1 Pet 4:14 giveth us His Spirit to draw in the same yoke with us, and to hold us under them by His strength. That Spirit of Holynesse by which Christ overcame his sufferings, helpeth our infirmities in ours. Secondly, in the manner1. Pet. 2. 21, 23.1 Pet 2:211 Pet 2:23 of undergoing them, with a proportion of that meeknes and patience which Christ shewed in His sufferings. Thirdly, such as are cas… upon us by the injuries of SatanAct▪ 9. 4. 1. Pet. 4. 14, 16. Math. 5. 11. Ioh. 15. 18, 19. Gen. 3. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 8.Acts 9:41 Pet 4:141 Pet 4:16Matt 5:11John 15:18John 15:19Gen 3:152 Tim 1:8 and wicked men. And these also beare conformitie unto Christs, as in the two former respects, so thirdly in the cause of them, for it is Christ only whom in his members Satan and …he world doe persecute. All the enmitie that is betweene them is because of the seede of the woman. If Christ were now amongst us in the fashion of a servant and in a low condition as once he was▪ & should convince men of their wickednesse as searchingly as once he did, Hee would doubtlesse be the most hated man upon the Earth. Now that Hee is conceived of, as God in glory, men deale with him as Ioa… with Abner, they kisse and p. 534flatter him in the outward profession of His Name and Worship; and they stabbe and persecute Him in the hatred of His wayes and members. And this is the principall reason why so many stand of from a through embracing of Christ and his wayes; because when they are indeede in His body, they must goe His way to Heaven, which was a way of suffering. They that will live godly2. Tim. 3 12. 1. Pet. 4 4. Esai. 8. 18. Zach. 3. 8.2 Tim 3:121 Pet 4:4Isa 8:18Zech 3:8 in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution, and be by wicked men esteemed as signes and wonders to bee spoken against, and that not onelyonly amongst pagans, and professed enemies to the Truth, but even in Israel, and amongst those who externally make the same profession.

But this should comfort us in all our sufferings for Christs sake, and for our obedience to His Gospell; that wee drinke of our masters owne Cuppe, that weeMath. 20. 23.Matt 20:23 fill up that which is wanting of His afflictions, that Christ Himselfe was called a Samaritane, a Divell, a wine-b…bber, entrapped, spied▪ snared, slaine; and Hee who is now our Captaine to leade us, will hereafter be our aaIam 1. 2. 12.Jas 1:2Jas 1:12Crowne to reward us; wee may safely bb1. Ioh. …. 2. Heb 12. 2. 3.Heb 12:2Heb 12:3looke upon Christs issue, and know it to bee ours. First, wee have Christs fellowship in them; and if it were possible, a man were better bee in Hell with Christ, then in Heaven without Him: for His presence would make any place a Heaven, as the ccUeios habitante Camillo, Illic Roma fuit.King makes any place the Court. Secondly, wee have dd…hil 4. 12.Christs strength to beare them. Thirdly, ee…. 6. 13.His victories to overcome them. Fourthly, ffLuc. 22 32.Luke 22:32His Intercession to preserve us from falling away in them. Fifthly, His Graces to be the more gloryfied by them, as a Torch when it is shaken shines the brighter. Sixthly. His compassion to moderate and proportion them to the measure of strength which Hee gives us: And lastly, His Crowne on our heads, His Palme in our hands, His triumphall Garments upon us, when wee shall have tasted our measure of them. p. 535For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding and Eternall weight of Glory. While we looke not at the things which are seene, but at the things which are not seene: For the things which are seene are Temporall, but the things which are not seene, are Eternall.

FINIS.

End of the text · Edward Reynolds, Three Treatises (1631)