Works Part 1, Part 6

Works Part 1 · Part 6

p. 1THE LIFE OF CHRIST: OR THE Great Mystery OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. Opened and applied in several Sermons, at Olaves Silverstreet, Octob. 27. 1653.

Gal. 2. part of verse 20.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, (now follows that which I shal more insist upon) and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

THE Dependance of these words with the former, briefly stands thus: The Holy Ghost having decried the Law as that which is utterly unable to give life, and set up the justification of a sinner only from Gods Free Grace, in making p. 2over unto him the Righteousness of Christ, having (I say) asserted this great fundamental Doctrine of our Christian Religion, wherein the Galatians were begun to be tainted, he then comes to answer the common Cavil, which (not only the Papists, but) too many among our selves do charge this Doctrine withal, namely, That it is but a door to al licenciousness, and doth take off the rains from any man, and give him an occasion to be bold in wickedness; for if our righteousness cannot justifie us, nor our unrighteousness condemn us, but the righteousness of Christ is accepted for us, and in him we are compleat without any thing of our own, who would not take liberty to indulge himself in such fleshly courses as are agreeable to his nature? Now against this the Apostle opposeth several things, as arguments to prove, that this cannot be a consequence of this Doctrine to a man that rightly understands it, Justification by free Grace wil never be a temptation to a man to a sinful life; and one Argument is,

1All Pauls Ministry tended to beat down a wicked life, and do they think he would come to build up that which he had pulled down? that were an absurd thing. Secondly,

2The very end of our Justification by Christ is quite contrary to it, for (saith he) through the Law I am dead indeed to the Law, but it is that I might live to God; as if he should have said, It is true, that the right understanding of the impossibility of a sinners keeping the Law, wil beat down in him al thoughts of ever obtaining any life by p. 3the Law, he wil be dead as to look for justification, or acceptance that way; but it is that he might live to God, that is the very end of it that he might live to God; that is another argument, and that being the very end that God aims at, it is impossible that the quite contrary of it should flow from the Lords own appointment. Then Thirdly,

Every man that doth but partake of Jesus 3Christ, he is crucified with him; and he instances in himself, I am crucified with Christ; when Jesus Christ hung upon the Cross, and there by vertue of his death did kil sin, and by vertue of his resurrection hath opened a way to a new life, when I partake of Christ I have an interest in this, I die with him, and am buried with him, therefore it is impossible that looking for life by Christ should make a man live a wicked life. And Fourthly.

Which he brings in by way of Answer to a tacite 4Objection, Are you crucified? do we not see you are alive? Yes, I live indeed, but in truth more properly I may say it is not I that live, but it is Christ Jesus that lives in me, by vertue of my interest in him, my whol life flows from him, and that life that I live in this life, that is, in this fleshly Tabernacle, it is the life of Christ, and the way how I live, it is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. And so I have brought you to my Text; and in the words (without any further interpretation, save what you shal have in handling the Doctrine) there are these Two Doctrines cleerly laid down: The first is,

p. 4Doct. 1.That every soul that hath an Interest in Christ, while he is in this world, it is Christ that lives in him.

While we live in this flesh, in this world, the life that we live, it is Christs life, Christ lives it, we do not, only (when we accept of Christ) beleeve in him to be saved by him when we go out of this world, and trust al the daies of our life, that when this life endeth he hath a better life for us in store, that is not al, but when we accept of Jesus Christ, we so accept him, that his life is communicated to us, and while we are in this world we live that life. That is the first Doctrine, That all the Lords people while they live in this world, they live Christs life. The Second is,

Doct. 2.That the modus vivendi, the manner of their living this life in this world, it is by faith.

We shal live the life of Christ to Eternity, but when that moment of Eternity cometh, faith shal have no hand in it; but the life we now live while we are in the flesh, it is the grace of faith by which we live it. Just as I may express my meaning (for I shal not handle that Doctrine) as take it of an Infant, As soon as ever the body and soul are but joyned together, that it is made a living soul, it is the life of a man that it lives; but while it is in the mothers womb, the manner of living is by the navel, the navel-string conveyeth al to it; when it comes into the world, that is cut, there is no more use of it, and then it lives another way. So while we are in this world, though we live the p. 5life of Christ, yet Faith is (as it were) our navel-string, it draws and receives al from him, when we are transplanted into another world, that way of living ceaseth, and we enjoy God in Christ immediatly. These two Doctrines lie in the Text, the first of them (with the Lords assistance) I shal spend one hour in endeavoring to cleer it to you, and to make some use of it.

That all that do receive Jesus Christ, even in this world, Doct. 1.they live his life. I live, but it is Christ that lives in me, and the life that I live in this flesh, I live it by the faith of the Son of God. Now to make a little way to it, That al the Saints live Christs life, the life of Christ; I would not have you expect that I would spend any part of my hour in a Phylosophical Discourse about the Nature of Life in general, No, let this suffice, That you shal find in the Scripture a two fold Life of man spoke of: The one is,

This present natural life which we al live, which 1we receive from Adam, I speak not of the corruption of our Nature, but the first man was a living soul, that is, he was an animal man, a man endewed with a reasonable soul, and al that come from him have that life which is nothing but the union of the body and soul together, and those motions and operations that are in us are acted in us by vertue of that union, and this the Scripture somtimes cals the natural man, the natural life, the animal man, as who should say, the man endewed with a soul, the happiness of whom is to enjoy a soul-life, and this life it is somtimes called p. 6the present life, somtimes called the bodily life, the life of man, and this life al that proceed from Adam do live in al Ages and parts of the world, and to the upholding and beautifying and accommodating of this life, are al mens labors and their studies, and the good things of this world, they are naturally al subservient to it, every thing parted with, rather than part with it; Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, wil he give for this life: Now that there is such a life, no man doubts of it. But then Secondly,

2The Scripture speaks of another Life, and so you shal see my Text leads to it, he speaks of another life which is a spiritual life, which flows from the second Adam, that as the first Adam was a living soul, and communicates a living soul to al that come from him, the second Adam is a quickning spirit, and communicates a quickning spirit to al that come from him, that is the Life that my Text leads me to speak of, and this Life (before I come to speak further of it) the Scripture somtimes cals the new Creature, somtimes cals it the Life of Christ, as in my Text, somtimes cals it the Life of God, not only because God is the Author of it (for so he is of the other Life) but because (in a sound sense) it is the life that he himself lives, their Life being but an Image of his Life; this is called Eternal Life, this is that that is the end and fruit of al Christs undertakings. Now this Life, this Spiritual Life, this Life of Christ, this new Life, this Eternal Life, it is that that I now come to endeavor to demonstrate to you, that al the Lords people live this Life while they are in this world. p. 7Now there are Two things that my purpose is to treat upon in the Doctrinal part of it, before I come to the Application; but before I come to either of them both, I wil crave your leave to set down three or four Propositions that are but preparatory to it; I wil not handle them, for they would take up too much of the time, but to name them is requisite, it shal be a kind of inlet or preparation to it. The one is,

That this spiritual Life that the Saints do live, 1no natural men have any understanding of it, not any real understanding of it; he doth not know the things of God, nor can he, they are spiritually discerned, and therefore if it should prove a Riddle to many of you, you may have cause to suspect your condition, but not to suspect the truth of the Doctrine. Yea Secondly,

I premise that men may be in the Church, live 2in the Church, and have admirable learning, and admirable abilities to judg of al other things that fal under humane Capa…ty, yet not be able to look upon this any otherwise than as a meer whimsie or a dark riddle. Nicodemus who was a Doctor, a Pharisee, a Ruler, & an honest man according to his principles he had been trained up under, yet when he comes to Christ to know the way to Heaven, he tels him al his other righteousness was nothing, if he be not born again, and have a new life, he could never come into the Kingdom of God; What is this? (saith he) this was as dark to him as if he should enter into his Mothers womb, and be born again when he is an old man: Therefore stil think not, that if you be Scholars, p. 8or wise men, or learned men, you must needs have the capacity of it though the vulgar cannot; No, if the Lord give you not a share in it, you wil never understand it. Thirdly I premise this:

3That there is a double knowledg of this Life. The One is,

1Only a notional knowledg, the Theory, to be able to conceive that there is such a thing, and to be able to talk of it, and to reason about it. And

2There is another knowledg of it, that is experimental, and practical, and real, and convincing. Now the notional knowledg (I confess) by the common Light that accompanies the Ministry of the Word, may break in upon some men; but for the experimental real inward knowledg of it, they wil stil be strangers to it. Yea, I would premise this also.

4That while we are in this world, none living understand this Life, none, not only natural men, unconverted men, but the wisest, holiest, graciousest men that live in this world, never come to have any other than some gatherings, they have some real knowledg (I hope I shal make good to you) but for a ful clear understanding of it, it is not attainable in this world, no more than as our Lord speaks of the wind, that we hear the noise of it, but understand not where it rises, nor when it wil end, and no marvel that it be not thus intelligible, Because

1Partly from the depth of the things themselves, they are the operations of the spirit of God. And,

2Partly from the weakness and corruption of our faculties and understandings, which in truth p. 9know nothing perfectly. No man doth understand how his own bones were framed in his mothers womb, and the things that are before our eyes, not a man living is able to decipher the life of a Pismire or a Butterfly, therefore much less must you think to be able to comprehend this; for this I note to prevent a discouragement, if any soul should not be able to go along with a man in every thing, nor understand every thing, it may be an argument to humble thee, but not to discourage thee: only I shal ad this in the last place,

They that live this Life, the poorest, weakest, 5simplest of al that are numbred amongst the Lords people, though others may be able to dispute of it better than they, and to speak of it to the edification of others better than they, yet they that live this life know more of it than al the world besides. I only give you these little things beforehand: Now I come to the Two things that I promised to treat of. The one is,

I will first prove it cleerly to you out of the Scripture that there is such a Life, a spiritual Life, 1a Life of Christ, which al who receive Christ live while they are in this world, demonstrate the truth of it that there is such a Life. Secondly,

I wil then a little more fully endeavor to discover to you what this Life is, and wherein it stands, 2and I do not doubt but if the Lord help me in it, the things I shal deliver wil be not only useful in some kind, but very comfortable to the Lords people. First then,

p. 101The thing that I promised to endeavor the demonstration of it, is, That there is such a Life besides the Life of eating and drinking, and putting on of Apparel, and buying and selling, and enjoyment of these corporal things, there is a Life that is a higher degree of living, wherein men are taken up above the life that other people live, that there is such a Life, and I wil tel you why I undertake to prove this: Because as natural men do not understand it, so out of the pride of their hearts, disdaining that there should be any happiness that the poor creatures enjoy, which they themselves cannot understand, thereupon they beleeve that there is no such thing, and I am confident that most people that live, when they hear men talk of the Life of God, and the Life of Christ, and a new Life, a supernatural Life, a spiritual Life, they look upon it as a meer juggle, partly in the Ministers, to make the world beleeve that they know more than others do; and the simple people that follow them, that they may have somwhat to cloke their fantasticalness, they give it out; but for the thing there is no such matter: this men beleeve, and the rather because it is a hidden life, and hidden both under the poverty and weakness of those that have it, and many times hidden under their Infirmities and corruptions that break out, which maketh them look like other men; and so men force upon themselves, and nourish in themselves a conceit, that though some (it may be) may be honester men than others, and stricter, and devouter, and p. 11the like, yet this is but a little chipping and he wing of the life that other men live, and can live as they do if they had a mind to it; but as for a life by another principle and Rule, and to have other manner of operations than the Life of the rest of the world, they abominate the admitting of it into their understandings; and I am perswaded this is that that hardens abundance of people, that they never look after, nor suspect their own condition: therefore (I say) I would now prove to you that there is such a life which the Saints do live, and instead of turning you to many particular Scriptures to prove it, I wil give you these Four Arguments out of the Scripture, which you shal in reading the Scripture find frequently proved to your observation; Four Arguments to prove that there is such a Life, that is a higher degree of living, and another kind of Life than the rest of the world live. The one is,

The comparison between the two Adams: Jesus 1Christ is to al those to whom he is a Root, as Adam was to al to whom he was a Root: For it is worth your observing, that the Scripture speaks but of two Adams from the beginning of the world to the end of it, two Men; the First Man, and the Second Man; because they two only were Roots that others do partake of, either which they spring from, or are grafted into. Now the first Man Adam, God made him a living soul, and of a living soul is he the Root of all us, that is, that natural, rational life that all men in the world p. 12have, the first Adam he was the Root of it which communicates it. Now Jesus Christ is to al us the Second Adam, and the Lord made him not only the Lord from Heaven to rule all that should be under him, but to be a quickning spirit, that as the natural men follow their stock, so al that partake of Jesus Christ must follow their Stock, and consequently must partake of his Life, as the branches of the first Adam do of his Life. That is one Argument, and pray weigh it, for if it please God anon, I shal come to examine whether you have that Life or no. Secondly, The second Argument I give is this,

2The Scripture holds it out as the proper end of Jesus Christs undertaking his work, to give life to al that come to him, that upon their coming to him he should give them life; I am come that my sheep might have life, that they might have it in abundance; and herein appeared the love of God, that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might live by him: He that hath the Son, hath life; he that hath not the Son, hath not life. Now were there no other life than what all natural men live, this were an absurd argument, and a poor (I may speak it with reverence) undertaking. Suppose I should go visit, and ride a Journey of many hundred miles, and lay down my life, and part with my estate; For what end? That the party for whom I do it, might have have a house, that hath a house already; why should I do this if there were not another house than that which he dwels in? Or why should I go that he might have p. 13health, that is well without my undertaking, if there were not another health besides that. So, were there not another life, to what end should Jesus Christ make that the undertaking of his life, and death, and burial, and communicate life, if there were not another Life than the rest of the world live? Thirdly,

Cleerly you wil find this, and very frequent in 3the Scripture, that all the world are said to be dead til they come to Jesus Christ, all the world are said to be dead; rich or poor, sickly or healthful, yong or old, they are al dead. Now it is apparent that they are not dead as to their natural life, that needeth no confutation, to say of this Assembly, that they are dead men, when they live, and move, and breath, and talk, and do all the actions of men; when therefore the Lord saith, that al are dead til Christ cometh, certainly there is another Life besides that life that natural men enjoy. Fourthly and lastly,

Abundantly in the Scripture wil you find this 4proved, that upon the souls accepting of Christ they are said to be quickned; They who were dead in sins and trespasses he hath quickned▪ Read but the ten first verses of the 2^d of the Ephesians, and I know not how many other places there are, Ye were dead, ye were such, but he hath quickned you: and he that beleeveth in me (saith Christ to Martha in John 11.25.) though he were dead, he shall live, and living once he shal never die: Doest thou beleeve this? Then, Christ being the Root of a Life, it being the end of his undertaking that his people might p. 14have life, and all men being dead before they come to him, and quickned to life upon the receiving of him, certainly then there is a life that they who have any interest in Christ do live, which others are strangers from. And let this suffice for the first. And (beloved) though I shal not apply this alone, yet I would count it a great fruit of this daies meeting, if the very notion of it might but stick upon your hearts, it would be of admirable consequence, that if al of you would go home and say; Certainly whatsoever I may think of my self, if I be in Christ, there is another life than that which I live yet, and (as you will hear if it please God) a better life, another manner of life than this is. But that for the first. The Second (which it may be you wil more long for, for I suspect not that you wil doubt the truth of the first) is,

What is this Life? what is it? Now remember 2I taught you in one of my Preparatory Conclusions, That it is not to be understood of this world, and therefore pray expect not any cleer opening of it, what it is; but only so far as the Lord hath taught me out of his Word, I shal communicate to you: I wil give you this Description of it, and then I will open it more expresly as I go along. The Life that al Beleevers have from Christ, it is a participation of Christs righteousness upon their union with him, Pray mark it, I shall make this plainer by and by; (I say) That the Life of Christ that al the Saints partake of, it is a participation of p. 15Christs righteousness upon the souls union with him. Where there are these two things a little to be cleered. First,

That all who do receive Christ are united to 1him, and that is the foundation of their Life. The Second is,

That upon their union they partake of his 2Righteousness, and the participation of this righteousness is their life. That is that I mainly intend to cleer.

That they are al united to him, the Scripture is 1abundant in the proof of it, It is Christ in us that is the hope of glory, and we are one with him, and he with us, and he dwells in us by his spirit, &c. therefore it is cleer that we are united to him, made one; and this union it is nothing but the Lord Jesus sending his spirit into the soul, as a band to knit him and them together, that he be made their Root and Stock. Now that I will not treat of, because the very handling of it, it is not only a great Mystery, but it would take up more time than is to be allowed for the Sermon. But Secondly,

Upon their Union with Christ they partake of 2his Righteousness, and the participation of his Righteousness is our Life: Mark (I pray) this, because I hope it will give you some Light into this great Work; for if you be Gods People, I am only making you to see what your spirits are, what your blood is, what your pulse is, and I shal speak of nothing but the things that are in you, if you be the Lords (I say.) The participation p. 16of Christs Righteousness that is our Life: To this purpose, be pleased to observe this one rule, and mark it in your reading of the Scriptures, of the new Testament especially; How that Righteousness and Death, are the two things that are opposed one to another; Death and Righteousness: That look as soon as ever man was a sinner he was a dead man presently, he was dead under the sentence of Death; In the day thou eatest thou shalt die: and not dead only under the Sentence, but dead as his sin deprived him of Gods Image. Now as it is sin that is our Death, so it is Righteousness that is our Life; not our own (which the Scripture disclaims) but the Righteousness of Christ: and you shal find several times in Rom. 5. where the Apostle compares the Death by Adam, and the Life by Christ, ordinarily he useth this expression, That, As sin reigned unto Death, so righteousness by Christ unto Life, stil opposing them, our Death is sin, our Life is righteousness. I know the time will prevent me if I should stay upon that. But therefore,

2I wil proceed to that that I aim at, the Righteousness of Christ, the participation of Christs Righteousness.

Quest.You wil say, What mean you by that?

Answ.I mean plainly this: That our spiritual Death it hath two Branches, that Tree of Death, that deadly Stock hath two Branches; and we are said to be spiritually dead in a two-fold respect. The one is,

p. 17We are dead as we are under the sentence of 1Condemnation, and that is our death of guilt, being bound over by the righteous Judgment of God, to make him amends for the injury we have done him, and that sentence of condemnation is our death; that is one branch in regard of our guilt. The other branch of our spiritual death is,

Our state of death we are in, as being deprived 2of the image of God wherein we were made, and not only deprived of it, but have contrary principles in al the faculties of the soul, carrying us constantly to the things that are opposite to him. In these two respects are all men and women in the world dead til Christ finds them. Now Jesus Christ answerable to this, hath a two-fold righteousness, the participation whereof is our life. First,

He hath a Righteousness of his Obedience, 1which is inherent only in himself; but is bestowed upon us, imputed to us, reckoned to us, and by that righteousness performed by Christ, and inherent in him, and reckoned to us, by the righteous sentence of God he delivereth us from the death that we are under, the death of our condemnation, under the sentence of death; and so the Apostle expresseth it cleerly in Col. 2.12, 13. Ye (saith he) who were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickened; How? forgiving you your trespasses. In that place, the pardoning and removing of our trespasses, is the chief thing that is the quickning there intended. So there is one, a righteousness p. 18of Christ performed in our name, accepted by God in our stead, and made over to us in the Covenant of Grace. That is one Righteousness. Secondly,

2There is another Righteousness of Christ, which is not only inherent in himself, but is communicated to us, so that it is wrought in us, which is the righteousness of our Sanctification, and it is that branch of our spiritual Life that this Text aims at; for he did assert the other, our quickning from the guilt of sin, in al the former part of his discourse. Now that no wretch may abuse it, and say, that then we may continue vassals to sin, he proves it that Christs righteousness is communicated to us, that is, Christs Grace is infused into our souls; and that is made up of these three things, and I conceive there is nothing else in it but these three things. The one is,

1The Spirit of Jesus Christ, that holy Spirit of Jesus Christ is communicated to Beleevers, to dwel in them, to be in them a principle of a new Life. Secondly,

2This holy spirit poured into the soul, works in them in al the faculties of the soul, those gracious dispositions wherein the Image of God stands, which is, light in the understanding, freedom in the will, love, and fear, and joy, that is, the turning of al these affections or passions to their right object, habitually disposing them, turning the bent of the heart from sin to God. And then the third is,

p. 19This self same spirit that plants in them these 3Graces, abides in them to excite them, and stir them up, and draw them out in their whol course, to think, and speak, and do the things, which in a kind of natural way flow from these inward principles, and are a conformity to the Will of God; and thereupon al the love of the Saints to God, and one to another; all their mourning for sin, their striving against it; all their endeavors after God; they are motions of this new life that is wrought in us: and this is the life now that all the Lords people do live while they are in this world. The Spirit of Jesus Christ bestowed upon them, working in them a new frame of heart, turning the bent of their hearts to God, and remaining as an exciting principle to draw out their graces, and strengthening them in their working, whereby their endeavor is in al things to live unto God according to his Will; and this is that Life which my Text, and other Scriptures call the Life of Christ, and the Life of God, which although it be perfect in none in this world, but there are reliques of our old death in us, and of our sinful distempers in us; yet really and truly these things are found in every soul that is brought home to Jesus Christ. And let this (I pray) suffice for the Doctrinal part, that without being burdensom to you, I may make some application of it.

Thus then you see though I have not turned you to many particular Scriptures; yet I know that if you do but read the Scriptures, you wil find that this Doctrine it lies written upon the foreheads p. 20of abundance of Texts, that thus it is with al Gods people. Now then for the use of it, I intend but three Uses, it may be I shal but even name the last. First,

Vse 1.You see by all this how necessary it is that you should al try and examine your souls, Whether you be partakers of this Life or no? And (good friends) be serious about it, and to make you the more serious, give me leave to stir you up by these few Considerations, to be willing to have your hearts tried about it. The one is,

1That in truth this alone is Christianity: mark my words (and if you understand them not now study them) There is nothing Christianity but the Life of Christ, nothing else that is truly Christianity. Opinions they may be Christian Opinions, they may be Christian Truths, but there is no life▪ As we say not of any dead Carkass, of any Picture though it be drawn to the life, we say not in proper language, this is a man, though it be as like him as one thing can be like another, if it have not a mans soul; we say not of a dead man, though it be the body of your Father or Mother, you cannot properly say, this is my Father or Mother, it is but the Carkass of them. So, (I say) be baptized, be in any Church Form or Order, wait upon never so many external Duties, hear Sermons never so constantly, give as good words as you will to those that preach the Truth, and hold it out to you; this is not Christianity, Christianity is to live Christs Life, and at that day you p. 21shall find the Lord will never own a soul to be a Christian, that had not the Life of Christ communicated to him. And Secondly, I tel you to provoke you to it.

Abundance of things go for this Life which are 2not this life; because it is the thing that discriminates Gods people from others; Satan hath shewed infinite stratagems, and discovered all his abilities, laid them out that he might make counterfeits of these things, that might go currant with people that he could delude; Civil Righteousness in some it is not Christianity, a form of Godliness in others it is not Christianity, and abundance of things that I have not time so much as to reckon up; but these are not Christianity though they look like it, and therefore I beseech you but think how you could answer this great Question; Doth Christ live in you? have you the life of God in you? The Life you live in this life, is it the Life of the Son of God? Think what you could answer to it.

Now if you wil say, How shall we know it?Quest.

I wil briefly discover it to you;Answ. for I will give you but two Characters of it; many others might be had, but two I would bestow a little time to cleer to you. The one is,

Wheresoever the Lord gives Life to any Creature 1in a natural way, the life is the preciousest thing in the world to that Creature; howsoever it may mind other things, delight in them, be taken with them, there is nothing so precious to it as life, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he p. 22give for his life; and if you would suppose, as the life of a man it is made up of several lives, that that continues the being of his life, it is prized above al the others; if he wil be impaired in any of them, it shal not be in that (as neer as he can) that concerns the being of his life. Now accordingly (say I) you shal find it cleer, that among al those that live the life of Christ, there is nothing in this world so dear to them as their spiritual Life is, it may be they are dayly mourning for the weaknesses of it, but that that they have of it, is dearer to them than any thing they have in this world besides; and the high valuing of this spiritual Life wil appear in these three things, just as it is in the other life. The one is,

1A natural propensity and inclination, and appetite towards those things that are the nourishment of their Life. Look what God in Nature hath made the means to preserve life, those things living man, so far as he is living, hath the greatest inclination and disposition to; and therefore of al desires that man is subject to, none so vehement as those of hunger and thirst: a man may love Gold, or Silver, or Lands, but there is nothing so vehemently carries him out of himself, as the satisfying hunger and thirst. So it is with all those that have this spiritual Life: Look whatsoever God hath placed their life in, as David had learned God had placed it in his Word, O Lord (saith he) give me thy Word, my life lies in it: and new born Christians, if ever you tast how sweet the Lord is, desire the sincere Milk of the Word p. 23that you may grow by it▪ be longing after a high and reverent esteem, and an appetite after those things wherein the Lord hath placed thy nourishment, though they be but the channels, the vessels whereby his spirit is administred to you, the supplies of the spirit comes in them to you; of al things in the world, these are the most desired: Others that are painted Christians may for their reputation, and that others may think well of them, and to get knowledg, &c. and for such carnal ends; but with an inward savor no man is mightily and eagerly carried out after the means of spiritual Life, but he that lives it. That is one. A Second thing that manifests the high value of that spiritual Life is,

A most vehement declining of what they know to be destructive to life. Let a man that is thirsty, 2come in, and give you all his money in his purse for a cup of Beer; but let one come and tel him, Sir, that Beer in that cup is poyson; that man wil drink his own Piss rather than that shal go down, Oh! it wil destroy Life. God hath put it into the bruit beasts; as put a Sheep into a pasture, he carries that discerning tast, he wil not eat the poysonous Weeds that are there; the Tree it will shoot no Root that way, it will decline it. So those that are the Lords People, that live the life of Christ, what their souls are convinced of to be destructive to their spiritual life, that they decline, shun, and hate, and turn from: and of all things under Heaven nothing so hateful to them as the waies of sin. And thirdly, it wil appear in this:

p. 243That look as it is in the natural life, every Creature as it longs after that which would nourish it, and declines that which would destroy it; so if they must come to the parting, they wil part with al other good things in this world, actually part with them to save their lives. It was a speech of Esau (and had his Birthright been nothing but a Civil Priviledg it would have been justified) If I die for hunger, what good would my Birthright do me? he sels his Birthright for to preserve his life; Skin for skin, and al that a man hath, he wil part with rather than his life. Take me a man that is alive to Christ, if he must part with his Christ, or with his wealth, with his Christ, or with his outward life, though it be the best thing that is to be enjoyed under the name of all worldly things, yet to a man that lives the life of Christ, that is a poor thing to him in comparison of his spiritual life, you shal rather strip him of al. I know when we come to practice, our weaknesses, ignorances, temptations, reliques of corruption often over power us, which may cause matter of self abhorrence; but no man that hath this life of Christ, but in the bent of his soul doth these things, nothing so lovely as that that preserves his life, nothing so abominable as that that wil destroy it, and if he must part with any, they must go before Christ. Pray lay up these things. The Second and other Note whereby this Spiritual Life of Christ may be judged of, is this,

2That look as it is in al other Lives, there are some vital operations, some kind of motions or p. 25operations that are properly vital, that where they are found you may say and swear it too, that there is life, and where these are not found there is no life, or that life is in a swound. As now take the Life of a Tree, we know the natural operations of it are al those of vegetation, to draw nourishment, to expel superfluous moisture, to put out their seed in the sap and bark, and seed and the fruit according to its kind, where you see these things, if the sap run, if the buds be, if there be vegetation the Tree is alive, if it appear there be none of these in their season (though they may be dead in Winter) it is a dead Tree. So likewise in the life of man, the sensual life of a Beast, if there want the pulse that there be not those beatings, that there are not such motions of the heart, we conclude there is no life there; if there be a beating of the pulse, though never so weak, life is there. Now in this Spiritual Life there are some things (that you shal find in the Scripture) that are the proper beatings of the pulse; some operations, that though the things, the acting of them abroad, may be counterfeit as to others, yet to a mans own soul that studies his own heart, and the motions and operations of his own inward man, he cannot be cozened in it, and therefore you may by them be able to discern, whether the pulse of this spiritual life beateth. Now they are many, but I thought but of these three, and I think most of the rest wil fall under them. The one is,

p. 261The proper genuine, and (as I may so say) the natural motion of this Spiritual Life, is to enjoy God in Jesus Christ as their chiefest good; that (I say) is the great thing wherein their pulse beats, because Jesus Christ is not only the fountain of it, and so it must flow back to him, but he is the supream good of the soul, God in Christ is the supream good, and to be carried to that that we fancy to be our supream good it is not in our choyce, we do it necessarily, Nature compels every man to follow that that he looks upon as his chief good, therefore we use to say that of the chief end there is no deliberation, a man is not of choyce, but is carried to it. Now God in Christ being the chief good of the soul, the aiming after him, the braying, breathing after him, the mourning for the want of him, the joying in the presence of him, and all those things that would argue Christ to be the souls chief good, are never found in any but those that have the Life of Christ, there is no man else in this world, but if Christ be Twelve to him, there is somthing else that is Thirteen, therefore ask your souls that; find you that by some operations (it may be you know not whence they come, nor how they come in you, but there is this fixed upon you) there is no good to your souls but Christ, let you enjoy God in Christ for your portion, and that is that good your souls aims after: you may tel others, and I tel you that I do this, and my heart may deceive me; but if I examine my soul, I can never say I do this truly, unless the Life of Christ be in p. 27me. Secondly, Another Pulse wherein this Life constantly puts out, is this,

That the things of Holiness they are connatural 2to him: Holiness, Righteousness, to be gracious, to be freed from sin, to be filled with love and kindness, and mercy, and pity, and these things, there is a kind of natural making out of the heart towards these; because look as it is in our outward man, you know that the actions of eating and drinking, and of a man, no man shall need to learn them, he may have arts that shall make him do them mannerly, but to do the things, they are natural, they were born with him. So now to be holy with God, to be righteous in our conversation with men, freed from sin, to walk as the Lords redeemed ones, to practice these things, this is your life, and therefore the Apostle Peter useth this very expression, That we were redeemed by Christ that we should live to righteousness, live to righteousness. Now as a worldly man lives to his money, another man to his wrath, another man to his lusts, these are the things his heart runs its circle in: A gracious man, the things of holiness and righteousness are the things that suit his spirit. And then thirdly, and lastly, (I wil name no more, but bring it a little closer to you) a third thing is,

That the Lord having made his Will to be the 3Rule of our Life, and revealed this Will in his Word, thereupon the soul that is alive unto Christ eyes the Word, looks at the Word, is guided by the Word; the Will of God revealed p. 28in his Word, that is his Card, that is his Compass, that is his Square, that is his Meet-wand, his eye looking to the Word as his only guide. No man (I dare affirm it though other things may come neer it, but I dare affirm it, that whosoever will study it shall find) in this world doth any of these three things, but he that hath the Life of Christ, upon a serious debate to make Christ the good of his life, to make the acts of holiness the things that his soul naturally makes after, and for the directing of him in all to live (as the Apostle saith) not to the will of man, or the will of the flesh, but to the will of God, that is, to the Word of God, to make Gods Word the Rule of all our actions in our bent and purpose; here is the discovery of the Life of Christ, and this is now to have Christ in you. Now I beseech you (Brethren) tell me (for I shall by and by dismiss you, when I have made but one Use more, I will leave the third) what say your souls to these things? Really leave al self conceitedness, and apprehensions that you may have out of the Pride of your hearts of your own conditions, what say your souls to these things I have opened? have you now the Life of Christ? I wil tel you (Brethren) if I had time to press it, I had here a large Field to enter in, and to shew you what worlds of people that go for Christians, are yet utter strangers to the Life of Christ. I will name you a few that you may enlarge your thoughts of them when you are alone.

1All they that know not Christ; it is impossible p. 29that there should be a making of Christ their chief good, where there is no knowledg of him. There is no valuing of an unknown thing. All ignorant persons are strangers to this life, as the Apostle saith, the Gentiles were strangers to the Life of God, because of the ignorance that was in them If you know not Christ and his Excellencies, you can never live in him.

Then al those that live to their lusts, whose life 2is to be wanton, unclean, drunken, prophane, these live to the Devil, the Devil lives in them; they may say, I live, not I, but the Devil lives in me. And so thirdly,

All they that live to the world, whose work 3that the genious of their heart carries them to from morning to night, his wealth, purchases, buying, trading, &c. there their soul fixes on them, there they rest, to the world they live. And again,

All that live to their pleasures, whose viv…re is 4bibere and the rest, they eat and drink, and sport and play, and give them these and these are the things that make a happy life to them. All these and abundance of others (which I fear I should presume upon your patience, if I should stand to innumerate but al these) are cleerly proved to be destitute of this Life of Christ; think of it (Brethren) think of it. It is an easie thing (let me tel you) to be Christians (as we cal it) they are cheap things to hear Sermons, cheap things to profess Religion in our daies, wherein I think a long time there have not been fewer that mind it heartily, p. 30yet abundance now pretend to it; but to be alive to Christ, to be able to say in this Life, I have other business than what I have here below, I have a Trade, a Wife, a Husband, and Children, but the Lord knows my Conversation is in Heaven, my life is in Heaven, it is Christ that lives in me, they are few can say it, and the Lord help you that you are not deceived about it. And then the other Use that I will make of it, is,

Vse 2.That this Lesson is a most comfortable Lesson, for I do not doubt but the clearer any man speaks about these things of Gods Kingdom, the more will the hearts of Gods people be able to joyn with him. I fear not but many of you can say it is thus with you, the Lord witnesseth that with you, doth he not? That there is nothing you have such an appetite after as the means of Grace and Salvation, that you might live, and that your hearts dread at the waies of sin, and that (if God put you to it) you beg of God to be stripped of all, rather than God should not be set up, and that al your prayer is, let God give me Christ, God in Christ for my portion, and that reverently, not in a ranting way, as if a lewd life could honor God (as some rude people pretend to now) but that I might be holy in this perverse generation, especially in my inward man where Christ dwels, and the things you look at in buying, selling, and purchasing, and sporting, and in al the things you may do that are Lawful to you, observing Gods Rules you take Gods Word to be your Rule, then I tel you for your comfort these two things. First,

p. 31The Lord hath communicated to thy soul the 1excellentest life that ever he gave to any creature. Three things I wil speak briefly that you account of. First,

To be thus minded, to be thus molded, thus 1framed, it is absolutely the highest, the noblest, the excellentest life that any creature ever partaked of. I might shew it you in a world of Particulars out of the Word, that there is no life like it. We use to say in Phylosophy, That the life of a Pismire it is a more noble life than the life of a Cedar, though one Cedar be worth many thousand Pismires; yet the life of the Pismire is better, because it cometh from a nobler spirit. Now the Life God hath given thee comes from the spirit of Jesus Christ.

It is the noblest; the operations of this Life are 2above what poor creatures can do: as we say, the Life of Reason it is such a brave flying thing to be a top, above the poor sensual things of bruit Beasts, and to deal with God. And,

It is the sweetest too (that is another;) for in 3al other lives men tast but the sweetness of the Creature; but here the sweetness of thy Life is God and Jesus Christ himself, there is no life so excellent as this is. Secondly, I say for thy comfort,

The Life God hath given thee, is the greatest 2pledg of his love he ever giveth to any; he hath given thee life, it was the end of Christs undertaking to give life to his beloved ones, he never giveth this to any man he means hurt to. He can p. 32give a Kingdom to a man he means to destroy; he gave it to Saul, and cast him away in his wrath; he can give an Apostleship to one that shall be damned; he gave Judas an Apostleship, and yet he perished: but to have this Life, to close with Christ, to live to him according to his Word: had you this Church ful of Diamonds given you to do what you would with, and to raise your posterity to be the greatest men in this part of the world, it were not such an expression of his love as to give Christ to you. And thirdly, I tel you,

3This Life that the Lord hath given thee, of which Jesus Christ is the Fountain, thou mayest be bold to rely upon him for the preservation of it, because it flows from him, he is the Well-head of it, he is the Well spring of it; and therefore when thou thinkest how many evils thy Life may be incident unto, what temptations thou mayest meet withal, how weak thou art to resist them, remember man or woman whose Life this is, it is not thy life, but Christs Life, and he ever lives to make us live; and therefore thou in an humble walking, and dependance upon him in the use of Gospel Ordinances, mayest comfortably expect that God wil nourish this Life, and cherish it, till thou come to be a perfect man, till thou come to be transplanted into another Life, where Faith and al these things shal cease, and God be All in All: this the comfort of it. Then I thought to have spoken a little to the third Use.

p. 33That because all the people of Christ live this Life, to perswade you all to study it,Vse 3. and to seek after it, and often compare it with that other life that we so often weary our selves about with a vain shadow, hazarding every thing for it, to have our accommodation with as much refreshing as can be.

SERMON II.At Mary Magdalens Milkstreet Octob. 30. 1653.

Gal. 2. part of verse 20.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; (now follows that which I shal more insist upon) and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

THe Second Lesson, which is the manner how all the Saints of God live this Life of Christ while they are in this world. The Life which I now live in the flesh. By Flesh there he means not his fleshly part, as they are said to live to the flesh who live sensually and wickedly; but by the Flesh there is meant our mortal condition while we are here upon Earth, while we live our natural life, the Life of Christ in us, it is lived by the faith of the Son of God, that is, the faith wrought in us by the Son of God, which we place upon the Son of God; but that grace of faith, it is the manner, or the instrument, or the p. 34means of our holy Life while we are in this world. And this Doctrine which (beloved) is the mystery of Christianity, is the very life, and soul, and kernel of true Christianity, I shal endeavor (according as the Lord shal enable me) this day to open to you. This is the Doctrine,

Doct. 2.That that Life of Christ which all Gods people live in this world, they live it by faith.

Understand but the scope aright, and I hope the discourse may prove useful to those that have this Life. My meaning therefore is, That the grace of faith, it is not only the instrument, or condition required to make us partakers of Christ and his Life, it is not only one chief grace, or one branch of this Life, but while the Saints are in this world, the mannagement of their whol Spiritual Life is the work of faith, Christ indeed is the fountain of it, and the Spirit of God is the great administration of it, but that which we do while we live in this world, our whol spiritual Life is through the assistance of God acted by the grace of faith, and I intend (the Lord willing) to handle it in this Method:

1First, I will cleerly demonstrate to you from the Scripture that it is so, that the whol Life of a Christian, it is led by faith. Secondly, which I more aim at.

2I shall endeavor to clear to you what the holy Ghost means by this, and what it is for a soul to live the Life of Christ by faith; that shall be my p. 35chiefest work in the Doctrinal part, and then I wil come to the application of it.

For the proof of it, that it is so. First,

Mark how cleerly the Scripture holds it out, 1that while we are in this world the life of the Saints it is led by faith. There is one place in Habbakkuk 2.4. I wil mention that, you shall see the reason by and by; the Spirit of God there speaks of the several waies that men had to live in troublesom times; for Habakkuk lived in very difficult times of the Church, and there in his discourse he shews how proud men lived by maintaining a good opinion of themselves, and lifting up their hearts, and how worldly men lived by loading themselves with thick clay, good store of Gold and Silver, and Houses, and Lands; but (saith he) the just live by faith, every godly man lives by faith. Now this Text of the Prophet Habakkuk, it is three or four times in the new Testament alledged by the holy Ghost, to prove the very self same Doctrine: as for example, Rom. 1 17. I wil rather name that first, because it proves both these Doctrines I have propounded, saith he in verse 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth the Gospel, for (saith he in verse 17.) therein is the righteousness of Christ manifested from faith to faith: There now is my former Doctrine, that our Life to Salvation, it is nothing but the righteousness of God manifested to us, and communicated to us, yea, from one degree of faith to another, according as we get more faith, so we have more p. 36life, and as Righteousness is further revealed, so we have more faith, and consequently more life, as it is written the just shal live by faith: mark it, The manifestation and communication of the Righteousness of Christ, it is held out in the Gospel, but received by Faith, and every Beleever lives by Faith, The just shall live by faith. So in the Epist. Gal. 3.11. the holy Ghost repeats the very same expression again, speaking of the Life of the Saints, as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Again the very same phrase in Heb. 10.38. where the Apostle there is pressing of Beleevers to a holy Life, in difficult and troublesom times that are coming upon them, and shews what wil become of Apostates and Back-sliders, but (saith he) The just shall live by faith. The whol life of al holy men while they are going through the world, and get into Heaven, all their life is transacted by faith, this is clear. And I wil ad but another Text, that which you find in 2 Cor. 5.7. the Apostle saith expresly, We live by faith, we live not by sence; if you wil take sence there for carnal sence, things that are sensible to our outward man, we live not to sence; or if you wil take it in the more elevated interpretation, spiritual sence, that is, the immediate enjoyment of the light of Gods countenance to ravish us, though it is a Treasury to be desired rather than ten thousand worlds, yet we live not by it, but by faith, the Life of Gods people it lies al in the grace of Faith. But,

2I wil add two Proofs more that are not particular Scriptures, but conclusions that are fit for p. 37you to study, and wil give a wonderful conviction to your hearts of the truth of this Doctrine, That the Life of al Gods people while they are in this world is lived by Faith. You shall have this demonstration. First,

That the holy Ghost when he compares spiritual life and natural life together, he useth to 1compare the grace of faith to al those faculties or members, which are the whol livelihood of our natural lives, those members or faculties which contribute the most to the livelihood of our natural life, the holy Ghost makes faith to be al these in our spiritual life; pray remember, my meaning is thus: You know while we are in this world, while we live we must be fed, take away food, appetite, eating, digesting, drinking, concocting of it, and you destroy a mans life presently: Faith is our mouth by which we feed, al the food that the soul hath, it is by a spiritual mouth, and it is faith whereby we feed, ordinarily it is compared to our mouth, appetite, and stomach; but then before the food cometh to our mouth, the hand receives it and conveys it to the mouth; Faith is our hand, compared to the hand whereby we do our work, and receive our food and carry it; Faith is our eye whereby we behold the things we are to act, and work upon, for the maintaining of our life; Faith is the foot whereby the soul is carried both to its business and food: hands, eyes, mouth, tast, the Spirit of God sets it out by them all, thereby signifying to us, that what the eye, mouth, hand, and tast, contribute p. 38to our natural life, that doth the grace of faith to our spiritual life while we are in this world. That is one Conclusion that I think is a cleered demonstration, that while Gods People live in this world, it is faith that is their Life. The Second, which is yet more ful, is this,

2That you shal find cleerly in the Scriptures, that not only our life in general is attributed to Faith, but every thing concerning our life is in Scripture made the work of faith. Oh! that we could understand this; but you that are spiritual must needs be versed in the truth of this Doctrine, (I say) that not only the bulk of our life in general is said to be the work of Faith, but every thing that concerns our spiritual life, the holy Ghost doth impute it to the grace of Faith; as now I will instance in some things that wil comprehend al the rest. All the Life of a Christian is reducible either,

1. To the beginning of it. Or,

2. To the preservation of it, and carrying of it on. First,

1The Beginning of it: We have our spiritual Life begun in us by Faith, it is on our part the principle whereby the very spiritual life is received: or if you will have it more plainly; All those things that are the real principles of our Spiritual Life, they are all received by Faith. As,

1Jesus Christ who is our Life, and is the fountain of our life, we recive Christ by faith. As many as received him, that is, as many as beleeved. p. 39And in Ephes. 3.17. whether Jesus Christ dwels in our hearts by faith. That Lord Jesus that remains in us constantly, we have him by faith. Then,

The Spirit of Jesus Christ, who doth take from 2Christ and communicate to the Saints; for so Christ said when he promised him to his Apostles, and Church; that shall be his Office to take of mine, and give to you (saith he) How received you the Spirit? was it not by faith? So that by faith we receive the Spirit, as it is the very principle of our life. I confess this is a great mystery, for Faith it self is the work of the Spirit, and yet the Spirit is received by faith, but the holy Ghost saith it is so. Somwhat I would say to witness that, but the time wil not allow it me. So that our very beginning of our spiritual life is by faith, while we are meerly passive, the Spirit of God works alone without us; but when we come to be active, the very first, and al the acts of our lives they are by Faith. Well, when this life is begun, Then Secondly,

The Preservation, the Maintainance of it, the 2acting of it wholly, the Spirit of God acts by the grace of Faith: as thus; All our nourishment comes from Ordinances; for though the Lord be the Fountain of it, yet the Ordinances are the canales, the channels wherein the Lord gives out a greater supply of himself; we must receive all these by Faith. The Word profits no man unless it be mingled with Faith, your Prayers they must be Prayers of Faith, the Sacraments they p. 40are received by Eaith: All Ordinances are so far effectual to the soul as the grace of Faith puts them upon you. Faith is not only the means of our Food, but for Physick, the overcoming of our evil, al the Spiritual enemies of our spiritual life, all that would destroy it, it is Faith alone must do it.

1You shall find Satan the great Enemy, how do we overcome him? By resisting him in Faith.

2The World another Enemy; every one that is born of God overcometh that the world cannot prevail upon them, and this is that that overcometh the world, even your Faith. So,

3All our Lusts; it is by Faith that we put off the old man: the Scripture is cleer in it, nay, the actings of our lives, all the actions of our spiritual life, all the excitings and callings out of all our graces in every relation publick and private, the Spirit of God laies it al upon Faith, until we come to be consumated, and put into Heaven, the Lord doth leave the mannagement and carrying on of our spiritual life to the grace of Faith, himself is the Sum, the fountain; but so far as the Creature hath a hand in it, that is the sanctified creature, it is this faith whereby the whol life is acted. Thus you see the first thing I hope sufficiently cleered, That the Life of al Gods People while they live in this world, it is the life of faith. But now comes the greatest Question, for there are so many cleer Scriptures about that you cannot doubt of it, you had as good doubt of your Christianity as to doubt of this, Whether a Christians life is the life of faith? But now,

p. 41What the holy Ghost signifies by this, what is 2it to live by faith? That is a thing that may be more difficult to be understood, and if it please God that I can but cleer it to you out of the Word, that you may see wherein the true living by faith doth consist, when I have opened this I wil not doubt but so many as are Gods People wil say, this is my very condition; but as for others they wil say, every body talks of living by faith, one man makes living by faith only to be a fancy in his own head, that God wil do this and that for him without any warrant from the Word; another (it may be) fancies, that live how he lists, if he hope but to go to Heaven when he goes out of the world, then he lives by faith: But living by faith is substantial, I shal now set my self (by the Lords help) to clear to you, what the holy Ghost signifies when he saith, that the life of Gods people in this world, they live it by faith; and to this end I must premise these two things; but to make way. The first is,

That our Lord Jesus who is our Head, our spiritual 1mystical Head, he hath not only an Al-sufficiency for al his people, for every one that beleeveth, til they come to glory; but he hath a full purpose in his heart never to be wanting of supply unto his called ones, a full unchangeable purpose to supply them with whatsoever is needful to bring them to glory. That is the first thing I lay down as a foundation, to lead you to know what it is to live by faith, there is an all sufficiency in Christ our Head, yea, a ful purpose and p. 42resolution unchangeable, to supply to all his people whatsoever they can need in any condition, til he hath brought them to glory. That is the first thing, no body wil doubt this the Scripture is so ful to it. The Second thing is more immediate and closer to my purpose, and it is this,

2That Jesus Christ hath not only this determinate purpose in his heart, but he hath in his Word declared and manifested al that he will do for his people, and expect from his people til they come into Heaven; mark, that is,

1In his Word hath he declared Promises, which hold out al the good that Christ means to do for his people, not only general promises for pardon of sin to bring them to Heaven, but promises for every condition that can be, he hath declared what he means to do, and which way he wil do it.

2He hath there likewise declared what his will is for al the duties that his people are to perform i… the way of obedience; he wil never expect from them in al their life time any thing but what in his Word he hath set down. And thirdly,

3In the same Word he hath not only laid down Promises what he wil do, and precepts what they must do, but Directions that hold out both arguments to stir them up, and waies that they should take; al these hath he laid down in his Word, al the means either to attain strength to do duties, or to accomplish the benefit of any Promise; in his Word he hath laid down al his mind, and that is called his will concerning us, that is the will of God concerning us. Now these three things premised, the purpose of Christ to do all that he p. 43will do and expect, the declaration of all this in his Word. These two taken for granted, now in the third place, which is my Doctrine, and which wil make you understand what the living by faith is,

The Grace of Faith wrought in us by the Spirit 3of God, and acted in us by the Spirit of God, it immediately hath its whol application to the Word. Good Friends hearken, (I say) the grace of faith is the work of the Spirit in us, and is excited and stirred up to work by the Spirit; the Spirits proper and immediate work is to deal with the will of Christ revealed in his Word, it looks not at Heaven immediately, it looks not to Christ immediately; but it looks at God, and Christ, and Heaven mediately through the Word. In the Word there saith sees all the good things promised, that in its life time it shal stand in need of; in the Word it seeth the injunction of al those duties that the renewed soul should be conversant about or be exercised in; in the Word, and in the Word only, he seeth the Methods, the Counsels, the arguments, the Directions that are to be attended upon for the enjoyment of all that which is in Christs purpose to do for us. Now mark, The grace of faith stirred up by the Spirit of God, to look to the Word in every thing in the right way, and the Lord by his invisible and secret work making the things held out in the Word effectual to the soul, by this act of faith in the whol course of our life, applying it self unto the Word; the Word of Promise for matters of Comfort, the p. 44Word of Precept for matters of Duty, the Word of Direction in matters of means and Ordinances; the applying of the soul to the Word in all these things, the Lord according to his goodness making these things good to the soul that thus applies it self to the Word, this is to live by faith. So that now to come a little neerer to the business, (for I have not yet explained it so far as I hope by and by I shall, but I say) now to live by faith. First,

1It is not only for a soul to beleeve in Jesus Christ for salvation, or to beleeve all our life time that we shal be saved by Jesus Christ when we go out of the world; it is not only that that is but a piece of it. But,

2To live by Faith, it is in our course to enjoy the whol revealed will of Christ to us as our life, thereby fetching all our consolations that are fit for our life from promises, thereby fetching all our practices from the declaration of what he makes our duty, and applying our selves in the use of those means, which the Lord hath appointed us to attend upon for the accomplishment of these; this conversation of the soul is the living by faith. To live by faith it is this: I am not only made partaker of the Righteousness of Christ which is imputed for my justification, and is inherent for my new quickening: I have not only these principles in me, but by the grace of faith al the comfort of my life is fetched from a promise, al the rule of my conversation is from the Precepts, and all the means I use for the accomplishment p. 45of one or other, they are those that are prescribed there; so that be it to undergo affliction, to conflict with a temptation, to go through my Calling, be it to comfort my heart against temptations, when the soul looks to the Word of Christ, and there takes the Word for its guide both for comfort and duty, until the Lord of his meer grace have accomplished in us all the good that he intendeth to us, which wil never be til he takes us out of this world, when faith ceaseth; but in the mean time, this, and this only is that which the Scripture cals living by faith. But now (because I would yet make it a little plainer to you) be pleased to know, That although there are acts of faith applicable to every particular condition we are in, which would require a Volumn to mention; yet for the present purpose you must know, that there are five things faith doth in this general living by faith, that every one that is said to live by faith, his faith doth five things in his ordinary course, which are applicable to every thing that you can think upon, which I shall not need to stand to prove, though I will give a touch as I go along, because I would spare a little time for the Application before I break off: But there are five things applicable.

First, The grace of faith looks at the Word as 1that which is most sure, that is, it yields a firm assent to the truth of all that Jesus Christ hath revealed concerning him in his Word. The Promises that are made, faith assures the soul they are al true; they are not whimsies nor fancies. The p. 46Duties and Directions there prescribed faith assures the soul they are things the Lord looks for; so that the Apostle saith in Acts 20. when he lived as a Christian, he did exercise himself to beleeve al that was spoken by the Lord in his Law, and David saith, Thy Word (Lord) is from everlasting: It makes not any scruple or doubt, but gives a firm assent to what the Lord hath set down in his Word. That is one, and that indeed is the Basis and Foundation of the rest. The Second,

2It not only assents that all these are true, but faith acquiesses that these are the magazine, the store house, the comprehension of al excellencies that the soul shall ever be made partaker of, he desires to be satisfied in the goodness of them, he desires no other course of Life to order him but what is set down in the Word, he thinks not there are any Councels nor Directions to be regarded, nor compared to those set down in the Word, he rests in them, there his Treasure lies in that great iron Chest, and the Word is not only true, but his livelihood, he knows God hath declared this in his Word, and there his soul is satisfied: That is the Second. And then the third is this:

3The Lord laies al our happiness up in his Word, the happiness of our comfort, the happiness of our holy conversation, therefore faith directs the soul to attend to the Word as to its only guide and comfort: that look as a man that is satisfied, I am to travel in a dark night, and to go through a dangerous place; but I am sure I have a mighty p. 47guide, not a Will of the Wisp (as they cal it) and an Ignis fatuus to miss-lead me; and therefore as I love my life and happiness, I will look to the Word, by the Word I am guided, by the Word I am directed, as the Apostle expresseth it: It is a thing you do wel to take heed to, as to a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn, until the day of Heaven come, and you be brought to glory. The soul looks to the Word as its only card and compass: as the Marriner at Sea looks at his Card and Compass, they are his guide; so the Beleever he only looks at the Word as his guide. There is the third. And then the fourth thing that faith doth in al that live the life of faith is this,

That they make the things revealed in the 4Word the matters of their prayers, they dare not beg a thing of God until they know it is Gods wil, that they find a warrant to beg it either absolutely or conditionally; they make the Word the matter of their prayers and endeavors; and if they go about any thing, or be under distress and affliction, they labor to get rid of it by making the word their direction in that. And Fiftly and lastly,

Doing al these things as well as it can, it staies 5it self upon the truth▪ and faithfulness, and power, and wisdom, and goodness of God, and the Lord Jesus who hath revealed these things to him, he staies himself upon him for the accomplishment of these things, in his own time, and in his own way. And he now that doth these five things, he p. 48truly lives by faith: The Lord hath turned the bent of his heart to it, and he is assured his Word is true, and that there lies his happiness, he looks at it as his only guide, he makes this the matter of his prayer and endeavors, and when he hath done, knows all his poor endeavors are nothing, but waits upon the Lord to make all good to him, according to his wisdom and faithfulness Thus you have heard a Christian ought to live by faith, and I hope now you see what it is. Now one Question more I must needs briefly speak to, and that is this:

Quest.But may some say, Do all that live the life of Christ live thus? that this is excellent I will not dispute, and that this is held out in the Word, I doubt it not; but will you make true Christianity fall within the compass of this, and no further? dare you affirm it that none live the life of Christ in this world, but those that you have spoken of?

Answ.Now the Answer to this you shall have cleerly in these three things. First,

1It is true, that even the Lords own people do somtimes too much live to the flesh, there is flesh in the best; somtimes they are under great temptations, somtimes (it may be) under the sweetness of the Creature, and flesh prevails, and they walk by other rules so far as they are unregenerate, so far as the true Genius of Christianity works not in them; for we all know that as we live but in part, so we live by faith but in part, and too p. 49much Gods people fail in this. But Secondly, I answer,

That so far as we are Christians, so far every 2man in the world, be he strong, or be he weak, he lives according to these things. I fear not to speak it positively, that not one man living upon the Earth ought to own himself, or any other to own him to live the life of Christ, further than he lives according to this that I have set you down, though they talk of them, preach of them, write of them, if they practice them not, and actually live according to these Rules, they live not as Christians. But thirdly, I answer,

That many souls do live thus, really live thus 3in their course, who cannot speak thus, who do not know that they live thus. As take my meaning thus: It is certain that our life in nature, it is lived thus, Food is taken into the mouth, when it is taken into the stomach, it digests it, and by a concoction it is so and so separated; and al Schollers, and those that know the course of Nature, know not only that they live by food, but can tel you the Methods of it; but many thousands that live the natural life, cannot tel how they live it: And as there is in Logick an Art of Logick, which is nothing else but Reason digested into the right Methods, to shew you what is the cause, and subject, and adjunct, &c. that we cal the Art of Logick, doth but cast al these things into their … place; but many thousands do argue, and speak from causes, and effects, and subjects, and adjuncts, and comparisons, and things that are opposite, p. 50use arguments from them, who know not that they play the Logicians in al these. So in the great acts of Faith, there is no man (it is certain) partakes of Christ but beleeves in him; but doubtless there are many thousands that beleeve in Christ, that know not what that act of faith is, that gives them an interest in Christ, but the Spirit of God carries them on to it. So the Saints of God though they cannot speak of these Rules I have shewed you til they be opened to them, and then they can close with them; so that I am far from saying that no man lives the life of faith, but he that understands that he acts al these things, but he may understand them really. Well, this laid as the foundation, you will pardon me though I take a little time to give you a tast of the Application before I dismiss you: But thus I have endeavored to cleer this Doctrine, That all the Lords people while they are in this world, while they do partake of the Righteousness of Christ, one part of it for their Justification, the other for Sanctification, the acting of this while they are in this world, it is the life of faith. Now the use of it is very large and sweet; I will give you but a tast of two things before I dismiss you: The one is for Instruction.

Vse 1.Hence therefore you may safely and sadly conclude, That among the great multitudes of those that challenge the name of Christians, there are (God knows, and we may know) a very few that are really Christians; if this that I have opened p. 51to you be the Lords truth, which I hope through his mercy I have demonstrated, but if this be true, you shal see that amongst those great multitudes of them that are called Christians, there are but a very smal number who really are Christians. Oh! (Beloved) should I (as justly I might, if the time would give leave) but come to separate the chaff from the wheat, and to cul out the several sorts of men in this world, who live by clean different Rules from this I have spoken to you, in what a smal number might the names of real Christians be comprehended, what a little Book would hold them all? As for Example:

Do all the Saints of Christ live the life of Christ 1by faith? Then certainly they that are ignorant of Christ, and know him not, are destitute of all real knowledg of him, it is not to be thought that they should live this life of faith.

They that never troubled themselves at the very 2Doctrine of faith, it is to them but a meer whimsie, they are the most ignorant of him; surely no man can be careless about that which is the principle of his Life: now a careless man about his faith, you may be confident that man never lived the life of faith. Again,

All they who live to their lusts (as God knows 3multitudes do) what is their life and comfort, but to drink, to whore, to swear, to cozen, to cheat?

Multitudes of others live to the world, Mammon 4is the God of their life, the end of their life, p. 52that that takes them up from the beginning of the morning til the evening comes, when they are awake the world is in their hearts. And,

5They that live to their own wills; as look whatsoever their own fancies and wills suggest to them to be advantagious, this is that that satisfies them and serves their turn, to attain such a corrupt end, or such a way as they are in. Oh friends! there are a smal number that live the life of Christ, the Lord help you that you may not be deceived about this. I can but name this. And then Secondly, The other thing I wil name is this (and pray carry this home.)

Vse 2.Those that are Christians, it hath plainly appeared that of al things in the world, Gods people have most cause to lament and bewail their unbelief. You hear that faith is your life and livelyhood, therefore there is nothing to be so much lamented by real Christians concerning themselves as their unbelief: I speak not but there should be somthing more lamented than our own damnation; but for our selves of al the evils we lie under in this world, there is none to be lamented so much as our unbelief. Take my meaning thus: Suppose a poor child under the care of loving and careful Parents, that would neglect nothing that may do the child good; but the child cannot eat his meat, it hath no appetite, or the meat is cast up; alass, if he have no stomach the child wil languish, and for this and other distempers, let the Parents weep over it never so p. 53much, or dandle it never so much, the child hath an inward root that wil destroy it. I tel you what is true from the Lord, there is nothing can undo you but unbelief, there is no cross under Heaven can betide you, but faith will carry you through it, no duty can be preached, but faith will carry you through it; no Promise so hard in the Word of God, but faith wil fetch out the sweetness of it. Oh! this unbelief of ours undoeth us.

But you wil say,Quest. Do you think the people of God are so much guilty of it?

I wil give you a little tast,Answ. and by that you shall judg. First,

All our not studying the Word, that we are no 1more acquainted with the Word, for were a servant of God assured that his livelihood in comfort, in duty, and every thing were to be fetched from the word, there is no Merchant that would endeavor to be skilful in the mystery of his Calling, more than every Christian would be in the understanding of the word. And

When the word is held out to us, that we do no 2more value it, and that we no more rely and venture our souls upon it, it is nothing but our unbelief: As if so be a man that I dare put my trust in, if he make me a promise to furnish me with so much money at such a time, I dare rely upon it: But that I do not thus rely upon God in all my temptations, and fully perswade my self that the Lord will deliver me, it is nothing but my unbelief. p. 54If a mortal man tel me, if I walk thus and thus, I will fall into many a danger, and thus it wil fall upon me by Law, this makes me careful. That we deal not so with our gracious God is through our unbelief. Nay, in a word.

3All our unevenness in our whol course, that we somtimes rely so much upon the Creature, that when things flow in according to our minds, then my Line is cast in a fair ground, then God hath made my Mountain stand strong while the things of the world are with me, & at another time if I see a visibility of ruine, then I cannot say that the great God wil stand by me in these difficulties, this is nothing in the world but unbelief. Nay,

4All your deviations: If you find David using unlawful means, going over to the King of Gath to gain relief, it is nothing but unbelief. If you find a man venturing out to take any unlawful comfort in the Creatures, it is nothing but unbelief, it is a thrid runs through the whol course of Gods people, to make them live low lives, and hinders them from the obtaining of that that would be consolation to their own souls, therefore I beseech you, you that have made Christ your portion, and make account that faith must be your livelihood, lay it to heart, mourn under it, pray the Lord to root out this bitter weed, and make you masters over it, for certainly it is a great evil; we stand by faith, we fal by unbelief, it is that that occasions all the disquiets of our lives. The Lord set it to our hearts, and deliver us from it.

p. 55SERMON III.At Mary le Bow. Octob. 30. 1653. afternoon.

Gal. 2. part of verse 20.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; (now follows that which I shal more insist upon) and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

NOW I proceed, and there is but one great Use that I intend, though I would a little mention another, and speak a little of it in the first place. Good Christian Friends, weigh what I have said, and regard it not because I say it; but because of the evidence I hope goes along with it. But the thing I collect is,

That you may all hence learn what kind of Christians they must needs be,Vse 3. who can live in the flesh above the Word and Ordinances, having no use of them, and (as they think) nothing to do with them, but live in an immediate Communion with God and enjoyment of him. This is one of the wildnesses and infatuations that the Lord hath let out amongst us in this sinful Nation, that many that have gone for sober, humble, gracious men and women, they look upon al those that p. 56have to do with Ordinances, that study Scriptures, and tend upon Sermons, they look upon them but in the A B C Form, they are of a low pitch and rank, themselves are above these things, they have attained to a higher Form: But this Doctrine that I have opened, will cleerly direct al Gods people what to judg of them; for if they live the Life of Christ (for that they pretend to) it is either the life of spiritual sence, immediate enjoyment; or the life of Faith: if they pretend to an immediate enjoyment of God without the intervention of faith, beleeve it they are beyond the Apostle Paul, that professed in his own name, and in the name of al the Saints that then lived, That the life that they lived in this life, it was by faith, and not by sence; yet these have learned that they are beyond his Form: I will not say, much good may do their hearts with it; but poor Creatures their delusion will one day afflict them.

Object.But if they say, No, we grant you it is the life of faith we live in this world.

Answ.Then say I, Unquestionably, and without all dispute, it will appear faith hath its subordinate work, it is the declaration of the Lords mind in his Word, that faith meddles with, and all the Ordinances, and all tending upon the Word and Sacraments, &c. are the administrations of Christs will that is carried on in Ordinances, and no other way I know; sure I am the Scripture is silent in it: Therfore Friends (for such as are concerned in it, they wil not be here to hear it, nor any where p. 57else, they count it a folly, but) to your sober Christians that desire to go to Heaven, and to walk with the Lord in his own way, give me leave to say this: Therefore,

I confess our divisions and subdivisions in other matters of Religion are very sad, the cutting of the people of God a pieces in the several molds and forms of Government, and therby alienating their spirits one from another, it is very sad, and the Lord in his mercy remove those things. But yet this I must say, That while these lower conditions are, and as long as each form carries people to the Word, holds out Christ in his Word, Christ in preaching, Christ in the Sacrament, there is food for souls; and if we could look aright (it may be) we would not be so angry with one another about it as we are; for there is but one Truth, and we pray the Lord to reveal it: but stil here is carrying on the life of Comfort, Duty, Direction, and all that faith meddles with, that the Lords people may enjoy: but for Gods sake, and as you love the life of your souls, watch against temptations that would take you off from the Word, that the Scripture should be nothing; this takes you off from that that your faith wholly meddles with; for if you can say, I beleeve God for such a thing, and Christ for such a thing, unless you find it promised in the Word, it is presumption. Therefore,

Pity such poor souls, your own experience may 1tel you; do but mark them, generally they that live above Ordinances, see whether the Spirit of p. 58God do not withdraw, see whether the Lord hath any other way to convey himself to them, than what he hath held out in his Word; their loosness, folly, pride, and joyning in any thing else that is naught, almost plainly shews that the Lord hath withdrawn from them. And secondly,

2You wil find that such of them as have grace in them (for I am far from thinking any that have grace cannot be under such a temptation, but) I fear not but the Lord will awaken them again though they be asleep, because faith must be the navel, and the string that must maintain them here. But this I did not intend to be large in. The great Use that I intend is,

Vse 4.To all the Lords people whose Life is Christ, and in whom Christ doth live; I would endeavor in the rest of this hour to give them some help out of the Word, that this living by faith might be better known to the Lords People, and more exactly practised than it hath been hitherto, and if the Lord help me to divide it, and you to receive it, I will not fear but your life will be more honorable to the Lord, and sweeter to your selves than it hath been: and there are but two things that I intend to treat upon. The one is,

1Some serious Considerations or Motives, to provoke all who have any thing of Christ in them, that they would study this art of living by faith more than in time past. And secondly, and principally,

p. 59To lay out of the Word the true Directoins, the 2easiest and the readiest way that a willing soul may take to be built up in it.

For encouragement to provoke you to it, I 1pray think of these things:

First, If you will be Christians, it is our Trade, 1and the way of our livelihood, we have no other mystery for the maintainance of our lives but faith, that is cleer. Schollers may live by their Wits, Trades-men upon their Mysteries, and Gentlemen upon their Wealth: But as a Christian we have no other living, or way of living to God, but only our faith. Now because it is our Life, and our Trade, and our Profession, it would be a horrible shame to be found Bunglers in that that is properly our own Mystery. If a man should come and examine me, a Minister of the Gospel, and put into my hands a Merchants Book, and bid me cast up such an Account, and I could not, this were no shame to me: but if he should come and give me a Bible, and bid me open a Text, if I could not do it, it were a shame to me. So (friend) have you the right skil of living by faith? No, It is thy Trade: As thou art a Member of the Common-wealth, or one of the Army, thou mayest have a Calling; but as thou art a Christian, which is thy best Life, thou hast no Trade, but to live by faith, no other way to honor the Lord, nor to manifest the Life of Christ, nor to turn all things for thy good, and the Lords glory, it is thy living by faith must do it; what a p. 60horrible disgrace will it be for thee to be found ignorant of it. Secondly,

2I tell you there is no other way of Life that any man pitches upon, but it will very shortly appear to be but a poor thing. If you should think that the living upon God, this holy life, it is a thing that is a mystery that you do not study; but for the present life that you mind, and you mean to follow the things that will help you to live in the world, I tell you all those after a little while will prove meer delusions. If any of you have the way (as some of you have found it) to raise up your selves to great estates, of a poor servant, in few yeers to become a great man in the place where you live, and now you are wealthy. Before our eyes God hath overturned all these things; hath not God let us see how he hath pulled down great Princes and Kings? hath he not let us see a thousand, ten thousand a yeer a man may have, and yet live to see them al buried, and himself come to beggery? doth not God tell us they are not al worth our study? The Lord (my meaning is) dayly before our eyes stains the glory of all other waies of living; never to the worlds end did he, or wil he stain the glory of living by faith, because you can no where else close with him. Thirdly, that which I most aim at in my Considerations, is to acquaint you with this:

3That this same Art, this excellent Christian Mystery of living our life by faith, it is absolutely the best life, the most desirable life that any man or p. 61woman can live, til they come to enjoy God immediately. This I wil demonstrate, and I hope I shal make it plain, that if a man had the comfort of al other waies of living in any kind, never would the learning or wit of man find out any life to be compared with the life of faith, for the excellency of it; and the excellency of the life of faith I would open to you in four or five Particulars, the Lord perswade you but to study them when you are alone. One is more general.

It is the Life which the Lord hath chosen out, 1to be the life of those that he loved from all eternity. The Lord you grant him al of you to be infinite in wisdom, and therefore before his eyes al waies of living happy were apparent, and out of them all he chose this same life of faith, to be the life of those he loved from al eternity. It is the Prophet Malachi's argument; it is the best Conjugal condition for a man to have one wife, and a woman to have one husband, because else God could have made ten women if he would; but he made but one, that is Gods choyce, therfore that is the best matrimonial life. Therefore the Lord (say I) who knew what learning, what wisdom, what friends, what Phylosophy, what Policy, what any thing might advance men to, he out of them al shews the living by faith to be the way how they should live in this world, who are as dear to him as the apple of his own eye; and to a sober heart more needs not be said to make him think it an excellent thing. Secondly, as it is excellent because of Gods choyce, so,

p. 622It is the honorablest life that can be; there is no life in this world so honorable as the life of faith. First,

1It is wonderfully honorable to God, when his redeemed ones have their whol livelihood from him without hanging upon every hedg, but to acknowledg the Lord, I, to tel every body where they come, I have not one comfort in a child, nor in a wife, nor in a penny, nor in a garment, nor in a dish of meat, but I receive it from the hand of God by vertue of my faith, here God is lifted up in al his administrations. And as it is honorable to God, so,

2It is most honorable to us; for in truth, if we were independent, that is, if we needed no dependance upon any, we must be Gods our selves, and no man would put his foot under another mans table (as we use to say) that hath one of his own. To live dependantly upon another man, that can live independantly of himself, takes off from his nobleness: but if we must live dependantly, then surely it is more honorable and noble to depend upon the head than the foot. He that hath not learned to live by faith upon God, he lives in part upon skins of beasts, upon the world, upon the excrements of the world, he lives (I mean) upon poor, ragged, beggerly creatures: one man saith to Gold, thou art my hope; another man loads himself with thick clay: wel, this is a poor low thing in comparison of depending upon him more immediately, that hath incomprehensible glory; it is ignoble. Thirdly,

p. 63In this world it is the easiest life; I will speak it 3(I humbly bless the Lord that I have any experience of it in my own soul, but I dare speak it) as Divine Truth, to live by faith is the easiest life under Heaven. Do not mistake me, I mean not it is easiest learned, that a man may learn it with a wet finger. Oh! it is a hard trade to learn, and this may be one motive it is not easily gotten: but my meaning is, that when once the soul hath learned it, that it be but a Master of this Trade, that it can say, I have learned to live by faith, no man under Heaven lives, or can live so easie a life as a Beleever may, Why? Because the life of faith wil never leave any thing upon my care, but to walk humbly, and thankfully with my God, it leaves the providing for my body and soul, and posterity, and for the disposing of them al, and for al my affairs, it leaves it at Gods doors, laies it to him, and to me leaves nothing but to take the Book, find my duty, bend the knee, and for all the successes faith leaves it quietly to the Lord; and is not this a sweet life? We that are Parents know (by reason of our carnality) what a hard thing it is, when we have a company of poor children to provide for in a confused World, when all we have may be swept away, and others to have great trading, and yet our Ships miscarry, how we shal pay all our engagements we know not: but if once the soul have faith, it directs him to leave al to the wise and gracious God, and my self to acquiess in his will: I repeat it again, and I pray if you be not satisfied in it now, study it, and p. 64I wil be bound to recant it (as the saying is) at Pauls Cross, whensoever you wil, if ever man can come out and say, the life of faith is an uncomfortable life, no, it is the sweetest life of all: Oh! that God would perswade you to study it, it is the easiest life. Come into a family, and tell me who lives the easiest life, the Father or the Child; the Child hath food, the Father provides it, the Maid cooks it; he hath cloaths, his Father buys him them, the Taylor makes them; and the child goes to school, and never thinks what will become of him when his cloaths are worn out, and his linnen spent, he leaves all to his Father. And then again I tel you.

4It is the best life, because in truth it is the surest life, for that man or woman that will trust God, and wil study to live according to the rule of faith, (I speak it with reverence) they have a statute upon al that God is worth that they shal be provided for; they have a statute upon his All-sufficiency, I am a God all-sufficient, walk before me, I will be a horn of strength, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; a statute upon his Wisdom, Power, Goodness, Faithfulness, what God is and hath, he hath engaged to the soul that wil trust in him. It is an old saying of a Poet, That it is an uncertain Estate (though it may be great) if it cannot be built upon: It is an uncertain estate to depend upon Cables and Anchors; if it come home it is well, but it cannot be built upon; and somtimes they stand in need of an Insuring Office, but how justly I dispute not. But lastly,

p. 65This Art, when once the soul hath learned it, it will deliver a man from all base and unworthy means, it wil deliver the soul from all base and unworthy means in any kind whatsoever, because if he have God in his Word, what need he shirk and shift, or do any thing that is base, when he hath such a rock, such a livelihood for his soul as faith. As now I wil give you but an instance; The Apostle Paul when he was in prison at Rome, he conceived he might have gone out, by giving the Captain of the Guard some money, but Paul scorned to give a penny: when he was at Philippi, put in prison in the stocks, the Magistrates came and bid him come out, he scorned to go out; some might have said, you may provoke them; I care not, he had God on his side. Never did any one so much study to get an Office, or Lordship, or an encrease of his Estate, that they may say there is that boy or girl provided for, let them go where they wil their portion lies by me: this is not so comfortable as to study this Doctrine, That that life that you live in the flesh, you live by the Son of God; that this life of faith may be on your part your principal delight. Now then the Last part of my Sermon which I come to, is,

But how should we do this? Attainable it is, IIand in some degree all Gods people have it; but what course should we take that we might be (as it were) Masters of Art in it, that we might Commence to a good degree? I shall cleerly out of the Word, give you some four or five Directions, p. 66which if you will study you may much enlarge, and I hope it is the right way. The first is this,

1The grace of faith is the principle of our holy life; while we are in this world you must labor to be well rooted and grounded in the grace of faith; mark what I say, to be rooted and grounded, look to that that is your livelihood: when I say rooted and grounded, in that I mean these two things. First,

1You must labor that your faith be a right faith, a sound faith; for (beloved) it is not every faith that wil afford a man a livelihood: painted fire is fire in the Summer time, but it wil never warm a mans hands in the Winter time; painted bread will never fill a mans stomach; it must be real bread, and real drink that wil maintain your life. So (Brethren) that common faith that goes about in the world, fancies and conceits people have ungrounded, without any work passing upon their hearts to make them new Creatures, it may serve for a dead profession, it may serve (it may be) to set you off so far by talking of Religion, that if time serve that way you may get an Office, a Place, and some accommodation for this life; but never wil a formal faith enable you to live the life of Christ, that must be sound faith, faith of the right stamp. I, and secondly, I mean when I say, to be rooted and grounded in the faith,

2You must labor for strong faith, for (Brethren give me leave to say) the least degree of saving faith will certainly keep thee from Hell, and carry thee to Heaven; but the least degree of it will p. 67not enable thee to live the life of Christ to his glory, and thy comfort: If a storm comes little faith shakes; Why are you troubled, O ye of little faith? but never, why are you troubled, you that have fulness of faith? A little childs hand wil serve to receive a penny, I but a little hand wil do but a little work; there is a great deal of work lies upon faith, drawing comfort lies upon faith, and quickning to duty lies upon faith, and as is the man, so is his strength. Gideons Son while he is a child, he wil not venture to cut off the heads of the Princes of Midian, no, he dares not fall upon them: no, a little faith will get but a little comfort, but you must endeavor (and remember this is taught you as the first Direction) to be strong in the faith of our Lord Jesus: Oh! (if my heart deceive me not) I had rather have a strong faith than any thing that may be called strong in the world: A strong purse, a strong head, a strong courage, a strong estate, will never do that that a strong faith wil; therefore I intreat you al, if you find your want, I am a poor creature, I cannot bear afflictions, if God come with a heavy affliction it is hard for me to bear; strengthen thy faith, and thou wilt carry any cross in the world, fly to the Lord. The Lord hath given us in our daies, many preachers that preach faith, many excellent Books that treat of Faith, and living by faith, and how faith may be strengthened, and all that is good about it. No Nation in the World since the Apostles daies (I think) have the like helps that England hath; and therefore study it in the p. 68first place, labor to be rooted and grounded in faith, get a good faith a strong faith. Secondly,

2If you will ever live the life of Faith, labor to be wel acquainted with God, especially with God in Christ (pray mark that, and carry it home) labor to know God, I know whom I have beleeved (saith Paul;) a man may beleeve confidently, but if he have not a ful knowledg of the party he doth beleeve, it may be his comfort wil be less. To know how all sufficient he is, that he can perform Promises easier than any man can, to know how gracious, how good he is, how unchangeable he is, there is no knowledg of God but wil do thy soul good; but I mean, to know God in Christ, that is, as he stands related to Beleevers in a Covenant of grace; and that I rather fix upon, because my Text hath it, and carries it here as the great Basis of Pauls living by faith, (saith he) The Life I live in this Flesh, I live it by the Faith of this Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me: he knew the dear regard that Jesus Christ bears to all his people, he loves them like the apple of his eye. Never Mother tendered her Children as Christ tenders all his Lambs, though never so weak, though never so feeble, though never so dead, he and his Father in him, is wel pleased when we look upon him in Jesus Christ, that not only I beleeve in him, but I beleeve in that God who in Christ Jesus loved me so, that he gave his Son to shed his blood that I might not perish. Now to know God in Christ is the way not to perish. Thirdly, another great p. 69Direction to live by faith is that that I opened at large, and now to speak a little more about it.

Study to be acquainted with the Word: If ever 3you would live by faith you must study to be wel acquainted with the Word; for though God be the ultimate object, and Christ be the all-sufficient means, yet (beleeve it) it is the Word that faith immediately looks upon; and though I dare promise my self great things from my great God in my Christ, yet it must all be still as he hath revealed it in his Word: therefore if you would ever learn to live by faith, soundly, comfortably, you must be acquainted with the Word: And when I say acquainted with the Word, I mean these two things:

The Promises of the Word for the comfort of 1your lives.

To get a good understanding of all those excellent 1Priviledges, which are scattered up and down in all those glorious Promises, which are (as the Apostle saith) exceeding great and precious Promises. Brethren, the Word hath not only the great Promise of the pardon of sin which is an invaluable thing, and will carry us safe when we die; but you shall find in the Word Promises for every condition it is possible for you to fal into; if God should take away al thy children from thee, and thy wife from thee, and visit thee with sickness, and let men loose upon thee, and enemies to persecute thee, there are Promises in the Word for every one of these. Oh! to know the p. 70Promises it is an infinite help, especially if you ad this which I will make a second Branch of the same Direction: When I say acquainted with the Promises, I mean,

2We should know not only where the Promises are, but what they signifie; what doth a Promise signifie that God in his Gospel maketh to souls? for a man may have Promises, and truly from a great many able and great men; good Promises signifie very little from many great men, and mighty men; but to know what Gods Promises are, and what they signifie, it would be a great comfort, and I wil tel you briefly what they signifie, and it may be a key to unlock all the Locks in the House, that is, al the Promises in the Bible. First of all.

1The Promises of God, they do for the present, at the instant of their making, signifie,

1That God loves us; for all the Promises come from his heart, his Providences come from his hands: the Promises come from his heart, and when the Lord makes a Gospel Promise to a soul, he doth as if he should say to that soul, I love thee dearly at the present, before the thing be accomplished thou mayest say it signifies thus to me, If the Lord make such a Promise to me, he loves me. And Secondly,

2A Promise signifies thus much at present, That God wil never hurt me: God gives in a way of Providence those things to many men whom he wil hurt and destroy, nay, he will destroy them even by the things that he gives them; but to p. 71the souls to whom his Promises belong, they signifie not only Gods good will, but nothing in the world that can betide them shal ever hurt them, because they are all Branches of that Covenant of grace; in which Covenant of grace there is no evil shal light upon the soul that is under it, therefore God wil one day make thee to know that he intendeth thy good in it: this is signified for the present. And,

For the future, A Promise is a certain infallible 2pledg of a seasonable performance: His Covenant he wil never break, he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth. All the Promises of the new Covenant are all backed with an Oath of him that is unchangeable. Here is a Promise for my poverty, for my temptation, it comes from the God that first loves me, and will do me no hurt, and wil accomplish it. Brethren, Do you beleeve this? As Jesus Christ said to Martha; He that beleeveth in me, though he were dead he shall live, and if he live he shall never die; Doest thou beleeve this? I Lord, I beleeve it: So say I, Do you beleeve this? Do you not think you shall live comfortably? And Secondly, when I said in this third Direction about being acquainted with the Word, I mean,

Be acquainted with the Duties held out in the 3Word, as wel as the Promises, for it cals to holiness as well as to comfortableness; therefore in the Word learn your Duty: and I the rather tell it you, because many a poor soul takes a great deal of care and pains, in some things that God never p. 72required, and they afflict themselves, and make their lives uncomfortable, in things that God hath not appointed; as not to tel you of many poor creatures in Popery, that would thrust themselves into Monasteries, God never required it; but my meaning is, study the Word, you can never study any thing that so much concerns you; therefore there learn your Duties, the Duties that belong to your relations, and particular places where God hath set you; for to know the will of God concerning me, argues an honest heart more than to know the will of God concerning others: but study to know the Word in the Promises, and in the Duties. That is the Third. Fourthly, which must not be neglected,

4When you have done all this, faithfully and conscienciously serve the Lord in the use of means, serve the Promises and Commandements, serve them faithfully in the use of the means without distraction, but out of conscience resigning up your selves: For, for me to go to labor for an enlarged faith, and to know the all sufficiency of God, and to have the Promises as familiarly as my Pater noster (as they use to say) for me when I have done this, to neglect the means the Lord hath appointed, this is not good. But look as an Husband-man; What rational Husband-man is there, especially if he know God, but he knows that the Corn upon the ground cannot yield him a Crop, unless rain from Heaven water it? and it cannot fall from Heaven unless God send it; and notwithstanding all this, unless God give the Corn a p. 73new body, but because he hath likewise learned that ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, and dungcarting, &c. are all duties belonging to Husbandry, he serveth the Providence of God, and God blesseth him accordingly. Do thus with your souls; God hath given you Promises for some things, Commandements for other things, serve him diligently in the use of the means; but remember what I taught you before, that by the use of the means I mean, means only of his own appointment, for faith dare not go out of his own line, Lawful means that are agreeable to a particular calling, to reason, &c. I have often thought (and I speak it to you from the Lord) that when a people walk with a Word in one hand, and the use of the means in the other hand, we fairly leave the business at Gods feet, whatsoever the success shall be, we will be his Servants, when such a thing hath betided me, I find this is my duty by the best Counsel I can get, and so we leave it at his door, and whatsoever will come, fall back, fall edg, we may have peace and comfort. These are the great Directions, only with these I must put in two Cautions (and when I have done them, I think I may have said that, which may be helpful to them that would walk by Faith) The one is, When I say we must use means, and thus live by faith, my meaning is, First,

That when you have done, you must never limit 1God; God limits you, and limits me, but for himself, Faith must not limit him. My meaning p. 74is, Do not limit him to the way how he shal make it good, for he often works by contraries; do not limit him for time when he shal make it good, for it is good to wait patiently the Lords leisure, though it be al the daies of our appointed season, and we injure God, and our faith doth not work up to its true height, when we will come and say, do it to day (Lord) or else I will question it to morrow; no, limit him not, chalk him not out his way; I may Lawfully expect from God that such a thing shall do me good, but I may not Lawfully tell God which way it shall do me good; I may Lawfully say, from such a temptation God wil deliver me, but I may not Lawfully say, he wil deliver me from it within this week or fortnight, but quietly wait upon the Lord as one that infallibly wil do what he hath spoken: and is not here enough? It may be some will add now by way of Objection.

Object.But what if my difficulty be such an one that I can find nothing in the Word about it▪ What can my Faith do then? Where is your circumscribing Faith within the compass of the Word? It may be my difficulty is such as I find no Promise for it in all the Word.

Answ.I dare confidently then say it is a matter of no great consequence, it may be in thy fancy some great thing, as the fancy of man can blow up a Molehil to a Mountain; but beleeve it, if it be such a trouble as hath not a Promise, it is not worth the taking notice of; for all things that concern the Lords Glory, and good of his People, p. 75there are Promises in abundance. That is my first Caution. And the other Caution is,

When I direct you in all this to endeavor thus 2to live the life of Faith, you must take heed of some other principles which will put the wisest of you all to the utmost of your graces, and that is your own reason, and your sence, I mean not sanctified reason, nor your holy experience, but I mean carnal reason, and carnal sence, which in spight of our teethes will have an Oar in every Boat, it will be putting in, in all things that concern our whol Conversation: If a Duty be propounded, of a sudden I am called out to it; it may be my Reason puts in twenty things against it, You wil lose your Credit in it, and your Labor, and it will come to nothing; it may be our Sence will oppose it, You do but water a dead Plant, a dead Stock, nothing will come of it; and I will tell you, all the experiences that the People of God hitherto have found of our carnal Sence and Reason, in all things that belong to the Waies of God, they are but like a Sophister in the Schools; a Sophister that hath a wrangling head, will blur, and blind, and slur the clearest Positions, in any Art in Logick, Grammer, Rhetorick, Phylosophy, or what you will; when a Conclusion is made and proved, a Sophister riseth up, and he shal slur it all, especially with weak people: So it is with carnal men, whereas a Promise, and a Direction of the Word looked upon by Faith, appears like the Sun in its strength, look upon the very same with carnal Reason, and carnal Sence, and it p. 76looks like the Moon in Ecclipse: a dark Body, it hath no light at all in it; Oh therefore watch against it, and the rather because we are men, and from our Mothers Womb we are corrupt men, and therefore these things are bred in the bone, and will not easily out, but while we carry flesh about us, they will never be subdued. And therefore one handsomly expresseth it, as Abraham did when God called him to that Duty, it was cleer that God made it his Duty when he had called to it; he never goes to call his Wife, for she would have said, Husband, it is impossible, this is but a delusion, it is not possible, the Child that must be the Heir of all Nations, and in him they must all be blessed, What! for you to kill him! it is not from God, never talk of it. Friends, I the rather desire to open these things, because in truth, to a great many the Life of Christ is not known, and many holy souls do want plain Directions, how they should order their Conversation as becometh Christians, and in our uncertain daies, wherein we are every day looking what new Confusions shall break out, Oh! it were a sweet thing for a man to be stablished that he might possess his soul in quietness, in the midst of all the Changes in the World; and really it many times grieves my heart to think, First,

1How the common People of the World live amongst us, they are totally ignorant of these things; but they set their hearts upon Wealth, and Honor, and Pleasure, and these perishing things, these men are carried after, when God p. 77knows, these things are not worth the while. I wil briefly shew you one instance in Dan. 8. you shal reade of a Goat that came with one Horn, and he ran and killed all other Beasts that were in his way; and that Goat was Alexander, and this same Alexander in ten years space did conquer one of the greatest Empires, I mean, he brought into his own hands, one of the greatest Empires that ever were in the World, in all the four Quarters of the World (except America) had he a great part; within ten years there was an end of him, and not one of his posterity had one foot of it, and yet he left a Son and Heir, but al was carried away to others. And so will al Earthly things, we may struggle and strive, and weary our selves in a vain shadow, and when we have done, no man knows for whom he have labored; it may be we expose our Posterity to the greater malice, envy, and hatred, and they wil be the sooner ruined: What a pity is it that such beggerly things as these should be so looked after, and Faith so little thought of. I, in the Second place.

It grieves me to think how many souls that are 2Godly, and study the Scripture, and attend upon the Word, yet they rather study nice controversies, and things that gender strife, and help (it may be) to maintain a Party on this side, or the other side, and this great comprehensive Duty of living to Christ, and living by Faith, preached by many, studied by few, little regarded; these are common Dunstable Truths that the old Puritans did preach a long time ago, but we have a p. 78more Seraphick vein and Spirit: and so God suffers us to be gulled of our Religion, which is the sweetest Portion that can be enjoyed in the world; we make it a matter of brangling, and little comes of it, either to the Honor of God, or Comfort of our souls: And upon such thoughts as these, while the Lord shews me that mercy, that I may preach any thing unto you, I would fain acquaint Gods People with these things, that they may know wherein their life lies, and how they may lead it to the glory of God, and comfort of their own souls. I presumed upon your Patience: if God please to lay these things to your hearts, it wil not offend I hope.

FINIS.

End of the text · Stephen Marshall, Works Part 1 (1661)