To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
THis is the last passage of the Text, contai∣ning a commendation of the Woman, gi∣ven to her by Christ in her face. 2. An answer according to her desire. 3. The effect of her praying with instancy and pressing importunity
of Faith: The Devil is cast out of her Daughter.
Christ acknowledgeth here: That Instancy of praying in Faith, will overcome God, and Sa∣tan and all the saddest Temptations that can befall the Childe of God. Hence observe what acts of efficacious power instant and earnest prai∣er putteth forth upon God, and how the clay-creature doth work upon, and prevail with the great Potter and former of all things.
1. Prayer is a Messenger and a swift and [ 1] winged post dispatched up to Court, Psal. 5.3. David sent away this post early in the morning, with morning wings: My voice shalt thou hear in the morning: The post is himself, for the word is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I will addresse my person as in battle array, Iob 33.5. Set thy self in order be∣fore me, (and) stand up, saith Elihu to Iob. Or, I will addresse my words, Iob 32.14. Now he hath not directed his words against me: the Seventy render it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and David sent himself to Heaven, not only as a post, but (as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A••sappeh soundeth) I will look up, or, espie, as one that keepeth watch and ward, waiting for an answer from God, as the word is, Habbak 2.1. and Psal. 18.6. In my distresse I called upon the Lord,— and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
2. Prayer putteth a challenge upon God, for [ 2] his Covenants sake and his Promise; that is, greater boldnesse then to speak to God and
wait on, Isa. 63.18. Our Adversaries have tro∣den down thy Sanctuary, 19. We are thine, thou never barest rule over them, they were not cal∣led by thy Name, Lam. 2.20. Behold, O Lord, and consider, to whom thou hast done this, Isa. 63.17. O Lord, why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes? And hardened out heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants sake, the Tribes of thine inheritance. Hence is there an holy chiding with God, Psal. 22.2. O my God, I ••ry in the day time, and thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent: Psal. 13.1. How long wilt thou forget me, (O Lord) for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
3. It putteth God to great straights, and suf∣fering [ 3] even to the moving of his soul, Jer. 31. When God heareth Ephraim bemoaning him∣self in Prayer: it putteth God to a sort of pinch and condolency, ver. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my pleasant Childe? For since I ••ake against him, I do earnestly remember him ••ill, therefore my bowels are troubled for him. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Isaac an earthly Father moved, and his heart ••ent and torn with the weeping and tears of E∣sa•• his son, so as he must confer some blessing upon him; far more must the bowels of our fa∣ther infinite in mercy be turned within him, at the weeping and tears of a praying and crying Church.
4. When God seemeth to sleep, in regard [ 4]
that his work and the wheels of his providence are at a stand, prayer awaketh God, and putteth him on action, Psal. 7.6. Arise O Lord in thine anger, lift up thy self because of the rage of mine enemies; awake for the judgement thou hast commanded, Psal. 44.23. Awake, Why slee∣pest thou O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for e∣ver. Both the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gnurah, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hakitsa, signifieth to awake out of sleep: So prayer putteth God on noble acts of omnipo∣tencie, as to bow the Heavens and come down, Isa. 64.1. To shake, & put on work all creatures in Heaven and Earth, for the saving of one poor man, Psal. 18. As when the sick childe cryeth for pain, all the sons and servants, yea, the Fa∣ther of the house and Mother, are set on work, and put to business for his health. Hence when David prayed, Psal 18. vers. 6, 7. The earth shook, the foundations of the Hills were moved, for the Lord was wrath, smoak and fiery coales went out of his mouth, he bowed the Heavens and came down, he rode upon a Cherub, and did flye upon the wings of the wind. So it did put the LORD to divide the Red-Sea, to break the Prison doors and Iron chaines to deliver Peter, Paul and Silas.
[ 5] 5. It acteth so upon God, that it putteth the Crown upon Christs head, and hightneth the footstool of his throne; so much doth that Prayer (Thy Kingdom come) hold forth, and that last prayer of the Church, Rev. 22. which
the Spirit & the Bride uttereth; Even so come Lord Jesus, is a hastning of that glorious Mariage day, when the Bride, the Lambs wife, shall be married on Jesus Christ & a ripening of the glory of God, & of Christ the King and head Mystical of his body the Church. The Glory of infinite Justice, and saving Grace in the Redemption of men, is like a fair Rose, but inclosed within its green leaves in this life: But when Christ shall appear, this Rose shall be opened and cast out in bredth, its fair and beautifull leaves to be seen and smelled openly by men and Angels. In very deed, this prayer (Even so, come Lord Jesus) is summons for the last Judgment, for the full manifestation of the highest glory of Christ in the finall & consummate illustration of Free-grace, and mercy in the compleat Redemption of all the Prisoners of hope, onely for the De∣claration of the supream Judges Glory, who shall then do execution on Satan, his Angels, Antichrist, and all slaves of hell; so that though prayer made not the world; yet it may unmake it, and set up a new Heaven and a new earth.
6. Prayer is a binding of God, that he cannot depart, and layeth chains on his hands, and buil∣deth [ 6] a wall or an hedge of thornes in his way that he cannot destroy his people, Isa. 64.7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name, and stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 There is none to lay hands on thee, Ezec. 22.30. And I sought for a man amongst
them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap (or in the rupture made by war) be∣fore me for the Land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. If a Moses or a Samuel should intercede by prayer that the Lord would spare the Land, his prayer should be an hedge or a wall to stand in the way of Justice, to hin∣der the Lord to destroy his people.
[ 7] 7. Prayer is a Heavenly violence to God, ex∣pressed in divers powerfull expressions,* 1.2 as, 1. Isa. 62.6, 7. The faithfull watchmen pray and cry to God so hard, that they give the Lord no rest, no silence, while he establish Jerusalem. 2. Praying is a sort of striving with the Lord, Rom. 15.30. I beseech you, — strive with me, in prayers to God for me. 3. Jacob by prayer wrestled with the Lord; and the Lord, as if he had been straightned, saith, Gen. 32. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Send me away, dismisse me. And Jacob said, I will not dismisse thee till thou blesse me: Which is well expounded by Hosea, chap. 12.4. Jacob had a Princely power over the Angel, and prevai∣led, he wept, and made supplication to him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Is a Prince, or as many render it, Rectus fuit cum Deo, or, Di∣rectus fuit, vel prosperum successum habuit, Which may note either a Princedome in prayer over God, which is the true reason of the name Israel; or as others think, he stood right up, and his prayer did not bow nor was broken, when a Temptation lay on him as heavy as a
Milstone, even when the Lord said he would depart from him, yet he prevailed under that weight: So, Exod. 32.10. When Moses was praying for the people: The Lord said to Mo∣ses, Let me alone, that I may destroy them. The Chalde translate it,* 1.3 Leave off thy prayer before me. All which tendeth to this, That Prayer is a Prince, and a mighty wrestling prevailing King, that hath strong bones, and strong armes to be victorious with God. We know the Parable of the Widow, Luke 18. Who by importunity ob∣tained of the unjust Judge, that he should a∣venge her of her Adversary. The scope of which Parable is, that prayers without fainting, put∣teth such a labour and a trouble upon God, that he must hear and answer the desires of his Chil∣dren: So doth the Lord resemble himself to a master of a Family gone to bed with his Chil∣dren, who yet being wearied by the knocking of his Neighbour, cannot choose but rise in the night, and lend him bread to strangers come to his house.
8. Some also say that prayer commandeth God, as Isa. 45.11. Ask me of things to come con∣cerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hand command ye me: which place though it may well bear another interpretation, yet is this not beside the scope of the Text; for sure it is, that God hath laid a sort of Law on himself in regard of his binding promise, to hear the Pray∣ers of his children: And that he cometh down
from the Throne of his Soveraignty to submit himself to his own promise of hearing Prayers, Psal. 34.15. Psal. 65.2. Psal. 145.18.19. Mat. 7.7.8. Joh. 14.13.14.
Vse 1. If Prayer prevail over God and Christ, even to the overcoming of the Devil: then much more will a praying people prevail over Hell, and Malignants; it were wisdom then for Malignants to yeeld and strike Sail to these, who can by Prayer set Omnipotencie on work, and ingage the strength of Israel against them. Amalek had omnipotency against them, and a harder party then spears, and bowes, and Ar∣med men; in that praying Moses was against them: The third Psalm was a strong peece a∣gainst Absalom and Ahitophel, and all that con∣spired against David: Christs Prayers for the perfecting of his own Body, and gathering in his first-born, include i•• them a Curse upon all those that hinder the gathering in of his flock: Wo to the enemies then against whom our In∣tercessor prayeth curses: The Prayers of Christ against his enemies, shall blast them and their Counsels, and all their War undertakings.
Vse 2. Some are discouraged, they can nei∣ther fight for Christ, nor do any thing to pro∣mote this Cause, as wanting strength of body, and means: Nay, but if thou canst pray thou dost set the whole wheels of Omnipotency on work, for the building of the Lords house, in which regard the Prayer of a sick and poor man
shall do more in War for the Cause of God, then twenty thousand men: It was not Aha∣suerus, nor the grace that Esther found in the eyes of the King, that saved the whole Church of the Iews from destruction, but the Prayers of Esther and her maids. Its true, an Angel broght Peter out of Prison, Act. 12. But what stirred that wheel in Heaven, vers. 5. Here's the Cause, Prayer was made without ceasing to God for Peter by the Church: Quod est causa causae est etiam causa causati: Prayer, Prayer can put a reeling and tottering on King and Court, Pope, Prelate, and Babylon; we are to pray the King of the bottomlesse pit, the man of sin, the graven Images of Apostate Rome out of the world: Prayer can yoke all the swords in Europe against the Whore: every one who hath the Spirit of Adoption, though poor and rejected of men, by prayer have powerfull influ∣ence on all the Nations of the earth, on all Eu∣rope, on the ends of the earth, on the hearts of the Jews, on Turkes and Indians: Prayer can reach as far as Omnipotency, accompanied by the wise decree of our Lord: And the poorest Girle or Maid that can pray, doth lend a strong lift to heighten the footstool of Christs Royall Throne; children and poor Maids by Prayer, may put the Crown on Christs head, and hold up his Throne, and may store and increase hea∣ven by praying, Thy Kingdome come, and in∣large Hell, and fill the pits with the dead bodies
of Christs enemies, and may by prayer binde Kings in Fetters, chaine up and confine Devils, subdue Kingdoms.
Great is thy Faith] For the clearing of these words; we are to consider three points: 1. What Faith is: 2. What a great Faith is: 3. Why he saith thy Faith, appropriating it to the wo∣man.* 1.4 Now of Faith, I shall speak, 1. A word of preparations for Faith: 2. Of the grounds and necessary motives to Faith: 3. Of the Ingredients of Faith: 4. Of the sinners war∣rants to believe: 5. Of divers sorts of false, and ill rooted Faiths.
1. There be some preparations which go be∣fore Faith:* 1.5 1. Faith is a seed of heaven, it is not sowen by the good husbandman in unplow∣ed, and in Fallow ground, Christ soweth not a∣mongst thornes? we are builded on the Faith, stones are hewen, rubbish removed before one stone be laid: 2. Every act of Grace in God, is an act of Omnipotency, and so requireth not time or succession; God might have set up the frame of the world in all its fulnesse, with lesse then one thought, or act of his will put forth by Omnipotency: yet did our Lord subject the acts of creating the first world to the rule of time, and to a circle of evening and morning, nights and dayes, so doth the Lord set up a new world of Faith, in a soul void of Faith by de∣grees: There's a time when there's neither perfect night, nor perfect day: but the twilight
of the morning, and God not withstanding created the morning no lesse then the noon day Sun? There's a half Summer, and a half Spring in the close of the Spring which God made. The Embrio, or birth not yet animated, is nei∣ther seed onely, nor a man-child only; so is a Convert in his first framing, neither perfectly untamed corruption, because there's a crack and a throw in the iron sinew of the neck; nor is he a thorow child of light, but as we say, in the dead-throw, in the place of breaking forth of children, as Hosea speaketh: A child with his head come forth of the womb and no more, and so half born only; so is the Convert while he is in the making, not taken off Christs wheels; half in the borders of hell, and looking a far off at the Suburbs of Heaven, not far from the Kingdom of Heaven.
But 2. This bridge over the water between the kingdom of darknesse,* 1.6 and the state of sa∣ving Grace, hath no necessary connexion with that Kingdom of the Son of Gods love, but such as it hath from the sole and meer decree of the free Election of Grace, and therefore many Re∣probates may enter the Bridge, and never go along to the other Banke of the River: God breaketh the Bridge, this being the very divisi∣on and parting of these two unsearchable wayes of Election and Reprobation, yet so as the sin in cutting the bridge is the guilt of the Repro∣bate man: As many births die in the breaking
forth out of the womb, divers Roses in the Bud are blasted and never see harvest, through the fault of the seed, not of the Sun.
* 1.73. Its true, the new creation and life of God, is vertually Seminaliter in these preparations, as the seed is a tree in hope, the blossome an apple, the foundation a Palace in its beginning; so half a desire in the Non-converted is love sicknesse for Christ in the seed, legall humiliati∣on is in hope Evangelick Repentance and mor∣tification: But as the seed and the growing tree differ not gradually only, but in nature & speci∣fically; as a thing without life is not of that same nature and essence with a creature that hath a vegetative life and groweth, so the preparatory good affections of desire, hunger sorrow, humi∣liation going before conversion, differ specifically from those renewed affections which follow after: The former being acts of Grace, but not of saving grace, which goeth along with the decree of Election of Grace, and of like Lati∣tude with it, the latter being the native and connaturall fruits of the Spirit, of which the A∣postle speaketh, Gal. 5.22.23. In which regard no man is morally and in regard of a divine pro∣mise such as this (Do this, and this, and God shall bestow on you the Grace of conversion) fitter and in a nearer disposition to conversion then another.* 1.8 1. Because, we read not of any such promise in the Gospel. 2. Because, amongst things void of life, all are equally void of life,
and there's here no degrees of more or lesse life, no intention, no remission or flacking of the degrees of life; for even as an Ape or an Horse, are as equally no men, as stones and dead earth are no men, though an Ape or an Horse have life common to them with men, which stones and earth have not; yet they are equally as destitute of reason and an intellectual life which is the only life of a man as a man, as stones and earth are. So Saul only humbled by the ter∣rours of the Law, and sick of half raw desires of Christ, is no lesse yet a creature void of the life of God, then when he was in the highest pitch of obstinacy, spitting out blood and murthers on the face of that Lord Jesus whom he perse∣cuted; and in this regard, conversion is no lesse pure Grace every way free to Saul humbled, and so having only half a thirst and desire of Christ, then if he were yet in the feaver of his highest blasphemie, thirsting after the blood of the Saints.
4. Yet are the Saints thus prepared and hum∣bled, but not converted Materially, Physically,* 1.9 or as it were passively nearer Christ, and in re∣lation to Gods Eternall Election of Grace, who maketh this a step relative to his Eternall love, they are under the reach of Christs love, and at the Elbow of the right arm of the Father, who draweth souls to the son, Joh. 6.44. And in the Gospel-bounds and fields or lists of Free-grace, as the height and rage of a feaver, is near a cool
and a return to health, and yet most contrary to health, and the utmost flowing of the sea, when its at the remotest score of the coast, is a disposi∣tion to an ebbing, though most contrary to a low ebbe; so are the humbled souls, who have some lame and mained estimative power of light, to put half a price on Christ, and finds ap∣prehended sin, the mouth, throat, and out entry of hell in that case most contrary to Christ. A fish within that circle of the water that the net casteth, is no lesse living in its own element of water, then if it were in the bosome of the O∣cean, some hundreth miles distant from fisher or net, yet is it in a near disposition to be catched.
For grounds of Faith to lead us on to belee∣ving:* 1.10 Consider, 1. two words, Col. 1.27. spo∣ken of the object of Faith. 1. Its named, The riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles. 2. Which is (saith Paul) Christ in you the hope of glory. Now Faith leadeth us to a Mystery that none knoweth, but such as are the intimate friends of Christ, and are put upon all Christs secret Cabinet-Counsels. 2. Glory is so taking a lover, that it will deprive a naturall man of his sleep; but the Glory of a Kingdome revealed in the Gospel, is the flower, marrow and spirits of all glory imaginable. 3. What is riches of glory?* 1.11 Eph. 3.8. That I should preach, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the gold mine of the riches of the glory of Christ, so deep that none can finde them out, and so
large, that when they are found out, Men and Angels shall not finde their bottome. O what foldings and turnings, and inextricable windings or glory are lapped up in Christ? Yea. Treasures, all Treasures, are in him, Col. 2.3. So it is called, 2 Cor. 4.17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a weight of glory. But 2. a weight Eter∣nall, a weight aged, and full of ages of glory. 3. An exceeding great weight, and not that only. But 4. a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, no Oratour in the Greek Tongue, hath any so superlative expression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Do but weigh how weighty precious Jesus Christ is, how heavy & how massie and ponderous the Crown is, and what millions of Diamonds, Rubies, Sa∣phires, and precious Stones do shine, and cast out rayes and beams of pure and unmixed Glo∣ry out of his Crown? What smiles and kisses breathing out Glory, on thy now sinfull face, shall come out of Christ. Now the light of Faith even as a lantern or a day-star, in a cloudy dawning, leadeth thee up to this. 2. Christ in you the hope of glory. How in them? By Faith, Eph. 3.17. Christ the hope of glory, is Christ the glory hoped for, by a figure; that is, Faith put∣teth Christ and Heaven in you by hope: So in the believer there is Christ, the Lamb, the Throne, the glorified Angels, and sinlesse and blessed Musitians, that stand in a circle about the Throne, praising him that liveth for ever. All
these are in the believer by Faith, and in him is Heaven, the Tree of Life, the higher Paradice, the river of water of life; unto all these Faith intituleth the Soul, and they be all nothing to Christ the hope of Glory: Even the only be∣gotten Son and Heir of a King, is called the hope of his house, the only hope of his house, but in regard the Heires of mortall Kings are mortall, the house is weak, and standeth but upon one foot, when he hath but one mortall Heir: Now its the infinite perfection of God, that he can have but one Son who is infinite, and the same Eternall and Immortall God with the Father, and that he cannot die. So Christ standeth the only hope of the house of Hea∣ven; a King by hope, the King of hope; and all hope of the Captives and Sons of hope; and all the Glory of his Fathers house hangeth up∣on him. Christ hath all the Heirs upon his shoulder, and Faith investeth the believer to all this power and Glory.* 1.12 2. Faith must be so much the more precious, that it layeth hold for its possession on God, and on the Garland, Mar∣row, (if any comparison here can stand) and Flower of all Gods attributes, the Righteous∣nesse of Christ. 2. The Free-grace of God, the most taking, heart-ravishing attribute in God, and most suitable to our sinfull condition. 3. The high and deep love of God, and love which dwelleth in, and with, the noble and ex∣cellent blood that satisfieth infinite Justice;
There is no such Glory by any act of obedience tendered to God by Adam in his innocent con∣dition; or by Angels which never sinned. 3. There is as great a necessity of Faith, as of Life;* 1.13 for the justified man must live by faith: There's no Grace so Catholick, it being of necessity in∣terwoven in all our actions, as they fall under morall consideration; not only in supernaturall actions, but also in all our naturall and civil acti∣ons, in so far as they must be spiritualized in re∣lation to Gods honour, 1 Cor. 10.31. So as Jo∣shuah, Baruch, Sampson, David, did fight Bat∣tels, kill men, subdue Kingdoms by Faith, Heb. 11.32, 33. So must the Souldier now fight, by that same Faith, and so are the Saints, to eat, drink, sleep, journey, buy, sell, by Faith: We are not to put on Faith as a Cloak, or an upper Garment when we go to the streets, Fields, or Church, and then lay it aside in the house, at Table, or in bed: yea, the renewed man is not to eat and sleep, because the light of reason and the Law of nature teacheth him so to do, or the convenience of a calling; for then all those acti∣ons shall be resolved in the same principles and formall reason of morall performance of them, in the believer, as in the Carnall man, in whom a naturall spirit is stirsman; and then we do but in these actions, Walk in the light of our own fire, and the sparks that we our selves have kindled, and shall not see to go to bed, but lye down in sorrow, Isaiah 50.11. But we are to
set Faith as the Plummet and line to Re∣gulate these actions to doe them. 1. Be∣cause hee who hath bought us with a price, commandeth us by the light of nature. 2. And the light of Faith is to moderate us in eating, drinking, sleeping, according to Christian sobri∣ety, in the measure of the action. 3. Faith teach∣eth us not to eat, that we may eat, or for an naturall or civill end. Grace hightneth the na∣turall intention, to a supernaturall end, and to do all these for God and his service 1 Cor. 10.31. And whatsoever we do (though but civil service as servants to earthly masters in a civill calling, in trading in arts) we are to do all as to the Lord, not unto men, Col. 3.23. Then Christ acting & moving by the light of Faith, is the formal rea∣son and principle in which lastly and formally (ultimate) all our actions are resolved. 2. Look of how much worth and price thy soul is; of as great necessity is Faith, except thou wouldst look for the Gospel-vengeance, the day or the ages of Eternall vengeance at Christs appear∣ance, 2 Thes. 1.8. Isa. 61.2. Ioh. 3.18.36. chap. 8.24. But if it be so that Faith is required in all that I do, the businesse of Salvation (may some say) is hard and difficill work: Where shall I have Faith for every stirring of my foot? I Answer, as all our actions, except where Ima∣gination is Principle of the act, must be delibe∣rate, and so the actions of a rational man, so must they be morall; now there is no morality in a
man, who is a citizen of the Church, but the mo∣rality of faith,* 1.14 for its a duty laid upon every one within the visible Church that all his actions morall be watred and lustered with Faith: And the truth is, the work of our salvation being compared to sailing, Heb. 6.19. and to fighting, 2 Tim. 4.7. 2 Tim. 2.3, 4. Its very like a ship, which requireth many hands and much atten∣tive carefulness in the owner and sailors: Now the Mast is hurt, then somewhat wanting in the Deck, now the Helm is faulty, then the Cords are to be repaired, or the Anchor is broken, or she taketh in under-water, or the Sail is torn, or the motion slow: There's charges to the own∣er, and much work to all hands, and how many things are required to a huge body of an Army? So many thousand men must be lyable to so ma∣ny thousand wants: Some are sick, some woun∣ded, some a dying, some hungry, some naked, some fall off the Army, and are catched by the enemy, some be faint, some too bold, and preci∣pitate, yea, Armour, Houses, Bread, Drink Fire, Tents, Physitions Workmen, Mattocks Spades, Bridges, Lathers, Horses, Engines of War, Art and Skill▪ Medicine, Councell▪ Courage, Intelli∣gence, and a thousand things of this kinde are requisite; And seldome is an Army, but there be some one inconvenient or other in this needy and cumbersome huge body. And when is the businesse of Salvation not at a stand, one way or other? Is there not either on piece or other, the
shield of Faith, or the Anchor of Hope, or the Brestplate of righteousnes, or some the like, bro∣ken or faulty? Is not our guide, who hath seven eyes, ten times a day cumbered with us? Must not Christ soader our broken Weapons? Sow our torn sails? Repair one breach or other in us? In a thousand the like, Faith is to improve the Free-grace, the omnipotence, the unchangeable love of Christ, to promove his own work, and to work in us to will, and to do, according to his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13.
Now for the ingredients of Faith: 1. There be in us,* 1.15 2 Cor. 10.5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Great Forts rai∣sed against the light of Faith. These natural dis∣courses in the mind, that are great works and heights, strong holds builded against Christ. The prime faculty reason, the discoursive pow∣er 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that thinketh she hath wit enough against Christ, and to keep the man out of all danger of eternall salvation, over toppeth and out-groweth all Gospel-truths, Christ must o∣ver-power carnall, fate, rank, and heady soul∣diers, called thoughts, every thought, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and so kill some that will not be taken, and led captive other thoughts to the obedi∣ence of Faith. Reason is a predominant bone in it self: The carnall minde neither will, no•• can keep rank as an obedient souldier, under the Law of God, Rom. 8.7. Its much for fine, silken, and golden reason to say to Christ, Lord, Prov, 30.2. There's more of a beast in me, then of a
man, I have not the understanding of a man. The learned, the schoolmen seldome beleeve; except gray haired wit turn a childe, and go to school again to learn from Christ the new art of beleeving; for there was never an act of un∣beleef in any, but it grew out of this proud and rank stalke of a lofty wit; Therefore Christ breaks out a new window in the soul, and brings in a new sun, that flesh and blood never saw, nor heard of before, Mat. 16.17. 2. Faith hath low and creeping affections to the creature; But when the affections are big with childe of the creature, as, 1. They are strained and swelled in their acts, Faith is no faith but a delusion, the rich man speaketh with all his heart, and with good will of his full barns, and its clear, he had neither Faith nor Hope toward eternity, Luke 12. v. 19.20. For every word being (as we say) of the length of a cubit, a foot and a half, Luke 12.18. He casteth forth words of pulling down, building greater houses, and scraping in all; his goods are, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, my goods, all my births and bowels, and all my good things; For he had no other good things, and there's no apostrophe in the words, he speaketh them with their full sound, and we speak with good will these things that we tell to our soul. Faith hath but half words and half affections ••••••ching the world, half acts or broken acts in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 affections, closing with the creature, smell 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Faith with child of ••••ernity; to make the
excellency of the creature a matter of meer o∣pinion, to reckon the worlds witchcrafts of lust, gain, glory, but uncertain and topick arguments to conclude a God-head and a golden heaven in the creature, is the height of the wisdom of Faith: So Paul, Gal. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ. O then (may some say) Paul, you are a dead man: He saith no. Neverthelesse I live, but I live the life of Faith, For Christ liveth in me. All his motions toward the creature were half dead, like the vitall motions of a crucified man half out of the world, and his acts of Faith were lively and vitall, and high tuned, like the highest note in the musick song. Faith cannot break and violently rent in sunder the two sides of the affections, with too violent and intense acts of love, joy, fear, desire, sorrow, as these are terminated upon the creature: Its true, Faith clippeth nothing from the outmost and most su∣perlative pitch of the love of God, of desire, fear, sorrow, joy, as they act upon God; but ad∣deth wind to the sails in that flux of the souls way toward God.* 1.16 But Faith moderateth and lesseneth all these in relation to the creature, so the Faith which hath its direct aspect toward e∣ternity, and looketh on the shortnesse of sliding away time, and the trans••ent wheeling away o•• the poor figure of this world, 1 Cor. 7. v. 29.31 turneth all these acts into but half a face on th•• creature, and into leasurely and leaden motions or to half non-acts, as if made up of heavenl••
contradictions, v. 29, 30, 31. Having wives, having no wives: Weeping, no weeping; Re∣joicing, no rejoicing; Buying, no possessing; V∣sing the world, not using the world. When the Saints throng through the presse and croud of the creatures (for the world is a bushie and rank wood) thorns take hold of their garments, and retard them in their way: Faith looseth their garments, & riddeth them of such thornie friends, as are too kind to them in their journy: who diggeth for Iron and Tin in the earth with mattocks of Gold? What wise man would make a Web of cloth of gold, a net to catch fish? Ex∣pences should over-grow gains: There's much of the mettall of heaven in the soul: Faith would forbid us to wear out the threds of this immortall spirit, such as are love, joy, fear, sor∣row, upon peeces of corruptible clay? Alas, is it Faiths light that setteth men a work, to make the soul a golden-needle, and the precious pow∣ers and affections thereof, threds of silver to sow together peeces of sackcloth, and old rot∣ten rags? What better, I pray you, is the fin∣est of the web in the whole systeme of creation? Certainly the heavens must be a thred of better wool then the clay-earth, yet if you should break your immortal spirit, and bend all the acts to the highest extent of your affections, to con∣quer thousands of Acres of ground in the Hea∣vens, and intitle your soul to that inheritance, as to your onely patrimonie without Christ;
Faiths day-light should discover to you, that this finest part of that web of Creation, with which you desire to cloth your precious soul, is but base wool and rotten thred, and though beautifull and well dyed to the eye; yet, Psal. 102.26. The heavens, even all of them shall wax old like a garment: And the wisdome of Faith knoweth a shop where there's a more ex∣cellent suit of clothes for the soul, 2 Cor. 5.1, 2. And a more precious peece of the Heaven to dwell in, even a House which is from Heaven, with which you shall bee clothed: When life shall eat up death and mortality.
2. The creatures are below the affections of the believer, and his affections conquer them, as having the vantage of the mount above all the creatures. So Paul maketh an elegant con∣trariety, Phil. 3.19, 20. Between those, whose heart, senses, minde, findeth neither smell, taste, nor wisedome, but in earthly things; (for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to minde things of the earth, importeth all these) and those who by Faith look to Heaven and dwell there: And the temporaries heart is below the world, and the creatures are up in the mount above him. So, Mat. 13. v. 7.22. The thorns or cares of riches have the fore-start of the earth, and sap above Faith, or the good seed: For the seed was cast in the earth, when the thorns had been there before, and had the vantage of the season, and the soil both. The first love is often strong∣est.
The Martyrs, Heb. 11.35. had poor and weak thoughts of this life, and would not accept and welcome life and deliverance from death; but had strong acts of Faith and love toward a bet∣ter resurrection. Its a souls strong Faith that bringeth him to nil admirari; and to wonder at nothing. Never to love much, nor fear much, nor sorrow much, nor joy much, nor weep much, nor laugh much, nor hope much, nor di∣spaire much, when the creature is the object of all these acts; there is nothing great, not the worlds All things (or their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to him who is possessed with that Righteousnes which is of God, by Faith, Phil. 3.8, 9. Men that talk∣eth with good will, and all their heart, of their learning, books, of their own Acts, good Works, Wisdom, Court, Honour, valour in War, Flocks, Lands, Gold, Moneys, Children, Friends, Tra∣vels, are to Examine, If Faith be not a chaste thing, and that acts of whoredome with the creature and of believing in Christ, are scarce consistent. Let your affections move toward the creature, without sound of feet.
3. There must be self-forsaking in believing. 1. An affirming, and an (ay) to grace, is a nega∣tion and deniall to it self, 1 Cor. 15.10. I labou∣red more abundantly then they all; Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me: To deny that you are Christs, or that you have any grace, (if Christ have any thing of his in you) is not self-deniall, but grace deniall, and God-deniall,
deny the work of the spirit, and deny himself. Its a saying of humility, Cant. 1.5. I am black, and of Faith, but comely as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. And Cant. 5.1. I slept, but my heart waked. Its Faith to hold fast your state of adoption: Lord, I am thine. 2. When our self maketh a suit to self, and putteth in a bill to the flesh. O pitie thy self. Rejoice, O young man in thy youth. Its self-renouncing to deny this request to the flesh: And Faith only can give an answer to self-declining the crosse. He that denieth me be∣fore men, him will I deny before my Father and his holy Angels (saith Christ.) And another answer Faith giveth, Rom. 8.12. I am not debtor to thee, O flesh. I owe thee nothing. And its Faiths word of answer, Eccles. 11.9. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement. 3. Faith putteth the soul in that condition, that self may be plucked from self, without great violence, as an apple full of the tree, and of harvest-sap, is with a small mo∣tion pluckt off the stalk, Act. 21.13. I am ready 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I have my self in readinesse, not only to be bound, but also to dye at Jerusa∣lem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Certainly Faith saw here more in Jesus of excellency and sweetnesse, then there could be of bitternes in bonds and death to self.
4. There's a deniall of the creature, and a bill of defiance sent to all the lovers of the world,
when Ephraim is brought to this act of belie∣ving, Hos. 14.3. For in thee the Fatherlesse fin∣deth mercy. Then its said, Ashur shall not save us: We will not ride upon horses. That crea∣ture that we trust on, we ride upon it, as Israel did upon the horses of Assyria and Aegypt. But in this regard, Faith dismounteth the be∣liever, and abaseth him to walk on foot. All the creatures are ships to the believer without a bottome: They are empty and weak: Da∣vid forbiddeth us to ride on a Prince, Psal. 146.3, 4. For that horse shall faint, and fall to clay. God alloweth Scotland to help England, but will not have the souls of his children in Eng∣land to ride upon an Army of another Nation, and to trust in them for salvation. To make fire, is not so proper to fire, To give light, not so kindly to the Sun, as salvation is Gods only due, and therefore let England in this walk on foot, and trust in the Lord.
5. The fifth ingredient also in Faith, is, that its bottomed upon the sense and pain of a lost con∣dition. Poverty is the nearest capacity of belie∣ving. This is Faiths method, Be condemned, and be saved. Be hanged, and be pardoned. Be sick, and be healed, Mat. 9.13. Jam. 4.7, 8. Mat. 11.28. Luke 19.10. Faith is a floor of Christs only planting, yet it groweth out of no soil, but out of the margin and bank of the lake of fire and brimstone, in regard there be none so fit for Christ and Heaven, as those who are self-sick,
and self-condemned to Hell. This is a founda∣tion to Christ, that because the man is broken, and has not bread; therefore he must be sold, and Christ must buy him, and take him home to his fireside, and clothe him, and feed him. The chased man, pursued upon death and life, who hath not a way for life, but one nick of a rock; if he misse that, he is a dead man, had he a hun∣dred lives. So is the believer pursued for blood, there is but one City of refuge in Heaven, or out of Heaven; this is only, only Jesus Christ the great rock. And it is true, its in a manner forced Faith, and forced love cast upon Christ upon a great venture; yet we may make ne∣cessity here the greatest vertue, or the highest grace, and that is to come to Christ. Satan doth but ride upon the weaknesse of many, proving, that they are not worthy of Christ, which is the way of a Sophist, to prove an evi∣dent truth that cannot be denied. But there's no greater vantage can be had against Sin and Satan then this; because I am unworthy of Christ, and out of measure sinfull, and I finde it is so, (Satan and conscience teaching me that truth, to bring me on a false conclusion) there∣fore ought I, therefore must I come to Christ unworthy as I am. For free-grace is moved from within it self from Gods good will, only with∣out any motion or action from sin, to put it self forth upon the sinner; to the end, that sin be∣ing exceeding sinfull, Grace may be abundantly
Grace; and no thanks to Satan for suggesting a true principle (Thou art unworthy of Christ) to promove a false conclusion, (Therefore thou art not to come to Christ) for the contrary ar∣guing is, Gospel-logick. Satans reasoning should be good, if there were no way but the law to give life. But because there is a Saviour, a Go∣spel, and a new and living way to Heaven: The contrary arguing is, the sinners life and hap∣pinesse.
6. The sixt Ingredient in Faith is,* 1.17 that the sinner can lay hold on the Promise. 1. Not simply, but with relation to the precept; for presumptuous souls plunge in their foul souls in fair and precious promises, and this is the Faith of Antinomians, for the promise is not holden forth to sinners as sinners, but as to such sinners, for we make Faith to be an act of a sinner hum∣bled, wearied, laden, poor, self-condemned; now these be not all sinners, but only some kinde of sinners. Antinomians make faith an act of a lofty Pharisee, of one vilde person, applying with an immediate touch, immediato contactu, his hot boiling, & smoking lusts to Christs wounds, blood, merits, without any conscience of a pre∣cedent Commandement, that the person thus beleeving, should be humbled, wearied, loaden, grieved for sin. I confess this is hasty hot work, and maketh Faith a stride, or one single step; but its a wanton, fleshly, and a presumptuous immediate work to lay hold on the promises of
mercy and be saved: This is the absolute and loose Faith, that Papists and Arminians slande∣reth our Doctrine withall, because we reject all foregoing merits, good works, congruous dispo∣sitions, preparations moving God to convert this man, because he hath such preparations; and to reject and to leave another man to his own hardnesse of heart, because he hath no such payment in hand, by which he may redeem and buy conversion, and the grace of Effectuall cal∣ling; especially, they building all upon a Babel of their own brick and clay, that free-will in all acts of obedience before or after conversion, is absolutely indifferent to do, or not do; to o∣bey, or not obey; to choose Heaven and life, hell or death, as it pleaseth, as being free and loosed from all Praedetermination, and fore-go∣ing motion, acting or bowing of the will, com∣ming either from Gods naturall or his efficaci∣ous or supernaturall Providence. And so the Papist and Arminian on the one extremity, in∣throneth nature, and extolleth proud merit, and abaseth Christ and Free-grace: The Fa∣milist, Libertine, and Antinomian, on a contra∣ry extremity and opposition, turn man into a block, and make him a meer patient in the way to Heaven; and under pretence of exalting Christ and Free-grace, set up the flesh, liberty, licence, loosenesse on the throne, and make the way to heaven on the other extremity as broad, as to comply with all presumptuous proud
fleshly men, walking after their lusts, and yet (as they dream) believing in Christ. 2. The soul seeth Christ in all his beauty, excellency, treasures of Free-grace lapped up with the curtain of many precious promises; now the naturall man knowing the literall meaning and sense of the promises, seeth in them but words of gold, and things a far off; and in truth, taketh heaven to be a beautifull and golden phancy; and the Gospel-promises, a shower of pretious Rubies, Saphirs, Diamonds, fallen out of the clouds only in a night dream; and therefore jeers and scoffs at the day of judgment and at heaven and hell, 2 Pet. 3.1, 2, 3. For can every capacity smell and taste the unsearchable riches of Christ, the fulnesse of God in the womb of the promises, by meditating on them, and sending them, in their sweetnesse and hea∣venly excellency, down to the affections to em∣brace them? No, it cannot be, that words and sounds, and syllables, can so work upon a natural spirit: If you show not to a buyer pretious and rare commodities, and bring them not before the sun, he shall never be taken so with things hidden in your coffers, as to be in love with them, and to sell all he hath and buy them; Preachers cannot, nay, its not in their power to make the natural spirit see the beauty of Christ; Paul Preacheth it, but the Gospel is hidden from the blinded man, 2 Cor. 4.3. If I cannot Communicate light, far lesse can I infuse love in
the soul of a lost man. 3. Literall knowledge [ 3] of Christ, is not in the power of naturall men; but laying down this ground, that a Pharisee lend eyes and ears to Christ and his miracles;* 1.18 The light of the Gospel worketh as a naturall agent; for make open windows in a house, whe∣ther the indweller will or he will not, the fun shall dart in day light upon the house, Joh. 7.28. Then cryed Jesus in the Temple, as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am. And there is a covering upon the spirituall senses and faculties of the soul of na∣turall men, that though eyes, and ears, and mind, and soul be opened; yet its as unpossible for the naturall spirit, or the Preacher to re∣move that covering, as to remove a Mountain, it being as heavy as a Mountain: And there∣fore there be three bad signes in a naturall spi∣rit: 1. His light, which is but literall, is a bur∣den to him, it but vexeth him to know Christ, and if a beam of light fall in on the apple of the eye of a natural conscience, its a throne between the bone and the flesh, the man shall not sleep, and yet he is not sick. I doubt if either Achi∣tophel, or Iudas wakened with their light could sleep. 2. Though a promise should dispute and argue Christ in at the door of the natural mans soul, as the Gospel by way of arguing may doe much, Ioh. 7.28. Ioh. 12.37. Heb. 11.1. The word of the Gospel being a rationall, convincing Syl∣logisme, as Christ saith, Ioh. 15.24. But now
they have both seen, and hated both me and my Father. Yet men may see the principles and the conclusion, and hate and practically suspend the assent from the conclusion. 3. Conversion is feared as a great danger by naturall men, lest [ 3] the promises put them on the pain and the main mill of godlinesse. For men do flee nothing but that which they apprehend as evil, dangerous, and so the true object of fear. Now when Fae∣lix and Agrippa were both upon the wheels, I cannot say that Conversion formally was be∣gun; yet materially it was, the one trembled, and so was afraid, and fled, and did put Paul a∣way till another time; then he saw the danger of Grace, Act. 24. vers. 25, 26. The other saith, he was half a Christian; (but it was the poor∣est half) and he arose and went aside, Act. 26.28.30.31. The naturall spirit may be convinced by the promises, and have the pap in his mouth, but dare not milk out the sap and sweetnesse of the promises, Matth. 13.15. Their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. So is it▪ Isa. 6.10. In which words conversion is feared as an evil, as is clear: So one wretch said, hee was once in danger to be catched, when a Puri∣tan Preacher (as he said) was Preaching with Divine power & evidence of the spirit of God. 4 The true believers soul hath influence on the [ 4]
promises, to act upon them, to draw comfort out of them, Ps. 119.92. Vnlesse thy Law had been my delight, I should have perished in mine affliction, ver. 81. My soul fainteth for thy Sal∣vation: (But) I hope in thy word, And there's a reciprocation of Actions here; the word act∣eth upon the soul again, Psal. 119.50. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickned mee. A dead Faith is like a dead hand, a living hand may lay hold on a dead hand: but there's no reciprocation of actions here, the dead hand cannot lay hold on the living hand: so the living wife may kisse, and embrace the dead husband, but there can come no reciprocall act of life from the dead husband to her, nor can he kisse and embrace her: The promise may act upon the naturall spirit, to move and affect him, but he can put forth no vitall act upon the promise to embrace it, or lay hold upon the promise: But the promise acteth upon the Believer to quic∣ken him, and he again putteth forth an act of life to embrace the promise, and putteth forth on it, some act of vitall heat, to adhere & cleave to, and with warmnesse of heart to love it; and here the case is as when the living hand layeth hold on the living hand, they warm one ano∣ther mutually, according to that which Paul saith, Phil. 3.12. But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am appre∣hended of Christ Jesus: Here be two living
things, Christ, and believing Paul acting mutu∣ally one upon another, there's a heart and a life upon each side.
5. Faith under fainting and great straits can [ 5] so improve the promise as to put an holy and modest challenge upon God, so Psal. 119.49. afflicted David saith, Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope, and the Church, Ier. 14.21. Do not ab∣hor us for thy names sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy Covenant with us; and the Lord commandeth that this challenge be put on him, Isa. 43.26. Put me in remembrance, let us plead together; then he giveth faith leave to plead on the con∣trary with God; naturall spirits faint, and can∣not so far own the promise, as to plead with God by their right and just claime to the pro∣mise: Now the fourth point concerning faith, is what grounds and Warrants the sinner hath to believe.
4. Its an ordinary challenge made by Satan,* 1.19 conscience, and the Arminian, since Christ died not for all and every one of mankinde; and all are not chosen to life eternall, but only those, on whom the Lord is pleased, according to the free decree of Election to confer the grace of believing. What warrant can the unworthy sinner have to believe, and to own the merits of Christ? For he knoweth nothing of the Electi∣on, or Reprobation that are hidden in Gods eternall minde: for Answer,
* 1.201. Its no presumption in me to believe in Christ before I know whither I be chosen to salvation or not, for nothing can hinder me in this case to believe, save only presumption as the adversaries say, but it is not presumption, because presumption is when the soul is lifted up, and Towred like an high building, as the word is, Hab. 2.4. And therefore the lifted up man, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gnophel, is he that hideth himself in a high Castle;* 1.21 as every unbelieving presumptu∣ous soul hath his own Castle, the unbeliever hath either one Ophel, or high Tower or o∣ther, either the King, friends, riches or his own wisdome, for his God on which he rest∣eth, beside the God that the Scripture re∣commendeth to us as our onely rock and soul confidence: All men on earth live, and do all morall actions, even when they go on in a wicked life, as slaves of Hell, to work all un∣cleannesse with greedinesse, upon some ground of faith, though a most false and counterfeit Faith, that they shall prosper by evil doing, and that sin shall make them happy, so Psalm 10.3. The wicked man, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Praiseth the wic∣ked man, then he must believe that wickedness maketh men praise worthy, and this belief is but presumptuous confiding, and resting on a Tower of his own building: Now to beleeve in Christ, though the decree of Election be not revealed to me, is no presumption; for I am not obliged, before I beleeve, to know that I am e∣lected
to Glory: It being one of Gods secrets not revealed in the Word, but made manifest to me, After I beleeve, and am sealed unto the day of Redemption: and therefore in a humble resting on Christ, though the soul know not his Election, which is not revealed in the word in that condition there can be no Pride nor pre∣sumption; for he is self wise, and presumptuous, who intrudeth into those things that he hath not seen, Col. 2.18. knoweth not that which God hath revealed, and so which he ought to know; now the believer ought not to know, that he is elected to glory; he yet being an unbeleever, so his knowledge cannot deviate from a rule which doth not oblige to conformity therewith as with a Rule; the Pourtract of Caesar doth not erre from the samplar, because it is not like a Bull or a Horse, because neither a Bull nor a Horse is the due samplar.
2. To warrant an unworthy humble sinner to beleeve there's no need of a positive War∣rant, [ 2] or of a voice to say (thou art elected to glory, therefore believe) the word is near thee in thy mouth; yea there is a commandement laid upon the humbled sinner (Come O weary and loaden sinner to Christ, and be eased) Now when the wind bloweth sweetly and fair upon an humbled siner, who is elected to glory, there goeth the Spirit of the Gospel along with this Commandement; and the word of Com∣mandment, and the spirit united in one, acteth
and worketh so upon the soul, that the hum∣bled sinner cannot be deluded and led on a rock of presumption; for this spirit joyneth and clo∣seth with his spirit, and he as one of Christs sheep, knoweth this to be the voice of Christ. I grant when the same command of faith com∣eth to the ears of a Reprobate, he may upon a false ground believe, or rather presume: he neither being rightly humbled, and fitted for Christ, nor can the Reprobate know and dis∣cern the wind of the spirit, breathing with the command, and acting upon his spirit, because that winde neither can, nor doth breath upon any Reprobate, and there is no need of any po∣sitive Warrant to ascertain a child of God to be∣lieve, beside the commandment of Faith in lived and quickned with the spirit going along with it, for that command so quickned doth put such a reall stamp of an evident testimony, that he hath claime to Christ, on whom the spirit and the command doth so act, that he seeketh no more any other evidence to prove his claim to Christ, then the Lamb needeth any evidence to prove, that of ten hundred sheep, this only that offereth to it her paps and milk must be its dam or mother, and none of the rest of the flock: But how do I know that it is the spirit that go∣eth along with the Commandment of believing? It may be a delusion. Ans. Beside that, a de∣luding spirit for the most part, doth not go eve∣ry way along with the word: If this spirit keep
Gods order, to work upon the humbled & self-dispairing sinner, who is willing to receive Christ upon his own condition, it is not like to a delu∣ding spirit; for if the word of commandment to believe, and the spirit agree in one, it cannot be a delusion, phancie leadeth no man to Faith. 2. When objects of life work upon life, they cannot deceive, especially all the senses, Hea∣ring, Seeing, Tasting, Feeling, Smelling: the ex∣cellency and sweetnesse of Christ, going along with the word, cannot be delusion; a man may imagine that he seeth and heareth, and yet his senses may be deceived: but that all the senses, especially all the spirituall senses, and that a man imagineth that he liveth a naturall life and is dead, is rare.
3. Faith can stand upon one foot, even on a generall word; hence this is a Gospel word in [ 3] the Prophets which requireth Faith, Turn to the Lord for he is mercifull, Jer. 3.12. Joel 2.13. Jon. 4.2. And because a generall promise re∣ceived with heart-adherence and confidence giveth glory to God: and if it be holden forth to an humbled soul who is now within the lists and bounds of Grace, and for any thing that the person thus laden with sin knoweth on the con∣trary (for the secrets of Election and Reproba∣tion belongeth to the Lord) Christ mindeth and intendeth to him Salvation, therefore he is to believe.
4. This would be considered, that unbelief [ 4]
breaketh with Christ first, before Christ break with the unbeliever; and the Elect of God findeth no more, nor any higher favour in the kinde of externall means, to open the Lambs Book of life, which is sealed and closed with Gods own hand, then the Commandement of believing. Now when our Lord maketh offer of the Kingdom of sons to slaves, and casteth his Jewell of Christ offered in the Gospel in the lap and bosome of a Bastard, what ever be the Lords secret Decree and purpose in so doing; The Bastard is to take God at his word, and to catch the opportunity of Gods love in so far, and if he do it not, the Gospel-offer to the Re∣probate being a treaty of peace, then the treaty breaketh off first upon his side; for Christ co∣meth within a mile of mercy to meet the sin∣ner, and the sinner cometh not the fourth part of a mile, yea, not half a step of love and thank∣full obedience to meet Christ, and so Christ kil∣leth the unbeliever with the sweetnesse of the preventing courtesie of offered mercy.
[ 5] 5. But if the sinner be wearied, and loaden, and seeth, though through a cloud only, Christ only must help and save, if not, he is utterly and eternally lost: What is there upon Christs part to hinder thee to beleeve? O guilty wretch! O (saith he) I fear Christ only offe∣reth himself to me, but he mindeth no salvation to me? Ans. Is not this to raise an evill report and slander on the Holy One of Israel? For
Christs offer is really an offer, and in so far, its reall love, though it cannot infer the love of E∣lection to glory; yet the totall deniall of this offer, openeth up the black seal of Reprobation to heathens without the Church; and there∣fore its love to thee, if thou be humbled for sin. 2. And have half an eye to the unsearch∣able riches of Gospel mercy. 3. And be self-con∣demned. 4. And have half a desire of Christ; thou mayst expound love by love, and lay hold on the promise and be saved: An errour of humble love to Christ is no errour.
That which is next,* 1.22 is a word of the Essenti∣all principle of true Faith, and that is a propor∣tionable measure of grace, Phil. 1.29. required in Faith: men naturally imagine that faith is a work of nature; hence that speech of a multi∣tude of Atheists (I believe all my dayes, I be∣lieve night and day) But they never believe at all, who think and say, they believe alwayes. The Jewes asserted that they believed Moses al∣wayes, and so oppose themselves to the man al∣together, born in sin, Joh. 9. ver. 28, 29. compa∣red with v. 34. But Christ told them, they nei∣ther believed the Messiah, nor Moses, chap. 5. [ 1] ver. 35, 36, 37. Nature worketh alwayes alike, and without intermission or freedome. The Floods alwayes move, the Fountain alwayes cast out streams, the fire alwayes burneth, the Lamb alwayes fleeth from the Wolf; but the winde of the spirit, doth not alwayes enact
the soul to believe; they are not in an ill case who wrestle with unbelief, and find the heart and take it, in the wayes of doubting and ter∣rours, as feeling that believing is a motion up the mount, and somewhat violent; facill and connaturall acts cannot be supernaturall acts of Faith: Its no bad sign to complain of a low ebbe Sea, and of neither Moon light, nor starre light. 2. Its unpossible they can submit to give [ 2] the glory of believing to God, in whose heart there's a rotten principle destructive of Faith, and that is an ambitious humour of seeking glo∣ry from men, Joh. 5.44. Little Faith there's in Kings Courts, Faith dwelleth not in a high [ 3] Spirit. 3. Such as take Religion by the hand upon false and bastard motives, as the Sum∣mer of the Gospel, and fame, ease, gain, ho∣nour, cannot believe: A thorny Faith is no Faith, Matth. 13.22. A Carnall mans Faith must be true to its own principles, and must lye levell with externalls, so as Court, ease, the world and its sweet adjuncts, are a measuring line to a rotten rooted Faith, neither longer nor broader then time, it goeth not one span length within the lists of Eternity. 4. Phancy cannot [ 4] be Faith; such as have not Gospel knowledge of Christ, cannot believe; but must do as the Tra∣veller, who unaware setteth his foot on a Ser∣pent in the way, and suddenly starteth back∣ward, six steps for one, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Joh. 6.66. So do they that phancy all the Gospel to be a carnal
or a Morall discourse. 5. Those cannot have [ 5] Faith, in whose heart the Gospel lyeth above ground, Devils and sin having made the heart hard like the Summer streets, Mat. 13.19. with daily treading and walking on them. A stony Faith, or a Faith that groweth out of a stone, cannot be a saving Faith: There••s a heart that is a daily walk, in which the Devil (as it were) aireth himself. 6. If Christ have given the last knock at the door, and all in-passages be closed [ 6] up, and heart-inspirations gone, there can be no more any sort of faith there, Eph. 4.19. 2 Tim. 4.2. The heart is like a dried up arm in some, all the oil in the bones are spent. 7. Loose wal∣king with greedinesse, argues that hell hath ta∣ken [ 7] fire on the out-works of the soul. Hell in the hands and tongue as in the out-wheels, must argue hell and unbelief in the heart and the in-wheels. 1. Loose believers go to Heaven by [ 1] miracles, I dare go to Hell for a man if such an one go to Heaven, who liveth prophanely, and saith, he hath a good heart within: 2. The go∣ing in waies of blood, Extortion, Covetous, Ido∣latrie, [ 2] belyeth the decree of election to Glory. Grace leadeth no man to the East, with his face and motion close to the West. 3. This way of [ 3] working by contraries, is not Gods way: God can work by contraries, but he will not have us to work by contraries. There's some heaven of holinesse in the court-gate to the Heaven of happinesse. 8. Faith over-looketh time, Heb. [ 8]
11.10. Abraham looked for another City. Faith in Moses was great with childe of heaven, v. 25 He had an eye to the recompence of reward. Eternity of Glory, is the birth of Faith. Oh! we look not to the declining of our sun, its high afternoon, of our peece of day, eleven houres is gone, and the twelfth hour is on the wheels, & I see not my own gray haires; Its upon the margin and borders of night, and I know not where to lodge. We are like the man, swim∣ming through broad waters, and he knoweth not what is before him, he swimmeth thorow deeper and deeper parts of the river, and at length, a cramp and a stitch cometh on arms and leggs, and he sinketh to the bottom and drowns: We swim through dayes, weeks, moneths, yeers, winters, and are daily deeper in time; while at length death bereave us of strength of leggs & arms, and we sin•• over head and ears in Eterni∣tie. Oh! Who like the sleepy man, is loosing his clothes, and putting off the garments of darknesse, and would gladly sleep with Christ? Men are close buttoned, and like day-men, when its dark night. Its fearfull to ly down with our day clothes, Job 20.11. Sin is a sad winding sheet: Oh! what believer faith, I would have a suit of clothes for the high Court and Thron to be an Essay, to see how a suit of glorie would become me? Thus much for Faith.
The pre∣valency of instant Prayer, in 8. acts put forth upon God.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Ex. 32▪ 10.
Five things to betreated on con∣cerning Faith.
1. There is a pre∣paration going be∣fore faith
There's no neces∣sary and intrinse∣call con∣nexion be¦tween prepara∣tions go∣ing be∣fore faith & faith.
Affecti∣ons going before conversi∣on and following after de∣fer speci∣ficality.
All are alike un∣fit for conversi∣on.
Some nearer conversi∣on then o∣thers are
Three grounds and mo∣tives of believing
Glory & Christ the hope of glory, strong motives to believe
2. Faiths object the marrow of Gods attributs to speak so.
Faith a Catho∣licke Grace required in our a∣ctions naturall & civill, as well as spiri∣tuall.
Christia∣nity is a toilsome and ope∣rous work.
3. The ingredi∣ents of Faith 6. in num∣ber.
Faith turneth all our acts which are ter∣minated on the creature, to half acts.
Faith hath five notes of diffe∣rence in closing with the promise.
Literall know∣ledge worketh as a na∣turall agent.
The 4. point con∣cerning faith to wit the warants of belie∣ving.
The war∣rants & claim of a sinner why he should believe.
Gnu∣phela femini∣num est intextu, est enal∣lage ge∣nerum.
The fifth point of false Faith. and the use of all. Grace es∣sential to Faith.
Diverse sorts of people who can∣not have Faith.