An offer of farther help to suffering saints, or, The best work in the worst times wherein the necessity, excellency, and means of preparation for sufferings are clearly evinced, and prescribed : in which, as in a glass, the people of God may see how to dress themselves for death, or any other suffering to which the Lord shall call : added as an appendix to the Sufferers mirrour.

CHAP. VI. Discovering the necessity of an improved faith for the right management of sufferings, and directing to some special means for the improvement thereof.

THe next thing conducing to our actual readi∣ness for sufferings, is the improvement of Faith to some considerable degree of strength. This is the Grace that must do the main service in such an hour, and hath the principal hand in supporting the Christian under every burden. This is the Grace that crowns our heads with victory in the day of battel, Ephes. 6.16. Above all taking the shield of Faith. It's true every Grace is of use, and con∣tributes assistance: suffering Saints have been be∣holding

to them all. But of this we may say, as Solomon of the vertuous woman. Though many Gra∣ces have done excellently, yet this excels them all. In this Grace ready Paul was eminent. It was the life he daily lived, Gal. 2.20. Oh it is a precious grace, 2 Pet. 1.1. so precious that Christ, who seldome ad∣mired at any thing, yet wondred at this, Mat. 8.10. A victorious Grace it is that overcomes all difficul∣ties, Mark 9.23. By this Sword it was that all those famous Heroes, Heb. 11. atchieved all those glori∣ous conquests: and in every distress it may say to the Soul, as Christ to the Disciples, John 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing. This is that Sword that hath obtained so many Victories over the world, 1 John 5.4. and that trusty Shield that hath quench∣ed so many deadly Darts of temptation, as have been levell'd at the very heart of the Christian in the day of battel. By it a Christian lives, when all outward sensible comforts die, Hab. 2.4. It's the ground upon which the Christian fixes his foot, and never fails under him, 2 Con. 1.24. The necessity of it will more clearly appear, by considering how many wayes it relieves the soul in trouble, and dis∣burthens the heart of all its sinking loads and pres∣sures, there are two things that sink a mans Spirit when under sufferings; viz. The greatness of the troubles, and the weakness of the soul to bear them; against both which Faith relieves the soul; viz. by making a weak soul strong, and heavy troubles light.

First, It makes a weak Soul strong and able to bear; and this it doth divers ways.

1. By purging out of the Soul those enfeebling and weakning Distempers; not onely guilt in ge∣neral, which is to the Soul, as a Wound upon the bearing shoulder, Rom. 5.1. The removal, when it

enables the Soul to bear any other Burden, Isa. 33.24. But it also removes Fear, the Tyrant Passion that cuts the Nerves of the Soul. For, as Faith comes in, so Fear goes out: Look in what degree the Fear of God is ascendant in the Soul, propor∣tionably the sinful fear of the Creature declines and vanisheth, Esa. 8.12, 13. This fear extinguishes that, as the Sun-shine puts out fire: The Righteous i•• bold as a Lion, Prov. 28.1. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signi∣fies a young Lion in his hot bloud, that knows no such thing as fear: And look how much of the Soul is empty of Faith, so much its filled with fear: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little Faith? Mat. 8.26. Cer∣tainly, it's a rare advantage, to be freed from the common distraction, in times of common destruction: and this advantage the Soul hath by Faith.

2. It strengthens the Soul to bear afflictions and hardships, not onely by purging out its weakning Distempers, but by turning it self to Christ, in whom all its strength lyes; and that suitably to the several Exigencies of the Soul, in all its Distresses. Doth Darkness, like the shadow of Death, over∣spread the Earth, and all the Lights of Earthly Comforts disappear, then Faith supports the Heart, by looking to the Lord, Mic. 7.7. and this look of Faith exceedingly revives the Heart, Psal. 34.5. and enlightens the Soul. Doth God pluck away all Earthly Props from under your Feet, and leave you nothing visible to rest upon, in that Exigence Faith puts forth a suitable act, viz. Resting or staying upon God, Esa. 26.3. and by this the Soul comes to be quieted and established, Psal. 125.1, Do Tempta∣tions strive to put off the Soul from Christ, and dif∣courage it from leaning upon the Promise? Then it puts forth an act of Resolution, Job 13.15. and so breaks its way through that discouragement. Or

hath the Soul been long seeking God for deliver∣ance out of trouble, and still there is silence in Heaven, no answer comes; but instead of an An∣swer, comes a Temptation, to throw up the Duty, and seek to deliver it self? Then Faith puts forth another act upon Christ, suitable to this distress, viz. An act of waiting, Isa. 49.23. which waiting is opposed to that sinful haste which the Soul is tem∣pted to, Isa. 28.16. Or doth God at any time call the Soul forth to some difficult service, against which the Flesh and Carnal Reason dispute and plead? now Faith helps the Soul, by putting forth an act of obedience, and that whilst Carnal Reason stands by dis-satisfied, Gal. 1.16. And hence it is, that Obedience carryes the name of Faith upon it, to shew its descent, Rom. 16.26. Faith encourages the Soul to obey, not onely by urging Gods Com∣mand, but by giving it Gods Warrant for its Indem∣pnity, Heb. 11.24, 25, 26. Or doth a poor Be∣liever find himself over-match'd by Troubles and Temptations, and his own inherent strength begin to fail under the burden? then Faith leads him to an Omnipotent God, and so secures him from fainting under his Trouble, Psal. 61.2. in the Lord is ever∣lasting strength. El Shaddai, is a name of encourage∣ment to a feeble Soul, Isa. 40.29, 30, 31. And thus you see the first particular made good, viz. What a strengthning influence it hath into a weak Soul.

Secondly, In the next place, let us see how it lightens the Christians Burden, as well as strengthens his back to bear.

And certainly, this Grace of Faith doth strange∣ly alter the very Nature of Sufferings, taking away both the heaviness and horrour of them; and this it doth divers ways:

1. By committing the business to Christ, and lea∣ving

the matter with him; and so quitting the Soul of all those anxieties and perturbations, which are ••e very burden and weight of Affliction, Psal. 37.••5. For certainly, that which sinks us in dayes of Trouble, is rather from within, from our unruly, se∣ditious and clamorous Thoughts, then from the Troubles themselves with which we conflict: But by committing the matter to God, the Soul is quick∣ly brought to rest.

2. By discovering much present good in our Troubles; the more good Faith discovers in a Trou∣ble, the more supportable and easie it makes it to the Soul. Now Faith brings in a comfortable Re∣port, that they are not onely evils, as the Troubles of the wicked are, Ezek. 7.5. but have an allay and mixture of much good, Heb. 12.10. Isa. 27.9.

3. By fore-seeing the end and final removal of them, and that near at hand, 2 Cor. 4.17. That which daunts and amazes men in times of trouble, is, that they can see no end of them. Hence the heart saints, and hands hang down through discourage∣ment: But now Faith brings the joyful Tidings of the end of Troubles, and saith to the Soul, Why art thou cast down O my Soul? and why so disquieted and discouraged within me? as if thy Travails were like the Sufferings of the Damned, endless and everlasting, where∣as they are but for a moment. Yet a little, a very little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tar∣ry, Heb. 10.37. Yet a little while, and then the days of thy mourning shall be over.

4. By comparing our sufferings with the suffer∣ings of others, which exceedingly diminisheth and shrinks them up: Sometimes the Believer compares his sufferings with Christs, and then he is ashamed that ever he should complain and droop under them. Oh! saith he, What is this to that which

the Lord Jesus suffered for me? he suffered in all his Members, Head, Hands, Side, Feet, from all hands, Friends and Enemies, in all his Offices: Yea, in his Soul as well as Body: And indeed the suffer∣ings of his Soul, were the very soul of his sufferings: sometimes he compares them with the sufferings of others, of the Saints in former Ages: When he reads in Faith, the History of their Persecutions, he is shamed out of his Complaints, and Faith. Am I better then my Fathers? Sometimes he compares them with the sufferings of the Damned: Oh what is this to the everlasting Burnings! What is a Prison to Hell? How light and easie is it to suffer for Christ, in comparison of those sufferings which are from Christ? And thus the Soul is quieted, and the terrour of suf∣ferings abated.

5. Faith intitles Christ to the Believers suffer∣ings, and puts them upon his score; and so it ex∣ceedingly transforms and alters them: Ah! it's no small relief, when a man can hold up the Bible, as that Martyr did at the stake, and say, Here is that which hath brought me hither: Or, as the Psalmist, For thy sake we are killed all the day long: Or, as the Apostle, Col. 1.24. I fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh.

6. Lastly, Faith engages the presence of God, to be and abide with the Soul, in all its solitudes and sufferings: It layes hold upon the Promises made to that purpose, Psal. 23.2. Isa. 43.2. Heb. 13.5. John 14.18. and whilest a poor Soul enjoys this, the very sense of Troubles is swallowed up.

And thus I have given some brief hints, how Faith relieves and strengthens the Soul in a suffering hour: The next thing is to direct you, how to im∣prove this excellent Grace, that it may do you such service as this in a time of need: And, in order

thereunto, I shall give you these seven Directi∣ons.

1. Attend diligently upon the Ministration of the Gospel, which is not onely the procreant, but also the conserving cause of Faith, 1 Pet. 2.2. the Doctrine of Faith, is the Food and Nutriment of the Grace of Faith: There are its Rules, its Encourage∣ments, its Cordials: Thence Faith takes and trea∣sures up its Michtams, to which it hath recourse in times of need: Every Attribute, Command, or Pro∣mise, that shines forth there, is a Dish for Faith to feed on, all together are a Royal Feast, Psal. 63.5.5. Some say the Land of Judea is called the Land of the Living, in Psal. 27.13. in respect of the Or∣dinances of God which that people enjoyed: Cer∣tain it is, they are the great Instruments of quick∣ning Souls at first, and preserving that life it so be∣gat in them: But then be sure they have Christs stamp upon them, and that they be ministred by his own Officers, and in his own way: And so you may reasonably expect more Fruits and Influences from them, than from all private gifts and helps in the World: For the Lord loveth the Gates of Zion, more then all the dwellings of Jacob, Psal. 87.2. and all private helps may say, in comparison of Christs publique Ordinances, as Gideon said to the men of Ephraim, Judg. 8.2. What have we done in comparison of you?

2. Improve well your Sacrament-seasons, those Harvest-days of Faith: This Ordinance hath a direct and peculiar tendency to the improvement and strengthning of Faith: It is a Pledge superadded to the Promise for Faiths sake: Heavenly and sublime Mysteries do therein stoop down to your Senses, that you may have the clearer apprehensions of them; and the clearer the apprehensions are, the

stronger the assent of Faith must needs be: By this Seal also the Promise comes to be more ratified to us; and the firmer the Promise appears to the Soul, the more bold and adventurous Faith is in casting it self upon it: Oh! how many poor doubting trem∣bling Souls have in such a Season, gathered the full ripe Fruits of Assurance, from the Top-boughs of that Ordinance!

3. Frequent actings of Faith, are rare and speci∣all means of improving it: To him that hath (i.e.) that improves and uses what he hath, shall be given, Mat. 25.29. This was the way by which Paul thrived in Faith, and every other Grace so exceed∣ingly, that he out-grew them that were in Christ before him, 1 Cor. 15.10. It's true, that its begin∣ning in the Soul, is not after the manner of other Habits, either Moral or Natural: This is not of Natural acquisition, but by Divine Infusion; but yet its improvement is in the same manner. Oh then! if ever you would have a flourishing Faith, rouze it up out of the dull Habit, and live in the daily exer∣cise of it.

4. Go to Jesus Christ, who is the Author and Fi∣nisher of Faith, and cry to him, as Mark 9.24. Lord increase my Faith: Yea, beg the assistance of others Prayers in this behalf, as the Apostle did, 1 Thes. 3.10. 2 Thes. 1.11. Faith animates Prayer, and Prayer increases Faith.

5. Improve times of affliction for the increase of Faith: For certainly, sanctified afflictions do no∣tably exercise and increase this Grace, 1 Pet. 1.7. In times of Prosperity, we see not what stock of Faith we have: We live so much upon things seen, that we cannot many times tell whether we have Faith or no: But when difficult days come, then we must let out our whole subsistence and livelyhood

by Faith, Hab. 2.4. Yea, then we have many Proofs and Experiments of Gods fidelity in the Promises, which is a choice help to Faith, 2 Cor. 1.10.

6. Keep Catalogues of all your remarkable Ex∣periences; treasure them up as food for your Faith in time to come: Oh! it is a singular encourage∣ment and heartning to Faith, when it can turn over the Records of Gods dealing with you in years past, and say as Josuah, Not one thing hath failed, Jo∣suah 23.14. When it can say so of Promises, that have already had their accomplishments, then they will be apt to say concerning those yet to be ac∣complished, as Elizabeth said to Mary, Luke 1.45. Blessed is the Soul that believeth, for there shall be a per∣formance of those things which are told it by the Lord.

These Experiments are the Food of Faith. Psal. 74.14. Thou brakest the Heads of Leviathan in pie∣ces, and gavest him to be meat to thy People inhabiting the Wilderness, (i.e.) That famous Experience of the Power and Love of God in their Red-Sea Deli∣verance, where he destroyed that Sea-Monster Pharaoh, and his Hoast, was meat to the Faith of Gods Israel in the Wilderness afterwards. We often find Christ charging the Peoples unbelief on a bad Memory, Mat. 16.8, 9. And hence it was, that the Lord commanded the Israelites to keep Journals of every Days Occurrences, Numb. 13.1, 2. It's a thousand pities, such choice helps should be lost. Oh! if you could but remember, how the Lord hath appeared for you in former Exigencies, and how often he hath shamed you for your unbelief, it would exceedingly animate your Faith, both in present and future Distresses, Mic. 6.5.

7. Lastly, Beware of sense, which is the supplanter of Faith. O if you live upon things earthly, you put Faith out of its Office: things earthly have an

enmity to Faith. This is the victory by which we over∣come the world, even our Faith, 1 John 5.4. Over∣coming notes a conflict, and conflicts infer oppo∣sitions. Oh you that lives o much by sight and sense on things visible, what will you do when in Davit's or Pau's case, Psal. 142.4. 2 Tim. 4.16. when all outward encouragements and stayes shall utterly fail. What had Abraham done, if he had not been able to believe against hope, (i. e.) such an hope as is founded in sense and reason.

Reader, I advise and charge thee in the Name of the Lord; and as thou hopest to live when visi∣ble comforts die, that thou be diligent in the im∣provement and preparation of this excellent Grace of Faith: if it fail, thou failest with it; and as thy Faith is, so art thou. Consult all this Cloud of Wit∣nesses, and see if thou canst find a man among them, that did not atchieve this Victory by his Faith. Had they not all been run down by the furious assaults of temptation, and instead of a Cloud of Witnesses, been so many Pillars of Salt, and Monuments of reproach and shame to Religion, if their Faith had failed in its trial.