Of Effectual Faith — Sermon 4

_1. THESS. 1:3._Remembring your effectuall Faith, &c.

THE third Character of Faith, which I named in the morning, but did not fully finish, is this; If we have justifying faith, then we have peace. In this we should take heede. As it is a great mercy to have a true and sound peace; so to have a peace not well bottomed is the greatest judgement in the world; when GOD gives vp a man, that he shall be secure and at rest, that he shall not have his minde occupied about sinne, or about matters of salvation; I say, it is a signe that such a one God hates: if it continue so with him, it is a signe God will destroy him. But yet peace of conscience, upon a good ground, is a signe of faith; as I showed in Moses, Hannah, Dauid, and the rest. So farre we went in the morning.

Now you must know, that all those instances that we brought you, that where there is faith, there is peace and quiet; they were not onely for resemblance, to show you, that as it is in those other things in which we believe, so it is in the maine; (as you doe not believe any particular promise, except you have some quiet in your minde after it;) but likewise to show you whether that peace bee good or no, whether that faith be sure or no. For if you believe the maine, certainely you will believe the lesse. Therefore consider with your selues, (we will inlarge this signe so farre) If you wouldest know whether your faith be good or no, whether you have peace indeed concerning the maine; Consider with your selfe, whether you are able to believe those promises which concerne those particular things which you have daily vse of. For there are many promises which you have vse of continually in your course: you have every day some occasion or other of trusting GOD: See in these how you doest believe, whether you have peace, and know, that if you have not peace in these, it is a signe you have not peace in the maine. I will name but one place for it: Looke in Phil. 4:6.In nothing be carefull, but in all things let your requests be made to God: And then, says he, The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Christ Jesus. Marke the opposition; says he, In nothing be carefull, when matters of trouble come, when crosses come, when great businesses come, in which you knowest not which way to turne you, (says he) in such a case be not you carefull; doe the thing, you must have so much care as to set your head aworke, as to deuise what to doe, and to set your hand aworke to act it; but let there be no sollicitude to disturbe and disquiet your affections within. Let your request be made known to GOD; then, the peace of GOD which passeth all understanding, shall keepe your heart and minde in Christ Jesus. As if he should say, if you be not able to doe this, it is an interruption of that peace, it is a contradiction to that peace, which passeth all understanding, that keepes your heart in communion with CHRIST: if you be not able to cast your care on him for other things, that peace belongs not to you. Where there is a secret intimation, not but that men may have this peace, and be inordinately carefull, but ordinarily it is not so. He speakes not of such infirmities as the Saints are subject to by distemper, but of an ordinary course.

Consider now, what you dost for the things of this life: Says CHRIST, Math. 6.Oh you of little says! Why so? What was the signe of a little faith? Says CHRIST, Doest you think that he will cloathe the grasse of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the Ouen? Doest you think that he will prouide for the yong Rauens that call upon him, and wilt you not believe that he will doe so for you? If you doe not believe this, your faith is nothing. If you believe little, your faith is little. Consider that, consider how you carry your selues for the things of this life: doe you think that GOD will doe the maine, and will not doe the lesse? Doe you think that he will give you Christ, and will he not give you other things? The same faith, that takes hold of the maine promise, is it not ready to take hold of the lesse, and to depend upon it? GOD is able to doe the greatest, and is he not able to doe the lesse? Therefore, I say, in such a case, as CHRIST says, Ioh. 3:12. to Nichodemus, [〈◊〉] (says he) I come and tell you of earthly things, and you believe me not, how would you believe, if I should tell you of heavenly things? So I say, if you will not believe GOD concerning earthly things, when he promiseth these, how will you believe him for the greatest matters of salvation? How will you believe in him for the giving of CHRIST? How will you believe in him for the raising of you vp at the last day? Therefore, consider whether you be able to doe this or no: and know, that if there be faith, if you have faith for the maine, you will have faith in particular cases.

As for exmple, to give you some instance, Gen. 24:7. when Abraham had a particular occasion to send his servant to get a Wife for Isaac; says the servant, Suppose the woman will not come with me: See now what Abrahams answer was: That God which tooke me from my Fathers House, and has made me many promises before, (that is; GOD, that has done the greatest matters for me, that has promised me the blessed seed, in which all the Nations of the World shall be blessed; doest you think he will not helpe me in such a particular?) he will send his Angell before you, and will certainely give you good successe.

Consider what you doe in such cases as these: these are things which you have continuall vse of; you are put many times to such exigents, that you shall have somewhat to trust GOD for, and you will be tryed in it.

So likewise Peter, that trusted GOD for the maine, when it comes to the particular case, that he is bid to lanch out into the deepe, when he is commanded to draw out the Ship and to goe a fishing; although he had no hope to doe it, he trusted in those particulars, that CHRIST would not faile him: when he bade him goe upon the water, he trusted that he would support him. Take Dauid, see how he trusted in GOD, how many occasions had he to trust on him? As it is true for the maine; so for the particulars. So Paul, did not he trust GOD for his maintenance? See in his Epistles, how carelesse he was that way. So it is with all the Saints. Consider what you doe in these things: See whether your hearts bee at peace in these things; whether you trust in GOD, or no, so that your hearts are at rest, that you can sit still, and commit your care to GOD; if so, it is a good argument that you rest in him for the maine. So much for that.

The fourth signe or Character of faith, is, To hold out: and that you shall see in these three branches.

First, when it shall cleaue to CHRIST constantly.

Secondly, when it will take no denyall.

Thirdly, when it is content to waite in prayer, and not be weary and give ouer.

I say, if you would know whether your faith be effectuall, you shall know it by your holding out, whether it cleaue constantly to Christ. If your faith be ineffectuall, (as you have heard the last day) it comes either from mis-informaton, (you know not what Christ is, nor what it is to take him; you looke for other things from him: when you see what it is, if your faith be not effectuall, you will goe backe:) or else you take him out of fear, or out of love to his, and not to him; or else out of false and slender grounds. Now if you would know whether your faith bee such a faith or no, consider if it hold out, if it cleaue to him.

If your faith come of mis-information, when you have experience of CHRIST, when you seest what he requires at your hands, when you considerest and vnderstandest what he puts you to, there is an end, you giuest ouer.

If your faith come of fear; as soone as the storme is ouer, as soone as those troubles in minde, those disquiets in conscience are past, there is an end, your faith cleaues to CHRIST no longer.

If faith come out of love to his, of love to a Kingdom, nothing but Hell and Heaven and some present commodities that move you; when better things are offered, that are more present commodities, there is an end of it.

Againe, if it be out of false, slender, and slight grounds; when stronger reasons and objections come, that faith ceaseth likewise. But now then, when you findest that your faith holds out, when all these are past, when all these are taken away, when the fear is gone, when such an offer is made, when all the objections are made that can be, this argues that faith is sound and good. Consider therefore, whether your faith cleaue fast, and constantly to CHRIST, or no; whether it hold out, when those flashes and good moodes will not; whether it ouercome, when it is assaulted by the Gates of Hell comming against it. That is, when a mans faith is good, it is built upon the Rock, upon such a Rock, that if the Deuill himself, and principalities and powers come, with all their strength, and all their wit, with all their temptations, and deuises, if faith be sound, it will hold out, the Gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it. The Woman of Canaan, she had a shrewd tryall, when CHRIST tells her she was a Dog, in plaine termes, and when it came from Christ himself; and yet when her faith was good indeed, she could not chuse but she must cleaue to him, she would not give ouer, there was a strong faith, that did knit her heart secretly to CHRIST, there was the ground that she held out, notwithstanding all objections; although, it may be, she knew not how to answer them, yet she let not goe, and that was a signe her faith was good: So, consider whether your faith hold out when you are put to such tryals as these.

gaine, consider whether you wilt receive no denyall when you commest and seekest to him; when you commest to seek fauour at GODS hands, when you commest to seek forgiuenesse of sinnes, consider whether you are able to hold out, though he deferre long before he grant it. There is no grace that GOD gives, but he has tryals for it afterward: He gives you the grace of Patience, he will put you to it, you shalt have some crosse, some affliction or other.

If he give you Love, he will doe as he did with Dauid, he will see whether you wilt forsake him, or no; he will make you an offer of preferment, an offer of wealth, of praise, of somewhat or other, to see if you wilt part with that for his sake, or no.

If he gives us Faith, he often tryes us in this case, he denyes us long, he wrestleth with us, as he did with Jacob, he makes many shows of going away. Thus, we know, he dealt with Daniel, as soone as he beganne to pray, the answer comes, that his request was granted; but GOD would not let him know so much; he lets him goe thorow with the worke, he lets him seek earnestly, and then he reueales and makes it known to him. So, perhaps GOD intends you good, but he will put you to the tryall, consider therefore if your faith hold out in such a case.

Againe, when you have gotten an answer, perhaps, after you have gotten your answers, you must waite long before the thing it selfe be given you: Therefore consider if you be content to waite for it: for that is the property of faith, to be willing to waite, as Dauid often repeates it, I waited upon the Lord. You know, Abraham, how GOD tryed him that way, when he made him a promise of a seede, of a Sonne, you know how long he waited for the performance. So Isaac, he waited long, before he had those two sonnes, Jacob and Esau. So GOD will put you to it to waite, it may be, for matter of justification; that is, he will not show himself, he will not speake peace to you, he will not give you a good looke; but yet he gives you a secret strength that you shalt waite, you shalt not give ouer, you shalt stay till he speake pe[•]ce; that is, till [〈…〉] comfortable assurance, till you have the full testimony of the Spirit, as you have a secret testimony at the first working of faith. And so for matter of sanctification; It may be, GOD will suffer some strong lust to wrestle with you, to contend with you, as he suffered in Paul, he will put you to waite, before he will give you victory ouer it. If your faith bee good now, you wilt consider that he has sworne, he has made an absolute promise, that he will give the Holy Ghost to those that are in Christ, that no sinne shall ouercome them, or have dominion ouer them. If once you come under grace, if you have faith, you wilt neuer give ouer, but wilt be content to waite, and to continue still striuing and wrestling with it, you wilt neuer lay downe the wasters, as a man that is ouercome, as a man that is discouraged, as a man that is wearie of the fight.

And so for matter of deliverance, perhaps GOD will let a crosse lye longer upon you: if you have faith, you wilt not make haste, you wilt be content to waite: Habac. 2.The vision is for an appointed time, it will not lye: Therefore, says he, waite, it will come, it will not stay. That is, there is a certaine time that GOD has appointed for your deliverance, before he will give you such a particular mercy; consider whether you be able to wait in such a case: for, if there be faith, (marke it) a man will be sure to waite, and not to give ouer: as in Iam. 1. it is given there as a signe that faith is vnsound; they had so much faith as to come to Christ; but that was a signe that their faith was faulty, and vnsound faith, that it was not able to waite to the end, but gave ouer.

If a man were sure now, that such a man were in the house, that he must speake withall, he will waite till he come out, if he be sure he be there. If you be sure of GOD, if your faith be sound, though he doe not answer you presently, in many particulars, yet you wilt be content to waite upon him. Therefore this will show that many a mans faith is vnsound, slight, and vneffectuall, that they have so soone done, that they are ready to doe much in flashes, in some good moodes, on a Sacrament day, it may be, or in the time of sicknesse, or when they are affected with some Sermon, or upon such an occasion; but, if your faith were right, it would hold out, it would cleaue to CHRIST, it would goe thorow with all tryals, you wouldest receive no denyall, it would continue waiting upon him. This is the fourth signe.

Last of all, you shall know faith by the concomitants of it; and they are foure; Love, Hope, Joy, and Humility. If there bee Faith, if your Faith be good, it will alwaies have Love joyned with it; as the Apostle Peter says, in 1 Pet. 1:8. Whom though you have not seene, yet you love him. And you know the place in Galath. 5.Faith which works by love. That is, Faith which begets Love, and such a Love as sets a man on worke. But it is a thing that needeth no prouing: you cannot deny it: you know how they are joyned together in the first to the Corinthians, chap. 13. Faith, Hope, and Love. And it must needes be so, that, if your faith be good, it will have Love joyned with it. For, if your faith bee right, you lookest on GOD as upon a friend, as upon a Father; now you lookest upon CHRIST as on one that is married to you; you lookest on him as upon one that loues you, and has given himself for you. Now if you see this, and art persuaded of this indeed, if you think and art persuaded indeed that he loues you, love will beget love, as fire begets fire. Therefore, if you wouldst know whether you have taken Christ indeed, consider whether you love him or no.

But you will say you love CHRIST. I hope there is no great question of that.

Salomon says, Every man will make show for fashions sake, of goodness, but where can you finde a faithful man? So may I say of Love: Every man says, he loues, but where shall one finde one that does love indeed? Therefore consider, doest you love in good earnest.

You will say, How shall I know it?

It is not a place now to stand to give notes of Love: we will only show now, that Love is a sure companion of Faith, and that Faith is not good, if Love be not there, But yet I say, if you love him, you shalt find that in your own heart, you needest not goe far for a tryall of that.

Love is the most sensible, the most quicke, and most active affection of all others. Consider, if you love any creature, or any thing, any man or woman, doest you not feele your affection stirring in you? doest you not find your heart thus longing after them whom you affectest? you delightest to be in their company, in their presence, you desireth to be with them. So that, if a strangenesse growe between you at any time, your heart is not at ease till all be right againe betweene you: So, doest you love the Lord Jesus? Doest you keepe his Commandements? Does a man professe to love GOD, and cares not to vexe him, and anger him?

Againe, Doest you hate sinne? Doest you think to love GOD, and not to hate that, which he hateth? If a man love GOD, he is holy and pure, and there is no man that loues the one contrary, but he must needes hate the other. There is no man that loues light, but he must hate darknesse. If you love GOD, in his person, in his purity, in his holinesse, you must hate sinne; and this hatred is generall; you wilt hate all sinne, if you hate any, and hatred will breede the destruction of a thing.

Againe, Doest you love GOD? art you willing to doe any thing for his sake? Doest you reckon matters of greatest difficulty easie to doe; as Jacob did make it a matter of ease because of love?

Againe, Doest you love the Saints, those that are like him, those that are of such a disposition as God is of? Shall a man say he loues the purity and the holinesse of GOD, which he has not seene, which is hidden from his eyes, when he does not love the holinesse and the purity that he sees in his Saints? For there it is taught in a visible manner in the creature, where you may see it more proportionable to you. It is a hundred times more easie to love godlinesse in the Saints, then in GOD himself, because he is remote farre from us, and they are among us, and are visibly seene. Therefore, except you love the Saints, which you seest holinesse in; except you seest your heart inwardly, to love them with a naturall affection, as it were, that you louest them whether you wilt or no, you doest but pretend.

Againe, Doest you love CHRIST? Art you willing to part with any thing for his sake? Love is bountifull: you sayest you louest GOD: What if he will have some of your wealth? What if he will have your credit? What if he will have your liberty for his sake? If you love him, you wilt be content to doe it. Therefore, consider if faith have begotten such a love in you, so that you canst truly say, though you have not seene him, yet you louest him.

The second concomitant of Faith, is Hope: If you have Faith, you have Hope. And this distinguisheth a Christians faith from the faith of Reprobates, from the faith of Deuils, from the temporary faith that others are capable of: you know, the Deuils believe and tremble: He says not, The Deuils believe and hope; for that they doe not, Hope is a property of Faith, where there is Faith there is Hope. Now you must know, that a man has neuer faith to believe, but he has hope, which makes him expect what he beleeues. If a man have a promise of so much money which he needes, he hopes for the performance of it, and quiets himself, when he casts his thoughts upon it, he is at rest: when a man beleeues it, he hopes for it. Take an Heyre that has such possessions, which is yet a Ward, and is yong, he has not the Land in possession; but (marke) what hope he has, it is not a vaine hope, but such a hope as puts other conceits in him then other men have, puts another fashion upon his actions, it makes him neglect many good things he would doe; he will not be of such a calling, he will not be diligent: for he hopes, he makes account of it: See how such things worke upon a man, which he is not to have in 7 or 8 yeeres after, perhaps. So you hopest for Heaven, it is not a vaine hope, but it is a hope that will ma[•]e you carry your selfe after another fashion, it will make you so minded, that you wilt have an eye to it, and every man that lookes on [•]he, may see that you have an eye to it: So that faith is accompanied by Hope. But now you must not say, that if a man hope, therefore there is no fear mingled with it: for you must know, that a man may have Hope that is true and good, and yet may have fear mingled with it. For this you must know, that if there be nothing but hope, it is a signe that that Hope is not good. And therefore you have so little reason to be discouraged, because you have some fear mingled with your hope, that you have the more cause to hope, and to think that your hope is good, because there is fear mingled with it: for know, that there is a certaine sort of men, that have neither faith, hope, nor fear; as Atheists, that have some hope, but no fear; as Deuils and desperate men, that have some fear, but no hope; as presumptuous men, which have but a shaddow of faith: But those that have hope, and fear mingled with it; that is, those may rather hope, that that hope which they have, they may be so much the more confirmed in it, because they have some fear mingled with it.

Therefore consider, whether you have hope or no: Consider in what manner it is joyned with faith. When you beleeuest that CHRIST is your, that Heaven is your, that your sinnes are forgiuen, and that you are a sonne of GOD, but these things you have not yet, you are as any other man, there is no difference betweene you and them, you have no more in possession then other men, that walke with you; now comes in Hope, and that expecteth that which is to come, that holds vp your head, as it were, that, though you have nothing at all for the present, yet that Hope will comfort you, that though you have troubles, and crosses, and a thousand things more, to obscure and blot your faith, and the waues goe ouer your head, that you are ready to be drowned, this hope holds you above the water, and makes you expect with comfort that which is to come: and not so onely, but, I say, it is a liuely hope, a hope that sets a man aworke, a hope that purgeth him. For, you know, that that a man hopes for, he will endeuour to bring it to passe, it is such a hope as will not faile you, but will continue as well as Faith it selfe.

Thirdly, the third concomitant of Faith is Joy: Romanes 15:13.The GOD of hope fill you with joy, through believing. If you have beleeued, you have Joy. So in the first of Peter, chap. 1. vers. 8. In whom you have beleeued: (says he) Whom, though you have not seene, yet you believe in him, and joy with joy vnspeakable and glorious. (As if he should say) If you believe in him, you shall know it by this, Whether doe you rejoice in him, or no? Consider that, where there is Faith, there is Joy. And it must needes be so: As, you know, he that had the Pearle went away rejoicing; and the Kingdom of GOD consisteth in Joy, and Peace, and Righteousnesse. And therefore, where there is Faith, there certainely is Joy. And therefore consider, and examine your own case: Hast you this rejoicing in CHRIST? this rejoicing in the Doctrine of Justification, and forgiuenesse of sins. If we should examine mens faith by this, we should finde that there is but a little Faith in the World. Examine your selues, you that now hear me, that hear this Doctrine of Faith; it may bee it has been burthensome to you; it may be it is a thing you care not for; To hear of Justification, and forgiuenesse of sinnes, they are things at the least, that, it may be, you take no great paines for; you doe not study them, you doe not prize them much: but, if you were forgiuen indeed, you would prefer it before all other joy, it would comfort you above any thing. If you would say, what you would hear above all things else, you would hear of matter of forgiuenesse. A man now that has known the bitternesse of sinne, and afterwards comes to the assurance of forgiuenesse, (that is) to have Faith indeed, I say, he will rejoice in it above all things else: all worldly joy would be nothing to it. Therefore consider whether you have such a Faith or no; if you have not, certainely you have not Faith; and it is a sure signe that will not deceiue you; There is no man that has it, that has not Faith; and wheresoeuer there is Faith indeed, there is extraordinary great rejoicing in CHRIST.

But, you will say, Many a man may have Joy; the second ground received the Word with joy: and those that followed John the Baptist, reioyced in his light: and in Heb. 6. the Apostle says, they have tasted of the good Word of God; they have tasted with sweetnesse; that is, they have had joy in it.

It is true, we confesse there is a false joy: and therefore, if you wouldst know whether the joy which you have be good or no, consider these three things.

First, consider whether your faith hold out in tribulation or no. Therefore the Apostle addes, Rom. 5:3.not only so, but we rejoice also in tribulation. As if he should say, those that are hypocrites, those that have a false faith, there may be much rejoicing in them for a while, but we rejoice in tribulations; indeed, we not onely rejoice in tribulation, but our joy is increased by them, they are as fuell, they adde to our joy: as in Act. 5. the Disciples went away rejoicing, because they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ. Wheras the second ground, when persecution comes, there is an end of their joy. Therefore consider whether your joy will hold out or no.

Againe, consider the greatnesse thereof: you know those words are added, 1 Pet. 1:8.rejoicing with Joy vnspeakable and glorious. If it bee right Joy, it will bee such a great Joy, it will exceede all other, it will be like to that joy in Haruest, as Isay speakes, it will be a Joy vnspeakeable for the greatnesse of it; such a Joy, that at the least is so great, that whatsoeuer comes, yet it exceedes it. the other temporary Christian may have joy, but it is not so great, but some other joy will come, and ouercome it, and drowne it, and put it out.

Therefore, in the second ground, as their humiliation was slight, so was their Faith, they had a little humiliation for their sinnes, and they tooke CHRIST in a more remisse manner. And as their Faith was, so was their joy, all slight. But now, when Faith is sound and good, that Joy is accordingly great; it is a great Joy, that, at the least, ouercomes all other; that, take what joy you will, if a man could have an earthly Kingdom heere, if a man could have as great pleasure here as mans nature is capable of, if he had neuer so much praise, and glory of men, (these things we naturally rejoyce in) a right Christian, that has Faith indeed, will not so rejoyce in these, but that he will rejoyce in CHRIST above them. If your Joy therefore be so great, that it ouercome and exceede all other, be sure that Joy is good. But yet we must have one thing more in Joy. In whom, though you have not seene, yet you joy with Joy vnspeakable and glorious. That is, if it be such a Joy as is right indeed, which is a testimony of faith, that it is a signe you beleeuest, it is a Joy that is glorious, it is a Joy that is glorious and spirituall. Now an hypocrite may rejoyce, he may rejoyce in Christ, he may rejoyce in the Kingdom of GOD, and the assurance he has of it, and he may rejoice in the hope that he has that his sins are forgiuen; but all this while, he rejoices after a carnall manner: as, you know, a man may rejoice in spirituall things after a carnall manner, as a man may rejoice in a carnall thing after a spirituall manner. Therefore the joy of Hypocrites, when it is at the best, it is but a carnall joy; there is something there that his flesh is able to rejoice in, it may be he had some fear and terror in his conscience, and after this comes a persuasion perhaps that his sinnes are forgiuen him, and that he is in a good estate, that same fleshly fear and griefe before, that worldly fear and griefe will have a Joy answerable to it, a naturall joy, and yet it may be great, it may be a great flash of joy, that may be as a Land-flood, make a great show, which because it has no spring, is soone dryed vp, but it makes a great flash: and therefore in that, Heb. 6.they tasted of the good Word of God, and of the powers of the world to come. I take this to be the meaning of it, (not as it is commonly interpreted, That an Hypocrite may taste of the good Word of God, and of spirituall priuiledges, he may taste of them, but not drinke deepe of them, but this is certainely the meaning of the place,) They tasted some things in the good Word of God, which was sweet to them. Now, in such men there is nothing but flesh. (Marke) If a temporary Christian beleeues for a time, he has ineffectuall faith, in such a man there is nothing but flesh. That conclusion must be set downe: and if there be nothing but flesh, there is nothing can taste but flesh; for there is nothing else to doe it, and the flesh tastes nothing but objects that sute with it selfe. What shall we say then? There is somewhat in him that pickes out, that in these spirituall comforts, in these spirituall blessings, in this good Word of GOD, he pickes out that which sutes with his flesh: That is, such a carnall man may be able to rejoice in the Word. Doe you not think that such a good Word of GOD may make carnall men rejoice in it? May he not taste such sweetnesse, as to take upon him the profession of Religion, and to bring forth fruit, and to hold out long? No doubt there is. Are there not such things in that which we propound in the Gospel? To tell men of a Kingdom of salvation, of the love of GOD, of the precious promises, of an inheritance, of escaping of Hell; may not a fleshly man, a man vnregenerate, may he not see, and rejoice in these? He may; and has such a taste as is there expressed.

Consider now therefore if your Joy be right; If it be a signe of faith, if it be good and sound, if it be a Joy that is spirituall and vnspeakable; that is, if it be a Joy that is so great as that it exceedes all other joyes; if this Joy doe but hold out in tribulation, it is a certaine signe your faith is good.

Now, last of all, the last concomitant of Faith is Humility. If your Faith be right, it will bring that with it, to make you humble and vile in your own eyes: For what is true faith? It is that which brings CHRIST into the heart, as you have heard oftentimes; that which knits Christ and the soul together, it is that which causes him to come and dwell with you. Now wheresoeuer Christ comes to dwell, he comes with a light, he shows the creature his vilenesse, he makes a man see his sinne, he makes him see what creature he is; whereas another that has great hope, and professeth that he has much assurance, his heart is lifted vp, and not cast downe. Such are not men which think themselves vile, and naked, and miserable, but they think themselves better then other men, they are forwarder then others in any thing, they think other men are not like them. And therefore they are ready to be more bold and venterous in any thing, they are ready to take vp opinions, they are ready to strike out this way or that way. But now a true Christian is humbled with it, because when Christ comes into the heart, he makes a man to see his vilenesse. As, you know, when GOD drew neere to Job, when he came neere him indeed, then he abhorred himself in dust and ashes, then he saw what a one he was, he saw not before, he thought the contrary, but when GOD drew neere indeed, that made him manifest.

So it was with Isay, when he saw GOD upon his Throne, and the Angels about him, when he saw his holinesse, then, Woe is me, I am vndone, because I am a man of polluted lips: He was so before, but when he drew neere to GOD, he saw it.

So Peter said, depart from me, I am a sinfull man, when he saw Christ, when Christ came neere him, when he manifested himself in his Divinity, that he saw GOD in him; for so he did by that Miracle that amazed Peter, and cast him downe, and made him see what he was. So Dauid, when GOD drew neere to him, and promised to build him an House, to give him a House that should be eternall, to give him the Messiah, whose Kingdom should neuer end, (for that is included in the giving him a Kingdom for euer, and a House that should have no end:) when God vouchsafed him so great a fauour, we see, Dauid was neuer so cast downe as then in the sight of his own vilenes, he was neuer so little in his own eyes, he neuer said so much as he said then. Now, (says he) what is Dauid? What am I, or what is my Fathers house, that you shouldst regard me thus, that you shouldst bring me hitherto? This is Gods manner, when he comes into a mans heart, when he speakes peace indeed, when Faith is a right Faith, that brings CHRIST to dwell there; I say, it makes a man exceeding humble. Therfore the spirit of Christians is a meeke spirit, they are humble, and gentle, they are little in their own eyes. Consider whether you have such a disposition bred in you, or no: it is a signe your faith is good, if there be; if there be not, it is a signe your faith is not true. So much for the signes of faith. I make haste, because I have one Vse more to adde.

If nothing be regarded of GOD but effectuall faith; that is, if that be the vertue of faith to be effectuall, or else it is nothing worth, then we should learne hence, not to let that be wanting to our faith which is the excellencie of it, which is the vertue of it, which is the proper quality of it. As, if it be the vertue of a Horse to goe well; If it be the vertue of a Knife to cut well; If it be the vertue of a Souldier to fight well; or whatsoeuer you will instance in, whatsoeuer vertue it be, or whatsoeuer thing, you labour to find that in it, whatsoeuer be wanting; (for every thing has some proper excellency, some speciall vertue in which the thing consists.) Now, to be effectuall, to be working, to be operatiue, If this be the vertue of Faith, (as it were) if this be the character and excellency of faith; Let not this therefore be wanting in faith. What is that then you shouldst doe? Vse your faith, set faith aworke, live by it.

You will say, This is more then I can doe; this is Gods action, he must set faith aworke, and worke this in me.

I say, you are able to doe this of your selfe, when you have faith once. I speake to those that have it, and this exhortation is to you. If you have faith, vse it: many have it, that doe not vse it. This is a thing that you are able to doe: For though God worke in you all the worke of faith, as it is received; yet know, he does not worke in you onely, but by you; he makes you instruments: you are not as dead instruments, but as living instrumēts, to move of your selues. It is true, that before you have faith you are able to doe nothing; but when you have it once, then you are able to vse it. Before a man has life, he is not able to stir, but when he has life once, then he is able to move and stir himself, for there is life there. when the Lampe is once lighted, you know you may feede it with Oyle, and if you put more Oyle to it, you shall have the greater flame: There is light, and you may increase it; indeed the difficulty is to light it; and that is Gods worke; he kindles the first fire, he workes faith in the heart: But now, when you have it, learne to vse it. Dost you think a necessity lyes upon us to vse other Talents that GOD has put into our hands, and will he not require that you shouldst vse the Talent of Faith? Wilt you wrap that in a Napkin, and let it lye dead by you? Will not he call you to an accompt for it? What folly is it, (my brethren) you have faith, which is so excellent a Grace, able to doe so great things as it is, and yet you will not vse it. There are many Christians that have Faith indeed, and yet will not set it on worke. How great things would it doe, what a reward would it bring? As Aristotle says of habits, That if a man have no more but a habit, and vse it not, there is no difference betweene the wisest man and a foole; for what are habits for, but for action? what is the Tree for, but for fruit? The habit serues but for the act; and this is according to the judgment of Scripture, in Rom. 2.God rewards not men according to the habits they have, but according to their workes. Therefore think not that you shalt be rewarded according to your habits of Faith which you have, though it be true that that sanctifies you, but GOD does reward us according to the vse of our faith, according to the workes that our Faith does bring forth, according to the efficacie of our faith. It is true, the taking of Christ is one worke of Faith, you shouldst set it aworke to doe that; and besides that, all the workes of sanctification are all workes of Faith; all your life long, every houre you have somewhat for Faith to doe. Set your faith aworke, and your reward shall be accordingly.

And againe, if you vse not Faith, you shalt have little enough of it; the vsing of it is that which strengthens Faith. It is Gods vsuall manner, when he gives Faith to a man, to give him exercise, to keepe his Faith breathing, as it were; he will be sure to have somewhat in which he will put him to it, some tribulation, he will put fire to it, to clense it, And therefore we should learne to make vse of our Faith, to set it on worke.

It is a generall Rule in all things, and as true in this, If a man have an estate, what is he the better to have it, if he doe not vse it? To have a friend, what is a man the better if he doe not vse him? Shall a man be a Fauourite of a Prince, and get nothing by it? Faith makes a man a Fauourite of GOD, a friend to GOD; and will you make no vse of GOD? It is that which he expects at your hands; will you have GOD in vaine? Shall he be your GOD, and will you make no vse of his power, of his wisdome, of his ability to hold you vp, to helpe you upon all occasions? You should make vse of him; all that is his, is yours, if you make vse of it by faith.

Againe, shall men have such priuiledges as we have by faith, and shall not we comfort our selues by them? What is it for a man to have great estates, great Titles of Honor, and Houses, and Lands, if a man doe not think upon them, that these considerations may cheere him? We should doe so with faith, this is the vse of faith.

Againe, if faith be vsed, it is able to doe much for us, if it lye still, it will doe nothing. You know what they did, Heb. 11. They hauing faith, it made them doe that, it was but the vse of their faith: So it is with us; Looke how much you vsest your faith, so much you shalt be able to doe. Therefore Christ says, Be it according to your faith: that is, not according to the habit of your faith, that lyes dead, as a Talent wrapped vp there; but, be it to you according to the vse of your faith. If you set faith on worke, it will be able to doe great things, it will be able to doe wonders, it will be able to ouercome the world, it is able to worke righteousnesse, it is able to preuaile with GOD and men, it is able to goe thorow the greatest matters.

But, you will say, How shall I vse it?

That is the thing indeed which I purposed now to have showed, how faith must be vsed, how we must live by faith: I should have showed how you should vse it.

First, in comforting of our selues; for that is one vse of Faith, you shouldst set it aworke to fill your heart with joy, out of the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinne, and of the priuiledges which you have by CHRIST. When a man has faith, and finds his heart no more affected then other mens, he findes no rejoicing there more then ordinary; Now set faith on work, learn to believe, and that throughly.

First set faith on worke to believe, to trust perfectly, as the Apostle speakes, Gal. 3.In the grace revealed by Jesus Christ: trust perfectly; that is, you shouldst believe the full forgiuenesse of your sinnes, you must not believe it by halues, so that there should be a distance, as it were, betweene GOD and you, some odde scores vnacquitted, vncrost; but you shouldest believe so, that your joy may be full, you shouldest believe throughly, that your sinnes are forgiuen, that all are acquitted, you must not limit God in his mercie at all, as you shouldest not limit him in his power. Thus a man should set faith on worke, that he may be able to say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his. I know there is a Match made betweene us. For vnlesse you lay this ground, a man shall not rejoice. This is all, therfore now vse your faith. If Satan now come, and tell you of some sinnes, and of some circumstances of those sinnes, and of some wants in your repentance and humiliation, what serues faith for now? What serues all this for that you have learned heere concerning the Doctrine of Faith, but to teach you that these should be no scruples, you should believe, and that perfectly? When this is done, that you see there is a Match, a Couenant made betweene GOD and you, now you must know, that all that Christ has is yours; whatsoeuer he has by Nature, you have it by Grace. If he be a Sonne, you are sonnes; If he be an Heire, yee are heires; and when you have done this, then consider all the particulars of the wealth of a Christian, that all is yours, whether it be Paul or Apollos, or the world, &c. These things we have often spoken of, you should runne through and consider of them: If a man will consider that he is a King, that the world is his, that whatsoeuer is in CHRIST belongs to him, and oweth him a good turne, and will doe it at one time or other; when he considers all the precious promises. A man reckons his wealth not onely by his money which he has lying in his Coffers, that he has present, but by Bils, and Bonds, and Leases, &c. So, how many promises you have, there is not a promise in the Booke of GOD, but it is your; set your faith on worke to consider this, and to rejoice in it; set faith on worke so to see them that you maiest rejoice in them, and weyne you from the things of this world, not to regard them; for they are small things of no hold. Shall a King regard Cottages and trifles? No, if you think in good earnest that you are such a man, why doest you regard trifles? you shouldst doe this; when other men reckon their Lands, and their Houses, and their friends, a Christian reckons he has GOD, he has many good workes in store, he has so many precious promises laid vp in the Land of the Living. Set your faith on worke thus, not onely to rejoice, but to bring in a holy magnanimitie, answerable to such a condition; and let not Faith give ouer till it have brought you to this. Certainely, a man that beleeues he is a King, he will have another spirit: for there is no other reason therefore it is said Saul had another spirit, but that when he came to be a King, he had a spirit answerable. When you beleeuest these priuiledges, when you settest your Faith on worke to believe indeed, to believe them to be reall things, and not fancies, and notions, there will be bred a disposition answerable, a carriage and spirit suteable; you wilt not admit of things that are vnfit for such a person, you canst not doe it; but as one that is a Prince, that has those hopes actually, he cannot admit of thoughts that other men have; no more can a Christian, when he is borne from above by the immortall seede, there is such a disposition wrought in him, that, if he will set his faith on worke to believe these things, he shall not be able to admit of those base things which he did before, and which others doe.

Againe, if a man set his Faith aworke to believe these things, he would be able to vse the World as if he vsed it not, he would not care for losses & crosses, he would not grieve for them, as one that is not able to beare them. Thus we should learne to set faith on worke, in believing these priuiledges, that we may be able to walke with God, as Henoch did, and as Paul, and Moses did; to walke with him in the vpper Region, above the stormes: There is much variety of weather when a man is below here, now it is faire, and then it is foule; if a man were above these, there is a continuall serenity; So a man that has his heart in Heaven, a man that walkes with GOD, that has his heart raised above others; if you would doe this, if you would vse Faith, if you wouldest consider this, it would set you aloft, above these things; you wouldest soare aloft as the Eagle, you wouldest care no more for these things, then the Eagle cares for the chirping of Sparrowes: they are trifles, you wouldest ouerlooke them all. If we did consider this seriously, how would it alter our course? It would worke another disposition, another affection in us. A man would consider, that if GOD be sure, what matter is it if a friend die? If I have GOD, what is the losse of any creature? And so, if a man suffer wrong in his name, what is it, if he have praise of GOD? If you believe, and see GOD in his greatnes, to have praise of such a one as he, will make you to contemne the rest. And so for wealth: What is pouerty? What account did Paul make of it? It is nothing to one that has Treasure in Heaven, to one that beleeues indeed, to one that sees he has all GODS Treasures opened to him. you shouldest learne to doe this in good earnest. If a man would set this Faith aworke to believe it, his heart would be fixed, he would bee afraid of no evil tydings, he would say with himself, if there bee no ill tydings from heaven, it is no matter from where they come on earth. If a man would build, through faith, upon the promise, and consider it really. This is the vse of Faith: thus a mans heart should be filled with joy, a man would be able to goe through ill report and good report, through want and through abundance, without being much troubled with either; the one would not much puffe him vp, nor the other would not deject him, but he would goe as a Gyant, and march thorow the variety of conditions; he would passe through them, that neither the one hand nor the other, the good successe nor the ill successe should worke upon him much. This is a strong man: and this Faith will make you able to doe, if you vse Faith, and set it aworke. But I am sorry the time has cut me off: this is but an entrance, I give you but a little taste: There are many things in which Faith stands us in much stead, wherin if we did vse Faith, how much service would it doe us? But for that which remains in this Doctrine of Faith, I had thought to have shut it vp at this time, to show you how to vse it, how to make it effectuall, how to set it aworke, how to walke by it, how to husband and improue this Talent for Gods aduantage and your own. But I cannot stand on it. So much for this time.

FINIS.