COMFORT FOR BELIEVERS ABOUT THEIR SINS & TROUBLES. IN A TREATISE SHOWING. That true Believers, how weak soever in Faith, should not be oppressed, or perplexed in heart; By any thing whatever befalls them; Either in Sin, or Afflictions. Together with divers other comfortable Observavations; Gathered out of that Counsel, given by Christ to his Apostles: And in them, to all Believers. In JOHN Chap. 14. Verses 1, 2, 3, 4. By JOHN ARCHER, Master of Art, sometime Preacher of All-hallowes . London. ISA. 57 19 I create the Fruit of the Lips, Peace. LONDON; Printed for Banjamin Allen, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1645. ❧ TO THE READER. COURTEOUS READER; THis Author having some years before his death, written, and given to some of his friends, for their help, and comfort, some MEDITATIONS grounded upon john 14. 1, 2, 3, 4. Many desiring they were printed, conceiving them profitable for the Saints and people of God; There coming to hand one of the Copies, and that of some things more enlarged than the first Copy was, (yet by the same Author to other friends) they are here presented to public view, for a more general good of the Saints and people of God. This Discourse is seasonable in this age, which is full of troubles, somewhat specially, (though always useful to Saints) the scope and drift of it being to show [how that believers should not be oppressed, or perplexed in heart, by any thing what ever befall them, either in sin, or affliction] which subject is profitably and comfortably opened; directing to the use of Faith for ones advantage in these cases greatly; and several there pointed, some opened, some but named, which are worthy thy Meditations: Do the work this right; as to conceive, had it been intended for the Press, it might have been much otherways writ, but it was only for special friends, and it is not purposely altered, though mistakes may be, and some are, which be pleased to mend (haply some may hereafter.) And if in this Discourse some thing at first view seem strange to thee, (it being expressed perhaps in too plain terms to pass with many,) yet neglect it not, nor judge rashly, but seriously consider the truth, and take the distinctions and directions given, that so thy saith (in all points) may be directed, to fetch in, by acting of it, such comfort as is intended to thee: surely for all those who are believers, (or shall be by another Discourse of this Authors upon joh. 6. 35. helped and encouraged to believe) it is and will be (as their duty, so) their wisdom to take in this counsel given to them by Christ, and here sweetly explained to them, with desire of which I leave thee, and it, to the blessing of God. COMFORT FOR BELIEVERS ABOUT THEIR SIN & TROUBLES. John. 14. 1, 2. 3. 4. 1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In my Father's house are many mansions; If it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again, & receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. 4. And whither I go, ye know, and the way ye know. THESE words are part of our Saviour's last words, & farewell to his believing disciples; (as he acknowledgeth, The words are part of Christ's last words. saying: Ye believe in God) even to the eleven; for judas, was sent away by Christ, and hurried away by Satan: Chapt: 13. 26. 30. So that there were left only the eleven; Now to them, Christ speaks these words: Chapt: 13. 31. & Chapped: 14: & 15. & 16. as a word of exhortation, and then prays Chapt: 17. and this was a very little while before his passion: as appears, by that: Chapt: 13. 33. Yet, a little while and I am with you; that is, I am presently to be taken from you: So that its evident, that these words are part of his last & farewell words to his beloved and believing disciples, after that judas was cut of, and separated from them: For opening whereof we will consider. First the occasion, or ground, and so, the coherence of these words with the former; which is this; Our Saviour had discovered a 1. The occasion or ground & so the coherence of the words: close hypocrite; one, who eat bread with him, and was of his nearest society; not only one of his followers, but one of the twelve, whom he had called to be Apostles: one who was never before discovered, or any hint by Christ, given of him, to any of them; in so much, that none of them suspected him; but rather, every one suspected himself: (as Luke. 22: 22. 23.) john. 13. 21. to 31. Again; our Saviour had told them that he was presently to be taken from them; Joh: 13. 33. and now they began to mind it, though heretofore when he had told them, of it, they considered it not. Also, our Saviour added; that they could not come to him, whither he went, John. 13. 33. & made their state, in that point, as the common Jews: & upon Peter's reply, & his answer; which had comfort: verse. 36: that he should come afterward to him; he yet foretells his fall, which might hinder his coming to Christ afterwards, John 13. 36. 37. 38. Yea, and that they all should be offended because of him, (as Mark: 14. 27) Now these things began to trouble their hearts, with fear & grief: wherefore Our Saviour speaks to them, these words of my text, Let not your hearts be troubled. Indeed; all of them, knew not as yet, the hypocrisy and treason of judas, John. 13. 28. 29. but some of them, did know it; namely john, the beloved disciple: verse 23. to 27; & its likely by him Peter came to know it: however, they all should quickly know it, by the breaking out, and acting of his treason against Christ: Wherefore Christ arms their hearts against the trouble of it: This is the occasion, & ground, & coherence of these words. 2. The patts; 2 Secondly, consider the parts of them: which are two. First, the duty charged by Christ on his believing disciples (Let not 1. The duty charged. your hearts be troubled.) Secondly, the means by which, he fenceth their hearts against this 2. The means implied or expressed. trouble: partly implied in these words; partly expressed, in the next words, and so along unto the 5. verse. First, The duty charged by Christ; on his believing disciples: [Let 1. The duty charged, is: That their hearts, should not be troubled. not your hearts, be troubled] Trouble in the flesh, he not only allows but appoints them john. 15. 20: & Chapped: 16. 33. Through many afflictions, we must enter heaven (Acts: 14. 22.) but he would not have them be troubled in heart: The heart indeed may be touched, & feel, when objects of fear or grief, present themselves; Christ himself was sensible of such things; and, without it, a believer should What kind of trouble is meant, & what not. become a Stoicct, or stock, & cease to be a Man; nor would it be any exercise, or trial of grace, if the matter of fear, and grief, were not perceived, and felt by the heart, for it then, was to them, as if there were no such thing; wherefore he would have them be touched, and feel the objects of fear and grief; but would not have an inordinacy in those affections; Which arose. Partly from the excess; in that they were to much touched & sensible, so that their hearts were perplexed and disturbed, which appeared, both by the interruption of the exercise of their faith, hope, & peace; in that they did not so quietly and confidently cleave to him, when he was in his passion: but doubted; as: Luke. 24. 20. 21. As also it appeared by their being disenabled to duty, for their hearts were so oppressed with heaviness, that they were so sleepy, as that they could not watch with him one hour: Luke. 22. 45. Now, it's an excess of affection, and an in ordinacy, a surfeit, or drunkonnes of heart; when the heart is so taken with a fear or grief, as that it cannot give its due to every one; and do its duty in every kind to God & man, in the calling general, and particular. This was an inordinacy, In excess. Partly there was an inordinacy in the Object; in that they feared, & grieved about what they needed not: For though they might be troubled, at Christ's departure, as he was a man, and their friend, companion, master; &c: [a good ground for a moral grief] & as he was their Jesus: [a good ground for a Spiritual grief; in that they loved him, and so, his presence] Yet there was no ground, or cause to fear a loss, by his departure, or that they should be now totally left to the wide world; as if, all their safety, and comfort had been entailed to his bodily presence; this trouble on wrong grounds and causes, he forbids: (as we shall see more fully here after.) So that, the meaning of this charge of Christ; is: that they should not be troubled with more fears, or griefs, than there was true ground, and cause for,; nor yet be so troubled with what was truly, as to hinder the exercise of their peace, hope, and faith; or to be so oppressed, as unfit to every duty to God; and man, in their callings gennerall; and particular: All which: we may express in this: An oppressing or perplexing trouble: Hence: Learn: DOCTRINE. Doct: True believers should not be perplexed in any thing. True believers, how weak so ever in Faith, should not be oppressed, or perplexed in heart, by any thing whatever befalls them, either in sin, or affliction. There cannot be weaker Faith, than this of the disciples; who had indeed, some little faith: but so little, as, sometime, it is called none: (Math: 8. 26. with Mark. 4. 40) & therefore Christ, did after wards, upbraid them for their slowness to believe (Luke. 24. 25.) There cannot be a greater affliction; change, or loss; befall any, than this was: For Christ, was to be taken from them by a shameful death; when they had enjoyed him but about three years, and some months; Now, what fears, of falls, & troubles, might they have, when Christ was taken from them, who was to them, more than an hen, to new hatched chickens. Again they had one of twelve, of them, proved, a vile & rotten hypocrite, who yet had so lurked, as that they could never discover him. Also, they had upon them the guilt of much unfruitfullnes under Christ's ministry, for which he had oft reproved them. Also, they had either now, or presently after, the breaking forth of a base lust of pride, & ambition, for which, Christ had oft reproved them: Yet at the & institution of the Lords supper; they instantly fell into it again: Luke. 22. 24. Also, Christ had foretold them of a great, & fowl sin, for the future; which, afterwards, the stoutest of them, should commit: namely Peter, to deny him thrice: Yea, & all of them, to be offended at him (as ye heard before) Behold, a concurrency of all, at once, as can befall any believer: a weak faith, an unparraleld loss, and change: unfruitfullnes under means which were now to be removed, many sins formerly committed, & sharply reproved: a return & relapse into the same sin again, at present; a foresight, of a dangerous fall into a grievous sin, in the future: a discovery at present, of a most close hypocrite among themselves, of whom none of them had the least suspicion more than of themselves; Yet, Christ chargeth them not to be oppressed, or perplexed in heart, with any fear or grief: Thus: Gen: 45. 5. though their sin, in selling joseph was very heinous containing profanes, For they hated him for his goodness Gen: 37. 2, and envy, because of his Father's love, & God's oracle by dreams, of his preferment: which they knew, was a way of God, to reveal himself by: & barbarous murder was in it, toward joseph: & cruelty to their Father who so loved him: Yet he bids them neither to be grieved, or angry with themselves: that is, so as to perplex themselves, with gteife or indignation. FIRST REASON. 1. Reason. B●c: such trouble ariseth from an evil root. Because such trouble, ariseth from an evil root, & cause: Namely ignorance, or unbelief: For, either they understand not, or believe not; the work of God for them, in the three persons: The Father's everlasting decree about them: The Son's union with them, & headship to them, & his merits, & intercession: The holy Spirits; inhabitation in them & office towards them to work all their works for them, till he hath made them meet for glory: All which is expressed in the covenant of Grace; in which they be assured; that nothing shall befall them but for their good: that the corruption of their natures shall be so ordered & overruled, both before & after conversion, as that it shall end in, & turn to God's glory & their eternal good; & that Christ hath made atonement for all sin, past, present, & to come, (though it is gradually applied to them) in as much as all believers sins, were laid on him, or met in him as it is read, (on the margin) Isai: 53. & 6. And that the holy Ghost shall dwell in them for ever, & they shall never fall away finally, & totally; but that the things which concern salvation, & are better than the best things in the gloriousest hyppocrits, are wrought in them: Heb: 6. 4. to 10. I say: these things are not understood or not believed; or else, they never could be oppressed with any fear, or grief: so that, it ariseth from an evil root: and therefore should not be in true believers. SECOND REASON. 2. Reason Bec: such trouble hath evil effects as: 1. It troubles God's heart. Because such trouble hath evil effects upon believers: Namely. First, Its trouble some to God's heart; as a friends trouble, is to his friends; for every believer, as he is Abraham's son, so he is God's friend as Abraham was: Iam: 2. 23. a friend to God the Father: So to Christ: John. 15. 15. So to the holy Ghost; as appears, by his dealing with them: in that he comes into them (and he only immediately; for Christ, & the Father, dwell in them, only by & through him) I say, he comes into them, to dwell in them: to reveal secrets to them 1. Cor: 2. 9 10 and is grieved when they do amiss Ephes: 4. 30. Secondly, It frustrats Christ's works, in a great part; for Christ● 2. It trustrates Christ's work in a great part. works, tend not only to save believers from hell, when they die, and at the day of judgement; but also for present, to carry them through this world: with out all oppressing, or perplexing fears or grief Luke. 1. 74. 75. hence, said to be called to peace, 1. Cor: 7. 15. & Phil: 4. 6. charged to be careful in nothing: for since believers be in good terms with God; and have Christ for their head; & partake of divine nature. 2 Pet: 1. 4. and are clothed with Christ's righteousness, & are Gods sons: Christ hath so wrought: that as God & Christ are in heaven, in an unmixed, and undisturbed state of joy: so should believers be in a measure; so that, though they be touched with troubles, yet they should not be borne down by them, as they be led captive by sin, but no sin reigns in them: & as there is a seed of God in them which sins not 1. john. 3. 9 so their may be a touch of trouble, but not a subduing by any trouble: this hath Christ prepared: now whilst they attain it not, they do frustrate Christ's work for them. Thirdly, It unfitts them, for their Christian service; which is to eat 3. It unfitts for their Christi an service. the holy things, & keep a continual feast, all their life long: 1. Corinth: 5. 7. 8. that is: to feed by faith with joy continually, on the righteousness passion & merits of Christ: which were tipified by the holy sacrafices & feasts: Now, as none that were sad, were to eat of those things: Deu: 26. 14: wherefore Hanna eat not: 1. Sam: 1. 7. so none do so enjoy Christ, and his good things, as they ought, who are perplexed with any sin or trouble whatsoever; they do not as becomes believers in Christ. Fourthly, It brings a consumption & weakness upon their spiritual 4. It brings a Consumption upon the spirrituall strength: strength, (even as it doth on the natural strength) for, as the joy of the Lord: (that is, joy in the Lord Christ) is our strength: Nehe: 8: 10. and strengthens loins, as a girdle doth: Psal: 30. 11. So, is sorrow and fear, our weakness; & doth disinable to every work; it puts the soul out of joint, so that it cannot do. And as joy, is as oil to wheels, or wind to sails, or wings to birds, so sorrow & fear, are as weights, which depress; or as fetters. which manacle, & make weak & unable to do; such oppression contracts & streightneth the heart (as joy doth enlarge it) & makes it listles and unwilling to any work; as weakness of spirit doth the body. 5. It casts an evil report on God. Fiftly, It casts an evil report on God: for its language is; that either God's providence is not in & over every thing, which believers do, or befalls to them; be it sin or sorrow: or else God overrules and order it not, the best way for them; for if it were so; how could they be oppressed? 6. It gives occasion to corruption and the Devil, Sixtly, It gives occasion to the corruptions of believers, and to the Devil, to send forth divers filthy fumes of impatiency, and discontent, & pride, & envy, & unbelief; & to hinder our submission to God: for if, the heart be oppressed, it cannot so submit and be quiet, as becometh: Use. 1 This is of use by way of Information, to such as are not believers, and are prejudiced against the way of faith & holiness, with this; that Of Information to them that judge the way of faith a sad state. its a sad state, and they must for ever bid adieu to all mitth, when once they embrace that way: Now, I confess that many believers, give too great an occasion & confirmation to this cavil, and it is an aggravation of their folly in such perplexityes, that they strengthen the ill opinion of the way of Faith, which the world hath; but let all unbelievers, and unholy ones know; that the way of faith & holiness, is the only state of joy and quietness, and that in it only, is the heart armed against all sorrows & fears; yea, it is contrary to it, and a sin for any in it, to be oppressed, or perplexed, with sin, or sorrow, or fear whatever; where as it is a duty for unbelievers & unholy ones, to mourn & cry, as Iam: 5. 1. and it is their madness, and folly to laugh and be merry Eccle: 2. 2. Indeed faith, at first, sadd's the heart, more than any thing, because Faith at first sadd's more than any thing. it let's in the Spirit of bondage, and presents the reality of sins evil and God's wrath; but it heals again the wound, & gives solid & everlasting grounds of peace & joy; and the Spirit of bondage, never returns again Rom: 8. 15. Sometimes they may fall into trouble by Satan, & their own unbelieving Spirits, but it's a groundless trouble, & but a dream of bondage; in truth by the Spirit of God, they never are again led into bondage; but now, the unholy unbeliever, is ever a child of sorrow & fear, though he be for a while senseless of it; as a stone which lies up in the bladder, though it be not felt, yet it grows and falls down at last into the neck of the bladder, and torments and kills; Sorrow and fear, is their duty & their due, & they shall have it; yea, though they are elect, yet being unbelievers, they shall be pricked at the heart, and have a spirit of bondage, before they can be saved; but the believer may and aught, never to be oppressed or perplexed: Use. 2 This, is especially for Exhortation unto true believers, how weak & little soever, their faith be; that they would not be oppressed, or For exhortation, not to be perplexed with sin or sorrow. perplexed what ever sin, or fear, or sorrow, by any change may beset them: not raise false & groundless feaces, & griefs to themselves: I acknowledge; that God may leave believers to greater falls and sins (for the matter of them) than many unbelievers, (though yet God may leave believers, to greater falls and sins (for the matter of them▪ then many unbelievers: Yet with great difference. there is a great difference; the one, sinning with his whole heart, and the other having a seed in him which sins not 1. john. 3. & serving Christ with his mind; & sin, but with his flesh Rom 7 25.) Yet I say; for the outward bulk of sin, a believer may have as great, and greater than some unbeliever. As David's pride in numbering his people against counsel; & in adultery & murder; were as great and greater than Saules not staying till Sammuell came; & sparing some Amalekites; for which, God rend the kingdom from him: Yet, believers should not be perplexed with any sins; Godly sorrow and true Godly sorrow becometh believers: Yet they are not to be perplexed or troubled, with any Sin, change or loss, not immaginary losses. shame becomes them, & till they have it, God will not own them; but so to be perplexed, as is before described, they ought not to be: So, neither with any change or loss, which God brings upon them, should their hearts be oppressed; For, if not with sin, then much less with losses, should they be troubled. So neither should they trouble themselves with surmised & imaginary losses; as believers for most part; do in all their troubles, they either think that to be, which is not; or that it is, much greater than it is: this is usually the Spring of all their excess in grief & fear: thus the disciples thought, when Christ should go away in body; that all their hope & help, was gone; whereas indeed, Christ with drawing his bodily presence, made way for all their hope, & help: Thus jacob thought when joseph was lost; that he was dead; where as in that his absence God prepared greater good to Jacob by Joseph, than he ever else▪ could have had; & more advantage to Joseph: Believers judge God's dispensation by sense & carnal reason; & not by faith; & God carries things in contraries; & usually lays foundations of greatest good & comfort, in greatest appearances of the contrary (as we shall see hereafter) therefore they fear what they needed not, & grieve for what is not, & trouble themselves with mistakes; & so cause passions to swell up to inordinacy, & over flow the heart: Now I exhort An in●●●●ing 〈◊〉 exhortation believers not to do thus, but to take heed, of perplexing fears and griefs, & of fearing & grieving on their own surmises & dreams, & mistakes, takeing things for that which they are not, or for much worse than they carry with them; this is a dronkonnes: Passions increase your darkness of mind, & your darkness of mind increase your passions: and whilst by these inordinacyes your souls are darkened; Satan, the prince of darkness gets in, & captives you miserably: Wherefore consider that this charge, not to be troubled in heart: was given by Christ's own mouth, & that, not only to the eleven believing disciples, but in them, to all that shall believe through their word (as his prayer was; John. 17. 20.) & it was given to you, when he was near his death: and pressed with large arguments & exhortations, throughout this Chapt: & the next: which argues, both the great consequence of this duty; & Christ's desire that ye should observe it; in that, he spent so much time about it, when he was at point of death, & had so much to do himself; and also the great love of Christ: who would so vehemently mind our quiet, then; when he was entering upon his own horrid Passion: Had Christ, when he was about to The Second Part of the Text is: The means to sense Believers hearts agt. Trouble. Which are partly implied, and partly expressed. die for you, commanded you an heard thing, would you not have done it; how much more, when so earnestly he chargeth you, not to let your hearts be troubled whatever befalls you? Thus much for the First part of the text. The duty exhorted unto. THE SECOND Part of the Text, Is. The Means by which, he fenceth their hearts against this trouble; which are partly employed, in these first words: Let not your hearts be troubled; And partly expressed in the following words. FIRST MEANS. 1. Means implied, Is that believers put themselves under the Command. Which is implied, in these words (Let not your hearts be troubled) Is; that believers put themselves under the command, & set it before them. & labour with themselves, to keep from the trouble of heart forbidden: So much, Christ implies; when he lays the command before them; saying, be not troubled. God's words are operative aswell as imparative: they carry a power to do that, which they command believers: as in the Creation: let there God's Commands are operative. be light, & there was light; and though it is God which helps, Yet he will have believers bestir themselves; he helps in & by, their putting forth themselves [up & be doing, & the Lord will be with you] For believers have an understanding; & a will; & a principle of grace; which God will have improved, that none of his gifts may be in vain; & in the use of them, he comes in: he is the Creator, & applies himself to every creature according to its nature, so as to improve and not to destroy it. Wherefore he helps reasonable creatures in & by their use of reason & will; and Grace by the exercise of Grace: Wherefore believers, must bestir themselves to keep of, & get of, trouble of heart: Ye must not, as some in an ague, who when the fit is coming, run to the fire, drink, stretch themselves, & help on the fit; but ye must shake of sloth, & strive against it; trust not to your own endeavours, but yet indevor: Consider & provoke yourselves. Affections of fear & grief, are as winds to a ship: which a well ordered judgement, should raise, & lay, & manage, as is best: ye must therefore, as Psal: 42. 5. consider the reason why ye are troubled (this is to find out the cause of the disease) and then ye must consider the reasons against the trouble (this is to find out the remedy of the disease) and then ye must provoke your heart, to use the remedy and quit the passions: SECOND MEANS. 2. Means implied: Is to gather up grounds▪ of Comfort Which is also implied: (in the latter part of the first verse, & in the following verses;) being indeed, the general scope & sum of them all: is to gather up & present to our judgements, grounds of comfort, which are stronger than the grounds of our present trouble; For it is comfort, that is the only Antidote against trouble, joy may be with out trouble, as a well about a city, though there be no enemy: But comfort suppotteth and guards against trouble, as a bulwark doth against an enemy. Comfort by the holy Ghost, immediately What Now nothing can comfort the heart but it is either through a sense, by a presence; as when the husband present, comforts the wife who is in some trouble; Now thus to comfort believers, is the immediate work of the holy Ghost, & his presence; it is not any work of the believer: Comfort discursive, what. Or else the heart is comforted discoursively; when such strong things are presented by the understanding, as weaken, and exceed the causes of trouble: As when the wife is comforted by considering her husband's love, his promises, faithfulness, ability to right her etc. though now absent from her. Now this is partly the holy Ghosts work; Partly the holy Ghosts work- whilst he irradiats & enlightens the grounds of comfort, & assists us in acting on them; Yea, & sometimes puts fresh grounds before us; And partly, it is our work, whilst we use our memory & judgement Partly ours. & will, to consider of them: For as in raising, so in suppressing passions, we must use our faculties, to present grounds stronger than those of our passions, & so to comfort the heart, & allay the passion. Thus Christ, lays before his disciples, divers grounds of stronger comfort; then they had any of trouble: as Himself, (believe saith he, in me) that is in his person, merits, etc. verse 1. So the end of his going away which was for their good: verse. 2. 3. So their knowledge of all this, that he put them not on blind hopes, but on what they knew, & knew to be so: verse. 4. Wherefore ye are but miserable comforters, like brooks of water dried up by drought, or frost; to thirsty passengers, If so be, ye present not grounds of comfort; & those stronger than grounds of trouble be; But muster together, the scattered grounds of comfort in Scripture & experience: especially such as are most proper to the trouble ye conflict with: & lay them before you, & consider them: This is a means not to be troubled. And thus much for those means, which are employed in the text. THIRD MEANS. 3. Means expressed: Is to believe in Christ as, in God. Which is expressed in the text; Is to believe in Jesus Christ, which is illustrated by its antecedent, & preparative: their believing in God; this is express in the text; wherefore we will insist on it more largely: and first explain its meaning: Ye do believe in God: (the indicative mood) & do ye believe in me (for the word may be indicative, or imparative) for, if it were both imparative: he would repeat To explain it: the word (believe) but once: & so if both were imparative; & it is an hebraism: in the first part: a particle of similitude is understood: as ye believe in the Father so do it in me, as verse. 19 I live, and ye shall, that is; as I do: ye shall. He directs them to believe in himself, as they did in God; not so much, in respect to himself, as his due, & their duty to him, (though it be so) but in respect to them, as aspecial means & help to them, against trouble: As, if he should say though ye believe in God, & that will help you some what, against trouble: yet proceed to believe in me also, for this will help you much more: Now by believing in God; he means, the Father, not excluding faith in Christ: as by believing in Christ: he excluds not faith in Believing in God, What. God the Father, & holy Ghost also: but by believing in God: the Father is meant: the faith they had before Christ's incarnation; which is called believing in God the Father. First because though; they had some knowledge of, & respect to, the Messiah, yet it was so dark, & with such want of distinct knowledge why meant of faith, before the incarnation of him, as that it may be counted, as if they had not known him, but God only, therefore the disciples hitherto, were said to have asked nothing in his name; they did not understand so much of him; so, their Faith was rather in God, then in him, For how could they believe in him, of whom they had not heard? Secondly because till Christ, did come, & finish the work: he was but the Father's promise; & so the faith which looked on him, was footed only on God the Father, inasmuch, as there was nothing of Christ, but God the Father's promise: and so, it is fitly called, a believing in God. Now by believing in Christ; is meant the faith, which is since Christ's Believing in C●●●●t W●at. incarnation; which is called believing in Christ; both because he is now clearly known in his Person, Natures, Offices, Works, Merits, which all are such as may be believed in; as also, & chiefly, because he is come, whom the Father promised; & so now, we believe not in the Father for him promised, but we believe in him whom the Father promised. Before we believed in God the Father, who promised a Redeemer should come; but now we believe in Christ, who is come, & hath redeemed. Now these disciples, are directed to believe in Christ; not, because they had not at all, done it yet; for they had faith in Christ before now: but because, as yet; their knowledge of, & saith in Christ; was but dark, & weak: they had but slender & general knowledge and faith of him: Wherefore they are directed to increase their knowledge and saith in Christ; as a means to keep them from trouble of heart: So that one notable means to fence the heart against trouble; is faith: For though it is reason which by discourse comforts & so cures Faith a notable means against trouble & how. trouble (as ye heard before) Yet it is Faith which presents to reason, those grounds of comfort; Without faith, reason oft cannot see any grounds so strong, as those of trouble; but Faith shows them: as that It presents grounds of Comfort. which the eye, cannot see, being far of; a prospective glass, shows plainly: Wherefore the comfort which believers had by discourse, it is called the act of faith Heb. 11. 17. 19 24. 26. Now saith presents greater things than any of those which trouble us: It presents Gods being our God; his eternal love; his ordering all greater than any of Trouble things for the best: his kingdom & glory, as ours, 2. Cor. 4. 16. 17. 18. though these things be absent & far of, yet faith makes them Present, and nigh: (as a prospective glass doth) & it shows them, in their life & glory, by their own proper colours & show: and not as in a picture: For it shows them in a glass: 2. Cor. 3. 18. in which, we see a thing by a presence with & by its own species & colours, though With the best view. not directly but by reflection; Whereas in a picture; we see not a thing present, nor its life, nor by its own, but by other colours and species; Wherefore, as a thing seen in a glass, affects more, then seen in a picture; So Faith shows the most glorious things, most gloriously: & so exceeds all grounds of trouble. Again: faith shows things, with more certainty, than any thing Most certainty. else can; Reason, and Sense may be deceived, because grounded on man; and Satan oft deceives them both: He deceived Eves reason in Faith in Christ gives the strongest grounds of comfort, For divers Reasons. innocency (for she is said, to be beguiled) because she fled not to faith: But faith is grounded on God, & so, is as sure as God is: Wherefore nothing can give such strong grounds of comfort, as Faith: and no faith, like faith in Jesus Christ: And that for these Reasons. FIRST, Because it gives more boldness towards God, Ephe. 1. Because it gives more boldness towards God. 3. 12. the word translated boldness, signifies an appearing in glorious liberty, lifting up the face & having liberty of speech & an undaunted or open & uncovered face. as 2. Cor. 3. 18. not only as opposite to Moses under the Law, whose face was covered, to show obscurity and hiddennes of his Ministry: or opposite to convicted persons, whose faces are covered for shame, but also it is opposite to that abashment which is in holy Angels. Isa: 6. 2. 3. expressed by covering their faces, and all this because they have access or a manuduction by Christ, he leads them by the hand to God, & therefore they come with all boldness, whereas Adam was shut out of Paridise & Israel at Sinai stood afar off, & trembled, but believers by Christ come nigh with boldness, & faith in Christ gives this boldness upon these Six grounds. Upon six grounds. First, It presents them nearer to God; in that they by Faith, are 1. By it there's nearnes to God. made one with Christ, who is God's natural Son, & so they come to a nearer Sonnship, then is obtained only by Adoption or Creation: which the Angels have; & Adam had in innocency; as a woman married to a King's natural Son, is in a nearer relation, than one only adopted; because she is one with his natural son: thus, John. 1. 12. prerogative to be God's sons, By faith in Christ, may be meant, that they have a nearer sonnship, than any that are created, or barely adopted (though believers be also adopted, & regenerated) because they be one with him who is God's natural Son: Thus by faith in Christ; we are nearer in relation to God, & so have more boldness: For it is nearness of relation, which gives boldness: A Son is bolder than a Servant, & a lawful Son than a Bastard. Secondly, faith in Christ, presents God, nearer to them: For it 2. By it God is beheld in their own nature shows them God in their own nature; God whom they may see, hear, handle, 1 John. 1. 1. 2. And so they may be more familiar and bold: For it is likeness, or nearness of nature which make bold. Thirdly, By faith in Christ; there is hold laid on God's Justice, 3. By it there's hold laid on God's Justice as well as on his Mercy. aswell as on his Mercy; God in Christ; is just, & a justifier of the believer: Rom: 3. 26. that is: he doth not only declare his mercy in a free pardon of sin, but he also declares his justice, in a full satisfaction for sin; Wherefore as by Christ, believers may plead with his mercy, So they may also with his justice; in that there is not only a way opened unto mercy, but, Christ hath merited & of justice purchased divine favour; for he hath satisfied the Covenant of Works, both in suffering what was due for its transgression, & also in fullfilling of its righteousness, & all this on their behalf, & for their use, who believe in him; So that, whatever boldness, an Angel that stands, can have; or Adam could have had, if he had stood righteous, by virtue of God's Justice, & the Covenant of Works; all that boldness through Christ, a believer hath; because the Covenant of Works, is in Christ, kept by him; & so, the Law's righteousness, is fulfiled in us, through Christ; who believe, & show our faith, by walking after the Spirit, & not after the Flesh: Rom: 8. 3. 4. Insomuch that believers in Christ, may appeal to God's Justice, It holds God by both hands. aswell as to his Mercy; and hold God by both hands, having as clear a title to him in justice, as in & by mercy; holding their interest in him, by virtue of his Justice & the Covenant of Works, as well as by virtue of his Mercy and the covenant of Grace; for although to believers in their own persons, its only grace & mercy, and justice with a covenant of works, cannot stand with a covenant of grace, & mercy; Yet in a person of another, who undertakes for them; both may concur; he may satisfy justice, & merit mercy: which cannot but give great boldness. Fourthly, By faith in Christ, there is an access with boldness to God's 4. By it there's an access to God's holiness. holiness: holiness, is the brightness, & beauty of God, which dazzles the eyes of the bravest creatures: Isa: 6. 2. 3. the Seraphims, not only cover their feet, because they are base, being creatures made of nothing but they cover their faces; even their best excellency; which is their perfect righteousness according to the covenant of works; compared with God's glorious Holiness; for therefore he is thrice called holy; not only to show Trinity of Persons, but gloriousness of holiness, as Exod: 15. 11. with which holiness, their perfect righteousness, is abashed; & job. 4. 18. with 15. 15 explained. so they cover it; Wherefore job. 4. 18. repeated again, job. 15. 15. he is said to put no trust in his Saints, or Servants; that is his holy Angels, as the next words explain; who are by a figure called the heavens, because they are the inhabitants, of the heavens: which Angels, or heavens inhabitants, he chargeth with folly, & they are impure in his sight: Now this cannot be meant, of the devils, who fell; both because; in Chapt: 15. 15. he speaks of them in the present tense; that they now are his Saints, & now are, the heavens, that is inhabitants of heaven, which the devils, now are not; As also, because in both texts, man's baseness, is inferred much more; in the following verses, which implies that he speaks of such as are better, & less impure than men; which Devils are not: For the conceiving this therefore: Consider that although For the conceiving of which, Consider. God hath tied himself by a covenant of works, to accept of, and reward, such a righteousness, as shall fully answer that covenant; which righteousness is found in Angels, and they are accepted and rewarded in justice, according to the compact twixt God and them; so that, not in justice, or dispeasure, doth God find them impure, or charge them with folly: Yet the Holiness of God: which is an attribute What holiness in God is. by which God, separates himself from every thing else, & is devoted to himself, to seek himself, & love himself above all (for holiness is a separation from all other things with a dedication to some one thing) this Holiness of God, was not satisfied in the righteousness of the covenant of works, which was in Angels, but desired an higher righteousness; even such an one, which might be Gods own righteousness, Which was not satisfied in Angels. a righteousness done by one that should be God, aswell as a creature, that so, a mere creature should not boast, but God might have the glory, & be the worker of that righteousness, & so, it might taste full to his pallet, inasmuch as himself was in it, the worker of it, in a created nature, joined to the Godhead; which is in Jesus Christ; But is in Christ. Now, compared with this, the righteousness of Angels, is impure, & folly; though, to justice, through a covenant of works, it is satisfactory; insomuch, as they may be justified by it, & yet God, behold it, as a low & poor thing in comparison of what Christ's righteousness is: which Holiness of God, they considering, they also are ashamed of their righteousness, & cover their faces: But now, by faith in Christ, we pertakeing of Christ's righteousness, which is Gods, & so, doth fully reach, & answer his holiness, aswell as justice: we come into his presence with faces uncovered, or undaunted, as ye had before, the words expounded Ephe: 3. 12. & 2. Cor. 3. 18. not only in regard of a just, but though he be an holy God, open face; not only expressing, the remove of obscurity, & shame, but also of that abashment in Angels; for we have Christ's righteousness which is better than Angels, & gives boldness with God's holiness, aswell as with his justice's The full conformity to the law, & the absence of all sin, gives boldness with God's justice, by virtue of the covenant of works: which Angels have, & believers also have it by Christ his righteousness; but, there must be a righteousness of Gods own working▪ in which, he himself only is, which must give boldness with God's Holiness; which the Angels have not, but believers have in & by Christ his righteousness: which cannot but give the greatest boldness. Fiftly, By faith in Christ; there are raised unlimited expectations 5. By ● thers unlimited expectation from God. from God; For whilst that God is set before us, married to our nature, and in our nature, working righteousness, making atonement for Sin, meriting blessedness for us; what may we not expect? what Sins are to great to be pardoned? what blessedness, or love so high, as may not be conveied to us? Lastly, By faith in Christ; there is set up for us, a middle one, or 6. By ● thers set up a mediator. Mediator between God & Us, who equally pertaks of God's nature and ours, & so, is equally interessed in both; whence cannot but arise much boldness; for twixt God & us, there is such infinite distanc as that, although there were no breach, yet there could not be such boldness, & free access, as now is by one who is a middle person between both, therefore, it is not a marvel, that popish faith, yields so little settling & comfort, since they make so little use of Christ. Thus in these six respects, Faith in Christ gives great boldness towards God, & so, the stronger grounds of comfort: which is the first reason. SECONDLY, Because Faith in Christ; unites & joins the 2. Reason Bec. Faith in Christ, joins the Soul to Christ, the fountain of all Comfort Soul immediately to the spring & fountain of all comfort; For faith emptyes a man of himself, & takes him of from every thing in the world, & joins him unto, & makes him one with, Jesus Christ: Faith not so much gives an union with the promises & word of God, as with the Son of God, Jesus Christ: Wherefore believing, is called a receiving him John. 1. 12. & they are said to be rooted & built up in him, established in the faith Colos. 2. 7. It is a mistake to think that faith lays hold on, or joins to, the word or promise immediately and Not first on the promises first; for there is no promise which pertains to any, until they are one with Christ: as appears by this, that all the promises are Christ's, All promises made in Christ. even his own, & his alone in the first place; all the treasury was on him only bestowed by the Father: Gala. 3. 16. not to many seeds. but to one; & that was Christ only: as to Abraham only, & so to David only were the promises made: therefore, it is said of Abraham, that he had received the promises: Heb. 11. 17. he & he only: and the sure mercies are called david's: even so, are all the promises, Christ's only; who was represented in those men whom God singled out, to make the promises unto: and therefore Christ is the testator, who dies, by his death to ratify & make good the promises: Heb. 9 16. 17. which implies that the promises were his proper possession, in which he only was seized & instated, or else he needed not have died, to confirm the bequeathment of them to others: and therefore also; he is called the Covenant of God with believers: Isa. 49. 8. because, not only his person, was the main of the Covenant, (inasmuch as it is a Covenant of Persons, as well as of Graces) but also because, all the promises of the Covenant; are his and in him, & through him only to be conveied to believers; even as all the promises were entailed to Isaac; and put in him Heb 11. 18. and therefore it is, that the sum of all promises, even that of eternal life, is said to be made before the Before the world begun world began. Titus. 1. 2. that is before all time, & so from everlasting; for, whatever was before all time; must be eternal & without beginning. Now, this is not called a purpose, for that, one may take up in himself, without another; but a promise; which ever supposeth another distinct person: which was the second person in Trinitye, to whom the Father promised; that he becoming incarnate, should inherit such and such things; and though his incarnation through which he was to inherit all; were not in act, from everlasting; yet in as much as his person was, which was to be incarnate; the promise might be made to him, but could not be made to any creature, inasmuch as it was not a person subsisting from eternity: but now; though the promises be all his, & made only to him in the first place, and rank; yet, through & by him, they descend also to others; so Yet to believers also but, in him. that, though they be only to him, in the first place; yet they are not only for him: as the promises to Abraham, & David; were not only for them, but for them, & their seed: and the promises which Isaac was endowed with, & were only in him; were not only for him, but for him & his seed; but yet they were their seeds by descent. And in the Second place; even so, the promises are not only for Christ, but for him, and his; namely all the Elect, whom God chose in him, & gave to him to be his offspring, & spouse; & so through and from him to be endowed with all the riches of the promises: though God loved, & chose them all, to enjoy the promises, yet in Christ, & through, by, & for him, to inherit; Ephes. 1. 4. he did not choose us, with him, but in him: Wherefore, as the Isralits' must come to enjoy the promises, not by laying hold first on them, but by being First borne of Isaac, & having that union of flesh, with him: And as a woman hath right to the man's estate, not immediately, but by being first made one with him: even so, must people be first of Christ, married to him, borne of him, drawn out of his loins: which is by believing. (therefore borne of God, & believing, are conjoined John. 1. 12. 13.) before they can lay hold of, or claim title to, any promise. For, as the Covenant of Works was made with Adam; & in, & The Covenant of grace made with Christ, and in him, to his lead. through him, with those who came out of him: So the Covenant of Grace, is made with Christ (therefore called the Second Adam) & in, & through him, with all that come out of him, & by faith are borne of him: and it is more necessary to be first made one with Christ's person, before we can have claim to the promises: than it was to be one with, & of Adam, before we could inherit from him; because the promises of Grace, are more confined first to Christ's person, & that without the person of the Elect: then the Covenant of Works, was to Adam's person, without respect to his offspring; For Adam & his offspring were only considered in a priority of time and order, differing: Adam before them; but not in different state of dignity, or favour with God; wherefore Adam did no more than they did in, & with him: but Christ's person is more excellent, and more loved of God, than believers; & did more for to enjoy the promises than they: his Person, becoming incarnate, claiming them as due, and meriting them for the Elect: Therefore much more must it be, that we must first lay hold on Christ's person before we can, on any promise; then we need be borne of Adam, before we can have title to any of his estate. So that, it is a dangerous error: not to pitch by faith, on Christ, first; and then in the second place, on the promises: Christ, in his Pitch faith on Christ first, then on the promises. Person, Natures, Works, Merits, must be first laid hold on: Indeed, it is true, that faith cannot lay hold on Christ, but in, and through a word, & promise: Therefore my meaning is not to carry ye to Christ, without, or not by the word, & promise; for without this, ye never can come to him, but meet with Satan, as an Angel of light: Ye must first close by faith, with such a word, & promise in Scripture; as carries, & exhibits Christ to you; but you must not first, before, through the word and promise ye have closed with Christ by faith; lay hold on & apply the promises of any good things; as Heaven, pardon of Sin, the Spirit, or any Grace. Thus ye see how faith gives immediate union with Christ himself: Christ the fountain of Joy in 2 Respects. Now this Christ; I say, is the only, & immediate fountain of all Joy: And that in Two Respects. First, because, all the promises are in him only, he is that one Sea, First, Bec. all promises are in him. out of which do issue all the springs of promises; wherefore in him must be all the springs of joy & comfort: as they are all said to be in the Church, because of his presence there: Psal. 87. 7. Yea, & the promises are better in him, & much more strong to comfort, than they are out of him; not only because he is the chief, & best promise himself: his Person is better than all the promises, but also. 1. Because, the promises in him, are in their root, in him they live, 1. In the Root. and so are best in him: as the Sun beams in the Sun, & the streams in the spring, are better, & live more than in themselves, having indeed, no being, but in & from him. 2. Because, in him, they are Eternal: as was before showed, & have 2. Eternal. been promises actually existing from Everlasting, & so they are in no other respect; and so cannot be disanuled by the Law & Sin, which came in, but in time: as the Apostle reasons in a less regard Gal. 3. 17. 3. Because in him, is their efficacy towards us, they being his only, 3. Having their efficasye. were not sure to us, till he had confirmed the bequeathment of them to us, upon his death; for on that supposition were they bequeathed to us: (as ye heard before.) 4 Because in, & from Christ, they are exhibited, administered, & performed 4. In him exhibited to us. to us: as he is their owner, & testator, who by his death, ratifies them unto us; & makes them surely ours; So he is the executor and administrator of them, who dispenseth them to us: John 14. 14. He doth it: and therefore he saith all power, that is, of administation; and of execution; in heaven and earth; is put into his hands: Therefore the promises; and through him streams forth, the most sweet comforts, In which respects, he is the immediate springe of all joy. Secondly, he is the immediate springe of all joy, in an higher & greater respect. Secondly in respect that Christ is the Seat of that Joy which is communicable. Because, Jesus Christ, is the seat & receptacle of that joy which is communicable from God, to the creature; whatever comfort, or joy, God intended to make the creature partaker of; he put it all into Jesus Christ; (as the light of the world, is in the Sun) as in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily: Col. 2 9 so, with it dwells in him, all the fullness of joy & comfort: For it being all from God, it must be all in him, in whom dwells the Godheads fullness, & thence, come to us; as, because all our light is from the Sun, who conveys his light to us, through the air; therefore all the light we have, is in the air; as in Christ are hid, all treasures of wisdom & knowledge: Colos. 2. 3. so are, all treasures, of joy & comfort; as he is the light that inlightens every one, John. 1. 4. 9 so is he the comfort that comforts every man, with any true comfort, God is indeed; the first original whence; but Christ is the immediate fountain in which, is Christ the immediate fountain of all Joy. all joy: Colos. 3. 3. our life, is hid in God, but with Christ: So that indeed, Christ, is not only the root of all promises, but of a better comfort than the promises yield; For, Christ is nearer to God, than the promises are, for he is of his nature, and the of springe of his person; Whereas the promises are the issue of his mind, & will: he is the express image of the Father's person; whereas the promises are but the expression of his purpose: wherefore faith joining the Soul, immediately to Christ: must needs greatly strengthen against trouble, in that it derives the sweetest, strongest, & most pure comforts. Thus much for the Second Reason. THIRDLY, Faith in Christ, is such a special antidote against 3. Reason. Bec. Faith in Christ, brings the holy Ghost. trouble; because it brings the Holy Ghost into the heart; in that it joins the Soul to Christ, as to an head, or root; whose Spirit the holy Ghost, is; and so conveys him into them; as the ingrasting an imp or science, into a stock, derives the sap of that stock, into the science: Gala. 3. 14. Now the holy Ghost, giveth strength to the Soul; as banks do to water, which of itself is weak, & Which strengthens the Soul. yields, & falls asunder; but strengthened with banks, becomes strong, and mighty: Therefore Eph. 3. 16. he begs, their strengthening by the Spirit, not only in the natural spirit; but in the Inner man; the regenerate spirit, needs strengthening from the holy Ghost; in that, it also, is a creature; yea, & besides, or over & above; the holy Ghost, sometimes vouchsafes such a presence, & real sense of himself, & of the things of Jesus Christ's; as fills the heart with glorious, and inexpressible joy (as the Sun doth a room with light, when it ariseth) which is a joy, very differing from, and better than that which faith gives (of which, we spoke before) being a glimpse; & first fruits of heaven, a presence of God: whereby the heart is lifted up above the reach of any fears, or grief: which so bore up the Apostles, in all their sufferings: as in the Acts. Thus Faith in Christ; upon these grounds, gives stronger comfort, Thus faith in Christ gives etc. than any thing else, can do: And faith in Christ, doth it more, than faith in God: That is; faith in Christ, as come in the flesh, yields stronger comfort, than faith in God promising Christ: because through Christ come; is that actually done, which is the meritorious cause & ground of conveyance of all communion with God, and comfort from him; Wherefore more must be conveyed, then when, this was but to be done, and in the promise; Therefore now, God dispenseth more of the Spirit, and gives clearer revelations of Christ; then ever he did before. So that, as it is said of the Gentiles, that their conversion was an hiden mystery before: though it yet was known, darkly; Even so the mystery of Christ his Person, Righteousness, Merits: etc. was not known before his coming, in comparison of what, it now is,; nor the privileges by him; wherefore there could not be so much comfort then, as now may be: Christ in the flesh (come) is called God's arm Isa. 53. 1. because he, thereby, strengethneth himself to give us more grounds of comfort; and strengtheneth our hearts, to take more comfort, than every any, before Christ's coming, could have: Therefore the Ark (which did tipify Christ, is called the Ark of God's strength Psal 78. 61. & 132. 8. Wherefore, when ever troubles assail you that are believers, fly presently to Christ, even to him in the word, and promise, In troubles. fly to Christ which holds him forth in his Person, Natures, Works, Offices; and lean thereon; And fly not first, or only to the particular promises, of good things; to these in the second place, go by faith, but to Christ, in the first place. To pitch faith on God, & the promises, is so to do, as they did that were Jews, before Christ's coming: but to pitch your faith on Christ: is the Christian way: It is folly & unkindness, since God hath given us his Son, to lean first on; & his word in the second place: which they had not of old: that yet we do it not, ye do Else you slight him, and God's mercy in g●ving him. slight him, & God's mercy in giving him: if you do not pitch your faith on him, Indeed before Christ came; faith was to be pitched on God & his promise of Christ; but now Christ is come; ye must pitch your faith on Christ himself, & then on particular promises; wherefore the New Testament makes Christ the object of our faith: and this indeed is to honour the Son, as ye did the Father John. 5. 23. that whereas before Christ his coming; the Father was believed in; Now, the Son should be believed in: and therefore it is, that believers are so heart-eaten & heartbroken with troubles, because they fly not presently by faith to Christ; and why, though they put forth in particular promises, they oft, get no stay, because they trust not in the promises in the second place, in, from, and through Christ: Now because Directions how to use, & improve faith. faith in Christ, is so prime a means of help against all troubles; I will give you some directions how to use & improve your faith in Christ, so as it may preserve your hearts from trouble. First, Set before you the objects of your faith, namely Christ, & the 1 Sett before you the objects of faith promises; rest not content with your knowledge of them, or that you have looked on them heretofore: but when ye are freshly assaulted with trouble: set them afresh before you again; Christ, in his Person, Natures, Offices, & Works; and if you can find out particular promises for your present particular case; for particulars best help, and come most home; and since God hath condescended to speak to particulars, we should also look into them, & find them out; but if you cannot find out particular promises for your case, than set the general promises before you: as Heb. 11. 13. see them, look on them; and gain your hearts to be persuaded of them; that is of the reality, and truth of them; & then embrace them, that is, rely on them as yours: I say, put forth all these acts afresh, as ye have fresh occasions: for faith is to be from faith to faith. Rom. 1. 17 and believing in Christ; is called eating & drinking; John. 6. because, it is to be renewed, as strength decays, or now strength is required: new & fresh veiwing This gives fresh vigour. and acting upon those objects, gives new & fresh vigour. Secondly, make your reason, & discourse, work upon those 2 Make reason work on those objects. objects which your faith sets before you: even as when an object is before the eye, the Soul rests not in viewing it, but the fancy, and understanding work upon it, & about it, & deduceth & draws divers conclusions from it; even so when Christ, & the promises are by faith, set before you: ye must use reason, & discourse, to infer and draw thence such forces of conclusions, as may arm the heart, against the assaults of troubles; or else ye are like a City which hath armies in her, & looks on them, but not drawing them forth, & marshalling of them, they do not defend her against the enemy's assaults; there is a fight by faith, & of faith, which we must make, through our own reasonings, & discourse, whereby to withstand fears, & griefs; which believers not doing, they are foiled, though they have faith: want of it a cause of being foiled. this is an hard work to our slothful hearts, we are loath to take pains by discoursing & inferring from the principles which faith lays before us; it is, as the digging for the gold, after the mine is showed to us; and we are abused by Satan, who persuades us, that our faith is to work, without labour of reason & discourse, which it is not, for than it should not work suitable to a reasonable creature: indeed the work is attributed to faith Heb. 11. 17. 19 because faith lays down the principles, & guides reason in discourse: yet faith works and improves its work by reason, & discourse: yea, much of the Scripture; especially the argumentative part, is deductions, & conclusions drawn from other Scripture: as Heb. 12. 27. & oft in that Epistle. So that, ye can never make use of your faith in Christ, & the promises to comfort you against troubles, except by reason & discourse, Faith works discoursively. ye draw conclusions from it: as water cannot serve you, except by buckets ye draw it out of the deep wells. Isa. 1. 2. 3. Ye must use your reason by way of syllogism; as Rom. 6. 11. If Use reason by way of syllogism. we be united to Christ, and have communion with him in his death, and resurrection; then are we dead to Sin, & alive to God, But we have union with Christ, & partake with him in his death & resurrection; Therefore we are dead to Sin, & alive to God, through him: This reasoning by syllogism, & drawing out a conclusion: is that which the Apostle means; by reckoning themselves: and so: Rom. 8. 18 Thus did Abraham: Rom. 4. 19 to 22. compared with Heb. 11. 17. 18. 19 his trial was not only in this: that he must kill his own, Instances. only Son whom he loved; but his Isaac: that is, him in whom, and to whom, all the promises were entailed; and so he must cut of his hope: wherefore he is said to hope against hope, Rom: 4. 18. & Heb. 11. 17. 18. he that received the promises offered up him of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be blessed: so that, it was not so much, the losing an only Son: for he might have more Sons: but the straight was this: That if he killed this Son: he cut of all his hopes & promises, in that they were all entailed to that Son: So that, that Son must be; or else the promises could not be: For Abraham's faith, did not conflict so much with his natural affection; for than he had no word to foot his faith on, for the raising him up again: but he should have set his faith on this only; that God was able to give him another Son: But he conflicted with the ground of his faith & hope, shaken now in this trial: His faith was tried, & his hope of all the promises, & of eternal life; and not so much his love to an only son; In that he must be killed, in whom living & begetting children, all the promises were to be fulfiled; and therefore he by reason considers God's power, that he could raise that very Son Isaac up again; and this helped him: For he thus reasoned: Isaac must live, or I can have no promise performed; Now, if I slay him, God can raise him up again, and so I shall not lose my hopes, though I kill him. This is the wisdom of a believer, to draw forth out of God, Christ, & the promises such particular conclusions as overthrows This is wisdom. that particular reasoning which causeth fear, or grief: or else ye cure not the heart: It was this fear of losing the promises, which assaulted Abraham; Wherefore he did not draw conclusions of Gods giving him another son, but the same son: and so overthrew the assault: Thus then reason by faith, and use discourse: ye The contrary is folly. are ready, to consider & use reason, to make ye waver, by considering what flesh, & blood, suggest; but that ye should not Rom. 4. 19 but consider Christ, & the promises, & draw thence, what particularly opposeth your present trouble. Thus Martha did not, about Lazarus his resurrection; she by faith considered that he should be raised at the last day: but considered not: that Christ, who was the resurrection could raise him then: Wherefore she was not comforted. But let us learn, wisely to improve our reason, to draw from Christ, & the promises, such conclusions, as are directly opposite to the grounds of our present trouble: and take pains to draw in comfort: and not sit still, or lie, as the sluggerd, & say: A Lion is in the way: This is indeed a labour, but it quits cost; and how can we better use our reason? It is brutish to sink under a presence or appearance; A reasonable creature, should consider, & infer, and draw in conclusions which may support: Yea, and we may use our wit, in deducing things to encourage us: As that woman did, Mark. 7. 27. 28. From Christ's calling her a dog: wittily drew an argument to enforce him to regard her. Now because, this is a work of our own; we must be advised with these two Cautions. First, that it must not be a sudden, transient work; when ye set Causions. 1. Dwell on it. the objects of faith before you (as the first direction was) ye must not glance on them & away; but stay & dwell on them for some while; As a plaster must abide on; and a potion abide in, awhile; or it will not work: And when ye discourse, and draw conclusions, it must not be sudden & away, but ye must stay on these things; till they be soaked down into your heart, and strengthen it, as the passions of fear & grief, be in the heart, as the Bee abides on that flower whence it sucks honey: Wherefore ye must dwell on the things, till ye find your hearts warmed with them; or bubbling as the word signifies, which is translated; inditing: Psal. 45. 1. alluding to the frying-pan offering; which bubled up with the heat of the fire: which fire indeed, is the holy Ghost: who will not rise up into your heart, if ye stay not for him a while; as the fire doth not into the frying pan, if it be not held some time, over it: This therefore is one Caution; that ye stay so long on these things, till ye find fire come into your heart. Second Caution is this; that though ye use yourselves, & put forth 2. Trust not in yourselves. your own reason; Yet that ye trust not in yourselves, & reason; but that, in the whole work, ye expect nothing from your own work; but being emptied of all sufficiency or fitness in yourselves; ye do wholly & only expect the fruit from the holy Ghost his assistance, as Failing in some of this, a cause of not having help he is the Spirit of Christ; pertaining to you, as united to Christ, by faith: The failing in some of this, is the reason why believers do consider, & discourse on the objects of faith: and yet have no help, or strength, come thence: Wherefore be careful. Wherefore 1. Not to lean on your own spirit, memory, wit, no nor on your grace; but know that ye must have a fresh influence from the Spirit, 1. Know the Spirit must assist. and his assistance: As your faith cannot act itself; for natural things cannot work with out a fresh concurrence of God (in him we move) Wherefore his suspending, and not assisting the fire caused it not to burn the three children, though he put no impediment, in its way. And though grace be stronger than nature, yet it cannot act, or move itself, without the concurrence & assistance of the holy Ghost; for, it comes from Christ, as light from the Sun, by an effluxe Mal. 4. 2. which ever supposeth a fresh act to every shining: The grace, is in Christ, though it work in us, as the light is in the Sun, though it shines on us; 2. Tim, 2. 1. Wherefore Christ must by a fresh act, put it forth, if it work in us. Wherefore all things are said to be done, by Jesus strengthening: Philip. 4. 13. not only by strength which he had given, but which he is at the present, in a continual giving; Every act of faith requires the power of God, afresh administered; 2. Thes. 1. 11. fulfil the work of faith, with power: that is, God's power: for one act of faith, is to evidence things, which to do, he begs strengthening by might from the Spirit Eph. 3. 16. 17. And as the holy Ghost, must assist the grace of faith, before it can act; so must he do some what to the objects of faith, before they can work upon faith: as the light must shine on colours, before they can move the eye; that is, the Spirit must show them to the Soul, which is called a revealing of them, 1. Cor. 2. 10. 12. not only at the first, but every time that they draw forth faith: he must reveal them; which is done, by giving in convincingly, his own testimony of those things; which presents them to the Soul, as light doth colours to the eye: Wherefore he so prays Ephes. 1. 17. 18. that by the Spirit they may have revelation to know the things they believed, & hoped for: So that, without the Spirits aid; nothing can be done in believing; as in praying; it must be in the holy Ghost: Judas. 20. that is, in his strength & assistance: So also must it be, in believing; therefore he joins building up, in faith, & praying, because, without praying, we cannot make progress in our believing. 2. Consider, That the holy Ghost, assists, only as he is Christ's 2. As Christ's Spirit. spirit; that is sent from him, & merited by him; as he is God, and man, & the head of the Church; For, in no other way, or respect, doth the holy Ghost, assist: Wherefore, all that he doth, is said to be of Christ's: John. 16. 14. and it is called Christ's strengthening, Phil. 4. 13. 19 whereas it is the Spirit which doth it, Eph. 1. 17. & 3. 16. & if thus he be not considered: he is taken under a wrong notion, and Christ is wronged; for he glorifies not Christ: John. 16 14. and he will not assist. 3. Ye must be careful to consider that the holy Ghost assists 3. As members of Christ. you, as members of Christ, by virtue of your union with Christ by faith; for how can the spirit of the head, come into one, but by its union with the head? and how comes the sap to flow from the root, into the branch, but as it is joined to the root? Eph. 4. 15. 16. from the head, being joined to it, is edified. 4. And lastly: Ye must be careful, to look up unto the holy 4. Look up to the holy Ghost. Ghost, to assist you; cast an eye on him, as ye do on that, whose help you expect: and in the expectation thus of him, must ye set upon the work of acting your faith; This is the second direction, how to improve Faith. Thirdly get your Faith to be evident, add a reflect act to the 3. Direction Get saith to to be evident. direct act of faith: That is, labour to know that ye do believe: as well as to believe: For Election being evidenced by Faith: and a title to Christ and all promises, depending on believing: the soul cannot be persuaded of its propriety, & interest in God, & Christ, & the Promises, and so, cannot be comforted against troubles, till it knows, it believes: Faith may save, but it is evidence of faith, which only comforts: Wherefore this is one main end of the evidence of faith comforts. first Epistle of John, as is expressed Chapt. 5. 13. these things I have writ to you that believe; that ye may know ye have eternal life, & believe; (that is, and believe) that ye believe. This reflecting act whereby we can look on what we do, & consider it, & take comfort in it, is a main excellency of a reasonable creature, by which we excel bruit beasts; & should be exercised by us: Unto the doing whereof, we must labour. For which 1. To know the act of faith, what it is, and to know that it is 1. Labour to know the act of faith, what it is. not the strength, but the truth of faith, which evidenceth election: Acts. 13. 48. those ordained to life believed; some with more, some with less faith, but every degree of it, betokened life eternal, and gives title to Christ & happiness; for faith is but an hand or eye, which toucheth, or looks to Christ, that he may work all its works; which a small faith doth as truly, as a strong; wherefore we never find in Scripture, that Christ rejected any for the smallness of their faith. 2. Labour to view your own hearts, and see if you have not put 2. See if you have done it. forth that small act of faith, faith may be seen, in its self, & its own act, aswell as in its fruits & effects, (though these also may, & must be considered;) Wherefore John, puts believers much upon signs, & By its self: fruits of faith; in his first Epistle, which was writ to help to the evidence of faith; and sometimes, faith is best perceived by its fruits; By its fruits Yet some times it is best seen, by its self, & its own act, of relying on Christ; and a careful search into the heart, whither such an act, be put forth, or no; would oft, discover it; but neither by itself, nor by its fruits, can it be discerned, except the holy Ghost; assist & help us to perceive it. Therefore: 3. Ye must labour for the help of the Spirit: Who, as he only, 3. Labour for the help of the spirit reveals these things to us, 1. Cor. 2. 10. 12. So he, only can reveal them, or show them to be, in us: He is the Lords candle in the innermost parts, or chambers of the belly: Pro. 20. 27. he in this sense, aswell as ours in that, because he only can show to us, the grace that is in us: As light only can discover to a man, the things that are in his house: Who only shows us the grace, that's in us: He must shine on our faith, & its fruits; before we can have evidence of them; he must give his divine testimony to us, of them, that they are right, before we can believe it, as he must of God, & Christ, & the Promises, before we can believe them; our own spirit, though renewed by grace, cannot witness alone to us, except the Spirit of God, Not our own spirits alone. do join with it in witness Rom. 8. 16. which is the ground of those say Rom. 9 1. when he was to witness. But here, the Question is; Wither in this coeworking of the holy Ghost; with our spirits, to make evident our grace: It is requisite, A Question resolved. that he should be, as clearly known to be the holy Ghost, who warrants our grace, as we know it to be the Sun, when it shines? Indeed in the immediate assurance; which is grounded on his divine testimony alone; it is certain, it must be so: or else, it cannot give full assurance, & put out of all doubt: But that in this assurance; which is mediate, and only witnesseth with our grace, & shows that to us; That it should be so evident, that it is the holy Ghost; that is the question; if it be not enough; that the grace be made so evident, as that according to the Scriptures, the heart is confident it is true: though it be not most sure that it is the holy Ghost who saith, it is true: Now that ye may have this witness of the Spirit; ye must. 4. Labour unto all obedience; to shun every sin, and do every 4. Labour unto all obedience, out of love to Christ. duty, and that out of love to Christ; John. 14. 21. then will he, manifest himself to you, that is; by his Spirit, he will then give you evidence of himself, & of his love to you, & of your interest in him, & happiness by him: General obedience, & fruitfulness, accompanied which carries with it much evidence and comfort. with growth & increase, carries with it, much evidence, & much comfort; John. 15. 8. 9 10. And besides, it brings in, by way of a meetness & preparation, more of the witness, & evidence of the holy Ghost; for though the holy Ghost, be given to believers absolutely, and not with respect to their obedience (on which condition he abode in Adam in innocency) yet his manifestations, in comfortable evidences, are dispensed according to their obedience, growth & fruitfulness; for such comforts are wages, & respect working; As. The Apostle. 2. Peter. 1. 5. to 12. exhorts them to a constant diligence, to increase graces (therefore he saith giving all diligence) because, The 2. of Peter. 1. 5. to 12. expounded. it will make them fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; verse. 8. That is, in the comfort, & evidence of their interest in Christ, & happiness by Christ; whereas, the want of these things; verse. 9 deprives of assurance, & comfortable evidence; He that lacks these things, is blind; etc. that is, he cannot behold his evidence, & assurance; nor can he see a far of; that is he cannot comfort himself in thoughts of his happiness to come; So neither can he be comforted, by that, that is past, He forgets that he was purged: that is, he looseth the assurance of Justification; (Therefore, 1. John. 1. 7. we must walk in light, & then Christ's blood, sensibly cleanseth from guilt;) Whereas, else (though he remembers that there was such a thing, and so, in that sense, forgets it not, yet) he cannot be comforted by the remembrance of it; and therefore is said to forget it; as they are said in Scripture; to forget God's Commands, who (though they remember that there are such, yet) are not ordered by them: And this Exhortation to provide for their comfort, by this means; the Apostle Peter, yet enforceth farther: verse. 10. By expressing what it is, in its effect: It is a making sure their Calling & Election, He that gives all diligence to add to Faith, Virtue; and to Virtue, Knowledge: etc. as was before exhorted to; doth but diligently make sure his Calling and Election; whence will follow, that they shall never fall; namely into despairing doubts and questions about their estate; nor into a state of darkness, and loss of comfort; because as he adds verse. 11. By this means they shall have an abundant entrance ministered to them; into the everlasting kingdom of Christ; that is (not meant of a local entrance into heaven: For heaven is not where called, the Kingdom of Christ; but the Father's Kingdom; Christ resigns his Kingdom at the last day of this World, 1. Corrinth. 15. 24.) and the opposition, verse. 9 shows that, it is meant of assurance, and a making sure our Calling & Election: Wherefore it is thus meant; that by thus doing; ye shall have a filling measure of the joy of assurance of your eternal salvation; which Joy, is so , as ye must enter it; it cannot enter into you, but yet ye shall have an abundant entrance into it; wheread if you do not thus, ye shall be debared entrance into it; which joy of assurance, is the kingdom of Christ; as Rom. 14. 17. called indeed, God's kingdom; that is Christ's (as the next verse shows) given him by God the Father; who is also God, as well as his Father. And this Kingdom of Christ, though in this world, and resigned at the last day, is yet, as here, so oft else where, called everlasting, in Why Christ's Kingdom called everlasting. many respects, and here especially in this, because, its joy & happiness, shall be perfected, & swallowed up, in the everlasting happiness of heaven: Wherefore, though ye cannot ever grow sensibly yet pursue after growth & fruitfulness; humble your souls under the want of it; give not over, but make it your business, to press to it; renew upon a failing, your purposes & endeavours after it; (this is evangelically to do it) and you shall obtain the evidence, & seal Evangelicall obeudience, what. of the holy Ghost, the joy whereof, will abundantly strengthen your hearts, against all trouble. Thus I have enlarged myself unto the helping of you, to improve Faith In Christ his choicest medicine agt. heartakeing himself being the matter of it: Therefore slight it not your faith in Christ, so as to keep you from trouble of heart; on which, I have been the larger; because Christ in the text, makes it a prime remedy: And (to conclude) indeed this remedy against heartakeing; is Christ's choicest medicine: (he himself being the matter of it) and therefore, not to prise, & practise it, is greatly to slight Christ himself. Thus much, for the Third Means, to prevent heart trouble. FORTH MEANS. 4. Means Is contained in the 2. 3. 4. Verses. An unfolding the true grounds of Christ's departure. Is contained in the following Verses. 2. 3. 4. in the scope & drift of them; Namely an unfolding to them, the true grounds; & reasons (and so the issue & effect) of that change, & trouble which was upon them, in his departure; whereby he overthrows, all the causeless fears & troubles, which thence, or from aught else, arose in their hearts. The force, & aptness of which means, will be best manifested, in a paraphrase upon the words: Thus. The words Paraphrased My departure from you, need not trouble you on my behalf; For I go away from you to my Father: Neither am I lost, nor forced Christ goes to his Father: away, by the will, power, or malice, of mine enemies; but of my own accord I go; and for my advantage, so that on my behalf, ye So it's no ground of trouble on his behalf. have cause to joy rather, because I go to my Father, as John. 14. 28. Neither need ye be troubled on your own behalves; For on your business, and for your good, do I withdraw myself; For, there Neither on his disciples behalf, For he goes about their business. are in my Father's house, divers receptacles, for many such as you are; which, if it were not so I would have told you ere now, in as much as my Office (the faithful Witness) and my friendship to you, binds me not only to speak nothing but truth, but also to reveal to you all needful truth, & not to suffer you to be misled with false hopes; Yet, though To prepare a place for them. there are many rooms in my father's house, in which ye may inhabit; ye cannot yet possibly get in there, till I have made way; wherefore I said even now to you, that as the Jews so ye, cannot come, whither I go: John. 13. 33. But the end of my going away from you now; is to make way for you to come into, & have a place in, my Father's house: Ye think that my departure is for your loss, and ye shall be, as young chicks without the henn, a prey to your enemies; and that your hope in me, shall be frustrated; and that for your unfruitfullnes under me, God removes me, to punish you; but it is not so: The ground of my departure, is for your great gain; For if I go away to prepare a place for you; then surely I will come again to you to he will come again and fetch them. to that place fetch you to that place; If I go, much more will I come, for your sakes; ye fear that your sins foredone, & foreseen by me to be done, may keep you from heaven, or my heart from you; & that I show it by thus leaving you; and that we shall be ever parted; but it is otherwise, I do go, and I will come, in love to you, that ye & I may be together; and my departure makes way for it, with out which, (and therefore for present) ye cannot go, whither I go: Nor, is this which I say to you, altogether unknown to you (for, it were a slender ground of comfort, to discourse wholly, on things Which place and us way they knew, So the more Comfort. unknown) but ye know the place & way I go to: Indeed, they did not distinctly know (as they object in the next words) but seminally and virtually, they knew it, in that they knew Christ; Who was the Way, the Truth, the Life; and had the seeds of the knowledge in them, and wanted not many days to the punctual knowledge thereof by the holy Ghosts coming on them: Thus our Saviour applied himself to prevent their heart trouble, by setting before them the true grounds, & ends of those things which troubled them; which all were good, and for their profit, & so necessarily must dispel the false, & supposed grounds, & ends, which raised trouble in their hearts. And this means is as helpful in all troubles; for there ever are such This means helps in all troubles: For in all troubles▪ there is ground of comfort, if found out. grounds of all trouble, as may quiet, & comfort the heart, of believers; or else this command, (not to be troubled in heart) were unjust: Wherefore the finding out the grounds which may quiet & comfort, is but the finding out the true real grounds, and so, dispelling, & over throwing all the grounds that trouble; which must be false, if the other be true. This means, Joseph useth with his brethren; who had only veiwed Cleared by joseph to his brethren the less, & inferior grounds & ends of their sin against Joseph, in selling him: Namely their pride, revenge, envy; etc. whence arose perplexing troubles: which he cries down; Gene. 45. 5. to 9 be not grieved, or angry; that is, perplexingly for other grief he allowed them) which, to help them to, he shows them other & more chief, ends, grounds, authors, effects, of that their act; then they considered: Namely, God, for good ends, who was in the business, more than they, So that, in comparison, he and not they, may be said to do it; whereas, they only looking on themselves, as authors, and joseph's hurt, as the end, & effect of it, were inordinately troubled. Every Change or Trouble which befalls Believers, either by Sin, or Afflictions, is like the cloud twixt the Isralits' & Egyptians; It hath a black, & a bright side; God & themselves or the creature, in it; now they should not only behold the black, but also the bright side; Which that ye may do; Ye must search out the promises, & experiences, Also by promises and experiences In the one God saith, and in the other God, doth, that which opens the true grounds, ends, & effects, of all that befalls believers by any Sin, or Sorrow: Take one Promise in stead of many: (which also contains, an experiment, and so hath both:) 1. Cor. 10. 13. No tentation: that is, 1. Cor. 10. 13. expounded. either by a sin, or an affliction, and rather by sin, is here meant; for both the verse before & after, speaks of sin; and the whole discourse, is of sin, & afflictions for sin; and so, surely is that meant: James. 1. 12. Blessed is he that endures tentations; that is, by afflictions, or sins; as appears by the next verses, which prevent an abuse, which might arise from that saying; Viz. Since it is blessed to endure tentation, though by sin, therefore surely it is God who tempts to sin: which inference, shows, that the Apostle ment tentation by sin; as well as otherwise; and surely so he means James. 1. 2. 3. 4. For, there is no tentation, doth so deject, & exercise every grace, as those of sin do in believers: Wherefore, to proceed; No tentation (saith Paul in the 1. Cor. 10. 13.) hath taken you, but what is 1. Cor. 10. 13. expounded. common to man (or moderate as the margin reads it, but) the word in greek, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humane, or after man's manner: By man, meaning not all men, but believing man; No believer shall be tried with any sin, or sorrow, but is incident to believers, and so, is that which may stand with their Grace, & Salvation; For it were no consolation to a believer, to tell him he should not be tried as a Devil is; but only as a Man may be tried: And, the scope being to encourage them; for as he warned them; in the former verse, (to the end, they might not presume) So he doth here, encourage, that they might not, despair; And this they needed; For they had been far tempted, and fallen to Idolatry, whose dreadful plagues, he had set before them; yet, to keep them from despair, he shows them, how that, they should not be tempted, but as believers; and this would encourage; but to be tempted as a man in general, may be, that is so, as to be ruind; doth not encourage, therefore he intends it not so general; as also appears by what follows; that it should be so as to bear it, & escape: which is only the portion of believers; and this shall but take them, as a tentation; that is, to try them, & do them good; & bless them with a reward; as it is more fully, James. 1. 12. the chief ground, & end of it, is their benefit. But they may be over borne, & ruind by it? No, for there is none shall befall them, but what is fitted for believers, to do them good, & not hurt, (as the tentations do, which take unbelievers; as Saul & others) and God is engaged to it in his faithfulness; and therefore, will not permit a stronger tentation, than ye can bear up under: and will, as certainly order a way for you to escape ruin by it, as he will order to you the tentation: with the one, he will do the other: That is, he will so lay in the tentation, as that, it shall carry with it, something where by you may escape, (not the tentation, but ruin, by the tentation) and so get good by it: For the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, may aswell imply an escape with a success (as barely an escape) an issue successful: Heb. 13. 7. God, gives in with the tentation, that which shall bring about a good issue, & fruit of it; as the physician, when he means good by his poison, gives in with it, that which shall do the party good: Therefore, it is added, that ye may be able to bear it: Why, is not this, a needle's repetition? Had he not said before, that they should not be tempted, above that they were able, able to bear up under, & endure? Yes, but this is added, as a more full explication of his mind; in that he would have it taken notice of; that they should not be pressed above strength: and so saith it again: or else in that the knowledge & sense of Gods making way for an escape, doth strengthen the heart of them who are temped, to bear it, and not sink under it. This, ye see is a full Promise, showing that good only is intended, by all: Wherefore, I will set before you, no more promises: But Cleared by Instances. show you a few Instances among many that are in Scripture: For the right judging whereof, observe this Rule; That whatever is the issue of a trouble, & upon it, brought about by God, as the end A Rule of judging them. thereof; That was the chief ground & reason of Gods bringing on that trouble; For the end of a thing, is the ground & moving cause of that whereby it is brought about: Now the Scripture is full of Instances of Sins & Sorrows, which befell Believers, the end & issue of all which, was their good & gain; Therefore, in all those Changes both by Sins & Sorrows, Gods chief ground & end of bringing them on, was that good & benefit of theirs. See it First, in some Trials by Afflictions: Abraham was sorely tried, by Gods calling him to offer up Isacc; but the end of it was, not the In case of Affliction. stripping him of him in whom was all his hope of the promise, but the ratifying twice, & by an oath, the promises to him: So that, in stead of Instances. losing (as appeared) the promises, he had them thereby, more surely Abraham: than ever, settled on him: Jacob was oft & sorely tried, but the issue of every one, was a farther revelation of God, and ratification of the Covenant to him: Jacob: Joseph was cast into desperate hazards, when sold by his brethren, Joseph: but the issue of all, was his great glory, & happiness: Job had sharp losses & troubles, but the end, was, the doubling his Job: estate, honour, children, with a length of days, and seeing God with the eye, who had before, but heard of him by the ear: The Elect in Adam had a great change, from incomparable happiness, The Elect in Adam: to as great a misery, but it brought forth a greater happiness instantly in the seed of the woman, than they ever had in Adam: The Church had a great loss, in Eliah his untimely taking away, The Church in Eliahs' death: who might have lived much longer; but it brought forth an Elisha on whom his spirit was doubled, who did twice as great, & many things for Israel: Galilee, & those parts, had a great loss in the sudden imprisonment The imprisonment of john Baptist: of John Baptist, whose ministry was eclipsed, yea extinguished, before he had preached a year; (for he was but six months elder, and so began to preach but six months before Christ, and was quickly after Christ's preaching, imprisonned) But Christ, instantly came upon his imprisonment, & dwelled & preached in all those places, where John had; john's going, made way for Christ's coming, as the setting of the day Star, doth for, the Suns rising: Math. 4. 12. 13. Zabulon, Naphtaly, and those Sea Coasts, had the first captivity of all Israel: 2. Kings. 15. 29. and this paved a way for their having first the Gospel preached to them, by John & Christ: Math. 4. 12. to 17: Again, Christ was taken away in his bodily presence from his Disciples, Christ his death: and that made way for his spiritual presence, which was much better to them: The Witnesses slain, shall be raised again to more glory & power The slaying the Witnesses: to the Churches, than ever: Reve. 11. 7. 11. 12. Sometime God takes away, and gives again, as Joseph to Jacob: David's Wives & Goods at Ziklag; and so they are enjoyed more sweetly than ever: Sometime God strips of all comforts to be a comfort himself; 2. Tim. 4. 16. 17. For he will never leave his people orphans (as the word, in greek, is) John. 14. 18. he will come to them. And as the Changes by Afflictions; So they which come on believers In case of Sin: in Sins, are for their good. The Elect committed a great Sin in Adam; And that brought in Instances. In Adam: Christ's Righteousness & Life Eternal, of which Adam in sinning was a type or figure: Rom. 5. 12. 14. 15. 16. etc. joseph's brethren's Sin, in selling Joseph, brings about the saving joseph's Brethren: them, & all their families from famine: David's great Sin of kill Vriah (because he had defiled his David: wife) and marring her; brought him that Solomon; whom God had, long before promised by name, to succeed him, and build the Temple: 1. Cron 21. 7. to the 11. verse. And that great Sin of numbering the People, gave him to know the very place where the Temple should be built, which he so longed after; as appears by comparing together. 1. Cron. 21. 18. to the Chapters end. & Chap. 22. 1. 2. with the 2. of Cron. 3. 1. Hezekiah came by his Sin, to be humbled, and to know all that Hezikiah: was in his heart: 2. Cron. 32. 31: And the Jews were saved by their kill Christ. Christ's murder. I Confess, that Sins make way, for Afflictions, (as all the former instances show) but the Afflictions are but subordinate, and means to those great ends of good, which God by their sins, aims at, & brings about: And the greater the Changes have been, the greater good hath been brought to them, as all the former instances, do show; Therefore the general & chief end of all that discipline of Israel, for forty years by afflictions, & sins; is said to be to try, and humble, and do them good at last: as Deut. 8. 2. 3. 4. 14. 15. 16. Yea the sins of damned ones, who have been near believers, and so may seem to hurt them; do tend to their good; as Judas his treason against Christ, served to prove to the disciples that Christ was he, who was promised, & so might confirm their faith in him: John. 13. 18. Now, the Reason of all this, is the Rice & Root, whence all Changes The Reason whence all Sins, and Afflictions, tends to Believers good, Is from their Rice being 4 fold by Sins, or Sorrows, arise upon Believers: Which is Four fold. First, It is from God: Secondly, It is from God through a Powerful Decree: Thirdly, It is from God, through a Decree Everlasting: Fourthly, It is from God, through a Covenant of Grace: Wherefore it all must tend only to Their good. FIRST, All Changes, by Sins, or Sorrows, comes upon Believers 1. They all come from God. from God, and his hand, I say all Afflictions come upon them from God; This is easily and generally granted, according to the drift of Scripture, to raise us up to see, & acknowleg God's hand in every Affliction; as Amos. 3. 6. Job. 5. 6. whatever instruments thereof Afflictions. have been, it comes from God: And it is, as evident by Scripture. And Sins. & reason; that all sins come also from God, & his hand, and yet he is no way defiled, or dishonoured their by, neither is Sin extenuated, Yet ●e not defiled, or dishonoured. or the Sinner excused by it, in the least: The fear of some of these inconveniences, hath made Divines, not acknowledge so much of God in sin, as is in sin, and out of a An error of some, about Sin confuted. fear of falling into that error, dissuaded from, James. 1. 13. 16. They have erred on the other hand, and made Sin, more of the Creature, & its self, and less from God, than it is: They grant that God is willing Sin should be, and that he permits it, and orders circumstances about its production, and overrules it, and hath an hand in, & is the author of the phisical, or moral act, in, and with, which, sin is; But in the essence of Sin; that is, the pravity, & atazy, the anomye, or irregularity of the act, which is the sinnfullnes of it, God hath no hand, neither is he any author at all thereof; Which opinion, is safe enough from the error it shuns, and to avoid danger it keeps so far of, that it goes wrong another way, and because it would not give to God to much, it gives him not enough in this, not so much as he takes to himself in Scripture: and tends, yea, is necessary, to his glory, and the comfort of his people: And what though Pelagians, Arminians, and carnal hearts, will abuse this Doctrine, & bark against it, with pretence that it dishonours God; whereas they do not hate it therefore, if it did so; but because, it undermines their carnal buildings: Yet let us embraco, & profess Believers are to profess the truth which is after Godliness: the truth which is after Godliness; and not fear to say that of God, which he in his holy Book, saith of himself; Namely, that of him, and from his hand, is not only the thing, that is sinful, but the pravatye, and sinnfullnes of it: Gene. 45. 5. 8. Be not grieved, or angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God sent me; & it was not you, but God; This is not meant, of some good thing besides, or divers from their Sin; or only of the overruling of their Sin; but, of their Sin itself, the pravitye & wickedness, of that their act, in selling Joseph. For though indeed, their selling him, is called Gods sending him; yet That case of joseph's brethren's selling him, explained. it is made one, & the same thing; that which in them was selling, that is, was sin, that in & of God, was sending him: and that which grieved them, and made them angry with themselves; which was their sinnfullnes in doing it, that he saith was Gods sending him, and so was it not they, but God; That is, God had more hand, than they, in that their sinnfullnes; or else it had not been reason enough to take them of from being grieved and angry with themselves, if they had been the sole authors of the evil, and God only of the good. So 2. Sam. 24. 1. God was angry with Israel, and moved David 2. Sam 24. 1. explained against them to say, go number the people: It must be the sinnfullnes of David's act, which God had the hand in, because he had the hand in that, which was against Israel, (that is brought misery on Israel, and that was only the sinnfullnes of that act) and it was that which God moved to, out of anger against Israel, to bring on them an Affliction, and that could only be the Sin: Nor is it more expressly said, that Satan did it, 1. Cron. 21. 1. Because in some respects, he only, and not God, was the author of it; then here, it is said that God did it, because in some respects, God was the only Author of it, and not Satan. So that we may safely say; That God is, and hath an hand, in, and is the Author of, the sinnfullnesses of his people. For the evencing whereof; Consider these Arguments. (besides the Arguments to prove it. Voice of God, in Scripture:) First, God's Will & Pleasure, is the Womb that conceived, and I. God's will is the womb that conceived every work of the creature whence springs, every work of the Creature, whatever it be, whither it be good, or bad; as they are (that is, continued) for his pleasure, Reve. 4. last. So they so do & work, because it is his pleasure, they so should do; the first reason (and that which determines all,) why the Creature Sins, must be, because Gods will was, that it should sinne: That willed the creature should sinne For who hinted to God, or gave advice by counsel to him, to let the Creature sin? was it not his own device, counsel, & will, that it should so be? did any necessity arising upon the creatures being, enforce it that sin must be? could not God have hindered sin if he That plotted it, before▪ the creature was. would? might he not have kept man from sinning, as he did some of the Angels? Therefore it was his device, & plot, before the creature was; that there should be sin; And what incongruitye is it, that Ye● without incongruity Gods Will & Pleasure should first lay a ground work to bring forth sin? For what is Sin but an effect & discovery of the weakness & mutability of the reasonable creature? Wherefore, God's Vnchangablenes, is alleged in oppsition to the creatures sinning, & sinful tempting to sin, James. 1. 13. 17. (as we shall more fully show anon) because Sin, as it is sin, ariseth from mutability & weakness: Now what incongruity is it, for the Creator to will, and order it, that the Creature It's necessary, to give God the first hand in contriving. shall show its self, and its own shame? Yea, is it not necessary thus to give to God the first hand in contriving, & willing the Creatures sin; Because, most of God's greatest works in this World, and the everlasting World, to come, depend on the Creatures Sin; and it is by Sin, that most of God's glory, in the discovery of his Attributes. doth arise; wherefore must it not be said & thought, that his Will first and chief, was in the providing this means & way for all those his ends? Is there any thing by which, God so serves himself, (except Christ) as by Sin? Therefore certainly it limits him much, to bring in Sin by a contingent accident, merely from the Creature, and to deny God an hand & will, in its being, & bringing forth. Secondly; there is much good comes by Sin; yea, the greatest good; 2. The greatest good comes by Sinne. either in God's glory (the manefestations of God) or the Creatures happiness (in all that eternal glory through Christ▪ in heaven) it is all, only brought about by Sin: Which good effects, however Either in God's glory, Or the Creatuers happiness. they exceed their next cause, namely Sin, & the Creature, they are no thank to them; Yet they are levelly with, their chief & first cause, God, & his Wisdom, Power, Love; and do show, that he, God's Attributes shows his will in Sinne. with those his Attributes, had an head, will, & hand, in Sin; or else they could never have wrought such good effects: Thus Joseph, seems to reason; in the place forenamed: Gen. 45. 5. 8. because good came of their sin, therefore it was God, that was the author of it; The Creature separate from God (as it is in sinning) can produce no good; yet the Creatures Sin doth produce good, therefore God hath also an hand in the sin of the creature, aswell as the creature: And however, God may be thought, to take up the Creatures Sin, after it is committed, or foreseen to be committed, or bring about, or decree to bring about good by it, without having a Will afore hand unto the being of it; Yet, (if we well consider) this cannot be in God, who so is in his Will, the ground of every thing, in the Creature, both its standing, & falling; as that he must first will, the Creature shall God's will, is the ground of the Creatures standing or falling. stand, or fall, before the Creature can do either; and the Creature therefore falls & sins, because his Will before was, it should so do; and this he willed, as a means to all those great, & good ends, which thereby he did bring about; and what is it but the pravity, & sinfulness of the act, and not the act itself, as it is good, naturally, or morally, whereby God brings about those his many, great, & good ends? therefore he must will the sinfulness itself, and be its author, as a wise man, is of the choicest means, by which he brings about his chiefest ends. Thirdly, it's as incongruous, and inconvenient, to make God have an 3. It's as incongruous, to make God have a hand in afflictions as in sin. hand, & will, and be the author of, the afflictions of the Creatures, as of the sins, only there is a gradual difference: Sin is indeed worse infinitely, than Afflictions; yet both, are truly alike inconvenient to be fathered on God: For, what are Afflictions in respect of the Creature? They are disorders of the Creatures second well being, which stands in peace & happiness, and an eclipse of that his glory, And what are Sins, in respect of the Creature? but a disorder of the Creatures first & chief well being, which stands in righteousness, and an eclipse of that his glory; both of them, a sickness, & a disturbance of pure nature; the one in Both a di●sturbance, to pure nature. morals the other in naturals; the one hurts more (namely Sin) in that, it cuts of from God; the other hurts less (namely Afflictions) in that, they cut of from some particular good, yet they both hurt the Creature. Again, Consider what are Afflictions in regard of God? they reach him not, they impeach not his eternal blessedness which from himself, ariseth to himself, though the creature be ever so miserable; God is as happy, as he ever was; as the Sun is as glorious as ever, though the Earth, it shines on, be ever so distressed) yea, & God gets glory by the creatures misery, for thereby, as by a foil, his Immutable Blessedness, is better set of, as also his Holiness, Justice, Truth in threats etc. But yet, all Afflictions are against God's heart, because against the Creatures Afflictions are against God's heart. good, and their disorder is in it: It is a disturbance of his work, and it is against, & unsuitable to, that mercifulness which is in, a Creator to his Creatures, so that, there is an eclipse of God's lustre & glory though, not he, but the Creature, lose thereby (as not the Sun, but the Earth, looseth by the eclipse of the Sun) his goodness, and his Creator's parentlike (even Father & Mothers) bowels are obscured, and not manefested; so that his manefestative glory; the Glory which he should have by a manefestation from the Creature, is obscured; Wherefore, the Lord in Scripture professeth, even of Afflictions (aswell, as of Sins) that they are not with his will, or from his heart as the word is interpreted after the original; on the margin, Lam. 3. 33. so else where: He wills not the death of a Sinner: and he confirms it with an oath: to show that he is serious, real, & deep in it: and that his heart, is in very deed, not for, or with the Afflictions, of his Creature; and yet, the Scripture, making God, to have an hand, & Yet he the author of them. Then why not of sin. will, in Afflictions, and to be the author of them; It is readily granted of all hands, that he is so; And why may it not be so granted, that he is of Sin? For Consider now also, what are Sins in respect of God? Let me What sins are in respect of God. now, nullify Sin, and make it nothing, but triumph over it, as a shadow of great appearance, whilst I discourse of it in reference to believers, and in compare with God; as he is in, & of himself, without the Creature; though else, in other respects; it is as real as any thing, & as infinitely monstrous, in foulness & misery, as God, so as he stands in reference to Creatures, is in beauty, & goodness, so far, as an offspring of a Creature, can come in a parallel with a Creator (as the abasement, & torment, which Christ, who is God man, endured, plainly shows) yet may Sin be triumphed over, as nothing: both as compared with the Works of the Three Persons in Trinity, about it (as we shall hear hereafter▪ as also compared, in its own being, with Gods being in, & of himself: whom sin cannot hurt, as Job. 3 5. 6. For Hurt him not, but he is better (as by a foil) ●e●● o●. Sin, is but the weakness of God's creature, its mutability; by which his strength & unchangablenes, is as by a foil, better set of; Can it be any thing to God, his impeachment, that his Creature is frail? Can he be a God, and impeached by any thing? Yea, doth not Sin occasion the manefestation of many, yea most, of his Attributes? Indeed Sin doth eclipse Gods manefestative glory: That Glory, which he Sin doth eclipse Gods manefestative Glory, that should arise from the Creature. should have from the Creature rise up to him, upon his manefestation of himself, that is much lost by sin; It buries, & hides that glory of God; it fights against it; sins against God's heart; as contrary to his own image; and the disorder of his whole workmanship; and the ruin of his creature; and the thief which steals away his glory: And in this is Sin's vileness, and herein, it is incomperably worse, than Afflictions; But yet, it hurts God no more, than an eclipse of the Sun, hurts the Sun; which is nothing: The Sun shines as gloriously, but the Earth beholds it not, and so hath not the comfort and benefit of its influence: So that, all the evil of Sin towards God, is not at all to him, in his own Essential Blessedness, but in his Yet not his Essential Blessedness. Glory which should arise to him from the Creature, for the good of the Creature: Which Glory, as he is Creator, is his end, and most dear to him (as a wise man's end is, because else, his work is in vain) Wherefore he professeth his hatred against all sin; and that he hath no Will to it, Hand in it, nor is the Author of it; And yet, he may, as truly & safely have a Will, & Hand in, & be the Author of, Sinnes, as of Afflictions. And it may be readily granted: Namely in a divers respect, & different How it may be granted, That God wills, & is the Author of Sin, as of Afflictions. consideration: Even as they say, to distinguish Justice, from Revenge, in one & the same punishment, inflicted: Justice doth it, as it is good (Sub ratione Boni) and is moved to will it, as it is good; hath good effects: But Revenge doth it as it is evil (Sub ratione Mali) and is moved to will it, as it is bad, and hath ill effects, namely hurts the person; Justice also respects a public good; but Revenge looks only Cleared by the distinction that is between the nature of Justice, & Revenge. to the particular hurt of that person; So God wills, and is the Author of Afflictions, and wills not, nor is the Author of Afflictions: He wills not Afflictions, simply, and absolutely, as they be the Creatures hurt: For that is against his Nature (which is Mercy) and his Relation; who is their Creator and Patent, both Father & Mother. Neither doth he inflict them, till he is moved by some end, and consideration, which presents greater good, both in regard of his own Glory, and his people's good, then there is hurt, by the Affliction: Therefore, (as was said before) He swears he desires not the Sinners death; That is, only as, and because, it is his death; having no other or greater moving cause, than the Sinners ruin; (As the cruel Tyrant, who desired the death of the Vestal Virgins, only as a death, and their misery, and for that end, appointed them to be ravished, & then put to death, because he could not put them to death, unless they were deflowered) Wherefore the destruction of Sinners, considered thus; as it is evil to them, is of themselves: That is; their weakness, & mutability working them to sin; they expose themselves to ruin; Which ruin God wills & works, as it is good, for his glory, and his people's good: Yea, better than if the Sinners were not ruind: And thus God, is brought on to Afflict, by a further end than the misery itself: Wherefore as to Christ in a more transcendent way: as he was his Fellow, and no sinner in himself, he would not, nor could, afflict him; wherefore his Sword flept: Yet, on other considerations, as he was the representation of all his Elect; and a Sinner by imputation: he willed to strick him, and therefore awaked his Sword: Zach: 13. 7. So, is it, in regard of all Afflictions; He wills and works them; And he wills & works them not; in several respects: As Evils simply, and on no other considerations, he wills them not, nor works them, but it is the Creatures own harvest which he sowed; But as they tend to, & produce high & great good effects: There is no evil of misery, but God doth it. Even thus, is it in regard of Sins: In some Respects, & Considerations, In what Respects, God wills not, not is the Author of Sinne. God neither doth, nor can, will Sin, or have any hand in it, or be any author of it: Namely as it is evil, or a good only in appearance, answering only the humour of a weak, & mutable Creature; Thus, & in these respects only, God wills not, works not Sin; but abhors it infinitely, for it defiles & is most contrary to his Nature; And thus the Creature wills it, & works, and on no other respects: Or (to express the thing, more fully & plainly) God neither hath a Will, or Hand in Sinne. 1. As it only springs from an evil Root, & riseth up on a weak 1. Not, as it comes from an evil root. or evil Ground; That is, as the mind is moved to sin, out of an evil inbred principle of inhaerent Lust, or from a concomitant weakness, & mutability of Nature; So God, is not moved to will, or work Sin, for that argues an imperfect, & polluted Nature; But thus, the Devil & Man, wills & works Sin: And this is the true scope & sense of that; James. 1. 13. to 18. God doth not so, or Jam 1. 13. to 18. explained. on such grounds & respects, tempt or move any man to sin, as to be moved thereto from an inward principle of sin, or of weakness, and mutability; therefore he saith; Verse. 13. God cannot be tempted with evil, nor tempt any man: That is, as it is evil, and suits an evil principle within him; so God is not tempted, nor tempts; But thus; man tempts himself Verse. 14. 15. being moved from an evil principle of lust, within him; which shows that this is the Apostles scope, to show that on these grounds, & respects, God is not moved to will and work Sin; So that he denies it not to God absolutely, but on these grounds; which farther appears; Because, Verse. 16. 17. the error he confutes is, That God should tempt to Sin, as it is Sin, an evil & foolish thing, pleasing out of an inhaerent weakness, & mutability; For thus to will & work Sin only; he proves God cannot, because all good is of him, as a Father, therefore he cannot send forth evil: and he hath no Variableness, whereas all Sin, as Sin, riseth from the mutability of the Creature: Hence our Saviour refers Sin as it is an evil, to an evil rice, & ground, & root: Mat. 5. 37. all that is of Evil, & so Evil: But now if there be a Ground on which Sin may be willed & wrought, that is not from Evil, or a Weakness, & Mutability, moving God to Will & Work it; God may Will, and Work it, notwithstanding this saying of James. 2. God neither hath a Will, or Hand in Sin; As Sin is moved 2. Nor as it is effected, by naughty means. to, or effected by a Means that is Naught, namely by telling a Lie, or any such way; for this is evil in the doer: Therefore; when God willed that Ahab should sinne, in going to Ramoth Gilead; he would not by lying persuade him to it; but asked who of his evil ministers would do it, and one of the Devils undertook to do it, by filling his Prophets with lies, so as to be a Liar in them (I will be a lying Spirit;) Thus God neither doth, nor can act any ill means to bring about sin; As the Devil did to draw Eve to sin by beguiling her with lies: Though God may will it shall be done by them that are evil. 3. As Sin only respects some appearing Good, but real Evil 3. Neither as it hath evil ends. Ends; Namely God's dishonour & the Creatures hurt: So God neither can, nor will, either Will, or Work it, for than he should be Evil; For the end of an action, in moral things gives the name: Thus in these Respects; God Wills not, Works not, is not the Author in the least degree of any Sin; But it is of Satan; as 1. Cron. In these respects. Satan is: 21. 1. Satan stood up against Israel, & provoked David to number the People: That is; Satan from an evil mind; by evil means, to an evil end, namely to hurt Israel, as they were God's People, provoked David to that Sin: In these respects, it was Satan; & not God. And so also, it is of our own hearts (wherefore David chargeth the And our own hearts Sin wholly on himself, & not on God: 1. Cron. 21. 17.) as was before showed, James. 1. 13. 14. 15. But now; all this notwithstanding, In what Respects God Wills, & is the Author of Sinne. as there are good Respects on which, Sin may be willed & wrought, so God may be, the Author thereof, As. 1. Sin may be willed & wrought, from good Principles, & Grounds, 1. From good Principles. of Wisdom, Power, Sovereignty, Holiness, to set up only himself: etc. 2. Sin may be willed & wrought by good Means, namely, a wise & 2. By good Means. holy ordering things so as shall draw forth & discover the Creatures mutability & weakness, and a leaving the Creature to it, being no way tied to superadd an assistance, & strength against it, as Sin was brought about in Adam & Eve; and after Sin is in; then by leaving the heart to its own lust, and by wise & holy dispensations & providences, to stir up those lusts, not by any thing in the providence, but through the lust itself abusing such providences; as Sin is brought about now, since the Fall. 3. Sin may be willed & wrought, for good Ends: Viz. The showing ●. By good Ends. the Creatures weakness, as by a foil to set of the Creator's glory; and the gaining more glory to God, and good to his People: Thus God is said to move David to number the people, 2. Sam. 24. 1. in these respects, as in the other; the Devil is said to do it: and under these considerations, Sin is good (as poison may be for physic, and as the kill a malefactor by a law) and as good as other things; & may as comelily be willed, and be brought about by God, and have him for its Author; as any thing else: Yea, in truth, it is most Congruous that He should be its Author; And thus it is most Congruous for God to be its Author For whom becomes it so well, as the Chiefest Good, to bring about the Greatest Good, by the Greatest Evil; and who so fitly, as the Immutable, Strong God, can bring out, the Weakness & Mutability of the Creature? Thus ye see, that true Reason, & the Scripture; exclude not God from being in any respects, the Willer & Author of Sin; But from being it in Evil Respects; And as it hath Good Respects, it is fathered on him, the Father of all Good: Therefore when Joseph carried his brethren's Sin to God; he instanceth only in the good ends & effects, which their Sin had: For so, & only so, it belongs to God: And God may glory as much, in this his plot, & handy work of Sin, as in any thing that is from him (except Jesus-Christ) it doth so become him, & advance him, & his people. And thus, I have showed the First Ground of every Change, which befalls God's People, either by Sins, or Sorrows, It is God, his Hand, and Will, are in it: Yea, let me add this, before I end this Consideration. God is more in their Sins & Sorrows, than they themselves are; So God is more in Believers Sins and Sorrows, than themselves. much that implies Gene. 45. 5. 8. Not you, but God; That is, not so much You, as God: God, on good considerations, had a greater will, & hand in it, than you: Therefore in David's numbering the people, God, and not He, is made the ground of it, 2. Sam. 24. 1. God on good Grounds, though he also, in evil Respects was in it as he confesseth: Yet God was so much more, that he drowned him in comparison: For. Arguments 1 1. God first willed, and brought it about. 2. He might have prevented it, but they could not, though yet, as it was evil, they did it freely, and of their own accord, and against his revealed will. 3. God had more, & greater, and more general ends of their Sin, than they, who only aimed at a particular satisfying a lust of Envy & Revenge: But God aimed at much Good, for them, and many: and moved more stones to effect the work, than they who wrought in a small compass. 4. And lastly, God's good end, swallowed up their little evil end; more good, then bad came of it to Joseph, themselves, and others: Therefore, it was God more than they; for of him is all good: Wherefore let Believers, be humbled godlily for their Sins; and then be quiet without perplexing grief, or anger with themselves, For God's hand, & good ends, are in their Sins, & Sorrows, more than their evil hearts, and shall prevail To God's glory, and their good. Thus much for the First Rice & Ground of all Changes, which befall Believers through Sin or Sorrow; They all are of God, and his hand. 2. Rises. SECONDLY, All Changes by Sin or Sorrow which befall Believers, come from God by a Decree Powerful; That is, a working They all come from God on them by a Decree Powerful. Decree; he hath so resolved and decreed it as that his hand and power concurs, to effect it. In regard of Troubles & Afflictions, this is said expressly Zeph. 2. 2. There was a Decree pregnant; which conceived, & bred Trouble Afflictions. for them; and was strong and able, to bring it forth, and not miscarry. So also; For Sins; Acts. 4. 27. 28. That sin of theirs in crucifiing So Sins Christ: All that which they did sinnfully against Christ; is said to be determined before, by God's counsel & hand; That is, a Decree that was concurring in Power to effect what it determined: Yet is not this any excuse to the Sinner or extenuation of the Sin; For, as it is said of Assyria Isa. 10. 7. he thinks not so: he eyes not this Decree of God in his sinning, nor is he moved by a respect to it; but he doth it out of his own evil heart. 3. Rises. THIRDLY, All Changes upon Believers, by Sins, or Sorrows, come to them from God, by an Everlasting Decree; Even by that Eternal Love, & Counsel, in & by which they were ordained to Life Eternal: They all some from God on them, by an Everlasting Decree. Therefore, Habac. 1. 12. the Prophet encourageth himself against the great Affliction of the Babylonian Captivity, by this, that God's Decree had ordained them for that end; and therefore the issue should be their good; and not their ruin (we shall not die) and sets God before him, as a God from Everlasting; and his God; that is, His God from Everlasting; And why doth he instance in this Attribute Afflictions: of Everlasting? But to intimate; that God being from Everlasting, & so all His Decrees being from Everlasting; among which, this was one, of that their great Affliction by the Babylonians; therefore they should not be hurt, or ruind by it: And when Christ, is called the Everlasting Father: Isa. 9 6. It seems to be meant, not only that from Everlasting Decree had desingd the Second Person, as incarnate, to make all things; & as it were beget them; but more specially, to be a Father to the Elect; and so as a Father to chastise them with afflictions; Heb. 12. 5. 6. 9 which Afflictions also must be by the same Everlasting Decree appointed out to them: Wherefore, Christ; Isa. 63. 16. is called their Father, who from Everlasting had this Name; their Redeemer: For so it is read on the Margin, & seems to be meant; Now, as their redemption; so their miseries must be Decreed from Everlasting: for so surely, Christ as a Redeemer, hath been in God's account; from Everlasting: Even those go forth, Mica. 5. 2. & not only, his Godheads; but those Works of his, as Incarnate, towards the Creature: Works without; as the phrase of go forth; implies. And as all Sorrows, So all Sins of Believers, are determined by God's Eternal Decree; How oft, How many, How great; For, if Christ So all Sin̄es How oft, How many, How great. from Everlasting be their Redeemer; and went forth to Save them; It was first, & chiefly from Sins; then must from Everlasting the Sins be set down from whence he should save them; as it is certain they were, because when he accomplished the Decree, and by dying on the Cross, actually redeemed them; then All their Sins met on him, as For all met on Christ, upon the Cross. Therefore were before decreed for him to remove. it is Isa. 53. 6. read on the Margin; Now none met on him there, but what were Decreed for him to remove, when he was destinated to that work; which was from Everlasting: For Adam in his fall, & sinning, was a Figure, or Type of Christ, taking away Sins Rom. 5. 14. to the Chapt. end: Therefore Christ's taking away Sins, was decreed before Adam, or the World was, (and so from Everlasting) or how could Adam typify him, if he were not before intended to that work? And if Christ were from Everlasting; Decreed to take away Sins, than were the Sins he should take away, Decreed from Everlasting: This also appears by Deut. 32. 32. to 37. where it is said; that both the Sins of God's people: Vers. 32. 33. 34. And their Afflictions Verse. 35. And their Deliverance: Verse. 36. are all afore hand, laid up in store with God, and sealed among his treasures: That is, in the Eternal Decrees, of his Wisdom, & Knowledge, in the deepest secrecy, & hiddennes, hath God set down his people's sins & punnishments; which in a set time he will avenge, and at the end, do his people good. And the Reason, and Ground, and further Evidence of all this, is: A further▪ Ground. Because, by the same Decree that sets down the End, are all the Means thereto set down; Wherefore that Eternal & Wisdom of God, which Decreed Believers to Eternal Happiness, Decreed all the Afflictions, & Sins, how much, & long, God would leave them to weakness, and let lose corruptions; as the ways & means by which, he would bring them to that Glory appointed them: For every thing which befalls Believers in this World, is a Means to that great End of Eternal Glory to which God hath ordained them; and therefore was fore-ordered for them, in & by that Great, & Eternal Love, and so cannot but be in Love, and for their Good. FOURTHLY, All Changes upon Believers by Sins, or Sorrows, 4. Rice. They all come from God, on them through A Covenant of Grace. come on them, by & through A Covenant of Grace made with them; This follows from the former; For the Covenant of Grace, is nothing else, but the gathering together, & revealing with an obligation to them, to perform, what ever were his Eternal Purposes in Himself, concerning Believers; Wherefore, all that is Decreed concerning them, is exhibited to them, through A Covenant of Grace; which cannot but season it, & make it wholesome to them; however pernicious it be to others. Thus all Afflictions come through A Covenant of Grace; and are Afflictions. expressed in it, Psal. 89. 32. 33. 34. For they be fatherly chastisements for good, and tokens of Love, to which the Covenant binds God Heb. 12. 7. 10. Whence it is that God is called the terrible God, keeping Covenant & Mercy, Nehe. 1. 5. Because his Covenant for Mercy, is to Afflict. And so, all the Sins which Believers are left to, they are through So all their Sins. & because of the Covenant of Grace, left to them; and the Covenant implies a dispensation of sinning to them, as well as other things: For though the Covenant, express not their being left to Sin: Yet, it imples their sinning; for its scope is; that God as a Father will Educate & Nurture them up so, as shall fit them for his Inheritance of Glory: Now by Sins are they as much nurtured, & fitted for Heaven; as by any thing else: Wherefore, by virtue of, and through his Covenant By which he nurture's & fits them: of Grace, doth he leave them to, more, or fewer, less, or greater, Sins, as may best nurture them up, even as he fits them for service in this World, by leading them into Sins; as he did Peter to confirm For Service the weak; by leaving him to that Sin, Luke. 22. 32. with 34. 57 And David to bear out to the World, his sure mercies in Christ: Isa. 55. 3. by leaving him & his house, to many & great Sins: as 2. Sam. 11. because else the sureness of the Mercy, had not appeared; had they not sinned extraordinarily: So he fits also for the Glory in Heaven; by their various sinning For Heaven. here: Not only as Sins make way for Afflictions, but also as they make way for God's free Grace, Christ's Mercy, and the exercise of divers Graces; As that Sin of the Church of Corrinth did 2. Cor. 7. 10. 11. And who ever observes God's manner in nurturing up his Children for Heaven, he will find that the most usual ways of his Art, therein lie in leaving them to Sins or Afflictions, or both; For, First, Sinnes & Afflictions, are a trial of Faith; Afflictions try our 1. They try their Faith: Faith in God's Love, that he should Afflict and Love; as Jobs Faith was tried; Though he Kill me, yet I will trust in him: And they try our Faith in Afflictions doth, in, Gods Love. Mercy. Justice. his Mercy, when he so takes vengeance on our iniquities, to believe him merciful, and that he hath forgiven: Psal. 99 8. And they try our Faith in his Justice; whilst he so afflicts the good, and let's the wicked prosper; as it is in the Psalms. So Sins much more In Christ's Blood. In God's unchangeableness And as Afflictions are a trial of our Faith; So are our Sins; and that much more than Afflictions: They try our Faith in Christ's Blood, for an Atonement, Psal. 51. 2. 7. They try our Faith in God's Vnchangablenes that he will not cast us of though we sin; according as the Covenant runes, Psal. 89. 31. 32. 33. They try our Faith in the Promises In the Promises. of Perseverance, & Victory, over Sin, when yet we find it captive us; as Paul's faith showed itself, Rom. 7. 23. 24, 25. Now this Trial of Faith, by manifold tentations; as 1. Pet. 1. 6. 7. that is both by Tentations through Sins, & Sorrows; is for a season needful: Even, whilst we are in nurture; in as much as it tries Faith; As the fire doth the gold, that is to be used in special things: Which trial of Faith over, & above besides the Faith itself; will be profitable, at the last day; and therefore, is at the present of more price & virtue to us, than gold, which perisheth in this World. Secondly, Sins & Afflictions, are as seeds of an harvest of Joy at the 2. They tend to a harvest of Joy to come. last day: Afflictions are the ground work of Joy, Psal. 126. 5. 6. as the Babylonian Captivity (their spoke of) was of that great joy: and so Heb. 12 11. even though they be inflicted for Sins, as the forementioned were; For God forgives & removes the Affliction: Psal. 103. 3. Isa. 38. 17. Yea, and they Comfort, at the last day, as the hardness of the Sea voyage, doth in the haven; and the danger of the fight, doth in the triumph: Reve. 7. 13. 14. And Sins, however, for the most part, they first occasion trouble, yet they tend to, and in the end, bring forth the more Joy,; both here, whilst God forgives them, and sheds abroad his Joy with his Forgiunes; giving not only ease, by setting again the bones he broke, but also making them to rejoice Psal. 5 ●. 7. 8. David never joyed more, then after his reconsilement to God. upon those horrid Sins of Adultery & Murder; and that of numbering the People: For after the former he had Solomon given him (whom the Lord sent, & called beloved of the Lord 2. San. 12. 25. & was he whom God had named to build the Temple as ye heard before; and after the other sin he had the place of the temple; shown him; & liberty to prepare for its building which greatly joyed his soul; there being nothing to which his heart went forth in so much desire as to God's house. And indeed God's people need more Joys after Sins, then after God's people needs more Joy, after sinning, then after afflictions. Afflictions, because they are more cast down by them; and therefore God useth Sins, as means by which he leads in his Joys unto them in this World: And also in the World to come; their Sins yield them great Joys; Indeed, in some respects, they shall joy most at the last day, who have least sinned; But in other respects, they have Which they have here, and more heereaftor. most joy who have most sinned, (For sin they little or much, they all shall enter into Joy, at last) whilst the free Grace, and rich Mercy, of God the Father; the Merit, & Love of God the Son; the Power of the indwelling holy Ghost in them; shall the more shine forth, how much the more Sins have been within them; and Faith will the more Triumph in & with the Trophies of so many the more Victories over the guilts of Sins, and keeping up under the more continued assaults of powerful Sins. 3. By Sins & Afflictions, God is the more made manifest to them; 3. God is thereby, made more manifest to them. In all his Attributes. Even, all his Goodness is made to pass before them Exo. 33. 19 That is, all his Attributes: as Exodus. 34. 6. his Sovereignty to do what he will, with whom he will; whilst he leaves them to any Sorrows, or Sins, 1. Sam. 3. 18. Exod. 33. 19 alleged, Rom 9 15. He hardens whom he will: So his Justice & Mercy: more Justice, in that the more they sin, the more he takes of Christ: Rom. 3. 26. he is Just, aswell as a Justifier: And more Mercy, in pardoning more to them. And so his Truth is manifest; in a more full making good his threats in punishing them for Sins; or his Promises, in pardoning more Sins. Now this seeing Gods bacl parts, doth greatly nurture, and fit for heaven, many ways, which I need not mention, they are so obvious: Which doth greatly nurture them for heaven. Thus then, the Changes through Sins & Afflictions, serving for a nurture & education of Believers unto heaven, it is, matter of Joy to them, when They fall into divers temptations, James. 1. 2. Yea, all Joy; It's a phrase, I find not again used in Scripture; It is more than So that tentations, is matter of all Joy, as: James. 1. 2. explained. to say; much, or great joy; for it implies that what ever kind, or degree of joy there is, we should take it up to joy in this thing; (as the like phrase, is used in the like sense, for Prayer: Eph. 6. 18.) which shows that there is more than ordinary cause of Joy, in these Trials of Believers, some of which, he instanceth in: Verse. 3, to 6. For these Trials, are of their Faith (as ye heard before) which yields a future gain, and a present profit also: for Faith tried, brings forth Patience; and do but let Patience have her perfect work, & ye shall be entire, & lack nothing: Entire; the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I find not else where used in Scripture; but 1. Thes. 5. 23. that which is intregal with all its parts, which hath all that is allotted it which is possessed of your whole lot, portion, or inheritance; Yet there is added another word (as if this were not full enough) and lack nothing; or rather lacking in nothing: As if by the Trial of Faith through several Tentations, Patience may be wrought up to such a perfection; as that they should have their full portion of Grace & Glory given them into their hand: And whereas, they may say, but who is wise enough so to improve patience; he prevents it; saying to this effect: Thus to do is indeed wisdom, which any man may lack, but if he ask it; he shall have it, and so may do the things, and become fully possessed of all his portion, and inheritance; and therefore may well joy with all Joy, when he is fallen into divers tentations; This indeed is not a matter of sense; therefore saith the Apostle count it; or suppose, and think it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Let this be your leading thought of all other thoughts, and let this thought lead your affections; so much the word may imply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore, Verse. 12. he saith, They are blessed that endure, that is endure Verse, 12. so as to stay it out, and not give over; For he when he is tried (or as the words in greek are) being become one tried, as mettle in the furnace, shall receive the Crown of Life; which implies that till he is thus tried, he is not meet; and this trial makes & discovers him to be meet to receive the Crown; which Crown though it be the same for substance: Yet it is divers in degrees, & circumstances, unto which severals, they are fitted by several trials; God being served on them, in pardoning more to them; or in their being more sanctified, or afflicted. And thus ye see, how God the Father hath made us able to triumph The three Persons in Trinity, severally, inables Believers to triumph over Sinne. over sin, as nothing: Even as the other Two Persons also in able us to do, in a several way; For compare we Sin, in its working, & indwelling in us, in which respect, it is nearest us; Yet compare it with the power & purpose of the Holy-Ghost, who dwells also in us, to subdue it all; and compared with him; It is less than the force of a Fly, to a Giant; it is nothing: So compare we Sin in its guilt, with Jesus Christ, his Righteousness, Blood, etc. It is not so much as a Cloud compared with the Sun, in his strength; it is nothing: So also compare we Sin, in its being, with the Counsel, Decree, & Intent of God the Father; and it is nothing: Yea more; there is all good, and much good comes of it, to Believers, and to God: Thus the Three Persons in Trynity; have each of them, severally put forth their power, to nullify Sin, on the behalf of Believers, that it should not dismay them: And God the Father; hath taken it up, and ordered, it for much good, unto Believers: In that He, and his Decree, and Covenant of Grace; is the Channel by which all Sins befall them. Now then, to sum up all; Since all Changes by Sins, or Sorrows The Sum of this last Means. which befalls Believers, come from God, & from his Decree Everlasting, & are dispensed to them, as a nurture through A Covenant of Grace; It must needs be that they must all work together, to their good, Rom. 8. 28. It may be, to them that view but particulars, & asunder, their general good end, and their conducement to it, may not be perceived; But put them all together, and ye shall see, in their utmost main end, they all work together for good, to all Believers; And by the Coherence, the Apostle there seems to mean, sinful Infirmities against which the Spirit helps, as well as other more outward Troubles: Wherefore, there cannot be any true reason or ground, why any thing should perplex them. Troubles either by Sin or Affliction, are to be looked on two ways; Both as Sins are our own, and come from our cursed nature, and dishonours God, crucified Christ, grieve the Spirit, transgress the Command etc. And so Afflictions may be considered, either as coming from our Sin; or at the least; our sinnfullnes exposing to them: And thus, with hope in Christ, for pardon; Believers are to grieve and humble themselves, for Sins & Afflictions: And from this, anger & grief, Joseph did not take off, his Brethren; Nor Christ his Disciples in my text; This is a Trouble, that is good & profitable for them; But as Sins or Afflictions are beheld, only as our own, in their bad effects, & roots, and God, & his Will, & Hand in them, and their good effects, through him, are not considered; hence comes sinful & pernicious troubles; which Joseph to his Brethren; and Christ to his Disciples diswads from; And no course is so full to remove or prevent it, as this looking on God the Author of it, and the good which he brings about by it: Which is rarely done by believers, yea, hardly known, & therefore I have enlarged it: Yet, let me close this Means against all Troubles, as our Saviour doth; Namely that ye know (who are Believers) all this: Ye know these true grounds of Consolations, though not so distinctly, or particularly; yet there is that in you, which contains all these consolating Grounds, if ye would stir it up, and gather it together; and not brutishly give way to sense & present things, and to the passions of your own supposed false grounds of God's hand on you in leaving you, to Sinnes, or Sorrows: Wherefore stir up the knowledge that is in you, and use it that so whatever Changes befall you by Sins or Sorrows, your hearts may not be troubled. And thus much for the Fourth Means against perplexing trouble of Thus much, for these Words, as a Dehortation, & Means, against Trouble. heart; included in the 2. 3. & 4. Verses; and for those Verses as they stand in reference to the former, and their scope, to Comfort the Disciples against Christ's with drawing his Corporal presence: And so we have handled these Verses as they are a Dehortation from Trouble of heart, and Directions of Means to help against it. Now let us Consider them again; and observe what may be deduced The Words considered absolutely. And so they ●eild many ●●ch Truths & drawn by Consequence from them, or found positively, and absolutely in them: And thus, these Verses Contain many rich, & pleasant Truths. FIRST OBSERVATION. 1. Obser. Christ hath tender bowels towards Believers in troubles. That Jesus Christ: hath extraordinary tender bowels towards all Believers in Trouble. This is demonstrated in Four Particulars. First, Christ could not bear that these Believers, should be troubled: but forbids it, and by many Directions, and Arguments, fortifies For 1. them against it: So soon as he perceived trouble begin to arise in them; He could not bear their being troubled. But is much troubled about it. He abounds & overflows with care to prevent & remove it: Even as a tender Mother, who is restless in carefulness to ease her Child so soon as it is any way troubled: And this in Christ, fatther appears in the rest of this, & the following Chapters: In which by many words; again & again he discovers, that his bowels greatly moved the sight of their trouble: He indeed showing much more trouble of Compassion for them, than they had trouble of perplexity; as the tender Mother's troubles for the Child, are oft greater, & more, than the Child's, which cause them, because of her abundance of bowels: Yet farther. Secondly, He was thus taken up with trouble about their trouble, then 2. And this▪ when he was entering on his own great Trouble. when he was entering into his own great Trouble, when it was so near him, that it troubled him with its gastnes, & greatness; John. 13. 21. It was his own Personal trouble; which useth to engross all the care, that is in man, for himself, though men can be troubled for others, when they are free themselves, yet hardly when they are in trouble themselves: Yea, and this trouble of Christ's own, was greater, than theirs, for theirs was much of it groundless, & immaginary, & such as might be escaped (as ye have seen before) but Christ's was all, real, and such as must be endured; & it was the heaviest burden as ever was, or could be laid on a creature; also it was at hand, he had set foot on its borders, & touched the brim of that Sea into which he was to be plunged; it was nearer than theirs, for theirs was but to follow on his: Now the presence and approach in sight of so great a trouble to ones self, how doth it use to engross an whole man, that he can mind no friends trouble else; as the Disciples were so overcome with their own loss by Christ his departure from them, as they could not mind him, and his trouble, not for an hour: Yet farther. Thirdly, He was thus taken up with trouble about their trouble, 3. And that though he found much sine in them though he found at present, much sin in them, and offensivenes to his spirit; and foresaw that they would play false with him, and forsake him; and this contrariety of disposion, & unkind dealing, so weakens men's affections in each other, as that they can scearsly continue love, much less such love, as to be troubled for their troubles: Yet further. Fourthly, He was thus taken up with their troubles, though he knew 4. And though he knew it should not be long. it was not long to the ending, and vanishing of all these their troubles; Namely by his resurrection; which he believed fully, though they did not: Yet for so small a time could not he behold them in trouble, but every vein in his heart was moved, and he most industriously applies himself to remove, & prevent it, for the present; Thus also, for all other Believers, though he knows the rule God goes by; That if Sorrow be in the Night, yet. Joy shall be in the Mornning; Yet is he troubled greatly with their present troubles, even as one is with the least, and shortest touch on the apple of his eye; Zach. 2. 8. REASON. Reason, of all is: From his Nature. The Reason or Ground of all which tenderness of bowels towards them; Is, from his Nature; For, he hath the fullness of the Godhead (all the divine Nature) bodily; working in an humane Nature, and so as a man; Now the divine Nature, is Mercy & Love 1. John. 4. 8. and all mercy, is but some drops of that Nature; which being put forth in him, a Man; enlargeth after man's manner, his bowels infinitely; So that he hath more bowels, than all Angels, which yet work in an humane way, to move & touch him as a Man: Heb. 4. 15. with feeling as a man may have, though not in an infirm way as it is with us; but as is compatible to a glorified nature: Now this his Nature, is drawn forth towards believers; partly by his Father's love to them, He knows how greatly his Father loves them, and loves to have them loved, and therefore in obedience & love to his Father; He gives vent to the whole ocean of Compassion that is in his Nature, to flow out upon them: John. 14. last. and that seems to be the connexion John 10. 15. I know the Father; and lay down my life for the sheep, because I know it is his mind, I so should do; for the original motive of Christ's love to Believers, is because the Father so loved them; they were his John. 17. 6. yea, & continue to be his, though given to Christ: Verse. 9 And partly his Office & Relation to them, draws his bowels towards them: He is a Brother, Head, Husband, Father, (all that may endear, he is made to them) he is their Saviour, their Guardian etc. they are given him (as the former places show) he hath a propriety in them also; they are his own, John. 13. 1. Yea, he is made one with them, in a stricter nearness, than one flesh & bone, one spirit they are with him 1. Cor. 6. 17. therefore he cannot but so love; even self-love begets love to them; near relations among men, beget affections. FIRST USE. Use. 1 Instrustion That God is most tender to Believers, in troubles. For Instruction; First, That God is most tender to Believers in all their Troubles: For what Christ is, that very same God is, inasmuch as he is his express image Heb. 1. 3. The Character, and so carrying a full express of him: Which Christ is; not as the Second Person barely, for so he is as invisible as the Father, but as the Second Person incarnate; & though his incarnation fit him to express after our manner; God the clearer to us; yet it adds nothing to him beyond what is in God: In God is the same degree of Love; which is in Christ; but it is made evident to us in & by Christ: Yea, it was in God, before it was in Christ: For, he raised up Christ, and filled him with it, that he might convey those Compassions to us; and him he charged to do it in all their afflictions: He whose Angel of presence (which is Christ) saves; He is with them afflicted; and that is God the Father: Isa. 63. 7. 9 Therefore by all the evidences of Christ's infinite Compassions, assure your hearts, that God is so, every whitt so (though He be Great, High, Holy, Just, Independent) and go to him in your miseries & infirmities, with boldness: For assurance of great mercifulness, makes bold to come, though it be a desperate venture: Not only, Christ's mercifulness, & mediation, should bring us boldly to God, as Heb. 4. two last verses. But Christ's mercifulness, should so convince us of Gods, as that upon God's mercifulness, we should bear up, & embolden ourselves, though it is to flow to us, only through and for Christ; or else we do not enough honour God: In which way, I fear many Believers wrong God; forgetting his mercifulness, & looking on Christ, not only as meriting & moving God's mercy, but as only having mercy. Second Instruction, That all Believers (but especially Church members 2. Believers should be compassionate, Especially Church Members. & of them most especially Church Officers) should show forth abundant compassions in being moved with the troubles of others, even more than with their own; For else they show not forth Jesus Christ: All Christians are anointed with the same spirit: Therefore should have the same bowels, that Christ hath: And Church-members are not only; one Body, in aspeciall respect; But they are Christ's in a special relation; a new, and superadded relation, by virtue of their particular Church fellowshipe; and therefore they should more especially resemble Christ: Hence that Exhortation, Col. 3. 12. Therefore; Because Verse. 10. 11. ye have put on the new man, after Christ etc. Therefore, put on bowels of mercies, & kindness; Mercies, that is the most mercifulness, as can be; and take in kindness also; and not some acts, but the very roots, the bowels of these; and content not yourselves of getting such habits in your hearts; but put them on, as a garment; be seen in them: Thus was also Paul, as a Church Officer, 2. Cor. ●. 2. their sorrow, so took up his heart, that he could not be eased, till they were: And Chap. 11. 29. if any Believer (and not only some of his choicest) were weak, as being pressed with any burden; he also, for their sakes became weak also: And if they were hurt, by any fall into Sin (for that is meant in Scripture phrase, by being scandelized or offended) though he could not in this become like them, to be so also; yet he was tortured with trouble of it: as if he were in the fire, & burnt; which is a very sensible pain: For therefore Church Officers should thus resemble Christ, because in a special manner they represent Christ; who is the great Officer & Minister under God, especially when he was on earth; Rom. 15. 8. But alas! where is this conformit to Christ, to be found? I am, (now I compare others with it) ashamed, and amazed; self-love, so prevails in us, that we have not any compassions to be troubled with the troubles of others, as if our own; as their duty is: But I say the merciful shall find mercy; and this drought of Compassion to others, will restrain though it cannot dry up, Christ's springs of pity to you. SECOND USE. Use. 2 Exhortation. To get assured of Christ's tenderness. For Exhortation, to all Believers, to tell their hearts in every trouble; that Christ is more troubled than ye are: As sometimes ye see a Mother more touched with the Child's illness, than the Child is: Though ye see him not troubled, yet by Faith be assured it is so; and as he was at this time, in his Disciples troubles, so is he, & ever will he be, in every Believers trouble; Nor hath he left his sensibleness of our troubles, by his being glorified, for, since that, the Apostle saith of him He is not one that cannot be touched with feeling: That is, He is touched with feeling of our infirmities; in as much as he was once tempted as we are; and those impressions by his experience, remain so that he is now touched with feeling; though ye cannot conceive how, yet know it is so, for the Apo. saith it; he feels more than you; and is eased by your ease, more than you (the head feels most, in it is the seat of sense, more than in the members that are touched) Therefore, if it comfort you to have one suffer with you, though no member do it; yet know, that Christ your Head doth it, and cannot but be as ready to ease you, as you are to be eased, so soon as it is fit. Again from the manner of Christ's speaking we may observe: SECOND OBSERVATION. Obser. 2. As we must believe in Christ, So we must continue faith in the Father also. That although, since Christ is come, we should not only believe in God the Father, but in Christ; Yet, we should not cease believing in the Father, and do it in the Son only, as it was formerly done, only in the Father; But we should continue our faith in the Father also. For he saith not, cease your believing in the Father, and place it only on me; But as ye do believe in him, do it also in me, but cease not to do it in him; Therefore, in divers Scriptures, Faith is given to God the Father: Rom. 4. 24. Heb. 2. 13. He proves Christ a Brother verse. 11. because he trusts in God; that must be God the Father: So, 1. Pet. 1. 21. & 1. John. 3. 21. Confidence towards God the Father; as the 22. 23. ver. show. REASON. Reason. Bec. though God put the Promises into Christ, Yet he reserved them also in his own hands. The Reason is; Because, though God put the Promises into Christ, and gave him them, yet he reserved them also in his own hands & power; For God the Father did not only promise Christ, and that Christ should do every thing; But He promised Christ, and promised that He by, & through Christ, & for Christ, would do such, and such things: As that he would justify them that believe; Rom. 3. 26. It is the Father that is just, in taking satisfaction from Christ; and yet is the justifier of them that believe in Jesus; So Rom. 4, 5. Our Faith now, since Christ, is made, (in this respect) the same with abraham's, even as he, to believe on him, who Justifies the ungodly, not materially meritoriously, as Christ doth; but judicially, to acquit in judgement; which is the Father's work: For it was on the Father promising this, in Isaac: That Abraham believed: Verse. 3. And this is the same Person who is meant Verse. 5. for that, it is a continued speech; which is more plain, Tit. 3. 6. 7. He that shed Mercy on us, through Christ; justifies us by his Grace, through Christ; and this must be the Father; Also the Father promised by Christ, to give the Spirit, who is therefore called the promise of the Father: Acts. 1. 4. and the progress, yea, & whole work of Sanctification, is given to the Father: John. 15. 1. 2. & Judas. 1. Not because he works it immediately (for it is more specially appropriated to the holy Gbost) but because he hath purposed and promised it: as Eph. 1. 3. Nor by this believing in the Father; do I only mean, in general to Believing in the Father mu●t not only be in general, But mo●t special believe in him: For so, Believing being a duty of the first Command, and a natural Worship, it is a due of all the Three persons in common, as God; and we are to believe in the Father, Son, & holy Ghost: But, the Three Persons have pleased to select, and more especially, to appropriate to each of them (yet in the name, and for the honour of all three) some particular Works about Man; even such as more specially suits with, their distinct & Personal operations: Thus the Holy Ghost; hath more specially appropriated to him, the Work of Revelation, Sanctification, Inhabitation, & Comfort: In as much, as these Works are lowest in Order, and nearest to the Creature; as He is lowest in Order of the Persons Divine, and so nearest to the Creature: Though yet, as He is one God, equal with the other; So, those his Works, are as infinite, & glorious, as any of the other. And the Father, & Son, have more specially appropriated to them; The promising the good things which the holy Ghost reveals, & works: Because in Freegrace; a Purpose & Promise, must go before the revelation, & exhibition of them; As the Father's Person, & the Sons, are in Order of Subsistance, though not in Time, before the Person of the holy Ghost: Therefore, I say, Promising is more specially appropriated in Scripture, to the Father & Son; And as Promising, on their parts; So Believing, on our part; is more specially appropriated in Scripture to them Two: To the Father; because, the Promises, are but expressions, and obligations of himself, to perform, his Purposes: In as much therefore, as He, who is the First Person of the Three; assumes to himself, the Purposing or Decreeing of all; which is the First root and rise of every thing; there is a fittnes, that He also should assume to Himself; the promising of them; in as much, as they are his own; the issue & of springe of his own good will. And the Son, being Heir to all his Fathers; Is also Heir to His purposes & promises, and had them all first made over to him (as ye heard before) and was appointed to purchase them for us; and so they also are his own; and He, with the Father, appropriate more specially to themselves our believing in them, unto the performances of the Promises: And the Father, though he made over all Promises to the Son, & appointed him also, to purchase them; Yet he put not himself, out of possession, though he put his Son also in, with Himself, and gave his Son another proper title, by purchase; Yet the Father kept his own title to the Promises, and so to our believing in Him, as well as in the Son: Which, is intimated in this; that he retains in his own hands that Promise of making Christ's enemies his footstool; Psal. 110. 1 Which contains in it also, the consummation of all Promises to Believers, both of Justification, & Sanstification, & Resurrection from Death: 1. Cor. 15. 25. 26. which God the Father assumes to Himself though yet he executes, & performs it, by Christ, (as ye heard before) Therefore Christ himself (though he is at God's right hand) trusts in God: Heb. 10. 12. 13. and so must all Believers. Question: What is the difference twixt believing, in the Father and the Son. But it may be asked; What difference is there, twixt our believing in the Father, & in the Son? I answer in Four Things. Answer. 1. Believing in the Father, is as in the orriginal Author of our good First, our Believing is in the Father, as in the original Author, and undertaker, for our good, who sent, and gave Christ for us; & raised him up from the dead; and therefore Rom. 4. 24. our Faith is so placed on him; But our believing is on the Son as the Person appointed by the Father, to convey all good to us; John. 6. 27. 29. so Math. 12. 18. to 22. He is believed in. as God's Servant, fitted to the work; as the meritorious and working Means, of all our good; as the bread of Life, John. 6. 35. therefore the proving him to be the Christ, helped them to believe; Acts. 18. 27. 28. because they believed in him, as the Means or Instrument anointed, & fitted by God, to Save: Hence it follows. 2. It is more med are. Secondly, Our believing in God the Father, is more mediate, & remote; it is through & because of Christ: 1. Pet. 1. 21. By Christ we believe in God: That is not only by Christ, as the Efficient working Faith: But as the Means through whom, we come to believe in the Father: For so, the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well signifies the Instrument by which, as the Efficient; The Efficient 1. Cor. 1. 9 And the Instrument Acts 2. 22. so 1. Cor. 8. 6. Eph. 2. 18. For, when God (that is the Father) is opposed to him; He than is taken as the Instrument of God: For as God chose us in Christ; and adopts us by Christ Eph. 1. 4. 5. So he brings us to believe in Him through Christ: The distance is so great twixt God & us, that we cannot immediately trust in God; but now our Faith in Christ, is immediately in Him: And therefore our clossing is closer, & more immediate with Christ's Person by Faith, than it is with the Father's Person: We by Faith, close with the Father's Person as with a Father by marriage: But with the Son's Person, as with an husband with whom we join immediately; and therefore we believe in the Son, as in a Gift given to us able to help us; John. 4. 10. and in the Father as the giver of it: In the Son, as in the Mediator twixt God & us 1. Tim. 2. 5. And in the Father, as he that is made one with us, through the Son; Therefore the Son is called Emmanuell Math. 1. 23. not in respect of the Union of his Natures: But because, God the Father, in him, is at one with us, & on our side, who else is not one with us; Neither, as we once were Righteous by the Covenant of Works, in that He is to much above us in Holiness, nor much less, now we are sinful; & as a Ground of this. Thirdly, We believe in the Father only, as a Divine Person; But in the Son; as the Son of God & Man: Therefore Faith in Christ, is given to 3. It's in the Father, as a Divine Person. him, as God's Son, John. 3. 18. And as Man, to his Blood: Rom. 3. 25. And thus is Faith on him to be pitched as God-Man, for thus only he doth the Works we trust in Him for, to Merit, Mediate etc. Hence. Fourthly, He being believed in, as lesser than God, being God-Man; 4. It rests not in Chr●●t. But riseth up to the Father. Faith rests not in him, but riseth up to the Father, as its utmost prop: John. 12. 44. Not in Me; that is Not only in Me; but riseth up to My Father also: That so, as the Father is the Original of all Good promised; So He should be the bottom of our Faith; in which it is terminated; And to Whose Glory, it shall lastly Work: Eph. 1. 12. & 1. Pet. 1. 21. USE. Use. Exhortation. To shun an Error. For Exhortation to shun an Error in the Object of your faith: one Error we have before discovered: Namely, the not taking in the Person of Christ, but pitching only on God & his Promises: Now I show you another to shun: Namely, when ye pitch your faith only on Christ; and not also with him, on God the Father: Many are so ignorant in this that they think, God the Father is not the Object of our Faith now: But ye see it is otherwise: Wherefore give the Father also, with the The difference twixt the Jew●s, & Us in believing. Son his due of Believing in him: The difference twixt Jews and Us, lies not in this that they had the Father, and we have the Son Incarnate, to trust in; But in this, that they had only the Father; and the Son but in a Promise; whereas we, have the Son actually come, and the Father also, to believe in: So that we have a double prop for our We have a double prop to our faith, Therefore should have a do●ble strength. Faith, and therefore should have a double strength in believing: It is true; that implicitly, we believe in the Father whilst we do it in the Son as he that sees the Son, sees the Father, though he know it not; because They are one: John. 14. 9 Yet, till it is done explicitly▪ distinctly, and knowingly, it is not so honourable to the Father, nor so comfortable to the Believer; It's not so honourable to the Father, because professedly & knowingly, ye give him not this his due of believing in him, which he challengeth: An unwilled respect, is not counted an honouring a Man: Nor is it, so comfortable to us; for the knowing & using Two, must needs yield more Comfort of Faith, than the knowing, & using One only; God hath therefore, as by giving Two; His Word, & Oath: Heb. 6. 17. 18. So by giving Two; His Son & Himself: abundantly provided for our security, & comfort: And indeed; as in some respects; we are much helped in our faith; by Christ being its Object (as ye have heard) So in some respects, are we much helped, by the Father's being the Object of our faith: For in Him, we have the Root of all: our faith goes to the bottom, and in this, the deeper, the sweeter, & the stronger: For we trust on Electing Love, Free Grace, Everlasting Mercy; that which, disposeth of Christ, and his Riches to whom it will, & in what measures it will: Math. 20. 23. And so that Objection is prevented, which may arise from their being one before Christ, who in his Sovereignty order Christ, and his Merits as he will: But ye have his Promises, Him fast, to trust in, as well as the Son: Yea, and ye should be stronger in the Faith in the Father, than the Jews were (who only believed in him) because by Christ, ye have not the Father, more obscured, but much more revealed than he ever was before. THIRD OBSERVATION. Obser- Believers are prone to sin in those affections, which be lawful. That Believers are prone to sin in those Affections, which be lawful; and in some sense necessary. As here; Trouble for Christ's Death, Judas Sin, and Their own Apostasy, was so necessary; that they had sinned if they had not been moved with it; and yet they sinned in being moved with it; as appears, because Christ forbidden them the trouble; He forbidden it to them: And the Sin was (as ye have heard in the explication of the Words) both in the Object, fearing to much, even more than was to be feared: And in the Passion; to much being moved with what was truly apprehended. USE. Use. Information. Not onelyto care to set affection's on lawful things, But to care not to exceed. For Information to true Believers; Not only to care, that their affections be set on right, & lawful things, but to care that they exceed not in them; Which, we are the proner to, & more hardly sensible of, because the substance of the thing is lawful: jonah was right in his desire to be found true in his say, to Niniveh, because he was a Prophet of God to Israel 2. Kings. 14. 25. But this little rightness in him, in the main; advantaged the flesh in him, to much sin against God, in running away; (thinking God's Mercy would prevail against that peremptory Message of Ruin to Niniveh) and against Mankind; in wishing rather the Ruin of so many Thousands, than His words shall seem to fail. So David's error, in his strong affections to God's house, having some good in it: As Solomon saith of it; 2. Cron. 6. 8. made him err, in attempting a part of God's worship without a warrant, for which God reproves him, 2. Sam. 7. 5. 6. 7. yea, and Nathan also the Prophet; not being infallibly assisted, was also misled in judgement vers. 3. Wherefore the better the thing is in itself; the more circumspect ye must be, that ye err not about it: Surely the Disciples thought they could not err in being troubled about these things, Christ's death, their own Sins, Judas treason, etc. The Poet observed licitis perimus omnes▪ that in things lawful, lay our most dangerous snares; let us therefore look to ourselves, that we exceed not, unto sin; in such love, grief, fear, pleasure; as in a degree, and some kind, are lawful & necessary. FOURTH OBSERVATION. Obser- Believers. are prone to be m●ch troubled, ● the a●●●●●ch of Afflictions. That Believers hearts, are prone to be to much, & sinnfully troubled, with the approach of Afflictions. It was losses, & tentations which the Disciples perceived coming which cast them into this distemper, of which Christ labours to cure them: This industriousnes of Christ, to remove & prevent their Trouble; not only argues, His Compassions towards them (as hath been observed) but also, their aptness to be oppressed with trouble: Hence the Scriptures so abound with Encouragements against Troubles, and Exhortations not to be dismayed with them; and our experience of ourselves, & others, doth abundantly show, how prone we are to be dismayed with Troubles. FIRST REASON. Reasons. 1 Bec. T●●y cro●● t●e workings of selfelove Because Troubles, do so exceedingly cross the workings & will of our sinful self-love; which is all for Ease, Pleasure, Life etc. Therefore denying ourselves; is put before the taking up our Cross. SECOND REASON. 2. Bec. T●e● estrange us from this World. Because Troubles, do so much cut off, & estrange us from this present World: The delicacyes of this World; are banished from us, by troubles: Therefore Christ, discribes Troubles; By hating Father; Brother; despising Houses, Lands etc. And other Troubles by Sickness, Paines etc. is expressed by being dead; and so also, Persecutions, for he means both; Psal. 31. 12. Now the Love of this World, is much in our hearts; in that, the things of it are sensible, and suit our appetites. THIRD REASON. 3. Bec. They are contrary to a good principle with in us. Because Troubles, are contrary to a good Principle of Nature; that is left in us (as well as to the fore mentioned bad ones) viz. That desire to preserve ourselves, and so to avoid all evil; which was in Christ, and made him be afraid, & pray against his passion; professing that his Will, as Man, was against his Sufferings, considered in themselves, though He subjected that his Will, to Gods; and so sinned not: But our Corruption gets strength from this good Principle, to oppose Troubles sinnfully; and so Christ's troubles at Afflictions, is distinguished from ours. FOURTH REASON. 4. Bec. Self-flattery promise the contrary. Because Self flattery, makes us promise ourselves, the contrary; Luke. 12. 19 and carnal confidence with Atheism; makes us build our rest on the present good; as Psal. 30. 6. by which inexpectency of Evils, when they appear, our Spirits are the more dismayed, & being unprepared, are the weaker, to bear. FIRST USE. Use. 1 Exhortation. To take pains, to be fitted for Troubles. For Exhortation to Believers, To forethink & take more pains about fitting yourselves for Troubles: Even Believers do to much put of the evil Day; and do not let the Words fore showing Troubles, and preparing for Troubles, do as Luke. 9 44. Which either respects troubles fore told vers. 22. or the things which might fit to bear Troubles, as that miracle vers. 43. But Believers do so dream of prosperity, and are so unapt to suffer; that they eat to forethink it seriously; as the Apostles did these Troubles, by Christ's Passion, or else they had been fore warned, & armed. But Job did otherwise Job 3. 25. 26. he feared afore; Therefore he so well endured Job. 1. 22. till it grew inexpressible: It confirms your hearts in well doing; whilst ye forethink Troubles; Acts. 14. 22. and they come never the sooner, but the easier, for your forthinking, and preparing; Nor need they bitter, but only temper from surfeiting on your present sweet: So only is that meant Job. 3. 25. 26. and implies that it is an Argument why Evil should not come when it is forefeared: And they keep away never the longer, nor fall on, the less, for your not expecting them; but hasten, and seize more heavily: It is a shame for Believers to be touched with that trouble, they before feared not; since the Scripture gives them such warning; and it is made the Lot of the Wicked, to have Calamities suddenly & unlooked for. Secondly, To exhort Believers, when Troubles come, to look out for 2. in Troubles to look out for help to bear. help to bear, fearing & watching against their own weakness: To suffer; is a gift; not only carrying favour, but new superadded strength; and a Gift superadded to Faith; Phil. 1. last. though in itself, not better than Faith, yet that which Faith helps not to; except assisted with fresh supply: Sufferings, are Christ's baptism Math. 20. 23. and must have his presence: It is Christ's Life, to bear them, and come out of them 2. Cor. 4. 10. 11. As it is Christ's Death, to be under them; Wherefore, ye must have help from Him: Even the small sufferings by fastings & mourning; was to much for the Disciples at first; as new wine is for old bottles, or new cloth is for old Math. 9 16. 17. Any denying Nature, is a strong work: The Disciples could not bear Troubles, till the holy-Ghost came on them: Therefore Christ, preserved them from all; & God gave them to Him, to be saved from Troubles (which would have lost them) aswell, as from Sins; so long as He was with them and the holy Ghost, not yet come on them; which is meant in part, by that John. 17. 12, compared with 18. 9 FIFT OBSERVATION. 5. Obser- Believers should renew their Fa●th when Troubles do assail them. That Believers should renew, & increase their Faith, when Troubles do assail them. The Disciples being in Trouble are exhorted by Christ, to Believe; That is, to renew their Faith, & to make progress in it; that must be its meaning, for they had already believed in Him, as well as in God; and yet he now exhorts them to do it; that is to renew, & increase it: Faith is as a shield, which though we have it by us, yet if we do not take it up, it secures us not; Therefore Eph. 6. 16, taking the shield of all; it is spoke in the present tense to show our continued act of Faith on every occasion; and above all; that is, above all the pieces of armour, rather & better, not exercise, any then not this; if a man use his shield though he should not use his helmet, or breastplate, he may be safe; The Just live by Faith Habuc. 2. 4. it is spoke of times of trial, even as that whereby we live must be continually renewed, as our breathing, our eating etc. so must our Faith be renewed in all troubles. Therefore we find David, & Paul, in their troubles, still exercising, and putting forth their faith; they not only had it but they used it at that time; which when David did not he was near a fall Psal. 73. 2. & had the Disciples at this time▪ renewed their faith in Christ, they had not been so troubled: When Peter brought Faith with him, it bore him up upon the Sea, & when he began to sink, it was because his faith first sunk Math. 14. 28. to 32. Of little Faith; That is, so little, as that it now works not: For so it is meant, as appears by comparing Math. 8. 26. with Mar. 4. 40. So also you must increase your faith: It is called Faith to Faith Rom. 1. 17. or from Faith unto Faith as Psal. 84. 7. they go out of strength, unto strength, or from company to company, over taking the former, as in a journey; So must ye grow up out of a less unto a greater degree of Faith; Not only upon new & farther Revealations, to have more Faith; But when the same Objects only are before you, yet to grow stronger in the Acts of Faith, and that not only in the Righteousness of Christ, to Justification: as it is Gal. 3. 11. meant by the Apostle; But also, in the Person of Christ, and his Privileges & Promises, unto the bearing up under all troubles: Wherefore the Apostle, refers this living by faith, which implies a Progress (as we shall show by & by) unto Afflictions Heb. 10. 38. (as it is meant chiefly in the Prophet, whence he quotes it) as well as he doth there, unto Justification: And this Progress in faith, proved by that saying, (the Just shall live by faith) because what we live by, must have a continuance & progress, if we grow up, that must continue & grow up: Therefore, 2 Thes. 1. 11. he prays for the fullfilling the work of faith; It is therefore to be laboured, that it should be filled up, & added to, more & more; and by this means, is all the good pleasure of God's goodness fulfiled in us, and without the filling up of Faith, it cannot be filled up in us: That though there is inexpressible Freeness in God (which to express, he calls it good Pleasure, & Goodness) Yet it is not fulfiled in us, but by the fullfilling of faith in us. USE. Use. Exhortation. To re●ew & exercise Faith. For Exhortation to Believers, Not to rest in having faith; But keep this sound in your ears; Believe in God; Believe in Christ; use, and renew your Faith, exercise it; else Christ will count ye to have no Faith, Mark. 4. 40. It is the same, not to have, and not to use; And it is a sign your faith is little, if it work not, as it is clear by comparing Math. 8. 26. with Mark. 4. 40. Also increase your faith; by every Revealation, of God's Righteousness (as Christ, and His Righteousness, are more clearly made known) our Faith unto Comfort, and Boldness should Increase: Rom. 1. 17. By that clearer Revealation of Righteousness; should their Faith go on from degree to degrees higher; Heb. 10 19 to 24. So, by every Sealing Ordinance; and Token of Favour; our Faith should Increase; unto Assurance; Judges. 13. 23. 2. Cron. 30. 21. 23. 26. And so by every Trial, and Affliction, our Faith should grow; in that it is tried; jam. 1. 3. and Increaseth other Graces; Therefore it Self First Increaseth. And we should Labour to Increase it; Because, when ever Troubles assail us; our First Work should be, to Increase our Faith; As they do their Fortifications, when the Enemy approacheth: More strength is required, when Troubles assault, and all our strength is in Believing; Isa. 30. 15. a quiet waiting on God; which, therefore must be increased: Therefore, the Afflictions & Growth of their Faith are conjoined; 2. Thes. 1 3. 4. Therefore the Disciples, being told what offences they must meet with, and forgive injuries to their Brethren; they pray for Increase of Faith, Luke. 17. 1. to 6. Because Faith, is to be Increased, when ever we enter Trials, & Troubles: Yea, and usually the latter Troubles, are strongest, as supposing more strength, (as david's were, by his Sin of Adultery & Murder, & Numbering the People, and the Punnishments thereof, which were his last, & greatest:) Therefore Faith had need be Increased, which only bears them. This Exhortation, I will only press in the Apostles Words: Judas. Enforced from the Apostles words, Judas 20 21 20. 21. Beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost; keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Christ, to Eternal Life: The Apostle having provoked them to contend for the Faith against base opposites: whom he discribes, from Verse. 2. to 17. and exhorts them not to be discouraged or turned out of the way, by all their base courses Vers. 17. 18. whom he again sets forth in their ugly colours; as a means to help Believers to do this duty, in withstanding: He exhorts them to proceed in the Work of their Faith; and saith that their Faith is their Foundation (for that on which we build up is the Foundation) Christ is called the Foundation, 1. Cor. 3. 11. and so are the Prophets, & Apostles, Eph 2. 20. and here Faith, is also so called; and nothing else that I can find, is so dignified: Christ, is the Original, & Principal Foundation of us; Yea, the only Foundation, Properly, & Striktly; as the Apostle saith, none other than He, can be: But the Apostles & Prophets, are remotely, and ministerially outwardly called the Foundation: Because they first and only revealed Christ; And Faith is the Foundation, but Instrumentally also, yet much more nearly, & intimately, than the Apostles, & Prophets, in that Faith, is the immediate bond & union of us, unto Christ, the Foundation; Col. 2. 7. established in the Faith, is a being rooted, and built up in him: So that all our Strength is in our Faith, Instrumentally, as in Christ, Originally; yet not conveyed from Christ, to Us, but through our Faith: Therefore, if we would have any Progress. it must be by our Faith, and as that goes forward the whole building goes forward. Not only at first, do we build on our Faith, but all the while (as not only do we at first, but all the while build on Christ) Therefore, of all things, our Faith is of greatest Consequence, there is neither Beginning, nor Progress, can be without it: And this Faith is Faith the most holy Grace. holy, yea, & most holy, no Grace is like it, not only in that, beyond all others, it emptyes a man of himself, and sets up God (which is to be holy) but also because it only, of all Graces, gives Union, & Communion with Christ, as an Head; in whom, & from him only, is had full Holiness (as ye have heard before) in that his Person is God. Therefore there is nothing so good, as Faith to labour about: which Labour upon our Faith, must be constant, and continued: Therefore he speaks in the present tense: (building up) And a Progress in this Faith; will help us on to every thing else. We shall be still able to pray in the holy Ghost, for so much the connection Growth in it, helps to be still able to pray in the holy Ghost. may imply (as well as that Prayer helps Faith as was before observed) and this Praying, strengtheneth against Troubles; therefore it is annexed, as that which gives use & efficacy to the whole armour, Ep. 6. 1. 3. 18. Also it will enable us, to keep ourselves in the Love of God; for it To keep ourselves in the love of God. is Believers duty to keep themselves in it; they may lose, though not the Everlasting Love of God; yet that actual manefestative delight of God in them, which ariseth from their obedience, as it did from Christ Joh. 10. 17. (who yet was loved with another love, on an other ground) and so, John. 15. 10. out of which they may departed; But Progress in Faith, helps them to keep in this Love, because it keeps up the influence of Christ's strength into them. And it also inables them unto a continual Looking for the Mercy To a continual looking for the mercy of Christ. of Christ unto eternal Life: which is a duty most profitable & comely for Believers: And Faith growing up, inables to, because it makes those things which cannot be seen, to be more, & more real, & evident, and so to draw in the mind to a continued fixtnes on them, and expectation of them; as the clearer manefestations of glorious Objects doth; especially when it is with an assurance of interest, & propriety therein: Now then, Faith thus being, & working, it must needs, greatly help to strengthen against assaults; For the more we are built up on the Foundation, the stronger we are: And the more we keep ourselves in the Love of God, looking for the Mercy of Eternal Life from Christ: The much more able shall we be to endure Trouble: Therefore, be we persuaded, as Troubles come, to exercise, and renew our Faith. sixth OBSERVATION. 6. Obser- Now Christ is come to, use spiritual considerations to strengthen against Troubles. That now Christ is come, Believers should chiefly use spiritual & heavenly Considerations to strengthen their Spirits against Trouble. Namely, such as are taken from Gods Electing Love; Christ his Work for us in Heaven; our Glory their to come etc. For, These Christ sets here before his Disciples; not only, as most proper for the present case in hand; but as now most comely & helpful to Believers in all Troubles: Indeed before Christ's coming, the Consolations were some outward Privileges, or the coming of the Messiah, or some general Promises of good things in this Gospel; but now we find the Apostles, in all their course, armeing & comforting the Spirits of Believers, by These forenamed spiritual & heavenly Consolations. FIRST REASON. Reasons. 1 Bec. now is the season of th●se Comforts. Because, Now is the season of these Comforts; former ages were not the season, wherefore though they were seen in the blossom, & bud, and much desired; yet they might not be gathered, 1. Pet. 1. 11. 12. Wherefore, though they had some hints now and then, of them; Yet they were not so generally, nor so fully revealed, as now they be: The Revealation of the Glory, is that which was reserved to our age; as the text saith: The things reported to you, as well as the Glory itself Ep. 3. 5. 9 10. For now Christ is come, and hath made known his Father's bosom, & heart, and ascended heaven, and opened it to us, John. 3. 12. 13. He first preached the Gospel, in his own flesh Heb. 2. 3. it was never before revealed: some shadows or hints of it, were before, but itself, in Its Clearness & Glory never was preached till He began it, & since: Rather Promises of the Gospel: then the Gospel, was it which was before Christ: Rom. 1. 1. 2. For the Gospel implies tidings of things done, and not to be done, and this was only begun to be in act, when Christ came and preached: Therefore Mark. 1. 14. 15. he preached the Gospel: and said the time is fulfiled: and because in Christ's Life, all was not actually done; there fore he is said but to begin it; & the Apostles perfected the Gospel, for they reported all to be actually done: So that this is the season of its revealation. and so the time of the fruition & vision of these heavenly things Mar. 1. 15. is at hand; This therefore is their season; as former Ages were the season of the Tips & Promises of them: These are the better things, reserved for us of this last age of the World, Heb. 11. 39 40. Now every thing is most fitly used, in its season, it is most comely, and most effectual then: There is a kind of absurdity in unseasonableness. SECOND REASON. 2. Bec. the life of Christianity is in these. Because, The life of Christianity is in these: Not only as it is distinguished from that Life which was in Innocency, through the Covenant of Works, from which, this differs specifically, and more than the Sun from a Candle, both which though light and fire, yet greatly differs: But also, as it is distingusht from that Life by Faith, which was before Christ; From which, this differs gradually, as Infancy, and Childhood from Full age: Gal. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. Wherefore it obtains another Name, (as a Child is called a Man) and is called Christianity, which it never was before Christ: Acts. 11. 26. And its Name shows its Nature: It consists in such Revealations of Christ by Faith apprehended: As were not at all, in Innocency, nor in any such measures, before Christ came: Gall. 3. 23. The sight of Christ's Glory, and our Union, & Communion with him: This is the Christian Life: By Faith to see the Things that are Invisible; Is the Life: Heb. 10. 38. Live by Faith: Which Faith is described Heb. 11. 1. Which though it also reveal things which once by reason might be seen; as the Creation Verse. 3. Yet, it also (and that which it chiefly aims at;) reveals what never was or could be seen in Innocency, by Reason: As Gods Electing Love in Christ, Heaven's Glory, Our participation of all Grace, & Glory from Christ, by Union with him: And on these Considerations to Love, Obey, be Patient etc. This is the Life of a Christian; 2. Corrinth. 3. 18. Seeing by Faith & a Divine Revealation, Christ's Glory, and be turned into it, is made the Sum of all Christianity: Gal. 2. 20. Christ lives in him; And he lives by Faith in Him: So, Ephes. 1. 17. 18. 19 Increase of Life is all put in the apprehensions by Faith of Revealations of Christ, & the Glory with him: and so Eph. 3. 16. 20. Now the Life of Christianity, lying in this: The Consolations fetched hence, must needs be most effectual, and most lively, and most proper, as humane Consolations are most proper to a Man: These breed the best Spirits, in that they carry the best Spirits with them; even the Life itself. USE. Use. To Blame For not using. And Exhort. Wherefore Believers, are to be Blamed, for not Using; And to be Exhorted to Use more, These kind of Antidotes, and Cordials: These are the proper Physic of this State of the Gospel; Christ hath come, and opened to us His Father's Bosom, and shall not we study To use more these Antidotes. and bear up ourselves by them? The Prophets who did but fore see, & fore hear them, were so much taken with them, as that they exceedingly laboured to pry into them 1. Pet. 1. 10. 11. The Words are significant; enquired, scearcht; intimating 1. Pet 1. 10. disdained. both great desire, and labour to find out; the one Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: signifying a seeking out by inquiry or question, pursuing by Questions, till it is fully found out: And the other Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, implying an exact seeking, as for hid things, until one hath every hint, or doit; 1. Cor. 2 10. both which imply the utmost exactness in seeking: And the Glory they sought to find; is in the greek Vers. 11. latter end, expressed in the plural number, emphatically showing its transcendency; Yea, & the Angels desire to look into these things Verse. 12. latter end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by bowing down to pry in, an industrious, and most heedful pryeing alludeing as it is thought to the Cherubs about the Ark; who bowed or turned their Heads & Faces to the Ark, which signified Christ: Now we have them spread open before us, Can. 5. 1. and seldom cast our eyes on them, to comfort us by them: I appeal, In God's Name before Whom we now are, Who knows all your course; When did you, fetch These heavenly Consolations are more general, & more strong Comforts than any. in Comforts againsts Your Fears, & Troubles, by revolving these heavenly & spiritual Treasures of Yours? But have ye not still, by some other way sought to bear up your Spirits? What ingratitude? yea what folly, is this? These Heavenly Consolations, are more General, & more Strong, Comforts than any, ye can take in. First, They are more General; For they contain All Comforts, whereas 1. More General, For they cōte●ne all Comforts. as other Consolations, carry in them but some particular Comfort; and serve against but some particular Affliction; But These equally help against All Troubles; and so are much better; as the Paraselsian Physic, or that which repairs & strengthens whole Nature; and repels all Weakness, is beyond your other Physic, which topically is applied only to some particular part, for some particular disease: And as They are more General; So. Secondly, They are more Strong Comforts, than any: though they 2. More Strong. For they comfort in every particular. serve all turns, yet they do comfort in every particular, much more full & through, than others, which reach only to the particular: As the Light & Heat of the Sun; though it serve every Creature in the World, yet it better serves any particular, than a Candle doth; Psal. 4. 7. The Light of God's Countenance, puts more Gladness in; then abundance of any worldly thing; For these Comforts are Spiritual & Immortal, Being immortal: So reaching the Spirit. and so reach the Spirit, as it is in itself; other Comforts, only refresh in such a case, and as the Spirit is in & by the Body subjected to such or such a state, & indeed therefore never soak into the intimacy of the Spirit, solidly to comfort that; they sprinkle Comforts about the Heart, but never put Gladness into the Heart; there is no suiteablenes twixt them & the Soul: But These heavenly spiritual Comforts, are suited to the Spirit reach it to the full; therefore do most strongly refreshit. Also these spiritual Comforts, are so vast, & great, that they take up & fill the Soul; all other Comforts are to small for the Souls Filling the Soul great Capacity; but these fill every corner of the Heart: Also these Comforts, do present to the Soul such great Glories & Happynesses, as her own; Presenting great Glories & Happinesses. as that they greaten the Soul: For, such as are the Objects with which the Spirit converseth, such is the Spirit: Therefore Kings have high & great Spirits, because they look on great & singular things, as their own, Wherefore the Soul looking on these heavenly Things, it raiseth the Spirit, so that it becomes to big & high, for troubles from below, to bring under; whereas all other Comforts being but from things of the Earth, are below the Spirit, and may enfeeble & abase it, but cannot greaten or strengthen it: Yea, and these heavenly, spiritual Comforts, are the Comforts which spring from the chiefest Good; from the Perfection, End, Issue of all: Therefore are much Stronger than other Comforts, which are but the refreshment of the Way to our End. And as These heavenly Comforts are more strong: So they are more strengthening, & nourishing to the new Creature in us, than any other Consolations; Strengthening & nourishing the new Creature. These, (as ye have heard) carry the very Life of Christianity in them; and therefore must most of all revive & cherish the Inner Man; These at first bred, therefore do best feed & nourish, the new Creature; as was said before in another case; ordinary physic, removes the cause of a disease, and so the sickness; but no way repairs or strengthens Nature, but the Paraselsian Physic, cures by repairing and strengthening Nature: And so do these Consolations, help the Soul against Troubles, by strengthening the Inner Man: The best Christian may observe, that the new Creature in them, is never so much renewed, as by the meditation on these heavenly & spiritual Considerations. Wherefore I beseech you resolve it, and hold to it, to use more The Use further pressed. these kinds of Cordials when your Spirits droop in any Trouble: Why should ye rather choose to drink down the extracts of Forth, then of Heaven? of the Creature, then of God & Christ? Oh do not so; but labour to know, & understand these kinds of Consolations, and to acquaint yourselves better with them, and to make them more familiar with your spirits; and to grow into more assured persuasion of your interst in them; Which that ye may do, ye must both obtain the holy Ghost, to reveal them to you (for he only knows them, as a man's spirit, doth the things of a man: 1. Cor. 2. 10. 11. and ye must use that Faith, which is the evidence of things not seen: Heb. 11. 1. which Faith helps your Soul, as the prospective glass helps the eye, to see these heavenly things, which else are so far off, that the Soul cannot perceive them; and this act of Faith, which makes these heavenly things evident to you, will draw in your Soul unto an appropriation, and application of them. It is a mistake to think, we may see them by true Faith, and not A mistake. about Faith in heavenly Comforts, C●●●●● apply them to ourselves; or that we first apply them, and after that see them; No, No, the evidencing of them by true faith spiritually, will draw in the Soul to apply them; Every Man, & Creature on whom the Sun shines, takes in the blessing of his influence, for his share, as pertaining to him; The Apostle discribes that Faith which applies, & justifies, of which, he gives many instances, throughout the 11. Chap. to the Hebrews; he discribes that very Faith, to be an evidence of these things; Because, where there is such a seeing these things, the Heart is brought to embrace, and apply them; therefore he joins, the evidencing these things, & hope together; because this evidencing them will bring forth hope: and Vers. 13. the seeing them, and the being persuaded of them, and embracing, or saluteing them as their own; are conjoined, for they ever go together: because indeed; the holy Ghost never reveals them spiritually, and as they are, to any, but to them, who have been chosen to them, and shall have a propriety in them: Yea, it is the same Grace, of true holy Faith, that makes them evident, and shows them to us; and that applies them to Justification; though it be a divers act of the same Grace of Faith: yet it is the same Grace; For, what Faith can the Apostle describe Heb. 11. 1. but that Faith of which he speaks before Chap 10. 38. by which the Just live; and that which he exemplifies throughout the 11. Chap. both which are Justifiing Faith; Therefore it must be; that the Faith which Justifies, & Sanctifies; doth show evidently spiritual things to us, though by a several & distinct act from that by which it Justifies: Therefore, being the same Grace; when it hath showed us spiritual things, it will go on to draw us to apply them to ourselves; Wherefore, get, & exercise that act of Faith which makes ye see evidently heavenly Things; and this will make ye apply them, and draw Comfort from them. Now in this Work; it is the Gospel; which sets the Objects, or the heavenly Things before us: Then the holy Ghost his Work; in convincing, or persuading of the reality of those Things to our Understandings; Is as the Light which shines on those Objects, and makes them visible: And Faith; by His Conviction or Persuasion, is as the prospective glass, which inables our understandings, to perceive the reality of them, which else it could not: Wherefore with this Light of the holy Ghost, and this prospective Glass of Faith; with your Spirits & Understandings; view in the Gospel again & again, the Things of Heaven, & of Christ; and thence fetch Comfort in every Distress. Now to the end, ye may be helped to do thus: I shall in the following Observations open to you divers Things about Heaven, and our Glory there; which Christ revealed to His Disciples, in this Text: By doing of which: I shall set the Things before you: Which are able abundantly to Comfort your Hearts; But they will be as glorious sights in darkness, to them that cannot see; except ye obtain the holy Ghost, to shine on them, as the Sun, on Colours: And get that Act of Faith, which is the Evidence of Things not seen, to lift up, or enable your Souls Eye, the Understanding, to look on them: Which Favour I desire the Lord to afford you: And so I proceed. THE Description of HEAVEN, And the heavenly Condition of true Read the Epistle. BELIEVERS at the last: CHRIST Revealeth in this TEXT: Thus. FIRST, It is Described by the Place itself; Heaven, is an House, so called in opposition to a Tent or Tabernacle, to show its Stability, and the Stability of their State who live in it: Wherefore, it is said to have Foundations Heb. 11. 9 more than one, many, and yet one gives Stability: And, 1. Pet. 1. 4. It is said to be Incorruptible, Undefiled, that fadeth not away: This Stability is for Ever, and without all Change: As appears both by the Time in which it was Created; In the Beginning: Gen. 1. 1. That is, in the First of all Time, and of all Creatures: Now all that God first made, He made Immortal, as the Angels, & Chaos & these Heavens: As also, by the Manner of Gods making it, for he did not extract it out of other things, as he did all visible things, in this World, he made & drew them out of the Chaos: But he put them forth Immediately from himself, as he did the Chaos, the Angels, & Man's Soul: Now all that God Immediately puts forth, & makes of Nothing, is Immortal: Whereas, all other things return unto their first Principles. SECONDLY, It is Described by Its Relation to God; It is God's House so called, Both because He made it: Heb. 11. 16. As also, because, He dwells in it; That is, in it, he puts forth His chiefest Glory, (as a Prince doth in his Palace, where he dwells, much more than in a Tent, or other part of his Kingdom) So that Its Glory, must be as much above any of this Worldly kingdoms; As God's utmost Power, Majesty, Wisdom, Riches, which he can put forth, are above man's. THIRDLY. It is Described, by Its special Appropriation, to the First Person in Trinity, the Father: It is God the Father's House; Both because he made it; For Creation being the first Work done on the Creature, is specially appropriated to the First Person the Father; Also, because it is to be His: The Sons and holy Ghosts being in this World and resigned at the last day, that God the Father may be All in All; (as He is First in the Motions about the Creature) 1. Cor. 15. 28. The Father's People; That is, the Elect are to dwell there, and His Love in Election to be showed forth there: Therefore it is called The Fathers; Math. 13. 43. though yet the Son & holy Ghost are included in it. FOURTHLY, It is Described, by Its special Relation to Christ, though it be God the Father's House, yet He is Christ's Father, and so it is Christ his Inheritance, and Believers Inheritance; As 1. Pet. 1. 4. in that, They be One with Christ, Sons, & Heirs; Insomuch that these Disciples, had they loved him as they should, would be glad of his departure, since he went but to his Father; John. 14. 28. FIFTLY, It is Described, by Its Capeablenes of Them, and so of All Believers (for He speaks to these Eleven in the Names of All, as ye heard before) there are in it many Mansions: It were no Comfort, to hear of its Excellency, if it could not receive us, though God dwell there, yet the Creature also may; For He is now Emmanuel, God with Us: And many, not a few, (though Comparatively they be a Little Flock Luke. 12. 32.) and many for some, not for all, and that a set number, for it is Prepared for Believers, Heb. 11. 16. Therefore for so many as shall believe, and for no more: Now these their dwelling places are called Mansions, to express their abode in them, they be Sons with Christ, and shall abide in that House for Ever: Now the Truth of all this Description of Heaven, is ratified by an Argument taken from Himself (If it were not so I would have told you) He was their Friend, came from Heaven to Reveal its Secrets, He is the faithful & true Witness, therefore could not, but deal truly with them. Further, Heaven is Described in reference to Believers; By the Means of their access & entrance into it, which is Christ: Who First, Prepares a Place for them their; The Father prepares it: Math. 25. 34. Both by a Free choosing them to it, and their particular Portion or Place in it, before the World began: As also, by Creating it for them from the Foundation of the World: But Christ prepares it; By Meriting, & Bringing about their Fruition of it: Both by Removing Impediments: And Purchasing the Father's Favour. Now, Christ prepares a Place; By Going; (I go to prepare a Place) He came from Heaven to prepare a Place in Heaven; by His humiliation And then He went from Earth; To prepare a Place: Both by His dying To satisfy Justice for Sin; and to ratify the Promises: (Heb. 9 15. to the end) And by His rising from Death, in that if He had been held under Death, He had not been quit from our imputed guilt, nor could we have been, nor had he lived to bring us to Heaven; 1. Cor. 15. 14. 17. Rom. 4. 25. & 5. 10. Heb. 7. 25. Also by his Ascension, in that he thereby opened heaven door, which was before shut Heb. 9 8. 12. & dispensed gifts to gather the Elect. Eph. 4. 8. 11. 12. Also by his Session at God's right Hand; where he pleads his Merits, which is called his making Intercession for us; Rom. 8. 34. and thence sends down the holy Ghost to do all in us, that is requisite to our meetness for that place: And administers the World for our good: And possesseth the Heaven in our Name, and as our Head & Root: So that Christ as a Meritorious cause, an Exemplary cause, and an Efficient cause, prepares a Place in Heaven for Believers by his going: And this is further. Secondly, Amplified by his Consummation of this his Preparation: As he prepares a Place for them; So he will bring them into that Place: Which that he may do, being now gone, he must come again: Christ will come from Heaven, to fetch Believers unto Heaven; he will not send for them, but come for them; which makes their access to Heaven the more glorious, in that they shall be fetched thither by Christ; Which is done, both in regard of Himself, that he may have the Glory of judging the World, both Believers, and Unbelievers; And in regard of them, because they are his body & spouse; and he will come to them therefore to marry them, and join them to Himself; this is another description of Heaven, by the manner of their Entrance into it, Even by Christ his glorious Coming from Heaven, to fetch them thither. LASTLY, He further Amplifies it, by a Description of the heavenly Place, by Its Communion with Him; They shall be taken to him, to be one with him, as the Body with the Head, the Spouse with the Husband, and they shall be where he is; That is, in the same Place, State, & Condition; Heavenly happiness, is a being one with Christ, and in his place, & state; John. 12. 26. Thus these Words are a Description of Heaven, and the heavenly Condition of true Believers: And show us, That Christ is the Way, Truth, & Life, as John. 14. 6. [The Way,] For by Him they come, [The Truth,] For if every thing were not so, He would tell it; [The Life,] Not only as a Meritorious Cause; But as the Root: Heavens Life, is in Him: Col. 3. 3. 4. A being taken to Him, and with Him. SEVENTH OBSERVATION. That Believers Glory in Heaven, is a Fellowshipe in the Father's Glory. It is a dwelling in his House, and so a sharing in that Glory, which the Father there hath, arising to Himself; There is great Question about desires of Salvation, and not God's Glory; But the Truth is, Salvation is the Fruition of God's Glory; a being in, and so partaking of the Glory of God's house, as they are partakers of the Divine Nature, So of His Glory; That is Their Salvation; And it being the End of all things, it is the Father's glory, who is the Beginning of all things. EIGHT OBSERVATION. That God's Glory in Heaven which Believers partake off; Is a Created Glory: Or a Glory which ariseth from Creatures to God, and had a beginning. For it is the Glory which He hath, since he made him an House, and dwelled in a Place; And so it is nearer to the capacity of Creatures; Whereas the Glory that is in, and of Himself, and Eternal; Is Incomprehensible, & Incommunicable. NINTH OBSERVATION. That Believers Glory in Heaven, Is in a Communion & Union together. Many together, dwell in one House; It is a being One, as God & Christ are One; John. 17. 22. as the Glory of this World, and so of Man's body is in the union & compact of many parts together: It is also a being with Christ, (as is expressed in the Text, and hath been showed before) And it is a being with God also, As John. 17 21. One with Us. FINIS. THE TABLE. THE Words are part of Christ's last Words, spoken to the Eleven Apostles. Page. 1. The Occasion, or Ground, And so the Coherence of the Words. 2. The Parts, which are Two. ibid. FIRST, The Duty charged by Christ, on His believing Desciples That their hearts should not be troubled. And what Trouble is meant, what not, 2. 3. DOCTRINE. That true Believers, how weak soever in Faith, should not be oppressed, or perplexed in heart, by any thing whatever befalls them, Either in Sin, or Afflictions. 4. REASONS. First, Because such Trouble ariseth from an Evil Root and Cause, Viz. Ignorance, or Unbelief. 5. Secondly, Because such Trouble hath Evil Effects: Shown in Six Particulars 1. It is Troublesome to God's Heart. ibid. 2. It Frustrats Christ's Work, In a great part. 6. 3. It Unfitts them for their Christian Service; Which is to eat the Holy Things, and keep a Continual Feast. ibid. 4. It brings a Consumption upon their Spiritual Strength. ibid. 5. It Casts an Evil Report on God. ibid. 6. It Gives great Occasion to Corruption, and the Devil. 7. USES. First, For Information, To them that judged the way of Believing a sad way, Showing it is the only Way of Joy and Quiettnes. ibid. Secondly, For Exhortation To Believers, Not to be perplexed with Sin or Sorrow. 8. THE SECOND Part of the Text. Is the MEANS, To fence Believers hearts against Trouble: Which are partly Implied, and partly Expressed. 9 FIRST MEANS Implied, Is that Believers put themselves under the Command. ibid. SECOND MEANS Implied, Is that Believers gather up and present to their judgement's Grounds of Comforts, stronger than them of Trouble. 10. THIRD MEANS Expressed, Is to believe in Christ, as in God; both which explained. 11. 12 Faith in Christ gives the strongest Grounds of Comfort; For divers Reasons. 13. First, Because it gives more Boldness towards God; Upon Six Grounds. ibid. 1. It presents them nearer to God; Being made one with Christ God's natural Son. ibid. 2. It presents God nearer to them: For it shows them God in their own Nature. ibid. 3. By it there is hold laid on God's justice, As well as on his Mercy. 14. 4. By it there is an access with boldness to God's Holiness; explained. 15. 5. By it there is raised unlimited expectation from God. 16. 〈…〉 REASON. It is from His Nature. 54. USES. First, For Instruction, 1. That God is most tender to Believers in Troubles. 55. 2. That Believers should be Compassionate, especially Church Officers. ibid. Secondly, For Exhortation, To get assured of Christ's tenderness, towards them in All their Troubles. 56. SECOND OBSERVATION. That as we must believe in Christ: So we must continue our Faith in the Father. 57 REASON. Because, Though God put the Promises into Christ, and gave him them; yet he reserved them also in his own hands. 58. Question, What the difference is, twixt Believing in the Father, & the Son? 59 Answered, In Four Things. ibid. USE. For Information, To shun an Error, of pitching our Faith only on Christ: & not with him on the Father. 60. THIRD OBSERVATION. That Believers are prone to sin in those Affections which be lawful, & in some sen●e necessary. 61. USE. For Information, Not only to care to set our Affections on lawful things; But to care not to exceed. ibid. FOURTH OBSERVATION. That Believers hearts are prone to be to much, & sinnfully troubled, with the approach of Afflictions. 62. REASONS. First, Because Troubles do cross the workings, of our sinful self-love. ibid. Secondly, Bec. Troubles, do estrange us from this World. ibid. Thirdly, Bec. Troubles, are contrary to a good principle within us. ibid. Fourthly, Bec. Self flattery, promise the Contrary. 63. USE. For Exhortation, 1. To take pains, about fitting ourselves for Troubles. ibid. 2. In Troubles, to look out for help to bear. ibid. FIFT OBSERVATION. That Believers should renew & increase Faith, when Troubles doth asayle. 64. USE. For Exhortation, To Renew, Increase, and Exercise Faith. 65. 66. sixth OBSERVATION. Now Christ is come, to use spiritual Considerations to strengthen against troubles 67. REASONS. 1. Bec. Now is the Season. 2. Bec. the Life of Christianity is in these. 68 USE. To Blame for not using, And Exhort to use more these Cordials. 69. 70. 71. 72. The Description of Heaven etc. with Three Observations. 73. 74. 75. 76. FINIS.