faint Assent Thus every unbeliever hangs as a Meteor in the Air under prevalent suspense and hesitation touching the truth of the promisses Thence Mark 11. 23. We find douting in heart and believing opposed They that yield only an opinionative doutful Assent to the things of their peace do really dissent a suspensive faith is no faith in Gods estime 10. To yield only a cloudy inevident obscure Assent to the things that belong unto our peace is not to know them Divine Faith carries with it not only Certaintie but also Evidence Thus Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen Evidence implies a ful clear manifest apprehension of things present among which such are most evident as are most visible Thence the Sun is most evident because most visible It s true the objects of Faith are altogether absent inevident and invisible as to Sense or Reason whence they are stiled Things not seen ay but yet they are present evident and visible to an eye of faith So the Scholes determine That the truths of Faith are evidently credible On what a manifest clear intuitive vision doth Faith afford But the Unbeliever sees nothing evidently and clearly he has only obscure misty dark notions of the things that belong unto his peace So 2 Pet. 1. 9. And cannot see far off Like one that is purblind or in a mist The Unbeliever has no evident conviction or discoverie of the great things of the other world he sees only things next to him Objects of sense or reason and therefore he knows not the things that belong to his peace Some thinke the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to represent the image of a false faith under the Similitude of a blind man who moving his eye-lids may take in some confused obscure shadow of light which yet is altogether unuseful and insructuous 11. Such as receive the things that belong to their peace with a legal Assent only may be justly said not to know the same The main things that belong to our peace are evangelic and therefore such must our Assent be if right To receive evangelic Truths only with a legal faith is really to disbelieve the same Many convinced sinners yield a very strong assent to al the terrors of the law This and that and t'other threat belongs to me saith the poor Sinner I am he to whom this sentence of the Law and that curse doth appertain c. It s strange to consider how far awakened sinners may procede in such a legal assent to Law-threats and yet never attain to an Evangelic faith This seems to be the case of those unbelieving Jews mentioned Hebr. 4. 2. But the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being incorporated it seems to be a terme borrowed from meats which being received into the stomach and mingling with that acid ferment or juice which is loged there are by the assistance thereof digested and so turned into good nutriment bloud and spirits just so the Word of God being received into an honest heart and incorporated with an evangelic faith doth nourish and strengthen the Believer Ay but now these unbelieving Jews wanting this acid juice of evangelic faith the word received profited them not They yielded a legal assent to the threats of the Law but yet being void of an evangelic assent to the promisses of the Gospel they received no profit from the Word preached Legal assent to the threats of the Law if it procede no further usually ends in greater unbelief and securitie 12. Such also may be said not to know the things that belong to their peace who yield only an involuntarie forced Assent thereto This follows on the former For a legal Assent is only forced and strained whereas an evangelic Assent is affectionate and free whence it is made a character of those primitive Believers Act. 2. 41. Then they that gladly received his Word What word doth he here mean The word of promisse v. 39. For the promisse is to you and your children c. It s said v. 37. They were pricked in their heart c. i e They were wounded with the sense of their sin in crucifying the Lord of Glorie and having now the promisse of life and pardon preached to them O! how gladly do they receive this word What welcome News is this How are they overjoyed at such glad tidings of Salvation What content what satisfaction what pleasure do they take in this Evangelic word of life How greedily do they receive or assent to it even as a voluptuous man receives his food or a condemned malefactor his pardon So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gladly doth import Again As many as gladly received the word Here is a restrictive and distinctive note For gladly here doth confine and restrain the sincere reception of the word to these here specified in distinction from the rest of the Auditors of whom also many received the word but not gladly So that this note seems to be characteristic and descriptive of true saving Assent which hath joy and gladnesse mixed with it They receive the word and they receive it gladly they assent to it and they assent chearfully they would not for a world but assent to it As the eye sees the Sun and sees it gladly the ear hears Music and gladly hears it So faith assenteth to the Word of God and assents with gladnesse Though there be much obscuritie and seeming contrarietie to carnal reason in some parts of Gods word yet so far as it appears to be the word of God faith willingly assens to it the mind is captivated to divine Testimonie Though perhaps the poor Believer cannot rationally discourse or reason touching the truths he assents to yet he hath a divine Instinct a spiritual Sagacitie an interne Sense whereby he tasts Divine words and so can distinguish them from al human words though sugared over with never so much spiritual Rhetoric Thus he receives the word gladly So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such a reception as an Host gives his Guest or a man his intimate friend Al which fully demonstrates with what an affectionate Assent they received the Word of life The like is mentioned of the Bereans Act. 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with al readinesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e with an affectionate chearful Assent Indeed al true saving faith connotes a pious inclination in the soul For the things that belong unto our peace being purely dependent on the Testimonie of God if there be not a pious affection in the heart towards God the sinner wil never assent to close with the promisses and offers of life made to it Affection to any person makes us very credulous or apt to receive his report Love makes our Assent quick
how is he humbled for and by his very sins and negligences But the commun faith of an Unbeliever makes his best duties and performances serve to promote spiritual sins How do al his Covenants and Resolutions against some grosser visible sins serve only to hide strengthen and foment secret invisible lusts as spiritual pride carnal confidence Hos 7. 16 Or at best doth he not make use of al his covenants against sin only as a balsame to heal the wounds of his conscience not as poison to kil the lusts of his heart Such is the curse and plague of commun faith 6. Saving faith transformes the heart into the Image of Christ and thence makes the Believer conforme to his Life and Laws but commun faith workes neither Saving Faith brings the heart near to Christ and so stampes the Image of Christ upon the heart It cannot make men Christ but yet it makes them like unto him and that not only in one particular excellence but in al It changeth the last end and disposition of the wil and thence the whole soul and life It infuseth a divine plenitude or fulnesse of Grace into the soul answerable to that fulnesse of sin that was there before And as Christ is one with his Father by personal union so Believers are one with Christ by faith Hence much of the life of Christ appears in their lives The love and spirit of Christ prevails with them to live the life of Christ and conforme to his Laws And oh what a sweet harmonie and conformitie so far as Faith and Grace prevails is there between the Spirit and Life of Christ and their spirits and life How much do their hearts and lives answer to the primitive Patterne of puritie in the heart and life of Christ But can the Unbelievers commun faith worke such rare effects It s true sometimes his Actions are changed but are not his vital Principles and Dispositions unchanged He may sometimes conforme to the Laws of Christ in appearance but doth he not stil hate them at heart Whereas the Believer whiles he breakes the law of Christ in Action he conformes to it in Affection and desire as Roman 7. 22. The Unbelievers commun faith may lead him to please Christ in shew but is it not al to please himself in truth Doth he not wholly live on self as his spring and to self as his last end Oh! how impossible is it for him to live by faith on Christ and to Christ which is the Believers life 7. Saving faith makes Believers diligent in the use of means and yet keeps them from trusting in them commun faith makes Vnbelievers negligent in the use of means and yet to trust in them Oh! how industrious is Faith in the use of means as if there were no Christ to trust unto And yet doth not faith trust wholly in Christ as if there were no means to be used Yea doth it not trust Christ as much in the fulnesse of means as in the want of them But oh how much doth unbelief trust in means though it be very negligent in the use of them 8. Saving Faith is alwaies bottomed on a Promisse and by it workes up the heart to God But commun faith is alwaies bottomed either on false persuasions or self-sufficiences and by them turnes the heart from God 9. Saving Faith walkes in Gods ways by a strait rule to a strait end But commun faith is always stepping out of Gods way its rule and end both are crooked True Faith looks both to its end and rule it wil not do good that evil or evil that good may follow But commun faith wil do both 10. Lastly Saving Faith values an half-promisse yea a mere peradventure from God more than the best promisse the creature can make but commun faith depends more on the rotten and false promisses of its own heart or of the creature than on al the promisses of God 3. Hence we may further infer That there is no medium or middle between true Faith and Infidelitie Commun faith is but real Unbelief He that is not a sound Believer is a real Infidel He that receives not Christ on his own termes rejects him Not to trust in Christ with al the heart is not to trust him at al in truth A forced election of Christ is a real reprobation of him A mere human or notional or general or confused or instable or inefficacious Assent to Christ is real Dissent Not to rest in Christ alone as our Mediator is not at al to confide in him He that cannot part with al for Christ wil soon part with Christ for any thing If faith purifies not the heart from sin and fortifies it against tentation it deserves not the name of faith Acts 15. 9. If Faith gives not a substantial being to things not in being it doth nothing Heb. 11. 1. If you can believe nothing but what you have reason and evidence for from the things themselves you believe nothing as you ought for though reason may assist faith as an instrument yet it destroyes faith as a principal ground or argument because faith is of things inevident Heb. 11. 1. Faith takes nothing for its formal reason or principal ground but increated Autoritie and therefore it is not the mere evidence of reason but the testimonie of God that makes men believers And if so then oh what a world of that which passeth for faith among men wil one day appear to be real Unbelief What may we judge of those who hang up Christ in their phantasies as pictures in an house but yet never really adhere to or recumb on him Is not this mere fancie rather than faith What shal we conclude of the presumtuous believer who presumes God wil shape his mercie according to his humor Is not his faith mere Unbelief Yea can there be a more cursed piece of Unbelief than a fond groundlesse presumtion that we do believe Again what shal we say of the dead-borne sleepy faith of secure Sinners who lay their head in Satans bosome and sleep securely on the pillow of his rotten peace Is not this a piece of Unbelief which Devils and damned Spirits are not guiltie of For they believe and tremble at the apprehensions of their approching jugement And oh how soon wil these their sweet sleeps end in dreadful hellish awakenings Again may we not judge the same of legal faith which sets up the Law in the room of Christ or at least yokes the Law and Christ together Do not such by joining the Law with Christ disjoin their hearts from Christ Rom. 7. 1-4 Is it not as bad a piece of Unbelief to set up the Law instead of Christ as to set up lust instead of the law Yea is there not much of Idolatrie in such a legal faith for do not such as depend on their own legal performances for life make themselves their God and Christ Oh! how oft doth such a legal
tears of the Son of God were ponderous weightie or rational Tears they were not as ours usually are foolish irrational tears but very judicious and wel-grounded O! What infinite Reasons what rational motives had Christ to induce him to weep over Jerusalem How oft do our tears flow from false imaginations or some feeblenesse of Nature without any grounded reasons But was it thus with Christ Had he not massie ponderous Inducements to induce him unto this sacred passion Were not Jerusalem's sins and approching Ruines forcible and binding reasons of our Lords weeping over her 3. These Tears of Christ were most spontaneous or voluntary and free not forced and strained as ours frequently are Oh! how naturally did this holy water flow from that sacred fountain Christ's eyes What bleedings of heart what inward compassions were the main spring of this sacred passion vented by his eyes Christs tears had a divine Fountain in the heart by which they were fed and maintained they were as the sweat of an anguished troubled spirit as the bloud of an heart lively struck with the sense of Jerusalems coming miserie 4. Hence also these Tears of Christ were most Sincere and Cordial The best of our Tears have too deep a tincture of Hypocrisie Naturalists say that there is no pure element of water to be found in this lower Region This is most certain as to our tears there are none so pure but they have some concretion or commixture of Sin and Hypocrisie But 't was not so with Christs tears every tear that dropt from him was as pure as Crystal There was not the least tincture of guile or hypocrisie in his tears Every tear was a lively glasse and image of his heart There was an exact conformitie between the passion of his eye and compassion of his soul 5. Again these Tears of Christ were Spiritual and Regular not Carnal or exorbitant We seldome weep but there is much of carnalitie and exorbitance in our tears either in regard of the Motives Mater or Manner of their emanation But oh how spiritual as to their Motives how regular as to their Mater and how ordinate and harmonious as to their Manner were al Christs tears Alas how impossible is it that there should be any irregular or inordinate passion in Christ who was a masse of pure Grace Our blessed Lord was not a mere Patient but a wise judicious Agent in al his passions Hence that which is expressed by a Passive Verb John 12. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul is troubled is expressed by an Active John 11. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he troubled himself which clearly shews that Christs troubled affections were governed and influenced by his jugement every tear that dropt from him was perfumed with Grace his eyes were as a fountain of Rose-water every drop gave forth a sweet smel of Heaven 6. Christs tears were generous and noble he seemed to forget and disregard himself whiles he minded and regarded Jerusalem His own crucifixion was very near yet he seems to overlook that and mournes chiefly for Jerusalem's Ruines Alas how selfish private and narrow are our tears for the most part We oft weep for the evils we suffer but oh how rarely do we weep for the evils we commit or for those which the Church suffers The evils that touch us afflict us but how little are we afflicted with the evils that touch the honor of Christ or his concernes But was it thus with our great Lord Whence sprang his tears was it from the provision of his own sufferings Or was it not rather from the intuition of Jerusalem's sins and sufferings Jerusalem is at this very time plotting the death of her tender-hearted Savior But lo what affectionate tears doth he shed over Jerusalem's apprehended Destruction Oh! what generous and noble tears are these how much self-denial is here 7. These tears of Christ were also meek and humble Our tears if they have any thing of a noble and generous tincture in them then usually they are proud and obstinate but these tears of our blessed Lord were not lesse meek and humble than great and generous and oh how rare is such a conjunction among men Some Heroic and generous Romans have dropt some tears over their vanquisht enemies but how much pride how much triumph have they discovered therein But it was not thus with Jerusalems King his tears flowed from an humble contrite meek and broken spirit They were the tears of the Lamb of God No proud murmurs no sullen pettish humors no revengeful thoughts were mingled with these his sanctified tears as usually there are with ours 8. These tears of Christ were Amorous and Pathetic What a great Pathos and emotion of Affection lay wrapt up in Christs tears is evident by his broken and imperfect language v. 42. Saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day c. How broken and imperfect is his language his heart was so ful of Affection as that he wanted words to give vent thereto He drops now and then a word and now and then a tear 〈◊〉 his tears swallowed up and drowned his words which argues a mightie pathos and ebullition of Affection Those who were present at Lazarus's grave and saw our blessed Lord to water his grave with tears conclude John 11. 36. Behold how he loved him And may not we in like manner from Christs tears over Jerusalem crie out also Behold how he loved it Julius Caesar beholding the head of Pompey his slain enemie could not but drop some tears over it which was an argument not only of a generous heroic spirit but also of some affection towards Pompey But oh what tendernesses of love what warme bowels of affection lye wrapt up in the tears of our gracious Lord over impenitent and ingrateful Jerusalem Doth it not argue an high degree of love in those tears of our Lord that forgetting al the past injuries done unto him and al the future cruelties he was to suffer from this rebellious Citie he could notwithstanding weep over her coming miseries So amorous and pathetic were these tears 9. These tears of our affectionate Lord were also Dolorous and Sympathetic there was not only Love but also Grief Sympathie and Compassion in these tears This addes a further excellence to Christs Lamentation For grief and sympathie with others in their afflictions is an afflictive passion and therefore rarely exerted in any eminent degree but among intimate Confidents and Friends who are knit together by such an intimate essential bond of Amitie as that they can espouse each others ils as their own Sympathie argues an high degree of Amitie And oh What Sympathie Commiseration and Compassion do Christs tears argue Are they not as the bloud of a wounded heart to use Cyprian's phrase Doth not the Romans sword which ere long was to be sheathed in Jerusalem's bowels pierce thorow the very heart of her
now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turne ye again to the weak and beggerly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage How turne ye again What doth he mean by this Were the Galatians ever under the legal ceremonies here stiled beggerly elements as ver 10 No The Galatians were never before under those Judaic ceremonies only they are said to turne again unto them because they affected a similitude or ressemblance to the Jews herein Oh! how fain would they Symbolise or agree with the Jews and so mingle something of the Law with Christ So it follows whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye desire or ye greedily covet ye greatly wish and long to be under the Law oh how much do you desire what strong wishes have you to join the Law with Christ the like ver 21. Tel me ye that desire to be under the the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e ye who are so hungry and greedy after the law This was the temper of many Judaising Galatians they would fain compound the Law with Christ they could not rest satisfied in Christ alone as the mater of their justification but must needs join the law with him which Paul tels them Gal. 5. 2 3. Was to make Christ of none effect For he that rests not in Christ alone as the mater of his justification trusts not at al in him So also in point of happinesse he that doth not acquiesce in Christ alone as the object of his rest and satisfaction doth not really believe in him whence saith Christ Luke 14. 26. If any come to me and hate not his father c. i. e if he be not satisfied in me as the fountain of his life he hath no share in me For to hate here is to love lesse Christ doth not injoin his Disciples simply absolutely to hate Parents c. No that were sin But he means comparitively i. e whoever doth not love Parents Wife c. lesse than me cannot be my Disciple So ver 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not al that he hath he cannot be my Disciple What doth Christ mean by this Doth he expect that when we turne Christians we bid Adieu to al outward comforts No surely This command of Christ doth not so much respect the Act as the Affection we are not commanded to cast away al but to love Christ above al. 6. Again Vnbelief is ful of murmurs Disobedience and Reluctance against the soverain Wil of God Faith is the most obsequious obedient and dutiful Grace Oh! how ful of Resignation and Submission is the believing Wil so far as it is believing When Christ enters into any soul he expects that every proud imagination every high thought stoop unto him That the whole soul bow before him and adore his soverain wil and pleasure Thus Job 1. 20. Then Job arose This notes his speed courage and resolution in complying with the divine Wil. And rent his mantle and shaved his head these were Symbols or tokens of great sorrow and humiliation under the hand of God Faith doth not destroy natural affections but it regulates and spiritualiseth them When the hand of God is on us our hand should be on our hearts in order to a deep sense and humiliation under Gods visitation Then it follows and fel down upon the ground and worshipped The Hebrew words do both signifie a bowing to the ground Because in their worship they usually fel to the ground or bowed their head knee or whole bodie therefore the same word among the Hebrews signifies both to bow and to worship What then doth Jobs falling to the ground and worshipping import 1. A sense of Gods hand in this visitation 2. An Adoration of or bowing before the Divine wil as most righteous 3. A satisfaction in the present issues of the divine Wil. In short it implies a melting or dissolving of his Wil into the Divine wil as most holy and best Hence v. 21. it s said That in al this Job sinned not nor charged God follishly i. e Jobs faith brought his wil to correspond with the Divine wil. O! What a sweet harmonie was here But this unbelief cannot endure Oh! what risings of heart are there against the Truths Grace Wil Waies and Crosse of Christ How doth unbelief strugle and fret against the supreme pleasure of Christ Hence the same word in the Greek signifies both Unbelief and Disobedience as John 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also He that is not obedient to the Son Al faith carries something of obedience in it or a subjection of the mind and wil to the Word and Grace of Christ whence Unbelievers are stiled Ephes 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of disobedience or unpersuasible untractable children such as cannot bring their hearts to bow and stoop to divine Truths Grace and Commands And indeed much of the nature of Infidelitie is lively exprest by this notion of Disobedience Thus the Israelites unbelief is set forth to us Act. 7. 39. To whom our fathers would not obey but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt How did they disobey Christ and thrust him from them Was it not chiefly by their murmurs and Unbelief So in like manner we find unbelief set forth by fretting against God which is an high degree of Disobedience Psal 37. 1. Fret not thy self because of evil doers Fret not thy self or be not angrie chide not Unbelief is very prone to be angrie yea to chide God because of the prosperitie of wicked men whereto is opposed vers 3. Trust in the Lord c. This trusting in God is opposite to that fretful spirit v. 1. The like Antithesis or opposition we find ver 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently fret not thy self because of him that prospereth in his way Rest in the Lord Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be silent unto the Lord Don't let one murmur or impatient word drop out of thy mouth but wait patiently or expect with much silence and patience relief from the Lord beware how thou doest fret and repine against his Soverain pleasure So that a fretful murmuring spirit is quite opposite to that silence and obedience which faith implies What is faith but a free and chearful resignation of al concernes to God with a complete subjection to his Soverain Wil Grace and Spirit for the accomplishment of al Faith subjugates and captivates our wisdome to divine Wisdome our consciences to the divine Law our whole heart and life to the divine Wil either preceptive or providential A Believer as such lives no longer than he lives in the divine Wil and Grace and no thing is so fit a subject for such a Divine life as a broken heart and what so effectually breaks
him What is it that gives the soul an abode in Christ and Christ in the soul but Faith as John 15. 5 Oh! What strong desires and thirsts after Christ doth Faith worke in the soul Doth it not make the absence and presence of Christ the mesure of bitter and sweet of good and evil What more efficacious to draw forth every Grace in its exercice than Faith Unbelief is the spring of spiritual sloath and lazinesse but oh how vigorous and active is Faith There is no Grace or Dutie but it is made easy by Faith How easy is the worke of Humiliation made by Faith What makes divine Love more spriteful and vigorous than Faith Yea is not the whole of Christianitie contained in the bowels of Faith Is there any Grace required to the Divine life which Faith cannot supplie us with Yea Faith is so good a Chymist as that it can extract riches out of povertie strength out of weaknesse glorie out of shame peace out of trouble Grace out of sin life out of death something out of nothing Oh! how miraculous are the virtues of Faith It makes a man able to do althings an yet it makes him see he is nothing and can do nothing It makes a man content with any thing that God gives and yet unsatisfied ' til he can enjoy althings in their fountain Again If we consider Faith in its parallel Antithesis or opposition to Infidelitie we shal then see more fully the excellent qualities of it as also the mischievous Influences of Infidelitie 1. Faith breeds jealousie of our selves but confidence in God it reckons it cannot believe God too much nor self too little But oh What self-confidence jelousie of God doth Infidelitie produce How much doth it trust self and thence how little can it trust in God What mutual Influences and Reciprocations are there between self-confidences and jelousies of God 2 Faith keepeth the heart close to God his Word and Ordinances and so keepeth God close to the heart It follows Christ in ways of Dependence Adherence Subjection Submission and Conformitie and so Christ follows it in ways of gracious Communications Consolations Manifestations and Communion But is it thus with Unbelief Doth it not depart from God his Word and Ways And thence doth not God depart from the Unbeliever 3. Faith prepares for quickens in and sweetens every Dutie It sets Prayer on foot Meditation on the wing and drawes forth the Attention and Intention of the Soul in hearing and reading of the Word But oh How doth Infidelitie hinder deaden and embitter the Soul in al gracious exercices How doth it clip the wings of Meditation stifle and choke the breathings of Prayer c 4. Faith fixeth and establisheth the heart by knitting of it to Christ who is an immutable Rock But oh What a mutable variable inconstant thing is Infidelitie How doth it make the heart to stagger and reel by dividing and taking it off from God Isai 7. 9 5. Faith makes a livelyhood out of Divine Promisses Engagements Relations and Influences It sucks sweetnesse out of Promisses and so is nourished by them It feeds on Divine Relations and Influences and so finds a livelihood in the greatest famine of spiritual injoyments It is long-handed and reacheth to Heaven for supplies when al means below fail But oh how short-handed is Infidelitie It 's true it has a long hand to reach forth to the Creature yea sometimes to Hel but it has no hand to reach after Christ or his Promisse how doth it suffer the poor hungry soul to starve amidst al evangelic Promisses and Dainties Whereas Faith takes the Soul by the hand and leades it from one Promisse to another from one Attribute to another and so suckes gracious Influences from al as it need requires 6. Faith conquers the whole Soul to God and thence althings else are conquered to the Soul It subjects the heart to Christ and so makes althings subject to it But Infidelitie captivates the heart to lust and thence it becomes captivated to every thing else Oh! What a vassal is the unbeliever to every base lust Yea to himself 7. Faith fortifies the Soul against al the Blandissements Allurements and eye-pleasing Delights of this lower world It blasteth al the fair promisses of created good by out-bidding of them But alas how soon is Unbelief entangled and overcome by every inveiglement and snare of sinful pleasures It can fortifie the heart against nothing but the convictions and good motions of the Spirit Faith is the shield of the new creature to repel al the poisoned darts of the World and Satan but Infidelitie is the shield of the old man to repel al the Convictions of the Spirit darted into the Sinners Conscience 8. Faith prepares the heart for and preserveth it under every difficultie frown and afflictive crosse It prepares for the worst times yet hopes for and expects the best It takes out the sting and poison of every crosse and infuseth into it a medicinal healing virtue But can Infidelitie do such marvels doth it not unfit us for every difficultie and then betray us into the hands of it Faith never leaves us at a losse it clotheth the mind with a divine light whereby it is inabled to see and passe thorough al dangers But oh How doth Unbelief darken the eye of the Soul and so create black visions of carnal fear and heart-rending troubles Difficulties and distresses are the element of Faith but how unable is Infidelitie to live or breath in such a sharpe Air 9. Faith opens the dore to promissed Mercies and Deliverances It keeps the condition of the Promisse and so keeps the soul under the blessing of the Promisse But is this in the power of Infidelitie Doth it not rather put a bar to promissed Mercies as Num. 20. 12. Heb. 3. 19 Yea doth it not open a dore to al the threats and curses of the Law Yea doth it not bind the Unbeliever fast under a sentence of condemnation as John 3.36 Whereas Faith on the contrary stops the mouth of al legal Threats and Curses and locks the soul fast under a state of Salvation John 6. 47. 10. Faith improves Mercies received and so makes way for more It giveth God the honor of his Mercies and man a sanctified and comfortable use of them But can Infidelitie thus improve Mercies Doth it not rather by its murmurs and misimprovments destroy former Mercies and so hinder future Was not this the temper of the unbelieving Jews in the Wildernesse as we find it described Psal 78. 11 40 Oh! how doth Unbelief rob God of al the Glorie and so man of al the comfort and right use of Mercies received How unthankeful how discontented is the Unbeliever under Mercies received and thence unfit to receive more Whereas the Believer is content under the want of Mercies and thence fit to receive them He can trust God with his soul and al other Mercies and thence God