God his Word is a Law where hee blesseth none can hinder blessing all things are at his command they were so in their first being and they have their being to be what he will have them there is nothing hard or impossible with God so our Saviour telleth his Disciples in the 19. Matthew 26. But Jesus beheld them and said unto them Mat. 19.26 with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible It is a full Scripture to what I bring it the omnipotency of God al things are possible to him it is not possible that any thing should be impossible to the almighty omnipotent God When the Angell in the 1. Luke 36. Luke 1.36 37. brings tydings to the Virgin Mary of her cozen Elizabeth being with Childe in her old age and that it was then the sixth moneth with her giveth this for the reason in the 3â— verse For with God nothing shall be impossible That is to say God is Omnipotent Almighty nothing can be hard to him he doth what he will doe nothing is impossible to him nor can any thing hinder what hee will have done In the 11. Numbers 21. Num. 11.21 23. Moses questions with God about making good his word to give flesh to all the people the footmen amongst them being six hundred thousand in the 23. verse God answere Moses And the Lord said unto Moses is the Lords hand waxed short As if the Lord had said this I have spoken seemes impossible to thee but I will doe it my selfe I will make it good and I am the Almighty omnipotent God thinke you that my hand waxeth short no it is an omnipotent almighty hand for I am such a God can the Lords hand waxe short can alsufficiency almightinesse and omnipotency be lessened no it cannot and the Apostle Paul blesseth God upon this very consideration in the 3. Ephes Ephe. 3.20 21. 20. Now unto him that is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke unto him be glory 21. verse that is the Apostle glories in God as an an omnipotent God hee is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke the vastnesse of our thoughts or wants are too short to measure out the omnipotency of God he is exceedingly more then wee can aske want or thinke for he is Almighty to him be glory whom is thus glorious almighty alsufficient and omnipotent God this is the glory of God for God is onely this and none but God This all this and infinitely more then this is God in himselfe and such souls as be established by beleeving in God as their God doe beleeve God to be this in himselfe But I shall mention some few Attributes more of God in which he makes himselfe more visably knowne to his people As first God is a God of free grace we may call our God the gracious God or the God of mercy and grace wee may safely looke upon God thus for God lookes upon us in his free grace witnesse his Covenant of free grace Jer. 31.31 so forward God doth there ingage himselfe to put his Law in our inward parts and to write it in the bearts of his people that hee will be our God and that wee shall be his people that his people shall all know him from the least to the greatest of them that he will forgive all our iniquity and remember our sinne no more God in this Covenant doth clearely speake himselfe to be a God of free grace for the Covenant is all grace it is pardoning and purging grace justifying and sanctifying grace and as it is all grace so it in all God for God onely ingageth himselfe and this makes it to be all free grace As God is gracious in his Covenant that it is a Covenant of free grace so he is in his workes to his people they are all workes of grace and he is a God of free grace in all As in his first worke of choosing and electing his people 1. Ephes beginning Ephes beginning Chosen and predestinated us in Christ unto the adoption of children according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace God is free hee chooseth according to his owne will and that any are chosen and predestinated in Christ it is the glorious workings of his free grace he chooseth according to his owne good pleasure and to the glory of his grace God is ingaged to none he is free in his choice nay all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and therefore whâ—â— ever God chooseth he taketh into grace for it is free grace thaâ— chooseth it is onely of grace saith the Apostle that I am what I am as I am an electe vessell that is of grace God hath chosen 〈◊〉 in Christ to the glory of his grace so that God in his electing worke is a God of free grace Secondly in his worke of Salvation he is altogether 2 God of free grace 2. Ephes 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith bee loved us even when we were dead in sinnes hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved The Apostle here telleth us positively that salvation is the worke of grace I and proveth it for sayes he God who is rich in mercy loved 〈◊〉 even when wee were dead in sinnes and hath quickened us together with Christ so that it must needs be by grace that we are saved iâ— can be nothing but free grace in a holy God that can love soules dead in sinne and the salvation and quickening of such soules in Christ must needes be the work of his rich love and free grace so in the 8. verse For by grace are ye saved through faith though faith be the hand to receive the salvation of God yet it is free grâ—â— in God that giveth this salvation free grace giveth both salvation and the hand to receive it withall all the workes of God to poore sinners is the workings of his free grace the whole work of Salvation and redemption in God must needs be the workings of his grace both by reason of the subject and the time he saves sinners the worst of sinners and then even when we are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 This rich love of God breakes forth to us even when we lye in our blood and no eye to pitty us what but free grace would choose such a subject to pitch eternall unchangable love upon and such a time when no eye bâ—sides could so much as pitty the reason is plaine none hath an eye of free grace but God and no other eye besides that could pitty and pardon poore sinners when they lye in their blood in their filth and pollution of sinne now for soules to bee justified and acquitted of all polution in the eyes of a holy pure God what can this be but free grace Rom.
God doe prove him to be the faithfull God for unfaithfulnesse and God are inconfistant they can no more be together then light and darknesse in truth there is no comparison to be made of the vastnesse of their disagreement God and truth are one for God is the God of truth hee is a faithfull God There is exceedingly more of the glorious Attributes of God which would abundantly take up the Meditation of a spiritual soul but I intended only a short touch of some of them which might leade to and carry on the designe I drive at which is the establishment of soules by beleeving in God in this God assisting you may have some small helpe to the understanding of what God is in himselfe the improvement of it for establishment I intend in the conclusion this for the opening part of it shall bee all to the first of the three things I proposed in the beginning of the Booke namely To beleeve in God in what hee is in himselfe For the other two To beleeve in what God doth and in what God saith as the word and workes of God wraps up the salvation of his people in them I shall here put them both together under this consideration Namely a briefe collection with its proofes of the whole designe and worke of God in the salvation of his people And it is this To manifest the glory of his free-grace in the full redemption of his people through Christ and in their receiving and applying it to themselves by believing First The great designe of God in his saving worke to his people is to glorifie or to manifest and declare the glory of his owne eternall originall free-grace and rich love The free-grace and rich love of God is God himselfe that God which is an incomprehensible and inexpressible Essence the true and perfect God who is first without all cause of being an immutable God and of infinite great Majesty an Eternall Omnipotent and Almighty God This is the God of Free-grace now the designe of this God in the salvation of sinners which is the worst and most miserablest piece of the whole creation in it selfe to all eternity is to glorifie or to manifest the glory of his owne free-grace For this take the testimony of the holy Ghost by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 3.23 That hee might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mereie The holy Ghost in the former part of that Chapter pleadeth the soveraignty of God not any piece of clay could finde fault with the Potter what ever hee made it nor any creature with God Now in this verse hee telleth us if any be made vessels of honour and heires of glory it is that God might make knowne the riches of his glory it s his mercy and free-grace As if the holy Ghost had said God accounts of his grace and mercy to be the riches and excellency of his glory Now to make it knowne that this is his great designe God silleth heaven and earth with this his glory the redeemed in Heaven and the redeemed in Earth shall be one in Heaven at last and therein ages to come even to all eternity be swallowed up into the exceeding riches and glory of his grace Ephes 2.7 And the holy Ghost in this and the verse before it telleth us that is Gods end and designe in raising us up together and making us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus If wee observe this Scripture it holds forth this that all the kindnesse wee receive from God it is his grace in Christ and Gods designe in the manifesting of this his free-grace in Christ is to shew forth the exceeding riches and glory of it the whole worke of salvation will cleare up this truth for if we consider all the subjects of salvation we shall finde no object for any thing of God but his free grace and rich love the pollution of faine man in his naturall condition could not be an object of preservation to the holy just and pure eyes of an omnipotent God nothing but free-grace and rich love in God could looke the lookes of life to souls dead in sinnes and trespasses And if thus then it plainely appeares that Gods great design in the salvation of sinners is namely to glorifie or to manifest the glory of his owne eternall rich love and free-grace God will have soules live by his grace that hee might manifest the life and glory of his grace that grace which giveth life appeares in the life it giveth so that every saved soule is a monument of the riches and glory of the love and grace of God and the wise God layde his designe sure when hee made choise of the salvation of sinners to manifest the glory of his free-grace by In the next place I shall hold forth how God doth accomplish this great end and design of his Namely by making the whole frame and worke of salvation to flow from and to depend upon his owne free-grace so as there is nothing in the whole worke of salvation from first to last but the free-grace of God Ephes 2.5.8 Even when we were dead in sinnes bath quickened us together with Christ. By grace are yee saved The time speaks grace when dead in sinnes this is a season only for grace and that the grace of God too appearing when not only in sinne but dead in sin past all recovery as from selfe if doing could prevaile yet here is no life to doe withall this is onely a time for a living love in God to act free-grace in If ever salvation comes to soules dead in sinne it must be by grace the grace of God saves of it selfe without any cause out of it selfe and this is the true salvation of soules dead in sin by grace yee are saved to be saved by grace that is to be saved in the salvation of God the whole worke to be of his free-grace not any tittle of it of our salves Rom. 3.23 24. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace Marke it there is all selfe under sin but saved justified and acquitted soules from sin are the fruits of Gods free-grace though selfe come short of the glory of God yet free-grace makes perfection that justifies this is the salvation of God to justifie freely by his grace Rom. 5.21 That as sinne hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Jesus Christ Here sinne and selfe hath its reign but it is to death but all the parts of salvation is the work of Gods free-grace grace reignes through righteousnesse in Jesus Christ The righteousnesse of Christ to saved soules or Christ made righteousness to such souls what is it but the reign of Gods free-grace that is grace is supreame the grace
is all in the whole worke of salvation this truth will be made more cleare in proving the parts of this great worke the salvation of GODS free-grace But now consider that God layes this worke the salvation of his free-grace sure in the full satisfaction of his owne divine justice that so the saved of his grace might stand spotlesse before him to all eternity And herein is the mistery of salvation that Gods justice is fully satisfied and yet that his grace in saving his people should be perfectly free but both these doth plainly appeare in the salvation of God to his people the work of his free grace Now the way of grace in God to satisfie Divine justice to the full and yet to keepe it selfe entire free grace to all that are saved is this Namely to chuse out appoint and to send Christ in the flesh God-man to satisfie the Divine justice of God for man in whom the wisedome of God giveth full satisfaction to his owne Justice and perfect salvation to his people all of free grace In this glorious mistery free grace in God is the fountaine full satisfaction to Divine Justice the way but perfect salvation and rdemption to all his elect body in Christ the end I shall now come more particularly to the parts of this great worke of God the salvation of his owne free grace And first of Gods electing grace That it is free grace in God which elects to salvation that I shall first prove by the subjects of Gods salvation which is fallen sinners Ephes 2.1 Dead in trespasses and sinnes A lump of finners dead in trespasses and sinnes hath God to choose out as subjects for his love vessels of honour and heirs of glory If grace in God make not the choise surely the whole lump of fallen sinners would be left to remaine dead in sinnes and trespasses but the Apostle in Rom. 9.18 23. telleth us that God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy That is God is full of mercy but he is free in it his mercy lyes in his owne will he chooseth his own vessels of mercy That he might make knowne the riches of his owne glory He chooseth where he pleaseth that it might appeare he chooseth according to his owne will and pleasure that is that all his mercy and grace is free and that the first worke or part of the worke of salvation his Election is of and from his owne free grace So Ephes 1.4 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will That is God chooseth from all eternity such as he wil make his children and heirs of glory by Christ and this hee doth according to the good pleasure of his own will all fell alike in the first Adam nothing in one more then in another to move God to love for all were dead in sinnes but the whole work in God is the worke of his grace it is all begun and finished according to the good pleasure of his owne will all is the worke of his free grace But secondly whom God thus chooseth by his grace he chooseth in Christ Ephes 1.4 According as hee hath choosen us in him that is in Christ so that all along grace is free in God and the whole worke of salvation only of his free grace Rom. 5.15 What ever is in Christ is the gift of grace so that Christ being the way by which God workes satisfaction to his own justice and salvation to his people it is all of grace the reign of life in Saints by Christ is the reigne of grace in God to Saints through Christ vers 17. Shall reigne in life by one Christ God in Christ doth reigne over soules in righteousnesse as the God of life and salvation it is God in Christ a God of free grace But in the carrying on this worke of Gods grace in the salvation of his people through Christ it is needfull that Christ take flesh according to that promise in Gen. 3.15 The seede of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent And this is accomplished in the fulnesse of Gods time Isa 9.6 For unto us a childe is born unto us a sonne is given The childe which is borne is the sonne which is given Christ in the flesh the sonne of God is the gift of his free grace this child Jesus is the gift of Gods grace 〈◊〉 Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles To open the blinde eyes to bring the prisoners from the prison and them that fit in darknesse out of the prison-house Isa 42.6 7. So that as grace giveth him so his worke in the flesh is that worke of grace in all the parts of it Thus farre we have Saints in Christ and Christ in the flesh and the free grace of God in all This which followeth will appeare to be as purely grace in God as what hath gone before though now God comes to have actuall and full satisfaction to his justice Now the elect are in Christ and Christ for us in the flesh now the holy law and Divine Justice of God comes for fulfilling and satisfaction But to whom why to Christ so that when justice is fully satisfied yet that the whole of salvation might be a work of Gods free-grace Quest But why should Justice come to Christ for satisfaction had he sinned Answ I answer no but in the great designe of Gods grace to redeeme his people in Christ Christ was willingly made sinne for us and tooke our nature that hee might stand before Gods Justice in our roome as the sinner The holy Ghost cleares this truth in that 2 Cor. 5. last For hee hath made him to be sinne for us who knew no sinne The verse before cleares up this hee in the Text to be meant of God Be yee reconciled to God for hee hath made him sinne and this him in the Text must needes be meant of Christ for it is said of this him that he knew no sinne that is he had no sin of his owne he was that spotlesse lamb without sinne so was never any in flesh since the fall from innocency but Christ so that the Scripture is plaine That God made Christ is be sinne for his elect body that is not to be guilty of any finne in himselfe but to be the surety the debtor and paymaster to the justice of God for all the sins past present to come of all his elect body so that divine justice goes only to Christ for satisfaction and in Christ divine justice hath full satisfaction so that justice and grace in God are both pure in the salvation of sinners through Christ that is thus made sin for us Here wee have Christ made both sinne and flesh by God and now in the flesh wee shall sinde
as God to answer your wants yeâ— there is none so near to you as God in relation to whom you may plead the interest of a Childe and from whom you may expect the bowels of a Father and upon this foundation the believing soul goes to God in all its wants as to a Father believing soules are onely satisfied with childrens bread and this they look for from their Father so answerably in all their wants goes to their Father faith is a great advantage to the soule in this in all its wants to carry it to a full fountaine and to bowels of love which is ready to answer the souls with its owne fulnesse a Fathes hath a quick eare and a tender heart to his childe crys and wants God is in this more exactly a Father then any on earth he is most ready to heare and answer the wants of his children this faith doth assure the soule of and hereby drawes it forth to goe to God as its Father and make his wants knowne First Epistle of John 5.14 1 John 5.14 15. 15. And this is the considence that wee have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he beareth us And if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we aske wee know that wee have the petition that we desired of him Faith keeps the soule carefull to make petitions according to the will of God and in the name of Christ assures the soule that its petition is granted the reason is this the Child beggs of the Father for the Fathers will to be done and fulfilled in him for that is it which a believing soule wants and seeks for onely that God may be all in it and that his will may always be done by it now this spirit and this assurance will be certainly carrying the soule to God as to its Father in all wants when creatures in their wants comes to lower relations then a Father they give this for a reason my Father is not able or my Father is dead were he alive I would not trouble you which speakes this that if they had a Father to goe to which were able to helpe them they would carry all their wants to him and center all their desires in him because a Father but now saith in the soule it makes out God to bee a living Father able to answer all the wants that soule or body hath and maketh knowne to him and therefore carrys the soule in all its wants to God his father interest is the strongest of all pleas and the nearer the interest and relation is the stronger is the plea of the soule the Prophet David in Psalm 28.1 Psal 28.1 useth this argument with God for his assistance Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my Reek bee not silent to me This is his plea thou art my Rocke that is my foundation and my defence I have builded on thee therefore be not thou silent you see relation and interest is his argument thou art my Rock therefore I come to thee I sayes faith thou art my Father therefore I come to thee be not thou silent thou art my Father I know thy bowels cannot but yearn to see my wants and the injuries done to me he that beleeves most in God is least in revenging his owne injuries the reason is this faith carrys the soule to God and there it tels God all the injuries and wrongs that are offered and done to him and then the soule is at rest leaves the recompence to his Father this throughly and spiritually considered is a very great advantage in the soules of believers which is demonstrable by the many great evils it keeps the soule from what is the reason that men of the World in their wants will deceive and lye nay steal rather then goe without what they lust after and in their streights will sweare and forsweare yea doe any unlawfull thing to break through is it not want of faith in God they say they have no other ways to helpe them that is because they have no faith in God Gods children finds other wayes though they be in the same wants they goe to their Father saith pleadeth the interest of a Child and begs day by day its dayly bread and keeps the soule believing that as God is an inexhausted fountaine in himselfe so that he can never let that dye which himselfe hath begotten nor be worse to his Children then earthly parents are to theirs it is faith in the soule keeps it living upon God as a Father which preserves the soule from all evill ways to answer its wants for it carrys the soule to God as a Father in all its wants both for soule and body see the operation of faith in Davids soule Psal 31.14 I trust in thee O Lord I said thou art my God Psal 31.14 Where faith clears up interest it begets trust thou art my God therefore I trust in thee so doth faith clear up the relation of a Father in God to the soule and then what followes Thou art my Father therefore I come to thee and trust in thee The soule is exceeding full of sweetnesse joy rest and holy holdnesse when it can come to God as to its Father and stand in his presence as in presence of his Father Now this sweetenesse joy rest and holy boldnesse of the soule is the fruit of faith in the soule Faith in the soule makes the soule much in heaven by prayer because it delights to be in its Fathers presence and spreading before the bosome of his love all the wants it is in Burthened hearts doe use to seeke some true friendly bosome to open themselves to and so in some measure to ease themselves now in this faith is a mighty advantage to the soule for it leads the soule to God and God its Father where it shall not only open but certainly ease it selfe of all its burthens Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy loaden sayes God and I will refresh you I sayes faith in the soule goe to your Father he will ease you of all burthens and rest you in his owne bosome when as the soule sees the power of a God and the love of a Father centre in one object it is easily drawn to runne after it in all its wants Now thus faith holds forth God to the soule as God our Father and by faith believing souls goes to God in all their wants and cry out O our Father we want victory over sin in our conversations deliverance from the temptations of Satan to be carryed in thy Spirit above the love and joy of the world to have our wils wholly melted into thine to be spirituall in our light motion and worship We desire as our head did for us to be kept from the evill of the world and that thou wouldst provide for us all things needfull quite through the Wildernesse these are our wants and desires But thou art God in whom there can
be no want and thou art our Father therefore wee pray thee answer all our wants according to thy wisdome and thy glory these are the breathings and motions of true and lively faith in the soule it carryes Saints thus to God as to a Father in all their wants and makes them much with God in the opening their wants to him because God is their Father Now what ever keeps the soul much with God must needs be a great benefit to the soule and this is faith that which carries the soule in all its wants to God and keepes the eye of the soule steady on God as a Father therefore a great benefit to the soule A fifth benefit of faith in the soule is this By faith Saints doe chearfully undergoe sufferings for Christ and choose them though grievous to the flesh rather then finne This is so truly the benefit of faith in the soule that none but such soules as believe in God can doe thus Saints doe this by a strength out of themselves even in God which they have in God by believing By faith in God Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. chose Nebuchadnezar's firy furnace rather then to worship his golden Image which hee had set up Faith made it easier to them to suffer for God then to sinne against him though the Furnace was heat seven times hotter then before Nebuchadnezzar gave them their choise saith taught them what to choose These believing soules counts the flames of sin to be more dreadfull and fuller of smart then any flames which the Tyrant could cast them into they had faith to trust in God and that carryed them above the commands of sinne or the feare of punishment in the disobeying of man The same effect of faith we find in Daniel in the sixth Chapter of his Booke vers 10. Dan. 6.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his Chamber and prayed three times a day Hee knew what snare was laid to catch him in yet he omitted not his duty he chose rather to be cast into the Lyons mouths then to keepe his mouth shut from making Petitions to God Thus faith in God kept him close to his duty though it led him into the snares of death Faith leept up the Apostle Paul's soule to this pitch in Acts 21.13 Acts 21.13 when â—s fleshly relations would by teares have perswaded him to omit duty that hee might wave bonds hee answers their solicitations thus What meane yee to weepe and to breake my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ As if he had said your weeping is my greatest burthen you break my heart with that as for bonds and death for the Name of Christ faith in God will carry me through all that and I had father choose to dye at Hierusalem then to omit my duty and not to goe for feare of bonds Thus we see the choise of soules believing in God when sinne and sufferings are before them one to be chosen and the other left now none but a believing soule can doe thus for it is faith in God which keeps the soule close to God the pleasure of sinne though but for a season will leave such soules as have not their pleasure in God Now none can live in God with delight that doth not believe in God so that it is only the believing soule that chooses God for its delight and will rather choose sufferings then leave Godâ— Christ hath many which professe to follow him and to be in him but when hee tryes them by sufferings for his Name and his Truths they leave him and with Demas embrace the present world by which hee discovers them that they were onely of him by bare profession not truly in him by faith for then they would abide with him and accounted of Christ to be as worthy and as lovely with his Crosse as with his Crowne and would have chosen in all conditions to abide with Christ I as Moses to choose afflictions with the children of God rather then the pleasures and honours of Pharoah's Court to a believing eye Christ puts a beauty upon sufferings and a blackenesse upon sin so that the soule for beauty-sake chooseth sufferings rather then sinnes this is a precious advantage in the soule but the truth of it speaks this that there is very little true faith in the world this faith is accompanied with much love to God and Christ and that makes it the more rare and scarce to be sound but where iâ— is it makes a glorious soule and conversation Wee may finde many that doe choose sinne in love to sinne though sufferings be visible to the eye and shame at the heels of such courses but it is only the believing soule that to shun sin will choose sufferings and that out of love to God and faith in him This is a rare advantage for it makes the soule a rare soule such a one as is no where to be found but amongst Gods Jewels his little flock and peculiar ones this faith is always leading the soul of sin to take in Christ though sufferings comes with him nay chooseth to embarque in a storm with Christ rather then to goe with sinne in the most pleasantest calme that the world affords It feares not to be with Christ in troubled Seas because it believes he can rebuke them at his pleasure so that both wind and Seas shal obey him Faith knows nothing can bound God but God can bound the creature when he pleaseth Faith knowes if God say the word though the ship be split in the midst of raging Seas yet not the life of one man shall perish whom God hath promised to bring safe to shore and hereby faith perswades the soule to choose sufferings in communion with God thereby to avoid sinne which leades the soule from God the believing soule can see no happinesse out of God therefore refuseth to embrace any seeming pleasure which leads from God and this soule sees such full happinesse in God that it believes what ever sufferings it meets withall in communion with God that God in such communion will swallow up the soule in himselfe above all sufferings and in this saith doth the soule cheerfully undergoe sufferings for God and choose them rather then sin which is a greater advantage to a child of God in this world then if all the world were at his disposing A sixth benefit and advantage of true Faith in the soule is this Faith makes the soule steady in its worship and service of God when as a soule believes that it doth worship God according to his owne mind and will then it in not easily removed or shaken in its worship and service of God therefore sayes the Apostle let every one be fully perswaded in his owne minde that is what ever men doe in the service and worship of God let him fully believe
there is much mounting up to God that soule which keepes its experiences of God fresh and green wil be sure to have its faith flourish God gives many experiences of his love and goodnesse to his people that they may believe on his Name Now what God uses to his ends must needs be an effectual meanes therefore such soules as would have faith live must be sure to keep their experiences of God alive these are choyce Jewels they wil be no burthens to our bosomes every one that reades knowes his owne experiences best be they more or lesse keep them all alive faith wil delight to live with them in the soule but if these be lost faith wil judge there is no company fit for him and so take his leave and be gone and then wil doubting and shakings be the companions to such a soule be he that keepe experiences alive wil thereby keepe a living faith and such soules as believe in the Lord their God shal be established This is the first Rule for the preservation and nourishment of faith in the soule The second Rule is this Be diligent in observing the workings of Gods Providence God is various in those dispensations but they all workâ— together to the fulfilling and making good of his promises his wisedome is past finding out and his foot-steps cannot be traced no man can certainely say by the present dispensations of God in his providences either to Person or Nation what wil be his next but whom ever doth diligently observe Gods providential workings in the World wil finde that though one after another it may be many yeares yet that they worke one with another to the accomplishing of the most glorious wil word and promises of God the former making way for the latter and those that come after confirme them that went before so that such soulâ— which like the Virgin Mary doth ponder and lay up the words and the workings of Gods providences in their bosomes wil finde such eyings of God and treasuring up of his ways of providence to be exceeding usefull to the maintaining and increasing of faith to God in the soule This was the Prophet Davids frame of spirit Lord sayes he thou hast delivered me from the Lyon and the Beare and thou wilt also deliver mee from this uncircumcised Philistim Mark it he had diligently observed and treasured up in his heart Gods former providences to him and this is the use his soule makes in the remembrance of them to trust God in another great undertaking for him as if he had said I have had ample experience of thee in former acts of thy Providences to me and thou are the same God for love power faithfulnesse and goodnesse so that in the remembrances of thy loving kindnesse of old wil I tâ—â—st in thee and though I contend with a Gyant yet that I shal be safe under the shadow of thy wings Againe it is worth the observings of the most curious eye in the World how God doth Season his providences he brings them forth in such seasons that when they appeare they are like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver not onely 〈◊〉 oâ— beauty in themselves but also exceeding glorious in their season Eâ—â—her 5. such waâ— the workings of God upon the heart of Abasâ—â—â—â— the King to hold forth to Esther the Queen the Royal Sceptre when as she hazarded her owne life to plead for the life of has Nation the season of this kindnesse and Providence of God had as much beauty upon it as the life of Esther and the whole Nation of the Jewes could make one wrinckle in the brow at this time would have killed al the smiles of former times but a holding forth the Sceptre at this very nick of time doth crowne al former kindnesses with life the King knew not what was in Esthers heart but God knew and by his most seasonable Providence did prepare the heart and hand of the King for her entrance and her motion I shal give but this one instance though there be many more in Scripture of the like kinde and sure I am the experiences of this present Age is not without instances of the same nature I meane the seasonable working of Gods provilences to and for his people many times when our unbelieving hearts have given all for lost and could see no way of deliverance all lower helpes proving either weake or false then even then hath God divided the Red Sea to make way for his peoples deliverances and their enemies destruction God hath layd his owne and his peoples enemies low in the highest pride of their hearts and raised his people from the lowest of their feares both which reasons doe much advance the glory of his Providences Now sure I am such hearts as spiritually treasures up these wayes and workings of Gods seasonable acts of Providence wil be much advantaged to trust God in all times and tryals they shal meet with through their whole pilgrimage therefore I beseech you make use of these Rules if they advantage your soules to such an end as faith in God you wil blesse his Name and be blessed in the trusting upon his Name Now give mee leave to argue with my owne soule and others in the behalfe of God Me-thinkes I heare the Lord say You that distrust me come forth and produce your reasons Am I not God and for ever God is there or can there ever be any above me I say I am infinite Almighty and eternall disprove me if you can but if you greâ—â—â— me this sayes God then you can pretend no cause to distrust me in poynt of power Nay sayes God I am not onely powerfull but I am also faithfull I affirme it that I am God and cannot lye and I call your owne hearts to be my wiâ—nesses I challenge you to produce one tittle of all my Word my Covenant and my promises that I have made to you and you have trusted in me to make good wherein I have failed and deceived your trust if you can produce none but that your owne hearts are the witnesses within you of my faithfulnesse then sure I am those very witnesses will upbraide your unbelieâ—e and make as black as Hel all those black and hard thoughts you have of mee you will choose a faithfull man to trust that very choyce will condemn you in distrusting me that am the faithfull God if I have my witnesse in your hearth that I am faithfull why doe you distrust mee you must bee false to your owne bosomes when you have thoughts that I should bee false to you But it may be you will argue that you are sinfull mortals so that you feare my Justice and my Majesty that you dare non draw neare to me or rest upon me for feare I should consume you why then come and argue with my free grace my eternal and unchangable love my Christ crucified and therein my justice satisfied and a perfect righteousnesse freely given
The Rest of Faith THAT IS Souls fixed and established in God by believing on him through the Lord JESUS CHRIST With the grounds of this Faith from sanctified Reason the benefits of Faith and the evils of unbeliefe Proved by Gods Word and presented to open view By Coll. ROBERT TICHBORNE Psalm 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on mee hath everlasting life Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God LONDON Printed by M. Simmons at the gilded Lyon in Aldersgate-streete 1649. TO THE HONOURABLE Lieftenant Generall CROMWELL Honourable Sir GOD having first pitched my meditations upon the study after an establishment in this perishing World and shaking times in which we live and in this study more emminently then before made knowne himselfe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be that Rocke of Ages which never failes such as trust in him he did then draw forth my heart upon a principle of common good 〈◊〉 hold that forth to the World which he had made known to me that so if God would blesse it to the end I intended it every soule might be as happy in a fixed state as my selfe this is truly my end in publishing that to others which God did in secret imprint upon my heart Now in the publishing of this I take boldnes to Dedicate it to your self but if any aske why I doe so I shall render them these two Reasons First it is proper for me to tender respects to one from whom I have received so many I shall be short in this and say no more but that I remaine your Debtor My second reason is this Though the subject be of generall tendency to the wants of all Gods people yet such as God puts most worke upon have most need of this support such as fight and contend with the enemies of God either within them or without them will finde faith in God to be their best weapon that God hath emminently called and used you in such a weighty work I need produce no proofes to the World God himselfe hath done it what God hath further for you to doe I know not but this I know that faith in him will be your greatest strength in doing and a certaine rest what ever your worke maybe for this reason also I present this to your hands the scope and substance of which I believe hath strengthened your heart and hand in all that concernes you here and for ever Your enemies say you have done much but I beleeve the voyce of your owne heart is that God hath done all himselfe wherein he hath used you as an instrument What is yet behind for you to doe or suffer God only knows This I dare boldly affirme faith in God will be your best companion and your surest rest in all conditions therefore Sir in sincere love I present my service and this Treatise of the rest of Faith to your hands the Lord goe with it to your heart and make himselfe your rest here and forever which is the reall desire of him that truely loves you and in love will be ready to serve you in the worke of the Lord whilst I remaine ROBERT TICHBORNE To the READER READER I Observe in nature that the strongest liquors are of most use when the spirits are weakest as strong waters to a fainting man and when the seas are most boisterous then doth the Marriner cast forth his Anchor The dispensations of God in these latter dayes of the world in which we live hath made both Sea â—and full of troubles by reason whereof much fainting of spirit and trembling of heart hath overspread the Nation These out goings of God hath drawn forth my heart to follow that tracke of his Word in the light and strength of his spirit which leads to himselfe that so I might find in him reviving to my fainting spirit and a rest for my weary soule God having been so gracious in manifesting himselfe to be my all here and for ever and given me a heart to rest upon him by which I am in full and lasting rest It was set upon my heart that I should not be unthankfull to him and unchristian to others If I should have onely sed upon this bread of life in spirit and not tel forth to the glory of his grace and the good of others how sure a resting place his bosome of love is and how firmly all such shal be established that believe on him one drop of his love wll raise the lowest spirit that soule which stays it selfe upon God by faith will be at rest though the storms of the world be never so great If this be true which I am confident many thousand souls besides my own can bear the witness of to God then I am apt to believe the following Treatise will have acceptance with such as God hath made sensible that he is now shaking not onely the earth but the heavens also Most complaine of the earth-quakes which the Land and world is ful of but some complain of heart-quakes to these complaints give me leave to speak in the Prophets language Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established Believe in God as your God so will your hearts be fixed when as God shal write vanity upon al the world God is now staining all glories besides his own but such as live and glory in God through believing wil have a living glory in a dying world a bed of rest what ever troubles the world beâ— ful of Therefore Reader if you would faine rest you must live on God by faith and if in this worke God shall use the following Treatise for your good I shal blesse him for your soule as for my owne truly this is the highest end of your servant in the Lord Robert Tichborne Beleeving in God doth advantage a Saint with an established heart 2 CHRO 20. later part 20. Verse Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you be established THE Lord telleth us in his Word Heb. 12.26 of a time when as he will not onely shalâ—e the Earth but the Heavens also Shake all that may be shaken so as that which cannot be shaken may remaine and appeare this is his faithfull Word and truly his great and glorious workinge in these our dayes doth seem to point out that time to be neere at hand when God himselfe doth shake the whole Earth and heavens though they be vast bodies yet they must fall before the breath of the Almighty power which made them by a word this shaking truth and times hath with more solicitousnesse drawne forth my heart to seeke after establishment I found incouragement to this worke in that very text which
Christ making full satisfaction to the justice of God for all those whom he is made sinne for as Christ came in the flesh to take up the debt of sinne for his people and to lye under the wages of sinne which is death so in the flesh and in his death hee giveth such full satisfaction to Almighty God that God doth acknowledge himselfe fully pleased in the travell of his soule Isa 53.11 Hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied That is God doth behold that satisfaction which Christ hath made to his justice for the sinnes of his people and in it doth acknowledge himselfe fully satisfied and for ever well pleased with his Elect in him that whole Chapter is a proving of Christ in the flesh being made by God an offering for sinne verse 10. to be wounded for the transgression of his people and bruised for our iniquities having the chastisement of our peace put upon him so that by his stripes we are healed it having pleased the Lord to lay on him the iniquities of us all 5 6. verses So that here is not onely Christ in the flesh but Christ made sinne for his people that is hath all the iniquities of his people layd on him by God with all the wounds bruises and chastisements due to them that is all the punishment due to sinne from Gods justice and this Christ undergoeth to the utmost so that by his stripes we are heoled that is by his suffering and satisfaction his Elect are in the justice of God wholy acquitted and discharged for God chose Christ to fatisfie his justice for sinne and having laide the debt with all the weight of it upon him and Christ having discharged this debt to the full Gods justice cannot but discharge it where ever it was due otherwise as one Text speaks Christ had dyed in vaine and the designe of Gods free grace to poore sioners could never be accomplished So the Apostle in the 3. Gal. 13. telleth us that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Christ as our suerty and publique Redeemer tooke sinne with all its weight and curse upon himselfe and what he hath taken from us he hath fully delivered us from so that in his satisfaction he doth fully acquit his elect body the first debtor from the whole debt and danger of sin either in curse or punishment And the Apostle Paul argueth out his tryumph in the 8. Rom. latter end upon this very consideration Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is bee that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe As if the Apostle had saide God doth justifie his elect body as he is a just God For Christ hath dyed and is risen againe That is Christ is risen as the satisfier of Gods justice in his death for had not Christs death satisfied Gods justice when as the sinnes curse and punishment of sinne for all his Elect body was layd on him he could never have risen again but now his is risen and risen as the justifier of his people and the satisfier of Gods justice Now if any shall charge the Elect of God with what Christ hath borne and satisfied for them Even the justice of God or the just God will acquit them and if God acquit who can condemne and therefore hee glorieth So the same Apostle in the 4. Rom. 25 speaking of Christ as being risen from the dead sayes thus Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification That is it was the sinnes of his Elect that crucifyed him and it is the justification of his Elect for whom he dyed that he is risen and as nothing could have crucified him but our sins so now nothing can condemne those for whom he dyed he being risen his resurrection pleades to all justice satisfaction in his death And Christ was therefore delivered up to death for our offences that in his resurrection we might be justified from all offences Gods great aime and designe of grace Run thorough the former to the latter of these Rom. 10.4 the holy Ghost telleth us there That Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth As if he had said The beleeving soule shall finde that Christ hath fulfilled and doth fully keepe the whole Law for him and so is an end to it for righteousnesse that is Christ is now the soules righteousnesse not the Law the Law is kept and fulfilled by Christ for a beleever so that it cannot charge any soule in Christ to condemnation but the righteousnesse and justification of the soule in the sight of God is Christ not the Law if any soule could keepe the whole Law in it selfe the Law might have been for righteousnesse to that soule but all having sinned and come short now the Law is an accuser not a justifier but Christ for his people hee fully satisfies and keepes the Law so that Christ is the righteousnesse of his people and an end to the Law for righteousnesse This is a faithfull saying 1 Thâ— X. 15 and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the World to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 It was the end of Gods giving Christ and of Christ comming to save sinners from sinne Law death Hell and what ever would destroy them and this end is effected for Christ did not onely dye but is risen did not onely take sin but hath satisfyed for sinne and all this is the worke of grace which appeares in this it is the worke of God in Christ the Apostle Paul doth acknowledge and confirme this truth in Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ The Apostle here sayes it is redemption through Christ but that doth not hinder our being justified by free grace in God though God workes through Christ yet it is all the worke of his free grace it is through Christ and Christ is through grace there is not any tittle of redemption or justification through selfe it is all through Christ and by grace which is no more but grace working through Christ the great gift of Gods free grace what ever God doth in Christ can no wayes deminish his free grace for Christ is the Mediator or middle person betweene God and Man in whom God magnifies his grace to Man and giveth to his people the riches and greatnesse of his love wherewith he loveth them through him This indeed doth manifest the wisedome and justice of God to redeeme his people through Christ but it no wayes lesseneth the freenesse of his grace nay it makes it more glorious grace for that justice is fully satisfied makes mercy the greater mercy and the justified is nothing in himselfe all this while but a sinner now that God should make Christ his way to satisfie his Divine justice by and to
on Jesus Christ as our Lord Jesus Christ so the soule comes to be at peace with God and to finde God to be reconciled to it and is thus justified in its owne bosome by beleeving in Christ that is the soule doth now beleeve all that God hath said concerning Christ and what Christ hath done and suffered for finners 2 Cor. 5. last and doth by faith apply and appropriate this to it selfe my Lord Jesus Christ saith a beleeving soule whom God made to his sinne for mee Isa 53. that I might be the righteousnesse of God in him upon whom God hath layd all my iniquities and the chastisements due to my sinnes Col. 2.19 and by whose stripes my soule is bealed So that now I stand compleate before God in him Thus by beleeving and appropriating Christ to our owne soules wee come to be justified in our owne spirits and to be at peace with God in beleeving God to bee as peace with us we come to be at peace with him that is all hard thoughts of God they are gone with unbeliefe now the soule beleeveth in God through Christ it findeth God to be a gracious loving reconciled Father and is now at peace with God or at peace in God full of peace by beleeving in God through Christ this is the justification that faith giveth the soule it lives upon the peace of God in Jesus Christ and quiets the soule in this that God is at peace with it through Jesus Christ and in this sense through the whole Booke of God wee must understand those Scriptures wherein it is said we are justified by faith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law Gal. 2.16 but by the faith of Jesus Christ even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ That is knowing that God doth justifie all through Christ by his free grace in beleeving and not any by workes we doe beleeve in his free grace through Christ and are thereby justified not of workes no not by faith as a grace for then by workes but of his grace through Christ laid hold on and apply by faith the Apostle Paul in Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all that beleeve the righteousnesse of God is the grace of God in Christ or the grace of God making Christ our righteousnesse which righteousnesse of God by Jesus Christ we apply to our selves by beleeving in the grace of God which hath made Christ our righteousnesse and in Christ as hee is made righteousnesse to us righteousnesse is the gift of grace but if faith as an act in us could justifie us then righteousnesse and justification would not be of grace but as faith is onely a hand to lay hold on Christ the righteousnesse of Gods free grace and this faith the gift of God not of our selves Ephes 2.8 So it hath its place and worke in the great designe of God the Salvation of his free grace So in Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 The holy Ghost doth not there say that by beleeving which is a worke of grace in the soule the soule doth put an end to the Law that is satisfie it and make it selfe righteous no for then righteousnesse would be of the Law but Christ he hath put an end to the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth that is by beleeving in Christ as our righteousnesse there is an end put to the Law the Law is no righteousnesse but Christ is righteousnesse and the fulfiller of the Law for all that thus beleeve on him faith is only the hand to lay hold of and to appropriate and apply Christ to the soule whom is Gods righteousnesse and the sulfiller of this Law for all that so beleeve on him Beleevers should be exceeding tender of preserving the glory of Gods grace for it is by grace that wee are saved and onely of grace that we are what we are and for this very cause was faith made the hand to lay hold on grace grace in God hath not made a hand to destroy it selfe we must be very watchfull in this thing and make the grace of God to bee the tryall of faith for that faith cannot bee true which doth not advance the free grace of God the highest pitch of faith in which it is very glorious is to apply the grace of God to the soule and to cast the soule upon the free grace of God to unselfe the creature to trample its best workes under feet as drosse and dung and resting full in the grace of God through Christ desiring onely to be found in him Not having our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3.8 9. but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.8 9. True faith it lifts up free grace in God by seeking his righteousnesse by faith it aimes no higher but to be a hand to receive the gift of grace Gods righteousnesse the Lord Jesus Christ The true worke of faith in the soule is to bring in Christ and cast out the Law as that Schoole-Master which keep◠the soule under feares till Christ came and to acquaint the soule that it is a Childe of God through Christ Jesus Gal. 3.25 26. John 6.40 47 Gal. 3.25 26. and that in Christ it hath everlasting life John 6.40.47 Thus beleeving in Christ the soule is strengthened in the inward man Christ dwelling in the heart by faith Eph. 3.16 17. Ephes 3.16 17. and establishing the soule in its union with Christ that soule which beleeveth in Christ as the gift of Gods free grace in whom God giveth eternall life 1 John 5.10 11. hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 John 5.10 11. Hee is sealed up to the love of God in beleeving the record of God that saith he loveth it freely and hath given Christ for it now the soule beleeves this word of God and rests upon it take Gods word for its eternall salvation this is the true office of faith in the foule to lay hold of the Salvation of Gods free grace in Christ declared by his word and to apply and appropriate 〈◊〉 to it selfe so as to rest and depend wholy upon it for Saivation and herein the soule comes to have the witnesse within its selfe by beleeving thus on the Sonne of God That it might appear◠to be the will of God that all which are saved of his free grace by Christ should be made partakers of this Salvation in themselves by beleeving in him and the salvation of his grace I shall of at two things to consideration First The Covenant of Gods free grace And secondly The promulgation and spreading abroad of the Gospell First Gods Covenant of free grace in Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. and Heb. 8.8 9 10 11 12. In which God doth freely ingage himselfe To
cals upon Gods people to trust in him upon this very consideration Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jebovah is everlasting strength As if hee had said when you trust in God trust in him as an everlasting God Doe not doubt the Lord Jehâ—vah as though hee should faile you at any time for he is everlasting strength and everlasting God he is Jehovah so that he can never saile and therefore trust in him So Job says of God in his 23d Ch. ver 13. Job 23.13 Mal. 3.6 That he is of one minde and who can turne him And God sayes of himselfe in Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore yee formes of Jacob are not consumed God is unchangeable in his eternall purposes of love and free grace to his people therefore they are not confirmed therefore trust in him because his love is unchangeable Let me aske sanctified Reason now if it have any thing to object against trusting soule and body and all that is or can be deare upon the eternall love and free grace of the eternall immutable and unchangeable God Nay doth it not come with authority upon Reason that eternall free grace should be trusted with eternall lost soules which have nothing to plead for their salvation but his everlasting grace If my eternall grace be your argument for salvation sayes God then let it be your rest rest upon it it shall be your salvation you shall finde it so to all eternity As I am eternally God and God from everlasting to everlasting unchangeable in my love so shall the salvation be of all such soules as thus rest upon me for salvation for I can no more change in my love then cease to be God Soules that rest on my love for their salvation shall find me eternally God and my love their eternall salvation The 4th consideration which I shall offer to sanctified Reason as an argument why to live fingly upon God by faith is our own other Saints experiences of God in his grace and goodnesse in his power and faithfulnesse and the glorious workings of that fulnes that is in himself for the good of his people this is a large field I have to walke in it is a most glorious subject more fit for a large treatise then an argument but I shal in this only use it as an argument and in it confine my selfe to as 〈◊〉 a compasse as possible I can in so large a subject I shall first gather from holy writ such experiences as Saint of old have recoâ—â—â— which they did doubelesse to manifest Gods glory and to establish the hearts of Saints in after Ages and then I shall wish a remembrance of those many wonderfull miraculous experience that this present age hath had of the glorious workings of God in his power wisdome Majesty and mercy to and for his poore hated and desplied people that rust in him First the experiences oâ— Saints in former ages I shall begâ—â— with that of Mordecai Queene Esther and the whole Nation of the Jewerâ— the Booke of Esther doth at large set forth the wicked and bloody designe of proud and wicked Haâ—â—an against all these and to what ripenesse he had brought his worke 〈◊〉 to the Kings feale and authority for him to let forth the flood gates of his malice and mischiefe up in them and how ready thiâ— wretch was to put in execution the power hee had obtained for he had prepared a gallows for Merdecai 〈◊〉 reading that History we shaâ— finde how in every part of the designe of that bloody man he is disappointed how he fals himselfe into the pit which he had digged for others and is hanged himselfe upon that gallows which he in the pride and malice of his 〈◊〉 did prepare for Mordecai I shâ—l leave the Readers to that History in Scripture for further light and onely make refiral of the close of it in Esther 8.15 Esther 8 15 16. 16. And Mordecai went out from the presence of the King in royall apparell of blew and white and with a great crowne of gold and with a garment of fine linnen and people and the City of Shushan rejoyced and was glad The Jewes had light and gladnesse and Joy and honour Observe the experience that these poore hearts had of the power the mercy and the wisdome of God that when Hâ—mans malice had conjoyned it selfe with the Kings power so thâ—â— all things were ready and the time oppointed to make a find end at once of Gods interest amongst them the whole Nation of the Jonas must be sacrificed to Haman's lust Then God appear and 〈◊〉 knowne his designe and changes the whole faced things as they did then appeare the Kings heart that is chaâ—ged and Merdecel whom represented the whole Nation of the Jones 〈◊〉 must be by the same hand that decreed him recalled from the gallowes to be honoured in wearing before the people the Kings royall apparell and a crowns of gold That is Mordecai and the whole Nation of the Jewes which to all humane understanding were past all hopes of being any thing but 〈◊〉 and undone people and now made a people of safety honour and glory in the Land This is an experience of God that his workes of mercy and grace for his people they are sure and secret though God hides his workings for his people from the world till his owne time of ruling comes yet these workes of God are sure though secret the workes of God are like Ezekiel's vision of the wheele within the wheeles he workes his owne ends in giving a long life to wicked men to runne in after their ends and makes the wicked doe his worke when as they thinke they are doing their owne it was Gods designe that Haman should prepare his owne gallowes which he did when he thought he had been working his own ends in making it for Mordecai so God made Haman to dictate to the King what Mordecai's honour should be when as he thought he had been preparing honours for himselfe the wayes of God are past finding onâ— but doubtlesse such experiences as these cals very loud for trusting in him and depending on him this is one great experience of God The Prophet David in a day of calamity cals to mind the experiences that our Fathers of old had of God Psol 22.4 5. Our father 's trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them Psal 22.4 5. they cryed unto thee and were not confounded That is they had experience of thee to be a gracious faithfull powerfull God and upon this account he blesseth God in Psal 18. to last Psa 18. to last as having had experience of him in his great workings for his people in setting up the Throne of Christ and preserving his seede for evermore And in Psalm 23. the Prophet makes mention of the experiences that he had of God as a ground of his resting on him and assurance that God would never faile
appearance of God did astonish the King so that he called them to come forth and when they came out of the firy Furnace they were so farre from any harme That a haire of their heads was not singed mither had the smell of fire passed on them What a most glorious experience of the power faithfulnesse and goodnesse of God is here the Kings fury was so hot that the Furnace must be heat seaven times hotter then before and it was made furious in heat indeed for the flames which came forth from it slue them which cast in Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to the firy Furnace but notwithstanding all his fury God preserveth those that trust in him he is with them according to his promise when as they passe through the fire and as the Winds and Seas so the flames of fire obey him for they finge not so much as the cloathes of these faithfull ones nor leave so much as the smell of fire upon their Garments O the infinite power and faithfulnesse of God fire shall lose its nature and cease to burne rather then such as trust in him shall be consumed by it God hath power enough to preserve his owne interest those that trust in him even in the eaging flames of consuming fire no flames nor fury can destroy that which the power and mercy of God will preserve and now here is a full experience of God he will preserve that which his people commits to him and trusts to him for the preservation of it these precious soules God had brought to this glorious pitch that they sleighted the Kings power and fury by beleeâ—ing in the power and faithfulnesse of himself And now sayes God it shall he knowne what I am and what it is to trust in me God could either have turned the heart of Nebuchadnezzar or have crushed his power that he should never have been able to have cast them into the firy Fumace but in this also God workes as the wheele within the wheeles he lete the furious man go on that he might have the fitter opportunity to manifest the glory of his grace power and faithfulnesse in their deliverance and that his people might have greater experience of their safety in trusting him God lets them goe into the fire that they might have experience of his love in going with them and of his power in preserving them and bringing them forth againe to the astonishment of all beholders and that it might remaine on Record to after Ages that Generations to come might say this is God and this will God be for ever to his people Should I inlarge according to the matter and worth of these experiences I should swell into a great bulke which I seâ—ke to avoide and therefore shall upon the matter onely make resitallâ— and leave inlargements to the Spirit of God upon the hearts of the Readers We shall finde in this Booke another glorious experience of God which the Prophet Daniel himselfe had in the sixth of Daniel we shall finde a decree to cast the Prophet into the Den of Lyons was deceitfully gotten and the cause was his making of petitions to God the Prophet knew of the decree which waâ— as of the Meades and Perâ—â—ans not to be altered and yet he alters not his course of calling upon God by Prayer he opens his mouth to God and trusts God to stop the Lyons mouthes he lifts up his hands and heart to God and trustâ— God to keâ—pe downe the Lyons pawes well God will not deceive his trust but yet he will let him be cast into the Lyons Den Daniel 6.16 Though the King was sorry yet he commanded Daniel to be cast into the Lyons Den and there Daniel is as safe as amongst Lambes the Angell of God had shut the Lyons mouthes that though they remained Lyons still yet to Daniel they had no more harme in them then so many quiet Lambet and when the King comen early in the morning with dread in his spirit lest the Lyons should have feasted themselves upon that precious piece Hecryes out O Daniel servant of the living God is thy God whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the Lyons Vers 20. vers 20. In the 22. vers Daniel answers him My God hath sent his Angell and shut the Lyons mouthes that they have not burt mee In the 23. vers Then was the King exceeding glad and commanded to take Daniel out of the Den so he was and not any manner of 〈◊〉 found upon him But in the 24. vers when his accusers were cast into the Lyons They brake their bones before ever they came to the bottome of the Den. The Lyons were raging Lyons in themselves though their mouthes were stopped by God in the preserving of Daniel that put his trust in him O the power of God fire cannot burne nor Lyons bite where God forbids he that made all for his own glory can change the nature of what he hath made when in so doing he may magnifie the glory of his grace and faithfulnesse to his people doth not these experiences say that God is onely to be trusted and feared he shuts where no man opens and opens where no man shuts Daniel had experience of Gods love and power in this that those very Lyons that lay like Lambes by him should devoure his enemies before his face none can bound the holy one of Israel but he can lock up the Lions mouths and open them at his pleasure sure it is good to trust in so good a gracious and powerfull God one that giveth such full experience to his people that trust in him of what he is a God infinite in power mercy and goodnesse there is a spirituallity in all these experiences of God which if God give in in the reading it will make them exceeding sweet and apt to that end I quote them for namely to beget faith in God and a holy dependency on him Amongst these holy witnesses let the Prophet Jonah be admitted to bring in his experiences of God and we shall finde them to be very glorious the Prophet doth at large declare how he came to be cast into the Sea in a great tempest here is nothing appeares to fleshly reason but destruction and doubtlesse those that cast him out of the Ship expected nothing else but that the Sea should be a grave to his dead body therefore they prayed that God would not lay his blood to their charge in the 14. verse But in the 17. verse Now the Lord prepared a great Fish to swallow up Jonah Jonah 1.17 and Jonah was in the belly of the Fish three dayes and three nights Well and is this a likely way of preservation is there not as much death in the belly of the Fish as in the belly of the Sea Lay aside fleshly reasonings for a little and observe the end of Gods worke In the 2. Chap. vers 10. And the Lord spake unto the Fish and it
Lament 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him This soule beleeveth God to be its portion and therefore lives upon God thus faith pitcheth upon what God is in himselfe to satisfie the soule withall the Prophet Habakkuk in his faith on God mentioned in his 3 Chapt. vers 17. to the end is a very emminent proofe to this truth he telleth us there Although the fig-tree shall not blosome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cut off from the fould and there shall bee no heard in the stalles Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The Lord God is my strength Observe the frame of his spirit and it speakes this That though all creature comfort should faile and be cut off from him yet that could not empty him of joy and rejoycing so long as the Lord continued to be the God of his salvation and his strength what doth this speake but that the Prophet lived purely upon what was in God and upon God himselfe as the God of his salvation for had his life been out of God his joy and rejoycing would have been cut off when the creatures of all kindes and in all places did faile but his soule living purely upon what God was in himselfe his joyes are alwayes green because God is the fountaine of his joy this is truly the benefit of the life of faith in the soule that must needs be a living advantage that leades the soule to a living fountaine and layes it to rest in the armes of God satisfying the soule with what flowes from the bosome of God that soule can never feare wants that hath this for its beliefe that what God is in himselfe he is for that soule and what is communicable in God shall according to the wants of that soule be communicated to it and this is the life of faith a life of joy and rest in God living upon the everliving God it is esteemed an advantage to joy and rest by the worldling to have his Bags and his Barnes full it is truly an advantage of joy and rest to a believer to live upon a full for God is ever full though the field and the barne faile though the bag have a hole in the bottome and cannot hold what is put into it yet the soule that liveth on God is full of joy and rest because God never failes Nay this is the advantage of a believing soule that liveth by faith in God it lives spiritually the streames that continually runs through the soule are Evangelicall the light is pure it is the light of the Lord the life is pure it is the life of God is lives upon what is in Heaven in God there is its treasure and its heart also the life of faith it is the evidence of things not seen not common objects to earthly eyes but sublime and spirituall objects the grace love redemption purity power and faithfulnesse of God these are the objects of faith which doe certainely make a most glorious life and rest in the soule this soule is of Heaven heavenly it is begot and new borne in Heaven and there it lives where ever it moves though the body be caryed from one piece of earth to another yet the heart is always in Heaven the object rest joy and satisfaction of this soule is spirituall God is all to this soule and all its life is in God the eye is spirituall and the heart is spirituall this eye doth alwayes see that in God which satisfieth the heart for the heart seasts and filleth it selfe with what it seeth and injoyeth in God if the Rocks in the Wildernesse should give no water yet the spirituall eye seeth Christ to be a Rock and a fountaine of life and there it drinketh and satisfieth it selfe with the waters of life the Prodigall had this eye when he said In my Fathers house is bread enough that eye which beholds God as a Father doth acknowledge that there is bread of life enough in God and that is the spirituall eye that eye of faith which makes God in single object and satisfies the heart with what God is in himselfe and to hâ—s people such souls as by experience knows what it is to live by faith in God I am sure doe value this as an exceeding great benefit and advantage of the life of saith that it hath God to live upon for its life A second benefit of faith in the soule is this By faith soules attaine to the righteousnesse of God which is Christ a believing soule makes Christ its righteousnesse so the Apostle Paul Phil 3.9 Phil. 3.9 And bee found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which iâ— through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith So long as this Apostle lived in his legal spirit principles his legall duties and priviledges were his righteousnesse but so soone as the life of faith lives in his soule Christ is made the righteousnesse of his soule hee counts all his former righteousnesse but as drosse and dung Now nothing will satissie his soule but to be found in Christ that is to have Christ his righteousnesse that God may behold him in Christ his owne righteousnesse faith it climes as high as God for righteousnesse nothing below Christ must be a righteousnesse to a believing soule To be found in him Christ the righteousnesse which it of God by faith When faith seeks a righteousnesse it restes no where till it attaine Christ Rom. 9.30 who is the righteous of God And this righteousnesse the Apostle telleth us in Rom. 9.30 That the Gentiles attained to by faith That the Gentiles have obtained righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of faith That is they have by faith pitched upon Christ for righteousnesse and so through believing have attained the true righteousnesse that righteousnesse which the soule can attaine to no other way but by believing the Jewes in all their legall duties could not attaine to that righteousnesse which the Gentiles did by believing The righteousnesse of God is not of works but by faith Christ is Gods righteousnesse he doth purchase and redeem the soule to believe faith doth not purchase Christ for a righteousnesse but believe in the purchase and redemption that Christ hath made for it and so attaines Christ its righteousnesse who is Gods righteousnesse and in whom the soule is to all eternity righteous in the sight of God Rom. 4.3 Thus was Abrahams beleeving in God accounted to him for righteousnesse It is not Abrahams doing but his believing by which he attaines to the righteousnesse of God and is counted righteous in the sight of God Gods righteousnesse is the gift of his free grace and can be attained by the soule no other way but in believing because any other
in it selfe knowes its peace with God faith cannot be understood to be a justifier in the soule as by purchase for then there were no need of Christ to goe along with it but as the seale of purchase through our Lord Jesus Christ and this is the true meaning of the Text for thus the free grace of God and redemption of Christ is preserved in the salvation of soules but in the other sense both are destroyed now in this sense it proves the thing in hand that faith soules up the soule to the redemption of Gods free grace through Christ and herein is the soule justified in it selfe by faith But of grace through Christ So the Author to the Hebrewes in Chap. 11. vers Heb. 11.1 1. giving a definition of faith in the soule sayes It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Faith is such a grace as giveth a substantiall injoyment satisfactâ—ry to the soule of that is hopes for and this is doth by evidencing and sealing up to the soul its reall interest in God Christ and heaven though through the clouds of the flesh is cannot 〈◊〉 the fulnesse and glory of its inheritance yet iâ— doth fully believe its interest in the inheritance because iâ— hath the seale in iâ— selfe thus faith is the seale and evidence to the soule of that which no other eye can see nor any other heart suck the substance of it seale up the soule to the redemption of Gods free grace and thus it is an exceeding great benefit and advantage to the soule the want of this makes those sad complainings that be in soules whâ—â— they heare of grace and good in God this blowes up the flames of their misery what is this to me sayes a soule that believes not in God I have no share in all this or at least I know of no interest that I have in the redemption of Gods free grace and so breakes out into such sad complainings of its condition as doth wound the hearts of standers by and breaks the heart that beare the first wound for a wounded spirit who can hearâ— this soule would give ten thousand worlds if it had the power for the seale of the redemption of Gods free grace in it selfe wee use to say things are worth as much as will be given for them by this rule the sealing love of God in his redemption of free grace to the soul by faith is more worth then can be expressed from whence I gather this that faith as it seales up the soule to the redemption of Gods free grace so it is an exceeding great benefit and advantage to the soule Another benefit of faith in the soule is this Faith carries the soule above feare into the strength of God so that though all creatures and meanes failes yet the believing soule hath its refuge and rest in God Faith in God carries the soule to God and there it lives in what God is in which life all distrustfull and distracting feare is banished from the soule It was thus with the Prophet David Psalm 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life Psalm 11â— 36 of whom shall I be affraid Here is first his faith in God and his living upon God by faith The Lord is my light my salvation and my strength hee did believe God to be so and lived upon God as his light salvation and strength But now observe what is the fruit of this faith iâ— his soule and what the benefit of such a presence Why it is this the soule is carryed above feare into the strength of God he lives in God and this makes him to be above feare whom should I feare of whom should I be affraid Is there any greater then Godâ— can any power take me out of his hands he is my light in which I see the powers of darknesse and know they are too weake to contend with him he is my strength so that not any thing can destroy me which cannot overcome him Nay he is my salvation he hath in the glory of his grace already saved mee out of the hands of all my enemies to this end that I might serve him without feare he hath so overcome all enemies for me that as I live in him so I have none to be affraid of these are the arguings of faith in such soules as live upon God which is the life of faith such soules argue their safety from what God is and therefore till a greater then God appeares they know no cause of feare This is the Apostle Pauls argument when as he was strong in faith Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8.31 His life was in God and by faith hee argues thus what power can contend with God hee speakes there of the greatest powers of darknesse that sayes if God be reconciled to us no power or powers can stand against him now faith in the soule sayes God is reconciled to us he is for us he is our salvation and strength none can be against us and prosper in their way therefore whom shall we feare or of whom shall we be affraid So the same Prophet in Psalm 31.14 In the verse before he sayes that fear was on every side untill faith came into his soule but faith that banisheth feare I trust in thee O Lord I say thâ—â— art my God Faith was his advantage to carry him above all those feares that were before on every side he commends to all Saints for such an end in v. 23. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your hearts all ye that hope in the Lord. As if he had said you may live above feare if your trust be in God In Ps 56.9.11 Psal 56.9.11 We shall find the Prophet in the practices of what he exhorted to in the last Scripture When I cry unto thee then shall my enemies turne backe this I know for God is for mee Mark it here is his faith that when he cryed to God for help against his enemies that they should be confounded and turned backe and the ground of his faith is this for God is for me God will engage on my side and I live on him as my strength and my salvation but in vers 11. There is the â—ffect of this faith in his soule and that is it carryes him above feare In God 〈◊〉 put my trust I will not be affraid what man can doe unto me Observe it is not feare because I have put my trust in God Faith in God caste feare out of the soule for it carryes the soule up to God above feare I have put my trust in God and shall I now be affraid of man Shall I feare such an inferiour power to God that which God can destroy in a moment in the twiackling of an eye this feare hath no confistancy with faith nor can it live
all accomplishing his owne will in the giving in to his people the fulnesse of his pâ—â—mises made to them this the soule by faith is assured of and therefore waites patiently and is not moved from its beliefe of God though his present dispensations speaken some other thing to his fleshly understanding Now if this hee the workings in the soule as doubtlesse it is then faith is an exceeding great benefit in this very thing for a soul fixed on God in his word and promises is in a measure in Heaven already it is as rest in God and is filled with the joyes of God in its rest it lives above â—â—tward appearances even in what God in and what God saith noâ— doubting but that all his workeâ— shall make good his word to that what ever his owne flesh or any other shall speake contrary to the Word of God that faith beates downe in the soule and keeps up the soule in a steady expectation of Gods making good all his promises and a patient waiting upon God for his 〈◊〉 time the troubled unfixed soules of unbelievers could they speake would set forth the exceeding benefit of faith in this particuler that which fixeth the soule in God leaves it in the full possession of all good now this is the true property of faith it is that gift of God which gives the soule singly and purely up to God to live onely in him and upon him and from hence flowe this benefit to the soules of Beleevers Againe Faith in God is a benefit to the soule in this namely That By Faith Saints are weaned from the World When a soule by faith sees its interest in God in that more exceeding and eternall weight of glory then and not till then hath it a low esteeme of all the dying vanities in the World that iâ— as the Wise man computes vanity all things under the Sunne Faith is such an eye as can read that love which is in Gods heart and behold the glory of that love as an heire of God a joynt heire with Christ and a Citizen of the new Jerusalem and in this vision is the soule in all its affection centered in God and so truely weaned from the World and it is nothing lesse can doe it there is such a naturalnesse a congruity and onenesse between the World and our owne fleshly hearts that nothing can breake off this league and mount up the affections of the soule but an Almighty power the indwelling of God in the soule by saith through which the soule dwels in God and is continually feasted and satisfied with fuller love and richer glory then the World can give the soule now being made spirituall sees God and to be the onely fountaine of love the single object worthy of love and its eternall portion of love and so is carryed in its love and affections above the world into God and Christ being thus swallowed up into God the soule in its love joy pursulte and rest becomes crucified to the World and the World to it it looks upon the World as a dead thing and its heart is truely dead to the World this is a true effect of faith see this in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 2 Cor. 5.1.2 5. begin For wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernaclâ—were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands but eternally in the heavens This is the worke of faith in the soule to assure the soule of its interest in God this we know sayes this Apostle that God is our interest himselfe is our eternall habitation so that when ever these clay walls shall crumble into dust we shall be no loosers by it for the dissolving of them is nothing else but the possessing of our full interest in God Now marke the effects of this faith in the 2. verse For in this we groâ—ne earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven The knowledge of interest in God which is the proper worke of faith in the soule it makes the soule not onely weaned from but also a weary of the World it groanes earnestly to be uncloathed of the flesh to be absent from the body that it might be fully present with the Lord faith weanes the soule in the whole lumpe from the World it would leave it wholy it groanes to be uncloathed of the body that it might leave the World in all it is the disappointments of the World doe many times make worldlings out of love with sonte pieces of iâ— but it is onely faith that weanes any soule wholy from it and that because faith in God manifests the fulnesse of God to the soule and the soules interest in that fulnesse so that it rests in God nâ—â— onely as its interest and so better to it then all the World 〈◊〉 as a better interest so that being made wise in Christ its wisedome the soule makes choyse of God as having seene the dying glory of the World and the living glory of God by a spirituall eye of faith it is thereby made dead to the World and alive to God Christ he speakes to a believing soule in the spirit and tels the soule It is your Fathers good will to give you the Kingdome and that the Kingdome of glory to he joynt heirea with me in glory the soule believing this becomes dead in its love to all the Kingdomes of the world and to a world of King lomes Christ tels the soule further that in your Fathers house are many Mantions and I goe to prepare them for you your building in God is ready when ever God shall uncloathe you of your flesh the soule in believing this hath its heart where its treasure is it in now risen with Christ and gone to Heaven and in its affectionâ— doth manifest it selfe to be Crocified with Christ to the World wâ—â—nerâ— from all lower glories because liâ—ing in the glory of God thâ—â— is in God where all glory centers and from whom all gloryen have their originall so that when the soule is at the 〈…〉 doth not thirst after narrow streames whom over dâ—inkes of thin fountaine of life thirsts no more that is no more after fatilfaction in any thing but God it hath all in God therefore weaned from all below God doubtlesse this is a rare benefit of faith in the soule it is rare in its appearance and for such soules that with Demas forsake God and imbrace this present World what ever they have professed and though never so long under a profession of God and godlinesse yet they never truly knew God in the spirit nor did they ever live in God by a true and lively faith for if they had it would have wrought this effect in the soule to have weaned their hearts from I and have Crucified their hearts to the World had they ever tasted God in truth the would never have forsaken him for tenne thousand Worlds For the life of God in the
to his people which is that all the ends of the Earth should come unto him and be saved that is beleeve on his free grace for salvation Now this is Satans grand designe to hinder faith because he is the great enemy of Mans salvation Our Saviour tould his Disciples that to them that beleeve all things were possible Satan knowes this full well and therefore doth all that possibly he can to hinder faith in the soule therefore be exceeding watchfull over Satan in this thing and looke often and diligently into our owne hearts and know that so much unbeliefe as is there so much interest the Devill hath in us and by that possession he hath an iolet to the soul for any temptation therefore I say againe in our Saviours words Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation But in the last place I shall winde up all in the Prophets owne words Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you be established And first beleeve God in himselfe and now I pray look back upon his Attributes and you shall finde him God and alwayes God an everliving and eterna â— God a faithfull God and a God that cannot lye a God of love and an everloving God his love is like himselfe unchangable he is the originall of all pure and holy love and as love is originally in him so that love is eternall like him he is a God of free grace and hath made his owne grace to be his Childrens title to life and salvation Now I date confidently affirme that whom ever thus believes in God shall be established what can shake that soule that lives upon God as God Almighty Omnipotent infinite and eternall what can kill those joyes and comforts that lives in God as he is a God of eternall and originall love and free grace these joys and comforts will live so long as the fountaine of their life abider and that is for ever God in what he it is unchangable the same yesterday to day and for ever from everlasting to everlstaing where God is the foundation and Christ the Comer stone that building will abide for ever shakings and great sâ—â—s doe arise from sandy foundations But the Prophe Davld teleth us that such people are blessed whose God is the Lord that is they have this blessing to be established whom have pitched upon God for their all and live upon what God is that soule which lives in God is above the feare of any other strength to overturne or destroy it because it lives upon an Almighty God neither can this soule feare to outlive its comforts and delights because they are bound up in an ever-living God and the eternall love and free grace of God to be the hand that bound them up and the wombe that brought them forth therefore this believing soule doth not say it shall one day fall by the hand of Saul that is of this or the other lust but that the eternall love and free grace of God hath delivered it from and carryed it up above all its enemies so that it may serve him without feare as a soule established in himselfe living purely upon what God is so that nothing can shake or unsettle this soule which cannot lessen God and as no power can make God lesse then the true Almighty Omnipotent Eternall and ever faithfull God no more can such powers shake much lesse destroy such soule soules as lives thus upon God the Author to the Hebrewes tels us Chap. 12. vers 27. That there are things which are made that are and must be shaken and there is a Kingdome which cannot bee shaken but shall remaine for ever Truely all below and besides God are now shaking and shall not cease til they return to their first nothing but the Kingdome of God or more properly God the glory of that Kingdome shall never be shaken but abide for ever so shall all those that live in him this is Mount Zion which cannot be moved to live in God ever hath and shall be a life of glory therefore this exhortation is alwayes ful of weight and glory but me thinkes in these latter dayes of the World when as the whole World is as it were giving up the ghost and every man complaining that there is no sweet nor relish in it the most discerning eyes plainely beholding its glory departed from it the Pillars cracked and breken so that it can be but a very little time before the Fabrick fals Now me-thinkes that which cannot be shaken but shall remaine for ever should have its exceeding worth and glory in our eyes and hearts and this is nothing else but God himselfe O then such as would live for ever must live in God for all things else are not onely dying but very neare their death God hath written upon honours pleasures and profits of the world Death so visible in such bigge characters that every eye almost can reade it but himselfe is the ever-living God hee that made all things out of nothing can when hee pleaseth make all that hee hath made returne to its first nothing and yet himselfe be to eternity what hee was from eternity an Almighty glorious and ever-living God Oh therefore live onely in the glory of this ever living God so shall you live when the World is dead so shall you dye to the World but live above the World Jehovah will be eternal life to all that live in him Faith in Jehovah will make an established soule Secondly Believe on God in the Covenant and salvation of his free grace in Jesus Christ the great gift of his grace in whom he hath satisfied his owne pure justice and perfected the salvation of his people and in all his gracious promises First believe him in his Covenant of free grace believe that he meanes to keepe it and will perform it to the utmost were there no othere reason this is enough to make us believe hee will keepe it because he hath made it in himselfe and hee is God that cannot lye he is Almighty and can want no power to prove himselfe the true and faithfull God it is all grace and so all God that it can never be lesse then it is but for ever the grace of God or the Covenant of the God of grace A little consider the conditions of this Covenant and then see how faith on God in this Covenant will establish the soules of believers First Sayes God this shall be the Covenant that I will make with my people As if God had said it is my Covenant so that if you that trust in it should finde it faile blame me but I am God and cannot lye It is the Covenant of my grace that is it is the powrings forth of my selfe it is eternall as my selfe and shall never faile in a title of it it is truâ— as I am true therefore believe this my Covenant as you would my selfe if I should speak to you face to face and in beleiving thus
to all that believe in me through him the pourings forth of my holy spirit and those mantions prepared in Heaven from all eternity for all that shall thus believe on my Nature through Christ I tell you poore doubting trembling soules it is my chiefe delight as God to glorifie my free grace in the salvation of sinners and to shew forth the riches of my eternall and unchangable love to poore soules lost in themselves doe not feare to draw neare to me to call me Father and to trust in my free grace for you cannot please me better if your hearts say you are unworthy to be beloved yet heare what I say I love purely from my selfe and I save onely of my grace so that your unworthinesse may heighten my grace but it cannot hinder your salvation that believe in my grace argue not that against your selves which I will never aggrevate against you beleeve in my grace I will never charge you with your own◠〈◊〉 for I have laid them upon Christ and he hath 〈…〉 my Justice fully for them all I tell you so and he is your righteousnesse made so of me that now you are righteous before me in him to all eternity If I that can onely charge you will acquit you why doe you feare if I acknowledge my selfe satisfied for all your sinnes in Christ why doâ— you so injure my justice and my grace to thinke I will ever charge them upon you againe nay me-thinkes Christ speake to our soules in this as hee did to Thomas put your hands into my wounds be no longer faithlesse but faithfull by this hand of faith in my wounds you may feele my Fathers justice satisfied he loved me so dearly that he would never have wounded me upon any consideration whatsoever but to save you Oh sayes God distrust not my saving grace Christ he sayes Oh distrust not my bleeding wounds for your salvation is the end of both these and the eternall salvation of your soules lyes in believing this Gods grace sayes Christ is so full and the redemption of my blood so compleate that no sinne or sinnes without unbeliefe in these can damne you Now why will you dye O house of Israel sayes God here is my free grace and the blood of my Son for your lives believe and you have eternall life nay I have promised my spirit to them that aske it aâ—ke me and trust me see if I deny For your own sakes sayes Christ I beseech you believe in God through me your salvation doth not advantage my Father for hee is in himselfe that perfection to which there can be no addition it is for your sakes that I tooke flesh and dyed methinkes you should believe this love And now for your owne sakes I beseech you cast your eternall soules upon the eternall love and free grace of God in his redemption through my blood stronger arguments of love cannot be given but if refused they will be the stronger aggravations against your unbeliefe Nay sayes Christ there is mansions above prepared for them that love the Lord and believe in him God loves you so dearly that he will have you for ever with himselfe Oh let there never more be a hard thought of this love of God and this God of love trust him love him admire him rejoyce in him and speake good of his Name the longest day of your lives His free grace sayes Christ hath plucked you our of the power of the Prince of darknesse and made you heirs of glory Oh glory in this inheritance be you filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory in believing Nothing can hurt you but unbeliefe Oh begge heartily and watch carefully against those wounds of Satan Nothing but unbeliefe can shake our soules in the rest and joyes of them through this shaking World therefore such as love and seeke establishment must take this way to attaine it for it will be found in nothing else but by beleeving in the Lord your God and so shall you be established To winde up all let this faith live in our bosomes in all Gods wayes to us and our walkings with God in the World it hath pleased God to make our beings in those latter dayes in which the Scripture tels us shal be perillous times and that because of this men shall be lovers of themselves more then lovers of God We see that Scripture fulfilled in our dayeâ— most exactly why what shal wee doe now for establishment in these perillous times why believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established Search his word and what ever Scripture you finde which administeâ—â— comfort believe in him he wil make that good as wel as this let not this be our reliefe that a little time may settle the worlds shakings and give us a more fixed being here but let this be our rest to live in God himselfe let him be our all here then though the whole world be not only shaken but overturned also yet we shal have rest in him on these troubled Seas and fulnesse of glory when we come into that safe harbour of Heaven to live believing on him wil make us all the wildernesse along â—â—â—dy in our way and worke we shal doe Gods worke in the world faithfully and live by faith in himselfe above the World though Devils men rage yet such soules as live by faith in God wil be fixed so that they as David will in their soules sing and give praise If the earth tremble yet this soule is established because it liven upon that rocke which is higher then it selfe yea as high as heaven even God himselfe Oh then wee cannot complaine of God when as we complaine of shakings but of our selves for if we live in God through Christ by faith we shal finde he will establish our hearts above the feares of Devils World or â—e Though thousands encamp against me sayes David and 〈…〉 sands make warre with me yet will I not be affraid for my 〈…〉 in thee Thou art my shield my buckler my defence 〈…〉 all and therefore was his soule so full of joy rest and holy confidence because he knew whom he had trusted so shall all sucle as trust in God be established upon his fulnesse such soules will by faith be able to bring the whole Nations of the earth before God and to see them as the drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance when as they contend with God and herein keeping close to God he knowes nothing can hurt him hee can with God goe through fire and water and believe that God will bring him safely out of all Base feare can finde no corner to creepe into when as by faith the soule is imbosomed in God and bathed in the blood of Christ This is not only the counsâ—ll of King Jehoshaphat but of our King Jesus to believe in the Lord our God for establishment This I will end withall Believe in the Lord your God through Jesus Christ so shall your hearts be established though in a shaking World even for this life and to eternity FINIS