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
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
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
the 72. Psalme 7. so on In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth he shall have dominion from Sea to Sea unto the ends of the Earth those that dwell in the Wildernesse the Beasts of prey shall bow downe to him and his enemies shall licke the dust Kings shall come in with their presents and offer gifts to him yea all Kings shall fall downe before him all Nations shall serve him and he shall deliver the needy and poore he shall redeeme their soules from deceite his Name shall endure for ever men shall be blessed in him and all Nations shall call him blessed the whole earth shall be filled with his glory Thus will Christ reigne in righteousnesse and all the Kings of the Earth shall tremble for their unrighteous reignes they shall all come in and offer up their Crownes and Sceptres to this King of righteousnesse bow downe before him and lay all their power at his feet and waite upon him for his Law then shall the Earth rejoyce that the Lord reignes and then shall the righteous be glad that the King of Zion ruleâ— in the whole Earth then shall the Land be a Land of peace when righteousnesse reignes then will peace flourish like the Tree planted by the river side that is alwayes green and flourisheth When Christ comes to reigne thus in the Earth it must needs be peace for then all his people will be one they will all have but one Name the Lords people and his name written upon them Zachariah 14.9 And the Lord shall bee King over all the Earth in that day shall there bee one Lord and his Name one When the Lord thus reignes over the whole Earth his people will be one then Names shall not divide his people for they shall all be knowne by his Name and he their King a holy King and a holy People he shall be known by his holinesse and righteousnesse so shall his people his holy Name shall be written upon them and that shall be a defence about all their glory Take one Scripture more which is exceeding full to this purpose in the 2. Isaiah beginning Isa â— beg Micha 4. beg And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines and shall bee exalted above the Hils and all Nations shall flow into it and many people shall goe and say Come yee and let us goe to the Mountaine of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and hee will teach us of his wayes and wee will walke in his pathes For out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem and hee shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke my people and they shall beate their Swords into Plow-shares and their Speares into Pruning-hookes Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learne War any more First this Scripture telleth us the time of Christs reigning thus in righteousnesse it shall be in the last dayes the latter end of the World Secondly How this thing shall be that Christ shall be lifted up above all Hils and Mountaines above all powers and greatnesse in the World he shall then take all power and government into his owne hands all the Mountaines shall flow into him the Mountaine of the Lord shall swallow them all up there shall in those dayes goe forth no Law but what goeth forth of Zion Christ shall reigne amongst his people and the Earth shall be filled with the peace of his reigning in righteousnesse when the Law goeth forth of Zion then the spirit for War shall be rebuked and the Sword of Gods spirit shall turne the Sword of the flesh into Plow-shares and the Speares into Pruning-hooks so that Nation shall never war against Nation more all Wars shall be hush't and gone righteousnesse shall reigne and peace which is the fruits thereof for Warre is the fruit of unrighteous reigning and governing nothing but righteousnesse justice and judgement can bring lasting peace into the World or any part of it and I wish all that love peace did love righteousnesse as well and imbrace peace for righteousnesse sake all such as doe so Christ will satisfie them for behold he comes with healing under his winges he brings righteousnesse and peace with him his righteousnesse brings peace he is the righteous King and the Prince of peace and he that shall come will come and will not tarry But if any shall aske what I intend in all this My answer is To gather up matter for faith to live upon to the establishment of my owne soule and others By beleeving in the Lord our God And I trust I shall not lose my end it appeares to me to be precious matter for Faith to live upon God and Christ to the establishment of soules That the Church and people of God on Earth are Gods interest and Christs interest Gods Inheritance and Christs Kingdome over whom he doth reigne in righteousnesse his jewels the purchase of his blood and the throne of his glory those whom God hath chosen from all eternity to be the redeemed of his free grace to unbosome his love and reveale his glory too to all eternity those to whom he hath given Christ and in him all things to whom God is a God in Covenant and that of free grace for whom God hath satisfied his owne justice through his grace in Christ and made them compleate even his owne righteousnesse in him for whose sake God reproves Kings overthrowes unrighteous powers dashing them in pieces like a Potters vessell with his Iron Rod and amongst whom Christ shall reigne King for ever in peace and righteousnesse This is to me abundant ground of faith to believe in and to cast my precious eternal soul with al my comforts and concernments upon Gods eternall love and free grace in Christ salvation in all the parts of it to Gods Elect in Christ is the fruits of eternall love and free grace in God this is a sure foundation to build on it beares a great weight its true but it will never shrinke or faile it hath been tryed from eternity free grace is the foundation and Christ the corner stone of this eternal building so that it will abide to eternity Upon these very considerations we shall finde the Church of God in the 46 47 and 48. Psalmes living upon God by faith 46 47 and 48. Psalmes and praising him through beleeving God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in time of trouble sayes the Church That is God is our God and we are his interest so that he is presently at our helpe he waites to be gradous to us he cannot forget us we are so deare to him well what use doth the Church make of this why to establish her selfe upon God by beleeving Therefore will not wee feare though
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
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