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
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
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
my eternall love and free grace that my people shall have their being in me and with me for ever you are graven upon the palmes of my hands for evermore you are my people in Covenant the elect and chosen of my grace to be my inheritance and dwelling place for ever I cannot forget you you are ever before me you lye in the wounds of my Sonne Jesus Christ and you are righteous in my owne righteousnesse so that to forget you were to forget my selfe and Jesus Christ I am a full treasury of mercy and grace and you are the onely vessels whom I have chosen to fill with my mercy and grace to all eternity think you that I can forget you as you are my inheritance so I have made my selfe your inheritance Rom. 8.17 and you are fellow heyres with Christ is it possible I can forget you to whom I have given my selfe for an inheritance no I have you in remembrance as my beloved ones for ever my owne grace hath begotten you my heart of love is to you and my outstretched arme of power and Majesty is for you you shall knowe I have not forgotten you I and so shall your enemies too they shall know that you are my interest and my care is over you as my chosen Inheritance whom I will preserve in the utter ruine and destruction of your enemyes Bloody hard-hearted Pharoah and all his Host overthrowne in the Red Sea doth proclaymâ— this to the World so those that cast the three emminent Children of God into the fiery Furnace they were consumed with the blast of the Furnace when the Saints of God walked harmelesse in the fire in the 33 Isa beginning Isa 33. beg there is a wâ—â— pronounced against those that made waste and spoils of Gods people and dealt treacherously with them the righteous God will be sure to spoyle all treacherous wretches which deale treacherously with his people I sayes God doe you thinke that I have forgotten my people and that you shall prosper in your treachery Surely to I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion Psal 2. and hee shall breake the enemies of my Inheritance my Church and people with an Iron Rod he shall dash them in pieces like a porters vessell Observe the Scripture it is the power of Christ that is the defence of his Church and the ruining of their enemies and he doth it with an Iron Rod Christ reignes over them in his indignation he dasheth them in pieces very easily as a Potter doth a brickle piece of clay and when they are thus broken they are quite destroyed never to be made whole againe no more thâ—n a broken Pot the enemies of Christ and his people they rage take counsell together and set themselves against the Lord Christ and his annoynted people but the Lord he fitteth in Heaven and laugheth them to scorne what sayes God you thinke to bring your ends about and your designes to passe you thinke your counsels very deepe they cannot be found out and your power so great that it cannot be shaken and nothing will satisfie your lusts but to destroy my interest from off the face of the Earth I tell you sayes God you imagine a vaine thing and you are all this while inventing your owne ruines you ingage your selves to certaine destruction when you set your selves against my people be you what you will Kings or Counsels you shall surely be crushed to pieces in the undermining my interest it is your folly to looke upon them in themselves so they seeme a poore despisable people which doth harden your hearts but did you see them as they are in me my interest you would then see your folly what are you or all the Nations of the Earth to me no more then the drop of a bucket or the small dust of the ballance I will speake to you in my wrath and vexe you in my sore displeasure if once you touch my people the apple of myne eye therefore sayes he be wise O yee Kings and be instructed you Judges of the Earth you that make Lawes and you that rule and reigne take heed be wise meddle not with my Inheritance I am onely King and Law-maker there iâ— will be your wisedome to kisse the Sonne and to serve him with feare and trembling but if you intrench upon his Kingdome and offend one of his little ones I assure you he will be angry he is zealous over them and his owne glory he will have no sharere in his Kingdome nor will he suffer any to rend his Flock but he will be angry and then O Kings and Counsellors you shall all perish from the way you shall never bring your designes to effect God will bring his designe to perfection which is your ruine and your end when Christ is intrenched upon in his glory and his jewells then is his wrath kindled very hot and then he shewes himselfe what he is in his victory over his enemies in the 63. of Isa Then he commeth from Edom with dyed garments stained all over in the blood of his enemies this is the day of his vengeance now he treads downe his enemies in his anger makes them drunke in his fury and brings downe their strength to the earth thus doth Christ destroy the enemies of his people For he hath an interest in them as God hath in this 2 Psalme 6. Christ is King of his Church Psal 2. Isa 9.6 Cant. 4.8 1. Reve. 19.7 Eph. 1.22 23. Mat. 12.49 50 the government is upon his shoulder Isaiah 9.6 The Church is Christe Spouse Cant. 4.8 his Love 1. Shee is the Lambes Wife Rev. 19.7 The body of which Christ is the head Ephes 1.22 23. And Christ owneth his Saints and people to be his Brethren and Sisters Mat. 12.49 50. Now what doe all these relations speake but union with Christ Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2 16. and Christs interest in his people which he will preserve as his glory and delight he will not spoyle his Kingdome nor suffer others to doe it he rules in the middest of his Kingdome in the hearts of his people with a golden Septre even his owne spirit he binds them to his commands by his words of love and he protecte them from ruining by their enemies with his Rod of Iron he will be sure to preserve his Kingdome at his glory this his glory he will not give to another and his Spouse he will keep as his delight she is the Wife of his bosome his love his faire one one whom he hath made faire by his love and lovely in his lovelinesse compleate in him he hath washed her cleane in his owne blood and hath made it life blood to her so that she liveth to the glory of his grace that streames in his blood Christ hath made his Church so cleane in his blood that it becomes his owne body and he the head of it Christ having
he useth hsi grand pick-lock unbeliefe to open the doore to let him in and so soon as ever hee gets entrance in at that doore his commands become lawes Unbeliefe is the owner and power of darknesse in the soul by which Satan reignes as supreame This is the strongest hold of Satan in any soule and if once that stronger man the Lord Jesus Christ cast him out of this hold hee loses his whole laterest in and command over the soule but so long as he can keep this Garrison the soule shall surely be kept in a warfare against Christ Want of faith in God must needs make want of love service child-like fear and obedience and where these are not all manner of evill must needs be I hope by these particulers I have given some little light into this Kingdome of darknesse it is a large field the dimensions of it can be taken by no hand but such an one as can compasse the whole earth and all the but it for all the evill of the world will come within this circle of unbeliefe I intend here no farther a travell upon this discovery then I have gone to a spirituall heart I am sure every one of these particulers will appeare to be very great evils then the fountaine of them must needs be exceedingly great in evil All I aim t is this that as unbeliefe is the greatest evill in and the greatest enemie to the soule so that the Readers would thus looke upon unbeliefe and as soules fore-warned to be fore-armed Secret enemies are the worst of enemies I have therefore pointed at this great enemy that it might not be greater then it is in it selfe by its secret lurking undiscovered in the soule I shall in the next place in some particulers as before hold forth the benefits of faith in God in Christ and his word in the soules of believers The benefits of FAITH First Faith in God makes the life of the soule purâ— it is a life only in God it liveth upon nothing else but what God is doth and saith This is properly the life of faith and the true advantage of the soule by that life Faith is that eye by which the soule lookes into and hath a discovery of the goodnesse grace and glory of God to it selfe Now in this knowledge the soule is carryed out of it selfe into God to live purely and singly upon God it now comes to know Gods strength to be exceedingly more then its owne and so forsakes its owne strength to live upon the strength of God By faith the soule sees the full salvation that is in God and so casteth it selfe upon God for salvation and liveth purely upon God and nothing but God for salvation and deliverance out of the hands of all its enemies to serve him in saith above carnall distrustfull feare the life of saith in God Luk. 1.73 74. with this benefit of that life doth very emminently appear in the Prophet David Psal 62. He begins the Psalm thus Truly my soule waiteth upon God This is his faith he believeth in God and therefore waiteth upon him Well but what is the ground or reason of the Prophets thus waiting upon God hee telleth us in the end of the first verse from him commeth my solvation He did by faith live upon God as the God of his salvation that is God was all to him his life of faith was a living purely and singly upon God therefore in verse 5. he layes a charge upon his soule My soule wait thou only upon God Have thy eye no where else live purely upon what God is for my expectation is from him The good I looke for is the good which is in God my waiting and believing is to see the salvation of the Lord. So in 6. and 7. verses He only meaning God is my rocke and my salvation my defence and my glory my strength and my refuge therefore I shall not be moved Observe this life of faith it is purely in God what God is and makes its conclusion according to what God is I shall not be moved Why not Because God is my rocke and salvation hee is my defence and strength What is in God is the ground of his confidence therefore God himselfe is the object of his soule This life of faith in David is purely a life in God such a life as liveth purely upon what God is This life of faith in David puts him in the latter part of that Psalme upon an exhortation to others to trust in God that is to live upon what God is in himselfe In this worke he sets forth the emptinesse of all things out of God hee telleth us in verse 9. That men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity All these are empty things compared to God are lighter then vanity not to be trusted in or lay any weight upon God is onely enough to answer the wants of eternall soules Live upon God this is purely the life and benefit of saith in the souln of believers to live upon the living God that is to live purely upon what is in God So the same Prophet in Psalm 3.3 But thou Lord are a shiâ—lâ— for me my glory and the lifter up of my head In the verse before he telleth us that many say of him There is no helpe for him in God but sayes he I know the contrary and I doe live upon thy selfe as my shield my glory and the lifter up of my head his life is what God is for faith hath pitched upon God for his life Psal 7.10 and he lives in what God is So in Psal 7.10 My defence is of God That is God is his strength and the strength of God is his defence he liveth upon God And puts his trust in God Psalm Psal 16.1 16.1 And in the 23. Psalme The Lord is my Shepheard all he hath it is received from the Lord upon whom he liveth he makes mention of no Name but the Name of God as the fountaine of all the good he injoyes and this makes him in the 42. Psalme last to call upon his soule when as it was cast downe to hope in God for sayes he I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Though my springs at creature are soone drawne dry so that my soule may faint for thirst yet hope my soule For God is thy life I shall praise him because he is my life Thus doth faith live and satisfie the soule in what God is in himselfe Psal 121.2 and in Psalm 121.2 My helpe commeth from the Lord It is what is in God that the believing soule looks upon for helpe and therefore the life of faith liveth when all things below God have no life in them for it liveth in God and upon what God is Give eare to the voice of a believing soule speaking in
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